A/N: The Befriend List will appear whenever Mia makes a new friend she can have connections with. Just a little note I like to make.
Hm… if it were a gimmick in the games, it could be related to the Pokégear, only making friends you can contact with would be a lot harder. You'll have to work to earn it.
Befriend List:
-Lalinda
-Chapter 8: It's a small world!-
"Well, that's about it! Good job, Aquaslash! You even evolved! This training made up for what you missed in the gym, huh?"
Will feels accomplished for the day. After doing some training on the rough and rocky terrain, his Piplup has finally evolved. His Pichu stands nearby, jumping in absolute joy.
His Piplup had fallen behind since he couldn't participate in the Eterna City gym match. Will had to give him enough training so that he doesn't fall behind.
The evolved creature looks at Will, pleased with what he said. A yellow ridge flows from his beak and splits in two, resting over his head. His belly is a light blue, like his face, and the tips of his flippers. He squawks proudly, flapping for a few seconds.
"Let's see…" Will takes out the Pokédex he was given. It scans the Pokémon, and it gives him information in the same fashion as Mia's does.
(Sinnoh Number 008.
Prinplup, the Penguin Pokémon, and the evolved form of Piplup.
Because every Prinplup considers itself to be the most important, they can never form a group.)
"Being prideful is all part of your nature, huh?" Will asks. "You don't mind me training the others, do you?"
Aquaslash doesn't seem too bothered by it. He turns to Richard, waving a flipper towards the tall grass that dares to thrive on rock.
Richard takes a step back, shaking his head. His cheeks crackle with static, and the creature jumps. He apparently shocked himself by accident.
"Easy, Richard. You can rest," Will tells him.
The Pichu seems to relax a little.
"Knowing my sister, she should be here by now," Will says. "This city is pretty big, so we probably won't find her immediately."
Richard squeaks a response. He points towards the road.
"You know... I haven't checked the gym yet, haven't I? She might be there. How about we surprise her by cheering her on?"
Richard climbs to his shoulder.
"She's gotten this far by herself. I'm surprised Mia hasn't done anything reckless yet. I bet Johanna feels really proud."
- 0000 -
"What?! No, no! Why would you engage with them?! Don't do that!"
Mia takes a step away from the PC screen, blinking at the concerned and spooked face of Johanna. This didn't go as well as she expected. She wanted to call her to tell her about her gym badge, and how bravely she fought against Team Galactic…
… Maybe she should have left the Team Galactic part out.
Glameow paws at the screen, mewing in a tone that matches its owner's.
"I… I'm sorry…" Mia mumbles. "It's just… well, Roark asked me to check it out, then the professor did… and I met this girl who needed my help-"
"Mia… I'll ask you this once. How old are you?"
"But you… know the answer-"
"I said I would ask once!"
Mia looks towards the ground. "Twelve…"
"Yes. Twelve. Twelve years old. You are still a child, and one that is not familiar with so many things this world has to offer. The laws and the physics are so very different from what you are familiar with!" Johanna reminds her. "You just became a trainer. You only know a small portion of what taming and training Pocket Monsters are like."
Mia would argue that Johanna herself hasn't told her much, but at this moment, bringing that up seems a bit impossible. Johanna is far more worried about her safety. "I know but… I just couldn't stand there-"
"Professor Rowan informed me about how you and Will bravely fought against their grunts. I wasn't so pleased. I told him he could have let Lucas handle them, but he insisted you two knew what you were doing… so I let it go. Then, I get a call from Cynthia explaining what took place in the Valley Windworks since the police force gave her a report. Mia, do you realize how much danger you placed yourself in?"
"I got away…"
"No, Mia. You got lucky," Johanna says, firmly. "Imagine if your friend wasn't there! You would have lost everything! The grunts in that organization can range from harmless to dangerous! I can't grasp how you escaped from their commander! They don't exactly show mercy! You could have been killed!"
"But…" Mia isn't sure how to argue against that. "They took her mother and… I had to solve what went wrong in the Valley Windworks-"
"I know you meant well, dear. You always do," Johanna says. "But knowing Team Galactic was behind this, you should have backed down and allowed someone else to handle this! I would have called Lucas to handle the situation! You're just a rookie, Mia! You can only do so much!"
There is no point in arguing anymore. Mia lowers her head, unsure of what to say next.
"Listen… I'm proud that you have a badge now. I'm happy that you made it this far. I'll be rooting for you to get your next one, but please… only focus on what you need to do. Team Galactic is not your concern. Don't meddle with them, no matter what. Let the veterans and experienced trainers handle them, understand?"
Mia can only nod.
"Remember why you are doing this. If something goes wrong… I wouldn't know what to do," Johanna says sadly. "You are here for a reason, and I want to think there is more to your mission. There is so much to do in this world. I'm sure that you have dreams of your own. Everyone has dreams."
Mia remains quiet this time.
Johanna lets loose a long sigh. "Listen… as peaceful as this country can be… there is so much danger coming around. Other than Team Galactic, there are Pokémon Hunters… and I heard how their leader shows little mercy to anyone who gets in the way. Then there's other organizations across the world… "
"You think so…?"
"I hope I'm wrong," Johanna sighs. "Just please, don't make me come over there. You can ask Lucas. You can ask Dawn. If anyone were to hurt you, they will surely regret it."
"I can't imagine you angry."
"They don't just have to worry about me," Johanna says with a chuckle. "You have a lot of support, you know?"
Mia is a bit bothered. She never saw Johanna so worried before. She's often laid-back like most people here.
"I'll say this again; Remember what you are here for. Please… don't do anything reckless."
Johanna reaches down, and the communication cuts off there.
The automatic doors of the Pokémon Center opens. Lalinda walks in, carrying two paper bags. "So, I brought us and the Pokémon some food to eat. If you head upstairs you could grab yourself a drink… uh… are you alright? You spoke to your mom?"
"She's my guardian…" Mia corrects her.
"Oh. Okay. You spoke with her… you don't look well. Did something go wrong?"
"I kinda worried her too much… but it's all good," Mia says with a sigh. "... I'm gonna make me some iced tea." She heads up the escalator, leaving Lalinda a bit confused.
…
A few minutes later, Mia has decided to let her Pokémon stretch a bit. They stay nearby, watching their trainer carefully, and out of curiosity.
Mia stands over the boiling pot, watching the constant rising bubbles. She grabs the handle and moves the pot away from the burner before turning it off. She lazily tosses a teabag in the pot and sighs.
She is never sure if she makes tea right, but it works for her.
Having a cold cup always calms her down. Her thoughts are running at the moment.
"I didn't think she would freak out like that."
Razorleaf huffs and tilts his head.
After a few minutes, Mia takes the tea bag out and discards it. She pours some sugar in the pot and mixes it with a spoon. Once she is satisfied, she pours the liquid from the pot and into a liquid bottle. She seals it shut, and she stores it in a freezer.
"So that's how you make iced tea?"
Mia had nearly forgotten about Lalinda. She turns around to answer. "Yeah. That's how I always made it. Did you want any?"
"Maybe. I don't really drink tea often." She shrugs. She sets the bags down on the table, and she pulls out two sandwich wraps. "I hope you don't mind the quick lunch."
"No, it's fine," Mia says. She is quite surprised by how nice Lalinda has been lately. Most people would say that strangers shouldn't be trusted…
"Cool." Lalinda pulls out several plastic bowls. She lines them up and takes out her container from before. It's filled with berries. She places a decent portion in each bowl. She slides three of them over to Mia, leaving herself with three.
