Why the sun sets red

"Why" was all that rang through a Lucario's head as she walked forward. Few went up here and even fewer went up to the top of the mountain but Noel didn't care about that now her mind was to blocked by all the things wrong with her life. She had just remembered a painful memory and it almost killed her just knowing it so she decided to cut herself off from her friends for now and just train.

She didn't have her normal scarf just the black coat and her bag blew in the wind. There was a metal arm band around her left paw which was used for nothing but blocking attacks. She couldn't wear her mother's scarf not after what she remembered her doing but that was just one bad thing right she didn't have to judge everything on one action.

Noel sighs as she looks up to the top of the mountain she then points at the top. "I'll let this decide if I'm strong enough to make it up there. I'll prove my mother was a good teacher" she said to herself as she walked up.

Serena had been planning this trip for a while, without Stella's help because she disappeared. Now with her bag strapped over her shoulder, and her bow and her badge, she stood at the foot of Black Mist Mountain. She looked up and couldn't see the top, because it was so far high up. The Snivy started walking towards the base of the mountain and saw Noel. "Oh, Hi Noel!" Serena called out. She hadn't expected her new Lucario friend to be here, but she had guessed wrong. She jogged faster towards the base of the mountain.

Noel turned her head to see a small Pokemon run up to her. Noel smiled her normal smile pushing all of her unwanted emotions aside in order to have a conversation with a friend. "So what brings you to this mountain?" Noel asks feeling that to be a obvious question that needed to be answered. Noel thought it was a bit strange to see the same Pokemon a few days later but still weirder things had happened.

"I'd been planning this trip for a while after I got strong enough, and since Stella, my teammate has gone missing, I can go without her complaining how long the trek would be." Serena explained with a grin. "She can be exhausting at times. Though, since she's been gone for over a month, I disbanded the team. I got to keep my stuff, though." She said. Sure, she had been worried at first, but Serena had gradually gotten used to Stella not being in the sleeping quarters on the next bed over. The weight of Stella had been lifted off her shoulders, and a huge wave of relief of had washed over her. Now Serena could go on as many adventures as she wanted, without a sassy and sometimes annoying Snivy following her. Serena grinned at Noel, showing her joy of finally coming here.

"Huh well good for you getting stronger is always a great thing helps a lot" Noel says as she looks down slightly. "Well that's sad I hope you find your friend soon" Noel said then a thought occurred to her she hadn't seen her friend lumina in a while. Noel kinda missed her cold attitude and had even come up with a nickname for her but meh she was probably on guild mission's or something but she still wished she had her friend back she'd be a lot of help with her problem now.

Serena shrugged. "Yeah, but I've learned to cope with it. There's an up side to it, though. Now I can go anywhere I'm capable of, and she won't be complaining the whole way." The Snivy almost smirked. She didn't mind too much that Stella was gone, but she was sure her friend had good reasons for being gone. Well, wasn't her problem now. Not that she hadn't liked Stella, she just felt free.

"Ya I know the feeling my friend Lumina had to leave for a while. Though she said she might be back in the future all I can do is hope" Noel said with a smile. She was her first friend she had gotten while here and she didn't want to lose her but seems like she did. "I said I was gonna climb up to the top of the mountain so I'm keeping my goal" Noel said as she let a smirk cross her face. "How about we team up for now this place is pretty tuff" she said knowing a worse area was below

Serena nodded. "Good plan. Some 'mon here might be too much for me to handle." She said. The Snivy was glad to be teaming up instead of going solo, and an added bonus was she could actually have a conversation. "Let's go." Serena smiled. She started walking towards the path that went up the mountain with a determined expression on her face.

Noel nodded as she stepped lively next to the Pokemon. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a few sitrus berries she had kept to herself. "Can't run out of energy" Noel said as she handed one to Serena and then ate one herself. "So anything you want to know about me?" She asks the snivy not having a conversation topic in mind at the time. She wanted to know a bit more on this partner she mentioned but then thought it wasn't the best of plan's

Serena gently took the berry from Noel. "Well, I don't know." She shrugged. "I can't think of anything to talk about either, honestly." The Snivy admitted. As they walked, she tried coming up with more things to talk about, but came up with none. Sometimes it was difficult for her to come up with topics for conversation. "I got nothing..." Serena sighed.

Noel then let's out a small laugh, they both had nothing to talk about though that could mean a lot of thing. "Ok then I'll strike the conversation up" she said as she started to think of something. "Hummmm, well where was the last place you explored. Besides here I mean" She said slightly wondering if she had been to a dungeon Noel had n it yet explored

"Hmmm.... Pecha Forest, with my friend Azeral." Serena replied thoughtfully. "I ended up losing all my energy though... Azeral had to bring me back to the entrance." She laughed. Now, to her it seemed funny that she couldn't beat so many Pokemon in a row when she was fast as lightning. The Snivy shrugged, still laughing a little. "I dunno... it seems funny to me now." Serena finally said after calming down.

"Huh, well if that's the case you should bring some revive seeds with you, they've saved my life a whole bunch of times" she then thinks as she grabs something from her bag and hands it to her. It was a small seed and a berry. "This is a revive seed and a sitrus berry they'll restore your energy when you need it the most. Can't have you falling in battles I'm taking you to the top." She said with a smirk

Serena grinned and took both items. "Thank you." As they were trekking up the mountain, there was a small moment of silence, which left her time to think. 'Well, let's see. There are all sorts of certain Pokemon around here, and I could encounter new and interesting ones. But, I can't stand around taking notes because I'll end up getting knocked around like a bowling ball.... Hmmm....' Her tail swung from side to side while she was lost in thought. The Silence almost seemed to drag on and on. The Snivy looked up, and they still had a ways to go. 'I know we can do this.... I know we can!' Serena thought.

"No problem" she said as she reached into her bag and pulled out her black journal. She reread all the info of the Pokemon here. "Watch out for giant rock birds, met three last time I was here" she said as she flipped a page in her book and kept reading all she needed to know on a Pokemon. "Couldn't make it to the top past time, so there might be more up ahead" she said as she put the journal away. "This way" she said as she pointed to a path slightly covered from the top