Chapter 10 The Gang's All Here

"Uxie huh?" I said giving the buizel the best flat stare I could manage.

She caught on to my disbelief rather fast. "It's the truth."

"Uh huh."

"Look. Why else would I be here?"

I grinned. "Maybe because you're shy about asking me out."

"Oh please." She spat.

"So you come up with this ridiculous story about being my bodyguard," I continued. "Well, good for you pumpkin. You saved the day. Congratulations. Now why don't you go home and get a medal of honor from-I dunno. Mewtwo or something. I'll be a good boy from now on and make sure to eat all my berries."

She let out an exasperated growl. "Look. This whole thing isn't all about you okay? Wait. Thats not...completely true, but the point is. I know what I saw and I'm not about to ignore an order from a lake spirit."

I shouldered past her contemptuously. "You should try ignoring things sometime. Just like what I'm doing to you right now. It'll save you a lot of headaches in the future," I shot her a glare over my shoulder. "Don't follow me. You do and I'll turn you inside out."

With that, I left her there.

My muscles were as tight as a drawn violin string. I was certain that she would ignore my warning and follow me, forcing me to make good on my threat. The last thing I wanted was to bring an obviously insane pokemon back with me. It would just be ridiculously awkward. Oh yeah, and potentially dangerous. The buizel, in accordance to "fulfilling her duty," might see Cindy as an obstacle and try to "liberate" me. That would probably get Cindy into trouble when the poor kid hadn't done anything to deserve it. I try to make it a point not to drag anyone into my own messes thank you.

Not to mention how embarrassing it would be if I was rescued by the crazy female before I could free myself.

I chanced a look back, teeth bared, ready to whirl around and charge if she had so much as taken a step in my direction. She hadn't which was, admittedly... unnerving. That grin she had given me earlier when she was toying with me was back, adding one more layer to her whole creepy vibe.

"I'll see you later then," She said in a voice so low, it was almost a whisper. She turned, dove back into the water and was gone.

"Sheesh. She could give Duskulls lessons on spooky," I muttered.

The sky was bruised with the ebbing colors of twilight by the time I got back to Floaroma. I was weary, aching and still soaking wet from my little unexpected swim. I was looking forward to a good meal and soft bed. Sye was waiting for me at the entrance scowling.

"You're late," His voice brushed across my mind as well as surges of annoyance.

"Relax, Brainiac," I said out loud to him. "I'm back now."

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That," each word that went across my mind felt like a literal jab in my head. I tried not to wince, but I must have given something away because I felt a wave of satisfaction pass through me.

"Be grateful that we did not resort to searching for you. Because if we did..." He left that threat hanging as though trying to intimidate me. It only made me mad. And well, I do stupid things when I'm mad. Like confront a fully rested pokemon that is looking for an excuse to turn my brain into mush while I am tired and injured for example.

"What huh?" I challenged staring him straight in the eyes, "What would you do? Slap me on the paw and tell me, "no, no, no, bad eevee?" You're all talk and mind games! Either put up or shut up!"

I could feel the pressure building behind his eyes. That incredible power that was just begging to be released. It was a little scary to tell you honestly. I could only imagine what bloody tatters my mind would have been reduced to if he had given into the urge to fight. I held my ground, trying not to take notice of the little flutter of fear that bounced around in my injured stomach. Through more will power than I give him credit for, Sye resisted the urge to throw the first psychic punch.

"When I first met you, I knew you were nothing but trouble," Sye's telepathic words were icy and pricked my mind like so many pins and needles. "I will never fathom what Cindy sees in you. Trouble is all you are and it is all you will eve-"

He stopped abruptly and his blazing eyes dulled. He glanced over my shoulder, his face registering confusion. I didn't want to turn around. I had a sinking feeling I knew what or who was behind me. I did it anyway, and of course. There she was. The buizel who had appointed herself as my protector. What she needed to guard was the nearest hospital. Preferably one with padded walls and nice men in white coats.

Her mouth was turned upward most attractively in a satisfied smirk. "I can see you behave in the same charming manner with your teammates as you do with strangers. Nice to see you don't change."

"I don't like change," I said turning around with a bubbling growl. "And I thought I told you not to follow me!"

"Or what would you do exactly? Oh yes. Turn me inside out," She laughed. "You aren't very threatening. We both know you're in no shape to fight right now. Especially after that rather embarrassing battle at the lake wouldn't you say?"

"Corin. Who is this pokemon?" Asked Sye, who still looked slightly confused.

"She's a lunatic who doesn't know the meaning of the phrase "Leave me alone," I said out loud to Sye and to insult the female. I hated to admit it, but she was right. My bandages were soaked and were starting to slide loose, my sides felt like they were on fire and my head was pounding mercilessly.

The buizel chuckled amused. "I'm a lunatic? Speak for yourself."

Sye's eyes abruptly flashed at her and he said something to her telepathically. Instead of being creeped out as I had been when he talked to me like that, she laughed again. It was a chilling laugh that sent shivers unbidden down my spine.

"You're pretty rude to not tell him I was coming Corin. Or, why I am here to begin with," she purred.

"Thats because I don't need protection!" I snapped.

"If I hadn't come along you would be in the underworld by now," she growled.

"I had it under control!" I growled back and taking a step toward her.

"Oh yes. Getting blown over with a puff of wind. And hitting a ghost type with a completely ineffective move? That sure was a spark of genius."

