The Ruby Files

[EmeraldSky]

"The Ruby Files"


File #1: Into the Pokeworld

My adventure with Team Ruby began completely by accident.

Mind you, I wasn't expecting to be pulled into a parallel universe by a wolf-like Pokemon gifted with magical power, much less become a Pokemon myself...but I did, and when I did; I began to appriciate Pokemon and trainers for who they are: loyal teammates and best friends with a bond that never breaks.

But I digress.

It all started as I was coming home from school one afternoon, and giggling over the Pikachus romping in the wildflowers, the Bulbasaurs sunning themselves on treestumps, and the Squirtles in the pond by the roadside. I loved watching them all play, but it never crossed my mind as to why everyone usually left on some quest with a Pokemon on their tenth birthday. What was the point of the whole Gym Leaders and badges deal if you were not going to unseat the Pokemon Master anyway? (which was how 90% of my friend's Pokemon adventures ended) They'd find out about some other place, sign up for the League there, rinse, lather, and repeat the whole thing over again. The whole thing was pointless in my mind, and yet my mom and dad were expecting me to head out on the same journey myself. But I didn't feel like going, because I'd get the badges, get all worked up over beating Master Ketchum himself, get soundly defeated, and have to do it all again the next year!

So here I was, headed home after a long day at the academy...it was a fairly breezy day, so the wind kept blowing my long coal black hair about. No sooner had I cleared it away, did another gust send it back in my face. I guess that's the price you pay for wanting long hair.

I also remember that I was wearing my favorite T-shirt, a lovely hunter green shirt with a silver star on it, some jeans and some tennis shoes that had the shoelaces constantly coming undone, so I had to stop and retie them every few steps down the road. In fact, I was retying them for the millionth time when I saw an odd glow coming from a tree by my house. The old hickory, as I called it had been in my yard for a long time, and a colony of Illumise nested there during the day...but why would they be flashing their light when it wasn't dark out, and the Volbeats weren't even out yet?

My curiosity got the best of me, so I set my books by a rock, carefully climbed onto a branch that led into the hollow, and looked inside. But what I saw wasn't the Illumise colony lighting their light, but something even more amazing.

It looked like a wolf, only its fur was mainly blue and black, except for its stomach, which was a cream color and had a spike on it, presumably to defend itself from predators. For the most part, it was hovering in the hollow with closed eyes. I'm not sure if it was meditating or thinking about something or what, but my gut feeling told me to get a closer look. So after squeezing myself into the hollow from the branch, I crept toward the wolf-Pokemon; being extra careful not to disturb it.

Suddenly, it turned to face me, making me want to step back in fear. "Don't be afraid...Sammi." it assured me.

I was shocked! How did this Pokemon know my name? But I soon brushed it off as it being a Psychic type--or at least part Psychic. Even so, I decided to ask it "How do you know my name?"

"I see all that happens here in this world, and all the humans in it." the wolf-Pokemon explained. "I am Lucario--guardian of waves and the gatekeeper between here and the world of Pokemon."

Now I was really confused--if Pokemon were living with me in my own world, then how could they live in their own world connected to this one? I wanted to ask, but I just decided to trust this Pokemon--Lucario, on it. Besides, if I asked, he'd probably would say something along the lines of "All will be revealed in due time.", which would lead to more arguing. It just wasn't worth it to ask.

"I have brought you here because the world of Pokemon has been troubled by events large and small--it has been foretold that a human in the form of a Pokemon will right these wrongs and restore peace." Lucario continued, ignoring my blank look.

"And how do you know I can do this?" I countered. "I can't turn into a Pokemon, much less know how to handle one!"

"Calm yourself, Sammi..." Lucario replied. "You don't have the means to become a Pokemon and enter this world, so in order to give you access to the portal, I will first ask you a few questions...answer them truthfully, for your answer will determine your form in the other world." I swallowed hard--whatever the form in the other world part meant, I knew that this Lucario Pokemon meant business--and truly believed I was something special, something I had never heard before.

"Okay...Lucario..." I began. "Ask me anything you want, and I'll answer as truthfully as I can."

"Very well..." Lucario thought for a moment, then began. "Suppose that the one that you love is nearby, but there is no way for you to approach and declare your love for him...so what would you do?"

I thought about what I would do if I even had a crush to begin with, and a swarm of other girls around him--how would I declare to the world that I loved him? I could easily just look away, but then he'd think of me as shy. Plain screaming I LOVE YOU! wouldn't work either, unless I wanted the whole crowd to stare. Pulling a prank was out of the question too--then he wouldn't like me!

"I would just walk up and say hello." I answered. That seemed like a feasible answer in my eyes, and judging from the smile on Lucario's face--he must've liked that answer too.

"All right...if your best friend was being bullied by a rogue on the street, what would you do?" was Lucario's next question. This answer was easy...I'd march right up to the bully and stick up for my friend, plus give him a taste of my karate skills if he continued bothering the both of us.

"I'd stand up to the bully." was my reply.

"If you found a treasure chest, would you open it right away?"

"Oh yes!"

"Now, grab any finger on your left hand with your right hand." Lucario continued. He waited as I grabbed a finger, then asked "Which finger did you end up grabbing?"

"I grabbed my middle finger." I replied, showing him the ruby ring I wore on that finger.

"If a thief was harassing someone in an alley, would you help the person?"

"I sure would, even if I had to die for that person!" I smiled. Lucario just nodded in approval...but what I had answered was true--even if the supposed thief was armed with every sort of weapon imaginable, I'd make sure the victim would survive.

"Do you feel lonesome when you are alone?"

"Course not!" I smiled--I had the phone to call up a friend and talk, or even my own family to talk with, even if they were constantly nagging me to go on a Pokemon journey. If I could not get someone to talk to, I'd do something constructive to pass the time, not mope around and have a pity party.

"Suppose you were relaxing on the seaside...how would you feel?"

I smiled as I imagined myself in a beach chair, watching the waves, people running about, and Wingulls in the sky. "I'd feel very content, and glad I was away from it all."

"When you are on vacation, do you prefer to go alone or with others?"

"I feel safer with others--safety in numbers, they say." I replied.

This was enough to satisfy Lucario, it seemed, as he didn't ask anything after that question. "Based on the answers you have given me, which I trust as being true, I see you as a brave person."

"Oh?" I was interested.

"You like to see justice done, disdain evil, and have the courage to take on any opponent." Lucario continued. "As such, I think I know the perfect form you should take in the other world..." With that, he closed his eyes. "I must ask you to close your eyes too, so I do not blind you with the transformation magic."

