A Promise is a Promise
When they got out of the valley, the heroes saw that they were going to be passing through some mountains again. They had to be careful because fighting-type Pokémon liked to train in combat and ground and rock-type Pokémon like digging around to expand their territory and look for food.
While training their Pokémon with a few practice battles, the heroes caught the attention of some of the Pokémon living in the mountains. They were impressed with their fighting displays and decided to test the heroes to see if they were deemed worthy. One little fighter called Tyrogue was the first to challenge them. Yugi accepted his challenge and called on Mantine to battle. Tyrogue tried to land punches and kicks on Mantine, but he was too fast and glided away. Mantine dazed Tyrogue with his Supersonic and trapped him in a vortex with his Whirlpool. Dazed and confused, Tyrogue was having a hard time recovering his focus. Yugi took this chance to capture Tyrogue, so he tossed his Pokéball. The ball rotated a few times, but the center glowed, signaling that the capture was a success.
Another Pokémon came looking for a challenge. It was a Phanpy and it was a lively one. Joey liked that energetic demeanor and decided to battle Phanpy. He called on Croconaw to battle. Phanpy charged in and attacked with Rollout. Croconaw got pushed against the rocky wall. He got up and launched his Water Gun. Phanpy didn't like the water and shook himself dry. He used Rollout again, but Croconaw caught him and began using his strength to push him back. As they struggled, Croconaw began glowing. He was evolving into Feraligatr. Now stronger, he lifted Phanpy from the ground and tossed him in the air. Joey tossed his Pokéball at Phanpy to capture him. The ball rotated a few times, but the capture was a success.
The next Pokémon was a tough one. It was a Pupitar. Kaiba was aware of the Pokémon this creature would evolve into, so he decided he wanted to add Pupitar to his party. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Onix. Though Pupitar and Onix were the same type, Kaiba decided to make it a match of strength. Pupitar was small, but he was very rock-hard and very strong for that matter. Onix got pushed away, but steadied himself before his strength could cause a rock slide. Pupitar was about to attack again, but Onix coiled himself around Pupitar. He also grabbed him in his mouth and tossed him against the cliff. Kaiba tosses his Pokéball at Pupitar and watches in anxiety as the ball rotates. But the center piece glows and the capture is a success.
Emily was proud of her friends. Now they all had full parties like she did. But there was a lot more to take into account. It's not about how many Pokémon is in a party or what kind of Pokémon is in a party. It's the bond between a Pokémon and a trainer that counts more. How well a Pokémon and trainer can relate together determines how far their bond will go and that will also dictate the course of their friendship.
As Yugi and his friends were thinking about those matters, they had more wonders they wanted to understand. They had been traveling with their Pokémon for months, but didn't know how strong their bonds were. But they knew this much, they were friends with their Pokémon. And being friends is always something to value.
Kaiba finished making a collar for Houndoom and placed it around his neck. The collar also contained the Mega Stone that would allow him to Mega Evolve. Although Kaiba and his friends had seen Mega Evolution in action many times in the gym battles and contests, he wanted to experience it for himself. From what he knew so far, a Pokémon will only Mega Evolve if its heart and the heart of its trainer are one. That was another reason why Kaiba was concerned about the strength of the bonds between him and his Pokemon. If he had the Keystone and his Houndoom had the Mega Stone, it wouldn't be enough. That was when Kaiba figured he knew what had to be done. He had to prove to Houndoom that he cared about him not as a subordinate, but as a part of him. Only then would their hearts connect.
After getting to the foothills of the mountain, the heroes were coming to a forest. They stopped to have a lunch break. As the Pokémon were eating, Undine and her siblings were looking around their surroundings. Emily noticed this and asked what was going on.
"I know this place," Undine muttered. She sniffed the air and picked up the scent of fresh water. "We're close to a lake."
Salamando saw mountains in the distance. "I know we've passed through a lot of mountains, but the landscape looks familiar to me too."
"And I could swear we've been in this forest before," Sylphid added, "when we were younger."
Lumina faced Shade and asked, "Are you thinking what I am?"
Shade faces her and replies, "Yeah, we're here."
Emily joined in and asked, "Here? Where exactly is here?"
Undine faces her and answers, "This is the last place where we saw our parents." She raises her voice and cries out. "We're here! This is the place!" Her siblings cried out with her.
