I opened my eyes and yawned. I love sleeping; it's got to be the most relaxing thing the world. I checked my watch.
"9:56! Fury, why'd you let me sleep in? You knew I wanted to start training early," I frowned.
"You looked tired."
"Most people do when they're sleeping. Damn, we better get going if we want to get to Violet city before dark." I packed up quickly and loped down the down the path to Violet.
It was an exciting day filled battles. Not one my Pokemon had lost a single match and from what Dex said, Fury was on the verge of evolving. HootHoot was settling into the group just fine and I think even Talon was starting to like her.
At the end of the day, the sun began to fade and it didn't look like we were going to make it to Violet before night set in.
As we entered the clearing I felt a cold chill. It was too quiet. Suddenly to my left I noticed a blur of blue movement, the only indication of the oncoming attack. The blur crashed into my stomach with such force it squeezed the air from my lungs. My mind reeled as my pack with Fury inside slipped from my shoulder and I collapsed to the ground. As I sucked in a pained breath I looked up. Tobias and Wartortle stood over me, cackling at my distress.
"Hello Topaz. Isn't it a surprise to see you here." He smiled an emotionless smile and continued. "So, how's my Cyndaquil going? It was so nice of you to look after it for a while, but now I've come to take the little rat back." I glared at him and said nothing. "What? Nothing from that smart aleck tongue of yours."
"You want me to say something, fine. Go Hoot Hoot!" As I was about to release the Pokeball, Tobias's boot slammed down on my wrist with immense agony and the Pokeball rolled out of my reach.
"A Hoot Hoot, Topaz? That's now two Pokemon you've stolen from me." Tobias grinned menacingly. "That means twice the beating." His boot connected with the back of my head and my vision swam. As I tried to get up he lashed out twice more kicking me where no one likes to be kicked, making it impossible to stand.
I gazed up at him. "No, I'm not going to kill you Topaz. Just beat you within an inch of your life."
Then from beneath my pack Fury roared and leapt at Tobias, letting loose a series of slash and bite attacks.
"Ah, here's my rat. Play dead!" He laughed, grabbing her from his pants leg and threw her at a near by tree.
"Topaz!" Fury cried to me.
"Fury!" I scrambled to my feet but while I was off balance, Tobias's fist caught me in the hollow of my throat and I plunged to the ground again. "Fury!" I wheezed, gasping for air. Little by little, I inched my way to where Fury had fallen. Each time I tried to get up, Tobias beat me to the ground again. After numerous blows, I finally made it to Fury. She lay by the tree, senseless.
"Fury ," I whispered and held her close.
"That's my rat!" Tobias screamed, drunken with rage and pummelled me with kick after kick to my head and back. I'll be pissing blood for a week, I giggled as the pain began to dim and my thoughts started to swoon. But that didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that my Pokemon were safe. I groaned as Tobias bashed my kidneys again.
Suddenly Fury stirred. She saw my face contorted with pain and an amazing thing happened. Fury began to glow with a soft white light. The white light became brighter and covered her whole body like a veil of newly fallen snow. The light became more radiant until it became unbearable and I had to shut my eyes. When I regained my vision Fury wasn't a Cyndaquil any longer, it had transformed into something more agile and muscular. Quilava, I recalled vaguely.
Fury's new body sprang at Tobias with newfound courage and resolve. As the saying went, God hath no fury like a woman scorned. She fought like a mad dog, keeping both
Tobias and Wartortle at bay. While Wartortle rushed in from one side to tackle her she bounded aside and Tobias took the hit. He stumbled backward, out of the match for the moment.
Wartortle and Fury traded blow, each getting as good as it gave. Then the Wartortle tripped, leaving an opening for Fury to take advantage of. She turned and a flood flames roared over Wartortle and when the flames were lifted, they revealed a charred Pokemon. Wartortle wasn't dead it would just be in intensive care for a while.
But Tobias wasn't finished yet. Just as I had been catching Pokemon, so had he and a Geodude appeared from his Pokeball. Oh no, Fury doesn't have a chance against a rock type. That's when Tobias got back to me. "I'll show you whose boss!" he yelled in my face and his backhand whipped across my nose. Blood flowed freely.
Again another surprise came from nowhere. A torrent of water, a wisp of a vine, and a flash of pearly white teeth. But the last blow from Tobias had sapped the last of my resolve to stay awake and lapsed into unconsciousness.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep." I swatted at my alarm but my hand ached. Why'd I turn on my alarm, I never turn on my alarm?
