SEASON TWO BEGINS!
Ah, well, Tiggs... I rile a lot of fans the wrong way with this fic. Hitmonchan fans... Pikachu fans... the list goes on.
Well... with no questions to make a new Starstruck special (I prefer to make them exclusive to each forum board I post on), we'll have to skip the formalities and jump head-in to season two, the longest of the fic.
Word of advice... please do not scream at the chapter list length. it'll be full of goodies!
Chapter List:
SEASON ONE
SEASON TWO
Chapter Twenty Three: Friend or Foe…
THIS POST
Chapter Twenty Four: Paying His Dunes
Chapter Twenty Five: King of the Volcano
Chapter Twenty Six: Can You Take the Heat?
Chapter Twenty Seven: Belles of the Brawl
Chapter Twenty Eight: In Their Elemens
Chapter Twenty Nine: On Cloud Nine and a Half
Chapter Thirty: T.K.O.
Chapter Thirty One: I'll Tell You Snow Lies…
Chapter Thirty Two: Terror Valley
Chapter Thirty Three: The Living Legend
Chapter Thirty Four: Lightning's Second Strike
Chapter Thirty Five: Little Dude
Chapter Thirty Six: Wild about Safari!
Chapter Thirty Seven: Jungle Rumble!
Chapter Thirty Eight: Corei United
Chapter Thirty Nine: Haley's Ninja Way
Chapter Forty: Yin to My Yang
Chapter Forty One: Water Battle, Full Throttle
Chapter Forty Two: Anything But Normal
Chapter Forty Three: Roaring Waves, Yawning Shadows
Chapter Forty Four: Tricks of the Trade
Chapter Forty Five: The Wind and Mountains
Chapter Forty Six: Going Solo
Chapter Forty Seven: Battling the Sages
Chapter Forty Eight: Heroes of Corei
SEASON THREE
Chapter Twenty Three: Friend or Foe…
<Check it out, guys> Crimson called out with a low appreciative whistle.
<Looks like you've finally evolved, Anuvi,> Ace said appreciatively.
<Thanks, Ace,> Anuvi replied cheerily, looking himself over in the mirror in the guest room of the Pokémon Centre, studying the way his cape of leaves projected out of his upper back and forelegs at acute angles to his body.
<And the ol' 'dex said they enable you to glide. I mean, how sweet is that?> Lavender told her friend appreciatively.
<Yeah,> the Squirrage agreed, studying his now violet eyes and powerfully coiled hind legs
<Three Flying types on a team,> Zen scowled from his regular corner, rolling his eyes. <Talk about trouble…what does Sapph wanna do, kill me?>
<Aww, don't be scared, widdle Zenny,> Anuvi chuckled, looking around at the Taebrawl with a sly grin tugging the corners of his slightly pointed face. <We won't murder ya that seriously during training…>
A split second later Squirrage went flying into the opposite wall, courtesy of a well placed punch from the Taebrawl's robotic fist to his kisser. Everybody else sweat dropped. Except Ace, of course.
<Your body may have evolved,> Zen growled, eyes closed and fist out. <But you've still got the brains of a stupid Rhyhorn.>
The door to the ward opened at that moment and in came the Pokémon's trainer, Sapph Manson. Grinning all around as he pulled on the red and black riding gloves Nurse Joy Jr had bequeathed onto him a month earlier, he looked round at his teammates: Crimson the Ledian, who'd been his first capture, Ace the Mawhoot, the militaristic Flying type whom he'd rescued in the rocky outskirts of Nightspark City, Zen the Taebrawl, a violent, cold Fighting type whose attempt to run the Pampa City dojo was thwarted by Sapph and Crimson two weeks ago, Lavender, the adorable yet blind Eevee whom Sapph had adopted from his friend Tony Parito, and the Pokémon he'd begun his journey with and was currently struggling to pull himself out of the wall - Anuvi, his newly evolved Squirrage.
Blinking twice in confusion as he looked over at his comical Grass type, he turned to the others and said, "Do I want to know how Anuvi's butt became part of the décor?"
<Nope,> the others piped up in unison.
<How's your hand, Sapph?> Crimson asked in a concerned voice, glancing at the hand that they all knew now was covered in electric burns, which after a week of treatment, still stung slightly.
"Shouldn't stop me travelling," Sapph quipped cheerfully as the door opened again, revealing an eleven year old girl with reddish blonde hair through which she dragged a comb.
Pausing to count the Pokémon in the room, she turned to Sapph with surprise in her goose grey eyes and asked "Hey, Sapph. Isn't somebody missing? Where's Silver?"
Silver was Sapph's Magnemite, who became an addition to the team after a battle with Sapph and his old Mogshex, who had been sent to his home in Cherrygrove Town as a gift to his little sister Emma.
Sapph turned to Haley and choked. Haley wore a light pink cotton shirt and a mid length denim skirt. A new locally made bag was slung over her left shoulder, made of a material similar to the cloaks Ricon Wingams, the Gym Leader had insisted they take with them. The light breeze that floated through the open ward window played with her longer than ever hair as she tied it back in a ponytail, leaving a fringe of bangs to cover her forehead.
"Sapph? You OK?" Haley asked, staring at Sapph weirdly.
"Uh- uhm… oh, yeah, the professor wanted to run some tests on him after the Thunder Rain incident," Sapph stammered, unsure what was going wrong with him all of a sudden. He'd been travelling through southern Corei with the young researcher-to-be for a little over a month already… why was he being skittish now?
"Oh, right… well, I'll be in the lobby waiting," Haley informed the boy trainer, backing out of the room.
