"There and then, I should have known; it was me, all alone...

Nevermore to leave here, nevermore to leave here, my love is... the killing kind."

It was short. It was simple. It was all I could think of. Tearing at my mind and clawing away at what little remained of my broken non-existence. One word, something not at all complete, but leaving me with the strangest of sensations deep within my chest.

El.

Was that a name? Was that her name, the hazel eyed stranger in my nightmares, or… was it mine? The more I thought about it, the more my head ached and throbbed and started to leave me nauseous- but when I tried to compare the name to that woman the less the two seemed to fit together.

No. No, it's not hers. But then…

Ugh, I feel sick. Who was she to me? Who am I? Is that person family, maybe? Did that mean I actually had a family before awakening in Rustboro? Were the chronic nightmares actually memories of mine?

So many questions with even less answers.

"El?" Brock echoed, processing my question. Slowly, his eyebrows rose high on his forehead and his hand tightened around mine, the boy hunching over just slightly almost as if in anticipation. "Is that- hold on. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

The excitement in his voice nearly washed away any trace of the concern and disbelief he held.

"Names that start with "El". Do you think… no. Are you saying that your name begins with that? You remember part of your name?"

I looked away and stared at the ceiling, expression contorting into something conflicted before slowly falling into its usual blank mask. "I don't… know." Whether it was my name or someone else's, I had no idea.

But hearing it out of his mouth almost solidified this sensation that maybe… just maybe… it was mine. That this was part of my original identity.

"It just… feels familiar."

"So you don't know if it's yours?" Blue inquired.

No response. I gave the smallest of shrugs and turned my head to the side, gripping Brock's hand tightly. Ansem mewed and crawled further up on the bed, nuzzling my cheek with his cold nose. At a complete loss of what to say despite having initiated this conversation myself, I reached my free hand up and pet him- ignoring the slight tug of needles in my arm. "It might be. I just… I don't…"

I don't know.

Something is right there- so close, yet so far away from my grasp. If I could just stretch a little farther out to reach it, then maybe I could figure out what it was to me. What it meant. If it was my name, did that mean I really had a family out there somewhere? Memories that actually existed? People who would know who I am? Did I exist to someone?

Was it possible that there was more to me than what… I was forced to become?

I want to hope. I want to hope so badly that it was so. I want to be someone. I want to exist. I want to be something outside of the emotionless grunt Team Rocket created. I want to be someone that my pōkemon, that my friends, that that person could be proud of. I want them to stay with me. I want them to avoid abandoning me.

Even though I know that's not realistic…

"Maybe…" I choked a little, the words getting caught in my throat. Ansem curling up against my side, I carefully rolled over, hiding my face behind mine and Brock's intertwined hands. I pressed the back of his to my forehead, craving the warmth, the affection he was always so willing to give, and bit down on my trembling bottom lip. "Maybe w-we can… try it? Just… a bit. T-To see if… if it… feels right."

Though I couldn't see it, I could almost hear the smile in Brock's gentle voice. "Of course. If that's what you want… El."

Something seemed to well up inside of me upon hearing that, something inside my heart being released. Something so strong and powerful and overwhelming, something so relieving as if I had been waiting my entire life for this moment. The tears stung my eyes and fell down my cheeks before I could stop them, a shaking in my shoulders as I struggled to speak, a warmth so great it took all my breath away.

This feeling… these emotions… they were… mine. They were real. They were...

Happiness.

The curl on the corners of my lips, painful and unfamiliar as it was, explained it all. Sheer, unbridled happiness. It was my name- or at least part of it- and that meant… I was real. I existed. I was a person after all. I have an identity, small as it was. I'm alive.

"I-I'm not…" My voice was a small and quiet whimper, and I could feel the grip Brock had on my hand tighten even as the rest of my pōkemon climbed up on the bed. Belladonna hugged me around my hips as best as she could with her leafy arms, and Basil rested his forelegs over my shins. Ansem nuzzled my neck, and I shook- clinging so tight to the human friend beside me, the boy not even caring that I was getting tears on his hand. "I'm not a grunt… I'm not…"

I'm human and I'm alive.

I may not have memories, but I at least have a name.

