Hi people, I think that as this fic goes on, I give my characters more personality, especially me, the character becomes
more like real life me. Not one of those glorified characters that is always right, but no worries! Any created Pokemon,
Korin and Kunundrum and such, please email me once their used cos I like to see we're they're all getting to,
Shirasharmi@hotmail.com
Damn it!
"Topaz, wake up."
"Grnummmble."
"Get up, its your watch!"
"Grrnummmble."
"Wake up or you'll be sorry."
"Grrrr."
"Fine, Renee sing Brother my Brother."
I jolted awake as Renee butchered the notes to my favourite song. "Shut up Renee. Cal, if you so that again you'll sincerely
regret."
Cal didn't care, he had already recalled Wartortle and in his sleeping bag. I grumbled some more and dragged myself to sit by the
dying embers of the fire. Seemed Cal was too lazy to throw another log on. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and stood to grab
some more wood from the pile we had collected that afternoon.
"Damn it!" Cal had also used the last of the firewood too. Since it was my shift, I knew it was about three in the morning and had
to guard these misfits, Ricky and Renee, from escaping. They were more trouble than they were worth. They were obviously of low
ranks due to their stupidity, Renee in particular who sounded like a squeaky gate, but then again both had IQ's in the high sixties
at the most.
I stared moodily at Fury. She still lay snug as a bug in my sleeping bag. I know she was awake when it my watch started, but she
was just too lazy to get up. Now I know
Pokemon take on qualities of their trainers, but aren't they meant to be the good ones? I am a pretty loyal person, aren't I?
Shouldn't she be loyal and keep me company?
Maverick stay with Suma on first watch, Cal and Wartortle shared their turn and here I was by myself with no fire.
"Damn it!" I repeated with a little less aggression and a little more depression. I didn't want to leave Fatty and Skinny unguarded,
but I didn't want to wake my Pokemon. After a long debate, comprising entirely of should not and should too; I decided Mystic
should keep watch because he liked to stare. After promising not to stray to far, I set off in search of the rare and elusive firewood.
Let me tell you, it is considerably hard navigating in the dark looking for firewood and there wasn't a Chansey of me using Bolt to
light the way. After wandering in circles dragging a huge log that should have lasted at least an hour, I made it back to camp.
"DAMNIT!!!" I screamed and cursed some more. Suma and Cal stirred from their slumber.
"What's wrong?" Suma said bleary eyed. Maverick waddled with her to stand by Cal.
Fury didn't even roll over. They all stared at me as I yelled obscenities to the heavens above.
"Ricky and Renee escaped," I said through gritted teeth as I scooped up Mystic. Team
Rocket had trampled him as they made their getaway. I could still see their footprints stamped on his lovely green and black
patterned feathers.
"Never mind," Suma smiled sympathetically. "Now we can get a good nights sleep and we don't have to worry about telling officer
Jenny when we reach Azalea."
I looked up from where I sat cradling Mystic. "Have you ever had a bad hair day?" I cried in shrill voice.
"Forget it, both of you. We'll find them in the morning; they've got the combined IQ of a brick. If you want to find them we need to
sleep." Cal got back into his sleeping bag and pulled over his face.
Sumalee shrugged, picked up Maverick and crawled inside her sleeping bag. Within moments I could hear their relaxed breathing
and the swish of Mavericks tail against the material.
I clenched my fists and wished for something hard to throw at her, preferably a bowling ball. I gave up on the idea a rolled Fury
from the centre of the bag so I could fit. She opened one eye and bared her teeth.
"Shut up or your going in the Pokeball," I said non diplomatic. She closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep. I stared into the sky
with a weird feeling at the base of my spine, like something was missing. I shrugged it off and drifted into slumber dreaming about
what I would do to those two Rockets once my hands were around their necks.
My hunch the night before was right. When I last saw Ashlee I had forgotten to give her the Egg and now it was missing.
Watch out Ricky and Renee, I thought with a lot more than intended malice in mind.
Topaz is on the warpath.
"They're not here!" I yelled. Even Fury was keeping her distance and she was used to my temper by now. I lashed out at an
unlucky overhanging branch and leaves fluttered to the ground. A green and black face poked from beneath the leaf litter.
