A Pallet Pair #9:
So Close, So Far
[ Author's Note: I wish to apologize for the extended delay. This semester I'm carrying extra courses, which means a heavier workload, which means less free time. I was a little worried that my frustration with that would show in this, but I think I managed to keep up my usual quality of work.
S. "Veravine" Kelly ]
"Y'know," Ivonar said, shifting the right strap of her backpack farther up her shoulder, "I kinda miss Zan."
The morning was overcast, a far cry from the blinding sunlight of the past few weeks. It was like being in Periwinkle City all over again, but easier to breathe.
"He was cool," Remmy agreed, even as he shoved a bush out of his way. He walked carefully, trying not to step on the unidentified Pokémon who insisted on walking ahead of him. "Just our luck Route Five's closed, huh?"
"No," Ivonar retorted, shaking her head firmly. "That's my luck. You have the good luck, remember? I'm responsible when things go wrong."
"I'll keep that in mind," Remmy replied dryly, letting go of the bush a moment too early, trying not to laugh at the grunt that escaped his partner as she blocked it.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!"
Both trainers jumped at the harsh wail. Glancing at each other in silent agreement, they barely hesitated before racing toward its source, trusting Manx, Chia, and the Eevees to be able to follow. Q, as it had been for days, was right ahead of them.
The source wasn't too hard to find: a little girl, her hair the likeness of a two-tailed Rattata with its curl-ended pigtails, bawling twin waterfalls beside a lake not so much unlike the one at which Remmy had an odd encounter with two somewhat odd people…
"Hey, what's wrong?" Ivonar asked, crouching beside her. She slipped off her pack quickly, to keep from toppling over.
The girl's tears eased as she looked at Ivonar. Wiping her eye with one hand, she pointed to the lake with the other. "Mollie won't come back!" she wailed.
Looking over the water, Ivonar frowned. She didn't see anything. "Mollie?" she echoed.
"Mollie!" the girl whimpered, pointing again at the water. "My Mollie won't come back!"
"Over to the left," Remmy said, slipping his own pack off. "Near the far end."
Ivonar frowned again, squinting. Understanding registered on her face as she saw something floating in the water - not a creature, it seemed, but a small blue ball. She mentally shrugged; when she was very little, she'd had a blanket she called Harmy. No reason that she could remember - she just did. A ball named Mollie? Who was she to say anything?
"We can get Mollie back for you," Ivonar said, smiling. "Would you like us to get Mollie back?" The little girl nodded. Ivonar reached into the fourth pouch on her belt, pulling out a pokéball. "Come on out, Poe!"
Remmy reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a pokéball of his own. "Drake," he said, smiling.
In unison, the two water Pokémon appeared from their pokéballs. The girl's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands. "Ooh!" she cried. "You have Pokémon too!"
"Hey, Remmy, how about a race?" Ivonar suggested, grinning. "Drake verses Poe. Who can get Mollie first?"
"What's the winner get?" Remmy asked, rubbing his Dratini's head. Drake trilled.
Ivonar looked down at Poe, whose eyes narrowed into a smile. "Hmm… winner… doesn't have to cook tonight."
"Big deal," Remmy snorted. "Neither of us minds cooking. How about the loser has to carry the winner's pack for the rest of the day?"
"Are you kidding?" Ivonar laughed. "Neither of us can do that!" Remmy laughed too.
The little girl pouted. "What about Mollie?" she asked softly.
Ivonar grinned. "Loser has to carry Fluffball for the rest of the day," she said, turning her grin toward the fiercely independent, soft-furred Eevee. Fluffball glared at her. Manx snickered, earning himself a glare as well. Sweetie curled her tail around her trainer's neck as she giggled. The only ones who didn't seem to find it funny, in fact, were the little girl, and Fluffball.
Remmy looked up, considering, and then nodded. "Fine by me. Ready Drake?" The Dratini trilled, slithering to the edge of the lake.
"Ready Poe?" The Poliwhirl made no sound as it stood next to the Dratini, its moist body tense. Ivonar looked at the little girl. "Wanna do the honors?"
The little girl bit her lip, and then smiled a little. She raised her hands, then swung them down again. "Go!"
The two water Pokémon leaped into the water, Drake with near silence, Poe with a slurping splash. They tore through the water, neither showing any hint of falling behind the other.
"Hey, Eevee," Remmy said.
"Yeah?"
"With this race… what do we do if there's a tie? We both carry her?"
"Both of them can't bring the ball back."
"Ball?" The girl pouted. "Mollie isn't a ball!" They looked down at her. She crossed her arms, scowling. "Mollie's my Marril!"
Ivonar and Remmy look at each other blankly. Then, in unison, they whirled toward the water.
"Drake!" Remmy shouted.
"Poe!" Ivonar yelled.
Caught up in the thrill of competition, the water Pokémon didn't hear them. They raced for the small blue ball they could see, just five yards away… four… two… none…
The water beneath the ball exploded upward as the creature whose tail it was attached to burst to the surface. "Marril!" it screeched angrily, before its eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen.
Looking back, what happened next was hilarious… but at the time, all three trainers screamed in terror at the three-way collision of very surprised and somewhat horrified water Pokémon.
For a few short eternities… er, moments… only bubbles could be seen where the three Pokémon had collided, all three having sunk below the surface, stunned. Then, the blue ball reappeared, followed by the Marril itself, rubbing its stomach angrily… then Drake, a dazed glaze in its beautiful, royal violet eyes… and finally Poe, who used a glove-like hand to rub at a lump on his right eye. For a long time, the three Pokémon glared silently at each other, until; finally, they burst out bickering.
"This isn't good," Remmy muttered.
"I want Mollie back!" the little girl wailed, stamping her foot. She scowled. "Daddy wouldn't get me a Butterfree 'cause he said it'd be too strong," she grumbled. "He said it wouldn't listen to me. But Mollie never listens, either!"
Ivonar frowned. "How'd you get your Marril?"
The little girl pouted. "I found her on the playground. I gave her half my lunch and she followed me home. But all she does is eat. And Mommy don't like her, 'cause she's allergic."
"Your dad won't let you have a Butterfree because he thinks it'd be too strong, and your mom doesn't like your Marril because she's allergic to it?" Ivonar echoed. "Sheesh!" she added under her breath. She paused. "But your dad's right. I train with a few Pokémon who are too strong for me. It's really hard, even if they love and respect you." Manx snorted, as if taking the comment personally.
"I guess," the girl muttered, flopping on the ground.
