Chapter III:

"Nathan come on! Were lost! We need to back-track for a while until we get to the path!" I groaned in exhaustion. We had been walking for hours, especially after Nathan had seen a Wurmple sliding along the forest floor.

"No way! I need to catch that Wurmple! It may evolve into a Beautifly! Then I can use him in contests!"

"Growl!" Growlithe mumbled from my side.

"What's wrong Growlithe?" I asked my puppy pokemon, frowning.

"Growl! Growlithe Growl!" He yipped anxiously.

"Nathan!" I called. "Growlithe is acting funny! I think something's wrong!"

"What?" The brown haired boy responded worried. He reappeared from the bushes and looked at my puppy pokemon. "What's up little guy?"

Growlithe just whimpered, and I looked around confused. "I don't see-" I grunted in surprise as Nathan's hand fell over my mouth. Turning angrily at him, I stopped when I saw the fear in his eyes.

Silently, he pointed above us, and my eye widened in fear as I saw a nest full of Beedrill.

Nathan grabbed my wrist, and usually I would have blushed at the contact, but instead I trembled, and he nodded to me. We backed up slowly, and I motioned for Growlithe to jump on my shoulder. Grunting at the weight now on my small shoulders, the three of us slowly backed away, and were almost completley free, until Nathan stepped on a twig and it snapped loudly. A Beedrill spun around, and hissed at the sight of us, and without thinking Nathan and I turned to run.

Growlithe jumped off my shoulder and raced along with us, and we sprinted away, hearing the hoard of angry Beedrill chasing. We panted and ran as quick as we could.

"Look Scarlet!" Nathan shouted. "I think I see a clearing!" I looked straight ahead and saw he was right.

"Right. Let's hurry! Come on Growlithe!"

When we burst through the clearing we found ourselves on a grassy hill, on the top of a waterfall.

"Great." Nathan snarled. "Now what? If we go left or right the Beedrill will catch us!"

I paled, and turned to Nathan. "We jump."

Nathan spun around open mouthed at me. "Are you CRAZY?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Growlithe you have to get into you're pokeball."

The puppy whimpered at me and shook his head.

I stared at him in annoyance. "If you don't, you'll be seriously hurt. You're a fire type!" Growlithe shook his head again and raced to the waterfall edge, ready to jump.

I sighed. "At least let me put you on my head. Maybe you will surface first."

"Listen this is really cute and all but we have to GO so hurry this up will you?" Nathan stressed.

I nodded and picked up my fire type and placed him on my head supporting him with both hands.

"Let's go!" I shouted to Nathan, and just as the Beedrill surfaced from the forest, we jumped.

I felt my head rush and I struggled to land in a pencil dive so Growlithe wouldn't feel the splash.

I heard the roar of the waterfall and when we hit the water, I felt the shock of the cold run through me.

I surfaced from the water, gasping for air, and when I looked above me frantically to see if Growlithe was alright, I heard him yip in annoyance and shake his fur. "You all good buddy?" I gasped, stroking his fur, and he yelped in response. "Good. Where's Nathan?"

I looked to see Nathan being pulled by the current in the same direction as us, and he was flailing like a madman. "Nathan!" I shouted to him, and he turned his head to see me, and that's when I saw the panic in his eyes.

Oh great. Nathan's in trouble. "Hold on Growlithe!" I shouted diving forwards to swim closer to Nathan.

Once I was in reaching distance, I grabbed Nathan's wrist and pulled hard towards the shore.

"Nathan!" I yelled. "Call out you're pokemon to grab a branch for us or something!"

This got Nathan's attention. "I have a better idea. Mudkip! I choose you!" I saw the fling of a pokeball and suddenly the mud-fish pokemon appeared.

"Mudkip! Help us ashore!" Nathan gasped, and the tiny pokemon let out a trill and grabbed Nathan's shirt collar in his mouth, pulling hard with me to get us all ashore.

Once we were safely on the riverbank, we stopped to catch our breath.

I looked up to Nathan after a few moments and smiled. "Good thing the pokedex is water proof."

Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. Mudkip uses the sensitive radar receptors on its headfin to determine what's going on around it. In a pinch, it can brandish enough power to crush rocks.

"So is this the pokemon you got from Professor Birch then?" I asked enthusiastically.

Nathan nodded, giving me a small smile. "I haven't really used him much yet, but I think he's going to be a great pokemon and friend. Isn't that right little guy?" He smiled at the water pokemon.

"Mud!" The little pokemon shrieked in response.

I laughed, and as we sat in the sun for a while, drying off, I saw Growlithe's ear twitch. Looking up I frowned. "Please tell me you didn't hear another Beedrill."

Growlithe shook his head and growled at the water.

