PROLOGE VS PAIKUS
Paikus was sneaking through an air vent. His small body was able to squeeze through the narrow spaces. This is just too easy. He thought I can't believe the security here is this lame. So much for wearing those Dark City Night Vision goggles. I bet I could do this in the dark! Paikus almost smirked at this comment. But he had no time for such frivolities. He had a mission to do. When Paikus found the grate that led to the library, he carefully opened it and jumped through. The Elekid landed in the middle of the library, not making a sound. Good, no-one's here. I have to find that file, quick. "Sand Tomb."
What? Sand crept from behind Paikus and quickly towered over him to form a massive tomb of sand. Shit! I didn't plan on this. Paikus was trapped inside. He tried shooting Thundershock attacks at the sand walls, but there was no effect. Suddenly, two holes were formed in the sand walls and a Sableye and a Grovyle ran inside. Seth recognized Paikus instantly. "You!" cried Seth. Paikus didn't waste any time talking, he threw a Sleep Seed like a knife at Seth. The seed hit its target dead on and, with a poof of pink smoke, Seth was lying on the ground, fully asleep. Gaia, enraged, lunged forwards with a Quick Attack and socked Paikus in the stomach. Paikus counterattacked with a Thunder Wave which Gaia dodged with a swift Detect. The two of them rushed at each other, locked fists and pushed each other away, not looking away at least once.
XXXXXXXX
Outside the Sand Tomb, Alice was standing there, focusing her energy to keep the tomb up. She was worried. The intruder was smart and stealthy enough to find a way through the heavily guarded house. If it weren't for Seth's shadow wire traps, the intruder might've stolen some important documents and make the mission and complete failure. Worst of all, there was no knowing how strong the intruder was. Dammit! She thought angrily, Seth, Gaia, you guys better not die in there. If you do, I'll kill you both!
XXXXXXXX
Gaia and Paikus were fighting furiously. They rushed at each other with respective Thunderpunches. Gaia's Thunderpunch was much stronger than Paikus. This was a result of hours of secretive yet intense training at the academy. All students there were encouraged to train whenever there was free time. Gaia and Paikus collided fists. Gaia then shoved Paikus away behind Seth's body. Looks like I've found a worthy opponent after all. Paikus thought. He was about to make his next move when Seth suddenly got up and hit Paikus in the crotch. SMASH!
"OOOOWWWWW!" Gaia used Paikus's extreme pain to kick him in the stomach and whack him on the side of his head, knocking him out. "We're done here. Alice, put down the Sand Tomb!" Gaia cupped his hands to his mouth and called out.
XXXXXXXX
Finally. Alice thought.
XXXXXXXX
The sand receded and Alice was standing there, arms crossed. "Who's the guy?" Then she realised who she was seeing. "That guy...we saw him at the edge of Sage Forest! What's he's doing here?"
"I don't know." said Gaia, "We'll just have to ask him some questions when he wakes up."
"You..."
"Hm?" Everyone turned to the beaten Elekid, who was struggling to get up. "You...guys...WON'T STOP ME FROM GETTING MY REVENGE!" Paikus took out a grey-colored ball from his weapons pouch. Gaia's eyes widened. Crap... Paikus threw down the ball. Smoke instantly filled the air. "Gah!"
"Ack!"
"Urk!" When the smoke cleared, Paikus was nowhere to be seen. Strangely, he hadn't taken anything. "Aaargh!" screamed Alice, "He got away!"
"Yet he didn't take anything." said Gaia, thinking hard, "I wonder why?"
"Well, we can't do anything about him now." said Seth, "I think it's Gaia's turn to have some sleep. I'll take his place." Gaia nodded and left the library for the guest bedroom.
XXXXXXXX
A long away from the house, Paikus was running through the Sage Forest Entrance. He was trying to put as much distance between the Sage Forest Village and himself. Damn that Grovyle! He thought bitterly I won't forget this!
XXXXXXXX
The next morning, Trevor wanted to speak to Team Enforcers. "Did you encounter any difficulties?" he asked. "No." said Alice sleepily. She and Seth had been up all night standing guard. The Gabite was desperately trying to stay awake while Seth leaned on her right shoulder and snored. If the two of them had been awake, she would've pummelled Seth. Trevor looked at them suspiciously. "I see. In that case then, here's your reward: 5000 Poke." He gave Gaia a cloth bag full of 100 Poke coins. "Thank you." said Gaia sincerely, "By the way, are there any hotels nearby? I'm sure my teammates need some well-earned sleep."
