The SS Anne II docked at Celadon City. it was a busy port, especially because of all the Team Rocket prisoners who were being unloaded. Once they were off, all the trainers would be allowed to disembark.

Rick was getting his things together in the room he shared with his fellow trainer. He shoved his clothes and souvenirs into his pack, and collected his Pokeballs. As he snapped them to his belt, one caught his eye.

Li's Pokeball.

The misused Growlithe was still uneasy around anyone or anything but Rick. Or the occasional Officer Jenny and Nurse Joi. But it still jumped at its own shadow, fearing that the Rockets had come back for it.

He snapped its Pokeball to his belt and finished what he was doing just as his companion exited the bathroom.

Her short brown hair was wet, and it dripped a bit onto her dark green shirt. Her pants rustled as she went to the couch where all her stuff was. Wartortle was calmly rummaging through her pack.

"Will you get out of there?" she grinned as she yanked her bag away from him. He looked sheepish, and then went to the door.

"Wartort war?" (When are we gonna leave?)

"In a minute." She shoved her clothes and a few other things (including the Squirtle doll) into it, and snapped her Pokeballs to her belt. One caught her eye as a Pokeball had Rick's.

Rina. The Poison Pokemon that had plead for the forgiveness of the others like herself and shed some light on the heinous crime the Rockets were truly guilty of.

"Come on out." Taran pointed the Pokeball at the floor and a white light escaped it. The light congealed in the shape of a Nidorina.

"Nido?" (What?) It looked around the room nervously. While in bad shape, Li was worse off than Rina by far. At least Rina was able to stand in public without trembling.

"Nothing. I just thought you'd like to be out of your Pokeball for a while. Come see Celadon City firsthand, instead of just in their Gym." Taran reclipped the Pokeball to her belt and closed her bag. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Wartortle led them through the hallways and out onto the deck. He made a beeline for the plankway leading off of the ship. Taran, Rick, and Rina followed closely, lest they lose him in the crowd of trainers and Pokemon disembarking.

Once they all were off the ship, the crowd dissipated. Everyone scattered around the doks and into the city.

Wartortle began to follow, but he was stopped by Taran.

"Look! Wartortle, Rina, Rick, come here!" Her companions turned to see her scurry down a ladder to the beach.

"What's the matter?" Rick asked as he walked over to the ladder. He looked down to see Taran wiping something off with her shirt. "What is that?"

"I dunno... I just saw something shiny down here..." she said as she finished cleaning it off. She tucked the object under her arm and began to climb up the ladder...

But she was followed by something. It was a strange Pokemon, with large claws and a foaming mouth. "Kingler!" the Pokemon cried in obvious challenge.

"I think it wants to fight for whatever you just picked up, Taran."

Taran looked at it, and began to decline. Shaking her head, she apologized. "I'm sorry, we don't have enough time --"

But the Pokemon was impatient. "King!" It slashed at her pant leg, and she found that it had destroyed the pair of jeans she wore.

Taran's eyes flashed. "My... favorite... pair... Wartortle, hold this for a second. It's beatdown time."

Wartortle grabbed the object, and then pulled a bag of popcorn out of a shell compartment. He munched on it contetedly.

"Nido rinanido?" (She doesn't need us?) Even she knew that most humans were unable to defend themselves against wild Pokemon attacks.

"War." (Nope.) He held out the bag. "Tortle?" (Popcorn?)

****

Taran opened the battle with a Thunderbolt attack (Her Pikachu had taught it to her). The crab Pokemon fell backwards onto the sand, and jumped back up.

"Kingler!" it cried as its claws flashed out at the human. They locked Taran in an inescapable Vice Grip and pinned her arms to her sides. Most importantly, her hands were stuck! She was unable to defend herself against the Pokemon as it scuttled to the water and dunked her in.

I'm getting beat by a freaking crab! she thought as she sputtered and gasped for air between dunks. I am so out of practice...

Her eyes flashed. She was able to wiggle her arms around so that the palms of her hands were flat against the Kingler's claws as it dunked her, and she let loose with everything she had. The Kingler's claw was shattered, and it was thrown out into the ocean with the blast.

"Hah!" Taran cried triumphantly. She then looked closely at her tattered clothing. "Yikes! I'd better change!"

Rick turned away (under threat of shock, of course) while his friend changed clothes. When she finished, he helped her onto the dock, and she retrieved her treasure from Wartortle. Then it was time to get a move-on.

As they walked into the city, Taran had fully cleaned off her object. It seemed to be a wooden flute, or a recorder-like device with a Pokeball for a mid-section. It didn't open or anything, but it played nicely. Wartortle and Rina especially seemed to like it, as they grew lively by just being around the thing. She eventually had to put it away when they visited the stores.

First, they hit the Department Store. It wasn't just a Pokemart, it had a toy floor, a Pokemon Breeder floor, a normal Mart, a rare item floor, and some vending machines as well!

Taran had enough money from her wagered battles on the cruise ship to buy her normal supplies and have money left over. She tucked it away in her bag for something special.

Rick had some money of his own from battles on the ship. He bought his supplies and was able to buy a Water Stone to evolve his Staryu. Starmie would be an excellent addition to the group.

Wartortle and Rina were content to wonder at all the sights and sounds of the busiest store in the city. Rina had never been allowed to roam like Taran let her, and she marveled at the tiniest trinkets. Wartortle kept her busy by showing her everything new and impressive to him.

Once their supplies were in order, it was time to find a hotel. Celadon was riddled with stores and specialty shoppes, but there seemed to be only one hotel in the whole City. Or at least only one chain of hotels...

Rick's shirt flapped in the breeze as he read the sign aloud. "NO POKEMON ALLOWED!"

Taran wasn't daunted. "Come on, they probably just don't want anyone to mess up the place. I'm sure that they'll let Rina and Wartortle in if we assure them." She opened the glass door and led her Pokemon inside. Rick followed.

Once inside, they approached the desk. A short, almost child-looking person sat at it, typing busily on a computer.

"Excuse me, ma'am --"

She turned to face them. Her braids, size, and childish dress were an effective disguise from behind, but her wrinkled face belied her true age. Her beady little eyes seemed to shrink into the folds, and the lines that were her eyebrows shot upwards as she caught sight of their Pokemon.

"EEE! Pokemon!" the lady screeched. She jumped onto her chair. "Get them out of here!"

"Wartortle war?" (What's the matter?)

"Rina nidorina nid..." (You'd think she'd never seen a Pokemon before...) Rina was confused.

"What's going on?" a gruff voice asked. The pair of trainers turned to see two security guards behind them. They looked large. And mean.

"These two," she whined, "HOOLIGANS brought their nasty, dirty Pokemon into our hotel! Remove them all this instant!" she screeched. Taran and Rick were nonplussed.

"Come with me, please," the larger guard asked gruffly.

He grabbed Rick's arm and tugged him toward the door. Both of them, however, were still in shock over the screaming woman and her verbal Pokemon abuse, and didn't need too much coaching to get out the door.

****

Rina looked confused. (Aren't we going to get a room?)

"No, I'm afraid we'll be camping out tonight," Taran said. "But hey, the fresh air is good for us! And sleeping under the stars is so rom..." she trailed off.

(Who are you kidding? You were hoping to stay in the hotel as much as the rest of us.) Wartortle sighed.

"I've been thinking," Rick began, "maybe if our Pokemon were in their Pokeballs, we could get into this hotel. Once we were in our rooms, then we could let them out."

"Sounds like a plan to me..." Taran said. They were now on a mission.

"Wartortle wartort tortlewar?" (You promise to let me out once we reach our room?)

Taran lifted three fingers in a half-solemn vow. "Scout's Honor, Wartortle."

He complied, and winked into a Pokeball within the minute. Rina was recalled, and they were off to try again.

Into the hotel they went. They approached the woman, who spied the Pokeballs at their waists.

"Pokemon are NOT welcome here!" she said snootily. "You'll have to go away." She turned to her computer and started ignoring the pair.

"But ma'am, we have money! Can we please get a room?" Rick cried frustratedly.

"Go away now, or I'm calling the guards again!"

"May we please speak to your manager, ma'am?"

The lady stood and walked around to the front of the desk. She scowled with all her might, making Taran and Rick feel almost as small as she was.

"I am the manager, kid! And the owner, the proprietor, and the person who says who gets to stay here and who doesn't. And I say you don't! HMPH!" She pointed toward the door with her cane. "Leave!"

Taran tried to talk some sense into her. "Can you tell us why, ma'am?"

The old woman reconsidered. She did like to talk about herself, after all. "Very well."

