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Pokemon: Jewel Town Chronicles
Chapter 1: I'm a Pokemon?!
In a world far off from our own, there is a village called Jewel Town. A town where Pokemon speak human language, and live routine lives. Here, time moves so fast that no one notices. Yet, something is coming that will keep the peace from being disrupted. The legend states that there is a special Pokemon that cannot permanently evolve. He will come to this world as an unknown, a mere stranger…and will leave as a hero in the eyes of Jewel Town. -- The beautiful ocean began to be dyed in dark orange and purple colors as a sunrise rose up and shone through, signaling a new day. Many people sleeping around this small world were awakened and greeted by the morning light, and the beginning of a new day. For those traveling, they took the sight as a blessing that they've come this far, and that the light wished them luck on today's journey. Cries that sounded like singing were heard. Those cries came from a pod of Lapras, many Water-type Pokemon with the ability to carry passengers on their back. They looked up and saw many Wingull and Pelipper flying the skies. "It's beautiful," the lead Lapras said. "We'll be going to Jewel Town soon to rest, everyone." "You know, this has been a very smooth trip lately," one of the other Lapras commented. "Um, leader?" Another Lapras inquired. There was something strange on the leader's shell. "Yes," the leader commented. "We haven't been attacked yet," "Leader?" the second Lapras called. "What is it?" "There's an Eevee on your back," the second Lapras bent down to look at an unconscious Eevee with a gold star pendant around its neck. The leader looked behind her, and then, with a concerned look, gave the Eevee a gentle nudge. "…ergh…" a light moan came from the Evolution Pokemon as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he had a migraine the size of a Snorlax on the right side of his head. "Huh?" he fully opened his eyes as he regained awareness and backed away at the sight of the Lapras' head. "Don't panic. We won't hurt you," the lead Lapras reassured. "We?" Eevee looked around and saw the pack of Lapras. "Where am I?" "We're on Sapphire Sea," Lapras replied. "I am Lapras, they call me the leader because I lead this pod. You must be Eevee." "Eevee? Wait a second, you're seeing things. I'm a human, not an Eevee," The Pokemon in question retorted as he went to look at the water's surface. "Those Lapras are crazy," he muttered under his breath. "I'm a human, not an…" He got a look at his reflection. "Eevee!!" he suddenly yelled. He scooted backward, shocked at his change, but rolled off the lead Lapras' back. One of the Lapras following caught him before he fell into the water and placed him back on. -- "And that's that," the Eevee finished. "I don't really remember much except that I was once a human and the memory of that crash." "But you're not hurt," the lead Lapras said. "That's good." "Yeah, that is good, I guess," He looked down at the sea below him. It was daytime now, the sun having finished rising during Eevee's story. Now that Eevee's headache was gone, his attention drifted to the water. Eevee found the water very captivating and mysterious. A sudden urge came over him to jump into the water. He brushed that urge aside and reflected on the current situation, trying to keep his thoughts in time with the wake that was being made from the traveling Transport Pokemon. Mostly, he pondered what he was before this. His mind, as he found out, was mostly a clean slate. Through his memory of the crash he took, he remembered he was once a human. But what was life like for him? Screeching was heard above the skies. All on the sea looked up at the sky. Many Skarmory with eyes glowing deep purple were flying toward the pack. "What are those large birds?" Eevee asked, feeling a battling instinct take over him. "They're Skarmory," the lead Lapras answered. "Steel Bird Pokemon whose entire body is composed of armor. Something's different about them, though. Everyone, get ready to fight. We may not have a choice in the matter." Under unknown orders, the Skarmory's wings glowed white. "Steel Wing!" all cried. The flock charged in and slammed their wings into the Lapras group. Four of them formed Light Green balls of energy once the pack recovered. "Dragon Pulse! Now!" The leader called. All four fired their balls of energy at the Skarmory. Another Steel Wing dissolved two of them, but two members of the flock were hit in the chest and were pushed back. One of them, likely the leader, lunged straight for the lead Lapras, another Steel Wing ready. "Leave her alone!" Eevee yelled out. A streak of white light surged behind Eevee as he ran up the lead Lapras' neck at a fast speed and jumped into the air. "Quick Attack!" A direct hit was placed on the lead Skarmory's chest. Unfortunately, this didn't faze Skarmory and Eevee took a bump to the head as his body vibrated. Steel Wing, however, faded away. "Ice Beam!" the Lead Lapras declared as she charged a blue ball of energy. Light blue lightning bolts came from the blue ball, and froze one of the leader's wings. Both fell into the water, Eevee sliding off Skarmory's chest in a comedic fashion, Skarmory going down from a frozen wing. -- There was Eevee, struggling to swim underwater as a blue light surrounded his body. He had to get back for air, the Lapras were in trouble. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the impacts of missed attacks. He had to get back up and fight, but the need for air came first. Or did it? Surprisingly, he found his body was adapting to the water. It's as if his lungs became gills as long as his body was glowing blue. Soon he was covered in blue light and took on a change. His body became larger and taller, blue ridges ran down his spine, the tan fur collar became white and scaly, his tail grew and changed to resemble a mermaid's tail, and his ears changed to resemble fins. When the light faded, Eevee was now the Bubble Jet Pokemon, Vaporeon. Swimming upward, he emerged in the battlefield, the water becoming rough due to the fight. "Eevee?" One of the Lapras asked. "It's me, but it's…not me," Vaporeon answered, a bit confused on his new form and more adult voice. "Your DNA changed to adapt to the water! You're a Vaporeon now!" Lapras exclaimed. "You can use some excellent water attacks! Like this one!" Lapras inhaled and yelled "Water Gun!" A jet of water was fired from his mouth. Two Skarmory were hit and they ascended after the shower. "I'll try it now. Water Gun!" he yelled as he fired a similar jet of water to one of the Skarmory. It hit and the Armor Bird pulled back. "Wha?" All said as their eyes stopped glowing. Disoriented and confused, all the Skarmory looked around. Weren't they flying North earlier? What are they doing here, southwest many miles from their destination? "They're disoriented because of the loss of their leader," Vaporeon realized. "I'm diving down now to get him." And so he did. -- After the flock flew away, the Lapras and Vaporeon continued to Jewel Town, Vaporeon back on the lead Lapras's back. Jewel Town was coming up ahead, a place where houses and building were created in the likeness of Pokemon. A blue light surrounded Vaporeon, and in a few seconds, de-evolved back to Eevee. The Eevee was again surprised at the change. "Very peculiar," the lead Lapras noted. "Usually, evolution is permanent. You can change back to your basic stage." "So what should I do now?" Eevee asked. "We are approaching a small village called Jewel Town. Ask for Armaldo, he's one of the many wise men in town." The lead Lapras docked at a beach and Eevee got off. "If you need to travel again, call on me," Lapras assured. "Right," Eevee said. "Jewel Town, here I come."
