Deep in the forests of Johto, a Pikachu scampered through the trees with a small, glittering ball, his heart humming with a rapid pulse. His nose twitched in the cool breeze, red cheeks crackling with yelllow sparks.
Slowing to a halt, he saw an Eevee curled up on the ground. Afternoon sunlight streamed down through the tree branches, illuminating her fur. His eyes widened as he recognized her scent. Could it be? No, surely this was just a coincidence...!
A dry leaf crunched under his paw. The Pikachu froze as the Eevee's eyes flew open wide. Leaping to her paws, she stared at him in silent terror, her fur bristling. He struggled for words, wanting to call out to her, to assure her that it was all right.
But before he could say a word, the Eevee shook her head. Backing away, she turned and fled into the brush. "Wait!" cried the Pikachu, not sure if he should follow, not sure if that was his old friend... not sure of anything, now. "Come back...!"
And then, he noticed the shadow approaching from behind, footsteps crunching through the undergrowth. Slowly, the Pikachu turned to see a human boy in a tan and blue jacket, gazing down at him. Shaking, he began to back away.
But it was too late. The red-and-white capsule was already in the boy's hand. As the Pikachu bolted into a run, the trainer threw the Poke Ball with practiced aim.
The ball split open in midair, unleashing a flood of white light that snared him in mid-sprint. Blinding energy engulfed the Pikachu's world, sweeping him into the Poke Ball before it clicked shut, landing in the dirt.
Shake. Shake. Shake. Click...
Ruin Maniac Harris, Part 1
Swirls of sand at his feet, hot pinpricks of sunlight on his face. A pair of discount Go-Goggles strapped over his eyes, Slick padded down the desert trail, jacket tied around his waist. Listening to the steady rattling of sand against the Poke Ball from outside, Sektek was grateful for the capsule's shell to protect him.
In the distance, the earth dipped down toward a tiny oasis, surrounded by white canvas tents that fluttered in the wind. In the middle of the camp, a team of diggers were busy clearing away sand and unearthing pottery.
"Archaeologists from Fallarbor," muttered Insyte from the capsule next to Sektek. The excavators wore loose t-shirts and light cargo pants to deal with the seething sun. Their goggles were thicker and more durable than Slick's.
There was also, however, a small crowd of protesters on the edge of the camp. "Protect our future! Protect our future!" they chanted, waving their signs. "Sapiens superus, sapiens superus. End Poke-rule!"
"How long have they been going again?" sighed one of the archaeologists, setting down his shovel.
"Two whole months," replied another, holding up her magnifying glass to a pottery shard. "Dunno why they're yelling at us."
One excavator paused for a drink of water. "I guess they kinda make sense, but they needn't yell at us," he said. "Not like we can do a thing about it. Sheesh."
An awkward silence fell over the excavators as they noticed Slick approaching, and one by one, they turned their backs to him. "Um... hello," said the trainer tentatively.
"We're not answering any other questions," said an archeologist with a short beard and a mustache. The Sandslash by his feet nodded fiercely and brandished his claws. "Please leave."
In the Poke Ball on the left side of Slick's belt, a Marshtomp gave a low, warning growl. "Easy there, Rush," coaxed the trainer, patting the capsule. Straightening, he looked at the man. "Sorry, I think I'm lost. How do I get to Lavaridge from here?"
On Slick's belt, Sektek noticed that the Poke Ball to the left was beginning to shake. "Bailey? Uh... you okay?" asked the Pikachu tentatively.
She couldn't hear him, of course. Through the capsule's transparent top half, Sektek could see the Wingull eagerly beating at the side of her Poke Ball.
"Maybe you should ask one of your loudmouth friends over there." The archaeologist jabbed a finger at the protesters. "Screaming at us daily, disrupting the site constantly, and you want our help-"
Uh-oh. Bailey was getting more excited. Concerned, Sektek watched from his capsule as the Wingull's Poke Ball began to shake wildly-but Slick hadn't noticed yet.
"W-wait! I'm not with those people, I promise," cried Slick, waving his arms frantically. "Sorry for interrupting your work-it's just that I'm five days out from Fallarbor, and I still don't know where I-"
Flash! Slick, Sektek, and the archaeologist all stared as Bailey's Poke Ball fell from Slick's belt, popping open as it hit the sand. "Kya-mo-me!" chirped the Wingull as she flew out from her Poke Ball.
