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The Journey of a Lifetime

Wes1234

Vesalaki and Linda obsessor!
  • 99
    Posts
    18
    Years
    Prologue:

    The pain was tremendous. Unlike anything he ever experienced before. The constant crackling of electricity through his body was enough to kill him and there was nothing he could do against the straps that kept his tiny paws held down firmly against the table. Every second seemed to transform into a minute, a minute seemed to become an hour. His body glowed and he knew what was happening.

    "No... Not yet... Don't want to... Must resist..." the thoughts of the helpless creature cried. Despite how much resistance he used, it was no good, and the body finished its transformation. When it was all over and the pain was gone, he looked up to see his paws were free of the straps.

    "This wasn't suppose to happen. Something's wrong..." commented a human in white clothing. The creature's vision was blurry and he couldn't make out were he was, but he did the only thing he knew to do in this situation; run. Without warning or thought, he leaped off the table and darted through the door.

    "Hey! It got away!" one scientist complained.

    "Well, don't just stand there! Get it!" another man yelled.

    The creature ran as fast as his little legs could carry him despite his still blurred vision, which was improving. Seeing an open door about to close, he darted through there and was suddenly blinded by sunlight, but he kept running and dissappeared into the forest. His escape was successful!




    Chapter 1: Storm of Misfortune


    "This line of severe thunderstorms is what concerns us here at the KBC station. These storms are producing large hail the size of baseballs and has a big history of tornados over northern Texas and they continue to move down through the Williamson County area," the TV reporter commented.

    Outside, the wind was picking up and it started to sprinkle. Wes sat by his room window and looked outside at the darkened area moving ever so closer to his subdivision while his parents were downstairs watching the weather report. When the dark clouds reached his house, the sprinkle became a fully fledged downpour and everything was instantly drenched.

    Then suddenly, the meteorologist said, "This just in, a tornado warning has been issued for Williamson County..."

    "Wes, stop what you're doing and come down here fast!" Wes' mom yelled.

    "...until 8:00 PM tonight," the reporter continued.

    "We're under..." his mom started.

    "A tornado warning... I know. I heard the TV," Wes finished.

    Everyone's attention was on the TV. "If you live in the Leander area, take tornado precautions immediately..."

    "THAT'S US!" Wes yelled.

    "Shhh!" his mom sounded.

    Suddenly, a loud siren sounded and a deep rumbling became more intense by the second.

    "Crap... Get into the bathroom now!" his dad exclaimed as the rumbling grew more intense. The wind sounded outside and seemed to muffle the siren to nothing. Wes and his parents ran to the downstairs bathroom, the only shelter from the approching tornado. Wes' parents reached the bathroom by the time the roof came off. Wes was suddenly lifted off his feet and his dad grabbed his shoe and held onto Wes. The shoe, however did hold. It started loosining and slowly started slipping off. Wes carefully tried to lean forward to grab his dad's hand before his shoe came completely off, but it was too late. The shoe gave in and Wes made a desperate attempt to grab his father's hand, but clearly missed. He let out a scream of terror as he was lifted into the tornado and carried away from his parents. Wes was eventually thrown out of the spinning beast and was heading for the forest down below at an alarming rate. As soon as he hit the top of a tree, Wes blacked out...




    The creature was soaked. The amount of rain falling was just too much for his green fur coat to take. He was so heavily drenched in water, it was hard even to stand up. It eventually got the best of him and he callasped helplessly. He tried to get up but his fur coating was just too much to lift. Right before he blacked out, he heard a heavy thud next to him...




    Wes' eyes flickered for a moment, then slowly, he opened them. He was immediately blinded by the midday sunlight. His entire body was as sore and wet as he had ever felt. The soreness in his right side was an easy reminder of last night's events and he groaned as he tried to stand up. He was suprised that there were no broken bones, but his entire right side was heavily sore and bruised and was enough to make it difficult to stand up.

    He tried to stand up and was successful in doing so. He then quickly realized a strange body that was just to the left of him. A fallen tree wasn't a foot away, but it apparently didn't touch the body. It assumed the shape of something Wes once saw on the anime cartoons he watched on Saturday mornings, but the color was different. It was green and has an orange colored jewel on its head. Its shape was that of a normal Espeon, but its color was not. Its eyes were tightly shut. Its body was limp. Wes carefully put his hand to the strange creature's throat to check for any signs of life. There it was! Unmistakable, a pulse! A heartbeat! It was still alive! Wes took off his heavy jacket, which was miraculously still dry on the inside and threw it on the ground with the dry side facing upward. He then carefully lifted the unconscious animal and placed it in the jacket. He then wrapped the jacket around it carefully and snugly and picked it up afterward. He then walked to a nearby cave and decided to rest there while tending to the strange creature's needs.







    Chapter 2: The Dream... of Survival

    The creature's eyes flickered open slowly and carefully. He looked over to his left to find a human sleeping with nothing to keep him warm. His first instinct was to flee, but the warmth and dryness of the cloth he was wrapped in was too big of a luxury to pass up. He decided to lay there a little longer to regain his strength and then he'd flee. Comforted by the warm cloth, he went back to sleep within seconds of making his decision...




    Wes walked beside his mom at the grocery store, happy as can be. He was about to ask his mom if he could look at the trading cards when suddenly he fell through the floor into some kind of warp hole. His head hurt as random thoughts and senses rushed to his head without warning. Pain... Resisting... 1:00 AM... Scientists... Must flee... Bright sunlight... Wes was on the verge of screaming at these echoing voices...




    The creature was in a beautiful field of flowers. An absolute paradise. Sandy beaches to play on. Others of his kind and his family were there playing cheerfully in the lush tropical leaves that fell from nearby trees. All of a sudden, he fell down through the ground and into a warp hole of some kind. A thousand words and thoughts rushed and overwelmed him within milliseconds. Loneliness... The storm... Tornado... Seperation... Falling down... down... down...




    Both Wes and the animal inside the cave woke with a start at the exact same time. Wes was breathing heavily and fast. After regaining his senses, Wes grasped the real situation.

    "Oh my... It was just a nightmare. But is seemed so real..." Wes said holding his head. He felt like he had a bad headache now, but that was the least of his concerns. He looked over his shoulder to find that the creature was no longer beneath the covers of the jacket. He let out a sigh of relief.

    "At least the little guy seems to be alright. He's not here anymore. I do hope he'll be alright," Wes said to himself reassuringly, but deep down he knew something wasn't right and he didn't know why. Suddenly, his stomach growls and interupts his thinking process. His mind was now on food. He got up and walked out of the cave to search for some grub to snack on. It didn't take him long to find an apple tree full of fresh, ripe apples.

    "What luck!" he exclaimed as he rushed torward the tree. He tripped over a fallen log on his way and slammed head first into the trunk of the tree. His head hurt even more now, but the thought of food kept him conscious. Aruptly, something hard hit his head and he gave a yelp of pain, but quickly recovered to look down to find the apple that hit him. Greedliy, he picked it up and finished eating the apple within half a minute. He was still hungry, though and tried to jump to grab an apple off the tree, but failed miserably. Dissapointed, he hit the tree, only to be hit in the head with yet another apple. His haedache was now at a phenomenal level, but he ignored it. He smilied at his own cleverness. He gave the tree a punch much harder than the first one. Pain springed trough his arm, but he ignored it as well while three more apples fell to the ground. He repeated the process for ten more apples for a grand total of thirteen apples! His arm was stinging with pain, but he didn't care. Satisfied with the "catch of the day," he ate another apple in the same manner as the first and was about to eat another, but shook his head.

    "Better conserve some," he decided wisely. He rushed back to the cave to grab his jacket and ran back to the apple site. He then tied both sleeves shut and started putting apple after apple into the sleeves. Then, he tied the jacket around his waist so he'd have his food with him at all times. Seconds later, he felt a pinch of loneliness. Tears began to roll down his face.

    "Mom, I sure miss you," Wes whispered to himself. He dwelled on the thought for a couple minutes, then he shook it off and walked on into the distance.

    When it became nighttime and Wes realized that he was still lost, he decided to find somewhere to sleep for the night. His lucky streak seemed to continue as he found yet another cave in the side of the cliff. He walked torward it eagerly, but when he was about to enter it, he heard something behind him. He quickly jerked around to catch a glimpse of a green tail that was split in two at the end. Wes smiled. He knew exactly whom that tail belonged to. Before he entered the cave, he took an apple out of his pocket and layed it at the very entrance of the cave. He entered the cave and covered his body with his jacket and watched the entrance. After fighting sleep for five minutes, he caught a glimpse of a familiar dark green figure with the same tail shape he saw earlier swoop by and grab the apple. Wes smiled again and slept content for the rest of the night.







    Chapter 3: The Roots of Friendship

    It was almost midday when Wes woke up from his sleep. He got up and tied his jacket in the same manner he had before, and walked to the entrance of the cave only to be blinded by the bright, noon sunlight. It was somewhat relaxing to feel the heat on his cold body. Feeling the hunger pains in his stomach, Wes took an apple out of one of his jacket sleeves and started eating it. While he was eating, he noticed a figure in the bushes just to the left of him. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes to try to identify it. It was hard to see without his glasses. The green being looked back curiously. It was the exact same animal that Wes tried to help before. After realizing that it had been spotted, the creature ducked down quickly behind the bush. It sure seemed shy.

    "It's all right. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you," Wes said with a reassuring smile. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then, after half a minute, the creature slowly emerged from the bush, walking slowly torward Wes. Wes sat down at the entrance of the cave and took a poket knife he had in his pocket out and flicked it open. The creature stopped. Wes resumed what he was doing without hesitation and cut a piece of the apple off. He then closed the knife and held out the apple piece torward the shy animal. It didn't budge. It just stood there, studying Wes' face, then looked at the held out apple, then back to studying Wes' face. Knowing the creature wasn't going to come any closer, Wes threw the apple piece underhanded and it landed inches from its front paw. That's when Wes noticed something he hadn't seen before. He noticed the skin just above the paws were a little "smooshed" inward as if pressure was applied by something. His thoughts were interupted when the green animal started leaning forward. It sniffed the apple first, hesitated for a moment, then quickly snatched it and backed into the bushes. Wes smiled. Never has he fed a wild animal like that. He was also never more lonely then he was now. His new furry stalker was his only form of company and as soon as the creature slipped into the bushes, loneliness filled his heart again. He resumed eating his apple while his thoughts dwelled on his much missed parents.

    Five minutes later, the creature emerged from the bushes yet again and was less hesitant then before. Wes felt welcomed once again. It stood there and looked at Wes as if to say, "I want more." It was a friendly, peaceful look that seemed to soothe Wes. He took the pocket knife out again and cut another piece of his apple off. He then held it out in the manner as he had before. The creature repeated the routine it had done the last time Wes did this, but this time came closer. It sticked its head out to sniff the apple peice, but then backed up a bit. It then stood there in the same way like before. Wes the tossed the apple piece torward the shy animal and it landed a foot away from him. The creature continued to stand there at first, but then gradually, it moved forward a bit and sticked its head out again and sniffed the fruit. Then, it snatched the apple and leaped back into the bushes, but not before giving Wes a look of graditude. When it dissappeared back into the bushes, Wes was once again filled with sadness. He continued eating the apple while staring at the bushes for the creature's return.

