Pokébook: Kanto

Katya’s Twin Again | Mimeton Hills

“K-Katya? Maybe we should look somewhere else...?” Hayden tugged at her flimsy jacket. If she actually wasn’t already feeling numb from the cold, she probably would’ve wondered why in Ho-oh’s blessed name was she wearing her regular clothes in weather like this, but she didn’t stop to think. Something about this place seemed...suspicious. She started forwards, only to stop as the door swung open, and someone came out. Ran out, more like, and she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

It was Nick.

“Nicky...boy?” She rubbed her eyes again, but no one had cast a Confuse Ray on her vision, apparently. She half-wondered if she was being hypnotized by a Drowzee. But whatever it was, even if it was a one-in-a-million chance, it was Nick in front of her, collapsed in the snow. She stood there for a moment, and then started forwards.

“Oy! Nicky-boy!”

He turned, eyes red and vision blurred from crying, and she stopped. Since when did Nicky-boy cry? He sniffed back the last of his tears and looked at Katya as if he’d never seen her before.

“Are-- are you talking to me?”

“...Nicky-boy...?” Katya blinked. What was with the lack of reaction--no, what was with that strange tone? It was like he never really even met her in the first place. Katya coughed, attempting to regain her composure, and tried again. “Is me, Katya. Don’t tell me you have taken a hard knock to the head.” She smiled, but it looked more like a frozen grimace, and Nick seemed to wince a little. “We’re...fr...frie...we knew each other from before. Surely you remember me?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” said Nick, quietly and gently, just as he used to before. “I don’t even know if that’s my real name.” He breathed deeply, collecting together the jigsaw pieces of memory. “But I’m not... I haven’t got anywhere to go.” He locked eyes with his old friend. “Can I trust you, Katya? Can I really trust you?”

“I...” Katya’s hands clenched together, her jaws gluing themselves to each other. Again, it happened. Again, someone forgot her and left her behind. And again...again that question...of ‘trust’. She had been a thief once. No, that was wrong--she was still a thief. She stole things without feeling guilty. Who would want to trust her? She looked at Nick and locked eyes with him. “I...if...if I told you I was a thief...would you trust me?”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “What do you steal?”

Katya laughed. It sounded happy and empty at the same time. “You know, that’s even tougher for me to answer--because I don’t even know why I steal!” She stopped laughing, but still grinned. “I just like stealing. That is all there is to it.”

The boy in the dark blue jacket shivered and looked about. “It doesn’t look as if I’ve got much choice. What’s your friend’s name?”

Katya turned around and looked at Hayden--and realized that she still had his arm in something resembling a fatal death-grip. She quickly released him, and he collapsed on his knees in the snow. “T...thank heavens,” he huffed, wincing. “I thought I was going to die...” He looked at Katya and stared at her. “That’s some strength you have there...”

Katya ignored him and turned back to Nick. “His name’s Hayden.”

“And are you a thief too?”

“I’m not...not a thief...” He rubbed his arm uneasily, looking from Katya to Nick and back to her again, not quite sure what to do. Katya huffed and crossed her arms, sniffling.

“Being a thief isn’t something to hate in and of itself. I started stealing because I had to survive, you know.” She rubbed her nose and stared at the cabin. It made such a quaint picture that it reminded her of her family’s old home; except their home had been more of a glass mansion. Her eyes narrowed unconsciously as she began to wonder if she would ever live somewhere like that again. “It is nothing to be ashamed of, is it?”

Nick shrugged. “I guess it’s me that needs to survive now.” He stood up and offered Katya his hand. “I suppose you should call me Nick.”

Katya grasped it, grinning broadly. “Just Nick? Can I not call you Nicky-boy?”

“Did I really used to let you call me that?” he asked, wrinkling his nose. Katya pulled him forward and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“Probably!” She laughed. “Let’s go home now, okay Nicky-boy?”

Laura Sherwood|Celadon Gym Complex

Laura rolled her eyes and handed the pen back toward Sam. "Really, you're probably going to need this more than me," she said. "That Scyther's agile, but there's no way he has the strength to carry you out of that window. You really ought to have thought of that while you've been raising him."

"What?" Sam asked, his eyes wide. "What do you mean Manny's not strong? He's the strongest Scyther there is!" He curled his hand into a fist and pumped it into the air, as if claiming a victory.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure," Laura said, smirking as Sam's arm fell as if his fist had been popped and deflated like a balloon.

"What gives you the right to insult my Pokémon like that?" Sam demanded. He crossed his arms over his chest, his Scyther mimicking the pose beside him.

Laura rolled her eyes and walked past him, leaning to glance out the busted-open window that was their only escape. And ironically, the window of time for their safe escape was closing as the sirens grew closer to the gym complex. Behind her, Sam was babbling on about how wonderful his Scyther was.

"We don't have the time for this," one of the other boys - David, Laura thought she recalled was his name - grumbled loudly behind her. Before Laura could do anything to avoid it, he wrapped an arm around her waist and launched out the window, holding her to his side. He clicked something on the pen as they fell toward the ground and a parachute ejected from the pen, allowing them to land lightly on the grass below.

Still holding Smoochum in her arms, Laura went to stand slowly and brush herself off, while assuring her little Pokémon friend was alright, but David grabbed her by the wrist and kept dragging her away from the gym complex. He glanced over his shoulder, calling to Sam and the others as they jumped through the window to hurry up.

They finally stopped running when the sirens were no longer coming toward them, and had stopped at the gym complex behind them. They gathered, breathing hard from running, and David peered back toward the gym complex to be sure no one else had followed them.

“Now,” another of the boys, one named Sin, said. “About that DVD—”

“No,” Sam said, throwing an arm out in front of Sin to physically interrupt him. “I want to hear from Miss Blue Hair over here why she thinks my Scyther is so weak.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “I’m training to be a breeder,” she said, holding Sweetie tightly to her chest. “My parents are two of the most prominent Pokémon Breeders in the field, or did you forget that I already told you that. Anyway, I didn’t say that your Scyther was weak. I said he wasn’t strong enough to have carried your weight. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice; most trainers focus on agility and speed with Pokémon like Scyther. It takes a Breeder with a good eye to pick out a Pokémon like a Scyther that’s been trained for strength as well.”

She smiled as Sam’s jaw dropped, and as all the others stared at her in shock as well. “What?” she asked, though she still held her smirk on her lips. “Now, someone said something about a place for me to stay tonight?”

Sinclair Audley | The Penthouse

"Who lives in a hotel?" asked Laura, scrunching her nose up.

"I do. It's a suite. The best one in Celadon, actually," Sin said with a sniff of his own.

"I like open space. I like on a ranch, you know."

"Yes, yes, parents are breeders, bla bla bla," Sam said grumpily, tossing himself onto one of Sin's cream leather sofas.

"What sort of breeders?" asked Kristine curiously.

"All sorts, but they specialise in Eevees, like Toby."

Kristine practically jumped with joy- not just another girl, but another girl with an Eevee. "You have an Eevee?!"

"Of course." Laura fumbled one of the balls on her belt and out came an Eevee much larger than Lucy or Lea. Sin and Kristine let the twins out too.

It was possibly one of the cutest cute overloads Sin had ever witnessed.

