Chapter 6

Boulder badge

Hey everyone I am back! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter thank you for reading this story. I do not own Pokémon and if you think I over did the Lance X OC last chapter please tell me. I can tone it down. Also sometime soon I am planning on posting a legend of Zelda fan fiction so be on the lookout if you love the games as much as I do. Well please R&R hope you enjoy.

I awoke the next morning with a start and found bright golden sunlight shining through my window. I sat there for a second breathing hard before rubbing my eyes and stretching. I got out of bed and got ready for the day putting on a shirt that had a bright red rose with its stem twisting and intertwining itself with the stem of a black rose and some jeans. I walked into the hallway and knocked on Lance's door… no answer I knocked again and I heard a sleep clogged voice call.

"One minute!" I walked down and waited in the lobby for 10 minutes before he finally came down strapping on his cape as he walked.

"Do you always wake up this late?" I asked he shrugged and said.

"Never had any reason not to." I sighed and we sat there in silence for a while and he said. "Come on lets go get some breakfast." We went to a small restaurant that was built into the hotel and ordered pancakes the syrup was rich and the butter added the favor. Ruby and I made pancakes all the time but they never came out as good as these, fluffy, light, rich simply delicious. After breakfast I followed him towards the gym a long line of trainers flowed out of it all of them eagerly waiting for their turn.

"The gym leader is in do you want to try?"

"The line is too long." I responded.

"It's ok." He answered. "Come on." He took me by the hand and began running towards the building shoving our way through the line. Finally a large trainer blocked our path and said.

"No cutting." Lance pulled out an idea and answered.

"I can enter this gym whenever I please seeing as how I am Brock's superior." The man stared at Lance for a second in shock before handing him the ID. And moving to the side. We had no problem walking through the line with Lance's VIP card. We finally got inside and I saw two trainers battling it out. I recognized one as Brock, the man traveling with Ash and a boy and girl on the side line as Ash and Misty. I watched as a Geodude defeated a charmander and the challenger took his Pokémon and ran away to the Pokémon center. Brock wiped some sweat from his brow and hi fived his geodude before returning it to its ball. Brock looked up at me and recognized me. He waved and called.

"Hey what are you doing here?"

"I am here to challenge you." I called back.

"Then come on!" he called enthusiastically. I glanced back at Lance who waved me to go on while he walked away and sat on the opposite side as Misty and Ash.

"Isn't that Claire?" Misty whispered to Ash as I walked up to the arena, Ash squinted at me before answering.

"Yea it is." Ash answered surprised.

"Who is she with?" Ash looked at Lance for a minute but was unable to see Lance because he was looking away and was dressed in black hiding his identity as much as he could.

"I don't know, but he looks strong."

"What makes you say that?" Misty asked.

"I don't know he just has that kind of look to him that kind of presence." He looked back at me as I pulled my pokeball off my belt to battle. "Come on Claire!" he called out trying to be a good brother. Brock didn't seem hurt by the comment and we started our battle.

Brock called over to me. "This will be a four on four match. He first person with no able Pokémon will lose." I nodded. "Ok then let's begin!" he yelled as he chucked a pokeball into the middle of the field it bounced back to him releasing a geodude in a red light. I grabbed a pokeball from my belt and clicked the button sending out Vulpix.

"All right Vulpix this is it! Let's show them what you got. Vulpix Flame thrower!"

"Geodude tackle!" before Geodude could move he was engulfed in a sea of orange fire.

"Direct hit!" I bragged but suddenly through the thick orange a shadow emerged. I stared at in confusion as the Geodude burst through the fire headed straight for Vulpix seeming unharmed. "Quick Vulpix doge!" I called out and Vulpix abruptly stopped her attack and jumped to the side just in time avoiding the attack. "Why didn't it affect him?" I asked.

"Geodude is a rock type Pokémon he isn't easily affected by fire." I growled and then held out a pokeball.

"Vulpix return!" Vulpix vanished and Evee emerged. "Let's do this. Ponyta stomp!"

"Doge!" Brock called and Geodude began to move but Ponyta was faster and was on him in seconds her hard heavy hooves slammed down on him and shoved him into the ground. When Geodude's heavy rock body hit the ground the entire building shook. That definitely hurt Geodude he emerged and seemed to be panting.

"Quick attack!" I called realizing my big advantage was speed.

"Doge!" Brock called even before I finished calling my attack but Ponyta rammed head first into Geodude and send him flying into the wall. He fell to the ground dizzy and fainted. Brock gritted his teeth but then slightly smiled and returned Geodude and sent out another Pokémon. A giant snake made of rock. My jaw dropped at the size of its enormous stone body.

"Onyx use tail whip." Brock said calmly.

