Chapter 4: A beautiful disaster

So I just changed the time settings on the first chapter and I just wanted to apologize with this book's rough start, I just feel like I wasn't doing this story justice until I redid chapter three and adjusted some things. Oh, aaaaannnnddd, check at the bottom of the chapter after you're done reading because I have something else to say that will excite most of you. ^_^

"Snivy, no! I'm sorry!" Hugh cried, rushing to his fallen Snivy.

I smiled at Ayako. "Excellent battle, thank you."

Ayako yipped at me in response. Yet again I'd lucked out and Ayako didn't get hit once.

"Nice battle, Hugh." I said, shaking his hand.

"Yeah, you too. Say, what level is Ayako? It KOed poor Snivy with one hit, it's obviously stronger than level five." He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah she's right around level seventeen, that's how she's familiar with battling. When I was younger I used to battle with her a lot more, that's why she's not like level twenty five or something." I explained curtly, picking Ayako up.

Hugh narrowed his eyes. "But, I must take note on how she battled. Yeah she won the battle, but every time Snivy tried to vine-whip her, I saw this strange, desperate, almost feral, look in her eyes. It's like she's afraid of getting hit." Hugh said, looking straight at Ayako.

"Huh?" I gaped, looking down at the little dark type.

Ayako looked almost ashamed, not meeting our gazes.

"Well if you were to hit me I think I'd be a little desperate too." I defended her, not taking my eyes off the Zorua.

Ayako's tail began to faintly wag as she finally met my gaze, her cerulean eyes looking thankfully at me. I smiled back at her.

Hugh looked like he was about to reply when suddenly, a nearby voice began to yell. "No! Give that back you pest!"

A bluish gray colored blur raced past Hugh and I, making us do a double take.

"What in Arceus's name…" I began, baffled as an exhausted Patrat desperately pursued the blur.

"C-come on Patrat! W-w-e have to get t-that back!" A young boy cried, completely out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Hugh asked, eyeing the boy with concern.

"P-p-purrloin!" He spluttered, pointing to where the blur disappeared.

"What?" Hugh asked, not understanding the young boy at first.

My eyes shot open. "PURRLOIN!" I shouted, sprinting through the brush, not caring about the thorns and brambles that pierced my skin.

Huffing and puffing I tore after the dark feline, running faster than I knew I could-that's how I knew that I wanted this.

Ayako had leapt out of my arms, pursuing the feline with a passion. Ayako, being much faster than me, quickly sped out of my line of vision.

"LLLION!" A cry echoed throughout route nineteen, fueling my energy.

"Ayako! Don't let it get away!"

XXX

When I finally found Ayako, I saw that she had the dark type pinned to the ground by its scruff.

Ayako fought to hold to oddly colored Pokémon down as I neared it. I then observed that once again, Ayako didn't have a single scratch on her, but I was too pumped up to care.

On closer inspection of the Purrloin, I saw that it was fairly beat up and tired looking, pure hatred flooding its gaze as I reached out to pet it.

"Purr…" It growled threateningly baring her teeth at me.

Ayako silenced it by forcing its blue-gray head into the ground.

"Ayako!" I scolded, pulling out an empty ball.

Despite the Purrloin's protests, I tapped its forehead with the ball, watching intently as the ball rocked back and forth.

Beep….

Beep…

BING!

I smiled as the Purrloin accepted my invitation, plucking the red and white ball off the ground. My eyes twinkled in sheer joy as I shouted, "come on out, Purrloin!"

The ball snapped open, a blinding white glow in front of Ayako and I, fading away to reveal the oddly colored Purrloin. She immediately hissed and arched her back at us, a harsh glare plastered on its face. I recoiled at the Pokémon's reaction.

"Rachel! There you are!" Hugh shouted as he and the young boy finally caught up.

The boy pointed accusingly at my new Pokémon. "You! Give Lillypup back!" He cried, tears budding at his eyes.

