The Children Are Hunted

(okay.)

"He's been captured," Zaria reported, returning to her brother's side."

Zoran nodded. "Told you."

"No time for that! We need to find him!"

"No point for that either. They'll likely come after me next." Zoran stood and went downstairs to pick up the left behind Pokeballs. "Poor things," he mumbled. Sighing, he went to go check on Marcus. "All right good and bad news here. Good news, I got Vulpix, bad news, Thomas was captured."
 
"He was WHAT?!" Marcus yelled. Then he quieted down.
"How did that happen? Now what do we do?" Marcus asked. He was afraid of the answer he knew was probably coming. He was more afraid of what would happen if he did nothing. At that moment, Vulpix decided to wake up. He thrashed about wildly, until he realized who it was that was holding him.
"YOU rescued me?" Vulpix asked, a trace of awe in his voice. He looked himself over. He was pretty banged up, and his nose was still bleeding slightly from where that Cubone hit him. He probably had a broken rib, maybe two, if the way his chest hurt was any indication. Best not to thrash about until he had healed.

Esper slowly woke up. He realized he was inside of his pokeball. How had that happened? Last thing he remembered was a fight. A fight he had been winning. He wasn't hurt, so he hadn't been knocked out. He was puzzled. He hadn't heard Thomas call him back either, so that couldn't be it. He was trying to puzzle it out, but no answers came to him. Then, all too soon, he was aware of unfamiliar hands hold his pokeball. They just didn't feel like Thomas'. Esper went wild! He slammed his mental powers as hard as he could, breaking the seal, and freeing him. Instinct took over, and he did the first thing that came to him. He used Psychic and threw everyone in the immediate area twenty feet. The only thing that was left, was the dark, vaguely human shaped creature. This creature that seemed to be hunting him. He growled at it. The others may not see it, but he could. And he cared to much about them to let it hurt them.
 
Zoran frowned. "Well yeah... what you expected us to leave you there?" Getting no answer, he sighed. "We'll get ya to a doctor soon bud, so chill." He turned back to Marcus. "Cause Thomas didn't pay attention to his surroundings and got caught mid-fight. I didn't 'cause I left. What we're gonna do now is find a place to rest that won't get us hunted- Woah!" They all found themselves blown back twenty feet, Zoran clutching Vulpix tight to his chest to make sure it missed him. He remained still, eyes closed tightly.

Zaria trembled. It was that psychic Pokemon again. "Wha-What's wrong?" she asked softly. "I-I can't do anything to you. Why-Why are you growling at me?"

"Of course," Zoran muttered, slowly getting back up. "It's that Espeon. Of freaking course." Zaria froze. Her brother actually sounded angry. Not good, definitely not good. Zoran was terrifying when he lost his temper. "Zar, get behind me." His tone was sharp and she instantly obeyed, hiding. He glared down at Esper, eyes flashing.

"Look, I don't speak Pokemon and I am not your trainer. I get Zaria is unusual and you don't understand why she's here and you think she could hurt you. I cannot expect you to follow me willingly and listen to me. I will go rescue your trainer, with or without you. But I will expect you to do this:" His eyes held ice for a moment. "Leave. My Sister. Alone. I don't care if she's dead, I don't care if you think she is after you. She would have already attacked by now if she was. So leave her be. You scare her and you could hurt her. And I will not let you do that anymore. Do you understand me? I don't care who your trainer is and that you think you're protecting us. Leave. Zaria. Be."

He held out the Pokeball. "You could still have effects from whatever you were attacked by before Thomas was kidnapped. I don't want you to get more injured than you need to. This isn't the last fight we'll be in."

(Feel the wrath of angry Zoran in older-brother mode! XD)
 
"WHAT? You want to just leave him!? Are you out of your mind! We have to go after him!" Marcus said. Suddenly, he found himself flung at least twenty feet. Dazed, he got to his feet.
"What was that?" Marcus asked. The answer was in front of him. Esper and Zoran were trying to stare each other down. Vulpix struggled meekly in Zoran's arms.
"You're crushing me! You brute!" Vulpix yelped. Marcus walked back over to Zoran. He didn't know what they were fighting about, but it looked like it was going to be bad. He got almost the opposite reaction. Esper lay down and flopped his ears back. He stopped growling too. Then his eyes turned a light shade of pink. Marcus got scared, and pulled out his pokeball that held Magby.

