Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Thee is sorry if thou is pissed off about that.
Joking: I'm Joking, Sirius' twin brother! I'm older by two minutes!
Muddy: Are you serious?
Joking: No, I'm Joking.
Sirius: Hey Joking! I found Kidding!
Kidding: Hello! I'm older than Sirius by four minutes, making me the oldest!
Skittles: You're kidding right?
Kidding: Yup, I'm Kidding.
Skittles: Oh, so you're NOT older than Sirius by four minutes then?
Kidding: No, I am.
Skittles: Are you joking?
Joking: I'm Joking. He's Kidding.
Skittles: So "Kidding" is really "joking" then right?
Joking: No, I'm Joking
Kidding: And I'm Kidding.
Muddy: Are you serious?
Kidding and Joking: (point to Sirius) He's Sirius!
Skittles: He's never serious!
Sirius: I'm always Sirius!
Skittles: No you're not! You have to be kidding to believe that Sirius is always serious!
Kidding: Oh, so now you're saying that I believe Sirius is serious?
Muddy: Gah, I'm confused now. x.X
Magma Meltdown
The rain poured, the sky roared, and lightning bolts flashed. There was a storm brewing, and the boy and the girl were caught in the middle of it. The boy sighed deeply. A lightening bolt shot down a tree twenty yards away from them, causing the whole world below their feet to vibrate violently, sparking the tree into a bright inferno. The red-orange fire sent a pang of worry through the boy's stomach. He turned to face the girl, but there was no girl there. Like that flash of lightning, she was there a minute ago but disappeared faster than a blink of an eye. And like the fire, it sent the boy one of the worst feeling in the world: worry.
Brendan ran as fast as quickly as his legs could take him, not even bothering to deal with the hassles of getting out and unfolding his Mach bike. He soon reached the water's edge, the tide overlapping his shoes. With a quick flick of his wrist, he got out Muddy's Pokeball.
"I choose you, Muddy!"
The familiar flash of white light appeared but seconds later the light returned inside its Pokeball.
"Damn!" Brendan cursed, rubbing his eyes. Somehow, the light in the Pokeball got brighter. "I know where the Magma hideout is, yet I can't even get to it!" He kicked a rock into the water, watching it make vibrations. He shuddered. His only hope to get to May was to contact someone who already had a Pokemon out. It was someone that he detested so much. It was someone who's name was ...
- - -
"Mothers!" Wally groaned as he flew on the back of his Altaria. The wind rushed through his hair and the clouds broke as they rode through them. "Why do they always ask if you changed your underwear?" he asked.
His Altaria shrugged slightly and sung a eerie yet beautiful tune.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"Ah! It's come back to haunt me!" Wally exclaimed, almost leaping off Altaria. He reached down and unhooked the PokeNav off his belt and press the flashing red button on the gadget.
"New video message from Pokemon Trainer Brendan," his PokeNav stated.
"Oh damn. What does the retard want with me tonight?" Wally complained as he accepted the message. The video screen loaded seconds later. "What do you want, Birch?" he spat.
Brendan rolled his eyes. "Don't even start, Wallace. We have a problem. May's been kidnapped by Team Magma!"
"Then why didn't you stop them, you dolt?" Wally shouted over the rush of wind. "You're a Pokemon Trainer dammit!"
"Duh, I know that!" Brendan said, his temper rising. "Latios, why did I ask you of all trainers to help me? Anyway, I can't. Magma has invented some invention that returns all Pokemon automatically when released if they don't have some stupid collar around their neck. You're the only one that I know that has a Pokemon out right now..." he trailed off, hesitating. "So, um, I ... I ... I need your help." He winced slightly. "Did I just say that?"
Wally blinked twice and smirked. "Looks like the great Brendan Birch needs help from me now, huh?"
"Wally, c'mon."
"Fine. What do I do?"
"Well, you can't come into Mauville, because your Altaria will be returned," Brendan said. "And Veranturf probably has a sensor too. Where would Team Magma least likely go to that isn't too far from Mauville?" He paused. "Any ideas, genius?"
Wally shook his head. "No, but maybe-" A sudden gust of breeze made Altaria fly off course, making Wally lose reception with Brendan. It was a hot air balloon with a net trailing a few feet behind it.
"Wally!" someone cried but was swept away with the wind.
"May?" Wally cried out. "After them, Altaria!"
