[X] My Assistant

[Dragon Maiden]

Drowning within the folds of the bright pinkness of Moo Moo Land, Aussie slowly made her way back to the group. Thoughts of what the boy had said assaulted her mind like a pack of ravenous dogs. Stopping, she instinctively reached into her bag and drew out Sandman’s pokeball. Letting the weight of it rest in her hands, she gently rubbed her fingers over the smooth plastic of the pokeball’s exterior. “Where did you come from?” Aussie silently wondered aloud.

Examining the exterior of the pokeball with a critical eye, she almost believed by wishing hard enough that the Pokémon inside would cough up its secrets. Questions danced around in her head like an annoying tune that won’t stop playing. Her grip on the pokeball tightened as she considered what may have happened to Sandman to make him the way he was. Closing her eyes, she reminisced about the moment she had caught him just yesterday. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

It looked as if it was about to run and Aussie knew this was her only chance. She slowly and cautiously reached for her bag, making no sudden movements that would scare off the already frightened Pokémon. She reached in and pulled out a pokeball and then threw it as fast as she could. The ponyta looked suddenly frightened at the quick movement and turned to run away, but it was too late. It was suddenly enveloped in red light and then it was gone. The ball fell to the ground and started to move. Aussie hoped the Pokémon wouldn't escape... she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch. The whole wood was silent, nothing moved.

Aussie slowly opened her eyes and looked at the pokeball and sighed with relief when she saw it was no longer moving and was unbroken. She walked over and picked it up. The moment was surreal. She had just had her first battle... if accidentally hitting the intended target because her Pokémon was frightened about being bit in the rear end could really be considered a battle. She suddenly felt more tired then ever. It had been an exhausting day... and there was still more to be done.

Shadow came whimpering up to her feet. Aussie looked down and kneeled beside her. The rattata, who to Aussie's amusement turned out to be Bully, was still firmly attached to Shadow. Aussie grabbed the rattata and slowly pried it off before setting it on the ground. Bully looked at them both and chattered its displeasure to both Shadow and Aussie before promptly disappearing back into its burrow. "No more hiding in burrows for you Shadow." Aussie said to her.

"Swine?" said Shadow while looking up at her. Aussie smiled and took a potion out of her bag and sprayed it on Shadow.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine after a good night sleep... though it may take a while for you to regain your dignity after an attack like that." Aussie thought that was pretty funny and started to giggle to herself.

"Hoot." Aussie looked back down at her bag. Mimic had woken up and was watching them curiously. "Well I thought it was funny..." muttered Aussie.

Mimic only glared at her. Aussie stood up and returned her attention back to the pokeball in her hand. After a moment's hesitation, she opened it. In a flash of red light, the ponyta appeared again... but it was asleep? Rather conveniently actually. Aussie sighed with relief inwardly that she wouldn't have to deal with a frightened ponyta that was trying to run away.

She slowly crept toward it, but it seemed sound asleep. Aussie stood right beside and after a minute got the nerves to touch it. The ponyta did not react at all. It continued to sleep obliviously. The ponyta must be exhausted. Aussie examined the ponyta closer. The ponyta appeared to be a boy. She wondered if having a boy Pokémon was any different then having a girl one, because that was all she had ever had. Her examination only confirmed that the Pokémon was too young to be without a mother and that he was in terrible shape.

She stroked his sides for a moment, wondering at the bones that stuck out of his thin body at all angles. She was consumed by worry. Why had she been able to catch him? If he had been living in a human habitation and already been caught by someone shouldn't the pokeball she threw have had no effect? He was obviously unclaimed, but why would someone put a bridle and saddle pad on a Pokémon they didn't own that was too young for any sort of riding? Obviously he also hadn't been well cared for either. She wished for answers, but also realized she may never find them.

She should head back soon. The others were probably wondering where she was and she had a lot of work to do tonight. She would have to feed the ponyta, clean him up, and cool him down. After so much exercise he would need at least a few minutes of walking to give his muscles time to loosen up and relax... and how was she supposed to clean him? Obviously she couldn't just dump a bucket of water on him because he was a fire type. All she had was her fingers. She combed her fingers over his dirty coat and they became covered in dirt and mud. There was no way she could clean him up with just her fingers... and what to feed him? Aussie didn't have any milk or formula at the moment, but he was obviously starving and should be fed soon... And he needed a name. That was something she could handle at the moment. She stood there for a moment considering and it came.

