Rifts In Time

This is my second shot at a Trainer Fic, as my first didn't turn out the way I wanted. Rated PG-13 for violence later on, I put alot of work into the first chapter and other's. I would be greatful for any reviews or comments, for that is what keeps me writing. So, if you read, please comment. Thanks and enjoy...





Rifts In Time














Chapter 1: The Journey




?Not today.? Michael whispered. ?Not today.?

Despite the young teen?s plea, the arguing began. Screaming soon followed at a glass shattering volume.

?All you ever do is moan about this or that!? A masculine voice roared.

?Well maybe if you made more money, we wouldn?t have this problem!? Another retorted.

?Money, Money, Money.? Michael thought quietly. ?That?s all they ever think about.?

Curled over in a fetal position, in an almost pitch black room, a young boy laid on a bed. On the verge of tears, the boy used another pillow to muffle the continually rising voice?s of his so called ?parents?. The quarrels had started but a meir year ago, when his father had lost his job at the glass factory. Michael was furious with himself for getting comfortable with the perfect family idea. That kind of family only existed in fairy tales, and if some vague form of that ideal made its way here; well, that was just considered weird, almost creepy.

?Nothing lasts forever.? The emerald eyed boy thought bitterly.

At the moment that his train of thought ended, Michael?s bedroom door burst open. The thin oak door swung backwards and connected with the back wall harshly, causing a crack that rang out through the blackened room. His father appeared in the doorway and quickly strode over to his son, kicking over stacks of baseball cards and miniature car models.

?Go to school.? His father commanded.

?School doesn?t start for another hour.? Michael replied meekly.

?Walk to school then.? The man said impatiently.

?Alright.? The boy replied.

For a moment, the two males stared at each other, each lost in the other?s startling green eyes. His father?s face had grown weathered, and white. Freckles, dull brown in color, littered the man?s face, exactly like that of Michael. His pale, thin figure was nothing like that of his father however. Tall shoulders stood proud upon a muscled chest, one that any body builder would be pleased to have.

?Just go to school.? His father sighed, turning from his son and walking through the open door.

?Sure.? Michael muttered, slowly rising from his bed. Flicking on the small lamp on his bedside table, Michael began to dress. He wasn?t a bad looking young man, not in the least, just average. Average Michael. Light brown hair freely flowed from an oddly round head. A nice face was almost hidden by the freckles and hair that seemed to intertwine into a sea of brown.

?I hate my nose.? Michael whispered as he tried in vain to fix his messy hair. ?Whatever.?

Newly dressed in a fresh pair of blue jeans and his favorite ?Harley Davidson? black T-shirt, Michael slung his red pack over his shoulder, and straightened his bed. Satisfied that a verbal beating about how messy his room was, was going to follow his return from school, Michael left his square box of a room. Even though it was nearly eight in the morning, the rest of the house was as black as his sleeping quarters. The curtains were pulled tightly across the low windows, casting the ugly furniture into shadow.

?I hate this house.? Michael thought as he crossed the living room and quickly and walked towards the front door. Before he stepped outside, the young teen spied his mother sitting at the kitchen table, across the room. She was tapping her right foot furiously on the linoleum floor as she smoked one of her disgusting cigarettes. Michael rolled his eyes and opened the front door that led to partial quiet.

?Great.? He thought, closing the door behind him.

Rain was lightly falling upon the asphalt of the neighborhood streets, making a delightful tap every time a droplet exploded against the ground. The sky was dark and grey, rumbling occasionally like a hungry stomach. The young teen stepped off the porch and started down the driveway. Before he hit the sidewalk, Michael looked back at the medium sized brick house and its small yellow door.

?Wouldn?t be nice...? Michael started, turning away and starting down the sidewalk.

The neighborhood he lived on was simple enough; carefully manicured lawns and flower beds were a sign of dominance and respect here. Tall oaks shot out of the ground every twenty feet or so, casting the already dark ground into a deeper black. The houses were almost all the same design, each consisting of a brick frame, a single car garage, and the same boring brown roof. Boring, boring, boring. That was his life. Average Michael and his boring life.

?Morning Michael.? A voice called. It was Mrs. Gretchan. Turning his head, Michael said hello in return, as he always did. Not taking notice that the ninety year old woman was watering her grass, even though droplets of water were still freely falling from the sky. It sort of surprised Michael that it was raining at all. It was almost summer in the small town of Perry, Georgia; and dark skies and showers were few and far between.

?It?s alright.? Michael thought, removing a stick of gum from his pack. ?Rain is ok.?

The young teen continued to walk down the endless cement squares, kind of blankly, not really thinking, or observing his surrounding?s. Just walking and walking. Twenty minutes later, the young teen arrived on the school grounds of his high school. A small maze of woods were almost attached to the side of the immense building; the green color of its trees almost glowing against the grey sky. As Michael neared the structure of brick and cement that was his school, he noticed that not a single car was parked in the teacher?s parking lot, nor the student?s.

?Oh great, now I have to wait for another half hour in the rain.? Michael said cynically. Michael sighed loudly and started walking towards the small overhang near the entrance to the school, where he might find shelter from the falling water. But as he neared the entrance, a surge of cold wind suddenly struck the right side of his face, causing him to wince and turn his head to the left. ?Little chilly out here.? He commented, opening his eyes. ?What?s that?? A sort of opening in the woods had appeared only a couple yards to the left of where the teen was walking. It was so small that Michael had to blink to make sure he was seeing correctly. Curious, Michael slowly trudged through small mud puddles, and over to the opening. The woods were like a solid wall of foliage, making it hard for anyone to pass through. The opening was almost as tall as Michael, seeming to have been built just for him. The teen lowered his head and squinted, the wind blowing harder against the back of his head. It was almost like a tunnel. Damp soil made an almost direct line straight into the woods, as if someone had made it intentionally.

?Weird.? Michael commented. The path didn?t look like it had an end, or at least one that Michael could see through the darkness. The young teen weighed his options, he could go to the school and wait for it to start, or he could go into the woods and follow the path like an idiot. ?What the ****?? He smiled, taking a step into the tunnel like opening. ?I?ll just follow it for a second.? Taking a somewhat deep breath, Michael started walking. Unknown to the curious teen, the wind began to pick up, rain started to fall harder, and black clouds started to form over the woods that the boy was walking through. Michael could only see behind him and in front; the woods were to thickly covered by trees to make out the left and right.

?Why am I walking through dimly lit woods?? Michael asked himself, continuing to walk further. He had convinced himself that he was just taking a leisurely stroll through the woods while he waited for school to start but, now it had become almost like a quest to see where this small dirt path would take him. Suddenly, a great boom of thunder rang out through the woods. Michael swung his head upward, but couldn?t see anything through the thick canopy of trees. But he could hear the rain picking up. ?A little bit further would be okay.? He muttered, continuing to walk forward. ?That?s great Michael, you?re talking to yourself.? Seriously doubting wether he should take this any further or not, Michael still trudged forward. As he did, the young teen began to notice that the path and the trees around him were starting to grow thin and wider. He looked over his shoulder, and was only able to see a slightly gray area where he had first entered.

?I didn?t know it was this deep.? Michael muttered. As he whispered, a light appeared down the path. It was almost like the grey at the other end. Michael picked up his pace, his eyes glowing with excitement. But when he got to what he thought was the end, his mouth dropped in disappointment. The end of the trail was a clearing of sorts. It was like a beam had cut out the trees and grass from above, leaving a circular area of nothingness. Michael guessed that the minuscule clearing was about the size of his bedroom, if not smaller. Rain cascaded from the sky and into the clearing, making the dirt meadow into one giant mud puddle.

?Why would someone make a path that leads to a dead end of dirt?? The boy wondered, as he gazed at the rumbling sky. The rain started to come down harder as the sky lit up in a blaze of white lightning. ?Great, I?m out in the middle of the woods in a lightning storm and I?m talking to myself.? The boy sighed. Taking one last look at the dirt circle, the young teen turned away and started walking back towards his school, where teacher?s had already begun to arrive. It was at that exact moment that a bolt of lightning decided to race down from the heavens and strike the small dirt clearing. The sound that the beam of concentrated electricity made as it touched the ground nearly deafened Michael. As the small forest exploded with white light, the young teen flung himself to the right and into the thick foliage. Adrenaline steadily flowed through the boy?s body as he struggled to try and make himself invisible. As if a switch was thrown, the light that was streaming through the woods suddenly vanished. Except for the rumbling of the clouds and the steady flow of rain, silence steadily roared through the woods. It was safe to say that Michael was in complete shock. The young teen was shaking furiously, trying in vain to retrieve a coherent thought. Despite a strong urge to stay very still and quiet, Michael lifted his head and slowly scanned the ground.

?What are the odds?? The teen whispered.

Finally gaining use of his arms, Michael rose to his feet, and tried to stop shaking. Re-adjusting his back-pack, the young teen turned back towards the small clearing, and gasped. A sort of light or energy was steadily pulsing from the previous puddle of water and soil. Bright white in color, the liquid seemed to be alive. The ground and trees around the clearing shimmered and glowed as the energy moved . The pool of white liquid was traveling around itself in a clock-wise motion, almost hypnotically.

?The ****?? Michael whispered. Wether it was natural human curiosity or plain stupidity, the teen slowly stepped forward and into the pouring rain. It was like nothing the boy had ever seen. It seemed like the lightning had turned to liquid when it struck the ground. Being relentlessly pounded by the ever strengthening rain, Michael bent down and stared at the mass of glowing energy. The young teen was completely amazed if not shocked by what had just happened. This was the kind of stuff you heard on the news; this wasn?t something that happened to people like Michael. Yet again, Michael weighed his options. He could run to the school and tell someone, or he could be ?Michael? and do something very idiotic. Shivering terribly, Michael chose to be himself.

?In the name of science.? He smiled, reaching out with his right hand. With one long index finger, the young teen tentatively touched the pulsing liquid. The result of his curiosity was almost instantaneous. Despite the surging wind and falling rain, a feeling of warmth raced up the boy?s fingers, that quickly worked its way up his arm. It was almost undescribable. The warmth reached his shoulder and quickly spread to his torso as Michael smiled. The feeling, or whatever it was found its way to the young teen?s face in no time. Caught up in the moment, Michael lowered his hand further, so it was completely underneath the pool. Not knowing that this action may have been the biggest mistake, or blessing of his life.

?How is this possible?? Michael asked, pulling his hand from the rotating liquid. But, much to his surprise, the young teen found that this movement was not possible. His hand stayed under. Confused, the young teen jerked his arm upward in an almost spastic motion. But this reflex did the exact opposite, and pulled his arm towards the pool. The liquid was up to Michael?s elbow now, and seemed to be pulling him deeper, almost like quicksand. Afraid of being completely drug in, the boy sank to his stomach; his face situated a meir foot from the surface of the liquid.

?Calm down.? Michael thought nervously. Despite his command, the boy?s pulse quickened, and adrenaline started to shoot through his veins. ?How is my arm going under? It?s solid ground.? Remembering a thing about quicksand from the ?Discovery Channel? Michael stopped moving his arm and remained very still. That didn?t work either, as the liquid continued to pull him in. Satisfied that the ?lay very still? plan wasn?t going to work, the teen went back to struggling.

?HELP!? Michael screamed, as the liquid rose to his shoulder. But, his cries went unheard as the wind continued to howl. Michael used his lower body to swing around, so he was now lying parallel to the pool. Using his one free hand, the boy grabbed a thin tree root that lay nearby, hoping that it would give him the leverage he needed. Michael pulled hard with his left arm, his entire body covered in mud. A loud groan was issued from the young teen?s mouth, as he pulled, all of his mind concentrating on being free. Maybe, just maybe, if the root wasn?t soaked with water and mud, the young teen would have made it. But, the root was, and Michael?s hand slid from the wet piece of wood. The force of the release pushed the teen sideways, and into the liquid. His arms flailed, he screamed, he kicked, but it was no use, the liquid had turned to a jell-0 like consistency. A force that the struggling teen could not see wrapped around his ankles and yanked. With one last scream for help, Michael was pulled under the surface.

Silence was king in this pool of energy, not a single sound was able to penetrate, not even the worried cries of the young teen. Oxygen was also unable to penetrate the abyss of startling white light. Michael soon realized this as he frantically gasped for air. Not a single thought crossed the teen?s mind as he struggled, his animal instinct solely focused on getting air. But alas, the boy was not a fish, and therefor could not breathe, which resulted in him slipping into unconsciousness. As the boy stopped struggling, the top of the pool stopped moving, and suddenly spun in the opposite direction, becoming a blur of light. Michael followed this motion, spiraling downward at an alarming speed. The top of the pool stopped again, and simply vanished, leaving only the howling wind and a pool of mud.