Words. More and more words. Esper hated words. He had a very limited understanging of the human words. This boy was full of words. Esper lay down to try and figure the words out. He did a scan of the boy's mind. Protection, touched with more than a little anger. Some fear, but not much. Concern, and love. Love? He followed that channel, and it ran right to the creature. What? Esper wasn't the only one that could see it? Esper was angry at himself for not scanning the boy sooner. He could have saved Thomas if he had scanned everyone he met. Esper tried to scan the creature, but as always, he got nothing but death from it. Maybe it wasn't bringing death. Maybe it was dead already! But if so, what was it doing here? Esper had to find out. Maybe it could help him find Thomas. After all, the dead could do things the living couldn't. Esper reached out his mind, first to each boy, but he found that to difficult to make a link with them. He has a link with Thomas, if he wanted to link with either of them, then he'd have to sever the first link. He was not going to do that! Then he had an idea. Maybe the dead thing would be easier to reach! After all, it was a spirit, and he could see it for what it was, a spirit. He had to try! Tenatively, he reached out his mind to it. Contact established that it used to be a girl, before it was a spirit. The contact wasn't strong, but he was now open to her. He felt a great deal of fear in her! Fear of him? Yes. Also, love of the boy that had been yelling at him. Her mind felt so alien to him, but he had to do something. He tried to convey his own feelings. His confusion, his fear, his love, and his sorrow. He hadn't meant to cause her fear. But he had, and that was inexcusable.
 
Reflexively, at Vulpix's yelping, Zoran loosened his arms. But he kept watching Esper, waiting. He winced at the sensation running though his head. Then, inexplicably, he turned to his sister, who had frozen as her eyes flickered pink. "Zor..." she whispered. "It's in my head..."

"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, sitting down. She shook her head.

"It tingles," she admitted. "And there are weird feelings in it. I... I think he's sorry Zoran. I don't think he understood what I was."

"Sorry," the boy repeated. Then he nodded, looking calmer instantly. "Then explain it to him."

"How?" Zoran smiled placidly, as though he had never gotten angry, and tilted his head.

"How he did with you. Show him." She blinked, wondering how he knew. Then she saw the feeling of it in her head. Zaria nodded and looked back at Esper. She wondered what would make sense. Then she knew.

Zaria sent him a feeling of understanding. Then she sent images, one of a blazing fire and the sound of adults screaming in the night. It was the sensation of a small hand gripping her own as she watched her world burn. Another was of fear, of large hands grabbing her and her world turning white and waking up... waking up to see herself dead and her brother's quiet, empty expression. She showed the Pokemon the joy of being able to stay with him in some way. She compared the images she had been sent along with her own and then brought up one of Thomas, the boy interacting with her brother, and the gratitude she had felt.

"Zoran... he wants me to help him."

"Do you want to?" Slowly, she nodded and Zoran nodded. "Then do it Zaria."

Zaria nodded again and let her eyes flash pink as she tried to ask it for help, to work together but it was difficult. She hoped the message got through. She wanted to help him because Thomas was her friend too and he was her brother's friend and he wanted to help.
 
Esper was very pleased when she returned understanding and acceptance. Then, he recieved the most powerful blast his mind had ever gotten. It hurt very much. His vision blurred, and his mind was on fire. Se looked around, but all he saw were the flames. Humans were yelling everywhere. Then the images abruptly changed. He felt hollow, broken, dead. He wrenched his mind from the contact. He was unable to do anything more. His mind reeled from that attack. Was it an attack? Yes. But, why did he feel understanding, if she was just going to attack him. Feelings couldn't lie! Maybe, maybe it wasn't an attack. Maybe she had tried to communicate with him. But she had sent to much. It had hurt him, and his mind was growing numb. He reached out again after he heard the boy talking to the spirit. All he felt this time was confusion. He couldn't make any sense of it right now, not while the fires were still burning. He broke off the connection gently, and tried to let his mind recover.

Marcus watched in awe as Zoran was talking to thin air. Then he remembered that there was a ghost that always hung around him. He relaxed. Esper put his paws over his head.
"What's he doing?" Marcus asked.
"That's a bit better. Now, I agree with the brute, we should find someplace to make a camp! Then I'll contact my boss and inform him of what has occured! We must get you're friend back! And you, you must not risk yourself!" Vulpix said.
"Me?" Marcus asked.
"Not you! I swear, humans think they are the better race? No, I mean the one holding me!" Vulpix said. He refused to elaborate any further.
 