"Now all we have to do is find the lab we escaped from," said Sylphid. "It should still be standing after the fire."
Sensing their determination and remembering her promise, Emily decided to go with her friends and investigate the situation. "All right, lead the way," she tells her Pokémon. They agree and begin leading her and the boys through the forest.
The siblings brought the group to the Lake of Rage. A long time ago, a base was built here at the Lake of Rage and was run by an evil organization called Team Rocket. They did cruel experiments that caused a lot of misery to the Pokémon and there was also a commotion concerning a red Gyarados. Emily assumed that the lab her Pokémon escaped from was run by scientists working for Team Rocket.
It turned out Undine and her siblings were right. The lab was still standing and has been in the process of being rebuilt over the months. Scientists relocated their work, but the Pokémon they captured have been contained in the cellar where there was less damage. "We've got to look around," said Undine. Though the lab has been destroyed, the Pokemon haven't been moved."
"She's right," said Lumina. "I can hear their cries though we're so far away."
"And I can assume that they've been so busy repairing the lab that they haven't had much time to work on experiments," Salamando wondered.
"Do you think Mommy and Daddy could be inside?" Luna wondered.
Shade puts his arm over his youngest sister. "That's what we're here to find out." He lowers his voice and tells himself, "And when we meet, I hope they'll recognize us. It's been months, but they say parents never forget the faces of their children."
Kaiba and the others were confused. "What are we doing here?" The brunette asked.
"This is the lab where Luna and her brothers and sisters escaped from before we met," Emily answered. "They think their parents could still be in there along with some other Pokémon. We've got to get them out of there."
"How are we going to do that?" Yugi asked. "The place is heavily guarded."
"I know," Emily said. "But there's got to be some way to get inside. I promised I'd help my Pokémon rescue their parents and I'm going to keep it. But I've got to plan carefully."
"We'll just bust in and take down the scientists and guards with our Pokémon," Joey suggested.
"It's not going to work that way," Kaiba reminded him. "It worked in the games, but this is reality. Different things could happen."
"Maybe we could sneak in through the ventilation shafts," Yugi suggested.
It seemed like a good idea. Emily kneels and asks her Pokémon, "Luna, are there any ventilation shafts that you and your siblings used to escape? Can you lead us in the same way you got out?"
"We can," she answered. "It's this way." Luna and her siblings led her friends to the back of the base. There was an entrance that had been sealed. Salamando burned it with his Flamethrower and Undine cooled it with her Water Gun. Salamando used his strength to break down the seal.
"I'll follow my Pokémon inside," Emily tells the boys. "You guys should stay here on the lookout for any trouble."
"Okay," Yugi tells her. "Be careful. We'll be here if you need us."
"But what if you get caught?" Joey asked her. "What if we get caught?" Without taking time to answer, Emily follows her Pokémon down the shaft.
Carefully listening, Lumina guides her siblings and her trainer to the basement. The cries of the Pokémon get louder. "It's down here, guys."
Emily reaches into her purse and takes out a coin and uses it to loosen the bolts. The gate opens and Shade is the first to jump inside. His rings light up and reveals a lot of cages, but no guards. "The coast is clear." His siblings and trainer follow him and look around.
Emily looks inside the cages and sees lots of Eevee. "Is this a research lab or a collector's private area?" she wondered. "Why would someone want so many Eevee?"
Shade was looking through the cages too. "Mom? Dad? Are you here?"
"Did any Eevee here have a family," Salamando asked out loud for everyone to hear. "A family of six with three sons and three daughters?"
"Their names were Adam and Mary," said Undine.
"Three sons and three daughters?" asked a voice, belonging to a female. Emily saw a paw reaching through the bars of one of the cages. Inside was a male Vaporeon and a female Glaceon. No doubt they were Adam and Mary. "Our children, they're here?" the Glaceon asked.
"Mother?" Undine asked. "Mother, is that you?" The rest of her siblings approach the cage. Looking closely at the Vaporeon and Glaceon and catching their scent, Undine recognizes that they're her parents. "It is you! You've evolved!"
Adam counts them and sees that there are three boys and three girls and they're all related. They also smell familiar to him too. "I can't believe it. Three brothers and three sisters. You're our children!"
Undine nods and tears fall from her eyes. "Yes, it's us. We're here. We've found you."
