TEEN: Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey (COMPLETE!)

[Beth Pavell]

I knew I should have gone with something else! Yeah, looking back, that scene was stupid.

I wouldn't quite go that far. You've already got the theme running that parents aren't perfect, for one thing.

Anyway, at fifteen chapters in - well, more or less - it seems appropriate to do another reflection review.

First thing I thought about was what keeps bringing me back to the story. I'm pretty sure you know by now that if I don't like a story, I don't torture myself by reading further and posting constant complaining reviews (I just drop it). The conclusion I ended up at was that, for all the things I could pick out that need improvement, I can see that you're trying. That rather looks patronising now I've typed it, though I don't intend it to be. I mean that in a fandom characterised by endless stories about essentially the same thing, you're trying to do something different. Looking at my list of regular reads, that's pretty much the common thread that links them all.

In my notes I have a few questioning thoughts about tone and the logic of the plot for each chapter. Most of them I didn't end up posting, because, well, most of them are really grey areas and I also didn't want the reviews to be nothing but a round of picking. If I were a beta reader, I might have a different approach ... in any case, I'm also conscious that you have a lot of readers who seem to expect the story to be very karmically correct according to their own moral code. I've never had to reconcile that with taking criticism constructively, so it doesn't seem appropriate for me to keep picking in light of that.

So what can I say. Well. As far as style is concerned, your prose is consistently ok. There are a few conventions I'm not a huge fan of - the viewpoint bounces around a bit, bracketing translations of poké-speak, etc - but not what I'd call a huge deal. A lot of the emotion is rather bluntly written, but then I seem to recall that you have difficulty in getting the nuances down so I've got more - what's the word? Patience, maybe? - for it than I would usually have. I think it's in the description and general scene setting that there's most room for improvement. That's where research is your friend. I mentioned before how nouns can save you a lot of trouble. I'd also say that looking at photographs of the sort of thing you're trying to describe is a neat trick as well.

The one thing I will come back to is pacing. As I type this I'm actually most of the way through Chapter 15, and good heavens, what a monster that is. I did a quick word count - that's 11,000 words for a chapter full of four battles and two subplots. There's really three chapters in that. And a lot of fat to trim as well - I think you were probably aware that four battles against Morty over two chapters would get tiresome, which accounts for why Casieal wins so easily (Not a huge problem, that, I don't mind Gym battles playing out a little differently). Really though, apart from him getting his Fog Badge, the battle itself doesn't have a lot of story in it. You could have started the chapter in media res with Casieal winning, and moved right on to Julia's fight with Morty in the immediate aftermath.

I'm not certain, but I suspect this is possibly down to little planning of the pacing of the arc. It might help to think of the arc as a mini-story. Where do you want to the climax to be? How quickly do you want to build to it, and how do you want the cooldown to go afterwards? Each chapter is a self-contained story, so you can play with that to work in your favour. The climax of the arc will usually have more impact if it's contained within it's own chapter with nothing else. You can surprise the reader with a sudden speeding up of plot that doesn't resolve until the next chapter. In the end you'll probably find this is easier on yourself since you won't be worrying so much about whether to shunt something into a .5 chapter at the last minute

Ok, that was longer than expected, so I think I'll end there

 

[Juliko]

I'm also conscious that you have a lot of readers who seem to expect the story to be very karmically correct according to their own moral code.

Yeah. I kinda agree with you on that. I love reviews and concrit and all, but some of those reviewers have been trying to push their agenda. Thankfully, I haven't been trying to pay too much attention to them much. I already decided from the beginning that I'm going to write this and have fun with it and write it the way I want to without people telling me what to do, so don't worry. I'm done letting people stomp all over me.

I'm not certain, but I suspect this is possibly down to little planning of the pacing of the arc. It might help to think of the arc as a mini-story. Where do you want to the climax to be? How quickly do you want to build to it, and how do you want the cooldown to go afterwards? Each chapter is a self-contained story, so you can play with that to work in your favour. The climax of the arc will usually have more impact if it's contained within it's own chapter with nothing else. You can surprise the reader with a sudden speeding up of plot that doesn't resolve until the next chapter. In the end you'll probably find this is easier on yourself since you won't be worrying so much about whether to shunt something into a .5 chapter at the last minute

I see what you mean. Everything else, too. I admit, I'm not the best writer, and I've been writing for eleven years, and I still have a lot to learn. But thanks, though! You gave me a lot to think about for future stories and sequels!

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 37.5: The Lighting of Friendship’s Fire

A black shadow darted across thickets and meadows blanketed by the night. Umbreon’s pitch black fur blended in with the darkness around it, save for the yellow circles on his body. They glowed in a faint light, so anyone who saw them would think he was a monster and run away in fear. Good. That was exactly what he wanted. Evolution truly had its benefits.

Night was nothing but gentle mercy for him. All the nights he had to spend with that Amara human were pure torture. Now, he no longer had to listen to her whining and yelling, witness her beating the other Pokemon over the slightest provocation, or even be subject to them himself. Everything around him was silent. Some Ledyba flew across the sky, migrating to their sleeping quarters. The red eyes of Hoothoot could be seen from atop various tree branches, glowing. Grass rustling underneath his paws.

Perfect. Just the way he liked it. Now he could sleep in peace. Umbreon dug a hole in a nearby thicket, marveling at the spaciousness of it all. No thicket he ever saw was this perfect. However, sleep would not come easily to the moonlight Pokemon. Images of an Eevee flashed through his mind.

The same Eevee he left with that young human girl in Ecruteak City.

‘Eevee...dear friend…’ He found himself more worried than he’d like to admit. ‘I sincerely hope you’re doing well…’ If he found that the human treated his friend the same way Amara treated him, he would be sure to make them his first kill. Humans could hurt him all they wanted for all he cared. But his friend? That would be a crime in which there would be no room for any kind of clemency or forgiveness.

No way would he let his friend receive that kind of treatment. She was always so fragile, so sweet and innocent. Incapable of any wrongdoing in his eyes. She was like his sister to him. No, they weren’t siblings, but they had grown up together as friends, and he had always looked out for her. To think they were brother and sister wouldn’t be such an uncommon thought.

Once again, sleep evaded him. “Goodness...I wonder if some Pokemon switched my ability to Insomnia or something…” He mused to himself jokingly, making light of his inability to fall asleep.

Then, his long ears suddenly twitched. A patch of grass nearby rustled in a whispery but erratic rhythm. Umbreon stood on all fours, up and alert, his long ears flying upward. What was that? Perhaps an enemy? Immediately, Umbreon leaped out of the thicket, taking on a guarded battle stance.

“Hey! Do you really think it’s a good idea to find Pokemon this late in the night?” The voice of a young human boy asked. Umbreon could hear the subtle fear in his voice.

“Quit being such a baby! All the coolest Pokemon usually come out at night, so suck it up!” Another boy scolded rather harshly.

Umbreon rolled his eyes. Oh great. More humans. Just what he needed. Then again...perhaps a battle would help tire him out enough to make him sleep. That didn’t sound like a bad idea in his mind. Nimbly and quickly, Umbreon leaped out from the thicket, with the yellow circles on his body glowing. He greeted the two humanoid silhouettes with a hiss. The darkness of the night obscured their bodies, making them resemble moving shadows. Being nocturnal, Umbreon could see that they were children, just a little taller than he.

“Umbreon!” He hissed.

“Whoa! It’s an Umbreon!” The first boy exclaimed.

“No way! Awesome! I am SO catching it!” The second boy pulled out a PokeBall without hesitation. “Told you we’d find a cool Pokemon at night! Go, Yanma!”

A small red dragonfly with clear wings and large, green, goggle-like skin surrounding its eyes materialized from the PokeBall. “Yaaaan yaaaan yan yan!” The Yanma buzzed, its wings fluttering at a million miles per second.

“Breee!” (“A weakling. This’ll be easy.”) Umbreon mused to himself. He had battled plenty of Yanma before this. All of them he managed to defeat without trouble.

“Use Signal Beam!”

“Yayaaaaan!” A blue and red beam of light shot out from Yanma’s large eyes, heading right toward Umbreon. Being the agile feline that he was, Umbreon managed to dodge every attack without difficulty. It helped that he could see his enemies in the dark, and even if he didn’t, his long ears could make out the whirring of Yanma’s wings.

“Breoooon!” Umbreon spat out a black sphere, sending it right at the dragonfly. Like him, Yanma was also agile and dodged it without difficulty simply by flying upward.

“Come on, Yanma! Use Supersonic!” The boy commanded.

“Yaaaaaaan!” A loud screech echoed throughout the forest. Umbreon was quick to cover his ears with his paws. Even so, the piercing wails still wracked at his ear drums. Gradually, his mind grew disoriented, and his vision began to blur.

“Alright!”

“Come on, Robby. Let’s get outta here.”

“No way! I’m catching it and that’s final!” The boy named Robby snapped. “Yanma, knock it out with--”

Another screech. Umbreon intended to shoot another Shadow Ball attack. Instead, a series of black and purple circles suddenly shot out from his mouth, striking the red dragonfly before Robby could give an attack order. Yanma fell to the ground, the whirring of his wings having ceased, and his tiny body weakened from the force of the attack.

“Yanma! Get up, come on! Yanma!” Robby pleaded.

“Let’s go! It’s too strong for us!” The other boy begged.

“No way, Gavin!” Robby snapped once more. “We can still catch it!”

But even Robby could feel fear and frustration making his skin itch. Umbreon stood over the now immobile Yanma, his red eyes glowing eerily. The sight of the dark figure sent shivers down the spines of both boys. Robby did manage to find it in him to call Yanma back to his PokeBall.

“Let’s get outta heeeere!” Gavin cried. With that, both boys found themselves sprinting away from the meadow with their non-existent tails between their legs. All Umbreon did was sigh.

“Umbreon…” His long ears drooped downward. He had wanted to battle with them some more. Gradually, the temporary confusion that plagued his mind finally faded. However, his mind was still fuzzy, and he found himself unable to keep his eyes open. Returning to the thicket, he plopped right down, like all the energy had been sapped right out of him. Finally, unable to resist the alluring embrace of sleep, his eyes closed, and his mind made its way to dreamland.

***

Sleep evaded Ponyta at every turn. Every time she would even try to sleep, it wouldn’t come. She would toss and turn, the grass scratching her fiery back, but her body refused to just go to dreamland with her. All she could think about was Julia. Or rather, the fact that Julia released her and set her free. She had been released before, and none of it bothered her much. This time, it was different.

Of all the trainers Ponyta had been captured by, this strange girl, Julia, was different from the rest. Not once did she expect Ponyta to do things she didn’t want to, nor did she order her around or make her into some machine whose only purpose was to obey orders, nothing more. Julia never hit her, demeaned her, forced her to obey her, or made Ponyta feel as though she was merely an object to satisfy someone at their amusement or convenience. But that wasn’t what surprised her beyond her wildest dreams.

All of her life, Ponyta had known hardship. She never chose that kind of life, nor the trainers who captured her. Years of being used and abused by humans made Ponyta harden her heart to everything and everyone. If they weren’t going to treat her like she was a Pokemon with hopes, dreams, fears, and strengths, only as an object or a scapegoat to be used, then why should she treat humans the same way? If that was how they would treat her, then why not try to use them? That was what Ponyta had wanted to do for a long time. Use their tricks and tactics against them. After all, in her mind, they were the enemy. All she wanted to do was survive and be strong.

That was it. What surprised Ponyta was that Julia...respected her decisions. She realized that Ponyta hated humans and released her, knowing that forcing her to be with a human wouldn’t benefit the fire horse. Ponyta couldn’t believe she had met such a human. A human who treated her and her choices like they mattered. Better yet...Julia treated Ponyta like an individual, and not once did she try to force her agenda on her.

Ponyta could see that she was genuine the moment Julia released her.

“All I want are true friends! I refuse to be involved in a fake friendship all based on lies and hatred and...and disrespect! Like you, I don’t want to be used by other people for their own personal gain!”

Julia’s statement echoed throughout Ponyta’s mind. Like a broken record player, she couldn’t turn it off. They just kept playing in her head. She had convinced herself that all humans were the enemy. But...was it possible? Were there good humans out there? Sure, she knew Nurse Joy was kind, but Ponyta didn’t bond with her. She was too focused on getting stronger to really notice her. Julia...she acknowledged Ponyta’s individuality and didn’t see it as a flaw to be fixed.

The thought of that made Ponyta feel like she wanted to cry. How she had yearned to meet someone like that! Now she had. For a brief moment, Ponyta wondered if maybe the girl was right. Maybe there are nice humans in the world. Still, she couldn’t just blindly put her guard down. For all she knew, they could easily change into someone completely different at any moment.

Still, hope had come into her heart. Something she had given up on long ago.

Her small ears caught the sound of nearby laughter. She trotted into some bushes, sticking her head out the other side. There was Julia, sitting on the grass, watching her Pokemon frolic and run all over the place. In her hand was a sketchbook, and Julia was drawing in it with a mechanical pencil. Ponyta found herself creeping closer, taking note of the PokePuffs from yesterday sitting by Julia’s feet. One of them still exuded the singy scent of spice.

On impulse, Ponyta found herself walking closer. Her hooves crunched the grass beneath her, and the sound was subtle, but still loud enough for Julia to turn around. Upon seeing the horse, Julia gasped.

“Whoa! What are you...doing here…?”

All Ponyta did was look at her. Julia’s mind was overwhelmed with questions. What was Ponyta doing here? Shouldn’t she be running free, happy to be released from a trainer’s PokeBall? Why did she come back? Then she looked down at the PokePuffs, and the realization struck like lightning.

“You want one of these?”

Ponyta nodded. Julia simply held the PokePuff out. The fire horse took care to use her teeth to take it out, making sure she didn’t bite Julia’s hand or fingers off. Julia smiled.

“You like it?”

The fire horse nodded.

“That’s good. Umm...can I ask what you’re doing here? You said you don’t like humans.”

At first, there was no response. In a way, Ponyta still felt conflicted about opening her heart to her. But she had to try. Hope won over doubt, and Ponyta winnied. “I don’t like them. But...you’ve shown me that you’re different from the ones I dealt with. You...respected my decisions. Why did you do that?” It was her turn to ask a question this time.

And it was Julia’s turn to answer. “Because everyone around me taught me that all Pokemon deserve to be treated with love, affection, and respect. They’re living creatures too, with feelings, hopes, dreams, strengths, weaknesses…” Julia answered loftily. “They can feel and hurt and be happy and get angry...just like humans do. I believe it with my whole heart, since I can understand what Pokemon are saying and other people can’t.”

Understand what Pokemon were saying? Ponyta hadn’t noticed. It gradually dawned on her that Julia did understand what she said all throughout the little time they spent together. She was honestly surprised that she never noticed before. Then again, she barely noticed because she was too busy shutting them out and refusing to even try to let them near her.

“I know you don’t like humans, so I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to,” Julia explained. “Besides, I know you have your reasons for not liking humans and for why you’re the way you are. I don’t want to make you feel bad for being you.”

For the very first time, Ponyta smiled and whinnied, “Thank you...for your understanding. Can I...hang out with you? Just for a while?”

Julia smiled again. “Anytime.”

Right after that, Saoirse came bounding in front of the two, holding a small bundle of blue and yellow flowers. Without hesitation, Saoirse pulled a yellow flower out of the makeshift bouquet and held it right in front of Ponyta. Both Julia and Ponyta found themselves bewildered. Sure, Julia knew Saoirse was sweet and kind, but going up to random Pokemon and handing them flowers? That was a new one.

“Snubbull snubbull,” (“You can eat this if you want.”) Saoirse told her.

So the flower was for eating, Julia remembered. That made sense. Ponyta usually grazed and ate plants or other shrubbery. Ponyta lowered her head, sniffing the flower with her large muzzle before taking it into her mouth. Julia smiled once more, and so did Saoirse. Perhaps Ponyta hadn’t completely hardened her heart after all.

Even so, Julia still kept her distance. As happy as she was about Ponyta slowly opening up, that didn’t mean the mare would want to go with her. Julia thanked her lucky stars that she showed enough restraint to refrain from both touching her fiery mane and giving her a name. It just didn’t feel right to give a name to a Pokemon who made it clear that she didn’t want to associate with humans in any way. By the time she thought that, Hikaru and Saoirse were riding on Ponyta’s back, and the latter carried them around, walking slowly to make sure they didn’t fall.

Hikaru and Saoirse were laughing. Ponyta’s mane didn’t burn them one bit.

Perrine happened to stop by at that moment, finding herself flabbergasted at the sight.

“Uhh...Jule? Are you seeing this?”

“Yep. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

Surprised, but oddly enough, happy. Perrine could see the very subtle joy on Julia’s face as she watched Ponyta engage in play with the other Pokemon. She still couldn’t believe that this was the same Ponyta that was out for their blood just the day before. For now, everything was fine, so Perrine just left it at that.

With every day that passed, Ponyta’s shell would chip off piece by piece. Two days afterward, Ponyta allowed Julia to stroke her cream colored fur. Just a little bit, though. After a third day, Ponyta would share meals with her. On the fourth day, she even let Perrine and Caiseal get close. Both were still somewhat guarded, Perrine and Caiseal especially. They didn’t dare touch her, but held their hands out enough to let her sniff them. Gradually, Ponyta’s senses told her that these humans had no malice in their hearts.

Deep in her heart, however, she hoped all this was a dream. A cruel dream that was intent to show her fake beauty before sweeping it right out from underneath her, unveiling a nightmare. With every day that passed, she hoped and hoped that she would wake up from this dream already. It had to be a dream, or an elaborate illusion at best.

She would soon learn that it wouldn’t be an illusion or a dream.

***

The day had passed once more. When the morning blue was welcoming the first twilight, Ponyta was already up. Ponyta had always woken up before the sun would, and she did what she always did: go to the meadow, graze for a bit, then train all by herself. She ran across the meadow in circles multiple times, gaining speed with every circle she made, her hooves and artificial leg growing stronger with every beat they made on the ground. Then, she would find nearby rocks or trees and ram her legs into them. Back legs or front, she would pound on them until they were either knocked down or completely blown to smithereens.

At one point, after much kicking with her back legs, Ponyta smashed one particularly large rock, with remnants and fragments scattering all around her. No rock was hard enough for Ponyta to not be able to smash through. When she turned around, facing the defeated boulder, she smiled with pride. Truly, she was growing stronger by the day. Then again, that was what she wanted: to be strong, so no one could take advantage of her. She was done being used and abused by others.

“Whew! That was a good workout,” Ponyta found herself falling to the ground, tucking her legs underneath herself. Her body was tired, but she still yearned to do more. She wished there were some other Pokemon around to battle with. She had battled with Pokemon at the orphanage multiple times, but they were easy to defeat, and others outright refused to battle. That was alright, though. She didn’t mind. She preferred having a challenge anyway.

All of a sudden, the subtle rustling of grass leaves caught Ponyta’s ears. Immediately, she stood back on her hooves, adopting a battle stance. Out from a thicket came a Pokemon she hadn’t seen before. A black one just smaller than she, with long ears, red eyes, and yellow rings on its body. As soon as their eyes met, the black feline held his tail up.

“Who are you?” The moonlight Pokemon hissed.

“Just a Pokemon who loves battling and getting stronger,” Ponyta answered. “You seem strong. Want to battle?”

Umbreon smirked, already liking the idea. “Think you can defeat me?”

Ponyta didn’t even answer. She was already charging at him, firing several Ember attacks at him. Umbreon leaped into the air before using Iron Tail on the embers, knocking them all into nothing. Soon, he slammed his steely tail onto Ponyta’s side. The force of the attack wasn’t enough to even so much as make Ponyta budge. Once Umbreon leaped to a safe distance, Ponyta charged at him again before jumping high in the air. Umbreon rolled out of the way before her hooves dredged right into the ground.

Right then, Umbreon fired a stream of black rings. Ponyta attempted to dodge, but the black rings struck her on her side, temporarily sending her sprawling to the ground. Years of training, battling, and subjecting herself to harsh brawls helped strengthen herself, so even though she reeled from the pain, she got back on her hooves right away. With a hoarse whinny, Ponyta encased herself in fire as she sprinted right toward the moonlight Pokemon. Like before, Umbreon leaped out of the way, evading the flaming attack every chance he got.

“Stay still!” Ponyta whinnied, growing more frustrated by the second.

“You’re not fast enough!” Umbreon taunted her by waggling his butt and tail, daring her to try and attack him.

Of course, being the hot tempered mare she was, she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. The flames on her mane and tail danced as she fired more Ember attacks at the Umbreon. Instead of dodging them, Umbreon fired black rings at them, holding off the attacks. The two found themselves locked in battle for quite a while, with dodging and jumping and attacking non-stop.

‘This Umbreon’s strong!’ Ponyta thought to herself. He kept using the same attack over and over again. Finally, Ponyta saw an opening. His tail wasn’t guarded. Ponyta leaped over the unassuming Pokemon and fired an Ember on his tail.

“Breeeeee!!” Umbreon howled when the flames singed the very tip of his tail. Blowing on it didn’t work, but it also left him wide open for attack. This was Ponyta’s chance. Finally, she fired another Ember attack. The tiny flames flew right in Umbreon’s direction…

Only Umbreon’s long ears twitched, alerting him to the incoming flames. Putting his pain aside, Umbreon leaped out of the way.

The flames landed on some bushes, right in front of a large tree. Gradually, they grew larger, consuming the bushes at an alarming rate. Before Ponyta could process what was going on, the flames were climbing up the tree, intent on swallowing it whole. Already, clouds of black and grey smoke billowed right out of it. Even Umbreon found himself speechless, watching the flames grow.

But Umbreon didn’t waste any time bolting away from the scene. At this point, Ponyta didn’t care about him. One of her attacks caused a fire, and if left unchecked, it could destroy everything! She couldn’t let that happen. With a desperate whinny, she stomped on the source of the fire with both of her front legs, even her prosthetic one. Of course, that didn’t work. Good thing Nurse Joy made her artificial leg resistant to attacks. She turned around and began kicking dirt onto the flames. That didn’t work either.

Anxiety grew exponentially. This was all her fault, she thought. What could she do? At this rate, people could get hurt or even die. Already, wild Pokemon were running past her. Small bird Pokemon flew away from the trees in packs, ascending into the sky, safe from any harm. Ponyta silently chastised herself from letting this happen, and for not being able to do anything about it.

Wait a minute...the kids! They could help! Ponyta could hear their voices coming from nearby. The fire horse galloped away from the burning tree, her hooves generating loud thuds with every step. Once the kids were in her sight, Ponyta whinnied as loud as she could, loud enough to get anyone’s attention, galloping in their direction.

“Whoa!” Perrine backed up the moment the mare suddenly appeared before them. “What the heck?! You almost ran into us!”

“Hreeeeh! Hreeeehhh!” Ponyta neighed in a hoarse voice.

“What?!” Julia heard everything the mare said. “Guys! Ponyta says there’s a fire!”

“Look!” Caiseal pointed to a cloud of smoke that was billowing into the sky. The kids ran to the scene. The fire made the air around it simmer, and the kids couldn’t get close, as the heat was far too oppressive for them to go near the tree.

“I’ll go get help!” Perrine turned around and made a beeline for the Pokemon Center.

“Go, Flippy!” Caiseal called his Quagsire out for assistance. “Use Water Gun on that fire!”

Flippy fired a blast of water at the blaze without hesitation. Julia called Lucretia, Rina, and Saoirse out, and they contributed via using their legs to kick the dirt into the raging fire. Ponyta did the same. Caiseal sent Mallow out as well, and he carried clumps of mud and threw them into the blaze. Gradually, the smoke began to die out, but the fire, although subdued, was still blazing. The flames danced wildly, even as some of them were being blown into oxygen thanks to Flippy’s Water Gun attack.

“Everyone!” Nurse Joy and Perrine both came bounding down the meadow, accompanied by some water-type Pokemon like Marill, Wooper, Slowpoke, and Krabby.

“Chirin, come on out and use Cotton Spore!” Perrine called her fluffy friend out of his PokeBall.

“Flaaffy!” Chirin bellowed as he called forth a myriad of cotton balls, throwing them on top of the fire.

“Everyone, Water Gun and BubbleBeam!” Nurse Joy pointed to the fire, and all of the water Pokemon she had with her fired a barrage of water and bubbles at the blaze.

Gradually, the flames finally died down. Thanks to the combined efforts of the kids and some of Nurse Joy’s Pokemon, the flames ceased. Nobody was seriously hurt, and all that was left was a dead tree painted black from being burned and charred. However, instead of feeling proud, Ponyta found herself completely consumed by guilt. Step by step, she inched herself away from the happy group, her eyes clouded with upcoming tears.

Shame, frustration, and guilt overwhelmed her. The fire was her fault, and people and Pokemon could have died because of her. That was not what she wanted at all. Voices from the past echoed in her mind. Angry voices, scolding her for either doing something she shouldn’t have, or not doing what they asked.

“We lost because of you!”

“You’re pathetic!”

“First you’re defective and now you almost try to get me killed?! What’s wrong with you?!”

Emotional wounds resurfaced. Already, she could picture cruel scenarios playing in her mind. Julia and the others hating her, casting her away, thinking her to be a terrible Pokemon, claiming she set the fire on purpose to hurt them. She had been hurt before. This, on the other hand, was a pain too great to handle. She actually wanted to be friends with them. But she completely ruined it. Tears instantly formed. With a soft whinny, Ponyta galloped deep into the forest.

“Ponyta?” Julia’s hypersensitive ears heard the thundering hooves, turning in their direction. A white and red blur made a beeline for the woods, disappearing in the sea of trees. “Hey, wait!” It was Julia’s turn to run into the forest. “Ponyta, come back!”

“Julia, wait!” Nurse Joy tried to call her back. The girl didn’t hear or pay any heed, as she was already in the woods by the time Nurse Joy could notice she had run off. Perrine and Caiseal exchanged confused glances.

“What just happened?” Caiseal asked.

“I have no idea,” Nurse Joy replied. “This is the first time I’ve seen Ponyta do this.”

Perrine gazed at the sea of trees. “I’m sure they’ll work things out. Let’s give them some space.”

***

Huge leaves, large and thick, formed a warm, protective barrier around the forest, blocking off most of the sunlight. The forest was dim, but not so dark that people and Pokemon couldn’t trek through it. Sunny spots danced across the grass and the dirt, like they were fairies having a fun dance party. It was the perfect environment for forest Pokemon to gather. Pidgey liked to make their nests here, and Rattata and Nidoran hid in the tall grass, their ears and eyes ready for action, should any intruders come. Mareep and Flaaffy hid in large thickets, curled up in balls, happy to be in their homes.

Ponyta found a gathering of bushes and threw herself into them, falling flat on her stomach like she was taking cover. Covering her face with her legs, Ponyta wheezed and sobbed, letting the tears flow and drop onto the grass beneath her. Guilt, shame, and frustration weighed down on her like someone had put a pile of bricks on her. All strength in her legs was gone at this point. All she could do now was cry, and cry she did. Wheezing and neighing, Ponyta didn’t move an inch.

She couldn’t believe things had gone so terribly wrong, all because she wanted to battle some stupid Umbreon. Finally, she thought she had finally managed to push back some of her hatred for humans. She had actually wanted to bond with Julia. What would she even say if she found out that Ponyta caused the fire? Would she believe her? Blame her for it? Abandon her? Or would she call her defective and pathetic, like others did? Or would she mistreat her? Ponyta buried her face in her front legs even deeper. Of all things, Ponyta did not want to feel like she was nothing but a pathetic, defective horse. She wanted to be strong. Stronger than any other Pokemon in the world. She would never be called weak again.

Before, she was proud to have survived up to this point. Now, she wished she could die from embarrassment. All the hope she had disappeared just like that.

“Ponyta?”

There it was, Julia’s sweet, concerned voice. Ponyta didn’t even move. She could feel the girl’s presence, and Julia was right behind her. Ponyta’s flaming tail stuck out from the bushes, making it easy to find her. Already, Ponyta was humiliated beyond help.

“Hreeeeh!” (“Just yell at me already!”) Ponyta neighed. It was so despondent, Julia could hear her heart break. “I know you think I’m pathetic and defective and a murderous monster, so just get it over with!!” Never before had she cared about what others thought about her. Even Ponyta knew this was very unlike her. But as of now, what she felt didn’t matter.

She could see it coming. Would there be a slap? Or maybe some kicking or punching? Yelling? Ponyta braced herself for impact.

Instead, slender fingers gently stroke her cream colored back.

“Can you...tell me what happened?”

Ponyta’s head shot up. What? What was this? She expected to see Julia’s face become the picture of rage, or at the very least a disapproving gaze, only she was met with...a kind, soft, sympathetic smile? Ponyta found herself speechless. Outright flabbergasted.

“I won’t get mad. I promise,” Julia told the mare reassuringly.

Was she dreaming? Ponyta used her artificial leg to poke her regular one. No, she wasn’t dreaming. In fact, if this were a dream, Ponyta didn’t want to wake up. She mustered her courage and told Julia everything, how she battled a wild Umbreon and accidentally set a tree on fire. She tried to put it out, but nothing worked. Not once did Julia turn volatile, interrupt her, or make any attempt to let Ponyta know that she didn’t care. In fact, Julia listened attentively, and seemed interested, too.

What Julia said and did next would absolutely throw Ponyta for a loop.

Julia stroke Ponyta’s ear and said, “I’m glad you’re not hurt. It’s okay.”

Never before had the fire horse ever heard anything so heavenly. It was like music to her flat ears. None of the humans who owned her before Nurse Joy had ever been so kind and understanding. Before, Ponyta kept her heart hard and cold as ice just so she could just survive. That way, any tragedy that might have happened wouldn’t make her sad or emotional. Now, everything had become melted and soft the moment Julia said those angelic words. Tears sprung forth once more, but this time, they were tears of joy. With yet another whinny, Ponyta buried her face into Julia’s chest, crying into her shirt. Julia almost jumped a little, flabbergasted by the drastic change in this normally sullen and moody Ponyta’s demeanor.

Something else caught her eye as well.

One of her hands was on Ponyta’s flaming mane.

It didn’t burn or feel hot. Her mane was soft and warm, and her hand and arm didn’t sustain any third degree burns.

All of that told her one thing: Ponyta accepted her.

With a warm smile spreading across her face, Julia wrapped her other arm around the wailing horse, stroking her fur and mane gently. She hoped this would tell Ponyta that everything would be alright. The two of them stayed there for what seemed to be a few minutes. Ponyta had to admit, being embraced by this trainer felt good in a way she had never experienced before. The girl’s hands and arms were so warm, gentle, and kind. She wondered if she had made a mistake in hardening her heart to the rest of the world around her. Shutting her out certainly didn’t work. She wondered where this girl had been all her life.

“Eevui!” Lucretia came bounding into the thicket, interrupting the moment. Nobody minded, of course. “Eevee?” The furry friend looked up at her trainer with concerned eyes.

“It’s okay, Lulu! Everything’s fine!” Julia extended an arm out, allowing the fluffy feline to leap right into it. Relieved that they were both alright, Lucretia nuzzled herself against both Julia’s chest and Ponyta’s nose. Her fur was warm to the touch, and although it tickled Ponyta’s nose, the horse didn’t mind.

Julia looked down at the mare. “Do you want to come out with us, Ponyta? I’m sure Nurse Joy will understand if we tell her what happened.”

The mare’s shame, guilt, and remorse had completely dissipated by this point, so she simply nodded in agreement. With that, they left the thicket. Caiseal, Perrine, and Nurse Joy came bounding into the woods. Once caught up, Julia took the time to explain what happened.

“I see. I had no idea,” Nurse Joy exhaled a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you all managed to put it out, and no one was hurt, so everything’s fine for now,” She shot a sympathetic look at Ponyta. “I know it was an accident, but do try to be careful next time. I won’t deny that you can be rather brash and reckless.”

Ponyta didn’t deny anything. She just silently accepted the responsibility with grace. No hoarse whinnying, neighing, kicking, or spitting, like she normally did. The fact that they were being so nice and civil about it was what convinced Ponyta to concede defeat, and for once, she didn’t mind.

Everyone found themselves in good spirits. The fire was put out, no one was hurt, and Ponyta was okay. However, Lucretia caught the subtle whiff of a familiar scent. What was it? It was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. But she definitely knew it from somewhere. But where? She lowered herself to the ground, her tiny black nose wrinkling with every whiff.

Perrine looked down, noticing the Eevee’s tail wagging. “Hey, Lulu? What’s up?”

The kids immediately turned around to face Lucretia afterward. What was Lucretia doing? Did she smell something?

“Eevui!” On impulse, Lucretia suddenly bounded deeper into the woods, leaving Ponyta and the other humans behind.

“Hey! Lucretia! What the--?!” Julia’s mouth formed an O shape, and her green eyes were wide with confusion. What was Lucretia doing, and where was she going? All she heard her say was, “It’s close!” but that provided no answers or context for her friend’s behavior. The desire to go after her friend and make sure she was safe seized her. “Wait up!”

The others got the message, and followed Julia without another word. Lucretia was already far ahead of them, running as fast as her tiny feet could carry her. With every step she took, the scent that assailed her nostrils grew stronger. Once she leaped over a big log without difficulty, the aroma made an image appear in her mind. Another Eevee, just like her.

Was it...her friend?

She hadn’t seen him in months, not since Ecruteak. Thoughts of her dear friend hardly ever left her mind. As much as she loved and appreciated Julia’s kindness, she still missed her friend dearly, often wondering if he was dead or alive. Now, this scent was proof that he was alive. Lucretia wouldn’t mistake it for anything else. She moved like her body had a mind of its own, and she was completely at it’s mercy. She didn’t mind. In fact, she wanted so badly to find the source of the aroma.

It had to be him. It just had to be.

“Lucretia! Don’t go too far!” Her long ears caught wind of Julia’s worried voice. Not even that stopped her from going deeper into the forest. “Wild Pokemon might attack you!” Once again, Lucretia paid her trainer no heed.

It didn’t take long for Lucretia to stop in her tracks as her large eyes fixated upon a black figure with yellow rings on its body. She stood still as a statue, as did it. Finally, Julia and the others caught up with her. All four of them stopped to catch their breath, their legs burning from doing so much running, their lungs and throats dry from inhaling and exhaling so much air.

“Lulu, don’t just wander off like that--” An attempt to scold her little friend was immediately ceased when Julia saw what Lucretia was staring at.

“An Umbreon!” Caiseal exclaimed, forgetting to lower his voice.

His shouting awoke the Umbreon from its slumber. It’s red eyes gazed upon the humans. Humans automatically registered as danger in its mind. Entering fight mode, the Umbreon’s back arched upward, his ears folding back, and he let out an angry hiss. Before anyone could do anything, Umbreon suddenly turned white and rammed himself right onto Caiseal.

“Owwww!!” Caiseal fell to the ground upon impact. Umbreon did a backflip, returning to his sleeping quarters. But it wasn’t the attack or the fall that injured Caiseal. A strange, acidic, burning sensation coursed throughout his abdomen.

“Cash!” Perrine was quick to pull him back up. Her blue eyes widened with fright when she looked down. The bottom of Caiseal’s shirt was corroding, being eaten up by some kind of strange purple liquid.

“Oh my God!” Caiseal shrieked. “What’s happening?!”

Nurse Joy immediately yanked his shirt off, preventing the strange substance from making contact with the rest of Caiseal’s body. Umbreon’s tail began to shine in a bright silver light. Julia froze. He was readying an Iron Tail. She had seen other Pokemon use it on TV before.

“Eeveeeeee!!” Lucretia shrieked loud enough to make everyone freeze in place.

Umbreon’s tail stopped shining, and his body relaxed. His red eyes fixated on the fluffy feline standing before him. So innocent and vulnerable. Just like his friend.

Wait…

He looked up at the kids. Julia in particular. It hit him right then and there. She was the girl he entrusted his friend to.

And here she was, standing before him, and said Eevee was right in front of him!

“...Umbreon?” A smile replaced the guarded frown he had displayed earlier.

Lucretia’s eyes sparkled. No wonder she recognized the scent so well. It was her friend. True, he was an Eevee when he left, but here he was, evolved into a strong Umbreon, just like he wanted. She wanted to burst into song. More than that, she was just plain overjoyed.

“Vuuuuiiiii!” Her joy completely bubbled over as she ran over to the once fearsome Umbreon. Once their fur made contact, Lucretia wasted no time nuzzling in her friend’s pitch black fur.

“Lulu! He sweats poison!” Julia warned aloud. After seeing what Umbreon just did to Caiseal, of course she’d be worried about her friend. Upon closer inspection, she was sure she could see hearts fluttering from her fluffy friend. Lucretia squealed and mewed happily, nuzzling her older friend like he had come back from the dead. No pain, and no poisonous sweat, either. All worry left Julia’s being, and her frown flipped into a smile.

“Eeveeee.” (“I missed you.”)

“Umbreon.” (“Me too.”)

Like with her trainer, all worries and feelings of guilt were completely gone the moment Lucretia nuzzled Umbreon’s fur. Her friend was back, and was alive and well! To think she had been scared that he might have gotten seriously hurt or died. Now, Lucretia felt as though she were the happiest Eevee alive. She had a trainer, great friends, saw many new things, and now her friend was back. She knew she wasn’t dreaming, and even if this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.

The Soothe Bell around her neck gave a soft, gentle ring.

In her happiness, Lucretia let out a chirrup before she was suddenly enveloped by a harsh white light. It was so blinding that even Umbreon had to back away. Gradually, Lucretia changed shape and grew taller. Her fluffy tail suddenly turned very thin, splitting into two at the end. Her long ears became fuller, with extra tufts of fur popping out from underneath. Her legs grew longer, more slender. Soon after, the light faded, revealing a lavender colored mammalian creature, with long ears, gentle, violet eyes, a sleek body, and a small red orb resting on her forehead.

Even Lucretia seemed to be in awe of her transformation. She looked down, seeing not brown paws, but long, graceful, purple legs. “...Espeon?”

The kids and Nurse Joy were all smiles, their mouths wide open in awe.

“Lucretia! You evolved!” Julia clapped her hands once. Her hands stung, but she didn’t mind. Her joy trumped any subtle pain.

The psychic Pokemon looked closer at her body. Her forked tail, her long legs, her sleek body...the moment she turned to face Umbreon, she saw something she never thought she’d see on his face: a smile. Umbreon gazed upon his newly reborn friend with a look of pride.

“Umbreon umbreon.” (“You look absolutely stunning.”)

“Peoooon!” It was as though Lucretia was on cloud nine. With a loud but joyful mew, Lucretia began hopping all over the place, celebrating her new transformation.

“Man, that is so cool!” Caiseal exclaimed.

“I know, right?” Perrine pulled out her PokeDex.

“Espeon, the sun Pokemon,” The PokeDex began.

Sun Pokemon? Julia winced at the classification. Espeon was not a sun. A sun was a big ball of fire that shined in the sky, millions of miles from Earth. Espeon looked absolutely nothing like that. Julia wondered why the PokeDex didn’t call it the psychic cat Pokemon, or even just the psychic Pokemon. The PokeDex continued on. “Espeon are able to read air currents allowing it to predict the future as well as its opponents' next moves using the fine hairs on its body and its forked tail, which quivers when predicting an enemy’s movements. Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said that this Pokémon developed its precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm. Its fur has the look and feel of velvet, and it’s so sensitive that it can even sense minute shifts in the air and predict the weather. The orb on its forehead glows when it uses its psychic powers.”

