Kyisha awoke in a hotel room, under a blanket. The walls were plain gray. There was a television, but it was off. An ugly abstract painting hung above her. Tacky green curtains covered a window at one end of the room. On the other side, she could see a bathroom and a coat rack. A double bed across from her held a lumpy shape, hidden under blankets.

A fuzzy white-black face leaned over her. Kyisha gasped. It was a panda with messy brown hair, dressed in a pink gi. "Good morning!" the panda smiled. "Are you feeling okay?"

Kyisha looked around nervously. "Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"I am Kimpap. You...fight monster at airport, and monster beat you. I...find you and take you away quickly, before monster hit me." The panda made snaking gestures with her black paws. "Monster very dangerous. Long...tentals...very dangerous. I carry you up stairs...and put you in hotel room. Your...friend...I grab him next." She gestured to the other bed. "He sleepy now."

Kyisha sat up. "Where are my things?"

Kimpap frowned. "You...and...man...own...small creature. Monster hurt them. Very bad. Cukek go take them to hospital for creature. You can go visit if you feel good now." She took a deep breath. "Monster very fright. I no like. Something happen. Cukek say monster vanish when she pick up Pokie...pet. She say it go into...TV? I no understand. But monster is gone now."

Who is this Cukek person? Kyisha thought. No matter. "What about my luggage?"

Kimpap pursed her lips. "Your things...all over floor. I try to pick up much as I can, but...many things break. I am very sorry. I buy you new suitcase and put things in it. Again, I am so sorry."

Kyisha shrugged. "Its okay. All the items I had with me that were break-able. I got them from a dollar store." Still, was that monster a computer type Pokemon? Or was it a transforming Pokemon in disguise? Kyisha reached up and touched her head. It had been bandaged with gauze.

"Your head...bleed," said Kimpap. "Frasure is small, but I bandage and it should be okay."

Kyisha nodded. She got out of the bed and stood up, stretching this way and that. "I'm going to go see my Pokemon...I'll be back later."

"Okay!" said Kimpap. "Maybe Cukek will take you there!"

Kyisha looked around. "Where is this `Cukek?'"

"She back soon. Just wait." The panda gestured to a black Magafox on top of a dresser. "You want to watch TV?"

"Well, I guess." Kyisha pulled a chair out from under a small table and looked at the television. Kimpap switched it on.

A fat rabbit in a white outfit and a chef's hat appeared on the monitor. It stood behind a counter loaded with dishes and a series of plain colored boxes. A large sign behind the counter read `FUFU.' Small print above it, written in a cursive font, appeared to say `Cooling Masher.'

"Now, while we have that quiche cooking, let's make our Mandarin salad. First, we'll take our Vegetable box and open it up." The rabbit grabbed a red box with a bold V printed on it, opening it up. He dumped it into a bowl. "Now, we want to put some Fruit in it, so..." He grabbed a box marked with an F, pouring it in. "And for the final touch, add the croutons found in your Grain packet." He opened a blue packet marked with G and poured it in. He raised up the bowl to show the camera. "Voila! A simple Mandarin salad! Remember, that recipe is V+G+F. And happy cooking!"

"Wow!" said Kimpap. "I will try!"

"That seems really...easy," said Kyisha. "Why is he on TV?"

Kimpap shrugged. "Fufu make cooking seem easy. It is actually very difficult. You need to have good skill point to cook well."

Kyisha laughed.

The screen turned black, and a flashy logo popped up on the screen. "This is a GBN Special Report," said an announcer.

The rabbit's image was replaced with the image of a bear in a black suit and tie. He was standing in front of the airport building, holding a microphone.

"This is Mitch Gagme, reporting live from Gardenia International Airport, where just hours ago, some sort of monster allegedly attacked several civilians and security officers, eating several, and wounding others. From what we can understand at this time, a black creature, roughly the size of a small truck, somehow entered the airport and climbed inside the chute leading to baggage claim. From there, it seems that it ate at least ten individuals, severely injured twenty others, and caused roughly 500,000 p. worth of damage. The details are sketchy at this time, and airport officials are hesitant to discuss the matter, but we'll keep you posted on any new developments in this case."

The door to the hotel room opened. In stepped a blue bird dressed in red pajamas and a stocking cap. She had a yellow beak and bags under her eyes. She waved at Kyisha, giving her a sleepy smile. "Hi."

"Hello," said Kyisha, looking up from the television. "Are you Cukek?"

