Disclaimer/Author's Note:
Akeno: I don't own Pokémon or anything else that is protected by law that may or may not appear in this fanfiction. Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to thank every one for reading this latest installment of 'Pokémon: Naturals'. I had taken a little 'break' from this fanfiction to get a better idea of the plot, which is why it took so long to update. Sorry about that. Now, I really appreciate it when people review my fanfiction. I've been trying to take the advice I get, though it does take a while to see the differences. I'll review my reviews now, and then let you go on your merry way. DJ Sandberry writes:
"Good description with the battles, as in the first chapter. On top of every thing ObsidianSpires commented on concerning your story, I'll add that I believe your characters are a little bland. Every one seems to like every one else, Terry's Pokémon are devoid of any kind of personality, and, so far, I think you dwell a bit too much on this Naturals bit. The story's got great potential, but I'm having problems staying interested. Regardless, keep up the good work."
ObsidianSpires writes: "Not bad, you're a very consistent writer. But Terry is a Gary-Stu, he's just too perfect. Calm and collected, cool in battle (not to mention naturally better at it), kind and caring, really. It's just not believable as a character. Plus, the idea that some people were just 'born' to train is rather stifling. To be a trainer is to compete, and those who just aren't born right will never make it? Luck of the draw? Having some sort of DNA defect that makes you a better trainer is like being a football player with an extra steroid-pumping organ inside him, it's not that he's talented, he was just born lucky. How can you compete with that? But since it's already in the story, I won't pick at it anymore. Otherwise I see no significant flaws, once again good writing style and everything. Until the next chapter, then. OS."
Thank you very much for both the compliments and the criticisms. I'll try to take your advice and fix up my fanfiction; although it may take a while. Also, I tried to restore the whole, 'I don't have too many emotions' thing that Terry had going on in the first chapter. I'm also going to start adding an Author's Note at the bottom of each chapter, to review what happened in each chapter. Oh, and anytime that you see this (−) in-between paragraphs, it means that a major scene change is taking place. Also, starting in this chapter, I'm giving insight into other character's thoughts. That is all.
Terry: Oh darn, I didn't get to exchange witty banter with Akeno this time.
Akeno: Oh would you…get back in the fanfiction!
Terry: Yay! Witty banter!
Akeno: (sigh) Fine, fine. Anyways, thank you all again, and please enjoy the third chapter of 'Pokémon Naturals'; 'New Acquaintances! Enter Tiana and Wally.'
Chapter 3: New Acquaintances! Enter Tiana And Wally
Terry walked through the tall grass of Route 102. It was tedious and annoying; but the last time he tried to clear the road for himself, Torchic's flame had almost set the entire field on fire. It was by pure chance that a Lotad wandering by decided to save his home and helped put out the fire. For now, Torchic and Poochyena were outside of their Poké Balls, but neither would talk with the other. Terry shook his head.
"Look. Both of you are my Pokémon. Mine. So, you have to do what I say. And I say talk to each other. Now!" Terry yelled. Torchic turned his head away and let out a long line of high-pitched, probably derogatory chirps at Poochyena. Poochyena, in turn, turned his head towards Torchic and growled menacingly. Terry sighed.
"Why do you two hate each other so much? Alright, so you've fought each other twice now, and hurt each other pretty bad, but that's no reason to hold a grudge. You two are going to be together for a long time. Longer if I don't see any improvement in your attitudes." Neither of them listened to him, and simply continued to bark and chirp at each other until Terry felt he was going to go insane. "Enough! Torchic! Inside your Poké Ball!" Torchic looked at Terry with sad eyes before he was sucked inside. "As for you, Poochyena…"
Terry stopped short. He had heard a small, shrill series of cries. Pokémon cries, but he didn't recognize them. He turned around to see a small white Pokémon with a green head and a pink horn on its head, but didn't recognize it either. He frowned. There was no reason not to catch it…
"Poochyena," he whispered down to his Pokémon, "Do you see that Pokémon over there?" Poochyena nodded. "Good. I want you to run as fast as you can and Tackle it before it can run away." Poochyena looked up at Terry and let out a questioning whine. Terry didn't really understand what he meant, but guessed anyway. "Because I told you to! Now go!" Poochyena gave a little bark that could be taken as grumpy, but before Terry had a chance to get angry, he was running full speed at the mystery Pokémon.
The Pokémon turned its head and let out high-pitched cries. It began to glow a weird shade of blue, and the air around it grew distorted. "A psychic Pokémon! Damn!" Terry muttered; but nothing happened to Poochyena as he slammed into the mystery Pokémon. "Of course! Psychic moves are ineffective against Dark-Type Pokémon!" He breathed, then said louder, "Poochyena, Bite it!" Poochyena whirled around chomped hard on the Pokémon. It let out a sharp cry. Then, it growled. Poochyena let out a sharp, mocking bark and Terry smiled.
"Is that it? Poochyena, Tackle it!" Poochyena ran towards the Pokémon, snarling at it. Then, the Pokémon glowed blue, and the air became distorted again, but Terry wasn't afraid. Dark Pokémon were impervious to psychic Pokémon. But, instead of directing the attack at Poochyena, the Pokémon instead lifted its arms and pointed at two large boulders on each side of it. The boulders began to glow blue, and were slowly lifted of the ground. The Pokémon then slapped its arms together, and the boulders closed in on Poochyena, ready to squash him between them.
"Jump, Poochyena, JUMP!" Terry screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn't feel anything. He knew that Poochyena was fighting at the top of his game, but Terry couldn't get calm. He couldn't reach out and embrace the energy; the boulders poised to squash one of his only Pokémon into a pulp made him lose his nerve. Poochyena somehow was able to jump and steer his way out of the path of the boulders right before they were crushed together, and turned to face the psychic Pokémon again. Terry breathed a sigh of relief; which was very short-lived.