She looked at the ponyta, sound asleep in the middle of the forest caked in dirt and mud... "Welcome to the team Sandman." She whispered to him. She silently looked at the bridle he was wearing. She silently unbuckled it and let it fall to the ground. The person who had him before had tried to control him with pain and force, but Aussie was determined she'd find some other way. Aussie imagined Sandman waking up and panicking again. The thought gave her a headache. How was she going to control him? She turned back toward the direction of the camp... maybe she could get Spencer and Waker to help her with Sandman. Spencer seemed to know a lot about breeding and they both had experience handling crazed Pokémon because they were taking care of shadow Pokémon.

The thought of his dirty coat, unnatural skinniness, and obvious panic still made her shiver. Could this Pokémon somehow be connected to the supposed “less then legal” activities that the boy had said were rumored to be undertaken by Tammy? Was Sandman somehow connected to some other illegal activity? Of he was what would that mean for her? Would someone come after her demanding to take Sandman away to be tortured and beat like a worthless workhorse? These worries made Aussie forget the others. Sitting by the side of the trail, she took out her notebook from her pocket and her pen from behind her ear. Scratching furiously, she made a list of what she already knew. Her notes went something like this:

1. Sandman was not fed properly.
2. Sandman was not treated properly.
3. Sandman is panicky and hard to handle. Is that his personality or a product of mistreatment?
4. Although he was wearing a bridle and saddle pad at the moment I found him, I was able to catch him. Was he previously owned and then released?
5. All of this could only mean one thing. Something bad happened to him.

Flipping her notebook closed, Aussie’s hands tightened around her notebook. She had to make this right, no matter what. Both of her Pokémon seemed to sense her determination, because at that moment Shadow looked at her inquiringly and Mimic popped up from her pocket like a rabbit from a hat and stared at Aussie intently with her large red eyes. Gazing down at them both, she allowed her determination to become drawn into every part of her face. Her eyes were aflame. Her mouth was turned down in a frown. Fury danced like a wraith across her features. These things must be put right, for the sake of justice and for the sake of Sandman, but then realized with a start, she had no idea where to begin. Opening her notebook hastily, she flipped back to her notes and examined them. There was no real place to begin looking that was hinted in her notes. Sighing, Aussie flipped her notebook closed again and returned it to its pocket and the pen behind her ear. It wouldn’t help Sandman to go on a wild goose chase either.

Standing up, she looked in the direction of Moo Moo Land and prepared to return to the others. Adventure was waiting… but she heard the scuffle of feet behind her. Looking over, she gasped at the sight of an Officer standing there, a growlithe positioned like a waiting sentinel at her side. Aussie recognized the Officer. She had seen Officer Jenny patrolling the streets of Barley tons of times as a child, but what was she doing here? As if to answer her question, Officer Jenny held up her arm and flipped open a leather wallet. Inside was a shiny silver badge that certified that she was an officer of the law. “You are under arrest for grand theft Pokémon. You have the right to remain silent.”

Aussie froze in horror. Her mouth couldn’t move and her feet were rooted to the ground. Her first instinct was to run… but that would be stupid. That would be like waving a flag above her head that read ‘I’m guilty!’ All she could manage was a little squeak of fear. Shadow seemed to sense her apprehension because the little Swinub rubbed against her leg and started whimpering. Mimic glared at the growlithe by Officer Jenny’s side as if it were all that Pokémon’s fault. “I am going to have to ask you to hand over your Pokémon until this matter is resolved.” Officer Jenny said business like while flipping the wallet closed with a quick brisk flip of her wrist.

[KamonPeachFox]

Kamon sighed dramatically, as she walked slowly down the way through Barely's Boardwalk. She wasn't recognizing anywhere at all. She groaned, as her stomach startled to rumble loudly, and she knew she would have to eat soon. However, she hated fish with a passion. "...Man, I can't find a good sushi shop anywhere..." She complained, and sat down on a barrel. Then, she had an idea. She took her brown burlap bag off her shoulders, but it caught on her arm, and she fumbled with it for a few minutes, until finally getting it off. She plopped it down in her lap, and dug around a little. Eventually her hands caught on the two "ideas."

She pulled them out, and smiled at the Poke Balls. Or to be more precise, her Pokemon. One had a blue "MM" doodled on the button, and the other had a (blue again!) "EE" on the button. She put "EE" back into her bag, and held the ball out in front of her, and moved her thumb over to the button, and felt it press underneath it. She smiled as the red light appeared, revealing a Mudkip that looked at her for a few seconds, then looked away, and seemed to summarize it's surrondings. She had to hold back laughter as it headed over to a puddle.

