Chapter Seven:

Just as I thought I couldn't hold my breath for one second longer a bubble of air surrounded me. Something furry had just swam out of no where and was now up against my back. As my vision cleared and I coughed up more water and saw that it was a Pokemon. I didn't know what it was but it looked like an otter or something furry like that. It looked like It was pushing the water away from me but that it couldn't hold on much longer. I held onto the otter as it rose to the surface and I at last broke free. Quickley, I paddled over to the shore. The rapids had become calm here so I knew I must be at least a mile from where I started. The Pokemon that had saved me followed me to where I sat panting on the bank and lay down. Since I left my Pokedex in my bag I didn't still know what it was that saved me.

"Thank you," I said to the Pokemon. "Thank you for saving me."

The Pokemon stood on it's hind legs and barked it's name.

"Buizel?" I asked after hearing it's cry a few times. I tought that sounded right, after all I hadn't studied the Sinnoh region as much as some of the others.

The Pokemon seemed to agree because it stopped saying it's name.

I felt bad because I knew Lillie and Anita would be worried sick and I still had Lillie's Geodude in my trainers purse. Whould they go on without me or were they out looking for me right now?

I sent out Chloe from her Pokeball and she stamped her paw nervously. If only I had a bird Pokemon to send out that could search the area. Maybe Anita was right and it was wrong to only carry one Pokemon with me. Geodude wasn't much help either. He pretty much just rolled around in the mud. So I was lost with no map, no food, no shelter and no idea where I was. This was turning into pretty much my worst nightmare. At least I have Chloe, I thought to myself.

It wasn't long before I realized the otter Pokemon, Buizel was following me. I'd felt bad about leaving it behind after it saved me and all, but I didn't want to try to catch it if I didn't want to be caught. I owed it that much. The Buizel continued to follow me through the woods as I wondered what I hoped was north. Finally I turned around and it stopped in it's tracks. It shook out it's fur and water droplets flew everywhere.

"You're a funny Pokemon," I laughed and the Buizel did a little dance with his arms.

Just then a wild Tranquil flew out of nowhere and aimed it's razor sharp beak right at me. Chloe readied an electric shock but it was Buizel that stepped in the way. He shot a powerful water gun straight at the evolved Pokemon and it fell off it's branch and flew away.

"Thank you again Buizel," I said, kneeling down to the little guy. "You're a pretty good body guard you know."

The Buizel seemed happy about this and the same little odd movement with his arms. It was extremely cute. Then he nudged my trainer's purse and with a start I realized what he wanted.

"You want to help me find my way out of here?" I asked, and couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice.

The Buizel nodded and shook his fur out again. It was extremely furry and pretty skinny as well. I'd be sure to give it lots of food when and if I ever found the Pokemon Center.

"Okay then," I said taking out a Pokeball and standing up. "Welcome to the team."

The Pokeball closed around Buizel and because to blink on and off. It made a odd whirring sound until it clicked and became still.

"Yes!" I shouted and Chloe bucked up on her hind legs. "I caught my first Pokemon!"

When I sent out Buizel I decided he needed a name so I ran few by him. "Figaro...Casper...Max...Ellis..." Buizel stopped his foot for each of them so I kept thinking. "What about Bellamy?" I said and Buizel seemed to agree. "Okay then," I said grinning. "Welcome to the team Bellamy."

I was happy to have three Pokemon by my side as we trudged though the woods, even if one wasn't really mine. They kept me company and kept my spirits up as we stumbled though woods after woods after woods. Finally, we at last came upon a trail. I was so relieved I almost sat down and thanked the trail for being there. My clothes were no longer damp because the sun had dried them up and Geodude had requested to go back into his Pokeball. I didn't know which way to follow the trail so I picked what I hoped was north.

It wasn't long until I came across a Pokemon Center. It wasn't a big one like in the city but it was small and made out of wood. When I went inside I was relieved to find a nurse sitting at a counter reading a book. There were no self serve Pokemon healers so she helped me instead.

"I'm sorry you got separated from your group," the nurse said after hearing my story. "Why don't you use that phone to call them over there."

