Chapter IV:

"I get it Nathan... you caught you're Wurmple." I growled rolling my eyes. "You've mentioned it six times in the last five minutes. You don't see me bragging about my Buizel."

Nathan just grinned, flicking the brown bangs out of his eyes.

That was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"I just love him. He's so cute and cuddly and-"

"HOW OLD ARE YOU!" I shouted, losing my patience.

Nathan laughed, and Growlithe snickered. I glared at my puppy pokemon, giving him a silent question of "Whose side are you on?"

"Ok, ok Scar... I'll stop." Nathan murmured, stifling a laugh.

"What did I say about calling me that!" I snarled, raising my hand to slap him hard.

"Woah!" Nathan gasped, leaping away from me. "Sorry! Wont happen again! ... Jeez you sure are temperamental sometimes."

"That's it!" I spat, leaping at him.

"Growlithe! Growl!"

I looked up from where my hand was positioned above Nathan's face, and the other wrapped around his jacket collar. "Did you say something Growlithe?" I asked sweetly.

Growlithe flicked his tail towards the trees that we were still encased in, and rushed through the forest as quickly as he could. Releasing Nathan, I raced after him, hearing my friend (kind of) gasp for breath then race after me as well.

After about a minute of running after Growlithe, I saw him pulled to a stop on a large hill. Panting heavily, I stopped beside him, giving him a look of annoyance. "Why did you run off Growlithe?" Behind me Nathan stumbled through the forest, breathing heavily and clutching his sides. "Yeah, what was that for?" He gasped, moaning and falling to the floor.

Growlithe barked in annoyance and flicked his tail down the hill. I followed the movement and gasped.

"Is that Viridian City?" Nathan asked for me.

I followed the horizon lines of the city, past the houses, and saw the pathway to the next city led into the forest again. "Looks like once we take a rest we go back through the forest to Pewter."

Nathan grinned. "Well what are we waiting for?" With that, he raced down the hill, crying out in excitement.

Laughing, I followed the arrogant boy in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

We entered the white building with smiles on our faces, and were greeted by a bubbly looking Nurse Joy at the counter. "Welcome to Viridian City! How may I help you today?"

I beamed. "Could you heal our pokemon please? We also need to register for the Pokemon League and the Contest Hall." While I was talking, the kind Nurse picked up Growlithe and scratched his ears, causing my friend to give a content bark.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Of course, but you don't register for contests here. That will be in Crestfallen town, a new settlement just West of Pewter City, also the location of the next contest!"

Nathan jumped for joy like a little kid. "Awesome! That first ribbon is MINE!"

I smirked. "I think you need to come up with a routine beforehand Nathan. You can't win by winging it."

Nathan looked hurt for a moment, but then grinned. "Don't you worry! I'll have a routine ready to go by the time we get to Pewter!"

A few hours later as the last of the sun's rays fell behind the horizon, Nurse Joy handed us our pokemon, who were fully recovered.

"Here you are!"

I grinned. "Hey Growlithe! Feeling better?"

"Growl!" He barked happily, giving me a toothy grin.

"It's getting late, do you want me to show you to you're rooms?"

"That would be great Nurse Joy!" I beamed, and Nathan smiled. "Thanks."

"It's no problem-"

Nurse Joy was cut off by a loud explosion, filling the air with smoke and causing us to all cough and fall over. Nurse Joy looked angry and confused. "What is the meaning of this?"

Just as I was about to answer with an "I don't know." I heard three maniacal laughs come from the door, and as the smoke cleared, we could see three figures. They raised their hands in a triumphant stance and began to chant.

"Be respectful, and take off your hats!" A girl with long purple hair snickered, her green eyes flashing in the light. She wore a white shirt with a large R on it, and she was crossing her arms evilly.

"Were here to snatch pokemon, and that will be that!" A boy chanted in response, his periwinkle hair spiked and his blue eyes gleaming similar to his counter part. He wore the same shirt, but he stood tall.

"To protect the world from abomination!" The girl snickered crouching down beside the boy.

"To unite all peoples with declaration!" The boy beamed, raising his clenched fist in the air.

"Hope and Faith to always defy!" The girl called again, leaping up to give a ninja-like stance in the air.

"As fast as a bullet we are sure to fly!" The boy laughed, placing his hands bossily on his hips, kneeling beside his counterpart.

"Jackie!" The girl shrieked.

"Jace!" The boy crackled.

"Team Rocket is here with unlimited power!" The girl beamed, standing back to back with the boy.

"Ready for action, standing tall as a tower!" The boy cried in response, crossing one leg.

"Zorua! Now COWER!" A small black fox like pokemon cried, leaping in the middle of the boy and girl.

"Who the heck are you guys?" Nathan growled, getting up and holding out his hand to me, which I took gratefully, and pulled Growlithe and I, who was on my shoulder, to our feet.

"Yeah, you don't just walk in here and blow up the doorway!" I yelled, angry.

"Oh yes we can." The girl who called herself Jackie grinned. "We can do whatever we want."

"Indeed." The boy Jace nodded in agreement. "We are Team Rocket, we can do anything!"

"That's right!" The Zorua snickered, and I shared a shocked look with Nathan.

"You can talk!" I gasped.

The Zorua huffed. "Yeah of course, any pokemon can if they really want to learn."

"Hmm... Zorua huh?" Nathan muttered, pulling out his red pokedex.

Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Zorua hides its true form by changing it's shape into people and Pokémon, and loves to surprise people.

I looked at the little fox intrigued. "So you can turn into anything you want?"

