Coherence (PG-13) (Archived Story)

[Dunsparce]

I've decided to post my fic that has recieved 4.75 out of Five Stars on SPPf and has had very good reveiews on a little-known site called Hitmonet. Enjoy! :D

---Coherence---
Authored by Dunsparce
Co-Authored by ~*Commander Blizzard*~

Prologue:
Eons ago, humans and Pokémon coexisted in peace. Pokémon understood humans, and humans understood Pokémon. It was a wonderful time.

The humans built shrines and places of worship in honor of their companions. Pokémon were obviously more powerful than humans, but they considered humans as equals regardless.

Capture was meaningless. Pokémon befriended people and vice versa. There was no need for Pokéballs, and fights were few and brief. It was an incredible time, one many a human yearn for.

Nothing good lasts forever, The Golden Age being no exception. In time, enmities grew. Scuffles were more frequent in a week than they had been in a decade. The Pokémon would attack humans when they were threatened, and the humans would defend themselves with weapons.

Many saw the decay of the glorious time, but there was no way to prevent it. The empire fell apart completely.

Human children were less tolerant and patient than they had been in The Golden Age. There was no need to learn what their Pokémon said. Humans saw Pokémon only as slaves. What did it matter what a Pokémon felt as long as it understood battle commands?

The selfish attitude was a major factor in the downfall. The Golden Age could have been continued if the newer generation had taken. But it was a futile hope.

The final remnants of The Golden Age lay within the people who had been alive then, and few were capable of persuading their children and grandchildren to carry on the "gift."

As time passed, it was sheer luck that decided a human's interest in carrying on the legend. The qualities of those who lived in The Golden Age were not hereditary. It was personality that decided who did and didn't have the gift, and even those willing to learn were hard-pressed to find a mentor, for the last nomads were withering, the lost civilization dying alongside them.

It is said the best places to find those who could speak to Pokémon were the Tanoby Ruins and the Ruins of Alph.

The two temples were once magnificent, some of the very best. But carelessness and indifference cut short their glory. Now all that remains of them are crumbling wrecks.

The holy places have been turned into tourist attractions. The tourists take interest in the legends, but only those who were truly a part of it can feel the devastation, the sadness, and the loss of a gift that the human race had been blessed with.

Only a handful of people are capable of speaking to Pokémon now, and many are in their autumn years. A lineage that started back when the civilization whose name has been lost in time still exists.

A boy, 15 years old, learned from his grandparents of their own grandparents. They taught him all they knew, until they too passed from the earth.

But their work has been successful. This special boy can indeed speak to Pokémon....Most of them. Just as humans do, certain species of Pokémon have different ways of speaking, an accent of sorts. The boy can understand some Pokémon effortlessly, but may struggle with unfamiliar Pokémon. This is the tale of that adolescent.…

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[Dunsparce]

Chapter 1: The Beginning

A sleepy sun lowered itself down out of the sky, casting a brilliant orange glow on all within its view. Night was approaching fast, and the Pokémon knew it.

A Mankey scurried through the trees, hurrying back to its arboreal home. Pidgey flocked en masse to a lonely oak tree, roosting on the fragile branches. Sentret curled their tails drowsily around tree trunks, preparing to sleep.

Noctowl awoke, and jumped into the air stealthily. Their majestic wings carried them in circles, searching for slumbering prey. Venonat lurked under tree trunks, their sensitive crimson eyes scanning the forests for potential meals.

A Lickitung dropped off to sleep, wrapped in the loving embrace of its significant other. The Lickitung stared peacefully at the sky, feeling the gentle rising and falling of its mate's torso.

All was quiet. It was a night like any other. But this night, there was something different. Illuminated by the sun's dying rays, two figures trudged down a dusty road, their eyes set on Mahogany Town.

To any passerby, they were a normal pair, a Pokémon and its owner. Perhaps the boy was intending to challenge Pryce, or merely passing through, making for Blackthorn City. Who could guess what a remarkable pair the two were?

Lee surveyed Mahogany Town with deep blue eyes. He smiled. The trip to Mahogany had not been an easy one, but it was a beautiful place to be. The small town gave off an aura of peacefulness and friendliness, and it would be a superb place to stay the night.

Lee's eyes darted towards a creature ambling over to his side. It was a Linoone, its sky blue eyes examining the town as well. Two pairs of blue eyes, both taking in the same sight and thinking the same thoughts.

Lee reached up to his head and ruffled his short hair. Dust scuttled downward, accumulated from the continued voyage Lee had just completed. His hair shone its natural inky black color, freed from the diminishing color of the dust.

Lee sported a T-shirt as black as his hair. In the center, a Magneton's silhouette loomed, the brilliant blue clearly visible against the black coloration. Beneath the silhouette was the word "Magne™" in looping letters.

Lee quite liked the shirt he was wearing. It was somewhat of a tradition to wear this shirt when he traveled. Lee had had this shirt for a few years, and would be quite displeased if the shirt were somehow ruined along the road.

Instinctively, he brushed the dust that been from his hair off his shirt. The dust fluttered down impatiently, as though it disliked being constantly uprooted.

The dirt finally settled on his mud-soaked shoes. They had been white, but beneath the loose blue jeans and clinging mud, it was difficult to discern the color of them.

The Linoone laughed internally as Lee cleaned himself. It was a big creature, larger than most Linoone typically were. Sleek, shiny fur ran down the length of the raccoon. Vivid brown strips danced along the coat.

The Linoone's name was Ziggy. Naturally, Lee had named his partner Ziggy when it had been a Zigzagoon, but he had never bothered to change it when Zigzagoon had evolved. Ziggy was too used to his own name, anyway.

They looked like any other travelers on Earth, but Lee and Ziggy were different from all the rest. When one spoke, the other could understand.

It had taken Lee a long time to decipher his Pokémon's native tongue, but he had finally figured it out. Ziggy spoke with a slight slur, but Lee could understand all he said.

Ziggy himself had taken a shorter time to learn his master's language. Pokémon could understand a fair few human words, and if Lee related his new words to words Ziggy already knew, Ziggy progressed at a remarkable rate.

It had taken Lee the better part of fours years. His grandparents had all but abandoned their lives to make sure Lee carried on the legacy. And in the end, they had succeeded. Lee himself was no one spectacular, but his gift made him more important than a good deal of the world's population.

Lee was modest, and did not brag about his accomplishment. Ziggy was equally humble (it made no difference, though; humans couldn't understand him anyway). Together the two traversed the many Regions, predominantly Johto. And so the tale unfolds....



"Here we are, Ziggy. Mahogany Town awaits!" Lee exclaimed.

"Yes, it's quite the town. Or at least it would be if we hadn't visited it some nine times prior," Ziggy remarked.

Beneath Ziggy's cool attitude, he was quite happy to return to Mahogany Town. It was rather unremarkable compared to the other towns of Johto, and he has been here before. But he enjoyed the quaint, relaxed atmosphere of the place, whether or not he showed it.

"Can you at least pretend to be excited?" He turned his head towards the Linoone, waiting for a response. Ziggy's indifference annoyed Lee at times.

"No, I can't. It's hard to feel anything other than disappointment when you look at these little shacks and realizing you spent a day just to stumble across some dilapidated town where the social outcasts live," Ziggy retorted.

Ziggy rarely felt angry at Lee, but he enjoyed their squabbles. Ziggy enjoyed stirring up trouble just for the sake of it, but he knew how far he could go before Lee got seriously annoyed.

"Don't say that, Ziggy. You know damn well that my family disowned me, and I'd rather not be reminded of it," Lee said coldly and quietly.

Ziggy didn't bother to hide his sympathy. He never meant to upset Lee, despite his constant goads.

"Lee....I'm sorry. You know that's not what I meant," Ziggy said. Even in apology, Ziggy couldn't help adding in a bit of asperity.

Lee stared at Ziggy with inscrutable eyes. He could tell his companion was genuinely sorry, but his statement had still stung, and he wanted to let Ziggy know that, indirectly at least.

"A fine way to thank me for carrying you half the way here, that was," Lee said bitterly.

Ziggy flared up instantly, "That's hardly my fault. I'd be walking with a spring in my step if that Granbull hadn't just assaulted me like that."

"Don't play innocent," Lee said. His smirk was not a contemptuous one, but an amused one. There were times when Ziggy accepted responsibility for his actions, and this was clearly not one of them.

"You bit him and you know it. Did you really expect him to walk away as though nothing happened?" Lee said, his smirk evolving into a grin.

Eager to latch onto the new subject, Ziggy shot back, "You expect me, an elegant creature of immeasurable intelligence, to let a lowly Granbull stare at me in such a way? Had I not set him straight, he would continue gawking at those who are greater than he."

" 'Set him straight?' He beat your ass in half," Lee said, laughing openly.

At some point, Lee and Ziggy had started toward Mahogany Town. They were certainly attracting a lot of attention, though no one knew exactly what was going on. Two men coming back from a fishing outing quietly discussed the boy and his conversation.

"That's quite a strange Pokémon the boy's got there. Do ya think they understand humans where they're from?" the red-capped man asked.

"I doubt it. A Pokémon's a Pokémon n'matter where it's from. I reckon the lad's just insane," said the taller man.

"I dunno, the beast seems to be understandin' him just fine," replied the smaller man, cocking a ginger-colored eyebrow.

"Then they're both insane!" the tall man declared.

Their guffaws reached a woman returning from the Pokémart. She wasn't familiar with the idea of Pokémon being out of their Pokéballs for extended periods of time. As the insane laughing reached her ears, she sped up. In her eyes, the world was going mad.

"Yo!" a voice called, interrupting the Granbull-based argument. Lee turned around to see a man grinning in his face.

Taking a startled step backward, he stared at the man. He was short, shorter than Lee, even. His plain white T-shirt seemed to be screaming under the weight of its owner. The sun's last light reflected off his bald head, coloring the brown patches resting by his ears crimson.

He reached into the pocket of his red pants, and pulled out what seemed to be a decaying piece of fudge ("That can't be hygienic," Ziggy muttered). Lee was thinking along the same lines, and exchanged a glance with Ziggy.

"I don't know....What's it for?" asked Lee quizzically.

"And is it supposed to look like a carcass?" Ziggy chimed in.

The man glanced inquiringly at Ziggy for a second, though he couldn't understand his words.

Addressing Lee, he said, "Well, sir, this is a RageCandyBar! Finest in the land, if I do say so myself. Maximum flavor for a minimal price! This heavenly treat can be yours for just 500 PokéDollars."

"That still doesn't tell me what it does, other than tasting good," Lee said.

"Assuming it actually does taste good, of course," Ziggy said quietly. Lee grinned for one small second, but suppressed it quickly.

The man frowned for the first time, and said, "Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not. Go on, tell me all about it," Lee said, adopting a false smile.

The salesman's face split into a smile once more, and he said, "Well, as you know, this incredible bar is one of the most delicious things your taste buds will ever have the pleasure of encountering. But, believe it or not, it does more than that! Feed it to your fine, furry freak here, and it'll restore the poor beast's Hit Points by twenty!"

"Beast?" Ziggy said, bristling. A snarl appeared on his face.

"That's unbelievable," Lee said in disgust.

"I know! Isn't it just too damn good to be true?" the salesman hollered.

"No, you misunderstood me. That's a terrible rip-off when you can buy a Potion at any Pokémart for just a bit more than half the price," Lee said. The salesman's grin vanished like a Sudowoodo fleeing rain.

Before he could respond, Ziggy snapped, "You might wanna peel the mold off that thing before you try selling it to anyone else, too."

The salesman changed tactics at the speed of sound.

"Oh, would you look at that! Your friend here wants some of this delicious candy bar! I don't normally do this, but I'll give him this bar for...." The salesman paused, building up what he thought was tension.

"FREE!" he exploded. Before Ziggy could even react, he opened Ziggy's mouth and shoved the brown lump in. Ziggy's eyes widened in surprise and disgust.

Ziggy gagged, and propelled the food from his esophagus.

"You alright, Ziggy?" Lee inquired. He was amused, but he new better than to laugh at Ziggy's displeasure.

"Alright?! That vile concoction tasted like something pulled out of a Grimer's anus! I may never swallow again!" Ziggy raged.

Lunging forward, Ziggy clamped down on the man's hand with his rather formidable teeth.

A cascade of gasps reached Lee's ears. Turning around, he saw a fair few of Mahogany Town's inhabitant watching him. He hadn't even heard them come.

"Zig, OFF!" Lee commanded, pulling his Linoone by its hind legs. Ziggy came free, but not without leaving his mark. His teeth dug into the flabby skin of the man, creating bloody trenches in his palm.

The man yelled loudly, flailing his injured hand madly in the air.

