I completely forgot that Wes also Snags one of the three middle evolutions of the Johto starters so I snuck that in at the end. The transition might be a bit rough there, but anyhow, enjoy! A lot of drama here. I might be shortening Pokemon battles later or leaving out the non-mandatory ones/ones without Shadow Pokemon altogether unless they play a big role in the plot simply because battles are tremendously difficult to write without some secondary action going on outside of Pokemon attacking each other. I also don't want to take up a ton of space writing about a battle unless it's major to the plot or to fleshing out characters because it takes away attention from the main story!

Chapter Five: The First Snag

"Wes, do you have any Poke balls so that you can Snag the Pokémon from Team Snagem?" asked Rui as they strolled through Phenac City.

Wes was marveling the way the noonday sun caused the waterfalls and water fountains in Phenac City to glitter and sparkle like a swath of innumerable diamonds when Rui asked him. He felt heat rush to his face that had nothing to do with the fact that it was high noon—all the water in this city kept the air relatively cool anyways.

"Well?" asked Rui after he remained silent for a minute. "Do you?"

"…No," Wes muttered. "Didn't bring my stock when I left the hideout."

"Oh, well, that's okay. I suppose we can go look and see if Phenac's Pokémon Mart has any."

"I dunno if they will," replied Wes pessimistically. "Wild Pokémon are rarer than water in Orre, you know."

"Worth a try though," Rui retorted gently. "Let's go."

They made their way down the stairs to the city's main square (it was shaped more like a circle) where an athlete and his Castform continued to run around the main fountain. To the right of the fountain in the direction they were coming from, the Pokémon Mart stood with glittering lights and flashy signs.

"POKÉMON MART"

"WE HAVE ALL YOUR POKÉMON NEEDS AND MORE!"

"LOWER PRICES THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN ORRE!"

"STOCK-EM UP SATURDAYS! ALL HEALING ITEMS HALF-OFF!"

"MOVE-SAVVY MONDAYS! ALL TECHNICAL MACHINES HALF-OFF!"

Wes chuckled at all the signs. "We might have to stop here on a Saturday or a Monday sometime. It's rare to see sales like these."

The doors were automatic and so opened to admit them inside. As soon as they had stepped into the wide, high-ceilinged room, Rui rushed up to the owner of the shop, who stood behind a desk and managed transactions, and asked in a loud voice, "Sir, do you have any Poke balls?"

Wes followed up behind her after looking at the stock of Technical Machines this mart offered. While fairly limited, it was rather respectable, the varieties of moves that they had for sale.

"No, I don't, young lady. Why? There's no wild Pokémon in Orre, so there's no need for any Poke balls. I don't sell things that don't sell, hon," said the man in an apologetic voice. "Sorry for the inconvenience. Might want to check out Outskirt Stand though, that Kiffster used to stock Poke balls before people didn't need to buy them anymore. Perhaps he has some in storage. Poke balls don't wear out with age, you know. They have great shelf-life."

Rui nodded sadly. "Well, thank you sir."

"Outskirt Stand, you say?" asked Wes.

The man nodded and smiled. "Yes, Mr. Kiffster used to sell all sorts of Poke balls. I would recommend you head there. Can I serve you in any other way?"

"No, sir, but thank you for the information. Have a good day," said Wes, bidding him farewell. As they left, Wes said to Rui, "I guess we'll have to head to Outskirt Stand. I know where it is. It's a small café made from an abandoned train engine out in the middle of the desert. It's a good place to stop if you're traveling from somewhere far away and need a break."

"Okay," said Rui. She paused to admire Wes's motorbike. "Wow, this is nice! Wes, can I drive it sometime?"

"No, not now. I might teach you later on," said Wes, although he wasn't sure how serious he was with his last statement. As Espeon and Umbreon hopped into the hovering sidecar, Wes sighed. "No, you two, you'll have to go back into the Poke balls for now. Rui needs to ride in the sidecar.

"Espi esp!" wailed Espeon ("That's not fair!").

Wes found the ignition keys in his bag and started up the motorbike. Rui winced as the engine roared to life and had to cover the ear closest to the main engine, which was what formed the whole front of the motorbike. Wes zoomed off into the desert.

"How long will the ride take?" called Rui above the roar of the motor.

"45 minutes tops," Wes yelled back.

Rui nodded in reply.

