Author Note:

hey there, things are getting ready to be super different from a normal run through, so strap up and get ready for deviation. YEAH DEVIATION! anyway i hope this chapter makes you laugh a bit as the chicken sandwich is getting serious. as always please offer reviews :)

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Chapter 5: Moving Onward.

The pain of the encounter with his father pushed the young boy Brendan onward to Route 104 as he knew that the route would lead to the Petalburg woods. From there he would head to the City of Rustburo, where he could take on a gym leader, as he knew that against his father, he would currently be no challenge at all. His pokemon friends followed behind there master with gusto as they left Petalburg, all with a single finger raised in the direction of the Gym lead by Norman.

"That guy was a straight up Giratina." Mitsuhide said to the others.

"Yeah, but he is Brendan's father…" Nagamasa replied.

"At least he still has one…" replied Masamune. "I know he did not help us like Brendan wanted, but at least he let us leave rather than arresting Brendan."

"You've got a good point Masamune." Replied Mitsuhide. "Look, either way though, we could have used more help, and Brendan…we need to get stronger and get more buddies to help Brendan out." All agreed as they entered the Route with eyes wide open for a new friend. However when they saw a beach everyone lost track of the program and ran toward the water, at least that's what they thought.

Within a few minutes of playing on the beach and forgetting their troubles, splashing swimming and relaxing with Brendan to keep his mind off the struggles of the journey ahead, Masamune came running from the other side of the beach with a bird flapping about with one wing in the dog's mouth. The bird was slapping and flapping in anguish as the poochyena carried the bird to the group. Brendan laughed as he saw that Masamune had picked up a new friend for the party and Brendan quickly threw a pokeball at the bird hanging out of the dog's mouth. Within a short moment the ball had sealed to the excitement of the party. Brendan's troubles seemed lost to the group.

"Masamune, that was awesome!" Brendan said as he released the bird to learn more about it. The bird was the water/flying pokemon, wingull and it was a happy addition to the group. "I'll name this bro, Motonari. The others quickly ran up to meet their new comrade in arms.

"Hello there, I'm Nagamasa."

"I'm Mitsuhide."

"Well, I am angry and disgusted, by that dog there!" Motonari said to the others.

"Look dude, I was only trying to bring you aboard the team because of the situation. After all, you said you would join us." Masamune retorted to the bird who was wiping the slobber off his wing while checking to be sure that no damage had been sustained in the travelling.

"I did say that I would join your cause to help Brendan, but you didn't need to immediately grab hold of me and drag me across the beach." The bird replied.

"Ohhh…Sorry." Masamune said whilst rubbing his head in embarrassment. "I guess I just got a little carried away with excitement."

"I guess I'll be the bigger man in this situation and just accept that apology, so long during travel I can ride atop your back." The wingull said to the poochyena. "It is rather tiring flying everywhere, my wings need a rest here and there, and my feet just are not meant for long distance travel." Masamune consented to this arrangement as he did feel a little silly for dragging the bird all the way to the gang like he did. Getting a bit of a breather at the beach gave Brendan newfound strength and resolve as they moved onward to the Petalburg woods.

As they reached the entrance however, there were two trainers blocking the way into the woods. "Look Billy, it is as you said." A well dressed boy said to the other.

"Yep, I believe that the boy in front of us is none other than Brendan, the murderer." The other replied. The boys instantly threw down and sent out their pokemon. The enemies sent out a zigzagoon, a seedot and a tailow. "Let us work together and get that bounty." The two boys grinned and chuckled as the three enemy pokemon advanced.

"Guys can you handle this threat?" Brendan asked his buddies. Mitsuhide simply gave him a thumbs up and began shouting the battle strategy to the gang.

"Alright Masamune, get that zigzagoon. Nagamasa, take down that silly seedot. I'll handle the tailow." The trio moved to formation and ripped the enemy apart with little effort. Masamune bit down and claimed victory over the zigzagoon without taking serious damage. Mitsuhide pounded the tailow into submission, and Nagamasa made a meal of the seedot. As the last enemy fell the two trainers gathered up what they could and fled the scene.

"You suck Brendan!" they cried as they fled to Petalburg. The crew celebrated an easy victory and Motonari quickly realized that he was not dealing with the usual crew of ragamuffin pokemon, but a crew of devoted rampaging bulls, ready to fight and protect their master.

"Guys, I am seriously impressed by your fortitude in battle, especially you Masamune, bravo." The wingull began clapping his wings in adulation of the victory.

