Chapter 20: Fading Flames, Forsaken Feelings
Nobody understood what had gotten into Perrine. She had never treated her pokemon that way before. She always treated them with kindness and affection. Seeing her swipe at Kitsune like she was bothering her was extremely out of character for her.
As for Perrine herself, she just sat on the sand, watching the waves ebb back and forth with scorn. Julia and Caiseal watched as Perrine sat there. Even the other pokemon didn't seem to feel like playing, as Perrine's bad mood was rubbing off on them. Julia could see Perrine's gait become rigid, the atmosphere around her becoming tense. In a way, Julia knew how she was feeling. Of course someone would get mad if something didn't go their way. She herself had done it a few times, and Amara was no stranger to it either. But she just couldn't picture nice, polite, and bold Perrine taking her anger out on her pokemon.
"Uugh!" Julia found herself grunting like a hungry ursaring. "I can't stand sitting here like this!" She stood up from the sand, not caring that some had gotten into her shoes. "I'm gonna talk to her."
This time, Caiseal didn't object like he usually did. Julia had been antsy about talking to Perrine for a few hours now, so at this point, telling her to give her space wasn't going to help. Not only that, he knew Julia knew he meant well, and didn't want her or the others to get hurt, so he silently approved.
Julia sat down next to Perrine. She made sure to stay about a couple feet away from her to give her some space. "Perrine?" She asked in a soft voice, hoping it wouldn't set her off. She got no response. Julia forced a smile. "It's okay. Everyone loses a battle at some point. I've lost a few myself," Julia told her. "You can always battle him again. It's not like it's the end of everything."
"Sure," Perrine muttered tersely. For a moment, Julia thought the terse voice didn't belong to her friend. That certainly didn't sound like the Perrine she knew.
"Do you...want something to eat?" Julia suggested. "I bought some taiyaki(1) from the store earlier. Battling can really make your stomach growl."
"No thanks," Perrine replied in a low voice. The anger was still there, but it was faint. "Sorry, but...can you leave me alone for a while? I need to think about some stuff."
Julia stood up without hesitation. "Alright. But if you ever wanna talk or vent, Caiseal and I are here if you need us," With that, she returned to her pokemon.
"She's really bummed, isn't she?" Caiseal asked as he gave Viole some pokemon food.
"Yeah," Julia turned to look at her friend again, this time from a distance. "I've never seen her act like this before. It's really unsettling," She put a hand on one arm, as goosebumps crawled all up her arms, possibly from the ocean breeze. "Well, at least she isn't yelling at me or anyone else right now, so that's good."
Caiseal scratched one of his arms, pulling back his sleeve to do so. "I suppose," Mallow immediately leaped onto his lap. "Hey, buddy."
Just because Perrine wasn't yelling right now, didn't mean she didn't want to later. Julia knew this from experience. Years of seeing her parents fight sometimes and being on the receiving end of Amara's anger taught her that rage doesn't go away in the snap of a finger. The awful feeling resulting from being yelled at would linger for days, even weeks, depending on if the conflict got resolved. Kitsune sat on another part of the area, simply batting sand around with one paw, staring at nothing as tears dripped out of her grey eyes.
'Poor Kitsune,' Julia thought. Perhaps a little cheering up was in order. With a smile, Julia ambled over to the sad fox and kneeled to her level. "Kitsune? You doing alright?"
"Vul…" ("No…") Kitsune shook her head, letting out a soft cry.
The dejection in the vulpix's voice was too noticeable to ignore. Julia stroke the fox's warm, soft fur with one hand gently. "Don't be sad, Kit. I'm sure Perrine didn't mean it," She told her reassuringly. "Some people yell when they get mad. I've done it, too. You battled really hard, so I'm proud of you."
At least someone was proud of her. Kitsune flashed a soft smile, nuzzled Julia's hand, and gave her some licks, tickling the skin on her hand. "It's okay. Maybe Perrine will cool off after a while. Let's leave her alone for now, okay?" Julia suggested kindly. Kitsune nodded in agreement. "Here's an idea. I just bought a frisbee, so maybe you, me, and some other pokemon can play frisbee. How about that?"
Kitsune had seen people play with frisbees before but never got to play with one herself. The fox found it to be a good idea. Perhaps getting some exercise and playtime would take her mind off things. Seeing the approval on the fox's face, Julia pulled out a purple frisbee. Julia stole a glance over at Baloo, Florian, and Flippy, who stared at them curiously.
"Do you guys wanna play frisbee with us?"
Cheering with delight, the pokemon joined Kitsune and Julia in their game. Blossom and Stacey did the same. "Ready? Catch!" Julia threw the frisbee in the sky, watching it soar like it was an alien's UFO. Florian was the first to catch it with his vines before throwing it himself. Stacey managed to jump up and grab it with her stick-like hands before throwing it toward Flippy. Instead of catching it, Flippy just stood there, letting it bump her head before it rolled on the floor.
"Are you okay, Flippy?" Julia asked.
"Saaaaah," ("Sorry about that…") Stacey apologized, scratching her large horn with one hand, wondering why Flippy didn't catch it in time.
"Jiggly jiggly?" Baloo asked.
"Quaaaaaag…" Flippy bent downward, picked up the frisbee, and threw it. It only floated a few feet into the air, enough for Blossom to catch it. But since the plant pokemon's arms were so short and stubby, it slipped right out of her hands.
"Gloom gloom!" ("It's rolling away!") Blossom exclaimed.
"Vulpix vul!" ("I'll get it!") Kitsune darted after the rolling frisbee, running as fast as she could. But the fox pokemon kicked sand in the air with her paws as she ran, and the frisbee was rolling right toward Perrine. If that frisbee were to hit her, Perrine was sure to get angry. For all Kitsune knew, her trainer might still be in a bad mood. She couldn't let that happen. With that in mind, Kitsune ran faster, finally managing to outrun the frisbee and block it. Unfortunately, Kitsune slipped and rolled right onto Perrine's back, sending her spiraling into the sand.
"Ugh!" Perrine yelped.
"Vulpix!" ("Sorry, Perrine!") Kitsune was quick to get off of Perrine.
Seeing what happened, everyone else ran toward the orange haired girl. Some sand had gotten caught in her hair and clothes, and part of her skirt had a splotch of salt water on it. "Perrine! Are you okay?"
Instead of responding or understanding the situation, Perrine sat up and glared right at Kitsune. If looks could kill, Perrine's blue eyes would strike Kitsune dead. Kitsune could see and feel the anger in her trainer, backing away two steps. Perrine wanted to stop herself from yelling, but her mouth was not listening to her heart. Perrine found herself yelling, "You just knocked me into the sand! Look what you did!"
"Vul…" Already, Kitsune found herself cowering.
"I'm in no mood for your stupid games!" Perrine yelled. "Just...go away and stay away!" She flapped her fists up and down.
Julia's worry immediately morphed into an angry grimace upon hearing Perrine's now shrill voice. As much as she hated yelling, Julia hated this even more. Why was Perrine acting like this? How could she treat Kitsune like that? Julia stepped in and exclaimed, "Hey! Don't talk to her like that! It was an accident! She didn't mean it!"
Surprisingly enough, that was enough to make Perrine stop yelling. Even this caught Julia off guard. Nobody stopped yelling the minute she called them out before. Usually, anyone who she would hear yelling would continue to do so. Nevertheless, Perrine was her friend. A good friend would make sure to call them out on any wrongdoing and stop them from doing it further. Kitsune didn't deserve any of this. Perrine looked down at the fox, who shivered behind Julia, looking up at her trainer like she was lost.
The sadness in her friend's eyes was all too blatant. Perrine let out a sigh and put both hands on her head. "Sorry...I...I need to go cool off…" With that, Perrine marched off to the Pokemon Center, her gait wobbly and unsteady.
Julia facepalmed. "Awww man. I really messed up this time," She said ruefully.
"It's alright," Caiseal put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She'll come around. I get that way, too. They'll make up sooner or later."
"I hope so," Julia replied bitterly. "Kitsune doesn't deserve to get yelled at like that. Amara does that to her own pokemon enough."
What neither of them noticed was that a tearful Kitsune walked away from the premises, ambling into a cave that happened to be nearby. Thankfully, someone did notice. Baloo saw Kitsune's tails disappear into the cave, blinking once in confusion before saying, "Jiggly?" ("Kitsune?")