"Transformation? Magic?" I yelped. My mind was racing--people magically turning into Pokemon only worked in stories, I thought--but now I was about to become the lab Rattata for such a spell! I wanted to protest, but I felt an odd sense of calm that led me to close my eyes. I listened as Lucario began chanting in a strange language, none of which I recognized until I heard the word "Charmander!" followed by a blast of power headed right at me!

I'm not sure what happened next, but when I woke up again, I found myself surrounded by trees--only now they looked dramatically taller than I remembered them being. Where am I? Was that whole thing with Lucario a dream?" I thought as my world flickered into focus--and the first thing I noticed was a Pikachu looking at me, curious. The big thing I noticed was how big it looked in my eyes--wasn't it supposed to be smaller to me?

That's when I took a look at myself.

Rather than having normal peach skin, it now was orange and scaly, except for my stomach, which was a yellowish color. Instead of fingers, I had three claws on each tiny hand. But the kicker was when I turned to look behind me--I had grown a tail with a small flame at the end of it! It hit me--Lucario had turned me into a Charmander!

You could say the whole forest heard my panicked scream.

"Hey, calm down!" the Pikachu assured me." I just wanted to see if you were okay! I heard something fall here and when I went to see what it was, there you were!"

"I'm all right..." I weakly replied after breathing deeply a few times. Albeit wondering why I've turned into a Charmander...

"That's great!" the Pikachu laughed as she helped me to my feet. "My name's Lita...what's your name?"

"My name is Sammi..." I replied..."and although this might sound crazy, I'm actually human."

Lita gave me a quizzical look. "Human? But you look like a perfectly normal Charmander to me."

"It's true..." I explained. "I was transformed and sent here--"

Just then, I heard the frantic flutter of wings overhead...my Charmander legs scuttled out of the way as a Butterfree landed before the two of us, and judging from how frantic she was, something was wrong.

"Is there something wrong?" Lita asked the Butterfree.

"Have you two seen any Caterpies around here?" the Butterfree asked. "I was watching over my two sons playing in the Tiny Grotto this afternoon when one of them fell into a crack in the ground...and he's not strong enough to crawl out on his own!"

"That is bad..." I added, out of pity.

"We'll find him, ma'am! Don't worry!" Lita assured the Butterfree as she she started off towards a patch of tall grass. "Well get him out as quick as we can!"

What do you mean, "we"? I thought as I darted off after Lita...

We both searched through the tall grass for the batter part of an hour looking for cracks in the ground. But no matter where we looked, we would always wind up back where we started again. Lita, being ever so optimistic, would find another path for us to search, we would explore it, and we would find that it went in a circle too like all the others.

As we were going down our umpteenth path, I heard my stomach growl. "Hey, Lita..."

"Hm?" Lita paused from digging through some more grass. "What's the matter?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any food on you, would you?" I asked.

"Why yes!" and Lita trumphantly held up an apple she had found. "You can have part of this and I'll eat what's left."

I was flattered...Lita sharing what little she had, with someone she barely knew? I had never known Pokemon to do this before...but whatever compelled her to do that, I was fascinated by it...but I didn't get much time to think about it, as Lita called for me to catch up.

I found her a few minutes later, looking inside a small crack in the ground. When I approached, I could tell she was looking into the hole with the lost Caterpie. He looked so scared...I had no idea Pokemon could have such emotion like that. Even so, I felt compelled to help Lita pull the Caterpie out. We pulled for a good fifteen minutes, but when he was finally on solid ground again, I looked him over to see if he was injured. "You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah..." he weakly replied. "Thank you, both of you!"

"You're welcome!" I smiled. "I'm Sammi, and this is my partner, Lita." I explained, gesturing to Lita."

"Thank you, Sammi and Lita!" the Caterpie smiled as he crawled onto my back.

"I'll give you a Ponyta ride back to your mom, okay?" I assured my passenger. With that, Lita and I went romping through the grass...

END FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #2: Team Ruby Comes to Akai Town


After running through the grass for a little while, we returned to where the Butterfree was waiting. Judging from how quickly my Caterpie passenger climbed off of me, he was elated to see his mother. I mean, I would be happy too if I had been stuck in a crack in the ground for who knows how long, then being rescued by someone.

The whole thing gave me a sense of happiness...maybe Pokemon were not just drones to do a human's every bidding--they could handle themselves just fine in this world.

"Thank you so much for finding my son." the Butterfree began. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Aw, it was nothing!" Lita giggled. I smiled in agreement--just seeing the happy look on the Caterpie's face was payment enough for our adventure. I waved goodbye as the two of them started off towards a field not far from the forest's edge.

Then, Lita turned to me. "So? Do you have a place to stay?

I froze--I had no camping gear or anything, and I was not about to weather out the night in the cold. What if I became dinner for another Pokemon or froze to death? I also was still getting used to my Charmander body, so I was a bit hesitant to try out my new powers, even if in self defense.

Lita noted my concern. "You know...I've been wanting to do rescue jobs like saving the Caterpie for a while now..."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah...I put in a team application in the mail, and all I need is another Pokemon to team up with to form the team before the starter set comes in the mail tomorrow."

Somehow, I felt that Lita meant business about the whole rescue team deal, and if it would help me find answers about Lucario's prophecy about the human in Pokemon form that would save this world, I would do it!

"I'll join up with you!" I volunteered. "Where's the base at?"

"Over here!" I ran to keep up with Lita as we exited the forest.

After a while, we came to an open spot on the plains, where I noticed a dome-like structure that vaguely resembled a Charmander's head off in the distance. Although the small house looked very simple, I could tell Lita had put a lot of love and effort into building it.

"Well?" Lita asked as I continued to admire the house. It wasn't my house at home, but it would do until my time here was over.

"It's beautiful!" I smiled as I started up the rocky path leading up to the house--it was surrounded by a rocky wall with torches dotting it, with a gate leading onto the path into the house. I couldn't tell if the house itself was clay or rock, but whatever it was, it looked strong and sturdy.

The house was even more amazing on the inside--Lita had thought of everything!

From the entryway, I could see a small fireplace, as well as two chairs sitting nearby. A small pot hung over the fire, which I assumed had our dinner for the evening. On the right side of this room was a kitchen, it seemed, with spots to prepare food, and a washtub to wash the dishes. The stairway leading up to the bedrooms was straight ahead of me...I decided not to go upstairs, because I could see Lita taking the pot from the fire and spooning it into bowls.

We enjoyed a hearty meal of meat and potatoes, then decided to retire for the evening...and so ended my first official day in the Pokemon world.

The next morning, I awoke to Lita scuttling about--and it wasn't even light yet! So after rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I asked "Why the rush?"

"He'll be here any minute now....mail Pelippers announce their arrival in a very distinct way...." Lita explained as she hurried downstairs.

