[Pokémon] Mentor (PG-14)

Hello! Nice chapter. I really like how you made the man Ed battled shady, but not obviously shady, so that the reader wasn't quite sure what to make of him. The rocket badge fits perfectly! Nice plottiness.

Turning back, Ally gazed at her with distrust. "Promise?"

Leah didn't hesitate.

"Promise."

Click to expand...

When things like this are said, I get the shivers because then I know something is going to go wrong.

it made her frown more and when she caught herself doing it.

Click to expand...

You can get rid of the 'and'

But that was true, wasn't it? All he had been doing was getting his Pokemon hurt, Coralie most of all. He remembered, way back to his first gym battle, that he sent Parasect against Blaine's fire-types. Now he could see how dangerous and stupid that was and how thankful he was that Parasect wasn't totally hurt. He acted so recklessly and still, Blaine had given him a badge, almost congratulating him at getting his Pokemon hurt.

Click to expand...

Parasect was a Paras back then.

I really liked Ed's scene. Nice job, keep up the good writing!

Oh my god, this fan fic surpassed all of my wildest expectations. Imagine my joy when I found out it was still active. Imagine my surprise when i found out it got updated yesterday! And that encounter was pretty damn surprising. It didn't dawn on me who "Dusty" was until much much later. And it's great to see Ed making a turn around, I guess. I was honestly scared for Para and Ditto.

Hello! Nice chapter. I really like how you made the man Ed battled shady, but not obviously shady, so that the reader wasn't quite sure what to make of him. The rocket badge fits perfectly! Nice plottiness.

Click to expand...

Thanks for reviewing, delongbi! I'm glad the Rocket Badge thing fit, since I was going to do that scene in the next chapter instead, but things got turned around and so it came in this chapter instead. I'm glad Dusty came out all right because I kept altering his dialogue and such.

Oh my god, this fan fic surpassed all of my wildest expectations. Imagine my joy when I found out it was still active. Imagine my surprise when i found out it got updated yesterday! And that encounter was pretty damn surprising. It didn't dawn on me who "Dusty" was until much much later. And it's great to see Ed making a turn around, I guess. I was honestly scared for Para and Ditto.

Click to expand...

I'm glad you're enjoying it, Akustar! Recently, my update schedules has really gotten off track, but I'm going to try to do updates once a week again and see how that goes. Heh, things are going to calm down somewhat in the next chapter (hopefully), but after that, I can't make any claims. At all. ;)

It felt cold in his hands as he turned it over and it was different from all the other badges he'd seen. It was crimson red, for one, and was shaped in a capital R, its lines straight and corners sharp. The back of it was black and the whole thing gleamed, as if it was brand new.

Click to expand...

Okay, as I'm writing this review it's 9:40pm at night (this was last night, mind you). I worked on reading your fic for close to 5 hours. I have to admit that you've done a damn fine job, Dagzar. In regards to the quoted section above, to me it reeks of Team Rocket.

Okay, as I'm writing this review it's 9:40pm at night (this was last night, mind you). I worked on reading your fic for close to 5 hours. I have to admit that you've done a damn fine job, Dagzar. In regards to the quoted section above, to me it reeks of Team Rocket.

Click to expand...

Whoa, long time to be reading, especially at the late at night (I'd totally give up before nine since I value my eyes). I'm glad you're enjoying the story and the badge should reek quite a bit. ;)

Thanks for killing your eyes for me, Legendarian Mistress! And thanks for reviewing!

-



She should be training.

For nearly the entire day, that was what Ally kept telling herself over and over again. Her Poke Balls were at her hip and she could easily open them, but she didn't. The only time she ever did was when she wanted company and that had been a rare occasion all week.

For the last few months, Pokemon had overtaken her life. They were all she thought about and as she dreamed her future, they were in it. Now, things had changed. It had been a couple of days since she had seen Ed and since they had spend everyday together for a while, that was shocking. She didn't know what he was doing. Was he training? Getting ready to challenge Misty again? She didn't know.

That was what worried her. She should know. She had known her school friends for much longer, but she was comfortable to say that Ed was her best friend. Best friends should know what the other was doing. She knew that she should get in contact with him, stop by the Pokemon Center to see how he was doing, but... For the past week, ever since they had lost against Misty, things had changed.

The topic of going up against Misty never came up whenever she and Ed talked. They made half-hearted plans for training, but somehow, they had never gone through, forgotten amongst their awkward conversations. Ed was always depressed whenever she saw him and he told her it was because he wasn't sleeping. He was telling the truth; the bags under his eyes made it obvious. She always wanted to know why, but he was quick to change the subject.

She knew that she had to train. She had to beat Misty so that Leah could go home. She didn't want to disappoint her again. And Leah promised to be at her match, so the older girl would see her win. Leah always saw her win, but this time would be different because Leah had actually promised to watch. Watch willing, not because she wasn't allowed to leave.

Ally should be training.

But she wasn't.

Instead, she stood outside her school, waiting for classes to end so she could play with Sam and Maylin. They were all going to go to the new playground that had been built this summer because as Sam claimed, there was a giant slide that was the best in the world. Both girls had been saying that all of yesterday when they were at Sam's house, so Ally was excited to see it.

The bell rang, its shrill tone signifying the end of school for the day. Even from outside, Ally could hear the scraping of chairs as students ran out of their classrooms and to freedom. The front doors opened as a trickle of students came out, the trickle turning into a pour as Ally's eyes looking at each and every one of them. She saw George and they waved at each other as the boy hurried to his mother's car at the end of the parking lot.

Then, Sam and Maylin appeared, each bearing grins, as they made their way towards her.

"Ally!" Sam greeted.

"You'll never guess what happened in class today!" Maylin exclaimed.

"What happened?" Ally asked the three girls started their way out of the school grounds and towards the direction of the park.

"Well, Ms. Lewis' Natu, Ruby, suddenly had a vision and-"

Maylin's words washed over the girl as Ally kept an ear on the story, but as much as she was glad to see her friends, guilt kept her from focusing.

She should be training.

Guilt prickled at the edge of her mind. She didn't want to lose again, so why wasn't she training? If she trained, she could beat Misty, so why wasn't she?

"Ally?"

"I'm listening," Ally said, coming back to reality. She gave her friends a smile. "Keep going!"

Today, Ally was busy with her friends so she couldn't train even if she wanted to. Ally could train tomorrow though, and she promised herself that was what she was going to do.

She'd train tomorrow.

She would.


-


Unfortunately, things didn't end up the way Ally planned. Apparently, Maylin's sister got a new Pichu and when the friend asked for them to come see it, she couldn't say no. She had lots of time to train, but seeing a baby Pichu was a rare opportunity! And really, Ally only felt the smallest traces of guilt. How could she be guilty when staring at such a cute Pokemon? It was impossible.

She had lots of time to train; she did, she did! Misty would still be at her gym tomorrow if she spent a day with her friends.

Really.

That night, after Ally had gotten changed into her pajamas and was ready to go to bed, she descended the stairs to get a glass of water. The whole house was dark, but there was a light on in the kitchen and the girl paused outside of the doorway, hearing her mother's voice from within.

"I tell ya', Markus, the girl's doin' nothing!" her mother was saying.

Ally peaked around the corner to see her mother's back, with the phone to her ear. Her father was on the other end of the line, still on his business trip in Saffron. It was obvious who they were discussing.