"I don't know what tasted worse, that Donphan manure or that pudger's slimy hand," Ziggy growled, spitting bitterly to emphasize his point. Scowling, the salesman grabbed a Pokéball from his belt.

"This'll learn ya!" he roared, throwing the Pokéball at Ziggy.

Ziggy shot a lone Pin Missile at the ball, assuming it was meant to capture it. Its aim was true, and the ball rebounded off the pin. It landed in between the man and Ziggy.

"Your aim is as bad as your grammar," Ziggy called scornfully.

But the man hadn't been attempting to capture Ziggy. Instead, the ball seemed to bifurcate. An explosion of pink sparks rocketed outward, followed by a huge, menacing shape...

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[Dunsparce]

Hmmmm... No responses at all >.<;

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Chapter 2: The Battle

The Pokéball exploded open in a spray of sparks. From within, a titanic snake emerged.

It was composed of grayish rock, with a jagged stone column protruding from its skull. It was an Onix, and an enormous one at that. Perhaps the RageCandyBars really did help Pokémon grow.

The Onix roared into the sky, startling various birds from their homes.

The entire town rang with the cry. Villagers poked their heads out the windows to find the source of the uproar.

"Look what you got us into now!" shouted Lee, who looked up at the towering beast with awe.

In Hoenn, Rock Types never grew this huge. The mere size of the foe frightened Lee slightly, especially as Ziggy wasn't all that big compared to the Onix.

"But it’s just a giant rock… maggot… worm… thing…" Ziggy said, masking a tremor of fear he too must have felt at the appearance of the gargantuan serpent.

Ziggy placed one of his front paws under his chin, evaluating the new threat. It was big, it was powerful, but it was most likely slow. Very few Rock Pokémon could move at fast speeds, let alone out speed a Linoone.

"Ziggy...Are you sure you can beat this thing? I won't blame you if you want to quit," Lee assured.

"I think so. This thing doesn't look like it'd be running any marathons, and I'm pretty fast to begin with. Besides, do you expect me to admit defeat to this..…thing?" Ziggy responded.

At first, Lee assumed Ziggy was referring to the Onix in the last sentence. But then, with a chuckle of amusement, he realized Ziggy was in fact insulting the salesman.

"Alright then, Ziggy, give it your all," Lee told his companion.

It was an insult to Ziggy for Lee to do the thinking for him in battle. Ziggy was an intelligent Linoone, and it would work better without a human yelling suggestions and reprimands from behind it.

Ziggy decided on an Extremespeed to start. Normal Types move did minimal damage to Rock types, but it would help Ziggy ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing force.

Crouching, he awaited a move from the Onix. If the Onix and he lunged simultaneously, the impact would be twice as brutal. The Onix didn't sense this trap, and darted forward as Ziggy slunk down into a prepared pose.

Mouth agape, the Onix sent a cloud of venomous green at Ziggy: Dragonbreath. Recognizing danger, Ziggy rocketed through the air, streaks of white blazing as he cut through the silent twilight air.

Ziggy cut through the swirling mist with ease, but the Onix proved more resilient. Ziggy slammed square into the Onix's skull, but it appeared to do more damage to him than the Onix.

Ziggy landed, dazed. The Onix glowered down at Ziggy. Focusing on the foe, Ziggy realized it was the shock of the blow that kept the Onix from simply obliterating him where he stood.

"Onix, power up with Sharpen," commanded the RageCandyBar salesman.

Lee smirked to himself. Here was a weakness. Unlike his trusted Linoone, the Onix wasn't smart enough to formulate its own strategies. Its trainer did the work for it.

Incapacitating Onix's trainer was out of the question, but if Ziggy attacked rapidly, the man wouldn't have time to adequately command the Onix, and it would be unable to react to Ziggy's ever-changing strategy.

As he developed a possible technique, he noticed how sleek the Onix was becoming. The dying sun was catching the rocks so that a brilliant glow came from its hulking body. The point on its head extended ever so slightly, but Lee knew it would do more damage than before if it were to make contact.

"Ziggy, use Shadow Ball!" Lee shouted.

Ziggy glanced back, interested that Lee had decided to take the front seat in this battle.

But, Ziggy knew Lee, and Lee knew Ziggy. If Lee were to interrupt in Ziggy's preferred fighting style, there was a good reason. Unlike the man commanding the Onix, Lee was no idiot.

"Fine," Ziggy responded, unable to keep a trace of bitterness out of his voice. Ziggy sprang up onto his back legs. A crackling ball of shadows began convulsing in front of Ziggy's mouth. With the Onix's additional power, it would take more power and planning to take it down.

The salesman seemed to notice that Ziggy was charging up his next attack.

"Onix!" he yelled. The titanic snake turn its head, awaiting and order.

"Get that there rat with an Iron Tail!" the rotund fellow shouted. A brilliant white aura enveloped the Onix's tail, lighting up the small town in which they dueled.

Knowing danger was forthcoming, Ziggy ran at Onix, shadows beginning to coalesce as Ziggy finishing super powering the attack. Even with the additional energy, Ziggy felt sure a close-range attack would deal a harsher blow.

Mere yards away, Ziggy unleashed a huge Shadow Ball. The sphere of darkness ripped through the air like the scythes of a Kabutops flying at the rock snake.

Surprising both Lee and Ziggy by thinking on its own, the Onix shoved its tail at the oncoming attack. Its aim was precise; the attack impaled the midnight-black orb, sending wisps of crackling energy everywhere.

The attack didn't stop there, though. Onix sent its tail slicing at the shocked Linoone.

Thinking fast, Ziggy shot to the left, avoiding certain defeat. Onix's tail met the ground first, followed by the rest of its hefty body.

Lee smiled. Despite the Onix's power, it had not the speed to compete with a well-trained Linoone.

Just as the triumphant thought ran through his head, the Onix's tail whipped to the left, a lethal boomerang of iron energy. Ziggy didn't even see the attack coming.

Onix's massive tail slammed into Ziggy's stomach, sending him reeling into a two story house. Muffled screams came from within as Ziggy's body made contact with the brick wall.

Two small children stumbled out of the door to find a disgruntled Linoone lying at the side of their house. Screaming about monsters and demons, the boy and girl ran to another house nearby, this one just one story.

"Ziggy! Are you okay?" Lee said, running up to his partner. He was surprised the blow hadn't managed to take Ziggy out. But then reason caught up with him.

To avoid the Shadow Ball, the Onix had speared it with its pointed tail. If it had tried to bat it away, the effect wouldn't have been as great. In the same way, Ziggy wasn't as mortally wounded as he may have been if the first strike had hit him.

Regardless, Ziggy was panting, the wind thoroughly knocked out of him.

"Are you alright?" Lee asked again when Ziggy refused to answer.

As Ziggy opened his mouth, his pupils narrowed alarmingly. Confused, Lee put a hand forward. Ziggy grabbed Lee by the arm, and threw him to the side with startling power.

Ziggy barely had time to leap onto the roof of the house as the Onix's tail collided with the house the fleeing children lived in.

As Lee landed hard on his back, he sat up to scowl at Ziggy. Indignation quickly faded to shock as he saw the ruined house.

Ziggy's anger, though, remained. The Onix glared down at him, some thirty feet away. He did not blame the Onix for the assault. It was the trainer who had given the command, and Ziggy's hatred was directed at him.

Already he was annoyed by the battle over such a trivial matter. But the man had just gone past the line of forgiveness in many ways.

Firstly, he had wanted the Onix to hit Lee as well. Lee didn't have the endurance of a Pokémon, and he surely would've been slaughtered if Ziggy hadn't saved him.

The salesman had also given a figurative sucker punch to Ziggy. Winded and bruised, Ziggy would've been unable to react if his fight-or-flight reflex hadn't kicked in when he saw the tail soaring at him. It was a low trick, symbolic of a dishonorable man with nothing to lose in a fight.

But he had also ignored the fact that house was occupied (or, at least, it had been). Children, and most likely their guardians as well, lived there, and he had just ruined their home. The man had no sense of decency, and he would do whatever was necessary to crush his foes.

The man vexed Ziggy vastly, and gave him the strength to continue. The Onix sent another Iron Tail at him.

How redundant, thought Ziggy. Nevertheless, he realized the danger he was in.

"Ziggy, use your Iron Tail!" Lee shouted to Ziggy. A trace of annoyance flashed across Ziggy's mind (he had been planning to do so anyhow), but he complied.

Lunging forward, Ziggy sent a blaze of metal energy into his tail, ready to swipe at Onix's tail. Swinging in a circle, Ziggy knocked the tail into the house, destroying what remained of it.

A slight grimace crossed his face. Onix had delivered the finishing blow, but it was he who had sent Onix's tail into the decimated house. He would have to make it up to the family later.

"Onix, Double-Edge!" the man ordered. Onix shot forward like a bullet, luminous green energy blazing at its sides.

"Ziggy, evade and send a Pin Missile at its eyes," Lee commanded.

Lee knew how close to death he had come as well. He couldn't afford to take anymore risks, for himself or for Ziggy. Ziggy preferred to toy with his foe a bit before dealing the final blow, but this time, he understood the danger in extending this battle.

As the Onix exploded into the ground, Ziggy swerved away. Before the stony serpent could regain its balance, Ziggy made a flying leap onto its head.

Ziggy gauged the distance between the eyes of the snake and the ground beneath him. Of course, at full height, the ground would be about thirty feet lower.

Pin-point precision for a pin-point attack, Ziggy thought, amusing himself for a brief second.

As though Ziggy's thoughts had awoken the snake, Onix rose into the air. Looking around, it saw no sign of Ziggy, only Lee and the brave souls watching.

Ziggy curled up, ready to take the risk.

But then, the salesman's gruff voice broke his concentration, "On your head, you insipid beast! Shake it off!"

Ziggy could almost feel the Onix's confusion as the man explained the situation to it. It was at that moment that Ziggy realized the Onix's thick hide had saved Ziggy from detection when he had landed on Onix's head.

A strategy developed in Ziggy's advanced mind. Still crouching, Ziggy sent himself shooting into the air with an Extremespeed.

Ziggy was already capable of jumping incredible distances without the added boost. But the activation energy might be enough to get the creature to look up, which would be an enormous help for Ziggy.

Indeed it was; the Onix stared blankly up, feeling a faint pressure on its skull. Its eyes followed Ziggy's progress into the dusk sky. Ziggy made a flip, and then propelled itself downward with another Extremespeed.

Again, Ziggy used his amazing speed and his own momentum to increase the damage of his next attack. Ziggy sent a flurry of yellow spines at Onix's eyes.

The Onix noticed the danger only after it had arrived. The tiny needles were too much for Ziggy to see this far up, but an earsplitting roar told him the Pin Missiles had hit their mark.

The Onix, wounded and blinded, thrashing about in the air. As its target flailed, fear gripped Ziggy. The move had seemed so valiant, so heroic when he had done it, but Ziggy had not thought of his descent. Even if he did hit the Onix, the shock could possibly break both his legs. Lee noticed this as well.

"Ziggy, use Iron Tail to break your fall," Lee yelled. As Ziggy rocketed toward the Onix, he smirked as Lee's command reached his bristly ears.

And that's why I love you, Lee, Ziggy thought to himself. Doing another flip so that he was facing up, Ziggy sent another pulse of Steel power into his tail, praying he would hit the Onix.

Luck was on Ziggy's side at that moment. Ziggy slammed into the beast. Shock and pain rippled through the Onix's length, all 463 pounds of it. The impact had been directed into the Onix's thick head, causing enough damage to knock it out.

Onix toppled forward, blood dripping from its eyes. At the last moment, Ziggy leaped off, landing in unison with the defeated snake.

"Win," Ziggy remarked, pleased with himself.

Lee grinned broadly, but the salesman's reaction was quite different. His pudgy face reddened, and rage blazed in his eyes.

"You moronic, fur-coated swine! Do you even realize how much money I'll have to spend to save that Onix?!" he yelled at Ziggy.

Ziggy turned around, eyes narrowed, but Lee responded first, "You'll be paying even more to repair that family's house. Good luck with bankruptcy!"

Approval flashed in Ziggy's eyes at the witty insult, but it only served to enrage the bulky man even more. He screamed with fury, his cry almost as loud as the Onix's.

"ONIX!" he roared, "EXPLOSION!"

The Onix was in intense pain. Its eyesight was fading, and it was trembling with the after-effects of Ziggy's last attack. However, it did not dare disobey a direct order from its master, especially when he was so angry.

Reluctantly, Onix summoned the final shards of its energy, sending its body ablaze with a flaming orange color.

Unable to move in time, Ziggy and Lee were sent careening backward from the wave of power as the Onix sent its energy exploded in all directions.

