A few of the chapters coming might be of a slower pace. While I'll try to keep the excitement rolling, I'm taking this time to develop my characters Kris and Jule. I feel that Jule hasn't had enough spotlight, and I wish to get a bit into their backstories as well. So hang tight for a few chapters and there will be plenty more darker battles in the Underground coming up.

Chapter Eight: Mankey See, Mankey Do!

The sun barely peaked over the horizon, bathing the wilderness outside of Celadon City in a warm light. Wild Pokemon roam about, foraging for food. They suddenly scatter from the open clearing as they hear unfamiliar footsteps coming.

Kris huffs as he jogs down the deserted road leading between cities. Sweat drips down his face, his body becoming heated from the burns on his back. A sound suddenly caught his attention and he looked down near his feet only to see his best friend at his side, jogging alongside him with renewed vigor.

"Good to have you here," Kris said, and Quilava barked in agreement.

He stopped and turned to his partner, kneeling down and looking over the Pokemon. He was still bandaged, his burns more than likely hurting just as much as his trainer's. Kris looked into Quilava's red eyes as the Pokemon looked back into his brown eyes.

"No matter what, buddy, it's you and me—all the way. This defeat, no matter how bad it was, will only make us stronger, right?" Quilava yipped, nodding. "Then here's a vow between the both of us. We'll continue our training, we'll become stronger,"—Kris stood and raised a fist to the sky—"and next time, we'll beat Ash!" Quilava balanced on his hind legs as he let out a loud howl of excitement. Kris brought his raised fist down to his waist and looked back at his buddy. "This time, it's personal."

"Kris, you can't leave!" It was one of the orphan girls, Clair, who pulled on Kris's coat sleeve as he packed a backpack.

One of the boys on his other arm, Luke, said, "Yeah, you have to stay."

Kris simply smiled at the kids, including the other three behind him, Oliver, Ethan, and Bree, as he said, "I have to, guys. You'll be fine without me."

"Let him go!"

Kris spun around to see Fark standing at the door of his room, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. Fark had a stern look on his face, his eyes seeming to pierce through Kris.

"If he wants to get himself into trouble, let him," Fark said. "Pokemon battles are all he's on about, and they're gonna drag him into the ground. Let him bury his own grave."

"Thanks for being on my side, bro," Kris said sarcastically as he shouldered his backpack, wincing as the pack hit the burn on his back. "I'll be sure to send you a postcard that says 'Glad you're not here.'"

Kris pushed passed the older boy, Quilava at his heels. As Kris walking by Fark called out to him, "What about Jule?"

Kris stopped but didn't look back. "It'd be too hard to say goodbye. It's best I leave while she's gone."

"She'd hate you forever."

The words stung. The last thing he wanted was for Jule to ever hate him, but how could he tell her he was leaving, without ever knowing when or if he'd even return? This would be the first time they'd ever been apart since they were little.

He turned back to Fark, tears beading at the corners of his eyes. "Well what do I do, then? If I wait for her, she'll never let me leave. I don't win either way!"

"Jule's an understanding girl. Talk to her. If you do anything for us, do that for her."

"Talk to me about what?"

The voice caught Kris off guard as he spun toward the front door and saw Jule standing there with bags of groceries in her hands. She tilted her head sideways as she studied Kris, noticing specifically the backpack slung over his right shoulder.

"Fark, you're not making him move out, are you?" Jule said condescendingly to the oldest boy. "I know he's lazy and skips out on chores, but he's at least good with the kids."

"I'm not kicking him out," Fark said, though the thought had crossed his mind before.

Jule's smile faded as she looked to Kris. He hung his head, not making eye contact with her as he said, "I'm leaving—of my own free will."

The girl shook her head in disbelief. "Why? I don't understand. What's going on?"

"Quilava and I are going off to train more."

"What? After what you two have been through? You're crazy!"

"I have to. We'll get stronger and fight Ash again. Next time—"

"No! No 'next time.' You can't go chasing this guy because a cute redhead asked you to."

