I've never personally wanted to commit violence against a Pokémon, but there's a first time for everything, I guess. Because I really want to throttle Meowth right about now.

"What do you mean crash land this thing?!" I shout hysterically.

The talking Pokémon doesn't look the slightest bit concerned. "Don't get all twisted up! I didn't mean taking this whole ship down. All we need to do to escape is to separate this here holding bay from the main ship!"

I feel like I'm on a totally different planet from where Team Rocket has landed themselves. "Separate the holding bay," I repeat in confusion. "How exactly are we supposed to do that?"

"Oh, it will be easy, James assures me. "Last time, we were in an almost identical situation, trapped with a bunch of the stolen Pokémon, flying in the primary poacher plane! We were battling with a bunch of her buffoons when the entire compartment we were on detached. We can tell this airship has the same mechanism, so Hunter J can eject unwanted passengers. Or her own crew, when she feels like it. That's going to be our ticket out of here."

"Ok," Lucas says slowly, as he finishes healing the last of the captured Pokémon. "That doesn't explain how we are supposed to survive a fall from hundreds of feet in the air when we detach this holding bay."

Jessie pulls out a small machine from her pocket. "Last time there was a Gardevoir who teleported us onto the ground, but we always carry this regardless." She presses a button and a green forcefield expands around her, large enough for several people and Pokémon to fit inside. "It's our patented portable protector! And it's copyrighted, so don't get any ideas, twerp."

Why Team Rocket wastes their time trying to catch Pikachu, when their engineering prowess is so insane that they can design and create a machine that replicates a Pokémon's Protect, I'll never know. There's only one problem. "That might work for us, but there are way too many Pokémon here to fit inside that bubble."

"Ah, Pokémon are tough. As long as we don't fall too far, they'll all be fine." Meowth speaks with the confidence of someone who's probably put some Pokémon through a similar type of experience before, rather than as a Pokémon himself. "If you three don't like our plan, I'd suggest comin' up with something quick. Lockdown mode means that we won't be able to leave here any time soon, ya know."

"No, I don't know," I inform him. "What does lockdown mode mean and why can't we leave?"

I hear a weird static sound as my question finishes, that even Team Rocket look surprised about. One minute later, I get an answer, as an electric wall appears in front of the door, barricading us from going back outside. I glare at Meowth, who just shrugs.

"Dat's something new." A couple of the open cages rattle, in response to this giant airship getting started, and I know that we're nearly out of time before it's in the air.

I suppress a groan and turn to Lucas, to get Porygon working on how to detach this holding bay before it's too late, when Charmeleon and Glaceon come up to me, talking up a storm. Funnily enough, Spewpa seems to be the most calm, despite all these new faces here. He's sitting next to Lucas, intently watching whatever is going on on his computer.

"What do you want? We're kind of busy."

Meowth translates from behind me. "They want to take this ride all the way to da big boss and show her what's up."

I shake my head, and cut off my Pokémon's immediate protests. "No. No. These small fry poachers we can beat easily enough, but you two didn't see what their leader was capable of. Her Pokémon are utterly ruthless, and they outclass us severely. I don't want to put any of these Pokémon that we've freed at risk again, either."

That at least silences them, though after some conferring Glaceon directs some words at Meowth that he translates once again. "Glaceon and Charmeleon say fine, but want you to promise that one day, once they're strong enough, that you'll confront people like Hunter J instead of running away."

I'm going to regret this, aren't I? Ideally, poachers should be left to the police, and people like Cynthia, the Elite Four, and Gym Leaders, and not the everyday trainer like me. That said, there are situations where they aren't present, like this one here. More rumbling from the aircraft means I need to make my decision fast. "Ok. When I say we're ready, alright?" They don't look super pleased, but their agreement is enough for me at the moment.

"Porygon, can you find and use the controls to detach this thing?" I ask Lucas's computer, though Meowth shakes his head at my ignorance.

"Ain't no way that control is a computer program. At least, I wouldn't design it like that."

"How would you design it then?" Ursula humors the talking Pokémon.

"Manually, of course! Something that important desoives a shiny red button or a special switch, don'tcha think?"

A manual button? I don't even want to think about what that means. "Change of plans, Porygon. Can you pull up the camera feed of the cockpit again?" My question is drowned out by the incredibly loud sound of the thrusters of this airship being fired, but Lucas types the question directly into his computer, and soon we're looking at a bunch of poachers in the cockpit, some of the inputting instructions into the plane, one of them talking into a walkie-talkie while a few huddle around him to listen in, and others arguing animatedly with one another. It's almost comically obvious when we start to scan the room. A big red row of buttons is in the middle table, surrounded by warnings and do not touch without permission signs. But there must be two dozen poachers in that cockpit! It's gonna be impossible to get there and press it.

Porygon is already tracing a route on the blueprints of the airship for us. Ursula and I look behind us, realizing that the route out of this room doesn't go through the electrified door. We look up to see an open ventilation shaft way above us, near the ceiling. We exchange a look, both of us realizing that we have so many problems right now. One of which is that I can feel this flying fortress starting to finally lift itself off the ground.