"Kip?" It stared at the puddle for a second, then turned it's back on it, and poked the puddle with his tail, the water sloshing it a little. "Kip!" It gasped, and began to say it's name multiple times, "Kip, kip, kip!!" The trainer was amused by it's childlike behavior, and giggled softly. The Mudkip turned and saw his trainer cracking up, "Muddd?" It whined, not liking being a source of amusement, and waddled over to her.

"Sorry, I know, I know..." She stopped giggling, and smiled at the young Mudkip. "Mieu, you're hungry, right?" She asked, and the Mudkip nodded and turned in a circle. "...Well, I am too. I assume you want to eat sometime before we leave?" She asked, and the Mudkip blinked at her somewhat annoyed tone, then decided it wasn't with him, and nodded again. "Well, I'm going to assume you can tell the difference between all the fish here?" She asked, and hopped off the barrel, causing it to fall over and startle some nearby Wingulls. Mieu was extremely confused now, but nodded again. "...Then go out there and find us some good sushi!" Kamon nodded, "I mean, they have to have SOMETHING good out--" But the Mudkip was already gone.

"I know I gave you an order, but you could at least stay here until I finish speaking..." Kamon sighed, but smiled and turned to face the ocean.

Kamon Symphonia (Profile)

[Douken Sota]

Douken stretched as he was off the boat, back onto stable land when he pulled out a Pokeball of his before letting out a Croagunk. He still didn't risk letting out Seel because of her over-friendliness. "C'mon Croagunk, let's see if we can find a map and plan where to go from there." The poisonous frog nodded and the two walked around, looking for a store to get a map. However, what they saw first was an officer accusing someone of stealing another Pokemon. Slightly curious, the duo hurried along to the scene to try and see what was going on.

"Umm, excuse me, Officer? May I ask what is going on?"

This post has been edited by Douken Sota: Dec 5 2009, 03:11 PM

[KamonPeachFox]

Mieu, the Mudkip, was walking around the numerous stalls, it's head high in the air, sniffing out any fish. However, there were many fish stalls, and it could not differentiate which one was which without looking at them and sniffing. "Mud..." The Mudkip groaned, for yet again, there was no good sushi at this stall either. The Mudkip jumped down and continued walking. But then a waft of air hit his nostrils. "Mud?!" It gasped, for THAT sure smelled good. So good... that it wanted it right now! The Mudkip ran over to the stall it assumed was the sushi, and stared at the food. Before thinking, it began scarfing down the food.

"Hey! Where's your owner!?" The stall keeper jumped up. "Hey! Anyone here own a Mudkip?!" He shouted, then Mieu looked up, and gasped realizing he might have just gotten his owner, Kamon, in a LOT of trouble. But he couldn't just let his half-eaten sushi go to waste... He grabbed the sushi in his mouth, then ran off. "SOMEBODY STOP THAT MUDKIP!" This caused everyone's heads to go up. The store owner jumped started to chase the Mudkip. "COME BACK HERE, THIEF!!" The Mudkip chewed while it ran, causing little pieces of sushi to go flying.

====

"Myahhhh... What IS that commotion?" Kamon turned back to face the crowd, curious as to what was causing such dismay. "...I hope Mieu's OK..." She sighed, considering going to check. "...But then again, it could just be a Pokemon battle..." She sighed, trying to convince herself those were cries of attacks, not of panic. "...Although if it is, I might want to go watch..." Then she remembered that Mieu might get lost, he had a horrible sense of direction. "...But..." Then she covered her face with her palm, "Ugh, THIS is why you haven't gotten anywhere. Stop being so indecisive!"

[Xal]

Once Malcolm had left shop he examined his new pokegear. He wasn't entirely sure how to use it, but everyone else seemed to have one and they all thought it was useful. He'd also stocked up on berries and kept them in the backpack he bought. He slipped the blue pokegear into his pocket
"Come on you two, no need to stay inside now." He said as he released Pidgey and Pichu from their pokeballs. Pidgey flew up onto his shoulder and Pichu started walking by his side.
"Where to now then..." he muttered, clicking the pokeballs back onto his belt. As he did so he was suddenly met by a loud rumbling. The three of them looked to the sky and wondered is a storm was approaching, but the weather didn't seem that bad.
"Well, I don't know about you two but I'm hungry. Let's go find something to eat." Malcolm said, realising it was only his empty stomach. The last time he'd eaten was when he had a small amount of food on the SS Lynnette, and he'd been strolling around Barley for hours since then.
"Pichu!" Pichu shouted, always eager to lead the way in search of food. She sniffed the air and started marching forward.
"All right, but please stay out of trouble." He begged, knowing that the only thing she liked more than food was chaos.
"Pi"


A short while later they found their way to some stalls.
"Eurgh, Pichu, did we need to come here? You know I hate this fishy smell..." he moaned. "No offence, Fishy." He said, looking down at his third pokeball. He still hadn't found out what species of pokemon Fishy was, and was unlikely to until they found water again. He hadn't released Fishy at all since he had caught him on the ship.

