"Now Matthew! Use Scratch!" Arella called, and Matthew scratched the Spearow in front of him, sending it flying as Daniel gusted some Pidgies away and Hana tackled herself out of an Ekans' wrap.
"I think that should be enough. . ." Arella smiled, then her smiled faded into shock as all three of them started glowing. When the glow faded, they were all different. Matthew a Croconaw, Daniel a Pidgeotto, and Hana a Skiploom.
"Yeah, we're definitely ready," Arella grinned, "Come on, let's go to. . .town?" Arella slowed as she noticed a weird looking man standing in front of a well.
". . .Kay, that's just weird," she sighed, continuing on to town.
"I've heard from other Pidgies that there's a pokeball maker near here," Daniel commented.
"Really?" she gasped, "Sweet, free pokeballs!"
It was then an old man stormed by her, grumbling under his breath as he walked straight past Arella,
"Aaaand I think that was him that just passed," Daniel watched as he walked past.
"Really?" Arella turned around and watched him yell something about 'Team Rocket' and 'slowpokes' at the strange looking man as he ran back into the well.
". . .We should probably help him," she blinked, still watching him as he followed the strange looking guy down the well.
Matthew, seemingly agreeing in advance, ran towards the well.
"Matthew! Wait up!" Arella broke out in a run after him, following him down the well.
On the ground right next to the ladder was the old man that had just chased the strange looking guy, on his back and obviously in pain.
"Uh. . .are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down next to the man.
"Noo. . .I was chasing that Team Rocket grunt down here. . .when I fell and knocked my back out," he cringed, trying to get up but failing.
". . .Team Rocket?"
"Yes, the gang of villainous thugs that were supposed to have disbanded 3 years ago. . .they're cutting off the tails of all the slowpoke that live in this well."
Arella bit her lip as she stood up, then turned to Matthew, "Matthew, can you take care of the old man for me? I have. . .business to attend to." she turned around and walked further into the well.
"Proton! Intru- AGH!" the team rocket grunt went down mid yell, the back of his head bleeding.
"Wha-?" Proton looked away from the Slowpoke napping on a rock to see Arella, Daniel and Fudge in tow, the rest in their balls.
"Release the Slowpokes," Arella stated flatly, glaring at the Rocket admin.
Proton grinned, "What? Do you think a 10-year old boy like you is going to be able to boss me around?"
"I don't think, I know."
"I'll get rid of that smugness in an instant! Go Koffing!"
"Daniel, you're up," she nodded to him, and he nodded back, then charging straight on at the Koffing. It dodged, then plugged itself, forcing its gas towards him. In response, Daniel whipped up a Gust, dispersing the gas and blinding the Koffing, and went in for a tackle, striking him hard.
"Koffing, Self Destruct!" Proton yelled.
"Are you crazy? Daniel, Quick Attack!"
The Koffing started glowing, but another quick-speed tackle brought it to the ground where it stopped glowing.
Arella sighed in relief as Daniel came back to her, then looked back at Proton.
"Leave, now."
The Rocket admin grimaced, than looked back at the Slowpoke. A gleam appeared in his eye and he turned back to Arella.
"You want the Slowpokes back? Fine," he turned around, quickly taking out a knife and chopping off a Slowpoke's tail, "But you never said you wanted them back with their tails still intact," he threw the now tail-less Slowpoke at Arella. She stumbled as she caught it, then something snapped in her.
It was forever ago, when she was a little kid. She was sitting on the porch during a rather humid summer day, wishing her parents weren't cheapskates and actually had an AC. There were boys yelling in the distance, but that was normal.
It was then that something caught her eye: A dog running past, without an owner. She assumed a dog in the neighborhood got loose again, till she saw the blood that was trailing behind it.
Not too far behind it was a boy, not much older than she was, with a knife. It tackled the dog right in front of her house, and all she could do was stare wide-eyed as the boy raised the knife.
"No one's every going to like you, you stupid dog," she could hear the boy say.
She didn't remember what happened after that. All she could remember was her mother started calling her name frantically, and she was on top of the boy, choking him as he knife was out of reach. But. . .but the dog was okay. . .
"Arella!"
The next thing she knew, Matthew had tackled her, knocking her off of Proton. As soon as her hands were off his neck, he started wheezing and hacking, trying to gain back the air he was deprived off.
"I'm not going to forget this!" he said in a hoarse voice, then ran off.
"What. . .What happened?" Arella asked, wide-eyed and shaken.
"You were choking him," the old man walked up to her, limping at he did, "When your Croconaw helped me up and over here, you were on top of him while your other pokemon were trying to get you off."
". . .I. . .I don't remember. . ." Arella bit her lip as she huddled up against herself while sitting on the floor of the cave, then looked up as she felt something against her leg. The Slowpoke with the freshly cut tail was pawing her leg and looking at her, apparently oblivious to the pain.
"Hey. . ." she smiled weakly, petting it, "Do you want to join us?"
It nodded slowly, so she got up, picking it up as she did, "I'll call you. . .I'll call you Zetta."
"I'd like to thank you again for driving out Team Rocket and saving the Slowpoke," the old man nodded, "My name's Kurt, and I'm a pokeball creator that lives over in Azalea. I'd like you to have this in thanks," he held out a (something) pokeball. She nodded in thanks as she took it, then watched him leave.
"Arella. . .You're okay, right?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she smiled back at him, "Right now we have more important things to worry about right now, like getting this Slowpoke to the Pokemon Center, and defeating the gym leader here. . ."