“Good job, girl!” Julia wrapped her arms around the sun Pokemon. “You look amazing!”

“Espeon espee!” The purple feline nuzzled her trainer’s fur. The Soothe Bell she was wearing hung off of her slender neck, bordering on almost falling right off. The two girls were just too overjoyed to notice anything. Not even Ponyta gently rubbing her nose against Julia’s back.

“Hreeeeh!” It took a loud whinny to pull Julia and Lucretia back down to Earth.

“What is it?”

Ponyta neighed. “What?!” Julia yelped. “That’s the Umbreon you said you battled earlier?!” Everyone’s mouths fell open once more, this time with utter disbelief.

“Peon?”

After that shock, Nurse Joy took the kids Pokemon Center to get a change of clothes for Caiseal and other medical items. Umbreon went along with them, feeling guilty about everything. Lucretia wasted no time palavering on about her adventures with Julia since Ecruteak. The kids could plainly see that Umbreon attentively listened without a word. It was clear to everyone that he was just as overjoyed to not only see his friend again, but to witness her evolution. Once Nurse Joy finished tending to Caiseal’s mild burns, she gave him a plain grey shirt to wear, since his old one had been completely eaten up by Umbreon’s poisonous sweat. Thankfully, Caiseal himself wasn’t poisoned, as his shirt was thick enough to prevent the poison from doing much damage to his skin.

“Umbreon?” The black feline approached Julia at one point, when the kids sat on a bench in front of the Pokemon Center. Julia looked down at Lucretia’s friend, looking somewhat confused.

“What is it?”

“Bree umbreon bree,” He told her. Julia understood everything he said, translating it as, “Thank you for taking good care of her.”

She smiled once more. “You’re welcome.”

“Espeon!” Lucretia bounded over to her friend once more, nuzzling him again. Umbreon relished in the warmth and comfort his friend showered him. It was so heavenly.


“So...what are you doing here?” Julia asked. “Last I checked, you left when we saw you in Ecruteak City.”

“Umbreon,” The black feline nodded before telling his story.

After their encounter in Ecruteak, Umbreon had traveled throughout most of Johto on his own. He wanted to become stronger. At one point, he was in Cianwood City before he was captured by Amara. He could already tell she was not a human he was going to like, but after months of being subject to her abuse, he wasn’t going to take it anymore. He broke the PokeBall she used to catch him and left.

Another shock. “Amara caught you?!” Julia yelped again.

Umbreon nodded grimly. Memories of the girl came rushing back, and he had tried so hard to put her behind him, too.

“Man, your sister really gets around,” Perrine mused. “How has she even managed to avoid the police all this time? She’s not much older than you, right?”

“Yeah, really,” Caiseal agreed. How a thirteen year old managed to go this long without being found was beyond them. No one could come up with a plausible answer. But they knew this much for sure: Amara was still out there. Julia was sure her parents were still searching for her, so worried sick that if worry was a sickness, they might have died from it already.

On the bright side, Umbreon seemed okay, and he didn’t look hurt, so Julia was happy he managed to get away from her. Lucretia got to reunite with him, so they were happy. At least...until later that evening, just as the sky turned orange and pink.

“What?!” Julia cried. “You’re leaving?!”

“Espeon!” Lucretia pleaded.

Umbreon stood on a dirt path, facing the woods with a solemn but determined expression. He and Lucretia began palavering in their Pokemon language. The more the sun Pokemon heard, the more tears sprang forth.

“What are they saying?” Caiseal asked.

Julia translated.

“Why are you leaving?! We just met again! You can come with us!”

“I have no desire to be with humans. I want to get stronger on my own. But thank you for your kindness. Seeing that you are well is good enough for me.”

The sun Pokemon held her head down, avoiding eye contact. She had just reunited with him moments ago, and now he was leaving again. A new kind of sadness seized her. How could Umbreon do this? She knew he was always very independent and strong willed, always wanting to do things himself. But this was too sudden. There was so much more she wanted to tell him about. So many stories she wanted to share. It was all too much.

“Peon…” All she could do was mew sadly. She knew no amount of begging or pleading would convince him to stay. Once he set his mind to something, he would never go back on it.

Seeing her despair, Umbreon licked the fur on her head gently. “You’ll be fine. I know you will. You’ve grown up so much, and you’ve gotten stronger.”

Even in the midst of her despair, Lucretia still cracked a smile. He was right. She had gotten stronger, and it was thanks to Julia and her friends. If she hadn’t met them...well, she didn’t want to think about such awful thoughts. With a final goodbye, Umbreon leaped into the woods, disappearing into an ocean of bushes and thickets.

Julia kneeled down next to her friend, gently stroking her back. “Don’t worry, Lulu. We’ll see him again.”

The sun Pokemon nodded in agreement as she wiped some tears away with one hand. “Espeon.”

But there was one other Pokemon who was still with them. One that Julia and the other kids never expected to still be with them after all this time. Ponyta stood behind them with a soft gaze, like she was waiting for something. Julia knew what it was.

“Ponyta...would you like to come with us?” Julia asked in a soft voice. “I want you to have a choice. We’d love it if you came with us, but we’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

Ponyta thought long and hard about it. These past few days with the kids were nothing like the fire horse had experience. All she had known were hatred and cruelty since her early years. Julia had shown her kindness, discipline, and friendship. True, Ponyta knew she wasn’t going to completely get over her hatred of humans that easily. Emotional wounds like that didn’t just heal within a day. But...Julia might just be the end to that seemingly never ending cycle of cruelty and woe that was her life before Nurse Joy’s intervention. Not only that, Julia generally had no obligation or reason to be nice to her, but treated her kindly anyway.

That was more than enough to make this decision easy as pie.

The fire horse gave a subtle nod before gesturing toward one of Julia’s Luxury Balls. With her artificial leg, no less.

Julia pulled it out. “You’re absolutely positively sure?”

The fire horse nodded vigorously.

“Awesome! I hope we can be great friends!” Julia cried jubilantly. “Hey! Would you like a name?”

A name? Ponyta cocked her head to one side. Then she remembered Julia referred to her other Pokemon by names. The Pikachu was Hikaru, and her Espeon was Lucretia. No other Pokemon she knew were referred to that way. But in a way, Ponyta found herself endeared to the idea. She could have a new name and start a brand new life. With a new name, should she become famous, she would be the most well known Ponyta in the world. She wanted to become stronger. Maybe having a new name would help her reach that goal.

Having made her decision, Ponyta nodded a third time.

“I know the perfect name for you: Twilight!”

Caiseal and Perrine turned to face their friend. “...Twilight?”

“Yeah! Like the sky right now!”

She was right. The sky above them was a beautiful ocean of deep blue, with the horizon welcoming a blaze of vermilion orange and rose pink hues. In that sunset, Ponyta’s mane could look orange, even a little bit pink or red if one looked hard enough.

Twilight...the name sounded elegant but strong. Like a passionately burning flame. Ponyta liked it. “Hreeeh!” This time, she voiced her pleasure with a happy whinny.

“Welcome to the team, Twilight!” With that, Julia gently tapped Twilight’s nose with the Luxury Ball. The capsule opened once Twilight morphed into red light, sucking her right in. This time, Twilight didn’t resist. She looked forward to what the future would hold for her.

But most of all, she prayed with all her heart that this experience would be a good one.

***

Spoiler: Pokemon Parties

Julia’s Party:

Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)

Ability: Static

Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle


Lucretia (Espeon, Female, Bashful Nature)

Ability: Anticipation

Attacks: Psybeam, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball


Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)

Ability: Serene Grace

Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf


Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)

Ability: Intimidate

Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face


Rina (Nidorina, Female, Bold Nature)

Ability: Poison Point

Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Scratch, and Bite


Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)

Ability: Flash Fire

Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp


Perrine’s Party:

Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)

Ability: Flash Fire

Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack


Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)

Ability: Overgrow

Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain


Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)

Ability: Cute Charm

Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam


Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)

Ability: Effect Spore

Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain


Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)

Ability: Leaf Guard

Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball


Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)

Ability: Static

Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam


Caiseal’s Party:

Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)

Ability: Lightning Rod

Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash


Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)

Ability: Blaze

Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen


Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)

Ability: Chlorophyll

Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent


Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)

Ability: Super Luck

Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost


Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)

Ability: Moxie

Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure


Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)

Ability: Damp

Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam

 

[Life]

Hello! I was one of the judges who got to review your story this awards season. Here's my comments:

Plot
Admittedly I thought it was a little plain, and the few exciting moments I found were somewhat dulled due to the fact that they're taken from the Gold and Silver games. My other issue is that at times it doesn't feel cohesive, but I also kind of like that because it's more realistic in a sense that the string of events occurring is random. I also have to say that I think it's very noticeable that you have a good idea of where the plot is going which helps the story to flow well, so kudos on that.

However, the plot can feel a little rushed at times, with only one or two "resting" chapters before the story goes into a dramatic event, whether it be in the form of a gym battle or villainous encounter. Not sure what exactly you want this story to be, but if you're hoping for a more character-driven, slice-of-life type story, then slowing it down just a little might help to achieve that feel.

Setting
The description of cities and the like itself is really bare bones, I found, and the atmosphere isn't really there unless it's used to affect the story's plot (such as the darkness/scary nature of a cave). I think it would really help the story for the world to be expanded upon as much as the characters are, because it's very much just a copy and paste of Johto from Gold and Silver at the moment, with short, lackluster descriptions to match. And while not expanding on the cities outside of what's given in the games isn't a must, it's a nice and very easy platform to use to show off some creativity and style.

Characterization
I'd personally say that this is your strong suit when it comes to this story. While a handful of minor characters can feel very one-dimsenial, the major characters are all fleshed out quite well, with distinctive traits and speech accordingly. While some work here and there can be done to help expand the characters and flesh them out more, they all feel like they could be real people, and fleshing out comes with time over the expansion of a story.

One issue I do have though is how the villainous characters all appear to only be evil and nothing more. It's not totally unbelievable for an "evil for the sake of being evil" character to exist, but it is a little over dramatic and can be fairly boring to read about villains who are all "evil for the sake of being evil."

Style
The narration is pretty solid and flows very well. However, in every few chapters I found some odd sentences that sort of interrupt the flow of the story, a few of which I picked below:

"Julia paid for them diligently, like any good customer would."
"Yes, ALL of their pokemon, both Julia’s and Perrine’s pokemon, out of their pokeballs."
"Sure, the tree wasn’t too high, but it was certainly high enough that if someone fell, they could get hurt, or at the very most get falling related injuries."

Sentences like these are awkward to read because it's as if the narrator is trying to reassure the audience about the situation, which not only shouldn't be the case, but interrupts the immersion of the story.

I also found in some areas that you have a tendency to use the same word in close proximity to the last time it was used, which can also sound a little awkward to read.

However, the good thing I can say here is that your style is fairly unique/attributable to the you specifically, which I appreciate greatly. The dialogue is also done well and is noticeably distinctive between all the characters. So great job on that, because I found that's something only a few authors achieve!

Technical
Didn't spot anything here, so well done on that too!

Overall
It's a story that does as many goods as it does bads - was my overall thought. One thing that stood out to me while reading is the amount of people who are seemingly motivated/transformed by the death of other character's throughout the story (Perrine's father, Amara, Pryce). It's a little over the top for a motivator and for the sensitivity of such a topic it feels like it's being used as a common/trivial plot device.

It also doesn't help that at times the story can feel a tad anime-ish (through it's dialogue, narration, and characters), which makes the dark situations feel a lot less intimidating/dramatic than the author intends, I think. There's nothing wrong with writing an anime-style story, but it doesn't work with every event that takes place in the story. I'd recommend trying to make the fear feel more real to readers, aka I would suggest taking extra time with those types of chapters to make sure they feel believable.

There's also the more minor things, like some Pokémon characters getting shafted over others, Julia battling gyms and not seeming to have much of a challenge beating any of them. I would also add that the story moves fast, with the characters at the fourth gym by the 14th chapter. I think slowing the story down would help to make the story less over the top (what with there either being gym battles or a villainous event happening) and give the story more room to breathe, if that makes sense.

Finally, I have an issue with believing some of the events that occur. For instance, when Perrine attacks/fights back at the Team Rocket grunt holding a gun at her. I have a hard time believing that an 11 year old child who's been essentially catered to all her life would have the confidence and courage to face death like, even with pokémon by her side. I would take the time to think of what actually makes sense for the characters to do before having them do it, and not just to fulfill an action because the plot wishes it to happen. This also goes back to taking time making sure the emotions you are trying to convey feel real to your readers.

Not to finish on a bad note though, I did enjoy your story and appreciate what it's about! So kudos on not only being able to do that, but sticking through a story as long as this.

I also got to review Amara - congrats on winning the award for her, by the way! It was very well deserved.

Amara
Overall I thought Amara was a very solid antagonist, with a great deal of depth, motivation, and entertainment behind her. I really don't have anything negative to say, honestly, except from what's already been said. With some more work on making sure the emotions in the story come across as believable, I think Amara's character would greatly be helped by how you portray her issues with her family.

If you disagree or have a response to anything I've mentioned here, please feel free to ask/clarify away!

 

[Juliko]

Thanks! I appreciate your review, and will definitely try to address your points not just later in the story, but for future works as well.

 

[System Error]

All right, doing a post-awards review here, with point-form reviews of the previous two (two halves?) chapters. Here for once!!

Spoiler: C37

- Nice adjusting Ponyta's dex entry to account for Kalos being Poke-France. Even if that jumping one is one of the stupider things in it.
- Sheesh. Since when did Julia become so hot-blooded? I guess since developing. It's pretty hilarious to think of, though. Was reading this at the time, which probably made me think of that situation (i.e. characters not normally like that acting like that).
- Think Mikey may well be one of the first non-Amara/non-antagonist instances of a trainer who doesn't nickname their Pokemon.
- You know, it just occurred to me. Humans sometimes bat their eyelash at Julia being able to talk to Pokemon, but I don't recall a Pokemon ever doing that.

I did take on a bit of a different and more brief style here. Interesting chapter to show the whole Red Gyarados incident has indeed made Julia grow. A bit fillerish, and until the release I was a bit disappointed it might have been the new Pokemon to be added...and it still might be! Was hoping it'd be something coming up on the routes ahead, but eh. Not a bad chapter by any means. Just a fillerish one at present.

Spoiler: C37.5

- Heh, shoutouts to random overeager kids.
- Was that Dark Pulse or something it unexpectedly used?
- I've actually interacted with horses before. You're technically supposed to use a bowl with the apple/whatever in there. Also, they eat the apples whole. o,o
- The passing of days is framed a bit oddly in the narrative in this chapter. Noted this as a general minor oddity of the fic as well.
- Weird (by virtue of it rarely seeming to happen), but sensible to see fire actually having an effect on the environment..
- Good thing Nurse Joy made her artificial leg resistant to attacks <- For some reason, felt this line a bit awkward.
- Defective?! What an odd word choice for people to apparently be consistently using on this Ponyta.
- She could see it coming. Would there be a slap? <- Would've laughed if there was a Brightslap, i.e. a "get a hold of yourself!" kind of thing.
- “Oh my God!” <- For whatever reason, feel this itself is rarely said even among the more uncouth characters. It's usually their lanta.
- Just a small bit, Umbreon is said to duck back into its sleeping quarters after attacking Caiseal - established earlier as a burrow it dug in the thicket - but it's apparently still out after that.
- The two girls were just too overjoyed to notice anything. <- Slightly odd, even though there are two girls here, it's how one's a Pokemon that makes it slightly odd. If that makes any sense.
- I'm totally waiting for a Pokemon to go "no thanks" to getting a nickname, or naming itself, or disliking a name suggested.

And the followup. Interesting to see the Umbreon again, as well as the parallels between it and the Ponyta. Only difference is, one of them has been able to put the past behind itself. Makes the previous chapter no longer a filler, but still. Wasn't the new Pokemon I was expecting it to be, that's for sure.

_____

Well, I was going to give a proper formal review update in tandum with this, but not that much time has passed between then and now. Well, chapters-wise anyway. Shoutouts to addictive video game serieses. @_@ So yeah. That surprised me a bit, but posting anyway!! So progress!! Wasn't expecting that to happen to the Red Gyarados. It's different. More development on Amara too...speaking of, to pad this out a bit, I guess I'll drop my character review of her here.

I forget if I've ever brought up the sense of time issue before, although it really only blatantly stuck out at one point earlier - when it was stated to be some and some months before Julia and Perrine got to Goldenrod, and yet it didn't feel like it. It's been a bit reined in since, but still, something that always throws me off. Especially with things that hold up the journey, like gym leaders getting into trouble for periods of time and such. Speaking of: totally expecting Clair to do the same.

So yeah. Really can't think of anything else to say!! Here's what I had to say on Amara in the awards.

Spoiler

- Amara -
Depth:. Amara certainly is a tangled mess of a character, in a good way. A representation of the corruption of youth in urban subculture, how evil can lie within everyone, and blind teenage angst. Amara started off as an ordinary schoolgirl hoping to go on a journey one day, but one tragic event where a close friend of hers - Chanel - died changed her life forever and turned her into a complete cynic, allowing that incident to define her life. And yet that person she once was still lurks inside her...
Development: It's almost depressing considering her backstory as a nice and kind girl, turning into a monster - although there's definitely signs that she isn't completely one, such as showing concern for her sister in Ecruteak's Tower after hating her so much (due to thinking she was getting preferential treatment) as far to assault her earlier. She's been developing over the story. Subtly at times. It is a bit shaky in places, but not significantly so.
Originality: Siblings being antagonistic isn't uncommon. What is uncommon is being thrust into almost a hybrid rival/antagonist role with elements of being a secondary main character. And a criminal one at that, who isn't an evil team member. Rare to see that - even lone forces tend to at least have henchman and such.
Entertainment: Her attitude, while entertaining and realistic, kind of drags on after a while, thereby dragging this down. Helping pull it up a bit is some of the latest chapters, where her conscience is finally catching up with her, as well as some of the things she does, like dyeing her hair to conceal her identity.
Contribution: What really sells me on Amara is that a major part of MarJour's plot is centered around the main character's wish to find and help her sister - and in fact was the major contributing factor to the journey in the first place. Even when she isn't around, she plays a role, such as with contrasts to her or the effect it's had on her and Julia's mother. It gives the journey more substance than "badge quest" and "also stop these bad guys". She's irreplaceable; if it weren't for her, the fic's events could not happen period.

Anyway, looking forward to the next installment, and such!!

 

[Juliko]

Bonus chapter, because why not?

***

Bonus Chapter 2: How Perrine Met Baloo

The dying days of the last winter draped across Goldenrod City in a vivid splash of colors. A spectrum of bright vermilion orange and rose pink, standing out among a completely midnight blue sky, the coming of a brand new morning. Truly, the colorful skies were a marvelous sight to behold. Spring was just around the corner, anxiously waiting for the last of winter to finally leave and get it’s long overdue rest.

Then again, the metropolis witnessing the beautiful birth of a new morning wasn’t named Goldenrod City for nothing. Skyscrapers reaching far into the sky, almost touching the heavens, reflected the vermillion sunrise, becoming huge rectangles of shining golden luster. The radio tower stood the tallest among all the infrastructures, as if to boast that it was closer to heaven than the rest of the buildings below. Yellow brick ground and stone pavements lined the city, worn and torn from myriads of people stepping over them. If seen from above, many of the houses would look as though they were squished together, their gold and silver roofings coming together to create a mosaic.

None of that mattered to Perrine Innocenti, however. Today was her big day. The day she intended to leave that mansion and become what she always wanted to be: a Pokemon trainer.

Before the sun could fully bask Goldenrod City in its golden luster, Perrine was already dressed, with some of her wavy orange hair tied back with a black ribbon. A long sleeved white shirt, a long brown skirt, and a maroon vest weren’t typical Pokemon trainer clothes, but at this point, Perrine had no time to doubt her clothing choices. With a Vulpix by her side, the two of them walked down to the lowest level of the mansion, the basement.

It wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy in Perrine’s eyes. The left wing of the basement was an entertainment room with a big TV, soft leather couches, plenty of DVDs and movies to watch, a black and white piano small enough for Perrine to use, among other odds and ends. The right wing was where the laundry room was, along with a small, private bathroom hardly anyone used and a small room where various gardening tools were stored. Just past that room was a door that led right into the backyard.

Perrine made a beeline for the door, undoing both locks before pushing it right out. The morning sky was like a piercing flash, making Perrine squint in the darkness as she stumbled right out. One of her shoes got caught on the concrete porch and came right off.

“Whoa!”

“Vulpix!” Kitsune cried before taking the shoe into her mouth. Once Perrine stopped, on one foot no less, the fox Pokemon scurried over to her trainer.

“Thanks, Kitsune,” With a smile, she took the shoe and put it back on before closing the door behind her. “Let’s not waste any time.”

Kitsune understood, nodding in agreement. “Vul!” With that, Perrine and Kitsune ran from the Innocenti mansion.

It wouldn’t be easy leaving Goldenrod City. The town was a modern metropolis painted in gold, and by morning, there would be a steady flow of crowds and people filling the city’s channels. Enough to make Perrine blend in with the crowd, but it would hinder her chances of leaving the city before the end of the day. When the crowds would get big, there would be so little space to matriculate through that Perrine would end up being stuck in a sea of people before she even had a Haunter of a chance of getting to her intended destination. She didn’t mind, though. She had intended to go to the department store anyway.

“Alright, Kitsune,” Perrine and her fox friend stopped in front of the store as she put on a round hat to hide her hair. “We need to go inside and get some things, because it’ll take us a long while to get to New Bark Town, and we’ll need to be prepared,” Perrine found herself reciting the required items out loud, counting them on her fingers. “Let’s see, we’ll need...a sleeping bag, some Pokemon food for you, food for me that won’t rot, repels, potions, we don’t need towels, soap, or shampoo since I already have them with me...gauze, band-aids, antidotes for in case one of us gets poisoned, full heals...did I even bring enough money for those?”

“Vulpix vul!” Kitsune reminded her.

“Yeah. You’re right. I’m rich and here I am worrying about money,” Perrine pulled out a navy blue wallet with leather shuriken sewn into it. “Good. I have enough.”

Perrine wasted no time trying to get everything she needed. She was gonna go in there, get what she needed, and get out. No dawdling. If she so much as lingered even for a moment, her parents might notice she was missing and send the police out to find her. Some items were easy to find, such as antidotes, full heals, Pokemon food, repels, and potions. Others such as food that didn’t rot weren’t exactly easy to find, and being an eleven year old girl, Perrine wasn’t exactly sure which foods would rot and which ones didn’t. But for now, she simply grabbed a box of crackers, fruit cups, cereal bars, applesauce, some bottles of water, and anything that didn’t need to be cooked or microwaved.

Kitsune stayed by her side the whole time, never straying, even as a steady trickle of people began to fill the department store. But being outside of her PokeBall did cause people to look in Kitsune’s direction. As Perrine paid for all of the items she bought, people of all ages stopped to look at the Vulpix. A rare sight in Goldenrod City, as Vulpix were usually seen living near flower meadows or volcanoes. One little girl’s eyes glimmered right as she laid eyes on the fox Pokemon.

“Look, Mama!” The girl with the black braids pointed her index finger at Kitsune. “Izzat a Vulpix?”

The girl’s voice was so loud that it caused Perrine to turn around in alarm. But the older girl’s shoulders relaxed when she saw it was just a child that made the noise. Kitsune simply smiled in her sweet manner, shaking her curling tails.

“Can I pet it, Mama? Can I pet it please?” The little girl begged, tugging on her mother’s jeans.

“Let’s ask first, sweetie,” Her mother advised.

Good point. Since Vulpix are fire types, it would be easy to accidentally make it angry and spit fire. Thankfully, Perrine knew from experience that Kitsune wouldn’t frighten easily or attack someone. Perrine told the girl, “You can pet her. She loves attention. But just be gentle, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Vulpix!” Kitsune sat down, her tails resting on the cold, hard floor as the girl stroke the tuft of fur on her head. Soft to the touch, and perfectly plush, too. Kitsune’s smile grew, and the little girl giggled as she stroke the fox’s fur. Not only that, at one point, Kitsune crept closer to give the girl a kiss on the cheek.

“She really likes you,” Perrine said.

“Thank you, big trainer!” The little girl chirruped before she and her mother went to another part of the store. “Bye bye, pretty Vulpix!”

Perrine waved right back, but her smile curled into a frown the moment the girl was out of sight. ‘I can’t draw so much attention,’ She scolded herself for letting her guard down. She and Kitsune needed to leave, and right now.

By the time Perrine left the department store, the sun was already high in the sky, shining her light down on the golden metropolis. Since said metropolis was so huge, it took almost three whole hours for Perrine to get to Route 34 on foot. Once she got there, her feet were throbbing, like they had turned to human hearts that were pumping too much blood.

“Ugh...I need to sit down right now…” Perrine croaked, panting with every step, her body becoming heavy. All the walking had gradually sapped the energy out of her. Then again, Perrine had never walked so far or so long, and since she never felt the need to do so before, of course she would get tired. Any child would.

“Vul vul!” Kitsune cried, pointing her nose upward. Perrine looked up, seeing a large path before her surrounded by meadows of tall grass that stretched onto the horizon. But right nearby was a big, wooden bench, worn and faded from years of having travelers use it. Perfect.

Using the last of her energy, Perrine made a beeline for the bench and plopped--not sat, plopped--right down. Kitsune hopped right next to her. “Finally...we can sit for a while…”

“Vul? Vulpix?”

Perrine could see the concern on her fox friend’s face. Touched, the orange haired girl stroke Kitsune’s fur with one hand. “It’s okay, girl. I’m fine. I just need to rest for a while. We humans aren’t like you Pokemon. You can probably walk much farther than I can, and I’ll bet you don’t tire that easily, either,” She pulled her rucksack out. “Alright, I’m starving. Are you?”

“Vulpix!” Kitsune’s stomach let out a roar, begging for food, as did Perrine. Neither of them paid much mind, as the girl pulled some Pokemon food out for Kitsune, and some water, a fruit cup, some applesauce, and granola bars for herself. She found time to buy plastic utensils before they left, so Perrine was proud that she managed to prepare for this.

They were just outside the city, and for all Perrine knew, her parents might have figured out she was missing by now. She kept her hat on, just in case anyone who could recognize her wouldn’t be able to make her out. As much as she wanted to sit back and relax, she knew she couldn’t stay here for very long. At the same time, she wasn’t sure what would be ahead. Sure, she knew she had to go through Ilex Forest, Azalea Town, Union Cave, Violet City, and Cherrygrove to get to New Bark Town, but Arceus only knew how long that would take. Plus, for all she knew, the Pokemon she might encounter might be strong. Perrine and Kitsune both needed to grow as both Pokemon and trainer.

Kitsune did need battle experience, and sitting around at home was of no help. Maybe this could work.

“Rattata!” All of a sudden, a purple and white rat with large red eyes suddenly leaped out from the tall grass. Baring its fangs, the rat Pokemon sent a deadly glare in Kitsune’s way. Undeterred, the fox Pokemon simply adopted her own battle stance.

Seeing this, Perrine leaped off the bench once she finished her granola bar. “Kitsune, use Ember!” She pointed right at the Rattata with her index finger.

“Vuuuul!” With a howl, the fox Pokemon spat out a barrage of tiny red flames. The purple and white rat Pokemon made a dash for the grass, managing to evade the attacks.

“Don’t let it get away! Use Quick Attack!”

Kitsune’s body became engulfed with white light as she made a beeline for Rattata. Interestingly enough, Rattata also dashed out from the grass, also glowing in a harsh white light. The two of them found themselves headbutting each other. Neither force was stronger than the other, so the small, quadrupled Pokemon were even in strength. But the minute Kitsune landed back on the ground, Rattata charged at her, baring its fangs. Before she could even try to dodge, Rattata suddenly leaped on her and dredged its large fangs onto her abdomen.

The helpless fox Pokemon let out a piercing, agonizing screech that would make anyone cover their ears. It certainly made Perrine cover hers. Kitsune howled and struggled, flailing her legs in all directions. None of them came close to forcing the rat Pokemon off of her, and it didn’t help that the rat’s sharp teeth seemed to dig deeper into her fur. It was like Rattata had hooked itself onto her, refusing to let her go.

‘Oh no! What do I do?!’ Perrine panicked. She had no idea Rattata could be so persistent and volatile. Kitsune just kept on howling and roaring in pain.

Roaring...Roar...that’s it! Perrine snapped her fingers. “Use Roar!”

“VUUUUUL!!” With every ounce of strength she had, Kitsune let out a screech stronger than ever before. It made Rattata leap off of her in alarm, it was so startled. So startled, in fact, that it stumbled backward and tripped on its tail. Kitsune got back on her feet, barely noticing the blood trickling from her fur.

“Now use Ember again!”

“Piiiiix!” Once again, Kitsune sent balls of fire in Rattata’s direction. This time, they managed to strike the rat Pokemon on its side. Its purple fur singed, and Rattata itself let out agonized yelps before running off into the tall grass. No way was it going to become someone’s roasted meat dinner. With that, the battle was over.

Perrine ran over to her friend, taking a better look at the wound. The bite mark had gone past her fur, and fresh blood began to stain her silky locks. “Goodness. That Rattata really did a number on you.”

“Vuuul…”

“It’s okay,” She rummaged through her rucksack, pulling out a potion and some bandages. “This’ll help.”

Normally, Kitsune didn’t want to deal with more pain. But knowing those potions were needed to heal her wounds, she simply set Perrine spray it on her. Thankfully, she didn’t notice the stinging sensation that the potion sent through her wound. A subtle, pink light flashing just ten feet away, behind a big rock, happened to catch her attention. The light was small, just smaller than she, but it kept flashing like a siren. Perrine didn’t notice, as her blue eyes were locked onto Kitsune’s wound once she put a big bandage on it.

“There! That should do it!”

“Vulpix vul!” Kitsune squealed, using one of her front paws to point in the direction where she saw the light. Then she got up and leaped toward the big rock in question.

“You see something?” Perrine walked right behind her friend, wondering what she wanted her to see.

The minute the two of them stopped behind the big rock, their breath had been taken away. Sitting behind the big rock was a large egg. It was small enough to fit into both of Perrine’s hands, but bigger than the eggs she’d find in the grocery stores. Light pink like cotton candy, with some swirls dotting the surface in a darker shade. Perrine found herself squealing, clasping her hands together.

“Oh my gosh! Is that a real Pokemon egg?!” She yelped, her blue eyes glimmering with joy. “It’s gotta be! Oh man! I never thought I’d see an actual Pokemon egg in person!”

“Vulpix?” Kitsune inched closer to the egg, gently tapping it with her paw. There was no reaction.

On impulse, Perrine kneeled down and cradled the egg in her arms. “This is so cool! I wonder if it’ll hatch, and what it’ll hatch into!”

“Vulpix…” The fox Pokemon raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t believe Perrine was going ga-ga over a Pokemon egg of all things. No human she ever met had ever gotten so excited about seeing a Pokemon egg before. But she had to admit, with the way Perrine’s cheeks turned rosy pink and her bright, innocent smile, she couldn’t help but find Perrine’s child-like joy to be kind of cute.

Right then, the egg suddenly glowed in a pink light. It was bright enough that it made the two of them squeeze their eyes shut. But Perrine had an idea of what was happening, and it didn’t make her any less surprised.

“Whoa! Is it hatching already?!” She yelped. “Oh man! What do I do?”

“Vul?!” Even Kitsune found herself perplexed. Neither of them had seen a Pokemon egg hatch before. Of course they wouldn’t have experience with something like this.

Thankfully, the egg continued to glow. It very slowly increased in size, and a set of what appeared to be fingerless and toeless hands and feet sprouted outward from the sides and bottom of the egg. A tuft of hair suddenly popped out from the top of the egg as well. Finally, the pink light dissipated, revealing a very small, light pink Pokemon with a small black swirl on its forehead, closed eyes, and a tiny mouth.

“Buuuuuff…” The tiny pink Pokemon let out a huge yawn, opening its mouth wide, unknowingly making a squeaky, high pitched chirp in the process. Both Perrine and Kitsune raised their eyebrows. Soon, the Pokemon opened its eyes. They were a bright, cherry red color.

The tiny Pokemon saw both an orange haired human and an orange red fox staring right back at her. All the Pokemon could do was smile. They must be her parents, she thought.

“Iggwybuuuuff!” The pink Pokemon squealed again.

Perrine found herself completely overloaded with cuteness. The urge to squeal like an adoring mother and fawn over the adorable pink ball of cuteness personified seized her. “Awwwww!! An Igglybuff! Sooooo cuuuuuute!” Perrine held the Igglybuff to her cheek. Igglybuff’s body was, strangely enough, squeezably plush and soft, like a marshmallow.

“Iggwy iggwy!” Nobody expected Igglybuff to flash such a happy expression, laughing and giggling, waving her tiny arms around joyfully. Perrine found herself melting into a puddle of love.

“Hello! I’m Perrine, and this is Kitsune, my Vulpix friend!”

“Vul vul!” Kitsune greeted the tiny Pokemon with some chirps.

Looking down to get a look at Kitsune, the Igglybuff began reaching her arms outward. “Iggwybuuuuff!” Her stubby arms and legs waggled up and down.

“Oh! You want to say hi to Kit? Here you go,” Perrine set the tiny Pokemon down on the grass.

Instead of walking to the fox Pokemon, Igglybuff actually hopped over to her, like she was a bouncing ball. Kitsune examined the Pokemon closely, sniffling the little pink ball of cuteness with her nose crinkling up and down. She didn’t smell anything dangerous. Better yet, Igglybuff was strangely warm and soft, like those plushy marshmallows that Perrine gave her sometimes. Kitsune hated marshmallows, even roasted ones, as they were far too hard to chew. Thankfully, Igglybuff didn’t look scared of Kitsune at all. She just simply smiled and bounced around her new friend, as joyful as can be.

As Kitsune and Igglybuff hopped around, playing amongst themselves, Perrine was lost in thought. “I wish I had a PokeDex so I could figure out what moves it has. Since Igglybuff is a balloon Pokemon, I wonder what I should name it? Hmmm…” Many names popped in her mind, but none of them really fit.

Bouncy? No, too obvious. Pink? No, too simple. Peach? Maybe, but it didn’t really describe Igglybuff. Marshmallow? Too long. How about Baloo? Perrine nodded. That sounded much better.

“Iggwybuff?” Igglybuff bounced right in front of Perrine, her cherry red eyes brimming with curiosity.

“Hello, cutie pie!” She couldn’t resist calling her new friend that. “Can I call you Baloo from now on?”

“Iggwyyy!” Igglybuff--now Baloo--raised her arms up with a cheerful yelp. Baloo sounded so cute. Immediately, the balloon Pokemon took to the name.

Perrine smiled. Already, she found herself a second Pokemon! She couldn’t believe something this good happened to her right in the beginning of her journey. But she knew she couldn’t stay here much longer. “Alright, guys!” She stood back up. “We can’t stay here anymore. We need to get going.”

Without complaint, the two Pokemon followed Perrine further down Route 34. Instead of walking, Baloo kept bouncing up and down like she was a ball, her feet barely touching the ground sometimes. Perrine didn’t mind. The sight of her new friend enjoying herself was cute. They found themselves passing by a large, yellow building with a pink roof. Perrine had heard about a daycare center for Pokemon being around here, figuring that was it. But she had already taken time to rest. She didn’t need to stop there.

Before long, Perrine and her two Pokemon found themselves at the entrance to a massive sea of trees. Said trees were large, with big leaves that didn’t look as though they left much room for sunlight to come in. It didn’t help that they all looked densely packed together. Perrine put a hand on her chin, losing herself to rumination.

“So this is Ilex Forest...it’s gonna be tricky going through here,” She mused aloud. “But there’s no other way we can get to Azalea Town at this point.”

“Vulpix?” Kitsune didn’t like the look of that forest. Did they really need to go in there?

“Sorry, girl. We just gotta get through it,” Perrine stroke her friend’s fur reassuringly. As much as she wanted to be brave, however, she had never been into a deep, dark forest like this before. Scolding herself for being doubtful, Perrine marched right inside. “Stay close, girls. We don’t want to get lost.”

The moment they went inside, the daylight had vanished. It wasn’t so dark that none of them could see, but the inside of the forest definitely looked as though it was trapped in perpetual night. Not even the tiniest sunbeam was there to dance across the soil and grass. Regardless, Perrine walked on. This would be the perfect place to hide in, should her father or his guards and coworkers come looking for her. Bushes and thickets surrounding them would provide the perfect cover. Plus, she had already come this far. There was no turning back now.

It was easy to forget that Perrine was only a child, and children could only do so much in unfamiliar places. At one point, Perrine stopped in her tracks, looking all around in the sea of trees. Had she come through this area before? She wasn’t sure. She went back to walking.

....Only for her foot to suddenly plop into water, and since there was nothing to hold her foot up, Perrine came tumbling down right with it.

“Whaaaah!” Before she knew it, Perrine was soaked from head to toe. Water dripped from her bangs, and her clothes darkened from absorbing the water. “Uuuugh! I don’t believe this!” Perrine stood up, pulling herself out of what appeared to be a small pond. Good thing it was shallow.

“Vulpix?”

“Iggly?” Both Kitsune and Baloo looked up at their soaking wet trainer with concern.

“I-I-I’m fine, guys. Don’t worry,” Perrine coiled her hands around her hair, using as much strength as she could to wring the water out of her hair.

Kitsune and Baloo exchanged disbelieving but concerned glances. She didn’t sound fine. Not to them, anyway. They were right to be worried. As Perrine attempted to walk again, she felt something wet trickle down one of her legs. But it was warm, not bitingly cold like the pond water. Still, when she moved, it stung.

“Ugh!” She looked down. Part of her white tights had been ripped, enough to leave a thin, twig-like hole, and mingling with said tights was fresh blood. “Awww, man! How did I get this?!” Upon further rumination, she did feel something like a stick or a sharp rock run through her leg as she fell. That was the only plausible explanation for it.

Whatever it was, boy did it hurt! She thanked her lucky stars that she packed some band-aids. But when she pulled them out, a disappointed expression appeared. The band-aids were too small, and the wound on her leg was just a couple inches longer than them. Nevertheless, she felt she could make do. This was no time to complain. She simply put three of them on the wound vertically, making sure the white absorbent parts covered the wound.

“Igglybuff iggly!” Baloo warbled, waving her arms up and down.

Perrine smiled at her little friend’s display. She picked the little Pokemon up and held her close. “Thanks, Baloo. You’re sweet.”

“Buuuuff!” Baloo crooned once more, basking in the warmth of Perrine’s touch.

That was only the beginning of what would be a very rocky trek through Ilex Forest. No matter how much Perrine, Kitsune, and Baloo walked, or in Baloo’s case bounced, they never seemed to be anywhere near an exit. At one point, Perrine intentionally dropped a coin in front of a large stump. The trio found themselves going right past that same stump exactly three times.

“Uuuugh! Are we ever gonna get out of here?!” Perrine complained, her legs burning from all the walking. She plopped right down on that same stump.

