The Ketamine Trail (Chapter 3)

[Roses are Red]

So, hi, I'm new, even though I probably shouldn't say that. I hope the title is okay, I wasn't sure if drug references were allowed. Well, I'm not new to fanfics but this is my newest one. Chapters will get longer, this intro just didn't fit into any real arcs. So...yeah.

The Ketamine Trail

Introduction – This Tangled Web I Weave

Forests are always the scenes of tranquility. The thick branches blocked out what remained of the afternoon sun. Pidgeys shuffled from limb to limb, chirping amongst themselves. A few Bidoof scouted out trees to gnaw down to make into wood for a dam. A Shroomish had sauntered out to gripe at the beavers for messing with his tree. The four would probably talk civilly amongst themselves before going their separate ways.

Then the F-bomb dropped on this serene setting. The sound wave scattered the frightened Pidgeys into the blue sky above. Fear gripped the four grounded Pokemon as the waves washed over them. They squeaked and vanished into the trees. Ancient redwoods cringed at the blast, shuddering as the last vibrations rolled through them. Scooting further into the woods, the offender was identified. The woman sat huddled on the ground, clutching her right leg. She sucked air in through her clenched teeth. Another swear rumbled from her throat as a Poochyena looked on. His head cocked to the side as he watched the human writhe on the ground. The red eyes were concerned but he sat back, waiting for her to calm herself. The last time he had come near her during one of her episodes, she had kicked him. So he stayed out of her reach until the tears cleared out of her eyes.

Shaking, she managed to snap her fingers. Standing, the canine gently plucked her cane off of the dirt and handed it to her. “Go find the damn rabbit. I’m not moving anywhere.”

Faithfully, he set off into the woods with nostrils flaring. Alone, she braced the cane on the ground and tried to lever herself up. She fell back on her backside and swore loudly. “Stupid forest and its stupid roots and its stupid dirt,” she babbled. “Don’t know why I thought of this in the first place.” One hand gripped a knot in one of the trees. Grunting, she dragged herself to her feet. Pain lanced through her right knee as it protested straightening out. She leaned against the rough bark and stretched out the poor limb. It screamed at her and she glared at it. “Damn it leg, work with me.”

The thudding paws alerted her to the Poochyena’s approach. He came bearing the terrified rabbit in his jaws like a retriever with a felled bird. The poor creature trembled from head to foot and squealed when he saw her. The canine let him go and watched the cowardly Pokemon fly through the air to hide in her bag. His huge feet kicked against her sore back and she hissed, earning a fearful squeak. She grinned at the Poochyena while he rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun, Hellhound. Now come on, I think that bush back there was poison ivy,” she remarked, scratching at her elbow.

The Poochyena smiled, fangs poking out of his mouth. He lumbered peacefully beside her leg as they made their way.

~--~

“Hello? This thing on? Testing, one two three, I fly free? Okay, I think it’s working. So hi. I’m just trying out this recording option on this new contraption. Seriously, what happened to just plain old PokeDexes? Well, um, my name’s Iz, or that’s my nickname. My full name is Elizabeth Queen. It’s the twenty-fourth of March and I’m twenty-five and just starting out on this crazy journey. Really, I’m just trying to escape from the world. Hopefully my parole officer doesn’t find me here. This region’s on the other side of the freaking world.

“So, a little about myself I guess. Um, well, I really don’t want to give out much because, hello prison. If any kids find this, drugs are bad. Drugs are really bad and never do them. Never, ever, ever. I know this is one of the drug capitals of the world but don’t fall into the hype. That should be enough without giving that away. Well, I’m in a region called Madas. It’s a little region by cities but it’s pretty vast land wise. I think there’s like three major cities here? Really sucks from my perspective. And there’s no, like, bus to get there either. All walking and all in the freaking wild. Like today. A ten mile trek through the woods from the official first town. I got a rash starting on my arm that I think is poison ivy. And it only gets longer after this. I haven’t walked that much since I was, well, eight. I don’t need any grief, Orthrus. You can shove it.

“Some info about the jerks then. Well, only one is being a jerk now, the other is hiding under my bed. The Poochyena in front of me with a smug look on his face is Orthrus Hellhound. Right now, I’m tempted to bring the cane out to see how he likes it. I bought him off some perverted kid who wanted me to flash him. I managed to get away with just buying him a Playboy.

“The rabbit is apparently a Bunaway. Who the hell comes up with these names? It’s apparently equivalent to the Sentret of this region except it has a third evolution because the first stage is so bad. There’s nothing really special about him; he’s just a rabbit with big eyes. In fact, I didn’t even catch him: he caught himself. He just appeared outta nowhere and hid in my bag in fear. I guess he hit a Poke ball on the way in. Either way, I’ve named him Jack Yellowtail because he’s a freaking coward.”

~--~

Iz paused for a moment and considered what she had just said. She twirled the slim machine in her fingers being careful not the touch the sensitive screen. Orthrus watched her with smiling red eyes as he stretched out on the bed. His paws kneaded the faded quilt he had claimed. She sighed and turned the recorder function off. It found its home back in her bag and she leaned back against the pillow. “I guess we go scout around tomorrow, do all the things a trainer does and whatnot. What do trainers do?” That earned her a shrug. “You’re no help,” she grumbled. Her leg shrieked as she moved it and she hissed. Wary eyes watched as she gently lowered the abused limb onto a pillow of its own. Fingers traced over ugly scars before she drew her hand away. Memories danced in her eyes briefly before she closed them. “Let’s go to bed. We gotta figure out what we’re going to do tomorrow early. Which means no sleeping in till noon.” He frowned, looking very intimidating with his large fangs.

She lied down, flipping off the dim light of the lamp. Orthrus’ eyes shone brightly for a moment before they closed. “Night,” she mumbled. There was a squeak from somewhere under the bed from Jack who had made himself a den out of a pillow and a blanket. He curled up into a ball in the darkness. Orthrus watched the human as she struggled to get comfortable. His ears stay tuned on her until she began to drift, sprawled very unladylike. A grunt rumbled from his throat as he finally curled up, his job done for the night.

[classy_cat18]

Welcome to the Fanfiction forum, Roses. First of all, we don't outlaw drug references. In fact, the fact that you've included them in a Pokemon fanfiction makes it a little interesting. I like the new region you've made; just three major cities makes me wonder what's between them.

Your main character is twenty-five and on parole. Sweet.

And I would like to see the development of Iz's Pokemon.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

This really got my attention. I absolutely love it when people use realistic concepts in pokemon fics (for example: the drugs, the flashing, the parole, etc.).

You got me hooked. I also like the fact that Poocheyena and an invented pokemon are the main pokemon for now, both of which are weak, statwise, which I don't really care about.

<3 Mightyena.

This having said, we're also partners in crime, as I too have a fic recently up, also with made up pokemon and a new region. Although I can see that you're linguistic skills are superiour to mine.

Welcome to Fanfiction and TPM in general. I hope you'll stay 'cause you seem like a decent member, with good grammer (lol) and a lot of potential.

Have fun.

[Lady Vulpix]

Welcome to TPM!

