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As promised, here is the next chapter. Also, if you guys ever notice a formatting issue, let me know so I can fix it. FF does some strange, unexpected things sometimes. I know the poem at the beginning of last chapter ended up formatted kind of weirdly, but I can't figure out how to make it more normal looking. Sooo, on to reviews!

OBR - Thanks!

ChaosAngel4us - These next few chapters are very action packed, heh. :) Ehh, and I don't think it's possible for Erin to be completely understanding because unlike us and Anita, she doesn't know what's going on.

Mortimer S- Wow. I think that was the longest review I've ever gotten. Awesome. Yeah, I've always thought there's so much potential for really cool plots with all the different powers Pokemon have, and the TV show, the games, the manga don't seem to quite do that potential justice... I'm glad you like my characterization, although I actually think that's what I need to work on the most. About Liam's calculations of sound cancellation- I actually did an experiment in one of my classes where we calculated the location of sound destructive and constructive interference based on different locations of sound sources. Supposing Anita can sense the amplitude of the sound waves, it should be possible. While I certainly couldn't calculate that in my head, Liam's a smart cookie. Anywho, bout Team Glop'emm name... I pretty much played around with words like "Pokemon" and "money" until I found an acronym I liked. I'm glad you enjoy my names and general plot. Thank you for putting so much into your review!

Thank you to my readers and reviewers! You guys keep me writing.

And a very special thanks to my editor. Not only has she revised all of my chapters, but she's made this absolutely wonderful website: http:/sites(DOT)google(DOT)com/site/fieryapple/info

(Replace (DOT) with . ) She updated it recently to include all the "Previously ons". It's really, really awesome. Check it out!

This next chapter is the first part of 3, kind of like chapters 19 through 21. I will definitely be returning to my monthly chapter release schedule after this, hopefully starting with around the beginning of January (aiming for the 1st, we'll see...).

Enjoy the chapter!

Previously on An Apple a Day:

Erin discovers Liam is gym leader of Drape Town, and Styx recruits Erin to research Celebi.

Mel and Scary return to the dusty old mansion Mel was raised in to get Professor Hastings' journals before the gym leaders search the house. Mel reads about Professor Hastings' time travel experience:

Professor Hastings was taken back in time 15,000 years by Celebi. Hastings comes across a clan of people who worship Celebi who call themselves the Shiftry Clan. The clan uses a Gengar to immobilize a bear so it can be killed. Professor Hastings fights and catches the Gengar (Scary). The clan's "witch," Abetzi, is able to communicate to Hastings through Scary that the clan's land has been destroyed multiple times by Mew (being born and later Mew's training). The clan takes Professor Hastings' arrival as a sign that the clan will soon get their revenge for Mew's destruction.

Meanwhile, Anita and Liam fight Tali and Dustin as the second part of the Artemis Town Gym's prelim. To get Liam to stay and fight with her, Anita promises to tell him everything she knows about Mew. They beat the prelim.

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Chapter 40: (Act 1) To Travel

"Dustin! Dustin, can you hear me?" Styx hovered over Dustin, taking his hand in hers.

Dustin was seriously hurt—he lay in his tattered clothing near the edge of the platform with his left leg twisted at an angle that shouldn't be possible. When the sound wave flung him out of bounds, he knocked over one of the large chair thrones and apparently it fell on his leg. I didn't even notice anything was amiss until Tali called Dustin's name and he didn't answer.

"Ambulance is on its way," Tali said, returning her phone to a pocket. Her clothes were in better shape than Dustin's, but with her ochre hair matted and frizzy, you'd think she'd just lost a fight to a blow drier, not to Liam and me. Tali approached the platform and peered at her brother. "I'd get his Pidgeot to carry him over if I thought he'd be able to stay on."

I glanced over my shoulder. Liam had taken a seat in the bleachers next to Apple, staring off at the ceiling as if nothing was amiss. I guess Dustin was kind of an asshole, but it sure took a cold heart to ignore someone—even Dustin—with a broken leg.

"Dustin," Styx whispered. "Damn, wake up. I can heal—look!"

