Chikorita and Feraligator

It was a toy wrecker, about five inches long with a four inch crane. It had a reddish orange body and a tanish-yellow crane. Despite some scuff marks and chips in the plastic, it was Basil's favorite toy.

The Chikorita nosed it backwards, towards a powder blue sedan that was upside down. "About right... there!" He lifted his head up to make sure, then pressed a white button on the cab's roof. The crane opened up, dropped down, grabbed the smaller car, then lifted it off the ground.

Crowing happily, Basil pushed it hard, sending the wrecker zooming along the floor and into a door. He raced after it, nudged it in a new direction, then sent it into the next room. There, it ran right smack into Elm's foot.

The Pokemon Professor looked down at his young charge chasing after the toy. He chuckled and spared a moment to pat Basil on the head. "Rescuing some unfortunate folks, are we?"

"You bet!" He nipped at the crane's tip and pulled it back, then looked up at Elm.

"According to the reports I've got, your two friends have all grown up. I keep thinking of sending you out with one of my helpers. Still, I think I'd miss you most if you left."

Basil flicked his leaf, sending some of its sweet aroma into the room. "Well I'm happy to stay with you. Somebody's got to keep you from working all the time, right?"

Elm then leaned over, turned the wrecker around, and shoved it back out the room. Scrambling frantically, Basil chased after it again, nearly crashing into one of Elm's assistants. He ducked out of the way of falling papers and got to his wrecker. Once he had it, he pushed it off and chased it all over the Pokemon Lab.

Until it made a run for the automatic doors and rolled outside. Basil paused for a moment to sniff the air. It was turning out to be a nice day, warm and sunny with a calm breeze to keep things comfortable. Pity that Elm was working indoors today, again. But there was something he could do about that. He nosed the wrecker back inside, released the powder blue sedan, then fetched a couple of items.

A minute later, he was back in Elm's office, holding onto a leash. His wrecker was now holding onto his Pokeball. He patted the professor's leg. "Come on, outside time."

Elm didn't notice right away, absorbed in reviewing new Pokedex entries. "If the theory is correct, then this can't be its initial form. But that's all anyone is finding it as. I wonder... hmm?" He looked down to a more insistent nosing. "You want to take a walk?"

He put the leash down. "You need it; it's not healthy for you to be inside when it's nice and sunny out."

"I really should finish up this review so I can upload it to Oak."

"Later. We go out now."

Elm looked at the screen, then back at Basil. "I suppose it's not due for a few days. Come on, let's go."

"That's more like it," the Chikorita replied as Elm attached the collar to his neck. The professor then tied the other end through the cab of the wrecker. Basil would take his toy everywhere he went, and this was the easiest way to let him take it outside. Elm then took the Pokeball, informed his assistants, then left to go on a walk.

The Route leading away from the lab was quiet. A few wild Pokemon were out, but weren't interested in attacking the pair. The sky was bright blue and clear, stretching above for as far as they could see. The trees were decked out in their deep summer green. It was calm, as if nothing bad could happen here.

Elm stretched his arms out, then looked down at Basil. "I'm certain that my productivity has gone down ever since you arrived. But it doesn't really bother me. I haven't been as stressed out lately."

"It's good to relax," Basil said, then nudged his wrecker around a patch of pebbles.

Then a loud bellow interrupted the calm afternoon. Basil jerked his head up, but only saw a blue blur as he was snatched up and stolen away. When he looked back, Elm had grabbed his Pokeball to call him back. But then a kid with spiky red hair yanked it from the Professor's hand. The thief then ran into the woods with them.

"Basil!" Elm called out, but then the Route disappeared behind the trees.

"Elm!" He tried to squirm away. "Let me go!"

"You'll thank me for this later," he replied, and kept running through the trees.

They came to a clearing and stopped. Basil was put down on the ground. Worried, he checked out his wrecker. After pushing it upright and pressing the crane's button, he figured out that it was okay. He looked over at his captor, who had dropped down on all fours and was breathing heavily. Like that, he was at eye level with the Chikorita. "What're you tired for?"

"I normally don't run that far," he said after a moment. "So the nerd calls you Basil? Hmph."

"What're you called?"

"My proper name, Feraligator." He winked. "You remember me, Chikorita?"

He tilted his head. "You? I don't know. Maybe. I see a lot of Pokemon in the lab."

He grinned, showing off dozens of sharp curved teeth. "Maybe as the toothy little terror?"

"You were Totodile? Gracious, you've gotten much bigger." He leaned forward and sniffed. Feraligator did smell like Totodile. "And much toothier."

"And you're still just a little sprout. But don't worry. We're here to change all that."

The spiky haired boy finally came into the clearing. "There you guys are. That went easier than I thought." He sat down by the two of them. "You'd think that after the first time, he'd learn to get some better security, but no." He shook his head.