The psychic Pokémon turned to face Poochyena, and began to laugh. At least, that's what Terry thought it was trying to do. It lifted one of its arms again, and the remains of the smashed boulders began to shake and glow blue. Terry felt his stomach drop; he felt like throwing up. The Pokémon lifted the rocks off the ground and swung them at Poochyena. "Dodge them, Poochyena!" Terry shouted, and Poochyena barely jumped out of the way when dozens of tiny rocks pelted the ground he had been standing on just seconds ago. The Pokémon continued to levitate and hurl pebbles and rocks at Poochyena as he ran. And then, Terry saw it. The Pokémon was keeping Poochyena occupied. Poochyena couldn't attack it while he was dodging attacks. But why? Poochyena was barely escaping, but he was still escaping; the Pokémon was doing no damage at all…
And then, a tree fell. It made a large, snapping noise, and fell right in front of Poochyena, blocking his path. Terry gasped, and Poochyena turned as rocks hurled at Poochyena. While most of them missed their mark and cracked holes in the tree, enough of them slammed into Poochyena, causing him to yelp in pain as large gashes appeared on him, and blood matted his fur.
"Poochyena, use a direct Tackle on that Pokémon! Show no mercy!" Terry bellowed as tears formed in his eyes. He was a Natural, but somehow, he felt weak and alone. Poochyena charged at the Pokémon, crying as the rocks that flew from the sides tore his skin, but he didn't stop. In fact, with each attack, he seemed to gain momentum. As the Pokémon flung its last rocks at Poochyena, it became desperate. Poochyena slammed headfirst into the Pokémon, and charged it into a tree. Once they hit the tree, Poochyena kept moving, as if he wanted to charge the Pokémon right through the tree. But soon, the toll of all the damage he had taken caused Poochyena to collapse. Both of them lay on the ground, out cold. Terry threw his Poké Ball at the Pokémon to catch it, and it didn't even put up a struggle. He sighed and checked his Pokédex for a new entry. He found a picture of the Pokémon he had just caught, and read its article.
"Ralts is the emotion Pokémon, sensing and changing to its trainer's feelings. Its appearance changes drastically throughout its evolutionary path; the only real similarity between it and its evolutions are the same colors they share: green, white, and pink. It is a Psychic-Type Pokémon, but can learn different moves from different types, which make for many unique strategies among trainers. A Ralts feels the same emotions as its trainer does; if its trainer is sad, it is sad, and if its trainer is happy, it is happy. It can also change reality around its trainer to make him/her feel better. Ralts is a favorite Pokémon for the manically depressed."
Terry also found out that his Ralts was a female and that it was out cold, but suffered from no other affliction, so a trip to the Pokémon Center was not as urgent as it had been for his Poochyena. However, he would not be able to use it in battle until it was healed. He frowned, and placed the Poké Ball at his side. Then, he walked over to his Poochyena. He was breathing deeply, and looked up at Terry with a happy look in its eyes.
"You did good, Poochyena. Return," Terry said, as Poochyena was sucked back inside the Poké Ball. Terry checked his status, and found that Poochyena was in better shape than he had thought. Not in good shape, but good enough to fight in a battle if need be.
−
That night, Terry was too wired to sleep. He thought about the battle with Ralts earlier that day, and how he couldn't feel the Natural power. He sighed and called Torchic out. Torchic gave a little yawn, and then began to tweet at Terry indignantly. Since Terry didn't understand any of it, he couldn't really be offended, and just waited for Torchic to finish. When he did, Terry smiled and asked, "You do know I can't understand what you're saying, right, Torchic?" Torchic nodded heatedly and plopped himself on the ground, staring at Terry. Terry laughed.
"Torchic, if I wasn't a Natural, do you think I'd still be good at Pokémon battles?" Torchic began to chirp, and Terry shook his head. "Can't understand you." Torchic rolled his eyes and began to peck at Ralts' Poké Ball. Terry smiled. "How'd I catch her? I had Poochyena fight with her. Why?" Torchic looked up at him and whistled. Terry frowned. "Torchic, how many times…oh I see. You're trying to ask me if I was in Natural form when I caught her, right?" Torchic nodded and Terry smiled again. "Nope. Couldn't seem to reach Poochyena's energy." Torchic looked up at him with a look that said, that answer your question? Terry nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Torchic. Night." He called Torchic back and settled down to sleep.
−
The next morning Terry was feeling better. He stretched and began walking again, in the direction he thought Petalburg was. After awhile of the sun beating down on him made him tired and angry. He saw some more Pokémon along the way, and even tried to catch a Lotad, but ended up making it run away when it saw Torchic. Terry sighed. He could use some water, a shower, and a nice, cold bed right then. Suddenly, he heard a girl's voice behind him.
"You there! You're a Pokémon Trainer, right?" Terry turned around. The girl was about his age, with shoulder length brown hair and green eyes, in a white shirt and a blue miniskirt, wearing long, black stockings. She was cute, and he would have appreciated her much more if he wasn't so tired and annoyed. She was holding out a Poké Ball and looked like she wanted to fight. He scoffed and turned around. "Hey!" she yelled, "What are you doing? If you're a Pokémon Trainer, you have to fight!" Terry rubbed his forehead.
"Look, girl, I don't want to fight you, and believe me, you don't want to fight me either." He sighed and began to walk away, until she ran past him and tried to block his way.
"How do you know? I want to be the Pokémon Master, and I can't do that unless I fight! So let's go!" Terry felt like crying in exasperation. She was cute, yeah, but she was also very annoying. He didn't know why; her voice was beautiful, her body was great…but something about her annoyed him. It was…oh yeah. Her cheerfulness. He waved her aside and walked around her.
"Listen to me. I'm a Natural. You really don't want to fight me." He hoped that would scared her away, but it didn't. All it made her do was throw her Poké Ball at his head. "Ow!" he yelled. "What do you think you're doing?" She looked at him angrily.
"If you're a Natural, then I definitely want to fight! I'm just a Normal, so it'll be great training!" He groaned. She just didn't understand. Oh well, he thought, if she wants to lose, then who am I to stop her?
"Alright then. My name is Terry Yamato, son of Norman Yamato, leader of the Petalburg Gym. I am not responsible for the damage your Pokémon may obtain during this fight." Terry smiled. Because they will obtain damage, he smiled to himself. Then, he looked down at his Poké Balls. He couldn't use Ralts; she was out cold. And it would be foolish to send out Torchic, his strongest Pokémon, out first; so that only left Poochyena. It was perfect; Poochyena wouldn't last long, and would be good for seeing how strong this girl was. He smiled. "Do it, Poochyena!" He threw the Poké Ball and Poochyena flew out, struggling to stand. The girl nodded.