As Ally was frozen outside the doorway, her mother went on. "She spends all day in her room and only goes out to play with her friends. Been here for two weeks and I doubt she's going anywhere anytime soon." There was a pause. "No, not doin' anything. A whole month of school wasted just like that."

Feeling uncomfortable at listening in, Ally was going to go back upstairs, but stopped.

"- She's not, Markus. She's already gone back to school, so I don't see why not. I'm her mother; I know what she's like. Slipping in and out of hobbies, she's already given up on this one." Her mother laughed. "Oh, a scruffy Vulpix and an electric ball thing. I don't see them much- She can always send them to a Pokemon Center, they take in unused Pokemon; I checked this morning."

'What's going on?' Ally thought to herself and even then, a theory was forming in her mind.

Then, her mother said it. "I talked to the principal. The girl will have to come in after school to get caught up in all the work she missed- No, no, I haven't talked with her yet. You know how she'll whine-"

Quietly, Ally tiptoed back upstairs, her heart pounding. Her hands were shaking as she closed her bedroom door and only when she lay down on her bed, under the warm covers, did she allow herself to think.

They were going to send her back to school.

Suddenly, Ally could see her freedom and unlimited time for her journey get cut off as the prospect of being forced to stay home caught up with her. She was going back to school! But she still had her journey to complete and she couldn't do it if she was stuck at home.

What had she been doing all week? She was a trainer! Instead of watching TV and playing with her friends, she was supposed to be training!

In the dark, Ally could see the luminescent red numbers on her clock that told her it was nearly nine.

She wasted her whole day looking at a Pichu. She went to the park yesterday and the day before that, she went to Sam's house. The day before that? She saw Ed, but it was short because she had to go meet Sam and Maylin after school.

What had she been doing?!

"Tomorrow," Ally promised herself, saying it aloud to make it permanent. "I'll go see Ed tomorrow and then I'll train. All day, no friends allowed."

She should also go talk to her mother and tell her she wasn't going back to school, but she wasn't sure her mother would listen. It was true what her mother said. When she was younger, she was always interested in different things, changing her interests at the drop of a hat. She loved horses when she was little and demanded riding lessons, but got bored of them after only two months (waking up early on Saturday morning helped). Then, she wanted to be a ballerina, but eventually dropped out of lessons. She did that for a lot of things.

But Pokemon wasn't one of them. She remembered before the journey started, how she begged and pleaded to go on a journey and how much happiness she felt at being allowed. She wanted to go with her friends but her mother didn't trust her and sent her all the way to Pallet Town instead for the Mentor Program, like it was supposed to keep her safer.

She wasn't bored of training, she wasn't! Just because she didn't play with her Pokemon as often as before, just because she was starting to settle in the routine of a normal girl-

Ally threw off her covers and got up, bare feet touching her cold wooden floor. She went over to the far corner of her room, by the door, and went into the pockets of her bag. Out came two Poke Balls, which she enlarged in her hand.

"I choose you," she spoke quietly, releasing both.

The white flashes of light burned her eyes and shielded her face until it died down. And even then, the spots before her eyes throbbed.

Without light and with her night vision shattered, Ally couldn't see her Pokemon, but she could hear them. Amber was pawing the ground, his claws lightly scratching the floors while Sparks slowly moved backwards and a made a sound as he hit her bedpost.

Using her hands, Ally felt her way to Amber, feeling his soft fur beneath her fingers.

Downstairs, her mother was still talking on the phone, but up here, the conversation was muffled enough that only the loudest words were heard. She wasn't sure if her mother heard her Poke Balls opening and if she did, she knew she'd make her return them. But at long as she didn't…

Ally picked Amber up and held him in her arms like a cat and carefully walked back towards her bed, avoiding running into Sparks. She placed the fire-type on the bed before kneeling down to lightly touch her Voltorb on his head, feeling the barely noticeable twitching of his body. Not wanting him to fall off the bed if she brought him up, Ally instead grabbed her stuffed bunny from beside her pillow and put it on the floor, right next to Sparks.

She wouldn't need it; she had something else to hug tonight.

Laying back down and putting her head on the pillow, Ally felt her Vulpix paw the bed, walking in circles until he let himself fall on the soft comforter. His warm body pressed against her leg as he curled up, breathing gently. On the floor, Sparks wasn't doing anything, but Ally could say she trusted her Pokemon enough to leave him there for the night.

Lulled by the soft sounds of her Pokemon and with the promise in her mind, she had no trouble falling asleep.


-


The morning sky looked gloomy, so Ally made sure she brought an umbrella with her on the way to the Pokemon Center, just in case. It was cold out, and the girl pulled her jacket together tighter, hitting the ground with the sharp point of her pink umbrella in time with her steps, like she would a cane. At her feet, Amber trotted beside her, his head held high in the cool morning air.

Whenever she could, Ally made sure one of her Pokemon was with her at all times. She had been neglecting them the past week and she had to make it up to them. She had ate breakfast with Sparks and Amber wandering around on the kitchen floor, her mother already gone to work. They were there when Ally left a message with Sam's mother, telling her that she wouldn't be able to come over and play that day.

She was a trainer, not a schoolgirl. She had work to do; she couldn't play all the time.

The front doors of the Pokemon Center slid open to her and Ally and Amber walked into the warm lobby. When she didn't find Ed among the faces of the people around her, she headed toward the stairwell.

Then, a thought occurred to her.

It was sudden and left her blinking. Amber stopped beside his trainer, wondering what was wrong.

She didn't know Ed's room number. Every time the two had met, they had come to the lobby to talk, never going up to Ed's room.

For a best friend, she was sure bad at it.

With her face burning, Ally finally got his room number from the girl at the counter and then continued her journey to Ed, one step at a time. His room was on the second floor and in the middle of the hall of doors.

The girl knocked a few times and waited, hands in front of her. She was patient, but no one came to the door. Frowning, she knocked again and could have heard a shuffling sound from inside, but she wasn't sure.

Maybe she had the wrong door? Ally bit her lip, looking both ways down the hallway, which was deserted. Maybe he wasn't there?

Suddenly, there was a click and Ally turned back in time to see Ed's appearance at the door. It was obvious now why he didn't answer so quickly. He was rubbing his eyes and wearing his blue pajamas, looking utterly tired. His usually neat orange hair was sticking up all over, looking uncannily like his brother.

"D- Did I wake you up?" Ally asked, secretly horrified at bugging her friend.

Ed nodded, confirming her fears. "Why you here?" he said, his voice quiet and raspy. He didn't sound very awake.

"I-I just haven't seen you in a while," Ally said, fidgeting. The only reason she was here because she was feeling guilty at leaving him alone, but really, she had just made things worse…

Not saying anything, Ed just stared and Ally realized that he was acting like Leah. If you woke Leah up when she didn't want to, she'd act like a zombie and if you let her go back to sleep, she'd remember nothing of being awake. It was a quirk of hers she and Ed sometimes played with, but they stopped after a while in fear of Leah remembering the conversations.

The boy seemed so tired, that Ally was almost sure he wouldn't remember their conversation.

"I'll come by later," Ally said, her voice turning into a mumble. She looked at Ed's swaying, undead form. "I'm going to go train, alright?"

Ed bobbed his head. "Okay," he said and then closed the door without a goodbye.

Ally stared for a few more moments before sighing and looking down at her Pokemon. "I guess we should go."