Lucas is squinting at the zoomed in pictures of the red buttons. He finally backs up and blinks a few times. "The second from the right is the one for this holding bay," he reports. He too notices the path Porygon has drawn up for us is through the ventilation shaft. "Is someone going to have to crawl through there and press the button?"

"Not it!" All three members of Team Rocket immediately say, putting their fingers on their noses. I don't blame them, because whoever goes on this mission is risking getting left behind, not to mention potentially getting caught and punished however these poachers see fit. It's the sensation of slowly being lifted into the air that makes me realize the only person or Pokémon that could both free us and escape.

"Even one of you three wouldn't be able to escape from a flying airship surrounded by poachers," I tell the worried Rockets. "It has to be a flying Pokémon. They're the only ones who could escape after that button was pressed, without jumping into the sky and hoping that a Staraptor saved them, that is."

"I am not risking Masquerain on such an ill-thought out, precarious plan! Can you not think of something else!"

"I'm not putting Dustox at risk of being caught by any poachers either," Jessie agrees. "We've been through way too much. I caught her as a Wurmple, which evolved into a Silcoon before she became a Dustox, you know. Besides, how would it look on my evilness scale if I got one of my own Pokémon captured?!"

Did Jessie just say her Dustox evolved from a Silcoon? Lucas looks mortified, and James is silently smacking his face with his hand, but I hold off on correcting her for the moment. "I hate to inform you both, but all of your Pokémon will be captured if we don't get out of this thing as soon as possible! So, what's it going to be?" I glare at Ursula, and then Jessie. Both of them open their mouths slightly to argue, but close them in frustration, realizing the truth in my words. Eventually, Dustox and Masquerain are summoned, and we drill the map into their heads as quickly as we can, aware that every second that passes by is another foot we start rising into the air.

Eyeballing the size of the vent from here, it looks like they should be able to fit inside. Unfortunately, I've miscalculated how paranoid and clever this Hunter J is. As soon as Masquerain and Dustox approach the vent, Ursula and Jessie both scream, as their Pokémon are zapped by an electric pulse. Both are caught by their respective trainers, before they hit the ground, but the already weakened Dustox and weak to electric Masquerain have both fainted.

"They must have triggered a sensor near the ceiling, which triggered the same electric defenses the door has," I mumble, which Ursula does not appreciate, because her Pokémon was the one who was hurt. The coordinator holds Masquerain out to me in her arms.

"Heal her!" She all but shouts.

"We're all out," I reply numbly. In the back of my head I realize that I have one super potion left, but that isn't going to revive a Pokémon. I look pleadingly at the Archen, hoping one of them might be brave enough to try, but their faces already look defeated, and they all flinch away from me.

"What's the backup plan?" Lucas asks me urgently. His words go in one of my ears and out of the other. Because I'm all out of ideas. There- there's nothing left. All our hard work, sneaking around, defeating those poachers, freeing the Pokémon… it was all for naught. Because we're not getting off this ship in one piece. I slump to the ground, as defeated as the assorted Archen, and cover my hands with my face. Glaceon and Charmeleon try their best to urge me to my feet, and instill some fight in me, but I ignore them, because it's all over.

The only thing that breaks me out of my gloom is a loud thunk, like something just impacted and stuck to metal. I crack open my fingers an inch to see what's going on. My eyes widen, and I scramble to my feet.

"Spewpa, wait! It's too dangerous for you! The ceiling is full of electricity!" My timid Pokémon has used String Shot on the ceiling, and is slowly pulling himself up. We watch on in amazement and horror as he nears the ceiling. He pauses right when he's level with the ventilation shaft, a foot below the ceiling, which amazingly is not triggering the sensor. Spewpa detaches himself from his original thread, and shoots a new one right into the vent as he starts to fall, and pulls himself inside, totally unharmed. He looks back at us.

"Spewpa, you…" I can tell he's still afraid. But he's also incredibly determined. "Don't you dare not come back! Promise me that you will!" I shout, pointing a finger at him. He gives me one nod before disappearing into the vent.

"Not to be a downer," James starts slowly, scratching the back of his head. "But how is that Pokémon going to escape?"

"He will," I say mostly to myself, confidence in the plan restored. "I know he will." I then raise my voice. "Everyone, find something or someone to hold onto! This is gonna be a bumpy landing!"

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

Spewpa didn't always fear the dark. Once upon a time, he didn't actually fear anything. That was back in the good old days, when he was a Scatterbug, surrounded by friends and family and the most important thing on anyone's mind was what type of pattern they would eventually get. His brother's favorite color was green, and he would spend all day perched in a tree, in the hopes that his wings would become green as a result.

