The Corei Quest

by Soraryu

The Trigello Tournament finally begins and Haley's first trial is against the master of Poison types, Mekki. Can she rise above the toxic wave, or will she be pulled under on the first hurdle? And is she alone?

34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four – Lightning's Second Strike

The aftermath of the Legendio City crisis could still be seen three days after Zula's organic army waged war on the picturesque township. People had been hard at work repairing rooftops, repainting houses and generally caring for the other citizens.

The spirit of togetherness had even extended to the visitors still lodging there however temporary. Sapph, Rubin, Carla and Haley, for example, had helped out in any way they could as did their Pokémon once their wounds had fully healed, Even though Rubin did neither do any heavy lifting nor did he use any of his Pokémon and they had felt exhausted at the end of each day; all four trainers felt the ambience bring them closer together. Even Carla and Haley could nod at each other in a friendly way when they met and not tear at each other's guts.

Sapph trudged into the room he now shared with Rubin in the Pokémon Center and flumped onto his bed, tired but feeling content. The community spirit had spread and filled them all. Sapph had even seen Anuvi crack a small smile as he worked with Crimson and the others, even when the Warrior Pokémon was the lone individual in the area to suffer any personal loss at all, let alone one so devastating.

I really wish I could help him, Sapph thought helplessly. But I don't want to pry and push him further away...

"Argh, what do I do?!" Sapph yelled in frustration, attempting to iron his face with his palms.

"Well, for starters," a sarcastic voice said playfully. "Stop talking to yourself."

Blue eyes opening sharply, Sapph sat bolt upright and saw a curvy twelve year old leaning against the door frame with a sly smirk on her face. Her emerald eyes were framed by a waist-length curtain of wavy golden blonde hair kept in an orderly ponytail with a white clip.

Despite the badly-concealed biting sarcasm in Carla Witkin's opening remark, Sapph couldn't suppress a wistful grin. Despite their differences in opinion, recent happenings had made a rather cordial pair of the two youths. Of the four visiting trainers, Sapph and Carla ironically had the friendliest relationship mostly consisting of bite-backs, sarcasm and platonic put-downs. Pretending to groan like Carla was a nuisance, Sapph flopped backwards onto his back and said loftily, "What do you want? Finally come to your senses?"

"Har, har," Carla retorted dully. "Just came to tell you that nothing's changed..."

"Sure, it hasn't," Sapph cut in smugly.

"...that you're girlfriend's a dork..."

"Haley... isn't... my girlfriend," Sapph said without looking up.

"Sure, she isn't," Carla shot back, mimicking Sapph's sceptical tone perfectly, her eyebrows arching into her hairline.

Looking over at her expression, Sapph said, "Work your eyebrows any harder and they'll fall off."

"Really smart, Sappy," Carla sniped acidly. "Really witty."

"Well?" Sapph asked in a falsely imperious voice. "Is that all you've got to say?"

"Be a little more grateful, imp," Carla mocked. "I might not tell you the Professor wants to talk to you on Videophone Three in the lobby next time."

"Professor Yew wants to talk? With me?" Sapph asked in disbelief, sitting up straight again.

"Nope. He wanted to talk to Tora because she's such a good conversationalist," Carla said sarcastically as Sapph leapt off the bed and ran out quickly, chivvying the older girl out and locking the door behind him. Once he was satisfied the door was locked tight, he bolted down the stairs without a backwards glance.

"Huh," Carla said huffily, "well, you're not welcome."

Suddenly Sapph poked his head back around the corner and in the brattiest voice he could muster, called back, "Yeah? Well, thanks for nothing!"

The two grinned slightly before the boy sped off to answer the call.

Sapph bounded out of the elevator and met the red-haired researcher seated before videophone three, the professor's thin, jovial face visible on the small, ten-inch screen in front of her.

"Quite a fine specimen you sent in, Haley!" the professor was saying happily. "Quite the catch, that Browler of yours! I was beginning to wonder if you were catching any at all!"

"What do you mean by that?" Haley said huffily. "Royal's not the first Pokémon I've caught!"

"Now, now, Haley," Professor Yew said cheerfully. "No need to throw a tantrum. Carla hasn't sent me any Pokémon at all... chin up! You're research findings are rather interesting too, to say the least..."

Good ol' Professor Yew... nothing like using bitter rivalry to get trainers motivated, Sapph thought drily as he saw Haley's silver irises light up in smug pleasure.

Clearing his throat loudly, Sapph (keen to stop the conversation before it got too geeky) got Haley's attention with a gentle tap on the shoulder.

"Ah, Sapph! Wanted a word with you!" the professor said cheerfully, noticing Sapph out of the corner of the screen as Haley got up, straightening her white dress shirt and denim skirt.

"Done already?" Sapph asked innocently, something or someone over his shoulder causing Haley's face to lift slightly.

"Yeah," she said, her goose grey eyes looking distracted. "Listen, Sapph. I'm going out for a while. Don't wait up."

And without a further word, the Coreian researcher marched past Sapph and out of the Pokémon Centre into the darkening twilight.

Sapph wore a confused look as he sat down in front of the screen, thinking 'Don't wait up'? When did I ever 'wait up'?

"So... still not agreeing, are we?" Theodore Yew asked curiously.

"Neither well, nor awful, Prof," Sapph said dismissively, running his hand through his messy dark brown locks. "Her research is her business, and her business is none of mine. I was thinking of planning a day trip south to Nightspark tomorrow to give her some space to do her research in peace."

"Well, that's better than nothing," Professor Yew said in a troubled voice, cocking an eyebrow.

"So," Sapph said, looking and sounding more businesslike. "What's up? How are Mighty and the others doing?"

"Everyone's fine," the professor said cheerfully. "Keynid is a little anti-social, but there you go..." he said as a small grey blob seemed to hover over, its pastel blue eyes alight with interest at the professor's actions.

"Hey, Cloude!" Sapph greeted, recognizing his Castform. "How's it going?"

It's all good, man, Cloude aid in his slow, meaningful voice. It's all groovy. Keynid's aura is all murky and icky, and Mighty has no aura at all to read. Lowering his voice conspiratorially, the Castform's puffy chin 'stubble' wobbled as he whispered, I don't think the Magnet man, like, came from outer space, man!

Sapph laughed and beaming, turned to the middle-aged man, asked "Anything new, Professor?"

"Well, got a gift for you from your mother," Prof. Yew said holding up a small box. "Said something about it being an early birthday present..."

Sapph was touched by the gesture, not to mention stunned that his birthday was two weeks away.

"Really early birthday gift, if you ask me," Sapph said with a grin. "But I'm not complaining. Anything else?"

"Well, there is the issue of your Pokémon's physicals not being complete," Prof. Yew said slowly. "You're scheduled for next week, so don't forget to send them over."

"'Physicals'?" Sapph queried curiously. "Would that take long?"

"No, no. It wouldn't take too long," the professor reassured him. "A couple of days, tops, and then you can resume your work towards the League finals."

"OK, then," Sapph said cheerily. "Guess I could use the opportunity to give the guys some off-time to rest and recharge. How does a training camp of sorts sound to you, Cloude?"

Duuude! Cloude said deeply. That's like the best idea I've heard all day! Better than Keynid's anyway... napping and being cranky all day causes serious wrinkles.

The professor smiled and set the box on the transporter used to send Pokémon between trainers and the Yew Observatory. A flash of light and a few seconds later, the resident Nurse Joy brought it over, smiling sweetly and reminding Sapph of another nurse that was his age and looked exactly alike.

"Thanks, Prof," Sapph said graciously. Rattling the contents of the box, he muttered, "Wonder what this is..."

"I'm not too sure," Prof. Yew said, evidently intrigued. "Why not open it?"

"What? And spoil the surprise?!" Sapph tutted and shook his head, smirking. "Why, Professor... you naughty, naughty boy... let your mommy get you a gift."

The trip to Nightspark was mostly uneventful the next day. Sapph had left early, leaving a note pinned to Haley's door to explain where he had gone and set off, leaving his red anorak with the lady who'd repaired it the first time. She seemed really eager to take the job, leaving Sapph to wonder if it were because he paid well for an eleven year old, or that she really liked to sew.

As Sapph arrived at the suburban outskirts of the industrial city, the sun was high in the sky and the denizens were lounging around, grateful for the opportunity to sunbathe and watch the evening roast at the same time. Shrugging off his long tan cloak and tossing it over his shoulder, he looked around as he sauntered up the major streets of the Gum Tree Estates, wondering what he should do.

There was his promise of a rematch with Arlene... maybe he should swing by the gym and do that.

Or just go sightseeing... he didn't do that last time, despite the Gatonda Tournament Festival being on at the time.

Walking past a large Western styled homestead with an exquisitely manicured garden shocked the memory of some news regarding a specific citizen of Nightspark City he heard a fortnight ago...

-Flashback-

Outside Olde Teake City, about two weeks ago...

"Nice to see you guys," Reg said sardonically. "Especially you, kid."

"Whatever, Reg," Sapph said coldly, his arms crossed and brow furrowed.

"And Little Miss Redhead… Nice body. Work out much?" Reg added, leering at Haley, who went bright red and rubbed her knuckles menacingly.

"I wouldn't provoke Haley if I were you," Sapph said airily, cutting Haley off.

"What brings you all the way out here, brother?" Nora asked nervously. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, something's wrong," Reg said toughly. "Grandma Rose's dying. She wants to see you a.s.a.p. Got some stuff for you."

"Yeah, right, Reg." Sapph said sarcastically. "And I'm the Man in the Moon."

"Hey, butt out, loser," Reg snarled. "This is for family only. C'mon, Nora… we gotta go home."

"Fine… we'll go too…" Sapph began before Haley cut in.

"I think it'll be better if we split up, Sapph," she said quickly. "The league finals are only a few weeks away and you have three gyms left to challenge. You really can't afford anymore sidetracks."

"What's with you?" Sapph said incredulously. "You don't really believe this bull, do you?"

"Whether true or not, I've got to go, Sapph," Nora interrupted. "I can't take the chance of it being true. I can't."

