Chapter 6: Prepare for Trouble!

The climb up the side of the mountain was indeed hard. Several times we had to stop to let Mini rest and to wait out sudden weather changes. I sweat the weather there is worse than Colorado weather! But thanks to my counting the lightning and thunder, we were able to get moving pretty quick. And it impressed my new companions.

I was now so close to getting the water for Emily, I could feel myself calm a little. I look at her Crystal, it was still flickering, but she hadn't gotten worse since the last time I checked. So maybe, God willing, she'll be okay by the time I got back.

At last, we made it to the top. It was covered in lush forests like bellow us, but now I at least felt safe enough to 'unbuckle' myself from Minnie's back and dismount.

"Ri!…." Riolu said in awe of the place. And to put it plainly, I was a bit floored at the beauty of it myself.

"Good work Minnie." I heard Lud say and turned to see him at the rock-snake's head petting her. And from what I saw, she was exhausted. Lud pulled out that weird ball and poked the button on it, opening it to show several wires in it. "You get some rest. You deserve it." He said as a red beam of light shot from the ball and seemed to suck the giant creature into it. He pocketed the ball and grinned. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."

"No kidding." Monique said, kneeling beside Talbot. "And from all the vegetation, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a lot of water up here."

"See?" I told them. "I'm not crazy."

"I never said you weren't." Monique said. "You're still crazy for wanting to come up here with weather strong enough to make you fly higher than a Fearow."

"I don't know what that is," I told her. "But if my sources tell me there's healing water up here, then there is." I look at the bases of the trees, they were all sloped a bit deeper into the forest. "Looks like the mountain forms a bowl of some kind. So any water should gather to the lowest point. So lets try this way."

"You don't know a thing about Pokemon," Monique said, she, Lud, Spooky and Tal following. "And yet you know how to read terrain? Where are you from anyway?"

"Somewhere where there is not Pokemon." I told her, somewhat mad that she's confronting me about this now. "Where I come from they're just legends and stories. I didn't even follow the stories as a kid growing up. Guess I should have now that my girlfriends life is at steak."

"How did she get so sick?" Lud asked. "We have good doctors here, and scientists that-"

"She doesn't trust scientists." I blurted. I knew I shouldn't have said that.

"And why's that?" Monique asked. "She a mutant?"

I turned and glared at Monique, making her stop in her tracks. Kids would call Em a Mutant as a kid because she always seemed to know who was walking up behind her and what they intended on doing. That name always hurt her. Jade and I would find her later on under or in a tree to keep others from seeing her cry.

"She's not a Mutant." I told her. "She's just different and doesn't trust scientists."

"Okay," Monique said, holding up her hands. "I didn't mean anything by it."

I took a breath and relaxed. "It's okay. She's been called a mutant as a kid and she never liked it."

"Ah," Monique said as we continued walking. "That would explain a bit."

We walked quietly, but Riolu looked back and up at me. He sent a picture of Emily standing with her color back and hair pulled back in a half ponytail. She wore a cotton blue dress and she was smiling, that spark in her eyes back and burning bright. I smile at the picture and patted Riolu's head. "I know she'll be okay." I told him. "She is a fighter after all."

Riolu smiled up at me, but suddenly his smile vanished and he growled. Talbot was next to him in a second looking at him. "Might might?"

"Ri. Rio-lu." Riolu answered.

Talbot sniffed the air and snarled, the hair on his body fluffing.

"What is it guys?" Lud asked.

"Prepare for trouble!" Answered a females voice. I spun around but didn't see anyone.

"And make it double!" Said a males voice.

Seconds later, there was a burst of smoke in front of us. Once it cleared, two figures stood in front of us. A woman with long fiery red hair that she must have dyed to get that color, and a man with icy blue hair. Both wore red, white and black outfits, but the woman wore her shirt a little high so her stomach showed.

"Who are these clowns?" I asked, turning to Monique and Lud, who both looked kinda bored in seeing these two.

"To protect the world from devastation!" The woman continued.

"To unite all people within out nation!" The male said, forcing his sentence to rhyme with hers.