She told a story about a group of Tentacool that had thwarted her plans for another hotel on an island in Celadon Bay. They had wrecked her existing hotel and much of the city, and only stopped when she had been forced to promise to stop building and polluting the ocean.

"Makes sense," Taran commented.

"Makes sense?" she asked, outraged. "How... how dare you! Those Tentacool ruined me! No one in this whole blasted city will use my hotels anymore, for fear of Pokemon attack! I have to rely on tourism, which is absolutely rotten this time of year!"

"But if you hadn't wrecked the homes of the Tentacool and Tentacruel..."

"Forget it. I just wanted a little sympathy, and I get complete strangers telling me I should be ashamed of myself." The little woman turned away and trudged back to her desk.

No one, not even her guards, noticed the tear roll down her cheek...

Except for Taran.

I get it... she's just a proud, old, lonely woman.

"Let's go, Rick," she said softly. They left the Hotel without another word.

Nastina laid her arms on her desk and cried into them. The guards assumed she'd merely fallen asleep.

****

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Taran led Rick, Rina, and Wartortle to a small shop she'd noticed beside the Department Store. As they entered, chimes announced them to the clerk at the counter.

"Ah, welcome! We have a large array of Pokemon for sale here, so take your time!" the clerk said happily. He watched the pair attentively, and noticed the Pokemon running loose.

Rina and Wartortle had never seen so many Pokeballs in one place at one time.

"Do!" (Wow!)

"I'm sorry, kids, but you'll have to put your Pokemon away. They can't be loose in the store," the clerk said with a shrug. "I lose more Pokeballs by trained Pokemon than anything else."

"S'okay." Taran retrieved Rina and Wartortle. "Now c'mon, help me find something cute and fuzzy, Rick," Taran said as she rummaged through a bin.

"What for? You still haven't told me!"

"Didn't you watch that lady in the hotel? Nastina?" she asked. She pulled a Pokeball from the bin and frowned, trying to read the label.

"Yeah. What a grouch."

"She wasn't a grouch, she was lonely. She's mean because she has no friends!"

"I guess you could say that..." Rick had found a Krabby, but tossed it back into the bin.

"So, we're going to get her a friend! A Pokemon friend, so she won't hate them anymore."

Rick stopped. "This has got to be the stupidest idea I've ever heard, Taran."

"Thank you. Now help me look!"

The pair turned up six Pokemon. A Sandshrew, a Vulpix, a Meowth, a Cubone, a Rattata, and a Jigglypuff were their choices.

"Not Jigglypuff," Taran decided. "Have you ever heard of their tempers? They get ticked off when someone falls asleep at their concerts. Problem is, no one can help it!" She tossed the Pokeball into its bin.

"Not Rattata. She might think rat Pokemon are disgusting and ugly, no offense," Rick said, tossing another Pokeball back.

"Vulpix is out. Thay have tempers too, and don't like being messed with. I doubt she'd have the patience to get to know one." Another Pokeball flew into a bin.

"So's Cubone. She's already lonely, and doesn't need a lonely Pokemon... she needs one to cheer her up." Bye-bye, Pokeball.

"It's between Sandshrew and Meowth, now."

"They call 'em 'SandSHREW' for a reason, Taran."

"Meowth?"

"Yup. It's fuzzy, can get money with its Pay Day attack (I think she'll like that), and it can be taught to speak. Plus, it'd be a pretty good guard for her hotel." Rick tossed the Pokeball to his companion. "Get it for her."

She went to the clerk. "This was in the 'common' bin. How much?"

"Hmm..." he said, running it under a scanner, "this one's at level seven. Common Pokemon... level seven..." he finished his calculations. "About 2,000 coins."

"I'll give you 1,000."

"1,500. Take it or leave it."

Taran smiled. "Done." She fished out the money she had been saving, and counted out the amount. The bag was depleted by at least half.

The clerk counted the money to make sure, and smiled. "Pleasure doing business with you, young lady." He handed her the Meowth. "Please visit when you are in need of a Pokemon."

"We will, sir. Good day." They left the shop and headed back to the hotel.

****

They left their Pokemon in their Pokeballs when they got to the hotel. The last thing they needed was for the little lady to think that Wartortle or someone else were hers.

Upon entering, the guards stopped them. "We have strict orders not to let anyone with your descriptions in here."

"We would like to speak with the manager, please," Taran said.

"Our orders specifically state --"

"Guards, stop. Let me handle this." The woman's voice grated on their nerves as the guards stepped aside and went into a back room.

"Now, what do you want before I have you removed?"

"To give you this." Rick held out the Pokeball.

"Get it away!" she cried as she swatted it out of his hand. As she opened her mouth to shout a command to her guards, Taran and Rick walked out on their own.

The Pokeball lay on the carpeting of the lobby.

"I... No. It will be thrown away," she told herself.

The least you can do after treating them like crud, Nastina, is see what they gave you, she scolded herself.

Hand shaking, she picked it up. She was scared that it would attack her when it was free, but dismissed her cowardice with pride. She was a very proud woman. Maybe that was her fault in life.

"Uhh... how does it, ah... Pokeball, go!"

To her surprise, it worked! The Pokeball in her hand opened a crack, and a bright light came out. She stood, transfixed, as the light formed itself into a Pokemon the shape of a small cat. It sat there, looking up at her.

"Meowth?" it squeaked.

"A... a Meowth?" she said, picking it up gently. She could feel its tiny heartbeat through her blouse as it nuzzled her and purred happily.

Something that had never happened before had suddenly, well, happened. Nastina's cold and isolated heart simply melted at the wonder of the Meowth kitten she'd been given. The old woman sighed, the years of unhappiness, selfishness, and disappointment disappearing from her visage like fog on a summer's morn.

She was happy. For one of the first times in her life, it seemed, as she played with the kitten for hours on end. The pair never seemed to tire of simple games.

Nastina's guards wondered what had happened to their boss. She hadn't screeched for them in at least two hours. They came out of the back room to see the old woman rolling a ball of yarn past a Meowth's nose, and laughing as it clawed it. Laughing!

"She's never laughed before!" commented. "How'd those kids do it?"

"I dunno, Jerry. Maybe something's wrong."

They approached Nastina, who greeted them cheerfully. "Jerry! Wilson! Meet Felina!"

"Meow!" the kitten squeaked. It rubbed against their legs quickly, and went back to the yarn.

"Uh, Miss Nastina?"

"Goodness, I'm in such a good mood! You both can go home early today. Here, go buy yourselves something nice," she said, handing each of them a bag of 200 coins and ushering the pair out of the building.

"I have to find those kids... thank them somehow."

Felina rubbed against her leg. "Meowth?"

"You'll have to help me out here, Felina," the woman said as she tried to think...

****

"Let's hit the Gym, Taran. We need to get some more badges so we can enter the Pokemon League tournament this summer!" Rick informed his friend.

"Summer?" she answered, looking up at the sky. "Wow, time flies..."

"Yeah. Come on! It's over in that direction!"

****

They approached the Gym.

"Is this it? Looks more like a greenhouse to me," Taran commented.

"This is a Grass Pokemon Gym. Of course it looks like a greenhouse!" Rick said from behind her. He walked in front of her and to the door of the Gym.

He was greeted by a young woman with long green hair. "Hello!"

"Hello. Are you the Leader here?"

She laughed. "Don't I wish. No, but our Leader, Erika, is training with her students. I believe you can Challenge her now." the lady said, holdinte door open for him. "Come on in!"

Rick entered, Abra at his side. "You coming, Taran?"

"Naah. Your turn to go first, anyway. I'll check out some more stores, and I'll meet you at that restaurant by Game Corner in an hour."

"Just make sure you show up on time."

"Hey, I got us some tickets on the SS Anne II out of it last time," she laughed as she walked away.

Rick turned back to the Gym. It was filled with lush greenery, and Grass Pokemon were everywhere.

::Aren't you going to catch one?:: Abra asked, pointing at a nearby Bulbasaur. It looked happy, munching on some berries. When it saw Rick, though, it stopped and walked up to him and Abra.

"Bulba bulbasaur?" (Can I help you?)

Abra translated, and Rick answered, "We're looking for Erika. Can you lead us to her?"

The Bulbasaur nodded and started walking off through the bushes. Rick and Abra followed closely. Eventually they reached the Plant mistress, who was grooming her Gloom.

"... your petals are so pretty!" she said, picking leaves and small twigs of of them. "We must keep them clean!"

"Gloom!" it said happily.

The Bulbasaur grunted, turning their attention to Rick and Abra.

