Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Give Me Diamonds ❯ Chapter 27

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 91: Give me Relaxation

At the Oak research lab, Ash and Comet both released their final pokemon for their two on two battle. The first round had been Ash's Sceptile versus Comet's Gyarados, Shenron. After round one ended with a draw, everything rested on the last two pokemon standing in the designated battle area in the Oaks' vast land. Comet's true style of battle was quite different from the display he made when infiltrating Tempest. This was something Ash was glad for. It made him subconsciously compare Team Rocket with Tempest and other gangs. Though in this case it had been the same person working as an infiltrator, there were many examples when the differences shone through. Team Rocket was a criminal organization, Ash understood that, but life wasn't all black and white.

"Pikachu, stay on your guard, thunderbolt!" Ash found piece in the midst of battle. He was reminded of the friendly battles he had with Jessie and James after they became friends. He would sometimes team up with Misty to train with them simultaneously in a double battle. It was those battles which helped them become closer friends and reach a deeper understanding of each other.

"Rykros, fly up and use focus energy," Comet commanded. His pokemon obeyed and basically disappeared in the vertical distance.

Ash tilted his head backwards as did Pikachu. "That's high," he commented sounding somehow amused.

"Did I break a rule or something?" Comet wondered. "I've never had any official battles."

"Really? No contests or tournaments?" Ash asked in surprised. He knew when someone liked battling and he could sense that Comet did.

"A few tournaments, but those were not really official," Comet explained with a secretive look.

It took Ash a moment to catch on. Any tournaments Comet might have entered must have been internal in Team Rocket or maybe even illegal. His pokemon clearly trusted him, which further reminded Ash that people, and groups were more than just good or bad. "There are no vertical limits in this battle so it's okay. Besides, I've had my pokemon fly really high and out of reach in official matches before. They have to come down sometime."

"And they're all going to have to stop playing shadow tag sometime too, so that the battle can continue," Gary commented from the sidelines. The audience, consisting of Delia, Misty, Pixel, Laiki and Gary, was quite amused.

The two trainers watched as Rykros flew lower, with the two baby pokemon, Swablu and Meteor, the Absol, having wondered into the battle field. They were joined by the green Bulbasaur in trying to 'catch' the Scyther's shadow. The flying pokemon seemed to find amusement in watching them jump on his shadow. Rykros positioned himself on top of Pikachu, which caused the three younger pokemon to jump on him, caught up in their game. Pikachu was left in the bottom of a pokemon mountain, but he was laughing none the less.

Delia smiled at the funny little interruption, "okay you three, come over here so the battle can continue, then afterwards I'll give you cookies." The three small pokemon cheered and rushed to join Delia and the others in the sidelines.

At the mention of cookies, Peachy popped out of her pokeball on Pixel's belt. The sudden red beam made Pixel jump in surprise, though immediately after, she thought she should have known. "Pika!" Peachy exclaimed loudly as her eyes shone.

"Sometimes I think Peachy's mission in life is to eat all the sweets in the world," Pixel theorized, never mind that her primary food was also sugar.

"Do you want cookies too, sweetie?" Delia smiled kindly at Peachy. She seemed close in age to Ash's Pikachu, perhaps a little younger.

Peachy approached Delia with a wide smile, nodding her head eagerly, "pika! Pika!" She cheered as Delia petted her.

"Chu..." Pikachu's eyes traveled to the female of his species, admiring her shiny yellow coat and energetic atmosphere. However, she seemed focused on Delia as she had been the one to mention cookies.

'I bet she's going to make you give her all your treats,' Rykros teased. Teasing other pokemon seemed to be something he liked to do, even if he knew not to tease Purry, that Meowth had quite the temper.

Pikachu's already red cheeks emitted sparks of slight embarrassment as he was caught staring. 'I didn't say anything...'

After the battle field was safely cleared, the battle was ready to resume. Ash saw the sparks flying from Pikachu's cheeks and assumed he was ready for an epic fight. "That's right Pikachu, let's give it our all!"

"Let's do this Rykros, show them your power!" Comet cheered on his own pokemon as well, unaware of the real cause of the male Pikachu's 'blushing' sparks.

Albeit Pikachu's reaction was perceived by all the other humans present, no one really said anything aside from Rykros, who had spoken in pokemon language. Peachy's mind was far from thinking of the opposite gender, as her head was filled with thoughts of food.

The two trainers knew very well that this round would be fast and strong as both pokemon were blessed with speed and power. The outbreak of commands began with a "thunderbolt" from Ash and a "hyper beam" from Comet. The blasts of energy collided in a bright light, but neither pokemon or trainer relented.

"Quick attack!" Ash called out. That Scyther was very speedy and if Pikachu was going to land a direct hit, he would have to close in fast. "Thunderbolt!"

"Swords dance!" With that attack, Rykros would prevent Pikachu from getting too close as well as deflecting his attack. At least that was what would have happened in most cases. However, Pikachu's electric attack was far too strong for Rykros to deflect. Realizing this after only the very beginning of Pikachu's attacked reached his pokemon, Comet quickly instructed him to use, "hyper beams, from above!"

Rykros caught some of Pikachu's electricity, but he was still able to battle despite feeling the stinging pain of the attack. He conjured a series of beams unleashing them as fast as he could while his target remained hidden in the light of their colliding powers. Neither trainer could see what was going on, nor could the audience. Following his sense of logic, Rykros aimed his beams at the source of the bolts of electricity shooting up at him from the ground. Pausing to catch his breath, Rykros waited for the extreme light to fade away and hopefully reveal his fainted opponent, but it didn't. The light didn't fade at all, instead taking a yellow hue as Pikachu unleashed his final thunderbolt and caused his opponent to faint.

"Rykros..." Comet observed the markings in the burnt grass. "I see, Pikachu used his own electricity as a decoy," he realized. "You put up a good fight, come back and rest." He recalled the Scyther into his pokeball.

Ash rubbed his eyes, which were watery from stubbornly trying to see what was going on, even if it had been impossible until the display of power ceased. "Great job Pikachu!" He cheered. Pikachu had gotten quite a workout and used a large amount of energy. "That was a fun battle. It's been a long time since I've seen Pikachu all out of breath, I thought only Ritchie could do that." The fact that he was able to battle someone who was still actively in Team Rocket without it being a true war, but a friendly test of skill and power, added to Ash's reassurance.

"I say the same that was a really good strategy at the end," Comet complimented. "Now all you have to do is win the next Indigo League."

Misty watched Ash and Comet shake hands and continue their conversation. That was all fine and wonderful; her worries had evaporated upon witnessing the scene. She was reassured again that not everyone in Team Rocket was bad. However, since the Indigo League was brought up, now Ash would probably go on and on about it for the rest of the visit. She found herself laughing unexpectedly. This visit was indeed just like a visit with old friends. Any tension that might have been left was completely gone after the battle.

Among friendly conversation and Ash's speech about how he was looking forward to the Indigo League, the group, joined by Gary, returned to the Pallet House.

xoxox xox xoxox

A few minutes later, Delia, Ash, Misty, Gary, Laiki, Comet, Pixel and their pokemon, were back at the Pallet House. The rest of the pokemon had been let out of their pokeballs to join in having an afternoon snack. Delia and Mimey emerged from the kitchen, heading towards the outdoor table were the group was seated. They each carried a large tray with mountains of cookies for the group to devour.

