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The Children Are Hunted

Zoran glanced at Robby and smiled before turning to watch Amber. "Those who are taught early naturally grasp the new quicker than they remember the old." Asha snorted. Zoran rolled his eyes. "Have you gotten any calls from Mickey?"

"Your boyfriend? No. Why?" Zoran would have hit her if he wasn't worried.

"Nothing on my end either," he mumbled. "He's probably okay, but... his power isn't exactly orthodox."

"It's blood," the girl muttered. "Either way, we won't know until he pops up I guess. How's that girl doing?"

"A bit better I think."
 
"Hah! I've got this! Glameow, use Shadow Ball!" Mia said.
"Alright, Amber dodge it and use Solar Beam one more time!" Thomas said. Amber nimbly jumped out of the way of the Shadow Ball, and charged up her solar energy. She blasted a powerful beam at Glameow, who barely got out of the way. The Solar Beam flew and hit the sleeping Draco. Draco woke up and was livid. He walked over to Amber.
"Uh... Trainings over for now. Draco, relax! It was an accident! Amber that was great! Good job learning Solar Beam!" Thomas said happily. Of course, she had the same problem she did with Razor Leaf. She didn't aim that well, but that would come with time and experience. Esper walked over to Draco and hit him with his paw. Draco was angered, and Esper hissed at him. Draco backed down.
"Trainings over? Why?" Mia asked.
"Because I'm tired, and Glameow's tired. And Amber's tired too, though she won't admit it. If you want to keep training, then pull out Delcatty and train with someone else. But don't worry, Glameow gained a few levels," Thomas said. He smiled. That had been a good training session for both of them. Amber had gained a level, and learned two moves that were very good. Thomas sat down and leaned against the tree. Esper curled up next to him. Amber used Synthesis to heal Delcatty and Glameow, then joined him. Thomas watched Mia train. She had some pretty good methods, and Thomas decided to take what he liked and use it in his own training. Draco walked over and sat down next to Thomas and Esper, but away from Amber.
"Oh, so you decided to be friendly?" Thomas asked with a grin. He picked the Bagon up, and began petting him.
 
"Am I the only one who's tempted to buy a frisbee for that Leafeon?" Ash grumbled. "At least if she aims for that, we won't possibly get killed." Zoran smiled weakly. Arca began running around, sniffing the air. Asha laughed before something occurred to her. "Hey Thomas? Have you guys figured out where you're going to stay tonight? You can't stay in the park. Trust me, I asked."
 
"Hey, c'mon Ash. She's not that bad! Well... Ok maybe she is, but she's working on it!" Thomas said.
"... Yeah," was Marcus's reply.
"Whatever Marcus. And no, I'm not sure where we'll sleep tonight. I guess if it comes down to it, we'll camp outside of town, because we have no cash for a hotel. What about you guys? You seem to have been here for a while. You got a place to stay? And if you do, would you be adverse to us crashng there for the night? Marcus doesn't like camping," Thomas said. Amber looked over at Arca, wondering what she smelled. Or hoping for a new game. Thomas wasn't sure. Mia was still deep in training. Vulpix began stirring a little, and woke up, looking around drowsily.
"What the... Hey! Who's got... Oh, never mind," Vulpix said after he saw Zoran. Thomas laughed. Vulpix was very strange, especially when he woke up. It seemed he forgot what was going on for a few moments after he woke up. Vulpix sat up and looked over at Thomas.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked, but not in a tone of voice that was agitated.
"You!" Thomas said with a laugh.
"So... What did I miss while I was asleep?" Vulpix asked.
 
Zoran smiled faintly. "You missed Amber hitting Draco with badly aimed Solarbeam. Also yeah we may have a place for you. It's not like we take up much room. Asha, there's room in the RV right?"

She smirked. "Dude there's a back room in the sucker that's empty. Yes there's room. You can crash there a while if you want."
 
"Wow... That sounds... Whatever," Vulpix said. He stretched out and lightly jumped to the ground. He walked around, looking bored.
"If you're bored, I'm sure Mia would like a training partner," Marcus said.
"No thanks," Vulpix said.
"An RV, huh? Sounds fine to me!" Thomas said, watching Vulpix walk around. Robby looked curiously at Zoran.
"How the heck did you get an RV?" Robby asked.
 
