New Friends, Old Enemies

"I wake up with a good attitude every day. Then idiots happen." - Unknown

Ash

Aunt V was kind enough to give me a week, but it didn't do any good. I hated leaving Vermilion City, but a promise is a promise. Now, she and I are walking up to the Pokemon Research Facility just outside of Lavender Town. Aunt V said that it was a warehouse that had long been abandoned. She and her team had converted it to a research building several years ago, and now the scientists inside are focusing on the Poke-X virus.

My shoulder feels empty. Pikachu's out there in the middle of all this. A chill runs through me when I remember that he's just as susceptible as any other pokemon. Unless he's at Team Rocket's headquarters. I'm not sure which is worse.

"Ash, you've been a worry-wart since the ship," Aunt V says as we pass some children playing hopscotch on the sidewalk. "Try to relax. You'll find Pikachu eventually."

I shove my hands in the pockets of my denim jacket. She's trying to comfort me, I know, but she makes it sound like I lost a hairbrush. Hairbrushes can't catch deadly diseases. They can't be tortured or forced into servitude or whatever by bad guys. If they go missing, it's inconvenient, but ultimately no one really cares.

Pikachu is not a hairbrush. I can't just go to the store and buy a new one.

"I think you'll like the other field workers," Aunt V says, oblivious to my mood. "Korou is quiet but very smart. And, Lorette takes some getting used to, but she's nice enough."

I just nod along, only half-listening as she names off a few of the scientists. Pikachu can take care of himself just fine, but grim thoughts still blow through my head like Gust. Where is he? Is he back in Vermilion City, expecting to see me there? Is he alone? Afraid? Injured? If he's with Team Rocket, what are they doing to him? If he's sick - I shudder at the thought - what is he doing to himself?

We stop in front of the research building as two workers walk out the door. One is a man with light brown hair that almost reaches his shoulders, glasses, and a white polo shirt tucked into khaki pants, making me wonder if he also works in a library or something. His co-worker is a petite black woman with kinky hair and an orange shirt that looks more like a bra with sleeves.

"I'm telling you," the woman is saying with a big grin on her face, "it was all squishy-like!"

Her co-worker looks away in disgust and holds up a hand. "And, I'm telling you, I don't need to hear any more. Oh, Dr. Ketchum, welcome back." Sighing in relief, he walks down the steps, the woman close behind. He looks up at me. "And, you are?"

"This is Ash," Aunt V says for me. "I told you guys my nephew would be joining you, right? Ash, this is Korou. And, that's Lorette."

I smile and tip my hat, grateful for the distraction and eager to meet my fellow field workers. "It's great to meet you both."

Lorette is looking me up and down, assessing me, and Korou says, "It's nice to meet you, too." He frowns thoughtfully. "Though, I could have sworn your aunt told us you were seventeen. Maybe I'm thinking of someone else."

"No, that's right," I assure, knowing where this is going. This happens every time someone new learns my age. It was a little weird at first, but I've gotten used to it. "But, I'll be eighteen next month."

Both of them stare at me in shock. Korou mumbles an apology, and Lorette's mouth drops open. "You're seventeen, and you're this big?"

I laugh awkwardly and rub the back of my neck. "Yeah, I guess so."

As I lower my hand, Lorette grabs my wrist. She can't be much taller than five feet, so my hand practically swallows hers as she presses them together. "Look at your hand! That is the beefiest hand I have ever seen!"

Well, that's a new one.

"Lorette," Korou admonishes.

Lorette whips her head around. "Are you seeing this? It's like a white baseball mitt!"

Also a new one.

Aunt V puts her hand on my arm. "I'll let you three get acquainted."

She heads inside, and Korou pulls Lorette's hand down and bows in apology. "I'm so sorry about her. She's not great with first impressions. When we met, she asked if I were a librarian," he adds with a chuckle.

Funny, I had the same thought. "You mean, you're not?"

Lorette bursts out laughing.

Turns out, they had just gotten off work. They offered to let me meet their pokemon, so of course I agreed. Like Aunt V had said, pokemon aren't allowed in the facility due to the risk of them getting sick. Korou had considered leaving Sarge - a Machamp - at home or in her pokeball, but apparently Sarge isn't fond of being cooped up in there all day and would jump right back out if you put her in. (Reminds me of a certain electric-type I know.) Lorette's Voltorb, in her own words, "does whatever the hell it wants, much like this hair, though I do make it work." Korou had shaken his head fondly at that.

