Team StormRiders [PG-13+] - Chapter 39; Tactician

[Chibi Altaria]

Prologue;
.............hanging by a wing

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"Zanna! You're early!" exclaimed Mrs. Maple, staring at me with interest.

"Yeah, I know," I said, looking at the ground. "But I just couldn't wait to start the play." Mrs. Maple beamed at me.

"It's so good we have people like you at our school, Zanna. Oh, let me get you a copy of the script. Why don't you have a seat while you're waiting, hmm?" She gestured to a brown oak chair in the corner.

"Thanks," I said, sitting down on the chair. The drama room wasn't exactly what you'd call ‘perfect for a play’, but it did the job. It had a light brown wooden floor, usually dusty, with a small stage at the back.

A few old chairs were scattered around the room, along with some brass instruments and props. The stage curtains were blue and smelt like musk, but we all liked it that way. Last years play was "The Wind in the Willows" and I got cast as a skunk, but I did my best anyway.

One of my lines was: "That is not fair. Should the Swallows stand by, while Frog gets the credit?". But me being me, I got myself all tongue-tied and actually said: "That is not bare. Should the gallows stand high, while hog gets the credit?". I was the laughing stock of the whole school for a month.

I was still deep in thought, when Mrs. Maple reappeared, holding a newly bought script. She smiled at me.

"Here we are then. Now, all you need to do is choose a part you want and go over the lines. If you perform well enough for the part, you might get it at the end of the term."

"Thank you, Mrs. Maple," I said kindly as she handed me the script.

"You're welcome." She smiled warmly at me. "Once everyone else gets here we'll start rehearsal." I flipped through the script, fingers passing over roughly cut edges.

"Okay, thanks," I replied, already engrossed in the first scene.

She disappeared behind the curtains again, probably going into her office. This year’s play was going to be "Romeo and Juliet". I was thinking about trying out for Juliet, but if I mucked up again, I don't know what I'd do. I shook my head, trying to free myself from negative thoughts, but it wasn't working.

Suddenly the door opened and Hawk came in, carrying a heavy bag over his shoulders. "Hey, Zanna. Fancy seeing you here," he said when he noticed me. "I thought after last year, you'd have your head down a toilet!" He raised an eyebrow when I didn't answer.

"What part are you trying out for?" he asked me, sneering. I closed my eyes and breathed in calmly.

"Maybe Juliet," I answered. He grinned at me.

"Juliet, huh? Better not, ‘cause I'm trying out for Romeo." I nearly choked. Hawk trying to get Romeo? I think he'd be better off trying to fly to the moon.

And if we both got our parts, I didn't want him on stage saying he loved me. That’d just be plain horrible! You see, Hawk’s the delinquent at our school, always getting into trouble. But he doesn't look half bad, so all the girls swoon over him. If you ask me, he more or less needs an attitude adjustment.

Today he wore blue jeans and a grey tank top. His brown hair sat almost perfect, which is a change because it usually never does. He has blue eyes, a small nose and a slightly sneering smile. But on good days, it looks like the sun's reflected in his teeth. This wasn't a good day.

"Don't get all hysterical, now," he snapped, glaring at me. "Just because I'll be prince of the play." He smiled menacingly, lowering his eyebrows. "And you'll be the servant." It took all of my strength not to punch him in the stomach. I glared at him. He turned away, walking towards Mrs. Maple's office. "Seeya round, Drama queen!"

"What nerve!" I muttered to myself. "If he gets Romeo, I'm gonna stick to art instead!" But I couldn't back out now. I’d promised my parents the best play ever. It looked like I'd just have to put up with him. I needed to clear my mind. I got out of the chair and opened the door.

A walk was just what I needed right now, or at least somewhere quiet away from Hawk. The rest of the school was almost deserted. No one ever came this early. After all, who likes school? I frowned, trying not to put myself in the "I like school" category, but it's hard when you show up half an hour early.