I snapped my head back around. Dustin's eyes fluttered open. "Styx?" He tried to sit up, but Styx pushed him back down.

"Hey now, take it easy." Styx locked eyes with gym leader. The way they looked at each other made me want to gag—they were eye-canoodling, or that's what Mia called it once when Mia spotted our math and history teachers looking at each other that way. "Do you want me to…?"

Dustin closed his eyes and shook his head. "Of course not." They must have some secret language to understand each other with such vague words, or maybe Dustin was tapping into that psychic mimicry again.

"An ambulance is on the way," Styx said.

Dustin's eyes shot open again. "I'm fine, really. I just… just need to battle Mendol and the psychic twerp."

"If your leg wasn't already broken, I'd kick your shins for even thinking that," Tali said. "We'll delay the battle until—"

"After I get a cast, of course—"

"—you're feeling completely better—"

"—tonight."

"—in a week." Dustin and Tali glared at each other. I faintly heard sirens.

"How about we wait and see what the doctor says?" Styx said, moving between the twins.

The sirens grew louder and soon there were nurses and firemen flooding into the gym. Dustin was put on a stretcher, and I joined Liam on the bleachers, waiting for the crowd to disperse. As Dustin was carried past us, he said, "I'll be seeing you two later today."

I highly doubted it but wasn't going to argue.

"And you guys made a mess of the gym so I fully expect—" Dustin was carried out the door. Styx and Tali hurried after the medical staff.

I turned to Liam. "Right so, you wanna go grab some lunch?"

Liam leaned back, casually putting his hands behind his head. "Discuss your relation to… a certain Pokemon… over pasta?"

{Eeks,} Apple commented.

I gulped. "Sure."

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

The attic didn't smell as good as my old mansion, but it was a good place to hide from Sparky when Scary and I read about my father and his adventures.

We'd skipped ahead of the cucumber book to the dusty violet journal.

Day 457

Abetzi is round as the moon with our child. Any day now, she will surely give birth. As I have expressed so many times, I wish we were in my time to ensure Abetzi and our child's health. Frolikki the birthing mother has lost two women in this past year alone.

I fear for what will happen to us after the child is born. Ahigetric only tolerates my presence because in the clan, it is a man's responsibility to look after and provide for his wife throughout her pregnancy. Still, Ahigetric reminds me every day that I shame the clan, forbidding me to wear the same Manetric fur as the rest and requiring me to empty the latrines before dinner when Abetzi is resting. My arrival was to signal the time had come to take revenge upon Mew for destroying the Shiftry clan's crop fields. As Celebi has yet to manifest itself, I suppose Ahigetric's disgust with me is understandable.

I do wish the other clan members were less inclined to follow Ahigetric's example. Abetzi tried to help, but she was already a bit of an outsider when I arrived. The clan's witch. The other clan members think I can't understand their whispering as they speculate about whether I'm a plaything Abetzi conjured, whether our child will be a daemon, if perhaps they should sacrifice me or my child to Celebi.

If it comes to that, I will run and take Abetzi and the child with me. Certainly, we can survive on our own, especially with Scary's help.

With all of the trees cleared out, we were finally able to plow and sow the new crop field. I showed Milo and the few other clan members who would listen to me how to implement a proper irrigation system. It was tiring work, but not nearly as bad as when we were cutting down and moving trees to form the clearing.

When I returned to the camp, Abetzi was foretelling a sick woman's death. The woman would die the day after the moon was next full from the sickness, Abetzi said. I don't know why Abetzi predicts these deaths. It was quite easy to see that the coughing woman would die of sickness without Abetzi's prediction and the predictions only make the camp fear and mistrust Abetzi more. Whenever I ask Abetzi, she hushes me and claims it is her Arceus-given ability to see death, a gift given to be used.

I don't know about this death-seeing gift. I'm simply satisfied to see my wife alive and breathing softly as I lay next to her. For hours tonight, under our fur covers we whispered names for our baby to each other. Abetzi hates the name Mel, short for Melvin or Melanie, saying its full of uncertainty. Personally, I don't see what's so bad about uncertainty; it brought me here next to her, after all.

