Chapter 2 - Hunting Trip
"Y'know what I like most about this league?" Wolf asked, examining the Coral Eye badge while he slouched in the seat. "There's no rush. We don't need to be anywhere really. Nice and relaxing." The team were having an early breakfast in Mandarin Island's pokemon centre, Wolf having woken up somewhat earlier than usual. Jazz had said it was something to do with the fact that Mandarin Island was mostly city, but he wasn't as convinced as she was. It had been a few weeks since his gym battle, and each morning he seemed to wake up just that little bit earlier. Serenity turned towards him, a sardonic smile on her face as she watched him stifle a yawn.
"If you're so relaxed, then why are you yawning?" she asked mockingly, drawing an irritated stare from him. The lack of sleep was beginning to fray his nerves.
"Do I need to give you a smack?" he asked, frowning at her. The Gardevoir's jaw dropped, eyes widening at the suggestion.
"You wouldn't!" she said, disbelief flooding her voice. Wolf made a sudden movement, hand coming up. She squealed, racing out of his reach and hiding in the next booth. He watched her, before dropping his hand.
"I'm sorry about that, Serenity." He apologised, slumping further into his seat while she cautiously rejoined him, Ivysaur not even bothering to suppress a snigger. "I guess I'm a little cranky from the loss of sleep."
"Loss of sleep, huh? I thought you were always that way."
Wolf looked behind him for the voice, his eyes widening as he saw Hunter J standing behind him. Next to her was Officer Jenny, who still had a hold on the pair of handcuffs J was wearing. The pokemon hunter looked much the same as she had back in Sinnoh, although her clothes were clean again and she looked as though she had had a shower or two since their last encounter. Wolf looked between the two women, Serenity busy trying to divine the reason they would be here. The trainer waved lazily to the seat opposite, indicating that they should sit down. Jenny guided J in first before sliding gracefully into the seat opposite Serenity. Wolf made an effort to sit up straight again, yawning again as he did so.
"Why do I have a sudden sinking feeling?" he asked, glancing at Jenny. The police woman fixed her gaze on Wolf, trying not to seem annoyed at his highly informal attitude.
"Wolf, this is something important." She began, her tone showing she didn't expect to be interrupted. "It's certainly not something we've ever done before. You see, J has shown tremendous progress as far as rehabilitation goes." He half heartedly raised his juice in a toast, before letting Jenny continue. "She's even given us information that lead to the capture of her former henchmen. We think she's nearly ready to be released." Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"And you're telling me this because?" he asked, feeling as though she was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear. Jenny frowned at him, prompting Serenity to speak up.
"He's not usually like this." She explained. "He's just lost a lot of sleep." Jenny nodded, accepting her explaination.
"Well, this is the touchy bit." She said, one hand scratching the back of her head in discomfort. "We think she's ready, but it could all be a trick. The Ranger Leaders certainly think it is, but local news got a hold of the story somehow and public demand has forced the governor of Sinnoh to issue an order for her release. It was a long debate, but we've finally settled on a compromise."
"Which is...?" he said, the sinking feeling getting more pronounced.
"Wolf, with your consent, we'd like to release J into your custody." She said, watching the trainer intently. "From there, it's up to your discretion as to whether or not you think she's ready to be free."
"So what you're saying is..." he began. "Is that you want me to be a jailor while letting the public think she's free?" He laughed, neither of the women interrupting him. When he'd finally calmed down, his usual cheery expression had returned. "How did you know I always wanted a criminal?" Serenity and Ivysaur laughed along with him this time, Eve on his other side remaining in confused silence. Jenny remained impassive, hoping that Wolf would accept. Once he'd calmed down again, he nodded his acceptance. Jenny smiled, reaching over with a key and unlocking the handcuffs. J stretched her wrists, rolling them around and smiling a little as she relished her less confining imprisonment.
"Thanks for doing this Wolf." Jenny said, reaching over to shake his hand. "I know it's a burden, but I'm glad you're responsible." Leaving with relief, Jenny exited the pokemon centre in high spirits. Wolf watched her go, before turning back to J.
"Looks like I'm dragging you around again, eh Jelly?" he asked, a more or less genuine smile on his face. J scowled.
"You're going to start that again?" she asked sourly. Wolf waved a hand at her, seeming to be waiting for something. She frowned, before realising just what he wanted. "Fine. My name is Jane." Wolf blinked, not having expected her to have such a simple, nice name.
"Jane." He said. "Well, I can see why you chose to go by J."
***
A few hours later Wolf stood in the training grounds behind the pokemon centre, something that was built in centres that didn't have the luxury of a large, empty area nearby, having decided that he might as well get in some practice for Eve, Happy and Squishy. He had allowed Ivysaur, Jazz and Serenity to make up their own training regime for the moment to allow the younger pokemon to train at an easier pace. He turned from where Happy launched a shadow ball at one of the targets, taking in the ex-hunter standing uneasily next to him.
Jane looked like a much different person, Wolf having insisted that she change her clothes to reflect her turning over a new leaf. She was now wearing a white t-shirt with a thin blue rectangle on the chest, along with a pair of tight fitting black jeans, tucking into an expensive pair of black boots. Her Salamence noticed her nervousness, walking over to nuzzle her and provide a more sure sense of comfort.
"So, is Salamence the only pokemon you have?" he asked, looking to break the ice.
"Now." She said quietly. "I had to let Drapion go, since it was far too violent to ever recover." Her expression became mourning, her gaze lowering. "Igglybuff..."
"Igglybuff?" he asked, noting with surprise the lone tear that slid down her cheek as she spoke the name. She moved to turn away, but Salamence kept her from leaving. She looked up at the dragon, seeing what he meant. Telling Wolf might allow her to better deal with the pain.