"Y-yeah… sure," Sapph replied faintly, and as the door slid shut behind her, the room seemed to dim slightly.
Anuvi finally pulled himself free of the wall as brushing chippings out of his fur, smirked and said, <Are your hormones that hyper in the morning, Sapph?>
<What're hormones?> Lavender asked Anuvi innocently.
To avoid Anuvi saying something unnecessarily embarrassing and accurate, Sapph whipped out his pokéball and withdrew the Warrior Pokémon quickly, blushing furiously.
Smirking, Zen said, <Well, Lavender, hormones are basically what makes a guy act like a retarded wuss around ladies and make ladies prissy little know-it-alls when they're angry.>
<Oh,> Lavender said slowly. <I don't get it.>
"OK, then get this," Sapph said loudly, aggressively returning Zen as well. "Let's… GO!"
***
"Are you sure you can't stay any longer?" Ricon asked his guests as the milled around the reception area of the Pokémon Centre, going over last minute preparations.
"Yeah," Sapph said calmly, securing the straps of his knapsack as he heaved it onto his shoulders.
"Remember… you're always welcome here," Nurse Joy told Haley as she cleared up her Pokémon's feeding bowls and packed them away. "So feel free to stop by!"
"But of course," Haley smiled, straightening up and giving the matron a big hug.
Whilst shaking Sapph's hand, Ricon asked the boy trainer in an undertone, "Say, you haven't seen Sky recently, have you?"
"No, I haven't," Sapph said, looking surprised. "Is she missing?"
"I hope not," Ricon said worriedly. "She didn't come home last night…"
"We'll keep a look out for her then," Sapph promised the Gym Leader as their handshake was broken.
"All right, Sapph," Haley said briskly, walking towards the two male trainers. "Shall we set off?"
"Yeah." Sapph agreed with a nod. Returning Lavender, Crimson and Ace, he turned to the older couple and said "Well, we'll be on our way then…"
"Good luck, Sapph!" Nurse Joy said as she and Ricon waved them off. "And you, Haley!"
"Say hello to Fuego for me!" Ricon added.
Sapph and Haley waved back as they set off towards the desert that separated them from their next venue, Appleburn City.
The duo's walk through the settlement was peaceful and uneventful. As they left the outskirts of Chinooka City behind them, Haley turned to Sapph and said, "Oh, yes… what was Ricon asking you about before we left?"
As Sapph began to open his mouth to answer, a loud, female sounding voice cried out, "There you guys are! I've been waitin' out here all day!"
There was a familiar brashness that the pair had no problem identifying. Looking up towards a small, wooded hillock, they saw a ten year old girl with her vermillion brown hair tied into a long single plait standing akimbo, a slightly impatient look on her face.
"S-SKY!" Sapph stammered, unsure of what he was seeing. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you two, mate!" Sky replied cheerfully, readjusting the single feather that stuck out of her headband.
"OK, but why here?" Haley asked as they met up with her outside the woods.
"Well, I wouldn't be able to go with you guys if I'd hung around the city now, would I?"
"I don't believe this…" Sapph said faintly, sitting heavily on a tree stump. "Have you any idea how worried Ricon is right now?"
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Sky said flippantly. "I will tell him where I am… after we reach Appleburn City!"
"On the contrary," Haley said shortly. "You'll tell him right now… back in Chinooka!"
"Oh, yeah?" Sky said angrily. "And just who's gonna make me?"
As the two girls promptly got into an argument Sapph had no intention of breaking up, a soft whimper was borne on the breeze towards him. Sapph stood up abruptly, looking behind him towards the woods from which the soft-spoken plea had issued from.
"Well, Sapph? Say something!" Sky's voice cut across Sapph's preoccupation with the cry for help.
"Hunh? What?"
"Don't just stand there looking gormless, Sapph!" Haley yelled, rounding on the Johton trainer. "Back me up!"
"Uh, you handle this, Haley," Sapph muttered, sweat dropping as he backed away towards the trees. "I've got something to check out…"
And with that, Sapph turned and scarpered into the woods leaving the two fuming girls inhis wake.
"Sapph Manson! You coward… GET BACK HERE!" Haley yelled. Breathing heavily, she turned back to face Sky, whom she was surprised to see had a pokéball ready and enlarged in her fist.
"How about we decide with a battle?" Sky said cockily. "One-o'-one. I win, I stay with you two until we reach Appleburn. You win… I'll go home and leave you two lover birds alone!"
Haley spluttered as she went red with rage and embarrassment. Keen to send the nuisance packing, she picked a pokéball off her belt and enlarging it, said "Agreed! Let's go, Bubbles!"
***
Sapph stopped running when he was a good distance away from the snarls of Haley and Sky and looked around him, listening hard. He was sure he was headed in the right direction, but it may take too long to search the woods by himself, no matter how much smaller that Everwood Forest it may have been…
Plucking off three pokéballs from his belt, he threw them into the air and called out, "Anuvi… Crimson… Ace…c'mon out!"
The Squirrage, Ledian and Mawhoot appeared in three blasts of white and assembled before Sapph; Ace perching upon a low branch of a nearby tree.
<What's the word, Sapph?> Anuvi said cheerfully, stretching his arms over his head as he limbered up.
"I need you three to scout the area for any Pokémon in trouble," Sapph said calmly, looking around them all.
<But, Sapph,> Crimson said uncertainly. <Isn't that the Pokémon Rangers' responsibility?>
"We may not have the time to wait for them to show up!" Sapph replied edgily. "Anyone spot it, let up a cry and assist in any way possible."