Windows shattered just from the force of the explosion, and trees were buffeted by the wind. A whirlwind of dust stung the eyes of Lee and Ziggy. Wood, concrete, and steel rained down upon them, dislodged pieces of the buildings ravaged by the devastating Explosion.

Dust enveloped the town, and it took Lee and Ziggy minutes before they could see through the opaque dust cloud.

As the dust finally settled, they found the Onix. It was unconscious, its breathing shallow and forced.

But the fat man was nowhere to be found. Ziggy's sharp eyes scanned the now-empty town. But he had left, without any warning or indication to where he had gone.

The man was a barbarian, no doubt about it. Ziggy and Lee had determined that long ago.

But even their low opinion of the obese man couldn't stop waves of fury from washing over them at the sight of the dying Onix.

The man had left his Onix behind. It had obeyed him without question, following every last command he had given it. It had nearly killed itself, and yet the salesman left it to die. His freedom meant more to him than the life of his servant.

Above all else, that was what Ziggy and Lee despised most about him.

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I need you, the readers, to respond and give comments. This is the Fourth site I've ever posted this on and it's gotten less responses than my failed attempt (Posting this story at a forum called "Pokemon-X forums", which ended miserably D: )

[Dunsparce]

Chapter 3: The Encounter

The sun fell behind the horizon. Night descended on Mahogany Town like a ravenous Golbat. The night air was clean and warm, but Lee was shivering. The Onix had been terribly wounded. Blood was still escaping from its massive white eyes.

"Lee!" Ziggy hollered. Lee turned his head, and found Ziggy at the tail of the stone behemoth. In his clawed hands lay a ruined Pokéball, completely alien to both of them. Lee hadn't even seen the device; it was rather insignificant in comparison to the Onix's massive bulk anyway. The milky white color was the same as an ordinary Pokéball, but the top was deathly grey, symbolic of the black heart of its owner. A blend of purple and grey spots were splattered here and there on the top half, creating an interesting sight. Lee had no idea what special effect the ball might have.

Knowing he would never be able to transport the Onix to the Pokémon Center, he pulled out a Luxury Ball. The Onix had been abused so much in the past few minutes. He felt sorry for the poor beast, and felt a top-notch Pokéball would comfort it.

Also, the added friendliness effect of the ball might make Onix slightly more trusting when it came time to confront it. He tapped the Onix's majestic head with the Ball.

The Ball popped open, revealing its satin interior. The Onix was pulled inside by the red laser. The ball snapped shut. Unlike most captures, the button in front didn't blink red. Presumably, the Onix was too exhausted to fight against the capture.

Lee himself felt unbearably somnolent as well, and he assumed the same was true for Ziggy. Lee stood up, scoping out the nearest Pokémon Center. It was lucky the Pokémon Centers never closed, else the Onix may have perished under the unforgiving night sky.

Around him, the inhabitants of the tiny village were angrily staring at him. Some looked sympathetic, most likely for the stony snake. But some seemed glad to see Lee caring for the creature.

Regardless, Lee did not look around as he walked to the Pokémon Center. He heard whispers, and sometimes the ruder citizens would send out catcalls, trying to goad him into a fight.

As always, Ziggy retained a cool attitude. But even he was not completely immune to the villagers' angry murmurs. At times he would stop and glare at those who uttered the most severe insults.

When Lee tried to talk to Ziggy, the Linoone gave short responses. Every time, Ziggy's voice trembled. Whether it was from anxiety about the Onix's fate or anger at the people, Ziggy was barely able to keep an even tone.

Lee avoided speaking to anyone but Ziggy, and he didn't even speak to Ziggy unless it was absolutely necessary. He had nearly slaughtered an Onix; he didn't need any further reason for the inhabitants of Mahogany to be alarmed by him.

As he trudged down the seemingly infinite path, he realized that the man thought of his Pokemon as nothing more than a tool that you can throw away when it gets broken. The very thought sent enraged shudders racing up and down his spine.

Lee entered the Pokémon Center, glad for a break from the various jeers of the crowd. Nurse Joy was a lot more sympathetic than the people of Mahogany. When she saw the dilapidated state of the two visitors, her eyes flooded with concern. Lee knew Onix was going to be alright just from the concern that emanated from the nurse.

He walked up to the desk, and said to her, "Inside the Luxury Ball I'm holding is an Onix. It's not mine, technically. It belonged to a salesman who abandoned it after attempting to annihilate us with its Explosion.

My Linoone's Pin Missile has damaged its eyes rather severely, and I'm afraid it bears the scratches and bruises of a Pokémon battle in addition to these already devastating conditions. Is there hope for it?" Nurse Joy's eyes were brimming with tears by the end of the summary.

But she kept her composure, and responded in a surprisingly level voice, "It should survive. There's a chance that the eye wounds may become infected. How long ago did this happen?"

"A few minutes ago. We transported it here as fast as we can," Lee answered. A soft chuckle came from his side.

"Us," sneered Ziggy, smirking. It wasn't an insult at Lee; Ziggy was referring to how little it had done in bringing Onix here.

Ignoring Ziggy, Lee continued, "Is that all?"

"I'm afraid it's worse than that," Nurse Joy answered. Despite her training, she couldn't help keeping a note of despair out of her voice.

"Explosion uses a tremendous amount of energy, as I'm sure you could guess. The Onix's immune system will have suffered drastically. The possible infection in its eyes may spread through it's entire body. The disease would kill it in its weakened state," she finished.

Aghast, Lee gave her the Pokéball. A trace of a smile crossed Nurse Joy's face.

"You're lucky that you came here at twilight. We don't get many Trainers at this time, so we can give our full attention to your Onix," said she.

Lee felt like smiling in relief, but panic overpowered his temporary flare of happiness. Onix was still in terrible danger, and he doubted he would be genuinely happy until it regained its health. Nurse Joy grasped the Pokéball in her hand, and raced through a pair of automatic doors.

Lee sank down on a blue sofa. Ziggy bounded up to his side, and peered into his eyes.

"What?" Lee snapped, hands behind his head. The inquiry had been a little harsher than he had meant, but Lee couldn't help it. Worry consumed him, and he couldn't be bothered with Ziggy's sudden moves and enigmatic deeds.

"How do you suppose Onix is going to react to being in the possession of the two guys who nearly killed it? That man wasn't much of a charmer, but that Onix may not be intelligent enough to realize we mean it no harm. And constant abuse can mess with a Pokémon's head sometimes."

"Will it even matter if it doesn't live to see us again? Honestly, Ziggy, can't you just call it a night and go to sleep?!" Lee snarled. Ziggy appeared hurt. He seemed to be having difficulty finding the right thing to say.

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm being irritating to you Lee. I'm just curious, and I'm sure you are as well. I'll sleep on the floor, then, since you don't seem to want me with you right now," Ziggy said quietly. He leapt off the sofa, and curled up on the shining floor. His head was facing away from Lee, but Lee could tell he wasn't sleeping.

All of a sudden, Lee felt incredibly guilty about this entire thing. First the Onix, and now Ziggy. He couldn't keep this up, else his life would simply implode on itself. At the moment, they were the only real companions he had, especially Ziggy.

"Ziggy....I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little edgy after all this," Lee apologized. Ziggy stayed put. Lee didn't even know if his message had reached Ziggy's ears. Lee sighed. Ziggy came around, he always did. But he wasn't sure how long it would be until this new mess was patched up.

Lee looked out the transom opposite him to distract himself. What he saw was barely more comforting. He saw the little girl from before weeping into her mother's arms. Her mother stood stock-still, examining her ruined home. The young boy stood silent as well.

He could hear no sound, but he could almost sense the girl's falling tears, her feeling of sorrow. Never again would the girl play inside her house, brushing away the troubles of the world around her as she occupied herself with her toys. Another life he had destroyed, even if it had been indirect and unintentional.

Lee turned over, facing the rubbery blue surface of the sofa. He submitted himself to a bout of fitful sleep, wanting to escape from the harsh realities.

It seemed he had just closed his eyes when Ziggy was shaking him awake. The sun was shining through the window, and Ziggy's sky blue eyes were surveying him solemnly.

"Ziggy - " Lee began, before Ziggy raised his left forepaw.

"It's okay, Lee, I understand. I don't suppose I'd have been any more courteous if you had been pestering me with questions like that. Forget and forgive," Ziggy said. A small smile crossed his hairy lips. Lee reached out and embraced the Linoone.

"You're still my best friend, though," said Lee, "And I had no right to be like that to you no matter how annoyed I was."

Ziggy pulled himself out of the hug, and said, "Water under the bridge, Lee. The winding river takes many twists and turns, but it will always pass over the barriers presented to it. It may take time and assistance, but the river will always triumph."

Lee grinned, and sprang up. Nurse Joy was waiting for him, a Luxury Ball in her hand. His Luxury Ball.

"How's Onix?" Lee exploded. The anticipation had been eating him away all night, poisoning him even in his dreams.

"Onix is going to live," Nurse Joy said, flashing white, even teeth.

Lee smiled back, but as he reclaimed the ball, Nurse Joy said, "You should keep the bandages on its eyes for a few hours, though, so that they heal properly. Even when you remove them, Onix may be a touch sensitive to light."

That small fact was just a small mar in Lee's elation. The sun filtered through the window proudly, and a new day had begun. Two of Lee's three problems had been resolved, and he was ready to depart for the Lake of Rage.....Or at least, he would have been.

Lee knew he owed a debt to this town. The salesman was the real culprit, but Lee had still brought destruction to this peaceful place. Lee was too mature to simply walk away. It would take a heavy toll on his wallet, but he would pay for the house he had wrecked. He would've liked to pay for the other damaged ones, but the family he had observed last night was in dire need of some money. He didn't have enough money to deal with all the consequences of his battle, anyhow.

Lee exited through the double doors, Ziggy springing alongside him. To his left, a young woman was searching through the steel and wood that had replaced a fine house. It was the mother of the two children.

"Hey!" Lee called. She turned around in surprise, and seemed even more surprised to see the boy who had cut short her future shamelessly addressing her.

Hatred burned in her eyes, but she didn't retort until Lee continued. Courtesy kept her from shouting at the boy, but she was afraid as well. If the boy and his Pokémon could decimate a house with such little effort, it must be dreadfully easy to kill one ill-tempered woman.

"Listen, miss. I'm horribly sorry about what happened to your home. It wasn't entirely my fault. It was mostly that deceitful salesman who used to hang out around here. But I take responsibility for my actions, and am prepared to pay for the damage I've done," Lee said formally. The lady's brutal green eyes softened, but she didn't speak until Lee had brought up the money.

"30,000 PokéDollars?! Are you really able to give that much money away?" she asked.

"It's a hefty sum of money, but I can manage. I'll make money as I go along, and you need this more than I do," Lee said.

The woman was seeing her supposed assailant in a new light. She had regarded him in a fearful way, sure he was about to finish what he had started. But she was wrong. Here he was, doing the exact opposite of what she had expected.

"I'm delighted at the idea, but I can't lie to you, boy. My family is moving back to Olivine City with my husband. We're divorced, but he's agreed to take us in until we find a new home," she said sincerely.

"I want you to have this anyway," Lee told her. It took him some effort to utter those words. Here was the opportunity to walk away with a clean conscience and a loaded wallet. But it was still the right thing to do, and Lee held true to his offer despite his better instincts.

The grin that blossomed across the woman's face was Lee's payment for his good deed. She accepted the money, rather reluctantly, and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you so much. This is a magnificent gift, and we'll never forget it. On behalf of my family, I wish you the best of luck wherever you go," she told him.

Lee smiled, and responded with a simple, "You're welcome."

Beckoning to Ziggy, Lee climbed the sloping path toward the woods before the Lake of Rage. The trees glowed green in the early morning light. Lee had never been to the Lake of Rage, but he remembered the tales his grandfather had told him about the lakeside community. It sounded like a marvelous place, and he was excited to be heading there.

Lee felt good about his donation, but he knew he would suffer in months to come because of his shortage of money. Maybe if Ziggy and Lee went without spending money for a while, they could accumulate enough to live on. It would be rough, but even those dark thoughts didn't trouble Lee as he weaved through the dense forest, his sights set on the Lake of Rage.

* * *

As he walked along the path, Lee reflected back on what had happened recently. One small bite to the hand had uprooted and altered so many lives.

Lee felt amazed, but at the same time, he was accepting of the turn in his life. The man was a lying scoundrel, Lee hadn't just brought out the worst in him. If it hadn't been Lee, it would've been some other unlucky Trainer. Destiny had just chosen Lee for that moment.

But, at the same time, Lee realized that it was fortunate that he and Ziggy were the catalysts to the man's fury. Not every Trainer and Pokémon were as closely linked as he and Ziggy. The salesman may have won a battle with anyone else, and then who knows what sort of atrocities may have occurred afterward?

