Oops, forgot to explain something last chapter! - - means pokemon speech. And if anyone gets on my back about my character's relation to the annoying Hatkid, I will hunt you down and burn you. Enjoy!
Chapter
Two
In which we meet Aliet's family and friends.
Aliet rushed up to the woman, clearing a path through the crowd. Charizard followed, giving sheepish looks to those who had witnessed his embarrassing moment on the ramp. The woman embraced Aliet warmly, as if she hadn't seen the girl in years. "Oh it's so good to see you again, dear!" the woman exclaimed. As if noticing the big poke'mon for the first time, she cried, "Oh and you too Charizard! You haven't changed a bit!"
He flushed. "We were only gone a month this time Mrs. Ketchum," Aliet said meekly. She paused, unsure of how to continue. "Did I keep you-know-who waiting?"
"Oh he's eager to see you! He won't mind a bit longer."
Aliet smiled. Her poke'mon butted Mrs. Ketchum in the shoulder, patiently reminding her he was still there. The woman laughed. "Here you go," she gave him a scratch behind his head knobs. He growled in pleasure.
"Didn't I baby you enough last night?" Aliet hissed privately to him.
He looked down, embarrassed. "Well, that's enough stalling," Mrs. Ketchum said in her usual bright tone. "We better get on home. Ash is waiting."
They departed the docks in a group, crowd parting. Aliet hummed as she walked behind her foster mother. The girl had no family, not on Kanto, Jhoto or anywhere. She had been given to the Ketchums to raise by Professor Oak who had found her as a baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum had brought her up as their own, sending her to the professor for schooling in poke'mon and the basics. Aliet had been an only child until seven years ago, when Ash had been born. She was eight and two years away from leaving on her poke'mon journey, an undertaking, which her adoptive parents had greatly supported her.
Ash had been two when she'd left, four when she returned, qualified as a Master. Council status had been awarded a year later. She had been coming and going for two years now; searching for TM's for the professor and going to Council meetings. Ash regarded the young Master as a symbol of greatness, as the young often did. Yet, she was something to work towards, someone to be like, when he received his own license to Train.
People waved to them as the group strolled down the dirt road. Judging by the basket in Mrs. Ketchum's hands, she had dropped by the market on the way to the docks. Even though Aliet was perfectly able to care for herself, the woman still felt protective of the child she had raised. Aliet understood that. She felt the same feelings for her poke'mon.
They approached the Ketchums' house. Every time she came home, Aliet felt an unexplainable joy at seeing the old, two-story house again. The whole place never looked any different. Neat, clean, large flower garden on the side, many windows... Behind it, the mountains rose like hunched men, protecting the quaint structure. Forests marched up and down the slopes, an army of living green. As they walked closer, a small face peeked out of the front window. It was a mask of joy and excitement.
Aliet smiled.
The front door was ripped open as a slight youth dashed outside, unable to contain his excitement any longer. He ran unerringly towards Aliet, a broad smile on his face. The boy had messy brown hair that looked like it hadn't been combed all day. Large brown eyes sparkled with the childish glee of little kids. There were a few freckles made by the too much time in the sun forming "z's" on his cheeks. He only came up to Aliet's waist, being small for his age. He gave the girl a shy grin. "Hi 'Et..." he said slyly.
"C'mere kiddo!" she laughed, kneeling down.
Ash threw his little arms around her, giggling. "I missed you," he said abruptly.
"Missed you too, kid," Aliet stood, letting her brother slip his hand in hers. Laughing, she allowed him to drag her into the house. Charizard stood outside, examining the flowers until he was needed. He lay down, idly blowing petals off their stems. "So," she breathed in the scent of home. "seen any poke'mon around here lately? Or did ya catch 'em all?"
The little boy's eyes shone. "Yeah! I put it in a fishbowl! Come see! Come see!" he proceeded to drag her up the stairs.
As they passed her room, Aliet suppressed the longing to go inside and flop down on her bed. You needed to do that every-once-in-a-while. It helped you relax. Ash's room looked like a combination of a war zone and a poke'mon merchandise shop. The boy had everything from a Snorlax beanbag to an official Poke'mon League hat. Seated on the youngster's desk was the fishbowl he'd mentioned. Swimming lazily inside, was a tiny Magikarp. Most people weren't allowed to have poke'mon until they received their license, but Magikarp were too harmless to injure anyone. "Oh Ash, its darling!" she exclaimed, crouching down for a better look.