I walked out of school, across the road to the park. One of my favourite spots was in the park, under a huge oak tree. My best friend, Cody, and I made this our special place last year. And yes, my best friend is a guy. I don't care though. He's great to hang out with and he's always there if I need him.

I found a nice, soft patch of grass below the trunk and flopped down, sighing. I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in the crystal clear, autumn air. When I opened them again, I found a silhouette standing over me, humming to itself. What day is this? Can I not at least get five minutes of peace?

I was just about to tell whoever it was to get lost, when I noticed something. I knew the tune it was humming. I sat up, and when I could see again, I realised it was Cody. He grinned at me, his brown hair blowing in the wind. "Hey, Zanna," He said, sitting down beside me. "How are you this morning?"

I sighed, closing my eyes again. "Not so good."

"Why? What's wrong?" he said. He sounded concerned.

"Oh, you know. Just Hawk again. I mean, if someone doesn't do anything soon, I may have to- Arrrgghh!" I made choking gestures with my hands. Cody laughed, his voice ringing like a song through my ears.

"Think nothing of it, Zanna. We all know he likes you." I stared at him.

"Are you insane?! I already told you a thousand times he doesn't!" Cody stared back coolly.

"Okay, whatever you say." But he raised an eyebrow anyway.

"Although it would make a lot of sense why he wants to try out for Romeo," I said.

Cody almost choked. "He's trying out for Romeo?!"

"Yep," I said. "And that was after I told him I was trying out for Juliet."

"Ah," Cody said slyly. "So he does like you."

"Oh, knock it off!" I said, whacking him over the head with a stick.

"Okay, okay, chill," he said, rubbing his head thoroughly. He was still grinning though. I leaned back against the tree trunk with my arms behind my head. Cody sat beside me, pulling at the grass.

We sat in silence, watching the clouds drift across the sky. "Hey, look. That one looks like you," Cody said suddenly.

"What?" I said, already half asleep.

"The cloud," Cody said again. "It looks a bit like you." I looked to where he was pointing and the strange thing was, it did look like me.

But the cloud suddenly transformed itself, blown by the wind. Now it looked more like a blob. "Awwwww, it changed," Cody said, disappointed. "Weird shape, though," he added. It was. It kind of looked more like a rabbit now. I shrugged off the thought of the cloud.

In the distance, the school bell rang. I didn't realize how late it was. Cody helped me up, then he held his hand outstretched towards me. "Here you go, Zanna. For you." He was holding a small flower. It was light purple, darkening towards the middle. I took the flower and placed it in my hair, behind my ear.

"Thanks, Cody," I said, smiling warmly at him.

"No worries," he said, smiling back. "It's supposed to bring good luck." He turned to go, then winked at me. "Don't worry. Everything will get better soon, I promise." He walked off towards school and I followed close behind.

We parted at the main gate and I walked off towards drama class. Don't get me wrong, I completely trust Cody, but with Hawk in my class I didn't see how things were going to get better. As I entered the room, Hawk greeted me with a wide grin. "Hello, Zanna. Have a seat," he said, patting a chair next to him.

I frowned. His look was giving me the creeps. "Why? What have you done to it?"

"Nothing," he said, still grinning.

"It's okay, Zanna," said a younger girl in year nine called Amy. I looked hard at her face. There was no trace of a lie in her eyes. Sighing heavily, I sat down in the chair.

"Huh, seems okay." But just as I was getting comfortable, one of the legs gave way and I fell on the floor, the hard wood softening my fall. Or rather, it softened me.

Everyone burst out laughing. I swung my eyes around and glared at Hawk. "You really are too easy to fool, Zanna!" he said between laughs. I looked over to Amy.

"I swear I didn't know," she said softly, looking at the floor. I blew a clump of hair out of my eyes and stood up.

Somehow, Cody's words now seemed far away. Life wasn't going to get better and drama certainly wasn't. I grabbed another chair and sat down in the newly formed circle, across from Hawk. See, this was why I like being by myself. No worries, and definitely no people who always make fun of you.