"Go suck a stick."

"Charming."

A flash of light interrupted our little spat and forced us to shield out eyes. It had come from Sye. His baffled emotions rolled across the both of us and when he spoke, we must have both heard him since we cringed simultaneously.

"Will one of you PLEASE explain what is going on here?"

The buizel and I both launched into an explanation at the same time. Trying to tell our own renditions. Sye merely sat back completely perplexed. I don't blame the guy really. He sat that way silent until we finished.

"-Why I told him I was sent to protect him."

"-Why she's decided to stalk me now!"

"Enough!" Sye said to us both as he shook his head. He looked at me and uttered a condescending snort. "It's utterly typical of you Corin, to jump into a fight without knowing what you were up against. And you," He turned to the buizel. "We cannot have you simply following Corin around. You will have to leave or-"

"Or nothing!" I interrupted, "You need to go now. Don't let the door hit you in the tails on the way out."

"You may attempt to join our team," Sye continued after shooting me a warning glare.

"Team huh? Like, have a trainer yell commands and battle?" The buizel mused scratching her chin.

"She's a terrible trainer," I said desperately. "Look at what's happened to me! You don't want that happening to you do you?

The buizel smirked, "If it means I get to properly follow Corin around and keep him out of trouble, I think I can live with that."

A slow smile crept across Sye's face, "Let me introduce you to Cindy then."

I let out an angry groan of protest but both pokemon ignored me as they turned and headed back into town. All I could do was follow sullenly. I wanted to attack her, drive her away before she was recruited by Cindy, but now she had Sye in on her sick little joke and it looked like he would go along with any plan as long as it ruined my day. Big fat jerk.

I grumbled all the way back to the small house a couple was letting Cindy stay at. She was sitting on the polished wooden porch whistling in harmony with Capistrano while Bud twirled around them merrily. Felicity was taking time out of her busy nap schedule to groom herself but paused mid-lick to eye me disdainfully. Cindy smiled and leapt down from the porch to gather us all up in a big hug. The buizel dodged her and looked at the girl glowering.

"Welcome back Sye!" Cindy bubbled as she hugged him. He returned the hug energetically. I squirmed in her arms as I was pressed closer to Sye than I wanted to be. Cindy put Sye down and held me out in front of her, her hands under my armpits.

"Did you like you walk Corin?" Cindy said happily before she frowned, "Oh no. You're soaking wet and your bandages are loose. Did you go for a swim?"

I flattened my ears and growled at her. My little way of warning her to put me down or she was going to lose a finger. Instead of releasing me though, she said. "Hold still Corin, this won't hurt a bit."

I snarled indignantly as she pinned my head down with her knee. She dragged her pack closer to her and pulled out some clean bandages as I struggled uselessly against her and screamed things about humans that I wont repeat here. Bud, Sye and Felicity laughed at my humiliation while Capistrano fluttered around nervously. The buizel? She was rolling around on the grass laughing her head off.

As Cindy changed my bandages she seemed to finally take notice of the buizel. "Oh! Is this your friend Corin?" She gasped, "Corin...did...did you bring back a girlfriend?" She pulled the bandages tight and let me up.

"No!" I screamed, "She is NOT my girlfriend!"

That just seemed to make everyone laugh harder. Yeah yeah. Yuk it up you spoink-faced morons.

The buizel rolled her eyes and strode forward looking fearlessly up at Cindy. It seemed as though she could evaluate Cindy's capabilities as a trainer just by looking at her. To my surprise, Cindy took a small step backward from the little water pokemon. How could she have possibly managed to intimidate the girl when all my snarling and snapping only got me cuddles and coos? I had no idea. Maybe it was a girl thing.

Cindy tightened her jaw, took and took a deep breath, "D-do you want to join?"

The buizel gave her warbling cry in response and spun her tails rapidly. I glared at her suspiciously, a low growl in my throat. The buizel was up to something I just knew it. At least I wasn't the only one who thought things were fishy.

All of us were watching the buizel intently.

Cindy nodded and pulled out a pokeball. "Okay. We have room for another friend," she sent the pokeball whizzing toward the buizel.

Quicker than I had thought possible, the buizel spun on her heels and with her tails hit the airborne pokeball with a resounding CRACK! The shattered remains of the ball flew back at Cindy. With a startled cry, she threw her arms up to keep the jagged pieces from slashing her face. All of us were at her side in an instant growling, hissing, twittering and what ever grass type pokemon did to sound threatening. Shake their leaves menacingly? I don't know.

A wry grin spread across the buizel's face. "Did you really think it was going to be that easy? I wanna see what you all got!"

"Well, you just got it sister!" I snarled, taking a step forward.

"Corin! Step back!"

The command from Cindy was so sharp and clear that I hadn't realized until later that I had obeyed her without question. Cindy stepped up, no longer intimidated and returned the buizel's smile.

"All right. It's a battle then! Lets go!"

Author's note:

So here's how this chapter went. Wrote a bit, got stuck, stopped writing, pondered for a bit, wrote a little more, got hit with bad writer's block, took a step back, screamed in frustration, wept silently in a corner, realized I was being stupid. Finally, everything hit me in the middle of the night when I was trying to sleep. I finished right about now and I hope I don't run into any more blocks like that again. I mean, I do know the major plot points in my story. It was just getting to those points that seemed to be troubling me. Anyway, thank you as always for your patience.