Enter PokeSquad!

"All things truly wicked start from innocence." - Ernest Hemingway

Pikachu

Something jabs at my chest. I hear a voice, but it's faint, unintelligible. I can't breathe. Everything is black and empty. Suddenly, I'm on my side. I cough over and over, salty water spilling out. The voice is stronger now, asking if I'm okay. I force my eyes open. A brown blur stands before me. I blink a few times, and the blur morphs into a very young Eevee.

The Eevee smiles in relief. "You're awake. Thank goodness."

Memories come flooding back. The ship, Team Rocket, the Magikarp. I groan and try to stand up but can't even manage all-fours. My entire body is sore and cold, and my breaths are still too wet. I collapse and cough up more water.

"Stay here," Eevee says as if I have a choice. "I'll get help!"

As he rushes off via Quick Attack, I scan my surroundings. Sand warms my stomach. Sea water rhythmically brushes the tip of my tail. The beach is very small and deserted. A grassy plane stands at the end of it, speckled by a few trees. Mere inches from me are some large, jagged stones, which I'm very grateful to have avoided.

How did I end up here? Where exactly is here?

"He's over there."

Eevee is back. He climbs down the rocks, a larger pokemon with long white fur around its neck close behind. An Absol, I realize. Don't they usually reside in the mountains? Maybe there's a mountain nearby.

Eevee stands back, his tail wagging nervously, as his companion commands, "Head back and prepare a nest for him."

"Right!"

As Eevee runs off again, Absol turns back to me. "Can you get up?" I try, but waves of pain rock me back on to the sand. My head swims, and my vision gets hazy. "I'll have to carry you by the scruff. Is that alright?"

I nod, and he lowers his head and picks me up with his teeth. As he carries me into the plane, I ache even worse as I sway, despite Absol's effort to be careful. My head feels foggy, and it takes everything in me to stay awake. Eventually, we find Eevee pacing in front of a tree. A small nest of leaves and dirt is behind him.

He steps aside as we approach and pushes a large dark green leaf closer to the nest. "I found a revival herb."

Absol gently lays me in the nest, and I fight a wail of agony. "Good work, Eevee." He nudges the herb closer to my mouth with his paw. "Here. This will taste bad, but it'll make you feel better."

I take a bite and try not to cringe. Revival herbs are unbearably bitter, but they have very powerful healing properties. With each mouthful, I feel a little less achy. By the time I'm finished, I feel significantly better. I manage to rise up to two feet, albeit rather stiffly.

"Thank you so much," I say sincerely.

Absol smiles and nods to his companion. "Thank Eevee. He's the one who found you."

Eevee grins at him. "Hey, you helped too, Absol!"

Absol chuckles. "Suppose I did." Then, he bends down and checks me over. "Well, your injuries don't look serious, though we should find something to put on those scrapes-"

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!"

Out of nowhere, a wild Bellsprout wearing a tiny backpack appears, her thin, root-like legs sending her in circles around us as she continues her cry of "Oh my goodness!" Absol crouches down, ready to attack. Eevee and I just watch her curiously.

"What is it, Sprout?" Absol asks. So, she's a friend of theirs? "What happened?"

Sprout stops so suddenly she almost trips over herself. "You guys! I just felt a tingle! I think I'm going to evolve!"

Absol rights himself, and Eevee gasps. "Really? You're finally evolving?"

Though I don't know Sprout, I'm happy for her. Evolution is a way to grow stronger, become a new pokemon, a new you. While I'm content to remain a Pikachu myself, I know that a lot of pokemon dream of the day they finally evolve, and it truly is a wonder to behold.

Sprout shakes her leaves a little and tilts her large head back. "Here...it...gooooeeeesss!" We wait. And, wait. And...wait. Sprout droops so much, her large head almost touches the grass. "I thought for sure that time."

Eevee walks up to her and sympathetically pats her leaf. "Ah, it'll happen some day."

Absol shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. "Poor Sprout," he says to me. "She's been trying to evolve since we've known her. It just isn't happening."

I wonder how long they've known her. "Hey, don't worry about it," I encourage her. "Bellsprout evolve by getting stronger, right? Just keep working at it, and you'll be a Weepinbell in no time. I'm sure of it!"

Sprout nods, still disappointed. "I sure hope so. Wait, I don't know you."

"Pikachu: the mouse pokemon! An electric-type!" I nearly jump out of my skin. I whirl around to find...a Wobbuffet? After what happened with Team Rocket, this is the last thing I need. The Wobuffet continues, blissfully unaware of my discomfort. "Pikachu store electricity in their cheeks. They like to zap tough berries to make them easier to eat." She rubs her stomach. "This also gives the berries a delicious smoky flavor."

Blinking, I glance at the other three. Eevee is curiously sniffing my cheek; I nudge him away. Sprout is staring down at herself and shaking, still trying to evolve. Absol sees my expression and is trying not to laugh.

I find my voice. "What's with the," I wave my hand in the newcomer's direction, "Wobbuffet?"

Absol chuckles. "Don't mind Wobbles. She does pretty much anything she wants to."

"Pikachu are the evolution of Pichu," Wobbles continues, "and they evolve into Raichu through the use of a Thunder Stone."

"I can evolve into Jolteon the same way!" Eevee adds. "I call dibs on the first Thunder Stone we see!"

He can have it. "You seem to know a lot about me," I say to Wobbles, my own experience with her species making me suspicious. In the back of my mind, I know that isn't fair, but I can't help it.