Altaria sung another mournful yet graceful melody and flew swiftly after the fast moving hot air balloon. They soon were a few yards behind the balloon.
"I can't just pop the balloon because May is inside that net," Wally thought out loud over Altaria's song. "Wait, why isn't Altaria being returned? I'm almost near Mauville, but Altaria is still outside," Wally noticed Altaria's song. "Is there something that affects the sensors when Altaria sings?"
"Hey, we have some spies after us!" A Team Magma Agent shouted. "But his Pokemon is not being returned!"
"Who cares?" another Team Magma Agent cried. "Attack the boy, take him out! Go Charizard!" The Magma Member threw a Pokemon into the moonlit sky and it formed into a tall, orange, fire-breathing dragon with a small flame on its tail.
"You too, Charizard!" The other Team Magma Agent sent out the same powerful beast.
"Oh crap," Wally cursed to himself, Altaria still singing her tune. "We'll never beat two Charizards like this! Maybe one ... but still." He looked around and saw the familiar lights of Mauville. "That song Altaria sings must protect her somehow like a high-pitched transmission thing. I don't know how but-"
"Attack!"
"Crap!" Wally groaned. "Keep singing that song, Altaria, and fly into Mauville City!"
Altaria sung in her high-pitched voice and dove into the city with amazing agility. As Wally guessed, the Charizard duo followed behind.
"Meet us back at you know where when your through with them!" The Team Magma Agent cried as they flew in the other direction. The Charizards roared back as if they understood and chased after Wally and Altaria.
"Where the hell is he?" Wally groaned as they flew into alleys, over houses, and under tents. They had no fear of hitting anyone because everyone was inside, scared of getting kidnapped by Team Magma just like May.
A Charizard thundered angrily and shot a blast of fire at Wally. Altaria dodged it and continue flying through the city her melody echoing throughout the town.
"Maybe I can get those dumb neck things off one of the Charizard's necks that way it will be automatically returned," Wally muttered to himself. "Altaria, keep singing and use a Twister!"
Altaria stopped mid-track of flying and quickly conjured a small wind tornado at one of the Charizards, making them stop chasing them for a few minutes. She then took off again, leaving them behind in their dust.
"Now to find Bren-"
The Charizards blew double jets of fire at Altaria. She ducked, but it nearly scorched Wally's back in the process.
"They recovered fast," Wally observed. "We have to get one of those things off! But how?" Altaria evaded another Flamethrower, her song getting weaker by the minute. "Gotta hurry and defeat these things. Altaria is getting tired!" He panicked for a minute. Luckily, he spotted Brendan walking down the street. "Hang on, idiot!" Altaria flew right into Brendan, and Wally grabbed Brendan by the arm, pulling him onto Altaria's back.
"What the-" Brendan yelled, as he clung onto Altaria's fluffy white body. "I've been trying to - why are there - how is Altaria in Mauville without being returned?" he finally got out.
Wally shrugged. "I think it has something to do with her song. It blocks out the sensor or something. Anyway, I need to get one of those collars off a Charizard or Altaria will never have a chance! Any ideas?" he asked as Altaria flew over a building.
"Why don't we just get out of Mauville and fly somewhere else?" Brendan asked, ducking as the Charizards shot another Flamethrower.
"Because, it will take to long to fly over Mauville to somewhere that doesn't have a detector and I'm not willing to risk Altaria's health for that!" Wally snapped, frustrated. "How can I get one of those damn things off?" he asked in frustration again.
Brendan frowned as if thinking. He enlarged a Pokeball.
"Remember, idiot? A Pokemon without the sensor collars will be automatically returned - well besides Altaria anyway."
"So what? Just because I can't use my Pokemon, doesn't mean I can't use their Pokeball!" Brendan smirked, making Wally confused. He slapped his head in annoyance. "Just watch." He threw a Pokeball into the air, and it flashed a brilliant white light, blinding the two Charizards for a second. "See?" he asked, smirking again, catching the ball in his hand. "It distracts them! Trust me, I know." He rubbed his eyes. "The light is quite annoying. Ah, anyway, while I distract them, attack their neck and try to break the collars! Got it?"
"Crystal," Wally replied.
Brendan this time threw all six Pokeballs of his, each one making a dazzling illumination, blinding the Charizards for a minute.
"Better finish this off now! Altaria Hyper Beam now!" Wally cried.