"I caught it in a creek," he said proudly. After a pause, he added, "You can have it 'Et..."
"Oh thank you Ash," Aliet scooped up the little fishbowl. The water sloshed over her arm. "I'll put it in my room, okay?"
He beamed. "Sure! Uh... can I come to Prof. Oak's with you later?"
"Of course you can, L'lil Bro!"
Before they could continue their conversation, Mrs. Ketchum called Ash downstairs for breakfast. Aliet scooped up the bowl in a deft movement, careful not to spill the water. The Magikarp swam furiously inside, afraid of the human girl. She ducked across the hall to her own room. With a sigh of pleasure, she reclined against her door. It was so good to finally be home! There was always a feeling you got when you came back from a long time away. It was one of those feelings you reveled in while it was still there.
Her room had a lot of floor space, all the furniture pushed against the walls to give her poke'mon room to sleep when they wanted. A bed was beneath a large window, desk and chair adjacent to that. A dresser sat between them, pictures dominating the top of it along with a hairbrush and the odd hair-tie. Her round, braided rug covered most of the hardwood floor, giving comfort to the room. She made her way to her desk, glancing in her square mirror to check her braid. The Magikarp sloshed in its bowl as she set it down on the desk. Aliet hadn't wanted to offend Ash in any way by refusing his gift, but the Magikarp was a water type... What was she going to do with a water type? Shrugging, she flopped down on her bed, sighing softly. She closed her eyes. Her bed felt wonderful. After a moment, she opened them again.
Her eyes rested on the pictures on her dresser. There were a lot of her and her poke'mon. Most of those had been taken while she wasn't looking, so her back was to the camera while whatever poke'mon she was with waved. She smiled at that. There was a large one of her and Charizard. The big fire type dominated the frame, draping his neck over her shoulder so she was holding his head. Three or four were of her and Ash at various ages. One came from a trip to Saffron when she had been six, another was the day Ash had come back from the hospital. Two came from her Battles with the Elite Four-Aliet had no idea who had taken them-and another from an appearance before the League.
A small, almost forgotten photo caught her wandering attention. Aliet rose, picked it up and stared at the palm-sized thing. It was a man with dark, almost black, hair and light grey eyes. It was Ash's father. She frowned and turned it over.
-Et!!!-
She turned to the window. Charizard was looking up at her from the yard, a rather annoyed expression on his face. With some difficulty, she opened the window. "What?"
-Can I go to Oak's yet?- there was a pleading note in his voice. -Everyone's waiting for me.-
"Everyone including Scyther?" Aliet teased.
He flushed.
Aliet laughed at her first poke'mon's embarrassment. "Go on!" she called. "I'll be there in a little while. Just don't get too cozy with Scyther..." she winked. "If you know what I mean, big guy."
With a few grumbles that even Aliet couldn't translate, Charizard took off for Oak's place. She shut her window and finally headed downstairs. Ash and his mom were in the kitchen, the boy at the table playing with a spoon and singing a cereal jingle while he "ate" his breakfast. The woman was making some coffee at the stove. Aliet wrinkled her nose involuntarily at the scent. She had never quite acquired the taste for coffee so many Trainers and normal people had. Tea was easier to pack-and make-on the road, thus making it her wake-up drink of choice. It was also useful for calming the nerves of frightened or injured things; such as herself and her team. The brew's medical purposes had made her poke'mon tea drinkers as well.
Ash motioned her to sit at the table beside him. She held up a finger, indicating that she'd be there in a minute. Deftly, she opened a cabinet, pulling out a mug and her favorite flavor of tea that Mrs. Ketchum always had for her. It was sassafras, the kind from a tree that grew in the mountains around here. The hot water kettle was handed to her. Aliet looked up, blinking. "Thanks," she smiled.
"Welcome," Mrs. Ketchum answered, taking her seat at the table as Aliet poured the hot water over a tea bag in the mug.
The young Fire Master slid into the seat beside her brother, sipping the hot liquid. Steam curled around her head, forming halos in her bangs. They were all quiet for a while until Ash burst out with his question. "Did you bring me anything, 'Et?"
She smiled, even though Mrs. Ketchum frowned at her son's behavior. I probably shouldn't give this to him, she thought slyly. But... She pulled the gift out of a pocket in her robes, handing it to him.
"A poke'ball?" he asked, puzzled. Cautiously, he pushed the release button on the front, half-expecting something to come out. Instead, the ball opened to reveal a clock. As he peered at the small thing, a plastic Pidgey came out of the bottom like a Cuckoo, crowing the hour. He grinned. "Cool! Thanks 'Et!"
