VulpixTrainer: Okay this is chapter 30. Yikes, 30 chapters! I would never have dreamed of being this far within a year. Anyway on to the story, please note that I have not seen the Thunder Badge episode so I am taking creative license.
Firestorm: You all know what I'm going to say, so I'm done.
Thunder Surprises
"Okay, now here we go you two," the Grandfather said as he looked at both Fiona and Matt before reading, "Matt, finish off that Raichu…"
"Grandpa," Fiona whined, "you started in the middle of a battle."
"Sis, Gramps told us he was going to the beginning of a chapter; it must have been one of those cliffhanger chapters, after all you wanted him to get back to Team Rocket really following him and not just the same two all the time." Henry said, looking at Fiona like she had interrupted something grand.
"Thank you, Henry, now if I may continue." With those words the Grandfather began again with his story.
"Matt, finish off Raichu before he can shake off its confusion. You won't be able to handle another electric attack from it," Matt shouted, fear ever growing on his human face. Matt had taken two direct Thunderbolts and was cringing from the electrical buildup in his tiny body.
Matt only nodded. Forcing open his mouth, he was able to get out a moderate Flamethrower. This, combined with an earlier Will-O-Wisp, causes the Raichu to collapse onto the battlefield.
"The winner is Matthew Vixen of Vulpix Village," a ref called out, raising a green flag in Matt's direction.
"Return," a man in the uniform of the Kanto Army called, out holding an Army issued Pokeball, painted in camo; the Raichu dissolved into a green light so if in a jungle it would be hidden from enemy troops.
"You have earned the Thunder Badge young sir; in fact, someone like you should be great as a strategist." He then gives the badge and also a military salute.
"Thank you, sir," Matt said, giving his best imitation of the salute. "However, due to health problems I am unable to work for the military, in any of its forms, but thank you for the compliment." Matt then takes the Thunder Badge, smiling at the sun-shaped badge as the overhead fluorescence lights shone onto the metal, making it glimmer.
"Matt, are you ready to go?" Ethan whined, coming up behind him. Matt, however, didn't jump because his hearing had told him someone was coming up behind him. Smiling still he pulled out with his right hand his badge case and placed the Thunder Badge into it, right next to his Boulder Badge. Staring at the spot next to the Cascade Badge, shaped like a drop of water, that being empty, and the next badge, that he needed, he smiles at the thought of the next battle ahead, he snapped it shut and put it back into his right vest pocket.
He then turned around and, just for fun marches, out military style. This only makes Lt. Surge laugh at how off his form was, but also at how he seemed to have stood a little straighter after his rare compliment. It is a shame that he is unable to join; otherwise we would have a great force ready.
"Stop thief!" where the first words that Matt, Becky and Ethan heard as they exited the Gym. A moment later, a Murkrow flew past with some sort of metal tube in its beak.
"A Murkrow? A Murkrow! I have to catch that bird," Ethan said pulling out Kyle's Pokeball only to remember that he needed to be taken care of at the Pokemon Center.
Then a sailor ran past, only to stop a few feet away and, breathing hard, lean down so his hand rested on his knees. Soon he stood up to his full height, which was taller then Becky, who is at five foot seven inches. He then shook his fist at the retreating bird, that is, until Becky calls out Flyer and a Pidgeotto flies past him to retrieve the stolen whistle.
"Ma'am, is that your Pokemon?" he asked in an accent that none of them could place at the moment. "Because if it is, thank you so much. You see, that cursed bird came swooping out of nowhere and took my ship's whistle. Without it we can't perform necessary duties on board." He then laughed, "of course, no one is sailing since it's Friday, and that bird had made its nest in our crow's nest. Nasty things like these are going to jinx us to a watery grave."
"Murkrow are not bad luck. It is all just a superstition, just like how Lugia is supposed to protect sailors and their vessels during stormy weather, and it's just a bunch of baloney." That comment made not only the Sailor but also Matt get into Ethan's face and begin shouting at him.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT LUGIA? HE IS THE SEA'S GREAT GURDIAN!" This made Ethan sweatdrop as he stared at two people, both red in the face breathing very hard to control their temper. Matt was also trying to keep anything Ninetales related fromg surfacing.
"Ethan, I thought you should have known this from my story about ship lore as well as sailor lore," Matt said in a more calm voice.