Back in the lobby and just before she was about to leave, Ally suddenly thought of Leah. She had been neglecting her mentor just as much as Ed, but unlike Ed, Leah wasn't her best friend, or even much of a friend.

Maybe she should go talk to Leah?

The prospect of accidently waking up Leah held her back, however. It was embarrassing to wake Ed up, but with Leah, she might get yelled at. Though, she wasn't that sure anymore. The talk they had last week was civil and Leah actually acted as a mentor for once, comforting her after her defeat when Ed didn't. It made the girl unsure of where they stood, and having not seen Leah at all the past week, it made her even more unsure.

But since she didn't want to go up to the front desk to ask another room number, Ally decided to let Leah be. Maybe she would go see her mentor later, but now it was time for training.

No ifs, ands or buts.


-


There was a small little area on the outskirts of Cerulean that proved to be perfect for a training ground. Unlike any other place she could have chosen, it was completely deserted, not a single human around. Now there was no way she could get distracted.

Laying down her backpack, Ally looked at her two Pokemon. Amber looked ready for a fight, and so did Sparks, the electric-type aware that something was going on.

Ally had never really trained by herself before, so she felt a bit nervous. Ed wasn't around to give encouragement and there was no Leah watching quietly from a distance. Just her and her Pokemon.

Kneeling down, the girl felt the grass between her fingertips. It was dry, too dry, which meant she shouldn't use fire attacks. She'd never hear the end of it if she accidently started a forest fire. But that also meant no electric attacks either. It wasn't a bad thing, though. Water conducted electricity, so there was no need to aim.

What her Pokemon needed to work on were techniques that didn't involve attacking. Sparks was supposed to be able to use Light Screen, but he had never gotten the hang of it. That should be worked on. Amber could probably start leaning Safe Guard. He was experienced enough and he had all his other attacks down, except for maybe Flamethrower.

Ally took a deep breath. She had a plan.

"Let's get to work," she told her Pokemon, and that's what they did.


-


For about an hour, anyways.

"Sparks!" Ally said, frustration in her voice. She though her electric-type was over his disobedience problems. "Light Screen!"

The Voltorb didn't seem to hear her, instead staying perfectly still. Off to the side, Amber was taking a break, lapping up water from the brook.

"Please?" she asked, shoulders slumping. Her training had been going so well! And then Sparks got tired and stopped listening. Ally had given him a break but he still wasn't doing anything!

"Sparks, Light Screen! I know you can do it!"

A few sparks zapped across the electric-type's body as Sparks still gave the impression of being deaf.

Going up to him, Ally spoke in a louder voice. "Sparks!"

Reaching out to touch him, Ally shrieked as a zap shocked her hand. Leaping back, she kept her injured hand close to her chest and she winced at the pain. She felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes and she sniffed, wiping them away with her sleeve.

She didn't have time to cry! She was supposed to be training…

"F- Fine," Ally told Sparks, stalking away and sitting down next to Amber and the brook. "D- Do what you want!"

Sparks seemed happy at the order of freedom and his sparking died down.

Looking at her hand, Ally wiggled her fingers, waiting for the numbness to go away. She couldn't remember the last time Sparks' shocked her. He had been obeying her since Vermillion, but now all the progress she had made was disappearing.

Petting Amber's head, Ally smiled and playfully pushed the Vulpix away when he tried to nuzzle her with his wet nose.

She loved her Voltorb, she really did. After travelling with him for months, how could she not? But sometimes, she thought he wasn't worth it. He didn't obey, would attack her, never showed his pleasure like Amber did… he was a lot of trouble. If she had a choice, Ally could admit that she wouldn't choose him to be her Pokemon a second time.

She felt so ashamed whenever she thought like that, but it was the truth. She would rather have a different Pokemon than him.

Suddenly, a thought came to her, right out of nowhere.

Why was she doing this? Sitting out here, away from civilization, trying to train a disobedient bomb and a fire fox…Why?

She was a trainer, not a normal girl. But if she had to choose between them, which would she rather be? A trainer was what she always dreamed of, even if her parents were disproving, it was what every person dreamed of, right? To be a Pokemon Master; to be the very best. Having adventures with her loyal Pokemon was what she always wanted to do.

Now here she was, a trainer and having adventures with her Pokemon. The experiences weren't ones that stories told you. It wasn't normal to be in danger so much, was it? Those long walks from one city to another, having to live through defeat, coping with a Pokemon's disobedience- that was what every trainer went through, right? Did they almost drown too? Have a murder happen only a few doors down from them? Were they in danger like that?

What if she was just a schoolgirl, though? She wouldn't have to walk miles and miles, every day. She'd have a warm bed to sleep at night. She wouldn't have to watch out for dangerous Pokemon or hope that nothing would attack during the night. If she was just a girl, she could still keep her Pokemon. All the danger would be omitted and only the most loved parts would be left: the Pokemon themselves.

The conversation from last night floated past Ally's memory.

She had a choice.

Challenging Misty wasn't something she had to do. Losing hurt, it really did, and it wasn't something she wanted to repeat. Misty was so much more experienced than her, and even with a type advantage, Ally still lost. To a cute little Horsea, even. How was she supposed to beat that? Even if Horsea wasn't her opponent next time, it would probably be worse. What if it was a Gyarados? Or a Golduck? There were so many different types of water Pokemon, she couldn't even begin to predict.

This was the first time she ever realized how easy her journey had been. Dangerous sometimes, yes, but easy. She had beaten all the other gym leaders without losing once, and even out in the field, she rarely lost a trainer battle. Maybe that was because she didn't battle often, but still. Her Pokemon were rare. Vulpix were searched for all over the world and bred to perfection, and she found one in the wild. Voltorb could rarely be caught and she had gotten one as her starter. They were both so powerful; she sometimes worried what would happen when they evolved.

Electrode had worse reputations than Voltorb and were bigger, and exploded with more force. How was she supposed to train one of those? Ninetales were very beautiful, but stories portrayed them as wild creatures, cunning and quick, never staying under a trainer's heel for long.

What would happen then? She could hardly train her Voltorb now, so how could she begin to tame a dangerous Electrode and a headstrong Ninetales?

Maybe it was best to stop while she was ahead. Leah told her and Ed so many stories of training gone wrong. Ally didn't know how true they were, but her mentor took great pleasure in telling them. And they were so detailed, how could they not be true? Even the gentlest Pokemon had bloody stories attached to them. How a Jigglypuff sang their trainers to sleep, letting them be eaten by wild Pokemon in the night, how a Pichu's playful zaps eventually gave its old trainer a heart attack, how an Eevee used its cute charms to lead wandering trainers to their deaths…

Ally looked up and stared at her Voltorb, who sat silently in the middle of dry grass. His zaps had died down, but there was still a look of rage on his face. Then, she turned to look at her Vulpix, who was sleeping under a ray of sunlight.

She had been lucky so far. How long would that last?

Trainers died all the time. It was a very dangerous job. She could keep being a trainer, collecting badges, exploring new places, catching Pokemon, training them to obey her very command. Then, what would happen? Maybe one day, she'd go up to some dangerous place, determined to capture a Pokemon. She'd leave the Pokemon Center, Poke Balls on her belt and then never be seen again.

Her parents would be shocked at her death, or maybe they'd have expected it. Her mother especially always told her how stupid being a trainer was. So, they'd arrange a funeral, and all her school friends would come, and maybe Ed and Leah would too. They'd never know what happened to her, she'd just be listed as 'missing, presumed dead' like so many others…

Ally was suddenly aware she was shaking. She held up a hand in front of her face, seeing its trembles and a few tears ran down her cheeks. This time, she didn't wipe them away, but instead kept staring at her hand.