"How old is he?"

"Toby? He hatched, ooh, maybe half a year ago? He imprinted on me, there was no way I couldn't bring him with me." She knelt down and began to inspect the twins- Lucy with her pink bow and Lea with her blue one. "Have you thought about evolutions yet? Usually breeders decide which Eeveelution they want right away."

Sin looked at Kristine. "I hadn't even thought about it."

"Me neither," she said with a shrug.

"Well, when none of your Pokémon have evolved." Sin jumped at the sound of Crebbins' voice. "Where were you all? Sinclair, I did tell you dinner would be at half past six sharp."

"Sorry. We got caught up in something."

Crebbins looked around the group- his eyes pausing briefly on the Zubat droppings- and finally resting on Laura. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, madame. I am Lawrence Crebbins, Sinclair's butler."

"Your... butler..." Laura said slowly.

"Do you have a problem?" Sin asked icily. "Also, Crebbins, somebody defaced my limited edition Breakfast at Pidgey's. Do you think you could start bidding on a new Audino Hepburn set online?"

"I suppose so. Haven't you grown out of those films yet?"

"Of course not! I'm only just beginning to appreciate her genius."

"If you say so." Crebbins seemed unenthused. "Anyway. Dinner is served, sir."

The kids all sat down around the dining room table as Crebbins rolled in the food under silver covers. Sin suddenly felt uneasy about the pizza.

"Your house is ridiculous. Is this really his house?" Laura hissed to Kristine, who nodded.

"Just go along with it."

"Crebbins," David piped up. "What do you know about the Celadon gym leader?"

Crebbins paused in his passing out of silver platters. "Why would you want to know such a thing?"

"Because we want to challenge them, and it won't be a fair match if we go in not knowing a thing about them."

"Are you quite sure you're ready for that?" he asked, looking from David to Art to the girls. "I mean, Sinclair hasn't even had one Pokémon evolve."

"I'm sure they'll evolve when they're ready," Art said. Sin gripped his fork extremely hard.

"If they'll ever be ready, of course they will," Crebbins said, revealing the plates.

"Pizza!" Laura said, unaware of the tension that had just developed at the table.

"Thank you, Crebbins, that will be all," Sin said through gritted teeth.

While Laura dug in hungrily, Sin picked at his food. Kristine laid a hand on his arm.

"He doesn't know anything," she said. "He's just a butler."

But he wasn't just a butler. He had taught Sin everything he knew. And if Crebbins thought he wasn't able to take on the Celadon leader...

But what did Crebbins know? He had barely even given Sin a phonecall while he was on his journeys.

"Grass type, you say the gym is?" he asked Laura.

She nodded. "Most definitely. But no information about the leader on any of the files."

Sin picked up a slice of pizza and looked at Cade, who was waiting patiently by the door. "We can so take them on. Tomorrow. We go to the gym."

A general cheer in agreement went up around the table and Sin took a bite of the pizza. Oh, it was good. Crebbins would be making this again.

But he wouldn't be making any more jokes about Sin's Pokémon. Of that, Sin would make certain.

Nick | The Track to Mimeton Manor

They took the track down towards the forest, southwards, from the cabin on the hill. The trees leaned against each other, all heavily laden with snow, and the three trainers made their way carefully down the slope.

The conversation was as awkward as the descent -- Katya was trying to be helpful in reminding Nick of all places they’d been that he’d forgotten, while Hayden was punching a message into some bizarre red handheld device. Nick noticed that the other boy didn’t talk much.

“Are you alright, Hayden?” he asked, ignoring Katya’s Geography lesson for the moment. The other boy looked up in surprise.

“Oh, yeah. Fine,” he said, only making eye-contact for a moment before concentrating on the red device again. “I’m letting Eve know where to meet us.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Katya and she stumbled, grabbing Nick’s arm to steady herself. This made Nick wobble too and they both almost ended up in the snowdrift.

“Nice catch,” she said, and turned to Hayden. But whatever she was going to say was interrupted by a snort from Nick.

“Yeah,” Nick laughed, “I guessed I catched-ya pretty well.”

The pair looked at him quizzically.

“Oh, it’s a joke,” said Nick nervously. “Your name’s Katya, right? And I catched-ya!” The others stared at him in silence. “Wait, did I not make jokes... before?”

It was too much. Hayden began to giggle and that set Nick off. They both laughed and Katya tried to shake her head disapprovingly, but it wasn’t long before she allowed them a small smile. That was all the encouragement Nick needed.

“Don’t worry,” he said, wondering how much further he could push his luck. “I’ll always catch-ya when you’re fal-ling, Katya Faelane!”

“That is awful,” she said seriously while Hayden tried his best not to fall over laughing.

“It’s... it’s ok,” said Hayden between gasps for air. “She smiled so you’re off the hook!”

Nick was certain that Katya was going to hit him from the look he gave her, but instead she allowed one last smile and a shake of her head. He noticed how nice her hair looked, all straight and brown even though they must have been sleeping rough for weeks on their journey to find him.

Nick didn’t know what his past self had done to deserve such loyal friends, but he promised to repay them, somehow, just as soon as he sorted out his own life.

Katya had started down the hill again and, after a so-called “high five” was explained and performed with Hayden, the two boys slipped and slid their way down the hill to catch up. All the while they laughed and congratulated each other on their own ineptness at staying on their feet. By the time they reached the bottom they were shivering and brushing the powdery snow from their clothes.

“That’s...” said Hayden, still trying in vain to regain his breath, “that’s the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

Nick thought about his “allergies” and countless games of charades. “Me too,” he said with confidence. “Let’s do that again!”

As he guessed, Katya stepped in. “Well I’m glad you two had fun,” she said, although something in her tone sounded warm even in the derision. “But aren’t you forgetting about Eve? Where did you say we’d meet her?”

“Oh yeah,” said Hayden. “Over by the manor house--”

“Mimeton Manor?”

“That’s the one,” he confirmed.

“Then where is she?”

Nick looked around properly and saw what she meant. The three of them stood before the grandest building Nick could remember seeing -- it was a tall, grey, imposing structure with parapets and crenellated walls and turrets and balconies and... It was, in actual fact, far more like a castle than a manor.

“Maybe she’s round the other side...” Hayden suggested. It seemed like he was growing in confidence.

“Then why don’t you go and have a look,” commanded Katya. “I have to talk to Nick. Alone.”

Hayden shrugged and set off. It was clear, to Nick, who was wearing the trousers in this little group.

“What is it?” Nick asked, though he watched Hayden trudge along the manor wall and disappear around the corner. “And why did you have to send Hayden off like that?”

Katya bit her lip and stared at the ground as if the words she wanted to say might be written there in the snow. They weren’t.

“It’s... a personal matter,” she said, still not meeting Nick’s eyes. “About... well... about Rose.”

“Who’s Rose?” asked Nick. Katya’s gaze flicked up. She looked at him in horror.

“You know,” she said, producing one of those bizarre red and white balls from the pocked of her coat. “Don’t you remember Rose? Your Pokémon?”

“Pokey-what?” asked Nick.

Katya’s jaw dropped. “You cannot be serious.”