The dirt beneath her paws was bumpy and uneven, and some zubat hung from the ceiling, dormant and unmoving. But Kitsune didn't mind. She liked the silence of the cave, the darkness that hung over her even though the cave wasn't so dark that she couldn't see, and the uneven ground she walked on. It felt great to be away from angry Perrine. That didn't stop the tears from falling out from her eyes, dripping onto the ground. Soon, she saw a light in the distance. Good. She walked outside, greeted by a fast moving river, fresh green grass, and a school of pidgey flying in the sky.
As much as she loved this beautiful scenery, the hole in her heart was so big that there was no bandage big enough to cover it. She walked along the river, watching as magikarp leaped in round arcs, basking in the sunlight, showing off their fins before diving right back in. Not even seeing those magikarp could fill the hole that Perrine left in her heart. Actually, there was already a hole in her heart. Perrine had sewn it right back up, only to rip it open once more.
"Perrine…" Kitsune mused to herself sadly. "...she acted just like my old trainer…"
"Kitsune!" A familiar voice echoed inside the cave. Kitsune stood back up on her paws to see who that was. The pink balloon pokemon popped out from the exit, smiling with delight. Her large eyes glistened as she caught up to her friend. "There you are!"
The fox pokemon frowned and looked away. "What are you doing here?" She asked tersely, her orange tails curling inward.
Baloo waved her arms up and down before saying, "Looking for you, of course! I was worried! Won't you please-?"
"No," Kitsune interrupted, calmly but with a solemn expression about her. She knew what Baloo was going to say, and she was sticking to her answer like a geodude on a rock path. "I'm not going back with her and that's final."
"Why not?" Baloo asked. "She's just in a bad mood, that's all. She'll get over it."
Kitsune turned around, glaring at the balloon pokemon, before hissing, "You don't get it! She acted just like my old trainer!" Her tails straightened outward, and Baloo stepped back two steps, surprised by the change in demeanor.
'Why is everybody cranky today?' Baloo asked herself. But something Kitsune said made her ears perk up. Old trainer? She and Perrine had heard some stories about how Kitsune's previous trainer wasn't exactly the best person. But Perrine? Acting like her old trainer? The pink balloon thought maybe she was exaggerating. "It was just one outburst," Baloo explained. "Don't you think you're overreacting a little? Perrine didn't mean it-"
Once again, Kitsune cut her off. "Yes she did!" She walked alongside the river. Not wanting to lose sight of her friend, Baloo followed her. "I'm sick of always being everyone's scapegoat! I hate it!"
"Come on," Baloo interjected. "Has Perrine ever treated you like that before?"
"No."
"Has she ever lied to you before?"
Kitsune found herself dumbfounded. What was with this line of questions? "No, but that doesn't mean she doesn't secretly hate me!"
Baloo facepalmed. "If Perrine really hated you, she'd have gotten rid of you by now. Maybe even all of us. But she hasn't, now has she?"
The fox pokemon stopped in her tracks. Her friend raised a point. In fact, Perrine had been nothing but nice to them since they first met. Perrine was the one who took her in and raised her like she was her own for a couple years. They played together, trained together, slept together, and endured hardship together. Kitsune could really feel a connection with Perrine. She didn't have one with her previous trainer. Still, there was no excuse for Perrine's behavior. No excuse at all.
She held her head up, took on a regal stance, and said, in no uncertain terms, "Until she stops being a crankypants, I refuse to go back and that's final."
Baloo let out a defeated sigh. "Come on, Kitsune. Let's be rational here."
"What's there to be rational about?" Kitsune noticed a small stone by her feet. Perrine's cold words ran through her head once more. Go away and stay away. Anger seized her. She kicked that stone with enough force to make it fly into a perfect arch. The stone fell into a bush, causing the leaves to rustle loudly.
Unfortunately, an angry spearow suddenly popped out from the bushes, glaring at them. "Spearooooow!" ("You just hit me!") The spearow cawed with a shrill squawk. It looked up at the sky and cried out, "Spearoooooow!" ("Bad pokemon just threw a rock at meeeeeee!")
All of a sudden, a flock of spearow came descending from the sky. Kitsune and Baloo knew this was the perfect time to run for their lives. The two scurried away as the flock of spearow flapped their wings vigorously, absolutely determined to catch up to them at any moment.
"They're gaining on us!" Kitsune cried. "Can't you use Sing?!"
"I can't sing and run at the same time!" Baloo yelled.
"Grrrr!" Kitsune turned around and expelled a stream of fire at the bird pokemon. Some of them ascended to the sky to dodge, while others weren't so lucky. Some spearow caught on fire, flying away with flames on their feathers. One spearow took a chance and flapped its wings, generating a huge gust of wind. Baloo and Kitsune tried to run, but the wind was so strong it made them fly into the air, sending them right into the river.
The water current was too strong. Baloo clung to Kitsune for dear life, but the fox pokemon was faring no better than her friend was. She had already swallowed some water, making it hurt to even breathe. The fox kept bobbing her head on the surface of the water to breathe. Her small legs were too weak to paddle away. Soon, the two pokemon disappeared down a steep waterfall. The flock of spearow finally flew away, hoping that they died as soon as they hit their heads on some rocks.
Was this the end, Kitsune thought to herself. Was this how her journey would end?
"Uuugh!" Perrine laid down on a bed and groaned as she buried her face in a pillow. "Why am I being such a brat?!" The orange haired girl's feelings were all over the place, with anger being one such feeling she wanted to boot out. She banged her fists on her pillow, hoping to beat the anger out of her system. She couldn't believe she had been doing nothing but yell at Kitsune over something that wasn't her fault. How could she treat her first pokemon this way? Kitsune had done nothing wrong. Perrine knew this, yet she still took her anger out on her.
Guilt weighed down on her, pressing her body down on the bed. Gradually, the anger began to dissipate, her heart overflowing with remorse. Even if she did lose her battle with Chuck, it wasn't an excuse to yell at her pokemon, especially after they battled to the best of her ability. Being angry and angsty wasn't a sign of good sportsmanship. Still, it was so frustrating to lose. But even she knew there were better ways to deal with it.
She sat up and wiped some tears out of her eyes with one hand. "Kitsune…" Seeing the hurt in her dear friend's eyes was too much to bear. Guilt gnawed at her heart. "I should go and apologize. I shouldn't have treated her the way I did," With resolve in her heart, she left the Pokemon Center. On the way to the beach, her stomach growled like a roaring donphan begging for food.
"Ehehehe…" Perrine put both hands on her stomach. "I guess my being hungry played a part in this too," The scent of hash browns suddenly caressed her nostrils. A warm, summery, burning scent. She looked to her right and saw someone at a small stand selling hash browns. Perhaps one of those would work. It had been a while since she had hash browns. She ambled over to the stand and asked for two hash browns. One for herself and another for Kitsune.
"Oh! Hot hot hot!" The paper bags stung the soft skin on her hands, burning like the heat from a fire. Then again, this was obvious. It was freshly made, after all. That didn't stop Perrine from taking a bite of the soft yet crunchy hash brown. The soft, wet insides bounced around in her mouth, warming it right up. As soon as she swallowed the piece she tore off, her hunger gradually dissipated.
Julia and Caiseal came within her vicinity. Her friends, who stuck by her since her journey. Guilt weighed her heart down once more. They didn't deserve the treatment she gave them. Swallowing hard, she approached them with an apologetic expression and said, "Guys? I'm sorry. I've been such a brat lately. You guys didn't deserve that."
Without hesitation, Julia smiled as she put Tokiko down. "It's okay!" She put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "We all have days when we get all grumpy," Julia's hand was warm, like the hash brown she just ate. Comforting and soothing, indeed.
"You feeling better now?" Caiseal asked.
"I think so," Perrine replied sheepishly. "I guess Chuck is right. I do need to start thinking up better strategies."
"How about we do some training?" Caiseal suggested, waving his index finger around. "We have all the time in the world to do so."
Perrine nodded in agreement. This would be a good time to train. But she did need to apologize to her pokemon first. She looked around, managing to spot Fuwari, Mushi, Fukuro, Florian, and-hang on.
Hang on.
Baloo and Kitsune weren't there.
Immediately, fear seized her, and the girl found herself almost unable to breathe. "Guys?" She croaked out. "Where are Kitsune and Baloo?"
The kids and their pokemon looked around. Perrine was right. There was no sign of the fox pokemon or the pink balloon. Where could they have gone? "They were just here a while ago," Julia mused. "I was playing frisbee with them earlier."
Caiseal was quick to cup his hands over his mouth and shout, "Kitsune! Baloo!" He shouted, his voice echoing on the waves. No answer.