"These are for the Pokémon?" Mia is a bit confused. "Even my Zubat?"
"Every type of Pokémon enjoys a berry. They say you should plant as many as you can in the wild, so that wild Pokémon would have something to eat," Lalinda explains.
Mia takes the bowls and sets them on the floor. Her Pokémon immediately rush over to it. Razorleaf picks the middle one, taking in a mouthful of berries. Aqua joins his side, picking a berry and crushing it inside her bill. Batty lands on her feet. It's questionable how a Zubat would eat a berry.
Somehow, she bites into it, spilling the juices. Whatever works, perhaps…
Lalinda sends out her Monferno, Starly, and Shinx. They are all named Blaze, Soar, and Thunder, respectively. They eagerly eat as soon as the food is offered to them.
Watching the Pokémon eat is a bit interesting. While Razorleaf has already finished his, Batty and Soar are struggling to eat as much as a single berry. Perhaps it is due to the way their mouths work.
"I never got to ask. Where did you come from?" Lalinda asks, giving Blaze an extra Oran Berry.
"I came from Twinleaf Town," Mia answers.
"That's pretty far from here. You got here all by yourself?" Lalinda seems impressed. "I heard one of the three legendary lakes are near there."
"Legendary lakes?" The term is familiar to Mia. "You mean, Lake Verity?"
"Yep. The other two are Lake Valor and Lake Acuity. They are a great distance away, but they are all connected. At least that is what legends say. There's supposedly a powerful Pokémon living there, so people really are careful to take good care of the places."
It sounds about right. Lucas seems to respect their local lake very well. She wonders if he found the Red Gyarados yet…
"Oh. You should eat," Lalinda reminds her.
"Oh, right."
Mia picks up the wrap, but she pauses and stares.
She just met this girl yesterday, and already she is acting like she knew her for some time. It's… very odd.
"What's wrong? You've been spacing out a lot," Lalinda says.
"Oh. Sorry," Mia sighs. "Look… don't take this the wrong way, but why are you being so nice to me? We just met, so it's a bit… uh…"
"Are you sure you're a Sinnohan?" Lalinda asks. "I think it's just how things are here. The Sinnoh Region is one of the friendliest places around, at least that's what mama says. Maybe it's part of the lifestyle. The country is peaceful, and the people are kind… hey, even our Champion is very nice. She only hardens herself when she needs to. Other than that, she treats everyone like a friend. Everyone respects her."
She chuckles.
"But, if you're a bad guy, you're afraid of her."
Those two grunts were running from her for a good reason.
"I think people are trying to take advantage of us, because of how nice we are. It's kinda sad," Lalinda says. "It will be difficult to try to run us over, though. This country is filled with a ton of strong people. You know what's cool? I bet if all of Team Galactic went against Cynthia, she wouldn't even budge. She's not afraid of anything! I bet her Pokémon will wipe those idiots clean."
"You think so?" Mia wonders.
"Hey, you should know! You knew her for so long!" Lalinda looks at Mia funny. "I guess she never really battled around you, huh?"
"No. I kinda wish she did. I wonder how strong she is."
"No one has defeated her yet. She had her crown for a long time," Lalinda says. "But she doesn't spend so much time on being a trainer. She studies mythology too. She knows a ton of people who research it. She's not just strong, she's crazy smart, I bet!"
"Huh…" Mia makes note of that. "No wonder why she's researching so much…"
Her arrival to this world must have given Cynthia a massive load of research to do.
- 0000 -
After leaving the Pokémon Center, they walk South through the quiet city a little while. It's peaceful enough for anyone to take a nap outside if they dared. There is only a distant sound of a helicopter that can be picked up.
Down the road, Mia recognizes the large brown roof building with the white pokeball.
A Pokémon gym.
This gym in particular is near the end of the city, it seems. The street ends at a ramp that leads to a huge tunnel. It appears to be gated, so maybe they will need a pass to get through.
Besides the many tall buildings, around the gym are several small trees that are lined in neat rows. It has a nice touch to the city's appearance.
The ground sign near the building's automatic doors tells her the obvious.
Eterna City Pokémon Gym
Leader: Gardenia
Master of Vivid Plant Pokémon!
"So, she uses grass-types," Mia notes immediately. "Roark must have a hard time trying to battle her…"
"We should check and see if anyone is inside," Lalinda says.
"Huh? But it seems open-" Mia stops talking as Lalinda enters the building. "Okay then, I'll just wait… I guess..."
A few minutes later, Lalinda returns, disappointed.
"She's not here." She notices Mia's surprised expression. "Let me rephrase that. She won't be there until we defeat all the gym trainers. 'Think of it like training' some guy told me. He also told me it's not wise to challenge her so soon after winning a badge from Roark. She has higher expectations, so we should prepare ourselves before busting inside and going straight to battle.
"I guess you're right." Mia takes out her electronic town map. She moves the cursor to see what is nearby, and she sees the land next to the city. "We can go train at Route 211."
"Good idea. I bet there's some good Pokémon to catch over there!" Lalinda runs back up north towards the strange building. Mia is after her, silently taking note on how her long hair moves so freely. It can only be guessed if it is sat on it or not.
They turn East, passing the building, and now they see a new part of town. There is a small flight of stairs leading to a large raised grassy platform.
What is there draws Mia's attention instantly.
At the top, displayed in the middle, is a giant statue of an intimidating beast, which Lalinda is quick to go for. It has a long neck and head, and it stands on two legs. Its arms are massive and strong. It has a large plate resting on its chest, a sprouting fan near the base of its tail, and its wings are shaped the same way…
Wait…
Why does that look painfully familiar… when it isn't at the same time?
Be for she could try to think, an odd sensation engulfs Mia's body. Her surroundings suddenly turn black.
The whispers are heard… until it forms a voice…
'Alive… yet not alive... The darkness… it attacks… brings nightmares to life… it spreads… spreads… it was born in time… it is after you…'
It speaks more than it ever did before. But, it is still not specific on what it is talking about.
'Injuried… wounded… the nightmare has scratched me. Insight… the insight… insight is... Insight… is present.'
Mia lightly grabs her head as it goes on. There are other voices now, and they merge again… different… it sounds somewhat different.
'Your arrival to this world… never meant to be… but fate calls… calls for the insight to be found… but… it lends you a hand… keep an open eye… them we shall seek…'
'The shadows grow… your shadows… insight will see through such darkness…'
A dark figure flows past her like a shadow. Mia steps back, not wanting it to come near.
It fades away as her surroundings turn dark again. Something is moving from the distance...
Mia ducks as a large figure flies over her head, accompanied by a much smaller one. Their flight leaves a trail of gust that blows against her back. She slowly stands, finding herself in an unfamiliar place. A blue and orange glow catches her attention, and she looks up.
Fire is coming her way. She hears a distant roar...
Reality all comes back at once. Mia nearly loses her footing, and she groans lightly. What the heck was that? A dream?
She hears the odd roar again, but it's just the helicopter. It's flying nearby, and Mia has to shake her head to get her mind right.
The voice spoke to her again. It's trying to tell her something, but it's like it just couldn't. What is preventing it from speaking clearly to her?
She looks back at the statue, and she sees that Lalinda has beaten her there. She picks up her pace to get closer. The closer she gets to the statue, the more uneasy she feels. For some reason, she thinks it is alive, despite it being made of stone.