    It did return. It emerged once again out of the bushes after another five minute absense. Wes didn't hesitate to cut off another apple piece. He then once again held it out to the curious creature that stood before him. The creature walked forward with little hesisitance and sniffed the apple in the stranger's hand. It seemed to be comfortable around Wes now. The creature, after sniffing the apple, pawed it a bit and knocked it out of Wes' hand. It then picked up the apple with its mouth and walked torward the bushes again, but did not go in there this time. It layed there in front of the bushes and started eating the apple instead in front of Wes. Wes was shocked at how fast the creature was getting used to him. His loneliness was lifted from his heart.

    When the animal was finshed with the apple, it got up and walked over to Wes with absolutely no hesitation. Wes was quick to cut off yet another piece of the fruit for the creature. The animal looked at it while walking torward him, but stopped directly infront of it. It didn't even bother trying to take it this time. Instead the creature walked to Wes' side and started rubbing against him affectionately. Wes smilied and started petting the animal delicately in smooth motions.

    "Hey there, boy," he said softly and assuringly. The animal seemed to enjoy the makeshift massage it was recieving and began to make a purring like sound. "You want to come with me?" Wes asked hopefully. The creature got in his lap and continued rubbing him. "I'll take that as a yes. You could use a nickname though if you're going to travel with me, though." Wes started racking his mind for a decent nicknamed to give his new furry, green campanion. "Green... Verde means 'green' in Spanish," Wes said to himself while still petting the animal. "You're friendly, maybe something that represents 'good.' Great, trusting, light... Light... Haraki means light in Japanese. Mmmmm... What about Haradi? No... To weird. Verdaki? Nah... Too plain." Then he had it. "Vesaki! No wait. Vesalalki! How do you like that name?" he asked his friend. The creature obviously didn't mind because it licked him on his face. "Haha... Well that's that. Hence forth, you shall be known as Vesalaki."







    Chapter 4: Vesalaki! The Starter and True Friend!

    After the confrontation, Wes and Vesalaki continued their quest to find a way out of the forest. They had be traveling through countless dense areas of the forest when they encountered a dirt path.

    "Alright! It's about time!" Wes exclaimed excitedly.

    They followed the path for a good two and a half miles until they entered a city. Vesalaki appeared very uneasy. Wes took note of this quickly.

    "What's wrong, Vesalaki?" Wes asked worriedly.

    Vesalaki just stared at Wes with a look that seemed to say, "Not now."

    Wes kneeled down to Vesalaki's level and said, "It's alright to tell me. I won't tell anyone." Vesalaki looked to the left of the city and continued to look scared. Wes directed his attention over there. It was a science lab. Then Wes remembered the dream he had the day he slept in the cave for the first time. In the dream, while random thoughts and voices echoed, he ran outside an open door and looked back without stopping and noticed the name of the building. Wes directed his attention back into the real world and focused his eyes to read the name of the lab. "Shakester Lab," the sign read. It was the exact same building he dreamt about, letter for letter! "This can't be real. This is all a dream. This is all a dream," Wes said to himself continously. He looked at Vesalaki. Vesalaki looked back and nodded. "You mean to tell me the dream was a vision of the past?"

    Again, Vesalaki nodded, and Wes immediately understood why Vesalaki was scared to enter the city.

    "Hey, boss, I found the Espeon. It's on the edge of town. Bring some back-up, too. There's a kid here," a guy running torward him said into his radio.

    "Hold on a sec! What do you want?!" Wes asked angrily.

    "That Espeon! That's what. It was being used in our experiment about a week ago, but it escaped. Hand it over or else!" the man threatened. He took a strange ball off his belt and enlarged it with a press of a button.

    "Try me!" Wes yelled back coldly. Suddenly, a whistle blew and a female officier rode up on a motor-bike.

    "Something wrong here?" she asked.

    "No... I was ju..." the man said before Wes interupted.

    "Actually, yes ma'am. This dork here is threatning to take my Espeon from me 'or else.' He also said something in his radio about needing back up because I was here with Vesalaki." Wes explained.

    "No wait... He... This kid... Well..." The man was panicing. Then, he suddenly took off running, scared.

    "You all right?" the officer asked generously.

    "Yeah, I guess so. Who was that guy?" Wes asked.

    "He's someone that's part of an organization we've been having trouble with lately. He's broken in houses claiming he was looking for a specimen. He works for that lab over there. That lab is notorious for conducting cruel pokemon experiments, but we can't do anything about it. There's just too many criminals in there. If we were to try to stop them, they could hurt the people in this town and maybe even worse. I recommend staying away from that lab."

    "You've got my word."

    The officer studied Wes for a moment. "What's your name, son?"

    "Wes."

    "I knew you looked familiar! You're that missing teenager from Leander. A tornado hit your house and swept you away. It's been all over the news! Your parents will be thrilled to know you're all right! What a miracle!"

    "Well, considering that..."

    The officer interupted. "We better move. If what you said about that guy is true, more criminals will be here soon."

    "Good idea." Wes, Vesalaki, and the officer started walking torward the nearest building.

    "Your Espeon sure looks tired. Why don't you take a quick stop by the Pokemon Center?"

    "My thoughts exactly," Wes replies quickly.

    When they entered the Pokemon Center, many trainers turned to look in Wes' direction and made Wes uneasy, but he endured it. One trainer with a normal Espeon walked up kindly. She was a girl with brown hair and looked very friendly.

    She turned to the other trainers and said, "Come on guys. You know staring isn't nice. Back to what you were doing." The trainers did so.

    "Thanks, Sakura," the officer complimented. She then goes off to the side for something.

    "Anytime. Besides, I couldn't help noticing your Espeon. Those strange colors make it look cute!" she said. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry! I totally forgot about manners!"

    "It's alright. I guess Vesalaki is something rare. I've only been with him for less than a week," Wes states.

    "For short-term relationship, you two seem pretty close. My name's Sakura."

    "Wes is the name. Nice to meet you," Wes says politely. He and Sakura shake hands. "This is Vesalaki, my Espeon."

    "I may not have a fancy name for mine, but this is my Espeon," Sakura gestures torward the Espeon next to her. Vesalaki and the other Espeon immediately like each other and start to paw each other affectionately. Wes and Sakura giggle.

    "I assume you're not a registered pokemon trainer yet are you, Wes?" officer Jenny asks.

    "Not yet. Why?" Wes replies.

    "You need to be registered if you want to keep that Espeon. All we need is a quick picture and the registration is complete."

    "Sure, I'll do it real quick." Wes says eagerly. He walks over and poses for the camera. It flashes, comfirming that the picture was taken successfully.

    "Here you go." Jenny hands over a trainer card with Wes' picture on it. "I'll be right back. Stay here."

    "OK," Wes says. Sakura and Espeon walk over and notices the shiny new card.

    "You're new, eh? This isn't really the best place to start a journey you know," she comments.

    "Whoa, hold on here! I don't plan on starting a journey. I just want to see my parents again," Wes says.

    "Oh... Well, have you ever considered embarking on one?"

    "Not really, but now that you mention it, I might. I don't know much, though. I didn't know pokemon even existed."

    "Well, now you do. If you want to start a quest, you could always travel with me."

    "Are you serious?"

    "Sure. I've always been alone and Espeon and I could use some company. We could even train together if you wanted."

    "OK, I can't say no to that," Wes says all excited.

    "It's done then. Whenever you're ready we can set off."

    "But first, you'll need to go to Pallet Town and visit Professor Oak," Jenny breaks in. "There, you'll be able to begin your quest officially. Don't worry, I've already contacted you parents and they're alright with it, but they want to see you soon."

    "OK. Tell them I said hi," Wes says happily. "If you're ready, Sakura, we can head out."

    "Sure, lets go!" she responds excited.

    The two new friends walk out with their Espeons and begin to head for Pallete Town.







    Chapter 5: On the Road to Pallete

    "OK, so what road do we take to get to Pallet Town?" Wes asked curiously as Sakura and him walked to the edge of town.

    "It looks like we need to take the Edgan Path. We should be there in... Oof!" Sakura bumped into a man that just stood there looking at them and didn't bother to move out of the way.

    "If that officier didn't scew things up, I would have done this a whole lot earlier!" the man said. He walked over to Wes, picked him up off his feet, and shook him hard. "Hand over that green Espeon or else! This is your last warning!" It was the same man that confronted him upon entry into the town!

    "Over my dead body!" Wes replied fiercly. Vesalaki ramed the man in the leg, then sank his teeth into his ankle right where it was tender.

    "AHH! GET IT OFF! OH GOD! GET IT OFF!" the man screamed and franctically started running around. Vesalaki didn't let go. Instead he applied even more pressure while his body was being flung around like a rag doll, hitting the ground occasionally.

    "Vesalaki!" Wes screamed horrically.

    "Espeon, Confusion!" Sakura ordered. Espeon's eyes glowed and within seconds, the man, with Vesalaki still hanging on, were lifted into the air. The man was still frantically moving and screaming.

    "Vesalaki, now would be a great time to let go!" Wes shouted. Vesalaki obeyed and reliquished his grip. He dropped down and "limp-ran" over to Wes. "You alright?" Wes asked worriedly.

    "Espeon, send him away with Psychic!" Sakura commanded. Espeon's eyes grew even brighter and the area around him seemed to intesify. The man was lifted into the air and thrown into the side of Shakester Lab. "Come on, we better move!"

    "OK," Wes responds and picks up Vesalaki and runs with Sakura up Edgan Path.

    They ran for a good ways until they knew for sure they were a quarter mile away from the city and stopped to rest.

    "I owe you all one back there. Thanks a lot." Wes complimented.

    "Anytime, Wes. I'm just glad it didn't turn out worse," Sakura said relieved. "Vesalaki obviously didn't tolerate what that scientist did back there grabbing you. That's a pretty brave thing your Espeon did. It obviously likes you a whole lot."

    "Don't tell me. Tell Vesalaki here. He deserves the credit," Wes said happily as he examined Vesalaki's body for any signs of injury. "Looks like he took a good licking of his leg. Afterall, he was limping on it quite a bit when he ran away from the man and into my arms. You have any cooling packs with you?"

    "I have a one that can be strapped on to that leg if that works."

    "Plenty. Hand it here."

    Sakura digged in her bag, found it, then handed it over to Wes. Wes wrapped the pack around Vesalaki's leg and tied it snugly and comfortably. After he was done, Vesalaki licked him on the face.

    "Looks like he'll be alright. Just a big fat bruise," Wes told Sakura.

    "Will he be able to walk?" Sakura asked.

    Wes looked at Vesalaki. They both nodded.

    "Well, lets get going then. The sooner we get to Pallet, the better," said Sakura.

    "My thoughts exactly," Wes replied. Sakura's Espeon walked torward Vesalaki and helped him get up.

    They continued walking up the slope of the path. When they reached the top of the hill, Sakura spoke.

    "So, you two have been together for less than a week, eh?"

    "Yeah."

    "What did you do to make Vesalaki like you so much?"

    "It's a long story." Wes didn't want to tell.

    "Oh, come on. Tell me. I won't laugh."

    Wes giggled. "Alright, if you insist. You're going to think I'm crazy, though."

    "Try me," she pressed on.

    "It all started during a stormy night. My parents and I lived in a decent old house. During that stormy night, a tornado ripped through our subdivision. Worst part was that I was caught up in it. Last thing I remembered before blacking out was falling into a dense area of a forest."

    "Wow. That must be scary. You're quite lucky."