I followed her into the kitchen, and was about to ask what this "distinctive way" was until I heard a male voice call "Mail call!" Actually, it sounded more like "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaailllll caaaaaaaaalllllllllllllll!!!!!!" But either way, it was enough to startle me and send Lita hurrying out the door, where I saw a Pelipper perched on the mailbox.

"Good morning, Nigel..." Lita smiled as she signed for a package.

"Mornin' to ya, Miss Lita..." the Pelipper replied, pausing for a moment to stash the package receipt in his bag. "And who might your houseguest be?"

"This is Sammi..." Lita explained, gesturing to me. "I found her lost in Tiny Woods yesterday afternoon, and she had no place to go, so I took her in as a roomate and partner." That sounded pretty close to how we had met, so I just smiled and tried to look presentable to the Pelipper.

"You've always been a sweet one, Lita..." Nigel replied, but quickly turned business-like again. "The only thing left to do to start your team is give it a name...so have any ideas?"

Lita looked blankly at me. "Any suggestions, Sammi? I'm drawing a blank here..."

I thought for a moment...and my thoughts quickly turned to the last thing I saw before Lucario had transformed me: my ruby ring. Team Ruby....that had a nice ring to it!
"We'll call ourselves Team Ruby!" I told Nigel.

"A fitting choice, seeing as you are a Fire type, and rubies are said to bring love, corage and passion." Nigel explained as he prepared to leave. "Good luck with the team!" he called as he flew off.

"Bye!" Lita called after him, then began to open the package. "Let's see here...Rescue badge..." she began, setting aside an egg shaped object with wings on it. "Paperwork from the Rescue Team Federation telling us stuff we already know...some red bandannas...and some little rubies!"

"What's the badge for?" I asked.

"The badge is used to send a rescued Pokemon back to town quickly." Lita explained as she sewed two of the tiny rubies onto two of the bandannas with some Silcoon string and a needle crafted out of a Beedrill's stinger. "They'll appear at the Pelipper Post in town."

"Cool..." I replied.

"Even better, it changes color as the team gets stronger." Lita continued before tying her bandanna around her neck. "Put your bandanna on, and we'll head into town...it's not far from here." With that, I followed her down the east path, over a bridge, and then north on a small road, where I noticed a signpost reading "Welcome to Akai Town".

I was amazed by the number of Pokemon rushing about the various buildings--I had no idea Pokemon were smart enough to build their own cities! But here I was, looking into such a city...and it instantly reminded me of home as I walked across the bridge leading into town, being careful not to lose Lita in the crowd of townsfolk.

"Extra, Extra! Read all about it!" a Meowth proclaimed as we struggled through the crowd. He held a newspaper high for the crowd to see. "Team Kage Terrorizes Aoi Town!" At this, some of the crowd broke off to buy some of the newspapers the Meowth was selling. I stifled a chuckle--humans only did that in olden times, but it seemed to suit this world perfectly.

"Who's the Meowth?" I asked Lita as we got in line.

"That's Leon, one of the newsboys for Pokemon News." Lita explained. "Be sure to pick up a copy each day, as there are often rescue ads inside."

"I'll remember that." I replied as Lita handed over a coin to Leon, who handed her a paper. "Also, who--or what--is Team Kage and Aoi Town?"

"Team Kage's nothing but a lot of misfits that like to masquerade as a rescue team and cause trouble." Leon explained as he handed a paper to a customer. "Aoi Town is this town's sister city--it lies up north, close to the mountains."

"Interesting." I mused as we walked away into the main square...

END OF FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #3: Welcome to Our Town!



After buying a copy of the day's Pokemon News, Lita led me into the town square, where we stopped to rest. Lita opted to sit on a bench and read the newspaper, while I tried to catch a glimpse of the story Leon had been trumpeting to the crowd over her shoulder. I felt guilty about reading over someone's shoulder, but this Team Kage group, evil as they were, piqued me: Just who were they, and what did they do THIS time?

I finally managed to read a few lines before Lita turned the page: The dastardly threesome called Team Kage consisted of Rocko, the fast talking Gengar that led the team, and his two femmes fatale Grace the Medicham and Jessie the Ekans. Apparantly they had been on a shop robbing spree, and Aoi Town was the site of their latest heist.

That was about as far as I got before I heard a male voice call "Ay, Lita!" startling me and surprising Lita! She looked up from the paper to see a Lombre staring in her face. "I see you heard about the latest on Team Kage, ya?" he smiled.

"Yeah, Manuel, it's right here in black and white." Lita explained, showing the Lombre the headline.

"I heard that Team Pluto got there in the nick of time!" the Lombre continued. "Trista, Blaze, and Majora put Rocko and his harem on the run!"

"Team...Pluto?" I was confused.

"Manuel's the local snoop around here..." Lita explained. "He usually has some tip to tell Pokemon News from some very good sources...you could call him the roving reporter for Pokemon News."

"I see.." I replied before turning to Manuel. "I'm Sammi, Lita's new partner...we just started a team, which we named Team Ruby."

"That explains el rubi on your bandanna there." Manuel smiled, obviously admiring the ruby Lita had sewn on my bandanna. "You know....you kinda have a sister team in Aoi Town...they call themselves Team Sapphire....but back to Team Pluto: They're a very respected team around here, led by Trista, an Alakazam. Every rescue team dreams of being a Luca ranked team like them."

"Luca?" I asked.

"'Luca' is shorthand for Lucario." Manuel explained. "But to become a Luca ranked team, you gotta do a lot of rescues, like Team Pluto has...and the best place to get some rescue jobs is the Rescue Board by the Pelipper Post. You should look there if your mailbox has no offers."

"I'll remember that!" I smiled as Manuel disappeared into the crowd. Maybe becoming a Luca ranked team would allow me to become human again, but judging from the white color our badge was, we had a long way to go before we got that strong.

"Okay..." Lita tucked the newspaper under her arm and climbed off the bench. "First thing we need to do is buy a toolbox..."

"What for?" I asked Lita as we started toward a building with a porch not far from where Leon was selling papers.

"How else are we going to carry the stuff we find or need for a mission?" Lita replied as she led me up the steps and inside the store. I thought about this as I admired the aisles full of food, Berries, TMs, seeds, odd looking balls, scarves, and other items...we could only carry so much stuff in our arms.

"Good morning!" a green Kecleon called from the counter as we walked in. "Feel free to look around! If you see something you like, just bring it here!"

"All right!" Lita replied, leading me down an aisle marked "SUPPLIES". "The two Kecleon Sisters, Kammy and Kris, stock just about anything you'd want for rescues, and then some...Kammy's the one at the counter, and Kris is the one in charge of stocking everything." she explained, pointing out a purple Kecleon arranging some berries into a decorative pattern a few aisles over.

"Okay." I replied as I reached for a box with two handles at the top, making it resemble a picnic basket.

