UNO

[superaipom]

Howdy everbody! This is my first fanfic so please (I beg of you) review, comment, and critique!

Uno
ON TEMPORARY HIATUS​

Chapter 1

"Quickly, you must be going. Time isn't with us."

"But what am I supposed to do once I arrive there?"

"Not now. I can hear them. The Houndoom will soon be on your tail. Shade and I will buy you as much time as we can."

"But I can't just leave you by yourself. You only joined just eight months ago. You haven't even completed basic training."

"Don't worry about me. Right now, you've got to get out of here."

"I'm not going to drag you into this. It shouldn't be your problem."

"We're best friends. I always have to deal with your problems. Like, for one, your body odor, I mean, have you heard of roll-on?"

"Nice Sheper, real nice. Seriously though, you're going to get killed for a crime I committed."

"Dude, we've all committed crimes. It's kind of what happens when you join this type of thing. I told you man, don't worry about me. We'll keep in touch. Go, now!"

"Farewell and all the thanks to you Sheper!"

* * *​

"Well, if it isn't the new recruit, laying around relaxing in the midday sun. But I can't say that surprises me, it's all you can and ever do," a man declared as he entered a storage room. His build was that of a brick wall. Neatly combed over, his hair was as black as ashes. His eyes, ablaze, were calm and focused. He was rather tall and overpowered the new member quite easily. Wearing a purple cloak, he dominated over two goons beside him, just as muscular as he.

"Hate to burst your bubble Varle, but it's two in the morning. There's no sun out; that big thing in the sky is called the moon," a much weaker man responded. He had neither the build nor the height of the other man, but that did not matter to him. He fought with his words and his wit. He wore the grunt-issued chocolate brown cloak which matched his hair perfectly. A hint of a goatee could also be seen on his bony chin.

"Brave words for someone who helped the deceiver escape. Yes, you're correct. The sun isn't out right now. But soon enough, it shall be out at this hour—and all hours," the man retorted.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm surprised Sheper, I would of thought that even a grunt like you would know of the Commander's plan by now."

"And you do? Oh please, grace me with your vast 'knowledge'."

"Smarting off to the next possible commander ay? I'd say your knowledge is quite vast as well. Of course I know the Commander's plans! I am a Director after all. I'm surprised your little friend didn't tell you? I reckon you will never find out then. But spilling our Commander's plans is not what I'm here for. Anyone acquainted with the deceiver is to be eliminated, Commander's orders." The man released several ferocious and rather burly Houndoom which immediately growled and crept forward with a fierce look from the man. They clearly had undergone years of arduous training with the man.

"Still doing Publar's dirty work huh Varle?"

"Don't you refer to our Commander in such a way! Who do you think you are? And how else are you supposed to become chief of Johto's largest criminal empire?"

"Kissing the Commander's butt is a good way? Gee, I'll remember that next time I'm trying to make a good impression."

"That's it. I grow tired of your," he paused as if searching for the right word, "rude-ly-ness," he added.

"I think the word is insolence, oh smart one. And you're next in line to become the Commander? Man this place is going downhill," Sheper remarked. The man bellowed at this.

"You will be silent, forever! Houndoom, attack!"

"Shade, come on out!" And Sheper released a Kadabra not more than three months old.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! How much training time has that thing got, just over ten minutes?" The man laughed with his underlings. "Houndoom, burn these rookies to a crisp!" And the Houndoom unleashed a fiery wave of inferno upon the duo.

"Shade, use protect!" A force field of kinetic energy surrounded Sheper and Shade, halting the flames now engulfing the psychic ball, in the knick of time.

"Push harder! They can't hold your flames back forever!" The man commanded his Houndoom. The young Kadabra struggled to keep the flames at a standstill, a few flames piercing through, injuring him. The Kadabra still held the ball at its position. Sheper stood, awe-struck for several moments. His emotions began to get the better of him. He believed in his Kadabra. We can beat these guys, he thought to himself. But then, he looked up. He observed the gravity of the situation. These Houndoom had been trained for years. Their flames did not seem to end. Reality had flown back through his veins.

"You're right Varle. We can't hold you back forever," Sheper revealed.

"Hold off Houndoom, they'll come quietly," the man stated as the Houndoom ceased their fire, the force field falling soon afterward. The Kadabra gasped for air, as if it had just run a marathon. The two men exchanged glances. The stronger man signaled his grunts to go after Sheper.

"Rookie mistake Varle," Sheper declared with a disturbing grin. "Shade, use teleport!" he added.

"No! Houndoom, stop them!" The man pleaded. A yellow globe appeared now and encircled the two; the Houndoom jumping at it flew back in all directions. The grunts, too, were slapped against the walls of the storage room. Lazily, the ball climbed into the air, and just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished out of sight, taking Sheper and Shade with it.

"Oh, how Sheper will regret this. He will pay for this embarrassing loss with his life, as will the deceiver. I will capture them both if it's the last thing I do. Then the Commander will have to choose me as his heir. Especially with the deceiver being, well, the deceiver."

"But you lost them both in the first place, so by capturing them, you technically would not be—"

"Shut up! I know that you idiot! So go tell the Commander that you two lost the twerps!" The man responded.

"But boss—"

"That's quite enough! Go, now! That's an order. Give my Houndoom a bath as well. They'll need it for the hunt."

"[Sigh] Yes sir," the two underlings responded as they went to give the Commander the fate of the escapees.

"I swear by the name of Team Planetar, I, Varle Vonbulé, will find you Sheper. And you will tell me where the deceiver is hiding. I will kill you both, and I will rule Johto. Just you wait."​

​

 

[~Kavin~]

Man I'm loving this story! I love how you portrayed the relationship between Sheper and shade! Your very descriptive and it was easy for me to get into the story! I'm definitely going to follow your story! Keep up the good work!

 

[superaipom]

Thanks so much ~Kavin~! It's nice to know that someone likes my story! I am definetely going to keep this up! Oh! And I love Conquering the Battle Frontier! Chapter 2 should be up later today, after some finishing touches.

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 2

A dull cloud of despair rose above the treetops as the last of the Hoothoot sang their song. The sun gracefully ascended to its destination in the sky. A slight breeze whistled through the forest prompting him to awake. The weather was beginning to grow cold and it was rather brisk for the time of year. A man, alone, wearing only a purple cloak would surely freeze at night.

Leaves blew across the paths of Ilex Forest; a Sentret chasing after one nearly stepped on the napping Flareon's tail. What majesty that Flareon was, the flames flowing elegantly in the breeze. Its fangs were as sharp as needles and were outstandingly polished. The ears atop its head perked up at the sound of its master awaking. The master woke to the usual greeting of the Flareon licking his face. He laughed his hardy laugh but soon witnessed the grim truth surrounding him. He did not want to get up, he wanted to lie under that little berry bush for the rest of eternity. But he knew he couldn't. It wasn't an option at this point. He rose to his feet and stretched. He breathed in the forest air and frowned, for he found that the majority of his food had been ransacked, by Sneasel, no doubt, he thought to himself. He picked up his backpack, putting the hood of his bluk-violet cloak up as he did, and began his trek.

