'So someone is late again, huh?'

Ugh... Sorry, being punctual is way much harder than I thought (Being late for a week is unacceptable, I know.) There was like a long holiday and I didn't really have any chance to do the finishing touches of my story, as I was too carried away.

Anyway... Here it is, the 14th volume. (Lame introduction, I know.)

-Round 28: Haard to Catch

-Fuchsia City-

"Saffron City, here I come! I need to rest, though. I've been walking for like five straight hours here."

After taking a nap under a tree, Orange went to the eastern exit of the city. The Cycling Road is the fastest way up, but then he didn't have a bicycle. He had technically nothing to help him for general needs in his journey: no food, no tent, no transport; only a wallet, which is good enough as long as he keeps winning money from Gyms.

As soon as he came out of Fuchsia City, he barely saw a wild Pokémon in the dark which he wanted to catch.

"Aardark, FN004, Aardvark Pokémon. The first known Fakemon originated in Kanto which is a Dark-type Pokémon. It is hidden in the forests for centuries before being discovered by humans. Hmm... The forest is being extended, so they are finally discovered. But then... Why is it out here, so far away from its natural habitat?"

Orange stood silent for a while. "Nevertheless, I'll need it to help in battling the Psychic Gym in Saffron. Go, Bugpie! Use Gust!" Orange didn't want to knock it out with a single Silver Wind or with some other strong move.

After a few rounds, Aardark had about a quarter of its health left.

"Bugpie, use Sleep Powder!"

Aardark fell asleep, but then at the same time it curled up into a ball.

"Go, Ultra Ball!"

The ball was far off the target.

"Go, Poké Ball!"

The ball was a bit nearer.

"Ugh... Bugpie, use Gust on the Poké Ball!"

The ball was blown to the direction of Aardark and hit it.

But it broke free.

"... Let me try again with a Great Ball."

Orange repeated the same move. The Great Ball was at about the same distance as the Poké Ball, just to the left rather than to the right. Butterfree then used Gust again to catch Aardark.

But it broke free again.

"Hmm... Something to do with the Vital Spot. Aardark curves itself inside so that it can protect itself from danger. This protective mechanism probably works due to the fact that its vital part is located beneath its body. I'll have to wait for it to wake up then. But how do I turn it upside down so that I can hit it with a Poké Ball... or at least let my Pokémon hit it with a Poké Ball? I can't attack it anymore, it will faint!"

Aardark woke up. Orange thought for a while.

"I know how. Go, Geosnake, use Dig! Hold that Ultra Ball in your mouth!"

Aardark used Protect, which basically meant that it curled back into a ball.

"That's a bummer. Geosnake! Wait for a while! Go, Neucle, go to that honey tree! Take an ant here!"

Neucle went to take an ant for Aardark. Aardark uncurled itself to feed on the ant.

"Geosnake, use Dig!"

Geosnake came out, mouth with the Ultra Ball out first, hitting Aardark on the black stripe of its body.

"... Yes! I caught it!" Orange cheered. "But still... Why did it wander away from its habitat? Is it that the forests are getting evacuated as the Pal Park is being extended?"

Orange thought for a while.

"Something is wrong with what they think, according to their slogans of saving the Viridian Forest. It must be very hungry after coming out, or else that one single ant wouldn't let it lose its vigilance."

Orange healed it with a Super Potion.

"Here, Aardark, you must be hungry." Orange went to the honey tree, letting Aardark to feed on the ants.

"Hmm... You're quite a caring trainer." A woman said. "I sure hope that you will always stay like this."

"Sure I will!" Orange replied.

"Your Aardark... It sure looks like it has undergone quite some torture... Probably because of the destruction of the forest..."

'So I was right, the extension was a problem...' Orange thought. "I'll bring it to the Pokémon Center."

"Good. I hope that the evacuation can be halted one day... My name is Barbara, and yours?"

"I'm Orange, nice to meet you."

Barbara looked at Aardark, and sighed.

"Umm... How do you know that the forests are in trouble? I mean, I could guess it, but then I couldn't be a hundred percent sure of it." Orange asked.

