Chapter 14! Will Hazard be okay?

Echo (Male Golbat)

Hazard (Male Joltik)

Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

Anubis (Male Houndour)

Scrapper (Male Breloom)

Egg

Koa's hands shook as he gently scooped up Joltik's limp body. He was breathing, still, but every few seconds he would twitch and shudder, and make squeaks of distress. Bursting through the door of the pokemon center, he sprinted up to the counter. "Nurse Joy! You have to help!"

"Oh my," Nurse Joy murmured when she saw the Joltik clutched in his hand.

In seconds, a Chansey emerged from the back, pushing a small cart. Still trembling, Koa set Joltik on the cart. Chansey gave him a reassuring nod before quickly pushing the cart into the back.

"Don't worry," Nurse Joy assured him. "We'll take good care of him." She gave him a reassuring smile before hurrying after Chansey.

In a daze, Koa stumbled over to a chair and sank into it. A flurry of panicked thoughts raced through his mind as he stared at the floor. If he'd simply brought Hazard in for a checkup sooner or noticed something wrong... He'd seemed fine! Even during the battle with Fantina, Hazard had been fine. Koa couldn't fathom what was wrong. His mind raced over everything that had happened in the past week, trying to figure out why his pokemon was hurt.

"Mr. Averon?"

Koa's head shot up as Nurse Joy called his name. "Yes?" he cried, standing up quickly.

"Your Joltik will be fine. He's recovering now, and we have him hooked up to a generator to recharge him." Her voice hardened slightly. "But he is showing signs of extreme exhaustion. I hope you weren't pushing him too hard."

"No!" Koa said immediately. "We train a lot, but I always let him rest. I even bought a special battery pack so he can recharge. I don't know why this happened."

Nurse Joy held up her hand in a pacifying gesture. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have accused you. Aside from being over exerted, your Joltik is in excellent health."

"But what's wrong with him then?" Koa protested.

"If his exhaustion isn't from training, I will have to do a few more tests. They shouldn't take long, so you can wait here."

Koa nodded numbly, watching as Nurse Joy left. Exhaustion? But how? He tried to think about anything other than Hazard as he sat there. The only comfort he could find was in the knowledge that she'd said Hazard would be fine.

Around an hour later, Nurse Joy emerged from the back again. She wore a cheerful smile, which Koa hesitantly returned. Perhaps she had good news.

"Great news, Mr. Averon." The doors to the back swung open again, revealing Chansey pushing a cart. On it, a bright-eyed Hazard perched, his blue eyes gleaming. He clung to a small, smooth stone, barely smaller than him.

"Hazard!" he cried out in delight, racing over to the cart. Hazard chittered happily, still clutching the stone in his jaws, and leaped onto his jacket, scurrying up his arm and onto his head. Koa chuckled and scratched him gently.

Still smiling, he turned back to Nurse Joy. "So what was wrong?"

"Well, it appears your Joltik was trying to hold back his evolution. The wear and tear from trying to suppress that completely exhausted him."

Koa's eyes widened and he stiffened in shock. He'd read about such things - sometimes, for whatever reason, a pokemon would want to stay in its pre-evolved form. It was rare, though.

"Oh," he said, simply.

Nurse Joy smiled sympathetically. "I've left him with that Everstone. It will absorb the excess energy from evolution, so he'll be fine until he decides he's ready. If you want, there's a specialty store a few blocks down that can refine it into a more suitable form for him. Otherwise, you're free to go."

Koa nodded again, still distracted by his thoughts of Hazard. "Thank you."

Nurse Joy nodded once more, then walked away, followed by Chansey. Koa quietly retreated to the privacy of his room, still pondering. Once he reached his room, he gently picked Hazard off his head, setting him on the bed. His blue eyes looked healthy now, but they also held a trace of guilt.

"So Hazard... you don't want to evolve?"

Slowly, the little Joltik nodded, still not meeting Koa's gaze. Koa sat down on one of the chairs processing what Hazard had admitted. Ever since he'd caught Hazard, he'd thought about what it would be like to have a Galvantula. But now... He wasn't sure what to feel.

When he looked back at Hazard, he mentally kicked himself - here he was, thinking about himself, when his pokemon was probably feeling awful. Hazard's blue eyes were downcast and filled with sadness. He nudged his everstone idly and chittered softly. Guilt gnawed at Koa. He knelt in front of the bed to look Hazard in the eyes.

