Well, this is my second story, co-authored with a buddy of mine from school. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine, it is owned by Satoshi Tajiri. Damian, Sparks, and any pokemon belonging to Damian are not mine, they belong to my fellow co-author. Ambrose, Lightning, and any Pokemon belonging to Ambrose are mine.

"Blah" -speech

Blah -thoughts

(Blah)- Pokemon Translation

("Blah")- More than one pokemon talking, or a Pokemon and human talking at the same time.

If the Pokemon are on their own, I will translate the speech immediately, and not deal with typing Poke-lingo.

Enjoy!

The Adventures of Sparks and Lightning

By Artemis Ignitan and Black Fang

Let the Pranks…Begin!

A light breeze blew through the wide plain, rustling the grass as it whistled past. Pokemon of many different species plowed, crawled, and flew across the land, tame and content. Many sounds could be heard, including one that sounded like the soft chiming of a bell…

In a house that rested on the very edge of the meadow, a small, mouse-like Pokemon prowled through every room, listening for anything that would indicate that his trainer would be heard.

"Chuuu…" the Pokemon mewled quietly, hoping for a response. The only reply it got was the soft tinkling of the Soothe Bell that had been tied around its ear, a present from its trainer. Its ears drooped in disappointment, before perking up at the sound of a door creaking open. Rushing to the front door, the little Pokemon squealed happily at the figure that stood in the opening.

The figure stood at a modest height, not too tall, nor too short. His hair was a jet black, scruffy from his travels. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, and surprisingly carrying a weapon, a scythe that gleamed brightly on his back. The eyes were a bright ruby red, not the kind of red that has someone cowering in fear, but a shade that glowed with warmth. Despite his frightening appearance, he was actually a gentle-hearted soul, as showed when he looked down at his Pokemon with a wide grin.

"Hi, Sparks!" he greeted the Pichu looking up at him.

"Piiiichuuu!" (Damian!) the Pichu squealed happily, launching itself at him. "Pi-cha Pi-chaaa!" (Cuddle Attack!) it yelled as it burrowed itself in his chest.

"Okay, okay, I'm happy to see you too, Sparks," Damian responded, wincing slightly from the impact, but smiling all the same. Still holding the excited rodent, he walked into the living room. He looked towards the kitchen and was startled to see a Typhlosion walking out of it with a chicken leg in its mouth.

"Chef?" he questioned. The Typhlosion blinked, before walking back into the kitchen. It dashed back out seconds later, the chicken put away.

"Damian!" it exclaimed happily. Chef was one of Damian's more educated Pokemon, able to cook food on its own and was even able to speak the human language fluently. Unfortunately, he also had a habit of glomping every familiar face he saw.

"Owch! Ok, Chef, I'm happy to see you too…" Damian said, his voice sounding a bit choked.

"Piiiiiii! Pichu Pichu Pi!" (Owww! Get off of me!) exclaimed the small rodent, being squished between two bodies was not very pleasant for him.

"Okay, okay, sorry there, Sparkie," replied Chef, letting go of Damian.

"PI-CHA PIIIIII!" (DON'T CALL ME THAT!)

"Fine…Sparkie."

"AAAGHH! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN?!" screamed Damian, who had wandered away from the two, and was now staring at the wreck that was the kitchen.

Everything was displaced, pots and pans were scattered across the floor, and food was lying everywhere. Strangely, no food was missing at all, the only thing missing was the berries Damian had left in his berry pouch.

Good thing I had Ek-9 go out for berries before I left… He held up the empty pouch and gave the two Pokemon a quizzical look.

Immediately the two Pokemon fell to their knees, begging. ("We're sorry! We couldn't help ourselves, the aroma was too tempting!")

"And the kitchen?"

("We kinda messed it up looking for the berry pouch…") they replied sheepishly. ("We're sorry! We'll never do it again!") the two Pokemon whined.

"…Fine." Damian smiled at the two Pokemon, who had looks of relief on their faces. "Now about this kitchen…"

"Finally done…" Damian moaned, leaning on his mop for support. Chef was lying next to the stove, having finished re-cooking any food that was destroyed or dirtied. Sparks was leaning against Damian, wiping its face with the same dust rag it had been using to clean up.

Without warning, Damian collapsed from exhaustion, unfortunately trapping the small rodent under his body.

"Heeey! Wake up!" the trapped Pichu cried. Unfortunately, his cries didn't reach Damian, who lay on the floor, apparently sleeping.

"Just great…" Sparks grumbled, managing to wriggle his head out from under Damian's body. His ears perked, hearing a tip-tapping across the floor.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice rang out through the room, sounding very amused.