Memories of before always helped him somewhat. The problem was, they never lasted. They always end with him running from the flames, before being seized and thrown into a dark, confined space filled with his scared friends. The hushed voices, the whispering and crying, were almost like this dark tunnel he was in, where every few seconds he jumped because of a loud sound that made him think someone was following him, or ahead of him. But there was no purple monster waiting to snatch him as he fled, or a fire-breathing one to burn every blade of grass, every tree, every grain of sand that he had once known. It was just him, and his thoughts.

Spewpa pressed onward, down the way that he remembered, every step meaning that the voices in this tunnel got louder as the people got closer. If he wasn't scared of the dark after that horrible experience, the next one certainly sealed it in. They had been stuck in the darkness for days, huddled together, the only glimmers of light the brief moments where the scary people came to throw food at them. The adults of their number bravely let the younger ones like himself eat first, but there never was enough to go around. One day, when the metal monster moving them stopped, and opened once again, Spewpa thought it was over. The cage was opened, and for the first time in days, they had freedom. Only this place was nothing like their home. It was dark and forbidding, with the trees so large and full of leaves that the sun wasn't visible at all. He should have known better than to think that his harrowing adventure had ended. Instead, it was only beginning.

The monster purple Pokémon was waiting for him again, only this time, it was looking for its dinner. Spewpa really didn't know how he survived in the first place. It definitely attacked him with its extendable arms and poisonous claws. He had closed his eyes and quivered in fear, but he didn't want this to be the end. His body has responded somehow, changing in that moment, and to both his and his attacker's surprise, he had managed with his newfound power to create a protective green bubble around himself. The purple monster tried to get through, but quickly lost interest, when there were so many more vulnerable Pokémon around. Spewpa was ashamed to admit it, but he had run and hidden as soon as it had turned its back. It was far too easy to keep doing that, only coming out for sweet tree sap and berries when it was absolutely safe. Anything that threatened him was annoyed enough by his Protect to leave him alone.

It wasn't much of a life, but he was alive, and Spewpa was thankful for that. Day after day passed, until one fateful afternoon he smelled something that he simply could not resist going to check out. It didn't end up being food. But it wasn't anyone looking at Spewpa like he was food, either.

He hadn't run into a human since that awful day, and Spewpa's body was paralyzed, regardless of how this one didn't look like his abductors, and her Pokémon wasn't exactly a monster. That did mean they couldn't do something horrible to him. Spewpa stared at the two, the human seeming confused while her Pokémon was excited. Eventually, the human mumbled something to her Pokémon, who spoke for them both.

"Hi! I'm Oddish. Who are you?" How odd. Spewpa's enemies didn't usually make a habit of introducing themselves. Certainly not in such an earnest tone.

He would be hard pressed to match Oddish's enthusiasm, even if he wasn't perpetually morose. "Uh, hi back. I'm Spewpa." What were you supposed to say in a situation like this? He hadn't had a conversation with someone in forever! "Nice to meet you back?"

Luckily, Oddish didn't seem to notice or get mad at him. If anything, her smile only got wider. "Cool! Well, my trainer and I are here looking for a new friend and member for our team. How would you like to join us?" Oddish's face fell for a second as she added on another sentence. "She also said that if you don't like it, we can let you go back home. There's no chance of that, though. You'll love it here!"

He had his doubts about that. They wouldn't be able to bring him home, if there was even anything left of it. He didn't like being here, but at least he knew how to stay safe, as opposed to the unknown world outside. "I don't think I'd add much," he told the other Pokémon politely. "There are tons of scary monsters in these woods, so most of the day I just try and hide. It's all I know how to do."

His words didn't have the intended effect. "Whaaaaaat?!" Oddish gasped, her eyes going huge. "Well, we definitely can't leave you now! You have to come with us! I know it can be scary leaving your home, but you'll never know what's out there if you don't take the first step!"

"No, it's fine," he tried to convince her again. "There are probably more of me around here, who are bigger and stronger and more talented." Not that he had seen anyone from his home since arriving in this forest. "Assuming that they survived like me," he finished miserably.

"That decides it!" Oddish declared, ending any further debating before it could begin. "You're coming and staying with us!" The Grass-type turned and wildly got her trainer's attention, causing the girl to throw the round device in her hand at him.

Thus began what felt like Spewpa's third life. At least his Pokéball was a safe space. The problem was going outside of it. He never knew what to expect. The first time, where he was trapped in a horror house of ghosts, was especially scary.

Gradually though, Spewpa learned about all the wonderful aspects the world had to offer. Oddish was the first friend he had in a very long time. Glaceon was kind and understanding towards him. Even Charmeleon was nice enough, once you got past his attitude.

He even got to see the sun again, after so many days in the darkness. Spewpa burst into tears the first time he did, and while his trainer didn't understand, he somehow managed to convey that he wasn't feeling sad.

His trainer was the one thing that Spewpa had mixed opinions about at the beginning. On one hand, she was very kind to him. Even when he failed miserably at contributing anything to the team, Luna never raised her voice, or outwardly expressed any frustration. Spewpa knew she had to be annoyed with him, though. How could she not, when he could barely defeat a flopping Magikarp out of water?