Michael still drifted downward however, the white light surrounding him slowly drifting into a violent shade of black. Suddenly, the teen shot downward, as if being driven by rocket fuel. Color?s exploded all around the young teen, casting his body into spasms. Shadows and figures blew past the jerking teen, sinking into nothingness as they passed. The tunnel of light in which the boy was traveling suddenly grew dark and black as Michael began to slow. It seemed as if the boy had reached the bottom of the hole or tunnel because the teen was now simply floating in darkness. Michael drifted down and lay upon the bottom, occasionally twitching. The darkness surrounding the boy softened as the floor in which he was laying glowed white. The creamy glow surged outward, enveloping the boy and the area with light.

Thunder boomed, lightning flashed, rain poured, and a sixteen year old boy appeared in the almost exact middle of a small field. Lying on his stomach, the teen lifted his head and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground in front of him. Michael twitched again and passed out.

Through the darkness and the pouring rain, several shadows formed a circle around the teen, unmoving and still. A larger shadow pushed forward, forcing the other?s to break the ring. Thickly muscled arms lifted the unconscious human into the air. A voice, raspy and cold, cut through the howling wind, and screamed with a volume that could have been heard from miles away.

?PERT!? The voice roared. ?SWAMPERT!?

I know what happens!!! I've kinda read the first 10 or so chapters on SPPf, so I shouldn't really comment on those too much as to spoil it for the rest of you ;D. Anyways: to review:

For those having not read this, be prepared for a very original fic. I'm not spoiling it, but I know that this is going to be a very original fic. It's probably the only one of it's kind in existance, and you've done a tremendous job. The description is spectacularly vivid, as is the actual events that happened. The characters (even the parents) are portrayed very accurately, and that's not something many authors can do in a couple of sentences. Well done ^_^

My main concern (and always has been) is the use of colour. With this type of fic especially, colour can change the atmosphere completely. Using reds, blues, yellows is fine - but to enhance it more, use more vivid colours such as scarlet, indigo or cherry or something. If you're stuck - just think of Kanto city names XD But seriously - they are very good colours to use, since they obviously describe the mood of a city, it works wonders with fics of this type as well.

Obviously, if you're not changing your pre-written chapters, then this advice kinda becomes void - but I hope you apply it to future chapters you so happen to write ^_^

Thanks MCD ^_^ I appreciate the review. And yes, I will be sure to apply your advice to future chapters. I actually looked back at all the completed chapters so far and realized that I should have done so to begin with, but, meh. Anyway, thanks again :)

o.o

*has read the first ?? chapters already...*

o.o;;; Anywayz, what can I say? Great fic Beau. ^_^ Only thing against you is the surprisingly tedious flow of it, but that might just be me. @_@

*smacks herself and leaves*

Thank ya again Lilky, <3


Chapter 2: Who, What, When, Where, How?




Michael?s entire body hurt. Not just sore, or stiff, he was hurting. His eyes fluttered open suddenly. His arm twitched, as he drew in a sharp breath. Breathing was a major chore. It was almost like knives inching their way into his chest little by little. His mind was bursting with images and colors, racing past and back again, clogging his perception. Michael couldn?t even think. He just lye there, stiff, sore, and hurting. It was like a coma, but with pain.

?Sat.? The teen muttered, his head falling to his right shoulder. ?Four.?

The sixteen year old was lying in a bed. Crisp new sheets formed a sea of white beneath him. The room in which he was residing matched the sheets. It was a round room, almost glowing against the dull brown boards that were the floor. A sterile smell hung in the air, like that of a hospital. It was fitting for this place, for it was a hospital, of sorts. A plain single bed, wood floor, and a semi-conscious teen were the only contents of this room, because humans rarely stayed at this place.

?Four.? Michael repeated, drawing in another sharp breath. ?Four.? After repeating the number, the teen?s body gave an almighty jerk, causing him to slip over the edge of consciousness yet again.

A door, about six feet in height, opened on the far side of the room. It opened slowly, not wanting to disturb the blissful silence that littered the circular resting area. Two figures walked into the room through the now open door. One tall and lanky, like Michael; the other shorter, but just as thin. The figures strode over to the sleeping teen and stared.

?Do you think he?ll get better?? One asked.

?I don?t know?? The other replied. ?I?m still a little confused about how he wound up out there anyway.?

?Me too.? The shorter figure commented. ?And what about that mud circle??

?Beats me.? The taller one sighed. ?But, we might find out when he wakes up.?


Nearly twenty four hours later, Michael opened his eyes. He breathed deeply as he scanned his surrounding?s. It was obviously some kind of hospital room, he could tell from the smell and the general decoration of the room. His body still hurt, like one giant sunburn. But, with one good push, he was able to sit up. How long had he been here? Where was he? Michael wasn?t able to think very hard, due to the fact that a splitting headache was ringing through his brain. For some reason, the number ?Four? kept popping into his head. What was going on? Why was he thinking about four? The teen looked down to find that he was dressed in a hospital gown that matched the sheets and walls almost perfectly. The odd thing about the gown was that it seemed to have little, multi-colored creatures all down the front of it.

?Weird.? Michael commented. Just as the words escaped his lips, a brown door on the other side of the room opened. Two figures walked in and closed the door. One, who was taller, had flaming red hair that was drawn into a tight bun. The woman was wearing a short pink skirt and a rectangular object near her right shoulder, which was probably a name tag. The other was a bit shorter but, as she neared Michael?s bed, he noticed that she carried herself like a giant. Long blond hair hung at the girl?s shoulder?s, that ended in very carefully placed lochs. The girl, or angel, had a lovely face, perfectly triangular and kind. She was wearing baggy black jeans and a red shirt that read, ?To Be A Trainer.? Michael knew this kind of girl, they were many at his school. They never gave him the time of day, much less a look of any kind. They were the elite, the best of the best, teen royalty.

?Are we awake now?? The taller one asked in a sweet voice.

?I.? Michael started. Talking made his throat almost explode in pain.

?I?m Nurse Joy.? The woman smiled.

?And I?m Leah.? The girl said. An extremely awkward silence followed their speaking, each waiting for the other to say something.

?Am I at Mercy?? Michael rasped. He had been to the local hospital once before, to get his tonsils removed. Thinking of that made him shiver; Michael hated needles.

?What?s Mercy?? The nurse inquired.

?Mercy General.? Michael sighed. ?The Hospital.?

?I?m not familiar with the place.? The nurse said. ?You?re at the Lasford Town Pokemon Center.?

?A what center?? Michael blinked.

?A Pokemon center.? The nurse smiled.

?What?s a pokemon center.? Michael asked. Hearing this, the nurse and the young girl both released giggles of laughter as Michael sat there, completely bilwildered.

?That?s funny.? The nurse laughed. ?Would you like some water??

?Please.? Michael shrugged. With a bow, the woman left the room. Leah took a step forward after the door closed, making Michael inch back.

?I don?t bite.? The girl laughed.

?I know. I was just.? Michael explained. What was wrong with him? He couldn?t even string more than a few words together. It was like she was sucking out his intelligence.

?How old are you?? Leah asked.

?Sixteen.? Michael croaked.

?Me too.? Leah smiled. ?I was wondering something, how did you end up in my family?s field??

?I don?t know.? Michael replied. He was starting to wonder that himself. If this wasn?t his local hospital, then where was he? ?I?m not even sure how I got here.?

?That?s right.? Leah nodded. ?You were unconscious when my Mother?s Swampert brought you to the back door.?

?Swampert.? Michael grimaced. ?What?s a Swampert??

Leah gave him a look of surprise before saying, ?It?s a pokemon.?

?What?s a pokemon.? Michael asked.

?You?re kidding me right?? Leah laughed.

Michael was about to say no when the nurse walked back inside, carrying a small metal tray. On the rectangular object was a glass of water and three red pills. The nurse set down the tray on Michael?s lap and took a step back, so that she was parallel to Leah.

?Do you have a headache?? The nurse asked.

?Like you wouldn?t believe.? Michael rasped.

?Those pills will help to get rid of it.? the nurse stated.

?Thanks.? Michael smiled, grabbing the pills. Placing the red pills on his tongue, the young teen swallowed a mouthful of water. Crisp and cold, the water slid down his throat easily, making his dry throat cry out in relief.

?Are my parents here?? The young teen asked. Whatever hospital he had been taken to, would have notified his parents. That is, if they could stop arguing long enough to pick up a phone.

?No.? The nurse replied.

?Can I use a phone then?? Michael asked.

?Sure.? Nurse Joy replied. ?But do you mind if we clear up a few things first??

?Like what.? Michael inquired.

?Like, how you arrived in the Simpson?s breeding field.? The nurse suggested.

?I don?t know how I got into a field.? The teen said. ?I?m not even sure where I am now.?

?You?re in Lasford town.? The nurse smiled.

?I don?t know where that is.? Michael replied. Had he been taken out of the state or something. But, why would he had been taken out though. He didn?t feel bad enough to merit a trip outside the state. ?Are we in Tennessee or Alabama?? The teen suggested.

?What region are you from?? The nurse asked, taking a step forward.

?What do you mean?? Michael asked.

?Your obviously not from here. So are you from Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn??

?What are you talking about?? Michael asked, a little frustrated.

?I mean.? The nurse said. ?Where were you born??

?I was born in Perry, Georgia.? Michael replied.

?Right.? The nurse smiled. ?I?ll be right back.? The nurse casually smiled and touched Leah?s shoulder. The girl smiled at Michael and left with the nurse, closing the door behind her. Despite the headache medication, Michael?s head was starting to throb harder. Pokemon, Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. What the **** where they talking about? And how did he end up at some place called ?Lasford Town?? What kind of name was that anyway?

?Alright Michael, let?s focus.? He commanded. Michael dug down and searched his mind for something that would tell him how he got here. The only thing that popped into his head was the number four. Closing his eyes, he dug deeper, desperately searching for something, anything. And he found it. The lightning, the mud circle, the liquid. He had fallen in. Michael?s mind was racing. It was almost becoming to much for him to handle. Where was he? What was going on? Why weren?t these people telling him anything? He hated times like this. When he didn?t know anything or anybody.

?Screw sitting here.? Michael said, swinging his legs around. Throwing the sheets off him, the young teen hopped off the bed. That action sent a wave of pain up his spine. His entire body was like one big ache. The teen walked forward, his eyes searching the ground. He found what he was looking for at the foot of his bed. His red pack was lying on the floor, and his clothes, now devoid of mud, were folded neatly on top of the pack. Getting dressed was a chore, a painful one at that, but Michael dressed as quickly as he could and slung the pack over his shoulder. The young teen creped slowly towards the door, as if the slightest misstep could set off an alarm. Michael extended a hand and grasped the knob of the black door. Taking a deep breath, the young teen opened the door, and screamed.

?AAAHHHHHHH!? The young teen screamed, falling backwards. Michael was more frightened than he had ever been before. He couldn?t move. His limbs just wouldn?t respond. What was standing in the doorway, made his mind go numb in disbelief. It was a monster, plan and simple. A huge, blue monster. A wide, broad face smiled at the terrified boy as it moved closer. Thick orange spikes protruded from the sides of the being?s face as two, tall, fins jetted from the top of the creature?s head.

?Pert!? The voice cried, opening its thickly muscled arms.

?Get away from me!? Michael screamed, gaining use of his legs. Springing to his feet, the young teen ran backwards to the far end of the room, arms held out stiff in front of him.

?Swampert?? The thing said.

Michael was scared. Not the kind of scared that you get in a horror movie scared. He was adrenaline pumping, hard to breathe, and twitchy scared. What the **** was this thing? His mind was blank. Michael was almost completely petrified. Except for the fact that he could move, so he wasn?t completely petrified, but almost. Suddenly, the beast or monster, was enveloped by a strange red glow as the creature simply dissolved. As Michael watched, the monster was sucked into a small red and white sphere, that was held by Leah. The girl looked at Michael with the ?are you crazy?? look before taking a step back and closing the small door.

Michael was now on the verge of complete insanity. He had just seen a monster get sucked into a tiny ball. Not only that, he had seen a monster! His head started to throb again. What was going on? Michael was now walking back and forth across the room, casting nervous glances at the door. His mind was racing. What was that thing? Suddenly, the number four forced its way into his head. It stood there, unmoving, causing him to cry out in frustration.

?What is with ?Four??? The young teen shouted. Suddenly, a loud creak roared through the room as the door on the far wall opened. Michael gasped and jumped backwards, which resulted in his head connecting with the wall behind him. ?OOWWWW!? The teen cried, rubbing the back of his head.


