A/N: Thanks NACHOE1. I was totally inspired to do a Nuzlocke by Rise and Fall's story, Locke and Key. Johto is also my FAV region. Check it out too! Hope you enjoy this chapter. :3

CURRENT TEAM:

Darla - Level 12 Totodile Female

Nocturne - Level 11 Hoothoot Female

Araki - Level 11 Spinarak Male

CHAPTER III

The Ruins of Alph were mysterious, sprawling brown buildings on the verge of crumbling. Sight-seers came in abundance, milling about the largest cavern. The walls were covered in strange symbols, and statues of an ancient pokemon – it looked like Rhydon – lined the walls. Everything smells like dirt and must, and old, old bones.

I stop in a building off the road a little, where an attendant bows and smiles.

"Welcome! Please do try your hand at solving the puzzle here. Our archaeological team is offering a reward to whomever solves the puzzle."

Beside me, Araki squeaks and clicks his mandibles. He's right at home in this place; I can see him eyeing the corners as though he's contemplating making a web in one of them. The attendant woman looks a little nervously at him. She obviously dislikes spiders.

I stare at the puzzle, tilting my head this way and that. It looks way too complicated. I stare over at the back of the wall, instead. The symbols are vaguely familiar.

"Es...Esc...Escape?" I make it out, then smile down at Araki and pull an Escape Rope out of my bag. "Hah! Wouldn't it be funny if the ancients knew we'd have one of these around? Maybe they meant this, huh?"

Araki closes his eyes and giggles a little. I throw the rope to the ground mostly as a joke.

"Ta dahhh! Escape!" I bow with flourish. Araki skitters around in a circle, pretending to be pulled in by the rope.

"Narakspina!"

I never expected the room to start rumbling. The stone slab in the wall slowly falls down to reveal a dark, tiny room in the back. The attendant sees it and shrieks, running from the building.

"Ladies first." I smile at Araki. Inside the dark room are four neatly arranged treasures on a slab; some powder, and a few berries. I gather them up and look around. A hole in the ground serves as and exit.

"No way am I going in there." I shudder. Araki nods in agreement.

We leave the ruins behind, and start down the long route that leads to Union Cave. Bright blue skies, fresh air, and clear water runs alongside us. Campers and fishermen abound, challenging us. I make runs to and from the pokemon center right before Union Cave, healing my team and training them in the grass until lunchtime. Araki grows evermore powerful, adding Constrict to his arsenal. Nocturne learns the ever-handy Hypnosis, and Darla gets Bite.

We're munching on sandwiches in the shade of a tree when the egg in my bag begins to move. I look down at it in shock – was this the real thing? Was it hatching? I drop my cucumber sandwich and fumble to take the egg out and put it on my lap. Nocturne, Araki, and Darla all stop eating to watch, too.

The egg shakes, vibrates, and with a great crack the top flies off, followed by huge chunks of eggshell. In my lap sits...another egg?

I blink, rubbing my eyes. What the hell? An egg inside an egg? Darla pokes it a bit, and the egg stirs, a small crown of spikes popping up, with deep, adorable black eyes set just above the eggshell it wears. Tiny cream colored hands and feet emerge, and the pokemon blinks up at me.

"Toooge...pi?"

"Hi little guy." I smile. "You...you're kinda cute, huh?"

"Prriii!" It coos, then looks at Araki and the others. "Priii prii?"

"These are your new teammates, buddy. That's Araki, Nocturne, and Darla. We're traveling around getting badges!"

"Togepiii!" Togepi laughs as Nocturne inspects him, her soft feathers tickling his body. I take my pokeex out and aim it at Togepi.

"TOGEPI. THE HAPPINESS POKEMON. MALE."

"A boy, huh? Well, you are a little new, and kinda a baby. How about...Junior. That's a good nickname."

"Togepi!" Junior trills, flapping his arms eagerly.

Junior is far behind the other pokemon in terms of power, but the frail Bellsprout of the area are easy prey to Junior's strange move – Extrasensory. He soon looks a little stronger, strong enough to venture through Union Cave with us. Junior's tendency to be rash – running headlong into battle – has me worrying enough. I have to watch him carefully as he trots beside me, otherwise he gets into a lot of trouble.

