"You're a hybrid..." I finally manage to say. He looks up at me from the ground, a positively terrified look on his face. From the look of his torn and ratty clothes, he's probably been running for a while.

He even looks a few years younger than me. It's hard to imagine someone that age being on his own like this. But then again, most hybrids are.

Both of us get over our shock at nearly the same time. However, he was first to react. He leaped to his feet, the black fur around his face glowing slightly. He looks almost completely different, having adopted a far more dangerous expression. His eyes are narrowed, and a snarl starts to form. Even in this dim light, his many, sharp fangs are visible. A low growl fills the recently silent air.

I start to back away, not wanting to prompt this kid to attack. At the very least, not scare him any more than he already is. Luckily, he stays where he is.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you or anything," I say after a few more seconds of silence. His expression softens for a moment, but quickly goes back to the same, cornered animal look. This isn't going anywhere. I reach to my belt, aiming for the pokeball there. If things go sour, and I'm sure they will, I'm not going to be defenseless.

However, as I reach for the red and white ball, every hair on my body starts to stand on end. A slight tingling covers every inch of my skin. I turn my attention back to the hybrid, who is apprently even more agitated. Crap! No doubt about it, now. He's an electric type. Everyone knew how hard it was to deal with Special moves. And electric types were full off them. I take my hand away, but the obvious danger doesn't decrease. In fact, it almost feels like it was about to get worse for me.

I hate being right all of the time.

Suddenly, I hear the familiar click of a pokeball, making the both of us flinch. In a burst of yellow light resembling a lightning bolt, a small canine pokemon appears at my feet. It is primarily green and has a lighting bolt running across it's body. It stood crouched, its ears pulled back. I could hear a growl coming from it as well. Bolt just had to learn how to get out of his pokeball, didn't he?

As I expected, the hybrid before me only becomes more agitated. His eyes narrow, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say his eyes turned yellow. I close my own eyes, waiting for the inevitable Thundershock. The next thing I hear is a small clap of thunder.

But the pain doesn't come.

I warily open my eyes, seeing that nothing has changed. Except that the hybrid is just as confused as I must look. Bolt still looks like he's defending me. Every few seconds, a flash of blue electricity appears on his fur. Then it hits me. His ability is Lightning Rod! A smirk forms on my face. I guess he can't attack us, huh? However, this new development didn't stop him from trying. At all.

Once more, a the hybrid tenses and a blast of electricity comes right at me. Just like before, it immediately arcs toward Bolt. "What the hell?" he shouts angrily. Was it just me, or did his voice sound different right then? I could have sworn it was a bit higher earlier. "You can't just absorb my lightning like that!" Bot barks something, which seems to make the guy even angrier. "Oh yeah? Well at least I'm evolved and not an electricity stealing jerk!" Wait, what is even going on here? At least he's distracted.

"Bolt, Quick Attack!" Responding immediately, the Lightning Pokemon bursts forward, leaving an afterimage behind. Obviously caught off guard, thhe hybrid isn't able to dodge the blur heading at him. The force of the attack sends him flying into a nearby tree hard enough to knock the breath out of a normal person. Unfortunately, he's no normal person.

The boy gets back to his feet, albeit a bit shakily. "Okay, i take it back. You're not that weak. But it's just because you have a really unfair advantage!" He suddenly stops, as if listening to something. "Of course I know what I'm doing! You don't even know how to fight!" Both Bolt and I stare at the boy in confusion. Is he... talking to himself?

"Just use Quick Attack again..."

"Trike...?" Despite being just as confused, Bolt rushes foward again. Once again, the boy is caught off guard and thrown to the ground.

"Ice Fang!" I can feel the chill even from where I stand as Bolt prepares his next attack. What happens next is a loud cry of pain, probably audible to anyone within 50 yards. But as quickly as it came, it ends. The deafening silence of the forest continues. I return Bolt to his pokeball and walk to the prone form of the hybrid. He's clearly unconscious, but the steady rise and fall of his chest confirms he's alive. Then again...

I look down at his midsection with a grimace, where his tattered shirt is soaked in blood. Two small holes are in the fabric, but just barely visible in the deep red. Perhaps Bolt and I went a bit too far. I never was one to stop when needed. On the other hand, he seems to have more wounds than that. Maybe he just opened up on of the more painful ones? Even so, that wound is going to need treatment soon. Luckily, the Pokemon Center in Sena City actually treats hybrids (in secrecy of course), but there's no way I could get him there anytime soon. He looks light but that looks like a lot of blood.

I reach into my pocket and take out the small, red and black orb. A click brings it to full size. An X-Ball, the one thing I never wanted to actually use. I've always hated how the HCP made every traveler carry these things around,, just in case. Yet, it seems I'm going to have to use it to get this guy to the city.

Taking a deep breath, I bend down and touch the front of the ball to the hybrid's forehead. He is immediately enveloped in a dark yellow glow, before each of his features disappear into formless energy. Within a second, he has disappeared into the ball. The button on the front flashes red for a few seconds before a ping resounds throughout the air. I start out at a run toward Sena City.

I just hope I can get him out of this thing.

X-Ball: An item used mainly in the Xeres Region to capture wild hybrids that attack. Every traveleing citizen is required to have at least one with them at all times