And, currently, at this moment, that was enough.

A nurse eventually opened the room and panicked- thinking something was wrong with me at first, but Brock had to quickly explain that I was fine and that this was a… fairly normal occurrence. She still looked concerned, but went on to take Blue's vitals. She had him swallow some medicine, which he looked close to spitting out due to the taste, and the woman cooed at my pōkemon before writing something on a clipboard.

She mentioned the doctor would check in again in about an hour, left, and after the time passed the aforementioned doctor appeared. He showed some x-rays taken of Blue's broken ribs from when we first arrived to the hospital, and after two days had passed he went to get them taken again to make sure the medicine was working.

Maybe it was just because I wasn't used to medicine or the like due to my time in Team Rocket, but the way they could heal broken bones over the course of a few days didn't really… sit right with me. Like they were far too advanced than what they should be. It should take at least a few weeks up to a month to heal, right?

I know mine took several months, but…

Oh. Frick. One of the nurses mentioned my throat, and I blinked- looking at them with furrowed brows and a suspicious frown. Basil remained curled on my lap, Ansem and Belladonna by my feet. The doctor mentioned that they took a look at it and my head after I was brought in while asleep, and the they had stuck in my arms were to help with that as well as give me some extra nutrients for my malnutrition.

I was reluctant, but Brock suggested I do so and the doctor removed the bandages from my neck. He also removed the stitches from my forehead, showing off a nasty little scar above my left eyebrow. Having me follow his fingers and flashing a light in both my eye and throat, he determined that I was pretty much recovered.

...Yeah. Something was really off about that medicine.

Or maybe it was just super effective because I wasn't used to it... but that wouldn't explain why it worked so well on Blue. Hrm.

When it was finally time for us leave, Blue paid the doctor with help from his grandfather's researcher insurance (Uh, what?) and we were able get out of this nightmare of a hospital. I was so antsy the entire time; it was awful. I hated staying still. If not for Brock being so adamant about us going together, I would have left Blue to his recovery and ran off to the gym as fast as I could, then return after I was done. Tch.

Mother hen, indeed… though…

It isn't… necessarily a bad thing… I guess. It was… nice, having someone fret over me. Just a little bit. I feel bad about worrying him, but… time passes quickly. That's dangerous. Especially for a mission as urgent as ours.

"First, we should stop by the pōkemart." Brock said, casually carrying Basil in his arms as we walked out the street. Blue was being carried by Machamp again, for while his ribs were just bruised now instead of broken it was still best for him to avoid too much movement. "We need to pick up some supplies. There's also something I wanna check out."

Huh? Oh, sure… I guess. "I can head to the gym while you-"

Before I could take even one step in the opposite direction a hand shot out and grabbed the collar of my backpack, pulling me back to the group. "Nope. You stay with us. Come on."

"But-!"

I had no choice but to listen as he dragged me along with him, Blue letting out a few painful snickers as we entered the store. Blue ignored the stares we were getting and pointed out what he wanted Machamp to grab with his free hands, while Brock set Basil down and picked up a shopping basket. He wasted no time in grabbing what he thought we needed, and I followed behind- bottom lip stuck out in what could almost be considered a pout, my hands in my pocket and fiddling with my chipped dawn stone.

I was hoping to get the gym done as fast as possible- before I could even think about what I would be facing- but that clearly wasn't going to happen.

Ansem sat on my shoulders, chin on my head, while Basil and Belladonna walked near my feet like the loyal grass-types they were. They were so precious. I would do anything for them, I swear. Ugh. So cute. Oh- wait, what is Brock looking at? I blinked, watching as he picked up a paperback book from a shelf, the man flipping it open and going through the pages.

"Hey, El." He said, and I tensed- head lifting up as my heart swelled with that familiar happy warmth upon hearing the name. It really did feel so familiar. So right. Like it truly was mine. Brock looked at me. "You mentioned that you used to tell bad jokes and puns to the other kids when… it all first happened, right?"

"What?" He actually remembered that? That felt like forever ago. "O-Oh, um… yeah."

Blue made a face, raising a brow as he looked down at me. "Wait, seriously? That's unexpected."