"Oh, hi Bulbasaur. And hello, young man." she stood. Her short blue hair shone in the sunlight, and her overalls and checkered shirt gave her a country-girl look.

Rick sighed. Man, do I need a girlfriend.

"Are... are you the Leader here?"

"Yes I am. How may I help you?"

"I wish to Challenge you for a Rainbowbadge!"

****

"Two out of three match. No items, no switching. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Weepinbell, go!" A yellowish bell of a Pokemon formed jumped from a nearby bush. "Wee?"

"Abra, I choose you!" The sleepy Pokemon, rather than jumping, Transported itself to the ground.

"Careful of its Acid attack, Abra," Rick whispered. Abra nodded, and faced her opponent.

"You may start, Rick," the Gym Leader announced.

"Abra, Thunder Wave! Paralyze it!" Abra concentrated, and a ball of energy appeared before it. The energy flew at the Grass Pokemon, and it fell, Paralyzed.

"Get up, Weepinbell! Use your Wrap attack!" The yellow Pokemon sprouted three vines, and encapsulated Abra. It began to drain her.

"Abra, Transport out of those vines!" The vines collapsed on themselves, and Abra appeared behind Weepinbell. "Now, Disable!" Abra sat and concentrated.

Weepinbell felt kind of funny, and told Erika so. She bit her lip. "Never mind, Weepinbell. Try your Stun spore attack!"

Weepinbell tried, but couldn't remember how. It thought... and thought... and never saw Abra charge up for the Psybeam. Weepinbell sprawled on the dirt flooring, fainted.

"Weepinbell, return."

"Abra, return."

"Pretty good. Now try my Tangela on for size!"

"Go, Hypno!"

The Pokemon sized each other up.

"Tangela, use your Sleep Powder!" The Tangela extended its vines and shook them, releasing a fine powder that coated Hypno. It sneezed, and immediately fell asleep.

"Hypno, wake up!" Rick cried. It was to no avail. Tangela whooped it until Hypno couldn't have woke up if it wanted to. "Oh, return!" Rick growled.

"Tangela, return. You'll find that I am not so easily defeated, Rick."

"I am seeing this now, but there is still one match to go."

"Which I shall not lose. Gloom, go!"

"Whom to choose... whom to choose..."

Li! but she's afraid of everything... how coud she fight? I guess we'll just have to find out. The hard way.

"Uh, Li, I choose you!"

The Growlithe cowered at the sight of the other Pokemon in such close range.

"Growl, growlithe growl!" (Please, don't hurt me!) it pleaded with the Gloom.

"Gloom... gloom gloo?" (Hey... you okay?)

Rick knelt beside his Pokemon. "Li, today you're going to learn to battle."

Li looked miserable. "Growl... growlithe..." (Rick... please...)

"What?"

"Growlithe growl. Growlithe growlithe!" (I'm scared. I don't want to fight!) It cowered at his feet.

"You're going to learn anyways, so it might as well be now. Come on, show a little self esteem!" Rick stood. "Li, Ember attack!"

The Growlithe, shaking, coughed at the Gloom, and a few flames shot toward it. They were too small to reach the Grass Pokemon.

Erika watched what was going on confusedly. "What's the matter with your Growlithe? It can't be that weak."

Rick sighed. "I'm trying to teach it to fight."

"In a GYM BATTLE? Are you crazy?" Erika snapped. "If I were to defeat the poor thing, it would be scarred for life!"

"Bu if it won, it would have much more self-esteem than if you were just another trainer!"

"And how, pray tell, do you expect my Gloom to lose?"

"It's a Grass-type whch is weak to Fire-types. You should know that by now, being a Grass trainer," Ricksaid sarcastically.

By that time, Erika was almost at Rick's throat in fury. Only Gloom's stepping between the Leader and Trainer saved the pair from whalloping each other.

"Gloom! Gloom!" (Erika! Rick!) it said angrily as it used Stun Spore on the both of them. "Gloom gloo gloom!" (Stop it right now!)

Both humans fell to the floor, paralyzed. "What... why, Gloom...?" Erika gasped out.

(You both are acting like idiots! Besides that, Li is now hiding under a tree. You'd better go and get her before she runs, kid.)

"Li?" Rick called. He could feel the paralyzation letting up a bit, and struggled to his feet. "Li?"

The Growlithe stood and faced hm, quaking. "You're gonna hurt me for running from battle!" it cried as it ran from the Gym in terror.

He stomped his foot. "Ohh... I forfeit. But I'll be back, Erika. And Li will be the Pokemon who defeats you," he vowed as he ran out after the Growlithe.

Erika sighed. "He'll be back. Who knows, maybe That 'Li' will be able to battle by then." She turned to her Pokemon. "Gloom, help me heal Tangela and Weepinbell, please."

"Gloom." (Okay.) It trotted away in search of Potions.

****

Rick followed the trail of paw prints Li left as she ran. They led into a busy street.

"Li? Li!" He located the Growlithe, paralyzed with fear, on a sidewalk. She was pale, and looked as if she might throw up. He ran to her, and recalled her before she hurled on him.

He sighed, and checked his watch. It had been about an hour, so he headed to Game Corner, and that restaurant Taran has mentioned.

She sat at a table inside, with a small paper bag. Wartortle and Rina were eating Twinkies beside her. She spotted him, and waving him over, she called, "Look what we've got!"

"Hold on a second," he interrupted. He held out a Pokeball to Taran.

"What?" she asked as she accepted it.

"It's Li. I just made a fool out of myself and scared the living crap out of her, so hold her for me, please. I don't want to be tempted to help her again for a while."

"What happened?"

"Please, don't ask."

She shoved the Pokeball into a pocket. "Okay... Sit down, already!"

He sat down across from her, and she put the bag on top of the table. "Now, as I was saying, this was from Nastina. You should see her now! She's so happy with Felina."

"Felina?"

"Her Meowth. She fell in love with it. I'd stopped by the hotel to see if I needed to return the Meowth, and found her dragging a ball of yarn behind her and giggling like an idiot. She handed me this bag, and told me to wait until I found you to open it."

"Well, let's open it," Rick said excitedly. He tore it open, to find two slips of paper, and a room key attached to each. They both took one, and examined it.

The papers read:

Kids:

I now realize what you were trying to do for me, and I appreciate it. So does Felina. We'd like to thank you with this gift. It's not much, but I hope you like it.

-- Nastina and Felina

They were given room numbers to go to. Their stay tonight would be free, courtesy of Nastina herself.

"Cool! These rooms are suites!" Taran crowed. "We'd have never been able to afford this on our own!"

"We'll get some lunch before checking it out," Rick said. "I'm starved!"

"Rina nido nidorina!" (I want a Gardenburger!)

****

After burgers (the Garden variety for the Pokemon) and shakes all around, they all headed for the hotel.

The rooms were outside of the building, so they just looked up their numbers. It wasn't too hard, and soon they found themselves in the lap of luxury.

Taran flipped her TV on to the news and commenced releasing her Pokemon.

"A waterbed! Neat!" Rick sprawled on his, and released all his own Pokemon.

"Hey, turn on your TV real quick!" Taran called through the door. They had, after all, adjoining rooms. She grabbed the remote control and turned up the volume.

"...Rocket has been rumored to have a secret base in our fair City. The exact whereabouts are unknown, but our valiant police force is on the job, searching everywhere." Pictures of the police were shown as they investigated local shops and businesses.

The newsperson went on. "Meanwhile, the notorious Game Corner has been the site of another brawl today as two unidentified men in black outfits fought over the last Scyther at the prize counter."

Taran fell off the bed in surprise.

Stupid... he doesn't realize the true value of the information he has!

"...As a result, the price of the Scyther has been changed from 2,500 coins to 5,500 coins. Good luck, gamblers!"

Rick turned off his TV in disgust. "What an idiot!"

Wartortle sighed. "War, war." (Oy, vei.)

Rina sniffed around the cabinet the TV was set on. "Do..." (Hey...) She stood on her hind legs and opened it. A Nintendo 64 was there, along with assorted games, such as Goldeneye, MarioKart, Star Fox, Turok II, and Shadows of the Empire.

"Nidorina, nid?" (Care to play, anyone?) She inserted the MarioKart cartridge, and plugged in the four available controllers.

"Wartortle!" (I'm in!)

"So'm I, Rina!" Taran said, grabbing the nearest controller.

"We need one more... Hey Rick, you wanna play?"

Rick had heard the conversation through the door. "Naah, we have one over here, Taran. We're playin' Star Fox. Wanna battle?"

