The Silver Mountain [Pokémon]

Chapter 14- Haruka's POV

Sorry I took so long to update... Life just gets in the way.

Let me go on record by saying you are all going to HATE me for the next few chapters. That's all I'm saying. Not giving out any spoilers, but you aren't going to like where this story goes.

The contest is still technically going on. If by the time I post the next chapter nobody's made any guesses, then I'm just going to say what the subplot was.

Okay. Time for le story update.

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When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't in the uncomfortable triple bunk in the bunk-cave that I had fallen asleep in. I was on an even more uncomfortable cave floor. When my vision cleared up a bit, I saw a torch mounted on one wall, iron bars covering the only exit, and a boy with a red tie, shaggy black hair, and one hell of a cowlick sitting next to me.

"You're awake," he pointed out.

"No, I'm asleep," I said sarcastically. "Where am I? Are you a Rocket?"

He scoffed. "Me, a Rocket? I'm a Gym Leader, for crying out loud!"

"A Gym Leader? I've never heard of a Gym Leader that dresses like a Clerk."

"Uggh, I knew it looked stupid. My mom picks my clothes out, and she still dresses like a freaking pioneer. And you wouldn't have, anyway. I started yesterday." He cocked his head. "Or at least I think it was yesterday. I wouldn't know. When I woke up in here, my watch was gone."

"Tell me what you know about our whereabouts."

"We're in what looks like a jail cell. There's a lock on the door that needs a key, and the bars are too close together for even a Preschooler to squeeze through. There's a torch on the wall, and from how it looks, it'll only last for another three hours, and then we'll be in darkness. That's all I know. Do you know anything?"

"We're someplace in Mt. Silver, and the people who put us here are Team Rocket. I don't know why they have you, but I got caught pretending to be a Rocket to get information."

He brightened a little. "Get information for what?"

"Well, they sent the regional Champions to stop Team Rocket, and-"

He leaned forward. "Do you know someone named Touko White?"

"Uh, yeah. She's Unova's Champion."

"Is she safe? Please tell me she's safe."

"Yeah, last I checked, she was in the Pokemon Center with the rest of them."

The boy suddenly threw his arms around me. "Oh my God, thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Uh, you're welcome?"

He let go. "Sorry. It's just that I grew up with her and stuff, and I worry about her a lot. I don't think I introduced myself properly." He stuck his hand out, and I shook it gingerly as he said, "I'm Cheren. Aspertia City Gym Leader and holder of all eight Unova Gym badges. He patted his back pocket. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. They took my Trainer Card, too? What do they want with my Trainer Card?" He sighed.

"Well, I'm Haruka. Hoenn Champion. And I'd show you my Badges, but I left my Trainer Card at the Pokemon Center."

"Better than having it stolen by Team Rocket," Cheren muttered. "Wait. Why's your Trainer Card at the Pokemon Center?"

"We crashed a Team Rocket party last night," I explained, grinning.

He smiled a bit. "Must have been awesome. Tell me about it."

For a little while, I filled him in on life as a Champion right now, and how it had pretty much nothing to do with stopping Team Rocket and more to do with drama, like how Dawn and Red probably liked each other, etc. Then a sharp voice cut into the surrounding air.

"Haruka!!!" I recognized the voice instantly. It was that obnoxious Johto kid Hibiki. "Haruka, are you in here?"

"Shut the hell up!" the voice of Lance hissed. "Do you want the Rockets to hear you?"

"I'm right here!" I shouted, hopefully not too loud. "Over here!"

The next thing I knew, Hibiki, Red, and Lance were stampeding over to where we were locked up. Red saw the lock, reached into his pocket, found a little metal chopstick, and went to work picking the lock while Lance and Hibiki ran up against the gate.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Hibiki panted. I shook my head. "Who's the boy?"

"This is Cheren," I said, gesturing to Cheren. "He claims to be an Unova Gym Leader and Touko's friend."

"Okay, he can come back to the Pokemon Center with us. I'd better call Dawn and the others, to tell them we'll be headed back to the-"

Suddenly, his Pokégear started ringing. He picked it up. "It's Dawn," he announced. "Yeah, this is Hibiki... Oh no! What?... Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Get her back to the Pokemon Center, now! We're on our way!" He stuck the phone in his Bag.

I was starting to panic a bit myself. Red popped the lock, opened the gate, and stepped back. I stood up quickly. Cheren did the same. "What?" I asked.

I'd never seen him look more serious as he said, "Touko's been hit by a Fire Blast."