"Pikachu?" No response. "Pikachu." Still nothing. He was getting irritated. "Pi-ka-chu!!" "Huh?" Pikachu snapped out of his daze and looked at Piplup. "What's the matter?" asked Piplup. "Piplup," Pikachu said, then turned away. "It's nothing. Just thinking." Pikachu and Piplup, best friends since who knows when, were just two of the residents in Jewel Town. Ever since they first met, the two have been very close. So close, that one can tell when something's wrong with the other. "About what exactly? The fact we're black Mareep to most Pokemon?" Piplup inquired. "Yeah," the Mouse Pokemon answered as he put a brown bag over his shoulder. "To them, we're outsiders. You're a smart Pokemon who gets picked on. I'm a weirdo who likes different things than other boys. We're ships with no sail and no rudder, but we got each other. That makes me happy." "Yeah," Piplup replied, nostalgia coming back to him. His thoughts came to a stop when he saw Gengar, Skorupi, and Floatzel, three bullies who picked on the two on a regular basis. "They're here!" he yelled. The two backed away, they were notorious for not only being admired, but feared for their toughness. "Hey, Chumps," Gengar said. "W-what do you w-want from us?" Pikachu asked, trying to keep a brave face. "Just to move aside," Gengar answered. "Picking on that Eevee felt so good, we decided to let you off the hook today," Floatzel added. "What?!" Both exclaimed. "It's obvious he's the new guy here," Skorupi explained. "This Eevee with a star pendant, we just got him to go the wrong way! He's in Emerald Forest right now, trying to look for Armaldo. That Eevee's just like you weirdos, you know." All three laughed as they went off. "Come on, Piplup," Pikachu said as he ran forward on all fours. "We're on our way to Emerald Forest, anyway." Piplup soon followed behind. -- "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Eevee yelled. "I can't find him anywhere!" Eevee was sure he had followed Gengar's instructions correctly. He did as he was told: go to Emerald Forest and look for Armaldo. Now, he feels he's lost. He's also getting frustrated as he realizes no one was specific. Pikachu and Piplup eventually found this Eevee. The Penguin Pokemon squinted and saw his pendant. "That's the Eevee Gengar picked on," Piplup confirmed. "All right, we're gonna help Eevee find Armaldo," Pikachu said. "Don't be so trusting, what if Eevee doesn't like us, Pikachu?" Piplup asked. "That's what makes people pick on you," Pikachu retorted. "You're not courageous." He went over to Eevee. 'Oh boy,' Piplup thought as he followed him. Pikachu took out a small brown bag and went over to Eevee. 'There he goes again…' "Hey!" Pikachu called. Eevee looked up and saw the Mouse and Penguin Pokemon coming to him. "You seem to be looking for something." "Someone, actually," Eevee answered. "I heard that an Armaldo here will help me figure out what's happened to me. I asked a Gengar where to go, and I don't see Armaldo, despite following the directions." "Was that Gengar accompanied by a Skorupi and Floatzel?" Piplup asked. "Yes," Eevee nodded. "Yes, he was." "He's a bully; he gave you the wrong directions." "He did?!" "Yep. We'll show you the way, though," Pikachu replied. "My name is Pikachu. This is Piplup, my best friend." "It's n-nice to meet you," Piplup greeted nervously. "Nice to meet you both," Eevee replied. "I'll tell you my story on the way." -- In a tent in a Jewel Town, decorated with many charts and diagrams was an Armaldo taking out a box. Setting the box on the table, he heard the tent flap rattle. "Hey, Armaldo!" Pikachu called as he peeked into the tent. "There's someone here who thinks you can help him out." "Are you Armaldo?" Eevee questioned once he peeked out. "Yes I am. Come on in," Armaldo beckoned. Eevee, Pikachu, and Piplup all entered. Pikachu and Piplup seated themselves on the purple mat. Eevee followed suit upon Pikachu's gesturing to come to them. "Now what seems to be the problem?" Armaldo asked. "Eevee here says he's a human turned Pokemon. Now, we believe him, but his story seems a bit crazy," Piplup explained. "I believe him, but you don't," Pikachu whispered. "Shut up," Piplup whispered angrily. "Okay, from what I remember…" Eevee began. "I was trying to get to someone, trying to race after her. She's obviously very important if she stands out in my mind this much. But something rushed to me before I could get to her. There was a huge crash and everything went black. Next thing you know, I wake up on a Lapras' back as an Eevee that became a Vaporeon and back after a battle with some angry Skarmory." "I see," Armaldo contemplated. He then went over to get a book. Taking it with his appendages, he opened it to a page detailing a tablet showing an Eevee wearing a similar pendant. Seven spheres surround this Eevee and shadows were moving away from it. "This is an old legend about a Pokemon that can evolve temporarily when given the right condition, and then shift back when danger has passed. Its task is to protect Jewel Town when evil rises." He took out a shining blue bead and went to Pikachu. "I want you to hold this." "An Evolution Bead?" Piplup asked. "This is a special bead for Eevee, the Poseidon Bead. If the legend is true, it'll change him to Vaporeon like the ocean did to him earlier." "Yeah, about that time," Eevee interrupted. "The Skarmory had glowing purple eyes." "Pokemon have suddenly become very agitated as of late," Armaldo explained. "Someone is turning them into fighting machines. This may be similar to the legend, as an unknown force had taken control of Pokemon once before." He gave the bead to Pikachu, who then put it in his bag. -- "Do you think that legend is true?" Pikachu asked in excitement as he, Piplup, and Eevee relaxed at Opal Lake in Emerald Forest. "A legend is just a legend," Piplup answered nonchalantly. "They don't really come true." While they were talking, Eevee came across two Butterfree flying above him. In a playful mood, he chased after both of them as they flew around one another. This took him to an Ursaring with eyes glowing purple, much angrier than normal. The Butterfree sensed something wrong and stopped. "Something's wrong with this Ursaring," One of the Butterfree noted. 'Those eyes, that reminds me of when I fought the Skarmory,' Eevee thought, backing up slightly. The Butterfree flew off as the bear charged a light sphere of light in her paws. "Focus Blast!!" the Ursaring yelled and shot the ball at Eevee. It spiraled toward him and hit. Eevee remained mostly unfazed and stood back up again. "What's the problem?!" Eevee asked surprised. "This world…fall…" Ursaring charged another Focus Blast. "Not good," Eevee muttered under his breath. "Quick Attack!" Running at a fast speed, Eevee jumped in between Ursaring's arms and hit her chest. The Focus Blast was released and it trailed off to a bush. It exploded, destroying the bush, and causing many Pokemon in the area to scatter. Pikachu and Piplup, who were looking for Eevee when this occurred, went to investigate. Eevee made a 10-point landing in front of Ursaring and charged a black ball of energy in front of his now open mouth. "Shadow Ball!" he yelled and fired the ball at Ursaring. "Take this! ThunderShock!!" Pikachu yelled as he released an electrical wave from his cheeks. "Bubble!" Piplup called out as light blue bubbles came out of his beak. All three attacks hit, pushing the Ursaring back and paralyzing it. "Don't run off on us like that, Eevee!" he scorned. "Sorry," said Eevee, a bit disappointed. "Don't think about that, now," Pikachu said in excitement. All three looked at the Ursaring. "We've got an Ursaring to take care of. Eevee, you attack from behind. We'll attack from the front." Piplup immediately realized something. "That Ursaring will overwhelm us! We won't last a second!" "Isn't that the fun part, though? Standing against a Pokemon bigger and stronger than us, betting our fight on this plan? Don't you find it cool?" "Sorta…" Piplup replied. A blue glow came from Pikachu's bag. "Pikachu, the Poseidon Bead!" Pikachu took out the artifact. "If that crazy legend is true, Eevee will evolve when he touches this bead," Piplup explained. "I don't believe in legends and superstitions, but if this works, I'll take everything back!" Eevee touched the bead with his paw. There was a flash of blue light, and it faded to reveal that Eevee evolved into Vaporeon once again. "Let's go," Vaporeon called as the three dodged a Hammer Arm Ursaring sent at the three. Vaporeon hurried behind Ursaring as she looked around. "The problem with her is that she has no peripheral vision," Piplup realized, seeing the odds go well in their favor. "Bubble!" Piplup again fired bubbles from his beak. Vaporeon jumped up and took aim. "Water Gun!" A jet of water came from his mouth. "And now the final blow!" Pikachu declared as he stored up energy. "ThunderShock!" A blast of electricity was released from his cheeks. 'Wait, that's Thunderbolt!' Pikachu thought as he saw all three attacks hit. 'I finally learned Thunderbolt!!' Ursaring's eyes restored to normal as she fell. -- "So, yeah, that's what happened," Pikachu explained at his house that night with Mother and Father Raichu listening. "I'm happy you made a new friend, Pikachu," Mother Raichu said. "We found a house for Eevee to stay in and everything!" Pikachu continued. "That's excellent, son," Father Raichu said. "Congratulations on learning Thunderbolt, too! I have a friend who can help you perfect that move." "Really?" "He's coming over tomorrow."
Pikachu ran over to a playground, very happy about today. Now that Eevee became their friend, a small circle was formed. Pikachu also found someone else who accepted him for who he is: a boy Pokemon who likes legends and mysteries, things considered "weird" for most. "There they are! Piplup, Eevee!!" Pikachu called. "Good morning, Pikachu," Eevee greeted. Eevee was getting used to being a Pokemon now. He felt like an outcast at first, not knowing what was going on with him and what happened to him before this. Pikachu and Piplup, however, became good friends to him after the Ursaring attack. He now knew he could count on someone to help him when he was in trouble. "Hi, Pikachu!" Piplup greeted. "What are we going to do today?" Piplup felt a bit more confident with Eevee around. Just him being there, reassuring that things will be all right as they battled was enough for him to keep going. Piplup felt like he could take anything on, even those bullies. That is, in a peaceful manner, anyway. "I'm trying to perfect my Thunderbolt attack, guys," Pikachu said. "Electabuzz asked to help me out, so I'm taking up his offer and going back to Emerald Forest. I want you two to come along so I can see how I'm doing." "Thunderbolt?" Eevee asked. "An attack Electric-type Pokemon can use. A strong bolt of Electricity is released from the user and hits the opponent. It has to be released from 'storage' where electricity is gathered. For Pikachu, it's his cheeks." "I see." "As an Eevee, you can evolve into one of seven forms, one of which is Jolteon," "Jolteon? That's an Electric-type, right?" "You guess correctly," Piplup then saw Pikachu going off. "It's looks like he's ready for the lesson. Come on." -- At an open field in Emerald Forest, Electabuzz released a blast of electricity from the antennae on his head. Targets were present in front of him and Pikachu. Piplup and Eevee were to the side, watching this. The blast hit one of the targets, breaking it in two. Piplup applauded at this as Eevee watched in amazement. "You just got to focus on your target, junior," Electabuzz lectured. "Build up electricity, then release, aiming like I did. Can you try that?" "Ok!" Pikachu said. Focusing his electric energy into the cheeks, sparks came out from them. He then released, but the electricity went all over the place. "That's too soon, junior!" Electabuzz yelled. "Stop, stop!" Before Pikachu could stop, one of the bolts hit Piplup. "Piplup!" Eevee yelled out. "Why me?!" he yelled as he was shocked. "I'm at a safe distance!!" The release was eventually stopped. Electabuzz bent down to look at Pikachu in the eyes. "Kid, you