Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.The plot and idea for this story were presented to me by a friend some time ago. I didn't pay it much attention, but, since that friend's Birthay's coming up, I thought I might take on that request.This story has no sex on it.It does, however, contain romance and some naughty moments later on.
Abducted
"Mommy!" an Eevee cried with her little voice. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Mommy, don't go!"
"Why do we have to stay?" a Skitty next to her nervously asked, looking around at the white room they were in. "What are they going to do with us?"
"Don't be afraid," answered a Delcatty. He was trying to sound as easing as possible, but his tone showed concern. "You're going to find a great trainer, and then, you're going to change the world! Nothing bad's going to happen to you. Right, Beatrix?" He turned around to look at a Glaceon that was standing behind him.
The Glaceon didn't answer. She just stared at the Eevee and Skitty with a worried expression.
"Right?" the Delcatty asked again.
"I can't believe you," the Glaceon looked at a man that was standing next to her. He had shoulder length blond hair. His eyes were a bright green. They had an unnatural glow to them, but showed the same concern the Delcatty and Glaceon were feeling. His skin was incredibly light. He was wearing a light blue trench coat with two darker blue diamonds on the back. A light blue shirt and pants, and a darker blue belt with a diamond-shaped clasp of an even darker blue, and dark blue gloves and heeled boots. "You heartless bastard..." the Glaceon growled, staring angrily at him.
"You're just saying that because you're feeling mother-y right now, Beatrix," the man answered. "You don't see Miles getting all nervous, do you?"
"Yeah?" Beatrix answered. "Well, Miles thinks all trainers are as nice as you are, but I know better. And I'm worried that they'll end up with the wrong trainer. You remember Frank..."
"Frank was a jackass," the man answered. "And you and I took care of him, didn't we?"
"Beatrix, come calm your daughters down," the Delcatty called. "They need Mommy far more than they need me right now."
"I'm coming, Miles," Beatrix answered, walking towards the Eevee and Skitty, who immediately cuddled up with her. "There... Don't be afraid... There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure you'll both get good trainers..."
"But why do we need to get a trainer?" the Eevee asked, still weeping.
"Why can't we just stay here, with you and Lucian?" the Skitty looked at the man.
"You two are going to help change the world," Beatrix answered. "And, for that, you need to get a trainer of your own. You can't be with us your whole life." She held them closer to her as she said this. "Claire, Kate... You're going to do great things. You'll get a trainer as good as Lucian. Just hang in there."
"Lucian," came the deep, strong voice of a man that had just walked into the room. He was quite muscular, had short brown hair, and was not as dressed up as Lucian was: he was wearing an orange undershirt and black pants with a chain in the right pocket and a brown belt with three Pokéballs on it, black work boots, and a black steel bracelet in each hand. "We've found the last two. They're sending us a live feed on them right now. Wanna see?"
"Of course," Lucian answered as he headed towards the door, followed by Miles. Noticing his Glaceon wasn't following him, he turned around. "Come, Beatrix," he called her. "You're only making this more painful for them."
"Fine," Beatrix answered in a cold and spiteful tone. "I'm coming..." She looked at the Eevee and Skitty one more time. "Be strong. Especially you, Claire." She licked the Eevee's face. "I know it's hard to be away from your family. I felt like that when Lucian got me as his partner, but look at me now. Just wait, and you'll see how wonderful the adventures you'll have will be... You'll get to travel all around the world! Just wait... And you, Kate," she licked the Skitty's face as well, "I know you're gutsier than your sister, and I don't want to sound too worried, because I know you're not, but still... Hang in there."
"I will, mom," the Skitty answered. Even though she wasn't crying like Claire was, it was easy to notice she was holding back her tears.
"Last call, Beatrix," Lucian called her. He was standing by the door, holding it open, with Miles next to him.
"I have to go." Beatrix turned around and headed for the door.
"No!" Claire cried out, trying to reach her mother, but was stopped by Kate, who stood in front of her, holding her back. "Mommy! Don't go!"
"Be strong, sis!" Kate told her sister as she held her back. "You heard mom! We'll get a great trainer, and we'll go on all sorts of adventures! Doesn't that sound exciting?"
"But I don't want a trainer!" Claire cried. "I want my Mommy and Daddy! I want Lucian!"
"You'll get someone as good as he is," Beatrix told her daughter as Lucian closed the door. "I promise." The door was closed, leaving both sisters locked in the white, stainless room.
Beatrix waited until she was sure the door was closed before leaning against Miles, shedding a single tear.
"Calm down, Trix," the Delcatty told her, leaning on her as well. "You said it: they'll get a trainer as good as Lucian."
"I'll make sure they get the right trainer," Lucian said, looking at the two. "Now, Damon, let's go see that live feed you mentioned..."
Way too far from there...
"Go, Volt!" a boy shouted his command at his Elekid. "Thunderpunch!"
"Kiii!" the Elekid answered as he dashed towards a Magby in front of him, his hand sparking with electricity. His attack landed right on its target, as the Magby was sent rolling away, its body throwing sparks.
"Nice job!" The boy made an arm pump as he said this. He had short red hair, combed forward in a way that gave him a rebel- esque look, even if that couldn't be farther away from the truth. His eyes were a dark brown, but were glowing with satisfaction. He was wearing a dark green jacket, a yellow shirt and brown pants. On his feet was a pair of dark brown sneakers, the laces of which were untied.
Lucian chuckled at the sight of the boy that had just appeared on his monitor screen. He was sitting in an armchair in the middle of an elegant- looking studio that was adorned with several pictures and trophies, one leg crossed over the other and a hand on his chin as he analyzed the screen. Sitting on the floor next to him were Beatrix and Miles.
"Please," Beatrix said in an amused yet serious tone. "Please tell me you're kidding. This is one of the guys that might get Claire or Kate? He looks like he can't even add two and two yet!"
"Innocence is a virtue," Miles added in the same tone. "But, don't you think that's overdoing it, Lucian?"
"We've been following this kid around for quite a while now," Lucian answered. "You'd be amazed by what he can do... What's the info we got on him?" he asked, staring at the screen. The image on the screen froze and a red reticule zoomed on the boy as text appeared on screen, followed by a robotized voice.
"Name: Joseph Raynell. Dislikes the name Joseph, prefers to be addressed as 'Joe'.
Age: 8 Years, 2 months.
Address: 2361 Sunset Avenue, Granburg City.
Additional: Has scored straight A's on every last aspect and test at the trainer's school, except for a B in Battle Theory."
"And what makes him so special?" Beatrix asked. "He's two years too young to even be an official trainer. Not worth it."
"He's got potential," Lucian answered, "which brings me to the next trainer." He pointed at the screen. "Watch."
The image unfroze, and the feed kept running.
"Nice one, Joe!" another boy cheered. "Now, Poochyena! Use Bite!"
The Poochyena in front of the boy let out an angry bark, and, instead of charging at a Smoochum in front him, turned around and tackled the boy.
"The Smoochum! Not me, ya big dummy!" the boy said, annoyed, as he got the Poochyena off himself. He had black, spiky hair and light blue eyes. He was wearing a red shirt, black pants and a pair of black sneakers; much like Joe's, the laces of his were untied as well.
The image froze once again, as another reticule focused on the boy.
"Name: Vincent Miller. Absolutely hates the name Vincent. Prefers the names 'Vinny' or 'Vin'.
Age: 8 Years, 3 Months.
Address: 2634 Sunset Avenue, Granburg City.
Additional: Has several misdeeds on his record despite his age, the most recent of which is stealing his teacher's Pokémon to use on a practice fight."
"Are you kidding me?!" Beatrix growled, surprised. "THIS kid?!"
"He, too, shows a lot of promise, believe it or not," Lucian answered as the feed kept running. "Watch."
"Gee, Vin," Joe said, looking at his friend. "You could pick a Pokémon that obeys you for a change, huh?"