Sapph stared hard at Nora for another minute or so before exhaling heavily.

"Well, if you say so," Sapph said uncertainly. "I personally don't trust your brother… no offense, big guy… but if this is something you wanna do…"

"It is," Nora said determinedly. "I wish I could stay longer too, but I have to go see her, Sapph. I have to."

"OK," Sapph said heavily. "Let me know if you need anything, OK?"

"I will," Nora said softly. "Thanks for everything, Sapph… Haley," she said looking at them both in turn.

"Galante, are you up for another Teleport?" Nora asked her Kirlia, who had hovered up to her eye level and nodded.

"Well," Haley said heavily. "See you around, Nora."

"Say hi to Grandma Rose for us," Sapph added with a last suspicious glance at Reg's otherwise inscrutable face.

"OK… bye!" Nora said tearfully, and with a flash of white light, Nora, Reg and Galante vanished into thin air.

-End Flashback-

"Yeah," Sapph said feeling slightly abashed at his thoughtlessness. "Of course I should check on Nora's grandma first. Shame I didn't get flowers..."

Sapph looked around to see if there were any people around he could ask directions to the Saunders' Residence from and saw a young girl sweeping the porch outside an elegant two-storey... was it a house? Sapph reckoned it must be a villa. The strangest thing was that, as he approached the coral-blue haired girl dressed in an exquisite pale green kimono embroidered with white lilies, was that Sapph felt he not only knew the house, but the girl, whose back was turned to him as she swept, too if not even better.

Announcing his presence by clearing his throat loudly, the girl let out a startled squeak and dropped her broom into the pile of blossoms, scattering them, though not too badly.

"Sorry," Sapph said apologetically, reaching down to pick up the girl's broom as the girl gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. Straightening up, he handed the broom to her, saying, "I was looking for the Saunders' Residence and I just th-aah... aah-aah... NORA?!"

Nora Saunders looked away from him as frantically as she could and took the broom back silently, continuing with her work.

"Nora? It is you!" Sapph exclaimed in shock. "What happened to you? How come you're not at Utopia Island or something?"

A single tear splashed on the cobbled sidewalk as Nora began to tremble with repressed sobs, desperate to hide her face from her interrogator, clutching her broom close to her chest.

"Nora? What are you doing here? How's your grandmother?" Sapph took a closer look at her face and what he saw, made his face darken. "And what happened to you?!"

Examining Nora left little to the imagination, and none of what was left to imagine was good. If the black and blue bruising around her wrists, neck and below her red and puffy eyes weren't bad enough, someone had given Nora a haircut, and either didn't know or care that she preferred it long. The bangs at the sides of her head hung down past her chin whilst the rest of her gradually lengthening mane was cut notoriously short. Granted, Sapph hadn't had a single haircut since arriving on the continent several months ago, but not even he as aboy would let anyone cut his hair so messily.

"Nora? Nora?!" Sapph half-yelled, grasping her shoulder roughly in his worry. Nora let out a pained gasp and jerked away, doing her level best to avoid Sapph's eyes.

Nora, Sapph thought angrily. Who did this to you?!

The answer came a split second later as a loud voice called from inside the house, "What is going on out here? Oh," Nora's older brother Reginald said, coming up short and noticing the hard fury that had overtaken him, reflected in his usually sparkling irises. "So sorry, but you're not exactly welcome, kid. Is he, Nora?"

Sapph trembled in anger as Reg slapped Nora on the back hard and keep his arm there, causing her to sob in pain and tearfully shake her head, unable to bring herself to reply verbally.

"Did you do this?" Sapph asked furiously, using every ounce of self-control to deck a boy who was older and markedly taller than he was.

"So what if I did?" Reg replied tauntingly. "She had every bruise coming. Didn't you?" he added to the girl besides him, his eyes behind the tinted shades dangerous and challenging.

Nora seemed to want to get away from her brother but couldn't due to his powerful grip. Trying her level best to deal with the pain, she nodded tremulously.

Shaking his head as though willing himself not to believe what he was seeing, Sapph asked in a low voice, "Where's your grandmother? She's not..."

"Dead? Nah," Reg said in a voice that clear noted his disapproval of the fact. Sapph's eyes narrowed further as he laughed coldly and said, "She left home a while back. It's a great story to get your wayward sister to come home. Looks like you were right about me after all. I just can't be trusted to be honest..."

"Nora, let's go," Sapph said quietly, his rage fast approaching boiling point. "Grab your bag and let's get out of here..."

"Oh, she can't," Reg said cockily. "Not if she wants her Pokémon back. Though, I'm keeping the Eevee. Should make a fine Umbre..."

Sapph grabbed the scruff of Reg's jacket and coked his fist back, ready to pummel the smug little b*****d when a voice called out, "Get your hands off my son!"

Leopold Saunders came marching out of the house, his pencil moustache a thin line as his dark eyes fell on Sapph. Hakama flapping in the late morning breeze, he raised a hand a knocked Sapph's hand free off his son's jacket.

"What kind of people..." Sapph began angrily only to be cut off by Leopold's jabbing his index finger sharply, its owner surprisingly just as angry, if not even more.

"I have my... and the entire Nightspark City Police Department," Nora and Reg's father said coldly, making sure Sapph understood every word, "eye on you. Come near my family again... or get any of them to talk to you... and you'll be leaving Junior Delinquency Hall when you are eighteen! Understood?"

Sapph was so incensed he was unable to speak. First, they lied to get Nora home and confiscate and/or steal her Pokémon. Then they detained her against her will. Then they bully and brutalize her, ban her from speaking to anyone about her problem and force her to work for the household, apparently alone.

Reg's father went on lowly, "Thanks to your... meddling, the girl has got it into her head that she's some sort of a trainer. No daughter of mine will be a trainer and follow in their stupid grandmother's flighty footsteps. Now she can stay home and become a woman worthy of marriage, someone of substance, class and refinement. Now," the man said, barely concealing a smug grin as he addressed Sapph arrogantly, "get off my property, stay away from my family, and get out of my town, jardo."

Sapph was so angry that he was about to show Leopold just what he was made of when a voice rang out in his head, Hold it, Sapph! Do not react to what they've said or done. Not yet. It'll be what they want... you just gotta keep cool. OK?

Looking at the smug duo coldly, Sapph turned to leave with "The kimono's really nice by the way. It suits you."

Aside form blushing deeply at the compliment, Nora had no choice as her father and brother steered her inside rather forcefully but to act silently as though she did not know Sapph at all, the effort nearly rending her heart in two.

Sapph stormed through the busier industrial centre of the city in a towering rage, the inhumanity Nora's family had shown still shaking him up. He tried to focus on finding the gym and posting his official challenge, but his mind kept drifting back to the scared, abused Nora and as he recalled the reason for her torment, her apparent crime, bile seemed to rise from deep within him and almost choke him.

And all to keep her from fulfilling her dream of being a trainer?! Steal her Pokémon? It was sickening; beyond repulsion... how could they call themselves family? How could he have let this happen? He had his doubts about Reg's sincerity from the word go, but Nora trusted him anyways, despite his warnings. And this was how they betrayed her trust?

Sapph was just about to picture horrific things happening to the rest of the Saunders when he ran headlong into something soft, yet solid enough to lay him out flat on the sidewalk. Placing a hand to his throbbing temple, Sapph looked into the charming eyes of a vivacious young woman with waist length curly auburn hair and decked out in a bright blue jumpsuit.

Sapph stared as the woman squealed in delight and glomped him, screaming, "Oh! Omigosh, Sapph! Oh, it's so good to see you again! You remembered our promise! Oh, I'm so glad! It's been ages!"

"Ar-Arlene?!" Sapph said in complete amazement, wondering how Fate kept throwing him the darned curve balls he hated so much. "Hey! How are you? I was just looking for the Gym to, erm... you know," Sapph mumbled, getting lost in Arlene's green eyes. Mentally slapping himself back to normalcy, Sapph cleared his throat and said feebly, "New hairdo?"

Arlene giggled like a five year old girl and said playfully, "Yep! It's so me and everything! But, oh, Sapph... you don't need to post any silly little official gym challenge! You could just call me on my PokéNav and set it up then!"

Sapph opened his mouth to say that he didn't have a PokéNav, but Arlene barrelled on verbally, thoroughly excited, "Well now, I must dash off and get ready for tomorrow! We can have the whole morning to our rematch! How does eight tomorrow morning sound? Good? Great! Got to go!"

Sapph attempted to voice a weak objection but was unable to get through her preoccupation quickly enough as she sprinted off, already making calls.

Exhaling with a slightly pained expression, he smiled at her exuberance and mentally slapped himself for getting sidetracked by the foxy leader's good looks.

"Why does this happen to me?!" He groaned aloud twenty minutes later, after he found the Pokémon Centre and booked a room for the night from the resident Nurse Joy.

Well, look at it this way, Zen the Jutunkick said thoughtfully. This actually works to your favour.

Really? How so, Zen? Crimson asked curiously, looking up as he was finishing off his meal meticulously.

Well, we all can't leave Nora in her shiz, Arcana growled lowly so as not to wake Lavender who had eaten quickly and fallen asleep in Anuvi's lap. We gotta help her!

The Warrior Pokémon, who was propped against the windowsill absently stroking the sleeping Eevee's ear gently nodded silently, not looking around, but gazing up at the moon with silent focus.

Affirmative, General, Ace piped up from the upper bunk, looking down on her teammates with her naturally fierce violet eye. Our comrade-at-arms cannot be allowed to suffer any further. Your orders?

Sapph and Anuvi said nothing, though they both looked at Lavender wistfully. Both knew that if Lavender knew what had happened to Snowdrop, she would go commando and make Reg pay a million fold for his atrocities. But with the guillotine of incarceration hung heavily over his head, his hands were heavily bound.

Wait, Ace, Crimson said worriedly. if Sapph is seen anywhere near Nora or their home, Sapph would be arrested, as preposterous as that sounds...

"But what do we do?" Sapph blurted angrily though quietly as not to wake Lavender. "If any of us," he pointed at himself, Anuvi, Ace and Crimson are seen near them, and they can connect it to me!"

