Return of the Pokemagic
Chapter One
Magnemite Girl was on a train heading to Austin. She didn't really much like riding the train, so slow and all. But it wasn't like she was a character in a Harry Potter book going to Hogwarts.
Her yellow hair hugged the side of her head, but she had to catch her handbag as it nearly flew off her grey sleeve, sometimes the train sped up, and she didn't really feel like being shackled down by a seatbelt.
She was also alone on this journey. Her best friends, Wynaut and Whiscash, were busy with their families for Thanksgiving and Magnemite was going to hers.
A gruff guy sat down across from her. He was reading Pokenews. She recognized his picture from somewhere. Oh that's right, Groudon Man. He was mayor of Sootopolis City. It was a bit ironic because water burned his skin but he liked the view and had been reported to say that windsurfing and other sports are fun at Sootopolis. For a mayor he's very physically active.
Magnemite found herself thinking of Jolteon Boy. He was a junior in high school, a year above her. But he'd never go out with a girl like her. She was basically a wallflower. A pretty wallflower, her friends said. But a wallflower is still a wallflower.
She sighed. She didn't really have an romantic experience. Wynaut did though, she had a boyfriend almost every week. And Whiscash, well she was on the track team and so guys got to see her legs a lot. She helped their school earn a trophy in the Dragon Dance competition, and a guy from Ovart High was really interested in her.
But no one liked poor Magnemite, or asked her out. If she had the courage, she'd ask Jolteon out. But why would an Eevee Sib go out with her?
The Eevee Sibs were like, the highlight of cool. Everyone who was anyone wanted to befriend an Eevee. Vaporeon was pretty gossipy though. But if you're on her bad side, you are basically in social hell.
Magnemite also found herself wondering what kissing would be like. Would it be miraculous or just so-so? How would she postion herself if a boy wanted to kiss her? Should she put her arms around his neck? Or would that be too serious for someone her age?
She didn't know. And this she puzzled over, until a girl decked in red with black hair, and whose shirt had tentacles, sat next to her.
"Hi there," the girl said. "I'm Octillery. You look lonely. I'm lonely. Want to be lonely together?"
"Um, yeah, sure," our heroine said. "I'm Magnemite."
"Magnemite? Sweet. I know I must look a little funny with these tentacles on my shirt, but it's the clothes I like. I honestly can't explain why."
"You don't look funny at all," Magnemite said, amicably. "In fact you look really cute. It's nice to see different clothes people like to wear."
"I know, right? Your outfit is spectacular, by the way."
"Thanks," Magnemite said. "So I guess we're both headed to Austin?"
"Yep. Thanksgiving, you know."
"Same for me."
"I just love Unfezant," Octillery said. "With gravy. Urgh, why am I thinking about food? I guess it's because I haven't eaten in zonks."
"I have a couple of Twinkies in my handbag," Magnemite said. "If you want one."
"Sure! I'd love a Twinkie. You're amazing, Magnemite!"
Magnemite pulled the two packaged sponge cakes out and they ate them.
When they finished, they spotted the mayor of Sootopolis glancing at them over his newspaper.
"Sorry for the intrusion," he said, laying the newspaper beside him. "It's just I remember when I was your age, Kyogre Woman was my friend then, we used to hang out like you two…eh, I'll go find another compartment."
With that he left them, staring after him.
Then a girl wearing green and yellow pranced in. "I could've sworn the cool people were down here…" she said.
"Er, 'cool' isn't exactly a way to describe me," Magnemite said.
"I think you're cool," the girl said. "I'm Spinarak. My older sister Mismagius is also on the train."
And from the other side entered a girl wearing a purple witch uniform and matching hat of the same hue.
"Spinarak, what are you doing gabbing with strangers? You know the rule."
"We're on a train, Mismag, and I live with you all the time," Spinarak said, folding her arms and shutting her eyes. "If I want to make new friends, that's my business."
"Wait," Mismagius said, pausing before Octillery. "Why does your shirt have tentacles around the neckline?"
"Maybe because I'm named after a legendary Octopus?" Octillery said.
"Well, it looks odd. But then I'm wearing witch robes, so I'm one to talk."
"THE TRAIN IS PULLING INTO AUSTIN STATION, PREPARE TO DEPART" said a loud voice over the PA system.
"Hope we never run into one other again," Mismagius said. "I'll have to learn to cast a spell on ya'll."
"Come on Mismag," Spinarak said, elbowing her sister. "Be nice."
"I am ghost type in my astrological sign. Ghosts aren't supposed to be nice."
Mismagius was referring to how all people on Earth were named after mythical beasts known as Pokemon. Based on your name, you were slotted into astrological signs…and given those character traits. However, it wasn't always true…steel types were said to be uncaring, but Magnemite was named after something that was half steel, and she cared about others.
She didn't really believe in the astrology of things. Maybe Mismagius was just goofing off. They were complete strangers, after all. Presumably Spinarak knew her sister better than the two girls who just met her did, and maybe to her Mismagius wasn't…unamicable.
But then they saw some burning trees outside the window, and the train caught fire. The fire entered the compartment where the four girls were.
"Okay," Mismagius said. "This is pretty bad, but I have a spell that can save us."
She clasped her hands together, spread her hands apart, and said, "Mijutsu Gormlack voggenluck, water type present, wrap all on this train in bubbles, send them to Austin, Texas, let no more damage come to them."