My face twisted at that, confusion evident to see. "Is that… Is that a… bad thing?"

"No." Careful not to hurt himself, he leaned down and flicked my nose. I flinched, recoiling away in surprise and mild alarm. He grinned. "Just unexpected. Don't automatically assume everything about you is bad, squirt. Okay?"

"O… Okay…?" Wait, hold on. Back up. I turned to Brock. "Why'd you ask, anyway?"

"Because," Brock said, grinning as held the book cover up for all of us to see, "I'm thinking we should try to revisit that part of you. Telling bad jokes must mean you used to like them, right? The only reason you stopped was because of Team Rocket."

Some people who were shopping paused upon hearing that, casting us weird glances, before returning to what they were doing. Brock didn't seem to notice. Oddly enough, that didn't surprise me. He seemed to not care about blurting out personal info at all, given everything that's happened to us before.

I worried my bottom lip, uncertain. "I don't… think it'll be the same, though…"

"Just try it." He encouraged, handing the book over to me. I reluctantly took it.

I could feel the warmth of Ansem's fur as he peered over curiously to see the pages as I flipped the book open, the fuzzy pokēmon tickling my cheek. It was a standard joke book, nothing too fancy, and I was surprised to find that I actually recognized half of the jokes in it. My brows furrowed as I continued to read, shifting all the weight onto one foot, flipping through a few more pages as I got absorbed into it.

Some of them were unfamiliar, and… oh. Oh, that one's cute.

I raised my head up and looked at Brock and Blue, expression blank. "What does a pokēmon say when they sneeze?"

Blue was already making a face, not at all amused, while Brock grinned. "What?"

Clearing my throat, I raised a hand up to my face and said, "Pika~ chuu!"

I scrunched my nose up as if to mimic a real sneeze, leaning over suddenly for dramatic effect, book held carefully to my chest. Brock snorted, hand over his mouth to hide the size of his grin, and Blue groaned- leaning his head back. "What have you done? You've corrupted her. She's gonna be like this forever now."

"Aw, come on!" Brock laughed, seemingly pleased by the way my eyes lit up at their reactions to the joke. It was the most I've ever seen anyone react, for the children back then just lowered their head or sighed, continuing on with whatever lesson Team Rocket had assigned for them to complete. "It's cute! Pikachu? Achoo? That one's a classic."

"It's so bad." Blue complained.

"You just don't have a sense of humor." Brock accused playfully.

"I do, it's just not based around bad jokes. I tell ones that are actually funny."

"You mean, like your face?" I suddenly asked, startling both the boys, and Brock choked.

Blue gaped at me and I quickly curled my lips back to hide the grin that tried to form, wondering if maybe I went too far. It was such a childish comment, but the book was suddenly bringing back to mind all the jokes I told or used to know. I almost felt like that child again, the one I used to be- even if it was only for that one day with him. Seeing that they were still staring, the amusement faded away and guilt replaced it.

I lowered my head, debating if I should just put the book back on the shelf. "S-Sorry…"

Blue reached over, bopping Brock upside the head, and Machamp gasped. "See! I told you; you're such a bad influence!"

"I'm pretty sure she got that joke from you , mister, "Smell ya later"." Brock retorted, rubbing the bump that was forming. I blinked when the boy took the book from me and placed it in the cart, stunned that he was still getting if after that rude comment of mine. "It's scary how alike you two are sometimes."

"Tch. She's more like you with how much she fusses over everyone, you mama hen."

"Yeah, yeah. That just means I'm a good influence then. Caring about people is a good thing."

As they argued we continued our way through the store, and rather than getting annoyed at them bickering or feeling fearful of it, I found myself more… amused by it? It was weird. What was even weirder was the fact that I was still happy, especially when I saw them arguing like this. It was like… some kind of reminder that they were still alive. That they were okay.

Brock picked up some potions and pokēballs, as well as some food supplies, and Blue- being the only one with any actual money considering Brock and I spent all of ours last time- paid for everything. I guess he had quite the bank account from being both a former trainer and an apprentice pokēmon researcher.

"Oh!" I just remembered. "We need to tell Professor Oak we found Blue!"

