Dino had been training for years with his friends and Valerie, all in preparation for the day when he set out on his Pokemon journey.

But no amount of training could prepare him for all the times his friends were in danger.

"Dino..." Marina said. She was clearly trying not to move.

Dino grimaced. "I'll save you." he promised. How, now that was the question.

"So you choose her?" Kelsy asked.

"Yes-No! I mean- I need more time." Dino frantically tried to pull a solution out of his ass. But he couldn't see one where both Dwebble and Marina survived.

Kelsy pulled a gun out of her bag. "Have all the time you want, sweetheart."

"That gun." Dino said. "I recognize it. They're illegal."

"Really?" She asked "Who knew? I just know it's good for hunting Pokemon I'm not aloud to have."

Dino gritted his teeth. His only hope was that if he stalled, Topher and Allison would arrive and save them. "So you're a Pokemon Hunter. But Pokemon Hunters don't hurt Pokemon, they steal them. And these Pokemon are wild. Why steal them?"

Kelsy smiled. Her grin was all teeth. "You're a smart boy." she conceeded. "But I'm after a bigger prize."

Something clicked in Dino's head.

"Moltres. You're after Moltres."

Kelsy smiled. "He's been spotted nearby. And legend says that he appears to protect other Pokemon. So of I hurt enough of them, it'll appear."

Dino felt his blood boil. "You hurt all these Pokemon... Based on a legend?"

Kelsy shrugged. "My buyer is paying me an arm and a leg. Besides, their have been multiple Moltres sightings in the area. So the legend holds some weight."

"You can't have Moltres."

"Oh, but I can." Kelsy said. "And enough stalling. Time for you to choose."

Dino looked at Marina, who was struggling, and then at Dwebble, who had retreated into his shell.

"Can't you just shoot me and let them both go?" Dino demanded. "What's the point of this game."

"The point," she said "Is that I need more victims to summon Moltres, and just hurting them is boring. In a way, you could say that I'm stalling too. Now, who do you choose?"

One word. That's all Dino had to say, and then Marina eould be free. But Dino couldn't find his voice.

"Moltress!"

That wasn't his voice.

Topher awoke alone.

Everything came back to him at once. The drowning, the fight with Barbaracle, all of it.

"Allison! Bergmite!" Topher screamed. He tried to get up, but everything ached.

"Barbaracle!" Topher looked to the left.

There was Barbaracle, standing on one knee and holding out it's palm.

Topher jumped, then hissed at the pain.

"Bar!" Barbaracle put something in his lap.

Topher grabbed it warily. It was his blue Holocaster.

Topher noticed that a video was already loaded. He pressed play.

A holographic image of Allison appeared. "Hi Topher. " it said. "Went to find Dino and Marina. I've already used all my potions (and yours) on the injured Pokemon. I called officer Jenny already, she's on her way. The potions I gave them should hold them over till then. Also, don't worry about Barbaracle. After I healed everyone, he seemed to calm down. "

"End of message." the Holocaster said. "Play next message?"

Topher hit play. The next message was a recording of Bergmite fighting Barbaracle. Topher saw that Bergmite had learned Brine.

Topher looked down at the sleeping Pokemon at his side, then at Barbaracle.

Despite all that had happened, Topher couldn't keep a smile off his face.

"Moltres?" Allison demanded. "Ypu did all this for Moltres?"

Kelsy growled. "Who are you?"

"Just the girl who's going to kick your ass." Allison declared. At her side was a Slowpoke.

"Not likely." Kelsy said. "Scyther, Tangela, finish off- what?"

Kelsy's mouth dropped open as the both collapsed to the ground.

Allison smirked. "That's my Slowpoke's Hypnosis."

"Poke!" Slowpoke exclaimed.

Kelsy pointed her gun at Allison. "Don't move."

Allison put her hands up. "Now," Kelsy said. "Get on the ground."

"How about you take your own advice." Marina exclaimed. Kelsy turned around.

Marina grabbed the arm holding the gun and twisted it so the palm was facing upward. Kelsy cried out in pain and dropped the gun.

"Whoa." Dino breathed.

Marina then kneed Kelsy in the stomach. The girl collapsed.

Allison and Dino gawked at her. "H-how did you-" Dino stammered.

Marina blushed. "My brother taught me how to defend myself."

Allison's eyebrows retreated to her hairline. "I'll say."

Marina smiled sheepishly.

Suddenly, Dino heard a screech. They ran outside.

Flying overhead was the most majestic Pokemon Dino had ever seen. It's golden feathers seemed to radiate their own light, rather than reflect the setting sun's light. It's wings and back were basked in flickering flames that Dino couldn't take his eyes off of.

"Moltres!"

"You saw it? You're sure?" Topher asked.

Dino plopped down at the edge of the hospital bed. "Yep."

"That's impossible." Topher said. "You actually saw a legendary Pokemon."

"It's a good thing Marina beat the shit out of Kelsy." Allisin said, grinning at the girl in question. Marina turned red. "If she had won, she would

of actually got Moltres."

Marina nodded. "I think we all can agree that that would've been a disaster. Not that I'm trying to speak for you guys of anything."

"No, you're definitely right." Dino agreed. "Letting a psychopath like that have Moltres would be really bad. I'm glad it wasn't caught."

"Why do you think she wanted it in the first place?" Marina asked.

Allison shrugged. "She's a Pokemon Hunter. She probably wanted to sell it."

"I hope they catch whoever paid her to catch Moltres she or he ends up behind bars like her."

"Speaking of-"

"Bars?" Dino said. "Look Topher, we're finishing each other's sentences!"

"Dino..." Topher sighed. "I wasn't going to say bars. "

Dino pouted. "Oh."

"Dino, why would I-"

"Anyway, you were was saying?" Allison interrupted.

"What I was going to say was 'speaking of catching, guess what I caught while you guys were fighting Kelsy?'"

"Barbaracle?" Allison guessed.

Topher nodded. "Ding-ding-ding!" Dino exclaimed. "We have a winner!"

Allison punched Topher in the shoulder. "Ow!"

"Idiot." She said. "You were supposed to rest until Officer Jenny got there."

"Allison, I'm fine." Topher insisted. "I don't even know why I'm in this hospital-"

"You're here because I care about your health!" Allison argued.

"Thanks, but seriously Allison," Topher began to get up. "I'm fine."

Allison roughly pushed him back down. "Try to get up again and I'll have Marina restrain you."

"Wait- what?" Marina gulped

"Allison," Topher sighed. "You can't make someone restrain someone else."

"I'm not." Allison insisted. "She wants to help. Right Marina?"

"Don't bring Marina into this!"

The two of them began to bicker, which made Dino so happy he began to forget how terrible he felt.