?Are you okay?? A voice asked. Standing in front of the previously open door was a woman. The person seemed to be wearing a white lab coat of sorts. Like the kind you see in movies. The woman looked to be in her sixties or so, he could tell by the wrinkles that littered her face. Michael observed long grey hair pulled messily into a ponytail, as if she had done it in a hurry. The most noticeable thing about the woman though was her eyes. Even at this distance, Michael could see them. Their darkness almost glowing against the bright white of the walls.

?I guess.? Michael replied.

?That must of hurt.? The woman said.

?Just a bit.? The teen replied, rubbing the throbbing spot. The woman smiled and walked over, slowly, not wanting Michael to feel threatened.

?I?m professor Jessica Simpson.? The woman smiled, extending a hand.

?Like Jessica Simpson could ever be a professor of anything.? He thought. The young teen looked at the hand for a moment, as if the person was carry some sort of a disease. Satisfied that the hand was no real threat to his health, Michael extended his own. Her hand was minuscule compared to Michael?s, but she shook with the strength of his father.

?I?m Michael.? The teen said.

?So I?ve heard.? The professor said, releasing the hand. Taking a step back, the woman sat down on the bed and motioned for him to follow. The young teen sat on the far end of the bed, one hand still attached to the back of his head.

?So.? Michael suggested.

?I?m going to be honest with you.? The professor said. ?The two people outside this door think you?re crazy.?

?Why.? Michael inquired.

?Three reasons.? The professor stated. ?The first is that you were found unconscious in the middle of a pokemon breeding field, the second is that you claim to not know where you are or what a pokemon is, and the third is the fact that you almost had a heart attack when you saw Mrs. Burke?s Swampert.?

?Right.? Michael said. ?And all of those are true.?

?Unless you are suffering from some kind of memory loss, I can?t see a reason to not agree with them.? The professor said.

?I?m not crazy.? Michael sighed. ?Although I?m starting to think I am.?

?Let me ask you something.? The professor said, reaching into a large pocket on the side of her coat. From the pocket, the woman withdrew a thin square object. As the professor turned it over, Michael saw that it was a picture. The woman held it out and said, ?Do you recognize this??

Michael took the square from her and looked closely. It was if someone had taken a picture of the ground while standing up. A large brown circle, almost perfectly round was etched into the grass. It looked out of place, as if someone had just thrown it there.

?Where was this taken?? Michael asked.

?In the field next door to here.? The professor replied.

?In a field?? Michael grimaced. ?Not in some woods??

?No.? The professor replied. ?Right next door.?

?I recognize something like it.? The teen sighed. ?But, it was in some woods near my school.?

Something was eating away at the back of Michael?s mind. Besides the number four. Something so ridiculous, that he was surprised that he was even thinking it. But, it was the most reasonable answer he could arrive at.

?Be honest with me.? The professor sighed.

?Ok.? Michael said.

?To the best of your knowledge, how did you get in the field and why is that circle there??

?You wouldn?t believe me if I told you.? Michael replied.

?Try me.? The professor smiled.

*smacks herself for the late review*

Great chapter as always Bew. Feels great to refresh my memory. Originality is excellent, the way you write is addicting, I couldn't pry off of it. ^o^ Although I remember most parts. Funny I didn't notice the Jessica Simpson part too. Mmm I'm sick, sorry for the bad review. x.X

Great chapter, it's nice rereading them over again. ^_^

Naw, it wasnt a bad review at all Lilkster. I appreciate your taking the time to even give me one ^o^


Chapter 3: Questions of sanity





?Do you really want to know?? Michael asked. ?Because what?s going through my head is pretty crazy.?

?I want to know.? The professor replied.

Michael looked into the woman?s black eyes. They were like bottomless pits, sucking him into a abyss of darkness. What would she think of this? Would she toss him into an asylum or something? A professor would surely have connections. But, what did he have to lose?

?I?ll start from the beginning then.? Michael stated. ?Wait, how long was I out for??

?I think it was somewhere around thirty-six hours.? The professor replied.

?Well this starts two days ago on Monday morning.? Michael started. ?I got up and dressed, left my house and started walking to school. It wasn?t very far. But as I got there, I noticed a path or trail that led into the woods. The small forest was connected to the side of my school. Anyway, me being my curious self, I walked into the woods. Since I was far in, I didn?t notice that the rain and lightning was starting to pick up. I walked further and further, into I came to a tiny clearing. At the clearing was a plain, round, mud circle like the one in the picture. Then, I turned around and started walking back, but when I did, I think a bolt of lightning struck the ground.?

?Lightning?? The professor inquired.

?I think so.? Michael sighed. ?I remember a flash of light and a really loud noise so, I guess that?s what happened. I threw myself to the ground. And, after I got back up, the circle was glowing."

?Glowing?? The professor said, raising an eyebrow.

?I know how it sounds.? Michael replied. ?Anyway, it was like energy or something. It was moving around in a circle like it was alive. It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen. The liquid, or whatever it was, just kept moving around in a circle. So, I did what any curious boy would do, I bent down and touched it. And a strange thing happened, it was like a warmth when up my fingers. It went up my arm and then all over my body. Even though it was starting to rain harder, I just kept getting warmer. But, when I tried to pull away, it was like I couldn?t. The liquid, crazy as this sounds, started to pull me in. I yelled for help, pulled, struggled, but it was no use, the glowing liquid pulled me in. I was trying to climb back out when something grabbed my ankles and pulled me down. And not I?m here.?

Michael half expected the woman to run back outside and get some really buff guys to throw him in a straight jacket. How could he arrive at a conclusion like this? The young teen was now really starting to question wether an asylum was the best thing for him. Maybe he was insane. The professor looked at him with her shiny black eyes and smiled.

?There?s a flaw in this story.? The woman stated. ?If the ground was mud, how could you be pulled under??

?I don?t know?? Michael sighed.

?Do you know how crazy this sounds?? The woman smiled.

?You have no idea.? Michael said. ?I?m telling you what I remember though.?

The professor sat staring at the teen for what seemed like hours. Her slightly wrinkled face unmoving. Very slowly, the professor placed one hand on the boy?s right shoulder. The woman smiled psychotically and said one of the craziest thing?s Michael had ever heard.

?I believe you.? She said.

?You do?? Michael replied.

?I have heard stranger things.? The professor laughed.

?What does this mean then?? The teen asked.

?I?m not exactly sure.? The woman replied. ?But, I might have an idea.?

?I?m all ears.? Michael smiled.

?Alright, then. Wait here for a moment?? The woman said.

?Sure.? Michael replied.

The woman nodded and stood up. She walked across the small room and through the coffee colored door. How could she believe him? He barely believed himself. Michael was almost at a total loss of thought. This was by far the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him. Even counting the time that he fell down a well. That was bad. Very dark and bad. Thinking of this made him shiver. That was a bad experience. As the teen continued to drift through the past, the door on the side of the room opened. Professor Simpson walked through, and after closing the door, she walked over to Michael.

?That didn?t take long.? Michael observed.

?I just had to get something from Nurse Joy.? The woman smiled, extending her hand. Nestled in the pale hand of the woman was a small sphere, about the size of a ping-pong ball, or a little bigger. The sphere was divided across the middle by one black line. The top half of the ball was a deep fiery red while the bottom was colored a bright white. A small grey button was centered where the black line overlapped itself.

?What?s that?? Michael asked.

?It?s called a Pokeball.? The professor smiled.

?It?s cool looking.? The teen admired. ?What does it do??

?It?s a tool used for catching wild pokemon.? The woman said. ?It also serves as a home for caught pokemon.?

?Right.? Michael replied somewhat skeptically. ?I?m still not very clear on what a ?Pokemon? is.?

?If you?ll allow me to test out an experiment that I?ve been working on, I?ll tell you.? The professor said.

?Is it dangerous?? Michael inquired.


?Of course not.? The woman laughed.

?By all means then.? The teen shrugged.

?Before I start though, I must ask you to remain calm and not; what?s the term you young people use; oh yes, ?Freak Out?.? The professor said.

?I?ll be okay.? The teen said, raising an eyebrow. Michael was unsure of what she was planning. She told the teen to stay calm, which to him translated as, ?Be afraid?.

?You promise.? The professor grinned.

?I guess.? Michael sighed.

?Okay then.? The woman smiled. Taking one finger, the woman pressed the button on the red and white sphere. Upon removing her finger from the button, the small ball expanded, becoming the size of an orange before Michael could blink.

?Whoa.? Michael whispered. ?How did you do that??

The woman said nothing in response, she just smiled and pressed the button again. The top of the sphere suddenly opened, leaving the bottom half of the ball behind. White light exploded from the inside of the sphere, causing Michael to stiffen in fright. A white beam of energy made its way from the inside of the sphere to the floor, casting the room into an even brighter shade of white. As the beam struck the floor, it shot upward, becoming wider as Michael stared. As the young teen watched in utter amazement, the light began to take shape. Suddenly, the white light that was dancing through the room softened, then disappeared altogether.

?I, wha?? Michael stammered.

The young teen?s jaw dropped as he gazed upon the figure that the light had left behind. At first, Michael thought he was looking at a ballerina. Like one of those little girl?s dressed in a tutu and tights. But, as he gave the figure an up and down stare he realized that this thing was anything but a human child. The only part that really resembled a little girl were the two large pigtails that stuck out from the side?s of the being?s head. Except for the fact that the pigtail?s and head were a bright green in color. The creature's torso consisted of a sort of white skirt that was torn into long strips near the bottom. The creature?s arms were twisted behind its back but, from what Michael could see, they were the same color of the being?s skirt. But the main focus of the teen?s attention were the creature?s horns. Small and broad, the oval shaped protrusions were glowing with a fiery crimson light.

?Kirlia.? A voice sang. The voice was like that of pure innocence. Calm and serene. Almost soothing. The strange thing about the voice was that it seemed to come from inside Michael?s head. The young teen drew in a sharp breath and inched backwards, trying as hard as he could to live up to his promise.

?What do you think?? The professor smiled.

?What is it?? Michael whispered, not wanting to disturb the unmoving creature.

?You can?t answer a question with a question.? The woman sighed.

?Why?? Michael whispered.

?It?s just not done.? The professor laughed. ?And why are you whispering??

?I don?t know?? Michael said, returning to his normal voice.

?And to answer your first question, ?It? is a psychic pokemon that goes by the name of Kirlia.? The professor smiled.

?Kirlia?? Michael smiled. ?I kind of like that.?

?I?m glad.? The woman smiled.

?What?s a psychic pokeman?? Michael inquired.

?It?s not ?Pokeman?, it?s ?Pokemon.? The professor replied. ?And don?t worry about that now. I?ll explain everything to you in a moment.?

?Fine.? Michael sighed, continuing to stare at the unmoving creature.

?Kirlia?? The professor called.

?Lia.? The creature sang.

?Come here.? The woman smiled, pointing to the space between the two humans.

?Kirlia.? The creature sang, giving each of the humans a nod. The being moved slowly forward, placing one green leg in front of the other carefully, as if it was testing the ground. Suddenly, the creature lifted its arms and it was lifted off the floor. The being rose to about eye level with the two humans and drifted forward, it?s rosy eyes glowing.

?How is it able to do that?? Michael asked himself.

The creature touched down between the two humans, smiling at Michael as it landed. The young teen didn?t move, he just continued to stare. The creature laughed with a giggle that echoed through Michael?s mind. Taking one long arm, the being ruffled Michael?s already messed-up hair.

?Hey!? Michael laughed.

?Kir.? The creature smiled.

The being turn its head towards the smiling professor and extended an arm. The woman took the arm and shook it, giving the creature a bright smile.

?I have been working with Kirlia for a great while now.? The professor stated.

?Doing what?? Michael wondered.

?We have been working on a kind of memory transfer.? The professor smiled.

?That?s not possible.? Michael sighed.

?You?d be surprised.? The professor said.

?You can?t transfer someone?s memories. You just can?t.? Michael replied.

?Then you won?t mind if we try it out?? The woman asked.

?Course not.? Michael smiled. ?Whatever your planning won?t work.?

?You wanna bet?? The woman asked.

?That?s okay.? Michael laughed.

?If this is going to work.? The professor started, a hint of seriousness in her voice. ?Then I need you to relax. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. And when I say so, I need you to think of all the events that led up to you getting here. Just like you told me but, try to think visually. Can you do that??

?I guess so.? Michael started.