"No problem Li'l Bro," Aliet smiled over the rim of her mug.
Talk turned to what Master's team would win the Champion Team award this year. Aliet wasn't really interested; type-Trainers like herself rarely were even nominated. People liked teams with popular poke'mon, such as the Pikachu and most pink-colored poke'mon. Jess had been nominated once, mostly because of her Clefable, but she hadn't even come close to winning. Aliet found the whole thing stupid. One worked hard with their team, forming bonds, teaching new things and trying to make them the best team out there. She felt the award should be based on things like that, but that wasn't what the public cared about.
A gentle tug on her robes caused the remorseful feelings to leave. "Can I go with you to the festival this summer, 'Et?" Ash asked bluntly.
Aliet burst out laughing. "You'll have to ask your mom, Kiddo," she grinned. "It's all right from the Council view. Blaine is always complaining about how small the turnout is anyway."
"Can I go Mom?" he pleaded. "Can I can I can I?"
Mrs. Ketchum was quiet for a moment, thinking. After a while, she agreed. "Okay, I suppose it's all right. We'll see this summer, okay Ash?"
"Yippee!" he danced around the table, waving his spoon and shouting. Aliet snuck up behind him and tackled him. The two rolled around on the ground until they had to sit down, laughing.
The sun climbed to early afternoon, shining warmly down on the two humans making their way to Professor Oak's laboratory where Aliet's poke'mon were staying. Ash had fallen behind her, maybe because his stride was shorter, but Aliet could sense something else. "What's up?"
He was quiet. Finally, he told her. "Gary's being mean again."
Aliet arched her eyebrows thoughtfully. She hadn't known about this... Why would that kid have any reason to bother Ash? She knew Gary was stuck-up, and that he had been chosen to care for her poke'mon by Oak, a job that Ash had wanted. Maybe that was it. "Well," she began tactfully. "I'll have Growlithe bite him for you if he's really being evil around you. How's that?"
This produced a giggle. "I wanna see Growlie again," he danced in circles around her happily. "You think he's gonna remember me, 'Et?" His hand slipped into hers.
"Of course, Kiddo!" she grinned. "How could he not? You're so memorable."
"What's that mean?"
Aliet laughed gently and explained.
The sun was drifting more towards the west as they started up the long path to Oak's actual lab. It wound through trees, shrubs and streams that the poke'mon researcher had set up as a personal garden. At least, that's what he had intended it to be. It ended up being a place for the hundreds of poke'mon he cared for to hang out with team members. The duo hadn't gone far past the gate before poke'mon of all kinds and ages became visible. Flying types soared overhead while the rumble of tunneling ground and rock types was felt. Water, Psychic, Electric and even a few Dragon types milled around, practicing and making idle conversation.
A Charmeleon blocked their path, strong arms folded over its chest. Ash gave a little yelp, tumbling behind her. Aliet only chuckled, holding out her arms to the poke'mon. It gave a little cry of its own and gladly ran to her. -I missed ya 'Et,- the Charmeleon shouted. -What took you so long?-
"I missed you to," she grinned. "I had to have a chat with Mrs. Ketchum, that's what took so long. Where's everyone else?"
-Yeah, you think they wouldn't abandon a helpless girl,- Charmeleon grumbled. She released her Trainer and danced around her. -Hey 'Et?-
Aliet was about to answer when the rest of her team bounded around the corner, Charizard included. They skidded to a halt, staring, then tackled her with happy cries. Aliet was knocked on her back by the force of their rush. She shoved the lot off, laughing, promising never to go to another meeting without this group. Her laughter dimmed as she counted them again. Growlithe, Ivysaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard... Where was Scyther? "Where's Scy, gang?" she asked, shifting Charmander in her arms. The baby giggled, nuzzling her. Oak had gotten the Charmander's egg from an abusive Trainer and had given him to Aliet to raise. The baby thought she was his mother. Growlithe had been given in the same way, but the rest-not counting Charizard-were captures.
-That's what I was trying to tell you!- Charmeleon cried. She was a teenager by age-not level-and acted like it most of the time; being sassy, bad-mouthed, and intelligent. Charizard called her his "sister," mainly because she acted so much like him, so that's what the whole team considered her. -Scyther started limping all of the sudden so we took her to Oak.-
-Oak, to Oak!- Growlithe barked from behind Aliet. He was comforting Ash, who looked very scared. The puppy wasn't the smartest in the world, but that would change with time. Like most Growlithe, he had a habit of repeating everything anyone ever said. -We take to Oak.-
"Mm-k," she murmured, rocking her baby. "Let's go find her then."
