Lisa the Legend: Chapter 82 - Last Night on Earth now up! (24th June 2013)

[Snakes N' Legends]

The Evolution of Quagsire? Now that is interesting. Lisa gains two new pokemon in one day (so to speak). I can't wait to see what Quagsire's next form is?

[Karania]

WHat will Quagsire look like in its new form? Come on, don't keep us in suspense!

[Gavin Luper]

Pokemasterfrank: Hi! i couldn't let Lisa lose, she deserved to win after her loss in the Whirlpool Cup. Besides, I couldn't help but do a traditional 'evolution cliffhanger'. Ah, they're so much fun!

100FangCroconaw: Of course I will! He's not invisible! The rest of the battle will be pretty cool too, some new moves and so on!

TM: Yes, two new fanmade pokemon in one day. That's a total of about 4 pokemon in this fic that I have made up on my own (Lunanine, Tentacraw, Issechu, and ...). Coolish, no? More coming soon!

Karania: He'll look a little bit similar ... but in some ways he's very different. It's hard to explain, I haven't QUITE finalised things yet. Chapter 25 still needs a bit of revising.

Cheers!

[Master Kirby]

Quagsire is evolving! Yea!

He is already one of her most powerfull pokemon. Now what is he going to be like?

It would be interesting if he turned into a Pokemon with three types. Ground/Water/Psychic?

I'm glad that he isn't beaten. I agree that Lisa needs to win a battle.

[Mew Trainer Rose]

neat chappy. it's kinda hard to picture Issechu, tho. where'd you get the name from, anyway?

[Gavin Luper]

Kirby: Yep, roll on ... the next evolution! Yes, he is one of her most powerful, even in his middle-evolved form. What will he be like next?

The three type thing ... I didn't consider that, and I haven't really given that concept a thought since I wrote that chapter with Tentacraw in it.

Yay for Lisa! Win win win!

MTR: Thanks! Long time no see! Anyhoo, I tried describing Issechu the best I could ... but oh well. As for the name, Iss was kinda like Ice (Issechu is bug/ice) and i couldn't think of anything so i just added the last bit of Pikachu onto it.

Cheers!

[Gavin Luper]

Hi guys!

I will be posting chapter 25 in a minute.

Just wanted to let you guys all know that the reader count for LTL is 14, which I think is really great. Thanks for reading guys!

Cheers!

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Chapter 25 - A Ghost of a Chance.


Morty and Lisa looked on in shock as the previous plump form of Quagsire grew rapidly, rising about thirty centimetres and widening considerably. Once the glowing had subsided, Lisa stared slightly reluctantly at her new pokemon.

It was a pastel blue pokemon with large flipper-legs. It had a large floppy tail and odd cobalt stuff – probably a form of hair – spiking out from his head. The spiky hair ran down his back to the start of his tail. He wore a cheeky grin not unlike Quagsire’s, and his eyes were small and beady. It now looked much more male, and when it spoke Lisa was both shocked and pleased to hear it’s voice was more masculine also.

“ Fiss! Fisssk!” he muttered, in a deepish voice. Lisa regarded her new pokemon curiously. What exactly was it?

Gavin and Miki were in silent awe of the new being, but with the evolution process over, Morty was back into battle mode. Lisa thought it was rude to continue immediately when her pokemon had just changed into a new, presumably undiscovered Pokemon, but she supposed she had to begin sooner or later.

“ Gengar, try Lunar Punch!” bellowed Morty at once, and the dark form of Gengar moved quickly towards ex-Quagsire’s end of the gym in response.

“ Quaggy thingy, use uh –” Lisa was unsure not only of her newfound Pokemon’s name, but also if it’s moves had changed.

“ Fisk!!” cried the creature, deciding to go on alone. It squinted it’s tiny, smiling eyes, which glowed lavender, and the raging Gengar, which was hurriedly approaching, halted in his tracks.

“ Disable …” Lisa noted. “ Cool! Go, thingy!!”

“ Fisk!”

“ You’re name’s Fisk?”

“ Fiskmire!” corrected the thing.

Lisa nodded. “ Fiskmire – now hit him with a Water Gun!”

Gengar’s shadowy form was still suspended in the field, unable to move a millimetre, it’s deep eyes wavering. Then it closed it’s eyes and glowed scarlet; the result was that Fiskmire was propelled backwards a few feet onto his inverse side, and Gengar was promptly freed of the Disable.

“ Nice Shadow Pull, Gengar,” remarked Morty, grinning lucidly.

Lisa frowned, then turned to Fiskmire. “ Use your Water Gun still, but whatever happens, dodge any attacks that come your way.” She paused. “ Retaliate if you need to.”

Fiskmire nodded, and the rally of attacks began. Fiskmire took an enormous breath in, and Lisa watched in awe as his Spiky Hairlike things swelled up. They could be used as a water-sac! Fiskmire grinned as it’s entire body swelled, and then with what looked like suppressed pain, he breathed out a powerful torrent of water, which spiralled out from it’s insides, splattering heavily onto the enemy ghost and making it look very shaken by the end.

Gavin, in the Trainer Lounge’s doorway, breathed out deeply. “ That’s not Water Gun,” he said rapidly. “ It’s Hydro Pump.”

Lisa let out a pleased gasp. “ Go, Fiskmire!”

Fiskmire whistled exultantly, turning it’s face to the sky and making a small fountain of water bubble into the air.

Morty didn’t look nearly as impressed as Fiskmire, Lisa and Gavin. “ Gengar – use Psybeam.” Then he added in an undertone. “ Retaliate if you need to.”

Fiskmire hadn’t noticed Gengar’s recovery, and was still showing off to Lisa when a jet of mauve blasted into it, knocking it over at once. Now Gengar had the chance to look proud, but he was intensely trained and wasn’t in any sense arrogant. He grinned, but stayed focused on the ensuing battle. Fiskmire had pulled itself up and was glaring loathingly towards Gengar. Without commands from Lisa it launched a jet of golden bright stars in quick succession, all zooming at Gengar, who promptly leapt into the air and missed all but three stars, which passed through him and slammed into the concrete wall on the other side.

“ I thought Swift was meant to be dead accurate?” Lisa wailed.

Miki looked on with interest. “ Gengar’s ghostly abilities must prevent it from working properly!”

From then on, the fight was similar to any wild pokemon battle – it was as though Lisa and Morty were muted, and the pokemon were duelling to the death. Gengar was shooting out beams of ebony energy, which ripped into Fiskmire, who, despite his best efforts, failed to evade them. Lisa’s eyes scanned the fight apprehensively, unsure of what might happen if one or both of the trainer’s didn’t intervene, but if she recalled Fiskmire it would automatically be a loss on her part.

Fiskmire now had his chubby hands held close together, where an orb was forming slowly. But, unlike the usual globe of light, this one was dull and brown. Lisa quickly recognised it as a spherical collection of mud. Gengar regarded the orb uneasily – in his experience, appearances could be very deceiving.

The mud bomb was promptly fired off from Fiskmire, and Gengar was hit in the mouth, getting a gobful of oozy brown mud. The ghostly black creature looked utterly disgusted with the strike made upon it, and began launching off Shadow Balls everywhere.

But Fiskmire was ready, in it’s evolved state it was marginally faster than Quagsire, and it’s legs, although flipper-like, were well-adapted for use on land. It leapt into the air, dodging beams and weaving through them as countless ones were fired off. Gengar halted abruptly, exhausted. Fiskmire took advantage of the time, and within seconds had blasted out a vast jet of whiteness, which engulfed Gengar instantly, and with a thud it landed on the wooden panelled floor, fainted.

Morty shrugged as though it didn’t affect him, but Gavin, Miki and now Tom, who stood with a mop in his arms next to the others, cheered kindly for Lisa. Fiskmire looked worn and tired, and Lisa felt tears spring to her eyes.

She had won.

*

Lisa stared happily at the tiny, metallic badge within her palm. The Fog Badge. At last.

Her daydreams were suddenly shattered by a roaring sound downstairs. She clapped the badge into a small red-velvet case on her dresser, and ran downstairs to see the cause of the commotion. She arrived in the airy little kitchen, and saw Gavin curled into a ball on the tiled floor, his hands over his head. Above him, the Food Processor was spurting out chunks of banana onto the floor, spraying the mush all over the room.

She raced into the kitchen, braved the barrier of intense banana chunks splattering at her, and flicked off the switch. Then she turned to Gavin impatiently. “ You need this!” she snapped, holding up the lid which Gavin had placed aside on the bench.

“ It attacked me!” Gavin gasped in protest.

Tom and Miki appeared at that moment, coming down the stairs and hurling past the dining table into the kitchen, narrowly missing the bench stools. “ What’s goin’ on?” Tom burst out, but didn’t ask further questions. He saw both teens with banana spread over their clothes – and bodies. Gavin’s brown hair was smeared with banana paste – it looked awful.

Miki began to giggle. “ Gavin, you need the lid.”

“ That’s what I said,” Lisa muttered. “ Why were you making a banana smoothie anyway?”

“ For us,” Tom said, intervening. “ Me and Miki. We were just about to call you, Lisa. We were about to tell you why I called and asked for you to come home …”

“ Oh yeah …” said Lisa vaguely. Tom calling her home had almost been wiped from her mind after the entire Entei incident.

“ Then I said I’d make us all drinks while we talked it over,” Miki continued. “ Then HE-” she gestured to Gavin, standing next to Lisa with a stupid grin. “ Said he could do it. Now we all get to drink Banana Chunkies off the floor.”

“ Oh, crap!” Tom cried, as he inspected the damage. “ The food Processor’s broken – Mum’ll kill me!”

But Lisa didn’t care about the mess, or Gavin, or the food processor or anything. For the first time since Moo Moo Farm, she recalled that Tom had asked her to return there urgently. Why? She knew any minute they’d be finding out.

*

“ Oh my GOD!” squealed Lisa, leaning across the table and bumping her glass of milk interspersed with banana chunks. “ Oh – Oh my God!”

Tom smiled and Miki and Lisa hugged again, Miki showing Lisa the glittery ring on her finger. It was gold and plain, except for two leaves on the front, filled with tiny sparkling diamonds. “ I know …” Miki said slowly. “ We were gonna wait for Tom’s parents, but they’re ages away. So we told you now.”

“ Wow, you’ll be my sister in law!” screeched Lisa.

Tom and Miki had just made the announcement that they were going to be married, and Lisa was ecstatic. Miki and her were to be sisters-in-law, and both seemed delighted. Gavin and Tom were shaking hands very calmly, and Lisa wondered how they could be so formal and calm. But Tom usually wasn’t one to get over excited about things, and Gavin didn’t know them very well.

After the excitement had subsided, Tom began to talk again. “ We managed to send a letter to Mum and Dad. They’re back in Cerulean City now, so they can take a bus to Saffron and then take the Magnet Train to Goldenrod. Then another bus back here.

“ The Engagement Party is in a couple of days,” he continued. “ Mum and Dad should be back by then. You guys can come too, of course. And the kids.” He added, referring to Wes and Jean.

“ When’s the wedding?” questioned Lisa.

“ Well … very soon, actually,” Tom said. “ Mum and Dad have to go to the Ruins of Alph in January, and Miki’s parents are going to be on holidays then too … so early January sounds about right.”

Later on, in her bedroom upon her double bed, Lisa sat gazing at her dresser across the large room. She heard the distant sounds from the backyard – Wes and Jean were playing with all her pokemon, plus Kris’.

Lisa shook suddenly in her bed. Kris – where was she? She suddenly remembered – Kris’ Pokemon had been at the scene of the Entei/Anna disaster a few days ago, so she couldn’t have been far away. Lisa wildly wondered why she had never wondered this before, she had somehow taken for granted that Kris’ pokemon were found. How stupid she had been!!

There were quick footsteps, and Gavin entered, his hair dripping with water from the swimming pool outside, his board shorts creating a soaking patch on the soft peach carpet. But Lisa noticed his arms and body were dry – because of his plaster cast on his arm, she presumed. It appeared he had been dangling his legs in the pool, then stuck his head in stupidly.

“ Oh, hi, Gavin,” Lisa murmured vaguely, sitting up. “ What’s up?”

Gavin looked pleased that she had asked for a second, and his features lit up with his stupid grin he often gave, which Lisa thought made him look like a very irresponsible teen. Which he was, most of the time.

“ You want the good news, or the bad?”

“ Bad,” Lisa said quickly, hoping to have a downfall, then something good to make up for it. She briefly wondered what Gavin could possibly be going to tell her.

“ Alright …” Gavin hesitated. “ Let’s see … um … OK, um …”

“ Spit it out,” cried Lisa.

“ We kinda lost … Magneton,” mumbled Gavin.

“ What? You lost it? How – wha?” Lisa yelled, glancing around in a search for something to throw. Her eyes fell on Aipom’s sleeping form, and she picked him up instantly, as he awoke with a start, and shoved him violently through the air. Gavin ducked to the soaked carpet, and Aipom, screaming wildly, whistled past his head and with a resounding thump collided with the wall. Lisa pressed her hands to her mouth, but her sympathy for Aipom was quickly overtaken by her anger at Gavin. Her eyes darted swiftly towards the next thing – her heavy china vase that her Mother had given to her long ago.

After many yells, broken vases, and broken bones being re-injured, Lisa calmed down gradually enough to ask exactly what happened – her quick, flaring temper had subsided and left her feeling flushed and almost weak.

“ Well, we were using Magneton as a volleyball,” explained Gavin, cringing at Lisa’s piercing glare. “ Me and Wes – that is. And I spiked a bit too hard, and then at the same time Jean decided to show off Butterfree’s Gust attack, and Magneton kinda – blew away.”

Normally, Lisa would have flared up again, but she didn’t. For one, she was too exhausted from her previous outburst, and two, she had never actually been able to connect with Magneton anyhow. Had it have been Dratini who was lost, or Quagsire, or Elekid – especially Aipom – who had been lost, she would have been angry for days, and miserable for probably weeks. The only other pokemon she wouldn’t have minded about so much was the annoying, buggy Issechu.

“ I suppose it’ll be OK? In the wild, I mean?” Lisa said aloud, forgetting to be angry with Gavin. Even though she had never really liked Magneton, nor owned it for long, she still felt mysteriously empty. Gavin sat down on the bed beside her, dripping chlorinated water all over it, but she was too preoccupied to notice.

“ It’ll be fine,” he reassured her, then jolted away uncomfortably as she placed an arm around his soaked neck. He shifted away quickly, uncomfortable and feeling very awkward, suddenly very aware that he had no shirt on.
“ Wanna hear the good news?” he murmured quickly, becoming gradually redder.

Lisa nodded, sitting up and trying to forget about her ‘loss’.

“ Your Mum and Dad rang from Goldenrod – They’ll be here in a couple of days.” He said. Lisa sat up, feeling suddenly very cheerful. It had been almost two months since she had seen her parents, and she was really happy at the prospect of seeing them again.

“ That’s really great –” she began, but Gavin broke in loudly.

“ There’s more – Kris just rang on your Pokegear. I answered – sorry – but she said she’s at the Pokemon Centre downtown, and wants to know if you’ll come and see her. The trainee Nurse there said we came and picked up her pokemon.”

“ Jean has them –”

“ I know. We need to get down to the centre straight away.”

“ But Tom and Miki are out, and they have the car -”

“ I know. I kinda have an idea …”

*

Lisa and Gavin landed with a heavy thud on the cement outside the Ecruteak Pokemon centre. Lisa was breathless, and Gavin looked incredibly excited. Butterfree and Issechu, both looking proud and pleased, dropped carefully to the ground.

“ That was really well flown, Butterfree,” Lisa commented, patting it’s bright wings gently.

“ You too,” Gavin said stiffly to Issechu very unconvincingly. Lisa had insisted that if they were to fly to the Pokemon centre, she would take the dependable Butterfree, while Gavin clung for dear life onto the somewhat ‘dizzy’ Issechu.

“ LISA! GAVIN!” Kris sprinted out from the glass doors of the centre, followed by a nervous-looking Nurse Joy. Kris sighted Butterfree upon the ground, and hugged it tightly, before turning to Lisa. “ Thank God you’re here! I was going crazy without half my pokemon. And then the buggy broke down again.” She pointed fifty metres down the street, where the unreliable Solar Powered Buggy was parked crookedly on the roadside, looked very beaten up. “ I found it on the route to Ecruteak.” Kris continued.

Lisa finally managed to get a word in. “ Hi!”

Kris stared at her curiously. Gavin stood staring down at the three-foot-high Issechu, it’s ugly orange head looking far too big in proportion with it’s cerulean-tinged body, no longer forming ice crystals. It’s wings beat steadily against it’s side, and it’s small feet were clinging firmly to the ground.

“ Come in, then,” insisted Joy, bustling the three humans and two pokemon inside. The indoors of the building appeared identical to how it had earlier that morning – no new customers, it seemed. Lisa released Aipom, who had been very afraid of the flight. The monkey-like creature appeared and began chasing Issechu, who instantly began sweating.

While Kris and Lisa chattered almost violently, a young red-haired boy entered the room, a surly look upon his face. Kris ducked, and Lisa suddenly recognised him as Tyler, the boy who had fought Hiro long ago in Goldenrod City.

Tyler pushed Gavin roughly as he approached the counter. Joy looked extremely nervous, and Lisa instinctively crossed the foyer to assist her. She sneaked past Tyler and slid into place next to Joy.

“ Heal my pokemon!” demanded Tyler with a smug look. Joy looked instantly indignant, but Lisa got in first.

“ Alright, Tyler,” she said sharply, using his name to bring his attention to her. He glared at her with loathing as he slowly recalled who she was, and what she had done.

------------------------------
“ Venonat, go! Use Leech Life!” Hiro yelled. A Speed Ball flew down onto the turf, and sprang open. Hiro was making an obvious mistake. His battling techniques were falling due to his anger.

Lisa spotted this at once. “ Hiro – think about your attacks!” she called. “ Don’t let anger blind you!”

Hiro looked at her for a moment, and nodded slowly, trying to blot out Tyler’s taunts and jeers from across the lawns. “ Venonat – new plan. Use… Supersonic.”

“ Veno!” Venonat cried. It squinted it’s eyes almost shut, and supersonic waves emitted from it’s antennae. They slammed into Magmar’s head, making it sway around confused.
“ Magmar – Take Down!” cried Tyler.

However, Magmar was too confused to respond. It began to beat itself with it’s arms, until it fell over in a muddled heap of flames.
“ Gaah! Magmar – return..”

Hiro leapt up and down. “ Venonat, you did it! Great!”

Then he turned to Lisa, who was smiling with her friend. “ Thanks, Lisa. I couldn’t have won that round without you.”
-----------------------------

“ You made me lose that round with Hiro!” Tyler spat, his annoyance intensifying. “ I nearly lost that entire battle.”

“ Pokemon please, weakling,” said Lisa patiently and smiling, revelling in Tyler’s fury. His face purpled, as he thrust six pokeballs into Lisa’s hands. Lisa grinned graciously, and Joy looked happily bewildered. “ They’ll be ready in ten minutes. Oh, and I suggest you do something about that rage – it can’t be good for your health.”

She grinned at him in a mock-sweet way, and he scowled at her before turning away.

Lisa strolled off to the back quarters, sure that Joy wouldn’t mind her intervening. It appeared that she didn’t, as the young teenage nurse came scuttling in after Lisa into the quick-heal room. “ That was incredible, Lisa!” she breathed, marvelling the girl as she swiftly popped the six pokeballs into the slots in the machine. She pressed a green button, and the hatch closed over the red and white balls.

“ The lesson there is to know your enemies,” Lisa grinned, realising she had quickly conquered another past conflict in one day – firstly she had triumphed finally over Morty, a thing she had been unable to do for months, and now Tyler had been almost defeated by himself. Lisa was incredibly pleased. “ Tyler is the kinda of person who can insult all he wants – but can’t stand being insulted back.”

Joy grinned back at her. “ Lisa, listen, my Mum probably won’t be back for a few weeks yet, and since I’m really struggling with this work …” she paused, and Lisa felt she knew what was coming. “ Would you like to work with me, as my assistant – or partner, more like? Don’t feel obliged, it’s just that you seem to be able to bond and get along with pokemon so much better than I do. Please say yes. Please, my career as a future nurse may depend on this.”