Asha grinned mischievously. "Mickey's parents were afraid I'd go savage on any of my journeys so they let me borrow theirs. Not like they travel anywhere. Auntie disapproves of this sort of stuff."

"Yet she let her son have a Dratini," they heard Zoran mutter derisively. Those two had never gotten along well, probably because she wasn't as pointedly oblivious as her husband.

"She doesn't like adventuring. She likes Pokemon. And he would have found a way to get more Pokemon anyhow." Asha dismissively added.
 
Thomas stood up and stretched out. He returned Amber and Draco. Marcus looked at him questioningly.
"I'm going to explore the city. You guys can either wait here, or head back when Zoran and Ash want to. Either way, Esper will be able to lead me to you," Thomas said. Vulpix sat down and sniffed the air. He was apparently satisfied, and said nothing as Thomas walked away. Mia turned around and returned her pokemon.
"I'm coming too!" she said.
"Why?" Thomas asked.
"Someone has to keep you from wandering into the wrong places! Like any other city, Venice has some rough areas!" Mia said.
"Nothing I can say will make you change your mind, will it?" Thomas asked. Mia shook her head and glared at him. Thomas sighed.
"Alright, come on then," he said and the two of them walked off.
"Um... What?" Marcus said as they walked away.

"Alright, here's the deal! I want to come with you on your travels!" Mia said when they were out of earshot of the others.
"Why? Can't you just go on your own? Your more than capable," Thomas said.
"I don't like being by myself, and Simon can't leave his gym!" Mia said. Thomas scratched his head.
"Um... Ok. But surely you must have friends of your own," Thomas said.
"You'd be surprised. No one around here likes me!" Mia said, her face sad.
"Gee, I wonder why," Thomas said rolling his eyes.
"Shut up! I'm coming with you! And that's that!" Mia said.
"Well... I haven't even beaten the gym. How do you know I won't be stuck here," Thomas said.
"After what I've seen today, big brother doesn't stand a chance against you! You'll win for sure! And I want you to train me, so I can get stronger!" Mia said. Thomas had figured it out. She didn't want Simon to travel with her, because she was overshadowed by him, and because of her spoiled attitude, she had no friends to travel with either. So who did that leave? Him or Zoran, and Thomas didn't ask why she didn't want to travel with Zoran. He didn't much care.
"You're not going to let this drop, are you," Thomas said.
"Never!" Mia said fiercely.
"Fine, I'll take you with me. It's not like I can stop you, after all," Thomas said. She thanked him and gave him a hug, and they continued the tour. Thomas wanted to shoot himself and save himself the trouble of dealing with her on the trip. But he couldn't just turn her down either. He shook his head. Esper sent him comfort and sympathy. This was going to be a long trip.
 
Asha stretched slowly as she stood. "I need to go back early. Zora, we've still got the supplies right?" He nodded. "Cool." She glanced up at Zoran. "You're gonna meet us right?" He nodded as Alyss, who was sitting up sleepily. Doom licked her face and went after his partner. Ash turned to go. "You guys can follow me if you'd like. I'm heading back to air conditioning."

Meanwhile Zoran disappeared into the quieter section of the park. He had been feeling off for a while. His body felt like it was tingling. He moved a bush out of the way and smiled to himself. "Speak of the devil... but why is Mickey all the way out here?"
 
Marcus nodded, and he and Robby got up to follow her. Vulpix smelled something familiar.
"I'll catch up too. I got to check this out," he said absently. He followed the scent away from the others. He reached where it was originating from.
"Hello, Van," a male voice whispered. Vulpix looked up the tree. He spotted a Starapter in the tree. He was pointidly not looking ay Vulpix.
"Trigger. What are you doing here?" Vulpix asked.
"I am on assignment to provide whatever support is needed to the agents that are on their way here. Also, I am to keep an eye out for the three CTs that are reported to be in the area," Trigger said.
"Three? I know of two... Who's the third?" Vulpix asked.
"You know me better than that, Van. The third is not presently in the city, though he will be soon, provided he can escape the trap that was set for him. I am also instructed to look for you, though I presently can not see you," Trigger said. Vulpix's heart raced. There were already RDM agents here?
"Thanks Trigger. Thank you for obeying the letter of your orders... Just like always," Vulpix said. Trigger continued looking the other way, but he nodded.
"Always. Winny says to be careful," Trigger said. He took off and flew away, ending the conversation. Vulpix decided to keep this to himself for the moment. He began tracking Ash toward her RV.
 