"Spinna?" It emerged entirely from the fallen leaves allowing me to stop fuming for the moment. The face was not a face at all, but
a pattern on the Pokemon's abdomen. Three furry green and black striped legs extended on both sides. Its head was composed of
only its beady little black eyes and wicked venomous pincers.
Without thinking I snatched a Pokeball from my crudely mended uniform and threw it at the Pokemon. It struck the Pokemon and
rolled away. The clear lid popped open and played the Leagues Anthem. My Zephyr Badge Flashed in the almost nonexistent
sunlight due to the low hanging clouds.
I pitched another Pokeball twice as hard at the Pokemon, not wanting to be outwitted by the bug. It was sucked in without
hesitation. My customized entirely red Pokeball rocked back and forth. I practically dared it to open so I could through something
else. It came to a standstill and I reached out to put it with the others but it shone with a fierce white light like it was evolving, and
then flickered from sight.
"Damn it," I spat through my teeth. I wanted to check out the creatures Pokedex before it disappeared but I actually had to know
the Pokemon's name if I wanted information on it now.
I picked my Badge Case off the grass and placed it in its on my shirt. I calmed a moment, took a deep breath and said in a
dangerously low voice, "Combined IQ of a brick, eh Cal. Well that brick has not only eluded us but has stolen Ashlee and
Professor Elms Egg. Man, they're gonna kill me."
Foolishly, I thumped a defenceless tree as we passed. The punch jarred my wrist sending shock waves up my arm. With a "Damn
it!" I jumped up and down like my feet were on fire and waved my hand frantically trying to relieve the pain.
"Hey, you!" I turned towards the source and saw a middle-aged man in one of those long grey trench coats. "Wanna buy a
Slowpoketail?" He said and opened one side of it to reveal carious pale pink and white tipped appendages. I could almost see
them flopping about like a lizards when it comes off. My mouth dropped open unbelieving. "What? Don't like Slowpoke? I got
Raichu, Meowth and Vulpix." He flipped open the other, like a watch salesman displaying his wares.
I didn't wait. I rushed forward to pushed him inside the well he was standing in front of but Suma and Cal grabbed my arms and
Fury and Maverick took my ankles an a sharp hold.
"Heh heh," Suma said with a fake laugh. "She's such a kidder. You haven't seen two kids a bit older than us. A short girl with red
hair in a weird hairdo and a tall boy with spiky orange hair?"
The man's eye's widened, as if he recognized them I reckon, and answered a snooty offended no. Cal thanked him and pushed me
in the direction of Azalea town. When were out of view Fury put her paw on my shoe.
"You trying to get yourself killed," she asked, her ears erect.
"Shut up, who asked you," I snarled and kicked her paw away.
Fury's eyes turned the size of golf balls. "Well! If that's how you feel, you can forget about me battling for you at the Gym!"
"Oh come on Fury," I whined, regretting what I said. "Who ever heard of a Quilava giving someone the cold shoulder? She ignored
me. I grumbled a damn it and looked out at the Skyscrapers rising out of the grass in front of us. I groaned and hoped my luck
changed by the time we challenged Bugsy.
It didn't.
The only thing worse than an excessively idealistic Joy is an extremely depressed one.
While we sat in the waiting room shovelling down our first unburned meal since we left the PokeCentre outside Union Cave, she
stood at the counter staring outside. Every now and again she'd sigh sadly. Sumalee finished her share and went to talk to her.
"Come on Nurse Joy! Turn your frown upside down and let it be your umbrella!"
I snorted. "Yeah Sumalee. You stay outside in the middle of tonight's storm and see how you feel in the morning."
Cal, Maverick and Fury started to laugh at her. Even the corners of Nurse Joy's mouth turned up a little. I looked down at Fury to
see if she'd forgiven me yet. She saw me staring at her and stopped at once. Guess not.
Suma stopped giving us dark looks when she realized it wasn't working and asked Nurse Joy what was wrong.