She would have enjoyed sitting on that stump and having a little break if it weren’t for fluttering wings making her jolt upright. A blue bat Pokemon suddenly hissed, popping right out from some bushes, flying right past her.

“Yeeeek!!” With a yelp, Perrine flailed her arms around, hoping to swat that bat Pokemon away. Fortunately, the bat Pokemon didn’t stop to do anything else, as it flew away. “Freaking Zubat!”

“Vul!”

“Iggly!”

Once the Zubat was out of sight, Perrine pulled her PokeGear out to check the time. “What?! It’s 8:30 already?!” Seven thirty at night. Perrine and Kitsune had been on their journey since before the sun came up. The orange haired girl could only assume that she and her friends had been stuck in this forest for several hours, maybe more. Being lost could certainly make time just fly right by. Perrine exhaled a despondent sigh. “Alright, I’m gonna go change out of these wet clothes, and I’ll get dinner ready for you guys.”

“Vulpix!” Kitsune chirruped. Baloo didn’t pay attention, as she kept looking around at all the big bushes and thickets surrounding them.

Perrine’s clothes were still wet, with lack of sun keeping them so, so she was quite happy to pull them right off and change into the spare pajamas she brought with her. But she lamented the fact that she didn’t bring any extra clothes except for clean underwear and pajamas. Good thing nobody else was around. Changing her clothes in a dark forest was embarrassing enough.

Kitsune and Baloo kept themselves occupied. Kitsune stayed close by, should any wild Pokemon come to attack them. On the other hand, Baloo saw a little white tail stick out from some bushes. “Buuuuff!” Curiosity seized her, and Baloo waddled over to the tail. It wiggled and waggled, and Baloo took her stubby hand and tapped it. All it did was wiggle. Then, Baloo used both arms to pull on it.

“Weedle!” It wasn’t so strong that it’d pull the tail’s owner out, but the Pokemon in question yelped before popping out on its own. The Weedle turned around, eyeing the innocent culprit before narrowing its beady eyes into odious slits. “Weeeeeedleeeeee…”

“Igglybuff?” Immediately, Baloo regretted pulling on its tail.

“WEEEEE!!” The horn on Weedle’s head glowed in an eerie purple light as the hairy bug Pokemon scurried toward the balloon Pokemon. Thankfully, Baloo was quick to bounce out of its way. But the bug Pokemon refused to give up, continuing to try and jab at the balloon Pokemon.

“Vul?!” Kitsune rose to her feet, witnessing the scene unfold. At one point, Baloo stood her ground, managing to slap the hairy bug Pokemon across its face at least three times. But Kitsune knew she wouldn’t be able to hold her own much longer. Baloo was still just a baby. “VULPIIIX!!” Kitsune cried.

“What the?!” Perrine, fully dressed in pajamas, spun around, hearing the cry for help. Baloo was bouncing in her direction in another attempt to get away from the Weedle. Perrine’s brain scrambled for into about Baloo’s attacks. What attacks did Igglybuff know?

By the time she thought of one, it was too late. “BUUUUFF!!” The pesky Weedle had managed to dredge its horn into Baloo’s skin, sending her to the ground. A purple hole appeared on Baloo’s side as she reeled back, crying in pain.

“Baloo!” Perrine cried. This couldn’t go on. “Kitsune, use Ember and drive it away!”

“Vuuuuuul!!” The fox Pokemon fired a barrage of tiny embers at the Weedle. The hairy bug Pokemon managed to evade them, just barely. One of the embers singed its tail.

“Weeeeeedle!” Reeling from the pain, screeching in the loudest voice it could muster, Weedle conceded defeat before scurrying away. No way was it going to become someone’s meal!

But they weren’t out of the woods yet. Literally. Perrine kneeled down, her heart breaking from seeing the now poisoned Baloo wincing in pain. “Baloo! Oh no!” She scooped the balloon Pokemon in her arms. Baloo’s breathing was hoarse, and her face was turning pale.

Then it hit Perrine. “Antidotes!” She put Baloo down gently before running to her rucksack, rummaging through it. “Antidotes...antidotes...antidotes…” There weren’t any antidotes in sight. “Come on! They’ve gotta be around here somewhere!!” She screamed, her voice rising several octaves. Kitsune tensed up, the worry in Perrine’s voice frightened her some. She had never seen her trainer look so desperate.

Finally, she pulled out a yellow medicinal bottle. “Got it!” She opened the cap and held the nozzle to Baloo’s mouth. “It’s okay. Drink this. I’ll make the poison go away,” She crooned in a soothing, reassuring voice. “It might taste yucky, though.”

At this point, Baloo didn’t care if the antidote’s taste was yucky. She just wanted her body to stop feeling like it was being set on fire. Baloo wrapped her arms around the bottle and scarfed the orange substance down like a hungry Houndoom. She didn’t even take any breaths or try to drink it up slowly. Gradually, the burning sensation dissipated. After a couple short minutes, even the wound on her side didn’t burn anymore. The liquid in the antidote was completely gone, and Baloo found herself back on her feet, smiling like she always did.

“Igglybuff igglybuuuuuff!” The joyful balloon Pokemon spun around on her foot, happy to feel better.

“Baloo....” On impulse, Perrine scooped Baloo in her arms, holding her close. “I’m so glad you’re all better…” A single tear trickled out from one of her eyes, melting into Baloo’s plushy skin.

“Iggwy?”

“Don’t wander off or touch strange things again. I don’t want you...or Kitsune to get hurt like that…”

To say Baloo learned her lesson would be an understatement. No way was she going to go anywhere near a Weedle ever again, nor so recklessly, at that. But she returned Perrine’s hug and allowed herself to be lost in her trainer’s embrace. More than anything, she was both happy and tired. They all were.

Ilex Forest became pitch black. Perrine set up a sleeping bag and crawled inside, hoping to get through the night. Unfortunately, sleep evaded her at every turn. Every few minutes, she rolled around in her sleeping bag, tossing and turning. No matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn’t come. Whether it was strange noises coming from the forest, newly acquired insomnia, or her own muddied feelings of fear, anxiety, and frustration, she wasn’t sure what was preventing her from sleeping. Kitsune and Baloo stayed together, sleeping right next to Perrine’s sleeping bag peacefully. Not a single movement. Lucky for them.

Perrine checked her PokeGear. 11:36 PM. Almost midnight. Why wasn’t she asleep. There was no answer. But something completely overwhelmed her at that moment. Her eyes suddenly blurred and turned hot. Everything that happened on her journey suddenly piled onto her like someone had dropped a ton of bricks on her. She buried her face in her arms, and in that instant, tears sprung forth. Before long, she found herself sobbing quietly. Maybe not that quietly, because Baloo was pulled out of dreamland, awakened by the soft crying.

This was a sight she had never seen before. Perrine, her mother and beloved trainer, crying. Why was she crying? Baloo wished she had an answer. How could she help her? All she could do was walk up to her. Kitsune could feel Baloo’s stubby legs step on her tail, awakening her. Thankfully, since Baloo’s feet were small and soft, it wasn’t painful. But once she saw Perrine’s face buried in her arms, Kitsune rose to her feet, adopting a concerned expression.

“Igglybuff?” Baloo asked. No answer.

“Vulpix vul?” Kitsune asked. Once again, no answer.

Perrine didn’t look up at them. Not once. Finally, she managed to choke out, “I...I want to go home...I can’t...do this…”

It was all too much. Walking for hours. Trekking through a dark forest where danger lurked at every corner. Spending the entire day in damp clothes. Being nearly helpless as Baloo was poisoned by a bug Pokemon. Being away from her family. No comfortable bed to sleep in. No seeing her mother and father. No freshly cooked food straight from the oven. No going to school and seeing her friends and ex-friends. Everything overwhelmed her all at once, and all she could do now was cry it all out. She even wondered if going on this journey was a mistake. Kitsune and Baloo exchanged glances before nodding.

“Igglybuff!”

“Vul!”

“Huh?” Perrine finally pulled her head out of her arms, her blue eyes red and puffy from crying. Even her cheeks were red and damp with tears. Kitsune was doing a handstand with her front legs, wobbling left and right, while Baloo was bouncing around and spinning like a ballerina. Both of them were laughing and smiling, the epitome of joy. All of a sudden, Baloo lost her balance and bumped into Kitsune. Before long, the fox and balloon Pokemon were on the ground, their routine ruined.

All sorrow vanished, and Perrine broke into laughter. “Oh, you two! You’re funny!” Kitsune and Baloo got back on their feet, undeterred by their failure. Actually, they didn’t fail at all. Perrine had already figured it out. Once she stopped laughing, she smiled and said, “...You were trying to cheer me up, weren’t you?”

Both Pokemon chirruped joyfully, and that in itself answered her question. Perrine crawled out from her sleeping bag and pulled them both into a hug. “You two have no idea how grateful I am to have met you. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.”

“Vulpix!”

“Igglybuff!”

“We can go farther. We’ll get out of here. I’m not giving up.”

She couldn’t give up. Not now. She had a dream to fulfill. Even if she was scared of what the future might hold, a good, brave Pokemon trainer would face hardship and jump over those obstacles head-on. But it didn’t hurt to have a good cry. Already, she found herself feeling better. Pulling her friends into her sleeping bag, Perrine finally closed her eyes.

This time, sleep came without a hitch. Before long, she was dreaming of becoming the champion of Johto. She’d get there soon. She just needed to get through this. If she could get through a dark forest, then she could do anything she wanted. No giving up.

***

Random Fact: Baloo comes from balloon, since Igglybuff and its evolutions are balloon Pokemon. It’s also the name of the bear from the Disney movie The Jungle Book and the corresponding series, Tale Spin. I haven’t seen the movie or the series, I just heard someone else talk about them.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Ok, so ... Chapter Sixteen, according to my notes. Couple of things that have been on my mind for a while here. The first is that you need to work on showing rather than telling emotions. Good practice would be to try and write a scene using only one point of view character - without being able to just jump into someone else's head, you'll really have to think harder about how to get their thoughts and emotions across.

I think this is in part responsible for the melodramatic nature of the story. I'm thinking particularly of the various visceral metaphors you use for various hurt feelings - all that "like her heart was pierced by knives" business. For one thing, each time you use that device it loses some of the impact, and it's quite often that something like that comes up. Whatever else you can say about Julia, she's a sensitive girl, and it seems that almost every nasty comment that comes at her cuts down to the bone.

The other thing - related to the above - is that you have a habit of giving all of your protagonists some sort of dramatic emotional baggage. I mean, yes, everyone is the hero of their own story, and yes, being screwed up in some way isn't as rare as some people think. However. From a narrative point of view, the more you showcase front and centre the harder it is going to be to a) Suspend disbelief and b) Really be emotionally invested in them.

 

[Juliko]

The first is that you need to work on showing rather than telling emotions.

*sigh* I'm failing at this again? I've been trying to work on this over the past year now! I've tried everything I can, and I'm still messing up at it?! How do I do it exactly right?! How else can I get their thoughts and emotions across? I've looked at every writing site I can find, looked up so many examples of how to do it, and have been trying everything I can to do it! How do I do it?!

But yeah. You are right about everything else.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Well, you posted Chapter 16 way back in November last year, so bear that in mind. Aside from that practice exercise I mentioned, I would - if you haven't done so already - try studying the way that other people do it. I don't just mean in terms of writing advice articles and the like (Which are all well and good, but often tend to be too vague to be of much help), but in really looking at stories where you think it's done well

 

[Juliko]

True. I'll try to do what I can, but considering how stupid I am at everything else, I doubt I'll improve. I always think I do something new and improve, only to find that nothing has changed, and I hate that about myself. If it helps you to know, I have planned for the characters in the Hoenn arc to be reasonably normal in their backgrounds, so I can still make changes to that arc should I ever get to writing it.

 

[Beth Pavell]

True. I'll try to do what I can, but considering how stupid I am at everything else, I doubt I'll improve.

Oh, tish. You can always try. You're forgetting what I said about why I keep reading, Juliko-chan

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 38: A Blizzard of Battles

Roaring, flashing thunderbolts descended from dull, grey clouds that draped across the sky. Flying machines swayed left and right, evading them at every turn. Down below, Raikou sprinted across a deserted mountain, the fur on his back all standing straight up. Undeterred, the flying machines picked up speed, racing right toward the thunderous tiger. A cannon came out from the bottom of the machine, beginning to generate a pinkish grey sphere of light that crackled like the electricity that ran through Raikou’s body.

“Target confirmed. Fire!” A middle aged woman’s voice spoke through the flying machine. Fully charged, the sphere morphed into a horizontal beam of light that fired right at Raikou. The lightning Pokemon turned around, his sharp eyes gleaming with courage. No way was he going to be turned to stone again.

With a mighty roar, Raikou’s body exploded with thunderbolts, all of which charged right at the beam of light. Upon making contact, an explosion of energy and dust blocked any and all visibility. Perfect for Raikou to make a break for it and run. He didn’t waste any time leaping away from the chaotic scene.

“J! He’s getting away!” A male voice shouted.

“Hurry and catch up to it! We can’t let this opportunity slip away!” J exclaimed in an uncharacteristically loud manner. Normally, she always kept her cool. This was not the case now.

Inside one flying machine, Pokemon Hunter J watched from the windows as Raikou ran like the wind. Her goggles could see through the dust cloud that the attacks had generated, so she could see the lightning Pokemon just fine. Not even something like this would prevent her from doing and getting what she wanted. Originally, she had given up on Raikou and his comrades. They didn’t have what she wanted, so her desire to catch them was gone.

That is, until recent discoveries convinced her otherwise. Raikou and his comrades didn’t have the exact information she wanted, but old records she found in Ecruteak City just last week told her that they might know someone who did. Now, all of her energy was being put into catching not just Raikou, but his other friends. Being a legendary Pokemon, he would not prove to be an easy catch. It was rare for a human to catch a legendary Pokemon. No matter. J had caught him before. She could easily catch him again. This time, she wouldn’t use the same tricks.

“Don’t let it get away!” J yelled in an authoritative tone, like she was some military officer.

“Yes, sir!” The male Team Rocket grunts at the command post kept their eyes on the machines in front of them.

Finally, Raikou managed to find a large cave, running right inside without hesitation. Raikou wasn’t a coward, and normally he would never hide. Previous encounters with J convinced him that sometimes fighting would only put him in more danger. It was better to be safe than sorry. As soon as he ran inside that cave, the light of a large crystal and a flowing purple mane gave him a warm welcome.

“Oh, good,” Suicune mused with relief. The north wind Pokemon used his muzzle to stroke his friend’s fur gently. “She didn’t capture you again. I was getting worried.”

“I wish I had come here sooner,” Raikou confessed. He looked behind himself, facing the entrance. Good, the coast was clear. No flying machines in sight. Although he relaxed some, he knew he couldn’t completely let down his guard.

Suicune shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You know how persistent she is.”

When Raikou turned back around, he noticed something was odd. Suicune was the only one here? “Where’s Entei?”

The north wind frowned the instant he heard that question. Then again, he knew Raikou would ask. Raikou could see the sudden change in Suicune’s expression. That was enough to tell him everything he needed to know...or in this case, didn’t want to know. “...She captured him, didn’t she?”

“I’m sorry. He tried to take down one of those machines, and he was wide open,” Suicune confessed. Cold stabs of guilt gnawed at the north wind Pokemon. “I wasn’t able to save him.”

“It’s alright,” Raikou told him reassuringly, with a ready and earnest smile, if somewhat forced, in lieu of their current situation. “She won’t kill him. She considers us too important to just sell or kill off. As terrible as that sounds, we can at least take some comfort in that.”

It must be confessed that neither of them found such a thing to be comforting. How could it be? Even Raikou felt his attempt at being positive came off in bad taste. He wished he hadn’t said that. But in a way, it was true. Raikou had seen first hand what J did to valuable Pokemon, himself included. He could tell that she wanted them for a specific purpose. What purpose, they didn’t know. Nonetheless, Suicune nodded in agreement.

“Yes. That’s true.”

“By the way...why is she chasing us again?” Raikou asked. “I thought she had given up on us.”

Suicune’s eyes turned to stern slits, showing that he was not going to sugarcoat anything. “She is after Ho-Oh and Lugia,” Raikou’s eyes widened in alarm. Ho-Oh and Lugia? What could she want with them? “I was able to read her thoughts as she was chasing me. You know how the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak summon Ho-Oh and Lugia to offer them thanks every year?”

“Yes.”

“In three days, she intends to catch them right as the Kimono Girls summon them. She plans on using us as blackmail to ensure she gets what she wants from them.”

Blackmail? Capture Ho-Oh and Lugia? Anger sparked from within Raikou’s entire being, and the electricity charging through his body only made his fury burn hotter. His tail suddenly fluffed up, facing the ceiling, becoming straight like an arrow. It took every ounce of energy he had to not allow his anger to suddenly spill forth. Still, the thought of going after J and ripping her apart piece by piece was tempting. Raikou shook his head. This was not the time to think about mauling someone.

“What does she want with them?!” Raikou roared without meaning to. Then again, anyone would if they had received that kind of information.

Suicune’s frown deepened. “I wish I knew,” For all they knew, J’s compatriots were probably interrogating Entei as they spoke. “They don’t know what’s happening. Someone has to warn them.”

Warn them. Raikou stood up straight this time. He was fast like lightning. Before his conscious could reason with him, Raikou suddenly barked, “I’ll do it! I’ll get to them before the summoning!”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Suicune warned. Raikou flinched. The incident in Olivine City flashed through his mind. “She won’t stop until she has all three of us in her grasp.”

The lightning Pokemon could feel his friend’s worry. The energy surrounding Suicune’s mane had turned a subtle orange color. Not even the darkness of the cave could darken it. Raikou always knew that if Suicune’s mane glowed a light orange, it meant he was truly worried. Touched by his friend’s concern, Raikou simply smiled. Yes, Suicune had every right to be worried. They had already lost Entei. Even so, they couldn’t just stand here and do nothing.

“I know, Suicune. I’m well aware of the risks. But I want to warn them anyway,” Gradually, the hair on his tail thinned out. “They’ve done so much for us. I’d never be able to forgive myself if they were hurt or killed.”

Suicune’s frown turned upward into a smile. “I won’t stop you. In fact...I knew you would give that answer. How about this?” Suicune suggested. “There’s two of us now. You can go find Ho-Oh, since you can travel with lightning. I can dive underwater, so I’ll warn Lugia.”

He hadn’t thought of that. Upon further rumination, he had heard that Suicune had recently learned the Dive attack. Raikou wasn’t much of a swimmer, as water conducted electricity. But Suicune’s suggestion was the best idea he could come up with. What else could they do at this point?

Satisfied with the suggestion, Raikou gave a solemn nod. “Good idea. I just hope we don’t get turned into bronze statues in the process, and I know how indifferent Lugia can be.”

To Raikou’s surprise, Suicune let out a chuckle. Seeing the north wind Pokemon laugh was a rare sight. “Yes, I won’t deny that he doesn’t really care much for anything except for himself and Ho-Oh,” Within a millisecond, Suicune’s expression turned dark. “But I know this is a matter Lugia cannot possibly ignore. Have the machines left yet?”

Raikou poked his head out of the cave entrance. A sphere of light suddenly descended to the ground, generating an explosion of dust and debris. Raikou was quick to fall back, managing to get a glimpse of the flying machines still in the air.

“There’s your answer.”

“I have an idea. We can get through this.”

As much as Raikou didn’t want to take any chances, this was no time to just hide. He had to warn them. They both did. They needed to warn them or get petrified trying. Die trying, even. But this was a risk they needed to take. Finally, a geyser of water sent one machine high in the air. A barrage of lightning bolts struck two others, sending them pummeling to the ground. Raikou and Suicune bounded out of the cave, their large feet looking as though they weren’t even touching the ground. Like air.

They prayed to Arceus that they could successfully complete the mission they made for themselves. If they didn’t...No, they couldn’t bear to think about that.

***

The minute Julia heard that Pryce had returned, the first thing she did was ask him for a rematch. Surprisingly, he accepted without hesitation. Julia and her Pokemon had trained for this rematch since her defeat. Now, their chance to win a gym badge had come once more. This time, Julia intended to win. Caiseal and Perrine sat on the bleachers as Julia and Pryce took their positions on different sides of the battlefield. Like last time, the field was encased in ice, and the frozen rocks hadn’t budged since Julia visited before.

“This will be a four on four battle,” Pryce proposed, pulling out a PokeBall from his coat pocket. The glare he shot at Julia was a combination of icy calm and flaming passion. “I won’t go easy on you.”

Julia pulled out one of her own PokeBalls. “Who said I wanted you to go easy on me?” No. Going easy would be meaningless. Even though she did find it in her heart to forgive Pryce for his transgressions against her, she still wasn’t able to forget the incident no matter how hard she tried. Beating him in battle would give her great satisfaction. “This’ll be a fair battle, no strings attached!”

Both Perrine and Caiseal exchanged worried glances. “Is it just me or is she suddenly kinda battle happy?” Caiseal asked.

“I think we know why,” Perrine mused. Caiseal got the message and fell silent. If Pryce had commanded his Cloyster to attack him all in the name of teaching him a supposed lesson, Caiseal would get angry, too. Julia had been training for a rematch with him for almost a month. They silently prayed that she win.

“Go, Sneasel!” Pryce threw a PokeBall onto the field. The capsule opened, and a white light materialized into a black, bipedal Pokemon with one small ear and one large, red ear that resembled a feather of some sorts. The Pokemon’s white claws looked sharp, like they could cut through a pillow, stuffing and all, and the mischievous gleam in its red eyes told Julia that it was going to go all out. Three, feather-like tails stuck out from its rear end, and two golden, oval shaped insignias on its body, one on the forehead, and another on its chest.

“Sneeeee!” The Sneasel let out a hiss, readying its claws.

For precautionary purposes, Julia pulled out her PokeDex to examine it. “Sneasel, the sharp claw Pokemon,” Sharp Claw. How accurate, she thought. “Sneasel scale trees by punching their hooked claws into the bark. Sneasel are cunning and vicious by nature, with pairs of them scaring bird Pokemon out of their nests and feasting on the eggs they’re forced to leave behind. Usually, when doing this, one Sneasel would lure the parents away with any distraction necessary.”

“Ugh!” Julia squeezed her eyes shut, grimacing as she looked away from the PokeDex. As much as she hated to admit it, the Pokemon world was not a purely happy place. Even Pokemon could do gross or bad things, usually for survival. Naive as she was, she wasn’t so naive as to think Pokemon were all nice creatures. Still, the knowledge of a Sneasel feasting on unhatched eggs created images in her mind that she didn’t want to see.

No. She couldn’t be grossed out now. This was no time for showing weakness. By the time she put her PokeDex away, Sneasel had already adopted a battle stance. Undeterred, she looked down at the PokeBall in her hand. “We’ve come this far. We can go farther...Saoirse! I choose you!”

Of all Pokemon, not once did Pryce ever expect the girl to throw a Snubbull into the battlefield. Most trainers he encountered didn’t have Snubbulls, or if they did, they weren’t used in battle. Pryce kept his cool, but raised an eyebrow in quiet surprise regardless. Said Snubbull took position, her soft feet embracing the sharp, biting cold from the ice beneath her.

“Snubbull!”

“Sneeheeheehee!” Sneasel put one claw on its abdomen as it bent over, laughing like it heard a funny joke. Julia balled her fist when she heard what it said. “THIS is my opponent?! Oh Arceus, it doesn’t look like it can lay a scratch on me! Pathetic!”

How Saoirse didn’t look or act bothered by Sneasel’s insults was beyond her. Maybe she was just keeping herself composed for their battle. Julia wished she had her friend’s maturity and sense of class.

“I’ll make the first move,” Pryce announced, extending his hand out. “Sneasel, use Slash!”

Charging across the battlefield, its thin legs racing on ice, Sneasel’s claws glowed in a harsh white light. Not once did it slip on the cold, slippery surface. It was like Sneasel was riding the wind. Perks of being an ice type, Julia supposed.

“Dodge, Saoirse!”

Darting out of the way with a push of her feet, the bulldog Pokemon ran out of Sneasel’s way. But the minute she tried to move once more, the wet surface made one of her feet slip, and the bulldog fell flat on her stomach. “Snubbull!”

Pryce smirked. “Use Metal Claw.”

A steel type move. Fairies were weak to steel, and Sneasel was a dark type. Julia kept calm as Sneasel’s claws went from bright white to steely silver. Saoirse was back on her feet the moment Sneasel made a beeline for her. This was no time to hesitate. It was time to do. Take action.

An idea hopped into her head. Before she could question it, she shouted, “Saoirse! Use Fire Fang and bite on Sneasel’s claws to hold it off!”

With a nod, Saoirse opened her large maw, allowing flames to burst forth. Sneasel’s claws came closer and closer, until they reached her mouth. An opening appeared, and Saoirse took it. She sunk her flaming teeth down on the sharp claw Pokemon’s arms, holding them down so hard that Sneasel couldn’t get them out. When Sneasel lifted his arms up, Saoirse went up with him.

“Sneeeeee!!” It didn’t help that the scorching pain from the flames ripped through every piece of fur and fiber on his body.

“Headbutt!” Julia called.

Saoirse rammed her head right underneath Sneasel’s chin, knocking the sharp claw Pokemon for a loop. The flames on his arms disappeared, but large burn marks covered his arms from claw to elbow. But Sneasel did make one backflip, getting back on his feet. The moment Saoirse returned to the ground, one of her feet slipped, and she fell flat on her stomach.

“Use Metal Claw!” Pryce commanded.

Sneasel’s eyes glimmered with a determined glint. His claws regained that steely silver sheen as he charged right at the bulldog Pokemon. Saoirse had no time to stand back up as two silver claws slashed her dress-like body. Fierce, burning pain shot through her fur with each scratch Sneasel left on her. Any attempt she made at fighting back was never finished, as Sneasel kept on scratching and clawing at the bulldog.

“No! Saoirse!” Julia’s hands flew to her throat.

Perrine and Caiseal sat frozen on the bleachers, tense from watching the battle unfold. “Oh man. That Sneasel is really tough. It’s not even letting Saoirse get an attack in.”

“And it’s really fast, too,” Caiseal noted. Both he and Perrine had battled that Sneasel before, and won. Even so, their own Pokemon had trouble keeping up with that Sneasel’s speed. Saoirse was too slow to do much of anything at the moment, even if she did have a type advantage. But last he checked, Saoirse didn’t know any fairy type attacks. “I wonder how she’s gonna get out of this.”

Unable to watch Saoirse get hurt anymore, Julia shouted on impulse, “Saoirse, kick Sneasel in the stomach!”

The bulldog Pokemon had little options at this point, so she did as Julia asked and rammed one of her large feet into Sneasel’s abdomen. The force was enough to propel Sneasel against an icy rock. Not enough to knock it out or break said rock, but enough to buy Saoirse some time. The Metal Claws had dissipated. Pryce watched the battle, wearing a stony, icy expression, like the battle was nothing but child’s play to him.

“Icy Wind.”

Once the sharp claw Pokemon was back on his feet, he blew a breeze of cold air right at Saoirse. “Dodge it!” Julia yelled, her eyes widening. Again, Saoirse tried to run, but the slippery ice made her fall on her back this time. The icy wind made contact with her fur, and the frigid gale reduced Saoirse to a shivering fetal position. Whether it was an attempt to keep herself warm or an attempt to defend herself, Julia wasn’t sure.

A hand flew to the side of Julia’s head, mingling with her hair. ‘Oh no! Saoirse’s gonna be done for if I don’t think of something!’ Nagging anxiety began to gnaw at her, threatening to choke her life out. Oddly enough, Saoirse didn’t seem to feel the same. Pryce commanded more Slash attacks, but Saoirse got back up and kept headbutting them on her own, even taking some hits. Not even Sneasel knocking her to the icy floor was enough to keep her down. She just kept getting back up, like the injuries she sustained were nothing but blemishes on her fur.

Julia’s mind and heart raced a million miles a minute. As proud as she was of her friend’s courage and determination, she knew she wouldn’t last much longer, and that Sneasel was just too fast. She found herself fixing her gaze on the rocks on the battlefield.

The rocks...images of Saoirse snowboarding on a block of ice flashed in her mind.

Wait...Sneasel’s speed...That’s it!

The gears began to turn, forcing the anxiety out of her heart.

“Metal Claw, Sneasel.”

“Sneaseeeeeel!” Once again, the sharp claw Pokemon charged at the bulldog, his claws shining.

“Saoirse! Run toward the rocks and before he hits you, jump up!” Julia commanded.

Perrine and Caiseal exchanged confused glances. What was she planning? Saoirse didn’t dare question it. “Snubbull!” She just nodded and slid toward a nearby rock. When Sneasel was ready to drop his claw down, the bulldog leaped into the air with a graceful leap. The Metal Claw shattered the frozen rock into pieces, both large and small.

One piece slid out underneath Saoirse. “Land on that chunk of ice and ride it like a snowboard!” Julia commanded.

“Snubbuuuull!” Saoirse landed right on the ice block. Before long, she was sliding around the battlefield like she was a professional snowboarder.

The kids could barely see it from where they sat on the bleachers, but Pryce’s cold eyes widened just a little in surprise. Never before had he seen a Pokemon attempt a feat like this. Still, he knew he couldn’t show surprise in front of his opponent. The gears in his head were still turning.

“Sneasel, use Metal Claw once more,” Pryce commanded.

The weasel Pokemon slammed his Metal Claw on parts of the battlefield. Any time he would even attempt to smack Saoirse with it, she would always outrun him, leading to his steely claws breaking the ice on the arena. Not even running after the bulldog worked, as she was moving too fast for him to catch up.

“Use Headbutt!” Julia commanded.

Sliding across the arena, Saoirse used one of her feet to turn around. Sneasel tried to run, but the bulldog on the ice block came charging right at him, her head bowed and ready for headbutting. A hard blow struck Sneasel on the back. For just a moment, the air was taken right out of him, rendering him unable to breathe. It didn’t help that Saoirse slammed her head so hard against his back that Sneasel was sent flying across the ice. Slamming against yet another ice rock, Sneasel slumped to the ground, its legs and arms weak and limp, like plum pudding.

Pryce visibly blanched at the impact of the attack. Even Julia couldn’t keep her jaw closed. But in another second, the old man was calm once more. “Sneasel. Slash attack, and make it snappy.”

Jolts of pain ran through Sneasel’s body as he hoisted himself back on his feet. His sharp claws glowed in an intense white light. With a running start forward, Sneasel howled and charged right at the bulldog, who was once again sliding in his direction.

“Use Fire Fang again, girl!”

The two opposing Pokemon collided, and an explosion of both flames and energy made the air in the entire gym simmer for just a moment. Julia covered her eyes, her face overwhelmed by the intense heat. Pryce merely held up one hand to shield himself from the aftermath of the explosion. When the flaming cloud finally dissipated, two silhouettes lay on what was left of the icy battlefield.

Both Saoirse and Sneasel were face up on the ice, completely battered and covered with burn marks and visible wounds. Neither made any attempt to get back up.

“Snubbull…”

“Sneeeee…”

“Whoa!” Caiseal stood up in alarm, shouting. “It’s a tie! They knocked each other out!”

Julia smiled, ambling over to her friend, kneeling down, and cradling her into her arms. “You were great, girl,” She complimented. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Snubbull snub…” Saoirse waved one of her small arms, like she was attempting a thumb’s up.

“Don’t worry. Once this battle’s over, we’ll go and have your favorite strawberry pancakes! How’s that?” She suggested.

The bulldog smiled at the heavenly thought. Gooey, fluffy pancakes caked in thick maple syrup, with strawberries inside the flour and topping the surface. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the happy dream. Julia recalled the sleeping Pokemon before returning to her side of the battlefield.

Pryce recalled Sneasel quickly, pulling out another PokeBall not too long after. “Cloyster, I choose you.”

A white light bounded onto the battlefield, materializing into Cloyster. Caiseal was quick to pull his PokeDex out to examine it. “Cloyster, the bivalve Pokemon, and the evolved form of Shellder. Cloyster’s shell is harder than diamonds, so hard, in fact, that it can withstand explosions from a bomb without taking any damage at all. Not even missiles can break its shell. When the shell is closed shut, it is impossible to break or pry open, even by people with superior strength. Cloyster is capable of swimming in the sea. It does so by swallowing water, then jetting it out toward the rear. This Pokémon shoots spikes from its shell using the same system. No one has ever seen its innards.”

Julia shivered. Memories of riding on Geraldine and almost getting impaled by Cloyster’s Spike Cannon attack flashed through her mind. The fear morphed into a subtle anger.

“Pi-pikachu!” Hikaru suddenly barked, waving her arms up and down, her dark eyes glimmering with courage.

“Of course!” Julia exclaimed. “I was going to send you out anyway! You ready, girl?”

Hikaru balled one of her hands into a fist. “Pikapi!” With resolve in her heart, the shiny Pikachu bounded onto the battlefield.

“Cloyster. Use Razor Shell,” Pryce commanded.

Oddly enough, there was no response from the bivalve Pokemon. It stood completely still, making no attempts to attack. Pryce raised an eyebrow. “Cloyster? What’s wrong?” He asked.

Instead of attacking, Cloyster simply began hopping across the battlefield. It didn’t take on any attack stances, and the whole thing just left everyone flabbergasted. Hikaru didn’t even have it in her to attack it. Cloyster hopped across the battlefield, one step at a time, getting closer and closer to Julia’s side of the arena.

“Pika?” Hikaru cocked her head to one side, wondering just what was going on.

Finally, Cloyster stood right in front of Julia, looking right at her with its pearl shaped head. A heavy silence consumed the entire gym. Even Perrine and Caiseal found themselves silent, also wondering what was happening. They hoped that Cloyster wouldn’t dare to attack Julia itself.

Thankfully, they didn’t need to worry about that ever happening. All of a sudden, a waterfall of tears poured out from Cloyster’s eyes, and the bivalve Pokemon bowed up and down, bawling. “Clooooooysterrrrr!” It cried, its round eyes drowning in tears.

Everyone’s jaws fell wide open. Not even Pryce could maintain calm, as his jaw dropped open in an ungraceful angle. On the other hand, Julia’s shock and confusion morphed into calm, as she smiled and kneeled down to Cloyster’s level. She even stroke the horn coming out from above its head with one hand.

“It’s okay! I’m not mad at you, so don’t worry,” Julia told it reassuringly.

Relieved, the bivalve Pokemon flashed a smile of its own, even if it was still crying its eyes out.

“What’s going on?” Perrine asked aloud.

Julia turned in their direction and said, “Cloyster just wanted to say sorry for what Pryce made him do to me and Geraldine that one time!”

“Oh,” That was the only response they all could have. The memory of Pryce commanding his Cloyster to use Spike Cannon on both Julia and Geraldine was still fresh in their minds. But as it turned out, Cloyster never wanted to hurt them at all. After being ordered to do so by Pryce, the bivalve Pokemon had felt bad about it for the whole month and wanted so badly to apologize, even though he was glad nobody got killed.

Pryce listened to their dialogue and fell silent. How in the world could this girl understand what Cloyster was saying to her? Better yet, how did she even know? Was she making it up? No answers came to mind. But he had noticed changes in his Cloyster’s demeanor and behavior after that, so this display did shed some light on that. Right after that, Cloyster returned to Pryce’s side of the arena with a smile. All of a sudden, Cloyster used the spike on its head to poke its PokeBall. The ball opened, turning Cloyster into red light and sucking it right in.

“Huh?!” Now this was unexpected. Cloyster just returned to its PokeBall. Pryce pulled it back out and asked, “Do you...not want to battle?”

The PokeBall wiggled left and right, saying no.

Once the shock wore off, Pryce nodded. “I see. Alright then. I’ll respect your wishes,” He put Cloyster’s PokeBall back, pulling out another one. “Change of plans. It seems we’ll be having a three on three battle now. Or two on two, since you knocked out Sneasel.”

The look of determination returned to Julia’s face. “Fine with me!”

“Pika!”

This time, Dewgong came spiraling out on the battlefield. Landing on the ice with grace, the sea lion Pokemon’s snow white fur seemed to glisten in the light. Just like the ice it stood on. Hikaru’s ears and tail all stiffened, facing the ceiling.

Julia pointed her index finger at Dewgong. “Use Thunderbolt!” She yelled, her command sharp but resolute.

“Pikaaachuuuu!” The electric mouse unleashed a dazzling display of lightning bolts that danced across the battlefield. Dewgong slid across the ice, similar to how Saoirse did earlier, only the sea lion Pokemon rode the ice with just its body. Sliding in a graceful arc, Dewgong evaded every thunder strike with ease.

“Aurora Beam!” Pryce exclaimed, his command sharp and snappish.

With a confident sparkle lighting up its eyes, Dewgong opened its large mouth, allowing a rainbow colored blast of energy to shoot right out. The beam wasted no time charging right at Hikaru as she stopped using her Thunderbolt attack.

“Use Disarming Voice to hold it off!”

“Pikaaaaaa!” With a mighty howl, Hikaru emitted pink, circular soundwaves, managing to hold off the Aurora Beam somewhat. It was enough so that Hikaru could find time to dodge. Finding an opening, Hikaru stopped her attack and leaped over to a broken chunk of rock. No longer barred by the Disarming Voice, the Aurora Beam dissipated into thin air, leaving not a scratch.

“Use Headbutt, and don’t hold back.”

“Deeeeeewgon!” Dewgong slid across the ice once more, lifting its head upward.

Julia grimaced. She had to get an attack in, or Hikaru was toast. “Volt Tackle!” She yelled on impulse.

On cue, Hikaru raced across the ice. Gaining speed, her body exploded with lightning. As Dewgong came closer, Hikaru let out a howl as she made a majestic leap, ramming herself right into the sea lion’s abdomen. The force of the impact sent Dewgong flying across the battlefield, breaking yet another rock into smithereens, creating a diminutive cloud of icy dust that covered the sea lion from horn to tail.

“Yes!” The girl balled her fists, watching closely to see if Dewgong was unconscious or not. A surge of pride swelled from within her heart.

...Which was quickly smothered as soon as she saw Pryce’s calm, eerie expression. He kept his arms crossed, and his icy stare sent a shiver down her spine. No way was he going to let this girl defeat him.

“Aqua Tail,” Pryce said.

The icy dust cloud dissipated as a spiral of water suddenly materialized. Dewgong let out a low screech as a diminutive whirlpool consumed its tail. Sliding across the ice, Dewgong used the water to propel itself at a faster speed than normally possible. “Pika!!” The mouse let out a screech, transfixed by terror. Knowing what was to come, Hikaru attempted to scramble across the ice. The minute she even tried, every single one of her feet slipped, and her body met the frigid, slippery ice. More futile attempts, and Hikaru found herself stumbling with every step she took.

Of course, she was at the mercy of the Aqua Tail. A wall of water slammed into her, with the rest of it cascading down into a hole created by said attack. Unable to move, Hikaru fell into the shallow water underneath the battlefield. Not even the frigid waters biting at every single nerve in her body were enough to pull her awake from the attack.

“Hikaru!!” Julia screamed, freezing as she saw no movement in the water. Caiseal and Perrine all stood up in alarm, fear catching them in its grip.

