I just love it when I make faster updates! Then you don't have to wait too long.

And so, a mystery will reveal itself...

Enjoy!

Chapter 25
An Abnormal Gift

Marina quickly walked down the corridor.

It sounds like an intense Pokémon battle, she thought. She found herself shivering as the noises became more eminent, and her senses sharpened. Her footsteps echoed as she ran through the curving path, Eevee sprinting at her heels. When they came to a fork in the path, the little fox decided which way to go once they heard another Pokémon's cry, running ahead of her. Having no better guesses on how to navigate the maze, Marina followed her determined Pokémon without question.

Together, the two came to a stop the moment they reached a clearing, where a classic battle field was outlined in the tile floor.

In the arena, two Pokémon were indeed fighting; as for their Trainers, the person on Marina's side of the field was a teenage girl with two short, pink ponytails. The girl and her cow-like Pokémon stood alone, facing off against a dozen men wearing identical black uniforms. Their Pokémon, a large violet cobra, reared its head with a screeching hiss.

"Milly, unleash your Bide attack!" the pink-haired girl ordered, her voice dry and cracking from overuse.

Her cow Pokémon, which was inflicted with numerous scratches and fresh puncture wounds, stood on its hind hooves and charged into its enemy at full force. The giant snake tossed its mighty tail at it, but the Pokémon pushed through it and bashed into the cobra, knocking it over. It winced and coiled its slithering body in pain, and the pink and navy-colored cow moved back near its Trainer.

"Ha! Your Arbok's in a world of hurt now!" the girl declared.

On the other side of the field, the uniformed group watched while either frowning or raising a tired eyebrow at her comment. The leader of the grunts, standing in front of the rest, returned the Gym Leader's smirking expression with ease.

"I think not. Glare, Arbok!" he commanded.

His Arbok twisted and raised its head once more, effortlessly sliding toward its opponent. Once close, its opponent had only fled a few steps before being locked in its intense, freezing glower. The cow froze and whined, struggling to move.

"What?! No!" The teen gasped. "She's paralyzed! Get up, Milly!"

Marina reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokédex. With a glance at Eevee, who watched the battle wearing the same fierce stare, she reassured him to wait. She popped open the device and pointed it toward the othr Pokémon. The Pokédex first read information on the closest Pokémon—the pink cow—followed by the cobra Pokémon.

"Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. Type: Normal
Its milk is packed with nutrition, making it the ultimate beverage for the sick or weary. If Miltank had just had a baby, the milk it produces contains much more nutrition than normal. In order to milk a Miltank, one must have a knack for rhythmically pulling up and down on its udders."

"Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon. Type: Poison
With a very vengeful nature, it won't give up the chase, no matter how far, once it targets its prey. Transfixing it with the face-like pattern on its belly, Arbok binds and poisons the frightened victim. Arbok's markings differ from different areas; six different patterns have been confirmed."

Hiding away the crimson gadget once more, the young girl looked between the two sides. She continued to ponder the situation, unsure what to make of the battle. Her thoughts silenced as more conversation ensued between the adolescent and the band of intimidating adults.

"Whitney of the Goldenrod City Gym, have reason," the Arbok's Trainer called to her. "Give up already."

"Why would I do that?!"

"We only want you to come with us quietly. Just forfeit and no one will need to get hurt."

"Huh? Even by just looking at you I can tell that you crooks are up to no good!" Whitney crossed her arms over her white t-shirt. "Are you aiming to take my place? What are you crazy people up to?"

Marina's sneaker squeaked as it retreated back into the maze, the little sound making the tense blue-haired girl flinch. Luckily, her paranoia was unneeded and the sound went unnoticed.

"Something's definitely not right here," she murmured urgently. "What do I do?"

"Vui."

A tuft of fur nuzzled her leg, and she shifted her gaze to the floor. Eevee looked up with a dignified posture, staring her straight in the eye and growling quietly and eagerly. A burning glare of integrity seared in his chocolate brown irises. His Trainer gazed back at him with astonishment at his heroic spirit, but she smiled.

Eevee's right, if I understand him. Marina turned back to the situation ahead, a determined frown on her face to match her Pokémon's. We can't leave it like this... Help will arrive too late if we go now. We have to stop them!

"You're far too young to even remember how it's like to fear us!" the man exclaimed in the distance, his like-dressed friends whooping eagerly in agreement. "We're Team Rocket! And if you won't cooperate, then I'm afraid we'll have to convince you. Arbok!"

Emitting a feral hiss, the purple cobra raised its tail and slammed it onto Miltank's head. The cow wobbled; dazed upon the additional harsh blow Arbok delivered it.