"Nurse, she's awake!" I peeled my eyes open to the harsh white lights of the hospital and remembered what had happened.
My eyes widened in fear. "Tobias, where is he?"
"He escaped Topaz. Ashlee, Adam and Sumalee didn't make it in time to catch him," Fury whispered I glanced down the end of my bed to see my friends and Pokemon, Fury, Target, Talon and.... "Where's Hoot Hoot?"
The Asian girl who had chose Totodile answered. "I'm sorry Topaz, but Tobias took HootHoot with him." Now I not only felt sore and weak as a kitten, but worthless too. I swore to protect my Pokemon and now one of them was in the hands of a madman.
"You couldn't have done anything about it, you were defending Fury," Talon said.
My Pokemon's support made me feel a little better but I was till smarting from the beating. I shifted position but it released a whole new wave of pain. "How long till I'm better."
"You should be well within a few days, Topaz," the nurse acknowledged. "But if I were you, I'd watch out for that boy, he's mad. If your friends hadn't come along you would most likely have permanent damage, or worse."
"Thank you nurse. Can I be alone with my friends now?"
"Of course, but they'll have to leave when visiting time is over." She puffed my pillow once more and left the room.
"So what happened?" I asked as my friends came closer and Fury curled up beside me.
Adam began. "We heard fighting up ahead and thought it was a battle and could grab some tips. When we entered the clearing we saw Quilava attacking Tobias's Pokemon,
Geodude, Spearow and Spinarak, and was beating them all! We knew she wouldn't have been doing it without a good reason. That's when we saw Tobias beating you up. We released our Pokemon to help Quilava and tried to help you but Tobias wouldn't quit. I tell you, he's insane. We finally had to stop him with brute force. That's when he grabbed your Hoot Hoot, and ran. His Pokemon were released back into the wild."
Sumalee sighed. "But not before swearing revenge. He totally lost it."
"Saying he lost it is implying he had it in the first place. Well," I said trying to cheer everyone up from the sullen mood. "How are your Pokemon going."
It worked brilliantly. "Ours aren't as advanced as yours," Ashlee said. "But I caught a Ledyba and a Caterpie."
"I've got a Spinarak and Aipom," Adam told me eagerly as he saw my questioning look. "Aipom is this monkey thing with a hand on its tail. Its a good fighter."
"What about you Sumalee, anything interesting? Hows Totodile?"
"I nicknamed him Maverick. He's frustrating! He bites anything and everything, including my hair! You have got to tell me where you got the translators; maybe then I'll be able to understand him. Other than that he's great! He's a strong fighter and affectionate. I've caught a Sentret like yours, a Spearow and female Nidoran."
"How did you know I've got a Sentret?" I asked curious. She rolled her eyes and nodded to the end of the bed.
"Topaz, we found you two days ago. You've been asleep since then so we decided to let your Pokemon out for a run,"
Ashlee explained, tapping on the hospital bed. "The nurse says you'll be allowed out the day after tomorrow anyway."
I groaned. We chatted a while longer and then they had to go. My Pokemon huddled close and I prepared for an uncomfortable night.
Two excruciating day later, after a final check over, my friends showed me out the door. When I got outside I saw we were in Violet City.
"Hey this place has a gym, doesn't it?" I said excited. I could earn my first Gymbadge, another step on the way to Indigo Plateau and the Elite Four.
"Yeah we were going to challenge the Gymleader today,"
Ashlee answered. "But I don't think all four of us will be able to at the same time."
"Eh," I shrugged. "I'm going to train some more. You two can go first," I said, indicating to Adam and Ashlee.
"Good, I know I'm gonna win." Adam grinned with the same confidence I'd seen the day we met.
"Eh," I repeated.
A little later me, Fury, Maverick and Sumalee, dressed in a sleeveless red T-shirt with a picture of a Charizard printed on it with a love heart shaped fireball in the background and the words 'Charizard Chick' printed underneath, and a pair of dark blue jeans, were wandering around town checking out the sights. Every now and again I'd stagger, as a pang would stutter through my body. Sumalee was very patient with me, as I often had to stop for rest.
"You know you should have stayed in the hospital another day, you're not completely healed. Your so lucky Tobias didn't kill you," she remarked, a note of sympathy in her voice.
