Chapter Eleven: The Gatonda Challenge

Sapph knew his journey would be full of lessons. He'd in fact already learnt two new ones after his match with Kamren: he could cook up some mad ideas, crazy ideas and some so insane they were just plain not-to-bright. And two; Haley did not appreciate practical jokes at four-thirty in the morning.

It all began that morning. The peaceful dawn that mimicked the tranquillity Sapph had arisen to in his room at the presently silent Nightspark City Pokémon Centre would be peaceful no more. For Sapph had another one of his not-so-bright ideas as the sun peeked over the pier that he would so regret later on. Slipping out of bed and tiptoeing past Mogshex, who after making a point of telling Sapph she hated being in a pokéball the previous night, was currently sleeping on the soft felt pouffe in the room towards his bag. Mogshex, hearing shuffling noises, opened one eye to watch Sapph rummage in his bag for something large and brown. Sapph stared at it for a moment, his smile growing into a s******ing grin before he began to put it on. Mogshex had no idea what Sapph in mind but knew her trainer wouldn't like the consequences very much.

After donning the Ursaring suit and shuffling over to the door. Sapph opened the door ajar and slipped out, leaving it slightly open. As Sapph crept down the corridor and into Haley's room, he stretched his hands towards Haley's sleeping form, his shadow fell across her. Haley's silver eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in the image of the shadow very slowly.

"What the…" she began uncertainly, rubbing her eyes and peering more closely at the shape of the shadow. Recognising it with a thrill of terror, Haley spun around to see a large grizzly bear with a large gold ring on its belly rise onto its hind legs and growl.

All peace and dreams of the citizens of Nightspark City at that instant were shattered by a long, piercing scream.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MURDEROUS URSARING ON THE LOOOSE! GET AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Haley screamed, her foot rising to connect with the fake Hibernant Pokémon's chin, ripping off its head and sending its limp body soaring into the dresser with enough power to make any Nidoqueen proud. Determined to finish off her assailant, Haley leapt out of bed and proceeded to stomp the living daylights out of its carcass until a familiar moaning pain caused her to look down. Where the Ursaring's head should have been, Sapph's violently red face with a bloody lip and nose looked up into her…

"Sapph? What the…where did the…hey, wha-, "she stammered, looking down to see Sapph now glowing face and wide eyes transfixed. Haley blushed incandescent crimson and continued to stomp Sapph's face in like a four-hundred pound Donphan on steroids, reaching over for her fallen pillow to aid her in snapping Sapph out of what she assumed was severe perversion.

"What the frigging hell are you looking at, you freaking pervert! Quit looking, damn it! Look…a…freaking…way!" Haley yelled, in a voice so loud no font size could encapsulate its ear-splitting volume.

"OI! HEY! GERROFF ME, HALEY! GERROFF! OWW! OWWW, PUT THE DAMN PILLOW DOWN, HALEY! KNOCK IT OFF, YOU CRAZY WOMAN!!!! OWWWW!!!" Sapph yelled, shielding his face with his arms.

"Don't you freaking tell me to f***ing knock it off, you perverted b*****d!" Haley continued to storm, landing another kick in the side of Sapph's head, sending him flying into the corner. The walls shook as Sapph collided with the walls. "I oughta…hunh?" she stopped abruptly, staring at her reflection in the dressing mirror where she saw one of a girl's nightmares' unfold right before her eyes.

"WHAT THE… IS THAT…?!!!" She began loudly, and her voice getting progressively louder.

"Now what?" Sapph muttered, rubbing his sore ribs.

"AAAAARGGH, A FREAKING GRAY HAIR! SAPPH MANSON! YOU'RE SO GONNA FLIPPING PAY!!!" Haley Kent continued in a bloodcurdling screech, her silver eyes on fire.

"Hunh? Gray hair?" Sapph muttered drowsily, lifting his hands off his smarting head to see a lock of whitened hair dangling from Haley's head, clearly distinct amongst the reddish-blonde. He gulped as he rubbed a hand over his chin to feel a small trickle of blood of it running from his chin to his mouth and somehow knew he was going to see a lot more of it soon.

Uh, oh… this won't end well, Sapph thought worriedly as Haley slowly dropped her hand from the strands of mismatched hair on her head.

"Do you know, Sapphire Manson, for how long the lustrous gleam of my hair has been important to me?" Haley whispered, rising slowly as she cracked her knuckles.

Sapph didn't know, but he had a feeling that he was going to find out that it took quite a while…

Lord, let me live, Sapph fervently prayed as Haley drew closer.

Five minutes later…

"Lord, let me die." Sapph mumbled in a constricted voice, curled up on the floor, covered in bruises and smoking lumps the size of tennis balls as Haley flounced out of the room to cover up the shame her beautiful, precious hair now suffered at the hands of Sapph's joke.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haley stormed off to the bathroom. Hopefully she'd find something there to rectify the sad situation her hair was presently in. Meanwhile an eleven year old boy with messed up brown hair was making his way stealthily to the same bathroom from the other end of the corridor, keen to avoid anyone seeing him in his present state.

Reaching the washroom first, he slipped inside and bolted the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, he made to head for the shower before a loud thumping scared him witless.

"MANSON! OPEN THIS FRICKING DOOR RIGHT NOW!" A loud and scary feminine voice yelled from the other side of the door with accompanying bangs.

"D'YOU HEAR ME MANSON? NOW! BEFORE I MAKE IT THE LAST THING YOU DO!"

"Would you mind leaving me alone before I call the police to arrest you for threatening to harm me?" The boy demanded coldly, his voice thick with sarcasm, albeit a little thin with fear, causing his voice to rise several tones higher than its usual baritone. This woman sounded dead serious… add to that the fact that he was defenseless at the moment would equal a very scared Johton boy.

Haley was stunned by the boy's response. Arrested? Sapph wasn't that scared was he? And how could he beat her to the bathroom while he was still twitching from her beat down of the boy trainer from earlier? Haley's mind reeled with questions that buzzed through and around her head. Bewildered, she turned around and walked slowly towards the other bathroom available for visitors to the Pokémon Center.