Pikachu had decided to try to speak to the female Pikachu, who seemed to be the pokemon of that blue haired girl, Pixel. He knew she was a Rocket pokemon, but with Ash being the son of the Rocket boss, he didn't think it would matter too much if he happened to be friends with a Rocket pokemon. Besides, the group of trainers seemed to get along just fine with Ash and his mother. "Pika..." he tried to get her attention. It's not like he didn't have any female friends when he used to live in the wild before he ended up as Ash's pokemon. That was different, he was very young. He had met many other pokemon during his journey with Ash, but this one seemed to stand out. Everything from her presence, to her scent, to the static atmosphere perceivable by other electric pokemon was unique.

The female Pikachu, whom Ash's Pikachu had heard being called Peachy by her trainer, had been occupying her attention with the younger pokemon. Something seemed to spark her interest, quite literally as she smiled brightly and a few small electric sparks escaped her cheeks.

Ash's Pikachu smiled back, feeling flattered at such a seemingly approving reaction. He was about to try to make conversation, perhaps pointing out their mutual liking towards interaction with the young pokemon or speaking of the interesting connections of their trainers. Maybe he would inquire what life was like for her. If her healthy appearance, extra glossy coat and cheery disposition were any indication, Rocket or not, she was treated well. However, his train of thought halted when Peachy dashed right past him, apparently not even noticing him. She proceeded to climb on to her trainer's lap and from there reached the table.

Little Meteor began to climb up Comet's leg to get up to the table. Comet quickly picked him up before the small Absol decided to use his tiny claws for a better climbing grip. He placed the baby pokemon on his lap, where he could reach the cookies closest to Comet's side of the table without diving into the cookie mountain head first. Pixel had done the same thing with Peachy, knowing all too well what a bottomless pit she was. Pikachu pouted upon realizing that Peachy had not really given him a second glance, focusing on the food instead.

The baby Swablu had begun to try to fly, learning by instinct. She landed on Ash's head and from there jumped on to the table. The table was becoming quite crowded with pokemon hurrying to get their share of cookies before they ran out. "I better get some more cookies ready," Delia observed the pokemon clear most of the cookies and returned to the kitchen.

"Chu..." sighing softly, Pikachu used Ash as a way to climb up to the table where he found that the cookies were already all gone, save for one. He reached for the last cookie in the middle of the table at the same time that Peachy got loose from Pixel and went to grab the cookie. Their yellow paws touched as they reached for the treat and a few sparks flew with the sudden contact of two powerful Pikachu.

The male electric pokemon looked at the female in front of him and smiled. She took him by surprise with a battle cry of 'my cookie!' And tackled him right off the table. The event was interpreted by the humans as the two pokemon playing. Swablu and Meteor thought that the two Pikachu were no longer interested in the last cookie and they both reached for it at the same time. They both retreated and waited before pushing the cookie towards the other back and forth. They finally resolved the issue by breaking the cookie in half and sharing it.

"So, how are things with Team Rocket?" Gary suddenly asked, which made all the color drain from Ash's face. In a matter of seconds all his blood went to his feet and his face became white as a sheet. Misty had a somewhat opposite reaction, with her face becoming as red as her hair.

Gary was looking right at Pixel. He had been giving her suspicious glances, which were not missed by Laiki. The blond girl was a little jealous misinterpreting the suspicious looks. The cause of those glances was the fact that Gary recognized her as being from Team Rocket. A look of realization overtook Comet's face as he learned why Gary had been looking at Pixel. No one seemed to notice the change in his expression, since they were all focused on Gary.

Delia returned from the kitchen with more chocolate chip cookies, while Mimey followed her with three cake containers on top of each other. Delia placed the cookie tray on the table and took Mimey's load off his hands to place on the table. Before going back to the kitchen to get plates, spoons and a knife to cut the cake, she paused seeing Ash's pale face and Misty's flustered expression. "Did I miss something?"

The movement of time had become frozen upon Gary's question and went back into motion when Delia spoke. The atmosphere unfreezing caused Pixel to exclaim, "cosplay!"

Gary nodded in acceptance, he somehow knew there was little more to be done than to agree to the explanation. "Getting into character, weren't you?" Given the fact that Delia's cooking had helped convert Rockets into good citizens before, Gary considered his thoughts for a moment longer. It wasn't unheard of for Ash to end up being friends with someone who was formerly in Team Rocket. It happened with Jessie and James so who was to say it couldn't happen again? Though he didn't quite believe the cosplay story, he didn't think Pixel had any intentions of carrying out any wrong doings, thus he let it go. "It was a very realistic costume."

"Thanks," Pixel discreetly glanced at the pale Ash, who still seemed to believe that the mention of Team Rocket was somehow related to him.

Misty had begun to regain her normal color. As for Ash, the normal flow of his blood wasn't restored until Misty placed her reassuring hand on his hand under the table and smiled. Though still somehow confused about what had transpired, Ash decided to let it go, since everyone else seemed to be okay with it. Delia returned to the kitchen while the animated conversation about pokemon resumed at the table. It was as if Gary's mention of Team Rocket had never occurred.

All the while, Peachy and Pikachu were rolling around the floor trying to pin the other down to establish ownership of the already consumed cookie or for the sake of self defense. Contrary to Purry, Peachy was generally friendly and only became territorial and possessive when there was food involved. As the second batch of cookies began to be consumed, Peachy bolted back towards the table with Pikachu calling after her, demanding an explanation. Frustrated to be ignored, Pikachu let out a low voltage electric charge that was not meant to pick a fight, but to get Peachy's attention. At that very moment, Ash decided to look over to see what the two yellow pokemon were doing and caught Pikachu in what appeared to be a surprise attack on the back. "Pikachu, what are you doing?"

"Pi pika chu!" Pikachu defended himself pointing his accusing paw at Peachy.

Peachy pouted and looked into Ash's eyes, ignoring the small painless jolt of electricity that barely tickled. She moved her ears down and gave him a sad expression. This was something she did when convincing humans to give her food. "Aw," instantly feeling sorry for her, Ash picked up Peachy and offered her a cookie. "It's okay, don't cry." He looked at Pikachu with disapproval, "what was that for? You're usually better behaved than this."

"Chu! Pi pika chu!" Pikachu argued to no avail. Ash offered Peachy another cookie which she happily ate as well. For the time being, she seemed comfortable sitting on Ash's lap as long as he kept feeding her. Pikachu kept pouting in exasperation until he saw Peachy... did she just wink? Was she just playing before? Of all the confusing things to do...

Though Peachy wasn't particularly violent, Purry was rather aggressive. Pyro liked to glomp and cling to just about any female he laid eyes upon. Then there was the fact that at times Pixel literally threw Peachy into battle, giving her an edge by allowing her to attack from above. She also often slept with Peachy as if she was a plush toy, rolling around and somehow not causing Peachy to wake up. To summarize, a bit of rough treatment was nothing but harmless playfulness for Peachy, who saw little difference between a hug and a tackle. Thus despite being indeed possessive of food, in the end she was only playing.

Delia returned with the dishes and utensils just as the cookies ran out. The cake was served and she rejoined the group at the table. The conversation remained on the topic of pokemon and Team Rocket didn't come up again. There was a story about a three on three battle involving Jessie and James. That story also told the tale of how Pyro evolved from a Charmander to the Charmeleon he now was. Delia, Ash and Misty suspected the story was edited in terms of how it came to be, but kept all the real elements of the battle itself. Gary had no suspicions about it, since as far as he knew, Team Rocket was ancient history for Jessie, James and apparently also for Pixel.

xoxox xox xoxox

Comet and Pixel stepped out of the elevator after his origin was revealed to him. He was quiet for a moment before finally asking, "why did you name your pokemon?"