<Sir! Yes, sir!> Ace replied with a smart salute.
<Any idea what Pokémon we're looking for?> Anuvi asked, stopping his stretching exercises and looking at his trainer questionably.
"Uhm… not really," Sapph answered sheepishly, watching Anuvi and Crimson face-fault dramatically.
<Gee,
that was helpful,> Anuvi scowled, rising to his feet and flickering out of sight.
<Leave it to us, Sapph!> Crimson assured his trainer as he fired up his delicate wings and took off into the branches. Ace nodded and spread her humungous wings and took off towards the sky above the trees.
"I'd better move too," Sapph muttered after watching them scatter. Releasing Lavender in a flash of white, he told her, "Lavender, I need you to keep your ears sharp for any sign of…"
<OW!> Lavender gasped, covering her ears with her paws. <What's that howling noise?>
"You heard it already?" Sapph asked quickly, surprised at how astute his Evolution Pokémon's hearing was.
<Yeah, can't you?> Lavender said in surprise, leading Sapph into the overgrowth. <It came from over here!>
"Lead on, Lavender!" Sapph cheered, chasing the small Normal type deeper into the woods.
***
Silvery laughter rang through the clearing as a small orange puppy of sorts was slammed into a nearby boulder by the force of a vicious Slash attack. Yelping feebly, the small canine Pokémon dragged itself up onto its feet again, a look of mingled hate and helplessness deep in its eyes.
"That's the way, Terra! Now let's try a Crush Claw attack!" A girl who looked to be in her midteens shouted gleefully. Her long, jet black hair gleamed in the sunshine as her hazel eyes looked coldly upon the badly beaten Pokémon.
"You too, Sanda!" Another girl said in a voice that matched the first, her emotionless brown orbs leering at their hapless prey from beneath her red fringe.
The littler Pokémon staggered slightly as a pair of Terrotor closed in on her, their two-inch claws glowing golden yellow before laying into the poor doglike Pokémon with unwonted viciousness.
The canine Pokémon let out another feeble whine as it sank dejectedly into the sands, scars and bruises dotting it all over its body; from its orange and black striped pelt to its creamy white muzzle and chin all the way to its bushy white tail, which was currently flecked with red blood stains.
"Isn't it grand, Priscilla?" the redhead called to her cohort as the large Raccoon Pokémon leapt back towards their mistresses, the black expressionless eyes gazing down upon their punching bag with distaste. "That we have a Pokémon to practice on… and won't fight back?"
"I'll say, Drusilla!" Priscilla exclaimed with another silvery laugh. "It's bad enough we have to get saddled with that ratty Aunt Ellie's pet pooch… at least the mutt has its purposes!"
As the dialogue was going on, the firebrand got up shakily once more and, its hate overpowering its fear of repercussion, let loose a barrage of small, flaming meteors that struck the nearest Terrotor, singing portions of its coffee brown fur.
The sisters were scandalized at this turn of events.
"Why, you flea-bitten ingrate!" Priscilla shrieked, stamping her pink-clad foot in fury as her pretty face contorted in rage.
"After all the trouble we go through to keep you alive!" Her sister Drusilla yelled, her face beet red in fury. "After all we offered you since your miserable old owner died and dumped you on our family…"
"To bite the hand that feeds you…" Priscilla sneered.
"To disobey a direct order not to attack! Sanda, teach this ingrate a lesson!" Drusilla shrieked, her brown eyes alight with malice.
"You too, Terra! Show this pitiful excuse for a Pokémon what true service to the Dyrim name means!" Priscilla yelled, her face looking demented.
Both Ground types extended their claws once again and rushed the defenseless Growlithe, who had used up the last reserves of its strength and was ready to succumb to a mercifully swift end of her miserable life.
Four feet away, a flash of green streaked through the sky and the two Terrotor were thrown bodily into the air; landing twelve feet away, rolling in agony and clutching neon green slash marks.
Opening one violet eye blearily, the Puppy Pokémon looked up at the figure that stood before her. It had green leaves attached to its back which swayed in the desert wind, a lean and aerodynamic form and clutched in its right hand what looked like a glowing blade of green light.
Anuvi's eyes were fixed on the two bullies as they struggled to their feet and said in a low voice, <The Growlithe may be forbidden to attack, but I'm not.>
Raising his voice to a shout, Anuvi called, <Hey, Sapph! I think I've found it!>
"Good job, Anuvi!" Sapph cheered as he and Lavender burst from the trees that bordered the small woods onto the hot desert sands to stand with the Squirrage between the foursome and the bleeding Growlithe.
<Are you hurt, Anii?> Lavender asked in a worried tone.
<Not a chance,> Anuvi said quietly, his violet irises locked on the bullies with an expression of pure anger on his pointed face.
"What are you? A Junior Pokémon Ranger?!" Priscilla shrieked, her tone hardly doing justice of expressing her outrage.
"Do you know who we happen to be?" Drusilla added in a scandalized tone.
"No, should I?" Sapph replied hotly, matching Anuvi's hateful glare as he and Lavender tended to the wounded Fire type.
"Well, you must be an idiot. Imagine not knowing about the illustrious Dyrim family," Priscilla sneered.
"Heard of these clowns, Anuvi?" Sapph asked, his deep dislike for the girls deepening with each passing second.
<Never heard of 'em…> Anuvi said coldly, matching Sapph's feelings.