"You got to be kidding me…" I muttered.

"To denounce the evils of truth and Love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie," The woman said, batting her eyes at me.

"James." The guy said.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Then, as random as this was, something even more random came flying in to land in front of these two. A cat-like being that looked like it could have been a siamese cat, but with a gold charm on his head.

"Meowth dat's right!" It Said!

"Okay, talking cat…" I said. "Now I've seen about everything."

"Well well what have we here?" Jessie asked looking in my direction. "Usually wind up meeting a different team of twerps."

"Great, how about you find them?" I asked, starting to go around. "We're busy."

"CHARBOCK!"

I was stopped by the biggest…. purple Cobra… I've ever seen. "What on!" I exclaimed. "This place keeps getting weirder and weirder!"

"Not so fast cutie." Jessie said walking over. "We're interested in that Riolu you got there. So why don't you hand it over and then you can go."

"No thanks." I said, using the tone I used on Samantha back in college. "He's traveling with me. So looks like you'll have to find a different one."

"Ri! Rio, Riolu!" Riolu said.

"What's it saying Meowth?" James asked.

"Hold on," The cat said listening to Riolu. "He says that he's helping Ty get some water that's here that he need to save a friend of his."

"Rio! Rio ri lu!" Riolu continued.

"And that us keeping dem here is only makin Ty loose time to save her."

"Her?" Jessie asked.

"Yes her!" I shouted. "Now get out of our way!" With that I drew my keyblade.

The sight of my blade made them step back with a gasp. But a moment later, Jessi straitened. "Give over your Riolu and we'll let you go." She demanded.

"You'll have to get past us first!" Monique said.

"Might!" Barked Talbot.

"And us!" Lud said.

"Haunter!" Agreed Spooky.

Monique looked back at me and Riolu with a confident grin. "You guys go! Find that Spring!"

I nodded in thanks to her and Riolu and I took off down the hill to find the spring. Riolu took the lead, leading me strait and true through the forests.

"No!" James shouted. "Gulbat! Stop them!" he shouted, throwing a ball into the air and releasing the biggest Bat I've ever seen.

Once we broke out of the trees, I saw nothing but open ground… like it was a dried up lake… My heart sank a moment, but then I saw what looked like would have been a island. I smile and dash toward it with Riolu beside me. He looked up at me and grinned. I was surprised he could keep up that easily. I could feel his excitment mingling with mine as I pulled out Emily's Emerald shard. She was holding on… but it was dimming. I guess the time there moved faster than here… I couldn't delay! And those idiot roket guys back there held me back! I could hear the bat as he swooped and dove at us, sending soundwaves at us like Blade's abbility. I picked up my speed, picking up Riolu and letting him ride on my backpack as I reached the base of the island and started climbing. I didn't think the rocks would be so sharp, but I climbed anyway.

The stones cut into my hands and arms as I climbed. My only thoughts were that I had to hurry, and begging God to keep Emily strong until I got home. I could feel my hands grow slick from the blood on them as I climbed. I paused only a moment to catch my breath, my arms shaking from the strain and the pain. That was my mistake. The bat swooped at me and slammed into me, My foot slipped and I fell back a ways before catching myself. I shouted in pain as the rock bit into my hands and arms. I was wearing out, and the bat kept slamming into me, making my grip harder to hold. on top of that All the running from earlier made me tired. Dang it! I should have pased myself! If I stayed here I'd eventually fall or get weaker from infections in my cuts. I was stuck…

Suddenly I felt Riolu leap from my shoulders and to the top and over the edge of the island.

"Riolu!" I called. After all that… he left… but why?

I shook and tried to get up higher, but something else caught my eye. I look up as a light shone from the cliff. I watched in interest and wonder… wondering if it was the guardian of the island coming to stop me. I clench my teeth and start to climb again, but I couldn't lift myself anymore… my arms were pratically jelly…

"Ty!" Shouted a voice in my head. It sounded familiar, but deeper than I remember.

I look up and there's a new creature that looked kinda like Riolu, but taller, his ears and snout longer. His torso was covered in yellow fur, and his paws had steel-like spikes on the backs and on his chesk, but his red eyes looked the same.