The group started up the path, watching out for other Trainers' poke'mon. Charmeleon bounded up beside her brother, chattering about how things had gone in his absence. Ivysaur and Growlithe walked beside Ash, their smaller size a comfort to the boy. They hadn't gone far when they reached Oak's lab. "Charizard, get the door," Aliet grunted. "Ash or someone, please. My hands are full."
The boy darted forward and pushed Oak's front door open. A long hallway stretched out before them, with a high ceiling and checkerboard tile floor. "Oak?" Aliet called down the hall. "It's Aliet! Are you here?"
A call from somewhere deep in the house/lab directed their search. Charizard hit his head a couple times on low doorframes, jarring words out of him. Aliet glared. The big fire type flushed. -Sorry,- he muttered.
Finally, they found the right room. It was the one that served as a poke'mon center for local or passing Trainers. A man in with graying hair and an unkempt lab coat waved the group over to where he was standing. "Oh hello, Aliet!" he smiled at the girl. "I have some bad news regarding your Scyther, I'm afraid."
Aliet felt fear clutch her heart. Charmander squirmed, feeling her fear. "What happened to her?"
Oak waved her over. The fire Master approached the bed that Oak stood by. A green face looked up at her, large blue eyes sparkled for a moment before clouding indignantly. She lay on her stomach, which was the most comfortable position for a Scyther; her wings folded in their cases and taped to prevent their opening. Her deadly blades were at her sides, reminders that she was ready to fight to the death no matter what her condition. But what drew Aliet's attention was the bug type's foot. Her right foot was perfectly fine, but the left was swathed in gaze bandages. "Hey girl," Aliet sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened to you?"
-You were gone for a long time,- she murmured in her silky voice. Only male Scythers had the rough shriek many people heard. -The brat Oak picked to watch us didn't notice when I cut my foot practicing. It got infected.- Scyther lifted her head to look at her teammates. -But I'm fine now. And why are they so surprised!- her voice was angry now. -Haven't they ever seen me lying down before? Do I look THAT helpless?-
The fire Master put a hand comfortingly on the bug's shoulder. "They're only concerned about you, Scy," she kept her tone low and soothing. Then, on a second thought, she leaned in to whisper in Scyther's ear. "Especially Charizard..."
This produced a soft laugh from her. Oak had moved in, concerned about Aliet for some strange reason. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. So many people had advice about Scythers. It was another popular myth that every Scyther could not tolerate the color red. Being a Fslam, red was Aliet's main color of dress. She had discovered, through her own poke'mon, that "non-precious blade metals" feared red, while "precious blade metals" had no problem with it. Aliet's Scyther was a "Silver'dBlade," as she called herself, and thus did not fear red. The fire Master turned to Oak and carefully explained all this to him. "Ah, interesting! I have never documented this before!" the old man fairly danced with excitement. "But how do you tell?"
Hearing this, Scyther raised one of her blades for inspection. Aliet pointed to the tiny flecks of silver scattered throughout the steel-looking blade. "Gild'dBlades have gold flecks, Silver'dBlades, like Scyther here, have silver, and Bronze'dBlades have, well," Aliet grinned. "You can probably guess what they have. Gold, silver and bronze are the only colors that we fire trainers can afford to train without sacrificing ourselves or our dignity."
She hadn't noticed she'd gone off on one of her tangents, or that Oak was busy scribbling a note. The only thing that really brought her back was the fact that Charmander had chosen that moment to try and blow a spit bubble in her face. Aliet grimaced, wiping her face on her sleeve. "Ick..." she stuck her tongue out to emphasize her point. "Yeah, great baby."
Ash giggled. "Char's a baby!" he smiled, patting Growlithe on the head. It finally clicked that Gary had messed up. He shouted, jumping up with happiness. "He messed up! He messed up!"
Confused, all heads turned to him. -What is he talking about?- Scyther craned her neck around to try and face the speaker. -Who?-
"Who messed up?" Aliet screwed up her eyebrows.
Blush crept into the boy's cheeks. "Gary. He's not perfect after all..." he finished slyly.
"Of course not," Oak smiled, cutting past Aliet. "Now, Aliet, if you will join me in the lab, I would love your help with this new theory on Scythers."