He was probably incredibly worried. Blue was his grandson, after all, and was the one who had told us he had gone missing. As Brock picked up the grocery bags, he nodded- and Blue cringed. The dark-skinned boy said, "Good point. Let's head the pokēcenter next, then."

"This isn't gonna end well for me…" Blue lamented, leaning his head dramatically against Machamp's shoulder. "Gramps is gonna kill me. Whatever you guys do, do not mention the underground base, okay? My life depends on it."

Wait, what? Is he being serious? The professor wouldn't get angry with him for it, would he? I think he said something similar back in the base, about how the professor would kill him if he found out, but… he wouldn't actually- right? Bill turned out to be a genuinely good person, so isn't the professor one as well?

"He's kidding." Brock suddenly said, placing a hand on my shoulder, as if sensing my paranoia and concern. I jolted, looking up in alarm. "Blue is just being dramatic. Professor Oak won't actually be mad at him- if he does get upset, it's because he was worried. He would never hurt him."

Right… yeah. Professor Oak was one of the trustworthy adults. I… have to believe that.

Taking a shaky breath, we headed to the pokēcenter and up to one of the machines. Blue managed to convince Machamp to set him down for the call, hoping to deceive his grandfather, but as soon as we dialed in the number- we got a face full of frantic Professor Oak and his voice screeching through the phone. I immediately froze, breath catching in my throat, believing that for a second all my fears had come to rise, when Brock's hand grasped mine to calm me down and quietly inform me everything was okay.

"BLUE GARY OAK! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU!?"

Blue flinched. "Hiya, Gramps. Is the… uh, full name really necessary?"

"TEAM ROCKET!? YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH TEAM ROCKET!? WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE GOING AFTER A TALKING POKĒMON!? YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE ALIVE RIGHT NOW!"

My eyes widened. "Wait, how'd you-"

"It was all over the news!" Professor Oak huffed, pulling out a seat in his lab and sitting down, frowning sternly at the camera as he lowered his voice back to normal volume. "Great job, by the way, Brock. It was a very smart decision informing the police about the hideout. And you, Grunt-"

He faltered, seeing the way I flinched. Brock quickly interjected, "Actually, she doesn't go by that anymore."

"...What? Oh my." His anger faded away, instead replaced with pleasant surprise. Something flashed in his eyes, something knowing, and he smiled. "What should I call you, then?"

I hesitated before answering, still a bit scared, and stammered out an awkward, "E… El..."

"Just El?" It almost sounded like he was expecting more. "Very well then. El, thank you for saving my grandson. You and Brock did me and my family a huge favor. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him."

"Gramps…" Blue grumbled, face turning a bit pink. "I'm not that helpless."

"No, but you ARE reckless. Admittedly, so is the little one with you now, but still…" Professor Oak sighed. "Well, anyway; I'm glad all three of you are alright. I was losing my mind when several days passed and I hadn't gotten a call. Thank you for… well, surviving."

Blue leaned his head back, groaning. "You're so sappy!"

"And you're crabby!"

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we got a gym badge to go after," Blue said, reaching a hand over to press a button, "so smell ya later, Gramps."

"Now just a moment, young ma-!"

The screen turned black, the call officially ended. The boy huffed, flinched, then pressed a hand gingerly against his abdomen. "I really… shouldn't have shouted like that. Urgh… so lame. Whatever. Let's just… get going. Otherwise he'll call back."

Was… Was that really okay? Just ending the phone call like that? Won't he get in trouble?

I watched as Machamp lifted the boy up into his arms, and Brock sighed- shaking his head at Blue's behavior. "You really are something."

"Aw, shut it."

Watching them like this really felt so much different compared to watching the other kids at the Hoenn base. These two were so lively and chatty together. They weren't afraid of talking about their feelings or speaking their minds. They were healthy and stubborn and… kind. I wouldn't be where I am now without them. They're truly incredible. It didn't cease my worry though about the professor being potentially angry, but if they weren't concerned then… I guess… I shouldn't be either? Maybe?

"Why don't we go get something to eat before we go to the gym?" Brock suggested as we stood up. "It's pretty late and we're already at the pokēcenter, so we might as well."

