CHAPTER SEVEN
"Murderer! Killer! Call the police!"
Attached to the tail was the Meowth, screaming and hissing. I clamped a paw over his mouth and pinned him against the wall.
"Look Meowth, I want to know what the frock (Okay, maybe I didn't say frock) I saw back there. You snatch something, eat half of it alive, and run away when I see you! Then I catch you rummaging through this trash can. Why are you even out here?"
The Meowth calmly pushed me away, looking at me straight in the eye. "Keep the language PG, sweetheart," he said nonchalantly, "If you want answers, I got 'em. But first things first, my name isn't Meowth. It's Denari, short for Denarius. D-E-N-A-R-I."
He casually jumped on top of an empty box of super potions and licked his coat.
I ran my paw down my bone club, fighting my temper. "Well, Denari. I don't know who you think you are, but—"
Denari stopped in mid-lick and jumped off the box, landing neatly on all fours. He jabbed a paw accusingly into my chest.
"Who you think I am? You waltz in here, curse and demand things from me, and all I know is that you're the Cubone who popped out in too many sparkles then got their butt kicked by me!"
The words flopped in my throat like a dying Magikarp. "I was only wondering," I managed to say. "We only kill other Pokémon unless we're really hungry. Then we make sure they're dead. Then you eat the whole thing, not a couple bites! It's the unspoken rule! You have a trainer, doesn't she feed you?"
"Not everyone plays by the rules, Sparkles. And no, I don't have a trainer anymore. Anyway, that Beedrill didn't look like a friendly."
"I don't care if he wasn't friendly! That's just wrong!"
"Doll face, a lot of things are wrong. Now kindly leave before I'm forced to beat you up again."
Red seeped through my vision. I lunged at Denari, knocking him flat on his back. There was a sickening crack as his body hit the asphalt. The red slowly faded away and I realized what I'd done. I was about to say something, but Denari got off the ground.
"The last time someone did that to me was a long time ago," the cat said, his expression slightly amused, "You've got spunk, and I like it. Reminds me of somebody I… knew a while ago. Now let's go, we've got so much to catch up on."
The feline begin to mosey out the alley, leaving me utterly confused.
"Come on, Sparkles!" he shouted. "I think you're worthy of getting to know."
The city was beginning to wake up, and every person looked so foreign. Dirty looks and people waiting to catch me. Wild Pokémon desperate for a meal. Rugged buildings staring down at me from their giant pedestals. I had no idea where I was, where exactly I was going, and what to do. The only thing I did know was Denari.
There was a loud growl from the back of the alley.
Without a second thought, I sprinted/dragged-my-injured-leg towards that wonderfully familiar swirly tail.
"Amnesia? Are you serious?"
Denari and I walked down the street of Pewter City, him on fours, me on twos. A large mountain faintly capped with melting snow towered in the distance.
"I wish I wasn't, but yeah, I am."
The cat cocked his head inquisitively. "So you don't remember anything? Anything at all?"
"It's not like that. I remember bits and pieces, but nothing too personal, except one thing."
"Which is?"
"Team Rocket."
"Never heard of it."
For some reason this brought on a wave of disappointment. But could I really expect Denari, this odd stranger, to provide some miracle answer?
"Well," said Denari. "I may not have heard of it, busy being shuffled from the hands of many trainers, but the best thing you need is familiarity. We'll find this… this Team Rocket, maybe snoop around to find their base. In fact, I think I know who can help us."
Without a warning he started sprinting toward the auburn mountain. Once again left in the dust, and in the blue about what exactly was going on, I followed Denari, moving as fast as I could.
Upon closer inspection I saw that the mountain was covered in craters and jagged patches, as if pelted by asteroids or other space junk. I suppose that's why it was advertised as Mt. Moon.
When I finally caught up with Denari he was already inside the mountain's cave, chatting with two purple bats that seemed to be hanging upside down on the ceiling. In fact, the purple bats seemed to be everywhere, sitting on rocks, perching on stalagmites, and covering every inch of the cave's mouth. I walked over to Denari, struggling to avoid the mounds of guano.
"Hey, Sparkles," said Denari upon seeing me limp up behind him. "I'd like you to meet Zeeb and Zoob, friends—acquaintances of mine I met through one of my trainers."
"How do you do, fine lady?" asked Zeeb,
"Woah, Denari, is this your mate?" crooned Zoob. "She is hot!"
I blushed greatly and ducked behind Denari's shoulder.
