~One~

~The Beginning~

(Location: In some random forest)

They heard a flump as something or someone fell to the ground, then a stifled sob.

“Let’s go, we’ve done our job,” a black clad man said.

The five black clothed accomplices nodded and the six of them disappeared into the night.

The girl fell down beside the body of her slain Umbreon.

“After all we’ve been through Vale, you had to leave me now,” she said quietly to the dead pokemon.

She picked up the body, feeling the soft black fur that she had brushed every single day, stroking the head that had once licked her, feeling the legs that had carried the two of them through so many journeys, and the tail that had revealed so many emotions, she traced the white gold circles that decorated the body of the Umbreon.

Then she unhooked the black pokeball from the chain around her neck, dug a hole and buried both the Umbreon and the pokeball. From her pocket she took a silver collar with the word ‘Vale’ inscribed and buried it as well with only the name visible.

“Bye,” she said and got up.

It was so dark she was only blindly finding her way, and even then she didn’t know where she was going.

She drew five pokeballs from her belt, each one of them coloured black and silver.

As silently as she could she summoned her five Pokemon.

“Pyro, Akua, Zyph, Manx, Small Fry I choose you,” she muttered the corny line, and vowed from that day on she’d never use it to summon again.

Five thin red beams struck out of the pokeballs and they formed five dog-like Pokemon.

A flareon, vaporeon, jolteon, espeon and eevee appeared each standing ready in battle formation.

The light from the furs of Flareon and Jolteon illuminated the portion of forest they were in.

The Pokemon gazed up at her waiting for command.

“Vale is dead,” she said.

The five Pokemon showed no emotion but they felt it in their hearts, Vale was their sibling.

After a pause.

“I’m releasing all of you,” she said suddenly.

Another pause.

“Goodbye.” She turned on her heel and walked away, all the Pokemon saw was her cape disappearing in the shrubbery.

They were all dumbfounded. If she had lost Vale what good was it to throw them away as well? The Espeon, Manx, turned to the others.

“Espy, peon, espeon eon eon (I understand her motives).”

“Jolteon! Jolty Jolteon (What? What could be her reason for abandoning us?)?”

“Eeveeee! (Waaah!)”

“Espeon eon, espy espy espy espeon, (she has already lost one of us, she doesn’t want to feel the pain all over again).”

“Vaporrrr, Vaporeon… (What good is that…)?”

“Flare! Flare! Flare-eon! (We should go after her).”

“Espeon, espppiii, (she won’t accept us)

“Eevee, eevee! (I’m hungry)”

The other four turned to stare at the Eevee. It shut its mouth.

It was like that that the five Pokemon remained and by morning they decided to put the past behind them and become wild.

She was sitting behind a rock, quickly changing into suitable clothes, she folded her black cloak, and black boots and placed them neatly in her backpack.

From the front pocket of her bag she drew six pokeballs, spray paint, tools, a chain and a notebook.

In the notebook were complicated diagrams, calculations and many pictures of Pokemon, and some of animal cells and a couple of Pokemon eggs.

She flicked through the book until she found a fold out poster of every single Pokemon known to man.

She ran her finger down the lists of Pokemon, sometimes stopping to glance at the pictures, every once in awhile jotting something down.

As she was scrolling down the list she saw a picture of an Umbreon, for a couple of seconds she had to catch her breath and her tears.

She ripped the page she had been writing on out, and closed the book and replaced it in the backpack.

She picked up the six pokeballs, and began spray-painting them with the black and silver paint. One thing she couldn’t stand was the regulation red and white pokeballs, they were so garish she couldn’t stand looking at them. With the tools she rewired the infrared in the pokeballs, added some new parts of her own, and replaced the old circular lock with a spiked one, then she added her own hand made device that made it slightly easier to capture wild Pokemon.

Finally she took her trademark stickers and placed them on each of the pokeballs.

“Perfect,” she breathed, and satisfied she hooked one pokeball on a chain and the rest on her belt.

She got up.

There was a town nearby so she could stop for some breakfast and maybe on the way if she was incredibly lucky she’d find a suitable Pokemon for her needs.

