EVERYONE: - Ongoing The Prologue Saga (Saga Prequel)

[Arcaninehero]

Hi.
This thread was originally named Journal of Sagas but I decided to split the Prologue Saga from the main sagas which will be written in a separate thread from this one after this thread is complete.
Updates will be regular, but not in the way you would think. I edit to add my additional content, which usually leads to the last post usually being incomplete.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Spoiler: Content Warnings

Content Warnings: There may be scenes of animal cruelty, which are suitable enough for younger audiences, due to the short depictions. Please tread carefully (This content warning will only be in place for this saga)

Spoiler: Author's Note to readers

Author's Note to Readers: The first saga will be more off topic from Pokémon, but I promise that the next sagas will follow Matthew's journey through all regions of the Pokémon world and this fic will earn its place in the Pokemon section in the Bulbagarden Library.

7/12/25 Update: The rest of the Sagas will be written in a seperate 'Journal of Sagas' thread. It will be made once this has been complete

Summary:
Living in London streets isn't the best experience . I should know that. Until everything changed. After saving a mistreated dog from a dastardly (and stupid) duo, people were suddenly on our tail. Our protector, a kind but strange librarian, sent us on a journey. To learn the truth.

-------Prologue-------
Log #1
This is where most write their introductions, and I suppose I shall write one too.

I have absolutely no idea whether anyone will read this tattered book that I have written in, for I am 'isolated' in a way that I cannot explain. I feel that I may have died in reality but that I am stuck here, as a remnant of my past. I am stuck on an island of trees, that is floating on a white expanse. I cannot find a way to escape, even after many attempts of hurling myself off the edge, learning that I am stuck in an infinite loop, flying out of the sky just to fall straight back onto my island. I do retain my memories of my life, an upside to this prison. Dear Arceus, what am I doing here?

I have found this old book, which seemed to have come from a bygone era. Making use of a stick, the book and some leaking tree sap, I am writing this despicable piece of work you are reading here. I am writing from a crude wooden lodge I have made myself and I only find it satisfactory to write my personal biography, because if, by any circumstance, I am alive, and at some point I die, this journal may serve as my resting point. The only thing I could possibly hope for, is for a willing person to come along and learn from the mistakes I have made. Thus, my introduction is complete and my story can enfold…

 

[Arcaninehero]

It all began, when I was young and foolish, completely oblivious to the plots working around me. Moreover, oblivious to the truth…

-------Day One------
During my childhood, I was seen as an orphan, alongside my younger sister Holly. At the time, we had no idea who our parents were or why they had abandoned us. We only had Ms. Grove, a generous librarian, to look after us. Nevertheless, whether we had her or not, we were confined to the streets of London.

It was winter, and both my sister and I were huddled in our normal alleyway. When I use the term 'Normal', I mean that the alleyway was fairly damp and dark, similiar to the majority of all alleyways that one might come across. Here, I was at the age of ten, a few years older than dear Holly, who was six at the time.

I shivered. Looking up, I could only see an endless mass of clouds, seeing their opportunity to give the first signal of winter. Snow. Just as the first snowflakes landed, Holly gave a mighty sneeze. The now-dropping temperatures had our bodies unable to catch up, leaving us in an endless loop of shivers and clatter of teeth. I sighed, wrapping my arm around Holly. It seemed to us that each year got colder and colder.

Suddenly, there was the sound of two pairs of boots clicking across the white concrete, the snow yet to be built higher. Both of us continued to remain in our silence, even more so that the footsteps had stopped just outside the alleyway. We were hidden behind an unused wheelie bin, just able to peer around to look at the owner of the pairs of the intrusive bootsteps without being seen.

We had been chased before, by thugs dressed quite peculiarly. But, this time, it wasn't them. Two figures dressed in black, wearing many layers (unsurprisingly). Strangely, these two wore sunglasses to conceal their faces, immediately giving away their sketchy intentions. There was an emblem of some sort on their chests, which I couldn't see clearly at the time.

I gave a reassuring glance at Holly, who was whimpering softly, fighting the urge to sneeze. Ms. Grove had demanded that they never show themselves to anyone, to remain in hiding no matter who it was, under any circumstances. I was sure these people weren't looking for us, but what they said next turned my blood to ice…

"Come out, come out wherever you are, Matthew and Holly!" said a mocking woman's voice.
No answer.
We were absolutely petrified. I knew that this suspicious duo were far more intelligent than the thugs, whom we had tricked by making them climb into a prison, in which they were caught.
"Are you sure it is this place? I highly doubt two children could survive in this place," said a masculine voice.
The woman didn't reply, but simply beckoned for him to follow her.

Holly trembled as their boots edged towards our hiding place. I had already thought of a plan to escape. It wasn't a genius mastermind plan.
It'll do, I thought, It'll have to do.
Jumping up, I gave a yell, scaring the wits out of the strangers, before launching my entire weight against the wheelie bin, snapping the brakes and sending it careering towards them. There was no time to lose.

I grabbed Holly's hand and we bolted.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Once we were about a few streets away, Holly collapsed in exhaustion. I knelt beside her, panting. I saw that her fingers turned a deeper blue by the second.
"I'm so sorry, Holly," I whispered.
"Cold…" Her voice wavered as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. The snow built higher on the pavement rapidly, as the minutes passed while we rested.

There was a crunch of snow behind us. I whipped around, thinking the strangers had found us, but ... no.

There was a girl, probably a few years older than me, dressed in appropriate winter clothes.
"Are you two alright?" Her voice was kind and gentle. She had brown eyes and brown hair done in a side braid with a cowlick on the opposite side of her fringe. She wore a red bobble hat, a white winter coat, black leggings and brown boots.
"Come with me," she said, "Ms. Grove wants to see you."
I narrowed my eyes warily.

"Why should I trust you?" I loved Ms. Grove. She was kind and generous to me and my sister, but she would always come find us herself if she wanted us.
"If you don't trust me," smiled the girl," Why don't you lead the way?"
There was something in her smile that felt safe and reassuring. It was almost like… I knew her from somewhere.

Standing up, I suspiciously tried to help Holly up. The girl stepped forward to help.
"I'm Juliet," she introduced herself.
"Thank you, Juliet," I said. Holly whispered her own shy thank you.
"You're welcome!"

I nervously looked all directions, leading us to the library. There could be an enemy right round the corner...

Eventually, we reached the library. I glanced at Juliet, seeing if she had tricked us, but she only had an expression of confidence. Shivering, I placed my hand on the carved wood door. Slowly, I pushed the door open, earning a welcoming creak from it. We went in, our footsteps echoing through the hall. Mosaics adorned the floors and paintings plastered the walls.

At the library's desk, stood a patient young librarian. It was Ms. Grove. She wore a scarlet cardigan, black tights, and she wore her glasses around her neck. She had brown eyes and beautiful flowing brown hair, almost like a chocolate waterfall I once had read about in a story. Her eyes were kind and inviting, her obvious fondness for us showing.