The man was nothing special. Everything about him was undoubtedly average. He was of normal height, just under six foot and was adequately muscular. He was in perfect shape, as all members were required to be. The hair on his head flowed just as elegantly as his Flareon's; it was just the color as well, a fiery red. His dark eyes scanned the surroundings as he trudged, his Flareon close behind.

"Come on, Trix. We have to find more food before sundown. I would have died last night if it weren't for your body heat. I'm not sure if I can endure that again. If we hike all day, I think we may make it out of this accursed forest, and who knows, we might even be able to find my old safe house in Azalea."

"Flare-flare," the flame pokémon agreed.

* * *​

At midday, the man had not made as much progress as he had hoped. An unplanned trip across a wide river took longer than expected. Not only did the river whisk the man farther off course, but it swallowed what was left of his food as well. The man walked with his Flareon the rest of the day but still found himself trapped under the roof-like trees of Ilex Forest. The Hoothoot, now tucked away in their trees, began the chorus line, signaling nightfall.

"Oh great forest spirit, do you not want me to save your forest and all of Johto? Why must you delay me so? I am a banished Director living like a peasant! I have no family, no food, and no strength! Nothing! Why must you torment me? What have I done to deserve this? Death by starvation! What spirit? Tell me!" The man questioned. But all he got in response was the rustling of leaves and a gust of wind upon his cheek. He turned his anger towards his surroundings, beating the ground, kicking trees, ripping roots from the earth below, and finally, fell to his knees and sobbed. He returned his Flareon to its pokéball and wept for quite some time, practically committing suicide in that weather. The Flareon released itself from the ball and immediately jumped on the man and licked his face. Despite the great pain he felt inside and out, he couldn't help but crack a smile. He laid down and pulled a single oran berry from his bag. Other than an unusual disk, the bag was now completely empty. The man ripped the berry in half and shared it with his Flareon, who nibbled it up in a hurry. A Delibird waddled over a hill in the distance, stumbling the entire way, the bag on its back far too heavy for it. The man let out a giggle at this. The Flareon nestled up next to him and the two fell asleep on the paths of Ilex Forest.

 

[delongbi]

Hello. Interesting story so far. Here are some typo/grammar errors I found:

fore he

Should be 'for' I believe.

Come on Trix.

Should be 'Come on, Trix.'

IlexForest.

There needs to be a space between Ilex and Forest. You did this twice.

Now for my non-grammar comments... I really liked the first chapter. It was a great beginning and I think you set up the plot very nicely. Your descriptions have been good thus far as well.

The clicheness at the end of the first chapter kind of bothered me. I felt you could have integrated that information in a more creative, mysterious manner.

Otherwise, nice job. Keep it up!

 

[superaipom]

Thanks for the comments delongbi! That IlexForest/Ilex Forest mistake is pretty embarrassing! Ha! Yeah, I didn't really like the end of this chapter as well. But don't worry, the fanfic only gets more mysterious and suspenseful! Chapter 3 coming tomorrow! And I will try to only post chapters from now on. I just get so excited when people comment, I have to comment myself, haha.

 

[h POKE]

I think the story as a whole has been told in an excellent manner, I just think that you could use a little sentence variety.
Take a look at this excerpt, and I think you'll see a pattern:

He laughed his hardy laugh but soon witnessed the grim truth surrounding him. He did not want to get up, he (I realize this isn't the beginning of a sentence, but it helps my point) wanted to lie under that little berry bush for the rest of eternity. But he knew he couldn't. It wasn't an option at this point. He rose to his feet and stretched. He breathed in the forest air and frowned, for he found that the majority of his food had been ransacked, by Sneasel, no doubt, he thought to himself. He picked up his backpack, putting the hood of his bluk-violet cloak up as he did, and began his trek.

See what I mean?

Other than that, though, it is quite good so far.

 

[~Kavin~]

The second chapter was suprisingly short! I like how you introduced a new character. I myself am still trying to figure out how to focus on another character in my second chapter. Besides the typos the others have pointed out, it was a decent chapter. I'm also an eevee fan just like some more than others! *cough* shiny espeon *cough* Still my fav is chapter one thus far. Keep them coming. I'm looking forward to chapter 3!

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 3

Whoosh! A blinding light of yellow lit the streets of the town, waking a few townspeople. "Shade, return," a voice whispered in the darkness. Emerging from behind a humble building, the man briskly walked under the flickering streetlights toward the Pokémon Center. No wind was present so the weather wasn't completely unbearable. Blowing on his hands as he did, the man entered the red and white colored building back-first, scanning the streets for any movement.

"Help him Ho-Oh," the man whispered glancing up at the sky, "you know he's going to need it," he added. The automatic doors closed behind him as he turned around.

"My, aren't you out late? Do you realize what time it is?" The nurse dozing at the counter questioned. She had bright pink hair that stood stiff in loops to the side of her head. A white hat with a pink cross could be seen atop her head. Wearing a light-pink dress covered by an apron, the nurse stood hunched over, as if she had been sleeping for quite some time.

"Of course I know what time it is lady. Just heal my Kadabra," the man commanded. The center was obviously low on funds, for there was nothing but a couple of plants and a single yellow couch in the lobby.

"Fine, but I will need to see your Trainer Card for verification," the nurse requested. The man smiled and leaned on the counter with her. The nurse finally awoke from her catnap, Glameow nap rather.

"Look lady, I'm kind of short on time right now, just heal my freaking Kadabra, and I'll be on my way," the man asserted, his voice and anger both rising.

"I'm sorry sir but it is company policy to, at this hour, check—"

"But nothing, I don't care!" his voice was now at a shout. "Heal my Kadabra," the man now revealed a gun underneath his cloak, "now," he directed calmly. The nurse's face grew pale and she whipped the man's pokéball from him and put it on the machine before he could react.

"And while you're at it, give me all the money in this cash register," the man declared, grinning and waving his gun around like he was some sort of cool.

"Right away, sir. H-h-here's your pokéball and the money you requested sir. We hope to see y-y-you again," the nurse choked out.

"Thank you very much little lady. I hope I see you again as well," the man responded, as if he had just closed a business deal. The second the man turned towards the door, the nurse flipped a switch behind the counter, locking it. The woman immediately picked up the phone.

"Officer Jenny, there's a Planetar team member with a gun in the Cianwood City Pokémon Center!"

"Oh, you witch! I'm getting out of here!" The man screeched realizing the nurse's phone call. He attempted to open the door but found that it was locked. The man tried ramming the door several times. When he couldn't get it open, he breathed deeply and turned around. The look upon his face was as calm as the sea, flowing and ebbing leisurely.