"Okay! I am Tiana Tanaka, of Oldale Town, and I'm training to be the Pokémon Master! My combination is that of power and cuteness!" She winked at him and giggled. Terry didn't know whether to blush or roll his eyes, so he did neither and waited for Tiana to send out her Pokémon. "Go for it, Zigzagoon!" A small Zigzagoon popped out of the Poké Ball and let out a growl-like cry. Terry almost laughed.
"That's all? A Zigzagoon? Even in his weakened state, Poochyena can still take that wimp out! Go for it! Use a Tackle!" Poochyena gave a gruff bark and began charging at the Zigzagoon. Tiana shook her head.
"Zigzagoon, twirl around and use a Tail Whip!" Zigzagoon began to turn, but before he could make it was slammed by Poochyena. As he was flung across the field, Tiana gasped. Terry laughed out loud this time.
"I can't believe how easy this is!" Terry said, rocking with laughter. This time, Poochyena's energy was reaching Terry loud and clear. He had no doubts he could win, and the power inside of him backed him up one hundred percent. Zigzagoons motions were slow and jerky, and Terry felt like he was on fire. He had grown used to the fiery feeling of the Natural's power; in fact, now he kind of enjoyed it. He smiled. "Poochyena, go for another Tackle!" Poochyena nodded again, also completely sure he could win. As he charged for Zigzagoon, he saw Tiana smile.
"Great! Zigzagoon, you Tackle too!" Terry shook his head. They were both using Tackles, and Poochyena was stronger; Poochyena would win hands down. But, with just seconds to go before Zigzagoon and Poochyena collided, Tiana yelled, "Now, Zigzagoon! Duck down and give Poochyena a Headbutt from underneath!" Terry looked at Tiana.
"What the hell?" he exclaimed. Tiana giggled and nodded as Zigzagoon ducked down and slammed his head into Poochyena's stomach. Terry grimaced.
"Alright then, little setback, not too bad…" he muttered. He seized the Natural's power again, and felt his arms burn with vigor. The strength of Poochyena's energy made him smile again... "Poochyena, try a Howl!" Poochyena nodded. Lifting up his head, he let out an ear-piercing howl which made Terry flinch and Tiana cover her ears. Terry nodded. Howl was just like Focus Energy; it increased the power of the Pokémon who used it. As Terry watched, Poochyena's body seemed to bulk up and become more powerful. Terry grinned. "Good job, Poochyena! Now, Tackle Zigzagoon with all you've got!" Poochyena barked and charged at Zigzagoon. Tiana gasped.
"Zigzagoon, run away!" she shouted. Zigzagoon spun around and began running away from Poochyena. However, with his new strength, Poochyena easily overtook Zigzagoon. "Zigzagoon, try to get ahead!" Tiana suggested in a frantic voice. Zigzagoon, just inches away from Poochyena's menacing jaws, picked up a stick, twirled around, and threw it at Poochyena. Poochyena's teeth closed down on it, and it snapped in two. Terry whistled. The stick had been the width of his arm, and Poochyena had broken it easily. With the stick trick, Zigzagoon had managed to gain some ground, and turned around to face Poochyena. "Now Zigzagoon, this is it! Give it all you've got! Headbutt!" Tiana cried.
"Don't let him beat you, Poochyena! You can do this! Tackle!" Terry commanded. Both Pokémon slammed into each other at amazing speeds, and were flung back, collapsing on the ground without so much as a whimper. Terry shook his head. He had hoped he would take out the Zigzagoon without having Poochyena faint, but it was of no consequence. He called Poochyena back and sent out his Torchic. Torchic yawned a bit and chirped angrily at Terry. Terry shook his head. "Not now, Torchic, we've got a fight to win." Tiana had already called back her Zigzagoon and was sending out her next Pokémon, which was…another Zigzagoon. Her motions were just as slow and rough as the last one's. This time, he did laugh. Tiana looked at him indignantly.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh when you actually beat me. Zigzagoon, Tail Whip!" Terry sobered up immediately.
"Torchic, Ember!" he yelled. It would work; Torchic was insanely strong, no Zigzagoon could stand up to him…
"Zigzagoon, twirl around to dodge the attack and use Headbutt!" proposed Tiana, in a voice that suggested that she had no idea what she was doing. However, to her and Terry's surprise, it worked; seconds before the flame reached Zigzagoon, she managed to jump out of the way. Then, turned and rammed into Torchic. Terry growled. The Natural power was in him and burning strong; why didn't that last attack work?
"Torchic, try a Focus Energy!" Terry yelled. Torchic closed his eyes. Wave after wave of unbridled energy began to sweep over the field, sending rocks flying in every direction, whipping up dust and dirt, and sending the little particles of sand flying at Terry's face. A yellow-red aura began to glow around Torchic, lashing upward like a flame. Zigzagoon tried to Growl at Torchic, but it was useless; the cry was swept away with the wind. Finally, the wind died out; the dust cleared, and Torchic opened his eyes. For a moment, Terry thought that the Focus Energy hadn't worked. And then, a blast of energy knocked him off his feet. He didn't know what happened to Tiana or her Zigzagoon, but he heard yelps and cries from their directions. As he struggled to stand, he saw Torchic standing calmly in the middle of the field, with the flame-like aura whipping around him, and his eyes glowing white. Tiana gasped at Torchic, and Terry laughed.
"Didn't I tell you that you didn't want to fight me?" he barked, "Now Torchic, finish it off with a Tackle!" Torchic soared across the field; he was so fast that his energy shot out like a tail behind him; he would pass a large boulder, and seconds later it would implode because of the insane pressure in the air around it.
"Zigzagoon," Tiana cried, "Front flip over him!" What happened next amazed everyone. Just before, the Zigzagoon seemed as if it was running with stones strapped to its feet; but right before Torchic connected with her, the Zigzagoon changed. Her motions became as fluid as Torchic's, and she was able to jump over him. Torchic slammed his feet down and tried to stop, kicking up dust as he skidded to a halt. Terry scowled.
"C'mon, Torchic!" he exclaimed, fearfully, "Keep it up! Try to tackle her again!" Terry couldn't understand it; how had Zigzagoon done that? When he was in Natural mode, opponent's Pokémon were supposed to look as if they were in slow-motion. But Torchic nodded angrily and began to charge at Zigzagoon again.
"Dodge to the right this time!" Tiana yelled. Once again, Zigzagoon's movements sped up to allow her to jump out of the way of Torchic's attack. Terry felt like screaming. He looked at Tiana with a murderous glare, and thought to himself, just stand make Zigzagoon still for awhile and let me destroy her! Of course, Tiana did no such thing, and so Terry became angrier. She's not even attacking! She's just wearing Torchic down! It was true; he could already see Torchic's energy failing; he was gasping for breath.
