Pokemon: Book One: The Dark Hearted

Chapter Eight ~ Pouring Rain

    We had just returned to Ben, with Sapphire's vines wrapped around the paws of a Meowth. Our trainer just looked bewildered, but I couldn't blame him; we all did just kind of run off.

    The Meowth tugged her paws free. "Don't touch me," she snapped.

    "Translate us," Sapphire ordered.

    "Fine," the Meowth grumbled.

    Sapphire cleared her throat. "Reshiram talked to Dare and told him to warn us about Liana so we think we should put a stop to her!"

    "...put a stop to her," the Meowth repeated.

    Ben paused. "That's dangerous."

    "We know," Aurora said.

    "We know," said the Meowth.

    "I suppose. Catching Legendary and Mythical Pokemon isn't a good thing," Ben gave in finally. "Where do we go first?"

    "Uh...." Aurora closed her eyes as she pondered. "Didn't Reshiram fly north?" She pointed to the side of Sweet Grove Town, the one leading away from Jungle City.

    After the Meowth translated, Ben said, "I think- Yes, I think he did. You all ready?"

    "I'm ready to leave," Shadow announced, skipping forward. We all followed suit.

    "Can I go now?" The Meowth asked impatiently.

    "Wha-? Oh yeah, sure," said Sapphire as we began to walk away. I couldn't say anything, my heart was skipping beats.

    We're going to save Reshiram!

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    "Why do you think she's catching Legendaries and Mythicals?" I asked.

    We were clambering up the rocky cliff face of Mt. Sewn, although it wasn't much of mountain. More like a bunch of twenty feet tall hills with ledges and moss and trees and rocks. Everyone else concluded to calling them "mini mountains".

    "You heard what she said at the arena," Sapphire replied to my question. "She wants to be 'unique, an individual'."

    "Maybe she's trying to steal their power or something," Shadow piped up.

    I glanced up as something small and wet hit my head. "Oh... It's raining a little."

    "Everyone, shh," Ben said suddenly. "I think there's somebody on the other mountain."

    We all hoisted ourselves to the top of the mountain, which was oddly flat, and gazed to where he was pointing. There was nobody there.

    "That's strange..." Ben murmured. "I was sure I saw someone..."

    It was raining harder now, and when I peeked over the other side of the cliff, I saw that it was all covered in pebbles and mud. "We should probably just rest up here for a while," I said, turning around again.

    Aurora nodded. "Good idea."

    There was an ultimate crash of lightning, and suddenly there were people everywhere. They were all men, and all wearing black with the same white Pokeball symbol.

    One of them dived for me, but I leapt out of the way, hitting my right paw into a rock. I yelped in pain and stumbled away from the man after me.

    "Dare!" Ben shouted. "No- I've got you- Hold on-" he pulled out my Pokeball and clicked it towards me, so that in a flash of blue light I was back inside the Pokeball.

    Almost immediately the Pokeball lurched, and then it was bouncing hard. I struggled to stay on my feet and barked as a large, thin crack appeared down the side, jagged shaped.

    And suddenly it all stopped.
   
    I passed out.

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    Aurora POV

    I leaped back as Ben faced Dare and clicked the Pokeball. The Absol vanished, and the man that was about to seize him grabbed air.

    "No!" He screeched. "Get the Pokeball!"

    Two men grabbed Ben from behind the back, clapping their hands over his mouth. A fourth man whipped his hand out and tugged Dare's Pokeball away, but his foot slipped on mud and he dropped the Pokeball. We all watched through the pounding rain, petrified, as the Pokeball flew out of his hand and off the side of the mountain full of mud and pebbles. It began to bounce down the side, vanishing into the rain.

    "No!" Shadow screeched, flinging himself after it.

    "SHADOW!" Sapphire shrieked. "You can't!"

    She was right. Shadow's paws slid aimlessly down the mountain and he began to yelp.

    Sapphire's vines shot out and grabbed Shadow, but it made her lose her balance and she, too, tumbled down the mountain, pulling Shadow close to her. But Dare's Pokeball had flown to the left, and they were tumbling to the right.

    I spun around to see that the men were dragging Ben away. I didn't know what to do- Ben, Dare, or Shadow and Sapphire?

    I didn't need to choose- Ben and the men were already gone, as were my Pokemon companions.

    I was alone on the mountain.