All kinds of terrible thoughts were running through Perrine's mind. What if Kitsune got angry and ran away? Perrine did yell at her a few times earlier, so she might have left because her feelings were hurt. What if she got kidnapped by a Team Rocket member? Or sold on the black market? What if she fell into a river and drowned? Kitsune was a fire type, so water probably wouldn't be good for her. What about Baloo? Her pink friend just wasn't the type to run off like that, not in all the time she's known her. Maybe she went after Kitsune. What if they…?
Perrine shook her head to push those thoughts out. No! They couldn't be dead. They just couldn't be! The urge to look for them sprung forth like a newly discovered wellspring. She needed to find them, and fast. This was no time to be freaking out. Immediately, she ran all around the beach, looking for any sign of them she could think of.
"Kitsune! Baloo!"
"Where are you?!" Caiseal shouted.
"Come on out, guys!" Julia exclaimed. She knew they were both girls, but she had grown used to referring to her friends as guys. She considered it a neutral term for friends, since Perrine and Caiseal used it.
"I have a better idea," Caiseal pulled out a pokeball and flung it in the air. "Ravenclaw, come on out!"
A white light shot out of the pokeball, materializing to form the black bird. "Murkrow!"
"Hey, girl. Kitsune and Baloo are missing. Can you fly around and see if you can find them from the air?" Caiseal asked.
"Krow murkrow!" With a nod, Ravenclaw soared from the group, disappearing past a mountain that towered over them.
"I'll have Tsubasa help out, too!" Julia sent Tsubasa out and had her search for them, too. Oddly enough, Tsubasa didn't disobey Julia this time. She just up and flew away, possibly knowing that defying her trainer wasn't going to be a good idea.
Perrine clasped her hands together, squeezed her eyes shut, and prayed with her whole heart. Please let them be safe. Guilt consumed her heart. If something happened to her dear friends, she wasn't sure if she could go on. Would she be able to go on without them? Perrine refused to imagine such a scenario, especially with the mixture of worry and fear tearing her heart asunder. If only she hadn't yelled at Kitsune for doing her best in battling Chuck.
Skinny arms wrapped around her, trapping her arms in place. Swallowing hard, Perrine whipped her head around. Julia's face hovered over her shoulders. "Don't worry. We'll find them. We're not gonna rest until we find them," She whispered in her dainty voice.
The doubt in her heart was saying they'd never find her. But another part of her agreed with Julia. They couldn't have gone far. Plus, they all had flying types on them. Tsubasa and Ravenclaw could have better luck finding them than they could. They had to be hopeful. A small, hopeful smile tickled Perrine's face as she nodded.
"Alright. Let's find our friends."
A beautiful set of gardens dotted a green meadow by the columns, with flowers in a myriad of different colors giving it a joyful, pleasant atmosphere. Grass pokemon with sunflowers on their heads danced around the flowers, singing an acapella in perfect unison. They waved their leaf arms all around as a bellossom watered the flowers with a small pink watering can. Droplets sprinkled some red flowers, and the resulting dew reflected the sun's rays. Soon, a small, elderly woman ambled into the garden, with a mauve colored shawl wrapped around her upper body, her snow white hair covered by a matching cashmere hat. Her face was a whirlpool of wrinkles, with lots of stories to tell in her decades of living. A black skirt flowed elegantly as she took single steps with her matching shoes.
The bellossom looked up at the woman and chirruped, "Bella bella!" ("I watered the flowers for you!")
Even though humans can't usually understand pokemon talk, the old woman smiled in understanding. She kneeled down and stroke the flowers on her friend's head. "Did you water the flowers for me? Thank you, dearie," She crooned in a sweet yet scratchy voice.
The bellossom flashed a warm smile, happy to bask in the older woman's affection. The woman's hands were thin and wrinkly, worn from decades upon decades of living and doing Arceus knows what. That didn't bother the woman one bit. If she could still maintain the garden and care for these pokemon, then she was all set.
All of a sudden, a trio of small hoppip floated toward the woman with worried expressions. The weeds on their heads spun around like the propellers on a helicopter as they descended on the ground. "Hoppip hoppip hoppip!" One of them pulled on the woman's skirt.
"What's wrong?" It took the woman a brief moment to register what the hoppip wanted. "Do you want me to follow you?" All three of them nodded as they marched toward a river. Once the woman caught up with them, a hand almost flew to her mouth.
Lying beside the river were two pokemon. A vulpix and a jigglypuff, both unconscious. The woman didn't hesitate to run over and carry them in her arms. "My goodness! The poor things!" She ran into the house with the hoppip following from behind.
The woman was quick to dry them off with a bundle of towels and a hair dryer before laying them in front of the fireplace. Orange flames crackled inside the fireplace, with the artificial food and the white wrapping surrounding it being eaten up by the fire. The pokemons' small bodies rose and fell in tune with their breathing, lifting the worry off of the woman's shoulders as a smile split her face. With that, she stood up and left them to sleep.
For a few minutes, the two pokemon slept soundly, the heat from the fire warming them right up. Kitsune's ears twitched as they heard the fire crackling. Her grey eyes peeled open, taking in her new surroundings. She saw simple but neatly arranged furniture, photos adorning the walls, and felt the yellow blanket caressing her fur. She crawled out, twitching her nose to smell the new scents.
'Where am I?' Kitsune thought, confused. 'Last I remembered, I was in a river with...Baloo!' She whipped her head around. Where was Baloo? She didn't drown, did she? She looked down. There she was, sleeping like a togepi, her big mouth opening and closing with every breath she took. A smile split the fox's face as she sat down, relieved. 'Thank goodness. I thought she was dead or gone for a moment there.'
Kitsune sat by Baloo's side as she examined her new surroundings. But one thing happened to catch her eye. Sitting on a small pillow on the green couch was a pretty, orange stone that glistened in the light of the flames. Speaking of flames, a red and yellow, flame-like mark covered the front side. A strange yet warm, comforting energy was radiating from it. Kitsune knew exactly what that stone was: a fire stone.
Just what she needed to evolve.
With that in mind, she attempted to approach the stone. She could evolve into a beautiful yellow fox, just like the one in a book she read with Perrine, with long, elegant tails that flowed like a veil, walking in graceful steps with a regal demeanor. It would be absolutely perfect! But she didn't even manage a single step as her body stopped in her tracks. Was she ready to evolve yet? If she evolved now, she would never be a vulpix. Besides, if she did evolve, would Perrine recognize her?
'Ugh!' Kitsune shook her head, her tails bobbing along with her. 'Why am I thinking about that stupid crankypants?!' She scolded herself for thinking about her trainer. Alas, the anger in her heart still lingered.
"Oh! You're awake!" Kitsune's eyes flitted open, turning around to find the old woman standing before her with a smile. The old woman kneeled down to the fox's level. "I'm so glad you're okay, dearie."
"Vul?" Kitsune tilted her head to one side, registering the woman's presence and what it entailed. Did this woman save her? She couldn't think of an alternative explanation, as this one seemed the most plausible. One thing was for sure: they would have died had she not saved them.
"I'm Margaret. Would you like something to eat?" Margaret offered.
A rumbling sound from Kitsune's stomach was pretty much a gigantic yes. Not wanting to contradict herself, and her body's needs, Kitsune accepted the woman's offer. With that, the fox followed the woman into the kitchen. Baloo continued to sleep in front of the fire, content as can be. The balloon pokemon rolled to her left side, squishing her arm enough to wake herself up.
"Jiggly…" Baloo mused to herself, rubbing her eyes to adjust to the light. "Boy, was that the loveliest dream I ever had!"
Unbeknownst to the balloon pokemon, a pidgeotto's head glanced through the glass window, watching Baloo as she awoke from her slumber. Good, she was okay. Tsubasa nodded to herself, happy that both she and Kitsune are alive. This was a good time to let the kids know where they are. Stretching her wings out for flight, Tsubasa ascended to the sky, soaring back in the direction she came, leaving the house behind. Not for long.
It didn't take too long for the bird pokemon to find the three kids. Julia met back up with Caiseal and Perrine with a worried look on her face. "Any luck?"
"No," Perrine mused grimly.
"We've looked everywhere we can think of," Caiseal answered.
Julia could see the despair all over Perrine. Her fists were trembling, her nose was crinkling up, and her blue eyes looked like glass that got water spilled all over them. She could tell her friend was close to breaking at any moment. Seeing the sad sight wounded the girl's heart. It was too much to see. But even so, Perrine needed her. This was no time to be thinking the worst.