"Oh, thank you Juliet for your help," said Ms. Grove, smiling widely. When she saw our faces, battered and blue, she cried ," Oh my goodness, you are freezing!"
She ushered us to the crackling fire, near the children's section.
"Ms. Grove," I started, nervously, warming my hands with Holly.
"Yes, my dear?"
"We were found by two strangers…"
"What did they look like?" asked the librarian sharply, sucking in a breath.
I was slightly disturbed by what I thought to be fire flickering in her eyes. I glanced over at Holly who had a faint smile on her face as she read a book. There was now warmth in her cheeks. She was safe.
"Never mind." I said.
With a sudden burst of ferocity, she said to me, "For your utmost safety, you WILL tell me now."
Intimidated, I described the people to her. Hearing this, she relaxed. She nodded and met my eyes. Staring into her hazel eyes, I knew from the storm of thoughts, that these people finding us had severe consequences for her.

Ms. Grove walked over to her desk and sat behind it, her solemn form hidden from my view. I glanced at Juliet, who paid no attention to her surroundings, being lost in a book.

There was the slam of the double oak doors, with the echo of clicking footsteps against dark marble floor. My heart skipped a beat when I saw what the figure looked like. I knew this man was somehow related to the two strangers, because he had an identical symbol corresponding to theirs on his breast-pocket. His attire was completely black, with a bowler hat's shade concealing his face. This mysterious person made his way towards the desk, his intentions unknown.

Ms. Grove slowly raised her head, uninterested, but when she realized who she was looking at, she recoiled with a jolt. She sat there unblinking, contemplating her next move. I shuffled discreetly behind a bookshelf, ready eavesdrop on the upcoming conversation.

A sudden flare of embers flashed in the librarian's eyes as she unleashed her fury on the man standing before her.
"Y-You dare to come here... you idiot! How dare you send those minions of yours to endanger them! It is not time, you…!"
"Time passes quickly when you're not paying attention." said the man calmly, unfazed.
Seeing she had failed to stop the man's for-the-best intentions. She had known this day would come. She collapsed into her chair, dejected.
"You promised, Tilly," said the man, almost sympathetically,"This, as we both know, is for both their and your good. Even for the otherworldly's good. They are not supposed to be here anymore. He is growing in power and influence."
The librarian sat there silently.
"I know this will be a hard but wise decision for you. I will not push you, but whether they stay here or leave will be of their own accord." The man passed a small crumpled envelope to Ms. Grove.
"This will be my test for them. If they do not succeed they will stay here. Their success relies on whether you want to give them that push."
The man chuckled, almost sinister. Leaving the librarian to stare at the sealed envelope, he turned on his heel to exit, his identity still a mystery. As he walked towards the exit, he tilted his head sideways, until I could have sworn he was looking straight at me! He smirked, before leaving, leaving the library a small whoosh of wind.

Ms. Grove opened the sealed envelope and wept.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Juliet and Holly looked up in alarm. The former glanced at my eavesdropping positon curiously. I ignored her, making my way towards the crying lady with Holly close behind.

Ms. Grove stared as I walked closer.
"You heard, haven't you?" she managed to croak.
There was no point hiding it.
"Yes miss," I nodded guiltily. Holly came up by my side, watching the librarian with inquisitive eyes.
The lady closed her eyes as if she were in pain.

After a minute, Ms. Grove forced them back open.
"The truth." she said plainly, staring blankly into space.
Suddenly, Juliet appeared at the librarian's side.
She spoke gently to me and Holly, "If I told you… say, you didn't belong here, what would be your thought process?"
Her interested eyes were painfully familiar, but I just didn't know why.

"That I belonged to some place filled with magical creatures," I retorted sarcastically.
"Correct," was the reply.
"Really?" I cried incredulously.
"Magical creatures?" said Holly softly.

"Yes," said Ms. Grove sadly, now back to her senses.
"You need to go back to where you came from, your parents are worried…"
"Or are you," I snapped, pointing at the librarian, "Just pretending not to be our parent after abandoning us!"
"Matthew…" implored Ms. Grove.
"I knew it! I knew it!" I fumed, "You could have given us a better upbringing, or at least taken Holly in! I'm sure any mother would give up their bed for their children!"

Admittedly, my reaction was more of an outburst, now I think it over, but the past cannot be changed.

Something in Ms. Grove snapped. Her eyebrows snapped together in a frown, faster than magnets could connect.
"Now you look here young man, You have absolutely no idea how much work it was to raise and conceal you in a place you weren't supposed to be! I am livid that you could even suggest about my work being not hard enough! Holly, come here!"
Holly's feet did not even make a twitch to make its way over to the shouting librarian.
"I said, COME HERE!" Ms. Grove shot forwards, snatching Holly's wrist so quickly and sharply, that Holly gave a shriek in pain. I pushed the librarian away.
"Get off her, you witch!" I shouted. Ms. Grove stepped back, shocked at what she'd just done. Holly's wrist was now red.

All grew silent. Holly stood there, silent tears running down her cheeks as I tried to comfort her.
"Come on, Holly, I'm sure someone else can take us in." I said.

Holly took my hand and we prepared to exit the library. I looked back to see Ms. Grove slumped in her chair, silent.
"Wait!" Juliet ran up to us, carrying a bundle of clothes. "If you really have to leave, at least take these."
It was an assortment of winter clothes: hats, scarves, coats, gloves, stockings, and boots.
"Thank you." was my reply.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Our footsteps clicked on the library steps. We were wrapped up warm with our new winter clothes. I smiled as I saw Holly breathing out, watching her breath float away in the coldness. I put my hands in my pockets, relishing the warmth of the fur in my pockets.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt of pain in my hand, quickly pulling it out of my green coat. Slowly, reaching my hand into the pocket again, I pulled out an envelope. The same envelope that was given to Ms. Grove. Juliet must have slipped into my pocket!

Holly nudged me. "Look, it's them," she whispered.
Seeing who she meant, I pulled her back.

It was the two strangers, stood in the corner of the alleyway, talking. Holly and I peeked into the alleyway tentatively.

From this angle, I could see that the man had blue hair and woman, red.
"…wants to find those two children for goodness knows what!" complained the woman.
"Quiet down, Ariana," hissed the man, sensing someone was watching them.
Both pairs of people stood silently, listening.
The blue-haired man was the first to break his own silence.
"Fortunately, the boss has given us a helping hand…" The man pulled out a spherical shaped object with a red top-half and a white bottom-half. The two colours were separated by a black line and white button.

Ariana stared.
"A pokémon?"
The man only chuckled and somehow made the ping-pong-sized ball bigger, now about the size of a tennis ball. Holly gasped as the mysterious orb opened, releasing blue energy into the world. As I looked closer, I could see a shape of a creature forming…

Poof! The energy disappeared, revealing an exotic-coloured puppy. It had fiery orange fur and horizontal black jagged stripes going down its back. It had a sand-coloured tousle of hair and fur from the bottom of its chin, flowing onto its underbelly and protruded from its hind as a tail.

