And we're back. Enjoy.

Faiga-Lani- Glad to hear that you're interested. Hopefully, this chapter will manage to keep that interest going.

Shadechaos- Thank you.

FredandGeorgetwinsoftheCOCA- Glad to hear such interest from a reviewer. You're pretty much on target with your guesses. FEATHERSTEP will be explained later. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Firehedgehog- Continue, I shall.

Female Heero Yuy- Yeah, that was a mistype. He's supposed to be ten, like in the cartoon.

MirthfulJoltofAdventure- Nice to hear that I've made it up to someone's personal favorite.

Uber Spoonz- As am I, Uber Spoonz. As am I.

DpWolfinson- Of course not. I wouldn't leave a story hanging like that.

Aragon- Glad you think so.

Dizzy Tech- A good question. In total, about three weeks have passed, give or take a few days. As for the parents, well, I'll explain that in a future chapter.

Shewhodanceswithdragons- Let me put it this way: Ben and Gwen are inseparable.

Ok, guys, Chappa.

Bounty Hunters and Bagel Munchers

He never saw the attack coming.

-----------------

"S-Sargon!" Gwendolyn struggled to speak in the presence of one of the greatest Phantalin to ever live.

"It has been a long time, young one." Sargon the Wise turned back to gaze at the giant serpent. "I am almost surprised to see you." he ran a hand over the side of the beast's jaw, a sadness about his manner.

"Almost?" The researcher couldn't help but ask. "You knew I was coming?"

"But of course." He replied simply. "There is little that may hide itself from me." He faced her once more. "I know why you have come."

"Then you'll let me go?" Her eye glanced back and forth. Sargon stroked his beard once more.

"I will overlook that you have broken your banishment," He said at length, his voice remaining monotone. "If you leave the planet immediately."

"But I-" she tried to protest.

"I know of your informant, the great Seer Yii." Sargon cut her off. "He no longer lives." Gwendolyn gasped in surprise.

"W-What?" She stuttered. "How?"

"Surely you feel it." The Ancient gestured to the world around them. "It is in the very atmosphere." He stared off into the distance. "The pure essence of insanity…"

"Is that what's causing the serpents to go nuts?" Gwendolyn stared up at the frozen colossus.

"It is not just the serpents." Sargon explained. "The entirety of the planet is caught in the influence of the psionic energy coming off of that monster of yours." His eye narrowed. "And on a planet full of psychics, the very gasses that make up this world quickly become charged conduits for the madness."

"It was a domino effect….." the green-eyed Phantalin realized. "Once the serpents caught wind of the energy, they went into a frenzy and spread it…."

"Not only did they spread it, they amplified it." The orange-eyed Ancient clarified. "There are few of us left who remain unaffected." The serpent suddenly lurched forward, before the Ancient whipped around and held out his hand, freezing the giant once more. Sargon grunted slightly with effort. Gwendolyn's eye widened in concern.

"Are you-"

"Enough of this prattle." Her elder interrupted her for a second time. "My power is not unlimited, we must return to your transport." He held his hand out to the side, several Phantalin appearing as he did, most of them children. The two who were old enough to properly harness their powers immediately moved to help Sargon hold the Serpent back.

"Who are these guys?" Gwendolyn demanded.

"We're the only ones left." One of the children answered, sadness written across its features.

"They were fortunate enough to be in my presence when the madness struck; I was able to protect no one else." Sargon's head hung slightly. "Now take us to your ship."

Gwendolyn had no choice but to comply.

----------------------

Jimmy was not a morning person. Never had been, never would be. Anyone, besides his sister, who ever woke him up before he wanted to wake up would usually find themselves with an earful of foul language and a ringing headache.

As it was, a high-speed, low-radius hunter missile impacting right below the rear-left axle of the train car, sending it spinning over itself across the ground, landing upside down, was not a good way to start the morning. Nor was a good way to get on Jimmy's good side.

"Uhg….." The blonde rubbed his head as he sat up, checking for blood. "Everyone alright?" he called to the other two.