Still, she was a human. Humans were fearsome creatures, after all. And commanding three powerful Pokémon like Glaceon, Charmeleon, and now Bellossom automatically made her scary, in Spewpa's mind. Plus, she seemed to not fear anything! Spewpa had to go inside his Pokéball as soon as that massive walking tree Pokémon Glaceon fought in the gym battle exploded out of nowhere, but from what he understood, Luna had stood her ground! If that didn't scare her, what could!?

That's one of the many reasons that Spewpa couldn't stop his tears or his wails when they had finally come across the poacher humans again. Luna didn't understand what these people were capable of! The only thing to do was run away. Else. They'd rip everything and everyone you'd ever loved away from you and leave you with only the ashes and ruins of what was once your life. He didn't think he could go through that again.

The only thing that stopped him in his tracks was when Luna told him he was brave. That one word made him stop and stare at her like she was mad. Brave? Him? As if. He was the one who wanted to run away. Still, her words stirred something inside of him. Spewpa certainly didn't wish what happened to him on anyone else. For once in his life, he could be useful. There was no way he could turn his back now.

Even marching straight into the jaws of the beast, Luna's confidence seemed to be sky high. She led them to multiple victories, to the point where they had freed all the captured Pokémon. That was where everything started falling apart. Masquerain and Dustox's defeat was the final straw, before his trainer slumped to the floor, an emotion Spewpa was intimately familiar with all over her face.

Luna tried to hide her face behind her hands, but Spewpa knew she was scared. Terrified even. It should have shaken him to his core, to know that his trainer was capable of having fear, but instead, it filled him with a sense of calm. She might have been scared this entire time, but Luna had put on a brave face and talked as if she wasn't.

For so long, Spewpa's fears had made him weak, and powerless, where he felt like he couldn't do anything when confronted with them. He understood better now. It's okay to have fear. It's okay to be scared. He probably wouldn't ever get over his fear of the dark, or big scary monsters, or being abandoned alone, in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes, you have to face them. Because some things were worth facing them for. Looking around at his despondent friends and allies, Spewpa glanced at Porygon's map, and then up at the opening near the ceiling.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He could get there. And get out. Because if it wasn't going to happen now, then when?

It felt like all of his life, his sad, pathetic life, had led to this moment. He'd probably never be a great battler like Glaceon, or have supreme self-confidence like Charmeleon, or be as elegant and personable as Bellossom, but he could do this. There was a grate on the other end, but that didn't matter to Spewpa. He had always had good aim. Second from the right, he remembered. He built up a large wad of silk inside his mouth, and closed one eye. The Bug-type took in a deep breath, and let the spitball fly.

The ball of silk flew true, straight into the red button. Spewpa allowed himself a satisfied smile as the poachers turned towards it, and quickly started shouting. Their voices were briefly interrupted by the whole ship lifting faster, much lighter than previously.

"Land this thing now!"

"By the time we do, the Pokémon will be long gone!"

"What are we going to tell the boss!"

"She'll have our heads!"

"Not all of them! Just whoever's the most responsible. Listen, so we can get our story straight…"

Spewpa ignored the rest of their frantic plotting. He still had a promise to fulfill.

He knew they had been rising into the air, but he hadn't known they were this high already. The ground was getting further and further away, to where he could barely see the large black dot where everyone must be. Where the holding bay on the ship was now nothing but an empty space, full of air.

Spewpa hesitated, stepping back from what was now a ledge. Oddish had said the first step was always a scary one, but this was something else entirely. He'd always known that this would have to be his way out. It was time to be like the Bagon, who threw themselves into the air and hoped they could fly.

He still closed his eyes right after he made the jump. This time, however, Spewpa could feel his body changing. Especially the things that were growing out of his back.

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

We all were huddled around Lucas's computer, waiting for if and when Spewpa would hit the button to separate us from the main body of the ship. I only have a few seconds to bark out orders as soon as I see him appear on the screen, partially hidden by the grate on the side of the vent.

"Porygon, get out of their system, now." I turn to Team Rocket when the digital Pokémon starts materializing in front of us. "How long does that bubble last?"

"About ten minutes, why?"

I watch Spewpa's String Shot hit the button, and the poachers all turn around at the sound. "Because we're about to fall."

I barely have time to recall my Pokémon before the power starts to go off in the room, including the electrified door. There's a split second where I consider if this thing is attached by an extremely powerful electromagnet, and if by cutting off the power the magnetism stops before we're in freefall.

It's like the world's worst roller coaster. It has all the sensation of a massive downward plunge, but you know that the end is going to be a giant crash. The hope is that this massive holding bay with its reinforced steel walls will be able to take the impact. And also if Team Rocket's protection device will keep us safe when this thing hits the ground.

"Hey, I gotta come clean," Meowth tells his two partners. "I was the one who ate Jessie's last riceball the other day, not James."

Both of them are furious at the talking Pokémon, though for different reasons. Jessie grabs Meowth by the armpits and starts shaking him, as if the eaten riceball will fall out of his fur somehow, while James berates Meowth from behind Jessie.

