The darkness had already adjusted to Tag's eyes as he rounded the next corner, sending sand flying behind him. Out of the peripherals to his right, he spotted the leafy "X" he'd put on the wall. Halfway there.
He felt good. He felt confident. Sure, this feeling would flee him by the time the trial started, but for now he'd enjoy it. He felt pumped...energized. The speed he had this run was astronomical, even for his standards. He could tell this was going to be a personal record time.
He ran the next hundred yards in a subconscious manner, making jumps and turning at specific points to build more speed. He got a feel for the ground flying below him; he ran so often he knew how to run on whichever surface of earth he was walking on. Sand was tough since it constantly shifted below his feet, but Tag ran on the surface so much more than the other surfaces that he was used to it. In a way, sand felt normal and more sturdy surfaces made him feel like he was going much quicker, a feeling he loved.
Making a drawn out left immediately followed by a quick right, the iconic turn told Tag that he was nearing the exit. Sure enough, the cave started to get brighter and brighter. Soon he saw the light leading to the beach. As it got brighter, the light got closer. Tag picked up more speed, unleashing everything he had at making it towards this entrance. Harder and harder, Tag barreled onward.
And then he shot out of the cave like a rocket. Tag leaned back while his feet landed in front of him and held that position, sliding across the sand and nearly reaching the water. No wait, he was actually
in the water! The change in the sand wetness threw him off and he tumbled in the waves. Well, he needed a bath anyway.
Picking himself up in the water, he trotted back to the beach, panting hard. Shaking the water off of him, he looked back to where he'd landed. Yeah, that was a new record. He'd never made it to the water before. That basically shattered his old one.
He looked at the mouth of the cave he just exited. It wasn't a Mystery Dungeon, but it was the only form of training he got for traversing one. While a Mystery Dungeon could change walls and rooms, this cave was expansive, but he knew the layout inside and out. In a Mystery Dungeon, that wasn't possible, so he'd have to keep his wits about it. He mostly used it as a race track to build his most prized attribute: speed.
Tag looked at the sun to check the time. Snap! It was almost at the peak! He quickly went to his knapsack and pulled out one of his Rawst Berries. Eating it, he already felt his stamina returning to fullest potential, the effects of the previous run wearing off. Within moments, he was as fresh as he was waking up this morning. The nerves were at bay, still masked by the excitement. He wanted to be an Isle Defender so badly. He felt that he was better than ever. There was no way they could turn him down again!
Checking his pack, he still had two Rawst Berries, the Oran Berry, and that Orb he didn't know the use of. It's not like he didn't know that Power Orbs had powers, it's just that he never had the chance to take it to a Power Orb shop or the Kecleon Store to figure out what it did. He didn't go into town much.
He slid the knapsack on and began walking to the path. He now needed to conserve his energy for Bayside Caverns. He felt like he needed all of it. He was about to take his first step up the path when he heard a noise coming from his left. Turning towards the sound, his curiosity got the better and after checking the sun to make sure he had time, went to check it out. He stayed sneaky, his body pressed against the cliff bottom and walking slower than he was used to. But he continued until the source of the noise was discovered.
It was the Chimchar. He had his fists raised in front of him, his feet spread in an attack stance. He was facing a tall-standing rock, it's surface scorched by what Tag could only assume was the Chimchar's fire. It was staring down the rock like the rock had destroyed his best friend or something.
Then the Chimchar moved. It dove to the right, rolling onto his feet and tossing an Ember underhanded in the rock's direction. The flame looked nearly pitiful, but it spread across the rock surface on impact. The Chimchar leaped forward again, landing on the palms of its hands. Instead of flipping forward like it looked like it was going to do, it launched itself on its left side. Landing on the balls of its feet, it pivoted, throwing a punch from its right paw across its body and in the direction of the rock. Tag imagined the Chimchar hitting the rock numerous times with his fist and decided he would describe that experience unpleasant.
Nevertheless, Tag was entranced by the fluidly natural movements the Chimchar was making. Was this the same Chimchar he saw this morning? He remembered seeing that Chimchar, climbing the path with great caution, unsure where to step or even how to step. This Chimchar...this Chimchar was determined. This Chimchar looked like he had a lot to prove and was going to do anything to prove himself. What happened to him in the past hour and a half?
Tag turned away, deciding he'd seen enough. But there were still many questions he had. What was this Chimchar doing here? Why was it training? He thought for a moment, and then it hit him. He was probably training for the Isle Defender tryout, like Tag had just done. It was kind of the only major event going on today.
Well, good luck. Tag thought in his head. Personally, from the look of the Ember he'd just thrown, he probably wasn't going to make it past the selection process unless he pulled something magical from nowhere. But he dismissed the thought of superiority. That Chimchar had just as much chance of making it as Tag or any other Pokemon who tried out today.
Tag began to walk up the path to Mylliva Forest, where his destiny lay waiting for him.
RPG
