Another chapter!

ObsidianSpires: I enjoy writing Fury, she's more mature and got more sense than Topaz. A balance between take and.. er take on Topaz's half.
Dilasc: While it may be a bummer, I assure you there completely new chapters, such as the Belsprout temple and completely redone rewritten chapters like the Union Reunion. I hope your not too disappointed
Tjal: He does look like a cow. I can never really decide if Professor Oak is as dreamyas he looks
Miroku: Oneof my most determined reviewers! Shhh! Don't spoil! laughs
The Made Tortoise: Oh might goddess of the pokemon other trainer fiction, everything she touches turns to gold! A shrine in the house of Usism! Read her stuff like mad!

Chapter 3

My eyes opened blearily, gazing at the blurry world above the sleeping bag's lip and yawned. I love sleep; there is nothing more relaxing in the world than lying in bed buried in doonas on a rainy day. But, I wasn't in my room, and luckily it wasn't raining so with great lack of enthusiasm, I groped from my PokeGear lying next to my bag and checked the time.

"9:56! Fury, why'd you let me sleep in? You knew I wanted to start training early," I frowned, scrambling up and rummaging through my bag. She rolled onto her back, her tiny paws wagging in the air and her nose breathing deeply making little woosh noises as I picked up the pieces of last night. It wasn't much of a celebration, my first night on my own in the big wide world, but we had at least scoffed a good deal of lollies I had bought from the Cherrygrove's corner store. I smiled warmly as her bulging little stomach rose and fell.

"You looked tired."

"Most people do when they're sleeping. Damn, we better get going if we want to get to Violet city before dark." We fed and packed up quickly and when Fury was tucked away safely I hurried back towards the track that led towards the first Gymbadge. To cut a rather repetitive part short, lotsa battles, just as many victories. Okay, so what if they were all little kids with Rattata's, a wins a win! And from what the Pokedex said, Fury was on the verge of evolving.

Hoothoot settled into the group very slowly, but still eyed me gruffly when she thought I wasn't looking. I think that was why Talon wasn't getting too close but I was probably just being paranoid, no trainer wants to be hated by their Pokemon.

At the end of the day, the sun began to fade, as it so often did around 6 o'clock, and it didn't look like we were going to make it to Violet before night set in.

I swore but saw a shortcut through a copse of trees, and I could at least get in a few more kilometres before it became totally black. Fury whined but I convinced her not much longer, I mean I was the one doing the walking, and I was pretty knackered too.

I didn't hesitate to cut across the track curving around it but I had second thoughts once I was inside. It was tight knit, the branches weaving in and out of each other cutting out all but a few penetrating rays of light. They wavered eerily if the wind picked up the branches and shook them like maracas.

As we entered the clearing I felt a cold chill. It was too quiet, even the Caterpie churring above us fell into a heavy silence. I rubbed my arms through my trainer's uniform. It wasn't cold but something was definitely amiss. Telling myself I was being stupid and unreasonable

I strode forward reciting There was an Old Lady in my head, I really enjoyed repetitive songs you could see how fast you could babble. It was why I liked a lot of Dr Seuss poems no matter how old I got.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly! I don't know why she swallowed a fly, but I think she'll die.

Fury dozed fitfully as she lay on top of my pack, making odd snuffling noises. It made me even more uneasy but I trekked on regardless. But the further in I went I still couldn't free myself of the feeling I was being watched, one of those sixth sense things that always seem to fade as you grow older.

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider! It wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly but I think she'll die.

The rhyme in my head trailed off. I should have been thinking about more important things.

Okay, I have four Pokemon, that's pretty good but will it beat the Violet gym leader, I mused to distract myself, wondering what type they actually used. It was too bad I hadn't studied up more on the actual League. From what I read, Johto was densely populated in large cities sparsely dotting the region and heavily forested. It had a variety of environments that the Kanto League didn't have which made for a larger variety of Pokemon.

