Anyway, here's the next (or rather, first) chapter! This introduces the characters a little bit. I'm sorry that it's long, but I usually like to write my chapters very long in general. Ahem, so that no one sues, I do not own Pokemon. I'm a total idiot. Just own the actual characters

One

A Future Team

"Hurry up, Sahkyo! You're fallin' behind!"

Through the bright green woodlands scurried a small orange shape. It was orange-and-yellow, and resembled a small chick. Suddenly a golden lizard dropped from a tree branch, a fire on the end of the long tail blazing. The chick let out a shrill yelp as it was tackled to the ground by the yellow Charmander. "I'll show you slow," the fire-lizard retorted, ruffling the Torchic's feathers. "You're just impatient, Ryn."

Ryn pecked at her paw bad-temperedly. He then lifted his beak and scrambled off, Sahkyo following close behind. The flame on her tail flared out greatly for a brief few moments, and she sprang ahead, attempting to run on all fours to catch up with her friend. She stumbled and panted, "Uh … where exactly are we going, Ryn?"

"You'll see soon enough," he answered vaguely, looking away. He skidded to a screeching halt as the Charmander pulled herself back up on her hind limbs. He brushed away some dark ferns with his head and hopped out into the sunlight. Intrigued, Sahkyo followed, turning her head to check her surroundings first. Her dark sapphire eyes were surprised to see cool green grasses, beams of sunlight, and a small stream that led into a sparkling, clear pool. She grinned at Ryn and glanced up at the warm yellow sun.

More young creatures pushed through the undergrowth. The large hollow held them with a lot of room to spare. Sahkyo watched as the others settled around her and the Torchic. She saw a nervous-looking Mudkip, a quiet, red-furred Cyndaquil, a large Marill, and lastly a small Eevee with unusual yellow-red eyes. The Cyndaquil bowed his long, cream-colored snout, before glancing briefly in her direction. Both were unusually colored, so Sahkyo couldn't help but smile at him.

Two adults continued on into the hollow. One resembled a small giraffe, golden on the front half with brown spots. On the back half, the colors were reversed. Her face had a white stripe, a pink muzzle, and two large, bright, blue eyes. The most notable feature was her tail, which was like a miniature head. The head blinked and yawned silently.

The other creature was large, thin, and menacing, with shaggy white fur and a dark face. Sahkyo recoiled as the red eyes turned on her. The Absol smiled faintly and sadly, however, before averting her attention. The golden Charmander looked at Ryn with a large frown. "What are we doing here?" she asked in a low whisper.

The Girafarig grabbed her attention. She finally noticed a steel-blue scarf wrapped around the long neck. "You all may be wondering why you're here," she stated, looking at Sahkyo. "The elders of the town and woods have been watching you. You're all extremely skilled for your age, and we are giving you a chance to become a Rescue Team."

The young creatures' eyes widened and they began mumbling to each other. After pinching Ryn crossly, Sahkyo saw that the Cyndaquil was still silent. The Absol spoke, her voice a growl. "But rescuing others is not without its dangers." She turned, sporting a long, black scar that parted the fur on her flank. "If you don't want to be exposed to these dangers … leave now." Sahkyo glanced at the small blue animal, watching the quivering orange growths on her cheeks. She wondered if the Mudkip would leave. In the end, Ryn shifted uncomfortably, but no one else moved. The red Cyndaquil was like a furry statue.

Suddenly, there was a crashing in the verdant undergrowth. The Cyndaquil's back suddenly erupted with flame, and he whipped his head around to find the trouble. The fire on Sahkyo's tail-tip flared up, and she saw the others turn quickly. The ruby gaze of the Absol was unnaturally afraid, and she murmured, "Ruka." A green blur shot down from a branch. It paused to reveal itself to look like a gecko, with a red bottom jaw and stomach, and a thick, dark jade tail. The eyes were yellow like the others of his species, but to Sahkyo they were unique, rich amber. The Treecko grinned smugly, but the Absol unexpectedly snarled, snapped out of her bloody reverie. "Where were you?" she demanded.

Shrugging, he replied coolly, "I overslept. It won't happen again." She fixed him with a hard stare and turned away.

"Well," said the Girafarig a bit uneasily, "you've been informed. We'll put you into your training teams tomorrow." She galloped off, and the Absol prowled after her with a growl.

Ryn cried, "That's it?" He was tackled to the ground by the fuming Charmander, who glared fiercely at him with her aquamarine gaze. The Torchic looked away in embarrassment. "Uh … I'm sorry?" He nodded his head in the Treecko's direction scornfully. "It's his fault," he said. "You got all of 'em mad."

