A League Of Their Own: Episode #6 ~ Flower Power!
An all-new style; Including a new world, new battles, and even new clothes.
A/N: oO I ACTUALLY got a NEW CHAPTER done? GASP! Can it be?! Yes! It's true! Now, can I get ANOTHER chapter done?! Before the end of the month?! ...Erm, probably not. ^^*

"OK, is it just me, or is it getting really dark?"

His eyes shooting side to side, Richie squeezed up between Eevy and Ash. He was right, one had to admit, being that the sky was growing blacker every moment. The trees blocking what light remained beaming from above didn't help that any, and the fact that none of them had seen where either of those two people had gone made it even more unnerving. Eevy had attempted, after a moment of staring after them, to explain to the boys where she knew them from.

"I remember hearing about them a few weeks ago, right before I started planning maybe coming to Hoenn. They're part of two different organizations, seemingly rendering forces only here. The one in red was from Team Magma, and they're after some Legendary, ancient Pokemon that guards the earth. The one in blue was from Team Aqua, the opposing team, and they're after some ancient Pokemon that guards the water. The two teams are supposed to be bitter rivals, and those who run them despise each other. I'll warn you right now," she'd pointed right toward each one of them, "They're dangerous. Twice as dangerous as Team Rocket could ever pray to be, if not more so. If you see them, either keep your distance or come get me. I've been sent to watch them as closely as I can, and if I'm able, I'm permitted to use force."

"But why…Did they run at you like that? And what were they yelling about?" Ash asked, scratching his head, "They reached for the Crystal Bell, didn't they?"

"Yes, they did," she reached up and locked a fist protectively around her necklace, "I have the oddest feeling they know more about the Prophecy than they should. Perhaps even more than I do," she released the Bell and started walking, "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"What is it with trees in this region?"

Eevy folded both her arms up behind her head, sighing long and hard. All they'd been seeing was trees again. If she saw one more type of tree she couldn't identify, she was going to scream. Hoenn was too different, she'd decided, than Gertan Rin or Johto or Kanto. The trees, the trainers, the all-around landscaping…And hey, what kind of Pokemon was that? Not only did this region make her feel out of place, but it felt so damp and cold. And she too didn't like the way the sky was still growing darker.

"Hey, is that the end of the route there?" Richie raised a hand to point and Sparky a paw.

"Where? I can't see," Ash rubbed his eyes, spinning around and around in circles.

"THAT way, Ashy-boy," Gary snorted, grabbing his shoulders and turning him full around.

Eevy wandered around them, "It looks like the exit. I hope it is. We've been wandering way too long."

"Yeah, how many times did we go in circles, Evangelina?" Ash asked, one eye narrowing.

"Hey, that was Richie's fault, not mine."

"Ohhh, no. Don't go blaming me. You said it was shorter to go right."

"You could have told me I was wrong."

"I did."

"Enough…" Gary rolled his eyes, "I'd really like to get out of here, should those wolves, or whatever they are, decide to run us down."

Eevy, Richie and Ash paused a moment as he started forward. While she wanted to call attention to the fact that perhaps he was a bit unnerved, or even scared, Eevy kept her mouth shut. If she said anything, Ash would start grinding on him about it. She really didn't need to try to deal with that right now, in the midst of everything else. The three of them followed quietly behind Gary, and deliberately so, partially bothered by the thought of not knowing what was on the other side of that opening. Yes, they were chickens. No, they didn't care. Stopping just before the exit, Gary poked his head out and looked left to right nervously.

"I don't see anyone," he noted, scratching his head and coming out the rest of the way, "Do you?"

"Not a soul," Richie pulled his cap off, smoothed his hair, and replaced it.

"This looks like a pretty busy road. Isn't it kind of…Strange that no one is here?" Ash questioned, Pikachu perched atop his head and Sparky joining him.

"It is late, Ash," Eevy yawned, "Most people are sleeping now."

"Eev," Vovo sniffed the ground, stepping twice forward and looking up at a small brick building across the street, "Eevee."

"Hm?" Eevy looked down at him, then up at whatever he saw, "Richie, what's that building there?"

Richie clicked around on his Poke'Nav, "It looks like it's the Pretty Petal Flower Shop. Why?"

