Chapter Eighteen:
Luck

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. The only "ownership" I can claim are the personalities and my interpretation of how Pokémon look in a more realistic light, but other than that...yeah, I don't own anything on them. XD I do, however, own my original characters and writings, unless otherwise stated. In an exceptional case, a few special OCs belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them for the story that's to unfold. I'll point them out when their time to show up comes. :3

Note: Thank you so much for those who reviewed. I greatly appreciate it! I love hearing from those who read this story. :)

Additionally, I have changed the way Mr. Dervish speaks in this story versus how he spoke in the games, not because I can't do comical. I liked how he spoke, it was funny. But I believe it would have been difficult to follow through with the mixed up way his words were strung along and I don't want much confusion going on for my readers. I can imagine, however, the more excited he gets, the more his English tends to get jumbled up, making him harder to understand.

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Here's the thing about luck...you don't know if it's good or bad until you have some perspective.
―Alice Hoffman, "Local Girls"

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"Bullet, use flame wheel!"

Fire gushed forward, cycling over and engulfing the Growlithe. He spurred forward, hurtling himself toward his opponent. He smashed into the Caterpie, sending it flying with a terrified squeal into the air. A beam of red light shot toward the airborne bug-type, encased it and suddenly, it was gone, recalled into its pokéball.

Lupin slowed her breathing, her eyes locked on her opponent from across the battlefield. He was about her age, maybe slightly older. He grimaced as he tucked away his last pokéball and trudged off to the sidelines. She relaxed. Bullet pivoted on his paws, tail wagging excitedly. His ears perked up high, although one was starting to flop over slightly. His blue eyes shined brightly.

"Did I do good, did I, did I?"

She grinned at him, dropping to a knee, motioning him to come forward. He did so with great gusto, nearly bowling her over as he pounced, licking her face. She chuckled.

"You did great! That was really good, Bullet. You are definitely getting a treat for your hard work today."

Riptide grumbled beside her, although he didn't too unpleased with the results. She glanced briefly at Mr. Dervish, waiting expectantly. He was scribbling away on a clipboard. Finally he looked up to address her and she stood. Bullet rushed to sit beside her, his tail still wagging a little.

"Very good with matching type advantage, Mademoiselle Ferus. Although, your strategy is something of…eh, what's the word…" He paused, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. "It could use work. You tend to rely on brute strength rather than utilizing advantages a battlefield could potentially provide. Granted, we don't have a pond or water-based field we could use for your Totodile, but I digress. Sharpen up that much of your skills, and you'll make an even better battler." He smiled. "But, in spite of that…you did win the mock tournament. Congratulations!"

She felt a hesitant smile pulling at her lips as she nodded to him, before glancing at Riptide. He was wearing his signature crooked croc smile, but the glint in his eyes told her he was rather proud at the moment. Bullet gave a happy yelp beside her, wiggling on the spot. She stooped over to scoop up Riptide and he clambered to his usual spot around her shoulders. Bullet leaned on her leg as she straightened before she clicked her tongue, motioning him to follow her. He trotted alongside her, a healthy bounce to his step.

Mr. Dervish strolled over to meet her halfway, pulling her graded paperwork from the clipboard and handing it to her. There were a few points shaved off here and there, but overall, her grade was rather good. She thanked Mr. Dervish and he clapped her shoulder. "Go, join the others. I have some word to pass and then I will release you for the day. Come, come! Dépêchez-vous maintenant!"

"What's it say?" Riptide murmured in her ear as she moved toward the rest of the class. He was squinting at the page, head cocked to the side.

"We got a passing grade."

"And those red marks took off points, yes?"

"Mm-hmm."

The class gathered and waited as Mr. Dervish finished giving her last opponent his test sheet. Then he turned to face the rest of them, beaming. "Très bien,vous avez tousfaitsi bien! Improvement is not just for the young! You have all done your best in this class, and as a result, I can say with great pleasure, you've all passed!" He paused for effect, then motioned back to the building. "We'll hold a small graduation ceremony here tomorrow at noon. Practice will start at ten, we'll do some dry runs, and then afterwards, you can go to the ID office down at the Pokémon Center."