She always had a map ready, but today she didn’t need one. She was in Johto, the continent she knew the best.

She wasn’t born there, but she been there long enough to know every single rock, tree and flower.

The map she had of Johto was covered in black marker as she always marked a significant place like the area where it was best to find this and this Pokemon, or certain types of food, she had even stumbled on a few crime syndicates’ hideouts, which she mostly used for supplies and food if she needed it, rarely in the case of finding Pokemon but it could happen after all she had found Vale in a Team Rocket warehouse.

She jumped over boulders, waded through tall grass and swam a stream until the town was visible.

She felt a heavy feeling in her chest as she walked towards the town; she stopped suddenly and took a moment to breath. Losing Vale had been harder than she’d thought it was almost paralyzing her.

The memory of the dead body appeared vividly in her mind and she choked, she clutched her chest, and her knees thudded on the ground. The ground before her warped before her eyes and water was streaming from her eyes onto the ground.

All her senses dulled and her will power dead she fell to the ground completely and lay there, in a growing puddle of her own tears.

“Are you okay?” She saw a blurry image of a boy standing over her.

She couldn’t move at all let alone speak.

It was almost as if she wasn’t even in her own body, it was like she was watching the scene from afar and she wasn’t the girl who was being heaved to her feet by a dark haired boy, she wasn’t the girl who was being dragged to the town. She noticed that the boy had a Pokemon, a little yellow Pikachu.

(Location: A town motel)

She woke up; her last memories were of a Pikachu. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. The room she was in was devoid of colour besides the dark curtains.

It hurt her brain to look at the room and she’d heard that one could go mad sitting in a purely white room so she closed the curtains and the room suddenly became a dull grey.

The door opened.

The dark haired boy came in, with his Pikachu on his shoulder.

He sat down beside her on the bed and the Pikachu jumped onto her lap.

“Hi I’m Ash, I saved you, and this is Pikachu, my best buddy,” the boy said, looking at Pikachu and then at her.

“I didn’t need saving, I can look after myself,” she replied coldly.

Ash stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You could at least say thank you for helping,” Ash said, obviously furious.

“I said I didn’t need your help,” Valeri replied, stroking Pikachu gently.

“Next time I’ll just leave you there to die,” Ash said, he crossed his arms.

“You wouldn’t so don’t say you would, and don’t pout like that it makes you look like a baby,” she said, and picked Pikachu up.

“Put down my Pikachu, he doesn’t like you,” Ash jumped off the bed.

Pikachu giggled and hugged Valeri affectionately.

“Thanks a lot Pikachu,” Ash muttered.

“So, Pikachu how does it feel to have an idiotic trainer?” Valeri asked, in a successful attempt to annoy Ash.

Ash turned red and stormed out of the room. A few seconds later he came back in and grabbed Pikachu.

Valeri chuckled as he slammed the door.

“Now it’s time to get out of here,” she said to herself. She slipped out of the bed and went to the window. She swung her leg over the windowsill and pulled herself out.

As she landed on the ground she heard the sound of a door opening from inside.

Without a glance back she bolted.

She had been to the town before, back when it was only herself and Vale.

She had been everywhere, and had done everything with the Umbreon so it was hard not to remember.

The town was small; it had just a couple of houses, a pokemon centre, a tiny grocery and supplies store, a motel, and more famously a winery.

The town was famous for its sweet, well-matured wine; the town’s people claimed that it was because the water they used was inhabited by a legendary pokemon.

All at once an idea came to mind. The legendary pokemon was perfect, she would have to catch it but she had to wonder what it was.

Her stomach interrupted her mid-thought.

“First I need some grub,” she muttered, and turned in the direction of the grocery market.

Ash was fuming. He’d come back with a tray of food, only to find an unmade bed and worse an empty one.

Pikachu jumped onto the bed and sniffed about.

“Pika!” Pikachu cried, its tail was stiff in the air and it pointed out the window.

“Yes Pikachu I can see she’s gone,” Ash said irritably.

The pokemon knocked him on the head with its paw and jumped out the window.

