Dedications: To Team P.I.K.A., Oddish, and Lightning-Strike. And Ze Dragon Mistress, Chenloeth and Seng, of course.

Review thank-yous are at the end of the chapter.

Return: Zoe's Story by Morbane: A Pokémon Tale.
Chapter Two.

I was let out in the evening of what I guessed was the same day. We were in a clearing just like the one I had been captured in, but I could tell that we were further up the mountain now.

The other Pokémon and I had been let out on one side of the clearing. Near the middle, my temporary trainer was trying to set up a campfire.

I noticed that there were six of us. That made me think. Travelling Pokémon trainers usually have about 3 or 4 Pokémon in their line-up; the ones that are more interested in battling have more Pokémon. So my temporary trainer was a battle fan. Raoul had been one too.

So that I could stop calling the boy 'temporary trainer', I asked my nearest team-mate, a Bulbasaur, "What is your trainer's name?"

"Ben," he said. "And my name's Bramble."

"Where are you travelling to?"

"Well, first Lavender, then to Seafoam for the Cold Badge, then Viridian for the Earth Badge. Then Ben is going to try to get into the Indigo League Tournament."

That was weird. Why had Bramble said 'Ben is going to try' rather than 'We are going to try?' Most Pokémon would say 'we'.

"Is Ben a good trainer?"

"Don't answer, Bramble," snarled a Ponyta, walking up from behind us to light the campfire. She swung her head back to him. "Don't say one bloody word to that unspeakable Slowp***."

I was amazed by the viciousness and bitterness in her tone.

Although some of the other Pokémon gave her reproachful looks, none of them talked to me for the rest of the evening, even Bramble; they treated me as if I weren't there.

All of us were recalled at dark, but none of Ben's Pokémon seemed to want to go into their balls. Joel's actions were the strangest - he gave Ben one mournful look and leapt for his Pokéball without needing to be asked. I didn't understand this team. They seemed to feel loyalty towards Ben, but they treated him as if he'd done something terrible to them.

I went to sleep with the Growlithe's expression floating on the insides of my eyelids.

When I woke up, I could have been forgiven for feeling disconcerted. It was as black as a black hole. There were no stars, and no moon. The air smelt earthy and close.

"Slowpoke." Said Ben quietly, from somewhere around me. "Do you know Flash?"

I didn't. I did my best to create a light, though, using Psychic again. (That TM was turning out to be really handy out of battle). The brightest I could get it was a sort of dim glow, existing for only a metre or two around me. By which I could see that we were in a cave, one with a high ceiling.

I wasn't used to feeling so disoriented. Raoul had kept us out of our Pokéballs most of the time, so we always knew where we were and how we'd got there. And our Pokéballs themselves were of the kind that allowed us to see out of them. I knew that some trainers kept their Pokémon in their balls all the time, calling them out only when they needed them, but I hadn't guessed how strange that felt - to be recalled in one location, and called out somewhere completely different.

Ben called out another of his team, a Sandshrew, who looked perfectly used to what was confusing me. This Pokémon, I remembered, was called Grit - or at least, that was how the others had addressed him around the campfire last night.

"Grit, can you tell me if anything is about to collapse in here? Is this tunnel secure?"

Grit nodded twice.

"Good." Ben came over to me. "Slowpoke, keep that light up if you can. We're in the Rock Tunnel, and I think I know which part of it, but we'll have to explore a bit before I can be sure." I nodded heavily to show that I understood.

He appeared to be surprised. "You seem as if you've done this before.

I nodded. And made my expression blank. I could tell him about all of this later, after we were out of this cave. Caves creeped me out.

We walked for hours. I knew that soon I would have to lower the strength of my Psychic light if I wanted to keep it up, and as if he'd picked up my thought, Ben said, "We should take a break now. By my watch, it's about 2 PM, so we can afford a rest; I'd like to find one of the regular trails by nightfall. You can drop your Psychic attack, Slowpoke; I can manage with a glowstick for a while."

So he had one of those crummy emergency glow-in-the-dark plastic sticks that barely lit up your snout if you touched them to your forehead. And he was willing to make do with it, just because he'd shrewdly observed that I was getting tired.

He was impressing me.

But if he was as good a trainer as he appeared, why did his Pokémon seem so unhappy with him?

I looked across at the Sandshrew - not that I could see him that well in the darkness; I just knew he was there because I could sense his mind. I didn't know if I should risk asking him about all this, but at least the Ponyta wasn't there, so I tried, "Grit? What is wrong about Ben?"

"Nothing!" Grit snapped. "Ben is a great trainer and we are glad that we are with him."

"But you're not happy with him. And what's wrong with the Ponyta - why is she mad at me?"

"For very good reasons," said Grit harshly. "I think you need to supply us with some answers. Who are you, anyway, Slowpoke? And why-the-h*** did you 'join' our team?"

Because of Raoul, of course. Maybe he'd understand that.

"My name is Zoe," I began. "It was given to me by my first, last, and only trainer, Raoul. Up to a week ago, I had been with him for two years. He is a wonderful trainer and I was separated from him by Team Rocket at a tournament in Celadon. I think that of Raoul's six Pokémon I was the only one captured.

"Two Team Rocket members drove a group of Pokémon and me out into the desert behind these mountains; I don't know where they were going. I directed the rest of the Pokémon to successfully escape, although after we got away from Team Rocket, we all split up and I am not sure that everyone survived who was in the Team Rocket truck.

