A/N – Thanks for reviewing! And, hopefully, not long-awaited, here is chapter three!
Now, on with the chapter!
Adrienne and Amphie's Story
After Adrienne had released her Umbreon and Espeon so they were free to wander; and Autumn had made sure Flare was comfy, Adrienne sighed slowly and thought of where she ought to start.
"Well, I was born in Cerulean City, and I lived with my mother, and my sister, Mizuko," she started slowly, "My dad left us. He never gave a care in the world if we could make it."
She took a small intake of breath, but continued.
"Anyway, when I was ten, and my sister sixteen, she left in the night, leaving nothing but a note. My mom was mortified, but she managed... Loosing a husband is one thing, but then your daughter... it hurts.
"Then, I was old enough to leave... my first pokemon was a Squirtle. I traded him later, once he became a Wartortle, for a Drantini... Anyway, I left my mom to become a trainer like my sister; following in her footsteps. I always looked up to Mizuko... she was my hero. But it changed..."
Adrienne sighed, trying to think of where to continue from. Her sapphire eyes were glazed over, but she was determined to continue; Autumn could see it. Suddenly, her eyes were ablaze with an inner fire, and her voice was angry.
"I learned that Mizuko had become some bitch. I met her on my journey... and she acted like she didn't know me. So I ran, crying... and hadn't showed my face for about a week. I didn't answer my cell phone; nothing. She joined Team Aqua. I have no clue what happened to her after that."
"Wait a minute!" Autumn said suddenly, breaking the quiet atmosphere, causing Flare to dig her claws into the earth, and Adrienne's Umbreon and Espeon to snap awake.
"Does she look like you? In anyway...?"
Adrienne nodded.
"Her hair goes to her knees, though. These are the only possession she gave me..." she said somberly, pulling the well-worn goggles off her head.
"THAT BIT-"Autumn started, but is cut off from a sudden jab in the ribs, courtesy of Amphie. "She said it first..." She mumbled.
Rubbing her ribs, she continued, "She kidnapped Flare from me! I couldn't get her back! Team Aqua did so many tests on Flare... I was so scared. If it wasn't for a huge stroke of luck, Flare wouldn't be here right now."
"Wait, Autumn, we aren't sure it was her," Amphie said slowly.
"Why do you say that?" Autumn asked.
"Well, what exactly did she look like?" Adrienne asked intently.
"Um, she had pure black hair that was tied up in a long ponytail... the traditional Team Aqua suit. You know, the blue jeans with the white circles; the black and white striped shirt showing her midriff. However, she wasn't wearing the bandana, and she had tied it to her arm instead. Uh... a cross between blue and grey eyes and a small, silver locket around her neck in the shape of a heart." Autumn explained, gazing at Adrienne, who was now clutching something on her neck.
"Did it look like this...?" she asked removing her hand to show a small, sliver locket, with an 'A' carved into it.
"Yah but there was an 'M' on it." Autumn concluded triumphantly.
"That's her," Adrienne replied. "Anyway, my whole purpose as a trainer is to find my sister, and show her all the harm she's done." she finished, her voice toneless, yet Autumn could detect anger.
Autumn and Amphie remained quiet for a moment, so Adrienne could cool off.
"So... what's your story...?" Adrienne asked after a long minute or two.
"Well..." Amphie started, "I was nine... when, one day, I was captured from my home of Olivine City by some Team Rocket people... I cried, and cried... but they wouldn't let me go... so they knocked me out."
Amphie paused for a second, thinking of what happened.
"All I remember is a needle, and waking up in a cage... with... these deformations. And since they thought I was weak, they let me go, but they didn't bring me home, instead, dropping me in the water from a helicopter... this was somewhere near, the outskirts of Azalea town. I know, there is no water there, you have to go through the tunnel to get there."
"So, for one year, you were on your own?" Autumn asked, "How come you didn't tell me!"
"Not that I was about to!" Amphie said in defense.
"I met Autumn less than a month later... and, three years with Autumn has brought me here."
"You don't need to know anything about me," Autumn stated calmly. "I'm like any other trainer. I'm out for adventure, to be with friends, my Pokemon, and to build up my self-discipline, etcetera."
"That's not true." Amphie said quietly.
"Fine... my mom died when I was two..." Autumn said; the corner of her eyes beaded with tears. "that's all."
Amphie and Adrienne were quiet.
"Well, let's set out, shall we?" Adrienne said after a long, deathly silence.
"Yah," Autumn said, blinking once or twice so the tears dissolved into her eyes.
"Yah! Finally, I can stock up!" Amphie said.
"You're going as a human...?" Autumn asked.
"Not unless I see another 'Morph walking around..." Amphie said, then lowered her voice so it was barely audible. "I highly doubt that..."
"Don't worry," Adrienne said, patting Amphie's shoulder, "there are a lot of 'Morphs nowadays. Either by accident, or they got injections by paying the infamous Team Aqua or Team Magma; that's here. Usually, however, I hear it's the Team Rocket characters."
"It is," Autumn said. "I haven't heard of the Aqua or Magma Teams doing that... yet."
"Oh, they do, trust me." Adrienne said, standing up, "I've come to a close encounter like that, nearly being turned into a Minun!" she laughed.
"How could you laugh!" Amphie said, her eyes narrowing. "How, how could you!"
"I didn't mean it like that... I mean, it was funny the way they said it to me!" Adrienne said. Then, changed her voice to a grunt and said in mocking tones, "Ahaha! You'll be the strongest Minun around! Muahaha!" she laughed, and Autumn and Amphie could see why.
"Who ever thought a Minun was strong?" Adrienne chuckled as she returned her Umbreon and Espeon, and the group left the secret base.
"Good point," Amphie said.
"Well, it's going to rain after we get down the hill... it always does, so hope you're ready to get wet-"
"AGAIN!" Amphie and Autumn cried in exasperation, nearly collapsing.
"Yup," Adrienne laughed, bending over to tie up her converse.
"Well, let's go!" Autumn said, regaining herself, and taking off at a fast pace, followed by Adrienne and Amphie.
If it was loud a few minutes before... it wasn't now. The chirping of the Pidgey and crowing of Murkrow died down; the familiar hum of Oddish playing with the Roselia and dispersed and everything was silent...
"I hate silences, they make you feel all paranoid," Autumn said, like nothing was happening.
Amphie raised her ears, as did Flare, both were alert, and had paused to stare deeply into the trees.
"I hear... buzzing." Amphie said quietly, crouching next to Flare, who had raised her nose to the sky.
Adrienne walked next to Amphie, both hands clutched on a pokeball.
"Can you predetermine what it is before it comes...?" she asked in hushed tones.
Amphie shook her head. "Just stay quiet."
"Okay!" Autumn said, three times as loud as the other two, and both Amphie and Adrienne rammed their knuckles into her arms.
"Ow... sorry..." she apologized.
"It's too late now!" Amphie hissed, "Whatever it is, its coming!"