They arrived at Outskirt Stands around 12 pm. Wes parked the motorbike next to the ramp that led to the entrance of the small café. "Come on, Rui, let's go inside. It's a little better inside than outside here with the sand whipping all over the place."

Rui nodded, sand in her hair, and followed him into the café.

"Hey, Mr. Kiffster sir!" called Wes, waving to catch the burly man's attention.

"Well if it isn't mister Wes, the young lad who battled Willie a day or two ago. What can I do for you today? Another salad, perhaps? Food for the Pokémon?"

"No, sir, I was wondering if you had any Poke balls."

"Poke balls!" exclaimed Mr. Kiffster. "Well, I'll be! I don' know if I have any on me here, maybe in storage, hold on a mo'." He went into some secret back room behind the counter and came out a few seconds later. "Turns out I had a stock of 'em all in the front shelf o' old merchandise.

"Oh, thank you!" replied Rui, clapping her hands with glee.

"And fer you, young lady," said Mr. Kiffster, winking at Rui, "I'll give ye five fer free…fer starters. Here, take 'em, Wes!"

"Oh, thank you, sir," said Wes, putting them into a compartment in his bag that had been designated for Poke balls. It was an old model as far as backpacks were concerned, the newer brands didn't even have any sort of space dedicated only to Poke balls. "I think I'll buy five more. How much are they each?"

"They're 200 Poke apiece, young man," said Mr. Kiffster.

Wes pulled out a 1,000 Poke bill and gave it to him. Mr. Kiffster handed him five more of the red capsules that were so crucial to holding Pokémon and Wes smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Kiffster. We'll probably be coming back a lot to stock up on these, so as soon as you find, say, Great or Ultra balls, or even other kinds, I'll gladly purchase them."

"Alrighty, I'll start diggin' up my stock," promised Mr. Kiffster. "Check back every now 'n then an' maybe I'll have some new varieties. Don' know what yore usin' 'em for but hey, go ahead, I've got 'em here in Outskirt Stand. Good day!"

Wes and Rui left, and Rui smiled. "So there were Poke balls after all! Wes, let's head back to Phenac City. Maybe we can grab some lunch there. We haven't even had lunch yet!"

"Lunch it is, Rui," promised Wes. He wondered vaguely how many promises he'd have to make to her. He'd make as many as he had to, if that was what it took to earn her forgiveness and trust…and to pay for the debt he felt like he owed her.

By 12:45 pm they had arrived safe and sound back in Phenac. But as Wes parked, the same lady that had helped rescue Rui from the sack only yesterday ran up to them, panting. It was easy to see why she was exhausted, she was wearing extremely high heels and she had run all the way from the hotel.

"It's good you two are back!" she puffed, taking in gulping mouthfuls of air. "Something's wrong in the mayor's house! These two shady guys…another one with this huge afro…went into the mayor's house…causing a ruckus…I think you two should check it out…"

"We're on our way!" said Wes automatically.

The woman nodded and walked back into the city while Wes and Rui ran off in the direction of Mayor Es Cade's house. Wes cracked open the door and immediately had to prevent himself from gagging.

A strange man dressed in all yellow and wearing extremely tall yellow heels was dancing to some strange beat that came from a CD player that a man dressed in blue was holding. Two others stood around him. They were dressed in red and green. By the mayor's desk were the two thugs that had kidnapped Rui—Folly and Trudley. What were they all doing here, and who was that man?

"Oh, the music, the music!" cried the man, striking a pose. Wes's eyes flicked upwards, disgusted at the horrid shades and left awestruck by his hair. The man without his hair might have barely made the six foot mark, but his hair added at least another two feet to his height. In fact, his humongous afro, which was half red and half white, brushed against the ceiling every time he switched dance steps. Wes had to admit that he was one heck of a dancer, but where did that hair come from?

"His hair!" gasped Rui.

"Wonder where Es Cade is," Wes muttered, stepping inside.

At first, the dancing man didn't notice him, but the three, plus Folly and Trudley did. The man in blue nudged the dancing man and he immediately whirled around to face Wes and Rui. "Oh, oh, oh?!" he exclaimed, as if magnificently surprised. "Stop the music!" he ordered, holding out a hand. The CD player as turned off. "Oh, little girl! Aren't you the girl that Folly and Trudley tried to take? Oh, that was a complete fiasco! Oh, oh, oh! And here you are with that Snagger man, Wes, I presume! Oh, oh, oh!"