"Hey, Hazard. I'm not mad at you, ok?"

Hazard looked up at him hesitantly.

"I'm surprised, but you're already awesome as a Joltik! You're tiny, and really strong, and you catch your opponents off guard. If you don't want to evolve, you don't have to," he said firmly. "I love you exactly how you are."

Hazard's countenance changed, his eyes beaming with joy. He squeaked excitedly, then scurried up his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Koa patted him, then sat down on the bed, sighing in relief. Hazard's revelation had certainly come as a surprise. But more than anything, he was just happy that his friend was ok.

xXx

The blue sky shone overhead, dotted with fluffy white clouds. A soft breeze blew, and Koa trotted eagerly through town, still basking in the memory of yesterday's triumph against Fantina. His pokemon deserved a reward, he decided, so he'd set aside today to go to Amity Square, and then head to the Poffin House and take a shot at cooking some more poffins. He quickly checked in with the receptionist in the lobby, then hurried in.

The day was still early, barely 9 o'clock, and the park was mostly empty, save for a couple other trainers. He released all his pokemon, grinning happily at them. His eyes settled briefly on the barely visible everstone pendant that now hung from Hazard's neck. He'd had it made yesterday, so it would be easier for Hazard to keep with him. The other option was apparently to have Hazard hold the everstone for a short time everyday, but that sounded much too cumbersome, so he'd opted for Nurse Joy's suggestion of having a pendant fashioned.

"We're taking a day off, everyone!"

He was met with a variety of happy cries.

"You guys are free to explore," he added. Since Amity Square was such a safe place, pokemon were allowed to roam about freely, provided they stayed within the boundaries of the park. Koa figured his team had more than earned it. "Just don't cause any trouble, got it? No fighting." At that, he gave Rascal and Scrapper a stern look. Both mustered up the best innocent smiles they could, making Koa chuckle and shake his head.

"So how about we try and find some berry trees, huh Echo?"

Echo, who had taken his usual spot on Koa's shoulders, shreed excitedly. Koa started off towards the far end of the park, trying his best to ignore the heavy weight of Echo. Anubis had vanished somewhere, no doubt exploring, though he trusted the Houndour. To his relief, Hazard and Rascal both trotted near him, apparently deciding to follow him. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Rascal starting something. Scrapper followed as well, though he stayed a short distance behind. Koa got the impression that the Breloom didn't know what to actually do with a day off.

"Hey Scrapper, you can relax, you know," he called back.

Scrapper grunted in protest, throwing a few experimental jabs in the air.

"We'll train later, I promise," Koa said. He turned his attention forward again, whistling aimlessly as he walked. He didn't have any destination in mind, really. He was simply looking for a day off.

Quite suddenly, Echo leaped off his shoulder and began to fly towards a copse of trees. Curious, Koa followed him. He rounded a bend in the path to see Echo standing in the middle of a tiny clearing, his mouth wrapped around a gigantic berry. Pink and green stripes zigzagged around the berry, and it was nearly the size of Golbat's head. After a brief struggle, Echo managed to fit it inside his mouth and greedily chewed on it. Koa couldn't help but laugh at the sight as he awkwardly attempted to chew the berry. A moment later, the Golbat spat it out disappointedly.

"You have to cut those first, you know," Koa said, shaking his head and smiling. Nudging the half-chewed berry out of the way, he made his way over to the berry tree. Berry vine was a more accurate term, he reflected. It sprouted up like a small shrub, with three more of the large round berries hanging from it. Koa stared at them thoughtfully. He was sure he'd read about them before, but the name escaped him. Something with a 'w'? Shrugging it off, he carefully picked one.

"Come on, Echo. I'll show you the proper way to eat these."

Echo's eyes lit up and he fluttered after Koa.

Koa made his way to a sunny hilltop with a few trees that offered shade. Rascal, Hazard and Scrapper gathered around him. Setting the berry down, Koa retrieved the knife he usually kept in his backpack. In a few deft movements, he sliced the berry in half, then cut it into neat triangles.

One-by-one, he handed out the slices to his pokemon, then took one for himself.

"See, Echo? The outside is bitter and flavorless, but the flesh is sweet."

Echo squeaked in gratitude, then devoured the pinkish-red flesh of the berry. Rascal ate hers in a few bites, while Hazard took his time - plus the slice was probably twice the size of him.

