Chapter 5: Path of the Fugitive

Being able to communicate with his friends telepathically was a great boon to the self-christened "Edge" Feyera. The happiness young Christian gained from connection to his Pokemon allowed the bond to grow even stronger since the telepathy itself was contingent upon his state of mind. Psyonics were as strange as they were useful. Overall, it was a wonderful feeling to be in control of them instead of facing their bizarre fallouts. He was hurt, yes, he was scared of course too, but at least he was not alone. Unleashing such devastation had taken a great toll on his body. He could communicate without straining his voice and his increasingly atrophying body. In addition, it was instantaneous, something which would prove oh so very useful in Pokemon battle confrontations. How nice it would be to convey battle orders in the way Brucie had suggested.

The grass swayed in the wind as Feyera examined his Pokemon for any outstanding wounds and injuries, praying that he had not caused any of them inadvertently by unleashing his uncontrollable power on the Golden Bridge. Brucie the Charmeleon was a little bruised up from the waist down. A nick or two on his fleshy calves already begun to scab. He'd been slightly wounded during the battle with Agent Engelhart's Mankey.

Feyera thankfully didn't have to worry about dealing with the Rockets for now. He had devastated the Golden Bridge without leaving much of a trail for them to follow. They'd need to use electricians to get past the destruction and follow him directly. Feyera had employed a wicked power that drew from thought itself, saving his life from the Team Rocket operative's firearm. Of course, it hadn't taken long for such thoughts to grow into vicious, destructive ones.

The Pokemon trainer sighed. It was him against the world now. He had to survive. He just wished that it didn't have to come to him killing anyone.

It would be false to say that he did not slightly enjoy it. It was the blooming cascades of self-sustained energy. They made him feel invincible. The purple spiraling gravity well, that was the fruit of his mental exertion and it was beautiful beyond measure. All so beautifully orchestrated.

But then there was the aftermath. He had never felt worse in his life, save possibly after the Pokemon Sanctum Robbery. It didn't matter, he couldn't really remember that time period anyway. It was too long ago. This was recent and far too strange to ignore. What happened to him? If he was able to utilize such a power then it had to come with a limit of some sorts. Feyera felt as though he might have even surpassed that maximum. It was as scary as it was evident through his physical state. Though he had begun to feel more normal, he still felt weak. His muscles were sore and his stamina had little permanence. The crushing anxiety might have taken hold of him if it were not for the fact that he knew he was unquestionably alive. The vigorous outpour of riling sensation came on in waves, but had recently subsided. Sensing a stiffness in his shoulders, the question dawned on him: "I'm gaining so much, but what am I losing? I feel like I can't stop it…"

The thought made him shiver in angst, so he quickly refocused on his Pokemon. Shifting his eyes from team member to team member, he feigned a smile. July, Feyera's recently captured Oddish, looked rather wilted; her petals drooped appearing she dehydrated more than anything else. Fortunately, the sea close by blew a humid breeze into their faces as they headed south. However, this taunting breeze bore with it the scent of smoke from the south. "A generator might have overloaded after the cable fell. After all that…" Not even a psyonic like Edge could run from the past.

Feyera peered over at his Water Type Pokemon, Desperado. Her wide, bright eyes gleamed in the sunlight. Subtle lashes and thick fins alike swayed rhythmically to the crisp breeze. The Magikarp followed Feyera and company close to the shoreline, where the water was shallow. She was a small animal, and certainly not the most aerodynamic sea creature Feyera had ever seen.

Looking down near his thick black leather Alterieno adventuring boots, Feyera saw Jill, his female Geodude who was also looking healthy. She bounded about, easily able to keep up with Feyera's pace by using her two muscular, rock-hewn arms. It was funny, every time he looked at her he couldn't forget his first encounter with a Geodude against Brock, the Pewter Gym leader. "Maybe they could have been friends," crossed Feyera's mind.

