The next day, Courtney surprised me by asking me if I wanted to go with her to town. It turned out that she had an errand to run on behalf of her mother, who normally conducted such business herself but wasn't feeling well that day. I had spent so long on the farm, not needing to interact with

anybody outside the immediate area, that I had all but forgotten that the town existed. I answered that I would like to go. Not only was it an opportunity to spend more time with her, but I remembered the town as a pleasant

place and wanted to visit it again.

We set out on the dusty road shortly after breakfast. Like most of the routes that crisscrossed the country, it was used mainly by people traveling on foot. In the time I had lived on the farm, I had only seen wheeled vehicles

on the road a couple of times, and even the Pokemon Trainers who hiked along the road were far and few between. Tentacruel Bay wasn't exactly on any of the high-profile circuits for Pokemon Trainers, and most of the trainers who

participated in the so-called Peninsula League wereprevented by either financial means or skill from participating in the more prominent Johto, Kanto or Orange Leagues. "This place is the hind end of the Pokemon world," Josh had commented once in disgust, and on that subject at least, I had

to agree with him. Fortunately, I could have cared less.

As we walked, Courtney continued trying to grill me about the contents of the previous evening's conversation. She wasn't blatant about it, and I could tell she was trying to respect my feelings, but she was one of those people

who has the tendency to become insatiably curious at times. Dealing with such people can be difficult, because as much as they might wish to respect your privacy, the idea that there is something they are not supposed to know stimulates their curiosity and drives them to prod even deeper. It

didn't help that she was obviously acting partially out of concern for me, which made me feel guilty each time I had to brush her queries aside. After some time, however, I managed to change the subject, and we chatted pleasantly about everything and nothing as we continued towards town.

I hadn't expected the place to have changed much, and I wasn't disappointed. The Pokemon Center was still in the same place, as were the residential districts, the main street with its shops, and the small marina with its

sailing vessels. As before, it seemed nearly deserted, which I still found odd but I supposed was simply characteristic of the inhabitants.

"Why, hello, Courtney," said the storekeeper as we walked in the front door. "I haven't seen you in quite a while. Been keeping busy around home?"

"I actually have been, George," she answered. "I've been spending time with my new friend. This is Ponyta. Ponyta, this is George, the owner of the store. He's known my family since before I was born."

((Hi,)) I said.

George was an old, gray-haired man with glasses and a kindly look to his face. I couldn't tell if he understood me or not, but he smiled pleasantly at me. "So this is the Ponyta that man was telling you about. I take it that meeting worked out well. How are the two of you getting along?"

"Very well, thank you."

He looked at me again. "She's doing all right? No health problems or anything? I know she was found wild in the forest, so I was worried maybe..."

Courtney made the barest hesitation before answering. "No," she said. "No problems." She laughed. "Mom was right. She said you'd worry about it. You worry too much, George."

"I was born a worrier," he said good-naturedly. "It's my place in life to worry. Someone has to do it, after all." He turned serious. "Now. You're here to pick those things up for your mother?"

"Of course."

"Just a minute, then." He turned and disappeared into the back room of the store.

I took the opportunity to look around. The store seemed relatively small, but an impressive amount of merchandise had been crammed into the available space. Every time I would start to think I had seen everything, some eccentric product would catch my eye.

George returned from the back room with a large parcel. "Here you go. This should be everything. If there are any problems, have your mother call me, all right?"

"All right. Thank you, George. You're the best."

We walked outdoors again into the bright sunlight. Courtney paused for a second, looking up and down the street as though trying to remember something. "Ponyta, I have to go to another store for a while. They don't allow large Pokemon in there, so could you wait outside for a moment?"

I opened my mouth to protest-- and then stopped. Courtney was a firm advocate of Pokemon rights, and she wouldn't ask me to wait outside if she thought there was any way to avoid it. I grudgingly agreed.

"Good girl, Ponyta. You can walk around for a little while if you want. You ought to take a good look around the town--the people here are really nice. We'll meet back here in half an hour. Is that okay?"