"Oh, don't worry!" Vincent answered as he pulled out a Pokéball. "Check this out! Go!" he screamed as he threw the ball, releasing a Flareon into the battle.
"Wait!" Joe yelped in surprise. "Isn't that the teacher's-"
"Go, Flareon! Use Fire Blast!" Vincent said, commandingly. The Flareon shook his head, then turned around and launched his attack at Vincent.
Beatrix laughed at the sight before looking up at her trainer. "You've taken this joke too far, Lucian. Now, seriously, who's the other trainer?"
"It's him," Lucian answered. "I don't get why that's so hard to believe... He might not be the best, but it takes guts to snatch your teacher's Pokémon, and a lot more to try and use it as if it were your own. That, and a lot of other stuff we've been seeing him do." He got up from his chair and headed for the door. "They'll be leaving school in about two hours. I'd better hurry if I want to get them. Miles, Beatrix, you coming?"
"Right behind you," Miles answered, following his trainer.
"I guess I could use a mission to distract myself..." Beatrix said in a slightly idle tone as she headed for the door after Miles. "I mean, one of these kids might get Claire or Kate, but, whatever... I just hope it's the brown- haired one."
Two hours later...
"I know it sucks the teacher grilled you," Joe told Vincent as they walked down the street. While it was usually quite crowded, that day it was almost empty, probably because of the great contest that was going to take place in a few hours. "But you kind of brought it upon yourself by stealing his Flareon. I mean, you could have been expelled..."
"Yeah, yeah," Vincent answered in a bored tone. "That's what they always say... My parents, the teacher, you..." He kicked away a pebble. "Joe the goodie- goodie, with his A's, and his Elekid..."
"Yeah. About that," Joe answered. "Volt's not mine. He's my brother's. I kind of...'borrowed' him from him."
"See? You stole him!" Vincent laughed.
"Yeah, but the difference is Volt obeys me. You kind of fail in that."
"Hello," Lucian greeted, coming out of an alley, followed by Beatrix and Miles. "You two kids look like you're smart. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure!" Vincent answered. "Finally! Someone notices how smart I am!"
"Vin, are you sure?" Joe asked, nervously. "I mean, this guy's a stranger. Remember what our parents and the teacher and the cops say about talking to strangers?"
"What, you pay attention when they tell you that stuff?" Vincent asked, slightly amused. "Come on! Don't be a wuss!"
Joe let out a brief sigh. "Fine..."
"Good," Lucian answered. "Come this way, if you please," he said as he walked into the alley, followed by Beatrix and Miles. Vincent and Joe followed after them.
"Okay," Lucian said as he pulled out a notebook from under his coat. "Now, you," he looked at Vincent, "what are Pokémon to you?"
"Um... Well..." Vincent looked up, thinking. "I'd say 'Friends', but everyone says that... I'd say 'Pets', but that's mean... I don't know. They're just...Pokémon."
"Wow, smart answer," Beatrix said, amused. The only thing Vincent and Joe heard, however, was a short "Gla!"
"Well, I suppose that's an answer," Lucian said as he wrote something on the notebook. "Now, next: If you were to become a trainer, what would you pursue? Would you be a coordinator? Would you aspire to become a Champion of something?"
"Well..." Vincent looked up again. "Coordinator's more of a girl thing, but it ain't bad... Then there's the championship... I don't know! I'd be anything!"
"I really don't know what you see in this one, Lucian," Miles said. Once again, the only thing Vincent and Joe heard was, "Del! Catty!"
"Good," Lucian said as he wrote some more. "And, last: What do you think of the recent rise in crime and disorder?"
"Crime and disorder?" Vincent seemed a little confused. "You mean, like, bad guys? Well, they're bad, so they deserve to get their butts kicked! I'd love to beat one of them up!"
"Well, who doesn't?" Beatrix asked Miles, who just nodded.
"Good," Lucian said, again, as he finished writing. "Now, you, boy." He turned his attention to Joe "Same questions."
"Well," Joe answered, "to me, Pokémon are friends. I'd like to be a Champion. And I hate the bad guys. I'd like to see them down and out."
"See?" Beatrix asked Miles. "This kid knows what he wants." Miles nodded again.
"Good... Thanks for answering," Lucian said as he placed his hands on both kid's shoulders. "Now, you should go home before it gets late."
"Yeah, let's hurry, Vin," Joe called his friend as he headed out of the alley. "Really. This man creeps me out."
"Aww, is Joe scared?" Vincent asked, tauntingly as they both left the alley.
"I'll take the spiky-haired one," Lucian spoke out once he was sure they were gone.
"Got it," Damon emerged from the shadows. "Then I guess I'll take the nervous kid."
Lucian pulled out a device, similar to a cell phone and talked to it. "Hello? HQ? This is Lucian," he said with a smile. "Last two targets have been located. Commencing mission now."
"Roger that, Lucian," came a female voice from the phone. "All necessary officials have been informed. You are authorized to proceed."
"Got it," Lucian answered. "Damon will proceed to secure target B, I'll take target A. You can expect us to have them by midnight." He put the phone away and walked out of the alley.
That Night...
"Man!" Vincent said in an annoyed tone as he lied down on his bed. "I hate this! Now they're mad because I tried to get a Pokémon that actually obeyed me! Well, I thought he would, seeing how he obeyed the teacher... But, man! I hate this place! And I hate my folks! I can't wait till I'm ten and I can get out of here!"
"Get out of here?" Lucian's voice came from the corner of Vincent's room. "That could be arranged..."
"What?!" Vincent looked, startled, at the man.
"Caps, Spore," Lucian commanded a Breloom that was standing next to him. In that moment, the space around Vincent was covered in spores causing Vincent to fall asleep with a low. "Oh, man..."
"Sweet dreams," Lucian said in a serious tone, then pulled out the phone. "HQ? Lucian here. Target is secured. I'm heading back now."
"Got it, Lucian," the same female voice answered. "We've finished making the arrangements. Tomorrow, all targets will be reported officially dead. You may return."
"I still don't understand why you picked this one, Lucian," Beatrix peeked out from behind him, looking at the sleeping boy. "There were lots of others that were WAY better than this one."
"Cool it, Trix," Miles peeked out from the other side. "I don't know how, but I'm sure Lucian knows what he's doing."
"That, I do," Lucian answered as he picked the sleeping Vincent up. "Let's go."
Later...
Vincent woke up with a startled gasp. He looked around to see where he was, because that certainly wasn't his room. It was a dark and sinister place. The only sources of light were three round windows through which filtered the pale moonlight, and there was a single hatch instead of a door. As he looked around, he noticed a girl staring at him in the same nervous way he was looking at her.
"Hello? Are you awake?" the girl nervously greeted. She had long, blond hair tied into two long pigtails that reached down to her waist, orange eyes, and was wearing a light yellow dress with shoes of the same color. "Thank goodness... Finally, someone I can talk to! I'm so scared..."
"Well... I'm sort of scared right now, too," Vincent answered. "Do you know where we are?"
"I have no idea. One minute I was in my estate, getting ready to go to bed. Then, somehow, I woke up here! I don't know what's going to happen... I'm so worried..."
"Hey, don't worry!" Vincent said, getting up, trying to sound as brave as he could. "I mean, we don't even know where we are! So, nothing can hurt us! Here," he headed for the hatch and gripped the handle. "Let's get outta here!"
The girl seemed a bit confused at the way in which Vincent suddenly took action. "So, we get out? Just like that?"
"Just like that!" Vincent opened the hatch. "Let's go! I'm Vincent, by the way. But I hate that. Just call me Vin.
"Okay, Vin," the girl answered, getting up and following him. "I'm Celeste. And I'm sure my daddy's got all sorts of detectives looking for me!"
"Cool! So, you're some sort of millionaire?"
"Millionaire?! That's saying too little, Vin!"