The fire Master rolled her eyes and trouped after him. "Be good you guys," she called over her shoulder. "C'mon L'il Bro. You make sure I don't leave anything out."
Chapter
Two
In which we meet Aliet's family and friends.
Aliet rushed up to the woman, clearing a path through the crowd. Charizard followed, giving sheepish looks to those who had witnessed his embarrassing moment on the ramp. The woman embraced Aliet warmly, as if she hadn't seen the girl in years. "Oh it's so good to see you again, dear!" the woman exclaimed. As if noticing the big poke'mon for the first time, she cried, "Oh and you too Charizard! You haven't changed a bit!"
He flushed. "We were only gone a month this time Mrs. Ketchum," Aliet said meekly. She paused, unsure of how to continue. "Did I keep you-know-who waiting?"
"Oh he's eager to see you! He won't mind a bit longer."
Aliet smiled. Her poke'mon butted Mrs. Ketchum in the shoulder, patiently reminding her he was still there. The woman laughed. "Here you go," she gave him a scratch behind his head knobs. He growled in pleasure.
"Didn't I baby you enough last night?" Aliet hissed privately to him.
He looked down, embarrassed. "Well, that's enough stalling," Mrs. Ketchum said in her usual bright tone. "We better get on home. Ash is waiting."
They departed the docks in a group, crowd parting. Aliet hummed as she walked behind her foster mother. The girl had no family, not on Kanto, Jhoto or anywhere. She had been given to the Ketchums to raise by Professor Oak who had found her as a baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum had brought her up as their own, sending her to the professor for schooling in poke'mon and the basics. Aliet had been an only child until seven years ago, when Ash had been born. She was eight and two years away from leaving on her poke'mon journey, an undertaking, which her adoptive parents had greatly supported her.
Ash had been two when she'd left, four when she returned, qualified as a Master. Council status had been awarded a year later. She had been coming and going for two years now; searching for TM's for the professor and going to Council meetings. Ash regarded the young Master as a symbol of greatness, as the young often did. Yet, she was something to work towards, someone to be like, when he received his own license to Train.
People waved to them as the group strolled down the dirt road. Judging by the basket in Mrs. Ketchum's hands, she had dropped by the market on the way to the docks. Even though Aliet was perfectly able to care for herself, the woman still felt protective of the child she had raised. Aliet understood that. She felt the same feelings for her poke'mon.
They approached the Ketchums' house. Every time she came home, Aliet felt an unexplainable joy at seeing the old, two-story house again. The whole place never looked any different. Neat, clean, large flower garden on the side, many windows... Behind it, the mountains rose like hunched men, protecting the quaint structure. Forests marched up and down the slopes, an army of living green. As they walked closer, a small face peeked out of the front window. It was a mask of joy and excitement.
Aliet smiled.
The front door was ripped open as a slight youth dashed outside, unable to contain his excitement any longer. He ran unerringly towards Aliet, a broad smile on his face. The boy had messy brown hair that looked like it hadn't been combed all day. Large brown eyes sparkled with the childish glee of little kids. There were a few freckles made by the too much time in the sun forming "z's" on his cheeks. He only came up to Aliet's waist, being small for his age. He gave the girl a shy grin. "Hi 'Et..." he said slyly.
"C'mere kiddo!" she laughed, kneeling down.
Ash threw his little arms around her, giggling. "I missed you," he said abruptly.
"Missed you too, kid," Aliet stood, letting her brother slip his hand in hers. Laughing, she allowed him to drag her into the house. Charizard stood outside, examining the flowers until he was needed. He lay down, idly blowing petals off their stems. "So," she breathed in the scent of home. "seen any poke'mon around here lately? Or did ya catch 'em all?"
The little boy's eyes shone. "Yeah! I put it in a fishbowl! Come see! Come see!" he proceeded to drag her up the stairs.
As they passed her room, Aliet suppressed the longing to go inside and flop down on her bed. You needed to do that every-once-in-a-while. It helped you relax. Ash's room looked like a combination of a war zone and a poke'mon merchandise shop. The boy had everything from a Snorlax beanbag to an official Poke'mon League hat. Seated on the youngster's desk was the fishbowl he'd mentioned. Swimming lazily inside, was a tiny Magikarp. Most people weren't allowed to have poke'mon until they received their license, but Magikarp were too harmless to injure anyone. "Oh Ash, its darling!" she exclaimed, crouching down for a better look.
"I caught it in a creek," he said proudly. After a pause, he added, "You can have it 'Et..."