Malcolm was suddenly startled by a massive commotion ahead of them, followed by shouting.
"COME BACK HERE, THIEF!!"
"Oh great Pichu, what have you..." He asked, instinctively believing Pichu was at the source of the chaos. She usually was, after all.
"Pichu!" She interrupted, offended at the suggestion she'd be the one causing trouble. She hadn't even left his side.
"Ok, I'm sorry Pichu. I guess you're innocent for once." He grinned. "Or maybe not..."
Pichu might not have caused the problem, but she was taking advantage of it. As the stall owner ran off the stall after the pokemon, Pichu darted forward towards the plates of sushi.
"No Pichu, come back!" He shouted and started running after her. "That's stealing!"
Pichu just ignored him and leapt into the air and onto the table, and less than a second later began scoffing down food. Malcolm grabbed her and held her tightly as she tried to squirm away, then grabbed some money from his pocket and pushed it onto the table.
"Pichu, you can't just steal people's things!" He gasped, shocked that she'd do something like that. She was mischievous, but not a thief. "The least we can do now is help him to make up for it. Let's go see what the trouble is." The two of them ran after the stall owner, and Pidgey started flying forward.

[Dragon Maiden]

Aussie's eyes were as large as plates when the officer demanded she hand over her Pokémon. Her first instinct was to scream 'No!' and dash away. She wouldn't be able to stand it if she was separated from any of her Pokémon with the possibility she may never get them back. The thought alone made tears come to her eyes and a throbbing pain come to her chest. Shadow was acutely aware of her trainer's discomfort. In an adorable attempt to cheer Aussie up, Shadow started trying to climb up Aussie's legs into her waiting arms. As Shadow sniffled, Aussie couldn't help smiling the least little bit. This would all work out. She had done nothing wrong. Soon the officer would realize this was all one huge mistake. Nothing would separate her from Mimic, Shadow, and Sandman. For now, it was best to obey authority and do as asked.

Quietly, Aussie withdrew her pokeballs from her bag. Pressing the button on each, she watched as Shadow and Mimic both disappeared in a blaze of red light. Finally, she lifted the three pokeballs up in her hands and held them out in the officer's direction. "Here you go officer, but I swear I haven't done anything wrong."

Officer Jenny didn't reply. In response to Aussie surrendering up her Pokémon, she nodded briefly to her Growlithe who loped over and looked expectantly at Aussie. Quietly, Aussie set her Pokémon on the ground. The Growlithe picked one pokeball up in its mouth and trotted back to Officer Jenny. It set the pokeball at her feet and quickly trotted back to retrieve the final two. Just as the Growlithe set these two at the Officer's feet there was suddenly a boy who appeared on the scene.

"Umm, excuse me, Officer? May I ask what is going on?" the boy asked.

Aussie wished she could ask much the same question. She was just as confused about the situation, if not more so, then this boy. She was the one accused of being a robber. She didn't even have the guts to steal a pack of gum from the grocery store. She turned her gaze to the boy. Her look was pleading and desperate, as if he was somehow capable of resolving the situation. She knew he had no power to stop it, but she was desperate for any way out, any at all. Deep in her heart she wished with all her might that this blonde boy could save her, but she also knew that was impossible.

The officer looked over at the boy and gave him a sharp warning glance. "I'm going to have to ask you to step away sir. This is police business. I'm apprehending a possibly dangerous criminal."

Aussie had thought it impossible, but her already pale face turned whiter at this comment. Had the officer seriously just called her 'potentially dangerous'? She was 'potentially strange', 'potentially clumsy', and 'potentially unpredictable', but she was far from 'potentially dangerous'. Even her Pokémon were laughable. Shadow became scared at the drop of a hat, Mimic was just plain grumpy, and Sandman was too young to be much of a threat to anyone.

This post has been edited by Dragon Maiden: Dec 6 2009, 01:01 PM

[Douken Sota]

"A dangerous criminal?" Douken repeated, glancing at the officer then at the girl whose eyes were full of tears. "That looks more like scared than dangerous. I mean, if she was dangerous, would she be crying right now and given away her Pokemon willingly? She has not ran and I am sure talking about what is going would be an easier solution for both parties."