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird, how absurd to swallow a bird! She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly-

Suddenly behind me a sharp crack in the stillness went of like a gunshot. I spun wildly to face it with Fury starting wide-awake loosing a shrill cry as she clutched to keep a grip onto the bag.

There, beneath the eves of the trees, the slanted light stretching claw like shadows across his face, was Tobias. His red hair swayed as it framed his face, his whole body perfectly still. He glared at me sullenly, not speaking, not moving. I swallowed hard, tensing my muscles. What the heck was he pulling here?

Fury broke the wary silence between us with a hiss and her back crest erupted with a spurt of sparks. I swatted them out casually, trying to contain my poise.

"Hello Topaz. Isn't it a surprise to see you here." He offered an unrevealing smile before he continued, freaky little snot. "So, how's my Cyndaquil going? It was so nice of you to look after it for a while, but now I've come to take the little rat back."

I flushed angrily, sucking in a tight breath as I glared. "Not in this life time mate! You want her, you'll have to fight me!"

He snorted, rightly so I guess considering he had a good head of height over me and a lot of weight to go with it. But I readied my fists, goading him on with my own cocky smirk. He strode purposely closer within an arms reach and before I could stop myself I swelled up, thrusting my shoulders back and jutted my chin out proving I wasn't backing down to him or anyone else. "Bring it on you stuck up boofhead!"

Suddenly his face snarled and he lashed out like an Arboc, grabbing my shirt and yanking me up to his face. I sucked in a whoosh of air in shock. Fury rolled from my shoulder crying out as she landed in the bushes. Tobias spared her a brief glance but tightened his grip on my shirt. I gagged, his knuckle pressed under my oesophagus spitefully rubbing against it as the tips of my toes sought contact with the ground.

"Give me her Pokeball! She was mine!" he threatened into my ear. He jabbed his knuckle in deeper. My eyes bugged with a gurgle. I shied away with my neck against my back. I felt like a sacrificial lamb! Still I stubbornly remained silent, glaring. It was then I caught the frantic light in his eyes, wild and scared. Did he even know what he was doing? All at once it rolled together, the tough act, his disgusted aunt, the way he kept trying to justify himself.

"Nooo-bod-ee likes you!" I sang softly, gagging as his thumb rubbed up and down my throat as I spoke. "Ever-ee body hates you, why don't you go and eat wuuuurms!"

"No!" Tobias stuttered, a look like a stunned rabbit trapped in headlights. His grip loosened around my throat allowing me to stand properly. With opportunistic timing, I lashed out with my fist, pistoning from my waist and twisting it just under his floating rib. He cried out releasing my shirt and shoving my away as he doubled over gasping

"You want a fight I'll give you a FIGHT!" I yelled madly, my mouth set savagely. I threw myself at him with arms flailing but with a sweep of his arm still clutching his stomach with one hand he heaved me away and leapt forwards. His fist whistled past my nose as I fell backwards and rolling over the ground in an ungainly heap.

"Hoothoot go!" I shouted frantically, fumbling over my Pokeballs. As I was about to release her, Tobias's boot slammed down on my wrist with shrieking agony and the Pokeball rolled from my splayed rictus fingers out of my reach. I reeled clawing at the boot with his other hand trying to pry it off as he twisted it deeper into the leaves.

"A Hoothoot, Topaz? That's now two Pokemon you've stolen from me." Tobias grinned menacingly, huffing and hunched, he swept the thick red bangs that hung limply by his face and curled it back into its place. "That means twice the beating!" His boot connected with the back of my head and my vision swam. As I tried to get up he lashed out twice more the steel caps drilling my lower back and ribs. On the third time I rolled into his kick, latching around it.

With an angry grunt I sank my teeth in through his pant leg.