"Oh thank you Ash," Aliet scooped up the little fishbowl. The water sloshed over her arm. "I'll put it in my room, okay?"
He beamed. "Sure! Uh... can I come to Prof. Oak's with you later?"
"Of course you can, L'lil Bro!"
Before they could continue their conversation, Mrs. Ketchum called Ash downstairs for breakfast. Aliet scooped up the bowl in a deft movement, careful not to spill the water. The Magikarp swam furiously inside, afraid of the human girl. She ducked across the hall to her own room. With a sigh of pleasure, she reclined against her door. It was so good to finally be home! There was always a feeling you got when you came back from a long time away. It was one of those feelings you reveled in while it was still there.
Her room had a lot of floor space, all the furniture pushed against the walls to give her poke'mon room to sleep when they wanted. A bed was beneath a large window, desk and chair adjacent to that. A dresser sat between them, pictures dominating the top of it along with a hairbrush and the odd hair-tie. Her round, braided rug covered most of the hardwood floor, giving comfort to the room. She made her way to her desk, glancing in her square mirror to check her braid. The Magikarp sloshed in its bowl as she set it down on the desk. Aliet hadn't wanted to offend Ash in any way by refusing his gift, but the Magikarp was a water type... What was she going to do with a water type? Shrugging, she flopped down on her bed, sighing softly. She closed her eyes. Her bed felt wonderful. After a moment, she opened them again.
Her eyes rested on the pictures on her dresser. There were a lot of her and her poke'mon. Most of those had been taken while she wasn't looking, so her back was to the camera while whatever poke'mon she was with waved. She smiled at that. There was a large one of her and Charizard. The big fire type dominated the frame, draping his neck over her shoulder so she was holding his head. Three or four were of her and Ash at various ages. One came from a trip to Saffron when she had been six, another was the day Ash had come back from the hospital. Two came from her Battles with the Elite Four-Aliet had no idea who had taken them-and another from an appearance before the League.
A small, almost forgotten photo caught her wandering attention. Aliet rose, picked it up and stared at the palm-sized thing. It was a man with dark, almost black, hair and light grey eyes. It was Ash's father. She frowned and turned it over.
-Et!!!-
She turned to the window. Charizard was looking up at her from the yard, a rather annoyed expression on his face. With some difficulty, she opened the window. "What?"
-Can I go to Oak's yet?- there was a pleading note in his voice. -Everyone's waiting for me.-
"Everyone including Scyther?" Aliet teased.
He flushed.
Aliet laughed at her first poke'mon's embarrassment. "Go on!" she called. "I'll be there in a little while. Just don't get too cozy with Scyther..." she winked. "If you know what I mean, big guy."
With a few grumbles that even Aliet couldn't translate, Charizard took off for Oak's place. She shut her window and finally headed downstairs. Ash and his mom were in the kitchen, the boy at the table playing with a spoon and singing a cereal jingle while he "ate" his breakfast. The woman was making some coffee at the stove. Aliet wrinkled her nose involuntarily at the scent. She had never quite acquired the taste for coffee so many Trainers and normal people had. Tea was easier to pack-and make-on the road, thus making it her wake-up drink of choice. It was also useful for calming the nerves of frightened or injured things; such as herself and her team. The brew's medical purposes had made her poke'mon tea drinkers as well.
Ash motioned her to sit at the table beside him. She held up a finger, indicating that she'd be there in a minute. Deftly, she opened a cabinet, pulling out a mug and her favorite flavor of tea that Mrs. Ketchum always had for her. It was sassafras, the kind from a tree that grew in the mountains around here. The hot water kettle was handed to her. Aliet looked up, blinking. "Thanks," she smiled.
"Welcome," Mrs. Ketchum answered, taking her seat at the table as Aliet poured the hot water over a tea bag in the mug.
The young Fire Master slid into the seat beside her brother, sipping the hot liquid. Steam curled around her head, forming halos in her bangs. They were all quiet for a while until Ash burst out with his question. "Did you bring me anything, 'Et?"
She smiled, even though Mrs. Ketchum frowned at her son's behavior. I probably shouldn't give this to him, she thought slyly. But... She pulled the gift out of a pocket in her robes, handing it to him.
"A poke'ball?" he asked, puzzled. Cautiously, he pushed the release button on the front, half-expecting something to come out. Instead, the ball opened to reveal a clock. As he peered at the small thing, a plastic Pidgey came out of the bottom like a Cuckoo, crowing the hour. He grinned. "Cool! Thanks 'Et!"