"Yeah, sure." Blue gave a small shrug, agreeing with him. "That hospital food didn't sit well with me."

I looked at my pokēmon, kneeling down to face them, and tilted my head at Belladonna and Basil. They chirped quite loudly in excitement at the prospect of food, and then I turned to look at Ansem- who just headbutted my cheek lightly to show his joy. I scratched their heads gently and nodded at Brock. "Okay. Food it is."

…

Cerulean City.

It was evening now, so it was quite dark, but Steven and Lorelei had finally arrived. That interview looked like it took place somewhere in the middle of town, but if the children had truly gotten caught up with Team Rocket it would only make sense for them to go to hospital if they had any injuries.

Of course, that was assuming they weren't stubborn.

Thankfully, that Brock fellow seemed quite smart, so Steven had high hopes. Unfortunately, when they got there and asked about the kids, they were informed that the trio of trainers they had described had checked out earlier that day. Which meant that they were on the move again. Just how far could a former gym leader travel if he was accompanying two kids? Grass-type pokēmon were also by far some of the hardest pokēmon to master, given their many weaknesses.

"They can't have gotten too far away." Lorelei mused, hand to her chin as they stopped near the town fountain. "The kids have to be near here somewhere. Perhaps they checked in for the night at the pokēcenter? Or maybe they went to get the gym badge before it closed for the day?"

"Maybe…" Steven sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "Why don't we split up? I'll check the pokēcenter while you check the gym?"

"Sounds good."

…

I've come to the conclusion that I really like bacon. It truly seemed like my tastebuds were coming back, because I could actually taste the majority of what I ate. I was a little reluctant to try the bacon at first due to how greasy it looked, but it was quite… delicious. Especially on this super cheesy hamburger Blue convinced me to try.

Brock chuckled when he saw the way I was kicking my legs back and forth- something I didn't even realize I was doing until it was pointed out, and when I apologized he just waved me off saying it was fine. Blue said it was normal thing for kids to do. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I just took another bite of my food and watched quietly as all of our pokēmon ate the food Brock had prepared for them.

Thankfully, the cafeteria area was quite large, so Onix was even able to join in- and I fed him a pokēpuff and pat him on the head gently when he leaned down to get some attention. It was adorable. Ansem ended up getting jealous though, and decided he was going to plop down on my lap after he finished his dinner and snacked on some desserts.

Blue hummed to himself, quite pleased with the results of our journey so far, and took another bite of his ice cream. "I'm so glad to be outta that hospital. Their food was awful."

"Most of the resources go to their medicine, not the food." Brock stated, munching on some white rice. "Besides, the chefs here at the pokēcenter are volunteers- not to mention some of the nurses. This whole place was set up generations ago to help trainers, not to drain them of money. It's charity."

"Yeah, yeah. You act like I don't know this."

"Well, I know you know it. I'm mostly explaining it for El."

Blue and Brock both turned to me, and I blinked. Then, I raised a hand up and waved. "Hi."

Any and all information is appreciated, no matter what it was about. I needed to learn everything I possibly could about my surroundings, that way I could be prepared. Although, recently, it seemed like being prepared didn't do me any good. I glanced to the side, observing the pokēmon a little while longer, and then focused my attention on all the other trainers around us.

Some had probably already battled the gym leader. I needed to as well, but… even with Brock and Blue there beside me… I'm not sure if I can do it. Just the thought of being near water pokēmon was enough to make me tense and freeze up. I wanted to stay as far away as possible.

I need to… get stronger. I have to be tougher.

If not for me, then for my friends and my pokēmon. For the kids I'm going to save.

For the person I might not ever meet again.

Carefully shifting Ansem off my lap and onto my shoulder, I stood- hand in my pocket, fingers fiddling with the stone. "I… I'll be right back. I need some air."

"Weepin?"

"Bulba!"

My other two pokēmon seemed reluctant to let me go, especially more so when I set Ansem down beside them. Brock stared at me, frowning suspiciously, before he sighed and gave a small smile. "Alright. Blue and I are almost done eating, so we'll follow behind you soon enough."

Yeah. Everything will be fine.