"I hope you are as good a nurse as you are a hag. I also hope you can treat your own bullet wounds," the man stated as he aimed the gun at her head. Pausing now, a confused look came upon the face of the man. "Wait, did you just say Cianwood? How the h— No, that means—"

"Freeze, dirt bag!" An officer screamed as she entered the center, weapon drawn. "Drop the gun, put your hands up, and turn around slowly," the officer commanded. The man dropped his gun and put his hands up, but did not turn around. "I said, turn around punk!" The officer shouted. The nurse crouched down behind the counter to avoid being in the line of fire.

"I'd rather not," the man said sheepishly, still not moving a muscle.

"I don't care. Turn around now or I'll be forced to shoot," the officer commanded. When the man failed to comply, the woman loaded her weapon. The man sighed and closed his eyes. Slowly but surely, he turned around to face the officer, still with closed eyes and a wincing look on his face. Surprise came upon the officer, but soon afterward, a grin could be seen on her face. The woman started laughing and replaced her gun with handcuffs.

"Well, well, well Sheper. All my life I never thought I'd be the one to arrest you."

"Why hello again, 'Jennifer'," Sheper replied.

 

[~Kavin~]

Even though this was a short chapter, I really enjoyed it. I love the description of nurse joy and the way sheper paid close attention to assume that the poke center was low on funds! Very nice, although I would have liked you to be more descriptive of that particular Officer Jenny since they all look the same and this particular one has some history with sheper. Other than that I'm waiting on chapter 4!

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 4

A figure dressed in green hurried along the pathway leading to Team Celebus' Headquarters. It was quite the walk, the headquarters being located on a Ditto-shaped piece of land floating in the middle of a lake. Only members possessed the ability to get to the island. A glowing belt hidden beneath their tea-green cloaks created a thin bridge just wide enough for one person cross. The bridge leading to the headquarters vanished behind them so no one could follow a team member. Vicious Sharpedo and Carvanha guarded the fortress from anyone who attempted to reach it by water. The headquarters towered above any building near it. It could be seen from the ocean at the edge of the region. The building was painted a combination of green and black, with random swirls and designs here and there. Staraptor, Swellow, and various other bird pokémon protected the large building from the air by circling it at all times. Obviously, the team was very secretive and protective of their research.

The figure arrived at the fortress now, the bridge disappearing behind it. The figure entered a pass code on a keyboard outside the looming doors, which had to be at least twelve feet high. A tube came down with the correct entering of the pass code. It scanned the person and then sucked it up. They landed inside the headquarters and headed towards the Commander's office. The figure passed by many rooms and doors. One could easily get lost with all of the hallways in the building, for they all looked the same. The figure paused as they passed the commons where many new grunts were being trained. They were in perfect rows, five-by-five. Team Celebus was all about precision. The grunts were to follow a Lieutenant's movements exactly. One man fell to the ground when attempting a difficult pose.

"You pathetic little wimp! If you can't do this, then you don't belong in Team Celebus! Must I remind you of our motto again? 'If any little thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong eventually,'" the Lieutenant shouted at the man. His hair was neatly combed over, now graying, but it was obvious that it was once black. His physique had left him a long time ago, but he still possessed a certain dominant quality about him.

"Please sir, spare me!" The man pleaded. The figure could not imagine how the man had made it past the qualifying rounds just to become a grunt. He was overweight and out of shape. One could tell that he did not possess the dominance of the Lieutenant. The man's lack of dominance was replaced with laziness. Although, just by his looks, he appeared to be the 'pleasantly plump' sort of person; even though he was overweight, he still appeared happy.

"Turn in your pokéball and I will consider it," the Lieutenant commanded with a stern look. The man took out his pokéball and seemed hesitant. His head went from the ball, to the Lieutenant, and back again. He eventually made his decision.

"Here you are sir," the man replied, handing him his pokéball; the ball containing his treasured Pokémon, whom he had grown so close to. He raised it from an egg and it was his first Pokémon.

"Good choice, you disgusting maggot. You will remain a grunt and will receive another egg as soon as one becomes available. Now get back in line and consider yourself lucky," the Lieutenant reported.

"Yes sir, thank you very much sir," the man responded. The figure stood there for a few moments, disgusted, and then continued on to the Commander's office.

"Sit down Raze," the Commander declared as the figure entered the room. The man was the image of perfect. Blonde hair, blue eyes, the man stood had six foot, seven inches. His teeth shone to a point where your eyes would hurt after talking to him for so long. He wore a metallic jump suit that was a tight fit for he was on the rather chubby side. No one knew how old he was because he never seemed to age. He had been the Commander of Team Celebus for at least fifty years.

He sat in a swivel chair behind a fine, oak wood desk. Various items graced the walls of his office, though most were videos showing the great success of Team Celebus. Behind the man's desk was an enormous poster of Celebi. No one ever understood why he had the poster in his office, but one ever questioned the Commander. Next to the poster was a just as large window that practically made up the back wall of the office. Atop his desk sat a myriad of photos and video frames, basically a picture that plays a video of the event taking place when the 'photo' was taken. There was always a can of motor oil and numerous nuts and bolts lying on his desk as well.

"I'm fine standing Beta. Let's get to it. What did you need me here for?" The figure asked, though now clearly a woman based on her voice. She took off the hood of her cloak, revealing her features. She was a beautiful, brown-eyed girl. Her gorgeous brown-brunette hair flowed out from her hood and across her shoulders. A dark freckle at the corner of her mouth made her quite attractive. Her facial features were all small and petite, completely contrast to her personality.

She was quite the independent woman, wanting to do things herself. It wasn't that she was a tomboy; she just craved power and control. She was strong and intelligent, working as a researcher at Team Celebus.

"Easy now. What's the rush? We've got all the time in the world, or at least, soon we shall," the Commander said.

"What are you up to Beta?" The woman asked.

"I have a mission for you Raze. A mission of the utmost importance," the Commander said, ignoring the woman's question.

"Why don't you just answer my question for once you fat pig? Cut the drama."

"Ouch. Those words hurt Raze, or I guess they would if I had—" The man paused in mid sentence.

"If you had what, Beta?" The woman asked.

"Forget it. It's nothing. Do you want this assignment or not?" The Commander questioned. The woman glared at the Commander but didn't say a word. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Sheesh, I didn't know that when I hired you I would have to deal with all of this—"

"For the love of Arceus man, spit it out!" The woman screamed, interrupting her Commander.

"Time travel," the man said. The high-tech fortress grew silent. The new recruits' strict curfew came upon the castle. A silence came upon the Commander's office as well.

"How?" Was all the woman could say. A group of Honchkrow meandered past the large window now, belting out a harrowing tune that made the woman's skin cringe.

"You didn't think our team was named 'Team Celebus' just for the fun of it did you? Celebus, as in Celebi," the commander told, pointing to the poster behind his desk.

"No freaking duh, moron. I meant, how did you harness Celebi's time travel ability?" The woman responded, now focusing back on the conversation.

"Several grunts found remnants of a backpack in the Johto branch, somewhere deep in Ilex Forest. Celebi's DNA was all over it. We had enough to construct a single-use, roundtrip time travel application for your Celebus-Belt," the Commander explained.

"So, you want me to go back in time, find the backpack, still intact, and bring it back here?"