"Whoa... Come on, let's go!"
They both left the room, heading out into the unknown that lied ahead...
They left the room and found themselves standing in a dark, long, metal hallway. There seemed to be no end to it. Moonlight was shining down on them from above, as there was no roof. It was possible to hear the sound of waves close by, and a cool sea breeze was blowing.
"Whoa... What is this place?" Vincent said as he looked around. "It's pretty dark..."
"I don't know," Celeste answered. "I hate dark places. I hope they find me soon..."
A sudden growl, followed by a "What is it, boy?" alerted the two to someone who was coming.
"Someone's coming!" Vincent whispered. "Quick! Let's run!"
"Right!"
Both kids ran down the hallway as fast as they could until they reached a dead end. However, the wall here was much lower, which gave Vincent an idea.
"Whoa, Cool!" he said. "This is like some kind of spy movie! I love those!" He got on one knee next to the wall and put his hands together. "Here, I'll boost you up and then you'll pull me up!"
"You can't be serious," Celeste looked at Vincent in disbelief. "You want ME to pull YOU up?"
"It's that, or being found out of the dark room they put us in by the guy who, I'm very sure, put us in there in the first place!" Vincent answered. "Now, come on!"
"Well, if you put it like that..." Celeste replied, placing one foot on Vincent's hands. Vincent slowly raised her all the way to the ledge. "Look down, you pervert!" she hissed at him when she noticed he was looking up her dress.
"Sorry..." Vincent blushed.
Celeste grabbed hold of the ledge and pulled herself up, then turned around and helped Vincent climb up.
Once they were up, Vincent looked around to get a better idea of where they were: they were standing on top of a large metal container. That's when he looked farther away and noticed the ocean, which was incredibly close: they were on a ship, a cargo ship, judging by how large it seemed to be.
"Okay," Vincent looked at Celeste. "It's a ship. We're on a ship."
"Well, it's no cruise..." Celeste said as she noticed the ship's rudimentary aspect.
"There's no land in sight," Vincent looked into the distance: nothing but sea as far as the eye could see. He began walking away. "We should move. If this really is like a movie, the guys who put us here are probably looking for us."
"Right!" Celeste answered as she followed Vincent. Neither of the two noticed the eyes that were following them from the sea.
"Well, well..." A smile appeared in the light blue face of the one that was watching them. "It looks like two of the tykes broke out. I'd better go and tell Lucian about this..."
"We're still a few hours away from reaching land, so, how about a game?" Lucian asked, sitting in the same armchair in the same studio from before. Beatrix was lying at his feet, while Miles was looking out a large rectangular window. Caps the Breloom was sitting on another chair by the wall, sleeping.
"I'm not in the mood right now," Beatrix answered. "In fact, for the first time in years, I feel like spending some time in my Pokéball..."
"Let it go, already," Lucian told her. "They're right here, in this same ship. Claire and Kate are less than half a ship away and you're acting like they're gone forever."
"You need to calm down," Miles said, not turning his attention from the window. He was looking up at the moon. "Here, let's look at the moon together for a while."
"No, thanks," Beatrix looked at the Delcatty. "I don't think staring at that large, white ball would do me any good. What the hell are you even doing, looking at it? Shouldn't you be trying to make me feel better?"
"I'm right here, beautiful," Miles turned away from the window and lied down by Lucian's feet, next to the Glaceon. "Calm down. We'll be seeing them tomorrow when we reach Icicle Island, anyway."
"Well, it won't be the same. They'll be someone else's..."
"Lucian," came the soft, mermaid- like voice of a Vaporeon that had just walked into the room.
"Hey, Marine..." Beatrix greeted.
"Hi, sis," the Vaporeon answered, before moving closer to Miles and whispering, "How is she?"
"She's better than she was a few hours ago," Miles whispered back at her. "Let's just leave it like that."
"Good evening, Marine," Lucian greeted. "Isn't this the time around which you usually get off the ship and go for a swim? Is something the matter?"
"Yeah, something's up," Marine answered. "Those kids you're taking to Icicle Island... Two of them broke out."
"Lucian," a raspier, bolder voice came before Lucian could tell Marine anything as an Umbreon walked into the room. "Those kids... Two of them broke out."
"Right," Marine told the Umbreon. "Black spiky hair and a girl in a yellow dress?"
"No," the Umbreon answered. "A scaredy, red- haired boy and a quiet, brown- haired one."
"Great," Lucian sighed. "Four kids on the loose... And, to make things better, Damon's not here." He got up, careful not to step on Beatrix and Miles, who got up after him. He stretched, then headed for the door. "Well, off to get these little escapees. Marine, Noir, wanna come?"
"Of course!" Marine answered.
"Something exciting to do is always welcome," the Umbreon added.
"Caps, I need you to come with me as well," Lucian called the Breloom, who got up and headed for the door. "Without your Spore, getting these runts back could get difficult."
"Okay," Caps answered. "But, the moment those kids get to Icicle Island, I want to be sent back to Mina."
"Will do," Lucian replied. "Just help me out one more time."
And they left the room: Lucian, followed by his five Pokémon headed out into the ship in search of the escaped children.
"Let's move!" Vincent told Celeste once he had made sure no one was coming.
"Right!" the girl replied, running behind him. The two were going up and down around the ship, even if they had no idea where they were going, or if they were even getting somewhere. They came to a stop when they heard voices approaching.
"Someone's coming!" Vincent told her as he got against the wall. This time, there was no place for them to hide.
"Oh, no... What are going to do?" Celeste asked nervously.
Vincent stood there, thinking, as they voices got closer and closer. Finally, he decided to take action. "Stay behind me," he told her. "The moment they come, I'll punch them!"
"Okay..."
Vincent stood against the wall, ready to strike. It didn't matter how young he was, he wasn't just going to let himself get caught. 'That's not what the guy in the movies would do!' The voices were right around the corner now. Once he was sure they were about to turn around that corner, he jumped out and threw a punch at the one in front of him.
"Ow!" Joe held his hands to his face as he was thrown back by the blow.
"Oh, man, Joe!" Vincent helped his friend up. "Are you okay?"
"What kind of question is that?!" Joe answered, still covering his face in pain. "You're the one who punched me! You should know!"
"Sorry, Joe, sorry!"
"Oh, you two know each other?" Celeste asked, looking at the two.
"Yeah," Vincent answered. "This is Joe... Joe, this is Celeste."
"Hey, nice to meetcha," Joe said, finally getting his hands off his face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Joe," Celeste made a slight bow. "And, who is that behind you?" She pointed at another boy that was standing behind Joe. He had shoulder length brown hair, yellow eyes, and was dressed entirely in white.
"This is Sal," Joe answered. "And that's all I've gotten him to say until now."
"So, he's a mute?" Vincent approached Sal and looked him up and down, examining him.
"Mutes can't talk, Vin," Joe told his friend. "And he told me his name a while ago."
"Oh, okay," Vincent replied. "Then, I guess he just doesn't like to talk... So Joe, you're here too. And we're on a ship in the middle of nowhere. My guess: We were kidnapped!"
"And you figured that out by yourself?" Joe asked in a stern tone. "What are we gonna do?"
"Well, I say..." Vincent said, clearly excited by his idea. "We commandeer this ship!"
"Wait," Joe told him. "Four kids who don't know a thing about sailing are going to commandeer a ship? Are you crazy?"
"I guess I am!" Vincent answered in an excited tone as he darted off, followed by Celeste. "Let's roll!"
"Vin, wait!" Joe called his friend as he ran after him, followed by Sal. Once he finally caught up to Vincent, he smacked him in the back of the head. "That's for not waiting for me!"
"You can use the workout," Vincent chuckled. "Now, let's go!"
The kids kept running around the dark and sinister ship, looking for wherever the captain was. Truth is, Vincent was the only one who was doing this. The rest were just following him around, trying to make sure he wouldn't get in trouble because of his crazy plan. Finally, they reached a more open area of the ship. As they were walking through it, several spotlights went on, blinding them as they were showered by the white light.