"Isn't that one of the places Professor Birch told us to visit?" Gary asked, leaning in to look at the Poke'Nav.

"I think it is. Should we see if anyone's there?" Eevy looked back at the three boys, who hovered over the Poke'Nav.

Behind them, somewhere in the trees, something howled, and all three looked back at her, "Uh-huh, uh-huh," they nodded twice.

"Right then," Eevy sweatdropped, turning and bounding across the street.

Eevy sat in her chair, across the table from a young woman with short dark blue hair. Her left hand held a tea cup, which she never seemed to remove from her mouth, and her right was on the table with a pen, jotting down how to make the tea she was drinking. The girl across from her, Nicole, seemed to enjoy talking about the different ingredients enough, so Eevy kept her talking by asking if there were any good pies that could be made with any of the Hoenn Berries. Nicole responded with an enthusiastic yes and went to the next room to get something. From that same room came a younger girl, less than half Eevy's age, holding a teapot. She stopped beside the table.

"Would you like some more tea? This is Nanab Berry tea," she grinned as Eevy nodded, "This should be a little more bitter than the Razz Berry tea you just had. I hope you like it!"

Eevy patted her head and grinned, "I'm sure I will. I seem always to have had an affinity for tea."

"Great!" she put a potholder on the table and sat the teapot on it, "Then I'll just leave this here with you."

Behind her, Nicole placed a hand on her shoulder, "Natalie, please go and get her a slice of pie. I think she'll enjoy it," the younger girl ran off and Nicole sat across from Eevy again.

"Your sister seems eager to please," Eevy noted, watching Natalie run from one side of the door to the other.

"That's Natalie," Nicole shrugged, opening the book on the table in front of her, "This book has some of my best pie recipes in it. If you'd like, you can take it with you. I have two copies. One was for our sister Rita, but she's not one to cook."

"She doesn't seem it," Eevy sweatdropped, peeking out the window as Ash, Gary and Richie raced around behind the eldest sister, attempting to keep up with her, "I think she's killing them…"

Nicole just scratched her chin, "Well…Now, you said you were from…Gertan Rin? As in the island?"

"Yes," Eevy nodded, "Have you ever been there?"

"No, but Rita has," Nicole put her elbows on the table, locking her fingers together and resting her chin on her knuckles, "Before I was old enough to travel, that is. What's it like?"

"It very big," Eevy nodded, "From what I've seen so far, aside from your foliage, it's a lot like here in Hoenn. But I haven't been here long, and I could be mistaken."

"I'm sure it's a lot more different than you think," Nicole sighed, "I'd love to see someplace new someday, like our cousin Lilith. She travels in the Orange Islands, studying the plants there. She's lucky. Where else have you been?"

"To a few places in Johto and Kanto, and to a couple of the Orange Islands," she sipped her tea and sat the cup carefully back down, "Why don't you travel?"

"I have the Flower Shop to think about," she replied, sighing, "I can't decide which I love more. Our plants or the thought of traveling."

"Traveling can be a lot of hard work, but from what I've heard, so can growing some of these Berries."

"Some Berries take days and gallons of water just to sprout, especially with the strange weather we've had the past couple of days."

"Strange weather?" Eevy's eyes shot up, as she had been looking into her tea.

"Yeah, the weather has been really weird for a few days now," Natalie came from the side room with a plate of pie and a fork, "It can be raining one second, then dry and hot the next."

"It really did a job on a couple of our best plants," Nicole murmured, "Every one of them was a rare Berry too. And not just rare to find; rare to grow."

"Hm…" Eevy tapped the saucer under her cup with her nail, "Would you let me see those plants? The dead ones?"

Nicole scratched her chin, "I don't see why not, though I don't see a reason either…This way please," she stood and headed for the back door.

Eevy followed quickly, pausing right beside the door, "Nicole…" she tipped her head, "This picture here, by the door…"

Nicole poked her head back in the doorway, "Oh, that one. We had another visitor a week or so ago. He said he was a Pokemon Watcher, and he sketched a few of our Berries. There was a hyper young lady with him, and she was trying her best not to get in the way and to help. She was a sweet girl. But it's very strange…Those Berries in the picture there are the Berries that died when the weather changed, and only them. He kept turning back to those bushes, and just suddenly asked if he could sketch them. He's very, very good."