"That's it, no more damn games!" he cried. "Torchic, blast that Zigzagoon back to the hellhole she came from! Use a widespread Ember attack!" Torchic nodded and opened his beak wide. Zigzagoon's eyes lifted, and she let out a sharp cry. Tiana gulped. The flame burst out of Torchic's mouth quite quickly, and engulfed everything it encountered. Terry nodded. The flame was so wide that the Zigzagoon wouldn't be able to dodge it. Then, to his astonishment, Tiana said something.
"Zigzagoon, use Sand Attack!" Terry frowned in confusion. What could a Sand Attack do to help? he thought. Zigzagoon twirled around, flipping up sand with her tail, moments before the flame overwhelmed her.
Terry sighed and fell to his knees. It had been a hard battle, but he had won. Torchic fell back on the ground. And then, Terry heard something that made his heart stop. His eyes opened wide; he couldn't believe what was happening. Tiana was standing with a grin on her face.
"Zigzagoon, Tackle!" Zigzagoon jumped out of the flames, completely unharmed. Terry gasped for air, and finally was able to see what had happened through the dying flames. Zigzagoon had kicked up the sand to form a makeshift half dome around her; and Torchic's flame had combined with it to make a glass shield, which protected Zigzagoon from the blast. Terry blinked, as if he could change what he was seeing. He was a Natural, he had felt the flame of the Natural's power; and yet he had lost. He had achieved a knew level of strength; Torchic's energy level during the Focus Energy had been astounding. But he had lost. Zigzagoon slammed into Torchic, and kicked his face. Torchic flew across the clearing, with blood trickling out of his beak. He slammed into a tree and fell down, crying.
"Torchic return." Terry pulled out Torchic's Poké Ball, clicked the button to call Torchic back and stood up. Tiana was standing off to one side, unable to believe that she had won. Terry scowled and began walking away; if she was expecting a 'well done' from him, she wasn't going to get one. Tiana called Zigzagoon back and began jumping up for joy.
"I beat a Natural! I beat a Natural!" Terry kept walking. He didn't want to talk to anyone now. What had Ixios said? Something about 'If you can beat me, you can beat anyone'. Hah. That was a load of bullshit. He had just lost to a random trainer, just two days after fighting Ixios. He trudged on, and heard the pitter-patter of Tiana's shoes behind him. She stopped at his side. Terry kept looking forward. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. He grunted. She crinkled her nose. "Are you okay?" He grunted again and picked up his pace. She kept up with him.
"What do you want, you beat me already," Terry murmured. Tiana sighed.
"Oh, come on. So you lost to a Normal, big deal. It's going to happen a lot, you know, so you better get used to it." Terry walked even faster, and Tiana sighed. He's a stubborn one, she thought to herself. She jogged up to him and struggled to keep his pace. Quickly, she reached into her pack and pulled out the gift her father had given her on the day she had set out on her journey. She slid it into Terry's hand. "Here," she whispered. Suddenly, Terry stopped. He looked at what she had given him. It was a Full Revive. He looked at it, puzzled, and then looked at Tiana.
"These things cost a lot…how did you..." Tiana smiled.
"My dad owns a Pokémon Mart. He gave it to me when I started out. I want you to have it." Terry frowned.
"No." He put it back in her hands and walked away before she could say otherwise. Tiana shook her head. A real stubborn one, she thought.
−
That night, Torchic was feeling well enough to start a campfire. Terry hoped the flame would scare wild Pokémon away. He lay down against a tree and closed his eyes. Torchic was lying next to him on a bed of leaves, while Ralts and Poochyena were still out cold in their Poké Balls. Torchic feebly chirped at him. Terry smiled and struck up conversation.
"We should make it to Petalburg tomorrow," Terry whispered softly, "I'll get you to a Poké Center as soon as I can. For now, though, you should get some rest." Torchic nodded and drifted off to sleep. Terry sighed and thought about the fight with Tiana earlier that day. Tiana was just a Normal…he was a Natural at the top of his game. How could he have lost? He couldn't see it. His strategy should have worked; Torchic had just reached a new level of energy. How could Tiana's Zigzagoon dodge him? She barely dodged, yeah, but she still dodged. He sighed, and fell asleep pondering these questions.
−
The next evening, when Terry arrived at the Poké Center, he was testy. Not only had he not figured out why he had lost the fight against Tiana, but it seemed as if every wild Pokémon on Route 102 had wanted to fight him. Of course, that was difficult with no useable Pokémon, and the 'battles' usually ended with Terry running away. He stormed through the sliding doors and marched straight to the Pokémon Treatment Center and fumed. A nurse smiled at him.
"What can I do for you, sir?"
"Heal my Pokémon," Terry replied, rudely. The nurse didn't seem to mind, which just infuriated him more. He paced around the lobby until the nurse called to him.
"Your Pokémon are healed, sir. May I recommend−" Terry picked up his Poké Balls walked away before she could finish. He took his bath and quickly fell asleep.
The night's rest was good for him. His anger had simmered down, and he felt much better. He decided that he didn't care why he had lost to Tiana. It wasn't as if he was ever going to see her again. He walked slowly to the Pokémon Relaxation Room. It was beautiful. The room perfectly simulated an untouched glade, with large oak trees towards the fringes of the small valley which continued into a miniature forest. Looking up, he saw that the ceiling was painted sky-blue. There was a large, yellow, light-emitting orb on the ceiling, positioned on a metal beam, and looked as if it could actually move along the beam. Terry assumed, correctly, that the orb was meant to emulate the sun. A small brook was flowing through the middle of the dale. Terry was amazed; the room was the perfect place for Pokémon to relax. He called out his Torchic, Poochyena, and Ralts. Ralts and Poochyena cuddled up against Terry's legs.
"Alright, you two, Poochyena and Ralts," Terry began, "I'm going to go see my dad at the Pokémon Gym. I'll be back in about an hour; maybe two. Go on, I'll see you later!" Poochyena and Ralts ran off to explore the room. Torchic stayed behind, and looked at his trainer expectantly. "That's right, Torchic. You're coming with me. I'm sure you'd like to see my dad; he's pretty cool for a middle-aged guy." Torchic smiled, and in one deft move jumped onto Terry's head. Terry was turning to move when he heard a sweet, beautiful, and all too familiar voice.