"My babies," Mary said happily. Tears were forming in her eyes too. "You've all grown up and you've all evolved. I almost didn't recognize you. But I can't imagine you surviving such a dangerous world all by yourselves."
"We're okay, Mom," Sylphid promised her. "Emily found us and helped us to get stronger. She helped us find and rescue you."
"Emily's taken very good care of us, Mama," Lumina added. "She's the reason we're together again."
Emily lowers herself and holds her hand out towards the Vaporeon and Glaceon. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
Adam and Mary sniff her hand and rub their heads against it. "Thank you," the Glaceon says gratefully, "thank you for taking care of our children."
Adam was just as grateful as his mate, but he had to warn them. "Listen to me, it's not safe here. You have to take our children and leave this place."
"Dad, what's going on?" Salamando asked. "Who's doing this?"
He sighs and says, "Son, it's not that I'm not happy to see you and your brothers and sisters again. Believe me, I am, but you shouldn't have come back. We're being moved tonight. A collector paid a great sum of money for all the Eevee here. They want us for our skins."
Emily placed her hands over her mouth and gasped. So there were collectors and fashionistas who made money by making clothes and accessories from the skins of Pokémon as well as animals. The thought of it disgusted her. It was just like in Dodie Smith's book One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Emily always hated animal cruelty and it pained her to see Pokémon having to go through the same fate. Well, she wasn't willing to allow the same thing to happen to the Pokémon down here. "I made your children a promise that I would help them find you and rescue you. If we turn away, you'll die. I promised I would save you."
"How can you do that?" Adam asked her. "It's almost nightfall."
"Trust me," Emily pleaded. "There is a way to save all of you, but we have to work together. I promise I'll get you all out of here. When I do, you can return to your homes."
Luna approaches the cage. "Come with us, Mommy. See the world with us. We can travel with Emily together."
Mary already made up her mind. "If my children trust you, then I do too."
Adam's eyes widened. He faces his mate and asks, "But why?"
She faces him and answers, "Our children have risked their lives coming back for us and their friend risked as much to help them. I can't explain it, but I can tell she's different from the other humans. She's taken good care of our sons and daughters. Look at how big and strong they've become." Adam did look and he was proud. "We almost lost our children. Let's not make them have to lose us. We can be a family again. We can start over with our new friend. We just have to trust her."
As the Vaporeon listens to his mate and looks at his children, he sighs and finally gives his response. "All right, but we have to hurry. We don't have much time."
"Okay," said Emily. "I'm going to get help from my friends. I'll be right back." She climbs up the cages and starts crawling through the ventilation shafts. It was one time when she was glad she was short and slender.
"Should we go with her?" Shade asked.
Salamando shakes his head. "Let's bust these cages and help everyone escape." But just when he was about to use his Flamethower, the doors began opening. The siblings quickly hid behind the cages.
"I'm telling you, I heard voices in here," said a female voice.
"All I hear are Pokémon making noises," her partner argued. "Let's just get these cages out in the front door. The truck will be here soon and so will our reward."
"That's something I'm looking forward too," said the same thug. "Can you believe how much money that collector offered us for all these Eevee?"
"I know," her partner told her. "I don't care what happens to these rascals. I just want the money we were promised. After that, we can blow this circus."
"Yeah, it's not like they have feelings or anything."
Luna was quivering with fear. Lumina held her to relax her. Shade was disgusted to hear the two thugs speaking so lowly of Pokémon. He wanted to get out there and teach them a lesson, but he had to stay put. There was no telling how many of them were out there.
Emily safely crawled out of the ventilation shafts. Yugi helped her get back on her feet. "What did you find in there?"
"There's a lot of Eevee locked in cages down in the basement," Emily told her friends. "A collector's coming to pick them up tonight. They said they're being sold to people who make coats and accessories out of their furs."
"That's horrible!" gasped Yugi.
"We saw two ladies walk in through the front door," said Joey. "They must run the facility. They could also be the ones getting ready to ship them out."
"We have to find some way to stop them," said Yugi.
Joey got an idea. "I'll call Officer Jenny and tell her what's happening." And he ran off to find a Pokémon Center.
One by one, the siblings started coming out of the ventilation shaft. Luna came out first followed by Lumina, Shade, Sylphid, Undine, and Salamando. "We've got to stop them!" Salamando cried.