Using psyonics, he was only able to communicate short phrases and commands telepathically to his newer teammates. The longer he knew the Pokemon, the easier it was to keep the telepathy-transmission open. He hoped that they would all eventually be able to communicate with him as well as Brucie could. The psyonic tension was strange, it wavered at times. This just brought worry to Edge though, and his companions could sense it. "What if I accidently killed my Pokemon by mistake? What about all of the electricity arching out from the power lines…What if they were pulled into the… thing that destroyed the Golden Bridge!? That power, that feeling, it was all consuming…What if I lost it…"

[You didn't though, mister,] said July. July had a sunny deposition, but she was levelheaded. [It wasn't your fault if you got hurt. You didn't know. We all mess up sometimes, hun. I remember the first time I tried to use an Absorb attack! I fell and went topsy-turvy!]

[Haha. Watch out, the rose's got thorns!] whispered Jill.

[Jill!]

Feyera raised an arm. "Hang on, hang on!"They stopped, waiting for him to say something."*Sigh*" Listen, I've been considering just letting you go…it's just too dangerous to stick around me. I'm not normal. Psyonics aren't normal. You deserve better than to risk your lives for me."

[No!]

[That ain't true!]

"Yes. It is. That's the way it is. I need to research all of this! That comes first and foremost."Guilt was feeding itself at this point. Feyera didn't want to be told that he was innocent. He felt unworthy in a plethora of ways. The young man wanted his Pokemon's condemnation. In some sick and twisted way, it would make him feel better. "It would be easier, utilitarian really. If I could protect you from the destructive, side of my psyonics, that's at least four lives spared."

[Oh, yeah, great number work! And then what? You'll die out here, or worse, maybe you'd even inadvertently hurt someone in a measure of uncontrollable self-defense!] Jill angrily responded. The Geodude put her rock arm around his right leg, halting him in place, [If you want to leave fine, but don't think for an instant that we won't be following you. We're not normal either since we're able to talk to our trainer. That's pretty unconventional for most types of Pokemon. So we can all be abnormal together. Done, and done. Moving on!]

Feyera forced a smile at this childlike logic. He couldn't escape her grip with his diminished physical strength. "If you're okay with being around me. I suppose you know I'm happy with you guys. You've been my pillars of support through all this and it would be rude of me to simply abandon you out of my own self-doubt. It wouldn't be fair to you."

Desperado smiled, as she splashed in the water close by. Her fins flopped against her scaly orange body, [And besides, Edgy, who would cook for our lil remuda anyway? We need our rancher even if he can't make canned food good 'n proper. Ya ought to get yourself a chuck wagon! Right-eo ya know, pardner?]

"Hah ha!"This made Feyera laugh; he was a terrible cook after all.

Desperado joined in his laughter, [Well, I'm a big fan of shootin' straight and speakin' the truth. At least in this here posse!]

"Can't help it, at least I'm here to feed you." The group had eaten canned beans for the past few days before making it to Bill's cottage. It was too bad really; Feyera hardly ate because he was so terrible at making food.

[Why can't you make yummy food?] asked July. [I thought you'd be good at that Edgy. Ya know, because you're a researcher and all.]

"Cooking's not like science, don't be silly! That's preposterous!" But truth be told, Feyera knew there were similarities between the two arts, as far as their respective directives went. It didn't do much for his pride to admit he was bad at that variety of science!

Jill chuckled, [What's preposterous is that you made it to adulthood without starving!]

"Eh, I don't always have to cook. Human towns and cities are different. You can get food from people who are better than you are at cooking. That's how it works."

[But then how do they eat?] asked July.

[Well, I'd reckon they hunt enough food for the whole cavalry!] shouted Desperado.

Christian shook his head. "Nah, people don't hunt. We're what's known as 'civilized'."

[Aye now, buckaroo! That's why I like you humans!]

"*Gurgle*!" Feyera's stomach growled noisily. "Err… Speaking of food, who wants something to eat?"

[Well that depends on who's cookin'!] Brucie said, [Tell you what boss, maybe we can help you out.]

"All right, we can set up camp soon and then get cracking," he said with a carefree shrug. "Who knows, maybe with your help I can make something that you guys won't complain about."

[You got it!] [Right on!] [O'course!] [Yep!]

The solemn thoughts were leaving him. He was feeling better and less driven by doubt and insecurity. He felt lucky, not because of his powers, but because of his friends. And perhaps that was all the luck he needed.