"No thanks, we're gonna race over here. Do any of your Pokemon wanna play? We need a fourth over here."

::I'll play!:: Abra was in Taran's room in a flash, and snatched up the last controller.

The games went on in each room for hours. They finally got together and held a tournament with MarioKart. Taran and Rina were the finalists, and currently faced each other.

"No, no, you stupid dinosaur!" Taran muttered as her chosen racer, Yoshi, crashed into a Thwomp in Bowser's Castle.

"Rina! Nido, nid rina do!" (Stupid! Stop that, you idiot gorilla!) Rina was ticked because DK chose that moment to knock her out of first place with a banana peel.

Someone knocked at Taran's door.

"Aww," she said, pausing the game. She jogged to the door and opened it.

"Hello. I'm assuming you like your room."

"Meow!"

"Why, hello! Come on in!" Taran, embarassed a bit by showing up at the door in a t-shirt and shorts, stepped back to allow their benefactor to enter her room.

Nastina declined, however. "Is your friend in there?"

"Rick? C'mere!"

He went to the door, and saw Nastina. "Hello, ma'am. Thanks for the rooms. They're great!"

"It was my pleasure, child. I'm here to give you these, also." She handed each trainer a Pokeball.

"Really, you shouldn't have, ma'am," Taran protested.

"It's too much, what with the rooms--" Rick was cut off.

"Nonsense! I won't hear anything of it! Now you enjoy yourselves tonight, and thank you again for Felina!"

"Meow!" It nuzzled her, and the woman giggled. "G'night!" Nastina turned and walked down the sidewalk that led to the main building. She disappeared into the night before their eyes.

Taran shut the door, and turned to Rick.

"Wow," was all he could say.

"Changed, hasn't she?" she said as she jumped back onto the bed and picked up her controller. Placing the Pokeball on the pillow in front of her so she could keep an eye on it, she hit the Start button.

Taran was crowned Queen of MarioKart, by fifteen tenths of a second. Rina grumbled, but accepted her defeat with dignity.

Then it was time to find out what they had been given. All the Pokemon gathered around in a circle, with Taran and Rick sitting in the middle.

"Okay, we'll open them both on the count of three," Rick announced.

"One... two... THREE!"

Both Pokeballs were tossed, they opened at the same time. A double "Eui?" filled the room. Both Pokemon jumped onto their respective trainer's lap.

They looked like puppies crossed with rabbits, almost. They were brown, had long ears, and a ruff of beige fur around their necks. The Pokemon squeaked at Taran, Rick, and each other.

"Waaar, tortle tort!" (Awww, thay're so cute!)

"Nido, nidorina," (Come here, little Eevee,) Rina coaxed. The Evolution Pokemon went to Nidorina, who stroked its fur.

Abra Transported to the Pokemon in Rick's lap. ::I'm Abra.::

"Eui ee eui! Eui." (Nice to meet you. I'm Eevee.)

Once the Eevees had been introduced to everyone, it was time for sleep. Everyone crashed where they wanted. Playing Nintendo all night was more tiring than they'd realized.

****

Ryan arose from the room he'd been able to get in Nastina's hotel. Ever since she'd taken down the "NO POKEMON ALLOWED" sign, her business had risen at least 300%.

He showered, got dressed, and then woke up Cubone. True, he already had a Rainbowbadge, so what was he doing here?

Two words: Utter humiliation.

He wanted Taran to know what he had felt many a time at her hands: complete and utter humiliation. Ryan had a plan.

With Jason, his Cubone, at his side, he would defeat her in the town square... run her out of the city in shame.

He laughed. Jason, still groggy from sleep, perched on his shoulders. "Cu cubone cu?" (What'cha laughin' at?)

"Nothin'. Come on, we're off to add to our team."

He grabbed his bag and left the room. He dropped off his room key at the front desk of the hotel, and headed for the Celadon Game Corner.

****

Ryan entered the Game Corner. He went to the counter, bought some coins, and sat at a slot machine. He was damned and determined to win that Scyther he'd seen on TV! Heck, it only cost 5,500 coins! He knew Taran and her Wartortle were here in Celedon; he had seen them go into their own room last night with that guy friend next door. The addition of Scyther to his team would allow him to cream her in a Pokemon battle!

He smiled as he inserted his coins and pulled the lever.

Ryan had finally won all the coins he needed for the Scyther. He stood, popped his back and neck, woke Jason, and headed to the Exchange Corner next door. Once he had his new Pokemon, he was going to sleep.

He approached the counter. A man in a dark outfit greeted him.

"How can I help you?"

"I'd like a Scyther, please." He held out the coins to the man. He took them, and counted them quickly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is not enough money."

"What? But, the news said 5,500 coins last night! It should all be there!"

"That price has been changed since then, sir. The Pokemon you want is now 9,500 coins. You need 4,000 more coins. Please, drop by again!" The man handed Ryan his coins and turned away.

"Sir, please listen to me: I stayed at those slot machines in there for hours. I finally rose the coins you wanted, and you jacked up the price. I do not appreciate this one bit." Ryan grabbed the man's shirt collar and yanked him across the counter. "I want my Scyther," he hissed.

The man's eyes widened, but they narrowed again and his frown was replaced by a small smile. He pressed a button on his desk. "I'll... let you talk to management about this, kid. It's not my problem."

"I don't-- Hey!"

Ryan found himself in the clutches of two burly men in black uniforms. They had little "R" shaped pins on their collars, and they looked mean. Ryan gulped.

"Don't struggle, kid," one of them said. They began to drag the bewildered boy into a back room...

****

"Hmm... these readings indicate that he will be useful to us. What say you, Abra?"

A small Abra appeared from nowhere in the dark room. "He... he's thinking of..."

Ryan shot a beam of water at his unknown assailants. "Let me go!"

He was smacked with a fan in the back of the head. "Shut up, kid!"

Another voice. "His Pokemon are strong, as he is."

The Abra again. "He is thinking of hurting... a rival. She has powers like himself..."

"Ooh, another one!"

"What do you want with Taran?" he asked.

"Taran!"

"That girl!"

The pair looked at each other closely from across the room, and grinned.

"If we could get the both of them, we could be invincible," the female said in a sing-song voice.

"No one could stop us!"

"This will be perfect payback for Pewter City, Mt. Moon, the SS Anne II, etc!"

A cackle tore through the room, as the two revealed themselves to Ryan.

****

"Oy, but this place is packed!" Taran commented. She watched the crowd mill around her, her friend, and their Pokemon.

"Yeah. You wanna go try for your Rainbowbadge now while I explore the city?" Rick asked.

"Sure! I'd almost forgotten!" Taran exclaimed. "Come on, Wartortle, Rina!" They set out in the direction of the Gym.

"Looks like it's just you and me, guys," Rick said, looking up at his Abra who rode on his shoulders.

"Eui eeee?" (Where are we going?)

"I think we'll stop by the Mart for a second, Eevee. Have you ever given any thought to evolution?"

"Ee euiiee eui eee," (I prefer my fiery evolution, the Flareon,) it said.

"That's a good choice, Eevee. I'll go pick up a Fire Stone for later." He turned in the direction of the Celadon Mart and started walking.

Eevee licked his face happily.

****

"Two out of three match, no items, no switching. Understood?"

"Completely. Pidgey, go!"

"A Pidgey is the best you can do? Hah! Victreebel, go!"

"Pidgey, Gust attack!"

"Pidge, pidge, pidge!" It kicked up some fierce windsin Victreebel's face, and made its vines smack itself uncontrollably.

"Victreebel, Razor Leaf attack!" Victreebel sent a spiral of leaves shooting at Pidgey.

"Blow them away, Pidgey!" It gave its all, but some of the leaves got through the barrier of wind it had raised, and Pidgey was grounded.

"Pidge! Pidgey!" it screeched. Pidgey began to glow.

"Hey! It's evolving!" Erika said in awe. She'd seen all sorts of Pokemon evolve before, but never a Pidgey. This was a new experience for her.

Pidgey grew larger. Its crest grew longer and multicolored, as did its tail. It stretched its wings, and stopped glowing. "Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeotto! Wing Attack, now!"

"Victreebel, Slam that bird!"

Pidgeotto zipped into the air, and dove at Victreebel. The Grass Pokemon jumped into the air to meet the bird on its way down. They clashed, and Victreebel was seen encased in a light brown wind. It writhed in midair for a minute, then fainted. Pidgeotto grabbed it by the vines and lowered it to the ground gently.

"Thanks, Pidgeotto," Taran said as Erika recalled it.

