8 Animal Myths Compared To The Truth, by Silvia Phenora

Myth: Pigs are dirty.
Truth: Pigs are actually very clean. They roll in mud not only to cool off, but to get rid of bugs and such. In fact, pigs may be cleaner than we are, because they don't sweat! The term "sweating like a pig" is quite a misnomer.

Myth: The smaller the brain, the dumber.
Truth: This is quite a stupid(no pun intended) rumor. Plenty of animals with smaller brains are quite smart. Take a parrot for example. A parrot can learn to speak English, turn on the TV, escape their cage, and more.
You may be thinking, "Then why can't animals run a blender, or read a book?". Well, think of animals as toddlers. By both a toddler's and an animal's thinking, many things humans do are strange, and hard to understand. Through process of learning, both toddlers and animals can figure out how to do things. They aren't dumb. They just were never taught.

Myth: Animals can't talk unless they are taught.
Truth: Animals speak. Just not in English. They can communicate much better than us.

Myth: Bear Bells protect you from bears.
Truth: Bear Bells have been found in bear poop. No joke. They do NOT help at all.

Myth: Rattle Snakes always shake their rattle before striking.
Truth: They usually do, but not always. It is best to leave a rattler alone, whether it is shaking it's rattle or not.

Myth(or superstion really): Bats tangle themselves in people hair, and won't let go until it thunders.
Truth: Three things.
1. Bats do not deliberately tangle themselves in people's hair. It would be even worse for the bat than for you.
2. Why would thunder scare off a bat?
3. Where are you hearing these things?

Myth: Coyotes travel in packs.
Truth: That applies to WOLVES. Confusing them is more common than you may think. Bottom line: Coyotes are solitary creatures. Some Wolves are too, but Coyotes basically never travel in packs.

Myth: Bats are blind.
Truth: Bats do not see as well as some critters, but bats do have eyes, and they use them too.
To make up for their bad eyesight use Echolocation. In using Echolocation, bats emit sound waves from their mouth(like screaming in a special way). Using their ears(which are excellent), bets then listen to how the sound waves bounce back at them. In this way, the can pinpoint prey, obstacles, and other objects.
So bats aren't blind. They are just shortsighted.

Bee's big problem by Shea Montgomery

Most people are afraid of bees ( this may not apply to you).  What people don't realize ( again this may not apply to you) is that honey bees are more or less harmless. Yes, they have a stinger and all that but they most likely aren't going to use it on you unless you've as good as killed them( stepping on them sitting on them etc) or threaten their hive.  Why is that? Because there is only one sting per bee. Once the bee has stung it dies.  So no bee is going to sting you for no reason( however hornets are a different story). Got it? Good.
Without honey bees we wouldn`t have 1/3 of the foods we like to eat ( apples, almonds, broccoli, cucumbers, pumkins etc).  Unfortunatly the bees are disapearing at an alarming rate. Over 1/3 of the colonies have already died. Scientists are not quite sure what is causing the bees to disapear. It could be parasites, pesticides, the possibilities are vast.  But losing food isn't the only problem we have here. Bees are living things too and we can't just let them die. Please help the situation by either donating to an organization trying to figure out what's happining to them, or help raise awareness among your friends and family. The bees need you!

Beauty products and their ugly secrets by Shea Montgomery

Every year thousands of animals are killed due to absolutely evil tests done by beauty product companies, to make sure their makeup is safe for humans to use. Most of the tests are deadly and others cripple the animals for life, tests such as rubbing mascara or eyeshadow in the animals eyes are common acts of abuse committed by these companies. They would perform a test causing the animal to be in great pain, record there injuries and fianlly kill them The thing is there are plenty of alternative ways to find out if their makeup is safe for humans that don't include abusing innocent animals, such as testing on skin cells or not using toxic ingredients altogether. If you're shopping for beauty products please make sure it's a company that does not use unnecessary acts of cruelty to make its products.  The is nothing to gain by testing on animals so why do it?  To all those make up companies out there that test on animals I bet you could get a lot more people to buy your products if you could say that you don`t abuse animals.  Makeup in my opinion is one of those optional things so just remember that inner beauty comes first.

Swap Smart. Swap To Save. By Silvia Phenora

Nearly all of us are guilty of it. We see a new thing-a-ma-bob and we buy it. This is commonly known as impulse buying.
Here is a way to cut down on your impulse buying, and therefore cut down on your negative impact on the planet.
Say you walk into the store. You see a thing in sale. You think "Oh, it's on sale. Maybe I will buy it.". You consider if you need it, and realize it is not something you need. Still, you're feeling that pull. You want that thing. It doesn't cost much. But before you plonk it in your basket, cart, or bag, think again. This is going to encourage suppliers to make more products, because you are buying them. Every time something is on the market, a score of how many people have bought the product is kept. If the score reaches a "reasonable" amount, it is decided that more of that product will be made. By buying something at the Supermarket, you are helping ensure that mass-producing will continue. One way to help is to buy from local businesses, which helps the Economy. But we have an additional idea.
Step 1. Check the price of the product you want, but don't need.
Step 2. Put the product back.
Step 3. Find a product you need, will donate to charity(like a blanket), or would benefit the environment(or multiples of the above), that is the same or almost the same price as the original item. An alternate Step 3 is to just keep your money.
Step 4. Buy the product you need, will donate, or will help the environment. Then do the appropriate action(such as donating it). If you used the alternate Step 3, donate the saved money to charity, or put the money in the bank to be spent on something you really need.
Tada! You just helped out the environment and maybe a charity!

Note 1. : To be even more Eco-Friendly, bring cloth bags instead of using plastic ones at checkout. Most grocery stores have such reusable bags for sale at checkout.

Note 2. : Shea's What We Waste tips mentioned the swap 'n' save. Quote, 'If you don't need it don't buy it( all those stupid plastic thingies add up)' End of quote.
Please read Shea's tips and our other articles for more info on being Earth-friendly!

Rescue Dog Duke Saves Baby Harper's Life

When infant baby Harper stopped breathing, her parents were unaware, and would have gone to sleep if not for their dog, Duke, whom they had rescued years ago.
Duke started shaking violently on the bed. Realizing that this was not normal behavior, Harper's parents investigated, and found the non-breathing Harper. Her father called 911, and the ambulance arrived. Harper is now doing well, and her survival is thanks to Duke.
Harper's mother Jenna Brousseau said "He's the perfect dog, he was meant, meant to be ours, he was meant to be hers."

The moral? Even in ways you may not have expected, if you rescue an animal, they will return the favor.

What we waste, by Shea Montgumery

 

People are very wasteful creatures( you probably already knew that) so in order to heal this world we need to change that ( yep I'm still just stating the obvious).  Below are some steps you can take to make your daily life less wasteful:

1. Try not to use really hot water if you can avoid it because it takes a lot of oil and energy to heat the water.
2. If you have a fireplace block it up in the winter because a lot of  the heat leaves your house through the chimney ( that wastes energy and raises your heating bill).
3. Recycle.
4. If you don't need it don't buy it( all those stupid plastic thingies add up).
5. Don't throw away good clothes once you've outgrown them. Give them to your little sister or donate them.
6. Put a brick in your toilet tank, because the water will always fill to a certain point and if you put a brick inside it will raise the water level, making less water flow into the tank, wasting less water.( don't worry it won't break your toilet)
7. Buy energy efficient appliances(for obvious reasons).
8. Don't use what you don't need. Examples: when you wash dishes use as little dish soap as possible, useing less shampoo when you wash your hair or just being carful not to waist too much paper.
9. buy food with less packaging.  Try to avoide getting food at fast food restaurants, for one most of them are not good for you,  and there ends up being more plastic wrappings left over then the food itself. Example:if you got pancakes at a fast food place the food you would have would be: the pancakes, the butter, the surup, the potatoes, the ketchup and a drink. For waste you would have : the bag everything came in, the plastic box from the pancakes, the container from the butter, the container from the surup, the box from the potatoes, the packet from the ketchup, the cup and lid from the drink, the plastic silverware and the bag they came in, the straw and its wrapper and the napkins that you used.

Watch your step. Pollution crossing. By Silvia Phenora

At one point my family and I camped at Padre Island National Seashore. With a beach home to Kemps Ridley, the smallest and most endangered Sea Turtle in the world, it seemed a nice place to go. It was, with good scenery, a loooong beach, and a nice campground. 
While staying there, I found a hatched Sea Turtle egg(we gave it to the Ranger exhibit) and we learned interesting facts. Like, did you know that there is a coral that lives there that looks just like electrical wire? The coral come in pink and yellow, is long and thin, and appears to be a copper wire with a coating. In fact, the Park Rangers warned us before we went to the beach to pick up trash not to pick up coral instead! A way to tell if it's coral or wire is to take a good look at the side. Do you see little pores? If so, that's coral you found.

(Above: Wire....? Nope, coral.)

We also learned of Man-O-War, a creature that appears to be a Jellyfish. WRONG!
It is actually four different animals working together. However, the Man-O-War still has a nasty sting.
And so, knowledgable about coral, and knowing to avoid the Man-O-War who lived there, we set off to the beach to pick up trash. We had heard that the beach was full of trash, because of people throwing it off of ships, but nothing could have prepared us for the sight of it.
Trash....EVERYWHERE. All you could see on the sand other than the occasional Man-O-War or coral was trash.
We got out our bags and got to work. And we worked for about an hour, still picking up trash.
Occasionally, we found a piece of coral, a plastic bottle cap, a baby's pacifier, a trash bag, even dangerious used needles. But the saddest things were the plastic bottles.
It had been explained to us earlier that floating plastic bottles were often mistaken for Jellyfish by the Kemps Ridley and bitten by the hungry creatures, as Jellyfish are part of their diet. Thus, they ingested plastic, which you can probably imagine is not good for their digestive system. We were told that if we saw a diamond-shaped mark in the bottle, it meant that a Kemps Ridley had bitten it with their sharp beaks.

