All Because of a Turtwig

by Starlit Dusk

When Sophie takes a midnight stroll in her school for pokemon trainers, little does she know that who she finds will change her life forever. She then embarks on a quest to find out who the man really is, and to get back the pokemon he stole.

I love school. Oh, you are such a geek, you say. Nerd, you say. Well, you know what I say to you? Loving school is not uncommon in the school I go to. But it is not just any school. It is a school for raising Pokémon. You may take Science, Math, and Social Studies. I take those too, but the school has an emphasis on Battle Tactics, Team Building, and Type Pairing. Pokémon are my life. And they are also what changed it.

It was midnight in the Jubilife City School for Pokemon Trainers, and I couldn't sleep. I had wandered out of the dorms, and roamed the halls, just thinking. While I was walking down the darkened hallway, I heard a noise that made me jump. I slowly turned around, thinking the worst. Did a teacher find me? I touched my pokéball that I had hanging around my pajamas. Inside that lone pokéball resided a Rapidash. Rapidash and I met six years ago, when I was 9. I was in the woods one day, the ones on the way to Sagem Town, when a Bidoof attacked me. Now you may think, a Bidoof? How lame! But when one is charging at you, and you have no Pokémon to defend yourself with, it is a scary sight.

Anyway, I bet you can guess what happened next. Rapidash, who was then still a Ponyta, saved me, and we have been friends ever since. But on my 11th birthday, my parents gave me a pokéball. I hadn't known what to do with it, until I went to meet Ponyta. The Ponyta nudged the pokéball, but I was still confused.

"What do you want Ponyta?" I asked it. Ponyta kept nudging and nudging the pokéball until there was a flash of red light, and Ponyta was gone. And then I finally understood.

I let it out of the ball, and stroked its neck. "Thank you," I whispered to it. Then suddenly, it started to glow white. I stepped back, wondering what was going on. But I had read enough Pokémon trainer books to figure it out. When the light dimmed, my Ponyta was no more. And in its place was a beautiful Rapidash. We have been together ever since.

I wasn't the only one in JC School to have a Pokémon. Brian Montane had a Toxicroak. Jane Wilted has a Swablu. Jake Forensis has a Yanma. And Mary Croatio has a Duskull. But that is it for my year of thirty trainers. But, tomorrow we are all, no matter if we already have a Pokémon, are getting a starter type. Piplup, Chimchar, and Turtwig are our choices. I am planning on getting a Piplup.

I was jolted out of my flashback when a hand came out of the darkness and clamped itself around my mouth. "Mmurmph!" I yelled, but my attacker held tight.

"Ssh!" said my attacker, and as my adrenaline rush cooled, I noticed his face. Brain Montane.

"What are you doing?" I began to say, but he raised a finger to his lips, and I heard another sound coming from the hallway. I backed into the shadows next to Brian, and by the dim light given off by the tiny nightlight by the bathroom, I saw the profile of a face so shockingly familiar I almost gasped. I had seen that face on many wanted posters. It was Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic.

The man stalked down the hallway, and Brian motioned for me to follow him. I shook my head, and instead followed the man. Brian gave up and followed me.

We stalked him through the halls until he turned into the forbidden hallway, the one that housed all of the school's pokemon, the ones they gave to the trainers.

The man silently dug into his pocket, and pulled out a small silver rod, which he inserted into the keyhole. Seconds later, the lock clicked, and the hallway was flooded with light. Good for us, our shadows fell behind us, and the man did not notice us.

But I noticed him. The face I thought I knew so well had a long ugly scar running down from his left eye to his chin. And I hadn't noticed in the dark that, when flooded with light, the man looked hardly more than someone my age, but he did have his signature blue hair. Was this really Cyrus?

But there is no time for misgivings. I watch in horror as Cyrus pulls out a strange bag, and has just began to grab the first pokéball when I hear a familiar voice say, "Razor Leaf!"

I gasp, but the man is preoccupied. He has spun around to see my best friend Liz, sitting on the floor, playing with the Turtwig she was supposed to get tomorrow.

The man smiles, and grabs a pokéball from the bucket labeled: 'Empty Pokéballs'.

I call out to warn Liz, but it is too late. There is a flash of red light, and the Turtwig is forced into the pokéball.

The blue-haired man sticks the pokéball into his bag, and turns around to face me and Brian.

"I reckon you shouldn't have shouted," Brian murmured, and he reaches around for his Toxicroak. But he is wearing his pajamas, and has left his pokemon in his room.

I reach down, and feel Rapidash's pokéball. I grab it from my belt, and toss it into the air. "Rapidash, go!"

"Go, Weavile!" yelled Cyrus.

I smiled to myself. An ice type against a fire type? This guy must be barking mad. "Rapidash, Flamethrower!"