"You little!" He roared, grabbing a hunk of hair and yanking me up onto my feet. My scalp screamed and I could feel the dull trickle of blood down the nape of my neck. His face twisted in an angry grimace, teeth bared and lips peeled back, eyes a mad white. It was like a dog that had been beaten around all its life had finally snapped. He threw me to the ground again with another brutal kick.

I gazed up at him cradling my arm to chest, and trying to take the brunt with my knees. "No, I'm not going to kill you Topaz. Just beat you within an inch of your life."

Then from beneath my pack Fury squeaked furiously and leapt at Tobias from behind, loosing a series of slash and bite attacks. Tobias whirled around swinging his elbow and batted her away in surprise. She crashed into the ground in a flurry of dead leaves.

"Topaz!" Fury cried weakly to me. I screamed in hot red anger, kicking out at Tobias's shins as he still stood peering at her over his shoulder. He grunted. His legs buckled a little but no more. I shrugged away trying to collect my thoughts.

"Fury!" I scrambled to my feet but while I was off balance, Tobias's fist caught me in the hollow of my throat and I plunged to the ground again. "Fury!" I wheezed, gasping for air. Little by little, I inched my way to where Fury had fallen. Each time I tried to get up, Tobias beat me to the ground again with a hellish, barely conscious grin. After numerous blows, I finally made it to Fury. She lay by the tree, senseless.

"Fury," I whispered and sweeping her into my chest.

"That's my rat!" Tobias screamed, drunken with rage and pummelled me with kick after kick to my back. Tobias was gone, and in his wake was a goulish boy the result of years of contempt from those around him.

I'll be pissing blood for a week, I giggled as the pain began to dim and my thoughts started to swoon. But that didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that my Pokemon were safe. I groaned as Tobias bashed my kidneys again with a high pitched bark.

Suddenly Fury stirred. She saw my face contorted with pain and an amazing thing happened. Fury began to glow with a soft white radiance. The white light blossomed and grew brighter and covered her whole body like a veil of newly fallen snow. The glow became more dazzling until it became unbearable and I had to shut my eyes. In my arms her body shifted and wriggled, changing beneath me, with dull warmth spreading over us both.

I forced my eyes open, the multicoloured spots darting across my vision. Cyndaquil no longer, Fury shook off the glittering veil with a menacing growl, transformed into something more agile and muscular. Quilava, I recalled vaguely, clasping her tighter.

She wriggled from my grip and sprang at Tobias with newfound courage and resolve. As the saying went, God hath no fury like a woman pissed, or something like that.

Bounding onto his chest she forced him to the ground, her teeth locked onto his wrist guard as he shielded his throat. One hand wormed free and grasped a Pokeball on his waist and grunted, "Go!" heaving her off.

Manifesting in a red ZAPP! cameWartortle. Its sleepy demeanour was gone and when it saw Tobias's rabid dog expression it exclaimed in confusion before lunging to his aid. Its solid skull caught Fury in the chest and she flew backwards smashing into a tree and sliding down moaning. Shaking away the daze she rose to her feet again.

She kept Tobias and Wartortle at bay as they worked together. While Wartortle rushed in from one side to tackle her she bounded aside and Tobias took the hit. He stumbled backward, out of the match for the moment. Wartortle and Fury traded blows, each getting as good as it gave. Then the Wartortle tripped, leaving an opening for Fury to take advantage of. She turned and a flood flames roared over Wartortle and when the flames were lifted, they revealed a charred Pokemon. Wartortle wasn't dead but it would just be in intensive care for a while.

But Tobias wasn't finished yet. Just as I had been catching Pokemon, so had he and a Geodude appeared from his Pokeball in another dazzling blast.

Oh no, Fury doesn't have a chance against a rock type, I dismayed, holding my head in my hands as I watched with morbid fascination. I climbed to my feet with the help of a tree trunk. That's when Tobias got back to me.

"I'll show you whose boss!" he yelled in my face and his backhand whipped across my nose.

Blood flowed freely.