"Joey left to alert Officer Jenny," she told him. "We have to stay hidden until she comes."
A cargo truck started pulling in close to the front door. "Is this all of them?" the driver asked the two hunters. "There must be a hundred Eevee here. My boss is going to be pleased."
"This is all of them," said the poacher with red hair. "Load 'em up and ship 'em out."
Her partner held up her hand. "But first, there's a matter of a little cash," she said, rubbing her fingers together.
The truck driver held out a briefcase filled with money. "Those greedy witches," Emily whispered. "They don't care what happens to those poor Pokémon so long as they get paid for what they do."
"Maybe we can sabotage the truck," Shade suggested.
Emily disagreed. "They'll notice you. If we get caught, we won't be able to help your parents or the others."
"What do we do?" Lumina asked impatiently.
"Just wait," Emily told her. "I'll think of something."
Salamando didn't want to sit by any longer. "Well, I'm not waiting!" he cried and ran over to the truck.
The driver set a cage down as he noticed Salamando. "Well, lookie here, a Flareon. I guess you'll make a cozy hat for my boss." He tried to approach Salamando and pick him up, but the Flareon attacked him with Flare Blitz.
The poachers Lexi and Gwen lost count of their money as they heard yelling. "What's going on over there?" they called out.
Kaiba had enough. "We can't wait any longer. Let's go," he told his friends.
"Hey," Emily called out to the poachers. "Leave him alone and let the rest of the Pokémon go!"
"Who are you?" the raven-haired poacher asked.
"I'm a friend who made a promise to rescue these Pokémon," Emily answered.
"You're wasting your time," Gwen told her. "We've worked too long and too hard collecting these Eevee to get a bounty that's gonna set us up for life. If we lose these Eevee, we get no money, you understand?"
"You don't deserve it," Emily argued. "That's because you don't care about what happens to these Pokémon."
"Why should we? They're just Pokémon." Lexi protested. She turned to Gwen and asked, "I don't really think they have feelings, do you?" The raven-haired girl shook her head in answer.
"You may not think that, but we do," said Kaiba. "And we're going to free these Pokémon." He tossed his Pokéballs and called on Quilava and Houndoom. Yugi called on Mantine and Tyrogue for help. Gwen called on Misdreavus and Lexi called on Ariados. The truck driver, Hurley, called on Granbull. Quilava and Houndoom worked together to burn the metal cages. Mantine used Bubble Beam to cool them down and make them easily breakable. Tyrogue used his strength to break the cages and free the Eevee. Salamando and his siblings worked together as they were fighting off Misdreavus, Ariados, and Granbull. Shade and Luna were working together against Misdreavus, Lumina and Salamando were taking down Ariados together, and Sylphid and Undine were working together to stop Granbull. Watching from inside their cage, Adam and Mary were amazed with the way their children were battling.
"Take what you can and get out of here," Gwen told Hurley. The driver nods and starts the engine, but can't move. Quilava and Houndoom used their fire to melt the tires.
Finally, Joey returns to the base with Officer Jenny and her fellow police officers. Arcanine surround the two poachers and Hurley is pulled out of his truck. "You two are under arrest for Pokémon poaching and illegal trading," Jenny told Lexi and Gwen. "As for your client, we'll be stopping by their property for further questioning."
The heroes and their Pokémon continue freeing the Eevee from their cages. Mary and Adam had been set free too and were reunited with their children at last. It made Emily so happy to see the siblings together again with their parents.
Officer Jenny approached the heroes with great appreciation for their help. "I can't thank you enough. We've been after these criminals for a long time."
"Who were they anyway?" Joey wondered.
"These girls are a dangerous duo with a reputation for poaching Pokémon and illegally selling them for profit," Jenny explained. "But thanks to you kids, they'll never harm another Pokémon or even make another cent for it. But there is one other problem. Our records confirm that there are no reports of missing or stolen Eevee and therefore, there are no calls from anyone claiming the Eevee."
"That means they're all wild," Yugi wondered.
"That's right," said Officer Jenny. "They need a home or… well, they go to the institute."
"No," Emily protested. "Please don't send them to an institute, Officer Jenny. After all these Pokémon have gone through, they can't bear to be back in cages again. Don't you think they belong back in the wild?"