How? Zen asked in surprise.

Sapph replied, "I used them to beat Reg at the Gatonda Tournament two months ago. Reg'll have told his dad about that if he didn't find out on his own. Add to the fact that we have a training match against Arlene tomorrow, it looks pretty imp-"

A knock on the door interrupted Sapph's open thoughts. Getting up, Sapph walked to the door and pulled it open to find an empty hallway. Stepping out into the corridor to see who was there, a crisp, crunching noise sounded under his foot. Looking down, Sapph saw a now crumpled sheet of folded paper under his right shoe together with a single blue rose petal.

Frowning, Sapph picked it up and walked back into the room, pulling up a chair as he folded it open, Zen and Crimson at his shoulders as he perused the strange note, revealing the strangest note he'd ever received:

YOU ARE HER ONLY HOPE.

BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

WAIT FOR THE HEAVENS' CALL.

G

Crimson leaned back away from the note which he had read over Sapph's shoulder. 'The heavens' call'? What could that mean?!

And just who is this 'G'? Zen muttered thoughtfully.

Well, General, all I can say is that it must be a code of sorts, Ace supplied.

Oh, well done, Sergeant Obvious, Zen quipped brightly.

Sapph! Crimson called urgently staring at the PokéGear on the table which had just lit up and begun to hum. Sapph picked it up and stared at the three letters burning brightly next to the phone call icon: SKY.

Suddenly, understanding as to who sent the note, what it meant and how to help Nora sprang to his mind all in one instant and he turned to the others, "I understand it now! Give me a second to get this call, and then I'll go over it with you."

Pressing the answer button on his PokéGear, Sapph turned away for a second and said, "Hey... are you around Nightspark or Legendio City by any chance?"

"Wow! Would you look at that!" Sapph marvelled as he arrived outside the dome-shaped gym the next day, an excitable Arlene beside him. "Brings back quite a few memories, eh?"

"It is nostalgic, isn't it?" Arlene agreed, her lips stretched in a wide grin. Looking at Sapph mischievously, she added, "Oh, yes... I seem to recall losing that day. But the weather man forecast heavy victory showers in my favour!"

Sapph laughed and said, "The weather man? Who ever trust the weather man? And come to think of it," he said suddenly, jogging after the Gym Leader as she made her way into the athlete's section of the gym. "What's the weather got to do with the match today, anyway?"

"You'll see," Arlene replied tauntingly, as they marched along a fluorescent-lit tunnel that led towards the arena. Stopping outside a bright red door, on which the word "CHALLENGER" was painted in bold black letters, she turned to the eager youth and said, "This is where you'll wait. They'll call you up soon; it's only a few minutes off."

"Wait, Arlene," Sapph called at her retreating back, eliciting a curious look in reply as Arlene whipped around, her reddish hair following. "If this is the 'Challenger's Room', why aren't you going in instead? I mean, I did beat you."

"Enjoy being cocky while you can, Sapph," Arlene chided genially. "Oh, enjoy it while you can..."

Smirking, Sapph watched the curvaceous woman walk off for a few seconds and entered a room lined with bright red, metallic lockers. Long benches ran in between the rows of metal storage closets and small speakers sat in the upper corners of the room.

Sapph set his backpack down and stretched, his trusty cloak fanning out behind him. Turning around he beheld himself in a full-length mirror and walked up to it, studying his reflection. Sapphire blue irises stared back, half-concealed by a mop of shaggy dark hair which had grown several inches in the past two going on three months. Reaching up with an arm that was certainly more muscular than it was when he first arrived (not that he was weedy) he ran a hand through his dark brown locks, supposing that running around and into terrorists would give anyone quite the workout.

Deciding the cloak would be a tad too much, Sapph sighed and removed it. He wasn't quite on par with someone like say Lance Blackthorn, but it wouldn't be too long. Couldn't let his ego get the best of him, he thought as he folded the wondrous material up and placed it in the locker along with his bag.

A loud, jarring voice suddenly rang out from the speakers and reverberated amongst the lockers. "Ladies... and germs! Welcome to the Nightspark Gym, home of the electrifying beauty Arlene and the Lightning Badge!" Loud cheers echoed in reply to the oddly familiar voice. Just as Sapph was wondering where he'd heard the guy's voice before, it flared up again, answering his unspoken question.

"This is your own Kenny C of the Corei Radio Network, coming to you live with off the chain commentary for an off the chain match! And this will be one to remember, even counting the recently ended Gatonda Tourney where yours truly brought you all the action over all the airwaves!"

"But moving on... those who remember the tournament will definitely remember the winner. And honouring a promise with your Gym Leader, he has returned to duel it out once more in an exciting exhibition match, gate proceeds going to the winner's choice of charity!" More whoops, applause and cheers rang out after this statement causing Sapph to start. Kenny C sure knew how to keep a crowd excited...

"And now, without further ado, let's welcome him out now. Winner of the fifty-eighth Gatonda Tournament... Sapphire... MANSON!"

Sapph, recognizing his cue with a slight, irritable wince at his introduction, got up and walked out through the double doors that had the words 'TO THE ARENA' emblazoned above them and up a narrow corridor into a familiar scene. The cables that ran along all the walls and the ceiling, presumably to provide power for the treadmills or conveyor belts from before lay on both sides of the gym floor. Several panels, half of them red, the other half blue also lay dotted around the floor at random places. But some changes were noticeable, one of which that a slew of new panels dotted the floor, half of them green and the others yellow.

Looks like Arlene likes to play Twister, Sapph thought with a smirk as he stepped into the challenger's red box.

"And now...," Kenny C went on loudly as the half-hearted cheers and boos subsided (Sapph supposed many of Nightspark's inhabitants hadn't forgiven him for winning a tournament they felt no one from anywhere but Corei had the right to win) but that wasn't what mattered. Sapph had a match to play... and win. "Welcome your leader... the one... the only... Ar-lene!"

Waving to the crowd, Arlene flashed her winning smile that had many a guy wolf-whistling and girl cheering madly.

Stepping into the blue Leader's box, Arlene blew a few kisses at random spectators and turning to her opposition, blew him one too (Sapph understandably turned scarlet) smiled and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the roof began to split open at the middle and the halves slid open revealing a perfect day.

Gazing skyward Sapph was lost for words.

Talk about renovation, Sapph thought, amazed. So that's why she went on about the weather...

He turned back to the Gym Leader and was slightly startled to see she already had her first Pokémon ready to fight before her and a smile on her lips. Sapph studied the creature's long canary yellow legs which ended in pearly white talons, which matched the hue of its head and body plumage. Its wings and tail plumage, however matched its legs as well as a few foot long strands that sprouted from in-between its gleaming emerald eyes up and above its alabaster head.

The Pokédex blazed to life as a picture of the strange bird appeared on the screen.

Electraves, the Road Runner Pokémon. Electric and Flying Type. An Electraves's powerful legs carry enough power to punch holes through twenty millimetre-thick steel despite their spindly appearance.

Hmm... never used that one before, Sapph thought as he returned the smirk and decided to give Nightspark City a show they'd never forget. Better go with distance...

"Let do this, Ace!" Sapph yelled, releasing his avian team mate into the sky, where she hung, flapping her expansive wings as she glared down her bronze coloured beak at the grounded adversary.

"Oh! A Flying type, Sapph?" Arlene called in surprise. "Well, that's a new approach... don't you think you're pushing your luck a bit too far? Electraves," she went on in a commanding voice, "use Thunderbolt!"

"Loop it, Ace!" Sapph called back, pumping his fist in determination as Electraves' golden head plumage began to crackle and glow with electricity. Firing a beam of pure lightning, Ace used her superior aerial prowess to swerve to the right, dodging the dangerous Electric attack.

Sapph's eyes widened as the bolt miraculously curved through the air and struck a blue panel. In response, the treadmills once again began to run.

"How'd that happen?" Sapph yelled. "Ace, Wing Attack!"

Sir! Yes, Sir! Ace yelled as she beat her wings powerfully, great shockwaves slamming into the ground with earth-shaking force as Electraves zipped to the left and right erratically, dodging the attacks. Two hit blue panels, causing the treadmills to triple in speed.

"Damn, that thing's fast!" Sapph growled.

"Sorry, Sapph... but you haven't seen anything yet!" Arlene called back. "Time to show you what a yellow panel does... Electraves, Drill Peck!"

Electraves began to stab its short conical saffron beak in rapid circles, in and out, so fast that before Sapph and Ace knew it, a sharp, two foot cone of revolving wind enshrouded its mouth.

Sapph wondered just how Electraves was planning to hit Ace with a close range attack from about fifteen feet when Electraves took off running, going from nought to eighty in one second flat. Ace's purple eyes nearly bugged out through her goggles as Electraves used a treadmill's acceleration to momentarily boost its speed, its right foot slamming onto a yellow panel and crouching slightly. The panel suddenly seemed to shoot the Road Runner Pokémon off into the air, Drill Peck first, straight at Ace!

"Ace! Quickly, counter with Cyclone!" Sapph screamed as the Electraves closed the gap with barely three seconds to react.

Without conscious thought, Ace spun herself into a cyclone just in time to parry the Electric avian's attack with a head-on spin. The resulting clash caused violent winds to flurry about in all directions causing the crowd to gasp and whoop in appreciation.

"And with an attack not yet seen before, Sapph's Mawhoot deflects what looked a split second before like a direct hit from Electraves' Drill Peck!" Kenny C raved, as easily excited as the crowd below him. "Folks, you saw it and heard of it here first on the CRN! It looks like Sapph is as full of tricks as he was two months ago, despite his type disadvantage! Ladies and germs, this is not over yet!"

A small figure made its way through the bustling crowds that went about their business whose various occupations having prevented them from going to the stadium to watch Sapph and Arlene's match. Despite the unbearable late June heat, the figure was inexplicable wearing a light tan cloak with ocean blue trim which was pulled up over its head, drawing a number of curious glances, but failing to hold the busy individuals' interest longer than it took to get a good look at the short stranger, which going by its speed was a second too late.