"Not exactly, I need you to find the owner of that backpack. Follow him. He will encounter Celebi, the time travel Pokémon, and be sucked back in time. You must stop that from happening. Kill him," the Commander told the woman.

"But sir, why can't I just kill him once I see him? Plus, isn't this organization dedicated to the research of time travel? How would killing a single man further our studies?" the woman asked.

"First off, you need to follow this man so he will lead you to Celebi and—"

"Oh, I see now! I need to catch Celebi and bring it back here for research since the last Celebi was killed years ago, even before I was born."

"No, Raze. I need you to kill that last Celebi," the Commander replied, his eye twitching as he did.

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 5

A dark corridor lead to Team Planetar member's quarters. There were now four Directors at Team Planetar who were mainly assigned field missions by the Commander. Then came the thirty Lieutenants who in charge of ten grunts each. These numbers continued to rise everyday, the organization becoming extremely popular. Two grunts were taking a stroll down the hallway at daybreak, chatting about this and that, and heading towards a Director's room. The building was quiet, most members being asleep. The grunts knocked upon the door reading 'Varle Vonbulé: Director.' The paint was wet, smearing a little when the grunt knocked on it.

"Don't knock on that door! Can't you tell its wet paint, moron? If it's anyone other than the Commander or the grunts with my Houndoom, leave me alone!" The Director screeched. The two grunts outside the door looked at each other and exchanged excited grins, one giving the other a thumbs-up.

"It's the second one boss," the first grunt answered. The door opened then. Varle stood at the doorway in his underwear. He had a white, extremely tight, undershirt on, clearly to show off his 'bod,' along with Smoochum boxers. The grunts turned the other way to make sure not to laugh.

"Good. It took you long enough. How freaking long does it take to give a couple of Houndoom baths?" Varle complained.

"Well, when they're trained to attack anyone besides you, it takes quite the long time," the second grunt responded.

"That's enough out of you. Did you wash my cloak like I asked?" Varle questioned rudely.

"Yes sir. I even dry-cleaned. I also added just a little dash of—"

"Don't care," Varle interrupted. There was a brief pause in the doorway, the grunts wondering what to say. "Why are you two still here? If that's all, then leave me alone," Varle commanded. The grunts began to leave but one remembered something before Varle could slam his door, sticking his foot in it to prevent it.

"Oh! Boss—"

"It's Director. I am now a Director. Call me that you blubbering fool!" Varle shouted. The grunt stood there for several moments, as if he did not understand what the man had said.

"Oh! Director," the grunt responded, winking as he did, thinking that it was a major accomplishment. "The Commander said he wanted to see you," the grunt added. The door flew open, almost breaking off its hinges.

"What!? Why didn't you tell me that first you pathetic little wimp? How can you be so ignorant!? Whenever there is news concerning the Commander, you always tell me first! Do you understand me? And if you can't do that, then you don't belong in Team Planetar!" Varle yelled, putting his clothes on as he did. Varle put on his purple cloak and stormed past the grunts toward the Commander's office, completely disregarding the grunt's feelings. The grunt stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck.

"Sorry boss!"

Somewhere else in the universe…

"Even the worst of all criminals don't carry weapons! How could you be so stupid? Weapons are to only be used by the police force. Do you have any idea how serious this is? And plus, if you're trying to threaten someone, you use Pokémon. Wait, what am I saying, never mind," a woman said. A sigh could be heard from the opposite end of the room.

"Look, 'Officer Jenny', I gave you the money, my gun, and my Kadabra. I paid the fine, I've withstood talking to you, just throw me in jail for a couple of years and be done with it," a man responded, his hands chained to a desk.

"Not until I find out why you had that gun on you Sheper. If you would just tell me that, I might be able to shorten your jail time. I know you don't believe me but I really do still care about—"

"Save it. I don't need this right now. No matter how many times you ask, I ain't telling you. That's the way it is. Now just let me serve my time," the man requested. The building was obviously, like the Cianwood Pokémon Center, under funded because it was only a two-room police station. There was an office for Officer Jenny, and the jail cell. It was as if one had just walked into an old Western movie, with the keys to the cell hanging on the wall right next to it. The cell was empty however, suggesting that the crime rate was low. In Jenny's office there was a bulletin board, but like the jail cell, it was empty. Also in the office, there sat a desk and a couple of plants, but that was it. There was also a strange scanner sitting atop the desk. The exterior of the building was Jenny's hat, blue with a red stripe across the side; it even had the shiny gold badge in the middle.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I was your girlfriend at one time Sheper. I know you. You'll be out of that jail cell in ten minutes flat," the woman told. She wore the official blue uniform with a shiny badge that glistened in the right light. Bright red and sparkly were her lips. Her hat rested on the desk, allowing her gorgeous blue locks to be seen. A pair of sapphire earrings sat on her ears, which were rather big, unlike the rest of her body. She might have been mistaken for a model if it weren't for the uniform. But one thing appeared odd about her; the eyes. They were a deep brown, not matching her hair color and other features at all.

"You know, I could sit here and chat will you all day, 'Officer Jenny,' but frankly, I don't want to. So how about you press your finger to that scanner, unchaining me from your desk, throw me in that jail cell, let me escape, and we never see each other again, what do you say?" Sheper suggested.

"Would you quit saying 'Officer Jenny' like that, someone will hear you," the woman said.

"Oh? Would you rather I call you by your real name, Yo—" The woman clasped her hands around Sheper's throat before he could finish. Sheper's eyes bugged out of his head and the color disappeared from his face.

"I will kill you Sheper. And don't think I'm kidding," the woman said in all seriousness. Sheper gave her a nod, signaling that he agreed. She released her grip and Sheper gasped for air.

"Still got the vice of an Arbok I see," Sheper declared, still trying to catch his breath.

"I think you're right, enough of this small talk. Goodnight," the woman said, picking up her hat and walking towards the door.

"Wait, you can't just leave me here like this," Sheper responded. The woman ignored him and continued out the door. "Wait, wait! Please! I'm hungry! Don't go! Help me! Wait!" Sheper pleaded, just until the officer was out of his sight. He now began to whistle. Singing could somewhat be heard in the police station as well. "Going to escape, going to get away," he hummed as he pressed his neck to the scanner on the desk, the woman's fingerprints still on his neck. "Can't forget my Kadabra now!" Sheper sang. He went to Jenny's desk and picked the lock with a hair pin that she so graciously left for him on the desk. "Let's see what we got here. Oh, my Kadabra, my gun, the money I stole, it's all here. Let's check out else she has in—" Sheper dropped all of the things in his hands at this moment. He stood, staring, for a good five minutes. Depression sunk across his face and he suddenly felt ashamed. A single tear slowly glided down his cheek; immediately, he dabbed it with his sleeve. Sheper picked up his possessions from the floor, put them back in the drawer, locked it with the hair pin, chained himself to the desk, rested his head on it, and attempted to get some sleep, thoughts of the past running through his head.