"You. Give. Me. That. Riceball. Right. Now!" Jessie yells, punctuating every word with a shake of Meowth.

"Next time either of us have to give up our desserts to Jessie, it's going to be you!" James promises. "I had to go a whole week without them!"

Despite the fact that we might be falling to our doom, I can't help but giggle at their antics. Ursula gives me a glare.

"Is it really the time to be laughing?" She reprimands, answering her own question with the tone of her voice. I smile back brightly.

"Of course! If there was any way I'd want to got out, laughing to death would probably be number one on the list." I don't remember what happened to me last time, but it almost certainly as heck wasn't as crazy as this. "What's yours?" I ask Lucas, catching him off guard.

The Pokémon researcher looks around, as if that would provide him an answer. "Umm… maybe being smothered to death by a bunch of cute Pokémon?" he says, clearly not having put much thought into it.

We both look at Ursula, who sniffs and thrusts her nose into the air. "I refuse to partake in this stupid exercise."

"It's fine, we already know yours," I say easily. The coordinator can't help but lean in as I reveal it to Lucas conspiratorially. "Hers involves staring at her own reflection, like walking into a lake and disappearing because she was so enamored."

"How childish." She tries her best to keep her face straight, but a small grin and a chuckle slips out of the coordinator.

Ah well. If this is the end, at least I spent it trying to be heroic, and amongst frien-

CRASH!

The landing impact is so severe that I lose my balance even while sitting down. I have to grab onto the nearest heaviest object so my face isn't introduced to the floor.

"Thanks," I tell the Shieldon, one of the lucky Pokémon who got to sit in the bubble with us and Team Rocket. It rolls its eyes, but seeing as I saved it from being a scientist's lab experiment or an exhibit in a collector's zoo, the revived fossil lets it slide.

I can literally see the green barrier quivering and warping from the amount of force it's absorbing. Some of the metal tiles that make up the ceiling come apart and crash down onto us, and while several Pokémon have to dodge the falling debris, Team Rocket's barrier holds.

My racing heart finally starts to calm down as I take in what's happened. We've landed. And we're still alive! My voice is euphoric as I point to the door.

"Everyone, out!"

"Ahahahahahaha!"

Well, for being terribly incompetent criminals, they certainly have the sinister laugh down. Jessie grins widely as she pulls out her remaining healthy Pokémon. Luckily, I've planned for this.

I mouth silently to the freed Pokémon to go around. They look confused, until Jessie throws out her Pokémon.

"Now, Wobbuffet, make yourself useful and capture as many of those fossils as you can for Team Rocket!"

Her blue Pokémon salutes its trainer and plants itself in front of the door. If only I didn't know Wobbuffet's greatest flaw. It'll never initiate an attack!

A couple Cranidos bypass Wobbuffet entirely, and opt to use their powerful, battering ram-like heads on the door instead. After a few thunderous headbutts, it falls open, and the captured Pokémon stream out. Wobbuffet waves its arms and spins in circles, trying to get them to stop. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, all the Pokémon slip past without touching it, or fly right over Wobbuffet's head, in the case of the Archen and Bronzor.

"What are you doing!" Jessie fumes, as her Pokémon turns to her, desperately trying to explain. James taps his partner on the shoulder.

"I'm sure you already know this," he explains hesitantly. "But Wobbuffet can't do anything until it's attacked first."

He eeps as Jessie turns her reddening face to him. "Maybe you'd do better then!" She grabs his arm and hurls her partner into the path of the escaping Pokémon.

I did not expect this, I'll admit. I move in to try and help James, before he gets run over by this Pokémon stampede, but someone beats me to it. A Golett plucks him up and throws James over his shoulder, carrying the lavender-haired Rocket to safety. It drops him on the ground and pats James's head patronizingly.

That might be the one James gave the soda bottle to. Someone seems to have made a friend. I guess I should go ahead and fulfill my end of the bargain I made with Team Rocket.

"I think Golett has taken a liking to you," I tell James. "Golett's also a Ground-type, which is what you guys originally wanted to catch…" This also has the added effect of distracting Team Rocket from the Pokémon escaping right in front of them. I can tell it's working because Jessie and Meowth are looking at Golett with unconcealed ambition in their eyes. James has a kind smile as he offers his hand to the little automaton.

"Is that true, Golett? Do you want to be my Pokémon?" The Ghost-type nods, and takes James's hand, shaking it up and down wildly. The Rocket operative winces. "Hahaha…you have quite the grip there, Golett. You can let go now. Please?"

By now all the Pokémon captured by the poachers have left, and hopefully they're on their way back to their homes. Not that Team Rocket notices, because Jessie and Meowth are undoubtedly cooking up their next Pikachu capturing scheme, while James tries to remove his hand from Golett's grip. Jessie cocks and shoots a finger gun at us while winking.

"Well, it's been nice doing business with you, but now it's time to say ta ta. We've got places to go and people to see and a Pikachu to capture!"