Pixel didn't really expect the question and her answer was a rather simple one. "Because I felt like it, I suppose and it's kind of cute. Besides, it felt more original to give them names than to call them by their species. Calling them by their species would be convenient and maybe even necessary for someone who intends to catch many. I never planned on having many and I'm satisfied with what I have now. One that's tech because you know I like technology, one that's electric to provide power for electronics, and one that can fly for easy transportation. That's what I thought, practicality, but somewhere along the way I got attached to them."

Comet was surprised at just how familiar it all felt. He knew Pixel didn't like what she described as an anti-climatic history and thus insisted that the past was nothing. Though she did consider the future, she was happiest living the moment. He had always lived the moment before, he could continue doing so. "I think I'm going to name mine." He paused in front of his room's door, where he had automatically headed. He entered followed by Pixel and they both sat down on his bed. The sheets were a simple dark blue with a big Blastoise shaped pillow that he had for years.

"What will you name them?" Pixel inquired, not asking about the seemingly sudden choice to name them. She had an idea where Comet's decision came from.

Comet thought for a moment before concluding, "I guess it's not really the name that matters but what's attached to it." To name them wasn't really a necessary action. It was the training and appreciation that went to the pokemon that truly mattered, as he had learned from his father, Luke. "I'll still do it though, something cool." He took Gyarados' pokeball in his hand, "Shenron, just like that legendary super long green Gyarados that grants wishes when the seven magical orange pokeballs are collected in that show."

Pixel chuckled, "it's a classic!"

"Scyther will be..." Comet paused in thought, holding the pokeball in his other hand. The blades Scyther had, reminded him of the blades of legends such as the Master Sword, Masamune, Dual Blade, Reverse Blade, Espelancer, Elsydeon and others, but they didn't seem to fit. That last one reminded him of something else, "Rykros, after the original."

"Another classic," Pixel agreed.

Though they were inside their pokeballs, the pokemon could still hear what was being spoken around them. "Is that okay with you two? I guess if you're not popping out to protest, its fine," Comet concluded.

"So... go on, say everything that's on your mind, as if this was a verbal blog. Get it out of your system," Pixel grinned, reading Comet as easily as she would read a computer codes.

xoxox xox xoxox

After the brief stop and the pokemon naming, Comet and Pixel went to find Giovanni. They found him at the gym's arena just as he was finishing off another relatively easy battle against a Rocket grunt. On the side of the arena, there were another four Rocket agents, also in uniform. They were Jessie, James, Cassidy and Butch. After the grunt excused himself and left, Jessie and Cassidy started to loudly argue about who would battle the boss next.

While the next battle was delayed due to the argument, Comet approached Giovanni with his request. "Boss, I want to be added to the investigation of three and ten." The words were direct, to the point and not particularly revealing to anyone who didn't already know what it was about.

"Me too," Pixel added.

Giovanni observed them both, "that is still in the tracking stage," he didn't want to make an obvious move that would make number three and ten harder to catch by going into hiding. Or they could also react by suddenly becoming more active upon feeling threatened. That could bring numerous casualties that would not only upset Delia, but possibly cause trouble for Team Rocket's general operations.

Number three wasn't much of a problem in terms of power anymore. He was old, much older than the time that had actually passed. However, that gave some of his victims the opportunity to escape and live to tell the tale. Though the legendary Bloody Killer was about to die, he would go after getting a lot of attention. For the time being, the police were waiting it out, occasionally moving to try to catch him when he was weak. Thus far, he had evaded the authorities. As for number ten, that was another story. He was still a young adult, still in his prime, he was inhumanly strong and dangerous. Team Rocket had been on the look out for him since he disappeared from the lab. So far they had no significant clues, not even from interrogating Iblis.

Giovanni finally gave a more direct reply to the two Rockets. "You can join if you win a battle. All of you will battle three on three." After battling so many grunts, Giovanni was tired of battles he could easily win and opted instead for a little entertainment. He raised his voice for the last sentence; it was enough to silence Jessie and Cassidy. Jessie and James were just there for a brief visit to take care of some minor routine business at the Viridian headquarters. They didn't expect to find the boss taking on challengers and were quick to volunteer.

Jessie, James, Cassidy and Butch quickly became aware of their situation, though they were not sure how it came about. Apparently, they would need to divide themselves into two teams of three people each. Comet and Pixel were on the same team. The realization sunk in for Jessie, that she might end up stuck in a team with Cassidy if either James or Butch was chosen as the third teammate for their opponents. With that in mind, Jessie bolted across the earth arena and stood between Comet and Pixel with her arms around their shoulders. "Teammates?" She gave them a big grin.

Comet decided to go along with it, "sure."

James' eyes widened in realization, "I don't want to be on the same team as these two!" He protested with great agony.

"Enough," Giovanni made it clear that he was not in the mood for further stalling, "begin the battle, three on three."

"My money's on Jessie's team," Meowth commented from the side lines as the trainers took their positions. It only made James pout more and give Jessie a sad face.

"Take it like a Rocket!" Jessie called out in response from the other side of the arena. Six red beams were unleashed almost in perfect unison. Six shapes appeared, three on each side of the earth arena, and the battle commenced.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 92: Give me Accomplishments

Six red beams had invaded the Viridian gym arena for the three on three battle. The confrontation would decide if Comet and Pixel would join the investigation about number three and number ten or not. The teams consisted of Comet, Pixel and Jessie, versus James, Cassidy and Butch. Each trainer had called upon one of their pokemon. Jessie's Seviper, Comet's Scyther, recently named Rykros and Pixel's as of yet to evolve Charmander, Pyro, composed one team. The other team consisted of James' Carnivine, Cassidy's Houndour and Butch's Migthyena.

Pouting deeply and making a sad face, James complained once more before the battle began. "I really don't want to be in the same team as Cassidy and Batch!"

"It's Butch!" The Rocket agent whose name people often changed complained.

James had no reply for the correction, since he soon became busy trying to pry Carnivine off his face. The pokemon had become stronger over time and so had her grip, much to James' pain.

Pyro observed the scene and decided it was as good a time as ever to follow the example and go hug his own trainer. He quickly attached himself to Pixel's leg, while she tried to shake him off. "Let go, we have a battle to take care of!" She tried to pry him off a bit too hard with her long blue fingernails accidentally digging into his skin in the human version of a scratch attack.

Pyro whimpered, though he still didn't let go, since he was following Carnivine's example and she had not let go. It might have been an early random mood swing, despite her condition not yet showing, but Jessie felt compassion for the Charmander and decided to try to help Pixel get him off before she accidentally hurt him. The red haired woman succeeded in pulling the fire pokemon off his trainer, but it backfired. Finding himself in Jessie's arms, Pyro lashed on to her neck and snuggled into her chest. At the other side of the arena, a strangely jealous James witnessed the scene while turning blue from lack of oxygen.

Since Giovanni was looking impatient, the trainers who were not dealing with pokemon troubles went on the attack. "Houndour, use flame thrower on Scyther!" Cassidy shouted.

The command was backed by Butch who ordered, "Migthyena, use take down after Houndour's attack."

