"Chikorita, use Vine Whip and catch her!"
Suddenly, vines wrapped around Tessa and stopped her fall, pulling her towards somewhere else. They let go of her and Tessa fell onto somebody.
"Ow…" she muttered and looked at who she fell on. "Ah!" she yelped and jumped up, stepping back from the boy but she fell back.
"Whoa!" the boy reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from falling into the water. He pulled her back up and waited until she regained her balance before he let her go. "Are you okay?"
"Um, I think so," she nodded and looked at what they were standing on; it was a Pokémon. A Lapras.
"Nice job, Chikorita," Tessa looked around the boy to see a black-haired girl patting her little Chikorita. But it wasn't just her and the boy, there were three others.
"Why did you save me?" Tessa asked.
"We've crossed paths with Team Aqua before," the black-haired girl returned her Chikorita. "We thought we'd save your life."
"Thank you," Tessa murmured.
"Tessa!" she looked over her shoulder up at Jason and the others. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" she called back up to Jason. "Get back to the boat and pick me up later! I'll be okay here!"
"Alright!" he nodded and she saw her comrades retreating, Team Aqua going after them and starting a bit of a battle.
"So you're name's Tessa," the boy smiled.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Who are you people?"
"I'm Tyler," said the first boy. He had silver/gray hair with a red bandanna tied over his head with a gray hat on his head. He wore a white singlet shirt with a dark brown collared jacket-shirt. He wore a black bandanna on his right wrist and a few silver bracelets on his left wrist and a cross necklace on a silver chain. He also wore dark baggy jeans with black and white shoes. He also had brown eyes.
"I'm Cassie," the girl with the Chikorita smiled. She had black hair, blue eyes and she wore dark baggy jeans with black shoes and a dark blue shirt, bracelets on her wrists and a cross-necklace.
"My name is Karina," Tessa looked at the other girl. She had dark brown hair with tinges of red and brown eyes. She wore a black shirt with a white over shirt and blue jeans with black and white shoes. She had a necklace with a Pokéball attached to it and numerous bracelets on each arm.
"Cade," a blond-boy with light brown eyes put his hand up. He wore dark jeans and a white shirt.
"And I'm Kiren," the last boy had black hair and wore a black hoodie with blue jeans.
"Nice to meet you," Tessa said awkwardly.
"Incoming Sharpedo," Kiren suddenly growled.
"Easy done," Karina smiled. "Lapras, use Ice Beam."
Lapras opened its mouth and shot an Ice Beam at the Sharpedo coming towards the group, freezing them in their place.
"Let's get to Slateport City," Karina told her Pokémon and it sped off through the water. Tessa sat down next to Tyler, her stomach starting to churn again.
"So, what's with your clothes?" Cassie asked Tessa. "Is that like your uniform for the group you're with?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Tessa nodded.
"Are you in a team like Team Aqua?" Tyler asked. "Because it doesn't seem like you're allied with them."
"Ugh!" Tessa muttered. "There's no way I'd be allied with Team Aqua scum! I'm part of Team Magma. I wasn't officially borne into the team, I was more or less found when I was a baby and I was raised as one of them."
"So, you're bad, just like Team Aqua?" Cade blinked. "You steal Pokémon and stuff too?"
Tessa looked at him and decided it would be best not to tell the truth. If she told them she stole Pokémon, they might throw her overboard like Team Aqua did; probably less painfully though.
"No, Team Magma are good people," Tessa murmured, half sticking her nose in the air. "Our dream is to expand the land to make room for more humans and land Pokémon."
"But what about the ocean, and the Pokémon living in it?" Karina asked.
Tessa thought for a moment. "Well, because so many Water Pokémon are being hunted, there are less, which means they don't need as much ocean as they already have."
"That seems fair," Kiren murmured. "But what was up with Team Aqua and Team Magma? What was going on up there?"