Was that the life she wanted to have?

A sob escaped her throat, and Amber looked up.

"Vul?" he asked.

"A- A- Amber," Ally said between tears, her voice hiccupping. "I- I don't want to die! Not like that!"

Ally buried her face in her hands and just let the tears fall.

What was she doing? Travelling all over, just to enter tournaments and train Pokemon… she didn't have to do that! Why couldn't she just stay home, where she could go to school, where danger didn't lurk behind every branch. She could still keep her Pokemon and maybe train them with her friends. She didn't need to travel to do that! Normal people kept Pokemon too, there was nothing wrong with that! Why did she have to be a trainer? Why couldn't she just be a normal girl?

But, if she quit now, what would happen to Ed? He was still going on, right? So, he'd be all alone and travelling alone was even more dangerous than doing it in a group. Leah was leaving for sure, so that only left her. A Parasect and a Ditto weren't good protection; both were too slow to do anything quickly. What if a Pokemon attacked? Would he become 'missing, presumed dead'?

"I- I don't want to-" the words got caught in her throat as another hiccup left her mouth.

In four months, she had gotten four badges. Four more and she'd be able to take part in the Indigo Tournament. Every year, she'd watch it happen, from opening to finish. And every time, she'd always be amazed at the skill the trainers showed. She'd even tape the final battle and re-watch it again and again.

Taking part in the Indigo Tournament was a dream that she wanted to come true. It'd only take four more months, so she'd definitely be done by January, if everything went as planned. The tournament took place in March, so it gave her a lot of time to prepare. She didn't have to be a trainer forever. After the Indigo Tournament, no matter how well she did, she could just quit and go back to a normal life. Then, she'd be able to stay with Ed during their journey. She wouldn't abandon him.

Her tears went on for several more minutes, before Ally enough of a grip on herself to wipe them away.

She wouldn't be a trainer forever, but right now, she was one. She was supposed to be training so she could beat Misty. What was she sitting around for?

Getting up, Ally brushed excess grass off her overalls and looked at Sparks.

He looked angry.

She didn't have time for him to be angry.

"S- Sparks!" Ally said, standing tall. "Light Screen!"

The Voltorb didn't seem to care at what she had to say.

Ally stalked closer, but the electric-type let off a couple of sparks. This time, however, the girl didn't jump, but instead used her foot to kick Sparks back.

Now, the Voltorb seemed a bit confused. Ally had never stood up to him before, and never physically touched him like that. Something was wrong.

Or right.

"Light Screen!" Ally ordered, trying to hide her nervousness. "Now!"

The girl towered over the Pokemon, blocking out the sun and letting her shadow fall over him.

There was no time for games. She wouldn't let Sparks boss her around anymore. She was the trainer, not him!

"Now!"

Her shouting seemed to affect him, as the Voltorb's angry sparks died down and his eyes started to glow yellow.

"Yes! Light Screen!"

Around him, a square yellow shield materialized and shone with a yellow light. The shield seemed almost like a blanket, though while solid and straight, it had an odd quilt pattern to it.

Ally put a hand on it, feeling it flex. She put pressure to it and was almost considering sitting on it before it broke, letting Ally stumble forward.

But that was okay, since Light Screen wasn't meant to ward off physical attacks, only long-distance ones. Despite that, maybe it was something to be worked on.

The Voltorb stared up at his trainer and Ally smiled down at him.

"G- Good job!" she said, though one thing was still on her mind.

Would it be enough to beat Misty?

Sparks didn't have many attacks and if she went up against Protect again, it might not be enough. Misty knew how to counter electric-types, so the gym leader would know what to do.

She needed another plan, a strategy, in case something went wrong. Something Misty would never expect…

And she knew just the thing. It would never be seen coming.

On television, there was a show Ally sometimes watched that showcased amazing Pokemon, ones who could do things so bizarre that they were one of a kind. The episode that she saw focused on a Bulbasaur that could use Dig as fast as a Sandslash. It was amazing what some Pokemon could do or learn when forced into a corner.

What she wanted to do would take lots of training and time, but it would be worth it in the end. Really, it wasn't that rare of a talent, but she was just a kid. People always underestimated people like her. Having a Pokemon like that wouldn't even occur to them.

"Amber!" Ally called out, making her Vulpix trot over.

Ally knelt in front of her two Pokemon, plans forming in her head.

It was time to train.



-



A/N: You know, I think this is the one of the few chapters where Leah didn't make a single appearance. Anyway, this chapter may have been a bit boring but the next one (and the one after that) will be… uh, interesting.

Thanks for reading!

Ooohhh... a chapter about procrastination, eh?

I'll read it later.


This was quite a surprise. Plus, entirely dedicated to Ally, with no Leah in sight. You know what? Knowing Leah is not around makes the chapter feel strange, in a "oh you'll see, she'll jump out of some bushes to yell at Ally" sort of way.

Procrastination kinda hits close to home, but I don't like to be called lazy or procrastinator; I'd rather view it as being a bit too wary on immediate risks. That said, I'm owing you a review. You know how much I like to review your chapters, but I want to wait to the next battle (or the next time Sands pops up) to leave a review. Plus my family is on the move...

OK. To make a quickie, a very psychological chapter. The whole "don't want to die!" part felt a little too forced, but that may be because I despite the "girls in horror movies are dumb" stereotype and anything that comes even a bit close to it, like the screaming issue. A nice touch was kicking Voltorb: I never thought she could do something like that, actually forgetting that Voltorbs are physically shaped for things like that, and for a moment I was considering that Ally would be eager to play the "I have a Pokémon more pretty and obedient than you" card out of spite or something... not that it would have necessarily worked.

Well, then... seeing you later. Seriously!

This was quite a surprise. Plus, entirely dedicated to Ally, with no Leah in sight. You know what? Knowing Leah is not around makes the chapter feel strange, in a "oh you'll see, she'll jump out of some bushes to yell at Ally" sort of way.

Click to expand...

Heh, yeah, I was planning for Leah to appear, but it'd basically be filler so I cut it out. Don't worry, she'll have the entire next chapter to herself (sort of), so we'll see how that goes.

Procrastination kinda hits close to home, but I don't like to be called lazy or procrastinator; I'd rather view it as being a bit too wary on immediate risks. That said, I'm owing you a review. You know how much I like to review your chapters, but I want to wait to the next battle (or the next time Sands pops up) to leave a review. Plus my family is on the move...

Click to expand...

Next time Sands shows up, eh? Heh, he'll be around for the next two chapters, that's for sure. Though, the next two chapters will be kind of important so I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them out. Probably not this week, though we'll see.

OK. To make a quickie, a very psychological chapter. The whole "don't want to die!" part felt a little too forced, but that may be because I despite the "girls in horror movies are dumb" stereotype and anything that comes even a bit close to it, like the screaming issue. A nice touch was kicking Voltorb: I never thought she could do something like that, actually forgetting that Voltorbs are physically shaped for things like that, and for a moment I was considering that Ally would be eager to play the "I have a Pokémon more pretty and obedient than you" card out of spite or something... not that it would have necessarily worked.

Click to expand...