gotta have patience," Electabuzz said. "Thunderbolt takes up more Electricity than ThunderShock. You're releasing the electricity too soon. We tried this before. Try it again, but be patient." Pikachu stored up electricity again, but this time, he tried to hold any sparks trying to fly out in. "Thunder…bolt!!" Pikachu yelled and a bolt of lightning came from Pikachu and zapped one of the targets. "That's the way!" Electabuzz complimented. A few more test runs were done, and Pikachu got the hang of Thunderbolt no problem. "Excellent going, Pikachu!" Eevee cheered. "You did it!" Piplup said. -- Back in Jewel Town, playtime proceeds as usual for the three friends. Armaldo was also there with an orb in hand when he saw the three. "Ah, I was looking for you three," Armaldo said as he came over. "Armaldo," all three said. "I'd like you all to do me a favor. A fellow wise man and friend of mine, Noctowl, wants a Switcher Orb for his collection and I just bought one. Now, I have my hands full at the moment shopping and doing other things, so can you deliver this? I'll contact Noctowl and have him give you two new Evolutionary Beads in return." "Of course we'll do it for someone this important," Eevee said. "Where's Noctowl?" "He's in Lazuli Forest, just east of here," Armaldo said, pointing to a slightly dim forest up ahead. "Look for a yellow birdhouse with a red roof. Be careful of Ghost-type Pokemon, though. A few Misdreavus call the place home, and they are known for their mischief." "Okay," Pikachu said as he took the Switcher Orb. "Come on, you two." The three went off and into the forest. What awaited them was a dark and spooky forest. It wasn't nighttime, but it was dark enough to allow nocturnal Pokemon to live there. "This is spooky," Eevee commented. "It's as bright as day out there, but nighttime here." "I guess it's the way this forest was developed," Piplup assumed. "The trees block out the sunlight, making it ideal for Pokemon that like the dark." "The house shouldn't be too hard to find," Pikachu said as they walked on, looking around. "I hope…" "Whee-hee-hee!!" "Oh-ho-ho!" "Glee-hee-hee!" Three Misdreavus flew around the trio, scaring Pikachu and Piplup, but not Eevee. Pikachu got so frightened that he dropped the Switcher Orb. It rolled away from the group into the woods. The Misdreavus flew away to continue their fun. -- In a yellow birdhouse, a Noctowl looked at a photo from a book. The picture again showed the Eevee of legend, but he was going to battle against the shadows that loomed. Alongside the Eevee were three fairy creatures with red ovals on their tails and forehead. This was a new discovery for Noctowl; the Lake guardians played a part in the legend, too. Looking out the window of his birdhouse, he saw Lapis Lake, one of the three lakes present in this world. 'Opal Lake, Uxie's resting place. Lapis Lake, Azelf's resting place. Aquamarine Lake, Mesprit's resting place,' Noctowl thought. 'The Lake guardians helped the Eevee of legend stop the darkness plaguing Jewel Town.' "We're going in there?" Piplup's voice yelled from another part of the forest. "Yeah," said Eevee from another part of the forest. "We need to complete that delivery." Eevee emerged by Noctowl's house and looked around. Lapis Lake was shimmering with a mystical aura once Eevee entered. Pikachu and Piplup soon followed. "Oh ho," Noctowl whispered in a crisp accent that sounded faintly British. "Azelf sensed something. Maybe this Eevee may be the one." He flew out the door in front of the trio. "I say, what brings you kids here?" All three looked up to see Noctowl landing before them. "Are you Noctowl, one of Jewel Town's three wise men?" Piplup asked. "I am," said Noctowl. "We're looking for a Switcher Orb that Pikachu dropped. Eevee saw that it rolled off around here." "Then allow me to help." Noctowl's eyes glowed red and he scanned the area. Eevee heard humming somewhere and looked around. He sensed something at the lake. "Ah, here it is," Noctowl said. "Follow me." Piplup and Pikachu promptly followed the elder, but Eevee stayed behind, a big smile on his face. The lake was amazing in his eyes; the glittering light dancing like Volbeat and Illumise on a warm night. The humming he heard acted as fitting music, performing a symphony of nature's splendor. 'Its things like these that make me happy I'm a Pokemon,' Eevee thought in amazement. 'Whatever comes my way, I can take it. That's how this makes me feel. Too bad Pikachu and Piplup are missing this.' The light formed an illusion of a fairy with two tails and a head similar to an elf's head. It quickly disappeared into the lake soon after. Eevee stared at this, still completely surprised. "Eevee!" Pikachu called. He looked at the three that missed the show, Pikachu with the Orb. "We found the Switcher Orb. Noctowl's inviting us in for the trade." -- "It tends to get very lonely being a recognized figure," Noctowl said. "You have admirers and enemies, but not friends." "People look up to you, yet Armaldo you consider a friend," Piplup said. "I hear it's the same for you, little penguin. You're rather intelligent. That is a blessing, not a curse." "Thanks. I think it came from my Grandpa. But I don't think it's just that." "That may be true," Noctowl went over to two beads, one yellow and one red. He picked them up one by one with his beak and handed them to Pikachu. "These beads are for Eevee. They are the Zeus Bead and the Vulcanos Bead. The Zeus Bead will give Eevee the power of electricity, while the Vulcanos Bead will give Eevee the power of fire." "Thanks for the beads," Pikachu said. "Let's tell Armaldo the delivery was a success." "I can't wait to go back here again," Eevee said as they went off. "Count me out!" Piplup complained. "This place scares me." 'His pendant,' Noctowl thought, looking at another picture of the Lake guardians. 'He may be the one.'
Prancing to a tune that was Mariachi in rhythm, Ludicolo danced around while three Whismur shook pairs of maracas to a beat. A crowd listened intently, a few tapping their paws to the beat. "Love is in the air…" Ludicolo sang. "Everywhere I look around. Love is in the air. Every sight and every sound." In the crowd were Eevee, Pikachu, and Piplup dancing to the beat. "Don't you love songs like this?" Eevee asked. "True, they do instill a certain upbeat energy to you," Piplup answered. "Yeah, this song's about love," Pikachu noted as he watched the show. "I wouldn't be surprised if somebody here fell in love at first sigh-ai, yi, yi, yi!" What Pikachu just saw made him head over heels. There she was, a Vulpix with a pink flower behind her ear. Her six tails were combed and curled to perfection and her eyes sparkled from an inner light. All in all, she was perfect. "Listen, I have things to do, see you guys later!" Pikachu yelled as he dashed by in a blur to get a closer look at that beautiful Vulpix. Both Eevee and Piplup looked at one another in confusion, with the same question in their heads. "What's up with Pikachu?" they both said. Pikachu, in the meanwhile, was staring at that Vulpix while hiding behind a palm tree. His heart was racing and he was on Cloud Nine. 'Gadzooks, she's beautiful!' Pikachu thought. 'The Gracidea flower behind her ear, fur as soft as an Altaria's wings, and eyes that shine like a Volbeat's tail light. I'm in love! Watch out, Miss Vulpix. Your new boyfriend's coming to sweep you off your paws!' -- At a small hut, Eevee and Piplup were napping contently on a bale of hay. It was sunny and peaceful this afternoon, and a relaxing atmosphere helped put aside the confusion that was felt today. "Um, excuse me?" A voice called. Piplup and Eevee stirred and woke up from this disturbance. "Is anyone home?" "Who is it?" Eevee asked sleepily. "I'm looking for an Eevee with a pendant around his neck," said the female voice. "That would be me," Eevee said, now wide awake. "Can I come in?" "Sure." In entered the same Vulpix that Pikachu saw before. Piplup immediately recognized her face and fully woke up. "Miss Vulpix!" Piplup exclaimed. "That flower looks great on you!" "'Miss' Vulpix?" Eevee asked. "You know her?" "I know about her," Piplup answered. "Down to earth and mature Miss Vulpix is quite popular with both boys and girls. She's brave and strong, but has a heart of gold." "She's that popular, and beautiful to boot," Eevee whispered in admiration. "Please, have a seat, Miss Vulpix," Piplup said. He gestured to another bale of hay. She promptly did so. "Thank you," she said. "As I was saying, I need to ask Eevee something. A Pikachu with a brown bag on his shoulder went into Lazuli Forest. I don't know what he was looking for, but he hasn't come out since." "A Pikachu with a brown bag?" Eevee asked. "That's our friend!" he realized. "Don't worry, Miss Vulpix, we'll get him out." "I want to come with you," Vulpix declared as she stood up. "I'm worried about that Pikachu. He may be hurt by the Ghost Pokemon in that forest." "I don't think you should," Eevee said. "We've been in there before, and the Misdreavus don't watch who they scare." "That won't stop me." "But, Miss-." "No 'buts'. I want to go." "May as well. Come on." -- In Lazuli Forest, Pikachu was dodging Shadow Balls fired by Misdreavus with eyes glowing purple. "Why are you attacking?" Pikachu asked while sending a Thunderbolt to the Misdreavus. The Misdreavus didn't answer and continued to fire away. "Fire Spin!" Vulpix yelled. A tornado of fire was sent to a group of Misdreavus. Six of them got caught in the spiral and were burned as they spun. The three ran up to Pikachu, who blushed when he saw Vulpix's face. "Never wander into Lazuli Forest without taking precautions first hand," Vulpix scorned. Pikachu gulped and stood up straight in attention, blushing red. "Sorry!" he yelled, heart racing. 'She…rescued me!' Pikachu cried internally. "Ominous Wind!" Three Misdreavus cried. Purple gusts of wind were fired in different directions. Piplup, Eevee, and Vulpix dodged, but Pikachu was too busy staring at Vulpix and got hit. After regaining his footing, he charged up for a Thunderbolt. He turned to Vulpix again. A blast of electricity was released, but it went and hit Piplup instead. "Pikachu! Focus!!" Piplup yelled as he got shocked. "Whuh?" He stopped and looked at Piplup. "Just take out the Poseidon Bead and throw it to Eevee!" he yelled in frustration. He did so. Eevee evolved to Vaporeon and his tail became surrounded by rings of water. "Aqua Tail!" he yelled. Releasing the rings on the tail, they hit the Misdreavus. The six that were previously burned were cooled down and their eyes reverted to normal. Pikachu continued to fawn over Vulpix. "Armaldo said Pokemon have been getting agitated as of late. Burning them and cooling them down may work," Piplup noted. "Good idea," Vaporeon said. "Vulpix, can you help me out?" "I heard everything," Vulpix answered. "I'll help. Let's go!" Both jumped into the air. Three Shadow Balls were sent their way, but they dodged in time. The Misdreavus looked around as Vulpix made a quick landing and looked up. She unleashed another Fire Spin, while Vaporeon released an Aqua Tail from above. Both attacks collided in a fusion of fire and water. "That's beautiful…" Pikachu fawned. "She's beautiful all around." -- Now out of the forest, Vulpix decided to take in the sunlight. Dim light wasn't very good for the eyes, and the battle wore her out a bit. She turned to Pikachu, who was shaking like a leaf, as well as hot and bothered. Vulpix went over and looked at him. "Are you okay, Pikachu?" Vulpix asked. "You've been acting strange ever since finding you. Are you sick?" "N-no!" Pikachu answered. "I mean, I'm totally fine!" "Okay…I'm going home, you two," Vulpix called. See you again, Eevee, Pikachu, Piplup!" "Good-bye!" Piplup and Eevee called as she went off. "That was really brave of her to come along," Eevee noticed. "Just as I said, she's brave and strong, but has a heart of gold!" Piplup said. "Right, Pikachu?" Pikachu passed out from a heat stroke of love with a thud on the ground. Eevee abruptly looked down in concern. "Pikachu!" Piplup shouted as he raced over to him. "I guess he wasn't feeling well after all."
