DISCLAIMER:  Pokemon doesn't belong to me, wish it did but it isn't.  They belong to the wonderful people who invented the cute little things.  Industrial Illusions belong with YGO, but since I like the name, I decided to put it into the story.  That doesn't belong to me either it belongs with YGO.  The only thing I own is 'Orion, Blaze and Max'.  N/E way, hope you enjoy the story, and R/R.

CHAPTER TWO

UNDER THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

Max, Orion and his vulpix, which he had named, Blaze the night before stood on the outskirts of town near the steps that led up to the Pokemon Research Lab.  The three of them were waiting for Professor Oak to come down.  While Orion and Blaze would travel by foot towards Viridian City, Max will take the car and wait for their return back in Orion's Manor.  A few seconds later, the sound of a door opening reached their ears as they all looked up to see Professor Oak making his way down from the lab.  "Well now, Orion."  Professor Oak said, as he walked up to him and gave a fond smile, as he looked him over.  "So, you're finally ready to set out into the world.  Do you have all the equipment I gave you?"

"Yes, I do Professor," Orion nodded to him, as he shouldered the borrowed backpack that Professor Oak lent him for the start of his journey until he reached his home.  "Thank you for allowing me to borrow them, as well as my Pokedex."  He added.

"You're very welcome."  Professor Oak said to him as he clasped the younger boy on the shoulder.  "Make sure that you take care of yourself and Blaze while you're out there."

"I will sir," he said to him with a nod.

"Now," Professor Oak said becoming serious.  "You will contact me whenever possible and remember try not to worry about Industrial Illusions while you're out there."

"Of course Professor."

Max stepped up and gave the younger boy a hug.  "Good luck, Master Orion.  I shall be waiting for you in the Manor when you get to Viridian City."

"Thank you, Max.  And you too Professor for all your help.  I hope Industrial Illusions won't give you a lot of problems."  Orion called as he began to walk down the road, waving goodbye to his peers.  Blaze was beside him, trotting along after calling her own goodbyes to them in her own native language.

"Good luck on the road to the Kanto League!"  Professor Oak and Max shouted out.

Orion and Blaze were walking through the grassy path of Route One, leading towards Viridian City.  The backpack on Orion's back wasn't really all that big.  It was filled with only the essentials that he would need: 1 potion, 5 pokeballs, 2 canned food, 2 small bags of pokechow, league guide book, pokedex, map and a sleeping bag.  He had spent the majority of last night, reading the Professor's books for tips of pokemon training and caring.  And the Professor had briefed him on some of the things that he would need to know on the way, like caring for the pokemon, type advantages and disadvantages and the eight badges that he would need to get into the championships.  "Well Blaze this is it," Orion commented as the dirt road began to slowly disappear and his surroundings became heavily forested.  Trees were everywhere, grass covered the ground with some odd placing of rocks, visible roots and weeds.  "Here on out, we're starting on our Pokemon journey."  He looked back at his fox pokemon. 

Yeah, pretty exciting, isn't it?  Blaze answered her trainer, telepathically.  Her voice sounded high and a little childish, which is understandable because she's still very young.

"I guess."  Orion said as he looked at the forest of Route One, his eyes trailing over the trees in search of pokemon.  The trip wasn't bad.  It was almost like walking through a very large park.  Though Professor Oak told him that he had to very careful in case he gets lost.

You nervous? Blaze asked him.  Orion turned his head to regard the small cinnamon brown fox that walked beside him. 

"Is there a reason to be?"  He asked calmly.

No, Blaze said to him as she turned her head to look at the trail they were walking on.  So tell me, why the Professor was making such a big deal about this Industrial Illusions?

"Curious fox, aren't you, Blaze?"  Orion asked, raising an eyebrow at the fox as he quickly averted his eyes from the scenery ahead of them towards his pokemon.

You could say that, we are going to be partners after all.  We didn't get to talk much last night since you were staring at that picture almost all night.  Orion sighed, it was nearing late afternoon because they had left Professor's Laboratory pretty late in the morning.

"Industrial Illusions is such a big deal because I run the company."  Orion explained to his pokemon, his voice was still soft and calm, making it very hard to hear any emotions from it.

