Al: Chris's friend. He's about 6 feet tall, and fairly thin. He has brown eyes, and very mussed up hair (brown). About 20 years old, has a pair of glasses (small thin ones), and has unmistakable signs of growing up in the slums (stance, that kind of stuff).


Warning: This chapter has a higher concentration of profanity than every other chapter thus far. Al is sometimes quite profane. You've been warned. This chapter is rated PG-13 solely due to profanity. No other chapter will be this bad, but…

Chapter Sixteen: Arrival


Chris looked at the city, then Kani. "So much for midway."

(Sorry. But it IS between the two cities…)

The other two pokemon laughed. Chris managed to squash his grin, and shook his head slightly. "Come on, you three. Al's place is to the north of the city, so we'll have to cut through."

Kani made a hacking sound – mostly a sound of disgust. (I assume we have to go back in the balls? )

Chris sighed. "You're safe enough. Anekiro, I'm sorry, but…"

(I understand.)

Chris held up Anekiro's ball. "Look, if you can't stand it, we'll work it out. But it would be easier…"

Anekiro sounded resigned. (No. I know my kind draws attention. Just let me back out when we're outside of the city? )

Chris nodded. "You got it."

Anekiro disappeared in a flash of light. Chris sighed, and led the way. He'd been here often enough.


The city was smaller than a true city. Chris doubted that it really warranted the name "city" anymore, these days. It was more like a town. Most people had fled a year ago, after Mewtwo had destroyed most of the city. Even now, rubble still remained.

Kani eyed some of the damage that still remained, and sighed. (I know it struck here, but this…)

"I know, Kani."

They neared the gym, which still stood.

(Chris? )

Chris turned his eyes from the destruction, to the gym (which was now right in front of them). A woman was standing outside, looking bored. She was formally dressed – in fact, she reminded Chris of boss lady. They looked alike to him. "Kani, what?"

(You want to go to the gym? )

"NO. Al's place first, then a center to get a check-up on you guys. Then… maybe. I don't know if we can take a gym leader."

(Might as well…)

Chris sighed. "You know I hate seeing anyone hurt."

Mathrara sneezed, from behind Chris. He (Chris) thought that sneeze covered up a laugh. "Mathrara, it's true. Don't give me that macho crap. I don't like seeing it, and that's that."

Mathrara just sneezed again, then shook his head silently. Chris looked at him, and burst out laughing.


Ethel turned her head, looking at the bizarre looking trainer. He didn't look like much – he had a navy blue t-shirt that was stained in every way imaginable, and even had a few bleach stains. His pants weren't much better – they looked like they were formerly a off-white, but now were covered with grass stains, blood, and anything else that was possible to get on a pair of pants. There were even tattoos on both his arms. He was laughing apparently at his Vulpix's lack of response.

She shook her head in horror, and slowly approached him.

Chris sighed, as the formerly bored woman walked closer. "Yea?"

"Dear me… what happened to you? I've never seen a trainer in such sad shape before. And you, at such an older age! You should take better care of yourself!"

Chris looked at Kani, who (he could tell), was smirking faintly. "Kani, I'm gonna get you one of these days. Or let Mathrara." He turned back to the woman, and sighed. "Look, I'm taking care of myself fine. Appearance doesn't matter very much. Food does. What are you, some league representative?"

She smiled faintly. "As a matter of fact, yes. And I must tell you, your appearance must change."

Chris gave her a rather dirty look, nearly an Evil Eye. "Well, I could change it. And then go hungry. You see, I'm from the slums. I didn't have much cash when I left home. So how the heck would I be able to afford new threads? And don't tell me to loose the tattoos. Unless the league wants to pay for the surgery to get rid of them, they're going nowhere."

The woman paused, apparently thinking it over. Chris smirked when he noticed Mathrara, who was sneaking behind her.

She was about to say something, when Mathrara roared loudly, making her jump about a foot in the air.

After a moment to recover, she gave a dirty look to Chris. "This is no way for a proper trainer to behave."

Chris stuck out his tongue (childish, but it made anyone stop mid-rant), and then snorted. "Yea, right. Once you give me an answer about where I'm getting the cash, I might just change."

Chris crouched down next to Kani, and gave her a smirk in return. "Hey, we in range for a teleport? I doubt Anekiro likes it in there."