The RV was resting at the outskirts of Venice. Ash went up to the black and grey vehicle and groaned. "God this thing is disgusting. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth though. Come on." She went up the steps, carefully unlocking it. after undoing the screen door. Ash went inside, looking relieved as she turned on the AC and the lights.

"Set your stuff down wherever. You want to crash, we don't use the bedroom half the time so go ahead or there's camping stuff in that back room thing. This RV's meant for people with motorcycles or something. No we don't have those. Hope you're not claustrophobic because the bathroom is tiny." She said all of this while rummaging through the fridge and turning on the radio.

Alyss went over to what appeared to be a small couch and sat down, Arca curling up next to her. She smiled shakily. This was incredibly bizarre.

~~~

Mickey was a bloody mess, literally. Long cuts and gashes everywhere, and he was sticky with red. Zoran sighed. "You are going to be so annoying when you wake up," he mumbled with a smile. Carefully, he managed to hoist the boy on his back. It was difficult. Mickey was bigger and heavier than he was. Doom whuffed as he helped him out and his trainer laughed. "It'll be okay." Slowly he began to walk back to the RV, careful not to jostle his friend and wake him up.
 
Robby laughed as Marcus sat down in a chair. He pulled out a book.
"Thomas is going to love this," he said. The RV was quite big, for an RV. But there were going to be six people in it. It would be terribly cramped. He walked into the appointed bedroom and threw Thomas's bag on one of the beds.

Vulpix followed them to an RV. It was black and grey.
"What a piece of junk!" Vulpix said aloud. He walked over to the door. It was closed. He began pawing at it.
"Hey, you inconsiderate morons! Forget someone? Someone without hands to open the door!?" he shouted.

Thomas and Mia walked down the streets. He looked at her and grinned. For the past half an hour, she had not said one thing to make him mad. The sun was rapidly going down.
"This was fun. Thanks for showing me the city. I should head back," Thomas said.
"I'll go with you. I want to see what kind of place you'll be staying in," Mia said. Thomas shrugged. The two of them walked back to the park. Esper used his senses to find Marcus, and the two of them began walking toward Thomas's friends.
 
Zoran walked up at that moment, Mickey still deeply out cold. He ignored the stains on his clothes; it wasn't like it was obvious on black. He saw Vulpix pawing at it furiously. "Okay dude, chill, I'll get the door." He was slightly testy but hid it the best he could. Using one hand he carefully opened it and allowed Vulpix to walk in first. Ash looked up from what she was doing and sighed.

"Of freaking course. Put him on that other bed and tear off the sheets. No point in bandaging the moron yet." Zoran shrugged and obeyed, as Asha tore the sheets into strips, placing a few in cold water.

"Don't let anyone in the room," he said softly, undoing his ponytail. "Best if I stay with him for now."

She nodded calmly, sensing the fear buried in his heart. Zoran, no matter how he acted right now, was terrified for Mickey. His backlash wasn't exactly normal after all. They were, well, not used to it, but they accepted it. Anyone else would find it disgusting. Alyss stood up, wanting to help but Zoran shook his head. "Alyss it's okay. Help Ash with dinner. Trust me, you don't want to be in here." The boy shut the door, honey-colored eyes dim with fear.

Recognizing that others were in the room, Ash commented. "No, I don't know what's going on. I do know we're eating in the back room past the bedroom, so if you want to chill in there go ahead."
 
"Is he gonna be alright?" Marcus asked.
"Which one?" Vulpix said. He was still a little upset about being locked out. He was laying on the couch watching all of them.
"Um... Both," Marcus said. He didn't ask anymore questions. Robby had a few.
"Who was that? What is going on?" Robby said.
"Were you not listening? She just said she doesn't know what is going on! Why are you asking something that was already answered?" Vulpix said.
"Calm down Vulpix," Marcus said. Vulpix sighed and rolled over on his side.
"Sorry," he said. Marcus shook his head. He seemed to always be the peace keeper. Whenever Vulpix or Thomas got riled up, he was usually the one to calm them down. He didn't quite know how he felt about that. Robby sat down and put his arm around his cousin. Well, at least they didn't fight.
 