"Anyway, little boy," Drusilla snapped. "That Growlithe is our legal property. Hand it over… if you know what's good for you…"
More rustling was heard coming from the bushes after this pronouncement and Crimson and Ace came swooping out of the trees to assemble beside Sapph, Anuvi and Lavender.
<And what may be good for Sapph?> Crimson shouted back, losing his usually polite demeanor as he took one look at the Growlithe and realized what had transpired.
"Looks like I don't know what's good for me," Sapph challenged the girls who'd whitened at the sight of the Warrior, Swoop, Five Star and Evolution Pokémon ranged on Sapph's side, and all looking like they meant business. "Care to explain?"
The Dyrim sisters stared at each other for a moment before hastily retrieving their Pokémon and running off, yelling "This isn't the end, Ranger!"
<I'd say it is, you disgraces to the Coreian name!> Ace bellowed at their retreating backs.
Laughing slightly, Sapph turned back to the Growlithe and stretching out his right hand, asked gently. "Can you stand?"
The Growlithe's eyes widened fearfully as Sapph made to pet it, and misjudging the movement, bit down hard on Sapph's already injured hand.
"YEEEEOWCH! What the heck was that for?" Sapph yelled, falling on his rear in partial shock.
The Fire type leapt to its feet and took a few shaky steps to run away from the group before collapsing due to its extensive injuries and flat out exhaustion.
<Poor thing, it's suffered so much,> Crimson exclaimed, fluttering over to the fallen Fire type and hovering over it, looking sorrowful.
"It at least has enough spunk to Bite like Ricon's herbal burn ointment," Sapph grumbled slightly, massaging his hand vigorously.
<Think she can fend for herself, General?> Ace said crisply.
<Ace!> Anuvi said in a shocked voice, his eyes contracting slightly.
<What do you propose, Lieutenant? Force it to come with us?> Ace countered testily.
<Easy, you two,> Crimson said softly, breaking up his fellow Flying types who were staring daggers at each other.
<What do you think, Sapph?> Lavender asked loudly and the four conscious Pokémon turned their attention to their trainer.
Sapph reached down without a word and scooped up the wounded Growlithe, placing it under his arm gently.
"Well, we can't just leave her here," Sapph said defensively in response to Ace's skeptical look.
<If you say so, General,> Ace said evenly, although there was something in her voice that suggested that for the first time she was questioning her trainer's judgment.
"C'mon," Sapph said shortly to his posse. "Let's get back to the girls."
***
<I can't believe I lost to a Fire type. Like, totally again!> Bubbles moaned, massaging the bruises Sky's newly evolved Charmeleon Drago had inflicted on her during the battle.
<Believe it, Hunny Bunny,> Drago said cockily, picking behind one of his fangs with a four inch long claw.
"How long have you had that thing for?" Haley asked in a grumpy voice. Resigning to the fact that she had lost not only a Pokémon battle but also a wager to a ten year old was going to be tough… especially if that ten year old was Sky.
"Only a week," Sky replied, returning to the clearing where they'd pitched camp laden down with firewood.
"A WEEK?!" Haley gasped in shock.
"As my brother Ricon told me once, '
Cheegalo wataoi enconpota des miguoii erogo'," Sky replied sagely, although with a bite of smugness.
"And what the heck does that mean?" Haley replied tetchily.
"It means, 'Even the stormiest clouds are made of little drops of water'. Translation: Even the greatest Pokémon Masters became great through practice and sweat," Sky said calmly. "Drago and I have been training for a week straight. Sun up to sundown. I must have stopped his evolution fourteen times... but I slipped up during our match."
Is she serious? Haley thought in shock.
That would make that Charmeleon around level thirty!
A loud rustling noise sounded from the older girl's right and both Coreians spun to stare at the bush from which the noise had appeared. Drago and Bubbles stood between their trainers and the incoming threat…
…which was only Sapph.
"Sapph! Where have you been, mate?" Sky cried out as Haley exhaled in relief. "And is that a Growlithe?"
"Yeah," Sapph replied quietly, setting the Puppy Pok'emon down as he slumped onto a log in exhaustion and released Zen for a meal.
"Wherever did you get it?" Haley gasped, scooting over to examine the bandaged Growlithe more closely. "They're super rare here!"
Sapph recounted the tale of the abuse he and the others had witnessed and prevented as they moved in towards their meals, general babble breaking out.
<What the hell? You lost to ANOTHER Fire type, Bubbles?!> Mace chortled, choking with laughter.
<Hey! Like, he surprised me by evolving!> Bubbles half-shouted, her pale blue face suddenly flushed deep red.
<I can't believe Sapph left me out of all the action,> Zen grumbled darkly, throwing Crimson a dirty look.
<It wasn't Sapph's fault, OK?> Anuvi snapped back. <Don't blame us for your lack of empathy!>
<Speaking of empathy,> Ace said sharply. <Where is that Growlithe?>
<Over there,> Crimson said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder near the fire where the Puppy Pokémon lay alone, slightly apart from the others, her bowl of food untouched.
<She looks so sad,> Lavender said, her ears drooping slightly. <Someone should go talk to her!>
<Really?> Zen said sardonically. <She looks fine to me. A little emo, but fine.>
Lavender threw him a disgusted look.
<Sorry,
Oh-nuo,> Anuvi said gently. <Crimson and I don't really agree with fire. No offense, Pixy,> he added to the Fox Pokémon, who was chatting up Vapor the Eevee.
<What about you, Ace?> Lavender asked the Swoop Pokémon.
<I can't trust a team mate who'd attack my trainer when he was trying to help them,> Ace replied shortly.