    "Considering that the worst injury was just a badly bruised side, yeah, definately. Anyways, when I woke up, I noticed somthing just to the left of me. It was unconscious and soaked with water, but still alive. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around the little guy Then I picked it up and walked into a nearby cave and slept with him. I'm guessing that's how it all started. When I woke up again, Vesalaki wasn't in the jacket anymore. I assumed he was alright and continued about my business. The next night, I noticed him following me, but he obviously didn't want to be spotted because I only saw his tail. I left an apple, which I got earlier on in the day, in front of the cave I entered to rest up for the night. Minutes later I saw him swoop by and grab it."

    "That's got to be the coolest way to obtain a new friend!"

    "We weren't really close to each other back then. It was just a simple 'when convenient' relationship. He kept me company while I fed him to keep him from going hungry. It continued through the morning, too. I was eating another apple when he came out of the bushes and started at me. I gave him a peice and he took it. We repeated that process at least 3 times, and slowly I gained his trust. Now we're the best of friends. I don't know what either one of us would've done without the other."

    "Wow... That's amazing."

    "Yeah, it is." Wes sounded a little sad.

    "Is something wrong?"

    "Huh? Oh... No. Nothing's wrong."

    "Come on. I see it in your eyes."

    "You wouldn't understand..." Wes insisted. He didn't want to talk about the nightmare he had the first time he slept with Vesalaki.

    "Is this the part you think I'll laugh at?"

    "I just feel more comfortable telling the professor."

    "Oh."

    It was silent for a few seconds except for the footsteps they were making. Then, Wes spoke again.

    "OK, I'll tell since you probably know something about Espeons. You know that lab that your Espeon tossed that man against?"

    "Yeah. What about it?"

    "Well, when I slept with Vesalaki for the first time in the cave, I had a dream. A nightmare. And I think Vesalaki has some unpleasent memories there."

    "You mean Vesalaki shared a vision of its past with you?"

    "I think so. Is that normal? Vesalalki was hesitant to enter town when he saw that lab. It's the same one I saw in the vision."

    Sakura looked at her Espeon, and then at Vesalaki. Vesalaki looked away.

    "No, it isn't normal. I've never had that happen to me when I sleep with my Espeon. I'm sure the professer will know, though."

    "Lets hope so because it worries me. I don't know if Vesalaki can control it or not."

    "Did it happen any other times?"

    "That was the only time I slept with Vesalaki."

    Sakura did seem worried. In the distance, they saw tops of buildings ahead.

    "That's Pallet Town up ahead!" Sakura said excitedly.

    "Good. This walking is killing me. I definately need to work out more..."







    Chapter 6: Odd Past, Odd Powers

    Sakura led the way through Pallete town to Professer Oak's labratory. Once at the front door, Sakura knocked. A young man opened the door and spoke.

    "Sakura! It's about time you made it," he said. "And you must be Wes." He held out his hand. "My name's Tracey."

    Wes shook hands with Tracey. "Nice to meet you."

    "Wow..." Tracey looked down at Vesalaki. "This Espeon is quite unique. I've never seen one with this kind of coloring." Tracey kneeled down and said to Vesalaki, "I'm Tracey. Nice to meet you, little guy." Vesalaki licked him on the nose. Wes laughed.

    "His name is Vesalaki, and we've only known each other for less than a week," Wes said.

    "Come on in, please," Tracey said politely.

    "Well, you two finally got here," someone in the lab said. It was obviously Professor Oak. "It's a pleasure to... WHA...?!" Upon entering the room, Professor Oak saw Vesalaki and was amazed at the colors. "That's quite an Espeon you have there, uhhh... What was you're name again?"

    "Wes," he replied. "What about Sakura's Espeon?" Wes said sarcastically. "She's raised it well, too you know."

    Sakura laughed. "Well, yeah, that's true, too."

    "Sorry... Guess I was a little side tracked," Oak said.

    "It's alright. I've had to go through 'Attention-ville' plenty of times today. I walked into a Pokemon Center ealier today only to be stared at by every trainer in the building," Wes said. "Anyways, why'd you want me here, Professor Oak?"

    "Oh yeah, follow me, please," Oak said.

    Sakura, Wes, and Tracey all followed Oak to his computer desk where he grabbed 6 round balls that were red on top and white on bottom, and a red device. He held them out to Wes.

    "You'll need these for you're quest. Your Pokedex and 6 pokeballs for catching and storing pokemon. Now, I would normally ask you which of three starter pokemon you'd want, but you seem to already have a pokemon," Oak said looking at Vesalaki.

    "Yeah. Vesalaki here could be my starter if that's alright," Wes said.

    "Perfectly alright. I do want to know, though, how..." Oak paused for a moment. "Nevermind. It's not in my position to ask."

    "I'll answer whatever you have to ask. I want to ask you something as well."

    "Oh, alright then. How did you come across such a unique Espeon. Finding Eevees are hard enough, let alone a strangely colored Espeon."

    "Lets at least sit down in the other room while we talk, guys," Tracey suggested.

    They all walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

    "It all started..." Wes began, but Sakura interupted.

    "How about I explain? You've already had to explain to me earlier," Sakura suggested.

    "OK, thanks." Wes said and relaxed himself.

    Sakura explained Wes' adventure from the time the storm struck to when Wes and Vesalaki became friends.

    "You've got to be one of the most caring trainers I've ever met, Wes." Oak complimented. "Sakura said something about a 'vision of the past,' though. Could you explain that?" Oak asked.

    "That's what I was going to ask about, Professor. If wether or not stuff like that is normal for Espeons?" Wes asked.

    "Not from what I know. I've never even heard of such a thing. Tell me more."

    "The weird thing is that the same lab that I had a nightmare was in the last town I visited. Vesalaki looked very uneasy when we entered the city."

    "What if... Wes, have this happened more than once?" Oak asked.

    "Wes told me that it only happened the time the slept together. What if Vesalaki's 'vision sharing' power only affects the people that are asleep near him?" Sakura suggested.

    "That's a good theory of yours, which would explain that only time they slept together. Hey Wes, do you think you could let your Espeon sleep with me tonight? We could see if Sakura's theory is true of not, and if it is, I can get a better idea of what's going on with him."

    Wes looked at Vesalaki. Vesalaki nodded back. "Sure. Just be careful, though. He's pretty shy."

    "Of course, Wes."




    When the sun went down, eveyone was tired and went to bed. Wes, Sakura, and her Espeon took the sofa while Oak slept with Vesalaki to test Sakura's theory.




    30 minutes later, Professor Oak woke with a start. Vesalaki also woke up from what seemed to be a nightmare. Oak got up from out of bed and looked at his clock and groaned. 9:30 PM. Ony thirty minutes of sleep. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee.

    "What are you doing up this early, already?" Tracey asked tired.

    "Sakura was right. Wes' vision was also the same one I just had. The one about the lab..." Oak said. "It was terrible. I'm afraid that Wes' Espeon was forced to evolve in a science experiment. Worst of all, it was forced to evolve at the wrong time."

    "What do you mean wrong time? And why would Wes force Espeon to evolve?"

    "No. Not, Wes. A scientist did it. Otherwise, Wes' Espeon wouldn't care so much about his trainer. And what I mean by wrong time is that... Well.. You know how an Eevee evolves into an Umbreon with the love and compasion of a friend from midnight to noon? Espeons evolve the same way, but from noon to midnight. This one evolved at 1:00 AM, during the time that UMBREON would have been the evolution. That alone may have caused this. It's possible that Wes' Espeon may be unable to use its Psychic powers because it's out of sync with its own power!" Oak explained.







    Chapter 7: Psych-tacular!

    Vesalaki stayed up all night. He simply could not fall asleep after he heard what the Professor said about his powers being 'out of sync' and 'uncontrollable.' He knew Oak didn't mean any harm, but he was also afraid that Wes would abandon him and he'd be alone once again...

    Vesalaki stared out of the living room window at the full moon. "Why?" he thought. "Why did I have to be the one Espeon that can't control their own speciality? It's just not fair!" Tears started dropping down his face.


    "You alright?" A voice behind Vesalaki asked. Vesalaki turned around. It was Sakura's Espeon. "What's bothering you?"

    "Nothing... I got something in my eye..." Vesalaki lied.

    "That's got to be the worst and most noticable lie I've ever heard. I can tell something's bothering you! Come on, I want to help."

    "What would you know about being the most powerless Espeon ever, HUH?!" Vesalaki said harshly.

    "There's more to life than power, you know. And you're not powerless."

    "You just saying that."

    "No, really. I used to be an Eevee. You think you're powerless right now? You don't know what it's like being as powerless as a puny Eevee."

    "That's exactly what I felt like in that lab back in the city! I was strapped down to a freaking table while electricity ran through my body! You don't know NOTHING! I rest my case!" Vesalaki said angrily.

    Sakura's Espeon was getting mad now. He ramed Vesalaki against the wall with his head and pressed his paws against Vesalaki's chest. He was pratically 'shout-whispering.' "Look, pal! All I'm trying to do is help! If you don't want my help, then I can just simply go right back to sleep and forget I ever knew you! If you didn't want to be bothered, you could've at least told me to leave you alone!" Espeon backed away while Vesalaki had a look of shock on his face. "Now I rest my case." Espeon went back in front of Sakura's sofa and layed back down.

    Vesalaki was speechless. After sitting there in shock for a few minutes, he walked to the back door, which was left partially open, and dissappeared into the night...




    "Wes! Wes, wake up!" Tracey said while shaking Wes. "It's terrible!"

    "What? What is it?" Wes said half asleep.

    "Your Espeon has dissappeared!"

    "WHAT?!" Wes was fully awake now. "Well, I'm finding him!" he said as he got up in a hurry.

    Sakura ran to him. "Hey, I heard what happened. Vesalaki is gone, but that's not all! So is my Espeon!" she said.

    "I think I know who is behind this... Probably that guy we had a run-in with," Wes theorized.

    "We better split up," Tracey suggested. "We'll cover more ground that way."

    "Well, what are we waiting for? Lets go..." Wes said, but Oak stopped him.

    "Before we search, I need to say something," he started.

    "Go on..." Sakura said curiously.

    "Sakura, you're theory was correct. I had the same dream Wes had. That one 'vision of the past,' and I think I've come up with a theory as to why Vesalaki has hated that lab. We all know the way that Eevees can evolve into Espeons and Umbreons. Espeon evolves during PM, Umbreon during AM. Your Vesalaki, Wes, may have been forced to evolve at 1:00 AM if my dream was correct, the time that he was suppose to have evolved into UMBREON! If that's the case, then that means Vesalaki is..."

    "...out of sync with the Psychic force and in sync with the Darkness," Wes finished slowly.

    "Exactly."

    "So, his natural abilities haven't been taken away, just his form and types of attacks that he can learn," Sakura spoke.

    "Very likely," Oak said.

    It was quiet all around for a few minutes before Sakura suggested to start the search...




    Vesalaki sat at the water's edge and stared into his own reflection. Now, there were two things he couldn't get out of his mind. His inferiority and Espeon's anger torward him.

    "Why do..." Veslaki's thoughts were inturrupted by the sound of something firing, then a familiar voice crying for help. It sounded like it happened further ahead of him. Vesalaki took off in that direction, leaping on the stones in the lake to reach the other side where the forest took over and where the person in need help was. When the trees cleared, Vesalaki was shocked to find what he found.

    Sakura's Espeon was trapped in a net hanging underneath the side of a helicopter, struggling to get out. Evil laughter sounded behind the helicopter and two humans revealed themselves.

    "Well, that was so easy, I could've have stole the Espeon in my sleep!" one of the two said.

