CHAPTER 4: The Good Old Days

I woke up to the sound of a vehicle door thumping.

My eyes fluttered open slowly.

I rubbed my eyes of any crud, yawned, and stretched.

I was back in my small cage.

I could hear muffled voices outside.

I pressed my head against the plastic cage, hoping to hear better.

I then remembered I was a Riolu and had ears on top of my head.

I pressed my ear against the cage.

I could only get out very few words when the speakers spoke a bit louder.

I could hear the sound of a car door opening, then Lewis' dads voice.

"See ya round Caleb!" his dad replied.

Lewis' voice appeared next.

"So dad? How am I gonna keep Damian? I mean..."

"Put a shock collar on em so if he goes past our driveway... Well, he won't be able to. Keep him in a cage, not a Pokeball. We gotta keep a close eye on him."

"Knowing Damian, he'll escape the first chance he gets."

"You got it kiddo!"

"But I'm just curious though... Even if he did escape, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone about it. Humans can't understand Pokemon so..."

"It doesn't matter. Pokemon can communicate with each other. If he got his group to help him, he might be able to escape."

"Yeah... I guess your right about that."

I heard the engine start and the vehicle began to move.

"Can I see if he's up?" Lewis asked.

"Go ahead, just don't let em out."

"Don't worry, Heracross won't let it happen. Damian? You up?" Lewis asked.

I didn't answer.

I felt a knock on the plastic cage.

"Yoo-hoo! Wake up!"

I remained silent.

"Just let him sleep. He had quite a day yesterday," his dad chimed.

Lewis groaned.

"Fine."

It was surprising enough that Lewis was with Team Plasma, but his dad too?

I felt like a complete idiot knowing I've known this guy for 4 years and knew nothing about him being in Team Plasma.

I simply continued to lay down and hoped for more hope.

Hope was all I had left.

In 5 hours or so (it could've been 2 or 10 hours, I wasn't keeping track of time), the vehicle stopped, and my cage was being lifted.

"You up yet Damian?" Lewis asked.

The cage door opened and I stared into his soul.

"Lewis! You're gonna have to stop calling him Damian. Call him Riolu."

"Can't I just say I named him Damian after my lost best friend?"

"Well..."

"Yeah! Its a great idea and you know it!" Lewis laughed.

"Fine. I don't see why not."

The cage closed again and I could tell I was being taken into his home.

It sucked that the cage had no outside visibility at all, but it made sense for them to do.

But not knowing where the lab was bothering me.

How would I save the others?

Their house alarm went off and four beeps stopped the home's alarm system.

The cage opened again.

"Come on Damian. Welcome home."

I exited the cage in a haste.

I knew his house like the back of my... Paw.

I felt really short to everything around me.

His 3 foot dining room table was taller than me!

"Alright so... Whaddya wanna do Damian?" Lewis asked.

I felt his dad wrap something around my neck.

It choked me just slightly.

"Shock collar. He won't be going anywhere," his dad said.

I tugged at the piece of equipment.

It was choking me.

The device didn't feel like a standard shock collar from the store.

It was metal, thick, and would be impossible to break.

"Looks a little tight. Can ya loosen it a bit?"

"It has to be tight. Keep him in your room for now."

"Can I go outside with him?"

I looked back and forth at the father and son conversation.

"Not now. Just keep em in your room. The police wanna come back to talk to us today."

"Again? They just came over like five days ago! What else do they need? You think they know about us?"

"No! No way! We're the witnesses remember?"

"Yeah. Just worried that's all."

His dad rested a hand on his sons shoulder.

"Don't worry. Just let me do the talking. All you have to do is stick with the story."

"Yeah. Alright. I'm gonna take Damian upstairs with me then."

"You do that. Have fun you two."

I began to feel a little annoyed, along with the boiling anger inside of me.

They were acting like I honestly wanted to still be friends with a sociopath who made me hate him in one measly day.

Again.

I hate him, but he's still my friend.

I'll never change that.

Lewis ran upstairs and signaled me to follow him.

"C'mon Damian! Get up here!" he called.

I took my sweet time walking to the stairs.

I stared at the carpet covered stairs in awe.

Each step was about a fourth of my size.

It wouldn't even be a walk upstairs, but a climb.

I sighed.

"Ri..."

Not hearing my own voice anymore felt weird too.

Only hearing the word Riolu was annoying.

How do Pokemon live like this?

As I made it to the top step, I could see Lewis waiting at his bedroom door.

"What took ya bro?" he asked.

"Lu! O! Riolu! RI! RI!" I snapped.

I tried saying "I'm not your bro you crazy demented psychopath!"

"I know the stairs are a climb. Don't be a wuss about it!"

The idiot couldn't understand a word I said.

I did have an advantage to that though.

I can curse him out and he won't understand a word of it.

The thought made me smile inside.

I went into his room.

Messy as ever.

'Clean your room you needy ponce! I can't wait to beat your ass after this!'

Instead, my Pokemon speech talked to him.

"Just chill out dude. Geez."

'Chill out!? How about you burn up in hell!'

"I got some stuff you can do since... Well... You don't have thumbs anymore, you can't really play video games anymore. I can turn on the TV if you want," said Lewis.

T.V.

After all the crap I've gone through, a comedy show would be nice.

Even if it meant watching it with my so called best friend.

I pointed at the television set, using the only word I knew how to say.

"You wanna watch TV?" he asked.

I nodded.

He switched on his 32' inch HD television.