Lavender puffed out her cheeks angrily at this statement.
<Fine! I'll talk to her myself!> Lavender said huffily, stalking off huffily towards the Growlithe, who continued to stared morosely into the dancing flames of the camp fire.
Approaching confidently, Lavender said brightly, <Hi! My name's Lavender! What's yours?>
The Growlithe remained silent, unblinkingly watching the flames leap and crackle.
<
OK, let's try Anii's approach,> Lavender thought determinedly.
Lavender watched the flames' mirrored movements in her silent conversationalist's eyes before she went on, nodding her head at the firebrand's untouched bowl. <Y'know, that isn't poisoned.>
Still silence.
<Oh, don't worry about the others!> She rambled on, desperate to strike up a conversation. <Anii and Crimson're wary of all types of fires, Ace is a stiff, militaristic Pokémon to whom rank and file are matters of life and death, and Zen's not very nice anyway, so no loss there. What about you? What are you like?>
More silence.
<OK, so you're the silent type, I can relate to that,> Lavender ploughed on valiantly, not to be deterred. <So, erm, do you have any hobbies? Mine's looking at the stars,> Lavender paused here to look up at the fast approaching twilight where the first stars twinkled and winked down at them. <Did you know tha…>
<Go 'way.>
<Hey, you can talk!> Lavender said sunnily, looking back at the Growlithe, pleased with her progress. <So, what d'you…>
<Dint you hear me, foo'?> the Grolwithe… erm, growled. She had a husky voice that would have reminded Anuvi of Eaves, Brian's Eevee, except with more city in it. <Ah said,
leave me alone!>
<OK, there's no need for that kind of attitude!> Lavender said reproachfully, her smile faltering slightly.
The Growlithe leapt to her feet and snarled, <Y'all deaf, pansy? Ah said, beat it!> A split second later, she winced as the sudden movement put too much strain on her legs to keep standing. Sinking to her former position she added in a low, rumbling growl. <Dint yo momma teach yah to respect others prah-vacy?>
Lavender looked at her coldly for a moment and said coldly, <Unfortunately, ah don't know mah momma, sistah. She sorta died,> she spat the word out venomously, dropping the falsified accent in her increasing anger, <before I even knew her, you… you...!>
<Ah believe the word yah looking for is '*****',> the Growlithe said mirthlessly. <But as ah am one, that prob'ly wouldn't hurt much. Anyways,> she added, staring the Evolution Pokémon square in the eye. <She was prob'ly lucky she got outta life quickly like… nuthin' but hurt for those still left ah-live.>
She stared at the Eevee, shaking in rage and added <Whatcha still, hangin' around here for, foo'? Ah said, beat it!>
<Or what?> Lavender hissed, her dull brown eyes giving her a sinister look as her anger quickly stole over her. <Gonna shoot fireballs at me? Take a Bite outta Lavender?> She gave a horribly mirthless laugh as she taunted, <Do your worst. Nothing you can do is worse than what my life has been. You think you've had it bad? You have no… damn… idea.>
Growlithe moved away slightly, suddenly frightened by the new Lavender, who was no longer sunny and cheerful, but now gave off a palpable yet invisible aura of rage.
<Nothing you've got can be worse than what I've had to go through,> Lavender scoffed. <You think you're the only one who's suffered? Guess again, Sugar Queen! Life has been as big a ***** as you are now, but I'm still standing. More importantly,> she added, angry tears welling up in her eyes now. <I've found a new older brother… and more family than I could ever ask for!>
<I was wrong,> Lavender added softly, her voice hoarse from her consistent talking. <Looks like you and Zen would get along perfectly. You're both peas from the same miserable pod!>
<Ah-ah'm sorry,> the Growlithe said after a long pause in which the two quadrupeds had stared at each other, the roaring fire making the only noise between them. <It's just that…>
<Save it,> Lavender said shortly. And then, smiling, added, <for when you do wanna talk about it.>
The Growlithe grinned back and said, <Yah know what?>
Lavender sat down next to the Growlithe and asked <What?>
<Ah like watching thuh stars too.>
The twosome stared at each other for a minute and grinned in unison, not unlike a pair of exceptionally silly schoolgirls talking about their crushes.
<Ma name's Mystery,> the Growlithe said cheerfully, releasing a light Ember attack onto her pellets, warming them up again. <Pleased tuh make yo acquaintance.>
<Likewise,> Lavender smiled back.
***
"And just what do you plan to do with it, now that it's here?" Haley snarled at an increasingly embarrassed Sapph.
The girl researcher had spent the last ten minutes explaining to Sapph the influence that the Dyrim family wielded: shipping magnates, oil magnates, newspaper magnates; the whole family seemed involved in some major part of Corei's financial and economic development sectors.
"And you had to go aggravate the heirs to their fortune," Haley groaned in exasperation, slapping her face with her palm. "What else could go wrong?"
"FREEZE! NOBODY MOVE!"
Suddenly the clearing was swarming with blue-clad policemen who had roughly accosted Sapph, Haley, Sky and their Pokémon, handcuffing the lot of them (or at least those who had arms).
"Hey! What gives?" Sapph yelled as a large, beefy man holding a large red megaphone stepped into the clearing, his jet black hair disheveled and his black trench coat crumpled.
"You're all under arrest for one count of Pokémon theft, three counts of Pokémon abuse and two counts of threatening and/or attacking a human with a Pokémon!" The man announced loudly through the megaphone… right in Sky's face.
"AARGH! GET THAT BLOODY THING OUTTA MY FACE, YOU
DESKARAGO JARDO!" She bellowed, losing her temper with the irritable police officer.