"Is that you, Terry?" Terry groaned. Tiana. He didn't turn to face her; instead he kept on walking. Tiana said good-bye to her two Zigzagoons for awhile and ran up beside him. "So you finally made it to Petalburg, huh?" Terry nodded, but said nothing. For a moment they walked in silence; most people would realize that Terry didn't want to talk. Of course, Tiana wasn't one to be discouraged. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"To my dad's gym," Terry said, instantly regretting it. Tiana breathed in deeply, and let out a squeal of excitement.
"Your dad is a Gym Leader?" she asked excitedly. "That is so awesome! Wait a minute…" she said, as she realized what that meant, "That means that not only did I beat a Natural…I also beat a Gym Leader's son!" Terry growled lowly. He didn't need this. She smiled at him. "So, can I come with you?" Terry looked at her angrily.
"If I say yes, do you promise to stop talking?" She nodded enthusiastically. He sighed. "Fine, you can come," he mumbled. Tiana jumped in the air and let out a cry of excitement. Then, she gave him a peck on the cheek. Terry blushed, but quickly rubbed his cheeks to make it go away. They walked for a while with no real direction; Terry didn't really know where they were going. Soon, Tiana struck up conversation.
"Did you know that Petalburg was founded 75 years ago? But it was only chosen as a Gym City 20 years ago." Terry looked at her. She was smart; he didn't know that. Swallowing his pride, he talked to her.
"Really? Go on." Tiana smiled up at him.
"A long time ago, the Hoenn League only had five Gym Cities. Dewford, Fortree, and Petalburg are the latest additions. Originally, the Gym Cities were Rustboro, Mauville, Lavaridge, Sootopolis, and Mossdeep. But, to imitate the Johto and Kanto Leagues, we added the last three." Terry marveled at her. He didn't like her; but he didn't know why. She was pretty and liked Pokémon; plus, she was smart; but for some reason, he couldn't 'like' her. Slowly, his eyes wandered to her breasts. They looked so…firm. He wondered if they felt as firm as they looked…he shook his head, gulped, and quickly turned away, blushing.
"I'm from the Johto League. I didn't want to leave; but the Hoenn League called up my father. My father was a very good trainer. He trained our Normal-Type Gym Leader, Whitney. A few other trainers as well. The most skilled was a girl named Michiko." Tiana looked at him, interested.
"Michiko? I think I've heard of her before; didn't she make it to the top Thirty-Two in the Johto League?" Terry nodded, and Tiana smiled. "She was cute. And pretty talented too; she made it that far when she was only thirteen years old." For awhile Terry didn't say anything. Michiko was cute; she had orange hair down that reached down to the curve of her back, with little red bows tied in; deep blue eyes that seemed to peer into the deepest corners of your soul, and the most beautiful creamy-white skin. And she was talented; she loved her Pokémon so much, not to mention the fact that she was always happy; they had met when they were nine, and Terry had thought she was 'the one' for him. He had asked her out once, and, miraculously, she had agreed. Of course, they were just friends. Michiko would never actually go steady with a guy like Terry. But she was important to him. It was Michiko who had convinced him to dye his hair white. Michiko was also one of the reasons he hated to leave Johto; but she told him that she'd contact him via e-mail, so there was nothing he could do. He looked ahead and saw the large roof of a Pokémon Gym in the distance.
"There…I think that's the gym," he said. He and Tiana walked in silence until they reached the gym. Terry slowly walked to the large twin doors of the building, and they opened automatically. He walked in cautiously, with Tiana behind him. "Dad?" he called softly. The lights flicked on, and they seemed to be in a traditional martial arts training room. There were training mats on the floor, and two doors at each end of the room. Tiana gasped, ran over to a Zigzagoon statue over in one corner, and began stroking it in admiration. Terry sighed and turned to the front of the room where he found his dad.
"Hello, son. I'm glad you made it so soon." Terry grimaced; it had been six days since he had left Littleroot Town; he was hoping to have made it sooner.
"Yeah…hi, Dad." Norman nodded. Then, he looked at the strange girl ogling his Zigzagoon statue. He looked at Terry uncertainly.
"Uh…what is she, a new girlfriend?" Terry shook his head embarrassedly.
"No, just some girl who beat me on Route 102 and tagged along," he murmured as Norman chuckled. He put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Is she a Natural too?" Terry would've blushed if he had cared more; but he felt that given the chance he could beat her in a fair Pokémon battle, when all his Pokémon were fully healed, so it didn't matter.
"No…a Normal." Norman could barely contain his laughter. He wiped a tear from his eye and caught his breath. Then, he looked at the girl who had beaten his son. "You there. What is your name?" Tiana looked up.
"Uh…me? Tiana Tanaka, sir," Tiana said nervously. Norman smiled.
"Well there. I hear you beat my son. Tell me, what Pokémon do you use?" Tiana smiled, happy to talk about Pokémon.
"Well, sir, any cute ones I can find. But for right now, that's only two Zigzagoons." Norman smiled.
"I suggest catching a Shroomish while in the Petalburg Forest. They are…'cute', and very powerful. Their evolution, Breloom, can really 'pack a punch'!" Norman hooted. "'Pack a punch'! Hah!" Tiana and Terry looked at him uncomfortably. Norman laughter died a bit. "Get it? 'Cause he's part Fighting-Type." Tiana laughed nervously, and Terry just shook his head. Norman composed himself. "Well, Terry, I suppose that you came to see me for a reason." Terry smiled.
"Right! I really wanted to show you my starter Pokémon." His hand went to his side to grab Torchic's Poké Ball, but Norman stopped him.
"I believe he's on your head," Norman grinned. Terry looked up and saw Torchic's legs jutting off the top of his head. He had forgotten that Torchic was up there; Torchic had been so quiet the entire time. Terry reached up, picked Torchic off his head, and put him on the ground.
"Dad, this is my starter Pokémon, Torchic. He's really friendly; he likes to fight, but not when he's tired," Terry explained as he scratched Torchic's head. "We haven't known each other long, but I feel like we're great friends!" Torchic nodded. Norman stooped down and scratched Torchic underneath the chin. Torchic cooed appreciatively. Norman smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Torchic. I'm Norman, Terry's father." He kept scratching underneath Torchic's chin, and Terry stopped scratching his head. Norman looked up at his son. "Most Pokémon like being scratched under the chin, not on the head. It's usually just dog Pokémon, like Poochyena and Growlithe that like being scratched on the head." Terry nodded. Norman stood up, and Torchic seemed a bit disappointed, so Terry began scratching him under the chin. Torchic smiled again.