I looked questioningly at Hugh. "That Purrloin stole this boy's Lillypup." Hugh replied, his eyes clouded with confliction, as though he couldn't decide if he could possibly be mad at a Pokémon, even if it was for thievery.

I couldn't help but step defensively in front of Purrloin. "Well I caught her," I said, showing her new poke ball. "So she shouldn't be a problem for you anymore."

A flash of relief spread through the boy's gaze. "Oh thank Arceus! That rotten thief has been terrorizing Floccesy Town for around a month now! If you turn it in to Officer Jenny she'll give you a huge cash reward." He said, glaring at the shiny Purrloin.

Purrloin looked up at me, expecting me to jump at the opportunity to get some more cash in my pocket.

I shook my head. "I'm not turning her in, but I will take her far away from here and I'll help you look for your Lillypup, after all, it's technically my fault since she's mine now." I admitted, meeting the boy's gaze with confidence.

I turned to Purrloin. "Please give this boy his Pokémon back." I commanded, my gaze serious.

Purrloin still seemed to be in shock that I wasn't turning her in, for she went into a nearby bush and came out with a small poke ball clamped in her jaws. The dark type set it down at my feet, looking up at me expectantly.

I smiled, patting her on the head as I picked the ball off the ground.

The boy nearly tore it from my hands, opening it to make sure that his Pokémon was actually inside it. He pressed the white center and out came Lillypup, who seemed overjoyed to see its trainer again. "Thanks." He beamed, sprinting back to Floccesy Town with his Patrat and Lillypup.

Hugh's gaze stayed fixed on Purrloin. "You know, if you're going to go into Floccesy Town I wouldn't have Purrloin out of her ball otherwise you could have some angry victims chasing after you." He warned.

I blinked for a second, still processing what this Purrloin had done to this town. "Right… Return." I said, sucking the feline back into the poke ball and clipping her onto my belt.

Hugh sighed, "well I'm heading to Floccesy Ranch to train Snivy, so I guess I'll see you later."

I nodded, "ok, bye, Hugh."

Ayako hopped onto my shoulder, a lot more comfortable with Purrloin tucked away in her poke ball. "Zor!" She cried, waving goodbye at Hugh. I giggled and stroked Ayako as I began to walk to Floccesy Town.

XXX

We kept walking until the town was in sight, then something startled me. "You there! Trainer!" An aged voice shouted, echoing throughout the route.

Confused, I looked back and forth, unable to find who just shouted at me. I nearly screamed when I looked up to see a crimson haired man leap down the cliff that towered above the entrance to Floccesy Town.

My eyes wide and my heart pounding, I quickly recognized who this man was- I never thought I'd get this lucky so early on in my travels. Quickly recovering from my initial shock, I sprang to life, getting right up in his face, my one notebook and pen that I'd managed to sneak past mother in hand.

"Alder! My name is Rachel Brooks, aspiring investigator, and this is Ayako, my partner," I introduced myself and Ayako, who waved in response.

"Now, I realize that you've actually met Ms. Forester and I-" I stopped as the man's expression saddened at the mention of her- not the grieving kind of sad, but the frustrated, angry kind of sad.

"It's very… cruel of you to just encourage the label that the media has given that poor girl. If you are to ask me anything of that beautiful disaster than you must refer to her as 'Jemma', or 'Jem.' Humanity was the cause of her death and I won't let you tarnish her memory by calling her 'Ms. Forester' any more than it already has. It's because of so called 'investigations' that she was wrecked and… I don't want it to continue because of you." Alder said harshly, his words bitter and numb to the ear.

I was too stunned to speak, so I let him continue.

"People like you didn't just destroy her, but you destroyed Unova's true champion, Black. After she left he hasn't been the same. He gave his Champion status to Iris and has basically thrown the past two years of his life away looking for a girl that is not here... not anymore." Alder said coldly, leaving me alone on route 19.

Ok, so here's the good news (well for those of you who actually like this little series) I have decided to ditch the whole trilogy idea and make more than three books! I'm thinking maybe four or five. I don't really know if I can do more than that but if I can trust me you'll be hearing from me! :D REVIEW