The three men dressed in the colorful suits smiled. Their eyes were concealed by black sunglasses, and Wes was pretty sure it wasn't because it was sunny outside.

"Administrator Miror B.," the man in red said, "Why don't we leave the two of your peons to deal with the Snagger and the girl?"

This "Miror B." seemed but too happy to agree. "Folly, I'm promoting you to the position of right-under-the-Cipher-administrator. And you better come back to me in Pyrite Town with the little girl! If you don't…oh, oh, oh! The boss will be so mad, so very mad! Cipher…go!" Miror B. and the three colorfully dressed men rushed out of the mayor's house.

"Cipher?" queried Wes. "I've never heard of Cipher."

"And we're not Team Snagem grunts, little guy," said Folly. "We're Miror B. peons, but I just got a promotion, so I'm not a peon anymore, and I'm going to make sure I pulverize you, Wes! Then I'll take Rui…and all shall go well." A cruel smile curved his lips. "Prepare for battle!"

"Challenge accepted," Wes replied in kind.

"Go! Ears and Lily Pad!" roared Folly.

"New Pokémon!" Wes observed, still finding the nicknames to be ludicrous. Ears the Whismur and Lily Pad the Lotad…

"Cipher gave them to boss Miror B., and Miror B. gave them to me," Folly replied smugly. "Ears, go and Pound that Espeon! Lily Pad, shoot the Umbreon with a jet of water! Right, Water Gun!"

"Dodge 'em both, guys!" Wes called. But the words had been unnecessary. Even as he spoke, Espeon and Umbreon leapt into the air. Whismur landed face first onto the carpet and Lotad's spray of water hit the wall. "Okay," said Wes, deciding to change the plans. "Sunny, Stellaluna, listen up! I'm going to leave you two on your own. Don't worry, I'm still watching. But now I'm going to put your battle skills to the test here. Let's see how all our training's paying off! I'm putting you guys off the order leash! Go!"

"Whismur, use Pound again on Umbreon! Lily Pad, Astonish that Espeon!" called Folly futilely.

Just like that, Espeon sprang onto the Lotad, whipping up hearts in the air with a strong Return. She leapt back, dodging an Astonish, which was good because Ghost-type moves didn't agree well with her. Wes smiled as she landed behind the Lotad and froze him in place, his eyes wide with surprise, as Espeon grappled with his mind with a strong Psychic. Her eyes glowed dangerously and the red gem on her forehead seemed to possess the light of the sun as her power flared and finally, the Lotad tipped over to one side. Umbreon, meanwhile, mewled with triumph as she gave the Whismur a good bite and then a bat of the paw with Secret Power, causing the Whismur as well to faint.

"You didn't even give them orders!" cried Folly, covering his face with his hands. "They never had a chance to attack! My poor Pokémon!"

Trudley shoved him roughly aside. "I don't see why boss Miror B. gave you a promotion, you can hardly even command your own Pokémon. Let me show you how a real Pokémon battle goes." His lip curled into a sneer. "Believe me, Wes, I have a surprise for you. You might remember it too."

"Challenge accepted," Wes replied snidely. "Stellaluna and Sunny, prepare for another battle."

"Espi…" scolded Espeon ("You should have taken us to the Pokémon Center.").

"I'm sorry, I forgot. But I'll give you two extra helpings of Poke food. Okay?"

Espeon and Umbreon didn't say anything, now focusing on the two Poke balls that Trudley was flinging through the air.

"Go! Duskull and Spinarak!" Trudley roared.

"How is this a real Pokémon battle?" mocked Wes, letting out a burst of laughter that sounded vaguely like the call of some strange dragon.

"You'll see," Trudley replied, obviously ruffled. "Spinarak, Poison Sting on Espeon! Duskull, use Shadow Ball on Espeon too! Take out that Psychic!"

"Sunny, dodge! Umbreon, bite Duskull! Focus on Duskull for now and take it out of the field. Sunny, if you can, use Psychic on the spider!" Wes retorted.

Espeon managed to avoid the Shadow Ball as it zoomed towards her but leapt into the way of the Poison Sting. Wes gritted his teeth when he saw that Trudley's Pokémon had purposely aimed in two different directions. Even worse, Espeon was now poisoned. Every minute or so, her whole body shuddered and she gave a small mewl of pain as the poison began to whittle away at her energy. "Espi…" ("Wes…help…") she whimpered, stumbling to dodge another Shadow Ball.

