SHADOW JULIE

Julie's next conscious impression was that of a Pokémon released

from a pokè ball. Was she to fight? She stood and surveyed the

assembled people in front of her in a detached haze. The first ones

she saw were unknown to her. A small, frail-looking old man in a sort

of hover chair. Two men flanked him, one dressed in red, one in blue.

There was a man with a strangely-shaped hat and robes, robes which

reminded her of a face with blonde hair and lilac eyes and a smile. A

word associated with that image cropped up;

Friend. She couldn't remember the meaning of the word, but an

acceptable alternative cropped up.

Master

She compared the mental face with the face of the man with the

funny hat and robes. Not the same. He was not her master. Then she

caught sight of two other people-faces that she immediately

associated with another, quite different word.

Enemy!

She glared at them. the not-known people seemed to get on well with

the Enemy! People. Which must mean that they too were enemy! The

old man spoke.

"Demonstrate your ability. Shadow chill!" He threw a poké ball and

released a Rhydon. Julie spread her wings and did the requested

attack, but she didn't go for the Rhydon.

She went for them.

They cried out and ducked as she sent cold blasts at them. The old

man and his bodyguards darted out of a nearby door, everyone else

hit the floor and cowered. Julie let out a cry, looked towards the open

shutter. She ran towards it, leaping over those cowering on the floor,

spread her wings and took flight from the building. The room was

atop a tower, over a volcano, and she used the thermals and the

height to soar up and away, away from her enemies, away to rest,

and she'd hide, and then look for her master.

By the time everyone had assembled back in the room, Julie wasn't

visible any more.