Chapter 4

Strange Savior

It took them only about half an hour to get outside of the city. As soon as they got a good distance from the alley, the two began walking normally, Sam acting like she was the man's Pokemon.

But she couldn't keep her heart from pounding in her chest. Her eyes constantly darted, searching the crowd for any signs of danger. At one point, she thought she saw a blur across a rooftop and she'd jumped behind the man that saved her.

She didn't relax until they completely left the city. Immediately, she slipped into the brush, thankful for the comforting shield of foliage. It would be almost impossible for anyone to follow her through here.

Her head turned towards a crunch behind her. The man was still following her. "I should be ok from here."

He brushed a piece of pine needles from his shoulder. "I don't think so. Team Rocket won't give up easily. Especially with two targets on the loose."

It didn't seem like he would be leaving. "Fine." She continued walking. He stayed right behind her.

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Paul was already waiting when Braun returned to his weapons locker. The assistant was loading the vest with the special equipment. "Congratulations on the rank-up, sir."

"Kill it, Phil." He stepped between Phil and his gear and looked over it. Phil had already gotten everything that a Hunter was entitled to. Special helmet computer. Shock grenades. Knock-out pistol. It was all here.

"I took the liberty of loading the Thorn gas specs into your computer. There is also a new device I smuggled from R and D. It's a light cloak field. But it only works if you remain still. Any motion, and you'll lose it."

Braun wanted to laugh for a moment, but he pressed it down. "You really are the best, Phil." He pulled the vest out. "Help me get this on."

It took him only ten minutes to get everything on and get up to the roof. Back when he was a real Hunter, he could do it in half the time by putting his gear on on the trip up. He was rusty. But not rusty enough to not bring in this trophy.

A small piece of glass flipped over his left eye. It was the screen for his computer. "Thorn gas."

Thorn gas was a special tool that no one else at Rocket had. In fact, no one besides Phil knew he even had it. It was a colorless odorless gas that released a low level of non-lethal radiation. It also stuck to any surface, would not wash off, and had a half-life of two weeks, which made it ideal for tracking. It stuck to someone like a thorn.

A map of the city appeared on the piece of glass. Besides the alley, which was glowing white, there were exactly four sources of the radiation. He was hoping, praying, that she had only managed to hide and that the Thorn gas he threw into the alley would be on her.

One of the sources of radiation was just outside of the city, and moving further away. Any target that knows someone is after them will run eight out of ten times. That would be her.

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She eventually broke through the brush into the clearing where her temporary cave was. Though really, it wasn't a cave. A tree had fallen over and the roots hung over a space just big enough for her to lie down in in her human form, which was more than enough space for her as an Eevee.

He practically fell out, having to yank his foot free of the vines. But he quickly composed himself as he saw where he was.

Sam stepped under the roots and focused her mind, causing her body to grow.

He couldn't help but watch. Yes, it was something he did almost every day himself. But watching her change so completely… She wasn't wearing any clothes. He quickly realized it after starring for a moment too long. He spun on his heal and faced the other way.

Growing up as a Pokemon, she had never had to worry about clothes. She wore them merely as a formality around humans. What clothes she did have she kept with her in a small bag. Digging around, she found a red blouse and slipped it on. She then took out a white knee-length skirt and pulled it on.

When she stepped back out, she saw the man standing at the edge of the clearing. He was glowing and the Riolu features had reappeared. Now that she had a good chance to look at him, he was quite attractive. He wasn't bulging with muscle, but she could see a bit of tight sinew under his fur.

She shook her head, throwing the thoughts away. How could she even think such things? She was Feuer's mate and no one else's.

Staying silent on her naked feet, she stepped up behind him. "What are you doing?"

He didn't jump at all. "I am connecting to the aura of the forest." For a moment, he didn't acknowledge her. But then the blue light faded. "We are safe for the moment." This time his strange features remained over his body.

Sam bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Sam."

"I am Luca of the Great Tree." Luca placed a paw-hand over his chest and bowed low.

She laughed. He was so polite. "So why did you save me?"

He came back up. "You needed help. I… have been chased by Team Rocket for many years. I cannot allow them to take anyone while I have the power to stop them."

"Why are they chasing you?" she asked, now curious.

He closed his eyes and looked away. "I am different. I am not ashamed of it. But they want what I have."

"He's a bit shy, it seems." She let a hand come up and trace through his fur. He brought his gaze back to her, but didn't stop her. "How are you like this?"

"My mother is a Lucario halfling. My father was a Pokemon trainer that came to the Great Tree and they fell in love. But please, enough about me." No he took her hand in his and pulled it from his arm. "I want to hear about you. You are the Shaiya, aren't you?"

Her head nodded. "I'm supposed to be, I think. But really, I can't change into anything but a human."

"I thought you changed into Pokemon," he said quizzically.

"I was actually born as an Eevee. I didn't even have these powers until a moon ago." An image of Feuer came to her mind. As usual when that happened, a gentle feeling of sorrow spread through her. It wasn't enough to bring her to tears, but she still missed him.

"What's wrong?"

"Just… memories. My mate was the real Shaiya. But he died protecting our home. When he did, his powers somehow got transferred to me."

Luca silently bowed his head. "I am sorry."

"Don't be."

An awkward silence fell over them. But it still felt alright just to stand together. Protector and protected.

"So what will you do now?" she asked to break the silence.

"I'm not really sure," he said after a moment of hesitation. "Ever since Team Rocket started coming after me, I've just been wandering." He turned and walked over to a tree, sitting down and resting against it. "Not really much of a life."

She sat at an adjacent tree. "I think I would prefer such a simple life. I'm trying to make the humans see the errors of expanding into shaiya villages, but they are a stubborn group."

She couldn't place why, but she felt oddly comfortable being around this Luca. Ever since Feuer's death, she had been wandering on her own. But here was someone that seemed to understand her suffering. And he had saved her life, which gave her a sense of safety.

"This may be strange to ask, but would you like to travel with me?" The question came out before she even realized she was asking it.

He jumped on it. "I'd love to." They both let out a soft laugh, neither of them quite knowing why.

A soft pop reached her ears. A split second later, something small smashed into the side of her head. The world went fuzzy and then black before she could fall to the ground.

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Braun slid the pistol back into his holster. Not only had he found the Shaiya, the Riolu target was with her. Roth would be very pleased with his trophies.

"This is Hunter 1. Target captured. Requesting a Carrier at my coordinates."

A/N: Now review! Do it now!