"Hey, who's that?" Dawn pointed to a man with a Glaceon, who emerged from the underground staircase.
"Dats' the Pokemon Hunter!" Meowth pointed out.
"That's him?" Ash asked. He turned to his shoulder, where Pikachu perched. "You ready?"
"Yeah!" Pikachu said as he hopped onto the ground with electricity flowing through his cheeks, ready to shock.
"Piplup, help Pikachu out!" Dawn said to Piplup, who nodded and hopped out of Dawn's arms, landing next to Pikachu.
"Glaceon, use Mist." The Pokemon Hunter commanded. Glaceon seemed to hesitate a bit, almost like she was stirred out of a thought, nodded and started to freeze the air around her, causing mist to shadow her and the Pokemon Hunter.
"He's getting away!" Emily said as the Mist attack enveloped her, Team Rocket and Ash and the others. Their vision was blurred by the Mist attack, allowing the Pokemon Hunter to make his escape.
"Come now, Glaceon," The Pokemon Hunter took out another Pokeball, which wasn't Glaceon's, enlarged it and threw it into the air.
"Swellow," The Pokemon Hunter called out as Swellow materialized on the ground and stretched it's wings. He climbed onto Swellow's back and motioned for Glaceon to jump on. Glaceon nodded and jumped on Swellow's back, where the Pokemon Hunter decided to hold onto Glaceon by tucking her underneath his arm.
"Fly, Swellow." Swellow took off on the Pokemon Hunter's command. The three climbed altitude and threatened to escape without an intervention.
"The Mist is clearing," Emily said. As it did, three more figures emerged from the underground staircase.
"Matt!" Emily called out and pointed towards the sky, where the Pokemon Hunter soared. "He's getting away!"
"I know." Professor Maple stated plainly. Emily, Ash, Dawn, and Brock were bewildered at the plainness, the unimportance, in his voice.
"What do you mean you know? Aren't you gonna go after him?" Ash asked.
"Leaf, is Glaceon still outside with the hunter?" Professor Maple asked.
"The Pokemon Hunter carried a Glaceon under his arms as he flew away on his Swellow, is that what you're talking about?" Brock added.
"Dang it... he knew we'd try to go after him," Ryan gritted his teeth. Squirtle still hung onto his shoulder, while Ryan carried Umbreon in his arms.
"Huh? Why does it matter that he had a Glaceon with him?" Dawn asked, not knowing of the events that took place underground, in the ruins.
"You remember... about their mother?" Ryan asked after a small, brief period of silence.
"Your Umbreon and Eevee's? Yeah, what about her?" Ash asked. Dawn seemed to get the message as her eyes widened in shock.
"You mean, Glaceon's their mom?" Ryan nodded and looked down at Umbreon, who was still in shock.
"Then why is she helping the Pokemon Hunter?" Ash asked.
"I... don't know." Ryan answered as he looked at a broken Umbreon in his arms.
"Then Glaceon could've just caught the scent of their mom, and that Glaceon isn't their mom?" Ash suggested. Leaf shook her head.
"No, Eevee took a good whiff of Glaceon's scent... it was their mom, for sure." Leaf answered.
"Okay, but why is their mom helping the Pokemon Hunter, who kidnapped her?" Brock asked, intrigued at the situation.
"I honestly have no idea, but what was so devastating was the fact their mom... didn't even recognize them." Leaf answered for Ryan, who seemed as lost as Umbreon and Eevee.
"What?" Ash realized why the Pokemon Hunter got away. "He used Glaceon as a shield, didn't he?" Leaf and Professor Maple nodded.
"He knew her own kids wouldn't even put a paw up against her if they knew..." Professor Maple said.
"It was probably a trap from the beginning- a planned out escape..." Leaf reasoned.
"How? He didn't know Eevee and Umbreon were even here until they charged at him..." Ryan asked.
"He probably had Glaceon by luck, so he thought about using her when I came in with Venusaur..." Leaf answered.
"A backup plan for escaping..." Ryan plainly said. He looked up into the night sky, lit up by the moonlight. The Pokemon Hunter was seen, flying at a painfully slow speed, as he was still in sight.