He then turned to the girl and knelt on front of her, asking her, "Do you know what you have done?" he asked, curious on what kind of information she had that could of caused this. Luckily, he learned some traits from customer's at his parent's breeding home, and some of them were Jenny as well. Always having a question on hand, he learned a few things from them.

[Dragon Maiden]

Aussie watched with large eyes as the boy approached her. It was nice to feel that she didn't have to be the only one in this situation who believed she was innocent. It felt great to have someone defend her innocence, but when the boy addressed her directly, her natural shyness held her back from speaking. Trembling, she looked down at her feet for Shadow, her cute little ball of reassurance. Of course she wasn't there. Aussie looked back up at the Officer and then the boy and just started shivering with the force of her fear and confusion. She felt like a young child again who had become seperated from their parent.

"This is no joke boy." Officer Jenny said. "There has been a substantial growth in the number of stolen Pokémon in this area recently. It’s not my job to question, its my job to arrest. The girl will be questioned at the police station. It’s protocol. If this is really a big misunderstanding then it will be worked out there and that will be the end of it. I'm only doing my job."

As she said these harsh words though her eyes softened a little bit as she saw how Aussie was shivering like a leaf. Smiling, she nodded her head and said "If you didn't do anything wrong then there is nothing to worry about. We'll get this situation cleared up quickly, but for now my orders are to take you into the police station. I can't disobey orders. There’s nothing to worry about. If you are innocent, you'll be free soon enough. May I ask you to come quietly until we have this situation resolved?"

Aussie couldn't help relaxing at this. It really was only a big misunderstanding. Everything would be better soon. The police wouldn't blame someone innocent. Taking in a deep breath, she allowed herself to stop shivering and calm down. Soon she would have her Pokémon back. Soon she would be free again. There was no need to worry. Still beyond the use of words, she nodded yes in reply to the officer's comment and then turned her attentions back to the boy. She found the voice to mutter "Thank you."

Officer Jenny looked once more at the scene and then turned to address the boy. "If you want, you can come along too. We have a waiting room where you can stay until we figure out this mess."

Officer Jenny turned to her again and gave her a soft gentle look. "If you don't mind, I'll need to see I.D."

Aussie nodded and quickly reached into her bag. Rummaging through her pockets, she finally located her trainer's license and offered it to the officer. The officer took it and then examined it silently. "You're sixteen? I'm afraid that means we'll have to contact your legal guardian then."

Aussie paled once again. She would have no idea how her aunt would react when she learned that she had been arrested.

[KamonPeachFox]

Mieu continued running, getting excited, but at the same time rather scared once he noticed that other people had joined in the chase. He knew he needed to find Kamon, and FAST. He neared a turn, but then gasped, "Mud!" It was a dead end! "KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!!" It wailed, and turned around to face what would soon be his captors. "Kip, kip!"

===

Kamon jolted as she heard the wail, and looked around, it sounded like it was coming from the east. She jogged over there, and tapped on a boy's shoulder, "Excuse me, what's going on?" She asked, worried that something had happened to her Mudkip.

[Douken Sota]

Seeing her go pale, Douken gave a pat on the back to the girl, telling her, "No worries. We will make sure everything is taken care of. Things are just a little confusing, but if we give it time, they will be cleared up. Don't worry."

When he was offered to come along, he said, "If it wouldn't be any problems, sure. And if you need to, I can prepare some food for the Growlithe..."

[Dragon Maiden]

"It’s no problem in the least." Officer Jenny said with a sincere smile. "As for the Growlithe, she’s on a very special diet. It’s specially designed for our police Pokémon, but thanks for the offer."

Aussie smiled as she saw the Growlithe sit up proudly at the mention of her name. She barked with excitement and her tongue lolled out of her mouth. This Growlithe seemed to enjoy being discussed, and she also seemed to enjoy her job very much. It made Aussie happy to see a Pokémon love their trainer and their job so much. She wondered with curiosity what the Growlithe did as a police Pokémon. It certainly would be an exciting job. Her curiosity was peaked as she instinctively reached for her pad and paper. As she realized she was just about to take notes, she looked down sheepishly and returned her pen and paper to their proper places. Now wasn't the time for observing. There was still a very serious matter to clear up.

In a whispery voice Aussie built up enough confidence to address the officer. "What happens now?"

The officer smiled at Aussie and said somewhat jokingly "First we show you the way to the sheriff’s office. No need to be afraid. As long as you come quietly I won't put the handcuffs on."