Taking another shaky breath, I walked out of the cafeteria and into the main lobby. There were so many people it was overwhelming. I need to think, to breathe, and I can't do that when I'm being suffocating in a crowd. I fiddled with the stone a bit longer, not really paying attention to where I was walking as I stared at my feet, thoughts and fears rampaging about my mind as I tried to convince myself that I would be able to get through the upcoming battle without panicking.

Water… really was terrifying. I don't know if I can do this. Maybe just rushing in headfirst was a bad idea after all. Brock was the expert when it came to gyms, being a former gym leader himself, so maybe he did know what he was talking about me waiting a bit longer before facing the Cerulean City gym leader. Still, the more time spent waiting meant the more time the kids in the base suffered, and… I...

I- whoa!

I quickly swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding colliding with a young man wearing a black-and-dark-purple suit. He blinked and moved his head to look at me, and I hurriedly hid my stone in the palm of my hand, cradling it to my chest as I stumbled. Seeing I was about to fall, the stranger quickly reached out- his steel blue eyes widening in alarm.

His fingers latched around my left wrist, the young man pulling me to him with a sudden yank, and I yelped when I crashed face-first into his chest. He was quite tall- at least compared to me- the man standing at around a solid five foot eight or five foot nine. "Are you okay?"

Oh.

For some reason, the sound of his voice caused my brain stopped working. All my thoughts came to a halt. I blinked dumbly, wondering why I was so startled, when a pair of hands gently placed themselves on my shoulders. Taking a small step back, the young man looked down at me, and I slowly raised my gaze up to his. Another blink. With steel blue hair and equally stunning eyes, he was quite…

"Pretty."

Huh? Wait, did I say that aloud? I choked and tensed up, wondering where my usual filter went. That was so unlike me. I hurriedly pulled away, flinching and ducking my head down, horrified that I might have upset this person. He didn't seem too much older than Brock, but he definitely wasn't that close to our age either. Maybe eighteen or nineteen? Either way, it was enough to leave me unnerved. "Th-That- I mean, I-I didn't mean to-"

The man looked vaguely surprised, but a grin quickly crossed his lips and he chuckled, bringing a hand to his chin. "I've been complimented for my looks before, but I must say that's a first. Are you alright? That was quite a… fall…"

He trailed off, a realization seeming to flash across his face. Slowly noticing that he wasn't going to hit me after a few seconds passed, I glanced up at him- my bangs falling into my face and covering my left eye.

"You're… You're Unovan…" The man said, sounding as if he were stunned. Then he frowned, his brows knitting together in confusion, something almost like hurt flashing in his eyes. "But… you're too young to be…"

Too young to be what? I watched as he shook his head, the man running his fingers through his hair, his expression conflicted for a very split second before it hardened into something unreadable. I remained silent, simply staring and observing, wearing a mask that was near identical to his own, wondering what he was thinking.

Oddly enough, the more I looked at him… the more… familiar he seemed? Weird.

Clearing his throat, the man suddenly smiled at me. "Anyway, forget what I just said. I'm terribly sorry about running you over like that; I must have been rushing more than I thought I was. Ah! That reminds me; you've heard of the Pewter City gym leader, right?"

Brock? Oh. Oh no.

Fear struck me in the heart, harder than I had been expecting. This man- the reason he seemed familiar- it wasn't because he was from Team Rocket, was it? There were several people with silver and blue hair in the Hoenn base, and I think I saw a few with a similar color in the Kanto Headquarters before it blew up. Could he have been one of them? Why doesn't he recognize me, though?

If he is with Team Rocket, does that mean they're going after Brock now to try and strike one of my weak points? What do I do? I left all my pokēmon with Brock and Blue. No. No, calm down. Everything is fine. Hide your expression, don't show your fear. Bury those emotions. We can't let him know.

Keeping my voice as level as I possibly could, I stared up at the man, ignoring the racing of my panicked heart. "...What about him?"

"He wouldn't happen to have been in this area, would he? I've been looking for him with an acquaintance of mine, and… well… there are some questions I would like to ask."

Yeah, sure. Questions. Like I'm going to believe that.

"He… was here, but I think I saw him leave a little while ago with his friends."