Feyera had been pleased with the progress he'd made. All things considered, he was happy; the journey had suddenly become a lot less lonely. The group was now right beyond Cerulean's city limits. But it was getting late, and Feyera figured that he would rather just camp out with his Pokemon outside the city.

Opening a broth of canned beef was the simple part of making dinner. Chopping the onions was the real chore; they made the young man's eyes tear up. He hated that feeling. Tears and crying, it made him feel vulnerable. It was one of those things the young trainer could not help. Hopefully his power was more controllable than the tears he now involuntarily produced.

Charmeleon was tending to the stew pot keeping it nice and hot with his Ember originating from his fire-tipped tail. Brucie gave Feyera a wink as he caught his trainer wiping away water from under his large eyes.

July had gathered some spices and seasonings from the local foliage. July's knack for finding a few herbs here and there was greatly appreciated since it made the meal smell so much better.

Meanwhile, Jill was stirring the broth with her strong stony arms, and cracking wise comments to Desperado who really couldn't do much to help out being a fish and all. [I told you to go get some water; at least I thought you knew Water Gun. What kind of Water Pokemon doesn't even know Water Gun!?]

Desperado laughed, [Say, when I get the chance to learn that attack, you're gonna be my first target, Jill!]

[Well, if you put it that way sweetie…hope there isn't too much of a waiting line. Even if you have a double type advantage, you're not gonna get through my tough hide.]

[Pah, yer on, Lumpy!]

Jill smiled, [Ha, Lumpy. I like that. You've got one heck of a strange accent, Des. Where'd scrawny find you anyway?]

"I heard that," Feyera shot forth a charged thought. "Show me some respect."

[Heh, I was only jokin'. …But I'm sure I could beat you in arm wrestling, Feyera!]

Christian rolled his eyes. It was like trying to argue with a child. Being a human, he was no match for a Pokemon like Jill's physical strength. "Pheh. I'm sure you could."

[Yeah! I bet I could toss ya! Like, way far too!] she said while swinging one of her arms around like a steam engine's fulcrum. [Up, up, and away!]

Feyera scowled. "Well, aren't you proud of yourself? Would you like a medal?"

[No thanks,] she grinned mischievously. [Rock Type Pokemon are weak to metal, brain boy.]

"I said "medal" not metal,"he grumbled. "Do you have soil in your ears or something?"

[Hey, hey, easy does it now you two,] Desperado interjected. [Don't be up 'n tangling yer lasso's.]

"What is with you and those cheesy lines!?" Feyera said.

[Anyhow, I reckon do have a bit of a southern drawl. S'pose it's an inflection picked up from my 'ol rancher.]

"You mean cheat! That man was a scammer!"

Des grinned. [Ah, the ol' mule sure was. Every time he'd show us off at the trail drives, he'd—]

"—How could you have respect for that? Why would want you mimic his mannerisms when you have an upstanding trainer like me?"

[Ha. Always thought of myself as a maverick,] Desperado chuckled, [it's funny how you pick up the quirks of those 'round your waterin' hole. I like you too Edgy, don't be getting' all green with jealousy.]

"Hmm…?" Feyera scratched his head.

[I think your accent makes you sound silly, Des!] Jill chimed in.

[Humph! I figure ya can talk anyway ya like so long as ya got the guts ta back up whatever it is you might be ramblin' about.]

"And you sure like to ramble…" Feyera laughed at the playful bickering. Both Jill and Desperado had dominating female personalities. "All right, enough is enough!" Feyera called them both over. Together the team gathered around the fire as the sun sank beneath the horizon glowing sharply right before it fell out of sight. Their trainer tasted the stew before sharing it with his comrades. Even Desperado was joining them; Magikarp was one of the few fish capable of surviving outside of water for extended periods of time due to their durable constitution. Feyera made a face as the spoon touched his shallow lips. "Oof… Not bad, but not good either." The team shared a laugh. Christian didn't need psyonics to pick up on that.