Run?  Blaze asked, in a confused tone in her mental voice.  Orion mentally smiled at his pokemon, her voice almost always showed her emotions.  Especially since he couldn't read the pokemon's body language, he'd have to settle for the emotions that they display in their voices. 

"Yes," Orion agreed with her.  "It means I'm in charge of everything that Industrial Illusions is responsible of and it's affiliates."

Affiliates?

"Hmm . . . it means the other companies that we're close too," Orion tried to explain.

Like they're a part of your team?  Blaze looked up to him.

"Yeah, sort of."  Orion shrugged to her.

And that picture?  What was the story on that?

"That was a picture of my parents," Orion said, though his voice stayed the same, he bowed his head a little, making his hair hide his darkened emerald eyes from view.

Oh, are they going to be in that Manor that we're going to be going to in Viridian?  Blaze questioned in an innocent voice.

"No . . ." Orion trailed off, as he lifted his head and stared out on the scenery in front of him.  "My parents are gone - they passed away nearly two years ago."

Oh, Blaze said sounding contrite and sorry that she brought the subject up.  Sorry.

"It's alright, you didn't know about it."  Orion said, shrugging the question off.

Hmm, Blaze said thoughtfully as they walked along. 

"It's getting late, Blaze.  We should set up camp while we still have some light," Orion said as he looked at the darkening sky.  It was 7:00 at night, and they needed to get some rest before starting off again tomorrow.

Yeah, sure.  Why not?  Blaze said to him.  I'm getting tired anyway, and hungry too.  Orion looked at his companion before walking over towards a large tree that provided shade and sat down beneath it.  The trip hadn't been so bad as of yet, he didn't run into any pokemons, but hearing them (most especially beedrills) was enough to make him edgy all throughout the morning.  He was beat - of course, he wasn't going to admit it out in the open.

"Here," Orion said as he leaned over his backpack that he dropped on the ground minutes before.  He took a small white bowl and bag of pokechow.  Opening the bag, he spilled its contents onto the bowl and passed it over to his pokemon.  "If you're hungry, then you should eat."

Blaze purred happily as she trotted over to the bowl of food and began to eat.  As she did, Orion leaned back on the tree that he was sitting in front of and gave a deep breath.  After a few minutes of companionable silence, Blaze asked a question as she sat on her hind legs.  What about you, Orion?  Aren't you going to eat?

"No, I'm not that hungry."  Orion said as he closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. 

Hey Orion, Blaze asked, as she jumped to his lap and looked at him, her two front paws on his chest.  Are you going to miss your friends when we're on our pokemon journey?

Orion looked at his pokemon for a moment, and then averted his eyes to look at the tree in front of him.  "No, I won't."

Really?  Why did you have a fight with them?  She asked in an innocent voice.

"No, because I don't have them."  Orion said, his normally calm voice had a hard edge on it that made the small pokemon who was on his lap cringe. 

Oh, Blaze said in a contrite, quiet voice as she looked away from her trainer. 

A few seconds passed in uncomfortable silence, when she nimbly jumped off Orion's lap.  Her trainer looked at her for a moment and sighed.  "I'm sorry, Blaze.  I didn't mean to be so mean about saying it," Orion said to her in a soft voice as he sat up. 

The small fox pokemon looked at him for a moment before nodding her furry head and jumped on his lap again.  Making herself comfortable, she asked the question that made Orion freeze up.  Why?

"Why, what?"  Orion asked as he looked away.  His voice never wavered nor did his face change expressions.  It seemed like he was talking about something as common as the weather.

Your friends, Blaze prodded him.  Why don't you have any?  Everyone has friends.  I personally like the Growlithe that was in the Professor's grounds . . . he always made me laugh.  And there was this time when . . .

Orion stayed quiet during Blaze's talk about the friends that she made while she was with Professor Oak.  Although most people his age would have tons of friends, Orion could count on one hand the number of friends he had.  Zero.  He knew that being the richest kid in the world and loosing his parents had matured him beyond his years.  The way he spoke, acted, and reacted were all above where he should be.  He was doing things that people could only dream about; creating things that would benefit both humans and pokemon alike.  The way he was, made him an outcast in lots of places, but he was used to it.  And the sting had lessened, every time someone told him that they didn't want to play or work with him, the hurt that they caused would become a little less, but not by much. 