"Nice handling of that bird, Taran. Exeggcutor, go!"

A tree with four coconuts on it materialized. Its two legs were thick and clumsy, and it had nothing with which to steady itself if it ever lost its balance.

Taran stopped herself from laughing in its four comical faces. "Uh... Chansey, go!"

The eggbearing Pokemon looked at the Exeggcutor. "Chansey!"

"Exeggcutor, Poison Powder!"

"Chansey, Minimize!"

As Exeggcutor spewed its vile Poison Powder, Chansey shrunk to about 1/3 its normal size. It tried to evade the Powder, but failed, and staggered, poisoned.

"Chansey, Doubleslap!" The shrunken Pokemon may have been 1/3 of its normal size, but all of its strength was there as it smacked Exeggcutor, twice.

"Exeggcutor, Hypnosis!" The giant tree stared into Chansey's eyes. Chansey slumped... its eyes drooped...

"Chansey, don't look!" Taran cried as Chansey fell to the ground, asleep. Exeggcutor drained Chansey with its Leech Seed attack, and Taran recalled her Pokemon.

Poison IS good against Grass Types...

"Rina, go!"

"Gloom, I choose you!"

"Nido..." Rina growled. Gloom sweatdropped as the blue PoisonPin Pokemon advanced on it.

"Gloom, you can do it! Absorb!" Gloom shot a bubble from its flower toward Nidorina, which struck her full on. The bubble drained her a bit, and then flew back to Gloom. Gloom looked a bit more alert than before.

"Rina, Bite it!" Rina jumped at Gloom, and took a bite out of its flower.

"Gloom, gloom!" (Erika, look!) it shrilled unhappily.

"Don't worry, it'll grow back. Now, Gloom, Acid attack!" Gloom got ready to release the powerful venom. Rina jumped back just in time to avoid getting plastered with the caustic muck.

"Rina, Fury Swipes!" Rina jumped forward and slashed Gloom five times in a row. It stood, but wobbled on its feet.

"Gloom, Solar Beam!" The Flower on Gloom's head opened, and the light entering it was a visible force. The room darkened...

"Rina, slash it quickly!" The Nidorina jumped at Gloom and delivered her most powerful slash. Gloom fell over, unconscious.

"Woohoo! We did it, Rina!" Taran ran out to hug her Nidorina, who stood proudly beside her fallen adversary. "Nido!" (Yay!)

"Good job, Taran. I must admit I underestimated you, but no longer." Erika dug into her pocket, and pulled out a badge. "This is your Rainbowbadge. Wear it with pride. Good luck on your journey!"

"Thank you, Erika!" They shook hands, and Taran turned to the happy Nidorina at her side. "Let's head to the Pokemon Center to get you healed."

****

Taran met Rick at the Center, actually. He had gotten into a battle with some other kid, and won, but Abra was pretty banged up.

Night had fallen awful quick that day. It was getting dark out, and they needed to find a spot to camp out at. They didn't want to wear Nastina's hospitability down by asking to stay there, and they didn't have any more money.

A wooded area was all they needed, and there was one right next to the Pokemon Center.

"Wartortle." (I'm tired.)

"You said it." Taran pulled a blanket from her backpack and spread it on the ground. She flopped right onto it, along with Wartortle, who fell asleep immediately.

A rustle caught her attention. She sat up to see Rick heading out for firewood. She started to call him back because the night was warm anyway, but he was too far out. Sighing, she lay back down on her blanket, Wartortle beside her, and fell asleep.

"I got some... firewood." Rick came back to see them fast asleep. "Oh well." He began to start the fire, when --

SPLASH!

Everything was soaked. Taran and Wartortle jumped up. "What the --"

She was cut off by a stream of water hitting her in the face. She shocked it, and heard a satisfying cry. But that was all, as whatever it was scampered off.

"C'mon, Rick, let's follow it!" She grabbed her pack and tore through the bushes.

"Wartortle war," (I'm tired,) Wartortle grumbled as he set off after her.

He sighed, scooped up her soaking-wet blanket and his pack, and followed her.

****

Taran found herself being led... the chase turned suspicious. She slowed as whomever or whatever it was she chased entered a building.

"Uhh..." she said as she stopped. She looked back at her friends, who were not far behind. "It went in there. Should we follow?"

Rick stopped beside her. "Well, we've come this far."

Wartortle, the slowest of the trio, panted his way to Taran and flopped down on the ground. "War... tort..." (I ain't... going...)

"I'll carry you, then." She grunted as she lifted the heavy turtle Pokemon onto her shoulders. Rick opened the door, and she carried him inside.

The interior was dark, and very little light filtered in through some windows on the building. Taran set Wartortle down onto the ground so she could look around a little more freely.

Rick pulled a flashlight out of his backpack. Flipping it on, the beam it produced revealed row upon row of... slot machines?

"Hey, we must be in the Celadon City Game Corner!" Rick called to his friend.

"Cool. I wanted to stop by here to see if I could win something before we left," Taran answered. "Last time, the lines were too long." She formed a small ball of electricity in her hand, and pointed it around the room. Its illumination revealed posters, rules, the Coin Counter, and other stuff filling the building. She walked around slowly, not wanting to disturb anything.

Suddenly, a cry for help shattered the silence. "War!"

"Wartortle?" Taran rushed back to where she had left him. A watery hand had taken hold of him and was squeezing.

She threw her ball of electricity into the water, and the hand glowed. Now two cries filled the room: those of Wartortle and his assailant. Taran caught him as he fell, and a thud marked the fall of his attacker. Another energy ball in hand, she tiptoed to whomever it was that had led them there.

"Ryan?"

Her light revealed the boy, a little toasted by her shock, unconscious at her feet. She sighed, relieved that it had only been him.

"Hey, Rick, c'mere!" she called. She looked her rival over more closely. His clothes seemed strange...

A black outfit, with a letter. A red "R".

Crap! "Rick, let's book it!" she cried, wheeling for the door. But it was too late. The entrance was blocked by two burly men, and two more stood aside, holding her unconscious companion.

A voice from behind. "Well, well, well. Look what the Persian dragged in."

Laughter filled the room. Taran and Wartortle were surrounded. A pair of hands grabbed Wartortle from her, and another took hold of her shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" she cried. She shocked whomever had touched her.

"You finished?" a bored voice asked. She looked at her shoulders to see a pair of rubber gloves... rubber coated clothing... Looking around the room, rubber was all she saw. They had gone out of their way to catch her this time. Then something heavy struck her head, and darkness consumed her mind.

****

Rick awoke when his captors began to move. He stayed limp, however, so he wouldn't attract any attention to himself.

Taran and Wartortle were both being carried as well. They were both out, so he made sure he remembered the way out of the building, so they could escape later on.

Down a staircase they went. The room they ended up in had a high ceiling, and was well-lit. The floor was checkered pale green and white, and the walls were pale green. Potted plants lined some of the walls. Rick was able to see another flight of stairs leading downward, and a hallway going from left to right. They went left.

A man met them in the hallway. "Put them in there for now. We'll figure out what to do with them later."

Rick and Taran were thrown into a room. Wartortle, however, was taken with the other Rockets.

"Target practice," someone laughed.

Taran groaned. Rick stood and helped her up.

"Wha?"

"We're in a basement. They took Wartortle, and said something about target practice."

"What?! We've got to get out of here! I've got to --"

"To what? We've been locked inside."

"Hmm... it's an electronic lock." She pointed a finger at it, and a spark flew. The lock groaned, and it shorted out after two more sparks. The door swung free.

"Cool! Let's go!" Rick whispered. He looked out into the hall warily. There was only one guard...

The guard turned. "What?" he exclaimed. He started for his radio...

An was promptly rushed by Rick. He nailed the guard, who was thrown to the floor. The guard knocked his head on the tile, and passed out.

"Nice, Rick. Let's find Wartortle and get out of here!" Taran whispered as she tiptoed down the hall. They passed the stairs, and she hid behind a plant. Noise filtered into the hall from an open door.

"...wartort war!" (...me alone!) The sound of splashing, and some water escaped the door. It soaked the tile.

"Well, what are you going to do, kid?"

She recognized the voice this time. Sara.

More splashing. A sickening cry from Wartortle, which was cut off abruptly. Taran bristled.

Two figures exited the room. One leaned against a wall. "He's good."

"Very. It's a good thing --"

A third exited the room, followed by a strange object. It floated behind him.

Ryan. And Wartortle. Ooh, he's gonna pay...