Aussie paled once again at that last comment. This whole situation was too much already, but if handcuffs were thrown into the ensemble it would be a perfectly unbearable experience. She would have to hide her face in shame for the rest of her existence. "I'll be a good girl. I promise."

Suddenly, in a quick shift of mood, Aussie laughed at her own pathetic joke. Hysterical laugher bubbled up in her throat as she became caught up in her own strange sense of humor. Somehow this whole situation had turned from frightening to hilarious to her in the blink of an eye. Even as she was racked by her own laughter though something felt hopelessly wrong. There was no Mimic here to berate her for laughing at something only she found funny. Suddenly it was all too much.

Having another sudden course change in her emotions, she wondered at herself as she felt tears streaming down her face. Why did she have to be so strange? Why couldn't she think and act like a normal human? As her emotions continued their tumultuous turning, something her aunt said to her came to mind. 'You my dear are like a montage of colorful emotions. You aren't just one thing. You try to be them all.' Aussie's sobs reached a new pitch. She certainly was a montage. Her aunt wasn't too far from a montage herself. Perhaps the Winters family was just born to be strange.
A stray memory popped to mind.

Aussie sat curled up on her Aunt’s lap. Of all things, her Aunt was wearing a clown nose. Aussie couldn’t remember why, but she expected such strange things from her Aunt. She just wouldn’t be her Aunt without the strangeness. It was a part of her, like a foot or a finger. It was impossible to separate her Aunt and strangeness. Snuggling up into her Aunt’s lap, she sighed and looked up at the clouds. They were in all sorts of fantastic shapes and sizes. Aussie wanted to grasp their feathery whiteness with her childishly pudgy hands. “Are mommy and daddy up there?”

Her Aunt froze as she heard what her young niece had said. As most children did, Aussie sensed that she had broached a topic that wasn’t to be discussed. Tears clouded her eyes as she started to apologize profusely between her body racking sobs. Her young frame shook with the force of her sadness.

Her Aunt smiled and hugged her gently, enveloping her in a cocoon of love. Aussie’s sobs became quieter as she sniffed the familiar scent of her Aunt. Her Aunt smelled like a mixture of pine needles and burnt macaroni and cheese. It was a strange combination to say in the least, but it suited her Aunt in that way. As her final sob died into the awaiting air, her Aunt stroked Aussie’s hair gently.

“You did nothing at all wrong Aussie. It’s natural you would have such questions. I’m sorry I don’t have the answers though. I wish I did.” Her Aunt whispered to her gently.

These reassurances were enough to lift Aussie’s spirits considerably. She smiled a dazzling smile at her Aunt as she slid off her lap and stood up. Before she could blink she was caught up in a childish fantasy of unicorns and handsome princes. She danced across the grass, playing with invisible creatures only her mind could see. The whole time her Aunt watched with intent interest. “You my dear are like a montage of colorful emotions. You aren't just one thing. You try to be them all.” Her Aunt said.

Aussie stopped her cavorting and looked at her Aunt. “What do you mean by that Mom?”

Her Aunt merely smiled and laughed before saying “I mean a lot of things Aussie.”

[Douken Sota]

"Let me guess, the formula mainly comes from the Day Care over on Fidona? If so, that is my parent's recipe and I know it very well."

When they were told to follow her quietly, he nodded and patted the girl's back, most likely breaking her from her flashback and said, "Cmon, let's get this all straightened out..." And as they followed, the Croagunk followed by his side.

[Xal]

Malcolm sprinted as fast as he could, struggling to keep up with the two pokemon.

"Sorry sorry sorry!" He kept saying every few seconds as he bumped into somebody or knocked something out of their hands. There was quite a crowd growing, and he didn't have the luxury of flying over people like Pidgey or the agility to dance around them at lightning speed like Pichu. It was after a few minutes of this chaos that Malcolm realised that the stall's owner was nowhere to be seen, and hadn't been since they started chasing.

"Stop you two... do you have any idea where we're going?" Malcolm asked. Pichu stopped and turned round and Pidgey landed facing him.

"Well?" Their brows furrowed in concentration for a moment, then they shook their heads.

"So we've just been running for... why, exactly?"

"Pi!" Pichu answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Malcolm rolled his eyes and sat on the ground. He was coughing and panting, but the two pokemon didn't seem bothered in the slightest by their useless journey. Getting sidetracked and forgetting (or, as Malcolm suspected, simply not caring) what they were supposed to be doing was second nature to them. They were both much fitter than him, even a light jog left Malcolm feeling half dead. He tried to cough away the pain in his throat and stood up, just in time to see a pokemon and a few people run past.