For a second, nothing happened. Then Magnemite felt herself incased in water. Which transformed into a bubble. She couldn't believe this. She thought the Pokemagic was dead. When and where and how did Mismagius come to learn a spell?
Pokemagic used to be a common thing, but a hundred years ago a group of people abused it, and eighty years before this day it was outlawed, and anyone caught performing it would be punished severly by the law.
But once the rooftop of the train was removed (with another spell from Mismagius), Magnemite saw several people floating in bubbles, including Groudon Man.
They floated straight on toward the city. When they landed, Mismagius was proud of herself, Spinarak grinned at her sister, and Magnemite could see that Octillery was impressed.
But one woman screamed and pointed at Mismagius. "You cast the damn Pokespell, didn't you? Well, answer me!" She shook the girl roughly.
"Course I did. I just saved our lives."
The woman pulled her phone out. "Hello, police? I would like you to arrest someone for the practice of Pokemagic. 'Course I'm sure. I just floated in a bubble from a burning train! She's wicked!"
A moment later, the woman hung up the phone with a smug smile. "You'll be in prison for the rest of your life, little girl."
"I'm a teenager, thank you very much. And I just saved your ungrateful life."
"Saving people's lives doesn't excuse breaking the law. For all I know, you started that fire yourself. In fact, that's what I'll tell the reporters. You did it."
"I think that's going a bit too far, Miss Rogue," Groudon Man said. He turned to Magnemite. "This girl a friend of yours?"
"We just met her," Octillery said, seeing how shy Magnemite was. (And it wasn't like Octillery and Magnemite hadn't just met either or anything, also, because they had too of course.)
"But she performed the Pokespell when you two were around, right? I don't think it would've worked without a water attribute name around. Which would be yours, Octillery."
"Yes," Spinarak said. "I and my sister introduced ourselves before the train began burning."
"Well, as mayor of Sootopolis, I think the charge should be dropped."
A policeman who had just parked his car overhead as he approached. "Sir, you are a respectable man, and being mayor of Sootopolis is great and all, everyone values your opinion. But you're in Austin, Texas, now, and Sootopolis is way far in Hoenn. And the use of Pokemagic is an international offense." He placed handcuffs on Mismagius' hands. "World crime, I think you'd call it."
"What, it's not like she committed arson or something! She just saved our lives!" the mayor protested.
"Actually, she did commit arson," Miss Rogue said. "She set the train on fire with her Pokemagic."
"Is that so?" the policeman said. He looked like he didn't doubt it. "Well, then, she'll be severaly punished, I can assure you of that."
"I didn't start the fire!" Mismagius swore. "There were no fire attributes in the compartment with us! You have to have a fire attribute to start a fire."
"My daughter was in the compartment with you," Miss Rogue said, with a nasty smile. "Show yourself, Moltres!"
A very cute girl wearing red and orange striped clothes and with sleeves that were a bit feathery stepped forward.
"She wasn't in the compartment with us!" Mismagius screamed. "I have never seen her before this moment!"
"I swear she was in that compartment. I was about to take video footage of it when you cast the spell. Moltres wanted to make friends with you four girls. She's always been so lonely. But you used her presence to set fire to the train."
"Ever if she was there, I didn't see her!"
"My sister is innocent!" Spinarak said.
"Innocent! Ha!" Miss Rogue laughed. "She performed Pokemagic. I know you're not going to deny that, we rode in the bubbles she cast to escape the burning train."
"Yes, that's only possible with Pokemagic," said another woman.
"She's a demon!" said an elderly gentleman. "Look, she even wears a witch's hat!"
"My name is Mismagius, this is my fashion! The witch's hat is supposed to be there!"
"She saved us! How can you people be so cruel?" Groudon man asked. "I thought this was the United States, where freedom was treasured."
"While it is true that she spared us from her wickedness by performing the bubble spell," Miss Rogue conceded, "the use of Pokemagic at all is forbidden, and even disregarding that, she wouldnl't have had to bubblecast if she hadn't done the burning enchantment in the first place."
"You sure know the terminology of a Pokewizard quite well," Mismagius remarked. "You poking your nose in forbidden books or something?"
"I am studying to become a lawyer, especially one who barks down cases of Pokemagic. And that's how I know you are going to be punished for this, yes."
The mayor of Sootopolis grunted. "I bet you can't prove she started the fire. And you might even know who actually did but are lying about it to cover something up."
"That's quite a ridiculous accusation from a well-known personality," Miss Rogue said. "I'd have thought our friendship going way back would mean more than that."
The mayor patted Moltres' head. "I hope you're raising your kid right. Too bad she doesn't have a father to raise her."
"You know the reason that is the case, Groudon. Now let the nice policeman take away the criminal."
Mismagius was already being loaded into a police cruiser. She looked miserable. Spinarak had to be restrained so she wouldn't interfere with her sister's arrest.
When the mayor had gone, and the policeman drove off, and the women holding Spinarak let her drop drown on the ground crying, Magnemite and Octillery bent over her and cried too. All three on the sidewalk. People had to walk around them.
Magnemite knew that Spinarak would need her. And if the three girls weren't quite friends before, as they wept over Mismagius' arrest and the idea of her being in a cell, being fed prison food, and unable to see her sister, even the two girls who barely knew her couldn't help feeling that they had just become friends for life with Spinarak, for anyone who can share a tragedy such as this, would have a hard time not becoming friends.