The Treecko frowned and mumbled an apology. Sahkyo saw a gleam in his bright eyes and sighed, knowing that it was insincere. She saw Ryn chirping to the large, round, aquatic mouse, and decided to join him. The Marill was a few inches bigger than normal ones his age. He waggled his ears for a second and waved to her. "Howdy!" What's yer name?" The ball on the end of his thin black tail distracted her as it moved.

"Oh, uh … Sahkyo." She blushed, but he only gave her another friendly smile. Even if he was huge, he seemed gentle, too.

"What a pretty name for a pretty little lady," he laughed. "M'name's Jim." He dove back into conversation with Ryn, and the Charmander shook her head. She wanted to know where that Cyndaquil ran off to.

There he was, raised slightly onto his back paws, in the shadow of one of the trees. He was staring at its bark, head cocked and expression thoughtful. As Sahkyo approached, his fur began to burn again, but he calmed as he saw her. "Hi," she started cheerfully. He faced the tree again before she could continue, and she snorted indignantly, opening her mouth to speak.

"There is a Noctowl in the tree," he stated, putting one paw on the trunk and looking up at a black hole farther up. Sahkyo shivered and backed away; his voice was unusually smooth but devoid of any emotion. He walked over to the main group, staring at her expectantly. She got the idea and followed.

"What's your name?" she asked, suddenly unsure. She added with a fidgeting of her claws, "I'm Sahkyo."

The Cyndaquil's russet fur bristled and he nodded stiffly. "Sahkyo," he echoed absently, allowing himself a smile. "I am called Sven." He bowed his head and smirked tauntingly. "You look at me as if I'm the devil," he remarked, allowing a mocking tone to creep into his voice, but it wasn't unkind.

Sahkyo blushed promptly and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry …" She touched his red fur with a claw, suddenly awe-stricken. Most Cyndaquil were blue-and-cream, but instead of having blue he was red-brown. It was just like how Charmander were orange, not golden like Sahkyo. Humans referred to them as "Shiny", but to others of their kinds, they were miracles.

Sven shifted away shyly, when he suddenly flared out the fire. He growled and jumped, knocking her over. A pebble flew by her nose, which would have caught her on the side of her head. She saw Sven's face go a bright shade of pink as he backed off of her, and she got up to see who had tossed the small rock. The Cyndaquil snuck away and sat in a patch of tall grass, nibbling at a discarded berry stem distractedly. Sahkyo caught the assailant, the surprised-looking Treecko. She picked up the stone and tossed it at him, growling, "What did you do that for?"

The Treecko dodged to the side, his red jaw gaping. "Huh?" Some dirt was flung at him, and the enraged Charmander ran toward him, growling. As the Treecko coughed, Sahkyo raised her claws to scratch at him. He swung his thick tail around, catching her in the side and knocking her over. By this point, the others stared at the fight, crowding around. Ryn pushed by the Mudkip and Jim, scurrying to the opponents. The Treecko helped Sahkyo up, though, but she pulled away from him. "What're you doin', girl?" he asked.

"Why did you through that pebble at me?" she snarled.

"Huh?" he repeated, scratching his head. "I didn't throw anything …" He couldn't help but smirk, though and it took Jim to hold the Charmander back.

"You could've seriously hurt me!" she snapped.

The Treecko strolled toward her, his face inches from her own. Only the knowledge that she was being held back gave him the bravery to continue forward. He regained his cool attitude, while she clenched her sharp teeth angrily. "I didn't throw anything at you, girl," he said, "but it couldn't have hurt you if I did. You can dodge rocks, can't you?" He grinned. "Then again, you need the freak to save your sorry tail. Hmm."

"Why, I ought to—!" She flailed angrily in Jim's arms.

"Whoa, there, partner," the Marill grunted, pulling back slightly. He flashed an urgent look at Ryn, who nodded and pecked at her tail to get her attention. Her muscles loosened, and she turned, panting. Jim also relaxed, but she pulled away at the last second, and he fell on his tail, bouncing back up. He shook his head. "Sahkyo—" Luckily, she didn't attempt to do anything to harm the Treecko, and just sent him a long death glare.

"Who are you …?" she demanded, her voice growing hoarse. He smirked.

"Solo."

There was something odd about his cocky grin, something charming buried in the all-out arrogance. He was the picture of mischief, a bit taller and leaner than other Treecko, with a glint in his eye that screamed 'prankster'. He looked fairly decent, and was probably a loyal friend once one got to know him, but he was now trying to pry her anger into view, to make her look like an idiot as he stood there confidently and calmly. His smile grew broader, and he turned away, looking into the bushes. His paw twitched, and Sahkyo was puzzled to see that something hard had been hidden in his fist. It was long, with a spine at the end.

"Look out." He lifted his arm and threw the item into the woods. There was a rush of air, and the Absol leapt from the right of where he threw it, coming out into view. She nodded a bit approvingly to Solo, before fixing her stare on Sahkyo.

