Pokémon

Hello everybody. How are you? I'm really happy right now because it is SNOWING! Yayy. And I went to see the premiere showing of Harry Potter yesterday morning at 12am. It was great. And I have decided it is time to update. And to shineon98 I am very sorry =.=" I said before I fail at updating regularly. Thanks to who reviewed!

Chapter # 21 – Just Go

"I know who you really are…" They paused for a while for dramatic effect, and even though the blue-haired girl kept her brave face, her heart rate picked up just a little bit as the word she didn't want to hear spilled out.

"Alex."

Roxy stiffened on the spot, turning defensive to protect her identity. "What are you talking about? Don't you know how absurd you sound?" She was unshackled so she could turn face to face with the culprit, and was not surprised of whom it was. She narrowed her teal orbs at the boy, daring him to prove her wrong. "Gary, right?"

The brunette laughed lowly. "Oh, come on, my little Lexi. I always knew when you were lying. Remember?"

Flashback

It was a clear day like usual for the folks of Pallet Town, the sky bright but sprinkled with fluffy white shapes. A little Alex Summers was running and laughing as her best friend ran after her. They were playing tag, taking turns running after the other, and at the moment Gary was 'it'. They didn't have a care in the world. Alex was looking over her shoulder for a single moment when she ran into something, sending her toppling to the ground.

"Alex Roxanne Summers, where have you been? It's almost time for your uncle to leave and you weren't here to spend any time with him." Her stepmother scolded, hauling the young girl onto her feet and brushing the invisible dirt from the petit, red dress she was forced into wearing. She turned to Gary and smiled. "Hello, dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Summers." He answered automatically.

A man strode over to the accumulated group. He was wearing a navy suit and dress shoes, and had slicked back, shoulder-length auburn hair and pitch black eyes. A small smile appeared on his face as he approached the young girl. "It's fine, Melinda. Hello there, Alex." He greeted, pulling her into an awkward, uncomfortable hug. Ryan wasn't far behind the man, getting gathered in the embrace as well.

"Oh. Hello, Uncle," Alex said as she moved back beside Gary, giving the man a small smile. She fidgeted with the necklace around her neck. "Where's Aunt Suzie?"

"You're Aunt couldn't make it down today. She said maybe next time, alright?" Her uncle explained.

"Oh, okay." Alex clasped her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her heels, feeling the jade leaves tickle the undersides of her feet.

"But I'll tell you what, I'm pretty sure there's somebody in the back yard that wants to see you."

"Oh boy!" Ryan immediately exclaimed, taking off like a bullet.

Alex smiled again. "Thank you, Uncle." She took her best friend's wrist and dragged him along with her. She sighed when they were a ways away.

Gary frowned at the back of the girl's head. "Why don't you like your uncle?"

"What makes you say that I don't like him?" She asked, stopping along the edge of her house and sliding down the panels to the ground, drawing her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. Gary mimicked her, except stretched his legs out as far as he could, which wasn't far. They could hear the cheerful cries of Ryan and multiple pokemon playing just around the corner as they sat.

Gary looked at her face, though she was staring straight ahead, her bottom lip in the tiniest of pouts. "Because I can always tell when you're lying. I don't know how they don't notice, I mean, it's so obvious."

"Is not!" She countered, punching him on the arm. He pretended to be hurt and she giggled. "Oh yeah, well how can you tell?"

"When you don't like somebody or you're trying to hide something, you give them a really fake smile. It's not at all like your real smile. And you start playing with that." He pointed to the piece of jewelry clasped around her neck. "Plus when somebody asks you about it, you answer with a question, which you don't usually do. Face it, Lexi. I'll always be able to tell when you're not telling the truth. I'd be able to spot you from a mile away. I am your best friend, after all."

End Flashback

Roxy shook her head into action, but it was like a machine that sputtered and stalled. "W-well then," she stuttered. "Let's say, hypothetically, I am this Alex you speak of. Why are you looking for me…her?"