She sighed, then nodded. Mathrara ran over, and tried to rub against Kani.

Not amused, she knocked him away. Chris picked him up, then gently laid a hand on her head.

They disappeared.


Ethel frowned. She had seen the poke-nav on his wrist, but her own search device hadn't reacted to the tracker that was planted within any 'nav. It was supposed to vibrate a few times when she came close to a poke-nav with a tracking device.

Somehow, that idiot teen had managed to open up his poke-nav, disable the tracking chip (or remove it), and then closed the nav. Successfully. The poke-nav usually showed signs of tampering, if it was inexpertly opened.

She took out her cell phone, and made a call.


Chris looked at Al's place. They'd re-appeared right inside the 'privacy' wall, and were out of sight. It was a nice place – two stories, and had a grass-type as a gardener.

The Vileplume paused, looking at him. Chris knew very well that Al didn't just have this pokemon just for gardening – it also disabled anyone it didn't recognize with stun spore.

Chris waved to it, then carefully approached. "Hey, what's with the freezing act? You've met me before."

(You seem different. Something…)

Chris carefully held up his left hand, and the 'bracelet' the dragons had burned into his arm.

(Oh.) She bowed, which made Chris smile slightly. "Don't. Just let me through."

(Yes, of course. Good to see you, Chris… gifted one.)

Chris gave her a slight bow in return, then walked past. He rang the buzzer, then leaned against the wall. The other two trailed, looking at the garden. Kani had only been here once, and Mathrara hadn't seen anything like it.

Al actually answered the door. He seemed surprised to see Chris for a moment, then his face broke into a grin. He threw the door open, and gave Chris a backslapping hug.

Chris sighed, and returned the gesture. "Hey Al. Long time no see."

"Dammit! Don't you 'hey Al' me! What the fuck happened?"

Chris blinked, as Al released him, and switched to glaring at him. "What I do?"

Al's face was serious. "Last time I heard, your house was blown up. They found your mother's remains, but not yours…"

Chris sighed. "Connect the dots, idiot."

(CHRIS! )

(Shaddup Kani. Al's my friend. He DOESN'T need any money, so there's no risk of betrayal. Besides, I don't look the same. I know I'm more worn, and harder. We teleported in out of sight. No one should know we're here, unless this place has cameras ALL over it.)

Al remained motionless for a moment, then his face fell as he figured it out. "Chris? Is it you the police want? WHAT did you do?"

Chris grinned slightly "only witness the bombing…"

Al kept his face straight. He thought Chris was kidding him. When Chris didn't crack up (he was bad about NOT cracking up at a joke), he shook his head slightly. "Should have known. You always had a knack for finding trouble"

Chris shrugged. "Yea. Look, can I crash here for a while?"

Al pulled Chris inside his house, then nodded carefully. "Look. STAY inside. Did anyone see you?"

Chris shook his head, then opened the door a bit wider. Kani and Mathrara entered, moving slowly. They still were looking around at everything. "No. Kani teleported us in."

Al's eyes widened at the look of the two. Chris blinked, then pulled out another ball, releasing Anekiro. He'd forgotten about him, until that moment.

Anekiro wasn't amused. (It's about TIME! )

Chris laughed, sat down, and began rubbing the Dratini's ears.

"Uh… Chris?" "Yea?" "What the hell?"

Chris grinned, and looked up from his seated position. "Uhm… they're with me."

"Sure. So Kani evolved, you picked up a Vulpix and a fucking impossible-to-find Dratini? What happened to 'I'll never be a trainer'?"

Chris sighed, and continued rubbing Anekiro's head gently – he seemed to enjoy it. "That's… still my view. I'm NOT a trainer."

Al laughed a bit cynically. "Then WHAT are you?"

Chris shrugged. "Dunno."

Al shook his head. "Still the same old jackass, sometimes."

Chris just grinned. "So are you, flamer."

"Sure, you can crash here. Just don't bring any criminals down on me, ok?"

"Gotcha. Kani's going to get a feel for this place, anyway. So we won't even walk in the door." Chris slowly got up, and stretched. "Your spare room still free?"

Al nodded, and Chris walked over to the room, and the bed within. As soon as he was on it, he fell asleep.


Kani, Mathrara, and Anekiro, after a while of exploring, went to sleep themselves. Every one of them liked the bed, too.