"We've got our toolbox." Lita told Kammy as I set the box on the counter.

"That will be 500 credits." Kammy replied. Lita calmly set a pile of coins on the counter, then took the box. "Would you like anything else?"

"Not today..." Lita assured Kammy, then motioned to me to follow her outside and back on the square.

"Now where?" I asked Lita as we turned down a path heading south, where a line of Pokemon was waiting at a large building that resembled a warehouse. A Kangaskhan was at the counter tending to the Pokemon in line, every so often disappearing into the building with a few items or emerging from the building to give items to the customer.

"Off to see Wendy at Kangaskhan Storage--or as everyone likes to call her, Aunt Wendy." Lita explained. "A toolbox can only hold so much stuff, so count on Wendy to look after any extra items you have or don't need."

"I see, but why AUNT Wendy?" I was bewildered by the Kangaskhan's affectionate nickname.

"She treats everyone with the same love and care as she does her own children." Lita explained. "Before long, someone suggested that she be called Aunt Wendy, and it stuck."

"Oh, okay..." I laughed. I had my own Aunt Wendy back home, but she was nothing like this Aunt Wendy...my Aunt Wendy was loud and obnoxious, and could talk a field of Cornn Berries to death if given the opportunity--nothing like the Kangaskhan tending to the Pokemon in front of us.

"In order for Aunt Wendy to store your stuff, you register your name or team with her." Lita explained as we approached the counter, where I saw a Growlithe receive some Pecha Berries.

"Okay, next!" the Kangaskhan called, giving us the go ahead to approach. "What can I do for you, hon?"

"I'd like to request a team storage house." Lita explained.

Wendy paused to grab a long sheet of paper that listed all the teams with storage houses, then a quill pen. "What's your team's name, sweetie?"

"Team Ruby."

"Okay..." Wendy took a moment to write the name down on her list, then handed Lita a small slip with a number on it. "Here's the number of your store house...be sure to put it somewhere safe or memorize it, okay?"

"I will, Aunt Wendy!" Lita smiled as we started back up the path to the square.

"Such a sweetheart..." I smiled as we walked down the east path from the square.

"I know..." Lita replied. "Pelipper Post is at the end of this path, but first, there's someone else we need to see.." she explained as we approached a building whose back wall was lined with rows upon rows of safes. There was a line here too, with a Persian tending to the customers.

"That's Serena, the teller at Felicity Bank." Lita explained as we got in line. "Most teams make an emergency savings account for crises, or to store extra credits they don't need right away." I nodded as I watched the Persian depositing some coins in a safe, then giving the customer a slip detailing the transaction. She listened to the next customer's request, then bounded over to the safe in question, clicked open the lock with lightning quick speed, deposited the requested amount into a bag, then delivered it to the customer, along with a withdrawl slip and a few extra coins.

"Interest?" I asked Lita, piqued why the customer had gotten extra coins.

"Yes...Serena's very adamant about collecting your interest before making a withdrawl or deposit." Lita replied, all the while smiling as Serena walked a Wurmple through how to make a deposit or withdrawl. The Wurmple's mother, a Beautifly, watched nearby as the Wurmple set a few coins on the counter for Serena to deposit. Once she returned, she explained to the Wurmple about interest, and how to collect it. When the Beautifly and her son had departed, we approached the counter.

"I see you have a guest with you, darling." Serena purred to Lita.

"This is Sammi, my rescue partner." Lita explained, pausing to let me wave hello. "She's new in town, so I offered her the chance to join my new rescue team."

"Is that so?" Serena replied. "In that case, would you like to open a rescue team account?"

"Yes please!" came Lita's reply.

"Very well...what is your team name?" Serena asked as she too consulted a list of registered rescue teams.

"Team Ruby." Lita replied, pausing to let the ruby on her bandanna glitter in the sun.

"Team Ruby, is it?" Serena paused to add the name to her list, then gave Lita a slip with our safe number on it. "Here you are, darling...the number of your private safe. Your funds and your funds alone will go in it."

"Thanks!" Lita replied, pocketing the slip. "By the way...has my account collected interest yet?"

Serena checked the list of personal savings accounts for a moment, then replied "Just one credit...if you'd like to let your funds mature at this rate for a while, you do not have to collect it now."

"I'll come collect it next time." Lita replied as we turned to go, waving goodbye to Serena as we left. I was getting tired, so we started across the bridge towards home...but little did I know, we would receive our first mission and encounter with Team Kage in town...

END OF FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

A preview:

I woke up the next morning not to Nigel calling "Mail call!", but Lita rustling about downstairs, presumably making breakfast. With this assumption in mind, I threw off the covers and trooped downstairs, where I found her hard at work in the kitchen. My still sleepy eyes noticed she was baking bread judging from the supplies strewn about on the table: milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and water.

She had been melting the butter over the fire when I came downstairs, so I followed her into the kitchen, where she finished making the dough. Next, she reached for a rolling pin and rolled it flat, then started kneading the dough. Once that was done, she reached for a few rings and pressed them into the dough. The resulting circles of dough went inside an old style brick oven.. Just seeing the fire warm the dough circles into light and fluffly biscuits brought back a memory of my mom rising early on Saturdays to make biscuits not unlike the way Lita was doing, only she would be using an electric oven and a few other appliances that would be alien to the Pokemon here.

It also brought back memories of the pizza parlor nearby the academy, where me and my friends would meet, chat, and do homework over a steaming hot pizza that was baked very much like the biscuits were. Whatever was baked in a brick oven--that smoky taste was a little piece of heaven in my eyes.

Lita noted my fascination with the oven as she pressed out another batch of dough rings. "What's the matter? You have this look on your face like you miss something..."

"Well...back in the human world, there was a popular meeting place in town...and they made food in an oven like that." I explained. "Oh, how I loved the food they made there!"

"It sure sounds good..." Lita replied as she set one pan of biscuits on a cooling rack. "Too bad Lucario doesn't send Pokemon to the human world--but he has done the reverse before."

 

[DarkCrystal]

Interesting story idea. I think you did very well with how Sammi reacted to when she arrived in the Pokmon world. I hope you decide to continue the story.

 

[EmeraldSky]

I plan to, I've just had writer's block on it lately...a third teammate and an encounter with Team Kage is in the works.

 

[Sike_Saner]

Man, I wish I had PMD. Oh well, maybe I'll get it for Christmas. Until then (and beyond, actually), I can get a PMD fix by reading stories like this one. ^^

I consider this to be your best work to date; it's my new favorite among your fics. I think you handle first-person quite well, and that choice of perspective suits this story pretty nicely.

Following are a couple of my favorite moments, little things that made me chuckle:

"He'll be here any minute now....mail Pelippers announce their arrival in a very distinct way...." Lita explained as she hurried downstairs.