For a brief moment, there was no movement. Then, out from the water came a set of yellow, black-tipped ears, followed by Hikaru’s head. The mouse Pokemon looked toward Julia, flashing a thumb’s up with one hand. “Pikapi!” She squeaked, signalling that she was fine.

Julia exhaled a huge sigh of relief, the choking fear gripping her finally dissipating. Then the gears began to turn the moment she looked at the hole that Dewgong’s Aqua Tail made. Last she checked, Dewgong was still weak to electric attacks. Maybe…

“What’s she gonna do?” Caiseal asked.

“She’s got that look on her face,” Perrine pointed out. She was right. Julia kept staring at the hole, her eyes staring right through it. “She’s thinking of something.”

Think she did. Then she stopped thinking, as it was time to take action. “Hikaru! Dive into the water!”

“Chu!” With a nod, Hikaru dove back into the water.

Pryce smirked. “You won’t be able to win like that. Dewgong! After it!”

“Deeewgong!” As ordered, the sea lion Pokemon slid across the ice and leaped in the water, in pursuit of the electric mouse.

Now it was Julia’s turn to smirk. “I was hoping you’d do that!”

“What?!” Pryce’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. She wanted him to do that?

“Hikaru!” She pointed to the water with one index finger. “Use Thunderbolt on the entire body of water! No mercy!”

No one had time to react before an explosion of electricity shot out from the hole. The lightning’s bright flashes made everyone hold their hands or arms over their faces. Some sparks even managed to crackle their way through the ice, thick and dense as the frozen water was. A small explosion broke through Pryce’s side of the icy battlefield, and Dewgong came sprawling right out, its sleek body covered with dancing sparks.

“Dewgong!” Pryce stammered.

Hikaru came back onto the surface. Julia could see fresh cuts and developing bruises, some of which were still soaked thanks to the frigid waters. The mouse Pokemon didn’t look bothered, as she kept eyeing the Dewgong with intent to knock it right out.

“Can you still battle?”

“Pika!” Hikaru turned to face her trainer, giving an affirmative nod.

“You haven’t defeated me yet!” Pryce slammed his cane down on the ground. “Finish this with Aqua Jet!”

“Volt Tackle!”

Both Pokemon enveloped by their respective elements charged at each other, ready to knock each other out. The second they made contact, an explosion of smoke covered the battlefield. A blast of wind rushed past both trainers, and once again, they used their arms to shield themselves. It didn’t take long for the smoke to fade. When it did, both Hikaru and Dewgong were both lying on the ice, battered and unmoving.

“Piiii…”

“It seems both Pokemon are unable to battle,” Pryce mused, recalling Dewgong without a moment’s hesitation.

Julia did the same. “You were awesome, Hikaru. You deserve a good rest.”

But the battle wasn’t over. Close, but not over. Pryce still had one Pokemon left, and she had a good idea who it was. He pulled out another PokeBall before throwing it.

“Piloswine! Come forth!”

The mammoth Pokemon materialized, letting out a harsh mooing sound. Julia clenched her teeth. Piloswine was part ice-type and ground-type, so fire type moves could still work against it. At the same time, however, it was possible for Piloswine to still use ground attacks, and fire types were weak against ground. Rino was definitely a no-go. Tokiko was part flying type and she could evade the ground attacks, but she was still weak against ice. Twilight was strong and could hold her own, but she still had problems controlling her stubbornness, and every battle to her was like a fight to the death. As much as she wanted to use Twilight, she didn’t want to risk putting Pryce’s last Pokemon in danger. What to do? There didn’t seem to be much options for her to choose from.

There was one Pokemon she could use. One who wasn’t weak against ground or ice. Fast, strong, and could outrun the mammoth Pokemon easily. She had to take a chance. Take it or leave it.

“Lucretia, show him what you’re made of!” The lavender feline hopped onto the ice gracefully, like she had practiced for years. The frigid battlefield still sent shivers through her body, though.

“Espeon!”

Pryce lowered his eyebrows. “Hmmm. An Espeon. A wise choice. Pilowine, use Mud Bomb!”

“Muuuuu!” With a mighty growl, spheres of icky brown mud materialized in front of his tusks. Piloswine lurched forward, allowing the muddy spheres to charge right at the Espeon.

“Use Psybeam to hold them off!”

“Espeooooooon!” For a moment, the red orb on her forehead glowed before sending out a purple beam of light. It hit every single muddy sphere, reducing it to just mud as it all plopped onto the ice.

“Use Ice Fang!”

“Muuu!” Piloswine opened its large maw, and its teeth glowed in an icy pale blue light. Lucretia didn’t need Julia’s commands in order to dodge. Being smaller and lighter than the hulking mammoth, she simply jumped up and around, evading the icy bites with grace.

“Shadow Ball!” Julia commanded. The Espeon fired a black sphere right at Piloswine. It hit him across his fur. Oddly enough, that lone attack was enough to render Piloswine wide open. It didn’t make any attempts to attack, as it kept howling in pain.

Even Pryce found himself speechless. But he knew this was no time for slacking. “Use Blizzard!”

“Psybeam!”

Lucretia managed to get the drop on him as she fired a beam of light at Piloswine. It came so fast, Piloswine was unable to use his most powerful attack. In fact, any time he tried to attack at all, he would always be too slow to get ahead of Lucretia. The sun Pokemon always managed to attack first, and land successful hits.

“Wow,” Perrine mused. “Piloswine’s not doing too good.”

“Considering it hasn’t battled in a while, I think it’s gotten rusty,” Caiseal suggested. Any Pokemon who hadn’t battled in a while could easily lose their edge, should they not sharpen their battling skills consistently. He figured Julia must have realized this, and taking full advantage of it.

“Trump Card, girl! You can do it!” Julia cried.

“Peeooooon!” With a shrill cry, white, card shaped rectangles materialized before charging right at Piloswine. This time, they just swiped right past him, not doing too much in terms of damage.

“Piloswine, use Fury Attack! Full power!” Pryce shouted.

“Muuuuu!” Now it was Piloswine’s turn to charge, as his long tusks glowed in white lights. Of course, not even that attack could do much, since Lucretia kept jumping on the icy rocks every chance she got.

Everything that happened right after that was basically Piloswine attempting to attack Lucretia and failing, and Lucretia attacking it. Needless to say, Piloswine didn’t stand much of a chance against the agile purple feline. The sun Pokemon kept firing Psybeams and Shadow Balls at the mammoth, finally knocking it out when it attempted another Blizzard attack. Pryce couldn’t hold back his shock. His friend fell to the ice, unable to get up.

“Piloswine…”

The lack of movement and initiative to battle further made huge smiles spread across both Julia and Lucretia’s faces. Unable to contain her bubbling joy, Julia leaped into the air with a loud cheer. “Yay!! We won!! We won!!” Lucretia leaped into her trainer’s arms, and the two of them spun around like a top, jubilant in their victory.

With a sad smile, Pryce called Piloswine back to his PokeBall. “It’s alright, my friend. You were great,” He whispered in a soft voice.

Perrine and Caiseal came bounding down the bleachers. “You really won! Congrats!” Perrine and Julia slapped their hands in a high five as Lucretia got back on the ground.

“We knew you could do it!” Caiseal exclaimed, pumping his fist.

Julia blushed. “No no. My Pokemon did most of the work,” She looked down at Lucretia, who happily snuggled against her leg.

Even Pryce couldn’t help but smile as he walked around the battlefield to approach the children. “This was a fine battle we had,” He told Julia. “I really enjoyed it. As proof of your victory…” He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a badge. “The Glacier Badge.”

Taking it out of his hands, Julia held it up to her face to examine it. It was really not much more than a light blue hexagon with six triangular cavities in the middle, making it resemble a snowflake. But it still looked nice as it reflected the fluorescent lights in the gym.

“Thank you, sir.”

He closed his eyes. “I’m glad I could have this final battle with you,” He said in an oddly wistful voice.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Perrine asked.

“After this battle, I will no longer be the gym leader of Mahogany Town,” Pryce answered.

If he had said he could see into the future, the kids wouldn’t be nearly as surprised. All of them found themselves shouting, “WHAT?!” in perfect unison.

None of them asked why, though. Julia could take a guess, but Pryce answered before they could ask. “My recent actions have come under investigation, as you know. The Pokemon League has decided to revoke my status as a gym leader,” He explained calmly, keeping his composure. “In short, I’ve been forced to retire.”

Out of the corner of Julia’s eye, a blond haired figure poked her head into the gym entrance. But the blond blur disappeared before Julia could get a closer look. Still, she listened to Pryce’s explanation. Instead of being disappointed, she found herself smirking inside. After all, Pryce did bring this on himself by attacking her, she told herself. Boy, was she happy to have battled him when she did. She didn’t dare voice these thoughts, as she figured it’d be rude. He did apologize for what happened, so rubbing salt in the wound wouldn’t help. Mrs. Amoretto and other people didn’t apologize to her for the things they did, so she could take some comfort in Pryce paying for his actions.

“Who’s going to take over the gym from now on?” Caiseal wondered aloud.

Pryce smiled. “My granddaughter has wanted to become a gym leader, so I’m thinking of leaving it to her,” He elaborated. “I’ve been making some preparations for this long before the Gyarados incident, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

With that, the kids said goodbye and left the gym, leaving Pryce alone. He didn’t mind. Having time alone was always a pleasure for him. But over the next few hours, he cleared out the gym a little bit and put a padlock on the door. The moon was full and bright when he turned the key. Now he could leave the gym without worries.

“We had good times together,” Pryce whispered to himself.

A silent goodbye to the gym, and he turned around to walk back home. Street lights still illuminated the area, and there were other people nearby, so Pryce didn’t feel the least bit afraid of what the night had to offer. After all, he had walked this path a million times over the years. Day and night, rain and shine. Now it was time to end that routine forever. For now, he simply enjoyed the night time. The million stars twinkling in the sky, the Rattata scuttling about foraging for food, smelling a strangely sweet aroma…

Wait…

Pryce stopped in his tracks. A glistening, pink, powdery cloud suddenly billowed before him. The old man made the mistake of breathing it in his shock. Before long, his limbs turned limp, and his eyes grew heavy. Any attempt he made at keeping them open was futile. Soon, his legs could no longer move and with a thud, he fell to the ground, right on his back.

“What…?” Pryce could only mumble helplessly as he felt a set of hands rummaging through his pockets. They weren’t his hands, as he couldn’t move his own. All he could make out was straw blonde hair.

“Got the badge,” Someone whispered.

“No...stop...help…” Pryce held his hand out in a futile attempt to stop the thief. Unfortunately, his eyes finally closed, and all energy seeped out of his body.

“Shut up, old man!” A female voice shouted.

“Weepinbell…” A Pokemon whimpered. It didn’t sound like it enjoyed spraying that substance on the old man.

Now, all Pryce saw was darkness. His consciousness fading, he was wide open. All of a sudden, he felt something hard dredge into his stomach. It almost felt like the bottom of someone’s shoe pressing onto his abdomen. A startled, pained yelp escaped his rasping throat. Whoever was stepping on him had no sympathy or pity for him.

“This is what you get for attacking my sister.”

“HEY!” More voices. Deep, male voices. They sounded younger than his own voice. The police? “Leave that man alone!”

“Hands in the air, miss!”

“Oh, crap!”

Footsteps. Scurrying across the dirt. Men shouting in loud voices.

“Come back! You’re under arrest!”

“Pryce! Pryce! Wake up! Are you alright?!”

“He’s asleep. That girl must have made her Pokemon use Sleep Powder on him.”

“Let’s take him to the hospital.”


Succumbing to darkness, Pryce finally fell asleep, his dormant senses blocking out reality completely.

***

Clarification: about Julia being in the hospital for a week after she caught Geraldine, just want to clarify that yes, Pryce was forced to pay for the medical fees. I plan on mentioning that in-story later on, but I thought I’d make it clear for those who were confused. And yes, Amara overheard everything Pryce said and saw most of the battle. That’s why she took Pryce’s badge.

***

Spoiler: Pokemon Parties

Julia’s Party:

Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)

Ability: Static

Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle


Lucretia (Espeon, Female, Bashful Nature)

Ability: Magic Bounce

Attacks: Psybeam, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball


Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)

Ability: Serene Grace

Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf


Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)

Ability: Intimidate

Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face


Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)

Ability: Poison Point

Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Jab, Peck, and Horn Attack


Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)

Ability: Flash Fire

Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp


Perrine’s Party:

Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)

Ability: Flash Fire

Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack


Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)

Ability: Overgrow

Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain


Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)

Ability: Cute Charm

Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam


Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)

Ability: Effect Spore

Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain


Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)

Ability: Leaf Guard

Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball


Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)

Ability: Static

Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam


Caiseal’s Party:

Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)

Ability: Lightning Rod

Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash


Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)

Ability: Blaze

Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen


Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)

Ability: Chlorophyll

Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent


Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)

Ability: Super Luck

Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost


Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)

Ability: Moxie

Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure


Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)

Ability: Damp

Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam

 

[Juliko]

Chapter 39: Forever Friends

Amara’s heart was racing as she sprinted through a nearby sea of trees. Twigs and weeds were flattened by her boots as she ran. At one point, she stumbled over a small log, but regained her balance quickly. Falling on the ground and being out in the open was not an option at this point. She didn’t even want to risk taking glances over her shoulder. She was not going to get caught. Not now. She didn’t come this far to risk getting thrown in jail. It was time to take action. But where could she hide? It was dark, but with their flashlights illuminating the area, the officers chasing her would surely find her.

A row of thick bushes came into view. They were thick, with large leaves that could easily obscure anyone’s view of what was behind them. Without hesitation, Amara leaped behind them. But she knew in her heart she couldn’t stay here forever. Parts of the forest were illuminated by moving white lights. The police were still in pursuit. Yep, she couldn’t stay here. What to do? It was already dark, and she couldn’t go back to the Pokemon Center at this point. For all she knew, the police might have told the Nurse Joy and other employees there to be on the lookout.

She resisted the urge to groan, as that would give her away. At this point, she wished she could sprout wings and fly away. Fly away...that’s it! A light bulb went off in her head. Without a word, she ran out from the bushes and went west, hoping she could evade the police and find a place to fly without getting noticed. After a few short minutes, she finally stopped in front of a small lake. Her matted blonde hair was dripping with sweat at this point, but she didn’t care.

“Fearow. Fly us out of here,” Amara whispered, calling forth the large bird. The white light materialized into Fearow. Good thing she caught a Pokemon big enough to carry her on her back. Fearow laid down, resting his head on the ground, allowing Amara to climb on. Once she settled, Fearow flapped his wings and ascended into the night sky. Not even the police noticed the bird soaring across the night wind.

Tonight the sky was marred by thick clouds. Not so thick that it would rain, but enough to block the moon out completely. Of course, weather like this was a breeze for Fearow to fly through. Amara looked over Fearow’s shoulder. Houses, trees, streetlights, and cars passed right by, and since she was so high up, it was like everything down below had become smaller.

“Alright. Set me down there,” Amara said. On cue, Fearow descended near a thick row of bushes. Once his talons set foot on the grass, the girl wasted no time getting off and exhaling a sigh of relief.

“Phew!” She plopped down on the grass, her legs burning from having ran so much. “They’re gone. Oh my lanta…”

“Mreeeeehhh,” Fearow cawed.

Amara rolled her eyes, pulling out Fearow’s PokeBall. “Get back in here, you,” The red light sucked the bird Pokemon right in.

The coast was clear, so Amara pulled out her sleeping bag and crawled right in. She was glad she slept in the Pokemon Center the night before. It felt so good to sleep in a soft bed with real blankets and take a nice, cold, refreshing shower. But back in the wilderness she was. Of course there were no buildings nearby, and even if there were, groping through the dark with danger constantly lurking...Amara couldn’t take that risk. Before she could think too much about it, her heavy eyes finally closed themselves shut, refusing to peel back open.

Not even the sounds of Noctowl and Hoothoot hooting in the night woke her up. When morning came, Amara woke up as she usually woke up, even when she was at home: groggy and weary.

“Uuuuugh…I’m soooo hungry…” Immediately, Amara lurched toward her green bag, pulling it closer before rummaging through it. She pulled out a pack of oatmeal bars, a bottle of water, and a breakfast burrito she had bought and saved a couple days before.

Not a perfect breakfast, but Amara made do. Being on the run for several months and surviving in the wilderness limited her food choices. Good thing her income mostly consisted of money she earned from Pokemon battles, so she always had some money on her. Even now, she still had some saved, resting in her pockets or her bag. Amara looked down at her burrito, her blue eyes growing wistful. Immediately, she found herself flashing back to her time at home, when her mother would make Kalosian toast with scrambled eggs. Her favorite breakfast ever. The smell of the soft, melty butter, the prickly taste of the cinnamon that was sprinkled all over, the light syrup dripping all over it…

“Get over it, Amara!” She yelled, scolding herself. “You’re not going back there and that’s final! They don’t care about you anyway!” With that, she scarfed the rest of the burrito down her throat. This was no time to be sitting around and yearning for the past. One more badge, and she could get into the Pokemon League, like Chanel dreamed.

“Alright...let’s get going,” Once she packed everything back up and finished her breakfast, Amara was back on the trek. She stayed on the dirt path, as she didn’t feel like dealing with wild Pokemon at the moment. They were always a thorn in her side. A pain, as teenagers would mostly describe them.

For the most part, it was mostly spread out woods, with a blanket of withering orange and red leaves covering most of the ground. They all crunched underneath Amara’s boots, the soles ripping them to pieces some of the time. To a nature lover, the sight of the woods and autumn leaves would be beautiful. Amara was not that type of person, and she didn’t find beauty in nature.

“I just need one more badge, and I’ll be able to get to the League…” Amara spurred herself onward, refusing to stop. She had come so far now. There was no turning back. She didn’t have a choice anyway, so there was nowhere else to go but forward.

Before long, something bright red came into view, popping up amongst the trees. Amara stood on her toes to get a better look. Whatever it was, it looked like the roof of a house.

“What is that?” She asked aloud. Curiosity took hold, and she ambled on the path once more.

When she arrived, Amara’s mouth fell wide open. Standing before her was a large house that looked like a miniature mansion. A bright red tile roof crowned a white, two-story house made of marble. A paved stone road reached toward the two-tier porch, framed by fresh grass, possibly recently mowed. Rows of flowers and rectangular hedges stood in front of the house, looking very elegant and poised, ready for a big fancy party. There were even large hedges that stood further back, stretching all the way up to the windows on the second floor.

“Whoa…” Other than that, Amara found herself speechless. Whoever lived in this house must be somewhat rich. There was no other explanation she could come up with. Still, never before had she seen a house this beautiful up close. “I bet Mom would get a real kick out of seeing this.”

Yet again, memories flooded her mind. When she and Julia were younger, their mother would take them on drives through the cities, and she would marvel at all the pretty houses they’d see. Of course, Amara and Julia, being young kids at the time, didn’t care about seeing houses, wishing she’d stop and get to wherever they were going. Now, in a way, Amara could see why her mother liked looking at pretty houses like this so much. Amara wished she could live in a place like this, rather than the house she and her family lived in now. The one she ran away from.

Home…

As much as she hated to admit it, she missed being at home. Already, she found herself yearning for the sweet comfort of her bedroom, the smell of the Kalosian toast her mother would make. At this point, she’d even put up with her father slamming on those drums he loves so much, and that used to drive her absolutely crazy most of the time.

“Clefaaaairy!”

“Huh?!”

A high pitched voice pulled the teenager out of her reverie. Soon, a small, pink, cuddly-looking Pokemon came bouncing into view. The Pokemon soon stopped, noticing Amara, catching a glance with its small, ovular eyes. A tuft of hair on its forehead was curled inward, resembling a cinnamon roll, and its pointed ears had dark brown tips, like chocolate. Protruding from its back were a set of small, dainty, butterfly-like wings, hidden by its large, poofy, curly tail. But the sight of its wide, nervous smile and those dainty, rose colored cheeks would make any girl melt.

Except Amara. “...What the heck is a Clefairy doing here?!” Amara yelped, backing away three steps.

The Clefairy cocked its head to one side, sizing Amara up with a confused glance. “Clefairy?”

Typically, Clefairy live in mountains and are rare Pokemon. Amara read about that in a book once. What was a Clefairy doing in a mansion in the woods all the way out here? Did it belong to someone? Amara assumed so, as Clefairy weren’t easy to find, especially in Johto.

In an instant, the answer to Amara’s questions came into view.

“Wait up, Clefairy!” The voice of a young girl echoed on the morning breeze.

Amara froze as a bespectacled girl with dark skin and black hair tied in a flouncy ponytail came bounding out of the mansion gates, her frilly, baby blue dress flying all over the place with every step she ran. Once she caught up, she stopped to catch her breath. Amara looked down, noticing her white stockings and sky blue Mary Janes. But more than anything, this girl looked...familiar.

“Clefairy! I told you not to run off like that!” The girl scolded the chubby fairy in a sharp but concerned tone.

Clefairy stiffened. “Clefairy…”

It was then that the girl finally looked right at Amara, locking her eyes onto hers. Both of them froze, rendered completely speechless. At first, the air around them was tense. Finally, the silence was broken when the girl in the blue dress flashed a huge smile, her eyes glimmering with a combination of recognition and unbridled joy.

“...Amara?! Is that you?!” The girl yelped.

“Uh…” Amara’s throat closed up. Nothing would come out. Fear overtook her. Already, she found herself back in memory lane, when she ran into Debbie and Emily. Even so, seeing a familiar face who was happy to see her was not a reaction she herself expected.

“Oh my gosh!” The girl’s hands flew to her cheeks. “It IS you, Amara!”

Finally, Amara’s throat came unstuck. “...Maria?”

Maria Caston, who moved away after the Gyarados attack on Cherrygrove City. A million questions raced through Amara’s head, all of them involving whether this was real or not. Maria was here all this time? Maria, the sweet girl who loved dressing up in pretty clothes, who loved strawberry smoothies and Johtoan bubble tea? Maria, the girl who defended Chanel when Debbie and Emily weren’t keen on befriending her? Maria, the girl who offered an ear to Amara when she was having a bad day and listened and didn’t judge her? Maria, who had big teeth, was a little overweight and awkward, and who listened to cheesy love songs all the time? She was here?

Fear gradually morphed into joy. It came so suddenly that it almost bubbled over, had Amara not kept herself rigid.

But Maria was not one to hide her happiness. “Oh my gosh! It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other!” All of a sudden, the girl threw herself onto Amara, wrapping her chubby arms around the skinnier girl, almost knocking her over.

“Whoa!” Amara managed to keep her balance, happy that she didn’t get knocked to the ground. But Maria’s arms were warm, like cookies fresh from the oven. It had been so long since she felt so good, so loved, so appreciated. For once, someone was genuinely happy to see her! How Amara had longed for someone to be happy to be in her presence.

After a short while, Maria let go. “Wow. You got a tan,” She noted aloud. “And you dyed your hair, too,” Once again, she flashed a bright, radiant smile. Completely brimming with genuine joy. “I have to admit, you’re rocking that new look.”

The floodgates opened. Amara just had to answer. “You really think so? Because in the last town over, someone told me that I looked like I had tan paint poured all over me.”

“Ouch,” Maria mused. Who in the world would say something like that?

Amara knew who would. Debbie. She had said that. But what would Maria say if she told her that?

“Whoever said that to you is stupid,” Maria finally said, without a moment’s hesitation. “Oh!” She kneeled down to Clefairy’s level and scooped the fairy into her arms. “Sorry about Clefairy. She’s kinda mischievous and likes to do stuff she shouldn’t.”

“Cleffffairy!” The Clefairy protested, flinging her arms up and down, as if she was saying, “I do not!”

Both girls broke into laughter. Happy, merry laughter. How long had it been since Amara got the chance to have a good laugh with a friend?

“It’s okay. Is she yours?”

“Yep! My mother caught her for me when she went to Kanto!” Maria explained cheerfully.

Before they could make more conversation, a harsh growling sound pulled them back into silence. Amara turned beet red. She could feel her stomach begging for food. She hoped Maria wouldn’t laugh. Good lord, this was embarrassing! Thankfully, Maria didn’t laugh.

“You’re probably hungry,” Maria said. “Come on inside! I can heat up some leftovers!”

“Huh?” Amara’s mouth fell open. “Is...is that okay? I mean--”

Maria had taken Amara’s hand before she could go on, and the girl dragged her friend right inside without hesitation. It had been so long since she had been in Maria’s presence. Amara decided not to fret getting dragged into the mansion. Besides, if she spent another minute in the forest, she was sure she’d scream so loud, anyone who was nearby could hear.

But once again, Amara found herself in awe. The inside of the mansion was just as glamorous as the exterior. Bright, snow white walls welcomed them, with the windows donning gold and crimson drapes, pulled apart so sunlight could come in. A glistening chandelier hung from the ceiling, with the glass decorations shaped like teardrops. Beige and yellow rugs covered the hardwood floors, and the house had very classy white furniture scattered all around. In the far left corner of the house was a grand piano, bigger than the two of them combined.

“Were you...always this loaded?” Amara asked, her shock still wracking her brain.

“No,” Maria scratched her hair with one hand as Clefairy hopped out of sight. “My dad got a better job, and it’s been paying really good, so you could say he went a little crazy with the decor.”

“A little?! Yeah right!” She couldn’t help but agree. But she was sure her mother would absolutely love it here. As far as she knew, Kassia could spend hours marveling at the decor and wondering how she could make their house even nicer than it was.

“Oh! Wait here! I’ll heat up some leftovers!” Maria sprinted into the kitchen, leaving Amara alone in the fancy living room.

Relief came over Amara. Finally, a place she could rest in that wasn’t outside. But more than that, she was elated. She had finally reunited with one of her old friends, and said friend was actually happy to see her. Who wouldn’t be overcome with joy upon seeing an old friend, and after so long, no less? Plus, Maria had moved away so suddenly, the two of them never even got to say goodbye, or even to exchange email addresses and phone numbers, in case Maria ever got a new number. She had to wonder...did Maria still remember Amara’s address and phone number?

Joy morphed into confusion, and even more questions sprang forth, none of them good. How come Maria never called her? Why didn’t Maria attempt to call her even once? Why did she even move in the first place? Did she want to?

That last question made Amara shake her head. No way. Maria’s not like that, she told herself. There had to be a good reason. After all, she knew Maria’s parents could be a bit suffocating at times.

“Lunch is ready!” Maria came bounding back into the living room, with two paper plates full of heated chicken, accompanied with shrimp with noodles and tiny green leaf particles entwining them.

Amara went from confused to drooling. Beautiful shrimp scampi greeted her with a warm scent relaxing her nostrils.

“Oh my lanta...you just HAD to have my favorite food of all time!” Amara took the plate and the utensils before scarfing everything down. Everything she ate was perfectly warm, and she wasted no time chewing and savoring every flavor. Maria had to hold back some giggles, watching as Amara smiled and made high pitched squeak noises whenever she stopped to savor the lovely shrimp and buttery noodles.

“I’m not a big fan, so help yourself,” Maria told her.

Help herself she did. To say she was in heaven would be exaggerating, but she certainly enjoyed this unexpected lunch, and made sure to do so using every fiber of her being. “I could live off this stuff if I had to!”

Maria mostly munched on some of the chicken. Her plate didn’t have any noodles or shrimp, which was okay with Amara. “So...can I ask what you’re doing here?” Before Amara could answer, Maria interrupted her excitedly. “Oh! Wait! I know! You finally got a Pokemon and you’re on a journey, right?”

For once, Amara fell silent. What could she tell her? If she told her the truth, she was sure Maria would either hate her forever or call the police and report her. She couldn’t risk that. Not when she had come so far. Still, this was one of her best friends. She had to tell her something. But what? It pained her to lie to sweet Maria.

With a solemn expression, Amara simply answered, “You could say that. Yeah.”

“Wow! That’s great!” Maria clasped her hands together. “What Pokemon do you have? Can I see them please?”

See them? Amara froze, her eyes widening with instant and striking alarm. Of all the things Maria had to ask her, it just had to involve her Pokemon. Crippled by fear and regret, Amara’s mind began racing. What would Maria, her dear friend, say if she found out the truth? Or maybe there was an off chance that the news about her being on the run and the crimes she committed didn’t reach her. She prayed to Arceus that the latter would be the case. But she needed an answer to Chanel’s question, and she needed to grab one NOW.

Brushing her disheveled ponytail off her shoulder, Amara sputtered, “Well...they’ve been battling a lot, so they...they need their rest!” Her speeding brain kept chanting, ‘Please buy it please buy it please buy it please buy it!!’ louder than clanging church bells.

Unfortunately, her prayer was only partially answered. “Can’t I just see one or two of them?” Maria begged, puckering her lips out, making a cutesy-looking pout.

Oh Arceus, there were those Lillipup eyes. Bright, brown eyes glistening with childlike curiosity and wonder. If there was one thing Amara knew Maria was good at, it was making people do what she wanted most of the time. Caught under her old friend’s spell, Amara groaned.

“Fine, fine. You can only see two of them! The rest of them need...well, rest,” Amara pulled two PokeBalls out. With just a flick of her hands, white lights shot out from both of the spheres.

The first to materialize was Weepinbell, who covered his eyes with both leaves as a jolt of fear ran through him. The second Pokemon materialized soon after, towering far above both Weepinbell and the two girls combined. The bright blue, bipedal crocodile met Chanel’s gleaming eyes. Not even the sight of his sharp teeth, his red fins, massive claws, or his open mouth could strike fear into the girl. Even Feraligatr couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, if he had any.

“Feraligatrrrrr?”

“Wooooow! They’re so cool!” Chanel exalted, marveling at the two Pokemon like they were famous celebrities walking down a red carpet. “You even got a Totodile just like you always wanted! You’re so lucky!”

Amara’s face turned a deep shade of red as she straightened out her messy ponytail with one hand, averting Maria’s gaze. “...Thanks?” She wasn’t sure what to make of this. Maria was never one to like scary looking Pokemon. In fact, when they were in third grade, Maria saw a trainer use a Feraligatr in a battle once, and she was so scared she ran away to the park and cried for the whole night. Now, it was like she was never scared of Feraligatr at all. Amara could only hope that neither Weepinbell nor Feraligatr had any bruises or cuts on them, and that Maria wouldn’t ask the obvious questions.

‘Wait, why am I worrying about this?!’ Amara scolded herself. Since when was she worried about her Pokemon not having any injuries? The teenager already found herself wishing she could disappear.

Thankfully, there were no marks, and if there were, Maria didn’t notice. “Your Pokemon look great, Amara!”

“Thanks,” Amara wasted no time putting them back in their PokeBalls. “We’ve been through a lot,” She mused. ‘Actually, I’m the one who put them through all this crap, and this whole mess is my fault anyway.’ Reminding herself of this cruel truth only made her heart heavy with guilt.

Not only heavy with guilt, but with pain. Pain from not having seen Maria from so long. All of a sudden, the floodgates opened. Before she could stop herself, Amara spat out, “...Why did you leave?”

A brief silence made Maria’s smile fade. “Leave?”

“You just...moved out of Cherrygrove City without a word...and never even told me, Emily, or Debbie about it…” Amara’s voice trembled. “You never even said goodbye! You didn’t call even once!”

Another silence. This time, Maria looked down at her shoes with a frown, averting her friend’s gaze. Amara immediately wished she hadn’t said all of that. Her heart grew even heavier, weighed down by guilt.

Maria spoke softly. “...It’s not like I wanted to leave,” She began, clutching one of the petticoats on her dress into her fist. “It was all Mom and Dad’s idea. After that Gyarados attack...they really freaked out. They never told me about it either. We just up and moved, and they didn’t even let me call you.”

Hearing that was like a slap in the face to Amara. Shame from having doubted her friend so much seized her. She knew Maria wasn’t that kind of person. “Believe me, I really wanted to go to Chanel’s funeral and pay my respects. But you know Mom and Dad never did like me hanging out with you guys.”

“I figured.”

Amara had seen Maria’s parents only once before. They had come to pick her up by limo in the fourth grade once, and when Maria introduced her friends to them, they were given nothing but scornful looks, like Maria had showed them a pile of Pokemon poop. On another occasion, Amara heard the two of them--Maria’s parents--talking amongst themselves. They referred to Amara, Emily, and Debbie as low class, improper, and unfit to be friends with their precious daughter. That was enough for Amara to figure out that they did not like them. At all.

Good thing Maria didn’t share the same sentiments.

“Worst of all, they took my address book from me,” Maria continued. “I wrote all your addresses and phone numbers in it. But they never let me call you or even email you,” With every word that came out of Maria’s mouth, the more Amara’s mind felt at ease. Finally, real answers. Amara could tell Maria was being truthful. Not once did Maria avert her gaze from Amara’s. Usually, when Maria wanted to lie, she never looked anyone in the eye.

Just like Julia, only Julia did it all the time, and mostly out of habit.

“I really did try to call you. But then I found out they threw it away…” Now it was Maria’s voice trembling. Voices from the past echoed in her mind, replaying the day like someone turned on a tape recorder.

“You threw out my address book?! How dare you!!”

“We’re in a new town, living our new life, so it’s time to put the past behind us.”

“They’re my friends, Dad! They’re important to me! Can’t I at least call them and give them my condolences?!”

“They’re not important. You’re never going to see them again anyway. I never did like you hanging out with those rambunctious kids.”

“Dad, they’re not what you think they are!”

“Don’t talk about them or think about them anymore. Obviously, nothing good has come out of being with them. We are on a higher level than them, and we do not associate with those of lower classes.”

“Why are you saying that?! One of my friends freaking died for Arceus’s sake! You don’t know anything, so don’t you dare talk bad about my friends!!”

Amara squeezed her eyes shut. Her parents seriously did and said all of those things? It all seemed so ridiculous. But Maria would never tell a lie unless she wanted to, and something told her that this was not something Maria would just make up.

“Yeesh...that sucks. I mean…” Amara mused, unsure of what to say. “I knew your parents didn’t like us, but...that’s going way overboard.”

Letting out a sigh, Maria slumped back on the couch. Amara quickly followed suit. “I know, right? They won’t even let me go on a Pokemon journey until I’m eighteen. Heck, they still pick my clothes out for me, even when I want to go to something fun like an arcade!”

Pick her clothes out? Amara could imagine Maria being embarrassed out of her mind, seeing fancy clothes laid out for her on her bed every single day. How old did they think she was? Three or four? Maria’s thirteen now. She can pick out her own clothes and do whatever she wants. As much as an annoyance her own parents could be sometimes, Amara had to admit, at least they knew when to back off when needed.

“They say it’s all for my own good...but that day, I realized everything they do is all for themselves.”

“Lots of people are like that,” Amara interrupted, throwing in her two cents.

For a brief moment, Maria looked away from her friend. “That’s why...it feels weird admitting this,” She scratched her hair with one hand, her cheeks turning a pale rose color. “But I kinda used to be jealous of you, Amara.”

“Jealous?” Now it was Amara’s turn to be confused. When was Maria jealous of Amara? This was a first. Amara cocked her head to one side. “About what?”

“Your parents are great,” Maria began. Amara’s jaw dropped, but her friend continued on. “They let you do what you want, they don’t treat you like you can’t do anything by yourself, they don’t freak out over everything you do, they always try to make sure you and Julia are happy...I used to wish I was your sister so Kassia and Truman could be my parents.”

Speechless, all Amara did was listen with her eyes and ears wide open. Did Maria really feel that way about her? This was all so new and unexpected, her high praise of Amara’s parents even more so. Amara couldn’t agree with Maria’s sentiments, as she thought her own parents could be just as annoying and suffocating. But she didn’t dare voice her opinions about them here.

“I...I had no idea…” She stammered. “Well, I know you like them, but Mom and Dad aren’t exactly perfect either.”

“They’re definitely not as uptight as my parents are.”

She had to admit, that was something Amara could definitely agree with her on.

“So…yeah, now you know I never wanted to leave Cherrygrove.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have doubted you, even for a second.”

“It’s okay! It’s not your fault!” Maria waved her hand back and forth. “I should have tried harder to stay in touch with you and the girls.”

Amara winced. She always knew Maria was one of the nicest of her friends, but at this point, she wanted to cry. She hated that Maria felt she had to apologize for stuff that was way beyond her control. She still thought about Amara, so that had to count for something. Had Amara not left home, Maria contacting her would have made her heart soar. It would have proved that at least someone cared, even when everyone else didn’t. On the other hand...now, in a way, she was happy Maria didn’t contact her, for obvious reasons.

“Oh!” Maria’s hand almost flew to her mouth. “Speaking of the girls, how are Debbie and Emily?”

This time, Amara hung her head down. In her heart, she knew Maria would ask about them. She just hoped she wouldn’t. Of course she’d ask about them. They were her friends, too. “They’re…” Amara began, her voice almost inaudible. “...They’re fine.”

“Really?” Hearing this was a boon to the girl, as once again, Maria’s eyes sparkled with cheery delight. “Have you seen them around lately?”

“...Yes. They’re on their Pokemon journeys, like I am,” Amara whispered.

“Wow! Awesome!” The thought of her friends fulfilling her dreams was enough to fill her heart with enthusiasm. But something was amiss. “But how come you’re not together? On your journeys, I mean. I remember us saying that if we all got our own Pokemon someday, we’d all go on adventures together. What happened?”

As happy as Amara was being with Maria right now, her curiosity was grating on her. Very hard. Amara was silent for a few moments. That was enough to make Maria’s enthusiasm die down, and her smile turn downward.

“We’re...not friends anymore…” Amara shifted from quiet to pathetic faster than Maria could blink, and that wasn’t a good sign.

Maria’s jaw dropped. Another silence fell between them until Maria broke it. “You’re...not friends anymore? What happened?”

“The last time I ran into them...we got into a huge fight...and things got way out of hand,” Amara stammered, wishing more and more that Maria stop asking and that she’d keep her mouth shut. Did Maria really need to know this? Amara didn’t see what good telling her would do. “I’m sorry. I don’t...want to talk about it...I just…” She bit her lip to keep herself from crying.

Once again, Debbie’s venomous words played through her mind. “You don’t want to heal! You just want to wallow in your self-pity and make Chanel’s death all about you!”

For once, Maria finally got the hint. Putting a warm, gentle hand on Amara’s, Maria flashed a soft smile and said, “I understand. I’m sorry for being so pushy about this. I know Debbie can pick fights sometimes, but I’ve never known you and the girls to fight.”

“Part of it was my fault,” Amara admitted. “I made things worse.”

“Well, whatever happened, I’ve still got your back. You know that.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Amara fought hard to keep tears from coming out. ‘Maria...if you found out about everything I’ve done, you’ll seriously regret ever saying that. I know you will. You’re friends with a girl who abuses Pokemon for no reason and attacked a helpless old man and a bunch of other bad stuff!’ Swirling emotions fought for dominance. Happiness from Maria still caring about her. Painful waves of guilt from having to keep so many dark secrets from her best friend, knowing what the repercussions would be if she found out.

All of a sudden, Maria’s expression went from sympathetic to enthused before Amara could blink. “Ohhh! I know something that’ll cheer you up! There’s someone I wanna show you!” Maria leaped off the couch, yanking Amara off of her section by the wrist.

“Wha--?”