I thanked her and rushed over to the computer where I dialed Lillie's phone number. After it rang a few times, Lillie picked up.

"Penny!" she exclaimed after seeing my face. "Anita it's Penny!"

Anita's face appeared on the screen next to Lillie.

"Where are you?" Anita asked. Was that a look of genuine concern I saw? "We've been searching for hours. Lillie thought you were dead."

"You thought she was dead," Lillie corrected. "Are you okay? Do you have my Geodude?"

"I'm fine and I'm at a Pokemon Center somewhere in the woods," I said. "I just gave Geodude to one of the nurses. She's healing him and my other Pokemon."
"You make it sound like you have more than one," Anita said, grinning slyly. "What did you catch?"

"You'll have to wait and see," I grinned.

"But what happened?" Lillie asked. "How did you escape the current? Without a water Pokemon it must have been nearly impossible."

I explained to them how I'd been rushing down the river when a mysterious Pokemon had jumped in and saved me. When we'd reached the shore he'd wanted to come with me and we'd been stumbling though the woods ever since.

"Wow," Lillie gawked. "I want a Pokemon to save me like that."

Just then the nurse tapped me on the shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt miss but you're Pokemon are back to perfect health."

She handed me the Pokeballs and I tucked them back into my bag.

"Will you guys meet me at the Nacrene City Pokemon center tomorrow morning?" I asked. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Geodude."

The nurse was happy to let me stay the night. Since the Pokemon Center was only meant for trainers who were passing through, there were plenty of empty rooms although they were much smaller and plainer than the one Anita and I had stayed in back in Striaton City. As I changed into pajamas, also supplied by the Pokemon Center, I noticed the cuts and bruises on my legs from riding the current. They hurt a lot more now that I noticed them so I quickly rummaged around for first aid which the Pokemon Center had a lot of. Before I went to sleep I made sure my Pokemon had plenty of food. Bellamy and Chloe seemed to get along well which I was thankful of but Geodude seemed oftly distant. He probably missed Lillie. As I drifted off to sleep that night in a rickety wooden bed I was thankful most of all for Bellamy, my hero and brand new Pokemon.

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, though my legs still stung when I put my pants on. They were the same clothes from yesterday unfortunately because the Pokemon Center couldn't supply everything. A different nurse greeted me this morning when I came down and checked out of my room. She told me Nacrene City wasn't far and gave me a map.

I thanked her and left the Pokemon Center with Chloe and Bellamy on my trail.

We hiked for two hours straight without stopping to train once. I wanted to get to Lillie and Anita and my stuff. At last I came upon the entrance to Nacrene city and almost fell over with exhaustion. Sometimes I envied Chloe and Bellamy's ability to just go back inside a Pokeball instead of walking. I wanted someone to carry me for a change.

By the time I reached the Pokemon Center it was high noon. Anita and Lillie were waiting playing a board game when they saw me and rushed over.

"Penny you scared us," Lillie said. "We're never doing anything that stupid again."

"What's your new Pokemon?" Anita asked.

"First let me give you back this guy," I said handing over Geodude to Lillie. "Come on out Bellamy," I said and my Buizel appeared between us.

"That's what saved you?" Anita said.

"You're a hero Bellamy," Lillie said rushing over and kneeling next to him. "Good job saving Penny."

Bellamy looked pleased.

"We already called Professor Willow," Lillie said, "But you should probably call her too and make sure you add Bellamy to the Class Database."

"I'm in the lead for capturing the most Pokemon," Anita bragged. "I've got eight and Mansfield only has seven." Just then she seemed to remember something. "Oh my gosh you've got to see this. Skipper, show Penny how cool you look."

Skipper appeared but he didn't look like a Lillipup anymore. He had evolved into a bigger, taller and darker haired Pokemon, a Herdier.

"It evolved last night after I beat some little kid," Anita said. "He was so surprised, I bet he'd never seen a Pokemon evolve before."

I was happy for Anita but was also a little concerned she was evolving her Pokemon too fast. After what happened at the Striaton gym, I would have thought she wouldn't want her Pokemon to evolve anymore.

"I'm ready to challenge the gym leader," Anita said confidently. "We've waited around long enough, let's go."