I followed her into the kitchen, and was about to ask what this "distinctive way" was until I heard a male voice call "Mail call!" Actually, it sounded more like "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaailllll caaaaaaaaalllllllllllllll!!!!!!"

my Aunt Wendy was loud and obnoxious, and could talk a field of Cornn Berries to death if given the opportunity

I had a nice time reading this. Keep up the good work!

 

[EmeraldSky]

Thanks...I've just had a lot of writer's block on it lately...

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #4: Shadows in Water


I woke up the next morning not to Nigel calling "Mail call!", but Lita rustling about downstairs, presumably making breakfast. With this assumption in mind, I threw off the covers and trooped downstairs, where I found her hard at work in the kitchen. My still sleepy eyes noticed she was baking bread judging from the supplies strewn about on the table: milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and water.

She had been melting the butter over the fire when I came downstairs, so I followed her into the kitchen, where she finished making the dough. Next, she reached for a rolling pin and rolled it flat, then started kneading the dough. Once that was done, she reached for a few rings and pressed them into the dough. The resulting circles of dough went inside an old style brick oven.. Just seeing the fire warm the dough circles into light and fluffly biscuits brought back a memory of my mom rising early on Saturdays to make biscuits not unlike the way Lita was doing, only she would be using an electric oven and a few other appliances that would be alien to the Pokemon here.

It also brought back memories of the pizza parlor nearby the academy, where me and my friends would meet, chat, and do homework over a steaming hot pizza that was baked very much like the biscuits were. Whatever was baked in a brick oven--that smoky taste was a little piece of heaven in my eyes.

Lita noted my fascination with the oven as she pressed out another batch of dough rings. "What's the matter? You have this look on your face like you miss something..."

"Well...back in the human world, there was a popular meeting place in town...and they made food in an oven like that." I explained. "Oh, how I loved the food they made there!"

"It sure sounds good..." Lita replied as she set one pan of biscuits on a cooling rack. "Too bad Lucario doesn't send Pokemon to the human world--but he has done the reverse before."

Like bringing me here... I thought as I snatched a biscuit and bit into it.

After we had finished breakfast and cleaned the kitchen a little, I stepped outside to see if Nigel or another mail Pellipper had arrived earlier without him alerting us. I calmly waltzed over to the mailbox, opened it, and peered inside.

Nothing. Not a scrap of paper in sight.

With that thought in mind, I returned to the house to find Lita sweeping the floor. "Say..." I started.

"Hm?" Lita looked up from her chore, interested. "What is it, Sammi?"

"I was wondering if we could head to town and check the Rescue Board for job offers." I suggested. "See, every rescue team dreams of being Luca ranked like Team Pluto, right?"

"Mm-hmm..." Lita beckoned me to go on.

"So I'm figuring that the quickest way to get better is to do rescue missions." I continued. "Since Nigel didn't come today, I was thinking we check the Rescue Board and the paper."

"Great idea!" Lita had her broom put away in a heartbeat. "And while we're out, there's someone else I'd like you to meet." she assured me as we headed down the path to town.

But by the time we arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the whole town had seemingly gathered around what looked like a Squirtle being taunted by a Gengar--I could sense the aura of authority and fear in his toothy grin as he looked the Squirtle over. A Medicham and an Ekans were with the Gengar, as if to help him size up his pint sized opponent.

I finally found Manuel in the crowd a few seconds later. "What's going on?" I asked as I tried to peek through the mass of Pokemon.

"Team Kage's been randomly walking around town swiping cash off of every person they pass." Manuel explained. "and Mizu here's just trying to defend her hard earned funds..."

"Mizu...that must be the Squirtle's name, right?" I asked. Manuel nodded in reply. The three of us watched to see what would happen next.

"I gave ya da rules fair an' square...every last coin ya got, or else, see?" Rocko explained to Mizu as she weakly stood up, apparently the victim of an attack. "Or it's another Night Shade for you, see?" Mizu just stood her ground, silently defying the request.

"We sssssseem to have a tough one here, Rocko..." Jessie noted. "Shall I ssssqueeze Mizu a little to make her talk?"

"Leave her alone!" I called, getting all three members of Team Kage to glance at me. "What did Mizu ever do to you?"

"Tryin' to stick up for the little lady, aren't ya?" Rocko smirked as he and his teammates approached me. "Maybe I should take your coins in exchange for hers!" With that, Grace lunged at me to take the money bag by my side...

"GLOWING EMBER!!!!!!" I called as I hurled a fireball in Grace's face, making her stumble backwards and crash into her teammates. Mizu took this opportunity to flee over to where Lita and Manuel were waiting. The crowd gasped as Team Kage untangled themselves...maybe I had overstepped my boundaries and tussled with Pokemon I shouldn't have tussled with. However, Grace looked clearly in pain as she stood up.

"I musta underestimated you, kid...." Rocko snarled as his wounded teammate slowly got up. "But when you an' me meet up again, ya aren't gonna like it, see?" With that, he and his two teammates turned to leave.

Lita was elated! "Three cheers for Sammi!" she called to the crowd. "Hip, hip!"

"HOORAY!!!!!"

"Hip, hip!"

"HOORAY!!!!!"

"Hip, hip!"

"HOORAY!!!!!!!!" I was flattered--to think that my act of self defense made me a celebrity? It seemed unreal, and yet satisfying at the same time. I embraced Mizu as she gave me a joyful hug.

"Thank you so much!" she began. "I was on my way to post a want ad at the Pelliper Post when Team Kage jumped me!"

"What kind of ad?" I was curious.

"I was going to post a join team ad--in other words, let local teams know I was willing to join them." Mizu replied. "I make a living making useful items for teams to use, and several teams have asked me to join..."

"Then why don't you join us?" Lita asked. "We may be a newcomer in the Growlithe-eat Growlithe world of rescue teams, but you might be able to help us out with your inventing!"

"Well..." Mizu thought for a minute, then replied "Since you rescued me from Team Kage, I feel led to help you in return...so I'll join up with you!"

"Then welcome aboard!" Lita smiled as she tied a red bandanna with a ruby on it around Mizu's neck, signifying her membership in Team Ruby.

END OF FILE

 

[DarkCrystal]

Whatever was baked in a brick oven--that smoky taste was a little piece of heaven in my eyes.

Wow, that sentence was so descriptive. I could practically taste it when I read it! I also loved the way you added Mizu to the team, it was very creative. I look foward to reading the next File.

 

[EmeraldSky]

Thanks!

I modeled Rocko the Gengar after Lobster Mobster from "The Little Mermaid" TV show, if you're curious.

Next: Meeting Melody the Wigglytuff and Ryu the Makuhita.