"No problem Li'l Bro," Aliet smiled over the rim of her mug.
Talk turned to what Master's team would win the Champion Team award this year. Aliet wasn't really interested; type-Trainers like herself rarely were even nominated. People liked teams with popular poke'mon, such as the Pikachu and most pink-colored poke'mon. Jess had been nominated once, mostly because of her Clefable, but she hadn't even come close to winning. Aliet found the whole thing stupid. One worked hard with their team, forming bonds, teaching new things and trying to make them the best team out there. She felt the award should be based on things like that, but that wasn't what the public cared about.
A gentle tug on her robes caused the remorseful feelings to leave. "Can I go with you to the festival this summer, 'Et?" Ash asked bluntly.
Aliet burst out laughing. "You'll have to ask your mom, Kiddo," she grinned. "It's all right from the Council view. Blaine is always complaining about how small the turnout is anyway."
"Can I go Mom?" he pleaded. "Can I can I can I?"
Mrs. Ketchum was quiet for a moment, thinking. After a while, she agreed. "Okay, I suppose it's all right. We'll see this summer, okay Ash?"
"Yippee!" he danced around the table, waving his spoon and shouting. Aliet snuck up behind him and tackled him. The two rolled around on the ground until they had to sit down, laughing.
The sun climbed to early afternoon, shining warmly down on the two humans making their way to Professor Oak's laboratory where Aliet's poke'mon were staying. Ash had fallen behind her, maybe because his stride was shorter, but Aliet could sense something else. "What's up?"
He was quiet. Finally, he told her. "Gary's being mean again."
Aliet arched her eyebrows thoughtfully. She hadn't known about this... Why would that kid have any reason to bother Ash? She knew Gary was stuck-up, and that he had been chosen to care for her poke'mon by Oak, a job that Ash had wanted. Maybe that was it. "Well," she began tactfully. "I'll have Growlithe bite him for you if he's really being evil around you. How's that?"
This produced a giggle. "I wanna see Growlie again," he danced in circles around her happily. "You think he's gonna remember me, 'Et?" His hand slipped into hers.
"Of course, Kiddo!" she grinned. "How could he not? You're so memorable."
"What's that mean?"
Aliet laughed gently and explained.
The sun was drifting more towards the west as they started up the long path to Oak's actual lab. It wound through trees, shrubs and streams that the poke'mon researcher had set up as a personal garden. At least, that's what he had intended it to be. It ended up being a place for the hundreds of poke'mon he cared for to hang out with team members. The duo hadn't gone far past the gate before poke'mon of all kinds and ages became visible. Flying types soared overhead while the rumble of tunneling ground and rock types was felt. Water, Psychic, Electric and even a few Dragon types milled around, practicing and making idle conversation.
A Charmeleon blocked their path, strong arms folded over its chest. Ash gave a little yelp, tumbling behind her. Aliet only chuckled, holding out her arms to the poke'mon. It gave a little cry of its own and gladly ran to her. -I missed ya 'Et,- the Charmeleon shouted. -What took you so long?-
"I missed you to," she grinned. "I had to have a chat with Mrs. Ketchum, that's what took so long. Where's everyone else?"
-Yeah, you think they wouldn't abandon a helpless girl,- Charmeleon grumbled. She released her Trainer and danced around her. -Hey 'Et?-
Aliet was about to answer when the rest of her team bounded around the corner, Charizard included. They skidded to a halt, staring, then tackled her with happy cries. Aliet was knocked on her back by the force of their rush. She shoved the lot off, laughing, promising never to go to another meeting without this group. Her laughter dimmed as she counted them again. Growlithe, Ivysaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard... Where was Scyther? "Where's Scy, gang?" she asked, shifting Charmander in her arms. The baby giggled, nuzzling her. Oak had gotten the Charmander's egg from an abusive Trainer and had given him to Aliet to raise. The baby thought she was his mother. Growlithe had been given in the same way, but the rest-not counting Charizard-were captures.
-That's what I was trying to tell you!- Charmeleon cried. She was a teenager by age-not level-and acted like it most of the time; being sassy, bad-mouthed, and intelligent. Charizard called her his "sister," mainly because she acted so much like him, so that's what the whole team considered her. -Scyther started limping all of the sudden so we took her to Oak.-
-Oak, to Oak!- Growlithe barked from behind Aliet. He was comforting Ash, who looked very scared. The puppy wasn't the smartest in the world, but that would change with time. Like most Growlithe, he had a habit of repeating everything anyone ever said. -We take to Oak.-
"Mm-k," she murmured, rocking her baby. "Let's go find her then."
