neogirl7900: Yes, Mike does seem to always get the muddy end of the stick in this story. And I tried to make Gary annoying yet still somewhat normal and enjoyable to read. Anyway, thanks for the review!

Antithesis: Yeah, um, I think I'm gonna go with parentheses. I used to use those ones you warned me about, but, um, yeah, they don't work. So, parentheses it is then!

Oh, and sorry for the long update wait! I totally forgot Spring Break was upon us! (Well, at least for most of us…) However, now I'll be updating when I can, so enjoy the next chapter!

The Glass Half Full

Ch.4 A Faithful Follower

As Kayla and Charmander passed tree after tree, they saw absolutely no pokemon. There were plenty of bushes, trees, and underbrush for pokemon to inhabit; it just made no sense that none were to be seen…

Kayla started feeling a bit concerned. Not because she wouldn't get the chance to catch a new pokemon, but more because it was just so strange. The air had a quiet tenseness, like a silence before something terrible would happen.

"I guess the pokemon are all… um… sleeping?" whispered Kayla, afraid to break the long silence.

Charmander turned swiftly around to face the way they had come from. (There's someone there! I can just tell!) he said, glaring and trying as hard as he could to see past leaves and bushes. His emerald eyes narrowed and quickly scanned the area.

"What's wrong?" asked Kayla; now starting to get those knots in her stomach again… She compulsively grasped her right arm.

(Come out! I know you're there! It's not nice to scare people just starting on a journey!) called Charmander, sincerely hoping that whatever pokemon came out was nothing higher than level five. He tried to make his voice sound intimidating, but being a tiny lizard with a high voice wasn't doing anything close to that.

Kayla looked all around her, but could not see anything. The large trees with their long branches seemed so ominous without any sound in them, and with all of the silence, the smallest noise sounded as if a bomb had gone off… She could hear the ground moving under her when shifted her weight.

She couldn't take being in this woody area any longer… Fear began to well up from inside her and her mind was now entering survival mode. "Charmander…" she said, her legs wobbling from fear, "L-Let's get out… outta here…."

Charmander turned around to look at her, and saw how scared she was. (Alright,) he said, (We can go. But I would still like to know what's watching us….)

With Charmander leading the way, the two of them began to walk briskly towards what they hoped was the end of the woody area, and to Viridian City. After a few hundred steps or so, and what seemed like an eternity to Kayla, they finally reached a break in the trees. The two partners stepped out into the hot sun again to meet Viridian City.

It was bigger than Pallet, and the buildings had a nice new look to them. Kayla had only been in this town once before, and the one thing she remembered was a small ice cream shoppe that her grandmother had taken her to. But she had no idea where it would be in all these tall buildings; she was only about five when she had come here previously…

Charmander peered back into the woods. He still had this nagging feeling that someone was on their tails… Something strong.

As the pair walked around town, Kayla began to notice how many people a city could really hold. They just seemed to pour out of the doorways of buildings and cars; and many of them walked the streets too. Kayla eyed an old woman walking a few yards ahead of her and had sudden thoughts of her grandmother…

She looked toward the ground. "I miss her… She would probably know where the Ice Cream Shoppe was…" she said aloud, her voice clearly reflecting her melancholy feelings.

(I know… ugh… how you feel,) huffed Charmander, dodging in and out of passerby's feet, (Right now I wish I were back in Pallet too… hey, watch it! Ouch!) A man's foot booted him onto the hard sidewalk.

Kayla turned around. "Charmander? Where did you go…?" she asked loudly, the little lizard gone from her sight. Her eyes scanned the sidewalk, but there were so many people, the only things she could see were handbags and pants.

She pushed through a small line of girls. One of them turned around and pushed Kayla back.

"Hey! Watch it you stupid hick-girl!" she yelled, her heavily fake-colored red hair flipping around as she turned to go back to her group.

Kayla stood in mild confusion. "Hick-girl?" she said quietly, "What's that?"

Suddenly she felt a small tug at her pant leg. Charmander had finally found his way back to her. She smiled, "Oh Charmander! I thought you were gone…."

(I wouldn't leave you; you're my trainer!) he said, smiling back up at her. Then he turned toward the opposite side of the street and pointed.

(And look what I found!) he said happily.

Kayla's eyes followed the invisible path traced by Charmander's finger over to a small, but slightly familiar, shop on the other side of the street. It looked old and run-down, but was still open for business. Obviously it was one of those mom and pop stores that have trouble in the bigger cities. On the front window were large, blue, painted letters spelling out, "Papa's Ice Cream Shoppe". Kayla's eyes lit up.

