"Thoughts"
"(Pokemon speaking to each other)"
Chapter 9: Buneary in the Middle!
"And our final coordinator is Dawn from Twinleaf Town!" Marin, the announcer, yelled out
"Alright, Dawn!" Ash called out
"Do your best Dawn!" Brock advised
"Pika Pi!"
"Piplup Pip!"
"Chimchar Chim!"
From their seats, everyone in the group but Paul, were wishing Dawn good luck. Paul simply sat back with his arms folded over his chest and watched Dawn's performance. Once the curtain lifted, Dawn ran out towards the stage, wearing a dress her mother gave her.
"Buizel, Buneary! Spotlight!"
Once both pokeballs opened flames came bursting out, the seals obviously coming into play as the two pokemon materialized from their pokeballs.
"Buizel, Water Pulse!"
"Bui Bui!"
The water pokemon slammed the orb of water into the ground, after forming it in between its paws.
"Oh! I wonder what they're going to do!" Marin said into the microphone as she watched the water move up into the air.
"Buneary, Ice Beam!"
"Buneary Bun!"
The water was soon frozen, now towering over Dawn, her pokemon, and the judges.
"Alright, Buizel! You know what to do! Sonicboom!"
"Buizel!"
The weasel pokemon fired countless Sonicbooms at a specific spot in the ice. Once finished on his assault on the ice a sculpture of what looked like a Flygon was seen.
"Oh my! It's a Flygon ice sculpture!" Marin proclaimed, "What a beautiful way to rap up the appeal round of this contest!"
While the crowd cheered, Dawn and her pokemon gave a bow and walked back stage.
Dawn gave a sigh as she sat down, Buizel and Buneary right beside her.
"I hope I make it to the next round!" Dawn said
"I'm sure you'll be fine!" a girl replied
"Huh?"
Dawn turned her head a red headed girl standing behind her. She wore sunglasses that were on her head, an orange vest that covered a dark red long sleeved shirt, blue plants, and brown boots.
"Zoey! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Snowpoint City!" Dawn exclaimed as she hugged Zoey
"I was, but I decided to come by and see how you and Paul are doing" Zoey replied with a smile
"Dawn! You were amazing out there and…huh?"
Ash and the others entered to see the pair.
"Um…hi?" Ash said as he looked at Zoey, "I'm Ash!"
"Ash, Brock! This is Zoey my best friend and rival!" Dawn stated
"My name's Brock, you're so beau- Arg!" Brock turned a slight purple
"Cro" Croagunk said as it pulled Brock away from Zoey
Paul walks in and looks at Zoey, "What are you doing here?"
"I got caught in a blizzard while looking for Acuity Cavern. I saw a Shieldon with a Luvdisc and the Shieldon was fighting a Milotic with the blizzard still going." Zoey replied with a serious tone
Paul raised an eyebrow, "Why is she telling me these useless things? … Wait…. is she using the code? …. If she is then what she said means…!"
Paul's eyes widened slightly but it went unnoticed, "I see…"
"That doesn't make sense, Zoey!" Dawn said as she scratched the back of her head.
"Don't worry about it Dawn," Zoey responded as she shifted her gaze over to the TV, "And look you made it to the next round Dawn!"
Dawn's eyes sparkled as she looked at the TV screen, "Yes! We made it you guys!"
"Bui Bui!"
"Buneary Bun!"
"Alright! Now all we have to do is-"
BBBBOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!
"What the! An explosion!" Ash exclaimed
"Come on!" Brock called out as he and the others ran out to the source of the noise.
"Listen, to the voices we hear,"
"It's speaking to me loud and clear,"
"Floating on the wind,"
"Past the stars,"
"In your ear,"
"Bringing chaos at a total breakneck pace,"
"Dashing hope putting fear in its place,"
"A rose by any other name is just as sweet,"
"When everything's worse our work is complete!"
"Jessie,"
"James,"
"Meowth's the name,"
"Putting do-gooders in their place,"
"Team Rocket,"
"We're in your face!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled out as he and the others reentered the main hall
There was a huge gapping hole in the ceiling of the contest hall and Team Rocket's Meowth air balloon was waiting just outside with Jessie, James, and Meowth in the basket.
Paul raised an eyebrow, "Who's the losers?"
"Excuse us! We've met before!" Jessie argued
"Don't remember" Paul replied
"Why you! James Meowth!"
"Roger!" Both answered
Meowth pulled out a remote control and pressed a button. Several hands came out from the bottom of the basket and grabbed Pikachu, Buneary, Buizel, Piplup, and Chimchar.
"Our pokemon!" Dawn exclaimed
"Staravia help us ou-"
"Not so fast twerp!" Meowth interrupted as he pressed another button.
Another hand came out but this one had a hole in its palm. Staravia's pokeball was soon pulled into the hole by its suction power but it wasn't only Staravia's pokeball that went in, Dawn's, Paul's, Brock's, and the rest of Ash's pokeballs were pulled in as well.