So, Orion had done the only thing he could at the time.  He ignored them, focused on something else hoping that if he ignored everyone they wouldn't cause him any more pain.  The so-called, 'friends' that he had, hurt him more than those who scorned him.  They would use him for his power, for his name.  All though out his life, he was measured by how good his inventions were, how many stocks he owned, he had gotten used to it.  No matter how much he hated it, he would bare it, its what his parents had done to give him a good future . . . it's what he'll do, Industrial Illusions will stay within the family - happiness means nothing to him when he can't share it with the only people he cared about.  His parents.

Orion started when he felt a nudge on his chest, and immediately looked down to where the nudge was.  His eyes landed on the round, dark green eyes that belonged to Blaze who was looking at him with her head tilted to the left side.  Are you all right?  I've been calling you forever!  Where'd you wander off too?

"Nowhere," Orion said to her.  "I was just thinking that's all." 

'Bout what?

"About how much longer it's going to take for us to reach Viridian City."  Orion said to her.  "Come on, we'd better get some rest."  The sun had gone down, bathing the forest that they were staying in with minimal light to get by.  It was also starting to get colder, instead of the hot sun that they had during their walk.

Yeah . . . Blaze trailed off, disbelievingly.  Sure, why not?  Maybe I can battle tomorrow, we haven't crossed any pokemons at all, today.  She said to him as she jumped off Orion's lap so he could get ready for bed.  He looked at her, and turned around so that he unpacked his sleeping back.  Doubts flowed through him, like a leaky faucet that he couldn't turn off.  His fear of failure, and the disappointment that everyone would have in him.  He wanted to give a bitter laugh.  Imagine, something Orion Evans finally fails at . . . and fails at horribly. 

Bed, now?  Blaze asked, interrupting his thoughts again.

Orion whipped his head to face her, unmoving for a second before relaxing his visibly taut muscles.  "Yeah, time for bed."  He rolled over his sleeping bag on the bumpy floor and took off his long jacket, throwing it beside his backpack, his shoes followed afterwards and he climbed in.  Without any word, Blaze climbed in after him taking up some space to his left.  She curled around, underneath the warmth of the blanket and slept as soon as she closed her eyes.  Orion looked at her before settling down beside her and placing his two arms to cushion his head.  His emerald eyes looked up at the dark clouds that were showing a handful of stars, looking like spilt diamonds in black velvet.  What a day, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes, hoping that his tired body would lull him to sleep soon.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Orion sighed as he looked up at the sky that was littered with hundreds of stars twinkling above him.  He had been lying in the same position for nearly four hours and he hadn't slept a wink!  It was aggravating, and he couldn't risk turning to his left or right because he might wake Blaze.  That plus, he could feel his back and arm muscles cramping on the uncomfortable ground.  Not to mention there was absolutely no pillows around . . .

I'll never be able to get some sleep, he thought to himself as he shifted slightly and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could despite the situation he was in.  His eyes were scanning their surroundings every five minutes making sure that nothing was going to jump out of the bushes and scare him anymore than he already is.  Still, it was very creepy out in the woods.  The gentle wind that occasionally passed by ruffled the leaves, which would have been a soothing sound in broad daylight was enough to make his blood pressure shoot up every time he heard it.  Every shadow seem to move and get nearer every time he looked at it, the moving branches looked like gigantic claws reaching out to choke him, every noise was intensified a hundred times making blood rush in his ears. 

Was he scared?

Absolutely not.

Terror-stricken to the point of a heart attack?

Unquestionably.

This is ridiculous, he thought to himself as he slowly tried to sit up.  His arms were sore and ached every time he moved it.  He was gently unzipping the sleeping bag so that he could get out and get something to eat when he suddenly stopped as he heard a semi-loud rustling noise.  His muscles tensed, and he looked around waiting, for what?  He didn't really know.  Nerves, that's all it is.  He sighed in relief as he carefully got out of the sleeping bag and closed it again.  He stood up and stretched, while walking towards his pack.  Then he heard the rustling sound again and his eyes immediately scanned the trees, bushes, two glowing red round things, and various rocks in the dark blanket of the night.

Wait a minute . . .