“And what’s with those multicoloured balls?” asked Nick bitterly. She was making him feel stupid. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them before.”

Katya’s stunned expression was the only reply he got before Hayden’s scream broke the icy silence of the manor. The scream was followed by angry shouting in a language Nick didn’t understand. Katya muttered something that sounded like a curse and started sprinting towards the cry. Nick swallowed and set off in the same direction.

“Wha-- what’s happening?”

“Shut up and keep your voice down, Nicky boy.”

The pair reached the corner of the wall, skidding to a stop and Katya cautiously peered round. Standing there, in the snow, were Hayden and Eve with their hands behind their backs and fear in their eyes. Standing around them were five tall men dressed similarly to Katya herself -- they wore grey greatcoats and ushanka like her.

“Chyort...” Katya muttered softly. Then she noticed Nick trying to peer round as well. “Stop it!” She grabbed his oversized coat collar and shoved him backwards into the snow. His expression was priceless.

Without a word Katya threw herself down next to him and started scooping handfuls of snow over them, starting at their legs and working her way up making sure they were entirely covered.

“What are you doing?” Nick whispered.

“Hiding us,” Katya replied. “Those are bad men. Bad, bad men. We can’t let them find us.”

“But who are they?”

Katya did not reply. She piled snow up behind her head and then, when she’d positioned her coat effectively over the pair, she dislodged it and felt the pressing weight of the snow complete their hiding place. It was not a trick she liked to use, but the “snow tomb” was the only way she could think of hiding them.

“I know,” whispered Nick, trying not to let his teeth chatter. “They’re police aren’t they! They’re after you because you’re a thief!”

“No,” said Katya. “Much worse than that.”

Nick’s wide eyes pleaded.

“Those men,” said Katya, “are my family.”

The Russian Kat | Mimeton Manor

“Those men...are my family.”

A moment of silence passed, and since Katya couldn’t exactly see his expression, she couldn’t figure out what was passing through his head. She knew what she was thinking, though. After all those years of starving, fighting, stealing from people and getting betrayed, why now? For a moment, she wondered whether her father had gotten out of prison; she didn’t want to think of the possibility. She wanted to go back to the team, or anywhere; she didn’t want to go back to being cooped up in a big house, lonely and reading stories to a Growlithe...

No, she’d probably be lucky if she had a Pokemon left after they found her. As she thought this, Nick shifted uncomfortably beside her and spoke up, breaking the train of horrible images that began to present themselves one after another.

“I am so lost in the snow,” he murmured, jaw clenched to keep his teeth from chattering. Katya smiled in a half-nostalgic manner, as she remembered someone else saying the very same thing. That someone...she closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it.

“Just hold on,” she told him. “Once they leave we can get out of this. We’ll have to get out of this town, altogether, or they’ll find us.”

“But...what about Hayden and the other girl?”

“They won’t be harmed...I hope.” She added the last to herself. She didn’t know what they were capable of, to be honest; but she knew that as far as her father might’ve gone, he wouldn’t have hurt a child intentionally in the process. Now, whether these people were the same...Katya shuddered, hearing footsteps coming closer.

And closer...

Katya’s breath caught. No matter if the only way out was through here; the footsteps shouldn’t have come this close. Just as she began to think that she had forgotten something very important, she felt the coat on them dragged off and herself being picked up by the back of her collar.

“Put me down!” She struggled viciously as she watched Nick being picked up as well. The men looked at her and Nick, sizing them up and down. They seemed especially interested in Katya, sending several stares her way--not of recognition, rather, but of inquiry. Katya felt herself being put down.

“Иди сюда, девочка.”

Katya winced and glanced over at Nick, who had been put down as well. He looked bewildered and wasn’t even trying to resist anymore. He’d stopped struggling and stared at Katya as if she was somehow to blame for this random encounter. Katya gulped and sidled closer, still maintaining a distance between herself and her ‘family’.

“Не волнуйтесь, мы вам не повредит.” The man who had said that beckoned her towards him. Katya shook her head and glared at him, with eyes that specifically said ‘I’m perfectly fine staying right here, thank you very much’. He tched and held up the jacket. “Значит ли это, принадлежит вам?”

“Да, да, ну и что?” Katya’s glare had turned a touch more defiant and angry, and the man chuckled and tossed it to her. She grabbed it, not even wincing. “Что вы хотите от нас?”

The man shrugged. “Ничего, если честно. Мы были просто интересно, если вы говорите на русском языке.”

“Do you understand these guys, Katya?” asked Nick, his voice barely louder than a breath.

“да...I mean, yes.” Katya corrected herself, twitching irritably. “They speak my birth language, Nicky-boy.”

“Let’s just do what they want. We shouldn’t be in this mess.”

“The thing is, I do not exactly know what they want.” Katya, still glaring, switched gears and turned back to the man. “Что именно вы хотите от нас?”

"Ну ... вы Покемон тренеров, не так ли?” He bowed down, making his face level to his, and grinned. “Что вы скажете, чтобы помочь нам немного? Возможно, мы могли бы попытаться отпустить вас, если вы делаете.” His voice was considerate, and Katya put a hand on her cheek, mulling the offer over.

“Что делать, если я сказал, не так ли?”

“Тогда мы могли бы просто взять все ваши покемонов и уйти.” He said all this with a straight face, and Katya couldn’t help it if her eyebrow twitched ever so little. “Ну что ж, немного скучаю, ты согласен?”

“Хех ... Вы действительно не дал мне большого выбора, нет.” Katya sighed, and turned back to Nick. “So what do you think, Nick?”

He blinked at her. “Wha?”

Team Rocket | Mimeton Manor Interior

Mandy draped herself over the throne like a cat on a mat. Except, perhaps, a bit more stylishly and luxuriantly. She was born for this sort of life -- the airs and graces of a civilised woman came as naturally to her as the charades winning ability of a Mr Mime. Too bad they weren’t as capable at locking their doors.

She had a colourful drink in a cocktail glass in one hand and a parasol in the other which she leaned over one shoulder. It was an awful affectation that had no justification, least of all because it was such wintery weather here in the North. “Andy, darling, this is the life, don’t you think?” Her cheeks heated up as she took a sip of the drink, and she slumped back even more, giggling.

“Oh yes, Mandy,” he replied pulling gadgets from one of the three dark brown holdalls in front of him on the floor. He’d been having such fun with a laser pointer earlier that Mandy had been forced to confiscate it so he didn’t blind anyone (including himself). “I do believe this really is the perfect place for a Team Rocket Base.”

She clinked the tiny remnants of icecubes in her glass. There were, however, some things that could be improved. Especially the fish tank lurking in the corner of the room. Fishes. She’d never, ever forgive them. Ever. “Probably...if you could actually move yourself to do something about that...abomination!” Mandy shuddered, making Andy stare at her.

“Oh come now, Mandy. You’re just wound up about that tentacular adventure we had on the Sevii Islands.” Andy sounded a little too excited about said adventure for her tastes, making her eyebrow twitch spasmodically.

But Mandy didn’t have time for this argument. “Make yourself useful and fetch me some more ice, Andy,” she said, demonstrating her flair for life in society’s upper crust. “From outside, Andy -- nothing, nothing compares to fresh ice from the fountain outside.” She touched the glass to her cheek, giggling.