Sprout has apparently given up on evolving for now. "Wobbles knows a lot about pokemon."

Wobbles nods. "Bellsprout: the flower pokemon. A grass- and poison-type. Its thin and flexible body lets it bend and sway in various directions! It digs its feet into the ground to replenish water!"

Sprout bounces on her feet. "Oh, it's true! I do that!"

"So," I say to Wobbles, "you're like a walking Pokedex?"

"I don't know what that means," Wobbles replies.

"Nevermind."

"Either way," Absol says, "weren't you females supposed to be gathering food?"

Pokedex.

Food.

Ash.

Ash!

I burst out of the nest, ignoring the ache that comes with the sudden movement. I check this way, that way, sniff the air.

"What's wrong?" Sprout asks.

I force myself to breathe, to try and steady my heartbeat. Panicking won't fix anything. "Have any of you seen a human?" It's probably a long shot, but I have to ask. "He's really big. Not round-big, but tall and muscular. He has dark hair and a red hat, and he goes by the name Ash?"

The more I look at their confused faces, the lower my heart sinks. Especially when Absol regards me wearily and asks, "Why are you looking for a human?" as if I asked to roll around in trash.

I'm too anxious to think much of it. "He's my friend. My trainer."

"You lost your friend?" Eevee says sympathetically.

I nod sadly. "Yeah. There was...an accident. Do any of you know about Team Rocket?"

That prompted another flurry of "Oh my goodness" from Sprout. After which, she said, "I've heard of them! They're a bunch of humans who kidnap pokemon and make them do bad things!"

"Yeah, pretty much," I confirm. "The short version is they kidnapped me, I escaped, and here I am."

"But, Ace isn't here?" Eevee asks.

"Ash. And no, he's not."

Absol is still staring at me with an expression I can't place. "What I'm getting at is that humans are the reason for your injuries, and you want to find another human?"

This guy is starting to get on my nerves. "Ash isn't affiliated with Team Rocket. He actually cares about pokemon."

Absol turns his head and mutters, "Still a human."

A growl rumbles in my throat, but Wobbles says, "Eh, don't mind Absol. He's not fond of humans." I noticed. "But, you? You are very obviously not a human, so Absol will most likely cave and help you."

Absol turns a sour look on her. "I'm right here, Wobbles."

"Yeah!" Eevee pipes up. "The PokeSquad helps all pokemon!"

"We don't call ourselves that!"

Sprout giggles. "Absol really hates that name."

"Because it's just something pokemon have started calling us, and it's stupid!"

PokeSquad? I wrack my brain, but the name doesn't ring any bells. Of course, Ash and I have been away on Ash's pokemon journey for quite some time, so it's possible that they formed while we were gone.

Eevee happily prances around me. "We wander all over the place and find pokemon in need, and we help them! We meet all kinds of pokemon and see all kinds of cool things. It's fun!"

"And, a little scary sometimes," Sprout adds.

That sounds a lot like what Ash and I do. "So...you all go on a journey together?" I ask.

Wobbles shrugs. "I guess you could put it that way."

Absol shakes his head, but that fond smile is back. "Whatever you want to call it, they aren't wrong. We do help out where we can." He gives me a hard look. "This trainer of yours. He cares for you? He's good to you?"

What is his deal? "Would I want to go back to him if he wasn't?"

Absol nods. "Fair enough. We'll help you look."

"R-really?" Considering how little he thinks of humans, I hadn't expected that response. Then again, he seems like the leader. Maybe he wants to set a good example, especially for Eevee, who can't be more than a few months old. "That's very kind, but I wouldn't want to inconvenience you all."

"Oh, it's not inconvenient," Sprout assures.

"Like Eevee said," Wobbles adds, "we wander. It's not like we have somewhere we need to be."

"Besides," Absol says, "your trainer can't be that far, right?" I sure hope not. Absol addresses the rest of his team. "Pikachu's still recovering, and it'll be dark soon anyway. Why don't we make camp for the night."

The rest of the team runs off to find food and nesting material, and I walk up to Absol on stiff, sore legs. "Anything I can do?"

Absol shakes his head and nudges me back to the nest with his horn. "You can rest. The revival herb helped, but you're still recovering. Wouldn't want you injuring yourself further."

I'm a little annoyed, but I bite my tongue. "Couldn't you just use a potion?" Absol frowns in confusion, and I feel my face heat up. "Uh, nevermind."

I crawl into the nest Eevee made me. As I sit down on the soft leaves, I try to ignore the prickle of unease under my pelt. It's not like Ash and I have never been separated before, I remind myself. By now, he's surely realized that I'm gone. As soon as the ship docks in Vermilion City, he'll come looking for me. Team Rocket couldn't have taken me that far, right?

"Pikachu." Absol brings me back to reality. "Where might we find this trainer of yours?"

"Well," I start, nervously shifting the dirt in front of me, "Vermilion City is a good place to start. Is that anywhere near here?"

Absol hums thoughtfully. "I'm afraid we don't keep track of human civilizations. Sprout knows a few names, but I don't think she's ever mentioned that one."

There's that prickle again. But, just because they don't know the name doesn't mean it's far. Ash and I may be apart now, but it won't be for long. Tomorrow, I'll go with these pokemon to the first "human civilization" we can find and I'm sure it'll be Vermilion City. Ash will be there, and we'll greet each other with open arms. Everything will be fine.

Right?