She joins Lalinda's side. The girl has her eyes squint at the worn-down plate that should have writing in it. It's in terrible condition, impossible to read. "Darn. I can't get an idea on what this statue is supposed to be." She stands tall, looking at the beast now. "But imagine a Pokémon looking like that. If it's real, do you think we could catch it?"
"I'm afraid of what would happen if we tried," Mia answers honestly. She is already uncomfortable with it being displayed. The real thing might make her pass out. She would think more of it, but the sound of footsteps makes her turn around. She assumes she is in someone's way. The statue must be a popular tourist spot.
The man climbing the steps… he has that same dull expression. It's the very same man Mia saw at Lake Verity, is it? The one that… right. He referred to himself as Cyrus.
He doesn't acknowledge them yet. He walks around them carefully and stands in front of the statue. He studies it silently, and he bends down a bit to look at the worn down plate. Realizing there is nothing there, he looks back at the statue.
"...So, this is Eterna's Pokémon statue... Shaping our world are time and space in an intertwining spiral. Revered in Sinnoh are the Pokémon of time and space... Sinnoh's myth... Its truth needs investigation..."
Mia and Lalinda exchange glances. Is he talking to himself, or them? It's hard to tell.
Cyrus finally turns around and sees the children. He closes his eyes and bows. "...Pardon me. Stand aside."
The pair steps aside as asked, and they watch him walk past. Mia is curious about the stranger now. Lalinda said that Cynthia knows many people who are into mythology… so maybe he is one of them? She will have to ask Cynthia about him if she remembers...
Lalinda on the other hand, is a bit creeped. "The way he looks… he needs to be outside more…"
Mia would agree. He doesn't seem like a lively individual. But, people operate differently, so not much can be done, really.
She decides it's time to resume checking out the local Pokémon. However, she freezes as she feels movement inside her bag, and she sets it down carefully, somewhat freaked out. There is still movement inside. She really shouldn't open it… but she can't go anywhere without that bag...
"Mia? What's wrong?" Lalinda notices her expression.
Hesitantly, Mia reaches for the bag, and she lifts the top open and jumps back. The first thing that rises are a pair of brown bunny ears. Then a head pokes out. Does it have the face of a dog or cat? It's hard to determine.
It leans forward and falls, taking the bag with it. It crawls out and shakes its body. Its cream-colored fluffy collar makes it appear cuter… and it seems to have a fox tail…
A brown bunny-fox-cat creature, basically. Where did it…?
Mia notices the brown egg shells that stick on its body, and some are still in the open incubator. Didn't Cynthia say the egg wouldn't hatch until a few more days? Why did it hatch now? How does a mammal develop inside an egg? Mia has to remind herself how crazy this world is already. All Pokemon hatch from eggs.
Still, what Pokémon is it?
Doing the usual, Mia relies on her Pokédex. It scans the odd and cute thing, and its picture, along with the information, pops on the screen. It's listed as Number 163.
(Sinnoh Number 163.
Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon.
Its typing is: Normal. Because its genetic makeup is irregular, it quickly changes its form due to a variety of causes. It adapts to this by evolving into one of its many forms.)
It can evolve into different Pokémon? Mia can see why it's classified as the Evolution Pokemon..
According to the Pokédex, this particular Eevee is a female. Since it is freshly hatched, it has no experience in battle at all. Compared to the other Pokémon who are ranked between levels 16-20… she's stuck at level 1.
She just looks at me before tilting her head. 'Are you my mommy?'
Mia nearly choked on her own spit hearing that. Lalinda looks at the Eevee like it's a ghost.
"D… did it just talk?" Lalinda asks.
The Eevee seems pleased as pleased can be. She looks at Mia in the eyes. 'Not mommy?'
Telepathy.
A Pokemon who can use telepathy. This Eevee is a special one indeed! Why would the boy give it to her if he knew how valuable this is? Any criminal gang could have shown up and swept it from under their noses!
No wonder why that teen stole it away!
"I think… it did talk." Mia has to confirm. She wasn't imagining it at all. She reaches for the Eevee to pet it.
The Eevee pulls back a bit, frightened. Mia is frozen, wondering if she was moving too fast for the creature. However, the thundering sound of the helicopter is close now. The Eevee would be afraid of such a loud noise.
Mia looks up. Why is the helicopter flying so close?
The bottom of the helicopter's nose opens, and a turret lowers. That's the answer she didn't want.
"What the-?! NO!" Mia immediately snags the Eevee from the ground. Hugging her close, she rolls for safety, but there is no gunfire.
Wait. There are no firearms here in the first place, so what is all that about?
Lalinda joins Mia's side in a hurry, appearing ready to run.
Mia moves to do just that, but she feels the Eevee squirming. She tightens her hold, grunting and struggling to keep the Pokémon from slipping. "Stop! You can't go! It's too-" She spits as the fluffy tail sweeps her mouth. The Eevee is freed, and she bolts across the street for cover. Mia is quick to move after her, but she jumps as she hears strong air pressure.
A large net flies past her and snags the Eevee from the ground. It pulls it towards the flying vehicle, taking it inside.
"Hey! Give that back!" Lalinda snaps at it.
"No! NO!" Mia turns to face the helicopter. She is expecting the crooks to be some Galactic Grunts, but something about this vehicle isn't right. In fact, it has a red capital "R" on the doors...
Wait. That's impossible. Then again… this is the world of Pokémon. But… why here? Why now?
"Sorry sweetie! We'll borrow it permanently for now," a womanly voice said from an intercom.
"You're basically saying that you are going to keep her!" Lalinda shouts over the sound of the helicopter. "Give her back! I already gotten enough stress from Team Idiotic!"
"Sorry kid!" A scratchy voice teases. "Finders keepers, losers weepers!"
"But you…" Mia doesn't really know what to say. These thieves have a flying vehicle, which means they can easily get away if she says the wrong thing. "Why can't you just catch your own?"
"What? I can't hear your timid voice!" The woman teases Mia.
Mia speaks louder, a little desperate. "Why can't you catch your own?!"
"Because honey, it's very rare," the woman responds. "You don't see an Eevee everyday. However, this one in particular is one we've been after for quite a while. I didn't think you would end up with it. That boy was smart. Real smart. At the same time, he was stupid to trust some careless kid."
Mia would have reacted to the insult, but what the voice said about the teen is more concerning. They were after him? Are they the people he was talking about?
"Wait… you're Pokémon Hunters… aren't you?" Mia asks.
"Pokémon Hunters? Oh, please. We don't associate ourselves with them," the woman replies. "Being a hunter is a too dangerous job for my partner and I. If we were a hunter, you probably wouldn't be standing. Unlike them, we don't really want to hurt little kids."
She is not a little kid!
Wait a second, this is confusing. Team Galactic themselves said they aren't hunters, but they know the teen. He caused a lot of trouble for them.
These guys seem to know him too, but they aren't hunters, either. How do they even know this Eevee was the one, anyway?
"How many enemies does that dude have…?" Mia can only wonder.
"Oh, he is a topic. I overheard those Galactic goons talk about how slippery he is, and they aren't wrong. He really is. Whenever we do corner him, we end up running away from a Flamethrower! Whatever Pokémon he has is too fast for us to even keep up with! He's a bit too strong to fight against, and that annoys me!"
Mars said the same thing...
"He was wise to hand the egg to you so that the more dangerous people would still tail him."
