A Change of Pace
Janelle places the last of the blue apricorns into her satchel then swung down out of the small tree. As her feet touched the ground, the family growlith barked merrily. She patted it on the head and smiled, "Yes, I'll be staying down on the ground with you for a while."
Pushing her emerald green hair out of her eyes, the girl strode towards her small house at the center of the apricorn orchard. She smiled as she walked, taking in the sunlight.
Janelle Beri, a girl of eighteen years, was alone in the orchard today, like yesterday and the day before with only the family growlith Blaze to keep her company. Her mother was spending the week down in Violet City at the pokemon center doing over-time as a nurse while her father was traveling to Goldenrod on business, selling the family's apricorns and pokeballs. Janelle's 14-year-old sister Kimi, however, had been on the road as a pokemon trainer for two years already. Although the two sisters kept up communication, they rarely saw each other face to face.
Suddenly Blaze sat down on his haunches and yipped, the signal that Janelle had forgotten something. The girl halted and turned around, following the growlith's gaze she looked up at a particularly small tree. Hanging on a low branch was an oddly colored apricorn: purple. Her eyes widened. "I don't believe it Blaze," she said softly, "I thought that tree was too sickly to produce anything. And I've never heard of a purple apricorn before."
As she gazed at the odd nut, Janelle heard a crash in the woods to her left. Quickly seizing the apricorn and shoving it in her satchel, fastening the clasp, she turned towards the noise. Her midnight blue eyes held a stern look. "Ready Blaze?" she asked in a low voice.
A moment later, a tall figure cloaked in black stumbled out of the brush, a deep hood covering its head. In one hand, the person protectively clutched a brown paper sack.
"Blaze!" Janelle ordered as she saw the dark figure and the pokemon bounded into position, "Ember now!"
The god pokemon opened its mouth, barked warningly, and spouted a small flame at the intruder.
The figure yelped but dodged quickly out of the way. Straightening up and staring at Janelle from under the dark hood, she cloaked person spoke, "Don't make me battle you girl. You don't know what you're up against."
They both heard a series of crashes behind the woman in the wood. A voice called out, "She went this way! I saw her!"
The hooded woman tensed. "Let me through," she demanded, her voice coarse as sandpaper.
Janelle ignored her and asked, "Who are you?"
"Look," she said, striding closer, "I don't have time for this." She paused then continued thoughtfully, "You know, I've heard of your family and what you do here, and I think I can trust you."
There was another crash in the woods and another call, "We must be almost on top of her."
The woman flinched then spoke rapidly, shoving the brown bag into Janelle's hands, "Take this and keep it safe. Do not, at any cost, give it to them. Do not evolve it. Do not tell anyone of our meeting, and get it back to me on day. I cannot take it any farther. They will surely get it."
"But how will I find you," Janelle protested, "What is your name?" She added indignantly, "I'm not a trainer!"
"It doesn't matter," she snapped, her steely eyes hard, "Just stall them. You're a smart girl."
The underbrush snapped loudly, and the woman pushed past Janelle, moving quickly away from the woods, in the direction of town.
"But how will I find you?" Janelle persisted.
Not pausing, the cloaked woman turned her head and called back, a lock of raven black hair escaped her hood, "It will know me."
Just as the woman swept out of site, the noise in the woods intensified and three figures stumbled out; two men and a woman.
Having hidden the brown sack in her satchel just in time, Janelle demanded furiously of them, "What do you think you're doing, trespassing in my orchard?" Meanwhile her mind reeled frantically. How was she supposed to stall these three trainers? She had only an inexperienced growlith to whatever each of them had. Somewhere in the back of the mind, something told her that the red "R" emblazoned on their shirts meant nothing good.
"None of your business girl," the blond male snapped.
"Where is she?" the red-haired man demanded, "Which way did she go?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Janelle lied flatly. "Blaze," she uttered quietly, and he panned quietly in front of her.
"Don't play stupid with us girl!" the icy-haired woman accused hardly, "We just heard you talking to her! Where are you hiding her?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" she yelled, "Now get out of my orchard! Blaze! Ember now!"
The growlith leaped into action, spurting flames at the three intruders.
"Why you!" the red-haired man growled, brushing off his singed clothes.