The puppy raised his head and growled. Its eyes narrowed fiercely.
"Behave, you ugly beast! Help us with our goal!" snapped Ariana in response, slapping its muzzle.
"Quite right, " said the man, imagining," Rocket Executive Archer and Ariana!" Archer took on a heroic pose.

Growlithe whimpered, intimidated by these cruel humans. I was just about to shout out before I sensed someone coming up from behind us. I whipped around, startling Holly, to see an old postman. I knew this postman quite well, since he was a familiar face most days. He had glinting blue eyes, a bulbous nose, and fine grey hair and beard that was a bushy as a sheep. He could have been mistaken for Santa Claus! Mr Edkins smiled widely, and was just about to say something, until I clamped my gloved hand over his mouth.

He joined us by the wall, peeking round the corner.
"We need to save that dog," I whispered, earning a nod from Holly.
"People we usually find in alleyways," said Mr Edkins, looking kindly at us, "are people best not to be disturbed."
I opened my mouth to speak, but to my surprise, Holly spoke up.
"But the puppy is getting hurt!"
Mr Edkins looked from me to Holly, then back again. He sighed.

We peeked around the corner again, 'discreetly'.
Archer swung around, his face changing into an expression of rage. He threw another strange orb, which unleashed an ugly creature. It hovered above the ground, its spiky-toothed frown looking very ominous on its purple, gnarled, two -headed body. It had two tatoo-like skulls below its face. This was completely unlike anything I had seen in my life... which would soon end very shortly.

"Defend this alleyway," growled Archer to the creature. The creature's body bulged, almost like slime, through the air, obstructing the alley's entrance. It floated forwards, its low growl rumbling through the air.
"What on earth…" whispered Mr Edkins, looking up at the foreign creature.

There was a bark from behind it. The puppy growled and yelped at the creature. It opened its mouth and to our surprise, a blast of fire roared out of it. The creature moaned at the licking of flames. After the fire died down, the creature was full of fury and charged at the puppy.
"No!" screamed Ariana.
Archer was in shock.

I charged forwards, rolled underneath the vile creature and joined the puppy. I was meant to save it I thought, not end up joining its demise!
I watched helplessly as the creature slowly expanded, gradually getting larger with every passing second. I grabbed the growling puppy and pulled him back into the darkest corner of the alley way before…

BOOM! The creature exploded, sending debris flying everywhere. I saw that the two strangers were still standing.
"Somebody must have heard that!" remarked Ariana. She ran off down the road. Archer grabbed one of the red orbs, which sucked up the limp creature. I ran towards Mr Edkins and Holly, who were staring at me speechlessly. Arcber followed me, but he was then blocked by Mr Edkins who immediately deployed his 'pretend to be a protective grandpa' ruse.
"You follow my grandson again, you will soon be behind bars!"


Archer glared, deep down knowing that we were the targets from earlier. He followed Ariana down the street, and soon out of sight.

 

[Arcaninehero]

We sat inside the back of Mr Edkins' Royal Mail van, staring at the puppy we had in our hands. Mr Edkins shuffled in his spot. The puppy seemed more friendly towards me and Holly than anyone else. I petted it, getting a content growl from it.

"Why exactly were you out and about on a street during a winter's evening like this?" asked Mr Edkins, smoothing his beard.
" We're supposed to be somewhere," I said, suddenly remembering the envelope that was stuffed in my pocket. I took it out, and unfurled the slightly singed seal. I took out everything in it. There were four tickets: two for the Underground to Euston Station, and two for the train to Fort William. There was also a leaflet of a mountain.

"Ben Nevis," said Mr Edkins, "one of the highest mountains in Great Britain."

"Why would the dark figure want us to go there?" I asked, watching Holly cuddle the adorable puppy.

"Well, I don't trust them, whoever they are," commented Mr Edkins.

"We're going. Holly and I. To Ben Nevis." I said firmly.

"But…"

"We've got nothing left to lose." I reasoned.

"Alright, then. What about the dog?"

"I guess it is coming too." I said, already quite fond of the puppy.
Mr Edkins climbed out of the back and slammed the doors, before getting in the driver's seat.
"Where to first?"

----------------------------------------

Stockwell Tube Station was a Tube Station just at the corner of a block. The roads were packed with cars, considering how already late it was. The pavement was now packed with snow, and sky was dark. The Station itself, however, was also quite busy.

Mr Edkins parked his Royal Mail van next to the station and we all got out.
"I could've driven you all to Euston itself, but it is quite a long way to go, plus, whoever buying those tickets must've been quite rich!" he said.

Holly and I admired the design of the building. There were telephones on the brick pillars in between the doorways. There were ticket barriers in front and ticket dispensers on the left. As we approached the ticket barriers with our doggy, it was time to say goodbye. I turned, and … didn't see Mr Edkins anywhere.

"Oi! Wait for me!" Mr Edkins walked towards them from the ticket dispensers, sporting his brand new ticket.

" Are you coming with us?" said Holly excitedly.

"I'll only be able to come with you to Euston Station," he said gently, before looking at me," So I can see you off."
Holly looked slightly sad.

"Come on then!" I cried, " Let's get going!"

Holly enjoyed passing the ticket barrier, loving how the barriers opened when it ate up her ticket, before poking out of the other side. The puppy went through with me, with Mr Edkins not so far behind.

The hall split into a fork, with escalators on either side of us. I spotted a sign with a blue stripe and white writing that read, 'Victoria Line Platform 1'.

Holly looked slightly uncomfortable. "I need the toilet," she said, embarrassed.
"Go on, then," I grinned, pointing to the toilets just in front of us, just in the centre of the T-section of the fork. Holly went in and Mr Edkins, me, and the doggy waited outside patiently, watching all of the people come and go. But, there was a pair of people that looked kind of suspicious. We were outside of the toilets, facing the entrance from which we came from. This duo was definitely Archer and Ariana in disguise: their hoods were up like strange teenagers up to no good. Their disguise didn't help when they came up to us and asked a very personal question.

"Do you know which platform of the Victoria Line heads to Euston?" one of them asked.
I suddenly knew how to trick them without seemingly meaning to.
"Left." I said plainly. They went off in the complete opposite direction I had meant. We, after Holly was done in the toilet, would be going in the direction of their left, but they had thought I meant my left.
A really complicated picture to paint. We were facing opposite directions so our left and right would be different; however, without sounding foolish, no one can ask Which left? or Which right?.

Soon, Holly came out of the loo, so we could go to the platform. We had plenty of time before the Underground would arrive. Turning to our right, we rode the ecalator down to platform level. Holly and I were fascinated by the amount of colourful advertisements that plastered the walls as we rode the escalator. Mr Edkins just looked upon us in kindness, knowing our upbringing.

