Chapter 5: 27

Why are you helping Me?"

27 asked Richard who simply looked back at Him and tightened the shirt around 27's leg and spoke.

"Because you're the first person I've met in this that I knew."

27 was surprised by Richard's comment and became quite thinking. 'I hardly know you though?'

Richard then after tying 27's leg Richard grabbed a rock that was near 27 causing the latter to defend Himself with His arms.

"What are you doing?"

Richard asked, looking at 27 with a pensive look. 27 then took off His guard seeing an Apple in Richard's hand and then snatched it out of His hand, scarfing it down similarly to Richard eating His first Apple.

Burp

27 gave out a burp in satisfaction from eating the Apple and shortly after passed out with the stress of being hurt caught up to Him.

Richard gave 27 His leafy blanket and sleeping rock placing them over and under 27's body. Richard then dragged His own rock, but sat on it watching in case anyone came into the cave by passing Shuppet.

Soon later Shuppet came back into the cave where it was rewarded for its hard work with three Bulk Berries.

"Shupp!"

Shuppet happily ate the Berries and then shortly after went to sleep on Richard's lap who decided to watch for a little while until He couldn't stay up any more.

Morning came shortly after that. Richard woke up sitting on the rock He dragged up and still had Shuppet in His lap.

Richard looked to see if 27 was still in bed. Snoring loud enough for Richard to hear when they were a few feet apart.

Shuppet woke up to Richard's sudden movement when He checked on 27 and floated off His lap.

"Lets go train." Richard spoke calmly and softly to not wake 27 up.

"Shupp."

Shuppet also did a small cue of a call and followed Richard out the cave.

***

Uhh

27 woke up finding Himself covered in a blanket and also felt a hard pillow under His head. "What's that?"

27 grabbed the hard pillow out from the back of His head revealing a soft rock.

"29! 30!"

27 looked to the source of the sound which was out of the cave leading outside.

27 curiously got up and walked outside, finding Richard doing Pull ups on a tree limb while His Shuppet was continuously firing the same purple ooze that had hit the Crabrawler.

27 approached Richard asking "7 what are you doing?"

Richard stopped His Pull ups and let go of the branch He was holding and spoke out as He let go "Training."

"Training for what?" 27 countered.

"Life." Richard countered back.

27 was confused but asked again.

"Training for what?"

Richard gave up on being coy because He needed friends at least on this island.

"To live my own life." Richard tried to keep the part out about leaving Team Rocket because that can cause a stir in trust between Him and 27.

But if 27 was older and not seeming to look ten He would have figured out the meaning behind Richards paraphrasing.

27 didn't know why 'Life' required Number 7 and His Pokemon to train without rest.

***

Richard went back to work on training while 27 watched.

"Why does He keep staring?" Thought Richard.

Shuppet was ignoring them as it continued to its own training with Gunk Shot which seemed to get better with every shot.

27 was watching both Shuppet and Richard train, causing Him to join with simple Push ups.

Richard after seeing 27 react stopped training to help 27 out with some corrections on His form and helped Him out with other exercises.

***

"I want that guy found!" screamed the Fat cadet with the Crabrawler at His side.

"Calm down number 43." commented another Cadet who had Green hair and Blue eyes. With already a Cadet uniform with a red R on His gray cadet uniform.

"Yeah! Who asked you!" Commented 43.

"I spoke because we won't be able to find them if we rush things. We have to plan things out." Claimed the Cadet.

43 calmed down through the Cadets voice and asked "Then what would you do?"

The cadets paused for a moment with a pensive look on His face and coyly smiled.

"We simply have to draw Him out the same way we drew Him in before."

***

Five of the seven days have passed and Richard felt like both His relationship with 27 was getting better and Shuppets training got better with Her learning a new move.

Knock Off. A move that allowed to both impede an oncoming attack and deal some damage and if the opponent's Pokemon was holding an item the attack's damage would increase by 50%.

After unlocking that bit of information Richard discovered why 27 hadn't fought back against the Crabrawler with His Pokemon. That was because His Pokemon seem to have ran away.

And whenever His Pokemon came into conversation 27 would call it a coward who abandoned Him to be attacked not giving any information on what type it was.

Richard felt like Pokemon could Camouflage in its surroundings because He felt like He's been stared at.

The reason why Richard thought this was because on the second day of meeting 27 Richard noticed a shaded figure that seemed to change form whenever it'd pass something behind it.

After a while Richard just accepted the Pokemon's watchful gaze, but that didn't stop His curiosity on what Pokemon it was. Several images of Pokemon went in His head on what it could be.

Until on the fifth day the Pokemon revealed itself in front of Richard, Shuppet, and 27.

This Pokemon had Chameleon-like features with an unnatural large red stripe across its waist.

By image alone Richard knew this Pokemon came from the Hoenn region. With its name being Kecleon the Chameleon Pokemon.

Kecleon is by definition a great spy even without his natural ability to Camouflage, but also with its other bonuses like its sticky handling and footing giving it the ability to stick to walls. Kecleon also had its tongue in which it could reach up to 10-12 feet.

At the sight of Kecleon 27 nearly slapped it. Thankfully Richard stopped Him grabbing 27's wrist and asked "What are you doing?"