"Open wide." Josh coaxed as he fed Snivy.
Josh cuddled Snivy in his arms as he fed her some oatmeal. Snivy opened her mouth as Josh slipped some oatmeal in.
"Martha, don't you think you can just let it go?" Josh asked.
Martha was busy on dishes, trying to distract herself from the Snivy that should have been with Mike. "How do you expect me to let go of the fact, that my own son went behind my back and took that stupid absol with him, and you lied to me and kept the Snivy behind my back?" Martha asked angrily.
"Mike made his choice, and you should have been happy for him, just because he doesn't so something your way doesn't mean you have to hold a grudge against him." Josh replied.
"Oh really? Says my husband, who I again remind, hid that Snivy from me." Martha replied.
Josh just sighed. "I didn't know the Snivy was in that poke all until AFTER Mike left, I told you that before."
"SURE you did." Martha replied sarcastically.
Josh just sighed again. "Well at least Mike has the Pokemon he wanted." Josh thought.
"We're here." Mike Announced.
"Yay, now I can finally rest." Malina replied, exhausted from the trip.
"I'm surprised your exhausted. Earlier this morning you were dying to get here."
"Let's just say battling a zangoose takes some of that energy away." Malina replied.
"Well, I hope you will have enough energy for the gym battle, it's not going to be any easier." Mike replied, walking toward the city.
Rather than head immediately to the gym, Mike checked out a hotel room, and went to work on something he thought was more important.
"So, want to tell me why we aren't going to the gym yet?" Malina asked when they entered their room.
"I need to deal with something else first, which reminds me, for the time being, I'm going to need to put you back into your pokeball." Mike replied.
"What! Why?" Marina asked.
"Look, I know you prefer to stay outside, but until I can sort this out, I need you to stay inside your pokeball." Mike replied, grabbing her ball. Before Malina could start an argument, Mike pulled her into her pokeball. "Sorry, I just don't want you to get mixed up in this." Mike thought, as he put the ball back on his belt. Mike grabbed the other ball from his belt and opened it up, a bright flash erupted and a Zangoose formed, looking just as mad as it was a while ago. "Something tells me she hasn't calmed down." Mike thought.
"Where's the absol?" The zangoose asked.
"She's back in her ball, for now I just-wait, what are you doing?" Mike asked nervously.
Zangoose had gotten into a pouncing position, ready to get some revenge.
"Woah, c-calm down now, I'm not here to fight, I just want to talk." Mike explained, holding up his hands.
"You cram me into a ball, then you force me to be on your team, explain to me why I shouldn't rip your face off right now?" The zangoose asked, still in her position.
"Oh crap, I better watch what I say." Mike thought. "Because I'm just trying to help you, I'm not trying to hurt you." Mike explained nervously. The Zangoose started to growl. "Wait, hold on, just let me-AGH!" Mike shouted as he was pounced on, slipping her claws around his neck. Mike fell to the ground, where his neck was held in place with one claw, and the other was above his face.
"I'm giving you twelve seconds to explain that again." Zangoose informed.
"Oh Arceus, I don't have anything else to say, that was all I had."
"Ten seconds."
"I'm really starting to regret putting Malina back in her ball."
"Eight seconds."
"Oh Arceus I can see the blood lust in her eyes, she is going to do it."
"Six seconds."
"What am I going to say, What am I going to say, WHAT AM I GOING TO SAY!"
"Four."
"I'm going to die!"
"Two."
"Look, I just really need you on this team." Mike shouted in a last desperate attempt.
For a second, the Zangoose didn't do anything but rub her claws together. Mike wasn't sure what she was thinking. "And what do I get if I join your team?" The Zangoose asked.
"Food, shelter, a place to sleep." Mike replied.
"Hmmm." The Zangoose pondered. "What does the absol get?" Zangoose asked.
"The same thing." Mike replied. Zangoose stared at Mike darkly. "A-and the ability to be out of her ball." Mike added.
"I want that ability too." Zangoose ordered.