"I'm good!" His sister answered, laying upon the ceiling-floor, slightly dazed. "Pen?"

"What the bleedin' heck was that?" the parka-clad girl coughed, grasping her left arm tightly to her side. Jimmy glanced at her injury, then turned his attention to the darkness outside the broken windows.

"I'd say it was a warning." he muttered to himself, brushing bits of glass from his clothes, before helping his sister up and removing shards from her in a similar fashion.

"What do you mean, warning?" Penelope grimaced as she stood, still clutching her arm. She shook her head to dislodge any glass in her hair.

"Well, some bounty hunters like a bit of sport." Jen supplied, shrugging, before noticing the British girl's arm. "Oh man, are you ok?" She reached out to examine the brunette.

"Oh no!" the shorter girl back stepped out of reach, suspicion all over her features. "What's all this about bounty hunters? You lot got a price on your 'eads?" she half accused, half asked.

"Well," Jimmy chuckled, turning to the windows once more. "It's not on my head, per say." he lifted up his left arm, a large bulge under the sleeve, about wrist level. "But I do fight off the occasional bad-guy." He glanced back at her arm again. "By the way, your shoulder's dislocated."

"Duh." Jenny rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "I'm pretty sure she noticed already." Her face became concerned once more as she addressed the other girl. "Is it ok if I take a look?" she asked gently. "I know some first aid." After a moment Penelope hesitantly nodded.

"How bad is it?" she hissed through clenched teeth as the black-haired girl slowly rotated her arm this way and that.

"It probably feels worse that it actually is." The female twin frowned. "What's the situation, James?"

"I'd say the hunter is either an amateur," Jimmy tilted his head to the side, looking up at where the missile hit. "Or he's average and really overconfident." Jenny tugged Penelope's parka off to get a better look at her shoulder.

"What's our window?" She asked, placing her palm on the injured shoulder. "Sorry, Pen, this is really gonna hurt."

"GAAAHHH!" Penelope shouted in pain as the taller girl forced the shoulder and arm back into realignment. Jenny let out another 'Sorry!' as the girl continued gasping in agony.

"Now that he knows we're alive in here?" Jimmy rubbed his ears. "I'd say we have about a minute before he decides to come in after us." he assessed. "And about five before the local law comes in to check out the explosion."

"Great." his twin remarked sarcastically, pulling a shirt from her backpack and fashioning it into a makeshift sling for the injured girl. "I just love it when the odds are stacked against us." She then hung Penelope's parka back around the girl's shoulders. "You'll be back in full working order in a week or two."

"Now that we've dealt with that," The shorter of the twins cut in. "I think it's time we left." He ducked through the window, stopping before he was completely out. "Don't worry about the hunter, Jen and me will get rid of him."

"Are you joking?" the brunette looked offended. "You really expect me to sit back and let someone else take care of the prick who shot my 'ome?" The twins exchanged glances, before speaking at the same time.

"Yep."

"Absolutely." Penelope scoffed at the idea.

"Not a chance." She put her good hand on her hip, wincing slightly as her left arm shifted. Jimmy turned to his sister.

"Are you sure she doesn't have a head injury, too?" He ignored the indignant 'Hey!' from the girl he was referring to.

"I didn't think so….." Jenny peered closely at her. "But, maybe I should check again."

They weren't given a chance to discuss it further, as they were interrupted by the sound of a laser charging.

-----------------

"Shots fired, sir!" Commander Morrigan reported into his headset whilst he sped towards the area of the explosion. "En Route now, ETA is forty-five seconds."

"I'll be along as fast as I can." Meex answered back, unable to keep up with the high-speed lizard. "If you see Ben, stall for time, but do not engage him." She ordered. "Repeat: Do not engage; We don't want to aggravate him."

"Copy that, sir."

------------

"Aw, man! This is AWESOME!" Carl Westhaven sighed in annoyance as the young man in the passenger seat of the police car continued to ramble excitedly.

"They just had to saddle me with the rookie…" he muttered to himself, before addressing his new partner. "Settle down, son. This ain't no picnic."