"That punk Pikachu and the Boss's pretentious Poirsian won't know what hit 'em! We've got to get to planning, pronto!

Jessie and Meowth both grab one of James's shoulders and start dragging him out the door. They hop onto the ground and start making their way away from here, with Wobbuffet following closely behind. They do throw one last farewell behind their backs as they run.

"Smell ya later, Feraligatrs!"

We stare at their shrinking forms for a while until Ursula finally clears her throat. "Well, she begins. "Those three are certainly characters."

"No kidding," Lucas agrees, shaking his head. "You think Golett will be alright?" He says the question aloud into the air, but I can tell it's directed at me.

"Yeah," I reply, without the slightest hesitation. "It might not be the most normal life, but I know that Golett will be treated well."

"I feel like you have faith in the strangest things," Lucas says wryly. "This time though, I'm inclined to agree with you." We step outside, hopping from the ledge created because much of the holding bay is buried in the crater it created upon impact. We all have to look away instantly, because the sun is right in our face.

"We spent the whole day in there, huh?" Lucas muses, looking back at the holding bay. "Normally, it would be safer to camp in a sheltered area like inside this thing, but we can't risk poachers coming back and checking on it." His face becomes thoughtful. "I had Porygon send a message to Professor Rowan while we were in there, telling him to send more security around here. This can serve a as a starting point for him. As for us..." He gestures in the opposite direction from the sun. "Hearthome City is to the east."

I drag my feet as we start heading east, because Lucas is right! This downed holding bay is such a huge landmark! Yeah, it might attract unwanted attention, from Pokémon or poachers, drawn by the giant sound it made, or because it's a giant, black metallic structure in the middle of this all natural field, but it also might attract a certain someone who's flying around looking for his trainer. My friends know why I'm moving so slowly, but they're reluctant to voice any misgivings they might have. I know they're hoping for the best outcome as well.

As time goes on though, and the sun dips lower and lower, my heart also sinks the same way. If he wasn't able to get off the ship, I hope that Spewpa would escape once it landed, and use his newfound bravery to live a fulfilling life. I couldn't bear to think of him recaptured by those poachers.

"Come on, come on!" I plead aloud into the air, searching the horizon. It's only when I shield my eyes the best I can and look towards the setting sun that I see a speck of something flying towards us. For a second, its coloration makes me think it's Salamence coming back for revenge, because I see blue and a reddish-orange blend. As it gets closer, I realize it's nowhere near as large as Salamence. I hold my Pokédex up, trembling slightly, to confirm my hopes.

It takes the Pokédex a few seconds to pull up the Pokémon. Eventually, it shows me a picture of a pink butterfly. "Vivillon. The Scale Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spewpa. Vivillon with many different patterns are found all over the world. These patterns are affected by the climate of their habitat from where they were born."

I don't bother scrolling down to see where Spewpa was born, and instead wave my hands in the air and jump up and down like a maniac. "Spewpa! I mean Vivillon! Over here! We're over here!"

If he wasn't heading my way, he is now. Vivillon zooms down towards me, and now that I can get a proper look at him, he looks amazing. His wings are absolutely vibrant, the top half shimmering like a shining sunrise and the bottom light and dark blue like a picture perfect sea. Vivillon obviously was born somewhere warm and near the ocean, if the Pokédex is to be trusted.

It's a shame he's a butterfly, because I really want to crush him in a hug. I settle for letting Vivillon land on my outstretched hand and bringing him close to my face so I can look into his large, now triangular eyes. "I don't even have words for what you've just done. That was amazing! You were amazing. You freaking freed us all and managed to evolve and found your way back all on your own!"

Vivillon looks embarrassed at the praise, but he still soaks it all up like a sponge, nevertheless, seeming extremely happy with his new form. Up until the last statement, to which he shakes his head.

"What does that mean?" I ask. "Someone helped you find your way here?" It can't be Team Rocket. They'd have caught Vivillon for themselves. Who else do we know in this valley that's friendly to us?

Whoever it is, they seem reluctant to reveal themselves, even though they have nothing to fear from us. Finally, Vivillon leaves my hand to disappear into the nearby underbrush, to apparently convince this shy individual to come and say hello. My newly evolved Pokémon flies back to us, and after a moment, we see a long shadow, before the disaster Pokémon reveals itself.

My smile can't help but get wider at the sight of it. "It feels like an eternity since we last met, Absol, even though it was this morning. We're glad to see you're ok. Thank you for all your help with freeing the Pokémon. And for helping my friend here find his way back." Absol still looks tense, like it is ready to flee at a moment's notice, probably from prior experiences with humans who blamed it for bringing tragedy to their doorstep. I can't have any of that. When's the next time I'm going to see such a rare, captivating Pokémon? One that's already acquainted with me and my Pokémon, as well.

Also, if events like this past one are going to continue, it would be very valuable to have a Pokémon like Absol on my side.