Another odd thing about the fellow was his remarkable ability to weave and wind his way through the human traffic without so much as bumping a single pedestrian slightly. Looking at the four foot tall oddity, one would tend to be mesmerised by his dancelike steps... before they realised he was barefoot.

The apparently young person made his way out of the industrial district into the silent estates. Despite its higher level of calm and tranquillity, for it to be so quiet was unusual at best. The usual cast of neighbours that usually went about their business was presumably part of Sapph and the local Gym Leader's bout's audience, the rest were presumably at work or watching the match on the telly.

Thanking the Legendaries and marvelling the fact that he was able to pass through Nightspark suburbia undetected, the alien soon found his destination – the Saunders' residence.

Pausing only to glance at the nameplate on the wooden main gate, the being closed his eyes almost as though in meditation, exhaled heavily and muttered, OK. It's go time.

Pushing the gate open, the oddball barely crossed the threshold when his eyes fell upon three prepubescent boys, who sat on the front porch chatting animatedly and barring his way onwards. Undeterred, the mystery man stepped forwards until a small orb of shadow energy whizzed through the air and exploded at his feet.

Diverting his attention from the lush Eastern theme garden to the attack's source, he noticed four hulking shaggy grey lupine Pokémon standing between himself and the boys and the door. What looked like a plump magpie and a larger than life mosquito flapped and hovered above the motley group, their crude yellow beaks, black proboscis and crimson eyes gleaming in the midmorning sun.

The boy on the left, who wore a wide-brimmed straw hat called out loudly, "Hey, you! This place is off limits to riff-raff like you!"

"Yeah!" The boy on the right called, tweaking the bill of his large green hunter's cap. "Don't soil the residence of the boss with your malevolent aura!"

"You may not know better," the 'leader' of the trio said calmly, rising to his feet and glaring down at the cloaked stranger with pale blue eyes shielded by a large fishing cap. "But the boss doesn't want any visitors. So whatever ya selling, peddlar, we aren't buying!"

All the Dark Pokémon Trainers' Club's eyes were on the intruder.

The intruder's eyes were on his opposition.

Well, Arcana, the youth muttered (going by the stunned looks on his obstacles' faces, they hadn't heard a word), Think you can take 'em?

Homey, I wuz born ready! Another voice barked excitedly.

As the three boys and their Pokémon looked around for the source of the new voice, the figure in the cloak chucked a glass ball filled with purple smoke down at their feet, enveloping them in billowing smokescreen that startled all people presenting difficulty for the cloaked individual. The offender took his chance and tossed a pokéball down, releasing its contents in a flash of white light as he sped past the trio.

Coughing and tearing up, the boys swiped at the air until it cleared to reveal what looked like a six foot plus tiger with a golden white shaggy mane and tail stood before them. Its light purple eyes glinted as it revealed sharp fangs under its toothy grin.

Well, hi boys! Arcana grinned, her muscles loosening up as the bright sun filled her with pep and power. Wanna play dead?

"Ace, return!"

"Oh, Electraves, you did great! Take a rest now!"

Sapph and Arlene returned their Flying types in unison, both tired beyond expectations and holding out longer than the crowd expected either one to, especially the Swoop Pokémon.

"And there you have the first round, folks!" Kenny C said, unable to sit still and feverishly pacing the commentary box, his dark glasses glinting in the sunlight that shone through the gym's open roof. "Despite his disadvantage, Sapph has somehow managed to pull a draw against the amazing Arlene! What will our challengers use next?"

"Good workout, Arlene!" Sapph said with a grin. "Didn't think the match would draw out this long!"

Although all things considering, that's exactly what I wanted, Sapph thought with a smile as he switched pokéballs.

Arlene didn't respond verbally as she threw down her second pokéball, which erupted in a flash of white light to reveal what looked like a pearl necklace or bracelet. Two things, however, made it quite different from your conventional pearl jewellery. For starters, the 'pearls' were roughly a foot and a half in diameter, each adorned with a pair of beady red eyes. The other: each and every orb-like segment was pitch-black.

"It couldn't be... no," Sapph nearly laughed as the nostalgia hit him. Pulling out his Pokédex, he asked Arlene, "Ballomb evolved?"

The Pokédex bleeped and then said in its mechanical voice: "Bakoomdra, the Blast Pokémon. The evolved form of Ballomb, Bakoomdra have evolved from its one-of-a-kind Dark/Electric typing into the first and only Electric and Dragon type Pokémon. Bakoomdra shield itself from most attacks by cloaking itself in electricity that adopts the shape of a serpent."

As Sapph watched, bright yellow sparks began to form around all ten feet of the black Pokémon and, as Ace's Cyclone was apt to do, transformed it into what seemed like a fiery squamatic dragon as it hovered into the air, all ten fuses blazed and crackled to life.

"Well, I think it's time for a little reunion, don't you, Arlene? Crimson!" Sapph yelled as he pitched his second pokéball forward, releasing the scarlet Five Star Pokémon in a familiar flash of white light energy.

Fluttering inches above the ground, Crimson took one look around the arena, and several lights began to light up within his mind as he took in the crowds, arena and their opponents.

Sapph? Can I ask you something? Crimson said in his usual polite tone of voice.

"Shoot."

Without a single change in tonation, Crimson shot. Are you retarded?

"Maybe," Sapph replied calmly, a small bead of sweat running from his shaggy bangs along the side of his face.

Oh. OK, Crimson said flippantly. Exhaling tiredly, he turned back to the opposition and said cheerfully, Oh, hi there. Have we, erm... met anywhere?

Red... bug, the Electric Pokémon droned dully, all twenty of its red eyed locking onto the blue visored eyes of the Ledian. Caused... self-detonation... must punisssh...

Are all Electric types this... uhh...

"Lifeless?" Sapph supplied.

Thanks, Sapph, Crimson said wearily, as he saw a vein go off near the Bakoomdra's temple. But next time you want to aggravate a ten foot Electric serpent, do it on your battle time.

"Done chatting?" Arlene called impatiently. "No? Too bad. Oh, Bakoomdra? Be a dear and use Thunder!"

The Blast Pokémon reared back and its 'mouth' opened, the clouds above the gym darkening as it flew upwards into the clouds, glowing with even greater intensity.

"Thanks for waiting," Sapph replied sarcastically. "Crimson, use Comet Punch, Ice Style!"

Got it! Crimson called back, readying four fists of arctic energy.

Ice Style? Arlene wondered in amazement as the Bug/Flying type released four furious bluish white streaks of light that looked akin to a meteor shower going the wrong way... straight into the cloud. "Bakoomdra, get outta there!" the Gym Leader shrieked as she saw what Sapph's intent was.

The pseudo-Ice attack made contact with the clouds, freezing them solid. The sudden change in density caused the clouds to drop like a stone, dragging the Blast Pokémon with it by the tail. Roaring, the Bakoomdra upped the voltage and shattered the ice encasing its tail and soared off over the stands, its angry red eyes locked once again on the four foot tall ladybird.

As it flew over two people in the stands whose eyes weren't so much on the match than on the youth in the challenger's box, Arlene called out to him, "Ice Style wasn't one you used last time!"

"Guess we picked up new tricks as well, Arlene!" Sapph called back in a determined-to-win voice.

"Oh, we'll see whose tricks are more exciting, Sapph!" Arlene replied. "Bakoomdra, use consecutive Thundershock attacks!"

Oh, not this again! Crimson groaned as the Bakoomdra released a large amount of electricity which arched through the air towards the Ledian, who began to speed off to the right, leaving the lightning to strike the ground harmlessly in his wake.

"That's it... just a little more... gotcha!" Arlene cheered as Crimson fluttered over a green panel which suddenly dragged him down so forcefully, he couldn't stay on his feet after hitting the ground, winding up on his buckling knees.

"What the-?!" Sapph gasped.

"Oh, Sapph... didn't I tell you?" Arlene crowed in a taunting voice. "Green panels are gravity panels, yellow ones are anti-gravity pads! Naturally, the more current and attacks hit the blue panels, the greater the force of gravity... or anti-gravity becomes," Arlene finished with a smirk. "Bakoomdra, THUNDER!"

What? Crimson gasped, struggling to find his feet and perspiring heavily with the effort as Arlene's Bakoomdra soared into the purplish clouds once again. Sapph, I can't escape in time!

"Use Protect! Hurry!" Sapph ordered in a panicky voice.

A second later the lightning hit home with unwonted force, lighting up the arena and causing a collective gasp: despite the crowd's opinion of the challenger, the match had left all spectators rooting for both competitors.

"Oh... my... God!" Kenny C raved as the lightning appeared to make short work of the smaller Pokémon. "Despite the challenger's versatility and renown, will Sapph Manson's latest command be too little, too late?!"

Zen ran across the moat that led to the inner courtyard, leaving a scene of mass ownage in his wake, courtesy of the rap-inclined female Arcanine. Drawing to an abrupt halt just outside the front door, Zen leaned against it and exhaled softly, steeling himself for what he obviously felt would be even higher security than he had already encountered.

OK, Zen told himself softly, clutching the second pokéball tight in his rubber grey fist. Stage one, clear. Now for stage two...

Applying pressure to the door, Zen's face registered sudden shock as it swung open with no hindrance whatsoever.

Odd, Zen thought warily. Sapph never mentioned Reg being this sloppy...

Stepping over the threshold cautiously, Zen skirted the wall as silently as possible until he came to an alcove in the wall where an ornate porcelain vase stood. Crouching down beside it, he enlarged the second pokéball and with a second press of a button released a miniature vulpine creature into the corridor beside him.

Blinking her dull brown eyes and sniffing around, Lavender said curiously, Hey, Zen! Where are we?

Placing an admonishing finger to his lips, Zen stared around them for a few moments before answering, Saunders' Residence. We're busting Nora outta here.

Really? Why?

Not too sure, Zen said calmly. All I gathered was that she's being held here against her will, and the kid just had to play the hero...

Where is Sa-mmph! Lavender began to ask, only to be stifled in mid-question by Zen.