The group started up the path, watching out for other Trainers' poke'mon. Charmeleon bounded up beside her brother, chattering about how things had gone in his absence. Ivysaur and Growlithe walked beside Ash, their smaller size a comfort to the boy. They hadn't gone far when they reached Oak's lab. "Charizard, get the door," Aliet grunted. "Ash or someone, please. My hands are full."
The boy darted forward and pushed Oak's front door open. A long hallway stretched out before them, with a high ceiling and checkerboard tile floor. "Oak?" Aliet called down the hall. "It's Aliet! Are you here?"
A call from somewhere deep in the house/lab directed their search. Charizard hit his head a couple times on low doorframes, jarring words out of him. Aliet glared. The big fire type flushed. -Sorry,- he muttered.
Finally, they found the right room. It was the one that served as a poke'mon center for local or passing Trainers. A man in with graying hair and an unkempt lab coat waved the group over to where he was standing. "Oh hello, Aliet!" he smiled at the girl. "I have some bad news regarding your Scyther, I'm afraid."
Aliet felt fear clutch her heart. Charmander squirmed, feeling her fear. "What happened to her?"
Oak waved her over. The fire Master approached the bed that Oak stood by. A green face looked up at her, large blue eyes sparkled for a moment before clouding indignantly. She lay on her stomach, which was the most comfortable position for a Scyther; her wings folded in their cases and taped to prevent their opening. Her deadly blades were at her sides, reminders that she was ready to fight to the death no matter what her condition. But what drew Aliet's attention was the bug type's foot. Her right foot was perfectly fine, but the left was swathed in gaze bandages. "Hey girl," Aliet sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened to you?"
-You were gone for a long time,- she murmured in her silky voice. Only male Scythers had the rough shriek many people heard. -The brat Oak picked to watch us didn't notice when I cut my foot practicing. It got infected.- Scyther lifted her head to look at her teammates. -But I'm fine now. And why are they so surprised!- her voice was angry now. -Haven't they ever seen me lying down before? Do I look THAT helpless?-
The fire Master put a hand comfortingly on the bug's shoulder. "They're only concerned about you, Scy," she kept her tone low and soothing. Then, on a second thought, she leaned in to whisper in Scyther's ear. "Especially Charizard..."
This produced a soft laugh from her. Oak had moved in, concerned about Aliet for some strange reason. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. So many people had advice about Scythers. It was another popular myth that every Scyther could not tolerate the color red. Being a Fslam, red was Aliet's main color of dress. She had discovered, through her own poke'mon, that "non-precious blade metals" feared red, while "precious blade metals" had no problem with it. Aliet's Scyther was a "Silver'dBlade," as she called herself, and thus did not fear red. The fire Master turned to Oak and carefully explained all this to him. "Ah, interesting! I have never documented this before!" the old man fairly danced with excitement. "But how do you tell?"
Hearing this, Scyther raised one of her blades for inspection. Aliet pointed to the tiny flecks of silver scattered throughout the steel-looking blade. "Gild'dBlades have gold flecks, Silver'dBlades, like Scyther here, have silver, and Bronze'dBlades have, well," Aliet grinned. "You can probably guess what they have. Gold, silver and bronze are the only colors that we fire trainers can afford to train without sacrificing ourselves or our dignity."
She hadn't noticed she'd gone off on one of her tangents, or that Oak was busy scribbling a note. The only thing that really brought her back was the fact that Charmander had chosen that moment to try and blow a spit bubble in her face. Aliet grimaced, wiping her face on her sleeve. "Ick..." she stuck her tongue out to emphasize her point. "Yeah, great baby."
Ash giggled. "Char's a baby!" he smiled, patting Growlithe on the head. It finally clicked that Gary had messed up. He shouted, jumping up with happiness. "He messed up! He messed up!"
Confused, all heads turned to him. -What is he talking about?- Scyther craned her neck around to try and face the speaker. -Who?-
"Who messed up?" Aliet screwed up her eyebrows.
Blush crept into the boy's cheeks. "Gary. He's not perfect after all..." he finished slyly.
"Of course not," Oak smiled, cutting past Aliet. "Now, Aliet, if you will join me in the lab, I would love your help with this new theory on Scythers."
The fire Master rolled her eyes and trouped after him. "Be good you guys," she called over her shoulder. "C'mon L'il Bro. You make sure I don't leave anything out."