“Pikachu! Where are you going?” Ash called.

“Pika pika! (I’m following her!)” Pikachu called irritated.

Ash jumped out the window and followed the electric mouse as it scampered through the town.

Valeri made her way towards the winery, she took the scenic route and admired the flower fields filled with beautiful Roselias and Bellosoms, grass pokemon were encouraged to live in fields it made the plants healthier.

The Bellossoms were swinging their hips to a silent melody, and the plants were following their example.

For a few seconds she was mesmerized by the swaying motion, and soft graceful movements of the pokemon.

She was quickly distracted by the more direct style of the Roselia who sang a high-pitched tune, and before her eyes she saw closed buds begin to bulge and burst into bloom.

She realised that the two pokemon together made a perfect team; she wondered if she could exploit the compatibility in battle as well.

After awhile the flower fields faded from view as did direct sunlight, a thick weaving of grape vine covered the sky, black grapes cascaded from the vines and the whole scene was serenely eerie. She entered the archway of grapes but not before catching the vineyards name on the signboard: The Tapering Vine.

She quickened her pace, her footsteps sounding dull on the earthen floor.

The winery was visible from where she was standing, and behind it seemingly endless fields of grapes.

It was in the centre of these fields that the spring was, and in the spring was her, I repeat, her legendary pokemon.

Valeri smiled with a hint of malice, that pokemon was hers.

She broke into a triumphant run, feeling the breeze in her hair and then it hit her again, the searing pain from her chest as she remembered running in a field with Vale.

Her legs froze up and she fell onto the ground, her heart was pounding in her head, all the grief she felt was racing through her heart. Tears broke through the dam wall of her eyes and fell onto the floor.

She lay in the dirt, heaving with anguish.

She couldn’t remember how long she’d been lying there. With a lot of will power she managed to sit up. She took deep breaths and wiped her eyes but the tears spilled over her hands.

She felt as if her heart had suddenly vanished. It was as if it had taken so much pain that it had decimated itself.

“I miss you Vale, I wish you’d never gone, we’d almost made it,” she whispered, as she hugged herself.

She pulled out the notebook and flipped to the back page, an old picture of six pokemon and a brown haired girl was pasted at the back.

The pokemon were all sitting on her lap, and she was smiling. Vale had her mouth open in a cat like smile; it was a sneaky smile almost as if the Umbreon knew something she didn’t.

Once she saw the picture she felt the paralysis lifting from her legs. She got up slowly, testing her legs to see if they’d hold her.

She put the book away, and dusted herself off; just as she turned around she caught sight of two figures running flat out towards her.

She gasped. It was Ash and Pikachu.

“I’ll give them points for effort,” she muttered and ducked into a hedge.

Ash stopped a couple of feet away from where she was hiding.

“You smell her Pikachu?” Ash asked the electric rodent.

“Pika pii!” Pikachu had his nose in the air.

“Anything?”

“Pika,” the pokemon looked directly at Valeri.

She gave Pikachu an urgent look, urging it to lead Ash away; she even flapped her hands at the pokemon.

Pikachu paused; it looked at Ash and then side ways at Valeri.

She put her hands together in a pleading action.

The pokemon rolled its eyes but began jumping around.

“What’s up Pika?” Ash asked and kneeled to be level with the pokemon.

Pikachu squeaked and pointed in the opposite direction to Valeri.

Valeri sighed in relief. Ash spun around and looked straight at her.

Pikachu sunk to its knees, and sighed exasperatedly.

“Aha, you thought you could escape the mighty Ash Ketchum, eh?” Ash lunged for her.

She darted out of his reach and ran, she called over her shoulder,

“I didn’t think I could escape the mighty Ash Ketchum, by the time I had started thinking about it I already did!”

Ash cried with rage but followed after her.

“Who says I won’t be able to catch you?” he called after her.

“I do,” she replied and easily kept out of his reach.

Pikachu scampered behind them.

It suddenly occurred to Ash that he had pokemon and she didn’t.

“Uh Bulbasaur I choose you!”

“So you finally figured that out eh?” Valeri called over her shoulder.