"Well, son, I'm sure you wanted more than to introduce me to your Torchic. So, what did you want?" Terry smiled.
"Well, I was sort of hoping we could battle; you know, Trainer vs. Gym Leader style?" Norman smiled.
"Well, you see, the thing is…" Just as Norman began, the twin doors of the gym opened up. A sickly looking boy about Terry's age walked in. He looked nervous, and awkwardly walked up to Norman.
"H-hello, sir…I was hoping to get a Pokémon today?" the boy said, in a barely audible voice. Norman looked at him, confused.
"Oh…you're…you're Wally, right?" The boy nodded.
"I'm going to stay with my uncle in Verdanturf Town, and I thought a Pokémon would be good company," Wally said, and hastily added, "If that's no problem, sir." Norman nodded gently.
"Of course. Every young person needs a Pokémon to play with. Take my son here. He never had a Pokémon before in his life; and then, just a week ago, he finds out he's a Natural and sets out on the Hoenn Pokémon League Challenge!" Terry stood up from scratching Torchic and extended his hand out to Wally.
"Hi! I'm Terry, Norman's son." Wally frowned and took an instant disliking to Terry. What does this kid want, Wally thought to himself, He's a Natural, and a Gym Leader's son. I bet he's super strong. I bet he thinks he's so cool. Well, he's not. I'll show him! Wally smiled, but didn't take Terry's hand.
"I'm Wally Sendas," Wally said dryly. Terry shrugged Wally's rudeness off, picked Torchic up, and placed him back on his head. Wally rolled his eyes, and turned back to Norman. "So…can I please have a Pokémon?" he asked kindly. Norman shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I never got the chance to catch a Pokémon for you. However, I can lend you a Pokémon, and then you can go catch your own. How does that sound?" Wally nodded happily.
"That sounds great!" Norman reached to his side and pulled out a Poké Ball. Wally took it carefully in both hands. "Thank you so very much, sir!" Norman nodded. Then, he looked at Terry.
"Terry…you've caught Pokémon, right?" Terry nodded.
"I've caught a Ralts and a Poochyena," he answered. Norman smiled.
"Good, very good. Decent, strong Pokémon. I would suggest getting a Water or Grass-Type next, as it would prove handy against Rustboro's Gym Leader. Maybe a Lotad; The Lotad is a Grass and Water-Type, which would be doubly useful…" Then he remembered Wally. "Right; Terry, why don't you go help Wally catch a Pokémon?" Terry and Wally both looked at each other quickly, then at Norman. They didn't like each other that much; Wally thought that Terry was acting to nonchalant just because he was a Natural, and Terry thought that Wally was a jerk.
"Oh, dad…" Terry began.
"Norman, sir…" Wally said at the same time.
"We'll do it!" Tiana giggled. Terry looked at her angrily. She had just dropped four points on his 'I like this girl' meter. He sighed, and he, Tiana, and Wally set out to catch a Pokémon
−
A few hours later, Terry had picked up Zigzagoon and Ralts, and Tiana had picked up her Zigzagoons. Right now they were in their Poké Balls sleeping, and Torchic was on his head, chirping a bit. Wally was looking for a Pokémon, and Tiana was checking out her Pokédex for information on Torchic.
"So Torchic learns fighting moves later on, huh? That could prove a problem for my Zigzagoons…" she mumbled. Terry rolled his eyes and pulled out his own Pokédex. He quickly searched for 'Zigzagoon'. This was the entry:
Zigzagoon is a small raccoon Pokémon. It is white and brown, and very popular among both girls from ages eight to sixteen, and thieves. Thieves are attracted to this Pokémon because of a wonderful ability that allows Zigzagoon to pick up random objects; Pokémon Researchers call this ability 'Pick Up'−
Original, Terry thought blandly, and kept reading.
−and many robbers abuse this ability by training their Zigzagoon to pick up valuable items. Zigzagoons are capable of running very fast, but only in zigzags. Most can only run in zigzags; a rare few can run moderately fast in a straight line. Zigzagoon is a Normal-Type Pokémon, which means it is vulnerable to Fighting-Type moves, and can learn many moves outside of its type, such as Dig and Steel Tail. Zigzagoon evolves into Linoone.
"I found one!" Wally cried. Terry shot up and put his Pokédex away. Wally was jumping up and down in excitement. "Come, come, look, I found a Pokémon!" Terry ran over, and Tiana was right behind him. They found Wally standing at the edge of a small valley looking at a Pokémon in the center. Suddenly, Terry got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Pokémon was a Ralts. Wally grinned and pulled out the Pokéball. Terry looked at him with fearful eyes. Terry was a good trainer, and Poochyena was a Dark-Type Pokémon, but he still barely beat his Ralts; Wally was new at this, and didn't know much about Pokémon Battles; the results could be disastrous.
"No, Wally, don't−" Terry warned, but it was too late. Wally threw the Poké Ball, and with bad aim, hitting the wild Ralts directly on the head. "Dammit!" Terry breathed. There was no choice; Wally would have to learn about dangerous Pokémon the hard way. All Terry could do was hope that his father had lent Wally a good Pokémon.
"Kyuuu!" Terry smacked his head with his hand. Norman had given Wally a Zigzagoon. A Zigzagoon. Wally didn't seem to realize how bad things were, though.
"Zigzagoon, Tackle − that's the right thing to do, right?" Wally asked Tiana. Terry growled. Wally was still being a jerk, not talking to him. As if Tiana knew how powerful a Ralts could be! Terry had caught one! Wally had seen his Ralts! But Tiana nodded.
"I've found that most Pokémon can be taken out by force," Tiana agreed, "Tackle away!" Terry moaned. Zigzagoon ran in zigzags towards Ralts. Nothing happened. Terry frowned, wondering why Ralts hadn't done anything yet. He didn't have to wait long, as Wally's borrowed Zigzagoon slammed into an invisible wall, just inches from Ralts.
"Kyuuuu!" Terry smiled, and Wally growled.