Great, pity. If there is one thing I can't stand, its pity. It's only for those who are so depressed; they droop as low as to suicide.
"I'm fine," I growled through gritted teeth, a little annoyed with everyone asking me the same questions over and over. Are you OK? Will you be all right? You're sure you can make it on your own? I should have just recorded my answer on tape and play it over and over again.
When I had the strength to go on, we had made it to the stairs Belsprout Temple. The Belsprout Temple was a big tourist attraction because its centre pillar swayed like a Belsprout, hence the name. It was also a big hit with trainers as it reminded them that once they where as unstable as the supporting beam.
"Weird," Fury said as she, unintentionally I think, swayed in time with the beam.
"Yeah," and I too began weave left and right without meaning to. I looked at the plaque.
The Belsprout PillarIt is said that a 100 foot tall Belsprout
was frozen in place and the Temple was
built around it. It is now a place of training.
"Let's go," I said already making my way up the stairs. A place of training, perfect. I can battle the people inside and be ready for the Violet Gymleader this afternoon. We climbed the first flight of stairs to see a man dressed in pure white shirts with long draping sleeves and grey pleated skirts kneeling before a marble statue of Belsprout.
The one leading the ceremony looked up from the dais. "You are here for training?"
"Yeah, who do I battle first," I said eagerly, readying my Pokeballs.
"Battle? Oh, you mean Pokemon. I'm sorry but this is a place of training the mind, body and spirit. But our master is upstairs with another young trainer now. I can take you too him." He then led us another flight of stairs, down a winding passage, a maze of corridors, when we finally reached the last door in the hallway.
"My master is inside. I must return to my prayers." The man gave a curt nod and disappeared into the labyrinth.
"Well," Sumalee shrugged. "If we're going in, now is as good any." She opened the door for me and followed my entrance.
I gasped and abruptly stepped backwards. Sumalee slammed into me, I tripped over Fury and Fury landed on Maverick. The four of us dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap.
"Tobias," I hissed as my rival stood before me grinning like a Jack-o'-lantern. I clambered to my feet to stand face to face with my rival. Well more like chest to face, but I still looked him in the eye.
"What are you doing here? All the Officer Jenny's in the city are searching looking for you." Sumalee now stood behind Fury and me poised in front, ready for the slightest hint of danger.
Tobias gave a cool look of contempt. "I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice." I held my tongue, not wanting to invoke his wrath again. "If I take you on again it will be in a fair Pokemon battle. As for being here, I needed this." He waved a scroll in face. "Its the Flash HM. You need it to get through Union cave and onto my next Badge."
"You have the Violet City Gymbadge. They have a goddamn manhunt after you and you waltzed in and defeated Faulkner. What kind of people do they have in the force!"
"What can I say," he said airily.
"How about sorry. You beat me half to death," I cried incredulous.
'HootHoot did very well earning the Zephyr Badge. He even evolved into Noctowl," he said changing the subject to spite me.
That's when I lost my temper. I swept my leg beneath his feet as I did the first time we met. He crashed to the floor and I was on him in a second with my hands around is throat.
"That's my Hoot Hoot!" I hissed again, my voice full of malice. A hand grasped me by the shoulder and tore me away from Tobias.
"Stop it! There will be no fighting in this house of worship. Tobias! Go before you cause me more trouble."
Another monk like man pulled me to my feet.
"But Hoot Hoot, he stole my Hoot Hoot," I cried reaching for Tobias but my hands only snapped on thin air. Tobias only let out one long cackle and was lost in the maze of corridors. Defeated again. What kind of lousy trainer am I? I let my Pokemon get away for a second time.
"Calm down young one, I am Sage Li. I suspect you are here for the Flash HM." I looked up to see a decrepit old man with a kind face. It bought me back to the present.
"Sumalee," I whispered. "If Tobias needs to get through Union Cave, so do we. I'm gonna get that HM."
I turned to him. "Yes. Can I have it?"
The Master chortled. "If you want the HM, I'd first like to test the bond you share with your Pokemon in a battle. If you win I will give you Flash." He took then a compressed Pokeball from his skirt pocket and smiled a wily smile. "Game?"
"You bet." I chose a Pokeball from my belt and readied for his first move. If my judgment were correct, I'd win this easy. "Go Belsprout!" he called as he tossed the Pokeball into the centre of the room.