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 6

"Are you insane!? How can you expect me to do that!? Kill Celebi? That completely goes against everything that this organization stands for! I won't do it," a woman frantically screamed.

"Raze, calm down, deep breathes. I'll explain, but not here," a man told.

"No, Beta. I want you to explain now," Raze commanded her Commander. The man sighed and looked towards his desk, having a staring contest with it for several moments. The woman waited impatiently, groaning and whining many times. Finally, he looked up at her.

"Alright, but remember, you asked for it," Beta responded now. The man opened a drawer on his desk and paused. He looked up and saw the confused look on the woman's face. "Are you sure Raze?" Beta asked. Raze's confused look became a pissed off one, Beta taking that as a yes. As he pushed a button inside the drawer, the room suddenly began to shake. Looking up at the walls and objects in the room, fear struck Raze.

"Beta, it's an earthquake! Let me under your desk!" Raze screamed. Ignoring her, Beta sat in his swivel chair, his feet resting on the desk and his arms behind his head. Raze crouched underneath the chair Beta told her to sit in, still shouting at Beta to get under his desk. The enormous window became blocked off, with some sort of brown substance, appearing to be mud. The room felt as if it were falling, perhaps the earthquake knocking down the building. But yet, Raze heard no screams or pleas for help from outside the room. But suddenly, the room stopped, jerking as it did.

"Beta, what just happened? And that's one question I really hope you decide to answer," Raze exclaimed as she stood up from her hiding place. She was in a state of shock and fear.

"Everything I'm about to tell you is highly classified information. Do not interrupt me because it'll just make it harder, I repeat, do not interrupt me. I know it will be difficult for you but restrain yourself," Beta said, chuckling as he did.

I'm going to need to restrain myself from punching you in the face, she thought to herself.

"First off, since this information is classified as it is, we needed a more private area to talk. My office is built like that of an elevator. Right now, we are twenty stories below ground. There is no entrance, and no way to see in this room. No questions on how it was built. Now, the man who owns the backpack we found is an immense threat to this organization. Team Celebus, compared to what it would be if this man were to die, is nothing, an embarrassment rather. This man has a disk in his backpack. You recovering that disk is the objective of your mission and is so utterly crucial to the success of this organization. You must, I repeat, must recover that disk. If you fail to bring that disk back to us—uh, I mean, me, the consequences will be dire. This man must die because he is persistent, he won't quit trying to stop…something, sorry, classified information. The Celebi must be killed as well because of the same reason. These two, let's just say, cause problems that tear an organization apart. If the man and Celebi are eliminated, the world will be o—" Beta paused and his eyes twitched, "perfect," he finished. "You may speak," Beta told Raze.

"Beta, this still makes no sense. I have more questions than before. What's on the disk? What do the man and Celebi do? Who is the man, what's his name? Please, explain," Raze pleaded, now taking a softer tone. The man groaned and rubbed his temples.

"As for your first question, it's completely classified. I can't tell you. Your second, I already answered it. They do something to break an organization apart, when they should be in control of the w—" Beta again paused followed by a twitch of both eyes. "Never mind, it's completely classified. I can't tell you. Your third, third, third, name, name, his, is name. Its classified-fied-fied-fied. Organ-organizaiton, apart," Beta's whole head began to twitch now.

"Beta! What's wrong with you? Are you okay? Lift the elevator back up!" Raze screamed fearfully. Beta's whole body was twitching now. His eyes spun wildly, his mouth wide open and hanging off to one side. The babbling continued.

"Problems, problems, world will be, in control of-of-of, completely-ly-ly-ly classified, perfect, can't tell you, tell you, problems, Uno!" Beta screamed. Raze was now weeping out of fear. A gray cloud of smoke came from Beta. He continued to disappear and reappear very quickly. Raze knelt down on the ground and dug her head into her legs, now in hysterics. Here she was, twenty stories below ground with a maniac, no one knowing she was here, and no way up. Beta continued to scream.

"Malfunction! Malfunction! Malfunction!" Beta yelled at the top of his lungs. "Malfunction-function. Raze-aze-aze, follow th-through. Do-do the mission-ission. Promise me?" Beta was obviously in somewhat control, speaking out to Raze. "Function-function-malfunction! Uno-function. Man's name. Malfunction, name. Uno, malfunction. Promise me? Name! Eliminate Uno!" Beta yelled out, his voice booming like thunder. He disappeared completely. Raze stood up, surprised at the silence. Tears still ran down her face. Even though she knew he was gone, Raze called out to Beta.

"Where are you Beta? Beta! Lift the elevator! Beta, come back! Stop playing! Beta!" Raze desperately screamed. When she got more silence in return, Raze again fell to the ground. She wept for herself and the problem at hand for a few minutes, not thinking at all of her vanished Commander. Soon enough, Raze got a grip on her emotions. She immediately went to Beta's desk and tried the button hidden inside the drawer. When nothing happened, Raze began to destroy Beta's office, looking for anything that might lift the elevator. Being so intent and focused on finding a switch, Raze did not notice the walls begin to part behind her. Smoke came from them and a dull silhouette was emerging from the wall. It was clearly a man, quite old, because he walked with a cane. Raze turned around and noticed the man walking towards her. She let out the classic 'damsel in distress' scream and backed up to the wall opposite the man. "Beta if that's you, I swear," Raze said, unsure of herself. The man finally entered the room now. He had an enormously long, snow-white beard that stretched all the way to the hair on his head, which was exactly the color. Wrinkles controlled his entire face and he looked as if he had not eaten for days. The skin of the man appeared to have never seen the sun. He wore a dark-black cloak that was far too large for his frail body. The cloak also suggested that he was not of Team Celebus. The man was hunched over and squinted at Raze, his eyesight failing him. Finally, he spoke.

"Ah, you must be Raze, the one I selected for my mission. Where is Project Beta?" The man asked in a casual manner, as if he had known Raze his entire life.

"I-I-I think the better question is, who are you and how do you know me?"

"Do not be afraid. I found the Beta Program. My name is Publar."

 

[superaipom]

Sorry to the few who read this. I have been sick and not able to post a new chapter of Uno for several days now. I have decided not to post a new chapter everyday but will most likely be posting a new chapter sometime within a 3-day time frame.

Chapter 7

Varle sprinted to the Commander's office in a fury. It was located at the very top of the Planetar building, for the Commander did not like to be disturbed. The building was, as all buildings were in Goldenrod, a humongous skyscraper. To the public, the building was the headquarters of a major pokéball-making company, so it blended in with the others around Goldenrod. There were numerous windows along the sides of the Planetar building, the team clearly thinking they had nothing to hide.

When Varle reached the Commander's office, he took a couple of deep breaths and paused outside the door, and then cracked his neck. Finally, he entered the office, trying way too hard to be cool. Slowly, he made his way to the Commander's desk. Except for the desk, the room was absolutely empty. There were only a few things on the desk including a computer, pens and pencils, and numerous pieces of paper.

"You wanted to see me sir?" Varle said, as if he was some sort of secret agent.