Chapter 5: Twin At All Costs! Part 1 or Red-Handed and Red Eared
It was a quiet night in Jewel Town, and most Pokemon were already sleeping in their homes. In Eevee's hut, the resident living there was sound asleep, tired from the day's play. Within a void of green light, Eevee opened his eyes and looked around. "Where am I? Am I dreaming?" After another survey of his surroundings, he came to the conclusion that this is a dream. "I am dreaming." Rumbling was soon felt in the area. Eevee stumbled, but regained his balance. The rumbling continued. "Huh?" Eevee looked around. "An earthquake? What's with the rumbling?" The rumbling increased in intensity, rattling the area around him. He felt himself coming out of the dream. "It's getting stronger! For a dream, this feels rather real!" he deduced. -- In a canyon, an earthquake was occurring. Rocks of various sizes fell down the cliff sides to go to their fate down below. However, there were Pokemon in the canyon trying their hardest not to fall to their doom. Twins Plusle and Minun were also there. Minun was hanging over the cliff's edge precariously, Plusle trying desperately to pull her twin brother back up. The tremors and rumbling weren't helping, though, and she was slowly letting go of her twin. "Plusle! Don't let go!" Minun yelled. "Minun! Minun!" Plusle also yelled, struggling. In spite of warnings by their babysitter, Snorlax, the Cheering Pokemon snuck out while he was sleeping and went to Gold Canyon. Unfortunately, the two didn't know that an earthquake was going to occur tonight, and when it did happen, Minun was close to the edge of a cliff at the time. This caused him to nearly fall over, but Plusle thought fast and grabbed him. Now, she was dangerously close to losing her grip, and losing Minun, possibly for good. "Minun, I'll rescue you!" Plusle assured, tears in her eyes. "I'll get stronger! I'll come back to you, I promise!" "I know you will!" Minun yelled, also crying. "I'll wait for you, no matter what!" The two let go, the promise echoing through the canyon. As Minun fell into the depths of the canyon, the fur and scruff of hair on his head dirty, Plusle ran farther away from the canyon, the pain of separation lingering in both their hearts. -- A crowd was gathered at the square the next morning. Two Kecleon, one purple and green in color, were discussing something with a crowd of Pokemon around them. "My beautiful merchandise, stolen from under our noses!!" the purple Kecleon lamented. "Excuse us," Pikachu said as he, Piplup, and Eevee went through the crowd to get a closer. "We heard you yelling. Just stay calm and tell us what happened." "Last night, someone snuck into the storeroom and took some of my TMs!" the purple Kecleon cried. "We tried to catch the rascal that stole them, but he was too fast!" "What did he look like?" Vulpix asked. "We couldn't see him too clearly," the green Kecleon replied. "But we did see that the thief had red, floppy ears and a tail shaped like a plus sign." "Red, floppy ears," Vulpix said. "And a tail…" Piplup continued. "Shaped like a plus sign," Pikachu finished. "It definitely sounds like a Plusle stole your TMs." "My business faces ruination," Red Kecleon muttered angrily. "You three!" he yelled as he pointed to Pikachu, Piplup, and Eevee. "You three have been heroes lately. Go and get that thief!" "Wait a minute, you can't just entrust us with this!" Pikachu said in an attempt to reason with Kecleon. "We don't even know where…" "Plusle! Minun!" a voice yelled. Loud footsteps rushed over to the area. Snorlax pushed through the crowd to get in front. He nearly bowled over much of the smaller Pokemon, and Vulpix fell to the ground. "Are you all right?" Pikachu asked as he rushed over to his crush. "Someone, please help!" Snorlax said. "Plusle and Minun, they're gone! They probably ignored my warnings and went to Gold Canyon!" "Gold Canyon?" Eevee asked. "It's a canyon far west from here. I prevented them from going there up until now," Snorlax explained. "Why warn them?" Pikachu asked. "An earthquake occurred there last night," Vulpix answered. "It was predicted a few days ago." 'That explains the rumbling in my dream," Eevee thought. "Don't worry, you two. We'll find Plusle and Minun and get to the bottom of this." "Thank you," both said. After Pikachu checked for injuries, the three went off west to catch the thief. -- The three continued on their way to Gold Canyon. Piplup crossed his arms, trying to make sense of the events that "First Plusle and Minun go missing last night according to Snorlax," Piplup began. "An earthquake hits Gold Canyon that same night. Now, Plusle steals the TMs from Kecleon's shop." 'I think these incidents aren't isolated events.' "What did you say?" Eevee asked. "I think the events that occurred while we weren't looking are connected," Piplup theorized. "My assumption is this: Plusle and Minun snuck out to Gold Canyon. The earthquake hit Gold Canyon. Something must've happened to Minun. That may be the cause for Plusle to steal Kecleon's TMs." "What if they just wanted to cause trouble?" Pikachu asked. "Plusle and Minun are known for that." "They're just kids," Piplup confirmed. "What kind of trouble can they get into?" "There's Plusle!" Eevee yelled. Plusle noticed the three with a bag of TMs in hand. "What do you want?" Plusle angrily asked. "We just want an explanation," Pikachu calmly answered. "Why would you go about stealing Kecleon's TMs?" "You wouldn't understand!" Plusle yelled and took off with the TMs. "I don't resort to rough play," Piplup said. "I think this is necessary though to see what's really going on! Bubble!" Releasing Light-blue bubbles from his beak, they surrounded Plusle and prevented her from going anywhere. The three took the time to surround her. Plusle looked around in frustration, then gained an electric aura. "Spark!!" she yelled as she dashed by. The bubbles popped, but more converged to trap Plusle in one big bubble. "Why? Why are you stopping me?" Plusle said, now scared and on the verge of breaking down. "I have to save him! My brother's trapped! If I don't get to him…" They looked at one another, and then at Plusle, who was very upset. "I knew these events were connected," Piplup said. "Come on, Plusle. You can explain everything to Kecleon and Snorlax." -- Back in town, Snorlax and the two Kecleon gave Plusle a scorning after she returned the TMs. They told her about how bad stealing is, and how she shouldn't have snuck off to Gold Canyon. "Before I apologize, can I tell you all what happened that made me do this?" Plusle asked. "If you have your reasons, then do explain," Vulpix prodded. She waited for a while, then took a deep breath and looked up. "I have a twin brother with a scruff of hair on his head," the female twin began. "His name is Minun. As you all heard, last night we went over to Gold Canyon. While playing there, there was an earthquake. Minun was near a hole when the earthquake started and he nearly fell down the cliff. I caught him and tried to pull him up, but couldn't do it. Before he fell, I vowed to get stronger and rescue him. I thought if I knew more attacks, then maybe I could get him out, no problem. I'm sorry for stealing the TMs, Reddy, but I love my brother and I want to save him." "That motivated you to steal the TMs," The purple Kecleon, Reddy said, touched by his story. "I completely forgive you, Plusle." "You're just going to let her off the hook, Reddy?" Snorlax asked. "Of course," Reddy cried. "I'd do anything for Greeny here!" "That's true," Greeny, the green Kecleon, said. "Listen, now that we know what's going on, we need to focus on rescuing Minun. There are a few rangers in Gold Canyon. I'm sure one of them can take the case." "We'll go," Eevee volunteered. "I'm sure my powers will help us save him." "I want to go, too!" Plusle said. "Plusle, I think it's best if you leave this to the grown-ups," Pikachu reasoned. "You're still young, you'll probably get hurt. Stay with Snorlax and the others and leave rescuing Minun to us." "Okay," Plusle said. "We're counting on you." "Let's begin Operation: Canyon Crawl, you two," Piplup said. The three once again went west to Gold Canyon.