After awhile, Ivonar and Remmy sat down as well. Manx curled up into a ball; Q lay down, leaning back on the Persian, and pulled the small pot it wore on its head over its eyes. Chia kept Fluffball and Cole amused by waving her tail over their heads. Ivonar let Nuisance out of his pokéball and hugged him in her lap. Remmy held Static to keep the Eevee from going into the water, to prevent him from getting involved in the quarrel. "How long have they been arguing?" he sighed.
Ivonar checked her watch. "Ten minutes." She reached back into a pocket in her backpack, pulling out a half-empty pill bottle. "Come on, Nuisance," she murmured kindly, tapping one of the pills onto her palm. The Psyduck stayed silent. "I know you don't like the pills," Ivonar sighed, "but it's for your own good."
"Seh," Nuisance muttered tonelessly. He had hardly been himself, since they had left Periwinkle City. The medicine left him lethargic and withdrawn; he spent most of the time out of his pokéball with his fingers pressed firmly to his temples, silently dealing with the after-effects of his battle with the Abra.
Ivonar hated seeing him like this. She missed the vacant smile that had been missing, and the lopsided waddle he couldn't use since he could barely concentrate enough to stand up, much less walk. She missed having him sleep on her feet at night. She gave him a little squeeze, and then held the pill near his bill. "Come on, Nuisance," she murmured again. "Just a couple more weeks of this, and you'll be as good as new." The Psyduck obediently opened his mouth, letting her put the pill on his tongue, and closed it again.
"What's wrong with your Psyduck?" the little girl asked.
Ivonar put the pill bottle away, and then returned to hugging the yellow Pokémon. "He got into a battle with a stronger Pokémon," she replied. "He won, but he got really hurt. He's still getting better."
"He doesn't look better."
Ivonar rested her chin lightly on Nuisance's head, staring out over the water. "He's getting there," she replied quietly, but didn't sound like she was convinced of it. She lifted her head again. "Hey… looks like they settled their differences." She looked at her watch. "It took them twenty minutes, but still…"
Drake slithered out of the water and curled itself into a ring around its trainer. Remmy took its pokéball back out, put the Dratini back inside, and stuck the ball back into the pocket of his jacket.
The Poliwhirl and the Marril came out together, the Poliwhirl looking cross, the Marril seeming puzzled. Ivonar fished into the fourth pouch in her belt, trying to get Poe's pokéball, but she couldn't get her fingers into the pouch and hold Nuisance on her lap, too. She put the Psyduck down beside her. Remmy stood up and wiped the dirt off his jeans. Static scampered quickly into the water.
The little girl jumped to her feet, grinning. "Mollie!" she cried, rushing forward. She scooped up the damp mouse, squeezing it so tightly that it squealed. Manx, Q, and Fluffball cringed in sympathy.
"Marril!" Mollie squealed, waving her short arms, her eyes squeezed shut. "Marril, Marril! MARRIL!" She squirmed, managing to get out of the little girl's arms. She fell, and then bounced, into a very surprised Remmy. She perched on his shoulder, gripping his forehead tightly. "Marril!" she whimpered again, burying her face in his hair.
"Um… hey!" Remmy said, lacking anything else to say. "What the…?"
The girl glared at him angrily. "That's my Marril!" she snapped. "Give Mollie back!"
Ivonar grimaced. This was not looking pretty. The girl looked ready to blow up, Remmy was still trying to figure out how he had a Marril hugging his head, and the Marril looked like she had no intentions of letting go.
Then her eyes lit up. Quickly, she dug into her back pocket, pulling out something that, yet again, was proving its worth - her Pokédex. She tapped a few keys quickly, waited for a brief flash of light in the sixth pouch of her belt, and then picked up the pokéball that appeared at her feet. "Hey," she interrupted. The girl looked at her, startled. "I have an idea." The girl looked skeptical. "Well, I think it's a good idea," Ivonar said, rolling the ball in her hands. "See, you want a Butterfree, and your mom's allergic to Mollie… right?"
The girl nodded slowly. "But Daddy says a Butterfree would be too strong for me."
Ivonar glanced at the Marril. Remmy looked back, uncertain of where she was going with this. Ivonar returned her gaze to the girl, and smiled gently. She crouched down, closer to her eye level. "Well," she began, "I caught a Caterpie, and I don't think I'll be battling with it. I'm sure it would love to be trained, but I don't think I'm going to." Her smile widened. "Caterpies evolve into Metapod, then into Butterfree… and I was thinking…"
The girl's eyes widened. "You wanna trade?!" she cried, clapping her hands eagerly.
"You have Mollie's pokéball?" Ivonar asked. The girl nodded. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a pokéball, then held it out. Ivonar took it, and placed the pokéball she was holding in the girl's hand. "That's my Caterpie. It doesn't have a name, but you can name it."
"Ooh!" The girl quickly pressed the button on the pokéball, releasing the small green insect. Immediately she scooped it up and squeezed it tight. "My very own Caterpie!"
The Caterpie, needless to say, was quite startled to go from its quiet pokéball to a bear hug, but after a moment, it trilled happily.
The girl relaxed her grip, then held the Caterpie out in front of herself. "You're my Caterpie!" she told it happily. "And I wanna name you… ummmm…" She looked thoughtful. The Caterpie hung in her two hands, its head cocked to the side, waiting patiently. "Umm…" The girl looked at Ivonar. "What's your name?"
Ivonar smiled a little. "I'm Ivonar."
The girl looked at the Caterpie again. "I'm going to name you… Ivy!" Out of reflex, Ivonar cringed. Remmy chuckled.
The Caterpie was quiet for a moment, and then trilled again. It swung its back half, getting its suction cup-like feet attached to the girl's arm. The girl squealed, surprised, and let it go. The Caterpie attached the rest of its legs to her arm, and then scurried up to her shoulder, where it rubbed its cheek against hers. The girl giggled. "Your legs tickle!" she squealed. She grinned at Remmy. "You be good, Mollie!"
Ivonar smirked. "Here." She tossed the pokéball in her hands to Remmy.
"Now wait a minute…" Remmy frowned as he caught the ball, and then prepared to throw it back.
"Don't you start," Ivonar cut him off. "I don't see Mollie hugging my head." She grinned. "Besides, that was your Caterpie, remember? I only caught it because you wouldn't!"
Remmy grinned. "Are we going to get into that again?"
The little girl cuddled the Caterpie. "I have to show Daddy!" she said, hurrying off. "Come on, Ivy!"
Remmy sighed, and then gently removed the Marril from his shoulder. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked her.
Mollie looked at him blankly. "Marril?"
"Guess you go to Professor Oak," he said, frowning a little. "I mean, if you don't mind."
The Marril shrugged a little. "Marril, Marril."
