A/N: I deeply apologize for taking so long to update. I have a few other stories that distracted my attention and when I got close to finishing this chapter, I deleted on accident. Whoops! Thanks a bunch to –GX-Duelist-(whose OC will appear in this chapter), NekoGirl, and MerlockVonBaron for reviewing. You inspired me to write another chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, but I do own some of the characters and places (Does this sound familiar?), except Chris, who belongs to -GX-Duelist-.

The City of Flames

August 3

From high a top the towering skyscrapers that made up most of Finji City, sat two people. Both were garbed in violet-colored clothing, except for a large, light blue "n" on the front. They knelt near the edge of the roof, the boy of the two holding a set of high-tech binoculars. They stared intently at the skyscraper across from them.

Through his binoculars, the boy could see clearly through the glass windows that made up the building. After fifteen minutes of staring, he cracked a smile. The boy gently set the binoculars down and said "It's finally arrived."

"Watch them. Make sure they put it in the safe," said the girl that sat next to him. "If they do, tonight is the night." She pulled up her backpack and took out a cylindrical device. Out of each end poked out multicolored wires. A small screen on the side displayed 00:00 in red lights. "This will be sure to blow their minds."

Alex – 12:00 PM

The gates to Finji City opened to Alex in a welcoming way. Alex admired them as he walked through. They were made of gold, with a lock connecting them in the middle that was shaped like a flame. Along the top was a sign that read the city's name. It was decorated with fancy letters and swirls.

Alex passed under the sign and continued up a large avenue. The road was paved and big enough to fit two cars down, side by side. The sidewalks were smooth and clean. At night, the streets would be illuminated by large, ornate lampposts. The buildings on either side consisted of mostly shops and offices. Alex was fascinated by all.

Alex turned onto another street that resembled the first. Only, at one end it turned into a plaza. It was made up of all shops, of all kinds. At the center was a domed building that read Pokemon Center in big lights. Alex saw it and ran over.

Inside, the lobby of the center contained a few trainers. A woman sat at a computer across from the door. She wore a nurse's outfit and had her pink hair in curls. Alex walked up to the desk and she said "Hello, welcome to the Pokemon Center. I'm Nurse Joy, how may I help you?"

"Yeah, can you heal my Razoroot?" Alex asked and handed Nurse Joy the Pokeball that clung to his belt. She took it into the back room. After a few minutes, she came back out.

"Razoroot is ready to go," she said and handed Alex the Pokeball. He took it and left the Pokemon Center.

Alex wandered through the city, occasionally stopping to look in an interesting shop that lined the streets. At one point he passed a small enclosure that contained a small park. Inside, trainers were battling one and other. Alex paused and watched for a moment, before continuing on.

Alex had eventually reached the center of the city. It was a large plaza that held the fanciest and largest stores and restaurants. In the center of the plaza was a large park where many trainers came to practice and battle and where others came to relax. After grabbing himself a hamburger, Alex entered the park.

It was pretty empty, except for two or three trainers and they were in a heated battle. So, Alex went to seat at one o the nearby benches.

"Oh no!" someone near Alex screamed. Alex looked next to him to see a woman chasing after a red and black bird. It held a white sun hat in its black beak. Alex almost did a back flip when he saw the infamous Cardifly.

The woman looked extremely silly running all over the park in high heels and a long white dress. Her hair was tied up in a bun. She had a soft motherly face that was strained.

Alex got up and grabbed Razoroot's Pokeball and enlarged it. Soon, Razoroot had appeared in a flash of white light. "Alright, we have to help that lady, and capture that Cardifly," Alex said to his Pokemon. "Are you ready?"

Razoroot nodded and said "Raz!"

"Okay then, Razoroot use Vine Whip!" Alex yelled and Razoroot extended his root. He snapped it toward the red and black bird Pokemon. The vine hit Cardifly in the side and it dropped the hat and plunged to the earth.

Cardifly stood up upon its black legs. It narrowed its eyes and lifted into the air. From its position in the air, it plunged at Razoroot with its claws extended.