An immense snake of fire came roaring out of my Pokémon's mouth. It was almost upon the Weavlie, when the ice-type jumped.

"No way…" I gasped, the smile wiped from my face, as my savage attack roared below my opponent. The high ceiling was the perfect advantage for the jumping pokemon. It was going to take more than type advantage to win this battle.

The Weavile landed on the pokéball case, and the shelves shuddered as pokeballs began raining down, and rolling around.

The next few minutes consisted of me shooting attacks at the Weavile, and it continually dodging them. "At least it isn't attacking me," I griped. I could tell my Pokémon was getting worn out. I would need another Pokémon if I was to win this battle.

Now I don't know if it was karma, coincidence, or just plain luck, but at that moment, one of the still raining pokéballs hit me in the leg. Hard, like someone had thrown it. "Ow," I said, and then did a double take. Maybe that pokéball held a Pokémon that could help me! I wished with all my might that it contained a Pokémon, and then threw it into the air.

The blinding flash of red light made me relax. There was a Pokémon in there, and when the light dimmed, I had a new reinforcement.

"Piplup! Use Bubble Beam!" I yelled, hoping to Ho-oh that it knew that move. "Rapidash, keep up the Flamethrower!" I knew enough from Type class that one good fire attack would make the Weavile faint. Then I just had to get Turtwigs pokéball. I crossed my fingers that my new attacks would work.

I was only happy on one thing, though, the Piplup did know Bubblebeam. But the Weavile dodged and dodged, and I know I was never going to win at this rate.

"You need a combo attack!" yelled Brian, who was watching from the sidelines.

"Fight your own battles," I grumbled, but I knew he was right. I had to try something new.

Suddenly a brilliant idea came to me. I needed to get the Weavile into a place where it couldn't dodge.

"Piplup," I yelled, "Jump onto Rapidash's back!" Piplup sprung, landing right on its back. Now to put my plan into action. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam on Weavile!" As the stream of bubbles came roaring toward Weavile, it did as I expected it to do. It jumped into the air, and at that moment, I yelled to Rapidash, "Now! Flamethrower!"

Rapidash shot a powerful flame attack up into the air. The Weavile could not dodge up there, and it was hit dead center by my attack, when the smoke cleared, the Weavile was on the ground in a dead faint.

"Now," I said to Cyrus, "give me back that pokéball."

Cyrus wasn't so keen after loosing his protector. He recalled his fainted Weavile, and glared at me. "This isn't over you twerp! I'll be back. And then, I will be ready."

"Give back the pokéball!" I yelled, but it was too late. The blue-haired man had already called out a Crowbat to use Smokescreen, and it was upon us before I could run after him.

"He's getting away!" I heard Brian yell as I watched the place where the man has disappeared into the smog.

"N-n-n-o," I coughed through the smoke. Then I head a familiar voice say, "Swablu, use whirlwind!" and suddenly the smoke was gone. But so was Turtwig.

I slipped down to my knees. It couldn't have happened. I defeated him, but he still got away.

I felt a muzzle on my cheek and a small Pokémon slip into my lap. Rapidash and my new friend Piplup were here for me.

"Its okay Sophie," said Liz, walking up to me, "You beat him. Why are you so sad?"

"I lost your Turtwig Liz," I whispered, "I lost."

"No you didn't. You beat him. You saved the Pokémon Sophie." Brian walked over to me. "And that is all that matters."

"But Liz, I lost your Turtwig! Aren't you angry with me?"

Liz looked shocked. "Why would I be mad at you? It isn't even mine yet!" I didn't believe her. I could see the anguish in her eyes begin to build.

"Always wanting sympathy," sneered Brian, "Calm down Soapy!"

I sighed. I had failed.

As the teachers came rushing into the room, alarmed at the noise coming from the storage room, I began thinking.

It had been three days since the incident, and I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. The graduating classes' tournament was tomorrow, and I know I should be practicing. But all I could think about was poor Turtwig, trapped up with HIM. If it wasn't for Liz pestering me about it, I wouldn't have entered in the tournament. But good 'ol Liz, she always had my best interests at heart. So I was entered in the tournament, weather I liked it or not. But it didn't matter if I won or lost. I was going to get back Turtwig, no matter what.

The principal had me recall the entire incident to the staff, and all of my classmates wanted to hear it. Each time I recanted the events of the night before, the sadness consumed me even more.

When you have an obsession, that is all you can think about. And right now, even though I was about to loose the Championship battle of the PS School Graduation Tournament, I wasn't in on the battle. I was making my decision.

"Oh, that's it folks! Brian and his Toxicroak have defeated Sophie and her Rapidash. What a stunning loss it was, given the fact that Sophie was the trainer that saved our pokemon from being taken my the evil fiend that is Team Galactic. But Runner-Up is great too. I think we need a speech from our hero. Right, everyone? Speech, Speech!"