    "I have to say, Bip, you've really outdone yourself," replied the other person. She was a woman.

    "THE NAME IS BUTCH! BUTCH! BUTCH! WHY DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS EVERYTIME I SPEAK TO SOMEONE?! IT'S BUUUUTCH!!" the man said angrily.

    The woman wasn't phased. She looked at their catch of the day and said, "Wait a minute... Wasn't the Espeon that Dr. Nanba wanted us to grab green?"

    "Oh no, you mean we did this for nothing, Casidy? What kind of..." Butch then noticed Vesalaki. "Ooooh! Green Espeon sited!" Butch pointed at Vesalaki.

    "Just our day! Let's bring both of these Espeons to the boss and get our reward," Casidy said greedily.

    Sakura's Espeon looked up and saw Vesalaki.

    "What are you doing here? I thought you hated me," Espeon spoke in poke-language.

    "Lets just call this a returned favor," Vesalaki replied.

    "It looks like these two can talk up a storm. It would be a shame to sperate them..." Casidy said and laughed.

    Vesalaki's anger torward these two humans skyrocketed. His body began to glow a dim white color and 2 little, white dotted rings appeared and began slowly spinning faster and faster around his body until they were a blur.

    "Oh no! It's a Hidden Power attack! Why did you have to scare it?!" Butch said shaking Casidy.

    "You were the one doing the yelling about some stupid name, Bip," Casidy said back.

    "THEEEE... NAAAAME... IIIIS... BUUUUTCH!!" Butch screamed into Casidy's face.

    While the two were fighting, Vesalaki launched a thin white beam...




    An explosion sounded in the distance. Wes looked in the direction it came from to find a cloud of smoke emerging from the forest. Everyone saw it and ran over to Wes.

    "Do you think that's where they are?" Sakura asked

    "There's only one sure way to find out," Wes commented.




    When the smoke cleared, the helicopter was destroyed and Sakura's Espeon was free from the net. Butch and Casidy were steaming mad now.

    "How dare that little brat... We'll show you! Go, Mightyena!" Butch said.

    "You too, Sableye!" Casidy commanded.

    The two pokemon appeared out of their pokeballs and awaited instructions.

    "Mightyena, use Bite!" Butch said.

    "Sableye, use Shadowball!" Casidy instructed.

    Mightyena leaped forward, with his mouth wide open, at Vesalaki while Sableye charged up his Shadowball. Vesalaki and Espeon charged forward head on with their Quick Attacks. Vesalaki struck Mightyena and sent Mightyena flying backward into a nearby tree. Espeon, however, went straight through Sableye. Sableye launched his Shadowball and hit Espeon. Espeon was knocked down flat. He was barely able to get up.

    "Mightyena, use Take Down!"

    "Sableye, Fury Swipes!"

    The two charged forward torward Vesalaki and Espeon.

    "Espeon, use Swift!" Sakura suddenly said.

    "Vesalaki, use..." Wes started, but was cut off by Vesalaki's actions. Vesalaki started glowing white again and the rings appeared again in the same spinning. Vesalaki launched the white beam torward Sableye and struck for a deadly hit. After being knocked down by the attack, Sableye struggled to get back up.

    "So that's Veslalaki's Hidden Power... Most impressive..." Oak commented.

    Espeon launched Swift attack and it hit Mightyena. Mightyena was flung back against Sableye, Casidy, and Butch.

    "Vesalaki, lets finish them up with one more Hidden Power!" Wes commanded. Vesalaki glowed once more and the rings appeared in their spinning motion for a third time as Vesalaki launched the beam once again. It hit them with so much force, that it actually caused an explosion that sent Butch and Casidy flying into the air.

    "Oh man! We were this close, Butcher!" Casidy complained.

    "THE NAME IS BUUUUUUTCH!!! DIDN'T YOUR MOTHER EVER TELL YOU TO REMEMBER OTHER PEOPLE'S NAMES?!" Butch yelled at Casidy.

    "Well, it doesn't matter because we're..."

    "...blasting off again!" the two finished before they dissappeared into the sky.

    Vesalaki and Espeon looked at each other.

    "Now we're even for when you helped me in that town," Vesalaki said with a smile.

    Espeon giggled. "Now, wasn't I right about you not being powerless?"

    "Lets just forget what happened last night," Vesalaki replied.

    "You showed some power back there, I have to admit. If it wasn't for you, I'd be as good as gone."

    Vesalaki blushed. "Well, I..."

    "Vesalaki!" Wes said running over to him. Vesalaki jumped into Wes' arms. "Vesalaki, that was amazing!"

    "I must say, despite Vesalaki's problems, that was beyond belief!" Oak commented.

    "And that Hidden Power attack was so awesome! I don't think I've ever seen one that strong. THAT's power!" Sakura complimented. "Hey, Wes, if you want, I would love to battle you!"

    "Really?" Wes was suprised at the challenge he received.

    "Go for it, Wes! I'd say you have a fair shot at winning," Tracey encouraged.

    "It's been a little while since I faced a good trainer," Sakura said.

    "But I've only started training. Vesalaki and I haven't been together that long," Wes said.

    "I honestly think that you could possibly win, but don't think I'll go easy on you just because we're friends."

    Wes was silent for a good while. He looked at Oak and Tracey. They nodded. Wes nodded back.

    "It's a deal, but first, lets rest up," Wes said. "I want to face your Espeon at its toughest! Not when its tired."







    (Chapter 8 coming soon! And please, don't be afraid to comment.)
     
    Last edited:
    I read chapters 1 and 2.
    Interesting so far. At first I thought the Pokemon was Pikachu when I read the beginning....Dunno why, it just reminded me of it.
    But wow...Poor Espeon. T-T
    Good fic though, its well written. x3
     
    Chapter 8: Rivaly Suprises

    Later on that afternoon, Sakura and Wes went outside to have their battle. Tracey and Oak stood on the "sidelines" and watched. Oak was the judge of the match. The sun was almost down.

    "This one on one match between Sakura of Ecruteak City versus Wes of Leander will now commence! No time limit! The match will end when either one of the trainer's pokemon are unable to battle!" Oak declared.

    "Give it all you got, Wes! No holding back!" Sakura shouted.

    "I expect the same from you!" Wes shouted back.

    "Begin!" Oak said, signaling the match's start.

    "We'll let you go first, Wes!" Sakura said

    "Fine by me. Vesalaki, use Wish!" Wes commanded. Vesalaki glowed a bit and looked up. A shooting star flew across the sky.

    "Espeon, use Swift attack!" Sakura declared. Espeon sprayed and hit Vesalaki with the white stars, but Vesalaki easily withstood it.

    "Use Bite!" Wes said.

    "Quick Attack!"

    Vesalaki leaped forward with his teeth plainly visible and made a tremendous effort to lash forward with Bite, but Sakura's Espeon dodged with Quick Attack and struck Vesalaki hard. The attack seemed to hit a tender spot because Vesalaki had a lot of difficulty trying to stand up. He seemed to be weak.

    "Espeon, lets finish this with Swift!" Sakura said confidently.

    "Hidden Power now!" Wes declared.

    Vesalaki's body glowed and the familiar white rings appeared. They span faster and faster until they reached their maximum velocity. When Sakura's Espeon launched Swift, Vesalaki launch Hidden Power. The two attacks collided with increadible force, but Vesalaki's attack had more momentum. The Hidden Power attack had no problem bursting through the white stars and shreading them to peices. Sakura's Espeon was hit dead on for a powerful blow. Vesalaki's body glowed even brighter as the delayed effects of Wish kicked in, giving Vesalaki even more of an advantage.

    "Vesalaki, use Quick Attack!" Wes said trying to finish Espeon off.

    "Two can play at that game," Sakura remarked.

    Sakura's Espeon got up quickly and charged at Vesalaki. Vesalaki charged back. The two rival pokemon collided and were both sent flying backward upon impact. Both pokemon landed on all fours and appeared to be getting worn out.

    "Hidden Power, Vesalaki!" Wes commanded.

    "No way are we going to fall for that again! Espeon, Confusion!" Sakura reacted.

    Vesalaki charged up and launched the white beam, but instead of hitting home, Sakura's Espeon used Confusion to send the attack right back.

    "What the..." Wes said suprised. "Dodge it!"

    Vesalaki avoided a direct hit, but got a bit cooked on his side.

    "Use Psychic, Espeon!" Sakura commanded.

    Within seconds, Vesalaki was lifted of the ground, wincing in pain from the attack.

    "Come on, shake it off!" Wes said nervously. Then he thought of something and whispered to himself, "Wait a minute... Espeon can't use two attacks at one time, maybe we can... Vesalaki, use Hidden Power again!"

    "Why's he using the same attack when it failed before?" Tracey asked.

    Vesalaki was still in pain, but managed to begin charging for the attack.

    "Espeon, release him and use Confusion fast!"

    It was too late. The attack fired and hit Espeon before he had time to react. It seemed to hit a vulnerable spot, too. Espeon had diffuclty getting up.

    "Come on, Espeon, I know you can do it!" Sakura insisted.

    "Lets wrap this up... Vesalaki, use Take Down!"

    Vesalaki ran at full speed torward Espeon while Espeon struggled to get up.

    "I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!" Sakura encouraged her Espeon.

    Sakura's voice seemed to spark the remains of Espeon's strength as it suddenly glowed a blinding, bright yellow color. Vesalaki hit Espeon dead on and sent Espeon back, but it somehow quickly recovered.

    "What the...? What just happened?" Wes said confused. "That should've finished you."

    "I'm as lost as you are..." Sakura admitted.

    "Oh no! This can't be!" Wes exclaimed as Espeon's body ceased to glow yellow. "Sakura, your Espeon just learned Morning Sun!"

    "Huh?" Sakura was shocked. Sakura's Espeon looked back and nodded. "Awesome! OK, Espeon, use Swift while running forward!"

    "Hidden Power and hurry!" Wes demanded.

    Espeon ran head on torward Vesalaki while shooting the star projectiles from its mouth. Vesalaki was still charging for Hidden Power when Swift hit to stop the attack. The rings faded and Vesalaki was left vulnerable to another attack.

    "Vesalaki!" Wes cried helplessly.

    "Finish this up with Quick Attack!" Sakura said more confident than ever.

    Espeon leaped up and hit Vesalaki with full power and sent him flying the base of a nearby tree. Vesalaki slid down the tree and collapsed at the bottom. Vesalaki was too dazed to move.

    "Vesalaki is unable to battle! This match goes to Sakura and her Espeon!" Oak declared, signaling the end of the match.

    Wes ran over to his fallen comrad while Sakura celebrated with her Espeon.

    "Great job Espeon! You were amazing there in the end! You pulled through, buddy!" Sakura said happily.

    "Vesalaki..." Wes said quietly as he put his hand on Vesalaki's head and patted him. "Vesalaki, you alright?"

    Vesalaki looked up at Wes and nodded. He struggled to try and get up. Wes helped him and said, "You were outstanding back there! You've made me very proud today." Vesalaki licked him on the cheek to show affection. Wes laughed and said, "Hey, that tickles! Stop!" Vesalaki didn't quit and continued licking him.

    Sakura and Espeon walked over while Wes and Vesalaki were having fun. "That was some battle out there. You almost had me."

    "Ahhh... What can I say... Beginner's luck," Wes said after Vesalaki stopped.