"Unfortunately for them, they don't have special equipment like we do," the man says. "Eevee are native to Kanto, after all. This is an easy task for us, and you made catching it so much easier!"
"But knowing that you are trainers… I'll make a guess that you'll fight for it back," the woman says.
"You bet we are!" Lalinda steps forward, before Mia could say or do anything. "You may be way up there, but we'll find a way to bring you down!"
"That's cute. Children are so cute. Do you realize how much of a pointless fight this will be?"
Mia doesn't like where this is going. She's already drained from what she had to endure before.
"Prepare for trouble!" the female announces..
"And make it double!" the male yells.
"Maybe for you, it will be!" Lalinda shouts.
The duo of thieves laugh at her words. They speak at once. "Here's our mission, so you better listen!"
"To infect the world with devastation!" the woman shouts.
"To blight all people in every nation!" the man shouts as well.
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"
"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"
They cannot be serious.
Lalinda isn't enjoying this one bit. "What is this? Poetry class?"
Better question. Why does the motto sound different from what Mia remembers from television?
The doors of the helicopter open. A platform extends from each side. On the right reveals a woman with long yellow hair that splits into two separate ends. Her uniform is black with the capital red "R". Everything is black, except her gloves that reach to her arms, and her boots, were white. On the left is a man with green short hair in a similar bowl head style as the Galactic grunts. His uniform is the same, but in a masculine style.
They aren't the same people, either...
Finally, they introduce themselves.
"Cassidy!"
"And Butch, of course!"
"We're Team Rocket, circling the Earth all day and all night!"
"Surrender to us now, or you will surely lose the fight!"
Now she's even more confused. Team Rocket circling the Earth all day and all night? But then again… this is an alternate Earth, isn't it?
"Good job at hatching the Eevee for me!" Cassidy praises Mia. "Now we have something good to report for once. It's not exactly easy getting things done here in the Sinnoh Region!"
"That's because Team Galactic is stealing all the glory here," Butch reminds her. "Sinnoh is such a peaceful region, there is so much to see here! I never thought a simple Eevee egg would be such a hot topic in the black market! What are the odds we would find it right here? All this talk over one Eevee?"
Cassidy huffs at her partner's statement. "Commence Butch. Eevee is rare as is." She turns to me Mia more. "Besides. It looks like children have the tendency to find rare Pokémon. At this rate, those three dopes won't stand a chance! Let's get going!"
"Of course!" Butch nods. The platforms retreat back inside the vehicle, and the helicopter begins to fly away.
"Oh, no!" Mia grabs a Pokéball quickly. She takes a quick glance to make sure it's the right one before she throws it. "Razorleaf! Attack the helicopter with Razor Leaf!"
As soon as the Grotle comes out and lands on the ground, he simply looks at her, somewhat lost.
Of course he doesn't know what a helicopter is. She points at the retreating vehicle. "Aim for the tail of it! Hurry!"
Razorleaf stomps on the ground before swinging his body, and a storm of leaves are launched from inside his bushes. They soar towards the helicopter, but his aim is a bit off, missing the tail by an inch.
But, there is help. A bolt of electricity jumps from nearby and strikes the front of the vehicle. It groans and stalls, and it begins to fall. It lands harshly, but not enough for it to cause major damage since they weren't too far.
Mia hears a light hiss. Standing next to Lalinda is her Shinx, whose fur crackles with static. What did it just do?
There is no time to ponder. Mia rushes over to the helicopter, and she slows down once she's close enough. She sees the pair jumping off the vehicle for a quick look at it. Inside, Eevee seems frustrated with everything.
'That's what they get!' The Eevee shouts with its telepathy. 'Bad people! Bad, bad, BAD! No good, no good! Me get caught! Mommy, mommy! Save me, save me!' It's voice was so adorable, it's so innocent. Mia knows she has to save her, no matter what.
"I told you to get the one that resists Pokémon electricity!" Cassidy scolds her partner, who is just as frustrated as she is.
"If we rented one, it would blow out our weekly paycheck!" Butch protests.
Mia places her hands behind her back, speaking to interrupt. "Uh… Cassidy and Botch…? Can I have my Eevee back now? I kinda don't feel like battling anymore bad guys at the moment."
The pair turn to face them. Butch seems even more frustrated.
"It's Butch!" Butch corrects her. "Look, Cassidy, let me handle these kids!"
"Have fun." She shrugs.
"This is supposed to be easy, right?" Butch reaches behind him and pulls out a Pokéball.
"Looks like someone's eager to lose!" Lalinda announces. "It'll be score one for the girl with long hair!"
The Eevee chirps with glee. 'Looks like someone's eager to lose! It'll be score one for the girl with long hair!'
She's copying her?
"Hey! Don't get so arrogant yet!" Butch growls.
"What was that, Bith?" Lalinda smirks.
"It's Butch! didn't your parents teach you how to remember people's names?!" The Rocket snaps.
"How do you like that Bith?" Eevee mocks.
"It's Butch!"
"How do you like that Bith?" Eevee repeats again. Now Mia wonders if she knows Human speech already, or she was just copying their every word… perhaps both, or in between, because when she does talk on her own, she repeats the same word occasionally. 'How do you like that Bith? How do you like that Bith?'
"Arrrgh! You stupid Eevee!" Butch screams.
'Arrrgh! You stupid Buffy!'
"It's not Buffy! It's Butch! Butch! Butch!"
While Lalinda is losing control of herself due to her laughter, Mia just watches the chaos unfold. Should she stop this? Maybe the two criminals aren't so dangerous since the man isn't handling this too well.
He really isn't being mature about this.
'Stupid Buffy! Stupid Buffy! Stupid Buffy! Stupid Buffy! Stupid Buffy! Stupid Buffy!' She just won't stop! 'Buffy! Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!'
"I'm not going to say anything." Cassidy sighs, trying to ignore her partner who is literally hopping mad at this point.
Butch can't endure it anymore. "That's it! You kids and your pest will learn to get my name right! I'm tired of my years of humiliation because of the names I was given instead!" He violently throws the Pokéball, and out comes a black crow-like bird with it's feathers on its head looking like a hat. It's red eyes lock on them immediately.
Its yellow beak looks pretty nasty…
Lalinda steps back. "Gee. Alright! Blaze, you're up first!" She tosses her own Pokéball, summoning her Monferno. The Pokémon is ready for action, constantly bouncing on its feet.
"Peck them like there's no tomorrow!" Butch shouts.
The crow follows the command, eyeing the teens down. It makes a sharp turn around Blaze before jabbing its beak against its flank. The force behind it is powerful, knocking the Pokémon from standing. The Monferno screeches and stumbles on impact.
"Oh, no!" Lalinda immediately sees her error. "I forgot Blaze is also a fighting-type now! That Peck was super effective! Not good at all!"
Blaze thankfully isn't taken down with the single hit, but he's in a lot of pain. He eyes the Murkrow as it retreats to the sky.
"You really aren't bright, are ya, kid?" Butch asks her.
"I just forgot! Don't think you'll win this easy, Bith!"
Butch tenses up immediately with a growl. "Stop getting my name wrong! You're doing that on purpose!"
Cassidy rolls her eyes since her teammate is having such a tantrum over his name issue. She casually tosses her own capsule, and a black, stubby-tailed dog with a small skull on its head came out. It's belly and snout holds a rusty color, and… are those ribs growing out its back? It looks like it, only three in all…
Mia hopes they aren't real.
"Houndour! Use Ember!"