Eevy nodded as Nicole continued out, "A Pokemon Watcher…And a hyper young lady…"

"These are the plants," the oldest of the three sisters, Rita, noted to Eevy as she pointed down to six slightly-brown plants in small pots, "They just couldn't take the weird weather, I guess."

Eevy knelt beside the first plant, "Tell me a little about these plants?"

"That one you're in front of is a Wiki Berry. They're pretty dry, so it probably would have survived if it hadn't poured all day for two whole days. The one next to it is a Mago Berry. They're really sweet. Then there's the Aguav Berry in the middle. They're really bitter. The next one is a special Berry, found only on Mirage Island, called the Leichi Berry. They're sweet and spicy and sour. The next is a Watmel Berry. They're good for making pies because they're sweet and bitter at the same time. And the last one is a Durin Berry. It was one of our rarest, and that's good for leaving as a slice on iced tea or water," Nicole bent down beside Eevy, "Of course, all of these Berries have effects on Pokemon too, but your Poke'Nav can tell you that."

"Would you mind if I, maybe, just had a look at them?" Eevy looked over her shoulder, again seeing Ash, Gary and Richie flailing along behind Rita, who was fixing irrigation pipes.

"Not at all."

Eevy reached carefully down to the first plant, gently scooping up a limb. There had to have been a dozen or more small, un-grown Berries on it. It had to have died right before blooming again, and that had killed all the buds off. Eevy bent and rubbed a dry leaf between her fingers, gradually watching it grow greener. If she could help these plants, and if she could help these sisters, she was doing her job. Slowly and steadily, the Wiki Berry plant began to perk up, growing greener and healthier. Nicole gasped and covered her mouth.

"How…Are you doing that?" she asked quietly.

"I have my certain ways," Eevy replied, moving on to the next plant, "These plants are very beautiful, now that I see them blooming."

Nicole turned and ran to her sisters, "Rita! Natalie! Look! Look at those plants!" she spun and pointed, and her sisters and the boys looked over.

Rita grabbed up the Wiki Berry plant, "This one already has full-grown Berries on it. How are you bringing these plants back?"

"I suppose you could call it an acquired talent," Eevy smirked, pulling Berries off each of the plants and piling them in her shirt, "Boys, please go and find anymore plants that need some help, and help pick the extras off the others."

Ash and Richie saluted and ran off in one direction, and Gary merely turned and went the other. Natalie stood beside Eevy, watching her plucking Berries from the plants, and then began to help. Nicole rushed about, pointing out some of their skimpier plants, and Richie and Ash proceeded to help. Rita and Gary were pulling pipes around the side of the building over towards the plants Eevy was working on. Finally having tended all the plants, each one stepped back to examine the work they'd done.

"The plants look so beautiful," Nicole clasped her hands together, "The garden hasn't been so lively in a long time."

"How'd you manage to fix those plants up so quickly? It would have taken us months," Rita looked to Eevy.

"I don't really have a way to explain," Eevy shrugged in return.

"Eevy has been able to do that since before I even met her," Ash poked in, watching Pikachu sniffing the flowers on the Berry plants, "And that was over a year ago."

"It's strange though, because she was always more interested in cars than flowers," Gary crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow to Eevy, who sweatdropped nervously.

"Hey, that reminds me," Rita pounded her fist on her palm, "I meant to ask you. You came out of Petalburg Woods, so does that mean you're heading to Rustboro?"

"Yeah, we're going to the Gym there," Richie nodded, "Why?"

"I have a shipment of special Berries to deliver to the Pokemon Center and Devon Corporation tomorrow. If you'd like, you can ride in the back of the truck," Rita grinned, "With the plants."

"That's a great idea, Rita!" Nicole clapped, "And, if you'd like, Rita can direct you to Roxanne's Gym once you're there, since Ash told me that like your affinity for tea, you also have one for getting lost."

"OW!"

Eevy left the fist she had banged into the top of Ash's head right where it was, "That would be wonderful, ladies. Thank you so much. But you know the Gym Leader's name, so can you tell me anything about her?"

"Roxanne KornerStone runs Rustboro Pokemon Gym," Natalie answered, stepping up between her sisters, "She trains Rock-type Pokemon, and she went to Rustboro's famous Pokemon Tech. She's an honor student there."