"Oh my," she replied melancholy. "Our towns Slowpokes have gone missing. It may not seem like a lot to tourists, but Slowpokes
are a part of Azalea Towns history. There's a legend that says a long time ago there was and extremely bad drought. The crops
wouldn't grow and livestock wouldn't produce. That's when a strange shiny Slowpoke appeared in the well just outside of town,
Slowpoke's Well. It crawled across town and to the pinnacle of the Forest Guardians Tower, in Ilex forest. It yawned. Clouds
gathered form all directions to linger of the Slowpokes Well. The moment the Slowpoke closed its mouth the drought ended.
They've been out towns emblem ever since. They are highly respected and when a Slowpoke yawns its meant to summon rain."
Nurse Joy sighed again. It was beginning to get irksome. "And now all the Slowpokes in Azalea have disappeared without a trace
four days ago. I'm very worried about the PokeCentre's resident Slowpoke. He's wonderful at getting patients to calm down. I'm not
the only one worried though. Kurt, the towns resident Pokeball maker, has been searching for his daughters high and low. She's
become quite depressed and doesn't come down here anymore."
"We might have a lead," Cal said soberly. "Come on let's go talk to him." He hefted his pack onto his shoulders and made for the
door.
"Cal, two things. (a) We've got better things to worry about, namely the Egg and Team Rocket. (b) Your not going to be much help
with out your Pokemon."
"Topaz, two things. (a) We're only going to talk and (b) I did plenty in Union Cave without my Pokemon."
"You did not," I retorted. "What about Bolt, huh? You wouldn't have been able to do anything if the Rockets weren't stumbling
around blind as Zubats. And Suma's Butterfree used its stun spore so they wouldn't get away."
"Could too."
"Could not."
"Too..."
"Not," I said knocking on Kurt's door. "The only reason your arguing is because you're denying the truth."
Before he could come back with his usual "cutting wit" the door swung inwards.
"Yes?" the man, most likely Kurt, asked. He was short, shorter than me and I'm about 1.4m (4 ft?). Bald as an Exeggscute on top
so that if he stuck his head in a shoe shine it would have been mistaken as a bowling ball. But not entirely, tufts of greying hair
semi circled the bottom of his head. He stared solemnly from beneath big bushy eyebrows.
Cal coughed. "We think may have a lead to the missing Slowpokes."
Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Really? Please come inside." He stepped out of the way so we could follow him sown a long hall into
beautiful sunroom, despite the lack of sun. He motioned for us to sit on a comfortable sofa and took a seat across from us.
"What news do you have of the missing Slowpokes?" he inquired as his daughter came into the room.
"Have they found Pokey?" she asked. Her eyes were sad and lonely, like she lost her best friend.
"They think so, sweety. Now what?"
"As we came into town, there was a man by Slowpokes Well. He was selling Slowpoke and various other Pokemon's tails." Cal
sounded like a professional, acted it too. Kurt on the other hand, went nuts. He shot out of his chair and flung open a cupboard. He
took out four Pokeballs and before we could ask him what was up, he was down the hallway, out of the house and racing in the
direction of Slowpokes Well leaving only a cloud of dust behind him.
"What do we do?" I turned to them, flabbergasted.
"Easy," Suma said losing the bright tone of her voice when she gets serious. "We follow him. He took his Pokeballs so that
means he's going into trouble."
"We'll stop by the PokeCentre and grab our Pokemon. Come on we gotta hurry." Cal said nodding and breaking into a loping run.
Suma chased after him.
"Easy for you to say!" I yelled angrily after them.
I did make it to the PokeCentre, eventually, but they had already left. Without their Pokemon. The Pokemon weren't totally healed
when they had arrived and had to go without them, Cal most likely showing of again. Joy wouldn't let me take theirs with me
because it was against their policy. I nicked out of their on Chilun as fast as my aching as would let me, no more than a canter,
and Fury racing beside me. I swore every time I hit a bump, so pretty much every two seconds.
When we reached the Well fifteen minutes later, Kurt and the man were in a Pokemon battle, Rattata vs. a Ledian, evolution of
Ledyba, and it was obvious who trained whom. Ledian hit Rattata with a final Comet punch and Rattata went down. The man
recalled Rattata and hissed at Kurt, "You'll be sorry you messed with Team Rocket," and dashed down the direction of Azalea. His
trench coat slipped from his shoulders revealing the Rockets black uniform with a red R blazoned across the front. I looked at Kurt
questionably as I fell off Chilun and recalled him.