"On the sixth morning - I think - after I escaped from Team Rocket and headed for the mountains, I encountered your Ben, and Joel. I decided to let Ben capture me because trainers can travel more easily than Pokémon on their own, and if I'm going to find Raoul again, I'll need the help of a trainer. I'll cooperate with Ben and follow his orders as long as we're moving. If I need to split up with him, I think I can make myself understood well enough."

I finished, made a gesture, and looked back at him. I couldn't see his face, let alone his expression.

Another question came out of the darkness. "You took a risk, allowing yourself to be captured by the first trainer that came along."

"I'd had some time to weigh my options. By the 5th day, I was almost dehydrated and I was just lucky to make it up the mountain. I needed a trainer - and I wasn't going to get back to Raoul any other way."

"You're that loyal to your trainer?"

"Of course."

Raoul was Raoul. I couldn't not want to be training with him. The past two years were the best in my life...

Silence for a while from Grit; I kept silent too. I felt a little curiousity from Ben, and a touch of mental inquiry that meant he must have looked our way with eyebrows raised.

"All right," said Grit deliberately. "If your trainer is the reason you joined us, then I think you can understand our situation, and I think you have the right to hear it now. But I'm not the best one to tell you. Blazebrand is."

I guessed from the name type that this was the Ponyta's name.

"She will tell you if she knows your situation. But respect her because she does have a reason to be angry with you. We all do. Now that I understand you better, I see that it was your situation and it couldn't be helped. But I still wish you hadn't joined us."

Ben told us that we were going to start walking again and I kindled my light. I had a lot to think about, but I felt better - Grit had at least promised me the key to this mystery, and given me a affinity with his team - we both understood the kind of loyalty that can be felt by Pokémon towards their trainers.

Grit didn't tell me any more about Ben, but quickly and concisely explained our situation. Apparently Ben and the Spearow had stumbled into an opening to a branch of the Rock Tunnel, and for some reason, the way out had been blocked. The way he told it suggested other humans had been involved. Team Rocket maybe? (Pokégods, I was getting obsessed with them!)

Now we were trying to find the main tunnels, through which we would make our way to Lavender Town.

I was a lot more tired and my head spun when we found a well-used looking triple fork in the trail. "Well done, Pokémon!" Ben said, looking pleased. "I know where we are now! Let's set up camp here for the night. If we make enough progress, we'll be out by tomorrow evening."

I only had to keep up my light for the time it took for Joel and Blazebrand to light a fire. There was nothing to burn in the caves, but Ben had brought some firewood along. He edged it with rocks and soon we were all gathered round it.

After we'd eaten - and the food had a lovely barbequed taste - I saw Grit talking softly to Blazebrand, who looked worried and thoughtful. When Ben and Bramble went to look for some water up one of the forks, the rest of the Pokémon turned to me.

To their serious faces, I repeated my story, trying to tell it exactly the way I had before. Ben's Spearow, Javelin, looked openly approving and relieved, but Joel looked plain miserable and Grit and Blazebrand, still worried. The four of them drew back to the other side of the fire, leaving me alone and pensive.

Something was really wrong here.

Was Ben in league with Team Rocket? Did he catch Pokémon and give them to the elusive 'Boss'? But if that was so, I couldn't imagine how my arrival would have changed anything. Although I was depressed to imagine that, having escaped from two Team Rocket members, I had willingly put myself in the hands of another.

Did Ben hurt his Pokémon? No, they were too well-cared for; even I could see that. Did he give them banned drugs to help their battle abilities? From the way they moved and acted, no.

What was going on?

Blazebrand returned to me, and began to quiz me again.

"What powerlevel are you at ...Zoe?"

"35."

Blazebrand's ears folded to the sides a little. This was a uniquely Ponyta/Rapidash gesture, similar to raised eyebrows in humans. For some reason, she looked a bit happier... or more hopeful?

"So your moves are... Headbutt,"

"-Psychic, Disable, Confusion, Water Gun, Tackle, Growl."

"Seven. Not bad."

Not extraordinary either. Most wild Pokémon had an average of four moves, forgetting their last one when they learned a new one, but well trained Pokémon could hold up to twelve or thirteen. I think the record was held by Gary's Eevee before he evolved it - 16.

"How do you feel about evolving, Zoe?"

Good question, since I'd be able to evolve if I went up two power levels.

"I don't know. When I gain one more level I'm going to try and find a Shellder community and talk to them about it. But I like myself how I am."

"You want to evolve naturally. Well. Your evolution is very important. I also suppose it will affect how long you stay with us," said Blazebrand carefully. She shuffled her feet a little, shook her shoulders and returned her gaze to me.

"When we evolve, Ben releases us."

Now to thank my reviewers!

Lightning-Strike: I'm delighted that you like it. As you can see I am continuing. :)

Miss Black Dragon: Thanks to you too. Well, I suppose it could have been Cassidy. In the fic, she's just an anonymous female Team Rocket member who never turns up again… grin… or at least, I don't think she does.

Cadmuse: - Why don't you write? I know you don't, so it's a legitimate question. Why don't you write? But thank you. You're right, those are the weak points of the fic. But now that I've written Chapter Four, I'm pleased with this story. It's getting better. And don't say 'anything would be better'. That's practically plagiarism. *grin*