"There's one down the road."
"Okay, thanks. We hope to serve you in the future." When Team Enforcers got a room and entered it, Seth and Alice immediately crashed on the beds and slept like the dead. Gaia was left by himself until they woke up. He decided to go for a walk. There were some parts of the Sage Forest Village that he hadn't visited. A while later, Gaia found himself in the southern outskirts of the Sage Forest Village. If we continued south, he would enter the Sage Forest dungeon. He had no intention of doing that, as he heard it was 50 floor dungeon with many traps and high-level Pokemon. "Urgh..." Gaia whipped around to the direction of the voice. It came from some bushes near a large tree. Curious, Gaia went over to have a look. He did not expect what he saw. He saw a Chikorita lying there, clearly unconscious. Gaia instantly recognized who the Chikorita was. Her name was Leala, and Gaia had seen her around during his time in the academy. She was given the nickname 'loner' and true to her name, she didn't have much friends. When it was break time, Leala would just sit in the corner, watching others play. She behaved much like Alice before Gaia and Seth befriended her and added the Gabite to their team.
What happened? Asked Gaia to himself. Did she enter the Sage Forest dungeon and get knocked out? Whatever it was, she definitely needs to get to a hospital. She won't survive out here. He picked Leala's body and left. While walking down the streets of the village, Leala's body caused quite a stir. Some Pokemon though that Leala was Gaia's girlfriend, and had fainted. Gaia shot those thinkers with a 'shut-up-or-you're-dead' look. And shut up did they indeed.
XXXXXXXX
Gaia walked through the doors of the Sage Forest Hospital and went to the front desk. The clerk looked at Gaia holding Leala and smiled at him. "Is she your—"
"No, she is not." interrupted Gaia before the clerk could finish her sentence, "She's a friend, and needs to go into medical care." With that, he gave Leala to the clerk and exited the building. An hour later, Gaia was standing in a queue at a kebab and wrap shop. When it was his turn, he ordered two beef wraps and one chicken. "You're that guy who's in a team with that female Gabite, right?" The Kadabra at the counter was trying to make conversation. "Yeah, so?"
"You also carried that Chikorita to the hospital, right?" Gaia narrowed his eyes at the Kadabra. "What about it?"
"Just how many girlfriends do you have?" Gaia glared at him, punched him on the nose and calmly walked away with his food.
XXXXXXXX
"So, what happened?" Seth and Alice had just woken up. It was around noon. "Oh, nothing much. " said Gaia while handing Alice a beef wrap, "I just walked around town for a while and punched some guy on the nose."
"That sounds like typical Alice behaviour." Alice let out a low growl. "Anyway, didja meet anyone we know?" asked Seth, his mouth full of chicken wrap. "Well, I met Leala."
"Leala, the loner?" Seth and Alice were a bit surprised. "What was she doing out here?"
"She was unconscious in front of the Sage Forest dungeon. I wonder why."
"I don't know either. So are we leaving after we have lunch?"
"Yeah. We'll head back to Treasure Town and get those points applied to our badge. Maybe we'll reach the silver rank this time." Gaia continued eating his beef wrap, then thought of something. "Hey, Seth, how did you not fall asleep when fighting that Elekid?"
"I ate a Chesto Berry before the fighting. When that guy threw the Sleep Seed at me, I only pretended to be asleep."
XXXXXXXX
Leala woke up. The first thing she saw was the white ceiling of the hospital. The second thing she saw was the bed she was lying in. "What happened?" she mumbled dazedly. "Oh, you're awake!" said a Chansey nurse, "Some Grovyle brought you in for medical care. He even paid the fees!"
"Some Grovyle?" Leala's heart began to race. Could it be...? "I think his name was Gaia. He said that you were his friend and you needed to be taken care of." Leala flopped down onto the pillows, a huge smile on her face. Gaia thought her as a friend. Gaia the Grovyle, the one she had always admired but never had the courage to talk to. This day had started out horrible (she had failed her mission) but it just got better. Maybe, just maybe, she had a chance of winning Gaia's heart.