Lisa was tempted to point out that she was making her feel obligated by implying her entire career rested on her shoulders, but she didn’t. She thought instead, about the prospect of the offer. It didn’t take long to work it out. Slowly, but surely, she nodded, and smiled.

“ Say hi to Nurse Lisa!”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up on Lisa the Legend

Lisa might have just begun her job as a part-time nurse, but already things are becoming weird.

The man grinned, and his thin eyebrows rose. “ Oh, I’ll see you soon …” he said in a menacing tone. Lisa shivered at the threat in his voice.

Something is amiss in Ecruteak.

Miki was apprehensive. “ Listen, Joy, are you sure she’s not there?”

And everybody realises something really is wrong.

"What’s wrong Miki?” Tom asked, seeing her vague stare. “ What’s happened?”

A tingle inside Gavin’s mind … the psychic part … told him something was very wrong.

Miki rushed it out, almost frantic now. “ Lisa’s not here. Lisa’s not at the Pokemon Centre. Tom … Gavin … Lisa’s missing.”

Chapter 26 – Urgency.

[Gavin Luper]

Kirby: Don't be too upset. I won't be leaving until I finish this - which is like chapter 40 or more. This could take me until about January or February! I'll be here for a while yet.

Cheers!

Thanks, everyone, for being so patient! By the way, after deciding to add in previews after each chapter, I also altered the chapter title format from now on.

Here we go, after two weeks' wait:

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Chapter 26 - The Engagement.


“ Thank you very much sir, please visit us again,” Lisa called cheerily, waving politely after a man in a rather dingy suit. He looked out of place in the picturesque, modern Pokemon Centre.

The man grinned, and his thin eyebrows raised. “ Oh, I’ll see you soon …” he said in a menacing tone. Lisa shivered at the threat in his voice, but moments later he was grinning casually. “ Thanks again.” He called, vacating the building.

Lisa sighed; they got a few weirdos in the centre from time to time. She strolled to the back section of the centre where Nurse Joy stood fussing over a couple of Voltorbs who refused to keep up the power supply. Elekid, Lisa’s, was also there, having taken up a full-time position as a volt-eneer, as Lisa had affectionately dubbed the group of pokemon who provided energy for the building which was her workplace and had been for two days now.

“ Joy, I’m ready to go now,” she said to the very stressed looking girl. “ Don’t worry too much about them, we don’t have any Pokemon on the life support machine.” She added jokingly. Joy nodded, and left the Voltorbs inside the room, while Elekid jumped to the floor beside Lisa.

“ Thanks Lisa,” she said. “ I’ll seeya tomorrow morning, OK?”

Lisa faltered. “ Joy, tomorrow is Sunday.”

The red-haired girl looked concerned and pensive for a second. “ Oh, right, so it is. I guess I’m on my own. There’s no pokemon out back except the Voltorbs and that little Sandshrew …”

“ And Issechu!” corrected Lisa, glad that she no longer claimed ownership of the icy bug. She had handed him back into the custody of the Apprentice Nurse Joy, somewhat happier than when he left. Joy looked unimpressed.

“ Lisa, you can always take him back for a while …” she said in a pleading way, running a hand through her messy hair.

Lisa laughed. “ Have fun, Joy.” She bent to the floor and grabbed her backpack, throwing it lightly over one shoulder. Elekid trouped after her happily, knowing that he would be, on Monday, rewarded for his generous transaction. Probably with a Rare candy … Elekid licked hungrily at his lips. Rare candies were, in his opinion, the most delicious delicacy on earth.

“ Bye,” Joy called morosely from back inside, staring glumly at the peeling wallpaper. Lisa shook with silent pleasure as she thought delightedly of the upcoming events of that night. She closed the silent door of the centre, and strolled into the street. The moonlight fell in a pool nearby a vibrant green tree surrounded by low, circular brick wall which did a double act as a bench. Lisa noticed a family of furry pidgeys up in a strong brown bough, the two tiny caramel Pidgeys were snuggled beneath the sturdy, protective wings of her parent Pidgeottos.

Elekid seemed more interested in a sign at a Pizza Place a few blocks ahead, but Lisa was enraptured by the family scene. Her heart ached suddenly – it had been a long time since she could remember being embraced by her mother and father like that, all cosily at home. But in her dark worryings a bright spark suddenly lightened her mind, a spark which grew and enveloped her.

Her parents were coming home tonight …

Lisa hugged her knowledge joyfully, while Elekid jumped along happily towards the Pizza Place. He crossed the road easily, the heavy rush hour traffic had already faded away. Lisa wandered slowly behind him, picturing her mother’s warm, hazel eyes and resplendant hair; her father’s smiling face and big, strong arms. She couldn’t wait until she arrived at the train station, just near the Pizza Place, where the Fast Train would take her almost instantly to her suburb of Lavender Lake. The train station was very near her house.

Crossing the street, Lisa suddenly became aware of three things. The cold, the time, and the dark. Deciding how to remedy them all, she called Elekid, who was a good fifty metres ahead, staring greedily at the distant luminous sign. Reaching the footpath on the adverse side of the road, Lisa dropped her pack on the ground and fished around for her pokegear. She located it, and pushed the light-up button.

Six-thirty! What had happened to the time? Lisa wondered, slamming the gear back into her bag and pulling out a cobalt blue jumper. She zipped the pack up, and pulled the jumper over her head. She fitted it neatly on, glad of having fixed two problems. She glanced up the street. Elekid had vanished into the night. She mumbled angrily, hoisting her bag up again and hugging her arms to her chest.

It was dark, and she wasn’t exactly in the cosy part of town. Not that there really WAS anything to worry about, she reassured herself half-heartedly, hastening in her steps. Things didn’t actually happen in real life …

Annoyingly, Lisa knew she was only a nearly-fifteen-year-old girl, with no pokemon beside her. She wished vehemently that Aipom and the others weren’t at Miki’s dance theatre for an exercise regime. Elekid had been able to worm himself out of that one, but now he too had gone far ahead, and Lisa felt oddly vulnerable. And then a tingling thought came to her.

There were no side streets. And the street was flat, no hills to obscure her vision. Lisa’s pace quickened, as she strolled by closed shops and a house on her right. She shivered. Where had Elekid gone? It wasn’t like him to play about with disappearing acts … who knew what might happen? In big cities, no matter where, you never knew who you might see …

Something in Lisa’s memory stirred. She didn’t know why, but something at the back of her mind moved around disturbingly. Something she couldn’t quite grasp, something that had happened only minutes before … Lisa tried to take hold of the fleeting memory, but failed. She walked a few paces backwards, and then forwards again. And still she couldn’t recall.

Up ahead, there was a wide alleyway. Lisa shivered, and her mind tingled violently, willing her to remember. She halted, and gasped.

No side streets, but an alleyway.

Elekid had disappeared.

Lisa shuddered, and began walking past the alley leaving a wide berth. Then her mind clicked. “ Oh, I’ll see you soon …” he had said in a menacing voice. That was it … her memory …

Halfway across the span of the alleyway, Lisa glanced furtively down to see if Elekid was hiding, crouching behind a dumpster or anything. There was a sudden swish, and a thud. Lisa’s eyes goggled as a strong hand grabbed her arm, the other approaching her throat, but she was too late to save herself.

Her shriek reverberated into the night.

*

“ She’d better be here soon,” moaned Gavin, sitting bored on the couch, no longer interested in the elite four battle, live, on the Lounge room TV, in which an obese boy was duelling with Will. Wes still seemed rapt, his eyes fixed on the constant footage of Xatu and Persian countering attacks. Gavin scratched fruitlessly at the plaster cast on his arm, and wished the next four weeks were already behind him. His arm was feeling weaker now, and using his left hand for everything made him even more clumsy than usual.

“ I reckon,” Tom said numbly, watching even more bored as Xatu pummelled Persian with a psychic. “ Although,” he added slyly, glancing sidelong at Gavin. “ Why do you care?”

Gavin’s ears pricked up, sensing Tom’s slyness and the way in which he said it. “ What?” then, without waiting for a reply. “ I’m bored. When she gets here we can go. I THINK.”

Tom grinned, revelling in Gavin’s awkward response. “ I’m not stupid …”

“ Me either,” replied Gavin testily.

“ Then we’re both OK.” Tom said slowly. Both whipped their faces to the TV, then both boys turned slowly back to face each other. Tom spoke. “ I can see it.”

“ You can’t,” Gavin said automatically. Then, he slapped his head in annoyance. “ Um … what can you see?”

“ That you’re in l–”

“ TOM!” bellowed Miki from the kitchen. Tom turned at once, and raced obediently into the kitchen. Gavin sunk, sweating, into his chair. Thank God that hadn’t gone any further …

Tom arrived with a screeching halt into the kitchen, to see Miki standing, almost overbalancing, with Aipom coiled around her arms, shoulders and head. He held a bottle of Maple Syrup in one hand, and Miki’s hair with the other. She had a pained expression on her face. Tom stared in astonishment and amusement as Aipom drank slowly from the bottle.

“ Get off!” he snapped, aiming a backhanded slap at the purple monkey. At that moment, the syrup bottle dropped to the ground, and Aipom released Miki totally. She wobbled, relieved and shocked, as Aipom suddenly gained the ability to fly, and began bouncing off the walls, literally, leaping from the bench to the table to the wall to the door to another wall and finally out of sight into the Lounge Room.

The betrothed couple breathed relief in unison, as a shout echoed from Gavin. “ Get off, you damn monkey! Stop – ow! That’s my ear!! Aaargh!”

Tom rushed off to sort things out. Miki turned back to the kitchen, and at her half-cooked roast in the oven. “ Hurry,” she willed it, as the phone began to ring shrilly. Miki turned to pick up, but there was a quick “hello” near her shoulder, and Jean the 10 year old stood there. After a moment, she clattered the receiver onto the benchtop.

“ Who is it?” hissed Miki.

“ Nurse Joy,” Jean said vaguely, suddenly walking away from the phone and back into the hallway near her bedroom. “ She wants Lisa, and Lisa isn’t here, so …”

Jean left uncaringly, and Miki picked the phone up. “ Hi – Joy?”

“ Lisa? No that’s not –”

“ This is Lisa’s sister-in-law to be,” replied Miki. “ Lisa isn’t here right now.”

There was an abrupt silence on the phone, broken only by the shouting of both Gavin and Tom, who were whining at the hyperactive Aipom about ears, noses, broken arms and certain unmentionable things …

“ She isn’t?” asked Joy.

“ No,” Miki replied firmly. “ And she’s not there either, is she? So she must be on her way …”

“ It must take a long time then,” began Joy. “ Oh, hang on …” Miki waited patiently on the other end of the line, and after a few seconds there came yells of “ No, Issechu!” and “ Sandshrew, stop that!” and “ Ugh, I need a coffee.” After a minute or two, Joy returned. “ Where was I?” there was a moment’s silence. “ Oh yeah, Lisa left at about twenty past.”

“ It’s almost seven now!” exclaimed Miki, checking the wall clock. “ She’s been gone for almost forty minutes.” She paused. “ It takes ten minutes to the train, three minutes on the train, then five minutes home …” she added up in her head. “ So she’s done something with her extra twenty two minutes.”

“ Any seconds with that?” Joy replied with much sarcasm.

“ Thirteen,” shot back Miki. “ Listen, Joy, are you sure she’s not there?”

“ Yeah, I’m not stupid,” she replied. “ Oh, damn, I spilt the coffee …”

After yet another pause, Joy returned online. “ Well, I hope she’s OK,” she said, annoyed at Miki but genuinely concerned about Lisa. “ Tell her to call me when she’s home. Don’t worry, she probably just stopped for Pizza or something. Seeya.”

“ Bye,” said Miki, hanging up.

She entered the lounge to break the news. Tom and Gavin were on the floor, their faces screwed up in pain. Gavin was looking almost dead.

“ What’s wrong Miki?” Tom asked, seeing her vague stare. “ What’s happened?”

A tingle inside Gavin’s mind … the psychic part … told him something was very wrong.

Miki rushed it out, almost frantic now. “ Lisa’s not here. Lisa’s not at the Pokemon Centre. Tom … Gavin … Lisa’s missing.”

*

Lisa’s fearful eyes blinked as the strong man stood before her, a black, swirling cloak swimming at his ankles. She now recognised him as the man she had offered service to that same evening at work. She suddenly found herself wishing Gavin was with her, or Aipom. Even Kris would have been welcome, for companionship rather than to help Lisa escape the terrifying situation.

The man stared at her with a cold, piercing glare, one filled with evil. Lisa noticed hatred glimmering in his eyes. While he glared at her evilly, Elekid struggled in his rubber cage. Furious at being trapped so easily, he wished his eyes had been focused on what he was doing rather than where he was going.

After a long silence in the dark room which led off the alleyway, their capturer spoke in a menacing voice. “ You probably won’t remember me,” he said slowly, walking slowly.

Lisa strained fruitlessly against her bonds against her wrists and ankles. She didn’t know why. “ I do remember you, idiot! - you came in to the centre a few minutes ago!”

He clicked his tongue impatiently. “ I didn’t think you would remember.” He crossed the dingy room, cloak trailing behind, rippling fluidly. “ And I was right.”

Elekid’s plugs sizzled furiously, as Lisa regarded the black-clothed man curiously. What was he on about? She mused, observing his calm, unruffled appearance. She had just said she did remember him, what was he playing at? He grinned, enjoying her confusion. He allowed the confoundation to draw out before he took hold of his cloak and ripped it away, throwing the black garment onto the concrete floor.

Lisa, crouched on the floor, gasped, her wrists throbbing but her astonishment overpowering her pain. Before her stood a man clothed entirely in black , except for a scarlet ‘R’ emblazoned on his shirt.

“ Oh, how original, a Team Rocket member,” drawled Lisa, unable to communicate her shock any other way.

The man swept over to her and grinned. “ Still don’t remember me?” he asked. “ Well, I’m here for a very good reason. Namely, to kill you.”

Lisa was blank with shock.

“ You might as well know everything then,” he began. “ You ran into me once, in Goldenrod City.”

At these words, dozens of images shot through Lisa’s mind as she remembered Goldenrod City. A troupe of stubborn Heracross, a weak Caterpie, a couple of friends, Hiro and Kris, Aipom going hyperactive back in a café, Gavin, the receptionist, the radio tower, Lunanine, at that time the ‘black beast’. And then, in between these pictures, Lisa recalled …

-------------------------------------

“ Here we are again.” Lisa said to Aipom, who was swinging on her shoulder. “ The Radio Tower. Hopefully there’s a lot of people in here who know about Legendary Pokemon … especially Suicune.”

Just before Lisa could enter the tower’s sliding glass doors, a man in black appeared from behind a corner building, and pushed her roughly over. She stumbled but recovered, and then turned to face him. He was clothed totally in black, and had a menacing look on his face. “ Oy, kid. Watch out where you’re going.”

“ Me? You ran into me!” Lisa argued quickly, as Aipom spat out at the man. However, the girl was slowly backing towards the doors of the Tower.

The man shrugged angrily. “ Just stop snooping around, kid. We’ve got enough problems without you.” He began to leave, when suddenly, a very odd look crossed his face – something like stunned surprise. But when he turned, Lisa was gone.

She had thought the man’s behaviour was pretty bizarre, so she sidestepped swiftly and sprinted through the electronic glass doors, and entered the busy radio station tower, escaping the shady character before he got any closer or any more annoyed.

-------------------------------------

“ I remember now …” she said slowly. Then her stunned, dopey state faded away, leaving a frowning, indignant girl. “ You’re part of Team Rocket. I should have known then.”

“ Yes, well, you may or may not know, but I’ve been tracking you down for a while. For the first few weeks I was unable to do much …” he paused. “ Then, in November, a friend of mine – my boss, actually - Joseph Sterling, I doubt you would have heard of him … he heard from a ‘friend’ of his of you. I met his friend, and thanks to some notes he had, I learned some things about you. Other things that were useless … I didn’t care what the Professor had to say about Pokemon …”

Lisa’s mind was whirling. Was she hearing all this? It seemed so … she sighed, confused, petrified and lonely, her pack pressing into her back, something hard poking into her. Abruptly, she thought something had fitted into place. “ Professor Oak?”

“ Oak? God no. This man was blustering and stupid. He went by the name of Westwood.”

Lisa shivered. Suddenly, things really did slot into place. More images and people whirled through her mind. She had told Westwood a lot. He had notes with him on her – and of course, the notes on Lunanine. They were the notes mentioned by the Rocket. Joseph – she had heard it before, but where?

Seemingly thousands of questions bounced on the walls of Lisa’s mind, rebounding and inflicting the notion for basis of countless more questions. The questions seemed to make a web of confusion for Lisa. Nothing was making sense anymore, none of it. Lisa wanted the Rocket to go on, to explain things more. She had to understand, her thirst for knowing grew ravenously.

Then, suddenly, the man appeared bored. “ That’s all. Or shall I say, that’s all you will ever know.”

He reached into a pocket, and produced a small, but very deadly, shiny black gun. He raised it slowly, until it was pointing at her heart. At the back of her mind, Lisa was reminded of Anna’s death, one which she had narrowly avoided seeing, thank God. And now, she would be joining her, unless …

She had to play for time. “ Why are you killing me?” she asked. It sounded so stupid, so unreal, that if the situation had not been more serious and life-altering she may have laughed, or at least deigned a smile. But the rocket looked amused.

“ Well … I actually should not have come.” the man replied. “ But I suppose it is for the best anyway. You knew, even before now, that Westwood was in the Whirl Islands with his supposed friend Joseph. The same Joseph of Team Rocket. Through Westwood, we learned that he had already told you where he was going. And I thought you would soon connect the Joseph Sterling, executive Team Rocket member, who was suddenly being mention on news programs over the country, with the same one as Westwood’s friend. We had to be sure that our activities were never discovered …”

“ Activities?” Lisa questioned, trying to shuffle so as to remove or dislodge the item in her pack. It was inside the bag, and was very hard and solid, poking through to discomfort her. She shuffled again. “ But I didn’t work it out, any of it. Why are you trying to kill me?? You say you were looking for me before that.”

“ I was,” the Rocket said. “ But I can’t tell you why. Not yet. I wouldn’t be allowed to. He’d kill me…”

“ Who?” began Lisa, playing for time again.

“ Nevermind. You will be killed now,” smirked the Rocket impassively. “ However, your Elekid may prove useful for us. We shall keep it.”

His finger travelled towards the trigger, as though in slow motion. Lisa watched, terrified to her very soul, and cringed, curling up in the fetal position. Suddenly, the uncomfortable item in her bag dislodged, and fell to the bottom of the pack. There was a small tinkling sound, and Lisa suddenly knew what it was. She had a feeling she knew it’s purpose, but was unsure.

The Rocket had dropped the gun to his side. “ What was that?”

Lisa knew what to do now – it might save her. She jiggled stupidly on the floor as much as her restraints allowed her to, the Crystal Bells clinking together, volume increasing. But somehow Lisa was sure that they would be heard no matter how quietly they rang.

She sensed help coming, she felt a sudden brightness nearby. The Rocket sensed something wrong too, and knew help was coming for the girl. He raised the gun, and pulled the trigger …

… as an incredible, enormous, life-giving beam of energy shot through the wall, blasting through the Rocket backwards and knocking the gun away. The bullet, only a foot away from the cringing, terrified Lisa, halted suddenly, as an intense radience of azure overcame the weapon, making it spin . The rocket shook his head as he lay dying on the concrete, blood beginning to spurt out.

In the gap behind Lisa in the wall, Suicune shone, a powerful aura glowing around him. Lisa stared in utter relief. He nodded to her, and her roped bonds melted away as though an acid was breaking them down. Deep marks remained in Lisa’s wrist, but she didn’t mind. She was alive.

Lisa could hear people’s voices … Gavin’s, Tom’s, Miki’s, others’. Coming closer … but not quite near her.

In extreme relief, Lisa passed out, inky blackness enclosing her. But somehow, she didn’t totally lose consciousness. Or maybe she did? Somehow, either way, Suicune’s voice came to her, calm and reassuring.

//Lisa Walters, relax now. I have stopped the danger – for now. You must rest. I will take care of all that matters. I shall see to it. My friend Raikou will help me. As for you, you will be perfectly safe.// There was a pause in the godlike voice. // I will most likely see you again soon … tomorrow …//

*

When Lisa arrived home, escorted by many police officers and the newspapers and TV News, all of whom had managed to write up a report on the incident – as much as Lisa could tell them anyway. Tom, Miki, Wes, Jean and Gavin had all questioned her rapidly and looked very concerned. After an hour or so of talking, they decided not to tell their parents about it all upon their arrival. However, Lisa fell asleep, exhausted, and her mind cluttered, before her parents returned.