"Playtime's over, kids," Lucian's voice came from the end of the large area.
"Hey!" Joe yelled. "You're that creep from the alley! I told Vin not to talk to you!"
"Your mistake," Lucian answered. "Caps, use Spore."
The air around all four children was covered with the spores, causing them to fall asleep. Or almost all of them.
"Oh, no you don't!" Vincent said. His voice was squeaky, as he was covering his nose with one hand.
"Fine, you avoided the Spores," Lucian gave the boy a short applause. "But, what are you going to do? You have no Pokémon to help you, and I don't think an eight year-old stands a chance against me."
"What am I going to do?" Vincent looked around until he spotted a container with a Pokéball painted on it. "I'm gonna do THIS!" He ran to where the container was and gripped the lid with all his might, managing to push it aside, then reached inside and grabbed a Pokéball. "There! Now I have a Pokémon!"
"Fine, then..." Lucian held his hand to his face and shook his head slowly. "Why is there always one that's more troublesome than the rest? Agh, never mind... Go, Marine."
The Vaporeon stepped out from behind him and took her place in front of her trainer, awaiting his command.
"Okay!" Vincent looked at the ball he was holding. "Please, be a strong one... Please..."
"I'm waiting!" Lucian called.
"Okay!" Vincent answered as he raised his hand, ready to throw his Pokéball. "Here goes!"
The ball opened, releasing the strong, muscular figure of a Luxray, who stretched for a while before letting out a strong roar.
"Alright!" Vincent said, excited as he saw the Luxray in front of him. "I got a good one!"
"Of all the Pokémon he could have gotten, he had to get the Luxray..." Lucian said, shaking his head. "Okay. I see how it is..."
The Luxray stepped forward. When he noticed Marine in front of him, he made a satisfied smile. He took a few more steps forward, then spoke out. "Well, hello, Marine! What are you doing here? Did you grow tired of Noir and came to see if you could get a real man?"
"In your dreams, loser," Marine answered.
"Sure, I'll see you there!" the Luxray said tauntingly. "Who knows? Maybe a bit sooner, if I'm lucky!"
"You're disgusting..." the Vaporeon growled.
Vincent was confused at the conversation both Pokémon seemed to be having. All he could hear were grunts and name cries. He could notice, however, that whatever the Luxray was saying was bothering the Vaporeon.
"Marine, come back," Lucian commanded.
"What?!" Marine looked back at her trainer. "Why?!"
"He has the upper hand against you. Besides, I think it's fair Noir gets a chance to shut him up."
"Fine..." Marine turned around and walked back to her trainer, sitting behind him next to Beatrix and Miles.
"Noir, it's your turn," Lucian spoke out. The Umbreon leapt out from the shadows, landing in the spotlight in front of the Luxray.
"Look at that," the Luxray growled. "The guy who Marine likes so much... How can she like a skinny wimp like you?"
"I've got my talents," Noir answered. "I'm not all talk like you, for one."
"We'll see!" the Luxray said with a confident grin, then looked at Vincent. "Come on, runt! Let's do this!"
Vincent just stared at the Luxray. He wasn't quite sure what he had just been told.
"He wants you to give him an order," Lucian told the boy. "That's what battles are about, remember?"
"Right!" Vincent nodded. "Okay, Luxray! Use... um... use... Thunder Fang!"
The Luxray leapt at Noir, who simply jumped away, dodging the attack.
"Noir, you know what to do!" Lucian told the Umbreon, who jumped into the shadows, dimming his rings and becoming invisible.
"Wha-?" Both Vincent and the Luxray reacted in the same way, looking around, trying to find their adversary.
"Now, Noir."
The Umbreon leapt out from the shadows and hit the Luxray with all his might, sending him back a little.
"Luxray, use Bite!" Vincent commanded, but, as soon as the Luxray turned around to bite Noir, the Umbreon jumped into the shadows once again.
"Damn!" the Luxray growled. "I hate it when he does that!"
"Noir, do it one more time!"
The Umbreon emerged from the dark once again, but this time, before he hit the Luxray, Vincent reacted in time. "Luxray, to your right! Use Spark!"
The Luxray charged his body with electricity and leapt towards Noir, who crashed against him and took a nasty zap, which sent him rolling away.
"Yeah!" Vincent cheered. "Good one, Luxray!" The Luxray let out an amused huff.
"Noir!" Marine called out from behind Lucian. "That's it! Lucian, send me out! I want to give this guy what he deserves!"
"Go tend to Noir, Marine," Lucian answered. "Let Miles handle this... That's your cue, Miles."
"Right!" the Delcatty answered, stepping forward into battle.
"Oh, look who it is..." the Luxray growled again. "The biggest example of a gorgeous fem gone to waste for picking a fancy jackass!"
"What's the matter?" Miles asked, tauntingly. "Jealous because Beatrix chose to give this pussy some pussy?"
"You wish!" the Luxray snarled. "Come on, kid! What do I do with this one?!"
"Luxray! Use... (I just hope you know this...) Superpower!"
"What the-?!" Miles let out a surprised gasp as the Luxray began to glow with an orange-blue aura, then launched himself at Miles.
"Miles, get out of the-" But it came too late, the attack hit Miles fully, and the Delcatty was sent flying away into a wall.
"Miles, can you fight?" Lucian asked, slightly concerned.
"I...can't!" Miles growled as he weakly got up and headed back behind Lucian. "Sorry, Lucian..."
"It's okay," Lucian answered, then looked at Beatrix. He didn't need to say a word. The Glaceon simply nodded.
"I've got it," she said, slightly bored, as she walked towards the Luxray, stopping in front of him.
"Well, look who's up!" the Luxray smiled. "The most gorgeous girl to have ever existed! Why'd you have to go and pick that wimp Miles? We would have been great together!"
"In another time, in another place..." Beatrix answered. "But there's one difference between you and Miles that made me pick him."
"Yeah? And what's that?"
"He thinks with his actual brain," Beatrix answered before firing an Ice Beam at the Luxray, freezing him, then charged at him and crashed against him, shattering the ice and sending an unconscious Luxray rolling away.
"Luxray!" Vincent yelled, slightly worried as he saw his Pokémon defeated.
"Now, care to surrender?" Lucian asked.
"Never!" Vincent replied as he ran towards the container and searched it again. This time, he noticed a white case with a glass cover and seven Pokéballs in it. Â�Whoa,' he thought, 'looks special. This must be where they keep the real strong ones!' He opened the case and grabbed one of the balls, then threw it.
Miles and Beatrix jumped at the sight of the Pokémon that had just appeared on battle: an Eevee. And not just any Eevee: Claire.
"Oh man, an Eevee?!" Vincent sounded slightly disappointed. "I was hoping for something stronger... Oh, well. Eevee, use Tackle!"
The Eevee looked up and gasped in surprise when she saw that her opponent was Beatrix.
"Lucian, you'd better do something!" Beatrix called back at her trainer. "I'll bite your hand before I have to fight her!"
"Don't worry!" Lucian answered. "I've got a plan. Caps, are you in position? Yes? Good. Use Spore!"
The Breloom was standing on top of a container, right above Vincent. He released the spores, and Vincent, who was too slow to react this time, fell asleep. Some of the spores reached Claire, making her fall asleep as well.
The battle was over. Beatrix took one last worried look at the sleeping Eevee before Lucian grabbed the Pokéball from Vincent's hand and put her back in it.
"What now?" a guard approached Lucian.
"Put 'em back in their cabins," Lucian answered. He looked at Vincent and chuckled. "Ah... This kid's gutsier than I thought... He'll make a fine trainer. And I might just have an idea for who his partner will be..."
"Please be kidding," Beatrix gave him a serious look.
