[X] My Assistant

[Master Houndoom]

It was a much, much brighter day in Arthro town when the reunited group arrived. The trip home had gone late into the night, and there was another session of sleeping under the stars followed by a poorly received early morning to make it back to the pokécenter.

Amongst the humans, there wasn’t a whole lot of talking. Reilly was silent, his brow furrowed, as if he knew something had gone on, but just what it was eluded him. It had to be a strange feeling, and it was causing him to act strangely in the eyes of his companions: He didn’t complain or grumble under his breath. He just walked along, silently, contemplating.

Tuesday, too, was quiet, but the two older teens were far too used to that to have it be of any concern. However, she, too, was engaged in a strange activity. Every once in a while, she would stare at one or the others of the older two of the group; at one point, she had reached out and touched Jaima’s wrist, just above his pokégear. When he’d looked down to see what she had wanted, he caught her staring at where her hand touched his, then, pulling away, watching her fingers. Jaima had looked at Meiko with a little concern, but both had agreed; the two had been through something that was borderline traumatic, and didn’t need a worried big brother, or teenage jokes, or a hovering big sister type. So they walked, and waited, and made sure that mother the other two did was seen as scornful or wrong.

Unless they had actually done something scornful or wrong, but there were no incidences of this to speak of.

Finally, they made it to Arthro town. Jaima arranged for the rooms, four which, if needed could be downgraded to two, while Meiko took the two youths and all of the pokemon, including Jaima’s to see the nurse.

“OK,” Jaima said, holding up the keys. “We can do this two ways: We all get separate rooms, or we can split two rooms: boys and girls. Up to you two.”

Meiko smiled at him, if a little sadly, and Jaima winked at her in response. She blushed, but if Reilly or Tuesday saw it, neither mentioned it. Jaima was being quite accommodating. In fact, the only arrangement he wasn’t about to allow was Tuesday and Reilly in the same room. Not after the kiss he’d seen them swap the last time they had arrived in town.

And since he wasn’t going to let them do it, he and Meiko couldn’t, either.

Finally, the choice was made, and Reilly and Tuesday took the keys to the rooms they had chosen and went ahead to make their way to bed. Jaima and Meiko stayed in the small lobby.

“Worried?” Meiko’s face had a knowing smile on it, and it was Jaima’s turn to blush.

“A little… It’s obvious something happened…” He shook his head. “But if I try to pry it out of them, they’ll just shrink into themselves. Right?”

Meiko grinned. “I’m so glad you’re open to learning… it would take so much longer to train you up properly…”

Jaima smirked. “Speaking of training…”

“I’ll be good!” Meiko said, biting both lips and looking, at least partially, mock frightened.

Jaima looked toward the Nurse’ station, already darkened for the night, but Meiko reached down and took his hand. “They need rest too, Jaima. We’ll be OK. And if anything happens, Mercury can get out of her ball…”

* * * * *

Nightwish was out of her ball, lounging against the shelf, sighing. Usually, by now, she’d have the gist of her newest mark. By now, she’d be planning on how to get the most out of the trainer, then leave them with a post hypnotic suggestion that would have them breaking her poke ball thirty minutes after she’d taken their food, potions, and, a few times, money.

Not this time. This time, the trainer had gotten under her skin. This time the trainer had reminded her of Nightwish’s first, when she had simply ben called Gothi. When she had been…

Ugh. She had almost said “happy.” How terribly cheesy.

But she had been. Meiko reminded her of what Cyndy could have been, had…

Cwap, she thought as the tears came. Cyndy had gotten sick, and, though the gothita was almost too young to know what was going on, she knew her trainer wasn’t going o get better.

Cyndy had had cancer.

Then her uncle ‘took in’ Cyndy’s pokémon, and made the mistake of talking to his partner about how much gothitelle could get with certain individuals. The mental pictures were almost as bad as the words.

But Cyndy… before that horror, before she had run away for the first time, Cyndy had been a good, happy, kind trainer. And now, despite her hardships and fears and other issues, Meiko was a good, happy, kind trainer, with good friends…

Nightwish felt the tears leaking down her face. gweat. just great…

There was a pop, and two arms enfolded her from behind. Nightwish tensed, but then, slowly, relaxed. You’we wucky i don’t thwow you thwough a waww.

There was no reply, but the hug got tighter, and Nightwish sighed and relaxed. Thanks, Mewcuwy…

What are friends for?

I’m just now stawting to wemembew…

[Umbrae Calamitas]

He didn't think it was fair that he had to hide.

Reilly trudged through the grass, mud sucking at his boots as he lifted his legs high to get over the tall weeds.

The runt had left with the pretty-boy and his girlfriend without a word to him, not that he had expected to be given any polite farewell from the great coordinator that was Darryn... whatever his name was. He had thought, though, that Tuesday might have bothered to tell him they were leaving.

Then again, maybe Darryn kept her from saying anything. It certainly wouldn't have surprised Reilly. Clearly he wasn't on the coordinator's list of favorite people. He didn't expect... payment or anything for helping Tuesday - that wasn't why he did it. He didn't think that he would have been practically attacked for it, though.

Part of him wondered why he was bothering to follow them.

The road was straight at this point, and why they were headed in this direction at all blew Reilly's mind, but he couldn't follow them on the road without risking one of them turning around and spotting him some distance behind. He was always dressed for a potential cross-country trek through whatever the weather threw at him, however, so taking to the grass hadn't been much of a chore.

Still wasn't incredibly fun, though, especially since he didn't see why he should have to hide.

There was a sound far ahead of him, no doubt coming from the group he was following, and Reilly tried to look to see what was happening. Walking down below the road, he struggled to climb up the muddy hill to the asphalt, but got his foot caught in the weeds and tumbled over backwards, landing on his back in a giant, sloshing mud puddle.

It was the only reason he caught sight of the creature following him.

"Poke-balls," Reilly yelled, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid a Powder Snow attack from the little pink and yellow pokemon. Tiny and way too freaking adorable to be a man's pokemon, the thing was clearly not without strength. It looked like it had blonde hair on top of a pink and pale body, pink lips puckered in a doughnut-shape.

Reilly struggled to his feet, muddy water dripping down his back and soaking through his jeans.

"Not very nice to go attacking people while they're down," he admonished, hands reaching for his pokeballs.

His pockets were empty.

Panicking, Reilly looked around him, releasing a relieved sigh when he saw three five pokeballs floating in the mud puddle he had briefly landed in. He shot forward to grab one, dodging away when the pokemon shot foward, little stubby hand smacking forward in a pound attack.

Reilly tossed the pokeball, hoping for Indiana or Phoenix. Some fire would be great right now.

The pokeball hit the ground and snapped open.

And sat there.

He barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. A vacant pokeball. Of course. Could he get a break?

"Smoo!" the pokemon yelled, unleashing another powder snow attack. Reilly lunged forward, out of the way, and grabbed two pokeballs. He tossed them both at the smoochum and landed face-first in a puddle of mud.

~*~

Tuesday couldn't move. She couldn't look away. Her whole body felt cold, even as the smell of ash and fire burned in her nose like a prophecy. She knew what was coming, but still she watched.

It was like the best thing and the worst to see Meiko and Jaima again. Here they were, perfectly fine, moving in to help other people like they were of the same mind.

She thought about calling out to them, but it wouldn't help. She thought about it, but only briefly. It wasn't worth the devastation when it didn't work, and it wouldn't work. She'd read enough stories as a child to know that you couldn't use a dream to change the past. And really, that's all this was - a dream.

A nightmare.

"Jaima!" Tuesday yelled.

The blonde-haired boy jerked his head up at the sound and Tuesday swallowed the lump in her throat. He'd heard her?

"Tuesday! Reilly!"

She watched herself run into view, Reilly on her heels, both of them out of breath. It was strange to see herself from this side, to watch like she was watching a movie as she ran up to where Jaima and Meiko were. hair tied back in a wild ponytail and face pale from fear.

"What happened?"

Did her voice really sound like that?

"A truck flipped over, and there's been a wreck," Meiko said, her hands tightened together in nervousness as her eyes scanned the wreck. There had been a mass of other cars that struck the oil tanker and each other, unable to stop, driving too quickly or just not paying attention. How many cars were there piled together?

"There's a lot of people who need help," Jaima said, hands going for his bandolier, pulling the pokeballs free and tossing them to the ground, releasing his entire party. "You two run back to town and get Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. Tell them we're going to need some help out here."

Tuesday didn't have to see the look on her face to remember the hesitation she felt, the desire to stay. There had been a churning in the pit of her stomach at the idea of leaving the others there. She hadn't understood it then, but she did now.

"Jaima," she murmured.

"We need help now, Tuesy," Jaima said, and there was an admonishment there at her hesitation, nervousness and fear raising his voice. "Go get Joy and Officer Jenny."

Tuesday hesitated a moment more, before whispering a quiet "Okay," before turning and running back toward town.

"Reilly, go with her."

She'd heard that, too, she remembered. Vaguely. Her mind hadn't been on what Jaima was saying, but trying to remember where Officer Jenny would be, and running fearful scenarios through her head. She hadn't thought of the one that had come to pass.

She watched Reilly turn and race after her, face still red from the exertion of making his way there, but it didn't slow him. He dashed out of sight and Tuesday found herself turning back to Jaima and Meiko.

Her friends seemed at a loss, looking at the pile-up and wondering where to start.

"Let's find out who's going to need the most help," Jaima said, his pokemon standing around him waiting for orders. "Mercury, see if you can detect who's conscious and able to get out on their own. If they're trapped, Grondir and Shadow can get the doors or window loose."

His pokemon took to the orders as they always did, moving forward to help where they could. Meiko gave similar orders to her pokemon depending on their capabilities, and they moved in toward the cars. Ember had to stay back, the flames on her back too dangerous to put near the oil tanker and the cars that might be leaking fluid. At the order that held her back, Tuesday found herself trying to swallow the inevitability of it all.

She saw the silhouette before any of the rest of them, but only by a moment. Jaima's head jerked up as someone climbed on top of a car that had rammed itself under the back-axel of another. The driver was unconscious... at least.

"Hey!" Jaima called, seeing them stand up on the roof. "Do you need help?"

There was no answer from the man, but Shadow had taken notice of him, as well. Immediately, he left his post where he had been trying to pull a door off of a car that a man was trapped inside. He leapt the distance over to where Jaima and Meiko were standing.

"Sir, do you need help?"

Shadow landed between the two and moved slightly in front of them, crouching low and fur bristling as he growled at the man. Jaima looked at him. He didn't have to ask.

"Your help? Certainly. I'm looking for someone." The flash of two pokeballs briefly revealed his face, deep-toned and angular, with a wide nose set above a smug grin. "That little bitch of a girl that travels with you," the collector said, hands patting the heads of the feraligatr and scizor beside him. "Where is she?"

Tuesday stared at the man, her eyes wide.

What the hell was he doing here?

[Living Arrow]

“Lyla, stop!” Darryn’s cries went unheard as the little Marill dashed towards the towering Feraligatr. Lyla, seemingly fired up by the situation had managed to get herself squarely infront of Darryn and had planted her feet firmly.

“Suika, use Play Rough!” Lyla’s cry was strong, if shrill, and her conviction carried directly through to her pintsized powerhouse who began to take on a powder-pink aura around his hands and feet.

“Aqua Tail.”

Suika threw himself from the ground, the pink glow around his limbs trailing rose-hued sparks through the air as he aimed the Fairy punches but his speed was no match for the gargantuan crocodile. Blue scales flash up and around in a neat arc, a hit to score a homerun and an early defeat.