With resolve in her heart, Julia put a firm hand on Perrine's shoulder. "We'll find them, Perrine," She told her calmly in a reassuring voice. Perrine looked up, surprised by the kind gesture. "Tsubasa and Ravenclaw can cover more ground than we can since they can fly. Maybe they'll find something. We can't give up yet."
"Murkrowwwww!" Ravenclaw perched on Caiseal's shoulder with a glum look on her face. Caiseal could tell that she hadn't found anything.
"It's okay, girl," He stroke his feathered friend's head. "You did great."
"Pijooooo!" Then came Tsubasa, who kept flying in the air.
Julia looked up. "Tsubasa! Did you find them?"
"Pijo pijo!" ("Yeah, I did!") Tsubasa pointed in the direction she came from. "Follow me!"
"Tsubasa said she found them! Come on" Julia gestured her friends to follow them. Unbeknownst to them, a humanoid with lime green hair and brown eyes was staring at them from within a thicket, watching as they ran in the river's direction.
Hope surged back into Perrine's heart. Thank Arceus! Kitsune must be okay. The three kids and their pokemon ran past the river, wondering where Tsubasa was going to take them. Perrine found herself imagining all kinds of scenarios. Did a nice person save Kitsune and take her in? Or did some poacher shoot her and take her for her fur? Perrine forced that last thought out of her head with a low grunt. That wasn't going to happen, she told herself. Kitsune was strong. There's no way she'd let a hunter take her down. Perhaps Kitsune and Baloo hid in a bush or a thicket somewhere, taking cover.
The sight of a log cabin pulled Perrine out of her reverie. Said log cabin was held up by straight log foundations, parts of them used to make a fence, merging onto a porch that led to the entrance. The cabin looked big enough to fit six people, and it wouldn't look out of place in a fairytale or a scary ghost story. A stone chimney stood next to the cabin, still as can be, with no smoke coming out. Some hoppip hopped around on the roof, playing tag.
"This is where Kitsune and Baloo are?" Julia asked Tsubasa.
"Pijo pijo!" ("I saw them here, I swear!") Tsubasa trilled, flapping her wings as she descended to the ground.
Noting the flower gardens nearby, the kids tip-toed toward it, wondering if anyone was here. Sure enough, an old woman stood over one flower bed with interest. Standing next to her were…
Perrine's heart soared, and the tears came into existence. "Kitsune! Baloo!"
Hearing her trainer's voice, Baloo turned around, flashing a mile. "Jiggly!" The balloon pokemon leaped into her trainer's arms, basking in her affection.
"Baloo!" Perrine squeezed her pink friend quite tight. "You're okay! Thank Arceus!"
"Oh," Margaret exclaimed. "So you're its trainer?"
"Yes I am!" Perrine exclaimed gratefully, taking a glance at Kitsune. "Both the jigglypuff and vulpix!"
Kitsune didn't move from her spot. She just shot a glare at Perrine before turning away to look at some flowers. It made everyone stop dead in their tracks. Margaret raised an eyebrow. Not in a disbelieving way, just confused. Perrine's shoulders slumped as she looked down remorsefully.
"Your vulpix doesn't seem too happy to see you," Margaret pointed out. Baloo facepalmed.
Margaret introduced herself and invited the kids inside. The kids explained their side of the story to Margaret, and the old woman told them how she found them washed up by the river. Perrine bowed before the old woman gratefully. "Miss Margaret, thank you so so so much for saving my pokemon. You have no idea how worried I've been."
"No need to be so formal, dearie," Margaret waved a hand at her modestly. "I'm just happy your pokemon are alright."
It seemed as though a weight had been lifted off of Perrine's being. Kitsune and Baloo are safe and sound, all thanks to Margaret. That's one disaster averted. Still, Perrine stole a glance at the fox, who simply sat on the couch with her tails curled around her paws. Kitsune kept facing the wall, averting Perrine's gaze, as though she was making every attempt possible to not even so much as look at Perrine. The orange haired girl sighed. She didn't blame her. But she figured it was time to kiss and make up.
"Kitsune?" Perrine sat down next to her friend. "Listen...I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you earlier. It was wrong of me to do that to you, and you didn't deserve it," She told her apologetically. "Can we be-"
Before she could finish, Kitsune leaped off the couch and walked out the front door without a care in the world. Everyone watched the little fox step out of the house with such a regal manner about her, but they were rendered silent once more. She didn't even listen. "Whoa. Kitsune's gotta be boiling mad," Caiseal mused.
"She can't stay mad forever," Julia piped in. "I wonder why she's ignoring Perrine?"
"Kitsune!" Perrine ran out the front door. Everyone else, Margaret included, followed. Kitsune didn't go far. She just stood in front of some flowers as the bellossom and hoppip played hide and seek. "Kitsune? Please forgive me," Perrine pleaded, clasping her hands together. "I'm not mad anymore."
"I don't think you should force it," Margaret advised. "It may take some time."
"I don't want to wait!" Perrine suddenly exclaimed.
All of a sudden, Kitsune turned around and spat out a stream of fire. It wasn't so strong as to hit them, as it couldn't reach far enough, disappearing before it could land a hit on them. But the heat was definitely strong enough to make everyone step back at least five feet. Julia found herself trembling all over, clinging to Caiseal like she was almost attacked by a beedrill horde. Caiseal's mouth simply fell open, hazel eyes wide with an expression that screamed, "What the heck was that for?!" He didn't dare say this out loud.
On the other hand, Perrine was downright bewildered. This was completely out of character for Kitsune. She never attacked humans before, especially not Perrine herself. What really made her stop dead in her tracks was the glare in Kitsune's grey eyes. They were brimming with undiluted rage. The fox's teeth were clenched together, and she glared at her trainer like she was a predator about to eat her.
"Kitsune...why?" That was all Perrine could make out.
"Vulpix vulpix vul!" Kitsune roared, her voice changing to a shrill, almost nasally tone that didn't sound like it belonged to her.
"She says, 'You're not sorry at all! You don't get it!'" Julia translated.
Perrine whirled herself around to face Julia. "What?!"
Kitsune continued to roar and howl like the little fox she was. Whatever she had to say, she was dead serious, and everyone knew it, even Margaret. Julia continued to translate Kitsune's barking. "She also says, 'You told me to go away and stay away! Do you have any idea who you sound like?!'" A hand flew to Julia's chest, like someone poked her with a needle. "She says, 'You acted just like my previous trainer!'"
Speechless, Perrine didn't say anything. Kitsune's words were like a knife through her heart, twisting in a circular motion to make the blood spill forth. She acted like...Kitsune's previous trainer? Did what she say to her really hurt her friend that much? Perrine didn't go through what her friend did, so she couldn't comprehend her pain.
But...it didn't hurt to ask, did it? "What was...your old trainer like?"
Kitsune hissed at the grass. Julia translated, "She's asking why do you want to know."
But in her heart, Kitsune already knew why. "I want to understand," Perrine affirmed. No way did she want Kitsune to think she meant so little to her, like their friendship was meaningless. She couldn't bear for it to be broken over this.
At first, Kitsune gave her current trainer a quizzical look, like she was wondering if Perrine was actually sorry or just pulling out croconaw tears to receive easy sympathy. But upon further reflection...not once did Perrine ever ask about Kitsune's past. She tried to once, but upon realizing it was a sore subject, she just dropped it and moved on. Not only that...Perrine was nothing like her old trainer. Finally, she relented. "Vul vulpix," ("I'll tell you.")
The kids sat down and listened to Kitsune's story through Julia. The first years of Kitsune's life were relatively happy and peaceful. She lived in a nice meadow, had lots of friends, a loving family, and was a healthy, happy little fox. At one point in her life, she had seen humans walk by her meadow, with pokemon she hadn't seen before by their side. She had heard stories that humans were bad, but after seeing the humans treat their pokemon with kindness and love, she found their warnings to be unfounded.
With a desire to study humans further, she left her happy home to go into the city that was nearby. Kitsune had to admit, the city was very different from her peaceful meadow. A female trainer-Kitsune vaguely remembered her name being Sharpay-captured her. Kitsune thought all humans would be nice. But as it turned out, Sharpay was selfish, stubborn, and pushed her pokemon to battle all the time, with almost no breaks, only giving them leftovers of her own food. If anyone didn't meet her expectations, she'd release them without a second thought. Kitsune realized that she saw pokemon as fighting machines, not living creatures with feelings. If they were sick, she'd release them. If they disobeyed her, she released them.