Yeah, not that I watch many horror movies, but that stereotype annoys me too. I like my girls to be able handle themselves. Though, I also think that the 'I don't want to die!' thing was forced too since I didn't build it up very well. This chapter was kind of weird all together and I have to admit, Ally's hard to write sometimes. She's not naturally snarky like Leah or energetic like Ed. She's hard to get down. <_<

Well, then... seeing you later. Seriously!

Click to expand...

I hope your moving goes well! :D

Thanks for reviewing, Solovino!

Hey, Ally trains her Pokemon like I write fan fiction. I approve whole-heartedly. I thought the whole realization of mortality seemed a bit strange and forced until I realize that the high mortality of Pokemon training has really been the elephant in the room. I think it adds a nice touch on the characters, because it's quite strange to see how (such in some other fan fictions) characters repeatedly skirt death and never think twice about it. Oh, and I love the kicking of Sparks. It's really just a crowning moment of awesome for Ally. And somewhat funny to think about.

Hey, Ally trains her Pokemon like I write fan fiction. I approve whole-heartedly. I thought the whole realization of mortality seemed a bit strange and forced until I realize that the high mortality of Pokemon training has really been the elephant in the room. I think it adds a nice touch on the characters, because it's quite strange to see how (such in some other fan fictions) characters repeatedly skirt death and never think twice about it. Oh, and I love the kicking of Sparks. It's really just a crowning moment of awesome for Ally. And somewhat funny to think about.

Click to expand...

Ally also trains her Pokemon like I update fanfiction. Seriously, what happened to my once-a-week schedule? <_< I've always seen Pokemon training as rather dangerous (just look at all the Pokemon in the wild, especially the poison-types! They're everywhere), though it's especially dangerous since my fic has gone with the Pokemon are animals approach rather than humans in an animal-like body one. Kicking Sparks was a last minute decision since Ally needed to grab Sparks' attention somehow and what's a better way than treating him like a soccer ball? :D

Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

My review is shorter this time...

used her foot to kick Sparks back.

Click to expand...

I so roflmao-ed at that. Ally got her revenge, at long last.

And while we're on the issue of a chapter about procrastination, I better get stuck into Chapter 1 of my fic.

(Oh hai...yeah I've totally read up to this point on SPPF and now here. Lurking ftw.)

I'm pretty sure Ally is now -definitively- my favorite character. Kicking a Voltorb is so much win and I've never thought of someone doing that. I just always think of them as pissy...not pissy spheres that are easy to knock around when they're not electrocuting you. XD

I would love more Ally-centric chapters in the future; I loved how you explored her so deeply here. Plus her change from unsure to determined was very well-described and I could totally feel exactly what she was feeling with the people dying from Pokemon (an idea that's not too often explored...but you did it really well and made it sound pretty interesting) and her constant procrastination.

Looking forward to the next chapter. Yay for Leah!

Hi! Thanks for reviewing, you two!

I so roflmao-ed at that. Ally got her revenge, at long last.

Click to expand...

Yup, after thirty-eight chapters, Ally's patience has finally came to an end! Thank gods, since Sparks' attitude problems were starting to get annoying.

(Oh hai...yeah I've totally read up to this point on SPPF and now here. Lurking ftw.)

I'm pretty sure Ally is now -definitively- my favorite character. Kicking a Voltorb is so much win and I've never thought of someone doing that. I just always think of them as pissy...not pissy spheres that are easy to knock around when they're not electrocuting you. XD

Click to expand...

Heh, I'm glad you like Ally. She's pretty shy and it can be hard to make her do something cool, though it's always worth it in the end. I've been waiting to remind people about Sparks' shape for a while now. Round Pokemon are really easy to punish and if Sparks wouldn't explode or electrocute people, I can totally see Ed playing kickball with him. ;)

I would love more Ally-centric chapters in the future; I loved how you explored her so deeply here. Plus her change from unsure to determined was very well-described and I could totally feel exactly what she was feeling with the people dying from Pokemon (an idea that's not too often explored...but you did it really well and made it sound pretty interesting) and her constant procrastination.

Click to expand...

There should be more Ally-centric (and Ed-centric) chapters in the future, but they might be a ways off since the plot is starting to get a foothold again. I'm kind of surprised that people are referring this chapter as a procrastinating chapter, actually. As I was writing it, I didn't even recognize that Ally was procrastinating, or at least, that word didn't come to mind.

Looking forward to the next chapter. Yay for Leah!

Click to expand...

Next chapter will definitely be posted on Friday, and I'm sorry for taking so long on replying to your guys' reviews! Not only did I just get my wisdom teeth removed but HG has finally arrived and I've been a bit preoccupied. *stares at charging gameboy longingly*

-



"Evolve?" Leah asked, blinking.

"He's very close to evolution," the nurse explained further, handing back Leah's two Poke Balls. "I'm surprised he hasn't already done so."

With only a pause before thanking the nurse betraying her surprise, Leah walked away from the counter, deep in thought.

Now, what did she knew about evolution? Not much, really. Only the basic stuff and maybe a few other things she picked up from the internet. First thing that you had to know about evolution was to keep the Pokemon as comfortable as possible. Evolving was a stressful time and every little bit helped. Keep the Pokemon out of their Poke Balls, don't let them battle days before their evolution and keep the Pokemon in familiar territory. Those were the basics.

Honestly, Leah just couldn't believe Sands was evolving. He had been acting weird for a week now, sure, but Sands? Her little Sandshrew who's battle techniques needed constant work and still had a security blanket (stone)? That Sands?

Leah tried to picture a Sandslash in place of her Sandshrew, but it just didn't compute. Sandslash could grow pretty big, some as large as a Ninetales. She couldn't keep something as big as that in her room! She wouldn't be able to drag him around anywhere, and couldn't even tease him in fear of retaliation using huge claws.

Why did he have to evolve now? She was almost done with her journey! A few days ago, Ally informed her that she was going to be battling Misty this Saturday, so she'd be home free after that. It was Thursday now, so only three more days!

Sighing, Leah looked at Sands' Poke Ball again, Bulbasaur sticker and all.

She didn't want a Sandslash…

"Go," Leah said, releasing her Sandshrew on the floor of the lobby and then picking him up before he had time to think. Not that it mattered; Sands didn't put up the slightest struggle, only resting in her arms peacefully. He didn't even try kicking her in the stomach. It was like he turned into a doll when she wasn't looking.

Well, at least she had an answer for Sands' weird behavior. He had been acting like he was sick, and when it finally got to the point that he only reluctantly played with his Fire Stone, Leah knew something was horribly wrong.

Evolution.

How annoying.

This was the first time today that Sands had been out of his Poke Ball and since Leah now knew about the evolution, she didn't have much choice but to keep him out. The nurse said that he'd evolve really, really soon, so Leah assumed that meant less than a day.

If she had a choice, she'd definitely try to find a way to keep him from evolving. The only problem was there was never a definite way. There was such thing as something called an Ever Stone, that supposedly halted an evolution, but those had consequences. It wasn't healthy to stop a Pokemon from growing. It was like putting it between a rock and a hard place. Leah didn't want to wake up one morning to find that Sands had a heart attack in the middle of the night due to stress.

So, her mission: get Sands comfortable.

Leah exited the lobby and took the stairs to her room, opening the door with Sands held under one arm. Since she had been in Cerulean for two weeks now, her natural messiness had affected the state of the room and she could safely call her clothes, her carpet. Not there was much carpet anyways. The room was very small, taking after every other Pokemon Center room she had ever lived in.