"Of course you are my Lexi. Why else would you have been hiding from me this whole week when I'm the only one that could uncover your secret? Plus," he started, pulling the chain of Roxy's necklace from the hidden confines of her shirt. "You never took off this locket I gave you. You reached for it when we were having our battle. And seriously, you used your middle name as your alias? Just give it up." Gary finished confidently. "I want to know why you disappeared this time. Are you in trouble?"

With a sigh, the girl nodded. "Alright, but not here. Listen, this island is not what you think it is. We'll get off eventually, and when we do, it would really help to have you back in Pallet. I'll get Ryan to fill you in on everything. You can't tell anybody, okay? This all has to do with the Evil Time. Do you understand what I mean?"

Gary consented to her conditions, only giving half a mind about Paul. And when she gave him one of her true, radiant smiles, he hugged her tightly around the middle, whispering, "I'm glad your okay, Lex."

It took her a moment out of shock to respond, but she put her arms loosely around his shoulders and answered, "Me too."

The sun hadn't even peeked out over the mountains. The atmosphere was still dim and crisp, like autumn. It was very, very early, far earlier than many people were up, but for once absolutely everybody was awake (some more than others) and all in the same place. The group had pulled their first all-nighter at the island, and now looked like a gathering of zombies. They were in the center of the gorgeous maze of flowers where there was an unimaginably large, white stadium hovering over. It was down two the two final coordinators in the moonlight contest, which was quite beautiful since it was a full moon. They had started out as tag teams, but the winning tag team partners were now up against each other for the win. It was Xena vs. Roxy.

Xena had let her long hair naturally down, clipping a few front pieces back with golden, flowery clips. A dark purple, strapless dress hugged her body, flowing down just above her knees and hemmed with reflective gold. A thick gold ribbon encircled around her waist and tied in a brilliant bow in the back, along with a short, shimmering scarf snugly coiling around her neck, the ends hanging in down her chest. Her gloves were replaced with elegant, elbow length, gold-laced ones that perfectly matched her dress. She was now about three inches taller with a pair of sling-back heels, of course in a shiny, reflective yellow. Everything seemed to make her honey-colored eyes pop and her self-confidence glow off every pore. She was only still wide-awake because of the fuel of her competitive need to win. Her two chosen contest pokemon were a mid-sized, lavender, psychic cat called Xanthe, the espeon, and little Kaze, the riolu.

Roxy, or Shadow, or Alex, was having some somewhat of a self-conflict crisis, experiencing minor sleep exhaustion and caffeine/sugar withdrawal, but still was managing to put on a good show. She was also fit in a strapless dress in a light blue shade that had an inch of white banded around the top, a thick white bow to the right on the front, and some white fishnet flowing below her knee from underneath, making the skirt flare out. Her silvery blue locks were pulled up in a high, loose ponytail held with a silver bow with her bangs pinned out of the way, leaving a long strand on either side to frame her face with braids. Her heels were a low pitch, also silver and sandal like with a band around the ankle. She fiddled with the yin and yang sign locket around her neck. Her pokemon were misdreavus and rapidash.

"Xanthe, use giga impact!" called out Xena. Her feline pounced back at first to give herself more space, then took off and gradually gained speed and a lavender and orange power enclosed her.

"Rapidash, take it on with flare blitz, max fire power. Misdreavus, shadow ball on riolu!" The fiery horse completely combusted and sprinted at a mind racing speed in only a few steps, becoming an orange and red galloping mass. They met in the middle and detonated a devastating explosion, sending smoke everywhere. The ghost pokemon was unaffected by the darkened background, and proceeded through the gray cloud and used it was cover to shoot three cackling, violet orbs. Rapidash and espeon finally appeared from the clearing fumes. Espeon's attack didn't hit as forcefully as rapidash's, but it didn't appear to take any more damage than the other either, making Roxy conclude that its endurance and stamina were extremely high, perfect for a contest battle.

None of the shadow balls got a chance to hit the childish pokemon. It turned its palms out and pushed its aura out to make them dissolve, sparkling and crackling around its cute little face. "Sweet, Kaze! Now, underground." The small, dog-like creature jumped up and dove out of sight.

"Okay then, let's do a combination of megahorn and power gem." Misdreavus' ruby pendent shone brightly, calling forth white glowing, piercing, rock-type shards while the horn on rapidash's head extended as it dashed in with the other attack surrounding it.