Chapter 5: Twin At All Costs! Part 2 or Eevee Rescue Team
Pikachu looked down into the canyon. That was a rather steep canyon. Minun could have fallen to the bottom and not be found at all. "I hope Minun didn't fall very far." "Hey, Pikachu!" Eevee called. Pikachu looked over and saw Piplup and Eevee with an Alakazam following behind. "I found a ranger who can help us." "I heard the whole story from Armaldo," Alakazam explained. "According to a Volbeat keeping watch, he saw something blue down below the cliff. That may be the Minun you guys are looking for." "Let's go in, everyone," Eevee said. "We vowed to Plusle that we would rescue Minun." Alakazam glowed white and so did those around him. "Teleport," he said. They immediately disappeared and reappeared on a cliff in the canyon side. Everyone soon went off, but very carefully for fear of falling. "You come as a blessing, Piplup," Alakazam noted. "You're a Water-type Pokemon. A couple of Rock-type Pokemon love this place." "Like who exactly?" "Those," Pikachu said as he pointed up. A group of Geodude and Graveler with eyes glowing purple came rolling down the hill. Pikachu took out the Poseidon Bead. "Eevee!" "That's my cue," he said. With one touch of the bead, Eevee evolved to Vaporeon and fired a Water Gun at two of the Geodude. "Bubble!" Piplup's beak glowed blue and released a stream of blue bubbles at the Graveler. One got hit and pulled back. Piplup soon realized he learned a new attack. The three snapped out of it and went away. Piplup looked at the others in happiness. "I learned BubbleBeam!" Piplup said. "First it happened with Pikachu learning Thunderbolt, now Piplup learns BubbleBeam," Vaporeon noted. "What's going on?" "As young Pokemon grow, they sometimes learn new moves to accompany their growth and leveling up," Alakazam explained. Vaporeon listened intently at this. "Rock Slide!" a Graveler declared. Two more of them slammed their fists into the cliff. Rocks went tumbling down around the area. 'This is getting serious!' Vaporeon thought. "It's worse for the Pokemon you're looking for," said a male voice in Vaporeon's head. "Look below you!" Vaporeon looked down below the ledge they were on and saw a Minun with a scruff of hair cowering. Rocks were tumbling past him, and the sight made him shocked and concerned. That was the Pokemon they were looking for, and he may get hurt if this kept up. "Piplup, let's snap those three out of it, fast!" Vaporeon yelled. "I found Minun and he's in danger." "I'm getting him out now," Alakazam said and he teleported to Minun's location. Vaporeon jumped up and Piplup used BubbleBeam to give him more momentum. Unleashing an Aqua Tail at the Graveler, they snapped out of it and stopped attacking. Vaporeon landed at the cliff and slid down to meet his friends. Vaporeon reverted back to Eevee. Alakazam picked up the still shaking Minun and teleported back to them. -- Alakazam put Minun down. Minun was still shaking, but didn't hear any noise. Opening his eyes, he found four Pokemon completely new to him. He backed away slightly. He shouldn't talk to strangers…he knew that too well. "Don't worry, Minun, we won't hurt you," Alakazam assured. "I'm one of the Rangers of this Canyon. We're here to rescue you." "Where's Plusle?" Minun asked. He felt he could trust Alakazam, though. "We asked her to stay behind," Pikachu replied. "She hasn't forgotten you, but she's allowed us to help you. Your sister's in Jewel Town." Minun was surprised and relieved. 'I'm finally going to see my sister!' The crumbling of another ledge turned that relief into fear. He let out a few blue sparks from his cheeks, one of which hit Eevee. "Oh no! Eevee!" Minun yelled. As soon as the sparks hit, Eevee began glowing yellow. His fur stood on end and the electricity wasn't hurting him. His whole body was bathed in yellow light. "A new evolution!" Piplup realized. Minun watched in amazement as did the rest. Eevee grew taller, the collar became spiky, the tail shrunk until it was very short and stubby, and spikes protruded from his fur on both sides of his body. When the light faded, Eevee became the Lightning Pokemon, Jolteon. Jolteon looked at his new form. "All right! Jolteon's now in the roster!" Pikachu cheered. "Thanks, Minun," Piplup said. "I did something…right?" Minun said in surprise. "I did something right!" he cheered. A Crobat saw the five and swooped in. "Agility!" he cried. Going at a fast speed, very fast, Jolteon noted, he took Minun and jumped aside. Putting Minun down, the blue cheering Pokemon became ready for battle. Crobat flew down at a very fast speed. "Leave me alone, meanie!" Minun yelled. Blue sparks flared from his cheeks. "Thunder!" Minun yelled as he fired a large light blue lightning beam at Crobat. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu yelled as he shot his bolt of electricity. Jolteon felt a surge of energy as he charged up. "Charge Beam!" A concentrated beam of electricity fired from his fur. All three electric attacks hit, and Crobat was roasted and down for the count. "Let's leave," Alakazam said. "This cliff is dangerous." He and everyone else glowed blue. "Teleport!" They left the canyon in a flash of light. -- "Plusle!" "Minun!" Finally reunited after being apart for so long, the twins hugged one another in happiness. Yellow sparks came from Plusle's cheeks, while blue sparks came from Minun's. Linking tails together, multicolored sparks were released from their tails. "Thank goodness they're all right," Snorlax said. "It's a miracle!" Reddy cried. "I'm so happy for you two!" "Eevee, do you want to be friends with us?" Plusle asked. "You guys have awesome adventures together," Minun explained. "We want to grow up and have adventures, too!" "Of course you can," Pikachu said. "Just don't grow up too fast for us." "Yay!!" both cheered. "Dingy-ding-ding!!" a voice called. All looked over and saw Chimecho ready for the Gemstone Enquirer. "Ding-ding-ding! It's time for the evening news, everyone!" "Evening news?" Eevee asked. "The Gemstone Enquirer tells about events for today, tomorrow, and other days," Plusle answered. "When Jewel Town was formed, the Gemstone Enquirer was created to keep track of events," Piplup said. "It soon became our Bulletin Board of sorts for news." Up on the rooftop, a Lucario with a bracelet watched the events from a distance. He knew for sure things would be all right with this special Eevee around. 'Well done, Eevee,' Lucario congratulated to Eevee through Aura. 'I will see you soon.' Now there was the task of progressing with Eevee's change to a hero. He jumped away to meet with his comrades. Eevee looked around. It was the same voice he heard in the canyon. Who was that Pokemon?
There was Eevee in the green void again. "I'm dreaming again…" he realized. He then saw a faded silhouette of a boy in late teens with hair long and put in a low ponytail. "Who is that man?" he asked himself. "Could that be…me as a…" The image faded. "Wait!" Eevee yelled as he ran to it. "If you wish to know more of your past…" a voice said. "If you want to know about the state of the Pokemon world, then look for a knight named Lucario." "A Knight?" Eevee asked. "Lucario? Where do I find Lucario?" Exhaustion soon overcame him as he closed his eyes. He was beginning to come out of the dream world again. Eevee fell backward and continued to fall down. "He will come to you," The voice replied cryptically. "Come…to…me…" Eevee repeated tiredly. Snapping abruptly to reality, Eevee woke up with a gasp. Catching his breath, he tried to calm down and looked around. "Was someone here?" he asked himself in confusion. "I thought someone would come to me." -- "A knight?" Pikachu asked, then realized. "You're talking about the Jewel Knights!" "Jewel Knights?" Eevee asked. "Jewel Town is part of a monarchy called the Gem Kingdom," Piplup explained, then pointed upward to a grand blue and white castle some distance away from town. "King and Queen Togekiss rule here from Platinum Castle. The Knights protect the castle as well as the town in times of crisis." "Like the Knights of the Round Table…" Eevee mused. "I loved this sort of thing." "What the? Eevee, do you remember something from your human life?" Pikachu asked. "A bit about my childhood," Eevee answered. "I loved reading about the Medieval Times and Knights in shining armor. I wanted to become as strong as them one day." "That's something," Piplup said. "The Knights of the Round Table in your world seem very similar to the Jewel Knights in our world," a voice called. All three looked up on a tree to find a Pichu waving at them. He scooted down to get a better look at the three friends. "Sorry, guys, I overheard," Pichu asked. "I bet you grew up before you came here, didn't you, Eevee?" "That's my guess," Eevee asked. "There's one more thing about the dream, a voice said the knight Lucario would come to