True Dedication

Chapter 4

Author's note: Long time, no update. O.o; I should really work more at this. I'm sorry about my updating, but I ran out of inspiration... Oh yes, and the reason Meganium's speech looks normal is because she's speaking to Char-Char in their own language.

Meganium opened her eyes and blinked. What had happened? Had Damian actually come to see her and Char-Char, or was she imagining it? No... She swore she had seen him here earlier. Char-Char was snoring loudly.

She had half a mind to get him back for setting her neck flower on fire, and so, lifting up a huge paw, stomped VERY hard on the small Charmander's tail.

"YOW! What was that for, you witch...?" the small orange lizard hissed at her.

"Earlier," she replied, smirking. He looked blankly at her, and she sighed in defeat.

"Never mind." Char-Char climbed up onto her back and looked around. "Hey, where'd Damien go?"

"AS IF I KNOW!" Meganium rolled her eyes. "All I know is he isn't here any more."

"What if something's happened to him?" Char-Char whimpered. For all of the brave acts he put on, the Charmander hated being alone more than anything.

"No clue. You think we should ask around? I mean, um, if Damien IS in danger, well..." Meganium sweated and pawed the ground.

"Ahahaha!" Char-Char crowed. "You're worried about him too!"

"Oh yeah? So what? Is it a crime to worry about your Trainer?" she growled, lifting her paw.

"I never said that," gabbled Char-Char anxiously, "Just saying, um, y'know..."

"That we should get going and you should shut up?" Meganium narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Yeah, that was it," he said sheepishly, turning away and making for the door.

"I thought so," Meganium said, pushing the door out of the way with her head. The two Pokémon walked slowly down the corridor, sneaking past people and Trainers. The only other Pokémon in the corridor were Typhlosion and Zapp, Seth's Jolteon.

"Hey, you two." Meganium smiled sweetly at the two of them. Zapp smiled back.

"Problem, Meganium?"

"Damien's gone... we have NO idea where he is."

"Gone, hm?" Zapp asked, smirking. "Well, that IS a problem, but perhaps if you stayed with me and Typhlosion we could work something out."

"Do I look insane?" the green dinosaur-like Pokémon snorted.

Zapp wore an expression of fake shock. "Was that the impression I gave, my dear?"

Meganium rolled her eyes. "I think Char-Char and I can do this ourselves."

"Whatever you say." Zapp said. "Although I think you SHOULD accept our help."

"I don't need a handicap." Meganium spat, tears forming in her eyes. "If Damien's in danger, it's my fault if he dies! I-if he dies... what's going to happen to me...? And he's my Trainer! I'm supposed to be loyal..."

"Loyal?" Zapp yelled, with equal fury. "Sacrificing your own life isn't loyalty, it's full-on stupidity! Damien wants you and Char-Char to be safe! Dying and disobeying his orders won't help a bit!" Meganium gulped, and lowered her head in shame.

"... You... You're right, Zapp... It's just, I'm afraid that... something bad could happen to him..."

"Don't worry," the Jolteon said, sympathetically. "Everyone feels that way about their Trainer." Typhlosion snorted. "Well, him too. He just doesn't like to say so."

Meganium blinked. "Well, anyway, Char-Char and I-"

"Wait one minute." Zapp stared. "Do you even know where he is?"

"Um, well..." Meganium began.

"Let's work out a plan..." the Jolteon sat down.

Elsewhere, Damien was in a cold grey room with no idea of where he was. "Wha?" he mumbled. The scientists were talking to each other in a language he couldn't understand. Wait, was it... English? Yes, yes, listening to it again, he could pick out a few words like "train" and "agility", but his mind spun when he tried to think what the rest meant.

"Alright, Flareon," Dr. Ein smirked. "Let's see if you can clear this obstacle course."

"Um, okay." Damien whispered. Even though Dr. Ein didn't know what Damien was saying, he obviously took it for a yes as he was nodding and muttering to himself.

"Course start!" Dr. Zwei yelled, pressing a button on the wall. Water Pokemon appeared all over the place, the type Damien (as a Flareon) was weak to.

A Squirtle leaped towards him, with its head ducked down.

"Skull Bash?" Damien thought. "Okay, I better do something!" Breathing an Ember attack at the creature, Damien ran on. Squirtle was stunned and knocked away.

Dashing through the course, Damien gave as good as he got. A Wartortle had smacked him with Skull Bash and injured his leg, but Damien had limped on towards the end as fast as he could, dragging himself through a patch of thorns.

"Alright, stop the test," Dr. Ein finally said, lifting the injured Flareon into his arms. "I think our subject has suffered enough for today."

"Okay then." Dr Zwei hit the button again and the Water-type creatures disappeared. "Let's take him back to the room and give him a while to recover." Dr. Ein nodded and walked off down the corridor towards Damien's room.

"You will be quite handy once we train you up a little, Flareon... All we need is a little while longer."

Damien growled, but tolerated the comment. As soon as the door opened, Dr. Ein dropped Damien, closed the door, and went away again, leaving the confused Pokemon in the room alone.

"Chemicals ready?" Dr. Zwei asked, when Dr. Ein had returned to the lab area.

"Yes, yes, of course." the impatient scientist lifted up a vial marked "STRENGTH CHEMICAL" and another marked "SPEED CHEMICAL" and mixed them together.

"You do, of course, know the effects are only temporary, Dr. Ein?" Zwei asked, curious.

"Of course I do. I just want to see if they work on a human." Dr. Ein snapped.

"Of course," repeated Dr. Zwei, mockingly.

Author's Notes: Sorry for not updating for so long! I made this as long as I could to make up for it! D