Interesting start. You're quite good with words, even if the beginning was rather slow due to the extensive descriptions.

The phrase "it has a third evolution because the first stage is so bad" caught my attention. It implies there's a reason behind the evolutions, but whose reason is it? Nature? God? Some kind of creator? Or was she just being sarcastic and I'm reading too much into this?

Now, if Iz is afraid of someone finding her recording and using it against her, why did she say her full name and confess that she was running away from her parole officer? Does she enjoy taking big risks?

The story seems to be quite original, and I like your use of the English language. I'll wait and see where this leads.

(Just out of curiosity, how did you find this forum?)

[Roses are Red]

Thank you all for the warm welcome :3 And I'm glad the title isn't offensive either as that probably wouldn't have made for a good first post.

To answer your first question Lady Vulpix, well, I think you're reading a little too much into it. Why it's described as an awful one will be explained in the next chapter. For your second, the recorder is a function of the PokeDex for the region and thus, already has her full name registered on it. That and she isn't very bright anymore to begin with. Drugs are bad >.> I also found this forum by browsing through Bulbapedia because I was bored.

The first real chapter should be up soon. I hope you will enjoy it as well.

[Lune the Guardian]

Haha. The main character has got a very engaging sense of humor. Also the first female lead for a trainer fic that I've read.

The Bunaway is pretty comical, its name suits it very well. I don't know what the hell a Bidoof is, is that a real pokémon? I stopped following the franchise after Ru/Sa/Em.

On a random note, what is Bulbapedia?

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Bulbapedia: Wikipedia for pokemon

Also yes Bidoof is the new Rattata/Sentret/Zigzagoon which can be found early on in D/P.

[Roses are Red]

Thank you Lune for that and thanks for answering his question MLG. Yes, Bidoof is the horrible new Rattata/Sentret/Zigzagoon (although its evolution is a good HM slave I've heard).

So here's the next chapter. I've scrapped half of it twice because of plot holes, logic problems, and changing the very end Pokemon. I'm actually a lot happier with that one. So please read and review, say what you like and what you don't, etc.

Chapter 1 – Get You a Guitar and Learn How to Play

“Ketamine, ketamine,
Chase it down with gasoline
From mountain high to valley low
Takes you where you wanna go
Stinky lake holds the key
To get sent off across the sea
Around the world it never stops
Try to end it filthy cops.”

She didn’t know whether to be appalled or amazed. The kids outside had started chanting the song while playing hopscotch of all things. Their feet blazed across the etched lines in a blur of kids who had nothing else better to do. The verse was muffled because of the glass but she could hear it loud and clear. The oldest had to be eight and this city wasn’t even part of the Ketamine Trail. Then again, who knew what had changed since she’d lost contact with the world. One of the kids whistled loud enough to catch Orthrus’ attention and they scattered like rats. A black and white turned the corner seconds later and she watched it curiously. It paused at the chalk before it cruised on down the street. “Good cop,” she remarked, more to herself than anything. The Poochyena glanced up before lowering his chin on the table in a sulk. “Stop pouting. At least you fought unlike someone here.”

Jack looked up at her with his big, black eyes. “Stop looking at me like that. You ran away from three battles. And hid behind my leg for the other two.” His nose twitched before he began grooming his face. The sight was adorable and even she found herself melting at the sight. “However cute and cuddly you may be there will be no fleeing anymore.” Those long ears fell back and he stared at her pitifully. “You ran from a Metapod. A Metapod. I don’t want to hear it from you.”

Iz dragged out the slim case and popped it open. The Bunaway watched her cautiously as she tapped the screen several times. “You guys need to strengthen up. Apparently trainers go around and beat gym leaders for badges and stuff like that.” Orthrus lapped at the empty plate in front of him while she browsed. “And the Kaine City gym leader is a guy named Carlisle.” The screen flashed once before the hologram appeared. Technology today was an amazing resource and she wondered when the other regions would get something like this. The only color was blue though so he didn’t look probably as good as he did in real life. “Rock-type master. Jeez, aren’t there a lot of those going around?” She tapped the screen and watched as Jack tried to touch the image. It faded, bringing up the encyclopedia. Iz had turned the damn sound off simply because she was not listening to that sweeter than candy voice anymore. It made her teeth ache.

“Rock’s weak to water, grass, steel, fighting, and ground. Resists normal, fire, flying, and poison. You guys are out,” she pointed out. “Well, not going to find any of the last one’s around here. And I hate grass.” At this, Orthrus raised his head. “I don’t like the way they look. Only one I could go for is Leafeon. But that would be a waste of time as we’d have to go to Sinnoh to evolve an Eevee which we would then spend an eternity trying to find.” She massaged the bridge of her nose. “Okay, we need a water Pokemon. Now, where to find one.”

The machine had already processed her question and had brought up several topics of interest. One was a lake that was about two miles to the east. That option would get pushed to the bottom for now. Another was a trading outlet. However, no one seemed to want a Bunaway at all. The most promising was a shelter next to a PokeMart that usually had several types available for adoption. The fee wasn’t as large as she thought and hey, it beat walking a couple of miles to a lake. “Adoption it is.” Iz shut the machine down and dug some money out for the bill. Jack leapt into her bag, making himself at home. “You’re lucky you don’t weigh much,” she muttered.

~--~

“That was a bust,” she muttered. Orthrus merely glanced up at her before scratching at his ear. The last water-type, the receptionist had said indifferently, had been adopted out an hour before. None of the others in the shelter had appealed either simply because she couldn’t decide. The entire place had been dismal to the point she was glad she was on the other side of the bars. Although he didn’t look it, the Poochyena was also quite glad he wasn’t on the inside. “I guess we’re heading to a lake tomorrow,” she sighed.

Orthrus grunted before his ears swiveled. He tensed and turned to face the oncoming threat. Iz glanced up and immediately threw her arm out. A flash of white accompanied the sharp pain in her arm as snarls thundered. Orange roared and then focused on the grey body slamming into him. The two dogs circled each other before clashing like titans. Paws scraped and slashed as the two locked legs and began snapping at the other. Both parted and snarled threats before fire flew through the thick air.

She had managed to step back and could hear Jack squealing in fear. She honestly couldn’t believe a Growlithe of all things was clashing jaws with Orthrus. The two were again locked in combat, fangs bared and teeth snapping. Orthrus took a mighty slash from the forepaws on the dog and yelped, backing off momentarily as he blinked blood out of his eye. The Growlithe lunged forward and she brought the cane down on his back. He yelped but then fired at her. Yelling, she jumped back, landing wrong and tripping. Orthrus sank his teeth into the flank of the dog and the two went at it again. Iz yelled and screamed at the two, only managing to stop Orthrus. Seeing his chance, the dog bit down on the Poochyena’s nape. All he managed to get was a mouthful of fur and she swung the cane out and caught him in the face.

Jack was trying to burrow deeper into her bag and was kicking junk out to get there. A few Poke balls rolled out and the Growlithe, dazed, stepped on one. A blinding flash lit the area before he vanished into the contraption. The item shook twice before suddenly calming.