Brian was glaring at me. No doubt he wanted to make a speech. But I didn't want to either. Just then, a microphone was shoved in my face. I guess I would have to make one after all.

"Hi everyone," I said dully. The crowd cheered. I rolled my eyes, and then continued. "I am glad you all came out to support me. But I am not going to be come a trainer." A collective gasp rose around the audience. I smiled for the first time in three days. "Don't worry, I will raise Pokémon. But my goal isn't to defeat the Elite Four. It will now be to rescue my best friend Liz's Turtwig from the clutches of a man named Cyrus. I will go to Eterna City, and see if he is in the team Galactic building. I will find him. And then I can start my journey." To a stunned crowd, I dropped the microphone with a satisfying bang, and walked out the door.

I wandered toward the front door, Rapidash and Piplups pokéballs in hand. I had empty pokéballs in my bag, and the automatic food maker. I was all ready for an adventure, when I head footsteps running behind me. It was Liz.

I spun around to face her, "Don't try and stop me Liz." I warned.

"I'm not, "she whispered. "It's my Pokémon you are trying to rescue, remember? I just wanted to tell you that you will always be my best friend, and good luck. Oh yeah, did they let you keep Piplup?"

I smiled at my friend's lame try at a conversation starter. "They let me keep it because it was so attached to me." I heard a roar of kids swell a few hallways back. "I really have to go, they just out of assembly."

"I am sorry I can't come with you." A look of pain flashed across her face. "If I did, my mother would never let me become a trainer."

I felt for my friend. Her mother wanted her to inherit their family store in Sunnyshore City, but Liz had other ideas. So Liz ran away from home, and her mother was furious. But after much begging and pleading from Liz, and a recommendation from the teachers, they let her stay. But after she lost her Turtwig, her mother had sent her an angry letter saying she was very irresponsible and was to come home at once. The only way for her to stay was that she stayed at school until she got the "wretched Pokémon back." So until Turtwig was once again hers, she would have to stay at the JC School.

Liz then game me a hug, which was all too brief. "I hope you catch Cyrus, she said." I nodded, and then frowned to myself. Was that man really Cyrus? I never heard about Cyrus trying to steal Pokémon before! He usually just let others do his bidding. But it was the only lead I had. I was going to hunt him down.

I smiled at Liz one more time, and then walked out the door toward Oreburgh City, Cycling Road, and Eterna City, where I hopefully would find Turtwig. My adventure had begun.

The road to Oreburgh was rough. So many trainers stopped me to battle. It was getting so annoying, that at times I would sneak around them until they were out of sight. But all that battling had an upside to it. My Piplup was growing strong, and my Rapidash stronger.

I had almost made it to the short underground tunnel leading to Oreburgh City when an unexpected thing happened: a wild Pokémon attacked me.

I knew from my classes that it was a Shinx.

"Aww," I crooned, "What a cutie you are!" I reached out to pet it.

It gave me a reproachful look, and I felt a sudden sting in my hand. It had shocked me!

"All right, if that is how you want to play. Go, Rapidash!" I yelled, still rubbing my stinging hand.

The battle was short and sweet. The Shinx was ready to pass out when I realized something. I should catch this Pokémon! I would need more Pokémon in order to defeat Cyrus.

I dug into my trainer purse. I pulled out socks, instant meals, and a Region map, until I finally came to what I was looking for.

I spun around, aiming at the Shinx, and said, "Pokéball, go!" It flew through the air, and hit the Shinx in the head. The Electric Pokémon disappeared into the ball.

It shook, and shook. "Please let me catch it," I prayed to Ho-oh. And at that moment, the pokéball was still. I walked over to it, and gingerly picked up the ball. After examining the ball closely, I came to the best conclusion: I had caught my first Pokémon!

After adding Shinx to my team, I continued along to Oreburgh, also catching along the way a Starly and a Geodude in the cave.

Walking out of the cave was like a breath of fresh air. The city was right in front of me. It took my breath away. It had tall buildings, an awesome system of coal carts on a track above the city. "Wow," I gasped to myself.

A voice behind me made me jump. "Hey Soapy, what are you doing here? I thought you were rescuing some Turtwig. I guess you are taking the gym challenge."

"My name is Sophie, Brian." I growled, "And I am here to take Cycling Road to Eterna City in order to find the Turtwig." Man, he must be really fast or me really slow getting here!

He laughed at me. "You have to get a Bike before they let you on that."

My heart plummeted. "I don't have a bike, but I will just buy one you creep!" I snapped at him, and then started to walk away.

"You can't buy a bike here," he informed me quickly.

I spun around. "Then where can you mister know-it-all?"

"In Eterna City of course!"