"Bring it to a halt, espeon. Use phychic." The almond eyes of the feline lit up with focused power, staring down the incoming raid. Its partner flew up from the ground with excellent timing, ramming into the fire pokemon. It proceeded by flipping up from the horse's nose to flip back and land perfectly and gently on espeon's back. "Now, shadow ball and aura sphere, and keep them up!" cheered the purplenette. Both pokemon charged different colored orbs, one a radiant azure that seemed nearly transparent, and the other an electrifying amethyst with a pure center. The flurry of blue and purple clashed together, raining upon their opponents, so delicate, yet powerful, that they broke like bubbles and fizzled like sparklers. The chain of them commenced a sort of reaction with the rest of them, as it caused a final BOOM as the energy dispersed and sparked a glittering, zapping and snapping of electricity that showered into the audience like tiny stars.

"And with that dazzling finale, our time is up. Congratulations Xena, Espeon and Riolu, this year's winners of the moonlight contest ribbon!" Nurse Joy finished over the applauding crowd.

Roxy sent a small smile her friend's way before slowly moving to her pokemon, who were magnificently relatively unharmed, since the last attacks were more for appeal than power, which was what really counted in a contest battle. She stroked the fiery steed's nose and offered a perch on her shoulder for the ghost. She praised them, also apologizing for being so disoriented throughout the whole day. A yawn escaped her lips as she guided herself off-stage, for even if she lacked the proper amount of sleep she should be getting, she received none what-so-ever that evening. It was starting to slow her down, making her feel numb.

Xena was presented with a sterling silver, moon-looking crest, cushioned by a silky, midnight bow. Absolutely beaming, she jumped around with her fist in the air, flaunting her newest ribbon addition and not caring how many people saw her crazy little happy dance. She embraced her equally enthused pokemon. Eventually, she fell to the ground, exhausted. "Time for bed now," she sighed sleepily, completely content with the idea of making the middle on the levitating arena her bed. Her lids drooped like twenty-pound weights.

"Come on," Roxy laughed, running back to the girl and pulling her up.

"Ah, it feels good to be in pajamas and finally get some beauty sleep," Holly sighed appreciatively as she climbed under the plush covers of her bottom bunk. Unfortunately, Xena didn't make it that far. She was unconscious, laying diagonally on the bottom bunk, Roxy's bunk, stomach down and clothes still on.

The digital clock on the girl's desk blared 4 o'clock am. Who would want to be awake at that godly hour? Absolutely no one, that's who.

"Attention everybody," the deep voice of Gregory Schurmann droned over those downright malevolent speakers. "This is your announcement that the main event of the week, the Grand Race, will be commencing in half an hour. Everybody is required to be at the rose garden in 15 minutes, I repeat, 15 minutes. Anybody not there for registration will automatically be disqualified. Don't be late." The grin was almost audible in his voice. The microphone clicked off, ringing through the hushed night.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Xena's mumbled voice chimed over the utter silence.

"I thought you were sleeping," Roxy groaned back.

"Mmm, I just didn't want to walk all the way back."

"Watch your language, Xena," Holly scolded.

"Shut up," Nicky pleaded.

None of the four females had made an attempt to move a single muscle. They lay on the soft mattresses, eyes closed peacefully. In fact, nothing moved within the entire building. Everything was just so serene. A minute passed, then another…and another. Suddenly, as if a switch flicked on, everything went into chaos.

"That God damn bastard planned this," growled the puplenette as she sat straight up.

Everybody jumped up at once and raced around to get dressed. Clothes went soaring this way and that in complete disarray. Hopping on one foot to replace and tie a shoe; running across the room with nothing but undergarments. It was insane.

"Three minutes!" Screaming a girl as she ran down the hallway. With bags slinging over shoulders and slipping around waists, the four roommates zoomed out the door in like a herd of milktank, along with the rest of the female population in a raging stampede.

A few boys chuckled to each other as the flood of girls arrived, saying, "Figures the girls would be the last ones here." He stifled a yawn as he desperately tried to hang on to consciousness.