"Oh, well..." Barbara paused for a while before continuing, "I was a part during the extension, which I now regret myself for participating in. They extended the Pal Park for wealth. They think that discovering new species and showing them to public is a good way to preserve them, or at least this is how it seems. This renders these wild Pokémon to be caught."

"But didn't they extend Pal Park to save the Viridian Forest?"

"That's just their propaganda. Of course I'm not saying that all of them are evil, as I know even a lot of the workers believe that what they think their doing is preservation. I hope to let them know what they are actually doing some day, and with that they have to understand the need to stop this soon."

"Okay." Orange replied. "Well I have something to do, so bye!"

"See you." Barbara said. 'I know I will.'

Barbara stood there, seeing Orange walk into the distance. She had something in her mind going on. She held onto a piece of paper tightly.

'I'll tell them that they are wrong. Believe me. I can do it. Rest in peace, grandpa.'

-Round 29: Evil Intentions-

-Viridian Forest-

"Drafrostus, Use Ice Beam!"

"Wigglable, Dazzling Gleam!"

"You three really think you can win with these Pokémon and moves? Pathetic kids... Completely overestimating themselves..."

A huge tornado whooped up, with thunderstorms tearing down from the sky. Few Pokémon trainers in history has the power to produce such a phenomenon in a place where the sun was shining harshly a minute ago.

Powered up by the remnants of the Viridian Forest, the forces were still incomparable to the one executed against a single 11-year-old 'boy' then, however. The former champion was undeniably getting old, just like a lot of the other legends in the past.

"We've heard about you, and it's our job to get you. This tornado may be strong, but our intentions will not be blown. Get ready my allies. Kyler! Lawrence!"

"Blizzard!"

"Draco Meteor!"

"Moonblast!"

-Pallet Town-

Cyan sighed. He knew that they have to apologise to one another and be friends again...

But how is he supposed to find Orange?

'If I hadn't smash the Pokéspecs... If I had been a bit more considerate to his feelings... I would have been able to find him.'

Cyan went into his room, placing his Pokédex on his desk. He sat on his bed. In front of him was a photograph taken when Orange and him were much smaller. It was before Orange took for quite a long leave to Hoenn to take part in the Battle Factory. They were on the beach at the southern part of the peaceful town.

Cyan laid onto his bed, facing up and looking at the ceiling blankly. After some time he unintentionally went to sleep.

A door knock woke him up. The door then opened.

"... Cyan, my darling... I know that something happened..."

"... Mum..."

"Well, there is a way to find Orange. Although I don't know exactly how fast he is in battling... Let's go to Saffron City. I'll bring you to someone I know that will be able to help."

Blue then brought Cyan there by her Jiggly. After an hour or so of flying they have reached their destination. They still needed another half an hour to pick the right condominium from the hundreds of them, built to overcome severe overpopulation problems in the city.

At least they were walking, though. Since there was renovation work at the north entrance of the city tens of thousands of vehicles are forced to drive at the second major road everyday, which is an exit from Route 7. This means a three-hour traffic. Fortunately Route 5 was being widened during the renovation.

"Ow... My ears are sore..."

"Aha! There it is, 53F-21!"

Blue rang the doorbell. "Hello! Sabrina!"

"Oh, great, just when I thought I could get a good rest from all those acting in Unova..."

Sabrina opened the door. "What do you want?" She said in a deep, unfriendly voice like she always did.

"Oh, come on! You're retired now! Relax!"

"... You really should use your brain to think before you speak. Anyway, what's the big idea?"

Cyan then told Sabrina what happened to him and Orange.

"I brought him to ask you if you can help us find Orange." Blue said.

"... Looks like I can't say no, can I?"

Sabrina used her psychic powers to pin down Orange's location.

"He's somewhere around Fuchsia City... Or to be more accurate, he is going away from the eastern exit."

"That means... He has just defeated the fifth gym! He is on his way here to challenge the sixth gym!" Cyan said delightfully.

"So he is that fast... Even faster than his dad." Blue said softly, with a smile on her face. "But then, no matter how fast he is, it will still take him like three hours here, at least."

"I can't keep two people in company here for three hours, so get lost."