"Okay." Remmy put her down, then held out her pokéball. "Back you go."
Ivonar scowled a little. "Hang on. Where's your Pokédex? I've got it in mine that I traded the Caterpie, but we have to input that Mollie's yours, not mine."
"It's in my bag. I'll get it." He put the Marril down.
"Koffing - Smoke Screen!"
"What?" Ivonar looked up - only to start gagging at the thick smog that filled her lungs. "Yuck! What- what's going on?!"
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And prepare to make it double!"
"Not those two again!" Remmy shouted. "OOF!"
"To protect the world from-"
"Remmy, you okay?"
"-devastation!"
"To un-"
"Somebody pushed me! Hey!"
"-within our… hey, stop interrupting us!"
"To denounce the evils of tru-"
"Ro!"
"-th and - ow! Knock it off! That's me!"
"Sorry, Jess, I couldn't see you! Usually the brats have gusted the smoke away by now!"
"Meowth! Let's just get out of here!"
"But the motto!"
"Forget the motto!" Someone coughed. "I can't breathe here!"
"Ro! Are you out? I can't see!" A shrill cry answered Ivonar. "Whirlwind this stuff out of here!"
The sound of heavily beating wings cut through the sound of their coughing. Slowly, Ivonar's vision cleared. She looked around as Ro landed beside her. Through the thinner smoke, she could see her partner on the ground not far away. "Remmy, what was that?" she coughed. "Where's Mollie? And Nuisance?" She looked around frantically. "Nuisance!"
Bubbles erupted from the lake, and those two water Pokémon, as well with Poe, appeared. "Marril!" Mollie chirped, getting out and shaking off. The Psyduck was slower to get out, and walked shakily, the Poliwhirl helping him.
"Where's-" Remmy burst out coughing as he stood up. Ivonar couldn't place it, but something about him looked wrong. "Where's Manx, and the Eevees?" he asked.
"I still got Sweetie," Ivonar said, rubbing the Eevee's head gently. "Where's Q? And Chia?"
"Q!" came a reply from the bushes. The unidentified Pokémon stumbled out, covering its gasping coughs with one mitten-like paw as it gripped the handle it carried in the other. It went immediately to retrieve the pot that lay on the ground where the Pokémon had been lying before the sudden attack. Manx followed after it, three small Eevees at his heels, Chia at theirs. Manx's ears were laid back as he growled softly.
"Good job, Ro." Ivonar pulled out three of her pokéballs, and returned her three Pokémon. "You sure you're okay?" she asked her partner.
"I'm okay," Remmy assured her, grimacing darkly. "But we have to find those guys, fast."
"What?" She looked around. "All the Pokémon are still here, and none of them seem hurt." Remmy tugged down his tee shirt and wiped some mud from his jeans. Ivonar frowned. "Hey, weren't you wearing your jacket?"
"They stole it," he snapped, wiping some mud off his arm as well. "That means they have two of my pokéballs. They have Mollie's, too, I think… I don't see it." He looked around, to be sure.
"They do?" Ivonar's eyes widened. "Which two?"
"I'm not sure about one…" He grimaced as he reached down, picking up Mollie, "… but the other one's Drake's."
*
Meanwhile, Team Rocket was busy clearing the backfired attack from their lungs as well.
"We didn't even get to finish the mo… maaaah…aaaachoo!" James whimpered.
"Quit yer whinin'!" Meowth snapped. "Which of youse guys got the Marril?"
His partners looked at him blankly.
Jessie snarled. "You were the one who was supposed to grab it!" she snapped, whacking the cat. "While we distracted them with the motto! Remember?!"
"How was I supposed to grab the stupid rat when I couldn't see my own nose!" Meowth snapped in reply. "I did manage to get this from the red-haired kid, though!" He held up a pokéball. "Let's see what we got!" He pressed the button with one claw.
With a pop, the pokéball snapped open - to reveal nothing inside.
"Empty?!" James sniffed, wrapping a green jacket more tightly around his shoulders. "You grabbed an empty pokéball! Great going, Meowth!" He sneezed again.
"So? You grabbed de kid's jacket!" Meowth threw the pokéball over his shoulder as he fought to deflect the blame from himself. "What'd you do dat for?!"
"Because unlike you two, I fell in that… thaaaaaaaaa-CHOO! - that stupid lake when the twerp's Pikachu blasted us the last time, instead of in that haystack!"
"If you'd landed in the haystack, you'd be complaining about hay fever!" Jessie snapped. "We're supposed to steal Pokémon, not kid's clothing!"
"But I've got chills!" James sniffled, hugging the jacket around his shoulders more tightly. "It doesn't even fit," he whimpered, wiping his nose with his finger.
"Oh, for evil's sakes, use a tissue." Jessie cringed. "That's disgusting."
"We're all out," James muttered. "Maybe the kid has some…" He reached into one of the pockets of the jacket. "No… not there…" He sniffled again as he reached into the other pocket. "Ooh… nothing but…" He pulled his hand out. His eyes widened. "Pokéballs!" He grinned at his companions. "Look! The stupid kid left pokéballs in his pocket!"
"Probably more duds," Meowth sneered.
"Well… we could always use pokéballs…" James sighed. He pressed one of the buttons. He yelped as the ball snapped open, releasing…
"Raaaah?"
"Great!" Meowth snorted, glaring down at the purple Pokémon. "All that, and all we gots to show for it is a Rattata!"
The Rattata looked at him, his bright eyes wide, then at the others.
"Well, at least we gooo-achoo!-ot something," James muttered. He sniffled, then pressed the button on the other pokéball.
Again, the ball popped open, and a beam of light coalesced into another Pokémon… but this one was nearly six times longer than the Rattata, and the color of crystalline-clear water. It, too, looked about, confused. Its royal purple eyes settled on James.
James's eyes glittered. "It's… it's…" He gasped in delight. "It's the kid's Dratini!"
Jessie's and Meowth's jaws were too busy resting in the dirt for them to respond.
The Dratini trilled, looking up at him. Its eyes, full of fear, were heartbreaking.
James knelt down, closer to the Dratini's eye level. "It's a Dratini," he said again, awestruck. "I've… I've always wanted a Dratini…"
"Do… do you know how much the Boss is going to love us?!" Meowth cried, having finally gotten his chin off the ground. "We got a Dratini!"
Jessie's face beamed as she bent down, grabbing the Meowth's paws. The two of them danced in circles, singing happily, "We got a Dratini! We got a Dratini!"
The Dratini looked around frightfully. It glared at the two celebrators, scowled darkly, then opened its mouth.