That presented a problem.

Her plan was to hole up in her room until Sands evolved, but her memory of the room didn't match up to the one in front of her. She could have sworn that it was bigger, at least enough to have a Sandslash in it. Obviously, that was not the case. Now that she thought about it, Zee could hardly fit in her room either, though the psychic-type was fat, so it could be excused.

She needed a plan B.

Anyways, evolution called for a familiar environment and her room wasn't that familiar. Really, what environment could be familiar to Sands? Due to her almost solved Mentor problem, she was always on the move, and didn't really let him out in her room back home either. There was no familiar territory, so what was she supposed to do?

It required further thought and after about five minutes of lying down on her bed, hoping the problem would go away, she formulated another plan. Sandshrew lived around Cerulean, so maybe this is where he once lived? Oak had to have gotten the starters from somewhere and Cerulean was the place where you first thought of when you thought, 'Sandshrew Habitat'.

There she had it! She'd go out into the woods and stay there for a few hours, until Sands evolved. What was more relaxing than the great outdoors? (Several things, actually, but that wasn't the point).

For the long and boring journey ahead of her, Leah packed a bag filled with the necessaries: food, water, Jason Dare magazines and the Fire Stone. Oh, and Zee. It would be a good time to work on the psychic-type's communication skills. The Drowzee certainty needed them.

With the bag over her shoulder and reluctant suffering in her heart, Leah grabbed Sands and left her room behind…

… To go a few doors down for a moment's detour.

Throwing Sands under her arms again, Leah rapped on the door.

"Ed, open up."

The door opened a few seconds later and the tired face of Ed greeted her. He was wearing pajamas and was apparently asleep until a few minutes ago. Which was just pathetic, even by Leah's standards. It was past noon!

"Sands is evolving," she said. "I'll be gone for the rest of the day."

"Alright," Ed replied groggily, peering up at her through tired eyes.

Leah waited.

The expected question never came.

"So, uh, just wanted to let you know," Leah said, watching Ed nod before closing the door on her.

Oh, come on! She came all the way to his room to tell him about Sands and he never asked to come with her! She thought he liked evolving Pokemon. He wouldn't stop talking about evolution days after Paras evolved. Though, she really shouldn't be surprised. He had been acting weirder than Sands for a while and not even Coralie's recovery cheered him up. It had gotten to the point that Leah had to drag him to dinner every single day since he was rather attached to his room.

So, what? She was supposed to spend all day doing nothing but reading magazines and waiting for Sands to evolve? Sure, Jason Dare was beyond awesome, but Leah couldn't spend all that time on him when she had already read the magazines!

Ugh, there went her plan to drag along human company. She'd try to go get Ally, but she had hardly seen the girl for the past few days and still didn't know where she lived.

Looks like it was just her and her Pokemon.

Joy.


-


The place Leah chose was a bit far from Cerulean City's limits, but it was actually nice, as far as a plain forest could be. The trees were colorful with its green and yellow leaves with flickers of orange here and there, and the whole place seemed to be trying to hold itself up to Disney standards. Woodland critters peeked out from behind every bush. Pidgey chirped in their trees, Rattata gnawed on any stick it could find, and a faint mist hung in the air like it had nothing better to do.

Huh.

It was past noon, so it was a bit odd to see mist around. It was cold, she supposed, but the sun was shining.

The mist had appeared a while ago, when she had left the dirt path to find a comfy clearing. While Leah knew that was kind of stupid, especially since she had ventured out father than she expected herself to, she kept an eye out for strange plant growth to be used as landmarks. And since this was a Disney forest, there was no lack of abundance.

Now, she didn't have a problem with the mist. It was actually kind of interesting and gave the forest a bit of a spooky feel. With a boring day ahead, that was definitely something she could like.

"Nice place," Leah said, setting Sands on the ground.

"Shrew," Sands agreed, his voice weak. He seemed quite content on laying on the grass, so Leah put his Fire Stone next to him and got comfortable.

She pulled out a magazine from her bag and took a few moments to admire the cover, where Jason Dare had mysteriously lost his shirt.

Well, she did have Jason Dare, so she supposed that the next few hours couldn't be that boring.


-


"Sands," the Sandshrew cried, turning over on his stomach.

Leah's head shot up. "What's wrong?" she asked with a hopeful tone. "You evolving?"

Hours had passed. Afternoon was bleeding into evening, or so said the sky, which wasn't as bright the last time she looked. She had finished all her magazines a while ago and was stuck playing with her Fire Stone, like the bored and pathetic individual she was. She knew she could have sent out Zee to train and talk to, but her bag was all the way over there (right beside her) and her Fire Stone was right in front of her.

… Okay, fine, make that bored, pathetic and lazy.

The only interesting thing to happen all day was the mist. It had obviously sensed her boredom and with pity only in mind, thickened to the point where distant trees were vague dark shapes. The sun itself had trouble penetrating the mist, it beams of sunlight becoming weaker as the day went on. The mist was so thick that Leah had started to wonder at some point if it was bad for a ground-type to be out in such weather. If Sands didn't seem so close to evolution, Leah would have moved him, but an evolving Pokemon was like a pregnancy. Everything had to be handled with caution so close to the due date.

As if mocking her, Sands's nose wrinkled and he threw back his head before letting out a sneeze. His problem dealt with, the Sandshrew rolled back on his side to continue his nap.

Leah sighed.

Why didn't she just drag Ed out his room? Then, she'd have someone to talk to. All she had to do was break down his door and forcibly manhandle the boy downstairs and outside. But nooooo, she just had to be nice and let him be. Honestly, Ed was starting to worry her with his zombie-ness. Oh, he did actually come out of his room sometimes, but that was to disappear. Leah supposed he went out and trained, but he never told her what he was doing. And really, she never asked.

… Okay, maybe once, but that was it. Really.

"Sands," Leah whined, crossing her legs. "Come on! Can you please evolve now?"

Sands didn't answer, already asleep.

Leah watched her Pokemon before extending a hand and running it down his leather-like body. His chest rose and fell under her hand and it suddenly hit her that this was the last time she would ever do this.

Sandslash couldn't sleep on her bed or sit on chairs or be picked up. She would no longer own a cute little Sandshrew, but a more dangerous Pokemon, with long claws and needles running down its back. Sandslash couldn't be called cute, pretty or even that scary looking. There was nothing unique about those Pokemon. It was just your genetic ground-type. Sandshrew were like that too, she supposed, but…

There were things about evolution that bugged her. It wasn't always a smooth process and if you did something wrong, you're Pokemon could be damaged. Back at home, when she had spare time, it was a hobby of hers to go searching around the web for the creepiest stories involving Pokemon. That sort of thing used to interest her, but now, the memories of the late night searching didn't help her growing nervousness.

Take for example, a Pokemon evolving while battling. Almost every cartoon and game said that Pokemon evolved by battling, and while that was true, evolving while battling was never a good thing. She remembered one story on a forum that detailed how a Croconaw's evolution went wrong. The water-type was battling and losing and as it evolved, its cuts and bruises proved to have side affects. Feraligatr were big, so previously small slashes on its arm grew and stretched as well, cutting into the new muscle. The Feraligatr ended up with one working arm and it's new injuries needing extensive healing.

Another story told the tale of a Spearow, who evolved while a pet to some rich person. Its owner was out and it was stuck in a cage. The cage was small and Fearow were big. Being a Pokemon, the cage was designed to hold super powered monsters and a non-trained Pokemon wasn't strong enough to get out. The end result was messy.