"Just use Psychic, quickly. I'm looking for an Antidote right now," promised Wes firmly. "Sunny, I know you can do it. We've trained and you're probably the strongest Espeon in all of Orre!" He knew he was exaggerating, but Espeon needed some moral support. Poison was grueling for any Pokémon to endure. He dug furiously through his bag.

"Wes, don't worry about it, I'm looking," came Rui's anxious voice. She searched through the bag instead, allowing Wes to focus on the battle.

Weak though Espeon was, she managed to fixate Spinarak's mind with a Psychic, beginning a mental assault. Umbreon had Duskull's face in his jaws, having to find a spot where he wouldn't end up biting through the ghost. Duskull was a ghost, after all.

"Bite harder, Stellaluna!" called Wes desperately. "Protect your sister!"

Umbreon pressed Duskull's face into the floor and the flung him so hard that his skull-head smashed into the wall. He fell and was unable to get back up and float in his normal stance.

"Dammit," Trudley swore, recalling Duskull back to the Poke ball.

"I found an Antidote!" called Rui.

"Stellaluna, keep Spinarak busy for me! I need to take care of Sunny!" Umbreon barked in acknowledgement and began to chase the little spider as he scuttled around the carpet. Wes took the Antidote from Rui's shaking hands, checked that it was an Antidote (it was) and summoned Espeon forward. "Come on, Sunny, I have an Antidote. It'll heal your poison."

Shaking and shuddering as the poison worsened, Espeon staggered over. Wes found the site where the poison had infiltrated her body and first, pulled out the sting that Spinarak had fired.

"ESPEON!" Espeon screeched ("THAT HURTS!").

"I'm sorry, Sunny," apologized Wes, his heart thudding. He had removed stingers before from both Espeon and Umbreon, but he was still rather afraid because Espeon had been poisoned for so long. "I just need to spray this onto the sting site, okay? Then your poison will be cured."

Espeon nodded and hunched her shoulder, putting the sting site into greater prominence.

"This might sting, Sunny," warned Wes, spraying the Antidote in generous amounts over Espeon's wound. Espeon flinched and whimpered a bit but otherwise didn't cry out. Gradually the little hole in her shoulder started visibly healing. Wes reached into his bag and easily found a spray bottle that had a Potion. "Here, I'll fix you up some more here too, okay?" He sprayed the Potion over the wound as well and also sprayed it all over her back and sides so that it would suffuse into her bloodstream and reinvigorate her with more energy. "That'll hold you until the Pokémon Center, okay?"

"Espi esp," replied Espeon ("Thanks, Wes."). She quickly delved back into the fray of the battle and without any command, smacked Spinarak with a Return, finishing off what Umbreon had started. Spinarak was already worn out from the chase and from the biting he had received that Espeon's Return caused him to faint.

Trudley grunted with frustration but then said as he recalled Spinarak to the Poke ball, "Don't worry Wes, I've got your little present right here!" He lifted out a Great Ball and Wes felt his face pale. He had once owned Great Balls…for Snagging…

"Go! Makuhita!"

Rui screamed as the Makuhita emerged from the Great Ball. "Wes, it's that Makuhita that killed the boy! It's that weird Pokémon! Wes, Wes, watch out! It's not afraid to attack people! Be careful! Wes, watch out!" she screamed over again until her cries of terror became more and more incoherent.

"Rui!" gasped Wes, running towards her and trusting that Espeon and Umbreon would keep Makuhita busy. "Don't faint him, guys, okay?" he called back as he grabbed her arm to steady her. "Rui, are you okay?"

"Its heart…" she gasped, shaking all over. "Its heart…so…dark…full of…evil…Wes, it'll attack you…!" She collapsed onto the ground on her knees, head down. "I'm sorry…it's just hard…to stay awake…his emotions are strong, Wes. Hate…anger…but I don't know…who he's directing all that feeling to…perhaps it's to…Trudley…you have to…Snag it…" She looked up, eyes wide. Sweat beaded down her forehead. "I'm sorry, Wes…but his heart…I can't help it…I can feel it…it…hurts…" Her right hand, Wes noticed, was pressed against her chest, right above her heart. She looked back down, taking deep, gulping breaths, and forced herself to stand again. "I'll be okay. Knowing that you can Snag him and give him a better life…save him…I feel better now. Go, Wes." She leaned against the bookshelf as Wes returned his attention to the Makuhita.

