'An apex shouldn't be here, this near to a Route. Rangers' patrols keep tabs on the Apex's 24/7.' I analysed my situation, grimly.

'Even if it's an apex with intimidation ability, I am weak enough to be ignored. I should be safe if it's not in a frenzied or irritated mood.'

'An apex would not even consider me as a threat to paralyze me.' I thought suddenly confused and afraid.

An image of Tyranitor breaking out of the ground and shredding me, like a shark, came to mind.

Wild Arbok choking me out of my life....

I stopped myself before my mind could procure more pessimistic thoughts.

'As I am still alive and Apex aren't supposed to appear far away from their territories. It's elite, and my chances of leaving alive are more if it is an elite,' I thought grimly, trying to move my trembling body, with no success.

Elites are reasonable and can understand humans. The PokeHuman pact is supposed to prevent any needless slaughter. But Apex Pokemon don't care, they have animal instincts and react like battle-hardened animals in most cases.

It felt like my lizard brain was overriding me and saying 'Just don't move. You will die if you move.'

'I don't get it! I didn't offend any elite trainers or Pokemon. There was no reason for an elite to treat me like this.' I thought, frustration oozing out of me as time passed with no change.

From what I found in the Pokenet, just like the ability Intimidation, an old enough elite can figure out the trick to paralyse its enemies.

But it is a waste of time for trained elites, as the artificial ability won't be as strong as the inborn ability.

A wild Elite naturally has this ability, as there are no organised matches in the wild.

A Pokemon won't leave a berry just because its opponent was tired or injured for whatever reason.

So, a wild Elite naturally develops the intimidation ability through the course of its life.

' A wild Elite or Alpha with the intimidation ability is eyeing me.'

'Both aren't supposed to be in this route, for God's sake.' I thought as I tried to move my head to get a glimpse of my surroundings.

Suddenly, the dread petered off. Instead, now I feel like a big hand is holding me from moving.

The newbie routes are one of the most patrolled ones and are under the PokeHuman Pact.

' I am sure, I am in a newbie route.' I thought grimly as the adrenaline surge subsided.

'It's more than 15 seconds already, eat me or go away,' I thought, irritated trying to push the paralyzing feeling off me through sheer will.

More than 30 seconds passed, making me irritated at the Pokemon's silence.

Knowing that I can die anytime is not helping my mood, it seems.

'Do something' I screamed internally, unable to even move my mouth.

Just like something heard me, Cet who was frozen on my hand, like me, started moving.

Like someone unpaused him. He moved around frantically searching for the threat that made him freeze.

After doing that for over a minute, Cet seemed to have lost interest and started prodding me.

He draped himself on my head, leaning close to my head, and started sniffing and licking me.

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' I am still paralysed.'

'It's not funny. It's been more than a minute.' I thought exasperated and drenched with Cet's saliva.

Suddenly a huge bird appeared in front of me, with a height of nearly 2m and pure white feathers ending with blue tips.

Its plumage was a beautiful blue and a slender neck rose from the plumage, giving it an air of elegance and nonchalance.

'Swanna, it's a Swanna. It just appeared like it teleported,' I thought distracted from my fear by the Pokemon's beauty, momentarily.

The hold on me broke, and I was finally free.

The Swanna raised its eye exaggeratedly at Cet. He went berserk-from a completely calm boy to a frothing mad dog.

He dashed towards the wild alpha or more probably Elite Pokemon.

Shocked, I recalled him quickly, not wanting to offend the Swanna.

' Now is it an Alpha or Elite? An Alpha and Elite are required to be handled differently if I want to make it out alive,' I hesitated overcame with indecision.

The chances of it being an alpha are close to zero, but I don't want to take a risk without more information first.

The Swanna seeing my indecision, vanished and reappeared at a certain distance away, creating distance.

Suddenly, water appeared from thin air, drenching the ground between us.

I jerked back with surprise and started to slowly back away.