Altaria, still singing her tune, flew down toward the ground and turned around to face the half-blinded Charizards. She quickly charged up a beam within her mouth, her tune still going on quietly. She shot it but had to end her song. She was returned soon after but the attack came through. The golden beam hit at the Charizards' neck level, breaking the collars. A beam of red light surrounded them, and they were rapidly returned back to their owners.
Brendan and Wally landed on their bottom, seeing as they were sitting on Altaria.
"Ouch!" Wally stood up and rubbed his bottom. "At least we got rid of the Charizards." He sighed and noticed that Brendan was up and hunched over the ground.
Brendan reached down and picked up the two broken collars. The glass that covered the blinking red light was cracked on both of them and the fabric that held it together was ripped, but if they just fixed it up a bit, they could be used again. He tossed Wally one. "I don't know why I'm giving you one seeing as I can save May by myself but you did help get them." He rolled his eyes.
Wally glared and pocketed the collar. "Know anyone that can fix them?" he questioned.
- - -
"Er, thanks Rydel," Brendan said as he took the two collars that were now blinking red every few seconds.
"No problem," Rydel replied. "Fixing bikes is my speciality but sometimes I like to fix computers and other electronic devices. See you later, dudes!"
"Later Rydel, and thanks again!" Wally said as he opened the door back outside to Mauville. "I didn't know Rydel was a computer nerd."
Brendan shrugged his shoulders and examined the collar carefully. "I don't see how we can get these on our Pokemon when they just get returned two seconds later." He frowned. "You say Altaria's song overrode the sensor huh?"
Wally nodded. "Yeah. She started singing it when we past over Slateport." He paused for a moment. "So I'm guessing the Southern half of Hoenn probably doesn't have a sensor chip or whatever they use since its mostly contains small towns." He enlarged Altaria's Pokeball. "But you do know that this means we have to work together again."
"Oh right. Let me think for a minute." Brendan put his hand under his chin and looked as if he were in deep thought. "Fine. I'll do it for May," he answered reluctantly. "Why does that girl always find trouble?"
"Um, do I look like May?"
"Let's hope not."
Wally rolled his eyes and whispered some words into Altaria's Pokeball telling her to immediately sing to avoid being automatically returned. "C'mon out Altaria!" he yelled, releasing his flying type in a beam of white light. Altaria's high-pitched melody rung through the two trainers' ears, singing ever so gracefully. Wally sighed and climbed onto Altaria, pocketing the blinking red collar into his pants pocket. He looked at Brendan who's feet were still firmly on the ground. He rolled his eyes once again. "Hello? I know your slow, gramps, but can you move a little more faster?"
Brendan crossed his arms and scowled. "Who are you calling gramps, you little son of a mother?"
"Son ... of a mother?"
"Shut up."
"Make me!"
"I will!"
"You can't make me, so ha!"
"Are you willing to find out?"
"...Whatever."
"That's what I thought!" Brendan smirked as he climbed onto Wally's Altaria. "If you tell anyone that I asked for your help, you will be spending all your time with your head twenty feet below the dirt. Got it?"
"Oh yeah, Brendan. Like you can push my head that far."
"Can we just go now?"
"Fine. Have it your way." Wally shook his head and instructed Altaria to fly toward Littleroot Town. "May the best man win."
Brendan eyed Wally, confused as Altaria gently rose off the ground and sped up as they flew into the midnight sky. "Win what?"
"Duh!" Wally slapped his forehead in annoyance. "Haven't you've read those Pokemon fairy tale books where the boy rescues the girl from a tragic fate, making them end up closer together than before?"
"I'm sorry, Wallace. I actually have a life unlike you who willing spends his free time reading Dr. Seuss books."
"They are not Dr. Seuss books! I had to read them for ... uh, Pokemon School."
"You were home-schooled weren't you?"
"Shut up! As I was trying to say, they eventually fall in love and blah, blah, blah and all that crappity crap... crap."
"Ooh, nice words there, Wannabe!"
"Shut up, Brendork!"
"If I had a million dollars for every time you said, 'Shut up!' I would be a millionaire!"
"Stupid. That's because you said, 'If I had a million dollars for every time I say shut up!'"
"Shut-!"
"Ha!"
"... Please tell me we're near Littleroot."
Altaria's tune seem to arch into a peaceful, happy sort of song as they descended downwards toward Littleroot Town. Brendan sighed and remember the first time he met May ...
(Flashba-)
"Ow!" Brendan was interrupted from his flashback as Altaria landed roughly on the ground, making Brendan fly head first into his own mailbox. "Stupid mailbox," he muttered under his breath. "I don't even get mail."