    "More than that," Oak replied. "You and Vesalaki were perfectly in sync. I'd have to say that in all my years of research, I have never seen a trainer and a pokemon this close together within just a few days of meeting each other. The trust you two have in each other is equivalent to that of Sakura and her Espeon. It wasn't beginning's luck. That was the power of your bond with Vesalaki out there that made the match that close dispite his dissabilities. When you commanded that Hidden Power attack while Vesalaki was immobilized in middair, Vesalaki had faith in you and that's what helped him summon the power to launch the attack."

    "Speaking of which, is there anyway to help 'sync up' Vesalaki? You know, help him gain control of his Psychic powers?" Sakura asked.

    "I can't do anything," Oak replied. "...but I have a friend in the Orre Region that might help."

    "Really?" Wes said trying to clarify.

    "Yes. I did a little research earlier on that lab you were talking about. It turns out it belongs to Cipher," Oak said.

    "A shadow pokemon organization..." Wes commented.

    "How did you know?"

    "I just heard about them and what they're purpose was two days ago on TV."

    "Anyways, we did more research and what we uncovered was shocking..." Oak said. He seemed a bit worried.

    "What did you find?" Sakura asked.

    Oak sounded a little hesitant. "I think it's something that only Wes should see."






    (Chapter 9 coming soon!)
     
    I'm just about to start chapter 5, and this is really good! :) I cant wait to read some more, but I need a little break or the pixels will kill my eyes lol. Keep it up :D
     
    Chapter 9: A Glance at the Past

    "Wes and Vesalaki, you two come with me. The rest of you, wait out here," Oak said.

    Wes and Vesalaki followed Oak inside the laboratory. They went to Oak's computer and Oak began loading up what he was going to show them.

    "I should warn you that this is not pretty, but it will answer some of your questions. Do you still want to watch it?" Oak asked.

    Wes thought for a moment. He turned to Vesalaki. Vesalaki stared back nervously, but nodded.

    "Bring it..." Wes slowly said.

    Oak pressed the play button and the screen jumped to life. It showed what seemed to be an experiment room. In the middle was a silver colored Eevee strapped to a table...

    Vesalaki turned away and said in poke-language, "I can't watch this... Not again..."

    "It... can't... be..." Wes said in total shock.

    Back in the video, a scientist said, "XD-002 is securely in place. We're ready to begin the test."

    "Proceed," another said.

    The scientist flipped a switch. What happened next sent a chill down Wes' spine. The silver Eevee on the table was being electrocuted. It struggled painfully to try and get free, but to no avail. Wes stared in horror. His hand curled tightly into a fist. Suddenly, the Eevee glowed a bright white. It's body grew bigger and altered its shape as it was evolving.

    "Sir, something not right! The serum gone!" an operator called out.

    When the body finished its transformation, it looked exactly like Vesalaki.

    "WHAT?! How could we not have the serum?! That's what we're testing here! This experiment is a waste of time without it! Miror B will be displeased about this," the supposed leader of the experiment yelled.

    Back on the table, the green Espeon had difficulty getting up. It was free from the straps. It still seemed dazed, but it jumped off the table and ran out of the room in a dizzy like fashion.

    "Hey! It got away!" one scientist complained.

    "Well, don't just stand there! Get it!" the boss yelled back.

    Aruptly, the video ended. Wes was in tears and still had a look of uttermost shock on his face. Vesalaki, too, was crying. Then suddenly, Vesalaki ran out of the room still crying.

    "Vesalaki!" Wes called and took off after him.

    Oak watched as Wes left the room. Then he said to himself, "Maybe I shouldn't of shown them this yet..."




    Sakura and Tracey were still outside talking to one another when Vesalaki jumped out of the front door of the lab with tears in his eyes and dissappeared into the forest. Sakura's Espeon got up and followed. Seconds later, Wes followed.

    "Vesalaki, wait! Wait for me!" he called out as he, too, disappeared into the forest.

    Oak walked out of the lab with a look of regret on his face. Sakura and Tracey ran over to Oak.

    "Professor, what happened?" Sakura asked.

    "I knew I shouldn't of shown them... Not this early..." Oak said to himself angrily.

    "What did you show them?" Sakura asked curiously.

    "A recorded video of the experiment Vesalaki was in when it was forced to evolve," Oak replied slowly and hesitantly. "I only wanted try and answer some of their questions, but appearently, it was too much information." Oak seemed to struggle with his words.

    "We should discuss this later. Right now, we need to go find Wes and Vesalaki and make sure they'll be alright," Sakura suggested.




    Vesalaki was once again at the lake's edge, staring down into his own reflection. Tears dropped from his eyes and landed in the lake, causing tiny ripples in the water. After a few seconds, Sakura's Espeon appeared. The two bagan to speak in poke-language.

    "Hey..." Espeon spoke, making his presense be known.

    "Hello," Vesalaki said quietly.

    "You seemed pretty upset when you ran out of the lab. What happened?"

    "I..." Vesalaki seemed to hesitate. "I don't want ot talk about it."

    "Come on. I want to help you out. Don't shut me out again. Please, don't."

    "I... I just feel more comfortable talking to Wes about it. I came out here so he and I could talk alone."

    "Oh... I understand, but until he comes, could I keep you company?"

    "I guess."

    It was silent for a few seconds. Then, Vesalaki spoke.

    "Was there ever a time in your life that you felt you couldn't control anything what-so-ever? You know, forced to do something against your will?"

    "Not really. Sakura has always been nice to me and has never asked me to do something she knew I couldn't do. Why do you ask?"

    "I was just seeing if you could relate in any way to my past. It's no biggy."

    "Oh..." Espeon looked back to see Wes walking through the bushes. "Well, if you need anything, Vesalaki, just tell me. I'll be with Sakura."

    "OK, thanks," Vesalaki said as he watched Espeon dissappear into the bushes. Wes walked up to Vesalaki's side and sat down.

    "You know, that wasn't easy for me to watch either," Wes said trying to comfort his friend.

    "I know," Vesalaki said. "It just tears me apart how those scientists forced me to evolve like that."

    "It's kind of ironic how we both seemed to go through difficult situations at the same time."

    "Only difference is that wasn't the first time something disturbed my life," Vesalaki said.

    "Go on," Wes insisted, knowing there was more.

    "I can barely remember it. It happened when I was just a baby," Vesalaki began. "The day was young. Our family was quite big. My mother was an Espeon just like Sakura's. My father was a big, red pokemon with a light colored mane..."

    "A Flareon."

    "What?"

    "A Flareon," Wes repeated. "Eevees have the unique ability to evolve into one of five pokemon. Flareon is one of them. It's a fire type."

    "Well, anyways... I was playing with one of my brothers when this huge tractor thing came up. My parents told everyone to run, so we did. The machine fired a net that that caught me and my bro. When my parents noticed this, they told the others to continue running. They turned around to come help us. My mother tried to get us out of the net while my father tried to disstract the tractor. It was no use. It simply fired another net and trapped my father. My mother continued working on the net to set us free, but when she saw my father in a net, she desperately put up what defenses she had left. She tried to use Psychic to lift the machine, but it was too big. When they fired a final net and caught my mother, I knew it was over."

    "Oh my god..." Wes said slowly, feeling sorry for Vesalaki. "What happened afterwards?"

    Vesalaki was struggling to speak. Tears were dropping again. "The machine brought us to a big building. We were taken out of our nets and stuffed in seperate cages. That was the last time I ever saw my brother and my parents."

    Vesalaki shed a lot tears from his eyes. Wes, too, was crying as he put his arm around Vesalaki.

    "Listen..." Wes started. Vesalaki looked up at Wes. "One day, whenever you feel like it, we can try to find your family."

    "Really?" Vesalaki asked excitedly now.

    "I can't make any guarantees that we will find them, but we can try."

    Vesalaki smiled. "Thanks," he said. He got in Wes' lap, layed his face in Wes' arm, and cried. "I really needed that! I would do anything to see them again!"

    Wes smiled. He layed his hand on Vesalaki's back and started rubbing him smoothly. "Anytime, pal."







    (Chapter 10 coming soon!)
     
    This is awesome so far! I like the descriptiveness of this story, it allows me to put myself in the characters' shoes, especially Vesalaki, and feel what they're feeling. Keep it up! ^^
     
    Chapter 10: Shocking Shadows

    After a few minutes, Wes and Vesalaki emerged from the forest. Oak and the others immediately ran up to them. Oak was the first to speak.

    "I'm sorry, Wes..." he began, but Wes stopped him.

    "Don't worry about it. We'll be alright," Wes said back.

    Sakura was looking to change the subject. "So, how do we get to Orre? Is sounds like it's far away," she asked.

    "It is. It's too far to walk there," Oak said. "However, if you can reach Vermilion City, there's a ferry that can help you reach Gateon Port, a ship port in the Orre Region. Professor Krane's lab isn't to far north from there. I'll call him to let him know you're coming."

    "OK. Thanks," Wes said.

    "I guess we'll be going," Sakura said. "Hey, Professor?"

    "Yeah?" Oak responded.

    "If you talk to my sisters, could you tell them I've gone off to the Orre Region with a friend?" Sakura asked.

    "Could you do the same with my parents?" Wes asked, too.

    "Sure. Just be careful. The Orre Region can be quite tretuous," Oak warned.

    Wes and Sakura both thanked Oak and headed for Vermilion City.




    Two hours into their walk, the group was getting hungry.

    "Oh man... I gotta have some food," Wes complained. His stomach made another grumbling sound.

    "Well, come to think of it, I haven't eaten ever since yesterday," Sakura said.

    "You're telling me? I haven't eaten in TWO days!" Wes complained again.

    "How about we stop for lunch?"

    "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

    Sakura reached in her bag and pulled out a food bowl and placed it down on the ground. She then grabbed a jar of pokemon food out of the bag, opened it, and poured some in the bowl.

    "There you go Espeon," Sakura said as Espeon started chowing down. Sakura pulled out already made ham and cheese sandwiches in plastic bags. They were to open them when Vesalaki moaned.

    Sakura looked at Vesalaki and said, "You can share with Espeon if you want."

    Vesalaki looked at Espeon. Espeon moved over to allow room. Slowly, Vesalaki walked over and started eating. He took a few bites, then stopped to look up.

    "Something wrong?" Sakura asked worriedly. Vesalaki didn't budge.

    "I know what he wants..." Wes answered in a sad tone.

    "What is it?" Sakura asks.

    "Back in Pallet Town, when Vesalaki and I ran into the forest, we had a little friend-to-friend chit-chat. It seems like what really bothers him is something that happened in the past, and I'm not referring to the experiment..." Wes stopped.

    "Go on..." Sakura said wanting to know more.

    Wes placed down his sandwich and looked up to the sky in the same manner Vesalaki was.

    "He was only a baby when it happened. His family was rather large. He had two parents and god knows how many brothers and sisters." Wes continued looking up. A small tear dropped down the side of his face.

    "You don't have to tell if you don't want to," Sakura said noticing how hard it was for Wes to speak.

    Wes rubbed his eye and looked at Sakura. "I'm alright. It just made me cry when Vesalaki first told me." Wes diverted his attention back up to the sky. Vesalaki walked over into his lap and layed down. Wes kept looking up and spoke again, "He was seperated from his family. He, his parents, and one of his brothers were captured by some machine thing. Then, they were seperated from one another..." Wes stopped to rub his tears off his eyes. "That was the last time he ever saw his family."

    Sakura felt sorry for Vesalaki and reached over to pet him. When Vesalaki felt her hand, he tensed up a bit, but relaxed. Sakura glided her hand over Vesalaki green, fur coat, trying to comfort him.