"Charmander, you found the Ice Cream Shoppe! Oh you don't know what this means to me! And it's still the same way it was when Grama and I went to it all those years ago," she said, a bit of excitement stirring in her.

(Shall we?) said Charmander, tugging Kayla's pant leg toward the street.

Kayla nodded happily. The two walked across the street quickly, so as not to disturb traffic, and stopped shortly in front of the old shop. Kayla could see that no one was inside, except an old man at the counter. He looked up as Kayla and Charmander entered the store.

(That must be Papa…,) whispered Charmander while raising an eyebrow at the dusty man.

"W… what? Customers? Why I'll be…," he said softly, a look of amazement on his face, "Why, it's been two days since someone's come in here! Darn newfangled ice cream store francheeses and such are murderin' our business…. Thought I was gonna have ta' eat the ice cream all by my lonesome," he paused for a moment, his light blue eyes looking into Kayla's, "Say, you're not just here fer the bathroom are ya'?"

Kayla blushed, "No! Not at all! We came in here for some ice cream, uh, sir."

The old man smiled, his many wrinkles becoming more pronounced, "Good. What would ya' like?"

He moved his hand across the glass countertop to showcase many ice creams and sorbets that the small metal containers held. Kayla chose her favorite, Rocky Road; and Charmander, being new to ice cream, chose Sherbet, but only because it was orange like him.

The two sat at a tiny, two-seat table and began to eat their ice cream. They were silently licking their scoops for a few moments, until Charmander let out a cry.

(Ahh! Something's wrong with my ice cream!) he yelled, pointing to a mound of melting Sherbet. Kayla looked up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled as to why Charmander was so freaked out, "Do you not like the taste?"

Charmander pointed to the drooling orange mess that was his ice cream.

"Oh, it's just melting kinda fast… that's weird, it's not very hot in here…" she said, grabbing a napkin from a grubby old dispenser.

The ice cream man looked up from his newspaper, "Too hot? Seems cold in here to me…."

(Well of course it's cold to him! He's an old man!) said Charmander, futilely attempting to lick up the orange blob.

"Maybe it's because you're a fire pokemon?" offered Kayla, thinking in terms of pokemon.

(What! That can't be; or I'd be melting it more if I breathed on it, right?) he said, eyeing his remaining scoop below that was still fairly solid.

He breathed in deeply, and then exhaled onto his last scoop. They both watched as the scoop went from solid to liquid in a time range of ten seconds… Charmander rubbed the back of his head.

(Oh….)

As Kayla and Charmander left the small shop, they noticed that there were much fewer people around than before. The sun was over near the horizon now, and it was obvious that the mess of people from before must've been going home from work- the 5 o'clock rush.

Kayla looked around, and noticed a small park with a beautiful fountain in it a few yards away from them.

"Look at that fountain!" she exclaimed to Charmander. She began to walk up to it. It had five layers that the water inhabited. Kayla's eyes glimmered as she watched the water spout out the top of the structure, and trickle down each level.

Charmander was watching her happily; when he suddenly felt a chill go up his spine. He quickly turned around.

(So, you're back!) he said menacingly as he realized that their 'stalker' was back. The flame on his tail grew larger again, and he readied his scratch attack…

(Come on! What're you afraid of coward! Show yourself!) he yelled to the small group of trees he was facing.

Kayla turned around; she could feel it too… The feeling of something watching her… She looked as hard as she could through the trees. But, like before, nothing. Whoever was watching them, sure did do it well. She took a step towards the trees.

"Please come out… um… we don't want to hurt you; we just want to know why you're following us," she pleaded, motioning to Charmander to put his arms down so that he wouldn't look threatening.

A few leaves rustled in the bushes below a large tree in the center of the group they were facing, and made Kayla take a timid step back. She wasn't that brave…

What finally emerged from behind the great tree was not a huge, powerful pokemon, but a small, brown dinosaur-like creature wearing a skull on its head and carrying a bone on its back.

"A… Cubone?" gasped Kayla. She took a good look at it. The powder-white skull on its head was cracked in several spots; one large crack on its forehead made it seem as if it had one eyebrow. It was fairly larger than a regular Cubone would be, and the bone it carried was old and cracked too. Its eyes were half-closed, but not in a threatening way. It just stood there, watching her and Charmander.

(Well, what'dya want Pops?) said Charmander, feeling annoyed that this old Cubone had been following him for so long without reason.