“Shut up!” Ash yelled and flung a red and white pokeball at her, which quickly became the bulb pokemon, Bulbasaur.

“Bulbasaur, use your vinewhip!” Ash commanded.

The pokemon shot thick vines at her from the bulb on its back.

“You thought I wasn’t skilled at battling pokemon, did you?” she easily dodged the vines and even caught them as Bulbasaur tried to recall them.

She yanked the vines causing Bulbasaur to fly towards her.

“Yeah thanks I’m gonna be needing a pokemon, I’ll return him to you later ok? Bye Ash!”

Ash stood dumbfounded as she ran off with his pokemon under her arm.

“Pikachu?” the yellow pokemon gazed up at him with a mixture of concern and amusement on its face.

“Yeah, just leave me alone,” he said and sat down moodily among the grape vines.

Valeri was laughing so hard she couldn’t stop. The bulbasaur chuckled along with her.

“So Bulby, you gonna help me catch my new pokemon?” she asked once she regained composure.

Bulbasaur nodded, he already acknowledged her as a friend.

“Bulba Bulba bul?” Bulbasaur asked.

“Don’t worry of course I’ll take you back to Ashy boy,” she said kindly and rubbed the pokemon on the head.

Bulbasaur lay down beside her.

“Nah you can’t take a nap now we got a pokemon to catch then I’ll let you sleep for as long as you want ok?”

Bulbasaur nodded, and pulled himself to his feet.

They wandered through the grapes, noticing that the further they got to the springs the more lush and juicy the plants seemed to get.

By the time the grapes looked fit to burst, Valeri knew that they were close.

“Almost there Bulbs then I get to test out your skills,” she smiled at the pokemon.

His face hardened with determination.

“Alright we’re here, now you gotta help me find this legendary pokemon.”

Valeri pulled a ribbon from her backpack; she tied her hair neatly behind her head.

“I’m ready, you?”

“Bulbasaur!”

The two of them stepped into the clearing. Thick pipes stemmed from the spring, the pipes became sprinklers that were showering the grapes with nourishment.

In the centre of the rather large spring was an island and on the island was a wooden shrine.

“I think that’s where we need to get, I got an idea. Use vinewhip on that tree, and then I’ll climb across on your vines. Is it too difficult?” Valeri gazed with longing at the island.

“Bulba!” Bulbasaur sturdied himself.

Like earlier two thick green leafy vines shot out from the bulb on Bulbasaur’s back and wrapped themselves around a tree.

Valeri hung herself upside down on the vines and clung to it with both her arms and legs. She shimmied across the spring, the tips of her long hair cutting the water’s surface.

“You still okay there, Bulba?” she called from upside down.

“Bulba…” Bulbasaur’s voice was strained as he struggled to keep from falling into the water.

“Almost there,” she reassured the pokemon.

She herself was getting tired, her muscles burned from the strain of holding on to the vine. She was exhausted and was wondering how she’d make it back.

Then a scary thought came to mind. What if she got paralyzed on the vine?

Using all her will power she began to pull herself across the vine. She moved quickly and was closing in on the shore.

She looked down, a cluster of surskit skitted across the water, zooming in circles.

The next thing she knew her back was on dry land. She let go of the vine and let out a relieved breath.

“We made it Bulba!” she cried, and waved a hand at the pokemon.

Bulbasaur shot its vines at the tree again. Instead of recalling the vines it allowed itself to be pulled by the vines.

Like a bullet Bulbasaur came flying across the spring. Valeri’s eyes widened as she caught the pokemon in full flight.

The two of them crashed against the ground, both pretty winded.

Valeri turned to see if Bulbasaur was okay. The pokemon’s eyes were crossed and it looked pretty much out of it.

“Oh damn! Now how am I going to catch this pokemon?” Valeri muttered. She picked up the pokemon and pulled some smelling salts out of her bag. She held it under Bulba’s nose. Instead of bringing him into conscience the salts knocked him out.

“Cheap junk,” Valeri threw the small bottle back into her bag.

She carried Bulbasaur out of harms way and then pulled a rope out of her bag.