"I called for you over fifteen minutes ago! What took you so long?" The Commander asked at a yell.

"I—"

"Never mind, sit down. I have a mission for you. Don't get too excited. You're only getting this because my best Director, Kenlo, is already on a mission. He's settling some personal matters, really. Everything that I'm about to tell you is highly classified information. Man, I wish I had a more private area in this dump. Don't interrupt me because it'll just make it harder. Now, for your assignment. As you know, the deceiver has double-crossed this organization and must be eliminated. Several months ago, that wretched deceiver infiltrated my office and stole a disk. That disk is of the utmost importance and is the focus of your mission. You are to kill the deceiver and retrieve the stolen disk, simple enough. He has gone in the direction of Ilex Forest. You may speak, though I'd rather you not," the Commander finished.

"First off, Commander, thank you so much for selecting me for this mission, sir. It is an honor, Commander," Varle told. The Commander rolled his eyes and gave an 'are you kidding me' look. "But, I hope you don't mind me asking, wait, you do mind me asking don't you? Do you mind me asking? Because I'm beginning to think you mind me asking."

"Ask the question before I strangle you, boy!" The Commander boomed, well past being angry.

"Well, I actually have two questions. Is that okay? Because I'm beginning to think that—" the Commander began to breathe heavily and he grimly stared at Varle. "Are you okay sir? Your breathing seems, what's the word, what's the word," Varle paused, trying to come up with the most sophisticated word he could think of. Finally, he understood, "Oh! You want me to just ask them both right now! I see. Okay, here goes, what's on the disk and what did the deceiver do?" Varle asked.

"Hallelujah! Your first question is classified. All I can tell you is that it has extremely valuable information on it, to me specifically, and to this organization as a whole. For your second question, I already told you. He stole the disk. Do you pay any attention at all? Because he stole this valuable disk, he must be punished. It's that simple." Varle opened his mouth, ready to speak. "Save it. Go get that disk and kill Uno already!" The Commander bellowed.

"Yes sir," Varle responded, heading for the door.

"And Varle, if you succeed, I might even consider you for taking over Team Planetar," the Commander said with a phony smile. Varle grinned and exited the room.

Yeah, and I might even consider this as being an actual mission too Varle, the Commander thought to himself. Bling-a-ling! Bling-a-ling! A light began to flash on the Commander's computer. The man pushed a button and a video of a man came up on the screen.

"Ah, Kenlo! How is your mission coming along?" The Commander asked happily, now being sincere. The man on the screen had dark brown-black hair and eyes. He was of Japanese origin for he had a strong accent. From what the video showed, the man appeared to be short but extremely muscular.

"Not so good. I have located the target but he has been captured," Kenlo answered.

"Captured? By who?" The Commander asked.

"He appears to be held up in the police station," Kenlo explained.

"He got arrested? Ugh! Infiltrate the building as soon as possible. We can't risk him escaping that jail cell. Kill him immediately. He is, after all, the one with the disk," the Commander declared.

"Yes sir. Consider Sheper a dead man," Kenlo reassured.

"That's what I like to hear, Kenlo. You're becoming more like me everyday," the Commander told.

"Thank you Commander."

"Please, Kenlo, call me Publar."

Sometime before then, elsewhere in the universe…

A woman entered the police station at sunrise with a cup of coffee in her hand. She sat down at her desk and looked through various files and papers resting on it. Ignoring the pool of drool and the man's napping head, the woman wrote a letter to someone. Clearly taking her time, the woman spent half an hour with her pencil to the paper, only stopping every now and then to take a sip of her coffee. Still, the man slept the entire time.

The woman finally finished and then glanced over her work. After approval, the woman sealed an envelope and took out her pokéball. She smiled and went to leave the office. She tiptoed her way out, as to not wake the man. But his highly trained ears became functional when he heard the slow creak of the door closing.

"Who's there?" The man questioned, gradually raising his head and opening his eyes, currently being half-asleep. The woman winced and closed her eyes, hoping the man's head would again fall to the desk. "Jenny? Is that you?" The man asked, still trying to wake up. The woman sighed and reentered her office but acted as if it were her first time in the office today.

"Still here, Sheper? I would've thought that you'd be gone by now. I practically gave you the keys to get out of here," the woman complained.

"What are you talking about?" Sheper attempted to lie, the woman giving him a fake grin in response.

"Wow, no wonder you never got away with things when we were dating. You're a horrible liar. Seriously, what are you still doing here?" The woman questioned impatiently. The man swiftly pressed his neck to the scanner and stood up just as fast, his hands now unchained from the desk. Though Sheper didn't get truly angry often, he was furious at this moment.

"I saw that picture in your desk. You want to explain that to me?" Sheper demanded, now fully awake. He walked around to the other side of the desk and nudged the officer out of the way, grabbing the hair pin still sitting on the desk. The woman wasn't fazed at all.

"You saw that?" The woman paused and removed the hat on her head. She glanced at the floor and sadness overwhelmed her immediately. "Look Sheper, I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want from me? An apology? I can't change it now. I'm not proud of it," The woman explained, breaking down in tears. Sheper ignored her and continued to pick the lock of the desk. "Sheper, answer me! What do you want? I just want to help!" The woman screamed. The man standing at the desk continued to pick the lock. "You see? This is why we broke up! You never talk about things, Sheper! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm not perfect like everything else in your life!" The woman screeched. The man threw the hair pin on the desk and turned to face the woman.

"Are you kidding me? You think my life is perfect? Maybe that's why we broke up, because you're crazy! This is why I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible! I can't handle this!" Sheper boomed at the woman.

"Well then tell me! Tell me why we broke up! Not maybe why we broke up, Sheper!"

"Hmm, I don't know, maybe you should take a look at that picture inside your desk! That's why we broke up! You didn't love me! I wasn't good enough for you! That's why we broke up! It wasn't anything with me, it was all you!" Sheper bellowed, his face turning red, tears beginning to well up in his dark brown eyes.

"Sheper, you and I both know that that had nothing to do with—"

"Just stop. I don't want to hear it. Not again," Sheper groaned, now giving up. "Open this drawer and give my pokémon," Sheper whimpered, tears gushing down his face. The woman walked by him and inserted the key, opening the drawer. The man grabbed his pokéball and exited the station, leaving the door wide open; a strong gust of wind blew the papers atop the officer's desk everywhere. The woman fell to the ground and sobbed. The letter she had written floated down in front of her and for a moment, to the woman, it was the only thing that existed. She stared at the letter and waited for it to dive to the ground. The second the letter touched down, she grabbed it and viciously ripped it up. She crumbled up the left over pieces and threw them across the room. She cried for several more minutes but finally got a hold of herself.