    "He really misses his family," Wes said calmly. Wes looked up for a fourth time, but this time, he smiled. "But... I promised him that one day, we would try to find his family."

    It was silent for a few seconds. Noone moved a muscle. Then, the group resumed eating. When they were finished, they hit the road once more.




    Another two hours pass when they finally arrived in Vermilion.

    The group began to walk into the city when suddenly, Sakura's Espeon jumps ahead and runs off.

    "Espeon! Wait!" Sakura calls out, running after him with Wes and Vesalaki bringing up the rear of the parade.

    Espeon continues running ahead, but then screeches to a halt right in front of four women. The women turn around and smile.

    "Sakura! It's you!" one of them says.

    "Hey, sis! I didn't know you were going to be here!" Sakura says suprised.

    "When we heard from Professor Oak where you were going, we just had to come and say good-bye!" another women said.

    "I guess these are your sisters, Sakura?" Wes asks, not wanting to be left out.

    "Yeah, they are. Guys, this is my new friend, Wes," Sakura says, introducing him.

    "Hi, there," Wes says, greeting himself politely. "And this is Vesalaki, my Espeon," Wes gestures to Vesalaki, who smiles happily. Vesalaki wastes no time saying 'hi' in his usual poke-language.

    "Oooohhh... What a cutie!" one of the sisters compliments and walks to Vesalaki and kneels down. "You're so cute!" she says to Vesalaki. Vesalaki seems to be enjoying the attention. "I've never seen an Espeon with this kind of colored fur." Suddenly, she gets back up, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I was so caught up with your Espeon, that I forgot to introduce myself and my sisters! I'm Satsuki."

    The rest of the sisters introduce themselves as Sumomo, Tomao, and Komae.

    "It's honor to meet you guys," Wes says.

    "We're about to hop on the S. S. Anne to head over to the Orre Region," Sakura commented.

    "Well, it's good while before it sets sail. Lets sit down and talk," Tomao suggests.

    "I don't see the harm in..." Wes begins to answer, but is interupted by someone screaming.

    "Help! Somebody help!" someone yelled.

    The group runs up to the man, who is frantically flailing his arms and bouncing around like a pogo stick.

    "What happened?" Sakura ask the man.

    The man looks back and stops acting like an idiot. "Two people with a Mightyena and Sableye are raiding my house!"

    Wes gives an annoyed sigh. "Oh my god... Please... Anyone but them again!" he says in an irritable voice. There are sounds of rummaging going on in the house. Wes raises his voice. "Cassidy! Bip! We know you're in there!"

    The sounds inside the house suddenly stop. Then, a male voice booms out, "WHAT?!" The man exits the house with a very annoyed expession on his face. Sure enough, it's Butch. "The name is BUTCH! Not Bip! B-U-T-C-H! BUTCH! It's..." Then he notices Wes and Sakura. "You twerps again!" he says angrily.

    Cassidy exits the house, too.

    "Didn't we take care of you back in Pallet?" Wes asks in an unfriendly tone.

    "Prepare for trouble!" Cassidy begins.

    "And make it double!" Butch finishes.

    The two go through their usual boring motto as if it were a hit stage performance. Both Wes and Sakura yawned through the entire motto.

    "Hey! We're speaking here! Didn't you mothers ever tell you to let others talk? It's the nice thing to do, you know!" Butch said.

    "I can see your parents taught you manners, Butcher!" Wes said sarcastically.

    Butch was now raging mad. "IT'S NOT BUTCHER! IS IT REALLY THAT HARD TO SAY ONE NAME CORRECTLY?! Go, Mightyena!"

    "Sableye, you too!" Cassidy commands.

    "Espeon!" Sakura calls.

    "Vesalaki!" Wes calls, too.

    Both Espeon and Vesalaki step forward, ready for battle.

    "Mightyena, Crunch attack!"

    "Sableye, use Shadow Ball!"

    Wes laughs. "What a joke. Vesalaki, lets show them real strength with Hidden Power!"

    "Espeon, give them a Swift attack!" Sakura demands.

    Vesalaki's body glows white and the 2 white rings appear in a spinning motion. Vesalaki then launches the beam at Sableye. Sakura's Espeon shoots white, star-shaped projectiles at Mightyena and hits, thus stopping Mightyena from landing his attack. Vesalaki's Hidden Power hits Sableye before it has a chance to lob the purple blob and sends it flying into Butch and Cassidy.

    "Vesalaki, lets finish them up!" Wes calls out. Vesalaki charges up for Hidden Power one more time and fires the thin beam at Mightyena. It hits Mightyena with such force, that it sends it flying into Butch and Cassidy as well. "FULL POWER!" Wes commands. Vesalaki's beam doubles in width and causes an explosion. Butch and Cassidy, along with their pokemon, are now flying high in the air.

    "Beaten again? Who is this kid anyways? The nerve of him! Don't you hate, too, Bip?" Cassidy complains.

    "DA NAME IS BUTCH!" Butch yells. Then in a lower tone, he says, "Why does noone ever forget your name?"

    Then, as they continue flying, they say the most famous line in all of Team Rocket history as they fly off into the distance; "We're blasting off again!"

    The man turns to the group and thanks them.

    Sakura shakes her head. "Don't thank us. Wes and Vesalaki did everything!"

    Wes looks at Vesalaki, then back at the man. "You can just thank Vesalaki."

    "Say young man, you do seem to care about pokemon. I would like to ask you a favor. Would you care to listen?" the man asks.

    "Sure," Wes replies.

    "Follow me, please," he says as he leads the group inside his house, which is still a mess from Team Rocket's raid. The man grabs a pokeball off the coffee table and hands it to Wes. "I know it's probably inconvenient, but would you mind going to the Orre Region and deliver this to Professor Krane?"

    Wes was about to trip, but he regained his balance. "Inconvenience? No, no, no.... This is the farthest from inconvenience! This is perfect! Sakura and I are ON our way to the Orre Region. inconvenience? Nahhhh..."

    "You may open the ball if you wish to see what pokemon is in it," the man says, encouraging Wes.

    Wes opens the ball to find a Jolteon, but it doesn't appear to be friendly.

    "I managed to steal this Shadow Pokemon from a suspicious group that passed by here," the man states. "They called themselves, 'Cipher.' I guess it's some kinda organization."

    Vesalaki looked very uneasy. In fact, tears we're rolling down his cheeks as he stared at the Jolteon.

    "What is it, buddy?" Wes asked worried.

    Vesalaki spoke in poke-language, "If there is anything I've remember clearly for the past year, its that mark on Jolteon's face."

    Wes looked back at the Jolteon. Sure enough, there was a visible scar on Jolteon's face. Wes looked back at Vesalaki and now looked like he was about to collaspe. "Is it possible... that this... is..." Wes had difficulty spitting out his words. He stopped and waited for Vesalaki to reply.

    Slowly, Vesalaki nodded. "He's my brother."







    (Chapter 11 coming soon!)
     
    Last edited:
    YOU MUST CONTINUE! This is getting interesting, very nice! I cannot wait to read more of it.
     
    Chapter 11: Getting Ready for Departure

    Everyone was too stunned to speak. This wasn't expected in the least bit.

    Wes looked at Vesalaki helplessly. Vesalaki looked down. Tears were coming down his face in massive volumes. Wes started rubbing Vesalaki's back and continuously whispered the same soothing words over and over; "It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."

    "If rumor has it right, though, Jolteon's condition can be reversed," the man started, trying to comfort them. "That's why I want you to take this fella to Professor Krane. I believe he knows how. Either way, you may keep him."

    Wes looked at the man and said, "Thank you, sir." He was having difficulty speaking normally. Then, he looked at Vesalaki, who was still in tears. Suddenly, he found the strength to say the right words. "Take a look on the bright side. You're finally reunited with a family member."

    Vesalaki looked up. He smiled a bit. "You're right. I should actually be grateful," he said in his own language. He jumped into Wes' lap and happily said, "I'm glad to have a friend like you."

    Wes hugged Vesalaki so tightly, that Vesalaki felt like he was about to be crushed, but neither on of them seemed to mind. In turn, Vesalaki bit Wes's arm lightly. Wes felt the pain shoot up his arm, but he simply smiled. After a few seconds of painfully showing their affection for one another, they stopped.

    "We better be on our way. The sooner we get there, the better.... for all of us," Wes said. Vesalaki nodded in agreement.

    "Hold on here," Satsuki spoke up. She turned to Wes. "How much battling experience do you have, Wes?"

    "Not much. I'm only a beginner," Wes responded.

    The big sisters looked at one another and nodded.

    "Before you go, we want to see how good you are. Is that alright?" Satsuki asked.

    Wes was opened mouthed at the sudden challenge. "Uhhh, okay... I'm not all that good yet, though," Wes began. He looked down at Vesalaki. "But then again, that can change pretty quickly." After a pause, Vesalaki nodded.

    "You're pretty good, Wes," Sakura said. "You nearly beat me!"

    Wes put his hand behind his head and rubbed it. "Well, what can I say? Beginner's luck..."

    Sakura gave an annoyed sigh, but smilied afterward.

    "Well, lets get started," Satsuki said, taking a pokeball from out of her sleeve. "Go, Jolteon!" She called as she threw the ball. The electric type appeared and gave off his battle cry.

    Vesalaki, who already knows he's going to battle, steps forward. He seems more ready than ever. Sakura and the others step off to the side.

    "I will be the judge of this pokemon battle! This is a one-on-one battle, no time limit! This battle will end when either pokemon is unable to battle! Let this match begin!"

    "Jolteon, use your Thundershock attack!"

    Jolteon hurled high voltage bolts at Vesalaki.

    "Dodge it, Vesalaki!" Wes called out as the bolts closed in at an incredible speed. Vesalaki was barely able to get out of the way of the bolts. Wes frowned. He knew this wouldn't be easy with a speed disadvantage. "Vesalaki, use Wish!" Vesalaki made a wish. A star, some how visible in the midday sky, appeared to be moving.

    "Use Thundershock again, Jolteon!"

    "Go head-to-head with Hidden Power!" Wes called out.

    Jolteon sent his bolts at Vesalaki, who was charging up for Hidden Power. The discharged electricity was less than a foot away from Vesalaki when he lauched his attack. The two attacks collided and pushed against each other with incredible force. After a few seconds of constantly pushing against one another, the attacks exploded. Vesalaki was flung back by the force of the blast, but miraculously landed on all fours. His body glowed as the aftermath effects of Wish kicked in, canceling out any damage cause by the blast.

    "Jolteon, use your Pin Missile attack!"

    "Charm, Vesalaki!"

    Vesalaki displayed cute pose that seemed to rub off on Jolteon. Jolteon, who seemed to be somewhat distracted by Vesalaki's charming pose, launched the needles at Vesalaki and hit successfully, but seemed to be an attack that wasn't as strong as it was suppose to be.

    "Use Wish!" Wes commanded.

    "Thunder Wave!"

    Jolteon was fast to strike this time and hit Vesalaki with a weak bolt that seemed to prevent Vesalaki from moving.

    "Now use Thunberbolt!" Satsuki called.

    "Hidden Power!" Wes yelled.

    "Why is he using an attack that didn't work before?" Tameo asked.

    Vesalaki began charging up for the upcoming Hidden Power, but Jolteon just stood there shaking occasionally. Electrical lines moved across Jolteon's body every so often. Satsuki seemed confused why Jolteon was unable to move. Vesalaki, meanwhile, finished powering up and fired the thin, white beam at Jolteon. It hit home and sent Jolteon flying into the side of a nearby building.