Asha chuckled quietly. "Relax all of you. Snapping at each other's throats will not explain the situation." Alyss giggled, stirring the noodles. "Any particulars on meat and vegetables? Vulpix I am pretty sure you can hunt birds outside. Someone can open a window and you can jump out."

In the other room, Zoran sat quietly by the bed. He would give it three minutes at the most. Sighing under his breath, he went to replace the washcloth. As he moved away, Mickey roughly grabbed his wrist. Zoran sighed. "Welcome back to life Mickey." The boy coughed and gagged, lunging forward. "Oy, do not do that. You want food, you'll get it when you can control yourself." Mickey glared and growled but Zoran turned the shadows of the bed into cuffs, forcing Mickey down. "Stay still."
 
"I'll eat anything so long as it wasn't cooked in a campfire," Marcus said with a sigh. Vulpix gave him an odd look. Was he getting tired of the journey? Well, he could leave anytime he wanted. Vulpix would be sad to see him go if he did, but it wouldn't effect him too much.
"I'm fine. I ate this morning. I can go hunting later," Vulpix said.
"Hmm... I wonder where Thomas went," Robby said. Marcus shrugged.
"He'll be ok," Marcus said.
 
"He'll be all right," Ash agreed, spooning up chicken noodle soup. "Nothing like comfort food," she told them wisely, setting down plates in front of the two males. "Now Marcus, you don't have to tell me," she said in slight sternness as she helped Alyss into a chair with her food. "But something seems to be nagging at you. Pardon my eerie curiosity but I'd kinda like to know what it is."
 
"Um... I'm a little glad Thomas isn't here. That would make this harder. I've been thinking about going home, at least for a while. Robby hasn't seen his parents in the last seven years. And it's more than that. I don't think I'm cut out for this adventuring stuff. Everything that's happened, it's scared me. Rattled me right down to my core. I'm tired... But, I don't think it would be right to just leave. Thomas, and Vulpix, and you, and Zoran, and Alyss, and Zaria. You are my best friends! After all this, I... I don't know," Marcus said after a few bites. Then the door opened. Marcus looked up, a little worried it would be Thomas. Esper walked in and the door swung shut behind him. He leapt lightly onto the couch, and hit Vulpix on the head with his paw. Vulpix stood up, looking angrily at Esper, who lay down in the space that was vacated.
"How rude! Feline, you have no manners!" Vulpix said.
"Says the dog that can't even eat without grossing everyone out. Oh, Thomas will be along later. Mia decided to treat him to dinner at some restaurant. She said it was because he agreed to bring her with him and train her," Esper said to everyone in the room. His eyes twinkled mysteriously. Vulpix snorted and lay down in a different spot on the couch.
 
Asha snickered. "Lovebirds." Then she sobered and turned to Marcus. "Honestly, if you stay or go is your choice Marcus. If you're one of Thomas' friends as you call yourself, you should have your decisions respected. But don't do this unless you're certain. Think everything through and when we're done here, if you want to leave, Zora and I will take you back ourselves. We'll need to stop at Stonehenge for about a couple hours but then we'll take you back wherever you want to be." She put the rest of the soup away. "But all I'm saying is think about it. I understand why you would think either way. Just don't be ashamed for thinkin' it."
 
Thomas sighed and shook his head. It was well past dark when he got to the RV. That had been the worst dinner he had ever had. Mia had taken him to someplace where you have to battle for your food. So they had a double battle, and Mia's Delcatty had fainted almost instantly. so that left Deluge to take on two pokemon by himself. He had won, but it had been tough. Then they put him and Mia at a table on a raised platform, like some kind of marvel or something, though that part had been really cool. He loved the looks of admiration he had gotten. But Mia had made the dinner miserable. She was complaining that he had showed her up. When he pointed out that Deluge had tried to protect Delcatty, she got mad at him! No, as soon as they were done, he claimed that he needed to get back and ran as fast as he could to where Esper was directing him. He stopped and composed himself. When he was ready, he walked up and knocked on the door. Robby opened it and let him in.
"Enjoy your date?" Robby asked with a grin.
"Bite me," Thomas said as he sat down. Marcus was looking at him oddly, but said nothing. Vulpix had slipped out when the door opened. Esper walked over to him and climbed on his lap. He pet Esper, who lay down and purred.
 
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