"Oh yeah? Better watch your back there, pal," Whispered Xena in a dangerously low tone, sneaking up behind him. He jumped a foot in the air and high-tailed it out of there with a disturbed face.

"Okay, this is an anything goes race. Each trainer must have one pokemon out at all times. You must have had each pokemon out with you at least once at some point before reaching the finish line. We'll be watching to make sure you comply. In addition, you must check in at every single point placed on the island. They are machines to swipe your card, so you better not have lost it. Failing to do so, and you will not complete the requirements of the race. I warn you, you have to go beyond the borders of the entrance signs of the area to find them. The first trainer to reach the finish line, right here, will be crowned Queen or King of the island. And GO!"

"What happened to get ready and get set?" One kid shouted.

Gregory glared. "Just go."

So that's what they did. All headed south, the group released a single pokemon and charged, pushing and shoving their way closer to the lead. Roxy noted that with the direction they were going, their first obstacle would be the volcano. Rapidash would have probably been the best choice, but she needed the steed for later. She stuck with her good pal misdreavus. She caught a glimpse of her partner with her mighty houndoom as they sped along.

The bluette was right. A wave of heat impacted each person as they reached the borders of the rumbling mount. No machine in sight, they started climbing up a winding trail. It was quite a challenge for most. Every five or so minutes, a terrifying quake shook throughout the entire area, and the odd conflagrant boulder crashed down from the summit. The temperature drastically increased to a boiling temperature, and was unbearable by the time the "machine" came into sight. As soon as a trainer swiped their card, they fled in the blink of an eye to find a more reasonable climate.

Roxy asked misdreavus to teleport them back to the base of the bubbling lava mound, and it obediently did so. She recalled the phantom back to its pokeball, and brought out the blue dinosaur, nidoqueen. They proceeded northeast along the coastline. It was a little piece downhill on a natural made dirt road until they met up with a sign that read Sand-pit Desert: Southern Entrance. So letting the dinosaur reside in its ball, she called upon a more suitable one, sandslash. There was also a box of goggles to the left of the sign, so she strapped on the gear and sprinted in.

Xena was just in front of her, her own personal pair of purple goggles protecting her eyes as her flying, desert loving dragon buzzed through the sandstorm with ease. Seeing more than a few feet ahead was just unreasonable, so she soon buzzed out of sight.

The armadillo creature was leading the girl out of the way of waiting, praying trapinch traps and avoided the large jaws of hippopotas. Judging by the shrill scream behind her, the person taking up her rear wasn't so fortunate. Making quite good time, Roxy fell upon the next machine, which was protected from the raging storm by being dug in a deep pit. Sandslash got them through safely, though, and Roxy deposited the goggles in the box on the other side as she sputtered out grains of sand stuck to her lips.

Leafeon was the next called on, swiftly rushing through the spongy sand of the humid beach. The now high rays of sun beat down heavily on the two, as they padded over the sturdy patch of sand near the lapping waves. Within no time at all, they were on the other side. Dark came up on her right, running alongside an absol, as she sprinted onto rocky terrain. It was then Roxy summoned her fiery horse.

"Good luck!" She shouted happily to him, while thinking 'Time for my plan to commence'. They began drifting away from the course, hooves clopping steadily against the solid ground. The cluster of caves came up fast. Roxy took the reins and expertly navigated to a specific one she had her eyes narrowed in on, and suddenly they were left in the glow of the horse's fiery features and were on a steep incline. As the trail curved, she could see the stalagmites and stalactites that had formed from the frigid weather outside, and knew they were headed straight for their destination, probably in half the original time. Pure white light met them up ahead, and she steered her partner into a sharp right.

Now they were facing head first in a gusty blizzard, which broke up slightly as their speed accelerated gradually. The beating of helicopter wings sounded in the sky, and she heard Nurse Joy's peppy voice announce, "Roxy Monroe and rapidash have taken a great lead, followed by Gary Oak and blastoise, Nicky Langille and kingdra, and Xena and glaceon. Clearly it's still anyone's game. This has been an update up on Frostbite Mountain."