"I guess we're not the only ones who fancied a run." He managed to say, summoning Pidgey back onto his shoulder.

"Excuse me, what's going on?" someone behind him asked, tapping on his other shoulder.

"Oh? To be honest, I have no idea any more... All I know is there was someone chasing a thief for stealing their sushi, so maybe that's what's going on here. A sushi stealing pokemon though?"

This post has been edited by Xal: Dec 9 2009, 03:02 PM

[KamonPeachFox]

"Oh? To be honest, I have no idea any more... All I know is there was someone chasing a thief for stealing their sushi, so maybe that's what's going on here. A sushi stealing pokemon though?" The boy said.

Kamon sighed, "Do you know what direction it went off in?" Kamon asked, then when he shot her a confused look as to her interest, she explained, "I sent my Mudkip off to find some food, but it seems it may of misunderstood my command." She shook her head, "Ugh, now Mieu's gonna get me in even more trouble..." She muttered under her breath. A few more people ran by, and some looked like trainers. "Man, all I wanted was some food..." She sighed, then noticed the boy was about to speak, and she stopped her rambling.

[Dragon Maiden]

Aussie managed to stifle her sobs long enough to smile appreciatively at the boy when he patted her on the back. Usually it would be cute fuzzy little Shadow comforting her at times like this, but she would have to settle for the boy's comforting. It wasn't quite the same as having her own Pokémon near her where they belonged, but she appreciated the effort. Lifting up her arm, she wiped her running nose quickly on her sleeve before standing up. When he spoke to her, she couldn't help giving him a shy little smile before she returned her gaze to the ground. She couldn't muster the confidence to speak to him. She was still deathly embarrassed at the prospect of being arrested, even if she knew she was innocent.

Finally, they left the clearing and headed off towards the police station. Aussie shuffled along slowly, trying her best to draw out the moment until she would find herself face to face with a jailhouse, but as she thought more on it a strange sort of excitement bubbled up inside of her. When would be the next chance she would have to see the inside of a jail cell? This was just another adventure just as the trips she had gone on with her Aunt had been. Perhaps she would learn something exciting while she was here. This road could only lead to somewhere better and exciting.

At these thoughts, Aussie perked up considerably. She was also excited for another reason. She would be reunited with her Aunt. It had felt like ages since she had last seen her, though technically it had only been a day or two. The first thing she would do was smother her Aunt in the biggest hug she could manage and then talk her mouth off. She was just as capable of talking her mouth off when she wanted, just as she was capable of keeping it shut when she was scared or a bout of shyness afflicted her.

The streets passed by in a blur as they walked towards the police station. The sounds of a normal day in Barely reached her ears; the sound of the ocean off in the distance, the sound of people chatting in the streets, and the sound of laughter from a nearby playground. The whole scene was so familiar and yet so beautiful Aussie couldn't help smiling. The smell of tangy ocean air also made her spirits rise higher then they had since she had been told she was being arrested. It would be the perfect day if only she had Shadow to hold and Mimic peering out the pocket of her bag in curiosity. Soon enough everything would be fine she reminded herself.

Finally they reached the Police Station. As Aussie stood rotted in front of it, she felt herself becoming scared again. It will all be over soon. she reminded herself.

[Douken Sota]

"Calm down," he told her as she frightened up again. "Remember, its only a misunderstanding. Once you explain to them what occurred, it will be over." He gave her a reassuring smile as the two entered the station, looking into a room full of Jennies and Growlithe. "I will be out here when things finish up..."

When that was said, a hyper Growlithe ran by and tripped up the male and he fell flat on his face, followed by a couple other Officers chasing after it.

[Xal]

"I know how you feel." Malcolm laughed as Pichu started intently studying someone's shoes.

"They went that way." He pointed in the direction of the rabble. "Come back Pichu, before you get into trouble as well."

Pichu slowly walked back to Malcolm, taking a moment to cast a suspicious glare at the man wearing the shoes. Fortunately he hadn't noticed Pichu's odd behaviour so Malcolm didn't say anything, just made sure that Pichu didn't go back over there.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, but she just frowned and shook her head. "Pi." She mumbled disapprovingly.

"Crazy pokemon..." Malcolm sighed and shook his head, realising she was just playing her weird games.

"Is it anything you need help with then?" Malcolm asked. "I know what it's like when pokemon get themselves into trouble." He also felt like helping since it didn't seem fair he'd get off free when Pichu had done the exact same thing to the exact same person, but he decided to keep quiet about that. It was amazing how she managed to get herself into so much trouble whilst never having any malicious intent. Pidgey wasn't as badly behaved, but still went along with Pichu's playful nature.