I wasn't sure about being left alone, but I decided to go along with it. I was curious to explore a bit more. I watched as Courtney disappeared into the dark confines of the shop a few doors down.

My first thought was to wander back to the Pokemon Center and see if there were any Pokemon there I could talk to. With the exception of my conversation with Ashley, I hadn't been in contact with any domesticated Pokemon for over a month, and I was eager to find out the latest news. Unfortunately, the exercise yard was nearly deserted. The only inhabitant was a Slowpoke who, although clearly alive and awake, didn't even turn his head when I spoke to him. The other Slowpokes I had encountered in my time had been willing to acknowledge my existence, if only with a yawn. I supposed he was just an exceptionally lazy member of his species. Either that, or perhaps he had suffered some trauma that made him less responsive. I shuddered and tried not to think of the latter possibility.

Maybe there were some Pokemon inside. Maybe the nurse would remember me. I trotted around to the front of the Center. What I saw there made me stop in my tracks.

Not ten feet away from me, standing on either side of the front door, were two very familiar faces. A Charmeleon that I remembered all too well, appropriately accompanied by the Quilava who seemed to turn up wherever he went. My breath caught in my throat and I started to back away from them. They hadn't seen me yet. If I could only avoid...

The Charmeleon turned around. For a moment, his glittering reptilian eyes locked with mine. An icy pit of dread opened in my stomach, and I felt suddenly nauseous, the eye contact making me somehow physically ill. His expression did not change, but the moment his eyes saw me, something ignited in them. Something unpleasant.

For several heartbeats, neither of us moved a muscle. Then the corners of his mouth twisted upwards in a snarl. His muscles tensed as if to start towards me.

I spun on my hooves and started running away as fast as my legs would carry me, back towards where I had left Courtney. I didn't dare look back, but in my mind I could see him pursuing me. I had to get away!

When I reached the first row of shops, I slowed my pace just a hair and risked a quick glance back. The Charmeleon and the Quilava were standing just as they had been, on either side of the Pokemon Center door, acting as though nothing had happened.

***

By the time Courtney rejoined me twenty minutes later, I had regained most of my composure, but she could still tell that something was wrong, and she tried to pry it out of me in her characteristic fashion. I had to brush her aside even more strongly than I had that morning. I could tell her feelings were hurt, and having to hurt her tore me apart inside, but there was nothing I could do. What could Courtney do, for that matter? Contact the police? There was no proof of anything. We walked home in a heavy silence.

When we arrived back on the farm, Courtney tried to cheer me up by offering a walk in the woods. I informed her that I would rather be left alone. She seemed to accept this, if a bit reluctantly, and she went inside, leaving me to my own devices.

I thought about the Charmeleon. I was afraid of him. It seemed to me that he hated me badly, hated me enough to want to hurt me. And he could, I had no doubt of that. What could I do? In a fair fight, I might have a chance, but he might bring his friends along to back him up. All he had to do was wait until I was alone.

It was in this state of mind that I was standing there when the policewoman from the town rode her bike up the front drive and stopped in front of me. "So you're the Ponyta," she said, smiling. "I need to talk to your owners. Are they inside the house?"

I was the Ponyta? What did that mean? A sudden feeling of dread filled me. All I could do was nod my head in response to her query.

"Thank you." She walked her bike up to the front porch and knocked on the door.

The feeling of dread deepened. What could the policewoman be coming to talk to Courtney about? Was it about me? Had the Charmeleon told someone about me? What could he have possibly told them that would make a police officer come out here?

The door had opened. The officer was speaking to Courtney's father in tones I couldn't hear.

What if there was still a reward out for my return? What if Josh was still looking for me? What if the officer was here to take me back to him?

I didn't realize I had started running until I was halfway across the field in front of the house. I heard shouts behind me, but I only quickened my pace. I dashed across the road and plunged into the thick forest. With the exception of Courtney, nobody knew the forest as well as I did. I could lose myself there. I galloped down one of the forest trails, not knowing where I was going or what I would do when I got there.