"I told you we were landing, smart one." Wally hopped off Altaria and patted her head affectionately. Her calm and quiet song soon stopped afterward but Altaria did not return to her owner's Pokeball. Wally noticed this first. "Well, Littleroot is safe," he stated. "So, who's the one Pokemon that your going to use against Team Magma? I'm going to use my Gardevoir ... and Altaria of course!" He patted her head again, smiling.
"Duh, Muddy!" Brendan released his mud/water type. "Muddy is my strongest, and he'll have a type advantage against the fire and ground types of Magma!" He got out the collar and clipped around Muddy's wrist. "Sorry, pal but you got to wear this stupid thing if you want to venture outside your Pokeball in the Northern and Eastern region."
"It's all right." Muddy shrugged. "So what happened? You know me, not paying much attenti-" Muddy began to look at the dent in the mailbox. "Hey B Boy, you got a dent in that mail thingy mah bobber."
Brendan rubbed the top of his head. "I know, but as you were trying to ask, May got kidnapped by Team Magma during a battle and I have to get her back!"
"You mean I have to get her back right?" Wally questioned.
"No, I-"
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
"Argh, just forget it!" Brendan groaned, smacking his forehead with his hand. "Now according to my past months as a Magma member, the new hideout should be in Lilycove in a. .. cove near the city. The place is probably surrounded by guards by now and the sensors must be stronger there also. So if we leave by tonight, we should get there by one thirty in the morning, giving us some time to prepare and search the Magma hideout. Then if we don't find May, we can get out by three somehow, sleep for three hours, then get back in there! Sound good?"
"I don't like the sounds of that." Wally frowned slightly. "Besides, where would Team Magma keep May? I mean, she is already being betted on to win the Hoenn League so she must be a good asset to Team Magma. Then again, what would they want with May anyway?"
"Well, May was an important Team Aqua member before," Brendan said, rubbing his chin as if to look intelligent. "Maybe they want her to leak out some secret Aqua information. And she is a strong trainer. They could force her to battle for them."
"But May would never battle for them."
"That's what I'm worried about."
- - -
"I hate this place! Let me out!" Skittles mewed angrily, ramming her head against the iron jail cell. "Ooh, look at the pretty Torchics," she murmured, swirling her head as far as it could go in both directions.
Thunderbolt (who was currently laying on the dirty, cold floor) looked up from where his head rested on his two front paws. He sighed as Skittles sat on her back legs, staring wistfully out of the cage cell. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he murmured to himself as he got up as walked over slowly to Skittles. "Er... hey Skittles."
Skittles blinked twice, jolting out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh, hey T.B." She sighed to herself, straining her neck to look out of the murky, begrimed window.
"Anything wrong?" Thunderbolt asked, sitting on his two back feet also.
"I miss May," Skittles replied sadly. "And Flare ... and Cherry ... and Tai ... Hell, I even miss Sirius!" she cried, alarming a few other Pokemon in their cell cages.
"I know," Thunderbolt retorted, frowning slightly.
"What? No kind words of pity or anything?" Skittles joked, smiling a bit.
Thunderbolt shook his head. "I can't say things will be all right because the truth is I don't know if they will be."
"Hey, at least your honest."
"But what I can say is that no matter what, I'll be here."
"Wow, that makes me feel so much better."
"I'm the sarcastic one, remember?"
"Whatever."
"Eh with your 'whatever.'"
"Hey T.B.?"
"What Skittles?"
"You never did answer my question that one fair night."
"Ugh."
- - -
"Ew, what's that smell?" Cherry asked, her eyes flinching a bit as she hovered in the air
"Sorry," Tai muttered under his breath. He too was hanging in the air. He paused and thought out loud. "Wait, how can you smell? You don't have a nose!"
"So?" Cherry retaliated. "I can smell with my antenna, smart one."
"Why thank you! I am smart!"
"Ugh. I hope May is all right. I hope everyone else is too."
"Trust me on this one Cherry. With Flare around, I'm sure May is out and about, stretching her legs and looking at the full moon right now."
"But still-"
"What? You're always so pessimistic!"
"Am not!"
"Tell me. If someone drank a cup of water and left half, then what's left?"
"Its half empty of course!"
"See! Pessimistic! The optimistic would see that as half full."