"Cool it Mavrik," the woman said firmly then turned to Janelle with a smile. "Nice try. I applaud your act. Do you actually think you can fight us with just one little growlith? Unless you have another pokemon," she taunted.
Janelle stared grimly at them, her mouth set in a thin line. "Leave," she said firmly.
"Get out of our way and we will!" Mavrik ordered, seething. "Charmeleon, go!"
Following his example, the other two trainers followed suit.
"Houndoor go!" the woman called
"Go scyther!" the first man yelled.
The three pokemon loomed threateningly over Blaze, but the pokemon stood his ground.
The second male laughed, "You're right Marin. She doesn't stand a chance. Let us by now or watch your growlith get pounded into the ground."
"I most certainly will not let you romp around the orchard!" Janelle declared, "Don't think I'll give up that easily." Meanwhile, she thought to herself, why am I putting Blaze at risk? What do I owe that woman? It's my damn sense of responsibility...
"Houndoor! Do Flame Thrower!"
"Scyther, Slash!"
"Go charmeleon, Flamethrower now!"
Janelle stood her ground, mind reeling. I'm not a trainer! I've never had a battle before! "Blaze, get out of the way!" she shrieked then dove out of the way herself.
"Would you watch her Jak!" the woman laughed, "She doesn't know how to fight us."
Blaze growled quietly and crept up to his master. As she pulled herself up, she said softly, "You can't beat them, just be quick and stay out of their way. I'll think of something."
"Speed won't stop us girl!" the first man yelled, "We know what you're up to!"
Standing firmly, Janelle bit her lip. What could she do? Her pride and sense of duty kept her from giving in to their taunts. She wanted to contact the police, but she couldn't leave.
As the enemy pokemon prepared to attack, the growlith suddenly darted past the pokemon and towards the trainers.
"Oh," Janelle gasped, "Bite!"
Complying, Blaze bit the woman hard on the leg. She screamed, "What do you think you're doing!" She shook her leg furiously, pushing the creature off of her. Again she screamed in pain and frustration.
Seeing his opening, Mavrik turned and planted a hard kick on the growlith's jaw, "Take that!" he declared furiously as Blaze released his hold and howled in pain. He stumbled away, but not far enough to be out of reach.
"Blaze!" Janelle shrieked.
Suddenly, the sound of sirens floated through the air, accompanied by that of a motorcycle.
Mavrik glanced nervously at Marin while Jak glared down at the growlith. "This is your fault!" he growled then kicked the creature up against a tree.
Meanwhile Marin and Mavrik called, "Houndoom return!"
"Charmeleon return!"
Jack paused to scowl then, holding out a pokéball, called, "Scyther return!"
"Let's split!" Marin ordered and the other two obeyed. Before she disappeared into the woods again, she yelled over her shoulder, "You haven't seen the last of us orchard girl!"
Not two moments later, a police officer whizzed into view, skidding to a halt when she saw Janelle. As she launched off her motorcycle, she glanced from agitated Janelle, to injured growlith, then back to Janelle. "What happened here? Did you see those Rocket People?" she asked professionally.
Janelle recalled the large red R's on the three trainer's clothing. "Three trainers came into my orchard," she started unsteadily. Do I mention the woman? "And wouldn't leave, so I had my growlith try to send them away, then all three sent their pokemon at him. When they heard you coming they all ran."
"Team Rocket," the officer scowled, "without a doubt. Here..." She dug around in the bag on the back of her motorcycle then tossed a bottle that she found to Janelle. "Use this potion on your growlith." As she hopped onto the motorcycle again, she asked, "Which way did they go?"
Janelle pointed, "Back into the woods, that way. And thank you!" A moment later, the police officer bolted into the woods, after the villains.
With the help of the potion, Blaze quickly recovered and the pair retreated to their house. Janelle slumped into a chair at the kitchen table and dropped her bulging satchel onto the table. She was overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Blaze lapped water greedily out of his dish. "What do you make of all this buddy?" she asked while staring into space. Blaze only looked at her quizzically then resumed his drink. Once finished, he trotted over to the table and tugged on the strap of Janelle's bag. Several round apricorns rolled out onto the table, the purple one and the pokéball with them.
"Oh," Janelle said suddenly, straightening in her chair, "I had almost forgotten about those."