It was a strange situation. Christian never thought he would find himself in this position. The mere fact that he was adventuring with Pokemon was astounding considering he swore off being around them following what happened at the Pokemon Sanctum. And now, to think, he was relying on them as his friends, companions, and support structure. They were alone, outlaws running from society. Their flight was because of him, because of Edge. But he also knew that his Pokemon wished to remain together. That made everything more bearable for him.

"C'mon, let's get some rest so we can get up bright and early. Approaching Cerulean from the northern road, we'll be there in half an hour."

Retrieving more supplies from his backpack, Feyera set up a small mat on the side of the path. He was going to be camping tonight. His Pokemon gathered close to him, Brucie's tail kept them warm despite the chilly night's wind.

"Hmm…" Feyera's mind wandered as the stars shone brightly above. The power outages in the Cerulean made the stars appear much brighter and much closer. It was strange to see the world from this perspective; Feyera was typically an urban-dwelling person. Then again, he'd have to learn to control these psyonics before returning to that type of life. "That's the mission…that's the mission I'm on…" he mumbled, sleep quickly overtaking him.

"I'm a man on a mission."

The morning dew covered the faces of the fugitive as a hazy morning sun woke young Christian from his slumber. Feyera could have sworn that he heard a voice as he was waking up. It followed a very bizarre dream he had during the night. It felt as if he were coming up out of a deep trance, where the dream remained in his consciousness just long enough to feel like reality. He looked about frantically from his sleeping bag trying to discern the origin of the voice but he was unsuccessful. Instead, he tried to remember the dream. He was in a Pokemon battle, that was for sure. He recalled a lot of vivid details: powerful moves, rapid execution, and a plethora of colors. Maybe this was a sign? In any event, he made his mind up.

"Guys, today we take on Cerulean City's Pokemon Gym. I know you might have reservations, but I will do everything I can to keep my psyonics in check." He was trying as hard as possible to conceal his inner fear, but it wasn't working too well. His Magikarp's eyes shifted down from Feyera's glance and observed her trainer's fists shaking impulsively from nervousness.

[You gotta be kidding boss! Today?] Brucie said with a uneasy grin, [I mean, I have your back and everything no matter what, but do you really think that issuing another Gym Challenge is the best idea? I thought we'd wait a little. You know, like practice and stuff.]

"Practice?" Feyera asked. The thought didn't cross his mind, he was very single-minded once he had a goal in mind. "I guess we could…but what good would that really do? I want to be sure that I can control psyonics during the real thing. Moreover, I want to be able to try out projecting telepathic orders. That'll give us a huge advantage. Besides, we're on a timeframe, we need to be in Vermillion by tomorrow!"

[Hey Brucie, if he wants to do it, let him Brucie, he's a big boy!] Jill retorted, making a fist and pounding it into the dust beneath her body. [Let's bust some heads.]

"No! No head busting!" Feyera said.

[Gee, you're edgy today.] Jill scratched her noggin. [Was only joking, what's the big deal?]

"I'm the one giving the orders around here that's all."

[Oh yeah sure…] Jill bemoaned. [You and that nasty side of you are giving everybody round here orders.]

Feyera's Charmeleon snapped back, [I've known Christian longer than you've been around Jill!]

"Jill, your Rock and Ground typing will be a major hindrance against the Water types there," Feyera said to his Geodude.

[Humph, and your destructive psyonics won't be a "major hindrance"?] the Geodude replied sarcastically. She rolled her large brown eyes, [Last I checked, you couldn't bring a big spiral of psychic energy into the big leagues unless you're a Pokemon…!]

"They're called psyonics!"

Des piped up saying, [All the same, Edgy, yer supposed to leave those at the saloon's coat check.]

Tasting the rebuke, Feyera felt his eyes swell in anger. "You know, if you two had been around during my Pewter City challenge, then you'd know just how difficult this is for me to do!"

[Then why do you want to do it so badly? Huh?] Jill asked.

"Umm… I want to do it because of…because it's not supposed to be easy," Feyera said. However, he wasn't sure if this was the truth.

[Challenges are good!] July said happily.

['Cept if you act all brash about it like this one!] sniggered Jill.

