Chapter 4: The Friend

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Bianca asked, attempting to strike fear into the 'intruder'. Jared was now frightened by the fact that he was treated like an outcast. Elsie immediately stood up and asked her to stop her questioning him through means of telepathy, explaining that he was not here to harm them or steal the Soul Dew. Bianca stopped immediately, her face flushed with embarrassment. Elsie then started to introduce Jared to her.

"This is Jared. I met him last night." She then turned to Jared who was now recovering from his shock. He could tolerate the loud shouting of the senior officers who were training him and the rest of the members, but was least expecting this kind of standard from a girl he has never met before.

"Jared, this is Bianca, the friend that I said would be coming for lunch today. Don't be afraid. She really is a nice person to be with when you get to know her." Jared greeted her, his voice still quaking from her sudden outburst but was okay. Bianca greeted him too.

"I'm very sorry for shouting at you just now. It is just that I cannot risk having visitors coming here as they might take the Soul Dew away from here."

"It's alright. I forgive you. We don't know each other, that's all," Jared replied. Bianca looked at him and wondered to herself about his fashion. He had a white trench coat on, had a red beret as a hat, wore white trousers and red, elegant shoes on. "He has a weird fashion. Doesn't he get any comments on the streets?"

Jared somehow was able to read her mind and, without knowing it, replied instantly and casually, "No I don't." Bianca was immediately taken aback. How was he able to read her mind? Jared looked at her, puzzled as well. Why was she looking at him as if he said something that he was not meant to? She did ask him something, had she?

Elsie quietly giggled to herself. He had forgotten that he had telepathy infused into him, and that he was able to read other people's minds. Jared then realized that he had telepathy with him the whole time. He immediately apologized to Bianca for the misunderstanding. Elsie then told her about the encounter that she had with him, the kissing and the infusion of her power into him. Bianca giggled when she heard her story, especially the part when Elsie kissed Jared. Jared blushed with embarrassment.

Bianca suddenly remembered about her lunch with Elsie. Elsie then asked her if she had any food to spare Jared who had not eaten since yesterday. "Oh dear, you haven't eaten? I have brought quite a lot of food today but if there isn't enough, I guess I can halve my sandwich for you?"

"Thank you but it is not gentlemanly to take food offered by any woman."

"I insist, Jared. You might get a gastric attack."

"Okay, very well then," Jared replied. Bianca immediately set the picnic mat on a grassy patch near the well. Elsie and Jared helped to empty the basket of food that Bianca brought for the lunch onto the mat. The food Bianca brought for lunch made their mouth water. There were sandwiches, cakes and cream rolls, waiting to be popped into their mouths. "I decided to bring something special to eat today, but since there is an extra guest joining us today, he could join in as well," Bianca told them. Both Jared and Elsie thanked her and all of them dined in and enjoyed themselves, talking at the same time.

After they had filled their bellies full with pastry and Latias looking like a red and white balloon, they decided to rest for a while. "Elsie, if you don't mind, could you take me for a tour around the garden? I'd like to take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful place," Jared asked.

"Okay, I'd love to," Elsie replied. After they had fully rested, Bianca went back to the shed area. She told them that she was going to wait for her grandfather to come and during the meantime, she would leave them alone for a while. Elsie showed Jared around the garden. She showed him the fluttering Butterfrees and Yanmas and brought him to her quiet thinking spot. The spot had the prettiest flowers Mother Nature had to offer. Jared awed at their marvelous beauty. "These flowers are beautiful. This thinking spot of yours must make you happy," Jared told her, but then he added, "But their beauty cannot match yours, for you are the most beautiful Pokemon I have laid my eyes on." She blushed. Nobody had told her she was that beautiful before, she had never met anybody that could charm her heart before. Immediately she felt her heart beat for him, and immediately kissed him again, this time not wanting to let go. Her true love and affection was now taking its course. Jared fell onto his back from her sudden rush. Their mouths parted. "You are so charming and handsome. I had fallen in love when I first saw you," Elsie told him.

"I have fallen for you as well. When you kissed me, my heart told me that I needed you," Jared replied. They resumed their kissing and reality to them had been forgotten as they expressed their unconditional love for each other. All they cared about right now was that they had each other.

As the couple was kissing, Bianca came back with her grandfather. Both her grandfather and she searched for the two until they found them at Elsie's thinking spot. Bianca was surprised to see them doing something that she was not supposed to see. Her grandfather came as well and saw the romantic scene playing in front of him. Immediately, Elsie and Jared had the feeling that they were being looked at. Their lips parted and looked in Bianca's direction. Both Jared and Elsie blushed. They did not know that she and her grandfather were watching them. "Oh, hello Lorenzo," she greeted him shyly. Jared became surprised. Bianca's grandfather was the man he saw yesterday. "Oh, you're the man I saw yesterday. Why, hello," Jared greeted as well. Lorenzo chuckled. "You two make a cute couple," he added. Both Elsie and Jared smiled at each other. They do suit each other.

Then the old man asked, "How did you get here anyway?"

"Well, ummm… Latias showed me the way." He said Latias instead of her new name because he knew Lorenzo would be confused and will know what he is talking about.

"Oh, I see. Maybe I will leave you to be alone with her?"

"Wait, don't go yet! I need to contact my friends back in London. I want to tell them that I'm safe. Can you bring me to the nearest telephone booth?" Jared asked. "Oh, can I come too?" Elsie asked Jared.

"Sure, why not?"

Elsie leapt with joy and hugged him. Lorenzo agreed to help him find a phone booth with him and soon, they set off. Jared was feeling excited.

However, they were not aware that two shady characters in the distance were spying them on. As Jared, Elsie and Lorenzo left the place by boat, they followed them. One of them took out a cell phone and contacted somebody. The receiver picked up. This was the conversation:

Receiver: Hello?

Man: Hello? Boss, we've found the perfect specimen for your experiment.

Receiver: Good work, do you have it now?

Man: Not yet. We are tailing the target now.

Receiver: Bah! It would have been better if you had it right now. Alright, follow it but be sure to capture it. I need it for my bio-weapon experiment.

Man: Sure thing, boss. We'll have it caught by the end of the day.

Receiver: Don't fail me on this one.

The phone hung up. The other man asked, "So what are we going to do now?"

"We'll tail that bird and then we'll catch it when the time is right."

Elsie was actually invisible when they left the garden but the man was able to see her as his glasses were coated with a special tint to detect air movement. They followed Elsie and the others who were clueless to their presence but Jared was able to sense that somebody was following them, but who couldthey be?