"Who knows, Trix," Lucian told her. "We might just have another you and I here..."Chapter End Notes:Not much to say...
I hope you enjoy your present...
I'll complete it later on, with everything the way you wanted it to go
"Why do we have to stay?" a Skitty next to her nervously asked, looking around at the white room they were in. "What are they going to do with us?"
"Don't be afraid," answered a Delcatty. He was trying to sound as easing as possible, but his tone showed concern. "You're going to find a great trainer, and then, you're going to change the world! Nothing bad's going to happen to you. Right, Beatrix?" He turned around to look at a Glaceon that was standing behind him.
The Glaceon didn't answer. She just stared at the Eevee and Skitty with a worried expression.
"Right?" the Delcatty asked again.
"I can't believe you," the Glaceon looked at a man that was standing next to her. He had shoulder length blond hair. His eyes were a bright green. They had an unnatural glow to them, but showed the same concern the Delcatty and Glaceon were feeling. His skin was incredibly light. He was wearing a light blue trench coat with two darker blue diamonds on the back. A light blue shirt and pants, and a darker blue belt with a diamond-shaped clasp of an even darker blue, and dark blue gloves and heeled boots. "You heartless bastard..." the Glaceon growled, staring angrily at him.
"You're just saying that because you're feeling mother-y right now, Beatrix," the man answered. "You don't see Miles getting all nervous, do you?"
"Yeah?" Beatrix answered. "Well, Miles thinks all trainers are as nice as you are, but I know better. And I'm worried that they'll end up with the wrong trainer. You remember Frank..."
"Frank was a jackass," the man answered. "And you and I took care of him, didn't we?"
"Beatrix, come calm your daughters down," the Delcatty called. "They need Mommy far more than they need me right now."
"I'm coming, Miles," Beatrix answered, walking towards the Eevee and Skitty, who immediately cuddled up with her. "There... Don't be afraid... There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure you'll both get good trainers..."
"But why do we need to get a trainer?" the Eevee asked, still weeping.
"Why can't we just stay here, with you and Lucian?" the Skitty looked at the man.
"You two are going to help change the world," Beatrix answered. "And, for that, you need to get a trainer of your own. You can't be with us your whole life." She held them closer to her as she said this. "Claire, Kate... You're going to do great things. You'll get a trainer as good as Lucian. Just hang in there."
"Lucian," came the deep, strong voice of a man that had just walked into the room. He was quite muscular, had short brown hair, and was not as dressed up as Lucian was: he was wearing an orange undershirt and black pants with a chain in the right pocket and a brown belt with three Pokéballs on it, black work boots, and a black steel bracelet in each hand. "We've found the last two. They're sending us a live feed on them right now. Wanna see?"
"Of course," Lucian answered as he headed towards the door, followed by Miles. Noticing his Glaceon wasn't following him, he turned around. "Come, Beatrix," he called her. "You're only making this more painful for them."
"Fine," Beatrix answered in a cold and spiteful tone. "I'm coming..." She looked at the Eevee and Skitty one more time. "Be strong. Especially you, Claire." She licked the Eevee's face. "I know it's hard to be away from your family. I felt like that when Lucian got me as his partner, but look at me now. Just wait, and you'll see how wonderful the adventures you'll have will be... You'll get to travel all around the world! Just wait... And you, Kate," she licked the Skitty's face as well, "I know you're gutsier than your sister, and I don't want to sound too worried, because I know you're not, but still... Hang in there."
"I will, mom," the Skitty answered. Even though she wasn't crying like Claire was, it was easy to notice she was holding back her tears.
"Last call, Beatrix," Lucian called her. He was standing by the door, holding it open, with Miles next to him.
"I have to go." Beatrix turned around and headed for the door.
"No!" Claire cried out, trying to reach her mother, but was stopped by Kate, who stood in front of her, holding her back. "Mommy! Don't go!"
"Be strong, sis!" Kate told her sister as she held her back. "You heard mom! We'll get a great trainer, and we'll go on all sorts of adventures! Doesn't that sound exciting?"
"But I don't want a trainer!" Claire cried. "I want my Mommy and Daddy! I want Lucian!"
"You'll get someone as good as he is," Beatrix told her daughter as Lucian closed the door. "I promise." The door was closed, leaving both sisters locked in the white, stainless room.
Beatrix waited until she was sure the door was closed before leaning against Miles, shedding a single tear.
"Calm down, Trix," the Delcatty told her, leaning on her as well. "You said it: they'll get a trainer as good as Lucian."
"I'll make sure they get the right trainer," Lucian said, looking at the two. "Now, Damon, let's go see that live feed you mentioned..."
Way too far from there...
"Go, Volt!" a boy shouted his command at his Elekid. "Thunderpunch!"
"Kiii!" the Elekid answered as he dashed towards a Magby in front of him, his hand sparking with electricity. His attack landed right on its target, as the Magby was sent rolling away, its body throwing sparks.
"Nice job!" The boy made an arm pump as he said this. He had short red hair, combed forward in a way that gave him a rebel- esque look, even if that couldn't be farther away from the truth. His eyes were a dark brown, but were glowing with satisfaction. He was wearing a dark green jacket, a yellow shirt and brown pants. On his feet was a pair of dark brown sneakers, the laces of which were untied.
Lucian chuckled at the sight of the boy that had just appeared on his monitor screen. He was sitting in an armchair in the middle of an elegant- looking studio that was adorned with several pictures and trophies, one leg crossed over the other and a hand on his chin as he analyzed the screen. Sitting on the floor next to him were Beatrix and Miles.
"Please," Beatrix said in an amused yet serious tone. "Please tell me you're kidding. This is one of the guys that might get Claire or Kate? He looks like he can't even add two and two yet!"
"Innocence is a virtue," Miles added in the same tone. "But, don't you think that's overdoing it, Lucian?"
"We've been following this kid around for quite a while now," Lucian answered. "You'd be amazed by what he can do... What's the info we got on him?" he asked, staring at the screen. The image on the screen froze and a red reticule zoomed on the boy as text appeared on screen, followed by a robotized voice.
"Name: Joseph Raynell. Dislikes the name Joseph, prefers to be addressed as 'Joe'.
Age: 8 Years, 2 months.
Address: 2361 Sunset Avenue, Granburg City.
Additional: Has scored straight A's on every last aspect and test at the trainer's school, except for a B in Battle Theory."
"And what makes him so special?" Beatrix asked. "He's two years too young to even be an official trainer. Not worth it."
"He's got potential," Lucian answered, "which brings me to the next trainer." He pointed at the screen. "Watch."
The image unfroze, and the feed kept running.
"Nice one, Joe!" another boy cheered. "Now, Poochyena! Use Bite!"
The Poochyena in front of the boy let out an angry bark, and, instead of charging at a Smoochum in front him, turned around and tackled the boy.
"The Smoochum! Not me, ya big dummy!" the boy said, annoyed, as he got the Poochyena off himself. He had black, spiky hair and light blue eyes. He was wearing a red shirt, black pants and a pair of black sneakers; much like Joe's, the laces of his were untied as well.
The image froze once again, as another reticule focused on the boy.
"Name: Vincent Miller. Absolutely hates the name Vincent. Prefers the names 'Vinny' or 'Vin'.
Age: 8 Years, 3 Months.
Address: 2634 Sunset Avenue, Granburg City.
Additional: Has several misdeeds on his record despite his age, the most recent of which is stealing his teacher's Pokémon to use on a practice fight."
"Are you kidding me?!" Beatrix growled, surprised. "THIS kid?!"
"He, too, shows a lot of promise, believe it or not," Lucian answered as the feed kept running. "Watch."
"Gee, Vin," Joe said, looking at his friend. "You could pick a Pokémon that obeys you for a change, huh?"
"Oh, don't worry!" Vincent answered as he pulled out a Pokéball. "Check this out! Go!" he screamed as he threw the ball, releasing a Flareon into the battle.