---

Sapph in the meantime had picked himself gingerly up from the floor of Haley's room and had hobbled down the hall towards the other bathroom… as far away from Haley's shouting voice as he could get. As he staggered gingerly across the threshold of the bathroom door, he thought, Well, add that to the list of things not to do around Haley if I want to live to see my next birthday…

Locking the door behind him, he walked over to the sink and studied his injuries in the mirror. A large, pulsating bruise forming above his left eye gave him the appearance of a one-eyed crone. Blood from his broken nose and split lip had begun to dry, giving him the appearance of someone who had tried to apply make up to himself, but had only a vague idea where it should go.

Wincing as he gently touched the largest bruise, he yelped in greater pain as a loud bang on the door startled him into poking himself in the eye.

"SAPPH MANSON! STOP SCREWING AROUND AND LET ME IN!" Haley's murderous yell had lost none of its bite that day… Haley was properly pissed.

"Hey! D'you mind? Some people have more pressing issues to attend to than making their hair look pretty!" Sapph retorted, worn out from the issues he had started and fed up with the violence he had instigated. He also knew he wasn't going to get out of the bathroom right now, or for a long while to come: Haley would kill him for real if he confronted her right then. "Just- just go use the other bathroom, will ya? Geez!"

Haley stood on the other side of the door, rigid with shock and shaking with… anger? Not quite…

Fury? Don't quite think so…

Apoplectic rage? Not as close…

All you need to know is that not even all the Legendaries combined would dare to stand before Haley in her state and hope to live through the carnage…

Hey, Haley! What happened to your hair?

Haley turned slowly, almost as though the movement caused her pain and fixed her furious stare upon Mongle, who had sauntered up towards the girl trainer sleepily, smiling a winning smile.

What's wrong? You look like you've seen a Gastly… speaking of ghastly, the Leaf Squirrel added with a chuckle, have you seen Sapph?

The name seemed to act as a stimulant upon Haley's rage, causing it to break through the dam of reasonable restraint inside her. With a demonic glow in her eyes, she swung foot at the Mongle and sent him on a fifty mile per hour trip with a vengeance none but the most powerful linebackers in football history could hope to compete with.

Chansey in the meantime was just waddling through the swinging doors into the corridors, muttering in a sleep-constricted voice Whuzz gowin' uhn in here? before something green flew smack into her face and sticking there.

Nurse Chansey reached for her face slowly and with the noise of a plunger being pulled from a drain, dislodged Mongle from her face, who promptly retched.

Urgh! What the- meeeEEEEEEEP?! Anuvi gasped as the Chansey grip on Mongle's neck tightened exponentially causing his head to turn blue and inflate, making his blood red eyes bulge like golf balls in their sockets as they watched the Egg Pokémon wipe her lips and form a vengeful fist.

Aw, no… not again! Mongle groaned as Chansey reared back, ready to administer 'treatment' SAAAAAAPPPH…

***

"Geez, what was that for?" Sapph mumbled an hour later to his Mongle, Ledyba and a small black kitten with white tufts of hair around its neck and the base of its paintbrush tail, spiky black hair on top of its head and a cute button nose as they sat or hovered down to breakfast in the main lobby of the Pokémon Centre.

Well, it was your fault, you know, Mogshex said, after primly swallowing the food in her mouth. If you hadn't scared her so much, she wouldn't have greying hair and you wouldn't have broken ribs.

"So you're telling me she's right not to have a sense of humour?" Sapph countered moodily, rubbing his tender trunk.

Who knows, son? Who knows? Mongle replied sagely. Or as sagely as he could with his mouth was filled to bursting yet again.

"I mean, one second it's peaceful and the next second she ready to rip my head off! Why are girls so emotional anyways?" Sapph asked no one in particular.

Well-uhhh…well, Mongle began, food dribbling down out the corner of his mouth (Mogshex chose this moment to throw the Leaf Squirrel a look of pure disgust before turning away). Ledyba, help me out here!

Ledyba, who had also closed his eyes to stave off the nauseating sight of Mongle talking and eating at once, opened his eyes when he thought it would be safe to without throwing up and answered succinctly, Please, Mongle. Keep me outta this, OK?

Hmph. Some pal you are, Mongle grumbled, food still falling out of his face with every syllable.

"I mean, Bubbles literally drowned you with drool in its sleep… did I make a ruckus? No!" Sapph continued to grumble to no one in particular.

The female is such a complex creature, my son. Very complex indeed. Mongle mused, after finally getting his food down the right tube.

"How am I supposed to bear this for a year and a half? I mean how could Mom and Mrs. Kent do this to me?" Sapph groaned, referring to the telegrams they had received from Mrs. Kent the previous evening, telling the twosome that the two mothers had agreed to let Sapph and Haley travel together for about a year and a half 'for security reasons' as his mother's telegram had said.

Whose security, though? Sapph wondered, reflecting on Haley's assault earlier in the morning, 'cause I feel mine is being threatened by this girl every minute I spend with her!

He'd lost thread of the conversation going on around him as he pondered how he was going to survive with a potentially lethal travel companion.

Not so. It's you guys who are too simple to understand us girls. the kitten piped up.

No way! Mongle insisted. Do not listen, my son! The feline one seeks to confuse you!

Who the heck are you calling 'My son'? Ledyba said, staring at Mongle in a confused manner.

Sure as hell ain't you, Goggle Head! Mongle sass-mouthed Ledyba, dropping the mystic tone in a flash. What do you take me for, Globes for Eyes? You that dumb, Bug Eye?!

A vein went off on Ledyba's temple at a rate that was off the scale. Eventually, the Five Star Pokémon calmed down enough to reply.

Hmm, you're right there. It is stupid to compare you to my dad. Last time I checked, my dad had much better manners. He was more handsome too. Ledyba smart-alecked back.

