To Wait For

Hot air blanketed the night like coal. It was not a still night. Like the oncoming tide, the air crept through the grove slowly, cautiously, deliberately; as if it were guided by some terrible force. It was aware. The air marched onwards, unimpeded by pebble or mountain; it cast its sickly spell over all it touched.

The man in black moved through the oppressive air, unfazed by its grip and majesty. He stalked his prey silently, movements muffled by the enormity of his task. The man in black was a ghost, a gaunt phantom, an apparition that was compelled by a single mission. The man in black reached his destination.

It was a well: an ancient structure, used pulled life from the ground. A long time ago it had been hermitage in the sea of trees that stretched across the land, but now it lay in ruin. The water had become undrinkable, tainted by poison. In a way it still served the same purpose. It still pulled life from the ground.

The man in black watched the men periodically emerge from the well, transporting their cargo under the guise of night. They were of no concern. They did not matter. He was an observer, and he knew they would all be gone soon.

The man in black never regretted his choices, good works always require a sacrifice.

The man in black waited. The time was approaching and he would see that everything happened the way he wanted it to happen…

"Breakfast time Mark," called out Janet. "Just a minute," Marcus called back. He turned down the volume on the video-phone. The conversation had lasted much longer than he had anticipated; this was going to cost him a lot. Marcus didn't care. He had just received the money his bank was supposed to send him a while ago and he felt like he could take on the world.

"Mark, what are you- oh!" Janet said, walking in on his video-call.

"And who is this?" asked Sarah as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just his cousin: Janet," Janet reassured Sarah. The two put their hands next to the camera's and pretended to shake hands.

"I have to go to breakfast now, we'll talk more later," Marcus blurted out quickly, desperate to end the call.

"I should have been at work twenty minutes ago anyways," Sarah said reluctently, "It was nice meeting you Janet, we'll have to talk when you all get here."

"Eight right?" Marcus whispered.

"See you then… goodbye you two," Sarah said with a wink. The screen faded out in an instant.

"Did Mark just get himself a date?" Janet teased. Marcus went red.

"Me and Sarah are just friends," he replied sternly.

"Really," Janet rolled her eyes, "We're both adults, you don't have to hide your secret girlfriend."

"Girlfriend! We haven't even gone on a date yet," Marcus declared frantically. As much as he liked Sarah, he really, really didn't want to talk about sex with Janet.

"Whatever, you tiger you," Janet teased, "I saw those handcuffs-"

"-No, no, no, she's a police officer!" he cried out.

"Well, are we going to get breakfast or what?" Tracy asked.

"Mark was too busy talking to his special 'friend'," Janet told her.

"Oh really," Tracy said with a smug smile, "I bet it was that cop."

"I'll be heading off to breakfast now," Marcus stated.

"Don't think this is over Mark!" Janet called after him, "You can't hide from Janet!"

"It's going to be a beautiful day," declared Janet enthusiastically. "Not that it matters, since we're gonna be stuck in a cave all day" Tracy pointed out. "That will be 211.49$," the receptionist said. "I'll get this," Marcus said with pride, "The bank gave me my money yesterday."

Marcus proudly showed the receptionist his badge and handed over his pokedex. "A badge huh, I'll just take out the meals then," the receptionist muttered. Tracy slipped her own badge case to the receptionist. "I think we're good here," Tracy said confidently. The receptionist opened Tracy's badge case and handed it back to her with a smile. "Have a nice day," the receptionist cheerfully said.

"Wait, you have badges?" Marcus queried. "You're not the only trainer around here," Tracy said smugly, "How do you think I've been earning money this whole time?"

Marcus was perplexed. "Why wouldn't she tell me?" he asked himself. You must have a lot of badges to get the whole stay for free," Janet gushed. "I have enough," Tracy stated coolly, "Come on, Marcus can buy us torches." "Torches?" Marcus wondered aloud. "Flashlights whatever," Tracy replied with contempt.

Marcus shuffled awkwardly, trying to think of way to address the problem that plagued his mind. "Listen Tracy…" he said. "I didn't say anything to Janet… about last night," Tracy said quickly. She had sensed his question. "And I thought I was the only psychic here," Marcus thought. "Thank you," he whispered. "Well my bowels are empty and I'm ready to go!" Janet yelled."Let's head off then," said Tracy.