"Take that to the Boss downstairs. Maybe he'll have a use for it," Steve said. Ryan walked away from them stiffly, mechanically, even. Wartortle floated behind.

Sara and Steve reentered the room to talk privately. Taran and Rick stayed behind the plant until Ryan had disappeared down the stairs, then followed him.

There were plants in the next room as well. Ryan walked past them and out into another hallway. Taran and Rick trailing.

****

Go this way.

Somewhere in the basement, a computer frowned mentally. It turned its organic charge the way it had been instructed to go, and forced it to walk.

The computer was only one of many Artificial Intelligence Controllers. AIC's were used on new TR "recruits". Or, more specifically, the people they had abducted and had trouble "convincing" to work for them of their own free will. The AIC was a very small implant that worked its way into the brain through the bloodstream. Once there, it controlled every single move a recruit made until they broke, and sided with TR completely. AIC's were also used to make sure that willing recruits didn't turn on TR.

It knew every thought Ryan had. Everything his senses told him. Everything he felt.

This one had an additional job: making sure Ryan didn't use his power against anyone in TR. Controlling his Element took some getting used to, but the AIC managed.

Back to work... it sighed.

The computer analyzed the information his senses were giving him. He was being followed.

Ryan's mouth twisted into a grin unwillingly.

The computer forced a quick detour down a hall...

****

"He's turning a corner!" Rick hissed.

"Don't let him get away!"

The pair snuck after Ryan as fast as they could go quietly. They trief to follow him further, but...

It was a maze!

Walls and conveyor blocks stretched as far as their eyes could see (which wasn't too far anyway). Footfalls could be heard from behind a wall, then disappeared.

"Oh, man!" Rick whispered.

"You go that way," Taran said, pointing to the left, "and I'll go this way." She sped away in the opposite direction.

"Great," he muttered. He ran down the left side.

They met up at the end of the maze. An elevator and a staircase faced them.

"Well, which way now?" Rick asked.

A loud sound startled them. The elevator was active.

"The elevator!" they whispered together. They located a nearby plant and hid.

The doors of the elevator opened to reveal...

Nothing.

Not even a car was there.

"Wha?" Rick asked. Then something clicked. "He knew!" But it was too late to run. Ryan (or the AIC) zeroed in on the quiet outburst, and destroyed the plant that was hiding the duo. They jumped to escape the flying shards of the pot it had been in.

"Ack!" Rick ended up sprawled on the floor, but he scrambled to his feet and ran back into the maze. Ryan went to follow...

*Bzzt!*

He was thrown against a wall. The AIC decided to let the other kid slide. The female was priority.

Taran... Step back, you stupid computer. I'm taking her down.

The AIC read his memory. The female had humiliated him many a time, and he was out for revenge. It allowed Ryan control of his own faculties once more.

All Taran noticed was a small difference in Ryan's step. He became more animated, and his stiff walk loosened up a bit. He came at her withwhat he had appropriately termed "Water Fist". The "Fist" enveloped her torso and began squeezing her around the chest so she couldn't breathe.

"Cheap... shot..." Taran grunted as she wailed on the fist with some pretty high voltage of her own. It turned to steam, and Taran drew in a shuddering breath before facing him again.

"Try this!" Ryan cried as his mouth opened wide. He let fly a high speed blast that Taran dodged. She stuck a hand into the gushing water, and the other into a nearby outlet. The resulting shock was satisfying to her ears, and he fell over backwards.

Taran looked him over, decided he was down for the count, and went to go find Rick. She started to walk past Ryan's prone body...

And something grabbed her foot. She cried out and fell. Her head hit the floor with a resounding CRACK, and now she was down for the count.

****

Ryan's mind still reeled, so the AIC had taken over. It forced him into a standing position, and made him pick up Taran.

Wha... Ryan gave himself a mental shake. What are ya gonna do?

Something you should have done a long time ago. The computer propelled him toward the empty elevator shaft.

Ryan caught what the AIC was about to do. No! You can't!

A cold, metallic smile filled Ryan's mind. This is what I was built for. Finding his body at its destination, it lifted his arms...

Taran blinked. She was high in the air... Opening her eyes, she realized her situation.

"Ryan? What do you think you're doing!?" she cried, shocking him with everything she had. It was to no avail, however. The AIC commanded Ryan's body to throw her. But as it released her, Ryan's body crumpled to the floor. The AIC would have to wait for him to recover before it could control him again.

A shriek and a thump were the last things he heard.

****

"NO!" Rick yelled. But it was too late. Taran's answering scream told him everything he needed to know.

He had been caught by Sara and Steve after running back into the maze. They took him into a nearby room and tied him to a chair, which he struggled against.

"You..." he growled menacingly.

"You what?" Sara sneered. "Not like you can do anything about it. She's now out of our hair."

"For good." Steve appeared from behind Sara. "Ryan has made a valuable ally."

"Someone will find her. Someone'll have to use the elevator!"

Steve laughed at the boy. "No one uses that old thing. It's been broken for a while." He moved over to a strange tile on the floor. It wasn't a conveyor tile. He picked it up and examined it.

"This is a warp tile. It takes us wherever it's programmed to. This one's programmed for... a shop in Cerulean City, it seems. We have them all over the place. The Team rocket takeover of Saffron's Silph Company has been the best thing to happen for us!"

They laughed. Rick's heart sank.

****

Taran lay where she had fallen. Being pushed down a four-story elevator shaft wasn't one of the best experiences she'd ever had. Trying to sit up after the fall wasn't one, either. Her right leg and arm hurt horribly; she assumed they were broken. She had a massive headache as well, and her right side hurt.

Must've landed wrong. Correction... I must have just landed.

She set off a ball of energy in her left palm, and used it to see how badly she was damaged. From what she could see, not being able to sit up, her right leg was bent at an awkward angle, but wasn't bleeding. It hurt just to look. The bone could be seen as a lump under the skin of her right arm.

No wonder I'm in pain... crap, I'd kill for a Tylenol.

She looked around. It wasn't like she expected it to be spotless, but it was absolutely filthy! Various mechanical fluids bathed the floor, ad spare parts were strewn everywhere.

Stupid metal, she thought as she pulled a piece of metal from under her, wincing.

She concentrated, and the energy rose from her hand. It could be maintained easily that way, and it would allow her to see better. Dragging herself to a wall was her main priority. Since she was too drained to levitate, she'd have to climb out.

It was going to be a while. She sighed.

Maybe If I had a Pokemon to help me...

She fumbled at her belt, but nothing was there. Not one Pokeball!

"What?" She moved her light around the shaft. Her Pokeballs were nowhere to be found among the debris.

They must have been knocked off of my belt during the battle! At least they aren't down here, crushed... I guess...

She shook her head and resumed dragging herself to the wall.

****

"Where is that bastard! He'll pay for even having a finger in this underhanded scheme --"

"Really, you flatterer..." Sara blushed. "Steve, can you bring Ryan in here? It's time for him to prove his loyalty," she said, her voice turning to ice. Rick struggled with his bonds, but the pair had tied him securely to the chair.

"You'll never get away with this."

"Oh, really? Hmm... Looks like we are. Speaking of getting away with something..." she trailed off as she approached him. She plucked his Pokeballs from his belt and placed them on a table. "Let's see what I've just gotten away with, shall we?"

Rick began to protest loudly as Steve and Ryan walked in. Steve grew tired of Rick's shouting, and promptly gagged him. His muffled pleas fell on deaf ears now.

Ryan set six Pokeballs onto the table with Rick's. He had found the empty one and used it to recall Wartortle. All it had done was drain his power reserves, anyway.

Sara looked at him. "Are these Taran's?"

He nodded grimly. She grinned.

"Come on, guys, let's see what we've just stolen!" Sara exclaimed.

"Great!" Steve said. "The boss will be pleased... with all of us, Ryan."

"Yes... The Boss will be pleased," the Water adept answered flatly. Tonelessly, even; as if he were being controlled somehow. Rick tried to get a good look at the older boy's face...

It was as blank as his voice. His eyes stared at nothing, he was also expressionless. Rick's anger at him drained away. Had Ryan been brainwashed? Had he no control over himself?

"Hmm... An Abra, a Butterfree, a Staryu... Ooh! A Hypno and an Alakazam! We might even get a promotion for this!" Steve cried. He and Sara began to do a happy dance, while Ryan stood, staring off into nothing.

Rick sighed.

****

Taran decided to stop supplying the energy to light her surroundings. Though a small amount, it was draining her, and she was tired anyway.

On a hunch, she dug into her pocket, and gasped.

She had come upon a Pokeball!