It was definitely a good thing that she’d learned many knot tying techniques as a young girl. If she didn’t have Bulba to help her she could just help herself.

She walked over to the shrine and examined it. Inside the shrine was a watercolour of a pokemon. Despite the fact it was done in watercolour it was in vibrant colours. The background was blue, and the pokemon in the centre was serpent like, with bright decorative colours, it was extremely beautiful.

Valeri smiled when she saw it. The pokemon wasn’t so much legendary as it was rare and beautiful.

She noticed movement in the corner of her eye. She felt it before she saw it, a powerful torrent of water caught her in the stomach, and she fell into the water. The thick smooth coils of the pokemon, Milotic, curled around her body.

Valeri reacted quickly and slipped her body out from the bind of the pokemon. She executed a handstand on the pokemon’s body then landed lightly on land. She picked her rope up off the ground and jumped at the Milotic. The pokemon lunged at her; out of reflex she punched it.

“Ooooaaah,” the Milotic cried out.

Valeri could see it was angry now.

Milotic suddenly put its fan like tail in full view. It slowly began to spin its tail in a hypnotic fashion, gradually picking up speed.

Valeri watched dumbfounded as a great wind twisted itself around the Milotic.

“Its using Twister!” Valeri cried out loud.

She was picked up off the ground and became slave to the wind. She snapped the rope towards the Milotic’s spinning tail; it wrapped around the tail but quickly fell off.

“Dammit!” Valeri yelled as she went in circles around the pokemon.

Her skin felt like it was being slashed, the wind cut at her face and body.

The Milotic suddenly stopped the Twister attack, and Valeri crashed to the ground. She couldn’t move, her body was in shock. The Milotic advanced, it seemed like a shadow of death.

In her head she was content, Vale was not far from her reach now.

Valeri could feel a warmth on one side of her body, it burned slightly but she couldn’t move her head to see what it was.

Then a thick black smoke clouded her already foggy vision.

Valeri heard the unearthly melodic scream of the Milotic through the smog.

Then she heard a thud, and another blast of heat.

The smoke slowly cleared away to reveal the heaped body of the Milotic; it was still alive but mildly burnt.

“Cyndaquil?” a small black mouse like pokemon was gazing into Valeri’s eyes. It was sitting on her chest.

She was in so much pain she couldn’t even lift her finger.

“Find…Ash...” she mumbled to the pokemon.

“Cynda?” the pokemon asked.

“Just…go…please, he…has a…Pikachu,” she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the pain which she found worked better than trying to focus on anything else.

The cyndaquil slid off her chest.

She heard it walking to the shore, and then surprisingly she heard a splash and the steady strokes of an experienced swimmer. This was confusing since cyndaquil was a fire pokemon and fire was weak against water so the cyndaquil should’ve be dead.

It would have to be extremely powerful to withstand the water.

And that was when Valeri found her new pokemon.

Ash and Pikachu were lying under a tree, eating candy bars and generally being completely lazy.

Ash was still pissed off with Valeri, he had his arms folded, and refused to say anything to Pikachu.

Pikachu on the other hand was content to nibble candy in peace, he was used to Ash’s temper tantrums.

“I wont let her get away with this,” Ash mumbled furiously, he was practically growling.

“Pika pika,” Pikachu said, in a bored sort of voice.

“Maybe you’re right buddy,” Ash said and patted the pokemon on the head.

The two of them looked out over the hedges, in hopes that Valeri was coming back.

Instead of the longhaired girl they saw a spiky haired boy, his hair had a maroon streak as it fell into his face, and he had sharp grey eyes.

He passed right by them without noticing.

“Who is that?” Ash asked.

“Pika pii!”

“Yeah how would you know?” Ash sighed, and then got up.

“I can’t wait around here forever, I want my Bulbasaur!”

Pikachu climbed up Ash’s back onto his shoulder, it flashed the peace sign.

“Yeah lets go!”

“Pika pika!”

Cyndaquil zigzagged through the thick brown roots, he crouched under low-lying grape vines, and he climbed over rocks and wandered around in circles.