Two against one? Mia decides it's time for her to step in. "Razor Leaf!"
The Houndour seems to change targets, knowing it is being attacked. Its focus turns to Razorleaf, and it inhales deeply before unleashing a swarm of small embers.
Just as Mia's Grotle starts to unleash the razor-sharp leaves, the embers strike his body. The Grotle staggers as his beak opens wide, and a bellow is sounded. The unleashed leaves flutter to the ground, and the Houndour jumps over them.
Razor Leaf groans and steps away. Where he was struck begins to catch fire. The sight of it throws Mia into panic. She quickly calls back her Grotle into his Pokéball, and she stares at the capsule for several seconds.
Did he just catch on fire? The last thing she wants to see is one of her Pokémon being cooked alive!
Houndour seems to be a master of fire. There is a counter for that, thankfully.
Mia reaches for her belt to swap Pokéballs. Clipping one off is easy. Trying to clip the other on, she misses. She was going too fast. Razorleaf's Pokéball hits the ground, and she quickly bends down and picks it up. Her eyes meet with Houndour's, and she steps back quickly, nearly losing her balance.
Cassidy has seen it all. She finds herself about to laugh. "You don't seem to know what you are doing, kid. Did you get this far by pure luck? You're shaking in your shoes."
Everything that happened so far was luck. It seems it finally ran out. No one is going to keep helping her.
She can't think too long. The woman might be crazy enough to have her Pokémon attack her, and Mia does not want to go through the same treatment her Grotle was given.
Quickly, Mia throws the Pokéball forward, and her Psyduck comes out.
Cassidy seems amused by this.
Mia quickly sends her order. "Water Gun!"
While Cassidy is unsure of what command the Psyduck is given, the second she sees the attack being performed, she acts quickly. "Get out the way! Use Bite!"
The dog dodges the high-pressured water and sprints towards the Psyduck. Before Mia can warn her, Aqua's arm gets chomped on. The pained quacking makes Mia flinch. She is aware that Pokémon are very durable, but she can't get used to seeing just how brutal they can fight.
Her mind is racing. What can she do to get out of this? She can't think of anything. The Houndour has a good hold. She hates hearing her Psyduck being in so much pain.
"Mia!" Lalinda calls her, busy with the attacking Murkrow. "Don't freak out! Just hit it! Hit it while it's up close!"
Up close? Should she try having her Psyduck shoot water at it again? Mia takes Lalinda's advice quickly. "Water Gun!"
Aqua turns her bill towards the Houndour, and she unleashes the pressured water again. The Houndour hops over, and the water strikes the ground instead. Houndour only bites down harder, and Aqua can't seem to be able to endure it for much longer.
Mia's mouth is open, but no words come out. She doesn't know what to do. She tried to help but, now she's the one needing it. Should she call Aqua back before she passes out? Would Batty do any good? She could try to Supersonic but...
No. What if sending her out is a mistake too? What if she burns like Razorleaf did?
Hearing her Psyduck tears her from her thoughts. She has to pick something… something…
"Rock Smash now!" Hopefully, it could work.
Aqua forms a fist with her right webbed hand, and it seems to shake before she throws a punch against the Houndour's head. It whimpers and frees her, backing away quickly. Its cries are nothing Mia heard before. It sounds almost haunted.
That actually did something.
"Pull yourself together!" Cassidy pushes her Houndour forward when it backed away too close to her. "Bite it!"
Houndour shakes its body, and it jumps towards Aqua.
"Water Gun!"
The Houndour gets a mouthful of water instead. It's entire body is pushed back. It's sent flying off its feet. It falls to the ground unconscious.
"No! Houndour!" Cassidy yells. "Get up!"
"Flame wheel!" Mia hears Lalinda shout. Mia turns to her direction, all she sees is a wheel of fire zipping past her, and ramming on to the crow. It squawks and almost falls over, but it regains its flight.
"Attack it back! Use Peck again!" Butch shouts.
Monferno tries to dodge, but the flying-type is faster. Mia flinches as the Playful Pokémon takes the hit. Before he could fall to the ground, Lalinda recalls him back inside his Pokeball. Mia is about to order Aqua to attack, but Lalinda holds her hand up, a signal that she doesn't need any help.
Lalinds speaks up. "You're in charge, Storm!" Her Shinx jumps forward. "Use Spark!"
The Shinx's body has electric sparks shoot out in a split second, causing its fur to stand on end. It rams itself on the crow, electrocuting it on impact. The crow falls down, and its body twitches. It seems to be smoking.
"My Murkrow!" Butch gasps. He recalls it before glaring at the kids. Balling a fist close to his chest, he says angrily, "I can't see how that was possible! They are rookies!"
Cassidy crosses her arms, not satisfied or amused. She is just as upset as her teammate. Glancing at the helicopter, it seems to have recovered from the electric shock from earlier. "Doesn't matter Hutch. We still can still have this prized Eevee!"
"What?! No!" Mia gasps.
Butch growls as he rushes after his partner. "For crying out loud! It's Butch! How did you get that wrong!" He climbs inside, and the vehicle's propellers start to spin again.
"Eevee!" Mia begins to run forward. "Stop! You can't do that!"
'Mommy!' The Eevee's voice powerfully rings in her head. She bangs her paws on the bars as she is carried away.
Now, Mia feels hopeless.
Cassidy wasn't wrong. Everything that happened was mostly luck so far.
Against Marlen… she was lucky Looker was around. Against Roark, she won purely because she had a grass and water type on the team… and Razorleaf's Overgrow ability saved the day. Against Team Galactic in Jubilife, her brother had a Pichu who knew a powerful move. With Commander Mars… while she did lose, Lalinda came in to finish things off.
There is no luck here. Eevee is being taken away… the same Eevee given to her to be protected, and she can't even do that.
She's just a rookie. Half of the time, she doesn't even know what she is doing. She doesn't even understand this world. She doesn't belong here. She only ended up here because of an unfortunate event.
She's only twelve.
Looking back at the retreating helicopter, she finds herself giving up. The vehicle makes a turn around a building and towards the trees of Eterna Forest...
An idea hits her. Perhaps being in this world has some advantages.
"You can't just waltz around the trees," Mia reminds herself. She turns to her Psyduck quickly, and she points at the helicopter. "Can you aim for the tail? Give it your best shot, as hard as you can!"
Aqua tilts her head, somewhat confused by what she was told.
Mia simplifies what she said quickly. "Water Gun, on the tail!"
The Psyduck finally responds. She lowers her hands from resting on her head, and she unleashes the water as she did times before. It arches through the sky, and it misses the helicopter the first time. Another attempt, and it flies right over it. The third time is the charm as it hits the tail. It's not strong enough to knock it from the sky, but it makes the helicopter spin, now going around the trees, instead of over as planned.
The two Rockets inside gasped at this. They panic as the vehicle flies further, only to smack into an invisible wall. The impact is strong enough for a blue glow to be displayed for only a split second.
Oom.
Even though it sounds harmless and quiet, an unseen force hits the vehicle. It tears the propeller from the top, and the front begins to fall apart before the engine catches fire. Cassidy and Butch are ejected from the falling vehicle, flying through the air.
"Get ready for trouble Hutch, because here it comes!" Cassidy shrieks.
"It is not Hutch it's… oh I give up!" He sees no point in arguing any longer. "I'm changing my name!"
"We're blasting off like those dopes!" they shout in sync.