With that said, they were dismissed. Everyone either scattered to the winds or stayed behind for further discussions and questions for Mr. Dervish. Lupin was on her way to leave with most of the others, but stopped when she noticed an onlooker approaching Mr. Dervish. He was a slim looking young man, his hair dark but the sun played on it, giving it an almost bluish sheen to it. He sported a serious expression, and had an air of importance about him, carrying himself with purpose and intent. Mr. Dervish noticed him at the last moment and laughed heartily, clapping the young man on the shoulder when he was an arm's length away.

Lupin paused to watch, as did several others.

"Ah, Monsieur Falkner, what a pleasant surprise! Ce esttoujours un plaisirde vous avoir ici!"

The young man offered a faint smile. One of the women close by Lupin gasped suddenly. Riptide shifted on her shoulder to stare at the woman.

"That's Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader!" A few others jumped in, murmuring among themselves. Their interest piqued, some of them began moving back toward Mr. Dervish and the new arrival, muted excitement buzzing in the air.

"Go over there, don't just stand here gawking," Riptide chided with a clack of his jaws. Bullet gave an eager whine, his tail thumping on the ground.

"Why? We're not challenging the gym."

If he was able to pinch the bridge of his snout, he would have done so then and there. Instead, the Totodile gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Gym leaders have an obligation to offer instructional advice to new trainers." He paused, tilting his head enough so they were eye-to-eye. "Besides, what else do you plan on doing, besides adventuring into the world to find out who you are? You're certainly not planning on becoming a breeder or daycare provider of some sort. And neither are you an aspiring ace trainer or bug-catcher, and I certainly don't see you hopping on the ship to hail the call of the sea and become a sailor."

He stared at her pointedly, and she blanched, realizing he was right. And yet, she couldn't find it in her to move forward. Riptide sighed again, although this time with more patience behind it.

"It wouldn't hurt to get some advice on where you might find the best information for your…situation. Perhaps he knew you, or someone from your pictures or that book of yours."

She considered his words, indecision rippling through her for several moments. He had a point, she couldn't deny that. She made an aggravated noise at the back of her throat.

"I hate it when you're actually right," she said as she began moving toward the small crowd. This elicited Riptide to rattle-laugh away in her ear.

"But you're glad I am," he surmised. She didn't deign him with an answer, which made him laugh again. Bullet trotted along her, his claws clicking on the concrete. So far, he seemed to be adjusting well between herself and Riptide, although she caught him brooding on occasion when he thought no one was looking. She knew it'd be a while before his spirits were truly lifted. She'd have to work on that.

Lupin circled around the group until she found a free space close to Mr. Dervish and Falkner, who was fielding questions already to the curious bystanders around him. Most were trivial inquiries—most were about his gym, advice on flying-type pokémon, and strategies he employs in battles versus what Mr. Dervish had taught, and so on. Before long, the others started trickling away, satiated with the encounter for the time being. Mr. Dervish began speaking with Falkner when the other men and women began turning away, seemingly intent on pressing his own agenda and conversation with the young man. He stopped mid-sentence, however, when he noticed Lupin still lingering nearby, watching the both of them keenly. Riptide dug his claws into her shoulder, a silent prompt to get on with it. Bullet wiggled beside her with pent up energy still begging to find an outlet to be released.

"Mademoiselle Ferus?"

"I had a few questions for Falkner, if you don't mind."

"Oh, but of course not! What was it you needed?"

Lupin hesitated, then turned her gaze to the taller young man. He was watching her with a fierce gaze, like a predator waiting for her to make the first move.

She was unimpressed.

"Actually, it's a bit…private, if you don't mind, Mr. Dervish."

The portly man chuckled, nodding several times. "Of course, of course, that is no problem. Falkner, when you are finished, come by my office, we have much to catch up on! Allons-y!"

With that said, Mr. Dervish left with a flourish and bounce in his step, a grace in his movements despite his size. Falkner watched the man leave, before turning his dark eyes onto Lupin again. He didn't smile at her.

"If you're looking for a date, I've already turned down several proposals this week alone. I'm not interested."

"Gee, you're really full of yourself, aren't you? Do you believe every woman who talks to you wants to get in your pants?" She snapped off, not missing a beat. He looked taken aback for a brief second. Then his lips twitched slightly.

"I assume," he agreed. "A gym leader isn't necessarily a glamorous position, but it's government funded and the pay itself isn't half-bad. Lots of diggers trying to get attached to those benefits."

He glanced upward, squinting as he peered at the sky. Then he returned his attention to Lupin.

"So, if you're not asking for a date, is it about my gym hours? They're posted at the front door."