He was finding that finding Ash was more difficult than it seemed.

“Quil,” he slumped down on the ground.

It was then that Cyndaquil saw a boy, he had a pikachu with him, and it was balancing on his head.

“Cynda!” Cyndaquil squealed, he ran at the boy, displaying a blast of fire to attract attention.

The boy turned and the pikachu hopped onto the ground.

“Cynda, Cyndaquil,” the fiery pokemon cried.

“I think we’d better follow it,” said the boy.

Valeri tried to sit up, her back was a burning agony, it seemed she’d fractured her spine.

She let out a painful breath.

Her thoughts were on Vale alone. The Umbreon haunted her thoughts, a ghostly image of a black pokemon faded in and out of her vision. Several times she saw gleaming red eyes or blinding white circles, and sometimes she even heard the strangled cry of her umbreon on its dying day.

She heard movement on her one side, and in her peripheral vision saw the Milotic begin to stir. Then she heard a groan and recognised it as Bulbasaur.

“Bulba…saur?” she tried to get the pokemon’s attention.

For a few moments she heard nothing then she felt the leathery skin of Bulbasaur.

“Bulbasaur?” the pokemon asked, it cocked its head to one side.

“Get my…bag,” she twisted her face in pain.

Bulbasaur retrieved the backpack, and laid it down beside her.

“Capture Milotic…red pokeball,” she muttered.

Bulbasaur stuck his head into the bag and drew a standard pokeball. It swung its head and tossed the pokeball at Milotic.

The infrared in the pokeball activated, and a red beam engulfed the pokemon.

The ball closed and for a couple of seconds it rocked from side to side, the centre of it glowing with a ruby light.

Then it stopped and the light faded.

“Bulba!” the Bulbasaur leaped in the air.

“We did…it,” Valeri said, happily but her voice was strained.

She was alerted to the sound of running footsteps; she heard the sound she’d been waiting to hear the entire afternoon, the shrill squeal of a cyndaquil.

“Ash… you finally made it,” she murmured, finally she’d be rescued.

She closed her eyes, and Bulbasaur lay beside her.

“Alright, come on out Gyarados!” the boy cried, he threw a pokeball and a monstrous sea dragon rose from the waters, its mouth gaped wide open revealing four huge teeth.

The boy grabbed Cyndaquil, and the Pikachu climbed on the boy’s shoulder, the three of them mounted the gyarados and crossed the water in three strokes.

Cyndaquil dismounted first and rushed over to Valeri, it jumped on her chest like before, and licked her face.

“Thanks,” Valeri mumbled, she would’ve stroked the pokemon had she had the power to do so.

The boy got down off the gyarados, his pikachu followed.

“Ash…it took you awhile…did you…get lost again?” She asked with a touch of humour.

The boy leaned over her.

“You’re not Ash,” she said in surprise, it sent twinges of pain down her back.

“Yeah I’m Arken, your cyndaquil led me here, it looks like you need some help, what happened?” the boy said all this while examining her.

“My spine…twisted,” she said.

“Damn, it’s gonna be a job getting you up,” he said and picked a pokeball from his belt. “Luckily I have a plan.”

He opened the pokeball and a pink, egg shaped pokemon appeared, it had its hands pressed together, and a placid smile on its face.

“This is Lucky, she’s pretty skilled when it comes to nursing.”

“Chansey!” Lucky chirped, it stroked her arm.

“So do you wanna go through with this while you’re awake or do you want Lucky to put you to sleep?” Arken said while rummaging through his backpack.

“Anything… as long as I get off of… the ground.”

“Okay but prepare yourself for pain,” he said and extracted a medical aid kit from his bag.

“I’ve been through…worse,” she tightened her jaw, as Arken wrapped bandages around her bleeding arms.

“Then you got it real bad,” Arken muttered while applying anti septic cream.

“I enjoy it,” Valeri said.

“Alright you aren’t allergic to eggs are you?” Arken asked.

“Nah…bring it on,” she said, and she smiled.

“Lucky, use Soft-Boiled,” he commanded.