"Well, sorry if I tuned it out. I just got sick and tired of hearing about this and that on how ships worked or what days are good to sail on or not."
The sailor looked at Matt with a critical eye. "You're a landlubber. Think you know about ship lore? Well then, why do us sailors keep Meowths on board?"
"Because they first serve a practical use by eating the Rattata on board so they won't get into the food supplies, but also it was believed that they controlled stormy weather due to the crackle you get when petting them. So they were brought on board in hope of favorable weather," Matt said as if reciting form memory some tidbits that he had picked up from places.
"Okay, why is it that we don't bring umbrellas on board?" the sailor asked, again eyeing him like a Gyarados eyeing its prey.
"Because it is said that the person with an umbrella is expecting stormy weather and sailors of old, when using wooden sailing vessels, feared storms because they could sink in a lot more ways than today," Matt countered back, smiling before pointing to the sky. "Also, it looks like Flyer is back from retrieving your whistle." The sailor turned around and, whooping with joy, he reached out his hand and the whistle was dropped into it. A moment later Flyer is attacked with Haze from the Murkrow, who then pecked him.
Flyer, after shaking off the effects of Haze, shot off a Quick Attack. The Murkrow then loses his air and falls to the ground. A second later it disappeared into a beam of red light and then into a Pokeball. It shook once, twice, three times, then it dinged and Ethan jumped up and down for joy. "My second Dark-type has been captured, yippee." He then, after taking the Pokeball, began to jump around, having let Eve out. Eve began to jump on Ethan, trying to get a good sniff at their new partner.
The other three just stared at Ethan's antics and the sailor broke the silence, "So that kid is beginning a Dark-type team?" Matt just nodded his head, still dumbfounded that Ethan had captured that bird and, for one quick second, wondered if he was meant to catch it, but he just as quickly brushed it off.
"Well, just make sure he keeps an eye on that bird, because some of us aren't too prone to treat any Murkrow with respect. I wouldn't like a Murkrow on my ship." the sailor said. He then turned around and walked back to the dock.
"Well, now that you have caught that Murkrow, hand him over, along with all your other Pokemon," Garth said, stepping out from an alleyway near the gym.
"Yeah, and also hand yourselves in. We still have our boss' offer of becoming executives," Violet said, holding a bundle of rope.
"Well, give your boss our answer, Matt, Firestorm, and Flare. Fire Spin attack now!" Matt ordered, throwing Flare's Pokeball out and then all three shot out their own Fire Spin, which combined into one and sent them flying.
"How do they always find us anyway? I mean, we got lost in Mount Moon and still they found us. This is getting on my nerves," Ethan said looking to where they had disappeared into the noonday sky.
(Two Hours later Pokemon Center)
"Your Pokemon are fighting fit. We hope to see you again," the Nurse Joy said as she nodded to Ethan as he picked up three Pokeballs, one being empty because of a Charmander, which was walking around to face Ethan. He gave him a slight salute with his clawed paw, and then walked to his Ethan's right side.
At that moment Matt's PokeNav phone went off. Matt, startled by the sound, quickly recovered and picked it up. "Hello?" Matt asked into his phone.
"Matt, where are you? There has been something bad happening at home, and we need you back." Mr. Vixen's voice sounded frantic, and the background sounded like he was at someplace busy.
"Dad, what's going on? Is everything okay? I'm at the Pokemon Center in Vermillion." Matt was also nervous because dad never sounded this worried or scared.
"Vermillion, but how did you get there? Never mind that for now its mom. She was attacked by Team Rocket, and if Truth hadn't shown up when he did I have no idea what would have happen… I've got to go, the doctor's here. I'll be sending Kite for you." There was a click, and the link was cut, leaving nothing behind.
Yeah dad, thanks for reminding me never to anger a Team Rocket's Alakazam, sure it saved us from one of Violet's traps but still that just had to land us in another city, this is really getting annoying, come on I'm not suppose to be hopping all over the place. Matt's silent mood was broken at that moment by Becky, sorrow and concern in her voice
"Matt, I'm sorry, I…" her voice then turns a shade to angry, "Why are they are so adamant about having us join them, anyway? It's just not fair," Becky burst out the last sentence as she slammed her fist against the counter in front of Nurse Joy. Amazingly, Joy didn't jump or flinch, instead just beaming at Becky with a look that said conveyed no worry. "Nothing's wrong, Nurse Joy, nothing but an accident back home. It seems, Matt, that so far we are two years and two times interrupted with our journey."