Upon reaching the bottom of the escalator (where Holly found it hard to regain her footing), the tunnel curved to the right to a short, brick corridor. It was well-lit and had many electric timetables. From the signs, the ways on the right were all to Platform One of the Victoria Line, while the left was Platform Two of the Northern Line. All four of us (counting the dog), managed to meander around the waves of arriving passengers.

Squeezing past them, we made it onto the platform. A yellow stripe signalled the distance that must be kept between the person and the edge, as if it could zap you like an electric fence if it was passed. Mr Edkins led us to a bench nearby to an artwork on the wall. Holly, the dog and Mr Edkins sat down, while I examined the art. A mixture of coloured zig-zags, with the addition of a black and orange triangles that created a swan with a white zig-zag. I heard it was quite well-known. An announcement blared from the speaker, which I didn't pay much attention to. The roar of the approach of the Tube train was far more interesting . The Tube train came into view, with its double red doors.

Happily and excitedly, Holly and I boarded our first Tube Trip! The inside was quite packed with no available seats left, leaving us standing next to the door. All of the bars and handles were blue, just like the Victoria Line's colour. The seats were patterned and blue as well. Just as the doors were about to close, a pair of familiar clothed people hopped on just in time in the opposite side of the coach. I groaned inwardly. Though I couldn't see their faces, I knew they were shooting dirty looks at me.

The doors clunked shut, and the bumpy journey began.

 

[Arcaninehero]

The Tube Tain roared through the dark tunnels, while I tried to make things less awkward by pretending there weren't two enemies staring at me. I caught Holly when she stumbled and the puppy nuzzled her knee. Mr Edkins stood beside us, being our unofficial guardian for the day. Or evening. The announcement came through that we were approaching Vauxhall station. I devised a plan to side-track the duo.

The train slowed down gradually, my heart thundering as I pieced together my plan that would enfold at the next station. I glanced the hooded figures at the opposite side of the coach. The platform came into view almost a second later.

"I need to do something," I warned Mr Edkins quietly," I'll meet you and Holly at Euston."

He frowned in response but didn't say anything. As the doors slid open, I leapt out of the train, taking the hooded figures by surprise. Knowing Holly would be protected by both Mr Edkins and witnesses, they went after me, as I heard heavy steps on the platform. Running as fast as I could, I leapt back into a different coach on the same train just as the door closed.

I accidentally bumped into some people, to which I apologized. But, they weren't looking at me; they were looking down at something by my feet. I looked down to see that the exotic-coloured puppy had followed me. I groaned. Suddenly, there was a voice in my ear.

"We've been looking for you, kid."
Two very familiar faces stood on my two sides, grinning with malice.

"What on earth are you doing here? You were over there!" I cried, pointing in the direction of the coach I had just been on. The train started moving.

"We are not alone," chuckled Archer rudely," After all, we need to get back that dog of ours."

I had legitimately led myself into this trap. The dog growled at Archer and stood in front of me.

"Our goal is to be promoted to be a Rocket Executive, one of the first ones, since the boss introduced it a few months ago." told Ariana gleefully.

The speakers gave an announcement :
The next stop is Pimlico Station.

Ariana snatched at my wrist, her agonizing grip tightening, her nails digging into my skin.
"You will not escape from us this time!" she snarled in my ear, "We still have payback!"

My fingers wriggled and writhed helplessly in pain. The puppy whined at the sight, but Archer gave it a sharp kick, silencing it. I could only beat myself up on the inside, regretting my decision on ever leaving Holly and Mr Edkins.

Pimlico Station came up soon enough. Only a teenage boy boarded from the door I was standing next to. I chuckled quietly to myself as he looked quite similiar to Juliet: Brown hair and brown eyes. He glanced at me, and I could have sworn his eyes widened in surprise. He said nothing and stood nearby. I saw that he had a suitcase and he was wearing a purple (specifically violet, I would say) coat and a pair of boots.

The train started to move again, jostling all that were standing. The boy made a gesture towards me, taking care to not let the duo notice.
I took the hint and bent down to pet the puppy. Archer rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored me. I, seeing no-one was watching, clamped my hands over my ears. The puppy looked up at me curiously and I smiled at it.

I watched as the boy took a musical instrument out of his backpack. It was similar to a recorder, but it had one of those red and white orbs in the centre. He twisted and bent it, until it looked nothing like what it looked like before. He blew into it and, surprisingly, a rich, enticing note flowed out of it. I clamped my ears harder, trying to drown out the noise like he had instructed me to do. But I couldn't resist the sound of it. I was getting drowsy. There were thuds as Archer and Ariana collapsed, fast asleep. There was a crack as my head hit the floor... and there was darkness.

 

[Arcaninehero]

I woke up in a seat on the Underground. The puppy was curled up on my lap. The boy was crouched in front of me, concerned. Holly and Mr Edkins came into view, before sitting beside me.

"We're approaching Euston Station," said Mr Edkins' deep but comforting voice.
"Right," I croaked.
"Romeo saved you from..."
"Team Rocket," said the boy in front of me. Romeo, I assumed.
"Who are they?" I asked.
Romeo glanced from side to side. "Later."

The train rumbled to a stop: Euston Station.
The doors slid open and everyone stood up. I shakily managed to get up and followed the others. Romeo had his bag sling on his back, and rolled his suitcase along the floor. Holly came up to me and hugged me tightly. The dog whimpered and growled contently when I picked it up.

Soon, we made it out of the Tube station, finding ourselves in a busy plaza just outside London Euston Railway Station itself. There were stalls selling food and souvenirs, not that Euston was a very interesting place anyway. The station was magnificent! It was purely modern without a single inch of it out of place.

"Back when I was your age," said Mr Edkins, "the station was demolished. But in 2007, it was rebuilt, with only minor bits of the previous building left."
The puppy shivered in my arms so I bundled it into my coat. There were people shouting and chatting and eating on the plaza, and people travelling back and forth, arriving and departing.

"Hang on," I said, "where is Romeo?"
"Hey! You slowcoaches!" shouted Romeo from inside the station.

We all ran after him, entering the building. There were many shops from fast-food chains; there were also shops selling essentials, books, clothes ad many more. Surprisingly, there were also pigeons waddling around.

There was an outburst from a man nearby, aiming a kick at a pigeon but missing. "Flying rats!" he cursed.

Pigeons also flew overhead, finding somewhere to skive food from.
Romeo led us to a seating area where we all sat down in exhaustion.
"Well, we're going to depart on the Caledonian Sleeper Train if we're going to climb Ben Nevis," said Romeo.
"How do you know that we are going to Ben Nevis?" Holly asked curiously.
"I volunteered to help you," said Romeo gently. He turned away. "After all, it is all that I could do."
We sat in silence, listening to the sounds of people walking, talking, and the sound of luggage rolling across the floor.