Wondering what was inside, she quickly tossed it into the middle of the room.

The Pokeball broke open. The light that escaped it revealed orange fur, black stripes, white tufts for a tail and forelocks...

And a quaking form, covering its eyes.

"Li?"

****

I wanna stay in here... so peaceful... nothing to hurt me... NO! Please...

Li was inside her Pokeball, resting comfortablty, with no knowledge of what was going on outside. The only thing to break the peace was someone calling on her from the outside. She felt her essence fly forward, toward the real world...

She immediately cowered out of habit. Her former masters often liked to hurt her just as she coalesced, when all her defenses were still down.

A voice broke through her fear. "Li?" it whispered.

Standing, she took in her surroundings. She looked up, and a small ball of energy appeared. It filled the enclosure with a soft light, just enough to see by. She was in a tall, dirty room, along with one of her new masters... the female, it seemed.

The female leaned against a wall. Li, warily, went to her.

"Hey..." Taran said as Li picked her way through the strange objects and fluids on the ground. In disgust, she lifted a paw to the light. It was black.

The fluids smelled terrible, but Li continued on. Quickly looking Taran over, Li was able to fully assess her injuries. Her leg and arm seemed to be broken, and from the way she leaned, she had broken a rib or two. Nothing was bleeding, though, except for a small gash on her head that she may not have noticed.

Taran petted the Growlithe. Realizing the female was helpless, Li saw no more reason to fear her.

She sniffed her delicately. Licking the wound on her head to clean it up a bit, Li's instincts seemed to kick in. She knew the bleeding would stop. Nuzzling Taran, the Growlithe sighed.

"Growlithe growl growl?" (How long have you been like this?)

"Uh... How long? Have I...? maybe... I dunno..." Taran was slipping into sleep. She'd been running on adrenaline for so long, and it was so late at night.

Li barked at her, and jolted her awake.

"That's good... keep me awake..." she trailed off, petting Li on the head.

"Growl... growlithe growl growlithe. Growlithe, growlithe growl," (Look... you're hurt pretty bad. Stay awake, I'm gonna go get help,) Li said, looking around for a way out.

"You're... a Growlithe. Use..." she shook herself awake. "Agility... to get out..."

Li flashed her most reassuring grin at the wounded trainer as instinct took full hold. She took a flying leap upwards. She caught a small ledge, and bounded to the next ledge on the opposite side of the shaft. As Agility took hold, Li became an orange blur, and disappeared from Taran's sight.

Taran was still hopeful. She knew she'd get out of the small, lonely place...

Wouldn't she?

Her last thought before she drifted into sleep was of the ever-frightened puppy Pokemon.

****

"Prepared to pay for your actions against Team Rocket?"

Rick, now ungagged, spoke clearly, with no fear in his voice.

"Right. What's a bumbler like you gonna do?"

Steve ignored the "bumbler" crack for the time being. "Fool. Like I'd touch you." He gagged. "Ecch. Ryan, however, has proven that he can kill," he said ominously. "Come here, Ryan."

A figure from the shadows. Ryan walked stiffly to Rick, knife in hand. The blank expression on his face had not changed.

"You *mph* know what *chomp* to do *snarfle*," Sara said, between bites of popcorn. Steve grabbed a handful, and stood back to watch.

Ryan approached his victim slowly, but stopped. A flicker went through his face, as if he were fighting something...

"GROWLITHE!" (BACK OFF!) Li, still an orange blur, charged through the door and flew at Ryan. She flattened him and growled menacingly.

Sara and Steve both sweatdropped. "Uhh, gotta run!" Sara said quickly as Steve threw the Warp Tile onto the floor and dragged her onto it. Who cared where it led, as long as they could escape the wrath of an angry Growlithe!

Ryan looked up, blankly. The knife clattered to the floor. He didn't even try to get away from Li.

"Growl growlithe growl growl growlithe growl!" (This is for trying to hurt one of my masters!) Li gave him a blast of her ultimate attack: Flamethrower. When it was over, Ryan gave a small cough. He sat up confusedly, and scratched his now-charred head.

Unnoticed to Li, a small electronic probe removed itself from Ryan's neck. It skittered across the floor to Rick, and he stepped on it. Then he decided he needed to test an idea.

"Hey, can you untie me please?"

"Yeah... sure thing..." Ryan hook his head to clear it a bit, and approached Rick.

Li growled fiercely. (If you hurt him, I'll...)

She need not have worried. In a second, Rick was freed, and Li was smothering him in friendly licks. Ryan, still dazed, tried to remember how he had even gotten there.

The happy reunion stopped, however, when Ryan started voicing his thoughts. "I was... trying to get a Scyther... so I could beat Taran and her new Wartortle..."

Rick gasped. "Li, where's Taran?"

"Growlithe!" (Over here!) She led him to the empty elevator shaft. The energy ball could be seen dimly, and it flickered.

"Li, you get some help down here! Just get whoever you can!"

"Growlithe growlithe?" (How do I get out?)

"They..." Ryan started, as he went to a closet in the room, "They said this Tile took them to the top floor..." He stopped, struggling to remember.

That was all Li needed to hear. She jumped onto the Tile, and disappeared.

Rick turned to his friend's rival, who was propping the closet door open. "Ryan, you're gonna help me get her out of there," he called.

He joined Rick in front of the jammed-open doors. "She... uh-oh..." He glanced at Rick, who nodded. "Oh, man... I didn't really like her, but I would never..." he stopped, realizing his guilt. "I... didn't... they put something in me..." he trailed off, beginning to crack.

Rick put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"Tell that to her!" He sniffled, and wiped his nose on the back of his hand, just like a little kid. All his hatred seemed to have disappeared. He'd settled his score against his will. But he'd have given anything to have it unsettled again.

Rick sideyed Ryan, but pushed his thoughts aside for the moment. "How are we gonna get her out?"

"Hmm... I have an idea."

"Yeah?"

"Look for something that'll float!" They both tore around the room. Rick turned up an emergency rubber raft from the closet. Ryan found a small life-vest, and a length of rope from a maintenance room.

"Great... But why do you need stuff that'll float?" Rick asked as he handed Ryan the raft.

"Hold on a sec..." Ryan tied the rope firmly to a post in the room. "You go stay by the closet and wait for that Growlithe so you can direct everyone here. I'll go down there and get her out." He grabbed the raft and life-vest, and started for the elevator shaft opening.

"Okay!" Rick ran back into the room and stood anxiously by the closet.

When he was out of sight, Ryan began his descent.

I got her into this, I'll get her out of it.

****

"Taran?" a voice called down the shaft.

She heard it, but dimly. She hadn't the energy to respond, but she was able to send the light a bit farther up the elevator shaft.

"I'll take that as a sign you're alive," the voice muttered. She thought she recognized it from somewhere. It began huffing and puffing, and the noise only got closer. Someone was coming.

She could barely lift her head to greet her savior. But her eyes sparked with hate as they fell upon Ryan.

"Come to finish me?" she muttered.

He shook his head. "I don't like you, but I never wanted anything like this on my conscience."

"Hah... you teamed... with TR! Threw me..." she said, fighting against the pain to stay awake.

He shook his head again, fiercely. "No... I would never join them of my own volition..."

She looked at him strangely. His eyes seemed to plead with her.

"What happened?"

"All I did was argue with the people at the Prize Counter. They'd quoted a price on a Scyther at one time, and when I had the coins they raised it. We argued, and I found myself being dragged into a little room... where they--"

He looked up. Her eyes had softened.

That took guts. Maybe this feud is over... she thought.

"Enough of that. I gotta get you outta here."

He pulled the string on the boat, and it whipped open, inflating. It was about half the size of the shaft, and large enough for three people comfortably. Ryan dragged Taran into the raft, tied the life vest around her neck, and set her down. She felt no pain. Shock took hold.

"Ryan..."

"Yeah?" he asked, hopeful that she wasn't about to damn him or anything.

"Thank you," she said. Then she fell back onto the raft, silent.

"Crap," he muttered. He concentrated for a second...

As if from nowhere, water began filling the room. It went slow, so it wouldn't cause the raft to tip and fill as well, and gradually caused the raft to rise.

Ryan stood still at the bottom, lest he cause waves. Breathing water seemed as natural (to a Water adept) as breathing air. Oxygen was oxygen, no matter in what form it arrived. The gills under his collar worked perfectly.

As he watched, the raft rose, higher and higher, until it reached the top of the god-forsaken elevator shaft. He gave a bubbly sigh of relief, and propelled himself upward to get the Raft out of the water and into the hallway.