"It's Cupcake," said the bird. "And yes, that's my name. Why?"

"Cukek," said Kimpap. "She...want to see Poket Mon hospital."

"Oh." She nodded.

"Can Cobber come to Pokemon hospital, too?"

Kyisha looked and saw the strange critter in the kimono sitting up in the other bed. His head was bandaged, his arm put in a sling.

"Sure," Cupcake sighed. "But boy am I sleepy." She yawned and opened the door, walking out.

Kyisha followed her. She heard a moan come from behind her. "Owww! Why couldn't I have fallen on my fake arm?"

They were in a fancy looking hotel. The carpet was thick and clean. Framed pictures of airplanes and birds hung on the walls. The wall lamps were bright and pristine. They took an elevator down a floor, walking across the shiny lobby floor, heading out to the parking lot. They walked to a small gray economy car with a curving logo on the hood. The license plate read 7-90363-00711-1. The door panel said that it was an "Expo," whatever that meant. Cupcake opened doors and they all got in, Kyisha seating herself in the front, Cobber sitting in back. Cupcake drove the car through a couple side streets. She looked drowsy.

Cobber leaned over Kyisha's seat. His big Indiana Jones hat brushed against the ceiling. "Cobber think monster isn't gone."

"You've got that right," Cupcake said with a sleepy tone of voice. "I saw it go. It just sorta...vanished into thin air. It was really creepy." Her eyes began closing, and the car started veering towards the median.

"Hey!" said Cobber. "Wake up!"

"Oh!" Cupcake sat up with a jolt. "Sorry. I was up all night." She straightened their course and they turned down an exit ramp to a freeway.

"What do you think that thing was?" Kyisha asked. "A computer Pokemon? Or was it a transforming Pokemon in disguise?"

Cobber shook his head. "Cobber doesn't know. Cobber doesn't think it was Pokemon at all." He frowned, flopping his head against Kyisha's headrest.

Cupcake drove them down the freeway. The car swerved back and forth between lanes as the bird faded in an out of consciousness. It seemed like everyone was honking at them. They went down an exit, down a street, and continued on it for a few blocks, until they came to a large sprawling complex lined with buildings of various shapes and sizes.

The place looked like a college campus. There was a vast metered parking area, and the buildings ranged from the very new, to the historical. A wide building in the center of the complex resembled a campus center. Three flags flew above the structure. One depicted a Pokeball, another showed a black cube, and the one in the middle was green, displaying something like a hippie flower design with a happy face in the middle of the flower. A massive statue of a pelican stood on the roof of the structure, seeming to shelter the entire building under its colossal wings.

Kyisha stared out the window. "What is this place?"

"This is Pokemon center," said Cobber.

Cupcake fell asleep. The car hopped over a median strip, rolling lazily over the mound of grass above it.

"Hey!" Kyisha shouted. "Wake up!"

"Oh!" Cupcake shook herself and looked around. "Oops!" She pulled the car in reverse, getting back on the street. They parked, paid the meter, and walked into the middle building.

It was like a big office building. The floors were polished, the walls were clean and elegantly decorated. One wall was covered in plaques and awards for various Pokemon achievements. There was a trophy case containing more prizes. They passed a security desk and went on down a hallway. They turned a corner and walked for several feet through something like a hospital. It was like a maze. Cupcake fell asleep standing up several times, and they had to wake her to figure out where they were going. At last, they came to an area marked with a sign reading `Pokemon Trauma Center.' They walked a bit further, and they were at a ward filled with small transparent boxes. Some of the boxes were empty, holding only blankets. Others held all kinds of Pokemon in various degrees of health. It reminded Kyisha vaguely of what they did with newborn infants at hospitals, except those boxes would have been smaller.

Kyisha looked around for her pets, but saw about three or four pets that were almost identical to hers. It made it difficult to pinpoint where Rain or any of the other ones were.

A black woman in scrubs patterned with Pokeballs came up to her. Her hair was in cornrows and she wore large glasses. Her name tag said Shamika Thompson. "Hello? Do you need some help?"

Kyisha shrugged. "Where's my Pokemon?"

"And your name is?"

Kyisha was about to reply, but Cupcake stopped her. "Cupcake Rasenburby."