At this time Kite teleported into the Pokemon Center and, seeing the three, he teleported them out of there.
(Vixen Home, one day later)
"Now, Mom, the soup will be ready in about a minute, so just relax and just let Stripes and Sir Thief sweep today," Matt yelled from the stove into the living room. Then he nearly burst out laughing at the sight those two make as they sweep up the floor, and every once in a while Sir Thief grabbed a piece of food and ate it.
"Now, Mom, here you go. Please stay off your feet. Doctor still says that you can't be on your feet. Now, before you ask, Dad and Becky are shopping and Ethan is training in the meadow." Matt had by now come into the room with two bowls of soup, placing Moms in front of her; she was sitting in a recliner in front of a foldable card table. Matt then sat himself into one of the dinning room chairs that was across from his mom, facing the window, just in case.
"I know, Matt, it's just that I also worry about you out there. I wonder if you are cold, hurt, or in trouble, especially with Rocket crime on the rise… Matt, where are you going?"
Matt, during the conversation, had looked up only to see a figure duck into the bushes that were planted underneath the window. He got up and ran out. Soon Matt and Firestorm followed, running out of the small doggie door that Mr. Vixen had installed while Matt was still holed up during last year's stay.
"Stop right there. I said stop!" Matt yelled after the now-running figure. Suddenly, it stopped and turned around, throwing a strange ball. Matt dodged into the bushes and, as the thing opened up, it looked like some strange solid web. As soon as it wrapped around a branch it sent an electrical pulse through the tree.
"Well, it looks like I scared a stoic Ninetales." The man began to laugh as he slowly advanced towards Matt's position. "You see, we at TR are getting tired of spending our resources trying to capture you. So from now on for every failed attempt we have at capturing you we will randomly strike at someone you know, starting with your mom, but it seems that she already has some wild pokemon as friends. Otherwise, she would have some gorgeous tails." He then just laughed at this own joke, right before he snapped his fingers and a hoard of grunts came out of hiding.
"Now we will give you the count of three, kid," The now-visible Executive said as he began to advance along with the others. "If you don't give in we will attack you and your family. So it's up to you."
(Town Square, Grocery Store, ten minutes ago)
"Becky, did you get the medication for Renard?" Mr. Vixen asked Becky as she came up to him in the checkout lane.
"Yes I did, right in this white bag." She then held up a paper bag with medical and legal info on a separate piece of paper, which was attached by a staple.
"Now, let's get this paid for, shall we?" They both then went through the process of checking out, having their things scanned over.
"Let's head home," Mr. Vixen said as they left the store. They then walked into the Town Square, as anyone needing to go anywhere had to go through the Square.
In the middle was a statue commemorating the two guardians of the town in olden days. It was now just a landmark, having lost its real meaning long ago. The statues were about five hundred years old. The taller one was female and about ten feet tall, stretching out an arm covered in stone fur that ended in a paw gripping a sword. If you looked closely, you could see Ho-oh's face carved into the hilt. She was also draped in the dress of a middleclass maiden. From under the folds of her hem poked nine tails, forever frozen in a lazy bundle behind her. Also, she had no shoes so that you could see her hind paws holding her up. A travel cape billowed behind her, and her head conveyed not only beauty on the outside but also a fighter on the inside, her lips parted in a way that could both mean a growl or a smile, depending on your mood that day.
This was the protector of the village; at her side was a younger person around ten. Standing at five feet, he was a Vulpix hybrid with six tails, dressed in the cloths of an apprentice swordsmith. His attire was complete with an apron with tongs sticking out of a pocket and a dagger. On it was carved a Fire Stone in an outreached paw, and there was a simple hat on his head with a Pidgey feather sticking out from the side.
The writing at the base read thus: "To the lady and son whose foundations we build upon."
It's scary to think that even back then they had ideas of hybrids… I wonder if… nah, it couldn't be, Becky thought as she passed the statue on her way to Matt's home. She had a sudden shock, and with it the realization that time might not be so kindly on their side.
VulpixTrainer: Well, this is of interest…my first chapter of 6 pages, without it being all battle.
Kyle: Well whoop-dee-do. You are way too easily amused by things, do I need to keep saying this? But keep reviewing.