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #5: The Song of Friendship




Seeing that the whole ruckus with Team Kage was over, the crowd that had assembled on the square began to disperse. Yet I was still proud of myself for stepping up and defending someone in danger--that always gave me a thrill and a sense of gratitude back home. Judging from the smile on Mizu's face, she was glad I had come to help in her time of need.

I was about to ask her what kinds of things she invented when I noted the sound of someone singing off in the distance. "Who's that?" I asked.

"Remember that shop that didn't look open yesterday?" Lita asked. I racked my mind for a moment--I remembered seeing an empty building by the bank, and had wondered what was inside it. Maybe the singing coming from that direction was a clue?

"That's Melody's shop!" Mizu's eyes were wide with surprise.

I was confused. "Who's Melody?"

"Melody's the one who sells friend areas." Lita explained as we went to get a closer look at the building. From my position in the crowd, I could see a line of Pokemon waiting to talk with a Wigglytuff--who was singing to attract customers. Unlike the smaller Jigglypuff, a Wigglytuff's song didn't put you to sleep--it made you want to listen. Considering the size of the line, this Wigglytuff was doing very well in attracting customers.

As we got closer to the counter, I noticed a banner over the building that proclaimed "GRAND OPENING--FIRST PURCHASE FREE!--ALL DAY!" That probably meant that Melody had just moved into town or something like that, and her shop wasn't quite ready to open yesterday. But another question crossed my mind--just WHAT was a friend area?

I sighed, knowing I would probably look stupid in front of Lita and Mizu. "Guys?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Lita turned to look at me. "What's the matter, Sammi? Is something the matter?"

I swallowed hard and nervously anticipated the impending fits of laughter both Lita and Mizu were going to burst into as soon as I asked the question. "Just what is a friend area?"

"Easy!" Lita's answer was not laughter, but an actual answer. "Friend areas are where other team members stay until you want them to come with you on a mission."

"Sometimes, Pokemon you defeat in battle will want to join up with your team." Mizu continued. "So having a few friend areas handy is a big help!"

"Okay..." I replied as it came to be our turn in line, but I was unsure how to phrase my request before the Wigglytuff at the counter. "Uh..."

"Welcome!" Melody smiled. "I'm glad you've come to Club Wigglytuff--a circle of friends!"

"My pleasure." I replied back--there was nothing artificial about Melody's friendliness; I could tell she liked doing this from the depths of her heart. Her greeting was nothing like pushy salespeople at home--only acting nice for a quick buck. In fact, just looking at her made you feel the love inside her.

"Is this your first time?" Melody asked, snapping me out of my trance.

"Uh, yeah..." I stammered.

"I see you've started a rescue team too, yes?" Melody continued. Her questions came nice and easy, not lightning quick like Officer Jenny.

"I have..." I replied. "We are Team Ruby."

"Well, now; you've come to the right place!" Melody laughed. "I sell Friend Areas so you can add to your rescue team. Since this is your first visit, I'll give you two Friend areas for free on top of my Grand Opening deal!" With that, she started to sing in an odd language--which I instantly recognized as the same language that Lucario used to transform me. But instead of transforming, this song caused a bright light to flash once, then again, not unlike a camera flash.

"What was that for?" Mizu was concerned at how I shielded my eyes.

"I'll explain later..." I nervously giggled. Back home, I dreaded having my picture taken, all because of Mom's camera. The flash was so bright, it could blind anything!

"There we go..." Melody began, giggling lightly at my panicked look. I laughed a little as well, knowing I had probably embarrassed myself by shielding my eyes. "I've given you access to the Wild Plains and Mist-Rise Forest...and that means you can recruit Pokemon that live in those areas!"

"Thanks..." I smiled.

"Now...would you like me to unlock your Grand Opening purchase now, or later?" Melody asked.

"Not right now, thanks." I replied. "Two is enough to start."

"Okay...I'll give you this so I don't forget to give you yours later." Melody replied as she gave me a piece of paper. "It's good for the rest of this week and the next week."

"Thanks, Melody!" Lita called as we turned back towards the square. After we had waved goodbye, we turned down a fork heading to the south. "There's a training dojo here..." she explained, pointing out a small building that looked like an Asain temple off in the distance. "Maybe some training will help you get used to your Charmander powers...."

END OF FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #6: Enter the Ruby



I couldn't resist gawking at the temple looming overhead--it looked just like the ancient temples back home! But it didn't look very occupied at first, save for a Makuhita sweeping the pathway leading inside, and various cries, grunts, and swats of fights in progress from the inside.

Mizu looked puzzled at my awed face. "What's wrong, Sammi?"

"Well...humans were said to build temples like this in their world long ago." I explained. "I read it in a book once." While that wasn't quite true, I had at least dodged the possiblity of revealing I was human to Mizu for the time being. Judging from how she nodded to show she understood, she seemed to believe my white lie.

Just then, the Makuhita noticed the three of us. "Welcome, travelers. I am Ryu--the owner and sensei of Akai Dojo. How may I be of service to you?"

"This is Sammi..." Lita explained as I waved hello to Ryu. "She just moved into town, and she wants to build confidence in her abilities and become stronger."

"Is that so?" Ryu smiled, setting inside his broom. "Come inside..." With that, he motioned for us to follow him inside.

I was amazed at the sheer number of Pokemon training under Ryu and his staff. I could see Pikachus shocking targets, a Meowth lunging at a Machoke dummy, a Bulbasaur whipping a vine at some flying disks, and even Charmanders like me; all under the watchful eyes of their teacher, usually a Machop or a Tyrogue.

We came to the center room, away from all the battles taking place, and stood before a magniicent looking gold throne, where Ryu sat down. "Now then...training with me does require hard work, but in doing so, the benefits are far too many to count. You will learn to master the power inside of you, and use it effectively in battle."

That didn't sound too much different from the trainer-Pokemon relationship that I'd heard so much about back home. But I wanted to learn to control my Charmander powers effectively, so I motioned for Ryu to continue.

"But don't think that you will just gain physical strength in your training--you will also gain mental and spiritual strength." Ryu continued. "The mind, spirit, and body work together like a Rescue Team..and when all three are strong, there is no limit to what you can accomplish!"

"Wow!" Lita was impressed. "When do we start?"

Ryu motioned for a Tyrogue sitting in a corner, meditating. "Come, Lee...I want you to guide these three in their training."

"Yes, Master Ryu." the Tyrogue replied as he walked to meet us. "If you'll come with me, we will start with the Wheel of Power."

We followed Lee through the maze of training rooms and out to a large open arena, where a large wheel connected to a huge slab of rock stood. The rock appeared to be blocking a doorway, but it was hard to tell due to the shadows of the trees in that corner.