The Cubone walked toward the two of them slowly. Charmander brushed up his battling skills again and stood ready to take him on. But the old-timer walked past him, and instead stopped in front of Kayla.

(Huh!) piped Charmander, his expression one of confusion and fear as he watched the unknown pokemon approach Kayla, (Wait, what're you doing with her!) He ran up to stop abruptly behind the Cubone and stay ready in case it tried anything sneaky…

Cubone lowered his head and closed his eyes. (I have been following you ever since you passed by my tree. I live in the 'Feared Oak' of the Pallet Forest. When you passed by me, I sensed something that I had not sensed for almost fourteen years…,) he paused, (I had to follow you to find out if what I sensed was really true.)

Charmander blinked. (What!) he leaned over to Kayla and covered part of his mouth with his hand so that Cubone couldn't hear, (I think Pops here is a loony….)

Kayla smiled nervously. She had no idea what the two pokemon were saying. Charmander didn't seem threatened anymore, so the initial fear was pretty much gone, but how would she ever know why this pokemon was following her? She blushed a bit from embarrassment, and her voice grew quieter.

"Uh… I'm really sorry, Mr. Cubone, but I honestly don't know what you're saying…" she said, hoping the little pokemon wouldn't get angry at her or anything.

The Cubone raised an eyebrow under his secondary skull. (Hm… I suppose I was premature on my assumption. If you were who I thought you were; then you would have understood me.)

He turned around quietly and began to walk away.

(Wait a minute!) cried Charmander, (You're just leaving like that? But….)

"Uh… I'm really sorry if I said something to, um, offend you Mr. Cubone…" Kayla said timidly. She wished more than anything right now that she somehow had the power to understand him, but nothing would come to her…

(Cheez… what a rude old man. Oh well,) Charmander said, turning around to face Kayla again, (Try not to feel so bad Kayla; he was just a weird old pokemon.)

"Hm…" said Kayla, unsure of what to do now. The Cubone had left her a bit depressed. She felt inside her pocket, and remembered that she had never shown her parents' coin to Charmander.

"Hey Charmander! Um, do you want to see something of my parents'?" she asked, bringing out the golden piece.

The Cubone a hundred feet away or so turned his head to look back as he walked away.

Charmander's eyes lit up, (Ooh… shiny…. But what are these birds on the front?)

"I thought you'd like it," Kayla said, smiling.

(Where did you get that?) said the Cubone, now back next to the two partners.

Kayla looked up, "Oh… um, you like it too?"

(Look Pops,) said Charmander, now getting really annoyed at this pokemon, (If you wanna say something, just say it already and leave. You like asking questions, but you still haven't really even answered our first question to you!)

The Cubone raised an eyebrow at Charmander, (Do not make me hurt you boy. I may be old, but I am at a much higher level than you. And please; do not call me 'Pops'.) He paused, (Now, tell me. Did your master really obtain this from her parents?)

(Yes, if she says so, I'd believe her,) said Charmander, unsure of where this odd conversation was leading them.

Kayla watched their conversation silently. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but she had a feeling that the appearance of the coin was what made Mr. Cubone come back.

She broke the brief moment of silence.

"Uh… Mr. Cubone? If you want to know about this, well, I really don't know much about it myself. My Grama told me that it belonged to my parents… See, here's a picture of them…" she said, pulling out her wallet from her pack and opening it to family pictures. Most of her pictures were of her grandmother and her, but one spot was saved especially for her mother and father.

Cubone's eyes widened. (So it is true… You are the one I thought you were… But then why didn't youOh yes, I understand now. In fact, they probably wanted it this way. Yes… I see now, they wouldn't have wanted you spotted, or detected by them….)

(What are you talking about! This is just getting weirder!) said Charmander, now more confused than ever.

The Cubone nodded, (If you would like for me to explain the best I can, I'll need you to come with me somewhere. I'll have to be somewhat creative to explain things to… what was her name? Kayla? Well, I'm sure I could do it, I just need you two to come with me for a moment.)

He walked away a few feet, and then motioned them to follow. Kayla, still holding out her wallet, looked down at Charmander. He just stared back up at her.

"Um… well, it couldn't hurt to follow him, I guess…" she said, quickly pushing her wallet and coin back where they belonged.

A/N: Well, enjoy the semi-short chapters while you can because they're about to get longer! What exactly is this old Cubone's connection to Kayla? And why is everything about him so creepy? Review if ya' like! And if you do, then you get a virtual hug!