Well, I got it done anyway, and is the story arc beginning to get interesting. Flame finally finds out the bad guy's identitiy but is unable to fight the evil due to his own internal battle. (Makes no sense untill you read the Episode and even then you'll have to think.)

Comments wanted, as usual. I do read them, and take note. I do plan to increase the Episode leangths slowly, over time. Because if I did it suddenly, then it'd throw everything out of sync.

Episode Fifty-Three: Ambush and Deceit

Three days later: "Damnit. I can't believe you lost them already!" I yelled at Squirtle.

"Sorry, it's not my fault that these dice things are so damn small and fiddly," he muttered, hiding behind a sofa.

"You know, seeing as the kits are sleeping," I said thoughtfully, "maybe one of us should go look for whatever took down their mother."

"Hell no, you saw how much damage it did. Anyone goes out there solo, they won't be coming back intact."

"I know, I just wanted to see you cower."

Squirtle glared at me, before letting out a small cheer and scrabbling around on the floor, "I found the dice!"

"I still don't understand why you like rolling them around so much."

"It's a game, sometimes you have to go with the flow, let things fix themselves." Squirtle sighed as he put the dice in a box of stuff that we had 'collected' from various sorces.

"Whatever, it's late and we both need some sleep. Teach me this game of yours in the morning when I can think strait," I said, plopping down in my usual place and closing my eyes.

It was about a half hour later before the Pokémon Center's lights finally went off, I could hear Squirtle snoring from his makeshift bed in the corner of the lobby. But, there was a sense of unease that wouldn't let me doze off myself. I had the sudden feeling that this was just the calm before the storm.

I slowly climbed to my feet and plodded over to the kits basket bed. Spiral had become a lot less active recently, becoming deadly serious and refusing to get into playfights. It was starting to worry me. I couldn't help but wonder if she missed her mother or had even seen the death, while Blacky missed it and was unaffected.

As I approached, the sense of unease grew stronger. I didn't know why, I could see both of the kits asleep. Although, it suddenly became clear when I saw my reflection in a small mirror that hung on the wall. A pair of bright yellow eyes shone over my shoulder, matched with big teeth.

I spun round and the creature reacted with speed that I couldn't match, it raised a paw and raked its claws across my face. Luckily, I had pulled back in suprise and the claws didn't do much damage. Only the middle one actually pieced my flesh, strait down my scar.

I yelled at the sudden pain, blood pouring down my muzzle. The strange white furred creature shot past me and strait for the kit's basket. I grabbed its tail as it dived for the bed and pulled as hard as I could, but it kept going and knocked me to the ground.

I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew was Squirtle pulling me to my feet.

"What happened?" He was yelling at me, but I barely registered his words. I could see that the kits basket was now missing one of its inhabitants. Blacky had been taken.

"No. That thing," I muttered, trying to make sense of the events that had transpired, "took Blacky."

"You're bleeding. Sit down and keep calm, we'll go look," Squirtle said, trying to take control of the situation although I could see the blind panic in his eyes.

"There is no time! He'll be dead soon, we have to go now!" I yelled, getting to my feet and nearly blacking out as a pounding headache kicked in.

"You are in no condition to go anywhere. Do you want to get yourself killed?" Squirtle asked, while Spiral was openly weeping for her brother.

"If it has any chance of saving Blacky, then so be it," I muttered, forcing the pain away and heading for the door.

"You cannot be serious."

"Note serious face," I said, over my shoulder as I broke into a sprint, "go find Moron and get Scyther and Scout, I'm going on ahead!"

It was pretty easy to follow the tracks, the strange thing had fled in a hurry and left signs of its passing everywhere. I was running on pure adreniline by this time, dashing through the streets and backalleys at breakneck speed.

I found myself on the bridge that led to the valley. I could see the strange creature, on the other side, shadowed in the moonlight with something held in its jaw. The large feline apperance was unfamiliar to me but that didn't stop me dashing blindly after it.

It shot off into the trees with me in tow, I was vaulting over roots while trying to keep up. It was definatly slowing, but not from exaustion. It skidded to a halt in the center of the clearing and I could see it drop a limp form onto the floor.

I spotted Blacky move slightly, I wasn't too late. When the creature stepped away from him, I was about to dash in but halting myself as another figure appeared out of the bushed and greating the feline.

"Good Persian," came the familiar laugh that was engraved into my memory as it watched the cat Pokémon vanish into the bushes

"You bastard!" I yelled, finally stepping into the open.

"Well well, isn't this a coincidence. Trying to stop me a third time then?" Hypno laughed.

"Shouldn't be too hard, we took away your medalion," I growled.

"That you did, but I've found a way to go without."

I could see a small red stone held in the Hypno's hand but I wasn't going to let it scare me and growled, "let Blacky go."

"Why would I want to do that? I can use the unstable genetic material of the Eevee here to increase my power a hundred-fold."

"I don't care. Leave him alone."

The Hypno laughed again and the gemstone glinted in the moonlight. My head suddenly exploded with pain and I fell to my knees, clutching my skull in a feeble attempt to halt the agony. I was suddenly aware that Hypno was now right beside me when I heard it whisper, "I don't need the Eevee alive anyway. And guess what, now you can do the honour for me."

"No," I muttered as my limbs began to move on their own and forced me to stand.

"You can't resist," Hypno said from behind me, I knew he was enjoying this, "but I'll show mercy and kill you after you destroy your precious charge."

Hypno was right, I couldn't resist. My body stepped closer and closer to Blacky and I couldn't stop it. I could see him shake with fear, looking strait at me and I could do nothing. I felt my body inhale to prepare for the fireball that would begin the killing process and was mentaly screaming at myself to stop.