?Okay.? The professor smiled. ?Kirlia?? As the professor said the creature?s name, the being reached over and placed one small arm on the top of the professor?s head. Turning its head to look at Michael, the being smiled. Closing its eyes, the creature gently placed one arm on top of the young teen?s head. What was he thinking? This was never going to work. But, the professor had eaten all his rubbish. And since she had been so nice, he decided to go along. Taking a breath, Michael closed his eyes. The young teen willed himself to be calm. It was easier than he thought. In almost no time, Michael was in a drowsy state. His mind calm and unmoving.

?Go ahead.? A voice said. This voice belonged to the professor, who had taken to closing her eyes as well. The two humans were now connected by this strange creature. This would have been a very strange sight from someone outside of their chain of calm. Taking another breath, Michael did as he was told. His mind dug deep until he came across what he was looking for. That day. He remembered lying in bed, listening to his parents quarrel. His mind raced. He was now exiting his house. But as he left the building, something amazing happened. His memories had turned into a movie. He was watching himself walk down his neighborhood street. But he could see it from every angle, every degree, he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Michael could see every blade of grass in the yards and every hair on his head. Suddenly, the world around him shot forward. It was almost like someone had pressed the fast forward button. He was now walking past the forest near his school. Michael watched himself stop and enter the woods. The young teen watched himself go further into the woods as the wind and rain picked up. Michael was now above the trees. He could see the woods in all of their entirety. As he watched, a bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky and connected with the pool of mud below. The pace sped up again until he was watching himself bend down to touch the pool of glowing liquid.

?Don?t do it.? Michael whispered.

Despite his warning, the self that he was watching touched the glowing energy. Michael shook his head as himself from the past tried to withdraw his hand. But his attempts were in vain, he was unable to remove his hand. It was only a moment before he was pulled completely under the surface. This however was unfamiliar territory. White light was everywhere. Michael watched himself stop struggling and go limp from lack of oxygen. This was as far as he could remember. But something he had not expected took place. Instead of snapping back to reality as he expected, the memories went on. Colors and shadows raced past Michael so fast that he cried out in fright. Orbs of light surrounded his unmoving body as he sank deeper. A flash of light enveloped his floating body as Michael appeared in the middle of a rain soaked field. Rain was still falling but, the morning had turned to night. How was that possible? He had fallen in the pool at 8:00 a.m. or so. As he watched, a great many shadows proceeded to form a circle around the unconscious boy. Michael?s mouth dropped as the blue monster from before broke through the group and knelt beside the sleeping teen. The beast picked up Michael in its enormous arms and proceeded to roar.

?Pert!? The beast roared. ?Swampert.?

The finned creature walked forward, making the surrounding shadows creep backwards. As Michael watched, the beast broke into a run. It splashed through gigantic puddles of mud, its eyes focused on a shape in the distance. As it ran, lightning flashed, revealing the shape to be a small house. A tall wooden fence stretched from either side of the building. Michael was in some kind of fenced in field.

?Pert!? The beast roared again.

A door that was attached to the back of the house swung open. The inside of the house was a blazing inferno of white light. As Michael watched, the light got brighter. And as his unconscious self reached the house, the light surged outward. Michael covered his face and shut his eyes as he and the field was enveloped by a blinding glow. There was a pause were Michael felt nothing. Like a rift in time and the mind. The he heard the breathing. It was his own. His hands were still over his face. His eyes were still closed. Slowly and cautiously, the young teen lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The white was still everywhere. But it had taken a duller tone. It was the white of the walls. He looked right to see the professor and the Kirlia staring at him. He had no words that could have possibly described what he had just done.


?You weren?t lying.? The professor stammered.

?I told you.? Michael gasped.

?I saw what you saw. I saw everything.? The professor said.

?How did you do that?? Michael replied.

?I, I.? The professor gasped.

?How did you do that?? Michael asked again.

?I?m in shock right now.? The professor stated.

?That?s great.? Michael sighed. ?So am I.?

?You?re not from here.? The professor said. Her small face twisting into a grimace.

?Duh!? Michael replied. ?I have been trying to tell everyone that.?

?I mean, you?re not from this world.? The professor said.

A long silence followed this statement. Was he in another world? The creatures, the memories, nothing like this could ever exist were he came from. Ever. This was all to much. Was that hole a gateway between two worlds? Why was he even thinking that this was a possibility? Somewhere deep inside him knew that the professor was right though. There was no other possibility. This woman was right. He was in a different world.

?I don?t know what to say.? The professor said.

?Me either.? Michael replied.

?This is by far, the most amazing discovery of my career, or anyone else?s for that matter.? The professor stated.

?You can?t tell anyone about this.? Michael said sternly.

?Why?? The professor asked.

?People will treat me like some sort of freak!? Michael said angrily.

?You?re right.? The professor replied. ?I?m sorry, but this is a little mind-blowing.?

?It?s okay.? Michael sighed. ?I?m just a little on edge. It?s not everyday that you end up in a different world.?

?You?re taking this amazingly well.? The professor said. ?Most teenagers would be scared to death.?

?I?m not scared, I?m just extremely confused.? Michael replied.

?I am to.? The professor sighed. ?What confuses me the most is how the lightning created that portal.?

?Could we please quit talking about it.? Michael pleaded. ?I?m starting to feel another headache coming on.?

?As you wish.? The professor stated.

?Will you tell me how you did this?? Michael asked.

?Of course.? The professor started. ?Kirlia is a psychic type pokemon. It has amazing psychic abilities. Almost to a level where it can read minds. So, I took advantage of that. I used her to transfer your thoughts and feelings to me. Like a telephone. You say something and she acts as a wire, transferring the information to me.

?That?s pretty cool.? Michael stated.

?It is.? The professor said. ?We have been working very hard.?

?Kirlia!? The psychic type agreed.

?Another thing, can you tell me exactly what a pokemon is?? Michael asked.

?Sure.? The professor replied. The woman stretched her arms and stood up. The professor smiled at Kirlia, who was now swaying back and forth. The psychic type gave a small giggle and rose into the air. The pokemon floated over to the professor and rose upward until their heads were level with each other.

?This.? The professor said, gesturing towards the smiling psychic type. ?Is a prime example of what we call a pokemon.?

Excellent chapter once again! It's a neat idea to think Kirlia could transfer one's memory of the Professor. Although it may me only conversation with a bit of disruptions and all, it's sitll a great chapter. I like it, and can't wait for the next one, ^_^

The Jessica Simpson part is my favourite line out of this entire fic. Some more veyr good chapters from another very good author. When Oni comes back from whatever on earth he's doing, he should really make this FanFic of the Week. But... anyways... Nice use of description, although there did seem to be a load of dialouge. The ratio was about 80-20... but it's like that for the first few chapters I suppose.

I didn't particularly like the way you kept on calling Michael "teen". It does seem that you use that word an awful lot to describe him... and it doesn't really sound right to use in a fic like this. Teenager sounds a lot better than plain old teen to be honest... But it's your decision.

All in all, some more great chapters from a great fic. Well done ^_^

I think this is just one of the most original fics ever !! The description is also very good and length and the character development. Very well done beau !

Thank you all very much, it means alot ^o^




Chapter 4: Explanations




?Kirlia is a pokemon?? Michael asked.

?That is correct.? The professor replied. ?Pokemon are magical creatures that thrive in this world. We use them as partners, friends, and sometimes even life long companions. We are symbiotes. We cannot live without them and they could not live without us. We depend on each other. Almost every aspect of out lives are based upon these creatures. You following so far??

Yes.? Michael said. ?How many pokemon are there??

?We don?t know.? The professor sighed. ?There are thousands, millions almost. But we have only discovered three-hundred and sixty-five different species.?

?So they are kind of like animals.? Michael suggested.

?I guess so.? The professor stammered.

?Do you know what an animal is?? Michael asked.

?No. I have never heard of those.? The woman replied.

?Never mind then.? Michael smiled. ?Never mind.?

?Anyway.? The professor started. ?I have spent the better part of my life studying pokemon. There are many mysteries concerning them and their origin. My job is to solve those mysteries. I am a Pokemon Researcher.?

?So, everyone grows up to be a researcher like you?? Michael asked.

?No, no.? The professor replied. ?There are many different professions. Perhaps the most popular is the art of battling and being a pokemon trainer.?

?How do you battle with pokemon?? Michael asked.

?Pokemon have many strengths and weaknesses that we do not.? The professor said. ?Some people take advantage of a Pokemon?s abilities and use them in contests of strength and strategy.?

?That sounds cool.? Michael smiled.

?It is very amazing.? The professor agreed. ?Pokemon come in all shapes and sizes as well. Some are as big as houses while other?s are as small as a shoe. Every pokemon is special though, from the biggest to the smallest. They are all unique.?

?Do you have any more I could see?? Michael asked.

?Of course.? The professor smiled, reaching into a large side pocket. The woman retrieved a small orb from the pocket. It was red and white like the previous one. As Michael expected, the woman pressed the ball?s small grey button, causing it to expand. The professor pressed the button again and the bottom half dropped away from the top. A beam of white light shot out from inside the ball. The ray of energy struck the ground in front of the professor and began to grow. Professor Simpson closed the red and white sphere, and proceeded to stare at the amazed expression on Michael?s face. The energy that was growing on the floor shot outward, growing tall and taking a more defined shape. As the teen laughed in sheer amazement, the glowing softened and then stopped altogether.

?Grov.? A raspy voice said.

Dinosaur. That was what it looked like. A small, green dinosaur. But, that wasn?t right. Dinosaur?s were extinct. And from the rise and fall of the creature?s orange chest, Michael assumed that it was breathing. It was obviously reptilian. The young teen could tell from the creature?s pointed snout and its general dark green figure. There were a few thing?s that set it apart from any dinosaur he had ever read about however. One being the glossy leaves that hung down all over its body. Bright green in color, the long blades were attached to the creature?s shoulders, legs, hands, and one longer one on the back of its head. Another was the bright orange of its stomach and chest. The last thing he observed was that the dinosaur like creature was shaking the professor?s hand. Dinosaur?s didn?t do that. They had died out sixty-five million years ago. So, with evidence that this thing was not a dinosaur, Michael decided that it was a pokemon.

?What do you think of this leafy fellow?? The professor asked.

?It?s cool looking.? Michael admired. ?Why does it have leaves growing on it??

?The leaves are a side effect of evolution. They aid Grovyle in defending itself and catching food.? The professor stated.

?I?m not really following how leaves could help a pokemon catch food but, okay.? Michael laughed.

?Right.? The professor sighed. ?Another thing, Grovyle is a grass type pokemon. Each pokemon has a specific type. That type determines its strengths and weaknesses, as well as what attacks it can learn and use.?

?Alright.? Michael said skeptically. ?And you said Kirlia was a psychic type??

?That?s right.? The professor said.

?How many types are there?? Michael asked.

?There are seventeen types.? The professor replied.

?What kind of stuff can this guy do?? Michael asked.

?Grovyle can do a lot of different things.? The professor replied. ?Grovyle, show him some of your agility.?

?Grov.? The creature responded. As the professor took a step back, the grass type walked forward. The creature kept walking until it was feet from the far wall. And raising its arms, the creature crouched down. Suddenly, the grass type sprang upward, becoming a blur of green. The pokemon jumped from side to side of the small room, rolling, flipping, and twisting. The creature was moving so fast that Michael could barley track its movements. It was a green blur. Streaking from side to side like a missel. Then all of a sudden, it stopped. No slowing down or anything. It just stopped.

?Woah.? Michael admired. ?That was awesome. How is it able to move so fast??

?That?s just one of its strengths.? The professor replied.

?This is so cool.? Michael said. ?Nothing like this could possibly exist where I come from.?


?There are some things that I?m sure will amaze you. Some thing?s that still amaze me.? The professor said.

?Like what?? Michael inquired.

?You sure are curious.? The professor commented.

?If you were in my position, wouldn?t you be?? Michael sighed.

?I guess I would.? The professor laughed. ?Kirlia??

?Lia?? The pokemon inquired.

The professor didn?t give a reply, she just reached into a pocket and retrieved another red and white orb. The psychic type nodded and drifted towards the ground. Landing with a small giggle, the pokemon gave each of the humans a long bow. The professor bowed in return and pointed the orb at the small creature.

?Kirlia return.? The professor said. A beam of fiery red light shot from the sphere and flew towards Kirlia. The beam struck the psychic type, enveloping it in a deep scarlet glow. Like the blue monster from before, the psychic type simply dissolved and was absorbed back into the ball.

?Why did you do that?? Michael asked.

?It needs some rest. Kirlia can get that inside it?s pokeball.? The professor explained.

?Gotcha.? Michael smiled.