Oh, no! I would have to go through the forest. The dark, scary forest. I shuddered, thinking about all the beasts that may lurk inside the forest's depths.

Shuddering was evidently the wrong move. "Are you afraid of the forest Soapy?"

"Am not!"

"Then prove it," he said.

"Fine! I'll go get a bike right now!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Even if you make it, they only give out free bikes to people who beat the gym leader from Eterna. Don't give me that look; I know you are flat broke. And the only way to be allowed to challenge her is if you have the gym badge from here. Or are you afraid of that too?"

I was not going to let a shmuck like Brian rain on my parade. "Fine!" I yelled at him! "I'll beat them all into the ground! Happy?"

"Very," he said, and ran off in the direction of the Pokémon center.

I grumbled all the way to the center. I griped while I waited for my Pokémon to be healed. I groaned as I walked toward the Gym, and my inevitable battle with my strongest foe yet.

I came out of the gym with a light heart. I had beaten Roark. Easily! His Cranidos fell to my Piplup, his Geodude fell to my Starly, (which, in the heat of the battle, evolved into Staravia,) and his Onix fell to my Rapidash.

I gazed down at the Coal Badge lying in my palm. I had done it! Now I only had to beat seven more leaders and I could challenge the Sinnoh League!

But the rush of excitement went as soon as it had came. I felt extremely guilty as I remembered Liz and Turtwig. I had to stick to my plan.

On the way back to Jubilife City, I again ran into Brian.

"Hey Sophie!" He yelled. I tried to walk faster, but it was no use. "I heard you blew everyone away in your battle against Roark! Congrats, are you going to challenge Eterna City's leader next?"

I whirled around. "Some of us have better things to do than battle with Pokémon all day!"

Brian looked shocked. "But you were having so much fun in your battle!"

I started to smile, remembering the thrill of the battle, jumping for joy every time my Pokémon attacked.

Brain looked hopeful. "See?"

I quickly wiped the smile off my face. "No, I really don't care! I am going to rescue Liz's Turtwig! Why can't you just leave me alone you stuck-up little Bidoof!"

Brians happy face turned cold. "I was just trying to help." And he walked away from me in cold silence.

I watched him walk away, and then the reality of what had just happened sunk in. He was just trying to cheer me up. Why cant I just accept people's help? I trudged on, ignoring all of the wild Pokémon that I saw. I didn't look up when a trainer on a bike asked for directions to Jubilife. I didn't even scream when a big fat Cascoon fell out in front of me (okay, maybe I screamed a little bit.)

Things only looked worse, for when I stepped into Jubilife, I was nearly bowled over by Liz.

"Did you get it? Did you get it?" she said, bouncing in front of me.

I looked at the ground. "Turtwig wasn't there. I'm sorry." I looked up. But I have another lead!"

Liz looked at me like I had suddenly turned into a Snorlax. "Not Turtwig! (Even though I still miss him.) The Coal Badge silly!"

"Y-y-es," I stuttered, "But aren't you mad at me for not finding your Pokémon?"

"Not at all!" she crowed! "I still want him back, but you are more important."

"Liz!"

She sighed. "I love Turtwig dearly. But I only had him for an hour or so. You have been my best friend forever. I am so proud of you! You got the badge!"

I ignored her. "I am going to Eterna City to see if Cyrus is at the base there."

Liz looked at the ground. "I suppose there is nothing I can say that would make you go to the Pokémon gym instead." Then my best friend got a mischievous look in her eye. "Would you take the Gym challenge if I came with you?"

"But you can't! Your mom-"

"-wouldn't have to know… you catch my drift? I hate it at the trainer's school! Everyone is asking me to retell the story of the attack." She looked down. "And… I really miss Turtwig!" Her eyes swam with unshed tears. "I want him back!" she cried, and she sobbed into my shoulder as I gave her a big hug.

"Yes, we can go together," I said, giving in to the inevitable.

Three days later, Liz and I were walking down the road toward Flamora Town. We had stayed in Jubilife City long enough to steal, ahem, BORROW a Pokémon trainers backpack from the schools supply closet.

Liz sniffed the air. "Can you smell that Sophie? That is the smell of hundreds upon hundreds of sweet flowers growing. We must be close to the Town now!

And sure enough, no sooner had we gone over the hill then a quaint little town with wind turbines turning slowly around it came into clear view. Sweet scents laced the breeze, and we could see the flowers dancing in the wind.

"Wow…" I gasped, and we slowly made our way to the most beautiful place we had ever seen.

The Flamora Pokémon Center was very spacious. The walls were lined with pictures of flowers and of the flower-bearing Pokémon, Shaymin.

Liz's eyes glistened. "Aren't they the cutest little things you ever saw? They would be the best of friends with…" her voice trailed off. "… Turtwig."