Zaria blinked, realizing what had happened and tentatively reached out toward Esper's fur. When he didn't growl, she stroked it, looking slightly better. She must have used a bit too much then. Good to know.

Zoran looked down at Vulpix. "Sorry about that," he said cheerily. "Was making sure you didn't get worse off is all. But I don't think you'll have to worry about me risking myself too much. They'll come after me anyway. And why does it matter to you if we get Thomas back? Could it be you actually like having the guy around?" Zoran was grinning but Zaria could tell her brother was on the verge of collapse. He had great endurance most of the time, but it was likely he had been running on empty since the Gym fight. She stayed by Esper, figuring it was best to wait for him to heal up a bit.
 
The Forever Ocean.

Mark awoke to a sharp pain in his head. He could barely move; not because of the pain, he was tied up. He remembered this feeling from being trapped with Merin. He closed his eyes and began to think, but the pain was too great. Where were his Pokemon? He looked over to see the Pokeballs in a bag across the plane from where he was. Merin had taken some extra precautions. Mark had been tied up against the wall, no movement possible. The release switch was next to him, but he couldn't press it without his Pokemon. He wondered what would happen to him once he arrived to wherever he was going. He had tried so hard to get this one badge, and then, he had been taken away from his moment of pride. Maybe Jasmine and Minerva were okay. What about Clair? He had seen her during the battle and planned to grab the badge and run, but Merin had other plans. He stopped to listen in on their conversations. It was Merin and the Lucario, who was piloting the plane.

"Agatha will be pleased. Finally." the pilot whistled.

"Yes, she does seem to have many expectations, but what more could you expect from a human Deviser." the voice deepened to Merin's.

"I feel bad for her assistant, I can't believe she hasn't been fired yet."

"Yeah, Shauntal. That was her name."

Mark stopped listening after that. He had hear enough. He was being carried to some kind of base to be given to this woman, Agatha. Also, it appeared that Shauntal was felt bad for. So, these Pokemon do show some care to other humans. Mark looked around for his bag. He saw it, maybe two inches away, but there was no way to reach. He made his hands into fits and felt a sharp pain. The badge! He started scraping it against the rope. Maybe just the one around his wrist. A small extension would do it. But, of course Merin had noticed and took the bag.

"You think I'll fall for this one again. I must admit, you are quite tactical. But, we Pokemon, are superior. We need no tools to escape. We are powerful. Look at your Pokemon over there in those small cages. You think they like being in there?"

"Then take them out!"

Merin turned around. It was obvious. These Pokemon had no idea had to open Pokeballs. They probably had never seen these tools up close. That gave Mark an idea. But if this worked, he would go for a swim in the Forever Ocean.

"Merin. In that bag, you missed another Pokemon. If you want to give them a good future, then...take that one too."

"That's better. In this bag? Ahhh. Yes, here it is." Merin was falling right into place. This would take a great piece if chance.

"Yes. That is the one. At least let me say goodbye. Press the white spot in the middle."

Merin took time to consider and closed his eyes to read Mark's mind. Mark tried to make his thoughts as sincere as they could appear. Merin smirked, "You may have this final desire." he pressed his slick finger to the small device. The ball opened, revealing nothing. "You tricked me!"

Merin attempted to run, but he was not fast enough to escape the red beam that imprisoned him in the small ball. Mark had untied his feet by then, but not his hands. He ran to grab his Pokemon with his teeth as the Lucario put on auto-pilot. He had them, he tripped the release switch. The Lucario had caught up with him. He couldn't move. He flicked the bag back, hitting Lucario square in the face who then dropped him.

Falling is as scary as it looks. The Forever Ocean lay in front of him, Mark began trying to break through the rope in his hands. If he didn't, he would drown.
 
Marcus still couldn't believe what was happening. He was setting up a camp site. Vulpix was still in Zorans arms. Zoran was looking very tired. Zaria was well, a ghost. Esper was just laying on the ground, his eyes whirling a deep violet color. So he had taken it upon himself to set up camp. Good thing too, because it was getting dark. Vulpix struggled and squirmed until he got free. He hit the ground with an 'oof' and slowly got to his feet.
"Sorry, but I've got to go do something. Don't try and follow me! I'll be back soon," Vulpix said. He walked out of the light as proudly as he could, but couldn't hide the fact that he was limping a little. Marcus watched him go.
"Shouldn't someone go after him? He's in bad shape!" Marcus asked after a moment.