The professor took a few steps over and sat down next to Michael, her black eyes gleaming. With her right hand, the professor motioned for Grovyle to come over. The grass type nodded and walked over. On its last step, the creature flipped forward. It rolled through the air and landed directly in the professor?s lap.

?That was so cool.? Michael commented.

?Well, Grovyle has always liked to show off.? The professor smiled. ?So, what do you want to know??


?Everything.? Michael smiled.

?Everything?? The professor said.

?Everything.? Michael replied.

?This might take awhile.? The professor said.

?I want it all.? Michael smiled.

?You got it then.? The professor laughed.

And for the next half hour, Michael was silent. He was a statue with ears. The professor told him the history of the pokemon world. How they worked together, how they trained, how they had overcome immense obstacles to have the peace and order that they now lived in. She told him of the other regions, their accomplishments, their struggles. She told him of her discoveries and partners. She told him things that seemed outside possibility and reason. Things that seemed impossible. Michael now knew why he had arrived at this ?transported to another world? conclusion so quickly. There was no point in denying it. He had been transported into another world. Dang, this was strange. You hear this kind of thing in fairy tales.

?So, this is the Sampton region?? Michael interrupted.

?That?s right.? The professor said. ?The other three regions are an entire ocean away. The funny thing is, that if you line up Sampton with the other three regions, they would fit together perfectly. There?s a theory that we were all connected into one big continent but, something broke it apart, and we drifted south, while the other?s stayed together.?

?That?s to bad.? Michael commented. ?You?re so far away from all the other people.?

?It is to bad.? The professor agreed. ?But, there is a plus to this. Each region has some pokemon that cannot be found anywhere else. But, Sampton has pokemon from all the regions.?

?How is that possible.? Michael asked.

?Before the land split into different sections, pokemon lived in no specific place. They all lived together in one giant landmass.? The professor explained.

?So when Sampton broke off, it brought pokemon from everywhere?? Michael guessed.

?Exactly.? The professor smiled.

?I see.? Michael said.

?That?s why a lot of researchers support the ?giant landmass? theory.? The professor explained.

Out of nowhere, Michael?s stomach gave an enormous growl. The young teen clutched his stomach in a feeble attempt to keep it still.

?You haven?t even eaten.? The professor gasped. ?Do you want something to eat??

?I am a little hungry.? Michael replied.

?I?ll go get you something.? The professor smiled. ?I?ll get you some more information as well.?

?Thanks.? Michael smiled.

?No problem.? The professor said. With a smile, the grey-haired woman reached into her pocket and withdrew another red and white ball.

?Wait.? Michael asked. ?Can Grovyle stay??

?Sure.? The professor smiled. ?I?m sure he?d love to.?

?Grov.? The grass type agreed.

?I won?t be long then.? The professor sighed, getting off the bed.

?Another thing.? Michael said. ?What are you going to tell those other two people??

?Don?t worry, I?ll explain everything to them.? The professor replied.

?Are you going to tell them what happened?? Michael asked.

?They are two of my closest friends.? The professor smiled. ?They will keep your secret safe.?

?Are you sure?? Michael asked. ?I don?t want a bunch of scientists to throw me in a cage.?

?That won?t happen.? The professor laughed. ?You can trust them.?

?Alright.? Michael sighed.

?I won?t be long.? The professor repeated.

As the professor exited the room, Grovyle crawled closer to Michael. The repteilian creature stared at Michael with a deadly glare, as if it was trying to take the human apart with its eyes. The young teen glanced around the room nervously, the pokemon?s stare making him sweat. At a complete loss of what to do, Michael extended a trembling hand. The yellow eyed reptellian recognized this action and held out its own. With a breath of deep uncertainty, Michael took the pokemon?s hand. It was just what he had been expecting. The skin on the pokemon?s hand was exactly like that of a snake. Rough, scaly, and warm.

?Cool.? Michael whispered.

?Grov?? The grass type inquired.

?Nothing.? Michael smiled.

?Grovyle.? The creature rasped, giving the teen a wide smile.

Michael laughed openly at what he had just done. He was having a conversation with a monster from another world. This was unreal. This was the stuff of dreams. This was unbelievable.

?Grovyle.? The pokemon smiled, stretching its arms. With another smile, the grass type pushed back so its pointed head was resting against the wall. Crossing his arms, the pokemon was soon asleep.

?I?ll just sit here by myself then.? Michael suggested. The grass type didn?t pick up the young teen?s sarcasm, nor did it reply. So Michael sat on the bed by himself. With nothing to keep him company but his thoughts. And those were only on one thing. They were on what the professor had shared with him. Wondrous thoughts they were. He was so engrossed in them that he didn?t feel his head slip onto the pillow behind him.

?Just for a moment.? Michael thought. In no time at all, the young teen joined Grovyle in a field of dreamless sleep. Moments turned to seconds, seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to nothing. It was almost forty-five minutes later when the professor returned. She strode into the room carrying the same metal tray that Nurse Joy had used earlier that day. Smiling, the black eyed woman laid the tray down on the foot of the bed and reached into her pocket. From the pocket she withdrew Grovyle?s pokeball. The professor returned the sleeping pokemon in a flash of red light. This action caused Grovyle to be absorbed back into it?s sphere and it caused Michael to open his eyes. With a groan, the young teen sat back up. He spied the professor smiling at him and released a single word. ?Food??

?There you go.? The professor pointed. The boy smiled and quickly grabbed the metal tray that was situated on the end of his bed. Atop of the tray was a tall glass of clear liquid that Michael recognized as water. Beside it was a small plate of food. The food looked to be a bread roll?s of some sort. Not caring even they had crushed glass as a filling, Michael snatched the roll and sunk his teeth deep inside it. Some kind of fruit oozed from the inside. Bright blue in color, the fruit had almost the same consistency of syrup. It was by far the most amazing thing Michael had ever tasted. The taste made his mouth freeze in disbelief. It was sweet, it was bitter, it was every flavor there was. The thick crust of the roll was just as good; flaky and whole, it rolled down his throat like a boulder.

?You like?? The professor inquired.

?Yeah!? Michael cried, shoving another fistful into his mouth.

?They?re Nurse Joy?s specialty.? The professor beamed.

?Whet ish slit?? Michael said through mouthfuls of fruit.


?It?s an oran berry roll.? The professor grimaced. ?If that?s what you asked.?

?Sorry.? Michael said, grabbing another.

?Quite alright.? The professor laughed.

The professor considered retrieving a manual on etiquette for the boy. The teen was eating with a savage ferocity that would have put Snorlax?s to shame. Food was literally flying through the air as Michael ate everything he could see. After eating all three immense rolls, the boy proceeded to swallow the entire glass of water in one gigantic gulp.

?Had enough?? The professor grimaced.

?Yep!? Michael grinned. ?It was great.?

?I?m glad you liked it.? The professor said. ?I brought you a book.?

Michael turned his head back towards the tray and saw a small blue square. Lifting it up, he realized that it was, in fact, a book. ?Thanks.? Michael said, opening its sapphire cover. But, he was wrong. It wasn?t a book, it was a photo album. But not of humans. Michael wasn?t one hundred percent positive, but he thought they were of pokemon.

Colors. That was the first thing he noticed. These creatures were every color imaginable. Every size as well. Some, even seemed familiar. There were birds, fish, and even some pokemon that looked like dragons. Michael now knew what Professor Simpson meant. Each pokemon was unique. Even though these were just pictures, Michael felt them. Like they were there with him. It was a strange feeling. As he continued to flip through the various pages, one in particular caught his eye. This one was different than the others. This was a picture of a brown stone wall. Small figures lined the surface of the structure. The teen couldn?t make them out though, the cracks in the wall prohibited that. The thing that drew his attention was that the small shapes formed a perfect circle around a larger, more defined figure. This object was sketched into the wall like the others, but, unlike the others, Michael could make out a few parts. The figure had a strangely round head that was pulled into a point at the back of its head. Two long rods that resembled antenna were nestled at the top of the figure?s skull. It had small villa shaped arms and a very petite torso. The thing looked fragile somehow, like just looking in its direction would cause it to break.

?Professor.? Michael asked. ?What is this??

?What?? The professor inquired, bending over to get a better look. ?That?s a Celebi.?

?Is it a pokemon?? Michael inquired.

?Yes, it?s a legendary pokemon.? The professor smiled.

?What?s a legendary pokemon?? Michael asked.

?There are some pokemon that are very powerful.? The professor explained. ?There powers exceed those of normal pokemon. Some even have the power to converse with humans.?

?Really?? Michael wondered. ?That?s really cool.?

?It is.? The professor agreed.

?Do you have a Celebi?? Michael asked.

?Of course not.? The professor laughed. ?Legendary?s are almost impossible to capture. Besides, Celebi is just a myth.?

?What do you mean?? Michael wondered.

Double Post due to the character limit. So yeah, here's the rest of chapter four :O



?There are some legendary?s that we have proof exist. Like the trio of legendary bird?s or the genetic pokemon, Mewtwo. But, there are some, such as Celebi, who are only fables. I took this particular picture in Hoenn. A few of my colleagues and I were on a archeological dig in one of its desert caves and I found this wall. We took pieces of rock from the small structure and sent them to a lab in Mossdeep City for observation. The scientists there found out that the wall was hundreds, if not thousands of years old.?

?That?s a pretty amazing discovery.? Michael commented.

?It was shocking, to say the least.? The professor smiled.

?I bet.?Michael agreed, turning his attention back to the photo album.

?Oh.? The professor remembered. ?Do you want to know what Nurse Joy and Leah thought of what I told them??

?Sure.? Michael sighed.

?Well, Nurse Joy still thinks your insane.? The professor laughed. ?But, Leah took in every word I told them. That really surprised me. She has been part of some of my experiments but, I doubted she would believe this.?

?Great.? Michael groaned. ?What am I going to do??

?It?s not so bad, Nurse Joy thinks everyone outside this town is a little strange.? The professor smiled.

?Not that. What am I going to do about my whole situation?? Michael asked.

?That, is up to you.? The professor replied.

?You?re going to help me get back home right?? Michael wondered.

?I don?t see how I can.? The professor said. ?Unless I go outside and stick a metal pole in the ground and hope for a lightning storm.?

?We couldn?t do that?? Michael asked.

?I wasn?t serious.? The professor laughed. ?Besides, were in the months of drought now. Rain doesn?t come around here for a very long time.?

?Why?? Michael asked.

?Because the southern winds that blow north across this land has carried all of the clouds to the other three regions.? The professor explained.

?So there is no chance of rain or lightning?? Michael sighed.

?Unless there is a complete reversal of the winds, there?s no chance.? The professor sighed.

?Great.? Michael said, closing the picture book and placing it back on the tray. ?Just great.?


?Don?t be so down.? The professor smiled. ?There is plenty of stuff to do around here.?

?Like what?!? Michael spat.

?Don?t be angry with me!? The professor said. ?I?ve only tried to help you.?

?I?m sorry.? Michael stated. ?I?m just a little overwhelmed. This isn?t the easiest thing to just shrug off.?

?I?m sure it?s not.? The professor said. ?But there is no use in getting upset. How is that going to help??

?It won?t.? Michael sighed. ?I?m just at a loss.?

?I know.? The professor said. ?I bet you would feel better if you got some fresh air though. Plus, I wanted to check out that circle again. See if I missed anything.?

?Sounds good.? Michael smiled. ?I?m getting sick of this room.?

?To tell you the truth, I am too.? The professor laughed.

With that, Michael got off the bed and walked towards the door, the professor close behind. It still hurt to move around, but the pain had lessened. Michael guessed it was from the food. That was good eating. For some reason, the teen?s mind shifted from devouring another plate of the food, to the thought of spending month?s in this world. What would be happening back in his world? Would people look for him? Would his parents?

?Like they would even care.? Michael muttered, reaching for the door handle. The teen turned the handle and swung the door open. ?Finally, a color other than white.?

The color was the first thing he noticed. From the large square tiles of the floor, to the four walls, everything was painted a shocking orange. The room was about the size of his school office, not to big, not to small. All in all it was pretty plain. It still had the sterile smell of the previous room, as well as its uncanny cleanliness. Dirt was frowned upon in this place. And if some was possibly able to get through the large door on the far wall, well, let?s just say it would be destroyed in a holocaust of soap and scrubbing. The entire room shined and sparkled, amplifying the color the orange even more. Michael hated clean. He wasn?t a slob or anything. But, this was to much. Creepy almost.

?How are you feeling?? A voice asked. Michael turned to his right to see Leah and Nurse Joy sitting at a small brown table. A glass of liquid and what looked to be playing cards littered the surface. Looking out of place in such a haven of organization.