Even without any of the special (and mysterious) ability that Rui had, Wes could tell that something was up with the Makuhita. His expression was far fiercer than normal, and when his not-exactly-open-eyes fell upon Wes, Wes felt his blood run cold.

"Makuhita, Shadow Rush!" commanded Trudley.

"UMBRI!" cried Umbreon ("OUCH!").

"Stellaluna!" Wes called, his anxiety mounting. "Retaliate with Bite! Quickly! Sunny, set up a Reflect to protect you both! That Makuhita's strong and you need to be careful. No, Sunny, don't use Psychic, just set up Reflect and focus on trying to dodge Makuhita's attacks."

Espeon nodded and began focusing her mental power into setting up a barrier that would increase both of their defenses so that Makuhita's assault wouldn't hit so hard.

"Stellaluna, keep on using Bite!" called Wes.

Umbreon leapt at Makuhita and gave him a quick nip before leaping away to avoid a "Shadow Rush". What was Shadow Rush? Wes had never heard of that attack before. Was it some move that this mysterious "Cipher" had come up with that was the strongest move in Orre? Wes hoped not. He whipped out a Poke ball from his bag and plugged it into the Snag Machine. It disappeared into it and reappeared right in his hand.

"Snag ball, go!" he yelled, flinging it with his well-practiced aim and whirling around in a circle as he did. He landed, leaning forward in a stance that made him look like he was ready to pounce, his eyes intent on the progress of the Snag ball. From the Snag ball, rays of light extended that looked like looming claws. They snatched Makuhita and the Snag ball landed right in the middle between Wes and Trudley. Wes watched as the Snag ball wriggled back and forth as Makuhita struggled, hoping that it was a successful Snag…

"Dammit!" Wes hissed as Makuhita broke out.

"Go on, Shadow Rush," crooned Trudley as Wes was reaching into his bag again. "Shadow Rush…Wes."

Wes whipped his head around and his heart skipped a beat. Makuhita was readying an assault…onto him. He immediately stood, all thoughts of Snagging forgotten, and just as his defensive instincts that had been nailed into him by Gonzap and the rest of Team Snagem kicked in, he suddenly saw red.

His head felt like it was on fire, splitting in half. He cried out at the sudden onset of the headache—that was most certainly and understatement—and felt like shouting "FUCK!" at the pure unfairness of it all. A pain spell…at a time like this?

He fell onto the ground, pressing the side of his head against the carpet, wishing that the pain could end…the awful, awful pain…

"WES, HE'S GOING TO ATTACK YOU! WES! WES!" Rui screamed, although she was unable to move, and now both her hands gripped her chest with such a force that she looked ready to rip her heart from herself and throw it out the window.

"ESPEON!"

"UMBREON!"

Espeon and Umbreon ran towards Wes as fast as they could, their shrill howls of fear the only sounds that processed correctly in Wes's mind, which by now was spiraling into darkness.

Then he heard two identical wails of pain as he barely made out through his blurring, reddening vision a Makuhita flinging two cat-like forms away against the desk. They didn't get up.

The next thing he saw was a Makuhita rearing to attack him full force…

And then more crushing pain, this time centered around his chest and stomach. He yelled again, curling into a fetal position, gasping for breath.

"Makuhita, STOP!"

Who was it that screamed now?

Rui kicked Makuhita away from Wes and stood protectively in front of him. "Don't touch him," she breathed. She bent down and quickly as she could, ripped the Snag Machine off of Wes's shoulder and managed to slam it onto her own, wincing as the metal dug into her skin through her clothes. No wonder Wes wore that thick jacket. As she shoved the last part of the contraption on her hand, she saw that Makuhita stood, waiting for her to say something next. She was surprised.

"Makuhita, come on, kill her too!" cried Trudley.

Makuhita ignored her orders.

"Makuhita," she said as gently as she could. "I'm going to save you."

"Maku-hita!" growled Makuhita.