"Wait!" Joe yelped in surprise. "Isn't that the teacher's-"
"Go, Flareon! Use Fire Blast!" Vincent said, commandingly. The Flareon shook his head, then turned around and launched his attack at Vincent.
Beatrix laughed at the sight before looking up at her trainer. "You've taken this joke too far, Lucian. Now, seriously, who's the other trainer?"
"It's him," Lucian answered. "I don't get why that's so hard to believe... He might not be the best, but it takes guts to snatch your teacher's Pokémon, and a lot more to try and use it as if it were your own. That, and a lot of other stuff we've been seeing him do." He got up from his chair and headed for the door. "They'll be leaving school in about two hours. I'd better hurry if I want to get them. Miles, Beatrix, you coming?"
"Right behind you," Miles answered, following his trainer.
"I guess I could use a mission to distract myself..." Beatrix said in a slightly idle tone as she headed for the door after Miles. "I mean, one of these kids might get Claire or Kate, but, whatever... I just hope it's the brown- haired one."
Two hours later...
"I know it sucks the teacher grilled you," Joe told Vincent as they walked down the street. While it was usually quite crowded, that day it was almost empty, probably because of the great contest that was going to take place in a few hours. "But you kind of brought it upon yourself by stealing his Flareon. I mean, you could have been expelled..."
"Yeah, yeah," Vincent answered in a bored tone. "That's what they always say... My parents, the teacher, you..." He kicked away a pebble. "Joe the goodie- goodie, with his A's, and his Elekid..."
"Yeah. About that," Joe answered. "Volt's not mine. He's my brother's. I kind of...'borrowed' him from him."
"See? You stole him!" Vincent laughed.
"Yeah, but the difference is Volt obeys me. You kind of fail in that."
"Hello," Lucian greeted, coming out of an alley, followed by Beatrix and Miles. "You two kids look like you're smart. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure!" Vincent answered. "Finally! Someone notices how smart I am!"
"Vin, are you sure?" Joe asked, nervously. "I mean, this guy's a stranger. Remember what our parents and the teacher and the cops say about talking to strangers?"
"What, you pay attention when they tell you that stuff?" Vincent asked, slightly amused. "Come on! Don't be a wuss!"
Joe let out a brief sigh. "Fine..."
"Good," Lucian answered. "Come this way, if you please," he said as he walked into the alley, followed by Beatrix and Miles. Vincent and Joe followed after them.
"Okay," Lucian said as he pulled out a notebook from under his coat. "Now, you," he looked at Vincent, "what are Pokémon to you?"
"Um... Well..." Vincent looked up, thinking. "I'd say 'Friends', but everyone says that... I'd say 'Pets', but that's mean... I don't know. They're just...Pokémon."
"Wow, smart answer," Beatrix said, amused. The only thing Vincent and Joe heard, however, was a short "Gla!"
"Well, I suppose that's an answer," Lucian said as he wrote something on the notebook. "Now, next: If you were to become a trainer, what would you pursue? Would you be a coordinator? Would you aspire to become a Champion of something?"
"Well..." Vincent looked up again. "Coordinator's more of a girl thing, but it ain't bad... Then there's the championship... I don't know! I'd be anything!"
"I really don't know what you see in this one, Lucian," Miles said. Once again, the only thing Vincent and Joe heard was, "Del! Catty!"
"Good," Lucian said as he wrote some more. "And, last: What do you think of the recent rise in crime and disorder?"
"Crime and disorder?" Vincent seemed a little confused. "You mean, like, bad guys? Well, they're bad, so they deserve to get their butts kicked! I'd love to beat one of them up!"
"Well, who doesn't?" Beatrix asked Miles, who just nodded.
"Good," Lucian said, again, as he finished writing. "Now, you, boy." He turned his attention to Joe "Same questions."
"Well," Joe answered, "to me, Pokémon are friends. I'd like to be a Champion. And I hate the bad guys. I'd like to see them down and out."
"See?" Beatrix asked Miles. "This kid knows what he wants." Miles nodded again.
"Good... Thanks for answering," Lucian said as he placed his hands on both kid's shoulders. "Now, you should go home before it gets late."
"Yeah, let's hurry, Vin," Joe called his friend as he headed out of the alley. "Really. This man creeps me out."
"Aww, is Joe scared?" Vincent asked, tauntingly as they both left the alley.
"I'll take the spiky-haired one," Lucian spoke out once he was sure they were gone.
"Got it," Damon emerged from the shadows. "Then I guess I'll take the nervous kid."
Lucian pulled out a device, similar to a cell phone and talked to it. "Hello? HQ? This is Lucian," he said with a smile. "Last two targets have been located. Commencing mission now."
"Roger that, Lucian," came a female voice from the phone. "All necessary officials have been informed. You are authorized to proceed."
"Got it," Lucian answered. "Damon will proceed to secure target B, I'll take target A. You can expect us to have them by midnight." He put the phone away and walked out of the alley.
That Night...
"Man!" Vincent said in an annoyed tone as he lied down on his bed. "I hate this! Now they're mad because I tried to get a Pokémon that actually obeyed me! Well, I thought he would, seeing how he obeyed the teacher... But, man! I hate this place! And I hate my folks! I can't wait till I'm ten and I can get out of here!"
"Get out of here?" Lucian's voice came from the corner of Vincent's room. "That could be arranged..."
"What?!" Vincent looked, startled, at the man.
"Caps, Spore," Lucian commanded a Breloom that was standing next to him. In that moment, the space around Vincent was covered in spores causing Vincent to fall asleep with a low. "Oh, man..."
"Sweet dreams," Lucian said in a serious tone, then pulled out the phone. "HQ? Lucian here. Target is secured. I'm heading back now."
"Got it, Lucian," the same female voice answered. "We've finished making the arrangements. Tomorrow, all targets will be reported officially dead. You may return."
"I still don't understand why you picked this one, Lucian," Beatrix peeked out from behind him, looking at the sleeping boy. "There were lots of others that were WAY better than this one."
"Cool it, Trix," Miles peeked out from the other side. "I don't know how, but I'm sure Lucian knows what he's doing."
"That, I do," Lucian answered as he picked the sleeping Vincent up. "Let's go."
Later...
Vincent woke up with a startled gasp. He looked around to see where he was, because that certainly wasn't his room. It was a dark and sinister place. The only sources of light were three round windows through which filtered the pale moonlight, and there was a single hatch instead of a door. As he looked around, he noticed a girl staring at him in the same nervous way he was looking at her.
"Hello? Are you awake?" the girl nervously greeted. She had long, blond hair tied into two long pigtails that reached down to her waist, orange eyes, and was wearing a light yellow dress with shoes of the same color. "Thank goodness... Finally, someone I can talk to! I'm so scared..."
"Well... I'm sort of scared right now, too," Vincent answered. "Do you know where we are?"
"I have no idea. One minute I was in my estate, getting ready to go to bed. Then, somehow, I woke up here! I don't know what's going to happen... I'm so worried..."
"Hey, don't worry!" Vincent said, getting up, trying to sound as brave as he could. "I mean, we don't even know where we are! So, nothing can hurt us! Here," he headed for the hatch and gripped the handle. "Let's get outta here!"
The girl seemed a bit confused at the way in which Vincent suddenly took action. "So, we get out? Just like that?"
"Just like that!" Vincent opened the hatch. "Let's go! I'm Vincent, by the way. But I hate that. Just call me Vin.
"Okay, Vin," the girl answered, getting up and following him. "I'm Celeste. And I'm sure my daddy's got all sorts of detectives looking for me!"
"Cool! So, you're some sort of millionaire?"
"Millionaire?! That's saying too little, Vin!"
"Whoa... Come on, let's go!"
They both left the room, heading out into the unknown that lied ahead...
