Well, this is different! This story introduces some other pivotal characters that were created for another poster on the Team Rocket BBS (Ms. Ayako)! It was originally planned as an independent story, but first, the two characters were added to this story, then the planned intro of these same characters to the Lugia plot-line brought them to this point...

Confusin' ain't it? Don't Panic!

Enjoy!

THE LUGIA CHRONICLES

Chapter Eleven

Branded

By R. A. Stott

Based on FanFics by Anni Ruecroft and R. A. Stott

It's not my fault...

Please, I'm a nice Pokémon!

Oh, please... I need help... Please...

Don't throw sticks, child! Please... Where is my master? Where is my Kimmy?

I scampered through the mad and angry crowd. Only moments earlier they had been ooing at me. I had darted into the town square, evading my captors only moments earlier. They dare not come into this crowded place, or they might endure the beating that I am getting.

Please! Please! I'm a lost Pokémon! I'm really nice, friendly - I mean you no har... YIPE!

A foot hit the sore spot on my right hip. The pain shoots through me, and I stumble to the ground.

"Look at it! Kill it!"

Even through the pain, I know what that means... Pokémon know what humans say and what it means. But I can't move. I wait the striking of the stick the human is carrying.

"NO!"

The pain is still great. I thought I heard someone say no... I feel hands wrap around my belly - small hands... my Kimmy? I don't know. I still can't bring myself to open my eyes, slammed shut by fear and pain.

We're running! I feel the small feet of my savior pounding the ground. I hear angry humans close behind.

"Kill it! Kill it! It has the mark! It's one of them! Kill it!"

I'm not 'one of them'! I'm not - what did they call me... I'm not Number 6! I have a name! I have a master! I want to go home!

The child slid one way, dove under something then started running again. I squinted a look at the face of my new friend. Alas, it's not my Kimmy.

It's a young boy, scruffy and messed, like most boys his age. My guess he's about 6, maybe 8. ARGH! And he just adjusted me by grabbing my right hip!

I shouldn't complain... He is trying to save my life! I weakly lick his chin.

"Don't worry, Eevee! I'll save you!"

Well, at least he knows what I am... But does he know who I belong to? Right now, who cares... I snuggle in for the ride.

I must have dozed off. I awaken to the sight of a bedroom, decorated in assorted Pokémon League posters, Pokémon toys, and an Eevee clock that is barking at me.

Oh dear... instincts take over... "Vee! Vee! Vee!" I bark back. I quickly find those small hands around my mouth!

"Eevee, quiet! Mom..." is all the young boy said.

"Honey?" came a call from outside the door across the room. "Is that your clock? It's so loud!"

I suddenly found myself being stuffed under the bed sheets - OUCH! He got that sore again!

I could hear the door open. "Honey, what's that in your bed?" I guess I wasn't keeping still enough for him!

"Err, nothing!" was the boy's response. Oh dear, that sure wasn't going to work, son! One of my big ears pops out from under the covers.

"Samuel Edward Oak, what is that?" the voice asked.

Obviously, Samuel Edward had been caught in the act... He started to remove the covers from on top of me, but he also was making sure to show my left side and hide my right to whomever that was behind... Oh!

Samuel removed the final bed sheet from my head, and I was given a point-blank greeting with who I assume was his mother. She is a pretty lady, blond with big blue eyes. I licked her nose.

"An Eevee! Samuel, where did you find an Eevee!?" Mom yelped as she backed away from the nose swabbing.

"Out in the forest!" Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... Samuel... "Can I keep him?"

"Samuel, Samuel, Samuel! What have I told you about bringing Pokémon home with you?" Mom was scolding young Samuel. He may not be my Kimmy, but he was a safer person to be with than those thugs that had me earlier! I turned on my charm!

"Vee? Vee? Veee! Pppveeee!" I cooed. Ah, the look on Mom's face told everything! Cuteness won again!

"Samuel, how you get these Pokémon to come with you without a PokéBall, I don't know!" she said, shaking her head. "At least this one doesn't slither! Okay... but I want you to find out if he belongs to anyone before we start building an Eevee House for him, hear me?"

"Yes mommy!" the delighted child squealed. Mom petted me on the head and stroked my chin... ahh, just like my Kimmy... I dozed off again.

Later that day, I managed to be given the tour of the home. Even though Samuel's mom said he brought Pokémon home with him on a regular basis, I saw no signs of other critters about. I suppose his mom insisted on a method of catch and release. I was just happy to be safe.

It was a plain little home in a suburban neighborhood, nothing special about it. Samuel seemed to be the only child in the house, but the neighborhood seemed to teem with kids.

"Now I want you to stay here in the house, Eevee," Samuel told me. "At least until that thing on your leg heals, okay?"

"Vee!" I agreed. I must find out what that was that they did to me.