Mia is half-expecting them to disappear as a star on the horizon, but they fall into the Route 205 pond instead.
"Yeah!" Lalinda cheers and holds up a hand to give Mia a high-five, but she is left hanging. "Um…"
Mia doesn't feel as proud. Her quick thinking did take down their getaway, but other than that, she didn't really accomplish anything.
Wait…
"EEVEE!" Mia dashes off immediately. "I'm a terrible person!"
Lalinda is quick to follow, now feeling fearful that the Eevee is horribly wounded from the crash.
"Eevee!" Mia cries out. "Eevee! Eevee!"
'Mommy!'
"Eevee?" Hearing her voice is a relief. She doesn't sound hurt, which is confusing. Mia takes a look around, but there is no cat-bunny-fox thing in sight. Looking at the debris and the down helicopter, the cage is open. "Eevee?"
She feels weight on her head.
'Hi Mommy!'
Mia immediately reaches for her head and gently removes the Eevee from there. She looks at the cheerful creature, puzzled. How did she escape? This one in particular is truly strange.
Lalinda is impressed. "Whoever gave you that Eevee must have known it as special. I never heard about one that can talk."
"I had the feeling he knew." Mia says. "It's also a happy little guy, like the sunshine."
'Sunshine! Sunshine!' Eevee chants.
"Sunshine… okay then." Mia smiles. "That's your name for now on."
"You know what…?" Lalinda sighs, somewhat tired now. "Forget about 211. I think those two were enough training…"
The mentioned pair worries Mia. The crash seemed pretty heavy. "Will they be okay?"
"Don't worry. You saw that they got out. They are just a little wet."
Wait…
Mia takes a look around. "Did anyone even see this fight? Did they see the helicopter?"
"There weren't a lot of people out here. I doubt it," Lalinda replies.
Well, there is a gathering crowd. Clean up will have to be done. Mia hopes no one notices they are the reason behind it. She's afraid of what the bill could look like.
- 0000 -
Which PC should be accessed?
Mia stares at the screen for several seconds. After a bit of hesitation, she sletects 'Call PC' and types a number sequence.
After a few hums, Professor Rowan's face appears on the screen.
"If you are calling, then I take it you won your second badge?" the professor asks. In the background, Lucas walks by and pauses. He seems to be carrying a few books.
Mia shakes her head. "No. Not yet. We got sidetracked… and I met someone you know."
"Oh? You have? One of my own trainers, I assume."
Mia turns away from the screen. She spots Lalinda taking her Pokéballs from the nurse. "Hey, you should come here! I have the professor on call."
"You do?" Lalinda quickly clips the Pokéballs in place. She gives the nurse a quick bow before rushing over to Mia's side. "Hey, professor!"
Professor Rowan is surprised. "Ah, Lalinda! Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? I can see what Cynthia meant when she told me you found a familiar face!"
"What? Lalinda is there, too? I guess fate brought them together, huh?" Lucas is impressed.
"This goes well, actually. That means I know the two of you will look after each other," the professor says. "I'm sure that as soon as Will joins you, your team will be a pretty strong wall."
"It's pretty solid so far. I bet once we figure each other out, we'll come up with some amazing combos," Lalinda says with a smile.
"That spirit is just what makes one a powerful trainer," Lucas walks closer to the screen now. "Oh, before I forget. Mia, we received word from the Champion that you actually had an encounter with Team Galactic's commander. When we heard about that, the professor and I got so worried. I'm just glad you made it out okay."
News spreads that quick? Mia is a bit ashamed.
She should have expected this. Cynthia personally knows the professor.
"I am terribly sorry," the professor says. "If I knew about this, I would have never sent you to the power plant in the first place."
"Mom gave me a call, and she was frantic," Lucas says, appearing a bit shaken by the memory of it. "She chewed my head off, asking me things like; 'Why would you send her off like that? Why didn't you go with her? What if she got seriously hurt?' It was like I was being interrogated nonstop. Thankfully, the professor explained a few things and it made sense. None of this had a clue Team Galactic were behind this. There was no way."
"Well, the bright side is you are unharmed, and power is flowing as it should be," the professor says. "However, judging from the look on your face, there is something else you wish to tell me?"
He can read faces? That's a bit… creepy. She can't even read his expression, which makes things a bit more difficult for her to go on.
She has to bring it to attention regardless. She gives him her report. "It seems Team Rocket is here as well…?"
"What did you say?" Lucas asks.
"Team Rocket?" the professor is surprised to hear this. "That's bizarre. I thought they disbanded a few years back. They were brought down by the famous Red alone."
"You don't think they could be working underground?" Lucas asks. "I can't exactly see why they would be here. Then again, they do tend to send their higher-ups to outside countries. They are probably hanging around here to see what they can do."
"This is troubling. We already have to deal with the likes of Team Galactic. I don't like the idea of another organization being around. However, I believe we won't have to worry about them too much. Since their numbers could be so small, there's not much they can do here to make themselves a major threat. My guess is that they are trying to make money. Sinnoh is filled with things Kanto doesn't have."
"They called themselves Cassidy and Butch," Mia says.
"Oh, I recognize that pair," Professor Rowan says. "They are young, and rather foolish. They aren't exactly a major threat. The best way to lower their guard is to get Butch's name wrong. Nothing seems to anger him more than that."
"Trust me. We figured that out quickly," Lalinda says. "I think his partner says his name wrong on purpose, or maybe she's not bright either."
"What are they doing here in Sinnoh?" Lucas wonders.
"My guess is that they are trying to please someone by catching something they certainly don't have," the professor answers. "However, they aren't powerful. I can easily send Lucas to deal with them if I wanted."
"I would rather not, actually," Lucas sighs.
"You won't have a choice in the manner. Knowing them, they'll come here and try to steal the rare Pokémon I have," Professor Rowan says. "Though, I must ask, how did you cross paths with them? I know you didn't pick a fight with them."
"They were after some egg I was given. Turns out it was an Eevee," Mia answers. She looks around her feet, and she spots the mentioned Eevee batting a toy ball around. She reaches down and carefully scoops the Pokémon from the ground. She holds her in her arms now.
"That is indeed a rare Pokémon," the professor says, nodding his head. "However, Eevee is native in the Kanto Region as well. I can't fathom what could possibly make them want to have it, unless they are that desperate."
"Um… I sorta have a question that could be the answer to that…" Mia says.
"I am all ears."
"Have you ever heard of… a talking Pokémon?"
The professor pauses, and his eyes are on the Eevee now. "Telepathy, is it?"
"Yeah. It's odd. How does she already know how to speak?"
"My guess is that she heard you while developing," the professor says. "The Eevee there… Kanto's Professor Oak told me about a Pokémon modified by science to bring out the hidden potential these creatures could have. Our chances of reaching it was slim, since it was one of Team Rocket's experiments. I didn't think they kept it going this long, and it seems the Eevee you have is a success."
Mia has an idea on what he could mean. "Wait… So…"
"To out it simply; Team Rocket modified a Pokémon that can fluently understand and speak the human language. They had plans to sell it for a very high price. Word went around, and the Pokémon Hunters wanted their hands on it as well. It would have been in the black market regardless, but you can see what impact it has."
"The egg was given to you. That's what you said, right?" Lucas asks.
"Well, yeah. Some teen gave it to me. He stole it from them, so he has a lot of people after them. A whole lot, it seems. Team Galactic said they couldn't catch him. Team Rocket said the same thing. Cynthia said she probably knows who he is."