They left the room and found themselves standing in a dark, long, metal hallway. There seemed to be no end to it. Moonlight was shining down on them from above, as there was no roof. It was possible to hear the sound of waves close by, and a cool sea breeze was blowing.
"Whoa... What is this place?" Vincent said as he looked around. "It's pretty dark..."
"I don't know," Celeste answered. "I hate dark places. I hope they find me soon..."
A sudden growl, followed by a "What is it, boy?" alerted the two to someone who was coming.
"Someone's coming!" Vincent whispered. "Quick! Let's run!"
"Right!"
Both kids ran down the hallway as fast as they could until they reached a dead end. However, the wall here was much lower, which gave Vincent an idea.
"Whoa, Cool!" he said. "This is like some kind of spy movie! I love those!" He got on one knee next to the wall and put his hands together. "Here, I'll boost you up and then you'll pull me up!"
"You can't be serious," Celeste looked at Vincent in disbelief. "You want ME to pull YOU up?"
"It's that, or being found out of the dark room they put us in by the guy who, I'm very sure, put us in there in the first place!" Vincent answered. "Now, come on!"
"Well, if you put it like that..." Celeste replied, placing one foot on Vincent's hands. Vincent slowly raised her all the way to the ledge. "Look down, you pervert!" she hissed at him when she noticed he was looking up her dress.
"Sorry..." Vincent blushed.
Celeste grabbed hold of the ledge and pulled herself up, then turned around and helped Vincent climb up.
Once they were up, Vincent looked around to get a better idea of where they were: they were standing on top of a large metal container. That's when he looked farther away and noticed the ocean, which was incredibly close: they were on a ship, a cargo ship, judging by how large it seemed to be.
"Okay," Vincent looked at Celeste. "It's a ship. We're on a ship."
"Well, it's no cruise..." Celeste said as she noticed the ship's rudimentary aspect.
"There's no land in sight," Vincent looked into the distance: nothing but sea as far as the eye could see. He began walking away. "We should move. If this really is like a movie, the guys who put us here are probably looking for us."
"Right!" Celeste answered as she followed Vincent. Neither of the two noticed the eyes that were following them from the sea.
"Well, well..." A smile appeared in the light blue face of the one that was watching them. "It looks like two of the tykes broke out. I'd better go and tell Lucian about this..."
"We're still a few hours away from reaching land, so, how about a game?" Lucian asked, sitting in the same armchair in the same studio from before. Beatrix was lying at his feet, while Miles was looking out a large rectangular window. Caps the Breloom was sitting on another chair by the wall, sleeping.
"I'm not in the mood right now," Beatrix answered. "In fact, for the first time in years, I feel like spending some time in my Pokéball..."
"Let it go, already," Lucian told her. "They're right here, in this same ship. Claire and Kate are less than half a ship away and you're acting like they're gone forever."
"You need to calm down," Miles said, not turning his attention from the window. He was looking up at the moon. "Here, let's look at the moon together for a while."
"No, thanks," Beatrix looked at the Delcatty. "I don't think staring at that large, white ball would do me any good. What the hell are you even doing, looking at it? Shouldn't you be trying to make me feel better?"
"I'm right here, beautiful," Miles turned away from the window and lied down by Lucian's feet, next to the Glaceon. "Calm down. We'll be seeing them tomorrow when we reach Icicle Island, anyway."
"Well, it won't be the same. They'll be someone else's..."
"Lucian," came the soft, mermaid- like voice of a Vaporeon that had just walked into the room.
"Hey, Marine..." Beatrix greeted.
"Hi, sis," the Vaporeon answered, before moving closer to Miles and whispering, "How is she?"
"She's better than she was a few hours ago," Miles whispered back at her. "Let's just leave it like that."
"Good evening, Marine," Lucian greeted. "Isn't this the time around which you usually get off the ship and go for a swim? Is something the matter?"
"Yeah, something's up," Marine answered. "Those kids you're taking to Icicle Island... Two of them broke out."
"Lucian," a raspier, bolder voice came before Lucian could tell Marine anything as an Umbreon walked into the room. "Those kids... Two of them broke out."
"Right," Marine told the Umbreon. "Black spiky hair and a girl in a yellow dress?"
"No," the Umbreon answered. "A scaredy, red- haired boy and a quiet, brown- haired one."
"Great," Lucian sighed. "Four kids on the loose... And, to make things better, Damon's not here." He got up, careful not to step on Beatrix and Miles, who got up after him. He stretched, then headed for the door. "Well, off to get these little escapees. Marine, Noir, wanna come?"
"Of course!" Marine answered.
"Something exciting to do is always welcome," the Umbreon added.
"Caps, I need you to come with me as well," Lucian called the Breloom, who got up and headed for the door. "Without your Spore, getting these runts back could get difficult."
"Okay," Caps answered. "But, the moment those kids get to Icicle Island, I want to be sent back to Mina."
"Will do," Lucian replied. "Just help me out one more time."
And they left the room: Lucian, followed by his five Pokémon headed out into the ship in search of the escaped children.
"Let's move!" Vincent told Celeste once he had made sure no one was coming.
"Right!" the girl replied, running behind him. The two were going up and down around the ship, even if they had no idea where they were going, or if they were even getting somewhere. They came to a stop when they heard voices approaching.
"Someone's coming!" Vincent told her as he got against the wall. This time, there was no place for them to hide.
"Oh, no... What are going to do?" Celeste asked nervously.
Vincent stood there, thinking, as they voices got closer and closer. Finally, he decided to take action. "Stay behind me," he told her. "The moment they come, I'll punch them!"
"Okay..."
Vincent stood against the wall, ready to strike. It didn't matter how young he was, he wasn't just going to let himself get caught. 'That's not what the guy in the movies would do!' The voices were right around the corner now. Once he was sure they were about to turn around that corner, he jumped out and threw a punch at the one in front of him.
"Ow!" Joe held his hands to his face as he was thrown back by the blow.
"Oh, man, Joe!" Vincent helped his friend up. "Are you okay?"
"What kind of question is that?!" Joe answered, still covering his face in pain. "You're the one who punched me! You should know!"
"Sorry, Joe, sorry!"
"Oh, you two know each other?" Celeste asked, looking at the two.
"Yeah," Vincent answered. "This is Joe... Joe, this is Celeste."
"Hey, nice to meetcha," Joe said, finally getting his hands off his face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Joe," Celeste made a slight bow. "And, who is that behind you?" She pointed at another boy that was standing behind Joe. He had shoulder length brown hair, yellow eyes, and was dressed entirely in white.
"This is Sal," Joe answered. "And that's all I've gotten him to say until now."
"So, he's a mute?" Vincent approached Sal and looked him up and down, examining him.
"Mutes can't talk, Vin," Joe told his friend. "And he told me his name a while ago."
"Oh, okay," Vincent replied. "Then, I guess he just doesn't like to talk... So Joe, you're here too. And we're on a ship in the middle of nowhere. My guess: We were kidnapped!"
"And you figured that out by yourself?" Joe asked in a stern tone. "What are we gonna do?"
"Well, I say..." Vincent said, clearly excited by his idea. "We commandeer this ship!"
"Wait," Joe told him. "Four kids who don't know a thing about sailing are going to commandeer a ship? Are you crazy?"
"I guess I am!" Vincent answered in an excited tone as he darted off, followed by Celeste. "Let's roll!"
"Vin, wait!" Joe called his friend as he ran after him, followed by Sal. Once he finally caught up to Vincent, he smacked him in the back of the head. "That's for not waiting for me!"
"You can use the workout," Vincent chuckled. "Now, let's go!"
The kids kept running around the dark and sinister ship, looking for wherever the captain was. Truth is, Vincent was the only one who was doing this. The rest were just following him around, trying to make sure he wouldn't get in trouble because of his crazy plan. Finally, they reached a more open area of the ship. As they were walking through it, several spotlights went on, blinding them as they were showered by the white light.