"Milly, hang in there!" Whitney shouted, biting her lip.

"Wrap attack!" the member of Team Rocket bellowed with a victorious sneer.

The aggressive Pokémon easily pursued and ensnared Miltank in its long tail. With merciless cruelty, Arbok tightened its grip, crushing its trapped enemy that shrieked in distress.

"Milly!"

"Eevee, Quick Attack!"

A brown blur sped toward the two Pokémon, and Arbok released a sputter of surprise as Eevee smacked it in the jaw. Hissing in agony at the unexpected blow, it rapidly retreated and released its grip on Miltank.

"What?" the commander, and many of his similarly-dressed cronies, gasped in disbelief.

"Hey!"

Whitney turned her head to see the other girl sprinting over to her. Her eyebrows rose instantly as Marina arrived at her side. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Marina, a Trainer," Marina said quickly. "What's going on here?"

"These goons," Whitney glared at the opponents in frustration, "They came in when I was training alone and attacked me. Milly is my last Pokémon, and that Arbok's probably their last too. I have no idea what they're after, but they want me out of here!"

"I heard. But don't worry! I have a party of Pokémon fully healed right on my—huh?"

Marina paused as she reached her belt. Only feeling a single Poké Ball, her face fell blank, but her mind raced in alarm. She recalled, rather belatedly, that she had left the Pokémon Center to shop and pass the time. But she had not picked up her Pokémon yet, leaving her with only her newest companion that she had literally received an hour ago.

...Wait a minute...

She froze as an icy chill struck her veins. Not only did the phrase "Team Rocket" strike familiar, but so were the black uniforms that the dozen or so sneering men wore from behind their leader. Marina shivered. The situation she was in now was almost parallel to when the pair of shady characters tried to take over the Azalea Town Gym; only, this time, Marina was far less prepared, and there was no Silver to protect her and no Bugsy to shoo them away.

Most of her confidence fell to pieces at the late realization, and her gut churned in regret.

How could I forget so quickly?! Her panicked thoughts scolded. I knew I should've gone back to get my Pokémon! What was I thinking? Why didn't I check for my Pokémon like I usually do? Oh no. This is bad, beyond bad!

"...What? What is it?" Whitney asked slowly, anxiously, under her breath. She would not want to hear it, Marina could tell, and Marina twisted her face into an apologetic frown before she could stop herself.

"I...I forgot to pick them up at the Pokémon Center," she admitted. "I only have this Eevee with me."

As expected, Whitney appeared upset, and Marina felt her gut drop further at the disbelief emanating from her. "You can't be serious..."

"I'm sorry." Marina managed a weak simper.

The pink-haired Gym Leader turned her head to their Pokémon. Miltank struggled to stand, panting profusely and staring at its rescuer with gratitude. Eevee, standing close with solid resolve, nodded. The two faced Arbok, who, along with its shady human allies, glared at Marina with visible annoyance.

Whitney smiled and said, "That's okay. That's better than okay; it's perfect!"

Marina blinked. "It is?"

"Of course! With Milly, all we need is a little help from a brave little Trainer and her Eevee to pound this little snake in no time!

Alright, Milly, use your Rollout attack!" she commanded, flinging her arm out confidently to point at the enemy.

Marina, smiling, also turned to face the battle field. "Eevee, use Tail Whip to lower Arbok's defense!"

With great effort, the Miltank hunched over and jumped, curling into a tight ball and rolling quickly toward Arbok. While it attempted to hit the dodging snake, landing few successful hits, Eevee swiped his tail wherever he could. Snarling in annoyance, Arbok turned on him and lunged.

"Quick Attack! Hit him first!" Marina yelled the order in one breath, finishing just as her Pokémon evaded and tackled at lightning-fast speed. Miltank then slammed its rolling figure into the distracted cobra, which gave a cry as it was flung back.

Whitney laughed in glee. "Alright! That's the way to do it!" she exclaimed assertively, and winked at Marina. "What'd I tell you? They're no match for us girls!"

"Yeah! Eevee, keep using Tail Whip!" Marina ordered, smiling, reassured from the Gym Leader's enthusiastic support.

Arbok, glaring darkly, slithered and grumbled as Miltank struck it once more. Speeding in with his own barrage of Quick Attacks, Eevee flipped his fluffy tail at the cobra's face in between. The last battler amongst the Team Rocket grunts appeared much like his Arbok, seething in anger. The intruder he was not the least bit concerned about turned out to be more than just a pushover rookie.

"Don't just sit there. Screech their ears out!" he bellowed, attempting to pacify his rage for his underlings.