Their pokemon like to play in the nearby forest, they said. On our way there, the two of them naturally have their own questions for me. Aunt V had told them I'd been a trainer since my tenth birthday and that I'm "a skilled traveler who knows a lot about pokemon" but not much else.

"So, what about you, Ash?" Korou says. "Who was your first pokemon?"

Sarge and Voltorb were Korou's and Lorette's first pokemon respectively. Korou had raised Sarge from a Machop egg, and Lorette said she'd heard about a Zapdos sighting but had found Voltorb instead.

"Was it Bulbasaur?" Lorette guesses. "You seem like a Bulbasaur kind of guy."

Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander are the three pokemon a new trainer can choose from in the Kanto Region, and I've caught all three at one point or another. "I actually do have a Bulbasaur," I confirm, "but he wasn't my first pokemon."

"So, who was?" Korou presses.

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing, but the truth is that I slept through my alarm on my tenth birthday. By the time I got to Professor Oak's lab, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander were already taken. So, Professor Oak gave me a Pikachu." I think back to the day we met, how the first thing my buddy did was zap me, and chuckle. "Pikachu didn't really like me at first, but," my heart aches, "we've really come to love each other, you know?"

Lorette smiles sweetly. "Aw, you're just a big ol' softie, aren't you?"

I look away sheepishly.

"So, will we be getting to meet this Pikachu?" Korou asks. "Or, is it a Raichu now?"

"Nah," I say, "Pikachu's never been interested in evolving. And, as for meeting him," God, I hope so, "he's actually not here."

We're in the forest now. Lorette steps around a resting Ratata in her path. "You didn't bring him with you?"

"I don't blame you, Ash." A tree whacks Korou in the forehead. He fixes his glasses. "What with everything going on. I'd leave Sarge firmly in her pokeball if I thought I could get away with it."

I'm not in the mood to explain about Team Rocket and their…antics, so I simply nod and finger the pokeball still strapped to my belt.

There's some kind of commotion ahead. I can see a large group of pokemon gathered and cheering.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was today," Korou says.

"What's today?" I ask.

"A few days each week, Sarge hosts some sort of game for pokemon. It seems to be a pokemon wrestling match."

"Pokemon wrestling match?"

"Right. From what I can tell, the goal is to pin down your opponent for three seconds just like in a regular wrestling tournament. And if you use your attacks, you're disqualified."

"It's dumb," Lorette says with a grin, "but it sure is fun to watch."

It does sound interesting.

The crowd roars. We run on ahead and peer over the various heads. In the middle of the clearing, surrounded by screaming pokemon, is a Primeape with his arms raised in triumph, his foot perched on the stomach of a Wigglytuff. A Voltorb - I can only assume they're Lorette's - is merrily rolling back and forth. Primeape steps back and helps Wigglytuff to her feet. I don't know what they're saying, but it's clear that they're friends or at least good sports.

A Machamp - she's the only Machamp here, so she must be Sarge - steps into the "ring" and ushers the competitors back into the crowd. "Champ champ champ. Mahchamp mahchamp!"

The crowd cheers even louder. Beside me, Lorette is screaming along with them, her arms flailing above her, though I doubt she understands Sarge any better than I do. Their excitement is contagious, however, and I find myself calling out for more as well. Korou is much more relaxed. His arms are crossed as he simply observes, but his eyes betray the love he has for his partner pokemon, who spots him and nods in acknowledgement.

Sarge calls out something else and points to one end of the ring. A Tyrogue pushes his way through the crowd, the much smaller pokemon quickly adopting a fighting stance. On the other end, Sarge calls in a Raticate who raises his tiny hands and growls.

Sarge stands back. "Maaah…" She raises two arms on one side. The new competitors grin in anticipation. Sarge quickly swipes her arms down. "Champ!"

Tyrogue and Raticate charge at each other as the crowd eggs them on. The two lock hands at first, staring one another down. Then, Raticate sneaks his tail around Tyrogue's legs, knocking him over. Raticate tries to leap on him, but Tyrogue counters by kicking his legs out, pushing Raticate off balance enough for Tyrogue to grab him and hold him down.