What! OK, that does it! You and me, Bug Eye! Right here, right now! Mongle said, only to be returned to his pokéball by an exasperated Sapph along with Ledyba who'd swallowed his food and also looked ready to go.

See? Told you guys are too simple to understand girls. the kitten replied nonchalantly, who'd looked up to watch her new team mates' spat with disgust and had now returned to eating her meal in peace.

"Mogshex, I'm a guy too, ya know. Don't generalize your comments about guys like that or I'll send you back in too." Sapph warned her, only a little wearily. It was hard to get mad at Mogshex.

Whatever. It's not my fault if my team mates lack maturity, she replied nonchalantly, not looking up from her breakfast.

"That is a little unfair, though" Sapph said slowly, chewing on his food thoughtfully. "Ledyba isn't usually that rough…usually only happens with Mongle…"

Yeah, well…Ledyba's an exception to the rule, Mogshex said with a satisfied purr, as she used her rough tongue to clean her dish.

Sapph rolled his eyes and returned to his just as Haley pranced out of the rest room with Bubbles the Aquari cuddled in her arms.

Gooool monning, Sap! Bubbles called cheerily.

"IT'S SAPPH, YOU…" the Johto trainer half-yelled, stopping abruptly at the look on Haley's face when she saw that her Pokémon looked ready to unleash a bucketful of tears out at once. "Erm, sorry Bubbles, my name is Sapph," he rephrased apologetically.

That whatta say! Sap! Bubbles insisted.

"Never mind, Bubbles." Haley assured her Pokémon, sitting down to some breakfast too. "I'm sure Sap knew that! You being so smart and all!"

Yay! Bubbles smart, Bubbles smart! The Water Hare screeched happily.

Under normal circumstances, Sapph would have pretended to retch over the table and retort rudely, but with the Haley from that morning still fresh in his mind, he contented himself with a strained smile.

"You, er, OK, Haley?" Sapph asked tentatively, looking Haley over nervously.

"I'm great!" she replied enthusiastically, as Sapph watched Haley and Bubbles digging in with enough gusto to make even Mongle sick.

I guess pounding the crap outta me must have taken a lot outta her, Sapph thought watching her with a sickened expression that matched his new Pokémon's.

"By the way, Sapph," Haley asked, emptying her mouth, "when did you get a Mogshex?"

"Oh, yesterday," Sapph said flashing back to when he met his newest Pokémon…

-Flashback-

At the rocky route north of Nightspark City…

"Who's there?" Sapph choked out, swivelling around to see a pair of ruby red eyes staring at him from out of the shadows.

The Pokémon stepped into the moonlight to reveal itself to be a small black kitten with white, fluffy hair around the nape of its neck and base of its tail.

As usual the Pokédex had the answer.

Mogshex, the Night Cat Pokémon. Mogshex are found only at night and appear only to people who feel distinct despair. Such emotions are drawn in by its fine white hairs as a source of energy, replacing them with a feeling of peace and tranquillity. As such they are rarely seen at all.

That so? Sapph thought, watching the Mogshex slink closer towards him. He felt all the pain of the evening slip away. He began to smile as he looked into the kitten's deep red eyes, who smiled back in an enchantingly cute way. It suddenly sprang lithely into the boy's lap and curled up there, purring contentedly.

Sapph felt this wave of content and relaxed on the boulder. Fortunately (or unfortunately), this movement caused the Mogshex to nudge an empty pokéball on his belt, enlarging it. In a blink of an eye, the Night Cat Pokémon had vanished in a flash of red.

What the- the kitten had begun in alarm, but to no avail. The deal was sealed; Sapph had caught her.

"Hunh? Hey, where'd the Mogshex g-," Sapph started, snapping out of his dreamlike state sharply as he noticed what had happened. "Aw, man! Is that the only way I can catch a Pokémon? By freaking accident?!" he cried out in frustration, throwing the fist clenched around the pokéball into a nearby rock.

A popping sound then echoed in the clearing as Sapph squeezed the pokéball. Mogshex reappeared in a flash of white light, blinked twice and yawned. Striding up to where Sapph sat, it climbed up to Sapph's chest so it could reach his face. Sapph smiled; Mogshex's soothing power was really effective. The Mogshex's face suddenly turned dangerous as she swatted her new trainer across the face, leaving three long, thin and stinging scratch marks on his face. Sapph, yelping in pain and anger, reached for the Night Cat Pokémon's orb and returned it in a temper as she stretched and curled in to a ball, ready to resume her napping.

-End Flashback-

"I see… so that explains the dual carriageway markings across your nose…" Haley mused, smirking broadly.

"Haley…" Sapph snarled, a vein throbbing painfully on his clenched fist.

"Oops, sorry Sapph!" Haley tinkled, though not looking too sorry at all. "Anyway, when are we gonna see the carnival, Sapph?" Haley asked coming out of her reverie after listening to Sapph's short narration of his most recent capture.

"I've already seen enough of it for now," Sapph answered shortly.

"But that's not really the point, Sapph," Haley said, her eyebrows raised. "After all, there was a hand bag I simply must get for my mother and an adorable..."

"I said, we're not," Sapph replied bluntly, finishing off his meal and rising to his feet.

"...ribbon that would look simply...excuse me?" Haley asked, unsure if she heard Sapph right.

"I said, we're not staying," Sapph repeated, reaching for his knapsack.

"But-," Haley began to protest.

"Listen, you and Bubbles can stay if you want, but Mongle, Ledyba, Mogshex and I are hitting the road. I'm not letting Kamren Kent get ahead of me…not since yesterday," Sapph told her, a determined glint in his sapphire blue eyes.

"Geez, you are so-," Haley spluttered as Sapph turned to go.

Sapph didn't wait to hear what he so was. He didn't really give a hoot anyway...

"Fine! I don't give a dirty Rattata's rear what I'm meant to be this time! C'mon, Mogshex… catch you guys at the town gate in half an hour! You can do your shopping in that amount of time! Right, Little Miss Organized?" Sapph said loudly, cutting Haley's indignant protest short. Mogshex leapt nimbly into his arms rather than into her pokéball, and he was gone.