Brucie stood next to his trainer and let out a growl. [We have to have confidence in him Jill, if he can't rely on us, who is he going to trust?]

Jill nodded, [Sorry I…just…]

"It's okay. I'm coming to terms with the whole psyonics deal. To be honest, I don't think you could understand. You're a Pokemon. You've had special powers your whole life that help you to survive."

[Yeah but I can tell there's more,] replied the Geodude.

"Maybe there is."

Jill gave him a look that said "try me". So he did.

"I want it. That feeling, that rush. When I'm in the heat of combat."

[Sounds like a bunch of—]

"—Let me finish!" Feyera said. "Anyway there's only one thing I need, your support. I know that can get me through this. It has in the past. I need to do this. I want to issue this gym challenge, please understand that it's important to me. I need information, what triggers the augmented psyonics?"

Brucie looked at Feyera, and his expression said it all. The young Pokemon did not want to see another companion fall. The young man understood, and nodded slowly. "I promise you Brucie, I won't forget about what happened. We'll keep Lawrence in our hearts."

[Who's Lawrence?] questioned Jill, who had picked up on the telepathy.

Brucie motioned with a paw to cut her off. [Don't worry about it—]

"No. I'll be upfront." Feyera stroked his auburn hair, traveling back in time in his mind. "Jill, Lawrence was the name I gave to my first captured Pokemon, a Pidgey from outside Pallet Town. I… lost him during my first Gym Battle. I didn't even get to know him."

[You killed a Pokemon?!] Jill gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. [I knew your psyonics were no good! I knew you had no control over them!]

"No…it isn't what you think." Feyera knew Jill thought that he had used his powers and killed Lawrence. And that would have made some sense. "It wasn't my psyonics! At least I don't think…I don't know what it was. I blacked out. When I came to, I was able to project my thoughts through. I got a strange, tingling feeling in my chest every time it happened. With anxious hands, Feyera adjusted his shirt. Come to think of it, it doesn't feel as strange anymore."

[That doesn't matter! Why didn't you say something?]

"I didn't know how to bring it up," said Feyera. "Honestly. Brock's Onix was too strong. My friend paid for it. I almost did too. When Onix overpowered Lawrence, I reacted. I wanted to protect my Pokemon. That's when the psyonics first saw the light of day. I…Edge, attacked Onix with my mind…"

[You, you're serious? I'm shocked…really?] Jill asked.

"Yes, really. I was upset when I met you, remember? Then we encountered that nameless trainer who died of blood loss in Mount Moon. That really made me tumble into a state of anguish. Disarray really. I don't understand it. Everyone dies one day; I used to think it was a distant threat…when you think about it, there's no reason I should care—"

[Don't you dare say that!] Jill looked like she was ready to hit him. [Life's too precious not to care about others!]

"You didn't let me finish, Jill! I did care. I had compassion, stronger than I ever have. I was … overtaken by it."

[How?]

"I'm not sure. Each time it was a possessive feeling, a rush of endorphins, like at the end of an exercise regiment. I didn't want Onix to hurt my Pokemon. Engelhart was going to shoot Brucie with a magnum pistol. And I made a promise to the trainer in the caves to avenge him. All those times were followed by more intense psyonic outbursts. Ones I could not control. I've never felt like this before. For once, I feel empowered; for once, I can help. Edge can help the world."

[Just be wary of where 'compassionate-use-of-your-power' turns into vengeance, they are on two sides of a very sharp stone!] Jill suggested to her trainer.

Feyera didn't blink, his mind was racing very quickly, he could feel his eyes rapidly shifting to and fro, almost like when he employed his heightened psyonic powers. He responded her in mute thought, "I'll heed those words, Jill. Trust me. I need to get this under my control."

She paused before acknowledging his telepathic statement, [Good. Now let's go earn your second badge!]

Eventually, the crew arrived at the Cerulean City Pokemon Gym. As Feyera had predicted, it was unaffected by the recent devastation he had unleashed to the north. Entering the Pokemon Gym, he found the main arena to be an enormous, Olympic-grade swimming pool! Feyera walked up to the poolside and tightened his grip on the holster he wore.