(Above: Sea Turtle bite marks in a plastic container)

Finally, we stopped for our picnic, and surveyed our work.
We had cleared about a mile in a whole hour.
Groan.
That experience really opened our eyes to how much a seemingly little action of throwing something off a ship can do.
Please recycle, and protect our beaches.

The Pokémon of Afisia, a Pokémon story, by Silvia Phenora

One of my Pokémon stories. Yes, I am a Pokémon fan. Please enjoy these stories I wrote myself. No one may copy this story without my express written permission.

Chapter one: Home?

Bubble could smell flowers. And hear the wisp of trees. It was a forest, she was certain. And-did she remember it? Was it-could it be-? No, she couldn't remember. Maybe, from long ago. Or was it yesterday? Of one thing she WAS certain: she was safe.

Chapter two: The Meeting

What? What did he say? Was it a he? Wait....what?
"Come on lazy bones! Wake up!"
Oooogg... "Uh?" "What?"
"I SAID wake up! The Meeting is about to start!" Yes, it was a he.
Bubble squinted at the Pokemon in front of her. It was a Squirtle. "Who are you?" she asked, scrambling to her feet.
"Wha? Don't you recognize me-oh! I'm sorry, I thought you were someone I knew. I'm Squirtleto!", Squirtleto said, immediately cheerful again. "You can tell me who you are on the way to the meeting!".
Hmm. Did she recognize this Meeting? Yes, there was something a recollection of....? It slipped out of her grasp. What was the Meeting? "Come on!" called Squirtleto cheerfully as he ran. She would have to find out later.

Chapter three: Fire, Grass, Water, Flying

The clearing was large. It was filled with all types of Poke'mon. "Over here Bubble!" Squirtleto beckoned.
She had told him her name on the way, but had refrained from mentioning her apparent Memory loss.  It was funny. This body didn't feel like hers. She looked down at her Bulbasaur body. It looked like any other Bulbasaur to her, but on the way Squirtleto had said she looked..... Different from the rest of them.
Bubble sat with him. All the Poke'mon were focused on the center of the clearing, where a Beedrill stood.
"Let the Meeting begin", he called, in an indescribeable voice.
On his left stood a Pigeot. On his right, a Scizor.
We gather here today to Honor the Legendary Poke'mon, but especially Virizion and Celebi, Poke'mon of the Forest.
I have no news no share with you, but Chief Pigeot and Soul Scizor may."
An interesting title, thought Bubble.
Soul.
She liked it.
The Scizor stepped forward.
"I wish to inform you the Scyther Swarm have decided the rules of this year's Poke'mon Games", he announced.
"You must take it up with them if you wish to Participate. I have no further news." He bowed and and stepped back.
The Pigeot stepped forward.
The Pigeot Flock has claimed flying rights to Asilia. The Staraptor Clan have agreed to this."
"Remember how that claim almost shattered the Peace?" Squirtleto murmured to Bubble.
She jerked back, then tried to cover it up. Squirtleto obviously thought she lived here, as did the others.
Pigeot dipped his head and stepped back.
"This meeting is at an end. Please pay your respects and share all prayers at the Altar." Scizor nodded respectfully at the rectangle of stone just behind the clearing. The nod was an odd gesture for a Scizor.
As the Poke'mon moved to pay their Respects, Bubble thought hard about what she had heard.
"Come on, let us go when we are done." whispered Squirtleto.
They walked to the Altar.

Chapter 4: Placement

"Hey Bubble", started Squirtleto.
They where at a pool in between a Swampy area and a Spring where Squirtleto lived. As they walked from the meeting place they had passed by the place where Squirtleto had found Bubble. She had pondered how she got there, but Memory-wise she had met only a wall of fuzzy, Memory-less blackness that she couldn't make sense of. She only knew that she couldn't remember...WHAT? And THAT didn't help much.
"I was thinking" said Squirtleto.
"that, well, maybe you could live here with me. We seem to be getting along fine."
 Bubble nodded. Yes, she liked that idea. Should she tell him?
"So...would you like that? Bubble?" Squirtleto looked uncertain.
"Ye-yes", said Bubble hesitantly.
"Yay!" He looked positively delighted.
Happy at his elation, Bubble turned to go sleep in a large crack in some rocks, where Squirtleto said they would sleep together.
"Wait, Bubble",
She turned back toward him.
"I think we'll be great partners. Poke'mon haven't been very nice to each other lately, and I like that we get along." Squirtleto ducked his head shyly.
Yes. Partners. Maybe she and Squirtleto could be a good team. Perhaps he could help her.
"Good night  Bubble."
"Good night", she whispered.

*NOTE TO THE READER*
I'm sorry Chapter 4 got romantic. I didn't mean it to be, it was bad wording on my part. I will stick away from the love comments in the rest if the story.

Chapter 5: Ridgail sstsily
(No, that is not a typo.)

Bubble stared. She couldn't help herself. In the mossy forest, she had seen many beautiful beings, nothing as amazing as this. Everything was wonderful. There were Poke'mon who were flying, Poke'mon that were walking, Poke'mon everywhere, and the sceniery, breathtaking, colorful fruits hanging from Tropius necks, the wings of Yanma glinting.. The Scyther were lining up for something, apparently practicing for the Poke'mon games... She still wanted to know what they were.
"Pretty nice, huh?"
Squirtleto's voice made her jump.
'Yeah... But pretty does not even begin to describe it..."
Bubble was more talkative now.
"Come, let's say hello."
"Uh, okay."
What if they mentioned not seeing her before? She had tried to tell him..... But had not found the strength.
"Move it!", a Scyther growled.
"Oh, sorry", she apologized.
"Sorry doesn't CUT it!"
"Sckuintr." Soul Scizor appeared, a warning in his voice. He pronounced the name Schoon-ter.
Sckuintr hissed under his breath, as well as a Scyther could hiss.
He barged ahead, knocking another Scyther over.
"That is enough! You have gone far enough Sckuintr!"
Soul Scizor looked furious now.
"You are constantly misbehaving, a disgrace to the Swarm! I herby banish you to unknown lands!"
Sckuintr did not attack or show dismay. He left, his wings fluttering.
Bubble watched until she could not see him any more.
"That seems a little harsh," muttered Bubble to Squirtleto, keeping an eye on Soul Scizor.
"Why didn't he just warn him, or not let him compete in the games?"
Squirtleto glanced at Soul Scizor, then looked back behind himself at Chief Pigeot, who was looking at them slightly suspiciously.
"It's Chief Pigeot you have to watch out for. His hearing is better than you may think."
They moved themselves out of the way.
"So?" Bubble prompted.
Squirtleto sighed and gazed out.
"Long ago, a treaty was signed. A treaty that proposed eternal Peace. We call it Ridgail sstsily. If you ever need to know about it, talk to Chief Pigeot. He is practically a fan of it."
He continued.
"This Treaty was designed to make sure that no Poke'mon were ever slaughtered in battle again. We aren't really supposed to talk about this, because apparently something really bad happened before the Treaty was signed.
Sckuintr was a constant preacher of the Peace and that treaty. And one day, that changed. We all felt it. Something happened. Something that changed Sckuintr. Ever since, he has been mean. Soul Scizor's main job is to banish people who are offenders of the Peace. He had to banish Sckuintr by law.
We all saw it coming, but no one wanted to say so."
He looked curiously at Bubble.
"Why didn't you know this? You seem like a newcomer."
Bubble took a deep, shaky breath. It was time.
"Because I am. I mean I might be, I don't know." She said all in one breath.

Chapter 6: Confession

"What?" Squirtleto stared at her askance.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I meant to tell you, I just couldn't find the words." said Bubble miserably, struggling to keep her voice down.
"But, Bubble," Squirtleto shook his head.
"that was foolish. I wouldn't have minded."
"But you don't understand. I have no Memory. I try to remember things from my past, but I don't even know where I lived."
Squirtleto stared at her, beginning to get the picture.
"So, you mean.... That when I found you, you didn't know anything?"
Bubble nodded. Would he still be her friend?
"Bubble, I-I- understand why you were silent about it, I think, but still.... I don't know what to make of this.
"Neither do I", she said, still miserable.
"I can't remember, and do you know how annoying that is?!"
At this her voice rose to a wail, and the other Poke'mon began to look curiously at them.
"Come on, Bubble,", Squirtleto said quietly.
"let's go home."
She sniffed and nodded, and they walked in silence back to Squirtleto's home.
It was getting dark now, and Bubble went inside, Squirtleto following her.
"I'm sorry Bubble." He said after they had lain there for some time.
"I didn't mean to freak out. I just don't understand. I still want to be your friend."
Bubble said nothing, staring at the rock.
After what seemed like forever, she fell into sleep without knowing it.

Chapter 7: A Visitor

A tinkle. A soft, yet beautiful sound, and so clear.
What was it?
Not quite conscious of her surroundings, Bubble went toward the noise.
A Poke'mon stood there. Without really seeing, she knew it was a Liepard.
"Welcome", the Liepard purred. "I have brought you here to explain. You must save us."
How? Bubble wondered.
And who are you?
"I am your.... teacher. I suppose you can call me teacher. A teacher of Dreams.
Your destiny is to help us. You will know who we are when the time is right.
And perhaps you shall get your Memory back."
My-my Memory?
"Yes.
Now, you are going to wake up. When you do, do try to remember this."

And Bubble woke with a start.