I was just about to give her another hug when a voice behind us made me jump, "Can I help you girls with anything?" I turned around. The voice belonged to a woman with pink hair.

"I'm Nurse Joy!" she said, smiling, "Can I heal your Pokémon for you!"

I fumbled in my pockets for my pokéballs. "Here is my Rapidash, Staravia, Geodude, Shinx, and Piplup."

The nurse put the pokéballs in a machine. "There is no Shinx in here…"

"Oh yeah…" murmured Liz, "Didn't it evolve into Luxio?"

I remembered the moment well. A stupid Budew had jumped out at it, and it had been so surprised, it had proptly evolved.

I smiled at my pokéballs. They were all my best friends, and I loved them dearly.

Suddenly the entire center went dark. A trainer who had been resting on one of the couches murmered sleepily, "Finally…" rolled over, and went to sleep.

I tried not to panic. "W-w-what was that?" I stuttered to the nurse.

Joy looked strangely unnerved, but she sighed. "The power has been going off like that every once in a while. We think that when Team Galactic was in the Valley Windworks building, they must have messed some stuff up." Then she smiled, "but don't be afraid! It comes back on after a minute or two!" And sure enough, no sooner had she spoke, but the lights flickered and came back on.

We left the center, both of us knowing where we were headed next. The next clue to where Turtwig might be was just down the valley. Liz and I set out silently toward our next destination.

Valley Windworks was a large, modern-looking building surrounded by wind turbines. The door was locked, but my Geodude soon fixed that problem.

Liz, Geodude, and I stepped into the darkness, coughing at the musty smell that emanated from around the room. I recalled Geodude, and sent out Rapidash to help us see.

Liz went over to look for any sign of where Cyrus goes by the beeping machines, while I went to look in the desks. And it didn't take me long to locate something that would be a crucial clue to what in the name of Ho-Oh had happened to Turtwig.

"Hey Liz," I said, "Come and get a load of this."

As she came over, I took a closer look at what I held in my hand. It was a photograph of three people. One was an angry looking man with spiky blue hair.

"That's the man who took my Pokémon!" exclaimed Liz.

My eyes went from the spiky-haired man to the other two people in the picture. And then it clicked.

"Liz," I said slowly, I don't think so.

"What do you mean Soph?"

"I think that there is more going on here that meets the eye," I said, and started to explain.

The picture was an older looking photo, and it showed a scowling man, holding a baby that could have been a newborn, and a woman who looked frail, and had dark circles under her eyes. But although she looked quite sad, she was smiling.

"I think Cyrus is a daddy," I said. "It all makes sense. The man back at school acting unprofessional. Cyrus is famous for being cool and collected. That man could be beaten by a bunch of school kids!" I gestured at the baby in the picture. "And the blue hair. It all fits!"

Liz had a strange expression on her face. It looked like she had just eaten a particularly sour poffin. And then she burst out laughing.

The laughter was an unnatural sound in the emptiness of Valley Windworks.

"Cyrus… the evil ruler of Team Galactic… that hates the world and everyone in it… having a kid?" Liz's face was beginning to turn red.

I was angry. "Look at the picture! Does he look evil? Sure, he looks sad, but this photo must have been taken years ago! If the monster existed, it was buried deep within."

Liz wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. "I guess you are right," she gasped. "It just seems wrong. The most feral, evil, monstrous man Sinnoh has ever seen… had a kid?"

We both looked at the photo again. Now that I inspected it closer, the man we believed to be Cyrus did not look at ferocious as he did in the Wanted posters. He didn't look angry, or evil. Just sad. Like everything in his world was coming crashing down around him.

"Wow," murmured Liz. She didn't look skeptical any longer. I can't believe it. All this time, we thought we were up against the leader of Team Galactic. At least now it is only his son."

"Liz, didn't you see what he was wearing? A Team Galactic uniform. I don't believe he was the only one to plan to rob the school. Galactic wants pokemon."

"I wonder why…" she said.

"Well, that is what we are here to find out," I said matter-of-factly. "But there was one more thing I was wondering about." I remembered the man that I had fought, and the large ugly scar running down his face. "Did you see that scar?"

On the picture, the babies face was clean. There was no sign a scar would crop up there in who knows how long.

Liz folded up the picture and stuck it in her backpack, and glanced around the room. "I think we are finished here," she said, and then we both jumped as a creak and a moan came from somewhere within the dilapidated building. "Lets get out of here," she said, and we ran out the door back to the flower paradise.

Neither of us slept very well that night. The lights in the distance seemed to taunt us. They were so close to our destination, and we were so far. Each gust of wind was like a whisper of foreboding. The night crept on. I thought it would never end, but before I knew it, I was opening my eyes to blinding sunshine.