"No, don't!" James cried. It looked at him, startled, but its scowl returned. It opened its mouth again, and blasted him point-blank with a Water Gun attack, right in the face. He tumbled backwards with a yelp. "Ooooow," he moaned.
"None o' that!" Meowth hissed, giving the creature a sound cuff on the snout, his claws bared. The Dratini squealed in pain as three red parallel scratches appeared on its face. It glared at him, only to receive a Fury Swipes attack. The Dratini squealed again, its tail lashing in pain. "You're not getting away so easy this time!"
"Meowth!" James picked himself up slowly. "Stop it!"
Jessie frowned at him. "Don't go soft on us, James. Do you know how much this Dratini will mean to us? We'll be the Boss's favorites for years!"
"Decades, even!" Meowth embellished. He glared furiously at the Dratini, but it showed no will to fight. Instead, it had its head bowed, its eyes clenched shut, waiting for further cuffs. He frowned a little, his claws starting to retract, but he forced himself not to do it. He had to concentrate on what was important. "This thing is our ticket to every'ting we've ever dreamed of!" He scowled. "We'd better keep it in its pokéball, so it don't get any ideas!"
"Good idea," Jessie agreed, crossing her arms. "It's already attacked us more than enough times."
James grimaced a little, but they were right. "Return, Dratini." The red beam lanced out from the pokéball.
The Dratini darted left, avoiding the beam. It slithered between James's legs, slipped around Meowth, and squirmed out from between Jessie's hands. "Get it!" she shouted. "We can't let our ticket to everything get away!"
The Dratini squealed, its voice a high trill. The Rattata looked at it as it dodged between the feet of the two humans and the upright Meowth. The mouse Pokémon chittered a quick reply, then raced off into the bushes.
"Get the rat too!" Meowth yelled as he lunged for the Dratini, only to smack right into Jessie's shin, tripping her. "It's going to get their trainer!"
"Forget the ra-OW!" Jessie grunted as she hit the ground. "James, grab that thing and let's keep moving!"
"It's too-too-taaaah-" James stumbled as the Dratini darted through his legs again, sneezing violently at the same time. The jacket he'd been hugging around himself fell off his shoulders as he fought to keep his balance. He lost the battle, falling to his knees.
The Dratini squealed in pain as James's left knee fell on the tip of its tail, but its cry was muffled as the jacket landed heavily on its head.
"Get back in your pokéball!" James cried, throwing his arm backwards and releasing the ball he held. The ball popped open, and the red beam of light sucked the Dratini back inside.
Team Rocket stayed where they were for a few moments - Jessie on her hands and knees, having half-way picked herself up; Meowth, on his stomach, legs splayed in four different directions; and James, sitting on the ground, having literally spun himself around when he threw the pokéball backwards.
"That's it?" Jessie said finally, breaking the silence. She sat back on her heels, then stood up.
James got up slowly, picking up the pokéball in one hand, the jacket in the other. "I… I guess so," he replied.
Meowth got all four feet under him before pushing himself onto his hind legs. "Let's get goin'," he said. "That Rattata'll get them trainers back on us."
The humans nodded. "Right," they agreed. Jessie added a quick, "Let's go," once again taking charge.
They started forward again, Meowth walking a little farther ahead, James lagging a little behind as he hugged the jacket around his shoulders again. "How come twerps get all the luck?" he asked suddenly. "I mean, one has that Pikachu, and the other had a Pikachu that evolved without a Thunder Stone… not to mention the Dratini!"
Meowth laughed, making him jump. "Some luck!" the Pokémon sneered cheerfully. "He's not the one with a Dratini no more!"
James fingered the shrunken pokéball he'd put back in the jacket's pocket. To be honest, he had nowhere else to put it. It felt good in his hands… and besides, if he didn't keep it, one of the others might take it, and try to take all the glory for themselves. He was the one who had grabbed the jacket. If anyone deserved the Boss's praise, it was him!
Besides, hadn't his Koffing given them the cover they needed for him to snatch the jacket?
Yes. This was his victory. He smiled to himself. "Maybe he'll let me keep it," he muttered under his breath.
*
He kept his nose low to the ground, trying not to concentrate on how demeaning this would be if he stopped to think about it. He snorted a little, trotting a few feet farther ahead, then tried to pick up the scent again.
One comment… one comment… from any one of them! - and he would sit down and that'd be the end of it. No way they would get away with having him do this, and make fun of him for it! Absolutely not.
Chia looked at him, and smiled faintly. He snarled silently at her. Don't even think of saying anything, he growled softly. Don't.
Don't think of saying what? she asked innocently. Her smile became more pronounced. I was just going to say how nice it was you're-
Don't say that either! he snapped impatiently, looking away. He could almost see her look of disapproval, even though he wasn't facing her direction. Let her disapprove. This was embarrassing enough without her gushing over it.
Beside him, Fluffball sniffed intently at the ground, too, as did Static. What are we looking for again? the stiff-furred Eevee asked.
Those meanies! Fluffball snapped impatiently. Can't you remember anything?
Well, sorry, Static muttered, laying his ears back slightly.
Enough, both of you, he chuffed, snorting again. One of those humans had stepped in something foul. It only made this chore even worse. You're distracting me.
Fluffball bristled. I'm helping! she corrected him hotly, then went back to sniffing at the ground.
If he had still had his tail, it would have been lashing in sheer frustration at the unfairness of it all.
Sadly, even his human had enough sense not to comment, so the search continued.
That worm is going to owe me, he growled under his breath. And I should have eaten that rat!
The unidentified Pokémon turned to smirk at him. That's not very nice… he said.
I'm not in a very nice mood at the moment, he snarled in reply.
The other was about to reply, when his head jerked slightly. The pot he wore caught against the horns at the back of his head, keeping it from falling off. Something's coming, he said. Four feet, about my size.
Manx heard it too. Static and Fluffball backed up, taking cover underneath him. The Pokémon ahead of him took a defensive stance. Chia's cheeks sparked as she lashed her tail, warning the Eevee behind her to stop. The humans held still, waiting to see what the problem was.
The running feet and rustle of bushes making way for a small body grew louder, until a purple torpedo pounced from the bushes, skidding to a stop just before slamming into the Pokémon with a pot on its head. "Rah!" the Rattata yelped in surprise, its bright eyes going wide.
Welcome back, breakfast, Manx sneered quickly. Where are the humans?
Where'd you come from? Ratzy asked blankly, then shook off his surprise. They're this way, about a quarter of a mile ahead. You'd see them if there weren't all these bushes. Come on! They must still have Drake! He danced from foot to foot impatiently. Are you going to follow me or not? Come on! We have to help Drake!