"Riolu?…" I asked.

He nodded and lowered a paw. "Take my paw!" He said. "Hurry!"

I nodded and reached as far as I could, but his paw was a good foot away from my hand. "I cant!" I shouted. "I can't reach!"

The bat swooped again, hitting me and causing me to yelp in pain.

Riolu seemed to panic a bit before standing and putting his paws together. As he spread them apart again, a long bone formed that seemed to glow blue. He waited for the back to come back and swung, hitting the bat like it was a baseball, sending it away and crashing to the ground. He got down on his stomache again and lowered the bone. It was much closer.

"Grab on!" He said. "You can surrender now! We're so close to getting the water for Em!"

He was right, maybe I couldn't do this alone, but he's helped me get here. I nodded and reached, grabbing the bone and holding tight. Riolu smiled back and began pulling me up. A moment later I was sitting on the ledge beside him. I was battered and bruised and cut up in multiple places, but I could stand with Riolu holding me up. he was now about as tall as I was.

"Thanks…" I told him.

"What are friends for?" He asked with a smile. "For now, lets get that water."

I nodded again as we walk into the island. My hear was pounding. We were so close. As we turned a corner, I had a feeling we found the place. But, the air felt dry… My hear skipped a beat as I rushed forward into the bowl in the island. There was dried soil… in a bowl where a spring once was…. but it looked like there hadn't been water there for years.

"No…" I said as I walk forward and knelt at the edge of the once pool. I stared at the dirt, dumbfounded. It was gone… there was no water here… "No…" I begged to no one in particulare. "No, NO!" I shouted and hit the ground with a fist, tears streaming down my face. "No…. It can't be gone…. It can't be…" I sobbed.

Riolu knelt beside me and put a paw on my shoulder. I didn't move… I couldn't. This water was my last chance at saving Emily. Now I was going to loose her for good this time. I pulled out her shard and held it close. "I'm sorry…" I whispered, wondering if Emily could hear me. I hoped she could. "I'm so sorry…."

"Young Warrior." Called a voice.

I sniffed and looked up. In the middle of the lake was perhaps the strangest creature I've seen yet! It was purple and pink in color, had a long fleshy tail, and bulbis fingers. But it also had a cat-like face with slanted violet eyes.

I sniffed and dried my tears best I could. "Are…. are you the guardian?…"

"I suppose I am In ways." The creature responded.

I took this a bit of hope. "Can you… lead me to the spring?" I asked. "My friend… She's very sick… she was poisoned by an old enemy of ours. She needs the water from… the spring that was here…"

The creature walked over to me. Riolu tensed a bit, remember the stories of the strength this Pokemon had. The creature walked up and looked me in the eyes. He then placed a hand on my forehead. I winced back. "Please don't send me away!" I said. "I need that water! She'll die if I don't get it to her in time!"

"I understand that." he said. "I am only looking for the truth. and seeing if what you say is the truth,"

I nodded and stayed still this time. As he touched my head, I think I blacked out and began dreaming of the ball again. I trembled. I was reliving that night. I saw Emily almost shinning in that dress she was in as we danced. I heard the guard shout as the lights went out and the spiders came in. I again felt my heart shattering at the sight of Emily on the floor with the bite with Robert looking on. At last, I saw Emily laying in the bed, and my thoughts flash back to when she was beaten by Robert.

The images stopped and I was back in front of the creature with Riolu beside me. The creatures breathing was strained and his eyes holding the same things I felt at the memories. Worry, dread, and anger.

"I know this man that hurt your friend." He said. "He and his shadows are threatening this island. You're lucky to have gotten past them without them knowing yet. They'll know once you enter the chamber. I'll let you have some water, if you can make my home safe again."

I nodded. I knew a spell or two that could make this place safe. "Thank you." I said. "Who are you?"

The creature looked at me. "I am Mewtwo. Guardian of the Healing Waters."

Guys I am SO sorry for the delay! XD That was a hard Writers block! Hope you guys like what I got ^_^

~Kayla