Scrapper held it in his stubby hands and stared at it.

"Scrapper, lighten up. You can enjoy a treat." Hesitantly, Scrapper took a bite. His eyes lit up and he rumbled delightedly.

Koa grinned, then took a bite of his slice. A sweet, watery taste filled his mouth. It wasn't as rich as a Pecha berry's sweetness but instead was much lighter and refreshing. He finished his, then flopped back on the grass and yawned. He was still feeling a bit sleepy after staying up so late the other night trying to spot Entei. A nap sounded perfect right now. The air was cool under the shade, and his spot was quiet. His eyelids began to droop shut and he started to doze.

A loud explosion shattered the peace. Koa shot up and glanced around. From the east end of the park, a column of flame erupted. He heard a few screams of fear, and saw the distance shapes of trainers fleeing towards the exit.

What was going on? Koa scanned the area. Only Echo remained with him, wide awake and staring towards the flames with an odd look in his eyes. The rest of his pokemon were gone. "Hazard?" he shouted. A tiny speck of yellow at the base of the hill caught his attention. Grabbing his backpack, he sprinted towards it, Echo followed him.

Hazard raced toward him, unharmed, though Koa noted the terror in his eyes. Without hesitation, he returned him. Clipping the pokeball back on his belt, he took another look around. The initial burst of fire he saw had dispersed. He couldn't see any trainers around, so he assumed they had all fled. A shudder of fear passed through him as he spotted an orange glow. A fire had started in the east.

"Echo, find the others, quick!"

Echo nodded and flew into the air. He let out a shriek and started to fly towards the flames.

Koa sprinted after him. He ran past the lake in the center of Amity square. At the far end of the lake, he spotted a figure, standing close to the water's edge. Scrapper.

"Scrapper!" he called as he approached. The Breloom glanced towards him, his eyes a mix of fear and determination. Koa returned him - there was absolutely no way he was leaving his grass-type out during a fire. By now, the fire had spread slightly, engulfing the trees, though thanks to the presence of the nearby sand dunes, it hadn't spread any further north.

Then he spotted a dark shape, sprinting towards the fire. Rascal. He sprinted after the shape, which seemed to be heading towards the fire. "Rascal!" he shouted. She stopped, staring at him. Her eyes were alight with fear and worry. Once she saw him, she raced over to him, then faced the flames, growling. Koa returned her as well, then swallowed nervously. That just left Anubis.

Koa glanced around frantically. There was no sign of his Houndour anywhere. He started towards the woods at the far side of the park. Perhaps Anubis had taken shelter there... Returning Echo, he took a few steps into the edge of the forest. The heat intensified. Smoke filled his lungs and he coughed. He pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth and squinted, searching for any sign of Anubis. Something roared, a loud, terrifying cry that made Koa hesitate. It sounded almost like the cry of an Arcanine, but louder and deeper. From within the woods, a column of fire erupted, followed by another roar. Koa flinched then backed out of the woods. "Anubis!" he shouted. He swept his gaze across the forest and field.

In the distance, he heard a bark.

Out of the corner of his eye, Koa spied a black blur hurtling across the field towards him. He reflexively turned towards it, ready to fight, then stopped short. "Anubis!" he cried happily. The Houndour gave a happy bark, then immediately grew serious. The hackles on his back rose and he growled, turning his gaze towards the woods.

The flames had begun to spread, licking at the edge of the woods. Fear gripped Koa briefly. Koa quickly retrieved Anubis pokeball and tried to return him. Anubis dodged the red beam of light and gave a sharp bark, shooting Koa a glare before turning his gaze back on the woods.

"Anubis, what's going on-" A shape exploded from the fires and took two bounds across the field towards them, then stopped short. Koa's heart skipped a beat. There, just yards in front of them, stood a pokemon he'd only ever seen in pictures.

Entei, Lord of the Volcano, beast of fire, one of the three legendary beasts.

Pictures didn't do it justice, Koa decided. It stood over six feet tall at the shoulders, and made a full-grown Arcanine look like a puppy. Shaggy brown fur covered its huge body, and gray smoke-like fur billowed from its back. Gray spines protruded from either side of its back and a red and yellow crest covered its face. It surveyed the park before its red gaze settled on Koa.