Zorua growled, and flashed tiny teeth. "What's it to you?|

"So you can't" Nathan snorted grinning at the fox, "What a faulty pokemon!"

"Ill TEACH YOU FOR MAKING FUN OF ME!" The pokemon roared, and Nathan laughed not fazed by the threat.

"Enough of this!" Nurse Joy snapped, "Get out of here! I don't want thieves in this centre!"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "To bad that's what we are here for. So hand em' over."

"Yes we want all the pokemon in this centre pronto, so get moving." Jace smirked cockily.

I stepped protectively in front of Nurse Joy. "You're going to have to get through us first!" I snapped.

"You got that right!" Nathan snarled, reaching for a pokeball.

"Nurse Joy." I whispered. "Go help the pokemon!"

The pink haired nurse nodded, and raced behind the doors of the pokemon center.

"Alright you punks! You asked for it!" Jackie snarled, grabbing her own pokeball from her belt. "Jace, Zorua, let's deal with them quickly and snatch those pokemon!"

"Right!" Jace and Zorua nodded, and Jackie and Jace each threw a pokeball.

"Houndour! Let's go!" Jackie yelled.

"Poochyena! Send those punks flying!" Jace grinned in unsion.

Two dog pokemon appeared next to each other, growling furiously.

"Woah!" I gasped, and pulled out my pokedex.

Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. Poochyena is the pre-evolved form of Mightyena. Its biting strength is superior to other Pokémon, and has the endurance to chase opponents down until completely exhausted.

Beside me, Nathan had his pokedex out as well.

Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate though barks in order to surround their prey.

Nathan looked at me worriedly, and I smiled. "We got this."

I reached for Buizels pokeball, but Growlithe barked from my side. I turned to him with my eyebrow's raised.

"No Growlithe. Let's use Buizel first."

"Go Buizel!" I threw the pokeball, and my new weasel pokemon appeared, letting out a battle cry and landing on it's hind legs, crossing it's arms with an unamused expression on its face.

"Wurmple let's go!" The worm pokemon appeared beside Buizel, shrieking and staring at the two dog pokemon it was about to battle in disdain.

The thieves laughed. "You're little baby pokmon can't do a thing against our amazing and powerful dogs." Jackie crackled.

Nathan looked at Jackie scornfully, "You're pokemon are babies to you know."

I smirked. "Alright let's go!" I shouted to Buizel, and he nodded getting into a ready position.

By my side, Growlithe grumbled and sat near my legs, waiting for my order, if any.

"Alright then punks. Houndour use ember!" Jackie ordered, and the dangerous looking dog growled and leaped towards Buizel, his mouth lighting up and shooting small flames towards him.

Doesn't this fool know fire is weak against water? "Dodge and use water gun!" I shouted. Buizel leaped out of the way and shot a ball of water straight at the fire/dark type. The jet hit the pokemon full on, and he flew backwards with a loud cry of "dour!"

"Get up Houndour!" Jessie pleaded, but the pokemon collapsed on the ground.

"Great job Buizel!" I beamed, and the weasel pokemon smirked. "Buizel! Bui!"

"Hey!" Jackie growled, "You'll pay for that! Jace attack them!"

The blue haired boy beamed. "My pleasure. Poochyena use bite!"

"Counter that with string shot Wurmple" Nathan called, and before the dark type could hit Buizel, it found itself wrapped up in Wurmple's string, completely unable to move.

Jace gasped in horror. "My poor Poochyena!"

"Awesome Wurmple!" Nathan cheered, and the worm pokemon beamed. "Wurmple!"

Zorua groaned. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Zorua leaped towards me, claws out. "Zorua used fury swipes!"

The claws descended closer and closer to my face and I gasped.

"Growl!"

I saw a flash of orange and Growlithe leaped in front of me, his mouth emitting bright red.

"LITHE!"

There was a loud explosion again, and the next thing I saw was the three crooks flying through the air, screaming.

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

I turned to my pokemon smiling. "Thank you both so much! I couldn't have done that without you! Zorua would have ripped my face off!"

"Growl!" My puppy pokemon grinned toothily, and Buizel crossed his arms with a smug look on his face. "Bui!" I grinned and held up Buizel's pokeball. "Have a good rest." Once he vanished in a gleaming red light, I held out my arm so Growlithe could leap on with a pleased "Lithe!"

"That was a great battle Scarlet!" I turned to see Nathan beaming at me, flicking a strand of brown hair away from his face. "I sure am glad were on the same side. Imagine being Team Rocket right now!"

I blushed. "Thanks. But really, it's all Growlithe and Buizel."

"I disagree." The cheery voice of Nurse Joy reappeared, holding a small Pichu in her arms. "All the pokemon here at the centre would like to thank you! You saved us! I look forward to seeing what becomes of you two, you certainly have tons of potential!"

I looked at my two pokemon, smiling. It was only my first day as a trainer, and I was so far already! Maybe I have more potential than I originally thought! Of course, I still had so much to learn. But that's what my parents and Nathan are for!

Nathan... he sure is a strange boy. I just wish I knew why he and Ean got off on such a rocky start. Speaking of Ean, I wonder where he is right now. Out in the forest? I hope he's okay...

"Scar?" I heard Nathan ask me, and I spun around ready to tell him off for calling me that, when I saw general concern on his face. "You okay?"

I nodded, heat rising to my cheeks. "I'm fine. Just tired."

So what do you think? TEAM ROCKET MAYN! god I hate them...

Next chapter...

The pair arrive to the astounding Pewter City, and Scarlet and Nathan meet their "cousin" Bryce, and aspiring breeder. With his help will Scarlet be able to earn her badge?