+Hauling the Failed+
1. Where's Togepi!
The endless sound of repetitive rattling woke the teenage boy resting peacefully on a tightly compacted bed. Raising his head he opened his bright green eyes and eyed his surroundings for the source of the annoyance that had woken him. Staring down at the polished bamboo floors was a simple Togepi, fiddling with a plastic rattle. The teen turned onto his back and continued his slumber, seeming familiar with the source of the noise. Now the enclosed room was not only filled with the edgy rattling but soft, odd snoring. The boy pulled his cotton blankets closer to his shoulders and neck, giving off the impression that the room was a tad cold. Warmth spread across the teenager's body, he smiled and then sighed in relief. As he was on the tip of falling asleep shrill cries made him jump a couple feet into the air and back down onto the bed. Opening his eyes once again the boy stared at the Togepi who was crying loudly. Getting out from the bed the half-awake teen tried to sooth the baby with pets, rubs, and funny faces. Of course it was obvious none of these methods worked. Now footsteps could be heard coming from outside of the boy's room. Suddenly the door lashed opened. Standing in front of the entrance was a slender, stout lady consisting of ocean blue eyes and blond curls.
"Oh Hybrid, what happened up here? Why is the Togepi crying?"
"Don't ask me. I was trying to sleep. One minute he was playing with the toy the next he was bursting into tears." The boy replied.
The woman picked up the Pokemon and slowly rubbed his back. The Togepi continued to cry, now even louder.
"Yea that made everything better, mom."
"Hybrid, don't test me."
The mother grasped the Togepi and left the room in a speed-walk and shut the door on the way out. Finally, peace at last the teen thought. Hybrid rose from the ground. He stood there blankly for a long moment. Listening closely he heard the Togepi's cries had ended. Turning around Hybrid sluggishly approached an oak door. Opening it he entered his personal bathroom. The teen shivered from the ice-cold tile floor. He turned his body left and looked deeply into the mirror. All he saw was his usual self, a tall, fifteen year old teen of a simple tan complexion, spiky ebony hair and abnormally shiny green eyes. Hybrid twisted the cold knob on the sink and rinsed his face with the freezing, tap water. Lifting his head he seemed a little more awake now. He patted his head and formed a more moderate spiked hair dew. After this he left the restroom and made way to a simple, old closet in the corner of the bedroom. Pulling out a black tee, a pair of dark tattered denim jeans, and a black leather belt Hybrid changed out of his childish pajama pants and white beater. Now dressed he slipped on a pair of white sports socks from the laundry basket an inch away from the closet. After this the teen left his room now clearly awake and ready for the day. A couple feet from Hybrid's room was a polished, wooden staircase. Walking down it, the boy turned left and entered the kitchen of the house. The Togepi from before was sitting on top of the kitchen table, playing with a bowl of cheerios.
"So its come to this mom, our house is so boring that we have to play with cereal to keep ourselves entertained."
Hybrid's mother turned around and eyed him.
"There's waffles in the fridge, I've got to go to work though." The mother had managed to completely ignore the comment.
"Got it."
"Oh…almost forgot! Your friend Crystal called here this morning wondering if you could meet her out in the woods. Good bye Hybrid, see you at eight."
"Eight? My curfew is midnight!"
"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you…"
"Yea, you seem to forget a lot mom."
"As you now professor Palm passed away a week ago and since then the town's sheriff has been looking for a new Pokemon professor, under Palm's will of course. The new professor (professor ball) invited us over for dinner at eight thirty, I need you here so you can shower and clean up."
"Wait…his name is professor ball?"
"Yes. A bit strange I know but his a very nice man. We went to college together."
"Oh boy…another geek. Great I live with one now I have to live next to another?"
"You're lucky I love you Hybrid. If I didn't, your head would have been sprayed across the house by now."
"Great, isn't it?"
The mother rolled her eyes and exited the house. Hybrid heard the car door close and then saw from out the window the mini-van drive away. Sighing in relief Hybrid approached the fridge. Pulling out soggy waffles the teen plugged in the toaster and inserted the food. Within minutes the blueberry waffles were ready for eating. Hybrid snatched a china plate from the kitchen cupboard and took a long ten minutes to enjoy his favorite breakfast food. Hybrid gazed over at Togepi's new location, which was the tile floor. The Pokemon was entertaining itself with a red rubber ball, biting on it and rolling it around in deep aw.
"Careful runt, you don't have to murder the ball."
The Togepi looked up and smiled sweetly, not understanding a word Hybrid had just said he continued on with playing with the ball.
"Or you could, whatever floats your boat little dude."
Hybrid rose from his post and washed his plate and silverware. Storing the items back in the cupboard he turned around and thought for a long moment. Then remembering that Crystal had called the house he ran back up the stairs into his room. He opened the drawer of his decorated study desk and pulled out his black flip-phone. Pressing the power button a hardcore thrash metal song ring tone went off. Opening up Hybrid's personal numbers he dialed the one reading "Crystal". After constant ringing a soft, high voice answered the phone.
"Hello? Vega residents."
"Hey Mrs. Vega, is Crystal there?"
"Oh Hybrid, no she left about fifteen minutes ago. She said something about meeting you in the woods. She said you'll know what I'm talking about."
"Yea, I've got that covered. Well, uh…thank you, you have a good day now Mrs. Vega."
"You too sweetie."
Hybrid hung up his cell phone and put it in his jeans pocket. The boy ran back down the stairs and into the kitchen. As he was about to exit he stopped dead and looked at the Togepi. It looked back up at him, innocently.
"Looks like I'm going to have to take you with I guess, huh?"
The Togepi replied with a high shrill: "Towwwgaaapriiii!"