"Damn. Zigzagoon…try a Growl!" Wally suggested. Tiana didn't say anything; she seemed to realize that Ralts was psychic, and that Wally was making a mistake. The Ralts jiggled a bit; Terry guessed it was laughing, and if it was, with good reason. The Ralts put his arms on the ground as they began to glow blue; then, he jerked his hands upwards, and the ground in front of him lifted up. It was like Ralts had flipped the ground like a giant bed sheet. Zigzagoon let out a weak growl, which was drowned out by the roar of the ground coming closer, and eventually throwing Zigzagoon a few yard away. Zigzagoon tried to stand up, and barely managed to. Wally grimaced.
"Zigzagoon, try a…" Wally looked uncertainly at Tiana. Tiana shrugged.
"Maybe you should try a Headbutt?" she suggested uncertainly. Wally nodded; it was all he had left.
"Yeah, that. Try a Headbutt, Zigzagoon!" Zigzagoon nodded, and ran in a zigzag pattern towards Ralts. Seconds before he would've connected, Ralts began to glow again, and, with his psychic powers, gracefully dodged Zigzagoon; but didn't stop there. Ralts lifted Zigzagoon up of the ground, and threw him harshly at a tree in the distance. Wally frowned.
"Zigzagoon, can you get up?" he asked uncertainly. Zigzagoon struggled to stand on quivering feet, stumbled a bit, but then stood firmly and nodded. Wally smiled. "Alright. He can't keep this up forever; try to Headbutt him again!" Zigzagoon barked sharply and began to run at Ralts. Ralts elegantly flipped over Zigzagoon's head and slammed him with a wave of psychic energy towards the other end of the valley. Ralts shook with its high-pitched laughter again, and lifted its glowing hands again. This time, two trees near Zigzagoon began glowing blue, and then, a loud crack sounded. All the bark on the trees had 'exploded', for lack of a better word; in truth, it was more like the bark had been ripped off in tiny shards. Whatever had happened, thousands of pieces of debris were poised to strike at Zigzagoon. And then, with the flick of Ralts' wrists, they struck.
"Zigzagoon, dodge!" Wally cried, as if he wasn't already trying to. Zigzagoon flipped and twirled, dodging many of the pieces of bark, but not enough. Many of them struck him, and blood began dripping at a frightening rate. Terry growled. At the pace things were going, Zigzagoon would soon die from too much blood loss. Suddenly, he heard a tiny chirp of concern. Terry's eyes shot up; once again, he had forgotten that Torchic was on his head. He smiled.
"Great! Torchic, send a high-pressure Ember attack to about the center of those bits of bark!" Torchic cheeped in agreement, and soon, Terry felt an immense blast of heat shoot out from the area of his head. He saw a streak of fire pass through the bark, and, almost instantaneously, they all burst into flames. Zigzagoon breathed a sort of sigh of relief, but Wally rounded on Terry.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I don't need your help!" he yelled irately. For a moment, Terry was taken aback; then, his anger tripled.
"Wally, you idiot!" Terry yelled. He didn't care if Wally wanted to act like a jerk; he'd still have to listen. "Ralts is a Psychic-Type Pokémon! Frontal attacks are useless, because it can attack with its mind, and the only thing your Zigzagoon can do is attack frontally!" Wally looked at Terry, shocked that an almost complete stranger would talk to him like that, but Terry didn't care. He decided to let Wally know that. "I don't care if you never catch a Pokémon; but I won't let you harm an innocent Poochyena with your damn ignorance! Now LISTEN!" Wally was shaking, but he managed to nod. Terry smiled. "Aright; now, my Torchic has fire on its side, but Ralts may be able to block that; so, what we need to do is simple. I need you to distract Ralts until Torchic can get a good angle to attack from. Go!" Wally nodded and turned to Zigzagoon.
"Zigzagoon, run in a circle around Ralts!" Zigzagoon nodded and began to zigzag around Ralts. Ralts slowly began to glow blue, and every rock around him was slowly encircled in a blue aura. The rocks slowly levitated, and Terry waited anxiously for Ralts to try to send them at Zigzagoon. But he didn't; instead, he levitated them all above his head, and pressed them together to form a large boulder. Then, Ralts slammed the stone at Zigzagoon. By pure chance, the rock hit the place where Zigzagoon had been moments earlier, and set out a small shock wave that would've knocked Zigzagoon down, if he hadn't been running in a zigzag pattern. Terry grinned and Wally smiled. Then, something unexpected happened. Instead of going on to another attack, Ralts levitated the boulder again. Wally looked crestfallen.
"Yeah…that's going to be bad," Terry commented. Wally looked at him crossly.
"That's not helping!" he yelled. Terry shrugged, and the wild Ralts slammed the boulder down just inches away from Zigzagoon. This time, he was knocked off his feet, though only for a little bit. Terry grinned.
"Perfect," he breathed, and then louder, "Wally, tell Poochyena to jump over Ralts and use a Headbutt!" Wally looked at him curiously.
"What will that d−" Terry raised a hand.
"Do it!" Wally cringed at Terry's sharpness, but had no other choice than to trust him.
"Zigzagoon, run and jump over Ralts! Then use a Headbutt!" Zigzagoon nodded and let out a dog-like bark. He began running in a zigzag pattern towards Ralts, picking up speed as he went. Ralts nervously followed Zigzagoon's path with his hands, and the boulder chased from the air. Zigzagoon quickly sailed over Ralts' head. Terry smiled.
"Torchic, use a high-pressure Ember on Ralts!" he commanded. What happened next was a perfect execution of teamwork. Zigzagoon swiveled around and slammed his head towards Ralts, avoiding Ralts' falling boulder by seconds. With just moments to spare, Ralts quickly created a psychic barrier between him and Zigzagoon. Almost instantly, Ralts felt the heat of Torchic's Ember closing in on him, and swirled around to protect himself from that. However, this let Zigzagoon use Headbutt from behind, knocking Ralts down, which destroyed the shield protecting him from the Ember. Zigzagoon jumped out of the way just in time, and Ralts began screeching in agony as the blistering flame wrapped around him. When the flames cleared, Ralts was lying down on the ground, unconscious, his skin burnt and dry.