Their plan was obviously for Houndour to weaken Scyther and make him lose altitude with the fire. Then Migthyena would charge in to finish him off. "Rykros, quick attack!" Comet called out to his pokemon, watching as he skillfully dodged the flames that were thrown at him as he approached Houndour. When Rykros was close enough, Comet saw and opening and called out, "giga impact!" Rykros quickly changed his pace from flying in rapid zigzags, to a more direct upper approach. He gained a little altitude before slamming his scythe down on Houndour's head. It would have been fatal if not for Houndour's hard skull, which Comet also took into consideration. However, the attack was enough to leave Houndour in a daze before Comet warned, "up!" Rykros quickly flew out of the way, narrowly avoiding Migthyena's take down attack.

Houndour and Migthyena stayed close to each other after that, watching each other's backs. Comet knew that another opportunity like the one that was just cut short, would not present itself so easily. The thought was further confirmed by Cassidy's next order, "Houndour, snap out of it and jump on Migthyena's back."

Once Houndour was on Migthyena's back, Butch followed up on the plan, "jump as high as you can!" Migthyena obeyed with some difficulty due to the extra weight, giving Houndour some extra impulse.

Houndour in turn jumped when Migthyena was in the air and followed Cassidy's next instruction, "fire blast!"

"U turn!" It was a risky move, but Comet had to get Rykros out of the line of fire fast. He also wasn't about to waste the opportunity to get an attack in on Migthyena when he saw an opening. Rykros swung down below Houndour and passed by between him and Migthyena. The bug pokemon held out his scythe to slash at Migthyena. Rykros was soon back in the air on the other side after making a U shape in mid air. It all happened in a split second as Houndour fell on top of the surprised and pained Migthyena, who didn't have time to get out of the way.

"Get out there and fight or I'm sending you to the experimentation lab after I beat you to a bloody puddle!" Pixel yelled at Pyro. She wouldn't really do that, but she was angry at him for embarrassing her in front of the boss. Pyro whimpered and loosened his grip on Jessie long enough for Pixel to grab him. The blue haired girl then literally threw him into the battle field, where he landed face first with a loud undignified thump.

Jessie gasped and pointed at the fallen, but still conscious Charmander. She turned her head towards Giovanni who was watching the show from the sidelines. She searched for any hints of disapproval, but he was quietly chuckling in an almost imperceptible way, as if he was amused.

"What's his problem?" Pixel wondered with sincere confusion. "I've seen Purry jump down from much higher distances and land easily enough. Besides, whenever I throw Peachy like that, she makes good use of the opportunity to use a powerful thunderbolt in mid air. She never complains, she always looks like she's having fun."

"Purry is a feline," Comet pointed out, "and Peachy is... Peachy is special, with all the food she eats, all that energy must make her very strong." That was the same Pikachu that could be squeezed in a tight hug like a plush toy and be unconsciously used as a pillow by a sleeping Pixel without waking up until someone mentioned food. The good news about Pyro's entrance was that Rykros was given a moment to rest. The bad news was that Houndour and Migthyena were ganging up on the Charmander.

Jessie placed her hand on Pixel's shoulder like a mentor to a student, "you need to remember that Pikachu are virtually indestructible. You can't compare them to anything else."

Pixel nodded, "if you say so." She grew up as a computer geek, not a pokemon trainer. Thus she had by far the least experience in pokemon training out of all those present. She didn't obtain her first pokemon until she joined Team Rocket, right after graduating from college at the age of twenty-one. That left her with at least a decade less of experience than most of the others.

Jessie nodded and, free of the glomping Charmander, she sent her own pokemon into action. "Seviper, poison fang on Houndour!" The amount of venom in Jessie's voice was comparable to the attack itself. Seviper rushed forward to join the action.

Cassidy was quick to react, "Houndour, fire blast!" Before Houndour could respond, Pyro let out an ember attack at him. He was still a bit dazed from his entrance to the battle field and the small fire attack was not very effective in terms of damage. However, the attempt did serve as a distraction, delaying Houndour's counter attack long enough for Seviper to sink his fangs into Houndour's throat. With a sharp cry, Houndour stumbled even after Seviper let go, he was badly poisoned.

Seeing Cassidy's angry face, Butch knew he better back her up soon, "Migthyena, knock out that troublesome little Charmander with take down!"

"Pyro, use flame thrower on Migthyena!" Pixel urged him to respond to the attack.

"Rykros!" Comet began to call out to his pokemon to back up Pyro if needed. He stopped upon realizing that Pyro was glowing.

Pyro was surrounded by a bright light. Before the light even faded, while his shape was still changing, he charged forward with a flame thrower attack that stopped the already injured Migthyena in his tracks. He ran around the dark pokemon and bit his tail, unleashing a breath of fire as he did. He had thought that he really would be abandoned, though Pixel wouldn't do that. He wanted to prove himself as more than just a flirt; he wanted to show he could be a competent companion. Letting out a loud pained cry, Migthyena started to run in circles around the arena with the recently evolved Charmeleon attached to his flaming tail.

Cassidy growled in frustration and glared at James. He was on his knees at the sidelines, trying to catch his breath after his near death experience. Carnivine was still cuddling against him, though in a less deadly way. "Do something!" Cassidy yelled.

James jumped to his feet and tried to get Carnivine to battle. "Carnivine, go help Seviper fight Houndour!"

"Not that!" Cassidy reproached.

"Oh, right, sorry..." James backed away, "Carnivine, attack Seviper, let's get back at Jessie for abandoning us with Cassidy and Botch, leaf tornado!"

"It's Butch!" Migthyena's trainer corrected.

Confused with her trainer's contradicting commands, Carnivine decided to aim her attack at everyone. She spun around throwing leaves in a massive tornado that overtook the quarreling Seviper and Houndour. When the tornado ceased and the leaves cleared out, only the dizzy tangled up Seviper was still conscious. The poisoned Houndour had too much and lay knocked out near Seviper.

"You idiot!" Cassidy screamed in frustration, about to grab James by the neck.

"Hey!" Jessie shouted from the other side of the earth arena, "you leave James alone! Meowth, fury swipes on Cassidy!"

Meowth, who had been witnessing the battle from the sidelines, jumped in surprise upon being called. "What? Me?"

"Now!" Jessie roared, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, ma'am!" Meowth rushed out to James' rescue, baring his claws at Cassidy. At the last moment, Cassidy let go of James and pushed Butch towards Meowth. The man stumbled forward, falling on top of the pokemon, causing Meowth to drop the attempted attack. "Get him off! Get him off! I'm being flattened by Betch!"

"It's Butch!" He complained again as he tried to get back on his feet.

"I think this battle's as good as won, Rykros, but just in case, charge up a hyper beam," Comet instructed his pokemon. Rykros had since flown over to his trainer, hovering near by as the battle played out, waiting for the next move to make. Comet whispered something, to which Rykros nodded. He flew across the battle field, exchanging a few quiet words with Carnivine, before flying up high. He prepared to fire the hyper beam from above on Comet's signal.

Migthyena had finally freed himself from Pyro's grip on his poor abused tail. The dark pokemon whimpered as he licked his burnt and bitten tail. Charmeleon stood proud, happy that he had evolved, waiting for the command to finish the battle. Seviper was still somewhat busy untangling himself from the knot Carnivine's attack had left him in. At least the long poison pokemon was almost free.