Voltorb rolls in, acting as the referee. "Vol. Vol."

Raticate uses his tail to push Tyrogue off. Voltorbs flees back to his place next to Sarge.

"Go, Tyrogue!" Lorette cries. "Go, Raticate!"

I cup my hands around my mouth and shout, "Keep it up!"

"Raticate's tail gives it an advantage," Korou observes. "If Tyrogue could find a workaround, it would stand a much better chance."

As if he'd heard that, Tyrogue grabs hold of Raticate's tail, whirls him into the air, slams him into the ground, and stands on his exposed stomach.

Voltorb comes back. "Vol. Vol. Vol. Voltooooooorrrrb!"

The crowd, including myself and Lorette, goes wild. Korou nods. "Impressive, isn't it?"

"Impressive?" I exclaim. "This is awesome!"

I spent the past week worrying about Pikachu, feeling worse each day, barely sleeping at night, constantly checking Pikachu's pokeball because if it broke on its own that would mean the worst happened. I needed this. I needed some levity, something to keep me from falling down the hole my mind's dug.

Sarge says something, and the crowd disperses. My enthusiasm is replaced by disappointment. It can't be over already. I was just getting psyched!

Korou chuckles, seeing my expression. "Don't worry, Ash. I think they're just taking a break."

I scan the area, curious as to what they all do during their break. Most of the pokemon are mingling, speaking to each other in words I'd give anything to understand. Off to the side, a Slowpoke is using Heal Pulse on Tyrogue and Raticate and several other pokemon who must have already competed. Wow, they even have a medic!

"Never seen that pokemon before," Lorette says. "Wonder what it is."

Korou follows her gaze. "I'm not sure."

The pokemon in question is a Gardevoir, who is standing apart from the others and looking a little lost. If Lorette and Korou have never seen him before, then he must be as new as I am.

"That's a Gardevoir," I inform. I dig into my pants pocket and pull out my pokedex, a new one that Professor Oak gave me when he found out I'd be researching the virus. "Here, I'll show you."

Lorette and Korou gather around me as I point my pokedex at Gardevoir and let the machine do the talking. The pokemon's picture appears on the screen. 'Gardevoir: the embrace pokemon. A psychic- and fairy-type. Fiercely loyal, Gardevoir will do anything its trainer commands. If someone it cares for is in danger, it will release all of its psychic energy at once to protect them.'

Lorette whistles. "I'd hate to be on that thing's bad side."

"Yeah, they're pretty strong," I say, slipping the pokedex back in my pocket. I walk up to Gardevoir, who gazes up at me with interest. "First time here?" Gardevoir nods. "Me too. It sure looks like fun."

"Vwarh!" Gardevoir confirms.

Korou calls to me, and I turn back around. He and Lorette are standing before us, their pokemon at their sides. "I'd like you to meet Sarge," Korou says, holding out a hand to his Machamp, who greets me with a wink, a thumbs-up, and a hearty, "Mahchamp!"

Lorette gazes down at the much smaller pokemon at her feet. "And, this here's Voltorb."

"Voltorb!" her partner chirps.

"It's nice to meet you both. I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. And, this is-" My heart lurches. On instinct, I'd almost introduced Pikachu. "This is Gardevoir." I say instead. "It's his first time here too." Gardevoir is looking at me kind of funny now. I wonder what's going through his head. "Gardevoir, meet Korou and Lorette."

Gardevoir breaks from his stupor and lowers his head to the others in greeting.

Lorette puts her hands on her hips. "So, you're a new guy, huh? Enjoying the show?"

Gardevoir nods.

"About that," I say. "I was wondering if humans were eligible." They all stare at me like I've turned into a Lotad. "Hey, why not? The pokemon aren't allowed to use their attacks, so it's not like I'll have that big a disadvantage, right?"

"Uh," Korou turns his wide eyes at his partner, "Sarge?"

Sarge eyeballs me and shrugs with all four arms. "Mah-champ."

Lorette shakes her head. "Ash Ketchum, you are one crazy dude. I think we're gonna get along."

"Or, get killed," Korou adds good-naturedly. "Whatever comes first."

