Author's note : Here I am! Enjoy this chapter!

Shadow Inferno

Chapter 6 - Vagrant

'Now that we've got those covered up,' Vagrant glared at Fireworks and Pyro again. 'I shall now begin my story...'

Flashback

Tia walked around Mahogany Town and heard rumours about a thief stealing their properties. Some say Team Rocket was back and some even think the legendary ninjas were back!

She was staying at an Inn in Mahogany. It was called Nin Uchi and Tia liked the Japanese ninja-theme of the inn. After a long day visiting the Lake of Rage, Tia, Pyro, Fireworks and Cinder went back to the inn to rest.

Tia slid the slide door open and allowed the Pokemon in. Everyone sat down comfortably in the room as Tia searched for her bag.

"Strange… I could have sworn I put my bag right here!" she exclaimed.

'Cyn-cyn-da!'

The three Pokemon helped in the search. They looked everywhere; even the most impossible places. And still, they could not find it.

"No! I can't lose it! Let's go ask the receptionist!"

They ran hurriedly to the lobby and to the reception's counter desk.

"Konbanwa… May I help you, young lady?" greeted the old woman slowly.

"Konbanwa desu, obaa-san. Have you or any of the workers here entered my room today while I was gone? I seem to have lost my bag and I've got everything I need in there!" she said desperately.

"No, Tia-chan… But I do know who took it…"

"Who?"

"It is the thief. I think he had a certain interest in something in your bag and sneaked into your room quietly to steal it. You have heard about the thief, yes?"

"Yes, yes I have… I had no idea it would really steal my bag."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I will try my best to get it back."

"It is almost impossible, Tia-chan. The police had searched for all the missing items and yet, they did not find it. They even checked the old Team Rocket Hideout to make sure. No traces were left behind," the old woman explained. "I am sorry but we did not hear anything at all."

"Ii yo, obaa-san. Arigatou gozaimasu," Tia told her that it was alright and thanked her politely.

"Sumimasen…" the old woman apologized again.

Tia went back to her room to think. Her Pokemon were huddled together in one spot and looked at their Trainer; what should they do next?

Cinder noticed something as she was scanning the room. The bed sheet was torn; a little, but good enough for evidence. Maybe. Cinder chirped at Tia and the others.

"Oh, you're right, Cinder… The thief must've accidentally slashed through here with something… Oh, dear… What if he had a knife with him?"

'This is kind of hopeless… What good is this stupid clue anyway? So we know the thief slashed here, but then what?' Fireworks was starting to get really annoyed.

Tia stroked Fireworks's head and told them all to go to sleep.

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The next morning, after washing up, Tia went to see the old lady for check out. At the same time, Pyro was complaining to Cinder about how hungry he is.

"Dear child, I insist you stay for a bit longer for breakfast," the old lady offered, seeing Pyro's screwed up face.

"But I didn't pay for today's breakfast…!"

"Do not worry… It is free. You cannot continue your adventure with an empty stomach, correct? You might faint. Besides, you have no money on you. How do you expect on getting food for you and your friends later on?"

Tia smiled and bowed to the old lady, thanking her over and over. The other three were joyful too. After a delicious meal, they set off. One of the workers at the inn even gave Tia a set of sushi's for their lunch as an admiration gift, which Tia took with a little discomfort.

They reached the Ice Path soon enough and entered it, praying that they won't get lost. Tia untied the white jacket around her waist and wore it over her red long-sleeved shirt for warmth.

As they slid on the icy roads of the Ice Path, a swift creature watches them with its sharp glaring eyes. Fireworks felt the glare but ignored it. Cinder feared that they might have gotten lost in the icy puzzle maze. They were pushing boulders down holes to assist them in their path to reach another level of the cave. Then, they climbed down to slide on more ice.

Unfortunately for Fireworks, the ice below him actually cracked and he was falling into sheer cold water.

"Fireworks!"

'Tor-chic!'

'Char-man!'

'Cyn-da-quil…!' he moaned as he tried to grasp onto something near him but could not.