I sneered at Hawk, who smiled back. Just then, Mrs. Maple came in. "Okay, everyone. Let's make a start," she said, clapping her hands before staring around the room. Most faces were already full of boredom, but mine was as fresh as ever. "Seeing as it's such a nice day today, I thought we'd have rehearsal outside. A bit of change in the scenery couldn't hurt, don't you think?"

The whole class cheered and competed with each other to be the first outside. I was the last one to leave. Everyone paired up, ready to exchange lines. I was the only one without a partner. "Oh, Zanna!" said Mrs. Maple when she noticed. "We'll swap second half, okay? Why don't you find something creative to do in the meantime?"

"Okay," I muttered sourly.

I walked back towards the park. Stuff creative things, I'm going to read my lines! I spotted the oak tree and my eyes lit up. Seeing as the play was Romeo and Juliet, I might as well feel like a bird. Once I reached a high branch in the tree, I read my lines out loud to a nearby crow.

The crow stared back blankly, probably wondering what I was saying. I don't know what it was about that stare, but it made me mad. I snapped, "I'm trying as hard as I can, okay? Would you like me to sing a song too?" The crow must have took that as an insult, because it flew out of the tree, curved round, and came back towards me at full force.

I barely dodged it in time. I grabbed hold of a small branch above me to keep myself steady. The crow veered to the left and came in for a second round. I sidestepped it again, but just as I put my foot back on the branch, I slipped. I felt the cool air rush around me, the ground coming closer.

I screamed, but no one seemed to hear. I took one last look at the crow before the world around me darkened. Its red eyes were cold and full of hatred as it landed on a branch and cawed loudly, mocking me...

[Chibi Altaria]

Chapter 1;
.............jirachi's wish

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The sun hangs low in the sky, like a shining orb full of despair. But… it wasn’t always like this. I can still remember when the land was rich and full of prosperity. When pokemon stood side-by-side, like comrades in arms. We were so peaceful, I guess… we never thought we would fall.

But we could fall. Now, the land is dimming. And with it, the hopes of all those around me. I fear I am too late, but I must try…I will try! For that is the first step towards success. Suddenly, Jirachi lost his train of thought. A small sound had erupted from his mind.

But it was a voice, a voice he remembered. The voice of a wise pokemon. One who’s thoughts reached beyond understanding. A calm, but stern voice.
“Xatu…,” Jirachi answered, straining his mind to the pokemon. “Xatu, I cannot do this. We have failed. I, have failed.”

Jirachi’s voice faltered and he found he could say no more. But Xatu was renowned for his courage and wisdom. He, at least would not give up on him.
“With every failure, comes a new chance to succeed.” Replied Xatu simply. His voice was strong, as if a burning fire raged from within.

Did Jirachi dare to believe? His eyes shimmered, like faith renew.
“You’re right, Xatu! Though we’ve had many failures before, we can do it this time. I can feel it!” Jirachi’s voice strengthened with every word he spoke, as if just saying something could give him hope.

Xatu let out a short laugh. “That’s it my friend! If we stand together, anything is possible.” But Xatu’s following words were that of concern. And perhaps…fear. “Jirachi, I need your help. You know this?” Jirachi nodded solemnly.

“With the last of my strength, I will help you. What is needed to be done?” Xatu seemed to be thinking. There was a long pause before he replied.

“I…need you to go away for a bit.” That was it. Jirachi lost his spark.

“Where to?” He replied gravely. In his mind, Jirachi had an image of Xatu lifting up his head. But it looked different somehow. Like that of a ghost, fading away.

“Watch and listen. Only then will you know what to do.” An image like a video flashed through Jirachi’s mind. The place where he was to go. He was racing over sand dunes in a desert, only to be replaced seconds later by a huge city, roaring with life.

The video slowed as an image of a school came into view. Jirachi watched silently, intimidated by a world he didn’t know. The video swung round from the school towards a park. It was then he realised he was following a girl, A human girl. She had long, brown hair, blue eyes and a quirky smile.