"AND ADD ONE COUNT OF ABUSING AN OFFICER OF THE LAW, FELON!" The polise officer screamed back through the megaphone
"These the Pokémon rustlers, Miss Priscilla, Miss Drusilla?" The chief officer asked two shadowy figures that pulled their way through the undergrowth, expressions of distaste upon their faces with regard to their surroundings.
Stepping into the clearing, Priscilla and Drusilla Dyrim pulled strands of foliage out of their hair with expressions of pure distaste. Upon recognizing Sapph, however, the teenagers' faces split into evil identical grins.
"Oh, yes, thank you, officer!" Priscilla said tearfully.
"That criminal in red is the main culprit!" Drusilla added, crocodile tears running down her face and pointing a shaking finger at Sapph. "He even threatened to have his Pokémon attack us if we tried to stop him taking our precious widdle Growlie!"
"Now, now," the lieutenant said soothingly. "You both did the right thing by coming to the authorities. We'll handle these criminals from here," he added, staring sternly at Sapph, Haley and Sky, who were all handcuffed.
"See why I said you should go home?" Haley hissed out if the corner of her mouth.
"Oh, shut up," Sky retorted in an undertone.
"All right, men. Let's take 'em away," the lieutenant called out to his subordinate officers, who were having a little trouble restraining the Pokémon.
"Thank you so much for reuniting us with our beloved Growlie!" Priscilla said with a watery kind of soppy adoration.
"It was no trouble at all," the lieutenant said modestly, blushing as the duplicitous teens turned on the charm.
Mystery was snapping and snarling at the officers who attempted to hold her down and when the sisters got close enough, released a small barrage of fireballs from her flaming mouth at them, warning them to keep their distance.
"Quite a wild dog you have there, Ms. Drusilla and Priscilla," the lieutenant said, scratching his stubbly chin. "Want us to put her to sleep for you?"
"Oh, don't worry, lieutenant," Drusilla assured the police officer.
"We'll be sure to discipline it appropriately," Priscilla added with a nasty look at the snapping Puppy Pokémon.
"But, of course, miss!" The lieutenant said with a swift salute.
"Hold it right there, Fulton," A snippy voice called out from somewhere among the trees.
"Damn it, Guiseppe!" The lieutenant roared, dropping his proper manner in an instant. "The chief said that this was MY operation!"
"Not quite, Lieutenant," the voice said again as its owner stepped out into the firelight, a tall, thin man with a clean shaven chin donning a long brown trench coat.
"The chief would rather I used my proposed method of investigation for this particular case," the man named Guiseppe informed the lieutenant as his beady eyes swept the scene, moving over Sapph; who was staring at the Dyrim sisters with deep dislike etched in his eyes, to the Dyrim Sisters, who looked discomfited at the new arrival to the Growlithe who continued to growl menacingly at her oppressors.
"An' I still say you investigative method's a load of codswallop!" Lieutenant Fulton replied, becoming redder by the second. "Pokémon as witnesses to crimes? That's the job of evidence, testimonies and the courts!"
"Yet, an increasing number of innocent people are convicted in the courts daily, Fulton," Guiseppe replied waspishly. "Now, please excuse me. I have work to do."
Lieutenant Fulton grabbed Guiseppe by the scruff of his trench coat and yelled in his face, spit flying, "WE'RE ALREADY DONE HERE!"
"Excuse me, but… who are you?" Sapph asked, his confusion mirrored in the girls' faces.
"Detective Guiseppe DeLaron," the man replied nonchalantly, looking over at Sapph appraisingly. "Pokémon Abuse Department, Appleburn City Police Department."
Brushing the lieutenant's hand away as though shooing away a fly, Detective Guiseppe moved past the flustered lieutenant towards the Growlithe, who'd stopped growling.
"That's right," the detective said calmly, stretching out a hand towards the Puppy Pokémon. "It'll be OK…"
"Hmph, guess you should know, Guiseppe," Lt. Fulton said coldly. "That thing's a right menace. It attacked its own owners, the Dyrim family, and…"
The detective faltered as he saw the Growlithe licking the man all over playfully, her tail wagging boisterously.
"Wh-wha…"
"I'm sorry, Fulton," Guiseppe said cheerfully, petting the Growlithe as he got to his feet. "You were saying?"
Not bothering to wait for an answer, Guiseppe called out, "Alakazam! Your assistance, please!" releasing a streak of white light from a pokéball in his hand. It formed a medium sized bipedal humanoid Pokémon which held a silver spoon in each of its yellow hands. The Alakazam's squat yellow face sprouted a set of fine yellow whiskers which fell to its brown plated chest. Its wrists, ankles and shoulders were covered with a similar coloured substance.
"Now, Alakazam… use Mind Reader!" Guiseppe commanded, pointing at the Growlithe.
Mystery felt a little nervous now as the Alakazam closed in on it and gripped the sides of its head in between its hands.
"What d'you think you're doing?!" Sapph yelled at Guiseppe. "What's going on?!"
"I'm having Alakazam probe Growlithe's memory of what happened earlier today," Guiseppe replied calmly as Mystery and Alakazam's eyes whited out and both went into a kind of trance.
"What? It won't hurt her, will it?" Sapph asked worriedly.
"Hey! Shut up, felon!" Fulton yelled angrily. "It's the owner's job to be worried about the Pokémon's welfare, not the thieves'!"
What is he talking about? Those Dyrim Sisters aren't concerned at all! Haley thought furiously.