The two stared at the object for several seconds. A couple of the stunned passersby had stepped in, one helping her back to her feet and the other helping gather the things Jack had flung out in his attempt to hide. Orthrus picked up the ball gingerly and handed it to her. Someone was asking if she was all right since, as she now noticed, she was bleeding from the first attack. Iz waved them off and held the pulsing Poke ball. A whimper broke her stunned thoughts. The canine was limping and bleeding from the fight. “Let’s go back to the center,” she managed to get out. He nodded slightly and followed after her.

~--~

“I caught a Growlithe today, I think. Apparently this one has been wreaking havoc everywhere because he’s so aggressive. I’ve honestly never seen such an aggressive creature and I worked with the prison dogs. The nurse did say if I let him go, she would have to seize him and he would be put down. I think I’ll keep him. Who knows, maybe he just needs the right training. I’ve decided on Stitch Athame for him because it sounds cool.

“At least my arms match now from that attack. The nurse definitely said I’ve got a poison ivy rash started and I’m lucky I don’t need stitches. Orthrus was healed in a snap. Why don’t they have that kind of technology for us humans? Sure would be a lot easier. Although I hear it doesn’t fix severely broken bones and severe internal damage. Shame.

“We’re going out to the lake early tomorrow, after I find some training aids for Stitch. The nurse said there’s a bus that goes out near the lake so we’re going to jump on that. Be better than walking the entire way. I hope that we aren’t going to be anywhere near the marijuana fields. I don’t need to get chased in my condition. I’ll get a recording going tomorrow after what I hope will be a successful trip.”

~--~

Dogs were really good at sulking and leering. Right now she had two doing one each. Orthrus was leering at the restrained Growlithe while Stitch was sulking so much she was surprised he wasn’t sinking below the floor of the bus. He had finally stopped pawing at the basket muzzle and was lying at her feet. He had thrown a huge tantrum at the muzzle and an even larger one when she had slipped the special collar on over it. It had taken both her and Orthrus to hold onto the leash to prevent him from pulling free. Ten minutes just flew by when a dog was howling and flailing about. He had sulked even more when she had slipped the thick boar collar around his neck, more for his sake than anything. Orthrus was sporting one as well though so that seemed to cheer him somewhat.

Several trainers that were also up early for the trip had stared at the leashed creature and many gave them a wide berth. It honestly didn’t matter since she had taken up the handicapped spot. With Orthrus sitting on one side and Jack on the other, they took up nearly the entire row. The rabbit kept eyeing the Growlithe in fear though and every movement made him stiffen.

Everyone took off the bus at the rear exit, leaving her and the monsters with the front exit. The driver had said nothing to them but she could see he was glad they were leaving. The other trainers had already dashed off to the lake. Sighing, she glanced down at the pouting Growlithe and snapped to get his attention. “I’ll take off the muzzle if you promise to be good.” Stitch perked up at that and the fluffy tail wagged. Iz unhooked it and readjusted the collar around his muzzle. He yawned widely, happy to open his mouth fully and slid a sly glance towards Orthrus. She tugged on the leash and hissed. “None of that or it’s going back on.”

Orthrus bounded ahead to the water, barking at them. She rolled her eyes but tried to move a little faster. The collar was a miracle as she wasn’t getting dragged by the excited puppy. Jack had leapt out and was busying dashing about the meadow. He popped up like a Sentret and flew back to the Poochyena, hiding around his legs. A Pidgeotto had flapped into the area and the Bunaway was really easy pickings. Orthrus grunted and pawed at the water lapping at the shore. A rather large fish emerged, glaring at him. Water sprayed at his face and he yelped, dashing back to Iz who had just managed to clear the last small hill. She snorted and watched the strange blue fish dive back under and swim out to deeper areas. “No fish. A fish can’t fight on dry land.”

Jack took to riding on top of the Poochyena as they explored the perimeter of the lake. Several fish Pokemon had popped up to watch them but she ignored them. It wasn’t worth the trouble of catching one to begin with. A strange otter looking creature had been spotted but it belonged to one of the other trainers. Stitch had found a nice stick though and was busy carrying it around like a trophy. She had finally worked up the courage to let him off lead but had left everything else on. It was just easier that way and he honestly looked a little happier and calmer with it on.

After an hour of just walking around, she sat on a stump and twirled the cane. “Okay, this isn’t working. All we’ve seen are fish which aren’t any good. Suggestions?”

Stitch looked up briefly before returning to chew on his prized stick. Jack and Orthrus both shrugged and she leaned back, sighing. A Caterpie took its cue to enter the scene and inched along the ground. Iz watched it for a minute before glancing at Jack. “Okay, that’s a Caterpie. A really dark one but still. Go pick a fight with it.” He looked scandalized at just the suggestion of it. “Come on, Jack,” she said, leaning down to his level. “You are a tough Bunaway. Nothing will keep you down. You can handle a little itty bitty worm.” He still looked unconvinced. She switched tactics then. “Jack, I know you can do it. Use your speed and you can’t lose. Now go challenge that Caterpie.”

He stood up a little taller and hopped over to the inching bug. The Caterpie watched the little rabbit cautiously and growled, if one could call it a growl. Jack growled right back although it sounded more like a dying animal. Strands of silk flew from the Caterpie’s mouth at the Bunaway. He squealed and flew into the air. His huge feet pounded against the ground and he tackled the small bug. It merely shook itself and charged forward. A long string of webbing sprayed and wrapped tightly around Jack’s back feet. He squealed and kicked out to try and slip his paws free.

“Jack, chew through it,” she ordered. Both Orthrus and Stitch were watching the fight between the two with curiosity. Orthrus barked out an encouragement and Jack set to work. The small worm came charging forward and slammed its head against him. The fight turned into a one-sided tackling event as Jack tried to crawl away. Iz groaned and watched the small bug beat the rabbit. “Disaster,” she mumbled.

Then something seemed to click on in his head and he moved. The Caterpie blinked and found himself being kicked mercilessly by the huge back feet. It went flying back and lay still at the base of one of the trees.

“I don’t believe it,” she muttered. The Bunaway had finally freed himself and was waiting to see if he had won. “You did it, Jack. You finally did it.” He squealed, standing taller and pushing out his chest. “I’ll be damned; you can fight if you want to.”

“Bunaways are gay!”

The colorful comment was shrieked by a kid who had to be half her age. He high fived his equally immature friend and the two raced off down the lake. She did flip him off but the two hooted victoriously. Justice was served though as a Pidgeotto swooped in and took off with one of the kid’s Oddish. She grinned widely as the two raced after the bird. Orthrus was smirking too; those huge teeth making him look intimidating.

They trekked further along the lake’s perimeter, coming to a grove of oaks and evergreens. Orthrus had finally worked up the courage to go back to the water and was busy splashing about. Both ears went up and he whined, running back to her. She watched him curiously as he twined around her legs before lying down. He was asleep, curled at her feet. “The hell?” she asked. Stitch barked at something, paws shuffling anxiously. She glanced up as well and stared at the lumbering pink monster. It lied down by the lake and yawned widely. The long tail rose up and drifted lazily in the lapping water.