?I?m fine.? Michael smiled. ?Thank you for the food, it was delicious.?

?Your welcome, I?m glad you enjoyed it.? The nurse smiled.

?We were thinking of going for a little walk.? The professor peeped in. ?Do we have the Nurse?s permission??

?As long as Michael is feeling up to it, I have no problem with it.? The nurse smiled.

?I?m alright.? Michael said.

?Go ahead then.? The nurse nodded.

?Would you like to come Leah?? The professor asked.

?Sure.? Leah said, rising from her small chair. ?I need something to do.? Michael felt as if he would collapse in shock. Her voice literally made him weak at the knees. So pure and beautiful, it flowed through the room like a rushing stream.

?Let?s do it then.? The professor smiled, walking to the door.

?Alright.? Michael said. ?Thanks and I?ll see you later Nurse Joy.?

The nurse only smiled in response, her white teeth shining like the room around her. Turning towards the door, Michael followed the professor, his mind aching in anticipation. What would he find outside these walls? It was so exciting. The professor reached the door quickly, and with a flick of her wrist, the door slowly opened. Bright sunlight streamed through the rectangular doorway, making Michael shield his eyes in defense.


?Welcome to Lasford Town.? The professor smiled. Returning the grin, the young teen stepped, blinking, into the blazing inferno of light.

Exceeeeeellent chapter again! Aw cute between Leah and Michael, although I have a premonition of the worst later on. o.o; The way you described oran berry rolls, I want to taste on sooo badly right now. x.X; Excellent details as always, although the one thing that botehred me were dialogues for some reason. I guess the whole format of, Dialogue Dialogue Dialogue BIG PARAGRAPH(S) Dialogue Dialogue Dialofe...etc etc amazed me.

:p But of course, it's nothign serious. Excellent Bew! ^_~ *hugs*

<3 Lilky <3 Lilky <3 <3 Thanks again Lilkster, it means alot ^o^




Chapter 5: Life Beyond Four Walls




The glare of the sunlight crippled Michael, making it almost impossible to see. After a moment of blinking though, he was able too gaze upon the outside. Freshly cut grass made up the ground for the tiny town. Not a single patch of dirt was present here. Four houses made up the small village. All of them painted the same dull brown hue. All of them shingled with the same bright scarlet shingles. One of the houses was far larger than the rest, and seemed to have a long metallic object sticking through the roof. Birds were chirping. Wind was blowing. And the sun, it was in its prime. Glowing a deep white, making the objects below it shine with all their might. As Michael took another step forward, he noticed that there were woods surrounding the entire town. The mini forest formed a perfect ring around the village, as if protecting it from an outside force. Flowers shot out of the ground every now and then, making the village shine with even more fantastic color. Michael sniffed the wind as it drifted past, the aroma of flowers embedded deep in its transparency. The smell was enough to make him faint. Sweet and delicate, much like his neighbor?s garden.

?What do you think?? The professor asked.

?It?s beautiful.? Michael replied. A loud caw filled the air as a small flock of birds passed overhead. The teen raised his head to watch them. The blue and white birds were flying without the hassle of flapping, taking advantage of their light weight and the blowing wind.

?I?m really gonna miss it.? Leah sighed.

?Are you going somewhere?? Michael inquired.

?Leah is starting her pokemon journey the day after tomorrow.? The professor smiled.

?Really?? Michael asked. ?Aren?t you a little young??

?You think I?m to young?? Leah snapped.

?No, I didn?t mean it like that. I didn?t know you could travel by yourself.? Michael whimpered.


?Most people start their journey?s at age ten.? The professor commented. ?Leah is actually very old to be starting one.?

?Ten? How do they take care of themselves?? Michael inquired.

?Most people travel with a friend, plus, every person who starts, gets a beginner pokemon for a partner.? The professor explained.

?Okay.? Michael smiled. ?Leah, are you going to be a pokemon trainer.?

?No.? Leah replied. ?I want to be a pokemon breeder.?

?What?s that?? Michael wondered.

?It?s someone who raises pokemon to be strong and healthy.? Leah smiled. ?My parents are master breeders. They even have a pokemon day care, right here in town.?

?Wow.? Michael said. ?They must be proud that you decided to take after them.?

?I?m not exactly taking after them but, they are proud.? Leah said.

?Gotcha.? Michael smiled. Gotcha? What was he thinking? You don?t say gotcha to girls. What was wrong with him? Michael verbally beat himself silently, hoping that Leah wouldn?t see him as some sort of loser. If she hadn?t already.

?Shall we?? The professor inquired.

?Sure.? Leah said, turning and walking towards a house to the left.

?Where are we going?? Michael asked, picking up his feet as well.

?To the Burke?s breeding center.? The professor smiled. ?That?s where you were found.?

?Right.? Michael remembered.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, each of their thoughts on different things. They arrived at Leah?s house quickly enough. It looked like a plain regular house. The only thing that was different from the other?s was the large brown fence that stuck out from the side?s of the house. The fence went a considerable distance sideways before slowly turning into a ?U? shape and jutting into the woods.

?I remember this.? Michael commented, his mind flashing back to the memory transfer.

?That?s good?? Leah wondered, walking over and opening a small gate that was nestled where the fence touched the house.

?I guess so.? Michael sighed.

?Come on in.? Leah smiled, swinging the gate open. Smiling, the professor walked through, with Michael close behind. Leah shut the gate somewhat hard and proceeded to walk past the side wall of the house and into its backyard. But, as Michael rounded the corner of the structure he saw that it was not just any backyard. It was an enormous field. Freshly cut grass, just like that of the town made up this immense space. The area was completely flat, allowing him to easily see hundreds of yards ahead of him. The woods that surrounded the town, gave this place no mercy either. Thick walls of foliage lined the sides of the rectangular shaped plain. As Michael followed the line of trees and bush with his eyes, he caught sight of a great many shapes moving in the distance.

?Well, this is it.? Leah sighed.

?Did there use to be woods here to?? Michael wondered.

?Yep.? The professor replied. ?The entire town was just acres of forest until we took it all out. We left the small ring around the outside as a show of respect for clearing out all the plant life.?

?That?s noble of you guy?s.? Michael smiled.

Rolling her eyes, Leah started walking towards the shapes in the distance. The professor followed, leaving Michael behind. ?Isn?t she pleasant?? Michael muttered, resuming his role as a follower. As Leah and the professor talked amongst themselves, Michael amused himself by watching the pokemon that were now passing by the trio of humans. A pack of small grey dogs skipped past the group, yipping and barking, the canines looked to be playing a game of tag. Bringing up the rear of the pack was a larger dog. Thick black fur trailed behind the creature, occasionally drifting to the left in the slight breeze. It was obviously the leader. It walked with a swagger that could have been mistaken for an injury. The dog threw its pointed snout from side to side in an display of sheer supremacy; letting the surrounding creature?s know that it was a force to be reckoned with. The canine cast a shining yellow eye in the direction of the walking group, a low growl escaping its thick black lips.

?Hi Mightyena.? The professor waved. The grey dog nodded curtly and continued forward, its eyes now focused on the yapping pups. Many shadows skimmed across the ground, drawing Michael?s eyes from the grass and to the sky. Many bird pokemon flew overhead, their feather?s gleaming in the afternoon sun. All in all, this was a pretty nice place. Everything was so fresh and pure. Like a state park or something.

?There it is.? Leah pointed. The teen?s hand was cast in the direction of a small circle of dirt that was situated a couple yards away. The oval of mud looked out of place in the sea of grass. An oddball. A tear in green perfection.

?Great.? Michael muttered. The mud circle was cracked and dry. Anyone who looked at this oval would have thought nothing of it. It was hard to believe that this small circle had transported him through space and time. It was just a circle. Michael decided not to think any more about it. Doing so brought on a headache.

?What is it that you wanted to see?? Leah asked.

?Nothing really.? The professor replied. ?Just wanted to make sure I didn?t miss anything.?

?Looks like you didn?t.? Leah sighed. The girl turned to watch some pokemon playing a couple yards away, a loud sigh escaping her rosy lips.

?There?s never any harm in being thorough.? The professor sang, her dark eyes tracing the outline of the oval. Michael took a step closer to the circle, arms held closely to his side. The young teen was ready to jump back at any moment. Even though the circle was dormant, Michael had the fleeting suspicion that it would suck him in again.

?I don?t think you missed anything.? Michael sighed, running his shoe over the edge of the oval. As his foot passed over the circle, a small clump of dirt was picked up. Michael looked down to see what had stopped his movement, and squinted. A small thread was lying on top of the mound of kicked up dirt. Curious, Michael bent over and lowered his head. It wasn?t a thread at all. It looked to be some sort of hair. The small line looked to be as long as his middle finger. As cautiously as he could, the young teen reached down and picked up the bristle. It was bright white in color and changed to a startling emerald shade near the end. The hair was thicker than Michael?s. Almost like three of his combined to make one larger hair.

?Professor?? Michael said.

?Yes?? The professor inquired.

?Look at this.? Michael said, extending his arm. Squinting, the professor raised her hand in a feeble attempt to shield her eyes from the blazing sunlight.

?Oh.? She said, plucking the small hair from Michael?s outstretched hand. The professor turned the hair over, a look of bewilderment etched into her wrinkled face. After what seemed like minutes, the woman spoke. ?Leah, are there any pokemon here with hair like this??

?Let me see.? Leah smiled, taking the small hair from the professor. After a moment, the young teen girl said, ?We have a Ninetales here with hair that is similar to this but, its fur is a white blond color.?

?There aren?t any other?s?? The professor asked.

?None.? Leah replied.

?Interesting.? The professor smiled, reaching into a side pocket. From the pocket, the professor removed a small glass vile. And removing its small cork, the professor dropped the small hair inside.

?You carry a test tube around with you?? Michael asked.

?Yes.? The professor replied. ?Why??

?Just wondering.? Michael smiled.


?Right.? The professor sighed. ?Shall we go back to the lab? I?d like to see what this hair came from.?

?Why does it matter?? Michael inquired.

?It?s mostly curiosity.? The professor said. ?Plus, I?m bored.?

?By all means then.? Michael smiled.

With that, the trio walked back towards the exit. Michael really didn?t see the significance of a single hair but whatever they wanted to do was fine. He really didn?t care; just as long as he didn?t have to visit the four walls of white again. As the three humans continued to walk, Michael began to hear sounds from the woods. Like someone stepping through leaves. The young teen shoved this out of his mind for now. It was probably just a pokemon. But, just as he preformed this mental action, he heard the sound again. The teen swung his blond head around in time to see a large bush twitching. ?Wonder what that is.? Michael muttered. Instead of walking forward with the other two, Michael veered right, towards the wood and the shaking bush. The trees we?re to thick to make out anything beyond a few feet. As Michael neared, the large bush began to shake harder.

?Guys.? Michael called, taking another step towards the clump of foliage. ?I think there?s something ov.?

But Michael was unable to pronounce the last few syllables. Because at that exact moment, a large violet tail rocketed out from the side of the bush. The gleaming protrusion swung around and slammed into the young teen?s knees, causing him to yelp and fall sideways. The wind left Michael as he hit the grass, expelling from his lung?s like a vacuum in reverse. In an instinctive reflex, Michael raised his arms, trying to shield himself.. The thick limb simply hung in the air before suddenly shooting back inside the bush.


?Michael?? The professor called. She turned around to see the teen lying on the ground and staring in the direction of the woods. ?Michael?? She repeated. The young teen didn?t respond, he just started to inch backwards as the top of a nearby bush began to shake.


Michael wasn?t really sure of what was going on. Something had caught him around the knees, and tripped him. Just then, the top of the dark green bush began to tremble. As the teen watched, a large shape broke through the middle of the bush. ?Oh my god.? Michael whispered. He was petrified. He was immobile. This was his worst fear brought to life. This was impossible.

Black eyes glittered from behind a raised brow. They were abyss?s of blackness. Hole?s of nothing. The serpent slithered forward, sunlight reflecting off its violet scales. The creature had to be as tall as Michael, if not larger. The end of its tail slapped the grass relentlessly, causing the ground to shake with a small tremor each time. Michael traced the tail to its origin, which was the creature?s mid section. The serpent?s head rested upon a broad hood, that reminded Michael of a cobra. Many different color?s were painted onto the creature?s chest. Twisting and shining, the color?s came together to form a screaming face. A forked tongue flicked out of a pointed snout. It smelled the air and returned inside the creature?s skull.

?Charbok.? The serpent grinned, slithering closer. Saliva dripped from the creature?s long white fangs. The creature opened its mouth to reveal even more sharp, pointed teeth. ?Char.?