"Bye bye now!" Jessie said as she waved
"See ya twerps!" James said as the rockets revealed themselves and started up
"Get back here!" Brock yelled out as he and the others followed the balloon outside the contest hall
"Chimchar, Flamethrower!"
"Chimchar Chim!"
The fire monkey fired flames at one of the rockets causing it not only to explode but also make the hot air balloon spiral and crash deep into the forest.
"Oh no!" Dawn worried
"Come on! We better hurry!" Zoey said
"Uggh…We need a better landing!" James reasoned
"You got that right!" Jessie responded as she rubbed her head
"Hey where are all the pokemon?" Meowth shouted as he looked back and forth
"(That was a close one!)" Pikachu said as he sighed
He and the others managed to make their escape before the balloon made its crash landing. Pikachu was carrying a bag that had Ash's pokeballs inside; Buizel was carrying a bag as well but Dawn's pokeballs where inside, Chimchar was carrying a bag with Paul's pokeballs inside and Piplup was carrying Brock's pokeballs in his bag.
"(I wonder where Dawn is?)" Buneary asked worriedly
"(Don't worry,)" Pikachu comforted, "(We're bound to find them soon enough)"
"(Whatever)" Buizel said indifferently as they continued down the path
"(What's wrong with you Buizel?)" Buneary asked, "(You've been acting strange lately)"
"(…)" Buizel ignored the question
"(Hello? Earth to Buizel!)" Pikachu called out, "(You there? Buneary as-)"
"(I know what she said, you runt!)" Buizel shot back
"(This could get interesting)" Chimchar whispered to Piplup
"(You got that right)" Piplup whispered back
Pikachu dropped the bag and glared at Buizel, "(What do you have against me, Buizel!)"
"(…)" Buizel shifted his gaze to Buneary then back to Pikachu.
Even though the gesture was small, it was enough for Pikachu to notice.
"(Come on! Let's search for our trainers over there!)" Piplup said as he ran off behind a bush
"(Hey! Wait up, Piplup!)" Chimchar called out as he pulled Buneary along
"(Let me go Chimchar!)" Buneary pleaded as she struggled against his grasp but Chimchar was stronger
Once the trio was behind the bushes, Chimchar released Buneary, "(What was that about?)"
"(Ssshhh! Just watch! It'll explain why Buizel's acting so 'strange'" Piplup hushed
Buneary simply nodded her head and did as she was told.
"(You think I'm going to take her?)" Pikachu asked
"(Well are you?)" Buizel asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest
"(Of course not! She's just a friend!)" Pikachu defended
"(Are they…are they talking about me?)" Buneary thought
"(How do I know you're telling the truth?)" Buizel's eyes narrowed
"(Because I know I'm telling the truth!)" Pikachu replied
"(Not a good enough reason!)" Buizel said Water Pulse now forming in between his paws
Pikachu got down on all fours as static forms from his cheeks, "(Why don't you trust me, Buizel?)"
"(Because I love Buneary! And it seems she likes you a lot more!)" Buneary turned a bright red as she this
Buizel then threw the Water Pulse at Pikachu. Pikachu dodged the attack and used Thunderbolt. Buizel swiftly moves to the left and fires Water Gun which Pikachu counters with Iron Tail. The two have a glaring contest for few seconds, then the two charge at each other with Volt Tackle and Aqua Jet.
"(Oh no! We have to stop them!)" Piplup whispered
"(Stop it you two!)" Buneary yelled as she jumped in between the two
"(What the! Buneary move!)" Buizel ordered
"(Get out of there now!)" Pikachu yelled out
"(Not until you two stop fighting!)" Buneary said as she hid her tears with her fur
Buizel growled, "(I'm going to fast! I… I can't cancel my attack! )"
"(Oh no! I'm released too much electricity! I can't stop my attack!)" Pikachu thought
Both Pikachu and Buizel slammed their feet into the ground in an attempt to slow down or at least stop before hitting Buneary, but they were still going to fast.
"(Oh no! Chimchar do something!)" Piplup called out as he ran towards Buneary, Chimchar just a few feet ahead
"(Darn it! I won't make it in time!)" Chimchar yelled out as he tried to speed up
"Where can they be!" Dawn exclaimed
"Calm down, Dawn! I'm sure we'll find them!" Ash said as pats Dawn's back
Zoey gave a smirk as she sees Paul twitch ever so slightly, "He's still annoyed at the fact that other guys touch- no look at Dawn! Oh boy then he'll be steaming mad when they run into Kenny again!"
Zoey sighed and looked ahead to a cat they were following, "Glameow, you see anything?"
Glameow was a gray cat with a long tail that curled into a spiral. It has a crescent shaped head with two white-tipped ears, it also has a small black nose, yellow eyes with blue pupils, and white paws.
"Glameow Glam" the cat pokemon said as it shook its head
"Come on let's keep looking" Brock offered
"Right!"
AN: Yeah it's shorter then usual but i wanted to make it a cliffhanger! Let's see if you can figure out 2 things:
1) What did the code that Zoey told Paul mean?
2) Will Buneary be alright?