Chapter 8: Send someone!

"I had a strange dream last night." Bubble began.
"She said something about my-my... Memory loss. And something else too. If I can only remember it!"
Darn, she had been hoping not to breach the Memory subject.
Squirtleto paused and looked at her, hard.
"If I could help Bubble, I would. But I'm still trying to figure out how you could have lost your Memory.
Maybe if I---?"
He broke off.
Bubble waited patiently until she could stand it no longer.
"What?!"
"I..."
Squirtleto shook his head.
"I think I remember Beedrill saying something about Liepards. Once. He said they lived far away, with strange Poke'mon that we had not seen before. I think we should ask him."
Bubble nodded. So her dream did mean something!

Later, Buble and Squirtleto had found Beedrill. He was at the Meeting place, which was odd, since it was not time for a Meeting, and Soul Scizor and Chief Pigeot were with him.
This gave Bubble and Squirtleto pause, Squirtleto fervently asking forgiveness from Celebii for eavesdropping on the caretakers of the Forest. Bubble considered telling him to be quiet, then decided if Celebii was watching over them, all the better.
"No! We cannot!" said Beedrill firmly.
There was that voice again, thought Bubble. It was..... Whiny? No. Thin? Maybe. Screechy? Not quite. At least normally. Now it was bordering on screechy.
"We must! I know as well as you what happened, but we have to send someone."
That was Soul Scizor.
Chief Pigeot cleared his throat.
"I think Soul Sczor is right. Your word is law, Beedrill, but you must listen to what we tell you."
"But who to send?"
Soul Scizor looked nervously around.
"I don't know, but it's not safe to talk here much longer."
Chief Pigeot and Beedrill both nodded.
Bubble and Squirtleto ran for home and didn't look back.

Chapter 9: The chosen are the choosers, but the choosers are not the chosen

The next morning a Meeting had been called.
A Yanma flew up to Squirtleto, exclaiming that he had to come quick, this Meeting was urgent.
And so he called Bubble, and they went to the Meeting place.
The Meeting looked the same as before, exept that there was a buzz of tension in the air. Of course, that could have been the Bug Types, thought Bubble.
Beedrill paced nervously around, while Chief Pigot tried to stay cool, but kept stamping his feet. There was a look of worry on Soul Scizor's face.
Chief Pigeot shot a look at Beedrill.
 "We are gathered here today," began Beedrill.
"because of a very dangerous..quest. A quest to the far reaches of the world."
The Poke'mon murmured amongst themselves.
"Quiet, please. Now, this quest of sorts would have some Poke'mon, preferably two to four, travel to the far reaches."
"The far reaches of what?" called a Poke'mon.
"The world." replied Beedrill.
"The Poke'mon would have to go on foot, for the place is hard to find by air, and be very strong. This is a dangerous mission."
Some Poke'mon shook their heads uneasily, and stepped back.
Others, after considering, walked forward.
Most didn't move or talk.
Bubble looked at Squirtleto, and he looked at her. They each knew what the other was thinking. And they knew that they were thinking the same thing. This had to do with Bubble's dream, it had to.
They nodded at each other, a barely discernable nod.
And together, they walked up. They passed the strong-looking Poke'mon looking at them in disbelief, and stood in front of Beedrill.
"Well, well." Soul Scizor looked-and sounded-suprised.
"Squirtleto....unexpected. And you." he looked at Bubble.
"I believe you were there at the Scyther practices yesterday. Interesting, I don't think I had seen you before that."
Bubble couldn't speak. She didn't trust herself to.
Beedrill coughed. He sounded uncomfortable.
"I don't think-that is-hmmm. These two," he let the last two words hang in the air,
"may not be erm, experienced enough to embark upon this dangerous mission."
Chief Pigeot looked at them with a predator's stare. Bubble tried not to look scared or flinch.
"I believe they are worthy." he announced.
"They look strong, and determined. That alone will get them through this, if they kkeep their faith in themselves and others."
Beedrill still shifted uncomfortably as Soul Scizor looked at him. He knew what that look from Soul Scizor meant. It meant: they walked forward despite not knowing what they were in for, and still are. Make the right decision.
"All right, I suppose if, well, since, they have joined forces and are willing, then they shall go."
The Poke'mon cheered, even though some of them had wanted to go instead. They knew better than to argue with any of the three Poke'mon.
"Tommorow," said Soul Scizor.
"You will get your briefing on what you must do." finished Beedrill.
But I know some of what I must do, thought Bubble.
I must save them. Whoever they are.

Chapter 10: Ayan The Wurmple

Bubble woke the next morning amazed at how fresh she felt. This was it. They were going on a mission, and finally, perhaps her Memory would come back. Up until now, she hadn't allowed herself to think of that possibility, for fear that Liepard was not real. She thought maybe her dream was just wishful thinking.
But now it was certain! Squirtleto and herself......were going on a quest!
"Are you ready?" asked Squirtleto.
She saw his eyes were shining, with barely suppressed excitement, and knew he was feeling the same as herself.
They walked on over to the meeting place, enjoying the sunshine and the smell of flowers.
"Finally." Soul Scizor boomed.
"You must be on your way as soon as possible."
Squirtleto bowed his head, though whether in respect, or trying to hide his barely contained excitement, Bubbe could not tell.
Beedrill spoke,
"You must travel past the mountains, and over lake. Whether you swim, go around, or find a different route, it is up to you, but you must remember that timing is of the utmost importance, next to your own safety. After you reach the edge of the land known to us, you must continue on your own. We cannot accompany you, so we cannot help you. And you may not take any others with you. Is this all clear?"
Squirtleto and Bubble nodded.
"Good." said Beedrill.
"Also, it would burden your journey to bring provisions. We have heard nothing of poisonous plants in the far area, so it is assumable that you will be able to find food.
And most of all, be friendly to whoever you meet on this dangerous journey. We must find out what is going on."
"Beedrill," asked Squirtleto tentatively,
"what is our mission, exactly?"
Bubble hadn't thought about it much, due to all adrenaline rushing through her, but she realized Squirtleto was right. They had no idea what to do.
Worry gnawed at her. What if they just wandered around until they had to go back home, with nothing?
"Well," started Beedrill, seeming weary.
"it has come to our attention-never mind how-that Poke'mon are in trouble. Not just here, but all over the world. You must find out what is going on. Once you have, come back. Do NOT try to handle this on your own. You got it?"
Bubbke and Squirtleto nodded obediently, but Bubble's belly was clenching in anger. So they trusted her and Squirtleto to go on a dangerous journey, but they couldn't help??
Bubble glanced at Squirtleto, and saw her own frustration reflected in his face.
"But", began Squirtleto, seeming to struggle to keep his voice neutral.
"what if we have to help? We can't leave Poke'mon in need. How do you know we should only find out what's going in, but not take action? Were you sent a prophecy? Any of you?" Squirtleto turned, facing each of the Preachers of the Peace in turn.
Beedrill seemed to struggle to remain composed.
"That is none of your business. It should not concern you. Your only job is to go find out how it is."
Bubble saw Chief Pigeot look at Beedrill. He looked...concerned? Worried? Chief Pigeot opens his beak as if to say something, then closed it again with a clack.
The snappy noise seemed to startle Beedrill, and he took a pace back. Soul Scizor stepped forward, seeming to deliberately not look at Beedrill as he did so.
"It is time for the goodbye gifts." he said.
Soul Scizor turned slightly to the side, and took a small parcel from the ground. He offered to Bubble, placing it at her feet. Somehow, Bubble knew, this was a part of a great, formal Ceremony.
Soul Scizor proclaimed,
"This is a great honor. Normally, this would be followed by a solem opening of the gifts, and a dance, but for the sake of time we must have you open these on the road."
Chief Pigeot and Beedrill placed their gifts to Bubble and Squirtleto upon the ground near Squirtleto and Bubble's feet.
"You must go now." said Beedrill. He sounded as if this was something he had long anticipated.
Bubble and Squirtleto nodded, dipping their heads to the Preachers of the Peace. And they then picked up their gifts.

     *********=*****]<\*<****<*********#<****<********************>>********>**>+*******^*****~<>**+**

Ayan was a Wurmple. And a very good one. He was a bit on the smallish side, but that couldn't really be helped, and he was very funny and friendly, so most Poke'mon liked him just fine. Auan was a bit of a chatterbox, but not a gossiper. And so, when Ayan saw his good old friend Squirtleto, he crawled over to see what was the matter.
"Hey Ayan," Squirtleto greeted him.
"Whatcha up to?"
Ayan looked a bit critically at his friend. Squirtleto was making an effort to have a happy face, he could see that.
"Oh, fine, fine." said Ayan.
"I could ask you the same thing though."
"Ah. Yeah." Squirtleto made a grimacing smile.
"Well, you know..the usual thing." he locked eyes with Ayan. The little Wurmple knew what was going on with Squirtleto now. Bubble looked from one to the other. She could not tell what had passed between the two of them, but it wasn't good.
"Soo..." began Ayan, trying to change the subject.
"Where are you off to? And who is this?"
"Oh, this is Bubble." said Squirtleto earnestly.
"She is coming on the quest with me. You know, we have to go see what is going on."
"Oh, yes, I heard about that! I wasn't at the meeting, I'm sorry, I couldn't come fast enough."
Ayan looked down at his little legs. They could go fast, he knew, but the message about the abruptly called meeting had come a little late.
"Mmhmm." Squirtleto nodded. He looked at the sky.
"Well, we should be off. It's nearing noon."
"Good Luck!" called Ayan.
"You too!" they shouted in return.
And so, in high spirits, Squirtleto and Bubble walked in the direction Squirtleto had told Bubble was fastest.
Ayan watched them go until they were dots, his mind whirling. This was crazy, just a crazy thought. But one that might actually work. He had always wanted to go on an adventure, after all.