“I think it’s high,” she mumbled. Stitch whined loudly as he watched the pink creature lie by the water. Jack ran up her leg and into her bag, popping out a moment later with the PokeDex. The odd Pokemon popped up on the hologram and she snorted at the name. “Slowpoke. I thought Bunaway was bad. And I guess it’s not high, the picture shows the same dopey look.” She shut the hologram off just in time to see Jack bounding to the Slowpoke. Stitch’s head cocked as the Bunaway stood up tall in front of the lazy creature. Orthrus lifted his head, looking dazed. “Just in time for the show,” she remarked.

The pink dimwit lifted his head as he finally noticed the rabbit standing in front of him. He wheezed slowly and stared at him. Jack chattered quickly and growled. Lazily, the head tilted and he blinked. Then his head fell back down and he went back to sleep. Squealing, the Bunaway waved his forepaws and finally just hauled off and punched the Slowpoke’s shoulder.

Both dogs blinked in shock at the rabbit’s boldness. “Personality twist. Interesting.” Iz began slowly lumbering her way over to the one-sided fight. The Slowpoke had finally registered the hit and was looking hurt at the attack. Or that may have been the fish gnawing on his tail causing him pain. Either way, he laboriously climbed to his feet and lowed. The fish attached to his tail went sailing back into the lake as he flicked it. The glazed eyes focused suddenly and began to glow a deep pink. Jack’s squealing grew louder as a he was lifted into the air. His body hovered for a split second before he went sailing as well.

“Oh I like that thing,” she said, grinning broadly. She nodded to Orthrus and the grey canine went forward, being mindful of the creature’s mouth. He slunk towards the Slowpoke, body low and ears back. The Slowpoke turned to face the Poochyena and lowed again. He dashed in, slide tackling the pink monster. Orthrus jumped back up and fell back, watching the fallen Slowpoke cautiously. He blinked so slowly that Orthrus was slightly worried he had honestly hurt something. Then the creature groaned and began to get back up. The eyes began to glow once again although Orthrus smirked and howled as a tingle tickled his back.

Jack had finally gotten himself oriented again and was busy rubbing his head. The confidence he had gained from the first fight had been lost and he cowered behind her leg. Stitch whined as the fight played out, dancing now. He suddenly dashed forward, claws raking the soft ground. Iz yelled out after him but he paid no heed to her or her warnings. His whines had gotten the attention of the Slowpoke. The Growlithe managed to slam into the creature’s side before he could react. She was still yelling when the Pokemon fell into the lake.

Water sprayed out suddenly, soaking the fire puppy. He howled and backed off, trying to evade the Water Gun. A red flash swallowed him back up as Iz swore at the ball. She reached in for an empty one and hoped she could still throw. The creature was sitting in the water, another fish attached to his tail. Iz chucked it as hard as she could and it ended up landing a few feet away from the Slowpoke. She slapped a hand to her forehead as Orthrus intervened. His teeth closed over the large ball and he flung it at the slow monster. The light sucked him up and snapped shut around him. It shook once as though he wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. Orthrus plucked up the ball from the water and trotted back to her. “Thanks, boy,” she said before he began to shake off. A long string of swearing roared out of her mouth as water flew in all directions. He grinned, fur standing on end. Wiping the droplets from her face, she held the ball in her hand and finally smiled. “Mission accomplished. Let’s go back to the bus stop and go back to civilization.”

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Interesting developments. Two new partners, that's plenty of pokemon from the beginning.

Now let us see what the training shall give.

[Lune the Guardian]

Hahah, Jack totally cracks me up. "Jack growled right back although it sounded more like a dying animal." Favorite sentence about Jack in that chapter

I like how the main character is collecting all these pokémon with distinct personalities. It's great, and adds color to the story. I've gotta say, Elizabeth sure has a knack for running into funny characters. Seems like a good thing, though; Slowpoke and Growlithe are very solid pokémon of their types. I wonder if the Slowpoke is going to fight properly though? It seems dim, even for a Slowpoke. I hope it doesn't fall asleep when it's battling the Rock leader.

Oh, another touch that I thought was nice, was Orthrus throwing the ball for her. That was cool. It shows their relationship and understanding of each other. I can't help but think that Orthrus is going to be more reliable than that Slowpoke, even against type disadvantages. =/ He seems like either the smartest or the most experienced of the four so far. (Seriously Stitch, good job running towards the water?)

Also, I'm afraid I might be ridiculously slow or stupid or something, but what is the ketamine trail? I'm hoping it will be revealed in the story since that's the title, but I might just be missing something really obvious. The main character seemed to deem it very significant.

[PancaKe]

I'm really enjoying this. It's different. Sometimes I get a bit lost with the pokemon ; but that's my fault cos I have no clue about any Ruby Sapphire pokemon - I skipped and went straight to diamond and pearl. But anyway; I'm enjoying this.

I like the twists you've thrown in. The difficult personalities of the pokemon, the drug references and parole and stuff. Is Iz on the run from the cops or just trying to behave so she doesn't get put back into jail??

[Roses are Red]

Thank you for the reviews. Jack is a character and he hopefully only gets better. The ketamine trail will get more story time later and that's all I'll say on that matter >.> And she's a little of both, Pancake. Just a little of both because she doesn't want to end up back at prison (she's that hardcore) but she doesn't want to draw attention to herself.

Chapter 2 – Cut up Some Jeans, Come up with a Name

Stitch was busy teaching the terrified rabbit and annoyed hyena the intricacies of the Bite attack. It seemed to be his second specialty, well after fire of course, and he was having fun being authoritative. Iz was busy watching the three and snorting as Jack just looked too scared to even concentrate on the simple technique. They had claimed the courtyard out behind the PokeCenter for training purposes and she was glad the children were off battling in parks. The Slowpoke, who she had yet to name, sprawled out around her feet and yawned widely. He rarely moved and she kept checking to make sure that he was in fact breathing. She had been calling him Pinky for simplicity and just saying Slowpoke was getting old. Orthrus successfully snapped his thick stick in half easily. He smirked at the Growlithe who was watching the Bunaway as it timidly approached the stick and nibbled. He sighed and crushed it in his powerful jaws. That sent the poor thing running for his life. Orthrus snarled and barked fiercely at Stitch who, unfortunately, did not back down.

“Okay, let’s try something else,” she interrupted before fur flew again. Both dogs glared at her before pouting. “Hey, Pinky needs some battle time. Come on,” she grunted, trying to shove the blubber boy up. He blinked slowly and gazed dopily up at her. “Get out there,” she groaned. He seemed to get it finally and climbed to his feet. Lowing, he lumbered out to the field and sat his large rump down on the grass. Orthrus joined the fray first, rolling his shoulders to prepare himself.

“Just practicing now so don’t try to hurt each other, okay?” She got one nod and wasn’t even waiting for the Slowpoke. “Orthrus, Tackle. Pinky, Water Gun. Ready?” At the growl, she nodded. “Go!”

The Poochyena went into action immediately. He charged forward with teeth bared. Five feet, three, two…

He put the brakes on at the last minute since the Slowpoke had yet to do anything. “Pinky,” she groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “You’re supposed to use Water Gun.” His head cocked and he groaned loudly. “Fine, whatever, Orthrus, just hit no matter what. Same attacks now. Ready? Go!”