Anubis snarled and took a step towards Entei, his eyes blazing. "Anubis no!" Koa cried, panic rising in him. Surely it couldn't be the one responsible for the fires. Entei was supposed to be a gentle pokemon, a protector. The last thing he wanted was to antagonize it. Entei narrowed its eyes and Koa shivered. Chills rippled down his spine. The look in Entei's eyes was... cold? But not just cold. They looked empty, devoid of the warm compassion that he'd read about.

Koa was jolted out of his thoughts by a loud roar from Entei. It raised one of its massive paws and brought it down on the ground. Massive spires of stone erupted from the earth, traveling across the ground at blinding speeds. Before he could call a warning, one exploded underneath Anubis, sending him flying. He crashed to the ground hard and yelped.

"No!" Koa cried. He whipped out Anubis' pokeball to return him. Anubis suddenly scrambled to his paws and lunged, knocking the pokeball from his hands. It flew from his grasp, disappearing into a bush.

Anubis barked at once, then turned and ran, barking urgently over his shoulder at Koa. Koa sprinted after his pokemon, fear giving him new speed. His lungs burned from the smoke and he wheezed. A stream of fire passed by a few feet to his right. His panic grew. Anubis seemed to be leading him somewhere - the lake! Anubis made a beeline towards the water and Koa stayed hot on his heels.

Behind him, Entei let out another terrifying roar. As he drew near to the water's edge, he risked a glance behind him, just in time to see Entei shoot another blast of fire. The ground under Koa erupted. His stomach twisted as he was tossed into the air. His mouth opened in an empty scream as he flew forwards, his arms flailing wildly as he sailed through the air. A second later, he crashed into the shallow water.

The impact jarred every bone in body. He felt his right wrist hit the ground and his head smacked the earth. Pain shot through him. Spluttering and dazed, he forced himself to his knees, cradling his arm against his body. His ears rang and he heard several more muffled explosions and bursts of fire. Something warm dripped down the side of his face. Blood?

Exhaustion dragged at his body and he almost collapsed. Mustering up his strength, he turned around, blinking away the blurriness in his vision. Entei stood just a few yards from the waters edge, surveying the destruction it had done. All around, several more small fires had been started. Black smoke filled the air. Koa glanced around frantically. Where was Anubis?

Entei took a step towards him, its eyes still devoid of any emotion. Still half-submerged in the water, Koa edged backward, his head pounding. It opened its jaws. Fire gathered in its maw, and it blasted a massive stream of flames directly at him. Time seemed to slow. For some reason, the only thought that ran through his mind was that even if he died here, he'd at least accomplished one goal. He'd met a Legendary. There was a flicker of movement, and suddenly Anubis appeared. In a blur, he threw himself in front of the approaching fire, shielding his trainer.

Someone screamed. Koa realized the sound came from his own throat. He lunged forwards in a futile attempt to stop Anubis. The fire crashed against the Houndour's form, consuming him in flames. He began to glow bright, vivid orange as Flash Fire took effect. The glow intensified tenfold and Anubis let out a bone-chilling howl. His body became awash in power, and his silhouette turned molten orange. Then, orange shifted to bright, iridescent blue.

In seconds, all that remained of Houndour's form was a glowing white silhouette. The silhouette shifted, growing taller, leaner. Horns grew on its head and its stubby tail shifted into a long spiked one. The light finally faded, revealing Houndour's evolved form, Houndoom.

Anubis howled, a cry of righteous anger, then turned a wrathful gaze upon Entei. He lunged, trying to sink his jaws into Entei. Entei effortlessly batted him away with one paw. Anubis flew through the air, but caught himself, landing and sliding across the earth.

Entei dispassionately raised its paw once more, then brought it down. A spire of stone erupted under Anubis, punching him in the chest. He yelped as he was tossed into the air, then crashed to the ground and fell still. Koa's heart felt like it stopped as he stared at Anubis' unmoving form. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he collapsed into the shallow water. His vision swam and he stared at Entei, confusion, fear and anger boiling inside him.

Once again, Entei opened his jaws. Fire gathered. Then a roar split the air, deeper, angrier, and more primal than any Koa had heard before. The sound seemed to cut straight through Koa, summoning images of a warm, cozy hearth and erupting volcanoes. The sudden rush of thoughts brought a fresh wave of dizziness. Entei shut its mouth and its eyes widened. It glanced to its left, then turned away from the sound. Gathering its legs under it, it leaped away in a single bound. A moment later, a figure landed where Entei once stood and snarled.