"No, that's not it either." She paused, easing her wallet from her back pocket and fished out the photos in them. "I know this is farfetched, but you might have something I can work with, even if it's vague or a long shot."

She hesitated, stopping herself short. Riptide squeezed his claws into her shoulder again, as though in reassurance. Bullet pressed against her leg.

"I…had an accident a couple months back and I was diagnosed with amnesia. These pictures were in my wallet, and I don't know who they are, I didn't exactly label them on the back." She presented the small stack to the taller man. "And since you're a gym leader, you probably get a lot of traffic through your gym. Maybe you've seen some of these people, or…or met them at some point."

It was thin hope, but it was hope to hold onto.

Falkner took the pictures and scanned them quickly, his face a blank, unreadable slate. Then he handed them back, shaking his head.

"No, sorry. I haven't seen any of these people. And I'm sorry to say, but I probably wouldn't remember that well even if they had. I get many challengers and the faces and pokémon teams tend to blur together after a while."

And there went her bubble of hope. She sighed, taking them all back and putting them back where they belonged.

"Thought I'd try anyway. Sorry to waste your time."

She turned to leave, feeling a little dejected. She stopped when Falkner called back to her, and she glanced at him.

"You should stop by the gym before you leave Violet City," he said casually, looking a mite more relaxed than moments before. "You have a rather good strategy for battling, never mind what Dervish says. It'd be interesting to place a match against you."

"I'm not interested in gym battles," she replied.

"Oh? And what are you interested in? Breeding? Construction? Daycare?" He paused. "You're not planning on just traveling about, asking people 'do you know me', are you? Adventurous, to be sure, but a bit pointless and lacking."

She shifted from foot to the other, uncomfortable with his prodding. "I'm interested in getting my head back together and my memory back."

He considered her for a moment, then smiled. "I'll tell you what. I'll extend my resources and see if I can't find something about those people you're looking for. Maybe someone from the other gyms can give you something. But, you need to do something for me."

"This sounds like the lead up to a sex thing now," she wrinkled her nose in distaste. He scowled at her.

"If you defeat all the sages and their Elder at the Sprout Tower, then you can come see me."

"And if I don't?"

He shrugged. "Then I suppose the information I might unearth isn't that important to you."

"Are you…blackmailing me?" She bristled at the thought. He shrugged again, turning on his heel slightly to face the Pokémon Academy.

"No, nothing of the sort. I prefer the term 'motivation'." Falkner waved over his shoulder as he walked away. "See you in a few days!"

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"He's trying to bait you, you know."

"I gathered as much, thank you for the insight."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was going to be that much of an arrogant ass." Riptide remarked dismally, slumping on her shoulder. "I thought gym leaders were supposed to help trainers, not coerce them into battling…"

"Wait, why was he goading you?" Bullet queried as he padded alongside Lupin. They entered the Wooper Café and got in line behind a man with an Oddish dancing around his feet. The Growlithe paused to watch, his head moving back and forth in time with the Oddish. When it came closer, he lifted his rump in the air, tail wagging furiously. They began to dance and weave around together playfully. Riptide watched for a moment, then returned his attention to Lupin.

"Short attention span," he muttered. Lupin sighed.

"He's goading me because he wants more publicity, I'm guessing. The best trainer out of the graduating class against the gym leader would make for an interesting battle in his head. I think he also sees it as an opportunity to showcase how much better he is."

"Maybe, but perhaps not," he said neutrally, considering. "I doubt he's got that much of an ego. But it looks like he's somewhat concerned with your cause, if my impression is anything good to go by."

"He didn't take any of the pictures for reference, though. And I didn't get to tell him any names to ask around for. How is that supposed to be helpful?"

He conceded her point. It did seem a little odd. They got to the front counter and Lupin bought the usual round of snacks for herself and her two pokémon, as well as a large coffee with extra shots of espresso in it. Minutes later, they were trotting back out and toward the center.

"Do you think we should go back to his gym and have him take copies of the photos? If he's supposedly going to help us, the least he could do is take the reference with him to show his 'contacts'."

"His contacts might be other gym leaders. There's only eight of them here in Johto, but perhaps the network is more extensive…" Riptide murmured quietly, pausing to think. "Perhaps you could have shown your pictures to the professor as well."

"He'd forget about them. You know that better than me. He'd forget for weeks, months. His head's full of pokémon data, not playing detective and looking for people."