Liz and I walked out of town, our packs heavy with antidote. The Eterna Forest was the only way to get to the city where Team Galactic resided. As we approached the entrance to the dark glen, we met a boy wearing a bug catcher's outfit. He gave us a map, and whished us good luck.

"It would have been easier just to go up cycling road…" he murmured, and headed back toward Flamora Town.

Liz looked at me, and then, hearts pounding, we headed into the forest.

I had seen pictures of this place in textbooks, but it didn't do the place justice. Everywhere I looked, it was green. Different shades of green, all blending in with the colors around it. Where light streamed in, it gave the air a glowing look. I could see vines, leaves, and pokemon everywhere. It was paradise.

Liz and I stared at its beauty, and we were so enthralled we didn't notice someone approaching us, and we both jumped when the girl started to speak.

"Hi," she said, in the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. "My name is Cheryl. You two are pokemon trainers, right?"

The girl had a beautiful green braid cascading down her back, and wore a simple but gorgeous green dress.

"Well, not really," I began to say, but Liz glared at me, and said, "Yeah… why do you want to know?"

"Well…" said the girl, looking at her feet. "I am… kinda lost. I was wandering around, trying to find the exit, when I saw you two. And, oh! is that a map?"

I looked at the map Liz was carrying. "Yes, it is. But we only have one, so if you'll excuse us…" I grabbed Liz's arm and began to walk away. But Liz glared at me, and said in a hard voice, "What is wrong with you? We can help her!"

"But what about Turtwig?" I began, but she was already turning around to talk to Cheryl. I sighed, and went to join them.

A couple of hours later, the three of us emerged, bug-bitten, tired, but happy. I could see the huge skyscrapers reaching toward the sky. I hadn't noticed in the forest, but the sun was low in the sky, and the city lights were just starting to turn on. We walked for a bit in silence, until we reached the entrance to the city. Cheryl smiled. "Well, this is where we part. Thank you so much for helping me!"

"Won't you stay longer? We could hand out…" complained Liz.

I grabbed her by the shoulders. "Liz! What about Turtwig? We didn't come here so you can hang out with your friends? Why aren't you sticking to the plan?"

"You are obsessed!" yelled Liz, abandoning her usually cheerful demeanor. "I don't know what has gotten into you! Sure, Turtwig is important to me, but you are my friend. Cheryl is my friend! And you need to get it into your head that having a one track mind is not a good thing."

"I'm obsessed? What about you? You are constantly distracted from what we came to do. You talk to everyone! You invite a stranger to go with us into a forest? And now that we are so close, you want to 'hang out'? How dare you!"

"I have never been outside of Jubilife and my mother's store before." said Liz quietly. "Being out here is amazing. You seem to want me to be depressed all the time about this. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't want to be cooped up and depressed forever!"

I glared at her. She glared at me. Cheryl looked scared.

"Come on." I said stiffly. "We better go get a room at the pokemon center for the night. I don't want to be out here forever. We have a big day tomorrow."

"A gym battle?" said Cheryl hopefully.

"No!" I said forcefully. "Some of us have better things to do. Like rescuing pokemon, even though their trainers don't want them back."

Liz looked shocked, and immediately I knew I had said the wrong thing. She gave me one more agonized look, and ran into the city, leaving us behind. Cheryl took one look at me, and ran after her.

"Wow, that was harsh." I turned around to see a standing behind me. Brian's usually joking face had turned into a mask on concern.

"What do you want?" I said harshly, and I began to turn away, be he grabbed my arm.

"You aren't getting away with this anymore," he said, and pulled me over to a bench outside a bike shop.

I tried to leave, but he wouldn't let me. "What did I ever do to you?" I spat, and pulled harder than ever.

"Remember last time we met?" he said simply, and I recalled our last meeting. And then the tears came.

I don't remember the last time I had blubbered that much, and I was amazed that he listened to all of it.

"…and now they are mad at me and I don't know what to do!" I sniffed, and Brian handed my a tissue.

"Yes, you do know what to do," he said.

I looked up. "I do?" I whispered.

"Liz told you, remember? Go to the gym. Battle the leader. Then go get Turtwig."

I sighed. Deep down, I knew he was right. I remembered the last time I had a gym battle, and the joy I had felt seeing my pokemon succeed.

I stood up, and wiped away the last of my tears. "Thanks Brian," I said, and made to leave, but he grabbed my arm.

"You don't think you can get away that easily," he said, a mischievous look in his eyes. "I am coming with you, Sophie."

It wasn't until later that I realized he hadn't called me Soapy.

I managed to shake Brian off by telling him that I would meet him at the Gym tomorrow morning. I did plan to go, even if my heart told me to go somewhere else. He was going to look for Liz and Cheryl while I got some rest.

The pokemon center in Eterna City was the largest building in the town, because it was attached to the pokemon gym. I walked into the center, and walked up to the counter.