"I don't have any thoughts on who it could be, but this individual clearly has some training. They don't sound like someone you would want to pick a fight with," the professor says. "I can only hope he remains safe. As for the Eevee… hold on to it for some time. Once it's familiar with you, send it over to me. I'll have to look into it."
"I will." Mia nods.
"Be sure to catch it. The last thing you will need is for a stray Pokéball to steal it from you."
"They won't get away with it if they tried," Lalinda says.
"On another topic, your next assignment is to earn the Forest Badge from Gardenia," the professor says. "She's a master of grass-type Pokémon. She will be difficult to face, so think carefully, you two."
Lucas looks at the professor. "I guess we have another thing to look into, huh?"
"We do. That is what you are here for," Professor Rowan says. "See if you can find any useful articles about Team Rocket's experiments, and maybe about modifying genetics as well."
"I should have seen that coming," Lucas sighs. He smiles small and waves at the screen. "I'll see you two later."
As Lucas walks off screen, Professor Rowan goes on. "You have a lot in your hands, it seems. However, don't feel stressed. You have a lot of people behind you. I'll do my best to help you near or far."
"I do have another question." Mia can't shake the worry off of her.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Will you be alright?" Mia asks. "I mean… you're looking into so many important things. Team Galactic knows your research is valuable. If they find out you have the Eevee, won't they go after you?"
The professor replies, not showing a bit of concern at all. "You have no reason to worry. I can very well take care of myself. They won't get to my findings so easily."
"Okay then…" Mia isn't so sure, but he did stand his ground in Jubilife. He's proven to not be intimidated by anyone so far.
"Is there anything else?"
"No," Mia answers. "That's all so far."
"And what about you, Lalinda? Feel free to ask. I am in no hurry."
Lalinda shakes her head. "Nope. I have nothing yet. I'll give you a call if something does come to mind. Until then, I'll keep my eyes open."
"Then, good luck with your next gym battle," the professor bows. "Be careful, always."
His hand reaches down, and the communication is cut off.
Mia sighs as she carefully lowers the Eevee back to the ground. She needs a minute to absorb everything she just learned. Why is there so much happening to her? She didn't think an egg would lead to such a big deal… but it has.
She will have to talk to that teen if she ever does see him again.
"Well, are you going to catch it, or not?" Lalinda asks.
Mia sets her bag down, and she opens the side pocket. She pulls out a small Pokéball, and she taps it to grow it to normal size. "Okay, Sunshine."
The Eevee turns to her, tilting her head.
"You are going to stay with me, alright?"
'With you? With you?' The Eevee's voice has Lalinda near panic.
The nurse appears confused, trying to pin down where the voice is coming from.
"She can't keep talking like that!" Lalinda yells in a whisper. "Hurry up and catch it before someone notices!"
Mia quickly tosses the capsule at the Eevee. The Pokémon jumps high, and the ball flies underneath her, missing her completely. "What?"
Lalinda crosses her arms. "Well, she can jump."
Mia sighs as she removes another Pokéball. She watches the Eevee excitedly jump around. She spots her tail, and she begins to chase it.
"Sunshine! You need to stay still!"
The Eevee stops running in circles, only because she got dizzy. She staggers side to side, and she shakes her whole body to fix herself up.
"Okay… I promise you can come right back out as soon as I catch you," Mia says. "Just stay still." She tosses the Pokéball again.
Sunshine springs and bats the ball away with her paw this time. It flies and strikes Mia right on the face. Stinging pain is instant.
"Ooh…" Lalinda winches. "Are you okay?"
Mia grunts and covers her face immediately. "That hurt," she responds.
If it were a rock, she is convinced her nose would be broken right now.
Rubbing her nose, Mia takes out a third Pokéball.
"Wait!" Lalinda jumps in before it could be thrown. She opens her own bag and pulls out a container holding the gathered berries. She gives Mia an Oran Berry. "Try giving her this, first. Maybe it'll keep her still."
Mia takes the berry into her hand. It should work. Eevee will be too baby eating to try to jump or hit the ball, right?
She reaches down, offering the berry to the Eevee. Mia remains still as Sunshine walks closer out of curiosity. After a quick sniff, Sunshine takes the berry into her mouth and begins to eat it.
"There you go. She's all yours," Lalinda says.
Mia watches the Eevee eat for a few seconds, taking note on just how adorable she is. Noticing the berry is already halfway gone, Mia quickly taps the Pokémon's head with the capsule.
It opens, and Eevee glows before she is shrunk and pulled in. The Pokéball's button holds a yellow glow as it begins to shake.
It shakes again, and a third time. Finally, it remains still with a green glow, and a firm click.
Her Pokédex blinks a yellow light. Mia immediately opens it.
(Would you like to nickname the caught Eevee?)
She already gave her a name. Typing it down takes no time at all. After that is done, Mia tosses the Pokéball in the air. Sunshine is brought back out in a brilliant display of light. The Pokéball flies back as always, and Mia catches it in both hands.
Sunshine takes a look around, somewhat confused. It's not until Lalinda sets down another berry that she happily eats again.
"Thanks. I would have never thought of that," Mia says. She walks around to pick up the other Pokéballs that didn't make it.
"It's no problem. She was a bit restless," Lalinda says. "It's crazy how you ended up with her. Can you imagine her being in a terrible place to be sold? Poor thing…"
Mia has to agree. This Eevee would probably end up in a terrible place if that teen didn't take it.
She wonders how he is. Is he alright out there?
"How long can he keep running?"
- 0000 -
"Urrgh…." Cassidy clumsily rises to her feet, dripping wet and defeated. She kicks her boots, shaking off some water, but it will do no good since the insides are drenched. "Some way to end a day huh Butch?"
There is no response. No Butch in sight.
"Butch?"
She starts to panic.
"Butch?! Butch! Where are you?!"
"PWAH!" Butch surfaces from the water, and spits out moss. His hands slam on the edge of the grass. "That was disgusting!" He glares at her, seeing her relieved expression. "The name is- oh wait… that's what you said!" He is pleased to hear that someone got it right for once. "So you do care about me! Isn't that nice!"
"I do not!" Cassidy shoves him back into the water. "Don't get any funny ideas Hutch!"
The water bubble, and he surfaces immediately afterwards, coughing heavily.
"Can't believe we got beaten by children. Again!" Cassidy crosses her arms, displaying her frustration. "I swear, if I see any of them again, I'll make them regret making us look like idiots! That Eevee belongs to us! If we don't get it back, the executives will keep giving us that annoying lecture! I don't feel like hearing it!"
"You know… maybe we shouldn't underestimate kids… they have gotten stronger lately…" Butch says between breathes. "We have to think of something… otherwise that Team Galactic will beat us to getting that Eevee first."
"We are on their territory, so that's no shocker," Cassidy says, watching him stand.
"Urgh. This water tastes disgusting…" Butch checks his belt, and he is relieved to have not lost any Pokéballs. He takes a look around, and he freezes. His eyes remain on one spot.
"Well, we might as well dry up. Can't use the helicopter anymore. Can't believe it got totaled…"
"Cassidy."
"What?" Cassidy looks at him. Seeing the look on his face brings a bit of concern. "Why are you looking like that?"
Butch points a finger ahead, and his expression shows a great deal of disbelief. No words have to be said.
Across the very exit of the forest lies the purple-haired teen. He had collapsed on his back.