After a thorough sleep, Lisa awoke at 11am, to find her parents in the household. She hugged them, and chattered non-stop to them for half an hour or so. From the way her mother hugged her more tightly than usual and by the steely glint in her father’s eye, Lisa could tell that they had been told, via Tom’s excessively large mouth, about last night. They greeted Aipom happily, who seemed to recognise them. Mum explained that they found him in Mt. Moon a few days into their expedition. So they sent him to Lisa.

Kris visited later that day and was introduced to the entire Walters Family. She explained that she had found a way to pay Lisa and Gavin back for returning Growlithe, Misdreavus and Butterfree safely.

“ My buggy’s right outside,” she had said with a grin. “ Feel free to use it. It’s yours now, for good.”

She hadn’t stayed much longer, but said she really didn’t mind giving them the buggy. Lisa, though, in turn said she could of course keep possession of Vulpix, and Kris thanked her profusely. But afterwards, Lisa thought she had seen a glimmer of relief in Kris’ shining eyes after she gave her buggy to them, but Kris never said anymore about her prize from a couple of weeks ago. She then announced that she was heading east of the city, to Mt Silver. She announced that she was to compete in the Johto League in a week or so.

“ I didn’t know you had collected badges!” Lisa cried, after Kris had explained she had eight.

Kris smiled. “ I liked to keep quiet about it,” she grinned, pulling a pouch from her pocket. She tipped the eight badges into her hand and grinned. “ I’m going to evolve Jigglypuff before my battles.”

“ Good luck, I wish I could see you battle,” Lisa smiled.

“ Me too, I hope you win,” Gavin winked, trying to shake Kris’ hand with his unbroken left arm. After a tangle of arms, Lisa and Gavin said their goodbyes, and Lisa bid her ex-pokemon, Butterfree and Vulpix, farewell. Then, Kris was gone.

That night was the night of Tom and Miki’s engagement party. Both disappeared to Tom’s room after five o’clock that afternoon, and Gavin and Lisa spoke with Lisa’s parents for an hour or so while waiting for the guests to arrive. The day was mainly filled with lazing around the house, laughter and talking. Gavin took a liking to Lisa’s parents, they seemed very natural and relaxed.

At six, Lisa’s Dad and Gavin went outside and set up a few tables. Tom and Miki had invited a few relatives and quite a few friends from the gym, and dance theatre, over for an engagement dinner in the family’s immaculate garden. Mum left Lisa in the kitchen, preparing countless dishes, no thanks to Jean, who spoilt the quiche, while the 40-year-old woman bustled outside re-re-raking the smooth green lawn.

Lisa found herself, at eight, sitting under the stars that night at a small table, where Gavin, Wes, Jean and herself were meant to be seated. Wes had disappeared up a tree to spy on Tom talking to his mates, while Jean eyed the plastic-iced cake on a separate table hungrily.

“ I don’t know any of these people,” Gavin moaned at Lisa, dropping pasta over his clothes and trying to manouver his fork with his unskilful left hand.

“ You aren’t meant to,” replied Lisa, spearing a couple of Tortellini and placing them neatly in her mouth.

Gavin watched in near-admiration. “ How do you do that? I keep messing things up – they always fall down … your Mum won’t mind about a couple of Tortellini on the grass, will she?”

“ Better pick it up anyway,” Lisa said, throwing a sidelong glance at her mother, who was hastily scooping up insignificant pieces of pastry that had broken off a mini-sausage roll much earlier. “ And anyway, I’m eating with my right hand … yours is covered in plaster.”

Gavin made another futile attempt to eat the sauce-covered stuff with his left hand – he dropped it onto the grass again. Lisa rolled her eyes, wondering how somebody could be such an idiot, and stood up. She crossed to the other side of the table, and picked up the fork. “ I’ll do it,” she sighed, poking a couple of the small pasta onto the fork. “ Open up, spoonfed baby.”

Gavin opened his mouth, and after a couple of stabs in the gum on Lisa’s part, he managed to eat the Tortellini. “ Thanks.” He wiped his mouth. “ That’s basically the first thing I’ve eaten since … the remains of the quiche.”

Lisa giggled, and searched around for Aipom, doing her routine check for him. He was swinging up in Wes’ tree, attacking the spying boy vehemently. She left him to it, and turned back to Gavin, who was pleading for more food. She ‘forked’ over some more pasta, and he munched gratefully.

“ Thanks again Lisa.”

“ Welcome …” Lisa looked into his eyes. “ Although you don’t deserve it,” she teased, jolting the next forkful of tortellini away from his mouth as he went in for the kill. “ Um, want a drink?”

“ Wine would be nice.”

“ There’s some wine over on the other table. We weren’t given any – I don’t think Mum and Dad want Wes and Jean to get hold of it. Be right back.”

Lisa slipped off furtively, returning stealthily after a minute or so with a large bottle of wine, half-empty. She took hold of Gavin’s glass, poured some, then poured a small amount for herself.

Before either could speak again, there was an enormous crash from near the tree. Lisa and Gavin’s heads both swivelled, expecting to see Wes and Aipom landed on the ground, exposed to Tom and his mates. But as they looked, they found that Wes and Aipom were still woven in the branches, although looking terrified. Everyone in the garden was staring at an overturned table, paralyzed with fear. There was a sudden sparkle, and Suicune appeared within the depths of the garden.

Lisa and Gavin exchanged serious looks, but only Lisa thought she should have expected this. Suicune had said so.

Some people ran towards the household, but suddenly Suicune breathed out a heavy blue mist, and it engulfed the garden rapidly. Lisa and Gavin ducked under the table, as the mist washed past them, inches above their heads. When they were sure it had passed, they stood up.

Everybody was still standing, frozen in time. It was a chilling experience. All around the garden, people were frozen in the exact position of when Suicune’s Mist had overtaken them. One of Tom’s drunk friends was in mid-air, diving fully-clothed into the pool. In the midst of it all, Suicune spied Lisa and Gavin.

//I am not surprised you two were able to escape this// Suicune said, telepathising thoughts into their minds. // You are much more experienced//

“ We are?” Gavin said loudly. “ Suicune, what have you done?”

Suicune seemed unsurprised at this outburst, too. //It’s just a diversion//

“ What?” Lisa cried.

//I’m sorry, but we had to do something. You weren’t as ready for what you were needed for, obviously. Last night showed that neither of you … hm, anyway …// Suicune said all this calmly, his coat rippling fluidly, bright as ever. //You won’t notice a difference after this.//

Lisa was feeling quite afraid now, but Gavin looked determined. Suddenly, there was a clatter from the house, and Gavin’s own backpack went sailing though the air, arcing over the entire scene. Lisa, Gavin and even Suicune stared at it in wonder. It plopped neatly into the pool, which seemed unaffected by the timefreeze, and sank instantly, all the pokeballs – and the Sacred Ball – floated outwards.

Gavin went to snatch the pokeballs up, and ran to the poolside, as all pokeballs opened. He shut his eyes against the flashes, and then re-opened them, seeing Natu, Staryu, Girafarig, Ditto and Lanturn all paddling around. The Sacred Ball had drifted a fair way.

Before Gavin could grasp it, the ball flew out of reach, and back to Suicune. He stared at it with glowing eyes, and suddenly a beam of blue shot out from his eyes to the ball. As Lisa and Gavin watched, it was sucked into his eyes, and then, the ball shot back out again, looking exactly the same. The Sacred Ball rolled over the grass, and Suicune spoke. //Goodbye// and dissolved into thin air.

Instantly, as though the magic miasma had shattered, the life drew back into the people and guests at the party. There was a splash and a drunked cry, and everyone continued with the party as it had been left off before the crashing of the table.

Lisa and Gavin exchanged deep, nervous glances.

*

“ We’ll be back soon.” Lisa promised, hugging her mother again. “ A couple of days, that’s all. I just really want to get to the bottom of all this Suicune stuff.” She faltered, choosing her words carefully. Her parents still, luckily, did not know about Lisa travelling the country while they were away. Lisa had managed to convice them she had caught all her pokemon in parks and lakes around the city. “ I saw it one day in the park, and last night, and again today. I just want to find out more about it.”

“ Are you sure you want to go?” Mum asked, her eyes welling with tears at having to farewell her daughter the day after re-meeting her.

“ Positive. Gavin and Aipom will keep me company.”

Lisa jumped into the driver’s seat of the rickety buggy. The early morning sun teetered behind a foothill to the east. Lisa strapped herself in, detached Aipom from her head and made him hang from the horizontal bar behind her, and waved goodbye. She started the motor, and backed out of the driveway. Gavin sat next to her, waving violently with his left arm.

“ Goodbye guys!” called Tom and Miki in unison, snuggling together.

“ Seeya!” Wes called. “ Bring me back a pokemon!”

“ Seeya!” Jean echoed. “ Bring me back some chocolate!”

Mum and Dad looked on, proud. “ Bye Lisa. Bye Gavin. Have fun!”

Lisa floored the accelerator, and the buggy of Kris’ sped off with a bang. She was off, with Gavin and Aipom, to a peninsula north of Ecruteak, where there was an ancient library. There she would find books on Suicune, and find exactly, if possible, what was going on with her life in the past couple of months. She took a deep breath, and left the house.

“ Bye everyone!!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up on Lisa the Legend

Lisa and Gavin are on the way to the Peninsula north of Ecruteak, where Lisa can find books about Legendaries.

Finally, Lisa spoke. “ D’you think this’ll finally help us work out WHY Suicune keeps following us, Gavin?” she asked, sweat pouring down her face and her hands sticking to the wheel.

He grunted slightly. “ I hope so. Weird things have been going on lately. I’d like to know why.”

But not everything is going to plan.

Setting her mouth into a determined line, she spoke. “ We’ll have to walk.” Lisa declared bravely.

In fact, things are, on the whole, becoming a bit too repetitive.

Suddenly, Lisa heard a rush of footsteps behind her. Before she could whip around and see, a hand was clapped firmly over her mouth.

Chapter 27 – Aquatics.

[pokemasterfrank]

Wow...nice chapter...hmm...something happened to that special ball...but what...oh well.

Lisa gets the buggy huh? In exchange for Vulpix, hmm...not bad...except for the fact that she doesn't get to use the buggy that much. Why does TR want her dead...

Anyway, I probably find out in the next few chapters or something...

Your leaving?!? Oh well...everyone will at somepoint...

[Gavin Luper]

Pokemasterfrank: Yeah, it wasn't too bad though it was my longest chapter yet ... something like 5 600 words which is a LOT but ah well still a good chapter? Excellent. Yes, the Sacred Ball ihas had some sort of alteration done to it, in a sense. You'll find out more as the book progresses ... it's only about two thirds of the way through the book! (the entire fic is one book!).

Yeah, Lisa gets given the buggy again, much to the annoyance of Oz Andrew (well, he was annoyed the first time around, weren't you Oz?) Yeah, Kris already had Vulpix so I let her keep her. And TR's motives will be revealed gradually throughout the rest of the book. The climax is building up not TOO far away.

Yeah, I'll leave, but it's a while away, so let's enjoy it while it lasts.

By the way, for everybody who wants to know, I have completely written the next chapter, which, incidentally, is where we left off in June! But things have changed, since this has been edited ... Also I have not really done much on Chapter 28 yet, but Chapter 29, 30 and 31 are fully completed!

Cheers!

[Snakes N' Legends]

Since when did Lisa get the Crystal bells and when did Gavin get the Sacred ball? Imitating Mist are we by using a preview of the next episode, are we?? Well, keep up the work, Gavin.

[Karania]

Geez, you really need to pay more attention to the things you're reading.

[Gavin Luper]

TM: Hi! Yes, but Mist said she didn't mind at all if I used the previews. Copying is the highest form of flattery (supposedly). Anyhow, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had forgotten about the Crystal bells, as they haven't been very major (see the end of chapter 18 to find out when Lisa got them). But the Sacred Ball has been around for as long as the bells and much more prominent. Half of chapter 19 was about it!

Karania: Yeah. Lol, thanks for that. Did you read the new chapter, though? What did you think of it?

Cheers!

[Karania]

Yea I read it. I really liked it. I can hardly wait for the next chapter.

[Snakes N' Legends]

You know when you are caught up in a story or a fanfic in this case, you tend to miss things.

[Karania]

true, but it gets annoying sometimes when some people don't know the crucial details or some minor details as well.

[Gavin Luper]

Karania: I can hardly wait either! I'm itching to write more, the climax is getting closer now, the next couple of chapters will be a bit of a lull, so to speak, but chapters 29, 30, and 31 begin to get interesting. And from thereon, thing begin to happen!

TM: I suppose. Oh well, doesn't matter, I don't mind at all if you forget stuff!

Karania2: Hi again! You two seem to be my only readers for this chapter. Never mind. I'll get some more replies soon I'm sure.

Cheers!

[Karania]

Post next chapter soon!

[100FangCroconaw]

Hi! I knew how Gavin got the sacred ball but Lisa getting the crystal bells? I guess that I'll have to go back to chappy 18 now. Anyway, nice chapter. I loved it when Aipom was fighting Jean for Tom's privacy.Keep up the good work!

[Dragon_Knight]

*grin*
missed me?

I just finished it lol (actually yesterday nite )

anyway I opened about 8 windows and read 'em all in one night

phew, I must say, your writing has improved tremendously since your... whats that fic again? ()

faster! faster! faster!

me want more!!

now look what you've done... you've gotten me addicted again...
*waggles finger*

[Master Kirby]

Hi! I got around to reading everything. Is the Sacred Ball going to ever contain anything?

It sounds like Lisa is going to get attacked again. She needs to watch her back. That first time was a close call. Hopefully Gavin can save her next time. That was a good chapter. Nice and long.

This is Finals week at my college. Hopefully I will be able to read the next chapter.

[Gavin Luper]

Karania: it will be, coming right up!

100fangcroconaw: Yeah, well I spose Lisa getting the crystal bells was a wee bit obscure, considering they weren't given much attention. The Sacred Balll has been the focus of a chapter and has been seen in many others. Glad you liked the chapter!

Dragon King: I'm going to call you by your old name because it's better OK? Good. Yes, I have missed having one of my very first readers. Glad you're finally back! You read it all in one night? How long did it take you? Fifteen seconds?

Yeah, I hate to sound egotistical but my writing is a LOT better than when i started ... oh, you mean Pokemon: Kohtu? Yeah lol ... it was VERY poor.

Yes! I count that as a great victory - I got you re addicted to Lisa the Legend.

Kirby: Hello! Yeah, you read it! Good chapter/s? Is the Sacred Ball ever going to contain anything ... that's a trick question. I think. I've confused myself now.

yeah, the preview gives you an idea of what will happen, and things aren't going too great. Lisa should be cautious ... but can Gavin save her this time?

Yes, the next chapter is very long too, as is chapter 28. After that, they return to around 3000 words. (Thank God!!)

Good luck with everything at college!

Cheers mate!

[Karania]

Exactly how soon is soon?

[Gavin Luper]

Karania: Soon as in, I'm-editing-it-now-so-I-can-post-it-in-a-minute-soon.



---------------------------------

Chapter 27 - Aquatics.


Lisa and Gavin sat in the Solar-Powered Buggy, feeling the cool sea-breeze ever-closer, feeling their stomachs rumbling, and feeling sweat pouring in rivers from their necks, armpits, and anywhere else. Lisa’s hands were slipping off the vibrating steering wheel, and Gavin’s unbroken arm was stretched above him, holding his undersize but still quite large Staryu atop his head, his other arm placed firmly upon his lap. The starfish-like marine creature was bubbling foamy water onto Gavin’s bare chest. Aipom seemed the only one unaffected by the tropical heat, as he swung freely in the breeze, tail clinging to the rail as his body whooshed behind. The buggy rose over a steady crest, and began to slow considerably. Neither Lisa, nor Gavin, nor the immature Aipom spoke a word – they had caved in to the heat hours ago, unable to concentrate on conversation.

Finally, Lisa spoke. “ D’you think this’ll finally help us work out WHY Suicune keeps following us, Gavin?” she asked, sweat pouring down her face and her hands sticking to the wheel.

He grunted slightly. “ I hope so. Weird things have been going on lately. I’d like to know why.”

The buggy was failing now, as it puffed slowly up the hill in desperation. Its weak engine purred loudly, drowning out the sounds of the static radio. As the speed reduced to barely a Aipom’s walking pace, Gavin moaned, his dry throat making his voice crack slightly. He leapt from the car, and pushed the buggy’s rear end for the fifth time on their long northbound journey to the Peninsula where a large library was located. His arm barely worked, and his right arm was surprisingly useful, for although he couldn’t push with it, he leant on it and the plaster prevented it hurting from pressure against the car. Gavin sighed again, he had long ago worked out why Kris had so willingly left them with the buggy – as had Lisa. He groaned loudly with exhaustion as the buggy emitted a loud roar, and with a squeaking sound absorbed more sunlight on its solar cells. With one final spur of determination, Gavin leaned heavily against the back of the buggy, and it reached the crest of the hill.

Both Lisa and Gavin breathed in awe as the view beyond the hill appeared. The dirt road widened, and became a sealed, kerbed road. The dry scrub before the hill was not here, instead there were plentiful green trees, even fields full of flowers in the distance. Only a few kilometres away, there was a tiny town, which Lisa supposed must be the peninsula town, because right beside it, near lighthouse-looking building, which was distinguishable even at this distance, lay the sparkling cornflower ocean.

Aipom swung wildly on the black metal pole which was situated on the rear end of the buggy, and thwacked Lisa’s head, as Gavin clambered back into the front passenger’s seat, picking up the awkward Staryu from the otherwise empty seat. Before he could click his seatbelt back on, Lisa gave a sudden hoarse cry, and the buggy began to move.

As Aipom had slammed into Lisa’s head, she had jolted in pain and released her foot from the brake. The buggy began to roll down the hill, and Gavin’s eyes bulged in fear as the buggy picked up speed. Lisa squealed as Aipom hung in the breeze, his ear blowing as wildly as Gavin’s hair. But the havoc had only begun to ensue.

Staryu was only connected to the speeding party by one of Gavin’s hands, and as the vehicle sped up it panicked. And, in an Issechu fashion, it began sweating in trepidation. And Gavin’s palm began to become moist and clammy. And then the moisture pooled, and the hands began to slip. Even then, while Lisa recovered herself from her shock, the situation might still have been saved. But as Lisa’s foot closed in on the brake, the buggy rolled over a bump in the road, and her foot jumped –

- onto the accelerator.

The buggy roared instantly along the path; Lisa screamed, Gavin cried out, Aipom squealed, and Staryu sweated more. Gavin’s hand slipped off again, and then Staryu let go, and spun into a vertical position, then began rolling, spiralling down the hill. Gavin yelled out, and reached to grab Staryu as the buggy sped up to catch it, but suddenly Lisa’s foot, which had beet constantly groping for the brake, discovered it’s lost home, and slammed down, causing the buggy to come to an instant halt. The effect was instant upon everybody – Staryu rolled out of sight, Lisa sighed in relief, Aipom swung in a full circle and Gavin’s body was jolted into midair, out of the buggy. His unused seatbelt flapped in the wind, as his body and Staryu’s reeled into the distance.

Lisa cringed, but her shock and instant apprehension lasted only moments. She yanked the handbrake, set the buggy into park, as it groaned away, and raced after Gavin and the speeding Staryu, uneasy for their safety.

*

Much later, Lisa and Gavin travelled wearily along the seaside path. Gavin sighed as his arm felt ready to snap off, and Lisa clicked her tongue loudly, as they shot over a bump in the path and her pokegear jolted off and landed on the buggy’s floor.

Lisa had been surprised that the buggy had lasted as long as it did. Given, its solar panels were beyond repair and they now used Elekid’s plug to power the vehicle, but the engine was still making it. Aipom bounced hyperactively on Lisa’s head while Gavin took the steering wheel with his good left arm. Lisa ducked down to find her necklace, while keeping a firm foot on the accelerator. The buggy sped up, and suddenly there was a whooshing sound as another car went past. Gavin waved, and the buggy shook wildly.