  Chapter 11: Grey Gifts

"So, you want to open those gifts yet?" Squirtleto finally asked.
He and Bubble had been trudging along for a while. The bird Poke'mon were singing, and the day seemed a nice one, especially for traveling. The sky was fairly clear, the Sun bright.
A good day, except for one fact. Bubble and Squirtleto were walking to an known place for an unknown time, and an awkward silence was between them. So two facts, really.
"Bubble? You seem kinda out of there."
Bubble sighed and glanced at Squirtleto. She kept walking.
"I think we should soon, but after we walk a little more." Bubble knew Squirtleto would pick up on her thoughts.
He looked like he really didn't want to talk about it.
He kept silent a little longer, and Bubble pushed.
“What was that with Ayan?” she gave him another look as she asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed.
“You seemed upset.”
“Not now, please.”
Bubble tried to find a way to convince him to tell her, but eventually she had to concede it was easier and nicer to respect his privacy.
After walking for a bit, the trees began to get..darker. The lush green slowly went away and was replaced by dark green-leaved trees that looked poisonous. Bubble noticed a tree that was different from the other and pointed it out to Squirtleto.
“Those are Chestnuts on that.” he said, staring slightly hungrily at it.
Bubble’s stomach rumbled slightly and she realized she had not eaten for quite a while, but by unspoken agreement they didn’t dare take one of the delicious Chestnuts. Something was wrong.
As they trudged on, Bubble noticed the beam of light up ahead, just as Squirtleto said “There. We are almost to the lake.” But he said it quietly, like they weren’t alone in the forest. Bubble felt it too. A presence.
A Heracross appeared in front of them, and Bubble frowned, wondering how he had jumped in front of them without noticing. Perhaps it was just the shadows hiding him until they were closer.
“Hi. Excuse me, but are we almost to the lake?” Squirtleto asked politely.
The Heracross’s antennae twitched nervously, and it turned to the tree beside them. There were a large group of Mankey there, and Bubble and Squirtleto jumped slightly.
“This isn’t good.” Squirtleto said softly to Bubble.
One of the Mankey hissed and made itself taller, like it had heard and was preparing for a fight.
“You are trespassers. Stop, do not go farther. Or you will have to deal with US.” One of them on the left said.
“Please, we are traveling-”
“Shush!” cried one of them, in the front.
In a foreign, strongly accented dialect so harsh Bubble could barely understand it, the Mankey said,
“Here, we do not allow trespassers.” It surveyed them for a moment.
“Go after them.”
“Whaa?! Run!” Bubble wasn’t sure if she had yelled that or Squirtleto, but then she was running.
“Mankey are very easy to upset!” Panted Squirtleto in her ear.
“Don’t talk!” she panted back.
For the first time, Bubble wished her body was made to run, like Squirtleto’s, rather than hop or leap.
They ran for what seemed like hours but was only minutes, and came to a tree in the middle of the path.
We’re going the wrong way! Bubbles realized in dismay.
They’ve chased us back nearly a mile!
She glanced back. Squirtleto was lagging farther behind..
She looked forward again and saw red on top of the lowest tree branch.
Wurmple registered in her mind before it beckoned her, then she ran and leaped for the branch.
She missed, her brain going faster than her body. She thought she would have to  hit the ground and immediately scramble up the trunk, but there was no need. The Wurmple’s tail wrapped around her arm and helped haul her up as she scrambled to grab the branch. Once up, she turned to watch Squirtleto, and without her noticing the Wurmple quietly scrunched higher, into the darker part of the leaves.
The Mankey were right at Squirtleto’s heels, and as he neared the tree a realization flashed in her.
“Oh, Arceus, they can climb!” She shrieked.
Higher up and out of sight, Ayan the Wurmple softly cursed himself for making this grave error.
Squirtleto hesitated for a split second, and darted to his right. The Mankey began to close in, and he swerved left to a bush and jumped in. There was a lot of rustling as the Mankey followed him, and Bubble held her breath. There was some more rustling and some squirming sounds and Squirtleto burst out again, and the Mankey followed him in a chase around the trunk of the tree that would have looked comical in a different situation. After two runs around it, Squirtleto jumped up and scrambled up the tree like mad.
The Mankey came up fast and cornered them, surrounding them. Bubble and Squirtleto backed up until they nearly slid backwards off the branch, and Bubble got an idea.
“Squirtleto.” she whispered to get his attention.
“What?”
“I have an idea. We’ll swing.”
“What?!”
“Shh! We’ll swing on the vines hanging off the branches.”
Squirtleto looked at her in horror.
“But we can’t! I’m scared of heights, and you..you can’t hold onto them!”
Looking at her feet, Bubble knew he was right. She couldn’t hang on, her feet weren’t made for climbing at all.
“We’ll have to try, it’s our only hope!” She hoped she sounded brave.
“If worst comes to worst, we’ll run through the trees. We’ll probably be caught, but we must try, Squirtleto!”
He looked at her, and, putting on a brave face, nodded.
“It’s our only chance.” he agreed.
One of the more impatiant Mankey snarled and leaped, and Squirtleto ducked into his shell and shot water out of the holes. It hit and the Mankey went flying.
“It was instinct!” cried a horrified Squirtleto, who had never had the need to fight.
“Let’s-”
Bubbele was cut off by Squirtleto.
“Go!”
They turned and jumped to the tree next to the one they were in, aiming a little higher than the vine hanging from it. Bubble and Squirtleto grasped the vine as they hit it and swung to the next, heading for the lake. Bubble could do it!
The Mankey screamed and went after them.
“Duck!” Yelled Squirtleto and Bubble did, narrowly avoiding a branch, but how narrow she did not know, she only went ahead.
Thump went the ominous sound and feel of a Mankey landing on the branch behind them, and the tree itself seemed to fear it.
Bubble abandoned her vine tactic and hit the branch in front, Squirtleto following.
They crashed through the trees, half the time unable to see or think. Squirtleto cried out as something crashed through the leaves next to him, and two seconds later Bubble collided with him as she jumped from the sight of a Spinarak clicking its mouth at her in its web.
They went on, and a Pachirisu squealed and leaped over them as they ran towards it, and a moment later it joined them in their frenzied run after seeing the furious Mankey horde.
They were going to be caught, there was no denying it. The lake was in sight, frustratingly so, but the Mankey were nearly upon them and Bubble thought she could feel their hot breath. The noise was deafening, but one sound managed to pierce through. A screech. A blur dove towards them and swooped under, and before they knew it Squirtleto and Bubble were on its back. A Wingull.
He hovered for a moment to allow the Pachirisu to clasp onto his tail, and then they were off to the sky.
She thought the Wingull said something, but whatever it was she didn’t catch it.
The Mankey’s anger now was unbearable to the ears, and Bubble buried her head in the Wingull’s feathers to stop the noise from reaching her. It didn’t work.

Later, they were at the lake’s beach and on the sand, and Bubble fainted for a moment, from exhaustion and fright.


Chapter 12
The Ayan Decision


Bubble raised her head from the sand, and saw Squirtleto. For a moment, she had a flashback to the day he found her, and then the memory was gone. But she couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that she had remembered something from before that.
“Ah, you’re awake.” said the Wingull, preening his feathers.
“Good!” squeaked the Pachirisu, bounding over to her.
“Squirtleto just woke up and was explaining what happened.”
Bubble looked at her partner in mild curiousity. So he had passed out as well. She remembered him saying he was scared of heights.
“So, anyway, we accidentally angered the Mankey, who knows why, and they chased us and we ran.” Squirtleto continued.
The Wingull looked up.
“So you are on a quest of sorts?”
Bubble flinched. They weren’t supposed to tell anyone that! But they were supposed to find out what was going on..maybe the other Pokemon could help.
The Pachirisu turned around in a twirl, leaving tracks on the sand that looked like..well, a fight or dancing, some kind of scuffling had taken place.
“You can just call me Pachirisu, by the way.”
She bent slightly and drew a map in the sand.
“You are here. We came from over there, and now you’ve got to get to...around here, I suppose?”
Squirtleto peered at the map.
“That does seem to be the only easy route away from the lake.”
“Oh, no, it’s not easy.” Pachirisu and the Wingull spoke at the same time.
“Don’t you realize?” Asked Pachirisu.
“You’ll be exploring new lands! New, exciting sights to see! But also danger, plenty of it.”
“How do you know?” Asked Squirtleto.
“Ah, well you see, other Pokemon have tried to get there. But all failed.” The Wingull said. He seemed to shrug.
“We don’t know what happened to them.”
“Or if they’re OK.” Said Pachirisu softly.
If they’re ok..
“AH!” Bubble cried out. Squirtleto looked at her as if she were crazy.
“Ayan! We don’t know if he’s OK!”
Squirtleto looked horrified. Wingull glanced up.
“Ayan?”
“He’s a friend.” Bubble and Squirtleto blurted out.
“We accidentally left him behind, after he helped me up the tree..”
“AYAN was there?!” Squirtleto cried.
“We have to go back for him!”
“No.” Wingull spoke up.
“If you left a Pokemon there...I will convince my friends to help search for him. They have sharp eyes and are caring. You continue on your mission, and we will help him.”
Squirtleto didn’t look completely reassured.
“But what if he’s not OK? What then?” He asked.
“He lives where?”
“In the forest next to Asilia. In a different part from where the Mankey live.” Squirtleto answered.
“I know that area. We can bring him back there, if he is injured.” Wingull assured him.
“But we won’t know how he is..” Squirtleto murmured. Bubble wasn’t even sure if he meant for Wingull to hear.
“We have to focus on the mission.” She said, surprising herself.
“We can’t turn back, not now.”
“Wingull,” She addressed him.
“Please..take care of Ayan.”
Wingull nodded.
“We will. Oh. And my name is Jakie.”
“Hey, what about me?” Pachirisu spoke up excitedly.
“I can’t come on the mission, can I?”
Squirtleto reluctantly shook his head.
 “But I can help out! I know a place you can rest tonight.” Pachirisu said brightly.
“But it’s not yet dark.” Squirtleto glanced up.
“I was hoping we could travel more. And eat.” He added as his stomach rumbled.
Bubble’s belly felt cramped, too, but she wasn’t going to mention it.
“It’s a fair hike from here, and there are Apple trees around the area.” Pachirisu said.
“Then it’s settled, I guess.” Said Squirtleto with a glance towards Bubble.
She nodded, considering telling him that he was the leader of the expedition. But she didn’t. Maybe, he wanted to take the journey as partners, not leader and follower.