Kris didn't know how to respond this time. Had she caught on to him liking Misty? "It's not because of her. He nearly killed Quilava and me! I'm going to get him back a hundred times over."

Jule studied the harsh expression on his face. He had pain in his eyes, and a lust for revenge in his words. The only thing he cared for the most was Quilava, and Quilava felt the same about Kris, and shared the same intensity in his eyes. These were two boys who wouldn't be stopped, no matter what.

She could only smile as she said, "Okay."

The response floored Kris as his eyes grew wide, staring at this person he had never set eyes on before. Normally she was on Fark's side—against anything that Kris wanted to do—but today she gave her approval with a simple word.

"R-really?" Kris couldn't help but ask.

The girl nodded in response. "Yeah, I know I can't stop you. I just ask that you be safe."

"Make sure of it," Fark said suddenly. Both Kris and Jule looked to him. "Go with him. Keep him outta trouble."

The duo couldn't believe him. Jule had to ask, "Are you sure? What about—"

"The kids and I will be fine," Fark assured. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

"Oh, y-yeah," Jule said as she dropped the groceries on the floor and rushed down the hall to her room. "Just give me a minute to pack!"

"Pack light!" Kris offered. "It'll be a long trip."

There was silence between the duo and single Pokemon as they set out of Celadon City. The sun was barely reaching midday, the sweltering heat bearing down on them, and causing Kris's and Quilava's burns to ache. There were no wild Pokemon to be seen as they traversed down the road.

Jule was the first to finally break the silence as she asked, "So where are we heading, anyway?"

"I'm wanting to check out Saffron City," Kris answered with enthusiasm hinted in his voice. "In the Underground in Celadon there's a lot of talk about trainers from Saffron, most of them being Psychic-type trainers, and even possessing psychic powers themselves!"

"Really? Sounds frightening."

"Nah! I'm sure they'll be tough, but nothing Quilava and me can't handle. Right, buddy?" Kris added to his partner who gave a nod and growl of agreement.

"Just don't go getting yourself into another mess like with that Charizard. Burns are one thing, but mental damage takes more than a bit of TLC."

"We'll be fine, no worries! And then after that we're heading to Cerulean City. Misty invited us to visit at her Gym."

Jule stopped, completely shocked by the news. They were going to see Misty? That's what this trip was about? He just wanted to be with that girl again?

Once Kris realized Jule was no longer beside him he stopped and turned to his childhood friend. Quilava looked back as well in wonderment. "Everything all right?" Kris inquired.

"Go on your own," Jule said suddenly.

Kris approached Jule. "What do you mean? You're already with me."

"Just go on your own!" Rage boiled inside of her, and Kris could see the anger burning in her eyes. "If you want to get dragged back into that mess, then count me out! I'm going home!"

What was that about? Kris was dumbfounded by her sudden outburst and watched as she turned and walked away. After a split second he finally called to her while reaching out a hand. "Hey, wait a second!" His hand grasped her shoulder and in almost an instant she spun and knocked his hand back, slapping Kris across the face in the process, stunning him.

Without another word Jule turned from Kris once more and continued to storm off. After watching her walk away a moment, Kris finally shouted to her, "Fine, go home! I was gonna do this myself anyway!"

"Stupid Kris," Jule muttered to herself as she continued to march onward back to Celadon. "He's such a jerk, dragging me along to see another girl. How dense is he anyway?"

Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes. She tried brushing them away with the back of her hand, but it seemed to only make things worse as her cheeks became drenched. She threw her backpack down beside a large oak tree and sat on the roots. Overcome with emotion, tears just streamed down her face.

"It's always the same," she mumbled through choked sobs as she removed her glasses. "Why doesn't he understand? Why do I like him so much when he's like this?"

Swinging through the trees and munching on nuts and berries was definitely the life to be had, especially as a Mankey. It didn't have a care in the world as it swung from tree to tree, making fun of other Mankey and Pokemon it passed.

It landed in a tree and reached up for a handful of red berries that it voraciously stuffed in its mouth, swallowing without barely chewing. As it reached for another handful, a sudden sound caught its attention. It looked around for the source and noticed it was below it. A strange looking creature had sat beneath the tree, making strange sounds.