Snorting, Arbok opened its mouth and inhaled the air around it, causing the colorful, eerie pattern on its chest to inflate even larger. Then with a deafening force, it unleashed a piercing, mind numbing scream that amplified by its echoes. The girls cried out, covering their sensitive ears while many of the Rocket grunts did the very same.

Marina, unable to hear a single thing through the shrill shrieks, pried her eyes open. Whitney's Miltank was still rolling, but was spinning out of control, narrowly avoiding a wall of boxed flowers. Her Eevee's voice could barely be made out as he seemed to whine in pain, collapsing and using his paws to pin his acute ears to the floor. Marina herself gasped as Arbok, shrieking like a banshee, slithered toward him.

"Eevee! Look out!"

"Milly, hit Arbok to make it stop!" Whitney ordered.

Miltank managed a sharp turn and wheeled toward Arbok as fast as it could muster. But the cobra, glancing behind it, closed its mouth and slid out of the way, hissing in pleasurable vengeance as Miltank struck hard into its battling partner. Eevee gasped an agonizing cry as he was sent into the air for a short time, silencing once he landed.

"Ah, Eevee!" Marina again cried, removing her hands from her ears.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Whitney apologized to her in panic.

"Acid on Miltank!" Arbok's Trainer directed sternly.

The large snake unfastened its mouth and spewed a dark liquid in Miltank's path. Unable to avoid, the rolling cow skidded over it, sliding uncontrollably. Another bullet of acid hit it, forcing Miltank to stop its attack. Its curled position undone, Miltank flinched at its limbs numbed by paralysis.

"Milly!"

"Eevee! Please, get up!" Marina urged as the Cobra Pokémon approached the immobile fox.

Drawing closer, Arbok fired a shower of poison stingers that melted away on impact. Eevee squealed and bawled defenselessly as they sunk through his fur. Marina winced at the sight.

"...I want this Eevee to see the world. A strong Pokémon Trainer would be the best match for him, especially one with a Pokédex like yourself."

A strong Trainer.

Tears struck her eyes as Bill's words came back to her. Eevee, curled up and fidgeting in agony, was struck across the battle field by Arbok's callous tail. Marina clenched her fists as she watched the snake advance toward him once again upon its cruel Trainer's orders. Lips trembling, the girl ran out into the arena.

"Hey! Wait! What are you doing, that's dangerous!" Whitney called after her.

But Marina barely bothered to listen. She focused entirely on one thing: her injured Eevee. Even as her eyes caught the movement of Arbok reeling back, ready to lunge, she pushed her legs forward. Crying out, she leapt and grabbed hold of her Pokémon. She held him tightly as she skidded on the floor. With both fear and anger, she looked up at the Arbok.

"Don't hurt him anymore!" she shouted. "Please! He can't fight anymore, so stop already!"

Arbok itself appeared to be in shock, staring at her with a compassionate sort of frown. Its beady black eyes shifted over to its Trainer, who exchanged looks with his cohorts. The man gained a look of both pity and smugness as he grinned.

"This is what you get for messing with us. You're only a kid; what made you think you could stop us? That 'love' and 'justice' always win? Without power to back it up, you don't stand a chance."

Marina didn't move from where she was, her face buried in Eevee's fur as she quietly glared at the man from the corner of her eye.

He sneered at his Pokémon. "And we're not afraid to attack anyone that gets in our way. Arbok, don't hold back. Bite that foolish girl down!"

Marina tensed, glancing at the cobra Pokémon looming over her. The weakness it once displayed melted away, and it glared down at her with its jaws slowly opening. Suppressing a gasp, she scrambled to her feet and out of the way moments before Arbok's jaws would have met with her neck. She watched in horror as its fangs pierced the floor like sticks. She took another apprehensive step back once it pulled itself back up, hissing venomously at her.

"Attacking a child! That's immoral!" Whitney scolded angrily. "Milly, help her!"

She turned to her Pokémon and gasped. Her Miltank lay still where it had undone its Rollout, unresponsive to her Trainer's voice. "Oh no…!

"Get out of the way!" she shouted at the girl. "Hurry!"

Marina ran as Arbok lunged, adrenaline rushing through her. Shrieking an earsplitting hiss, the cobra swiftly took pursuit low to the ground and snapped at her feet. She looked over her shoulder and a brief scream escaped her. A white hot pain seared above her ankle, where one of Arbok's fangs lightly ground through the skin. She cried out as she tripped, gritting her teeth in pain at impact with the ice hard floor.

Breathing hard, she clutched the fur of her unconscious Pokémon. The wound on her leg stung and burned like fire. She was barely able to open her eyes, finding herself powerless and within Arbok's shadow.