Because of his previous battle, Alex knew this tactic. "Razoroot, jump to the left and use Scratch on its back," Alex said. Razoroot nodded and when Cardifly came near enough, leaped out of the way. The bird Pokemon ended up clawing at the earth. Razoroot turned around and swung its claws at Cardifly's back.

"CARDI!" Cardifly yelped as it was struck by Razoroot's sword like claws. It tumbled to the ground and fainted. Alex grabbed a Pokeball out of his bag and tossed it at Cardifly. The ball tapped the bird and it disappeared in a red light. It twitched once, twice, three times before sitting still.

Alex punched his fist into the air. "I caught my first Pokemon!" he yelled at the sky. Alex heard a clapping sound behind him and turned around. The woman that he had rescued the sun-hat for had a grin on her face.

"Oh, very good!" she said. "I love to see young trainers after their first catch."

"Uh, thanks, I think," Alex said and put his hand behind his head.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you for getting my hat back," she said and extended her petite hand. "My name's Molly Richardson."

"Alex Aspen. Oh, and your welcome," Alex said and shook her hand.

Molly suddenly looked at her watch. "Oh, I'm sorry. I have to go. But it was nice to have met you Alex."

"Likewise," Alex said and waved as she walked away. Razoroot looked up at him with a smile.

"Root-raz-razor?" said his Pokemon in a questioning tone.

Alex smiled and said "Yeah, you did well." Razoroot smiled and Alex returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball.

Suddenly, an enormous crashing sound filled the air. It sounded as if the earth was collapsing in on itself. The ground even shook as if that were true. Alex toppled onto his back. He stared around wildly, dazed and confused. Everyone in the park was doing the same. Then it seemed they all spotted it at the same time.

The tallest building in the entire city was burning. A thick, black plume of smoke rose out of it, making it seem as if the building were growing into the clouds. Pieces of the cement structure of the building were tumbling down to the ground. Finji City was in flames.

Jack – 12: 00 PM

Jack only been to the city once, but it had been when he was a child. As he walked down the building lined streets he wondered how he could ever forget the grandeur of the city. He smiled at the hustle and bustle of the denizens of Finji and longed to have more time here.

Jack walked absently down the street. Suddenly, it felt as though he hit a brick wall. Jack fell to the sidewalk and sat there dazed. When he gathered himself, he looked up and found a large man standing over him. The man extended a hand. Jack took hold of it and was flung to his feet in one quick pull.

"Are you all right, son?" said the man as he roughly brushed the dirt off Jack.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Jack said and struggled out of the man's grasp. The large man backed up and scrutinized Jack for a moment.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Jack Carter! How are you lad?" the man said loudly and draped his large arm around jack. The trainer looked back at the man with confusion and a hint of fear. "Don't you remember me Jack? Aw well of course you don't. You were just a tyke when we met. But your father's probably mentioned me on several occasions. I'm Rich Richardson."

Jack wheeled back in surprise. It was true. Mr. Carter had talked about Rich many times, but Jack had never imagined that he himself had met the man. Rich Richardson was a highly esteemed business man. His company, Richardson Enterprises, was the company that made Pokeballs. Mr. Carter, Jack's dad, worked for him.

"Ah ha, see, I knew you'd remember me. Come, walk with me." Rich said and once again draped his arm around Jack and led him down the street. "So how is your old man?"

Jack's smile immediately fell from his face and he dropped his gaze. Jack's dad had quit his job just days before he was killed. Jack couldn't muster up the courage to tell the man the truth, so instead he muttered "Fine."

"Excellent!" Rich shouted obnoxiously. Jack scowled briefly. "You know, it was a shame we had to let him go. He was an excellent employee."

Jack instantly forgot his dislike of Rich and looked him straight in the face. "What? You fired him? I thought quit on his own!"

"No, no, lad. He didn't quit. I fired him, believe you me. I remember that day as if it were this morning…

Rich Richardson walked through the big double doors of the Richardson Enterprises building. The lobby was large and dome shaped with a receptionists desk at one end. Marble covered the floors and walls. On each side, two elevators stood waiting.

Rich walked up to the desk. "Hello, Irene. What's on the agenda for today?" The woman named Irene smiled and handed him a coffee cup.