Rui was certain that Makuhita hadn't meant to growl, but his heart was completely shut, shut tight by darkness. That was what caused it. Makuhita was now engineered to injure, to kill, to win. But when Makuhita had spoken, she was so sure that he was pleading for release…

She reached into Wes's bag and got out another Poke ball. She had seen Wes operate the Snag Machine only once, but it didn't seem too difficult. She plugged it into the shoulder end, and just like magic, it popped out the hand end into her hand. She almost missed catching it. But she did.

"Okay, Makuhita!" she cried. "Snag ball, go!" She flung it with all her strength at Makuhita, and to her surprise, the rays of light formed that characteristic taloned hand and snatched up Makuhita from the carpet. But this time, when the Snag ball landed on the carpet, hardly a second passed before little balls of light popped out of the button in the middle of the Poke ball and the button itself stopped glowing. Makuhita was caught.

"NO!" screeched Trudley. He walked up to Rui, seething with rage. "But that doesn't matter, I can still grab you ANYWAYS!" He ran towards her and grabbed her by the arm.

It was the same arm that Wes had grabbed, Rui found. She stared at Trudley, a maniac gleam suddenly leaping into her bright blue eyes.

"Truds, I think it'd be best if we left…"

"You shut your pie hole, Folly, I'm not going back to Miror B. and Cipher without taking this stupid hot chick with me!" Trudley roared.

"MAYOR ES CADE!" Rui screamed at the top of her lungs.

"ES CADE ISN'T HERE!" Trudley screamed back, beginning to walk towards the door, dragging a struggling, fighting Rui along.

"No, no, I'm NOT going with you!" Rui gasped, attempting to extricate herself from Trudley's relentless hold.

"Tough luck, hot chick," Trudley sneered back.

Rui stared at Wes, a motionless heap upon the ground, and then she looked hopelessly at Espeon and Umbreon. They, too, were also unconscious.

Or were they?

She looked up at Trudley and the next thing she saw was a flying purple blob fling herself at Trudley's face, scratching at every inch of skin reachable with long claws.

"Sunny!" she cried, taking the opportunity to nail Trudley in the crotch with her knee. "Take THAT!" she said triumphantly as Trudley buckled over, face turning purple with pain.

"Espi esp!" Espeon mewled ("Tend to Wes, I can take care of Trudley and Stell's got Folly!").

Rui looked over at Folly—poor Folly!—and found that Umbreon was standing on top of his chest with him on the floor, wailing as Umbreon bared his teeth in front of Folly's face. Rui didn't find it to be frightening since Umbreon didn't really have large fangs, but she supposed that it was because Umbreon was on her side.

She couldn't waste any more time thinking!

She rushed over to Wes's side and rolled him slowly onto his back to see the extent of his injury and almost gagged. There was a dark crimson stain slowly spreading across his jacket, and large though the area was, Rui found herself mildly surprised that his whole abdomen and chest hadn't been completely crushed in by Makuhita's attack. She felt along his sides and found that three ribs were broken and once again was surprised that his whole rib cage hadn't been completely shattered to pieces. All the same, these injuries were something to be worried about.

Wes suddenly coughed and choked on what Rui found to be his own blood. She rolled Wes onto his side as fast as she could, deciding that putting him on his back wasn't a good idea. The blood then spilled slowly from his mouth and his breaths, while still horribly sharp and shallow, resumed their irregular pattern. Better than no breathing at all, she thought desperately to herself.

"Wes," she whispered. "Wes…?"

Wes's eyes half-opened. "…Rui…" he managed to say. His voice was hardly audible and Rui's heart was now thudding against her chest, threatening to burst out.

"Wes, I'm here. I'm going to get you some medical help…"

"No, it's…okay. Help me…up."

"Wes, no—!"

But Wes cut off Rui's words. "Did you get…Makuhita or something…?"

"Yes, yes I did. I managed to operate the Snag Machine correctly." She took it off and placed it gingerly back on his own left shoulder and then slowly slid his arm through the network of wires and put the hand component around his wrist and over his left hand. "Here, I'll give it back to you now."

"Rui…help me up," said Wes weakly.

"No, Wes, you can't…!"

"Yes…I can…help me…"

Rui sighed. "O-okay, Wes." She took his hand—which caused her heart to skip a beat—and stepped backward and then pulled.

With a grunt of pain, Wes managed to stagger to his feet, but as soon as Rui let go, he stumbled and threatened to take another tumble. Rui rushed up to him and pressed herself against his shoulders to support him. "You—you were about to fall," she stammered, stepping away.