Not wanting to suffer at her hand, Kitsune hatched a plan: she'd free herself of that girl and save herself. When Sharpay wasn't looking, Kitsune destroyed her pokeball with extrasensory before making her escape. She had traveled across three cities, unable to return to her meadow. Pokemon such as rattata and koffing would attack her if they caught her eating food from the trash cans. Sometimes, she ate other pokemons' food from their bowls if they didn't eat. She had to drink water from gutters and small ponds. There were some humans who tried to catch her, but she either escaped or made them retreat with flamethrower.
"Oh lord…" Perrine kept staring down at her hands. "I had no idea…"
"Man," Caiseal scratched his nose. "I have to admit, that was a bold move you made there, Kit," He meant it as a compliment, though wasn't sure if Kitsune would interpret it that way. Hearing it softened her expression, and her eyes got rid of the glare she gave Perrine before. "I've never heard of pokemon who deliberately abandoned their trainers."
Julia gave Kitsune a thumb's up. "Good thing you did. That Sharpay girl sounds horrible."
"Pichu pichu!" Hikaru agreed, flashing her own thumb's up.
"Vul vulpix!" ("Good Arceus, she was!") Kitsune snapped.
Oddly enough, instead of feeling irritated and grumpy like earlier, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her. Kitsune felt light as a feather, and her anger seemed to fade somewhat. She had never talked about her past to anyone, because she wanted to just leave it in the past. There was no point in bringing it up now, now that she had moved on. But...it had been a long time since she had even thought about Sharpay. The fox was surprised she even managed to remember her name.
Remorse overtook her. Perrine was nothing like Sharpay.
However, before she could reflect further, a glowing blue net shot out from the sky. Hearing it descend, Kitsune leaped in front of the kids, allowing the net to trap her completely. "Kitsune!" Perrine lurched forward, her hands attempting to grip the net. But someone-or rather, something-pulled it away.
"I'll call the police!" Margaret exclaimed. The kids nodded and chased after whatever was dragging Kitsune away. "Wait! Don't go!" She yelled, but the kids had already left, ignoring her warning.
The fox breathed fire at the net. Alas, the flames didn't do any good, as the net was glowing in a blue light. The fox looked up to see that the net was attached to the rear of what appeared to be a tank. It was big and grey, resembling a military tank, complete with the long gun and road wheels. But it wasn't big by military standards, being smaller than a traditional tank.
Inside the hatch, trapped inside the small confines, was a woman with lime green hair tied in a braid, driving the tank. Her brown eyes were obscured by small glasses, even as tears came into existence. The woman was wearing a black Team Rocket uniform consisting of a shirt and pants and grey gloves and boots. However, unlike Margeaux and Yannick, she didn't look as though she was enjoying this at all. Her hands trembled, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and her brown eyes were brimming with remorse.
"I don't want to do this…" She mused to herself in a small voice.
"KITSUNE!" The fox's ears twitched as Perrine's voice echoed in the air. Perrine was right behind her, running right toward the net. It helped that said tank wasn't moving very fast. Probably about seven miles per hour. Slow enough for even a couple of kids to catch up. Right as she got close, Perrine grabbed onto the glowing net. The blue light singed the skin on her palms, and with a grimace, she grunted from the pain.
"Vuuuul!" ("It's dangerous!") Kitsune cried.
"Kitsune...I'm not letting whoever it is take you!" Perrine continued to cling to the net in spite of the pain. One eye was closed as she yanked on the net to no avail.
"Tokiko! Help them out!"
"You too, Flippy! Use Mud Shot!"
An idea hatched in Kitsune's head. What if she could dismantle the net with her psychic attack? That's it! She could tell Julia and Caiseal had the same idea. Well, somewhat. Kitsune's eyes glowed in an eerie purple light as the net glowed. All of a sudden, Perrine herself was consumed by light, being pulled away from the net. Tokiko carried her back to the gang.
"Thanks, Tokiko!" Julia gave her little friend a small high five with her finger.
"Choki!" Tokiko returned the gesture.
Flippy shot three balls of mud at the net, breaking the piece that attached it to the back of the tank. Oddly enough, the tank didn't stop to get Kitsune back. It just kept on going forward. Finally, the net began to unravel as Kitsune used the chance to rip the net apart with just her eyes. Finally, the light in her eyes faded.
"Kitsune!"
"Vul!" The eager fox leaped into her trainer's loving arms, her anger having finally subsided. It was true. Perrine truly was a good trainer. Immediately, remorse overtook her once more. With a small cry, she looked down at Perrine's vest and cried, "Vulpix vul…" ("I'm sorry I've been so rude…")
Perrine didn't need Julia's ability to know what Kitsune said. All she did was smile and nuzzle her friend's hair. "It's okay. I've been a jerk, too. We both have, so that makes us even," The two of them burst into laughter. Caiseal and Julia smiled at each other, thinking the same thing. They made up.
"I wonder who tried to kidnap Kitsune, though?" Caiseal asked out loud. "And what was with that tank? You don't think it was Team Rocket, do you?"
"I can't think of anyone else, so that might be it," Julia added.
It didn't take long for the police to arrive. Once they took their statements, they followed the tracks it left on the dirt, leaving the kids and Margaret back at the house. But they wouldn't stay back there for long. "I think it's about time we got going," Perrine said. "Thanks for having us here...and for saving Kitsune and Baloo."
"Not a problem, dears," Margaret told them. "By the way…" She walked over to the couch, picked up the Fire Stone from earlier, and presented it to Perrine. "You can use this if you want."
Perrine looked at the Fire Stone, then back at Kitsune, then at the stone, then back at Kitsune once more. It all clicked. On one hand, if she used this Fire Stone on Kitsune, she could evolve. But at the same time, what if Kitsune didn't want to? What if she wasn't ready to evolve yet? If she wanted to evolve, would she be okay with it?
'I might as well ask,' Perrine thought to herself before catching her fox's attention. "Kitsune? See the Fire Stone?" Kitsune nodded. "If I use this on you, you'll evolve into a ninetales. Would you like to evolve? Or would you rather not?"
"Vul…" Kitsune whispered, tilting her head. She gazed at the stone with her grey eyes before bringing them up to fix them on her trainer. Her real trainer. It seemed as if she wanted her to say more.
Perrine knew exactly what she needed to say. "Kitsune...I'm so happy to have met you. You're the best friend a trainer could have. My best friend. I want us both to be strong together, grow up together, and stay together. I'm sorry I said what I did, honest," She took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you have your own feelings and opinions. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. But…" She paused for a brief moment. "I couldn't have come this far if it weren't for you. If there's any pokemon who deserves to evolve, it's you," Another pause, then she asked, "So...what do you say?"
A long silence ensued. Then, finally, "Vulpix!" She said, nodding her head in an undeniable yes.
A smile split the orange haired girl's face. "I was hoping you'd say that. Thank you. Now do your thing!"
"Vulpix!" Perrine took the stone from Margaret's hand and presented it to the fox. Kitsune tapped it with one paw, keeping it on there. Soon, the fox was glowing in a piercing white light, increasing inside. Within seconds, she grew taller than the kids and even Margaret. Her tails grew longer, fuller, and her legs became thinner, leaner.
Soon, the light dissipated. Out came a beautiful, elegant, sun colored fox with a long body and nine long, flowing tails with pale orange tips. A large tuft of fur sprung out from atop her head, and her legs were thin yet graceful. Her red irises shone with life as she presented herself in her utmost regal manner. "Nine…" The yellow fox cooed in a high pitched voice.
Everyone's eyes twinkled with joy. "My, a ninetales! How beautiful!" Margaret exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Kitsune nuzzled her trainer with her head, forcing a giggle out of Perrine. Caiseal took the chance to pull his PokeDex out and examine her.
"Ninetales, the fox pokemon," The PokeDex informed in its usual robotic, lifeless voice. "The evolved form of vulpix. Ninetales are very intelligent pokemon, but when wronged, can be very vengeful. Each of their tails contains psychic powers unlike any other, and they're said to give it the power to live for a millennium at most if used. Ninetales can understand human speech, and legend has it that it came about when nine wizards possessing sacred powers merged into one being. However, no solid evidence has confirmed this theory. If anyone grabs one of its tails, no matter the intention, ninetales is said to subject them to a thousand year curse, but only if it wishes it. They can also control people's minds."
"Hehehe," Julia chuckled to herself upon hearing that last part. She even had a smirk like she was imitating an evil villain.
With that, the kids said goodbye to Margaret and left for Cianwood again. While on the road, Julia was the first to say, "My mom had a ninetales once. She was really pretty."