Mike was hesitant to give her the Ability, as he felt it was something him and Malina shared on their own, but seeing as how he was being held down by a claw, it didn't look like he really had much of a choice. "Alright, fine." Mike agreed.
"I also want to be leader of the group."
"Oh Come on!" Mike complained.
"Hey, do you want me on your team or not?" Zangoose asked.
"Hmph, fine!" Mike agreed again.
"Good." Zangoose replied, removing her claw from around Mike's neck.
"I didn't think Pokemon actually struck deals with their trainers." Mike thought, getting up off the floor.
"So explain to me why the Absol isn't here?" The Zangoose asked.
"I put her in her ball because I was worried you two would fight while you were out here." Mike explained.
"Guess that would make since." Zangoose replied.
"So, now that your on our team, can you please try not to kill each other when I release her?" Mike asked.
"I can't make any promises." Zangoose replied.
Mike sighed. "Just please try... Uh, what's your name exactly?" Mike asked.
"Orion." Zangoose replied.
"Orion?" Mike asked.
"It's a long story." The Zangoose replied.
"We'll then... I think it's time you and your companion start to get acquainted." Mike announced, grabbing Malina's ball.
Mike threw the ball in the air, another bright flash erupted and disappeared, revealing Malina.
"What's she doing out?" Malina asked when she noticed the Zangoose across from her.
"Since Zangoose is going to be apart of the team, I think it's time for you two to get acquainted. So just please try not to kill each other while I try and fix your lunches."
While Mike fixed the two Pokemon some lunch, Malina and Orion sat across from each other and remained in a silent stare.
"Soooo, your apart of the team now?" Malina asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Yep." The Zangoose replied, still staring.
"That was all I had to say." Malina thought.
"Your not much for small talk, are you?" Orion asked.
"Not really." Malina replied, scraping her paw across the ground.
"Figures coming from a wuss like-"
"Orion, be friendly." Mike reminded.
Malina and Orion fell silent again. "Oh Arceus, this is starting to get awkward." Malina thought
"I have no idea why that human thinks that I can get along with this Absol." Orion thought.
"Oh please for the love of all that's holy just say something nice to each other." Mike thought.
For the remainder of the time Mike was getting lunch prepared, no one said anything, which in Mike's opinion, probably meant that their relationship would take a long time to develop.
"Lunch is ready." Mike announced.
"Oh thank Arceus." Malina and Orion thought.
Lunch went on pretty much the same way, in silence. When everything had wrapped up, it was time to hit the gym. "Alright, this is our first REAL fight, so let's give it our all."
"Yea, our all." Malina replied nervously.
"Malina, please don't freak out on me now." Mike thought. "Alright, let's get going."
"Shouldn't the Zangoose be put back in her ball?" Malina asked.
Mike gulped. "Yeah, about that... You see, i thought it might be nice, if Orion stretched her legs for a bit."
"Please tell me your not serious?" Malina asked.
"What's wrong if I'm out of my ball?" Orion asked, starting to feel offended.
"N-nothing, I just mean-"
"I'm sure Malina is just surprised, considering it's just been us so far." Mike threw in, covering for Malina.
"Sure she is." Orion thought.
The walk to the gym didn't really get any better, it seemed like nothing could get a good conversation started. "So, Orion, what was it like back at your home?" Mike asked.
"It was fine I guess." She replied.
"Ok that didn't work." Mike thought. "So Malina, you excited for the gym battle?" Mike asked.
"Can't say I'm exactly excited for it." Malina replied.
"Probably because your scared of getting hurt." Orion muttered.
"Takes one to know one mrs.I surrender." Malina retorted
"Knock it off, both of you." Mike ordered. The two Pokemon fell silent again, walking beside Mike. "That did not help anything at all." Mike thought. "Can we please just find the gym so we don't have to deal with this in public."
"That building wouldn't happen to be the gym would it?" Orion pointed out.
Mike stopped and looked in Orion's direction, where he noticed a large yellow building with a pokeball statue with thunder going through it on the roof.
Mike face palmed himself. "How did I miss that?" He thought.
Mike walked in with his two other Pokemon.