As we lay together now, the moonlight spills over Abetzi's body through the small breaks in the tent where the hide wasn't properly sewn together. She is so lovely, resting with one hand on her stomach over our future child. I could not have asked for a better life.

"That was a boring section," I told Scary.

{Mel, that was you in Abetzi's stomach.}

I wrinkled my nose. "Well, I'm glad I don't remember that."

Scary frowned. {The next section is a little more…} Scary didn't finish, but he was definitely going to say "exciting." I just knew it.

"Goody!"

Day 458

Everything's gone to shit—my life, Abetzi, Celebi—curse that fucking little green devil. Pieces, I've got pieces left. Pieces of memory and… and a son. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be writing this. I'd have jumped off one of Cape Caution's cliffs by now.

Arceaus, I pray this isn't real. It can't be real. Just ten hours ago I was lying next to Abetzi, listening to her slow breathing and gently pulling her closer to fend off the morning chill.

And then the fairy devil herself appeared in our tent.

{It's time,} Celebi said. {Get up.}

I lifted my head groggily, at the time not understanding the danger. If only I had just put my head back down and fallen back asleep!

{Hastings, up. Go wake Ahigetric. I will be waiting with your wife at the fire pit.}

I slowly rolled out of the hide I'd been sharing with Abetzi, careful not to disturb her rest. I pulled a torn rag over my head, my most recent shirt. "Leave Abetzi out of this; she needs to rest," I whispered. "Come with me to wake Ahigetric."

Celebi sighed. {Your insolence is duly noted. Unfortunately, Abetzi is needed. Don't fret, she won't be harmed.} Celebi waved a hand toward the tent flap. {Now get, before I decide you'd be more useful as an Aerodactyl's food morsel.}

When I didn't move, Celebi waved her hand again. A vine sprouted from the ground, wrapped around my foot, and dragged me out of the tent into the dim early morning light. The vine released me, but waved threateningly in front of the tent.

Not seeing much of a choice, I walked through the campsite to Ahigetric's tent in the center. His tent was slightly bigger than the surrounding tents, and a Shiftry branch rose from the tent's top, resembling a mangled hand in the darkness. Not wanting to walk in on Ahigetric and whichever clan woman had chosen to sleep with him for the night, I released Scary from his PokeBall. "Bring Ahigetric out here, please. Dressed if possible."

Scary rolled his eyes, but complied. Soon after, Ahigetric opened his tent's flap, his bright furs glittering under the final rays of moonlight. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, or at least he asked something along those lines. My comprehension of the clan's language wasn't perfect. A more precise definition might be, "What has willed you to act?"

"Celebi is here. The time has come," I said, gesturing to the fire pit behind me.

For a moment Ahigetric didn't react. Then he ordered, "Wake the warriors. This is the moment we've prepared for."

No apology for his lack of respect for me over this past year. No emotion directed toward me at all, just a glint in his steel grey eyes as he looked past me at the fire pit, where I assumed Celebi was waiting.

I nodded at Scary and we proceeded to wake the "warriors," the group of men who'd trained for months with Ahigetric, several of whom trained with Celebi before the clan migrated to these woods. Because it was difficult to wake up the men without waking their wives, sisters, and children, soon the whole camp was gathered around the fire pit murmuring amongst themselves or shouting praise to Celebi.

The crowd quieted and Ahigetric spoke. "The day has come. Celebi has arrived and will lead us…" I found myself on the outskirts of the crowd, unable to see the fire pit.

"Scary," I called. The Gengar appeared beside me. "Clear away the crowd—"

Ignoring my order, Scary took over my body, turning it intangible. We floated through the crowd to the fire pit. Ahigetric had tied his long blonde hair back and stood facing the clan with two Manectrics by his side. Abetzi stood behind him with Celebi sitting on her shoulder. She looked strangely pale and tired, holding both hands over her stomach. When I appeared next to Abetzi, the crowd gasped.