She wore a blue skirt and a light pink t-shirt, embossed with a logo of some kind. The girl halted in front of a tall oak tree. It was then that she climbed it, hair tangling in the branches. She did not notice a large crow alight on a nearby branch. She turned and saw the bird, but merely started reading to it.

The crow became enraged by what she said and tried to make the girl fall, constantly diving at her. Jirachi noticed her eyes. The look of determination was gone, replaced by that of fear. Then the girl slipped and hurtled towards the ground, screaming. Jirachi could do nothing but watch, stricken.

The images slowly subsided and when he came to, Jirachi found he was sweating uncontrollably. Jirachi panted, gathering his voice from within. “Is…is this where I must go?” He asked weakly.

“With my help, you will be transported safely to the land above,” Xatu answered gently. “Now, it is time.” Jirachi felt himself begin to tingle, as an orb of white light surrounded him. The pokemon gave a short gasp, then was gone.



The darkness swallowing Jirachi was dimming. “Where am I?” He said, wincing slightly. Tall buildings surrounded him on either side. Humans lined the streets, some even in metal monsters. Jirachi’s memory was then jolted, coming back almost instantly. The transportation had drained most of his energy.

But he had a bigger concern. “Can these humans see me!?” He wondered out loud. Looking around, he saw they could not. Kneeling weakly, he looked down at himself. The sun danced off his body, although it wasn’t much of a body anymore. He was transparent and shimmering.

A mere spirit in this world. But he had no time to contemplate his concerns, for at that moment he saw the girl. Without exactly knowing why, he followed her, floating silently In the cool breeze. It was as if everything had rewound itself. He was watching the whole thing all over again.

Only this time, he was in it. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the crow. Jirachi’s brow furrowed. Time may be repeating itself, but the fall will not. Jirachi quickly meditated to regain his strength and whizzed off in pursuit of the crow. However, he found out the hard way that the crow could see him.

It dive-bombed Jirachi, trying to shake him off, but how could he let this beast hurt the girl? The crow slammed into him from the side, knocking his breath away. Jirachi’s eyes fluttered. For a fleeting moment, he considered just leaving the girl behind in order to save himself.

Xatu’s words rang through his mind: “With every failure, comes a new chance to succeed.” No! He could not run this time. He’d already done that too many times in the past. No, now was the time to stand and fight. A white hot fever pulsed through his body, giving him the feeling on invincibility.

Jirachi used his agility to speed up and gain advantage of the battle. The crow reeled, as Jirachi slammed a blasting ball of energy against it. He was expecting the creature to fall, but was stunned when it did not. If anything, he just enraged it even more, causing a new flash of energy to flow through the crow.

Jirachi paused in mid-air. A strange and peculiar thought surged through his mind. Somewhere, he was sure he had battled this creature before. It used movements familiar to him. But even though he strained his mind till it hurt, he could not remember. Jirachi whizzed around the crow, every moment gaining more speed.

The two kept colliding with each other, each time using more force than the last. Jirachi backed off, panting. No matter how strong he was, he could not keep this up forever. A new tactic was needed. A diversion. He flew up high into the air looking down upon the crow.

Jirachi could see it was tiring too, the wing-beats much slower than before. Jirachi sighed and mustering all his courage, stuck his fingers in his mouth and poked out his tongue, taunting the crow. The crow shrieked and hurtled towards him. Well, at least it had worked.

Jirachi eased in and out of the trees, begging the crow to follow him, but he needed a rest and soon. Hands glowing, Jirachi whirled around to face the crow, pointing them at him. The crow chortled, laughing at him.

Fine, we’ll see how you laugh now! As Jirachi’s hands came forward, a dozen stars flew out from his body, engulfing the crow brutally. Seizing the chance, Jirachi bounded off to find the girl. She sat alone in the tree, reading her lines. At least now she’d be safe.