Having recovered, Orthrus shook himself off and charged again. Pinky stared blankly ahead as the Poochyena came ever closer. He groaned when the dog hit him but barely moved from his spot. Orthrus had slunk back and was watching the Slowpoke warily. He blinked slowly and finally water sprayed forth. A yelp followed as the attack caught the Poochyena in the leg and sent him spiraling back.

“Okay, good,” she said slowly. “Let’s try to be a little faster this time.” The sopping wet hyena slunk back over and prepared to shake. “No, no, no! Over there, away from us,” she ordered, pointing with her cane. He grumbled but crept over to the bushes and did a mighty shake. “Stitch, let’s go.” He pranced out and squared himself off against the lazy creature. He showed his teeth but Pinky didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was busy watching a butterfly flutter around his head.

“Pinky, focus. Use a Confusion. Stitch, just tackle. Ready?” she asked, not expecting blubber boy to say anything. “Go!”

Stitch howled and raced forward, obviously forgetting the ‘cool it’ command. Pinky lowed at the dancing butterfly and then groaned loudly as Stitch caught him full on. He went tumbling head over heels, slumping on his stomach. A low moan echoed out and Stitch danced about for his successful hit. He yelped though as his body shot into the air. Four paws feebly kicked at the ground before he was sent sailing into the bushes. Grunting, he began to fight against the evil branches of death to free himself from their clutches. The same aura covered him once more and gently lifted him up and set him back on the grass. He began picking leaves out of his fur as Iz rubbed her chin. There was a pattern here but she needed one more variable to make her conclusion. She shoved Jack out and watched the Bunaway cower. Well, he wasn’t stupid.

“Okay, Pinky, another Confusion. Jack, Tackle.” She waved her hand for the signal and watched as absolutely nothing happened. Pinky was enjoying another butterfly and Jack was huddled on the ground. A minute passed as neither Pokemon advanced on the other. Iz sighed and tried to rub away the headache brewing in her skull. Stitch whined and howled, startling the rabbit. He squealed and shot forward, striking the Slowpoke’s leg. There was a pause and Pinky groaned as the hit registered. His glazed eyes focused again and began to glow. Jack chattered and flailed as he was lifted up and flung into the peach tree. He lay dazed in a forked branch before he was gently plucked up and set back down.

“So, Pinky attacks only after he gets hit.” Iz rubbed the back of her neck. “I wonder if I can bring a bat with me?” she mused. Both Jack and Stitch stared up at her in horror while Orthrus, used to her humor, yawned and looked uninterested. “Come on, I’m kidding.” Pinky seemed to get it and lowed. “Here, let’s get lunch and we’ll head to the park for some real training.”

The sound of lunch seemed to get Pinky excited. His face lit up and he lowed happily. Laboriously, he raised himself up on all fours and sauntered off to where he hoped it was.

“That’s the fastest I’ve seen him move,” Iz remarked, watching the pink body sway along the cobblestones. Orthrus rolled his eyes and followed after him, easily overtaking the slow creature.

The café attached to the center wasn’t run by the nurse staff but had a very wide selection of food made especially for Pokemon. It made her life easier since she couldn’t make any of their preferred foods and she didn’t have to special order anything – Stitch, being picky on what he ate, made her life a living hell. Jack had claimed a vacant chair and was nibbling on some very green pellets. He was safe as no one else would touch his food, let alone eat it. At the moment, they were waiting on him and Pinky to finish eating. Pinky, unfortunately, kept forgetting what he was doing and would sit still, staring blankly at a wall. Stitch had swiped some of his plate during the first pause and Iz had been treated to a Growlithe throwing a fit. His tongue hung out as he desperately tried to rid his mouth of the overwhelming fishy taste.

Their waitress had brought another bowl of water with a hint of berry flavor to help the creature. Iz had muttered a thank you to her as she struggled not to laugh at him.

“Never seen a Slowpoke here before. Most trainers don’t bother with them. Always looked a little dopey,” she commented.

Well, she was looking at half the expected tip now for that remark. Sure he wasn’t the smartest creature on the planet or the fastest but he had a certain charm. He munched slowly on his food while staring blankly at the ceiling fan. “He’s got his uses,” she said defensively. The girl shrugged and went to the next table. Good help just wasn’t what it used to be. She frowned and watched the Slowpoke finally finish his meal. Slow and steady won the race was the old saying. Although he would probably forget he was even in a race a fourth of the way through. Iz wondered then why she had him since he really wasn’t a fighter at all.

Then he rolled over onto his back, feet splayed apart. His tubby pink belly was pretty prominent now and she smiled despite herself. A pleased groan rumbled from his throat when she scratched his stomach. It was his Achilles’ heel and he had presented it without her ever asking. The white tip of his tail twitched back and forth in joy as she found his favorite spot.

“You need a scary name so people are intimidated when you come out,” she said, moving a little higher. The scratching had turned to rubbing and he lowed happily. “What’s a scary sea monster now?” Stitch’s chewing was a little distracting but the horrible scratching of his teeth on plastic did get her thinking. “Well, I can’t pronounce one of them but I know of another Deep One. You shall be the mighty Dagon, monster of the deep! For added effect, we’ll get you a fedora and have the last part be Jones.”

The newly dubbed Dagon lowed softly although she was pretty sure it was because she had found a nice spot on his chest that he liked rubbed. The simple joy this one action caused him was amazing to her and, the more she did it, the more her tension melted. She finally had to stop as the day was whiling away and they needed some actual trainer on trainer experience.

~--~

She had two sects in her team. The first sect she called the Battler Sect. Orthrus and Stitch were in it as both enjoyed fighting anything and everything that came at them. Stitch was more aggressive in his approach than Orthrus was and seemed to be a street fighter from the amount of dirty techniques he knew. Orthrus was more obedient but not as experienced.

Then there was the Peace Corps. Jack was a definite member and sat huddled in the middle of the field. He had managed to defeat one Pokemon, some kind of regional caterpillar, but the rest of the time he had run for his life. One battle had been a fluke as he had managed to strike the opponent as he tried to run. His back feet were powerful and the poor Houndour hadn’t expected that Inquisition. Dagon was well, one of a kind. He had endurance, she would give him that. He took attacks and then dished them out. The only problem was he would not attack until he was. He would rather watch a butterfly then use a Water Gun. Most of his fights had also ended in flukes from what seemed to be his signature move: Yawn. She had seen several Pokemon go down from that and it was the only attack he would use without having been hit first. Dagon liked to ignore her but she figured that was more because he could judge a battle better than she could and he didn’t want to fight an opponent who could hurt him. She had stopped ordering attacks after the third fight and just let him do it at his own pace.

He had met his match against a Mankey. She sent him out against the odd looking monkey and watched him gaze dopily at the creature. Once she figured he had observed it long enough, she smiled and called out, “Sic’em!”