There were countless other stories (like how a Machamp only gained one arm during evolution or how a Butterfree evolved while wet and was unable to fly, having to be put down hours later), and Leah regretted reading every single one. It was one thing to read highly interesting articles about how bad evolution could turn and another to have an evolving Pokemon in front of her.

The only hope she could get out of those situations was that she was obeying every single rule evolution had put down. No Poke Balls, no battling; just her and a wide open space as far as the eye could see (ignoring the trees and mist).

Everything would go well. There was no point in worrying.

Leah was about to see if Fire Stone could cut through bark when something cut through her boring day.

Bzzt

It was hardly audible, but it was there. Leah listened to it quietly, putting the Fire Stone in her pocket. It seemed like a mix between a buzz and a strange sort of static. It wasn't constant, either, fluctuating in and out of focus from beyond the trees.

What was that sound? A Pokemon? She didn't know if Beedrill lived around Cerulean, but she hadn't seen a Weedle yet, so it was doubtful.

Bzzt

Leah listened to it for a few more minutes before growing annoyed. It almost seemed to be getting louder as time passed and had graduated from a vague, mysterious sound, to something to be dealt with, before her ears shut off.

She waited another few seconds for it to leave peacefully before deciding that it wasn't the time to be merciful. In front of her, Sands had been woken up and was staring blankly ahead, his ears down.

Bzzt

Her Pokemon was trying to evolve and she wasn't going to let some noise bother him.

The buzzing obviously recognized her stance (sitting down with a glare on her face) of that of a challenger as it's humming got louder, like it was coming closer.

Bzzt

'What is that?' Leah thought. If she had a radio, she would have sworn it was the signal of a monster approaching, but since she didn't, it was probably something worse.

Bzzt

She had no clue what could cause the sound, except for some wandering bug-type. But the only other bee Pokemon didn't live in Kanto, and as Leah racked her mind for bug Pokemon, nothing would come up. Venomoth were moths and fluttered, not buzzed, and the same went for Butterfree. There was no point in thinking of Parasect or even Pinsir…

Bzzt

So, judging on her luck, it had to be a Scyther. No other bug-type would do, unless someone released a Yanma without telling her.

Bzzt

As the noise got closer, Leah stared into the mist, damning the weather for the first time that day. The mist was cool at first, but now that some Pokemon was using it to cheat, she could no longer like it on good conscience.

Bzzt

Though, why did it have to be a Pokemon that was making that sound? Maybe it was just a… regular bee. A ton of small little bees. Maybe someone upset a bee hive.

Bzzt

Ugh.

Bzzt

"Come on," Leah said, picking up Sands with one arm and throwing her backpack on her shoulder. There was no way she was staying here with that buzzing noise and the prospect of bees around.

Suddenly, there was silence.

Leah scowled. "Just when I get up-"

There was a thump and a Pokemon stepped out of the mist.

The mist clung to its form like inverted shadows, caressing its humanoid body. It stood upon two legs and wore what looked like boots. It had three horn-like appendages on the top of its head, almost crown like, and its eyes were sharp and narrow. On the end of each of its arms was a long silver-white blade, cutting the mist every time it twitched.

Its delicate-looking wings retracted, upsetting the mist, which formed a cloud around it, and the Pokemon looked directly at Leah, its blades starting to glow.

Words didn't have the time to leap from her mouth as everything slammed into high-gear. Keeping Sands close to her body, Leah threw herself out of the way as the Scyther crossed its blades to its chest and then unveiled them, a high pitched scraping sound leading a bright white X's way.

Leah landed on her side, knocking the breath out of her, and she quickly looked up, almost feeling the wind the X pushed out of the way as it passed where she had been standing and hit a tree, slicing straight into its trunk. Loud cracks followed and the tree's bark broke under the strain of holding its injured body erect, the tree groaning as it fell.

The tree landed in behind Leah and the whole world rocked as it hit the ground, throwing the mist back in a burst of wind.

"What-" The word was hardly out of Leah's throat before the situation caught up with her and she forced herself to her feet, legs trembling and her bruised shoulder whining. Sands dug his claws into Leah's jacket and held on tight as she bolted between the trees and the mist, her backpack bouncing up and down with her movements.

The mist was kind enough to show off its thickness as Leah was forced to keep a hand in front of her, trying to find her way out of the invisible maze. The bark scratched her palm and Sands cried out, jostled each time she nearly bumped into a tree.

'The path! Where's the path?' Leah thought, her brain frantic. The Scyther had blocked her route from the path, so she had no clue where she was going. She had to stay focused and try to find a way around it.

What was a Scyther doing so close to Cerulean? They didn't live anywhere close to here!

But that didn't matter now. All she knew was that a Scyther had attacked her and if there was one thing worse than a wild Pokemon attack, it was a wild Pokemon attack by something with blades for arms. There was no point in fighting. What could a sick rodent and a slow psychic do against a Scyther? One that cut down a tree with one attack, even?

Fleeing was the smartest option.

Now, if she could only find the path… There was no way the Scyther followed her through the trees, it wouldn't be able to fit properly, much less find her through the mist. She was safe as long as she had trees surrounding her on all sides. When she got back to the path, she'd find someone to help. There was trainer always around, and there was no way a trainer would reject a chance to catch a Scyther.

Leah jumped through the bushes, and onto gravel, Sands making a small whine at the rough landing. The trainer panted and looked both ways down the path, but all she could see was mist.

She had been running so quickly, that she didn't know which way she should go. The mist helpfully covered up all landmarks, so all she could do was guess.

Bzzt

Oh no…

"Shrew!" Sands cried, and Leah followed the direction of his head towards the sky where a shadow could be seen beyond the mist. It was directly above her and following her every footstep.

Bzzt

Not paying attention the ground, Leah was more surprised than anyone when her feet got tangled with each other and collapsed from under her. She twisted her body in mid air to land on her injured shoulder again, protecting Sands from the impact.

"Damn!" Leah exclaimed, and through the pain, saw the shadow in the sky get closer, as if descending.

Bzzt

"Shit, ****, ****!" The stream of curses didn't help the situation but made Leah feel better as she got back on her feet and started to run.

Bzzt

Leah skidded to a halt as the Scyther landed in front of her, its dangerous-looking blades looking so very clear and sharp close up.

She jumped back as the Scyther's blade blurred, slicing through the air, and she felt a draft of wind touch her neck. Before she could even begin to think, Sands was already on it, spitting out several purple needles that were blocked by the second blade that Scyther brought up before its face.

Her mind on autopilot, Leah felt her hand rising to her neck before she got a hold on herself and pulled it back. Instead, she slipped the strap of her backpack off her shoulder and as it slid down her arm, grabbed it in a tightly closed fist. Swinging with all her might, she swung the backpack like a baseball bat and towards the Scyther.

The bug-type raised a blade and slashed through the bag like tissue paper, right down the middle. The backpack fell apart, ripped magazines with Jason Dare's face falling to the ground all over the place.

Leah let go of the backpack, letting Scyther deal with it, and extended an arm, grabbing her Drowzee's Poke Ball out of midair and then, pulling the arm back, threw it straight at the Scyther.

"Zee!"

The Poke Ball soared and just like the backpack, it was cut in half by the blade, tiny sparks flying out of the destroyed device. The two halves of the ball flew apart and a white ball of energy followed the deceased Poke Ball's path, flowing around the Scyther's head like water and materializing behind the bug-type.