?Michael!? A voice cried. This voice belonged to the professor, who was now frantically running to where Michael was lying. The immense serpent glared at the professor and then downwards at Michael. With a snort, the beast shot forward, its lifeless eyes locking onto a different target.

Michael rolled to his left as the creature?s tail swung past; right where his head had been moments before. The serpent streaked across the ground, becoming nothing more than a violet blur. The professor didn?t even glance at the beast as it blitzed by, her eyes focused only on Michael. The young teen couldn?t even think. His mind was blank. Sweat poured from his forehead. Adrenaline steadily flowed through the teen?s veins like a train speeding down its tracks. The professor slid to her knees and grabbed the shocked teen by the shoulder?s.

?Are you okay!?? The professor cried.

But Michael couldn?t respond. Maybe it was because the commands from his brain couldn?t reach his twitching jaw. Or maybe because his eyes were to busy following the great serpent. The violet snake was speeding away from the two humans as fast as its coiled muscles could contract. This would have relieved Michael if Leah hadn?t been standing in the serpent?s path. With a hiss that echoed across the plain, the great beast lunged.

<3 you too Bew. ^_^!

Anywayz...

Beau` said:

?Gotcha.? Michael smiled. Gotcha? What was he thinking? You don?t say gotcha to girls. What was wrong with him? Michael verbally beat himself silently, hoping that Leah wouldn?t see him as some sort of loser. If she hadn?t already.

Click to expand...

Lol on that line. Aw tis obvious there's love going on around here. Anyway, a cliffhanger! x.X I know I read this chapter, but my brain is dead and can't remember anything that happened past the limit of a few weeks let alone yesterday's dinner.

Anyway, it's curious to see what kind of hair that was, and what'll happen to Leah now that she is being attacked by a rabid purple cobra. o_O;

Your details mainly in the paragraph explaining the obvious were tedious in my eyes. Or that may be just me, I find a lot of things tedious. Of course, yeah you did explain quite a lot though.

Otherwise, as always, it's a great chapter, but I want the next chapter even more. >:3 I wantitIwantitIwantitIwantit.

*dies of anticipation*


~LP

*does the FF of the Week dance*

Congrats! Welcome to the realm of the fanfiction of the week!

Well... I'm sorry for not reviewing this sooner, and congrats on being FF of the Weekified *dances with Niko... then forgets how the dance goes and sits back down*

Anyways... I think the same points apply to my above reviews really. Great description (if a tad sketchy on the emotive language of colour). Compelling plot... as always ^_^. Nice length... yadda yadda yadda.

But... my critiques still apply. The word "teen" still pops up too frequently, it's not the only word to describe a teenager - there's another one! ^_^ Also, there does seem to be a load of dialogue. You are cutting it down with the later chapters, but it still seems a bit too much. Ooh - and before you write the next chapter, PLEASE describe the Venonat more... nearly no one got it at SPPf, and you had to tell them it was a Venonat, which isn't the best thing to do...

Anyways: Congrats again, and keep up the good work. ^_^

It's been a week...right? *counts* Yep, Oct 3. to Oct. 10. XD If I'm mistaken oni, smack me and tell me ASAP. >>;

Chapter 6: The Savior




Leah was in the exact same state as Michael. Her limbs wouldn?t respond to the commands that were being screamed by her brain. All that mattered was situated in the serpent?s open mouth. The only coherent thought that she could pull together was the urge to defend herself. So she preformed that action to the best of her ability, she screamed. Suddenly, a brown figure collided with the side of the lunging serpent. The force of the blow sent the beast spiraling sideways, through the air and into the ground. The violet horror struck the ground with a sickening slam; twisting and tumbling, the snake skidded across the ground, drawing a long line of dirt behind it. The tall figure that struck the beast flipped backwards and stood in front of the now silent young girl.

?TRY!? The figure roared. Even though Michael was at a complete loss of thought, he could not help but recognize this as the strangest thing he had ever seen. The being that stood in front of Leah was like something out of a fairy tale. The entire figure looked to be constructed of wood. Knobby and uneven, just like that of a wooden doll. Long bristles of hair covered the creature?s face; the hair continued to flow down the creature?s back where it formed a magnificent cape of white. The rest of the figure?s body was colored the same dull brown of the surrounding tree?s. Malicious yellow eyes glared at the now roaring serpent. The figure crouched into a fighting stance and raised its broad leaves of hands in an obvious dare.

?LEAH!? A voice cried. Michael swung his sweat soaked head around to see a person running towards the frightened teen, its long brown hair billowing out behind it.

?Dad!? Leah replied, running towards the male figure. The great serpent hissed at the two humans, a small bit of green liquid trickling from its pointed snout. This drew another roar from the brown creature, who stepped sideways, obstructing the view of the violet snake. The running man grabbed Leah in a tight embrace, both of their heads resting on the other?s shoulder.

?Michael!? The professor screamed. Her cry snapped Michael out of the trance he was in. ?Are you okay!??

?I wwhat I laa.? Michael sputtered. The young teen?s jaw was twitching to furiously to get an actual word out. So he just sat on the ground, watching the two creature?s stare each other down. Satisfied that Michael was not in any immediate danger, the black eyed woman stood up.

The man who was holding Leah broke away and started walking towards the two snarling pokemon. Suddenly, the violet snake lunged at the brown creature, its white fangs gleaming. Before the grass type could react, the great serpent clamped its pointed mouth shut on the pokemon. The result was a scream of agony from the brown shaded creature. The scaled beast violently shook the grass type from side to side, dagger like fangs digging deeper all the while. With another sharp hiss, the violet horror jerked its head upward, sending the grass type high into the air. The yellow eyed wonder flipped through the sky, its arms flailing wildly.

?Faint Attack!? The man commanded. Just as the grass type reached the height of its ascent, it vanished. The hooded snake gaped in bewilderment, its eyes crazily searching the sky. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the white haired creature re-appeared behind the serpent. Grinning insanely, the grass type raised its broad right hand and brutally struck the violet pokemon at the base of its hood. The giant snake?s head slammed into the ground beneath it, a low moan of pain escaping its scaled mouth on impact. Eyes narrowing, the serpent swung its segmented tail around and slammed it into the chest of the grass type. A low poof issued from the pokemon?s mouth as it was thrown backwards.

?Let?s go Grovyle!? The professor barked, throwing a red and white sphere. The ball opened in an explosion of sparkling glory, the flash almost blinding the stunned Michael. Grovyle took shape in front of the professor, its pointed nose sniffing the air. The emerald pokemon caught sight of the grinning serpent and swung its head towards the professor.

?Quick attack!? The professor cried. A cloud of dirt was thrust into Michael?s face as the small grass type sprang forward. The smiling serpent snickered at the rapidly approaching form of Grovyle, openly signaling that the small green pokemon was no threat whatsoever. But the violet serpent was sorely mistaken. Grovyle streaked across the grass, a white aura of light trailing behind it. The leaved pokemon leapt through the air and planted a solid right kick across the serpent?s face.

?BOK!? The snake screamed. The violet horror sailed sideways and struck the ground with a deafening crunch. The professor started running towards the panting form of Grovyle, a wide grin planted across her slender face.

The brown shaded pokemon had recovered from the serpent?s blow, and was now sprinting towards the fallen snake, one leafy hand clutching its right shoulder.

?Are you okay Shiftry?? The man called.

?Shif.? The creature nodded.

?Shiftry?? Michael gasped. What the hell was a Shiftry? Could it be a pokemon?

?GROV!? A voice cried. Michael turned his head to see the small grass type pinned to the ground by the immense serpent?s tail. With a loud roar of triumph, the snake exhaled a wave of neon green liquid into the struggling grass type?s face. The slime washed over Grovyle, causing it to shriek in agony.

?Shif!? The coffee colored pokemon cried. The immense serpent swung its hooded face around to have a brown wooden heel slammed into the lined jaw of its unholy mouth. Once again, the violet horror flew backwards, Shiftry landing where it previously stood. Grovyle jumped to its feet and continued to scream, trying in vain to clear the thick slime from its pointed face.

?Shadow Ball!? Leah?s father called, running as fast as he could towards the shrieking pokemon. The Shiftry removed its hand from its wounded shoulder and proceeded to bring both leaved protrusions together. Mouth bared in a furious rage, the pokemon drew back its right hand. A ball of fantastic midnight energy formed in the grass type?s outstretched leaves. The sphere of darkened light molded itself into a perfectly round ball of psychotic sparking energy. With a loud grunt, the Shiftry hurled the ball at the now risen snake. The orb flew through the air, and struck the violet horror before it could gasp. The result was a flash of black light that raced through the woods and into the small village. Michael was forced to shut his emerald eyes in fright as the light blew past him, the blackness invading his skull. The light receded as quickly as it had raced forward; the white of the sun forcing it back into nothingness.

After a long while of uncertainty, Michael opened his eyes. The professor was cradling Grovyle in her arms, rocking it back and forth softly like a baby. Leah and her father were talking to Shiftry, who was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.

?Christ.? Michael whispered.

The violet horror was laying in a heap twenty yards from the humans. Smoke was rising from the creature?s twisted body, casting an almighty stench into the air. This lightened the weight on Michael?s shoulders. The serpent was a considerable distance away, and looked to be out of action, so Michael stood up, or tried to. His legs wouldn?t support his weight. Michael covered his eyes and started to rock back and forth, trying as hard as he could to force the image of the snake out of his head. Tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. He wiped them away quickly, embarrassed to no end. For the first time in his life, Michael wished he could curl into a ball and disappear.

?Michael?? A voice whispered. Michael removed his hands to see the professor standing above him, Grovyle now absent from her thin arms. ?Are you okay??

?I am.? Michael snorted. ?I just, I need a minute.?

?What is it?? The professor asked, sinking to the wind swept grass.

?I hate snakes.? Michael whimpered. ?I really hate snakes.?

?Why?? The professor wondered.

A deep rumble shook the inside of Michael?s stomach. He avoided thinking about this whenever possible. He was always the oddball with his friends. They liked reptiles and other scaly things, just like any other sixteen year old would. But not Michael.

?Can you help me up?? Michael asked.

?Sure.? The professor smiled. The thin woman grabbed Michael?s callused hands and pulled, brining the boy back to his feet. Michael stood awkwardly, the slight breeze enough to blow his hollow frame back to the ground.

?Michael.? The professor said. ?What happened??

?What?? Michael inquired.

?When the Arbok looked at you.? The professor explained. ?Why did you freeze up??

Michael couldn?t bring himself to utter a word. The young teen breathed, desperately trying to fill his lungs with clear oxygen. This proved to do the exact opposite from what he was hoping. With a groan, Michael wobbly staggered to the edge of the woods and threw up. Thick pink liquid sloshed to the forest floor, showering the small shrubs with a different kind of rain. Michael wiped away the remaining vomit with his shirt sleeve and turned back around. The professor was staring at him with a strange expression, a cross between pity and disgust.

?Sorry.? Michael muttered.

?Its alright.? The professor sighed.

?I was ten.? Michael said.

?What do you mean?? The professor wondered, walking over to the shaking teen.

?I was ten when I was bitten.? Michael explained.

?What were you bit by?? The professor inquired.

?I was in the woods near my house and I was playing in a big pile of leaves when I saw something in the grass. It was a rattle snake. Stupidly, I picked it up, and it bit me. It was poisonous. I got scared and started running back home but the venom it had bit me with started taking effect. I fainted at the edge of the woods. My mother?s friend happened to be walking by and saw me. She brought me to the hospital and they were able to give me an antidote before the venom reached my brain. I almost died.? Michael said. The young teen wearily took another breath, doubting that the professor understood his shaky incoherent response.

?I?m not familiar with rattly snakes but I?m sorry.? The professor smiled.

?Its rattle snake.? Michael sniggered.

?Whatever.? The professor sighed. ?Are you okay??

?I guess so.? Michael groaned. ?Can we walk around or something??

?Sure.? The professor replied. The two started back towards the entrance when a male voice broke through the air. ?Jessica!? The professor turned to see Leah, Shiftry, and Leah father walking towards them.


The brown pokemon was walking with the humans as if it was one of them, a leafy hand still clutching its shoulder. It amazed Michael that this creature could walk with the other humans, like it was a regular occurrence. Why was he even thinking about this? He was going to have to get used to it. This was his world, at least for the time being anyway.

?You two okay?? The man smiled. As the person neared, Michael was able to pick out some features of the man that claimed to be Leah?s father. Creamy brown hair was shaggily thrown across the man?s shoulders, giving him the slight appearance of a rock star. His face was tanned, probably from spending time outside. The man was dressed in a one piece scarlet jumpsuit, like one of those prison workers you see on the side of the road. The entire suit was crusted with dry mud and dirt, confirming Michael?s hypothesis. Everything about this man?s face was pleasant. From his slightly slanted eyes, to his crooked nose.