"How may I help you?" said the man behind the counter.

"Can I have a room?" I asked, suddenly aware of how tired I was.

"Sure," he said, scanned my pokedex, and handed my a key with the number 27 on it.

"Thanks," I said, stifling a yawn, and walked toward my room.

You see, in pokemon centers, trainers are always welcome to get a free nights stay and breakfast, no questions asked. You just have to show the clerk your pokedex.

I opened the door into the generic, small, trainers room. There was a small bed, a PokeSkype phone, and a bathroom. I changed into my pikachu pajamas, and, though I really wanted to sleep, I knew there was one more thing I had to do.

I turned on the PokeSkype machine, and logged into my account. I took a deep breath, and clicked on the name I knew I had to call.

She picked up on the first ring. "Hello?" said Liz. When she saw it was me, she coldly tilted her head. "Called to yell some more?"

I sighed. "I… I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean the things I said. I was just angry. Angry at myself mostly. That I didn't get Turtwig back when he was being taken in the first place. That I didn't have the strength to get over it."

Her gaze softened. "I'm sorry too. I know how much it hurts you. I wish you were here, so I could give you a hug." She reached at the screen, as if trying to hug me through the screen.

"I am at the pokemon center, room 27," I said.

"Cheryl and I got a double room, 173," she said. "I'll meet you in the lobby tomorrow at 9:00."

I stifled a yawn. "Okay."

"You look tired, and you have a gym battle tomorrow. You should get some sleep."

"'night," I yawned, not able to stifle this one.

"Good night!" I heard a second voice chorus along with Liz's, and with that, I shut off the PokeSkype, brushed my teeth, and jumped on my bed, asleep before I hit the pillow.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP"

I groaned, and rolled out of bed. The Chingling shaped alarm clock was beeping that I had fifteen minutes to get down to the lobby where Liz and Cheryl would be waiting. I quickly put on my jean shorts, butter free tank top, combed my hair and pulled my hair into a messy ponytail. I then splashed some water on my face, brushed the morning breath out of my teeth, grabbed my trainers belt and backpack, put my pink trainers cap on, and rushed down the stairs.

I all but slid into the front desk. "Here is my key," I gasped. This morning, it was a older woman at the desk, and she looked at me funny, but said, "Breakfast is that way," pointing toward the large glass double doors. I thanked her and ran toward them. Thankfully, they were automatic, or I would have smashed right through them. I grabbed a bowl of cereal, poured some milk on it, and gobbled it down making it to the lobby just as the clock struck 9:00.

Cheryl and Liz were already waiting for me, and to my surprise, so was Brian.

"Ready to go?" he said, and was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Why are you so excited?" I jokingly asked.

"Didn't you hear?" said Liz. "He is battling too! After you, of course."

"Well, time to go," I said, and although I thought it was blasphemous to think such things, I was very excited.

When I walked into the gym, it was like I had found my way back to Eterna Forest. It was like a greenhouse inside, with beautiful flowering plants and trees everywhere.

I was looking around in awe when I heard someone else join us. She was a shorter woman, but very pretty with pixie cut brown hair, and, like everyone else I saw, was wearing green.

"Cheryl!" She exclaimed, "I have been looking all over for you! You were supposed to be back yesterday! Where were you?"

"Sorry mom," said Cheryl. "I got lost."

"Well, that is all part of the learning process," said the woman. "I got lost in there many times when I was training to be the Gym leader to take over from your Grandmother."

I gaped. Could this woman possibly be-

"Gardenia! It is so amazing to meet you!" gushed Brian.

Liz gave Cheryl a look that said plainly, Your mother is GARDENIA?

Cheryl shrugged, twirling her green braid. "She sends me out into the forest to train. I am taking the Gym Leader job from her, after all."

"And who might you be?" Gardenia asked.

"Oh, this is Sophie, Liz, and Brian. Sophie and Brian are here to challenge you today,"

"Ooh, that'll be fun!" She squealed. Then she checked her Budew watch on her wrist. You two are my only challengers today. Come to the field. We start in… 15 minutes. Oh, and Cheryl, I want you to clean your room."

"Mom!" complained Cheryl, but she followed her mother away. "I'll come watch your battle!" She yelled back at us.

The battle! My heart thumped hard in my chest, like it was trying to escape. Brian looked a little green. Liz was the only one that said, "We better go get your pokemon checked out. Did you pick out your three that you are going to use."

I nodded, unable to speak, and Brian mumbled, "yeah."

The nurse at the front desk checked out my three chosen pokemon, Rapidash, Luxio, and Staravia, to make sure none of them were illegally getting powered up. She then checked out Brian's Heracross, Roselia, and Starly.

"You are good to go," she said, and we entered the battle room.