My head rolled and my vision was snowed under in a black abyss.

"What?" Tobias's voice came through blurred, hysterical and helpless. His hands let go of my shirt as if I was contaminated and I sank against the tree, sliding down with a breathy moan. "No, I didn't mean it, wake up kid!"

Again came another surprise from nowhere and through drooping lids I saw Tobias's boots stumble back at a girl's voice. But the last blow from Tobias had sapped the last of my resolve to stay awake and lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep." I swatted at my alarm but my hand ached. Why'd I turn on my alarm, I never turn on my alarm? It was much too early for an alarm.

"Nurse, she's awake!" I peeled my eyes open to the harsh white lights of the hospital and remembered what had happened.

My eyes widened in anger. "Tobias, where is he?"

"He escaped Topaz. Charlie didn't make it in time to catch him," Fury said solemnly. I looked around for the source and breathed a sigh of relief as I spotted her at the end of my bed with Target and Talon. A small bandaid crisscrossed the bridge of her nose but she seemed otherwise fine, different in her Quilava form, but fine. "Where's Hoothoot?"

From the doorway leaned a figure, that Asian girl who had chosen Totodile at Professor Elm's lab who even now perched on her shoulder gnawing her long green braid. Her shaggy shoulder length hair framed her girlish face. "I'm sorry Topaz, but Tobias took Hoothoot with him," she said grimly.

Now I not only felt sore and weak as a kitten, but worthless too. I swore to protect my Pokemon and now one of them was in the hands of some kid who thought he was the Terminator.

"You couldn't have done anything about it, you were defending Fury," Charlie said forcefully, stepping into the room and up to the bed. I eyed her warily but she skirted around confidently to perch beside my other Pokemon, unmindful of my hesitation. Talon and Target nodded and backed her up with a melee of reassurance.

My Pokemon's support made me feel a bit better but I was till smarting from the beating. I shifted position but it released a whole new wave of pain. "How long till I'm better."

"You can leave now." A large beefy woman in a nurse's starched white glided through the doorway and up to my bedside, taking my hand roughly. She pressed her thumb tightly over the vein counting off the pulse silently. "You're fine although you'll be sore for awhile."

"Really? I couldn't tell," I grumbled sarcastically as she let my wrist flop down numbly after she was done. She glared tiredly at me, I knew all to well the smart-arse kids, think they know everything look used by all adults. "Sign out down stairs when you're ready to leave." Soon, was obviously on the tip of her tongue but she gave my knee a parting rap to test reaction and left muttering under her breath.

Feeling equally annoyed I waited until she had left the room and closed the door with a click behind her. Fury picked her way carefully over my aching limbs and sat beside me on my pillow as I lifted myself into a sitting position and my other two did the same, sitting on either side of my knees watching carefully.

"Alright what happened," I said stiffening myself up watching the obvious city kid. She sat on top of the bench at the bottom of the bed with legs crossed, her elbow on her knee and running her index finger along the lobe of her ear. Her whole face was a bright beaming beacon. I restrained myself from barking what she thought was so funny but I could tell she was one of those people who just couldn't help it.

Those people annoyed me to no end.

She shrugged lightly. "Maverick and were wandering out along the edges of this copse of tree's, just looking for some Pokemon to catch. We heard a battle going on, it sounded fierce so we thought it was some experienced trainers and could grab some tips."

My eyes strayed to the sparkling red eyes of the Totodile named Maverick. His own rolled around the room like kids marbles and he probably hadn't thought anything of the sort.

"So we stumbled around for a while and suddenly we saw Tobias standing over the top of you, trying to shake you awake. He looked a'scared, mainly cos there was this freak'n huge Pidgeot shrieking in the tree and looked about ready to take him down like a Raticate. If Fury wasn't trying to turn him into a hotdog with that Geodude on her tail I woulda thought he was trying to help you. But he saw me and panicked, ripped a Pokeball from your hand, recalled Geodude and fled before we could ask anything. Fury told me what really happened, crazy creepazoid! I got you back here best I could, but your damn heavy for a little kid with no meat on her bones." I didn't know which remark insulted me more as I arched one eyebrow. "But luckily there was some big trainers about and they carried you. The kid's totally lost it."