"Hey,
jardo!" Sky yelled brashly. "The so-called owners of Growlithe don't care! They look like they're more concerned about running away themselves to me!"
"SHUT UP!" Fulton screamed, his face redder than ever.
"Show some decorum, Fulton!" Guiseppe snapped, "and some quiet, please! Alakazam, show me what you've seen," he added to the Alakazam, whose pupils had returned to his eyes along with Mystery's irises.
Everyone was silent as Alakazam relayed the memory from Mystery into his trainer's mind. After a minute, Guiseppe opened his eyes and said loudly, "Priscilla and Drusilla Dyrim!" he called suddenly, startling the Dyrim Sisters witless.
"W-what d'you want?" Priscilla stammered, sweating bullets.
"W-we w-w-warn you," Drusilla added, twisting her hands anxiously. "Accuse us and our father will hear of this outrage! You can expect to be out of a job for many years to come!"
"Oh, I'm not going to accuse you," Detective Guiseppe replied with a shadow of a smirk. "I just want to ask you a question or two."
"What cheek is this, you lowly detective!" Drusilla shrieked. "The culprits have been apprehended already! What do you mean by this?!"
"I'll ask the questions if you please, Ms. Dyrim," Guiseppe overrode her coldly. "Now… which Pokémon do you have in your possession?"
"We don't have to submit to this questioning!" Drusilla spluttered, evidently falling apart at the seams.
"Fine," Guiseppe said calmly. "How about a wager? If I can guess correctly, you will have to answer another question. If I'm wrong, they'll be taken into custody and you will be free to go, no more said."
A tense silence filled the clearing as Sapph, Haley and Sky also started to sweat profusely. Their freedom was riding on this man. They hoped he was as good as guessing as he was confident…
"Hmm… let's see…" Detective Guiseppe said in mock concentration. "Do you both, perhaps… own Terrotor?"
The sisters blanched in horror. Guiseppe's smirk widened.
Lt. Fulton rose to the celebrities' defense instantly. "Anyone and everyone knows that!"
"Be quiet, Fulton," Guiseppe snapped. "Well?" he added at the girls, who stole a glance at each other before answering.
"Yes," Priscilla began. "As the lieutenant rightly said, everybody in the area knows the Dyrim family have Terrotor…"
"But it was that brat's Squirrage that injured Growlie!" Drusilla exclaimed vehemently. "It used Leaf Blade to cut up poor Growlie as it fought to protect us!"
Sapph, Sky, Haley and all of Sapph's Pokémon rolled their eyes with Mystery at the lies the Dyrim Girls were spouting out.
"Indeed," Guiseppe said softly.
"You see?" Fulton roared in triumph. "Thought you were pretty slick, felon?"
"Oh, spare me!" Sapph groaned with an excessive dose of eye rolling.
"Boy," Guiseppe said to Sapph curtly. "Please order your Squirrage to use Leaf Blade on that tree over there," he said, pointing at a tree with an exceptionally thick trunk.
Sapph stared at Haley and Sky bewilderedly, the latter of whom looked back blankly. Haley however, nodded wordlessly.
"Uhm… OK," Sapph said uncertainly. "Anuvi, use Yaiba no Hayashi!"
<Right on!> Anuvi yelled, creating the blade of grass energy and cutting the trunk swiftly.
"OK, now what, Guiseppe?" Fulton asked, totally lost.
"Priscilla, Dursilla," Guiseppe said courteously. "Could you please show us your Terrotor?"
"We don't have them here, Detective," Drusilla said scathingly.
"Ha! Thought you could catch us wit the old wound analysis trick?" Priscilla scoffed. "Like we wouldn't know the wounds that vile attack leaves glow green?"
"I believe I've caught you anyway," Guiseppe grinned. "You see," he said as he bent down to unwrap Mystery's bandages. "The Growlithe's wounds aren't glowing!"
"Ulp!" The twosome gulped worriedly.
"Lt. Fulton," Guiseppe asked the lieutenant in the same cordial tone. "Could you tell us which specie of Pokémon inflicted these wounds?"
Fulton gulped himself as he bent down to examine Mystery's injuries. "Th-they seem to be Terrotor claw marks!"
"What?!" Priscilla gasped.
"Lt. Fulton! Don't you want that bonus?!" Drusilla asked with a snap like a mouse trap.
"One last question," Guiseppe said coolly. "What is this Growlithe's name?"
"Hunh? That's easy! It's Growlie! Isn't it, sis?" Drusilla dithered.
"Obviously!" Priscilla added defiantly. "What else would it be called?"
"OK, then," Guiseppe said confidently. "Call him, then."
The twosome looked at each other unsure what was going on.
"Fine. C'mere, Growlie!" Priscilla called.
Mystery sat down defiantly.
"Here, Growlie! Come here, boy!" Drusilla tried vainly.
Mystery turned her head in defiance.
"Do you want to know why he isn't coming?" Guiseppe asked coyly.
"What the… what do you mean by that?" the Dyrim duo exclaimed in unison.
Guiseppe chuckled and announced, "It's simply because he's a
female Growlithe nicknamed
Mystery!"
"WHAT?" Lt. Fulton shouted in shock. "B-but that'd mean…"
"What trainer wouldn't know the gender or nickname of their own Pokémon?" Guieppe asked the audience at large as he paced amongst them all. "Either a thief who's not the original trainer, or an extremely abusive trainer who never took the time to care for the Pokémon! Guiseppe then pointed at the Dyrim siblings and announced, "Just as we have over there! Officers, arrest Priscilla and Drusilla Dyirm immediately!"