Roxy was pretty sure she had frozen her face to the point it tinted the color of her hair as she reached the mountain's summit at last. She quickly dragged the card through with a jittering hand, and returned her steed to warmth. She tossed the giant penguin's pokeball up and got on its back as it went on its stomach. Like a toboggan, Roxy and empoleon slid down the mountain faster than a bolt of lightning. The bluette screamed as her hair whipped around her. They flew off an edge, landing in a pile of cold slush to have it spray in her face. As the ground flew up at them, the penguin jumped and splashed into the rushing river.

The whole race was going by in a blur. It was all happening so fast. Everybody still in the race was running solely on pure adrenalin coursing through his or her veins. Others had already crashed from exaustion or something of the sorts and were probably taking a nap under the shelter of the berry trees. In reality they had been running for a couple of hours when it felt like a few minutes. But as Roxy's face hit the polar water, everything came rushing to her, jolting her awake. She held on tightly to the pokemon's neck with one arm as she put a breathing device in her mouth so she wouldn't be required to surface for oxygen. 'I never thought about it this way, but what if the only thing Gregory is hiding from is the S.S. From people like me! I suppose it's sort of late to be having ideas like this now.'

The water pokemon cut through the body of water skillfully, diving deeper gradually. It was keeping its eyes peeled for something in the depths, as was its rider. Finally a shadow came visible, sitting on the bottom like a rock. The penguin made a swoop to it.

The rock figure was actually a submarine, or more precisely a jet that had converted to a submarine. It was completely undetectable under all of the water pressing down on it. As the pokemon and trainer swam up, a metal door opened for them, allowing them access. It closed immediately as they entered, and they broke surface inside a small room, the walls shining aqua from the water's reflection.

Roxy dragged her body into the deck, with her soaked clothing dragging her down. She spit out the oxygen mask, wrung out her long hair and returned the pokemon to its pokeball. Turning around, she saw Dimentio open the door of the chamber, greeting her with a vengeful smirk.

"How wonderful to see you, Shadow." His smirk grew as she glared daggers at him. Her recent thoughts looking more promising to be true the more she thought about it. "Now dear, what on earth is that look for? Come, we have preparations to make. Firstly, I would like that flash drive from Mr. Schurmann's computer. And then we will have to get you out of those clothes before you catch a cold. Maids!"

With a long hesitation, the flash drive slipped from her fingers. The two girls appeared in the hallway, dragging the bluette away. Dimentio held the small object that contained the information that he needed in the palm of his gloved hand. He was quite satisfied with himself as he strutted into his room and plugged it into his own system, forwarding it to headquarters at the same time. They responded with a response at once.

To: Dimentio

From: Boss

Take them out.

"My pleasure," Dimentio said to the screen.

Up on the surface

About two hours later

Xena was shaking with fury, shouting profanities and pounding on the walls of the barrier that contained her. After a while, she would pace its perimeter, like a caged tiger waiting for revenge. She was alone. Her pokemon were gone, and everybody else was outside her bubble.

Trainers were in panicking frenzy. They were all packed into a crammed, barred cage like a can of sardines. They couldn't move hardly an inch any way without getting zapped by a bolt of electricity, which was coursing though the bars. They couldn't even reach for their own pokemon for assistants. All wanted to help, but none had the ability to. The only thing they could do was holler for the manically laughing man and sneering girls to let them all go, and that they'd never get away with what they were doing.

The man stopped his boastful chortling to swagger up to the bars with a haughty attitude. "I've been getting away with this for nearly fifteen years, and who's going to stop me this time? You? No, you're stuck in a jail cell. Officer Jenny? No, she's not here. And whom does that leave? Oh, that's right, nobody!" He burst out with a Muahaha. "And I'll get away with it every time. You want to know why? Because anybody you tell won't believe that somebody of my status would do something like this. They might even put you in an insane asylum. Whatever, it's not my problem anymore!" His cackling laughter sounded again as he began walking to where his aircraft was hiding, leaving all his turmoil behind.

Hahahaha cliffhanger XP I feel evil. Well review, message me, whatever. I think I'm going to go have a nap. Until then, Ciao from Piano-girl.