"Yeah, I think that what you're saying is a good thing…so I am going to take it as such." Said the poochyena. The vocabulary of the wingull perplexed the rest of the gang as well as Masamune, they had never been around a pokemon or human of fanciful diction before. Brendan congratulated each of his friends and checked out their health, he doled out potions to those in need and moved forward into the woods with his four friends.

As they entered the forest they noticed it was dark and dreary, mostly full of bug noises. The sounds brought back brief memories of their departed friend Okuni. Brendan shed a light tear. He did his best to keep the others from seeing the emotion shine down from his face but the effort was in vain as Nagamasa, who felt a similar pain hit him upon hearing the chirping and scuttles of wurmple around the forest. Nagamasa rubbed up against Brendan's legs as the other pokemon went ahead of the crew. "Thanks Nagamasa, thanks for the support. I love you bud." He hugged his zigzagoon and the two smiled as they caught up to the others."

"Keep your eyes peeled guys." Masamune said to the crew as Motonari, who sat atop the poochyena's back, assisted with the scouting duties. "I smell trainers about in here, and I don't think they are friendly." Just as the crew all rejoined up two bug catchers appeared up in a tree.

"We here of a boy, out and about."

"With a price on his head, that could end our drought." The gang gritted up as the enemy trainers released three wurmple and a nincada upon the group. Without hesitation Mitsuhide rallied the troops.

"Let's tear these posers up guys." All nodded as Brendan sat back and watched his boys go to work on the enemy. "Masamune, take down the nincada, Nagamasa, Motonari and myself will each get a wurmple." Within a matter of moments all three wurmple were done for and begging for a mercy not granted as each of the gang finished the job to the horror of their trainers. All that was left standing was the nincada, which being partly a ground type pokemon, was putting up a good fight with its higher defensive stats.

"Masamune, do you need a hand?" Motonari called to his friend. Despite being unable to shatter the nincada's defenses, Masamune was not accepting to criticism and heckling from the gang. Brendan hollered support toward his poochyena as he knew that the dog was the best suited pokemon he had toward taking down the creature. Masamune howled with a wild vigor and charged the nincada with passion as he sunk his teeth deep into the nincada's exoskeleton. The nincada tried to fight back as the teeth sunk deeper and deeper, eating away at the pokemon's health. However, the battle was decided by the fateful bite as the nincada dropped dead from the force of the poochyena's attack. The trainers then tried to launch an attack at Brendan absent pokemon. Yet, Mitsuhide and Nagamasa made sure their efforts failed as they beat the trainers into submission. The two bug catchers then ran off into the woods to escape the wrath of Brendan's boys. Masamune upon claiming his victory and the victory of the party unleashed a bellowing howl of immense verbosity. The ring of the howl sent much of the woods into a panic and pokemon hiding about began to flee in fear for their lives.

One such pokemon was just not quick enough to make an escape. It was a slakoth. This sloth pokemon was rare in the woods, and was only found because it was rustling in the brush with it's foot stuck in a log. Brendan and the gang surveyed the pokemon and asked if their was any issue. The sloth showed the crew its foot and Brendan offered, its freedom from the ensnared position in return for joining the gang.

"Well, I don't have many options here do I?" the sloth said to the pokemon with Brendan. "Is he a good pal, and will you be good pals to me as well?" the sloth had a serious inquiry about him. He did not wish to starve from being stuck or worse, but he did not want to join a ruthless band of thugs.

"Look here friend." Nagamasa figured he would be the best at negotiating cooperation from the sloth so he assumed the mantle. "I know we may seem a bit imposing and scary, but I promise you that we are just a humble group caught in a strange plot, in which we are desperately trying to clear the name of our trainer Brendan, and keeping him from harm of these people who wish it upon him and us alike." Masamune and Mitsuhide gave Nagamasa a golf clap in thanks for an excellent speech aimed at persuading the young slakoth to take up arms with Brendan. After several moments of lingered tension as the slakoth pondered the choice, he nodded his head in consent. Brendan then tossed a pokeball in his direction and once the seal was made he released the slakoth back to the group.