"Come on out Laura, Charles and uh… wooper," commanded Marcus. His three pokémon came out in a flash and stretched there bodies. "Wooper?" asked Janet. "I'm naming him Harry," said Tracy picking up the wooper. "It's adorable Marcus, where did you get it?" squealed Janet. The water/ground-type smiled as the girls coddled it.

"I get to name him, he's mine!" Marcus told them. They took no notice to his obnoxious whining. "Aw, Harry likes it, yes he does," cooed Tracy as she handed him to Janet.

"Time to come out Nidorino!" Tracy said. The angry pokémon came out. "His name is... uh Jerome!" Marcus bellowed. "Ugerome, that has to be the stupidest name I've ever heard," said Tracy. "He was supposed to be mine," Marcus pointed out, "and I said Jerome." "Fair enough, Jerome it is," Tracy said. "I guess I could let magnemite out too," Janet said. "That's everyone," said Marcus, "Now let's go!"

The group shuffled along, separating into little clumps by the time they reached the cave. Blackjack and the humans were in the back, Jerome was in the middle and the rest of the pokémon were in the front. Janet taped a flashlight to her magnemite and let the pokémon-clump go on ahead in the cave.

"It's dark in here," said Harry. "Yeah it sure is," Laura agreed. "Please tell us more about yourself," said Charles. The water/ground-type smiled. "I lived in a pond, then I ate something sharp, then I was here," stated Harry.

"What was it like in the pond?" asked Charles. "There was lots of water," stated Harry with the same dopey grin plastered on his face. "Uh… okay," said Laura. She looked at Charles. "He's dumb," whispered Laura. "There's no need to be rude," Charles whispered back, "Please tell us more about it."

"Are you guys my new friends?" the wooper asked. "Yes!" chirped magnemite in his own special way. "Yeah, sure we are," said Laura. "Yay!" Harry cried out. "It is good to have a new team member," said Charles. "Yeah especially if it's not that stupid thief," said Laura out of spite. "Who's the thief?" inquired Harry. "That ugly guy back there," said Laura. Jerome walked alone between the two clumps.

"I like him, he looks nice," declared Harry. "Well you shouldn't, he's an evil pokémon," Laura told Harry. "Oh, I don't like him, he looks evil," Harry said. "Don't say that, we cannot say that one is evil just because one does evil things," Charles said, "He was a criminal by necessity, not by choice." Harry looked confused. "Huh? I don't get it," Harry moaned. "It doesn't matter, he's a criminal and criminals are bad!" Laura growled, "That's what mommy said." Charles sighed and continued onwards.

The group eventually stopped for lunch. It was an odd experience eating underground, but the spelunking had made the sandwiches taste much better.

"You should eat if you want to keep up your strength," Blackjack told Jerome. "I can get my own food," Jerome snorted derisively, "I don't need charity, old man." "I guess my old man memory is faulty, I seem to recall beating a nidorino who stole some food just a couple days ago," Blackjack retorted. "That was just luck!" Jerome shouted, "There's no way a pet like you could beat me!"

Jerome charged Blackjack with a peck. Blackjack easily dodged his attack and pinned the nidorino. "There is always someone better than you," Blackjack told the squirming Jerome. Jerome kicked his legs furiously, trying to throw off his oppressor. Eventually he stopped squirming and Blackjack let Jerome stand up again. "There we go, that wasn't so hard," Blackjack ragged. "Whatever," snorted Jerome.

"It isn't so bad, Tracy makes you hunt for your own food most of the time so you'll be as independent as ever," Blackjack told him. Jerome scowled at Blackjack. "Looks like it's time to go," said Blackjack, "I suggest you get to know the others. You'll be travelling with them for a while."

The nidorino continued to glare at Blackjack as he walked away. He may not have liked him very much, but he certainly respected him. The magnemite, wooper and spinarak approached him. "I may as well," Jerome thought.

"I got that, but how does it work without wires?" Tracy asked. "Well its ionized so when an electric field is induced by my magnemite, the ions…" Janet continued her rant, but Marcus tuned her out.

Darkness and tight spaces make many people feel uncomfortable. Marcus was not one of those people. It made him feel at peace. Marcus pondered the mysterious man in black. "Who was he? Why did he hide his face from me?" Marcus asked himself. He felt as if he would meet him again very soon. In a way he was right.