Tessa growled in her mind, they asked so many questions. She quickly thought up another excuse. "Team Aqua doesn't agree with us wanting to expand the land and so they stole special documents from us; without those we can't achieve our goal. We were just trying to get it back."
"Stealing is wrong," Cassie muttered. "Thieves are a disgrace to the name of Pokémon Trainers. Pokémon thieves should learn to catch their own Pokémon instead of trying to steal other people's who worked so hard to train their Pokémon."
"Like Team Rocket for instance," Cade agreed.
Tessa could feel the anger burning inside of her. Even Pokémon thieves knew how to catch their own Pokémon; if they didn't, they wouldn't be able to steal Pokémon anyway. "Who's Team Rocket?" Tessa decided to ask.
"They've been following us around for ages," Karina sighed. "Always trying to steal our Pokémon. They're the worst Pokémon thieves around because they always fail in their plans. It's always so fun to see them blast off when we beat them."
Tessa nodded. "So they're bad at their jobs."
"Pretty much," Tyler shrugged.
"So what Pokémon do you have?" Karina asked, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"A Vulpix and a Magikarp," Tessa replied simply.
"I thought beginning Trainers started off with a Mudkip, Torchic or Treecko…?" Cade murmured.
"I had the choice of Vulpix, a Zubat or a Poochyena," Tessa answered. "Remember, I'm not a normal Trainer. I'm not aiming for gyms or Contests."
"Gym Trainers!" Karina and Tyler put their hands in the air.
Karina smiled. "But I'm also going for Contests."
"I want to be a great Coordinator!" Cassie said. "My Pokémon are too cute to resist."
"You'll have to show me sometime," Tessa muttered, though she knew Maxie wouldn't allow it.
"Sure," Cassie nodded.
Soon enough they reached Slateport City and Karina returned her Lapras and the group waited with Tessa, waiting for her teammates to come back for her.
They relaxed on the sand and they let some of their Pokémon out, Tessa let both of hers come out.
"Karp, karp, Magikarp!" Magikarp said as it flailed on the ground.
Cassie smiled. "Why don't you try and teach it how to swim? I've started teaching my Azumaril."
"Um, okay," Tessa nodded and Cassie let out her Azumaril, picking it up and carrying it over to the water, rolling her pants up to her knees.
"Come on, I'll help you," Cassie called.
"Okay," Tessa picked up her Magikarp and the others watched as Tessa caught up with Cassie.
"Now watch me," Cassie instructed and held her Azumaril in the water. The little blue Pokémon flailed in the water; Tessa could tell it was very young and worried about the water. "Calm down, Azumaril," Cassie said to it in a calm, trusting voice. "Kick your legs."
Azumaril nodded and started kicking its legs, making the water churn, it calmed down a little.
"There you go," Cassie murmured and looked up at Tessa. "You try."
Tessa nodded and held Magikarp in the water. "Um… Move your fins?" she mumbled.
Cassie put Azumaril on the shore and came back over to Tessa. "Let me show you."
"Sure," Tessa smiled and handed Magikarp to Cassie.
Tessa watched as Cassie held Magikarp half out of the water. "Okay, now move your fins back and forth at the same time. Then move your tail side to side."
Magikarp tried its best to listen to her, flapping its fins back and forth. It did better with its tail. It looked like it was getting scared.
"Keep it up," Cassie encouraged. Tessa was amazed at how caring Cassie was towards Pokémon, and patient. Tessa wished she could be like that one day.
"Vulpix!" Tessa looked over her shoulder and saw Vulpix playing on the sand with two other Pokémon that looked alike; a Plusle and a Minun. They were both small and creamy colored with long ears. Plusle had pink ears with a pink plus sign on the end of its short tail and red cheeks with a plus sign in the middle. Minun had blue instead, but instead of plus signs, its tail was a minus sign, and so were its cheeks.
They rolled on the sand and played, Vulpix was having a lot of fun.