"C'mon! I live in reality unlike you who dreams of a wedding when you see a cute bird and then ending up crashing into a - I don't know - a Ferris wheel car!"
"Hey! I only did that once!"
"Yeah, when they were about to kiss!"
"Anyway, it's half full!"
"Half empty!"
"Half full!"
"Is not!"
"Is to!"
"Is not!"
"Is to!"
- - -
"May," Brendan whispered into the night time air, his breath hitting his face mixed in with the clouds and the bone-shattering wind. Altaria dove in and out of the mist with ease and grace as if she were dancing, her soft hum being the music. It relaxed Brendan, calming his nerves, easing his worry. He looked over to Wally and saw his determined face, his eyebrows furrowing, his hair being tossed in the wind. Brendan couldn't help but smirk. This was one of the times where he didn't laugh at Wally's cockiness because he knew he was wearing the same look upon his face too. He looked down below. The world was dark, everything was still as if humankind was holding its breath, waiting for May's return. He just wonder if she was all right.
A piece of paper hit Brendan squarely in the face. He took it in his hands and smiled, yelling. "Hey! I got mail!"
- - -
"Let me go!" May demanded, kicking and squirming about. "I told you I'm not going to tell you anything!" May was hanging by her arms by mere rope hanging over a pit of lava (from Mt. Chimney of course) in a fire proof container. "You can kill me, but then who's going to tell you about Team Aqua's plans now?" She couldn't help but smirk. It was true. Any other Team Aqua member would do the same.
"She's got a point, Admin," a Team Magma Grunt murmured to Team Magma Admin Tabitha. "You know it's rather difficult to get past Team Aqua's barriers let along capturing one-"
"Quiet, you fool!" Tabitha barked. "Don't you think I know that?"
"I doubt it," May said under her breath.
"What was that little girl?" Tabitha questioned, glaring coldly.
"Nothing."
Tabitha glared at her once again and turned to the other Team Magma members. "Get the secret weapon!" she ordered. Two Magma members left, leaving May confused. Tabitha smirked. "If you won't tell us now, just wait 'til you see what we have in store for you."
May glowered at Tabitha. "Nothing can scare me!" she stated proudly. "I've been up against you and your dirty tricks before!"
Tabitha just laughed. "You just wait."
May tried to swing the rope from side to side but to no effect. The rope was secured to a metal beam that hung from the roof.
"It's here," one of the Team Magma Grunts alerted the Admin. "Shall we send her in?"
"Yes, proceed with operation meltdown," Tabitha commanded.
"Yes ma'am."
May squinted her eyes as bright light entered the dim room. Two heavily guarded doors opened slowly, and May could see a tall yet slim object standing in the middle of the door frame. As the object came closer, she gasped in horror as the light slowly reached the shadowy object. "What have you done with Flare?"
- - -
"Welcome to Lilycove City," Wally said gloomily. "Wow, no one's outside. Not one light on, not ... anything!"
"Well yeah. It is one in the morning, genius!" Brendan replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Most normal people sleep at this time of night."
"Then why are you still up?"
"Are you calling me normal?"
"Damn, that comeback didn't go as planned."
Brendan rolled his eyes again. "Fly over Lilycove and look for a cove just outside!" he told Wally.
Wally nodded his head and instructed Altaria to fly into a cove if she spotted one. Altaria nodded, still humming her tune and flew past Lilycove. She flew over the raging waves below and turned sharply, Brendan and Wally barely holding on. She flew swiftly into the mouth of a cove, flying past the angry guards below them. They flew into the entrance of the Team Magma hideout.
"No one's in here," Wally examined.
"They're probably in the deeper part of the hideout," Brendan answered. "Or if I remember right, there right now trying to get the red orb somewhere on the outskirts of Lilycove." Altaria flew slowly yet steadily as the two boy trainers observed room after room after room after room. They soon were getting weary.
"Where's May?" Wally exclaimed, his voice echoing and reechoing throughout the hideout walls.
"Sssshhh Wally!" Brendan whispered, alarmed. "They can hear you, you know!"
"Oh yeah, the walls are such good listeners sometimes!" Wally retaliated critically.
"Hey! It's that twerp that beat our Charizards and the Team Magma drop-out!"
Brendan and Wally groaned in unison. "Dammit!"
- - -
Tabitha smirked as she fiddled with a Magma collar, tossing it on a nearby table. She snapped her fingers and Flare came to her side, her eyes piecing red, a blinking crimson collar rested upon her neck. "Don't you just love what we did to your Pokemon?" she taunted, smiling evilly.