"Decaf Chaco Moca swirl with a thin layer of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon," she said incredibly fast. Rich took a sip and smiled. "As for what's on the agenda, you've got a meeting with the Kanto branch leader at five, lunch with molly at one, and, oh, James Carter wants to see you in your office right away."

"Carter? What could he want?" Rich thought out loud. He thanked Irene and walked into the elevator. He pressed the button with a number 45 on it. The elevator slowly began to ascend. After five minutes a bell dinged and the doors slid open. Rich walked out and crossed a hallway. At the end was a luxurious office, with a floor-to-ceiling window. It showed the skyline of Finji City.

Rich walked in and set the coffee cup down on the mahogany desk and made to sit down when he spotted someone in the corner. It was Mr. Carter. Rich pivoted on the spot. Carter had taken a painting off the wall and thrown it aside to reveal a hidden safe. He was hurriedly working at the combination and obviously hadn't heard Rich come in.

"Carter! What are you doing!" he barked. Mr. Carter, taken by surprise, fell back onto the floor. Rich swelled up and lifted Mr. Carter from the floor. "Trying to rob me blind are you?!? Out, I want you OUT! And don't you ever show your face in this building again!"

"But, I-" Mr. Carter stammered, but Rich had already tossed him into the hall and slammed the door. Mr. Carter scowled and walked off.

Jack was quiet throughout the entire reminiscence, quietly pondering what Rich said. Hot, bubbling anger welled up inside him. His father had been a thief and a liar. He had tried to rob his own boss, one who he had said he admired on many occasions. Then he had come home and lied through his teeth. Jack wanted to slam his fist into the side of the skyscraper.

"But of course, after seeing nothing was stolen, I forgave your father. But there was absolutely no way he was getting his job back. No one robs Rich Richardson and gets off easy." Rich ranted on but Jack wasn't listening. He was following Rich blindly.

A few minutes later, Jack once again collided with the solid form of Rich. Jack staggered backward. "Aha here we are, Richardson Enterprises." Rich said. Jack looked up at a skyscraper that towered over all the others. A giant RE was situated halfway up. Rich walked towards the sliding glass doors in the front.

The lobby looked almost the same as it did when Jack's dad had worked there. Jack thought it probably hadn't changed at all. They walked up to the same reception desk. A woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes looked away from the computer screen and said "Good afternoon, Mr. Richardson. How was lunch?"

"Excellent, actually," he responded. "Oh, Irene, this is Jack Carter. You remember James Carter? Well, this is his son."

"Ah, Jack. I heard a lot about you from James." Irene said with a sincere smile. "Sweet man, James. Good looking, too. Your mom is one lucky woman."

"Ah, right. Well, I'm going to show Jack my office." Rich said a bit uncomfortably and steered Jack away from Irene towards the elevators. Inside one, they rose to the top floor of the building. When they reached it, they stepped out into the same hallway that Rich had two years back. They walked down it, turned left, then right, then right again until they reached the same office Rich had been in a million times. Problem was, someone was in it now.

The dark paneled door with the words "Rich Richardson's office" stood ajar. Rustling sounds could be heard coming out of it. Rich and Jack ran to the end of the hallway and burst into the office. Jack could have sworn the scene he was seeing now couldn't have looked much different two years before.

Someone was in the corner of the room. A painting had been taken off the wall and thrown roughly aside. Now the stranger was hurriedly working at the safe. Just like dad, Jack thought with a scowl.

"What in the world is going on!?!" Rich yelled. The stranger whirled around but had just then opened the safe. It flew open and revealed, not a large sum of money, but a small box. The stranger smirked and grabbed it. "Hey stop! Give that here!"

The stranger stepped into the light and Jack caught a full look at him. He was tall, with jet black, shoulder-length hair. He wore a violet outfit, with black gloves and boots, on a bright blue N on the front of his shirt. The thing that stood out about him though, was his violet eyes. He was also holding something. It was a long silver tube.

"You want something, old man? Then here, catch." He said and tossed the tube at Rich, who caught it on the tips of his fingers. The stranger ran to the window and thrust his foot into it, hard. The entire thing shattered. Millions of sparkling glass pieces fell to the street below. The stranger then grabbed a purple Pokeball from his belt. This also had a blue N on it. He tossed it into the air. It opened and released a flash of white.