"No way…" Cassidy mumbles. She looks at Butch, who gives her the same puzzled look. They come to a silent agreement to investigate.
Slowly, they approach him. He doesn't move. They are pretty close, and he still doesn't move.
They stand still, crouching over him. He is still motionless. With closer inspection, his hair has twigs and leaves caught in it.
"Don't tell me… is he…?" Cassidy reaches for him, only to draw her hand back. "Okay, he's still breathing. He must have passed out."
"Looks like he used the last of his strength to pull his weight over here," Butch observes. "Nothing new. He either fainted from exhaustion, or due to hunger. Happens back in Viridian Forest all the time."
"The kid thought he was invincible. His arrogance gave him a bite." Cassidy looks at her partner. "Go take the Ultra Ball."
"What? Why me?"
"I'm not touching him," Cassidy says. "Besides. He got away with the Eevee, so we take his Pokémon. This is a fair trade."
"Hmph. Maybe we didn't lose everything after all," Butch says. He frowns at the teen, now speaking to him. "You should have kept your tail in your home country… stupid twerp..." He snags the black-top Pokéball.
A hand snags his wrist, and a heavy kick lands against his chest. Butch falls on his back, placing a hand where he was struck. The teen nearly releases his arm, but he doesn't, realizing Butch still has the Pokéball.
"Ouch! That hurt!" Butch growls, glaring at Cassidy. "You knew he would wake up, did you?"
"Don't give me that look. I had no idea!" Cassidy counters. "He's weak anyway! He can't defend himself!"
"Don't do that…" the teen says, struggling to do as much as breathe. He's truly worn down, but it's clear he won't let them get what they want without a fight. He is sitting up now, using his free hand to keep himself steady.
Butch hufs. "You've been running for a long time. It seems your body finally gave up. I don't think there's much you can do."
"All I wanted was a break… I didn't ask for this…"
"Listen, kid. Don't hurt yourself. You are in no condition to even stand," Cassidy says. "Save your breath. You'll pass out again. You should be more worried about getting hydrated. I'm not picking fights with a kid who's hanging by a thread."
"Just give him back to me…" the teen says.
Butch growls as he tries to pull his arm free. All the crouching he is doing is putting a strain on his body.
"Why? That isn't logical to do," Cassidy says. "Why am I even wasting time talking to you? We should be going."
"Looking at children is giving me flashbacks about what just happened with those girls," Butch grumbles.
"We would have caught the Eevee if you weren't so worked up over your name being said wrong!"
"Eevee? So it hatched…?" the boy forces himself to his knees. It seems trying to stand is almost too difficult. "I'm sorry… but I have no time to talk. I have to go find her… it hatched sooner than it should have, and at the wrong place…"
"Why is he so resilient?" Cassidy growls.
"You think you're some superhero?" Butch asks.
"No… I… just don't like resorting to unnecessary conflict…" the teen mutters. "So I kept running… and here you are. But… you're the least of my worries. I just want my partner back. Hand him over, and I'll leave you be."
"I know you heard us before. We are not handing-" Cassidy pauses, annoyed at this point. "You know what? I'm not wasting another second here. Let's go, Hutch."
"It's Butch!" Butch corrects her. He pulls his arm again, but the teen still has a firm hold of his arm. "Hey! Let go of me!"
"I won't. Not until you let my partner go," the teen says. "You can do it the easy way, or we can make this difficult for you. I don't want to resort to the difficult side. Just listen to me, please."
"Stop wasting time with him! Just take it by force!" Cassidy shouts.
Butch growls, and he kicks the teen's arm now, trying to force him to let go. "I'm trying, but he has a strong grip! The twerp just won't quit!"
"I can't afford to," the teen stretches his fingers, and he presses the button of the Pokéball.
It bursts open, and the released light grows. Butch releases the teen and jumps back just as the summoned Pokémon lands heavily between him and the teen. He continues to move back until he bumps against Cassidy.
The teen narrows his eyes, but he seems out of breath. "You see… people like to choose… the difficult path…"
The orange reptilian beast behind him is like a dragon. His belly and the underside of his tail is a perfect shade of yellow. His wings stretch out, blue on the inside. The flame at the end of his tail burns bright. He stares at the two Rockets with his blue eyes, silently judging them.
"He… that was a Charizard all along…?" Cassidy asks, appearing intimidated. "Wait… now I see! You're that kid! What are you doing in Sinnoh?!"
"So… you recognize me now…? Took long enough," the teen says through a mutter. "I merely came here for a holiday… It's not going… so well so far…"
"At your condition… your Pokémon can't do much for you, even if you are as strong as they say," Butch frowns. "You may have never lost a battle, but you will surely lose this fight!"
"I may be at my limit… but that is where… every person is at their strongest," the teen replies. "You won't get what you want from me. No person with bad intentions ever will… So… you won't get… that Eevee…"
His Charizard snarls at the pair now, exhaling smoke from his nostrils.
"Everyone who has faced my… Charizard here got crushed into the dirt within seconds. Are you sure… you want to try your chances…?" the teen asks. "I'm not exactly merciful… when it comes to battle…"
"You're weak," Butch turns to Cassidy. "He's weak! We can still take him, right? A disoriented trainer leaves their Pokémon confused and unsure of what to do!"
"Hold on, I don't think we can do much here," Cassidy frowns. "He's still beyond our league. He's an undefeated trainer!"
"You got it.. all wrong…" the teen struggles to say. "My people call me… The… Undefe..."
Cassidy and Butch exchange glances. They look back at the trainer, confused.
The teen opens his mouth, but no more words come out. He falls back as his eyes close. His Charizard catches him in his arms.
"Oh… he passed out again," Butch says. "Does the Charizard-"
The Charizard glares at them, and he unleashes a massive roar. The Rockets take several steps back, but he still opens its mouth, which begins to glow orange from the inside.
"Get down!" Cassidy screams.
At the last second, the beast seems to change his mind. Instead, he sets his trainer down and jumps into the air, and he flaps his massive wings once. It's powerful enough to push him back, and it's powerful enough to unleash a massive gust that blows the pair off their feet. They scream as they fly back into the pond.
The Charizard lands and scoops his trainer from the ground. He takes flight, soaring across the remainder of the route with his trainer held firmly. Entering the city takes little time. The Pokémon constantly scans the ground, letting loose a roar.
He soars past the watching Mia and Lalinda, and turning a corner, it flies past the twin observing the statue… Will.
They aren't who he's looking for.
Just a bit past the statue, towards a rough and rocky terrain near a mountainside, Cynthia had stopped walking, seeing the beast descend towards her.
She immediately rushes forward, with worry and fright filling her face. "Goodness! Leon!"
The Charizard lands, and he allows Cynthia to take the teen from his arms.
"Leon, can you hear me?!" Earning no answer, she sees why. "He's unconscious. He must be dehydrated, and famished…"
She searches through his bag. There is not a bottle of water in sight.
Cynthia sighs. "Hold on, Charizard. I have a solution. You don't have to worry."
The Charizard watches her carefully as she unclips a Pokéball from underneath her jacket.
"You foolish boy. Eterna Forest is a natural maze. You out of all people should know better. What made you think going in there was a wise idea?" Cynthia shakes her head. "I guess all the running you were doing finally caught up to you. I'm glad Mia said something, and I trusted my intuition. You are in need of a break."
She tosses the capsule in the air, sending an immediate order.
"Lend me your assistance! Use Aromatherapy!"
To be continued to Chapter 9!