"Saying he lost it is implying he had it in the first place, " I groaned grumpily, rubbing the scruff behind Targets's neck and he smiled sloppily, obviously liking it. But it was no consolation for the loss of Hoothoot. Charlie smiled warmly and came closer. "Okay mate, who are you?" I asked trying to be affable.

Her hand stuck out into my face with her own seeming to split apart in a wide white crescent. "Charlie Erban, I'm a native, from Goldenrod, the biggest city in Johto. Totodile's nicknamed Maverick and he bites anything and everything that moves, other then that is a strong fighter and very affectionate."

At this Maverick gave a jubilant gargle, breaking into a singsong chant of "To! To! Totodiiiiile!"

"You gotta tell me where you got the translators, maybe then I'll understand him," she mused, lifting him off her shoulder and hugging him around the waist. "I have a Sentret too, and a Spearow, and a female Nidoran. They're great too."

"I'll bet," I said dryly, squinting against the glare of the hospital lights as I lay back.

"Your right," she smiled maternally at my puzzled look, wondering what I had said. "Its like way late. You gotta sleep!"

She glided out the door without a further word, flicking the light switch off leaving me with dizzy dots flickering at the corner of my vision. My three Pokemon made equally startled cries, tripping over my legs beneath the freezing sheets but after a second they calmed down, wriggling into a comfortable position with Fury squirming underneath my arm and resting her head on my chest. She had been strangely quiet and I wondered if she was hurt worse then she appeared.

"Thankyou Topaz," she whispered, and with that warm glow in my chest, I drifted into a content sleep, praying tomorrow wouldn't be quite as painful.

I sat on the steps of the Violet city hospital, fingering the straps of my burdensome backpack midmorning the next day.

It had caused enough trouble just trying to get down the trillions of flights of stairs down to the counter, the various bits and pieces rubbing against the curves of my back like jags of stone with every step. And then the fee for a single nights stay! It was outrageous! I didn't eat anything and I didn't reckon I was that much trouble. I only called the nurse a dozen times or so through the night! Mostly to see if I could get something to eat!

On my lap lay the last of my maths homework. I despise maths but my parents both threatened if there was a dramatic fall in marks, baddabing baddaboom I was back home. If I could complete the last of the quadratics without having an epileptic fit and post it, I was home free until I could pick up my next set in Azalea.

But my heart wasn't really in it, I kept seeing Hoothoot's disgruntled face at the idea of being given a human name. Was being trained really that bad?

Either way Charlie left a note at the administration desk saying she'd be back and she would travel with Fury and I. That was lucky as I wasn't crashhot about going off on my own again. I had that weird feeling like Tobias was gonna track me down or something. So I waited, Fury wandering around the footpath snuffling whatever pungent aroma happened to catch her fancy. I asked her how she felt about her new evolution and she thought it was brilliant, her exact words.

"It's like eating a whole heap of sugar! I have so much energy, keener hearing, way sharper eyesight. My sense of smell has gone down in equal amount though." She wriggled her nose pertly at that and jumped down the next couple of steps enthusiastically. She was really enjoying the new mobility of a Quilava.

I stared at the building across the street; its panelled window's with wide shutters and billowing curtain's seemed to wink at me as I carried on the song cut short be Tobias's arrival yesterday.

"Let's see, where was I?" I mumbled allowed, gnawing the chips of paint off the pencil tip and spitting them disgusted into the garden. Fury looked up from a bed of daffodils with pollen powder all over her muzzle and I smiled painfully at her. "Your lucky your illiterate." But I was already teaching her the rudimentary skills of the alphabet, and hopefully she would pick up the slack and teach my other Pokemon. You never know when it would come in handy.

