The phone rang and Professor Joslen picked it up immediately. "Yeah?" his answer was short, slightly impatient.

"Your 'Assistant' has been seen around the city a few times. Or at least a girl matching her description. She's traveling with a Linoone of irregular color. Last person who saw her said she was heading back out into the woods not too long ago."

"Good. Get in there after her and keep an eye out for that Linoone. Any pokemon with that companion is to be captured."

"Yes sir."

The line went dead and Professor Joslen smirked. "My victory is at hand."

"There! Get that Houndoom!" A strong male voice commanded, spotting Sandy and Linoone. She jumped as did Linoone, and then she began to run. The men followed quickly on foot and their bird pokemon were closing the distance between them and her. She pushed herself harder, working her muscles to carry her faster. It felt like she was fleeing from the facility all over again.

Linoone kept looking back at the birds as they got closer, then he was struck with an idea. Sandy kept running and did not notice Linoone climb down her spine, face the birds and unleash a sand attack, not only slowing the birds but successfully stalling long enough for Sandy to make her getaway. She continued to run until if felt as though her lungs were going to burst, only then did she stop and collapse to the ground.

She smiled and nodded in thanks to Linoone who nodded back and remained alert. They were able to rest for only a few moments before Linoone urged her to get up and go again. He obviously heard something she did not. So she pulled herself up and started off again, not running full out, but fast enough to keep distance between the two of them and Joslen's hunting men.

"Damnit. We lost her. Send the birds out again see if they spot her." The commander gave orders and called Joslen once more to report. He was not at all happy that the girl had gotten away but did acknowledge the fact that they were closer. "The rest of you set up camp up there in the clearing. Unless one of the birds come back with a positive sighting we're not going anywhere." None of the men seemed to object.

Sandy took a chance by glancing behind her. Seeing nothing, she slowed to a trot. Linoone tugged her ear and she turned her head to see what he was trying to show her. Off to her left there were two Scyther's advancing slowly on something. Curiously, she advanced, keeping quiet. A boy, about her age, a badly beaten Kadabra… and a cliff stood just out of the Scyther's reach.

"Giot!" Both Sandy and Linoone jumped again. It was on of the birds, a Pidgeot had spotted them. Its call rang like an alarm. The flapping of more wings came to her ears as well as quickly advancing feet. Time seemed to freeze. I can't just leave him… but if I help him I could get caught and I won't go back there… She looked behind her, then too the left and growled. Linoone clung to her and then she charged.

The boy was back as far as he could go with out falling off the cliff; the Scythers were hardly ten feet away. He returned Kadabra to its ball. At the very least, Kadabra was safe. The next few seconds happened so fast that if he had blinked he would have missed it all.

One Scyther was harshly knocked into the other, tangled and surprised they both fell. He, in fear, curled into a fetal position as the large demonic dog continued its charge towards him, picked him up by his belt and dived off the cliff to the rapid waters below.

Untangling from one another, the Scythers looked around for their pray, finding nothing. Sore, angry and a little bewildered, they turned around to head home only to find themselves face to face with half a dozen bird pokemon and twice as many humans. Each side exchanged glances with the other before the Scythers flew away and the hunters were left with a dead end. The commander moved to the cliff, looked down and felt dizzy.

"There is no way she would survive that fall…" He commanded the birds to search the skies and commanded his men to set up camp once more. This time they would wait for dawn.

Coughing and hacking, Sandy dragged the boy onto shore, became as human as possible (keeping the Houndoom ears and tail) and performed CPR. He hacked and coughed up some water then rolled over groaning. Linoone slipped to Sandy's side and shook the water from his fur, only to puff out. Sandy giggled.

"Get the towels from my bag… no wait those are probably soaked too. Nevermind. But grab me the first aid kit please Linoone." Diving into her bag, Linoone retrieved the kit as well as some food. "Thank you. Yes eat up," He offered her some; again she smiled and shook her head. "No. I'll eat later."

Sandy shifted the boy to his back and a pokeball fell from his pocket. Linoone pounced it to keep it from falling into the water then proceeded to kick it about for his own amusement. Sandy made sure the boy was okay and fixed up a few of his wounds. Only once she completed that task did she even think about eating.

Searching her bag, half of the food she had bought for herself was now soggy and no good, she tossed it aside and glanced at the river. "Linooooone." She called sweetly. "Do me a huge favor?" Linoone perked up and nodded. "Catch me a few fish from the water?" Again he nodded and bounded excitedly to the waters edge.

As Sandy collected sticks to start the fire, she found the pokeball and sighed. After a moment of consideration she released the boy's companion. Kadabra stood weakly for a moment, looking at her with misty eyes, before falling to the ground. She quickly moved to revive him, using some things from her bag to do so. Before long, Kadabra was at Linoone's side catching fish and the boy was stirring again.

He opened his eyes slowly and his mind began to register the sound of running water. The sky was pink with the coming night; somewhere off to his right he could feel the warmth of a fire and hear the slight crackling of burning wood. The scent of fried fish began to flow up his nostrils and he sat up.

"Good to see you're finally up."

He blinked and looked over to see a pretty girl sitting by the fire cooking the fish alongside a dark Linoone and his Kadabra.

"Kadabra! You're ok!" the boy scrambled over, ignoring his sore and protesting muscles to hug his psychic friend. "Thank you! I can't thank you…" the boys words stopped as he caught sight of Sandy's ears and tail. It was very clear, by the movement of them both that they were not fake in any way.

"Who… What are you?"