"So, you're here for the Cascade Badge I take it?" questioned a fiery orange haired, tight bikini wearing Gym Leader. She stood perched on a diving board in front of him. Her posture was commanding despite her petite figure.

Feyera nodded, "Yes and…" A large splash of water from the pool caught the trainer off guard as it drenched him from the waist down. "Hey! What was that for!?" he angrily thought.

"Listen, I don't like to fool around with challengers all too much!" yelled the short and enthusiastic leader. "So if you've got a stuffy attitude, leave it at the door mister! Staryu, let's show him how we take care of challengers!"

Christian was annoyed that his new clothes from Bill had gotten soaked; it made them look even more baggy on his thin frame. "You can at least give your challengers a chance to introduce themselves!"

"Sure, sure, I'm Misty, the 'Mermaid Princess' of the Cerulean City Gym. And who might you be dearie?" she nonchalantly asked.

"I'm Edge." Feyera said. He looked at the sandy colored starfish Pokemon in the pool staring up at him. Soon, he returned his gaze to Misty's bright eyes.

"Edge?" she asked. "That some kind of cocky-ass nickname?"

Christian shook his head. "So says the 'Mermaid Princess'."

"Touché."

Feyera looked around the spacious arena. "I take it you don't take ID here based on your eagerness to battle and lack of a custodian."

"Well, you're right about that," Misty smirked, concealing her surprise. "We used to, until our computer systems took a tumble when that disaster took place in the northern end on the Golden Bridge. No power for a few hours, and then the system at Central Control went haywire with overload. We amassed all our city's resources to fix the problem, but we're still lacking an integrated system here in this sector. Gosh, I hope whatever it was that caused the catastrophe is long gone. Must have been a powerful Pokemon, but in this close proximity to a human settlement? It doesn't add up at all! There's a cave to the north with some strong Pokemon in it, but it's been sealed for a long time."

"Hmm." Feyera felt himself sweating slightly, but it blended in with the pool water already soaking him. "Is the Pokemon League going to be getting involved?"

"Beats me," said Misty, "even if I did know, I wouldn't be able to tell you."

Feyera felt as if she was untrusting. Did he give her a reason to not trust him? Was it his wound? Did he look like he stole Bill's clothes or something?

"It's nothing personal, Edge," Misty answered calmly. "The League is very secretive in their affairs."

"You trust me, a total stranger, to challenge you?" Feyera asked apprehensively. "Even with all the crazy things going on around here?"

"I don't have much of a choice in the matter." Misty raised a brow. "Hah hah! Don't worry, I trust you! Unless you're trying to tell me there's a reason why I shouldn't trust you!"

"No," Feyera said quickly. "That's not what I meant."

"Hah! Relax a little, no need to be uptight." Misty stretched. "Look around! We're at the pool."

"Excuse me? Relax? I need to relax?" Feyera asked.

"Gee, you sure live up to your nickname. Are you always this on-edge?"

"…!" Feyera was at a loss for words. Misty was right, he was panicking more than he was planning. But who could blame him? He had an awful lot on his plate right now.

Misty gave a friendly wink. "You're a registered trainer, I can tell by your overly orthodox mannerisms, not to mention your stuffy attitude!"

"Am I really that stuffy…?" thought Feyera. "Excuse me? Stuffy?"

"Haha, you look like you're off to the office with that cute necktie on! How do you expect to battle fluidly when you're dressed all high strung like that?" Misty laughed and pulled her hairband out of her hair, allowing her moderately long reddish hair to flow freely. "It makes you look like a total square!" she said making a finger rectangle with two outstretched arms. "See, you fit right into this adorable little box!"

"Humph! Why I ought to eradicate you, I'm a professional researcher—" he began to say angrily. But Feyera refrained from dispensing his usual clout-filled introduction. "Ahem! I do a lot of official work, but I'm a Pokemon trainer. Shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?" he said, swallowing his pride.

"Guess so, pal. Stuffy or not, a battle's a battle, and this one's an official challenge, so don't you dare come up short, challenger! The rules are simple. It's two on two, single matchups. Hehe! Pick wisely, office boy."