I took out the tickets and the leaflet that were in the envelope and looked at them.
"Shouldn't we be in the Caledonian Sleeper waiting lounge?" I asked Romeo.
Romeo snapped out of... whatever he was in and nodded ecstatically.

There was a hand on my shoulder. I thought it was the duo again, but no. It was Mr Edkins. He gave a sad smile.
"We must part now, Matthew and Holly. I trust that Romeo will guide you well. I cannot come with you any further, so I would like to not allow false hope to conquer you later." At the sound of his name, Romeo flinched, but said nothing.
I felt tears spring to my eyes.
"Can't you come with us?" pleaded Holly. The wizened postman shook his head. He wrapped his warm arms around me and Holly for one last hug. Though he wasn't, he felt like family.

I could have let the tears cascade down my cheeks, but I felt something strengthen within me.
"I hope I'll see you one last time in the future." I said solemnly.
"I will hope that too." His eyes glistened with tears. Holly started crying into his shoulder.

"I know this is slightly important to you, but we need to go," said Romeo, panicking, "Team Rocket are back!"

I stood up, immediately spotting the hoods behind the crowd.
"Come on Holly."
Holly left me heart-broken. I knew that it was not usual for younger children to experience loss, but it still happened. Mr Edkins wasn't dying, but I'm sure in this we-are-never-ever-going-to-see-him-again scenario, it counts, technically, as a loss. I was still young, I do say so myself, but I could handle it. For Holly.

I gave Holly a tight hug as Mr Edkins sadly left, waving from within the swarm of the crowd. Holly sobbed into my shoulder as I carried her, following Romeo and his luggage to the Caledonian Sleeper lounge. The puppy lingered close by, wanting to check on Holly.


There was nobody in the lounge when we entered. Holly had now stopped crying, and was now silent. She sat on my lap as the puppy nuzzled her hand.

"Where did you get that dog?" asked Romeo inquisitively.
"We saved it from..um .. Team Rocket," I answered hesitantly.
"Good. Now it can return to where it came from," said Romeo, "It doesn't belong here."
"May I ask why?" I glanced at the doggy, who was currently being petted by Holly.
"It is a magical creature. In our world, there are many different species of magical creatures we call Pokémon. This little one's a Growlithe!"
I stared at Growlithe, trying to imagine it doing magic, but my mind was already blown.
"Perhaps I am wording it slightly wrong." cut in Romeo ," Pokémon are magical, you could say, but they each have an elemental power. Watch."

Romeo rummaged through his bag for a box of matches, before holding the match towards Growlithe. The puppy Pokémon stared at it, confused, but it got the hint and fire blasted out of its mouth and lit the match. Romeo blew it out with a wide smile as he watched our surprise.

"By catching these Pokémon using Pokéballs, we may use their powers to help us. A very popular sport with Pokémon Trainers, is battling their Pokémon. It shows their skill and prowess, which are quite prized within the community."
I thought for a moment.
"Romeo, who asked for volunteers to help us?"
Romeo sat in silence.
"I can't tell you that," he said," At least not while in the Outsider World. Hasn't Juliet or Ms. Grove told you that you don't belong in this world?"
"Our mother told us that."
Romeo paled. "Our mother wasn't supposed to tell you that she was your mother!"
"It was actually my lucky guess," I said, my temper slowly increasing.
Romeo suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth. I thought back to what he had just said. Our?
"So you are me and Holly's brother?"

 

[Arcaninehero]

Romeo looked cornered. He nodded sadly.
"Our father betrayed us all, so our mother had to abandon you in the streets. She drugged the previous librarian (who has currently been dressed up as a fake Father Christmas Christmas Decoration) and took her place to look after you two."
"Is Mr Edkins related to us?" asked Holly.
"No, sorry Holly."
"Is Romeo even your real name?" I asked.
"It is actually Florian. Juliet, or Juliana, is your older sister." replied Romeo, or whatever he was called.
"What will we do after returning to the Pokémon world?" I asked.
"Grandfather will look after you, and he will arrange you to attend one of the best schools in the Pokemon world: Naranja Academy, where both Juliana and I also attend."
"What about me?" asked Holly excitedly.
"Grandfather may let you, as a special case, to go with Matthew… if that is okay with you," said Florian.
"Yes!" Holly leapt up into the air in joy. She turned to me. "You'll let me come, right?"
I chuckled, "I don't see why not."
"I am guessing that Holly will be accompanying you on many adventures!" said Florian.

Our conversation was interrupted by two people barging into the lounge. Again, I just couldn't be bothered to look up at them. Florian stood up and stood in front of us.

"What do you two want?" he asked.
"It was a lovely trick with your pokéflute, so we would like to come back with a ruse of our own!" cried Ariana
"What do you even want from us?" Florian asked, his hand creeping into his coat pocket.
"Well, we were tasked by our boss that we need to track down that pair of children and take them to our world," snarled Archer.
"Well, you can go now, I'm doing that job!"
"We're not letting them get away with one of the boss' prized pokémon!"

Everyone looked at Growlithe in surprise. The puppy just sat down and cocked its head curiously. Florian was unimpressed.
"Are you sure that a Growlithe is one of your boss' most valuable pokemon?"
Archer scratched his head.
"Uhh, well, he did tell us to not get it lost in the midst of this mission or damage it. He said it was vital for the tracking down of those two children over there…" Archer glared at me and Holly. "…so we wanted to keep it safe and complete the mission successfuly in hopes of being promoted to a Rocket Executive!"

"Huh," said Florian, "If you're really desperate to be promoted for the whole organization, you can have Growlithe back!"
"What?!" I couldn't believe it and I was just about to stand up when Florian spewed another string of words:
"…but you have to get through me first!"
He threw a Pokeball from his pocket and battle began.

Croca! A very funny looking creature emerged from the ball. It was way bigger than Growlithe, that was for sure. It was like a red crocodile that had been fattened and made to stand on two legs. It had a crown of fire on its head and an egg sitting in the center of the crown.

Archer narrowed his eyes and threw his own ball, which revealed an oversized bat with a giant mouth.

"Let's do this, Crocalor, use Ember!" ordered Florian. A blast of fire burst out of Crocalor's jaws, the flames just licking the underside of the bat's chin.
"Shadow Ball, Golbat!" Golbat made an indescribable hissing noise, as if it was trying to throw up its guts, but a ball made up of a dark void shot out, hitting Crocalor straight in the face. Crocalor, thrashed around, before returning to the battle.

I glanced at Growlithe.
"Come on, let's help Florian!" I said. Growlithe nodded and stepped forwards with a growl. "Growlithe, use Ember!" I ordered, copying Florian's first move. Golbat was taken by surprise by this move and was burnt! Red essence floated around it as some parts of its body were black with burns.