"Oh no…"

"Oh? Looks like the brat got squashed!" the Pikachu laughed, pointing at the now angry Sparks.

"Stuff it, Lightning…how did you get in here?"

"You left the door open, brat."

Lightning was a Pikachu that Sparks heavily despised. Of course, Lightning returned the favor, what was a good hating relationship without the other hating you back? Sparks hated everything about her, from the blue-rose brooch that was positioned under her right ear, to the small herb-box that was slung across her back with a strip.

It all started when Sparks wanted to try and prank Lightning, like he had done with so many other Pokemon. He didn't know that he was playing a joke on a professional prankster. She returned his 'electric slip n' slide' with a Bluk Berry to the face. That ink stayed on his face for days, taunting him, telling him that this was a prankster he couldn't defeat.

Ever since then, the two had been going at it for ages, one getting the other before it was their turn to run. Now it was Sparks turn to strike back.

"Help meeee…" he whined, putting on a cute face.

"What?! Ya think I'm nuts?!" Lightning replied, looking away from the Pichu. Looking back, she saw Sparks' eyes and relented a little.

"Fine…" she said. Damn those big, googly, puppy-dog eyes…

Pulling Sparks out, she turned away from him, only to be thrown into the wall with a blinding Volt Tackle from Sparks. Grumbling in annoyance, she looked at Sparks who was in a victory pose.

"HAHAHAHAHA! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE SPARKS, THE MASTER OF…of…um…" Sparks slumped, trying to think of a word.

"Idiot…" mumbled Lighting.

"BACKSTABBING! SPARKS, THE MASTER OF BACKSTABBING!" Sparks resumed his victory pose, the words appearing behind him in sparkling gold. Lightning face faulted at the overzealous display. Sparks ignored her and continued on.

"NYAHAHAHA! ALL BOW-"

"Hello? Anyone home?" a voice interrupted as a girl's face appeared in the kitchen.

"Pika, Pikachu," (Hi, Ambrose,) replied Lightning, staring at her trainer.

Ambrose stood at a height that was slightly taller than Damian. She also had black hair that was quite long, it was tied back by a blue rose brooch exactly like Lightning's. She wore a shirt that was green with blue stripes, and wore blue jeans that were long enough to mostly cover her white sneakers. Behind her stood her trusty partner Blazki, a Blazekin she had nurtured and raised since she was six and found it abandoned as a Torchic, sitting in the rain. Blazki was a very sassy Pokemon, refusing to go into her Pokeball, even going so far as to learn human language so she could curse at her pleasure. Even with her quirky ways, she was completely devoted to Ambrose, willing to help her out by any means necessary.

"I should have known I'd find you here…what the hell happened to Damian?" she said, spying Damian lying on the floor.

Sparks immediately went into "pity-me-cuz'-I'm-cute" mode. "PICHAAA! PICHU PICHU PI, CHU PIII CHAAAAA!" (AMBROSE! LIGHTNING WAS MEAN AND KNOCKED HIM OVER!)

"What?!"

"PIKACHU!" (LIAR!) Lightning vehemently protested.

"PI-CHA-PI! PICHU PICHU PI!" (YOU DID SO! HE'S GOT A BUMP ON HIS HEAD!) Sparks yelled, pointing at Lightning accusingly.

"Hang on a second…" Ambrose said, crouching next to Damian's body. "There's no bump here…" she said, feeling under his hair. "…and he's snoring." Turning around, she saw Sparks was gone.

"Pikachu pika," (Told 'ya he was lying,) Lightning said, already thinking of revenge.

"Okay, but we still don't know why he was lying on the floor like that. Hey Chef!" Ambrose said, calling out to the sleeping Typhlosion. Chef woke up, and seeing Ambrose he immediately went to hug her.

"Hiiii, Ambrose! Long time no see!"

"Yes…yes, I know it's been a long time…but can you let go already?" Chef didn't hear her, however, and continued to hug her, before he was sent flying by a punch from Blazki.

"She said to let go, you crazy little-" Blazki was cut off by Ambrose pinching her mouth shut.

"Alright Blazki, thank you, but we don't need this kind of language this early in the morning," Ambrose said, letting go of Blazki's mouth.

"It's five in the afternoon."

"Whatever. Chef, why is Damian lying on the floor like that?"

"We just spent the whole day cleaning up the kitchen…me and Sparks kinda messed it up…" Chef replied sheepishly.

"Okay…so he's just tired. Blazki, help me get him to the sofa…"

The two picked him up and dropped him on the sofa, making Damian wake up.

"Ugh…now I know what a house pet feels like…" he muttered in slight annoyance. "Hey Ambrose, what are you doing here?"

"Picking up Lightning, as usual. She loves wandering off, and half the time I find her here playing with Sparks."