    "Quick, Vesalaki, use Take Down!" Wes yelled, wanting to finish this up. Vesalaki ran full speed at the downed Jolteon. He was within three feet when a quick electrical line zipped over Vesalaki's body. He collasped immediately afterward. Wes stared helplessly as Vesalaki left himself vulnerable...

    "Use Thunderbolt!" Satsuki said as Jolteon slowly got up. It hurled the bright, yellow bolts at Vesalaki and hit him. Vesalaki yelped in pain, but was able to shake it off.

    "Hang in there!" Wes said, trying to encourage Vesalaki.

    "Use your Quick Attack!" Satsuki called.

    "Quick Attack back!" Wes responded.

    The two pokemon zipped around at lighting speed, circling one another continuously as if waiting for the other to strike first. It didn't stay that way for long. Jolteon suddenly tripped and fell down. The familier electrical line appeared over Jolteon's body. Vesalaki took this time to strike hard. Jolteon was sent back rolling helplessly.

    "Hurry and use Hidden Power!" Wes called out. Vesalaki charged up once again, but launched his white beam prematurely.

    "Jolteon, try and dodge it!" Satsuki yelled, but it was too late. By the time Jolteon got back up, the beam hit him dead center and seemed to hit a tender spot. Once again, Jolteon was sent backwards like a rag doll into a post, but this time Jolteon never moved a muscle afterward.

    "Jolteon!" Satsuki cried helplessly. Jolteon was too dazed to move.

    "This match is over! This victory goes to Wes and Vesalaki!" Sakura ruled.

    Wes ran over to Vesalaki and hugged him. "You... That was incredible, pal!" Wes complimented Vesalaki as he sqeezed him even tighter. After a few seconds of hugging, Wes reliquished his hold on Vesalaki.

    When he let go of Vesalaki, Wes walked over to Satsuki, who was kneeling next to her Jolteon. The Jolteon slowly got up.

    "Are you two alright?" Wes asked.

    Satsuki looked at Wes and smilied. "Of course we are. Thanks for asking. You and Vesalaki were amazing. I can now see why Sakura said that the match you had against her was so close."

    "I think luck had a lot to do with it. You and Jolteon were tough."

    "You certainly suprised me. It would seem as though you already have the experience of an intermediate trainer."

    Wes giggled. "Or there's something called beginner's luck."

    "Twice?" Sakura said, entering the conversation. "I don't think so. Not against both me AND my sister. I just think you not taking as much credit as you should be from the last few battles."

    Wes didn't do anything but giggle at the comment.

    "Well I hate to interupt your party here, but if you want to get to Gateon Port, then HURRY!" the man said. "The ferry is about to set sail!"

    "Shoot! Sakura, you have a pass right?" Wes asked hopefully.

    She pulled a pass out of her pocket, answering Wes' question. Wes breathed a sigh of relief.

    "It was nice meeting you all! We had a great time!" Wes said quickly as he and Sakura hurried to catch their ride.

    "We'll see you again soon!" Sakura yelled, running right on Wes' heels.

    "Bye!" the sisters yelled back, waving at them.

    Wes and Sakura ran as fast as they could. Even Vesalaki's legs were in a blur as they ran.

    "Sir! Sir, please wait!" Sakura yelled out at the captain. He obviously didn't hear her, because he blew the ferry's horn and the ship began drifting away.

    Wes looked around frantically for ideas. "Sakura, can your Espeon use Psychic to fly us to that boat?" Wes asked.

    "Yeah, but how will Espeon get over? He can't make himself fly, you know," Sakura responded.

    "You can hold him. I'll hold Vesalaki. If we can do this, we can make it!" Wes said in a hurry.

    Sakura took a brief moment to look down at Wes' pokeball with the shadow Jolteon in it, then jerked her head back to look at Wes. She nodded. She then picked up Espeon while Wes picked up Vesalaki.

    "Espeon, use Psychic and glide us over to that boat," Sakura told Espeon. Espeon's body glowed in Sakura's arms and slowly, all of their bodies became air-born. Wes almost screamed. He had never floated like this before. He looked back at Espeon. It appeared that Espeon was straining to keep them air-born as they glided over the rail, right over the sea, and torwards the ferry.

    "Hang in there Espeon! We're almost there!" Wes said, trying to not look down or think about what could happen if they don't make it.

    They were almost over the ship's edge when Espeon's power started failing. Sakura, who was ahead of Wes by a foot, had no problem landing on the ship. For Wes though, it was a different story. He reached for the railing of the ferry with one hand while holding Veslaki in the other. By the time Espeon's power failed, Wes already had the rail in his grasp, but his body now dangled over the ship's edge like a helpless rag doll.

    "Wes!" Sakura scream in horror. She grabbed Wes' wrist and started pulling. It was no use. Wes was too heavy and Sakura wasn't strong enough.

    "Hang on! We're coming!" someone called out. A group of strong looking men came over. Sakura moved out of the way to allow them room. Two men grabbed Wes' arm. They grabbed on so tightly, that Wes almost thought his arm was broken. He winced in pain, but he mantained his grip on Vesalaki. Now it was Wes was in a lot of strain from a combination of both mental and physical pain. The two men pulled him up easily and Wes landed with a thud on the deck of the ship. Vesalaki was shaking intensely and Wes was breathing heavily as he felt the circulation returning to his arm.

    "Oh man... That's one thing I'll never suggest again," Wes said regretably. "Thank you, guys."

    The men, however, looked back with not-so-friendly looks.

    "One of you owes us a battle for saving your lucky behind!" one of the men bellowed.

    "Bring it on you..." Sakura started, but Wes stopped her.

    "Let me battle them," he insisted. "I do owe it to them. I need the experience anyways. Plus, it'll also give me my first chance of helping out that shadow Jolteon the man gave me."

    One of the men narrowed his eyes and looked directly into Wes' eyes, studying him intensely. "Pardon me, but did you say 'shadow' Jolteon?"

    Wes looked confused at the question. "Yes..." he responded slowly.

    The men looked at each other, then back at Wes. They gestured him and Sakura to follow them. The two looked at each other confused, but they nodded. The men walked in an open door of the ship and walked in. Wes and Sakura followed. The men led them halfway down a hallway.

    One of the men knocked on the door and said, "Micheal! Those two kids are here!"

    Quietly, the person on the other side of the door said, "Show them in." The man opened the door and gestured them in. The person in the room was a kid about five feet tall with spiky hair. He had a strange device on his arm. "Hi there," he said kindly. He went to the door and shut it. It was just Wes, Sakura, and the supposed "Micheal" in the room. "My dad, Professor Krane, sent me here to meet you. Professor Oak contacted him and sent him the video of the experiment that your Espeon went through."

    Wes and Sakura both looked at Vesalaki. Vesalaki turned away, obviously wanting to avoid that subject.

    "Lets change the subject. I know Vesalaki is not comfortable listening to us talking about it. Do you know anything about..." Wes stopped. He looked at Vesalaki. Vesalaki looked back with a sad look in his eyes, but nodded. He knew what Wes was about to ask. Wes turned back to Micheal and asked, "Do you know anything about shadow pokemon?"

    "You mean you haven't heard?" he asked. Wes and Sakura shaked their heads. "I'm the one that put a stop to the second shadow crisis that occured in Orre. I've purified countless pokemon."

    Wes held out a pokeball, the one with the shadow Jolteon in it. Micheal took it from him and opened it. Jolteon appeared from out of the ball. Vesalaki looked away, not wanting to see his brother in his current shadow state.

    "Is there anything you can do for him?" Wes asked Micheal.

    Micheal examined the Vesalaki's brother and looked concerned. "This shadow pokemon isn't like others I've seen. There's a dark glow in his eyes, something I've never seen before."








    (Chapter 12 coming soon!)
     
    Chapter 12: Bonds of the Past

    That night, Wes and Sakura went to bed, trying to grasp what Micheal said to them about Vesalaki's brother.

    "Is what Micheal said true?" Wes asked worriedly. "Is there really no way I can help Jolteon?"

    Sakura looked worried herself. "I don't know. I just hope it's not too late."

    Vesalaki walked up next to Wes and layed down comfortably next to his brother, who Vesalaki insisted to Wes to keep out of his pokeball. Wes put his arm around both of them and looked around the room. He'd never been on a ship before. The cabin that Wes and Sakura had to sleep in was very tiny, confining the group within 2 feet of one another. There were no beds, so Wes had to borrow one of Sakura's sleeping bags to rest up in. They wouldn't reach Orre until late tomorrow morning. Wes didn't mind one bit, though. After the day's events, he was glad he'd be able to rest up, as he was tired and obtained a mild headache from the conversation with Micheal. After a few minutes of recalling the recent events, Wes closed his eyes and fell asleep within minutes.




    Visibility was close to zero. Vesalaki's sight seemed blurred, but not gone. The fog was so thick, it was a miracle to see even one foot away. He could barely see his own paws, much less the ground beneath him. He could feel the soft sandy feeling beneath his feet and assumed he was on a beach. Nearby sounds of incoming water tides only confirmed that. Soft, playful sounds echoed from his left. It sounded to him like multiple Eevees enjoying their time in this blurred place. Cautiously, he turned in that direction and walked forward at the pace of a snail, trying to feel in front of him in case there was a wall he didn't know about.

    Deep inside of his head, thoughts were swirling around. One voice after another echoed through, slowly. Voices that seemed familier... soothing... welcoming... Vesalaki couldn't pinpoint why, but he didn't bother trying to shake it away.

    Suddenly, one voice swept by. It seemed to be trying to say something. This voice seemed far too familier, but again, Vesalaki didn't know why. He concentrated, trying to listen for it again. It didn't come back. In fact, none of the other voices came back. He suddenly felt like he was being watched. Watched by not one, not five, not ten, but hundreds of pokemon. Pokemon that seemed to have a connection of some kind with him. It was a feeling that made Vesalaki very uneasy. Then, without warning, the same familier voice swept by a second time. Vesalaki immediately forgot he was being watched and tried to analyze what he heard. It was noticably more clear from last time and seemed to be trying to send the same, two word message: "Crelp row." Vesalaki was lost at what the voice was trying to say.

    Vesalaki found the strength to speak in the still dim place. "Crelp row? What... What are you saying? What do you mean? Why are you asking me?" Vesalaki asked.

    The voice's response was two words again. This time, it was slightly different. The voice seemed to be suffering, in pain. "Relp row," it said. Vesalaki could only only twist his head in confusion at the words.

    "I still don't get it..." he said, trying to figure out what the voice was saying. Silence followed and Vesalaki once again felt like hundreds were watching him.

    "Help row," the voice said, getting more clear. This time, the voice was closer and came from behind him. Vesalaki turned to look, but couldn't see anything through the thick fog. Slowly, Vesalaki turned his body around without taking his eyes off the blurred area he believed the voice came from. With that accomplished, he walked forward at snail pace with his head low to the ground, trying to find the source of the voice. Aruptly, a brown mass faded quickly into view just inches from his face. He rose his head up some and continued walking slowly forward, trying to identify the object.

    When his head was directly over the brown lump, it spoke again. "Help, bro," it said.

    "Bro?" Vesalaki asked, taken aback. He examined the lump while trying to figure out why the voice called him "bro." His eyes continued scanning what appeared to be a body of an Eevee. Finally, Vesalaki found its face and examined it to try and hopefully identify who it was. His eyes continued scanning the face until his they layed upon a familier mark...