"What?!" Lt. Fulton gasped staring at Guiseppe as though he'd taken leave of his senses.
"Relax, lieutenant… he can't prove anything!" Drusilla exclaimed.
"That's right, detective! Prove we maltreated this poor Growlithe!" Priscilla piped up.
"Oh, this special tape on which memory can be stored will serve appropriately, I'm sure," Guiseppe smirked, pulling out a silver reel of what looked like magnetic tape and handed it to Alakazam, who inscribed the information onto it using its Psychic technique.
The sisters blanched and spluttered incoherently as they were handcuffed and led away.
"W-well, I - uh… better go file a report," Lt. Fulton gulped, avoiding Sapph, Haley and Sky's glares as he followed his men out of the clearing leaving the four of them alone.
"Thanks a million, Detective!" Haley said fervently.
"Yeah! We totally owe you one!" Sky agreed, stretching her unbound limbs.
"Definitely," Sapph agreed, rubbing his wrists.
"Just doing my job," Guiseppe replied, returning his Alakazam and bending down to pet Mystery. "This Growlithe isn't the first the Dyrims have hurt. I can personally testify to that."
"Wha-?" Sapph began but Guiseppe cut across him.
"It's better you don't know that particular story yet," Guiseppe said with a smile as he turned to go. "Look after the Growlithe, will you, boy?"
"Fine, if you stop calling me 'boy'," Sapph said shortly. "It's Sapph to you," he added with a grin.
Guiseppe grinned back and strode off into the night.
"Well! Looks like you finally got your fire type!" Haley said cheerfully.
"Congrats, mate!" Sky said, clapping Sapph on the back as Sapph knelt down to pet his newest 'capture'.
<I'm sorry I bit you earlier today,> Mystery muttered with its pompom tail in between its legs.
"Hey, water under the bridge," Sapph replied cheerfully, ruffling the white fur that grew in between her ears.
"What are you gonna nickname her?" Haley asked curiously. "No offense, but Mystery is a weird name for a Growlithe."
Sapph laughed as Sky thought for a moment and said, "How about
Arcana? It means 'mystery' in Dunedé…"
Sapph and Mystery played with the word in their minds for a while before Sapph asked the Growlithe, "So! Arcana it is, then?"
Mystery barked once in agreement and wagged her tail energetically as the other members of Sapph's team, who'd been congratulating each other on avoiding jail, converged to greet their new team mate.
"Right then!" Sapph announced to the group at large. "Arcana… welcome to the team!"
***
Next Time on
The Corei Quest: After nearly killing Bubbles in Green Hill City, Kamren and Burner grow further and further apart. Eventually culminating in a huge fight and estrangement, Burner goes off on his own to discover what true power is all about… and Kamren and the group face a danger that could tear them all apart…
Chapter 25: Paying His Dunes, slated for the 14th of February, 2008… Don't miss it!
***
GOODIE OF THE WEEK: CHARACTER PROFILE
Name: Sapphire Manson
Age: 11
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: July 7th, PA 2003
Eye Colour: Sapphire blue
Hair Colour: Dark brown
Theme:
Underdogby Mudd
Current Teammates: Anuvi (Squirrage), Crimson (Ledian), Ace (Mawhoot), Zen (Taebrawl), Lavender (Eevee), Arcana (Growlithe)
Pokémon at the Yew Observatory: Silver (Magnemite)
Background: Born to Katherine and Justin Manson as the second born of twins. Originally mispronounced as a girl at birth, his parents took one look at his eyes and named him Sapphire. Due to the new legislation that forbids legal name changes, the name had to stay, much to Sapph's displeasure. Sapph has spent his life in the shadow of older brother Rubin, initially seeing his older twin as a role model, and later in life as a rival after an incident at school that made Sapph lose all his respect for his brother.
Sapph was a reckless, overconfident youngster fresh from Johto on the invitation of Professor Theodore Yew. After his experience with Zen, however, Sapph has gradually become more in tune with nature and has generally curbed his recklessness. He is however, to this day, excessively confident in his battling ability and the strength of his Pokémon.
ROUNDING OFF ARE ANOTHER COUPLE OF ENTRIES IN THE COREI-DEX!
Name: Terrotor
Corei-Dex Number: 064
Species: Large Claws
Pronunciation: TEH-row-TAW
Element: Dark/Ground
Height: 5'01"
Weight: 52 lbs
Name Derivation: TERRa (Latin for Earth) + lOTOR (specific epithet for the raccoon
Procyon lotor)
Evolution line: Terrotor usually follow this evolutionary line:
Author's/Artist's Note: Terrotor was initially the 1st stage evolution in the chain with Badgune as the highest form. But after some thought, I decided to switch them around.
Info: It has huge claws that can hew an Olmypic-sized swimming pool out of stone in mere minutes. It is active at night when its bushy tail can keep it warm.
Name: Zebuk
Corei-Dex Number: 81
Species: Zebra
Pronunciation: zee-Buck
Element: Normal
Height: 5'03"
Weight: 142 lbs
Name Derivation: ZEbra + BUcK
Evolution line: Zebuk usually follow this evolutionary line:
Author's/Artist's Note: What can I say? It's a Zebra Pokémon. 'nuff said.
Info: Young Zebuk foals are almost impossible to tame. Anyone who attempts to mount one will be thrown off immediately. Those who are able to hold on until sundown are recognized by the Zebuk as their new trainer.
OK, L@er!
P.S.: If you did scream like a wussie, you're probably a sissy reader... XD