The archaeologist's eyes widened, his ire vanishing instantly. "Winnie?" he breathed as Bailey landed on his outstretched finger. "It's been a while, girl..."
"What the hell?" muttered Insyte from the Poke Ball on Sektek's right. Not sure what to do, Slick and diggers stared at the archaeologist and the Wingull.
Climbing up the man's arm, Bailey nuzzled his cheek affectionately. "Kya kya!"
That brought a smile to the archaeologist's face. After a moment, his eyes fell on Slick again. "Sorry for being rude," he said, lifting his finger as Bailey flew back to Slick, landing on her trainer's shoulder. "The name's Harris, of the Ruin Maniac Guild."
"Pleased to meat you," said Slick, shaking hands. "I'm Aur-I mean, Slick. Slick Silversky."
"Well, come on back and I'll show you a map," said Harris. Setting down his tools, the archaeologist headed to his tent and rummaged through his belongings.
"So, uh, what's with the protest, anyway?" asked Slick tentatively.
The man made a disgruntled sound. "You haven't heard? Some crackpot ranting about Pokemon conspiring to undermine human society and take over the world. And about archaeologists lying to the public to trample on human history. They got fairly popular after the whole ruckus with Team Plasma, over in Unova. Pah!"
Checking a map, he took out a clean sheet of paper and traced a route out of the desert. "It'll take a day to get out. Just keep to the path and you'll get back onto Route 111."
"Ah! Thank you very much," said Slick gratefully, taking the map.
Frowning, Harris looked Slick up and down. "Hey, you been keeping hydrated? You've got chapped lips."
"Eh-" The trainer glanced down at his belt. "Ran low on water. I've been drinking from my Marshtomp, though." The moment the words were out of his mouth, Slick felt stupid. "I-I wasn't thinking..."
A vein pulsed on the archaeologist's forehead. "Yeah, don't do that anymore," Harris told Slick, handing him a large water bottle. "You do know Pokemon adapt to their habitats, right? Even if all your Marshtomp had was fresh water, you were basically drinking from a swamp. In general, if they're not a Marill or a Milktank, don't drink from them."
"R-right, thanks," mumbled Slick, opening the bottle and taking a long drink. Pure water had never tasted so refreshing! "Ashfields were bad enough, but then I ended up wandering into the desert and couldn't find the way out-"
"Yeah, desert's harsh if you're not prepared," agreed the ruin maniac, putting his papers away. "Least you weren't drinking from Winnie-eh, Bailey, she's called now? And you brought goggles. Not the best quality, but they'll do."
"You know a lot about water and Pokemon," remarked Slick. He gazed sadly at the pile of litter at the edge of the dig site. "Ecology too..."
"Geology, archaeology, anthropology; a proper ruin maniac gets some exposure to all sorts of fields. Plus, you can't live in Hoenn for too long without learning a little about nature." Harris sounded more amused than dismayed. "Tell you what. Why don't you stay the night? We can talk more."
Slick blinked. "Oh, sure! Thank you very much. I'll help clean up the trash."
One after another, Slick's Pokemon emerged from their Poke Balls. "Didn't know Bailey had another trainer," uttered Sektek.
Rushing River grinned. "Nah, not exactly another trainer," saeid the Marshtomp. "But he took care of her for a few days, or something."
Shanala smiled weakly. "What a coincidence. What were the chances of running into him?"
"I know! I can't believe I found him again either," chirped Bailey, circling over the camp. "He's such a considerate fellow once you get to know him."
Yawning, Insyte curled up in the sand. "I'm surprised he even remembers you."
Rush glanced to Sektek. "Lightning, fetch me a hammer, wouldya?" Nodding, Sektek ran over to Slick's pack to fetch a rubber mallet.
Huh? The Pikachu paused, frowning. Something felt off, something about the wind in his fur. Why did he suddenly feel uneasy? Why was his fur prickling? Was... was someone watching him...?
"Hey, Lightning! What're you doing?" called Rush. "Could you bring the hammer here, please?"
He snapped back to reality. It must just be his imagination. "R-right! Sorry." Mallet in his teeth, Sektek ran back to the others.
