Gary did the same with his pokemon, returning them to their pokeballs and wrapping them up with one of his spare shirts. He tucked them away into his bag. He didn't want Umbreon to suffer like last time, so he reluctantly recalled his companion. Every since Umbreon's evolution from Eevee, he couldn't go anywhere without the dark pokemon right beside, walking in step with the young scientist/trainer.
"Here," Yoru said, breaking Gray from his thoughts. He was holding a thick coat out to Gary, smiling widely at the older teen. Gary returned the smile and took the dark coat, putting it on and zipping it up.
"Thanks, Yoru," he said before throwing his pack over his shoulder. He looked over to Rapidash, who was busy rubbing its nose against the corner of the desk. "Why's Rapidash out?" he asked once the fire horse had finished scratching its nose.
"I was thinking it would be best to ride Rapidash up to Snowpoint City," Yoru said, beckoning Rapidash over to his side, "We'd be able to keep warm a lot esier and Rapidash would get some well needed exercise." Yoru opened the door leading out of the Inn, the fire horse trotting outside.
"That's pretty smart," Gary said, following after the pokemon, "But will Rapidash let me ride it?" He remembered reading about how pokemon like Ponyta, Dodrio, and other large pokemon would only allow their trainers to ride them and no one else.
"Rapidash won't mind," Yoru said, joining them outside, "Its a very friendly pokemon." Yoru climbed up onto the fire pokemon's back, adjusting himself into a comfortable position. He turned to Gary and held out his gloved hand to help him up. Gary took the dark haired teen's hand, clambering onto the pokemon non to gracefully.
"You might want to hold on," Your said excitedly, "Rapidash likes to run." Immediately after finishing his scentence, Rapidash took off in a hard gallop. Gary let out a surprised yelp, wrapping his arms around Yoru's waist so he wouldn't fall off.
A few hours of chilly winds blistering their faces and warm fire tickling their bodies, They made it to the outskirts of Snowpoint City. Yoru's eye stayed on the entrance to the lakefront. It was being guard by a couple of Galactic grunts which meant they have begun tormenting the pokemon of the lake.
The teen's fingers brushed against the eye patch covering his left eye. It was a reminder of what happened on Iron Island. Gary saw this, but said nothing. He wanted to know what happened, but he didn't want to pry into the other's past.
"There it is," Yoru said, snapping out of his painful thoughts, "Snowpoint City. I'll be able to get my seventh badge here. Then we'll need to head over to the lake and take care of those Galactic jerks."
"Sounds like a plan," Gary said as he hopped off of Rapidash. Yoru was quick to follow the brunette, the snow going up to their ankles. Rapidash let out a neigh, feeling quite acomplished having carried its trainer and his companion to the city.
"Thanks a lot, Rapidash," Yoru said happily, patting the pokemon affectionately. the fire horse let out another cheerful neigh before Yoru returned it to its pokeball. "Let's head to the pokemon center first so we can have out pokemon checked over," Yoru suggested, walking over to the red roofed building.
"Then the gym?" Gary asked, walking in step with the blue-eyed boy.
"Definately," Yoru said happily as they entered the pokemon center, "I'll get my badge in no time then we can save the pokemon of Lake Acuity."