Silence reigned in the Pokémon Center for about three minutes, during which Haley's face grew beet red and Bubbles, noticing this flattened her long ears and braced herself for the explosion that Sapph could hear even three hundred yards away as he searched the sprawling carnival for the western exit of the city, so he could get on with his journey.

Sapph however had another issue to be grumpy about and didn't care much for the ruckus the Pokémon Centre behind him was experiencing.

"What's with you and your dislike for walking?" Sapph asked Mogshex disgruntled, shimmying out of the way of a parade displaying a troupe of dancing Aipom.

Well, the road's muddy, isn't it? Mogshex answered, looking down at a puddle and shuddering at the thought of having to walk through it.

"Geez… Are all Mogshex this prissy? Or is it just females?" Sapph groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come to think of it, are all girls like that?" He asked, once again remembering Haley's apoplectic behaviour this morning.

Hey! For your big bad information, buster, I am so...not... prissy! Mogshex began in an irate, scandalized tone.

Just as the words came out, a small girl ran out of a side alley smack into Sapph, who in surprise dropped Mogshex into a particularly muddy puddle as he grabbed the girl around the waist to stop her falling into one herself.

Mogshex rose out of the puddle, dripping muck all over her face. Wiping it off with the back of her paw and throwing her trainer a dirty look, Mogshex mumbled incoherently, Ugh…sure, Sapph… you be the big strong hero and I'll just hang around down…down… what ha-ha-haaaaa… she suddenly began to stutter, staring at the mud on the back of her paw, whilst reaching up tremulously with the other one to feel her face, her mind on fast forward as the horror of what happened to her hit her.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUGGGGGGG GHHHHHHHHHHH! MY BEAUTIFUL FUUUUUUUUUUUR! RUINED! Mogshex wailed, looking herself over in horror.

"What the-, "Sapph exclaimed, looking the girl over and blushing furiously as his mind caught up with the position he was in and let go hurriedly wondering how the hell he got into these situations. The girl also hot flashed as the duo jumped apart in surprise and embarrassment as she hastily disentangled herself from his arms after briefly snuggling herself closer to his side.

"Oh, oh, oh! I-I-I-I'm so s-so-sorry!" the petite gasped, her shiny green eyes widening in apology under her long light brown fringe.

"J-Joy?! When did you get here? Wow, w-what a surprise! What's with the hair colour change?" Sapph stammered.

The girl seemed too flustered to answer Sapph's questions. Sapph pressed on, noticing that she kept looking over her shoulder.

"Joy? Are you OK? Is anyone after you? And have you shrunk a bit since we last met?" Sapph asked, now peering carefully at his new 'acquaintance', oblivious to Mogshex's screams of anguish.

"Joy? Who-who's Joy? You mean my…" the girl said softly.

"No…not your third sister twice removed from the apple…sorry, family…oh, whatever! I meant, you! " Sapph said, trying to remember her link to the nursing family and winding up frustrated. "Nurse Joy Jr.?" He added with a shot at hopefully jogging her memory.

"Wha…is…is my…is she a friend of yours?" The girl went on, understanding flickering in her eyes, although Sapph was clearly lost in the dark.

OK, Sapph thought furtively she is seriously weirding me out now. Was a nurse's memory that short? Or was what happened back in EverWood just a phase?

"Hey, you OK? You're Joy! Are you a little amnesic from your fall?" Sapph said worriedly.

"Fall? N-no! I-I'm not J-Joy…I'm called…" the girl went on, but a raucous voice interrupted her.

"Hey, Nora! Where're Reggie's goods?" yelled the raucous voice, which Sapph observed belong to a boy wearing a bug catcher hat as the boy ran up to them. The youth looked no older than ten to Sapph. By his side was a small, black dog with long fangs and blood red eyes. Its short, brushy tail twitched as it growled at the girl now cowering close to Sapph's side.

"I dunno what's going on, but you really should know better than to have your Pokémon attack a person for fun," Sapph said sternly, addressing the boy.

"Hey dude, butt outta this!" the boy with the dog told Sapph curtly, taking a step closer. At the same time, the girl clung tighter to Sapph's back and Sapph took a step forward towards the other boy.

That is a Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. There are indigenous to the Hoenn Region,The Pokédex reported.

Two more boys loped out of the shadows, Poochyena by their sides as well. One wore a fishing hat, the other a green fishing cap.

"So, boys! Wanna battle, or what?" Sapph asked cockily. I guess I got time for these three, he added mentally. He may be outnumbered, but at five foot eight, he towered above the other boys, the tallest of which had to five foot three, and Nora who looked no taller.

"You're pretty dumb to think you can beat us, the Dark Pokémon Trainer Club," the boy in the straw hat called, pointing at Sapph.

"Yeah!" His companions yelled.

"Hunh? You guys are the… what was it again?" Sapph asked, confused by the long title the youths had placed upon themselves. He placed his right hand on his waist and stuck his left pinky finger up his ear as though to clean out a build up of wax.

"THE DARK POKÉMON TRAINER CLUB!" All three trainers yelled in unison, seriously ticked off at this point.

"What'sa matter, boys? Couldn't think of a cooler and shorter name?" Sapph teased, making a nerdy face at the trio.

"Okay tough guy, that does it! Bring it on!" Straw Hat roared.

"Yeah!" The boy with a fishing hat added.

"We'll whup your butt but good!" chortled the youth with the cap.

Three on one, hunh? Sapph thought, a grin curling up his face. Should be fun! "Let's go, Mogshex!" He rallied.

MY FUR! WAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Mogshex continued to bawl.

Sapph sweat dropped.

"Umm, okay, then go Mongle!" he said, chucking his Grass Pokémon's ball forward.

Mongle took form on the street, staring at all three of his canine counterparts.

A street battle, hunh? Is that allowed, Sapph? Mongle asked, looking at his trainer out of the corner of his eyes.

