I looked up, absolute murder in my eyes, as the other Plasma smirked and sent her cat-thing after me, with a cry of "Purrloin, go!"
Nathaniel turned from the carnage of the other Plasma's rat and narrowed his eyes. With a scream, he ran at the thing, punching it and sending it flying, fur crisped and smoking where he had made contact. He ran after it and continued punching it, screeching the entire time. Then he stepped back, picked up the thing and dragged it over to me. It was very dead, and barely recognizeable because of the burns all over it. He dropped it, and looked up at me sadly, putting a paw on my knee. I hugged him, then stood, Bianca all but forgotten, to face the two now-defenseless Plasma members.
"...I can't believe we lost." the Plasma member said.
"I can't believe that she has Pokémon!" the other berated him. "We still need the dream mist and now we have no way of getting it, asshole!"
The Plasma guy kicked the Munna again. "Arceus dammit." he cursed. "Come on, make the- hrk!" He exclaimed as Nathaniel tackled him to the ground.
"Nathaniel, don't kill him." I commanded. Nathaniel reluctantly abandoned the guys neck and settled for hitting him on the head, none too gently. I turned to take care of the other, when a familiar voice interrupted.
"What are you doing goofing off?"
The Plasma member jumped and flushed with embarrassment at being caught by Ghestis. "Nothing..." She muttered.
"Well, if you cannot fulfil your duties..."
The woman gulped. "R-right... well, I'll just grab my unconscious partner and we'll get going." She did as she said and ran out of there in record time, and when I turned back to the Munna, Ghestis was also gone. Another Pokémon floated up to the abused Munna and inspected it all over, running its nose over it to check for wounds.
"Aww... that's so cute!" Bianca exclaimed, and I jumped. I'd forgotten she was still there. The other Pokémon turned, noticed us, and began to charge up an attack. My own Pokémon formed a protective wedge in front of me, with Sachiel in the front, but the little Munna bumped the other Pokémon and started making noises to it. The other listened, and then relaxed. When the little Munna finished, the other looked at me, then floated up to me. I motioned my Pokémon to stand aside, and it looked up at me. I could see gratitude in its eyes. My little one told me what you did, human.
I yelped, because I wasn't used to voices directly in my head.
The thing seemed amused. She also told me of the death of your friend. It motioned with a stubby little leg to Malayeka's body. I am most sorry. She tells me that she was able to connect you two in your Purrloin's last moments... She is quite young to be doing such things.
"Thank you." I said to the little Munna, kneeling. She happily floated over and accepted my petting with glee on her face. "So you are able to connect people and Pokémon?" I asked her.
Anything with anything else capable of rational thought. The other said. She is still too young to speak to you herself. And any, as you would say, "Pokémon" with psychic tendencies could do the same, provided it's old and powerful enough. But we must be going, there are people coming soon. You would do well to go, too. Farewell. The Munna squealed and waved a stubby leg at me, and followed her parent. I turned to Bianca, who was staring, and told her we should go. She followed me without complaint deep into the woods before she stopped me.
"Were you talking to that thing?" she asked.
"...Yes." I said. "But I can't talk to all Pokémon..."
"Wow!" she gushed. "You're just so cool! I'm going to go and befriend a Pokémon and travel around so I can be like you!"
I turned and stared at her, a little openmouthed. "...No." I finally managed.
She pouted. "Why not, you're doing it."
"Because Pokémon are dangerous, Bianca. Even to me. I think..." Here I knelt and started scratching behind Sachiel's ears because he was asking for it. "I think the only reason some Pokémon decide to come with me- and they always decide to come with me, not the other way around- is because I raised this little guy" I patted Sachiel's head and he chirped. "basically from birth." I finished. Then I stood up and said, "Now, I'll lead you back to the road and you stay on it, because I seriously don't want to be responsible for your maiming or death by Pokémon. And you won't tell anyone about me. Deal?"
She begrudgingly agreed, and I led her back to the path. Then, after a last word of caution, I vanished into the woods to bury Malayeka.
I re-emerged onto the path and walked for a while, my Pokémon following along in the woods beside me, then stopped as I heard hurried footsteps behind me, the faint sound of 50's jazz approaching, and Cheren calling, "Leigh, stop!" I turned to see Cheren coming to a stop in front of me, headphones around his neck. "I need to talk to you about what happened in the abandoned park." he said, in a low voice. "I'm not here to arrest you." he added quickly as I started to panic. "I just want to tell you that I'll be watching you."
"Okay, that's not creepy sounding at all." I said, dryly. "But I understand. Is this official or just you?"
"It's official." He said. "Oh, and about the park- sorry about that, but when the kid came in saying you had Pokémon, the chief of the town jumped to the conclusion that you were Plasma before I could correct him."
"Oh. Okay then."
"Alright, I have one last question for you."
"Shoot." I said warily.
"Can I..." he trailed off and jerked his head towards the forest.
"Wha- Oh. Sure, so long as you don't come too close." I said. I proceeded into the woods, Cheren close behind, and whistled lowly.
Four shapes bounded toward me, three that I knew, and one that was unfamiliar, a horselike animal with lightning-shaped stripes. It approached me cautiously, eyes wary. Then it offered its head to me, and I gently petted it, scratching behind the ears and under its jaw. Its eyes closed in happiness, and I said, "So I'm guessing you want to come with me."
"Wha-" Cheren said, then cut himself off as the little thing stepped back and nodded its head, gracefully.
I smiled, looked at its stripes, and said, "In that case, I think I'll call you Ramiel." It nodded its head again, and came back for more petting. I laughed.
"Do they talk back?" Cheren asked.
"Yes, but I can't understand them unless they use gestures like that." I said. "Though, I've been told that Pokémon with psychic abilities can connect people and Pokémon mentally so they understand each other fully." I shrugged.
Cheren was about to say something when he suddenly stopped and looked down. I laughed as I saw Sachiel tugging his pant leg trying to get him to pick him up. "That's Sachiel. He wants you to pick him up." I said. Cheren awkwardly hoisted the little otter up and Sachiel promptly climbed to sit on his shoulders. I laughed at Cheren's stunned expression. "I've raised Sachiel since he was very very small, so he isn't as shy or mistrusting of humans as other Pokémon. His mama attacked my village and I ran into the woods, and he found me lost in there and led me back home. I took him in and cared for him and he protected me from other Pokémon." I pointed to my rat, who was chittering angrily at Nathaniel, who held a berry teasingly out of Engelbert's reach. "That's Engelbert, and the monkey who's teasing him is Nathaniel. Nathaniel, give Engelbert back his berry." I reprimanded. Nathaniel pouted, but gave Engelbert the berry, which he snatched back and scarfed down quickly to make sure it wasn't taken again. Cheren chuckled a little at that, then put Sachiel down and said, "Well, I should probably get going."
"Hmkay. I'll accompany you back to the road so you don't get attacked."
He nodded, and we walked together in silence until we were back on the road.