First of all, appetizer, calm down, Manx snapped. You'll do us no good if you don't!
Can't you be nice for once? Chia chided him.
There is a time and a place for nice, Manx snapped. And it is wasted on what I would rather eat than talk to!
Ratzy cringed, then glared at him. You can't eat me! he crowed. Your master caught me! We're bound-
-and if you're going on about it, it's time to find those humans, Manx snarled. Go!
It really wouldn't hurt you to be nice once in a while, Chia murmured as the Rattata scampered ahead, the unidentified Pokémon just behind it.
I didn't eat him, did I? he retorted, then ran on ahead.
*
"Aaa…choo!" He sniffled, and wished for perhaps the thousandth time he had a tissue.
This victory would have been much more enjoyable, if he didn't feel so miserable…
He stared upward at the thinly veiled stars. The others had kicked him out of their small, pavilion-like tent… Jessie didn't want to catch his cold, and Meowth complained he couldn't sleep with him sneezing every five minutes.
Was it his fault he'd landed in that lake? No!
It was so unfair.
He sighed, then shifted the pillow beneath his head. At least it wasn't raining - then it really would have been unfair. But the clouds from the day had thinned into a mist-like covering over the sky. It was kind of pretty. If it weren't for the principal of it all - and the cruel, icky cold he couldn't shake - he wouldn't have minded sleeping under the stars.
The brats hadn't caught them. Though the Rattata had gotten away, they hadn't seen the kids for hours. No doubt, they were still in the forest somewhere, going in circles.
He tried to imagine the scene tomorrow, when they got back to headquarters and showed the Boss their prize, but he couldn't - at least, not how he wanted to. Instead of hearing the Boss's praise, he just kept seeing pained, violet eyes, full of fear of what was to come. He tried to imagine asking the Boss if he could keep the Dratini, but try as he might, he couldn't even imagine the Boss saying yes - that was how unlikely it was.
He sighed heavily. "But I caught it!" he complained to no one. "At least, I stole it! It's mine!"
He sneezed, then groaned slightly. "Forget a promotion…" he moaned. "All I want right now is some Nyquil. I'm never getting to sleep…" He sighed tiredly.
Finally, he sat up, looking toward the tent. There weren't any lights, and he could vaguely hear them both snoring. They were sound asleep, while he was miserable.
He reached under his pillow, pulling out the folded jacket. He reached into the pocket, smiling to himself as he felt the pokéball there. He took it out, and enlarged it. Putting the jacket aside, he held the ball in his hands for a few moments. He put it in one hand, and pretended to throw it. "Dratini, go!" he breathed. He grinned to himself, looking at the ball again. "That felt so good!" He giggled giddily. He pretended to throw it again. "Dratini, go!" He yelped when the ball opened this time. "No!" he cried. No! I didn't mean it!"
The creature coalesced, then looked about fearfully. For a moment, it looked confused, then glared at him angrily. It opened its mouth.
"No!" He cringed away, blocking his face with his hands. "Not again! Please!" He stayed that way for a moment, then, surprised to find himself still dry, looked.
It stared at him in confusion. Seeing him peeking through his arms, it trilled curiously. He lowered his arms slowly. "I don't want to hurt you," he said slowly. It cocked its head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly. "Really." It still didn't look convinced, but it hadn't attacked yet. And it hadn't run away yet, either. Both were good signs, right? "I'm… I'm James. Do you have a name?" It gave him a funny look, and trilled again, this time at a lower pitch. Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. "Oh. I've gotten used to Meowth… you can't even say your name, can you." The creature shook its head slightly with a soft chirp. "You're… can you be real?" It peered at him in confusion. Its eyes widened a bit, looking less suspicious. He reached out slightly; it pulled back, its eyes narrowing again. He pulled his hand back quickly. "Oh." He flinched slightly, feeling the familiar feeling come over his nose. "Oh… ah… ahhh… ahhhchoo!" He rubbed his nose. "Oooh… I hate this cold. Jessie and Meowth just tell me to stop complaining when I do. I get no respect from them." The Dratini trilled softly. He sniffed. "We ran out of tissues. Do we buy some? No. We have to buy wax for Meowth's charm. We can't afford tissues. Sheesh." He sighed, then sniffed again. "Let them fall in the lake next time." He looked at the Dratini again. Still it looked at him, its head cocked slightly to the side. "What're you staring at?" It tilted its head in the other direction, chirping again. "You're the only thing that's gone right today." Its eyes narrowed slightly, but in the opposite direction. Instead of suspicious, it looked… almost pleased. He reached out again slowly. It held still. Ever so gently, he placed his hand on its snout. It flinched away. He did too. It whimpered, its eyes squeezed shut. "Oh… I forgot. Meowth got you. He does that to me, too." He reached for his bag, beside his sleeping bag. He pulled out a small tube of ointment. "This stuff heals those right up. Here." He turned back. The Dratini was looking at him suspiciously again. "It gets rid of the sting, too. Cat scratches hurt a lot, don't they?" It seemed to grimace slightly, then came a little closer. He took the lid off the tube. "It smells kind of funny, but the smell goes away pretty fast." It came a little closer. Now, he could see the deep red lines that crisscrossed its snout and face. He cringed in sympathy. "He got you pretty bad." He put some of the ointment on his finger. "This stings a bit, but it stops after a minute. It's nasty stuff, but it works fast." He held out his finger. "You're not going to spray me again if this stings, are you? I did warn you." It frowned a little, but held its ground.
He touched his finger to its snout, smearing the ointment horizontally across its face. It felt sort of like rubber, smooth and a little bit moist. It flinched when his finger crossed the claw marks, but it didn't yelp, or attack. Gently, he rubbed the cream in. "A… little more should do it." He started to squeeze some more onto his finger, but a sudden sneeze escaped him. He managed to turn his head aside, but he accidentally squeezed half the tube of ointment all over his hand. "Ahh!" He stared at the mess. "This stuff is expensive. Jessie's going to kill me!"
He looked up, startled, at a purring trill. The Dratini looked right back, its eyes narrowed into a pleasant smile. It purred again, giggling. He chuckled. "I guess it is kind of funny," he admitted. "I just hope Jessie realizes that, when she finds out." He sighed again, putting the remaining ointment away. He dabbed one of his other fingers into the mess. "Now…" With the ease of much practice, he finished treating the worst of the cuts on the Dratini's face and its fin-like ears. "There we go." He wiped the rest of the cream on the grass. He looked at the creature again. "Now what?"
It tilted its head to the other side again with a curious trill, then looked away. It looked around intently, the fins on its head stiff. After a few moments, the fins drooped a little. With a sad trill, it lowered its head, and looked at him mournfully. Then it looked down.