Vulpix walked away from the group. His sense of smell may not be as honed as Garet's, but it was good enough. He couldn't smell anyone following him. But there was another one, one that had no scent.
"Winny, before you come out, I've probably got a ghost following me. I need this to be private! Think you could use your Safeguard to keep it from eavesdropping?" Vulpix said.
"Hmm. Why not?" she replied. Vulpix saw a brief flash of blue, and everything around him became muddled and odd sounding. Winny stepped into view. She was a Wynaut, and her RDM band was a necklace. Vulpix remembered that his was gone. Those humans had stolen it from him.
"Van, it's good to see you!" Winny said.
"I am just Vulpix!" Vulpix said.
"I think your covers been thrown out the window, Van!" Winny said. He didn't want to get her angry. In his weakened state, Vulpix knew he couldn't take her on. Vulpix sighed. She knew he hated his name, and that was why she refused to call him anything else.
"Are you still Destiny Bonded with Trigger?" Vulpix asked.
"Of course, but I would have rather done that with you, Van!" she smiled.
"Good, this is the situation: I have discovered not one, but two CTs! I've been following them, but got captured by the AAPM. Before you ask, I didn't give them anything," Vulpix said.
"How did you escape? They aren't exactly known for turning loose the prisoners," Winny asked.
"The CTs came and rescued me. But one was captured in the process. I'm going to follow them back to the AAPM base. I will need backup. If I have a chance to secure the CT on my own, I will. But I doubt I will get that chance. I want you to put Shadow Tag on me! I will be trackable then," Vulpix said evenly.
"Yeah, by anyone that knows how! And you won't be able to run from a fight! In your condition you'd get caught again! Van, this is stupid!" Winny said.
"Winny, I'll be accompanied by the other CT! I seem to have attracted his attention for some reason. He won't let anything happen to me. Please, we don't have any time to argue about this!" Vulpix said. Winny bit her lit, but she cast her shadow over him, allowing it to merge with his shadow.
"Thanks, Winny! I hope they send someone capable after me, because this will get ugly!" Vulpix said. Winny nodded, and withdrew into the shadows. The move ended and Vulpix walked back to camp. Esper was staring at him.
"What are you looking at?" Vulpix said, wondering if they somehow knew what just occured.
 
Zoran watched the Vulpix go thoughtfully. "Want me to go after him?" Zaria asked.

Her brother shook his head. "I want him to eventually trust us. Besides he told us he would go communicate with his allies. It's nothing to worry about." He sighed. "Anyway... we should be careful. They got Thomas, ten bucks they're tracking me too." He glanced at Esper. "He feeling any better?"

"I dunno. I'm kind of afraid to try that again," Zaria admitted. But it was probably for the best. She sent out a gentle tendril of concern to the Pokemon, wondering if he was okay.

As Vulpix returned, Zoran managed a smile. "I think he's lookin' at you buddy. Now come back over here if you please. I need to change your bandages."
 
Vulpix grumbled a little, but walked over to Zoran. Esper didn't trust him. He had more on his mind than helping the humans. Esper couldn't figure out what it was, but he didn't like it.
"So, what are we going to do?" the human that had been traveling with Thomas asked after a moment. Words again. Esper knew that was all they had, but still. Words were hard. He forced himself to pay attention, because these words would tell him what was going to happen. His mind was still hurting from the last contact with the spirit, named Zaria. he was able to make that much sense from what she had sent him. But his mind pain would pass.
"Well, tomorrow, I'm going after Thomas! I can't let him stay in the hands of the AAPM!" Vulpix said. Esper could sense that there was more than that, but he couldn't tell what. He could see the concern for Thomas with his eyes. He didn't need his mind for that, but it wasn't the only thing there. Esper couldn't find out anymore. Something was blocking him. Something that hadn't been there before he left. He wished he could comunicate! If he could tell someone, they would be careful. But he couldn't. It was so frustrating! Then he had an idea. He had felt Zaria reaching out to him before, but he hadn't been able to respond. Now, he was feeling better, not much better, but better than before. He reached out his own thoughts. It tingled a bit too much for him, but it didn't burn like the last time he tried. He did it. He was broadcasting his pain, and he knew it, but could do nothing. Instead, he focused on his concerns that Vulpix was hiding something. That was all he could send and knew it would be difficult to sort out, but he had to hope she could do it. He was tired, so he lay down next to the fire and went to sleep.