Andy scowled but left without complaining.

Mandy relaxed further back into the cushions of the throne. This was indeed the life. And now, with that little cache of goodies they’d “liberated” from the strange Russian-speaking group back there, they even had their own stash of spy gear. It was like a childhood dream-come-true! Ehehehehe...hehe...heh...snore.

“It was like taking candy from four bearded babies,” she murmured, still half-awake. “They didn’t even have any Pokémon to defend themselves!”

The next moment Mandy was being shaken awake by a terrified Andy.

“They’re here, Mandy!” he wailed. “Wake up, Mandy -- they’re here!”

“What are you...blathering...about?!” Mandy grumbled, grabbing his collar. “Who’s here, you dimwit? The boss?”

“Nooo,” he cried, unsure what do do with his hands now he’d stopped shaking her. “The bearded babies! It looks like they want their gear back!”

Mandy pushed Andy away and got to her feet. “Finders keepers, loosers weepers. If they think they’re gonna get their gadgets back that easy...come on Andy.”

“Let’s get nefarious.”

“To the shadows!”

***

Nick | Mimeton Manor Interior

Two of the so-called “Russians” threw open the doors to Mimeton Manor. It was an impressive entrance hall to say the least.

Two stairways, soaked in scarlet carpet, curled inwards from each side of the room to meet in the middle, forming a balcony behind which an even grander set of doors could be seen. The wallpaper appeared to be inlaid with some sort of golden material that sparkled in the candle-light. The party felt their eyes drawn to the doors at the top of the stairs, where the master of the house would emerge to greet his guests, no doubt.

“Prepare for trouble,” Nick murmured, earning a cuffed ear from one of the Russians.

“Что вы говорите?” Nick turned to Katya, who shrugged and said, “he just wants to know what you were talking about.”

Nick looked genuinely surprised as well. “I have absolutely no idea,” he said, simply.

A scuffling of feet behind them announced the arrival of Hayden and Eve. He made eye-contact with the boy who looked as scared as Nick felt. Eve’s face changed completely when she spotted him. She must have known him from before, Nick realised. He felt like telling her, but something told him it would be a bit difficult to explain things right now.

“Вы будете бороться с этими ворами,” one of the Russians commanded. Nick looked to Katya for a translation.

“They say there’s someone they want us to fight,” she rubbed her nose, looking uncomfortable. “Thieves, they said.”

“Great,” said Eve distastefully. “So we’re being coerced into doing their dirty work?”

Katya made a face and shrugged. Nick wondered if he was meant to be any good at “fighting”.

“Там!” shouted a Russian, pointing to the top of the stairs. “Это они там, наверху!”

On cue there was a flash and the doors flew open accompanied by a plume of smoke. Two silhouettes were just about visible through the smog, and they walked forwards to stand preening at the balcony. Nick was ever so confused, but he had to admire their style.

“Prepare for glitz!”

“Prepare for glamour.”

“Meet the new owners of Mimeton Manor!”

It looked like the villains had more to say but the Russians were having none of it. With tremendous shouts they pushed forwards the four children to face the shady figures. The others seemed to be fumbling for those red and white balls again. Nick looked down at the ones in his satchel and wondered what on earth they thought they were going to do with them.

“So eager to play, are we?” asked the female voice.

“We’d hate to disappoint the children,” smarmed the male one.

“Especially these children!”

“You’ve got a lot to answer for, kids!”

“Oh god, no.” Katya rubbed her forehead. “Please tell me it ees not them.”

“Looks like these bullies don’t remember the last lesson we taught them,” said Eve, cracking her knuckles.

“Bullies never learn,” muttered Hayden.

“It will be you who’ll be learning the lesson this time!” the female voice shrieked. “Arbok, go!”

“Let’s show them how it’s done, Mandy,” added the male. “Golbat, I choose you!”

Nick was speechless when the giant bat and snake emerged from the smoke. But what his friends did next was even worse. He finally saw what those red and white balls contained, and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Kristine | Sin's Penthouse

Kristine took a bite of her pizza just as Sam leaned back in his seat with a sharp outtake of breath. She looked at him, Sam inspecting the piece of pizza in his hands. "Would you like a napkin?"

"Did he order this?" Sam asked with a full mouth.

Kristine looked to Sinclair who also took a first bite of his pizza. He thought a moment and shook his head. "Nope. Definitely homemade."

"He spiked the sauce, didn't he?" Sam wrinkled his nose. "And not with good stuff either."

"It's rather delicious," Sin said with a shrug. "It tastes like Crebbins' cooking. He tends to add more flavor to his food--"

"I was hoping for Papa Jacks or Donny Jo's," Sam grumbled, yet he took another bite of his pizza.

While the boys debated over the best brand of pizza, Kristine fed Lucy a little sausage, then scratched her Eevee behind the ears. Lucy purred, seeming to smile up at her.

"What kinds of pokemon are on your team now?" Laura said.

Kristine whirled her head around and looked at their new friend who stared at her emotionlessly. Kristine smiled politely. "I've a pidgey, bulbasaur, pikachu, muk, and eevee! They're all so wonderful, and I'd never trade them for anything--"

"That elimnates Leafeon and Jolteon only," she replied thoughtfully and took another bite of pizza. She took a moment to swallow her food before continuing. "That's assuming you're training to become a well-rounded trainer."

Kristine laughed and shook her head. "I'm not much of a trainer, I'm afraid."

"Surely, you're not a breeder?" Laura said with so much surprise, a normal person would have been offended. Even Kristine wasn't quite sure how she should take it.

But as usual, she laughed. "Sort of, yeah! I was raised in a Pokemon orphanage. It's where I first met my bulbasaur, Berry!"

One of Laura's eyebrow lifted curiously, and she eyed the eevee snitching yet another sausage. "I see you've got a bit more to learn. I'd be happy to, er... help you train your pokemon. It appears your eevee's diet might need to be... rethought."

Kristine looked down at Lucy, but Lucy only peered back with that excited look. "I would love the extra help, actually!" she said, giving Laura the same excited look Lucy gave her. "It's so wonderful of you to offer! I'm sure you know so much, and I'd love to learn so much more. My mom specialized in herbs and potion-making, so she was always more of a doctor than a breeder."

Laura gave a very brief and apparently fake look of interest before returning to her pizza. She seemed to be regretting ever involving herself with such a naive redhead, but Kristine only smiled brilliantly. She heard Sam suddenly sit up and reach for another piece of pizza, and he eyed the two of them. "Good pizza, eh, Sunshine?" he said with a wink, sending yet another glance at Laura as if hoping she'd notice.

Kristine nodded. "Definitely! Sin, you'll have to tell Crebbins that his cooking is phenominal."

Sin grunted, setting his fork and knife on his empty plate.

Kristine's brow knitted together with concern. "Sin?"

"I appear to have lost my appetite," he muttered, not looking at anyone.

Laura fell back in her chair as casually as Sam sat in his and looked at Sinclair peculiarly. "No one's a better judge of your own pokemon than you are. You will know and your pokemon will know when it's time to evolve, but your butler's got no business sticking his nose anywhere in yours."