"Uh, Mike, what type of Pokemon are we fighting?" Malina asked.
Mike froze. "I might have forgot to check." Mike replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Orion let out a moan. "How can you expect us to win this gym battle if you don't even know what kind of enemy your facing?" Orion asked.
"I don't even think I know what moves you can use." Mike replied.
"This trainer is doomed to fail." Orion thought to herself. "Ice beam, Incinerate, Aerial Ace, and Dig." She quickly informed.
Mike made a quick note of Orion's moves. "You know, that's a very specific move set you have there." Mike replied.
"Says the rookie trainer." Orion commented.
Mike just rolled his eyes. "She's going to be a pain to handle, but for now, if Malina fails, she's going to be useful."
"Alright, let's hit the first challenge."
Ty walked up to a battle field, where he and another trainer stood across from each other.
"Another trainer looking for a badge I guess?" The trainer asked.
"Noooo, I'm looking for directions." Mike replied sarcastically.
The trainer pulled out his first pokeball. "Unless if it's the poke center you want to put your Pokemon in, I think your in the wrong place." He warned.
"Try me." Mike replied grinning.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. Shelmet come on out!" The trainer called, throwing a pokeball in the air, when the flash deteriorated, a Shelmet stood awaiting it's first order.
"Malina, I think it's time to put your skills to the test." Mike advised.
"A-alright." Malina replied, slowly stepping into the arena.
"Just remember, believe in what you can do." Mike reminded.
"Shelmet, open with toxic." The trainer ordered.
The Shelmet blasted a green substance at Malina, drenching her in the strong smelling gunk. Malina shook herself, throwing the substance off, but she felt her body start to weaken.
"What was in that stuff?" Malina thought.
"Malina, are you alright?" Mike asked.
"F-fine." Malina replied.
"Tackle." Mike ordered.
Malina rushed her target, aiming her horn to level with her rival. Malina rammed into her target, knocking the Shelmet backward. But he didn't seem very affected by it.
Malina suddenly felt more of her strength sap away, she was beginning to worry about what was in that goop.
"I don't think it's a good idea to continue using that attack." Orion advised.
"Why not?" Mike asked.
"Shelmet is a heavily armored pokemon, hence the reason why it didn't seem very effected by Malina's attack, with Malina poisoned-"
"Malina's posiened?" Mike asked.
"Don't you know anything? Toxic is a poison move, it poisons the target upon contact, it will slowly sap the target of strength until it faints, Malina can't continue like this with such a weak attack, you're going to have to try a different attack."
"Shelmet, giga drain." The other trainer called.
Malina and the Shelmet suddenly started to glow a green aura around them. A few small dots pulled out of Malina and flew Into Shelmet, Malina felt more of her strength become sapped.
"What did that do?" Mike asked, worried.
"Giga drain, a grass type move that saps the target of it's health, any damage that Shelmet took has probably been recovered by now." Orion informed.
Mike thought rapidly about his next move, but only one tactic stuck out to him.
"Malina, use sword dance." Mike advised.
Malina focused her power, a few swords became visible above her, the swords spun and collided together, making a loud clang.
"I get your game now." The other trainer thought. "Shelmet, venoshock."
The Shelmet summoned a few purple orbs and launched them at Malina, Malina managed to get out of the way, avoiding taking. Any further damage, but the poison still sapped away so e of her strength.
"Malina, sword dance again." Mike called out.
"Again?" Malina thought. Malina focused her power again, 6 swords appeared and spun, colliding into each other, making another clang.
"Shelmet, acid." The other trainer
Shelmet blasted a dark substance at Malina, the liquid covered her, but this time, it was burning. Malina screamed as she threw the stuff off of her, barely able to keep herself on her feet at this point, Malina felt more of her energy sap.
"Mike, this is hopeless." Zangoose commented. "Return her, she's going to faint if you don't."
"I have a plan." Mike replied. "Malina, tackle again."
Malina charged at the Shelmet again, landing another hit, but the Shelmet still stood.
"That wasn't as powerful as I had hoped it would be." Mike commented.