Blaze wuffed impatiently.
"You want me to see what's in the ball?" the girl asked wearily.
He opened his mouth in a dog-like grin and wagged his short tail.
"If you said so," Janelle submitted and smiled. She stood up slowly, taking the ball in hand. It was clearly of a traditional style, machine made; nothing special about it. "This had better not be something huge like a charizard. I don't want to ruin the house by mistake."
Blaze wuffed again.
"Fine, fine," Janelle smiled then flung the ball, "Pokéball go!"
A small and harmless pokemon with fluffy sandy-colored fur and tall pointed ears gazed up at Janelle.
"Ooee?" it cooed, while Blaze eyed it curiously.
A moment later, Janelle found herself at the videophone dialing the number of her sister Kimi's pokégear. Kimi's smiling face quickly appeared on the screen.
"Moshimoshi!" She grinned, then squinted at her own screen, "Janelle? What's going on with you?"
The older girl quickly explained her meeting with the cloaked woman and the three strangers.
"Team Rocket!" Kimi growled indignantly, "I had heard rumors that those fiends were up to something again, but I never thought they'd show up at our orchard. Did they take anything?"
"No," Janelle shook her head with realization," They weren't interested in the apricorns at all. I think all they wanted was the woman."
"What she gave you," she corrected, "So what was it anyway?"
"Yea," Janelle glanced down at the fluffy pokemon uneasily, "That's what I wanted to ask in the first place." Bending down and smiling at it, she coaxed, "Come here you." It tentatively padded over to Janelle, who scooped it up.
The instant the tips of its ears graced Kimi's field of vision, she squealed gleefully. "An eevee!" she yelped, "Those are so sweet! I really want one, but they're so rare!"
"You can have her," Janelle offered, "You're a trainer and I'm not."
"But you will recognize the woman," Kimi protested, "You told her you would do this. Become a trainer. Dad can take care of the orchard while you're gone."
"I don't have a pokemon," Janelle pointed out, "And I'm not in this to get all the badges while I find her."
"You've got Blaze and that eevee," Kimi suggested.
"But neither are really mine."
Kimi sighed in exasperation then an idea struck her, "Hey, I just caught this mareep, but I don't have room to carry anything more. I'll send it to you." Kimi fiddled with a small pink pokéball and her pokégear. "There," a moment later, the pokéball appeared before Janelle, who picked it up curiously.
"Take Blaze, the eevee, and mareep and go down to mom at the center. Get yourself a pokégear with the most updated cards. If need be, sell apricorns. That has helped me from time to time," the younger girl instructed, "Start right away before you forget what you have to do."
"Yes mother," Janelle said and laughed. "Thank you so much Kimi. I shouldn't take up your time any longer!"
"Glad to be of help," Kimi smiled, "Hopefully I'll see you in person on the road some day."
"Thank you again, good bye!" Janelle said as she switched off the screen.
Within two hours, she had contacted both parents, packed, and was on her way to Violet City.
The cloaked woman flashed her train pass at the station and boarded the train, swiftly. "To Blackthorn again," she muttered and took her seat next to another darkly clad man.
"You know the League doesn't like all these little trips you're taking," he said as soon as she sat down, scowling. "You are at risk of being booted out right now as it is."
He paused for a breath and the woman rolled her eyes, but remained silent.
"As if your normal ambitions weren't enough," he paused again to glance at his companion, "These meddlings with Team Rocket are way below the line!"
"Do not speak so loudly!" she hissed, "Besides, what the League doesn't know doesn't hurt them. I won't be found out."
"As soon as they find out you have that pokemon, you're—"
"I don't have it with me," she said calmly.
"What?" he stammered.
"I gave it to the daughter of that man who started the apricorn orchard," she continued.
"Beri?" he suggested.
"That's the one," she nodded then continued on, "She has instructions to find me and return it. I can sense that she will. She is not a trainer so she won't use it for her own purposes."
"You are so trusting," he observed flatly.
"I have a sense you don't," she said shortly, "By the time she finds me, I will be in a secure place in the League. I won't have to hide it."
"But can you wait that long?" he asked skeptically.
"No one else has learned the secret to capturing it," she retorted.
"Again so sure."
"Of course," she nodded as the train jolted into motion, "I have to be."