“Come on!” Before Amara could protest, Maria dragged her friend through the house and out the backyard.

Since Maria was wealthy, it was no surprise that her backyard was just as fancy as her front yard. A large pool hidden away by black iron gates covered almost a whole section of it. It was covered by a large tarp to prevent any withering leaves from getting into the water. A beige gazebo-esque structure stood elegantly, looking over rows and rows of flowers resting in stone beds in a rainbow of colors. Yellow, white, pink, red, purple, blue...Amara was sure her mother would marvel at the sight.

“Jeez,” It was nigh impossible to hide her awe. “Even your backyard is amazing…”

Maria turned to face her friend, flashing a charming smile. “Eh, I’ve seen better. But that’s not what I wanna show you,” She turned around, cupping her hands on the sides of her mouth before shouting, “Hey, Oricorio! Come on out, please! Come meet my friend!”

“Ora...what?”

Oricorio? What in the world was that supposed to be? Before she could ask, a high pitched, trilling sound, like a bird’s chirp, answered back. Soon, a small purple bird came fluttering into view, resting right on Maria’s head. Amara backed away a step or two, her jaw dropping in awe. The pretty, lavender colored avian with small black eyes sized Amara up, the fan-like feathers on its head swaying back and forth. Its long wings seemed to stretch farther than its body, with the tips, double bordered with pale blue and pink feathers, broadening into fan shaped structures. Its head and tail were also tipped pale blue and pink, and it's thin, twig-like legs were pure dark pink.

“Is that...a Pokemon?” Amara stammered. It certainly wasn’t any Pokemon she had ever seen before.

“Riiiii!” The bird Pokemon trilled.

“Yep! This is Oricorio!” Maria announced, looking up at her feathered friend. “Hey, girl! This is my friend Amara! Say hi!”

Oricorio cocked her head to one side, the ornamental feathers on its head bouncing as she did so. Waving one of her fan-like feathers back and forth, she quietly greeted Amara with a silent smile. Amara returned the gesture.

“I’ve never seen one of those…”

“I don’t blame you,” Maria noted. “After all, Oricorio come from a tropical region called Alola. My uncle caught her for me when he went there on business two months ago,” She explained.

Oricorio flapped one of her wings to get some kinks out of her muscles. All the while, Amara’s blue eyes were glued to the purple bird, unable to look away. Luminous mauve feathers, elegantly poised wings, a refined air about her. Even from her perspective, Amara was entranced by Oricorio’s beauty, and was sure this rare bird and her plumage would definitely draw the eyes of others.

“She’s...really beautiful…” Amara mused.

Hearing this, Oricorio’s cheeks turned red like tomatoes, holding her fan-like hands up to cover her face. “Riiiiii!”

“She secretly likes being told that,” Maria noted. “She’s just acting embarrassed. Hey! Let’s hang out today!”

“Hang out?”

“Yeah! It’s been so long! You can even spend the night if you want!” Maria suggested.

She had to admit, Amara liked the idea of spending the night at Maria’s house. It had been a long time since she stayed in a regular house. Never did she expect to reunite with Maria again, let alone sleep in her house. But the idea still endeared her, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to stay and catch up on old times.

For the first time, she smiled. “...I’d really like that. Thanks.”

To say Maria was both enthused and grateful would be an understatement. The two girls were completely overjoyed at finally having reunited after so long. Without a doubt, they were going to make the most of their day together. Once they finished marveling at how pretty Oricorio was, Maria started their hang out day by suggested they watch a romantic comedy movie that recently came out. Amara liked the idea. Too bad the movie itself was schlocky, sappy, and overly melodramatic to the point where the girls were spending more time laughing at its stupidity and nitpicking its flaws rather than silently watching it. Oh well. Even poorly made movies could provide some good times.

After that, the girls went out into a clear part of the backyard to play a private game of badminton. They didn’t keep score. But smacking the badminton birdie around with a racket, watching it arch across the net gracefully, proved to be great fun. Once they got tired of that, they went to doing other stuff: Doing each other’s hair, playing their favorite music at a high volume, painting their nails, gushing about whatever cute boy celebrities were gracing the magazine covers at the moment. Basically, nothing but girl stuff, and that was okay with them.

“I wonder if Grayson’s next album is gonna come out soon?” Maria noted, turning the pages of a magazine she pulled out. “I don’t see any release dates listed.”

“Last I checked it might come out this Christmas,” Amara interrupted. “But I could be wrong, though.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how’s Julia doing?”

“She’s...doing great. She got to go on a journey, too.”

“Really? That’s a surprise. Isn’t she really shy? She doesn’t seem like the type who’d want to go anywhere on her own.”

“Actually, she’s come a long way. She’s gotten a lot more confident in herself. She’d probably love to see you sometime.”

Maria smiled. “If you ever see her, tell her I said hi, okay?”

“You know I will.”

The curious, enthusiastic glimmer in Maria’s eyes melted into something soft and wistful. “Amara...I’m really glad I got to see you again.”

Amara couldn’t hold back a smile. “Me too.”

“Do you have a PokeGear? I’d love to get your number!” Maria asked.

“Sorry. I don’t have one. My old phone number is still the same, though.”

Her friend wasted no time grabbing a pen and paper, writing some numbers on it, and giving it to Amara. “Here’s my house number!” Maria mashed it into Amara’s palm like she thought she’d drop it if she so much as let go of it. “Now you can call me all the time!...When my parents aren’t around, that is.”

For a moment, Amara thought about giving Maria her old house number. It was still functional, and it would give Maria some comfort, knowing that she could call her friend again, even if Maria now knew Amara was on a journey. But the more she thought about it, the more problems came up. What if Maria called, and Kassia told her what happened? Or Truman? They would definitely find out the truth, maybe even tell her to report Amara to the police. Worse yet, Maria would potentially be accused of being an accomplice, and the police might arrest her, should they come to that conclusion.

No way was she going to have sweet Maria thrown in jail.

On the other hand, Maria knows Amara is out on a journey. For all Amara knew, she might not even call the house, as Amara wouldn’t be there, and Maria certainly didn’t know when she’d be going back home, if she went back at all. Maybe…Amara’s hands moved to pick up a pen and paper. Her heart screamed for them to stop, but her body wouldn’t listen.

“Thanks! I’ll definitely hide this from Mom and Dad!” Maria wrapped her arms around her friend, intent on cherishing her warmth.

“You’re welcome,” Amara kept herself rigid, even as she hugged Maria back. Guilt prevented her from truly embracing her friend. But by Arceus, did it feel good to feel Maria’s warmth and be trapped in her embrace after so long.

“Oh! I have something that’ll be perfect for you!” With a shout, Maria let go of her friend and ran upstairs. Amara cocked her head to one side, wondering what was up. After a few short minutes, Maria ran back down the stairs, holding in her hand a dirty grey stone with a green, leaf shaped imprint. “Here! You should have this.”

“A Leaf Stone?”

“Yeah! Weepinbell can evolve into Victreebel if you use this,” Maria explained. “I don’t have any Pokemon to use it on, and I just found it in my backyard, so I think you should use it.”

Oddly enough, Amara took the Leaf Stone without hesitation. Yes, she could use this. “Thanks. You’ve done so much for me. I don’t feel like I really deserve all of this.”

“Of course you do!” There was that smile again. That sweet, charming, childlike smile, so bright and radiant like a child waking up on Christmas morning. “You’re my friend, and after we’ve been separated for so long, it’s the least I could do.”

Another silence. This time, Maria broke it, but her voice was less enthused and more wistful. “I only wish Chanel were here, too. I bet she would have loved hanging out with us right now.”

“Yeah. It’s...so not fair. She didn’t do anything wrong, but that Gyarados…” Amara’s voice trembled.

“I know. The whole thing isn’t fair. I wish I could have gone to her funeral and said my condolences to her family. But I could only post a comment on the webpage her mother set up. It’s not much, but...it’s all I could do.”

“It’s better than nothing. You actually care about her.”

“I remember this one joke she made about Slowpoke tails. God, that had me cracking up for weeks!”

“I know! And what about the time she stuck straws up her nose to cheer up Emily?”

Soon, the two girls palavered on and on about Chanel and the things she did before her unfortunate death. They were laughing and giggling like idiots, and the pain and grief seemed to slide out of them like soap on a car after being washed. They continued to talk about Chanel, even after they had dinner, took showers, and got ready for bed. The girls decided to sleep in the same bed, since it was big enough to accommodate two to three people at the most.

Soft, silky blankets perfect for autumn weather wrapped around the two girls, drowning them in their fluffy warmth. Even the pillows were fit for a queen’s head to rest on. Maria reached over to her nightstand to turn off the lamp, allowing the room to be almost consumed by total darkness. Clefairy and Oricorio slept in their own beds in other parts of the room, and they were already sleeping peacefully.

“Good night, Amara.”

“Good night, Maria.”

It didn’t take long for Maria to fall right asleep. Amara did receive the luxury of sleep, but she was already hatching an escape plan. She hoped she could wake up early enough to pull it off.

***

Thankfully, Amara’s wish was granted, as she found herself awake at 5:30 AM. Perfect. She snuck out of the bed as silent as a Rattata, hoping she wouldn’t wake Maria up. Not once did Maria stir as Amara changed her clothes and packed her backpack with stuff. She snuck down to the living room, seeing a pen and paper on the mini coffee table. She pulled something out of her bag and set it down before writing something on the paper.

“She’ll take good care of you,” Amara whispered, her voice almost inaudible. “I’m sorry for everything.”

She tip-toed her way to the front door, managing to unlock it before sneaking right out. It was still dark outside, and the street lights still lit the way for any cars that passed through. They provided enough light for Amara to go forward. However, before she left, she stole a final glance at the mansion, staring at it with a sad look on her face.

“Goodbye, Maria. I’m sorry for leaving like this…” Amara whispered to herself. “But I’m not going to drag you down with me.”

With that, Amara made a beeline for the road. Not once did she look back at the mansion. Parting with Maria was hard enough. Looking back just made her heart ache with yearning.

Amara didn’t need to worry about Maria noticing if she left. The sun was already over the horizon when Maria finally woke up. “Morning, Amara…” Wearily, she rubbed her tired, sleepy eyes with two hands, before turning to the side.

Only the other side of the bed was empty. The covers and blankets had been pulled back. No sign of Amara anywhere.

At first, Maria thought she was seeing things. Rubbing her eyes once again, she blinked. Again, no Amara.

“Amara?” She asked aloud. No answer. Maybe she woke up early and went downstairs to get something to eat. Maria assumed that was the case. She was in no mood to get dressed right at the moment, and she was sure Amara wouldn’t mind seeing her in her pajamas.

With a great yawn, Maria traversed down the stairs, down into the living room. The morning light reflected off of a red and white sphere, catching Maria’s eye. “Hm? What’s that?” Maria ambled over to the coffee table. A single PokeBall rested on the table, with a note tucked underneath it. Maria pulled the note out from underneath the PokeBall, making it roll just a little bit. Not enough to fall off the table.

The note made Maria awake and alert.

Maria,

Thank you so much for everything. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your kindness. But I’m afraid I can’t stay here with you any longer. There’s something I really need to do, and I can’t drag you down with me. You’ll only get in trouble, and you deserve better than to be in my situation. I can’t tell you the truth. It’s too painful, so I have to say goodbye for now. But I want you to know how important you are to me. Do what you feel is right and always try to fight to make your dreams come true. You’ll be a great Pokemon trainer someday.

I’m giving you my Granbull as a gift. She and I don’t get along, that’s my fault, and I think you can take care of her better than I can. She deserves a good trainer. Take good care of her for me. Thanks. Bye.

Sincerely, with all my love,

Amara Parisa

Tear droplets melted onto the paper. This was all so confusing. What did Amara mean by all this? Dragging her down? Her situation? Get in trouble? What truth did Amara feel was too painful to tell? There were just too many questions. None of this made any sense to Maria. With silent sobs, Maria held the letter close to her heart, almost squishing it.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Maria whimpered. “You can count on it.”

***

Morning had arrived, illuminating everything down below, even the clearing where Amara was. She sat on a large stump, staring at both a PokeBall in one hand and a Leaf Stone in the other. She had already eaten another burrito for breakfast along with some water, and had already walked a long way, so needing rest was inevitable. Still, she kept her eyes on the PokeBall and the Leaf Stone in her hands, staring at them for what seemed to be forever.

All she could think was...was this journey really worth it? Becoming the champion wouldn’t bring Chanel back, nor would it erase her crimes and the things she did to her Pokemon, the very Pokemon she used to get this far. Granbull would have a happy life with Maria. For once, Amara smiled, hoping Granbull and Maria would be great friends. Granbull deserved that much, and she wasn’t one to battle all that much anyway, no matter how much Amara beat and berated her for doing so.

The Leaf Stone in her hand made her think of Weepinbell. The flycatcher Pokemon never liked battling or being anywhere near Amara, and for good reason. All Amara did for it was beat it, call it names, and basically use him as a punching bag for her own feelings. His very existence grated on her nerves all the time. But what did it do to deserve any of it? What did any of her Pokemon do to deserve that kind of treatment? Nothing. Amara knew this. But she had come this far. Giving up was not an option.

Still...she did feel Weepinbell deserved better. She stood up and opened the PokeBall. Instead of a white light, a blue light came forth, materializing into Weepinbell. At first, the flycatcher Pokemon blinked, wondering where it was. Then it saw Amara, squeaked, and hid his face behind his leafy arms.

“I’m not gonna hurt you this time, I promise,” For the very first time, Amara spoke to it in a calm, gentle, and civil voice. All she did was place the Leaf Stone in front of it.

Weepinbell expected to be slapped, kicked, or punched. Strangely enough, nothing came. Taking the leaves from his face, it noticed the Leaf Stone in front of it.

“It’s okay. You can evolve if you want,” Amara told it. “Plus, I just released you, so you’re not my Pokemon anymore. You’re free now.”

Free? Evolve? Weepinbell thought it was hearing things, and it didn’t have visible ears. Weepinbell was free? And actually being given the choice to do what it wanted? The flycatcher Pokemon wanted to burst into song. No more beatings! No more being yelled at or degraded over nothing! The future finally looked bright for once. Without hesitation, Weepinbell leaped onto the Leaf Stone, smiling its body glowed in a white light.

Weepinbell’s body and leaves grew twice their size, with an extra appendage growing from its mouth. After a short while, the light dissipated, and out came a much larger version of the Pokemon. It reached to Amara’s shoulders, and a three-tipped leaf half-covered its now large mouth, with its eyes right underneath said pink mouth. Some dark green spots dotted its body, and protruding from the mouth-leaf was a brown vine with a yellow tip.

“Gyaaaaaaa!” Amara covered her ears. Victreebel’s cry sounded like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs at the highest volume possible. But Victreebel didn’t run away. All it did was steal a glance at Amara, its small eyes still trembling.

“It’s okay, Victreebel,” Amara repeated, her voice adopting a remorseful tone. “You can go. Please, just go. You’re free now. I’m sorry for everything!”

Silence fell between the two. Neither moved even an inch. Soon, the reality set in for Victreebel. It hopped one hop. Two hops. Then three, five, eight, before disappearing into the bushes. Amara could hear the thickets and glades rustling haphazardly. Victreebel was probably hopping as fast as it could, happy to get the heck away from her. To be honest, Amara couldn’t be happier for Victreebel. Now it no longer had to suffer at her hands. It deserved this much.

But that didn’t mean her hatred for Pokemon went away. It was still there, and her determination to fulfill her dream still remained.

With that, she went back on the road. She figured she could catch stronger Pokemon for the League. As guilt-ridden as she was, she was going to fulfill her dream no matter what it took, like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

Whether it would be worth it was another matter entirely.

***

Just so you know, Maria genuinely doesn’t know that Amara is a wanted fugitive, as the news about her crimes hasn’t reached her or her area. Same with Debbie and Emily, which is why they didn’t report her the first time.

***

Random Fact: Maria having a Sensu style Oricorio was actually a last minute addition. Yay for shameless Pokemon Sun and Moon promotion!

***

Spoiler: Pokemon Parties

Amara’s Party:

Feraligatr (Male, Lonely Nature)

Ability: Torrent

Attacks: Hydro Pump, Crunch, Ice Fang, and Superpower


Beedrill (Male, Hasty Nature)

Ability: Poison Point

Attacks: Rage, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, and Double Team


Fearow (Male, Timid Nature)

Ability: Sniper

Attacks: Roost, Pursuit, Aerial Ace, and Drill Run


Gengar (Male, Impish Nature)

Ability: Levitate

Attacks: Thunder Punch, Hypnosis, Shadow Claw, and Dark Pulse

 

[Juliko]

Phew! Sorry this took so long! Here's chapter 40, finally!

***

Chapter 40: So Many Sick Days

(dream)

He didn’t know what was happening. Everything that unfolded in front of nine-year-old Caiseal was so alien to him. His hazel eyes, huge with abject horror, saw nothing but two adult-sized silhouettes arguing in front of him. Sometimes, they leaned back and forth. Other times, one of them flailed her limbs at the other, with the latter holding her own up to defend herself.

Not even the frigid snow beneath his knees, tattered pants riddled with holes allowing the cold to bite his skin, was enough to pull his gaze away.

All he knew was that everything he once knew and held dear was gone. Completely gone. Ripped right out from underneath him, like someone pulled the carpet out from underneath his feet, laughing as he helplessly fell on his rear. Caiseal could do nothing but sit in the snow and watch the silhouettes argue, his body completely frozen in place. Not from cold, but from abject misery.

Sirens wailed in the distance. Ghostly red and blue lights flickered in the greying horizon down the street, coming closer and closer. But Caiseal’s ears heard nothing except the violent pounding of his heart and angry and hysterical yelling.

“I hate you!! Get that murderer away from me!! Get him out of my sight!! He’ll hurt my darling Violet!!”

Murderer. Whoever said that words could never hurt people was a big fat liar in Caiseal’s eyes. To a nine-year-old boy, just hearing that made everything go black. Not even a large hand stroking his shoulder could pull him out of the darkness.

“Hey, kid? Hello? Are you alright?” A man’s kindly voice was naught but white noise to the child.

Tears burned the rosy flesh on Caiseal’s cheeks. Wretched sobs escaped him, and he found himself shuddering. With each desperate breath he took, frigid air made his already dry throat ache. He tried everything. Everything he tried failed. Nothing worked for him. Now, all he had was the cruel realization laid out before him, and there was no escaping it.

Snowflakes gently drifted downward as little Caiseal screamed. He screamed until his throat gave out, but he tried to scream again anyway. Maybe, the agony would leave him. It didn’t. He beat his fists onto the ground. BAM! BAM! BAM! He beat them down and down until they were hands were freezing, red stubs of raw meat, but the agony couldn’t compare to the torture inflicted on his heart. The sorrow gripped him like a Pinsir’s Guillotine attack, and he wanted it to squeeze the life out of him.

The hopes, dreams, and love he had were gone. There was nothing left. Everything went black, but his bellowing, primal screams still lingered.

(end dream)

Eyes slamming open, Caiseal awoke with a start and a great gasp. Sitting up like a bolt of lightning, he kicked the sleeping bag he cocooned himself in. Only after several frantic seconds did he realize where he was. He was safe in the dark blue tent he set up the day after he and the girls left Mahogany Town.

Still gasping for breath, he put a hand on his chest in an attempt to slow his beating heart. It didn’t slow down. It was beating at what felt like a million beats per second, and each time it pounded, it felt like it might pop right out of his chest.

“Again…?” Caiseal whispered. “Seriously, Nollaig. Stop making me lose sleep...” He hissed the name, Nollaig, like it was poison. Terrible, seeping poison that he wished would just get out of his body.

Nollaig...

He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths to further calm his heart. Gradually, the beating slowed. Not much, but it was getting there.

‘There’s no point in dwelling on that,’ Caiseal told himself. ‘But...it keeps playing in my head over and over and it won’t stop!’

This wasn’t the first time he had that particular nightmare. Or nightmares at all, for that matter. They had plagued him since that awful day. For the most part, their frequency had ceased. Recently, however, they came back, rearing their ugly heads. Every nightmare, every replay of those awful memories, always managed to bring back that fear and horror, no matter how many times he tried to push them back.

Something wet tinged his cheeks. Blinking and lifting a hand, he wiped the liquid substance away. Tears. He blushed. “Tch. This stinks.”

“Marowak?” Blessedly, a familiar, skull-covered face welcomed him. Caiseal’s mouth turned upward as Mallow crawled over to his side. “Marowak?”

Caiseal extended an arm out, wrapping it around his dear friend and pulling him close. Their bodies made contact, and Mallow closed his eyes, reveling in Caiseal’s warmth, hoping it’d console him some.

“Did I wake you up, Mallow?” Caiseal asked. “Sorry, buddy.”

The bone keeper Pokemon shook his head left and right, indicating no. “Marowak.”

“We’re lucky Route 44 is so long. Honestly…” Caiseal frowned again. “I don’t want to go back there. I know my adoptive parents would love to see me, and it is my home, but…” He let that sentence drift away.

“Marowak…”

It’s natural for every child to feel homesick when they’re away for a long time. Even Caiseal yearned for his home. There was no denying that. However, even his hometown had demons he really didn’t want to face. She was there. He knew Blackthorn City was a pretty big town. Not like Goldenrod City, but close enough. A lot of people lived there, and his new house was far away from his old one, where she lived, so for all he knew, he would never run into her. But what if he did? What were the odds of that? Caiseal shivered. He really didn’t want to think about running into her.

A tender, brown hand caressed Caiseal’s fingers. Rough, like the earthen ground, his element, but warm and kind, just the way Caiseal liked it. The blonde boy met his trusted friend’s eyes with his own. This bone keeper Pokemon was his family. He didn’t care if he didn’t have anyone else in the whole wide world. As long as Mallow was with him, he could go on.

“I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Neither Pokemon nor human exchanged words. All they did was stare into each other’s eyes, a wordless trust and communication they had perfected for three years now. Feeling his muscles to be stiff, Caiseal broke away from his friend’s gaze, stretching his arms up in the air and his legs outward.

“I guess we better get up,” Caiseal noted. “We have a long trek ahead of us.”

“Marowak.”

Caiseal threw off his pajamas and put on some fresh new clothes, namely a dark green sweater, a black vest, beige khaki pants, and his grey boots. He rummaged through his bag, pulling out some packaged food items, and other things, before crawling out of the tent. The sky was still a deep shade of blue, with vivid streaks of vermilion red and rose pink painted across the vast canvas. A very small ocean of orange came creeping out from the tips of the trees surrounding him and his friends.

Mallow threw a small pile of wood onto the grass, and Caiseal rubbed two twigs together to make a flame appear. Once the flame blazed enough, Caiseal pulled out a small frying pan and some eggs. Tapping them on the frying pan, Caiseal watched as the yolk spilled onto the pan, exposed to the elements. Then he pulled out a small whisk and batted the eggs over the flame until they turned yellow. After that, he set up a small stand so the frying pan could sit on the flame for a couple minutes.

The dawn’s early light was normally a quiet, solemn time, and it was beautiful. But the sound of harsh coughing put a damper on the sky’s incomparable beauty. Caiseal looked around, confused. Who was coughing, and where was it coming from? Standing up, his eyes fixated on the purple tent he had set up for Julia the night before. Walking closer, the coughing grew harsher and louder. Yes, the coughing came from Julia’s tent.

“Marowak?” The bone keeper Pokemon cocked his head to one side.

“Watch the food, Mallow. I’ll be back in a bit,” Caiseal told him, keeping his eyes on the tent. Being the faithful Pokemon he was, Mallow stayed with the frying pan and the fire.

“Marowak!” The bone keeper gave a faux military salute.

“Julia?” Caiseal called out. “Jule? You okay in there?”

All he got in response was yet another bout of coughing, louder than the last. The seeds of worry began to bloom. Was she okay?

“Caiseal...I...I…” A weak, shuddering voice barely made it through the thin tent’s fabric. In fact, any time she tried to breathe, she’d expel at least five or six coughs.

Unable to wait for her to come out, Caiseal found himself crawling inside the tent. As much as he wanted to respect her privacy, since she was...well, a girl, and he himself a boy, she sounded sick. Very sick. His worries were confirmed the moment he went inside. Julia was sitting upright, with a hand covering her mouth, her face flushed and totally red, like a Cyndaquil’s flames. Her green eyes, which normally sparkled with delight, were now red and puffy. Strands of her disheveled hair, bangs included, faced the sky, defying gravity. She still stayed in her sleeping bag, and Hikaru, Tokiko, and Saoirse all gathered around her with worried looks on their small faces.

“Jeez. You sound terrible,” Caiseal crawled closer, bending to her level.

Julia looked up, taking notice of his presence. Before she could even get one word out, another coughing fit silenced her for a moment. “Ugh! Sorry...I...my throat’s...been dry...drinking water...didn’t work...my head hurts...really bad…” Shivers completely wracked her body, her incessant coughing only making them worse. Not only that, her voice was nearly gone. Raspy and hoarse, like a severely dehydrated Miltank trapped in a desert, further stripping away any coherent attempt at communication.

Good thing Caiseal didn’t need words to figure this out. He gently placed a hand on her forehead, making contact, and started back the minute he noticed how hot it was.

“Arceus, you’re burning up,” It was redundant for him to say it, but being lost in his surprise made him spit it out anyway.

“Pikapi,” Hikaru echoed Caiseal’s statement. Even he could see the worry on the orange mouse’s face. “Pika pika pikachu!” The mouse kept gesturing toward Julia’s sleeping bag.

“Hikaru’s right. You’d better rest,” Caiseal pulled himself away, giving Julia some space to tuck herself back in. But another look at her told him she didn’t seem too keen on the idea. She stuck her swollen red lips out into a pout, and she remained upright. Saoirse grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her.

“But...I don’t wanna...be stuck in here all day!” Julia cried, her voice unable to disguise the whine it took on. Yet another series of coughs overcame her right after she finished that sentence. “It’s boring!” Already, her voice was on the verge of disappearing, becoming little more than a Froakie-like rasp.

Caiseal could understand her concerns. Being sick wasn’t fun. Being stuck in one place all day was just as bad. With Julia being autistic, he wasn’t sure how much worse it could be for her. He could only imagine that she wouldn’t like being stuck in one place one bit. Then again, she did have to stay in the hospital for a little over a week. At least hospitals had showers, bathrooms, medicines, and changing rooms. Here, they were in a tiny tent far in the wilderness, with no access to such luxuries. Mahogany Town was pretty far away on foot, now that the kids had left some time before. Last time he checked, they didn’t have regular cold medicine, either.

Boy, were they going to be in a pickle.

“I can imagine,” He was not looking forward to the days ahead. “I’m sorry there isn’t much I can do to help somehow. We’re already so far away from Mahogany Town. I am making breakfast right now, so do you think you can eat something?”

She had no energy to talk, so she answered with a nod. Her voice was giving out, and she didn’t feel like using it. Even talking was becoming extremely exhausting. Like it wasn’t before.

“I’ll be right outside. Give me a shout or send one of the Pokemon out to get me if you need anything,” He told her right before leaving the tent. The morning sun had already risen, and the strip of light from Caiseal pushing the entrance up was enough to completely blind the girl. Naturally, she squeezed her eyes shut and held her arms up like a barrier.

For a newly awakening person, sudden light would already seem harsh and unwelcome, if one didn’t adjust quickly. Since Julia was autistic, with her senses being heightened far more than usual, even that strip of light was like staring right at the sun, burning her eyes to the point of making them water. Being sick only exacerbated her already weary, sensitive eyes. With an angry groan, Julia flopped back into her sleeping bag, squeezing her eyes shut. Of course, all she saw were green spots dancing around in the darkness, and the excessive light was still breaking through the tent. Excessive to her.

She had been awake for several, agonizing hours, and already she was exhausted.

“Uuuuuuugh…”

By the time breakfast was finished, Julia was caught up in yet another fit. She was able to swallow her food, but if she opened her mouth even a little, she’d hack and gasp, like she was dying. At one point, she tried staying silent and keeping her mouth closed for a long period of time in the hopes that the cough would just fade. Of course, that persistent cough broke right through, like a battering ram.

“Jule?” This time, Perrine crawled into Julia’s tent. “Gosh, you’re really sick,” She sat down next to her ailing friend, her blue eyes soft with concern. Behind her, Baloo and Fuwari toddled inside, their stubby legs carrying them.

“Puuuuff?”

“Pupupuuuu?”

Once again, Julia made no attempt to speak. Her voice was still raspy and hoarse.

“It’s okay,” Perrine put a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You’ll get better soon. We’ll make sure of it.”

Julia nodded, grateful to her friend for being there. Perrine smiled back, seeing all too clear the gratitude on her friend’s face. Who said people needed to say thanks aloud? Julia was always appreciative of everything Perrine and Caiseal did, so just seeing her smile was good enough, even if said smile was forced. Perrine could tell her friend was trying to smile through the pain her sickness was causing her.

With that, Perrine left the tent, ambling toward Caiseal. He could still see that she looked quite concerned, and rightfully so. “What are we gonna do about medicine?” Perrine asked. “We’re too far from Mahogany Town.”

“I know,” Caiseal folded his arms. “I’d ask Ravenclaw to try and fly back there, but I highly doubt any pharmacist there would just give cold medicine to a random Murkrow that came out of nowhere.”

“True, and we shouldn’t try to make Julia walk the whole way back, either,” She suggested. “She’s in no condition to put herself through that kind of strain.”

The kids stood there, ruminating to themselves. Unfortunately, no solution popped into mind, and too much thinking was making their brains hurt. Caiseal buried his hands into his arms. “I knew we should have stayed in Mahogany…” His complaints were muffled by his calloused hands.

“I should have bought medicine just in case something like this happened,” Perrine lamented aloud. The only medicine they had on them were for Pokemon only, and neither child wanted to see if it’d work on humans, either. The risks were just too perilous, and no way were they going to put their already sick friend in danger. If only there was some way to get back to Mahogany faster…

Suddenly, the gears were turning in Perrine’s mind. A way to get back to Mahogany Town faster…What if they didn’t have to walk? They could use one of their Pokemon. But which one? None of them were big enough to carry a kid all the way back to a town. Except...

“Oh snap!” Perrine exclaimed, snapping her fingers. The yelp and gesture were so sudden that Caiseal found himself taken aback. “Why didn’t I think of this before?!”

“What?”

Perrine yanked out a PokeBall, releasing Florian from his confinement. The flower Pokemon was too happy to nuzzle his face against his trainer. “Manyuuuu!” Florian cooed. Perrine’s nostrils took in the faint, pleasant scent of fresh roses that came out from the flower around his neck.

It didn’t take long for Caiseal to put the pieces together. “Ohhhh! I get it! You’re gonna try and ride Florian back to Mahogany?”

“Yeah!” Perrine affirmed. “I can take Florian with me to get some medicine. It’d be way too risky for the both of us to go and leave Julia here all by herself,” She explained.

Good points.

“Plus, Florian can only handle having one person riding on his back,” She continued. “And he can cover twice the distance in half the time, since Pokemon like him can run much faster than us humans when they want to. This way, we can go and get some medicine, and you can stay here and make sure Julia’s safe.”

“Good idea,” Caiseal agreed. “This should work. Alright, you get the medicine and I’ll keep an eye on things here. My PokeGear will be on.”

“Okay! Oh! That reminds me!” Perrine found Baloo and Fuwari sitting in front of Julia’s tent. She kneeled down to their level and said, “Hey, girls. Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye on things? Florian and I are gonna go back to Mahogany Town and get some medicine. Is that okay?”

Both Baloo and Fuwari jumped up once and squeaked in elation, happy to oblige.

“Jiggly!” Baloo raised one hand up, attempting and failing at a mock salute.

“Pupupu!” Fuwari simply chirruped, spinning the flower on her head.

She then turned to her green friend. “I hate to ask you this, Florian, but do you mind if I ride on your back? We need to get back to Mahogany Town real quick.”

She didn’t need to worry about him minding the journey at all. He simply smiled and nodded without hesitation, letting out a coo as Perrine climbed on his back. He had attempted to run around with two of the kids on his back once before. It didn’t exactly go well. But if it was just one person, and Perrine at that, that was perfectly okay with him.

“Okay! We’ll be back soon, and I’ll let you know if I get delayed!” With that, Florian ran down the dirt road in the opposite direction, with Perrine saddled on his back. It didn’t take long for them to disappear into the horizon.

Which only reinforced the fact that he was all alone with Julia. A very sick, grumpy, vulnerable Julia. True, their Pokemon were with them, and that alleviated some of his worries. But new ones immediately sprung up. What if Julia’s condition got worse while Perrine was away? He knew that a cold could easily grow into something worse if left untreated or if Julia was exposed to certain things. Caiseal shook his head back and forth. No. He couldn’t think like that. His Pokemon were here, and he needed to be there for Julia.

He crawled back into her tent. Like before, Julia was still in her sleeping bag. This time, she was hugging Saoirse, holding her quite close, like she was a stuffed animal she didn’t want to let go no matter what. The fairy Pokemon didn’t show any signs of discomfort, nor was she squirming to get out of Julia’s grip, so it was safe to say that she didn’t mind. But Julia’s face was still flushed, red as a Tamato berry, and Caiseal could see snot trickling out of her nose, drying just above her upper lip.

“Uuuuugh…” Julia let out a hoarse groan. The red orb on Lucretia’s head glowed, and she telekinetically hovered a piece of tissue paper across Julia’s nose, wiping off the still drying snot.

“Espeon…”

“Thanks, girl. Sorry you have to do all this for me…” A pang of guilt and shame shot through her. In her mind, Julia’s Pokemon deserved better than to act as her maids and servants, waiting on her hand and foot. She certainly didn’t ask them to take care of her. But she could tell by the way they kept on taking care of her all this time and the fact that they never complained about it that they didn’t mind. They volunteered to do this of their own volition. That spoke volumes about how much her Pokemon thought of her.

“Espeon espe!” (“Don’t worry about it!”) Lucretia put a reassuring paw on her trainer’s hand. “Espeon peon peon!” (“We want to help you get better, so we don’t mind!”)

A warm smile spread across Caiseal’s lips. “They really love you, you know?” He said aloud, kneeling down to her level. “I highly doubt they’d willingly do all this for you if they didn’t.”

It was Julia’s turn to smile this time. “Yeah. I love all my Pokemon. All of them,” She kept her voice low, as raising it was becoming far too exhausting, what with her voice almost disappearing. “I just hate that I feel so lousy and have to sit here all day.”

“Yeah. Being sick sucks. I can relate.”

“Where’s Perrine?”

“She went back to Mahogany to get some medicine,” Caiseal explained, noting that Perrine was riding on Florian’s back to try and get there faster. He did feel she had a right to know, since she was the center of all this. Why leave her in the dark? Doing so wouldn’t do her any good, and it certainly wouldn’t make her feel better.

“Is she gonna be okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” Caiseal told her reassuringly. “She’s a tough girl. She didn’t win seven badges for nothing, y’know.”

Although the seeds of worry and doubt still sprouted in her heart, they didn’t grow so much that they consumed her entirely. Caiseal was right. Perrine was a good trainer, and a strong one. She could handle this. She had seen her in action, so Julia found herself satisfied with Caiseal’s answer. But even she knew that Perrine could only do and handle so much. She hoped with all her heart that nothing bad would happen to her. She could never forgive herself if Perrine got hurt or killed on her trip.

For now, all she and Caiseal could do was wait. Too bad waiting was proving to be a challenge in and of itself, with Julia in her current condition.

***

Bubbles materialized all around Suicune as he dove into the ocean, his body becoming one with the huge body of water that consumed him. Using his front legs, he swam further down, descending toward the ground, among a whole garden of seaweed. As much as he liked the quiet solitude of the deeper parts of this underwater world, this was not the time to appreciate its beauty.

He had one mission only, and he had to get it done, lest it be too late.

The depths of the ocean were dark. Far too dark for any typical water Pokemon to traverse. No light could ever come down this deep. Good thing Suicune had the power to make his body glow in a magnificent light, illuminating any darkness that stood in his way. After all, he was going to need some light if he was going to find what, or who, he was looking for.

Thankfully, his target wasn’t hard to find at all. Lying down in a bed of seaweed was a large, white, bird-like creature with shimmering fur. Deep blue, fin-like plates laid flat on the bird’s back, and it's closed eyes also donned similarly colored spikes. Its long tail curled into a C shape, the tips having two spikes protruding out from the end on both sides. The creature’s body was rising and falling with every silent breath it took.

Suicune flashed a smile as he swam over to the large creature. It’s neck was long, enough for a small human to climb on top of it.

“Lugia?” Suicune called, raising his voice not too high, but high enough for the diving Pokemon to hear.

No answer.

“Lugia!” Suicune exclaimed once more.

Again, no answer.

“Hmmm...this is going to be tough,” Suicune muttered to himself. But an idea hatched into his head just as quickly. His body was glowing. Perhaps using Safeguard would make it glow even brighter. It could produce just as powerful a flash as the actual Flash attack.

With that in mind, Suicune curled into a ball, allowing his body to gleam in a stunning light. He was already bright enough to produce light, but Safeguard amplified the glow his body radiated, illuminating almost the entire area. In that moment, Lugia stirred. Raising one of its wings to cover its eyes, Lugia let out a low groan as its eyes were forced open.

“Goodness…” Weary from sleep, the diving Pokemon didn’t miss a chance to protest. “Whoever you are, please, turn that light down!” It commanded in a strong, authoritative male voice. A light tenor.

Obeying Lugia’s wishes, Suicune allowed his Safeguard to dissipate, but still kept his body glowing so Lugia could see him better. The diving Pokemon raised his neck up to get a better look. Floating before him was Suicune, his aurora-like mane flowing in time with the waves on the surface. The more he stared, the more awake and alert Lugia became.

“Suicune? Is that you?” He asked.

Suicune gave a slow, solemn nod. “It is, Lugia. I do apologize for rousing you from your slumber in such an improper manner,” He bowed before him with utmost respect.

Oddly enough, Lugia no longer looked or sounded offended. He simply flashed a smile with her large beak, unknowingly showing one of her teeth in the process. “Now now! You needn’t worry about that. You’re one of my dearest friends, and I’m always happy to see you,” One look at Suicune’s face told the diving Pokemon that he was in no mood for small talk. “...But it is unlike you to come down to my domain. Dare I ask why?”

The north wind Pokemon raised his head to face Lugia, his eyes solemn and determined. “I’m afraid there is trouble afoot, and you and Ho-Oh are in great danger.”

He wasted no time telling Lugia about Pokemon Hunter J, her plans, their previous encounters with her, Entei’s fate, and what her current mission was. The more Lugia listened, the more his irises shrunk. At first, he was quite dumbstruck. How could something like that possibly happen? But he knew all too well that Suicune would never tell a lie. He kept herself calm, knowing that if he even so much as growled, storms and tsunamis would come forth.

“...What about Ho-Oh?” Lugia asked. “Does she know?”

“I’m not sure,” Suicune answered ruefully, wishing he could provide his friend a real answer. “Raikou is on his way to meet her right now. I can only hope he is successful in doing so.”

But something was odd. When Suicune met Lugia’s eyes, he could see doubt in them. Doubt that he really didn’t want to see.