Koa stared at the figure through half closed eyes. Confusion filled him. It couldn't be... Another Entei? There were two? But that was impossible... It lowered its head and pressed its snout to Anubis. Blackness began to creep into his vision. He slumped to the ground, exhaustion winning over. The last thing he saw was Entei, staring down at him, its eyes filled with warmth. Then everything went black.

xXx

Awareness slowly returned to Koa, first in the form of cold water, soaking through his clothes. He felt something warm and rough rasp across his face, followed by an anxious whine. Opening his eyes wearily, he saw the blurred image of a long orange snout, sleek face and curved gray horns. Blinking in shock, he sat up slightly, wincing.

"Anubis?" he murmured. His memories flowed back easily, and he marveled at the new form of his friend. He was still in shock at seeing him evolve. He remembered Entei, standing across from him, about to incinerate him. He remembered wondering if this would be the end. And he remembered Anubis, his loyal Houndour, valiantly leaping into the attack, saving his life.

"You saved me," he said quietly, reaching out. Anubis was quite a bit taller now, making the action feel strange. The Houndoom leaned down, and Koa gratefully scratched behind his horns. Somehow, Anubis had weathered the blast, an attack he was sure no average pokemon should have withstood, even with Flash Fire. And something told him it wasn't just his Flash Fire ability that had allowed him to survive the hit.

Still petting Anubis, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. He was still at the edge of the small lake in Amity Square. In the distance, he could see several rangers and water type pokemon putting out the last of the fires. Much of Amity Square itself was burned, huge patches of scorched earth peppering the land. Yet he realized a lot of it remained alive, as well. The damage was bad, but it wasn't irreparable.

He shifted, dragging himself out of the water and wincing. His whole body ached, and his wrist especially hurt. His head throbbed slightly as well, and he assumed he'd cut himself when he hit the ground. He experimentally wiggled his fingers, then sighed in relief. Nothing broken, at least. Probably a bad sprain. The rest of his body hurt, but he didn't feel anything broken, which was a relief. The idea of spending time in the hospital so soon was not one he was looking forward to. All he really wanted now was to go somewhere quiet and sleep.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, leaning on Anubis for support. He glanced down again at his pokemon, still marveling. He'd need to get him checked out at the pokemon center first - taking a hit the way he did might have left him with unseen injuries. As he began to wearily limp towards the exit, his thoughts turned to Entei.

Or rather, the Entei's? Had he hallucinated the second Entei? The last moments of his memories were so foggy. He thought he remembered hearing a roar and that Thing that looked like Entei fleeing. And after that... He remembered hazy flashes. A massive, brown-furred figure. Warm red eyes, like the deepest coals in a fire. Yet he'd always thought there was only one of each beast. Now there were two? Unless one was a fake. His head started to ache and he scowled.

With a grimace, he pushed the thoughts away. Whatever it had been, he couldn't think about it right now. His first concern was Anubis.

xXx

A solid four hours later, things had settled down, barely. He'd gotten Anubis and the rest of his pokemon checked out at the pokemon center. Fortunately, they were all fine, though Anubis was being kept under observation since he was exhausted after his brief skirmish and they wanted to ensure he hadn't suffered any unseen injuries. A ranger had also retrieved Anubis' lost pokeball, which was a relief.

After that, he'd had to get himself checked out, though he was released after an hour. The doctors had determined he'd basically been bruised up pretty badly, but it was nothing that wouldn't heal given time a day or two of rest. They'd also given him a brace to wear for the next couple days as well as some simple antibiotics, but other than that, the doctors told him he'd be fine.

Currently, he sat in the lobby of the pokemon center, waiting for them to release Anubis. All around him, several trainers awaited for their own pokemon to be healed. While he waited, he listened to the news. The attack and subsequent fires hadn't killed or seriously injured any people or pokemon, fortunately. The Square itself was pretty damaged, but the caretakers said it would recover in a month or two. In fact, they were surprised it wasn't damaged worse. Reports also indicated that the source of the fire was unknown. Apparently, no one else had gotten a clear look at Entei. What concerned him the most, however, was the atmosphere.