The egg in the pouch on Lucky’s belly suddenly began glowing; it cast white light over Valeri’s whole body. She suddenly felt content, and her whole body relaxed completely, it was almost as if good health and vitality were being injected into her veins.

Her spine suddenly felt restored.

“Unfortunately it only works on muscles and bones so all you’re cuts, scars and things are still there,” Arken said, he recalled Lucky into her pokeball.

Valeri sat up, she arched her back, everything was working fine.

“Thank you so much,” She opened her arms.

Arken waited for her to hug him in thanks but she kneeled down and hugged the cyndaquil.

The pikachu sniggered behind its hands.

“Shut up, Static,” he said to the pikachu.

Valeri picked up the cyndaquil and looked it in the eyes.

“I want you to come with me in case I get into trouble again, Cynda.”

The pokemon stared at her.

It jumped on the ground, with a determined gaze.

“I like that. You wanna fight huh?” Valeri said, she pulled a pokeball from her pocket.

“Milotic make me proud!” A brilliance of red light and then Milotic rose in full glory.

Cyndaquil jumped in the air, it catapulted itself at Milotic’s head.

Milotic dodge that and use watergun

Milotic glided effortlessly to the side, Cyndaquil went flying, and as it landed Milotic used watergun.

Cyndaquil jumped back before the water hit and used quick attack.

A blurry streak zoomed toward Milotic.

It’s a clear shot, use Hydropump

Within a couple of seconds just as Cyndaquil was about to hit its target, it was blasted back by a torrential blast of highly concentrated water.

Finish it with wrap attack

Milotic descended upon the tiny pokemon, and wrapped its coils around Cyndaquil’s small body.

But Cyndaquil was no small fry, it used overheat.

Milotic uncurled itself from Cyndaquil.

Waterpulse now!

Pulsating beams of water spewed from Milotic’s mouth, Cyndaquil used a swift attack and the water was deflected.

Wrap it again

Milotic wrapped itself once more around Cyndaquil. This time a black and silver pokeball came flying out of nowhere and sucked Cyndaquil into its shell.

For a couple of seconds the pokeball rocked from side to side, the red glow bright as ever.

Everybody held their breath.

The ball stopped rocking.

Valeri hooked the pokeball now holding Cyndaquil onto her chain. She recalled Milotic and hooked the pokeball to her belt.

“I’ll spray paint you later,” she said to Milotic.

“So aren’t you gonna name them?” Arken asked.

“Mix for Cyndaquil. Milotic is the perfect name for a Milotic.”

“Strange choices of name,” Arken mused.

“I live for strange, and thank you for tending to me,” Valeri said, and stroked the pokeball around her neck.

Arken smiled, his pikachu, Static saluted, it had a humorous personality.

“Your pikachu’s cute. You been together for a long time?” Valeri asked as they walked back to the town.

“Oh yeah me and Static go way back. We met in a seriously weird way but all the same I’ve never met another pokemon that communicates so well in battle. It’s almost as if share our thoughts when we’re in battle. And I don’t know if it’s even possible for me to have as much fun with a human as I have with this little squirt,” he rubbed the pikachu affectionately on the head.

“I had that with…Umbreon.”

Arken raised his eyebrows. “You have an umbreon?”

“Had. She’s gone now.”

“I see.” Arken cast around for something to say.

“So who’s this Ash guy?” he finally decided to say.

“Oh…him. He’s this really annoying guy with a pikachu like you, he saved me the last time I got into trouble.”

“And this was when?” Arken asked, Static was running in circles around them on Bulbasaur’s back while they talked.

“It was earlier today. This is totally the wrong day. I seem like such a damsel in distress, it’s not me at all,” Valeri smiled weakly.

“Yeah I realised that when you seemed to enjoy having your spine twisted. You know that’s really sadistic.”

“I’d rather avoid pain in most cases, but I honestly don’t mind taking it, it’s not such a big deal as people seem to make it. Focus on making the pain go away and it’s a lot more bearable,” she said, and pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes.

“Never thought about it that much,” Arken dug his hands in his pockets.