Ssh! Zen hissed angrily. If they find out Sapph sent us, he'll be jailed! He's in the gym by the way, he answered, once he'd confirmed that Lavender would stay silent long enough to listen. Creating an alibi for himself and a distraction for us.

OK, Lavender said in a conspiratorial tone. So how do we find Nora, Snowdrop and the others?

Leave that to me, Zen said calmly, adopting a meditative pose. You keep watch.

OK! Lavender whispered excitedly as Zen closed his eyes and began to focus on all life forms in the building.

Right, Zen muttered, his eyes still closed. Nora's upstairs, in the last bedroom down the hall to the left. Most of her Pokémon and locked in the storage cupboard halfway down the hall on the other side of the house on the ground floor...

Most of them? Lavender repeated nervously. Who's missing?

"Looking for this?" A loud, arrogant said, causing Lavender to jump and Zen's yellow eyes to snap open as he wheeled around sharply. A teenage boy with slicked back black hair and a leering expression locked them in his sights as Zen rose to his feet tentatively. A red and white pokéball rose and fell within his cupped hand as he tossed it tauntingly up and down repeatedly in front of them. Zen bit back a vehement hiss and remained silent, praying Lavender wouldn't give them away, but he had nothing to fear. She may have been carefree and presently scared if she could see Reg's Mightyena, Murkrow and Quitonja all out and ready to rumble, but she was no stooge.

"An Eevee and a Jutunkick, hunh?" Reg said with an unhealthy leer at the pair of them. "Well, I guess I could try to catch you. The Jutunkick could fetch a hefty price..."

Just try it, you jerk! Zen snarled, not liking this boy at all.

Zen! Lavender hissed urgently. Don't let on we can't be caught!

"...and who knows? Maybe the Eevee will make a better Umbreon than the stupid disobedient one I lifted off my bratty sister!" Reg went on, lightly tossing the pokéball holding Snowdrop up and down nonchalantly, oblivious to the Jutunkick's increased aggravation.

What did you say?! Zen yelled, highly incensed at the arrogant cheat's audacity to carry out such horrendous crimes.

"Well... best get it on... Tenebrus, Honcho, Quito!" Reg ordered his Pokémon. "It's hunting season!"

The Mightyena, Murkrow and Quitonja, on hearing their nicknames sprang into action in unison, claws, teeth and beak all bared viciously. Zen made to step in front of Lavender ready to ward off the three Dark Pokémon when he felt a presence flash past him so fast it took all he had to get a read on it before it hit Tenebrus square in the muzzle, slammed Quito in the thorax and nearly knocked the Murkrow's beak crooked all in the space of a second's fraction.

All three Pokémon flew back a few feet and Lavender reappeared in front of Zen, all traces of the happy-go-lucky sanguine gone. A quiet anger began to fill her usually soft eyes as she took a step forwards, stomping the ground so hard she caused a slight crack to appear in the mahogany floorboards.

Zen, get out of here, Lavender said softly. Leave them to me and go find the others.

No way, Zen argued. You can't take on all three of them alone! Let's tag team them and...

Zen, please! Lavender half-yelled, silencing Zen abruptly. This guy just made this personal. And he's going... to... pay. Now, go! She yelled, not taking her eyes of the quickly recovering Dark type posse.

Zen looked at his team mate and saw she was dead serious. Turning quickly to get moving, he nodded and said quietly, You have five minutes. If you haven't caught up by then, I'm coming back for you.

Lavender laughed in a hollow way and said, Five? Zen, give me some credit here. This lot won't make three.

Zen sighed and took off running for the nearest staircase, whilst Reg pulled out a fresh pokéball and yelled, "I don't think so! Honcho, Use Peck to keep him still!"

The Murkrow heeded the order and swooped in on the retreating Jutunkick's back, it's curved yellow beak aimed at the point in between his shoulder blades. With a grunt, Reg tossed his pokéball at Zen's back and laughed coldly, "Got you now!"

Lavender flickered out of sight and one loud explosion later, sent the Murkrow flopping back onto the floor with a noisy crashed, out cold. Reg's eyes narrowed as the Evolution Pokémon reappeared before him, his pokéball in her mouth. Without even blinking, her jaws snapped shut and the pokéball shattered into fragments.

Spitting them out vehemently, she locked eyes with her dumbfounded opponents as best as she could and declared boldly, I don't like your manners much. Weren't you taught that it's 'Ladies first'?

"I like your spunk," Reg sneered as Tenebrus and Quito circled the solitary Eevee hungrily. "You'll make a fine addition to my team! Quito, Night Slash! Tenebrus, Sucker Punch, NOW!"

The Eevee's ears perked up sharply as the Bite Pokémon lunged from her left, his left paw clenched as it swung in towards her. Jumping away to her right, she got slashed by the Mosquito Pokémon's darkened claw, effecting a deep gash along her right flank.

Gasping in shock and pain, she stumbled right into Tenebrus, who, in a fit of wanton vindictiveness, used a Crunch attack without order around her middle, holding her fast and crushing her ribcage slowly.

Laughing darkly as Lavender began to go limp in Tenebrus's smelly maw, Reg said calmly, "Looks like the firework's all outta fizzle!"

Laughing hard, Reg and Tenebrus failed to notice the dark light surrounding the Eevee's body as it began to grow. Quito, however, was not so gloatingly happy and as she saw the Normal type's body begin to elongate, she shouted out, Master! Tenebrus! Watch out!

Lavender raised her head slightly and her blood red eyes glinted as she snarled, Too late.

The next thing Tenebrus knew, his mouth was suddenly empty. His eyes widening, Lavender appeared in a cloud of darkness and slashed upwards viciously, snarling, Get a tic-tac, mongrel!

Tenebrus went flying back with a yowl and slammed through...yes, through... not into. Through... the wall, throwing up a large billowing chalk white cloud of plaster and wallpaper.

Reg blanched as Lavender vanished again and with a cold, calm silence brought Quito down with a downward swipe that hit her so hard, she slammed into the ground and splintered more of the floorboards with the force of impact.

Lavender hit the floor on four slender, coal black paws and turning to fix the terrified Dark type trainer in her sights, all the rings on her body glowed as she advanced on the teen, hissing, Now... release Snowdrop now, or I swear to Arceus, she paused ominously and she reached the Murkrow's heaving body and stomped down hard on the poor Darkness Pokémon's head, causing it to squawk feebly, I will kill all the Pokémon you own before your very eyes as slowly, she stomped again, and painfully, she added vehemently as she ground her foot in even deeper, causing Honcho to give an even feebler squawk, as possible.

Tenebrus peeled himself free of the wall and Quito steadied herself before they locked eyes and nodded silently, both attempted to get the jump on the Moonlight Pokémon when her back was turned.

Lavender didn't look around (not that she would have seen anything) but crouched slightly, her larger than usual ears picking up sound in her six o'clock direction. With a graceful back flip, Lavender leapt over and behind her attackers, leaving them to breeze past harmlessly.

A ball of pure ghostly white energy began to fill the pseudo-Umbreon's mouth in mid-jump, causing all conscious beings around to look up in shock at the new attack, which gleamed light pure moonlight before releasing it in a pulsing white beam of light which blew up a near quarter of the house on contact, flinging Reg down the corridor, skipping him like a stone on water as he skidded to a halt twenty feet away flat on his back.

Reg made to look up at the damage before a small paw caught him in the shoulder and slammed his back down on the floor, forcing him to look up at the ceiling and into Lavender's pitiless, catlike pupils.

So... 'outta fizzle', am I? Lavender hissed. You ought to pick your fights more carefully, butt munch.

Reg could only mumble in fear.

Last chance, Lavender said coldly. Release Snowdrop now, she ordered, white light beginning to form at her mouth once more, or the next Lunar Beam blows your filthy head off.

Both Ledian and Bakoomdra were breathing heavily as the battle wore on, Ledian dodging the flashes of lightning thrown at him with less finesse than he started with, while the electric dragon's assault became sloppy, leaving many avenues for escape.

Sapph was sweating profusely, not due to nerves, but exhaustion.

Opposite him on the other side of the arena, Arlene straightened up and rasped, "Bakoomdra! End this with one more Thunderbolt!"

"Crimson can't use Protect anymore," Sapph wheezed. "We're officially in crap. Crimson!" Sapph yelled hoarsely. "Think you can pull off one more attack?"

I'll try, Crimson said valiantly, clenching a small white fist and gathering cosmic energy around it.

Ice worked for a while, but he's figured out how to avoid it now, Sapph thought quickly as he watched Bakoomdra and Ledian struggle to gather enough power to fell their opponent. That Dragon Shot attack of theirs is... impressive.

And Thunder Style's useless against an Electric type, Crimson muttered, almost as though he were reading his trainer's mind. And that means...

"OK, Crimson! Time to pull out the big guns!" Sapph said with a wheeze. Punching the air, he commanded, "Try to use Comet Punch, Fire Style... now!"

Oh... Now what? Arlene thought irritably. "Bakoomdra, fire now!"

Bakoomdra released all the lightning he could muster just as Crimson's fist glowed with an orange-red hue. Yelling with the pain the exertion poured on him, Crimson shot a jab at his opponent, a flaming comet erupting from his clenched fist and streaking towards the hulking Blast Pokémon.

The crowd gasped as both attacks passed each other in midair and proceeded to bathe their respective targets in flame and electricity.

Pokémon screams filled the auditorium as the last of their strength left them and they hit the floor with loud (and in the case of Bakoomdra, tremulous) thuds.

Sapph and Arlene looked each other in the eyes and wordlessly returned their Pokémon, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the whir of the treadmills on the arena floor.

Kenny C was loving every second of his job at this moment.

"Unbelievable!" He raved. "Inconceivable! The Crimson Wonder has once again felled an opponent with more experience and endurance than most Pokémon can muster with moves never seen from a Ledian before! Folks, this has got to be the hottest battle of the season for Nightspark City so far, by far! And that's not all, folks," he teased his audience, as Sapph and Arlene smiled in unison and pulled off their final pokéballs simultaneous. "From the looks of things, both trainers seem ready to go all out!"