The other trainers in the pokemon center were quiet and subdued, waiting for their pokemon to be healed. There was very little conversation, and he could sense a palpable tension in the room. Rumors had started to fly, from people who'd caught glimpses of a giant beast in the flames. He was worried it wouldn't be long before blame would be placed on Entei. If that Thing even was Entei. And what of the second Entei?

"Koa! Are you alright?"

Koa glanced up to see Wyatt. He brightened a bit, giving the young man a smile. "Oh hey, Wyatt. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a sprain."

Wyatt took a seat next to him, shaking his head. "I saw some of what happened. I was on my way there when the attack started. This is crazy."

Koa nodded in agreement, staring into the distance.

"Were you there? I keep hearing rumors that a pokemon started the fire. Did you see anything?"

Koa's memories flashed back to the Thing that looked like Entei. Its cold gaze filled his thoughts. But then there had been that second one. If he hadn't hallucinated it. But how could there be two? And why was one so cruel and one so kind? He recalled seeing it bend down to Anubis -

"Koa?" Wyatt's voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Sorry, just thinking. And I don't really know what I saw. It was kinda chaotic." Which was mostly true. He didn't know what he saw. Whatever it was, it only increased his desire to grow stronger. The Thing had displayed overwhelming power, but he was sure that with training, he would be able to fight one. It might take two of his pokemon to do it, but he was certain he could. Which meant that he needed to get back to training and beating the gyms, soon.

"So how is your egg doing?" Wyatt asked, changing the subject.

"Great!" Koa replied. He opened up his backpack, showing Wyatt the incubator. "It even shook the other day."

"That's good to hear," Wyatt replied. "It could probably hatch in the next couple weeks."

Koa nodded thoughtfully. He was really, really excited to find out what kind of pokemon would hatch. It was ironic, he supposed, how far he'd deviated from the plan. The egg was significant, though - it was more than just another captured pokemon. It was a reminder of Wyatt, and his Clefairy. And beating up that thief. That particular memory made him smile.

"So what are your plans after this?"

"Well, Veilstone is the next gym I'm going to challenge," he mused. He realized he hadn't thought much beyond that. "I'll probably head north to Solaceon," he said, after a moment. "I'd like to see Celestic town too. I've read about the ruins there dedicated to Palkia and Dialga. I'll go there first and after that I guess I'll challenge Veilstone gym."

Wyatt stood up. "Well, I wish you luck."

Koa nodded. He doubted he'd need luck though. Between Echo's increasing strength and the rest of his team, he didn't see the Veilstone gym being much of a problem. His fight with Fantina had proved as much.

"Mr. Averon?" A familiar voice called. "Your Houndoom is ready."

Koa stood up as Nurse Joy handed him Anubis' pokeball. "Thank you," he said with a quick nod.

"I am pleased to say he's in excellent health, no internal injuries," she said, cheerful as ever. He couldn't help but admire her positive attitude in the face of all the craziness happening. "It's a bit shocking, though. When he first came in, he was badly injured. But the injuries healed incredibly quickly. Although that could just be the residual energy from his evolution. You said he evolved during the fire, right?"

Koa nodded. He'd chosen not to say anything about Entei yet. No sense stirring up trouble.

Nurse Joy smiled. "Well, whatever the case, I can tell your Houndoom is well cared for." With a friendly wave, she turned and strode away.

Koa put the pokeball away. "Well, I better get going. There's a lot of ground to cover between here and Veilstone."

Wyatt nodded. "Be careful out there."

Koa nodded and waved farewell.

A sudden thought occurred to him and he stopped halfway to the door and turned back to Wyatt. "Hey, I have a favor to ask..."

xXx

Koa ended up spending the next couple hours stocking up on supplies. Normally a stock run wouldn't take that long, but the shops were a bit more crowded than usual, and everyone was on edge. The friendly atmosphere from his first visit was gone, to his dismay. Everyone seemed nervous and on edge, not that he blamed them. Just thinking about Entei or rather, that Thing, made him shiver.

He purchased his usual array of items - potions, antidotes and other healing items, plus a few pokeballs, just in case. Not that he really had many plans of catching more pokemon. He knew a lot of trainers who sought to capture a lot of pokemon, but right now he was more focused on strengthening his current team and earning his badges. Besides, his egg would likely be the sixth member of his team. Regardless, it never hurt to be prepared.