"I'm a police officer. Police officers do not break down," the woman spoke out loud, trying to trick herself into believing she was something she wasn't. "Who am I kidding? I'm not a real police officer," the woman admitted, standing up at her desk now. She glanced at the photo inside the drawer. It was in a frame and was fairly well preserved. Instantaneously, the woman picked it up and threw it at the wall, the glass shattering over the floor. "This is all your fault!" The officer screamed at the photo and broken glass across the floor. Closing her eyes, the woman thought to herself, I'm losing my mind over this. There's no reason to! Sheper's gone now and so is he, that wretched man in the photo. I was hoping I would be able to tell Sheper that I broke up with him. I broke up with him for you. Sheper. I broke with— The woman's thoughts were interrupted by a huge explosion outside the building, followed by a rumble of the office, knocking the officer to the ground again. The room became hot and flames surrounded the woman. Unconsciousness swept over her, breathing becoming difficult. The last thing the officer remembered was many pieces of wood and debris falling on top of her, pinning her to the floor.

 

[superaipom]

Chapter 8

Coughing and breathing heavily, he awoke, as if from a nightmare. If watching the man, one would guess he was dead. It looked like he had not been breathing and unexpectedly, regained the ability, his chest pumping and pulsing rapidly. The sun was still asleep, resting behind a large mass of clouds, which acted as pillows. Few forest pokémon were out and about, for it was hibernation season. The man sat up and looked himself over.

Yes, I'm still alive, the man thought to himself. His eyes were still adjusting to some new form of light other than the sun. Feeling groggy and quite tired, keeping his head raised was a difficult task. Scraping the crust from his eyes, the man became fully awake, though still with his eyes closed. Fear pounded him immediately.

"Trix! Trixie! Where are you, Trix? Here, girl!" The man called out to his pokémon no longer resting by his side. He could usually fell the Flareon's presence next to him, waking up whenever she moved or adjusted in the middle of the night, but for some reason, he did not fell her awake. The two had slept near the sloping bank of a different, skinnier river than the one they had crossed a day before. But the river was strong enough to smother and kill a fire-type pokémon rather hastily. Now realizing this, the man questioned what had been going on in his head then.

Exhaustion must've controlled my judgment, the man thought to himself. When the man found this, he also found that he no longer felt that exhaustion, he felt rejuvenated rather. Experiencing this emotion was a treat for him, after enduring several days in the brutal forest. A wave of thoughts buzzed around his head, his brain functioning at full capacity again.

What happened to make me feel this way? Sleeping on the ground couldn't have been this comfortable, the man thought to himself. These ideas and thoughts distracted him from his Flareon. He sat, eyes closed, thinking for a considerable period.

As a wave crashes upon the shoreline, thoughts of his Flareon crashed upon his head now. Instantaneously, the man opened his eyes and stood up in a hurry and found himself stumbling on a lumpy and mushy earth below. The ground felt unstable and the man thought he had fallen down the bank of the river. He braced himself for the ice-cold water, holding his breath, and plugging his nose. The man fell and landed on the wood floor below him with a thud.

Wood? The man questioned, now aware of his surroundings. His head slowly glanced at the things around him. Next to him on the floor, was a dark maroon rug, with various designs and markings on it. There was a blazing fireplace behind that, the warmth causing him to smile it felt so good. There was, what appeared to be, a kitchen counter, piled with firewood and a sink at the end of it. An old-fashioned stove sat next to that, though it looked as if it had never been used. To the right were a wooden table and a single wooden chair, freshly carved by the looks of them. A gorgeous, hand-woven tablecloth sat atop the table, being the same color as the rug on the floor. The wood cottage was built well, keeping out the cold and any noise from outside. The man, still in shock on the floor, gently rose to his feet, unsure of the environment. He spun around and around, making sure no one was in the cabin. As he did, he noticed the things behind him. There was a closet containing woman's clothing, most of it looking like it was brand new. The doors were made of wood and most definitely had fresh carvings on them, the man being able to smell wood shavings. Sitting next to the closet was a bed, just big enough for one. The frame, too, was made of wood. There was no mattress, just a sewn blanket filled with straw, the same for the pillow. A woven blanket was on the ground in front of the bed, wrinkled up. The city boy had found that this bed was much more comfortable than the silk, professional-made one at Team Planetar.

Still looking around the room, the man searched for human life. Finding nothing, he scanned the nearby window, but to his dismay, saw nothing but the trees that he had stared at for the past couple days. The man felt extremely guilty, though it wasn't his fault in the least. He sulked for several moments and sat down on the bed.

Again, thoughts paraded through his brain. Ideas and thoughts connected, forming some sort of plan. It was the first time in a while that the man had order and uniform in his life. He knew what he was going to do next. The man had made a step-by-step, specific procedure for the first time in his life. He had always been a 'screw it' type of person, not really caring how things turned out, just winging it all the time. Surprisingly, most of the time, it worked out for him. But now, being as desperate as he was, he was forced to plan. It felt awkward for him, something he wasn't made to do.

Standing up from the bed now, the man had the reassurance he needed. He took several deep breathes and exited the cabin, quite calm for the situation.

Instantly, the man stumbled over something outside the door. He tripped and fell to the ground, someone yelling "timber!" and giggling as he did. The man cowered in fear, losing his Flareon really taking a toll on his masculinity. He held his hands over his neck and was scrunched up into a ball, facedown. "Ya 'fraid of an old lady? No wond'r ya almost died out in 'em woods right thar," a woman with a peculiar accent squealed. The man struggled to get to his feet. Finally, he stood and turned around. He had tripped over a little old lady. The woman was extremely old and rather ugly. Wrinkles were all about her and she had numerous zits and boils on her face. She was the shortest adult the man had ever seen. She wore a sunhat and a flannel shirt covered by denim overalls. On her feet were disgusting dung-brown boots, which smelled as bad as they looked.

"Trix!" The man yelled when he saw her. She was lying right next to the old lady, who was gently patting the pokémon on the back. The man rushed to his Flareon and rubbed her all over. The Flareon, just as excited, licked the man's face, the two sharing a warm embrace at that.

"Ya'll are gonna make me cry," the woman remarked, now having a different accent. She took out a tissue and patted her eyes with it. Anger came over the man at that.

"Who are you and why did you kidnap me?" The man boomed, standing up and commanding his Flareon to back away from the woman. The lady looked at the man to check if he was serious. Seeing the humorless expression on his face, the woman belted out laughing. She continued this for a while, the impatient man staring her down.

"Me, kidnap you?" The woman choked out in the midst of her laughter. "An old lady like me kidnapping a hardened, Team Planetar criminal like you, don't you think that sounds a little ridiculous?" The woman responded, now having yet another different accent. A faint 'click' could be heard suddenly, diverting the man from the woman's question, the sound being so high pitch and irritating. It was as if something was locking into place, somewhat like a singer, trying to hit the right note, attempting everything until she finds the right one.

"Look lady, just answer the question!" The man again yelled, attempting to ignore the chronic click, but it was too much. It disrupted his thought process, the man not being able to comprehend what was happening or what the woman was now saying.

Finally, after several minutes of clicking, the sound stopped with the faintest, most inaudible 'ding'. The clicking being over, the man could process the information he now had. Instantaneously, his eyes became enormous and his breathing was halted. He had heard that ding before, numerous times. That dreadful ding which made one fear for their life. It was far worse than any noise one could imagine. Luckily, the man had escaped the ding all of the times he had heard it, but he was too close to it now. There was no escape. The clicking made sense now. Still, he felt the need for anger.

