From one prison to another. Ripple, Rogue, Circe and I cowered in one corner as hundreds in black uniforms poked, prodded and aggravated us. They lifted our legs, felt our muscles, clapped in front of our eyes.

I loathed their touched and cringed when they came near. Rogue tried to reassure me that nothing would happen to us until we were sold but I couldn’t take the advice to heart. My heart longed for Kathy, her gentle touch and loving words.

Amber on the other hand stalked the bars, belching flame at their ankles ignoring reprimands and punishments. She called insults across the room to other Pokemon within their cages, stirring them up. They howled and screeched and hissed invoking the wrath of our guards.

An hour or so in, a very large man waddled up. He was not dressed in the all black uniform of all the rockets, but instead a very tacky pin stripes suit. He carried with him a very fancy cane as well. This man reached in to the cage and proceeded, just as all those before him, to inspect Rogue, Ripple Circe and Myself. When he finished he grabbed Amber roughly the scruff of her neck and lifted her to eye level.

"Is this the only Vulpix?" He asked to guard without turning his head to look at him.

"Yes sir, Mr. Gulton. That is the only vulpix we have at percent." The guard answered.

"Pity. I guess then I will take this whole lot." He said as he dropped Amber, "Please move them over there with the rest of my purchases." He gestured towards a corner of the room where three other cages of pokemon stood. The guard nodded and pressed a small red button on the wall behind the cage. Our prison slowly began to rise into the air. It then glided over the heads of the uniformed rockets to be set down next to the three other cages.

Circe whimpered, sliding back and forth across the floor as the cage swung to and fro. "I don’t like this, I’m ganna be siiiick!" she moaned.

"I don’t feel crash hot either," gagged Ripple. She covered her head with her paws and closed her eyes, trying to black out the swaying.

"Shut up, you all brought this one yourselves," snapped Snap. He sat in one corner glaring at me. I ignored him, the twisted little turtle. I would have had him if the stupid human hadn’t stopped us first.

The conveyer belt shifted and halted with a jerk, making the two Eevee’s gulp. Rogue lifted his head from his rough and blinked at the sunlight as did I. Amber growled as more and more Rockets bustled left and right, recalling Pokemon into Pokeballs and throwing them into boxes.

One stopped in front of our cage, studying the receipt. "We gawt another lawt for Gultawn!" he bawled across the room. Six balls were chucked to him and we withdrew into the shelter of our homes.

It was hours later when we were released again. We had been into large cages. I was in with Amber, Rogue, a ponyta, and a charmander. I worried about Circe, who was in the cage across the room that only held 2 other eevees, but at least I didn’t have to deal with Snap, who was currently being picked on by his cage mate. an Aquatro.

I suddenly turned my attention to a human that had just entered the room. He was physically the complete opposite of Dario. He was at least as wide as he was tall, maybe wider. Small watery blue eyes dotted his face and greasy black hair lay flat on his head. This could be none other then the son of the pin striped man. He was stuffed into a white rocket uniform.

"Now listen up. From now on you will call me Master Gulton. You will do as I say or you will pay the penalty." ("You’d have to catch me first lardo." Amber growled.) He turned to the cage that held Circe. "I ain’t got no use for baby pokemon. Babies are weak and useless; every one of you will evolve. I’ll start with you three; you’ll make a suitable Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon." He pulled out three evolution stones and waddled over to the cage and held out the three stones.

Circe literally spring boarded off the other two to be the first one in line. With out hesitation she touched the firestone. Her body glowed and grew, her tail got bushier and a mane of fur encircled her neck. When the glow faded she stood was a beautiful Flareon. The other two followed suit and were transformed into a Jolteon and a Vaporeon.

"I like your spirit, Flareon." Master Gulton smirked, toying with the tuft

of hair on her head. Her ears waggled back and forth with pleasure, though Rogue and I glared at him with doubt. He may be nice to Circe, but what about us?

"Your gonna rest tonight, then we're going to train first thing in the morning. I'm not going to be like that pathetic boy who called himself a trainer. A well content Pokemon works harder then a malnourished one. You will have significant rest time but in return I ask you do exactly what I say when I say. I may be a Rocket but I am fair. Do you hear me?"

"Flare!"

"Jolt."

"Vaporeon?"

"Essssssssp."

"Vulp."

"Houndour."

"Nine."

"Aquatro."

"Pony."

"Char."

We looked at Snap expectantly. It sounded like a good deal until I could figure how to outsmart the boy who was just one big pimple. I flicked my tail and growled at him. "Take it or we'll all suffer."

"Why should I care what happens to you!" He sneered. "I already had a good deal going."

I sighed and trotted after the other canine like Pokemon. Soon we were lead outside to a mesh cage, fairly spacious with fresh water and shelter. It would suffice.

"What do you think, Rogue?" I asked as I lapped up some water.

"Sounds better then what we had. Emphasis on the sounds." He replied as he stretched and lay down on the grass.

"So do we cooperate?" I asked lying down next to him. He didn’t answer straight away, but instead though about it.

"Might as well. All else fails it would make Snap look bad." He sniggered.

"I for one am not cooperating with Master Glutton." Amber chimed in.

"Come on Amber," Rogue pleaded, "at least give him a chance."

"Excuse me" A timid female voice broke in. We turned to look at the source. It was the ponyta from earlier. She was standing at the edge of her enclosure, looking into ours. "But why is cooperation even an issue? As pokemon isn’t it our duty to do as our master tells us, no matter the task?"

"First master kid?" Rogue chuckled. The ponyta nodded a reply. "What’s your name?"

"Celerity."

"Well, Celerity. Let’s just say, I hope you have better luck then we had." Rogue’s words seemed to confuse the horse. She looked as if she were going to ask for clarification, but instead asked:

"What are your names?"

"Cerburus."

"Amber."

"I’m Rogue, the Espeon is Ripple, and the Flareon is Circe."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she neighed gently, clopping his hooves.

"What do we do here?" Rogue inquired. It was obvious Celerity wasn't too comfortable around the large carnivore.

"Uh, I, uh, let a master on my back. We ride through the fields and chase other Pokemon back here." I thought carefully on this. Herding, they herded Pokemon here, but for what?

"Sounds like fun!" Circe leapt.

"Don't worry, you'll be with us too. Most of you are dog Pokemon." I mused on these words again.

"When? And what does being a dog have to do with it?"

"Tomorrow morning, and you, uh, chase them into a group and uh, bring them here too!" Celerity nickered cheerily. I think she was glad to have company.

"What about you two?" I asked the new Eeveelutions that had joined us.

"We just got here too dumb #$&@." The Jolteon spat. "How the $%^& are we to know what we are to do." He kicked a dirt clod at Circe as he trotted away.

"Well. He’s pleasant." Amber purred.

"You’re one to talk." I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"I must apologize for my brother’s behavior." The Vaporeon sighed as she looked at her feet, "He has always wanted to be a Flareon, but your young friend beat him to it. He has also never taken kindly to second place." She paused. "But to answer your question, I believe we are here to control the pokemon that are not weak to fire types." We all stared at the Vaporeon and her retreated brother. The stark difference in personality leaving us all speechless. Celerity was the first to break the silence.

"Work starts early around here. We better get some sleep." We decided to take her advice. Amber, Rogue, Ripple, Circe, and myself curled up and went to sleep.