But now the man was exposed. The citizens may have taken a disliking to Lee, but the salesman would be garnering a fair amount of hatred as well. More than likely, he had been reported to the authorities. Now he wouldn't be able to swindle people so effortlessly.

It's gonna take more than a serpent's tongue to corrupt his customers now, Lee thought happily. A shifting in the bushes to his right interrupted Lee's thoughts. Lee turned his head sharply. Ziggy was still beside him, and he too was watching the bushes carefully.

"What do you suppose that is?" Lee queried.

"LIVING STICKS!" Ziggy shrieked. Lee jumped, and regretted it as soon as Ziggy burst into laughter.

"If you look up, you'll see the word 'gullible' written on that pine tree's fourth branch," Ziggy said, still laughing madly.

Ziggy's laughter brought out the creature in the bushes. It was a Raikou, and a beautiful one, at that. Its sleek, yellow fur seem to glow in the sunlight. The elegant, grey storm cloud on its back looked as though it had been woven out of the very air surrounding the beast.

Perfectly pointed fangs extended from its powerful mouth, and intelligent scarlet eyes regarded the two companions as it crossed the path. The gaze seemed to be more than just an inquisitive glance. It was as though the Pokémon had expected the two to be there at that very moment. Its eyes went beyond their appearance. Ziggy and Lee felt as though they were being tested in some sort of way.

Legs splayed, the Raikou was ready to flee at the slightest provocation. Lee wasn't entirely sure how common Raikou were, but he assumed they weren't as frequently seen as the Sentret that inhabit the woods here.

Noticing the Raikou's nervousness, Ziggy whispered quietly, "What is it doing?"

"Standing, you dolt," Lee answered, "It reminds me immensely of Kyogre and Groudon. You remember how we saw those two duking it out when we stayed at Grandpa's Sootopolis house?"

"Yup," Ziggy told Lee, "It looks more....refined, though. Maybe I'm just seeing these things in a new light now that I'm a Linoone." Ziggy had been a Zigzagoon back then.

"Should we fight it?" Ziggy asked.

"No way! Raikou's already about to run away, just look at the way its standing." Lee glanced at the beast, and saw it watching their conversation. Its face gave away no emotion, but there was something in its eyes that made Lee feel that it understood all they were saying.

"Onix is in no condition to fight, and you're no exactly picture perfect right now, either. It would take you both down without even moving," Lee warned Ziggy.

Lee and Ziggy didn't know, but the reason the Raikou hadn't fled already was because they were talking it the first place. Raikou would not die of old age. Only mortal wounds would kill it. Therefore, it had been around in The Golden Age. It had once had a friend, but she had long since perished.

This young man showed promise, and it was quite eager to learn more about him. But after a while, it became clear to Raikou that its hope was doomed. They were debating about capturing it, a method not used by the people of old. This boy was kind, it could discern that much. But if it wanted to capture it in a Pokéball, he still had a long way to go.

While the two shouted at each other, Raikou quietly walked away. Taking one look back, Raikou bolted to the right. It bounded yards at a time, stirring up a swarm of leaves as it rocketed across the land. Back on the path in the middle of the forest, Lee and Ziggy argued, not even aware the subject of their debate had left.

"If you couldn't even beat that Granbull, what makes you think you can take on a Raikou?!" Lee hollered.

"I couldn't beat the thing because it took me by surprise! In an honest match, I'd have beaten it so hard its grandmother would feel the pain!" Ziggy responded.

"Oh yeah?!" Lee began.

He was about to answer back when he took a glance at Raikou. Or, at least, where the Raikou had been. It had left. How long ago, Lee knew not, but it had. Disappointed, Lee walked on without a word.

Lee had hoped to speak to the Raikou, but he seemed to have exhausted all his luck last night. Ziggy was disappointed purely because he had missed a potential battle.

Swallowing their anger, Lee and Ziggy ambled on, snapping twigs and scattering leaves as they made for the Lake of Rage.

The Luxury Ball was thin, thinner than most Pokéballs. Its thinness was what made it comfortable. The material supported the satin interior perfectly, creating an extraordinarily comfortable place to be. Lee knew about the Ball quite well; he had been saving it for a special Pokémon prior to the run-in with the salesman.

He knew his voice could actually penetrate the thin casing of the ball, and he figured it would be safer to talk to Onix indirectly. Ziggy reminded Lee that Onix was also healing rapidly, and would be at near full-strength around this time.

Lee planned to remove the bandages, but he felt making amends with the Onix before he pulled off the bandages would be a wise approach. Lee wasn't sure how clearly Onix would hear him, so he chose a quiet area and make sure Ziggy didn't talk during the one-sided conversation.

"Onix," Lee said clearly, "I want you to know that I'm sorry about what happened to you. I wasn't planning to blind you, and I only fought you because you were under the control of that greedy swine. You're my Pokémon now, and I will treat you with utmost respect and care, as I would any other Pokémon."

For a brief second, Lee thought he saw the ball twitch, as though in response. Lee hoped the Onix was hearing him.

Lee had heard of a tournament some days prior to the ordeal at Mahogany Town. The recent events had all but driven it from his mind. He hadn't even gone to the Lake of Rage for the tournament. He planned to enjoy the sights, until Ziggy's remark about the prize brought the thoughts of the tournament rushing back tenfold. If they wanted to reach the Lake of Rage in time, riding on Onix would be the ideal solution.

Within the ball, the Onix was accepting Lee's statements. He seemed sincere enough, and already he was kinder to it than the salesman had ever been.

"There's a tournament taking place not too long from now. Apart from Ziggy and I requiring transportation, I was hoping that you might like to enter alongside us. I know you've been through a lot recently, Onix. But if you don't take up fighting again, you'll lose all your battle prowess. I'll gladly share the prize with you if you decide to assist us."

"And who doesn't love Rare Candies?" Ziggy said excitedly. His sharp tongue flickered out just at the thought of the delightful treats.

Lee glared at Ziggy angrily, reminding him nonverbally that he wasn't too talk. Lee hadn't openly harmed Onix. But Ziggy had been the one that had nearly blinded it. Ziggy had also done a great deal of damage besides the assault on the eyes of the serpent.

"There's also 100,000 Pokédollars given to the winner. That's an enormous amount of money, and we could certainly use it. I'd like to share it with you, Onix. Just let me know what you desire and I'll buy it for you," Lee said.

After Lee gave his proposition, he summarized his past adventures with Ziggy, trying to gain Onix's trust. Ziggy only interrupted once in a while, chipping in whenever Lee forgot something.

Lee kept some of the more personal details, and gave a glare at Ziggy every time he omitted a personal fact so that he wouldn't just blurt it out anyhow.

"Your eyes are healing well, by the way," Lee told the Onix, "They should be ready to come off sometime soon, but we'll leave them on until tomorrow afternoon just in case."

Lee grabbed the ball, clipped it to his belt, and began to set up camp. The sun was setting, and the light flooding the verdant forest was receding quickly. Luckily, it was warm out; Lee had no idea how to start a fire with just two sticks.

However, Lee did group together a bed of leaves. They may be irritating to his skin, but it was better than sleeping on the hardened earth. Ziggy collected his own leaves, choosing conifer branches rather than the deciduous leaves Lee preferred.

Ziggy rolled over and went to sleep quite easily. Lee, though, stared up at the sky with his hands behind his head. The stars stared back at him, winking every now and then. Lee's thoughts swirled around in his head in a garbled mess. All that had happened in the past twenty-four hours was flashing past him in his head. Scattered images of all that happened exploded into his eyes, departing as quickly as they came.

Twenty four hours ago, he couldn't foresee himself trailing a selfish madman, with an empty wallet and wounded Onix at his side. Trouble seemed to follow Lee wherever he went. His decision to learn the speech of Pokémon was a mixed blessing at times. Sometimes Lee nearly wished he hadn't decided to blaze such a difficult trail.

But every time that regret seized control of his thoughts, he turned to Ziggy. With a smile, he realized he wouldn't have it any other way.

Lee closed his eyes peacefully, falling asleep within a few minutes. Dreams fluttered like Beautifly around his mind, but they were enjoyable enough. The troubles of yesterday had vanished, replaced by welcomed dreams and images. Lee slept on, still beneath the night air.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, about the stiff way Lee talked...

~*Commander Blizzard*~ and I soemtimes really talk like that ._.

This chapter is one fo my least favorite. Luckily, the next few chapters make up for it :D

[Dunsparce]

Chapter 4: The Path to The Lake of Rage

Sunlight invaded the forest early in the morning. Creatures stirred, ready for a new day. The early morning light gave an eerie hue to the leaves among the trees, tainting them grey and yellow.

Lee awoke shortly after the sun burst free from the night, and instantly noticed his friend's absence. Lee assumed Ziggy was answering the call of nature, so he didn't worry. What preoccupied him at the moment was the Onix he was now in charge of.

Questions ate away at him as he pulled out his Pokéball. How would the Onix react to Lee? To Ziggy? Would it try to escape? Would it attack them? Would it feel so angry that it would kill them? Lee felt quite nervous as he pressed down on the blackened button of the Luxury Ball.

Onix took form instantaneously. Its eyes were veiled in beige bandages, and from its slow movements, Lee could guess it was feeling rather somnolent.

That was understandable; perhaps Onix hadn't quite recovered from the sedating drug the Center gave it. Or maybe it was just because it was early, and Onix hadn't gotten very much sleep.

"Onix," Lee said clearly. The Onix, facing the woods dolefully, immediately turned to the speaker. Lee couldn't sense any emotions, which frightened him a fair bit.

Steadying himself, he said, "My name is Lee. You heard me talking to you about all that had happened, I suppose. If so, then you'll know it's time to remove the bandages from your eyes."

Onix still gave no indication of what it was feeling. Regardless, it lowered its majestic head, a bit to the left of where Lee was. Lee walked over, sparing the poor beast the trouble of finding him.

Carefully, he eased his fingers under the bandage over its left eye. The sticky adhesive took hold of his hand instantly as he pushed his hand further. Delicately, he began peeling away the bandage. Onix's rough hide would probably not sense any pain if Lee were just to rip it off, but Lee wanted to be careful nonetheless. What better way to betray the Onix's trust than brutally ripping a bandage from its sensitive eye?

If Lee frightened or angered the Onix, it wouldn't want to cooperate with him. Lee planned to ride the rock snake to the Lake of Rage to save time. He wouldn't mind taking his time there, of course, but it would stack on a few days, and Lee wasn't entirely sure how soon the tournament began. In short, better sooner than later.

Eventually, Lee teased away the first bandage. A great, off-white eye regarded Lee for the first time since the epic battle. Lee could see in the Onix's eye that it hadn't forgotten how badly he had maimed it.

But it seemed to trust him enough, and Lee was satisfied with that. Moving over to the other side of Onix's face, Lee grabbed the underside of the second bandage. Lee pulled the bandage off just as tentatively as he had the first. When Onix's eyes were free, Lee examined its eyes.

Nothing seemed critically wrong, as far as Lee could tell. However, Onix's pupils were noticeably small. Lee understood that, though. Given that Onix hadn't seen light in a while, its eyes would be sensitive to it. Its pupils contracted to reduce how much light entered its eyes.

"Alright Onix, that's done with. I'll keep you outside for a while, so you can adjust to the -" Onix suddenly roared, hurting Lee's ears at such close range.

Then Onix slid by, and wrapped its tail around some creature that had been creeping toward Lee. A wail came from within the tight coils of Onix's body.

And then, a muffled voice said, "Nice bodyguard." Lee smiled. That was Ziggy, obviously. Lee walked over the fragile leaves, and saw Onix scowling down at its quarry.

Lee wasn't quite sure why the Onix had reacted. Was it assisting him, or was the Onix simply keeping itself safe? Whatever the case, Ziggy wasn't enjoying its captivity.

Popping its head up through Onix's coils, Ziggy gasped, "If I'd known I was about to be hugged to death, I wouldn't have tried to surprise you." Onix leaned over its captive, glaring down at the Linoone.

Ziggy stared back, and said in false astonishment, "Oh my! What big eyes you have!"

"Onix, you can let him go. He doesn't want to harm us...not physically, anyhow," Lee said, letting a grin escape across his face.

"Yeah, trauma is a lot more fun than outright torment. What's the matter, you big lug, haven't you ever petrified a Pidgey, terrorized a Tentacool, or horrified a Hoppip before?" Ziggy said, scowling right back at Onix.

Onix didn't see the humor in the situation, but it reluctantly let Ziggy go. Coughing slightly, Ziggy bounded over to Lee, as though fearful of a second trapping.

"That'll come out in therapy," Ziggy remarked.

Chuckling, Lee said, "We'd better pack up. I want to see if Onix will let us ride it."

"Not much that needs packing, though. Just your backpack," Ziggy noted.