Nocturne becomes his almost-caretaker, checking him for wounds in the cool darkness of the cave, and Junior loves to curl up to her soft feathers. The Hoothoot's large, nocturnal eyes adjust easily to the darkness, and I switch Junior out so she can lead the way. She shows me hidden items in the rocks and dirt, and we can avoid tough-looking Onix with her sharp vision. Hikers and firebreathers assault us, demanding matches. Darla takes care of the Rock and Fire types with her trusty Water Gun, and Junior makes short work of any leftover Machop. I watch them battle with pride – we made a great team.

Darla is too scared to stay out of her ball for long, though. The darkness presses in all around us, and she's only really comfortable when she battles.

I'm expecting to catch another Geodude, but I already have Dios. Maybe a Zubat? That was a little better – at least that had variety. Instead, a blue-eyed Sandshrew leaps out at us from the dirt. Junior helps to catch her, and I name her Silla.

"Here, Silla." We stop right after exiting the cave. The rain pours down, and we take shelter under a black apricorn tree. I fish the Rock Tomb TM I received, and press it to her forehead. She shakes herself out a little, then looks at me curiously.

"Consider it a welcome present." I grin, patting her on the head. "It'll be a good attack until you grow enough to learn Dig, or maybe Magnitude."

"Sandshhrew." She nods. Even though she took a few hits to be caught, and battled a Zubat or two, she looks unscathed. Silla is obviously a hardy pokemon.

"Azalea's just over that way. Let's go."

I pass by a large well on the edge of town, where a man in dark clothes is yelling at a townsperson. The townsperson runs off, and I raise an eyebrow at the dark-clothed man, who shouts at me.

"Mind your own business, nosy!"

I stick my tongue out at him and trot into town, Silla at my side. We visit the pokemon center before taking a stroll around the town. The smell of woodsmoke and pine trees permeates the air, and the gym awaits in the distance. This town is the same size as New Bark – tiny. At least Azalea has a mart, though. The town is quiet, the townspeople look a little downcast. I push into the house of Kurt, a wood cabin with an NOW OPEN sign on the door.

A white-haired, burly man stands behind a counter, what I presume is his granddaughter plays with a radio in the corner, her hair in pigtails.

"Uh, hi. I'm here to get some pokeballs made..."

"Can't help you." Kurt grunts. His granddaughter rushes over at the sight of Silla, and looks at the Sandshrew with awe.

"But..I need pokeballs –"

"Sorry kid. I can't work in a state of mental distress like this. Those...those damned Rockets are messing with the town's head! First they stole all our beloved Slowpoke, and now they're cutting off and selling the tales! It burns me up inside!"

I start back at his fierce tone, and he puffs his chest up.

"Well I won't stand here doing nothing about it! SLOWPOKE! HOLD ON! UNCLE KURT IS COMING TO YOUR RESCUE!"

Kurt rushes out the door, and I chase after him.

"You can't...take them...on your own!" I pant, Silla in my arms. I soon lose sight of the man, but when I get to the well, it's no longer guarded. I tentatively walk down the creaky wooden ladder, and one step snaps under my weight. I shriek, and to my horror, Silla drops out of my arms. I watch as she curls into a ball and hits the ground with little impact.

I'm not so fortunate. I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting to feel the pain. A muffled thump resounds, and when I open my eyes again, I'm sitting on the chest of someone very familiar. He groans, steel-gray eyes narrowing as he realizes who I am.

"You."

"Me." I pant.

"Out of all the people in the world, why did I have to break your fall?" Z scowls. I stand hurriedly, wiping my hands on my jumper. Silla trots to my side, looking at Z curiously as he stands and brushes his dark clothes off, a Zubat hovering on his shoulders.

In a corner, I can see Kurt. He's doubled over, clutching his back. I rush over to him, and he opens one eye, pained.

"D-Damnit. Old age's caught up to me. If I had my pokemon...if I was younger I'd teach those damn Rockets a thing or two!"