I don't know much about wrestling, but I know you're supposed to go shirtless. Because of this, I had Lorette and Korou hold my tank top, jacket, bag, and hat, along with my pokedex, and Pikachu's pokeball for me. I must have caught them off-guard; the second I whipped off my tank, their eyes had grown huge.

"Hubba hubba," Lorette had muttered.

"He's a minor," was Korou's response.

"I know that."

"I wasn't talking to you."

I have no idea who he was talking to.

If the audience thinks it's weird for a human to join their competition, they don't show it. I stand at the ready in the ring as Sarge calls in my opponent. I'm expecting a pokemon roughly my size, but the much more petite Gardevoir steps in instead. Psychic-types tend to be less physically strong then other pokemon - particularly fighting-types, which seem to make up most of the pokemon here - so maybe that's the reason. Since I'm the only human, I guess Sarge doesn't want me to take on anyone too tough. Not that I'm underestimating Gardevoir, of course.

Sarge raises two arms then slashes them down with a shout. Gardevoir charges at me, but I grab his arms and throw him to the ground. The crowd screams for more. Gardevoir swipes his legs up and into the backs of my knees, knocking facedown in the grass. My opponent jumps on my back, hoping to pin me down. I grab one of the long, white protrusions around his waist and yank him off. He lands on his back with a grunt. I quickly roll on top of him and pin his thin arms in place.

As he struggles beneath me, Voltorb approaches and calls it. "Vol. Vol. Vol. Voltooooooorrrrb!"

The audience roars. Still hot with adrenaline, I pick myself up and help Gardevoir to his feet. He dusts himself off and grins at me. I can tell he's as fired up as I am.

"Man, you were awesome!" I tell him. "But, next time you might wanna keep an eye on those things around your waist. They're pretty grabbable, you know."

Gardevoir laughs and shakes my hand. If I thought Lorette's hand was small in mine, Gardevoir's may as well belong to a baby.

"Vol-torb vol-torb!" Voltorb is gazing at us with happy eyes.

Gardevoir looks away mock-bashfully. "Gar deh."

"Hey, Sarge," I call, "can I go again?"

Sarge smirks like she knew I would say that and addresses the crowd. "Mah mah-champ?"

The cheering gets even louder. Above it, I can hear Lorette screaming, "Yeah, Ash!" Korou is giving me a thumbs-up.

Ah, what the heck? "Sarge, I want you to be my next opponent!"

Sarge's smirk gets wider.

I lasted a whole second. No regrets, but I think my entire back is bruised. My chest, too, where Sarge had pinned me down with two of her massive biceps. Thank goodness for Slowpoke's Heal Pulse. I kneel down in front of him as he shoots dark pink waves at me from his mouth. They feel warm as a pleasant summer day and make my skin tingle all over, my pain quickly fading away. I thank him and stand as Korou, Lorette, and Gardevoir approach.

Lorette is giggling as she brings her forefingers together and points at me. "I like you. I really like you. You're a maniac."

"What can I say?" I chuckle. "For while, I-" I catch myself.

"For a while, what?" Korou says, noticing the change in my demeanor. Lorette and Gardevoir are now eyeing me with concern as well.

Dang it. I've never been good at hiding my emotions. "Truth is, I've had kind of a rough week. It's just nice to forget about all the bad stuff for a while, you know?"

"I hear ya," Lorette says kindly. "Sometimes, all you need is to drown yourself in something stupid."

Gardevoir nods, and Korou gazes over at Sarge, who is calling in a Breloom and a Makuhita. "I think that's why Sarge started doing this. She won't show it in public, but it really scares her to see other pokemon in such terrible states."

"Yeah," Lorette agrees. "Voltorb gets scared too. But then, who wouldn't?"

"I've seen it online," I say, leaving out the fact I couldn't even finish the one video I'd clicked on. "It's pretty bad."

Korou sighs. "It's much worse in person."

"I believe it."

Gardevoir looks confused. Maybe he doesn't know about Poke-X.

Lorette grunts and shakes her head. "Weren't we just talking about wanting a break from the world's crap? Let's cut the doom and gloom and let's-"

Korou's cry of "What in the world?" directs our attention back to the ring.