When Jack could see again, a Pokemon was hovering outside the window. It was an extremely large Raven. Or looked like one at least. Its beak was curved down ward and had two spikes coming from behind its eyes. A line of the same spikes ran down its back. Its tail was twice as long as Jack and split in two. But the most obvious difference was the fact that it had four wings instead of two. Two six foot long black wings protruded form each side, one over the other. They flapped gently up and down, keeping it in place.

The thief smirked one last time then leapt out the window, landing squarely on his Pokemon. It began to beat its four wings rapidly and they soared away. Jack turned away from the window to see what Rich was holding to find the door wide open and the silver tube lying on the floor.

Jack walked over and picked it up. Mysterious wires poked out of each end. A small screen on one side displayed the time 20:00. It was a timer, set in seconds. And it was slowly ticking down.

Jack began to panic. He swiveled around looking for a way to get rid of it. For half a second, he considered throwing it out the window, but realized that there were a lot more people that could be hurt down there.

15:00…

The bomb clicked every five seconds. This caused Jack to panic even more. He fretted around the office. The dresser? No, too flammable. Under the rug? No, that would blow a hole in the floor. In the chair cushion? No, that was just stupid. Jack began to run around in circles.

10:00…

The bomb beeped again. Jack yelled out in fright and chucked it into a vase. He ran, screaming down the hallway. He hurtled around corners and sprinted down hallways until he arrived at the elevators. They were situated at the end of the final hallway. One of the two was on the fifth floor. The other was occupied by Rich Richardson.

He smirked as the doors began to close. Jack ran towards them shouting "Wait, wait! Hold the elevator! Mr. Richardson, wait, please!" But Rich didn't even attempt to hold the doors. Jack watched him descend through a slit in the doors before they closed shut.

5:00…

Jack looked around him, now desperate for a way out. But he saw nothing, no windows, no other elevators. He was trapped on the top floor of a building with a bomb that was set to go off in seconds.

4:00…

Jack dashed back up the hallway and swung around the corner. It was then that he spotted a small door with a small glowing sign over it. Stairs. Jack, in his mad dash for the elevator, must have run right past it. He could have sung but that would have probably killed him.

3:00…

Jack raced for the door. He stretched his legs as far as they could go. He ran the fastest he had ever run in his life to get to those stairs.

2:00…

Jack stretched out his hand and clasped the knob. He used all the strength he had to throw the door open, nearly tearing it off its hinges. Behind it, a fluorescent lighted staircase descended down, a long way down.

1:00…

Jack nearly leapt to the first stair. From there he took two at a time. He drew closer to the first landing. Five steps, four steps, three steps…

0:00…

A final warning beep echoed throughout the staircase, louder than all the others. Then sonic boom shook the building. Offices rattled, computers fell to the floor, and Jack was thrown from his feet. Then, fire filled the office, the hallway, the now open second elevator, and finally, the stairs.

Lina – 12:30 PM

Lina stood mesmerized by the multitude of shops that lined the streets of Finji City. Each one held a different product. Lina suddenly wished there were twelve of her. She wanted to see everything.

She walked out onto the street down the street in a daze. Every few feet she would run to window and stare at the clothes in it. She would then walk hurriedly towards the door, fling it open, come to the realization she couldn't afford anything, and close it. She did this at least twelve times. At the thirteenth, she flung the door open into someone's face.

Lina looked over to see a sandy blonde haired boy rubbing his nose. He looked to be about sixteen and was about half a foot taller than Lina. He had soft blue eyes and friendly smile played on his lips.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Lina said apologetically. "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to. Please don't call the police!" Lina's mouth ran at a hundred miles per hour, fearfully blabbing everything.

The boy laughed. It was an honest, cheerful laugh and Lina found herself wishing she could listen to it forever. She caught herself though and shook her head, ridding her mind of those strange thoughts.

"It's alright. I'm not going to call the police." The boy said and Lina felt immensely better. "My name's Chris." He stuck out his hand. Lina shook it and her palm tingled.