To make matters, the tension and the tingling feeling were starting to come back. It never quite felt good, and at this particular time and place, it was the last thing I needed.

I had been running for about two minutes when I suddenly felt something hard jab at my skull. I nearly stumbled, but kept my footing and skidded to a stop, turning my head around to see what had struck me. What I saw was a young Spearow coming to rest on a branch. He was looking at me with what seemed amusement. The little brat had probably decided to divebomb me for fun.

((And just what the hell do you think you're doing?)) I shouted at him.

He laughed. The twerp laughed at me. I had spent all day dealing with hatred from without, hatred from within, and a police officer who wanted to take me from my owner and return me to an abusive boy. And now this. It was almost too much to bear.

Cold rage rose up inside of me, burning. The tingling on my flesh seemed to increase, swelling to a crescendo. I opened my mouth impulsively, my vocal cords gearing up for another verbal assault on the Spearow.

Before I realized what was happening, brilliant bolts of energy arced through the air. The sudden incandescent flare of light was dazzling. I squinted as the brightness dimmed, just in time to see the Spearow topple from the branch. It lay on the ground, breathing but not moving. The tingling sensation had subsided.

It was then that a chilling realization came into my mind. Those bolts of energy had come from me. I stared in horror at the Pokemon's limp form. What had I done?

I became aware that many of the forest's other wild Pokemon had ceased their activities and were now staring at me in disbelief. I was feeling pretty disbelieving myself. What had I just done?

I could feel their eyes on me. I had to get away from them. I had done something wrong, and I had to get away, find a place where no one could see me.

It was only a few minutes more at my fastest running speed to the place where the forest opened out onto a sandy beach studded with huge boulders. Courtney and I had spent time on the beach before, so I knew where it was. I dashed across the sand, ignoring the few Krabbys and Staryus on the beach, and plunged into the foaming surf.

It was cold. So very cold. It was mid-October, and although the air wasn't especially chilly, the water was another matter altogether. It didn't burn like it should, though. Fire Pokemon typically had unpleasant reactions to water, although a few could tolerate it in varying amounts. I didn't feel any pain, though, just cold. I gritted my teeth and plunged onward. I could feel the spray crashing against my sides. I wanted it to cleanse me, to scour away the filthy feeling that had come over me.

The bottom suddenly seemed to drop away under me. I felt a powerful undertow grasp me, and panic shot through me. I struggled against the current. I didn't want to die. Not yet. At that moment, I probably hated myself, but for a reason I didn't fully understand, I wanted to go on living.

It seemed like an eternity before my hooves touched the ground again. The tug of the current had lessened, but I felt unbelievably weak and nearly succumbed once more. Slowly, little by little, I dragged myself from the water and collapsed onto the beach.

"Ponyta! Ponyta!"

I couldn't even raise my head to look at Courtney, but I could hear her feet pounding across the beach towards me, and a few moments later she was kneeling next to me, cradling my head in her arms and stroking me gently. "Oh, Ponyta. What happened to you? Did you go in the water? Why on earth would you do a thing like that? You could have been killed."

I couldn't have answered even if I had possessed the strength to speak. Her touch made me feel dirty. Something burned inside me. I felt ashamed.

"Are you going to be okay? Can you move?"

I answered the question in the most direct way: by not moving.

"Damn." It was the first time I had ever heard her use profanity, and even such a relatively mild curse word shocked me slightly. "Ponyta, we've got to get out of here. The police officer who came to our house told us you were stolen. They want to take you away. I won't let them do that." She unzipped the backpack she was wearing, which I now saw was crammed full of survival equipment, and extracted my Pokeball. It had been weeks since I had been inside a ball. "If you can't move, you'll have to go inside this until I can get you to a Pokemon center. As long as you're inside the ball, you won't get any worse. The stasis effect will keep you safe."

I looked at her and finally summoned enough energy to speak. ((All right,)) I said weakly.

With a nod and a look of grim determination on her face, Courtney activated the Pokeball. A blinding flash of light appeared, growing until it consumed my entire world.