"What's wrong?" he asked. It trilled a quiet, mournful note, not looking at him. "Did I say something?" It looked at him, attempted to smile, and failed. He reached out slowly. It didn't pull away. Gently, he placed his hand on its smooth head. It didn't flinch, or even look at him. "What's wrong?"
It trilled softly again. It lifted its head, looking around again. Suddenly, he understood. "You're looking for your trainer." It trilled a sad agreement, looking at him. The understated accusation in its gaze stung. "How did he manage to catch you?" It blinked, but that didn't really seem like an answer. "Well… maybe I can train you now." It didn't even blink this time. Maybe it doubted it as much as he did, or maybe he hadn't sounded convinced when he said it. "I've always wanted a Dratini." He rubbed his hand gently on its forehead, in a spot where the ointment didn't make its head sticky.
After a few moments, it looked around again, then yawned. He smiled in spite of himself. "It is kind of late." It peered at him for a moment, then chirped. He looked at its pokéball, which lay on the jacket beside his bag. He sighed, picking up the ball. "I hate to do this, but…" It chirped again. He looked at it, curious. It had its head tilted to the side again, questioningly. "If I don't put you back in, you'll run away." It narrowed its eyes into a faint smile. "Well, not run, but whatever… slither. You'll slither away, and then they'll kill me. You have to go to the Boss."
It chirped softly. It looked around once more, but not nearly as intently as it had before. Then, slowly, it squirmed closer. He sat up straighter as it slid into the sleeping bag. He giggled as he felt it slide against his bare feet, then smiled as it peeked out again. It chirped, laying its head down on his pillow. It closed its eyes with a soft sigh.
His smile grew as he slid farther into the sleeping bag. Gingerly, he put one arm over the Pokémon. It opened its eyes a little, whistled softly, and then closed them again.
Before he could really enjoy the moment, he fell sound asleep. Through the night, he didn't sneeze once.
*
"WHERE IS IT?!"
He nearly leaped out of the sleeping bag. Instead, he sat up straight with a yelp. He shrieked as the rumpled uniform he's slept in was grabbed roughly from the front, pulling his face dangerously close to that of a murderously furious Jessie. "WHERE IS IT?!" she roared again, shaking him. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH OUR DRATINI?!"
"Our… our what?" he yelped, trying to get his brain to wake up too.
"Da Dratini you moron!" Meowth shouted. He stood beside Jessie, equally furious, his claws fully extended. "Don't make Me-owth have to remind you!"
"Da… the Dratini?" James felt his heart sink somewhere around his heels. "Oooh…" His shoulders slumped as he hung his head. Jessie let him go, but that didn't mean she was any less furious. "I didn't think it'd run… slither… away…"
"You let it GO?!" the other two screamed. Jessie lunged for his throat, Meowth for his face. He cringed, putting up his arms.
He shrieked as something smooth slid against the sensitive bottoms of his feet, then heard Jessie and Meowth scream. He lowered his arms, then blinked in surprise.
The Dratini, its face free of the scratches from the day before, glared in annoyance at his two soaked partners, who were now several feet away. It looked at him, trilling questioningly.
"You… you did that for me?" Its eyes narrowed a little as it giggled trillingly. "Ooh!" He threw his arms around it. It squeaked in surprise, but didn't pull away. "My very own Dratini!"
"Your Dratini?" Jessie swiped the water dripping from her hair off her face. "That Dratini is our ticket to everything!"
"Dat's right!" Meowth agreed, shaking off. "I'll be Top Cat again, and youse two will be the Boss's favorite team!"
James frowned, his arms still around the Pokémon beside him. "But I want to keep it," he said quietly, his voice dangerously close to a whine.
"Prepare for slaughta!"
"You really oughta…"
All four looked up. The only one not to say, "Huh?" trilled its equivalent.
"To protect Pokémon from thieves and goons!"
"To save the innocent from weirdoes and loons."
"To denounce the villainy of what you did!"
"To show you we're not just pushover kids!"
From a tree next to the tent, a girl with dull brown hair leaped to the ground. She struck a dramatic pose, while the Eevee on her shoulders hissed at them. "Eevee!"
From another tree, a red-haired boy descended, then held a daisy to his lips. "Remmy."
The girl smirked at them. "Team Pallet, we've searched all night."
The boy's eyes narrowed as he threw the daisy aside. "Surrender Drake, or prepare to fight."
From the bushes between the trees they'd jumped from, a tall, tailless Persian emerged, a Raichu with sparking cheeks beside it, three Eevees behind him. The Persian snarled dangerously.
The girl's smirk faded as she looked at her partner. "You know, I still don't like the first pair of lines…"
The boy shrugged. "Well, it was short notice… and the middle of the night."
"True." The girl yawned heavily. "Can we get on with this? I really need some sleep."
The Dratini trilled, its eyes narrowing until they were nearly shut. It raced out of the sleeping bag, across the small clearing, to wrap itself up the boy's legs and anchor itself on his waist, its head rested over his shoulder as it rubbed its cheek against his.
The boy laughed. "Good to see you too, Drake. You okay?" The Dratini trilled happily. He rubbed the Dratini's head gently.
"That's our Dratini!" Meowth shouted. "Give 'em back!"
"Yours?" The girl laughed. "You stole it, and we're here to get it back!"
"Ekans, go!" Jessie cried, throwing out her pokéball. "Get that Dratini back!"
James scowled. He crawled out of his sleeping bag, and rummaged through his bag for his own pokéball. Grabbing it, he stood up - staying on his sleeping bag, though, so he didn't step on anything sharp with his bare feet. "Go, Koffing!"
"Meowth!" Meowth glared at the Persian. "You're mine!"
The Persian crouched low, snarling.
The Ekans hissed.
The Raichu's cheeks sparked.
The Koffing fumed.
One of the Eevees chattered angrily.
"Wait a minute!"
Everyone looked at James.
He looked around. "Can't we solve this with a real battle?" he pleaded. He glared at the red-haired kid - Remmy. "You and me. Winner gets the Dratini."
"No way," the girl snapped. "Come on, Rem. We have Drake."
Remmy looked at her quietly, then at James. The Dratini trilled questioningly, looking between its trainer and the trainer who stole it. "Okay." He looked at James. "I'll battle."
"Are you nuts?" the girl almost shrieked. "We have Drake! Let's just go!"
Remmy glared at her. The girl blinked in surprise. "No," he said. He looked back at James. "I'm tired of this. Nobody's taking Drake. We're going to end this once and for all." He clenched his fists. "You win, you get Drake. I win, you never touch it again. Got it?"