"My name's Lina. I'm visiting here so I was just looking in he shops." Lina said

"You look about thirteen. Are you by chance here for a badge?" Chris said. Lina nodded. They began to walk up the side walk beside each other. "Well then I guess it was fate for you to slam a door in my face."

Lina gasped. "Are you the gym leader?"

"No, but my brother is. And if your nice a might put in a good word for you." Chris said with a smile. Lina smiled back and blushed.

In the distance, Lina could hear sirens blaring. They sounded as if they were getting nearer. Chris heard them too and they both looked down the street. Two bright red fire trucks sailed down the street past them. Many people on the sidewalk stopped and stared at them. This obviously wasn't a common occurrence here.

"Come with me." Chris said seriously. He was no longer smiling. They dashed back the way they had come to where a bicycle was leaning against a wall. It belonged to Chris. He hopped on and motioned for Lina to sit on the handle bars. She obliged and they rced after the fire trucks down the road.

The trucks led them up many long streets and Chris had to take shortcuts through alleys to keep up with them. Soon they arrived at a large square. On one side a very large sky scraper sat. Many fire trucks and ambulances were congregated around its base. Lina didn't understand why until she saw people pointing up. She looked skyward and her mouth dropped.

The top three floors of the massive building were ablaze. Thick black columns of smoke stretched up into the sky. Every now and then explosions from inside the building would send rubble down among the crowd.

Chris wheeled his bike over to the nearest police officer. It was a woman with blue hair. He tapped her on her shoulder. She turned to face them. "Ma'am, what happened?" He said to her.

She looked back at him with a fearful expression. "A bomb was set off in the top floor of this building. We believe it originated in the office of Rich Richardson." Lina recognized the name and then immediately recognized the building. Chris' face was now terribly pale and his eyes were wide.

"Chris? Are you okay?" Lina said worriedly.

Chris shook his head slowly. "My dad is Rich Richardson. This is his building." Lina looked dumbfounded. She turned back to the police officer.

"Why aren't they putting the fire out?' Lina said

"They can't. It's too high up. There is nothing we can do from done here. We have to wait until more ladders get here," The officer replied.

"Has anyone made it out?" Lina said, glancing at Chris.

"No." Lina swallowed and stared up at the raging fire. Her heart had dropped into her stomach. She couldn't stand to look at Chris, who was staring at the fire continuously. Then an idea leapt into her head. She grabbed the Pokeball from her bag and released Mantras. It flew around a bit and then smiled at her.

"We have a problem. Mantras, you have to go into the fire up there and guide Mr. Richardson down to us." The Pokémon listened intently then looked up at the roaring fire. It looked back at her with feat in its eyes. She stroked its back. "You can do this. You have to." It nodded slowly. Then it flew high into the air, towards the flames. Lina prayed quietly for it to return safely.

Mantras flew level with the top floor and looked for a way in. He found a broken window that flames rose out of. Mantras sucked in air and blew a jet of water at the window. The flames disappeared and it glided in.

On the ground, Lina watched her Pokémon fly into the inferno. "Lina!" Someone called her name. She looked around and spotted a boy her age running towards her. It was Alex. She sighed. He was the last person she needed to see right now. Somehow he always got under her skin and she hated it.

He ran up to her. "What happened?" She told him shortly. He gasped when he told her about Mantras. "You can't send a water-type into a fire!" he yelled. "They'll get dehydrated quickly!" Lina felt a strong urge to slap him around the head.

Jack 12:30 PM

It was true though. As soon Mantras had entered the fire, he had felt the heat evaporating the water inside its body. But it had a mission to accomplish. It scoured the office for any sign of a person. Finding none, it flew into the hallway. No one appeared here either. Flames spanned the walls and the floor. Mantras tried to put them out but found it had a limited supply of water to use.

It flew around the corner to the elevators. They were also on fire. Mantras flew away as a section of the floor collapsed beneath him. Back in the hallway, Mantras noticed a door ajar. He flew into it and found a set of stairs leading down. These were also on fire. He flew down to the landing. A movement in the corner caught his attention. A boy was huddled there, barely conscious. Mantras summoned a good portion of water from its bowels and doused the fires near the boy. He didn't know if this was who he was supposed to rescue, but he was going to anyway.