"Yeah, but still. The point still stands that we need to get going," Lee argued.

"Hardly. We have an entire day ahead of us. Even if Onix turns out to be an idiot, we can still make it at least half the way there," Ziggy said.

"Does it really matter?" Lee asked exasperatedly, "Do you not want to go?"

"No, but I like proving you wrong. Keeps my mind sharp, you know," Ziggy said with a roguish wink.

Lee made no comment at this. He simply gathered his belongings and unceremoniously dumped them into his backpack. Hitching it onto his shoulders, Lee turned to Onix. For whatever reason, it was watching him warily.

Unsettled, Lee called up to it, "Hey Onix, would you mind if we rode on you to the Lake of Rage?"

Onix's face didn't change at all, but something in its eyes stirred. Lee could just sense the incredulity crossing its mind at the question.

"Never mind. We can walk, too," Lee said. Sighing to himself, Lee started walking north, followed by Ziggy. Onix lagged behind for a moment, thoughts blazing through its massive head.

But, after a moment, its thoughts settled again, and it followed Lee and Ziggy. Onix was unfamiliar with the two, but they obviously cared for it. Well, the boy did, anyway.



* * *


As the day wore on, Lee began to feel weary, both physically and mentally. Lee was in reasonably good shape, but there was only so much walking he could do before he felt the strain. And, though Lee enjoyed the outdoors, the endless trees became monotonous after a while.

At first, Lee had stopped to watch stray Pokémon. But Ziggy's impatient gestures forced him to keep going.

All the while, Onix trailed behind, its mind an impregnable fortress. The Onix didn't trust Lee as much as he might've hoped. Despite all that had happened, he was counting on it to assist him. Lee had barely thought about the Onix's possible rejection, but now it had clearly refused. Lee wasn't sure how well they'd get along in the next few days.

Lee had to take his relationship with Onix slowly. He could build up a feeling of mutual trust between them, but one error could send that all down the drain.

And, as much as he hated to admit, he didn't think Ziggy's presence was helping. To be blunt, Ziggy had royally beaten the Onix apart. Lee had commanded some attacks, but it wasn't Lee himself who had knocked Onix around, beaten it to the ground, and nearly blinded it.

Naturally, Onix would feel wary around Ziggy. But Lee couldn't just recall Ziggy when Onix was out. Ziggy was his best friend, and to sacrifice his happiness to toy with the emotions of a potentially distraught Onix wasn't worth it.

Lee felt the pressure of traveling more than Ziggy. Ziggy was born outside, and he was adapted to traversing large spaces of land.

Despite Lee's adoration of the outside world, though, he was born domestic, and his body had adapted to that. He tired twice as fast as Ziggy, and was soon overtaken by Ziggy.

Ziggy, though, held his tongue. A myriad of taunts and insults saturated his mind, but he knew Lee wasn't cut out for continued hiking through the wilderness.

Lee was on the verge of collapsing when something grabbed his shirt. At first, he thought it was Ziggy. But, his dull amusement faded as he realized Ziggy was trudging along ahead of him.

Lee screamed as he was lifted off the ground. Ziggy turned around, face set in a snarl. But Ziggy made no attempt to attack. Instead, he just stared up at Lee, thunderstruck.

Lee thrashed in the air, and called out, "Don't just stand there! Get rid of this thing!" Lee was terrified. He still couldn't see his abductor, but he was sure it was a bird.

Vividly in his mind, he remembered something from his childhood. The festival....the sky rides....And those cold, demonic eyes. Lee shrieked even louder, his imagination taking hold of him.

But then, he moved in an arc downward. Out of the corner of his eye, Lee could see an enormous grey mass. Confusion and relief took hold as he realized it was Onix who had captured him. Lee was lowered gently onto the Onix's abdomen.

"What about me?" Ziggy called, "Are you selectively helpful or something?"

Onix seemed almost repulsed at Ziggy's distinctive sort of humor. But, it reached down and grabbed Ziggy by the tail, hoisting Ziggy onto its abdomen as well.

"Hi Lee, fancy meeting you here," Ziggy said, stunned.

"Nice to see you, too," Lee said smilingly. Onix ignored their playful banter, and snaked along the forest floor, gliding through the forest. It was a pleasant change for Lee and Ziggy. Onix didn't seem to mind, and if it did, it was hiding its true feelings.

As the trees began thinning, something huge and white dropped out of the sky. It exploded in Ziggy's face, much to the Linoone's displeasure. Ziggy gagged, and started swiping at its face.

"Agh! What is this? It smells horrific!" Ziggy screeched, preening itself madly.

"Sorry," a voice called from above. Looking up, Lee saw the very last thing he wanted to see. It was a Skarmory, armor glinting proudly in the sky.

Lee's breath caught short as their eyes met. The bird's cold, beastly eyes showed no pity for Ziggy. Only contempt emanated from the Skarmory's eyes, and it was just as evident in its voice.

"Fish can be so irritating to my bowels, you know. Nasty little devils, those fish," the Skarmory called down.

The Skarmory's voice was cocky. In a way, it was similar to Ziggy in its humor. But it was far more arrogant than Ziggy, as Lee was quick to notice. Ziggy retched, and shook itself violent, sending the droppings everywhere.

Lee didn't even notice Ziggy's disgust. His attention was on the silver animal in the sky. Vibrantly, Lee recalled a childhood trauma of when he was five. He was at the annual carnival in Fortree City. Sky rides were being offered. He distinctly remembered how desperately he had begged for a sky ride, and how they had finally given in.

Lee chose a Tropius, which launched immediately. Lee hollered and yelled, enjoying himself immensely. And then, from seemingly out of nowhere, a rogue Skarmory had collided with the Tropius. It seemed like a mistake, but then it came back for Tropius and Lee again.

Lee stared right at the approaching monster. In the split second before it had ran into him, he had gazed right into its eyes. Soulless, evil, and feral spotlights they were, demons of their own in the silver body of the bird.

The Skarmory slammed into him, slashing at him with its claws and pecking crazily with its beak. Lee had screamed, blood escaping from all the wounds the Skarmory had created.

Lee toppled off the Tropius after a few moments of abuse, spiraling through the air. The air swallowed his terrible screams as he tumbled through the air. But, yards above the ground, the Tropius had swooped under him, saving his life.

Touching down lightly, Lee leapt off, and ran to the protecting arms of his parents. Behind him, he heard frenzied shrieks.

He turned around, and saw the Skarmory on the ground, not too far away. Ropes were ensnared in its wings, and people were trying to subdue it, but the Skarmory was still trying to get to Lee. Horrific, inhuman roars echoed from its throat, and its eyes glowed with an internal fire. Lee hadn't stopped crying until he got home, and even then, it was weeks before he dared to venture outside again.

And now, that traumatic memory blazed within his mind. Fighting down a scream, Lee watched as Ziggy snarled at its attacker.

"Alright, Hoof Lung Poo, you're about to be permanently grounded," Ziggy shouted. Using Onix as something like a springboard, Ziggy shot itself into the air with an Extremespeed.

Reacting amazingly quickly, Onix howled and lunged with the speed of a real snake. It caught Ziggy around the middle. Ziggy cried out in shock, but the cry became fueled by pain as Onix began to gnaw at the trapped Linoone.

Horrified, Lee pulled out his Pokéball, and returned Onix, running forward as he did. Ziggy plummeted through the air, landing in Lee's arms just before he slammed into the ground.

"Well, it seems the happy family has some tension growing," a voice said. Lee looked up, and found the Skarmory slowly circling him, savoring the scene.

"Are you OK, Ziggy?" Lee asked.

Ziggy groaned, but said, "Yes. Thanks for reacting so quickly, though. I'm not sure if I'd have lived if I had been a chew toy any longer."

Skarmory lighted upon a branch, and then inquired slightly incredulously, "You're able to talk to Pokémon?" As the Skarmory queried, something Lee had neglected hit him.

"You can talk to me?" Lee said, surprised. How was this Skarmory able to communicate with him when it had taken him so very long to understand Ziggy?

"Yes, indeed I can. It's a side-effect of being so incredibly intelligent," Skarmory said airily. Ziggy scoffed quietly behind Lee.

"Well, if you're done blithering on, I'll be leaving," Skarmory said, flapping its wings even as it said this.

The Skarmory soon vanished, soaring away beyond their fields of vision. Lee just stared after the creature, terrified and fascinated at the same time.

"...Lee?" Ziggy said, addressing Lee. Lee said nothing. He just began walking, moving through the forests.

In contrast to his walking speed, his thoughts chased each other at subsonic speed. Lee felt very confused, but he didn't want to talk to Ziggy just yet.



* * *



The sun glowed golden as Ziggy and Lee caught sight of the lakeside city. Across the massive lake sat an enormous city, tiered almost like a cake. Houses sat on ledges above other houses, and the entire city looked very well-built.

At the very top stood a modern Coliseum, the silver coating catching the rays of the sun spectacularly. Lee felt excitement bubbling up inside him, as did Ziggy.

Eager to reach the other side, Lee and Ziggy swerved to the right, preparing to circle the lake and reach the glorious community.

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GAH!!! I CANNOT believe no one has responded AT ALL from when I last was on here because the site wasn't working for me for a while D:

Even Negative comment would be nice. This is the first time I've posted this fic on a site and got no response after the first chapter was posted >.<;;;

[羨望]

This is a good fic,i loved it keep the efort.looks like i am you only fic fan.oh well.

[Dunsparce]

This is a good fic,i loved it keep the efort.looks like i am you only fic fan.oh well.

It's okay. Hopefully more will come >.<;

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Chapter 5: The City of The Lake of Rage

The city was enormous; there was simply no other way to put it. Lee remembered the moans about this place not being an actual town, as it hadn't been mentioned on the many maps of Johto.

Idiocy. The Lake of Rage was just as big and important a city as any other in Johto. Indeed, it was probably more significant than a fair few of Johto's towns and cities.

Ziggy seemed just as awed as Lee. His furry head spun in all directions as they began exploring the place. Lee's eyes soon landed upon a restaurant. His stomach stirred at the sight of the restaurant.

"C'mon Ziggy. It's about time we had a proper meal," Lee muttered to Ziggy. Ziggy, enthralled by a salon about a block ahead, scarcely heard Lee. Only when he realized Lee had vanished did Ziggy follow him.

In the restaurant, many enticing smells wafted out to meet the weary companions. Small but secure, Lee felt happy being inside the building. Moved to one of the tables in the corner, Lee happily sat, relieving his legs. Ziggy climbed up on the chair opposite Lee, looking quite out of place to Lee.

Noticing the two new arrivals, a waiter wandered over, menus in his hands. Perfectly combed hair rested atop his head, the lights giving it an auburn glow. A friendly smile rested beneath a thin mustache on the man's surface. Garbed in a silvery tuxedo, he gave off an image of a generally amiable man.

"Here you are, sir. On behalf of the Brigand's Bakery, I welcome you. We hope you enjoy yourself here this fine day," he said in a warm voice, handing a menu to Lee. Lee smiled back; even the waiters were kind here. Ziggy seemed less impressed.

"So what's there to be eaten here?" Ziggy asked the waiter rather brusquely. Hearing only a stream of garbled cries, the waiter raised an eyebrow at the raccoon.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Pokémon aren't normally allowed at the tables," the waiter said.

"Ah, of course," Lee said. He smiled, trying to keep the mood light.

"But this Linoone is special. He's quite well-trained. He can be a bit of a nuisance at times, though. If he causes any trouble, I'd be willing to recall him," Lee said.

The waiter appeared dubious, but he said, "Alright. You seem to know what you're saying." The waiter walked away, his eye captured by a noticeably rotund woman.

As he left, Ziggy scoffed, "Nuisance, eh?"

"Well, you are," Lee said, grinning devilishly. Ziggy's brow furrowed, but he held his silence.

After a moment, Ziggy inquired, "Doesn't brigand mean 'thief'?"

Lee hadn't paid attention to the name of the place, but he recognized the word now that Ziggy had brought it up.

"Yeah, it does. Wonder why they named this place after a burglar? I don't know about you, but I feel pretty calm in this place. Goes against the title, huh?" Lee said, confused.

Ziggy just shrugged, and clumsily opened his menu. Lee followed suit, and quickly scanned the menu. A simple hamburger would have sated him, but the Brigand's Bakery seemed to avoid using meat.

However, their diverse dishes made up for the lack of meat. Beside each name, a scaled-down picture of the food was given. Most of the main courses had been given creative names to match their creative designs.

"I like the looks of the Poliwag Pineapple," Ziggy said, startling Lee out of his examination. Looking up, he saw Ziggy grinning, his pointed teeth exposed. Lee looked down, and found the Poliwag Pineapple. The description did indeed make it sound appealing: As the name suggests, our Poliwag Pineapple has been created in the likeness of a Poliwag. The pineapple, succulent and skinned precisely, sits upon two peppermint chocolate bars, carved to resemble the feet of a Poliwag.