That just left the last item on his list. Poffins. The attempted pokenapping of Clefairy interrupted him last time, and Entei's arrival ruined his plans for the rest of the day, but he wasn't passing up the opportunity again, especially since he likely wouldn't be in Hearthome again for a long time. Wyatt had agreed to hold a class for him. With his errands out of the way, he headed for the Poffin House.

A few minutes later, he once again stood in the familiar single room of the Poffin House. The only difference this time was that the room was empty. He eagerly released all his pokemon.

Wyatt brought out a large basket full of berries, a much wider variety than last time. "I figured I'd break out the good stuff. Have your pokemon choose what they like."

Once they all had taken a moment to acclimate, Koa set out some of the berries in front of them. "Alright everyone, pick a berry you like."

As he expected, Echo selected the sweetest berries - a Pecha, and another pink one that Wyatt identified as a Magost berry. Hazard selected a spicy Tamato berry, as did Anubis, which he also expected. Fire types were known to love spicy flavors. He watched curiously as Rascal sniffed each berry, then finally settled on a strange looking bluish berry that looked more like a cluster of smaller berries.

"Your Tyrunt has good taste," Wyatt commented. "That's a Cornn berry. They are almost exclusive to Sinnoh, and until recently, were extinct."

Tyrunt smiled proudly, basking in the praise. Koa chuckled, then fixed his attention on the last member of his team who hadn't picked a berry. Scrapper. He kept eyeing the berries, then glancing towards the door. "Relax, Scrapper. Just think of this as a reward. For learning Mach Punch."

The Shroomish seemed to sigh, then investigated the berries again. After some deliberation, Scrapper chose a Rawst berry, which he recalled was renowned for its bitterness. He made a note of that on his Poketch - apparently, Scrapper liked bitter flavors. He also loved training, and seemed to have a disdain for casual activities. Of course, Koa could sympathize - he loved training almost as much as Scrapper. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll work on teaching you a new move tomorrow, ok?" That seemed to cheer him up. He rumbled happily and gave a little bounce.

"So now what?" Koa asked, facing Wyatt.

"Well, you probably still remembered the basics. We'll start with the sweet poffins..."

About an hour later, Koa surveyed his work. He was bursting with pride - 50 or so poffins were arrayed before him on the counter. There were an assortment of flavors - sweet, bitter, spicy and dry. A few were a bit overcooked or undercooked, but he thought they were good for a first try. Of course, there was still the final test - his pokemon.

He set the poffins in front of his eager pokemon - Echo in particular was positively drooling. But first... he took out the best looking of the spicy poffins and knelt in front of Anubis. He gazed into Anubis' red eyes. "Hey buddy. Thank you, for today. You saved my life out there."

Anubis barked happily and licked his face. Koa scratched him gently behind the horns, then held out the poffin. Anubis slurped it up and devoured them, his eyes gleaming with delight. Koa patted him again, then set out the rest of the poffins.

His team eagerly devoured their treats, and Koa watched them happily. They'd certainly earned it. "Thanks, Wyatt."

"No problem."

Once his pokemon finished eating, he bid Wyatt a farewell and returned to the pokemon center. It was much quieter than earlier, with only one trainer in the lobby. Koa trekked up to his room. By the time he reached it, his exhaustion had set in hard. He realized what a long couple days it had been, ever since he'd first stayed out looking for Entei. His body hurt, his wrist ached and all he wanted was a long cool shower and a very long sleep.

After he showered, he released his pokemon and bid them a sleepy goodnight. As he lay in bed, he cast a fond glance over his team, as well as the egg that sat on the desk. His ever eager and loyal Golbat, who had never given up on him. His fierce Joltik, who was determined to be strong in his own way. Scrapper and Rascal, both fighters at heart. And Anubis. Stolen from him before they'd had a chance to meet, but reunited in the end. Everyone one of his pokemon were amazing. Koa smiled as he drifted off to sleep. Whatever it took, he would make his team the strongest.

Echo (Male Golbat)

Hazard (Male Joltik)

Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

Anubis (Male Houndoom)

Scrapper (Male Breloom)

Now the real fun has started! The 'plot' has kicked off. What does the appearance of the second Entei mean? And why did one attack?

Writing the Entei attack was quite a bit of fun for me, as well as having Anubis evolve. I'm a sucker for pokemon evolving in response to defend the trainer. Love that stuff.