Sandy woke up the next morning with a very large yawn and even larger smile. Linoone moved slightly, now near her head but did not wake; she snuck off to the shower. After turning on the shower, she stripped down, allowing the water to warm up before slipping behind the curtain and under the warm cascade.

For a moment, Sandy just stood there, letting the water run over her skin. Eventually though, she washed her hair, body, ears and tail with the soap provided by the hotel. It felt odd, washing her fox-like ears and tail as well as brushing them out afterwards along with her hair, but she knew she'd get used to it with time. Leaving the lavatory with a towel wrapped around her torso, she switched on the radio for some background noise or possibly music.

"Professor Joslen; you say that this Ninetails is rabid?" the radio broadcaster asked, concern in his voice. The name caught Sandy's ear, so she listened carefully as she dressed.

"No, not rabid. She is… Well to be honest I don't know what she is. I was trying to figure that out when she escaped from my lab due to some lax security." The professor answered calmly, sounding slightly annoyed but concerned as well.

"Please, tell us and our listeners what is wrong with this Pokemon and how we can help return her to you safe and sound."

"She has something similar to a human's Bi-Polar disorder. One moment she is kind the next she could be very fierce. As for capturing this pokemon and returning her to my care, she has a large scar down most of her right front leg for easy identification. She had it when I found the poor dear."

The broadcast continued on to also say that his assistant had gone missing around the same time, identifiable by her bright green eyes and tendency to wear pokemon ears and tails. Sandy growled. Talking to herself as she finished dressing, and Linoone who had finally awakened.

"So, now it seems he's gonna have everyone looking for me. Joy. He cannot find a Ninetails with that scar if she does not exist… Time to try a new form I suppose. The question is however, what form to choose."

Sandy puttered about, cleaning the room and gathering her things, thinking hard of another form she could take. She didn't like heights (She realized that when she looked out of her room window down at the city.) and there was no water paths out of the city that she knew of.

"Linoone!" she whined somewhat playfully sitting next to him on the bed. "What should I do?" The pokemon was quiet, tilting his head and thinking. He responded by going though her bag, he pulled out a book she had bought for reading. Sandy had forgotten about it. "You're a genius!" She cried happily scooping both Linoone and the book into her arms. He squirmed away and took a seat on her shoulder. She flipped though the pages to the table of contents.

"Pokemon that Fly… Pokemon that Swim… Pokemon that can spit water… spit fire…blah blah blah, run! Ah here it is. Pokemon that can run. Page 142." Turning pages wildly, she came to the desired chapter and skimmed though the listed pokemon. Dodrio was out, she didn't need three heads. She didn't dare chance Rapidash, last thing she wanted was a horn sticking out of her forehead. She continued to browse until coming across the one she would choose.

"Houndoom. Perfect. Maybe not the fastest of the fast… but it will be just as easy to hide the tails and ears should they stay."

Once more she packed her things, that Linoone had pulled out to get to the book, together and did one last check of the room. "Linoone, you ready?" He nodded and the two left the room, heading on to wherever their feet took them.

"Joslen, do you really think going public with this was wise? What if the girl heard it?"

"Come now Stead, the girl has no money, no place to stay and is on the run in the middle of an area she doesn't even remember. What are the chances of her hearing the broadcast? The sooner she is back here, the better."

Sighing, Professor Stead sipped his coffee. The young professor ran a hand though his longish blonde locks afterward then sighed. "Maybe I'm being paranoid but-"

"That's just it. You're being paranoid. Relax, we will get her back."

Stead nodded and looked aside before looking back at Professor Joslen and nodding again, more firmly and confident this time.

"I'm going for a walk." He stood and left adding. "To relax."

Sandy and Linoone reached the edge of the city near noon; both had food in hand and thought filled eyes. Sandy had kept her eyes and ears hidden under the hat; her tail was safely hidden under her long denim skirt. As they advanced into the trees, her skirt began to snag on roots and stumps.

"Okay Linoone. It's time to change our transportation method."

Linoone got off of her shoulder and sat on a nearby stump. Sandy removed her bag and then became the pokemon she had previously chosen. The transformation was quick and almost painless. They were getting easier each time. Out of curiosity she twitches her ears, whipped her tail and released a chilling howl into the daytime air. Satisfied, she secured on her bag with a little help from her friend. Running side by side they were off once more easily navigating though the thick trees.

"No! Get away from me!" the boy yelled swinging a large stick wildly. "Get away!" the Scyther continued to advance on the boy and his fallen pokemon. In desperation he threw the stick, hitting the advancing pokemon square in the face. With a cry that was more shocked than pained, the Scyther turned and disappeared back into the trees from which it had come.

"Kadabra! Are you alright?" the boy knelt by his pokemon and searched his bag for a potion. "Recover! Kadabra, can you do that? Kadabra!" The pokemon was out cold and the boy ran both of his hand though his spiked black hair.

"Scy-ther." His dark brown eyes widened and body went rigid. The Scyther had returned and he was defenseless.

"Scy-Scy." The boys head snapped up to see not one but two advancing Scythers. A small squeak of fear passed his lips and he fell aside, making a feeble attempt to crawl away from them. But he had no where to go. The Scythers stood ahead of him and behind him, a cliff. He was trapped.