Chapter 5: The Fifth Chapter

Pandabot: Ok so this is a seriously packed chapter. Chock-full of significant goodness. And, thanks to a planning session Peppy and I had, I can promise some pretty awesome stuff coming up. So again leave a review if you have something to say and feel free to criticise. It helps make this better. Anything you wanna say Peppy?...Peppy? Where'd he go?...

Moonlight dusted the windows of the cramped abode, illuminating its otherwise dusky interior. A bearded figure slumped, tied to a chair, bruised and bloodied, staring in terror at the snarling Arcanine in front of him. A dark shape shifted in the shadows of the corner of the room.

"I will ask again. What did you do with the egg?" it inquired sharply. Mr Pokemon spat out a gobbet of blood and spoke in a breathless quiver.

"For the last time...I don't know what you're talking about."

The mysterious figure sighed and began to pace back and forth. "I think you might remember with a little persuasion...Arcanine!" The Arcanine reared it's majestic head.

"...persuade him..."

The Arcanine growled and approached the struggling man tied to the chair with steely intent.

A horrible scream split the night air.

"Thank you sir, all of that comes to 9,585 poke!"

The female assistant wore a slight smile as JT stepped up to pay. He and Lyra had made it into Cherrygrove City shortly after their encounter with the angry Hoothoot and, true to her word, Lyra had forced JT to pay for her supplies.

JT smiled weakly at the shop assistant and swept the large pile of items messily into his bag; he shot a glare to the corner where Lyra stood waiting, smirked cheekily. He sheepishly pulled out his Pokegear and let the apron-clad girl behind the counter scan the chip on the back. He cringed at the draining of his funds.

The assistant, who's nametag identified her as Kelly, smiled widely at the cringing teen. "Thank you very much sir" she said keenly. Kelly glanced over at Lyra, who was now tapping her toe impatiently, and leaned in closer to JT.

"Is she your girlfriend?" she enquired casually.

JT almost swallowed his tongue in shock. "W-What? Her? No no she's just a friend!" he managed to choke out.

Kelly looked down, biting her lip shyly. "So...you're single then?" she asked hopefully, looking through her fringe at the flustered teenage boy. JT flushed a bright red and stammered an affirmative, nervously tugging on his right glove. The two youths stared nervously at each otherbefore a whirlwind blew through the shop, dragging JT out the door and into the night.

The whirlwind (or, as she was more commonly called, Lyra) turned to JT once they were out of sight of the Pokemart. "What the hell was that?" she inquired pointedly. JT, taken aback by the vemon in her voice, answered stupidly: "Uh, I was talking to Kelly?" Lyra's glare could have melted through steel.

"Oh it was Kelly, was it? Oh how silly of me interrupt! How silly of me to butt in on your time with Kelly!" she spat, fury evident in every syllable. JT wisely chose to not answer her tirade; rather, he used his remaining wits to adopt a contrite expression. After glaring at him for a few seconds more, she turned on her heel and stalked into the Pokemon Center, leaving a dumbstruck JT standing in the night alone.

Okay, what just happened?

"Here you are. Your pokemon are as good as new" cooed Nurse Joy, sliding a tray full of pokeballs over to the two teens. Nurse Joy, or rather the Nurse Joy family, was something of a legend in the Johto region; every single Pokecentre was manned by at least one Nurse Joy and they were all sisters. No-one really knew how many sisters there were in the family but the parents had been elevated to god-like status among, well, everyone.

A Chansey bustled about busily, checking on the more seriously injured patients in the Centre (of which Cherrygrove had few). Lyra silently grabbed her pokeballs and clipped them to her belt, completely ignoring JT as she stalked out the sleek building's sliding glass doors. JT sighed and smiled apologetically at Nurse Joy before following the furious girl out the door.

He caught sight of her striding quickly towards the northern route out of Cherrygrove City and began jogging to catch up with her - the items in his freshly stuffed backpack shifting loudly as he ran. He regained his place next to the silently fuming girl; the pair walked in silence as Lyra's glare burned it's way into the night.

"My patience is running thin, Mister Pokemon."

The growl of the shadowy figure was answered only by the pained sobs of the poor soul tied to the chair in front of him. The Arcanine had not killed the broken man, instead tearing into his legs, leaving a bloody mess in it's wake.