Shamika nodded. "Right this way." They were led to the end of the room. The nurse took a clipboard off of one of the boxes, reading it. "Most of your Pokemon turned out fine. They had some minor cuts and scrapes, but there was no internal damage. They should heal okay. Dr. Lister doesn't know why their skin is discolored, but he says it's nothing serious, and they should be fine." She sighed. "I wish I could say the same about your other ones."

Kyisha sucked in her breath. Cobber began biting his nails.

"Your Psyduck has suffered a lot of internal injury. It's in the OR, along with your Bulbasaur."

Cobber gasped.

"Your Pikachu had skeletal fractures. They had to break its bones and put in some pins to fix it. But the rest of them are fine."

Kyisha sighed in relief. Cobber looked upset.

"The healthy ones are free to go. I just need a signature, and I'll capture them for you." She handed Cupcake the clipboard. Cupcake signed it, then began nodding off. Shamika had to tug the clipboard out of the bird's grip. The bird shook her head. "Oh! Sorry."

Shamika went to the wall, pressing buttons on a large keypad. A number of vacuum hoses dropped down from the ceiling, sucking the Pokemon inside. The Pokeballs rolled out on a tray near the door. Kyisha picked them up.

"When will my Pokemon be okay?" Cobber asked in a small voice.

"I don't know. Your Pikachu might be healed in a few weeks, but the others..." She shook her head.

Cobber began to cry. "WAAAAAAH!"

Kyisha stuck her Pokeballs in her pocket and patted Cobber on the back gently. "Cobber, I'll stay with you until your Pokemon get better if you want. The contest isn't until next month. I wanted to come here early so I knew the town better so I wouldn't get lost on my way there."

"Oh it's no use." Cobber sighed. "It is not that far away. Two days and tournament begins." His ears drooped. "Two days!" He shook his head. "There's no way! What to do...what to do..."

"Do you have any other Pokemon? If not I could lend you some of mine."

Cobber stared at her and sighed. "It's just not the same. I've had those Pokemon for a long time, and they're my best. I trained them for so long, and now they're all beat up and broken. It's just not fair."

Kyisha zoned out for a few minutes and then snapped back to reality, sighing. I have no clue what I can do for Cobber...I wish I could do something...anything... she thought to herself.

Shamika frowned and said, "There's a waiting room outside and to the right, if you don't mind."

Cupcake nodded. Kyisha saw her go out and turn the corner.

Cobber whimpered and walked out of the ward. Kyisha followed him.

"Let's go for walk," he said. "Cobber only get in way."

Kyisha shrugged. The two went back down the hallway and out to the parking lot. They strolled down a sidewalk in silence.

The lot was well maintained. Large dogwoods bloomed pink and white along the parking islands, their faint manure scent wafting in the air. Birds and Pidgies flapped around, some landing on phone lines and staircase railings, some pecking at crumbs on the pavement, or something in the grass. As they passed a trash can, a small rodent poked its head out, carrying a glob of something in its mouth. It ducked back in.

Kyisha glanced up at the Pokemon center. A curtain in one of the upper story windows moved aside, and she could see a dark shape appear next to the glass. It lingered there for a few seconds, then vanished.

Cobber sighed. "Cobber don't have chance against Team Pandram now. My best Pokemon, kaput!" He started crying again.

Kyisha patted him on the back.

Cobber's ears and shoulders drooped. He looked up at Kyisha, his tail switching back and forth like a cat. He looked away for a minute, then looked at her again. "If someone stand in for Cobber, maybe Cobber can heal Pokemon and get back into tournament." He bowed his head. "Wait. That won't work." He sat down on a bench, staring at Kyisha. "I still won't have a chance." His arm shifted in his sling. The other one hung limp at his side like a lead weight.

Someone across the parking lot yelled "hey!" But Kyisha couldn't tell if it were anything to worry about or not. Cobber didn't seem to notice it. He looked away, then stared at Kyisha again. "What is your name?"

"Kyisha."

Cobber nodded. "Would Kyisha like to take Cobber's place in Pelican Tournament?" He bit his lip. "Cobber will help Kyisha. Maybe even give Kyisha...no, Cobber's Pokemon no good. Best ones in hospital." He sighed. "But Cobber will help with other things, okay? Cobber might not always be there, since favorite Pokemon are in hospital, but Cobber will try to help when he can. What say you? Want to make team?" The fingers of his free arm tapped the bench.

"Yes, I'll form a team with you. Don't worry. I'll be fine with my Pokemon. I'm bonded with them enough so they'll work with anyone who's friends with me," Kyisha happily proclaimed.