"Well done Pyro, finish him off with a fire blast!" Pixel encouraged. Exhausted from all the punishment he had received, Migthyena whimpered and flopped to the side before Pyro could let out his attack. "No way," Pixel found it suspicious. Cassidy didn't believe it either if her yelling at Migthyena to get up was any indication. "Stay on your guard, Pyro. Keep that fire blast ready just in case and attack if Migthyena moves." Pyro nodded and stood ready. Migthyena didn't move, so he didn't use the attack, but he kept the fire on standby anyway.

"That just leaves Carnivine; let's finish this Rykros, hyper beam!" Comet called out to his pokemon to carry out their plan. Seviper finally got untangled and considered helping Carnivine since they were friends, but stopped, witnessing the scene. The hyper beam collided with the battle arena ground below and apparently with Carnivine. The grass pokemon moved her left leaf arm as if clutching her heart, with her right leaf dramatically over her head. With an agonized gasp that she shouldn't have had time to make, she collapsed where the burn mark of the hyper beam on the ground was.

Seviper blinked and slithered over to join his teammates, Rykros and Pyro. They seemed to have decided to do a victory pose to further emphasize their triumph. The pose was actually not part of the plan. Charmeleon spun around and held out his right arm, with two claws forming a V shape. Rykros flipped in the air, then landed next to Pyro, raising one of his scythes in victory. Improvising, Seviper coiled up like a spring and hopped, then stretched out tall and proud on Pyro's other side. The three winning pokemon stayed that way for a moment until Seviper lost his balance and fell on Pyro. The newly evolved fire pokemon then fell on Rykros, leaving the winning team like a pile of dominoes.

"That was not my idea," Comet felt the need to express his disclaimer for the silliness. He chuckled in amusement none the less.

"The battle is over," Giovanni announced officially.

The certified acknowledgement of the end of the match made James react. He had been staring at the unmoving Carnivine anxiously because she was yet to even twitch after she dramatically fainted. He rushed to her side with worry, apparently being the only one present who didn't realize that the hyper beam had purposely missed. Carnivine knew James didn't really want Cassidy and Batch, Botch or Betch, whatever his name was, to win. Thus she took the fall to end the battle, which was looking favorable for Jessie and her teammates anyway. "Carni-" James couldn't even finish his worried statement before Carnivine tackled him in another bone crushing, suffocating affectionate hug.

"That's cheating!" Cassidy stammered, "Migthyena didn't faint and neither did Carnivine! They should both be able to battle... Houndour too!" She looked at Houndour, whom she had not yet recalled. Her pokemon was just beginning to stir. Migthyena looked pretty beat up and would probably take a while to recover.

"Unable to battle or unwilling to battle, either way, you lose," Giovanni spoke and no one dared to question him. "Cassidy, Botch, clean up the arena," he ordered.

Cassidy considered protesting, but wisely decided against it, "yes, boss." Butch frowned but didn't dare to correct Giovanni in the incorrect use of his name.

Jessie cheered, feeling especially accomplished that they had beaten Cassidy. James was still busy trying to get Carnivine to let him go, while all the others recalled their pokemon. The trainers gave their respective pokemon a few words of gratitude for a good battle, except Butch, who remained silent and Cassidy, who kept grumbling and growling in frustration.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was after that three on three battle that Comet and Pixel hung out with Laiki for a while. Then the three of them ended up going to Pallet Town to see Delia. After Ash and Comet's battle and some yummy sweets from Delia, it was almost evening.

"We should get going soon," Delia gently noted.

"Yes," Ash was smiling as if any left over tension was completely gone after having such a good time with everyone. He was now looking forward to seeing his father again.

"Going somewhere?" Gary curiously asked.

"Yeah, we're going to..." Ash paused looking for a truthful but not too revealing reply, "to Giovanni's place for a while."

"I see," Gary smiled, he was aware of Delia's relationship with the Viridian gym leader, everyone was, even if no one knew of Ash's true connection. "Have fun," he was sincerely glad that Ash was adapting to the whole situation so well.

"We should get going too," Pixel reminded. She had a technology related conference to attend at Razzo Albergo. She intended to travel to Cerulean City by train, although it wasn't really open to the public. None the less, Rockets sometimes got a ride with the crew of Antilles Oceanus' cargo train that went all across Kanto. The conference was not required, nor was it Rocket business, but Pixel thought it might bring some useful knowledge. She would go as a civilian and keep her link to Team Rocket hidden from the other attendees.

Comet remembered Pixel mentioning her plans earlier and knew what she was getting at. Besides, Ash and Delia were going to meet Giovanni soon anyway. "Yeah, it was fun."

"Absolutely!" Laiki squealed in delight.

After saying their goodbyes, Delia decided to go talk to Professor Oak for a few minutes before leaving, since she didn't see him earlier. Ash stayed behind talking to his new friends while Gary and Delia walked down the street to the Oak research lab.

The group of undercover Rockets recalled their pokemon into their pokeballs. Before leaving, Peachy tackled Pikachu to the ground harshly and gave him a slightly painful electric hug. Then she hurried over to Pixel and jumped into the red beam of her pokeball. Pikachu was left to figure out her farewell, but decided to take it with an open mind and think positive. Maybe they would meet again sometime soon.

"I should head back to Cerulean City," Misty thought aloud. Ash would probably need some time alone with his parents to sort things out and she wanted to give him that.

"I'm heading to Cerulean too, I wonder if they'll let you on the train," Pixel mused.

Laiki nodded in affirmation, "other people have been allowed on the train before. It should be fine." There was nothing secret on the above ground train. It was just regular cargo for the most part, plus the crew area.

"What train?" Misty inquired in curiosity.

"The Antilles Oceanus train, it will be leaving from Viridian to Cerulean soon," Pixel replied. "It's a cargo train, but people can ride in the crew wagon."

"If you're sure they'll let me get on, that sounds like a good way to get back home," Misty agreed. She looked at Ash with encouragement in her eyes, "call me later, when you can, alright?"

Ash smiled back, "I will." After a few more words were exchanged between the group, Ash watched the brown car disappear in the horizon away from Pallet Town. Misty had joined Comet, Pixel and Laiki, since she would be riding the Antilles Oceanus train from Viridian to Cerulean City along with Pixel.

For the moment, Ash was left alone in the Pallet House with his pokemon. He considered catching up to his mom and talking to Professor Oak, but decided that he would talk to him after he sorted things out with his father. Ash and Delia's pokemon were all in the house since she would be back in a few minutes anyway. Swablu had fallen asleep in one of the restaurant's chairs.

Ash petted Pikachu, who had climbed back on to his shoulders. "I somehow feel like I've accomplished something." He didn't know what it was he accomplished, but he had conquered his doubts and was ready to face the truth that lay before him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Gary had gone to tend to a few things around the Oak land. He began to serve the pokemon some dinner so that he wouldn't be out too late feeding the many pokemon that lived there. Delia had gone to talk to Samuel, who had previously been caught up in a few articles in the lab. He had focused on his research so much that he lost track of time. Delia reassured him that everything was progressing very well, for which the elderly professor was sincerely pleased in the end.

After talking to Samuel, Delia returned home, where she knew Ash was waiting. As she walked, she thought she heard something from beyond the brick fence around the Oak land, but disregarded it. More noises followed and she distinguished Gary's voice yelling for someone to stop. Perplexed, she halted and listened for any other suspicious sounds coming from beyond the red brick fence. She looked towards the Pallet House. From her angle, she couldn't see Ash behind the structure, though she knew he was there. Of course, he couldn't see her either.