Wes leaned against her shoulder anyways as they walked. He had to walk slightly hunched over due to his ribs. "I'll manage," he said, his voice an exhausted rasp. "When we get to Agate Village, I'll get…help…"

"I thought that Makuhita had completely shattered your rib cage," murmured Rui.

"I can take a lot more than most people," admitted Wes. "But…you know what Team Snagem does…"

Rui nodded.

Espeon and Umbreon followed, guaranteeing them not a moment of silence due to their constantly meows of worry.

"Sunny…Stellaluna…into your Poke balls…" said Wes. He fumbled with two Poke balls in his jacket pocket.

"I'll do it!" cried Rui. She took the Poke balls from his shaking hands and held them to Espeon and Umbreon. "Into your balls, you two," she said. "We're going to pop you into a Healing Machine to make you and Makuhita good as new, okay?"

The two Pokémon nodded obediently as they were converted into pure energy and sucked into their Poke balls.

"Wes, you should go see the hospital downstairs," said Rui, trying to sound as authoritative as she could.

"No, I shouldn't," replied Wes. "Not only are there probably tons of wanted posters up to find me…oh, Rui, don't worry. I'll be fine. Worse has happened." He wasn't exactly lying as he said this, considering how Gonzap had treated him in his younger years. "You don't know Gonzap…do you…?" He gave her a weary smile.

"No, I don't. And I still think you should see the hospital," pressed Rui.

"No…I'll wait out here. Get some fresh air. Besides, I don't think that Mirror B. will let us escape home free. He's probably laid some other trap for us," said Wes, sounding more confident and more like himself. To Rui's surprise, his breathing was also beginning to even out. Was he really healing that fast?

"So I get to take Sunny, Stellaluna, and Makuhita into the Pokémon Center myself?" asked Rui, irritated. "Fine then. But you owe me later."

"I'll take you out to lunch. How about that?" Wes settled himself onto a bench and closed his eyes. "I'll be waiting."

Rui entered the Pokémon Center and approached the lady. For some reason, she was rather nervous. She had never owned a Pokémon of her own that needed to be restored via Healing Machine. She was always able to hold the Pokémon in her arms (Drew coming into mind here) and somehow, she was always able to revitalize them by tenderly stroking their hearts and kissing their foreheads. Perhaps it was an ability she possessed. Like her ability to see and feel those strange Pokémon that liked to use Shadow Rush. Both a blessing and a curse, she thought.

"Hello! How may I help you?"

Rui took the three Poke balls and presented them to the lady. "I need these three to be healed to full health, please," she said shakily.

"Okay! I'll take them for just a few seconds." The lady took the Poke balls and placed them in the first three out of six slots in the Healing Machine. Glowing light suffused them and flashed three times. Then the machine beeped a curious little tune and the lady popped them out of the slots. "Here you go, ma'am. Fighting fit!"

"Thank you," said Rui, surprised at how easy it was.

"We hope to see you again!" The lady gave a curt bow.

Rui left and saw that Wes had fallen asleep in the one minute she had taken to heal his Pokémon. With a groan she took him by the shoulders and shook him lightly. "Wes, wake up!"

"Oh, Rui! I was just getting to finishing my beauty sleep!" Wes joked. "I'm feeling much better now. How are the Pokémon?"

"They're doing fine. Makuhita seems to be a lot calmer now that he's in better hands," said Rui. "I wonder what we should call him once he's back to his usual self. I think we should call him Matt!"

"Matt it will be if he'll accept a nickname," said Wes, getting up.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine."

Rui instinctively pressed a hand on his chest, feeling his rib cage. "Just inspecting, Wes," she said hastily, but he didn't seem alarmed. Rui was astonished at what she felt. The bones were already beginning to mend themselves. Likely it'd take a few days…but still, only a few minutes and this was what had happened!

"How do you heal so fast?" she breathed.

"I'll bet it's Gonzap. If you're around him long enough, your body learns to heal fast, or else something will always be broken," Wes joked lightly. "But honestly, I don't know. I've always been this way. I'm a lot more resilient in the desert too. Perhaps that's just the way I am. I did leave my house before I was even ten years old…humans learn to adapt."

As Wes mounted the motorbike and started it up and Rui got into the sidecar, Wes said in a quiet voice, "Rui, I'm glad to have you with me."