"Laura's right," Kristine said and smiled. "You've got the firestone still, right? Cade will let you know when it's time to evolve. Crebbins is definitely concerned, but he wasn't watching you travel all around Kanto, fighting and training as much as you have been. Cade's come a long way -- all of your pokemon have!"

Sinclair seemed to pull out a pokeball. Kristine guessed it was Cade's, watching him finger the pokeball in his hands thoughtfully.

"Fire pokemon have an advantage over grass anyway," Art suddenly said. He shirked back as they all looked at the new voice in their conversation, and David intervened heroically.

"We'll go in tomorrow, beat the gym, and go out." He ate the last bite of his crust and said with his mouth full, "Then we go out for pizza to celebrate."

Sam cheered.

"I'm partial to ice cream," Kristine put in lightly, taking a big bite of her pizza.

"Agreed," Laura said, taking a bite as well.

Sinclair took a deep breath and nodded. "Ice cream would be delightful, actually."

Hayden | Mimeton Manor

Spoiler

Back for three weeks. Pokemon team for reference: Ophelia [Cubone], Kaze [Vulpix], Salem [Meowth], Murtle [Haunter], yet-to-be-hatched Farfetch'd egg

Here we go again.

"Ophelia, go!" Hayden said, tossing out his partner's pokeball. She appeared in a flash of light and didn't need instruction before tossing her bone, landing a square hit on Arbok's head before it could lunge any farther. Another flash of light and a loud "Me-owth!" preceded Salem leaping into the fray and attaching himself to Mandy's face, claws flying.

"Ow! OW! Arbok, get him off me!" she yelped, causing Salem to leap off her and go to Andy, and Arbok to headbut Mandy on her already-scratched face. Andy wasn't having much better luck, but he was trying to get the pokemon off himself.

Eve and Katya seemed to have the rest of the battle handled, along with 'Felia. Andy finally got Salem off his face and kicked him across the room, which only earned a loud HISSSSS and Meowth once again attacking.

But Hayden couldn't help notice the other large, overbearing Russians watching the group's best pokemon fight against Team Rocket. Chances are, they'd want the group's pokemon just as much as Team Rocket did.

He slipped his hand into his belt and released another pokeball behind him. "Murtle, get ready for some backup."

The Haunter vanished into the wall, a bit put out that it couldn't join the party. Hayden breathed a small sigh of relief before going back to directing 'Felia and Salem in the fight. All the rest had done both of them good, and they were fighting their hardest again.

Dratini and Eevee tackled them back, driving the group outside. Salem helped, taking turns between Andy and Mandy to get them disoriented enough they could go into the freezing cold.

Now the battle could really start.

Spoiler

Rusty? What are you talking about?

Laura Sherwood | Sin's Penthouse

She finished off her pizza, lounging comfortably in her chair at the rich kid's table and watching the others talk. She wasn't quite sure what she'd gotten herself into, allowing them to bring her here. She was certain, though, that she'd be stuck with them for a while. They didn't seem like the type of people to let a person move on on their own.

It might be nice, she thought, to be with other people than just my pokemon.

Laura jumped up from her chair, practically shouting in surprise as she remembered her pokemon. "Er, Sin, right?" she said, looking at the boy who's family owned the penthouse they were staying in. He nodded, staring at her as if mildly put off by her behavior. "Do you mind if I let my pokemon out?" she asked. "This place isn't too...nice for that is it?"

"No," he said. "I don't see why not."

Laura nodded and moved away from the table, taking her backpack from where she had left it against the wall. She pulled out three of her four pokeballs and let out Sweetie, Toby, and Eli.

Sweetie pouted as soon as she was freed from her pokeball again, crossing her arms over her little pink chest and turning away from Laura. Toby and Eli pawed playfully at each other, happy to be together again.

"You have two Eevees?" Kristine asked, her mouth hanging wide open with excitement.

"Mhmm," Laura said. She nodded, but didn't turn to look Kristine in the eyes as she spoke to her. "Did I not mention that?" She dug through her backpack, pulling out three bowls and two cylindrical tins. She filled each bowl with a pile of soft looking spheres from the tins and set them in front of her pokemon, who ate eagerly after being cooped up in their pokeballs all day.

She stood, holding the tin she had filled Toby and Eli's bowls with, and returned to her seat next to Kristine. "May I?" she asked, gesturing for Kristine to pass her Eevee to her.

Kristine eyed her hesitantly before finally letting Lucy hop over into Laura's lap.

"This is a special pokemon food I make myself," Laura explained as she fed a piece to the Eevee. She purred as she ate it, rubbing her face against Laura's hand. "I make all of my own pokemon food," she said. "It's designed to suit each pokemon I have, and their nutrition needs. If you want, Kristine, I can show you how to make it for Lucy. She seems to like it." She smiled and placed a handful of the food in Kristine's hand, letting Lucy jump back to Kristine's lap and eat it happily.

Toby and Eli pawed at Laura's legs, and she bent down to pull them both onto her lap. She glanced up only to see everyone staring at her around the table, and it occurred to her that none of them had seen her smile before. "What?" she asked, fighting back a laugh. "You've never seen a girl happy to see her pokemon before?" She wrapped her arms tighter around Toby and Eli, pulling them closer to her chest. "Just wait until you see me with my Ponyta."

David | Audley Suite


”Ponyta.”

Kristine’s mouth dropped.

Wide.

Open.

Sam leaned in to David’s shoulder, tapping him in the ribs, “This just got good.”

“You.”

“...yes?”

“You have a Po--”

“Say it,” Laura teased, petting Toby’s mane.

“You...have a P-p-p-p-” she started paling. “Ponyta?”

Laura, Miss Blue-Haired-Ace-Trainer-From-A-Place-You’ve-Never-Heard-Of grinned, and her Eevee boys did the same. “Only the fastest, most stunning Ponyta in all of Kanto.” Her eyes trailed off across the table, peering over the boys on the other side who, she thought, seemed to be making bets.

And that’s when Kristine fell to her knees, gripping Laura’s jacket. “You must show me your Ponyta. You must, you must, you must!”

Laura eased her chair back slowly, releasing herself from Kristine’s grip. “As much as I’d love to show off my prized pokemon, I don’t really think a hotel suite is the place for a horse...”

Kristine melted, placing her hands on her folded knees, dejected. “I suppose you’re right,” she said, and looked over her shoulder to Sin. “Unless...” She batted her eyelashes, puckering her lips so much she looked like a Smoochum.

Sin looked away; “She’s right, Kristine,” as the butler walked by, “Crebbins would never allow it.”

“On the contrary,” sneered Crebbins, “I think it may do Master Audley some good to see how a top-line fire pokemon truly performs.”

”Ouch,” whispered Sam.

David looked to Art to his right, and then to Sam on his left and whispered, “Every time she says Ponyta, we have to take a shot of soda.” Sam nodded. Art seemed to be calculating.

“You realize that the sheer caffeine ingestion alone could keep us awake for days, given her track record? We’d--we’d need a Jigglypuff for a cat nap!”

David kicked back his chair and crossed his arms, grinning. “That’s the idea, boys.” Sam and Art exchanged glances, and then nodded--before David’s dining chair took a slip backwards, sending him to the floor with a solitary THONK.