"How could you..." Ryan thought as he looked. Umbreon looked up towards the faint shape of the Pokemon Hunter.
"Mom..." Umbreon focused on a twinkle that seemed to be under the Pokemon Hunter's arm. Unknowingly to anyone, Glaceon peered back, catching a glimpse of the broken Umbreon in Ryan's arms.
"Am I really a mother?" Glaceon thought. "I... it's so foggy, yet... why do I feel guilty of leaving that Umbreon and Eevee? My kids?" Glaceon shook the thought.
"There's no way I could be... Hypno said he had saved me as a little kid, near the mountains...and I travelled with him. At least... that's what he said." Glaceon tried to dismiss thoughts of Umbreon and Eevee, but her train of thought wandered back to their despaired faces.
"Why? Probably because they're only kids..." Glaceon turned back forward as the Pokemon Hunter flew, savoring his victory.
"Hey, where's Team Rocket?" Dawn asked as she noticed the disappearance of the trio.
"I don't know, they were here a second ago..." Brock said.
"Anyways, let's get these guys to the Pokemon Center..." Ryan said as he noticed Squirtle wincing in pain on his shoulder. Ryan dug into his pocket and pulled out a Pokeball from his pocket.
"Umbreon, take a good rest, alright?" Ryan said as Umbreon returned to his Pokeball and pocketed it. "Here, Squirtle, I got'cha." Ryan slowly tranferred Squirtle from his shoulder to his arms.
"Leaf, are you flying back to Arrowroot?" Professor Maple asked.
"Yeah, come on out Pidgeot!" Leaf released Pidgeot from it's Pokeball in front of her.
"If that's the case, Brock, could I see those translations?" Professor Maple turned and asked Brock.
"Of course!" Brock handed over the translations.
"Could've sworn I asked you guys to get it back to my Jeep... oh well." Professor Maple shrugged and then turned to Leaf.
"Leaf, could you take the translation back to my lab? Since you'll get there before we do by a few minutes..." Professor Maple asked.
"Yeah," Leaf took the rolled up translation in her hands, tucked it under her arm and climbed onto Pidgeot.
"Coming, Ryan?" Leaf asked.
"Couldn't I ride with Professor Maple and his ground hugging Jeep?" Ryan suggested as he looked at Professor Maple.
"I'd oblige, but the Jeep was stuffed coming here, and you wouldn't fit. Sorry." He said.
"Okay, yeah, I'm going with you then, Leaf." Ryan turned to climb onto Pidgeot's back. He settled behind Leaf with one arm holding Squirtle, and the other wrapped around Leaf's waist for support.
"Let's go, Pidegot! Back to Arrowroot!" Leaf said.
"Got'cha!" Pidgeot nodded as it climbed up into the sky and out of the others sight.
"I think we'd better get going too." Professor Maple suggested. "Come on," He motioned towards the cave passageway and started walking.
"Right!" Ash and the others followed Professor Maple and eventually disappeared from a certain trio's sight from behind a few large rocks.
"I can't believe that hunter had the audacity to use those kids mother like dat..." Meowth said through tears.
"It's so sad, it's making villains like Team Rocket cry!" James said as he covered his face with an arm.
"Hey, didn't we vow to get back at Pokemon Hunters a while ago?" Jessie asked.
"We did, but we didn't know dat hunter was a Pokemon Hunter..." Meowth said, wiping up his tears.
"Well, I say we go after that Pokemon Hunter!" Jessie surprisingly suggested.
"Are you suggesting we become good guys?" James asked.
"No, of course not- we need those tools the hunter used in order to capture that twerp's Pikachu!" Jessie answered.
"Then aye-aye!" Meowth and James agreed.
The ride back on Pidgeot was quiet and rightfully so. I wonder what Leaf and I could've talked about, besides the fact we couldn't stop the Pokemon Hunter. Speaking of which, thinking about him makes my blood boil... . Oops, I made a hole in the paper with the pen.
I wrote that as a note to myself in the journal. It's been about a good half hour after Leaf and I landed back in Arrowroot, and in front of the Pokemon Center. While Leaf went over to Professor Maple's lab to store the recovered translation, I rushed into the Pokemon Center with Squirtle in my arms. Nurse Joy quickly took Squirtle from my arms and asked her Chansey to bring a cart out for him. Squirtle's still over in the Operating Room... I hope he's alright.