He crept slowly towards the branches, hiding among them. He sat silently, watching her read and relief empowered him. Jirachi turned to go and froze almost immediately. Unbelievable! The crow was tattered, but still it stood above him, glaring at the girl. “Leave her alone!,” Jirachi called out to the crow.

“Your battle is with me!” The crow ignored him, advancing along the branch towards the girl. Jirachi cursed silently. “I said leave her!” He bellowed. The sound must have startled the crow, who’s wings flapped wildly, which caused the girl to stumble and fall. Jirachi flew off the branch and glared at the crow.

Jirachi met it’s eyes and knew then who it was. Deoxys grinned, then spoke for the first time since he had encountered it. “I told you that you always ruin everything.” He sneered and transformed back to his normal form, the crow disappearing. The whipping arms reached out and caught Jirachi around the throat.

He struggled, gasping for air. “Let me go, you brute!” Jirachi spat.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Deoxys said, flicking an arm about. “Someone could get hurt.” Deoxys forced Jirachi’s head to turn round so he was looking at the girl. But she was no longer falling, time itself had stopped!

Jirachi felt faint. “Take me, but leave the girl.” He said weakly.

“Now, where’s the fun in that?,” Deoxys replied, hissing. “I prefer a hunt!” As the words rang across the park, he disappeared in a bright light, leaving Jirachi spluttering for breath. Time slowly lurched into action again.

No! I can’t let her go like this! Jirachi grew hot again, that same fever pulsing through him. He closed his eyes and began glowing. “Oh, world heed my wish. Deliver safely this girl, so that she may be reborn somewhere untouched by evil.” The light surrounding him entered the girl’s body, then suddenly she was gone.

Jirachi smiled meekly, then ran out of energy and began to plummet. But still he smiled, the deed was done. “Oh, world. Please hear my wish.”…

[Chibi Altaria]

Chapter 2;
.............caught in a trap

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A crackly sound entered my ears as I began to wake up. I groaned and rolled onto my back opening my eyes. Everything was still a bit hazy-I must have knocked myself out pretty good. As my vision cleared, I became aware of a bright orange face in front of me.

“Ah, so the hero finally decides to wake up.” A kind voice said to me. I sat up and noticed I was in a bed of some kind. It was made of soft down and a blanket for a pillow. A small chicken was peering down at me. It had bright blue eyes, small feet, a yellow crest and wings and a small beak in the middle of it’s face.

A Torchic, I thought without exactly knowing how. Though the eyes seemed a little out of place. “Hero?” I muttered back. I still felt groggy and weird.

“Well, either that or someone very silly.” He said frowning at me.

“How did I get here?” I asked, looking at him inquisitively.

“I found you outside, obviously unconscious, then-”

“No,” I said, thinking hard. “How did I get here. In this world.” The Torchic didn’t reply-He looked rather confused in fact. “I, I have this weird feeling,” I said slowly. “But I don’t think I’m from here.” I racked my memory, but it was all a blur.

“You can’t be from somewhere else,” The Torchic said, looking at me like I was crazy. “You’re a Pikachu.”

“Huh? A…Pikachu?” I said cocking my head to one side.

“Yeah. I guess you must have hit your head really hard.” Come, look at this.” He said, tilting his head towards a small pool of water.

I walked over to the pool and looked down. A startling cry emitted from my mouth. I was small and yellow, with long, pointy ears that formed a black tip at the end. Two red, electric sockets were on my cheeks, next to a small nose, bright black eyes and a little, curving mouth.

I twisted round and saw a pair of brown stripes that hovered just above a lightning shaped tail. Somehow, I knew this wasn’t what I was supposed to look like. I touched my soft cheeks with my paws, and felt the outline of the electric sockets rub against them. I stood bending over the pool, staring at my reflection.

“I’m…a Pikachu…” I muttered to myself.

“Well you look like a normal Pikachu,” The Torchic said softly. “Except for that.” He pointed to my tail where I saw a strange, white glowing circle. I had no idea how that got there. I wanted to change the subject.

“What’s your name?” I asked the Torchic cautiously.