"James!" Jessie snapped.
"All right!" he agreed.
The boy's eyes narrowed. "We do this right." He scowled. "Three Pokémon each. Drake doesn't battle. No outside help." He looked at Jessie and his own partner with equally pointed glares, before returning his eerily old, gray eyes to James. "One Pokémon at a time. Any who cheat lose."
James nodded a little - then paled. "But I-"
The kid raised one red eyebrow, his expression freezing into one without room for argument. "But you what? You give in?"
"No!" James snapped. He turned to Jessie. "Can I borrow Ekans?"
"Of course you can," Jessie replied, "but-"
"Meowth." The upright cat looked at him. "I need a third Pokémon!"
"I don't got any!" Meowth snapped.
James glared at him.
"Oh!" Meowth smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Okay." He glared challengingly at the Persian, who sneered in reply.
"You need any of mine, just ask, Remmy," the girl told him.
Remmy's eyes scanned the three Pokémon. "I wish Nuisance was better," he muttered, rubbing Drake's head. "Get off, Drake. You have to sit this one out." The Dratini nudged his cheek with its snout, then wound itself off of him, resting by the girl's feet. It stared at the small clearing with worry.
"Meowth! You first!" James cried.
Meowth stepped forward, sneering at the Persian. The Persian growled in challenge.
"No, Manx," the boy snapped. The Persian glared at him. "Chia."
The Raichu blinked, then stepped forward. Her cheeks sparked.
"Meowth, use your Fury Swipes!" James yelled. Meowth leaped forward with a yell.
"Chia, Thunderbolt." Meowth whimpered, even in mid-air, as the sparks leaped into a frenzy as the Raichu charged up, then shot a bolt of energy at him. He tried to dodge, aborting his own attack, but he was too slow. With a yowl, he was sent flying out of sight.
James watched as Meowth disappeared over the trees, and bit his lip a little. He looked at the other two Pokémon, who did not appear at all excited to be next. "Koffing, Smoke Screen!"
The Koffing floated forward, pouring a thick smog into the clearing.
"Chia, back!" Remmy coughed. "Go, Pi!" Through the smoke, James saw a dull flare of red. "Whirlwind!"
It took a moment, but soon the smoke was blowing back in James and Jessie's faces. James covered his mouth as best he could. "Tackle Attack!" He heard a loud squawk. "Now, Smog Attack!" He blinked back tears as the worst of the smoke drifted out of his eyes. He blinked again, to see a Pidgey lying on the ground, defeated.
"Pi, return! Chia, again!"
"Smog Attack!"
"Chu!" The Raichu attacked at the same time as the Koffing. Though some of the Smog Attack sprayed its face, the rest of the attack ignited, travelling along it until it reached the Koffing itself. It shouted in pain as the gases it held inside of itself exploded, sending the Koffing soaring in the same direction as Meowth had gone - up, up, and away.
"Good job, Chia." Remmy stepped forward, giving the Raichu a rub on the head. The Raichu acknowledged him with a muttered "Rye" and continued trying to rub the sludge off of its face and out of its eyes. "Come back here." He led it out of the fighting area.
"Go, Ekans." The snake Pokémon whimpered a little as it slithered hesitantly into the clearing. It wouldn't have to worry about the Raichu… but what other Pokémon did this human have? Hopefully, no more electric ones…
The boy pulled a pokéball out of his jeans pocket. "Go, Fairie." The ball enlarged, then popped open, revealing a cute, pink, fuzzy Pokémon that was a little too familiar…
"A Clefairy!" Jessie cried, her eyes shining wickedly. "Win, James, so we can get that one, too!"
"You're cheering for me now?" he asked, surprised.
"Just do it!" she snapped eagerly.
"Fairie, Double-Slap!"
James whirled to face his opponent again. "Ekans, Leer!"
The Clefairy leaped forward, but stopped short as the snake glared at it, its eyes shining an eerie blue. The Clefairy quaked in fear.
"Fairie! Close your eyes!" the boy snapped. The Clefairy turned, surprised, to look back at its trainer.
"Ekans, Wrap Attack!"
"Fairie!" the boy snapped, more harshly. "Metronome!"
The Clefairy turned back around, smiling a little at the oncoming snake. It lifted its hands, and began waving one finger on each hand, back and forth, very steadily. "Clef-air-ee, clef-air-ee, clef-air-ee…" it began to chant in a steady rhythm.
The Ekans slowed to a stop, its eyes following the gently swaying fingers of the Clefairy. "Ek…ans…?" it muttered dazedly, watching the gently swaying fingers, listening to the hypnotically gentle chant.
Jessie and James watched, too, with numb dread, the hypnotizing rhythm not allowing them to forget what happened last time they faced this attack…
"Clef-air-ee, clef-air-ee, clef-air-ee, clef-air-ee…. Clefairy!" The chant and swaying stopped together, as the tips of the Clefairy's fingers began to glow. Then its eyes did as well…
There was a flash of brilliant, multi-colored light, as the Clefairy opened its mouth wide. From its eyes and mouth shot the blindingly powerful beam, slamming into Team Rocket and their tent. As one, the two humans, the Ekans, and the tent flew into the air.
James stared numbly as he flew, at a pair of royal purple eyes that stared right back. He was surprised to see tears stinging them, and smiled a little bit. Jessie screamed at him, but he didn't hear her. "Bye," he whispered, as the Dratini disappeared from sight.
They flew for almost a full minute, to a somewhat familiar place. James groaned. "Not the lake again!" he whimpered.
As he watched, however, he soared completely over it, flying face-first through a haystack, which slowed him so much that he simply rolled down the opposite side. He looked around, spitting out hay. "Jess?" he called, even as he heard a very large splash.
"'Bout time youse two showed up," he heard a familiar voice mutter. He got up, walking around the haystack, to find Meowth leaning against it, looking wet and miserable. His Koffing was beside the cat Pokémon; it seemed all right, in spite of its unintentional explosion. "I was startin' t-taa… aaaaaaaaaCHOO!- t'get a chill." The Meowth sniffled. "Got a tissue?"
*
"Hyper Beam?" Ivonar suggested.
Remmy nodded a little bit, giving Fairie's head an affectionate rub before returning her to her pokéball. "I think so."
Ivonar scowled at him, even as Q and Mollie came out from their hiding places in the bushes. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever see you do. Don't try it again."
Remmy gave her a vague smile. "You're the one always saying I have such a great ability to train Pokémon."
"But-" Ivonar's scowl deepened as she shut her mouth, lacking anything to argue with.