Thomas woke up in a daze. He coughed a little bit.
"Damn it!" he shouted when he looked around. He was in a small cell, with a very solid looking door. He tried it, and found it was locked. He paced around the cell for a moment. It was a comfortabl cell, with a toilet and a shower. A bed on the other side of the room. The bed was bolted to the floor. There was a small window. It wouldn't open, and even if it could, Thomas was too big to fit through it. He scratched at the cast on his arm. It itched like crazy. Thomas had a thought. He was pretty strong, maybe he could use the cast on his arm as a weapon. It was very hard, and heavy. He dismissed the thought. His guards likely had pokemon, and Thomas wasn't stupid enough to take on a pokemon with out one of his own.
"Go sit down on the bed if you expect us to come and feed you!" a man said through the door. Thomas went and sat down as instructed. He was very hungry. The door opened. A Squirtle carrying a tray of food entered the room. It set the tray down. It looked at him sadly.
"Hey, little buddy! How's it going?" Thomas asked. The Squirtle gave him an odd look.
"No talking! Squirtle, get out here now!" the man said. Squirtle walked out the door. Thomas sighed, then he ate the food ravenously. They came back when he was done and took the tray. He tried to talk to the Squirtle again, and got told to shut up.
"Squirtle! Don't even think about making friends with him! You're to worthless for anyone to care about! I don't even know why I keep you around!" the man said angrily.
"Don't listen to him, Squirtle! He's just saying those things to be mean! I want to be friends! I want to take you to make more friends! I want you to be happy!" Thomas shouted. They couldn't make him stop talking, or could they? The man walked in and punched Thomas in the gut. Thomas fell to his knees.
"I told you to shut up! Lets go, Squirtle!" the man said. Squirtle looked at Thomas.
"Fine! Stay here! You deserve to be in a cell!" the man said. He kicked the Squirtle over to where Thomas was crouching and left the room.
"But you won't be getting any dinner! I promise you that!" the man said ruefully. Thomas didn't care, he had skipped meals before. He walked over to Squirtle. He tried to examine where Squirtle was kicked, but Squirtle shied away from him.
"If that's the kind of treatment you get, no wonder you're scared of me," Thomas said gently.
 
Zaria was very quiet as something registered through her head. Esper was in pain. But she couldn't fix that. There was something else there. Mistrust? Of who? She examined it more and inwardly sighed. Vulpix. Of course. She wasn't quite sure she trusted him either. She knew her brother didn't, though deep down, she didn't think Zoran trusted many people in the world. She watched Zoran carefully change the Pokemon's bandages, not even flinching at the wound. She had seen worse.

"You're thinking too maturely again," Zoran murmured slyly, causing her to roll her eyes kindly. Zaria huffed.

"You always say that."

Her brother laughed. "That's because you look six and act sixteen dear girl. Your hair will go grey before mine."

"I doubt that." But she was laughing at him. Doom, who had run off a while ago, came back with various dead animals. Zoran grinned at Cody, who had followed with a pile of sticks.

"Looks like Doom wants roast rabbit. I'm game. Anybody else up for it?"
 
Enter Agatha! Queen of the Graveyard!

So many references to gym leaders and elite four members. XD

Agatha was angry, no, Agatha was furious. How could Merin let the boy escape? They were on a plane, with protected walls, 1500ft in the air. So how, pray tell, could the boy free himself and his Pokemon? Where was he now? He could be anywhere in the Forever Ocean! What if he finds their secret project. From how close he escaped it was obvious he would find it. Plan RISE would have to be put on hold. His father is the leader of their enemy! He'll report back to him. She kicked her chair and threw her fists on her desk as Shauntal ran in with her notebook.

"Scribbling again, Shauntal? Instead of writing that nonsense, go out and find that boy!"

"Yes Madame Agatha. May I take Yamask with me?"

"Fine. Take him and away with you. I must begin...thinking my next plan."

Agatha realized that she would have to report to the other Devisers. Their only lead to the newly found Child Trainers' power and it was gone. It had disappeared off the face of the Earth and into the Forever Ocean. Who knows what else is out there? Besides Plan RISK, nobody had ever ventured into the Forever Ocean. Time to rethink her plan. She sat down and began thinking of ways to find him. The first was to send out her beloved ghosts. She pressed the intercom button to alert them and bring them to her office.