A strong wind is blowing but only where the pokemon are. It sends them hurdling into the brush, even the larger, heavier ones succumbing to its force. Korou and Lorette cry out for Sarge and Voltorb, and we all rush in. But, we're too late. As quick as it started, the wind was gone, taking all pokemon with it. Except, it wasn't just some random wind. Before us is a massive red machine on wheels. It's carrying a huge glass bowl, the pokemon trapped inside, begging for help. Some are attacking the barrier, Sarge among them, but it doesn't even crack. They stop when something explodes inside, leaving them all charred and stunned. Given the species' tendency to blow themselves up, I'm guessing that was Voltorb's attempt to break free.

I hear laughter, the laughter of people who think they can get away with something. My fists tighten. "Hey, I know who they are!"

Four all-too familiar figures appear on top of the machine, jumping right into the old routine.

"Prepare for trouble," Jessie begins, "you know us well."

"And, make it double," James continues, "you're under our spell."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

God, I want to climb up there and shut them up. But, if there's one thing I know about these creeps, it's that things go much more smoothly if you let them get through their motto first.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And, James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare for a familiar fight!"

"Meowth!" the talking pokemon jumps in. "That's right!"

"Waaa-buh-feht." Wobbuffet signals the end.

"Team Rocket!" I shout, shaking as thoughts of Pikachu fill my head.

"You know them?" Korou asks.

"Yeah, they're bad guys who are always trying to steal pokemon!"

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," Lorette drawls.

Team Rocket finally spots me with startled cries. "Twerp alert!" gasps Jessie.

"What is he doing here?" James adds.

Meowth flails his arms. "We don't have our story straight!"

Wobbuffet copies Meowth's panicked movements. "Wobba wobba!"

I don't get it. They almost seem afraid of me. They're the ones with Pikachu, so why-

My heart stops. What was that about having their story straight? Pikachu's pokeball was still intact, last I checked, which means he's alive. But, that doesn't mean he's safe, I realize with a jolt.

"Am I crazy," Lorette exclaims, "or is that Meowth using human words?"

"You hear it too?" Korou sighs in relief. "I thought I was the crazy one."

All I can think about is those people on the ship, the disease that's killing pokemon, how I still don't know where Pikachu is. Everything else disappears. It's just me and the ones who took him. But, then…aren't I the one who fell for their trick, handed Pikachu right to them? I store the thought away. Guilt can come later. For now… "Where's Pikachu?" All four of them visibly flinch. Not a good sign. "What did you do to him?"

Team Rocket stammers a bit before Jessie snaps, "That's on a need-to-know basis, twerp!"

"A-and, you don't need to know," James adds.

Meowth grins and puts his paws on his hips. "It's so need-to-know, we don't even know!"

Wobbuffet does his signature salute. "Waaa-buhfeht."

I swear, if a single hair is missing from my buddy's pelt…

A small hand lands on my arm. Lorette gazes at me pointedly. "I'll have some questions later," she points to the pokemon still trapped, "but we have a situation!"

"Let those pokemon go!" Korou demands.

Jessie crosses her arms and looks away haughtily. "Fat chance. Strong pokemon like these are just what Team Rocket needs."

"And, it looks like we missed one," Meowth says, holding up some kind of remote. I look over my shoulder and realize that Gardevoir is still behind me, his face twisted with rage. "Let's fix that!"

Meowth presses a button, and a panel slides open on the machine. A massive claw-like tube bursts out, and we just as quickly discover where the wind came from. The vacuum points directly at Gardevoir, who is immediately pulled in that direction.

Oh, no you don't!

I sprint in and push Gardevoir out of the way, only to be pulled in myself. I grab the edge and hang on for dear life, though the suction is so powerful, it feels like it's trying to pull my skin off. A fleeting thought has me hoping my belt holds. Lorette and Korou cry out my name and suddenly two sets of hands are on me, trying to pull me back, though as Korou's glasses fly off, it's clear that my new friends are barely hanging on. If I let go, we'll all be sucked in!

"What are you three doing?" James calls in outrage.

Meowth echoes his frustration. "Uncooperative twerps are the worst kind!"

My fingers are slipping. Off to the side, I see a large pink orb fly out. The accompanying cry tells me Gardevoir is attacking the machine. I hear a loud pop over the rush of wind, but nothing changes. Whatever Gardevoir did must not have worked.