Ahigetric gave me a stone-faced glare before shouting, "Step forth, warriors! Today we avenge our burned fields! Today we will follow blessed Celebi and our death-mother Abetzi into battle and kill Mew!"

I felt the blood drain from my face as the clan cheered.

I turned to Ahigetric. "Abetzi will not be following you into battle." The cheering was too loud for most of the crowd to hear me, but those closest to the fire pit quieted.

"No, Abetzi will be leading us," Ahigetric said sternly. His eyes were sharp as a blade, daring me to speak against him. He turned from me for a moment, facing the men around him. "Assemble the warriors on the west end of camp. Gather the spears," he ordered the men closest to the fire pit.

"She's pregnant! Why the hell would you have a pregnant woman lead your warriors?"

Though most of the crowd was dispersing, a few of the men lingered.

"Go!" Ahigetric ordered them. "Do not repudiate my orders in front of my clan," he said in a low voice. "It is you who chose to wed the death-mother. Only she can see death in those that are immortal."

{Basically,} Celebi said casually, leaning into Abetzi's golden hair. {she's needed to kill Mew.}

Abetzi put a hand on my shoulder. "It is what is meant to be," she said. "I will be safe. I only need to watch the warriors."

I shrugged Abetzi's hand away. "This is such bullshit. Death-mother? Are you talking about her death 'predictions'? Ahigetric, you of all people should know that it's phony—"

Ahigetric punched my stomach, and I doubled over in pain. "You may not disrespect the death-mother."

He turned to Abetzi. "I do not understand your choice in husband, but should he continue with this blatant disrespect of the way, he will be exiled or killed. Now come. Bring the ghost."

Ahigetric left, the two Manectric followed him, their fur sparking.

Abetzi turned me to face her. "I need to borrow Scary. Do not fear. We will return shortly."

"You don't have to do this."

Abetzi stroked Celebi's head. I swear the little twit smirked at me a moment, before widening those innocent blue eyes and looking sullen. "I'm the death-mother."

I'd never addressed her magical nonsense before—what was the harm in letting her believe she could foresee death? It gave Abetzi a place in the clan. At that moment though, I regretted not saying anything.

"I'm coming with you. Scary's my Pokemon anyway. And Frolikki must come as well, should you need help. You shouldn't strain yourself this late in the pregnancy."

Abetzi nodded. It worried me that she didn't make a quip about Scary being my Pokemon. It's become a running joke between us, something to argue about over dinner.

Ahigetric and Abetzi led the warriors down the short twisted path to the burnt field, with Frolikki and I helping Abetzi over fallen tree trunks and across small springs. I watched Celebi out of the corner of my eye, wondering if the fairy was putting Abetzi in danger by just sitting on her shoulder.

Soon, we came to the razed clearing. Bits of life were springing up again in the massive craters—weeds and vines mostly. If it weren't for the craters, the clan might've actually been able to re-plow the field. In couple of years, they still might be able to.

Celebi fluttered above the twenty of us, directing Ahigetric and the warriors into a circle next to the largest crater in the clearing. Abetzi, Frolikki, and I watched from the edge of the clearing until Celebi turned its gaze to Abetzi. "Scary's needed now," Abetzi said.

Frolikki fidgeted with the Manectric skin covering her shoulders, clearly uncomfortable. When I'd insisted she come with us, she'd only agreed after a stern look from Abetzi. With Celebi on her shoulder, nobody in the clan would dare defy Abetzi.

I released Scary from his Pokeball. He floated to the center of the circle of warriors, mirroring his usual position when the clan captured a bear.

It wasn't bear they'd be killing today.

{Stand here, behind your wife,} Celebi said. I was more than happy to move behind my wife, hopeful that she'd lean on me and allow me to support her weight.

Suddenly, Abetzi collapsed and screamed. "Abetzi! Abetzi! What is it?" She was breathing heavily. I glared at Celebi, now fluttering above us. "What did you do?"

"The baby," Abetzi panted. "The baby's—ahhh!"

Frolikki bent over and spoke swiftly to Abetzi. Then she had me move Abetzi so she was leaning against a boulder. Abetzi clutched my hand as I squatted next to her.