Again, he had to concede to her point, as much as he didn't want to. She was right. The professor didn't have time to play detective and rouse up contacts to drop what they were doing and look for a few faces out of, what? Millions? Billions? It could be done, he had no doubt, but how long would it take?

He was having some doubts now about her endeavor to find them herself. The world suddenly seemed so large and daunting. For all they knew, these people could be elsewhere, like Kanto or Hoenn, maybe even as far as Orre, Sinnoh, Kalos, Fiore or any other region he may not have even heard of. Not to mention, there were so many unexplored, untamed regions. There were miles upon miles of untainted wilderness, pure and wild, where little to no humans have ever stepped foot into. Her journey seemed like a fool's errand now, but he couldn't find it in him to voice it aloud. He didn't have the strength to shoot down her expedition right then and there. It seemed too cruel a thing to do.

But how long can she keep this up? We're only at the beginning and it already seems hopeless…

"Hey, what's eating you?" Bullet called from the ground, looking up at him with those curious, naïve blue eyes. He looked better than he had at the beginning of the week. His coat was cleaned and shiny, although there were some patches here and there suggesting where he had hot spots. Treating them was a cinch, however, after Nurse Joy had diagnosed what they were.

"I'm thinking," he finally deigned to answer the Growlithe. He cocked his head, one ear flopping over as he did.

"About?"

They turned the block, heading toward the Pokémon Center. "About our next move."

"Isn't that her job?"

"We can help, you know. She might form a plan and then conveniently forget it at a pivotal moment. Alas, the fate of our poor trainer and her amnesiac condition."

"Har, har. Thank you so much, you useless reptile. I always need a daily reminder of how broken my head is." Lupin growled out as they passed the threshold into the center. It was packed with more trainers and pokémon than she normally saw. Some she recognized as the more common pokémon—Pidgey, Spearow, Rattata, Sentret, and the like—although she did notice a Nidoking hanging around in the back, shooting the occasional glare at a four-armed, muscle-bound pokémon that stood at least a good foot-and-a-half taller than her. She whipped out her Pokédex, and highlighted a few that she hadn't seen before and the data came streaming through, listing them in.

Bullet whined, taken aback. She paused in her scanning and glanced at him. A look of horror was painted across his face and she hesitated, quietly chastising herself. She finally put away the device and crouched, patting his head. "Hey…easy there, boy. It's okay. Don't worry. I'm sorry. We didn't mean anything by it. Don't you worry, I'm not going to forget anything about you or Riptide or anything we've done together. Especially you two. Okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise. Amnesia isn't like Alzheimer's. Amnesia can usually be overcome. And…I'm hoping that'll happen soon. I dunno when, but maybe if I find the people I need to, they can help."

He looked somewhat appeased and he licked her hand. She scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way to the room. He was smart, but it was obvious he still had the mentality of a very young pup sometimes. His elderly trainer couldn't give him the proper training he needed, the experience he should have had, but she didn't fault the old man for Bullet's shortcomings. She just couldn't find it in her to do so.

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The practice and ceremony went without a hitch, and afterwards, everyone headed off as a group to the ID office back at the Pokémon Center. The process of waiting and filling out extra paperwork was a pain, but subsequently, it all went through without any more delays. An hour after graduation, Lupin was peering down at her new, freshly made ID. The photographer had wanted her to take off her hat, but she had somehow managed to wheedle her way into keeping it on. She mostly had Riptide and Bullet's hissing and growling to thank for a majority of that.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the Sprout Tower, the imposing pagoda a beacon that drew many to it, like moths to the flame. There were more people loitering about the beautiful garden, soaking up the sun or enjoying the scenery. It was another nice day, after all, and the amount of bodies that were coming and going were more than the previous times Lupin had come to visit the Sprout Tower.

"I guess we should head inside and get this stuff over with as quickly as possible," she commented idly.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Riptide replied, clacking his jaws a few times. "If you start this, this means you might have to fight Falkner. And if that happens, you end up getting a badge. That wasn't exactly what you were aiming for when you started this journey."

Not that he really minded. If it meant fighting, he was all for it. But Lupin was his trainer now. She called the shots, with or without his approval. He deferred to her, whether his advice was taken or not. She didn't answer right away. She didn't move either. Instead, she remained where she was, faltering now that he'd brought that up. The gears were turning in her head, he could see that, and from the glance down at Bullet, he could see it as well. He could smell the anxiety wafting off of her, being in such close proximity of the woman. He could see the second-guessing flashing across the eye that was visible to him, her brow drawing together in a pinched-thoughtful look.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity had passed them by, she nodded. Determination built, first a small ember until it grew and blazed like wildfire. She reached up and tugged her hat down a little, making sure her ears were secure and hidden.