There's no time like the present. "Hey, Absol? How would you like to come along with me?" I offer. Everyone startles, including the wild Dark-type. Still, Absol looks hesitant to take my offer. From what I know about Absol, it's an extremely intelligent species, one that's attuned to the slightest changes in the atmosphere or the ground that make it able to sense disasters. Even Absol wouldn't be able to comprehend the magnitude of Team Galactic's schemes though. To be fair, neither do I. All I know is messing with legendary Pokémon never ends well. Team Magma and Aqua can testify to that.

"There's been a lot of crazy stuff going on," I try again, which gets Absol to stare right into my face. I meet his gaze without flinching. "I think you can tell that something is causing it. I won't pretend I know much more about it than you do, but together, we can get to the bottom of it. So what do you say?" I hold out an empty Pokéball in front of me, as the Dark-type considers. Finally, it narrows its eyes, and bends its knees slightly, so Absol is crouched down like it's about to pounce. So, it wants a battle first, to see if I can back up my words, huh? I replace the empty Pokéball and toss a different one up and down.

First though, I humor Vivillon, who's looking between me and Absol nervously. "What do you say, Vivillon? Want to show off some of your newfound strength in a Pokémon battle?"

That elicits a nervous squeak, which is about what I was expecting. Evolution seems to have solved some of Vivillon's issues, but not completely. "I was joking, don't worry. You come to me when you're ready to battle, and we'll go from there."

I return a relieved Vivillon to his Pokéball, and swap it yet again, because I already know who I want to use against Absol. "Bellossom, I choose you!" Ursula and Lucas silently back up as I release my Pokémon.

My Grass-type does a twirl and gets into a fighting pose to match Absol, though she turns around when I crouch down behind her. "I want this Absol to join our team, so try not to hurt him too much, ok?" Bellossom pumps both fists and makes a confident sound.

"Is that alright, Absol? Will you hold back a little so no one gets seriously hurt?"

A quick dip of the head is all the acknowledgement I get before Absol bursts forward, covered in white light that signifies Quick Attack. Neither of us are ready for the battle to start so suddenly, but I take it in stride.

I can tell it's fast even without using the speed-enhancing move. Which is something we're going to have to match. "Bellossom, Sunny Day!"

Absol smashes into my Pokémon, knocking her back a couple of feet. Before the impact, the Dark-type shifts slightly so its shoulder that hits Bellossom, not its horn. Bellossom finds her footing before loosing two beams of energy from her flowers towards the sun. Even at sunset, the rays of the fading sun intensify, and Bellossom's movements become faster as her special ability is activated.

"Now use Growth!" Bellossom points her flowers at the sun and her whole body begins to glow as it absorbs its energy. Absol backs up several steps and takes a deep breath. It fires a Dark Pulse right at Bellossom. I don't call for a dodge in the midst of her using Growth, because I know while Sunny Day is active, Moonlight is enhanced, and we can heal through all of this damage.

Bellossom braces for the impact of Dark Pulse, but she doesn't flinch under the violently twisting beam of energy. I grin once she emerges, only slightly worse for wear. "Our turn! Use Moonblast!"

I could have gone for another Growth, and really sent Absol into the stratosphere with an ultra-powerful Moonblast, but we are trying to hold back, after all. This one should be more than enough to weaken it to the point where I can catch it. Absol's eyes grow wide as it sees the massive orb of Fairy-type energy that Bellossom builds over her head and launches its way. Absol's horn glows pink, and it slashes the air diagonally. A similarly shaped crescent is sent barreling into our attack, though it's quickly overpowered.

Absol dodges hastily, as I internally approve of it knowing Psycho Cut. Super effective coverage against Fighting-types, nice. A strange gleam appears in Absol's eye as I continue to call for Moonblast. Each one it avoids, but the margin of space between the attack and Pokémon is shrinking with each consecutive use.

Hmm. Not sure what's going on here. Maybe it's time for a different attack? "Magical Leaf!" When Bellossom sends the homing leaves, Absol once again tries to dodge. This time, they follow it whatever direction the Dark-type chooses and eventually connect.

I can't celebrate, because my eyes are on the horizon, where the sun is almost entirely gone, and we're about to be in full darkness. I don't know if Sunny Day will work at night, and I don't want to risk my chance of catching Absol on it. We have one more method of speed control, but first…

The Dark-type readies itself for our next action. I can swear a smirk crosses its stoic face when I give my next command. "Heal using Moonlight!"

Even though it's nowhere near Bellossom, Absol swipes a paw at us as my Pokémon starts to glow silver. A dark replica appears in the air, and passes through my Pokémon. Bellossom doesn't appear harmed, but all her silver light is now in the clutches of that dark claw! It's absorbed into Absol, and now the wild Pokémon is the one glowing silver.

Bellossom and I gawk at it. "Did you steal our Moonlight?!" I ask. Absol lets its pristine coat answer for us. What kind of crazy move was that? Now I want it for my team even more so I can find out.

Absol again charges forward before I'm ready to resume, this time bringing one paw up high in the air to bonk Bellossom on the head. Close up would normally be worse for us, with Absol being a powerful physical attacker, but this time it's going to work in our favor. "Stun Spore!"