Suddenly, a human shape jumped over the fence and landed in front of Delia. She could still hear Gary's voice yelling for someone to come out of hiding. He must have been chasing the person in front of her, but he slipped away. The man looked to be around Comet's age. His eyes were the same brilliant blue of Comet's eyes and his hair, albeit longer, was the same red color. His clothes had tares that indicated he might have been running through the wilderness recently and unidentified blood stains. Delia's face revealed her realization, "you're..." she gasped. The being that Delia theorized was the missing number ten stared right at her, tensing at the sound of her voice.

Delia remained completely still so as to not frighten him. He didn't seem quite as aggressive as Giovanni described. She then realized it must have been Iblis' doing and suddenly it all made sense. Giovanni had told her about Iblis' capture and the fruitless interrogation about number ten's whereabouts. Delia didn't know what to expect. If Iblis had given him some kind of training or hypnotized him, it would make perfect sense that he was after Delia. But what was he instructed to do? Would he go through with it?

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Delia tried to soothe the being before her. Though his features were human, there was something very different about him. The way he jumped over the fence was something else to consider, his physical capabilities were beyond those of even a very well trained human. "You'll be alright, we can help you." She wasn't sure what to do or say to keep him calm, she wasn't even sure if he was capable of understanding her at all.

Suddenly, Gary emerged from the house and went down the stairs. He arrived at the street and spotted Delia a few steps away. Before he could even say anything, his mere presence caused number ten to become more aggressive, since Gary had yelled at him before. Number ten charged past Delia at Gary as the young researcher hurried to call out a pokemon. "No!" Delia's sudden loud voice turned number ten's attention back to her. Instead of trying to rip Gary to shreds, he hurried towards Delia and picked her up. With Delia harshly thrown over his shoulder, number ten made his escape.

"Let her go!" Gary released Fearow from his pokeball and jumped on the pokemon's back in pursuit of the kidnapper.

All the noise alerted Ash that something was wrong. He hurried to the street just as number ten dashed past him at an inhuman speed, carrying a screaming Delia. "Mom!" Ash quickly released Charizard from his pokeball and jumped on his back, joining Gary in the pursuit.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 93: Give me Empathy

Number ten was moving incredibly fast, quickly heading out of Pallet Town and towards an area with more abundant flora where he could hide. It was the beginning of the extended Viridian Forest. Ash and Gary continued the pursuit, but unfortunately lost sight of Delia among the trees and bushes. They followed her voice as far as they could, until the echo became silent. They called out to her, but there was no answer.

With no clue about which way to go, Charizard and Fearow landed. "Who was that? Where was he taking her?" Ash demanded to know.

"I don't know," Gary truthfully replied, "I was getting started setting out the pokemon's dinner when I saw someone. I thought it might be a thief, so I chased him, but he got away. I was going out to warn the townspeople that there was someone suspicious around, then I saw him down the street. Before I could even call out a pokemon he grabbed Delia and ran. No one is that fast, this makes no sense!"

Ash clenched his fists in frustration. "I have to get her back!" He didn't even know where to begin, then a thought occurred to him, 'Team Rocket.' Maybe that unknown red haired man was an enemy of Team Rocket. He seemed somehow familiar, but he moved so fast that neither Ash nor Gary could get a good look at him. "I'm taking mom's pokemon with me. Except Swablu, since she's too young. She's still back at the restaurant, take care of her for me, okay?" The pokemon, except the babies, had been recalled into their pokeballs a few minutes earlier, since everyone would soon be leaving the Pallet House. Ash had automatically taken the belt where his mother's pokeballs were when he took off on Charizard. His mother must have intended to put it on when she came back from talking to Professor Oak, since it would only be a few minutes. He put the pokeball belt on along with his own.

"Wait, what are you going to do? Do you have any idea who that was? We need to call the police!" Gary exclaimed. He didn't even bother arguing that a trainer shouldn't carry more than six pokemon at a time, that detail wasn't really important at the moment.

"No!" Ash snapped, "don't call the police." He looked into Gary's eyes, "trust me, it's best to leave them out of this. Go back to Pallet Town, take care of Swablu and keep the town safe. Please Gary, leave this to me."

"I know you're hiding something," Gary sourly concluded. "I also know when it's no use arguing with you. I'll go back, but whatever it is you're planning to do, be careful and call me if you need help."

"Thank you," Ash agreed, though he had no intentions of calling Gary and getting him involved. It was strange to think about it, but he would have Team Rocket to back him up if he needed it. The thought also made him feel frustrated at the possibility of that man being an enemy of Team Rocket, who had kidnapped his mother because he knew of his father's true identity. It was the images the mysterious Persian, Givan, showed him which made Ash keep his temper in check. He hurried the rest of the way to the heart of Viridian City. Gary went in the opposite direction back to Pallet Town.

It only took Charizard a few minutes to reach the Viridian gym. Giovanni was coincidentally making his way to his red car in the parking. Needless to say, he didn't expect Ash to suddenly arrive on a Charizard. Giovanni could only stare at the young man's expression, which held anger, frustration, urgency and fear all at once.

xoxox xox xoxox

While so many events were taking place in Viridian City and Pallet Town, at Giovanni's mansion, Persian was bored. He had been feeling tired lately, but simply wasn't in the mood to sleep anymore. He had done nothing but sleep ever since he was left in the mansion. He only woke up occasionally to the mansion's chef fussing about how he needed to eat something nutritious to get better. His head hurt, his nose was stuffy, he wasn't in the mood to deal with people. To top it all up, the classy pokemon couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

Desperate for some fresh air, Persian snuck out of the mansion. He knew that his father would disapprove of him going off on his own, but he really needed a break. Besides, even if he was feeling sick, he refused to believe it was related to the beginnings of that deadly virus he had heard humans talking about. Furthermore, just because he mostly sat beside his father while his other pokemon did most of the battling, didn't mean he couldn't battle. He was confident that he could defend himself just fine, not that he expected anyone to attack him anyway. He would just go for a walk and return to the mansion after he cleared his head. In and out, no one would notice.

Persian climbed over the fence, with more effort than it would have normally taken him in full health. He walked further and further away from the mansion. He looked back over his shoulder; he was away from the mansion but couldn't get rid of the feeling of being watched. He shrugged it off and kept walking.

He was in the Victory Road area when a rock flew out of no where and hit him on the head. The rock was relatively small and rounded so it caused little damage, but Persian was angry. 'Who threw that?' He demanded to know with a hiss.

A loud roar answered his question as an angry Ursaring came into view. The pokemon was very unusual in that area. That particular Ursaring had been trained by a human before, but was now wild. His trainer lost his first pokemon to the illness that had tainted the east of Kanto and was spreading towards the west and to Johto. Seeking different medical help, the trainer had journeyed to Johto, with the esteemed starter pokemon finally passing away when they stopped in the Viridian Pokemon Center.

Ursaring's past trainer had continued towards Johto heartbroken, before finally deciding upon releasing his current team. One of those pokemon was Ursaring. Some were sick and others were not, but the trainer didn't want to risk infecting any of his other pokemon that were awaiting his return in his home of New Bark Town. Ursaring felt abandoned, he was healthy, but he was still thrown away on the possibility that he might be ill, albeit not yet showing it. Furthermore if he truly was ill, living in the wild would have been difficult. Ursaring felt betrayed and frustrated, he was furious.

Ursaring couldn't harm his trainer whom he still thought of as a precious person, so he let him go and took out his anger on some boulders. Then, out of seemingly no where, a Persian hissed at him. Ursaring lost his temper further and picked up a large boulder, throwing it at Persian.