me. What does that mean?" "I have no idea," Piplup said. He then panicked and ducked. An arrow with a slip of paper stuck on it hit the tree where Pichu was. Pichu took a look at the paper. The Royal Seal was on the note: three triangles, two red and one blue, were connected to form a pyramid. "It's a note from the Jewel Knight Lucario," Pichu noticed. "What does it say?" Piplup asked. "'To an Eevee with a gold star pendant around his neck: If you wish to know why Pokemon are becoming agitated, go down Silver Path. I challenge you to a fight there.' There's Lucario's signature and everything." "Eevee is being challenged to a duel by him?" Pikachu questioned. "He's dead, isn't he?" he asked Piplup. "He's one of the strongest knights, the leader of the Jewel Knights," Piplup theorized. "Eevee may not have a chance unless we have an advantage. Pikachu, do you still have the Vulcanos Bead?" "It's in the pouch where I keep the other Beads," Pikachu responded. "Good, we can use that," Piplup said. "Down Silver Path we go!" Pichu sang. He climbed down the tree. "You're coming?" Pikachu asked. "I'm coming? Of course I'm coming," Pichu answered in giddy delight. "I've always wanted to see a Jewel Knight in action. -- "Right this way, my friends!" Pichu guided. The band of three came up to a gray road that led to the castle. "This is Silver Path!" They took in the sight with wide eyes. The whole path was gray, but the sun made it shine like silver. Though it was winding, it was still a sight to see with the way the cobblestones were laid in circular patterns. Pokemon were coming and going, but there were very few on the path. This in turn didn't beat the path up very much. The four walked forward. "At the end of this trail is Platinum Castle," Pichu explained. "You probably won't be able to meet the Royal Family, though. King and Queen Togekiss may have business to attend to." "I see," Pikachu said. "Saaayy…" Piplup began suspiciously. "You know a lot about this place. Do you live here?" "You guess correctly," Pichu said. "Now where's Lucario?" Eevee asked as he looked around. "He said he would challenge me at Silver Path." "I am right above you," Lucario said telepathically. They all looked up and saw Lucario atop a tree. Eevee felt something fade away. The Mind Link that Lucario developed with him closed off. "You're one of the Jewel Knights, are you?" Eevee asked. "I accept your challenge. I can take you on." Without a need to answer, Eevee got into a combat stance. "We'll see how strong your resolve is," Lucario retaliated. "I am Lucario, a Jewel Knight, and servant of the King and Queen. You are the Eevee of legend, are you?" "That I don't know," Eevee answered. "But legend or not, you're going down!" He charged forward with a Quick Attack. Lucario jumped off to face him in combat. "Quick Attack!" Eevee went in for the charge. "Protect!" Raising his left arm, a blue barrier was formed around Lucario. Eevee bounced off the barrier and it faded, revealing Lucario unharmed. "Protect stops all opposing Pokemon's attacks on the target for one turn," Piplup explained. "Let's see if he can stop this," Eevee said as he charged a Shadow Ball. Lucario charged a blue sphere of aura energy in his paws. "Aura Sphere!" he yelled and fired the sphere. Eevee had little time to react and fired the Shadow Ball. Both attacks collided, Aura Sphere and Shadow Ball mixing together and creating a gray colored veil. Lucario took the time to jump through the veil, spikes glowing white and turning to claws. "Metal Claw!" he said and slashed Eevee. Eevee got scratched a bit while jumping out of the way, but it didn't faze him much and he hid in the bushes for a sneak attack. Lucario looked around, and then shut his eyes. Without looking, he pinpointed Eevee's location. 'Found you,' Lucario thought. He opened his eyes and charged in. "Is this the power of Aura?" Pichu asked in excitement. "Aura?" Piplup asked. "Isn't that the Life force of all things?" "Very few can master Aura. Knight Lucario is one of them!" "Force Palm!" He stuck his paw in the bush. The bush exploded in yellow light and Eevee flew out of the bush, reeling from the blow. The Evolution Pokemon regained his footing. "How did you find me that fast?" Eevee questioned in shock. "The power of Aura is with me," Lucario replied. "I can sense where you are and which bush you were hiding in." He charged another Aura Sphere. "It's time to end this." "That's as far as you both go." Lucario stopped charging and everyone turned right. There was a Roserade, darker in color and with purple and black bouquet-like arms. Her cape flowing in the wind, she walked over to the fighters. "I will not allow this battle to continue," she declared. "Knight Roserade!" Pichu said. "Roserade, forgive me for fighting in an unsuitable environment," Lucario apologized. "But I've seen what this Eevee can do, and I had to experience this power firsthand." Roserade studied this Eevee and noticed his pendant. Didn't the Queen say to find this Eevee? 'That court jester did his job,' Roserade noticed and then said "Good work, Pichu. For a Court Jester, you certainly have an eye for finding people." "Court Jester?" Pikachu asked. He looked at the Baby Pokemon. "Pichu, you said you live here. Does that mean…?" "Ta-da!!" Pichu pulled out a red and yellow jester hat with black jingling bells on the tips. "Yes, I am Pichu, the court jester of Gem Kingdom! The King and Queen have asked to see you, Eevee. We have been waiting forever to see you, Vaporeon, and Jolteon. It's a shocking surprise!" Pichu chortled as he jumped away down the path to the castle. "I guess we need to follow Pichu," Pikachu guessed. "You guess correctly," Roserade said. They all went off across the path. -- "The King and Queen have arrived! All bow for his highness and her majesty," a Togetic declared. All the Pokemon in the castle bowed (Pichu removing his hat while doing so) as two Togekiss flew into the room. Setting themselves on two thrones, the knights Roserade, Absol, and Lucario bowed. "Eevee, you may rise," began the Queen. He did so and got a good look at the Royal Couple. "It is just as the legend of Jewel Town says. You have come. That confirms our theories. Ever since I was a Togepi, I feared that one day the dragons will battle again." "The dragons?" Eevee asked. Lucario gestured to a stain glass window detailing three dragons that seemed to resemble dinosaurs. A blue one and a white one were next to one another and a black and red one was coming out of a black vortex. "Dialga, the Temporal Pokemon," Absol explained. "Palkia, the Spatial Pokemon. The dragon above them is Giratina, the Renegade Pokemon." "There have been dimensional disturbances outside our own world," The King explained. "We feel this is making Pokemon become more agitated. If the disturbances cause Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina to clash, the end of this world will surely come." "Well, we can solve that!" Pichu said. He went over to Piplup and poked him. "If these pokes in the dimension bring them together, then we can split them up no problem!" Piplup was getting irritated. His beak glowed white and he turned his head to Pichu, who was bouncing up and down. "We must reach out to those dragons!" Pichu said while extending his paw. "Reach out and try to understand-!" "Peck!" Piplup pecked his paw rapidly causing Pichu to yell out in pain. Sparks surrounded Piplup's body, paralyzing him and causing him to stop pecking. Eevee looked at the scene as Pikachu and Queen Togekiss tried not to laugh. "Pichu's an Electric-type," Eevee said. "He didn't use an attack, so how come my friend's paralyzed?" "That's an ability some Electric-types have: Static," Absol answered. "Any contact with Pichu's body and it's at times paralyzed on the spot," Roserade explained. She readied one of her bouquet like arms and aimed it at Piplup. Lucario looked around. He sensed an intruder in the castle. "Aromatherapy." A green scent came from the bouquet, healing Piplup's paralysis as soon as the penguin Pokemon took one whiff from it. "What Pichu said has some meaning," the king said. He turned to another sculpture detailing Arceus. "If we can find Arceus, it can break up the fighting from too much damage occurs." Lucario fired an Aura Sphere up at the ceiling. A tiny squeak was heard and the flapping of wings trailed off away from the castle. 'Someone's heard too much,' Lucario thought. 'We'd best be on guard tonight.' -- Piplup could not believe what happened today. A duel turned into a visit to the King and Queen, where he embarrassed himself in front of them by attacking that annoying Court Jester. He sighed and looked at an orange orb, the Sunny Orb. To him, it was a symbol of friendship. "Torchic, if only you were here…" he lamented. He hadn't seen his first friend in a long time. If he were here, he could cheer him up.