Sapph's smile was however a facade for his worried mind to pick on his choice of final Pokémon. OK, so Anuvi hasn't got half a type advantage, Sapph thought grimly. And no Yaiba no Hayashi equals major power loss... but he's never let me down before...

"Hope you're ready, Arlene!" Sapph called pitching his third and final battler's pokéball down.

One flash of spiralling green light later, Anuvi stood in the centre of the arena, looking up at but giving no sign of recognition towards Arlene or her third Pokémon, a pudgy orange rodent with a long thin tail which ended in a yellow lightning bolt.

Showing off acrobatic prowess criminal for such a plump Pokémon, the Pokémon pulled off an artistic back flip and landed in the ring directly in front of Anuvi's face.

Top that, Leafy, the Raichu taunted, his yellow cheeks crackling with blue electricity.

Anuvi merely gave the Electric Mouse Pokémon a disdainful glance and mentally flipped the creature off by saying in a bored voice, Very impressive. Not.

"Ready?" the ref asked both challengers who nodded in unison. Lowering his flags sharply he yelled, "Begin!"

"Raichu, Thunderpunch!" Arlene commanded swiftly.

Raichu growled, clenching his brown fist tightly and raised it above his head, gathering lightning around it. Anuvi didn't even flinch, he merely stared.

"Anuvi, you know what to do," Sapph said confidently.

Merely drag the match out, right? Anuvi said softly, his violet irises reflecting the electric attack which had built into a crescendo. OK... I think I can do that.

Kiss your career goodbye! the Raichu squeaked, attempting to catch Anuvi in the gut with a swift uppercut, but meeting air as Anuvi inexplicably vanished from sight.

The crowd gasped as Anuvi reappeared, standing back to back with his flabbergasted opponent, perfectly poised and calm, no change to his facial expression whatsoever.

Was that your best? Pitiful, Anuvi said coldly, not even looking back.

"What the... Raichu, Poison Tail!" Arlene countered, recovering herself quickly.

"That's bad," Sapph said to himself. Raising his voice, he called out, "Anuvi, watch your back!"

Raichu swore horribly and whipped his tail backwards, the yellow lightning bolt gleaming with a shimmering purple hue, right at Anuvi's neck faster than... well, lightning. A loud THWAP sounded out as Anuvi grabbed the tail inches below its poisoned tip, leaving it quivering tantalising inches away from his throat.

"Good job, Anuvi!" Sapph exclaimed proudly as the crowd cheered and booed in equal measure. "Now toss him towards the green panel in front of you!"

Without blinking, Anuvi yanked as hard as he could, sending the Raichu on a one-way trip straight towards the emerald floor tile. Once within its range, the panel pulled Raichu down hard like a magnet, holding Raichu fast.

"Oh, no!" Arlene gasped as the sections of the crowd that had booed seconds before groaned in protest. "Caught in my own trap!"

"Yeah! Good job, Anuvi! Now pull back!" Sapph commanded.

What?! Raichu cried out in shock.

"Did he say..." Arlene stammered as the Anuvi leapt back lightly and closed his eyes in meditation.

"...Pull back?! Ladies and gents, Sapph has Arlene's Raichu on a silver platter and orders a fall back tactic!" Kenny C bellowed into his mic. "Is this a display of showmanship... fair play... or arrogance!?"

None of the above, Sapph thought grimly, watching Anuvi concentrate, wind whipping up around his deep green frame. This is called 'stalling'...

Zen ran along the upper storey corridor, four pokéballs clutched to his bare chest as he ran, doors flashing on his left and windows showing the inner courtyard on his right.

This plan's going from bad to worse every second, Zen huffed as he skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway. Though we did account for Reg being around, Lavender going solo wasn't part of the plan. Gotta get Nora out and back Lav up!

Glancing at the sturdy padlock that kept the door shut, Zen snorted in indignation, readying a sphere of pure aura in his open palm, the cloak fluttering in the current it made as it stirred the air around it.

Thinking swiftly, he called out, Nora? You in there?

A scared female squeak rang out and Zen got his answer.

OK, so you are in there, Zen said conversationally. Stand away from the door for a sec, OK?

And with a flick of his wrist, threw the Aura Sphere attack forward, blowing the lock clear off... together with the portion of the door around the handle and lock.

Oops, Zen said carelessly, not seeming sorry at all as he pushed open the door and revealing himself to the girl inside, whose sea green eyes widened in uncertain recognition of her saviour.

"Z-Zen?!" she gasped, lost for words. "I-is that you?"

Yup, Zen confirmed, tossing her pokéballs towards her. She caught them in bewilderment as Zen said, You look awful with short hair by the way. Come on, let's get...

A loud explosion rocked the room suddenly and Zen and Nora stumbled, the latter falling to her knees.

Ok, that's it, Zen said worriedly. Lavender needs help! Nora, follow me and keep close!

"Sorry, dearie," an old voice announced from the doorway causing Zen and Nora's heads to whip towards the entrance to the room, where a slightly hunched old lady stood, wearing a blue and white kimono and a tired yet happy smile. "But she's not going anywhere. Not dressed like that, in any case..."

"Grandma!" Nora screamed in joy leaping into her grandmother's open arms and hugging her tightly.

"Oh, it's good to see you and all, but what are you doing here?" Rosa said giving her granddaughter a looking over, taking in her bruised face and wrists and brutal haircut. "And who did this to you?"

OK, time out! Zen yelled, stepping in between them and adopting his Tae Kwon Do stance should the old lady try something funny. What gives?! Who are you? And how come all the hugging and the apparent catching up is going on? Aren't you with the scumbag downstairs?

"Zen, take it easy! She's on our side!" Nora cried out quickly, before Zen broke his foot off of her grandmother. "This is my grandmother, Rosa. Grandma, this is Zen. He belongs to Sapph..."

"Ah," Rosa said, her eyes twinkling in mischief. "I see. So, Zen... how is her," she said, jabbing her thumb in Nora's direction for emphasis, "knight in shining armour? And what is with all the explosions? People will start asking questions, you know..."

Nora flushed scarlet and moaned, "Grandmaaa," but Zen, suddenly reminded of something important, said hurriedly, Listen, we have to move now! Lavender needs our help!

Not really, Zenny, a tired yet cheerful voice corrected him. It's all taken care of.

And limping into the room from behind Grandma Rosa came two Eevee, one chalk white and dirty grey, supporting the other one, her coffee brown pelt and creamy white ruff splattered with dried blood.

"Lavender! Snowdrop!" Nora cried out happily sweeping them both up happily. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

So... how'd you get Reg to release Snowdrop? Zen asked, seriously impressed.

Looking coy, Lavender replied wittily, I just showed him how bad an Umbreon could get.

Understanding the message and tying it in with all that had happened, Zen could only wince in empathic sorrow for the boy, although, truth be told, he did little to deserve any sympathy at all.

"Two Eevee?" Rosa said in shocked surprise. "Nora, dear, I thought you said you only had one!"

"Oh, no, Grandma," Nora corrected her. "Lavender's Sapph's..."

Hey, I thought that was hush-hush! Lavender interrupted frantically.

Relax, Lav, Zen said tiredly. She's on our side. We still need to get out of here, though... he added to the humans present.

"All in good time, Zen," Rosa said patiently. "Zen, might you excuse us ladies while we freshen up and change? We won't be long..."

I should hope not... Zen said as he trooped out to give Nora some privacy as she began to change and as Grandma Rosa began to treat Lavender's wounds. We don't exactly have all day.

Fifteen minutes later, Grandma Rosa and Nora stepped out, Nora now donning a two piece outfit consisting of a blue and white shirt that hugged her upper chest and flared out at the waist into a miniskirt styled one piece and a pair of blue, baggy hip-hugger trousers that flared out from the knees down to her new pair of blue and gold sneakers. A red Alice band stood out in her coral blue hair which had been trimmed slightly to give her a more feminine look.

Lavender and Snowdrop were as their heels, chatting animatedly, although Lavender was looking the wrong way. Rosa handed a few articles to her niece, explaining that they were from a place Zen wasn't sure he heard correctly but sounded like 'See-no" to him and that they'd help her on her way. Sneaking a peek, Zen saw one had a seaweed-like colour to it and seemed to gleam like an eye. The other was translucent and looked like ice or diamond... Zen couldn't decide which.

She twirled around as Zen watched, showing a golden yellow fanny pack strapped around her hips and glanced expectantly at the Combatant Pokémon, as though expecting his opinion.

Yeah, yeah, very nice, Zen muttered as Lavender took a semi-offended swipe at Zen, knowing he was merely half-joking. But now we have less time to get out of here...

A loud clang and a yelp echoed in the room behind the two ladies, who spun around in time to see a Poochyena slam into the bars and fall back to the first floor in painfully comical fashion.

Zen got up and rushed to the window as Nora and Rosa exchanged bewildered looks. Throwing it open he hollered down to the floor below, Took you long enough!

Y'all kiddin' me, homey? Arcana's voice called down. Those guys had Revives. This is like the sixth time I whupped their narrow Dark Typed behinds down here. I was gettin' bored, yo!

Grinning toothily, he turned to the bewildered group behind him and pulling out a pokéball, returned Lavender saying, We're going out this way. Arcana, you mind melting the bars on this window?

Nah, peep. Stand back, Arcana called, readying a ball of fire before shooting it at the window, incinerating the bars in one shot.

Leaping onto the windowsill, Zen looked back at the stunned females and said, Come on! We're so outta here!

But Nora and Rosa didn't move.

Nora, honey, can I borrow your Kirlia for a few minutes? I can't go with you, but..."

Nora opened her mouth to protest, but Rosa raised a hand to silence her and continued, "I'm not staying either. We need to find a new place to live, away from this, away from them," she added, caressing her granddaughter's cheeks. "I have an idea, but I'd rather not say for now."

Nodding mutely, Nora unclipped a shiny red and white pokéball and handed it over, willing herself not to cry.