Ayan panted as he ran through the forest. Or rather, he trotted, but this was max speed for a Wurmple.. The screeches the Mankey let loose as they pursued him were worryingly close, but Ayan was an expert at using tree cover, blending in with th bright red Berrys as he inched his way through tangled bushes and vines attached to the trees. 

He'd been forced to break from his cover when they smelled him, and was now running for his life.

Finally breaking the tree cover into warm sunlight, Ayan allowed himself to slow to a stop. He controlled his breathing, looked every way to check his direction, and started off again, this time at a diagonal angle, towards where he suspected Squirtleto and Bubble would have gone. Hopefully, the Mankey would give up their pursuit, or go the wrong way before realizing his change of direction.   

Ayan's stomach rumbled and he realized he hadn't eaten since that morning. It was late afternoon by now.   

Maybe he could find some Apples around here.

 

Chapter 13 coming soon.

Legends of the Flight, a Pokémon story, by Silvia Phenora

One of my Pokémon stories. Yes, I am a Pokémon fan. Please enjoy.
No one may copy this story without my express written permission.

Chapter 1: Flying high, in the sky,
A secret life, with little strife.

"WHA-HOO!!!
Flying was wonderful!
"Whoa, Crobat, careful, I might fall off!"
Crobat looked as best she could at me and grinned.
We had been flying all day and night, and the speed was exhilarating. I might have been scared, had I not trusted Crobat so completely.
"Wow."
With the moonlight shining on us, it looked as though we were skimming the stars.
"OK Crobat," I whispered in her ear,
"let's land now."
As Crobat touched down, I jumped off, then staggered as my knees buckled.
"Oof. Guess I need to get my land legs back."
Crobat grinned at me, having basically no legs of her own, and then took off for her nightly hunt.
I shook my head slowly, then went inside my house.
Charap was there, ready to greet me with a squawk.
The silly Chatot had gotten herself caught in the telephone wire again.
As I untangled her, I reflected on how different Crobat  and Charap were.
With Crobat and I, it was love at first sight, with Charap, well.... For the first month, Charap had hated me, and I hated Charap right back.
Upstart, mischievous, and with selective hearing, Charap was enough to make anyone kill the Poke'mon, then commit suicide.
But eventually, I had realized Charap just needed some TLC.
I had gotten her in a trade, and she had felt abandoned. Now Charap was one of my best Poke'mon.
"There you go." I murmured.
"Squawk!" went Charap, which I took to be a sign of thanks. She had obviously been neglecting her human speech skills. I would have to talk to her about that in the morning.
I went up to bed, already in my pajamas.
I left the big window open, so that Crobat could come back in later, and checked on Pigeotto.
He was fine, thankfully, as he was recovering from some mysterious illness.
I got in bed, and eventually closed my eyes.

Chapter 2: Pigeon Stare

I opened my eyes to see Pigeotto standing over me.
"WAA!" I shrieked.
Pigeotto cocked his head at me.
"Glad you're feeling better." I groaned.
It was still early, and flying yesterday had really tired me out, because of how late it was when we stopped.
With a sigh, I rolled out of bed, knowing that Pigeotto would keep me up now.
"Arrggg."
Crobat would be asleep, I knew that much in my fuzzy, sleep-deprived mind.
And Charap would want breakfast. That's likely why Pigeotto woke me up, although he still had no appetite of his own.
Still half asleep, I stumbled downstairs, Pigeotto guiding me, as had become our routine.
Sure enough, Charap was there, waiting for breakfast, although it took a few seconds for that to register in my brain.
You are probably realizing now that I rarely use Pokeballs. In all honesty, I usually only use them for transporting wounded Poke'mon, or if any of my Poke'mon are too big for where we are.
Back to the story.
As we sat down(well, I sat down, and Pigeotto and Charap sort of perched), me with a plate of toast, because I wasn't very hungry yet, and the bird Poke'mon with pokefood(mainly berrys) I cleared my throat and asked Charap to wake up Crobat. Looking mutinously at me, for she had still not eaten, Charap went up the stairs.
When she returned with Crobat(our stairs are extra wide to make room for Crobat), I started speaking.
"I was thinking last evening, that for a trio of bird Poke'mon and a trainer, we don't move around a lot. Here is what I was thinking. We travel a bit, meet new trainers, make new friends, and then go back to our previous life. I mean, I know we already have the Gym Badges, but let's face it, we basically just flew from one Gym to another, never really exploring. Do ya want to try it?"
I looked at my friends, slightly hopeful, slightly apprehensive.
Charap cocked her head first, thinking about it, then let out a trilling noise.
"What was that?" I asked meaningfully.
Charap blinked, then said, "Yep".
Pigeotto put a talon on the table to show he was in favor, and Crobat looked from left to right, then shrugged and bared her teeth.
"All right! Let's go later today, once I get my bag packed."
We had a plan.

Chapter 3:Soaring Bright

I was packed, and we were ready to go.
"All right, who do I ride first?"
My Poke'mon looked at each other, then held a quick conference.
They apparently decided on Pigeotto.
"You feel up to this?" I asked him.
Pigeotto nodded.
"Okay then. Charap, you fly with us. Crobat, you go in the Pokeball. I know you don't like flying by day that much."
Charap flew up, and Crobat dissapeared into her Pokeball.
"We're off!" I shouted.
And so we were.

Late evening had come, but the sky was still blue, not quite black yet. The sun had set, and the Half-Moon was brighter than I ever remembered.
I had switched to riding Crobat, since Pigeotto was tired, and Crobat's night vision was better anyway, not to mention the fact that she had echolocation.
I thought we were over a forest, or at least some tree growth, for I could see large, shadowy shapes underneath us. Crobat was enjoying the experience and the view, I could tell. She kept turning her head, to take in all of the scenery, and possibly to help with the ecolocation, I suppose, but I'm almost sure she was using that as an excuse.
"All right, let's bed down for the night," I said.
"we did some good traveling today. I'm proud."
We landed, and I got out the gear.
But as I lay down on my mat, I saw something. It had to be a Poke'mon.
Crobat saw it too, her eyes swiveling.
It was gliding, above the trees, and across the moon. I couldn't quite make it out, although it was glowing as brightly as the moon herself. The funny thing was, although it crossed the moon, I didn't see its shadow. As though it WAS the moon.
With a beautiful cry, it vanished.
I closed my eyes. Maybe I should have felt cautious, but I didn't. Instead, the feeling the Poke'mon brought was welcoming and comforting.
I fell asleep looking at Crobat, and found that I had wonderful dreams that night.

Chapter 4: Gilberto
For the second time in two days, I woke up to someone standing over me.
"WAA!" I shrieked again.
Man, talk about déjà vu.
A boy was there, somewhere around twelve to sixteen by the looks of it.
Charap was sniffing at his pant leg curiously.
"Who-wha?" I asked, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.
"Very communicative." he said, moving slightly closer.
"You can call me Gilberto. But not Gilbert. I saw you last night, and thought it would startle you if I came out of the darkness."
"And that didn't?" I asked dryly.
"Besides, Crobat would have warned me."
"You have a Crobat?" he asked, truly interested now.
I whistled, and Crobat(hanging from a large tree a little ways away) flew up.
"Wow." Gilberto said, staring at her.
"I knew you had a Chatot, of course, and I could have sworn I saw another bird Poke'mon. But a Crobat...." he shook his head.
I smiled. Clever Pigeotto had hidden. The only one of my Poke'mon apparently.
"It takes a lot of friendship to have a Crobat partner." he added.
I nodded. Charap thought he was all right, and I trusted her judgement.
"The other Poke'mon you saw was Pigeotto." I explained.
"Pigeotto probably won't come out until he's sure you're okay."
Gilberto nodded. "I like Pigeottos."
"Good. Now, we must be on our way."
"Oh." Gilberto looked saddened.
"Where are you going?"
"To explore." I told him.
"Who knows, we might even battle the Elite Four. We have the Badges."
"Hmmmm. I'm going to Vunergeda City. You want to travel with me?"
As much as I hated to admit it, Vunergeda WAS on our map. I looked at Charap.
She looked back, seeming to say, Why not? Maybe I would teach her to actually say that sometime.
"All right." I said grudgingly.
"But on one condition. I fly in front, you on the side, one of my Poke'mon on the other side, and one of them in back."
Even though Charap trusted him, I wanted to keep an eye on Gilberto.
He shrugged.
"Whatever."
I called to Pigeotto and hopped on.
Gilberto held out a Pokeball and a Pigeot came out.
I eyed it, wondering when Pigeotto will evolve.
Pigeotto looked admiringly at the Pigeot and took off.