He stared back solemnly. “You do know that it’s impolite to ask for someone’s name, when you haven’t given yours?”

“Oh,” I said, I didn’t know that. It must be a custom here, I thought. “My name’s…Zanna.” The Torchic smiled fondly at me, eyes sparkling.

“Well met, Zanna. I’m Jarre.”

I smiled for the first time since I’d woken up. “Jarre…”

“Are you alright now?” Jarre asked, looking at me with concern.

“Yes, I think so.” I replied, turning away from him. Jarre seemed to guess my actions.

“What!? Are you leaving already?” He exclaimed, looking somewhat downtrodden.

“Yes, I should go and-” I stopped abruptly. It just occurred to me that I had no idea where I was. I explained my situation to Jarre, who just grinned at me.

“Why don’t I show you around then?,” He offered. “I’m sure I’ll be of some help.”

“That’s okay. I’m more of an independent type.” I answered him, walking towards the doorway.

“Oh, if you’re sure…” He said looking remotely downcast.

“Positive.” I replied. Was that a hint of steel in my voice? I shook my head.

I stopped at the door, turning back one last time to see Jarre smiling at me half-heartedly. I went with a sinking feeling in my gut, but I couldn’t trust anyone.

Not at the moment, anyway. Instead, I focused on the beautiful scenery around me. A small town stood in front of me, surrounded by a lush forest that seemed t stretch back as far as I could see. I stared wide-eyed at Likera Town. To some pokemon, it would probably be no more than a scratch on the map, but to the inhabitants of Likera, it was just perfect.

Looking around, I saw pokemon everywhere! A Swellow, hastily delivering mail, Squirtle and Mudkip playing in a nearby pond, and a strange looking Elekid doing-hang on. What was it doing? The Elekid shuffled about nervously, then took a small piece of paper off a wooden board. It looked about shiftily until it spotted me.

Eyes narrowing, it backed away slowly into the bushed behind the board. I frowned. What was an Elekid doing that was so secretive? I didn’t know, but you could bet I was going to find out! I raced off on all fours to the bulletin board, for that was what it was, peering closer at the papers pinned there.

They were rescue requests! But why would the Elekid want to hide it? Rescuing pokemon was a good thing. I bent down and sniffed the ground on impulse, finding the Elekid’s scent. I decided it might be a good idea to tail him. I jumped into the bushes where the Elekid had disappeared, and wove in and out of the trees following it’s scent.

A moment later the trees thinned out and I found myself in a canyon as large as a big lake. It was nearing sunset now, and from the top of the canyon it looked magnificent. If you’ve ever seen a rose begin to flower, than you’ll kind of know what I mean. A small river flowed at the bottom of the canyon, snaking it’s way through the forest.

A tall mountain of rock rose from the centre of the canyon, like a tall spire disappearing into the clouds. Mostly though, the canyon was just filled with jagged edges and large crevices. Just at that moment, I lost the Elekid’s scent. It was like it had vanished, but who could hide in a place like this?

Out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention. It sparkled from behind a couple of berry bushes. I walked up to them cautiously, and slowly parted the prickly branches. A badge glinted back at me. It shone in the fading sunlight, the wings on either side like those of an angel. A rescue badge.

I reached down to pick it up and ran my paw over the smooth, metal surface. Even though it was warm, I felt a small shiver flow into me. Suddenly my ears pricked up. Something was watching me. I closed my eyes, trying to lock onto a scent or sound. I picked up a small rustling noise not far away, near a few crowded trees.

I felt scared-something was wrong. I turned to run but was immediately thrown backwards, the rough ground skinning my fur. I was pinned in place by the strong arms of a pokemon. An Elekid. It stood over me, smirking in that same way I’d seen it do in Likera Town.

But right now I only had one question. “Who are you?” I asked it, my eyes narrowing. The Elekid let off a surprised look.

“Don’t you know that-”

“Yeah, I know. I’m Zanna.” I answered quickly, struggling under the Elekid’s weight. It was a boy, probably no older than I was. The Elekid shifted to the left, lightening my load a bit.