Dagon’s mouth opened and he Yawned widely. A large pink bubble floated from his mouth and popped on the charging Mankey. It usually dropped them in about ten seconds or so but she grew worried when the Mankey only seemed to grow angrier and kept running. Dagon looked confused and stood up on his thick, stubby legs. He lowed loudly and was sent tumbling backwards from the vicious kick. He groaned and shook his head after a few seconds before trying to get back up. The fighter came down hard on him again, screeching loudly and sinking little curled fists into the blubbery sides. Dagon groaned and tried to hide but wasn’t fast enough to even attempt getting away.

“Fight back, Dagon! Confusion!” Her heart broke at the terrified look more because she was certain his brain couldn’t keep up with the dozens of hits pummeling him. His eyes finally focused and he groaned, grabbing a hold of the Mankey. The creature screeched louder and swung out but it couldn’t reach the Slowpoke anymore. Grunting, he sent the monkey sailing into a tree beside the battlefield. That only seemed to fuel its fury and it rushed at the recovering Pokemon. He groaned again, water spraying out and slamming into the creature. It once again jumped back up, seething and soaking wet. Dagon panted slowly, glazed eyes staring ahead. He grunted then, glowing pink for a brief second before it faded. His eyes grew harder and he lowed loudly as the Mankey somersaulted to him. He caught it in midair, the first time he had looked serious about defeating the creature. Iz watched as his personality seemed to shift to that of a hardened warrior. Dagon grunted and slammed the Mankey into a tree trunk again, this time cracking the bark around it. It screeched softly before fainting at the base.

“Dagon?” she asked, approaching him with a little bit of caution. He grunted but kept watching the other side of the field. “Pinky? Hey, come on, Pinky,” she said, flipping her cane around and rubbing his belly with the handle. His body melted at the touch and he lowed happily, slumping to his side. She smiled, relieved as his dopey grin returned and the tail twitched slowly in joy. “You had me worried for a minute there, boy. Glad to see you back.”

It had shocked her but she had felt awful for having him fight when he obviously didn’t enjoy it. She was going to have to have a plan B. If he went down early like he had almost done when his brain had overloaded, she was going to be screwed. She’d research it tonight. It wasn’t like she had to defeat the gym leader tomorrow; she could put it off for a couple of days if needed. It was time to rest now though. The sky was turning dark and she didn’t like to be out at night anymore. The streets were alive at night, in more ways than one.

~--~

“Well today was interesting. Stitch won all but one battle today, Jack won two out of six because he runs away, the coward. Orthrus won all but one and Dagon won most of his by fluke. Not really intent on winning a fight by sleeping but he’s being stubborn and I don’t blame him. I still haven’t gotten him a fedora but I’ll look for one tomorrow.

“I saw a new bug that’s like Caterpie. It’s apparently called Grullar and is this black and orange looking thing. It’s actually kinda cute but I don’t like bugs that much. Its final form looks really interesting and cool although it kinda looks evil. I also think I saw one of the official starters like Elm gives out back home. It was this really small white bear thing. I think it was a water. I haven’t been able to find it on this thing but I’ll try again when I see it again.

“I think I found plan B. I just need to teach it to someone tomorrow. It looks pretty easy to get it done so I’m hoping to get out of this city by the next day. I’m getting tired of the same ole same ole is all. I really don’t feel like heading out to the next city but I don’t have much of a choice.

“No! No! No Pokemon on the bed tonight!” There was a pause and growling echoed in the microphone. “Just Dagon and Orthrus up here last night was crowded enough, the three of you would be nearly unbearable. I got that extra mattress on the floor just for you guys. This is my bed tonight.”

~--~

It was always easy to recognize the gym in this town. She had passed by it several times in the past few days and there was always a line out the door. It had never clicked on why there was a line but now it did. People were waiting to get in. When she finally asked one of the kids in front of her – she felt old now – what was going on, he had been more than helpful. Trainers had to solve a randomized puzzle before gaining entrance to the gym. Wonderful, she mused. She wasn’t good with puzzles. Leaning to the side, she watched the trainers ahead of her try to solve the sick game the leader was making them play. There were different ones and each had different rules. Just the number of different puzzles was making her head hurt. None of the trainers had managed to figure it out though and, crestfallen or frustrated, they would move to the back for another turn.

Then the same puzzle began popping up. The first time she noticed it was identical to another one was when someone finally solved it. The nerdy trainer, complete with glasses and a pocket protector, marched happily into the open doors. It popped up a second time three people later. And then again another three people after it, this one solving it once again. That couldn’t be coincidence. Orthrus watched her as she counted heads twice before turning to the kid behind her. “You wanna go ahead of me?” It didn’t need to be asked twice as he elatedly took the chance to be closer to the doors. The Poochyena looked up at her with brows creased and she smirked. That was never a good sign.

Her turn came up finally and she grinned when the puzzle returned. She gently tapped the screen and began arranging the colors to be together. She was only allowed four moves and had to make them count. However, she had already watched someone else solve it and just copied the moves. Orthrus rolled his eyes but followed her in as the doors swung open.

The lights blinked on even though she was sure the last battle hadn’t ended that long ago. Iz leaned on her cane as she examined the rocky field. It didn’t surprise her seeing as he was a rock master. Although the outside of the building had been huge, this room was barely bigger than the courtyard. Orthrus was calculating the field with critical red eyes. He grunted as the door across from them was pushed open. The man appeared, smiling apologetically. Well, he definitely wasn’t younger than her and he did look better in person. He swept a hand through his blond hair and swept an arm out. “Welcome, welcome. I am Carlisle, leader of the Kaine City Gym.”

“I’m Iz, good to meet you.” Her head cocked as he only smiled wider.

“I’ve never had this many people solve the puzzles in such a short amount of time,” he admitted. “It’s left me with little else to do but run from field to field.” His smile grew a little warmer then. “Aren’t you a little old to be doing this?”

She snorted but grinned as well. “Says the guy older than me who does this for a living.”

“I meant the journey part but touché.” Carlisle stretched out his back and considered the dark-haired woman. The black shape of what looked like a tattoo crept up the left side of her neck from underneath her shirt. It had been ages since he had faced someone even close to his age. “At least you solved the puzzle.”

“Actually, I copied the kid in front of me. Your randomizer must be off,” she said, no hint of shame evident. His laugh was rich and warm and echoed in the empty room.

“We should get started before someone else copies the person in front of them then,” he teased. “Two Pokemon each, one at a time. Recalling is a forfeit.” He pulled out an odd looking ball from the inside of his shirt and tossed it absently into the air. It exploded open and she blinked in surprise as the Pokemon emerged. The rock was not a new face and she remembered it well from home. It grunted, hovering in the air in its strange, odd way.

She glanced down and nodded, muttering, “Sic’em.” Orthrus growled and took his place on the field, ruff raised and eyes glaring down the Geodude.

[PancaKe]

Reading this fic makes me happy. I think it's because reading this reminds me of the days where there were thousands of trainer fics to choose from, but finding an interesting one was hard to do. I guess I'm just a little in the past at the moment, but that's a good thing sometimes!

Anyway, feedback on this chapter. Sometimes things can be a little cliche; but you can't help it. They're just natural cliche's that come along with the trainer fic - such as trying to bond with your pokemon, etc etc. So don't feel bad, it's just part of the formula. I am enjoying the personalities though, you're doing a fabulous job with those! It's kept me very interested (which is hard to do! usually I have a terrible attention span!) and yeah, good work!