"Most Rockets have a code of honour. If you defeat them in a Pokemon battle they'll be cooperative," he answered gruffly and
began to press the bricks of the well. Each stood firm. He tapped the tiles of the roof and the decorative stones around the well.
Still nothing.
We knocked against trees until Fury came across the crooked limb of a Banksia. Kurt flicked it and to our amazement, the
closest wall of the well caved in!
On closer inspection the bricks had only fall into a position so it made a staircase, leading into the darkness. After a few
moments, the bricks relocated back to their former position.
We flicked it again and without waiting Kurt leapt into the forbidding hole. Soon after there was a loud thud and a cry of pain. Cal,
Suma, Fury and I looked at each other and jumped down to find Kurt at the bottom leaning over awkwardly. He moaned again.
"I put my back out."
"Oh no," Suma squeaked. "We've gotta get out of here!" She looked around anxiously as if expecting boogiemen to jump out at
us.
She and Cal took him over their shoulders and climbed up the already receding steps. I tried to follow but Kurt stopped me. "Don't.
You're the only one with Pokemon and those Slowpoke need you."
I nodded and motioned Fury to lead. I was cut short when she glared at me and said, "I'm only doing this for the Pokemon."
I was hurt. I only paused to mutter a quick damn it, because she was pretty the only one I could trust in caves, and followed her.
It wasn't long before we encountered the Grunts, Rocket members. Most only had Zubat's, Rattata's and Ekan's and Mystic
defeated them easily. After the battles, they let use pass with nothing more then sworn revenge. I found it hard to believe that
these snakes had honour, but then again the oldest was no more than 17. I released my Pokemon and as I'd hoped Chilun stayed
calm, but tossed his head anxiously. I crawled onto her back with little trouble and I figured that we'd ride in there, create as much
chaos as possible and escape with the Slowpokes.
"Mreeeeeep"
I heard a cry of surprise from outside the tunnel. "I know that Mareep, its that girls!"
"DAMNIT!" Bolt had wandered into the centre of the cavern and now various Rockets were advancing upon him. Oh well, may as
well make a dramatic entrance. Maybe we can stun them into giving up.
I sat erect on Chilun and ordered my Pokemon in a formation around me. When we were already, we ambled out there, looking the
picture of nobility. A walk in the park was more dangerous than these clowns.
"I challenge you!" I announced to the Rockets who just stared at me, some scrawny kid who'd broke into there fortress of security
and had the audacity to just walk in where there were more than 20 of them, all ready to attack on a moments notice.
I managed to get off Chilun with out falling in the dirt. "You heard me. I, challenge, you, to, a, Pokemon, battle!" I said slowly my
voice dripping with scorn. "3 on 3. You win, you get 3 of my Pokemon. I win, you give me 3 of your Pokemon and get the hell out
of here."
I saw Ricky and Renee down the back of the group. "And the Egg you stole. Also $2000 to the winner." I was bluffing, I didn't have
2000 bucks, but if these Pokemon were anything like the ones I battled before, I'd fly by.
"We accept," an 18 year old said, clearly in charge of the operation. "But you will battle three of us, one Pokemon for each."
"Agreed." I let them argue among themselves a little more until they had chosen who would battle me. They then formed a loose
circle around us indicating the size of the battleground. "Ready?"
"Ready. You're going to battle Eric first," The ringleader said. Eric took up position on the base line and I did the same. I sized him
up and chose my first Pokemon.
"Talorn, I choose you!" She answered the call and took too the air. She circled impatiently while Eric choose his.
"Kadabra, go!"
"Kadabrrra!" he cried as he escaped the Pokeball. Before I uttered a word Talorn plummeted from the ceiling, talons extended. As
she was about to rip Kadabra's face into shreds he Teleported from beneath her. Too late to change her course, she collided with
the ground. I gasped, but was quickly relieved as she picked herself of the ground, a little dazed. In that moment Kadabra
reappeared and launched a pulsing purple Psybeam. It caught Talorn at the base of her neck. A shrill agonizing shriek rent the air
and Kadabra ceased the attack to clutch his sensitive ears. Talorn wheeled to face him and mimicked the attack.