Ahigetric was yelling something, but I paid him no mind. Suddenly, there was a flash of light to my left, where the circle of warriors stood.

Mew and Celebi appeared in the center of the circle.

My attention was torn between the legendary Pokemon and my poor Abetzi. Scary disappeared and the Mew's eyes glowed red. The Celebi in the circle disappeared.

Abetzi and the warriors screamed in sync.

{Look at the Mew, Abetzi!} Celebi yelled.

"Don't you dare tell her what to do. Get away from my wife!" Without thinking I flung a rock by my legs at the fairy. Celebi dodged easily, fluttering in a spiral.

"Breathe, Abetzi," I said, stroking her head.

Abetzi squeezed her eyes open, gazing at the circle of warriors. I followed her gaze. The warriors' spears pierced through Mew's throat. Blood trickled down the Shiftry wood like streams of ants slowly crawling across a log. A blue fire emerged from the Mew's throat.

I blinked.

The ground shook, and the clearing's bits of strewn greenery burned, specks of red among the strange blue fire. Where the warriors and Ahigetric once stood, there were piles of ash. The Shiftry wood cluttered the area, completely unscathed.

A purplish psychic barrier blinked out of existence. I hadn't noticed it was up, when it was put up, but now that it was gone, I could smell smoke.

{So Abetzi…?}

"Too late, Celebi. You need—ahh!"

"Go away, fairy!" I yelled at the legendary Pokemon.

Celebi had to have put up the barrier. At that moment though, I didn't give a damn that the fairy had just saved my wife. I just wanted Abetzi left in peace, wanted her to make it through childbirth. Wanted the damned fairy to disappear and stop badgering us.

The next few hours were the toughest in my life. I ran between Abetzi and the spring, fetching the water Frolikki demanded by soaking my Manectric skins. Abetzi cried out and sweat and once broke out in hysterical laughter amidst the ash and the blue fire.

I tried not to think about the incinerated clan members. There'd be time to think after our child was born.

Finally, Frolikki had me sit by Abetzi's spread feet. The midwife urged Abetzi to be strong and several painful screams later, a bloody, lovely baby boy trembled in my hands.

{Abetzi,} Celebi prompted.

"Almost had it. Divide… divide the ashes, necessary… divide to conquer… to kill—"

There was a sudden whirring around me, like being squeezed into a box.

A feeling I hadn't had in over a year.

I was back in my apartment, in the kitchen among my dirty pans. It felt like an illusion. I was dressed in Manectric skins holding a bloody baby whose umbilical cord hung limply from his belly. Only seconds earlier he'd been attached to his mother. I thought stupidly, where's Abetzi?

Celebi fluttered in front of me.

{You'll be wanting this.} The fairy casually tossed a Pokeball at me. Scary's Pokeball. I couldn't remember Celebi touching it, I couldn't remember what happened to Scary after Mew exploded…

"Bring me back. Bring Abetzi here," I demanded.

{Welcome home.} The Celebi winked out of existence.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

I walked toward the gym exit, with Apple trotting at my side. Liam followed us. {We're screwed, Apple. We're beyond screwed—I'm going to die painfully when Liam squeezes the information out of me with some medieval torture device he'll have bought off that creepy sales guy, who I think might be following us—}

{Whoa, creepy sales guy. You don't say.}

{Apple, I'm serious! I can't lie—}

{Yeah, well you're going to have to so suck it up—}

I turned to Apple, who was balancing on a metal beam that had fallen some time during my fight with Dustin and Tali. {I suck at lying, Apple! You're always telling me I can't lie for my life and now our lives are at stake!}

{Well, you got us into this. If you weren't prepared to lie, you shouldn't have promised Liam info in exchange for helping you beat the twins.} Apple jumped off of the beam and wagged her tail at me, not bothering to look back.

{Oh no, you don't! You're not going to put this all on me, Apple. We made the decision to stay with Erin and pretend everything was perfectly la-dee-da together. Just because I took advantage of the situation—}

{It'd only be an advantage if you'd actually prepared a lie.}

We reached the revolving doors. {Sometimes I understand why Liam wants to mangle you…} I pushed the door. It didn't budge.

"What the…?" A Slaking was slumped between the glass doors, preventing the doors from moving. I tapped on the glass. "Hey!" The Slaking didn't move.

Suddenly, an Aipom dropped from the top of the doorway, hanging by its from the low ceiling above the revolving doors. I stumbled backwards in surprise, tripped over a piece of crumbled tile, and fell on my butt next to where Liam was standing.

Liam looked down at me and raised an eyebrow.

"You could've stopped me from falling," I muttered, picking myself up. I marched back to the Aipom and pointed my finger at in the Pokemon's face, but not too close. My neighbor once had an Aipom that bit. "Now just what do you think you're doing? And what's with the Slaking?"

The Aipom swung back and forth, giggling. {Why is this trainer asking me? It's not like she can understand. We just have to wait until she tries to leave to attack—}

"What do you mean attack?" I asked, alarmed.

{You can understand me?}

{Yes.} I made my voice boom in the Aipom's head. {I'm a psychic. Now get your lazy friend out of the doorway before I get mad and blow you to bits with my mad psychic abilities.}

Apple snickered and didn't even flinch.

{Sorry, we have strict orders to not let you leave until you clean up the gym, and even then, only if we get a call saying Dustin won't be making it back to the gym today. Hmm, well, that explains why Dustin left Visio.}

{Who's—}

Something wet wrapped around my arm. A wet, red tongue. With my eyes, I traced the tongue back to its user. A Kecleon gapped at me. Standing next to the Kecleon was Dustin's Zangoose, who'd cut Apple's fur. For some reason the Zangoose kept hitting the Kecleon over the head with his claw.

"Okay, now I'm really confused."

"It's quite simple," Liam drawled. Asshole. "Clearly, these Pokemon are preventing us from exiting the gym. Dustin's Zangoose is hitting Kecleon with a pursuit attack to change Kecleon's type to dark and in turn, prevent you from using your psychic gift."

He deduced that fromthis? "Well, don't just stand there. Attack! Apple, use iron tail! And Liam, uh, kick them or something."

Liam looked at me like something was sprouting from my head. "I'm not a Pokemon."

Apple lunged. The Kecleon's tongue wrapped around me and I was suddenly spinning, the Kecleon pulling me. I hit the Pokemon's body with a thud, wrapped in several slimy layers of tongue. Gross.

Apple halted her attack, her tail lit and poised above her head, ready to strike, but unable to do so without hitting me.

"Let me go," I demanded, trying to wriggle free.

Liam looked from Apple to me to the door blocked by the Slaking impassively. He nodded. "We'll clean up."

The glow in Apple's tail faded. "Hey, no we won't! This is Snubull crap—"

I was spinning again and heard the Aipom screeching something. Then I found myself flung on the floor, dizzy. I got to my feet unsteadily.

My pack hung from the tip of the Kecleon's tongue.

{So, you'll clean up or else Visio here will eat your pack and Pokeballs,} the Aipom said, waving a hand at me. Maybe I could smash his purple head into the ceiling with a barrier or hack off a few fingers—

{Anita, that'd be a bad idea,} Apple said. {I'm with Liam. You guys should clean up the gym.}

{I wouldn't really hurt him… And you only want us to clean 'cause you won't have to do anything with your lack of opposable thumbs.} I swiveled around, turning my back on Dustin's Pokemon. I bent over to pick up a piece of floor dislodged sometime during the battle. I paused as my fingers skimmed the smooth ceramic surface. {You know, Splash is still in the ventilation system. With his help, we could probably take on these guys—}

{So you're willing to sacrifice our plan to survive—your plan to ensure I live—to get out of cleaning.} Apple actually sounded upset.

{No. I mean, that's not how it is. It's…} I picked up the displaced floor piece. {See, I'm cleaning.}

{Good.}

I returned the floor chunk to the hole it'd been initially dislodged from. The piece fit into the floor, but there were small chunks missing around the piece's edges and the cracks surrounding the piece clearly weren't going to go away. Nothing we could do about that. I tried to recall when the floor had broken during the battle, but couldn't. "This is pointless," I muttered. My stomach growled.

Liam and I worked in silence, replacing floor pieces and repairing the bleachers. Dustin's Zangoose showed us the cabinet full of screws, bolts, nails, hammers—all sorts of supplies were offered, though Dustin's Pokemon never offered to actually help. Bums.

I eyed Liam from time to time, surprised he was going along with the cleanup and even more surprised he hadn't taken the opportunity to interrogate me. At least it gave me time to think.

I could probably get away with telling half-truths for now. I didn't really know how much Liam knew—enough to suspect my Pokemon, but not enough to just try to take them already? Then there was what Celebi had told Apple, that she was being tracked… but who knew if that was true. Just in case, half-truths would work best. Plus anything unanswered, I could say I'd tell him after the battle, and hopefully after the battle, this whole mess would be sorted out.

"Anita."

I almost hit my thumb with the hammer. I looked up from the bleacher support beam I'd been trying to unbend.

Liam had pushed the platform Dustin and Tali typically stood on back, revealing a staircase leading downwards. I didn't remember that being there when I looked through the blueprints of gym.

"Hungry? There's food down here." Liam gestured to the staircase.

{Why is Liam being nice?} I asked Apple suspiciously.

{Well, either an alien ate his brain or he wants to question you away from Dustin's surveillance system.} Apple pointed her tail at Dustin's Zangoose, who was going at Kecleon's head with scissors and a comb, possibly trying to cut the spikes on Kecleon's head into a mohawk.

{Some surveillance.} I nodded to Liam. "Yeah, but you're paying. My money's in my pack."

I put down the hammer on the bleachers and followed Liam down the stairs, Apple trotting behind me. How did Liam know there was a staircase under the platform anyway?

The basement was a small room with a table that sat four, a vending machine, and a bar. The room's floor and walls was covered in fuzzy white carpeting that made me want to take my shoes off and rub my toes in. "Fancy," I said.

Apple rubbed her face against one of the carpeted walls. {Mmmm, fuzzy.} She peeked an eye open at me. {You sure you want me around. I mean, look at this romantic tone and you've already got him paying for food…}

{I don't know how you can make sick jokes like that at a time like this, Apple. And, not that I would ever date Liam, but if I were to go on any freakin' date I'd pay for my own freakin' food.}

{Unless your pack was dangling from the tongue of a Kecleon with a Mohawk.}

I must've had a weird look on my face because Liam was looking at me oddly. "What?" I snapped.

Liam walked around the bar and bent down. "I don't see a surveillance system, but your discretion would be appreciated as a precaution," he said. I leaned over the bar counter and saw he was looking through a mini-fridge.

"Whatever."

Liam plopped two sandwiches on the counter.

"What's in those?" I asked.

"Vegetables. Maybe cheese. Tali's a vegetarian."

"How'd you know about this place?"

Liam shrugged, picked up his sandwich, and walked around the bar counter. He sat down at the small wooden table. I joined him, taking a bite of my sandwich before I even reached the table. It tasted better than it probably was because I was hungry. "So yesterday you mentioned finding her in Melonbi Town," Liam said.

I took another large bite of my sandwich, annoyed. He never answered my questions, but I always had to answer his. So not fair. I swallowed. "Yup. That's where I first encountered… her."

"And when was this?"

"My birthday. July 2nd."

"Describe the encounter."

I looked around the room, looking for the invisible surveillance Liam was worried about. How the hell was I supposed to tell him about Mew without actually describing Mew?

"Well, I saw her about halfway to Azul City. She looked kinda like a Whooper at first…" Was that discrete enough?

"Did she say anything to you?"

I remembered Apple complaining about the rain. "Complained about the weather." Liam was looking at me expectantly. Guess I needed something better than that. What else did we talk about? "And she asked about Team Glop'emm."

"What about Team Glop'emm?"

