CHAPTER 2
The men were almost in a whisper as Haru crept down and crouched behind a nearby bush. He could now barely make out their voices.
"The cavern's not here anymore." The one who was holding the device said.
"What do you mean it's not here?" One of the other two said. "Caverns just don't pick up and leave dumbass."
"I-I know but it's not here I don't know what happened." The other man said desperately, shaking his head.
"Well you better figure out worm." The larger of the two said. "Giovanni's coming in tonight, and if the cavern isn't here by then, you're done for."
'Giovanni?' Haru thought, sliding down a bit as the one with the device crept a little closer. "Where have I heard that name before?"
"Hey!" The voice was that of the man with the device and Haru's heart skipped a beat. "There's someone over here in the bushes1"
Haru shot forward, but not fast enough to escape the hand that grasped the neck of his collar. He growled as he was pulled back and thrust in the center of a circle created by the three strange men.
"Who are you boy?" The big, burly one said.
"I-I'm just Haru, I live over there." He pointed.
"He's lying." The other man without the device said. "He's a spy, he's got to be. Giovanni said they'd be everywhere tonight."
"No, I'm not I don't even know what's going on." Haru insisted. "I was just wondering what you were doing so I came down here to get a better look."
"He knows what we were saying, either way he could be dangerous." The big one said. "Best to kill him here." The man produced a knife and held it to Haru's neck, who tried not to struggle because he was afraid of the knife.
Suddenly a long howl split the air and the man holding the knife, loosened his grip, falling to the ground behind Haru. He looked up to see an Espeon atop a hill, its yellowish eyes glinting in the pale moonlight as he prepared another ball of purple energy. This one slammed into the second, rendering him unconscious just as the first.
The Espeon leapt, landing beside Haru. It sniffed before licking his face and growling a bit at the man with the device.
The man was smart and dropped the device, sprinting into the bushes, without looking back.
Haru smiled, scratching behind Espeon's ears and silently thanking him for saving his life. Maybe that's why he decided to join the pokemon league, because of the love he felt for pokemon.
"Hey little guy… Where's your owner." Haru smiled at the thought of this Espeon being his first pokemon but then pushed the thought away. "A pokemon as strong as you must have a trainer of some sort."
"Hey Shine." The voice was deep and commanding and when Haru turned around he met the deep brown eyes of a tall, orange haired boy who did not return his smile. "Come back."
Espeon was sucked back inside a pokeball and the man turned to leave.
"Hey wait!" Haru called and the man stopped, but didn't turn around. "Thank you for saving me."
The man chuckled and kept walking. "It's what I do; just try not to get killed." He slowed and stopped.
Haru dashed up to meet him and for a moment their eyes locked.
"Our eyes met." He said. "That signals a battle."
Haru sighed. "I would but I don't have any pokemon."
The man looked Haru over and then spoke. "Figures. You would have gotten yourself out of trouble if you had your own pokemon." He pulled a pokeball out and handed it to Haru.
"You're giving me your Espeon?" He asked startled.
"No, I would never give up Shine, he was my very first pokemon, but inside there is an Evee. It's your decision what it evolves into." The man still hadn't smiled but Haru thought he almost saw a smirk.
"Why are you doing this?" Haru asked, stumbling a bit over his words. He rubbed the shiny surface of the pokeball.
"I'm not completely sure myself, but I think it's because I saw myself in you when those Team Rocket fools were threatening you, and maybe it's because I see a dream in you, a dream I haven't seen in a long time." He smiled, finally. "But either way, I know that one day we'll battle and when we do, I know we'll be equal."
Haru was silent as the man started to walk away and he started to think about where to go from here. He looked over and the man was almost to the forest. "Hey!" He shouted and the man swung around, hands in his pockets. "I never got your name." Haru said. "Mine's Haru."
"Hello Haru," He said and turned back around and just before he entered the forest Haru could just make out his voice. "I'm Matthew, Champion of the Elite four."