I wandered through the house, and found my way up in the bedroom again. There, I found a picture of myself! At least I think it's a picture of myself... It looks like me... It moves... IT MOVES LIKE ME! That's not ME! That's ANOTHER EEVEE!

"VEE! VEE! VEE! VEE! VEE!"

Samuel popped into the room and started to laugh. "Eevee, why are you barking at that mirror?"

Mirror? What the heck is a mirror? I looked back at the other Eevee, and standing above him was Samuel! Well, at least it looked like Samuel - only his hair went the other way... Oh, this is confusing! "VEE! VEE! VEE!"

"Eevee, it's just a mirror! See?" My Samuel reached over, as did the other Samuel! Then... My Samuel knocked the surface of something hard, as did the other Samuel! I went over and sniffed my other's nose. Nothing! There wasn't anything there! How strange! A moving picture! I sat and just looked at it for awhile. Samuel, laughing at his silly Eevee, went out of the room.

After awhile, I bored of looking at myself in the moving picture thing. I got up and started to continue my tour of the home - but something caught my eye. The picture of myself had an injury. His hind leg had a strange marking on it, and it obviously had bled a little, as his fur was stuck in some places with dried blood. I looked back at where I was sore. It was hard to look back there, as I was still stiff. Sure enough, I had something there as well, and it smelled nasty - like something had burned... burned there... Oh dear... I laid down and washed the area as well as I could. Oh, that hurt...

"Eevee! Din-din!" was yelled up the stairs to me. Food! Yes, I think I'll stay!

At the bottom of the stair, Samuel picked me up and carried me into the kitchen. I didn't know why until I saw where he put my food.

His mom had gone out and picked up some Purina PokéChow, and had put some in a cereal bowl. Samuel moved the bowl to a spot where my right side wouldn't be visible to anyone who saw me eating. Samuel put me down so I was close to the wall. This wasn't the best location... it was near the doorway to the dining room, and I was sure to be in the way.

"Samuel, honey, why are you feeding Eevee there? Wouldn't it be better to feed him over there?" she said, pointing towards the much better far corner of the room. She began to reach down to move the bowl.

I knew what Samuel was doing. I quickly wolfed down my meal, so I wouldn't need to go over to that corner.

"Vblub!" I croaked, as I attempted to swallow the food, and casually trotted out of the room, much to Mom's surprise.

That night, I laid curled on Samuel's legs in his bed. I had slept most of the day, when I wasn't checking out the house. And that night, I was wide awake, lost in thought. Kimmy... where was my Kimmy... She had raised me from a pup. And the last time I saw her, she was crying for me... Kimmy...

A snap... With ears as large as mine, nothing can be missed. I got up, trying to keep from disturbing Samuel. I skipped down the stairs and to a large window in the living room. I peeked out and nearly had someone looking right back at me! I quickly ran back upstairs then I ran into the bathroom. There was a window over the toilet. I climbed it and looked out.

The moon lit up the neighborhood. I could see 6 or 7 black figures moving through the houses. I trained my ears on them.

"Arcanine, go!" one whispered, and released a Pokémon from its ball. A large fiery dog appeared, and began to sniff around. For something so large, it moved quietly.

Then I saw its right hip. There was the same odd marking on it that I had. I shivered in fear.

As I watched them, I hunkered down into a small ball of fur to hide myself from prowling eyes. The Arcanine moved on, while a few of the humans below me put on strange things over their eyes. They were odd looking extensions that glowed green. One of the humans looked up my way. I squeezed down hard.

"There's something up there," he whispered...

Another human looked up at me with his green glowing eyes. "Too high," he said, "and it's just probably their pet or something. Remember, we're looking for the escapees... We don't want to wake anyone!"

I watch as the humans move on. I breathed again. I start to get down from my perch.

A fiery flash of light from behind the house across the street gets my attention again. I see something dart out from behind the house and head for the street. It's the Charmander I escaped with! Torchlight! I've got to help him! I've got to help him!

A singed Scyther leaped over the roof of the house and landed in front of the fleeing Pokémon. Torchlight scrambled to a halt before its larger green foe, eyeing it, ready to battle.

Another black shirted human ran from behind the house. He's pointing at Torchlight! Something in front of him flashes! The Charmander chirped slightly, stiffened rigidly as if just struck by someone in the spine... Its tail flared, then... Oh dear, it WENT OUT! My friend! My friend fell over in a heap.

The Scyther moved closer to the body and nudged it with her sharp bladed forearms. There was no response.

"HISSSSSS! SCYYYYYYYSTHER!" What's this? The Scyther is angry! It's a good thing the humans couldn't understand it, as what she just said was rather un-lady like!

The first Black Shirt came out from behind the house. "Scyther, what's wrong?" he whispered.

"SCYTHHSER! SCYTHHSER! HISSSSSSS!" I'm not sure, but I think she said something like "Try to get this one..."