"Can't say that here. That's all you're getting for now. I need something to make you battle with me besides whatever secret Dustin's holding over your head," I said, remembering Dustin's words when Liam seemed unwilling to partner up with me.

Liam snickered dismissively.

"If that secret's so not important to you, then tell me."

"That'd be no fun." Liam chewed thoughtfully. "Have you had any more encounters with her?"

"I'm not telling you anything else until after the battle."

"You've told me virtually nothing I didn't already know. Any more encounters?" Liam demanded.

"Not while looking like… her," I said carefully. I'd already told Liam I was involved with Mew. "Sometimes I run errands for her that she can't accomplish herself." Like paying for hotdogs. "But that's all your getting for now, got it? I don't need you running off to find and kill Mew before we battle Dustin and Tali." Damn, the way I said that sounded cruel, like I cared nothing about what happened to Mew.

{And that's a good thing,} Apple said. Liam frowned at me, as I gave Apple half of my sandwich.

"Alright," he agreed. "We can leave it at that until after the battle."

I felt uneasy. Was he convinced?

We ate the rest of the meal in silence.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Jamie Arkle, meet your new cellmate." Damned officers. Damned gym leaders. I was so close, and then that shithead Normal gym leader arrested me. Oh, and let's not forget Liam Mendol, the little genius Master running circles around the psychic girl. Mendol had something to do with my arrest, I just knew it. I shouldn't have gloated to his uncle. No, I couldn't afford to underestimate the kid again—tattling to the other gym leaders like that, what a coward.

The metal door groaned as my jail cell was opened. I sat up on my stiff bed as a man was shoved forward into the cell and the door was slammed shut behind him.

The man had a body of a forty year old, but a face that could have been twenty years older. He was balding, but the grey hair he had was long and scraggly. If it weren't for his large bifocal glasses, I'd have guessed he was some hobo snatched off the streets.

I could break his glasses and use the sharp edge to cut his face up. How would the officers react?

"Was never told about this…" the man mumbled, tugging at the sleeves of the plain grey jumpsuit provided for prisoners. He blinked at me with wide, grey eyes, as if startled I was in the cell with him. "Who are you?"

"Jamie Arkle, arrested for being the Master of Team Glop'emm. And you?"

"Bert Hastings… Seth Hastings, who knows any more?" Hastings looked around the cell. "I don't suppose they provide pencils and paper?"

"Bored already?" I'm sure if he asked the guard, they'd give it to him. Pencils, those had some real possibilities. Stab out an eye or pierce a finger. "What were you arrested for?" I asked.

"I need to keep writing poems. She said I'd get my son back if I kept writing." Ah, so we had an incorrectly sorted prisoner. This one belonged in the loony bin. Hastings looked under the second bed in the cell and then sat down on it. "I am suspected of abusing and knowing where to locate Liam Mendol."

That stopped me in my tracks. He knew Mendol? And had possibly abused him? He might be my new hero. "So did you do it?"

"I've only met Liam once, many years ago, or maybe not so many. It's hard to say."

"Tell me what you know of Mendol."

"Oh, it's hard to say how much I may—for she'll punish me without delay." The man grinned widely. "Now there's a useless poem. Most are though. Useless, I mean. None ever brought my son back, or sent my sweet Abetzi to me."

Nonsense again. "Tell me what you know of Mendol or I'll tear that big nose off your face and stuff it—"

"You're quite excitable, aren't you? Yes, the Mendols aren't affected by psychics, that much I can say."

"You know about the gift?"

"No, I studied ancient Pokemon." Would killing this fool increase security around my cell? The man looked me up and down, as if weighing something in his mind. "I suppose it could be considered a gift, a gift given by the earliest Pokemon, perhaps. Or maybe just good blood. I studied his blood, you know, down to the very DNA. There's technology for that today."

"Mendol's blood?"

"Of course."

Though clearly insane, the man seemed educated enough. Perhaps he was once a scientist. Knowledge of Mendol's blood and ancient Pokemon could be useful… "I guess you'll have to come with me," I said, lying back down.

"Come with you? Where?"

"Well, I certainly don't intend to stay here. Now, neither do you."