"No!" May retorted angrily. "Turn her back right now!" she commanded. "I warn you!"
"Oh, and what is widdle May going to do?"
"I ... I don't know."
"Exactly ... Now tell me! What are Team Aqua's plans?"
"I'll never tell you!"
"Then are you willing to join Team Magma!"
"Never, not even in your dreams!"
"Fine, have it your way." Tabitha turned around and exited the room, beckoning the Grunts to follow. "You know what to do, Flare." She snapped her fingers once, twice, then three times before she exited. "If you won't join us," she paused, "then you are going to die at the hands of your own Pokemon!" The doors slammed shut behind her.
May tried to squirm out of the ropes, but failed.
Flare, her eyes blood shot red, shot a reddish-orange flame at the metal beam instead of the rope, a concept that Tabitha programmed into the collar chip so she could makes May suffer and struggle before her end. The fire melted down the metal in a matter of minutes, causing May to scream in fright as she came closer to a fiery death...
- - -
"Return Muddy!" Brendan returned his faithful water and ground type to his Pokeball, smirking widely. "Well that was easy considering that this time they used two Charizards, two Mightyenas, and two Torkoals." A muffled yet high-pitched scream caught Brendan's ears. "I know that scream. That's-"
"May's!" Wally answered for him, immediately hopping on his humming Altaria. "Let's go!"
- - -
May watched worriedly as the metal began to heat to a violent shade of red. "Hehe, Flare don't you recognize me?" May asked as Flare continued her Flamethrower attack. "It's me! May! The one who trained you when you were just an innocent little Torchic, the one who laughed and played with you. The one that loves you!" she cried out, a few tears coming out from her sapphire colored eyes.
Flare stopped blowing her fire and stared at May disbelieving. Her eyes almost returned to their regular color but the collar beeped angrily and flashed brightly. Flare began blowing flames at the metal beam again.
May closed her eyes and waited for the end to come.
Flare blew a last flame and the metal pole melted, sending May tumbling down into a fiery grave...
...If not Brendan caught her in his arms as Wally and him flew past.
"Bre ... Brendan?!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "How did you - why is - why isn't Altaria being returned?"
"Same question I asked when I landed on Altaria too!" Brendan smirked, untying May from the ropes. He threw it down into the pit of lava. "Did you have fun playing with fir-" A blast of blue-white flames interrupted Brendan's sentence. "Hey, why is Flare attacking us?" he asked, puzzled. He noticed the blinking red collar. "The collar controls her I'm guessing."
"I think so." She shrugged as Altaria dodged a Flamethrower attack.
"Um, can someone please send out a Pokemon?" Wally yelled as he directed Altaria to dodge with all her might.
"Geez. Sorry, Wallace," Brendan replied, enlarging Muddy's Pokeball. "C'mon out Muddy! Control the fire-breathing chicken!" Brendan ordered, sending out his Pokemon.
Muddy appeared in a flash of bright white light. He stood up in front of the enraged Flare who was still trying to aim fire blasts at the three flying trainers. "Hey chicken butt!" he taunted. "Try picking on someone that can actually fight!"
Flare faced Muddy and frowned. She charged up fist with blue and white flames and punched a metal pole, melting it on impact.
"Oohkay," Muddy said slowly. "Someone has gotten stronger, no doubt." He laughed nervously. "So can't we just talk this through like grown-up Pokemon? Heh."
Flare blinked for a second before charging up all four claws with red-orange flames this time. "Less talk," she said in a monotonous voice. "More action." She tried to punch at Muddy's head, but he ducked just in time.
Muddy felt the heat go over his head. He sent out an icy cold jet of water at her. It was a direct hit, but Flare didn't seem to be effected by it at all, despite the type advantage.
"What the-" Muddy exclaimed. "That should have knocked her out for sure!"
"Oh no. Muddy's attack didn't seem to effect Flare!" May cried worriedly as Altaria decided to hover over the battle scene.
"That's strange," Brendan remarked. "Muddy's Hydro Pump defeated Flannery's Torkoal in one hit! Why couldn't it defeat Flare?"
"The collar," Wally observed. "It must have made her stronger. "
"Don't you still have Flare's Pokeball, May?" Brendan asked. "She was Pokenapped outside of it right?"