It was a second before Lisa took control, but they veered off to the left and down a narrow beach track. Lisa took the steering wheel as they approached the beach rapidly.

“ See them?” Gavin asked as the buggy wobbled over a few sandy bumps. “ The people we drove past?”

Lisa grunted as she veered the buggy over a couple of broken branches straddled across the road. “ No, but I bet they saw my arse.”

Gavin laughed. “ There were a couple of guys – one was this punky guy – and a girl who looked really posh. They had a heap of pokemon, an Electabuzz and a Dragonair, and a –”

“ Weird,” noted Lisa. “ I have the two unevolved forms of them.”

The buggy jolted over the final bump in the boggy track and settled down with a groaning sound on the soft beach sand. Lisa had been trying to get it onto a flatter track so it could be parked, but now it seemed completely out of life. It gave an enormous splutter, and Lisa, Gavin and Aipom quickly abandoned the vehicle; Lisa stepped out quickly and carefully, Gavin tripping over his feet as he leapt out, and Aipom headfirst.

They all lay on the soft beach sand as the buggy gave another shudder. It vibrated heavily, and suddenly there was an explosion, as poor Elekid jumped off, reacting slowly. Finally, Kris’ old buggy broke. The floor suddenly slipped out and landed on the sand, the seats both dropping down a foot or so. The pole swung and clunked onto the boot which clattered and dented easily. The solar panels snapped in half, almost cleanly, and the steering wheel popped out of its socket.

Lisa looked on in suppressed shock. “ Whoa … good thing we got out when we did …”

“ I knew that wasn’t a first-rate prize,” remarked Gavin, referring to the Electric Pokemon Event back at Moo Moo Farm. Lisa nodded, recalling her seemingly useless (apart from powering the buggy) Magneton.

They sat in silence for a minute, Elekid rubbing it’s plug, Aipom crawling into a nearby bush to investigate a bug, Lisa sitting quietly, thinking about Suicune and the library which contained a legendary-pokemon book. Gavin sat perfectly still, thinking about food.

Finally, as the lengthy silence began to buzz in Lisa’s ears, Gavin spoke. “ Oy, what are we gonna do now?”

“ We’re stuffed,” said Lisa, standing up and trying to look in control.

“ I reckon. We have no idea where we are, and we don’t have any way to get there even if we did know the way. Good one, Lisa, it’s all your fault.”

Lisa glared at him, ready to launch into a vehement speech about Gavin’s idiocy, when the taunting thought of the Suicune Book averted her attention. She became more practical and calm minded. “ Firstly, we can try looking around us. If we saw those people in their car then the town can’t be too far in.”

“ It could be,” Gavin pointed out, but nonetheless had turned to look to their west, in search of the town. Lisa suddenly noticed their surroundings for the first time. The beach was quite narrow, only about twenty metres from the cool water lapping the muddy shore to the barrier of saltbush which declared their territory with small spikes interspersed with leaves. Lisa mimicked Gavin, and looked in the direction of the town. However, all they could see was shoreline.

Aipom and Elekid were both bouncing around with small squeaks and twitters, pointing wildly to the east. Lisa and Gavin both turned, and saw, with shining, relieved eyes, beyond the buggy’s wreckage, in the distance on a peninsula, the resort.

Both friends breathed out relief in unison, but their relief soon metamorphed into annoyance. How were they meant to reach the town-resort? It looked galaxies away. Lisa sighed. Setting her mouth into a determined line, she spoke. “ We’ll have to walk.” Lisa declared bravely.

Two minutes later, Lisa and Gavin lay sprawled on the sand, a hundred metres from the buggy’s wreckage, feeling exhausted, unfit and overweight. The truth was they were only unfit – having had used the buggy for a long time had dimmed their walking skills. Gavin was staring up, mesmerised, at the periwinkle blue sky. Lisa had her eyes closed, softly humming a song she had heard on the buggy’s radio.

Aipom snorted with disgust at the two of them, and Elekid frowned. He had seriously considered shocking them, but decided he was too mature and well-trained to even think of such a thing. So he nudged Lisa’s arm casually. Lisa stirred, and saw Elekid with a lazy stare. “ What is it?” she asked wearily.

Elekid pointed excitedly over his shoulder, and there was Aipom, staring over a hole in the beach sand. Sand and dirt were flying up from inside the tiny hole, and as Lisa sat up in curiosity, so did Gavin. They both peered into the hole as more dirt flew out, landing with a clump on Elekid’s head and toppling him like the Radio Tower to the ground.

Abruptly, a large rock flew out of the ground and slammed into Elekid, who was getting up. He wheezed, and toppled back into the sand.

Lisa, Gavin and Aipom were all too curious about the creature in the tiny pit to care much. Gavin reached for a pokeball, then groaned in annoyance as he realised he had no spares. Then a sudden thought came to him, and he reached down into his pack, which he had previously deposited on the fine sand, and fished out the Sacred Ball … no use in wasting it, he thought …

He picked up the turquoise-gold sphere and enlarged it. Cautiously, so as not to be attacked by a chunk of soil (he was apprehensive after Elekid’s knockout), he crawled over to the hole while Aipom watched from afar and Lisa watched with bated breath. As Gavin approached the hole where more dirt was flying, she stole a glance at its contents, just in time. As Gavin threw the Sacred Ball, she flung out her arm. The ball slapped into it, and rolled away to Aipom, who stared curiously at it.

Gavin flared up at once. “ Oy, Lisa, what the hell do you think you’re doing?! I nearly caught it, you idiot! Why’d you stop me!?”

Lisa clicked her tongue smugly. “ I just saved you from a life of shame and embarrassment.”

Gavin stared wonderingly at her. “ What?”

“ Imagine if you had used a once-in-a-lifetime special pokeball which was specially made and crafted from the energy tears of a mystical Suicune to catch a –” she plunged her hand into the hole, found what she was looking for, and held it up.

“ A Magikarp!” cried Gavin, stunned.

“ Not just any Magikarp …” Lisa replied. “ It was the EVIL MAGIKARP OF DOOM!”

Gavin grinned his stupid-faced grin. Lisa brandished the flailing, pathetic Magikarp in her hand, waving it around as though it was a non-living object. The tiny thing was all scales and bones, and looked very dry. Gavin morphed his face into a serious-looking line. Lisa noted how handsome he seemed in her eyes. She was glad nobody else could see what she could.

“ Now say thanks to Nurse Lisa.”

“ Thank you very much Nurse Lisa.”

“ And …”

“ And I’m sorry that I acted arrogantly.”

“ And you are a spasticated loser.”

“ And I am a spasticated loser.”

*

They continued along the beach, the resort on the peninsula drawing nearer. They had rounded a wide bend and the buggy was out of sight. Gavin had, with great difficulty, ripped off the number plate and allowed Elekid to mutilate it to a melted blob before throwing it into the ocean. They decided the Officers wouldn’t be able to trace the buggy if it was found.

The resort was ever closer now and Lisa and Gavin had re-adapted to the walking lifestyle, and were now keeping up well with the energy-filled Aipom and Elekid, both of whom seemed to get along quite well. Slightly tired, but glad to be walking with a sea breeze cooling them, for a change of the inland areas. Lisa felt slightly reminded of the surfing days they had had back before the Whirlpool Cup, and voiced her feelings by releasing Dratini and Fiskmire to swim in the shallows. Gavin agreed with this, and actually sent out all his pokemon. Lanturn and Staryu leapt into the water. Girafarig trotted alongside Gavin, and Natu hovered happily. Ditto sat in a blob on Girafarig’s back. Now that they had all their pokemon out, Lisa and Gavin felt competitive, and decided to have a full-on race – in the water. Just as they had waded out into the shallows, and were clambering upon Fiskmire and the Green Lanturn’s back, Gavin had an idea.

“ Why don’t we race by our own means, Lisa?” he grinned.

“ What’s that?” Lisa muttered, curiously.

Gavin smiled. “ We’ll swim alongside our pokemon and see who is the best. It’ll be fun! Besides, we came to this place to have fun anyway!”

“ Actually,” said Lisa. “ We came to find my book on the legendary pokemon so I can do some more research.” She paused suddenly, seeing Gavin put on an expression of patheticness, his deep watery puppy eyes and a drooping lip. “ But what the hell.”

“ OK then,” Gavin said. “ Everyone, on the count of three then, we all race to the peninsula and the resort town as fast as we can, OK?”

Lisa tensed her legs under the clear blue-tinged water, and tried to remember how to swim, and recall all her lessons at the Ecru Lake, and also all the times she had swum back at her home pool.

“ Ready? 1 … 2 … 3! GO!”

---------------

1992, January.

“ Mummy, look! Tom can go down all the way to the bottom!” Lisa called, floral floaties placed high on her chubby three-year-old arms.

“ Mum, watch me!” Tom yelled, his skinny little frame somersaulting over into the water and disappearing for a moment with a small splash. Beneath the clear water, Tom drifted right down to the bottom. Lisa watched on in awe.

“ Mum, are you watching?”

Tom exploded back through the surface at that moment, looking very proud. “ See Mum, I did it!”

Their father, young and strong, waded over to Lisa and Tom, at the very shallow end of the pool – only about 80 centimetres deep. Tom was swimming a bit deeper than Lisa, to the 1-metre section. “ Tom and Lisa, I know you want to show Mum how clever you are, but maybe another day, alright?”

“ Aww, why??” moaned Tom.

“ Well, the baby in Mum’s tummy is nearly ready to come out. It’s very big and Mum could have the baby soon. She needs to get lots of rest before she has the baby.”

“ Will it be a girl??” asked Lisa inquisitively, as all three-year-olds did. She looked up through the pool fence to where her mother sat under the veranda, reading a book and nursing Wesley.

“ Maybe.”

Lisa’s young mind soon forgot about the baby of course, and she grinned. “ Daddy, watch me!”

But her Dad had just spotted that the pool gate had been left open – and if Wesley happened to get away from his Mum, she would be unable to chase him in her pregnant state.

“ Daddy!”

“ Hang on, Lisa. I’ll watch you in a minute.”

“ No! Not in a minute! Now!” cried Lisa, ‘spitting the dummy’. She slapped her arms down in childish anger, and, quite unexpectedly, her flowery floaties slipped off in one fluid motion, and Lisa plopped directly into the water.

She screamed, but bubbles shot out and she suddenly felt sick. Her tummy and chest were hurting, and she couldn’t see, her head was hurting, all the water was bubbling around her, she was dizzy … dizzy …

Just when Lisa’s mind was panicking and on the verge of shutting down, there was a flash of blue, and something shimmered past her. A soft blue glow enveloped her, and her golden brown eyes opened. Before was a mysterious cobalt creature – Lisa thought it looked like a very nice puppy. Further in the pool, behind it, she could see some other blurred shapes, but she couldn’t make them out.

Somehow, Lisa’s body was suddenly propelled out of the water and to the surface, directly into Tom’s little arms. Dad had just dived into the pool to rescue her, and now he was resurfacing, and grabbing her, hauling her out of the pool.

“ Lisa, are you alright?! Lisa!?”

---------------

Lisa was losing the swimming race horribly. An odd dream she had had as a child was coming back to her as she swam alongside Fiskmire, the second slowest of them all. The memory haunted her, but as she tried to grab a hold of it, it slipped away. Unable to go any further, Gavin turned, gripping Lanturn’s slippery antennae with his good hand, while Lisa balanced on Fiskmire and also turned. Standing near Girafarig, Aipom, Elekid, Ditto and Natu was a tall girl of about their age. She wore a short skirt, and very summery clothes. Beside her stood a Politoed, which was grinning and rapidly conversing with the hovering Natu.

“ What is it?” Gavin called to the girl, who had mid-back length brown hair, and even from the twenty-metre distance Gavin could see she had a pretty face and bright emerald eyes.

“ Would you like to battle?” she called out, loudly and lucidly to the awaiting Lisa and Gavin. Lanturn seemed impatient to get going, and Fiskmire was becoming restless, but both of them brightened at the sound of a battle, for even if they weren’t to be used a fight was excitement.

Within seconds Lisa and Gavin were back on land, their shoes off and their feet muddy. The water dwellers looked on in anticipation, while Lisa spoke.

“ I’ll be glad to battle you,” she said quickly, gesturing to Aipom and Elekid. “ These two are mine, plus Dratini and Fiskmire.”

“ Me too,” Gavin pointed to his three land-dwellers, and the others.

The girl grinned, although her smile quavered slightly when she took in the large, floating lump that was the spiky-backed, evolved Quagsire. “ How’s a one on one sound?” Both Lisa and Gavin nodded. “ By the way, my name’s Angela.”

“ Lisa.”

“ Gavin.”

“ So, let’s battle then.” Angela suggested, pointing at the water nearby, glowing in the sun. “ We’ll fight in the water if you’d like.”

“ OK.” Lisa and Gavin said in unison.

“ Then go!” Angela pulled out a Lure Ball from her belt, and threw it as far as she could towards the shallow water. It spiralled through the air and plopped into the sea near Dratini. With a graceful light, a bright cobalt creature jumped out joyfully from the Lure Ball and landed with a plop into the water. Dratini looked curious, and the other marine creatures floated over at the newcomer. It had a mainly blue body, with a white front, shiny black eyes and a buoyant tail.

Lisa and Gavin ran to the waterside, and began wading towards their pokemon and the Azumarill. Then a problem cropped up – Angela mentioned it first. “ So which of you am I actually battling?”

“ ME.”

“ ME.”

Lisa and Gavin’s eyes locked in confusion and annoyance. “ What?” they both said.

Angela giggled, and her Politoed chuckled next to the Natu.

“ I should, of course,” Lisa said, regaining her sanity. “ After all, I am a better trainer than you. You don’t have any badges, and I have two. The Fog Badge and the Coral Reef Badge -” Lisa fished out the two badges, which she had always kept with her – “ one from Morty, and one from Irene.”

“ Well you shouldn’t have lost in the Whirlpool Cup then, should you?” Gavin retorted. “ I came second at least, your Quagsire and Dratini didn’t stand a chance.”

“ Well of course you won, you had more experience back then!” Lisa cried, as Angela stood back in disgust.

“ If you two are gonna fight between each other, I don’t really mind,” she muttered, quite taken aback by their abrupt argument. “ I just wanted a battle, and if you guys are going to argue so much about it then I don’t think I’ll bother.”

Lisa blinked. “ Well … alright, Gavin, you fight. After all, you haven’t had a battle since November, and you probably need the practice.”

*

Five minutes later, Gavin and Angela both stood knee-deep in the water, cooling down from the heat, facing each other. Azumarill and Staryu were ready to go, and Lisa had perched herself in the shade of a particularly high bush, where she was munching on some chips she had located in her backpack. Angela’s Azumarill shrilly whistled, and the match began!

“ Azumarill, Bubblebeam attack!”
“ Psybeam Staryu!”

The orders’ effects were instant. Azumarill’s eyes sparkled a dangerous-looking ultramarine as it breathed in deeply to fill up its hydrogen chamber. Staryu’s ruby red centre reflected the glow, which swelled up suddenly in Azumarill, who held her small hands to her mouth as she exhaled heavily, releasing a stringy cloud of opaque azure bubbles in Staryu’s direction. The star didn’t move, and with a short, confident “ Ayaah!” bowed it’s uppermost point and took the brunt of the attack as countless bubbles deluged from Azumarill’s mouth in a powerful torrent. They pelted relentlessly into Staryu, who seemed only minimally affected by the sting.

After a minute Azumarill was out of breath and, luckily, winded. Staryu stood up and floated tall in the water, rising just higher than the coughing Azumarill’s head. It’s gem reflected shafts of sunlight at Azumarill, and it closed its eyes to prevent hurting them. Then Staryu made its move.

Lightning fast, Staryu’s jewel glowed lilac instead of its usual ruby, and a mist inside it began to swirl as though obscuring something within. After a moment, the gem seemed to fill with the swilling lavender mist, and began to bulge into a bulbous hemisphere. As Azumarill recovered from it’s eye damage and looked up, Staryu’s thick gem wall split, and a thin jet of psychic power issued out in a straight, buzzing line, and made contact with Azumarill, knocking it back down into the sparkling clear water with a splash and stirring the clear, foamy, silvery sands.

Nearby, Dratini, Politoed, Fiskmire and Lanturn drifted around, dodging a stray shaft of Psybeam and grinning for their teammate. Lisa and the land pokemon watched interestedly, while Gavin rejoiced internally, although he stayed quiet outside because he didn’t want to appear over exultant or arrogant. He merely nodded proudly, thanking himself that he had caught Staryu back in October, he was so glad to have a powerful fighter on his team.

Angela wasn’t looking very pleased with her aqua rabbit’s performance, and she voiced it. “ Azumarill, c’mon, get back up! It’s not like you have another pokemon to take your place after this, it’s a One On One battle, so c’mon, keep trying. You have to fight, and win this for me!”

Azumarill slowly resurfaced and bubbled back to a standing position. Soon, she had recovered from the Psybeam, and was readily facing off against her adversary, the powerful Staryu.

Taking control again, and careful not to ruffle her beauty, Angela grinned again. “ Azumarill – use Rollout.”

Gavin was prepared for something like this to happen. Quickly, he went into action. “ Reflect.”

Azumarill curled up into a blue and white ball, but before she could begin rolling through the water’s surface and slam into Staryu five times, relentlessly, the Psychic Star broke in, and with another loud cry its jewel shimmered, and this time instead of filling with a purple mist of power, it produced a shimmering orb of transparent protection encasing it. Safely held within its Reflect defence technique, Staryu relaxed slightly, and waiting for the time to make its move.

Azumarill rolled then, oblivious to the defence that had just been carefully set up. It approached Staryu as a rolling ball which skimmed the water’s surface, leaving a furrowing dent momentarily in its wake. Just before the rabbit could slam powerfully into Staryu’s body, the reflect kicked in. Azumarill slammed into the glass-like barrier, and reeled backwards. She dropped into the water and for a moment only her tail could be seen, before the buoyancy effect took hold and the aqua rabbit sprang back up to the surface.

Staryu and Gavin both grunted exultantly, and this process repeated itself two more times as Azumarill attempted ramming the reflecting ‘membrane’ with steadily damage-increasing Rollouts. Lisa watched along with the others on land, enthralled. Gavin’s exultant mood strengthened as Angela’s face purpled slightly.

Finally, on the fourth Rollout attack, Azumarill hit the Reflecting protection especially hard, and the wall shattered leaving fine shards of dust scattered, floating on the choppy water’s surface. Gavin was only slightly affected – there was only one hit left in the Rollout, and although it was certain to hit, it was only once.

Angela knew this too, but she also was confident. The Rollout had built up considerable steam now, and she knew that the fifth strike would be the heaviest blow to the Staryu’s system. For what appeared to be the final attack of the match, Azumarill wound up, curled up, and rolled swiftly at the slow-moving star, leaving a churning passage in its wake. The Fifth Rollout was well-aimed, and Staryu was knocked for the battle’s first time into the sea.

It appeared Gavin had lost, but Staryu mustered strength and pulled himself back up. It had been a heavy blow, but Azumarill had already been Psybeamed heavily and the damage count was almost equalised. Gavin knew he had to act quickly or he would lose his first fight in weeks.

“ Staryu, Thunderbeam!”

Before Angela’s ruby red lips had opened and barked out an order, Staryu had begun twirling furiously, spinning so rapidly that it soon became a buff-blur in the midst of sparkling celeste seas and clear periwinkle skies. Lisa sat up, intently, and Elekid watched eagerly as the spinning Staryu converted kinetic energy into electric – Elekid himself might pick up some pointers from it!

“ Aurora Beam!” cried Angela hastily, obviously having saved the icy attack for last. Azumarill’s palms joined and a tiny azure orb began to form within them, but it was obvious the attack was too late now. Staryu had spun so fast water was beginning to churn upwards around it in a waterspout wannabe. Suddenly, the water collecting on Staryu made a cracking sound, and disappeared into a medley of fine gases. Staryu’s limbs crackled and sparked, and when Gavin yelled out “ NOW!” Staryu’s limbs all glowed electric yellow for a second before pooling in the jewel, which strangely seemed to be at the centre of all Staryu’s best attacks.

Gavin knew before the attack hit that he had defeated Angela.