"Scyther, return!" the lead Black Shirt commanded, wrenching her back into her PokéBall. He then went over to the body of the Charmander.

He reached down and pulled something from the body. "Idiot! Didn't you check what that thing was loaded with before coming out here!?" he whispered angrily at the human that had flashed earlier.

No response.

"This is for a CHARIZARD!" he said, holding up what looked like a dart. "The poor critter probably was dead before it hit the ground!" He shook his head. "You're the one who's going to have to report to the Corporal!"

I saw and heard the 'idiot' curse and stomp back and forth in angry disbelief that he'd done something so stupid. Serves you right!

"Okay... We still have two others to find! YOU!" The leader of the Black Shirts was pointing at the shooter. "Take this body to the campground and wait our return! Let's move out!"

I get down from the window as the humans disperse. I'm shaking in fear and anger. I can feel my heart pounding. I wish I could cry.

I enter Samuel's room - There's someone there! I can see the silhouette in front of the window! I dive for a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. Good, the intruder's back was to me! She doesn't see me! But I keep a hard watch on her! She's very young... she can't be 10, maybe 11...

Samuel rolls over in his bed. The intruder freezes in position. My heart! It's pounding so hard!

Samuel settles. The intruder moves towards the far corner of the room. I see the glow of green from her face. What are those things they wear? They give me the creeps!

While she's over looking in Samuel's closet, I quietly move under his bed. A good thing too, as she came out of the closet and instantly went over to the pile of clothes and nudged through them!

My ears pick up something... Something beeped, and now someone is saying "Myamoto, where are you?" The girl tapped something on her head then started pressing a box on her arm. "Get out of there, we're moving out!" the voice then said. She sighed and left the room. I never heard her footfalls... amazing!

After making sure there was no one left about, I dragged myself back to the foot of Samuel's bed. Neither he nor his Mom had heard what had happened. It was probably just as well. I fell asleep, exhausted.

I must have been completely zonked. I awoke to the cheery cry of "Bye-bye, Eevee! I'll see you after school!" as Samuel bounded down the stairs. I groggily stretched, then washed myself.

"Eevee! Breakfast!" Samuel's Mom was calling... I guess I'll find out what she wants. I trundle down the steps and into the kitchen.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead! Did you have a good night's rest?" Mom was a bit too chipper... I guess I'll get used to it! She placed my food bowl with a fresh supply of PokéChow down.

"Vee! Vee!" I thanked her. She was going to spoil me for sure!

Maybe it was just because I wasn't fully awake, but I never noticed that Mom had put the bowl down over where she had wanted it the night before. I was just starving, and needed food. I stuck my head into the bowl, and started eating.

A dinner knife struck the ground with a clatter. I was a bit startled, but my hunger kept me eating. While munching, I looked over at where the knife had come from. There, Mom was looking at me with wide - frightened eyes... Why frightened?

"Vee?" I asked.

"No - no, Eevee, y-you just keep eating!" she said, the fear boiling over in her voice. Why was she frightened? She left the room. I took another bite of food, and listened. I could hear her fumbling with something over there. Now she was talking to someone...

"H-hello, Pokémon Center? Yes, this is Mrs. Oak out on Route 21... Yes Samuel's mother... yes... please, I need your help... well, it's like this... Ah… Samuel... well, you know how he loves to bring home Pokémon he finds... Yes, just like that Ekans... well, yesterday, he brought home another Pokémon... no, not another snake... no, this time he brought home a darling little Eevee..."

I peeked around the corner. Mom was talking into some sort of black thing which was attached to the wall by a coiled rope... The strange things humans do... But the closer I got to her, the more I could hear. The black thing was talking back to her!

"An Eevee?" came the voice from the black thing. "Those are rather rare around here!"

"I know," Mom said. "I thought someone must have lost it... Samuel was only going to keep it until we found its owners..."

"Well, that would be nice of you. We're a bit full down h..." the black thing said.

"You don't understand... This morning, when I put his food down, I saw something on the Eevee..."

On me? What... oh dear... she saw my leg!

"What did you see, Mrs. Oak?"

"This Eevee has a branding mark on it - an R!"

I heard the voice on the black thing get serious. "Where is it now, Mrs. Oak?"

"Eating in the kitchen - oh, it looked so sweet, too..."

"A Team Rocket Pokémon is usually anything but sweet, Mrs. Oak... Please remember that..."

I quickly went back to my bowl. I ate everything I could. I then saw the bag of food near the doorway. I jumped into it, and ate a few more mouthfuls. This might be the last food I get for awhile.

Poor Samuel. He's probably going to get an earful when he gets home tonight!

Fortunately, Kimmy had trained me a bit. And the only thing between me and the outside world was a screen door. I readied myself, and hit it with a quick attack. I became a brown streak between the house and the forest beyond. Sorry about the door Mom...