"I didn't mean to hit you, Gengar!" Piplup said in fear. "It was an accident." A Torchic looked at the sight. He saw three Pokemon, a Gengar, a Floatzel, and a Skorupi, ganging up on a Piplup. "Oh, it was no accident," Gengar threatened. "You're asking for a bruising wise guy!" That did it. His friend, Vulpix, wasn't around, so she to take the Tauros by the horns herself. "Leave him alone!" Torchic yelled. "He said it was an accident." "Says you!" Skorupi said. "Piplup's a wise guy! He thinks he's so smart and cool that he could just do what he wants." "That's not true," the meek Piplup whined softly. Torchic heard this and got even angrier than ever. "Ember!!" Releasing round balls of fire, she burned Skorupi's tail. Skorupi's tail got a small flame on it. Gengar promptly sniffed the air. "Something's cooking…" Gengar noticed. "Hmm…smells like…" Skorupi's tail spontaneously combusted and caught on fire. "Burnt Skorupi?!" Gengar yelled in shock. In confusion, Skorupi looked behind him and yelled out, crawling away full speed. Gengar and Floatzel chased after him. "Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!!" he yelled. "I'll get you, bud! Just hold still!" Floatzel yelled. Torchic laughed at the sight, and Piplup couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, that never gets old!" Torchic declared in giddy delight. She turned to Piplup. "You all right? Nothing's broken?" The Penguin Pokemon looked at the Chick Pokemon. "Just fine. Thanks for asking," he answered. "So you're Piplup, huh?" Torchic said. "I've heard about you, you're one of the smartest kids out there. I like that." "Really?" "Yeah! No one knows the history of Jewel Town and Pokemon more than you." "And you are?" "My name's Torchic. I just moved here with my family." "Nice to meet you." "Say, Can I bring you over to my house?" "What?" Now this surprised Piplup. Others thought of Piplup as aloof because of his shyness. They never talked to Piplup because of this, yet here is this Torchic wanting to be friends with him. But the more he talked to him, the more comfortable he became around him. This rough and tumble Torchic who scared the bullies away may become his first friend. "Of course," he said. "But I don't want to stay for too long. Grandpa will put extra chores on me if I'm late." "Great!" Torchic exclaimed. Torchic pushed Piplup on the back as they went to his house. "I know you're excited, but can't you just lead the way?" Piplup asked. "Yeah, but you seem like the type of person who needs a push," Torchic replied. -- "Daddy!" Torchic called from inside a house. "I'm back!" "Sorry to bother you," Piplup meekly said. A Blaziken came in; Piplup assumed this was Torchic's Dad. "Welcome back, son," Blaziken greeted. He then saw Piplup. "Who's this?" "He's Piplup," Torchic said. "I saved him from a few bullies that were picking on him. I figured I'd help him open up a little, since he's a bit nervous." "I see. It's nice to meet you, Piplup," Blaziken greeted. Piplup could not believe how big Blaziken was. When he evolves, would he get this big, like his Grandpa? "Nice to see you, too!" Piplup said in surprise. "Surprised?" Torchic asked. "That's the glory of a fully evolved Pokemon. When I get older, I plan to be as strong as him." "Whoa…" Piplup remarked in awe. "Hey, Torchic," A Combusken called as she came in with gummy diamonds in her paw. "I brought an evening snack for you." "Thanks, sis!" Torchic said. He turned to Piplup. "Combusken is my big sister. She's the lady of the house and the one who does the housework and cleaning." "Our first week here and you already made a new friend," Combusken noted. "I'm Piplup," Piplup greeted, albeit shaking in his flippers. "Pleasure to meet you," Combusken said. "Come on, let's enjoy ourselves and have our fill. You're probably hungry." "With pleasure!" Torchic and Piplup cheered in unison. -- "Thanks, Froslass!" Piplup called to his servant. It was another day of adventures for him and Torchic. "My pleasure, Master Piplup," Froslass said. Both went their separate ways. Piplup soon found Torchic by the swings and met up with him. "Torchic!" Torchic looked over and saw Piplup with an orange and a blue orb in his wings. He got off the swing and went over to her. "Hey, Piplup!" said Torchic. "Are those Wonder Orbs?" "Special ones," Piplup answered. "They both change the weather. The Sunny Orb is yours, while I keep the Rainy Orb. Or maybe I should keep the Sunny Orb" A Mime Jr. saw this act of friendship. Getting two black strings out, he went over to the two flightless birds. "Maybe I can help," Mime Jr. said. Holding out the two strings, his orb glowed white. "Trick!" Like a Magician performing a show, all the items disappeared in puffs of blue smoke. They soon reappeared as necklaces on them, the Rainy Orb on Torchic, and the Sunny Orb on Piplup. The orbs were connected to the black string Mime Jr. previously had. "So they're symbols of friendship," Torchic assumed. "That's right," Piplup said. "I was thinking of giving the Orb that matches your type, but I think Mime Jr. had the right idea." "The right idea!" Mime Jr. mimicked. "I like it!" Said Torchic. "It fits great on me!" Piplup smiled at this. It was a relief to have finally found a friend. It actually felt great, and Torchic was happy about this, too. He hoped it could stay like this forever. Then he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his status as a rich Pokemon a secret. -- "Wow, this place is huge!" Torchic exclaimed. It was his first time coming to Piplup's house. This house was larger than other houses and painted with shades of blue and white. "Piplup, why didn't you tell me you were rich?" he asked. "I worry I'll get teased if I told everyone I was rich," Piplup replied. "I think it's cool," Torchic complimented. The two birds went up to the door of the house. Piplup opened the door and was greeted by many Prinplup and his servant, Froslass. "Welcome back, Master Piplup," they all said. Both entered and Torchic took the time to look around. The place was like an ice palace, the walls had a light blue touch, and icicles decorated some parts of the ceiling. All in all, Piplup's house was beautiful. Piplup, Froslass, and Torchic went over to a table with stools on them. An elderly Empoleon entered the room. "Hello Grandpa," Piplup addressed. "Piplup, welcome back," Empoleon greeted. "This Pokemon is?" "My name is Torchic," The fire bird said. "You're Piplup's old man, aren't you?" Froslass immediately covered his beak. "Please show some respect," Froslass scorned. "Mmph." Froslass took that to mean "Okay" and removed her hand from his beak. "He's a feisty one, isn't he?" Empoleon asked. "Yeah, he's got some energy to him," Piplup noticed. "And that pendant?" Empoleon noticed the Sunny Orb around his neck. "That and Torchic's pendant are symbols of our friendship." "I see. Then your relationship has budded fast." "Torchic's actually a nice Pokemon. He's also tough, too." "Then it's just as they say: Opposites attract. Or more likely…" "Birds of a feather that flock together." -- Where is he? Piplup was waiting by the playground, his and Torchic's usual meeting spot. He saw no sign of his friend. When he asked the other Pokemon if they saw a Torchic wearing a necklace similar to his, they said they didn't say one. As much as Piplup didn't want to believe it, this has happened for the past two days. He saw it was getting dark and left. Perhaps tomorrow, he'll be here. At least, that was the belief he kept holding onto. -- One day, a distressed Combusken looked around the backyard of their house. Torchic had been out for quite some time and didn't return yet. "Torchic?" she called. "Torchic!!" Piplup soon came to her house, ready to spend another day with him. "Hey, Combusken!" he greeted. "Is Torchic home?" "No," Combusken answered, very upset. "He hasn't been here for three days!" Piplup was shocked. Was that why he didn't typically meet him the past few days? "We asked him to pick some Bluk Berries for lunch, but he hasn't come back. We looked everywhere, but nothing," Combusken explained. "Is he in your place?" "I haven't seen Torchic, either," Piplup answered. "For the past few days, he hasn't shown up in the playground where we usually meet." "Then he's missing. Let's look for him. Ask anyone if you saw a male Torchic with a necklace similar to yours." 'Torchic, I'll find you, I promise," Piplup vowed silently. -- Back in the present time, Piplup picked up the Orb. He remade the necklace and put it back on him. 'I'll find you one day. That's a promise, Torchic,' he thought. 'I'll never break a promise to a friend.'
Outside of a red house one night, Pikachu spied out the window. There was Miss Vulpix with her four friends: Cyndaquil, Ambipom, Buneary, and Pachirisu, having a sleepover at her house. The five girls were chatting and having fun, and Pikachu did not want to blink, for he wanted to take in Vulpix's beauty. "Mon Cherie…" Pikachu swooned. "Pretty foxie. My Vulpix, my love. Soon, I'll be in that room with you, mine forever." "Pikachu? Eevee asked from behind him. Pikachu gasped and nearly fell off the window, but pushed himself back up. He turned his head to Eevee. "Hey there, Eevee," Pikachu said. "Do you mind leaving me alone for a moment?" "What's up?" Eevee asked in confusion. "Big important stuff!" Pikachu answered. "So important I can't tell you." "Really?" "Really." "Really really?" "Really really. So you go do whatever you need to do." "Hey! This party is ladies only!" Vulpix yelled. "Let's get him!" threatened Ambipom. Pikachu panicked and got out of the way in time for a few pillows to be thrown out the window. He ran out as fast as possible, with Eevee looking on in confusion. 'I didn't think girls could be that tough!' they both thought. -- "Miss Vulpix!" "Miss Vulpix!" "I beg your pardon, Miss Vulpix!" Vulpix, Ambipom, Cyndaquil, Buneary, and Pachirisu had to hide in Armaldo's tent to get out of a crowd of admirers. The crowd rushed past the tent. Pachirisu looked out after a few seconds and found they were in the green. "All clear, girls," Pachirisu said. The gang came out and breathed a sigh of relief. 