He was met by Rick, Li, three Officer Jennys, and a Nurse Joi. There were no human hospitals in Celadon, it seemed.

Joi whistled to her Chanseys. "Transfer this girl to the stretcher and let's get her to the ambulance, STAT!" The pink Pokemon lifted Taran with ease, and all three wheeled the stretcher to the Tile quickly, Joi following at a good clip. Li tagged along.

It was the Jennys' turn now. Two turned to Rick and Ryan for questioning (Ryan was an early suspect because of his charred TR uniform, but Rick vouched for him), while the third checked the place out. It wasn't every day a gal could bust up a secret TR base! She found all of Rick, Taran, and Ryan's Pokeballs, and gave them to Rick to put in his bag.

Ryan was touched that Rick stood up for him. Gary an' them wouldn't have done that for me...

The Jennys finished. "Come on, boys, and we'll take you to see your friend." The Officers escorted them to the Warp Tile, and then to the Pokemon Center.

****

The Police had taken care of the notorious "Game Corner" of Celadon City. The City government took over what was left of it, closed off the basement for good, and opened a legitimate casino there. It pulled in revenue for the City now, not for TR.

Rick had found a new friend in Taran's rival. Ryan was quite apologetic, and seemed to be a changed person after the AIC had left him. He found that they both shared the same tastes in foods, books, games, television shows, and (most importantly) girls.

Taran was healed in the Pokemon Center. She woke up in a bone knitting machine a few hours after she was admitted, and had to be tranquilized. That put her out for a full day.

All the Pokemon were checked for abuse by the Rockets. Wartortle was the only one who was beaten, but all of them were healed just to be sure. Joi gave them each a clean bill of health, and then handed them back to the boys to be sorted.

They went back to Taran's room to do so. She was still groggy from sedatives and painkillers, but awake ahd happy. She and Ryan had decided to bury the hatchet. It made sense, seeing as to how they were the only ones with Elemental power making a Pokemon journey. It made them kindred spirits, almost.

"Hi! Our Pokemon?" she asked as the boys walked into the room.

"Yeah," Ryan said as he dumped an armful onto her bed.

"But we gotta sort'em," Rick added as he dumped another armful onto the bed. "Did you mark yours?"

"No. Did you?"

Both boys shook their heads.

"Oh well. They might as well meet each other anyway." Taran grabbed the nearest Pokeball and opened it. An Abra popped out.

::Why are we in a Hospital room? And who are you?:: she asked Ryan. He blinked.

"Don't worry, we'll explain when everyone is released," Rick said to his Pokemon. He ruffled her fur, and she jumped onto his shoulders.

"And the next Pokemon is..." Ryan announced as he tossed the next Pokeball. A Voltorb came out.

"Lightning! You're all right!" Ryan hugged the orb, which sparked happily.

Ryan snickered. "Lightning?"

"Mistake, my friend..."

"Voltorb!" it cried as it shocked Rick. Abra jumped clear as Rick fell off of the bed.

"Lighting doesn't like to be made fun of," Ryan said as he recalled the temperamental Pokemon.

Rick coughed. "Ya think?"

"Next up," Taran began, "is..." She threw the Pokeball, and her Dratini came out.

"Tinidra dratini? Dratini tini dratini?" (What's going on? Why is he here?) it asked. It slithered to Taran and coiled around her, resting its head on her shoulder. She petted it.

"Ryan's our friend now, Dratini," she told it. "Say 'hello'."

"Tini." (Hello.)

"Hello," he echoed. He grabbed a Pokeball and opened it. "Jason!"

"Jason?"

Ryan hugged his Cubone. "You're all right!"

"You named your Cubone 'Jason'?" Rick asked.

"I didn't name it. Cubone named itself." He let it climb onto his head, where it rested.

"Wow... what brought that idea on?"

"Letting Cubone name itself? Heh..." he chuckled. "Know my Voltorb?"

"Yeah," Rick grumbled, leaning against the bed. He hadn't bothered to get back on it after he fell.

"It got sick of me calling it 'Voltorb' one day, and shocked me. I asked it what it wanted me to call it, and it chose 'Lightning'. After that, I let my other Pokemon choose their own names."

"Hmm... Do you want to choose a name for yourself, Dratini?"

"Draaa. Tini dra tinidratini dratini, tini dra, dratini tinidra." (Naah. It'll take you too long to remember my true name, and besides, you couldn't pronounce it.)

Abra translated for all of them, and Taran shrugged. "Well, the offer still stands if you should change your mind anytime." She grabbed another Pokeball. This one contained Li, which she hugged.

"I owe you big, Li," she whispered.

"Growl, growlithe growl growlithe?" (Hey, wasn't he a Rocket?) Li growled softly at Ryan, who shrank a bit.

"Hey! He's our friend now. It wasn't his fault, Li." Rick picked her up and held her at eye level for emphasis, then set her on the floor. Li walked right up to Ryan, sniffed his hand, and licked it to show her good faith.

"Hey Rick?" Taran said.

"What?"

"She's not scared anymore."

In all the running around in that basement, Rick hadn't noticed that Li wasn't scared. Looking into her eyes again, all he saw was playfulness and strength. No one could push her around anymore.

"Growlithe growl growl!" (I have self-esteem!) she said proudly.

"Good for you," Rick said. He hugged her.

The rest of the sorting went by quickly.

"Butterfree!"

"Shellder!"

"Chansey!"

Once freed, the Pokemon mingled. The three trainers talked things over, and decided to travel together. It would be better than travelling alone. Plus, Rick would now have a guy to talk to instead of just Taran.

When the Pokemon had decided they were tired, they were recalled (Except for Li, Jason, Wartortle, and Abra, who decided to sleep outside their Pokeballs) and the trio got ready for bed.

Taran limped into the bathroom to change into her PJ's. Ryan slept in what he wore, but Rick changed into a pair of shorts. Limping back out in a pair of shorts and a grungy T-shirt, Taran got into her bed and was out like a light; Wartortle on her left and Li on her right.

"G'night, Ryan," Rick said as he turned out the light in the room. He flopped into a chair and fell asleep.

"G'night, Rick," Ryan said as he spread out in his chair and followed suit. All the Pokemon fell asleep as well. They'd have a long day tomorrow.

****

"You're back?" Erika asked.

"Yup."

"Growl!" (I'm ready!)

"Gloom gloo!" (It's ready!)

Ryan and Taran stood back to watch the battle. It went quite smoothly: Hypno won the first battle, Victreebel the second. It was down to Gloom and Li again.

"Is it going to be all right this time?" Erika asked.

"Yeah. It's okay now," Rick answered. "Li, Ember attack!"

"Gloom, Petal Dance!"

The Gloom started to dance around, twirling madly. Li watched it quizzically for a second, but then torched it to a crisp. Gloom stopped dancing and coughed. Then it looked around, scratching its petals.

"Gloom! Use your Stun Spore!" Gloom was completely confused by now. It saw what it thought was Li, and lunged at it. The large THUMP signalled Gloom's making a wall its close acquaintance.

"Gloo..." (Ouch...)

"Li, Flamethrower!"

The blast the Growlithe had only produced once before curled its way gracefully out of Li's mouth. The flames raked the already confused Gloom savagely, and it fainted on the spot.

Erika went to her Pokemon and knelt. "We need to practice more."

Li was ecstatic. "Gr... growl... lithe!"(I... we... yay!) she cried, zipping around her trainer. Rick laughed at his Pokemon.

"Forget a Rapidash, Li looks like it's the fastest thing on four legs now!" Ryan joked. Taran and Erika began to laugh as well.

"Here's your badge, Rick," Erika said, sobering up. The rainbow colored flower sparkled in the sunlight that filtered through the windowed roof of the greenhouse Gym. "Good luck on your journeys."

"Thank you, Erika!" he called over his shoulder as he, Li, Ryan, and Taran left the Gym.

****

Li was still buzzing when the three trainers hit the road.

"Growlithe growl?" (Where are we going?)

"Uh..." Taran checked her map. "It seems we need to head to Saffron City. It's this way," she said, pointing down a path.

A few more minutes of Li zipping around. "Growl growlithe?" (Are we there yet?)

"No, silly," Ryan laughed.

A few more. "Growl growlithe?" (Are we there yet?)

"No, Li," Rick sighed.

Half an hour had passed by then. "Growl--" (Are we--)

"NO!"

"Growl growlithe, growl..." (Alright already, sheesh...)

****

This story is © Des O 1999. Taran, Rick, Ryan, Sara, Steve, etc. are MY characters and may not be used without express written permission from the author (me).