It rained hard that night. I had seen the strangely dress humans that had come to my temporary home, some with Growliths in tow. I didn't want to be around when they let them loose. But as I turned to head further into the forest, I saw Samuel. I know what school is... Kimmy would go to school and come back much later in the day... this was much too early for him to be home... I'm sorry Samuel... it looks like he's crying... I've got to go...

The wet just made things more miserable. I slogged through the mud. The food I ate earlier had been burned off long ago. I missed my Kimmy. I missed Samuel too. I'm not a bad Pokémon... can't they see that?

"Well, there you are," came a voice from above me.

I looked up, but the rain kept splattering in my face. "Who's up there?" I asked.

"It's just me." I heard the flapping of wings then something covered my wet head. I looked up and saw a Pidgeotto.

"Aero! You made it!"

"Yea, but you look quite water-logged!" the bird said to me. Thank Flareon's mane Pokémon can understand one another!

"This rain doesn't seem to bother you, does it?"

The Pidgeotto stood proud and gave me a wink. "Rain off a Psyduck's back, I guess... And since I am a fellow bird Pokémon, well..."

"...You don't get that bedraggled look!" I finished for him.

"Come on, you'll need a better place to stay dry in than under my wing." We started walking towards some covered brush.

"They killed Torchlight," I finally said.

"I know, I saw..." Aero said. "I was almost ready to fly in to his defense when that human shot him. I'm sorry. How did you see it?"

"I was in the house in front of where it happened. I had been saved by a little boy earlier, Samuel. He was keeping me safe."

Aero looked at me with concern. "What went wrong?" he asked.

I showed him my right hip.

"Oh feathers and beaks! You've been marked!"

I looked up at the bird Pokémon. He'd been around. He had evolved. So, if there was anyone who I could ask for help, Aero was the one.

"Will it ever go away?" I asked, half pleading.

Aero dropped his head. "I'm afraid that it will be with you forever. I'm not sure, but even if you evolve, it would stay with you."

Bummer. I laid down and whimpered.

"Hey, hey... Like I said, I'm not sure. Evolving just might get rid of it!"

I looked up at my friend. "I'm an Eevee... Just how do Eevees evolve?"

"Hummm..." the bird thought. "You types need a stone..."

"Specific stones," I interjected. "Thunder, Water or Fire stones."

The bird scratched a gnat. "What would happen if you used a different stone?"

"Ea? Such as..."

"How about a Moon Stone?"

I mused this. "Probably nothing... I'm not sure. Why?"

Aero pointed to one side. "Mount Moon is close by. We could fly up there once the rain stops and see what happens."

"It's a thought... but don't you need a full moon for those things to work?"

The bird laughed. "Timing, son, timing! The full moon's tomorrow!"

"How do you know that?" I asked with a bit of skepticism.

Aero ruffled his feathers. "I'm a bird! We have built in clocks for such things!"

"What's a clock?"

Aero swatted me with a wing. "Go to sleep you! You'll need to be up early in the morning for a trip to Mount Moon!"

It sure wasn't as comfortable as Samuel's bed, but knowing I had Aero here felt reassuring. I dozed off.

Daylight blazed into the thicket. Normally, that would have been enough to awaken anyone, but my rise and shine came from the snarling muzzle of an Arcanine, and the slicing of the thicket's canopy by a Scyther!

"You don't have to do this!" I yelped at her, frightened for my life! "Y-you didn't want to kill that Charmander! Don't let them take me!"

"I have little choice," the Scyther said to me sadly. I then saw that she had obviously been beaten. I sat back, resigned to my fate.

"There you are Number 6!" came the voice I recognized as the leader of the group that had killed Torchlight. A large burly hand grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and hauled me out of the thicket's remains. "Corporal Yoshida, we found Number 6!"

"Very well," a tall slender woman in dark red said. She was the only one in this type of dress, which made her stand out in the crowd of Black Shirts. "Any sign of the bird?"

"We still haven't seen it, Ma'am! It is a bird - I would think it would have flown away by now..."

Yoshida turned towards the Black Shirt leader. "Considering your performance the other night, and the fact that you DO know that it IS a bird, I wouldn't doubt that for a moment!"

Then I saw it... She was holding it like a stick, swinging it around, sticking it under her arm, bringing it out, and twirling it. It was the same stick she had touched me with the other day when the pain had started! Now, she was pointing it at the Black Shirt that was holding me!

"Now, Private, I want you to find that bird! It's special! And Team Rocket needs special!"

She pressed a button on one end of the stick. The other end turned a cherry red! That's what happened to me!

"WAAAAAWKKK AAAAWWWWWWK!"

Something just snatched me from the Black Shirt's grasp! Wha... HELLO! WHAT ARE THE TREES DOING BELOW ME!?

"There's that bird!" Yoshida yelled, stabbing the stick into the Black Shirt. "Follow them! Follow them!"

I finally managed to look up. Aero! He had me in his talons!