My grip gives, and I'm thrust through the tube, Korou and Lorette right behind. Already scraped and burning from being rushed against metal, we fall into a pile of pokemon. I land on a Mankey, who is held back from attacking me by a Hitmonchan. Korou is lucky enough to be caught by Sarge, and the two hold tight to each other while Sarge hands him his glasses. Lorette is unlucky enough to land directly on top of Voltorb, who explodes on impact. It's a much smaller explosion than before, with Lorette taking the brunt of it, but she shakily assures us that she's used to it.

"We've caught twerps!" I can hear James's muffled reaction.

"Which means they can't do any more damage," says Jessie.

"Now for that Gardevoir!" Meowth adds.

Then, Wobbuffet chimes in. "Wobbuh feht!"

Panicked now, I push my way to the barrier and find Gardevoir with his fists clenched, his red eyes narrowed dangerously, and…his body with a strange white glow? Wait, didn't the pokedex say something about Gardevoir releasing all its power to protect others?

Gardevoir moves his hands close together, a pink sphere that I now recognize as Moonblast getting bigger and bigger. By the time Team Rocket positions their vacuum in front of him, the sphere has grown to almost Gardevoir's size. The vacuum's suction does nothing as Gardevoir flings Moonblast high in the air. Was is he doing?

I can't see the sphere from where I am, but I can see Gardevoir's eyes glowing blue as he stares at the sky with his hands raised. The forest takes on an odd, pinkish tint. Is he trying to power up Moonblast with Psychic? If so, it must be working, because the pink light gets brighter and Team Rocket starts screaming.

Before I can process what's happening the machine is caving in, glass shattering, metal crunching and splintering, and somehow all the broken pieces avoid those of us trapped. When the light returns to normal, the machine has practically disintegrated, there's a huge ring of charred earth around us, not a single person or pokemon within the barrier was harmed. As for Team Rocket, they are lying in a burnt pile nearby.

As I laugh with relief and the pokemon cheer, Sarge finally puts Korou down. "So, that's what happens when you release all your power at once," Korou says. Sarge nods, impressed.

Lorette is holding Voltorb and bouncing them like a baby. "Real glad I'm not on Gardevoir's bad side." Voltorb chirps in agreement.

Gardevoir himself is now being lifted up by some of the larger pokemon. He laughs as they all chant out their gratitude. Our eyes meet, and I call out to him. Gardevoir says something to the others. They put him down, and he tries to approach me but starts swaying on his feet. I guess that's also what happens when you release all your power at once. I catch him and help him stand. He shakes his head and blinks a few times, seeming tired but no worse for wear.

"You were using Psychic to power up Moonblast right?" I ask. Gardevoir puts his hands on his hips and raises his head proudly. "Man, I never would have thought of that. It was like whoosh, and then it went boom! And, it was so awesome!" Gardevoir just laughs again.

Team Rocket moans and slowly sits up, ruining my excitement. "What was that?" Jessie asks.

James hangs his head. "I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

"Ten buses," Meowth says, his eyes still closed.

"Feeehhh," Wobbuffet groans.

Then, they shrink into each other as they find themselves surrounded by some very unhappy pokemon, as well as three equally unhappy humans.

"You guys have a lot of nerve!" Korou snaps.

"Kidnapping pokemon and us?" Lorette adds with a snarl. "What's wrong with you?"

"This is what they do," I say.

And, that's all it takes. If there's one good thing about my size, it's this: when you're just over six foot seven, over three hundred pounds of pure muscle from years of training with your pokemon, and you get angry, people listen when you talk.

First, I check in with my friends and all the pokemon. "Is everyone alright?" Some reassuring noises, then I turn to Team Rocket, who cower under my stare. This is the first time I've seen them genuinely afraid of me without Pikachu present.

"You guys just don't quit, do you?" I start. "No one was seriously hurt, so I'm willing to skip over that part. I only have one question, and I think you know what it is."

Defiant to the end, Jessie crosses her arms and whips her head to the side. "I don't know what you're talking about."

James, however, has always been the cooperative one. "It was chaos! We thought Pikachu was behind us, I swear!"

There are tears in his eyes as Jessie slams her hand over his mouth and tells him to shut it. Under normal circumstances, I might be more sympathetic. But, I'm covered in scrapes and burns, I'm surrounded by pokemon who were almost taken by force to Lord knows where, my human friends almost suffered the same fate, guilt from handing over Pikachu on a silver platter is peeking through my heart again, the ones cowering before me are the cause of all of this, and I am pissed.