'How does going from snobbish to nice make you popular?' Vulpix asked herself. "Miss Vulpix?" asked Buneary. "What is it?" Vulpix asked. "Does this mean we're not going to have our picnic?" "We're still going to have it, Buneary." "All right! Cyndaquil, get your burners ready!" Pachirisu exclaimed. Cyndaquil's back flared up in "Hey, girls, look in here!" Ambipom called. They went inside again and found a blue strip of paper written in odd writing. Ambipom took it with one of her tails and showed it to the group. "What do you suppose this is?" she asked. Vulpix went over to an open book with a picture of that same tag. "According to this book, this is a Wishing Tag," Vulpix explained. "Show this to the Spinel Temple and you can have one of your wishes come true when you find the treasure inside." "Wishes?" All four said in surprise. They then thought of what they wanted the most that could be granted. "Let's not get carried away, everyone," Vulpix reasoned. "This is Armaldo's artifact. We can't steal it from him for our needs." They all agreed and left the tent. Ambipom put the tag back where it was before she left. Each girl, however, secretly planned to steal the tag for themselves. "Hey, Grandma!" Gengar mocked. The words echoed in Vulpix's head and got her angry. Gengar and his posse went to the five ladies and looked at Vulpix. "Already going into Armaldo's tent?" he asked. "It won't be long until she's a senior citizen, right boys?" "Yeah," both agreed. "Come on, dude," Buneary said in disgust. "You've already gotten her angry. Leave us alone for once in your life." "As long as you're hanging around that old lady, we won't leave you alone," Floatzel taunted in response. They walked off. "Gen-GAR!!" Vulpix yelled. "What?" he asked rudely. He and his posse soon ran off from a Fire Spin unleashed in their direction. "Serves you right!!" Pachirisu yelled. -- That night Ambipom left the tent with the Wishing Tag in one of her tails. Following her without her knowledge was Pachirisu, Cyndaquil, and Vulpix. Ambipom immediately stopped to find Buneary staring her down. "That Wishing Tag is mine!" declared Buneary. Ambipom was soon ganged up on by Pachrisu and Cyndaquil. "That's my tag!" threatened Pachirisu. "You have my tag," Cyndaquil warned. "Hand it back or else." A jet of fire was soon unleashed above them. Vulpix came over to them, clearly meaning business. "I'll be taking that Wishing Tag, if you mind," Vulpix threatened. Vulpix jumped over and took the tag from Ambipom's tail. Running off, everyone else gave chase. Pachirisu was the quickest of the five and stopped Ambipom in her tracks. Her buck teeth grew longer in size and she jumped behind her. "Super Fang!" A good hard bite on Vulpix's tail was enough for her to drop the tag. Pachirisu got out and grabbed the tag. Buneary was onto Pachirisu and jumped after her. The rest of the girls gave chase. "Jump Kick!" Jumping up high, she planted her feet face first on Pachirisu's head. This sent both girls falling. Buneary recovered faster and took the tag. Froslass and Piplup arrived on the scene and watched from above. Froslass was wondering what all the noise was about and decided to investigate. Piplup wanted to come along, so he followed her out to Jewel Town to see the brawl already in progress. "Piplup!" Eevee called from behind him. "Uh oh, Eevee," Piplup whispered. He turned to Froslass. "Froslass, hide for a while." "Yes, master," Froslass flew off to the side, unseen by anyone else. Eevee soon arrived and got a look at the fight. "What's going on?" Eevee asked. "It's Miss Vulpix and her friends," Piplup believed. "They're fighting over something, I think." "Let me see if I can get a closer look," Eevee said. Piplup took out the Zeus Bead. Eevee touched it and in a flash of yellow light, evolved to Jolteon. Jolteon took the time to get up close without them noticing. It was turning to an all out fight between Vulpix and her friends. Jolteon noticed the tag. "Piplup, come over here," he said. Piplup went over to his location and he looked at the fight. "There's something in Vulpix's mouth." Piplup got a better look at the tag and saw what it was. "It's called the Wishing Tag," Piplup explained. "It's used to awaken a legendary Pokemon that can grant your wishes. The girls must have gotten greedy and stolen the tag." "Now they're fighting for it," Jolteon stated. "Can you surround them?" "What do you plan to do?" "Break up this fight!" Jolteon raced over and fired a Charge Beam at the girls. All three jumped away, Vulpix dropping the tag. Piplup fired a BubbleBeam to serve as a fence between the girls. Jolteon took this time to take the tag and reverted back to Eevee. Armaldo approached Eevee. "So that's where the Tag went," Armaldo said. "We're sorry, Armaldo!" all five girls said. "We all got greedy when we saw the Wishing Tag," Vulpix reasoned. "I warned my friends, but they didn't listen. I got greedy, too, and tried to take it." "I see. You five better get home. Your parents are probably worried." "Bye, girls," Vulpix said. "And sorry about tonight." "Us too, Vulpix," Cyndaquil said. "See you again!" Ambipom said. The group went their separate ways. Eevee and Piplup smiled at this, and so did Froslass, who was watching from a distance.
At Lazuli Forest, Eevee sensed something off. Evil chuckles were heard. He looked around to try and pinpoint the source of the sound. Though he could find nothing, he still sensed someone was there. 'Is this a Pokemon's instinct?' Eevee asked himself. "Whoever you are, show yourself!" he yelled. Evil laughter was heard. "Wonderful," the voice said. "Quite wonderful. Your angered spirit is marvelous. But don't direct it to me." A Dusknoir passed through a tree and faced Eevee. "My name is Dusknoir. You show superb prowess far beyond my expectations." He promptly bowed. "A pleasure to finally see you in person," he said. "Yeah…" Eevee said in suspicion. A few Sableye floated over to him, gemstone like eyes glowing purple. "I have a proposition for you, Eevee," he offered. "These Pokemon here are the result of a bid to get stronger. Our experimentation has made them in peak strength." "Our?" "Yes. Join us, Eevee. We can make you stronger, better. The switch between evolved forms is an excellent power, but you can't do it at will, can you?" Eevee looked down, frustratingly contemplating his fate. 'Being able to change form without the use of an item is nice. I wouldn't need Pikachu or Piplup's help. But I have a weird feeling about Dusknoir. He seems like a bad Pokemon. And the fact those Sableye's eyes are glowing purple, the same as the other Pokemon I fought with.' Eevee didn't answer. "I see your doubt. Think about it for a while," Dusknoir said. He went off, along with the rest of the Sableye. Eevee walked off. -- This offer haunted Eevee for a while now. He wanted to get stronger to protect Jewel Town. But what if he became the same as those Sableye? That scared him. It scared him so much; he avoided meeting Pikachu and Piplup today to think. "Eevee!" Pikachu called from in a forest. "Answer me, Eevee!" Piplup called. Pikachu and Piplup saw Eevee go into Beryl Forest. When they called out to him, he didn't answer. They went into the forest, but couldn't find Eevee anywhere. The two friends met up with one another again. "Anything?" Pikachu asked. "No, I can't find him," Piplup answered. "This is ridiculous. I know he has problems, but he can't just avoid us. Eevee needs help!" "Not when he has to make the choice on his own. We can only give him advice and help him in battle." "I know. If we can do more, though, it would help." "You have a point." "Ah, there he is!" Pikachu looked over to Aquamarine Lake to find Eevee staring down at the lake. Pikachu and Piplup went over to Eevee. Eevee didn't take notice at first, but when Piplup said: "We've been looking for you", this got his attention and he turned to the group. "Hey," Eevee said. "What's up, Eevee?" Pikachu asked. "You've avoided us for most of the morning. It was a bit rude, you know." Eevee hesitated, and then he answered. "There's something on my mind. A Dusknoir made a proposal to me last night." "A proposal?" Piplup asked. "He offered to help me get stronger. But, there were Pokemon with purple eyes with him. I kept getting a weird feeling from him, though. I keep thinking he's a bad guy. Those Sableye had their eyes glowing purple, and they were following him. I'm worried that I'll become the same as them if I follow him." "Very interesting," Piplup noted. "I believe you should turn down that offer." "Piplup's right," Pikachu said. "After hearing your story, we think the risks outweigh the benefits. But whatever way you want to go, we're friends. That won't change." "Friends?" Dusknoir asked as he passed through a tree. All three turned to Dusknoir. "What kind of strong Pokemon needs friends?" All three sensed something off about Dusknoir. Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity. "It keeps us alive and happy, buster," he reasoned. "It's a product of weakness," Dusknoir retaliated. "It's why it needs to be eliminated. Eevee, I see you came to your decision." -- On a balcony outside the castle, Lucario sensed an evil feeling with his Aura. It was the same feeling that he felt when Eevee first came to the castle. "Absol," he asked. "Tell the Queen I'll be off for a while." "Right," he acknowledged. Lucario jumped down from the balcony. He hurriedly ran from the castle to Jewel Town, pinpointing Eevee's Aura. He hoped he wasn't too late when he got to him. -- "Unfortunately, those who go against me pay the price," Dusknoir threatened. His fist became cloaked in fire. "Fire Punch!" He struck, but Eevee ran out of the way. "You can't run forever!" Dusknoir fired Shadow Balls from his mouth. "Tackle!" Pikachu yelled, but he went right through Dusknoir. "Normal Attacks won't work on me," Dusknoir declared. "But this will." He promptly went into the ground and slipped over to Pikachu. "Shadow Sneak!" Grabbing Pikachu, he pulled him into the shadows. Piplup and Eevee ran over to where Pikachu was grabbed. "Where'd he go?" asked Eevee. "Not sure," Piplup said. Dusknoir and Pikachu came out and Pikachu was thrown to the group. He landed with a thud on the ground. Dusknoir moved in for another Fire Punch, but Eevee took the strike. "Eevee!" Pikachu cried. "Don't worry…" Eevee began. He glowed red. "…about me!" "This is…" Dusknoir said as he pulled back. Eevee felt his body temperature rising to way above room temperature. Surprisingly, he wasn't feeling dizzy or sweating at all. He was soon covered in red light and began to change. The collar and tail became much larger and fluffy, a tuft of fur appeared on his head, and Eevee became bigger and taller. When the light faded, Eevee became the Flame Pokemon, Flareon. Eevee took a look at his new form, and then he turned to Dusknoir, ready for battle. "Let's show you what we can really do," Flareon challenged. "Try all you might," Dusknoir threatened. "Your teamwork means nothing, as does your friendship." An Aura Sphere was fired at Dusknoir's direction. Dusknoir countered with a Shadow Ball. Both attacks hit and negated one another. Everyone looked up to see Lucario above them. "As life goes on, we must turn to others for support," Lucario said. "Lucario!" The three friends declared. "You three finish this fight," he told them. "Right," Another Shadow Ball was fired, but all three ran out of the way. White circles appeared around Flareon and surrounded him in an X shape. "Hidden Power!" Sending them out in a straight line, Dusknoir immediately blocked with a Fire Punch. Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt from behind and Piplup sent a BubbleBeam from the side. Both attacks caught him off guard and hit. "Excellent timing," Flareon commented. "This isn't over," Dusknoir declared as he passed through the ground. All three looked at one another. 'This definitely isn't over. I think we'll see him again,' all three thought.