Ariana prepared to throw a pokeball, but a voice behind her interrupted the whole battle.
"Floragato, use Vine Whip!" A Pokémon that looked like a cat standing on two legs, leapt into the air and flung something at the pair of Rockets. Before long, them and their Pokémon were wrapped up in a vine.

Behind them stood Juliet, or Juliana with her partner, Floragato. Juliana still wore her crimson red coat and her boots. Her smirk definitely irked Florian.
"You boys," she said, " always wanting to battle when there's an easy way!"

The two Rockets grumbled. Florian called out, "Excuse me, we have found two strangers who snuck in!"
"Ah!" A man stepped out from the counter and marched up to the tied-up strangers. It was Mr Devon, our host of the carriage to Fort William, where we would get off the train.
"I don't remember seeing you here! Off you go!" He held up a rolled up magazine and brandished it like a weapon. While Mr Devon was distracted by getting the Rockets out of the lounge, Florian and Juliana quickly returned their Pokémon back into their pokeballs to prevent the arousal of suspicion.
"Anyway," said Mr Devon, coming back in, "Anyone fancy a drink?"

§§§

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Juliana, drinking her cup of tea. "You know I had to lie to you, for your own safety."

All four of them sat around the table, with Growlithe standing up on my lap, propping itself up to see over the table. Florian explained what happened to the dog.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" cried Juliana excitedly, "You could catch it, Matthew!"
"But we don't know if Growlithe technically is still belonging to the Rockets."
"You gotta try, because none of our tickets have a pet going alongside them! We'll have to pay extra, we'll have to use our emergency money!"
Juliana threw a pokeball towards me and I caught it. I glanced at Growlithe, who stared back at me. I held the pokeball in my hands, but to my surprise, Growlithe nudged it with its nose and the pokeball opened, enveloping it with some sort of blue energy.

The pokeball rolled onto the ground. It wobbled… once… twice… and ping! Sparks emitted off the pokeball as Growlithe was officially caught. I couldn't hold in my happiness any longer. I jumped up with joy and picked the ball up.
"Well done, Matthew," said Florian, grinning, "You're officially a Pokémon trainer!"

An announcement came through the speakers after a few hours of chatting.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Hi
Arcanine here! As your lovely author of this (may be slightly boring fic, WHY CAN’T WE GET TO THE POKÉMON BITS YET?) I am requesting some voluntary feedback or reviews for this fic. It may even be a question or suggestion about the fic (watch out for spoilers) but it would be nice to interact with someone in this slightly lonely thread. Ongoing, I would like this to go in the direction you guys want it to go (with some unexpected twists too) so I want some concrit on some of this.
Thanks in advance.
Arcaninehero, the only knight in flaming armor standing.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Please Note: The following spoiler tags aren't just for organization. This is the start of the Character Files, which may reveal spoilers ahead. The main spoilers with the character names will not reveal any spoilers but a description of the character. The further you delve, the more you reveal…

Spoiler: Matthew

The main character of this story. He is ten years old in the first saga and is very protective of his little sister, Holly. His partner is Growlithe.

Spoiler: Pokémon

Growlithe [M]- Ability: Flash Fire
Moves: Ember, Flamethrower

Spoiler: Holly

The sweet and curious 6 year old sister of Matthew, Juliana and Florian, being the youngest. She is very fond of Matthew, her one of her older brothers, who is very overprotective of her. No Pokemon since she is too young

Spoiler: Florian

Matthew and Holly’s older brother. A very good brother who feels guilty and strives to help his younger siblings through their Pokémon journey.

Spoiler: Pokémon

(The following Pokémon have been taken from Violet Lang from the manga)
Crocalor [M]- Ability: Blaze
Moves: Ember, Bite, Incinerate, Stomping Tantrum, Flamethrower
Lokix [M](Tera Bug)- Ability: Swarm
Moves: Struggle Bug, Double Kick, Bug Bite, Low Kick
Clodsire [F](Tera Rock)- Ability: Poison Point
Moves: Mud Shot, Slam, Rock Slide
Dolliv [F]- Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Razor Leaf, Sleep Talk, Flail, Seed Bomb
Cyclizar (Ride)
Miraidon (Ride)

Spoiler: Juliana

Matthew and Holly's older sister. The second eldest, she cares for the younger with her heart.

Spoiler: Pokémon

(Pokémon taken from Scarlet Koito from the manga)+ Koraidon
Floragato[F]- Ability: Overgrow
Moves: Hone Claws, Scratch, Bite, Leafage, Seed Bomb, Quick Attack
Pikachu [F](Tera Flying)- Ability:
Moves: Dig, Feint, Double Team, Play Nice, Thief
Tarountula [M]- Ability: Insomnia
Moves: Bug Bite, Circle Throw
Palafin [M]- Ability: Zero to Hero Moves:
Armarouge [F]- Ability: Flash Fire
Moves: Lava Plume, Substitute, Mystical Fire, Night Shade, Psybeam
Koraidon [M]- Ability: Moves:

Spoiler: Team Rocket

Spoiler: Archer (Team Rocket)

Spoiler: Pokémon

Houndoom [M]- Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Feint Attack, Fire Fang, Bite Smog
Crobat [M] (Ride)- Ability: Inner Focus
Moves: Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Confuse Ray, Air Cutter, Crunch, Air Slash, U-Turn
Electrode [N/A]- Ability: Static
Moves: Self-Destruct, Thunderbolt, Swift, Thunder, Foul Play, Explosion, Reflect
Weezing [M]- Ability: Levitate
Moves: Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Protect, Shadow Ball, Sludge, Smokescreen, Tackle, Haze, Thunderbolt, Explosion
Houndour [M]- Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Feint Attack, Bite, Fire Fang, Roar

Spoiler: Ariana (Team Rocket)

Spoiler: Pokémon

Arbok [F] (Partner)- Ability: Intimidate
Moves: Dig, Glare, Poison Sting, Ice Fang, Wrap, Leer, Bite, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb, Iron Tail, Crunch
Murkrow [F] (Ride)- Ability: Super Luck
Moves: Fly, Drill Peck, Peck, Haze, Pursuit, Night Shade, Wing Attack, Astonish
Vileplume [F]- Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves: Acid, Poison Powder, Sweet Scent, Absorb, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, Mega Drain
Muk [M]- Ability: Stench
Moves: Rock Tomb, Minimize, Sludge Bomb, Screech

 

[Arcaninehero]

May all passengers departing for Fort William board the train.

All of us stood up and got all our stuff, ready to board. Mr Devon, our host, met us at Coach F, the nearest Fort William coach (except it wasn't very near at all: the train is long!).
We managed to get Florian and Juliana's luggage onto the train.

"As you all are without an adult, as special cases, I have had your rooms interconnect. There are two rooms, so I will leave the arranging to you. Please do not hesitate to call for us if needed." said Mr Devon, beaming smartly.
Florian thanked him and we went to our room.

Holly wanted to share a room with me, being still not very familiar with our older siblings. She decided to sleep at the bottom bunk with the fear that if she slept at the top, she would fall off.

