A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I plotted out the entire story twice. After I finished the first time, the logic board on my computer decided that I would be a great time to crap out. Also, I hate writing in Cheren's voice. It's just so slippery and I had trouble finding the proper phrases.

Chapter Four: Cheren

The trail that led to Accumula Town was quiet. I rejected the path and started walking along the back fence of the professor's pokemon lab and ranch. In the far distance, beyond the bordering woods I saw a sliver of dark blue: the Hana Sea.

I passed through the trees and revealed more of the ocean. Mountainous islands hung on the horizon and thin ropes –in fact bridges- connected some of them together.

I released Oshawott and stripped off my outer shirt. I crammed that into my bag and stuffed the bag underneath a bush. I bent some branches over the bush to conceal it better. Thinking a bit, I also stripped off my pants and shoes and sat them on top of my hidden bag. I left my socks on. The autumn air was cool and the water would be even colder.

Oshawott and I waded into the water. I was right, it was cold. Very cold. We had just begun our swim over to the nearest island when I saw a man riding a seismitoad across the sea. I could tell by the red uniform, he was a ranger.

He must have seen me too because he shifted directions and began surfing straight towards me. Oshawott and I swam back the 30 meters to the beach to meet him on dry land.

He was about as old as my father with salt and pepper hair that was more salt than pepper. His face was wrinkled from the sun and hat was slung low on his head. His red ranger's jacket was faded and frayed, but still serviceable. The pants had been patched multiple times and he wore a black squirtleneck under his uniform.

He looked me up and down carefully and then glanced at Oshawott. ""Y'all just leave town?" he asked.

"Yes sir," I answered.

"You might wanna hold off going for a swim, then. 'Specially with a water type as a starter," he said. "Them frillish out there is tough."

"Thank you for the advice sir, but that's what I'm trying to catch," I said. He gave me a look. If all rangers had a look like that, I could see where Hilda had gotten her version.

"Tell ya what," he glanced from side to side along the beach and looked out to sea. No other people in the general vicinity. He pulled a pokeball out from his belt. "This here frillish has been makin a ruckus out in them islets. She could use a good trainer. I was gonna relocate her, but you'll do just fine."

He looked at me again. "You from Nuvema?" he asked.

"Yes sir," I answered. Why would he be asking that? We were barely two kilometers from the town anyway.

"You know the Henderson twins?" When I nodded he continued. "Can ya take these over to them?" He handed me two eggs. "I was heading over to give them to the twins when I got sidetracked by Miss Fussy there." He waved the hand that held the frillish.

He didn't give me a real chance to answer before he tossed me the ball, jumped onto his Seismitoad and headed off again across the sea.

I sighed. Sure, Ranger Whogivesacrap, I would be glad to do your job for you.

I turned to Oshawott, who was busy making a pile of sand on the beach. "I'm not a pidove." I told him. Oshawott looked at me quizzically and then went back to his sand castle.

I wrung out my undershirt and boxers and grabbed my bag from underneath the bush. Oshawott did not want to go back into his pokeball so he went into the bag as well. Only his head stuck out from the bag top giving the impression of a beach ball balanced on the backpack. I got redressed and started back the way I had come.

Halfway back to the main trail, I was literally stopped by a man. He had been looking behind me when He ran right into me. He was wearing a garish orange shirt and a Herdier stood guard next to him. His left boot was smoking and he was glancing around in terror. The man's eyes alit on me and he immediately rushed towards me and helped me stand.

"They're after me!" He cried.

"Who is 'they'?" I asked. This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

The herdier sniffed the air and started growling. "Oh crap," the guy muttered. "They're here."

Two people in gray hoodies and blue jeans rushed into the clearing. "You!" the girl shouted. "Give me that herdier!" The hoodies were emblazoned with a shield. It had a red 'T' and blue 'P' superimposed on a black and white base.

I backed up. I definistly did not want to get into this mess. The man huddled behind me. "You're a trainer, right?" the man asked.

"Yeah, but-"

"HELP ME!" the man interrupted.

A champion cannot refuse a call for help. I flicked the catch on my new frillish's pokeball and released her. I gaped in shock. This frillish, the terror of the outer islets was tiny. The average frillish stood a bit over a meter tall but this one… It would have to stretch to reach a half meter.

My almighty frillish, the one I made this stupid detour for, was crap.

"Who are you?" I asked the troublemakers.

The hooligan on the left, looked up and down me and the frillish. He scoffed and released a watchog.

"We're Team Plasma. Hypnosis."

The world spun and went dark.