"I'll bet," Caiseal piped in.
"Wanna hear a funny story?" Julia smirked like a loon. "One time, I accidentally broke my sister's clay sculpture for art class, and she claimed I did it on purpose and yelled at me. When Mom and Dad tried to make her apologize, for calling me names and screaming about it I mean, Amara was still mad even when I said sorry. I tried to make Mom's ninetales control her mind to make her apologize."
Everyone's eyes shot open in shock. "No way!" Perrine exclaimed.
"Seriously?!"
"Super seriously!" Julia crossed her arms. "Uuuuunfortunately she didn't want to do it. Ninetales, I mean," She clarified. "She said she doesn't like to control people's minds and said we should work things out ourselves. But we worked things out in the end."
"Pichuuuuu…" ("Julia must have some secretly evil side,") Hikaru joked to herself. She had no idea Julia had such a naughty side to her. Perhaps even good people could do the occasional naughty thing if they wanted to.
"By the way, Perrine!" Julia asked. "Are you gonna battle Chuck again?"
"Not right now. I'm gonna do some training," Perrine replied. "If you want, you can battle him."
Julia liked the idea and nodded. "Sure!"
The next day, Julia came to the gym with every intention of battling Chuck. The man welcomed her desire to battle with enthusiasm and accepted her challenge. Soon, Caiseal and Perrine were on the bleachers, with Chuck and Julia on different sides of the battlefield. The female referee announced, "The gym challenge between Chuck Bergman the Cianwood gym leader and Julia Parisa of New Bark Town will commence! Choose your pokemon!"
"Machoke! Knock'em dead!"
"Tokiko, I choose you!"
The large, muscular machoke from before looked as though he could easily trump the tiny togepi that materialized before him. Oddly enough, Tokiko didn't look the least bit scared. She just kept that sweet, friendly, welcoming smile. Machoke found this to be unsettling, but kept his fists and guard up.
"Here's to a good battle!" Chuck exclaimed, flashing a thumb's up.
"Don't hold back!" Julia replied.
"Battle, begin!"
"Machoke! Start off with Karate Chop!"
The grey humanoid raced over to the togepi, flattened his hand, and almost pummeled little Tokiko...but she simply leaped away. Machoke attempted another Karate Chop. Once again, Tokiko leaped out of the way, standing on her tiptoes like she was a ballerina, smiling the whole time. Machoke slammed the battlefield with a multitude of Karate Chop attacks, but all of them missed. Little Tokiko was having too much fun dancing around the battlefield.
"Wow, Tokiko's really rockin' the dodging," Caiseal complimented.
"Togepi are small and are light on their feet," Perrine told him. "But she can't dodge forever. Julia's gotta have some kind of plan if she wants to defeat Chuck."
Nobody could tell what Julia was thinking. With a smirk, Julia announced, "Use Charm!" Tokiko walked right up to the towering machoke and danced in front of him. Hearts fluttered out from her being as she winked at him. The grey humanoid's face turned beet red. "Now jump on his face!" On cue, Tokiko leaped on machoke's face so fast he didn't have time to react.
"Machoke! Pull it off!"
"Dazzling Gleam!"
Without warning, Tokiko flashed a brilliant white light that lit up the entire battlefield. Machoke found feel the flash singing his skin and muscles. Thankfully, since Tokiko's grip wasn't too good, he was able to push the spike ball off of his face and escape from the rest of the attack.
"Use Poison Jab!"
"Protect!"
Machoke's fingers turned purple as he raced toward the spike ball. Tokiko didn't move as a green dome of light trapped her inside. The grey humanoid stabbed the dome five times in a futile attempt to attack her. No way was Tokiko going to fall for this attack. But both of them knew that Protect wouldn't help them forever. Now was the chance to risk it all.
"Hurry and use Extrasensory!"
The spike ball's eyes glowed in a purple light as machoke was levitated off the ground. Soon, machoke was being thrown around the battlefield like a rag doll. Machoke howled and wailed, unable to break free. Tokiko simply laughed the whole time, like she was watching a funny comedy show. It wasn't long before the glow in her eyes faded, and machoke fell to the ground with a strong thud.
"Can you get up, machoke?" Chuck asked worriedly.
Machoke was able to get on one knee, but the spike ball wasn't going to let him get up. "Use Headbutt on him! No mercy!" On cue, Tokiko rammed herself into the grey humanoid three times, knocking him to the ground. Finally, machoke's body gave out as he fell to the ground once more, unconscious and unable to move.
"Machoke is unable to battle!" The female referee pointed a pink flag in Julia's direction. "The winner is Tokiko the togepi!"
"Yay!" Julia ran into the battlefield, scooped the fairy in her arms, and spun around, trapping her friend in a hug. Tokiko didn't mind, as she liked it. The two of them were laughing and rejoicing in their first win. "You did it, Tokiko!"
"Choki choki!" ("Let's do it again! That was fun!") Tokiko waved her stubby arms up and down.
Chuck silently recalled his machoke before sending out another pokemon. It was a pokemon whose round body was covered with shaggy, beige colored hair, had brown arms and legs with black bracelets and anklets on them, angry eyes, and a light pink snout. A stress mark streaked the left side of its forehead, like its veins were about to pop right out. "Priiiiiiiimeape!"
Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to check its information. "Primeape, the pig monkey pokemon," The Pokedex informed them. "When Primeape becomes furious, its blood circulation is boosted. In turn, its muscles are made even stronger. However, it also becomes much less intelligent at the same time. It is always outrageously furious. If it gives chase, it will tenaciously track the target no matter how far. Because it is impossible to tell what made it angry, there is no soothing it. It stops being angry only when nobody else is around. To view this moment is very difficult."
"Do you want to keep battling, Tokiko?" Julia asked.
"Choki!" Tokiko affirmed with a nod before returning to the battlefield. With that, the battle resumed.
"Let's see your cute little friend handle this! Primeape!" Chuck punched an invisible enemy, his eyes blazing with the flames of determination. "Use Dynamic Punch!"
"Priiiiiime!" The pig monkey screeched in a nasally, pig-like voice as his fists glowed in a white light. The monkey stamped both feet, bumped his fists together, and charged at the small pokemon.
"Tokiko! Send him flying with Extrasensory!" Julia commanded. Tokiko knew what she had planned and rolled with it. Her eyes glowed in a purple light as she once again levitated the enemy, throwing the pig monkey all across the battlefield. Unfortunately, the primeape stood right back up.
"Use Double Team!" Chuck roared.
All of a sudden, the primeape ran around in circles. Tokiko found herself confused. What was going on? Before long, she thought she was seeing clones of him. That's right. Now there were many primeape surrounding her all at once. Even Julia found herself stumped. How were they going to find the real one? Right as she thought that, the real primeape swooped in front of Tokiko.
"Low Sweep!" Primeape extended his one leg out, swiping Tokiko with it, striking her to the point where she rolled across the battlefield. The clones were still present.
"Tokiko!" Julia cried worriedly. "Are you okay?!"
Thankfully, Tokiko was able to get back on her feet. "Choki!" She affirmed with a forced smile. Still, the primeape clones were still there. They went back to running all around her, leaving her confused.
'Come on, Julia!' She found herself lost in her thoughts. 'Think! Think! There's gotta be a way to...dispel the clones!' She opened her eyes and looked at the clones closely. Then it hit her. None of them had shadows. Upon closer inspection, some of them looked almost holographic in the light. The fluorescent lights in the gym shot right through them. Except for one.
A light bulb flashed. Speaking of light… "Tokiko! We can do this! Use Dazzling Gleam and knock out every single one of the copies! Make it as bright as you can!"
"Choki!" Doubt completely left Tokiko's being. After all, she trusted her trainer with her whole heart. Wishing with all her might, Tokiko's body was enveloped by a white light that flashed all throughout the battlefield. The copies vanished in its wake, and the real primeape was sent flying across the battlefield.
Instead of looking disappointed, Chuck found himself smiling. He crossed his arms, eyes glimmering with delight. "That's a fine way to use a move like that, Jules!" Chuck bellowed happily. "It's good that you're thinkin' outside the box! Sometimes you gotta go the unorthodox in order to get through a sticky situation like that one!"
Julia wasn't sure what unorthodox meant, making a mental note to look it up on a computer later, but Chuck's praise lit a fire in her heart and Tokiko's. She didn't think unorthodox was the right word for it. All she knew was that the copies were just that, copies. They didn't have substance and were merely projections. Was that really worthy of praise? It seemed to be for Chuck. But there was a battle going on, and she wanted to help Tokiko win.