Curiosity had the better of it. Mankey crawled down the tree, careful not to get too close yet. The creature had its head down into lifted knees. Mankey released from the tree and landed in front of the thing that was shaking uncontrollably. A smile spread across its face as an idea came across it. It began making strange faces at this new thing, pressing its face together and pulling down its bottom eyelids.

Once its attempt to gain attention failed, Mankey sat beside the bigger creature and put its head down, making similar noises, mocking it. After a moment, Mankey looked up and saw it still hadn't gained notice. It then went back to making faces at the thing.

Jule rubbed her eyes, feeling them burning. She placed her glasses back on the brim of her nose. After taking a deep breath and then exhaling, she looked up to find herself face to face with a wild Mankey that was deforming its face in strange ways. Startled, Jule let out a loud cry of fear as she slapped the Pokemon, sending it rolling backwards.

Realizing what had happened, Jule stood and studied the Mankey. "Oh no, I'm sorry! You startled me." She began to approach the Pokemon laying on its back. "Are you all right?"

The Mankey swiftly hopped back to its feet, but it looked anything from "all right." Its eyes were red and it danced back and forth angrily, raising its balled fists over its head. Jule stepped back, fear rising in her.

"I—um—" she stammered as she continued to retreat. "S-sorry, Mankey, really."

Mankey glared at Jule, and then it charged. Jule screamed in horror as she ducked. The Mankey shot over her and delivered a powerful Mega Punch to the tree behind her. The attack left a large chunk missed from the oak.

Not wasting time, Jule retrieved her backpack and started running away as fast as her skinny legs would carry her. She was never one for heavy physical activity, and was already lacking on breath. She had to keep going, though. Her life now depended on it as she heard the Mankey trotting behind her.

"I'm not … going to make it," she panted, not daring to look back. With a final deep breath she cried out, "Kris!"

A large root that jutted up from the ground caught the tip of Jule's shoe and she toppled forward. She looked back quickly to spot Mankey flying above her, coming down with another Mega Punch. She quickly rolled out of the way and debris shot through the air as the attack hit the ground. Jule quickly scrambled away from her attacker as it looked around for her. Those piercing red eyes found her, and it advanced on her again.

"Flame Charge!"

The familiar voice gave Jule hope. A fiery ball rushed at Mankey as it tried to leap towards Jule. The wild Pokemon was tossed aside, its fur singed. It hit the ground, but only for a second before it got back to its feet and looked for its new attacker.

The plumes atop Quilava's head and rear lit up fiery flames. He was mad, and he would make this Pokemon pay for trying to hurt Jule.

Kris rushed to Jule's side, keeping his eyes on the furious Mankey. "Are you all right?" he asked his friend.

Joy came across Jule's face as she nodded, but she was too winded and shaky to speak.

The Mankey rushed towards Quilava. Kris didn't waste time in giving a command, either. "Agility!" Quilava darted forward, circling his opponent. "Now hit it with a Flamethrower tornado!" The Fire Pokemon released a torrent of flames that shot into the sky. There was no way a wild Pokemon could make it through this attack.

Somehow, though, this Mankey had. It burst through the fire and connected multiple punches on Quilava, forcing it backwards. Close Combat, huh? This Mankey had some interesting moves for a wild one.

"You okay, buddy?" Kris asked his own Pokemon. Quilava nodded as he recovered from the attack. His flames burned hotter and brighter, which made Kris smile. His Blaze ability had been activated. "All right, let's end this now! Flame Charge!"

Quilava rushed towards the Mankey with flames gushing around him. The attack barely clipped the opposing Pokemon, throwing it aside, but it bounced back to its feet immediately. It stomped its feet angrily and its arms flew wildly.

"Oh no," Kris said, swallowing hard. "It's mimicking Quilava's Blaze by using Rage?"

There was no time to think before Mankey's next attack hit Quilava square in the back, causing it to collapse on the ground. He was still too weak from facing Charizard he couldn't even stand up to a stupid pig-nosed Pokemon.