Sapph shrugged. "I dunno," he admitted.

Ah, who cares? I say let's get it on! Mongle agreed, looking back towards the issue at hand.

"Poochyena, Howl!" all three boys yelled in perfect unison.

All three Bite Pokémon, raised their snouted faces up to the sky and let loose a collective battle cry, which echoed off the buildings. The Poochyena then looked tougher; more battle ready.

Poochyena howl to raise their Attack power in battle, the Pokédex continued. In the wild, they use the howling to keep together in packs, especially after evolution.

"Really?" Sapph said, arching his dark brown eyebrows. "Then use Razor Leaf, Mongle!"

The puppy Pokémon had barely finished charging up when Mongle pummelled them over the heads with sharp, spinning leaves. The Bite Pokémon flew into a nearby dumpster where they lay, too beat to continue.

"No way!" Straw-Hat yelled.

"Unreal!" the green capped youth exclaimed

"Impossible!" the Fisherman-Hat kid hollered, bug-eyed.

Heh, now that's what I call takin' out the trash! Mongle crowed.

"Had enough?" Sapph asked, hiding his glee behind a look of extreme boredom. That was almost too easy! Sapph thought.

"We gotta tell the leader!" The boy in a straw hat said in awe, recalling his fallen Poochyena from the dumpster.

"Yeah!" the others agreed, following suit.

"No need, boys… I saw the whole thing," a new voice called. A taller boy stepped out of the shadows, clapping his hands slowly in mock applause.

Sapph tensed, taking in his new opponent's appearance. With slicked back hair and a leather biker jacket, this guy sure lived up his role as leader of the pack based on his appearance. The only thing that ruined the image was the lollipop the boy had stuck in his mouth to look like a cigarette.

"Who's that?" Sapph asked Nora, who'd broken out into a fresh wave of shivers.

"My brother Reginald," she whispered.

"Reg to you," He corrected pushing his black glasses up his long nose. He then looked around at the beaten Pokémon and whistled. "Not bad…not bad at all," the guy said, stepping up to Sapph and Mongle, who'd jumped back a couple of paces to ready himself for another battle. "Look's like I'll have some decent competition in the Gatonda Tournament, this year…"

"The what?" Sapph asked.

"Not a local, hunh? Well the tourney is an annual regular at this carnival," Reg explained. "I'm best bet at being tourney champ this year," he added with a bit of a swagger.

"Really? You must be good! How's about showing me your stuff now?" Sapph said eagerly. "I got time for one more battle before I leave for the next league badge…"

"Later, kid…Nora, hand over my stuff. Now!" he yelled at the girl who, with fear in her coral green eyes quickly handed him a small white paper bag.

"Is that it?!" the boy yelled incredulously, stepping forwards towards his sister, who cowered behind Sapph.

"Hey, back off! Is that a way to treat your little sister?" Sapph demanded angrily.

"Butt out, Kid! Oh well, Ma always gave you less allowance than me," Reggie said indifferently, popping the lollipop out of his mouth and pulling a new one out of the bag.

"Hey, wait… was Nora's money used for that?!" Sapph yelled, as Reggie shoved the bag into his jacket's inner pocket and his free hand into his denim trouser pocket.

"Maybe. Let's go, boys," Reggie answered indifferently, turning to walk off.

"Hey, we're not done here," Sapph protested.

"I'll deal with you at the tourney, unless you're too chicken to sign up!" Reg called back disappearing into the shadows with his motley crew.

You'll bet I'm staying, Sapph fumed. This ain't over!

Man, what a jerk! Mongle moaned. The Leaf Squirrel then noticed Mogshex in the puddle, crying over her soggy fur.

Pfft- pff- Wh-what happened t-t-t-to… pfft… Mongle stuttered, struggling not to laugh at his team mate.

Don't laugh! If you laugh, I'll-I'll… Mogshex gulped.

"Lay off her, Mongle," Sapph warned his first Pokémon. "She really doesn't need that from you right now..."

I'm sorry Sapph, I –I –I – AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Muddy Mogshex! Muddy Mucky Mogshex! Mongle screamed out in mirth, rolling all over the floor, clutching his stomach.

Quit it! Stop laughing! Mogshex squealed, blinking back tears.

"Mongle…" Sapph said warningly, his hand reaching for his pokéball.

Sorry, girly cat! It's just that you look-you look… Mongle choked, laughing some more.

MONGLE! STOP...LAUGHING...AT...MEEEE!!! Mogshex screamed, raking her paw over the Grass Pokémon face, sending him flying into the dumpster.

Too late, Sapph thought ruefully, letting his hand drop to his side again.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" The girl asked perplexed, her eyes almost as wide as Ledyba's after seeing this odd display of infighting.

"Nah," he said tiredly. "Mogshex won't do worse… it's too dirty in there for…"

All hatred of dirt forgotten, Mogshex flew after Mongle into the dumpster, and, past caring how dirty it was inside, started swatting every part of his face she could reach with a Fury Swipes attack.

Sapph's eyes resembled mere pinpricks at this turn of events.

"Uh, forget it" Sapph said hastily, sweat dropping.

Sapph and the girl sprang forward and within seconds had separate the squabbling Pokémon- Nora held the flurry of claw and black fur that was Mogshex back as Sapph held onto a severely scratched Mongle. It looked like Mogshex had been playing Tic-Tac-Toe with Mongle's face as the board and had no idea you only needed nine squares to play.

"Do Pokémon fight their team mates like this all the time?" Nora wondered aloud, trying to keep her injuries to a minimum as she held the spitting and slashing tangle of claws and black-and-white fur that was Mogshex.

"Nope. Just mine," Sapph replied wearily. It had been a very long morning…

"It's my fault your Mogshex got all messy… here come with me. I'll clean them up for you," the girl said softly, not quite meeting Sapph's eyes as she mumbled her apology.

"No, it's not your fault," Sapph reassured her, scratching the back of his head embarrassedly. "I can take them to the centre, and..."