The others were already on the land part of the floor and the ice does seem to look thinner. The reason; Pyro didn't watch his tail. The fire melted the ice and Fireworks was on his trail. He walked on the thin ice and it broke into a hole. Tia had no time to scold Pyro. She was thinking of a way to save Fireworks.

In a flash, a quick black figure swooped down from… somewhere and grabbed Fireworks. In the quick movement, Tia could see something flash in shine. A second later, a wet Fireworks stood in between Cinder and Pyro. Another second later, a mysterious Pokemon appeared next to Tia.

The cat-like Pokemon was dark in colour, had three pinkish-red fan-like appendages for a tail and one for its left ear and had a golden jewel on its forehead and chest each.

It opened its mouth and shot out a stream of shimmering ice to cover up the hole and other parts of the ice that had been thinned.

"Oh, thanks so much, wild Sneasel," Tia said in a relief.

But her relief stopped there. The Sneasel suddenly extended its long, sharp claws.

"Gah! W-w-wait…!" she said, panicked. "I'm not going to hurt you! A-and they won't too!" referring to Cinder, Fireworks and Pyro.

'Humph, I'm a thief. Why won't your human attack me?'

'Excuse me, Miss… but, did you not sense her twilight energy?' Fireworks said politely.

'Her-what-energy? I do sense a strange, nice aura from her but I don't really know what they are.'

'It means she is an angel.'

'Angel? For real?'

'Yes.'

'Then I shall not attack you and your friends.'

'Thank you.'

'Let me show you my place.'

The Sneasel motioned Tia to follow as she did not join in the conversation just now. They climbed down another floor and were brought behind some large rocks. They sat there and looked at the Sneasel.

'You can put a fire on if you'd like. I'm not a full ice Pokemon,' she said absent-mindedly.

'Already on it,' Pyro said as he pointed to his tail behind him.

'Ah, yes. The one who caused everything; the hole, the thin ice…'

Pyro nodded down in shame.

"Anyway, would any of you like some sushi?" Tia asked.

'What's a sushi?'

'It's a dish made of raw fish, rice and seaweed. You also eat it with soy sauce. I must say I like it…' Fireworks explained to her.

'Well, I don't know what seaweed is but I'll try it.'

Tia unwrapped the plastic container and snapped her chopsticks into two. There were so many sushi's, enough for everyone including Sneasel. Tia sweat-dropped.

"That guy must've made this all by himself just for me…"

Sneasel took one with her claws and popped it into her mouth.

'Emm, I like it, too… err…'

'Oh! I'm Fireworks. That's Pyro and there's Cinder. My Trainer's name is Tia Rina.'

At exactly that right time, Tia decided a proper name for the Sneasel.

'Right. What she said, then. My name would be Vagrant.'

"You must've been wandering all by yourself all this time… Why don't you join our team?"

Vagrant turned to Fireworks.

'Team?'

'Yeah. Be our friend.'

Vagrant turned back to Tia and nodded.

"Yes! A new team member! Vagrant, welcome to the team," Tia said happily. "Now, if only I could find my bag again, we'd be set to go on the road freely again…"

'Her bag? Is it, by any chance, this one?' she went behind another rock and took out a white backpack.

"My bag! And everything inside! Oh, Vagrant, you're the thief. You must return everything back to its rightful owner before we leave."

'Snea-snea-sel,' she agreed.

She's finally going to experience a new life with them.

End of flashback

'Wow, I didn't know you started up as a thief before!' Kip exclaimed in surprise.

'Well, it's all behind me now.'

'Heh, look at her now. She's the big sister of Pyro, Fireworks and Cinder,' Tough Shell pointed out.

'That was a good story, Vagrant,' Nikki commented.

'It was very well told,' Psy Sun praised.

'Thanks.'

"Ah, my drawing is finished!"

"Mine, too!"

"Hahaha, hey, let me see!" demanded Edward. "Wow, these are great!"

He flipped to another page of Naomi's drawing block and...

"What's a portrait of me doing here?"

Naomi glowed red as she snatched it back from him.

"Idiot! That's not you! Can't you see? It's a totally different, imaginary guy!"

Tia giggled at the sight of the two lovebirds... err, friends with a drop of sweat on her forehead.

Author's note : Thanks for staying! R & R!