It gets that gleam in its eye again and stops on a dime. Absol leaps over the cloud of yellow, and now I'm starting to get annoyed. "Magical Leaf!"

I think Absol knows that it won't be able to avoid this one. Instead of trying to dodge, it creates two whirlwinds in front of it, that shred the rainbow-colored leaves to shreds. This has to be Razor Wind, right? Finally, Absol's made a mistake in this battle, using a move that takes time to charge up. I don't think it will hold it against me, considering Absol wasn't above fighting dirty itself. "Bellossom, keep up that Magical Leaf! Wait until Absol is wide open, and then go for Moonblast!"

That gets Absol to frown. I bet it's wondering why on earth I would think it would leave itself open to such an obvious attack. Well, my soon to be Pokémon, let me give you a little lesson in cheap tactics. I hurl an empty Pokéball right over Absol's whirling wind wall. It looks up just in time to get hit in the face.

"Get ready, Bellossom," I order, not taking my eyes off of the Pokéball as it drops to the ground. I'm surprised it even rolls once, to be honest, considering Absol's power level and the fact that it's totally healthy. Bellossom builds Moonblast over her head one more time in this battle, and when Absol emerges, blinking a bit in confusion, it promptly gets smacked by the super effective attack. It's left woozy from the direct hit, and I take the opportunity to throw another Pokéball at Absol. I'm reminded of the days when I used to mash the A button on my Gameboy, because I was so tense trying to capture a rare Pokémon and thought it gave me a one percent greater chance. Here I'm bouncing on the balls of my feet as I watch the Pokéball wobble around. Right as it finally comes to a stop, Absol bursts out of it.

Aww, it was so close! A little bit weaker and we'll have it. "Bellossom, Magical Leaf again!" Absol opts again for a different strategy. This time its horn crackles with yellow and green energy, and it elongates. Despite the damage it has taken, Absol forges ahead, using the power of its attack like a shield and a sword at the same time, pushing through our Magical Leaf.

We're going to have to risk Bellossom's most powerful attack then, because I think Absol is using Megahorn. "Use Petal Dance!" My Pokémon starts up her dance, letting herself be surrounded by a cocoon of glowing petals. With one deft movement, they're all unleashed upon Absol, who valiantly holds its blade up to stop the barrage. Inch by inch, though, it's slowly being forced back, though the strain is starting to show on Bellossom's face as well. She starts spinning in a circle, and the petals copy her motion, forming a tornado around Absol and battering the Pokémon, who's trapped inside. I count for fifteen seconds before I give the command for Bellossom to stop. She sits on the ground to catch her breath, and Absol's Megahorn has ended, and the wild Pokémon is splayed out on the ground, panting. I palm the Great Ball I bought so many days ago in Oreburgh and throw it at Absol. The Dark-type vanishes for the third time into the blue and red ball, and I once again watch it wobble agonizingly as the center button flashes red. It stops moving like the last one…

Click!

I throw my head back and sigh happily. I caught an Absol! Before I go formally meet my new Pokémon, I make sure to congratulate and thank my older one. "Awesome battling, Bellossom. That was your first one since evolving, too! I know you're only going to get even better from here." Even while she's tired, I can tell Bellossom is super pleased. "Go ahead and take a rest. I'll let everyone introduce themselves later on." I know she'll be over the moon at Vivillon's evolution. I recall Bellossom and pick up the Great Ball from the ground.

"People sure aren't fibbing when they say that Pokémon who live on the slopes of Mt. Coronet are extremely tough," Lucas says from behind me. "Absol is certainly proof of that. It should be a great addition to your team."

"Well, I am not convinced that adding Absol to our group is the best decision. We already get into enough trouble as it is." Hopefully with time, Absol can shake this negative, false reputation and gain Ursula's and other superstitious individuals' trust.

"We'll be better prepared for anything that comes our way with Absol on my team, "I insist. "Besides, he can help keep us out of trouble. Starting now!" I pull out the super potion that I've been saving, and let Absol out. I hold up the bottle first without using it. "It's medicine," I promise.

Absol lets me fix up his injuries the best I can. "I'm sorry the battle got out of hand," I tell him as I'm doing so. "You were an extremely powerful opponent, and it seemed like you were battling very hard, so we had to match you." Absol shrugs, as if that was what it wanted in the first place, and stretches its limbs.

"Welcome to the team," I tell my newest Pokémon. "I already have your first mission as a member, actually!" Absol gives me a quizzical look. "See, it's dark out, and we don't really know our way around here. Since you're a native, can you lead us to the large settlement on the other side of the mountain as fast and safe as possible?" Absol huffs, and lifts his head to look at the stars. After a few seconds, he starts walking, and gestures for us to follow.

Maybe no one will ever know what I did today, but I think I've been rewarded plenty. One of my friends evolved, and while it's early, I'm pretty sure I've made another. What more could I ask for?