Eevee and Umbreon are also being treated by Nurse Joy's staff of Chansey, but I think they'll need more than medicine to get well soon. Speaking of which, I should go check on them- the journal can wait. Now that I look at today's entry, a full three page introduction seems enough.
I got up from the wooden bench next to the Operating Room, leaving my journal on it. Hopefully people have the right sense of mind and leave it alone. I took another look at the light above the Operating Room- it was still lit. My stomach threatened to turn. Was Squirtle in worse shape than I thought? I shook the thought- he was going to be fine!
"Hey, Ryan," I heard someone calling my name, so I turned around- it was that little kid, Daniel.
"Hey Daniel, where've you been?" I asked.
"I fell asleep while you guys were gone," Daniel said as he rubbed his left eye. Come to think of it, he did look groggy.
"I heard about what happened from my big brother- Are they gonna be alright?" Daniel asked me.
"It depends on what you mean, they'll be physically fine, but mentally... it might take a while." I knew which brother sister duo I was referring to.
"I heard Squirtle was being operated on! What happened to Squirtle?" Daniel added to his question.
"He took a nasty hit from a Nidoking's tail and got sent flying into a wall..." I explained.
"He isn't poisoned, is he?" I was puzzled by Daniel's question.
"What do you mean, poisoned? How?" I hoped he was kidding...
"Well, Nidoking have a special ability called 'Poison Point'." Poison Point? I repeated the name in confusion.
"It's an ability that allows Nidoking to poison on physical contact." My stomach plummeted. If Squirtle was poisoned, then the poison had time to spread, since it wasn't like Poison Tail where Brock instantly helped him...
"I- I don't know, Squirtle was clenching his arm after the hit and ever since..." I told Daniel, who answered,
"There might be a chance poison got into Squirtle's arm."
"It would explain the long operating time..." I thought aloud.
"It might take Nurse Joy a while to get the poison out, and there's a chance the poison might linger in Squirtle's body." You had to have been joking. As if there weren't enough problems to deal with...
"How long would it normally take?" I managed to ask Daniel.
"Around a few hours- transferring poison from a pokemon's bloodstream isn't instant magic." Daniel told me. Of course it wasn't magic, I knew that. I just wish it didn't take so long, so my stomach wouldn't stay twisted for long.
"I was about to stay out here until Squirtle came out,"
"That would've been a foolish choice." I looked behind Daniel to see who had came into the conversation. The white bearded professor named Professor Rowan stood there.
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"You wouldn't have been much help, and you would have been doing your back a disservice by falling asleep on that bench." Owch. Professor Rowan definitely hit it where it hurt.
"Anyways, I would like to see you," I was about to follow him, but when I took a step to do so, he finished quickly.
"But after your pokemon are healed." How many times do I have to say it to people- they aren't my pokemon, even if they're marked by Pokeballs now.
"I know they're not your pokemon, but come with them to see me tomorrow." Professor Rowan finished, bid goodnight to us and left through the front door of the Pokemon Center.
"I wonder what he needs you and your pokemon for?" Daniel took the words right out of my mouth as I looked at the operating light above the Operating Room.
"Here we go..." I stepped into my room, set my bag down and took my hat off. I placed my hat on my desk, slipped my shoes off and lay down on my bed. I needed time to think... not like I haven't had time, maybe I had too much time. I took a look over at my yellow bag- not at the bag, but more of who was in it. Maybe it was time to talk to them...
I got back up, slipped my shoes on, went over to my bag and opened it. The Pokeballs of my companions lay in a pocket, which I took with me as I left my room. As I closed the door, I peered around Matt's lab- nothing but moonlight from the windows shone through. A curiosity went through my head.
"I wonder where Matt went?" The door to his room remained slightly open- he'd never leave it open like that if he was in there.
"Maybe Dan knows where he is?" I decided to find out, and went over to Dan's room, which was next to Matt's. I knocked twice.
"Hey, Dan, are you awake?" No answer.