The cooking channel appeared on screen.

"You wanna watch something on FX, Fennekin, Comedy Network, what?"

I simulated laughing to tell him comedy.

"Comedy Network?"

I nodded.

"Cool. I'm in a laughing mood anyway."

Of course he is.

He switched the channel to Comedy Network HD.

The famous comedian Greg 'Muddy' Jersey was on.

He was okay.

Hit and miss kind of guy.

"So, this chick comes into a restaurant with her Eevee right? And I'm just sitting at my table. Looking at her, thinking oh she's out with her Pokemon, okay. But then it gets weird. I was at the restaurant with my girl and finally, she asked what I was looking at. I told her to look at the two. The lady and her Eevee. So my girls like, what about em? Well... That Eevee is eating more politely than her master!"

The crowd laughed.

I didn't and neither did Lewis.

"Miss," preached Lewis.

I set my gaze to his outside window.

I jumped onto his unmade bed and stared.

Stared at the outside world.

"C'mon man. Its not so bad. Y'know the only reason they do this is so people don't know about the real Team Plasma."

'Real Team Plasma?'

I think he understood that.

"Those guys you see on TV all the time, they're posers. They act like us, but in real life, they're just guys we pay to be witnesses," I looked outside again, "Team Plasma is awesome. Mister Preston is like, the coolest man alive! He actually gave me a fifty dollar watch!" exclaimed Lewis.

I wasn't even paying attention.

"Damian?"

I didn't look back at him.

"Listen alright... I'm sorry. I just gotta stop this now. You don't wanna be friends anymore. I mean it makes sense. But if I wouldn't have told Team Plasma, they would've known anyways and then we would both be Pokemon, only stuck in some lab."

I snarled.

'You little punk! You didn't have to turn me into this! You didn't have to snitch to your dumbass boss! You should've been loyal to your best friend! Me! You said you would take a bullet for me! You lying bastard! A real friend would've taken my role! Thanks to you, I'm stuck like this!'

He just looked at me.

He couldn't understand me, but he could at least see I was angry.

'I'm gonna be a Pokemon forever.'

I wanted to cry.

I did.

But I was done crying.

I had to take action.

I had to get my team.

"I'll leave ya alone."

I stared angrily out the window.

If I had fingers, they would be broken from being clenched into a fist of total rage.

My next sight gave me hope.

I could see Staraptor flying above.

Just seeing her made me smile inside.

She flew past the house in a flash.

I checked the time on Lewis' alarm clock.

10:38

I'll have to get outside by 10.

I knew it! I knew Staraptor would!

Tomorrow was the day, for now, I just needed to play it cool.

The entire day, I had high hopes.

Lewis didn't talk to me much.

Probably because he knows how pissed off I am at him.

He and I stayed in his room watching comedy shows.

The police came over at 1 o clock and Lewis' dad talked to them.

Lewis locked me in the cage again while they spoke to the police.

If I turn human again, I will never put my Pokemon in a cage.

Ever.

Lewis gave me Pokemon food.

Similar to what I gave my team.

In separate bowls were food for his team.

I never actually spoke to his Pokemon.

I heard them talking to each other, but I've never heard them talk talk.

When we all forced in the dining room to eat, I finally said, "This stuff's kinda interesting," I said, referring to the food.

"It's like... Sweet... And... I dunno how to explain it."

"Shut up brat!" Raichu snapped.

"What? I'm just makin' small talk, that's all," I mumbled.

"Don't talk to us! We're not your friends! You're not our friends! Got it?" Empoleon barked.

I flinched as he raised his voice.

I just swore under my breath.

They finished their food much quicker than I did.

Heracross stepped behind me and kicked my food over.

I swore in my head.

They all left the dining room, except Swellow.

I looked at my food scattered all over the floor.

"Here," Swellow slid his bowl to me.

There was a bit of food left.

"Thanks," I said.

'What's he gonna do? Steal it or something?'

I carefully took some food and ate it, expecting Swellow to do something mean or cruel.

To my surprise though, he just watched me.

When I finished the remains of his food, I said, "Thanks... Again."

He nodded.

I was ready to leave until he stopped me.

"Listen Damian. I'm sorry this had to happen to you," blurted Swellow.

I frowned.

"Its not your fault," I replied.

"I know, but... I can already see what you're going through. Your best friend having you kidnapped, then turned into a Pokemon just to cover his own ass. Its despicable. I'll try to help you if I can. I really liked you Damian. I still do. You're a great kid. If ya need someone to help ya out, I'm your guy."

I smiled widely at his thoughtfulness.

"Thanks."

"You've got my support buddy," he said.

He started out the dining room, but stopped himself.

"Oh! And uhh... Don't ask the other guys to help. Cause... They won't."

I nodded.

"Swellow! Where you at!?" one of the Pokemon yelled.

"Just givin' Damian the rules of this house!"

Swellow winked at me.

"Get your feathery tail outside! We got some wild ones in the front!"

"That's my cue. See ya bud."

"See ya."

And with that, Swellow was out of the dining room and in the front yard.

"Woah! Damian, what the hell happened?!" Lewis exclaimed after seeing the mess of food everywhere.

I didn't speak, just walked away and went back upstairs.

The last expression on his face being confusion.

"Lewis! Clean this damn mess up!" his dad yelled.

I laughed.

'Yeah, clean it up!'

I lied on the sofa.

My eyes beginning to close slowly.

I yawned and fell asleep.