I was beginning to feel dizzy. All this was happening to fast for my brain to compute and the whirlpool of reds, blues and purples
wasn't making me feel much better. Seeing me ready to fall, Chilun stepped closer to support me. I nodded thanks and returned to
watch the match.
Since Talorn was of higher level, the attack was magnified and Kadabra was engulfed in a tornado of psychic energy. Talorn quit
the Psybeam and inhaled a huge gulp of air, then gasped for more. The attack had taken a lot out of her, but she was in a hell of a
better shape then that of Kadabra. His eyes had rolled back into his head and its limbs were limp. The wave of red light caught
Kadabra and returned it to its Pokeball. Eric compressed it and shoved it angrily in his pocket. He stepped aside for the nest
Rocket to battle me.
A bead of perspiration slide down the contours of my nose and dropped on to Chilun's flank. I frosted over as it touched. Not only
was it stuffy in her but also I was nervous.
Talorn was my strongest Pokemon and Kadabra had left her badly out of breath. Her usually lustrous feathers were covered with
chaplets of sweat and her head drooped visibly. I debated whether or not to recall her, but I saw the gleam of light in her eyes that
said the only way she was going back in her Pokeball was if she fainted.
Sage Li was right. My Pokemon were stubborn.
A woman stepped up to the plate now. She had the same cocky grin Angel wore when he thought he was ahead. I quickly change
his expression just as I would change hers.
"I choose you, Gail," she cried and tossed a Greatball into the centre of the makeshift arena. I scanned my memory trying to recall
any information on the Pokemon but came up blank. I wasn't surprised when a scarcely familiar Pokemon appeared from the ball.
Gail must have been a nickname.
"Gira, Girafarig," she murmured, her head lowered. I saw faint scars crisscrossing patches of balding fur. The Pokemon must have
been poorly treated.
"Sand attack," I ordered. Talorn gave a weak nod and waved her wings back and forth. A billowing cloud of dust covered the field. I
coughed hard as the dust particles caught in my throat.
"Attack, you dumbass Girafarig!" A crack of a whip pierced the air followed by the wail of pain. I winced. Suddenly a shaft of light
cut through the dust lie a knife through butter. I heard a gasp and a loud thump. We waited for the dust to settle and my fears were
confirmed as I saw Talorns form lying on the ground. I recalled her and patted Chilun's well muscled shoulder. Chilun leaped
forward, his eyes wide with excitement. It was after all his first trainer battle. He pranced from one foot to the other while Gail only
stared at him steadily.
"Confusion!" the woman yelled and lashed out with her whip. It slapped against Gail's haunch and a burst of energy short from her
stumpy horns as she skittered from beneath the whip.
The attack only skimmed Chilun's right flank but he went wild. He reared back and flailed his hooves madly. The Grunts closest to
him backed up to the skirts of the cavern. Chilun launched his own attack, an ice beam. A jagged blue lightning zapped through
the air.
Gail sidestepped, but not fast enough. Her back half, where the second head gnashed the air, froze solid. It collapsed and her
forelegs pawed at the ground to keep balance. I noticed Chilun stood still with his forefeet in the air, like an ice sculpture except for
his mane, which fluttered in a nonexistent breeze. Come to think of it, there was a breeze but it didn't come from the tunnel.
Goose bumps broke on my skin and I rubbed to keep myself warm. The air rose and fell about the room; I could see specks of
white floating on it. I followed the path it took around the cavern. Its spirals became tighter and more and more snowflakes could
bee seen. Soon a hurricane of snow and ice whipped around Chilun, still standing like a statue. His mane wavered frantically
billowing like a kid trying to blow out his birthday candles. A moment later the snow was so thick you couldn't see any of Chilun. I
took out my Pokedex to try and figure out the attack.
"Unknown attack."
Then record it in your memory," Dex gave a beep of confirmation and began rolling.