"I guess not. I can just go over to the Pokemon Center and ask Nurse Joy if she's seen Matt..." With that, I walked down the corridor and out of the lab's front doors. Along the way, the mess from the break in earlier still remained- Emily obviously needed to sleep or something, since she'd never leave her desk that messy. I wonder why? She doesn't even leave a speck of dirtiness on her desk... she'd freak out.
The moon shone through the night sky, illuminating it. Occasionally, there were sounds of pokemon echoing through; it sounded like Hoothoot and Murkrow. I walked next door to the Pokemon Center, which took a few minutes. It's technically next door, but it's still a lengthy walk.
"Nurse Joy? Matt? Are you here?" I said as I walked through the Pokemon Center's front doors. The reception desk was empty and the lights were dimmed.
"Leaf!" Someone I didn't expect to see popped out from the right corridor.
"Dan? I thought you were asleep in your room?" Then again, he did have a knack of sneaking out without Matt or me knowing...
"I was, until I woke up and saw Matt." Dan told me.
"You saw Matt?" I asked with a slight raised eyebrow. "Did he say anything about-"
"The Pokemon Hunter? Yeah, he did." Dan finished for me. Little kids these days.
"So, you know what happened with the Eevees' mom and Squirtle..." Dan showed a confused look as I mentioned the mom.
"What about their mom? I only heard about Squirtle's injury!" Matt didn't tell him? I guess there's a reason...
"Well, I think Matt will tell you tomorrow... Speaking of Matt, where is he?"
"After he told me about Squirtle and you guys, and after that, he left with his translation and went to his lab." What?
"He's trying to solve the rest of the hieroglyphs now?" I sometimes wondered how Matt ended up as a professor, as stubborn as he is...
"He needs to sleep, it's almost eleven thirty and he has to teach the class tomorrow, in the early morning!" I knew Dan already knew this.
"I know, that's what I told him, but he said," Dan told me the rest in a falsetto older voice.
"The class can wait! The fate of the world can't! Especially not when there's a chance I can decipher the rest of this now! And then he shut himself in his lab." Sounds like Matt.
"Well, figures. Is he still there?" I asked Dan.
"I don't know, I left after he shut his door. Knowing big brother, he's probably still there." I couldn't argue with that logic. I thanked Dan, and told him he should head back to sleep when he shook his head.
"Not until Squirtle's out of surgery." I stopped.
"Squirtle's still in surgery? How long has he been in there?" I thought Squirtle was out of there a long time ago...
"Squirtle's been in there ever since Ryan came back with Squirtle in his arms." Wasn't that about nearly an hour and a half ago?
"Where's Ryan?" I knew he wouldn't take it too well; new trainers generally don't.
"Well, Professor Rowan came in here and asked for him, Squirtle, Eevee and Umbreon to see him tomorrow morning."
"Really?" Why would Professor Rowan need to see them? Now that I think about it, Eevee and Umbreon... poor souls.
"Yeah! After he left, Ryan said he was gonna go for a walk, considering he couldn't do much here." Dan was probably quoting what Ryan said to him.
"When did he go for a walk?"
"About an hour ago." That's one long walk, especially during the night. "He went towards the forest."
"Really? That's where I was headed."
"Why were you going there, cuz?" Dan has that knack for asking those questions...
"I was going to enjoy the scenery, that's all." Dan knew something was up, and that was a lame excuse.
"Uh huh, I don't think so." I didn't think the excuse was that lame! A grin emerged from Dan's face. "Ha-ha! You wanna tail Ryan, don't you?" I forgot Dan could be annoying like this...
"No... I didn't even know he was there until now!" It was the truth.
"Right, that's what all girls say when they have a crush!" I laughed in my head at his little kid remark.
"A crush? Right..." I rolled my eyes. Kids these days. "I'll see you later, Dan." I walked out the front door, which slid open again after I stepped out.
"And I'll see you lovebirds later!" Kids... they say the darnest things, don't they?
How'd a brief 1st person section feel? I originally decided on using it only for the beginning and end of sagas, but I decided otherwise. Whenever the moment feels right, I'll switch to first person. Look for the next chapter soon, and I mean really soon.