As they leapt out of the boats and clambered onto the shore, Liv's Tepig and Oshawott stirred.

"Tepig," said Tepig, rubbing its eyes.

"Sorry, Tepig. Did we wake you?" asked Liv. Tepig nodded sleepily.

"Oshawott," said Oshawott, jumping out of the boat with excitement.

"Easy there, Oshawott, you'll knock someone over," said Liv, chuckling.

"Oshawott," Oshawott replied sheepishly, realizing its exuberance.

"I know you're sorry," said Liv, patting Oshawott on the head affectionately.

Liv walked over to where the others were standing.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats, and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North," said Aragorn, his voice resolute, the weight of their mission pressing heavily upon him.

"Oh, yes, just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better, a festering, stinking marshland, as far as the eye can see," said Gimli, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"I have to agree with him, Aragorn. We can't risk losing anyone else," said Liv, her concern evident.

"That is our road. I suggest you both take some rest and recover your strength," said Aragorn.

Legolas turned to Aragorn with urgency. "We should leave now," said Legolas.

"He's right. If we stay here, there's a good chance we will be ambushed," added Liv, sharing Legolas's concern.

"No orcs patrol the Eastern shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness," said Aragorn.

"It is not the Eastern shore that worries me," said Legolas, glancing towards the Parth Galen forest. "A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

"I can feel it too. We are being followed. I will send out my Flying-type Pokémon, Tranquil, to scout the area," said Liv, taking Tranquil's Pokéball from her pocket. "Tranquil, we need your help," she added, releasing Tranquil, who flew out of its Pokéball and landed on Liv's shoulder.

Aragorn looked at Legolas and Liv, knowing full well what they meant. Sam has slumped asleep Merry dumps a small pile of kindling at Gimli's feet. "Where's Frodo" asked Merry. Sam sits up with a start, and Aragorn's head snapped round, his eyes flying to Boromir's shield, which lay abandoned by his camp bed.

"Very well," Aragorn finally conceded, a note of urgency in his voice. "Liv, send out Tranquil. Let's see what it can find."

Liv nodded, her gaze locking with Aragorn's, as she sent out Tranquil, the bird Pokémon taking flight to scout the area.

The tension in the air was palpable as they awaited Tranquil's report. Minutes passed like hours, until Tranquil returned, flying back to Liv's shoulder.

"What did you see, Tranquil?" asked Liv, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tranquil chirped, and Liv translated, "There are indeed creatures following us, not far from here."

Aragorn nodded, his expression grim. "Then we must move quickly. Legolas, Liv, keep your Pokémon and samurai morpher at the ready. We may need to fight sooner than we expect."

With that, they gathered their belongings, preparing to continue their perilous journey through the lands surrounding Mordor.

To be continued