"No, really, my grandma and I do this all the time. It's really my fault, anyway. I-I, uh, I-I, err, kinda...you know...insist," She stammered faintly, an extremely faint tinge of pink in her cheeks as Sapph stopped scratching to look at her when he answered.

"My name is Nora, by the way," She added, rapidly averting her eyes from his as she led Sapph out of the alley and up the crowded sidewalk.

"I'm Sapph, and you really don't have to worry. I can get them cleaned up at the Centre." Sapph replied uncomfortably as he followed. Nora's suddenly sparkly eyes were uncomfortably and attractively haunting in a way he couldn't quite place his finger on.

"Do you know the Junior nurse at the EverWood Pokémon Centre, Nora? Your eyes look so much like hers, and you sort of act the same," Sapph asked his new friend as she led him around a magician's float as they crossed the road.

"She's my distant cousin, as a matter of fact," Nora said, looking back and managing a small smile at him. "We stay in touch. People keep saying how alike we were when we were younger so my Gran's Misdreavus dyed my hair brown so everyone could tell us apart. They tried to wash it out but I guess some stayed in there…what's funny?" She went on a little flustered as Sapph had let out a great whoop of laughter.

Sapph stopped quickly, noticing he was being rude about it. "Sorry," he said quickly, wiping his eyes. "But you've gotta admit that is kinda funny…"

Nora relaxed. "Well, it is… I just thought… well… I didn't know you knew her, too… sorry," she added, blushing to the roots of her light brown hair.

Continuing to blush as she looked at her sneakers, they continued to walk up the road in silence. She then went on to say, "It was so confusing back then…it was like we had no individual identity before then…everybody liked Joy better cause she could nurse well…I didn't know squat… had no talent either…and my whole family are nurses..."

"I can relate to that," Sapph said darkly, knowing what it was like to resemble someone who was so much better at everything they did.

She went on, not hearing what Sapph said, "… so I was kinda relieved when it happened… gave me an opportunity to be different… to be me."

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing when you get a chance to be you," Sapph said, thinking of Prof. Yew and the call that had possibly changed his destiny.

"Hunh? Did you say something, Sapph?" Nora said quickly, looking at him and blushing, if possible even more.

Realising with a huge animé sweat drop that he'd said something that would create an awkward situation, he quickly flapped his hands and said, "N-n-no! Of course not!" Sapph quickly looked downwards and away from Nora to hide the fact that he was blushing slightly.

"Oh! Sorry," Nora said, turning her face away so Sapph couldn't see how disappointed she looked.

They walked on in silence, lost in their own little worlds as the procession of floats moved on amidst loud band music and showers of colourful streamers and confetti.

"Was there this big a difference in Corei girls to Johto girls, or are Corei girls just plain outta this world weird?" Sapph thought quietly in a confused manner as he watched a procession of brightly coloured floats pass by another major street, reflecting on how much success he'd had with girls at Violet City Pokémon Academy and realising there wasn't much to reflect on.

I dunno... maybe you're the next hot thing in Corei, ma man! Mongle said with a sly look at his trainer. I mean… Nurse Joy Jr. was all over you… and now so's her cousin!

"Ssh!" Sapph hissed.

Mongle happily went on summarising Sapph's love life, oblivious to Sapph's noise of dissent. … and you obviously like the nurse…or, no…you don't!

"Don't what?" Sapph said quickly in spite of himself.

A large smirk crossed Mongle's face as he looked at him with a face full of mischief You naughty Casanova! Not the cousin too?!

Sapph mentally face faulted at this pronouncement. True, he liked Nurse Joy Jr. a lot (Not like I'd ever tell you, Mongle, Sapph though ruefully) and Nora seemed nice (as a friend, he thought hastily), but what did that have to do with anything?

Gaining control of the amount of heat that had rushed to his face, Sapph arranged his face to reflect disdain and turned to look down Mongle. "You know something, Mongle?" Sapph asked wearily.

Not unless you tell me, New Kid on the Block, Mongle replied.

"Just shut up for the rest of the day, ok? You can do that, right?" Sapph asked him, totally worn out from the day's events so far.

Nope! Mongle said coyly. After all, we know you simply LOVE having these little...ah, heart to hearts...

"No, I don't!" Sapph hissed furiously into Mongle's ear.

Sapph, Sapph... denial will get you nowhere... Mongle said slyly. Do I tell Joy…or will you have the pleasure?

"Enough." Sapph said coldly. Mongle curled up again, his catlike grin spreading from ear to ear.

Aw, man! Of all the talkative Pokémon... Sapph thought in disgust, exasperation and amusement as he ignored his partner and focused on where they were going.

They had left the rambling skyscrapers of the bustling industrial area behind and were now in a peaceful residential area. At least it's quieter here, Sapph thought, but it's still so full of life. Large, shady trees lined the generally narrower streets in which little children played in. Here there were a variety of three-storied flats and one-storied buildings which arranged in neat blocks and separated by neatly kept hedges. Parents who weren't at work or the festival were either chatting merrily over the hedges, keeping their playful children from harassing the family Pokémon or tending to their vibrantly coloured gardens.

"Here we are," Nora informed him as they walked up the short flight of steps to a modest one- storey home that looked like it came from fourteenth century Violet City.

With light wood floor panels, a small herb garden out back, a traditional moat and stretches of velvety green lawns dotted with flat stones that formed a path leading to what looked like the garden shed, Nora's place looked like a nice place.

"…I don't see why she can't," a loud voice called out as Sapph took his shoes off.

"My grandma," Nora whispered to Sapph as they entered.

Just as they were crossing the hall way, three adults stormed out, arguing heatedly.

"You let Reginald become a trainer, why not Nora?" the eldest queried; a short, stout lady in a white and blue-hemmed kimono.

"Reggie is a boy," the woman answered quietly, not looking at the man next to her.