I cleared the bottom bunk for her, since there were loads of leaflets on it, among them being the breakfast order. Florian knocked and came in with his breakfast order.
"You guys decided what's for breakfast?" he asked with a grin.
I shook my head, looking down the list curiously.
"Perhaps toasted sandwiches with nachos?" I said with a shrug.
"Can I have that too?" asked Holly. I marked a 2 in the toasted sandwiches box.

"Now you hang it on the door outside, " instructed Florian. I did so and I found Juliana waiting outside.

"Come on, it is dinnertime!" she said, her stomach growling.
"Let's go!" cried Holly. Holly was definitely less shy in expressing herself, being more open, compared to before.

It took time, but eventually we found the dining car, where we sat down to eat.
"After dinner, you two need a shower," remarked Juliana, "Who knows how long it has been since you last had a clean!"
Juliana was right: Our skin was dirty and grimy from living on the streets and a good clean would make us look 'presentable' for our entering of the new world.

I couldn't remember what we ate on that evening (at my ripe old age now) but I did remember one crucial detail. I spotted two dark figures hobbling down the platform, right past our window…


After dinner, we returned to our rooms, where Holly and I took a shower to wash the grease and grime of the streets. It was a queer experience taking a shower on a moving. Actually, never mind about that; this was my first time on a train!

Very soon all four of us were curled up in our beds, snuggling agagainst the warm blankets. Juliana had brought extra pyjamas just in case, although they were too big for me and Holly.

I released Growlithe from its pokeball. I lay a pillow on the floor for it. I petted it, earning a growl of sleepy content. I looked at Holly's sleeping form on the bottom bunk. I stared out of the window, at each twinkling star. The moon was the wise wizard of the night sky. I smiled. From then onwards, I knew all would be alright.

 

[Arcaninehero]

I woke up to the trundle of the train on rails. I climbed out of the top bunk, seeing Holly being woken up by an excited Growlithe. She giggled as it licked her face vigorously. I opened the curtain to let sunlight in and saw it was still snowing.

"Come on Holly, let's get changed," I said. Juliana had washed our clothes during the night, and hung them on the doorknob for us. I saw colours I never knew were even on our clothes!

I exited the room to give Holly some privacy. Growlithe tumbled out after me, its tongue lolled out. I crouched down to pet it, its fur was quite warm (I mean, after all, it can breathe fire) and fluffy, especially in the cream-coloured parts. The hallway was quite cramped, probably only allowing a middle-aged man to move up and down the hallway.

"Oh, what a coincidence, little child!" cried a sing-song voice. I whipped around and groaned.
It was Ariana, dressed as a Caledonian Sleeper worker, her hair tied up into a tight bun. She was pushing a trolley covered by a cloth. She agiley leapt over the trolley and pulled out a pokeball.
Growlithe stood in front me, its teeth bared.

The pokéball swung open , blue essence pouring out to form the shape of a bird. It was pure black, just like the dark figure that appeared at the library. It even had a hat just like him! Its yellow beak was raised into the air snootily, its eyes glaring at the puppy pokémon that was so much bigger than it.

"Murkrow! Drill Peck!"

Murkrow cocked its head backwards before bringing its heads forwards with a rapid rhythm. It didn't do more than make Growlithe's nose slightly sore. Growlithe's paws were rooted in the ground.

"Growlithe, use a fire attack! I dunno, Ember!" I cried out shakily: the sky outside was a miserable grey of morning and the train rocked slightly.
Growlithe gave a bark, and a puff of flames engulfed the poor black bird, its feathers singed as it flapped backwards.

Ariana's face fell, but as the train wobbled once more, she broke into a grin. She returned Murkrow to her pokeball and laughed hysterically.

I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Why did you want me to attack your Pokémon?" I asked, warily, aware of the fact that she was laughing even harder.
"Why would I tell you?" she broke out. She pushed the trolley away, down the corridor, and out of sight.

I couldn't follow her, as it would be rather indecent to be walking around the train in pyjamas that didn't actually fit me. I rubbed Growlithe's twitching nose, gently. The puppy bowed down playfully.

The lock on our compartment door clicked as Holly came out, dressed in her usual clothes, now with some spots of colour. Florian and Juliana came out of their door, fully dressed.

"Matthew, why aren't you dressed? It's breakfast-time!" cried Florian. His stomach grumbled.
I entered the room and said to my siblings, "You can go without me, I'll catch up!"
Juliana nodded brightly, before turning Holly.
"Holly, would you like me to do your hair…?"
I let Growlithe in and shut the door.

§§§§§

I tried to make my way through the train, now fully dressed. The dining car was nearby last night, but I just couldn't find it! Eventually, I asked a passer-by, who gladly pointed me in the right direction with a chuckle. Growlithe gave delighted growl.

I found Florian, Juliana and Holly sat at a four-person table.
"So," smiled Florian, "You didn't get lost!"
"Oh… uh… I did." I blushed. I sat down at the table, next to Florian, just as the breakfast trolley stopped at our table. A member of staff placed four plates on the table before placing four glasses and poured water into them. The member of staff then pushed the trolley away haughtily.

"Lovely!" said Juliana, happily, "Four servings of toasted sandwiches!"
I glanced at Florian, who frowned upon smelling the sandwiches lightly. Juliana seemed to notice something as well, as she hesitated before touching one of her sandwiches.

I shrugged it off, trying to enjoy the rest of the breakfast. Before I could take a bite, Growlithe interrupted me, hopping onto my lap, barking madly.
"Alright, calm down!" I ordered, slightly annoyed. I put the sandwich back on the plate, and set Growlithe back on the floor.

"Matthew." Holly caught my attention, with a smile. "Look, Juliana made pig-tails for me!" Indeed, she has. Two small brown braids hung down on her shoulders. But, I wasn't really focused on that. I gave her smile, before saying," They look very nice, Holly."
She beamed with pride.

I wa starting to get worried. Florian and Juliana were not moving, continuously examining our breakfast. Growlithe was very unsettling, quietly whimpering beneath the table. There was a distinct bitter smell wafting up from the sandwiches. The silence was interrupted when Holly took a bite…

"SPIT THAT OUT!" yelled Florian and Juliana at the same time. Holly, in shock amidst fear, immediately spat out her bite of toast onto the table, and dropped her sandwich on the floor right after. There were now visible floating purple essence wafting from the sandwiches, a signal of caution.

"Is everything going alright over here?" Mr Devon walked up to our table.

"Sir," I piped up, "We have some concerns of your train's catering."
Mr Devon grimaced as he saw the problem . Juliana was trying to wash out Holly's mouth with her glass of water.

"Oh, I do apologize!" cried Mr Devon, "I will make sure this is immediately tended to."

"Do try your best," said Florian as the man hurried off, balancing the four plates in his hands, "They wouldn't be able to tell what substance it is."