"Shelmet, acid again." The trainer ordered.
The Shelmet once again launched a dark substance at Malina, Malina was blasted off her feet this time, rolling on the ground, Malina didn't move, or scream.
Mike sadly pulled out her ball. "You tried." He thought. "Orion, your turn."
"Don't hesitate to pull the first move." Orion commented before hoping into the ring.
"Alright, I know Orion's moves, I just don't know which one to use, guess it's time to pull a random move." Mike thought.
"Shelmet, acid." The trainer ordered.
"Orion, dig." Mike yelled.
Orion dug a hole into the ground as a stream of dark substances was spewed at her, Orion waited for her queue.
"With that Zangoose in the ground, there isn't anything I can do, unless." The trainer thought. "Shelmet, use poison."
The Shelmet cast a dark puddle over the hole Orion and dug, Unfortunately, it wasn't able to reach her. "Go time." Orion thought.
Orion quickly dug her way back to the surface, blasting herself out of the ground below Shelmet, with. with of them in the air, Orion sliced her claws against the Shelmet's armor, penetrating the inner body. The Shelmet flew to the ground, causing a dust storm to rise upon impact.
When the dust storm cleared, the Shelmet was out.
"One hit knock out?!" Both Mike and the trainer thought.
"Alright, if that's the way you want to play, so be it." The trainer growled, retracting his Shelmet.
"Come out ninjask." The trainer ordered.
The trainer threw a pokeball and let out his ninjask. "This had better be good." The ninjask commented.
"Oh believe me, it is." The trainer grinned.
"Do tell." The ninjask commented.
"This little trainers Zangoose is proving to be quite annoying, think you can handle it?" The trainer asked.
"Do magikarp just flop around?" Ninjask asked.
"Good." The trainer replied.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Mike thought.
"Hope your good at making fast choices, this ninjask looks faster than most." Orion commented.
"Ninjask, x-scissor." The trainer ordered.
The ninjask took his orders quickly, zooming to Orion and slashing his blades in an x. Orion threw herself to the side to avoid the attack. "Any minute now Mike." Orion thought.
"Ninjask, shadowball." The trainer ordered.
The ninjask conjured up a dark orb and threw it at Orion.
"Orion, counter with Incinerate." Mike ordered quickly.
Orion blasted a huge amount of fire at the shadowball, the force of the flames redirecting it back at the ninjask, the ninjask whizzed to the side and avoided his own attack.
"Ninjask, solar beam." The trainer ordered.
"Orion, ice beam." Mike called.
Orion and the ninjask both conjured up separate beams and launched them at each other, meeting halfway. Orion grinned.
"What's so funny?" Ninjask asked, struggling to keep control of his beam.
"Solar beam is a grass type move." Orion replied, still grinning.
"And?" Ninjask asked.
"Ice beam is a nice move, grass is weak to ice." She grinned.
Putting full power into the blast, Orion easily overpowered the ninjask's beam, sending him flying back, covered in ice.
"Mike, now's our chance, he's frozen." Orion alerted.
"Oh, uh, aerial ace." Mike quickly commanded.
Orion leaped into the air and readied her claws, coming down, Orion shoved her claws into the frozen ninjask, the ice broke and the ninjask was sent flying, the ninjask rolled on the ground and stopped, the fight was over.
"H-how?!" The trainer yelled. "I trained ninjask to be a powerhouse, and you beat him in two hits?"
Mike was rather confused himself, he knew for sure that wild Pokemon weren't that strong. There was something off about this Zangoose.
"Well, either way, we won." Mike replied.
The trainer grunted as he pulled his ninjask into his ball. The trainer angrily handed Mike his reward money and allowed him to continue.
"Hold on, before we continue, I need to do something." Mike alerted.
Mike stopped and pulled a weird yellow stone from his backpack, pulling Malina's ball out, Mike let the absol out of her ball. She was still unconscious. Mike slipped the weird stone into her mouth.
"What are you doing?" The Zangoose asked.
"I'm using a revival." Mike replied.