Nora's mom, Sapph thought, wishing he weren't here right now. I mean, anybody would be embarrassed to bring a guest home to this, Sapph added internally, glancing at Nora to see her facial expression torn between severe chagrin at having Sapph see her family fight and pain: Mogshex had been startled by the yells and was currently clinging to Nora's fore arms painfully by the claws.

"That is right," he agreed; with a pencil moustache and wearing a male's kimono, Sapph assumed this to be Nora's father. "It is to be expected."

"That's no excuse!" the senior lady said shrilly. She seemed in the eighties with deep wrinkles forming at the corners of her flashing green eyes.

Ooh, real life drama family spat! Where's the popcorn, buddy? Mongle jibed.

"Mongle, just shut up!" Sapph growled through tightly gritted teeth.

That idiot is so not helping the situation, Sapph. You do know that, right? Mogshex whispered to her trainer.

This conversation seemed to bring Nora's family to their senses. They all spun around to look at Sapph and Nora with expressions of open surprise.

"Umm, I'm home," Nora called uncertainly to her family.

"Nora!" the younger woman cried out, her pale face flushed to see her daughter had company. "How are you?"

"Where's your brother? And who's this urchin?" Nora's father inquired sharply, all traces of surprise gone. He now wore an austere frown on his thin pointy face as he looked at Sapph with cold, ice blue eyes.

"Leonard!" the old woman chided. "That was uncalled for!"

"Stay out of this, mother!" the man snapped back. "Well?" he asked again, staring appraisingly at Sapph.

Urchin?! At least I'm not a forty year-old momma's boy! Sapph thought furiously.

Sapph never backed down from anyone except his dad (and his mom when she was really mad) before, and never knew when not to talk back and just shut up (a trait Mongle had no doubt picked up from the Johto trainer.)

However, just as he opened his mouth to answer and make the situation ten times uglier, the older woman stepped in.

"It's alright, Ralph," she said soothingly, "Thank you for bringing Nora home," she added, winking at Sapph, who took the hint not to argue with her son at last and rearranged his face from a look of abject confusion to one of solemn modesty.

Pulling off a short Japanese bow, he said in his most humble voice, "My pleasure, Obaa-san."

She then led Nora and Sapph away from Nora's parents by the arm into a room that looked like an apothecary: medicines in all colours and shapes and sizes of bottles and jars lined the shelves. There were pots on a stove boiling away slowly. What seemed like a hot tub for Pokémon also stood in a corner.

"Don't you mind that old blowhard son of mine," she reassured Sapph as she got the tub heated up with Nora's help. "He's just high-strung…"

"…and a tradition-loving jerk? Yeah, I noticed," Sapph said quietly.

The two ladies stared at Sapph for a minute and Sapph suddenly felt as though he'd gone too far. The older lady suddenly threw back her head and let out a great whoop of laughter.

"I've got to remember that one," she choked, her eyes flooded with tears of mirth.

"Grandma!" Nora said chidingly as Sapph looked dumbfounded.

"So, er... is this a clinic or something?" Sapph asked her as he looked around.

"Or something," the old lady replied as she took Mongle from Sapph and plonked him into the tub.

Hey, lady! Not so…aaahhh, Mongle started to protest, relaxing once Nora had added some sweet smelling herbs to the bath. He moaned with relaxation as he soaked up the soothing sensation the bubbles filled the air with. Now, this is the life!

Sapph felt a slight twinge of jealousy.

"We work hand in hand with the Center… my grandmamma Rose is an expert Co-ordinator and breeder," Nora explained, brushing back a strand of her short light brown hair that once matched her mother's cherry coloured hair.

She then proceeded to brush Mogshex off with a soft brush, which the Night Cat Pokémon enjoyed immensely.

Oh, yes, right there…ahh! That's the spot! the kitten purred with pleasure.

"So what's your real name? I know for a fact it ain't Ralph," Rose continued, flyaway hair under a red bandanna. She looked at Sapph with mischievously sparkling eyes that danced with childish mirth. "…and our little Nora isn't quite ready for marriage yet, though if I were eleven, I wouldn't say no to a gallant, handsome one such as yourself!" she added, chuckling.

"Grandmama!" Nora cried out, blushing furiously as heat also crept into Sapph's cheeks.

"Uhh, I'm Sapph, and I 'm, erm, that is, I … "Sapph stammered.

"Just kidding, Sapph!" Rose laughed, clapping Sapph on the back. "So! Any more Pokémon that need pampering?" She laughed at her own little joke.

"Uh, pampering's funny?" Sapph said, bewildered, staring at Nora.

"We're from Pampa City, west of here," Nora explained. "Daddy got a job at the Power Plant, so we moved to this closer location."

"Oh, right. I've got a Ledyba," Sapph nodded, turning to Grandma Rose and releasing the Five Star Pokémon, for some treatment.

Hey, what are you going to do to me? Ledyba screeched, trying and failing to get away from Grandma Rose.

"Just a little deep wing muscle massage and antenna cleaning," Grandma Rose assured the jittery Bug Pokémon. "You into contests, Sapph?" she asked, looking round at the Johto trainer as he helped restrain Ledyba.

"No, I'm in the running for the League…got two badges too!" Sapph added, quickly regaining his light hearted swagger.

"That's great, my boy! Nora would be too, if that son of mine would just let her," she added, her voice trailing away in a mutter. "Moves into my home... says such nonsense... such impudence..."

"Holy Celebi," Sapph said stunned, slapping his forehead. "He is a forty-year old momma's boy…"

Grandma Rose froze for a second long enough for Sapph to realise he'd made himself audible. Before he could apologize, she let out another wild whoop of gleeful laughter as Nora buried her face in one hand.

Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Grandma Rose said cheerfully. "You crack me up, kid!"

"Grandmama…" Nora groaned in exasperation.

"What's with the Gatonda Tourney? Why is it such a big deal?" Sapph asked, attempting a change of subject. He succeeded as Ledyba relaxed in the hands of his masseuse.

"Because the first prize is a Gatonda, a rare Electric Pokémon," Nora told her.