Jack looked up at Mantras and the Pokémon smiled at him. He struggled to his feet. Mantras cheered and then soared around Jack happily. He smiled. The Pokémon then soared farther down the stairs. Jack shakily followed. It put out any fires in their way and then flew back up to help Jack. It was slow going but they steadily made their way down the stairs.

Two levels up from the bottom the stairs began to give way. The fire had destroyed them completely. Mantras took notice of this and worked faster. But he was slowly and surely becoming dehydrated. Suddenly the stairs above Jack creaked and gave way too. Mantras spun around to see flaming boards sail towards Jack. Mantras summoned every ounce of water he had left in him and sent a jet of water towards jack. It hit him full in the chest and propelled him backwards. The boards crushed the stairs between them, leaving a wide gap. Jack knew he had no chance of overcoming it by jumping.

Instead, he grabbed the metal railing that ran along the wall to the landing below. He dangled from it and sidled along. More flaming boards rained down from above, and Jack nearly avoided them by pressing himself up against the wall. He eventually reached the other landing and leapt to it. Mantras looked happy but exhaustion and dehydration tore at him. Jack felt similarly. Smoke filled his lungs and he had trouble breathing.

They continued on, cautiously but quickly. Soon, they reached the door to the lobby. It was not yet on fire and Jack greedily took a huge gulp of air. Mantras did too but still needed water and was close to fainting. Jack strode quickly to the sliding doors at the front of the building. Half way across the lobby, the ceiling above him creaked. Jack looked fearfully up at it. Thick, deep cracks stretched across it and it was shaking violently.

It creaked louder then shattered. Jack dashed forward with Mantras on his heels. Large clumps of solid concrete rained down around them and dust filled Jack's eyes, nose, and mouth. Then the entire ceiling fell around them. Jack dove forward towards the doors. They slid open just in time and he sailed out of them.

Ben 12:30 PM

Ben loved the city. He and uncle and brother came here often to get things for his uncle's carpentry business. Ben walked among its streets with a bittersweet feeling. His brother had once walked with him, until he left. Ben sighed at the thought of Zeke.

Ben was heading towards the Pokemon center. Eevee walked beside him, looking around him in wonder. Ben smiled down at him. Eevee ran ahead and looked around then darted back. Passersby would comment on how cute the energetic Eevee was. Ben would just smile and nod.

One little girl pointed back at Eevee in adoration. The older woman she was with pulled her arm along but the girl broke free and ran back to pet Eevee. Ben smiled until the woman came back and dragged the girl across the street. The little girl wailed the whole way.

Ben kept walking until he noticed the little girl struggle with the woman again. She broke free and ran into the street. Suddenly, sirens filled the air and a red fire truck roared down the street, straight towards the girl. Ben's eyes went wide. The girl stopped, dumbstruck by the fire truck. It didn't see her and continued on its collision course.

Without thinking, Ben dashed out into the road. Without stopping, he scooped up the little girl in his arms in the nick of time. The fire truck swerved slightly then continued on to its destination. After the second truck passed, Eevee ran across to join Ben. He handed the girl to the old woman. The girl curled up in her arms bawling.

The old woman thanked him shortly and then continued on down the street. Ben stared curiously after her. It wasn't the thank you he had been expecting but Ben brushed it off. He turned to Eevee. "What do you say we find out where that fire truck was going?" Eevee nodded enthusiastically.

Ben and Eevee dashed down the street following the sound of the sirens. They kept the trucks in sight at all times and eventually came upon a town square. Ben stared in horrid wonder at the burning building in front of it. The upper half of it was now in flames. Every water-type Pokémon was there, sending jets of water into the inferno. The fire appeared to be out of control as it continued to burn the building.

A large crowd of people had gathered around the square. Ben soon recognized two of them. Alex and Lina were standing with worried expressions on their faces. Ben and Eevee walked over to them. "What happened here?" he asked.

Lina looked back at him in surprise then greeted him. She retold the events of the past thirty minutes for the third time. Instead of criticizing her like Alex just stated that he hoped Mantras was able to find Mr. Richardson. Lina deeply appreciated this remark.