Right again. "I choose you, Fury!" Fury leapt across the room to stand opposite Belsprout. "Since I have type advantage, you can go first," I offered.
"Belsprout, Sweet Scent!" the Sage ordered his Pokemon. The Belsprout fluttered its tiny leaves and an enticing smell wafted across the room, disarming Fury. "Now use your Acid." Belsprout spat deep purple glue in Fury's eyes and she howled in pain.
When I could bear it no longer I recalled her. "Fury you tried your best, return. Its your turn Talon!" The Pidgey escaped from his ball in a wave of red light, hovering above Belsprout's.
"Sweet Scent again," Li, bellowed but this time I was ready.
"Gust, blow the smell back at Belsprout." It worked. The Belsprout staggered like it was stoned out of its mind. "Now Double Edge." Talon plummeted at it with tremendous speed, hammering it with both wings.
"Bel Bel Belsprout," it rasped but sank to the ground defeated.
"Type does not always win the match child, remember that." Sage Li released his second Pokemon, another Belsprout. It looked stronger then the first, more experienced.
"Talon, Tackle." Talon glided across the floor but as it reached the Belsprout, it jumped, landing unharmed on Talons back. Without even an order, its vine like feet wrapped around the Pidgey's neck. Talon didn't like it one bit.
He danced around the room weaving in and out trying to throw his opponent loose, but Belsprout held tight. Belsprout then played dirty and clasped its leaf appendages over
Talons eyes. He crashed into the wall but managed relieve itself of Belsprout. He pivoted to face Belsprout and slapped it across the room with its Wing Attack. Already weak from hitting the wall head on, it fainted dead away.
"How many Pokemon do you have left Sage Li?" I asked. Talon was staring to tire and if the Master of Belsprout temple had another Belsprout, Target only had a slim chance of winning.
"I will make this my last Pokemon. If you defeat it, you win the Flash HM." He chose his last Pokemon with care and I had a feeling it wasn't another Belsprout. "Pokeball go!"
A HootHoot appeared from its Pokeball, staring malevolently at Talon. It let out a piercing screeched and beam of red energy hit my Pokemon. His shadow highlighted within the blast. He shrieked, I screamed, HootHoot yelled in triumph.
Thump, Talon hit the ground.
"Return, Talon," I said mournfully, now I didn't have a chance. Talon rolled away from the beam of light that would recall him back to his Pokeball. "I said, Return," and tried again to get him inside his ball and rest. Again he stumbled aside.
"Look Talon, maybe you don't get the whole Pokemon, Trainer thing. When I say Return it means get back in your Pokeball so you can heal. Now don't be difficult."
"Stubborn as you are," Sumalee whispered, suppressing a giggle.
"I am not stubborn! I just don't know the meaning of failure!"
Talon murmured and began to glow, surrounding his whole body as it did Fury.
As quickly as the glow appeared, it vanished. In Talons place was a healthy Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeotto! Now do you think I can win." He scuttled across the room to look down at Hoot Hoot. "BOO!" he shouted and knocked it flying with a flap of his newly formed wings.
The match was over and I acted with prestige and dignity. "Ha ha! I won I won I won. You didn't, I did. Now that HM is mine!"
Sage Li graciously and handed over the scroll. "You are skilled for a trainer so young. I must say I'm impressed because a Pokemon reflects its trainer's personality. In that one battle I now know you to be compassionate and understanding, as well as stubborn as a Stantler."
Sumalee nodded but I fixed that quick with a well-aimed elbow. As we left the temple, Sumalee studied the parchment that the HM was written on.
"Looks like a series of instructions," Sumalee ciphered as Pidgeotto flew above on his more efficient wings. Fury moaned again in my arms.
"Don't worry Fury, we'll be at the PokeCentre soon and they can get that gak out of your eyes," I reassured her in a soothing voice.
"Why not just use an Antidote," Sumalee said like she was saying something as obvious as putting your right shoe on your right foot.
"Smart aleck," I replied fishing one out of my bag. I sprayed it over Fury's face and it dissolved in an instant. Technology had come far since the days of the current Elite Four Champion, Ash Ketchum.
We arrived at the PokeCentre, and sat and waited for Adam and Ashlee to return. After a while Nurse Joy noticed us. I'll never understand the parents of the Nurse Joy's and
Officer Jenny's. Who would be that idiotic to name their identical daughters after their exact replica cousins. Another thing that annoys me is that they're always so optimistic. And that's how this one greeted us.