Chapter 5: Flight in the Sky, Sun above,
Poke'mon racing, the Wind we Love

Gilberto called something to me.
"What?!" I shouted.
Pigeotto flew closer.
"I said, is it just me, or is it a beautiful day?"
"It's just you!" I called back, but I winked at him. It WAS a beautiful day, with a few wispy clouds in the sky, which was a nice blue, and the sun was shining brightly. It was perfect for flying.
Suddenly Pigeotto sped up, looking slyly at the Pigeot.
"WHOA!" I shouted.
"Pigeotto, what-?" I looked in his eyes and suddenly knew. He wanted to race the Pigeot.
"Hey, Gilberto! Pigeotto wants to race!"
"Okay!" he yelled back. And Pigeot put on a burst of speed.
"WAA-HHOO!!!! YEAH!"
The two of them racing... It was almost as fast as when Crobat had to escape some Combee.
They swerved, they tried maneuvers. No matter what though, they were nearly equal.
I looked at Gilberto. His hair was flat from the wind, and he was squinting.
I laughed at how he looked, coughing from the wind, then realized that I probably looked the same.
"How about that tree is the end?!" called Gilberto when we were close together.
I looked ahead and saw a large sycamore coming up.
"Sure!" I nodded in case he didn't hear me, and pointed out the sycamore to Pigeotto.
He put on a burst of speed, but I could see he was tiring rapidly.
It was close...Pigeot got there first.
"Good job." I said to Pigeotto.
We landed.
"That was great!"
Gilberto had followed us down.
"Whew! And guess what? That race did more than exercise our Poke'mon! Look at this!"
He pulled out a map and pointed out a spot to me, about halfway to where we were going.
"If we keep this up, we'll be there in no time!"
"Okay," I nodded.
"but Pigeotto needs to rest. Crobat could do it though."
Why don't we rest for the night?" he suggested.
"Pigeot is tired too."
So we stayed there.
Maybe Gilberto wasn't so bad after all.

Chapter 6: Bird Keeper. Or not.

The next morning we were fresh and ready to go.
"Wait for it... You have to be at the right angle...YES!"
I looked to see what was going on.
Gilberto was in a tree, shouting commands to Pigeot, who was doing some fancy maneuvers, and Pigeotto was trying to copy Pigeot.
Suddenly Pigeot curved and did a steep dive. Pigeotto, not expecting it, had to avoid Pigeot, and as a result went into a spiral that nearly resulted in Pigeotto hitting the tree next to one Gilberto was in.
I laughed, glad Pigeotto was feeling better, and of course, laughing at what happened.
The sight of Gilberto literally jumping in fright out of the tree had made my day.
"Hey, come here, I want to show you something." he beckoned to me.
I walked over.
"Check out what Pigeot can do."
Pigeot turned, flew up, and flipped backwards in midair, his crest streaming behind him.
I watched in awe, until I realized Gilberto was staring at me.
"What?"
"Are you a bird keeper?"
The question caught me off guard. I mean, talk about a change of subject.
"I mean," he shifted.
"Do you only catch bird Poke'mon?"
"In case you haven't noticed," I began hotly,
"Crobat is not a bird."
I stared at my feet.
"I used to have more Poke'mon. Different Types."
"What happened to them?"
"Just don't ask, OK?"
I didn't want to talk about this now.
Why had I even told him that I used to have more? Was it because I had kept my secret so long, I needed to share it?
"Okay."
He looked mystified, but didn't pry.
"I guess you could say that Flying Types tend to be some of my strongest." I said finally.
He nodded, apparently still wondering.
Well, let him wonder. What happened-no, I wasn't going to talk about it. Not yet.
"We should go." I said, standing up and brushing off my pants.
"If we want to be be in the city by tommorow, we have to leave." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Memories.... Man, can they be painful.
I called Crobat and we took off.

Chapter 7: Them

Well, the day had finally arrived. Today we were going to arrive in Vunergeda City. And Gilberto and I(not to mention our Poke'mon), would part.
Yesterday's flight was rather uneventful, so I won't tell you about it. I was quiet, and so was Gilberto.

Today, as we were flying, I was even quieter. I was thinking about what would happen when we got to Vunergeda City, and the more I thought about it, the less sure I was that I really did want to part with Gilberto. It would cause so many problems. So wrapped up in my thoughts was I that I didn't realize that Gilberto was shouting at me for some time. Pigeotto jerked me.
"Hey!"
He had never done that before.
I suddenly realized Pigeot had pulled up beside us.
"Stoneears!" Gilberto was saying impatiently.
"I said that Vunergeda is right below us."
I looked down and saw Vunergeda. It wasn't really a proper city,with buildings and bustling streets. It was more of a large town.
"Okay, then, let's go." I said, trying to cover up my embarrassment.
We landed, and Gilberto and I jumped off and stood facing each other.
"Well," I said.
"this is it."
He nodded.
"Yep. Bye."
My mind was racing. I couldn't ignore three facts.
We were safer with Gilberto.
He was good company, and I needed human contact.( I had lived in a rather secluded area. )
My Poke'mon would be sad if Gilberto and Pigeot left, Pigeotto especially. Come to think of it, I would miss them too. As I said, he was good company.
"Would you like to keep traveling together? I mean, with us?" I blurted out.
Shoot. I could hardly believe I did that.
"All right." said Gilberto. He didn't look surprised.
"On one condition though," I said hastily.
He smiled.
"You sure like conditions, don't you?"
"Yeah, well, they make sure I don't promise too much. You're trying to distract me! The condition is: if we are going to travel together, we go our separate ways while in cities and towns, but, especially in this town, we stay close enough to each other so that we can help each other if trouble comes."
"What? Why especially in this town? It's friendly."
He looked around.
I wasn't sure though. The place had a different feel from last time I was here, although that could have been memories from what happened. That day.....
"Okay, we'll go now. Pigeot and I."
He walked off.
I explored the town a bit, visiting the shops and checking out stuff like the statues out front, when I saw them.
Those people I had been hoping never to see again.
They looked just like last time, garbed in dark, but not quite black clothes.
Pigeotto tensed, made a low hissing sound I had never heard before, and flew at them, screeching and swiping.
I saw one of them pull out that THING. The one from last time.
It looks like a cross between a small cannon, a gun, and a electronic device.
"NOOO!!!" I screamed, running toward them, hoping upon hoping that Gilberto and Pigeot would come to help in time.

Chapter 8: Save the day, save the night,
To Save them all, we must Fight.
Stars breaking, trees shaking,
Save the all to tonight.
Save them all today

I didn't know what it was. I just called it the thing. When They used it, Poke'mon dissapeared into it. I don't know what happens to them afterward. But that is what happened to my other Poke'mon. The thing was like a Pokeball, but more sinister. Another reason why I don't use Pokeballs much. They remind my Poke'mon and I of bad memories.
It was like watching a tape I knew well in slow motion.
The person, if you can call them people, pointed the thing at Pigeotto.
I shouted desperately at Crobat, who had been flying overhead looking for a place to rest, and had already homed in on them, and to Charap, who was by the Poke'mart.
As Pigeotto slashed and stabbed, one of Them fell, with a gash in the shoulder that looked like it hurt a lot, but was superficial.
They drew swords. Swords? I didn't remember swords.
Crobat flew in, and felled two. Two more to go.
But the one with the thing pressed something on it, that button that would cause it to suck in Pigeotto.
And as he pressed it, Crobat flew in the way.
I don't think she knew that the thing was there.
She was trying to get at Them, and swooped in at the same time the one pressed the button.
But she was gone, trapped in it.
I couldn't speak, just gazed in horror, knowing that I couldn't help.
Gilberto appeared, and shouted something.
And a Poke'mon appeared.
I could see it now, I knew it was the one we saw the night before meeting Gilberto.
And I knew it was the Lunar Poke'mon.
It glided, graceful but deadly, and hit the one with the thing in the chest.
I looked and saw Charap, a look of horror on her face that turned to determination.
She flew in low, biting at the other one's ankles.
As that one fell, though, the other one aimed the thing at the Lunar Poke'mon, and it was forced to retreat, giving him time to get away with inhuman speed.
I looked at Pigeotto. He was covered in sword cuts, but we each knew that the other would die trying to save Crobat.
Sensing our intent, Gilberto put a hand on my shoulder.
"We can't go after them like this. Cressilia can follow them at night and track them."
"Cr-Cressilia. You h-have Cressilia as a partner."
"It's a long story and we don't have the time." he said firmly.
"We need to get Pigeotto to the Poke'mon Center and then go after them."
He was right, of course.

After a quick trip to the Poke'mon Center with an annoyingly cheerful nurse, we were ready.
I hopped on Pigeotto.
We were out for blood.