"Thanks!"
"Good! But we're not done yet! Primeape, use Rock Slide!"
"Primeaaaaaape!" The pig monkey screeched as green, oval shaped lights appeared in the sky, dropping large rocks bigger than Tokiko herself on the ground. Tokiko squealed as she ran all around the battlefield, evading every rock she could dodge. Some of them she was just barely able to escape, coming close to her feet and her shell. She couldn't find the time to use Protect, so that was out of the question.
Another light bulb hatched in Julia's head. "Tokiko! Use Extrasensory on the rocks!"
On instinct, Tokiko did as ordered. Her eyes glowed, and the rocks in the air stopped in their tracks, being levitated by her powers. "Now throw them all at primeape with everything you've got!"
The spike ball spun around in a circular motion before releasing the rocks from her grasp. The large rocks soared across the battlefield, heading right for primeape. "Use Dynamic Punch to break them all!" Chuck bellowed. Primeape smashed most of the rocks just by smashing them to smithereens with two fists.
"Now use Headbutt!" Without even waiting for primeape to stop, Tokiko charged right at the primeape, her horns ready for headbutting. Once she got close, she leaped right toward primeape and shoved her spikes right into primeape's nose. Her spikes dug into primeape's fur, even though they weren't particularly sharp. But the force of the headbutt was so strong that it sent primeape spiraling toward the wall. Before long, primeape fell flat on his face, dormant and unmoving.
The only sound everyone heard at that moment was Tokiko's Soothe Bell's gentle ringing. But the referee broke the silence. "Primeape is unable to battle! Once again, the winner is Tokiko the togepi!"
Once again, the girl and her togepi rejoiced in their second victory. Tokiko ran over to her trainer and leaped into her arms. "You're awesome, Tokiko! You did it again!" She held her little friend tight in her skinny arms. "You're one of my best friends ever!"
"Choki!" ("I'm so happy you're happy!") Tokiko chirruped. The spike ball's entire body and soul were just overflowing with happiness. Julia's radiant smile warmed her little heart. In fact, Tokiko wasn't sure if she could picture life without her pseudo-mother. If she hadn't met Julia, she wouldn't have met Hikaru, Perrine, and the others, and she wouldn't have battled and become so strong. The victory, Julia's kindness, everyone else rejoicing...it all came pouring into Tokiko's being. She wanted to burst into song.
Only she burst into evolution instead.
"What?!" Everyone's eyes widened as a white light enveloped Tokiko. But Julia knew this wasn't Dazzling Gleam. Everyone knew. Tokiko gradually grew bigger, but only reached just a few inches past Hikaru's height. A neck grew out, her arms got bigger, her feet grew legs, and a small set of wings sprouted right out.
Finally, the light dissipated, and Tokiko gave a cute, high pitched, "Chokikko!" to announce her rebirth. Her whole body was white like an eggshell, but the red and blue markings on her body remained the same, if scattered about in different places. Small wings sprouted from her back, not making a single flap. Tokiko only had three spikes on her head now, her eyes grew longer, she had a neck and pronounced legs, and her hands were bigger. But she was still Tokiko.
"You evolved!" Julia cheered, hugging her newly transformed friend tighter with even more affection and joy. "Woohoo! Look at you now!"
Perrine pulled out her PokeDex. "Togetic, the happiness pokemon, and the evolved form of togepi. Togetic is a very rare pokemon seen by very few people. This is because they prefer to only appear before caring, kind hearted people and shower them with happiness in the form of a glowing powder that its wings give off called joy dust. They are said to bring good fortune, and become dispirited if they are not with kind people. They can float in midair without using their wings."
Immediately, an image flashed through Julia's mind: Falkner's togetic, the one who comforted her after Mrs. Amoretto abused her back when she was seven. Not once did she ever think she'd get a togetic in her lifetime, considering they were rare pokemon. But now she had one. A very cute, beautiful little friend, at that. "Chokikko!" ("I love you, Julia!")
"I love you too!"
Chuck recalled his primeape. "I can see the bond between you and your pokemon," He told her kindly, crossing his arms. "I like trainers like you, kid. You cherish the bonds you have with all of your pokemon and put them first above all else. It's good that you take advantage of your pokemon's natural abilities and trust in them with your whole heart," Once again, he punched an invisible enemy by extending his fist out. "And that trust will help you and your pokemon overcome any endeavor no matter how difficult!"
The karate man's words suddenly rang through Julia's mind. In a way, he was right. Julia kept going in life because she had her family and pokemon supporting her all the way. Pokemon stayed with her when she was lonely. Knowledge of pokemon helped her learn their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. Growing up with pokemon taught her that they had feelings, opinions, rights, and voices, too. Understanding them helped her reach them on a deep level she wasn't sure she knew she could achieve. Pokemon helped her have courage when she was scared. Her family played a big part in it too, yes, and she didn't forget that. But she wasn't sure where she'd be now if it weren't for her precious friends.
"Chokkiko?"
"Hey Tokiko. Do you want to take a break?" Julia asked. "You're probably tired."
Without hesitation, Tokiko nodded and returned to her pokeball with a smile, happy that she was able to evolve and help her friend achieve two victories. One more to go. Julia pulled out another pokeball. "You're right, Mr. Chuck. I love pokemon. I really do. They're the reason I'm still here today...and nothing can change that!" She threw her pokeball. "Blossom, go!"
The stinky flower materialized onto the battlefield. Chuck cracked his knuckles. "I like your courage, Jules! Poliwrath, let's win this!" Soon, a poliwrath materialized onto the battlefield, also cracking his knuckles. Again, the battle resumed. "Use Water Pulse!"
"Counter it with Acid!"
Poliwrath put his hands together as a sphere of water materialized in between them before throwing it like a dodge ball. Blossom was ready for it and spat out a greasy stream of pukey green acid that collided with the water sphere. However, the water sphere pushed through the acid and struck Blossom. The impact wasn't so strong that it sent Blossom flying, but it did bring her to her knees.
"Are you okay, Blossom?" Julia asked worriedly.
"Gloom gloom!" ("That was nothing!") Blossom got back on her feet quickly.
"Poliwrath! Knock it out with Dynamic Punch!"
"Poison Powder, and spread it all over the battlefield!"
With no intention of giving up, Blossom sprayed a glittering purple powder all over the field, right as poliwrath charged at her. Blossom was able to dodge it by leaping on poliwrath's head, knocking him to his knees. Just enough to make him inhale the poisoned purple cloud. Immediately, poliwrath's body burned like fire from the inside. Even moving an inch made his limbs feel as though someone was lighting him with a flame.
"Use Mega Drain!"
"Dodge it and use Water Pulse!" Despite Chuck's orders, the poison rendered poliwrath unable to properly move, leaving him wide open for an attack. A green stream of light shot out from the flower on Blossom's head, wrapping right around the tadpole and sucking his energy. Blossom herself glowed in a green light, and the injuries she sustained gradually disappeared, like she was never hurt. "Alright then!" Chuck announced. "Charge at Blossom and use Dynamic Punch!"
Oddly enough, poliwrath didn't even try to break free from the Mega Drain. Instead, he ran right toward Blossom with his fist glowing in a white light, with the Mega Drain still around him. Blossom had no time to stop the Mega Drain or move, since she was occupied. Once the fist made contact, Blossom was sent rolling across the sandy battlefield. She got back up, but her gait was unsteady, and the flower found herself wobbling with every step she took.
"Oh no! She's confused!" Julia mused to herself. Dynamic Punch was a move that could confuse an opponent sometimes. Blossom was confused now. Julia thought about switching Blossom out. That was the best way for her to recover from the confusion. But at the same time, some of her other pokemon didn't have an advantage over poliwrath. They had certain attacks, but those could only do so much, and Chuck could pick up on them and use them against her. She wasn't sure if Hikaru could handle poliwrath's brute strength, Tsubasa was still grounded, and Tokiko went through two straight battles already. She couldn't risk tiring her out and getting her defeated.
All of a sudden, her nose caught a noisome smell. She had no idea how to describe it, only that it smelled like animal poop and rotting cheese mixed together in a dumpster full of decaying carcasses. It wasn't so strong that it'd knock someone out, but it was definitely enough to make her face grimace in disgust. Wait a minute...gloom normally emit a gross scent when they're disturbed. Perhaps…
"Blossom! Make the whole place stink!" Julia yelled.
