Well here's the sequel to "Team Warriors: Leader Finkip" I promised. I hope to keep up the inspiration for this fic unlike my others. Please note that 025 tells the first few chapters through his point of view, before it switches to third person.

Team Warriors: Leader Grasshopper

Chapter 1: Protection

Right now it's the dark times for our team. It's been raining for days and no sign of the rainfall ending anytime soon. So many rescues fro, others trapped in the raging floods that our team members have become exhausted, and some have quit the team all together. All we had left on our team was Abbie the Absol, the Shuppet that helped us in the battle against Rayquaza, and Shellie the Sneasel. Instead of rescuing, half of the time we spat with one another and mostly it's been with Shellie.

I still have my days when I wish all the problems would just go away, and all I had to do was end myself, but still there was one thing that prevented me from doing that... The egg that Finkip left behind... the only thing that still brought a smile to my face. It's been three weeks since Finkip left, and I've still been hanging in there, and awaiting the day it hatches. I've heard from the villagers that it takes longer for a Finkip egg to hatch compared to a Mudkip's.

Nevertheless I've been using hot water bottles to keep the egg warm when I'm away at missions, and using my body to keep it warm at night. When I curl it up tightly against my body it's like I can feel the life inside of it under it's shell. It's smooth texture was nothing compared to what the creature may be inside of it.

That's what worries me...

The other team members occasionally enter the base and I would hastily hide the egg someplace. I didn't want to explain to them about the life inside of it, or where it came from. Part of me wanted to tell them, but a dark side of me wanted to keep the baby inside of it, all to myself to raise. After all Finkip asked me personally to take care of it, that and I vowed myself.

I jumped up to the nest back at base and curled up the egg close to my body after a long day of rescue missions, and pushed away the water bottles aside so I could have some space. The egg has been showing signs of its hatching day. It's been a week since it started wiggling around, and when the days pass the wiggling has become more violent. I still anticipate the day when the baby hatches...

I perked my ears up and began to hear footsteps, and the mud being squished underneath while being stepped upon, and the rain gently falling down. I quickly knew the drill. I hastily placed the egg near the water bottles and hid it's presence underneath a soft fleece blanket, before a shadowy figure engulfed my view of the light.

"Who's there?", I asked.

"You know who it is'', revealed from the shadows was Shellie.

I braced myself, I could tell by the smirk on her face that it could turn into another nasty argument.

'' What do you want?", I asked.

'' Food. It's been raining for days and since there hasn't been any berries or apples growing on the trees. I thought I should inform you.''

'' Well I sure don't have anything in here that's edible.''

'' You sure?''

I noticed her eyes swerving and then glancing at the egg under the blanket. A chill went down my spine.

'' That egg you were cuddling looks edible.''

I cringed at the thought of her devouring the egg, then something inside of me started saying "protect the egg, or something bad will happen" over and over again.

'' The egg is not anybody's dinner'', I spoke calmly yet also sternly so she could get the message.

''Why not? I'm sure you're starving too.''

I denied, but my stomach unexpectedly growled loudly. I could only respond with a nervous chuckle.

''See? Not let me see that egg...'', she said, while looking at the egg.

She began to wander off to the side still keeping her eyes on the egg. I stood in front of it, while Shellie was only a few feet away standing in front of me. I placed my arms towards my face, and my hands turned into little fists. I was ready to protect it, using my body as a shield.

'' Move!'', she demanded.

'' No. I can't let you eat it. Get lost!"

'' I'm going to eat it, and there isn't anything that you can do to stop me!''

She immediately leapt up in the air and with her claws in front of her, she tried to make her attack towards the egg. I put my body on top of the egg and took the blow. I screamed in pain is it tingled throughout my body, it's pain spread from my back to my belly. I watched as Shellie landed to her feet.

I glared at her; a nasty look appeared on her face. I looked below me to check on the egg, and I saw a slight crack on it's surface.

''No'', I blew.

I began to hear snickering and looked towards the owner. I growled and gave Shellie a nasty look. I wasn't going to let her get away with this, and destroy the thing that was keeping me together.

I went on my forepaws and prepared myself to shock her with an electric attack, but when I tried to get my cheeks to spark nothing came out. My cheeks were damaged in the last legendary battle against Rayquaza, and I was never able to use my electric attacks again. I keep forgetting about that; I guess old habits really do die hard.

Shellie leapt up again, aiming a slash attack towards the egg. There was one move she never knew I had, and that was my advantage. I started to put all of my weight on my right hand and sticking out my tail in mid air. I spun while my tail began to glow... Shellie got hit and I knew that I have made my target.

My iron tail attack hit her face and the force flung her towards the wall near the exit. She slid down to the floor leaving a dent on the wall.

'' That does it!'', she screamed, that it echoed the room,''I'm quitting this good-for-nothing team!''

I sighed in relief and glanced over at the egg. Shellie began to rant, as her voice filled the room with her suppressed anger.

''Ever since our original leader left I thought I'd be the new leader, but no... she just had to give you the job. you can't even use electric attacks anymore, which proved her stupidity...''

Pent up anger began to build up inside of me, with every words that escaped her lips.

'' You know what? I'm sure hope this stupid team rots too, and I hope that good for nothing egg I wanted to eat, never hatches! You think you're so proud of yourself, thinking that you're so much better then me. Well if Finkip were here, she'd say you would have been the worst leader that our team ever had!''

I snapped. My hand curled up into a fist again and I began to take my first steps towards her. Before I had the chance to attack, she scratched me on the face. I stepped back to cheek the damage. Three deep scratches dripped blood down my face. I looked at her, while she ripped off her team handkerchief off from her neck. She turned away towards the exit.

I ignored the pain from my wound and followed her outside. While she was walking down the pathway, I went on my forepaws and tackled her to the ground. She lost her balance and fell face-first into the mud. I sneered in delight.

'' You will regret this someday pika-loser... you will.''

Those were her final words. I rolled my eyes in response, while watching her walk away into the darkness and the fog that seemed to lift off from the ground. I hoped to never see her again.

I walked back inside to wash my face from the blood off of my face, then went back to check on the egg. Other then the crack it got, it was left unscathed. That was close... way too close.

I went back into the nest and cradled the egg into my arms, while tears began to sting my eyes. I tried to brush off those hurtful words that Shellie had said, but then I began to ask myself questions.

Was I causing the team's downfall with my leadership?

I didn't have the answers for those questions, and there was nobody around to answer then for me neither. All I knew was that I was alone, with an egg close to its hatching day...

To Be Continued...