"I give you the same challenge as the others," the boy said," and you won't advance any further unless you defeat me."

"Fine, but it’s a one on one match," Reshon signed. She hadn't been expecting to run into this much trouble going to Coral Cape, and was hoping that Growlithe would have the strength to hold out. She was aware of his great endurances and speed, but asking him to defeat five pokemon single pawed might be too much to hope for.

"As you wish, but you will not find this pokemon as easy to beat as the others," the boy smirked as he pulled out a pokeball, pushing the button as he raised it to his face, and hurled it upwards. "I choose you, Crimson." He smiled as the ball opened up to release the leaping Vulpix. It landed on light paws with its back turned to them, with a smugged," Vul," he turned to face them.

And that was the end of it, as Growlithe streaked past Reshon and connected with the Vulpix. The blow knocked the poor pokemon head over tail, and when it's spin had came to an end it was at the other end of the bridge knocked out cold.

Reshon than took that moment to face her opponent and smile. The anger was very obvious on his face as he recalled his pokemon.

"You may past," he said between clutched teeth.

"Thanks" she said as she walked past him. Growlithe trotted towards her with a big grin on his face as he allowed her to get in front and then fell in step behind her.

"Smile while you can girl," the boy whispered to himself as the two continued down the path and off of the bridge in this manner. Then once his was sure that they were out of hearing range he pulled out a small communicator.

"Boss, it's as you had said," the boy smirked to himself as he spoke," the chosen one is heading towards Coral Cape to battle Sapphire."

"Good then everything is going to plan," a dark voice replied from his communicator. "Now, I need you five to go and watch her match with Sapphire." "When it ends, call me back, and another will handle everything from there."

"As you wish, Boss." the boy replied and then turned off his communicator. "Well, everyone, you heard the man," the boy spoke to his four partners whom had gotten closer to hear what was being said. "We're shutting down the bridge and heading to Coral Cape."

Later that day, Reshon arrived at Coral Cape, the home of the ex-Cerulean City gym-leader/pokemon master, Sapphire.

"Man, I feeling kind of nervous," Reshon spoke to herself. She would have normally shared such feelings with her pokemon, but since she had to recall Growlithe so he wouldn't get so exhausted from the trip and Black Dratini was a sleep inside her backpack, she had no one to talk to except herself. "I wonder what type of pokemon, Sapphire has." "I know that she has a lot of water types, but there is no way she could have beaten the Elite Four with just aquatic pokemon." "Man, I hope we're good enough to force her to use those pokemon."

"Hhhhhhhhop," a small voice suddenly shrieked from under her as a small object cut through one of sleeves as it flew onwards.

"What in the..," Reshon yelled as she tried to look at the fast moving object behind her. It was then that a sudden sleepy feeling came over her as she turned her head back to the path to see her small attacker.

"Hopip," it cheered as Reshon sunk to her knees and then toppled over in the grass. It then walked up to Reshon and stuck its head in her backpack. The poor pokemon never saw the attack coming as Black Dratini slamed into its head knocking it out of the backpack.

"Drat!" Black Dratini scolded it as she slithered out of the bag. She had been wrapped around the egg as she slept so it hadn't been harmed in the fall, and since she was in the backpack the spores hadn't affected her.

"HOP!" It moved away from her shaking. "PIP," it screamed once, turned, and tried to run, but Black Dratini had decided against that and hit it with another slam attack. This one was much harder then the first and sent the pokemon flying into the ground where it wisely decided to stay.

Two hours later, Reshon arouse with a groan. Sleeping on the ground like she had wasn't pleasant, and if she could help it she wouldn't be doing that again for a while.

"Dratini," Black Dratini shouted once she realized that Reshon was awake. "Dratini, Drat, Dratini," the pokemon quickly began to explain what had happen.

"Hmm, so a Hopip attacked me with Sleep Spores to get to the food in my backpack." Reshon repeated as she sat up. "Okay, but where is it now?"

"Dratini, Drat," Black Dratini pointed her head in the opposite direction where the Hopip still sat quietly.

"Oh, I see," Reshon replied as she smiled and reached inside her backpack to pull out the only food she had in it, a small red apple. "If you are hungry little one, why don't you just ask for some food, instead of attacking me like that."

"PIP?" the small grass-type pokemon replied. <This has to be a trick> the hopip thought as Reshon crawled closer to it. <Humans and pokemon couldn't understand each other, but yet I could understand her. >

Meanwhile, Reshon had crawled right in front of it and placed the apple at its feet.

"I can understand you," she said quickly," do you have a trainer?"

The Hopip looked up at her in shock at such an announcement and thought a bit about what had just been said. "Hip," it replied in a small voice.

"Hmmm, I thought so," Reshon sat back and looked down at the pokemon. "Well, do you want me to be your trainer, so I can feed you and take care of you so you don't have to steal anymore?"

"Pip," it shook its head from side to side as it spoke. This wasn't the first time that it had been offered food for imprisonment. Though it had to admit it was the first time it had been offered this way.

"Okay, but if you every need any food from now on," Reshon smiled as she stood up. "Just go into town and knock on the door of the house closest to the sea." "I'll be sure to tell my Mom to expect you."

This stunned the Hopip whom kind of expected her to try to capture it anyway.

<What kind of human is this> "Bye!" The hopip's thoughts were suddenly broken by this call as the girl gathered the Black Dratini in her arms and then took off down the road.

"Pip," It spoke aloud to no one as she disappeared into the distances. Then it took off on its own merry way with the apple in its paws.

"Dratini, Drat, tini, Dratini," Black Dratini replied as it cuddled itself up in her arms.

"Yeah, that was nice of me, but I would have done it for anyone," Reshon said as she stroked Black Dratini's head. "For kindness is always rewarded in one way or another.

"Drat!"

"Huh, we're here?" Reshon asked her pokemon as she took her eyes from her friend and looked straight ahead. There in the distances stood the great house of Coral Cape. This was a place of much fun and mystery when she was younger, but now, after Sapphire had cleaned it up, it was a place where dreams and nightmares could come true. For within these holler walls she was to face one of her greatest opponents.

"Drat, Dratini," Black Dratini called out to her breaking her trance.

"Yeah, you're right let's go," Reshon's eyes shined as she raised her arms and allowed Black Dratini access to her backpack. "Let's do it," she shouted as she took off for the house.