This post has been edited by Xal: Dec 9 2009, 03:03 PM

[KamonPeachFox]

"Sure, can you help me--" Kamon started, but then there was a shout.

"I got it!" A young boy shouted, and she turned to see a young boy throwing a Poke Ball into the air, and after a few seconds a blue blur ran past it, followed by a Grovyle.

"...Ugh, Mieu! This way!" Kamon shouted, rocking back and forth on her heels and the Mudkip ran over, and jumped on her shoulder.

"Hey! Are you the trainer of this thief!?" A person shouted.

"W-wait, it's just a misunderstanding..." Kamon whispered, but the boy with the Grovyle was already speaking.

"She must of ordered it! Get them, Groove!" The boy pointed his finger at them, and Kamon winced. It hurt to be called a thief. Especially when long ago that name fit her...

The Grovyle started to run at her, "Grrrrrovyle!" It shouted, and raised its fist which started to glow.

[Xal]

"Woah, hold on for a moment." Malcolm interrupted, taking a step forward. "She says that this is just a misunderstanding, at the very least you should give her a chance to explain her side of the story."

"Pi!" Pichu nodded agreement and scowled, her cheeks giving off small sparks. Pidgey cooed as well to show support, still sitting on his shoulder.

"Calm down Pichu, I'm sure no one wants this to get violent..." Malcolm said whilst keeping his eyes locked onto Groove and the trainer, but he knew it was a lie. Groove and his owner seemed more then just eager for a fight, and since Malcolm had no idea what type of pokemon Groove was he'd be very little help in a battle. It looked like a grass type since it was a green colour and had leaf-like appendages, in which case he knew from his studies that Pidgey would stand much more of a chance than Pichu. Even so, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been wrong and he didn't fancy having to run his pokemon over to a pokemon center. But who knew, maybe Fishy could launch a surprise attack and save the day.

"From what I've heard this pokemon took some food, is that right? I highly doubt that its owner is really a master sushi thief, training pokemon to steal food from right under stall owners' noses. I think it's much more likely that it just wandered off and fancied a bite to eat."

Malcolm tried to sound confident and in control but it was difficult, his voice was wavering and he cold feel a bead of sweat rolling agonisingly down the middle of his forehead.

"This whole thing sounds like a very large misunderstanding. Now, if you'll just calm down for a minute I'm sure we can resolve it." He added, pushing his glasses back up, which had slid down during the exchange.

[KamonPeachFox]

The boy glared, "How do you know?!" He shouted, seeming to get angrier by the minute. He seemed to be itching to send Groove into battle, but the murmuring crowds around him seemed to stop him for a second, but then he shook his head. "Besides, she looks scruffy enough to be a thief!"

Kamon paused for a moment, "...Oh, this coming from a child who has scratch marks all over his face. who hasn't introduced himself, AND sends his Pokemon to attack anything that moves? I'd say you're more "scruffy."" She scowls. "Besides, I don't steal."

"Hmph, that's just from Groove's insubordination, you're lucky I'm not using one of my stronger Pokemon! The names Timothy! And you ARE too a thief! I mean, just look at you! You look like one of those teenagers we always hear about on the news!" The boy shouted.

"...Ugh. I'd battle you to show that you probably shouldn't even be a trainer, but I'm not going to stoop as low as to harm children. Farewell." Kamon turned on her heel, and started to walk off.

"No you don't! Groove, Quick Attack her feet!" The Grovyle stared at his trainer for a few moments.

"Grooov?" It asked.

"Do it!!"

Kamon sighed, then turned around. "It goes against the Trainer Code to have a Pokemon attack a human. If I wasn't in a hurry I'd hand you in!"

"Shut up!! Stop being a sissy and fight!" The boy glared.

Kamon rolled her eyes. "No."

The boy glared at her, "You better!"

"I said no, and I mean en oh." Kamon shook her head.

"Groove!! Screech!" The boy shouted.

"...What don't you get about "against the Trainer Code"?" Kamon shook her head. "I'm not going to battle when there's a type disadvantage, a level disadvantage, AND a evolution disadvantage." Kamon sighed.

"What, are you telling me you only have one Pokemon?!" The boy scoffed.

"No, I'm just saying that I have disadvantages with my Pokemon versus yours." Kamon sighed, not wanting to waste anymore time with such a petty arguement, and walked back forward a little. "Look, Timothy, I'd be more than happy to battle you later--" But he didn't even let her finish a sentence.

"No! I want a battle now!" He whined.

"..." Kamon began to wonder how on Pokearth he was raised.