Chilun meanwhile had broken from his trance and screamed into the air. He brought his hooves down and the place trembled. The
gust of snow and ice seemed to die and drop to the ground but a moment later it revived itself and raced along the ground like and
arrow aimed right at Gail who was still feeling the bite of the whip.
The attack didn't hesitate and enveloped Gail in the Fury of the blizzard.
When it passed, the Girafarig was trapped in a case of ice. The woman lashed with the whip doing no more damage to the
glasslike structure than an insect. As the saying went, 'You can't wring blood from a stone. The woman recalled Girafarig with a
look of pure hatred on her face. I was making a hell of a lot of enemies on my journey and I hadn't even earned my second badge.
A 15-year-old boy stepped up next, but he looked as if he had a lot more experience then me. He tossed a Pokeball into the ring.
A Houndour. It breathed a tongue of flame and grinned. Chilun, recovering quickly from the mystery attack pranced the ring again
confidently.
"Beat Rush!" I yelled. Chilun charged with all the speed and grace that came with his kind. The blur crashed into Houndour and
Houndour crashed into his trainer. After no more then moment, he bounded off his trainer and exhaled a storm of fire at the
unprepared opponent. I roared over Chilun and refused to let go. A puddle of the melted crystals that usual covered his body
formed a puddle at his feet. He fell onto one knee then the other and soon he lay in a pool of water with his radiant blue flames
almost extinguished. I recalled Chilun with a heavy heart.
No whom would I choose? Bolt was out of the question and Mystic and Aqua were tired from their battles earlier.
"Fury go!" Fury stood firm at my side. "Go on, get. You said you were only in it to help the Pokemon so do it for the Pokemon." I
hissed so only she could hear. She glared at me and said in an equally low voice. "Fine. But I battle for myself."
She stepped up to face the Houndour. He grinned at her, a little out of breath but none the worse.
"Houndour, ember!" The liquid fire pelted Furies body harmlessly and she retaliated with a series of Slash and Bite attacks.
Houndour backed away to avoid them but couldn't escape tem all.
"Now Flamethrower!" Again Houndour's mouth filled with inferno. Fury dodged the first column of flame, and the second. She then
leapt to latch her tiny jaws about his neck but was caught in the third blast.
She screeched as it coiled around her, but Houndour ignored the sound where Kadabra didn't. She howled with pain and jerked
and spasms ripped through her body as if she were in her death throes. Houndour quit the barrage and set on Fury like a cat on a
mouse, which was a pretty accurate description since Fury was at least half his size.
"Smokescreen!" I screamed. My heart pounded against my rib cage like a wild animal trying to escape. Fury heeded my warning
and exhaled the smoke hiding her from view.
Houndour skidded to a halt before entering the cloud and looked confused. He looked at his trainer for help; the boy didn't know
what to do either. While Houndour had his back towards her, Fury leapt out of the cloud and jaws wide but instead of snapping
onto his neck like she'd tried before she fired a volley of golden stars each hit Houndour and exploded like a shooting star.
Houndour staggered back. He was dazed and dizzy and fired a poorly aimed flamethrower.
"Tamed Flame!" Fury flashed me an uncertain glance and howled. The flames did a U turn and crashed into Houndour.
"Return to sender!" she yelped as Houndour rolled onto its back, its HP almost depleted. It lay in the middle of the makeshift ring
motionless but not beaten. Fury approached the enemy Pokemon cautiously, awaiting any sign that he might attack, but
suddenly, as soon as she came within striking range, the Houndour reeled to his feet and leapt into the air to come crashing down
on Fury's tiny body. Fury howled in pain and I cried out.
"I surrender!" I rushed to the middle of the floor and swept her into my arms. I swore again as the rockets began to close the circle.
"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" I screeched, giving into panic. I was dead! My Pokemon would be taken and gawd knows my fate. I
glanced anxiously around the room and saw cage upon cage stacked in the far corner each filled with a Slowpoke. An idea
dawned in my head.
"Ember over there!" Fury's collar of fire weakly extended just enough to clear a path to the back wall. I reached it and yanked on a
cage, trying not to rock the others.
"Slow?" they asked looking perplexed.
"Confusion!" I yelled as the Rockets closed in. Each Slowpoke stared at me with a dopey expression.