"What do you mean 'behind you?' What kind of chaos?"

They all huddle closer together, shivering. James whispers something that sounds like, "Has the twerp always been this big?"

"I miss the pint-sized twerp," Meowth whispers back.

"Fine!" Jessie snaps. She acts like I'm inconveniencing her, but her shaking betrays just how terrified she is. "S-so, we lost Pikachu. Happy?"

No, I'm not. I've been freaking out for the past week, not knowing what to think. I spent sleepless nights wondering just what Team Rocket does to the pokemon they capture. I had nightmares about pokemon who had been driven mad with illness, hurting themselves, bleeding, dying, even ripping off parts of themselves and others. Every one of those nightmares ended when Pikachu was the one covered in blood and gore, forcing me awake and sweating and shaking and clutching his pokeball to my chest. This whole mess wouldn't be half as bad if it weren't for that virus.

Now these creeps think they can drop in and steal all these innocent pokemon like nothing's changed. So no, I'm not happy. As a week's worth of fear bubbles up to the surface and turns into something else, I'm anything but happy.

"What do you mean you lost him?"

At this point, Wobbuffet grabs his pokeball from Jessie, bonks it against his head, and a red light coats him and returns him to the ball. Jessie glares at it and calls her pokemon a deserter.

Meowth shakes his head rapidly and flails his arms. "It wasn't our fault! We just didn't wanna be mates with a Magikarp!" I don't know what that means, and I don't think I want to.

"One minute, Pikachu was swimming right behind us," James says, "then suddenly he was gone!"

"You're saying too much!" Jessie screams.

Swimming. My blood freezes over. Were they in the water? Did they lose Pikachu, who can swim but isn't exactly a water-type, in the water? I don't dare check his pokeball now. "So, you don't know where he is." They frantically shake their heads. "Alright. I've said my piece."

"Forget Gardevoir," Korou mutters to Lorette as I back off to join them. "I'd hate to be on Ash's bad side."

Lorette nods then rubs her hands together. "Either way, I've been itching to do this."

"Vol torb!" I don't know how they got there, but Voltorb is sitting with Team Rocket, who shriek at their sudden appearance.

His fears briefly forgotten, Meowth glares at them. "Hey, you're the guy who blew me up!"

"And, if it blows up…" James says.

"Then, that means…" Jessie adds as realization crashes down on them.

"Yeah, it does!" Lorette confirms. "Voltorb, use Self-Destruct. Send them sky-high!"

Team Rocket screams as Voltorb glows a blinding white. The rest of us back up as Voltorb explodes in a huge burst of heat and smoke. I can't see anything, but a familiar cry of, "We're blasting off agaaaiiiiin!" tells me that Team Rocket's been successfully "sent sky-high."

The smoke clears, and everyone starts checking on each other, making sure everyone's really okay. Lorette rushes over to Voltorb, who is teetering in all directions, dizzy from the hefty amount of recoil damage their attack causes.

While she picks up her pokemon and checks that they're alright, I bolt for my stuff, which is lying miraculously untouched under a tree. I move my clothes aside and find Pikachu's pokeball hiding under my ball cap. Heart pounding, I examine it for even the tiniest crack or mark. I nearly weep with relief. Perfect condition, just the way I left it. I can't guarantee that Pikachu isn't hurt or something, but at least I know he's alive.

"Gar." I turn my head and look up at Gardevoir, who points to the pokeball. "Gar-deh?"

"It's fine. I'm fine," I amend when he keeps frowning. I stand up. "I guess you're wondering who Pikachu is." Gardevoir tilts his head. "He's my…" Best friend? Partner? Brother? Emotion rolls over me. "He's my buddy. About a week ago, those guys tricked me into handing him over to them." My grip on Pikachu's pokeball tightens. "It's good that they don't have him now, but I have no idea where he is or-or if he's even okay!" Though, from the way Team Rocket was acting, it's possible that they think Pikachu is dead. That means they won't go after him. That's something, at least.

Then, I spot Korou, Sarge, Lorette, and Voltorb. When did they get here? They watch me with pity as I blink away tears that had sprung from nowhere. "I'm really sorry you guys had to see me like that," I say. The fact that I'd come so close to losing my temper only makes me feel worse. I know how intimidating a guy my size can be, so I always try to keep my cool. I'm usually better at it than this. "I know I went kind of far there."