    Vesalaki backed away. "It can't be..." Vesalaki said shaking his head side to side slowly. "It can't be! There's no way that..."




    Vesalaki woke with a start. He looked at Wes. Wes was still sound asleep. He then looked at his brother. He was awake, but he closed his eyes and went back to sleep once again.




    In Micheal's cabin, a strange creature awoke. It looked around, appearing to be looking for something. The creature turned its dark colored head and looked around the cabin. The creature then got up and its body became clearly visible in the moonlight that shined through the round window of the cabin. The animal itself was a pitch black color with the exception of yellow rings on its head and legs. Similiar yellow rings were on its ears and tail, but seemed to wrap around them rather than being a 100% visible oval. It eyes were a scary red color that would seem to stir the fear of anyone that looked into them.

    The creature walked torward the door of the cabin and stopped right beneathe the door handle. It reached up for the doornob with success and intelligently turned the doornob with its paws slowly. The door opened. The creature looked back at Micheal to make sure it didn't wake him up. Then, it slipped out of the room and into the hallway...




    Vesalaki layed there for a few seconds and reassured himself, "It was just a dream. It was just a dream." He looked up at the ceiling, recalling the events of his dream. Then, after a few moments of silence, Vesalaki slowly got up, trying not to disturb Wes and the others. With that accomplished, Vesalaki walked torward the cabin window and looked out on the side deck of the ship. It was still dark. The full moon shined brightly in Vesalaki's face and he sat there, seeming to be worried.

    He spoke to himself in a whisper. "What if..." He paused. "What if it wasn't just a dream? What if that was really my brother calling to me?" Vesalaki asked himself. He closed his eyes while still standing in the window, trying to clear his mind. He opened them back up, but this time, his face wasn't in moonlight. In its way was a strange, black creature with glowing, yellow rings on certain parts of its body. It was staring straight into Vesalaki's eyes with its own, deep red eyes.

    Vesalaki quickly ducked down from the window to avoid the creature's gaze. He didn't move a muscle for a few minutes. Then, he slowly rose his head back into the window and peaked out. The creature was gone and the moonlight shined into Vesalaki's face once again. It didn't remain that way for long. The creature walked into view, looking at Vesalaki once again.

    Vesalaki was about to duck down again when it spoke in poke-language, "Hey, calm down. It's not like I can hurt you out here," it spoke. The window seemed to muffle its voice. Vesalaki sensed friendliness in it, but still didn't trust the pitch black animal.

    "Exactly who are you and why are you wondering out there?" Vesalaki demanded.

    The creature remained calm, as though Vesalaki's attitude didn't affect it. "You remember Micheal?"

    Vesalaki twiched his head. "Yeah..." he said slowly.

    "He's my trainer. I'm an Umbreon. Who are you?" the Umbreon asked.

    "Before I give my name to someone I hardly even know, answer my question first," Vesalaki insisted.

    "I woke up not too long ago. I sense a... presense... on this boat. Not just one... Two," Umbreon turned his head and looked up a bit. "They're strangely familier. Like an old friend... but more... I really don't know what it is, though. I'm out here, following my senses, trying to find it." He paused. "Oddly, it keeps leading me back here to this spot." He paused again and looked into Vesalaki's eyes intensely. "I think you're one of them."

    Vesalaki was taken aback. "What? One of what? One of the presenses?"

    Slowly, the Umbreon nodded. "The other one... It seems... dark... mysterious... and in pain..." Umbreon was staring into the room, then turned back to look at Vesalaki. "Do you recall as a young one a time when something tragic happened? Please be honest. I can't sleep unless I know."

    Vesalaki hesitated. He didn't know what he should say to this stranger.

    "Hello?" Umbreon said, trying to get Vesalaki to answer his question.

    Vesalaki looked down for a minute. He said nothing for a few seconds. Then, he looked back up and nodded. "Why do you ask?" Vesalaki asks.

    The Umbreon looked a bit nervous. The, slowly, he says, "I'm sorry if I bring up some bad memories, but were you, in anyway... captured by something?"

    Vesalaki looked more curious than shy, now. He nodded again.

    "By a tractor thing?"

    Once again, Vesalaki nodded.

    The Umbreon now seemed to be getting happier with each question. "Were your parents captured?"

    A tear dropped down Vesalaki's face. He looked down, but still nodded.

    "I'm sorry... One final question and I'll leave you alone..." Umbreon said, noticing Vesalaki's upset state.

    "Go ahead..."

    Umbreon concentrated for a moment as if trying to find the perfect question. "Do you recall ever being pounced on by a sibling just for fun?"

    At this Vesalaki's tears disintegrated into dust. For the first time since they started talking, Vesalaki stared directly into what was the friendly, familier look that only belonged to one of his other long lost brothers...









    (Chapter 13 coming soon!)
     
    Chapter 13: New Acquantences

    Wes woke with a start. Sunlight shined through the small, round window. He looked to his side, only to see that Vesalaki wasn't in his arm anymore. Jolteon was still asleep. He looked around the room frantically, trying to find Vesalaki. When his eyes came around to the door, Wes almost freaked out. It halfway was open. Panicing, he shook Sakura awake.

    Sakura's eyes flickered open. "What? What is it? What's going on?" Sakura asked, still half asleep.

    "Sakura, Vesalaki's gone! Someone must have come through our door yesterday night and took him!" Wes exclaimed, pointing at the open door.

    It didn't take long for Sakura to snap fully awake at this statement. "We'd better start searching," she suggested.

    "How about we call security? They can help, too, you know," Wes suggested.

    "Might as well," she agreed. Sakura's Espeon was just now waking up, seeming to be wondering what all the racket was all about.

    Wes exited the room and ran down the hallway. He ran through the already open door to the deck of the ship and breated a sigh of relief at what he saw. Vesalaki, along with an Umbreon were sitting next to each other. Neither one of them seemed to mind each other's presense.

    "Vesalaki!" Wes exclaimed.

    Vesalaki jumped a little as if he didn't expect someone to call his name right then.

    "Oh, hey Wes! Guess I have some explaining to do," he responded in his usual poke-language.

    He turned his head a yelled back into the hallway. "Sakura, it's alright! I found him!"

    Sakura appearred into the hallway and ran out onto the deck torward Wes with Espeon sharp on her heels.

    Wes turned back to Vesalaki. "It's alright. Just as long as you're safe." He looked at the Umbreon next to Vesalaki and said, "I see you have a new friend."

    Vesalaki shook his head. "Not friend," Vesalaki explained, looking back at Umbreon. "He's one of my other brothers."

    Wes almost lost his balance. After spending a couple seconds regaining it, he spoke again. "Another one? Wow. How lucky can we get within two days?"

    "Oh, it gets better, too. His trainer is Micheal. You know, that kid we met yesterday," Vesalaki continued.

    "How did you find out that this Umbreon was your brother, Vesalaki?" Sakura asked now interested.

    "Yesterday night, I saw him outside of our cabin window, looking at me. We got to talking and compared some events of our past. When the events matched, we both knew that we were siblings," Vesalaki explained.

    "What was Umbreon doing there anyways?" Wes asked.

    Someone spoke behind them. "Didn't expect to see you guys up this early," the person commented.

    Wes and Sakura turned to see Micheal, yawning and stretching.

    "Good morning," Sakura replied. "We didn't expect to be up either."

    Micheal looked down at Umbreon, who was looking back happily. "What are you doing out here?"

    Umbreon now spoke in his own poke-language. "Remember how I explained that a machine took two of my siblings away? Vesalaki here was one of them."

    "Are you serious?" Micheal asked, shocked.

    "We were amazed, too, when we found out," Wes commented.

    Umbreon nodded to answer Micheal's question.

    Micheal smilied back at Umbreon.

    Suddenly, the ship's horn blew and someone came of the PA. "We are arriving at Gateon Port, the entry point to the Orre Region."

    "It's about danged time," Wes excaimed, excited that the ride was finally over.

    Micheal, Wes, Sakura, and the two newly reacquainted siblings all walked back to their respective cabins to gather their things. By the time they came back out onto the deck, the ship was already docked with the port and people were making their way off. Vesalaki and Umbreon stayed close together as the group made their way down.

    When they finally sat down on a bench next to a group of bushes to rest, Wes saw a brief movement in the corner of his eyes. His face darted back to look at it, but was apparently too late. Only the bush was there.

    After taking a deep breath, he spoke. "So where is your dad's laboratory, Micheal?"

    "It's not far north from here. It wouldn't take more five minutes to get there," Micheal replied.

    "Well, if that's the case, what are we waiting for?" Sakura said. "Lets go! The sooner we can reach the lab, the more help Vesalaki and Jolteon can recieve."

    "That's true," Wes replied back. He looked down at Vesalaki and Umbreon, who seemed eager to get to the lab. Wes couldn't help but laugh. "Lets do it, then."

    With that said, the Wes, Micheal, Sakura, and her Espeon, and began walking down the path to the lab through a forest. Vesalaki and Umbreon, both trailed back a bit. It was plainly clear that the two brothers wanted a little privacy.

    In poke-language, Vesalaki whispered to Umbreon softly, "Hey, you never told me what the other presense on that ship was."

    Umbreon looked at Vesalaki briefly, but then quickly looked back down. He didn't speak.

    Vesalaki aquired a worried look on his face. "You can tell me. I won't say a thing to anyone," he whispered, nudging Umbreon's head gently.

    Umbreon shaked his head. "It's alright to tell," he began. "But I can't get over the dream I had last night..."

    Even more curious now, Vesalaki listened in. "Continue," he insisted.

    Umbreon took a deep breath and spoke. "I dreamt about one of my other brothers, the one that was captured with you. He kept echoing, 'Help, bro!' but I didn't know how to help him. He was just laying there directly in from of my nose, all curled up. A strange, mysterious, dark presense seemed to accompanied him..."

    Vesalaki broke in. "That's probably what he needs help from."

    "How would you know?" Umbreon asked curiously.

    "I had the same dream about the same brother," Vesalaki replied, somewhat suprised at this coincidence.

    "But how are we suppose to help him?" Umbreon asked.

    Vesalaki gestured to Wes. "His help is right there."

    Umbreon now had his own look of suprise on his face. "You don't mean..."

    "Yes, I mean... Recently, we aquired him." Vesalaki paused for a sec. He looked down with a sad expression. "However... He's a shadow pokemon."

    Umbreon seemed to look torn apart by those words. "Well, at least it should be reversable. Micheal and his father are good at helping purify shadow pokemon. They'll find a way. I'm sure of it," he replied hopefully, trying to look on the bright side of things.

    "Hopefully..." Vesalaki was slow to reply. Silence followed that single word statement for while. Then, Vesalaki changed the subject and spoke quieter than usual. "Maybe it's just me, but do you get the feeling we're being watched?"

    Umbreon looked around. "Now that you bring it up, yeah."

    Evidently, Wes was getting the same feeling. "Something's not right here," he spoke worried.

    "I've traveled up and down this path countless times before, but you're right. It's like a strange presense settled on us," Micheal said.

    Silence followed for the next few seconds with the group looking around them while cautiously proceeding forward.

    Suddenly, a squeal emitted from above in the trees and seemed to be getting closer rapidly. Wes looks up to try and see what it was, but it was too late. A brown mass fell hard on his head, thus knocking him into the pitch-black abyss that soon followed...













    (Chapter 14 coming soon!)
     
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