The giant cobra flicked its tongue. The twisting red, yellow, and black pattern below its head seemed to sadistically sneer down on her. Behind it, the crooks watched with unchanging expressions—some appeared grave, others smirked smugly. The Arbok's owner seemed particularly satisfied, waiting to call out the next attack.

Struggling to use her voice that conflicted with her fear, Marina opened her mouth, preparing to scream out a forfeit, plead for her life—or just scream.

Just then, she heard the piercing sound of breaking glass.

A fierce gust of wind surged throughout the Gym with the rough and deafening roar of a freight train. Pots fell and crashed, spilling out plants and soil that tainted the sweet-smelling air. Whitney's voice was easily lost in the howling zephyrs. Marina's hair whipped about, and she could not see anything past the dirt that coated the atmosphere like a harsh sandstorm.

What is this?!

Marina covered her face with her arm, and she heard a sickening smack very near—so strong that she felt the floor vibrate. The echo of shattering porcelain followed, mimicking a roaring explosion of thunder. Shards of glass scattered on and around her, pattering on her cheek.

The wind began to fade, and everything fell into silence.

She coughed on the settling dust and slowly opened her eyes, one at a time. Arbok was gone, encouraging her feeble body to sit up, gently leaving her Eevee to rest next to her. The men were too far away to be seen, but she could not hear them at all. She searched for Whitney, but she was also impossible to make out. The dust cloud had swallowed the entirety of the area.

Everything was still, as if time had slid to a near stop. But a tinkle of porcelain caused her to jump and look ahead of her. She froze.

An orange, humanoid Pokémon stood from its hunched position, facing a monstrous hill of shattered pots and flowers. From the heap, the purple tail of the Arbok stuck out, limp and inanimate.

Marina's breathing halted as the slim being turned its head. Its white irises stared into her, observing only her and nothing else. Fear shuddered inside her as she was covered by goose bumps.

Wh-What is that thing? A Pokémon...?

The creature continued to gaze back at her without motion; impossible to read any emotion. The purple stripe that ran down the center of its face gave off a bright hue of red. A soft, almost unseen crimson light shot out and snaked its way to Marina, and a new feeling numbed her body as she was bathed in the light. She felt nothing but the stare of the Pokémon even as the light faded.

But she shuddered as she heard what she could only assume was its voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It was frighteningly familiar, somehow.

"It is… you."

…What? Me?

Again, it spoke; and again, Marina did not know how because the creature had no mouth. Unlike the synthesized voice of the Pokémon collar, this voice was real—and the creature's manner of speaking was segmented and awkward.

"You have grown... You are not hurt... That is good. I am sorry."

Sorry? Why? Marina's thoughts asked, as she was too afraid to speak. Have...have I seen this Pokémon before?

It went quiet for a few tense seconds.

"Favor… I have a favor."

"...Favor?" she managed to repeat softly.

The creature raised its only hand, turning it over and, with restraint, opening its fingers. It held it out to her, and its eyes shone a hauntingly deep scarlet. A black spec zipped from the palm of its hand and through the air. Marina looked around in panic hoping she could see something else through the lingering plume of dust.

The little thing—some kind of collar—hit her below her chin, snapping around her throat. At once, Marina coughed and put her hand over her neck. An odd sensation coursed through her as the thing loosened until it felt comfortable, almost unnoticeable.

Before she realized it, the unknown creature was standing before her. Its appearance was unchanged, but something seemed different in the way it stared abstractedly at her. Marina gazed back with glazed eyes, fearful but overcome with fatigue and confusion. The pain in her ankle was throbbing numbly.

What is...this thing...?

Her mind finally clicked as she remembered. But only the name, a name that brought shivers down her spine for some reason.

"D...Deoxys?"

Is...that the name? Thanks for saving me, but...

The peculiar Pokémon reached its hand out and touched her forehead. It gave a gentle push, and Marina fell limply, their eye contact broken. Her back landed on the hard flat floor, but it was not rough, as though it had taken the time to gradually set her down.

What...what favor?

The irregular humanoid silhouette of the creature blurred and faded as she blacked out.

She had a dream, and in it her surroundings were nonexistent. There was only a solemn darkness, with little brightness shining through.

Another girl stood alone in the distance. They noticed each other at the same time, watching one another as they were the only things that existed. Curious, Marina held her hand up and waved. But like a skittish rabbit, the girl retreated into the shadows, leaving Marina by herself in the abyss.

Marina's Pokémon:
King the Quilava
Tata the Rattata
Nana the Furret
Kenya the Spearow
Phany the Phanpy
Misdreavus
Pokémon Egg
Eevee