[Roses are Red]

I'm glad I've kept you interested, Pancake. It makes me happy I can keep a senior member happy about something.

I sincerely hate this chapter. It's shorter than the others because I just wanted to get out of the gym part and move on to more interesting things.

Chapter 3 – When You’re Living in a World That you Don’t Understand

A gym battle is like every other trainer fight. People order attacks and let the Pokemon do the dirty work. Of course Orthrus liked a good brawl every now and then so it wasn’t too much to ask him to fight. However, even she knew that there was even more at stake than the lost pride and dignity of being beaten by a kid half her age. Maybe not when she thought of it like that. Losing to someone close to her age was more humble than the ten year-olds wandering around that kicked her ass. They rubbed it in too.

“The challenger gets the first honor,” Carlisle called out. Most trainers led off with a water or grass Pokemon first. A dark Pokemon was an interesting choice. He watched the Poochyena cautiously, unsure if this was a joke or not.

“Orthrus, do it like we practiced.” He grunted, squaring himself. The raised hair flowed down his back as he lowered himself just a little more. Red eyes locked on the Geodude and his lip curled more.

“Golem, keep it at bay with Rock Throw.”

A horrifying noise filled the air as soon as his mouth shut. Orthrus’ howl echoed in the room as his adrenaline flowed. He shifted from paw to paw, jittery from his pulsing blood. Fangs bared, he growled and dodged under the first rock. He bounced from space to space to avoid the flung rocks. One managed to peg him in the leg and he went spinning off balance. Snarling, he jumped back up and dove under another rock the size of his head. The Geodude was relentless though and kept chucking the rocks he found around him. Another struck the canine in the chest and he tumbled head over heels. Dazed, he stumbled back to his feet and tried to shake the white spots from his vision. A yelp sprung from his throat as the rock slammed into him with a vicious Tackle. Rolling to his feet, he snarled fiercely and glanced at Iz. The plea was passed and she finally nodded. “Flip it.”

Grinning, Orthrus grunted a taunt to the rock. Golem smirked, knowing an easy win when he saw it. The Poochyena growled and felt his energy shifting, incasing his tail. The hairs stiffened along the bone and his grinned grew wider as the Geodude came ever closer. He roared, swinging his body around to bring the iron hard tail out. Golem blinked and then yelled as the limb struck him. The rock hard defenses crumpled and he shot backwards like a rocket. Orthrus grinned and shook his tail back out. Hitting something that felt like a brick wall was not fun, even with the added defense.

“Cool,” she said, grinning widely. Iz toned it down a bit and smirked, looking incredibly smug.

“Iron Tail, ingenious,” Carlisle remarked, considering the canine. It had hurt him and he was sure the Poochyena wasn’t too familiar with the attack. “Although it won’t be good enough. Magnitude.”

Golem shook himself off – Iz had started to wonder where the hell everything was on that thing – and grunted. He floated up higher than necessary, focusing. Orthrus squared off, unsure of what was coming. His fangs bared and he glanced nervously from rock to rock strewn about the field. The Geodude fell like a rock, smashing into the earth with arms thrown out. A rumble began as the ground shook slowly. Orthrus grunted and stared at the trembling earth and howled as spikes suddenly rose around him. Yipping, he fled the standard spot, only to be shoved off his feet at the next turn. He twisted in the air, paws flailing wildly to catch himself. His back met one of the larger boulders. Wincing, he shook the dirt out of his fur as he climbed back to his feet. Blood dripped into his eye from a cut on his head, blinding him briefly. Snarling, he rolled his aching shoulders and stepped forward.

Iz had grabbed onto the wall to prevent from falling flat on her face. The shaking and quaking wasn’t something she liked and neither did Orthrus. The Poochyena looked murderous. The red eyes flashed briefly and he charged forward with tail glowing. Golem waited patiently, fingers flexing. He flipped in the air, tail flying out to strike the still Geodude. The hands shot out, wrapping firmly around the stiff hairs and holding it tight. Orthrus yelped and twisted to try and free himself from the tight grip. The rock smirked, eyes flashing mischievously. He grunted and spun the Poochyena by his tail. Whining, the canine struggled to get away as the gym walls became a blue blur. With a mighty heave, Golem released the Poochyena. He flew through the air, dizzy and disoriented. His paws slash at the air feebly before he slammed into the wall. The sharp whimper cut through the tense air. Orthrus sunk to the ground, a soft whine escaping from his throat.

He would try to get up. He was a Poochyena after all. Iz recalled him, letting the laser suck him up and into the safety of the Poke ball. “Good job, boy.” She dropped the ball into her bag and watched the Geodude. She had one left and she already knew she would be screwed if he couldn’t take out this one in a minute. “Okay, Dagon.” The ball burst open in midair, sending forth the pink Pokemon. He lowed slowly; head cocking as he considered the Geodude. The white tip twitched back and forth lazily.

Carlisle blinked and stared in disbelief at the creature. “No one’s ever faced me with a Slowpoke before,” he commented, watching blankly staring creature.

Iz shrugged, knowing she had thrown him off guard. She needed any and every advantage she could find. “Sic’em, Dagon.”

He grunted, setting his large rump down on the rocky ground. Golem had already started scooping up rocks to fling. Dagon’s eyes closed and his mouth opened slowly as he Yawned. The large pink bubble formed again, floating gracefully in the air. His tail flicked once again and shot the dangerous bubble straight into Golem’s face. The rock sputtered, shaking himself off to try and rid of the nasty saliva on his face. He seemed to stumble in the air before he fell face first onto the ground. Both trainers stared at the Geodude before she saw Carlisle smile. Golem disappeared into the ball and he smirked as the Slowpoke grinned.

“If you’re going to play like that then, Seren!” he called out, tossing his next ball. She was waiting for another rock or something just as similar. Most first gyms were supposed to be easy.

Dagon even looked worried at the monster that appeared. The huge beast snorted and bellowed, tossing its thick head. It resembled a small rhinoceros although it looked even angrier than a usual one. Tiny ears focused on the Pokemon in front of him even though he really couldn’t see it. Beady eyes narrowed and he inhaled deeply, locking onto the Slowpoke’s damp scent. He pawed the ground furiously, the rock-like hide flexing and tensing.

“This is Seren, my Furino,” he said as he grinned at the shocked look on the woman’s face. “Horn Attack, Seren!”

The beast bellowed and charged forward, head lowered to ram Dagon with the three horns lining his snout. Dagon let loose another Yawn and watched it pop on the creature’s face. He kept charging though and he lowed softly in surprise. It was the Mankey fight all over again. “Dodge, Dagon!” His ears twitched and he jumped to the side, flipping around as quickly as he could. Seren had already slid to a stop and was trying to turn his heavy body around. Dagon grunted, eyes glowing a soft pink. The Furino groaned, tensing as the waves began short-circuiting his nerves. The Slowpoke groaned as well as a headache began to brew behind his eyes. He let the beast go, shaking his head as he tried to clear his head.