"Quick doge!" I called out but it was too late and with one swift swing of its tail Onyx rammed ponyta in the side and she went flying through the air. She slammed the ground hard. "Ponyta get up! Ponyta are you ok?" Ponyta shakily stood up and I saw the length of her injuries. She was scrapped and bruised and in no condition to fight. But her eyes told otherwise. She was determined for this win. "Ponyta calm down." Ponyta didn't listen she prepared to charge and I grabbed her pokeball. "Ponyta return!" I called but the red light was to slow and Ponyta was already racing towards Onyx and I knew there was no stopping her. With a sigh I called out. "Come on Ponyta use fire vortex!" Ponyta blew ahead of her as she ran and a wave of fire engulfed Onyx while Ponyta ran through the circle of it where it was calm similar to the eye of a storm.

I am not sure what it's really called but Ponyta knows what I mean when I say fire vortex. She rammed Onyx in the side of his head with enough force to send him to the ground and land on top of him triumphantly. I sighed in relief but Ponyta looked startled when Onyx's eyes opened and he got up with such force she was flung into the ground and knocked out. I withdrew her and sent out Evee. She's too small to beat him. I thought fearfully. And Onyx slashed his large heavy tail at her. Without a word to her she avoided the attack by jumping on his tail and running up to his head. After my second of shock I called. "Evee Tackle!" Evee rammed herself into Onyx's head and she fell down to the ground his eye opened.

"Onyx bight!" Brock called and Onyx lashed out at Evee but Evee was far too quick and was out of the way on seconds.

"Bight!" I called quickly realizing it wouldn't be the best idea but it was too late. Evee chomped down hard on a small piece of Onyx's tail then quickly jumped back rubbing at her jaw with her paw and waving her head probably pained from the rock. "Oops sorry Evee." I said sympathetically "QUICK DOGE!" and Evee was out of the way.

"Onyx iron tail!" Brock yelled. Both Onyx and Evee were breathing hard and I knew neither of them could take much more of this.

"Quick attack" I called and once second Evee was in front of a charging Onyx the next she was behind said charging Onyx and the next she was standing atop a knocked out Onyx. "Great job!" I called out and Evee smiled walking in a circle proudly. Onyx disappeared into its pokeball. And a round rock with a head two arms and two legs.

"What is that?" I asked aloud and Lance called over to me.

"It's a Gollum the last evolved stage of a Geodude."

"Thanks," I called back "Come on Evee lets take him out. Quick attack!"

"Gollum roll." Brock called and the Gollum tucked in his limbs and head like a turtle and began rolling at Evee. Before Evee could alter her path to get away Gollum the ball of rock rammed her and sent her flying. Evee collapsed and I returned her. I examined Gollum for a second before sending out Pidgeotto.

"Quick attack!" I called and Pidgeotto rammed into Gollum but only fell to the ground as if she had rammed into a wall. And with one call from Brock Gollum punched Pidgeotto and that made her faint. I returned Pidgeotto. Vulpix is my last chance. I thought. But he has two Pokémon left. This is not looking good for me.

I gripped Vulpix's ball tightly before clicking the button and sending her out. Gollum curled up into its ball and charged at Vulpix fast and furiously when he hit her she went flying into the wall and fell to the ground. "Are you alright!" I called and Vulpix stood up fire in her eyes as she glared at Gollum hurt on the side. "Good." I called as an idea struck me. "Flame thrower!"

"I thought she learned that wouldn't work last time?" Misty whispered to Ash. Ash just shrugged and Vulpix engulfed the curled up Gollum in a sea of fire. But Gollum was unaffected and charged at Vulpix.

"It's ok Vulpix doge." Vulpix leaped out of the way and I called. "Fire spin!" Vulpix opened her mouth and released a giant wave of red orange flames and the intensity began to boil Gollum until his rock was almost red and he pulled out of his ball and ran around madly blazing hot. He ran at Brock but Brock jumped out of the way not wanting to get burned. I smiled and Lance told me.

"That's a side effect of some fire attacks called burn." I nodded but I was too happy with my results to really care. Gollum managed to pull itself together for a second and set its sights on Vulpix for a second and decided to claim its revenge before the burn made it faint and rolled at her. Vulpix tried to run but she wasn't as fast as Evee and Gollum got her and fainted at the impact. Vulpix laid there for a moment everyone staring wondering if she would get up. She stood up and pranced around like nothing but still I could see she was hurt.

"Here," Lance whispered "here is a potion, give it to Vulpix."I obeyed and Vulpix was healthy again.

"Come on Geodude! You're my last chance!" Brock called out and a Geodude emerged in a bright light.

"Vulpix tackle!" I called and Vulpix began using the attacks almost as soon as I called out. "Tackle, quick attack, doge, agility, and finish it with flame thrower!" Vulpix braced herself and let lose a large stream of fire from her mouth. Geodude fainted and Brock lost.