"And this is the guy who kidnapped you?" Basil asked. "Why're you still hanging around him?"

"He liberated me. And he's the greatest Trainer in all of Johto. He'll make you strong, unless you wimp out and cry."

"So this was the third option, huh?" The thief took Basil's chin and looked him over. "You don't look that impressive, but you were the professor's choice. That means you've got to be great, somehow. They never give out losers and weaklings as starter Pokemon."

"May I go back to Elm?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because he needs me. I make sure he takes a daily walk and doesn't work too hard."

The thief then took the leash and looked at the wrecker. "And what's that thing attached to you?"

"It's a wrecker! Or a tow truck, if you must use the less interesting term. It's the best toy in the whole wide world."

Feraligator snorted. "Sheesh. I've gotten big and strong while you've stayed little and gotten spoiled."

The Chikorita flicked his leaf indignantly. "Just because I have a toy and you don't doesn't mean that I'm spoiled."

"We're gonna have to get rid of that," the thief said.

He gasped in alarm. "But it's my toy! I want to keep it. If I can't, then I want to go back to Elm right now."

"But we're going to make you one of the strongest Pokemon ever," Feraligator said, trying to convince him away. "We're going to build the best team in Johto and show everyone true greatness."

Fortunately, the boy thief didn't take the leash or wrecker away immediately. He took his stolen Pokedex and checked with it. "Okay, I think you stay as pure Grass type, which helps me out immensely. I'm done with just taking Pokemon as I find them. I've gotten rid of all but the one who meets my criteria of power,"

Feraligator grinned. "Me, of course."

"And you must become great; otherwise, Elm wouldn't have had you. So now I can work a team around you two and show them all up." He scowled. "Especially that goody-two-shoes... bah. I swear, he acts all innocent and sweet, but he must be doing something to his Pokemon to make them better than they should be. If only I could figure out what that is."

"It can't be that 'friendship and kindness' stuff he was going on about. That won't get you nothing."

"I think kindness can go a long way," Basil said, twitching his ears and leaf. "That, and making sure to relax some every day. That'll get you a peaceful and long life, at least, I think so."

"What? That's ridiculous. You can't hold onto peace, because too many bad things happen all the time. But I'll tell you what you can hold onto and believe in, and that's..."

He tilted his head as if curious, although he knew what was going on. "And that's what?"

Feraligator blinked. "Oh, um... darn... I had this whole 'get you pumped and ready to rumble' speech ready, and... I forgot it."

Basil flicked his leaf; he knew that it was his scent that was affecting Feraligator and he had to make sure he stayed affected. "That's too bad. Maybe you're just tired out and need a nap. It's a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a nap outdoors." He didn't have any skills to put Feraligator to sleep, but maybe some cunning could do the same thing.

"Yeah, that sounds nice right about now."

The thief looked up from his study. "What's wrong, Feraligator? You look spacey."

"We were gonna take control of the League and make them do things the proper way, our way," the blue reptile rambled. "But, uh, maybe we ought to take a day off and relax, you know?"

"Relaxing is good," Basil agreed, flicking his leaf towards the human.

"You need to stay alert in case... they come looking." The thief blinked, then shook his head. He tried to sound stern again as he turned to Basil. "Is this your doing?"

The Chikorita nodded. "Yup, I help people relax."

He took a deep breath of the sweetness, then coughed. "Okay, this isn't going to work out. I need a fighting team. I don't need somebody that's going to keep everyone from battle."

"Then I'm not for you, I guess. May I go back to Elm now?"

"We'll have to," he shook his head. "Nah, forget it. It's not worth the trouble." He tossed Basil's ball aside. "Let's go, Feraligator."

"Can we take the rest of the day off?" he asked as they went back into the woods.

Basil pushed his wrecker over to the Pokeball and picked it up with the crane. Then, not wanting to steer it around all the trees, he picked the wrecker up in his mouth and carried it back to the Route.

As he came out from behind a bush, he found a policeman searching the area. Pleasantly surprised, the officer patted his head, then stood up. "Professor, is this the one that was taken?"

Elm came over and smiled when he saw the Chikorita. "Basil, thank goodness you're all right." He undid the collar, then picked him up. "So you got away on your own, huh? I knew you were the clever one."

Basil nuzzled his head against Elm's neck. "Like I said, somebody's got to keep an eye on you."

…

Chikorita Emerald entry: It waves its leaf around to keep foes at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, creating a friendly atmosphere that becalms the battlers.

Feraligator Fire Red entry: It is hard for it to support its own weight out of water, so it gets down on all fours. But it moves fast.

Somebody actually requested the male Chikorita, based on my habits of going against gender perceptions. Basil is the name I give to Chikorita in-game if it's male.