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"Hey, get back!" A Cubone yelled.

He swung his bone at an annoying Dustox, which was attempting to attack a defenseless Caterpie.

"I'm warning you…" The Cubone growled.

"Just hit him, Stevie!" A Treecko yelled. He, and Steven were wearing grey scarves, with a black dot on the scarf above their hearts.

"Why don't YOU hit him, Slick? He keeps dodging my bone!" Steven yelled, frustrated.

"Well, why don't you throw it, then?" Slick suggested sarcastically.

"No!" Steven protested.

"Fine! I'll do it myself!" A charmander nearby said. He opened his mouth and spewed out a fireball, which singed the giant moth's wing. The Dustox backed off, and flapped as hard as it could. A roaring gust of wind slammed into the Charmander, but he braced himself and fought against the wind.

"Here! I'll help ya, Charmander!" A squirtle cried. He spit a jet of water at the Dustox, who got hit by the water, but wasn't knocked off balance. The excess water sprayed everywhere, drenching Charmander.

"Thanks, Squirt…I really needed that." Charmander sighed. Squirt blushed embarrassedly, and tucked his head in out of sight.

"Oh, darn it…" Steven said. He threw his bone with deadly precision, and bopped the Dustox RIGHT on the head.

A big bump grew where the bone hit it, and the Dustox screeched angrily. It flapped its wings while scattering shiny silvery powder everywhere. The shiny wind slammed into the team of rescuers, and blasted them backwards while suffocating them and blinding them.

Steven took a stone from his pocket, and judged the bug's position by the sting of the wind. He threw the stone and hit the Dustox, which distracted it long enough for the team to recover, and retaliate.

Steven grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it in the bug's face, while Charmander spewed another jet of flame. The sand got in its eyes, and the flames scorched it black.

Slick ran towards the Dustox at top speed, then he agilely jumped off a nearby stone and tackled it. He knocked it to the ground, then he slashed it multiple times with a sharp leaf.

The Dustox feebly twitched on the ground, then it passed out, unconscious.

"…Whew…That was close!" The Caterpie exclaimed.

"Yeah, that was." Charmander sighed with relief.

"So, are you ok?" Steven asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Caterpie said.

"Then all we need to do now is get you back to your mom, Butterfree!" Steven said. "And then I think we'll call it a day."

"And after we send you back, the butter, will be free!" Slick cheered crazily.

Steven stared at him blankly, then said, "Slick, stop being such an idiot."

"No." Slick said, crossing his arms and aiming his nose at the sky. There was a thwack as Steven's bone whacked across the back of his head.

"OW! Ok, Ok! I'll stop!" Slick said while rubbing the back of his sore head.

"Now that that horrible incident is over, let's get you back to your mom.." Charmander suggested.

Steven nodded his agreement, and the party of five slowly walked down the path nearby, which led out of the forest, out into an open field.

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"Thank you for getting my son back." Butterfree said.

"No problem." Steven said.

"Here you are, two Oran berries and 500 poke dollars." Butterfree said, while she gave them the goods.

"Thank you." Charmander said.

"No, thank you." Butterfree said. "If it weren't for you, my son probably wouldn't be here. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I wish I could repay you better than I have, but, things are so HARD these days."

"No, Ma'am. Your thanks are good enough for us. Just knowing that we've helped a family today is good enough."

"Thank you. Don't be a stranger if you come past our house!" Butterfree said. She picked up her son, Caterpie, and flew off.

"Take care!" Steven cried, as he and his whole team waved.

"Man, what a day." Slick sighed.

"Let's call it a day and get some rest." Charmander said.

Then they went to sleep like rocks.

The next morning…

"(Yawn) I'm gonna get a apple." Slick said.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Stevie said to Slick.

"Don't call me that." Slick whined.

(Chunk!)

"Ah, mail's here." Squirt said.

"I'll go get it." Charmander said.

Charmander walked out of the base, got the letters out of the mailbox, and walked back in.

"Hmm, interesting." Charmander said looking at a letter suspiciously.

"What is it? Read it out loud." Steven ordered.

Charmander started to read out loud.

"(Gasp) Oh no, we have to get to the Queen ASAP!" Steven yelled.

"WHAT DOES THE LETTER SAY!?!" Slick bellowed.

"Ahem, it clearly says:

In but one week, at the rising of the sun, the last of the royal family will be but ashes, adrift on the breeze. A week you have, to change the fate of your dear queen!"

"Sounds like a threat, if anything." Slick muttered.

"Now you see why we have to leave." Steven said. "Come on, everybody. We need to leave now if we want a chance to warn the queen! I want you out front in five minutes, with everything you need!"

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