"You must be Sumalee and Topaz," she smiled with the grin plastered over her face as she took our Pokeballs. "I've a message here for you from Adam and Ashlee." She handed Sumalee the letter and disappeared into the back room.
"What does it say," I said trying unsuccessfully to peer over her shoulder.
"They left without us!" Sumalee exclaimed. "Adam and Ashlee beat Faulkner and got impatient waiting for us so they left for Azalea Town."
But before I could answer me Cell phone chirped. "Hey! The Amazing Moltres speaking," I quipped, using a nickname I had at school because of my love of fire types. A picture of
Professor Elm flashed on to the screen.
"Amazing Moltres?" Suma snorted. "Where'd you come up with that?"
"So I've got big plans for my future!" I retorted indignant.
Professor Elm decided to humour me. "Miss Moltres I'm glad you recovered from Master Tobias's, er..."
"Beating," I supplied with an angry flush at the thought of that wacko with my Noctowl.
"Yes, as you can see his mother is quite upset." The screen focused on a woman behind him sobbing into a tissue, her long purple hair falling into her red, puffy eyes. Her husband, who resembled Tobias more, sought to comfort her.
"I'm not dead," I said worried about the woman. It wasn't her fault her son was a nut case. But than again, the rotten apple never falls far from the tree. "Tell her I'm fine and I don't blame her."
"Ah, yes. She is sorry about that, but a few minutes ago we received word that Tobias had joined the nefarious Team Rocket."
"But that's impossible," I interrupted, remembering my childhood story books telling how the great Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu defeated them in Saffron City of Kanto saving Silph Co, a great corporation into creating amazing Pokemon technology. If he had failed, the world would almost definitely be under the Rockets control. "Ash destroyed them eight years ago."
"So we thought but it seems that they have been lying in the dark corners of Johto building strength. Their leader Giovanni has not yet surfaced so for now we are safe. But I stray from what I wanted to talk to you about. The Mysterious Egg Adam and Ashlee delivered, it seems that and egg hatches more quickly when it is with an active team of Pokemon."
"And you want us to look after it?" Sumalee said from over my shoulder.
Professor Elm nodded. "It would be very much appreciated." I looked at Suma and she shook her head vigorously. "We don't think we could look after it but," I said thoughtfully. "We could pass it on to Ashlee."
"Thank you Miss Moltres. My assistant baring the egg will be there by this afternoon. Good luck earning the Zephyr Badge." Professor Elm nodded good-bye and the screen went blank. After a while I turned to see a teenage boy, maybe a bit older than Sumalee and I, with deep blue hair, a lock hiding one eye. His bulky white shirt and formal pleated skirt did nothing to hinder his quickened pace. His dour expression brightened as Nurse Joy appeared from the back with a hand full of Pokeballs. I recognized one as Fury's with a flame etched into it and Mavericks teardrop.
"Good afternoon Faulkner," Nurse Joy greeted him with the same broad smile she did us. Faulkner! if I wanted to enter the Indigo League, he was obstacle obstructing my path. "From the looks of it someone just broke your winning streak."
"Two, and another kid stole a badge," he answered sullenly. "Yesterday was my 38th win too."
Sumalee jumped in. "Faulkner I challenge you to a match, so that I may earn the Zephyr badge."
Faulkner looked her up and down and sighed. "As an official Gymleader of the Johto League, accept your challenge." He then saw me, propped up on my elbows so I could reach over the counter to receive my Pokemon.
"And I guess you want to battle me too?"
"Yep," I answered nonchalantly as Fury appeared form her Pokeball in a flash of red light.
"I hate Pokeballs!" she immediately complained, shacking herself like a bedraggled dog but instead of being sprayed with water droplets, and sparks seared our skin.
"Cut it out Fury!" I cried patting out a tiny flame that had erupted in my hair. "Besides I thought Pokemon liked being in their Pokeballs."
"Not if you're claustrophobic!" It made me think what it was like inside a Pokeball, I'd always imagined it as the ball lined with soft cushions, a place to rest and heal from the hurts of the last battle. And when a Pokemon is recalled it looked like a beam of energy. How can energy get claustrophobic?
"Well this is Faulkner and we're going for our first badge."
"Great lets go!"