"Okay...this is the Wheel of Power." Ryu explained, gesturing to the giant wheel. "Your goal is to turn the wheel so that it raises the rock high enough to open the door."

"That's easy!" I smiled as I darted aboard the wheel. Despite my attempts to push against it, shove my weight against it, and walk to try and get the wheel to turn; the wheel didn't budge very much. Pushing against it helped a little, but the rock only fell back into its original position as soon as I stopped pushing. Walking wasn't any good either, the wheel was too large for my tiny Charmander body to do anything.

"Not as easy as you thought, was it?" Lee smiled as I stepped off the wheel, exhausted.

I remember seeing this on a game show once... I thought as I watched Lita try to move the wheel. If I was a bigger Pokemon, or human again, I could move the wheel easily! Sadly, she didn't do very well. Mizu didn't fare very much better; so before long, we were all sweaty and exhausted.

"Master Lee, the wheel is too large for any of us to move!" Mizu complained.

"How can one of us that's so small move something that big?" Lita agreed.

"Know this, Nincadas: A tiny Caterpie can burrow underground and move a giant tree; likewise, you all have the power to move the rock inside of you. However, feeling discouraged will not get you anywhere." Lee replied. I thought on this for a minute--then it clicked! What if we all tried moving the wheel together?

"I have an idea..." I started, snapping Lita and Mizu to attention. "Let's try all moving the wheel together!"

"Good idea!" Lita was the first aboard the wheel, I followed, with Mizu between us. Once all three of us were on the wheel, we pushed against it with all our might. Ever so slowly, the wheel turned, and the rock inched ever so slowly off the ground. After what seemed like hours, the rock was hanging in the air, revealing a doorway.

"You see? There is strength in numbers." Lee explained. "The power to move the rock only awakened within you when you combined your powers and worked together."

Let's hope the next exercise isn't so exhausting... I thought as I followed Lee and my teammates into the next room.

END OF FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #7: All in the Mind



When we arrived in the next room, Lee was awaiting us nearby a set of colored orbs on a pedestal. I didn't know if they had power or if they just looked pretty or what; but the way they sparkled in the afternoon sun made tiny specks of red, blue, and yellow dance on the walls of the otherwise empty room. There were also mats before each orb--I sat before the red one and awaited instructions.

"Your next challenge, Nincadas..." Lee began as he circled the pedestals the orbs were sitting on. "These orbs are controlled by thought...and your task is to lift them off the pedestals with your thoughts."

Lita was dumbfounded by this. "Do I look like a Kadabra?" she snapped. "I don't even KNOW any Psychic moves!"

"Anger will not get you anywhere, Nicada..." Lee cautioned, which seemed to calm Lita a little. "It seems like a daunting task for those of us that do not have innate Psychic power..."

"Like Kadabras..." Lita grumbled.

"However, you do have some sort of psychic power inside of you--your thoughts." Lee left that to hang as we pondered how in the world we were going to lift the orbs with our minds.

I could understand where Lita was coming from--neither of us were Psychic types. I was puzzled by what Lee meant about using our thoughts to lift the orbs. Was it possible that the power of our memory could be what he meant?

I nudged Lita, snapping her from her sulking. "Hey..."

"What is it?" she asked, perking up at the possibility of my having figured out Lee's request.

"Maybe Lee is referring to the power of our memories!" I suggested. "Maybe if we channel our happiest memories into the orb, it'll lift!"

"I'm gonna try that!" Mizu announced. With that, she closed her eyes and focused for a moment, then spoke again. "I remember discovering treasure at the bottom of Midnight Lake...I was swimming down there one day, when I found a blue rock in the sand. After prying it out and taking it to the surface, I discovered it was actually a sapphire! I was so happy, I couldn't resist showing off my find..."

As Mizu continued to recount her memory, Lita and I watched in amazement as the blue orb Mizu was sitting in front of began to rise off the pedestal and hover in the air. It continued to hover even after Mizu's story had ended.

Lee was impressed. "You see? Memories are a kind of psychic power too. Now, lift the other two orbs to continue to the third and final trial."

"Let's see..." Lita thought for a moment, then focused as she began to tell us her memory: "I remember the time I met Trista of Team Pluto for the first time...she was very friendly, and encouraged me to start my own rescue team..." Ever so slowly, the yellow orb rose off the pedestal and hovered in the air as well. The only orb left that had not hovered was mine.

"Well, Sammi? What's your happiest memory?" Lita asked.

I swallowed hard--I had so many memories to choose from, thanks to my being human. The problem was, which one could I tell my new friends about and have them understand it? I finally sighed, focused, and began recounting the first memory that came to mind. "I remember the time I made a movie for the school film festival, and it won first prize. I worked very hard animating it, choosing the right people to voice the characters, picking just the right music, and things like that. Despite this, I still had my doubts over whether it was any good--but when my name was announced as the winner, I was overjoyed..." As I spoke, I saw the orb before me rise off the pedestal before me, which opened a door into the next room. Once all three orbs were hovering, Lee motioned us to follow him through the door.

"Movies are so much fun to watch!" Mizu smiled as we entered a tunnel.

"Yeah, we should take you to the Akai Theater when we're done training!" Lita agreed.

"Let's focus on training, okay?" I assured my friends as we awaited Lee's instructions....

END OF FILE

 

[Scarlet Weather]

Ay, not bad at all! (Though, I do notice that you have neglected to give "Sammi" amnesia. >.<) I actually enjoy this story... well, maybe not the disney-esque morals and moments, but that's probably because I'm quite jaded in my old age. (Old? Old? HAHAHAHA... sorry, nut moment.) Anyway, with my new power, the ultimate uber-transformation technique, (a.k.a. a rip off of the henge no jutsu), I shall now become an old martial arts sensei in order to make this review more enjoyable! *transforms*

Ah... young Nincada, you are truly on the path to becoming a powerful Ninjask. Let us walk the path of thy memories, and look at the odd things you have experienced...

"Know this, Nincadas: A tiny Caterpie can burrow underground and move a giant tree; likewise, you all have the power to move the rock inside of you. However, feeling discouraged will not get you anywhere." Lee replied. I thought on this for a minute--then it clicked! What if we all tried moving the wheel together?

Know this, young Nincada- if that had been me, I would immediately have taken a different path. Namely, grabbing the head of my instructor, and beating him until he moved the wheel. Thy character must have much more patience then me...

"You see? There is strength in numbers." Lee explained. "The power to move the rock only awakened within you when you combined your powers and worked together."

Know this, young Nincada- if this were not a "warm-and-fuzzy" fanfic, I would be displeased. As is, it fits well. Good job. *Detransforms*

Anyway- I really don't enjoy most fanfics written in this vein, but I can say that this one is written well, albeit with short chapters without too much action in them. Do you think you could boot the length up a bit?