I had Gardenia backed into a corner. The first pokemon I had sent out was Rapidash, and she had cleaned up Gardenia's Roserade and her Cherrim. She had one pokemon left, and I was confident we could defeat it. That was true, until the pokemon came out.

"Go, Turtwig!" she yelled. I gasped, and I heard Liz do the same thing.

The little green pokemon that came out of the ball was almost identical to Liz's. It moved the same, its cry was the same, and its little feet were the same. The only difference was that this pokemon was not kidnapped. I had not failed to rescue this pokemon.

"I don't know if I can do this," I whispered, and Rapidash looked at me, waiting for a command. The entire gym was dead silent, waiting for something to happen.

I don't know if it was the cheer from Brian, or the look in Liz's eyes. Or maybe it was the knowing look Rapidash gave me, or the little innocent Turtwig standing in front of me. But something gave me the courage to go on. Something finally snapped, and I was happy. I slowly turned back toward Gardenia and the Turtwig in front of me, and said, "Fire Spin."

Rapidash's eyes smoldered, and she let out a huge wave of flame that bore down upon the Turtwig. It simply had no where to go. When the smoke cleared, it was me standing victorious.

I left the gym, my trainers pack, just a tad bit heavier with the weight of the second badge. Brian had the goofiest grin on his face, and I guess I did too. We both had won our battles, even though I still say going second was an advantage for him.

"You two look like you just won the lottery," laughed Liz.

Brian did a little pirouette in midair. "I am so happy right now!" He grinned.

We walked and talked until the sun went down, not really paying attention to where we were going, when we all suddenly stopped, for right in front of us, was Team Galactic headquarters.

The building looked like a fortress. There were searchlights aiming at the ground, looking for some invisible enemy. There was barbed wire running all around it, and the only way in was through a heavily guarded checkpoint. The grays and blacks of the fortress seemed out of place in a beautiful city like this one.

"Is that where Turtwig is?" asked Brian suddenly. I could've kicked him.

Liz looked stricken. "How do we get in? Where is he?" she looked like she was ready to run in there all buy herself. "Lets go in, lets get him back!"

I grabbed her shoulders. "And how do you plan to do that? Run in there and DEMAND them to give him back? This is Team Galactic, not preschool. And I thought you didn't care about that anymore."

"Of course I do!" yelled Liz in a shocked voice.

"Then why were you so insisting that Sophie go to the gym and not here?" asked Brian.

"I just wanted her to be happy!" said Liz. "She is important to me, too! But now I really want to go get him back!"

It was now I decided I really hated her mood swings.

"Well, we can't do it today," I said rationally. "We would need a plan, more help, and a slight idea of where he might be, which we don't have."

"I might be able to help you with that," came a familiar voice from behind me.

Three hours later the plan was all set.

"So, run this by me again?" said Brian, who looked slightly dazed. We were in Cheryl's room in the Pokemon gym, and were sitting on the Sunflora-Patterned Bedspread.

Cheryl smiled, "Well, I couldn't help but overhear that you needed to get into the Team Galactic outpost. Then I remembered that Charon is a good friend of my mom's, but I knew he was up to no good. And you guys prove me right." She held out a small flash drive. I was going to get back at him by putting a picture of a Happiny on his Team Galactic website, but this is even better." she plugged the flash drive into a laptop, and what looked like a maze appeared.

"You are here," she said, pointing to the entrance. "You are probably trying to get here." she pointed at a small, out of the way room. "It isn't on the map, but I am absolutely certain there are stairs leading down to someplace. When Charon invited me and my mother over to that place, I went exploring, found this flash drive, and just caught a glimpse of this room when I got caught."

"But what do I have to do?" asked Brian impatiently.

"Well, you and Sophie will go into the base. But there is a very secure checkpoint into the base, and you can't take any pokemon in. That is where Liz comes in. She will distract the guard while Brian and Sophie sneak past."

"How do I do that?" said Liz.

"Cry, complain, throw something, the works," said Cheryl, with a passive wave of her hand, and clicked a button on her keyboard.

From behind me, I heard the whirr of a printer as the map Cheryl had on her Laptop spewed out. She grabbed the sheet, circled the entrance and our destination, and handed it to me.

"If anything goes wrong, I'll contact you through these earpieces, which, by the way, the metal detectors shouldn't detect."

"How do you have all of this spy stuff?" I asked.

Cheryl got a wicked gleam in her eye. "Oh, I do my share of going to places I shouldn't be."

"But you have two ear pieces…"I murmured.

She smiled. "That is a story for another time." And with that, we set out.

Ten minutes later, Liz, Brian and I arrived at the entrance to the Galactic outpost. Barbed wire surrounded the fence, and lethal looking weapons aiming at us from the spiked roof. Staraptor's and Larvitar's scoured the grounds, only keeping off of the path that led to the building itself.