"I wish I could agree, but when a Pokémon has been contained for a long time, they start to become domesticated," Jenny replied. "So although these Pokémon have been confined and mistreated, they've developed a need of being looked after."
"I guess that makes sense," said Emily. She really didn't want the Pokémon to be sent to an institute, but she couldn't take all of them. Then again, maybe she could. "I'll take them, Officer Jenny," she immediately said. "All of them."
Joey's eyes widened. "Are you crazy, Emily? How do you plan on taking care of a hundred Eevee?"
Jenny agreed. "Your friend's right. Taking care of so many Pokémon is a very big responsibility."
Emily knew, but she had an idea. "I was thinking maybe I could build a rescue house for lost and abandoned Eevee. You know, like a sanctuary."
That actually didn't seem like a bad idea. One of Jenny's colleagues said he had a cousin who lived the Kanto Region. Recently, he condemned an old abandoned shack on the outskirts of Pallet Town. He also had a friend who worked in construction. He figured with the help of his cousin and friend, they could rebuild that abandoned site and turn it into a sanctuary.
Now that that was being settled, the only problem was finding a temporary home for the Eevee. Officer Jenny had family in the Kanto Region too and remembered that Professor Oak had enough space at his laboratory for the Eevee. They were promised they wouldn't have to be in cages and they could stay in the fields. They could stay with Professor Oak until the sanctuary had been built.
With the help of Officer Jenny and her colleagues, the heroes were able to get transportation to Mahogany Town. The Eevee were being loaded in crates for their boat ride to Pallet Town. Luna and her siblings talked to their parents. "Thanks for understanding our wanting to stay," said Luna. "You see, we promised Emily we would help her complete her journey just like she promised to help us find and rescue you. We wouldn't do it if it wasn't the right thing, but we love her very much."
"And she loves you too," said her mother. "If she didn't, she wouldn't have risked everything trying to keep her promise."
"Other than that, she would only set you free if that was what you wanted, right?" Adam asked.
Undine nods and tells him he's right. "We knew you'd understand."
Mary smiles at her daughter. "We do. We know how much Emily means to you and that's why we trust her. We know she'll continue to take good care of you."
"And we also know you kids have a lot of responsibilities now," Adam added, "saving the world and all." Tears begin to fill from his eyes. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I'm just so proud of all of you for what you've become. You've grown so much, but you'll always be our kids."
"And because of that, we want you to be happy," Mary added. "And if traveling with Emily makes you happy, then we're happy too."
"Thanks, Mom and Dad," said Sylphid. "And just wait, once the sanctuary has been built, we can start over again with a whole new life as a family."
His father nods. "Until then, we'll be rooting for you on your journey through the Johto league. And who knows? Maybe we can use the phones humans use to keep in touch. Given the long-distance relationship we had over the months, I think we can handle it."
The children and their parents hug each other. Emily kneels before the Glaceon and Vaporeon and pets them. "Don't worry, Glaceon. We're going to be together again," Emily promised them.
"We know," said the Glaceon. "Until then, take good care of our kids. And please, call me Mary."
"And you can call me Adam," her mate insisted..
"Of course," said Emily. "We're a part of the same family now. They're more than my friends. They're brothers and sisters to me too and I love them like that."
"They feel the same way about you," said Adam. "That's why you're doing all of this for us. It's so that we can be together as a family and so that our children can have what they deserved; freedom and security."
Emily nods at his response. "You do understand."
The Glaceon and Vaporeon leap on Emily and kiss her. "We can't take you as our daughter, but you are welcome as part of the family," said Adam. He heard Officer Jenny calling them. "It's time to go," he told his mate. "The ship's almost ready."
She agrees and they turn around and race to the boarding platform. "Bye," she calls to Emily. "And thank you again for everything." They join the rest of their fellow Eevee in the cellar and wave goodbye as they see their friends through the window. "I guess nothing will ever be the same again, will it?" Mary asked her mate.
Adam smiles and places his paw over her. "Well, my love, if we work as hard to build a new home just as our children did to save us, it just might be. If not, we can still make the most of it."
Mary smiles back and places her paw over her mate's. "You're right. There's going to be a lot of changes. But one thing's for sure: our children are in good hands with Emily. She's a good person with a good heart."
Her mate nods and says, "That's why the kids love her and trust her. And we will too." They sigh and watch the horizon from the window. They were going to miss their children again, but they knew they were going to meet again.