Plump black raspberries sit in the eye cavities of the pineapple, and a long steel rod holds frozen sherbet in place as a tail(we advise eating the tail quickly, as the sherbet may melt if left alone long enough). Grooves etched in the center of the piece are filled with our finest icing, creating a sugary treat for the sweet tooths out there.

"Of course, I'd prefer an actual Pinap Berry, but I don't suppose they get many Pokémon customers," Ziggy said.

"Plus, Pinap Berries don't really grow that big. It'd be too small to make a good meal," Lee added.

Being a bakery, many of the meals were made up of primarily bread. Lee liked bread, but the Poliwag Pineapple sounded more satisfying.

"So, two Poliwag Pineapples then?" Lee said, making sure of Ziggy's choice.

"That's tough," Ziggy said, a troubled expression settling on his face, "The Dunsparce Dumplings look pretty good, too. But I suppose I'll have the pineapple thing."

"Small Soda Pop?" Lee asked. "You're malnourishing me," Ziggy whined.

Lee chuckled, and said, "I'm getting Rolling Kick Rolls as an appetizer. You can have some of mine, if you want."

"I'd prefer my own order, but I suppose we have to settle for less with so little money," Ziggy said. Lee nodded, and leaned back, waiting for the waiter to return. Minutes later, he did indeed come back.

"Are we ready to order, gentlethings?" the waiter asked, creating a word to address them simultaneously. Ziggy coughed softly at the term, but Lee ignored it.

"We are, yes, but we have a question first," Lee said.

"And I have an answer," the waiter responded, "Shoot."

"My Linoone and I were wondering why you call this the Brigand's Bakery. As far as I know, the only definition of a brigand is a thief, and that doesn't really fit with this quaint restaurant. Would you mind explaining?" Lee asked.

The waiter smiled, and said, "Well, we are quite attentive to the history of Johto in this lakeside city," the waiter began, "A century or so ago, our finest shops were frequently pillaged by an unnamed burglar.

It was never anything too major, mostly food and clothing. More than likely, this crook was simply a hermit who needed our resources to survive. The person's evasion of the law was incredible, though.

There hasn't been a tribute to the bandit thus far, so we decided to honor the unsung not-hero. Being anonymous, of course, we couldn't just name this person. So the first owner decided on a rather rare synonym for thief. And that's what lead to our little appellation." Ziggy looked utterly uninterested, but Lee appeared intrigued.

"Thanks for explaining," Lee said politely.

"So, you are ready to order?" the waiter queried.

"Yes we are. For an appetizer, I'll have a single order of Rolling Kick Rolls. After that, my Linoone and I will both have small Soda Pops and Poliwag Pineapples," Lee said.

"A fine choice," said the waiter, writing down their choices on a small notepad, "Your appetizer should be here in two minutes, shortly followed by beverages and your main dishes."

The waiter turned and headed back toward the kitchen.

"Hey, hang on!" Lee called suddenly.

"Is there a problem?" the waiter said, turning his head to Lee.

"No. But I'm curious; what's your name?" Lee asked.

Smiling as always, the waiter responded, "Sebastian, my friend." Sebastian disappeared behind the doors in the wall, presumably handing the orders to the chef.

Ziggy was unusually quiet throughout the wait. Maybe it was the fatigue, or perhaps Ziggy just was feeling pensive at the moment. Either way, not a word escaped his mouth before Sebastian returned with the Rolling Kick Rolls.

They looked exactly as they did in the menu. They appeared layered, but it was really just masterful carving of the bread. The very ends, shaped like feet and with realistic claws, were stuffed with thick meatballs, creating admirable duplicates of a real Hitmonlee's legs.

"I assume you do not require your menus any longer?" Sebastian asked.

"No, thank you," Lee said, handing his and Ziggy's menus to the waiter.

Sebastian turned, and vanished behind the doors once more. Lee turned to Ziggy, concerned. Ziggy's head hadn't moved. His eyes remained fixated on one of the delicate white flowers upon the tablecloth.

"Something wrong?" Lee asked.

Ziggy looked up, and said in a rather subdued voice, "I'm just rethinking what happened on the way here. The part where Onix almost cut me in half, to be specific. Your Onix remembered how I had hurt it in the past, and reacted accordingly. It's a lot smarter than we gave it credit for, I think."

Lee considered Ziggy's observation, and admitted bluntly, "You're probably right."

Ziggy nodded, and looked off into the distance. Lee watched Ziggy for a while, but when he could tell a response was not forthcoming, he just glanced about the restaurant.

To his surprise, a Yanma fluttered toward them. Two satchels hung off the thorax of the dragonfly, each with differently colored papers within.

The Yanma clipped a green card in one of its claws, and landed upon the table. With a cheery cry, the Yanma released the card and hovered above the table, regarding Lee kindly.

Lee picked up the card, and read, Salutations! I am Damsel, Sebastian's friendly card-carrier. On behalf of Sebastian, it is my duty to inform you that, unfortunately, your meal will be a little later than Sebastian had guessed. Sebastian and I apologize for the inconvenience, and we thank you again for dining at the Brigand's Bakery.

Lee looked up, and saw Damsel fluttering happily above the table. Ziggy's eyes followed her progress, a small smile upon his lips.

"Thank you, Damsel," Lee said. Damsel chattered gleefully, and landed on the table. She cocked her head interestedly at Lee, an adorable smile lighting up her orange-and-green face. Lee was confused for a moment, but a suspicion dawned on him soon after.

"Do you want to play, Damsel?" Damsel squealed in delight, and bobbed its large head up and down.

"Do you do I Spy?" Lee inquired of the Yanma, grinning widely. Damsel squabbled cutely, bouncing on the tablecloth. Crumbs leaped from their basket where the Rolling Kick Rolls were housed. Lee picked one up, and bit into it. It was soft and fluffy, just as bread should be.

Munching on the long breadstick, Lee said, "Alright, then. I spy, with my little eye, something large, round, and fancy."

Lee wasn't sure how intelligent Damsel was, though she seemed fairly smart by delivering messages independently. In any case, the riddle was fairly simple. Damsel should be able to understand that Lee meant the tables in the restaurant.

Damsel turned to the left, eyeing the room carefully. Then, her wings exploded into action, and she shot off toward a table near the doorway. Damsel landed on the puffy brown hair of the fat woman Sebastian had been occupied with earlier.

The woman let out a gasp of surprise, dropping a fork smothered in noodles. But then she began laughing as she discovered her attacker was just a jovial Yanma. Damsel bounced on the curls of hair excitedly, calling to Lee.

Ziggy was already laughing, quickly joined by Lee. Indeed, the woman was wearing an overly-elaborate silk dress that looked under pressure holding her figure within.

The lady turned to Lee, and laughingly called, "Is this delightful creature yours, young man?"

"No," Lee said, grinning, "It belongs to one of the waiters here."

The woman smiled, and asked, "Why has it landed on my hair?"

"It just has a fetish for Snorlax," Ziggy called, rolling his eyes. Lee was astounded Ziggy would be so daring, but then he remembered she couldn't understand the Linoone.

"It's a friendly little thing, that Yanma. I suppose it just likes you," Lee said, omitting the truth of Damsel's intents.

Damsel replied with an outburst of chatters, and soared over to Lee again. A smile upon her flabby face, the woman turned around and continued engorging herself.

"I think I like Damsel," Ziggy said, smirking. Damsel squeaked an enthusiastic response at Ziggy.

"That's not exactly what I was looking for, Damsel, but I'll let you have it," Lee said. Damsel bounced up and down on her skinny legs, eager for another riddle.

"Let's see..." Lee said, scanning the restaurant.

"I spy, with my little eye, something tall, wide, and white," Lee said, referring to the pillar in the middle of the room. Ziggy picked up one of the rolls as Damsel set off, searching for its target.

Lee finished his first breadstick as Damsel zoomed about. The meatballs were growing cold due to their wait, but they tasted excellent regardless of their warmth.

Lee picked up a second breadstick, and began eating it. It was a bit more chewy than the first, but it still tasted wonderful. Damsel squealed from afar, and landed on the pillar.

"Precisely, Damsel! Well done!" Lee said.

Damsel babbled madly at the accolade, and fluttered back to Lee. She stared up at him expectantly, awaiting her next challenge. Lee turned about, and looked around the room.

Smiling, he said, "I spy, with my little eye, someone friendly, silver, and fond of Yanma."

Damsel jumped into the air, and flung herself at Sebastian, who came bearing the main dishes. Damsel spun around him blindingly fast, bringing a laugh out of Sebastian.

"Alright Damsel, I need to get this food to our customers," he said as Damsel continued to loop around his stomach.

Damsel landed on Sebastian's bronze-colored hair and rested comfortably. Sebastian set down his platters in front of Lee. Each one bore a Soda Pop and a Poliwag Pineapple.

"I quite like Damsel, Sebastian. She's a great companion," Lee said.

"A little over-enthusiastic, but I agree," Sebastian concurred, stroking the Yanma. Damsel purred like a Meowth, her wings beating the air happily.

"Enjoy your meals, and let me know when you're ready to pay and leave," Sebastian told them before walking away. Damsel squeaked a good-bye to the two as she was carried away by her owner. Lee waved, and turned to Ziggy.

"So, what do you think of this?" Lee queried.

"Looks great, but I don't see why they ruined this perfectly good steel bar with this layer of ice," Ziggy said, frowning at the tail. Lee laughed, and removed the tail.

"Shall we?" he said, holding the tail to his mouth.

"We shall," Ziggy said, plucking his as well.

* * *


Lee and Ziggy left the homey bakery feeling full and cheerful. The meal had been delicious, and had proved quite inexpensive, which was good for the two of them.

Ziggy seemed considerably happier as he left the small building. Lee was happy as well. They were fed, and they still had enough money to make a living until the tournament.

Lee was glad the Onix was in its Pokéball, as recalled Pokémon required no nourishment in their state of dormancy. As Ziggy and Lee moved along the street, the sound of many voices caught their ears.

Interested, Lee turned a corner, and found a group of Trainers in what looked like the center plaza. A fountain spouted water to the left of the crowd, but no one seemed to notice. Everyone seemed to be watching and talking about was occurring in the middle of the crowd. Lee and Ziggy tried to penetrate the thick crowd, but no one would let them through.

"What about the fountain?" Ziggy asked.

"What about it?" Lee shot back impatiently, craning to try and see over the many heads.

"I mean, maybe we could do this," Ziggy said. Lee spun around, and found Ziggy standing on the edge of the fountain, staring easily into the crowd.

Feeling sheepish, Lee joined his friend, boosting himself on top of the three-foot walls surrounding the water. Standing up, Lee could clearly see what was happening.

Two trainers stood opposite of each other, a Pokémon in front of each of them. A Doduo stood before a boy with long wavy brown hair, and a girl with shoulder-length blond hair stood on his other side, a Meowth fidgeting in front of her. No one stood behind them, so as to avoid the attacks in what was apparently a battle.

"Doduo, Fury Attack," the boy suddenly commanded. The Doduo sprang forward, and began stabbing the Meowth with both of its beaks. The Meowth meowed angrily, and jumped over the attacking bird.

"Meowth, go for a Slash!" the girl ordered in a rather nasally voice. She seemed confident about something, but Lee couldn't tell what.

The Meowth charged on all fours, and lunged, claws extended. The Doduo dodged at the last second, leaving the Meowth clawing at the sidewalk.

"Follow up with Screech!" the girl ordered.

Meowth spun about swiftly, and opened its mouth. A horrific screaming noise exploded from its throat, startling the Doduo badly. Some of the weaker people in the crowd were forced to clamp their hands over their ears.

Meowth ran forward of its own volition, ready for a Slash. Doduo snapped out of its disorientation, and bounded away. It ran speedily around the perimeter of the crowd, too fast for the Meowth to catch.

"Focus Meowth! Use Bite as soon as you're sure you can get it!" the girl hollered. Lee noticed how quiet the boy had been throughout the match. He had only ordered one attack, and that was to begin the battle.

Lee thought the boy was using psychology against the girl. The calmer he remained, the more frantic she would be, and the more likely to slip up at the worst possible time.

The cat stared intently at one spot, watching as Doduo passed it. Then, as Doduo rounded a corner, the Meowth sprang. Its fangs clamped onto the Doduo's back, digging in savagely. The Doduo squawked in surprise, and stumbled over its own feet.

The two toppled to the ground, but the Doduo seemed to have take the brunt of the blow than the Meowth. The Meowth jumped away from the flailing bird, watching as it tried to stand up.