"Revival? That looks like a stone to me." Orion commented.
"It sort of is, it's edible thought." Mike replied as he helped the absol chew the substance.
When all was said and done, Malina began to open her eyes.
It didn't take long for her to understand where they were. "I failed didn't I?" Was the first thing Malina asked when she woke up.
"This time." Mike replied sadly. "But hey, we still have a couple more battles to go before this is all over, you still have a chance." Mike replied.
Orion just scoffed.
Mike shot her a dark stare before turning back to Malina.
"Look, I know the first time wasn't as good, but trial and error will help you get better, just trust me on this ok?" Mike asked.
Malina thought it over. "Alright, I guess so." Malina replied.
"Atta' girl." Mike replied, rubbing her head. "Now let's move on, that badge isn't going to win itself."
Josh sat next to a tree as he watched Snivy play on a log, today had been a slow day, but at least it meant the Pokemon weren't trying to tear each other apart, heck, even the birds yesterday were behaving. Josh couldn't help but feel like he had to thank Snivy for that one, after her performance yesterday, who WOULD want to mess with her again.
"Hey daddy, look what I can do!" Snivy called.
Josh looked over and saw Snivy trying to do a handstand, though it was really more of her balancing on her head since her arms were pretty short. Josh smiled. "That's great Snivy." He replied. Josh thought a lot about him and Martha ever since the fight last night. It really had opened his eyes about how much of her he was missing, in the worst possible way. This problem she had was growing worse. He needed to find Martha some help before she did something irrational, and josh knew that if that happened, Snivy would most likely get involved, which is something he doesn't want to happen again, not after what happened to my Zangoose, I don't want to lose another Pokemon, especially not one as young as Snivy.
"Daddy?" Snivy asked, startling Josh.
"Y-yes?" Josh asked.
"Why does the lady want me to go with the boy so badly?" She asked.
Josh sighed. "Well, you see Snivy, there are some people in the world who want to give their kids the best, to hand them the world on a plate."
"Is the lady like that?" Snivy asked.
"Sort of, she really has only done it with Pokemon so far. Martha wanted to send you, because some poor absol didn't apparently meet her standards." Josh replied.
"But I thought the Pokemon was for Mike?" Snivy asked.
"It was, but the lady- I mean Martha, didn't like her so she tried to replace her." Josh replied.
"That's horrible." Snivy commented.
Josh just sighed. "That's Martha sometimes." He replied rubbing the Snivy's head.
"Daddy?" Snivy asked.
"Yes?" Josh asked.
"Am I ever going to get a name?" Snivy asked.
"A name... a name!" Josh laughed. "Oh shoot, It had completely slipped my mind to give you one." Josh replied. "How about... Alice?"
"Alice?" Snivy thought. "I like it." She replied.
"I knew you would, now what's say we go ahead and get lunch?" Josh asked.
"Yay!" Snivy cheered.
Mike was healing up Malina for the last fight with the gym leader, after all the battles she had, not one she was able to win, Orion had to do that herself.
"I failed all of them." Malina commented.
"Malina, we still have one fight left, you can do this, just please try to think positive about this." Mike replied.
"How can I Mike? After all these trials not one I have been able to beat, how c an I stay positive?" Malina asked angrily.
"It's only because you don't think that you can win that you lose." Mike replied calmly. "Stop thinking less of yourself and think more."
"Mike, I think she has a point, if she can't win any of these fights, what makes even you think she can handle the gym leader?" Orion asked.
"Because I'm the only one who believes in her!" Mike yelled. "For once, how about you two treat each other nice, all you have done is pick on Malina, maybe for once you could do something nice for her."
Orion just scoffed and turned her back to him. "Honestly Mike, just accept it, she's slowing us down."
"Orion!" Mike yelled.
"Mike..." Malina spoke up sadly. "She's telling the truth, I can't do this."
"Malina don't say that-"
"Mike, what don't you understand. I give up!" Malina yelled.
To be continued...
And I finally got this chapter done, hoping to get more up soon, until next time,
This is collierider12, stay fluffy my friends.