Mr. Richardson wasn't in the building though. He had made it out before anyone had shown up. He now stood in the shadows, observing. He held no remorse for leaving Jack up at the top. He only was worried about making sure no one pieced this act back to him.

Mr. Richardson saw the opportune moment when a new member joined the small group that surrounded his son. He strode out into the square and over to his son. "What has happened?" he said innocently.

Everyone turned and looked at Mr. Richardson with confusion. Chris was the only one who seemed remotely happy to see the man. "Dad!" he said and ran over to his father. "I thought you were up there. Where were you?"

"I was going to have lunch with your mother when these fire trucks raced by and I saw my building on fire. Oh boy, think of the money it will take to repair this." Ben thought Mr. Richardson seemed slightly less fearful than he should have been.

"Money?!?" Lina yelled. Ben and Alex looked at her in shock. "Is that all you care about? MONEY! I just sent my Mantras up there to save your butt!"

Mr. Richardson look slightly afraid. Lina was right in his face, yelling loudly. Many people in the square looked over at the commotion.

"But you're not up there are you? Are you? NO! You're down here blabbing about money. My mantras might die because of you! But all you can worry about is MONEY!" Lina had had enough. She swung her arm back and attempted to hit Mr. Richardson. Alex and Ben grabbed her and blushed in embarrassment. Lina struggled fiercely, but she couldn't over come the strength of the two boys.

"Ah, yes well, I had better be going," Mr. Richardson said and quickly strode away. Chris stared in fear at Lina, who was now shouting things that ought not to be mentioned here at Mr. Richardson's back. Suddenly a shout rose among the crowd. Everyone looked again towards the building. Stumbling out the front door was the last person Ben, Lina, or Alex had ever expected to see.

"Jack?" they all said in unison. Held in his arms was Mantras, just barely hanging on to consciousness. They were immediately swamped by doctors. Lina ran over to him, followed by Ben, Alex, and Chris. She pushed through the doctors and grabbed Mantras. She motherly stroked him and resisted giving him over to the paramedics.

Suddenly a huge portion of the building collapsed. It sent a shock wave along the ground through the square. Ben and everyone around him were knocked off their feet. The bag around his shoulder went flying, spilling its contents along the ground. Notebooks, Pokeballs, food, and clothes littered the ground. The blue stone Ben had gotten from Flora bounced along the ground to were Eevee sat. In curiosity, Eevee walked over to it and nudged it with its nose.

There was a brilliant flash of white. Ben stared in wonder at Eevee, who was now glowing. Ben would have figured he was evolving, but knew Eevee couldn't do that without a stone. Suddenly, Ben realized the stone they had saved from Luna and Orion was a water stone.

Looking back at Eevee, Ben noticed it now had a long fish like tail and its body was covered in light blue scales. It had a ring of fin-like membrane around its neck and was twice the size of a regular Eevee. Ben stared in awe at it. Soon the transformation was complete and standing before them was a Vaporeon.

"Whoa, what happened?" Alex said as he stood and brushed himself off.

"It was a water stone. It evolved Eevee into a Vaporeon. Don't you know anything?" Lina said sarcastically, also getting up from the ground.

Alex rounded on her. "I'm sure I know more than you." He said, anger rising inside him.

"You think so?" Lina said rising to match his glare.

"Yes, because I know not to send a Mantras into a burning building!" Alex said, voice near yelling volume. Instead replying, Lina just stood there. Her eyes dropped to her shoes. Inside, it felt as if her heart had returned to her stomach.

"You're right. I was stupid. I could have gotten Mantras killed." She stared sadly at the poor Pokémon lying on the stretcher. It was peacefully sleeping, its body rising up and down in rhythm. Lina was amazed how much she cared for it after just a few days.

Ben looked around him. It was one of the strangest situations he had ever been in. He was in a square beneath a burning building, with the Pokemon he had always known suddenly changed before him. He was with a girl who had an over active temper, a smart alec, stubborn boy, and another boy who had survived a terrible ordeal. To Ben, the future looked completely foggy.

A/N: hey hope you guys enjoyed it. Again sorry it took me so long to update. Please give me criticism and ideas!