Two glowing round things?!

Orion froze and his eyes slowly moved back to the two pair of red, eyes, staring right back at him from the bushes it was hiding in.  He gulped, as the bushes rustled again and a rattata jumped from it.  He looked at it for a moment before relaxing it was only a rattatas.  However, his fear intensified when felt like he was being watched.  He looked around and noticed twenty more pairs of red, glowing eyes look at him from different bushes scattered around the place he and Blaze were.  They all bared their teeth at him and narrowed their eyes.  Damn, I'm in trouble.

His breath was coming in short gasps as rattatas of all different sizes jumped out of their hiding places and formed a circle around him and his sleeping pokemon.  Orion fought back a stream of curses that would make a sailor blush.  Had it just been one rattata, he wouldn't be so afraid, but twenty?  Great, his first night as a pokemon trainer and he would already get mauled by rabid rattatas.  Staying absolutely still, he looked as the rattatas came out of their hiding places and slowly walked over to him, still with their teethes bared.  His breathing was shallow, and he tried to inconspicuously wake his pokemon up.  Blaze wake up, he sent to her in a mental voice, instead of talking to her out loud as he always did.  The fox pokemon only shifted a little in her sleep, however on the slightest movement the rattata's looked towards the sleeping bag and saw the pokemon.  They slowly circled it.  Why is this happening to me?  Orion groaned as he took a hesitant step towards his pokemon, but as soon as he did the rattatas turned towards him and bared their teethes at him.

"RATTA-TA-RAT!"  The biggest one of them yelled at him.  Orion was on the verge of panicking that he wasn't able to scan the pokemon's mind for whatever the language meant. 

Blaze!  We're in trouble here!  Orion said to his pokemon.

No . . . she said as she turned over.  Still tired.

Blaze!  Wake up, now!  He sent back with some agitation in his mental voice as his eyes never left the rat pokemons that were excruciatingly coming closer to him.  Their eyes glowed and they were almost giving him a feral grin.

What?  Blaze asked in an abashed tone.  She snapped her head up and glared at her trainer for a second before she realized the pack of rattatas that were snarling at them.  Oh, she said as she got up in a defensive stance. 

Yes, 'Oh' He repeated as he watched his pokemon, he knew that they didn't really stand a chance against a pack of rattatas, one?  No problem . . . but twenty snarling, growling and glaring purple rats?  Definite no.  Just as Orion thought it was going to be a standoff, the lead rattata jumped up and attacked Blaze who was trying to get to him, inconspicuously.

"Damn!"  Orion called out as he rushed forward to help her only to be attacked by rattatas.  "Hang on, Blaze!"  He called out as he tried to flail his arms around, trying to get rid of the rattatas that were biting his arms, legs and chest.  He staggered over to his pokemon who was tackling, biting and occasionally giving a very weak ember to the rattatas to get them off herself.  This isn't working, Orion told to himself as felt a burning sensation in his arms, his eyes darkened when he saw that it was rattata that had sunk its teeth deeply on his flesh.  Blaze wasn't faring well, either.  She was being attacked by 10 pokemons all at one time, while Orion was handling his own batch of resilient mad pokemons that were gnawing his body and tackling him hard whichever ways.  With a grunt, he fell to the ground after two strong, consecutive tackles.  As soon as he hit the ground, Orion's face paled when he saw their front teeth glowed, hyper fang . . .

His eyes darkened as he rolled over and dodged some of the hyper fangs while some of them managed to strike their aim, his body.  He jumped up, ignoring the rattata's that were clinging to his arms and legs as he rushed to help his pokemon.  Clothing torn and bleeding all over, he scooped his Vulpix, which wasn't faring any better than he was.  Kicking and batting away some of the rattata's that were on him and Blaze, he scooped her up, and ran.  He moved faster and faster, fluidly through the shadows, skimming the grass with the slightest touch of his boots, flying in his own special way.  He didn't dare to look back, for fear of seeing the rattatas gaining on him. 

All he knew was that he needed to get to safety . . . he looked at his near comatose pokemon and ran faster, if that was possible.  "Hang on, Blaze.  I'll get you to safety, just hang on."  In the dark blanket of the night, under the moon's watch with the stars winking at him, he ran.