Before Leah could even see Zee's successful release, she shouted, "Disable!"

No matter how fast Scyther was, it couldn't spin around in time to avoid Zee's raised finger, her eyes a cold blue. There was a shifting sound and a wave of blue psychic energy encompassed the Scyther, freezing it in mid-motion, its bladed arm outstretched.

"Now! Now!" Leah yelled, running past the Scyther with every part of her body alert, grabbing Zee's hand and pulling the psychic-type along.

Zee was slow, but without a Poke Ball, it would have to do. Leah half-ran and half-jogged down the path, not daring to look behind her. Despite that, her ears were on full alert for any signs of buzzing that did not come.

"Drow!" Zee said between pants, not enjoying to be dragged at such a fast pace, but Leah ignored her. Sands was under her other arm and was also starting to struggle at being bounced around in such an uncomfortable position but Leah ignored him too.

Her eyes were on the path, but her attention couldn't help but keep flashing to her neck, where she felt something. She wanted to check, but couldn't let go of either Pokemon. Well, she could return Sands, but his Poke Ball was in her pocket and she didn't have a hand to spare. She couldn't stop.

The Scyther aimed for her neck.

If the tree destroying thing didn't make her take the Pokemon seriously, that did.

The mist was starting to clear as she went further down the path, thank god, but that was both a pro and a con. With the mist, she couldn't see but neither could the Scyther. Now, they could both see and she knew Scyther's were fast runners. The path wasn't that straight, but straight enough that she might have to duck if the Scyther sent an attack her way.

Why was the Scyther following her?

She didn't want a stalker, especially one that was trying to kill her.

Through the thin mist, Leah spotted a bridge up ahead. While it was an old, rather ugly bridge, it gave her hope. She had crossed it before she came here! That meant she was close to Cerulean!

Bzzt

Unfortunately, that's when her hope fled and against the protest of her mind, Leah looked up to see the Scyther flying towards her from above the treetops, its wings a blur.

Just as her footsteps hit the wood, the wind starting to pick up, blowing against her. Through her waving hair, Leah saw the Scyther was glowing with a white light and a ball of wind was forming on the tip of one of its blades. Her eyes widening, Leah ripped her eyes from the sight and kept running. If she could get to the trees on the other side of the bridge, maybe she could-!

Bzzt

Her breath was knocked out of her as she was pushed off her feet from behind. Sands was thrown out of her grip and landed a few feet from her, Zee, likewise, being thrown to the ground.

Back hurting like nothing before, she looked up to see the visible blue wind impact the wooden boards, denting them and leaving small streaks of blue light.

Bzzt

A blue wave of air hit the wood beside her, and Leah winced, rolling onto her side.

"Shrew!" Sands said, struggling to get to his feet. His tiny paws wavered, but the ground-type didn't give up, trying to stand tall.

Bzzt

"Get down!" Leah hissed at her Pokemon, but her Sandshrew didn't hesitate to disobey.

Sands growled at the bug-type, tiny fangs barred, and stood on his two feet, exposing his furry white chest.

Bzzt

Everything was so still, that for a moment, Leah thought Sands was going to evolve right then and there. But he didn't. The ground-type took a deep breath in and blew out tiny stars of white light, sparkling in the daylight and homing in on the predator above. The Scyther blocked the stars heading for its face, but one of them left a shallow cut on its right leg, and the bug-type let out a cry, for the first time showing weakness.

The Scyther looked down on the little Sandshrew, its eyes narrowed into slits.

Bzzt

'Why would a Swift hurt it like that?' Leah thought, and for the first time, actually looked at the Scyther.

It was scary, sure, but there were just a few things off about it. Leah had never seen a Scyther in real life, but she knew that a Scyther's green coat wasn't that pale, almost having a gray tint. Its blades were covered in scratches and so was the rest of its body, the scars making it look like a veteran of a great bloody war.

Bzzt

The Scyther was old, Leah realized. It wasn't a young, fast predator, but one, who may be skilled, but with lesser abilities. A real Scyther, a young one, would have no problems killing her, being faster than the eye could see, but an old one wasn't that fast or strong.

Not only that, but there was something wrong with its leg. It was different than the other, having a giant scar running down it. If its leg was injured, than that must be why the Scyther didn't run after her, instead flying. It took a lot of experience for a Scyther to fly, and with a bad leg, it probably couldn't fly straight. The Scyther was old and off balance.

Bzzt

That gave her a chance.

Up in the sky, the Scyther tightened its body like a spring, blades poised to strike.

Bzzt

"Zee!" Leah said without looking at her, feeling her Pokemon's emotions touch her mind. Hurt and anger made up most of them. "Confusion!"

Bzzt

The Scyther dived and a blast of blue psychic energy was thrown over the Pokemon like a bucket of water. Like water, it was easily thrown off as the bug-type landed in a crouched position in front of Leah, its blade raised. This time, it was almost on purpose that the Scyther missed, misjudging the distance between them by a foot, giving time for Leah to back up on her feet.

"Disable!"

Another blue light centered on the Scyther, and, confused and enraged, it turned to Zee, stabbing the wood between them, not realizing none of its attacks were hitting. Also startled by the attack, Zee took a breath, its trunk coiled together and released a purple cloud of gas that merged with the mist and surrounded the two Pokemon.

"Sands, Swift at Scyther's leg!" Leah said, the Sandshrew did just that, sending more stars of light at the quickly thinning cloud of gas, stabbing the Scyther's leg like shurikens.

The Scyther howled and Leah called out to Zee, "Come on!"

Coughing, Zee ran as quickly as she could and took Leah's hand, the trainer also grabbing Sands on the way by.

With Scyther behind them, the three crossed the bridge and disappeared between the trees.

After a couple of minutes, the Scyther looked up, coughing, staring at where they had gone. With great pain in its leg, the bug-type stood and with a several experimental flaps of its wings, its feet left the ground. With a quick glance at the thinning mist behind it, the Scyther followed its prey.

Bzzt


-


A/N: I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while. Putting the actual sound effect of 'Bzzt' in instead of just saying 'the buzzing' was a last minute change and I hope it works well.

I really, really liked this chapter. It was exciting, and shows the huge change in Leah's relationship with Sands. Very nice! So, does the Scyther belong to Green or Blue? Guess we'll see! Short, but great chapter!

Thanks, delongbi! I really loved writing this chapter (and the next one is definietly coming along) and while I can't answer any questions, I will say the next chapter is going to be epic, and things are going to change.

Like Leah Having A Sprit? A Legendary? Leah Winning A Battle? But This Is One Of The Best Stories I've Seen Here!

Thanks Benjamin! Unfortunately, you're going have to wait and find out next week. ;) I was going to update this week, but I wanted to go ahead and write the next chapter to make sure every will go as smoothly as possible.

All I can say is "Amazing story" and "I can't wait for the next chapter". As I've been told, not many people write decent fanfics on PC. I know there are superb fanfics and I also know yours is one of them.

Hopefully procrastination isn't contagious as I've yet to update my fanfic beyond chapter one, chapter two written down on paper and not sent to a beta reader. Good luck with your story and have fun writing it. It's great fun reading it.

Well done, Dagzar. That chapter, or part thereof, really rocked. I still have to wonder if the Scyther belongs to Blue or Green. Won't you please tell me?