"Rock-type Pokemon? Oh boy," Eevy groaned, "I only have one Pokemon really any good for battling Rock-types."

"So do I," all three boys sighed.

"I'm sure you'll all do fine, especially judging by your Pokemon here now," Nicole pointed toward the two Pikachu and two Eevee, who were sniffing the flowers, "If you'd like, as a way to try and pay you back, you can each take a Berry or two. They might help you later on, and Natalie can help you choose."

Natalie bounced around between all four trainers, explaining each of the Berries they were looking at. Using Pikachu as a guide, Ash picked out a Leppa Berry and a Lum Berry, both of which he was hoping to find useful. Gary liked the idea of a Sitrus and a Persim Berry, and Richie took an Iapapa and a Wepear Berry. As Eevy was looking over some of the stranger Berries, Natalie pointed to one in the corner.

"That one there seems to be your Eevee's favorite."

"What is it?"

"It's called a Figy Berry. They're really spicy, but I guess your Eevee likes spicy."

"He loves it," Eevy reached over Vovo's head and pulled a Figy Berry from the plant he was looking at, "What else, boy?"

"Eevee!" Vovo hopped off to a second plant, biting the stem off and carrying a Berry over, "Eev!"

"What's this one?" Eevy asked as she took it from him.

"It's a Pecha Berry. Those are sweet. Your Eevee has weird taste in food," Natalie grinned.

Eevy sweatdropped, as did Vovo, "Yeah, that's true. Thank you for the Berries."

Natalie grinned, but Nicole spoke first, "Rita isn't leaving until tomorrow. Maybe you'd like to sleep inside tonight?"

"Would we ever!"

"Pika!"

"Eev!"

"Ohhh, Tabithaaa…"

The Team Magma Administrator winced at that horrible name. He really had to find a way to get that changed, and soon too. Standing obediently up from his seat on the bench beside the door, he marched around the corner and into his "Master's" room, only to hear the door slide shut behind him. He looked across the floor at Master Maximus, who was tapping a pen on the desk irritably. Swallowing, Tabitha stood straighter.

"Sir?"

"I understand that a member of your squad was in a direct encounter with the Prophetic Angel, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And why, pray tell, did you not bring her to me?"

Tabitha winced again, attempting not to let it show, "Team Aqua was also there pursuing her, if you remember, sir. They were called as we were. Not only that, but I believe you've seen the power ratings she released. She could have killed us."

"Grunts are expendable," Maxie snorted, dropping the pen on the desk, "As are you, should I find the need, Tabitha."

He twitched once and almost made the mistake of rubbing his eye, but quickly snapped his arm back to his side, "Sir, I understand your impatience with us, but I assure you, sir-"

"No, Tabitha. It's not with you as a group. It's you alone. Courtney, I see, is progressing nicely in her research of both the Angel and of Lord Groudon," Maxie snorted loudly, "If I wasn't afraid you'd screw up what she's accomplished, I'd try switching you to information retrieval and her back to the field."

Tabitha clenched his fists, "I understand, sir."

"If you understand, then you won't fail me again," the Team Magma leader clenched his fists, "If you do, Tabitha…"

"Yes, sir!" Tabitha saluted sharply, his heels banging together he snapped to attention so quickly, "I'll do everything in my power, sir! You have my word, Master Maximus!"

"You are…Dismissed."

"I hope you'll come back and see us again!" Natalie grinned, handing Vovo up to Eevy as she stood in the back of Rita's truck, "And thanks for fixing up our plants!"

"No problem," Eevy patted her head, "Thank you for letting us stay the night and for the Berries."

"It was no trouble," Nicole nodded, waving as Rita started the truck, "Thank you again! Please come back and see us!"

"Don't worry; we will!" Eevy flopped down beside Ash, who waved around her side, and across from Gary and Richie, who also waved.

Natalie hopped up and down before Nicole pushed on her head to keep her still. Rita clicked the radio on in the front of the trunk, switching around until she found a tolerable station. Once she had, she sped up a bit, and Eevy tucked Vovo down between Ash and herself, so as he wasn't to be swept away, and Pikachu and the others ducked down behind potted plants, every once and a while stretching to sniff them.