"We've come too far to get stopped by some punk gym leader with a big ego. He wants me to fight these people in the tower, then fine. We'll give it all we got and then some."

He laughed at that, already feeling his blood boiling at the prospect.

"Finally. I thought I'd never hear you say those words. I was beginning to believe I'd made the wrong choice traveling with you."

"Ye of little faith."

"Consider my faith restored."

"So we're going? We're fighting?" Bullet panted out, his body trembling with excitement. Lupin motioned toward the entrance of the Sprout Tower.

"Onward ho," she grinned with a nod of approval. He gave a howl of delight and bounded off ahead of them. Lupin followed after him at a more leisurely pace, but underneath the calm, she was actually looking forward to the battles ahead as well. If it meant getting her one step closer to the information she wanted, then so be it.

Let the fights commence.

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It was quickly noted and established that the sages who trained in the Sprout Tower had a preference to the flower pokémon, Bellsprout. Lupin still had mixed feelings about the little reedy things, having lost Syd to one of their kind. It was an open wound that was still sensitive and hadn't quite scabbed over completely. Being reminded of the event opened it a little further, but she didn't dare let it show. Instead, she torched them all down. These weren't the ones who had harmed her little bird, but it felt somewhat satisfying to take them all down, in a grim sort of fashion.

Each victory led her closer to the highest point in the pagoda. Inside, as she twirled the nexus of the tower's stairwells to the top floor, the center beam swayed in time with every battle. It was nauseating at first, worrisome after a time, then nothing more than a norm.

The center beam was created to do as such, and as legend had it, it was created from the largest living Bellsprout. Of course, that had to be impossible, and it was a fair point which she and Riptide agreed upon. When Lupin asked one of the sages about it, they laughed politely at her inquiry and motioned to the center beam.

"It sways like that to keep the tower from falling. And battles make it sway as well, not just the seismic activity."

"Like earthquake prevention?"

"Something like that. I'm sure you've heard of the legend about the mighty Bellsprout who became the center point of our pagoda, yes?"

"Somewhat. It sounds like a tall tale, but it makes for a good story."

He only smiled at her before permitting her to continue forward, not uttering another peep about it. Instead, he watched her go and when she was gone, tended to his Bellsprout's wounds.

When Lupin reached the highest point in the pagoda, the center beam was swaying again, back and forth like a metronome, almost in a hypnotizing fashion. Further behind it, she could hear the sounds of a battle raging on. A few more sages stood in her way, and one of them had a Hoothoot on his team, alongside the signature Bellsprout that they all possessed. He was tough, but switching out Bullet with Riptide to do battle with the Hoothoot proved a good strategy. He quickly took down the puffball when it fluttered too close to him. He snapped it right out of the air, using his bite attack without mercy until the sage recalled him.

He motioned wordlessly for her to continue on ahead. He was her last opponent and as she rounded the corner of the shifting beam, she stopped herself short. Bullet ran into the back of her calf, only half-paying attention to where he was going and fell back on his rump.

"Hey! You're supposed to be moving forward, not stopping! This isn't a crosswalk, ya know," he grumbled, before taking stock of his trainer's frozen expression. He followed her gaze, confused. There were two people near the back, one an elderly man and the other a young redheaded young man. "Lupin?"

"Uh…yeah, sorry, Bullet."

"It's him again."

"I can see that," Lupin replied.

"Who's 'him'?"

"Some punk with a bad attitude we met on the road a few weeks back," Riptide replied with a low hiss. "He stole that Chikorita by his side from Professor Elm. We should report him to the authorities before he gets away."

Suddenly, as though being watched, the redhead turned his gaze on them. That ridiculously smarmy smirk appeared on his face, and he strolled away from the white-haired man before him. He stopped short of Lupin.

"So, you've made it this far since we last met," he looked her over, sneering. He jerked his head, motioning to the old man behind him. "He claims to be the 'Elder', but he's weak. It stands to reason. I'd never lose to fools who babble on about being nice to pokémon. I only care about strong pokémon that can win. I really couldn't care less about weak pokémon."