"Don't speak." I whisper, helping him sit against the brick of the well. "You'll only make it worse."

"He's useless. Leave him." Z snarls.

"No one is useless." I glare back. "And why are you here, anyway?"

"I'm just here to makes sure Team Rocket suffers." He smiles sadistically, flicking long red hair out of his eyes. It looks like he's been eating a little better – and his hair is washed free of dirt. The last vestiges of the black eye Ethan gave him show as a green and purple ring on his cheekbone.

"The kid is right." Kurt wheezes. "You have to make Team Rocket pay, and free the poor Slowpoke. You have to go in my place!" He grabs my hand, crushing my small white fingers in his large ones.

"I will." I nod. "Just try to stay still, we'll be back soon."

I trail behind Z, not entirely trusting him as we walk through the small cave opening and into the larger cavern of the Slowpoke Well. Dew drips from stalagmites into huge pools of emerald green water. The cave is made of sandstone and granite, the dark and light contrast beautiful when coupled with the green reflections of the water. I can see shadowy figures, and one lone figure in the distance, surrounded by Slowpokes.

"You take the left side." Z murmurs. "I'll take the right."

"I'm not listening to you." I glare. Z rolls his eyes.

"Fine. Have it your way, Wealking. I'll have to rescue you anyway."

"You wish." I growl, and start off into cave.

Team Rocket was disbanded three years ago. The expert trainer Red had swept in and eliminated them at the Silph Co. building in Saffron City. The tale was legendary. Red did what no task force of police officers could do, what no other trainer was strong enough, and resilient enough to do – wipe out an entire criminal organization in less than three hours. His Pikachu, no, his entire team was the stuff of legends. Giovanni, the former Gym Leader of Viridian and secret head of Team Rocket, had gone into hiding. The criminal ring was no more.

"You aren't going any further, little girl!" A Rocket bellows, and sends out a Koffing. Silla snorts through her nose, her way of saying she's ready for battle.

I point, and shout my first command.

I watch her out of the corner of my eye as I battle.

She's battling too – all caring kindness and stubborn energy. Her eyes shine with pride and relief when each attack lands, or her Sandshrew dodges a blow. Her eyes are warm.

They make me sick.

Zubat annihilates this pathetic Rocket's Oddish. I move on to the next, and the next one, all the while keeping her voice in my ears – listening to her cut through the Rockets faster than I was. Like butter.

She was still weak. You could see it in her eyes.

I hated her eyes.

She reaches the officer first, an aqua-haired man by the name of Proton. Her Totodile beats his Koffing, but is worn to the bone as a result. The stupid crocodile pants and wobbles. She envelopes it in a strong hug to her chest, and applies a bit of Potion to the wounds. She cares. She cares.

I feel like vomiting, and I nearly do. Kurt runs up to her, smiling with relief. I watch them walk out of the well, her pigtails bobbing as she does a sweep of the cave, looking for me. The shadows hide me, and her face is flat.

She leaves.

I wait until they're gone until I grab the remaining Rocket's arm, twisting it behind his back. He cries out in pain, and I whisper in his ear. Rage boils through me at the sight of his uniform, all the hateful memories of my life come bubbling to the surface as I hiss at him.

"Where is Giovanni?"

Kurt thanks me, pressing a Fast Ball into my hand as a gratitude gift. I give him six green apricorns to make into Pokeballs, and his cute granddaughter gives me his number.

Bugsy's gym is the last obstacle before us.

We train until sunset, and stop for dinner at the pokecenter. I munch on a salad as the pokemon eagerly swallow their pokechow. Silla brings her bowl up and motions to it. I fill it with pokechow again, and she looks down appreciatively at it before wolfing it down. This was her third helping, she definitely ate the most out of all my pokemon, and Araki ate the least.

I wonder what happened to Z. Once I beat Proton, I couldn't see him in the cave anymore. Had he left? Why did he hate Team Rocket so much? I shake my head. I shouldn't think about him too much. He's a cruel, terrifying sort of person.

Tomorrow morning, we'll challenge Bugsy, and we'll win.

We will win. We have to win.