"Great!" Cobber jumped up, offering his free hand. Kyisha shook it, and noticed it to be a bit hard and unusual. She stared at it. "Cobber lost arm to Galactus," the critter shrugged. "It is long story." He let go, taking a deep breath. "So...now Cobber and Kyisha are a team. What should we be calling team? Team Cobber?"

Kyisha shook her head. "How about...BattleRyuu?"

Cobber rubbed his chin. "Battle...Ryuu. Interested."

"Does that sound good to you?"

Cobber nodded. "Sounds great!" He sighed. "But now we need to get ready, and fast. Cobber is registered, but thinks we should change registration now."

"Okay."

He walked toward the main entrance of the building. Kyisha followed.

"Does Kyisha find Cobber talk annoying? Some people say Cobber say Cobber too much. Cobber is sorry if Cobber annoys Kyisha with Cobber talk. What Kyisha think?"

"You don't talk too much, Cobber," Kyisha said, smiling.

Cobber grinned. "I'm glad you don't mind. Sometimes Cobber is compared to creature in popular science fiction movie." He shrugged. "Cobber don't know why. But people say Cobber talk annoying."

They went through the double doors, walking past the desk. Cobber grabbed a pamphlet from a rack of course schedules next to a wall. He handed it to Kyisha. "Here is map. You may want to use. This is Pokemon center, where we learn how to be good Pokemon trainer. Take a good look. Cobber will explain if anything confuses Kyisha."

"Thanks."

She stared at the map.

Cobber led her to a machine in the corner of the room. The sign above it said `Pokemon Kiosk' and it had a logo with a black puzzle box on it. Cobber leaned over it, staring at a monitor on the device. He poked a few menu buttons with his artificial hand, entering a registration system. After he'd typed a few things in, a yellow card popped out of a slot. He took it, stuffing it in his pocket. "Okay! Team Battle Ryuu is in business!" His tail wagged back and forth like a happy dog. He stopped. He put his hands on his hips, giving her a hard look. "Cobber wonders if Kyisha is ready. Cobber thinks that Kyisha may have to train or get equipment or something."

"You have some bags at the hotel," said a sleepy voice behind them. "They might be handy. I could go get them while you're looking around campus, if that's okay." She shrugged. "Or, if you want, you could come with me. It's up to you."

"Go ahead, Cupcake. I'll be okay for a while," said Kyisha. She turned to Cobber. "Can we go look at the gym?" Maybe even train a bit...

Cobber nodded. "Yes. Good idea! Cobber was just thinking you might need some training."

"The gym, huh?" said Cupcake. "Okay. I'll look there when I come back." She walked away.

Cobber marched up to a staircase, leading Kyisha up a floor. They passed by a lounge and a copy shop, pushing out a pair of glass doors next to a desk. The two strolled down a sidewalk cutting through well manicured lawns. Dogwoods framed the path. The sidewalk split into four directions. One led to a small old stone building, one led down to a parking lot, one led north, with two sculptures and a street at its end, and one led to a giant red and blue structure with a barrel shaped dome. They went to the domed building, pushing through the entrance. They passed a small eating area and some offices, coming up to a desk. A white duck sat behind the desk, reading a book. Cobber took a card out of his pocket, running it through a device on the desk. The duck turned a page and nodded, waving.

Cobber led Kyisha through a turnstile. They went down a staircase and came to a desk containing towels and equipment. A hallway ran alongside the desk. One end led to a workout room with weights and exercise equipment. Cobber went toward the opposite end.

They came out into a round, wide room containing seven boxing rings, a series of battered punching bags, speed bags, chairs and weights. A mob of odd creatures and Pokemon stood around, practicing, exercising, or standing around the rings, cheering and coaching as pairs of characters fought each other.

A white kiosk stood against the wall near the entrance. Cobber led Kyisha over to it, pointing at the screen. "This is fighting queue. Whenever you are ready, you can pick someone on the list and challenge them to a fight."

Kyisha looked at the monitor and saw a list of names and countries. "Hmmm..." She squinted at the monitor. "So...how can I tell what type of Pokemon they are, or how strong they are?"

Cobber shrugged. "Trainer use a lot of different Pokemon. System is set up by user name, not Pokemon. Sometimes Pokemon decommission or die and trainer gets new Pokemon. I'm sorry, but Cobber cannot possibly know everything. Kyisha must learn about trainers by trial and error. Kyisha is in luck, though. All trainers are on campus at the moment. Kyisha can try anyone."