"Thank you, dear," Rosa said kindly. "I'll send young Galante back when I find somewhere where we can live just the two of us. That should take us 'til sundown. Take care, and make sure you find a man who will see you and respect you as a trainer, not just as a woman. I love you so much, dear."

"I love you too, Grandma," Nora said sadly, hugging her for the last time that day before she released the Emotion Pokémon and with an order, vanished in a flash of white light together into nothingness.

Come on, Zen said, though more gently this time, guiding Nora to the window with a slight sense of urgency as heavy footfalls sounded outside the corridor. Leaping out into the air and freedom, the last Reg saw of his sister as he rounded the corner into the room was the girl riding away on the back of a large Arcanine, together with the Jutunkick and what was until a quarter of an hour ago, his illegally gained Eevee.

Reg's wild eyes narrowed behind his shades as he hissed, "Sapphire... you've had it this time..."

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

"Anuvi, get away with Quick Attack!"

Raichu let a powerful bolt of blue lightning that pursued the fleeing Squirrage as he flashed in and out of sight, barely staying ahead of the advancing Electric attack.

Noticing something that could give them the edge and win the match, Sapph called out, "Anuvi, circle Raichu to the right... now!"

Anuvi saw what Sapph planned and smiled inwardly, what he'd been planning flowing perfectly with what the Johton trainer thought. Sidestepping the powerful electric pulse, Anuvi pelted left, keeping an equal distance from the larger Electric type, keeping his eyes and face tauntingly cool and poised.

A vein began to pulse angrily at the irritated Raichu's temple at the Warrior Pokémon's seemingly boundless energy. What's going on? the rodent thought angrily. He shouldn't be moving so fast. Not for this long a period of time. This is so infuriating!

What's the matter? Anuvi said coldly. Not as much fun when you're the one standing still, is it? Can't you keep up?

"Time to shut you down!" Arlene commanded. "Raichu, Spark!"

"If you say so," Sapph replied confidently. "Anuvi, back away quickly... NOW!"

On his trainer's order, Anuvi began a series of blindingly fast back flips whilst the Raichu charged him, crackling golden electricity dancing off his entire body as he began to close the gap between himself and the Grass type.

What is he thinking? Arlene thought irritably. He hasn't ordered a single attack since the battle started. Not even one! Oh, if only I knew...

Just when it looked like Raichu would finally score a direct hit on Anuvi, he suddenly froze in place, convulsing violently.

The crowd gasped as Arlene spluttered, "This... this... what is this?!"

"Gotcha," Anuvi and Sapph muttered in unison, watching the Raichu writhe in increasing pain.

You should really watch your temper, Anuvi chided his opponent remorselessly.

"And your step," Sapph added to the Gym Leader as she hurriedly fumbled with the Raichu's pokéball. "You were so busy chasing Anuvi around, that you never noticed that we were leading you directly to a red panel."

"Oh... oh... NOOO!" Arlene wailed, finally seeing through her opponent's ploy as she returned Raichu in resignation.

"Game..." Sapph said with a sigh of relief, raising the Squirrage's pure white storage orb. "Set. Good job, Anuvi. Return."

The referee, who had looked to Arlene for confirmation and received a sad yet satisfied nod, raised his green flag towards Sapph and announced, "the exhibition match between Sapphire Manson and the Nightspark City Gym Leader Arlene, has come to an end. And the winner is... Sapphire Manson!"

Ignoring the crowd's mixed reaction to the abrupt end of the match, Sapph and Arlene walked around the edge of the battlefield, meeting at the centre line where they grasped each other's hand firmly, grinning broadly.

"Raichu could have kept going, you know," Sapph said in a slightly suspicious tone.

"You know how I get, Sapph," Arlene said like a little girl caught in wrong doing. "It's my nature."

Sapph laughed as he watched the Gym Leader smile wistfully. "Same old empathy, aren't you?"

"You know it."

"Good game, Arlene," Sapph said in an exhausted tone.

"Oh, you... you did very well, too," Arlene replied. "I made a very wise decision entrusting you with the Lightning Badge..."

"'Lightning Badge'?" Sapph echoed uncertainly. "Wasn't it the Zap Badge?"

"It was," Arlene conceded. "But come on... that name was so childish. The badge needed some zip... shebang!"

"Could that reason be any more childish?" Sapph asked in polite incredulity, laughing in spite of his exhaustion.

The gym's main double doors flew open with a bang loud enough to silence even the cheering and heckling crowd and a squadron of police officers with Reg at the helm stormed the arena, the teen glaring death at Sapph, who looked back in a politely puzzled manner.

"That's him, officers! Arrest that delinquent, that criminal!" Reg raved, storming forwards and grabbing Sapph roughly by the neck if his shirt. "Arrest him now!"

"Excuse me, young man," the head of the force asked Sapph sternly. "Were you anywhere near 1203 Mulberry Avenue since your arrival to our fair city?"

"No," Sapph said calmly. "Why? What's there?"

"Don't play dumb, you little S**T," Reg swore horribly as his parents fought their way through the crowded stands and towards the gaggle of people. "You put your Pokémon up to attacking our home and kidnap my sister!"

The policemen sprang forwards and quickly separated them, pulling a snarling and struggling Reg away from a placid, unresponsive Sapphire.

"What are you implying, young man?" Arlene asked loudly as two officers held Reg back from throttling Sapph. "Sapph has been here all morning..."

"He did it, I tell you!" Reg spat, looking deranged. "Search him! He'll have a Jutunkick... an Arcanine... and...an Eevee... Umbreon... I dunno anymore, but he has one too!"

The officers holding Reg back let go and drew away from him very suddenly, almost as though afraid for his sanity and their safety.

Turning serenely to Arlene and the police chief in turn, Sapph asked neutrally, "So I'm basically under suspicion for kidnap?"

"From what your... oh, erm... 'friend' has said, yes," Arlene said uncertainly, looking at the police chief and exchanging bewildered looks.

"Let me assure you," Sapph said cordially. "I have no idea who this individual is. He's certainly no friend of mine..."

"Shut your s**thole, you f*****g b*****d!" Reg screamed, all self-control gone.

"Calm yourself, sir!" One officer said in frank shock.

"Don't you tell my son to calm down!" Nora's father bellowed. "This boy's a crook and I want you to arrest him now!"

"Lieutenant Saunders, sir!" a couple of the officers cried out, wheeling around to watch the angry man draw closer.

The chief officer took a step back in alarm and turned to Sapph and said, "Well, we... erm, can't really arrest him on the evidence presently available..."

"If you had any evidence to begin with, mister," Arlene said haltingly.

Sapph turned to the man in charge and said cordially, "Excuse me, Officer...?"

Jumping slightly as the chief realised he hadn't affected an introduction, he blustered, "Olliman. Frank Olliman."

"Thank you," Sapph said politely. "Am I right in thinking that the basis for their suspicion of my hand in a 'kidnapping'," Sapph made sure to lace the word with as much contempt as possible, "is that I own a Jutunkick, Arcanine and an... Eevee, was it?" he asked Reg, smiling at the Tamato berry-red face.

"You did it, and you know it, you f****r," Reg spat vehemently.

"So if I have them on me," Sapph went on calmly, "Or if there's any record of me having owned any of the above, their suspicions would be more or less confirmed?"

"That's right, you hooligan," Reg's father said coldly. "Open all your pokéballs, now!"

"Chief!" Leiutenant Olliman shouted angrily. "Control yourself!"

"Very well," Sapph said, inexplicably smiling, reaching for three pokéballs on his waist. "If you insist..."

Tossing all three pokéballs upwards, white light spilled from them as they split open around the middle, forming three Pokémon that looked nothing remotely close to a Jutunkick, Arcanine or any Eeveelution.

The first had brilliant fuzzy yellow plumage reminiscent of a Zigzagoon which it preened with its short, conical beak. Its beady black eye surveyed the crowd of people almost as though they weren't worth its attention and continued its self cleaning.

The second was featherless but leathery, its capelike wings and pointed, stuck up ears like that of a bat but its claws and tail that of a scorpion. It has a goofy look in its beady eyes and its large reddish pink tongue lolled around not unlike a panting dog's. Looking around comically, it blurted out in a rapid, cartoon-like voice, Wiggidty wiggdty wiggdty WHUT?!

The last looked like a small chicken with a long thin leaf for its head and tail plumage each, both being a few shades darker that its pale green body. It hopped about the floor, and piped in a quivering voice, Is it dinner time? I'm starved!

There was a disbelieving silence as all those congregated around the three flying types beheld their antics for a few long moments before Sapph, with a slight cough said, "Well, officers... if that'll be all..."

"Hold it!" Reg yelled. "How do we know you didn't swap them?"

"Let me ask you two questions then," Sapph said calmly, yet with a steely note to his challenge. "If I did switch these imaginary Pokémon for the three I just released... when did I switch them? I've been at the gym in front of a crowd all day. And say I did switch them... where would they be other than the Yew Observatory? You can call and check," he said, offering his PokéGear to Officer Olliman. "But I haven't made any trades for my storage Pokémon there at all in the last two months since I was here last. And there is no record of me owning any of the Pokémon mentioned by the disturbed gentlemen here."

"He has a point, sir," Frank Olliman said slowly.

"Oh, cut the crap, Olliman," Leopold Saunders rasped, too shocked and angry to reply coherently. "He... he must have... I..."

"Well, then..." Sapph said calmly, looking at Arlene and smiling. Saluting Police Chief Saunders sarcastically and Lieutenant Olliman respectfully, Sapph turned to leave when one of the officers called out, "Wait!"

Sapph turned around surprised and one of the junior officers approached nervously, his hazel eyes darting between Sapph's blue ones nervously.

"My daughter, Hinata... she's a really swell girl. She wanted me to ask you for your autograph, sir," he stammered, producing a pen and a pink pocket notebook. "She's only four years old and in the hospital when she saw you at the Gatonda Tourney. She's still ill and it would mean so much if... you know..."

Smiling to himself, Sapph took the pen and scrawled his first ever autograph, knowing just which charity he'd donate the proceeds to... his first fan.