"Aero! Where were you!?"

"Hey, the early bird catches the worms!" he chirped back.

I didn't need to hear that... "Thanks! I think I'll skip breakfast!"

I was flying backwards, as Aero had grabbed me by my scruff. As uncomfortable as this was, it did help in one aspect... I could see what was coming!

"Aero, they just sent out a Fearrow!"

"Did they?" the Pidgeotto said, less than impressed. "It will never keep up with me! Hang on!"

"Wha - whaaa - WHAAAA!" I found myself being tossed forwards and above Aero. He then proceeded to loop me, and gently drop me onto his back! If I had any food, I would have been sick right there, right then!

"Okay fuzzball! Hold onto something tight, and I'll show you WHY they want me as well!"

One stroke - two strokes - three strokes! Aero's wings seared the sky and blistered the wind! We left the Fearrow behind in a blaze of PidgeColors!

At the speed Aero was going, Mount Moon came up on us quickly. I was completely out of breath when he finally slowed down. He swooped down over a stream at the base of the mountain. Why is he getting so close to the water?

By Flareon's Mane! He just grabbed a fish!

We glide over to the bank of the stream. Aero dropped the fish, and let me get off his back.

"Eat!" he said. "You're going to need your strength tonight!"

I looked at the jumping and leaping fish. "It's still alive!" I said, gagging a bit.

Aero sighed, snatched the fish in a talon, and flung it against a tree. "Now, it isn't! Eat!"

"Thanks a bunch!" I mumbled. I went over to the still twitching fish, now covered in dirt and bark. I picked it up by its tail, dragged it over to the water's edge, washed off what I could then pulled it back to shore. Ah well, I guess I'll have to get used to such meals.

Surprisingly, it was rather tasty - A bit on the bland side, but filling.

"We have a visitor," Aero said.

"Where?" I said, looking up from the meal.

"Across the stream from us. I think she may have seen us land here, she's got that rather shocked look on her face."

I looked across the stream. Sure enough, there was a young girl there, along with her campsite. She was dressed in a jumpsuit of sorts - greenish blue pants with suspenders, and a yellow shirt. If that didn't make her stand out in a grove of dark green pine trees, her flaming red hair sure did!

"You think we're safe?" I asked Aero.

"Unless she tries to ford that stream, for the time being. We did put on quite a show for her. Eat up. We'll need to keep moving towards the summit."

I continued to eat my fish. Oh great, now the girl's taking pictures! Kimmy would shoot pics of me. Ah, Kimmy... you wouldn't want me now, would you? Branded and all... Sigh...

"Hey - HEY!" I hear. "A little food and you doze off!"

Aero is nudging me. Nuts! I drowsily look over at the campsite. The girl is... the girl is GONE!

"Hey, where'd the girl go?"

Aero was a bit nervous about that. "She's up stream a bit... I think she's trying to find an easy way across to this side! Come on, get on!"

I quickly climb on Aero's back, and with a running start, we take to the air. Yup! There's the girl! She's mid-stream, standing on some rocks, watching us fly overhead. Oh well...

The day is warming, and Aero starts catching the thermals rising from the ground below. We rise higher and higher. Aero hasn't beaten his wings once! The warm air sends us skyward quietly, and peacefully. We quickly make the summit of Mount Moon. The view is spectacular!

"Don't be fools by all this beauty, kid!" Aero warned. "I can see better than you can, and I see trouble!"

"What's out there?" I ask nervously.

"Those Fearrows for one... I can also see vehicles following... I'd say they'll be in this area by tonight."

I peeked over the summit. "Can you still see that girl?"

"She's still down there, a bit wet... she didn't make it back across without falling in!"

"Oh dear..."

"Umm, she was kind of cute... for a human..."

I turned around to survey the area. "So, just what does a Moon Stone look like?"

Aero shrugged. "Darn if I know..."

I look around his large head and snort. "Great!" I jump off his back and look down from the peak.

"Moon Stone near, have no fear!"

Aero and I turned around to see a strange pink blob behind us. "Uh oh... I thought we might run into one of these..." Aero mumbled.

"What is it?" I asked Aero, moving behind him for possible protection.

"Don't worry... It's just a Clefairy - one of the most annoying Pokémon known to - err - Pokémon!" he whispered to me.

"Why?" I cautiously asked, also in a whisper.

"This is one of those situations where humans don't realize just how good it is NOT to understand Pokémon speech! Clefairy rhyme everything! It'll drive you nuts!"

I looked around Aero at the pink thing. It waved at me. Well, at least it seemed friendly. "Should we ask it where the Moon Stones are?"

Aero sighed. "Unfortunately, we've little choice. The Clefairy of Mount Moon are the only ones who know where the stones are!"

"Come! Come! I don't boast, stones are close!"

"This one doesn't seem to rhyme well," I said. Aero nearly laughed, but held it back.