?Were fine.? The professor smiled.

?The little guy had me worried for a second.? The man laughed.

Michael frowned at this statement. He was at least a foot taller than this man. Who was he calling ?little guy??

?He?s fine.? The professor said, putting her arm around Michael. ?Just spooked him a little bit.?

?Got it. The name?s Doug.? Leah?s father said, extending a hand. The man had a spectacular grip, and almost crushed Michael?s hand in the physical greeting.

?I?m Michael.? The teen replied.

?So, the mystery has a name.? Doug grinned.

?That?s right.? Michael shrugged.

?You gave us quite a shock the other night, coming out of nowhere like that. You?re lucky that Swampert happened to be checking on the baby Stantler.? Doug nodded.


?I guess I am.? Michael sighed. This was very awkward situation for the young teen. Everyone was staring at him like he was carrying some sort of virus. ?Where is an energy pool when you need one?? Michael thought bitterly.

?Speaking of the other night, were all, I mean, I?m eager to hear as to how you arrived in our field.? Doug winked.

This is what Michael had been dreading. He hadn?t even thought about what he was supposed to say if someone asked. Michael racked his mind, trying to find an excuse besides ?I was transported here from a different world.? But much to his surprise and relief, Jessica answered.

?He?s from Hoenn.? The professor explained.

?Really?? Doug smiled. ?What part??

?Far away.? Michael said.

?I know that.? Doug laughed. ?What city??

?Oh, I?m from, I...? Michael stammered.

?Michael?s from Fortree City.? The professor interjected.

?You?re pretty far from home young man. What brought you to Lasford Town of all places?? Doug asked.

Again, Michael couldn?t think of a reasonable response. Part of him wished that the professor or Leah would answer for him. But from the shifting of their feet and their blank stares, he had the fleeting suspicion that they would not. But for the first time in his life, his wishes were heard.

?Michael wants to be a pokemon trainer.? Leah winked.

?That?s great, but it still doesn?t answer my question.? Doug smiled.

?Right.? The professor laughed. ?Michael wanted to try something different. He wanted to prove that he could make it anywhere. Not just in Hoenn, that?s what he told me anyway.?


?That?s pretty admirable.? Doug nodded. ?So I assume you came to Lasford for your starter pokemon??

?That?s right.? Michael said.

?And you ended up in our field how?? Doug inquired.

?I have the tendency to sleepwalk every now and then.? Michael explained.

?Sleepwalk.? Doug said, raising an eyebrow. ?I can understand that, I have the same problem as well.?

?Don?t you hate it?? Michael smiled.

?I sure do.? Doug laughed. ?When are you off.?

?What do you mean?? Michael wondered.

?When are you starting your journey?? Doug smiled.

?Soon.? Michael shrugged.

With those words, Michael sealed his fate, he had put the last nail into his coffin. What was he thinking? Michael wanted to smack himself. He was digging a hole that he wouldn?t be able to climb back out of.

?Why don?t you travel with Leah?? Doug smiled.


?I don?t think that?s a good idea Dad.? Leah peeped in.

?Why is that?? Doug asked.

?No real reason, I just think that Michael would want to travel by himself.? Leah explained.

?Nonsense. I?m sure Michael would enjoy the company and I would feel better knowing that you?re not traveling alone.? Doug nodded.

?I don?t know.? Leah stammered.

?How about we hammer out the details later? Say, over dinner?? The professor suggested.

?Sounds like a plan. Is seven a clock okay?? Doug inquired.

?That would be fine.? The professor smiled. ?I trust that you?ll see the Arbok off??

?I will.? Doug nodded. ?I?ll send it to the Safari Zone over in Kanto. I think it will be better off with some of its own kind.?

?Alright then.? The professor said. ?I?ll expect you around seven.?

?We?ll be there.? Doug smiled. ?It was nice meeting you Michael.?

?Same here.? Michael replied.

With a half grin and a nod, the brown eyed man and his Shiftry turned away and started towards the fallen serpent. As if a silent signal was given, all three humans remained silent until Leah?s father was out of earshot.

?What the hell?? Michael sighed, angrily placing his hands on his thin hips. He did this without thinking. For this was the same thing his mother did when she was ticked off at the world for some reason or another.

?You weren?t saying anything.? Leah spat. ?Someone had to say something.?

?I guess you?re right but now your Dad think that I?m going traveling with you.? Michael said.

?I was just trying to help.? Leah glared.

?Let?s not fight.? The professor sighed. ?What?s done is done.?

?Why did you say I was from Hooen?? Michael asked.

?Its Hoenn.? The professor replied. ?And Fortree city is the farthest town from here.?

?That?s good at least.? Michael smiled.

?Can we go back to the lab now? I?m getting a headache.? Leah complained.

?Sure.? The professor sighed.

The three started walking to the exit, Michael shooting dirty looks at Leah every few steps. Michael felt dirty. As if he had spent a day working outside. The shaking had stopped though, that was good.

?What?s Doug going to do with the dead snake?? Michael asked.

?Its not dead, it was just knocked out. And to answer your question he?ll capture it and send it to a special park for pokemon.? The professor replied.

?Oh.? Michael said.

What was he going to do? How could his life change so drastically in such a short amount of time? This was to much for one day, way to much. He had been sent to another world, convinced someone he was insane, realized that he had been sent to another world, and had a near death experience with a giant snake. Not exactly a near death experience, more like a panic attack but Michael was sure if that Shiftry thing hadn?t been there, it would have come back for him.

?Your Dad?s pokemon was pretty cool.? Michael commented as they walked through the entrance to the field.

?Thanks.? Leah replied. ?They?ve been together for a long time.?

?What was that thing it did with its hands? Michael inquired. ?That giant snake was blown away.?

?It?s a move called Shadow Ball.? Leah smiled. ?Its Shiftry?s most powerful attack.?

?Can every pokemon do that?? Michael wondered.

?Only some can.? The professor squeaked. ?As I said before, types determine what moves a pokemon can learn.?

?I got a league championship video you can watch if you?d like.? Leah suggested. ?Its got some pretty impressive stuff on it.?

?You have videos?? Michael asked.

?Yes.? Leah nodded.

?Rectangular black cassette videos?? Michael inquired.

?No. We have disc videos.? Leah replied.

?Discs? Like DVD?s?? Michael nodded.

?What?s a DVD?? Leah asked.

?Never mind. Wrong world.? Michael sighed.

All three of them laughed at this statement, forgetting for a moment that they were royally screwed. After promising to return to the lab with the video, Leah turned and started back towards her house, shiny blond ringlets bouncing behind her. Dang she was good looking. Head turning good looking, princess good looking. Had he just thought of Leah as a princess? Why was he thinking like this?

?Michael?? The professor smiled. ?Are we going??

?Yeah.? Michael nodded. ?Lets go.?

They started walking again, eyes focused on the nearing scarlet shingled building.

?How are we going to get out of this?? Michael asked.

?What?s this ?we? I keep hearing.? The professor laughed. ?How are you going to get out of this??

?You?re kidding right?? Michael gaped.

</3 the character limit :O


?Of course I am.? The professor laughed. ?Gosh your gullible.?

Michael released a relieved sigh, swearing under his breath for being so ignorant. One of his emerald eyes caught sight of a small white bird gliding from one tree to the next, its brown wings hardly beating in the rising breeze.

?You know what?s really interesting?? Michael said.

?What?? The professor smiled.

?Our world?s, as horribly different as they are, actually have a lot of stuff in common.? Michael explained.

?Like what?? The professor grinned.

?Houses, trees, humans, grass, and I assume what I?m breathing is oxygen.? Michael smiled.

?That?s right.? The professor laughed. ?Strange isn?t it.?

?Strange has become my new favorite word.? Michael grinned.

?Same here.? The professor agreed.

Finally, after passing through the quite street of Lasford, they arrived at the professor?s lab of a home. The structure looked to be carefully built, as if someone had put their soul into this building. Every painted brown brick was precisely placed, every grain of wood in the immense doorway was soulfully laid. The sparkling abode towered over the two humans, relieving their necks from the brutal assault of the sun.

?Come on in.? The professor smiled, reaching for the door?s brass door handle. The aging woman turned the handle and swung the wooden door open, a loud creak rising from its rusted joints. Why didn?t she lock her door? You didn?t do that where he came from, not for a second. But this wasn?t where he came from. Why was he still relating everything to his world anyway? But, as he stepped through the doorway, his mind jumped from questioning himself to rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.

?Wow.? Michael gasped. If Nurse Joy?s pokemon center was a relic of order and cleanliness, this was the exact polar opposite. Everything, from the polished black marble floor to the brown bulletin boards that made up the walls, everything was a complete and utter mess. Papers of every shape and color littered the floor and the multiple desks that were scattered about the one room. Newspaper articles were hastily pinned to the walls, all stuck to the cork like material by the same sapphire tack. Fantastically immense metal machines lay here and there, their many buttons and knobs glowing in the open window?s light. Michael walked through the doorway and towards the center of the room, eyes focused on the metal monsters of electrical beauty. Everything was so random and messy, completely the opposite of what he was expecting. What looked to be a giant computer monitor was huddled over in a far corner; various figures were racing across its screen in a what appeared to be a screen saver. Various tubes of multi-colored liquid were laying upright on the desk nearest to him. His natural teen instinct was to touch anything he could, so, he went with it, and reached for one of the tubes.

?What do you think?? The professor sang.

?Its nice.? Michael smiled, quickly returning his hand to the sanctuary to his pocket.

?It is.? The professor grinned. ?It?s a little smaller than my previous one but it makes do.?

?Do you live here too?? Michael asked.

?Yeah.? The professor replied. ?My room is right over there.?

Michael followed her finger to a black ladder on the far wall. The wooden stepping object ran vertical up the wall for about ten feet until it ended at the floor of a higher level. Michael couldn?t see over the top but he assumed that there was a messy room up there.

The professor started rummaging around in one of the desk?s drawers, apparently looking for something. Michael wasn?t sure about what he was supposed to do. The teen spied a dark leather armchair on the far wall. Taking a look at the professor, Michael walked across the room and set down, hoping that Leah would get here soon. As if a magical switch was thrown, the front door swung open and Leah walked through, a small orange bag thrown over her shoulder. The teen had changed clothes. She was now wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt.

?Back.? Leah smiled.

As the girl came closer, Michael was able to read the letters that were printed across the teen?s shirt. They read, ?The Mountain.? The professor hardly acknowledged Leah?s presence, and only threw her hand up from behind the desk in a feeble half greeting.

?What does your shirt mean?? Michael inquired.

?It?s a story by this truly amazing author.? Leah smiled.

?Really.? Michael nodded.

?I got the discs.? Leah commented.

?Good.? Michael replied. ?You want to watch them??

?Sure.? Leah nodded.

Leah smiled again and started walking towards the enormous screen in the far corner. Michael sighed and got up, wishing he could stay in the comfortable chair. Leah pulled out two chairs from a nearby desk and placed them in front of the giant screen. An odd assortment of dials and buttons were pasted onto a tiny control panel at the bottom of the glowing appliance. Leah sat down at one of the chair?s and started to fiddle with the tiny knobs. Michael sat down in the other chair as the girl continued to squint and play with the small dials . With a loud yelp of glee and a push of a button from Leah, the screen turned completely black and a small tray sprang out from the top of the plastic machine. The teen reached over her shoulder and proceeded to open the small orange bag.

?What do you want to watch?? Leah asked. ?I got the Johto semi-finals, the Kanto championship battle, and the Sampton finals.?

?Whatever you prefer.? Michael smiled. How was he supposed to pick?

?Kanto Championship it is.? Leah grinned.

From the small bag, Leah withdrew a dark blue disk. It was smaller than any disk Michael had ever seen. Maybe about the size of a quarter or a little bigger. Like one of those futuristic ones you see in the movies. Leah reached towards the small tray with one outstretched hand, but was stopped by a voice from behind.

?Hold on a second Leah.? The professor smiled. ?I have something for Michael.?

?For me?? Michael turned.


?Yeah.? The professor replied. ?I thought it might come in handy while you?re watching the video.? After completing her sentence, the professor removed her right hand from her pocket and held it out. A red rectangular object was nestled in the palm of the professor?s wrinkled hand. Smooth and lined, it reminded Michael of a GameBoy. A single yellow light was flashing on one side of the contraption, its rhythmic blinking almost hypnotic.

?What is it?? Michael wondered.