"Hellooo-ohh!" I looked up from the steps to see Charlie's bright smiling face but it blanched in surprise, almost stepping on Maverick as he weaved in and out of her feet. "My gawd, aren't you gonna put make-up on that nose, or that eye?"

Self-consciously my hands went to my nose, feeling mashed and tender. Okay, I'm a coward, I couldn't look myself in the mirror but from that reaction I obviously was no Lorelei. As for my eye it did feel a little swollen, but those were a dime a dozen at home. Us and the Kath kids played pretty rough so it didn't bother me.

"I mean, uh, you're looking, um, better!" she tried to cover it up glibly, waving it away.

My eyebrow arched in reply. "Look if you're done with the beauty tips why don't you grab a seat and tell us where you were this morning?"

"Loveta!" she chirped, bouncing up onto the raised cement and leaning on the cap of a Blissey statue staring serenely out into the street with its hands clasped. "See, I'm a kid who wakes with the sun and lives for the nightlife! Sleeping seems such a waste of time when there's stuff to be done. Maverick and I went for a bit of sight seeing and we caught up with the Pokemon Academy here-"

"They have a Pokemon Academy?" I asked ponderously, not looking up from the equation I tapped into my calculator.

"Ahuh, the principal is a man named Earl. I sat in on his lecture," her expression turned puzzled, as if remembering a past riddle. " And before we leave Violet we're going to have to drop by the Belsprout Temple. A little down the road there's Union Cave; it needs a Flash HM to get through it."

She looked at me wait for my comments.

"Oh brilliant! I think I just reach into my Wonderbag and pluck one out, huh?" I said sarcastically, glancing up from my paper. I didn't see her expression but I jotted in the last answer and shoved it into the big yellow envelope ready to mail.

"Nhuh! I'm not stew-pid!" she retorted good-naturedly. "Didn't you hear? We go to Belsprout Temple, complete some challenge- I didn't catch that part-" another ponderous look. "And we win it from their head sage. Save a lot of backtracking."

"Sounds like a plan."

"That's quite a wall."

"Yeah, some wall."

"One big wall."

"What a wall."

"What wall!"

"Why the crap do they need a wall that big? Afraid someone's gonna nick of with their rice?"

Charlie turned slightly, with her hands on her hips piercing me with a keen look. "Some respect, please fore-en-er! Things weren't always safe round here! This temple goes back generations. I mean, it was here in my father's day!"

I rolled my eyes back at her. "Was that supposed to be a joke? I'm just saying that's one freak'n big wall."

Charlie, Fury, Mave and I were staring at the long length of the east wall that ran all the way round the little village in itself that was Belsprout Monastery. It tall with barely a crevice between the huge slate cinderblocks, each blue-grey cube sanded down so smooth I reckon you coulda skated on it. The top cinder blocks were all painted a pearly white without a flaw, unless you count the Pidgey poo. I don't know how they could perch comfortably on it, the whole top was studded with long steel spikes that gleamed in the bright sunlight piercing the tall shade trees.

The Belsprout Monastery was just north of Violet City along a path of white pebbles lined by trees. It was so beautiful in the soft shadow of the cherry blossom trees that Johto was known for. As I stared at their glossy trunks in wonder I desperately wished I had come there when they were in bloom.

"Its so romantic," Charlie cooed, spinning in a circle with her arms out wide as she skipped ridiculously down the path.

But now we were in the shadow something that looked more appropriate in a Hagar the Horrible comic then in this quaint grove. Fury nosed it curiously, Charlie ran her fingers along the minute grooves, I tried to figure out how the Pidgey's sat on it, and Maverick wanted to eat it, slurping it with his spongy pink tongue.

"Are we done yet?" Fury spoke up impatiently, sitting back with her paws folded. "I'm bored and I wanna fight something."