“I go by many names around here.” He said to me, holding my gaze. “But you, you may call me Rye.” My tail dug into my back and I squirmed uncomfortably.

“Well met, Rye.” I said, mimicking Jarre’s words. Rye seemed to notice my discomfort and let me stand up, though he never took his eye off me.

“I’d say we could have met under better circumstances.” Rye said slyly, then decided the conversation was heading the wrong was and quickly changed the subject. “You’re not from around here are you?” He asked me suspiciously. I tore my eyes away, shaking the dirt from my fur.

“I’m…from out of town.” I replied honestly.

Rye knew there was more to it, but he didn’t press me. He walked over to a tree and ran his claws over the rough bark, then turned to look at me. “We don’t get many pokemon from out of town around here.” He said. His face held no expression, so it was hard to tell whether he was sad or angry. I took a step towards him.

I wasn’t so scared anymore. “I like this town.” I ventured. Rye stared back coolly, then smiled. His face didn‘t look mean anymore, though something told me he didn‘t smile very often.

“You’re a good sort then,” He said back to me. “We also don’t get many of those." I smiled, then chose to ask a question I knew would be risky.

“What were you doing at the bulletin board, back there?” Rye’s smile faded. He walked up to me so that I could feel his warm breath on my face.

“Don’t ask me about my business.” Rye said coldly, sparks flying from his ears. I sensed he was guarded again so I backed off a bit.

Rye stared at me for a second longer before walking away again. I didn’t stop him. I watched him go, still wondering what he was up to. At the last turn before the forest started again, he turned back towards me. “You might want to look around a bit before you leave.” He said.

I had a feeling he as hinting at something. He may not have told me what he was up to, but he wasn’t exactly hiding it either. Rye smiled one last time, then disappeared around the corner from sight. He is an odd pokemon, I thought, but he’s not bad. Inside me I knew we’d meet again.

I was sure of it. I took Rye’s advice and looked around the canyon. It wasn’t hard to find what he’d left for me. He had it pinned to a small shrub, close to where I came in. I took out the pin and picked up a piece of paper that was sparkling in the sunset, just like the badge.

I read the note out loud quietly, staring intently at the words written on the page. A huge heading jumped out at me.

“Pokemon Rescuers! The PRA (Pokemon Rescue Association) needs your help! As you all know, pokemon everywhere are being affected by recent natural disasters occurring all over the world. We need as many pokemon as we can to help us during this difficult time.

If you’re able to help your town, we urge you to think about this: Is any life, a life worth living? Have pride in who you are and help those in need. For more information, contact the PRA at your nearest town today. And remember, you’re braver than you think.

~PRA”

Was Rye thinking about joining? I sighed. I didn’t think I’d make a good rescuer, but it was about helping pokemon, and Rye obviously believed in me. Maybe- “Aaagghhhh!” A loud shriek snapped me out of my thoughts. I took a step backwards. A clump of dirt gave way and I fell, tumbling into a small pit.

I lay on the ground, dazed by the fall. I was covered from head-to-toe in dirt and it made me look like an odd-shaped rock. I stood up carefully and shook myself, shaking the dust from my fur. The bright starlit sky looked down upon me, almost mockingly. “Help!” I called up, my voice echoing off the jagged walls.

I sighed and sat down, blowing a clump of fur from my face. A murky shadow towered above me, and, for a second I was too afraid to look up. When I did, I noticed it wasn’t anything bad. Quite the opposite actually. Jarre peered down into the darkness of the pit, grinning widely, a long rope slung over his back.

“Need some help?” He called down to me. I instantly regretted how I’d treated him. Despite all I’d done, he was still willing to help. Maybe I can trust him.

“Only if you’re willing to give it.” I replied half-heartedly. I looked up at him and to my surprise, he was still grinning.

“Would I want it any other way?” He answered softly. My mouth began to twitch and I found myself smiling. Looks like I’ve finally found a friend.