*

“ Damn!” Lisa cried, leaning against the doors of the Ancient Library weakly, while the brilliant yellow sun slipped behind a cerise sky, casting shadows upon the tiny would-be-town. She slumped down and sat annoyedly on the concrete steps which led to the glass library doors.

“ What is it?” asked Gavin, as he came up the steps carrying both backpacks. Lisa had tired earlier, as they arrived at the resort-peninsula-village, and insisted Gavin wouldn’t be a gentleman if he didn’t carry her bag for her. Gavin pointed out he didn’t want to be a gentleman, but he was promptly loaded up like a dumb Ponyta with bags.

“ See for yourself,” moaned the Aipom-owning girl, as the purple monkey screeched happily on her shoulder.

Gavin’s brown eyes scanned the sign which was pasted on the inside of the door. “ NOW CLOSED; Opening hours 9am – 5pm Mon - Sat. Sunday – 10am – 4pm.” He grunted more annoyedly than Lisa. “ Bugger.” But his heart wasn’t truly in it, he was still elated over his victory over Angela earlier that day. He had bragged all afternoon to Lisa about it until he tired at around 4 o’clock.

“ Well, what should we do?” moaned Lisa hopelessly.

“ Come back tomorrow morning.” Gavin suggested wearily.

“ It’ll have to be at ten o’clock though,” said Lisa. “ Tomorrow’s Sunday.”

Exhausted, the two friends and hyperactive Aipom strode down the library steps, and emerged onto the deserted footpath. After walking around the town for a few minutes in search of a place to stay the night, they found a very new resort on the outskirts, near a beach.

They went inside. It was very neat and clean, not to mention spacious. Lisa strode up to the receptionist.

" We'd like a room for two please," she said, without preamble.

The receptionist blinked. " Um ... alright ... would you like a beach-view or mountain-view apartment?"

" Mountain," said Lisa and Gavin in unison, itching to find a place to stay.

After the receptionist had tapped on the keyboard a few times, she smiled to them. " Our nightly rates are $90 per person."

" Bull!" Burst out Gavin accidentally.

Lisa suppressed a smile. " Sorry, we can't afford that ... um ... thanks anyway."

The two friends walked out of the foyer, Gavin looking angry that a hotel could be so expensive. But Lisa explained to him that it WAS the Christmas season, so rates were bound to be higher.

As they left the foyer, they walked past the same three people they had driven past in the buggy earlier that day. Gavin nodded his head to the punkish guy, and Lisa smiled at the girl who turned her nose up at her.

Stepping out onto the footpath, they began the journey to the outskirts of the village, where they could make camp for the night somewhere nice.

*

At midnight, Lisa sat up in her sleeping bag, watching the moonlit shadows flicker through the flimsy tent walls. The waves only metres away now lapped hungrily at the beach, near their shared tent. Lisa and Gavin had discovered a tiny cove only a couple of kilometres out of town, and they set up camp there, on a slight rise where some soft cushiony grass grew plentifully, before the infertile beach sand took over. They had a nice view of the ocean and a nearby, deserted island, which had a now abandoned observatory upon it.

Gavin’s heavy breathing broke into Lisa’s readings of Houen, Johto, Kanto; a Chronology + history which she had bought at a tourist store in the village. It turned out they had left behind the province of Johto as they travelled through a mountain range north of Ecruteak, and were now in Houen, a new province.

Lisa heard sudden steps outside, although they were almost muted by the soft grass and the rolling waves slapping against the shore. Could it be Aipom back from his fossicking in the saltbushes, prickly though they were?

The footsteps came again, and Lisa thought she heard a voice accompany them. She nudged the sleeping Gavin next to her, but he grunted and turned over sighing. Nervous now, she pulled her bandana on, and slipped on a baggy T-shirt of Gavin’s, the nearest item of clothing she could find, over her crop top. She stood up, grabbed her pokemon belt, and stepped outside cautiously, while attaching the belt to her waist.

The outside of the tent was noisy and quite cool. She shivered, although more with nervousness, hoping to find Aipom or at any rate another pokemon. But there was nothing.

Suddenly, Lisa heard a rush of footsteps behind her. Before she could whip around and see, a hand was clapped firmly over her mouth. She, in a flash, recalled her self-defence lessons from school, and went for the attacker’s instep with her shoe. But the capturer seemed prepared and dodged.

Lisa suddenly winced with slight pain as something cold and sharp was jabbed into her arm. The attacker’s hand immediately moved, and Lisa went to scream, but suddenly her voice seemed to dissolve, her fighting arms and flailing legs became limp, and her world clouded over. Her body dropped to the ground at once, and the attacker grinned to herself, and began dragging her victim away.

Inside the tent, Gavin slept ignorantly. But inside the prickly saltbushes, with spikes poking into it, a loyal creature and friend watched with trepidation …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up on Lisa the Legend

Strange things are in the air, and Lisa’s latest disappearance won’t go unnoticed for long.

Gavin was stunned as his hand landed on an empty bed and deserted pillow. He sat up, and looked around the cramped, low-roofed tent. Lisa’s sleeping bag, beside his, was empty.

And what connection does Gavin’s new friend Andrew have to do with Lisa’s kidnapping?

“ Hi, I’m Andrew,” the guy said, his forehead sweaty and creased with concern. A faint smile darted elusively around his mouth as he spoke. “ Why are you here? The usual – Murder, Arson or Drugs?”

Gavin almost laughed, but the result was a bitter, half-hearted chuckle. He chose his words carefully, realising that Andrew’s appearance didn’t really match his personality, either. He seemed very normal, and looked like he could be funny. “ Hi I’m Gavin, and I’m here for fraud.”

Luckily, this time, Lisa’s not alone.

“ It seems we’ve been kidnapped, obviously,” Lisa said quickly to Jessica, plans formulating in her head.

Chapter 28 – EBTV Crossover - Part 1: Kidnap!

[Master Kirby]

Interesting. Gavin wins a battle and they finaly arrive town to find the Library closed. The attacker is a she! Is this a town filled with run away criminals?

“ Hi, I’m Andrew,” the guy said, his forehead sweaty and creased with concern. A faint smile darted elusively around his mouth as he spoke. “ Why are you here? The usual – Murder, Arson or Drugs?”

...........or does Gavin go to Jail? Either way, there is going to be trouble.

I liked the part when Suicune saved Lisa from drowning. He must have known then that she would have some importance in the future.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Good chapter, Gavin. The buggy is useless. It was funny to see Lisa and Gavin fight over who should battle. Aipom slapping Lisa was funny too. Keep up the good work.

[Gavin Luper]

Hey!

It's been a week since the last chapter, and so, here is the First Installment of the two-part Electric Buggy to Victory & Lisa the Legend Crossover!

Link to EBTV: Electric Buggy to Victory

----------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 28 - The Meetings and the Mystery.


Gavin stirred, and rolled onto his stomach, subconsciously missing his broken right arm. Rays of sunlight pierced the tent’s canvas and lit it up. Outside, waves rolled up, eating up the damp beach sand. Aipom leapt through the flapping tent door, squealing, while the ignorant fifteen-year-old slept on as the morning sun rose to its ten o’clock position.

The purple, hyperactive monkey jumped on Gavin’s head, bit his ears twice, then took off outside again, to run around excitedly. Gavin moaned, now wide awake, and threw a heavy, over-proportioned, bandaged and healing arm out to slap Lisa to consciousness and tell her to deal with Aipom.

Gavin was stunned as his hand landed on an empty bed and deserted pillow.

He sat up, and looked around the cramped, low-roofed tent. Lisa’s sleeping bag, beside his, was empty. He looked around in rising desperation and found her pokeball belt was gone too. He stood, ducking his head, to go outside and as he emerged into the rising daylight, he saw Aipom sprinting in circles around a deep impacted mark in the dew-burdened grass. There were three sets of footprints, somehow left in the long grass, but curiously only one pair left the area. Gavin suddenly noticed two lengthy tracks which dragged through the grassed area and onto the beach sand below the tiny cliff, where two long furrows were half filled with sea water.

Dashing back inside the tent for a moment, Gavin produced his camera from his backpack, and quickly took a few hurried shots of the crime scene. The camera immediately began developing the photos. He almost hoped something amiss had happened last night, something evil, something sinister – just so he could be like a detective. But he definitely didn’t want Lisa hurt, or in danger. Gavin pondered for a minute before working out what to do – he’d check his assumptions first. Lisa wouldn’t go somewhere without leaving a note – or taking Aipom – so where was she?

He slung the camera over his neck, where it hung heavily, and ran back into the tent to throw a shirt on over his shorts. Emerging, he called to Aipom, and, abandoning the tent site, he rushed back up to the road which stretched into town, and pelted down it, heading for the Library.

*

Lisa stirred slightly, her mind throbbing with confusion. Thousands of questions cluttered her confounded mind. Where was she? What had happened to her? She didn’t know, and she began to worry. Painfully, she tried to sit up and failed, her body refusing to move and of its limbs. She tried to cry out for help, but no voice came, just a feeble wisp of speech escaped her ruby lips. She began trying to struggle, but all that happened was that she began shaking slightly. Her body refused to work.

‘ Don’t panic,’ she told herself, her panic subsiding slightly. ‘ Just breathe in and think rationally.’

As the ebony-haired girl took ten deep breaths slowly, she acknowledged her surroundings. She had been deposited inside a room, with a low ceiling and filthy baby-poo-brown carpet which was torn, and in some places seemed blackened – charred? The walls were wooden panelled and very old looking, but apart from a couple of misused chairs and desks – and herself - Lisa couldn’t see anything else …

Her heart thudded. Laying next to her, moaning and sighing, was another girl. Her bright green eyes were wide open, and she was throwing her head about slightly, a long mass of blonde hair messed onto the carpet beside. Her hand was inside her handbag which Lisa thought looked very barbieish, and her eyes showed pure shock. Lisa half-wished she could help her out, but as it was her own limbs wouldn’t work, or her voice. By now, she felt her brain starting to master its control over her body. She rolled over and breathed slowly.

A scuffle from the girl’s direction made her look around again. The other girl had pulled herself across the surprisingly well-lit room and was hauling at the doorknob of a heavy metal door, probably soundproof. The girl slammed her fist on the door in a rage, and dropped to the floor sulkily. At this point, she seemed to notice Lisa there, and she wrinkled up her nose at her. She straightened up her hair and began to recompose her looks when her face turned to a look of horror.

The girl turned to Lisa’s unmoving form and shook her, and as Lisa tried again to speak, the girl slapped her across the face.

“ What was that for?” Lisa yelled, her voice returning. In anger, she slapped the girl back.

Before any more slapping took place, a sudden thought darted into Lisa’s mind. Her eyes widened as she panicked, and checked her pokeball belt. It was empty, completely stripped of the four pokemon it had previously held.

*

Gavin stood listlessly at the police station reception. The library hadn’t been open yet – so Lisa wasn’t there. He had done a quick glance inside all the street cafés he passed on his mad dash to the Police Station, and no Lisa was there to be found.

So, at eleven o’clock, Gavin found himself pacing before an incredibly slow receptionist, who, after about ten minutes, told him to wait for an Officer to arrive on the scene. He moaned as Aipom bounced dangerously close to a potplant which sat on the tiled floor. Not wanting to get into any more trouble, Gavin released Natu from its Moon Ball, and it hovered around Aipom’s face swiftly, distracting the naturally hyperactive monkey.

The door swung open and three people entered – two were an aged couple who looked rather worried, and the third was the punkish guy Gavin had seen the day before on the buggy. He was about his height, maybe a little taller, and had spiked, bleached hair. He wore a leather jacket and scruffy jeans, and looked far too different from the couple to be related to them closely.

The punk held out his hand as he entered, and Gavin noted that despite his physical appearance, his face looked almost as worried as he himself was feeling. Then Gavin stretched out his unbroken left hand and shook the newcomer’s hand with difficulty.

“ Hi, I’m Andrew,” the guy said, his forehead sweaty and creased with concern. A faint smile darted elusively around his mouth as he spoke. “ Why are you here? The usual – Murder, Arson or Drugs?”

Gavin almost laughed, but the result was a bitter, half-hearted chuckle. He chose his words carefully, realising that Andrew’s appearance didn’t really match his personality, either. He seemed very normal, and looked like he could be funny. “ Hi I’m Gavin, and I’m here for fraud.” He joked, grinning. Then he remembered to be serious, and sighed. “ I’m actually here to get some help, my friend’s disappeared and well … she left behind someone,” Gavin said, pointing at Aipom who was snapping his teeth at Natu. “ So I think she’s in trouble.”

Before Andrew could reply or introduce his elderly companions, an Officer came up to them all.

“ How can I help you?”

*

The girl didn’t hesitate once Lisa had abruptly checked her pokeball belt. She slapped her back at once, with an angered cry. “ How DARE you! I’m trying to save us here!”

Lisa took the last slap across the cheek, and although she was burning with revenge inside she forced it back down with difficulty and tried to be cool, calm and collected. “ Well sorree, I don’t comprehend things too well when I try to save someone in my pyjamas and get jabbed in the arm for it!” Lisa replied, rubbing the spot on her arm where her attacker had jabbed a needle of some sort.

Something flickered across the girl’s face, and suddenly, she smiled sweetly at Lisa. “ So sorry about that, I’m Jessica, nice to meet you.” Lisa smiled vaguely, and began staring around the room while the girl – Jessica – kept talking. There were no windows in the room, so Lisa couldn’t tell if it was morning or still night. The only light came from a dim lightbulb fixed into the wall, looking out of place.

“ I love your bandana,” smiled Jessica, apparently unaware that they had both been seemingly kidnapped.

Lisa glanced down to her pokemon belt again, as though hoping her pokemon had mysteriously reappeared. Evidently, they hadn’t, and she turned to Jessica.

“ I guess my pokemon ARE gone, eh?” she muttered disappointedly. “ Oh … sorry, I’m Lisa. Nice to meet you, Jessica. But … right now it looks like we’ve been kidnapped.”

Something like triumph glittered in Jessica’s eyes. “ Well, let’s fix your hair up, we can’t go anywhere with people looking like this! What will people think?!” she said, reaching into her handbag.

“ I really don’t think we have time for this,” Lisa was stunned that Jessica could even suggest anything like hairstyles at a time like this. What was going on? How long had they been trapped in this dingy room? What was going on outside? Lisa had a terrible, vivid flash of Gavin reporting his case to the police, Aipom, confused and alone, and a search party, unable to ever find her. She shook her head firmly. She didn’t mean for that to happen – she still could overcome this problem. Against Jessica’s protests, she stood up and tried the steel door – locked, of course.

Smiling, Jessica produced an entire cosmetics kit from her handbag. “ I already tried that. Come ON, sit down and I’ll fix you up. It looks like we’ve been kidnapped, obviously…”

Unfortunately, Lisa couldn’t find anything more useful to do at that moment – so she sat down in a rickety chair, trying to formulate a plan while Jessica pulled and shaped her hair, which was admittedly not very well kept since Lisa had been on her journey. While Jessica clicked her tongue over the state of Lisa’s hair, Lisa began talking.

“ There’s no point yelling for help, because for one thing, they’ll have us isolated and soundproofed if they were professional criminals,” she said, while Jessica pulled her hair into a kind of bun with a fringe and strands of strategically-placed hair. “ - which I think they are cause they had the forethought to use an anaesthetic to knock us out without much struggle – and for another thing, they’d know we’re awake and we’d lose our element of surprise.”

“ Hm,” said Jessica blankly, sounding like she was thinking of shopping.

Lisa moaned under her breath but continued. “ I already decided that the walls – although they look like flimsy wood – must be brick underneath – otherwise it’d be too easy to get out and the steel door would have no purpose.”

Jessica made “hmms” and “mmms” while she began putting light make up on Lisa. “ I’ll just check, but I’m quite sure …” Lisa stood up the moment Jessica had released her from the makeover, and tapped lightly on the wooden panelled wall. Then, mustering all her strength, she slammed her clenched fist into the wall – but on a thirty degree angle, so she barely splintered the wood. After some pulling and tugging, she revealed a solid – not brick but METAL – wall behind.

She smiled grimly. “ Anyone who tried punching their way out through here would have a VERY sore fist,” she stated, as Jessica packed away her handbag, looking satisfied. But now even Jessica seemed to be becoming serious.

“ Well, we should escape now,” Jessica said. “ We’re both ready.”

Lisa was still puzzling over how to escape from the tiny room, when a flash of a scene from a movie she had once seen – Shockdown – shot into her mind and back out. And her eyes shot rapidly to the ceiling where, yes, there was an air-conditioning vent in the far left corner of the room, farthest the door.

“ The vent!” Lisa cried. “ We can escape through the ceiling!”

Instead of seeming vague and shopping/fashion-minded, Jessica responded quickly by grabbing a couple of chairs and dragging them underneath the vent. Lisa obliged by stepping up onto the chairs and pulling at the cover on the vent, yanking it until there was a loud thud and the cover swung off, hanging from one side of the hole which was now gaping in the ceiling.

“ This seems very cliché … you’d think that if they went to all the trouble of sealing us in metal walls and doors, they’d block off the roof too.” Lisa muttered, grabbing the sides of the ceiling and trying to haul herself up. “ Jess, can you maybe give me a boost?”

Jessica’s reply was a soft mumble before she grabbed Lisa’s feet and pushed as Lisa pulled. Lisa, eventually and with great difficulty, made it into the ventilation, and began pulling Jessica up with her. Once both girls were in the dusty place, they both realised instantaneously that there was no ventilation; that the vent was just a way to escape into the normal ceiling. It was a set up.

Jess was already gingerly crawling onto a section of the ceiling, and it began to creak, it was so flimsy. Before Lisa could pull her newfound-friend back onto the supported section, there was a crack, and the gyprock shattered, Jess plummetting down.

Without thinking, Lisa threw her body down after Jess. She couldn’t allow her to face whatever danger was down there alone.

*

The police said they would help out as much as they could with the disappearance of Lisa, and Andrew’s little sister Jessica, but there was little they could do apart from be on the lookout. The village was only a fairly new one, although the library had been there for many years before, and the police force was less than adequate.

Gavin wanted to wait in the police station, but Andrew had insisted that would achieve nothing, and they would be better off to relax as much as possible. He suggested an ocean cruise, so Gavin tagged along. Within minutes they were slowly circling in the cool blue waters, searching for any trace of disappearance.

The elderly couple introduced themselves as Glenys and Edward, but Edward told Gavin to call him Ripper, as that was his nickname. They drove the luxury boat out, and said that they hadn’t seen Andrew’s friend.

“ Are you absolutely positive you haven’t seen Phil anywhere today?” Andrew urged, looking not really upset, but concerned all the same.

“ Yes, certain,” replied Glenys quickly, as though she had been replying to Andrew’s whining for a long time. Gavin guessed that maybe she had been doing exactly that.

“ Hang on …” he interrupted suddenly. “ Is Phil the guy who was with you and your sister before? In the hotel?”

Andrew nodded. “ Yeah, that’s him. Why, Gavin, have you seen him?”

Gavin shook his head. “ Not since last night, just when you walked past us in that hotel.” He grinned. “ Speaking of which, how did you manage to afford the rooms?”

A wide grin spread across Andrew’s face. “ What’s wrong with our prices, eh?” Glenys said, with mock-anger, though Gavin didn’t realise. He blushed deep scarlet.

“ Sorry … there’s nothing wrong … er …” Before he could make himself look any MORE stupid, Glenys went up to the front of the boat, chuckling to herself. Gavin’s embarrassment receded and he leaned on the side of the luxury liner.

Andrew laughed and threw out two pokeballs – a Starmie and a Dragonair appeared and began swimming around in the water. Gavin released his pokemon too, Natu fluttered and landed on his shoulder, while Staryu and Lanturn splashed down with Andrew’s pokemon. Aipom was already fidgeting and playing with Gavin’s short black hair, which was really the least of his worries. Ditto also appeared on the deck.

Lanturn was very well behaved this time; Staryu splashed through the sea gracefully, or as graceful as a Staryu could be, accidentally spraying Starmie with foam. Starmie got angry quickly, it’s core glowing redly, and it spat out a blast of water. Staryu replied within seconds with it’s own gun.

Gavin smiled at the two starfish, but Andrew got annoyed. “ Hey, Starmie, stop!” He turned suddenly to Gavin. “ We need to get down to business.”

“ Right,” Gavin replied. “ Guys, you need to search for Lisa, or Jess or Phil. Ditto, you transform into a Natu and search with them.”