"Will my beloved spirit friends come forth to my office? Thank you all and continue your hard work."

They came and left with her commands. Agatha loved Pokemon. She cared for them with all her heart. That's why she had to destroy the AAPM. Without them in her way, Pokemon could take their place as the rulers of the Earth. Plan RISE may succeed before she would have to, though.

"Madame Agatha! New information on the boy. It appears he can form some kind of connection to the Pokemon. Also, the Arcanine is being sent for." the herald, a Golduck, handed her a video tape. She watched it. It was Merin's point of view from the boy's battle with Minerva. He battled well.

"Wait. Freeze frame it there. What is that?" the small Pokemon battling had glowing yellow eyes. How odd. But that wasn't what she wanted to see. Near the bleachers, there was a young blue-haired girl. A girl who brought nostalgia to Agatha. "Clair." Agatha whispered under her breath.

***********************************************************************

Clair was headed to India. The AAPM had tracked a bird back to a RDM base there. That's probably where Mark was being held captive. She had abandoned her mission to bring him back to base after seeing the pain she had caused him. Her new Bagon, Andy, was sniffing around the gym. He was searching for any small clue to where in India he would be. She walked to the corner where the Kadabra was watching him. Near the bottom of the bleachers there was a small flower like object. A...a Gracidea plant. Those only grow in Kashmir, and are rather popular. So, she was headed there. She hoped he had escaped. It would make her life a lot easier. But, what would she do if she found him? They had her grandmother. They would kill her.

"Grandma. I'll save you."

************************************************************************

Mark drifted off into the Forever Ocean. But, he wasn't being carried by the tides or waves. He was on a Pokemon's back. It was a large bird, yet it could control the waves. It was a white bird, with Psychic aura trailing off its feathers. It's eyes were shaped like raindrops. While the rest of its body was made up of pure white, her eyes were blue. When Mark began to stir, she began to speak.

"At last, you awaken."

"W-where am I? Where am I going?" he could barely open its eyes.

"My underwater friends call me Lugia. Now hush my child, I am taking you to my home."

RISE Island was a few minutes away.
 
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Esper was hungry. That was all that was on his mind right now. That, and that the Houndour had food. Esper walked over to Doom. As soon as Doom put down the food, Esper snatched a rabbit and ran away. He looked back and relaxed when Doom didn't chase him. He lay down and tore into the rabbit ravenously. The boy that had traveled with Thomas the longest made a disgusted face. Esper ignored him. After he had eaten his fill, he started to think again. He knew what Zaria had to do. Spirits could haunt anyone they had a strong bond with, that was clear. Esper had a strong bond with Thomas. The problem was passing that bond to her. He could connect to her mind. Maybe he could pass the bond to her thrrough his memories. But that would cause her a great deal of pain. Even more than when she had inadvertantly passed along her death to him. He couldn't spare her anything. His bond was only as strong as it was because of a lifetime of expierences. All of them would have to go to her. He touched her mind again, as soon as he was ready. He let her see what he was planning to do, then tried to convey his sorrow for having to do it. He sent her the memory of him eating that rabbit, unaltered, and as strong as it was. Then he sent the questioning to her. Questioning whether she wanted to go through the rest of the memories. He kept his mind linked, and hoped she would agree. He knew that the memory of his hunger would show her a little bit of what to expect.
 
Zaria flinched, feeling the memory. She had forgotten the taste of food. She realized what Esper wanted from her and that he wouldn't unless she allowed it. But he wanted to, so badly he wanted to. He had to find his Trainer, his being was screaming for that to occur. He wanted her to be able to track Thomas through him. But if she did, could she lose her bond with her brother? She felt her brother's hand slip into hers and squeeze it gently. It was something only he could do. It settled her heart and she sent a soft assent to Esper.
 