Persian quickly dodged the boulder, but soon another came. Ursaring kept throwing every boulder he could get his paws on and Persian was starting to feel tired. He could barely dodge in his condition, let alone get an attack in.

'Stop it!' A blur suddenly jumped out from behind some near by rocks. Purry had been watching Persian the whole time, keeping herself well hidden. Over time she had become an expert in the art of stalking him. She debated if she should reveal herself or not, since she had the distinct appearance of an alley pokemon. The contrast with Persian's refined look was too great. None the less, all things aside, she couldn't let him get hurt. Purry jumped towards the Ursaring with her claws out, aiming for the throat.

The large brown pokemon was caught by surprise upon realizing that the Meowth was seriously trying to badly injure him, if not kill him. Ursaring lost his grip on the bolder he held over his head ready to throw it. The large rock hit him on the head, falling at his feet after the impact. Ursaring hollered in pain at the impact of the stone and furthermore upon feeling a stab on his chest that was far too sharp to belong only to a Meowth's claws, however fierce the Meowth may be. He then noticed that the fiery Meowth had used her charm as a weapon; the golden coin was cut to a point and sharpened. Fortunately, his thick fur and built prevented any fatal injuries.

The Ursaring tried to defend himself in his pained dazed state, but found he couldn't move fast enough. That Meowth was incredibly fast and strong. With a rapid succession of slashes, Purry finally forced her large opponent into unconsciousness. The Ursaring would live, but he would certainly never forget that battle. He would have never guessed such a small pokemon could possess such aggressive power.

With the battle won, Purry froze and slowly looked over to where Persian should have been. He wasn't there. She sighed sadly, 'he ran away, he probably thinks I'm a monster.' Worried that he might run into more trouble, Purry was quick to follow her beloved's scent.

xoxox xox xoxox

Persian didn't know what that Ursaring's problem was and he didn't know where that fierce Meowth came from. He did know when it was time to leave. Curious as he was about the fight, as much as he wanted some answers, he concluded it was best to leave those two alone. Besides, the mansion staff might have noticed that he was gone and they would be running around in desperation looking for him in no time. Deciding that he had enough adventure for the time being, Persian headed back to the mansion.

During his walk back, he noted that the feeling of being observed was gone. It was that way for a while, until his instinct once again alerted him that he was being watched. He decided to ignore it and keep going. He had left Victory Road and was in the area between it and Viridian City, where trees and flora were abundant. He found that he had lost his way, but knew the mansion had to be near by, hidden in the tall, lush vegetation. He resolved to climb up a tree and have a better look.

Persian saw a tree with some conveniently arranged branches. He could easily jump from one to another without worrying about losing his balance due to the dizziness that was overtaking him. Even more convenient, he saw a smaller tree near that big one. He would use that small tree, with its easy to reach branches, to climb up to the lowest branch of the larger tree. Then he would follow the ladder-like structure of that big tree until he was high enough to see the roof of the mansion among the vegetation.

With his mind set on the plan, Persian began to climb the small tree with his claws out. The tree was most displeased upon the uncalled for attack and quickly threw Persian off. Dazed, the classy pokemon blinked trying to clear his somewhat blurry vision. He had been thinking about the feeling of being watched in the back of his mind and didn't even notice that there was a Sudowoodo sleeping while standing, right in front of him.

Tired of being pushed around, Persian tried to prepare for a fight. He showed his claws and hissed as menacingly as he could. His tail was momentarily up straight and his eyes gained some focus. Unfortunately, he was soon invaded by another wave of dizziness stronger than before. To make matters worse, Sudowoodo was on the attack with wood hammer.

As Sudowoodo's arm came down on Persian, Purry jumped out of the bushes, biting the branch that dared to attack her beloved. The Sudowoodo flailed around trying to get the Meowth off. She let him go at the right moment, being flung into a tree. Instead of crashing into the tree, Purry pushed off it and tackled Sudowoodo with her claws out. The tree shaped rock pokemon tried to mimic the attack, but his strength was in no way comparable to the fierce Meowth. Clearly overpowered, the Sudowoodo ran away as fast as he could.

Purry didn't chase after her opponent; instead she looked at Persian to see how he was doing. She gasped as she saw that he was laying on the ground, breathing heavily with his eyes closed in pain. He must really be sick and shouldn't be out there. She heard some rustling in the bushes and instantly tensed up.

A tall pokemon with dark fur came out of the bushes. Purry looked into her green eyes noticing she wasn't hostile. The pokemon stood upright much like a human, with a long violet mane that went from her head, falling almost to her ankles. Needless to say, it was very unusual to see a Zoroark in Kanto. The Zoroark approached the Meowth and the Persian, observing the Persian. 'He is ill,' she spoke in the pokemon language. 'I can help him.'

'Can you, really?' Purry was taken by surprise. There was something different about this pokemon, the way she carried herself was unlike anything Purry had seen before. It wasn't simply that she was of a species that Purry had never met before, it was something more.

The Zoroark nodded, 'yes.' She extended her paw placing it gently over Persian's head and focused. His eyes were closed tightly and he was unaware of his surroundings due to the heavy dizziness that had overtaken him. Zoroark glowed as she willed the sick pokemon to sleep with the power of rest. Persian fell into a deep slumber, with his breathing becoming calm and even. 'Let him rest, he will be alright soon.'

Zoroark started to leave but Purry called after her, 'wait, who are you? How is it that you can heal with rest, like this? That power wasn't like a normal rest; I could somehow sense it was different.'

Zoroark shook her head, 'I'm not certain about that myself, but I can tell you this, I'm not who I used to be.'

It was clear that the Zoroark wasn't going to stay and tend to the Meowth's curiosity about her mysterious abilities. Purry decided not to bother her and just be grateful, 'thank you for healing him.'

Zoroark nodded in acknowledgement and promptly left. She always visited Kanto in the fall; she didn't expect to find anything or anyone waiting for her. She had long since forgotten what was it that drove her to travel to Kanto every year. It was something she had been doing for as long as she could remember, every fall she would sneak into the Viridian Forest and spend a day there before going off to explore other areas. Sometimes bits and pieces of memories reemerged, but she had stopped trying to bring them to the surface completely.

She always made sure to stay away from humans. Sometimes her presence in the Viridian Forest would be noticed, especially in the recent years. The forest was well guarded. Someone would try to catch her, but they would always fail. Thus Zoroark headed towards Viridian as she always did once a year.

xoxox xox xoxox

Some time later, Persian slowly opened his eyes feeling well rested. The fatigue of sickness was gone, his breathing was normal and his balanced had fully returned. He didn't know how it was even possible, considering how he felt before, but he was somehow fully healed. He remembered the Sudowoodo and the Meowth, but neither seemed to be anywhere in sight. He did feel like he was being watched though. He wondered if the one who had been watching him was that Meowth all along. If that was so, then how did she get into the mansion? He held no memories of the Zoroark, since he was so out of it when she was there.

He got to his feet and decided to resume his trip back to the mansion. He would still have to climb a tree to see which way he should go. Fortunately, he was once again alert enough to easily tell the difference between a tree and a pokemon. Persian was about to climb a tree when he heard some growling near by. The sound was angry and it was not similar to any sound he had heard a pokemon make. It sounded somewhat human-like, but at the same time distinctly not.