Having caught her breath, Jule now stood beside Kris, grabbing his arm. "Get Quilava! We have to run!"

Kris knew she was right. He rushed over to Quilava and packed him over his shoulder just as the Mankey came for another attack. Kris scrambled out of the way, letting out a yelp. He ran passed Jule and grabbed her hand, pulling her along.

"I can't … keep up …" Jule panted, stumbling as she tried to match Kris's stride.

"You're gonna have to!" Kris told her as he glanced back to see Mankey still following.

What were they to do? Quilava could no longer battle, and while Kris's stamina had increased greatly from his morning exercises, Jule continued to have a hard time keeping up. He knew she would collapse from exhaustion any minute.

They ran alongside a slope that led to a riverbank. A plan formed in Kris's head. He planted a foot in the ground and spun around, facing Mankey and keeping Jule behind him. He shrugged Quilava from his shoulder and handed the fainted Pokemon to his friend.

"What are you doing?" Jule asked, concerned.

"Stay behind me. I'll protect you."

"Kris, this is stupid!"

He didn't listen, though. Kris put his fists up as Mankey approached. "Come on, Mankey!" he challenged. "Give me all you've got! I'm not backing down. I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Mankey took Kris up on the challenge. It sprang into the air and came at him with a Hi-Jump Kick. Immediately Kris spun around, grabbing Jule and Quilava as he dove off the slope, Mankey soaring passed them and missing its attack by a hair.

Jule let out a cry of fright as Kris hugged her and Quilava tight to him as they rolled down the hill and slid into the muddy riverbank.

"That was a close call."

Jule opened her eyes and glared through her muddy glasses at Kris. She laid on top of him, her face only inches from his. He was smiling as he looked to her, his face and hair covered by mud.

"I—that was—" Jule said hesitantly, aware of her face becoming hot and turning pink.

Something between Jule and Kris let out a low mumble and started squirming. Jule quickly got off Kris to show Quilava having been crushed beneath her. "Oh, sorry Quilava," she said apologetically.

Kris sat up, holding onto his partner Pokemon. "You okay, buddy?" Quilava didn't answer but snuggled his head against his trainer's abdomen.

"Kris," Jule said suddenly, "thank you for saving me back there. I was so scared." Kris simply nodded to her, but Jule had to continue. "I'm sorry for getting angry."

"Don't worry about it, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Right."

Kris stood with Quilava in his arms. "Come on, let's find a dry spot along the bank to set up camp. We can't keep traveling with Quilava in this condition."

Kris had a fire going in no time. It had been years since he'd done it, but he still had the knack for it. He placed Quilava on his sleeping bag by the fire and let him sleep.

"He still hasn't recovered completely, huh?" Jule said as she sat by the fire. She was still covered in mud, from the top of her head to the socks in her shoes.

"It'll take time," Kris told her as he removed his goggles. "I'm still feeling the burns from that battle too."

Jule held her knees to her chest as she twiddled her thumbs. After a moment of waiting, she finally asked, "So what made you come for me?"

"I had to make sure you got home okay. Then I heard you call my name, and I knew something was wrong."

"Well, I don't know how I can ever thank you for saving me."

Kris smiled at Jule as he said, "Keep traveling with me. I don't know how I upset you, but I don't want you going home. I feel better having you at my side."

Jule never felt her face become so flush. "If it's that important, I'll come." Something caught her eye as she spoke.

A shirt and jacket laid on the ground, and was soon joined by a pair of pants. She looked up at Kris who now stood in just his boxers, and her face became even redder. "Ah, Kris! What are you doing?" She quickly covered her eyes.

"Going for a dip!" Kris said as he rushed toward the river and dove in. When he came back up he called to Jule, "Come on in! Water's great!"

"And strip down to just my underwear? I can't—" She was cut off as water splashed over her. She glared at Kris who continued to splash and swim around, taunting the girl. "All right," she said as she began pulling off clothes, "you're in trouble now, Kris Kantu!" She rushed for the water and dove in.

"Hey! Calm down!" Kris cried. "You're … drowning … me …"