I'll Protect You

The dripping water of the dark sewer was a constant background noise along with Cloak and his trainer's footsteps. They were making slow progress because they were being careful. It was dark so anything could be around the corners that they couldn't see. The flashlight that his trainer had brought with them could only light up so much at a time. Cloak had tried to assure Derek that he could handle anything that came their way, but he felt like Derek didn't believe him. Based on the fact that he kept palming Rough's pokeball. They wouldn't need the mightyena, but Cloak supposed he got it. It could be scary here. He puffed out his chest; he'd just have to show his trainer that there was nothing to fear. Derek looked at him as he proudly marched ahead. "Cloak?" His trainer called out. The piplup fusion stopped and turned to look at him. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting you!" Cloak happily replied, placing his flippers on his hips. "I'm not afraid of any scary pokemon lurking around here, so you don't have to be either!"

Derek frowned, likely as he tried to figure out what Cloak had said, before sighing. "Look we need to stay close. You're still..." He paused as Cloak looked at him. "... in training and there are strong pokemon here. We need to stick together to make sure nothing happens." He explained slowly.

Tapping a flipper on his chin Cloak considered this. That made sense. Plus he'd be able to protect Derek better if he stuck close. Nodding he wandered back to his trainer's side. He was rewarded as Derek bent down and gave him a quick pat on the head. "Thank you. Now, let's see what we can find." He stood back up sweeping the flashlight around the area. "Based on rumors there should be some good stuff to find in here..." Derek shook out a hand and grimaced. "I just wish it was a bit cleaner. This place is awful."

Cloak made a noise of agreement. It wasn't the nicest place that was for sure, but he wouldn't complain. He needed to stay strong for his trainer and that meant not complaining! Probably. The two continued in silence with only the continued sounds of the water dripping and their footsteps breaking it. There might have also been the sound of running water nearby, but Cloak wasn't sure. Suddenly his trainer stopped and looked around. "Cloak, I don't suppose you've been keeping track of all the turns we made have you?" Derek turned down to look at him.

Cloak shook his head sadly. Derek sighed in frustration and Cloak shrunk in on himself. "It's... fine. We'll just have to brute force our way out of these damn tunnels then." They continued walking.

Eventually a third set of footstep joined then and Cloak was immediately alert. Cloak spun around as the footsteps turned into quick scampering. He barely managed to block the raticate's attack with a protect. The wild pokemon backed off and chittered angrily at him. Derek at this point had also turned around to see the scene. "Shit! Cloak get back that thing is way too strong for you!" Cloak stood his ground and watched as the raticate eyes him wearily. Being a ghost type he as one of the better suited pokemon on the team for this. Though his strongest moves also shared that typing, so this fight would be tough.

He sprayed the raticate with his only other viable move: water gun. The raticate backed up and hissed angrily and rushed forward. Cloak let it come; it was using some sort of normal move so when it made contact Cloak didn't feel a thing. It backed off again, eying him with a more critical eye. Before he could launch another water gun he was suddenly scooped up. He struggled in the grasp before realizing it was Derek who had grabbed him. "Now is not the time to be stubborn!" Derek said as he started running, Cloak still held to his chest.

Cloak could hear the raticate giving chase, but they seemed to be out running it for now. The pounding of Derek's footsteps drowned out the subtle sounds of the sewer from before. They took random turns in an attempt to lose it, but it managed to stay on their trail. They were probably only accomplishing getting even more lost at this point. The raticate likely knew these sewers well and was better at traveling them then his trainer was. Also he could feel the quicker breaths that Derek was taking; his trainer was getting tired.

Cloak felt like he could have taken the raticate but he also trusted his trainer's subject. Derek, in what felt like a last ditch effort, dashed around a corner and pressed the two of them close to the wall. The raticate ran past, not noticing them. They'd finally gotten away. The two stayed like that for a while, making sure the danger had passed. Derek's heavy breathing joined the dripping of water. Finally his trainer put him down and fixed him with a stern look. "When I tell you to get back you need to listen to me. You could have got seriously hurt if that pokemon had realized your typing. It was way to strong for you to try and fight."

Cloak looked down, taking the talking to. That was fair; he had ignored his trainer's order. He'd just wanted to protect him though! What if some had happened to his trained while he tried to pull out another pokemon. "Just... be a bit more careful. You're still training. Eventually you'll be strong enough to take on whatever you want, but not yet. For now you listen to me when I tell you to retreat ok?" Cloak finally looked up at him and nodded. "Good. Now that we're on the same page let's find a way out of here. Maybe we'll find something useful on the way..."