-Viridian Forest-

The sky got even darker. The power got gradually stronger, but it was about to reach its limit.

"Dragonite, use Dragon Pulse! My Dragonairs, Hyper Beam!" Lance ordered.

The Pokémon of the trio was dramatically weakened by the moves. However, they weren't afraid of that: they have quite some spare Pokémon.

The match was thoroughly unfair, 4 Pokémon to 18. It's a matter of when the 4 tire out.

-Somewhere in Viridian Forest-

'The machines are good...' Magenta thought, checking if there was any single flaw in it. Not too much of a task for her, just that she wasn't in the mood of doing anything.

'Boss... Isn't there another way? Didn't you tell us there was? Something about the Wigglable's egg? Why... why do you want to fulfill your dream like this?'

Magenta went to see the third and fourth column of the machine. They were left to be unconscious, trapped in the glass chambers.

'Why... did Boss want to do this to them?'

Magenta then looked at the blueprint of the machine. She stunned for a while. For a few months until now she is still awed by the whole plan. Everything was logically connected, and sadly, flawless.

Tomorrow's the big day. Boss told her to get some rest. After the third person is down there are only two more to go. And she is going to be the one who captures them. After that then it is when the machine can be activated.

But she decided to go for another gym badge, bringing her closer to her own dreams.

And Orange.

She went away, thinking deeply about the blueprint.

'49, 39, 29, 19, 9...'

'For: Lydia...'

Sorry again for my laziness. I will still put the expectation date to prevent myself from being too late.

Expectation date: 31 July

Finally the long forgotten Pokédex entries are back! (Believe me, I didn't mix up an aardvark with a pangolin. I really didn't. Okay, fine, maybe a little bit.)

Pokédex Entries

FN004: Aardark -Aardvark Pokémon-

Type: Dark

Height: 1' 7" (0.48 m)

Weight: 16.5 lbs (7.5 kg)

Ability: Scaly Skin

Entry: The first known Fakemon originated in Kanto which is a Dark-type Pokémon. It is hidden in the forests for centuries before being discovered by humans.

IMPORTANT NOTICE (of excuses)

I'm very sorry that I didn't announce the discontinuation of the story after almost a year since I last updated it. Too many things have changed and life has never been the same ever again, thanks to the following reasons:

1. Migration: In August 2016 I was drastically shocked by my mother that we were going to migrate from Malaysia to Hong Kong. She found who she said was her fiancé there, and we were going there in September. My mind went blank, and I didn't know how my life would go on after losing so many of my friends. It was almost until the last minute when she broke up with him, and it was all because of me, and I don't wish to explain that. But at least life went back to normal after that... well, sort of.

2. IMO: I was so thrilled to receive a letter that I was invited to participate in the IMO camp. It was the first time ever that they invited students in independent schools (something like private schools). In the past they only chose to invite students in government schools. Since that day (somewhere in October) I practised maths very hard, was in big joy of getting into the top 6 of my country... before I got kicked out from the Malaysian team in April due to nationality reasons as I was still holding a Japanese passport although holding a Permanent Residency in Malaysia.

3. SPM: This is an examination in Malaysia similar to the O-level in standard. I am currently in Form 5 (Year 11) and I will be sitting for this exam in this November, and therefore I need to study hard for it. It is, well, perhaps the most important examination in my, and almost every single Malaysian high school student's, entire life after all.

4. Relationship status: Erm... well... basically chatting with a girl takes up quite a lot of time...

But actually the biggest reason is...

5. The plot: Well as you can see the plot of this story is indeed quite complicated at times, but I could always keep track by noting what cliffhangers I have used in the story. However I lost track on my own story due to reasons 1 and 2. That's why I need to revise the whole story if I ever want to continue to write my story. But this is very challenging for me due to reasons 3 and 4, as well as a declining of interest in me towards Pokémon Special, not only this story but the manga as well.

However I recently heard that Volume 53 was going to be released, so I guess I should do something too. Nevertheless, this has been the longest story that I have persisted on since I was much younger, and it is a shame if I don't finish it (plus it is so close to reach its climax), so I am planning to continue writing the story again in December after my SPM. Now I'll just cross my fingers that I don't break my promise again.