Rui wondered if he had meant to say it to himself and then decided to reply. "I feel the same way." She looked up at him and smiled. "If you hadn't rescued me, then I probably would be in the hands of Gonzap right now…and…from what you've told me about him, I wouldn't be too happy."

"You wouldn't," Wes agreed. "I feel like this was meant…to happen." He shook his head quickly and turned in the direction of Agate Village. "So, let's go?"

"Stop right there!"

Wes looked behind him and saw a man dressed in red step towards him, tossing a few Poke balls in his hands. "I'm Rosso. I snuck up on you from behind. Never even aware that I was here, were you? I'm not one of Mirror B.'s best underlings for nothing! Now, you're not ever going to leave Phenac City. Unless you can beat me!"

Wes was immediately grateful for their Pokémon Center detour. With great effort he stood and held up the Poke balls containing Espeon and Umbreon. "All right then," he said quietly.

"How can you win if you can't stand?" simpered Rosso. "I almost feel like going easy on you! But that'd be too nice of me." He flung a Poke ball. "Go, Grimer! Go, Spoink!"

"Your Pokémon make it seem like you're going easy on me," taunted Wes. "Sunny, go use Confusion on Grimer! Stellaluna, Bite Spoink down and then smack him hard with a Secret Power!"

The two cats leapt in unison, their graceful forms arcing through the air. Spoink bounced, terrified, in Rosso's direction, but a stiff kick sent the poor little pig flying back into the battlefield.

"That's not a nice thing to do!" cried Rui. "You just wait! If only I had my own Pokémon with me, I'd send them on you!"

"Shut up, hot chick," Rosso growled back. "Your voice is making me want to go over there and tear off your clothes. If you speak to me again, I just might give in. You'd give me the best night ever!"

Wes tensed. His vision was beginning to swim. Rage flooded his veins and he gritted his teeth. Rosso was already walking threateningly towards her. He probably had just made an empty threat, but still…

"Rosso, you stop right there!" he shouted, meeting him in the middle and standing in front of Rui protectively. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her."

"Who says?" Rosso sneered. "You? You, with your injuries? Do you want me to make them worse?"

"Just try," Wes hissed. A more feral side was being exposed…a wild, bestial side…

Rosso attempted to shove past him, only to feel a punch connect directly with his nose. At the same time, Spoink and Grimer fainted and Espeon's and Umbreon's caterwauling cries of victory filled the air.

"Your Pokémon are down, Rosso. Let's see you try now," Wes said in a dangerously soft voice. His hand shot up to Rosso's neck and began to squeeze.

"All right all right!" Rosso cried helplessly. "I'm sorry! I'll…finish the battle!"

Wes let him go.

"But just you wait. My last Pokémon isn't anything you'd want to trifle with! Ha-ha-ha." Rosso chuckled some more to himself and then yelled, "Go, Quilava! Wipe them off the floor!"

"Gwarrrraaaaaw!" roared the Quilava, its fur turning into bright flames as it landed in the battlefield.

"Wes…that's a…Shadow Pokémon…" Rui murmured. Her legs crumpled and she fainted.

"Two Shadow Pokémon in one day too tough for the chick, eh? Looks like you've got yourself quite a burden," said Rosso.

"Shut up," Wes snapped. "Espeon, use Return! Umbreon, use Bite!" He wrenched a Poke ball out of his bag and prepared it for a Snag. As Espeon and Umbreon leapt back and avoided a Shadow Rush, Wes flung the Poke ball. "Snag ball, go!"

The white hand emerged from the Snag ball and encased Quilava within it. With a clatter, the shivering Poke ball fell onto the ground. Wes and Rosso watched it carefully.

One click…

Two clicks…

Three clicks…

"Yes!" cried Wes. "Now, Rosso, you might want to get out of here along with your other henchmen. Or I'll do it for you." The pain was getting to him again, now that the heat of the battle had worn off. But he would make it. He would make it.

Rosso stared, defeated, at Wes. "Who are you?" he said desperately. Then, without waiting for a reply, he dashed off to Phenac's east gate, where he had come from.

"Loser cunt," Wes snarled to himself.

"Espi!" growled Espeon ("Watch your language!").

"Sorry," Wes grunted.

Rui was awakening again. "Did you succeed…?" she asked groggily.

Wes helped her up and nodded. "I succeeded just fine. Are you okay? We're heating to Agate Village now."