On the other side of the table, the conversation had continued, ending as the other three got up as Kristine clapped her hands with a jubilant, “Ponyta!”

Sam picked up David’s soda and tipped it over into his mouth. “We’re gonna die,” he said.

__ __ __ __ __

The girls--and Sin--had taken their Ponyta exhibition out onto the balcony, leaving the guys in the den watching one of Sin’s sappy movies. David was laid back in a recliner with Poliwag sleeping on his chest, Sam lay in the floor using Flaaffy as a pillow. And Art sat Indian-style on the couch, tinkering with his PokeGear.

Empty soda cans littered the floor.

“Y’know,” David murmured, his cheek pressed into his fist, “leave it to Sin’s butler to only have caffeine-free soda.” His stomach roared and churned, and he made an awkward face.

Light filtered in through the windows from the ponyta’s flames, and every time they would flare up, it was like you could count it down--five, four, three, two--

“Ponyta!”

“Bottoms up,” groaned Sam.

“Dave,” said Art, using a spark from Magnemite’s poles to solder a wire, “you’re not filled with good ideas today.”

“Here, here,” called Sam, raising his next can of soda, but then thought better. “Oh, right...”

David sat up, sending Poliwag rolling into his lap, “I just thought’a something, guys.”

“Wha?” Sam propped himself up on his arms while Jigglypuff Garland began singing about a rainbow.

“Sin’s butler has been badgering him about training his Pokemon...”

“Right.”

“And no one on Earth is more orderly than Sin’s butler.”

“Right.”

“And remember how clean the gym leader’s office was?”

“...riiight...”

“And now suddenly Sin’s butler wants to pester him about fire Pokemon.”

“Right.”

“And the gym leader uses grass types.”

Sam punched the floor. “Out with it, man!”

“Guys.” David looked at both of them. “Crebbins...”

They both leaned in with anticipation.

“...is the Gym Leader’s janitor.”

The door to the balcony opened, and Kristine popped her head in the room. “Guys, you have to come see this Ponyta!”

She ran as soda cans went flying after her.

Katgirl | Mimeton Manor

Alva headbutted into the Ekans, sending it wheeling backwards into a motion of tail over head over tail over head...and it hit a wall, the poor Pokemon wrapped up into a snowball at least twice the size of its body. Katya pumped her fist into the air and pointed at the Golbat. “Alva, quick--”

“Stop right there, Catgirl. That’s my prey.” Eve turned to her Dratini. “Tina, use Twister!”

‘Teeny!’ The Golbat would probably have been blown away by now, had not Alva got in the way and quick attacked the bat Pokemon into the ground.By now the glare Eve was directing at Katya had risen up to the level of poison a Muk was capable of. “What was that for, Catface?”

“Don’t ask me, Alva is working on her own.” Katya shrugged, although there was a mincing smile on her face. “It’s probably better for you to get out of the way.”

“That Golbat is my prey. Mine.” Eve bared her teeth viciously at Katya. “I don’t need a twit like you to get in my way!”

“Er, guys?” Hayden attempted to interrupt. “We’re in a battle here...”

“Narcissist!”

“Kleptomaniac!”

“Showoff!”

“Sneak!”

“Headless Horsewoman!”

“You--” Eve made a grab for Katya’s collar, only unable to as Hayden grabbed her from behind. “One of these days, I’ll beat you, I swear!”

Behind the arguing pair, however, Alva had already beat the Golbat into the dirt, and pawed at it uneasily. Katya’s Eevee began to glow, distracting the two girls from their argument. “Vreee!”

“What the--”

“Alva is evolving!” Katya clapped her hands together. “She ees evolving!”

“We can see that!” Eve snapped. When the light died down, Alva had not only grown larger, but also had changed shape.

She had turned into a Glaceon!

Laura Sherwood | Sin's Penthouse : Balcony

Ponyta was soaking up the attention, and Kristine was giving it away like potions at the free PokeClinic in Fuschia City. Laura ran her hands along Ponyta's mane of fire, massaging his neck beneath the flames. He'd been in his pokeball too often lately, and Laura knew he didn't enjoy it. But it hadn't been the easiest thing having him out in the city. Not all people liked watching a wild fire horse gallop through their neighborhood streets.

"Ponyta!" Kristine squealed again as the flames on his mane and tail flared again. He mimicked the call himself, shaking his head and reaching to nudge Kristine's outstretched hand with his nose. "Guys!" she called, turning back toward the balcony door. "You need to come see this Ponyta!"

"Fish likes you," Laura said over Kristine's squeals as Fish nuzzled her. "That's a new one, actually. He won't burn me, since I raised him since he was a foal. But he doesn't always take to strangers that well. Especially... loud strangers. No offense."

"Did you just call your Ponyta Fish?" Sam asked from the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. He was still sour at Laura from dinner, but she wasn't sorry. It actually amused her to watch him pout so much.

"That's his name," Laura said. "I don't insult the names you give your Pokemon. Besides, my brother named him, not me."

"But he's a horse."

"Shut it." Laura shot him a glare and turned back to her Ponyta. He really was a gorgeous Pokemon, and by no surprise to Laura. He'd been her first Pokemon, given to her by her brother from an egg his own Ponyta had produced. Fish was also the Pokemon she had begun her Breeder training on, and she had worked hard to get him to the state he was in now.

"So I'm assuming you'll be using him at the gym tomorrow," Sin said. There was something in his voice, annoyance maybe, or distaste. Laura suspected it had to do with his Butler's comments about his own fire Pokemon, and it's apparent lack of evolution. As Laura brushed down Fish, she couldn't help but frown a bit as she thought about it. Her parents were well respected Breeders for their belief that every Pokemon was different, and it would improve along with it's trainer.

Out at the farm, it wasn't unusual that Laura's parents would take in traveling trainers from all over the region and teach them how to care for their Pokemon. Her father was more solitary, and worked one on one with their own Pokemon, but her mother adored teaching and working with trainers to care for their Pokemon.

Laura watched Sin where he stood back from Fish, his hands crossed behind his back. Maybe she ought to talk to him about his Pokemon. Maybe she could help him. Or at least assure him that he was doing everything just fine.

"I'm not sure I'm going to compete tomorrow," Laura said at last, having taken much too long to respond appropriately for conversation.

"You'd do just fine with this Ponyta," Sin said, not seeming to notice her temporary drop in conversation. "You wouldn't have much to worry about."

Laura shrugged. "Yeah," she said, trailing off for a minute. She felt everyones eyes on her, and her muscles tensed in her back. If nothing else, she hated being watched. "I just don't want to embarrass anyone by showing you all up so beautifully." She flipped her blue hair over her shoulder and smirked.

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked, clutching one of his Pokeballs in his hand. "I'll take you right now!"

Laura laughed and shook her head. "Save your Pokemon for tomorrow," she said. "Battling me proves nothing if it only tires your Pokemon out so they can't battle well enough tomorrow to get you a badge." She smirked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. "If this leader's as tough as I've heard, you're going to need all the advantage you can get."