His gaze slid from Riptide to Bullet as he spoke. Bullet whined and hid behind Lupin. Riptide hissed low in his throat, narrowing his eyes at Shirubā. Chikorita looked worriedly on between her trainer and Lupin. Riptide could see she was dreading another fight. She looked ready to collapse and was trying to put up a strong front. The redhead looked her over one last time, then turned on his heel toward the exit.

"I don't know how you managed to slip through the cracks, but you're going to end up like that old man the next time we meet. I'll beat you and crush you down so hard into the ground, you'll never want to get up again. C'mon, Chikorita. Let's go. It's starting to stink of loser around here."

Lupin bristled and Bullet growled menacingly at Shirubā, baring his fangs. "Say that again to my face, you greasy-haired bastard! Come back here!"

He started after Shirubā, but Lupin gave a sharp bark, ordering him back over. He hesitated, looking torn, before grudgingly trotting back over to Lupin's side.

"Don't get worked up over him. He's a young kid. A punk-ass kid, but a kid nonetheless. He thinks he's invincible."

"A punk-ass kid who stole a pokémon from the professor," Riptide reminded her. She nodded at the grim reminder. "We'll report we saw him in town when we're done here."

The elderly man was tending to his pokémon as Lupin approached. He was kneeling on tatami mat, the design simple and practical. His robes nearly covered the entire thing from sight, and hiding his lower body in its many folds of dark clothe. He finished healing his team as she approached and he offered her a sage nod in her direction before standing, giving her a deep bow. She hesitated, then returned the gesture, feeling a little awkward, as well as mindful of the Totodile still resting on her shoulders. She straightened only when he had, and he nodded, as though in approval of her manners.

"Good afternoon, young lady. So good of you to come here! My name is Elder Li," he said, stepping off the tatami mat. "Sprout Tower is a place of training, as I'm sure you've already gathered from your trek up here. People and pokémon test their bonds to build a bright future together. I am that final test. Allow me to check the ties between your pokémon and you!"

Quick as a wink, he started the battle with no other words, flinging a pokéball into the air. Light surged from it as it split open, coalescing into a solid shape. A Bellsprout sprung forth, looking spry and ready for a fight. It swayed like the tower's center beam, back and forth in a lazy fashion. Bullet trotted forward, his claws clicking on the lacquered hard wood floor, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. In spite of the several battles to get here, he was just as lively, and raring to go.

"Bellsprout, use vine whip!" Elder Li barked out, not hesitating to get the first hit in. Lupin instantly retaliated with a command of flame wheel to Bullet. Fire coated his fur almost instantaneously, warding off a majority of the Bellsprout's stinging vine. He charged forward, a rampaging ball of flame hurtling on fast legs. The Elder's Bellsprout panicked and started to dart away on surprisingly quick little appendages, attempting to outrun the Growlithe bearing down on it. Bullet was fast, though, living up to his namesake and hit the Bellsprout in the back with his flame wheel attack. The Bellsprout shrieked and went careening wildly through the air.

Light surged upwards, recalling the injured Bellsprout to the safety of its pokeball. Elder Li gave her a nod, then threw his second pokeball. A HootHoot formed in midair, flapping its short, stubby wings. Wide, red eyes peered down at Bullet.

"Hoothoot, use hypnosis!"

Bright light emitted from the Hoothoot's eyes, much like foresight that Reyna had used back in the Haunted Forest. Just watching it, however, made Lupin realize it was different. She felt tired suddenly, from looking at the waves of red light.

"Don't look at it, run away!" Riptide's voice cut through the mental thickness, quick and sharp, like a hot knife through butter. She flinched at the intrusion, and so did Bullet on the battlefield. He had begun to sway, almost like a Bellsprout, uncoordinated and clumsy. The call, however, snapped him out of his tired stupor.

Lupin thought quickly before shouting, "Ember!"

Red-hot fire was spat out, filling the air with cinders, making the air shimmer and dance from heat waves. Smoke curled and coiled upwards as a few hit the hard wood floors, sizzling out before they'd begun to catch. Elder Li's Hoothoot managed to dive away from most of the fire, but some caught its tail feathers, singing them enough to make flight difficult. It went down hard, bouncing a few times. Bullet pounced almost immediately, dragging the Hoothoot by one wing with his fangs, shaking hard as he bit down. The owl pokémon screeched in agony, beating its other wing uselessly in an attempt to get away.

"Peck attack, Hoothoot!"