Sapph looked out towards the west as the sun sank low beneath the alabaster topped mountains through which he and Haley had traversed to get to Legendio Town, his mind full of what could have happened, as well as what had happened to him and his Pokémon that day. Coming close to being arrested, battling a souped up gym leader, visiting his first fan in the hospital (the report of which and his battle with Arlenemaking the headline news of the Evening Beacon, Nightspark City's local evening paper)... and the cherry on top, the piece de resistance...

"Hey, hero!" A loud voice called from behind a pile of rocks some where up to his right. "Took you long enough!"

Sapph's azure eyes looked in the direction the voice and smiled recognizing its owner, a young girl of medium height and auburn hair presently in a single plait. Beside her sat a girl with her royal blue hair clipped short, looking suddenly self conscious.

Sapph's expression darkened slightly as his eagle eye took in her bruised face and wrist and her brutal haircut. Walking swiftly towards her, he crouched down before her and running a hand through her bangs asked her seriously, "Are you alright?"

Nora nodded mutely, hiding her scarlet cheeks from him with difficulty.

"Any problems?" Sky said quietly, leaping down from the rock she was perched on and strolling towards them, pulling out three pokéballs and returning an Arcanine, Jutunkick and one of the two Eevees seated by the fire to their confines. Galante was with them, ignoring Zen as magnaminously as possible.

"None," Sapph smirked, pulling off three more and exchanging them with Sky. "Well, I'm guessing you'll need to return to Dopeak and challenge Lhi and Chen for the Power Badge... maybe your Dodrio..."

"Nah," Sky answered for the silent, still-seated girl. "The pass is treacherous on foot... or talon," she added. "Riza can handle the trip, can't ya, girl?"

And throwing a new pokéball down, Sky called out a beast of a Pokémon: nearly six foot and two hundred pounds of pure crimson scale, wing and flame. Releasing a loud bellow, the Flame Pokémon stood proud and tall, its tail burning bright.

"Well," Sapph said drily as Sky turned to Sapph, looking for his opinion on the surprise. "Haley'll be in for a surprise at the Trigello Tournament..."

"What?!" Sky cried out as she toppled off Riza's back in shock. "Are-aren't you competing?"

Sapph shook his head sadly. "Nah. I'd like to, but restricting yourself to one type isn't really my style. It'll be something of a training camp for me, if I have the time... I do have barely a week to get registered..."

"What, didn't you hear?" Nora mumbled. "The League was postponed... for another three and a half weeks. It now starts on the thirtieth of July... Sapph?"

It was Sapph's turn to look and be shocked.

"Seriously?" Sapph squealed in a very uncharacteristically shrill voice, looking faintly relieved.

"Y-yes," Nora said nervously, unnerved by how excited Sapph seemed. "It seems the Trigello Tournament was a bigger event than anticipated this year... Sapph?"

Nora faltered as Sapph, in sheer elation, grabbed Nora and hugged her tightly, causing her whole face to go about as scarlet as a Charmeleon's hide.

Sky caught sight of this and was so distracted she fell of Riza's back again noisily, the ruckus causing Sapph to return abruptly to reality, severely flushed himself.

"So..." Sapph mumbled awkwardly, stunned at his daring.

"Well..." Nora muttered, embarrassed to the point of passing out yet feeling elated beyond measure.

"Yeah... see you!" They blurted out in tandem, turning away sharply to avoid any further awkwardness. Pulling out Arcana's pokéball, he released the Legendary Pokémon and leaping astride her back, he wordlessly urged her onwards, pelting off into the darkening twilight.

It's just like that time, Nora thought sadly as she watched Sapph and Arcana disappear down the road to Legendio City. Just like before...

-Flashback-
Nightspark Harbour, roughly two months ago...

"You ready to go?" Sapph smiled at her, holding out the pokéball that held her new Gatonda.

Nora's eyes watered as she held it in her hands. She was finally becoming a trainer, finally going to see the world and her dream come true, and she had Sapph to thank for it all.

"Th-thank you," She sniffled, trying to hold herself in.

"Not a problem," Sapph said cheerfully. Think nothing of it."

"Here, these are yours as well," Grandma Rose added, thrusting a red backpack and a trainer card into her hands.

"Thank you… thank you, both of you!" She said again, tears beginning to spill out from her eyes.

-End Flashback-

...Only, Nora though sadly, tears creeping out of the corners of her eyes, I couldn't even thank him...

"I really am pathetic aren't I?" Nora said, more to herself than to her new travel buddy, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "After all he did... I couldn't even thank him..."

Sky squinted at Nora's burning face and suddenly broke out into a wide knowing grin. "You like him, don't cha?"

"Wha-? NO!" Nora said anxiously, shaking her head so hard it looked in danger of falling off.

"Yeah, you do."

"No! No, I don't... well, um..." Nora faltered, recalling her Pokémon to buy herself some time to gather herself for a counter argument.

"You do?! Wahahaha!" Sky whooped in glee. "Well, well... Haley's got competition!"

"It's not like that, Sky! It's not like that at all!" Nora said frantically. "After all, to Sapph... I'm like a sister! Yeah! Just like a sister!"

"But he's not like a brother to you, is he?"

"Hunh?"

"Do. You. Like. Him. As. A. Brother?" Sky repeated in a deliberately slow voice.

Nora blushed deeply. "Wh-why do you ask me that?"

"Just answer the question!" Sky demanded impatiently.

Nora's reply under Sky glaring stare was mumbled and sounded vaguely like, "Mwnionble."

"Eh? I can't HEAR you!" Sky half-shouted, cupping a hand to her ear.

"I dunno, alright?" Nora shouted back in a strong, commanding voice, startling Sky and even herself. Quieting down, she emphasized, "I don't know. I mean... when we first met..."

-Flashback-

Nightspark City, About two months ago...

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.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGGGGGGG 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 blue 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.

-End Flashback-

"I see..." Sky said softly, her arms and legs crossed meditatively.

"I mean, he's very special to me, but he has my cousin. I know she deserves him..."

"So you don't?" Sky said softly, her brown eyes boring into Nora's green irises.

"I don't know," Nora repeated awkwardly, her face screwed up as the weight of her words, emotions and thoughts threatened to crush her completely. "You have no idea how much it kills me not to be able to tell him..."

"What's stopping you?" Sly asked bluntly.

"Because no matter when I say it, I know what the answer will be," Nora said miserably, the tears she had willed herself not to shed now flowing freely. "And- and I don't know if I can handle it when I do get it. I'm not that strong. I... I'm... just... not that strong. I'm just not."

Sky watched her weep silently for a few moments, then slapped her cheeks forcefully and said, "Right! Here's what we're gonna do! By the time you see Sapph again, you will tell him how you feel!"

"B-but?!" Nora stammered. "Sky, weren't you listening?"

"Yep," Sky said brightly. "So you feel insecure, big whoop. We'll just have to cure that, won't we?"

Nora opened her mouth to argue some more, but Sky overrode her sharply, saying, "Look. Guys like confidence in a girl. And vice versa. Keep up that attitude and any guy will take you for a ride. Not everybody meets a true Mr. Perfect..."

"Do you have a boyfriend, Sky?"

Sky was struck momentarily dumb, a comically ridiculous expression frozen on her face.

"Hey, off topic," Sky said dismissively. "Come on. We wanna get outta here before the authorities come along..."

And without further ado both girls mounted the Charizard, which gave a loud roar and shouted, Orright! Dopeak City, here we come!

Leaping into the sky and flapping her great wings once or twice, Riza shot into the sky and off to the east, Nora wondering if she really could be who Sky said she would make her...

... if Sky was right...

... and if Sky had a boyfriend.

A few nights later, an elderly lady walked down the tranquil street towards her new modest two storey home. A large shopping bag hung from the crook of her left arm as she marched briskly on, the large brown trench coat masking her short frame effectively.

A couple of thickset thugs stepped out of a side street and barred her way onward. One of the thugs, with a shiny pate and a large yellow heart-shaped tattoo stepped forward, his many heavy chains clinking and gleaming in the lamp light.

"Good evening, Mum," the second one leered in a northern city accent not unlike cockney, revealing a glint of silver as he moved his lips. "How's about a fiver for 'e pub, eh?"

"I'm sorry," the woman replied haltingly, her pale blue eyes flashing dangerously. "But I must be getting home-"

"Aw, don't say that, Granny," the first thug wheedled, grabbing her by the crook of her arm tightly. "We jus' wanna afiver..."

"Please unhand me at once," the old lady said with a grizzled smile, "or I'm afraid I will have to harm you."

"Wot was 'zat?" The first thug yelled, evidently angered by the elderly lady's spunk, his bright green punk mohawk seemingly standing straighter than usual in his rage. Pulling out a solitary pokeball, he threw it forward and yelled, "Go, Charmeleon!"

A medium sized (by which I mean a three foot plus) reptile appeared before their victim, its long dirty claws and vicious fangs bared as the flame on its long tail burned with great intensity. a single horn grew out from in between and above its indigo-shaded irises, which were narrowed in anger or bloodlust, its crimson complexion made it hard to tell.

"Well, so much for playin' nice," the cueball sighed. "Come out, Wombeal!"

A small, dirty grey creature appeared on the ground in a flash of light, rubbing its thick blue knuckles menacingly as it leered at the old woman. It knew what it had to do, and was rather looking forward to it.

"Oh, dear," the seemingly defenseless woman sighed. Fishing in her shopping bag, she pulled out a red and white or and splitting it open with the press of a button, commanded, "Petal, be a dear and use Petal Dance, would you?"

A whirl of petals, a series of loud smacks and yells later, all four assailants were tied to the lamp post by a number of thick, thorny green vines, out cold. Picking up her broad-rimmed hat, she dusted it off and said scoldingly, "Youth of today. So ill-mannered, most of them. Come along, Petal," she called to her Bouquet Pokemon, retracting it in a fash of red light. "We must get home now."

And without a backwards glance, Rosa Saunders moved off towards the corner amidst a shower of sapphire rose petals, muttering, "Let that be a lesson to you punks. Nobody messes with G."