Spoiler

Sidenote: Laura's older brother (who gave her Fish the Ponyta) is a stellar trainer who has gone on to be a gym leader and breeder in another region. She has always felt like she's following in his shadow, which is why she is on the trainer pathway fighting for badges (trying to become more successful than he did; he never defeated the Elite Four) when she'd rather take on a path of her own.

Hayden | Mimeton Manor

Now that they were outside, Hayden called out Kaze to help deal some finishing blows to the rest of Team Rocket and cover for Kat and Eva fighting. Again. Glacion was at least helping a little.

Kaze and Alva got into a fire and ice rhythm, quickly beating Team Rocket back farther. Until Eva's Dratini began tackling both away so she could get into the fray. 'Felia noticed and was about to launch a massive THONK upon both Glacion and Dratini, but when she jumped up to deliver the strike, she... moved. Up and sideways.

And hit Golbat square on the head before he could take advantage of the situation.

Hayden squinted and saw a purple hand holding her up and lowering her back down. At a last-ditch attack, 'Felia caught on and let out a Bone Club of epic proportions.

"Let's finish this!" all three of them yelled at once. Hayden wasn't sure if the other two meant what he did.

The club connected, along with a Glacion, Dratini, and Vulpix tackle. The shockwave created was enough to send Team Rocket into the air.

"Looks like Team Rocket's Blasting off agaaaaaaaaain!"

The group watched as they vanished into the sky.

Eva sneered at Kat. "Of course you get a Glacion."

Kat just glared back. "And you have a Dratini!"

"Разбейте это," one of the men said.

Another looked between the three of them. "Может быть мы должны взять вашего покемона, чтобы ослабить сражение."

Kat paled. "N-no! You ees not taking our Pokemon!"

Hayden shuffled back, putting Salem back in his pokeball along with Kaze and 'Felia. Eva and Kat were doing the same, trying to get away from the Russians closing in.

"Murtle..."

"Who— whoa!" a third Russian said as he was lifted into the air and tossed to the side. The other two looked up to their fallen family member.

"RUN!" Eva yelled.

They didn't need to be told twice.

The woods were the safest place to be. Hayden cast a glance back to make sure Nick was following them before he focused on the three looming shadows behind him, at the entrance. A large amount of snow fell from the trees on one of their heads.

Hayden would have been a bit more triumphant had that slowed them down.

He kept hearing commotion from behind them as they tripped over branches and had to go through more snow landing on their heads. But at least Murtle’s tricks were letting the group gain ground. And with snow, footprints would be too easy to spot.

The three were beginning to pant as the run got to them, and no place to escape making itself visible. It was looking like they were about to be caught, until...

“AAAAAAAAIEE!”

A scream. From three grown men. That had sounded very much like a girl.

It was unusual enough that all four stopped in their tracks and turned, just in case something turned on them. But the only thing coming down the path was a very amused, laughing Murtle.

Nick, Eva and Kat backed up, paling, beginning to hug each other and reach for their pokeballs. Hayden just smiled at the Haunter. “Good work, Murtle.”

“Eets yours?” Cat asked slowly.

Hayden nodded.

“When’d you let it out?” Eve asked.

Hayden ducked his head. “After you two started fighting.”

The two girls glared at each other and crossed their arms, not touching the point.

Nick cleared his throat. “Wha— what is that?”

Nick | Heading South

If he was quite honest, Nick was only remembering about half the stuff Katya and Hayden were telling him. Making sure he could stay on his feet was taking most of his concentration.

“For some people, Pokémon are pets,” said Hayden.

“Others use them for battling,” added Katya with fierce expression. Nick thought her frosty features resembled that of her so-called Glaceon.

“As for us,” said Eve, waiting for the others to catch up, “we’re Pokémon trainers.”

“What are trainers again?”

As if it was an appropriate response to his question, a snowball sailed out of the snowbanks to their left and hit Nick square in the side of the head. It wasn’t tightly packed but it surprised him enough to warrant a small squeak. Bizarrely, his next thought was one of understanding.

“Oh yeah,” he continued. “Catching and battling Pokémon to collect gym badges.”

“That’s right,” said Katya. Eve nodded as well, but only when she was sure Katya couldn’t see her. Hayden peered at the snowdrift as if he expected another snowball.

“And you need the gym badges to battle the Elite Four,” said Nick, feeling like he was on a roll now. The others stopped in their tracks.

“That’s ri--” repeated Katya, but Eve didn’t let her finish.

“What was that?” Eve asked, looking him directly in the eyes.

“I think he sai--”

Eve glowered at Katya. “I wasn’t asking you.”

“Err, just that we need to defeat the gym leaders so we can battle the Elite Four,” said Nick.

Katya raised an eyebrow. “So what, Eve? I could have told you that.”

“Yeah you could,” said Hayden, breaking his silence. “But we didn’t get round to telling Nick about the gyms yet.”

“Let alone the Elite Four,” completed Eve. She pulled a face and turned away from Katya. “That means your memory is returning, Nick.”

With everyone looking at him like that, Nick felt less like a person and more like a rare breed of Eevee.

Eve spun on her heel and started walking south again. “Let’s keep going,” she said. “Maybe all that stuff you used to remember about plants will come back soon.”

“Let’s keep going,” imitated Katya in a scarily accurate portrayal of Eve’s leadership.

Another snowball landed on the back of Nick’s head with a thump and he ducked reflexively even though it was too late.

“Ow,” he muttered. “Who’s throwing these?”

Katya looked behind them and scowled at the snowdrifts, clearly under the impression that she could prevent any more attacks purely by her intimidating glare. Apparently she couldn’t because the moment she turned back to the group a pair of snowballs hit both of them, again on the back of their heads.

“Ouch!”

“Ooof!”

Katya and Nick ran a little to catch up with the other two to warn them. It definitely wasn’t a hasty retreat.

“Finished messing about back there?” asked Eve. Katya gave her, if it was possible, an even darker scowl. Nick was about to explain what was happening when Hayden spoke up again.

“I think it’s one of our Pokémon out there.”

“Oh great,” said Nick, still not entirely comfortable with these so-called Pocket Monsters. “I bet it’s your Hauting or something.”

“Haunt-er.”

“That’s the one.”

Nick was going to ask Hayden to put it away, but then he took a snowball to the knee. For a moment he was worried his adventuring days were over, but it was just a snowball.

“Murtle, that’s enough!” shouted Eve to the white expanse.

The only reply was a chilling laughter that didn’t seem localised to any one place. It was very disorientating.

“Actually, I think you’ll find Murtle is my Pokémon,” corrected Hayden. His words were reinforced by a trio of snowballs that landed on the three other trainers. Hayden gestured to his snowball free clothes. “See?” He turned around to look at the forest. “Murtle...”

The laughter began again, but this time it coalesced (or something spelt similarly to that) into its visible purple form in front of the group. With one last laugh it leaned back and threw itself forwards into a Pokéball at Hayden’s waist. The fun was over, it seemed, for now.

“You ought to learn to control your Pokémon,” lectured Eve. “They’re no good to you if they won’t follow your commands.”

When it was clear Hayden wasn’t going to say something, Katya helpfully intervened.

“Perhaps you should learn not to control other people’s lives,” she said, rolling her eyes, and muttered in a lower voice to herself. “Narcissist.”