"Minun, go a little easier," Tyler told the little Pokémon. "Vulpix looks pretty young."
"It is, actually," Tessa told him. "How did you guess?"
"Its coat is very fluffy. Come over here and I'll show you," he smiled. "Cassie will be fine with your Magikarp."
Tessa shrugged and walked over to Tyler. "Vulpix," she called. Vulpix and Tyler's two Pokémon came over as she sat next to the boy.
"Can I handle your Pokémon?" Tyler asked.
"If Vulpix doesn't mind, I suppose," Tessa murmured.
Vulpix walked over to Tyler and climbed onto his lap with a smile. Tyler ran his fingers through Vulpix's coat. "See how fluffy its coat is?"
"I think so," she blinked.
"Here," Tyler took her hand and brushed it across Vulpix's back. "Can you feel it?"
"Yeah," Tessa smiled. "Vulpix is very fluffy."
"Vul-pix," Vulpix smiled widely.
Tessa's attention turned slightly to Tyler's hand over hers, it felt awkward to her that another guy was holding her hand; she was so used to Jason's bigger hands.
"And you can also tell by its tails," Tyler's hand left hers and he held Vulpix's tails. "See how they're a very light red?" Tessa nodded. "A Vulpix is born with only one white tail, but if it's treated with love and care, its tail will split into six and turn red."
"I never knew that…" Tessa mumbled. "Wow…"
Tyler smiled. "But it's when Vulpix evolves that amazes me the most."
Tessa blinked. "What does Vulpix evolve into?"
Tyler pulled out a small red object from his pocket and opened it. It had a screen and many buttons below it. A picture of a majestic looking Pokémon appeared on the screen; it was big and stood on four legs. It had longs creamy/white fur with a bunch of fur on its head and nine long beautiful tails with orange tips at the end.
"Ninetails," came a monotone voice, a small flashing light on the gadget Tyler held. "The Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vulpix. There are many rumors about the magical powers of a Ninetails' tails. One legend declares that Ninetails can live over one thousand years because of the power of its tails. Another legend says that if anyone grabs one of its tails, that person will be cursed for the rest of their life."
"Oh wow," Tessa said. "When do you think Vulpix would evolve into a Ninetails?"
"Whenever you want it to," he replied.
"How?" Tessa blinked, confused. How could she make Vulpix evolve?
"With a Fire Stone," Tyler smiled.
Tessa lost him. "What's a Fire Stone?"
"All over the world there are special stones that make certain Pokémon evolve," he explained. "There are Fire Stones, Leaf Stones, Water Stones and even Thunder Stones which help Pokémon like a Pikachu to evolve into a Raichu."
"You know so much…" Tessa observed.
"Experience," he shrugged. "There's still so much for me to learn about Pokémon."
Tessa was a little overwhelmed, she admitted; these people knew a lot about Pokémon, more than she did. She looked over to Karina who had the Lapras; she had great skill being able to tame a Lapras and make it carry six people on its back. Then Tessa saw Karina's necklace, with the Pokéball on the end of it.
"Hey, Tyler?" Tessa mumbled.
"Hmm?" Tyler looked at her.
"Why does Karina have a Pokéball on her necklace?" she asked. "What Pokémon does she have in it?"
"It's her rarest Pokémon," he said. "She was very lucky to catch it."
"What is it?" Tessa asked again.
"You'll have to ask her," he smiled. "But I'll tell you what; I'll give you this."
Tessa turned her attention back to Tyler as he pulled out a necklace from his bag with a little cap on it.
"It's like Karina's necklace," he murmured. "You can put Vulpix's Pokéball on it."
He put it around Tessa's neck and she looked down at it, taking Vulpix's Pokéball from her belt. She put it against the cap and it attached.
"Cool," she smiled. "Thanks, Tyler."
"No problem," he smiled back. "Just a present."
"Vulpix!" Vulpix's head snapped up.
"Vulpix?" Tessa blinked.
"Hey, Tess!"