“Switch to Defence Curl!” Lyla’s shriek was well-timed and, oddly enough, expertly executed as the round mouse tucked into a tight ball just before he was struck. High and far, Suika travelled through the air but managed not to come undone before he bounced to the ground. “Strike back with Rollout, now!”

Powered up from the Defence Curl, Lyla’s Marill took off like a shot back towards the Feraligatr.

*What?! Lyla’s timing is spot-on!?* Darryn stepped sideways, granting himself a better look at his counsin’s determined face. *Something changed in Petropolis...* He looked back to Tuesday, still cradled in Zorro’s charred arms. *But we can’t take any more chances. If he finds out what Tuesday is...*

“Suika, NO!” Lyla wailed, snapping Darryn’s attention straight back to the fore. The Collector’s fearsome crocodilian had hold of the tiny Marill by the tail, lowering him slowly towards a wide open maw rimed with razors for teeth. Darryn snatched for a Pokeball and shoved Lyla aside.

“Hart!”

With an explosion of light, Darryn’s sparkling Sawsbuck sprang from the Friend Ball into a flat-out gallop straight for the crocodile. “Horn Leech!” With head lowered and hooves throwing up dirt, the powerful cervine Pokemon slammed straight into the Feraligatr’s exposed stomach. A guttural roar erupted from the many-toothed beast as the Feraligatr was toppled, momentarily losing its grip on Suika’s bubble-like tail. With a squeak of alarm, Suika hit the dirt hard where he fell.

“Quick, call him back!” Darryn yelled at Lyla. The was a very brief pause as his cousin considered this before:

“Suika, return!”

“Hart, Jump Kick!” Darryn swiftly commanded again, his Sawsbuck thundering his hooves down onto the fallen form of the Feraligatr. The scaled beast let out another hissing scream, thrashing widely on the ground. The thing struggled to flip itself off its own back, claw and tail windmilling frantically while Hart nimbly danced out of its way.

“Get back.” The Collector’s own raised Pokeball recalled the felled beast where it continued to spasm uncontrollably. His sneer turned into an appraising smirk. “I’ll give it to ya, boy. That was a good shot, and that Sawsbuck...” His eyes danced over the glittering fur of the spring-forme stag. “That Sawsbuck is a rare find.”

“My Sawsbuck is more than just rare.” Darryn warned, edging back around Lyla to keep himself between her and the Collector.

<Ly! Now, please take Tuesday and go!>

<But what about you?!>

“I’m sure it is, I’m sure it is...” the Collector loosened a Pokeball from somewhere inside his long trench coat, “but, as I’m sure you remember, rare and special Pokemon are my speciality.” He raised the Pokeball and threw it, summoning a Scizor where the Feraligatr had fallen. Darryn sucked his teeth.

*A Bug and Steel type like Scizor has a big advantage over a Grass Pokemon like Hart.*

As though sensing his doubt, Hart’s antlered head turned sharply in his direction. Pink petals scattered from his horns as he tossed his head with defiance. Darryn was overcome with waves of confidence and urgency, his Pokemon somehow knowing exactly what buttons to push to get the best out of his trainer.

*Shouldnt this be the other way around?* Darryn thought grimly, trying to recall what attacks Hart had that could do anything to the hard exoskeleton of such a foe Pokemon. His train of thought was soon interrupted as the Collector drew something else out of his coat. An orb, set into some sort of chain was pulled out, the silvery links of metal wound around the Collector’s hand. It shone with an eerie light, a deep red that pulsated like it had its own heartbeat that resonated with the Scizor stood before it.

Darryn blinked. Not again. Not another.

*It’s impossible!*

Despite all of his beliefs that such a thing couldn’t exist and that what had happened in Petropolis had been a one-off, there was no denying what was happening. The Scizor was evolving.