"I apologize for my brother's behavior," said Zeeb, elbowing Zoob with the back of his wing and bowing in a gentleman-like manner. "He has no idea how to act around the ladies."
"I do too!" yelled Zoob. "I told you, Clefairy is my girlfriend!"
"And I've told you, there are no Clefairy in Mt. Moon!"
"Guys, guys, guys!" Denari interrupted. "I need your help, and no, Sparkles is not my mate. Anyway, you Zubat see all kinds of things cross this mountain. Have you ever heard of Team Rocket?"
"Funny you should ask," said Zeeb. "A couple days ago we got this invitation." He fluttered off the ceiling and went into a little niche in the wall. When he came out he was holding a little envelope in his mouth and dropped it in Denari's paws.
The envelope was small and embroidered with gold swirls and fancy lettering. Denari gently lifted the flap and pulled out the letter.
"Dear Pokémon," he read aloud, "You have been invited to join the exclusive Team Rocket! If you have received this, it means we've recognized you possess extraordinary power, be it from extensive training or being previously held by a trainer. This invitation serves as a ticket for a party of two. We welcome you to an event for a briefing on Team Rocket, with free food and dancing for all. The time is 7:15, Wednesday, June 15th, Saffron City, in the Emerald Servine Hotel. We look forward to seeing you there!"
"That's four days from now," I murmured.
"Yeah," Denari said.
"There's lots of big words in there, but I think it's an invitation to a party, and they have free food!" Zoob exclaimed.
"Well it was nice seeing you guys," Denari said quickly. "Thanks for the invitation!" He bolted for the exit, sidestepping puddles of you-know-what before being cut off by Zeeb.
"Woah, hold on Denari," I heard Zeeb say as I ran (once again) to catch up with Denari. "We're good friends, but that's my invitation."
The sun from the mountain cave's entrance hit his back, and he looked like an ebony silhouette, floating against the white hot light. His fangs were clearly visible, arched and two drops of purple venom poised on the edge.
Denari dropped the envelope in front of him and backed up a few steps. Zoob flew up from behind us and snatched up the letter.
"It was nice to see you, Denari," said Zeeb coldly. "I see you haven't changed your ways a bit."
I felt Denari grab my arm and quietly lead me towards the entrance. I turned around to say something to Zeeb and Zoob, but they were already bickering over something else.
The Zubat of Mt. Moon were interesting, to say the least. Some would form a circle and shoot a poison sting into the cave wall to etch a circle, then pry out the stone with their fangs to create a hole for easy access from cavern to cavern. When a trainer passed by they'd stalk them and jump out. The trainer would battle and the Zubat would pretend to faint or, rarely, actually get caught. Then another Zubat would attack. Soon the weary trainer had a whole hoard of bats around him and a battle every ten-seconds, until he finally wandered down the right passage and fled into the sunlight. Close enough to the sun the bats would hiss and shield their non-existent eyes, then dart back into the inky blackness of the cave to repeat the cycle.
Denari and I eventually found a low Zubat hole and pushed our way through. I cursed my body fat as I nearly got stuck and had to wiggle my way out. Denari slipped through the hole with the annoying agility and grace of a cat.
"I hate cats," I muttered.
"What was that?" said Denari.
"Nothing. I was just wondering what was up with Zeeb and Zoob." I could see the end of the cave in sight and squinted as my pupils contracted.
"Well, it's kind of complicated, don't take it the wrong way, Sparkles, but I don't really want to talk about it…"
"It seems like there's an awful lot of things you don't tell me. You just run away."
Denari suddenly whipped around, his fur standing on end. He was half in and half out of the cave, dividing him in equal shafts of shadow and sunlight.
"I'm trying to help you find Team Rocket, and all I get for thanks is questions. I'll answer them eventually, but I'm not ready to jump up and reveal everything, ok? I've seen all kinds of people and Pokémon, I'm not naïve!"
A large rock formed in my stomach. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
Denari's cold gaze softened. "No, I'm sorry. I got kind of mad." He placed a paw on my shoulder and I involuntarily flinched. He grinned and backed away with his paws up.
"I don't bite unless I need to," he said with a smirk, playfully punching my arm.
I punched back, but I did it a little too hard and I saw him wince. For the next ten minutes, we walked on in silence.
A/N: Please review. Be it constructive criticism, praise, be it long or short, I truly appreciate it. Also if you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes please PM me. I want this to be a quality story.