Tessa's head whipped up and a grin formed on her face as she saw Jason and the rest of the Team Magma group.
"Jason!" she called and jumped to her feet.
The group reached her and the others and Jason smiled down at her. "Are you okay?"
"Yep," Tessa nodded. "Cassie is teaching my Magikarp how to swim and Tyler was just teaching me a little more about Pokémon and stones that makes them evolve."
Jason looked down at Tyler with forced friendliness showing on his face. Then Jason saw Tessa's new necklace. "What's that?"
"Tyler gave it to me," she explained. "It's so I can keep Vulpix's Pokéball close to my heart," she added with a giggle.
Jason nodded. "Well we have to go now. Maxie needs to know about what happened with Team Aqua."
"Okay," Tessa sighed and turned around, Cassie was already coming back with Magikarp.
"Magikarp is doing really well," she said. "Get it to try that every day if possible or whenever you get the chance and it will be a strong swimmer in no time."
"Thank you," Tessa murmured and pulled out Magikarp's Pokéball. "Return, Magikarp." With a red beam of light, Magikarp was sucked into the Pokéball.
Tessa took the Pokéball off of her new necklace. "Vulpix, you too." She returned Vulpix and put the Pokéball back on the necklace.
"We'll see you again, won't we?" Karina asked.
"Maybe," Tessa nodded. "I hope so."
"Come on," Jason took Tessa's hand and led her away with the group. Tyler stood up and watched them leave.
"Ha! Maxie made a mistake letting you come!" Tessa growled when she heard Brandon's annoying voice. "You were a fool!"
"Tess," Jason said warningly.
"At least I got those documents back!" Tessa yelled at Brandon.
"Maybe, but in the most pathetic way, though," he lifted his nose. "You could have missed when you threw the documents at Jason."
Tessa clenched her fists. "Well I know one thing I can throw with perfect aim; my fist!"
Before Jason could grab her, Tessa ran at Brandon, but the boy took off and she chased him.
"Get back here!" she called, catching up to him and tackling him to the ground, he turned on her and they started hitting each other, rolling on the ground. Jason and Amy ran forward and dragged the fighting teenagers away from each other.
"Calm down," Jason said in Tessa's ear.
"No!" Tessa muttered and tried to escape him.
"Brandon, move on to the main base," Amy ordered. Brandon sighed and nodded and walked off.
"Come back!" Tessa yelled. "I'll show you-"
"Tessa!" Jason snapped and she froze, shivers running down her spine; Jason never growled at her like that. "Calm down, now!"
"Okay…" she nearly whispered, her voice shaking.
Dominique sighed. "Maxie is not going to like this."
"You should head back to the hideout," Amy told Jason and his group. "Thank you for helping us retrieve the documents of Groudon."
"It was nothing," Belle murmured. "We were happy to help. But yes, we will go back home now. Take care and let us know if anything goes wrong again."
"We will," Amy bowed her head and watched Jason, Dominique, Belle, Melissa, Andrew and Tessa head off towards the other end of Slateport City and out into the forest.
Jason stopped when they got into the trees and the others turned to look at him as he leaned against a tree.
"Jason?" Melissa asked.
"You guys go on ahead," Jason sighed. "I need to have a word with Tessa."
"Okay," Belle nodded and the others left Tessa and Jason alone as they headed back towards the ship.
"Tessa…" Jason started and Tessa knew he was frustrated if he used her first nickname. "You need to control your temper."
"I know," she ducked her head.
"Come here," he said after a minute.
Tessa looked up at him before slowly walking over to him, her legs stiff. She stopped right in front of him and looked up at him. "I'm really sorry."
"I know you are," he nodded and hugged her, pulling her into him. "But at least try next time. Maxie won't tolerate your behavior."
She nodded and hugged him back. "I'll be more careful."
"Good," he smiled and let her go. "Let's go."
The two of them headed through the forest to find the ship to head home.