"I ask one more time. Where is the egg?" the voice growled once more, emphasizing every syllable. There was a pause, and then finally Mister Pokemon spoke again as he forced his voice between pained gasps. "I don't...know...what you're...talking about".

The dark figure stood stoic before the broken man. "Fine...Arcanine - Come!" He wheeled his tall frame around and left with his fierce companion in tow.

Mr Pokemon hastily tried to regain his breath - he must warn Professor Elm of this man. His desperate thoughts were interrupted seconds later when a wash of flame broke against the side of his house, lighting the dry wood almost instantly. He struggled against his bonds, shouting for the help he knew would not come.

The pair trudged through the endless night in uncomfortable silence. For the third time, JT opened his mouth to ask Lyra what had set her off so violently, only to be silenced by her fiery glare. Sighing, he closed his mouth again and, hitching his backpack into a more comfortable position, concentrated on keeping up with Lyra.

The thick silence was disturbed by a persistent buzz echoing through the trees. JT slowed to listen closer - he recognised the sound. He confidently unclipping Zero's pokeball from his belt. In a bright flash of white light Zero emerged; he sharply adopted a battle stance at the familiar sound. Lyra turned to watch as the Beedril burst out of the surrounding trees and flew straight at Zero, needles outstretched.

"Same as last time Zero" JT said calmly, stepping alongside where Lyra stood nonplussed. Zero nodded in response. Crossing it's claws in it's usual manner, they took on a silvery sheen. Just as the Beedril reached him, Zero pounced forward and smashed his right claw into it, sending it flying back into the trees.

With the attack averted, JT and Lyra continued following the trail as before, perhaps in a slightly more companionable silence. Zero, following in their steps, suddenly stopped and cocked his head. Noticing the movement behind him, JT turned and observed Zero's behaviour. He listened intently. Echoing through the trees came a low, rumbling buzz, much more substantial than the last. JT's face blanched.

"Lyra?"

"Yeah?" she asked, a little snippily.

"I think we should run..."

JT frantically returned Zero to his pokeball and wheeled around on the dirt track, stumbling slightly in his haste. Lyra pointed to a small hill before them and took off in it's direction.

He and Lyra sprinted, backpacks bouncing uncomfortably on their backs, towards the promise of some shelter. The buzzing sound was getting nearer and nearer, driving them on in fear. A hurried glance behind them confirmed JT's fear; almost a hundred Beedril swarmed down the track after the pair, seemingly in a blind panic. When they reached the hill, the swarm now bearing down hard, Lyra tugged JT's jacket and pulled him towards a cave that led into its depths. As the swarm prepared for a violent swoop, the pair dived into the cave to avoid the attck by mere seconds.

JT and Lyra lay panting on the cold rock of the cave floor. The terrible buzzing continued, amplified by their stark, pitch black shelter. After recovering his wind, JT chanced a glance outside; the Beedril were still out there, milling around in cluttered confusion. He sighed as he sat back on his heels. "Wonder what's got them all riled up?" he mused, almost to himself.

"Oh I don't know Jordy. It might just be you. You seem to be making a habit of it lately..." Lyra's voice hissed from the dark. Leaning on his hands, he chose to ignore Lyra's remark; he tried to think of a way out of this mess. Coming up blank he turned to his fuming companion.

"So why are you so angry about me talking t-"

"Now is not the time Jordan!" she fired angrily. JT turned back to his hopeless thinking.

Nearly half an hour passed and the terrible swarm continued to circle the small hill. The sky was beginning to lighten on the horizon and both teens were growing anxious. JT had spent the time considering every option possible to get out of this predicament, and was in the middle of debating the value of rocks to Beedrill when a shrieking cry cut straight through his thought process.

He poked his head slightly out of the cave and saw some sort of massive bird pokemon flying just below the cloud line; its dark mass loomed large above the unrelentinng Beedril. Shoveling his hands into his pocket, JT pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the pokemon in the sky.

'Pokemon not identified. No data available'

JT blinked at his pokedex in confusion and tried again. Same result. JT pocketed it and squinted up at the partially obscured pokemon. It gave another shrieking cry, this time shrilly ripping through the cool morning air and the Beedril swarm, dispersing them in all directions.

JT stepped cautiously out of the cave, staring in wonder at the mysterious pokemon as it disappeared over the tree tops.

"What was that?" asked Lyra who had joined JT outside.

"I - I don't know" he stammered.