“Even if he does manage to tell her,” Lugia began. “I know that Ho-Oh will go to Tin Tower no matter what.”

“What makes you say that?” Suicune was taken aback.

Lugia averted his gaze, fixating it on a garden of seaweed that he rested on. “Unlike Ho-Oh, I have no interest in humans. Not after the way they cast you, Raikou, and Entei away after she gave you life…” He had seen too much of what humans had done. Catching Pokemon from the oceans, taking them away from their homes, all for their own ends. Putting trash in her beloved home, items that could easily hurt or kill small Pokemon. Harpooning others with no regard for their safety. Dumping corpses and letting them rot.

Suicune didn’t say a word. He simply let the diving Pokemon speak. There was truth to his words.

“But Ho-Oh loves and cares for the girls who dance to offer their thanks to us every year,” Lugia continued. “She is steadfast in her belief that humans and Pokemon should coexist and understand each other, even if our relations aren’t ideal. She will never abandon her duty, even if danger is present.”

“That’s true. She has always been a kind, punctual soul…”

The memory of being revived was strong in Suicune’s mind. He could see it replaying before him. Being consumed by flames from which he could not escape. Smoke filling his lungs and airway, burning him from the inside. Trapped and crushed underneath piles of fallen planks and debris, taking their lives. Rainbow hued light shining before his eyes. Himself, Raikou, and Entei standing before the burnt remains of Brass Tower, revealing themselves to the humans. Rocks being thrown at him. The trio of dogs scurrying away, pitying the humans who feared what they could not comprehend.

Fluttering wings pulled Suicune out of his reverie. Lugia stood on his long feet, extending his long, arm-like wings outward, stretching them to get the kinks out. He took care not to flap them too hard, lest she conjure up a tsunami or a storm.

“That is exactly why I worry about her,” Lugia mused before looking down at his four legged friend. “Thank you for warning me about this. I’ll see if I can help Ho-Oh in some way.”

“Please be careful,” Suicune warned. He didn’t know what he’d do if both Ho-Oh and Lugia were caught in J’s grasp. Guilt of epic proportions would weigh down on his soul if that were to happen, and he would never be able to forgive himself if they got hurt or killed.

Lugia flashed a reassuring smile in his friend’s direction. “I will. I’m stronger than I look. You are a good friend, Suicune. We will save Entei and our Pokemon friends."

“That we will."

With that, Suicune ascended back to the ocean’s surface. As did Lugia, who made a more...grandiose entrance by swirling around in a whirlpool, using it to propel himself out from the ocean. The only audience he had was four uninhabited islands that took up most of Route 41. That was fine with him, as he wasn’t too fond of having humans stare at her anyway. That was one of the many perks of living deep underwater: no human eyes to gaze upon him, and no annoyances to deal with.

Even so, he was going to help his friends. Underwater slumbers could wait.

***

It’s normal for common colds to persist for a few days at most for some people. Others could get over them within a day or two. Not the case for Julia. Perrine and Florian brought back medicine from Mahogany Town with ease, and Julia took it once every four hours, as instructed. However, it wasn’t enough to make her cold go away. All it really did was suppress her coughs, which in itself was great relief for Julia, since she could finally talk without sounding like she was losing her voice.

But on her second day of being sick, her nose was both stuffy and runny at the same time. Sniffing so much left her with pounding headaches, strong enough to render her unable to do much of anything. Being stuck in the tent all day didn’t exactly help matters, either. Even so, Caiseal and Perrine didn’t leave her side, and if they had to, they usually let the Pokemon stay with her, especially for stuff Julia needed to do privately, like go to the bathroom outside.

On the third day, her eyes were puffy, itchy, and kept on watering, even at the slightest amount of light or stimuli. This one continued for a whole two days, and with her nose getting terribly itchy and stuffed up the minute she tried to sleep for any amount of time, sleep didn’t come as easily to her as it used to. To say it was getting to be a bit too much would be an understatement.

“Uuuuugh! I hate being sick!!” Julia roared once she sipped another dose of the medicine Perrine got her.

“We know the feeling,” Perrine mused.

“Man, this cold doesn’t seem to wanna leave anytime soon, now does it?” Caiseal noted. Five whole days of being nothing but sick as a Growlithe. That just wasn’t right, and there was no denying it, Julia still looked, felt, and sounded utterly awful and lousy. But what else could they do? They were just a bunch of little kids living out in the wilderness with their Pokemon.

The minute Julia laid eyes on her two friends, guilt weighed down on her heart, making it sag like a plastic bag trying to hold too much inside. Perrine and Caiseal...they did nothing but stay with her, take care of her, and do whatever they could for her for five days straight. None of them even complained about it. Not once did they ever protest caring for her, and Julia never even asked them to. They did it of their own volition. They didn’t owe her anything, but they still put their own journeys on hold...and all for her.

But they had their own lives, too. Julia knew in her heart that Caiseal and Perrine were their own people, with their own hopes and dreams. As far as she knew, her being sick was putting a damper on them being able to fulfill those hopes and dreams. Dark thoughts began to swim in her brain. Was she...holding them back? Being nothing but a burden on them? Arceus, she already felt bad about being sick in the first place, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. People get sick all the time, and it's not like she wanted to feel so lousy. But her friends deserved better than this. They deserved to go out on their adventures and do what they wanted, not be stuck caring for a sick friend who was already weak all on her own.

Julia’s hand clutched a piece of her sleeping bag.

“Snubbull?” Saoirse cocked her head to one side, growing concerned as she saw a frown on her trainer’s face.

“Do you need anything?” Perrine asked.

“Whatever it is, just say the word,” Caiseal reassured. “We’ll be on it in no time.”

Her teeth clenched. Just say it, Julia. She kept telling herself that this would be for the best. She couldn’t drag them down with her. They deserved better, she told herself. They didn’t need this. She needed to grow up, get stronger, and learn to do things on her own sometime.

“I’m fine,” She told them in a low, soft whisper. It was still audible enough for everyone to hear it. “Actually, there is one thing. I think...you guys…” With that, the floodgates opened. “You guys should go to Blackthorn City without me.”

Both Perrine and Caiseal exchanged surprised glances, their irises wide. It was as though they had been punched in the stomach. Julia was telling them to leave? Were their ears playing tricks on them? No, they heard their friend loud and clear.

“Pika?!” Even Hikaru’s ears shot up in alarm.

“Chokki?”

“Snubbull?”

“Jule…” Perrine’s voice was completely overcome with shock. “You want us to leave?” She repeated, like she was taking it all in.

“Don’t worry about me,” Julia waved her hands back and forth. “You guys are probably itching to go to Blackthorn and get your last gym badges,” She suggested. “I’ll stay here and get better on my own, then I’ll catch up to you--”

Any attempt to finish that sentence was immediately cut off. Caiseal shot a worried glare at Julia, and it was seething with both concern and anger. “Julia! Do you hear yourself right now?!” He shouted.

He didn’t mean to shout, as he knew she didn’t like yelling. Even seeing her flinch and crawl away from him was enough to shoot an arrow of guilt right through his heart. But her suggestion was such a bombshell that he couldn’t help it. “You’re sick, and you’re suggesting we go to another city while leaving you all alone here, therefore throwing you to the Lycanrocs?! Absolutely not!!”

Good thing Perrine took a calmer approach. “We are NOT leaving you here,” This time, her voice was firm and solemn, strong like stone. “Friends don’t leave their sick friends all alone.”

“But…but…I’m dragging you all down…” Julia’s voice finally returned, and it was trembling with sorrow. Then her eyes blurred, drowning in tears that refused to stop falling. She buried her wet face in her hands and sobbed. “I don’t want to hold you back or drag you down with me! You...you…” Now her voice was bordering on hysterical. “You deserve better than to put your adventures on hold to spend five whole days caring for a sick retard like me--!!”

Caiseal was quick to take one of Julia’s hands into his own. Her normally soft, tender hands were now rough and dry, probably from the cold air. Then, in a calmer but still firm voice, he said, “Don’t ever say that about yourself. Ever. You’re not dragging us anywhere, nor are you holding us back. None of that is true.”

“Pikapi!” Hikaru agreed, throwing herself onto Julia’s covered lap to prove it. “Pikachuuuu!”

“I don’t know why you think all that, but none of it is true,” Perrine told her reassuringly. “You’re not holding us back at all. Besides, we’re friends. You know that. If we really thought all of that stuff you said was true, then we wouldn’t even be doing all of this for you. We wouldn’t even be hanging out if you at all if we really did. But we don’t. We want to stay with you and help you. That’s what friends do.”

Julia could hear the conviction in every word she spoke. She just knew that both Perrine and Caiseal meant everything they said. The fact that they actually did spend five days taking care of her without complaint proved it, and spoke volumes of their overall character.

“Besides, we don’t mind having our journey put on hold for a bit,” Caiseal added, crossing his arms. “To be honest, I don’t want to go to Blackthorn City, so you’re actually doing me a huge favor. The League is still a long ways away, so we’re not in any rush to get there. Five days in one place isn’t going to make a huge difference.”

Perrine shared his sentiments, showing her silent agreement with a smile. “Do you really think we’d stoop so low as to leave you here? No way we’re letting that happen. We want to stay with you, so don’t say we should just leave you behind.”

“But…are you sure?” Julia asked in wonder, as if she had never met anyone who even had such feelings for her, let alone feelings this strong. “I...I don’t want to be a burden, and I’m already being one right now--”

“Ahhh!” Caiseal held his index finger up in the air, right at Julia’s face, silencing her. “Enough with putting yourself down,” Julia silently pulled her face away from his finger before he said, “Julia, the last thing in the world you are is a burden. We love having you around, silly,” He asserted fiercely.

Any lingering doubt she had immediately vanished, and a smile returned to her face. That looked much better on Julia than sadness. Goodness, where had these people been all her life? Her heart swelled with an overwhelming joy that she found herself unable to describe. It was just as strong as the bonds she shared with her Pokemon, and just as beautiful.

Tiny hands rested onto Julia’s bigger one.

“Chokki!” Tokiko flashed a bright smile at her trainer and pseudo-mother.

“Snubbull snubbull!” Saoirse wasted no time nuzzling against her trainer’s hand, warming it right up.

“Tokiko...Saoirse…”

Hikaru flashed her 1000-kilowatt smile that she knew her trainer was weak too. “Chuuu!”

“Hikaru…”

“See? Even your Pokemon love being around you, and for good reason,” Perrine pointed out.

She knew Julia knew that. Julia knew that too well. Even so, she liked hearing it. She didn’t need to hear it to know it was true, both of her friends and her Pokemon, but hearing it just made it feel more real to her. Not even wondering whether she truly deserved to have these awesome people and Pokemon as friends was enough to push away how much they meant what they said. Just like they would for her, Julia would put her life on the line for them if she wanted to.

Thankfully, the next two days proved to be far better. Gradually, Julia’s symptoms began to vanish. Her nose was still stuffy, but it didn’t give her as much grief as it used to. Her body no longer ached, and her fever finally broke. She was even healthy enough to finally be able to go outside for a while. Being stuck in a tent was coming with its own set of problems, and the kids figured she could use some fresh air. The Pokemon needed some exercise too, so Julia and Perrine decided to have a short practice battle.

“Saoirse, use Bite!”

“Chirin, use Power Gem!”

The bulldog Pokemon bared her fangs as she rushed toward the electric sheep. On the other hand, Chirin let out a harsh whinny as purple, rock shaped structures magically materialized. “Flaaaaaaaffy!” With another baa, the magic rocks fired right toward Saoirse. Since they charged at a slow pace, Saoirse was able to not only jump up and down to evade them, but even managed to hop on one of them, allowing her to gently dig her fangs into Chirin’s fur.

“Shake her off, Chirin!” Perrine commanded.

Using his short paws, Chirin was able to smack Saoirse on her dress-like fur, pushing her right off without much effort.

“Now use Tackle!”

“Headbutt, Saoirse!”

The two pink Pokemon charged at each other, heads held down and ready for...well, headbutting and tackling. But they didn’t put too much pressure into their attacks, as it was only a practice battle, so there were no serious injuries. Just playful rams and headbutts.

Perrine clapped her hands twice. “Alrighty, that’s a wrap!”

“Flaaffy!” The pink sheep Pokemon ran to his trainer, cooing and all smiles, leaping into her arms. “Flaaaaffy!”

“You did great, Chirin,” Perrine exalted her wooly friend before pulling out a piece of caramel. “Here’s your reward.”

“Flaaffy!” Chirin wasted no time throwing the candy into his mouth, chewing and savoring the sticky but sweet flavor. “Flaaffy!”

All of a sudden, Chirin’s body was consumed by light. It was so bright, everyone couldn’t help but notice. But confusion turned into awe once they realized what was happening. The last of Chirin’s fur completely vanished. His neck, body, and tail grew longer and leaner, and when the light vanished, out came a perfectly yellow and cheerful Ampharos.

“Paaaaar!” Chirin announced his presence with a cheery, upbeat whinny.

“Awesome! You evolved, Chirin!” This time, Perrine was the one throwing her arms around the de-wooled sheep, nuzzling his golden fur with her heart exploding with joy.

“Ampaaaar!” The light Pokemon openly returned the friendly hug, and he and Perrine danced around like they were in a disco music video, not caring that their dancing was utterly terrible.

Caiseal and Julia laughed at the sight, not out of malice, but out of genuine joy. It was nice seeing Perrine and her Pokemon hop around and act like kids. After all, even trainers needed to relax and have fun. Finally, on the seventh day, Julia’s cold finally took the hint and left, leaving no trace behind. Back on the road to Blackthorn City they went.

Spoiler: Pokemon Parties

Julia’s Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle

Lucretia (Espeon, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Magic Bounce
Attacks: Psybeam, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball

Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf

Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face

Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Jab, Peck, and Horn Attack

Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp

Perrine’s Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam

Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain

Fuwari (Jumpluff, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

Caiseal’s Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash

Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen

Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent

Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost

Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure

Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam

 

[Juliko]

A/N: Yeah. First chapter of the new year and it’s...August. Yeah. Sorry for the super long hiatus. Three words: Tales of Zestiria. I’ve been watching the anime, reading and writing fan fics for it, playing the game like crazy, etc. Harvest Moon, too. I kinda hit a writer’s block on this before getting into Zesty, and I thought maybe taking a break from MarJour for a while would help. Needless to say, it did, and now MarJour is back in business! Did you really think I was gonna abandon this story? No way! I’ve abandoned too many stories and I’m NOT going to let this one flounder! Not when I’m almost finished with it! I thought about making this one whole chapter, but considering how much time has passed, I’ve kept you guys waiting long enough, so I’m splitting this one into two.

Without further ado, here’s chapter 41!...The first half of it, at least.

***

Chapter 41: Harriet’s Confession, Part One

A typical day on Cianwood City’s beaches was usually uneventful but happy. The sun would shine her light down on the glistening ocean, the moaning of the waves could be heard on the wind for miles, and the sand would be warm to the touch, almost hot if someone wasn’t careful. Normally, on a day like this, people would flock to the beach, happy to sit in the sun to get a tan, play in the water, or whatever else. But autumn was here, and dropping temperatures weren’t exactly ideal for a beach getaway.

Even so, the lack of unnecessary noise proved to be ideal for one Officer Jenny who trekked across the sand with only a walkie talkie in her hand, and a gun holstered on her belt. So far, the beach was looking good from what she could see. The occasional Shellder washed up on the beach sometimes, and she was always quick to throw them back in. All she could hear was the waves crashing into the ocean with dull roars and moans, melting back into where they once came.

“Officer Jenny!” A female officer wearing a different uniform came bounding across the sand, her black ponytail flailing everywhere. Once she caught up, she stopped to catch her breath, her hands on her knees as she inhaled and exhaled. “I thought I’d find you here.”

“You didn’t have to run here, Madison,” Officer Jenny told her. “Weren’t you just at the station?”

“Yeah,” Madison replied, her voice a little hoarse from running. “But I got assigned patrol duty just now, and was told to accompany you here. Everyone’s on edge about Team Rocket and their schemes.”

Officer Jenny frowned, adjusting her hat. “I’m not surprised. Well, I’m glad you’re here. It’s better to be in a group than alone most of the time, and Team Rocket have the advantage of numbers, so having extra security is important,” She explained.

Neither policewoman could blame their superiors for being extra cautious. Reports of Team Rocket’s machinations were becoming more and more frequent. With incidents of peoples’ Pokemon getting kidnapped, robberies, even murders, of course the city would want to be more diligent in their security. At the same time, neither policewoman minded. After all, this was their job. Helping people was their job, something they were both proud of.

“I’ll go have a look over that way,” Madison pointed further west, towards the area where a tall tower towered over the entire end of the beach. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Good thinking,” Jenny agreed. “There might be some Pokemon that get washed up here, so don’t freak out if you accidentally step on a Shellder’s tongue.”

Madison let out a merry giggle. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Right at that moment, both police women suddenly stopped in their tracks. They could hear the sound of something scuttling through the sand, and both of them turned the other way. An orange and tan shape materialized, coming closer and closer. Upon closer inspection, the shape turned out to be a large crab Pokemon, with large pincers bigger than their heads, sharp teeth, spindly, spider-like legs, and six horns protruding from its head.

“Kuukiiiiiiii!” The crab Pokemon running towards them screeched in a deep, terrified voice.

“What in the world?!” Madison backed away, her hang clinging to the PokeBalls on her belt. Officer Jenny was quick to get into a battle stance.

“It’s a wild Kingler!” Officer Jenny exclaimed.

However, the Kingler didn’t attack them, like a wild Pokemon would. Instead, it looked frantic, waving its large pincers around, gesticulating wildly. “Kuukii kuukii kuukii kuukiiiiii!” Kingler screeched and hissed, its large eyes wide like it had seen a ghost. All Madison and Jenny could do was exchange confused glances.

“It sounds like this Kingler’s trying to tell us something,” Madison pointed out. “It’s not attacking us.”

“You’re probably right. But I don’t speak Pokemon, so I don’t know what it’s saying,” Officer Jenny told her.

All of a sudden, one of Kingler’s pincers gently grabbed Jenny’s hand, and the pincer Pokemon pulled on the confused woman, using its other pincer to point at the other end of the beach. “Kuukii kuukii!” Kingler kept pulling with one pincer and pointing with the other. Much to Jenny’s relief, the pincer on her hand didn’t dig down into her skin, nor did the Pokemon attempt to chop her hand off. It was clear to her that the Pokemon was taking great care in being gentle with her.

“Is it asking us to follow it?” Madison asked, holding a hand to her face.

A swirl of possibilities ran through Officer Jenny’s mind. Was Team Rocket on the prowl? Was a Pokemon injured? Was this Kingler’s trainer hurt? Or did this Kingler get lost? It wouldn’t hurt to at least go check. “Well, we better go see,” Jenny suggested.

“Kuukiiiii!” Kingler let out a joyful gurgle before gently pulling Officer Jenny towards the end of the beach. Madison ran ahead to get a better look, with Officer Jenny and Kingler close behind.

It didn’t take long for them to find what Kingler was so frantic about. Lying dormant on the sand, rocked by the ebbing tide, was a young woman. Disheveled, lime green hair was wet, matted, and in complete disarray. The woman’s glasses still clung to her face, but one of the lenses was completely cracked from top to bottom. How it didn’t break into pieces, neither Madison or Jenny had any idea. The woman’s clothes--a purple shirt and a plain white skirt--were completely dirty, and they looked like they had gone through a shredder. One sleeve of her shirt had been ripped right off, nowhere to be found. Fresh bloody scratches from her hands and arms oozed blood, with some melting into the sand. The woman was barefoot, and her feet were purple and brown from exposure to dirt, with some fresh red holes, splinters, and twig fragments digging into her skin. Her toenails were completely brown from dirt accumulating underneath them.

Basically, the woman looked like she had been attacked by a ferocious Pokemon. Or something even worse.

“Oh goodness!” Madison kneeled to the woman’s level, shocked at the awful condition she was in.

“Kuukii!” Kingler pointed to the woman. Letting out an audible gasp, Officer Jenny ran to the woman, hoisting her into her arms. The green haired woman didn’t stir. Not one bit.

“She’s badly hurt,” Jenny pointed out, seeing all the scratches and fresh bruises on her body. Just what in the world did this woman go through? The officer’s eyebrows pinched together as she turned to face her friend with a dead serious expression. “Madison. Call an ambulance right away.”

With a silent nod, Madison agreed and immediately pulled her walkie talkie out.

“Kingler. Is this your trainer?” Jenny asked.

The pincer Pokemon gave an affirmative nod. Jenny thought about asking how the woman got to be this way, but obviously, since Pokemon could only say their own names, there was no way she could figure out what happened. But there was some hope. The woman’s chest was rising and falling in tune with silent breaths. Good, she was alive. What a relief that was. Even so, this woman was in dire need of medical care. Jenny did notice an empty PokeBall at the woman’s side. Was it Kingler’s? To test her hypothesis, she pointed the PokeBall at Kingler, watching as the crab Pokemon turned into red light as it got sucked into the sphere. That answered one question.

She kept the PokeBall in her hand. “Don’t worry, Kingler. We’ll help your trainer,” She promised.

Sensing her conviction, the PokeBall trembled like it was nodding in response. Jenny wondered if Kingler was nodding from inside the PokeBall. Wailing sirens in the distance prevented her from thinking too much about it. But before the ambulance arrived, Jenny noticed something else on the woman’s left wrist. Wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her, Jenny took the woman’s hand into her own.

On the woman’s left wrist was a tattoo made to resemble a red R. Just a glance at it made Jenny’s eyes widen with shock.

“Team Rocket…”

Paramedics went to work on the woman right away, loading her onto the gurney and putting her into the ambulance. Worried for the woman’s life, Jenny and Madison took it upon themselves to drive to the hospital in their cars. All throughout the drive, Jenny and Madison were silent, mentally preparing questions to ask the woman should she make it. Thankfully, the hospital wasn’t too far a drive from the beach, so the two women managed to get there easily. It helped that there were only a few patients in the waiting room, so the hospital wasn’t crowded at all. Usually, the worst things that Cianwood hospitals had to treat were Tentacool stings and the occasional broken bone.

For now, all Jenny and Madison could do was wait. It took about an hour, but a doctor eventually came out and informed the policewomen that the woman they found unconscious is alive and stable. The doctors had to stitch and clean out many of the green haired woman’s wounds, most of which were scratches from Pokemon claws, probably from a Houndoom or an Ariados. There were also some infections in the wounds in her feet that they were still in the process of taking care of, probably because the wounded areas made contact with dirt and grass. She also had a fracture in her left arm and many red welts on her body. Most likely they came from a whip.

“Wow,” Madison wrapped her arms around herself. “Someone must have used her as some kind of punching bag.”

The doctor nodded in agreement. “Those wounds didn’t make themselves, as far as I can see,” He adjusted his glasses slightly, pushing them up so they wouldn’t itch at his nose. “She’s in the recovery room right now, but I recommend being gentle in your asking her questions, should she wake up,” He advised, keeping his voice calm. “I can only assume that she won’t exactly be in the best mental state after all that she’s gone through.”

Officer Jenny took her hat off of her head. Indeed. Just what exactly did that woman go through? More than that, how did she even manage to survive? Actually, she knew the answer to that one. Her Kingler was the one who alerted them. Who knows what could have happened, had her Kingler not managed to find help in time.

After that, the doctor took them into the recovery room. The green haired woman had a bed all to herself, completely covered from collarbone to toe, sans her left arm, with a thick, white blanket that protected her like a barrier. Her green hair was still messy, sprawling all over the pillow. Gauze and band-aids dotted her face, and her broken glasses had been placed on the night stand next to her bed. An IV needle was attached to one of her arms. Madison watched as the clear liquid dripped inside the bag. Drip drip drip drip. A silent, monotonous rhythm nobody could hear.

It was then that Madison saw the tattoo on the woman’s wrist. “This woman’s a part of Team Rocket?” She almost screamed, had she not managed to compose herself enough to keep her voice down. She didn’t want to accidentally wake her up.

“It would seem so,” Officer Jenny replied. “Still, what would a member of Team Rocket be doing out on a public beach? It’s not like them to operate out in the open like that.”

Madison agreed with a silent nod. Both of them had investigated Team Rocket and dealt with some of their grunts for a while now. They were usually a lot craftier than that, and always carried out their activities either in the down-low or in full secret. Was this woman a member they fired or kicked out? Or did she escape? Did she maybe fail at a mission and ran away, afraid to face the consequences? Just sitting here and thinking about it wouldn’t give them the answers they needed. Neither of them knew how long it would be for the woman to wake up. She was breathing, but her condition could deteriorate at any given moment. Jenny looked down at the PokeBall in her hand.

“She’s okay,” Jenny whispered. “Your trainer will be just fine.”

She wondered if Kingler wanted to stay by its trainer’s side. With that thought in mind, Jenny silently placed the PokeBall into the woman’s hand.

As if by magic, the woman stirred. “Ungh…” A small groan escaped her lips the moment Kingler’s PokeBall made contact with her skin. Jenny and Madison stood up, their eyes wide with alarm. Then the woman’s eyes finally peeled open. They were a soft brown color. “Wha…?”

“Look! She’s waking up!” Madison announced.

“Where…?” The green haired woman turned her head forward, slowly taking in her surroundings.

“Hello,” Jenny greeted her kindly, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t frighten her. “You’re in the hospital. What’s your name?”

Instead of responding right off, the green haired woman stared right at Jenny. Her brown eyes looked so far away, like they were seeing right through the policewoman. Then they darted down to her uniform. Jenny’s golden badge reflected some of the fluorescent light, making it almost glow. Suddenly, the woman took in a very sharp breath and sat upright, like a jack-in-a-box springing right open. The woman’s eyes suddenly shrank in terror, and her arm lurched right out, grabbing Jenny’s arm.

“What the--?!”

“The Radio Tower!!” The green haired woman shrieked.

“Wait, calm down--” Madison attempted to get in between them, but the woman didn’t give her a chance to do or say anything.

“Please help me!!” The woman cried, her brown eyes meeting Jenny’s. The police officer could see nothing but abject fear. She had seen that frightened look far too many times in her lifetime to mistake it for anything else. “Team Rocket is after me!! They’re trying to kill me!! They’re trying to stop me from foiling their plan to--”

Very slowly, Jenny removed the woman’s hand from her arm. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here,” She told her. “We won’t let anyone hurt you. I’m Officer Jenny,” She pointed to Madison. “And this is Officer Madison Springensfield. What’s your name?”

It didn’t take long for the green haired woman to calm down. Seeing that she needed to compose herself, the woman removed herself from Jenny and sat back down in the bed. She kept staring down at the R tattoo on her wrist. As soon as it was in her line of sight, the woman’s face scrunched up like she smelled a Growlithe’s poop.

“I’m...Harriet. Harriet Latham. Wait!” The woman--Harriet--looked around the hospital room again. “How did I get here?”

This time, Madison was the one to explain. “We wouldn’t have found you if your Kingler didn’t drag us over to where you were.”

Harriet raised an eyebrow. “King...ler? Wait, that can’t be right. I have a Krabby named Cookie, but not--” Then it hit her. She looked down at the hand holding the PokeBall. She opened it, and a Kingler came right out, standing at the edge of the bed.

“Kuukii?” As soon as the Kingler saw Harriet, it jumped up and down happily, raising its pincers. “Kuuki kuukiiiii!”

“Cookie! Oh, thank goodness!” Harriet reached down to try and hug her crustacean friend. She didn’t reach too far, as a searing pain shot through her body when she tried to bend down. Cookie, seeing the pain on his trainer’s face, simply extended one of his pincers toward her. Touched by the gesture, Harriet rested her head on Cookie’s pincer, wrapping her arms around it, tears melting onto the red shell. “So you really did evolve...and you saved me…you really saved me…”

“Kuuki kuuki…” Both Jenny and Madison could see plain as day that Kingler--Cookie, as Harriet called him--was only too happy that his trainer was alright. No Team Rocket members they knew ever showed such love and affection for their Pokemon.

Jenny was the first to speak again. “Your injuries are quite extensive. Would you mind if we asked what exactly happened to you?”

Harriet slowly sat back up, wiping the tears from her eyes, allowing her body and soul to calm itself once more. Madison could see that she was shivering. Whether it was from cold, fear, or relief, none of them could tell. Even so, they could see that her dark brown eyes were soft but firm with resolve. One of her small hands clutched the coverlet shielding her body.

“It’s a very long story,” Harriet began. “But first,” She looked them straight in the eyes. “I need to tell someone about this. I know this may seem hard to believe but…” She took in a breath before dropping the bombshell. “Team Rocket has infiltrated the Goldenrod Radio Tower.”

The Radio Tower? Team Rocket infiltrating it? Both Jenny and Madison exchanged shocked expressions.

“They plan on using it to broadcast their evolution inducement wave all over Johto, forcibly evolving all Pokemon, mind controlling them, and making them all into one big army,” Harriet continued, her voice quivering. But the floodgates were open. There was no stopping them now. No, Harriet didn’t want to stop. She had kept the lid on for far too long. “That was why the red Gyarados appeared in the Lake of Rage. Team Rocket wanted to test it out first before making further adjustments and enacting their plan.”

“Wow,” Madison had to sit down on a nearby chair, the whole thing was so shocking. “So that’s why. We had no idea.”

But Harriet wasn’t finished yet. She continued on. “And that’s not all. They also plan on using it to lure in the legendary Pokemon. Ho-Oh, Lugia, Suicune, and Raikou. They already have Entei, and that’s because Pokemon Hunter J managed to petrify it with one of her machines. They plan on executing their grand plan in three days. Someone has to stop them.”

It was then that both Officer Jenny and Madison all stood up in alarm. Team Rocket wanted the legendary Pokemon? All five of them? And Pokemon Hunter J was involved with Team Rocket? Neither of them could believe it at first. It was all so surreal. It was true that they had been after J for years, but nobody could ever catch her. She managed to outsmart them every time. But...Harriet told them that J used a machine to petrify them. Few people knew of her tactics, and although Jenny and the other police knew, that wasn’t a piece of information they had released publicly.

There was no doubt about it. Harriet was telling the truth.

“Let me guess,” Jenny interrupted. “I take it you went through Hell and back to tell someone about this.”

The only response they got right then was a solemn nod. Jenny and Madison could see Harriet’s eyebrows furrowing. “I...I never wanted to be a part of Team Rocket at all…” Now, the tears flowed. The liquid was warm against her reddening cheeks. “All I wanted was a job so I could support my family...both my parents got laid off, and I needed some kind of income. Someone told me they could get me a job...but it was a trick,” The green haired woman’s body was wracked with shudders. “I was a complete fool. I’ve been wanting to escape for months, long before I learned of all this, and I could never do it! Not until now!”

Both of their hearts broke for this girl. They could tell right away that she definitely wasn’t Team Rocket material. What TR member would willingly risk their life to tell someone about their grand schemes? Jenny’s heart went out to the girl. She put a reassuring hand on Harriet’s shoulder, her eyes gleaming with sympathy.

“Thank you for telling us all of this,” Jenny told her in a soft voice. “We’ll see to it that this gets taken care of.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Madison suddenly chimed in. “How exactly did you get hurt so bad? Did Team Rocket chase after you?”

Again, Harriet nodded grimly. “This isn’t the only reason they’re after me.”

The only reason? There was more?

“Before all of this, I was trying to help one of my neighbors...a little boy. Danny Kimerer. His father was abusing him…that’s where it all started…”

***

It had started two weeks earlier. One day, Harriet was in her backyard, planting some flowers. Yellow and orange begonias, her very favorites. Cookie was outside with her, lying down and bathing in the sun’s warm rays. His favorite activity. But when she looked up, she happened to peer over the fence. There was Danny, sitting in the backyard, his back leaning against Harriet’s fence. Harriet stood up, her garden spade still in her hands. She hadn’t seen him in a while, and was about to go and say hi...but then she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. A large, purple-black bruise stood out on Danny’s left arm, a huge contrast to his normally pale skin.

“Oh--!” Harriet almost screamed, had she not managed to cover her mouth with her free hand. But she still wound up shouting enough to rouse Cookie from his sunbathing.

Said shout also made Danny turn around and face her. No trace of his normal cheer or enthusiasm was in his eyes. They were cloudy with sorrow. “Harriet? Is that you? Hi,” Even his greeting was strangely muted and distant. Meek and fearful. Neither word described little Danny one bit.

“Danny…” Harriet couldn’t believe what she saw. That ugly bruise on Danny’s arm was far too grotesque for her to look at. One thing was for certain: Harriet knew that that bruise didn’t just magically appear. “What happened to you?” She finally asked, her voice choking with worry.

At first, Danny said nothing. He simply squeezed his eyes shut and put a hand over his swelling arm. Obviously, it didn’t work, as his hands were far smaller than the bruise on his arm, and they couldn’t possibly cover it up no matter how hard he tried. It didn’t help that it was hot today, and Danny had a sleeveless shirt on, so covering it with shirt sleeves was a no-go. How in the world did Danny get such a horrible bruise? One explanation did pop up in her mind.

Danny confirmed it soon after. “Daddy hit me. He says I shouldn’t be nice to Pokemon,” He explained meekly, his tiny voice full of fear.

The green haired woman didn’t dare try to meet his eyes. He got hit simply because he wanted to be nice to a Pokemon? Harriet cringed. Actually, scratch that. She could feel her heart fall right into the pit of her stomach, the revelation was too much. Connecting the dots was easy enough. His father was abusing him, justifying it as preparing him to become a member of Team Rocket. She had heard the rumors, but wasn’t sure if they were actually true. But his being pulled out of public school for no reason and this...the signs were in bright neon colored lights, blaring right in her face.

“I can put some ice on it if you want,” Harriet suggested, her voice still shaking. Thankfully, Danny barely noticed. “It looks like it hurts really bad.”

The little boy opened his mouth to speak. No words came out, as he didn’t get the chance to talk.

“Danny!” A man’s voice boomed, silencing both him and Harriet.

Neither said a word as Richard stomped over to Danny and yanked him to his feet. Danny yelped, pain shooting through his already bruised arm, which worsened as Richard pulled on it. “Ow! Dad, please!”

Ignoring his son’s pleas, Richard shot a scornful glare in Harriet’s direction. Harriet could feel the man’s stare all throughout her body, from her toes all the way to her head. There was no compassion in Richard’s eyes. No warmth, empathy, nothing of the sort. Then again, most men involved with Team Rocket had that same cold, icy stare. She had seen it many times before, but she still couldn’t find it in herself to get used to it.

“Come on! You need to start your training!” Richard roared, taking Danny right into the house. The door slamming finally pulled Harriet out of her trance, and she raced back into the house. Cookie soon followed.

Harriet sat down on her bed, fists shaking as Cookie approached. But her Krabby wasn’t what made her shudder. Richard said he was putting Danny through training. Was he training him to become a member of Team Rocket? Her arms suddenly wrapped around her, like a protective force field. She could already picture it all in her mind. Team Rocket members beating Danny with whatever they could find, be it a baseball bat or whips--supposedly to test his body’s strength. Berating him for showing any kind of compassion or calling out their transgressions. Forcing him to steal Pokemon from children and adults alike. Harriet had gone through the training when she had first been recruited, so she knew full well what it would entail.

No. Danny wasn’t going to go through that. Not on Harriet’s watch.

A spark of courage flared up from inside her. She found the nearest phone and held it in her hands, grateful that Margeaux was out on a mission with Yannick today. She was alone in the house, which was the perfect opportunity to let someone know. She then searched through the phonebook in her kitchen, looking for the number needed to call Child Protective Services. It only took a few minutes for her to find it, barring the fact that Harriet had barely ever read phonebooks before. Her Krabby watched curiously as his trainer was hard at work, silently doing, silently planning.

“Kuukii?”

Harriet dialed the number she found. It took a few short rings, but someone did answer. “This is Cianwood City Child Protective Services.”

“Hello. I would like to report a case of child abuse,” The hand gripping the phone began to tremble. But Harriet was calm, her voice clear and devoid of stutters or hysteria. “My neighbor, a child named Danny Kimerer, is being abused by his father, Richard Kimerer. They live at 2300 Pasternak Street in Everglade. Danny has a large bruise on his arm, he was taken out of public school and hasn’t received official schooling since, and it’s said Richard is going to force him to join Team Rocket. Please, help him!”

It was a big risk. Harriet knew it all too well. If she were to get caught, she was sure Team Rocket would punish her in ways that would be far too horrible to imagine. But a child’s life was in danger. She wasn’t going to be heartless and just leave him to his fate. She thought of her younger sisters at home. If something were to happen to them...Harriet didn’t dare to think of the possibilities. She didn’t let her imagination take her that far. She hung up the phone in silence. Danny didn’t deserve this cruel fate. Danny in Team Rocket? No, Harriet wouldn’t allow that.

After a few minutes, a woman from CPS did arrive on Richard’s doorstep. Harriet didn’t dare venture outside, but she was able to see the woman via the window in her kitchen. It allowed her to see their porch clearly, and inside, she wouldn’t be seen by the prying eyes of all the Team Rocket members who occupied the neighborhood, which was basically everyone who lived in Everglade. The woman knocked on the door twice. No answer. She eventually knocked a third time. Nobody answered the door. With every unanswered knock, Harriet’s hopes broke piece by piece. With a shrug, the woman simply walked away. Harriet winced before turning away from the window.

“Danny...I’m sorry…” Harriet whimpered to herself. She knew that if Richard didn’t answer the door for CPS, legally there was nothing the woman could do. Obviously she couldn’t break into the house, and spying was definitely forbidden. Still, Harriet wished Danny could have been saved in that moment. For all she knew, maybe Richard anticipated their arrival and hid in the house to avoid having to deal with them. She made the call, and it didn’t mean a thing.

Cookie’s large eyes furrowed as he saw the sadness come over his trainer, and his heart went out to her. “Kuukiiiii…” He gently rested a pincer against her arm, hoping the gesture would console her some. “Kuukii kuukiiii.”

Sniffling once, Harriet put a hand on the crab Pokemon’s pincer. “I know, Cookie. I know. I’ll try again next time. Still...it hurts so much…” The pain of being unable to help Danny was like a knife going through her chest. Tears bubbled out, trickling down her cheeks, with some melting into Cookie’s pincer. “If Danny gets seriously hurt or dies, it’ll be my fault...and I don’t want to wait until it’s too late!”

She prayed with all her heart that she would be successful next time.

***

It would be a long time before Harriet got another chance to see Danny. Ever since that day, the once happy, energetic little boy no longer played in the backyard. Whenever Harriet would do anything in her backyard, like play with Cookie or tend to her begonia garden, she would always look next door and see if Danny was in his yard. Danny was nowhere in sight. Not once did Danny come out of the house. She would hear voices now and again, mostly Richard’s and a little bit of Danny’s, which told her he was still alive, but a sense of unease amassed inside her with every day that passed. Not a day went by when Harriet didn’t worry about Danny.

Even when she, Margeaux, and many other Team Rocket members were gathered into an underground base for a top secret meeting. Archer and Ariana all stood on a stage, greeted by an audience of over a thousand Team Rocket grunts that made up a sea of black and red uniforms. Harriet was merely a blip in this suffocating cluster of people. Just being here made her feel sick to her stomach. Here she was, stuck in Team Rocket, and unable to escape. The people surrounding her seemed to turn into walls, intent on keeping her in, never letting her out. Harriet kept staring down at her boots, not looking up even as Archer spoke.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you are all gathered here today,” Archer began, his voice booming because of the microphone attached to his shirt. “I’ll cut right to the chase. Team Rocket has made its decision. We are to take over the Goldenrod Radio Tower in five days time.”