"You got a bomb on you lady!?" The man shouted, his voice booming throughout the forest, waking a few pokémon from their slumber. The earth seemed to shake at the sound of his voice. He stared at the woman with great intensity, well past being furious.

"No," the woman replied, as if it was an average question. She now had the same accent as the man.

As she replied, an explosion hit, as if from nowhere. Flames and smoke appeared everywhere the man looked. He was sure that it had to be the bomb that the woman had on her. Wood and other debris went flying everywhere, boards whacking him left and right. The impact of the bomb knocked the man to the ground, making him drop his Flareon. Smoke completely blocked his vision and he could no longer see the woman that had been no more than a couple feet in front of him, or anything else for that matter. The man only cared about finding his Flareon. Getting out alive would be a bonus. He had to crawl around on all fours as to not suffocate from the smoke above. The explosion had not been like any other one the man had experienced.

Most bomb-induced explosions start from a point and expand outward, the man thought to himself.This one had started at a point and expanded laterally. How am I not dead? The man additionally questioned. An average-sized bomb could have easily killed the man from that distance. Confusion was a good name for the man's life recently.

The man continued to search for his pokémon in the black haze. He came to where he thought the woman had been and found himself shocked. There on the ground were the woman's clothes, all crumbled up and wrinkled, but no woman. There also appeared to be a green, glowing substance underneath the clothes that might have been moving. Unsure of the compound, the man continued his search.

He crawled along in the dirt, lost and confused for several more moments. The man heard barking and crawled toward it, coughing and wheezing as he did, the smoke getting to his lungs. It sounded as if whatever was making the noise was in pain. Finally, the man emerged from the darkness; the light shining practically blinded him. The sun was obviously no longer behind the clouds. The adjusting of his eyes allowed him to see three ferocious Houndoom glaring at him. Not far in the distance was Varle, commanding a different Houndoom to whimper.

The man quickly crept back into the smoke, hoping the Houndoom didn't notice him. Hope can only get a man so far. The Houndoom began barking and Varle knew exactly what they were barking at. He put on some special night vision goggles allowing him to see inside the dark mass.

"You can't hide from me, Uno!" Varle screamed. The man began to panic and still tried to find his Flareon, moving as fast as one could when crawling. He found a small tower of wood planks that might hide him from Varle's view and crouched behind it. Suddenly, a light appeared above the scene. It looked to be green and it was glowing, much like the substance underneath the woman's clothing. Slowly, the smoke and flames were engulfed by the light. All of the debris from the cabin was sucked up too, directly exposing the man to Varle's Houndoom.

The man stood up on an impulse and looked around for his Flareon, the smoke gone, but still saw nothing. Now realizing what he had done, the man turned only to find Varle staring right at him, the Houndoom ready to fire.

"Thanks so much for telling me exactly where you were earlier. I doubt I would've been able to find you if it weren't for that scream you let out. Newsflash, there are no ladies with bombs out here. Trust me, I've been looking. Well, for ladies, not the bomb part," Varle told, chuckling as he did. The man rolled his eyes and waited for the man to continue, clearly knowing he would. "Alright, that's enough games. Wouldn't you agree, Uno? Now just tell me before this gets harder than it needs to be. Where is the disk?" Varle questioned.

The disk, the man thought to himself. What happened to my backpack? The man asked himself. He hadn't even thought about the disk for the past day or so.

"Varle, I honestly don't know. Maybe if you hadn't burned everything in—"

"Shut your yap! I've only been near you for a couple seconds and I'm already tired of you. If you won't tell me, I'll just find it myself. Houndoom, time to kill this double crosser. Use Fire Blast!" Varle commanded. The man flinched and turned the other way, praying to the Ho-oh above that they would miss. He could hear the flames building up in the Houndoom's mouths, and then, they released.

The man turned and found that his prayer had not come true. It was even better. There she was, the man's Flareon, standing up to four Houndoom. She kept their flames back with her own, clearly proving to be more powerful. The man watched with pride as his well-trained Flareon defended him. Watching the battle intently, he noticed something on his Flareon's back. Looking closer, it appeared to be the remainder of a torched backpack.

She saved the disk! She knew to save the disk! The man screamed inside his head, happiness overwhelming him.

"No way! No way is this happening again! I'm not going to lose you too! Houndoom, don't hold back!" Varle screamed, determined not to fail. The Houndoom pushed themselves harder and their flames went wild. The fire scattered all over the place, burning all the nearby trees and shrubs. The battle raged on, only causing more devastation to the forest.

The green light above the rubble was still there. The flames appeared to anger it. The light continued to grow and it moved over the torched land. It came in between the battle and absorbed both the Flareon's and the Houndoom's flames. Both parties held their fire, dazed and afraid.

"What is that thing?" Varle asked, mesmerized by the shininess.

"I'm not sure," the man answered, he too was fascinated. Something inside the light contracted and the light exploded, blinding all around it. Even though the man had no clue what was going on, he felt relaxed, as if in a trance. When at last, all could see again, the burnt ground was no longer burnt. It was flourishing rather. New flowers had grown and things were bright and colorful. It looked like paradise. The two men looked around at the environment and both felt excited and happy. Then, they saw each other, and all the hatred came flowing back into their bodies. The battle resumed, but was again immediately paused. Not by the light this time, but by the sound of an angered pokémon hovering above them. The two looked up only to see a green fairy-like creature staring back at them. It had a rather large, rounded head with huge baby-blue eyes covered by a ring of black. The man knew the pokémon instantly.

Celebi, the man thought. The two were looking at none other than the forest spirit, the guardian of the forest. Varle held a confused look on his face, not knowing the pokémon at all. He whipped out his pokédex which wasn't even turned on.

"Whoa, this thing is unknown," Varle shouted to the man stupidly. The strangest thing about seeing the Celebi wasn't the Celebi itself; it was what it was wearing. It had the exact same clothes as the old woman. The man could not get over that. Nonetheless, he immediately begged for mercy.

"We are extremely sorry for destroying your forest, Celebi. We both regret it. Can you ever forgive us?" The man asked the spirit. The pokémon rubbed its chin, thinking it over. Finally, it shook its head, smiling as it did. The Celebi flew down close to the man and his Flareon and giggled at them. It was a sight the man would never forget.

Suddenly, a net came flying from somewhere and dragged the Celebi to the ground. It struggled to get free. The man bent down and tried to untie it but he had never seen rope like this. It was bright blue and was glowing, almost like electricity. The man turned to Varle in anger.

"What'd you do that for, Varle? Don't you like not being killed by the awesomely powerful forest spirit?" The man screamed. Looking at Varle, the man saw that he was still trying to turn his pokédex on.

I almost knew he wasn't the one who shot that, the man thought. A voice came from somewhere near the man.

"Well, duh. I just got here and I could've told you that," the voice mumbled.