"Good job," she said, addressing the Treecko. She lowered her head to stare the Charmander in the eyes. "You need to learn," she whispered with a somewhat depressed tone, "to control yourself and your actions. These are Rescue Teams, not solo missions." Solo smirked again, but he Absol ignored him. "… It's Sahkyo, right?" she asked more lightly. "I am Aiyanna … the last member of the Green Wind Rescue Team."

Solo gasped. "Dude, that team's legendary! I heard that they were almost wiped out by Akaro, the most evil of Pokémon in our woods. He's still to be found, they say. Aiyanna, you must have been the team leader, right? To survive all of that …"

Aiyanna turned away to hide the tears that were streaming down her face. She sniffled loudly, and lifted a paw to rub her muzzle. She turned to fix Solo with a vacant glare, saying, "No, I wasn't … our team leader was … a Sceptile named Ruka." Solo scratched his chin, head cocked, and then nodded in understanding. She bared her teeth suddenly. "You need to train up, quickly. Akaro can be defeated … it's up for fate to decide, but the future is bright as long as new Rescue Teams are formed. You may have to face him in battle eventually."

"I could take him," muttered Solo brashly under his breath.

Aiyanna whirled around, throwing her head against the Treecko's body. He flew through the air and landed against a tree, winded but uninjured for the most part. She snarled, forming two miniature tornadoes between her paws, conjuring the winds until Solo was close to blacking out. She towered over him, twisting her muzzle in a frown. "If you can't stand up against a nudge, you can't fight Akaro."

"A nudge …" panted Solo as he held his side. "No … I possibly couldn't." He looked up, and Sahkyo put her paws up to her mouth, fighting with herself. She felt a strange urge to help him, but after he threw the rock she decided against it.

Aiyanna backed away and smiled more gently. "Well, you will be placed into your teams soon enough. We'll test you first, on your ability, and put you into the Red Wind and Lilac Earth Rescue Teams." Her eyes blinked slowly, and she dropped her voice to a whisper, staring oddly at Solo, almost as if grieving. "Ruka was very bold," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Yes." She stalked off, and the Girafarig put on a frown, walking up to them, before dismissing them quietly.

"If anyone asks about where you've been, tell them that Vani chose you." She winked and nodded.

The next day, the young ones ran into the hollow, chatting as they waited for Aiyanna and Vani. Jim and the timid Mudkip playfully squirted water at the air and each other. Ryn listened for Solo's advice on booby-traps, while Sahkyo sat silently next to Sven, watching him. It was as if he was meditating. Every once in a while, he'd mutter that she was an annoying tick, but he smiled to show that he didn't mean it. The thin Eevee was watching from a tree branch she had scaled. Her unnaturally tinted fur made her seem sick-looking, but she acted normally, if a bit shy.

"You'll be placed in your groups today," said the voice of Vani as she stepped into view, ducking to avoid a low branch. "We have an odd number," she observed after a few seconds, glancing up at the small vulpine who hopped down from her branch. Aiyanna walked up to the Girafarig's side, and she gave a slight grin.

"Sahkyo, Sven, Solo, and Jim will go together. Keep in mind that you have two members of the same element on your team." The Absol nodded to Ryn, the Eevee, and the Mudkip. "You three will go together, as well." Vani held a glinting piece of metal in her teeth, winking at her comrade. The Absol smirked, "Your mission is … to find this." The Girafarig tossed her head, and it was sent flinging into the treetops on the other side of the clearing. "Good luck …" The two backed away, and it seemed to the children that they were avoiding them purposely.

Sven was resting on the ground the whole time, sighing. He had looked up only when the metal flew across the sky. Solo kicked at him angrily, demanding, "What are you doin'? C'mon!" Sven smirked and glanced at a large oak tree. He calmly walked across the grass over to it, placed is paw on it gently, and then beckoned the others to come over.

"It didn't go as far as it looked. It only made it here, since it was thrown from the other side of the hollow," he said softly. Solo rolled his yellow eyes and scurried up gracefully, disappearing into the thick leaves. Sahkyo turned around to see that the other group had gone, looking blindly through the woods. She sighed and thanked the Cyndaquil mentally, knowing that they would have done the same if he hadn't spoken up.

Solo shot out of the leaves and dropped at her side, startling her. He held the metal in his paw, staring at its star-like shape, before pressing it into her claws. "That was easy," he yawned. The Charmander found herself continuing to stare into his vast yellow eyes, and quickly averted her attention, giggling despite herself. The next moment, however, both Solo and Sven leapt on her, knocking her to the ground.

"Look out!"

Oh my gosh! The boys enjoy to tackle Sahkyo to the ground! What could the danger possibly be? Ahem ... why am I asking this?