"Yeah!" Wally smiled and pulled out his Poké Ball. "Alright; now, the Poké Ball!" he breathed, and threw the Poké Ball at Ralts. Ralts was sucked inside the Poké Ball and didn't even put up a fight before he was captured. Then, Wally called Zigzagoon back, and he grinned. "Awesome! My first Pokémon! How's that for a great battle, Te−" Wally stopped short when he saw that Terry was breathing hard with his hand at his forehead. "Uh…is something the matter?" he asked, sounding almost concerned. Terry kept breathing hard. Something was…wrong. His head was on fire, but it didn't feel good; not like the Natural's power. It was…different. Ominous…so hot that it felt cold. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you all right, Terry?" It was Tiana. She looked worried. Terry inhaled deeply and tried to make the strange feeling go away.
"I'm…I'm fine, thanks," he managed. Wally grinned.
"Well; you helped me, so I'll give you that. I guess I can't really hate you anymore. But, I still don't like you; not at all. I guess you could say…we're rivals!" Terry smiled, and Wally shook his head. "I've got to go to Verdanturf now. But, if you ever get to visit, we should have a friendly battle." Terry nodded slightly.
"Sure thing, Wally," he breathed. Wally gave Terry Zigzagoon's Poké Ball.
"Do you mind giving that back to your dad? Thanks!" He smiled and walked of, caressing Ralts' Poké Ball. Terry shook his head, and Tiana hugged him from behind. His eyes suddenly went monotone.
"What are you doing?" he asked blandly. Tiana giggled.
"That was real nice of you, helping Wally out. You, know, you act tough, but I know that deep down inside, you're a nice guy!" Tiana squeezed him tighter. Terry looked up at Torchic.
"You know Torchic, back in Johto, the Fire-Type Pokémon know this nifty little move called Smokescreen. All you have to do is shoot some smoke out of your mouth. Why don't you try it out?" Torchic tweeted understandingly, and shot out a blast of thick smoke. Tiana began coughing, and when the smoke cleared, Terry was gone. She frowned. We have got to work on his stubbornness.
−
Hours later, night was starting to set. Earlier, Terry had returned to his dad's gym and given back Zigzagoon. His dad had informed him that sooner or later they would have to fight, but not to worry; it wouldn't be for a while. For the moment, though, he should go to Rustboro and get his first badge from the Gym Leader there, Roxanne. Terry sighed. Right now, he had stocked up on supplies; Poké Balls, Potions, Antidotes, and the like, for the trip through the Petalburg Forest, and he had healed his Pokémon. The nurse had suggested he stay the night, but he was anxious to start, so he politely turned her down. Tightening the straps on his bag, with Torchic, Poochyena, and Ralts at his side fully healed and ready to go, he was all set for his travel to Rustboro. After a few minutes of walking, he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. Tiana was sitting on a bench, shivering. He frowned and told himself to keep moving, but he couldn't. He slowly walked up to her and sat down next to her.
"Is…is something wrong?" he asked softly. Tears welled up in her eyes. She shook her head and tried to blink them out. He didn't leave; he couldn't leave. It wasn't that he was suddenly turning over a new leaf with her; it was that had suddenly grasped him in a huge embrace, and was sobbing into his chest. Foolishly, he thought about how he could feel her breasts against his chest, but he shook himself out of that train of thought. For a while, he kept his hands on the straps of his bags. However, when she showed no sign of stopping, he slowly, reluctantly, hugged her back. "There…there?" he said nervously. For a while, she cried in his arms. Then, her tears stopped coming, and slowly but surely, she began to compose herself. She sat back up and was breathing heavily. Terry didn't know what to do.
"It's just that…I miss my family…" she finally managed to say. Terry looked at her uncertainly.
"Well then, why don't you go back with them?" he asked. She shook her head, and more tears formed, but she didn't cry this time.
"I…I can't…" she said softly. He was puzzled now.
"Why not?" She looked at him with large, sad eyes.
"My parents…they always wanted somebody in our family to be a Pokémon Trainer…the Pokémon Master, even! But, my big sister managed to escape their dreams by becoming a Pokémon Researcher under Professor Oak in Kanto, and my brother died before he was able to start Pokémon. Now that my mother was in an accident, and can no longer have any children, I'm their last chance; I have to do good; have to be the best. Or they'll disown me." Terry looked at her sympathetically. Then he turned around and looked at the streets of Petalburg. Not too many lights were on; they were almost outside of the City. Nobody was walking around; it was already 11:00 PM, so he assumed most of the townsfolk had gone to bed already. A cold wind whipped through the street; he was reminded that it was fall in Hoenn. He sighed, shook his head, and wondered what he was doing.
"Tiana…?" he asked hoarsely. She looked up.
"Yeah?" His voice was monotone, and she didn't know what to expect.
"Do you want to travel with me…? Just for a little while, of course." Tiana's eyes lit up. She embraced Terry even harder this time.
"Thank you…thank you so much!" Terry smiled. And as the moon glittered down on the peaceful sleeping town of Petalburg City, two fourteen year old travelers, one boy, and one girl, both trying to make it to the top of the Pokémon League, set off for the greatest adventure they would ever have.
Author's Note:
Akeno: w00t. I finished the longest chapter yet. Talk about long. Well, I just finished this chapter, and I'm already writing the next one. Some new things were added today. I introduce Wally and Tiana. Wally will keep the role he had in the game; seemingly weak until Terry fights him in the Pokémon League, where his true power is revealed. I added some 'suspense'; you know, Terry's head hurting and all that. Just a hint: it has something to do with Wally. Unless you're a brain-dead monkey, you probably know that Ixios will be Terry's main rival; well, Tiana will be May's main rival. Yes, Terry and May are the main characters, just like in the game. Also, Tiana had something to gain by becoming the Pokémon Master; she can go home again. This means that she actually has a reason to fight other than 'I want to prove myself'. The other characters also have reasons, but you'll find those out later. Also, a new character, Michiko, was mentioned in this chapter. I will talk about her more; in fact, by the time the gang gets to Slateport, she'll be one of the main characters.
(Ixios and May walk in)
Ixios: Akeno, we would like to have a word with you. Why didn't we show up in this chapter?
May: Yeah! You even just said I am the main character opposite Terry!
Akeno: Oh…well…don't worry! We'll get to you guys soon!
Ixios: How soon? Next chapter soon?
Akeno: Perhaps…or perhaps the chapter after that…
Ixios & May: …
May: Get him.
Akeno: Ooookay! Anyways, stay tune; next chapter, 'Forest Of Shadows! Teams Magma And Aqua Show Their Faces!'