"YES!" I called out and Lance gave a ½ smile and turned his head hiding it in his cloak. Ash and Misty cheered and Brock smiled as he handed me a badge.

"Congratulations in winning your boulder badge. You are one step closer to becoming a Pokémon master." I smiled as I took it feeling very proud of myself I hugged Vulpix and followed Lance out we went right to the Pokémon center and I healed up all of my Pokémon congratulating each of them. Lance and I spent the rest of the day at the museum looking at fossils and when night fell we went back to the hotel, and I fell asleep quickly.

I awoke in the middle of the night Lance standing beside my bed with his hand covering my mouth. He was looking around nervously maybe even a bit scared. Is that possible? I thought. No Lance is too strong, to brave too be scared.

"Get up." he whispered to me his black cape making him blend extremely well into the shadows I could only see his face and even that was ½ covered in darkness.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"SHUSH!" he hissed at me and glanced back towards the window even though we were on the second floor. "We have to leave now." I looked at him confused and he muttered. "I will explain later. Just get up get your things and let's go quickly and quietly." He backed away and I got to my feet. Everything was so dark so I reached for the light witch but he batted my hand away. "No we can't alert them we are here."

"Alert who we are here?" I whispered back. He looked away refusing to answer and I got a bad feeling I knew who. "You mean team Rocket is here?" Lance nodded gravely.

"And the boss came he doesn't normally do that."

"My father's here!" I exclaimed.

"Shush!" and then he nodded again. "We have to leave. Get dressed." He walked out into the hallway and quietly shut the door not making a sound. I got up my mind racing and changed into jeans and a dark navy blue T-shirt. I glanced out the window and saw men in black jump suites running quietly through the town as if in squad form ready to siege something or someone. I swallowed and picked up my bag and rushed into the hallway to meet Lance. I quietly followed him down the hallway and out the back door. We began making our way towards the path to the next town but he grabbed me and jumped behind some bushes as some goons passed. Without thinking I told him.

"Lance I am not ready to face my father he doesn't even know I left the first time I have been lying about him thinking I went on a Pokémon journey truth is he left before I did!" Lance clamped a hand over my mouth and glanced over the bushes before whispering into my ear.

"Don't worry you won't have to face him not here, not now. I am gonna get you out of here safe and sound." he saw two agents guarding the exit of the town and he told me to stay down and stay quiet and he approached them and began silently using a Pokémon's sleep powder to knock them out. I glanced around and saw a man standing at the center of town just a few yards away from me. After a second I recognized him as my father. I buried my head in my hands for a second then stopped and somehow worked up the courage I emerged from my bush and ran at him all Team Rocket members around turned and looked at me Lance was hidden from view behind a building and I stopped a few yards in front of my father turning to face him. Even though I was close I could barely see him hidden in the darkness of the night the moon hidden behind a curtain of clouds. I was almost positive he couldn't see me. His hand fell to a pokeball on his belt and he said in a threatening voice I never heard him use before.

"So you are Lance's accomplice?" he threw the pokeball and a Pokémon I had never seen or heard of before emerged. "This is my mew two. You can use all your Pokémon and once if you like. But I am about to end you and Lance." I tried to talk tried to tell him who I was but a voice in the back of my head hissed at me not to and I threw out all my Pokémon. "This is it?" he asked. "A mere Evee, Vulpix, Ponyta, and Pidgeotto? I will make this quick." And in 1 swift move from the "mew two" all but Vulpix who the attack had missed, fainted. I returned them and ordered.

"Fire spin!" the area filled with a bright red light and I could see my father clearly and his strange purple Pokémon. I also saw a purplish color around Vulpix before she fainted and as the last bits of fire died and I returned Vulpix still unable to speak I saw my father's hurt, broken, stunned face. Mew two took made a move towards me but my father raised his hand and the Pokémon stopped short. My father took a few quick steps towards me. The moon momentarily peeked out from behind a cloud and a few of its pale white rays shone down on my father and me. He looked devastated and stunned, unable to collect himself.

"C-Claire." He stuttered. Taking another step towards me. I managed anger and stepped away. Muttering.

"You betrayed me."

"No Claire you don't understand." I saw Lance appear around the corner of the building my father and I encased in the moons light. Lance ran to be barely making a sound. He wrapped his arms around me protectively and glared at my father. Lance took a step back whispering into my ear

"Run I will catch up with you. Wait inside the entrance just beside the door I promise I will be there soon." My father's eyes met Lances and I saw raw anger and hate in them. A look I never saw him have before. Lance gave me a gentle shove towards the towns exist and I instinctively listened to him and ran away as fast as I could. I heard my father tell Lance.

"You stole my daughter." Anger seeping from his voice and I heard Lance reply fearlessly.

"I won't let you hurt her anymore."