"Now, finish it, Meowth, with Petal Dance!" the girl announced, obviously pleased with herself. The crowd gasped as she ordered the Grass move. Lee did as well. How could a Meowth possibly use a Grass attack like that?

But, to his amazement, the Meowth began circling the thrashing Doduo quickly, petals erupting from the crest on its head. The petals circled in a cyclone, engulfing the Doduo. But the bird had finally managed to stand up. It was being buffeted by the strengthening winds, but it was ready to fight.

"We have a surprise of our own," said the boy, "Doduo, Low Kick!"

Again, Lee was shocked. This was no ordinary Pokémon battle, he surmised. The Doduo stuck its long leg out, and swung it at the Meowth's legs. The Meowth tripped, and soared wildly through the air, screeching as it went.

It landed on the ground, surprised and stunned. Wasting no time, the Doduo ran up to it, and planted a foot on its back. It immediately began jabbing at it in a powerful Fury Attack.

The blows landed so fast that the Doduo appeared to have ten heads rather than two. The Meowth didn't even have time to struggle between the blows. It fainted quickly, leaving the Doduo as the winner.

"Any other challengers?" the boy asked, as the girl collapsed limply beside her Meowth, stunned. The crowd seemed hesitant, but soon hands started shooting up.

"You there, the boy in the brown shirt!" the boy said.

Another boy stepped forward cautiously, as though unsure he was the one being called. But he soon stood opposite the boy with the Doduo, ready for battle.

"Go Hoppip!" the challenger said, flinging a Pokéball forward. A Hoppip burst from within, a broad smile across its crimson face.

The other boy smiled, and said, "Return, Doduo." He pulled out a Pokéball, and absorbed the dodo inside. He replaced that ball with a second one, and threw it forward.

A Delibird appeared before him, squawking happily. The two Pokémon eyed each other down, waiting for someone to begin the fight.

"Present!" the Delibird owner called. Delibird reached inside its silky white sack, and pulled out a roughly box-shaped package.

It flung the rhombus at Hoppip, who was watching all the while. Recognizing danger, the Hoppip tried to dodge. But the Present exploded forcefully upon touching the ground, knocking the fern backward.

"Now Icy Wind," the boy said. Delibird opened its mouth, and expelled a blast of wind from inside. The sleet pelted the helpless Hoppip, who looked almost ready to faint already.

But, surprising everyone present, the Hoppip burst free of the mini-Blizzard.

"Pay Day, Hoppip," cried its owner, desperate for an advantage. Hoppip's blades whirled like a helicopter's, and it sent coins flying at Delibird. The coins beat the penguin brutally, sending it toppling over.

"Counter with your own Pay Day, Delibird," said the boy. At this point, Lee was astonished. Where were these people getting Pokémon with such extraordinary moves?

The Delibird reached into its bag, and started slinging coins at the Hoppip. As the coins went slicing through the air, Lee was strongly reminded of shurikens.

The coins had the same effect on Hoppip as they had on Delibird. And, as the Hoppip's had, the coins' energy faded away as soon as they hit their target. Lying on the street, they were just ordinary coins. But no one dared to run in and snatch them up, at least not yet. Crying out in dismay, the Hoppip floated out of the line of fire.

"Sleep Powder, Hoppip. Immobilize it!" the owner commanded. The Hoppip set to work quickly, soaring over the penguin.

Delibird sent a barrage of money its way, but the Hoppip was too speedy. Hoppip circled above the Delibird, and blanketed it with a fine green powder. Delibird tried to escape, but the potent powder had stopped it before it had even gotten two paces away from the Hoppip. Delibird lay on the street rather pathetically, its stomach rising up and down slowly.

"Delibird, don't let Nicholas down!" a girl called from the crowd. The boy, apparently Nicholas, sent a smile in her direction. A squeal and a swoon followed Nicholas's response. Hoppip moved in closer, ready to finish off the Delibird.

"Pay Day," the other boy cried giddily. Nicholas seemed to be a strong trainer; defeating him must be quite the feat. Hoppip landed in front of Delibird, and began sending power-infused coins at the slumbering penguin.

Delibird simply tumbled over and over as the attack propelled it backwards. It would've woken anything else, but Sleep Powder is a strong attack. Pokémon under its influence don't easily wake.

Eventually, Nicholas cried out, "Stop!" The Hoppip stopped, staring in surprise at the opposing human.

"Delibird is defeated," Nicholas admitted regretfully. He returned the beaten penguin and sent out Doduo once more. Doduo sized up its new foe, evaluating it warily.

Then, without an order from Nicholas, it flung forward in a Fury Attack. The Hoppip evaded the lunge, barely avoiding the sharp beaks. But, as the Doduo stopped in place, the Hoppip sent a Sleep Powder cloud at its opponent.

"Aerial Ace," Nicholas said simply. Some of the people watching were confused at the order. Lee knew Aerial Ace was a Hoenn discovery, and word might not have gotten out to Johto, or even Kanto, for that matter.

Doduo sprinted forward, slicing through the thick green air effortlessly. Its two beaks slammed into Hoppip, and knocked it forcefully to the ground. Hoppip just sat there, unable to battle any longer.

The other boy returned his Hoppip, and sent out a Pikachu in its place. Lee was wondering how Nicholas could defeat this Pikachu. Low Kick wouldn't do a lot of damage to it, and Aerial Ace would be all but useless.

Nicholas didn't share this pessimistic outlook, as he sent Doduo in for a Low Kick right away. Pikachu, alarmed by the abrupt start of the battle, sent a Thunderbolt reeling toward Doduo. A scorch mark blackened the ground where Doduo had been and where Pikachu had aimed. Doduo was simply too fast.

It swung its right leg out, and knocked Pikachu to the ground. Repeating its prior tactic, Doduo placed a foot on the yellow mouse and began stabbing it in a heated Fury Attack.

The Pikachu, though, was better suited for a defense than the Meowth had been. It sent a Thunderbolt blasting into the Doduo, causing it to shoot backward.

Doduo landed on its side, but it scrambled to its feet quickly, knowing it was far too vulnerable to an Electric Type just lying on the ground.

"Scary Face!" the boy ordered. Ziggy chuckled to himself at the command.

"Pikachu can't use Scary Face. I don't care how messed up these Pokémon are. A Pikachu just can't use that kind of move," he said to Lee with finality.

Lee wasn't so sure, though. And it turned out that he was right. Pikachu stood up in front of the Doduo, and began contorting its face. It opened its eyes so wide that the hidden whites showed. Its mouth expanded outward, and curved into a gaping frown. Its nostrils were flared, and its ears stiffened, curving outward like horns. If any Pikachu could look frightening, it was this one.

The Doduo was obviously taller, but it still cowered away from the freakish rat. A splash told Lee that Ziggy had fallen into the fountain laughing.

Poking his head above water, Ziggy announced, "We need to get ourselves one of those!"

Lee laughed, but Ziggy's joke made him think of something. Lee and Onix were competent battlers, but they were both Physical based Pokémon. Lee would need to get some sort of Special based Pokémon for the upcoming tournament. Otherwise, Pokémon like Forretress or Steelix would completely defeat him, blocking all Physical attacks.

But Lee's attention was quickly focused on the battle once more. The Doduo had began running again, but it kept its eyes on the still glaring Pikachu. It couldn't run too quickly with its attention on Pikachu, else it would fall over.

"Quickly, Thunderbolt!" the boy said. Pikachu's twisted face vanished, and it sent a Thunderbolt at the dodo. Doduo squabbled, but it was unable to avoid the lightning strike.

After a quick blow, Doduo fell over, barely able to keep going. The crowd groaned and booed as Doduo's feathery body slammed onto the walkway.

Lee realized the boy was in a lose-lose situation. If he lost, then he lost. But if he won, people would dislike him for beating Nicholas (who was something of an idol to them, it seemed). Doduo rose to its feet weakly, encouraged by quiet cheers from Nicholas' fans.

Pikachu sent a final Thunderbolt its way, but Doduo had enough stamina left to avoid it. Knowing Pikachu would win if it didn't end the fight soon, Doduo's first head knocked Pikachu down.

Before Pikachu had even hit the ground, Doduo's heads became a blur as it belted out Fury Attacks. Vicious and determined, it gave Pikachu no time to retaliate. Pikachu stopped struggling soon, just as the Meowth had.

As Doduo recognized victory, it began glowing white. A third head began sprouting from between the previous two. Feathers unfurled from their shining heads as their beaks lengthened. A proper tail burst free of Doduo's abdomen, as well as another portion of its legs.

The glowing faded, and a Dodrio stood before the fallen Pikachu proudly. The crowd dissolved into cheers. Even Lee found himself yelling praise to Nicholas.

Beckoning to Ziggy, Lee started pushing his way through the crowd, which was starting to break up. Some had moved in closer to admire the Dodrio or talk to Nicholas. Several adolescents had simply lurched forward to gather the coins left behind by the Pokémon.

The other boy seemed all but forgotten. His friends comforted him, but he looked distinctly disgruntled by his loss.

Lee walked straight up to Nicholas, and said, "Hey Nicholas."

Nicholas turned to him, and asked, "Do I know you?" The question wasn't posed as a challenge, and there was no arrogance in his words; it was a simple question.

"No, my name's Lee. I was just wondering where you and those other people got those Pokémon with the abnormal moves," he said, eager for an answer.

Nicholas smiled, and said, "In the center of the town, there's a small development. A girl named Nabiki lives there, in the house E-25 to be exact, and she gives away Pokémon, usually for free. She barters for some of the rarer ones, but for the most part, they're free to whomever comes."

"Thanks," Lee said brightly. Ziggy had already started walking along the street as Lee turned away.

"So, what'd you think of Nicholas?" Lee asked.

"Great battler, he was. That's one heck of a Dodrio. I found myself wanting to fight him when I saw how fluidly he directed his Pokémon," Ziggy commented.

"Well, maybe you will someday," Lee said, listening as the Dodrio sent a caw of triumph into the still air.

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[Dunsparce]

Chapter 6: The Breeder, Part 1

Afternoon slowly pulled the sun toward the horizon, and its light was fading. The busy city of the Lake of Rage was beginning to settle down, but Lee and Ziggy still roamed the streets.

Though Lee was scanning the place carefully, he had no idea where to find E-25. Nicholas had said it was near the center of town, but it was impossible to find the center of such a vast metropolis.

Frustrated and weary, Lee collapsed on the porch of a small, one-story house. Ziggy noticed, and moved toward his owner.

"Lee, you're killing what little time we have left," Ziggy informed the exasperated adolescent.

"Does it matter? We're not going to be finding Nabiki today. I'm not sure we'll ever find her in this place," Lee sighed.

Ziggy rolled his eyes, and said, "You make it sound like we're going Chansey hunting. Nabiki is one girl in a big city. It might take a while, but we'll find her. It's not as big a problem as you're making it seem."

"I don't suppose I could be of any assistance," a smug voice crooned from overhead. Lee looked up, brushing the hair from his eyes, and found the Skarmory gazing down at him intently. Lee fell off the porch in surprise and fear.

"Don't you have something better to do than stalk us?" Ziggy snapped at the iron bird.

Skarmory turned its gaze to him, and said, "Well, I've been trying to besmirch the clean pelts of other Pokémon with my droppings, but apparently they're all too intelligent to be hit. I needed a simpler target, one that hasn't the intelligence to evade a very obvious attack. So here I am, eyeing you down, my furry friend." Ziggy snarled, but didn't lash out at the bird.

"Ooh, the scary face!" Skarmory exclaimed in mock terror, "I guess I'd better leave before I get my tail feathers ripped out by this dashingly masculine warrior." Skarmory ruffled its feathers, and actually did take off.

Reluctant as he was to accept help from such a creature, Lee had to call, "Stop! We need your help, Skarmory." Skarmory turned around startlingly quickly, as though expecting Lee's call.

"I know you do," it said, a small smirk upon its silvery face.

"No, we most certainly do not need your help," Ziggy shouted up to the hovering creature, fur bristling.

"Yes we do!" Lee whispered frantically to Ziggy, staring him in the eyes.

Ziggy glared back, and said in a voice that carried up to the waiting Skarmory, "Yeah, we need help, but I think we can do better than an arrogant Taillow in shining armor."

"Likewise, I wonder why I waste my time with a Linoone coated in partially digested fish. Surely my talents are better suited somewhere else," the Skarmory said to the two.

"No, ignore Ziggy. Neither of us are all that fond of you, Skarmory, but we need your help," Lee admitted.

"Your honesty is painful," Skarmory wailed in a melodramatic voice, "But, being the kind soul I am, I shall cut minutes from my overwhelming schedule to help a young boy and his fur coat."

Ziggy's pupils actually contracted at Skarmory's response, and an utterly feral expression crossed his face. Only deep respect for Lee kept him from simply turning around and abandoning the smug bird.