The little ball of feathers did as it was bid, turning to stab its beak at Bullet's face.

"That's enough, Bullet, let 'em go!"

The Growlithe leapt nimbly out of the way, bits of his muzzle bloody from where he'd bitten the Hoothoot. The bird flopped uselessly on the ground, screeching and panting. Elder Li recalled the Hoothoot, sighing. He held up a third pokémon, nodding to Lupin.

"My last pokemon. I was certainly not expecting to be beaten twice in one day. Perhaps luck will be on my side, though. Bellsprout, let's go!"

Another Bellsprout came onto the battlefield, identical to the last he'd sent out. It bobbed and weaved and swayed on the spot. It was held upright on thin leg-like appendages and its comical bulbous head the only thing that stood still. Bullet growled low in his throat, his hackles bristling. Lupin glanced at Riptide.

"You sure you don't wanna tackle this?"

"Do I look suicidal to you? I rather like having my hide intact, thank you."

Lupin snorted, but kept Bullet out nonetheless. The blue gator had a point. Bellsprout would probably put a major hurt on Riptide, being at a type disadvantage. Bullet was the best choice, being a fire-type.

"Vine whip!"

"Ember!"

Fire heaved forward, canceling out the vine whip attack before it had even began. The Bellsprout was overcome quickly enough, knocking it clear across the room. It struck the wall, its tiny body making a soft 'splat' as it hit before sliding down in an unceremonious heap. Elder Li recalled it, another sigh puffing past his lips.

"My, what an exciting battle!"

He laughed. Lupin stared at him, boggled.

"You…I-I don't…understand."

He laughed some more. "The way you battled—it was quite elegant. You were in tune with your pokemon, which could prove useful if you went up against Falkner. Or anyone else, for that matter. You'll need that harmony when you are together against other opponents."

Elder Li crossed the small distance between them, shuffling on quiet feet. He dug into one of his flowing sleeves and held out a CD to her. Curious, Lupin moved toward him for a closer inspection. "What is it?"

"My dear girl, it's TM. Or, if you prefer, it's a Technical Machine. It contains data to teach a pokemon a move that they would otherwise not be able to learn their entire natural lives on their own. There are many like this. This is TM Flash. With it, a pokemon on your team able to learn it can illuminate even the darkest cave. I want you to take it."

He pressed it into her hand and curled her fingers with his own, giving it a pat. He flashed her another grin.

"I hope that you learn much on your journey and continue to grow. That was simply a marvelous battle, one of the better ones I've had in ages."

She smiled, although it was a hesitant one at the praise. He stepped back. Elder Li appraised her for a moment longer, then bowed to her. She returned the gesture.

"Thank you for the battle, miss. I can tell you care for your pokemon. You could have sent out your Totodile and risk injury to my Bellsprout, but you chose wisely to stick with your Growlithe. Not only type-advantage smart, but tactically so. I didn't expect my Hoothoot to fail in his hypnosis attack. He rarely does. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my team's injuries…"

And like that, Lupin could tell a dismissal when she was given one. She shuffled off, scooping up Bullet as she did and was immediately assaulted with warm, slobbery kisses from his tongue.

"Did I do good, did I, did I?"

She laughed as they quickly descended, rubbing at his neck scruff and scratching his belly. Riptide made disgruntled noises from her shoulder at the puppy pokémon's antics.

"Yes, of course you did good. You did great!"

He was delighted at his success and even found enough courage to swipe his tongue at Riptide, who hadn't been paying the Growlithe much attention. He hissed menacingly at the Growlithe. Bullet whined, ears lower against his head and his tail tucking between his legs. Lupin snickered, annoying him further. He swiped a paw at his snout in a vain attempt to wipe off the slobber.

Damn my stubby arms. Can't wait until I'm bigger. Than I can wipe my snout all I like and not have to ask help to do it, ever again.

"Okay, no more kisses for Rip, you know he hates that."

"I'm sorry, I just got all excited. I forgot, I'm sorry," he whined, looking a little abashed. Riptide kept an eye on him the rest of the way back to the center from then on, since Lupin thought it necessary to carry the furry beast, much to his chagrin.

Just in case.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Note: Bullet is smart, he's just childish in some manners, since essentially he's listed as a "puppy pokémon", so he still has childish mannerisms. Plus, he's a dog. Dogs get excited a lot. Well, most dogs. Bullet is no exception to this. :3