"I never said that they do it well..." he noted.

"Peachy!"

We followed the Clefairy over to what we thought was the opposite end of the peak of Mount Moon. What we found was a depression, circular in shape, and deep, very deep. And the Clefairy was going into it.

Aero took to the sky. I scrambled behind the Clefairy. I suddenly wished I had wings!

Night was descending on us as we finally reached the bottom. The moon was starting its long climb into the cool spring night as we found ourselves within a small forest. Aero and I flopped down to catch our breaths.

"Have no fear, we are here!" the Clefairy squeaked. I was beginning to see what Aero meant. It bounded ahead towards what looked like a clearing.

"Hey, Aero?" I asked panting.

"Yea kid?"

"Did you ever have a master?"

Aero nodded. "Oh yea. That's how I learned some of my tricks, like that hyperspeed we used this morning. Why?"

"Did you ever want another master, or want to go back to your old master?"

Aero gave me a questioning look. "Not my first master... he was a crook!"

I looked up at the bird. "You mean you're part of that group that's trying to get us?"

"No, no... I mean my master is a crook! Team Rocket stole me from HIM! They thought my skills would do them good! But I'd love to have a nice, caring master... Why?"

I put my head down. "With this mark on me, I probably won't be accepted by anyone... they didn't brand you did they?"

"They never got the chance!" he said with a wink.

I chuckled a little. "Do me a favor... remember that boy I told you about? Samuel? Could you keep an eye on him for me? He saved my life, and I owe him that."

Aero looked at the ground. "How old is he?"

"I'd say he's 6, maybe 7..."

"Humph... young..." he said, then gave me a wink. "Sounds like an adventure! Sure kid!"

"Thanks..."

The Clefairy suddenly was back. "Come! Come! Be a dear, the time is near! Come to the festival!"

ARRRGH!

A breeze was starting to blow through the trees as Aero and I entered the clearing.

We stopped and stared at the clearing ahead. "Ah, Aero..." I started.

"Great!" the Bird said half laughing. "It's not Moon Stones - it's Moon Stone!"

There before us was a large rock, all glittering and sparkling. Clefairy were dancing around it in a circle, singing and repeating their name. Above, the moon was heading for it's apogee over the stone, AND a thunderstorm was starting to blow in! This was going to be one busy festival!

Aero looked around the outer wall of the depression. His sharp eyes spotting something behind them.

"Don't look now, but our lady friend is back!" he said out of the side of his beak.

I whirled about. "What? Where?"

"It looks like there's a tunnel off to the south. She must have come in through there. She's above it, watching us with binoculars."

"I wonder if any human has seen this before?" I pondered.

Aero shrugged. "If not, she'll soon get an eyeful!" A splat of rain struck him in the bill. The clouds hadn't covered the moon yet, but lightning and thunder were starting to dance across the sky.

"Look..." both Aero and I said at the same time. We laughed.

"You'd better get out of range," I told my friend.

"Yea, I'm not ready to evolve again!" he said with a smirk. "Good luck kid!"

"You too, Bird! And just in case... Keep Samuel company."

Aero nodded, and prepared to fly off. "By the way... what was the name of your first master?"

"Er... Kimmy... why?"

"I'll keep an eye out for her too. See ya!"

With that, Aero flew into the trees.

I turned to the stone before me. It was starting to glow brightly, as the moon light was creating a dazzling light show throughout the depression. It would be augmented by the occasional burst of lightning.

A larger beam started to come from the stone. As the beam would touch a Clefairy, it would start to change, evolving into what Aero had told me, a Clefable. But one of these beams crossed over me, and nothing happened. A dead end. Nuts!

Then the lightning struck. Dead square in the middle of the stone, and the beam that was on me enveloped me.

I felt like I was floating. The ground was nowhere within touching distance. It was rather pleasant.

"Hello!"

I heard something... Someone said hello...

"Hello! Welcome to the Stratus League!"

I opened my eyes. The area was devoid of all things. It was - yellow... Extremely yellow, right down to what was talking to me... A Pikachu!

This was confusing. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

The Pikachu shook his head. "No. You're just between here and there!"

"Who am I?"

The Pikachu put a finger to my head... Memories flooded into my head. "It happens sometimes when you come here the way you just did!"

"Why am I here?"

"The league council has decided to grant you a gift." the Pikachu said, crossing its arms, floating away from me.

"A gift? Why?"

"We know how loyal you've been with your masters, be it you've only had brief times with both... and the hardships you've gone through. We will give you special powers, but you will look like a normal evolved Eevee. You must choose the form."

"I must choose?"

"Yes... but before you do... and this might be hard to swallow, but if you find a new master, remember that not all Team Rocket members are evil or bad..."

"What? What does that mean?"

"You'll see," the Pikachu said with a wink and a tweak of its nose. "It's our little secret! - Choose now!"