He could usually send things flying when he used that. Iz worried her lower lip as she tried to think of something for him. He had a pained look on his slack face. Pinky hadn’t lifted anything heavier than Stitch though and that thing had to weigh several hundred pounds. He sucked in a deep breath and blew out water. The spray struck the monster head on but he kept coming. Dagon cut the spray off and tried to flee from the rampaging creature. The first horn caught him broadside. The pink body went sailing and bounced off of the rocky ground. He lowed softly, wincing as he climbed back to his feet. He grimaced and popped his back into place with what could only be described as Slowpoke yoga. Dagon glanced over at Iz, lowing gently to reassure her. He could see his ball in her hand and he twitched his tail lazily to tell her not to worry.

The thick hide stretched over all but the belly and flank. Grunting, he steadied himself on his four feet. A faint pink aura surrounded him as his body relaxed. He could hear the leader call out his attack and could feel the rumble of the large feet pounding the ground. Dagon threw himself to the side, water flying forth. The spray struck Seren on his broad side and pushed him back. The huge feet dug in and he turned around, splitting the spray and lessening the blow. Dagon grunted, glancing around the arena. He nodded to himself and jumped onto one of the rock pillars the Magnitude had caused earlier. Flopping on the top, he shook his head and glanced down at the furious monster. He raged around the pillar, striking it with the huge horns growing from its snout. Dagon lowed a taunt down and jumped to the next smaller pillar. Seren followed, pounding away at the rocks. The Slowpoke went a bit lower and dipped his tail down to tease the Furino. He jumped just in time as that pillar was reduced to dust.

Seren bellowed loudly and charged up to the next pillar. Dagon turned around and shook his large rump. He flung himself at the Slowpoke, belly scratching against the top of the pillar. Dagon looked up at him from below, head cocked. The short, stubby legs flailed helplessly as the creature tried to get off the pillar. His legs were too short to reach the rock though. Lowing softly, Dagon breathed in and spewed out a Water Gun. Seren bellowed and began twisting to get off of the rock. Dagon bounced to the other side and repeated. He looked quite elated that his plan had worked.

The beast suddenly threw himself off and kicked out at the Slowpoke. He went tumbling back from the strike. A pained moan rumbled from his throat, eyes blinking in surprise. He shook his head and pushed himself back up. The beast was charging again and he had been backed into the wall. He glanced behind him at the steel and then back at the rampaging Furino. Dagon panicked and leapt out of the way, paws covering his head.

The noise was deafening as the creature slammed face first into the wall. Dust billowed up from the crash and covered both fighters briefly. Dagon came sprinting out of the cloud, sliding around on the slightly slippery rocks. He panted, watching the cloud warily. His tail flicked back and forth anxiously, a hypnotic swish capturing Iz’s attention. His headache had reached capacity now and he prayed that it was down.

“No,” Iz whispered as the Furino limped out of the clearing dust. Blood dripped from its nose and splattered against the field. The second horn had cracked and he tossed his head, snapping the few threads holding it on and sending it flying. It added to the gory painting as the wound gushed. Dagon groaned, squaring off again.

Seren stumbled, crashing to the ground. The small ears lowered as the heavy breathing began to calm. His body flashed red before vanishing into his ball. He placed it back in his shirt and smiled at her. Iz stood stock still, staring at where the blood had pooled on the ground. The memory prickled in her mind and she was fighting to keep it back. Something bumped against her leg, distracting her from the congealing blood. Dagon stared up at her, concerned. He flopped onto his back and she melted. He got his belly rub and that just seemed to make his entire day so much better. The tension faded and his headache began to clear away like dark clouds in the sky.

Carlisle smiled, brushing back his blond hair. “Congratulations,” he began, pulling out the small badge. He gently tossed it to her, glancing briefly down at the puddle. His eyes darkened for a moment before he nodded. “I must leave to battle the others. Just exit through the door you came through and someone will register you defeated me. I wish you luck on your journey.” He backed out, vanishing behind the steel door.

Iz glanced down at Dagon, and held the badge out for him to see. He smiled brightly, tail swishing lazily. “Let’s go get healed up and get dinner. I did promise something good tonight whether we won or lost.” He lowed softly, bumping his head against her good leg and nearly sending her crashing to the ground.

~--~

He sat at the computer, fingers flying over the keyboard. The beer lay untouched still and was slowly becoming warmer with each passing minute. Pausing, he stared at the screen as text flashed on. His eyes slid back and forth as he scanned it, taking particular note of the name highlighted for him. A frown marred his features and he leaned back in the leather chair. This was not good.

Something chirped and clicked next to him. He smiled and laid a hand on the creature’s head, being mindful of the large spikes. The creature purred softly and flexed his long claws. “We must be careful, pet. We may have a Kecleon in our midst. The bosses will not be happy about this.” Picking up the chilled beer, he took a swig and stared at the picture. It needed to be investigated. His bosses would not like a vague answer. It was his problem now and, if needed, it would be dealt with immediately.

[Lune the Guardian]

Ha. I like how Iz handles her pokémon. She may not be incredibly battle savvy, but she knows how to take care of her team. Dagon is interesting, he seems cleverer than he looks although he's not really interested in battling. A pokémon that fights without taking orders is a real asset especially in higher level matches.

The ending is interesting. By the Kecleon, I wonder if the guy at the computer is referring to Iz's camouflage. The highlighted name could refer to her, maybe. I also wonder if Carlisle had anything to do with it, his constant smiling seemed suspicious to me but it could just be his personality. I guess we'll find out.

The following quoted passages are confusing as hell. Too many "he" pronouns without names. I *think* I have it figured out, but you should be careful about that in the future. It halted my reading progress and made me go over the words several times, completely destroyed the flow of everything.

The "he" that tosses the head is Seren, I think? Although you referred to Seren as "it" just the sentence before, and then I wonder if the "he" is Dagon using telekinesis to toss the head instead. Because of that I thought that Dagon was the one with a gushing wound. Then when Seren's body vanishes into his ball, in the sentence immediatley following, "he placed it back in his shirt" refers to the trainer with no transition at all.

"The second horn had cracked and he tossed his head, snapping the few threads holding it on and sending it flying. It added to the gory painting as the wound gushed. Dagon groaned, squaring off again.

Seren stumbled, crashing to the ground. The small ears lowered as the heavy breathing began to calm. His body flashed red before vanishing into his ball. He placed it back in his shirt and smiled at her."

Also, I'm confused that Yawn wins battles, doesn't it just make the enemy fall asleep? If you hit something that's sleeping, it's likely to wake up, so I don't know why the battle would just end when Yawn succeeds. Unless I'm mistaken and it deals damage or something? *shrug*

Anyway, things are getting interesting, keep it up.

[PancaKe]

I thought it was a great chapter! It cant be helped that battles seem cliche, in a way - every single battle is! But I thought that you handled Iz's personality very well in these situations; she stayed true to her character regardless. So good work! I thought it was well written and interesting!

One thing that confused me... It's only silly though. The last two paragraphs - you say that the beer was getting warmer, then you refer to it as chilled? LOL! I know, so random! But yeah... that's just the way my mind works!

Good stuff. And good on you for continuing to write, regardless of the readers and feedback. It's really encouraging!