"DO SOMETHING!!!" I screamed hysterical. A Grunt took my arm but Fury fixed that. He jumped back screaming for water.
"Slow… Poke... Slow… Poke," A Slowpoke on the bottom row began to head-butt his cage. It wobbled, as did the others above it.
"No! Don't! Damnit!" Too late more had taken up the chant and slammed their prison door. The Slowpoke who had started the
movement tipped his cage forward, the rest fell with it.
I screamed as the world crashed down around me. I cage slammed me and drove me to the stone floor. I let go of Fury and tossed
her out of the mayhem, she rolled to safety.
Another and another smashed against my skull and lower back. The Slowpokes, well not exactly screamed, but cried out as they
were rocked within their prisons.
Suddenly the avalanche stopped and the Rockets moved in again, but before they could, an orange and black striped blur burst
into the room and knocked them down like Bowling pins. I beautiful blue bird swooped down and pecked the unmercifully. Then,
what looked like a whole heap of prisms glued together floated out using a Tri Attack. Lightning ice and flame whirled about it
electrocuting, freezing and burning anyone with in striking distance.
Some familiar faces poked through the entrance, Cal, Suma, a boy and a girl, and a whole heap of police officers, adding more
terror to the chaos.
After half an hour of utter, order was almost restored and Cal and the unknown boy pulled me form beneath the battered
Slowpokes, while the girl nursed Fury. Suma stood rummaging through the Rockets things and Maverick chewed on their ankles
while Officers hauled them away.
After another half hour I was at the Police station giving a statement of the account, Fury butting in if I had forgotten something. I
must say she lingered on her part and exaggerated her own heroics as well as mine.
"Well," Officer Jenny said with a look of awe. "Looks like we owe you 3 Pokemon, $2000 and an Egg. You friends already have the
Egg, here's your $2000 and you can choose your Pokemon in here. Your friends can have one too. They were very responsible
when they were under pressure. Miss Erben has taken her share of the spoils, its only fair you should too." She nodded and went
back to check on the Team Rocket members.
I chose my three, Gail, Houndour and an Eevee and sent them to Professor Elm.
I called to Cal and Suma. It took Cal approximately two seconds to choose a Pokemon, a Monsoon, a long sinuous water
Pokemon, like small bluish water monitor. While Suma took a Shahman, a bird I'd missed. I swore but didn't really mind. I looked
out the door and the boy and girl were still there.
"Come choose a Pokemon too!" I said with a grin. "As you can see, there's plenty to share."
The girl came closer. She looked younger then me but was still quite a bit taller. Long Blonde ringlets fell down to her waist and
stunning green eyes studied me with interest.
There was something familiar about her but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"Thanks for the Pokemon, I'm Moon," she said but then added curiously. "Are you alright? Those cages hit you pretty hard."
I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm Topaz and believe me I've had worse."
Moon smiled. "I know you! Your from the Route 32 bushfire."
"And more. Go on, get your Pokemon." She nodded and went in search of a Pokemon.
"Is this one alright?" It was the boy. I must've been shrinking because he was taller than me too. Brown hair framed his face and
his eyes were a warm chocolate brown. There was something about him too. He held a Pokeball labelled Stantler.
"Sure, uh..."
"Phil."
"They're pretty strong when raised properly," I said as Moon returned with her own Pokeball. "What you get? I've got a Stantler."
"A Korin. I can't wait to train it!" she exclaimed. A Korin was a small ghost Pokemon known for its cute looks and fearsome
attacks. A Kunundrum, its evolved form, was so strong it could send a Tyranitar flat on its face.
"Where are you two headed?" I asked curious.
"The gym, after a bit of training," she said still smiling.
I opened my mouth wide. "Your right. I might see you two around some time, but for now I'm off to battle Bugsy."
"The Gym closes at 5:00," Moon said with a raised eyebrow.
"Damn it. Oh well, I'll do it tomorrow."
"It isn't open then either," Phil answered.
"OK I'll get some training done. Care to join me?"
The two nodded happily. "We'll see you tomorrow. We've got a few things to do."
"Seeya then." I waved them out the door. I was dead tired. I just hoped I had the strength to make it to the PokeCentre.