As she said this her eyes trailed after the Totodile bouncing past a little to eagerly. "Don't even think about it. Alright we're going."

Charlie hitched her bright blue backpack over her shoulder, jazzed up with various stickers and slogans, and led the way. Ahead the pebbled path curved around the South wall where the entrance lay out of sight. My feet crunched heavily over the stones while Fury padded at my side with a pitter and a patter.

"Iszat it?" I asked, with my regions customary laziness at speaking. Since coming to Johto I've realised our language is just barely English, with the first and last letters dropped or run together. And it was really annoying Charlie so I intended to keep doing it. Charlie looked up down from the branching Cherry blossom trees. Ahead poking above the straight line in the wall looked like a rise, or a roof jutting out made of logs painted in bright red and yellow. The closer we got the more I saw we were right.

"It's a prayer gate," Charlie explained pointing at the golden characters embellishing the column's on either side. Also on either side was a pair of identical egg shaped rocks as tall as Charlie or myself. On the far side was a gorgeous weeping tree, its limp branches swaying back and forth. I touch of homesickness struck me, reminding me of my own bower at the top of our tree house.

Fury barked jubilantly about to dart through the gate when suddenly the weeping leaves of tree parted belling out with a yell and a flash of cold steel hissing from its sheath.

I shrieked! Before I realised it I ran, leaping up and over the egg stone still screaming and cowering on top of it latching on with both hands. Fury howled, the flames on her back flaring up a hot white and Charlie leapt up, landing with her feet shoulder width apart, her fists raised, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted ferociously.

"What the crap do you think you're doing!" I panted with eyes like saucers. One hand was raised into cat claws, slashing the air at the bloke poised on the egg opposite me, his sword a hairs breadth from Fury's neck. I scrambled clumsily down of the egg fuming, and stalking towards him. "Look you," I snarled my own fist raised ready to hammer him into next Sunday when with another soft hiss a second sword materialised beneath my chin, tilting my swollen face up for him to see.

Through the sun's glare I saw a man in his late twenties perhaps with his brown hair close trimmed and a short rat's tail in a wrap. The midmorning shadows obscured his face from view but his mouth was set in a thin line. My eyes slide slowly sideways to Charlie and her absurd stance. "What the crap do you think your doing! Do something!"

"Um, what?" she sneered back, studying the bloke as she ushered Maverick behind her. Mave gurgled gleefully and began chasing a butterfly fluttering by. I studied him too. He was dressed in some sort of robe, a slate blue gi with grey hakama pants so he must be apart of the temple.

"You're trainers?" the man asked suspiciously, eyeing Charlie closely. That didn't sound like a good question, the kind where neither is the right answer but Charlie answered with controlled confidence.

"Yeah, we were told by Earl that we could come here to get the Flash HM. Do you actually think she's a threat?"

"I resent that," I snapped, the blade brushing too close to my skin for my liking.

Like liquid metal the swords slided silently back into the sheaths hanging off his pants and he bowed deeply before us. "My sincerest apologies, Team Rocket attempted a raid some time ago and has been in the area ever since."

"Apology accepted. My names Charlie and this is Topaz."

"Yeah, g'day," I mumbled, kneeling and gathering Fury close while rubbing my throat, still not exactly thrilled with the welcome.

"Greetings, I am Kazuma, a warrior of this temple," he said affably enough. "Please follow me."

I gave Fury another once over look, but she seemed fine, sauntering at his heels with bright garnet eyes as he lead us through the shadow of the arch. Charlie patted her ankle and called Maverick to her side. When he trotted up I saw delicate yellow wings sticking between his teeth as he swallowed with a cheerful "To!" I gagged in disgust.

"So, what's with this place?" I ventured catching up. On both sides small wooden bungalows sprouted up through gorgeous gardens and flowers flourished in choreographed patterns. The colours complimented or accentuated each other and tall bamboo shoots were used to separate them. In the distance behind what was a four-tiered pagoda of red and yellow I could see a river flowing into a miniature wetlands with herons and stalks grazing briskly through the tall reeds.