Kyisha scratched her head, staring at the list of countries.

"So," said Cobber. "What would you like to do first? Do you want to exercise, or do you want to test out your skills on someone at the gym and see how well you can do?"

She squinted at the screen. "I'll battle Kim."

"Kim from Korea?"

"Yes."

Cobber nodded. He pushed a button, selecting the name. "Cobber thinks there will be five to fifteen minute wait."

"Well, all right."

Cobber pointed at a large monitor on the wall. "Kyisha will be on board when it is time."

Cobber gestured to a ring. "Team Battle Ryuu will be in ring soon. Let's watch game in meantime."

They approached a raised platform surrounded by ropes and padding. Two figures faced each other on a mat, clutching odd devices in their hands. On one side was a man dressed in a purple costume and a black Zorro mask. Kyisha guessed he was `Grape Man.' A yard across from him, looking quite fierce, was a short, scrawny figure in a loincloth, presumably `Weehawk.' A squatty little man in a striped referee outfit stood in the middle, observing.

In the center of the ring were two creatures. One was a bizarre black thing resembling a clown, with yellow markings running up its arms and legs, and a yellow design like a face on its body. Across from it stood a bipedal gorilla-like creature with yellow fur and black zig-zag patterns running up and down its body.

"Electabuzz! Hit him again!" Weehawk shouted.

The gorilla thing raised its paws, clenching its teeth. It began to glow. It pointed at the clown thing. A blast of light shot out.

The clown thing flew back, its white kid gloves flailing in the air. It hit the mat with a loud thud. Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Grape Man frowned and stood the creature back up. "Dusknoir! Vortex attack!"

The clown stomped forward, setting its feet down in heavy steps like a sumo wrestler. The mouth on its stomach opened, and air began rushing in. The Electabuzz slid forward and fell over. Its claws dug into the rubber mat, desperately fighting for purchase.

The air rushed into the clown's stomach like a powerful vacuum cleaner. SHOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The referee screamed and disappeared inside the creature's mouth. There were a chorus of shouts and mutters, interspersed with cheers.

SHOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

Electabuzz flew up into the air, zooming into the gaping maw. Weehawk dropped down and grabbed for his Pokemon, but it was too late. The mouth closed.

Grape Man smiled with smug satisfaction. "Thanks for feeding my pet!"

"Hey! You can't do that! Pokemon aren't supposed to be harmed in this gym!"

"Neither are the referees, you moron!"

Grape Man just shrugged. He zapped the Dusknoir inside a puzzle cube and climbed out of the ring.

"Hey!"

Grape Man was gone.

The scoreboard now read "PENALTY-NO SCORE" under Ring 5.

Kyisha swallowed. "Are all the fights that bad?"

Cobber shook his head. "Cobber doesn't think so. Grape Man get no score. See?"

"Oh."

A girl in a cheerleader outfit and fake cat ears climbed over the ropes, stepping into the ring. A scaly beast resembling a stegosaurus climbed into the opposite side. They faced each other, taking out box shaped devices.

Kyisha felt someone jabbing her arm. "Kyisha must go to ring seven!" He pointed to an empty ring in the back corner. A scrawny looking kid with black hair and a red and black striped shirt was standing in the ring, holding up a Pokemon device.

Kyisha nodded, marching over that way. She climbed over the ropes, staring at the kid. A few odd creatures wandered over to the ring to watch them.

"Are you Kim?"

The boy nodded. "You must be Team Battle Ryuu." He snickered. "Some team!"

Kyisha glared at him. "I'll show you!" She took out her Pokedex.

"I got your stuff!" said a voice. Kyisha turned around and saw a beak sticking through the ropes. She stared at the fuzzy blue face. Cupcake was holding up a black plastic suitcase covered in Korean stickers. "I had to put your things in one of Kimpap's old suitcases, but I've got most of it in there."

"Thanks. I'll probably need it soon." She turned around, facing the boy. "All right. Let's see what you got!"

"It will be a pleasure to kick your ass!" Kim smiled. He clicked a button on the device. A smaller box popped out. He clicked it open, throwing in into the ring.

There was a flash of light, and a fat, rounded bird appeared. He threw two more boxes down. An orange dragon-like creature with a flaming tail appeared, followed by a crazy looking thing with antennas and an elfin face.