Worried, Feyera let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll kick things off with Desperado!" he shouted as his Magikarp sprung onto the arena's slippery floor outside of the pool. The enthusiastic fish flopped about the Gym floor, but this was just a ploy. Misty may have been well versed in aquatic Pokemon but upon seeing a splashing Magikarp, she severely underestimated its ability to strike quickly with Tackle. And that is exactly what transpired. As her Staryu leapt out of the water to meet its adversary, Desperado let out a loud cry. As the starfish was still in transit, Edge's fish lunged into the disoriented Pokemon, nailing it in the critical core. The impact was harsh, and the strong scales of Magikarp made a devastating thud as she slammed Staryu exactly where Edge wanted her to. Feyera knew from reading Pokemon Insider that Staryu could recover, but only if its gem core was left undamaged; and this unlucky specimen was already injured in that location. The gem was like the starfish's heart; as the red glow began to flicker and fade as Staryu's five legs relaxed. Edge looked down at his own unusual centerpiece protruding from out of the soaked shirt sticking to his torso.

Grinning at her swift dispatch of the opposition, Desperado turned around and smiled at her trainer. [I won't stop kickin' till the clock stops tickin', Edgy. You can take that one to the bank!]

Smiling, Feyera looked at his victorious Pokemon. "Nice work out there, Des!"

Things were just getting started however. After withdrawing her wounded Staryu, Misty called out to her loyal Starmie, a mutation of the Staryu Feyera had just faced. This specimen's main body was a deep violet retaining the core-holding gold formation on its front. Starmie's red jewel core was much larger than Staryu's and it had seemingly developed to resemble a cut precious stone along with amplified psychic powers. As it made its way into the water, Edge could feel the surge of energy permeating from Starmie. The biggest change that took place upon evolution to Starmie was the growing of a second star on its back, which spun mesmerizingly. He could feel it. Like a disturbance in the air, like a soft drone of a distant radio, something alien and strange was infiltrating his mind. Deeply anxious about facing a Pokemon with some form of psychic abilities, Feyera was taking no chances. "Des, get back! I don't know what it can do."

"Use Swift!" ordered Misty.

"Des, dodge it!" But it was too late, Magikarp flailed about as numerous star shaped energy projectiles exited the core of Starmie. The numerous missiles made distinctive panging noises as they made contact with Magikarp. Multiple abrasions and scratches on Desperado's body made it evident to her trainer that her health had been knocked to a critical level.

[Tough enough. Guess ya should never corner something meaner than you…] Des said forcing a humorous laugh even though she was really hurt.

"Go! July! Take care of this!" Edge commanded, releasing his Oddish from the Pokéball without even recalling his Magikarp. The energetic Oddish sprung onto the field, her roots greedily absorbing the nutrients out of the pool.

"Use Water Pulse!" Misty ordered. "Knock his little weed into the water!"

"Here it comes!" Feyera thought. "One, two, three, jump!"

His Pokemon sprung high into the air, using her spring like feet to sail above Starmie.

"Great! Now put it to bed July! Dump Sleep Powder all over it!"

[Okay! Here goes!] July shook her leaves about and countless bright yellow green spores covered the pool, floating and sticking to the surface. The potent powder soon knocked out Starmie, stilling it.

"No!" Misty shouted. "Get up!"

"Ah ha!" Edge grinned wildly; victory could not come soon enough for him. He felt ecstatic everywhere, as if he was walking on air. "Perfect timing and calculation. July, hit it with your best attack! Give it all you've got, aim for the core!" "Use Mega Drain attack!"

[You got it mister!] July jumped from the side of the pool to the floating body of a sleeping Starmie. Warping her leg roots around it, the little plant ripped out the life force of Starmie. She was sapping the life-energy of the sea star with her bulging and pulsating roots. And with that, the confrontation was over. Misty recalled her knocked out combatant. There were no causalities. What a huge relief!