"That's right!" May exclaimed, enlarging Flare's Pokeball. "Flare return!" she commanded. The red light engulfed Flare and returned her but a few seconds later, she came out in front of Muddy once again. "Huh?"
"Unlike the other collars that allow a Pokemon to stay out of their Pokeball with the Magma sensor on," Wally explained, "the collar Flare has on probably won't allow her to be returned!"
"Muddy, try a Muddy Water attack!" Brendan yelled, frustrated with the results.
Muddy nodded. His eyes turned a light brown and instantly a wave of dirty brown water was thrown at Flare. Flare didn't even try to dodge it but took it full on. When the wave died down, Flare was still standing strong, water dripping off her body.
"Damn!" Brenda cursed loudly. "She's invincible!"
"Get rid of the collar!" Wally yelled. "It's the only way!"
Muddy nodded again, even though the idea came from Wally. "But how," Muddy thought out loud. "It's hard enough trying to stand your ground against Flare." He thought to himself, a rare moment in Muddy's past life.
Hey B Boy, you got a dent in your mail thingy mah bobber, he remembered.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Muddy asked himself. "Ah, I guess thinking of past lines you say doesn't actually work in real life ... or does it?" he questioned. "Worth a shot!" Muddy ran back a few feet and sprinted at Flare, tackling her into a wall, leaving a dent. While she was pinned down, he reached out and snapped the fabric in half, ripping the collar off Flare.
Flare blinked in surprised as Muddy unpinned her off the wall. "What the- Where am I?"
Muddy smirked proudly. "You're at the-" The collar re-clipped itself onto Muddy's wrist, taking him prisoner.
Flare saw what happened and tried to break the collar off of Muddy but was returned to her Pokeball soon afterward.
"The collar took a hold of Muddy!" Flare cried from within her Pokeball.
Muddy turned around to face Altaria and the three trainers, his eyes a menacing red.
"Wow, Magma must have worked hard on that collar," Wally murmured.
"No time to wonder about that! Time to battle!" Brendan cried but immediately slapped his head. "Too bad I can't use my other Pokemon since I left them with my dad to see if he could create an immunity with the sensor."
"Ditto," Wally replied. "All I have is Gardevoir who fainted already!"
"Then we'll just have to use Flare!" May answered. "But how?" She spotted Tabitha's collar on the table. "Fly Altaria to that table over there, Wally, and then I can get that extra collar!" she directed.
Wally clucked his tongue and Altaria flew off, diving down toward the table, evading Muddy's attacks every now and then. When they reacher their destination, May quickly grabbed the collar and Altaria flew skyward, making Muddy break the wooden table with a powerful jet of water.
May jumped off Altaria quickly and hid behind her to protect herself. She released Flare and before Flare could take form or be automatically returned, she clicked the collar onto Flare's wrist. Flare took form without being returned. "Yes, it worked!" May grinned, cheering. "Hurry and tried to get the collar off of Muddy's wrist!"
"You got it, May!" Flare exclaimed. "Oh, and I'm sorry that I was ordered to kill you, heh. It was the collar and all."
"It's all right." May gave her Pokemon a brief hug, "As long as your back to your old self... now go get 'em!" she hopped back onto Altaria as Flare ran off towards Muddy.
"Remember, Flare. If you break the collar with you touching it, it will just enchant you again!" May warned as Altaria flew over the battle again.
Flare turned back and nodded, charging up her flames. She blew a stream of flames at Muddy's wrist, but he simply took a step to the side to dodge it. She tried once again, but Muddy blocked it with his other paw.
"It's not working!" May shouted. "You need a close range attack!"
Flare ran swiftly toward Muddy, her right lower claw inflamed with flames. With a mighty Blaze Kick, her claws broke through the fabric on Muddy's wrist collar and fell to the floor, harmless. But to make sure, Flare stomped on it, shattering it into tiny pieces.
Muddy awoke, blinking several times. "Wha ... what happened?"
"Uh, you saved me from that collar, but it took a hold of you, so I saved you back!" Flare answered. "Good to have you back, buddy!"
"Whatever." Muddy rolled his eyes. "But same here if it makes you feel better."
"Don't worry. It doesn't."
"Can we go to sleep now?" Wally whined.
Brendan slapped his head and May smiled.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," she said as she smiled brightly, returning Flare. "Thanks for rescuing me you guys." She kissed both boys on the cheek. "I don't know anyone braver that you two."
Both boy blushed furiously and fainted.
LaTeR dAyZ!