From the kitchen closet Hybrid grabbed his jet-black sporting back pack, and put the pokemon in the bag. Keeping the bag unzipped the Togepi was left just enough room to poke its head out of the bag. Hybrid his head over his left shoulder and stared at the pokemon.
"Be good now okay? If you do, we'll go to the ice cream parlor and get something really nummy, alright? We up top?"
Once again the Togepi replied with a long: "Towwwgaaapriiii!" Hybrid opened the door and exited the house. Leaning upon the steps of the house was a yellow trick bike, in an almost flawless condition. Picking it up the energetic boy jumped on and sped away from the house and into the tall, grassy landscape surrounding the small town.
After a half an hour of biking down a dirt and weedy path a small sand stone like structure stood but ten feet in front of Hybrid. Stopping for a moment Hybrid eyed the structure.
"Well it's about time; they're done remodeling the place."
The building was only one story and twenty feet in length. The roof could not be seen for it had been covered up by the odd weeping willow leave overhead. Below the roof was a huge, shining, electric sign. The attention getting sign read a simple greeting and a caution before entering the forest beyond the structure. Hybrid looked down at the door. Walking his bike over to the new painted door he was stopped by a muscular, tall, pale man.
"I'm dearly sorry sir but you must keep your bike here. The forest rangers restrict bikes within the woods after recent injuries of pokemon."
"What do you mean injuries?"
"Many bikers have been accidentally running over the pokemon and either killing them or sending them to the poke centers. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
"No, its okay. I understand."
Hybrid set his bike in an empty bike rack next to the door. Pulling out a bike chain from his pack he locked the bicycle up. He then passed through the door of the building. He now stood in a small carpeted aisle-like room. There was only one other person standing in the area and strangely that was a local police officer. Hybrid didn't talk with the cop in any form. A little nervous he headed through the door on the other side of the building and into the woods.
The forest consisted of deep coffee brown barked, bushy ever-green leafed trees. The rangers no doubt had cleared dirt paths and left many bushes and other plant life on the ground. The sun shined through the trees and reflected across the surface of the woods. High overhead hanging from the trees were Metapod and Kakuna, resting in peace, absorbing the rays of the warm sun. On the ground were the Caterpie and Weedle, scurrying around, searching for useful items and good hiding or sleeping posts. Hybrid smelled the fresh air for a moment then smiled. From this point he then heard a faint noise; it now became clear, someone calling his name.
"Hybrid! Hybrid! Hybrid!"
Hybrid looked to his left, from behind a tree came a slender, average height teenage girl. Her mid-toned blond hair shined bright from the sun and her beautiful green eyes looked directly at Hybrid. Running over she hugged Hybrid. Of course as gorgeous as she was the hug made Hybrid blush. It was quite obvious he liked this girl deeply. He liked her with a passion and hoped to express it in the near future.
"Hey Crystal, its good to see you."
"Yea, it's been a long time. About a month, you know with that camp I had to go to and my dad being sick and stuff."
"I'm sorry to hear about your dad's illness, I'm overjoyed he's feeling better."
"Me too, I don't know what I would do without him."
There was a slight pause; suddenly there was a soft "Towwwgaaapriiii!" Crystal looked over Hybrid's shoulder to see the Togepi sticking his head out.
"Oh my gosh you got a Togepi! How did you get it? When did you get it? These are super rare!"
"Um, my dad found it when he was on in excavation mission in the mountains. He visited us a week ago and gave it to me, hoping I would put it to good use some day. But my mom pays a little more attention to it than I do."
"Oh yea, you're dads an excavator. Now I remember, it's been so long. Well I called you here because well, I don't know how to say this but…I won't be seeing you anymore for quite some time."
Crystal's face turned into a deep expression of sorrow. A tear ran down her face.
"This is really hard for me…and I know this is a sudden change I was trying to hold back my sorrow a second ago. But I realized I can't. I'm taking off a year off to enter the pokemon gym challenge. I' hoping to get all eight badges and fight the Elite Four. But that's not going to happen…I've dreamed of it before...never mind. I'm going to miss you…so I wanted to spend as much time with you today as I could."
"Wait? A whole year? Gone…"
Hybrid thought a moment, in reality she was going whether he liked it or not. So for now he would have to act mature.
"We'll see each other soon I presume."
"Yea Hybrid. Lets just put set this aside and have some fun, hey? Go exploring in the woods, like the old days."
"Yea, just like the old days." Hybrid made a weak smile as he said this.
For a long while the duo (and Togepi I guess…so that makes a trio!) spent a long day studying and exploring pokemon through the woods. As mid-afternoon approached the three had made it to halfway down an endless trail when they were suddenly stopped by a park ranger.
"Whoa troopers, I can't let you go beyond this point."
In puzzlement Crystal replied:
"Why?"
"Well, we're having some trouble; a Butterfree mother has become too protective of her baby Caterpie (still in their defenseless egg form). She's started attacking anyone or anything that's gets within ten to fifteen feet of her nest. Our rangers are trying to take the Butterfree to a breeding center just a couple miles from this forest but the mother keeps attacking with her sleep powder and poison powder techniques. If necessary we may put this Pokemon to sleep, if our last option."
"Couldn't we help in anyway?" Hybrid asked, feeling deeply sorry for the Butterfree.
"I'm sorry son, I just suggest you walk on back the way you came and enjoy other parts of the forest."
Hybrid and Crystal turned around and sighed. They begin walking back down the path.
"Well, what do you think about this Togepi?"
There was no response.
"Uh Hybrid."
"Yea?"
"Umm…your Togepi isn't in your back pack."
"Oh…that's okay the Togepi's gone missing…WAIT, THE TOGEPI!"
The two looked at each other in deep worriment. This wasn't good at all.