"How does the name Katsuie suit you?" the slakoth nodded that the name would be just fine with him. The crew all made formal introductions with the new teammate and before too long Brendan signaled that the group needed to advance onward. The crew moved forward, now with five pokemon. The young wanted trainer Brendan was feeling ever so confident with his crew. He looked down the line and thought of each one of his buddies. He had Mitsuhide, a quick natural born leader, and his original pokemon. He had Nagamasa, a defensive wall with a heart of gold. He had the brash bruiser Masamune, who while lacking manners, was always eager and ready to fight. He had Motonari, a regal wingull who enjoyed perching atop the poochyena's back, rather than over exerting himself. And then Brendan thought of his new friend, Katsuie. He looked down to see his new buddy. "…Where are you, Katsuie!" the boy said as the whole group became alarmed at the slakoth's disappearance. They had only just been walking a few hundred feet, so Brendan was concerned as to where his friend was off at. Nagamasa tugged Brendan's shorts and the boy looked backward and saw Katsuie making a slowly paced march toward the group. Brendan and the rest of the crew slapped their hands against their faces in disbelief. "I guess we need to find a way for you to keep up with the group." Brendan and Mitsuhide fashioned together a cart for the pokemon quickly as being roughly 50 pounds, Katsuie was much too heavy for anyone in the group to be burdened carrying currently. Katsuie liked the cart and Nagamasa offered to pull it behind him. And so the crew set off further down the forest. They based up any all pokemon that came in their path and found the whole party getting stronger as a result.

Finally, they found themselves nearing the exit to the forest which would release them into the northern portion of route 104. However, as luck would have it a new threat was awaiting them at the forests edge. It was a different person than the crew had ever seen before. The man was wearing a flamboyantly red suit with a hood, and acted in peculiar and strange equally flamboyant fashion as he danced about while making the announcement that all enemy trainers in essence make when challenging another.

"Prepare to be captured Brendan as we, Team Magma are after your bounty." The grunt sent out a poochyena which seemed well trained in comparison to any trained pokemon Brendan had ever seen before. The boy was not sure who should take on the challenge. so he asked the crew to decide. All quickly looked toward the ever excited, ever feisty, ever battle-ready member of the party, Masamune. He quickly dashed into the fray as he realized what the others thought. Motonari flew off the poochyena's back and cheered on his pal from the air.

"Don't die on me Masamune, you're too good of a mount." The bird said in jest. Masamune sized up his kinsman. He rubbed and scratched at the ground before charging in unison with the enemy dog. The fight grew loud as each one of the poochyena went hard for a killing blow. The excitement caught everyone's attention and while the enemy poochyena was kicking up sand to distort everyone's vison in the nearby area Brendan felt a pluck upon his neck.

"OUCH!" he reached up to his neck and pulled out what looked like some kind of dart needle. Mitsuhide and Nagamasa looked back and forth hoping to see a wurmple that was shocked firing a poison needle attack on the party, yet nothing was visible in the sand. "Guys, don't worry, I'm alright, let's just cheer on our pal Masamune." Even after the commands of Brendan, the rest of the party kept their guard up against another incoming attack. The enemy poochyena had put up a solid fight and effort against Masamune, yet in the end, Masamune knew the "bite" attack and the other poochyena did not. Masamune suck down his teeth deep, and refused to let go until the poochyena's life left him. The team Magma member however, did not have a beaten look on his face as his pokemon died right in front of him.

"Brendan, you are quite the battler, but you are still going to be the loser today." The grunt then threw a white smoke bomb in front of the gang and by the time it cleared the grunt as well as the dead poochyena were long gone. Brendan and the others felt relieved that they could once again progress toward the exit and onward to Rustboro, but they kept there guard up as they continued forward from that spot on, as they still had no idea what shot that needle at Brendan.

Watching from a distance as they exited the woods was the grunt who battled Brendan, as well as another grunt with a strong grin on her face. "Well I hope that by the happy look on your face, that you accomplished your mission." The beaten grunt said to the smiling girl.

"Yes I did! I got him right in the neck." The girl spoke with gusto as she knew she accomplished her objective." The two gave each other a high five in celebration.

"Excellent!" the male grunt replied. "So sacrificing my poochyena was worth it." The male watched as the last of the crew excited the woods. "So how long until it takes affect?"

"He'll be down in roughly 30 minutes." She replied.

"Awesome, once he's down the pokemon will be confused and then we can go and snatch him for Maxie. He'll be so proud of us." The grunt smiled as he thought of the praise he would receive for seeing this mission through perfectly.

"Sure….But tell me again…why does Maxie want this boy's dead body?" the girl inquired of her teammate. The sentence of the female hit the male grunt like an overloaded freight train ramming a brick wall.

"WHAT!"