The man frowned. He observed me closely for a moment. "Those friends… wouldn't happen to have been a young girl and another trainer, would they?"

Crap. He's really onto us. Team Rocket have been upping their game. I gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah, I think so."

"I see…" He sighed. "What a shame. Still, I think I'd better have a look around just in case you were mistaken. If you'll excuse me-"

I panicked. "No!"

I shot a hand out to grab him as he turned away, but to my surprise he moved- he moved so quickly I almost missed it, but thankfully all that training I was forced through when I was younger let me pick up on it, and I ducked, sliding along the ground and snatching his wrist just as he grabbed the one near my chest, one leg sliding against the other as if we were about to try and trip each other. Cold brown met fierce steel blue, and I was vaguely aware of some trainers in the area gasping and whispering as this happened, but I didn't care.

He was not going to hurt Brock, or Blue, or any of our pokēmon.

"They. Are. Not. Here." I hissed.

It was… kind of pathetic looking, when you take our heights into account- like a kitten facing off against a fully grown lion, but I was determined. The man narrowed his eyes at me, suspicious, and perhaps a bit wary. "You're her, aren't you? The girl he's been traveling with."

My grip on his wrist tightened, futile as it was with my sad amount of strength, but he simply stared. I hardened my gaze, all the emotions I had worked so hard to show sinking deep inside of me, locking themselves away as the cold marionette I once was came back to light. "I will not let you hurt him. You Team Rocket goons can… come after me all you want, but don't you dare touch him. I destroyed your headquarters once and I can do it again."

If it was for them… I would do anything. As much as I hated what had happened to the people in the headquarters, as much as I blamed myself for it, I was going to use what happened to my advantage if possible. I have to.

I need to keep my friends safe.

"Team Rocket-" The man's eyes widened and suddenly his grip loosened. "Is that who you think I am?"

"Who else would you be?" I demanded. "Giovanni is pissed that I let his oh-so-favorite pokēmon loose and blew up the building, right? And now that I freed all the pokēmon he had captured here in Cerulean, he sent you after me! After Brock! I'm not just gonna let you take him, especially not after how you guys hurt Blue!"

"So the rumors of the child that escaped- they were true?" The man inquired, alarmed. "That was… That was you? You caused the explosion?"

Ugh, this is going on way too long. I don't wanna be a cheap shot, and I know I'm going to feel guilty about it later, but- I gotta get my friends out of here. Gritting my teeth, I took advantage of his surprise and ripped myself away from his grip, jumping back and kicking him as hard as I could in the back of the knee. The Team Rocket goon, startled, fell down, and before he could get back up I darted back through the cafeteria doors.

Brock and Blue were more than a little alarmed when they saw me rushing through, and I hurriedly picked up Ansem. "Go, go, go! We can't stay in here!"

"What, why; what's wrong!?" Brock asked, watching as I slid my backpack over my shoulders, hurriedly shoving the dawn stone back in my pocket where it belonged. "El?"

I could hear the doors open, but by then I had already snatched him by the wrist and started running, Machamp wasting no time in picking up Blue and following after. The pokēmon could sense my panic, and due to us panicking all the other pokēmon in the area began to panic as well. Their trainers struggled to calm them down, and Onix let out a loud distracting roar before someone's Skuntank let out a nasty blast of stink from its tail, and when that happened Brock called back all three of his pokēmon. Half the people in the area collapsed due to the attack by Skuntank, alongside their affected pokēmon, and I watched the Team Rocket goon stumble about amidst the chaos.

"Wait!" I heard him shout. He coughed, sleeve over his face as he stepped over some trainers, trying and failing to catch up. "It's not- It's not what you think! I'm not-!"

"This way!" I ushered, showing them through the cafeteria and frantically opening a window. Brock went first, then helped me up, and Machamp handed Blue to Brock- before carrying our smaller pokemon over. Belladonna and Basil were able to use their vines to climb out, and after Brock returned Blue to Machamp, we were running. "Go, go, go!"

We had to find somewhere temporary to hide out. As soon as we were a good distance away, Blue summoned Arcanine, I called back my trio of pokēmon, and we ran south of town atop the fire-type pokēmon's back, praying no one else from Team Rocket saw us.