Feeling her unease, as well as her ascent, Esper sent her reassurance. He wasn't going to take anything, just share what he himself had. Then he sent his memories to her. He himself was reveling in those memories as well. How he met Thomas. Following him to school, only for the two of them to skip class and go play. His fear and anger when Thomas was ordered to give him up. The battle with Morgan. His excitement at Thomas stealing the car. His terrible fear when they crashed. He couldn't stop himself. Everything poured out of him. Staying at his bedside until he was about to wake up. Meeting Volt. The rush he felt during the battle with Blitz. Him meeting Vulpix, and blasting some of his memories into the Vulpix's mind when he said that humans were not to be trusted. Meeting Razor. His fear of losing Thomas when he fell off the ledge, and his joy when Razor caught him. Meeting Zoran and his intial mistrust of Zaria. The even more exciting battle with Ember. His open trust of Kevin, and his anger at the betrayel. His joy at flying. The events in that building in the ghost town. His worry that he might never see Thomas again. His hope that now he could help find him. He finished as fast as he could. Afterwards, he lay down. He could do no more. The rest was in her hands. As he had experienced these memories again, it made him realize all over again how lucky he was. He felt he would give his life for Thomas if he had too. He was fading into sleep. He lay his head down. Extending his mind like that took a massive toll on him. He vowed never to do that again, unless his trainer was in danger. He fainted, from the sheer mental shock of it all.

Thomas had finally convinced the Squirtle that he was a friend. The Squirtle was Crying like a baby in his arms. All of a sudden he felt a tug on his mind. Then it was gone. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew Esper had something to do with it.
"I hope he's alright. Hey, come on now! You're going to be fine! I promise!" Thomas said to the Squirtle. Squirtle started crying even harder. Thomas hugged him tightly. All he could do now was wait.
 
Her mind exploded, foreign images filling her head with multiple emotions and events. Zaria reeled from it all for a few moments. Zoran winced, feeling something happening from his own connection to Zaria. The girl kept her mouth shut, going through the memories carefully and slowly. She could feel Esper's pure love for Thomas. She understood this completely. As the memories began to take their place in her head, the pain began to ebb. And something else had happened. She thought, even from here, she could vaguely sense Thomas.

She tried to speak to him, her hand squeezing her brother's tightly. "Thomas? Can you hear me?"
 
Thomas heard someone whispering to him. He looked around. He could barely hear it. Squirtle didn't seem to hear it, he was still soaking Thomas's shirt with a deluge of tears.
"Hey, Squirtle. You want me to name you?" Thomas asked. Squirtle looked up at him. His look said it all.
"I think I'll call you Deluge! Fitting name, right?" Thomas said. Deluge buried his face in Thomas' shirt again. Thomas then realized that he recognized the voice he had heard.
"Zaria!? What the, how did you, what's going on? Where are you?" Thomas asked, bewildered by this turn of events. He stood up and looked out the window. He saw the street outside. He could barely make out a street sign, though he couldn't read it. He wished he knew where he was! Deluge seemed to have cried himself to sleep. Thomas grinned. His situation was getting better, if he hadn't imagined that whisper.
 
The girl gasped softly and grinned at Zoran. "I found him! I don't know where he is, but I've found him!"

"Beautiful job sister," the boy told her with a smile, hugging her tight. "Talk to him, explain what's going on, and see if he can tell us anything."

She nodded. "Esper connected me to you so we could find you," the girl said quietly. "He's really worried about you Thomas and wore himself out trying to find a way to help you. He's not afraid of me anymore. Volt's okay but he's sleeping in the Pokeball. Marcus is with us and we got Vulpix, who's a little banged up. Zoran's glad you're okay. What's happening to you?"
 
Thomas grinned. Esper had figured out how to save him? Well, they all still needed his help. Time to see what he could do.
"Hey guy! I have a question! Where am I?" Thomas asked.
"Why do you want to know?" the man asked.
"Oh come on! I'm bored! I need something to talk about! Where am I?" Thomas asked again. The man swore at him. Then Thomas heard another voice.
"Oh come on, boss! He's just being a little kid! What's the harm in telling him? He won't be here in a few days! You're in Toledo! In a warehouse at the corner of E and 1st. OW! That hurt!" Kevin said.
"Keep your mouth shut! You don't want to encourage him!" the guard said. Thomas repeated the information Kevin had given him to Zaria. He had more instructions for her.
"I don't know if you and Zoran know how to get to Toledo, but Marcus does! When you get there, I have some money in my bag, use it to take a taxi over here! Tell Zoran Kevin is a moron for giving me this inforamation. He'll laugh at that," Thomas said. Then he wondered if Kevin was a little sorry. He knew about Esper, could he have thought the psychic type had somehow gotten in contact with him? He dismissed the thought. Kevin made his choice. He was going to live with it one way or another.
 
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