"Soooo… what is it?" I asked hesitantly, scared to hear the reply.

Florian opened his mouth but Juliana beat him to it.
"Vileplume pollen. So vile that when inhaled, or came into contact with, will produce results that I will not, for the sake of our breakfast appetite, describe."

Seeing how severe the situation was, I refrained from asking what a Vileplume was. Holly had now gone quiet with worry and fear.
"Don't worry, Holly, we'll arrive soon." I tried to comfort her with Growlithe's help, and managed to force a teeny smile onto her face.

"Yes, and then comes the real challenge," said Florian, "Climbing the tallest mountain in this country."

"Oh, great." I groaned.

 

[Arcaninehero]

The breakfast trolley rolled by once again, with platters of normal toasted sandwiches with nachos. All of us ate our breakfast ravenously. The sandwiches were packed with melted cheese and the nachoes were very crunchy and delicious!

The weather managed to stop snowing, and the sky brightened, but the clouds didn't move.
"We have to pack now, Juliana," said Florian.
"I'll pack, so why don't you stay and clear up and keep the two little ones out of trouble!" Juliana said the last bit with a wink and a big grin.

When Juliana left, Florian began stacking the plates. I wiped the table, Growlithe ate the left-overs, and Holly looked for a member of staff, by peeking through the doors.

"Florian," I asked, "Who do you think could have the … uh…Vileplume powder?"
"Well, it's obvious," he said, thinking, "I'm sure it is Team Rocket, since their the only ones on this train that we know of that has Pokémon, or has come from our world. They could have Vileplume as one of their Pokémon, but they also could have bought some from the black market and snuck it onto the train."
I told him about Ariana's reasoning after her defeat about an hour ago, and he looked slightly concerned.

"A distraction?" he said, shaking his head, "They must be planning something to delay us on our journey and give themselves more time to get you and Holly, and of course, Growlithe."

Juliana burst into the dining car, her eyes filled with panic.
"Someone has stolen our luggage!" she panted.
"Definitely Team Rocket," growled Florian. Growlithe beat him in its own pgrowl.
"Our Pokémon are all gone," my sister cried, "Which means Matthew will have to take care of all of the battles!"
I nodded seriously.
"We're still going to have to tell Mr. Devon," said Florian, finishing tidying up, "Most of the staff live at the front of the train, so I'll go and notify someone."

"Oh no you won't!" cut off a voice. We looked to see a Team Rocket member, looking quite smug.
To our horror, Ariana's voice came through the speakers.
"Dear passengers, this train has been taken over by Team Rocket!" purred Ariana's voice, "And, since there are only 4 passengers, children, we will return to London! …That is, if we can force this driver to reverse!"

There was a screech of brakes as the train slowed, and a short distortion of motion as the train switched from forwards to backwards.

"We need to jump off the train," said Florian, panicking.
Juliana wrapped her arms around Holly as her little sister began to cry.
"We can't!" I cried indignantly, "This train is going to end up crashing soon: we need to stop them."
"It will take too long…"
"I AM NOT leaving this train until it is going how it should be."

"Is your conversation over yet?" The Team Rocket member stood to attention, pulling out a pokeball. Swinging his arm, the Rocket released a flying creature, resembling a blue bat with no eyes.
"I, as a Team Rocket Grunt, will do his duty to the Boss! Go Zubat!" he proclaimed.
The Zubat gave a screech and prepared for battle.

Growlithe leapt into action, a growl rumbling in its throat. It raised its head, glancing back at me, waiting for my orders. It glared at Zubat, and I thought its gaze was quite daunting, and I was sure, Zubat could sense it, even without eyes to meet the gaze. The Zubat trembled, but it relaxed slightly.
"I didn't know Growlithe knew Leer," murmured Juliana behind me.
"Attack while you can!" hissed Florian, "Zubat's Defence has been lowered!"

I obeyed.
"Come on, Growlithe, Ember!" A plume of flames collided with Zubat, causing it to shake with pain.

The Team Rocket Grunt gritted his teeth. "Supersonic!"
The Zubat screeched, some high-pitched frequencies reverberating through the air. Growlithe didn't seem to be affected by the attack.

"Matthew, Zubat isn't going to easily defeat Growlithe, but Supersonic might cause Growlithe to be confused, giving them more time to get in a lethal attack!" advised Juliana.

"Again, Supersonic!" growled the Grunt.
"Quick, Growlithe, to me!" I warned Growlithe. The puppy obeyed, but the Zubat was then ordered to use Astonish.

A cloud of dark essence was absorbed by Growlithe, causing it to slow down and affected by fatigue.
"Now, my flying friend," laughed the Grunt, "Use Supersonic once more!"

I was about to give an order, but the train gave a lurch. Zubat screeched again and Growlithe looked dazed, as if it was suffering from amnesia… which, I hoped wasn't.

Florian was apparently fed up of the battle, thinking the battle took too long. He was reminded of our task to stop the train when the train lurched and so, gave a horrific battle-cry.
"YEEAARGH!" Florian charged forwards and threw his entire weight into the Grunt's knees, slamming him onto the floor. The Zubat just looked plainly confused.

"Come on!" he said, stepping over the writhing Grunt. We rushed past the Grunt, me carrying poor Growlithe.

§ § § §

"Well," remarked Juliana, "That was intense."
Holly nodded in agreement, a small smile creeping onto her face. Florian shook his head with a grin. We were all wearing jumpers, and so it felt quite stuffy in the room.

The next compartment was another dining carriage, with two grunts eating at a table, arguing about something.

"Those are mine," shrieked a female Grunt, "I found them!"
"I'm chief pokémon stealer, thank you very much!" said the male Grunt, annoyed.

"Seeing your attire, I think you're both Grunts!"

The male grunt got up immediately.
"I'm sorry?!" he snarled, "I've a higher rank, thank you very much!"

"And we can tell, because…?" smirked Juliana.

The grunt turned bright red in anger.
The other grunt shoved him aside.
"Anyway, maybe you can be promoted to an actual high rank after this battle!"
The first grunt growled and threw a pokéball, followed by the second. A large brown rat and a Pokémon that looked like Weezing split into two, appeared.

Growlithe, still dazed after the confusion, stumbled in front of us.

The grunts burst into husterical laughter at sight of it.
"That confused runt is your pokémon?" wheezed the male grunt, before laughing even more.

They stopped laughing when a sound cut them off. To me, it was familiar.
Florian stood behind me, playing his pokéflute, but with it slightly different tune. Growlithe shook its head, clearing the confusion. Juliana dashed past Growlithe and snatched the stolen pokeballs on the grunts' table.

Throwing both of them, Floragato and Crocalor joined Growlithe.

 

[Arcaninehero]

Due to some circumstances, I have not been updating for quite a while. From now, I will be editing from the start of the fic, so no content will be added for some time. Sorry for the fans of this fic (if there are any) but i will be as quick as possible
Arcaninehero