The choice was an easy one... I knew what I wanted to become...

"FLAREON!"

"So be it!"

It felt like I was being drained though a long pipe, as I returned to the front of the Moon Stone. Clefairy and Clefable were scattering everywhere to avoid the energy discharge. I felt my body grow, the pain leave my right hip, and power flow into my body. It all was a bit much of a moment. I fell down to the ground.

That was a mistake! I was the only thing keeping the beam there! It shot beyond me, striking the hill above the tunnel, and just below where the girl was! The energy expanded into a bubble that heaved the girl skyward!

"FUEGO, ARISE!"

It was the voice of the Pikachu that rang through my head!

I looked back, and saw what had happened behind me. I charged off towards the girl. I leave a trail of flame behind me!

"FUEGO, FIRE WINGS!" the voice of the Pikachu said.

Fire what? Oh, by Flareon's mane, what are THOSE!?

WINGS! I'VE GOT WINGS!

A pair of flame wings sprouted from behind my mane! Wicked!

I launch myself for the girl. I find I'm being followed by Aero!

"Well, that's a bit more than I expected!" he yelled.

"Help me, Aero! The girl's been hit by the beam!"

"I saw... she's to your left!"

The bird's eyesight was still better than anything I had. I was still adjusting to my new form! There she was, starting to descend! I dove in under her to one side, Aero to the other. He grabbed her belt as I slipped below her. He guided her onto my back, and I power stroked my new wings upwards.

"Hey!" I said in a slight amazement. "What happened to the storm?"

We looked above us. There wasn't a cloud, a drop, a lightning bolt to be seen. Only the full moon blazing above us. We gave each other a glancing look, and continued out of the depression.

We headed for the girl's campsite. Err... This is going to be interesting!

"Aero, old buddy, mind if I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"You've been a bird all your life, right?"

"Well, THAT'S a dumb question!"

"Yea, yea, just listen... How does a bird LAND?"

"Feathers and Beaks!" he swore.

"Exactly..."

"Okay," he began to coach me, "first, open your wings wide. When you're about to land, starts scooping air in a cupping motion forward!"

"Cupping motion forward... gotcha!"

"So tell me Hot Shot, does a name come along with this new power?" Aero kidded me.

"Yup! I'm Fuego now!"

"Okay," he said. "What was your name before?"

"Err, I don't remember..."

Aero gave me an odd look. "You mean Kimmy never named you?"

"Who's Kimmy?"

"Aero, stop asking questions that can't be answered!" came a voice in our heads. "He's starting a new life! You just remember your promises!"

Aero nearly dropped his half of this flight!

As we arrived at the campsite, I followed Aero's advice. It worked! The landing was almost painless, though now we needed to get the girl into her tent... Hummm...

FUEGO, LIFTING FIRE!

I felt a surge of energy run through me. My wings disappeared. A circle of flame surrounded the girl, lifting her off the ground slightly. With a tweak of my nose, it followed me into the tent, where I placed her on her cot she had set up in there. Much to my surprise, I never set anything on fire!

"Listen, I had better be off," Aero said. "Samuel will need my guidance I'm sure!" he said with a wink.

I looked at the girl in the cot. She seemed as if she needed me... A motion outside the tent caught my attention... it looked like a large bird flying off into the night... I wonder who that was?

"Ohhh..." the girl said. She was coming to... good. I nuzzled up to her cheek and gave it a lick.

Hot Flareon tongue! That'll get you up in a hurry!

She sat up with a start and looked at me with excited green eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Fuego!" I said.

She blinked. "Is that your call, or did you just speak to me?"

"Er, I think I just spoke... but I'm not sure for just how long I'll be able to do so... Do you remember the Moon Stone?"

The girl crossed her legs and just nodded to me, obviously not expecting a verbal response!

"Well, I was the Eevee that was changed by the Moon Stone. I have been given special powers by the Stratus League, and I guess that you were chosen to be my new master, or mistress, whichever you prefer!"

"R - Really?" she said, unsure of what was happening in front of her.

"Really. I'm not quite sure myself of all the powers I have, but they are numerous, and quite strong."

"It's - it's a shame that you don't come with an owner's manual!" she said.

I laughed. "Now where's the fun in that? This will be a learning experience for both of us!"

"You look like any normal Flareon to me!" she said, looking around me. "You don't have any Rocket brand on you, so I guess this isn't a test..."

"Rocket brand?" I asked. I felt a twinge in my right hip... Why?

"Team Rocket has been branding their Pokémon on their right hips lately. Keeps them loyal they say... I think it's just brutal!"

"Well, I hope you're not that way!" I said. "Why would you know about Team Rocket?"

"I am Team Rocket... My name is Ayako... I'm part of the Golden R section of Team Rocket!"

"Curiouser and curiouser... You were selected as my master, so I guess that I'm to be a member of Team Rocket! Odd..."