Cheers,
ACC

(By the way, this fanfic gets an eight- it would be nine for kid-friendly morals, etc., which I respect, but I have to knock it down a bit for chapter length.)

 

[EmeraldSky]

I'm loosely basing this on my own MD game, which I finished two months ago...I am recycling my Pokeself (Sammi) and partner (Lita) But Mizu and one other character I have yet to reveal are brand new for the story.

 

[EmeraldSky]

File #8: Matinee at the Akai (part 1)


Our final challenge in the dojo was to navigate a maze...which turned out to be a surprisingly easy task. Lita had navigated and kept the way lit, thanks to Mizu's invention of glasses that gave you X ray vision. Mizu and I had kept the various Pokemon populating the maze at bay. To be honest, I felt more confident in using my newfound powers after we finished the maze, so training under Ryu and Lee had turned out to be a good idea after all.

After we had completed the maze, Ryu congratulated us and told us we were welcome to train anytime we wanted. So here we were, on the pathway leading into town. I was tired from the training, but Lita and Mizu looked as contented and perky as ever. Either they consumed a lot of caffiene or they were just naturally like this.

"Your memory was about movies, right Sammi?" Lita's question snapped my out of my thoughtful trance. "What are movies like in the human world?"

"Nothing special..." I replied. "You pay for a ticket, get food, watch the movie, and go on your way. Somethimes you get a cartoon before the movie."

"Just the movie and maybe a cartoon?" Mizu was shocked. "That's boring compared to movie watching over here!"

"What about the news?" Lita asked.

"Nope." I replied.

"Or comic shorts?" Mizu agreed.

"Not even serial chapters?" Lita was now more shocked that Mizu was.

"Nope and nope..." I replied. "In olden times, they did show things like that, but not anymore."

A sly look came over Mizu's face. "In that case, we need to take you to the Theater Akai!" With that, she motioned for us to follow as she bounded through the square and up a hill, where a magnificent looking theater stood. The marquee read "NOW SHOWING: THE RIBBON CUP CAPER". Since it was still daylight out, the lights around it were not on. Even so, I couldn't resist imagining what they would look like once night fell.

Lita, meanwhile, led us over to the closest ticket booth that didn't have a line. "Three, please." she told the Vulpix at the counter as she deposited enough coins for the three of us in the payment slot.

"Enjoy the show!" the Vulpix smiled as he gave us our tickets. With that, I followed Lita and Mizu inside the theater.

It didn't look too different from theaters at home, except for the lack of a mini arcade near the snack bar. No matter, video games would be alien to my friends, anyway. There were already lines forming at the snack bar, so we rushed to get a spot before they got too long.

When we finally got to the counter, I couldn't resist admiring the impressive array of treats. There were Skitty Crunchies, Johto Almonds, Krisp bars, Minty Balls, and many other candies I recognized, but unfortunately, all we could afford was popcorn. The Chikoritas at the counter couldn't resist giggling over the look on my face once I was told the candy was too expensive.

Once we got our popcorn we trooped off down a carpeted hallway lined with posters of coming attractions. I was still sulking over not getting candy by the time we reached the theater, so the usher's call of "Tickets, please!" startled me! Lita and Mizu were restraining themselves from laughing as I nervously handed over my ticket to the usher. The Grovyle used one of the leaves on his arms to tear off the short end of the ticket, then handed the stub to me.

"Your friend okay?" the Grovyle asked as he took Mizu's ticket.

"Oh, she's just mad she couldn't get candy and popcorn." Mizu replied as she led me inside the theater.

Once the three of us were back together again, we found three seats in the middle of the theater. There were various Pokemon already there, quietly talking, nibbling on their treats, or watching the screen loop movie trivia. Lita and Mizu just sat comfortably in their seats, as if they'd done this a hundred times before, but I made a flying leap into the center seat, nearly spilling Lita's popcorn.

"Excited, aren't we?" Mizu smiled as I began to munch on my popcorn.

"I'm just interested to see these serial chapters..." I explained.

"I hear they're starting a new one with this movie..." Lita explained. "They're usually about this human girl that goes all around the world making movies, and the various perils she gets into."

"And just when you think the girl's gonna get it, the mysterious rescuer saves her!" Mizu added. "You love it!" With that, she settled in her seat as the lights dimed and the projector began to whir.

I watched as the screen blipped 3...2...1...before displaying the words "Global Pokemon News" overlaid over a globe with Pikachu ears. "Here's the latest at Global Pokemon News..." the announcer began before showing a Chikorita, a Cyndaquil, and a Totodile waving to supporters. "Team Silver began their climb up Mt. Thunder yesterday...it is hoped the expedition will reveal more about the mountain's past..."

"Supposedly, a winged god resides at the peak and guards the mountain, so I don't think they'll get very far..." Mizu whispered to me as scenes of the team climbing cycled onscreen.

"I hope they have good bargaining skills if they find this winged god..." I whispered back before refocusing on the screen, which depicted a Kadabra before a statue of Lucario.

"Natural disasters have been intensifying in the past week, prompting many to travel to the Shrine of Lucario to the east." the screen explained. "Some have said that Xatu's prophecy of a human in Pokemon form will come to pass, while others still remain skeptical. Still others have come foward claiming to be the human in the prophecy..."

"Who's Xatu?" I asked.

"He cares for Lucario's shrine from his abode at the peak of the Great Canyon, not far from the Shrine." Lita explained. "His prophecies have not been wrong yet...or at least none of the ones I've heard about were wrong."

"It's very rare for Xatu to have a wrong prediction, hon." a Bayleef seated a few seats further down the row assured Lita as she kept a watchful eye on the two Chikoritas next to her. "The last time a prophecy of his didn't come true, I was about as old as one of my little'uns here!"

"The only hint Xatu has given as to when the prophecy will come true is that the human mentioned will receive messages from one of Lucario's envoys in their dreams." the screen concluded before returning to the picture of the globe. "And that's the news here at Pokemon News..." I was puzzled--if Lucario told me before I was transformed that I was the human Xatu had foretold, then how come I hadn't gotten any odd dreams yet?

END OF FILE

 

[EmeraldSky]

Coming up:

--the serial and the movie
--How to link moves (Gulpin will be swapped for a new Pokemon...)

 

[DarkCrystal]

Haha! Instead of grasshopper you used Nincada. I like that, I think I'll use it IRL. Amd I'm glad you kept Melody in there, she was one of my favorites in MD. The part about entering the movies made me chuckle, especially the Grovyle part. Good work!

 

[Scarlet Weather]

--the serial and the movie
--How to link moves (Gulpin will be swapped for a new Pokemon...)

Dude... is the action ever going to start? I'm getting tired... no Pokemon in his/her right mind spends this long walking around the square.