Whispers and murmurs swam all throughout the crowd. Harriet could hear them all. Her eyes suddenly widened in horror. They were going to take over the Radio Tower in five days? Grunts all around her stood in awe of the announcement while gossiping amongst themselves.

“About time! I was wondering when they were gonna get this over with!”

“I’m just hoping it doesn’t get in the way of my appointment at the tanning salon.”

“Yeah! We’re gonna get something done for once!”

“Man, this is gonna be epic!”

“I really hope this mission succeeds. I’ve been looking forward to this for months.”

“You think we’ll get some promotions if it goes well?”

“Silence!” Ariana exclaimed, swinging her hand out toward the crowd. The whispers gradually died down. “This mission has taken months of careful preparation, testing, and planning, and we intend to see it through to the very end. The evolution inducement wave’s testing period has finally come to an end, which I’m sure you all know means that it can finally do what we want it to do. You’re aware of the red Gyarados incident at Lake of Rage, right?”

Many of the grunts said yes. Others nodded in silence. Harriet cringed, continuing to stare down at her feet.

“Project R was merely the first test run to see if it would actually work. Now that it’s perfect, we can not only evolve Pokemon all over Johto, but control them in any way we please,” Ariana continued, her eyes glinting with an eerie shimmer.

Harriet shut her eyes, Ariana’s voice sending shivers down her spine. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to go home. Be with her family. Not be stuck with Team Rocket and get dragged into their machinations. But escape was impossible. The crowd seemed to mold into one cluster of black mass, ready to swallow her whole at any moment.

Archer stepped forward. “This mission is absolutely imperative to Team Rocket’s quest. All of you play a significant role in its success, no matter how small,” He cleared his throat before continuing. “As such, we expect all of you to make absolutely sure that no one outside of Team Rocket, absolutely no one--” The last three words were stone hard, leaving no room for nonsense or silliness. “Knows of our plan to take over the radio tower. I’m sure you’re all aware of what the consequences will be, should you fail.”

Nobody said anything.

“Loose lips and treason will absolutely not be tolerated,” Archer hissed, his voice full of cold venom. “Speak of the mission to anyone outside of TR, and your punishment will be slow and painful. We could have you endure a session. Or we could have you be at the mercy of Yannick’s whip. As you all know, he shows no mercy to anyone, especially traitors. Or you could be sent to Petrel, and he will do whatever he pleases with you.”

The more she heard, the more Harriet trembled. She knew Team Rocket took punishing traitors seriously, but she didn’t dare try to visualize those scenarios in her mind. But more than that...should she try to escape at all and she got caught, any one of those things could happen to her.

This time, Ariana stepped forward. “We are Team Rocket, and our quest for glory is nigh!” She raised her arm into the air. “Glory to Team Rocket!”

“Glory to Team Rocket!” The entire audience broke into chanting over and over again. But Harriet said nothing. She didn’t dare chant alongside the grunts. Thankfully, nobody around her seemed to notice her silence.

None except for Yannick, who stood on the stage, glaring at her with cold eyes.

Harriet was physically ill for the next two days afterward. She wasn’t sick with a fever or a stomach ache, but sick with dread. All she could do was lie on the couch in the living room, her body limp and unable to move. She stared up at the ceiling, pondering the meeting. One thing was for sure. ‘I need to do something about this. Someone has to stop them,’ Harriet wasn’t going to stand for this. Team Rocket needed to be stopped. Why couldn’t she be the one to stop them? But an opportunity hadn’t presented itself quite yet. Team Rocket members lived in the entire neighborhood. If even one of them spotted her as she escaped, they’d probably do whatever they could to keep her in Everglade. Or worse.

An opportunity did arise. But it would be in the worst way possible.

“Harriet!” Margeaux whined from the living room. A soap opera was playing on the TV. “Pleeeeease tell me dinner’s gonna be ready soon!”

“It will!” Harriet called back from the kitchen. “Just a few more minutes!” The timer on the oven was still on six minutes. Tomato sauce was already simmering in a pot right above the stove. Harriet’s nose caught the warm scent. She could hear it starting to boil, so she turned the dial on the oven, turning off that part of the stove.

It was then that Harriet heard a terrible scream.

“Kuukii?” Even Cookie heard it from the floor.

Harriet gasped, whirling around, facing the window. An absolutely frightened Danny had sprinted out into the backyard, his forehead bleeding. Some of the blood trickled into one of his eyes.

Danny!

Immediately, dread seized her. On impulse, Harriet stormed out of the house and onto the porch on her backyard. It was high enough for her to see over the fence, so she was able to watch everything unfold. But the minute she got there, her body froze. Danny was halfway up the fence. Richard stormed out with a belt in hand, grabbing Danny by the shirt collar and pulling him down.

“Daddy, stop!” Danny pleaded, his voice rising. But Richard stared down at him, his eyes blazing with unrestrained anger, baring his teeth like an Ursaring about to slash its prey.

Unable to watch, Harriet fell to her knees, covering her face and cowering. Her ears weren’t spared the pain of hearing the belt whip against Danny, and the latter’s pained cries and screams. Even more frightening were Richard’s roars and bellows as he hit his son with the belt. One, two, three. A painful, monotonous rhythm.

“Why’d you let that Pokemon go?!” Richard roared. He didn’t let up one bit. The whippings continued, and with every smack of the belt, all Harriet could hear from him where Danny’s screams.

“You were hurting it!” That was the only response Danny could provide.

Unfortunately, it didn’t satiate Richard one bit. His face red with an uncontrollable rage, Richard discarded the belt and his fist met Danny’s face. Harriet found the courage to move her fingers a bit, uncovering her eyes. The events that unfolded in front of her didn’t change. Danny could only let out pained gurgles and cries as blow after blow struck him on the face. Blood spilled from his nose, and Harriet could see the boy’s face turning a grotesque red and purple color. Danny didn’t deserve this.

“You little wuss!” Richard bellowed, his voice rising with every blow he struck. “We needed that Pokemon for our experiment! Stupid brat! You’re gonna be Team Rocket whether you like it or not! Come here!!”

Harriet’s heart fell to pieces. Richard was beating a child all because Danny didn’t want to have anything to do with Team Rocket? All because he wanted to be kind and save a Pokemon from a life of pain? What was this world coming to? Harriet’s mind screamed at her to go save him. Do something. Call the police. But fear paralyzed her. Her body refused to move, even though she wanted to just fly over there and save little Danny. Danny, who did nothing wrong. Why couldn’t she move? Harriet needed to save him. But how? Richard was a big, strong, burly man, and he had a reputation for being a particularly merciless and volatile Team Rocket grunt who always got his way. Harriet was just a small, mousy woman who could barely lift a set of weights.

Then the realization hit her. Her phone! She rummaged through her pocket, feeling for a metallic rectangle. There it was. She pulled it out, grateful that it was still on, and hit the video record button. She could record footage of Richard’s actions, take it to CPS, and give them probable cause to save Danny from further pain! Harriet held the phone out, locking it onto Richard as he punched Danny multiple times in the stomach. She kept her eyes closed, unable to watch. Just hearing the terrible noise made her stomach tie itself into a knot.

It didn’t take very long for Richard to drag a helpless, beaten Danny back into the house, and his roars ceased. Eventually, Harriet found the courage to open her eyes. Her phone was still in her hand. She pressed the stop button and played the footage she recorded. It captured it all: Richard beating poor Danny senseless, whipping him with the belt, and dragging him into the house by his hair. Watching it all made Harriet feel as though a Weedle had struck her with Poison Sting. But she knew this would be her greatest asset. She had everything she needed to save Danny now.

And what she needed to get out of Team Rocket forever.

Harriet marched back into the house, only to find Margeaux in the kitchen with a confused look on her face. “Whoa. I’ve heard the stories, but I had no idea Richard was that merciless,” Margeaux said, looking out the window.

The green haired woman said nothing, slipping her phone into her pocket. Good thing Margeaux was looking the other way, so she didn’t see Harriet hide the phone. Cookie looked up at his trainer with concern. The crab Pokemon could see the visible anguish on his trainer’s face. It was easy for him to know how his trainer was feeling.

Margeaux crossed her arms. “Well, I sure am glad Ariana didn’t have me working with him,” Then she turned to Harriet with, of all things, a smile on her face. “Is that casserole ready yet? I’m starving. You’ve got to hear what happened the other day with Sally and Marcelin!”

Something inside Harriet suddenly snapped. She couldn’t help but gape. Was Margeaux really so heartless that she’d want to just forget about having seen a child be brutally abused by his father and sharing stories about other grunts’ antics? Her blood boiled, turning into red hot lava, and like a Typhlosion’s Eruption attack, Harriet was ready to burst. No, she wanted to burst. She had held it all in for far too long. And here Margeaux was, smiling at her like she and Harriet just saw a funny show on TV. She couldn’t forgive this. She couldn’t forgive this at all.

Baring her teeth, Harriet glared at Margeaux. Unable to stop herself, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Are you serious?! Do you hear yourself right now, Margeaux?! You just saw a child be brutally beaten by his father and the first thing you think about is sharing stupid stories with me and asking about some dumb casserole?!” Even Margeaux couldn’t help but take a step back, her eyes wide with shock. She had never seen Harriet like this. Never before had Harriet been so visibly angry.

“Harriet, come on--”

“How heartless can you be?! You can’t possibly approve of this! You don’t, do you?!”

“Harriet, please. Team Rocket parents do this to their kids all the time. You know that.”

Hearing this made Harriet’s anger burn hotter. She was making it seem like parents abusing their kids was not only normal, but permitted and encouraged! How anyone could make this a common and accepted practice, Harriet couldn’t fathom. Just thinking about it made her taste bile in her mouth. “And that somehow makes it okay?! No! It doesn’t! We should be reporting him to CPS, for Arceus’s sake!! How can you think this is okay?!”

For once, Margeaux had no words. But her silence told Harriet all she needed to know. “I can’t believe you. You’re so devoted to Team Rocket that you’re willing to let a child suffer and potentially be killed. And for what!? World domination?! Money?! Fame?! You’re horrible, you know that?!”

In Harriet’s mind, there was no possible excuse or justification for any of this. Danny certainly didn’t deserve to be treated the way he did. If Margeaux was willing to pass this off as being normal in Team Rocket’s world...Harriet could only shudder at the thought of other kids suffering in the exact same way if they don’t become members of Team Rocket or do everything their parents say. People who were in Team Rocket probably shouldn’t be parents at all!

“Harriet, come on. You don’t mean that,” Margeaux sputtered. “We’re friends--”

Friends? Friends?! FRIENDS?! She finally erupted.

“NO! WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!!” Harriet screamed at the top of her lungs, louder than she thought she was even capable of. Even Cookie covered his face with his pincers, cowering. “WE HAVE NEVER BEEN FRIENDS AND WE NEVER WILL BE!!” She couldn’t believe it. Margeaux actually thought she and Harriet were friends. Harriet couldn’t fathom why she would think that. Just because they lived together, talked sometimes, and sometimes went on missions...Harriet tasted bile. “I never wanted to be dragged into Team Rocket! All I wanted was a job and to support my family! But Yannick tricked me! He pulled me into this, and I don’t want anything more to do with this or you!! I can’t take this anymore!! I am leaving Team Rocket and you’re NOT going to stop me!!” This time, tears spilled forth. They came with such force that Harriet’s cheeks were practically drowning.

Again, Margeaux had no words. But Harriet could see the completely pained expression she had. It was one of abject heartbreak and misery. Was it real? Or was it yet another facade? At this point, Harriet didn’t want to waste her energy on someone she never liked. With Cookie at her side, Harriet bolted to her room, leaving a surprised Margeaux alone in the kitchen.

***

“Oh goodness…” Both Officer Jenny and Madison had to sit down. This whole story was far too much to process all at once. Madison held a hand to her face, covering one eye. “To think Team Rocket’s been marrying off their members and making children all to keep the organization alive…” This was far worse than anything they had ever learned about them in all the time they’ve been investigating them.

On the other hand, Jenny’s hand was at work, writing everything Harriet told her into a tiny notebook. The pen was moving at mach speed, scribbling onto the paper. Pages and pages were filled top to bottom with writing and Harriet’s testimony. Harriet merely looked down at her trembling hands, unable to look them in the eye.

“I know. It’s horrible,” Harriet’s breath caught in her throat. But she continued to speak. “Danny’s not the only child suffering at their hand. The fact that they encourage these awful acts…” More tears spilled forth, dripping onto the sheets. “I couldn’t stay there anymore. If I did, I’d lose all the humanity I had left.”

Jenny smiled, slipping a hand into Harriet’s. Even though Jenny’s hand was covered by a glove, Harriet could feel her kindness and warmth. “The fact that you went through so much all for one child’s safety says a lot about you,” Jenny told her with a kind, reassuring tone.

On the other hand, Madison kept scratching her head. “Hang on. Something doesn’t make sense. This man beat his child in his backyard, where other people could likely see it?” Madison asked, looking quite perplexed. “How come nobody else did anything about it? Someone should have noticed. The entire neighborhood was likely to have seen this go on.”

“You’re right about that,” Harriet told her. “Everglade is a neighborhood where only Team Rocket members live. If a child is being beaten right in front of their eyes, they basically see it as the child being ‘disciplined’ for not adhering to Team Rocket’s ideals and goals and don’t do anything to stop it. That’s what other TR members said when they saw other kids being hurt,” She explained. Once again, pushing those words out was like getting poison out of her system.

“An entire neighborhood taken up by Team Rocket members…” Madison ruminated to herself. “Man, those guys really know how to keep themselves under surveillance.”

Harriet gave a grim nod. “Indeed. TR’s leader works primarily in housing, so he’s able to arrange for various members to live in entire neighborhoods like Everglade, namely so if anyone’s doing something they shouldn’t, like telling people outside of TR of our plans, someone will notice and report it to the executives. That way, they can weed out those they perceive as traitors.”

Jenny put her little notebook down, her smile turning into a grim frown. “Judging by your injuries, I take it someone in the neighborhood found out about what you did and reported it to their higher-ups.”

Green hair tumbling about her face, Harriet nodded again. This time, she hid her hands underneath the comforter. The red R on her wrist made her stomach turn into a knot. “That’s the other half of this story.”

Harriet wasn’t done yet. Not even close.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Hullo, I'd thought this story was dead. I might as well pick it back up again. According to my notes I'd read up to Chapter Nineteen, but since I can't remember what those notes mean I might as well skip ahead to Twenty. I'm going to try not to rehash anything I've gone over before, but given that I've forgotten a lot of what I have said that will probably fail. Trying a more typical format for the review:

I bought some taiyaki(1) from the store earlier.

I wouldn't bother with the annotation. The context makes it clear that taiyaki is food anyway, so even if you had never heard of it it wouldn't be confusing.

She knew they were both girls, but she had grown used to referring to her friends as guys. She considered it a neutral term for friends

I'm not sure what purpose this sentence is intended to serve. Knowing some of your history, I suspect it's a result of too many would-be liberal reviewers picking your story to bits. If you ever come to edit this chapter, I'd simply get rid of the justification. It's not something you, the author should have to defend or really justify your protagonists saying.

whirlpool of wrinkles,

An interesting little turn of phrase there.

a school of pidgey flying in the sky

Was "school" a deliberate choice of collective noun?

Right, for Setting, a nice simple way of putting some colour onto it is to be specific with nouns. I'm thinking of the flowers in the garden here. What kind of flowers are they? Geraniums, poppies, tigerlilies, orchids? A straightforward Google search can give you a bunch of garden flowers to start with.

Plot wise, I'd forgotten how monstrous your chapters are! Really, Perrine's story with Kitsune is the chapter. It forms a perfectly good narrative arc of its own, at just the right sort of length before rambling with usually set in. You could have got away with tacking on the Hunter J scene at the end if you really wanted to. It's the Gym Battle that tips it over the edge. Well, that, and I suppose the Rocket scene. I can only assume it's setting the stage for something else, because as it stands it feels a bit like a shaggy dog story - events that don't seem to go anywhere.

That being said, there are a couple of small surprises to be had here. When you use the translation convention of just italics for pokémon speak for one thing. I wish you'd just do that all the time rather that put translations in brackets. That little scene between Baloo and Kitsune proves that the italics alone work just fine. It's not at all confusing, and if anything the story flows better without the superfluous "vul vul piiix" lines in there. I was also pleasantly surprised to to find that their dialogue is noticeably more natural-sounding than what I'd come to expect. Let's see, what else - ah, yes, Perrine's panic wasn't bad. I think this is actually one situation where your habit of over-describing emotions is appropriate.

Last thing to mention is a slightly confusing moment right at the end - so Hunter J is commanding Archer? Isn't she supposed to be a freelance poacher? If she is commanding Archer then presumably either she must have some leverage over Team Rocket or the reward of capturing Raikou is worth whatever it is the Rockets command as the price of their help.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Ok. Um. I'd left of this review for a couple of days because I wasn't sure how to make it seem constructive. Let's see, well, I suspect this'll probably appear in later chapters anyway, but I'd recommend tidying up the way you deal with pokémon dialogue so it's consistent. There are a few typos here and there - I think "couch" was misspelled, and I'm not sure if "bullocks" was a euphemism or not. If not I say go for the full swear. It's not that strong as cusses go, and you do have a Teen rating.

Looking at the action, I rather liked your interpretation of Confuse Ray. Most authors don't seem to really know what to do with that move, but I thought the double vision idea was a pretty good way of explaining how it impairs accuracy. The converging subplots resulting in Raikou showing up in Olivine was a nice surprise. The ended up tying together more effectively than I thought - introducing the pursuers in an earlier scene was a cunning way of getting around having to explain them in the Olivine scene.

Now, I've been thinking about this next point for a while and trying to decide how to explain it. There is an ... inconsistency, I think is the best way to put it, with the tone of the story. Half of it is kind of frothy, cheerful, playful, not unlike the tone of the anime. And the other half delves right down into abuse and neglect and rage and all sorts of dark emotions. That they don't gel together is not, I think, because you're bad at writing them. I don't think this kind of tonal shift ever really works. Humour and levity in a dark story is a tricky thing to pitch right.

You can kind of sum this up with the Raikou battle at the end. The tone is supposed to be dramatic, I think, but then you've got bubblegum cannons and Raikou, well, not making an attempt to fry J with a Thunderbolt. To put this into perspective, I don't think the anime ever got it right either. I think when the anime tried to go dramatic and grim it just ended up looking silly, especially with the likes of Pokémon Hunter J. Given my opinion on the canon, it's up to you whether you want to dismiss this comment - I'll be the first to admit there is a good argument for doing just that. I'm sure you could find plenty of people on this forum who'd completely disagree with me and think J is a great character.

The upside of this is that I think your frothier sections tend to be the better ones. I don't know if this is true or not, but as a reader I get the impression that you're more comfortable writing those scenes. I have found myself wondering what you'd make of a "smaller" story, focusing on the difficulties faced by an autistic girl in the pokémon world. I don't think that frothy, good-natured stories are inherently worse than dramatic dark ones - to put it in anime terms, sure I like ERASED but there's a reason I'll rewatch Non Non Biyori.

 

[Juliko]

A/N: This chapter is a very very belated birthday present to a very special friend I made on the Bulbagarden forums. Happy super late birthday, System Error! Hope you enjoy it!

***

Chapter 42: Harriet’s Confession, Part Two

Continuing where she left off, Harriet told Officers Jenny and Madison the rest of what happened. Hours after she witnessed Danny be beaten near to death, she resolved to finally leave Team Rocket today. It had to be today. If she stayed, she was sure to regret it, both for herself and for Danny. But she had to leave during a time when absolutely no one would see her. If someone were to see her leave Everglade, they would likely report her to the higher ups and see that she be punished for her actions. But escaping in and of itself was a big risk. Whether she stayed or left, Team Rocket would still be after her. This time, Harriet wasn’t going to stand around and lose the humanity she had left.

At about 11:00 PM, Harriet packed a small bag of necessities--clothes, hygiene products, her diaries, phone, money, and the rest of her PokeBalls--anything she’d need in case she was out on the road. She thanked her lucky stars that she still had some normal looking clothes with her. No way was she going to wear that awful Team Rocket uniform for a minute longer. Just wearing it made her...well, not herself, to put it bluntly. She put on a long sleeved purple shirt, a long white skirt, her favorite beige loafers, dirty and worn with age and lots of usage, and a white sunhat with a purple ribbon wrapped around it. This was more like it. Wearing her regular clothes made her feel normal. Like herself. But this was no time to linger.

She walked out the back porch, keeping an eye out for anyone who would be up and about. It was dark, and normally, nobody would be out at this time of night. But for Harriet, anyone could be lurking, just waiting to find someone doing something they shouldn’t and snitching on them. Streetlights lit the premises, preventing Everglade from being pitch black, and the moon shone brightly in the night sky, like always. With her bag in hand, Harriet made a beeline out the door, her feet carrying her away from the house she lived in for so long. With every step she ran, she could feel her body relaxing. Chains and shackles fell from her soul. Finally, she was away from Team Rocket! Away from that awful neighborhood!

Since Everglade was behind a small mountain, it would take a while before Harriet would be able to reach another neighborhood. Good thing she remembered to bring a flashlight. She walked through the caves, awake and alert, taking care not to wake any of the Pokemon inside. Eventually, she got out and came within the vicinity of the Safari Zone building. Since it was night time, the facility was closed at the moment. But the Pokemon Center was aglow with light, a beacon in the pitch black night. As much as she wanted to go inside and check in, however, she wanted to find a police station first. There just had to be one somewhere. Considering this is the Safari Zone, the facility could need one in case anyone tried to hurt the Pokemon. Harriet kept looking left and right, like a lost Growlithe. Where was the police station? Thankfully, after some more walking, one came within view. A rather small building with a big yellow star on top. Like the Pokemon Center, it was lit up from the inside. She watched as a police officer walked right in. It was open!

Harriet poked her head into the station for a bit before pulling out. Then she pulled two PokeBalls out of her bag.

“Corsola! Sunflora! Come on out!” White lights spilled forth from the spheres. One of them materialized into a round, pink and white Pokemon with coral branches sprouting from its head. The other Pokemon was a living sunflower, with a green body, big leaves for arms, and a big yellow sunflower for a head.

“Corsola corsola corsola!” Corsola hopped up and down.

“Suuuunflora!” Sunflora waved its leafy arms in a cheerful manner.

“I’m sorry to disturb your sleep,” Harriet kneeled to their level. “But I have to run inside and do something. Would you mind keeping an eye out for any Team Rocket grunts?”

“Corsola!” “Sun!” Both Pokemon nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, you guys,” She reached out to stroke their heads gently, happy she had such loyal Pokemon by her side. “I’ll probably be a while, so don’t worry if I’m in there for too long.”

“Corsola!” “Flooora!” Both Pokemon turned around, their eyes peeled wide open, scanning the premises for any Team Rocket members.

Harriet smiled before stepping into the police station. A female officer was sitting at the counter, writing on some documents when she heard footsteps. She looked up, meeting Harriet’s bespectacled eyes. “Oh. Hello there. Do you need some help?” She asked.

“Actually, I’m here to file a report,” Harriet pulled her phone out. “One of my neighbors, a little boy named Danny Kimerer, is being abused by his father. I have video evidence.”

“Come this way,” The officer led Harriet into a smaller room. It was cozy and empty, perfect for the two women to talk in private.

Once inside, Harriet told the officer everything, from Danny being pulled out of public school to witnessing the terrible beating a few hours beforehand. She even showed the officer the video she took of the incident. It was apparent from the wide-eyed, alarmed expression on the officer’s face that the footage she recorded was too terrible to look at. Harriet thought only those with hearts of stone could watch that video without cringing or being completely shocked at the sheer brutality the child was subjected to. Once finished viewing the video, Harriet was quick to give the officer Richard’s home address and speak of his intentions.

“I see. It’s very brave of you to come here and tell me all of this,” The officer told her, putting her phone in a plastic bag. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep this as evidence for the time being. My boss would certainly want to examine it for legitimacy before pursuing this case. But I assure you, we’ll save little Danny. You just gave us probable cause for doing so.”

A relieved smile bloomed on her worried face. “Thank goodness!” Harriet clasped her hands together, overjoyed. Danny was going to be saved! She only hoped that it wasn’t too late to do so. But she thanked her stars that she recorded the video after all. She had seen enough cop shows and crime documentaries to know that stone hard evidence was imperative to solving cases like this. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this.”

“Not a problem,” The officer told her. “Is there anything else?” She could tell by the serious look on the green haired woman’s face that there was more.

Without hesitation, Harriet told the officer about Team Rocket’s plans to take over the Goldenrod Radio Tower. She didn’t miss a single detail, and all throughout the telling of the tale, the officer wrote down Harriet’s testimony in a notepad. It took exactly 30 minutes for Harriet to finish talking.

“This is quite serious,” The officer said, scratching her head with the end of her pen, perplexed. “But exactly how do you know all of this?”

Harriet rolled up her sleeve, revealing the red R tattoo on her wrist. The officer’s eyes shrunk in alarm. Harriet expected that. But it didn’t wound her heart any less. “Just to be clear, I was forced to join against my will. I only just now escaped, and I want nothing more to do with them. Ever,” Even Harriet was surprised by the unexpected conviction in her voice just now. She hadn’t sounded so serious in years. Now she sounded in control. She was in control. In control of her own fate.

“I understand. I’ll report all of this to my boss right away,” The officer told her. “If you want, we can arrange for you to stay here so none of the other TR grunts can get to you,” Harriet’s heart warmed at the officer’s generosity. She didn’t see one hint of fear or scorn in the woman’s eyes, and her voice was kind, too. “Some of my coworkers are still here, and they’re working the night shift with me, so they can probably keep an eye on you throughout the night and protect you.”

For the first time in a long while, Harriet flashed a satisfied, hopeful grin. Finally, she was getting somewhere! Her efforts were finally going to bear fruit! “That would be wonderful. Thank you!” It was here she remembered Corsola and Sunflora. They were still outside! “But there is one other thing.”

After getting permission from the female officer, Harriet trotted out to the entrance to see if her Pokemon were still there. To her relief, they were. Nothing had happened yet, so Harriet found it safe to put Sunflora and Corsola back in their PokeBalls for the time being. It didn’t take long for the officer to return, escorting Harriet to what would be her sleeping quarters. It was mostly a dim, grey room full of plain looking bunk beds, probably for officers who had to be on call for sudden emergencies or who couldn’t return home for whatever reason. She was told that some officers would guard the room throughout the night and keep an eye out so nobody could try to come after her.

It wasn’t much. But to Harriet, a place like this was a luxury. She actually felt safe, no longer confined by the knowledge that she was in a place where Team Rocket ruled. She could actually breathe freely. She sat down on a bed in the farthest corner of the room. Corners always felt safest to her. The bed was actually rather hard and springy, not like the comfortable bed she had in the house she shared with Margeaux. At this point, she’d take this over Everglade anyday. She pulled two PokeBalls out.

“Cookie. Delibird. Come out, please,” Harriet released Cookie and another Pokemon from their confinement. Delibird was a red and white, penguin-like Pokemon with small wings, a yellow beak, a face and chest covered in snow white feathers, and yellow two-toed feet. It also had a long tail that, when Delibird took it in its arms, looked like a bag.

“Kuukii.”

“Deli deli!” Delibird squawked, waving its one wing up and down in greeting.

“Would you guys keep me...company for the night?” Harriet’s voice trembled as she asked the favor. “I’d feel safer if you two were out of your balls and with me.”

She barely got to finish her sentence before Cookie laid down next to the bed and Delibird snuggled right up to her. Stray tears trickled down her cheeks, one of them melting into Delibird’s head of fur. How blessed she was to have such wonderful Pokemon by her side! With her heart brimming with gratitude for having her friends with her, it was easy for Harriet to fall right asleep. This time, she wasn’t afraid of the unknown. As long as her Pokemon were with her, she was fine as far as she was concerned.

The night passed quickly. When morning arrived, Harriet heard the most heavenly news from the female officer from last night.

“Harriet. My team broke into Richard’s house last night,” The officer told Harriet right as she woke up. She didn’t even give Harriet time to rub her eyes. “They saved Danny. He’s alive and in good hands.”

Danny was saved? Danny? Saved? Just hearing those wonderful words was enough to completely blast any sleep and weariness she had to smithereens. Springing upward, Harriet sat up, eyes awake and wide with surprise.

“You saved him?! Is he alright?!” Harriet shouted, her voice instantly going from quiet to near hysterical the second she heard the news. But...she knew Danny’s injuries were likely to be very severe. She saw him bleeding from an intense head wound. Richard had kicked him, punched him, and beat him with a belt. A man like Richard was likely to either have killed him or left permanent scars or injuries.

The officer’s answer confirmed it. “He has several broken bones that are going to take a lot of time to heal, and his other wounds were quite intensive. But rest assured, he’s alive. Last I heard, the doctors got him out of surgery earlier this morning.”

Danny was alive. Stable and in good hands. Survived surgery. To say Harriet was relieved would be the understatement of the millennium. It was as though the chains that trapped Harriet finally broke, freeing her from confinement. The floodgates opened. Harriet threw herself on the female officer, squeezing her tight and crying into her chest. This was just so wonderful! Danny was saved! He was taken away from Richard! He could live a normal life! Never before had Harriet felt so grateful for anything in her life.

“Thank you…” Her gratitude came out in choked sobs. But neither woman cared. “Thank you...thank you so much…”

“We saved other kids as well,” The policewoman told her reassuringly. “Your information was correct. We found them in all the other places you told us about.”

Even more reason to celebrate. Harriet let herself go, sobbing into the woman’s shirt, leaving stains of happy tears all over it. Good thing neither woman cared much. At this point, they were just too jubilant about their victory to notice anything else, Harriet especially. Finally, her efforts bore fruit! Danny was no longer in danger! At least, she hoped he wasn’t. Not just Danny, but other kids were safe as well! Gradually, her jovial sobs quieted down, and she wiped her tears as she released the policewoman from her grasp.

“I’m so happy right now...I can’t describe it…” No fancy words could possibly convey Harriet’s complete and utter joy at the news. Even the police woman could see that Harriet was beyond happy to hear this news.

“If you don’t mind me asking, do you have family we can contact?”

Her family? Harriet’s smile immediately faded. She hadn’t thought about her family in a while. She had sent them a letter about two weeks ago, but that was it. “I do. But I haven’t seen them in months. Team Rocket cuts off their members from their real families, if they have any. Plus…” A dark look pushed away the jovial expression she had before. She looked down at the officer’s shoes. “I don’t know what they’d do or say if they found out...I was in Team Rocket. I’ll be honest, I’ve done some bad things while I was there. I never wanted to, but it doesn’t change the fact that I too have committed crimes in the name of TR.”

It had weighed heavy on her heart ever since her first mission. For so long, all Harriet dreamed of was leaving Team Rocket and returning home to her family. The family she knew she loved and cherished with all her heart. By Arceus, did she yearn to be with her mother, father, and many siblings! Smell her mother’s fresh rotisserie chicken, watch bad horror movies with her father, chase her younger brothers around the yard, and teach her little sisters how to take good care of Pokemon, since they wanted to be trainers just like her. But...could Harriet even face them and tell them the truth? For all she knew, if they found out she was in Team Rocket, they might be angry at her, whether they believed that she was dragged into the organization against her will or not. Would they even go so far as to disown her? Harriet shook her head. No, they wouldn’t do that. They were her family. Sure, Harriet knew she had done bad things, but that didn’t make her a bad person. It wasn’t as though she wanted to do everything TR told her to do.

Saving Danny and telling the police about TR’s plans for Goldenrod was proof of that. Right?

Harriet told the officer that she herself would call them when she felt she was ready. But the officer did tell the girl that she wasn’t to leave the police station yet. For all they knew, Team Rocket might have reported the raid to their superiors and were on the hunt for Harriet. They didn’t want to risk Harriet getting captured, to which the latter agreed. Besides, Harriet was in no rush to get back home as of right now. She was just happy to be away from Team Rocket.

Too bad her freedom would be short lived.

The room Harriet had slept in was still empty, but only now did the heat suddenly strike her like a mighty blow. Unlike the cold autumn day outside, the inside of the room was stiflingly warm. Breathing it made Harriet feel as though dust as tickling her throat. She could tell that the radiator at the other end of the room was the cause of it, probably to keep whoever slept here warm during the fall and winter. However, the level of heat in the room was a bit too suffocating for Harriet.

“Goodness,” Harriet walked over to the nearest window. “They have the radiator on full blast in here!” She exclaimed, pushing the window up to feel the cool air outside. Her cheeks stung a little at the frigid, frosty air, but it still felt somewhat nice. Immediately, the heat went out the window, making the room feel much less like a humid early summer day. She rested her elbows on the windowsill, her hands on her cheek, looking up at the grey sky above. Her mind wandered, losing itself to thoughts of her family.

“I wonder if Andy and Ryan are behaving themselves?” Andy and Ryan were two of her younger brothers. Come to think of it, wasn’t Ryan’s 10th birthday about a few weeks ago? Regret and guilt tugged at her heart. She had missed her siblings’ birthdays. Ryan was old enough to become a Pokemon trainer if he applied for a trainer’s license. That had been all he talked about for years.

A low giggle bubbled out. “For all I know, they’re probably still teasing poor Dakota and Kelly,” Dakota and Kelly were her younger sisters. She could picture it clearly in her mind. Two boys of about eight and ten, playing silly pranks on two girls of about twelve and fourteen, like playfully attacking them with toy swords and Nerf guns.

Suddenly, her nose caught a strange scent. “Huh?” It was strong and stingy, like oranges. Then, without warning, a sparkling gold cloud blocked her vision. “Wha?!” Harriet immediately waved her hands to blow it away, but it was futile. Immediately, her body began to lose energy, turning limp. She fell to her knees, her legs giving out from underneath her. Her eyes grew heavy, unable to keep them open.

“What’s...happening…” The last thing she saw was a black silhouette on the other side of the window. A human shape. Who was that? Before long, Harriet lost herself, falling to the floor, unconscious.

***

The first thing she heard were voices. Low voices. Murmurs echoing among a crowd.

Then she noticed she couldn’t move. She was stuck. Rope fibers dug into her skin. She couldn’t get up. This was enough to make Harriet wake up at least. Titanium walls surrounded her. People in Team Rocket uniforms circled around her. Black uniforms. White uniforms. Gray uniforms. Harriet looked down and sucked in a terrified breath. She was tied to a titanium chair with a rope. She wasn’t at the police station anymore. Did one of the grunts render her unconscious somehow and take her back? Considering she was surrounded by TR grunts, that seemed to be the most plausible explanation.

One thing she knew for absolute certain was this: all eyes were on her.

Angry, narrowed eyes brimming with nothing but scorn.

A set of doors pulled back, allowing someone to enter the room. Harriet looked up in alarm. It was Yannick, frowning at her, holding his favorite whip in hand. A Venonat hopped next to him. Yannick stood before Harriet, his emotionless, cold expression unchanging.

“Ya-Yannick…” The recitation of his name came out as nothing more than a timid squeak.

“Thought you could spoil our grand plans, didn’t you, Harriet Latham?” Yannick’s voice was absolutely dripping with venom and ice. “You’re lucky Venonat’s Sleep Powder was most effective on a little runt like you. I suppose the message at the meeting wasn’t drilled into your small brain enough. Loose lips and treason absolutely will not be tolerated.”

The punishments Ariana had talked about. Now Harriet was living one of them. This wasn’t going to end well. She could feel it in her whole body. Even more so when Yannick kept his cold eyes on her. Cold, heartless, ruthless eyes that were known to strike fear into anyone. Harriet could feel a lump in her throat. Swallowing didn’t help a bit.

“I’m sure you’re well aware of your crimes, so I don’t feel the need to repeat them to you,” Yannick hissed before giving a glance at everyone in the room.

Crimes? Harriet knew what he was talking about. Saving Danny from being abused by Richard and being forced to become a member of Team Rocket. Telling the police about their practices and getting Richard arrested. Letting them know about Team Rocket’s plan to raid the Goldenrod Radio Tower and use it to broadcast their evolution inducement wave all over Johto, putting everyone, human and Pokemon, in mortal danger. Those were considered crimes to him? If Harriet wasn’t tied up and potentially fearing for her life, she would be laughing at the completely warped irony. But more than that, she could tell the people here had a very warped view of what constituted being considered a crime. The fact that nobody dared to question Yannick told her all she needed to know about how far gone they were.

“Well, Harriet,” Yannick tapped his whip on his gloved palm twice. “As punishment for your reprehensible actions, you will be subject to a session. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it very much,” The grin on his face as he said that stretched farther than normal, and he bared his teeth like a vicious Houndoom ready to attack its prey and maul it alive. More than that, his normally icy eyes suddenly burned excitedly.

More like he was the one to enjoy it.

“Alright, you low-lifes!” Yannick commanded. “Show this little runt what happens to those who oppose Team Rocket!”

With one crack of a whip, everything began.

Voices rose into all-out yelling. Grunts pointed their fingers at Harriet, with some waving their fingers at her like parents scolding a naughty child. Their eyes blazed with unrestrained anger. Vile insults, profanities, and obscenities poured out from their mouths, things Harriet didn’t dare repeat. All of it directed toward her and no one else.

“How could you do this to us?! Our plans are gonna be ruined because of you!!”

“You’re a fat slob! Your hair looks like puke with it all green! Your Pokemon are useless weaklings!”

“Someone should shove a flaming lit torch down your throat so you don’t run your mouth to anyone else!”

“Why did you even join Team Rocket?! Are you deliberately trying to expose us?!”

“How dare you! You don’t care about anyone but yourself! Why couldn’t you just do what they said?!”

“Idiot! Moron! Fat-butt! Poop-eater! Coward! Betrayer!!”

“You’re ugly and stupid and you look like a rotting skeleton!”

“You’re lucky Petrel isn’t here to have his way with you! We know he’d teach you a lesson like no other!”

“We’re all ashamed of you, Harriet! We trusted you!”

“You’re a failed abortion whose birth certificate is an apology to the poor woman who gave birth to you!”

“Piece of sentient human trash! Someone should have murdered you and left you to die and reduced you to roadkill for the Houndoom and Mandibuzz to eat!”

“Parasite! Fat pig! Fat cow! Skank! Slut! Bottom-feeding, scum-sucking Snorlax feces!”

“I’ll bet no man in this universe would ever want to marry a two-faced liar like you!”

“You heartless witch! Richard wouldn’t be in jail if you hadn’t been so stupid and ran your mouth! What else are you gonna tell the cops?!”

Every word that fired out from the grunts struck Harriet in the heart, each one hitting harder than the last, each one twisting further to make blood come out faster. Here was Harriet, tied to a chair, unable to move, unable to escape, and having insults and vile things thrown at her in every direction. There was nothing she could do. She was absolutely helpless. The rope kept her locked in place. People circled around her, trapping her in one spot, not intent on letting her escape anytime soon. All Harriet could do was close her eyes, hold her head down, and try to block everything out. Let her mind take her somewhere else. But not even that worked. Everything was too loud. Never before had she ever been subjected to something like this.