"Huh?" Perrine stood up from the bleachers, eyes and mouth wide with surprise.
"What is she doing?!" Caiseal yelped.
"Gloom?" ("Pardon?") Blossom asked. Despite still being confused, she could still hear and comprehend Julia's words just fine.
"You heard me!" Julia waved her arms up and down. "Use that smelly aroma of yours to bring poliwrath to his knees! Let it all out, Blossom! Make it nice and stinky and gross and disgusting!"
It was a gamble that even she knew was risky. If gloom was disturbed enough, her scent could knock anyone within a two mile radius completely unconscious. But at this point, it was worth a shot. Even in her confused status, there was a chance that Blossom could pull this off. Blossom seemed to comprehend it and screeched, "Glooooooom!" All of a sudden, a yellow cloud floated out from the flower on Blossom's head. It increased in size until it covered the entire battlefield. Everyone's hands flew to their noses and mouths as soon as the noisome aroma assailed their nostrils.
"GOOD ARCEUS!" Caiseal screamed, his voice muffled by his hands. "IT FREAKIN' REEKS LIKE HECK!"
"I know!" Perrine wailed. "What is Julia thinking?! I can't…"
Not even Chuck and Julia were spared from Blossom's awful aroma. They coughed and voiced their unadulterated disgust as poliwrath was knocked unconscious. Before long, Blossom found that her mind was no longer asunder. Everything fell into place now. Poliwrath laid down on the ground face up.
"Good job, Blossom! Finish it with one more Mega Drain!" Julia commanded despite her voice being muffled by her hands.
Blossom heard it loud and clear, and used Mega Drain once more. This time, there was nothing that could interrupt the energy sucking process this time. Blossom concentrated, sucking out any health that poliwrath had left. She had to defeat him right here and now. Oddly enough, poliwrath didn't wake up, nor did he make any attempt to escape. Soon, Blossom ceased her attack. The female referee was quick to open the nearest window, and the unpleasant aroma began to dissipate. Finally, the stinky cloud of...whatever that stench was supposed to be, faded, and poliwrath continued to lay on the ground.
"Poliwrath...is unable...to battle…" The female referee wheezed, holding a pink flag in Julia's direction. "Oh, screw it! Victor is Julia Parisa, blah blah blah, I need a shower right now!" The referee wasted no time fleeing the premises, like she couldn't run fast enough.
The flower pokemon scratched her head with one hand. "Gloom gloom?" ("Did I overdo it?") Understatement of the millennium, not that anyone would tell her this.
Since the gym smelled like animal poop and corpses, everyone fled outside. Chuck coughed a little before bursting into merry laughter. "WAHAHAHAHA! You really steamrolled me there, Jules!" He bellowed happily. Julia covered her ears, but didn't tell him to lower his voice. He was happy, and so was she and everyone else. "Your tactics are unorthodox but darn amazing! How about that!"
"Sorry about Blossom's stench," Julia told him apologetically. "I wanted to try something with her...and I think it worked a little too well…"
"YEAH! IT DID!" Both Perrine and Caiseal screamed in unison. They weren't angry at her, just the fact that they smelled the most awful thing that the universe could subject them to.
Chuck put a hand out to calm them down. "Now now, kids. No need to yell. I like it when trainers think on their feet and use their pokemon's abilities to their advantage," He nodded to himself. "A loss is a loss, and with that…" He pulled out a Storm Badge. "You're worthy of this!"
Julia took the Storm Badge from his hand, examining it closely as she pulled it to her face. "You call this the...Storm Badge, right?" She asked. "Why is it called that?" When she thought of storms, she thought of dark clouds, lightning bolts, and torrential rains. Not people's fists. "Why didn't you call it the punch badge or the fist badge or something?"
The big man laughed once more. "Because storm badge sounded cooler!...that, and fist badge and punch badge didn't have that oomph to it! Know what I mean?"
"Yeah. Thanks, sir."
"You're welcome, kid!" He turned to Perrine. "I'll be ready to battle you soon, lassie!"
Perrine's eyes glimmered. "I'll be ready for sure! You can count on it!"
Here's hoping Blossom doesn't knock them dead with her stench. One thing was on everyone's minds at the moment: a shower to get rid of that noisome aroma. It still lingered, much to their displeasure.
Somewhere, in an unknown location, a woman in a black coat sat in a leather chair, reading some packets of paper at her desk. The woman's silvery grey hair glistened in the sunset, and her black goggles blocked any harmful UV rays that could damage her eyes. The orange sunset brightened the dim room, its light reflecting off the silver titanium walls. White clouds floated aimlessly past, with no destination other than forward.
The papers in her hands were reports from Team Rocket grunts, detailing sightings of the legendary beasts: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. One report came with a colored photograph showing Raikou, the beast of lightning, elegantly leaping across the sands of Olivine City. The woman removed her goggles, showing a pair of steely, cobalt blue eyes that shined just like the walls of her room. But there was no warmth in them. No compassion, no caring, nothing of the sort.
"I'll start with Raikou," She mused to herself in a cold, icy, yet womanly voice that spoke of many experiences throughout her decades of living. Four decades, to be precise. "We're in close proximity to his location," She told herself in a calculating tone of voice.
She reached for a pitch black cell phone, punched in some numbers, and held it to her ear. It rang a few times before a young, manly voice answered. "This is Archer, Team Rocket Executive, and Second-In-Command."
"Archer."
"Ah! Pokemon Hunter J!" The voice on the other line, Archer, greeted her in a welcoming voice, but it wasn't welcoming in a warm and friendly sense. "How lovely it is to hear your voice."
"Cut the crap," She didn't mince any words. "I have a mission for you and whoever's with you right now," She told him. "I am en route to Olivine City. I would like you and the other grunts to assist me in capturing Raikou, the legendary thunder pokemon."
"Lovely!" Archer beamed on the other line. Hearing that sickeningly sweet tone made her feel like her teeth were rotting. All she did was grunt in response. "I would be more than happy to help you catch Raikou. I'll rally up some grunts and meet you there in T-minus eighteen hours tops."
"Make it snappy, and for the love of Arceus, please use the invisibility feature on your airship this time," She hissed. "We cannot afford to let the police pursue us anymore than they already are. I'm sure you're aware that my face is in the papers."
"Well aware, boss," Archer replied in a calmer, more serious voice this time. "I suppose you'll make a mint if you sell off that Raikou."
"Yes. Yes I will," J replied tersely. With that, she hung up the phone.
There was a reason she was insistent on invisibility. After all, she was in an airship. It was invisible, unnoticeable to any unsuspecting eyes. Said airship hovered over the vast ocean without a care in the world. But to J, this was merely a trivial thing not worth paying attention to.
Raikou would soon be hers. She would make absolutely sure of it.
Woohoo! Another chapter finished! And a big one, too! Awesome! Yeah, episode inspired by Turning Over A New Bayleef, yes yes, I know. Also, this is the last chapter of 2015. 2016 is almost here, and the story is nowhere near over! Anyway, I had a great Christmas, I graduated from college, am watching anime I need to catch up on, and back to playing games and relaxing! I hope everyone else had a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yule/whatever the heck you celebrate! Here's to a new and better year!
And yes, two pokemon evolved once again. I'm happy I finally evolved Tokiko, because togetic itself only appeared in ONE episode of the anime, and never again after that! I feel togetic is very underappreciated, so I plan on giving Tokiko some more screen time to hopefully increase the togetic love.
Random Fact: I was originally going to give Julia both a shiny pichu and a shiny togepi. But upon further reflection, I thought it'd make her come off as a Mary Sue if she had two shiny pokemon, so I made Tokiko into a normal togepi (now togetic). But the red gyarados subplot is coming up, and I plan on having Julia go through some harsh but very much needed character development when I get to writing that subplot.
Footnotes:
1. Taiyaki is a Japanese cake shaped like a fish filled with red bean paste made from sweetened azuki beans. Other optional fillings are chocolate, custard, cheese, or sweet potato. I've tried one once and it was really good!
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pichu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Tail Whip
Aqua (Marill, Female, Mild Nature)
Ability: Thick Fat
Attacks: Rollout, Bubblebeam, Play Rough, and Water Gun
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Tackle, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Twister
Blossom (Gloom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Mega Drain
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Bayleef, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Reflect, and Poison Powder
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Sleep Powder
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: Scratch, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Round
Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Confusion, Peck, Hypnosis, and Dream Eater
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Cubone, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Club, Headbutt, Growl
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Tackle, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Night Shade, Dark Pulse, and Haze
Viole (Oddish, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit