"Wait, keeping me in this pathetic excuse of an evil lair is one thing, but handcuffing me and chaining me to the bed is another," Sam protested feebly as a Magma goon started clicking the handcuffs closed.
"Sorry, not my choice," he said sourly. There was something in his tone that made Sam look up at him.
"You always have a choice," Sam said softly.
He looked at her in surprise, and just wordlessly clicked the chains and stuff back into place, and exited the room.
Sam sighed, and, exhausted, fell asleep for the night, dreaming of when she'd be reunited with Gary.
**
To make what should've been about three paragraphs short, Gary, Phoebe, and Steven wandered around the lair, but since the main lair was huge, they had to sleep in for the night.
They woke up the next morning, and lo and behold, they found themselves totally lost in about ten minutes.
"I swear I saw that crate thing over there the last time we went in a circle!" Phoebe whisper-yelled at Steven, so that no one could hear. Lovers Quarrel.
"If you knew that we were going in circles you should've just told me that earlier!" Steven whisper-yelled back.
"Well, you were too busy talking to yourself to pay any attention to me!"
"I don't talk to myself!"
"Oh, you sure do, or what, am I deaf?!"
"I don't think you're deaf, blind, maybe!"
"You just-"
Gary sighed to himself. Is this what Sam and I look like? Finally, after five minutes of watching them pointlessly fight with each other, Gary reached his hands out, yanked on Steven's head, and slammed Steven's forehead into Phoebe's. "Shut up or I'm doing it with Phoebe, too."
Steven growled.
**
Sam slammed her head into the wall. I'm now officially going insane. I am really, officially, going insane. She thought, surprised. The silence is almost unbearable, the loneliness is awful, and I don't know why I just want Gary to be here!
(Bang) (Bang) (Bang)
See? I CAN'T EVEN FEEL THE PAIN ANYMORE!
"Are you alright?" Sam turned her head in surprise to the Magma goon who had chained her in earlier in the doorway.
"No duh," Sam replied. "I miss my Pokemon. I miss my friend. Heck, I don't even know if he regards me as a friend now. I mean, I left him for an idiot playboy!" Sam yelled.
He chuckled. "Yes, we all have those days."
Sam rose her eyebrows in surprise. "What's your name?"
"I'm Mason," he said, smiling at her. "From what the records say, you're Samantha, right?"
"Sam," she corrected him. "Everyone who knows me calls me Sam."
"Hello…" Mason said, stepping into the light. Sam saw his face clearly that time; he couldn't have been more than her age, maybe he could've been her age. He had shaggy, dark brown hair and royal blue eyes. He smiled at her; and she noticed his dimples. "Sam, I'm here to save you."
**
Steven and Phoebe walked in a stony silence, while Gary sighed over and over again. This is what happens when you decide to go on a rescue mission with a soon-to-be couple that can't stop fighting. Wait. Is that what Wallace and Steven thought of me and Sam before? But we're not a soon to be couple, right?
"Oof!" Gary was startled out of his mental rant when Phoebe cried out. He saw Phoebe on the ground, and a boy who looked a little bit younger than him, rubbing his head.
"Who are you?" Gary asked. If it were someone from Magma or Aqua, he would've done something else, (which went along the lines of, 'and he pulled back his fist and punched the Magma-slash-Aqua member into next week, and probably two of his front teeth, and pinned him to the wall, demanding that he told him where the heck Sam was') but he saw that instead of the typical uniform, he was wearing light blue shorts and a plain red shirt.
The boy stood up, and before answering, offered a hand to Phoebe. She took it, and he helped her up. He winked at Phoebe before answering. "I'm Evens, James Evens."
"And what are you doing here, Evens James Evens?" Gary mocked.
"I'll tell you, if you tell me," James replied easily. He towered a bit over Gary, and had light brown, messy hair that ended just below his ears. He stared curiously at Gary with his honey-colored eyes, with a seemingly innocent expression.
Steven opened his mouth, but Gary stopped him. "I'm here for a friend. And you?"
"Rescuing someone," he said breezily. "If you're not wearing the uniform, then I guess you're not one of them."
Gary narrowed his eyes as he remembered someone who hadn't been wearing a uniform, and was the worst kind of 'them'. "Just because you're not wearing the uniform doesn't mean that."
James laughed. "I like you, Gary Oak. You're very amusing," he teased.
"How do you –"
"I'm from Lilycove, and I met Professor Birch somewhere along the road, and he said he needed someone like me. So, he told me about this guy named Gary Oak, which is you, who needed help with stuff and saving the world," he shrugged. "Then he introduced me to Mason Rider, who's with me now. He knows that you've lost track of Sam, and well, we're here to help."
Gary blinked. Oh, great. Two more guys to that are going to steal Sam away from me.
**
There was a clinking of chains as they fell to the floor, then Sam rubbed her wrists. "You know what? I think that you are a really great person."
Mason Rider smiled. "I just want to help. I'm here with my friend, James Evens. We're here on orders from Professor Birch."
"Professor Birch?" Sam's eyes lit up. "How is he?"
"Same old, same old," he laughed. "Now come on, everyone's on their lunch break right now, and we have to meet up with James in the main hangar. Be quiet," he cautioned her.
They tiptoed out of the room (which you really couldn't call a dungeon, no matter how you looked at it), with Mason taking care to lock the door.
**
"Let me get this straight." Phoebe said, taking in a deep breath. "You're on our side, Mason – that's his name, right? – went undercover here in Magma base, and is gonna bust Sam out?"
"Pretty much," James replied. "And did I ever tell you that you are gorgeous?" he said, smirking and smiling at the same time at her.
Steven looked like he was about to hit the minor, so Phoebe stepped in. "Flirt with girls your own age, you little playboy."
Gary wished Phoebe hadn't said that. Now he's gonna start flirting with Sam. Can't I get a break?!
**
Mason and Sam tensed when there was a sound of an alarm. "The prisoner has escaped! Search everywhere!"
Mason cursed under his breath. "What did I do wrong?"
"Maybe we should figure that out later and run!" Sam yelled. It was too late; Magma goons had spotted them. Mason sighed and withdrew two Pokeballs.
"Sam, go on ahead. I can handle this one."
"But-"
"Tell James I can handle it. Go." It was more of a command, and Sam couldn't do anything to say no. So she turned around.
Mason nodded once at her retreating back, and called out two Pokemon. "Feraligatr! Blastoise! Hydro Pump, together!"
**
Beep… Beep… Beep…
"They've set off the alarms," Phoebe and Steven said in unison, both relieved and at the same time, annoyed.
"I have to find her!" Gary said, going into protector mode.
"No." Gary looked at James incredulously, looking for signs of insane-ness, but there were none. Steven and Phoebe had the same looks on their faces. James just laughed. "Don't you know who we're talking about?"
"No…" the three said at the same time. Steven was silent. The name is familiar somehow… but why…
"That's it!" Steven cried out. "He beat the Champion of the Kanto region! The youngest one ever to do that!"
Gary was surprised. So that's why the name was kinda floating around in his head. He had the vaguest impression of someone beating the crap out of him on one of his many journeys around Kanto, and Mason Rider must have been one of them.
"Sam's basically safe if she's with Mason, so don't worry. We should just wait here." James sat down comfortably on one of the crate things, and fished through his bag.
Phoebe shrugged at Steven, who nodded at Gary, and they sat down. Why is there something in my head urging me to ignore James and get on with it???
**
I have to make it out of here… Sam thought desperately, the passageways strangely quiet as her sneakers pounded against the ground. Gary… oh, I have to apologize to him… Come on, I have to make it out of here.
"Oh, don't run away, Sam…" Sam turned around to face Archie (ugh, it's the creepy one) and Maxie. "The party's just begun." Maxie laughed.
On an impulse, Sam stepped backwards. "I'm not exactly a party girl, if you know what I mean."
Archie scoffed. "Do you want to make this easier or harder?" He asked, tossing a Pokeball up and down into the air.
"Hmm… what about I make this never?" Sam quipped, turning around to run. She cringed mentally when she came face-to-face with Maxie, who had circled around to block the other corridor.
"Ugh…" Sam mumbled. DAMN! No Pokemon, No Mason… god, I'm an idiot. I should've just stayed with Mason. No… No Gary! I AM SUCH AN IDIOT! If I didn't go with Skye in the first place, this never would've happened!
"Sam?" the world stood still as Sam caught sight of the person calling her name.
**
Oh, thank god I was right. Curse Mason for leaving her; curse James for overestimating Mason. Sam, you're safe. Gary was flooded with emotion (And he thought that seemed very strange for him) as he saw Sam. He inhaled. It was as if a huge weight on his chest had melted.
Sam's eyes were wide as she took in Gary's figure. Then she was reminded of the trouble surrounding her. "Gary, just go!"
"What?" Gary looked around – from his angle, he couldn't see Archie and Maxie.
"Camerupt, Fire Spin!" Maxie called out his Pokemon; at the same time, ordering it to attack Gary.
"No!" Sam's voice was drowned out by the roar of a Fire Spin.
"Blastoise; again! Hydro Pump!" Mason dashed out of nowhere and his Blastoise blocked Gary from the Fire Spin, creating a lot of mist.
Gary dashed towards Sam and grabbed her hand. "Come on, while we have the chance."
Wordlessly, Sam gripped his hand tighter – it was her way of saying that she was glad he was here… with her. Gary smiled to himself.
**
They had escaped.
Mason had a bruise on his knee from tripping on the stairs, but there they were: Mason and James, riding on Mason's Fearrow, Sam and Gary, and Phoebe and Steven sharing a Metang. "So…" James stretched out. "We did it."
Gary sighed. "You know what, if you say that again, I'm gonna pay Mason to push you off."
Sam laughed, and Gary had to smile a bit at that. Steven didn't miss that, but said nothing. Let's just let their destiny take its course.
"What do we do now?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, what should you two do?" Phoebe stared pointedly at Sam and Gary.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to battle Brawley. I mean, I caught a Taillow!" Sam grinned, excited. Mason had found her Pokemon in a secret room while he was undercover. "Thanks again, Mason."
Mason smiled back at her, and Gary realized that maybe Mason wasn't so bad. I mean, anyone could tell that the smile that he showed was genuine, and had no signs of love. The same was with Sam.
"I don't agree with that," Steven said. "Isn't that exactly what Maxie and Archie would think you to do?"
"Excuse me?" Sam said, her tone dangerous. "Are you actually suggesting that I stop battling Gyms?"
Steven shrank back, which made Phoebe, Mason and James laugh a bit. "No, no, actually, just, maybe… lay low for a while…" Steven knew it was hopeless. "Honestly, you could be kidnapped ten times and all you'd want is to battle."
Sam laughed a bit.
**
"Who was the imbecile who actually thought that there was nothing wrong with having a new recruit in the vicinity today, in the main lair?" Maxie hissed, staring out at the fifty-plus Magma recruits and the sixty-plus Aqua recruits who had been in the main lair today.
As Maxie suspected, everyone was silent. "Let me remind you that even though I am legions nicer than Archie, I can turn into your worst nightmare in a second." He let that sink in. "Dismissed."
**
They landed on soft, Dewford soil, Sam half-asleep. Gary smiled, and started to carry her bridal-style. He caught everyone staring at him as he reached out for her. "What?"
"And you told me they weren't dating yet!" James yelled pointedly at Phoebe.
"But they aren't!" she protested. She looked at Gary and Sam. "Are you?"
"NO!" Gary yelled defensively. Too defensively, if you know what I mean.
"There's no need to be defensive, Gary Oak," Steven reprimanded.
"Oh, just shut up, all of you." Gary leaned over and took Sam in his arms, smiling.
**
Sam woke up the next morning in the Pokemon Center, in a room. She slowly opened one eyelid to see Gary still in the room, walking around, kneeling down, then walking around again. "Gary?" she said slowly, sitting up on the bed.
"Hey!" Gary turned around and smiled at her. "How are you doing? Are you hungry? Do you feel okay? Do you have a headache?"
Sam was taken aback. What was with 'mother Gary'? "Are you feeling alright?" she said cautiously.
"No… in fact, now I'm continuously haunted by the fact that you might disappear – again – and I don't want that to happen!"
Sam blinked.
"I just want you to be safe," Gary said quietly, looking at the floor.
She sighed, and walked forward until she was right in front of Gary. Her face crumpled up, about to cry, then she threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, face buried in his chest. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm soooo freaking sorry!"
Gary softened immediately at her hug, and wrapped his arms around her. "You don't need to be-"
"Shut up with that crap, Gary!" Sam said, and a damp spot that Gary felt on his chest made him realize that Sam was crying. "I shouldn't have believed in Skye, I shouldn't have gone out with him, he's a jerk and I should've said yes to you!"
Gary patted her back as she started sobbing; before, he would've reveled at this (when he still hated her, that is) but now? He just wanted to comfort her.
"I missed you, Gary…," Sam whispered, voice muffled.
"What?" Gary asked again. He knew she said something about missing him, but there was no harm in making sure.
"I… missed… you…" she coughed. "Don't make me say it again."
He laughed. That felt… well… it felt like his heart had risen up somewhere. Sam tried to release herself from Gary's grip; after all, she had nothing left to say, but Gary held his arms firmly around her.
Confused, she looked up at him, and it almost tore him in two, watching her with her teary eyes and those tear streaks. Without a word, he removed one hand from her back and used his thumb to wipe her tears.
He smiled gently at her; Sam forgot how uncomfortable (and strangely, pleasant) the situation was and thought about how out of character Gary was.
"Gary, I…"
He shushed her as he leaned in so close to her face. Sam bit her lip. Is he going to… oh my gosh oh my gosh… When their lips were only inches apart…
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG
Surprised, Sam leaned backwards, and Gary missed his mark, if you understand. Taking advantage of the situation, Sam ducked out of his arms (feeling strange when she felt weird by doing that) and opened the door. She was greeted with the sight of Phoebe. "GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING!" she grinned.
"Why are you so happy?" Gary asked, grumbling. Sam looked at him, bit her lip, and turned in the opposite direction.
"Okay, guys, look. I finally convinced Steven that you can challenge the Gym here –"
"YES! Oh, thank you Phoe-"
"I'm not done yet," Phoebe said, almost sadly. "See, you have to wait for five days of no activity from Teams Magma and Aqua. He was gonna make it a month, but I begged him."
Sam sighed. "Well, I have to admit, it's better than one month. Thanks, Phoebe…" Sam smiled hugely at her.
Phoebe smiled back, and noticed Gary… in an emo corner, sulking. "What's wrong with him?"
Sam blushed. "Long story."
"I see." Suddenly, Phoebe's PokeNav vibrated. "Hello?"
Sam respected Phoebe's privacy and went over to Gary. "Gary? What's wrong with you?"
"I don't know." Gary said grumpily.
"Gary… stop doing this to me!" Sam pleaded. "Stop… confusing me… okay?"
"What?"
"Stop. It. I don't know what I feel right now, and you're not making it any better. So just… please stop confusing me."
She walked away, leaving Gary confused.
**
"I got it! I got it!" Amber squealed as she dove for the Frisbee. Then Arcanine snatched it out of the air before her very eyes. "Don't got it."
Topaz smirked – the only thing closest to a smile she could do. "Good girl, Arcanine!" Arcanine barked.
Phoebe had decided that since Sam would definitely be bored out of her wits for five days, she'd called all of the friend Sam had met (or Gary had met, in Amber and Topaz's case) for a beach party. Who-pee.
Sam lay down on a beach towel, soaking up the sun, listening to Phoebe's iPod, which she had borrowed. Can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my POOOOOKER FACE… She sung inside her head. The boys, being boys, were in the water, talking about girls.
"You've never tried your first kiss?" James stared incredulously at Mason and Gary. "GOD, you're missing out on a lot."
Mason rolled his eyes. "So tell me, James, what is it like?"
"It's like… ponies, and rainbows and chocolate ice cream mixed into one." James said dreamily.
"Let me guess," Gary said sarcastically. "You made out with a girl you met in a bar who ate chocolate ice cream, raised a farm of Ponyta, and had Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast."
James flushed. "HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"
Meanwhile, with Sam and the iPod, she found a song that was strangely annoying and yet addicting to her at the same time.
Cuz when I'm with him I am… thinking of you… thinking of you
Sam immediately looked at the screen. Thinking of You by Katy Perry. Not a bad song.
Amber and Topaz, who had taken an immediate liking to Sam the moment they met her, plopped themselves on the beach. "Gosh, who knew Frisbee could be so tiring," Amber said, fanning her face with her hand.
"No kidding." Topaz replied, swishing her long hair out of her face. Sam laughed.
"So… wanna have some quality girl time? You look like you need it," Amber pointed out, and reclined comfortably on the sand.
"I need a lot, thank you." Sam sighed and sat up so she could hug her knees and look out on the horizon.
"Tell me everything," Amber said sympathetically.
"Okay first, I start out with hating Gary's guts and everything about him and then I start liking him, even just a little, then enters Skye and I, heck, fell in love with him, sometime after that Gary and I started acting all weird and stuff since we entered this cutest couples contest thing and then we won second place and then we became almost like friends then I think maybe the next day he asked me out but then Skye came and then he asked me out so I said yes and then I felt all guilty cuz Gary stormed out and everything and then Skye fooled me, he betrayed me and my heart, and then I realize that maybe love isn't all that and then Gary rescues me, I feel something weird in my stomach, so I start thinking I have the flu but I don't, and then this morning he was just really weird, and being all concerned and stuff, and he freaking ALMOST KISSED ME and then Phoebe interrupted and then I felt all weird and stuff and now I don't know if I like Gary or not, because I don't want to be fooled again and I just don't want to-"
Topaz silenced Sam's rant with a finger. "Okay, the first part, Amber can handle that. But the second part, with the 'I don't know if I like Gary or not because I don't want to be fooled again' I can handle." Sam smiled a bit at that. "See, Skye didn't exactly leave you for another girl, right?"
"Uh-huh…" Sam nodded.
"He betrayed you for strictly business deals. Not matters of two-timing crap. That happened to me."
"What?"
"Both." Topaz scoffed. "Imagine what it feels like when you see your boyfriend –now ex- making out with another girl… while he's wearing a Team Rocket uniform. Can you get any faker?"
Sam winced.
"On the other hand, we got my sis Amber, who's got that icky-ugly fairytale happy ending. I think she'd want to tell you her story."
Amber giggled. "It actually has similarities with your story, Sam," she said, winking. "My best friend and I joined one of those things and then… they just fell into place."
"But you don't look happy about it," Sam commented.
"No…" Amber admitted. "In fact… it isn't anything like what Topaz described. And I don't have the courage to break up-"
"HEADS UP!" James' voice called to them. While the girls had been so immersed in love stories and whatnot, the boys had started playing ball. The wind had carried the inflatable beach ball over to Topaz's side, and too late, the ball bonked (Yes, I said bonked) Topaz in the forehead.
James rushed over to Topaz, hands in the air. "I didn't mean it! Honestly, I'm so sorry!"
Topaz rubbed her forehead, annoyed. "Sorry doesn't cut it, Evens, or what ever your name was."
Topaz looked up at the same time James looked down, and there was something as they locked eyes… just a little spark that James felt, but it was something. Amber gasped, and Sam realized that she noticed it too.
Was there such a thing as love at first sight? Maybe.
"I-I'm really sorry, Topaz, right? Um… It was my fault, really, the guys had nothing to do with it," he scratched his head sheepishly.
Topaz just stared. "No, no, I was just in the way…"
Amber coughed 'inconspicuously'. Topaz glared at her. "I'll just be go-going now…" James said quietly (first time since he showed up in the story) and walked back to the water.
James looked back just as he saw Topaz jump on Amber, shrieking, and he smiled to himself.
**
OKAY! So I have good news! Well, I don't know if its good news to others, but hey. I am going to start replying to your reviews, because I was just thinking that if I like getting replies from some authors, others should too.
And it seems OC's are falling in lurrrrrv… muhahaha. I should take the time to credit these OC's and their owners (who get cookies from me!)
Skylar 'Skye' Storne – Serpent's Ballet
James Evens – WolfSummoner93
Amber and Topaz Elm – thebeats
Mason Rider – Your Romeo
Julia Evergreen (don't worry if she just suddenly disappeared from the story. She'll be back) – Distant-Moon
These are the OC's yet to be featured.
Danielle 'Dani' Ayla – xEmilia
Lina Markson – MrMsMrs Random
COMMENTS ABOUT THE STORY NOW:
A lot of people said the Skye was… okay to put all of your comments in one whole word, it's 'mad-scientist'. And most of you were happy that 'pretty boy' was knocked out into next week. Who said maniacal?
OC's fall in love… that's something that might actually conflict in the future chapters. Steven's being harsh and protective at the same time, and we still haven't seen any action between him and Phoebe for some time.
WHO THOUGHT SAM AND GARY WERE GONNA KISS? Admit it, you'd all want that to happen, but it's waaaaay too early for that.
Patience is a virtue, friends.
Now just be patient for next week.
Jaa~