Andrew gave his pokemon similar orders and they swam off, along with Staryu and Lanturn, while the two Natus flapped away towards the resort. Gavin could see, somewhere a bit further out, a cluster of boats with people all sending out their own water and flying pokemon, to search. Glenys and Ripper had asked everyone they knew to help out.

“ So, Gavin, what brings you out here?” Andrew asked abruptly.

Gavin actually had to think about that question for a moment, as the last day had been taken up with more important events. “Well Lisa and I were searching for a book on Suicune that we had heard was here,” he said, trying to slap Aipom as he pulled and twisted his hair around.

“ Suicune? You’re joking right? That’s nothing more than an advertising scheme! Just like all those other so called Legendary Pokemon!” cried Andrew, almost bursting out laughing.

Gavin was furious. How could someone be so naïve? Legendary pokemon had been seen by so many people, Lisa and him included. He tried his best to give a death stare at Andrew. “ How could you say that? Honestly, you don’t know the first thing about these Pokemon!” He almost yelled. “ Lisa and I have run into them a few times.”

“ Well for a start you don’t have any proof,” said Andrew disbelievingly.

Nearly exploding, Gavin spat a few hasty words out. “ You’ll see, I’ll get some real proof, that’ll show you!” he declared arrogantly. And then, as Andrew looked quite shocked, he glanced out to sea, at all the searching pokemon, and tried to ignore Aipom’s fidgeting.

“ Yeah …” said Andrew, sounding like he would never be convinced. “So what happened to your arm?” he asked, gesturing to Gavin’s plastered right arm.

Still annoyed at Andrew, Gavin decided to ‘polish up’ the story. Maybe if it sounded good, Andrew would believe in legendaries. “ I don’t know if you’d call this ‘proof’ or not, but I got this from a Legendary Pokemon,” he lied, motioning to his arm before continuing, trying unsuccessfully to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “ And a good friend of mine died from Entei. If this isn’t ‘proof’ enough, then screw you!” He was getting worked up now, and Anna’s death wasn’t a pleasant thought.

“ Sorry Gavin” Andrew said softly, as Gavin stalked away and onto the other side of the boat, annoyed that he had been almost losing his temper completely.

*

Lisa’s body was tensed for landing as she plummetted into a room which looked almost exactly the same as the one they had just been escaping from. Jessica gave a soft squeal and then came a loud moan.

Lisa landed, but it wasn’t too hard, it fact her landing was soft. Another loud moan came through the dust and hazy air, and when it had cleared a bit more both girls exchanged surprised glances. A man was lying there, looking crushed.

“ Gee thanks girls, I think you broke my ribs,” he moaned, trying to stand up, but his eyes crossed and he keeled over again, as there was a loud snap.

“ Oh my god! Phil! Sorry!” Jessica cried, immediately rushing over to help him recover. Lisa recognised him as the guy who had been with Jess and her brother earlier in the hotel. She decided it was best if she introduced herself.

“ Hi I’m Lisa … you made a nice landing. Sorry ‘bout that,” she said, barely suppressing a grin.

Although Jessica seemed to be trying to help, Phil still looked almost unconscious. Lisa was wondering if she could do anything to help, when the massive metal door (identical to the one in the girls’ room) swung open. Lisa let her jaw drop in shock.

A woman stood there, half-silhouetted against the light. She looked about fifty or so, with her grey hair flying back behind her.

She smiled menacingly. “ Well I can see you’re all awake now, we can start the fun!” Lisa suddenly realised this was the woman who had kidnapped her last night, and made motion as to stand up and rush at the door, but the woman broke in. “ Don’t bother trying to escape, my Psychic Pokemon will stop you. Now if you’d like to follow me please.”

She sounded almost peaceful. The woman strode out of the room, Jess and Lisa staring at the Slowbro she had left behind. They had no option; the Slowbro looked very mentally strong. Lisa and Jess helped Phil to the door, while he clutched his ribs in pain. They all followed the woman, who was waiting just outside the room, with Slowbro taking up the rear. Lisa was planning a form of escape when Jess began to whisper to her.

They were all led down a set of stairs, which led into a big circular area, which may have once been a research centre or something. Before the girls could sort something out, Phil was enveloped in a blue aura, and Lisa knew that the Slowbro was controlling his body. Phil floated away to a distant room, where the metal door slammed on him. He was locked in. Alone.

Lisa considered rushing at the Slowbro, along with Jess, but what good would that do? Chances were, the woman would have millions more pokemon at her command. And when the woman pulled out two pokeballs and a belt, Lisa though maybe she was going to attack them, but then she recognised the belt as her own pokemon belt, and from Jessica’s muffled cry, the other pokeballs were hers.

Imagining her poor pokemon stuck in those balls, Lisa burst out, “ Give them back you old HAG!” and rushed at the villainous woman. Before she could attack her with her fists, Lisa felt a her body lift the ground, and knew that, just as Phil had had done to him, she was lifted through the air via Slowbro’s powers, and Lisa was returned to her place, beside a shocked Jessica.

As Lisa was returned, she noticed the woman’s clothing – beneath the swirling white lab coat was a black two piece suit, a red ‘R’ emblazoned upon it … it was painfully obvious now.

“ God Damn Team Rocket! Give me back my Pokemon! NOW!” Lisa screamed, making the realisation that the Woman was a Team Rocket villain, similar to the one who attacked Lisa back in Ecruteak. She heard Jessica snort after this statement, but her mind was on other things. What was it exactly that made Team Rocket come after her?

The woman looked barely flustered. “ Girls, Girls, I’d much more like it if you called me Lenina, its so much nicer,” she insisted, and if Lisa hadn’t been kidnapped by the woman – Lenina – then she would have thought she was a nice person.

Then, out of nowhere, Jessica spoke.

“ Say Lenina, can I please go to the toilet?” she asked in a sickly-sweet voice. Lisa glanced at her in shock; how could she leave her alone? But then … maybe she had a plan?

“ What, I need to go!” defended Jess, a slight glint in her eyes.

Lisa caught the look, and stayed silent, but Lenina either caught the glance or was just not dumb enough to be fooled.

“ No. You may not. Right now you’re going to be battling,” she grinned evilly at the girls.

“ BATTLE!” cried Lisa.

Lenina looked like a child on Christmas Eve, her eyes were filled with excitement. “ Yes; whoever wins gets to live. Simple enough? Here are your Pokemon,” Lenina said quickly, throwing across Jessica’s pokeballs and a belt for Lisa. Lisa’s mind rapidly set to work, thinking of a way to use Elekid, Fiskmire and Dratini to help her out. If only she still had Aipom … he could escape excellently.

“ Don’t you even think of using them to escape,” Lenina said, reading Lisa’s thoughts. “ I have a gun, ready for use on both of you.” Lisa and Jess gulped simultaneously as she revealed the shiny, black, deadly gun.

Lenina had all the bases covered. They couldn’t escape. They had to battle. One of them would die.

This would be the biggest battle in Lisa’s life, but unlike those people who train for League Matches, she had no forewarning or even desire to fight. It was really unfair.

Lisa selected her first pokeball with a sweaty hand, and threw it up and down nervously. If only Suicune were here to save her. But what were the chances?

Jessica held up her pokeball, and made a face of fear. “ Good luck Lisa,” she said shakily.

“ You too Jessica,” Lisa grimaced. With that, one glance at Lenina’s gun was enough to provoke the girls into action.

They both lobbed out their pokeballs, and prepared to face the outcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up on Lisa the Legend

Lisa and Jessica are fighting for their lives … literally. Or are they?

“ Use Bubble attack!” called Lisa. And she willed her faithful pokemon mentally; ‘Go easy on it … this battle has to last!’

Jessica grinned back at Lisa, exchanging the same emotion; they had to go easy on it. “ Use your charm!”

But their battle can’t last forever, before something happens.

“ Hurry it up, girls,” Lenina smirked, handing her metal weapon. “ My gun is getting restless.”

It’s up to Gavin and Andrew … and Aipom, of course.

“ I think Natu found something … back on the mainland,” cried Gavin. Andrew came over to examine with Gavin what it was that Natu had found.

And it’s not just a matter of racing the clock …

“ It still doesn’t explain it,” Andrew exclaimed. “ Who took them both?”

Gavin shrugged. “ At least we know why.”

Chapter 29 – EBTV Crossover – Part 2: FIGHT!

[Chris 2.1]

scary stuff...this thing is really getting exciting.... excuse me if i say EBTV things here, cos i'm reading both parts at the same time.

I think Lenina is pure evil; you've really captured team rockets personality well. It is a welcome break from the fumbling TR's we see in trainer fics (like the two in FRTC ^^)

I can't wait for the battle; i'm sure that Murkrow helps defeat Slowbro (he is unafected by psychic), and i bet they're on that Island that Phil saw in EBTV. Gavin seems to be getting rather sick of Aipom...i couldn't blame him lol.

Keep it up; any idea when the next part is out?

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

Just went through the two crossover chapters...
When I have more time I'll probably read all of your other chapters....it sounds interesting...From these two chapters..seems that Lisa has some sort of connection with Suicune?

Anyways....this crossover idea is interesting...^_^

I want the next chapter.... It's sort of a cliffhanger.....

[Gavin Luper]

Shiny Marill: Thanks, I'd comment on your post a bit more but I'm really TIRED! Lenina IS evil and TR in this fic is portrayed as a real evil organistation, not a pathetic couple of people.

The next part could be from a few days to two weeks away, hopefully somewhere in the middle. I have barely begun chapter 29, but chapters 30 - 32 are already complete and 33 is in the works!

Hyperness is a good thing: Hi! I'm glad you decided to read both sides of the crossover, it's beneficial in understanding the story. Yes, Lisa and Gavin have a thing with the legendaries, hence the title " Lisa the Legend.".

I hope you do read the other chapters, and future ones to come.

Cheers!

[Jon UKX]

I think the two crossover chapters were really cool, hope you do other crossover chapters *whispers* like From Rookie to Champion or my upcoming fic Jon:Idol Quest.

[Karania]

Good chapter, I really liked it. Keep it up. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that other good stuff.

[Gavin Luper]

JonUKX: Hi. Thanks, but NEVER again will I do another crossover, and, no offence to you or ShinyMarill, but especially not From Rookie to Champion, or your fic either. Sorry.

Karania: Hello! Thanks, I really liked them too, some of my fave chapters (although almost all the chapters of my own story are my faves!

Same to you, Merry Christmas! But I'll be online before then.

Cheers!

[Jon UKX]

Originally posted by Gavin Luper
JonUKX: Hi. Thanks, but NEVER again will I do another crossover, and, no offence to you or ShinyMarill, but especially not From Rookie to Champion, or your fic either. Sorry.

I understand Gavin Luper, it is friggin hard to do a crossover chapter as they months of planning and sometimes they might go wrong when you disagree with the person you are doing the crossover with.

[Gavin Luper]

Exactly. That's why it's best to write it with a friend. So we don't disagree, right Oz?

Also, both writers need to be at about the same level of writing experience and ability. Which is why the EBTV - LTL crossover was perfect.

[Gavin Luper]

Hi everyone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

100FangCroconaw: Hi there! i'm very glad that you like it, and it's great to know that you have read both sides of the story.

ShinyMarill: Lol yeah, I synchronised a few things like that. For that part, Oz Andrew wrote it out and I adapted things to the LTL version, so that's why it's the same. Then we edited OVER AND OVER AND OVER ...

[Gavin Luper]

Hi everyone!

I had an excerpt from the c/o, but Oz has finished the c/o so we're posting right now!

EDITED!

[Andrew]

Never fear Gavin! I'm here! And all done too! On time! This is the first time in yonks I've been able to get on, my rellies have finally left and I'm no longer the tour guide/bag slave/shop assistant. YAY!

All we need to do is get online simultaneously!

[Gavin Luper]

After over five weeks, here it is!!!!!!

The final segment - the conclusion - to the Electric Buggy to Victory and Lisa the Legend CROSSOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY!

Link to corresponding chapter: Electric Buggy to Victory .

-------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 29 – Showdown in Port Valeo.


The blasts of ivory light quickly subsided, and the fighters in the battle were revealed. Bouncing out of Jessica’s pokeball in a ball of pink fluff was a Wigglytuff, it’s watery eyes looking very innocent. Lisa’s Dratini, it’s soft blue form slithering onto the ‘field’, turned back to Lisa. Even he could sense that this battle wasn’t ordinary.

Lisa and Jess looked across the large room, which had a very high roof, their eyes locking. Lenina’s gun looked real enough; they were in great danger. This battle had to last until they could get some help, but how? Jess’ eyes flashed brilliantly at Lisa.

“You go first!” she mouthed. “Make it a weak attack!”

“Sure,” Lisa mouthed back, then spoke. “Use Bubble attack!” she called. And she willed her faithful pokemon mentally; ‘Go easy on it … this battle has to last!’

Jessica grinned back at Lisa, exchanging the same emotion; they had to go easy on it. “Use your charm, Wigglytuff!”

With the orders given, it was up to the pokemon to deliver them. Lenina frowned at the weak attacks, but remained silent, patting her gun like she was patting a dog. Slowbro stayed at her side, it’s brain tensed, ready for anything.

Dratini breathed in sharply, while Wigglytuff gave a sweet smile and it’s eyes blinked even more innocently than ever, using Charm attack in the weakest possible way. Dratini exhaled, and three small bubbles drifted slowly to Wigglytuff. One popped in mid-air on the way, and the other two bubbles popped simultaneously on the tips of Wigglytuff’s ears, not damaging it at all.

The girls grinned, but Lenina’s eyes sparkled dangerously. Suddenly, upstairs, there was a faint clunking sound, and a squeak. Before Lenina could say anything, Jessica put in a request.

“Lenina, please can I go to the toilet?” she asked again, so sweetly, but urgently, and this time more believably. “Please?”

Lisa grinned. It hadn’t worked the first time. What made Jess think it would work now?

Lenina grabbed her wild greying hair with a frown, but then smirked. “Of course you can. But I’ll just escort you.” On cue, she tossed her gun up in the air, and caught it again. “I’ll be taking this with me, of course. She turned to Lisa. “ And just to make sure you don’t get any ideas …” Lenina plucked three pokeballs off her belt beneath her lab coat and threw them out onto the tiled floor. Lisa winced, as she stood face-to-face with a Steelix, who filled much of the laboratory, a very ferocious-looking Persian and a Flareon which was bigger than normal and had massive fangs.

“I’ll leave Slowbro here, too,” Lenina smiled evilly, as she gripped Jessica’s arm tightly, and dragged her up the spiralling stairs. Jessica winced, but turned her head, mouthing two words to Lisa before she was dragged away.

“Fight!”

*

Gavin stared out at the sea – it had been almost half an hour since he and Andrew – and all the other trainers from around the village - had sent out all their pokemon to help look for Lisa, Jess and Phil. Glenys had contacted some of the trainers, and so far they had not found any trace of Lisa, Jess, Phil or the pokemon on the mainland. One trainer had suggested looking at the warehouse or the library, another had hinted at the abandoned island a short way across the water from the resort village.

“Have you heard anything?” Andrew appeared from somewhere higher up on the luxury boat and charged towards Gavin, looking hesitant to talk to him after Gavin had yelled at him earlier.

“No, have you?” asked Gavin hopefully.

Andrew shook his head. “Nah … I’ve been to see a couple of the trainers. I was just talking to a guy with a lot of Pidgeys and he said we should try looking on the island near the peninsula.” Andrew pointed out to the sea. Just a kilometre or two off shore was a small, rocky island, which was hazy compared to the resort village, which was on a peninsula. From this side of the boat, Gavin could see the expensive hotel from the night before and the library very clearly. But the island was shrouded … by something.

“Maybe we should tell the pokemon to search on the island, then?” suggested Gavin, after staring at it for some time.

“Good idea,” Andrew nodded vehemently. “We’ll have to wait until they return, though.” A grin crossed his face. “ I can’t believe Jess has gone and gotten herself into trouble again. I’ll be the one who gets blamed, I bet.”

Gavin smirked. “Again? How often does she get into these messes?”

Andrew laughed half-heartedly. “Hardly ever. Maybe I over exaggerated,” he said, leaning on the rail on the edge of the deck. “But it’s just so hard to have her travelling with me. She’s like a full time job sometimes.”

“She travels with you?” Gavin asked curiously. “So you’re on a journey then?”

“Yeah!” said Andrew quickly. “I thought I already told you?” Gavin shook his head, so Andrew took out a handful of badges and showed him them. “I have five badges … I was actually just driving through here to go to the next gym, after we caught up with Glenys and Ripper, that is. But then … Jess and Phil had to go and disappear, didn’t they.”

“I guess I’m lucky to be an only child then,” Gavin said slowly, regretting the words as soon as they left his lips.

Surprisingly, Andrew shook his head. “Jess is alright. I mean, we normally get along OK. It would be SO boring to be an only child.” He turned to Gavin. “Is it?”

Gavin paused, a lump building up in his throat. Memories flooded back. “I … suppose so …”

---------------

2001, September

“ Hurry up, Gavin, or you will be late!” his mother’s cry came bellowing down the hallway.

Gavin tossed and turned in his bed, still asleep. He wanted to wake up … he was screaming mentally, but nothing came out. The images that were flashing through his head were distressing, terrifying. He had seen them before, in a dream, but never so clearly. And they were different this time. The beams of green light were lighter … more vicious. More deadly.

Finally, it ended, and Gavin jolted to consciousness with a cry. The dreams always were realistic, so life-like, but never so painful, he had almost felt the pain, he had definitely heard the bloodcurdling screams of torture and anguish. He had felt the hot breath, the searing hot beams of dark light.

Slowly, the thirteen-year-old boy awoke, and wiped his sweaty forehead. He was absolutely soaked in his sweat. At least the dream was over … Gavin calmed himself down and slowly got out of his bed, leaving it unmade and rushing into the hallway and into the kitchen.

“You alright, Gavin?” asked his mother, bustling around the kitchen, a few bowls on the bench which looked like the ingredients for some sort of cake.

“I’m OK,” he replied dully, preparing a bowl of Coco’s Crunch. “Where’s Talia?”

“In bed still, I suppose,” said his mother, whipping the contents of one of the bowls furiously. “She’s still not feeling well today, poor thing.”

“Shame she missed out on the theatre last night,” Gavin said, wondering if his twelve year old sister was alright. “She would have loved to see the dances. They were really skilful.”

“I thought you didn’t like the outing last night?” Gavin’s mum raised an eyebrow.

“Er … I didn’t … I only went to see the pokemon. The Eevee evolutions are really great … they are really strong in their own ways …” he said quickly, before munching on his breakfast cereal. “School is really boring this time of year,” he moaned. “The tests and stuff are already done, we go on holidays in a couple of days so what’s the point?”

“The point is that it’s a legal requirement,” his Mum grinned. “I’m not going to work today, but Talia is probably staying home from school. I’m going to go collect some herbs today, for a medicine for poor Talia.”

Gavin rolled his eyes.

"Or you could go the pharmacy and, you know, buy something real."

His mother scoffed.

"Please, naturopathy was passed on to me from my mother, and her mother before her. It's always worked for us before, you just need to know which plants to use, and when." She put down her spoons. “In fact, I could go right now - the nectar from Alem Flowers is the most potent before the flowers open in the morning. You just keep getting ready for school and I’ll nip down to the thicket behind the tower and get some Alem.” With that split-second decision made, she covered up her cooking ingredients and threw a bag over her shoulder. “Seeya in a minute, Gavin,” she said, kissing him on the head.

“Bye Mum.”

*

“Talia! Mum’s just gone to get a medicine for you!” Gavin called, slamming his hand onto the door of his sister’s bedroom and throwing it open, as it was already ajar. It revealed a very messy room, clothes were thrown over the floor, hiding the carpet. But it was more messy than usual – the drawers were open and the bedcovers were messed up haphazardly.

Talia was gone.

Gavin’s heart thudded. This wasn’t normal! She wasn’t just in the toilet either, the window had been thrown open, the curtains rippling in the light breeze, and many of Talia's treasured items were missing – her necklace, her pink teddy from when she was born, her highly treasured crystal dove – given to her by her father when she was two years old. Everything of importance was gone.

He didn’t even yell out for her. This wasn’t a stupid twelve-year-old trick. This wasn’t a kidnapping. She had run away. Gavin’s throat swelled up. How could this happen? His only sister! She had been so happy until yesterday, what possibly could have happened to her?

Trying to calm himself, Gavin ran pointlessly through all the rooms in the house, trying to sort things out in his mind, but his brain was chattering and his heart was aching.

‘Just wait until Mum comes home … she can do something about it,’ he convinced himself.

Just at that moment, a terrible feeling overcame him. It was not a mental thought, nor a physical feeling. It was a soulful experience; a soundless scream, which wrenched its way through his heart, hurting him more than he had been ever hurt before. His mind throbbed with terror. He didn’t know what it was. His dream from last night came tearing back at him, images screaming at him to paralyse him with fear.

‘Wait until Mum comes home …’ he repeated in his mind.

Gavin sat perfectly still for a further six hours, silent tears pouring down his cheeks. He didn’t move, for food, for water, for anything.

His mother never returned.

---------------

*

Wigglytuff and Dratini were talking to each other rapidly and secretly. Maybe they were plotting something? Lisa stared at them for a moment, then at the shiny grey Steelix, the Flareon and Persian, and Slowbro. They all looked vicious, like they could do a LOT of damage if they wanted to. But they simply stood or sat, staring back at her.

“Hello,” said Lisa, not knowing why.

They all blinked back.

“So do you all work for Lenina or are you like her pets?” she said.

Slowbro stared at her curiously. //Lenina is my master, and my boss// he replied mentally. Lisa felt the words travel to her mind; a sensation which caused some people fear, but in the last two months she had become almost accostomed to the method of communication. //We are all here to do her bidding//

“Why?” asked Lisa, brushing strands of ebony hair from her face so as to get a clearer look at the Slowbro, which maybe wasn’t as psychotic as it had first looked. It was surprisingly rational. “She is part of Team Rocket, right?”

//Yes//

“Do you know much about Team Rocket’s operations?” Lisa asked the invasive question gingerly. Slowbro could know a lot, which could help her find why Team Rocket was after her.

//Yes. If you like, I will tell you// At this reply, Lisa could barely believe her ears. She had struck gold! While Lenina might have trained her Slowbro to be strong with its psychic powers, she had evidently neglected the fact that Psychic pokemon could communicate easily with humans in their own way. Lenina had never disciplined the Slowbro, or taught it to keep secrets; consequently, it didn’t know that it wasn’t meant to divulge secrets. It was a price she was now going to pay.

//My master belongs to Team Rocket. She is in the medium ranks of the organisation, but still has a strong link to Joseph Sterling// Slowbro began.

“Who is he?” asked Lisa, sure she had heard the name before.

//Joseph Sterling is the man who resurrected Team Rocket just over three years ago. Joseph Sterling is the man who controls the comings and goings of Team Rocket. Joseph Sterling is the man who wants Lisa Walters dead// Slowbro’s face showed no emotion of fear, shock or alarm, or of triumph or happiness. Just blank.

Lisa’s heart, for a change, did not leap at this statement. “Why does he want me dead?” she asked, squaring her jaw, determined to find the answer.

//I do not know. Three people have been sent to kill you over the past few months. One did not succeed, although he came close. One died trying. And one, Lenina, will succeed in your death//

It was one of the most bizarre situations Lisa had ever been in. She was talking to someone – an enemy – who was trying to kill her for an unknown reason. Slowbro would kill her if he was ordered. But he was incapable of feeling hatred. And then it clicked.

These pokemon that Lenina had … Lisa looked at them all. All of them were looking at her with blank eyes. Lisa felt a suspicion that these pokemon had been created by laboratories somewhere. Not clones, just created. But they had no experience of normal life. They had no emotion.

Before she could explain this, or even say anything to Slowbro, there was a deafening crash from upstairs, and what sounded like gunshots, and screeching pokemon. There were sudden footsteps pelted along a metal walkway somewhere. It sounded to Lisa both close, yet far away.

Moments later, Jessica came screaming down the ramp which led in a spiral to the observatory floor, panting but trying to yell out to Lisa between gasps. She looked urgent. “Lisa, quickly, we have to get out of here!!” she screeched.

Lisa quickly threw out her other two pokeballs – Fiskmire and Elekid, and Jessica threw out a Murkrow, which was pure white. It looked very odd, but Lisa had no time to consider things. By the looks of it, Jessica had somehow deprived Lenina of her gun, and managed to get away from her momentarily. But they had to act fast!

“Murkrow – use –” Jessica was just yelling out orders as she came to the floor when Lenina appeared at the top of the spiral ramp. The shiny back gun she held was pointed directly at Jessica’s heart.

“Now, now girls, I warned you not to try anything stupid …” she said. “Foolish kids … she descended the ramp, still keeping the gun trained on Jess. “Now, get back to where you’re supposed to be.” She barked at Jess, who shivered and ran back to face Lisa, recalling the Albino Murkrow. Wigglytuff and Dratini quickly took their places, and the other pokemon stood back.

“FIGHT!” bellowed Lenina, and the girls were forced to do so.

“Water gun, Dratini!”

“Use POUND, Wigglytuff!”

It was a very short round indeed, Dratini shot one weak blast of water at Wigglytuff, and the inflatable pokemon punched Dratini on the tail.

Lisa grinned, the battle was so fake. But Lenina didn’t look pleased.

“Hurry it up, girls,” Lenina smirked, handling her metal weapon. “My gun is getting restless.”

The time had come, Lisa thought. They had stalled for a while, but it was too late now. Suddenly, while Lisa stared blankly in Jessica’s direction, she noticed that the door of the room Phil was in was directly behind Wigglytuff. If they could blast it open somehow, Phil would be able to help them …

“Dratini, Ice Beam! Full strength!” cried Lisa, and Jessica gaped while Lenina grinned. Dratini turned it’s head and looked with confused ebony eyes at its master. Lisa winked at it, and the dragon got the rough idea. Then she sent the best mental message she could.

‘AIM for the door!’

Dratini fired its attack up at once, a beam of azure hue shot out from his mouth, and zipped quickly past Wigglytuff, missing it by a fraction of a centimetre. As Lisa had hoped, the beam slammed into the door and it was dented badly – it had half folded in.

Luckily, Lenina hadn’t noticed it, she was too intent on watching Jessica’s face; Lisa’s friend hadn’t yet caught onto Lisa’s plan, unfortunately, so she thought Lisa was savagely battling.

“Shadow Ball, Wigglytuff!” she roared.

Lisa tried to signal somehow to Jess what her plan was, but the other girl took no notice. Wigglytuff took no notice, and formed a massive ball of black and lavender energy and light. It fired the ball at Dratini. Lisa’s agile mind flicked to a quick decision; a way she could turn this setback into a positive event.

“Mirror Shield!” Lisa called to Dratini. And again, she added mentally, (believing correctly that Dratini WAS getting her messages) ‘Aim for the door!!’

Dratini had only once used the highly advanced and highly defensive move, and that wasn’t even in a battle. Lisa had taught him the technique on the road to Moo Moo Farm, and he had practised by Lisa throwing rocks at him. Mirror Shield was an advanced version of Mirror Coat; it completely deflected an attack, physical or elemental, but took a lot of concentration.

The tiny blue dragon screwed up his face as the Shadow Ball left Wigglytuff’s hands and shot at him. He squinted, concentrating on an image in his brain. He invisaged the ball bouncing of an almost-transparent dome around him. And, within seconds, a flat rectangular shield appeared resplendently before him. Mirror Coat. Now he just needed to concentrate on upgrading it. Summoning every last drop of determination in succeeding against the evil fuel of the battle, Dratini willed the Mirror Coat to expand into a dome, and it did, just as the Shadow Ball pelted into it. The attack had worked!

The black sphere shot rapidly in the other direction, right on target; it slammed into the metal door, like the Ice Beam Had, except this ball had much more power behind it; the door caved it amazingly, slamming with a metallic clang to the metal floor of the room. After the sound had finished reverberating, Lenina glared at Lisa and Jess, and realised that Lisa’s plan had worked. Jess also seemed to notice that Lisa had been raging at the door, and not at her, and looked apologetic.

Phil appeared at the door of the office, but he looked panicky.

“Phil, are you alright?” called Jess, not noticing Lenina’s grip becoming tighter on the gun.

The man, Lisa noticed, looked faint, and his words were coming out in shallow gasps. “Smoke … fire!” he coughed urgently. Lisa took a couple of steps to look into the office, and saw thick black smoke billowing from somewhere inside, and figured the Shadow Ball had ignited with something; Phil had inhaled some smoke by the looks of him.

Lenina’s eyes flicked towards the room, which had now filled with smoke, but her hand remained steady on the gun.

“No,” she breathed, showing a brief lapse in her evilness. “Not that … no … it’s on fire …”

Before anyone could make a move from the standstill, there was a small explosion in the office, and smoke poured out and began filling the observatory. Everything was obscured from view, and Lisa grabbed her pokeballs urgently, aiming them everywhere until three zaps meant she had recalled her pokemon. By the sound of it, Jess had done the same.

“Drop to the ground!” Lisa said, trying not to breath, her eyes streaming. There were a couple of thuds and she presumed Jess and Phil had dropped to the ground behind her.

“The floor’s filthy!” muttered Jess, only a hint of a whine to her voice.

Lisa rolled her eyes, but this came at a price, as they began stinging even more by the smoke. She screwed them to a squint and threw her arm behind her. “Grab onto my hand, we can follow easier that way.”

“Alright,” Phil’s reply was a cough, but Lisa felt his hand grasp hers, and by a squeeze on her hand, Phil signified that Jess had his hand.

There was suddenly a shot from the gun; Lenina was shooting wildly at them now. Lisa crawled on one-handedly and blindly, hoping against hope not to come to a dead end or crash into Lenina herself, or one of her pokemon. A moment later, her hand came up against a wall. Lenina was yelling out muffled cries now (Lisa couldn’t understand them through the smoke and loud crackling of fire), and then three shots came from her gun at once, followed by a long stream of them.

There was a muffled scream from Jess further back, and Lisa thought she must have been hit by one of the bullets, when she herself felt something dig into her shoulder sharply, and her body gave a lurch.

*

“This is ridiculous,” said Gavin bluntly.

“The only thing more boring is the Lord of the Rings,” agreed Andrew.

They were still cruising around the island where Lisa, Jess and Phil might well have been held captive. Gavin thought it was unfitting to be bored when three people were in danger, but what else could he do? Worrying endlessly wouldn’t save them.

Without warning, there was a light thud around the corner of the deck. Gavin and Andrew exchanged glances, and were just about to look around when Natu came fluttering along, holding something in his small talons.

“Hey …” Andrew muttered.

“I think Natu found something … back on the mainland,” cried Gavin. Andrew came over to examine with Gavin what it was that Natu had found. Gavin took the rolled up document and patted Natu on the head, but the tiny green bird seemed to want to tell them something.

“Hang on Natu,” Gavin muttered impatiently.

“It still doesn’t explain it,” Andrew exclaimed. “ Who took them both?”

Gavin shrugged. “ At least we know why.”

“Wassat?” cried Andrew, coming up beside him and peering over his shoulder to look at the document.

“It’s an experiment …” Gavin read hurriedly through the page. “Something about … lab reports … experimenting on people; someone’s planning to inject pokemon’s genes into humans to test the effects!”

Andrew’s eyes goggled. “Sort of like Spiderman, then?”

Gavin nodded, gaping. “I wonder who’s planning to do this … oh, there’s a name, how convenient … Professor Lenina Johnson – OH MY GOD!”

“What?” said Andrew.

“Professor Lenina Johnson – head of the Pokemon-Human experimentation team, of the ranks of Team Rocket! Whoever wrote this was planning to do these experiments on someone … and they’re from Team Rocket …” Gavin cried urgently, his mind knotting, with good reason.

Andrew snorted, and began to laugh, but he turned it into a kind of sneeze/cough/hiccup. “Well, how evil then …” he muttered, looking amused.

Gavin stared at him for a second, while Natu dug into his shoulders urgently.

“TU! TU NATU!” it chirped, ripping his shirt.

“Rack off Natu!” cried Gavin, but the persistent green bird grabbed a heap of Gavin’s dark hair in its talons and yanked until Gavin was at it’s mercy. Natu dragged him around the corner, until he saw.

Lying sprawled on the ground were three people. Lisa, Phil, and Jessica.

“Guys!” called Andrew, running up to them. Lisa and Phil stirred, but Jess’ eyes remained shut.

“You alright, Lisa?” asked Gavin, kneeling down as Natu fluttered into the air proudly. Lisa blinked, then glanced hesitantly at her shoulder.

A smile wavered weakly on her face. “I thought I got shot,” said Lisa, gesturing to a tiny rip in the shoulder of her – actually, Gavin’s – shirt. “Oh, sorry for wearing your shirt by the way, it was cold outside the tent and I couldn’t find my own clothes quickly enough … oh and sorry for not leaving a note or anything but I was just checking I didn’t think we’d get kidnapped,” she gabbled nervously.

“Don’t worry about – hey, hang on!” Gavin cried. “You got kidnapped and SHOT?”

“Yeah … kidnapping’s just the usual routine,” Lisa gave a shaky giggle, as Aipom ran up suddenly from somewhere about the boat, and pelted into Lisa, hugging her tightly for the first time. “And I THOUGHT I got shot, but it turns out that Natu just grazed my shoulder … he teleported us three back here.” Natu fluttered to her lap and Lisa gave him a stroke under his mouth. “Thanks Natu … you’re a lot stronger, and kinder, than I give you credit for.”

While Lisa and Gavin had been talking, Andrew and Phil were panicking. Jess had not woken, and there was something red on her shoulder … it looked like blood.

“Was she … shot?” Gavin breathed, noticing the situation with fear and shock.

Lisa blinked away tears as she saw Jessica’s still body. “I heard her cry out just before we teleported back here … when Lenina was shooting. I think she might have been shot!”

“In the shoulder …” Phil murmured, looking subdued.

“Lenina …” said Gavin, under his breath.

Andrew was staring silently at his younger sister, when suddenly, she shook all over, and her eyes opened. It was a moment before she sat up and glanced around at the worried faces circling her.

“What’s your problem?” she said bluntly.

Andrew exhaled heavily and looked like he was about to hug her with relief, then kind of gave her an awkward smile. “You’re alright … you’re alive.”

“Well duh!” she said, clicking her tongue. “What, did you think I got shot?”

“Yuh huh!” cried Phil, Gavin, Andrew and Lisa.

“Oh … no …” Jess said, with a look of disgust. “I thought I did, but it turns out the bullet just grazed my arm … it ripped through my top though!” she moaned.

“What about the blood?” choked Andrew.

Jessica turned her head and looked at her shoulder with great difficulty, and rolled her eyes in disgust. “I bet it’s stained my top now … stupid Lenina … it’s not blood,” she reassured them all calmly. “When I was upstairs Lenina led me through the kitchen to go to the toilet, and then this Natu shot through the window and pecked at her face and she dropped her gun, so I grabbed the nearest thing … a bottle of pasta sauce … and squirted it in her face to get away.”

It made sense to Lisa now. Gavin sniffed the air. “Was it Dolmio … the sauce, I mean?”

Jessica stared at him curiously. “Yeah, why?”

“Horrible stuff,” said Gavin.

*

The search party was called to a halt by Glenys and Ripper when they found that Phil and Jess (and Lisa) had been found safely, and all the pokemon returned after awhile, reuniting with their trainers. The trainers on other boats gave cheers when they heard the victims had been saved. Then, to celebrate, Ripper took the boat back to the mainland for a feast at the resort, as everyone was starving. Lisa had a craving for a Pepperoni Pizza, while Gavin was thinking along the lines of anything edible in sight.

“We’ll walk back to the resort,” proposed Glenys, smiling, after they had moored the boat in the port in town. Gavin had had enough of boating to last him a long time. “Just after we stop in at the Police Station.”

Gavin and Andrew were pleased to walk into the Police Station with the case solved, although the criminal was still not apprehended. The constable and his partner immediately left in a speedboat to the observatory island, and the policewoman behind the desk called the Fire Station to tell them about the fire at the observatory. And then, the whole group began walking to the resort along the footpath.

“Lisa, did you say you were kidnapped by a woman called Lenina?” asked Gavin suspiciously.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Why?”

Gavin held up the plans that Natu had delivered in his talons, and Lisa stared at them. But before she could say anything, they passed the library. Andrew, Jess, Phil, Glenys and Ripper kept walking, talking amongst themselves, but Lisa and Gavin stopped and stared up at the building. The Suicune book … Lisa had forgotten about that. Gavin checked his watch … only 3pm, the library was open for another hour.

“Let’s go then,” Gavin grinned, pushing the door open, while Lisa called something to Jess and Andrew, before following him through the glass doors.

The library was huge, and obviously newly made, but it had been architectured with an old theme about it … the roof was domed and sloping, with carvings and engravings on it. A circular desk was at the front of the library, where two librerians sat typing at very thin computers.

“Excuse me …” Lisa murmured.

The blonde librarian, older than the other, looked at her through spectacles as large as her own head. “Yes, dear?” she said softly.

“I was wondering if you have any books of Legendary Pokemon in this library, I’ve been told that you do.”

Without a word, the woman tapped away at a few keys on her computer and printed a very long list. She handed it to Lisa. “There you are, dear.”

Gavin looked at it over Lisa’s shoulder. Within a few minutes, Lisa sighed. The list wasn’t right, she decided, reading down it: Suicune’s Magical Day, Mew and Mewtwo go to Town, The Adventures of Albert Articuno, Volumes 1 – 4 …

“I have the wrong kind of list,” said Lisa to the woman.

“We want factual books, please,” chimed in Gavin.

The receptionist’s mouth grew thin. “I’m sorry, all our books have been restricted to research purposes only, not for some children –”

“We want to research it!” Lisa protested. “It’s because …” she paused; it wasn’t exactly a great angle to say that she needed the book because Suicune had been following her occasionally for two months … nobody except Gavin, and maybe Professor Westwood … would believe her.

“It’s because we need it for school.” She said, and Gavin guffawed.

“Isn’t it almost Christmas, little girl? School finished about a week ago,” the blonde woman said. “Besides, you both look a bit old to be going to school.” She finished nastily.

Lisa had been caught both ways … school had finished for the summer, until early February, and people over the age of 13 didn’t go to school … unless they went to University, in which case they were given a card to prove their identity.

“Um … well, we’re really interested in Suicune, so can we just please take a particular book?”

“No.”

Gavin and Lisa exchanged annoyed glances. “We’d just like to borrow Suicune: the Legend.”

“No.”

Aipom, who had been running around Lisa’s legs, sprinted off into the section which was under the stairs, jail bars were locking it up, but Aipom was very small, and he slipped through the gaps easy. Due to the Maple Syrup overdose he had had a few days ago back in Ecruteak, his mind was very sharp and he knew what Lisa wanted … Suicune books …

“Well, I think that’s just rude not to let us at least see the books!” cried Lisa indignantly. “Can’t we just look at it while we stay in the library?”

“No.”

Aipom came scurrying out from the Restricted Section, a thick book held in his tail. He raced through the aisles until he was at Lisa’s feet, holding the book up to her. She looked down, and with pleasant surprise saw that it was the book she had been looking for. Gavin noticed too.

“Well, thanks anyway,” he said quickly, turning around, picking Aipom up and holiding him and the book to his chest so they would be obscured. “Bye.” He called over his shoulder.

Lisa blinked, then trailed out.

“I’ve never done anything illegal before!” she squealed at Gavin as they walked briskly to catch up with Andrew and Jess, who were waiting at a corner up ahead.

“Firstly, don’t go screaming around that we just stole a book. Secondly … well, sometimes … it’s necessary,” he grinned. “Although, Aipom’s the real criminal mastermind.”

Lisa hugged Aipom. “Thanks, Aipom … I’ll get you some Maple Syrup when we get – OH!” She cried as something wrapped around her tightly, clutching her chest.

[Gavin Luper]

Some sort of thick string shot out from a small, dark laneway beside the library and the next shop, wrapping tightly around Lisa’s chest. Aipom, and the book still held in his tail, were wrapped up too. Gavin cried out, and saw Andrew come running to see what was happening, when Lisa felt her body lurch, and the thick string pulled her down the laneway, like a kind of elastic that swept her off her feet. It seemed like a minute or so later when she slammed into the ground in a heap Aipom and the book went flying off somewhere.

“So, Lisa Walters, thought you could escape, huh?”

Lisa didn’t need to look up. She knew who it was. That malicious voice, slicing through the air and grating on her ears venomously … Lenina. Slowly Lisa peeked up, to see Lenina, her hair blackened, and much of it missing – burnt off by the fire at the observatory.

“Thought you could kill me, eh?” growled Lenina.

“Thought you could kill ME, eh?” shot back Lisa.

Lenina’s eyes sparked with anger. “I’m not only accompanied by my normal pokemon now … I have someone new to show you.”

Lisa sat up slowly, and gasped with fear. A thing began to emerge from the shadows which lined the wall of the warehouse nearby. Lisa realised she was in a kind of square clearing, and the library was behind her. The ground was gravelled with weeds coming through at odd places. A barbed-wire fence ran around the other two sides of the clearing, and a long way behind her, Lisa could hear Gavin calling, and what sounded like a squeal from Jessica.

The thing which appeared beside Lenina was hideous. It was not a pokemon … not a normal species anyway. It was malformed, very long (about three metres) and about a metre high. Its head resembled a massive Caterpie, with the pinkish red antennae on top, but the face was like a Dunsparce. Lisa thought she could see wings folded up somewhere on the bright orange and green body, and the end looked similar to a fish tail. A thick, sticky string came from the antennae – and it was the same one which wrapped around Lisa.

“That thing is disgusting,” stated Lisa, shivering with apprehension. Somewhere behind her, Lisa could hear Gavin’s shouts getting very close behind her, and also Andrew, Jess and Phil. The loud popping noises signified the pokeballs opening. They were preparing to fight Lenina.

“This is the result of four years of experimentation,” said Lenina proudly. “It took four years of genetic research, four years of intense splicing, four years of evading the STUPID police … to produce this.

“Along with many other genetic researchers, I discovered some of the pokemon with the simplest DNA, and through intensive programs we created test-tube pokemon … we grew them from Stem Cells. And then, we spliced them together. To produce CYDMH #19.”

“CYD… what?”

“The Caterpie-Yanma-Dunsparce-Magikarp-Hybrid Number Nineteen. It took eighteen failed attempts and failed enlargements before we managed to create a surviving specie,” said Lenina slowly, drawing a gun out of her pocket. Then she placed it back in the folds of her singed lab coat. “I won’t need it now,” she muttered.

“That’s just weird!” Lisa cried, struggling against the String Shot, which was enhanced due to the creature’s size.

“The hybrid needed intelligence … at this stage it cannot use any of its attacks without being ordered around … except for one,” Lenina’s eyes winked mysteriously. “That’s why we needed to splice in a human … to enable it to become indestructible. I had to kill you anyway, so I thought I should kill two birds with one stone.”

At that moment Gavin arrived beside Lisa, after running all the way to see her and organising the battle stations. He held Natu’s Moon Ball in his hand very tightly.

“Ah, good morning, Gavin Luper,” called Lenina lightly, speaking as though Gavin was an acquaintance.

Lisa turned in the web awkwardly to see Gavin glaring loathingly at her.

“Give Lisa back now, Lenina! Or we’ll fight you.”

Lisa couldn’t turn completely behind, but she heard Girafarig call out in anxiety, and Staryu squirt out a soft jet of water with a “Hi-yaaah”. Beside her, a Dragonair slithered up and a Mr Mime strode up determinedly. A Seel teamed up with a Clefable and a rowdy-looking Mankey as a Wigglytuff – Jess’s – stumbled up beside Lisa, grabbed the pokeballs off her belt, and released them. Jess’s Chikorita and a Sunflora waddled out onto the gravel. Fiskmire, Dratini and Elekid also appeared, ready to fight.

Aipom was lying the the long weeds near the barbed-wire fence, the book was somewhere a few feet away. The last stringy fragments still stuck to him … but he needed to get back to Lisa. He had to help her. But gradually, the darkness closed in on him, he was unconscious.

Lenina was looking at all the pokemon and the five trainers. “Very well then, we will see how a bunch of weak trainers matches up against renowned Professor Lenina Johnson. Cydm, attack them!”

It was the beginning of mayhem. All the pokemon began to attack, bursts of light and electricity soared through the air. Chikorita was wrapped up in the string within seconds. The ‘Cydm’ also went into action. It broke off the string which was spun around Lisa, and instantly shot out a fresh one, which slammed into Staryu, who was wrapped up in it instantly. But Lenina hadn’t counted for its sharp skin, and the string shattered into pieces beside Staryu.

“STARYU, THUNDERBEAM!” roared Gavin.

Staryu was more than happy to oblige. He spun for a moment, during which time Cydm had shot string at Elekid and wrapped him up with ease. However, Staryu’s body crackled with electricity and a blinding yellow beam shot out at Cydm, hitting its antennae. Everyone watched, and goggled in shock.

Nothing happened at all! “Did I mention this is a super-strong hybrid?” gloated Lenina.

“Everyone attack! Staryu, Psychic it. Lanturn, Water Gun – Girafarig, Shadow Ball – Natu, Psybeam – Ditto … just hang on a sec.”

Andrew yelled out instructions to his pokemon too, and soon a thunderbolt shot through the air, followed by a wave of purple by Mr Mime, and a beam of ice from Dragonair. Phil and Jess began ordering attacks, and after a few moments, a flamethrower from Andrew’s Cyndaquil collided with the Haze which Lisa had been trying to get Fiskmire to produce, resulting in a huge explosion. Smoke billowed through the gravelled clearing, and Lisa could see nothing at all. But she could sense – she could almost see, through the smoke, flames leaping up onto the wall of the library. Screams came from the librarians, there was crackling of flames, and Gavin and Andrew were hastily dousing the fire.

Dust and smoke whooshed at Lisa’s face, when a thin jet of water shot past her face, and Fiskmire ran up to her – it had been fighting the fire. There was sudden screaming of pokemon everywhere – Lenina was yelling out instructions to Cydm, and it was obeying, there were flames everywhere and bursts of elemental attacks, but Lisa realised nothing was being accomplished by the trainers; Lenina was winning because her Cydm was unaffected by their attacks. They needed a new angle …

Fiskmire watergunned the string around Lisa, and the sharp blast of water sliced through the bonds, freeing Lisa. The thick smoke was everywhere, and Lisa dropped to the ground again, coughing.

“Cydm, use Tackle!” cried Lenina from somewhere.

Lisa cringed as there was a huge thud, and a pokemon screamed in intense pain. The Cydm roared with rage, and began slamming the ground everywhere, resulting in the earth vibrating slightly.

“Dodge it, Eevee, Double Team!” squealed Jess from somewhere in the clearing, as the smoke began to subside. Lisa could see Fiskmire before her now, and the ground she was on.

“Charizard, Ember it!” ordered Phil.

There were a few more pokemon’s screams, and a sudden spark of light rushed through the area, dissipating the smoke. Lisa blinked, coughed, and looked around. The Cydm was attacking Gavin’s Lanturn, slamming it into the ground. A Wartortle was wrapped up and also being slammed relentlessly. Lisa could see her pokemon – all three of them – leap with war-cries at Cydm. Maybe they were hoping to overpower it.

“We just have to use our numbers to beat it!” cried Lisa.

“Right!” Gavin answered.

“OK then,” Jess agreed.

All the remaining pokemon that weren’t flattened and knocked out or wrapped up in string charged at the Cydm, while Lenina grinned. “NOW! NOW!” she bellowed, as the pokemon all came at Cydm. It blinked its massive eyes at her and disappeared into thin air – reappearing at her side obediently. As Lisa knew only milliseconds before, the pokemon all crashed into the ground, grazing and bruising themselves. And then, something in her mind clicked.

As the Cydm raged at Dratini, still using Tackle, Lisa realised that Lenina had given them a very big chunk of information – the key of how to beat the Cydm. She had said that it could not use attacks unless ordered around by her. So, if they could first rid of Lenina, Cydm would be easier to defeat.

“Fiskmire!” Lisa yelled to her last fighting pokemon – Dratini was being battered, Elekid was wrapped up and Aipom was nowhere to be seen – “Use Ice Beam … on her!”

Lisa pointed her finger at Lenina, and Fiskmire let out a rapid ball of ice. Lenina leapt aside instinctively, but it barely missed, instead freezing a large lump of ice to the warehouse wall.

“Ignore the Cydm! Aim for Lenina!” barked Lisa.

“How do we ignore it, it’s trying to kill us!” yelled back Andrew, but his pokemon began aiming for Lenina. At the same moment, Jessica’s Eevee was crushed drastically into the gravel, injuring it badly. Jessica looked like she was going to explode, but she remained silent, and walked rigidly towards Lenina, ignoring the attacks firing past her head. She walked directly up to the startled Lenina, and without hesitation;

“YOU …..!” screamed Jessica, kicking Lenina sharply in the shins. Lenina doubled over in pain and moaned, but Jessica was not going to end. Her Eevee had just been hurt badly. The kicking went on for a minute before everybody’s numbed body’s began working again, including Lenina, who slapped out at Jess wildly.

Dust was being kicked up by all the pokemon, who were recovering and scrambling back to their feet to fight, some attacking the Cydm and others going for Lenina, so that there was so much going on, nobody noticed Gavin rubbing his temple, concentrating every particle of energy in his body … and then, feeling that rush of psychic power surging to his brain, flowing through, until …

Lisa felt the beam of azure whoosh past her and rage dead on-course for Lenina. She was so busy countering Jessica’s kicks that she didn’t see it coming, and so the beam of blue hit dead centre.

Lenina’s body went into spasms, and Gavin was glad; not just because he was overpowering the evil woman, but because he had attacked her with the Psychic Power; he had been trying to paralyse her, and from the spasming it semed to have worked. But The Cydm appeared before Lenina, and absorbed the beam at once. Gavin felt the energy flowing out of him, and the beam stopped.

“What was that?” exploded Andrew.

Gavin pointed at Girafarig, who looked surprised. “It was Girafarig. See, do it again Girafarig.” Gavin couldn’t bear to have somebody else know he was psychic. Girafarig looked nervous, but obliged. A beam of azure light shot out of his mouth, and Andrew watched as it hit Cydm, which actually flinched for a moment, before the beam died down. Girafarig looked disappointed, and Andrew nodded curiously. “Right then …”

He and Gavin began ordering the other pokemon’s attacks, not noticing the glow on Girafarig’s tail.

Lisa was watching the attacks on the stupid Cydm from a distance. It would teleport to block any incoming attacks from the pokemon, protecting Lenina always. Lisa couldn’t think of any other way to attack her … suddenly, her eyes fell on Aipom, who was emerging from the long grass. If he could use Swift … Cydm could not block it, as Swift never missed. Aha!

Somewhere, she could hear sirens … police cars, fire engines? They were a fair way away, though, so Lisa put her plan into action and screamed at Aipom across the gravelled clearing. “Aipom, use Super Swift attack – your strongest Swift attack ever! – on Lenina!”

Aipom still booked dazed, and it had picked up the book, but none-the-less, obeyed. He focused on Swift attacking not the Cydm, but Lenina. If he didn’t specifically focus on the Swift hitting her, it would miss.

Golden stars shot out in a long volley from Aipom to Lenina. They were so incredibly bright that they took the attention away from all the other pokemon, and everyone turned and stared at the stars, as they flew whistling through the air, but obediently, the Cydm reared up, looking like it would block the stars, but they flew up over its body and slammed in a relentless trail into Lenina.

She screamed as the stars flew into her body, draining her life just like they drained the power of pokemon. After a minute or two, Lenina’s body dropped to the ground. Nobody was sure if she was dead or just unconscious – it would seem the latter, as Aipom wasn’t a particularly strong pokemon.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief … but there was still the Cydm to deal with. It roared with anger and reared up at the group. Instantly, everyone was snapped out of their ‘trance’ from looking at Lenina. Volleys of fire, water and electricity launched at Cydm, along with purple waves and a very large lavender beam from Girafarig. Somehow, Cydm spat out a ball of acid, which landed directly on Girafarig’s back, sizzling at it’s smooth fur.

“Girafarig!” Gavin cried, rushing over to it. But now he had noticed the soft glowing on its tail, and stared at it suspiciously. “Girafarig, what’s with your tail?”

“Giraa!” bellow Girafarig, glaring at Cydm with fury in its eyes, its back still burning. Just as Jess had called her Wartortle to watergun the acid off, Girafarig squealed out – not in pain, but in fury, and charged at the Cydm. As it ran, the glow spread over its body, and it was a white shadow of light which hammered into the Cydm, knocking it over flat on its bright orange back.

“It’s evolving!” stated Phil excitedly.

“Girafathingys don’t evolve, do they?” asked Andrew in surprise.

“Apparently they do,” Gavin breathed, and they looked on it awe. Girafarig’s shape grew only slightly, but it’s ears grew and shaped considerably and its head-tail shrank a little into itself. The glow receded quickly and before the injured Cydm stood a proud looking pokemon, similar to a Girafarig, with the same colour and patterned fur, and just as cute, but at the same time more mature looking and wiser.

Andrew whipped out a silver device – unmistakeably a pokedex.

“I thought only yuppies had those,” said Lisa bitterly, as words spilled out of the contraption.

“Girafury – the wise Psychic pokemon. It is a matured version of its baby form, Girafarig, and has an advance Psybeam attack, as well as having very special telekinesis and telepathy. Girafury has the speed to rival that of its distant cousin, the Rapidash, and its tail, which before possessed a psychotic and aggressive mind of its own, has become calm and intelligent like the other head, and merged with it, making Girafury twice as smart, however, adding a small amount of physical ability and aggression. The other head disappears, leaving a normal tail.”

Gavin stared at his new Girafury, who looked at him with kind dark eyes. “Gira.” Its ears very pulsated dimly.

“Congrats, Girafury,” began Gavin, but the Cydm wasn’t finished. It reared up as Girafury, who stepped away uneasily. The attacks launched again with minimal talking from the ‘good guys’, but with no orders, Cydm used its one attack that it used without orders – Reflect.

The transparent barrier appeared and shatted straightaway by the attacks, but Lisa had guessed one more thing. Lenina’s created ‘Synthetic’ Slowbro had no idea of secrets or which side to stay on; no loyalty. What would make this thing any different? It could be dangerous if it got into the wrong hands …

Andrew suddenly spoke up, but it sounded like he’d thought it through. “Jessica … recall Cydm to its pokeball!” he called urgently.

Jessica, who was still beside Lenina’s body, called to the thing with a look of deep disgust. “Cydm! Come on, time to go back to your … uh …” Jess turned around to Lenina’s body, where a Ultra Ball lay. Perfect.

“Ultra Ball,” she finished. It complied and in a flash of white returned itself. Everyone looked stunned, and Lisa and Jess grinned at them all.

“Come back to the resort …” said Lisa, a weak, exhausted smile on her face as she bent to the ground and picked up the battered book about Suicune. The last day had been a rush of danger, fear and excitement. Lisa needed a rest.

*

Lisa stroked Aipom’s soft purple fur – for once, it was being calm and peaceful. She looked at the smiling faces around her – Gavin, Andrew, Jess, Phil, Glenys and Ripper. Yesterday had been a very dangerous and exhausting day – after Cydm was recalled the police arrived and apprehended Lenina, everyone had to make statements. Then afetr all the pokemon were healed finally, everyone had been treated to a feast at the hotel resort before a very long sleep.

Lisa didn’t like accepting a free flight back to Ecruteak, because although Glenys and Ripper had a lot of money, she felt it wasn’t fair. Still, they had insisted to pay for all expenses. And what other choice did they have?

As the bus rattled on, Lisa smiled to herself. Everything had turned out alright in the end, really, Lenina was locked up for a long time, but -

“So what happened to the Genetically Engineered Pokemon?” Lisa asked suddenly, pushing her bandana back on properly, it was sliding off a bit.

“Well I heard they were all found at the burning observatory?” replied Andrew quickly, fiddling with a pokeball on his belt.

“Yeah, I heard that too, but I heard the Steelix had died from the fire,” said Gavin, sounding pleased that the evil creature had been killed. Lisa frowned at him – it wasn’t its fault. But still … it would have killed her otherwise.

“Well that’s all fine and well, but what happened to the mega worm of disgustingness?” demanded Jessica furiously.

“Yeah!?” chorused Andrew, Gavin and Lisa. She wondered how she could have overlooked that!

“Its been given to scientists” said Phil suddenly, and all eyes turned to him, but he said no more, just smiled peacefully.

“Oh, I think it should be put down personally,” said Andrew.

“Definitely,” agreed Gavin quickly, but Lisa was quick to contradict.

“It was still a living creature, it had no choice what it was ordered to do!” she cried.

And they argued cheerfuly all the way to the airport terminal.

*

“We will keep in contact, right?” asked Lisa earnestly, staring up at the small TV screen mounted up near the ceiling. The flight was due to leave in about twenty minutes.

Lisa held the Legendary Suicune book under her arm – no longer did she feel even a sliver of guilt. After Lenina was taken to Jail in a city nearby, the blonde librarian ran out to see Lisa and thanked her for putting out the fire, even though it had actually been Gavin and Andrew’s pokemon. At any rate, she thanked the entire group of trainers and offered them any reward. Everyone had taken a money reward – but Lisa remained content. She requested to keep the Suicune book, and they allowed her to. So she did.

Andrew nodded fervently. “Sure … we have your pokegear number, and you have our mobile numbers. We’ll ring you sometime to catch up again.”

“For sure,” chimed in Phil, signing Gavin’s plaster cast.

Jessica shook Lisa’s hand. “Thanks for … well … saving us.”

Lisa shook her hand back. “Thanks for … doing my hair,” she giggled. “And for battling with me. With each other, as well as against Lenina. Glad she’s in jail now. But yeah, thanks for battling with me.”

“Who would have won, do you think?” Jessica asked, brushing a stray strand of chestnut hair from her eyes. Lisa shrugged, and the question remained unanswered.

Gavin was still trying to pay Glenys and Ripper for the flight, but the elderly couple flatly refused.

“It’s the least we can do for you, after your poor buggy being broken down, and you being stranded here, and kidnapped, and nearly killed. You deserve it, Gavin,” insisted Glenys.

“Besides, we’re rich,” said Ripper happily. “We won the lotto, we have all the money we need.”

Gavin shrugged, as Phil finished scribbling a message on his plaster cast. A call over the Gate lounge sounded out.

“ALL passengers on flight EKA07 to Ecruteak City please finish boarding … this is your final boarding call …”

Lisa hoisted her overstuffed backpack onto her back. Gavin picked up his, and Andrew came over to shake his hand. “Seeya Gavin. And sorry I didn’t believe in the legendaries before.”

“You still don’t, do you?” said Gavin slowly.

“Well …” Andrew didn’t say anything more, but his eye twinkled. He shook hands (left hands, because of Gavin’s broken arm) firmly with Gavin.

“Seeya,” replied Gavin finally.

Then, Gavin and Lisa stepped up to the desk at the entrance to the jetway, profusely thanking Glenys and Ripper and promising to see Phil, Jess and Andrew again. They handing their boarding passes to the hostess, who nodded them on and wished them a pleasant flight.

Lisa and Gavin walked quietly down the runway, hand-in-hand.

“I really just can’t wait to get back home,” said Lisa firmly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up on Lisa the Legend

While Lisa and Gavin have had their own exciting experiences lately, so have some of their friends.

“If I’m one of the first trainers to fight the Elite Four …” Hiro whispered to himself. “It’ll be tomorrow when I win the league!”

Hiro is getting close to his goal …

“Venomoth, Sleep Powder!” yelled Hiro, as Gengar charged it’s arms up with lilac energy.

Of course, Nurse Joy is having her share of problems, too.

“Get in there, go on!” urged Joy, her hair flailing around like a limp Ekans’ body, as she tried to shove a Sandshrew into it’s bed. Beside her, Issechu flapped its icy, scaled wings to stay aloft. “HURRY UP!” she yelled, frustrated.

Evidently, things aren’t exactly rosy behind the scenes.

Joseph’s eyes were filled with annoyance and confusion. His executive rocket – dead. The girl, escaped! And now she knew too much – she would surely recall the situation in Goldenrod now? If not she would now have some evidence that rockets were following her. But did she know why?

And there’s one other enemy left to contend with.

//I can do anything// replied Entei, his words burning with fury and arrogance.

Chapter 30 – Juxtaposition.