Hello! I haven't had much time, but I managed to squeeze a chapter into my schedule. So please, relax, enjoy, and remember, I don't own Pokémon.


Pickle and Quin slowly walked back towards Barbecute's cave, an odd tension between the two of them. As Quin reached the cave entrance, the sun illuminated her mother's face as she rushed forward and crushed her daughter in a hug.

"Dear Arceus, we were so worried! We thought a wild Pokémon had taken you!"

Daniel strode forward, a mix of worry and anger clearly showing on his creamy face.

"Where were you two?" he asked, his back heating up a few degrees in his obvious suspicion. Pickle looked at the male Typhlosion coolly, no fear in his charcoal eyes.

"A better question would be how you two didn't think to ask your friends if they had seen your daughter." The Pikachu replied. Daniel growled, small flickering flames beginning to appear as his anger grew.

His teeth clenched, the Erupton Pokémon stepped closer. "We asked Pod."

Pickle strode forward, almost daring Daniel to attack. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"Because we thought that you were responsible enough to bring her home immeadietly! We trusted you!" Daniel roared, his back in full flame as he released a Flamethrower at Pickle in rage, but the tiny Pokémon nimbly dodged the attack and raced around Daniel in a blinding white circle.

The Quick Attack confused Daniel for a moment, but not for long. He slammed his arms down, and an Earthquake shattered the rocky terrain outside the cave, knocking Pickle off his feet. The Pikachu fell down behind Daniel, but speedily got up and released a Thunderbolt at Daniel, electrocuting the larger Pokémon.

Pickle's attack stopped abruptly, his nose wiggling and his ears twitching. "Everyone in the cave. Now." he said, a serious tone replacing his usual easygoing one.

"Why? Giving up?" Daniel snorted, a smirk on his face as he stood ready in his battle position.

Pickle's cheeks sparked, a snarl escaping his lips. "No, I never give up. We have a bigger problem right now."

"What?" Barbecute asked, her voice soft as she held Quin to her chest, hiding the battle scene from her daughter.

Pickle's voice cracked as her tried to speak. He took in a deep breath as he turned around to face his friend. "Humans. In the forest."

As Pickle finished the sentence, the Viridian Forest seemed to quiet.

There were people in the forest.


Twist lived in a hole in a Rawst Berry tree. Rawst trees were large and thick with many natural, hollow holes throughout the tree, and many Pokémon loved to nest in the roomy spaces. Most trees had about five, but sometimes there were six. Twist lived in one of those trees with six, and she was in the bottom hole, between the roots. For a Pikachu, the ground floor was perfect, and she had lined it with soft grasses and leaves.

Today seemed like a peaceful day. It was peaceful for a while, until a baby Pidgey above her started whining for food. And that woke another one, and she started to cry, who woke the third Pidgey. Twist thought her ears were going to burst, so she crawled out of the hole she called home.

That would be the worst decision of her life.


Pickle was curled up at the entrance to the cave, listening for footsteps. Daniel was holding Quin, and Barbecute had closed her eyes to try and hold in her tears. She couldn't stand losing anyone from her family.

"So Pickle, do you hear anything?" Quin asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper. The Pikachu shook his head. His words were lodged in his throat.

"Mom?" Quin asked.

"Yes dear?" Barbecute said, her mind imagining the fates of her friends and family if they were found.

"Are we going to be okay?"

Barbecute nodded, not being able to say the lie out loud.


Twist wandered the immense forest. She knew it like the back of her paw.

Why is it so quiet? The forest is usually busy with life, but now it feels like someone died.

"Free!"

Twist turned her head at the sound. It was a Butterfree, and it must have been injured. Twitching and turning her ears, she raced to her right, through a Durin Berry bush to see a terrible sight.

A Houndoom was growling and snapping at a Butterfree, who was barely able to stay aloft.

She looks so young too, the Pikachu thought as Butterfree released a weak Stun Spore at her opponent, but Houndoom easily avoided the attack, and released a Flamethrower at Butterfree. She fell to the ground, a Burn sapping her remaining strength. Twist was too stunned to move, let alone attack.

A tall man came forward. He was dressed in camouflage, and he threw a round thing at the young Butterfree, and it pulled her in with a red beam of light. Shaking, the Pokéball stopped moving in less than a minute, and was still.

Houndoom sniffed at the ground, and barked at his trainer.

"You smell something, boy?" the man asked, and Houndoom nodded.

He's going to take some other Pokémon? What a mean guy!

She stopped suddenly. The trainer's words dawned on her.

Run.


Pickle stood up, his nose twitching.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, holding Quin closer. "People?"

"Yes. A man, a Houndoom and-"

"Pickle?" Barbecute whispered, her voice shaking. "What else?"

"Twist."

"You mean your girlfriend?" Quin asked, a tiny grin on her face. Daniel and Barbecute glanced at her, then stared at Pickle.

Pickle nodded. Barbecute stood up. "Daniel, stay here with Quin."

"Barbe-" he started, but the look on her face stopped him.

Barbecute looked at Pickle. "Let's go."


Adrenaline rushing through her veins, the Pikachu ran through the bushes, her Agility wearing off. Twist tripped on a tree root and crashed onto the ground. The sky shook as rain began poring, soaking her skin in water. The grass grew slippery, and she heard thunder shake the sky.

A bolt of lightning flashed, and she saw Pickle and his Typhlosion friend come out from the darkness. Pickle ran over to Twist, and Barbecute roared a challenge out.

A Houndoom emerged from the bushes, growling fiercely. His trainer came behind him,amazed at the sight. "Typhlosion are rare. I think I'll catch it too. Houndoom, use Crunch!"

The Houndoom raced forward, his teeth glowing. Barbecute held her hands together calmly, and a sphere of energy grew in her palms. She threw the Focus Blast at Houndoom, and he yelped in surprise and pain.

"Flamethrower!" the man called out. Houndoom released a stream of fire at the wild Typhlosion, who countered with her own.

Meanwhile, Pickle and Twist were trying to escape into the forest. He and Barbecute planned it all out. Twist hobbled along, pain flashing on her face briefly.

"I think my ankle is twisted." she whispered. Pickle nodded. "It's okay. Stay here in the bushes and Barbe can carry you back to her cave and help fix it."

Twist nodded, and Pickle ran to help his best friend.

Barbecute wasn't doing well. The rain ruined her strongest fire attack, so she was stuck with Flamethrower, Focus Blast and in an emergency, Rock Climb.

Pickle suddenly appeared at her side, his face full of rage. His cheeks sparking, he jumped high into the air and released his most powerful attack.

A wicked lightning bolt dropped down from the stormy clouds and struck the first thing it could find, which was Tree the Oran Berry tree. Any remaining energy from the bolt was released into the air, shocking everyone within five metres of the tree.

Houndoom collapsed, and Barbecute was on the verge of following him. Her eyes filled with pain, she knew that today was going to be bad as the dangers unfolded.

The Oran Berry tree was on fire, but that fire was spreading to the surrounding trees, illuminating the forest in a raging orange fire. Barbecute could only stare as her home began to be consumed by one of her favourite things: fire.


Thanks for reading my new chapter, and I hope you loved the cliffhanger as much as I did!

Always writing, Ty8