They walked in silence for much of the way. They could hear the high-pitched melody of the Roselia in the background as they came nearer to the flower fields it became louder and sharper.

They passed by the grass pokemon, and entered the town.

“So this is goodbye?” Arken said, they were standing opposite each other.

“Suppose so. I’ll see you around,” she said and walked away with Bulbasaur.

She glanced back at him and Static, they were still standing where she’d left them, and they were still watching her. She waved over her shoulder.

Static waved back enthusiastically, and Arken shook his head.

Just then they all heard the sound of running footsteps, a dark haired boy and another pikachu suddenly burst upon the scene.

“Where’s my bulbasaur?” the boy was yelling.

“Geez calm down Ash, you’re causing a scene,” Valeri said, and held Bulbasaur towards Ash.

Ash snatched Bulbasaur out of her hands.

“You could say thanks,” Valeri said as she turned away.

“Yeah thanks a lot for stealing my pokemon, where are you going? I haven’t even finished talking yet! Hey!”

Valeri shook her head, she looked at Arken who had his eyebrows raised, Static was checking out Pikachu on Ash’s shoulder.

Ash then noticed Arken’s presence.

“You’re Ash right? The annoying guy with the pikachu?” Arken asked, he had a smirk on his face.

Valeri rolled her eyes.

“Did she tell you that?” Ash pointed at Valeri.

“It seems a lot of girls think that,” Arken said thoughtfully.

“What are you talking about?” Ash asked, Pikachu’s cheeks were starting to spark.

“You ever heard of a girl named Misty? She had a lot to say about you, don’t worry she didn’t say nothing bad.”

Valeri spun around.

“Misty? As in the gym leader of Cerulean City? You know her?” Valeri asked Ash.

“Yeah she’s one of my closest friends, we travelled together in Kanto and in Johto the last time we were here.”

“And you know her too?” Valeri turned on Arken.

“Well she is my cousin,” Valeri’s mouth dropped, both these guys knew her.

Valeri thought for a couple of seconds. How many other gym leaders could these guys know on close terms?

“I want to travel with one of you,” She blurted out.

The boys exchanged glances.

“I travel alone, it’s only me and Static so it’s up to Ash,” Arken said.

Everybody turned to Ash.

“I don’t mind having someone extra on board,” Ash said slowly. “ But you’re an exception.”

“Fine,” Valeri said and walked away.

“Wow that’s cold man,” Arken took a pokeball off of his belt, he recalled Static. He adjusted the straps of his backpack then head off in a similar direction to Valeri.

He nodded to Ash, who returned it with a wave.

“Pika pii Pikachu,” Pikachu muttered, it lowered its ears.

“I’d go crazy if I had to travel with her Pika. Actually I got an idea,” Ash’s expression changed from sour to inspired in seconds.

“Let’s go find her, she must still be in town.”

Valeri was about to cross into the wilderness. It was only a little way before she got to Goldenrod City, she could make a stop there, finish some business at the Day Care centre and maybe she might take the monorail to Kanto so she could go battle at gyms for a few weeks. She also decided to take some time to visit her estates to check up on the pokemon. For that she’d have to get to Hoenn, and the other was near Goldenrod City.

She fingered the pokeball around her neck, it was a habit she’d picked up from when she had Vale, it was like she always had to release Vale from the ball around her neck so they could get up to more mischief but often people didn’t like having Umbreon in their towns apparently due to bad luck.

Valeri’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone running.

She saw Ash and Pikachu charging after her.

She held up her hand to stop them.

“What do you want?” she gritted her teeth to keep herself from saying something else.

“Do you still want to travel with me?”

Valeri sighed; she looked Ash in the eye.

“Not until you apologize.”

“…I’m sorry,” Ash, said with a hint of contempt, he lowered his cap slightly.

“You should work on that but sure I’ll travel with you. Thanks for asking, Ashy boy.”

Pikachu giggled. Ash glared at it.

And that’s how Valeri and Ash came to travel together.

Does Valeri secretly have a crush on Ash? Who is this mysterious Arken and do their paths ever cross again? Find out in the next episode of .