Chapter 9: The Revenge Master

I stared at Pigotto's feathers beneath me.
He would be hurting inside. Like me.
I hoped Pigeotto didn't blame himself.
Like I blamed myself.
A while ago, my Poke'mon and I pledged to protect each other as much as possible.
I had failed to do that.
I could have helped. I should have leaped into battle, swords or no swords.
But I didn't. In retrospect, that was the worst betrayal ever.
And I betrayed them.
And now, we were going to who knows where.
That was one of the problems.
I didn't know where to head.
All right, enough with the self-blame, I thought.
Even in my head it didn't sound like something I would obey.
"Hey," sad Gilberto. And he didn't go farther than that.
"Hey what?" I finally asked miserably.
"Let's," he hesitated ever so slightly. Maybe I imagined it.
"let's stop at Neredx town. Maybe someone will have seen...them."
I hadn't yet told him about what happened...... The first time.
I now poured EVERYTHING out to him.
"Those...people. They stole my Poke'mon long ago."
He nodded.
"I looked for them. But couldn't find a trace. And I'm afraid that might happen this time. I had many, and they took all of them, and I don't know what happened. Next, I mean.
They are evil, corrupted.
And I want to kill them.
And then I think, I'm not gonna find them.
And THEN I think, yes you will.
And it's all one big mess, and I don't know what to do, and none of this is saving them."
I gasped for breath.
"And that device, it's-well, I don't understand it. I don't know if it might hurt them."
Gilberto sighed and glanced down at the town below us.
Pigeotto and Pigeot started angling down, but I could tell they were listening.
"Sometimes sadness and fear are our worst enemies, because they corrupt us from the inside." said Gilberto.
We jumped off at the town's center square.
We walked around, asked as casually as we could if dark garbed people had been there. Nothing particularly helpful, although some of the towns people were quite talkative, and I got a fair bit of gossip before I politely excused myself.
As we were turning to walk to the square again and leave, a man rushed up to us.
"Hey! Wait up!"
We slowed to let him catch up.
"Thanks." he puffed.
"I wanted to know if you had seen any strange people with dark robes. I can see you're just visiting." he nodded at our Poke'mon, a little ahead if us.
Giberto and I exchanged a look.
"We have." Gilberto said coolly.
"Do you know where they were going?"
We glanced at each other again.
This time, the man noticed, and he opened his mouth, to ask a question, probably.
"We don't know much about them." I cut him off.
"Er, we are looking too." added Gilberto.
I stepped on his foot.
He grimaced.
The man gazed at Pigeotto and Pigeot.
"Can I travel with you?" he asked suddenly.
As we stared at him, mouths agape, he added hastily,
"I have score to settle with them, along with many others."
I knew better than to ask what the score was.
"It's bring your own flying Poke'mon." said Gilberto, eying the single Pokeball in a belt around the man's waist.
"Please?" he pleaded.
This time Gilberto and I looked at each other, hard. Then we moved our gazes to the guy. He looked trustworthy, I decided.
Apparently Gilberto decided that too.
"All right."
The man dipped his head, looking like he wanted to say something important. His expression changed, though.
"My name is Mike." Mike said.
"And I'm not afraid to admit I am a Master of sorts."

Chapter 10: Rising up, through the clouds.
A song awaits, a crowd aloud sighs.

I sighed inwardly.
I was politely admiring Mike's Darmanitan, which he had insisted on my and Gilberto's seeing.
Gilberto had muttered an excuse and left, while I was stuck looking at a Poke'mon.
It wasn't that Damanitan is not an admirable Poke'mon. It has a lot of strength. The problem was that I was bored, and I was itching to go.
Mike was obviously very proud of his only Poke'mon.
Finally, Gilberto pulled me aside.
"We have to go, and I have something to tell you!" he hissed near my ear.
Tell me about it. I thought.
We REALLY need to go.
"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner there wasn't time." he said, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. His tone was urgent.
"There is something going on with the flying Legendary Poke'mon."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Most of the Legendary Poke'mon, the ones that fly, they know something is happening.
They are partnering up with people. Cressilia chose me. The rest of the Legendary/people teams, we need to find. I don't know what is going on. I suspect one of them has chosen the Poke'mon Champion, the obvious choice for a strong teammate.
They are all rising. The flying ones. No pun intended.
Cressilia,"
"Arcticuno, Zapdos, Moltres," my tongue moved of its own accord.
"Latias and Latios." sad Gilberto.
I looked at him.
"Rayquaza?"
"Yes."
"What about Giratina? Does it count?"
"We don't think Giratina, as part of the world parallel to ours, even knows what is going on."
"Who is we?"
"Cressilia and I. I think I am forgetting some. Shaymin. It is joining us in its Sky Form."
"What about the Guardians of the Lakes?"
"Uxie, Atzelf, and Mesprit may have been captured by the ones with the Thing. No one has seen them for a while, and it has happened before."
I racked my brains.
"Probably not Jirachi, since it only awakens every thousand years, right? It wouldn't be involved."
"Correct. At least as far I know. I don't presume to speak for Cressilia, but I have no idea how long we have to wait for it to wake up again."
I nodded.
"Right. Besides, it's a Wish grantor, right?"
He nodded.
"Although it is possible that those strange characters will want to capture it. "
 As he finished saying that, I heard Mike call.
"Hey, you guys, aren't we going?"
"Like he can talk." I muttered.
Gilberto gve me a weak smile, and I could see he looked tired. I could tell he was regretting allowing Mike to join us, too.
I hoped he would pay off by helping us. He did seem like a guy we could use in our hunt for Them.
As planned earlier, Mike got on Pigeot and rode with Gilberto, after storing Darmanitan away in its Pokeball.
Pokeballs. Hiss. Still didn't like 'em.

Chapter 11: Trails and Sunlit Town

After a lengthy flight trip, we stopped about 4 miles from the nearest town. Gilberto had wanted to keep going, but my head was buzzing. I needed to talk to him, to find out what else was going on.
"We missed some." said Gilberto immediately after we were out of earshot of Mike.
"Which ones?" I knew he was talking about the flying Legendary Poke'mon.
"Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem."
"Oh.....ooh." somehow it seemed bad that The Dragon Trio was involved.
"I know, right?" he nodded like he had guessed my thoughts.
"Has Kyrem Fused with either recently?" I asked. I wasn't sure if Kyrem was the type to take a human partner. It seemed to prefer seclusion.
"I do not think so. However, if it does, and it causes trouble...." he trailed off.
"It took a long time for it to be Defused last time...."
I let his words hang in the air a while before responding, taking the time to think before answering.
"I don't think it will be trouble. However, whether it will choose a human partner or not, I cannot say."
"Mmph. We had better get going again." Gilberto said.
"Also," he added in an undertone as we walked back.
"I'm going to challenge him to battle soon. Let's see how Darmanitan does against Pigeot. Mike claims to be a master, but I'll be the head judge of that."
I didn't know how to reply to that.
"Good luck." I said.
"To you and Pigeot." I added.
"Thanks." he stared ahead grimly.
"If our our opponent is as good as he says, and Poke'mon is equally good, we'll need it.
We'll also need it before this adventure is over."
And on that happy note, we came back to find Mike snoring on the ground, Pigeot, Pigeotto, and Charap looking as though they didn't know what to do with him.
I knew exactly how they felt.

                                                  ********************************************************                                                  

Staying in the town seemed dreary and energizing at the same time. On one hand, the small houses lokked gloomy at first glance, and in the twilight seemed to be shades of gray.
On the other hand, the sky itself looked beautiful, blue, rustic gold, bronze, purple, and a rusty red.
Stopping there seemed to ease anxiety somewhat.
This town was somewhat appropriately named Sunlit Town.
Plus, according to cheerful Gilberto and his trusty map, we were on our way to the big cities soon.
I wasn't sure if that was good or bad news. On one hand, we weren't getting much info in secluded areas.
On the other hand, They might be sticking to such secluded areas purposely, for concealment reasons.
Then again, at that they had failed, considering how Mike caught on without his Poke'mon being stolen.
I admit I was more comfortable, in a way, in the quiet places. Having lived in such a place myself, I like to think I understand their charm. But I wasn't going to let my normal tendecies get the better of me if going to largely populated areas was nessesary for saving Crobat and the others.
Absorbed in such thoughts, and enjoying the sunset, I almost didn't notice in time that Gilberto was speaking to me. Mike was hovering a respectful distance away.
"Hmm?"
"Um, well....." he took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, you look happy, well, content actually, and I don't want to burst your bubble but... I just don't see how we are supposed to find your Poke'mon. We aren't getting any leads."
Well, bringing me to our present problems again sure did burst my bubble.
"I know." My voice caught, and I added, just loud enough for him to hear, but not Mike,
"But we have to try."
I wanted to tell him that I appreciated his friendship, and the fact that he was staying with us through all this was nearly non-repayable, but I couldn't. I hoped he knew anyway.

Chapter 12: Crobat's perspective

Crobat stared worriedly. She was in danger.
And her wings were being bound.
Oh why, oh WHY did she let them catch her? It was her fault, she told herself miserably. Feeling guilty, she returned her thoughts back to the present for the time being.
She was in a dark, cavern-type place. Even with her excellent night-vision, Crobat could hardly make out any features, and what she did see was confusing.
Strange shapes.
Weird contours in faces.
(Black?) Cloaks.
Well, reflected Crobat, at least she wasn't in that THING anymore. Being inside the thing had been the worst time of her life. Penetrating fear aside, it was terrible.
 Imaginebeing locked in a small compartment for an unknown amount of time, while wondering what was going on with your friends, if they were okay. Now you understand what poor Crobat was going through.
Would her friends come for her?
Crobat saw someone slip a cover over her face.

Chapter 13: Wha-a! Pack your storm gear

Sigh. In the next town.
No leads.
Well, I thought, another disappointment.
Then I chastned myself. Gotta think positive.
Right. Positive.
I was kidding myself, wasn't I?
No, no.
I've got to believe.
"LLOOOOKK!!!!"
Gilberto's searing yell pierced my eardrums.
"WHHHAAATTT?!?!!!?" I yelled back.
We had split up, and having found nothing out, I was currently failing at psyching myself up for another turn at talking to villagers.
This town wasn't exactly a town. It was somewhere in between a Village, a town, and a city. Strange, simple houses. But a good-sized community. And to top it off, some very tall structures rather like that in a very large city.
"We-we..." Gilberto panted for breath, a villager(let's call them that) behind him, looking vaugely puzzled.
Gilberto walked up to me and stood in front of me deliberately, smiling with some emotion I couldn't figure out. He seemed...happy. Excited.
He leaned forward and whispered in my ear,
"We have our lead."