"I'd enter young Nora in a flash with mine if she had Pokémon, but you need at least five to compete," Grandma Rose grumbled. "And I only have two to give her."

"I could enter for you, it'd be a cinch!" Sapph exclaimed.

"Well, Grandma's Pokémon are a little…" Nora began.

"Don't you say it!" Grandma Rose warned, her eyes flashing.

"…old," Nora finished. "They wouldn't be able to take the strain of the tourney," she added, finishing off Mogshex's brushing.

"No sweat! I'll just catch some new ones!" Sapph assured her, reaching for Mogshex's pokéball and his backpack.

"Really? You'd really do that for me?" Nora asked in disbelief, looking up amazedly at Sapph.

"Yeah! Is-er, that a problem?" Sapph asked, turning from Grandma Rose to Nora. His voice faltered as he saw Nora's eyes sparkling in a way that made him feel somewhat awkward.

"Oh, I'm sure it's absolutely no problem at all, Sapph," Grandma Rose supplied slyly as the two young people quickly looked away from each other, blushing faintly.

Can it wait, Sapph? It really feels good in here! Mongle yawned lazily stretching back a bit.

Nora handed Mogshex back to Sapph and proceeded to help Mongle towel off as he recalled his Night Cat Pokémon to her pokéball.

Yeah. Ledyba added slowly, groaning in pleasure as his wing muscles were loosened.

"No. Now," Sapph said, recalling Mongle from the side of the tub where he was towelling off.

"Ledyba will take awhile longer to finish," Grandma Rose told Sapph. "Why not head for the old Power Plant along that rocky road to the northwest? I'll be done by the time you get back. You'll need those Pokémon registered by tomorrow evening by six if you want to compete."

"Okay, I'll pick you up later, Ledyba!" Sapph said, running out the door, catching Grandma Rose say, "Boy, are you one tensed up bug!".

"Good luck!" Nora and Ledyba called after him.

As Sapph left, Leonard looked in on the two ladies.

"Where's Ralph off to? And whose Ledyba is that?" he asked brusquely.

"He's off to help your daughter become a trainer!" Grandma Rose declared stoutly. "… and I won't hear a word of complaint! No, not one word!" she added sternly as her son showed every sign of wanting to put a word or ten thousand in on the topic of his daughter becoming a trainer.

As Sapph raced through the carnival, he bumped into Haley and Bubbles at the hoop la stand.

"Sapph! I thought you'd left!" Haley said in some surprise.

Yah, we saw de most beautifullest firewalks an' ate all the cotton candies we could, dat is 'til poor Hawey went and... Bubbles began to narrate cheerfully.

"Bubbles!" Haley warned.

"Haley what, Bubbles? Haley what?" Sapph asked eagerly.

"You do not need to know, Sapph Manson!" Haley said firmly.

Aww, Hawey was a wheel sore wooser, Sap... she couldn't... cudn't...Hawey wat was da B-word for eating a lot of food wheely, wheely fasty- fasty? Bubbles asked, losing the eager thread with which she was telling Sapph her tale.

"Anyways, let's just say I learnt that Bubbles can eat much more candy than I can," Haley summarized embarrassedly. "Well, I'm ready to leave now…"

"Well, I'm not," Sapph answered bluntly, "I've got a...hold up," Sapph said abruptly, a sly, cat-like expression overshadowing his face. "You didn't by any chance both enter any eating contests, did you?"

"Drop it, Sapph Manson! Now!" Haley snarled, sparks flying from her hair.

Sapph gulped and sweat-dropped.

"Okay, okay! For your information, I've got a tournament to prepare for on Saturday! So we aren't leaving until it's over!" Sapph said hastily.

"Hunh?" Haley and Bubbles queried in unison.

"That's right! The Gatonda Tourney!" Sapph explained.

The what? Bubbles asked, as confused as Haley felt.

"But Sapph, what about Kamren?" Haley asked, half-humorously, half-amazedly. "I mean, I know it's a really big event for trainers and all, but…"

"Who cares about him? This is bigger than beating him! Besides, I can catch up any time!"

"'Who cares?'" Haley echoed disbelievingly.

You are Sap, wight? Bubbles asked suspiciously.

"Sure I am Bubbs! Listen, I'll catch you two at the Centre later tomorrow afternoon!" Sapph called over his shoulder, running down the street and out of sight.

Haley and Bubbles watched him go with their mouths slightly open.

Bubbs? Bubbles echoed. I'm Bubbles! Ant I Bubbles, Hawey?

And Mongle says girls are hard to understand, Haley thought exasperatedly, nodding slowly.

So! What d'you think? Let all review rip!

And, now: the Corei-dex!

Aquari
Corei-DEX Number: 007
Species: Water Hare
Element: Water
Name Derivation: 'AQUA' meaning 'water' and 'RI' from 'RabbIt"
Height: 1'00"
Weight: 8 lbs
Evolution Line: Normally Aquari follow the following pattern:
Aquari-(14)-Aquala-(36)-Aquazou
Artist's/Author's Note: not much to say...Aquari was one of my first fakemon sketches and the first of the three Corei starters to be confirmed. Aquari's bubble tail was an idea adopted from Marril, and as bunny rabbits have fluffy bobbed tails, I thought, what the hey! After all, if Nintendo didn't like her, they didn't have to use her! This was back when I wanted to contribute to the third gen Pokemon posse.
In Fic: Bubbles is the heart and soul of Haley's team. Being the youngest of the three starters in Professor Yew's lab, she was naturally highly protected by Mongle. Inquisitive and simply in love with living life free of worry, Bubbles sees her life as one long merry-go-round ride.
One could say she's like Cream the Rabbit would be as a baby/toddler. All sugar and nice, with no spice. She can't really pronounce words well, like Sapph (Sap) and Mongle (Mongie), but no noe can really hold it against her (except Sapph).
Her love for Haley is exceeded only by her hatred for mean thoughts and harsh words being thrown about. Bad pronunciation of names and other words will disappear after her evolution, although her carefree outlook of life will not.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------