“Hey look, guys,” said Nick, pointing to the top of the next hill. “There’s some shelter over there by that dead Lum Berry tree. We could sleep there for the night?”

The two girls were locked in a “stare-off” but Hayden seemed glad for the distraction. He and Nick started walking toward their camp for the night, but the girls stayed right where they were.

“Err, are you two coming?” called Nick before they got out of earshot.

Hayden shook his head. “Not until one of them blinks.”

David Birch | Celadon Gym

“Y’know, without the stress of breaking and entering, this place is kinda nice...” Sam strolled around the main lobby of the gym, staring at the weird, exotic plants that were strewn from grounded root to ceiling, stretching along sky-long windows in the foyer.

David came up behind him and jabbed Sam in the ribs. “Hush, numb nuts--no one can know that we broke in.”

Sam rubbed his side and nodded, looking back at the plants that covered the walls. “Y’know, it’s probably no secret that this place uses grass-type pokemon. We probably didn’t even have to go all 007 on the joint to get the info.”

Art stalked up between them, nodding and holding out his newly-acquired PokePad for David to see. “It’s obvious, I think,” he said. “I mean, the Celadon Home Page is covered in all these leaves and cleaning supp--”

David snatched the PokePad and cocked his head to the side as a leaf fell from a limb above and fell on the screen. “Arty, where did you get this?”

“eBayleef, of course,” Art responded with a smirk. He brushed the dainty leaf off the screen and tugged it back towards himself. “Now, it also says that the Leader is some big-name but--”

“Heck yeah, he’s a butt!” Sam pounded his fist into the air, “or he will be when I get finished with him.”

“Feeling a little confident, Samwise?” Laura slid up behind the trio and flipped a mesh of blue hair over her shoulder, smirking. “With your sorry little team, I’d be shaking--well, no. No I wouldn’t be shaking in my boots--because I’m a far superior trainer.”

David wondered if the personality switch was just for some Lauraesque pre-battle swagger, or if she really was determined to take Sam’s confidence down.

Either way, it was fun to watch.

“You’ll see,” Sam replied. “You’ll see how incredigreat my team is--especially Manny!”

“Sam...” Art whispered after a brief second, “I’m fairly certain that’s not a real word.” Sam facepalmed.

“Are we done gossiping, ladies?” Sinclair and Kristine ambled in the door to the lobby, both holding an arm-length cup of hot chocolate. “You all ran off before the cocoa was done.” He frowned and looked at Kristine, “and then we had to take all that remained in these enormous cups.”

Kristine giggled, taking a long sip. “You don’t see me complaining, Sin!”

David arched his brow. Was an arm length of chocolate really what that girl needed?

“That can’t be right,” Art muttered, “Apparently the Gym Leader works for a family by the name of Aud-”

“Audino?” Sam exclaimed. “I don’t think you’ll find any butlers that cater exclusively to wild Pokemon.”

“No, no. Doesn’t this mean he or she works for Si-”

“All Gym Leaders work for the city, Art!”

“Samuel Veronica Martin,” Art snapped, “I am trying to explain that all these pieces of information seem to indicate that the Gym Leader is Cre-”

“He is a cretin,” Sam snapped back, “and... and how did you know - shut up.” Art rolled his eyes and clapped his PokePad shut.

Kristine took a huge gulp of the cocoa and wiped her mouth clean. “Let’s do this!” She then wandered off into the trees.

The gang watched her wander off, and Sinclair paled. “I’ve seen this before!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “She’s ingested too much caffeine and sugar, and now will slowly lose touch with reality.”

David watched the girl peering into the tree carelessly. “Just make sure she keeps her clothes on and doesn’t go jungle princess on us until the match is over.”

Everyone mmmh’d in agreement, except for Sam, who contemplated the results of failure.

__ __ __

On the second floor, the trees got even thicker. The linoleum floor was, instead of artificial plastic, loamy soil, and berry plants were scattered through the room. “Man,” David murmured, “Nick would have loved this place...”

Everyone remained quiet for a moment while thinking of Nick. David turned to Art. “Speaking of which, have you gotten any messages from Eve or Kat?

“Or Hayden,” Sinclair added, tugging Kristine along by a rope he’d gotten... somewhere.

“No,” Art said, dejected, “the last communique was transmitted from the far north, with many typos, I might add, almost out of Kanto.”

David lowered his head. “Right,” he said. “Sorry.” Everyone exchanged awkward glances before taking a step forward, moving David forward into the jungle room.

Kristine tugged at the rope around her wrist, wanting to explore the exotic room with all its fruits and colorful plants. David stepped away from the group, angling around a large palm branch, and was suddenly stolen back into the thick underbrush by a quartet of vine whips around his hands and feet. “MMPH!” he shouted, but was silenced by an enormous leaf over his mouth.

“DAVID!” Sam took out a Pokeball and threw it on the ground, releasing a dancing Scyther. “Manny, Swords Dance!” Scyther angled his blades forward, swinging in front of his torso with a gleam in his eye, the razors slashing through the fragile plants and vines like paper.

Suddenly, a red, glowing seed burst from the underbrush and knocked Scyther back, tangling him in an electrified tangle of leech vines. He fought against the bind until his blades could slice through the vines, releasing him, panting. But he’d succeeded, despite the alien attack--David was visible, restrained to a tree in the new clearing. Sam ran out and peeled the leaf off his mouth.

“G-guys, that was a Pokemon I’ve never seen before,” he said as Scyther cut him down from the tree.

“If that’s the case,” rang out a rocky voice, “then you have not traveled quite enough to have succeeded this much.”

From the darker underbrush walked a Pokemon Ranger in a black trenchcoat, black pants, and everything else matching--from hat to boots. The rugged woman smirked and held out David’s badges, each one gleaming in the weird light in the room. “Three badges, and you’ve never seen a Tangela!”

At the mention of its name, a small, blue, weedy creature hopped out of the bushes and sneered at David, who took out his Pokedex.

Tangela
Species: Vine Pokemon
Type: Grass

Tangela’s whole body is swathed with wide vines that are similar to seaweed. The vines sway as it walks, and snap off easily and painlessly if they are grabbed, allowing it to make a quick getaway. The lost vines are replaced by new growth the very next day.

David bit down on his lip, reaching for a pokeball. If its vines grew back so quickly, then he’d just have to attack through to the actual body. “Charme--!”

“--ah, ah, ahhh,” said the ranger, wagging her finger, “that’s not how this preliminary match is gonna work!” She reached into her side-bag and brought out a small red card, holding it up for them all to see. “If you want this key card, which will unlock the elevator to the gym leader’s arena, then you’ll have to play by my rules.”

Laura smirked. “And what are your rules, exactly?”

“If your Pokemon can’t handle berries and natural cures and battle techniques, then you’re no match for our leader, and you should just high-tail it out of Celadon!” She grinned. “So your preliminary is to gather up the rare Lum berries in this room.” She held out her arms, motioning around the vast jungle room. “There are four in here, so two of you don’t even get a chance at fighting Leader Cre--”

“Leader Creeper is going down, alright!” Sam grinned and took off with Scyther into the deep jungle without another word. The girl shrugged and looked at the others. “So which two won’t be braving the wild pokemon that live here to get the Lum berries?”