"Playtime's over, kids," Lucian's voice came from the end of the large area.
"Hey!" Joe yelled. "You're that creep from the alley! I told Vin not to talk to you!"
"Your mistake," Lucian answered. "Caps, use Spore."
The air around all four children was covered with the spores, causing them to fall asleep. Or almost all of them.
"Oh, no you don't!" Vincent said. His voice was squeaky, as he was covering his nose with one hand.
"Fine, you avoided the Spores," Lucian gave the boy a short applause. "But, what are you going to do? You have no Pokémon to help you, and I don't think an eight year-old stands a chance against me."
"What am I going to do?" Vincent looked around until he spotted a container with a Pokéball painted on it. "I'm gonna do THIS!" He ran to where the container was and gripped the lid with all his might, managing to push it aside, then reached inside and grabbed a Pokéball. "There! Now I have a Pokémon!"
"Fine, then..." Lucian held his hand to his face and shook his head slowly. "Why is there always one that's more troublesome than the rest? Agh, never mind... Go, Marine."
The Vaporeon stepped out from behind him and took her place in front of her trainer, awaiting his command.
"Okay!" Vincent looked at the ball he was holding. "Please, be a strong one... Please..."
"I'm waiting!" Lucian called.
"Okay!" Vincent answered as he raised his hand, ready to throw his Pokéball. "Here goes!"
The ball opened, releasing the strong, muscular figure of a Luxray, who stretched for a while before letting out a strong roar.
"Alright!" Vincent said, excited as he saw the Luxray in front of him. "I got a good one!"
"Of all the Pokémon he could have gotten, he had to get the Luxray..." Lucian said, shaking his head. "Okay. I see how it is..."
The Luxray stepped forward. When he noticed Marine in front of him, he made a satisfied smile. He took a few more steps forward, then spoke out. "Well, hello, Marine! What are you doing here? Did you grow tired of Noir and came to see if you could get a real man?"
"In your dreams, loser," Marine answered.
"Sure, I'll see you there!" the Luxray said tauntingly. "Who knows? Maybe a bit sooner, if I'm lucky!"
"You're disgusting..." the Vaporeon growled.
Vincent was confused at the conversation both Pokémon seemed to be having. All he could hear were grunts and name cries. He could notice, however, that whatever the Luxray was saying was bothering the Vaporeon.
"Marine, come back," Lucian commanded.
"What?!" Marine looked back at her trainer. "Why?!"
"He has the upper hand against you. Besides, I think it's fair Noir gets a chance to shut him up."
"Fine..." Marine turned around and walked back to her trainer, sitting behind him next to Beatrix and Miles.
"Noir, it's your turn," Lucian spoke out. The Umbreon leapt out from the shadows, landing in the spotlight in front of the Luxray.
"Look at that," the Luxray growled. "The guy who Marine likes so much... How can she like a skinny wimp like you?"
"I've got my talents," Noir answered. "I'm not all talk like you, for one."
"We'll see!" the Luxray said with a confident grin, then looked at Vincent. "Come on, runt! Let's do this!"
Vincent just stared at the Luxray. He wasn't quite sure what he had just been told.
"He wants you to give him an order," Lucian told the boy. "That's what battles are about, remember?"
"Right!" Vincent nodded. "Okay, Luxray! Use... um... use... Thunder Fang!"
The Luxray leapt at Noir, who simply jumped away, dodging the attack.
"Noir, you know what to do!" Lucian told the Umbreon, who jumped into the shadows, dimming his rings and becoming invisible.
"Wha-?" Both Vincent and the Luxray reacted in the same way, looking around, trying to find their adversary.
"Now, Noir."
The Umbreon leapt out from the shadows and hit the Luxray with all his might, sending him back a little.
"Luxray, use Bite!" Vincent commanded, but, as soon as the Luxray turned around to bite Noir, the Umbreon jumped into the shadows once again.
"Damn!" the Luxray growled. "I hate it when he does that!"
"Noir, do it one more time!"
The Umbreon emerged from the dark once again, but this time, before he hit the Luxray, Vincent reacted in time. "Luxray, to your right! Use Spark!"
The Luxray charged his body with electricity and leapt towards Noir, who crashed against him and took a nasty zap, which sent him rolling away.
"Yeah!" Vincent cheered. "Good one, Luxray!" The Luxray let out an amused huff.
"Noir!" Marine called out from behind Lucian. "That's it! Lucian, send me out! I want to give this guy what he deserves!"
"Go tend to Noir, Marine," Lucian answered. "Let Miles handle this... That's your cue, Miles."
"Right!" the Delcatty answered, stepping forward into battle.
"Oh, look who it is..." the Luxray growled again. "The biggest example of a gorgeous fem gone to waste for picking a fancy jackass!"
"What's the matter?" Miles asked, tauntingly. "Jealous because Beatrix chose to give this pussy some pussy?"
"You wish!" the Luxray snarled. "Come on, kid! What do I do with this one?!"
"Luxray! Use... (I just hope you know this...) Superpower!"
"What the-?!" Miles let out a surprised gasp as the Luxray began to glow with an orange-blue aura, then launched himself at Miles.
"Miles, get out of the-" But it came too late, the attack hit Miles fully, and the Delcatty was sent flying away into a wall.
"Miles, can you fight?" Lucian asked, slightly concerned.
"I...can't!" Miles growled as he weakly got up and headed back behind Lucian. "Sorry, Lucian..."
"It's okay," Lucian answered, then looked at Beatrix. He didn't need to say a word. The Glaceon simply nodded.
"I've got it," she said, slightly bored, as she walked towards the Luxray, stopping in front of him.
"Well, look who's up!" the Luxray smiled. "The most gorgeous girl to have ever existed! Why'd you have to go and pick that wimp Miles? We would have been great together!"
"In another time, in another place..." Beatrix answered. "But there's one difference between you and Miles that made me pick him."
"Yeah? And what's that?"
"He thinks with his actual brain," Beatrix answered before firing an Ice Beam at the Luxray, freezing him, then charged at him and crashed against him, shattering the ice and sending an unconscious Luxray rolling away.
"Luxray!" Vincent yelled, slightly worried as he saw his Pokémon defeated.
"Now, care to surrender?" Lucian asked.
"Never!" Vincent replied as he ran towards the container and searched it again. This time, he noticed a white case with a glass cover and seven Pokéballs in it. Â�Whoa,' he thought, 'looks special. This must be where they keep the real strong ones!' He opened the case and grabbed one of the balls, then threw it.
Miles and Beatrix jumped at the sight of the Pokémon that had just appeared on battle: an Eevee. And not just any Eevee: Claire.
"Oh man, an Eevee?!" Vincent sounded slightly disappointed. "I was hoping for something stronger... Oh, well. Eevee, use Tackle!"
The Eevee looked up and gasped in surprise when she saw that her opponent was Beatrix.
"Lucian, you'd better do something!" Beatrix called back at her trainer. "I'll bite your hand before I have to fight her!"
"Don't worry!" Lucian answered. "I've got a plan. Caps, are you in position? Yes? Good. Use Spore!"
The Breloom was standing on top of a container, right above Vincent. He released the spores, and Vincent, who was too slow to react this time, fell asleep. Some of the spores reached Claire, making her fall asleep as well.
The battle was over. Beatrix took one last worried look at the sleeping Eevee before Lucian grabbed the Pokéball from Vincent's hand and put her back in it.
"What now?" a guard approached Lucian.
"Put 'em back in their cabins," Lucian answered. He looked at Vincent and chuckled. "Ah... This kid's gutsier than I thought... He'll make a fine trainer. And I might just have an idea for who his partner will be..."
"Please be kidding," Beatrix gave him a serious look.
"Who knows, Trix," Lucian told her. "We might just have another you and I here..."Chapter End Notes:Not much to say...
I hope you enjoy your present...
I'll complete it later on, with everything the way you wanted it to go