"Why is that?"

"I get the distinct memory that I was once running from Team Rocket. I can't remember! It doesn't matter... My name is Fuego. You are my master. That's all that matters!" I handed her my paw. She reached down and shook it.

"Ayako!"

"Fuego!"

"Nice to meet you!"

"And with this, Stratus League guidance is terminated... Have a good life, Fuego and Ayako!"

"Did you just hear something, Fuego?"

"Werf!" I said. I did hear something - outside the tent! I stuck my head out.

A Black Shirt was looking back at me. I growled.

"Fuego, back!" Ayako commanded. I backed up as she exited her tent. "Private? May I ask the meaning of this visit?"

"Who are you, and why do you know I'm a private?"

Ayako held up a PokéBall. It had a gold 'R' on it.

"Golden R!" the private gulped, snapping to attention.

"Very good," Ayako said to him. Before she got the chance to ask the question again, a Jeep pulled up. A red shirted woman got out.

"Corporal Yoshida, Chief Armorer of Team Rocket! What brings you all the way out here to the base of Mount Moon?"

"I could ask the same for the second in command of the Golden R," the nasty lady snarled.

"I could answer, but I'm not obliged to, unlike you!" Ayako snarled right back. Oh, this could be good! "Now report Corporal! What are you doing out here bothering my vacation!?"

"Following the Boss' orders, ma'am!" she said, coming to a stiff salute. "We are on the trail of the last of three escaped Pokémon that bolted from the Branding Center south of Pallet Town!"

I moved beside my master. This branding sounded painful.

"And your status?"

"Still searching, ma'am!" She then noticed me. "Is that your Pokémon, ma'am?"

"Fuego is my own private Pokémon... He's not Team Rocket's"

"Doesn't matter, ma'am! Boss' orders - ALL Pokémon that work on Team Rocket assignments must be branded. I'm sorry!"

Sure she was! I could hear the malice in her voice. She drew out the stick with the brand on it. She pressed a button, and the end glowed red hot. But when she went for my right hip, I raised my own temperature where the iron was going to hit. I melted the iron clear up to the batteries! That was fun!

Ayako looked at the shocked Yoshida. "Don't try THAT again!"

The corporal excused herself and her troops, and they headed for the mountain. Ayako and I enjoyed the rest of the week together.


50 years... it's hard to believe.

I'm standing at the top of a hill near Pallet Town. A small sign says "Field 24" nearby. Time has passed us by with remarkable speed.

Soon after Ayako's vacation finished, she was one of three volunteers to test Team Rocket's Cryogenics chamber - the nature of being a member of the Golden R it seemed - first to volunteer for the harshest tests - The test being an endurance test, both trainer and Pokémon suspended in cryogenic sleep.

Ayako and I were the only survivors. Maybe because of our special powers, I don't know... I do know one thing - I remember everything again. I don't know if I was supposed to forget Samuel, Kimmy and Aero, or my past life prior to being a special Flareon, but the block is gone.

I see that Samuel and Kimmy did well for themselves... Samuel and Aero became a great team, actually winning the Pokémon League tournament. And Aero kept his word. He found Kimmy. She had become a prized Pikachu trainer. He somehow got Samuel and Kimmy together. And they eventually got married, and raised a family. Sadly, Kimmy died on a Pokémon outing leading an excursion into the bush looking for new Pokémon to catalog. Samuel kept his studies up, and became the world's most esteemed Pokémon researcher. I am standing in one of hundreds of acres of land he had obtained for the study of Pokémon right now.

Also, sadly, Aero, my good friend, who would have probably been dead by now anyway, died in battle against one of Kimmy's Pikachus. I stand before his marker in the cemetery behind the Oak Pokémon Research Center. Samuel has done very well for himself, hasn't he old friend?

I look back at Ayako - Samuel! He's standing beside her! Oh, my friend, you've grown so old!

"Hello Eevee," he said to me. He knows me? How?

"Or, should I say Fuego?" he continued, a tear running down his cheek. "Welcome home..."

I - I don't know what to say...

"Samuel..."

Ayako's mouth dropped open. "Fuego, you're speaking again!"

"There's a reason for it... please, follow me..." Samuel said, beckoning us to the center's main building.

As I hop down from the raised bed onto the path, I look down the hill and I see a Pikachu. It salutes me then FLOATS into the center... I look back at Aero's grave. That's when I notice the marker beside it. It bears the image of a Pikachu. Oh Aero, what world have we been brought into?

And what's with the eye patch on that Pikachu?

oOo

Characters from Pokémon ©2000, 2007, 18 The Pokémon Company/Nintendo/Creatures/GameFreak

Ayako & Fuego ©2000, 2007, 18 R. A. Stott/Ayako/DMS - Used with Permission

©2000, 2007, 18 R. A. Stott/The Lugia Project/DMS

Edited 0706.21 - 1807.12


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