Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

Chapter Four

Lyss shot upright as her eyes opened. Her hand went to her throat, flinching away with a barely audible hiss as she touched it. Even breathing ached, and she could only imagine what it looked like. She should be thankful she woke up at all, but being strangled almost to death put her in a bitter mood.

She focused on her surroundings instead. The room around her was small, holding the single bed she woke up on and a toilet that didn't look like it'd ever been clean. A sheer sheet lay tangled around her feet, thrown off by her moments ago. Overhead hung a covered light, just out of reach and not providing much light. It gave the place a dank atmosphere, like a dungeon.

Or a prison.

The heavy steel door wasn't surprising given the revelation, and was no doubt locked. Lyss slumped back on the bed, the thin pillow doing little to cushion the impact. She'd been captured, kidnapped, by Team Rocket. Whatever they had in store for her, she wasn't looking forward to finding out.

Why'd they bother to take her though? Kidnapping wasn't really Team Rocket's operation, not unless they had something to gain from it, and what could some girl from the country do for them? She thought back to the cave but the memory was fuzzy. They'd tried to stop them, her and Smoke-

Smoke.

She looked around the room, though it would've been impossible to miss a pokemon in the small quarters. So he wasn't there. Right, she'd sent him away, but not before the Rocket's saw him. And now they wanted him.

She snorted. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Wherever he was, Smoke was long gone. Which meant there was nothing she could tell them. That thought squashed her bravado. Team Rocket liked answers, expected them. If she couldn't give them any...

Taking a deep breath, Lyss got up. She needed to find a way out of there, preferably before they came for her. Since she didn't know when that would be, she didn't know how long she had. It was like having a gun to her head, clicking through empty chambers and not knowing where the live one was. Disturbing.

Stone walls enclosed her, save the small slotted window on the wall opposite the door. Very small, she'd be lucky to get her arm through it. The door was solid with no holes at all and she assumed they had other ways of watching her. A camera somewhere she couldn't see. Team Rocket was thorough about their surveillance, and quick to step in when they didn't like what they saw.

She leaned against the wall and sighed. There was nothing there, nothing to use, no way to get out. Nothing to do but wait for them to come for her. She hoped Smoke was safe. Realizing she may never see him again left a hollow ache in her chest. That she could still hear his soft yips just made it worse.

She froze when the sound came again, then bounced up on the bed and stuck her head up to the window slit. Smoke yipped again when he saw her as he sat just outside the wall.

"Smoke!" The name came out in a rasp, and she winced as her throat constricted in pain. "You shouldn't be here." The look he gave her was one she knew well. She frowned. "I'm not stupid, you're in danger."

He ignored her, instead hunching down. Smoke began to growl deep in his chest, his fur rippling as fire flickered to life across his body. It ran over him in waves as he crouched there, muscles taut, ready to pounce.

"No! Stop it, Smoke!" She tried to shout, but the words didn't even carry over his rumble. The fires intensified over him, and she shoved off the wall. He wasn't going to stop. Grunting with the effort, she flipped the hard bed up against the opposite wall, right beside the door. She squirmed underneath it and covered her ears.

She didn't have to wait long. A moment later the wall exploded inward. Stones slammed into the bed frame and bounced away, jarring her against the wall, but not otherwise hurting her. The meager mattress was going for something at least.

When the noise died down and the rocks had all settled, she peeked out from her makeshift barrier. The wall was gone, nothing more then a hole to the outside world. There in the middle of the room sat Smoke, until he spotted her and jumped at her with a yip.

She tried to frown, but couldn't hold it as he licked at her face. A giggle broke through and she squeezed her arms around him. "Using Flare Blitz on a stone wall - you could've been hurt." He didn't seem to care, and his warmth was blissful. She hadn't even realized she was cold, but with a Flareon for a friend, her scale could be off.

They slipped apart as she stood up. "We have to go. There's no way they missed that entrance." Smoke was a step ahead, already bounding out the hole as she glanced around the cell for her bag - which of course wasn't there. They wouldn't have left her with it. She dug into one pocket, rolling around the small stone charm there. They left it at least.

It annoyed her, but she ran out of the room empty handed. She was getting away with her life, losing her belongings in the process wasn't a bad deal. Smoke ran on beside her, measuring his pace with hers as they ran on. It didn't mater where they went, she just wanted to get away from there. Well, that wasn't true - she had to get home. The place wasn't much, but it was all she knew, and they'd be worried about her.

Not the woman who called herself Lyss' mother of course, never her. It was a small saving grace that she wasn't Lyss' real mother, but it wasn't much to compare against. Who was to say that the real woman would be any better? Lyss didn't know her, or her father for that matter.