"Yeah…those two are great friends, aren't they?" Damian replied.

Lightning couldn't help but roll her eyes. Ambrose and Damian continued to talk, not knowing of Lightning's obvious disagreement. They had met each other after Sparks and Lightning had played their first pranks on each other, with Damian demanding to know how Sparks' face had turned black. Ever since then, the two had started to regard each other as sister and brother, occasionally challenging each other to battles…and cleaning up any messes Sparks and Lightning left behind.

Speaking of messes…

A small explosion could be heard outside the house, and neither Sparks nor Lightning were anywhere to be found.

"Not again…"

Running outside, they saw both Lightning and Sparks facing off against a very angry Houndoom. The Houndoom growled angrily, which meant something like: "ARRRGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!" It began to charge up a fiery orb in its jaw, preparing to fire it at the two rodents.

"Aggron, get in there! Stop the attack with Iron Tail!" Damian screamed to an Aggron that was relaxing nearby.

It calmly ran in front of the two frightened rodents, slamming its glowing tail into the fireball that had been raging towards them, making it erupt into many small flames. The Houndoom wouldn't give up however, and charged at the Aggron, only to be picked up casually by the large metallic beast.

"Dark Flame, calm down!" yelled Damian. However, the Houndoom was too angry to listen, and continued to struggle. Damian sighed, seeing no other way to calm the Houndoom. "Do it, Aggron."

Aggron threw the Houndoom, slamming it against the ground and knocking it out instantly. Damian returned Dark Flame to its Pokeball, whispering a quiet apology as he did so.

Ambrose turned to the two rodents. "Looks like we need to have another talk about your pranks, Lightning."

"You too, Sparks," added Damian, walking up next to Ambrose.

Both rodents looked at each other before turning back to their trainers. They dropped to their knees simultaneously.

("We're sorry! We'll never do it again!") they whined, tears falling comically from their eyes.

"Where have I heard that before?" muttered Damian, massaging his temples.

"Pichu, pi-cha pi!" (It was her fault anyway!)

"KA?! CHU PI!!!" (WHAT?! NO WAY!!!)

"CHU PI!" (WAS SO!)

"CHU KA!" (WAS NOT!)

Their argument was cut short with a massive roar from the nearby forest. A Manentric walked out of the forest, a basket of berries in its mouth.

"Mane. Ma-nen manentric…" (Stop. You're acting like children…) it calmly stated.

"Cha…pichu piiiii!" (But…I am a little kid!) whined Sparks.

"Chu…Pikachu pika…" (Moron…you're not even human…) replied Lightning.

"Chu pi-cha pi!" (But, I'm still little!) Sparks replied stubbornly, turning away with a huff.

Ignoring the argument, Ambrose turned to the Manentric. "Hello again, Ek-9."

"Mane, manentric. Tric, manentric…manen…" (Hello, Ambrose. And welcome back…master…)

Ek-9 was Damian's first and most powerful Pokemon, and his most faithful partner. Damian had trained him extensively, even creating original moves that only Ek-9 could use.

"Ek-9, what have I told you about calling me master?"

"Manen manentric, mane tric manentric." (That it was pointless and that I was your equal.) Ek-9 paused. "Mane, manentric." (But…I don't care.)

Ambrose couldn't help but chuckle at the exasperated look on Damian's face.

"Manen manentric tric," (It appears that we have a shortage of berries,) Ek-9 continued.

"Oh, is that so? I can always go back to my ranch and pick a few if you want," replied Ambrose, sending out Flyai. Flyai was an unusually colored Flygon, with light blue decorating her hide where a dark green color should have been, and orange replacing the usual scarlet hue. A blue rose was behind her right ear, just like the rest of Ambrose's Pokemon. Ambrose and Blazki both climbed onto Flyai. "Come on, Lightning," Ambrose said.

"Chaaaaa," whined Lightning, bringing Sparks into a tight hug.

"Aw, isn't that cute Damian? They want to play. That alright with you, Damian?"

"Sure, as long as they don't get into trouble…" As if that won't happen, he thought to himself.

Ambrose and Blazki took off on Flyai. Damian, Chef, and Ek-9 all went back into the woods to find berries. Aggron went back to his nap.

As soon as the coast was clear, Lightning let go of Sparks, before delivering a quick Thunderpunch to his gut.

"THAT WAS FOR BEFORE!"

end of chapter

Next time...

Sparks and Lightning are both getting freaked by that Fearow that keeps watching them...how are they gonna get any good pranks done with it staring at them? It's creepy...

Find out what happens in "Mission #1: F.R.E.A.K.O.U.T F.E.A.R.O.W"!