"Did you honestly think I was going to lose?" he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
Her scowl turned into a grimace as she crossed her arms. She regarded him coldly. "I was worried about it," she admitted.
Suddenly, he grinned. "Whoops."
"Whoops?" she echoed, her jaw dropping. "Whoops?" Her arms uncrossed so she could put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean, whoops?!"
Remmy just grinned as he went to their packs, which Q and Mollie had been guarding. He pulled an empty pokéball out of his, and tossed it toward the Marril. Mollie caught it as it opened, sucking her inside. She didn't fight, so her ball disappeared quite quickly. "I mean whoops." He looked toward the slightly scorched clearing, and sighed. "Looks like I need a new jacket." He scowled slightly, and sighed again. "My badges were on it."
"They were? Oh, Remmy, I'm sorry…"
He shook his head. "It's okay."
"No, it isn't. You earned those."
He turned, smiling his rare smile at her. "Between the badges or Drake, I'd rather have Drake."
She smiled back, a little sadly. "Well… when you put it that way."
Drake slithered over silently, resting its head on his knee. He gave it a tight hug. "Besides, both those badges were more Drake's than mine."
"Don't start that again. You're at least proud of both of them." Ivonar knelt beside him. She touched her belt, and then pulled something off it. She held it out to him. "Here. This means more to you - and Drake and Saurus - than it does me."
Remmy looked. "Hey… no way." He shook his head, pushing her hand away. "I'm not taking your Boulder Badge, Eevee. No way."
"You earned yours!" she snapped. "You deserve something to show for it!"
"I'm not taking your badge!" he snapped back. She blinked in surprise. He folded her hand into a fist, the badge inside. "There's no way I'm taking your badge," he said again, in his normal tone. "It's yours. It doesn't matter how you got it. It's yours." He rubbed Drake's head with one hand, using the other to keep hers in a fist. "Thank you," he added. "But it's yours."
She nodded a little, and then returned the pin to where it had been. She sighed a little. "So now what?" she asked. "We keep heading for Saffron?"
He sighed slightly in return. "Guess so."
"Rai! Chee!"
"Huh?" The two trainers looked toward Chia, who held up the one remaining evidence of Team Rocket - a sleeping bag that had been blown aside, not away. Chia put the sleeping bag down, and then picked up something inside of it.
"My jacket!" Remmy cried, surprised. Chia carried it over, handing it to him. He looked at the collar, half-smiling at the two badges pinned to it. He rubbed Chia's head affectionately. "Thanks, Chia."
"Rai!" Chia giggled.
"Hey!"
They looked up, startled at the sound of a voice above them - and were startled again, by its source. "Zan?" Ivonar said.
The older trainer smiled at them as he jumped from his Weezing's back. "Didn't think I'd find you so easy!" he greeted them. "Good thing you stuck to the fastest route. I thought we'd have to wait for you in Saffron." He gave Asthma a pat.
"Wheeeeze," Asthma agreed.
"Did we forget something?" Remmy asked, frowning a bit.
"Nope. But I found something interesting you need." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it, pressing out the creases as best he could, then handed it to Ivonar. "One of those look familiar?"
They looked at the paper curiously.
MISSING!
REWARD!
Two Pokémon
Green Eevee
Sixteen inches long; Twenty Pounds
Small, green-furred Eevee
with stubby legs and
a vaguely purple bulb on its back.
Very friendly.
Cunone
Eighteen inches long; Twelve Pounds
Clay-colored Pokémon resembling Cubone
with no helmet and a short tail.
Rebellious, independent, and not easily captured.
Most likely to be found together.
Have been missing from
HAVEN TOWN TOWER LAB
for several weeks. If seen, please
CAPTURE IMMEDIATELY
and return
AT ONCE.
SIMON KO, DOCTOR.
HAVEN TOWN TOWER LAB
Above each description was a small picture. The first was of the strangest Eevee either of them had ever seen. It seemed a bit oversized, with relatively short, greenish fur and stunted ears. The rest of it seemed oddly crossed with a Bulbasaur: it had similarly short, chubby legs, a wide face, and - strangest of all - a small, purplish-green bulb growing from its back. Its reddish-brown eyes were narrowed into a pleasant, happy smile.
The other picture showed…
"If that isn't Q, I don't know what is," Ivonar said, shaking her head slightly.
"Cu…none." Remmy frowned. "Weird name."
"I looked it up." Zan shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's an extinct ancestor of Cubone. It was thought to be intelligent enough to make use of bone weapons, like Cubone, but the lack of two skulls at most fossil sights suggested they didn't use helmets that often. There haven't been any fully intact skeletons found yet." He chuckled. "At least, according to the book."
Remmy looked down at Q, who pushed the pot on its head backward to look back. "So Q's an exception?"
"Guess so," Zan agreed.
"Thanks for getting this to us," Ivonar said, handing the flyer back. She frowned a bit. "But… um…" Zan raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Where's Haven Town?"
Zan chuckled. "You know where Viridian City is?"
Remmy and Ivonar glanced at each other. "Um… yeah…" Ivonar replied slowly.
"And you know where Pallet Town is, and how Route 1 runs between them?"
"We both from Pallet Town," Remmy told him.
Zan nodded. "Okay. Now, you know the patch of Route 17 that runs parallel to Route 1 a bit to the east?"
"Now I'm lost," Ivonar told him, shaking her head.
Zan chuckled. "That's okay. I know where it is." He nodded a bit in the direction Team Rocket had flown off in. "The road's not far from here. I got the truck. I can give you a lift."
"Don't you have to work?" Ivonar asked.
Zan shrugged. "I'm taking the week off. Thought I'd get some training in."
"But if you take us back to Haven Town…"
Zan laughed, grinning. "It's my week off. If I want to chauffeur you around, are you going to complain, or are we going to get someone back where he belongs?"
Ivonar and Remmy both looked at Q. The Pokémon looked away, gripping the bar it carried in both paws. Ivonar frowned. "It doesn't look too excited." She walked over to it, crouching closer to its eye level. "Hey, Q?" It looked at her hesitantly. "Don't you want to go home?"
It grimaced slightly. "Q," it said, holding the bar in one paw, then the other. It pushed the pot back on its horns, but the moment it let go, the bowed position of its head made the pot slide back in place half over its eyes. "Kyuuuu…." It dug one foot into the ground a bit before looking at Manx, then at her. "Q, k'q!" it said, jumping on the shoulder Sweetie wasn't on. It thrust the bar forward, slashing at the air in front of them. "Q!"
Ivonar giggled as she stood up again. "Looks like someone found their enthusiasm." She ticked Q under its chin. "Okay. Let's get to Haven Town!"