"Lead us on, Skarmory," Lee said.

"As you wish, my directionally-challenged friend," Skarmory called back.

Turning to the left, Skarmory flew along the street slowly, allowing Lee and Ziggy to keep pace. Many complicated twists and turns befouled what should have been a simple journey. Lee wondered if Skarmory was deliberating wearing them down.

"You'd think, having a bird's eye view and all, that our gracious leader would find his way more quickly," Ziggy said, his comment directed solely at Skarmory.

"Oh, how much more amusing your words would be to me if they were garbled with my intestinal fluids," Skarmory retorted without even turning its head.

Ziggy yearned to strike the creature, but restrained himself. Finally, Skarmory led the companions into a circular development with a good forty houses. Looking at the door of the first house, Lee saw E-25 shining at him in big, golden letters. A fountain was placed in the middle of the plaza, an exact duplicate of the one Lee had stood upon hours ago.

Lee's legs ached from the long voyage; he wished he had thought to bring his Mach Bike with him to Johto, but it was in Hoenn at the moment. Nevertheless, he was grateful for Skarmory's assistance.

"Thanks a lot," Lee yelled to the Skarmory, grinning. Skarmory lighted upon the fountain, and seemed genuinely appreciative of Lee's gratitude.

"You're quite welcome," Skarmory said, omitting a snide comment from its statement for the first time.

However, the almost friendly bond between the two vanished, though, as Ziggy said, "Nabiki's not here. She left some sign up, though." Ziggy could read a few things, but apparently the words on the sign were beyond his comprehension.

"Well done, hairy heckler, you've just ruined a very tender moment," Skarmory informed Ziggy, only half kidding.

Ziggy didn't even turn around as he snarled, "You know, you can shut up at any time." Skarmory chose not to answer the remark, for whatever reason.

"Nabiki tends to bathe at this time of day. I can take you to where she cleanses herself, if you'd like," Skarmory said to Lee. Lee still feared the bird, but he was quite surprised at the nearly friendly attitude it used when speaking to him.

"Alright, that sounds good. It'd be better if we spoke to her before the day ends," Lee said.

"I suppose teenage lust has nothing to do with it, then," Skarmory said with a devilish grin.

Lee blushed, and responded a bit too quickly, "No, of course not. I'd want to see Nabiki just as much if she weren't taking a bath."

"Alright, whatever you say," Skarmory said, its teeth stilled bared in a knowing grin, "So would you be disappointed if I told you she bathes with a swimsuit?"

"No," Lee said, painfully aware that heat still suffused his face.

Skarmory just chuckled, and said, "Alright, we'd best be moving on, then. Come, fur-clad lizard, we must depart."

Ziggy turned to Skarmory, teeth bared in a very fierce scowl. Lee was alarmed to see Ziggy so angry, so he thought it was best not to speak to him until his temper receded.

Skarmory rose into the sky, and soared over the house Nabiki lived in. Happy that the awkward moment had passed, Lee maneuvered through an alley, following by a seething Linoone. Lee considered asking Skarmory to let up on the insults, but he didn't suppose it would accept orders from him. More than likely, it would just barrage the two of them with barbs to further annoy Ziggy, perhaps beyond the line of reason.

Soon, Lee was free of the huge city, and found a small lake filled with rocks. Skarmory landed lightly on the ground, and gestured toward the highest rock.

"Bathing Beauty awaits," it said simply.

Lee moved a bit closer, and called tentatively, "Nabiki?"

A startled yelp came from the tall rock, and head poked out of an indent on the rock's top. Shoulder length hair wrapped itself around the rather attractive face of Nabiki. Green eyes similar to Lee's gazed down at Lee. Lee found himself blushing once more, to his embarrassment.

"What do you want? Didn't you see the sign? I said I'd be back in fifteen minutes!" Nabiki said, sounding quite affronted.

"I'm afraid that would be my fault, young Nabiki," Skarmory interjected without any warning, "I didn't want to lead them here, but this sick little Linoone forced me into it. I suppose frolicking with unclothed Linoone all day just doesn't satisfy it anymore."

Nabiki didn't understand what Skarmory had said, but Ziggy understood it all too well. With a roar of rage, Ziggy rocketed toward the Skarmory, and bit it around the neck.

Skarmory didn't even react, but simply allowed the infuriated Linoone to plunge it into the water from its attack. Ziggy dragged the bird onto land, and pinned it to the ground. Skarmory, remarkably, seemed unfazed, even with the enraged Linoone growling down at it.

"And so my life comes to an end, trapped beneath a perverse Linoone with fish and excretion in its hair and pineapple in its brea - Good heavens, you swine, what have you been eating? Under your open mouth, that cloying odor is making me want to expel fluid into your face from my throat," Skarmory said, looking almost bored at the situation.

Ziggy raised an arm to take a swipe at Skarmory, but was stopped as a hulking blue monster tore it off its captive. The Feraligatr held Ziggy in one hand, and pulled Skarmory to its feet with the other.

Skarmory fluttered into the air, and grinned down at Ziggy from high in the air. Ziggy growled up at the Skarmory, and thrashed about in the one-handed grasp of Feraligatr. Feraligatr didn't let go, though. It just held Ziggy until his rage abated.

As Feraligatr let go of the calming Linoone, Nabiki asked, "Are you spying on me or something?"

"No, not at all," Lee called up to her quickly, "Some kids in the city told us that you have Pokémon you're willing to give away." Nabiki's stern expression seemed to implode upon itself, and friendly smile replaced her frown.

"Yes, that's what I do best! Give me a few minutes; I'll be out in a moment," she exclaimed jubilantly. Nabiki seemed to disappear inside her rocky bathtub as she said this.

Lee turned to Skarmory, who promptly said, "I think I've served my purpose, so I'll be leaving now." Without even giving Lee a chance to answer, Skarmory jumped into the air, and glided away into the city. Ziggy watched it leave hatefully. He looked as though he wanted to call after the Skarmory, but it had vanished quite abruptly.

Lee turned to the Feraligatr, who looked down at him with a blank expression. It didn't seem unfriendly, but Lee knew it was powerful from the way it had separated the quarreling Pokémon with such ease.

"So, you're Nabiki's Feraligatr?" Lee asked. Feraligatr nodded, a deep growl resonating from its throat.

"Does Nabiki have any other Pokémon of her own?" Lee asked, wondering if this Feraligatr was the only one she hadn't given away.

Feraligatr nodded, and then suddenly roared into the sky. Lee backed away in alarm, but even as he stumbled onto the ground, he realized it was probably just calling those other Pokémon.

A Kecleon bounded out of the forest seconds after the terrifying roar shattered the twilight, and a Gligar soared over the trees. Seeing Lee and Ziggy, the two assumed battle poses, guessing him to be a threat. Feraligatr grunted a command just as Ziggy prepared for the onslaught.

A deep chain of growls was directed at the Gligar and the Kecleon, and they relaxed as Feraligatr explained the situation. Gligar was the first to move; it hovered over to Lee, and landed on his thick hair.

Lee smiled, and stroked the head of the flying scorpion. He was reminded quite distinctly of Damsel as the Gligar sighed happily. Kecleon moved for Ziggy, however. Ziggy, who had been shaking the water from his fur, glanced up at the approaching Kecleon. The reptile seemed a little shy. Ziggy, though, immediately reached out a hand. Kecleon jumped back in alarm, but took Ziggy's paw after a few tense moments.

Gligar peered out of Lee's hair, interested in the relationship between Kecleon and the strange creature.

"Hey!" Nabiki called from behind Lee. Lee turned, and found her bounding across a series of stones in the lake.

Nabiki wore a forest green T-shirt, and bell-bottoms that flapped at her ankles as she leapt nimbly from stone to stone. She wore thin, purple glasses now that she was out of the water, which Lee thought subtracted from her appearance somewhat. Her brown hair fluttered freely at her shoulders, buffeted by the wind. She landed delicately on the shore, and walked over to Lee. Despite her glasses, she was still quite pretty. Lee fought hard to keep from blushing once more.

Nabiki returned Feraligatr as she landed on the verdant grass, but allowed Gligar and Kecleon to become acquainted with the new arrivals.

"So, you want a Pokémon?" she said, getting right to the point.

"Y-Yes, if you don't mind," Lee said, annoyed with himself for stuttering.

"Well, then we need to be at my house," she said, laughing. Lee laughed weakly, but stopped as he realized that might not be the right moment to laugh. Nabiki glanced at him inquiringly, and then laughed even harder. Lee joined in this time. Nabiki seemed quite serene, and her laughter was infectious.

Nabiki began to lead the way to her house, but tripped over a rather large hole in the grass. Startled, Lee hastened to extend his hand. Nabiki took it and pulled herself to her feet. She turned to thank Lee, but a wide smile crossed her face as she caught sight of his happy grin.

"Is there a reason you're smiling?" she teased. Lee, unaware he had been smiling in the first place, took a step backward, startling Gligar. Gligar landed on Nabiki's hair, and stared back at Lee with a contented smile.

Nabiki laughed again. Her voice was fairly normal for a teenager, but her laugh was interestingly high-pitched. It wasn't immediately noticeable, but Nabiki laughed so much that Lee could tell the difference.

"Why are you so nervous?" she asked, giggling.

"Well, uh..." Lee stuttered, unsure of what to say.

"Well, I kinda thought it was funny when you fell, but I didn't want to laugh, 'cause I didn't want to offend you. Seriously!" Lee added in as Nabiki began giggling again.

Deciding to change the subject, Lee said, "I suppose you have bad eyesight, then, tripping over rocks and stuff."

Nabiki smiled at him, and said, "Yeah, I do. I don't mind my glasses, though. I think I look better with them than without them."

"I think you look great without them," Lee said. It took less than a second for what he said to catch up with him. Lee's face flushed a deep red, vibrant enough to be seen even in the darkening air.

Nabiki burst out laughing, shaking Gligar out from her hair. Looking affronted, Gligar relocated to Lee's cranium, nestling itself in the part in his hair.

"Very smooth, Lee," Ziggy said, a smug smirk on his face. Lee laughed sheepishly, but he could hardly hear himself over Nabiki's continued laughter.

"Was I really that funny?" Lee said daringly.

"Yes, you were!" Nabiki said, trying to stop laughing, "You're very sweet, too."

Lee was amazed for a moment. Heat began creeping into his face as the impact of the words hit him. Hurriedly, he went to pet Ziggy to cover up his embarrassment.

"Why are you petting me, Lee?" Ziggy said, suppressing his laughter with a very wide grin, "Are you avoiding something? Or someone, perhaps?"

"Shut up!" Lee muttered to Ziggy, stroking his ears. Nabiki noticed the two communicating, and asked, "Can that Linoone really understand you?"

Uncertain if this was a reasonable topic to be discussed, Lee asked, "You know what a Linoone is?"

"Yes, I know a lot about Pokémon. It's part of being a Breeder, you know. But don't avoid my question. Can it understand you?" Nabiki said. A smile danced on her face, but she wasn't gong to be distracted by Lee's subject change.

Lee planned his explanation carefully, "Well, when you've been around a Pokémon long enough, it can start to understand some of the things you say. Feraligatr can understand you to an extent, can't it?"

Nabiki considered Lee's explanation, and said, "You know, you're right. Feraligatr understands what I say and do most of the time. It's naturally smart, but I suppose that has something to do with it."

Lee smiled at her, and said, "We should get moving. Your parents are probably worrying."

Nabiki laughed for the umpteenth time, and said, "No, my parents aren't home right now. They've been away for months, doing all sorts of things. They're coming back in three days, though; I'm running low on supplies and things."

"Oh. Cool," Lee said lamely. Nabiki smiled, barely resisting the urge to laugh. Lee just moved forward, heading for Nabiki's house.

"What's your name, anyway?" Nabiki asked playfully.

"...Lee," Lee said hesitantly. After his multiple acts of stupidity, he wasn't sure if he wanted her to remember him.

"Lee...That's a nice name," Nabiki said from behind him. Lee gave a small noise of acknowledgement. They walked in silence, following a path back to the city.

"It's kind of lonely home alone," Nabiki said, breaking the silence between them, "I mean, I have my Pokémon and all, but I miss human company.

The only people I see are the ones who pick up my Pokémon, and I don't usually get to know anybody. Sometimes I wish someone would keep me company."

Lee stopped, and turned around incredulously. Nabiki walked by him as Lee stood in place, but Lee thought he detected a shy smile on her face. Lee smiled as well, and followed Nabiki as she took the lead.

"Funny, that was," Ziggy noted, "Seems you get better results when you're not trying so hard to charm her."

"Charm her? I dunno what you mean, Ziggy. It's basic friendliness," Lee said quickly.

A small chuckle came from th