The source of the unpleasant growls soon came into view. Number three was no longer to be left alone as an urban legend. Neither Team Rocket nor the police pretended he didn't exist anymore. He was like a cornered wild pokemon trying to escape. As a result of the modifications made to age him to an adult years ago, he had continued to age at a fast pace. His old clothes were stained and ripped with blood sticking to nearly every inch of his body. Beneath the layer of blood, his skin was harsh in a barely perceptible dark tan that was hidden by the dark red tint of the dry blood. His dirty hair looked red due to the blood in it; albeit in truth it barely had any red left in it, as it had mostly turned gray in time. The only truly recognizable feature that the Bloody Killer shared with his genetic relatives, were his blue eyes.

'What in the world is that?' Persian stared at the creature that appeared to be somewhat human, but at the same time not.

'It's bad, get out of here!' Purry jumped out of the bushes, ready to fight that creature.

'I knew you were following me!' Persian accused, 'just who do you think you are stalking me like that, you unrefined alley pokemon,' he huffed in indignation.

Purry froze at the disapproval, 'I... um... Just get out of here!'

Persian huffed in annoyance, 'fine, servant, I'll leave you to your little battle. You and that creature look similar enough so-' he was cut off by the Bloody Killer suddenly hurrying forward to grip the Persian's neck. The mutant was hungry after having to run and hide so much. He could feel himself growing weaker by the day and he couldn't allow that. Maybe a meal would make him feel better.

Purry jumped on the Bloody Killer, scratching and biting as hard as she could. She managed to make him let go of Persian, but he threw her against a tree. The force was so strong that she couldn't shift her body to push herself off it and slammed hard against the tree. Angered, number three didn't cease the attack on the fallen Meowth. He grabbed her by the tail and slammed her against the ground repeatedly.

Persian had caught his breath, even if he could still feel the sticky filth of that creature's grip around his neck. That thing was disgusting and Persian was very angry. He had no business with that shabby Meowth, but he wasn't going to let that thing get away with attacking him like that. The ruby on his forehead glowed brightly as he summoned his pay day attack. A multitude of coins collided with the mutant almost like bullets, leaving bruises and cuts all over him.

Purry slipped away from number three's grasp, pained, but still able to battle. It would take a lot more than that to make her faint. She had a long history of harsh battles. It all began with Team Rocket years ago.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was a special training program for pokemon that was dropped due to the pokemon either failing or becoming too wild to control. The regimen didn't involve any power ups, only training. When the first and only instance of the program ended, only a few pokemon came out of it, Purry being one of them. She was trained to be an assassin, but she too had developed a rebellious, nearly insatiable, thirst for battle. Eventually she ran away and was forgotten, possibly thought of as dead.

After escaping from Team Rocket, Purry continued fighting one battle after another. Those who saw her feared her. She lived to fight and often found herself challenging other pokemon, even if she was vastly outnumbered. The constant battles and hardships led to many wounds along the way. Though she eventually recovered from all of them, she was left with many battle scars, visible through missing patches of fur. She also had a sharpened charm, which was done during her training to make it as deadly as the sharpest knife.

It was during the start of her training with Team Rocket when Purry, back then a nameless Meowth, met another Meowth. The male Meowth was a little older than her, but still a child. He was perched on a human's shoulder, the human that was apparently the boss of all the other humans in that underground training facility where she had been born.

The small boy Meowth jumped off the human's shoulder, landing on his feet on the floor. He curiously approached the rows of cages were many other pokemon were kept. He saw that one of the cages contained a female of his species, a little younger than him. He scuffed at the mental comparison, they were nothing alike. In his curly tail he carried a small bag of gourmet pokemon treats he had taken along to snack on. He sat down, placing the bag in front of him and reaching in for a treat with his front paw.

'Why are you sad?' The voice took the male Meowth by surprise. He looked towards the young female in the cage who had spoken. 'Your trainer is clearly much kinder to you than mine is to me. I don't know why someone like you would be sad.'

'Mom left and dad tries not to show it but he's upset.' He stopped himself before he could say anything more. He threw his head back and looked away from the female of his species. 'It's none of your business, servant. Unlike you, I'm a high class pokemon. I can have everything I want. My father is the boss of this place, I'm not just his pokemon, I'm their son, mother said so.'

'It's too bad your mom left. I never met my parents,' the female Meowth replied.

'I said it doesn't matter!' The male hissed, 'mom will come back some day, dad's going to find her. I'm sure she'll come back if dad asks her to.'

The young Meowth didn't know how right he was. But Giovanni didn't go after Delia; he didn't ask her to return even if he knew where she had gone. She had left with only a letter and no reason to run away like that could be big enough, in Giovanni's opinion. Many years would pass before he knew why she left, before he learned about Ash.

The female Meowth observed the male. She had seen him a few times with the human he called his father, the boss. 'I guess no one is safe from sadness,' she mused. She had thought he lived such a perfect life, but he didn't. 'At least you still have your father and you might see your mother again too. Cheer up, you'll be okay!'

'You're the one in a cage, servant pokemon, you're in no position to tell me to cheer up.' Frustrated and sad, the Meowth boy dashed away back to his father. He attempted to climb back on his shoulder, but Giovanni picked him up first, allowing him to easily jump on his shoulder again without having to climb all over him.

As Giovanni exited the lab with his little Meowth, the bag of treats was left forgotten on the floor. The female Meowth reached between the bars of her cage and stretched as far as she could, but was unable to reach it. She uncomfortably repositioned herself inside the small cage and reached out with her tail. Her tail was just long enough to reach the bag of treats. She reached into it taking one of the delicious treats in her small front paw. She put it in her mouth, savoring the taste; it was like nothing she had ever tasted before.

She didn't know if the Meowth boy had truly forgotten his treats or if he just left them there. If he had left them, it was the first act of kindness she had ever received. Even if it had been an accident, none the less she wanted to be his friend. He was kind of bratty, but she could tell he was only that way because he missed his mother. Perhaps his father tried to make up for it by showering him with gifts. She could only imagine what his life might truly be like.

The young Meowth girl decided that one day she would climb to the top of Team Rocket and stand by his side. It was just a childish crush, mixed with a wish for a better life and for a trainer that cared about her. Eventually, she would run away from the hardships of Team Rocket and wonder from one place to another all over Kanto for years.

One night, after that little Meowth was all grown up, she met a girl wearing the emblem of Team Rocket. The girl didn't seem bad; she tried to talk to her, to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement. She wasn't looking for a servant; she was looking for a partner. It was that girl, Pixel, who began to call the Meowth Purry. Upon returning to Team Rocket, Purry had the chance to see her first crush again. He was grown up into a handsome Persian more attractive than any other pokemon she had ever seen. The wish to be with him resurfaced stronger then ever. At least she controlled her thirst for battle as she began to get used to interacting with other living beings outside of a fight.

Purry didn't expect Persian to realize who she was. She fully expected him to have forgotten their first meeting all those years ago. Either way it didn't matter, it didn't change anything. Purry was once again determined to make it to the top and stand by his side.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon or the other video games, anime series and movies referenced here. If you're curious about where the swords are from, here are the answers. Master Sword (Legend of Zelda, in practically every version), Masamune (Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, Sephiroth and Frog's swords respectively), Dual Blade (Lufia II and others in the Lufia series), Reverse Blade (Rurouni Kenshin), Espelancer (Legend of Heroes: Tear of Vermillion and others in the Gagharv trilogy), Elsydeon (Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium).