As I have mentioned, this project is on the lower end of my priority list. It is a lot more casual than my others, which does appeal to some people. One person was particularly passive aggressive about it recently in hopes I would get another chapter out. I won't give out names, but he knows who he is. I did promise the eggs would hatch this chapter, so let's hope the girls get the Pokémon they want. Sure, life doesn't usually work out that well, but one can hope. Pretty sure at least one of them will be unhappy, until people realize the true potential. But enough of my boring commentary up here, nothing important to say. Moving onto the comments and then you all can enjoy the new chapter.

Cyber dragonarmy: Do a little bit each day when I have time. You can write 1k to 2k words pretty easily once you have done enough writing to get used to it. One day, you will learn not to talk about the level 5s.

Guest: Nah, some friends and I joke around his Pokémon have to have the ability Guts and then give him a Ludicolo.

hubb2001: Saiai and Frenda will probably be a team. Mugino's Pokémon all need to be able to use Hyper Beam. Electrode seems more like Frenda's type of Pokémon, explosive. Poor Touma, Kuroko will not be happy with him. Uiharu will defeat the Elite Four obviously. No one can stand against her army of grass-types. Arcanine is such a loyal Pokémon.

dickythamrin077: Ditto can fight Mewtwo to a draw. Rampardos doesn't stand a chance.

Guest: It was at a point it could be, but then I decided to continue it.

vietnamese guy: He has to catch it and that will not be easy.

Sirius25: They will come occasionally. Think of it like randomly receiving a piece of mail with money in it.

Formboy1: Funny enough, in the series, Absol was used mainly by female trainers. When you look at it, it always seems to be a manly Pokémon. One of the best things about being in Academy City is the access to technology, like the TMs. Right now, I'm constantly imagining it breaking out of its pokeball to try to eat her headband. It is a very heavy hitter for a grass-type. One of your wishes will occur in this chapter, which one, you have to wait and see. As for Ditto, first rule, you don't walk about Ditto. I think Worst would have to be the oldest, mainly so she can look down at the other two. Wonder what Pokémon Birdway would have?

Bluejack222: A Beedrill swarm had to happen someday.

Wiliamsusanto: Hmm, I was kind of planning to have Misaki show up more, but Kuroko forcing herself to journey with Touma and Mikoto might make some fun situations.

WiliamZ0: I wonder how many more mega evolutions we will witness as more games come out. Meowth is kind of a special case and rangers are specifically designed to do that. They might show up at some point. Depends where the story goes. That Tropius is going to have so many hilarious scenes. Don't ask about Ditto, we don't need to know.

Q-Guest: Think it's pretty obvious she will. Since chapter 10 was on Tuesday, couple days left. Wow, Ditto being released there is sure to cause a commotion.

Guest: It is designed to be a nice light hearted story.

FrodoFighter: Essay response, got it. You are the reason I write this. Those dang Pokémon that run away. It's almost as bad as teleport. Evolution during Pokémon contests is a thing in the anime. You have to time it right. You mean the Red Light District? "I think you misspelled Friend/mentor/crush/future husband/father of her children" I died here. Abra can actually stand according to the anime. Uiharu is Grass Pokémon Jesus, huh? They do like her a lot. Not sure about Absol, it might be too good for Touma. What does an Unown feel like? Asking the important questions there. Uiharu doesn't fight grass Pokémon. They either surrender or join her. You pluck the leaves like fruit. Shush, people should be catching Pokémon every two days. Riolu has not been developed, but as Charmeleon was Touma's first partner, it's the best. Again, we do not talk about Ditto.

Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or Pokémon. I wish I did so I could retire rich.


The following day, Mikoto received a surprise during her last lesson.

"Sorry to interrupt," one of the teachers who monitored the daycare at Tokiwadai announced, as she stepped into the class. "But Misaka-san's and Shokuhou-san's had left eggs with us and they are about to hatch. We assumed they would want to be there when they did."

"Really?!" both girls exclaimed in surprise. Neither had expected their eggs to hatch so soon, let alone at the same time. While they tried to keep their eggs with them as much as possible, sometimes they had to leave it at the school daycare for them. It's not like they could take the eggs out into the forests or monitor them during class.

"Can we go, sensei?" Mikoto politely asked their teacher.

"It's not often we get to see an egg hatch," Misaki added quickly. "Perhaps this could be a good learning experience for all of us?" She gestured to the rest of the class, who had perked up with interest.

"Can we?" several asked.

"Hmm." Their teacher thought it over for a minute. "You know," she finally relented. "It does sound like a good opportunity and the day is almost over. I can go over the rest of the lesson tomorrow. Please form up and we will head over there." The class beamed at each other and stood up. The line formed smoothly without incident. Tokiwadai was a high quality all girls' school, so manners was strictly enforced. Mikoto and Misaki ended up near the front, as their class walked down the hallways.

"Looks like our little wager is about to begin," Misaki whispered.

"Don't be jealous when my egg is better than yours," Mikoto replied just as quietly. "You brought this on yourself."

"Silly, Misaka-san," Shokuhou said with a trace of pity in her voice. "Our wager is based on how can raise it better. Regardless of what Pokémon hatches, it will be a fair competition."

"Right." Mikoto remembered. She wasn't too interested in nonelectric –types, but the chances were slim she would get one. If the Pokémon is cute, it won't be too bad, but if I get something like a Grimer. She shuddered at the thought. "I might take it out this afternoon and get an early start."

"My thoughts exactly," Misaki agreed. Their class entered the waiting room and gathered around the table as the attendant brought out the two eggs in their containers. Mikoto and Misaki removed the eggs and set them down on pillows. A tub of water was brought out in case one of them was a water type that needed to be submerged. Misaki's rainbow egg's glow was pulsing slowly, while Mikoto yellow egg with blue circles was glowing too, but the pulses were coming faster.

"We believe yours will hatch any moment," the attendant told Mikoto and then turned to Misaki. "Yours may need a few more minutes."

"Thank you," the two girls said politely and she beamed at them.

"Let us know if you need anything else." She turned and left the room. Mikoto's class's attention was focused on the egg and only an occasional whisper broke the silence. Mikoto leaned forward when the glow on her egg stopped pulsing and became continuous. The glow grew brighter until it started to hurt slightly to stare at it directly. The shell fell away and the glow began to take shape. When the glow finally faded, a small feline Pokémon, resembling a lion cub or lynx kitten was sitting on the pillow, blinking its eyes and yawning.

The Pokémon's front half was a light blue, while the rear was black. A short tuft of fur was on its head and smaller tufts on each cheek. It had large, oval ears with yellow, star-shaped markings on the insides, yellow eyes, and a tiny, red nose. Whenever its mouth opened, Mikoto saw small fangs in its upper jaw. A black marking encircles its neck like a collar and there were yellow bands above its forepaws. The hind paws were black like its fur. Spiked fur surrounded the base of its long tail, which was tipped with a yellow star shape. Mikoto pulled out her Pokédex and she wasn't the only one.

"Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. When Shinx flexes its muscles, it generates electricity. When sensing danger, its fur glistens." Mikoto stared in shocked disbelief at her luck when she saw the type. A smile subconsciously formed as she put her Pokédex away.

"You are just precious," Mikoto cooed and reached over to pick it up. Shinx blinked and tilted its head, but didn't resist the action. It stuck a paw up and prodded Mikoto's face delicately, which elicited squeals from several of the other girls, who started to crowd around them.

"He's sooo cute!"

"Can we pet him?"

"Is it soft?"

"One at a ti-…," Mikoto tried to tell them, but Shinx beat her to it. It jumped out of her arms and landed on the table. Misaki, sensing danger, grabbed her egg and backed up. The cute curious face on Shinx was gone and its eyes had narrowed.

"Shinx! Shinx!" Shinx's began to be surrounded in light blue electricity before it was released in a beam of light blue electricity at the nearby girls. They screamed and ducked, as the energy flew harmlessly above them and crashed against the wall.

"Stop it, Shinx!" Mikoto cried out and reached toward it. The second she was about to touch it, it turned around and beamed at her. Mikoto was confused, but picked up Shinx so it wouldn't try to attack anyone else.

"Calm down, everyone!" their teacher ordered and the girls started to form up again. "It is quite normal for newly hatched Pokémon to be easily spooked. Rushing around them is only going to cause them to panic." She turned to Mikoto and Shinx and looked at it. "I think Shinx is of a rather protective nature and was only trying to protect you." Shinx nodded and she smiled. "Well, no harm done. No one was hurt and the walls of the daycare are made extra tough to avoid being damaged by Pokémon attacks. Pretty sure that was Shock Wave. Interesting."

"Why?" one of the other girls asked.

"Shinx can't normally learn that move," their teacher explained. "It can only be learned by breeding. Its parents must have known the skill."

"Seems like Shinx is easily excitable," Misaki pointed out with a giggle. "A perfect match for Misaka-san." Mikoto glared at her and then held Shinx up into the air.

"No more shocking people randomly, okay?" Shinx nodded at her and Mikoto smiled. "Now, I would like to introduce you to my classmates." She turned to the other girls. "Everyone can meet Shinx, one or two at a time, please." The girls lined up and the next few minutes were devoted to Mikoto introducing them to Shinx. During this time, Misaki set the egg back down and watched the pulsing glow of her own egg. Her outside demeanor was calm, but inside she was fidgeting. Mikoto had hatched an electric-type, something she had wanted. Misaki now had to have something that could match it, or Mikoto would never let her live it down.

I was the one who made the wager, Misaki thought bitterly. Who would have thought Misaka-san would hatch a type she was used to raising. Misaki was relying on luck, something she didn't naturally appreciate. A well thought out plan always appealed to her more. At long last, the second egg on the table began to glow with pure white light. "It's hatching!" she announced. Everyone turned to watch, even Mikoto, as the shell broke away and the white light took form. When the light faded, everyone stared at the Pokémon in silence.

Misaki was in shock, while the corners of Mikoto's mouth twitched.

A shabby, old-looking fish-like Pokémon with a light brown body covered in dark, irregular spots sat on the pillow. It had large, deep-set eyes and big, pink lips. The tail and pectoral fins were dull blue and tattered in appearance. Its dorsal fin was triangular with a hole in the middle. It looked around, noticed the small fish tank, and jumped off the table into it. After a few very short laps, it rose to the surface and stared at Misaki. Mikoto held up her Pokédex to see what it was.

"Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. Although extremely ragged, it is a tough Pokémon that can live in almost any kind of water." There was some muttering from the others girls in class, which did not sooth Misaki's mood.

"That's an… interesting Pokémon," Mikoto commented, doing her absolute best to keep her face passive and tone neutral.

"A Feebas, huh," their teacher added, squatting down next to the tank. "Not the rarest of Pokémon, but your Pokédex is right about its vitality. Being able to live in almost an aquatic environment, able to eat almost anything, scientists really like to study it and find out how it's so hardy."

"I'm… just surprised it hatched from a rainbow colored egg," Misaki said to her. "Usually, the eggs correspond to the Pokémon."

"I wonder." She moved next to Misaki and whispered into her ear. Misaki frowned and then her eyes widened. She glanced down at her Pokédex and seemed to be looking something up.

"You're right," Misaki whispered in a tone so low Mikoto was barely able to hear it. "Thanks for pointing that out."

I remember hearing about Feebas, Mikoto thought. They are like Magikarp in a lot of ways. No one wants them. Maybe sensei is trying to cheer her up. Either way, I totally have this in the bag. A couple of the girls were looking at their own Pokédex and pointing between the two Pokémon, while Mikoto's teacher walked around, answering questions and quizzing them on basic breeding knowledge. "So," Mikoto said to Misaki. "Looks like our friendly wager is in the bag."

"Yes," Misaki agreed. "I'm glad you are going to be a good sport when you lose."

"Me?"

"It takes maturity for someone to admit they lost."

"I was worried about you," Mikoto snapped. "Shinx and I are going to show you have to train a Pokémon." She glanced over at Shinx, who had walked to the edge of the table and was glaring at Feebas, who seemed to be glaring back. "You can't deny we have the advantage."

"You only see what is right in front of your eyes," Misaki commented mildly and held a hand up to her mouth. "You miss the big picture."

"Wha-…?" Mikoto was interrupted by the light blue glow originating from Shinx. She turned just in time to see Feebas leap out of the water, high into the air, and open its mouth. While the blast of electricity fired from Shinx, a beam of purple fire erupted from Feebas's mouth. The attacks collided in midair and a blast of air hit everyone in the room.

"Shinx!" Mikoto cried out.

"Feebas!" Misaki reprimanded. The two Pokémon stopped fighting and looked at their trainers guiltily, after Feebas landed back in the basin. Their classmates were staring at the two in shock, but their teacher seemed to be the most understanding.

"It seems you two have your work cut out for yourselves," she told them kindly. "Shinx and Feebas both have quite a lot of energy and come from interesting backgrounds. Feebas knowing Dragon Breath is certainly a rarity." Mikoto did not miss Misaki smiling at Feebas.

"Why did those two suddenly attack each other?" a girl asked. Mikoto was wondering the same thing.

"Several reasons," their teacher explained. "They could be territorial, possibly Shinx has the rivalry ability and they are both males, or maybe…" She glanced at Mikoto and Misaki. "They picked up something from their trainers."

"What do you mean by that!?" Mikoto asked, slightly affronted, while Misaki laughed.


"Who does she think she is?" Mikoto grumbled to herself, as she hiked along the edge of the river. "Trying to make her Feebas sound like an ultra-lucky draw just because we are going to be battling on a water field next week. Sure, water-types are useful, but electricity will just shock everything in the water, except for the rare water and ground combo. Those are annoying."

The reason Mikoto was outside the city again was to blow off steam and get a chance to train Shinx. Kuroko worked with a group called Judgment, which was a student organization that helped out around the city, giving directions to people, keeping the streets clean, and stopping fights. With her Abra finally evolved, she could do a lot more. Ruiko and Kazari were planning to hang out with some of their classmates, most likely for Ruiko to embarrass her friend with the story of Tropius. Mikoto had politely declined, secretly worried their friends might be a little star struck because she went to Tokiwadai. She figured she might as well enjoy some time to herself. The rivers were a lot less crowded than the lakes, so she didn't have to keep running into people wanting to battle. Next to her, Shinx was bounding along the rocky riverbank, while Magnemite flew around it.

"Okay," Mikoto announced and clapped her hands together. "I'm going to be relying on you two today." Shinx and Magnemite stopped to look at her. "Pikachu and Jolteon need some rest from the last few days, so let's take this opportunity to have some fun. Maybe catch another friend to join us."

"Shinx!" Shinx replied happily and seemed to be bounding around the rocks even faster. Magnemite buzzed and followed the new member of its team. Mikoto followed them, her expression proud. She had been practicing with Pikachu the most, to get ready for the double tournament, and then Jolteon, so it could get used to its new form and abilities. There had not been a lot of time for Magnemite. This was the perfect opportunity. Her gaze fell onto the riverbed Shinx was playing around in.

It seems kind of low, Mikoto thought to herself. It hasn't rained recently, but it's not like we are in a drought. Heh, maybe a Pokémon should use rain dance. She laughed to herself as they followed the river. Several fish jumped out of the water while birds flew overhead. Some she could recognize on sight, others she didn't. She was careful not to disturb any of the Pokémon hanging around the shores and trees. Shinx had almost caused a problem when it tried to shock a couple Sandile, crocodile like Pokémon, who were basking in the sun. Luckily they were ground-types, or Mikoto might not have been able to apologize fast enough to avoid a confrontation.

"Shinx! Shinx!" Mikoto turned to see what Shinx was doing to cause it to cry out. It was standing on a rock looking into the river.

"What is it?" Mikoto asked, heading over with Magnemite. Shinx pointed a paw at a small glowing object in the middle of the river. The banks may have been low, but the river was still deep enough for aquatic Pokémon to live in. Mikoto knelt down to try to get a better look, when a blast of water shot out from the river and hit her in the face. "GAH!" She fell backwards on her butt in surprise. Shinx and Magnemite immediately moved to protect her from whatever attacked her. The surface of the river ripped and exploded, as a Pokémon jumped out.

A small, round, blue fish-like Pokémon with a pair of tiny white fins and two small blue feet appeared. Its eyes had unique pupils that were shaped like plus signs. Two antennae are positioned on its rear like two tails and reached over its body to hand in front of its face. There was a yellow teardrop-shaped orb at the end of each antenna. It landed back in the water with a splash and then floated at the surface. Shinx and Magnemite didn't take the surprise attack lying down. Shinx's body glowed blue as it released Shock Wave while a bolt of yellow electricity shot from Magnemite as it used Thunder Shock.

Right before the electricity hit the Pokémon, the energy curved in midair and flew into the yellow orbs. They glowed for a moment and then nothing.

"What the…?" Mikoto didn't understand what she was seeing. The Pokémon was a water-type, it had to be, so electricity should be super effective against it. A ground type would still get hit by the electricity, but take no damage from it. This Pokémon actually seemed to have absorbed the electricity. She clumsily reached into her bag to pull out her Pokédex.

"Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon, they have the ability to conduct electrical currents from their two tentacles, which flow positive from one end and negative from the other. Chinchou can also communicate underwater by flashing its tentacles."

"It's an electric and water type!?" Mikoto exclaimed in astonishment. "That means electricity should only deal normal damage… its ability! Volt Absorb heals it from electrical attacks. That is just ridiculous." Regardless of what she said, those words didn't match her expression. Her eyes sparkled and she was grinning. "Shinx, stay back, but watch the battle." Shinx nodded, even if it looked slightly disappointed. "It's in the water and Magnemite can fly. I promise you can have the next fight." Shinx looked slightly happier, while Magnemite floated down between Mikoto and the Chinchou. "Magnemite, Supersonic!"

Magnemite flew forward and its magnets began to vibrate and unleash a sonic blast. Electricity may not work, but sound attacks in water would. Chinchou obviously felt the attack because it grimaced and fired another jet of water, which Mikoto recognized as Water Gun. Supersonic must have had an effect because the aim was way off. Mikoto grinned.

"Steel Bomb while it's disoriented," Mikoto ordered. A white orb appeared in front of Magnemite and flew forward at Chinchou. Chinchou was too busy shaking its head to get rid of the effects of Supersonic to notice the attack. An explosion occurred when the Magnet Bomb made contact and Chinchou sank. A second later, it popped back up out of the water and began to unleash a torrent of high speed bubbles. There were too many for Magnemite to dodge and several bubbles exploded against it. Magnemite was pushed back into the air, but quickly straightened itself up.

"Watch out for the Bubble Beam," Mikoto warned. "Magnet Bomb again!" There weren't a lot of options available for her right now. Trying to tackle a fish in a river would be stupid and Supersonic only confused the opponent, but did no real damage. Magnet Bomb wasn't the most powerful move, but at least it did damage. The white orb flew at Chinchou, who dived down to try to avoid it. The attack hit the water and kept going before a small explosion went off at the bottom. Mikoto couldn't tell if it hit, but Chinchou suddenly jumped out of the water ten feet to their right. The orbs at the end of Chinchou's antennae glowed light purple and then a ray was fired. Magnemite was hit directly by the attack and began to fly erratically in the air. "It knows Confuse Ray?" Mikoto asked in disbelief.

Chinchou seemed to laugh at her confusion and dived back down into the water. Mikoto would see the glowing orbs at the end of its antennae heading up the river. "Magnemite! Quick, snap out of it!" Magnemite continued to fly randomly in the air and shoot off a small electrical discharge. "Dang it! Shinx, try to snap Magnemite out of it with a Shock Wave."

"Shinx!" Shinx replied with a nod and began to glow blue. The blast of electricity did snap Magnemite out of being confused. The electrical attack did not do much damage, but it was enough.

"It went that way!" Mikoto told Magnemite. "We have to find it!" She, Shinx, and Magnemite ran as fast as they could along the riverbank. Mikoto could just make out the glow ahead of them and then she realized the river was coming out of a lake. Oh, no. If Chinchou gets into the lake, I doubt I can find it again. "Hurry! Before it gets away!" They increased their speed to the max.

It was all in vain.

"Noooo," Mikoto moaned, as she collapsed on hands and knees in the grass. Shinx rubbed against in an attempt to comfort her. Magnemite was hovering over the lake looking for signs of the Chinchou. There were plenty of other aquatic Pokémon, so it wasn't having any luck.

"Shinx?" Shinx pawed at her arm and Mikoto glanced over.

"I don't blame you," Mikoto reassured Shinx, as she hugged it. "I get a little excited about electric-types and it was a rare water electric hybrid." She scratched Shinx's head. "You can't believe how happy I was when you hatched from that egg." Shinx nuzzled against her and then Magnemite returned, looking depressed, which was impressive as its face was an eye. "You did great," Mikoto reassured it. "It ran away because you were so amazing." She smiled. "It was pretty tough, but you showed it how strong you are." Magnemite's attitude seemed to improve. "Well, since we are here, might as well explore a bit." She started walking around the edge of the lake with her Pokémon, when she saw something in the river on the far side when she drew near.

A blue backpack was slowly floating down the stream and was about to reach the lake.

Mikoto picked up a stick on reached over to grab one of the straps and drag it to the shore. A quick look was all it took to make her frown. "This looks familiar, but it couldn't be…" Since the backpack was floating down river, there was a good chance he was up there. "Guess this changes things," Mikoto said with a sigh. "Time to find that idiot."

"Shinx" Shinx looked at her quizzically, while Magnemite buzzed excitedly.

"That's right," Mikoto realized. "You haven't bet him." She started walking along the river bank with her Pokémon following. "He's a… friend of mine and a really strong trainer. I haven't been able to beat him. Magnemite is close friends with his Rampardos. He's clumsy and bullheaded, but a nice guy. I'm sure he will be willing to battle with you, Shinx." Shinx seemed to be excited and bounced up and down next to her. "This is his backpack, so there is a chance… there he is!" She pointed into the distance.

Touma was floating on his back and seemed to have a leg stuck on a log.

What happened? Mikoto thought worriedly and rushed over. Did he fall into the river or did something knock him into it. Knowing him, even for only a short period of time, both were equally possible. She moved to the shore closest to him and removed her shoes and socks "Stay here," she ordered Shinx and Magnemite. The last thing she needed was to be shocked in the river. She waded into the water and poke Touma with the stick. "Kamijou, are you okay?!" She waited worriedly until he opened his eyes and glanced over at her.

"Sup, Biribiri," he said. "I was just floating on by."

Mikoto was not amused by his attempt at humor.

So she used the stick to free Touma's foot and he started floating down the river. He flailed for a moment and sunk, before managing to right himself and stand up in the shallows.

"What was that for?!" he demanded, sputtering water.

"For that stupid nickname and for scaring me half to death!" Mikoto yelled at him.

"I was disoriented and not thinking straight!" Touma yelled back. "And you were going to let me float down the river!"

"It's your own fault!"

"It's not cute when you blame me for everything!"

"That's…huh… Wha…?!" Mikoto was momentarily stunned and then shook her head. "Not the point! Why were you even in that position in the first place?!" She turned and marched back to the shore, determinedly not letting Touma see her red face. She could hear Touma splashing behind her as he followed.

"It's kind of a long story," Touma muttered. He started to ring out his shirt as best he could and then his eyes fell on Shinx. "You caught a new Pokémon?"

"It hatched from the egg I had," Mikoto explained. "Shokuhou-san's did too and she got a Feebas."

"Feebas?" Touma said thinking. "Oh, that fish Pokémon. I can see her not being entirely pleased at that. She always prefers the soft cuddly types."

"That much was obvious," giggled Mikoto. "Our teacher told her something to cheer her up, but I never found out what."

"Shinx," Shinx announced itself as it stepped between Mikoto and Touma. Its eyes narrowed at Touma and he felt sweat on the back of his neck.

Those eyes remind me of Shirai-san.

"I told Shinx you would be willing to battle him," Mikoto added, noticing their reactions. "But we are getting off topic. Why were you stuck in the river?"

"Hehehe," Touma chuckled. "That was a serious of unfortunate events."

"Is it ever fortunate with you?" Mikoto asked, as she raised an eyebrow.

"…no. Anyways, I was busy trying to find a water Pokémon, because due to the weather warming up, we are going to be practicing on a water battlefield."

"Heh," Mikoto snickered. "We are starting that too." She looked at him closely. "I take it Rampardos and Charmeleon don't prefer that kind of terrain?"

"Not in the least," Touma agreed. "Ditto can't be used for… obvious reasons and Riolu probably shouldn't be revealed to my class yet. He can battle in front of small groups, but they might be a little much for him."

"I can see that," Mikoto agreed. "Add in the fact Riolu is very rare, they would probably crowd around him in an instant."

"So I figured might as well try to catch something else," Touma elaborated. "Sigh, Aogami was right and I should have just caught a flying type. They are everywhere."

"Common Pokémon don't seem to suit you," Mikoto said with a smirk.

"Thanks."

"But that didn't explain why you were floating down the river." She held out his bag to him. "I found this by the way."

"Thank you so much," Touma said with tears in his eyes. "I was afraid I lost everything in it." He rummaged through it. "Putting things in plastic bags was a great idea on your part too. Nothing is ruined this time."

"Of course," Mikoto huffed proudly. "That's basic knowledge." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, tell me why you ended up in that river."

"Right." Touma gave a quick nod. "I was up at the lake north of here, up on that plateau. Heard rumors about some interesting Pokémon living there if you take the time to climb up there. However, when I was climbing up the hills a wave of water came down and I was thrown into the river below. Not sure what happened, but if the lake is close to overflowing and a large Pokémon broke the surface, it would explain it."

"That's weird," Mikoto muttered, mainly to herself. "On the way here, a lot of the rivers looked like they were low and it's not like we received a lot of rain recently."

"No idea then," Touma replied with a shrug. "But…" He hesitated.

"What?" Mikoto asked curiously and leaned closer toward him.

"Absol appeared again," Touma muttered. "Right before the wave hit me." Mikoto's eyes widened.

"That's defiantly suspicious," Mikoto muttered. "I take it you lost sight of it after you fell?" Touma nodded. "Something has to be done about it, but it seems so powerful. It would definitely be a tough opponent."

"I really hope Rampardos doesn't meet it again," Touma sighed and Mikoto giggled. "Anyways, Misaka, what are you doing out here? Most people don't come this far out unless you are looking for something specific."

"I was blowing off some steam and giving Shinx and Magnemite some training," Mikoto answered. "Then we came across a Chinchou and it ran before I could catch it. We lost it in the lake back there."

"Tough break," Touma consoled her. "It happens. Not all Pokémon stick around."

"Yeah," Mikoto agreed, slightly depressed and stretched. "So, want to investigate since we don't have anything else planned?"

"Investigate?"

"Why you were knocked off that plateau," Mikoto explained impatiently. "Don't you want to find out what caused that wave?"

"I suppose so," Touma relented. "I got time and still should catch something while I'm out here."

"Great!" Mikoto exclaimed and grabbed his arm. "Let's go!" She rushed off, dragging Touma along with her, while Shinx and Magnemite followed.


"Think that is what is causing the low rivers?" Touma asked, pointing to the large mud wall blocking the main river leading out of the lake.

"No, that's obviously not what a dam does," Mikoto answered sarcastically. "It explains why the rivers are low and I bet the lake is filling up because of it too."

"That's not good for the ecosystem," Touma muttered and looked at the forest surrounding the lake. "It's going to cause massive flooding and force other Pokémon to relocate."

"Let's get closer and see what's causing it," Mikoto suggested and Touma nodded. They snuck along the tree line to get a better view at the base of the mud dam. A single light blue, bipedal, amphibious Pokémon was emerging from the river with balls of mud. Its head was broad and round, having little neck to distinguish it from the rest of the body. It had a wide mouth and tiny, black eyes. A wavy, purple stripe ran down its back. Along its spine was a dark blue fin. The hands and feet both had three digits. Its outer layer of skin is slimy and slippery. It used its wide tail to help pat the mud against the wall. Water was still spilling over the top, but if the Pokémon kept this up, the dam would be completed.

"What Pokémon is that?" Mikoto asked Touma.

"Think it was called a Quagsire," Touma answered, but held out his Pokédex.

"Quagsire, the Water Fish Pokémon and the evolved form of Wooper. Quagsire makes its home in clean freshwater lakes. Known as quite dim-witted, it doesn't care when it crashes its head against rocks or the bottoms of boats."

"…Not a word," Touma muttered to Mikoto, who had just opened her mouth. She shut it again, but her smirk was still evident. "What should we do?"

"It must be trying to expand its home," Mikoto replied. "But it probably doesn't understand the problems it is causing. We need to stop it and start breaking down that dam, slowly. If we do it all at once, the water will explode outwards."

"First things, first then," Touma said and grabbed one of his pokeballs. "We stop Quagsire peacefully if possible, but be careful. We don't know how aggressive it is…"

"Look!" Mikoto interrupted up and pointed in the direction of the river. Out of the river, Chinchou exploded from the surface and landed on the muddy ground near the small pool of water collecting at the base of the dam. It was shouting something at Quagsire, who was ignoring it. Chinchou was getting annoyed and its body was suddenly surrounded in light blue electricity. Multiple electrical blasts erupted from it and flew straight at Quagsire. The attack made direct contact, but Quagsire didn't show any signs of being damage. It didn't even flinch.

"That was Spark," Mikoto commented.

"Which won't do Chinchou any good," Touma finished. "As Quagsire is a ground and water-type. Water may be weak against electric attacks, but the ground part makes it immune."

"I know that," Mikoto snapped, as she watched Chinchou hit Quagsire with a Water Gun. Quagsire blinked and finally noticed Chinchou. It opened its mouth and fired a barrage of multiple balls of brown mud. While Chinchou could stand on land, it didn't have the movability it had in water and could not dodge. The balls exploded on contact and Chinchou was thrown backwards, as it cried out in pain.

"That was Mud Bomb," Mikoto whispered. "It's a ground-type move so it's super effective against electric-types." She frowned as she saw Chinchou being forced back into the water, while Quagsire went back to building its dam. Chinchou emerged from the water and shot another Water Gun at Quagsire, who continued to ignore it. "Why is that Chinchou so focused on Quagsire?" She glanced over at Touma, who was rubbing his chin.

"I think it's because it lives in the river," Touma finally answered. "And by Quagsire building the dam, its home is in danger." He stood up. "We need to do something."

"Wait!" Mikoto cried out and held out a hand, but it was too late. Touma had already emerged from their vantage point and charged straight toward the Quagsire.

"Hey!" he shouted and Quagsire stopped what it was doing to look at him. "You can't keep building a dam here! Don't you understand the problems you are causing?" Quagsire tilted its head in confusion. "You are causing the rivers to shrink, where other Pokémon live. The lake on the other side of the damn is overflowing and threatening to flood the forest area around it." Quagsire looked at the river and then back to the dam. Its expression didn't change much, but it scratched its face with one hand.

"Quag?"

I get it! Mikoto thought to herself when it dawned on her. Quagsires are not the smartest Pokémon, so it doesn't understand what it's doing is affecting others. All it knows it is doing is building its own home. There are no bad intentions behind it. She could tell Touma understood that too.

"That dam needs to come down," Touma told Quagsire. "I'm sorry." Quagsire didn't seem to take that lying down and fired a blast of water from its mouth into Touma's face, knocking him down.

"I didn't want to do it this way!" Touma declared and threw the pokeball in his hand. "Riolu, I need your help!" A flash of light appeared and Riolu stood on the muddy ground in front of Quagsire. This was Touma's best choice. Charmeleon was not strong against water-types, Rampardos would get stuck in the mud due to its weight and desire for physical attacks, and Ditto… well he won't use Ditto again with Mikoto anywhere near him, unless it was an absolute emergency. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mikoto moving up to his right. Quagsire opened its mouth again and fired another barrage of Mud Bombs.

"Double Team!" Touma ordered. Riolu split into dozens of copies that formed a circle all around Quagsire. Quagsire continued to rotate its head as the mud balls began to break the illusions caused by Double Team. When there was less than a fourth left, Touma took action. "Force Palm!" One of the Riolu copies broke free from the circle, causing the others to disappear. It ran up to Quagsire and pressed its palm against its chest. Before Quagsire could react, a huge blast of yellow light exploded from Riolu's paw. Mikoto could feel the power of the attack from her position.

A blast like that would have sent a normal Pokémon flying. The problem was, Quagsire was twice as tall as Riolu, much broader, and many times heavier. The force of the attack did not send Quagsire flying, but it was forced back a foot. The muddy ground also allowed Quagsire to sink its feet into it to act as an anchor. Riolu's eyes widened as what it expected didn't occur. It was used to the attack putting at least a couple feet between them. Quagsire wasn't very happy. That attack did some massive damage. An angry expression appeared on its face as it raced its arm up. The arm was then brought down with a lot of force in a slamming motion. Riolu's eyes traveled the motion of the arm as Touma shouted his next command.

"Counter!"

Riolu raised one of its arms and brought it up against the inside of Quagsire's arm. By applying force to the side of the blow, instead of directly against the attack, it took a lot less power to push Quagsire's arm to the side and avoid the blow entirely. Once the blow missed, Riolu grabbed Quagsire's arm with its own and used it as a floorboard to life itself up. Riolu made a backwards spinning motion and delivered its foot directly into Quagsire's jaw. The force of the blow actually lifted Quagsire off the ground and it fell onto its back. In midair, Riolu had let go, spun around, and landed feet first on the ground without missing a beat.

Wow. That one word passed through Mikoto's mind as she saw Riolu fight. Touma had mentioned Riolu was his newest and youngest Pokémon, but it fought like they had been training for years. Its movements were so smooth and graceful, it was almost like Riolu was dancing. Her eyes traveled down to Shinx, who was watching the fight in wide-eyed excitement. Right, this is Shinx's first time seeing a real battle. Magnemite has actually taken part in them before. She also made note of the Chinchou, who was watching the fight from the water. I guess it would be curious, as we are trying to accomplish the same thing.

"Quagsire," Quagsire groaned and got up to its feet. It did not look happy. "Quagsiiiirrree!" It stomped its foot and the ground began to shake. Shockwaves tore through the mud and Riolu flinched as the vibrations ripped through its body."

"Damn it," Touma growled.

"Earthquake?" Mikoto asked and he nodded. "Riolu, be careful!" She saw the determined look in its eyes and how Touma's expression never wavered. Does he have a plan? The earthquake finally stopped and Riolu panted slightly. It looked back at Touma and nodded its head. Touma nodded back and gave the command.

"Copycat!"

A light brown aura exploded around Riolu, as it raised its foot. The second it stomped down, the earth began to shake again. This time, the vibrations traveled from Riolu and ripped through Quagsire. Quagsire cried out in pain as it tried to withstand the power. Touma wasn't going to let the perfect opportunity slip by. The second the earthquake stopped, he was already yelling out the next command.

"Riolu, finish it with Force Palm!" Riolu charged forward and positioned itself right in front of Quagsire. It brought back its paw and pressed it against Quagsire's body. Another huge blast of yellow light exploded from Riolu's paw. This time, Riolu aimed slightly upwards instead of directly forward. The force of the blow lifted Quagsire slightly into the air and then threw it back several feet. It landed on the ground and didn't get back up.

"You did it!" Mikoto exclaimed excitedly. "Great job, Riolu!" Shinx and Magnemite also cheered. To her surprise, Touma picked up a pokeball and threw it at Quagsire, who disappeared in a flash of light when the ball made contact. It shook three times before eventually going still. "You actually caught it?" she asked, surprised.

"I figured if we are going to break down its home," Touma explained, as he walked over and picked up the pokeball. "I should at least give it another. It's also seems pretty strong, so it would be a good partner."

"And you are both similar in other ways?" Mikoto asked with a smirk. Touma rolled his eyes at her and then they both laughed.

"Don't get mad because it's a ground-type and you can't handle it," Touma retorted.

"I'll have you know," Mikoto snapped back. "I have had a lot of practice fighting ground types. After the tournament, I'll show you how good I am at one on one battles too."

"There's no need to punish their poor Kamijou with your skills," Touma said and held his hands up. "I'm just trying to live a normal life."

"Normal life doesn't suit you," Mikoto refuted. "I've seen how skilled you are and yet you remain relatively unknown. How many normal trainers can draw with the world champion, even in a mock battle?"

"You… haven't told anyone about that, right?" Touma asked nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"No," Mikoto reassured him, but tilted her head. "I figured you didn't want me too."

"Thank you, Misaka." Mikoto blushed slightly at the gratitude in his voice.

"I don't understand why," Mikoto spoke up. "If it was anyone else, they would want people to know they were a strong trainer. It baffles me that you want to remain anonymous, especially after he treated us so badly."

"He apologized and gave you that stone," Touma pointed out. He held up Riolu's pokeball and returned him for a well-deserved rest. "And I'm not one to hold a grudge. I rather just go my own pace instead of people surrounding me, wanting me to constantly battle everyone. To be honest, I feel bad for Accelerator for having to put up with all that. If he loses once, everyone would suddenly start ripping on him."

"When you put it like that," Mikoto mumbled. "I can see your point." She still couldn't bring herself to like Accelerator, after what he said to her, but she could at least be a bigger person and not try to ruin his reputation. As Touma said, Accelerator did give her a Thunder Stone so Eevee could evolve. Maybe it's a guy thing to act tough. Kamijou acted really protective when he found out what Accelerator said to me. She flushed again. Quick, change the topic. "So how should we break the dam apart? Start at the top or weaken…" She trailed off when she felt the air suddenly changed and grew thick.

A pressure weighed down on her and her eyes traveled up the hill to the source.

Absol was standing on the ground next to the top of the dam.

"What is it doing here?" Mikoto asked nervously.

"I don't know," Touma replied, equally as nervous. "But every time it shows up, something happens." Mikoto saw him tension up the same way she could feel herself doing.

Absol stared at them a moment longer before turning its attention back to the dam. The raw power it exuded wasn't lost when it turned away. The very air was thick and heavy in its presence. The crescent horn on the side of its head began to glow purple. Mikoto's eyes widened when she understood what it was about to do.

"Get away from the dam!" she shouted. Touma was the closest, but he was at least out of the river bed. The only Pokémon within the danger zone was the Chinchou. As Absol's motives were obvious, Chinchou immediately retreated back into the river and disappeared from sight. Before Mikoto could breathe a sigh of relief, Absol jumped into the air and flicked its head so that a large purple crescent-shape blade of light erupted from its horn at the dam. The blade struck and cut right through the mud like it wasn't even there. The dam was virtually cut in half straight down. The water erupted from it a second later. It started simply as a strip of water exploding out of the cut, but the mud wall began to break apart and the water flowed out faster. More holes appeared as the water began to break apart everything.

The remaining dam was washed away by the torrent.

Mikoto and Touma retreated backwards in case the flood would escape the riverbed, but only a little bit of the grass was hit. The low river was now filled to the brim and the extra water would make its way to the next lake, where it would get dispersed among the other rivers. There was no sign of the Chinchou and Mikoto was worried. The force of the released water probably knocked it all the way back to the lake. Looking for it would probably be in vain. Mikoto suddenly felt the air pressure lighten and she looked up to where the Absol had been. It was done without a trace.

"Is that Absol crazy!" she suddenly fumed. "Who knows how many Pokémon could have been in that river?!"

"I didn't see any Pokémon get caught in the breaking," Touma admitted. "And with the river being low, the Pokémon migrated to the lakes." He frowned and started walking up the incline to the lake on the plateau.

"Where are you going?" Mikoto asked, as she quickly followed him.

"Just want to check something," he mumbled back and Mikoto shrugged at Magnemite. Shinx was bounding up the hill after Touma too. Mikoto wasn't sure yet if Shinx considered Touma an ally or someone to keep an eye on. They reached the top of the plateau in only a couple minutes and looked down. Mikoto gasped.

The lake was rescinding slowly, but the flood damage was evident.

A large number of trees had been knocked down, as the water either eroded the dirt or crashed against them. The dam Quagsire had made blocked the main river leading out of this lake. With it being blocked, the water had nowhere to go and continued to pool up. Several fish jumped out of the middle of the lake and that did cheer Mikoto up slightly. At least they are okay. She turned to Touma. "What did you expect to find?"

"I'm not sure," Touma admitted sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Just a feeling." He sighed. "Hopefully with the lake going back down, any of the wild Pokémon displaced because of it can return."

"You can tell where the water was beginning to flow off the plateau," Mikoto added and pointed. "Looks like that is why you got knocked into one of the rivers below. This area has so many interconnecting pathways."

"Least I didn't hit my head on a rock when I fell," Touma laughed. "That happens way too much for my liking."

"I think you are exaggerating," Mikoto dismissed and Touma raised an eyebrow. If he kept hitting his head, I doubt he would be as active as he is now. "But more importantly, this Absol. Every time it appeared, something bad has happened."

"Does seem that way," Touma muttered.

"The earthquake, you getting knocked down the hill, and now blowing up a dam," Mikoto said, as she counted on her fingers.

"I'm beginning to wonder if it's as black and white as that," Touma said, which surprised Mikoto.

"Why do you think that?"

"I can't comments about the earthquake," Touma admitted. "But the flooding was definitely caused by Quagsire's dam and blowing up the dam was the only way to stop it." Touma scratched his head. "Do you think Absol really causes the disasters?"

"Huh." Mikoto could see where he was going, but it didn't make a lot of sense. "Are you suggesting Absol can detect disasters and trying to warn people? Or maybe just you? It did appear in front of you three times already."

"No idea," Touma replied with a shrug. "Thinking out loud here."

"It's still probably a good idea to avoid it either way," Mikoto cautioned, but then she smiled. "Unless you want to catch it?"

"I think Rampardos just wants to fight it," moaned Touma. "He won't let me ignore a powerful Pokémon." Mikoto laughed, highly amused.

"I can see his expression if you try to tell him you won't fi-…"

"Chin?"

Mikoto was interrupted by the splashing sound of something jumping out of the river and landing on the ground. When the Pokémon spoke, she immediately turned around and saw the Chinchou slowly jumping toward them. "You're okay!" Mikoto exclaimed and then coughed. "I mean, you ran away from our battle because we were winning, but I'm glad to see you weren't hurt when Absol destroyed the dam." She blinked. "Hold on, was that damn hurting your home and you were trying to lead me to it?" Chinchou nodded.

"Huh," Touma muttered. "I vaguely remember seeing something glowing when I was in the river before briefing passing out."

"Did you save this guy?" Mikoto asked, crouching down in front of Chinchou. It nodded slowly. "You know," Mikoto said, as an idea occurred to her. "I really like electric-type Pokémon and you did save my friend. Would you like to come with me?"

"Chou?"

"You would leave this area," Mikoto warned and then held out a pokeball. "But you would get to see the a lot more and face off against strong people." Chinchou looked at the ball with curiosity, before poking it with one of its antennae. The ball opened and Chinchou disappeared in a flash of red light. Mikoto's eyes went wide. "Wow, I didn't think it was going to be that easy. When Magnemite and I fought it before, it was quite a fighter."

"Maybe it knew you would win," Touma suggested.

"Shinx, Shinx!" Mikoto turned to her previously newest Pokémon.

"Don't worry," she reassured Shinx. "I won't forget about you. We have a lot of training to do." She recalled Magnemite back into its pokeball. "But you only just hatched, how about walking with me back to the city? You can protect us in case that Absol returns." She pointed to Touma. "This guy seems kind of unreliable."

"Hey!"

"Shinx!" Shinx's expression was a combination of determination and pride.


Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

Riolu: Quagsire, why would you build a dam there? Did you ever consider the other Pokémon?

Quagsire: Dam has to go were water is. Other Pokémon living in the lake get bigger home too.

Shinx: Don't bother anyone again or my trainer and I will teach you a lesson.

Quagsire: What lesson?

Shinx: The kick your butt kind. I'll battle anyone, anytime, anywhere!

Rampardos: Did I hear a contender!

Shinx: …who are you?

Rampardos: Your next opponent.

Chinchou: Is this safe?

Charmeleon: They have to learn eventually.