"Hey, Rita?" Richie poked his head through the window, into the front, "What kind of Berries are these? I didn't see any of them at back there."

"These are very special Berries, going to Devon Corporation HQ and to the Pokemon Center. They're called Enigma Berries," Rita answered, "The reason you didn't see them back there is because we don't sell them direct to the public. Devon and the Center are still researching them."

Eevy looked over at one of the strange Berries and opted not to touch it. Richie sank back into his seat, petting Sparky's head, and Gary was seemingly engrossed with his new Poke'Dex. Evo was sniffing and twitching his nose at a beetle, which just kept fluttering its wings at him, and Ash was looking at Pikachu. Hopefully, Eevy thought, he was thinking of a way to fight back against Roxanne's Rock-types. She leaned her head back on the side of the truck and absently patted Vovo at her side.

"Oh, look who I've gone and found," whispered something looking down through a spinning pool of, what seemed to be, fire, "In Hoenn are we, great Mistress? You've left your Elite unattended, but I'm not after them. When I crush you, they will die as well. Plus, I have business in Hoenn just the same," he stood and grinned wickedly, "So I will follow you. He who controls the flames of Hell shall descend upon she who holds the Crystal Bell."

"Niiiine…"

He turned his bright red gaze to the Ninetales behind him and smiled wider, "Come, Volcan. There are people waiting for us. This time, that woman will die!" Volcan lunged away as his Master's entire persona lit up in red flames and pitch black shadows, "Beware, Angel! The Devil cometh!"

Eevy shot up and turned quickly around, looking nervously back into the trees behind her. Turning back, she saw the boys and the Pokemon were sleeping, so she sunk back down in her spot and crossed her arms tightly. The Bell had vibrated, and her heart had skipped a beat. He was there, and he was watching. The only question was where?

Eevy yawned wide, her eyes just barely cracking open as the truck came to a shaky halt. Rita stood at the end of the trunk, her arms crossed under her chin, and stared up and her and her companions. Groaning, they all stretched and scratched and rubbed and whatever else they did, and wobbled to their feet.

"We're in Rustboro," Rita noted, staring at them strangely, "Hop on out and I'll tell you what's where."

Eevy jumped down first, wobbling back and leaning on the truck, and Ash was second, tripping and landing flat on his face on the ground. Gary and Richie both slowly edged down to the ground, both nearly stepping on the back of Ash's head. Eevy rubbed her eye as the Pokemon perched themselves on their trainer's heads.

"You don't expect us to remember any of what you'll tell us, do you? Especially not me," she coughed twice, scratching her ear.

"If you remember one thing, remember that the Pokemon Center is that way," Rita pointed, "If you need more directions, you can ask there, but the Gym is that way, and Devon Corporation HQ is that way. Got it?"

"Yeah kinda," Ash murmured, holding himself up with the truck's back bumper.

"So it's that-a-way," Richie pointed, wobbling off in the general direction of the Pokemon Center, "…Remind me never to fall asleep in the back of a truck again. Woah…"

"Thanks for the ride, Rita," Eevy waved, rushing as quickly, and as orderly, as she could after them.

"Right! Bye then!" Rita waved, "Good luck at the Gym! And don't get too lost, Eevy!"

"BAH!"

*^~^*Episode 6: End…*^~^*

A/N: OK, so it was short and boring...But meh. At least it proves I'm still aliiive. Anyway, on another note, did anyone else see the first episode of Witch Hunter ROBIN on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim last night? Did anyone else who did hear Alucard (Crispin Freeman as Amon {Alucard of Hellsing}) and Vash (Johnny Young Bosch as Haruto {Vash The Stampede of Trigun}) in the same room, on the same team? ^^ I diiid. 'Twas most enjoyable. I'll have to ask someone who's seen the sub how closely it was dubbed...Also to figure out where I recognized a LOT of those voices from. oO Well, that's all! I'm off.

*^~^*Pro_V*^~^*
-=O~The Pokemon~O=-
Next Up: TAA Season 5 ~ A League Of Their Own *Episode 7* ~ Rock And Role
TAA Pokemon Of The Month: February 2004: The Rendezvous Pokemon ~ Luvdisc

Since I should say I don't own Hellsing nor Trigun nor anything involved with them, I'll just say I don't own Pokemon either.