The wind picked up behind me, gently pushing me forward, back to my previous position.

I looked at the Swanna, neutrally not betraying any expression.

'That's an elite, alright.' I thought as I looked at the markings made by the water.

The water drenched the ground, making borders for a battlefield.

"I don't think Cet can defeat you," I said, not understanding why an elite want to fight a wildling.

It's like a fully armoured magical knight fighting a normal ant.

The Swanna elegantly lifted its wing, giving way to a Ducklett, which somehow magically appeared.

'The Swanna is too fast or it's teleporting, I don't think Swannas can use teleport,' I thought amazed.

The Ducklett on seeing me clung to the Swanna's leg.

Understanding the Elite Pokemon, I released Cet.

On seeing the Swanna dashed towards it again, screeching.

Before I could do anything, a gentle wind pushed Cet back, ending his berserk state.

'Did the Swanna use Taunt?' I thought confused.

On coming out of his berserk state, Cet started sniffing around the Swanna, warily.

'It seems Cet remembered the Swanna paralysing him.' I thought praising Cet for his caution.

Before I could complete my thought, he dashed towards the Swanna, flying in circles around it, sniffing and cooing curiously.

I wanted to facepalm seeing Cet's naivety.

The Swanna looked impervious to Cet's antics, but he successfully irritated the Ducklett between the elite's legs.

'Why is he acting like a puppy, I knew training him like a dog will bite me in the butt,' I thought, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Seeing the Swanna being cool with it, I let Cet satisfy his curiosity.

But the Ducklett didn't seem to agree with me.

It fired a water gun at the excited Zubat, who was flying around the Swanna with its tongue out.

Cet, the little genius, didn't forget the training on flying maneuverers, and easily rolled over the Water gun.

Confused at the attack, he called out his name and flew back to me.

Sometimes I forget he is just 20 days old; he didn't face any aggression or threat to his life before, except in the battles.

'Well, I can forgive him for frolicking around a Pokemon, that can flatten the whole route, on the account of his young age,' I decided, magnanimously nodding my head.

Using the chance created, the Swanna, gently pushed the Ducklett into the water-marked battlefield.

The Ducklett looked at the Swanna and me, seeming ready to run back to its parent.

Just as the Ducklett was hesitating, Cet dived towards the Ducklett excited about meeting the new Pokemon.

On seeing Cet moving towards it, the Ducklett fired a water gun again.

The water gun was too slow when compared to Amanda's Charmander's ember.

Cet dodged the water gun and hovered, confused at the attack.

The Ducklett took offence to his elegant dodging and rapidly fired the water guns.

Cet danced around the water guns, elegantly and chirped, excited about the new game he was playing.

I let him be not seeing any need to let him be serious against a newly hatched wild Pokemon.

I stared at the Swanna, hoping to see whether it was offended by me, for not taking the match seriously.

It saw or at least sensed my match with Amanda before, it should know the match will be over if Cet realises this is not a game.

The Swanna observed the match while being still like a statue. Not seeing any change in Swanna's behaviour, I looked at the ongoing match.

'It looks like the Ducklett doesn't put much practice into the water gun move, it's never going to hit Cet at this rate,' I thought seeing Cet loop around multiple sloppy water guns.

Cet being Cet headbutted a passing water gun after dodging it, curious to see what it was, and received some damage.

I laughed at him as he shook his head to get rid of the water, he turned towards me at my laugh and called out his name indignantly, looking aggrieved.

The Ducklett on seeing Cet distracted seized the chance and flew towards Cet closing the distance.

Cet tilted his head at the approaching Ducklett, hovering in the air.

The Ducklett wings shined white, making me pay more attention to the battle.

The Ducklett slapped Cet with its wings, making him flinch back.

I shook my head.

'The wing attack is sloppy too, I…'

Suddenly the Ducklett pulsed with a brilliant blue colour, causing my thoughts to an abrupt halt and filling me with a bad feeling.