"Many centuries ago this temple was a key strategic point between Kanto and Johto when the two were at war. It was perfect because the temple was self sufficient, the monks unable to resist and secluded so that surprise attacks could be launched without reprisal. Legend has it that when the hour was at its bleakest, the monks called to the gods and they sent a messenger, a 100 foot Belsprout to drive them out. It succeeded and once its duty was done, it froze being rooted to the spot. As a sign of respect the monks built a tall temple around it and now it is a place of worship."

Kazuma beamed proudly, gesturing to the left. That must have been it, tall and regal this time painted an elegant maroon with gold trim, more clever characters running along the beams. As I peered closer I saw something incredible.

"Hold ya horses a moment, is that thing moving?" I blurted in disbelief, stopping mid-step with my hands raised to shield out the sun.

The samurai fella slowed, smiling. "It is, that is the spirit of the Belsprout in the centre beam as it sways. Many trainers come simply because it reminds them that they too were once as supple as the stalk of a Belsprout but as they grow with their Pokemon they become strong with rigid as the trunk of a full grown Shiftry." He spoke dreamily, and even though I didn't know what a Shiftry was, I understood what he was saying and how he felt.

His smile suddenly faded a little. " You said you wish to attempt the HM challenge. Are you certain, because once in you may not be able to find your way out?"

"How is that," Charlie asked,

"The challenge is a labyrinth, that building just ahead." True enough at the button of the white pebbled path cul-de-sac was a large building, both wide and tall, neither as bright or elegant as the ones that surrounded it. "It is full of traps and pitfalls, tricks and illusions, do you think your Pokemon are up to it?"

As he said this he strode across a narrow bridge crossing a channel of water trickling musically across the polished rocks. Behind him lay the gloomy entrance.

Without hesitation Charlie followed with utter confidence. "I believe in my Pokemon 100 and together we'll conquer anything you throw at us!"

"To!" echoed Maverick, waddling to stand beside her and his snout nodded enthusiastically.

I stared dubiously at the entrance. All I had was a Pidgey, a Sentret and a Quilava. How far could I get with just those three, barely trained with only a few days under our belts?

Kazuma saw my hesitation. "You may enter Charlay, and may your faith prove well founded."

She winked boldly back. "Of course, with this little fella what do I have to worry about?" She obviously didn't see the yellow scales flecking his teeth or otherwise she'd have been a lot more worried. Fury danced in and out of her feet as they faded into the murky house.

I shrugged, now or never.

As I was about to pass through Kazuma's hand stopped me. "The labyrinth is not something you should challenge if your faith in your Pokemon is not absolute," he warned. A cloud passed across the sun and the light dimmed and a cold shiver ran down my spine. I hung my head, shamefaced.

"How can I have her blind faith," I said, thumbing after the green haired trainer. This revelation hit me like a blow to the chest. I have always been confident, okay, arrogant, and this vulnerability, this fault was not something I could admit to easily.

Scotty's voice whispered in my ear just as it had the day down at the park. "See Topaz, you just don't have the knack, you really should let me go in your place!"

"My Pokemon are so young how can I have faith in them, when I don't have faith in me?"

"I have faith in you, Topaz." Fury's soft, solemn voice startled me, her thin drawn face peering around the corner, looking up at me with such warmth, such love I was speechless. I couldn't understand and I suddenly felt scared, thinking of Hoothoot and Tobias and how crap a trainer I'd been so far. "I have faith with all my heart."

I looked down at her helplessly, and then up at Kazuma imploring him to say something. He smiled approvingly.

Inka Tninka Pidjikala.

"Then I guess that's all that matters," I whispered, my heart thudding in my ears. "All that matters."

But inside, I wasn't so sure.