Hi! This is Charles "RocketBoy" Reilly, and you are now reading my 2nd fic, you lucky bugger!

To all the people who liked Alternatives: I have started work on Part 2 and should be out sometime before Judgement Day. Maybe later.

This is unrelated to Alternatives, and isn't as good. But I decided to write it anyway.

All flames will be fed to my Blaze the Charmander.

Not What It Seems

" Hey guys, I'm just going for a walk, " called Ash.

Misty was shocked. " You mean you actually do exercise? "

" Oh very funny. "

" Pika pika. " (Yes, it is.)

" Hey! Whose side are you on? "

" Hey Ash, " called Misty, " be careful out there. " She looked around nervously. " The creature has been spotted around here. "

Ash paled. " I-it has? "

" Yeah. Maybe you shouldn't go. You know what it does to people it catches…"

" I know. I've seen it… But anyway, I'm going. It might not even be around here. "

" I hope so. "

He walked off nervously, watching every bush for signs that he was being watched. All he saw was Team Rocket wearing dodgy disguises, but he ignored them.

He walked on, remembering his first encounter with the creature, his mind seeing it everywhere…

He heard Team Rocket behind him, trying to snatch his Pokeballs with a fishing rod. He was glad. He waited for the inevitable motto. It wouldn't come. He started to sweat. He wanted them to say the motto, anything to break the tension. He finally got fed up and turned round.

They weren't there. Their fishing rod lay discarded on the ground, along with his Pokeballs. Ash turned white. Team Rocket would never leave his Pokeballs behind… unless they could see something he couldn't.

There was a cry behind him.

He spun round in fear, only to see…it.

It stood on flat legs, its body hideously bloated. Thin arms came out of its chest, with the power to deliver devastating hits. Its ears pointed up sharply, like horns. Its huge, staring eyes glared at him, daring him to fight. It grinned perversely…and opened its mouth.

Ash grew terrified. He knew that if this attack hit him, he was doomed. He ran as fast as he could, trying to escape the onslaught that he knew was coming. He knew it was futile anyway.

Behind him, the creature unleashed its deadly attack.

" Jigglypuff, Jig-ga-leeeee-puff, Jig-glypuff, Jigglypuff… "

THE END