"Far?" Lorette blinks at me. "You didn't go far enough. If it was Voltorb, oof, man, I'd have smacked them into next Tuesday. Then blown them up."

"Torb torb," Voltorb agrees, still in their trainer's arms.

Korou gazes thoughtfully at Pikachu's pokeball. "I'd been wondering about that pokeball. You told us you didn't bring any pokemon with you, and I guess now we know why." He smiles sympathetically. "Try not to blame yourself, Ash. I may not know the whole story, but I'm certain it isn't your fault. It's entirely theirs." Sarge nods with two arms crossed.

"Still." I sigh, desperately wanting to believe that. "Pikachu means everything to me. He's tough, he's smart, but I just don't know-"

I hear what sounds like a zipper and realize that Gardevoir is rummaging through my backpack with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Before I can ask what he's doing, he stands up and presents me a pokeball.

Wait, does this mean…?

"Well, would you look at that," Lorette says.

"It seems Gardevoir wants to be your pokemon," Korou says, echoing my thoughts.

"Is that true, Gardevoir?" I ask him. Gardevoir holds the pokeball out further.

This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, but it's always a shock. A good shock, one that always leaves me with a warm feeling in my chest, but still unexpected. Pokemon don't just come along with trainers. Traditionally, a pokemon needs to be roughed up in a battle before it can be caught. Most aren't untrusting of humans, but nine times out of ten, a pokemon isn't just going to crawl inside of a pokeball. Sure, there are exceptions, and I have had to battle before catching, but I seem to attract that one out of ten. I don't know if there's something about me or if I'm just lucky.

All I know is that after the events of the past week, the mess we all went through today…I need some levity.

I take the pokeball from Gardevoir. "It's not that simple. If a trainer wants to catch a pokemon, they have to battle it first."

"Maaah…"

Gardevoir stares me down from the end of the ring, a new determination in his eyes. The crowd, my friends included, are silent with anticipation.

"Champ!"

Noise explodes around me. Gardevoir lunges at me. I reach out to grab him, but he makes a sharp turn. As my own force leaves me bent over, Gardevoir jumps on my back. The sudden extra weight almost topples me over, but I catch myself, grab his shoulders, and flip him over my head. He lays in the grass, dazed.

I reach for the empty pokeball strapped to my belt and throw it with a cry of, "Go, pokeball!"

It hits him square in the chest, opens up, and a red light brings him inside. Voltorb rolls into the ring and watches closely as the pokeball shakes. "Vol." Shakes. "Vol." Shakes. "Vol." A tiny click and a flash of light. "Voltooooooorrrrb!"

"Yes!" The crowd echoes my triumph, and my heart soars higher than it's been in days. I just caught a Gardevoir!

…It's kind of weird without Pikachu here. I push the thought away, pick up the pokeball, and send Gardevoir out. His eyes are wide with a mix of nervousness and excitement. "We're gonna be great friends, Gardevoir," I assure him. "There's a lot of bad stuff in the world right now, but we're gonna get through it together!"

I raise my fist, expecting him to bump it against his own. Instead, he throws his arms around me. Laughing - a cuddle-bug, I see - I hug him back. Everyone, people and pokemon alike, gather around us, congratulating us, giving us their own hugs, smothering us with praise. Gardevoir is acting embarrassed while also making it obvious that he likes being the center of attention.

Me? I'm giggling like an idiot. This is how it should be, I think. Humans and pokemon together in harmony, in friendship. None of these pokemon batted an eye when I, a human, joined in on their fun. They didn't think twice about welcoming me into their group. Now, they're celebrating one of their own being caught by me. This is just one of the many wonderful things about pokemon. They don't see species. They see you. What you are physically doesn't matter to them. They look for character, for what's in your heart. If the whole world could be like that, man, that would just be awesome.

But, the world isn't perfect. It's full of pain and fear and anger. But, if everyone did even the smallest thing to make it better, show a little kindness every day… Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I think we could achieve that some day. Maybe not in our lifetime, but some day.

I'll find Pikachu, but first I have to do my own part by working hard to stop Poke-X and protect these pokemon and all the others.