“Ugh!” Something hit her chest. Something soft and wet. Harriet opened her eyes and looked down. The remains of a rotting tomato splattered all over her blouse, coating it a sickening orange red color. The tomato then fell on her lap, staining her skirt. Of course, the Team Rocket grunts did nothing but laugh.

“Now that’s a way better look on you!” One male grunt bellowed before chucking another rotten tomato at her. This time, the rotting vegetable hit Harriet square in the face, falling to the floor, staining her from the nose down to her chin. More laughter followed. Harriet could only lower her head in shame. Everything hurt. It hurt so much.

Right after that, balls of saliva were suddenly pelted at her. Some of the grunts spat at her, with others laughing at the ghastly display. One glob of saliva hit Harriet’s eyebrow, cascading into her left eye. Another landed right on her cheek, and another on her blouse. Harriet had never been and felt so humiliated in all her life. Nobody had ever done this to her before. Worst of all...Harriet could do nothing.

Why was this happening? Why were they doing this to her? Why was she going through all this? Harriet felt small and weak, powerless to do anything against these grunts. She could see Yannick smirking in one corner of the room, clearly enjoying himself. Harriet had never felt so hopeless in all her life. With every insult, profanity, and ball of saliva thrown at her, a piece of Harriet’s heart was pulled right off and ground into dust. It seemed to go on forever. What time was it? How long had she been here? Harriet didn’t know, and had no way of knowing.

“Ahhh!” All of a sudden, a sharp pain whipped across her legs. She looked down, seeing some fresh red welts. Yannick stood before her, whip still in hand. Then, he raised it up before dropping it down once more. The tip slashed across Harriet’s torso, then her face, and he took another whip at her feet.

“See what you made me do, Harriet?” Once again, Yannick’s voice had no warmth or sympathy. Only ice and venom. “This is what those who defy Team Rocket have to face,” Then, strangely, he untied the ropes around Harriet, releasing her from the confinement. But Harriet knew that he wasn’t going to just let her go. Then, he used his free hand to lift Harriet to her feet by her shirt.

“Stop! Please!” Harriet begged, squirming in what she knew was a futile attempt to break free of his grasp. Obviously, it didn’t work. Yannick’s iron grip wasn’t going to release her that easily.

“Know that this is only the beginning of your punishment,” Yannick hissed.

Harriet clutched Yannick’s wrist with both hands in a futile attempt to remove him from her shirt. Of course, since he was stronger and bigger than she, that was impossible. All Harriet wanted was to get out of here. Get away from Team Rocket and this “session.” Was this ever going to end?

“STOP!!”

A scream made everything stand still, like time itself had stopped. Everyone in the room turned to the entrance, even Yannick and Harriet. It was Margeaux, gasping for breath, holding what appeared to be a lime green wig in one hand and a pair of glasses in the other.

“Margeaux? What are you--?” Harriet’s mind was all over the place. Her mouth hung open in alarm. Was Margeaux here to participate in the session?

“Stop! Please, stop this right now!” Margeaux shouted, eyes wide with sorrow.

Everyone raised their eyebrows. Harriet especially. For a moment, she was sure her ears were playing tricks on her. Margeaux? Standing up for her? Telling them to stop? ‘That can’t be true. Margeaux is just like the others,’ Harriet thought. Margeaux had no empathy for Danny being abused by Richard. She brushed it off like it was just a bug in the room. Surely this had to be a trick. A facade Margeaux was displaying to the public eye.

But it wasn’t. “Harriet’s innocent! She didn’t do it! I did!” Margeaux yelled, slamming a hand onto her chest.

The crowd was silent, save for a few low murmurs. Again, Harriet’s mouth fell open.

“What is the meaning of this, Margeaux?” Yannick shot an angry glare in his partner’s direction. “We’re in the middle of an important session!” He barked.

Margeaux stomped straight over to Yannick and held the lime green wig to his face. “I was the one who reported Richard to the police and had him get arrested! I disguised myself as Harriet and left Everglade in the dark to throw off suspicion!”

The whispers rose in volume. “Seriously? Is this a joke?”

“That can’t be right. No way.”

“Margeaux’s too cool for this.”

“Come on. It isn’t true, right?”

“Everyone knows Harriet did it.”

Oddly enough, Yannick kept his gaze locked onto Margeaux. He still kept Harriet in his grip, not intent on letting her go anytime soon. Still, Harriet could see something in his eyes change. “...Is what you say true?”

Margeaux gave a solemn nod.

“Then who was it that Pietro saw leaving your house?”

“That was me in disguise. Harriet was sound asleep when I left. She woke up and saw me come back in,” Margeaux turned to the green haired damsel. “Right, Harriet? You saw me dressed just like you.”

Tension filled the air around them, so thick a Scyther could cut it to ribbons. There was no denying it: Harriet knew Margeaux was lying about all of this. Margeaux was clearly covering for her. The wig and glasses she held in her hands were brand new, without a single stain or spot on them, unlike Harriet’s unkempt hair and barely chipped glasses. Again, questions ran through her confused mind. Why was Margeaux doing this? Why was she getting involved? More than that...what was Margeaux planning on getting out of this? Was it out of genuine concern for Harriet’s safety, or was it something more? Maybe one of the executives told her to do it and are using her to open the way for Harriet to receive worse punishment.

On the other hand...an opportunity rose. This was Harriet’s chance to be free from this awful nightmare. Here was Margeaux, taking the blame for her without hesitation, offering herself to them, and all Harriet had to do was say yes or no, sealing both of their fates. This was the only chance she had. Everyone around her stared at the trio of grunts, waiting. The anticipation was killing them, Harriet especially. She could see the session’s end coming near. She needed to seize this moment, or else she would probably be stuck in this nightmare forever. Or worse.

“Well, Harriet?” Yannick hissed, shaking her like she was a rattle, hoping that would force the answer out of her. “Speak up, girl! Is what Margeaux says true or not?!”

“Y-Y-Ye-Ye-Yes…” Harriet finally stammered, unable to take it anymore. She wanted to get out of here, and NOW.

Gasps echoed all around the room. Grunts’ eyes shrunk in alarm. Others held their hands to their faces. Harriet could feel herself going limp from exhaustion.

“There you have it,” Margeaux told him. “If you want to punish someone, let it be me. Harriet doesn’t deserve this.”

Yannick stared Margeaux down, narrowing his cold eyes at her. For a moment, nothing was said until Yannick threw Harriet to the ground in a brusque manner. Harriet yelped in pain as the shock of falling on the floor sent a jolt up her lower back. Yannick then glanced over at a blonde grunt. “Dallas! Take Harriet to the underground jails! She is to stay there for three days! I’ll deal with her later!”

“Yes, sir!” The blonde haired grunt, Dallas, took Harriet up by the shoulder and escorted her out of the session room.

The last thing Harriet saw as she was dragged out of the room was Margeaux shooting a look at her as another grunt sat her down and tied her hands back. Sad, apologetic eyes and a relieved smile. An arrow of regret shot through Harriet’s heart. Margeaux willingly took her place! She voluntarily saved Harriet and put herself on the line for her, and Harriet never even considered her a friend.

Now Margeaux was going to endure the same torture, or even worse.

Guilt overcame her. But more than that, it was remorse. Remorse for ever having doubted her intentions earlier.

***

The underground jails were where various Team Rocket members who broke the rules were often sent to for confinement. Sentences often vary from three days to months on end depending on the gravity of the crime and punishment. The lights were often dim, never too bright, making the place look very dull and eerie. Harriet was unceremoniously thrown into one cell that only had a tattered blanket on the floor, and a rusted, dirty bucket in the corner. That was all. The tiny room was a mere six feet wide in all directions, leaving her with very little space to walk around.

Harriet had to wonder if this was what it was like to be in an actual jail. But she knew an actual jail wouldn’t look so desolate. At least jails had real beds and bathrooms, and were clean under good management. She wondered if Team Rocket made them like this on purpose. Surprisingly enough, Harriet discovered that she still had her PokeBalls with her, Pokemon included. How did the others miss them? Usually, when grunts were to be punished, their Pokemon are immediately confiscated. Harriet looked down at her long skirt. Her PokeBalls were in one of her pockets, a pocket so obscure and easily hidden that not even the executives could have seen it from a single glance. One of the lace borders of her skirt covered the top of the pocket in question, and her PokeBalls were small enough that they didn’t make any noticeable bulges.

“Wow...lucky break, huh?” Harriet held Cookie’s PokeBall in her hand, happy to know that she wasn’t alone.

Unfortunately, as much as her Pokemon tried, none of them could break the walls and bars that confined her. They were too strong. Not even a Machamp could break them. The three days she spent in that tiny cell were long and monotonous, and all of Harriet’s meals were delivered to her...if one could call them meals. She only received a cursory plate of bread and water a day, no more than that. It did nothing to satiate her hunger. But she did manage to give most of her bread to her Pokemon, figuring they needed food more than she. Good thing nobody else was here to guard the jails or her cell. The bars were strong enough that no one could possibly hope to escape, and the entrance to the jails were guarded on the outside. If someone were to confiscate her Pokemon...Harriet didn’t know what she’d do.

“Margeaux…” The memory of Margeaux’s kind act from before still lingered in her mind, all throughout those three days of confinement. “I don’t understand. Why? Why did you do that for me?” It didn’t make sense. Margeaux turned a blind eye to Richard’s abuse of Danny, but willingly stepped in to save her? It wasn’t like her. Maybe...something Harriet said finally got through to her?

The tinkling of metal keys pulled Harriet out of her thoughts. She stood up in alarm, watching as Yannick unlocked the door, walked inside, grabbed Harriet by the arm, and pulled her out.

“You’re coming with me.”

That was all he said. He was silent as he dragged Harriet through various halls and corridors. “Where are you taking me?” Harriet asked. No answer.

She had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that wherever Yannick was taking her, it wouldn’t be good. Nothing good could come of being around Yannick, one of the cruelest, most merciless, highest ranking grunts in all of Team Rocket, probably more so than Proton and Petrel, if the rumors she heard were to be believed. Harriet didn’t know where she was. Eventually, they stopped in front of a giant titanium door. Yannick entered a code and watched as a red button glowed green, allowing entrance.

“Aagh!” Again, Harriet was thrown into the room like she was nothing more than trash to be thrown out.

“Look around, Harriet,” Yannick hissed. “This is where you will meet your end.”

Nothing could prepare Harriet for what she saw.

Her eyes shrunk when she sat up and got a look at everything. The titanium room had no windows and was full of strange contraptions and objects she didn’t recognize. On the far right of the room was a rope and a pulley, with the end of the rope tied into a large noose, big enough for Harriet to put her head in if she wanted to. Various restraints, chains, and padlocks, made of varying materials like steel or leather, were attached to nearly every single wall, some big, some small. Some of them were wooden and looked more medieval in nature. Stocks and a single pillory. In one end of the room there were two chairs, one regular one with restraints, and another one with small spikes all over it. Large, oval shaped stones sat in one corner of the room, with the tips bearing chains and padlocks. Were those supposed to be weights? Other objects were hung about the walls. Knives, machetes, whips, paddles, hooks, and other metallic items she couldn’t put a name to.

But it was the drying blood on the walls that left Harriet breathless. Red stained the walls, ranging from small, barely visible lines to huge splatters of blood bigger than her head. Her nose caught the fresh scent lingering in the air. She also noticed some yellow and brown spots on the floor. The noisome aromas assailed her nose. She didn’t dare try to put names to those yellow and brown stains, even though she knew what they were. It was nothing like she had ever seen. Something was horribly, horribly wrong.

“Wha...what is this?!” Harriet shouted, fear consuming her very being. “What is this?!”

“Your final resting place, of course,” Yannick readied his whip, grinning like he was going to have the time of his life.

“No!” The realization dawned on her right then and there. This was Yannick’s personal torture chamber. She had heard rumors about it, but she thought they were fake. Not once did she ever think it was real. But here she was, right inside it. She could feel it, smell it, see it, everything. Harriet knew what might happen. This was not how her life was going to end. “No no no NO!!” She made a break for the door, but Yannick used his free hand to pull her back.

“I have decided that you shall receive the highest punishment for your little stunt,” Yannick growled, his voice lowering to a point where it sounded almost inhuman. “Welcome to my little playhouse.”

Playhouse? This was a straight up torture chamber! Then the blood on the walls...was it from other grunts? Were people killed here? Gradually, the pieces came together. Harriet shot an angry glare at the man towering over her.

“Why am I here?!” Harriet barked. “Margeaux was the one who told the police about Richard, not me!”

A heinous laugh escaped Yannick’s lips. “Oh, I knew that stupid girl Margeaux was lying the entire time,” She shot a scornful glare at Harriet. “I already dealt with her here yesterday.”

Dealt with her? Harriet looked around the chamber once again. She could see blood on several of the contraptions, namely the spiky chair. One detail in particular stood out. Lying by the stocks was the tattered remains of a Team Rocket uniform. The sleeves had been ripped off, and the red R had a big slash through the torso. She could make out a set of initials on one of the R’s legs written in bright green. MS.

MS. Margeaux Smith.

Only Margeaux’s uniform was embroidered in bright green. Putting different colored initials on one’s uniform differentiated them from other grunts.

No. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t have tortured her to death...could he?

Harriet whipped her head around in utter shock, the unbelievable fear that had always sat in her soul rising to the surface once and for all. “...You killed Margeaux?! You knew she was lying yet you killed her anyway?!” The crippling fear suddenly began to morph into rage. It coursed through her so quickly that her fists began to tremble.

His whip cracked, frightening Harriet into silence. The twisted smile on his face didn’t go away. Not even once. “So what? She had always been a liability to Team Rocket. I had great fun sending her to her grave,” Yannick cackled, stroking his whip like it was his baby. Harriet could see the pure glee and enjoyment all over his face. “You should have heard that girl scream during those last moments of her life! It was music to my ears!”

She gasped in a breath of air, any tears she tried so hard to hold back threatening to finally fall. Yannick’s true nature had finally come out. All of the rumors about him being cruel, merciless, and sadistic were true! The fact that he owned, and possibly constructed, his own personal torture chamber just for torturing and killing anyone who dared to defy Team Rocket spoke volumes about him. His complete lack of empathy and remorse for what he admitted to doing to Margeaux...that sealed the deal. The sight of Yannick alone made Harriet’s chest hammer in a painful rhythm.

“The moment one loses all hope…” The grin creeped further into his cheeks, and a strange, crazed, excited look appeared in his eyes. One burning with a twisted, unrestrained eagerness and desire for Harriet to die slowly and painfully before him. “...is the moment I enjoy watching the most...and since I already dealt with Margeaux, you’re next!”

Before Harriet could react, Yannick dropped his whip and wrapped both hands around his victim’s arm, twisting it so hard, she could hear and feel it crack deep inside her. The girl threw her head back and screamed from the surging pain in her arm. Even as she kicked his shins with her skinny legs and howled like a dying Houndoom, Yannick’s grip on her didn’t loosen. No. She wasn’t going to die here. Not here, not now! She wasn’t going to be yet another one of his victims! Then, like before, Yannick threw her to the floor, pulling out his whip and striking her all over. He swiped at her with such speed that she didn’t have time to move or defend herself. The pain in her arm immobilizing her didn’t help matters. All she could do in that moment was scream and screech as the whip tore at her whole body, from her legs all the way to her face, drawing blood and ripping the seams in her clothes.

“Oh, whaaaat?” Yannick mocked her viciously in a scarily high pitched, teasingly sing-song voice. “Is the sad little girl gonna cry?” He chuckled eagerly, not at all unlike that of a hyena as his whip struck Harriet’s sleeve, ripping right through it.

Suddenly, something rose inside Harriet. Something she couldn’t possibly describe. But it completely consumed her. “No...No! No! NOOOOOO!!” With a great heave, Harriet threw herself, ramming into Yannick like an out of control Tauros. He stumbled backward, losing his balance and falling right on his rear, the whip slipping out of his hand.

‘This is my chance!’ Harriet made a beeline for the door. It was still open, probably so other grunts who were outside could hear his victims scream. But before she could escape, a hand gripped her ankle.

“You’re not getting away!!” Yannick pulled her so hard, she fell flat on her face. Seeing the hunger in his eyes, Harriet tried to kick him once again, but to no avail.

That was when it happened. A huge burst of white light suddenly popped out from one of her PokeBalls, ramming right into Yannick and sending him flying to the farthest wall of the chamber. The white light circled around, landing on Harriet’s back, materializing into a Krabby.

“Cookie!”

“Kuu!” Opening his pincer, Cookie shot a barrage of bubbles right at the floor, propelling himself and Harriet right into the air. They flew through the corridor, Harriet feeling as though she had a jetpack strapped to her.

Before long, Harriet stumbled to her feet, Cookie’s bubbles unable to continue firing any longer. She sprinted right out the entrance, with Cookie firing huge blasts of water at any grunts who chased after them. Some of the blasts managed to knock several grunts to the ground. Others readied their guns, rifles, or whatever weapons they had and gave chase. Harriet knew. This was the time to escape. No turning back now. She ran like the wind. The moment her bare feet touched solid dirt, she made a break for the forest, with Cookie on her shoulders, continuing to fire Water Gun.

“Get her!!” Yannick roared from the back entrance of their hideout. “Don’t let her get away!! I want her dead or alive!!”

Hordes of Houndoom and Ariados followed the many grunts that spread throughout the forest. Harriet didn’t think. She didn’t stop running. She didn’t even look back to see if anyone was following her. Run. That was all her mind, body, and soul told her to do. Run. Run away. Get as far away from that horrid place as she could. Twigs stabbed at her bare feet, digging into her skin, and the dirt and mud that went into her wounds as she ran didn’t help matters. Other times, she would run into thick mounds of shrubs and trees, with her hair getting caught in the branches. Good thing Cookie was good with that sort of thing. Using his pincers, he would break the branches and gently untangle it from Harriet’s hair.

Breathless, with adrenaline coursing through her veins, Harriet had no idea where she was going. But at this point, she didn’t care. She needed to get out, and she needed to get away NOW.

“Agh!” A piercing bang echoed among the trees. But to Harriet, it was close by. Grunts hiding in the bushes held their pistols out, firing rounds at the girl. Harriet could feel something sharp graze one of her arms, going right through her sleeve and skin. She didn’t dare stop to see how badly she was hurt. That would mean signing her own death warrant. More shots rang out in the forest. One cut through a piece of her hair as she literally dodged yet another bullet. One missed her ankle by at least a centimeter. Any closer and Harriet would have been rendered unable to run.

“Kuukii!” As soon as more grunts fired a flurry of shots, Cookie circled his pincers and generated a flat, ovular shield. Sparks flew as the bullets made contact with the oval shaped light.

“Protect...Cookie...keep up...Protect…” Harriet gasped in between words, still running with all the energy she had. Cookie kept the Protect shield up, using it as a barrier against the bullets.

“Gaaaar!” Suddenly, three Houndoom appeared before the girl shortly afterward. One of them leaped towards Harriet in one bound, biting onto Harriet’s arm, digging its teeth into her. Screaming, Harriet used her legs to kick at the dark Pokemon. As scrawny as she was, and weak as her injured feet were, she somehow managed to kick the Houndoom so hard, the strength from the blow pushed the Houndoom right off. Too bad the other two were already charging for her.

“Kuukiiiiiii!” This time, Cookie took the initiative, shooting a barrage of bubbles that completely overwhelmed the trio of Houndoom. Cookie kept on shooting, even as Harriet managed to get back on her feet and continue running.

But Harriet knew that Cookie couldn’t keep this up forever. There was only so much he could do on his own, and he was just a tiny Krabby. He wasn’t as strong as most of Team Rocket’s arsenal of Pokemon. As she ran, she managed to pull out one PokeBall, releasing Corsola from her confinement.

“Corsola!” Sensing the danger, Corsola hopped by Harriet’s side.

“Corsola...use...BubbleBeam!”

Both Harriet and Corsola could hear the Houndoom chasing after them. Once Cookie couldn’t use BubbleBeam anymore, Corsola took over, overwhelming the trio of dark Pokemon instantly. This time, the Houndoom were no longer in pursuit, disappearing into the woods as Harriet continued to run.

“Aria!”

Harriet didn’t stop, even as she felt needles sting her from her upper back to her thighs. “Ugh!” This time, she fell to the ground, her clothes caked in mud. Four, gigantic spider-like Pokemon surrounded her, each one sitting on a different tree. Both Cookie and Corsola kept to Harriet’s side, eyeing the Ariados quartet, anticipating an attack. Soon, the Ariados quartet spat white webs of silk, probably on orders to confine her if they saw her go down. Corsola fired glowing white spikes from the horns on her head, whereas Cookie fired blasts of water from his pincers, blowing the silk webs away.

Since the Ariados were distracted, Harriet used the chance to get back up and keep running. Her lungs burned. Her legs burned. Her feet felt like bricks. But this wasn’t the time to stop and rest. For all she knew, Yannick and the others were still after her. It didn’t matter how long she had to run. She needed to run or die trying.

Suddenly, more sharp pains shot through her body. Something like knife points seemed to dig into nearly all areas of her skin. Unable to continue running, once again she fell onto the ground. The pain was too much. She looked at her left arm. Several needles glowed white, digging into her skin. She could feel them on her legs and back as well. It didn’t take long for more Ariados to circle around her, all hissing and itching to eat her right up.

“Ariaaaaaa…” The group of Ariados surrounded her, readying their mouths for spitting their silk around her, probably to subdue her. Harriet tried to get back up, but the second she put her foot on the ground, a burning pain shot through her, leaving her unable to move.

Then, a bright light shot out from her PokeBall holster. Out came Delibird, and in no time at all, the bird Pokemon plowed right through the Ariados group, its wings shining, blinding them into submission. “Deliiiii!” Right after that, Delibird blew a fresh breath of freezing air. The second it touched the Ariados, they recoiled, backing away. It was as though they had entered minus ten degree weather just from feeling the breath alone.

It didn’t take long for Cookie and Corsola to catch up, helping Harriet get back on her feet. As soon as she stood up, Harriet ran once again. The needles on her body had disappeared, but she could feel blood dripping all over her. She didn’t try to rest or look back. Running was all she thought about. She did manage to put Corsola and Delibird back in their PokeBalls as soon as she felt the coast was clear.

She didn’t know how long she ran, nor how far. By the time she was out of breath, she could see the ocean stretching far into the horizon. But her eyes were itchy and blurring, her legs could no longer carry her, and she was dying for air.

“Finally...I...I made it…” Every word she choked out was broken up by gasps of air. Even Cookie could tell she was tired. Suddenly, she could feel herself going down on the sand. The last thing she saw was Cookie being engulfed in white light, glowing.

***

“...And that’s everything,” With that, Harriet’s story was finished.

Madison and Jenny could only sit and stare, their eyes wide with shock and awe. They blinked several times, hoping the whole story would make sense the second time around. It did, and it pieced everything together. Harriet really did go through hell and back not only to save a little boy’s life, but warn someone about Team Rocket’s plans for Goldenrod Radio Tower. It was a miracle she had survived not one, but several Pokemon attacks, hunger, dehydration, violent beatings, and being verbally abused and degraded by possibly hundreds of people. Madison stood up and left the room. Harriet and Jenny could hear her talking into her walkie talkie.

“Thank you for telling us everything,” Jenny told her. “We’ll make sure Team Rocket doesn’t go through with their plans and put them to justice,” Once again, she slid a hand into Harriet’s. “We’ll also do everything in our power to keep your safe as well.”

The frown on Harriet’s face didn’t turn, and her eyes still trembled. “No. Actually…” Harriet raised her hands, curling them into closed fists. One of her sleeves rolled down a bit, revealing the R tattoo. “Please. Arrest me as well. I may not have wanted to partake in Team Rocket’s schemes, but the fact that I still did it, whether against my will or not, doesn’t excuse or absolve me of my actions. I’m tired of running away. I need to take responsibility for my crimes.

She had thought about it for a long time, even as she told Jenny and Madison everything that had happened to her. Turning herself in seemed like the best thing to do. It didn’t matter to her if everything she did was against her will. She still committed crimes, or was an accessory to them. In her mind, Jenny had every right to arrest Harriet. What else could she do at this point? Besides, she’d rather be in jail than go anywhere near Team Rocket again.

On the other hand...Jenny didn’t know what to say. All she could do was stare as Harriet raised her fists, waiting to be handcuffed. After a few moments, she simply smiled and pushed Harriet’s hands down with her own. Harriet locked eyes with her, confused.

“We can discuss this another time,” Jenny told her calmly. “You just rest and try to recover. We’ll handle the rest.”

Seeing that Jenny wasn’t going to arrest her, Harriet simply nodded. With that, the officers left Harriet alone. Cookie looked up at her with concern in his eyes. Harriet rummaged through her pockets and pulled her PokeBalls out. Her hands trembled. She had lived all because her Pokemon protected her to the very end. Cookie even managed to evolve while she was unconscious. She held the PokeBalls close to her chest, and warm tears trickled down her face, with some falling onto the balls.

“Corsola. Sunflora. Delibird…” She turned to her bedside. “Cookie…”

“Kuuu,” Without hesitation, Cookie gingerly extended his pincer out. Harriet laid her head against it, allowing herself to finally relax. The tears flowed faster this time.

“Thank you...thank you...it’s because of all of you that I’m alive…” Harriet whimpered, wondering why someone like her even deserved such wonderful Pokemon. Especially Cookie, who saved her from Yannick first.

As a girl who hailed from Olivine City, Krabby were a common sight. Nobody really paid much attention to them. It was a ten-year-old Harriet who saw one small Krabby blowing big, beautiful bubbles out onto the sea during the sunset one day. She was so entranced by the sight that she sat down and watched the little Krabby the entire time. The Krabby seemed to notice her presence, but didn’t run away. Krabby were used to people being on the beach. At one point, young Harriet had a molasses cookie on her, and thought maybe the little crab Pokemon would like it, so she gave it to him. Much to her surprise, the Krabby ate it. Right afterward, the Krabby followed her home and even slept in her bedroom. It took some convincing, but after about a couple days, her parents allowed her to keep the Krabby, since they couldn’t get it to leave her side. Since then, the two were joined at the hip. She had named him Cookie since he loved cookies so much that one time, she caught him sitting on the kitchen floor with one of his pincers stuck in the cookie jar. Every single cookie was gone. He had eaten them all. The entire Latham family found the sight to be simply hilarious.

Now that cookie-obsessed Krabby was now a strong, fully evolved Kingler, who willingly put his life on the line for her and saved her life, along with her other Pokemon. Harriet didn’t feel she deserved any of this, or any of them. They deserved better than a weak girl who was tricked into joining Team Rocket. But she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She wrapped one of her arms around Cookie’s pincer. It was cool to the touch.

“Cookie...forgive me for being so weak…”

“Kuuuuu,” Cookie warbled, shaking his head as if he was telling her that she wasn’t weak. She was strong.

All Harriet could do now was rest and hope that Team Rocket’s plans would be stopped.

***

The Goldenrod Radio Tower was abuzz with activity. Eduardo Innocenti could only watch as employees dispersed to their positions, ready to begin the show. He stood inside a radio booth, accompanied by Eusine and a red-haired woman with glasses, both of whom sat at a table close by. A Meowth sat on another chair right next to the woman, curled up in a ball and sleeping peacefully. Everyone had headphones on, and microphones were positioned in front of Eusine and the woman. Eduardo glanced over at the station next door, eyeing the producers and other staff through the big window. The producers stood before the mixing board, making the final preparations. One of them flashed a thumb’s up in Eduardo’s direction.

“Everything’s set to go, Mary,” Eduardo told the red haired woman.

“Great! Now we can get started!” Mary tapped some papers on the table before adjusting her microphone.

Eusine glanced in his direction. “Now this ought to be interesting. Don’t you think, Mr. Innocenti?”

The older man straightened out his mustache just a bit. “I certainly hope so.”

“Alright!” Mary could hear one of the producers through her headphones. Eduardo saw he was holding his fingers out. “We go live in five, four, three, two…” Once the countdown was finished, the producer pointed at Mary, giving her the signal.

“Hello, listeners all over Johto!” Mary exclaimed, eyes gleaming and smiling brightly. “And welcome to another installment of the Pokemon History Serial! I’m your host, DJ Mary Talbot, and today, we have managed to bring on a very special guest!” Her voice was clear and enthusiastic. Hearing it made everyone smile, even the producers. “Please welcome the famous historian, researcher, and legendary Pokemon aficionado, Mr. Eusine Eisenhower! We’re very glad to have you here today, Eusine!”

That was his cue. “I’m very pleased to be here as well, Mary. It’s not every day that I get called in for an interview,” Eusine made sure to keep his tone polite and voice calm. He was still as suave as ever. “I’m quite a fan of the Pokemon History Serial, so I’m also very grateful to be on the show.”

“So Eusine,” Mary began. “You’ve been studying legendary Pokemon for many years now. What made you decide to pursue that line of work?”

It was here that Eduardo looked out into the window. Two of the staff members were whispering to each other. Eduardo scratched his head. What was that about? Was there something wrong? A technical difficulty, maybe? He hadn’t heard anything of the sort. Then, one of them walked out the door. Maybe they needed to go to the bathroom or something, he reasoned. Eduardo returned his gaze onto Mary and Eusine, happy that the show was going well so far.

“I’ve always been fascinated by old legends and legendary Pokemon ever since I was a child,” Eusine explained cooly. Mary and Eduardo watched in awe as Eusine elaborated on his history in greater detail. “One time, when I was nine years old, I wanted to go inside the Burned Tower. I was a rather adventurous little boy and barely ever listened to my parents. When I was in there, I happened to catch sight of Suicune, the North Wind Pokemon. Imagine my surprise, seeing an actual legendary Pokemon with my own eyes,” Everyone could see the enthusiastic gleam in his eyes, and from the way he moved his hands and how high his voice got...it was easy to see that just the thought of Suicune made him light up like a Flash attack. “I’ve wanted to see Suicune again ever since. But so far, I haven’t had much luck. Anyway, I studied all I could about the two towers and their impact on the relationship between people and Pokemon, all the way until I graduated from the University of Ecruteak.”

Mary chuckled just a bit. “It’s funny you mentioned the two towers, because those are actually today’s featured subject!” She pulled a paper out in front of her. “Since you study famous events in Johtoan history, what can you tell the viewers about the Burned Tower?”

Yet again, Eduardo looked at the window where the staff were. Again, two of the staff kept whispering and nodding to each other. This time, a woman walked out the door without a word. Eduardo could feel something in the air, but couldn’t put a name to it. Was something going on? Whatever it was, he silently hoped it wasn’t anything dangerous, or something that would put the show at risk.

At this time, Eusine was telling Mary and the listeners about the history of the two towers, the Tin Tower and Brass Tower. Over 700 years ago, early Johtoans built both the Tin and Brass Towers as a means to foster friendship between humans and Pokemon. Morty was descended from one of the families that helped to build the two towers, so he happened to give Eusine the information he needed in his studies. However, 150 years ago, during a time of great wars and endless fighting, a lightning bolt struck the Brass Tower out of nowhere. The tower caught fire, and since the early Johtoans didn’t have the firefighting technologies of today, they were unable to put out the blaze. Only during a terrible rainstorm was the fire put out. The fire burned for three days straight, and despite the peoples’ best efforts, the tower could not be saved.

One detail stuck out to everyone in the room, even as Eusine told the story. Ancient records Eusine had found some years ago stated that three nameless Pokemon were trapped in the Brass Tower as it burned, unable to escape, dying in the blaze. Then, as the storm passed, a rainbow-colored bird Pokemon descended from the skies, shining a light onto Ecruteak City with its shining wings. It was Ho-Oh, the rainbow Pokemon. Ho-Oh shined her light onto the tower, and before long, three new Pokemon emerged from the ashes, reborn as Suicune, Raikou, and Entei, as they were later named. Unfortunately, as Ho-Oh returned to the skies, the three Pokemon were not given a warm and happy welcome. The people feared the Pokemon that defied the laws of life and death, thinking them to be products of black magic, sorcery, or bad omens. People naturally fear what they cannot understand. They shunned the three Pokemon, intent to suppress them with violence. Suicune, Raikou, and Entei left Ecruteak City of their own accord, and since then, they have only made few appearances throughout the centuries.

“My, that’s quite the interesting tale!” Mary exclaimed, curious to hear more. Even her Meowth, who was previously sleeping, woke up when Eusine told the tale, and poked his head up over the table. His whiskers twitched, and large eyes fixated on Eusine, also from a desire to learn more. “Right, Meowth?”

“Meooooow.”

“Did anyone ever find out who Suicune, Raikou, and Entei used to be?” Mary asked. “Before they were transformed by Ho-Oh, I mean,” She added rather hastily.

Eusine couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, everyone I’ve met who’s even remotely interested in these myths always ask that question. I’ve even met people who say the three used to be a Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon,” He told her. “Unfortunately, I feel it’s time to debunk that rumor. No one really knows what the Pokemon trapped in the tower during the fire looked like. Eevee wasn’t confirmed to be able to evolve into five different Pokemon until fifty years after that.”

Of course, Eusine did know that nowadays, Eevee can evolve into eight different Pokemon. At the time of Brass Tower’s fall, Eevee hadn’t been discovered, and only five Eevee evolutions were discovered fifty years after its discovery. The other three evolutions weren’t discovered until far later. Mary got a good laugh out of that, not because she thought Eusine’s answer was funny, but the fact that people could make up such silly assumptions about historical events so easily. Even Eduardo couldn’t help but stifle a giggle before regaining his composure.

The joyful, serene atmosphere was cut brutally short. A loud crash just outside the room made everyone suddenly fall silent. Eusine stood up from his seat in alarm. Mary couldn’t bring herself to move. Shouting and screaming could be heard just outside.

“Off the air! Off the air!” One of the producers shouted. Another staff member pressed a button on the mixer, abruptly ending today’s Pokemon History Serial.

Eduardo ran out from the booth and into the mixer room. “What’s going on out there?!”

“I don’t know!” One of the staff shouted back. A young woman yelled into the intercom by the door leading into the hallway. No response. Another man pulled out his cell phone, ready to call the police.

It was then that they heard the sound of rapid firing outside the door. Gunfire. The woman who tried the intercom dove underneath the mixer table. Then, before anyone could react, the door burst wide open, making everyone recoil. Five people, including the two staff members Eduardo saw shuffling around before, barged right into the room, rifles in hand, pointed right at them. Three of them were dressed in all black uniforms with red Rs on their shirts. One of them already stormed into the booth, a rifle pointed right at both Eusine and Mary.

“Who are you people?!” Eduardo cried.

“Team Rocket!” Eusine exclaimed, PokeBall in hand.

Meowth watched as a shaking Mary pushed her hand under the table, pressing a large red button. There was no sound. Nobody else saw her do this.

“Nobody move!” One red haired Team Rocket grunt shouted. “Move and you’re all dead!”

Eduardo gasped in horror when he saw someone just outside the door sprawled out on the floor. He could only make out some high heeled shoes. Was that one of the guards?

“Relax. She’s just knocked out,” A blonde haired grunt told him unsympathetically. Even as he saw the horror on everyone’s faces, his face showed no remorse or sympathy. “Now, you’re all going to do as we tell you. Defy us, and you’ll die right here.”

“How did you crooks get in here?!” Eduardo barked, pushing his fear to the side for a moment. “You couldn’t have gotten past all of our guards!”

“Your guards?” A woman’s voice asked. Into the room came Ariana, with a pleased smirk on her face. “The correct term would be our guards,” Ariana clarified. “We had disguised some of our Team Rocket members into your employees for months now, just waiting for the perfect chance to strike. If you’re wondering about your other guards...well,” She simply shrugged and smiled like she heard a boring lecture. “They’re done for. It’s their own fault for getting in our way.”

Nobody could believe it. Ariana was basically confessing to killing some of their guards, perhaps other people, and here she was acting like it was no big deal. This was really bad. They could all feel it. This was all very, very wrong. Eusine clung to his PokeBall. By Arceus, did he want to call out his Alakazam and drive them all away right this instant! But he wasn’t so naive as to think sending out his Pokemon would solve the whole problem. If anything, it might make things worse. Team Rocket was a large crime organization, and they had likely planned this for months. It wasn’t worth the risk.

Ariana stepped into the booth, stepping right past Eduardo. She shot a sharp glare at Eusine. The Pokemon trainer could tell that she was silently telling him that they would pay dearly if he tried anything. Then, she grabbed Mary by the arm, pulled her out of her seat and threw her to the ground. Mary let out a pained yelp as she fell to the floor. Meowth was quick to rush to her aid, as was Eusine.

“Mary! Are you alright?”

“Yes. I think...what’s going on?”

“I think we’ll find out soon enough.”

“I...pressed the silent alarm,” Mary whispered, keeping her voice low so Ariana wouldn’t hear. “The police should have heard it by now.”

At this time, Ariana took the microphone in her hands. One of the grunts pressed the tip of his rifle against one staff member’s head. “On the air. Now,” He hissed, his tone leaving no room for nonsense.

As ordered, the man pressed a button, making the broadcast go live.

“Listen up, people of Johto! We are Team Rocket!” Ariana announced in the loudest, most authoritative voice she had, and she was known for being very good at sounding authoritative. That was part of being a Team Rocket Executive. “After years of working underground, we have finally come forth, and you will witness the rise of a new age! Your Pokemon are now ours for the taking, and we shall rule!”

 

[lucarioknight56]

Yet another review incoming!

Grammar/Structure:
The paragraphs are nice and short, and there is still sufficient detail to get a clear look at what the characters are doing. There are several errors scattered around, mostly involving this mistake:

“On the air. Now,” He hissed, his tone leaving no room for nonsense.

The 'he' shouldn't be capitalized, and there's other tags you have that shouldn't be capitalized either. Most forget the comma rule, but in this case you're forgetting the fact that this is all the same sentence; there's no need for an additional capitalization for articles like 'a' or pronouns like 'she'.

Characters:
We have a pretty clear view of Harriet in this instance: a former Rocket wanting to make things right, all the while worrying about the moral correctness of her actions. I'm still getting more used to identifying good character development, but I think you did well here.

Setting:
Unlike some other writers around here, you actually do quite well in this area. The scene is set quite clearly beforehand, and it's fairly detailed throughout. We could maybe have used a little more about the radio tower, but it was still fine.

I guess one place you could use some detail is the police station. We have a general picture, what with the seats and the counter, but there's usually more than that, right? Give us the lighting, the colors, the smell of the newly cleaned floors. Little details like that, combined with Harriet's current state, could really liven up the scene.

Style:
Overall well done, but there are occasions in Chapter 43 and potentially others that you repeat the same description within a relatively short amount of time. Case in point: 'thanked her lucky stars'. It can work well in character dialogue, but in narrative, it can come off as cliché, or at least rather mundane. There's also the case at the end with the use of 'authoritative'; using the same word twice in the same sentence is usually a no-no. But still, other than a few isolated cases, well-done.

Overall:
A nice chapter with only a few errors in style and grammar. A quick read-through should resolve them easily enough. Keep up the good work!