                                              {****************************************************}


Rain. Pouring, pounding rain. The kind that seems to exist to soak you, hit you harder than normal, and keep coming.
We were flying towards Stlighteriao City. That was the place Gilberto had been told They were last seen. At first, fueled by the prospect of catching up to Them, we had made good tracks. Suddenly, however, this unseasonable rain had started. And the Poke'mon hated it.
Normally on rainy days Crobat would be silently miserable, staring out at the rain like she was angry at it, hunched over a bit.
Charap would hide, not liking having wet feathers, and Pigeotto would fly through it for a bit, trying to catch raindrops on the fly. But today, Pigeotto and I just wanted to find some cover.
By doing his best to hold his crest over me, Pigeotto had managed to keep parts of him and I mostly dry. But the wind made this difficult, and caused the rain to come in from all sides.
Charap and Darmanitan were in their Pokeballs.
I could barely even see Gilberto and Mike on Pigeot's back, so I concentrated on my and Pigeotto's part of the wet group. I could just hear the dripping of rain coming off Pigeotto's crest and falling down towards my ear over the rain. Everything was soaked to the point of seeming as though we had gone swimming in our clothes(er, feathers in the bird Poke'mon's case). I saw a quick flash of lightning, and I started humming the tune to a song I had once heard, about thunderstorms. Praying to Arceus we weren't going to get killed, I asked Pigeotto to land, hoping that Pigeot or Gilberto would see and follow suit. After my asking several times, Pigeotto finally heard me, and landed by a fairly large rock. Thankfully, Pigeotto did follow, and soon we were all standing out in the rain, minus Charap and Darmanitan.
A large clap of thunder made me jump.
"Right," I said hurriedly,
"What are we going to do?"
"Well," said Gilberto, raising his voice a little over the rain.
"we have two options. One is that we can keep going, hoping our Poke'mon can navigate around the storm. Two is that we could hope to find a bit of shelter from the wind, and set up camp, and then hope not to get hit by lightning."
"You forget that we could always turn back until the storm blows over." Mike chimed in.
"True, but then, how miles have we gone? This storm stretches far, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say this thing was following us." said Gilberto, turning in almost-full circle.
"And this doesn't seem like it'll pass by quickly." I added.
"The best we can hope for is to stay here for now, and not catch Pneumonia.
The storm appears to be too big to pass around and still be heading in a reasonable direction."
We all fell silent at that. Huddled together, upon Mike's suggestion we sat/crouched by the side of the rock that was away from the wind. Why hadn't I thought of that? But it soon became clear that the wind was changing to much for the action to be reliable.
Gilberto's right, I thought.
This storm DOES seem to be following us.
I caught my breath and gabbed Gilberto's jacket's shoulder, making furious, quiet noises, trying to get his attention.
"Wha? Get off." he mumbled, shaking his arm in an attempt to make me let go.
"M-Mm, m-mm." I started shaking my head furiously, trying convey that he needed to be quiet. I was keeping my head and voice low, despite the noise of the rain, which was even louder when it was plunking away at the stone.
Mike looked over curiously; he made a noise like he was beginning to ask what was the matter.
Gilberto finally followed my gaze, and they both let out a gasp of shock as a bolt of lightning flashed, showing the outline of a terrifying-looking Poke'mon.

Chapter 14: The pair of thrones

The Poke'mon floated there, huge and menacing. The storm seemed to center itself around the Poke'mon, and even as we watched, lightning crashed around it. The Poke'mon appeared to be unharmed.
"Thunderus." I breathed.
A clap of thunder bellowed, and I scurried back against the rock. My fright was embarassing, but I'll be the first to admit, that thing was SCARY. Beyond scary. Up close, and personal, the Poke'mon radiated what could only be described as evil, and I knew that even far away it would be terrifing.
It was just ...floating there. It seemed to want to stay for a while, like it had all the time in the world.
Time.
Something then clicked in my brain, somewhere near the subconcious part. There was something about here. Right here, right now. There was a ... Lost it again. The thread of thought I was trying to grasp.
I looked over at my companions. Gilberto was staring, his eyes as wide as saucers. Mike I couldn't see clearly, because of the rock. I saw Pigeotto now in between myself and Gilberto. He cocked his head. I was getting a weird feeling now. Pigeotto gave a squawk, then looked sheepishly at me after checking to see if Thunderus had heard. He uttered a lower cawk.
"What?" I asked stupidly.
He looked at me. I mean, gave me a LOOK.
"Oh, right." I said.
"Um, wait, WHAT?"
"What did he say?" asked Gilberto.
"I think he just said he can hear music."
Over to my right Pigeotto gave a self-satisfied nod of approval.
"But..how?" Gilberto voiced the thoughts of all of us but Pigeotto.
"I don't....know." suddenly I almost stopped thinking consciously and mused over what I knew.
I felt it was close.
We strained all our ears.
I caught a little music note, sweet.
And Gilberto said, "I can hear it!" at the same time as Mike.
"Beautiful." I don't even know who said that. All I was doing, all I knew was that I just needed to catch more of the music, so soft and sweet. And alluring.
We all started up at once, to the surprise of the Poke'mon.
(Thunderus must know we're here.) Said a voice in my head, a voice softer than silk, and yet like wind chimes. The voice was not mine. I knew with certainty.
And that was the time to act! But wait. My comrades...they were being taken.. Their minds pulled away towards the new noise I now heard. Gilberto and Mike began walking towards the Poke'mon Thunderus, and I felt their minds. I really felt them. They wanted nothing more than to go to the center the the storm.
(Well, well.) The voice in my head spoke again. I(t seems it is time to act as one now.)
[Yes, shall we?] Asked another voice in my head, although I felt it wasn't really a question.
(Hmm..little one, are you ready to go save your friends? We would like your help in chasing away that traitor, and I'm sure you would like your friends to have their minds right again.) The voice was addressing me.
{Okay.} I thought tentatively.
(Well, then. Now, on the count of three, we shall pour all our energy together. Can you do that for us?)
{Um, okay.}
{I'll try.} I added.
(One...two...three!)
I focused, hard. This is the time that I truly got a sense of the power of the beings in my mind. They were..amazing beyond words. The power was of a feel unknown to me.
Thunderus turned, and with a roar it charged at us with electrical spears that made my hairs stand on end. The back of my neck prickled, and I later realized dimly that I was so focused on what I-no, what WE were doing that it didn't even register with me how terrifying the experiance was.
A flash. A circle of light. Celebi. Celebi floated for just a moment in the center of the blue light, but the moment seemed to last an eternity. I had just enough time to study its features before it flew at Thunderus.
(Keep focused!) It told me while I was gaping.
I returned to pouring my power in, and out of the woods charged a face I thought I would only ever see in storybooks.
Zorua leaped into the air, pulled back its head, and emitted a roar that looked black as night at one time, a pulsating red-darkness the next.
This was amazing beyond words and Thunderus let out a scream when it saw the two forms of light colliding and coming for it.
Just before is dissapeared unexplicibly, it fixed its eyes on mine. I gasped at the connection, the hatred in the look it gave me. I was locked in that stare, and even after it was gone I felt shaky.
Celebi assured me that I would be fine, I was just a little tired from pouring out some of my energy. Then a beam, a flash of light, and I was pulled into another dimension in which I couldn't see clearly, yet I knew I was fine.
Boom! A sharp noise, maybe a shout(from me?), and then it was all over.
I was in grass, it was sunny, and that's all I registered before I fell to my knees and blacked out.
When I awoke, Gilberto was standing over me, and I admit I let out a quick shriek. I gotta stop doing that.
"Just like old times, huh?" Gilberto grinned at me.
We were in the same clearing, but it was brighter, the sky much more clear.
"Arrgg.." I groaned, hoping that the last late afternoon I remembered had been a dream.
I looked over at where I thought Mike probably was and saw Celebi and Zorua.
No such luck, huh?
(Thank you.) Celebi flew closer, -her?-wings fluttering.
(You have helped save our forest, and us.)
{"No- no problem."} I said both telepathically and aloud.
Zorua didn't budge, but said from her spot,
[We are in your debt. If you are ever in great need of a disguise,]
(Or a quick time travel. Get it? Quick?) Added Celebi.
[You can just call us with all your heart and mind, and we will hear you.] Finished Zorua.
{Thanks, thanks you, both of you,}
(Good bye! Oh, and we did you a little favor! Check the time!) Called Celebi, and then they were gone.
We watched the spot where they had been for a little while.
"Do you get the feeling we will never see them again? Not unless you take them up on their offer?" asked Gilberto.
"I think it was more like a gift, and yeah." I said, still thinking things over.
"What did she mean, check the time?" asked me, Gilberto, and Mike all at once.
Gilberto checked his watch.
"Whoa! What day is it? Let's ask at the next town."
"What, why?"
"Because.." he swallowed.
"It is just a little-I mean, about an hour-before all that happened. She..did she?"
With the weather clear, we could all see farther than we could before. But it took a report from Pigeotto before I realized just how close we were to the nearest town.
"Hey, Pigeotto says-" I started
"I know! Pigeot told me we're only a mile away!" he interrupted me excitedly.
"Hey, so.." Mike started.
"Are we going to spend the night at this place or what?"
"Sure!" I called back.
"We could use some rest!"

Back at the town, which we later remembered was called Stlighteriao City, we recuperated for a while. Then, we asked someone who knew what day it was.
The answer othat we got proved that it was the same day that we had left for the city. Thus, the only explanation was that Celebi, possibly with the help of Zorua, had brought us back through time. She had basically given us time to find Them. I considered their debt to me already repaid.

Chapter 15 coming soon.