"Are you kidding?" The exuberant officer laughed, continuing to bounce up and down in his seat like a four year-old. "The call said it was an explosion!" he giggled. "This is just like the movies!"

"Don't get you hopes up, Jones." Carl shook his head. "I've seen everything you can see in this city; there's nothing anywhere near the movies going on." He shrugged, raising one hand from the wheel. "It's probably just some punks with a buncha fire crackers." This did little to calm Jones down. If anything, he seemed even more excited.

"Sweet!" his voice was exceptionally high for a man. "You think they'll resist arrest? Will I get to use my gun?" he stopped bouncing, glancing back and forth nervously. "'Cause, I got no problem using my gun."

"I sincerely doubt it." Carl droned, wishing for the night to be over. "The chances of that are about one in a…. in a….." the middle-aged cop trailed off in mid sentence, in shock over the scene before him.

Some sort of black and purple…… creature, clad in what looked like ancient demonic armor, was firing rapidly at two small, quick blurs with a gun that was bigger around than Carl himself. Both the creature and the weapon were unlike anything Carl had ever seen, leaving him in a stupor. That is, until the behemoth fired a wild shot that melted the windshield of the squad car. The officer's training took over as he leapt from the vehicle.

"Call for backup!" he ordered the rookie, drawing his pistol and emptying the clip at the monster. Most of the bullets hit, and subsequently bounced off of, the creature's armor. The attack did, however, gain its attention. The next thing he knew, Carl was staring down the glowing barrel of a laser cannon.

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Dwee-Dwee………. Dwee-Dwee………Dwee-Dwee

Click.

"This is Torgon…….. Of course, Daverik. I'll send a pickup team……. He's developing his powers nicely…….. Oh?…….. Certainly…….. Torgon out."

Click.

Swoosh.

"Yes?"

"Who was that?"

"Daverik."

"You mean-"

"Yes. He's located Ben."

--------------

"Oh my……."

There is a hormone in the human body called adrenaline. This chemical, which is rarely found outside the planet Earth, is an exceptionally powerful stimulant. It enhances a human's strength, speed, ability to react, and, some say, even the senses. Even today we do not know the full extent of what it can do. It has been speculated that adrenaline can even unlock unused parts of the human brain. (1)

It was this mysterious and powerful chemical that was rushing through Carl Westhaven's veins. And, as he stood at the precipice of his own death, in the form of a Kleston Slow-Burn Manual Fire Laser-Cannon, this chemical would not allow him to go quietly.

In a maneuver that would surprise even the most experienced tacticians, the overweight cop threw his gun down the barrel of the giant weapon and drew his nightstick, making a diving roll to the right. The building charge in the cannon detonated prematurely as the gun hit it, causing the behemoth to drop it shock and stumble back a step.

"Alright, ugly!" Carl shouted at the monster as he twirled his nightstick expertly.

"Bring it on!" The giant responded to his challenge immediately, charging at him with a wild punch. The officer spun to the side, hitting the massive fist with his nightstick and driving it off course. Not wasting a moment, he went on the offensive, rushing around behind the monster and leaping onto its back, prying off one of the pieces of armor. The bounty hunter screeched in anger as it tried to shake the human off of itself.

"In accordance with Galactic Law 2-7-B-9-13," Carl raised his nightstick, driving it into the monster's weak point. "You are under arrest!" The giant cried out one last time, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

-----------------

Jimmy screeched to a halt as the cop brought down the monster, holding out a hand to stop his sister. She, in turn, held out a hand to stop Penelope. The brunette tried to shake the other girl's hand off, but Jen's grip was strong as steel. She glared at her captor, who slowly shook her head from side to side.

"Westhaven….." The girls looked to Jimmy as he whispered the name, eyes wide. He turned to face them. "We need to leave, now!" The pupils of his eyes had shifted into slits.

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(1)- That may or may not be true.

Well, it took a while, but it's up. I've been having some computer 'issues'. Not problems, per say, but, suffice to say, they have been a big contributor to the delay.

Hopefully, the next chapter will take less time.

Also, if you like pokemon, be sure to check out my newest fic.