Misty conceded defeat, "You've beaten me, fair and square. I was outmaneuvered by your Pokemon and their superior strategy. For that, I can confer to you this Cascade Badge! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Huff…huff…"

"Don't mention it. Hey, take a breath, it's over." As Misty handed over the badge in a less than formal manner, Edge felt a strange sensation. It was incredible. He felt truly elevated in victory. He was flourishing. As the trainer embellishing in this feeling, a huge rupture in the pool's basin was heard and the aftershock knocked both Misty and Feyera to their knees.

"Ack!" shrieked Misty as she tumbled to the ground.

"Ah!" "Oh no!" thought whilst holding his head with both his arms. "Not another attack. Not a repeat of Pewter!"

[Easy does it now, cowboy. Don't squat on your spurs,] a familiar voice said.

"Wow Edge, look at that!" Misty said. "Hey! Open your eyes you scaredy Meowth!"

Still squinting instinctually, Feyera slowly opened his eyes. What he saw made him gasp in awe. "Wow!"

"Well I'll be darned! You have some skill! Looks like your Magikarp evolved into a Gyarados! Amazing!"

Indeed she had, Desperado's new serpentine body was mostly blue. When she roared in pride, her mouth was enormous and gaping, bearing razor-sharp canine teeth. Her underbelly was yellow, as well as a few spots along her long scaly body. Her barbels were relatively short, a sign of her young age. Finally, she had a trident dark blue crest on its head and four white fins down its back. She was a fair deal smaller than most Gyarados he had remember seeing in diagrams. Was it because of her gender? He could not recall if this species of Pokemon had different characteristics based on sex. The Pokemon gave of the aura of potential destruction. Everything about her besides her diminutive size was intimidating. But perhaps being on the smaller size made her an even better predator.

Feyera was completely caught off guard by his partner's new appearance. Nevertheless, he was thankful since now it seemed like Desperado would be able to finally take care of herself competitively. For this, both trainer and Pokemon were equally happy, and they relished in this mutual understanding of emotion.

"Edge, Gyarados are really strong aquatic Pokemon. They are sometimes referred to as…"

Eagerly, Edge cut her right off "—The Harbinger of the Sea!"

"Wow! I didn't know you studied Water Type Pokemon legends!" Misty exclaimed.

"Yeah, I didn't either…" Feyera thought, musefully projecting.

"What was that?" Misty looked confused, as if she had heard something.

But Feyera quickly covered his slip-up, saying, "Umm…yeah I've done some research, can't you tell I'm a Pokemon researcher by the way I'm dressed?"

"So that's why your stuffy as the Professor."

"You mean Samuel?" Feyera warily answered.

"Hah, you're on a first name basis with Professor Oak? I should have known you were in cahoots with him."

"Yeah, well I was. And now I'm doing my own thing."

She smiled. "Maybe you're not as stuffy as I thought you were."

"Misty, I wish you the best in the restoration processes. Cerulean is a beautiful city."

"Thanks for that, and Edge…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for living up to your end of the bargain; I'm glad I was able to battle with you. Even though losing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, at least I can say that I've witnessed a Gyarados evolution. Those types of evolutions are very rare," Misty said while curled her arms back.

"Hey, no problem, I'm sure Des appreciated the battle enough to evolve," Edge said. He was still thinking about how he actually thought Desperado's evolution was his power acting up again. Was it paranoia or conceit at this point?

Misty sighed, reaching the apex of her stretch, "Farewell Edge, stay safe out there on your Pokemon journey. The authorities haven't determined what destroyed the Golden Bridge. Whatever it is could still be on the loose!"

Dryly, Feyera replied, "Yes. I know. Bye Misty!"

After saying their goodbyes to Misty, Edge recalled Desperado. Her long body made it imperative to keep her contained in the Pokéball unless she was in combat. He made his way south of the city, noting the extensive damage, which had been done to the north end. He felt terrible about causing so much damage, but it could not have been helped. It was destroy the bridge or take a bullet to his brain. It was a shame that he had to choose between extremes. As his thoughts raced, Edge remembered that he had been able to keep things under control during the battle with Misty, and this at least slightly boosted his moral.

The dark sky ominously loomed ahead as the young man left Cerulean and began his journey to Vermilion; still oblivious to the obstacles that lay ahead of him would be darker than the night he and his friends were entering.