Curious now, I crept over to the edge of the riverbank, and leaned over, staring into the clear blue water. I saw a dark shape forming underneath, and intrigued, I leaned closer, and closer, until

"Buizel!" A sharp cry came from the water, spitting a stream of bubbles into my face and I screeched, falling backwards, almost crushing Growlithe.

"What the-" Nathan cried, and I leaped to my feet and whipping my head back and forth to see what had just hit me.

Standing on a rock in the flowing river, was a strange orange pokemon with a yellow ring around it's head. It had a narrow face and whiskers, and stood on two legs with his arms crossed.

"Who are you?" I asked in interest, reaching for my pokedex.

Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon. Buizel's collar can be used as a flotation device when inflated. Its head stays above water when floating.

"Hey I have heard of them! I think you're Dad has a Floatzel!" Nathan grinned.

I smirked and turned to the weasel pokemon. "I'm going to catch ya!"

"Go Growlithe!" I shouted and my puppy pokemon howled and leaped to his feet.

Nathan seemed unsure. "Are you sure you want to fight? Growlithe is a fire type, Buizel is a water type. That's a disaster waiting to happen."

I waved my hand away. "Big deal. Type isn't everything."

Buizel surprised me by leaping forwards and high into the air, and his mouth began to glow, causing my eyes to widen. "Growlithe get out of the way!"

Just as Buizel released his attack, Growlithe managed to side step, and the attack missed.

"Alright! Growlithe use bite!"

The puppy pokemon sprang into the air and connected his teeth with Buizel's leg, and Buizel cried out, ripping away from Growlithe's attack and he did a back-flip, neatly landing on his feet on another rock in the river.

I growled in frustration and nodded to Growlithe, who was panting.

"Use roar!"

Growlithe let out another thunderous roar, causing Buizel to cry out and dive into the water.

Growlithe stood straight up, bristling but ready to go.

"Keep you're eyes peeled Growlithe. Buizel could appear at any moment."

Nathan was watching the fight, and interested look on his face, but before I could question him, I heard a loud splash as Buizel leaped out of the water.

"Bui...ZEL!" He screeched, and a powerful jet of water shot towards Growlithe.

My eyes widened "Move Growlithe!" I shouted, but it was to late. The jet hit Growlithe full on, and he howled and was thrown backwards.

"Growlithe!" I gasped.

Growlithe snarled from his position on the ground and struggled to get up.

"Come on Growlithe! You can do it!" I urged.

Growling, the fire type pulled himself to his feet, breathing heavily, but otherwise okay.

"Awesome Growlithe!" I cheered.

I turned to Buizel, who was sitting on one of the rocks again, looking mildly impressed. I smirked.

"Growlithe, jump onto one of the rocks!"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Buizels got an advantage over there."

I nodded. "I'm sure."

Growlithe jumped onto one of the rocks, and snarled. Buizel seemed to be laughing as he jumped up, preparing another water blast.

"Now Growlithe! Jump above Buizel!" I screeched.

Just as the water type pulled down for the move, Gowlithe leaped, reaching just above Buizel.

"Use bite!" I shouted, and Growlithe grabbed Buizel's yellow float and pushed downwards towards the rock.

Hearing a loud crash, I looked over in worry, only to relax as I saw Growlithe standing on another rock, in a ready position, and Buizel lying on the rock, defeated.

"Now's you're chance Scarlet!" Nathan shouted. "Throw a pokeball!"

"Right!" I nodded, and reached to my belt for a pokeball.

"Go! Pokeball!" I threw the ball towards Buizel, and he was encased in a bright light, before disappearing inside.

One shake.

Come on... Growlithe can't fight for much longer...

Two Shakes.

Buizel may be my first catch...

Three Shakes.

If I catch him, the Pewter badge is practically MINE!

Click.

I felt numb. I... I did it.

I beamed and raised my fist into the air. "I caught Buizel!" I shouted in glee.

Growlithe let out a howl of triumph, and gripped the pokeball in his mouth, skillfully jumping over rocks and leaping back to shore. I took the ball from his mouth, grinning like a madman, and I gave Growlithe a hug.

"Thanks Growlithe. You did awesome!"

"Well well. Looks like I was wrong about you Scar."

I turned to Nathan, glaring. "Oh really. And what were you wrong about."

"You're not a bad trainer after all." He smiled, flicking his bangs out of his eyes, and reaching out from behind his back to pull a scarlet rose. Handing it to me, I fought a blush.

"What's this for?" I asked.

He beamed. "It's for Growlithe."

Cocking my head to the left I smiled. Maybe I was wrong about Nathan as well.

Nathan turned and started walking away. "Come on slowpoke!" He laughed.

"I still want to catch a Wurmple."