After a time, it seemed they hadn't been followed. It wasn't like she could outrun their vehicles, so she'd expected to have to hide, take cover, and have an all around harrowing escape. So why then was there no sign of pursuit? No sounds beyond those of the day around them. It left her with a bad feeling. She really needed to get home. It was a good thing Smoke could find the way too, she hadn't the slightest clue where they even where.

Night was approaching as they neared the town, the entire day spent in travel, however much of it was left after she woke up in that room. Activity around town died down with the sun, a rule enforced by Team Rocket. The streets were empty, with everyone settled into their homes for the day. It was comforting that nobody would see her, but also disquieting to see everything so silent and still. She didn't always abide by the curfew, but she wasn't fool enough to hang around the streets after hours.

As her house came into view she slowed her pace, holding a finger to her lips to shush Smoke. He was just as accustomed to their escapades though, and was quieter then she could ever be as they crept toward the backdoor. Going in the front wasn't an option, to much potential for noise. That and Lyss didn't want to deal with her foster mother any more then she had to.

Lyss turned her key in the lock a breath at a time, listening for any voices within. She didn't hear any until she got the door open, and then they were soft, distant. In the living room likely, and out of her way regardless. She didn't need to pass through much of the house to reach the stairway up to her room. Already she was thinking of collapsing onto her bed, curling up in the sheets, with Smoke there beside her of course, and not moving until well into the next morning. It'd been that kind of day.

She locked the door and turned for the stairs when the hand grabbed her. Another clamped over her mouth before she got out the scream building in her chest. When her captor turned her to face them, she nearly fainted with relief - it was her foster father.

Adrenaline pumped through her system, slow to fade, and her face was murderous as he pulled his hand away. "You scare-," his hand smacked back over her mouth before she got two words out. Other hand raised to his lips, he motioned her to silence before releasing her. She still scowled, but dropped to a strained whisper. It still hurt to talk, but she couldn't stay quiet. "What're you doing? You scared the life out of me!"

"Team Rocket's here," he whispered, eyes hard. "Looking for you." Her heart dropped into her stomach. How did they find here? And so fast? Then she realized - her bag. They had her ID, and Team Rocket controlled the whole system. Finding her house would be a snap.

She shivered as she tugged a hand through her knotted hair. If Team Rocket was there, she was doomed. She could hear her foster mother's voice from the other room, talking with them. Turning Lyss over to them with a smile, no doubt. Still, she eyed the man in front of her with question. He'd always been nicer to her, but enough to go against his wife?

He must've seen the questions on her face. "Your mother's out there stalling them, but you have to get out of here. Now."

What? "Why would she do that?"

"I know she's hard on you, but it's for your own sake." He grimaced as he went on. "Everything has been to keep you from getting involved with Team Rocket. It was important you learned to stay away from them. For all the good it did." Shaking his head, he grasped her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now. I don't know what you did, but you have their full attention. You need to get away from them."

He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a slip of paper. "Take this to Pewter City, find Slate. He'll help you."

It was too much to take in. "I don't understand."

"It doesn't matter, just go. They'll tell you more when you get there." He was turning and ushering her out the door as he spoke. "We'll keep them here as long as we can, but you need to run."

Lyss' feet shuffled along the floor as he half pushed her out the door. "But why? They could arrest you for this, or worse. I'm not even your real daughter."

He paused then and let her turn back to him. They stood there a moment, each on a different side of the door, a sudden, stark separation. When he spoke, his voice stayed low but wavered. "You may not be our blood, but you've always been our daughter." He stepped back, closing the door. "Now go. Stay safe."

Even with the door closed, Lyss didn't move. What could she do other then stare at her home? It'd never really felt like one before - would it ever be one again? Team Rocket wouldn't give up, wouldn't accept their excuses, their lies. Would her parents be there when she came back? If she came back?

Smoke bumped her leg, nudging her to move. She forced the fog from her thoughts. He was right, she couldn't stay there. Regardless of anything else, Team Rocket was after her, and she didn't want to get caught. Her hand rubbed at her throat, even the light touches reminding her what happened last time.

She turned away and fled down the dark streets, Smoke right beside her. It was a comfort that he at least stayed the same, with her no matter what. The trip to Pewter from Cerulean would be a long one. Maybe she'd get lucky and be able to hitch a ride around the mountain. Mt. Moon was out of the question, she wasn't risking a repeat encounter with Team Rocket there

First things first though - put some distance between her and Team Rocket back in the city. Find some place to spend the night before she passed out on her feet. Work on getting to Pewter tomorrow. Then find whoever Slate was and go from there. How would he keep her safe from Team Rocket? Why would he bother? How did he know her foster parents?

She needed answers.