"When I was eight..." she began. "My dad gave me an Igglybuff. He was so cute, it was a rare moment that I ever put him down." She hiccoughed, the memory of her first pokemon almost too much. "Then the hunter came. Hunter Theodor. He took Igglybuff from me." She said, more tears streaking her face. "I ran after the car, but it was too fast. I could see Igglybuff in the window, crying and trying to get back to me." She sobbed again, trying to hold herself together.
"You kept searching?" he asked gently, not wanting to seem overly prying.
"I never stopped." She replied. "When I turned ten, I almost gave up hope. It was then that I met Salamence, though he was just a Bagon at the time. He wanted to help me, and I vowed that I'd find Igglybuff no matter what. No matter what the cost. No matter what I had to do." Wolf stayed silent, knowing that she'd just revealed to him the reason she had become a hunter. "I thought that, if I acted like a hunter, that I might find where Igglybuff had gone." She continued. "After a while, the line between good intentions and revenge blurred. I thought that I might not find him again, so I tried to find Theodor. Easier said than done, and that's putting it lightly."
"No luck?" he prompted, stroking her hand comfortingly. She didn't resist the touch, but it was clear to him that it wasn't completely welcome yet.
"None." She said. "Salamence helped me all the way, no matter what. It stayed like that for years, until we met. Being captured by you was a wakeup call that I desperately needed. It made me realise what I had become, and that I had lost track of my original goal." For a long moment neither of them spoke, the only sounds disturbing the scene those of Wolf's pokemon as they trained.
"So, you're still looking for Igglybuff?" he asked, her tear stained face nodding in response. "Maybe I can help." She looked up at him, curious.
"You would do that for me?" she asked. "After everything I've done to you?" He raised a hand to his neck, an uneasy grin on his face.
"To be fair, I still feel guilty about that thing with the stick." He explained, watching as she winced at the mention of it. "Besides, anything you've done is eventually owed to Theodor for stealing Igglybuff. You're not a bad person by nature, so I don't see why I shouldn't help you." She smiled at him, deeply grateful for his offer, until she realised that it would still be almost impossible.
"Thanks, but I don't think it will be enough." She muttered, her mood failing again. "I could barely track him with all of the hunter gear at my disposal, and even without that we don't have any idea of where he could be." Wolf grimaced, lost in his thoughts about everything Jane had told him, when he felt a sudden chill, almost like the sun had been hidden by a cloud. He looked up to where the sun was, surprised to see a clear sky and almost as surprised when the warmth returned. He turned to Jane, who had an identical look as she scanned the sky.
"You felt it too." He said. "What do you think it was?" She frowned at the sky for a few seconds longer before turning back to him.
"I'd say it was a cloaked aircraft." She responded, her look telling Wolf that she was more than likely right. "But there's no real target around here. The only thing that would bring a hunter out here is that old rumour..." She glanced over, remembering that Wolf had no idea what she was talking about. "Scuttlebutt says that there's an island somewhere around here where all the pokemon are pink. Almost all hunters don't believe it, but a few young ones try to find it. My guess is that one of the more experienced hunters is having a look for themselves." She looked at him seriously, noting his curious expression. When he noticed, he shrugged.
"Worth a try." He said. "If it's not him, we can still bring down a hunter." Seeing his logic, Jane waited for Wolf to call his pokemon back before they climbed up on Salamence's back, taking off in the direction they guessed the craft was moving.
***
Wolf marvelled at the speed in which they had made the journey to an island that looked more like a fortress from the sheer cliffs and treacherous waters that surrounded it. Salamence had been able to find the cool spot that signified the position of the cloaked aircraft, keeping to it in order to track its movements. The plan had worked, and Salamence had set down as the spot slowed its movements, seeming like it hovered over the middle of the island.
Deciding that playing a guessing game about where their invisible quarry was would be pointless, Wolf instead turned his thoughts to what made this forbidding island a target for hunters. His question was almost immediately answered when a Mightyena pack wandered into view. Wolf, who was very well acquainted with Mightyena, was startled when he saw them. Their fur was, rather than the usual black and grey Mightyena sported, was instead two shades of pink. Jane looked at them in disbelief before turning to Wolf, who was busy calling out his pokemon.
"The rumours were true!" she said, almost beside herself with excitement. "Hunters would kill to get their hands on these pokemon! They would be worth a fortune on the market!" Wolf nodded, conceding her point. Even the pokemon which were common in other regions would be sought after by those who wanted an almost one of a kind pokemon.
"Well, we'd better see if we can find-" he began, about to suggest they start looking for the hunter when the aircraft willingly removed its cloaking. Two massive wings tipped with rotors used to hover like a dragonfly stretched from the ominous black craft, looking like something from the not too distant future. As he watched, a boarding ramp from just below the cockpit descended, allowing the assembled group a look into its cavernous hold where they could just make out row upon row of cages. A person strode out to near the edge of the ramp, Wolf only just able to distinguish his features from the distance. He could see the man had a crew cut along with a closely cropped beard, but could make out little else of his physical features aside from his clothes. He was dressed in almost plain jet black, a cape flowing dramatically in the wind generated by the rotors. Wolf felt a chill just looking at the man, as though he were someone who shouldn't exist. He turned to look at Jane, seeing her mouth open in shock.
"It's him..." she whispered. "Theodor..." Anything else she might have said was cut short as the veteran hunter was joined on the ramp by a pink blob carrying some kind of stick. If anything, this made her jaw drop even further.
"I don't believe it!" she said hoarsely. "Igglybuff!" Before Wolf could stop her, she ran towards the craft and leaving the trainer struggling to catch up, his pokemon and Salamence hot on his heels. He saw the pink blob move the stick near its mouth, and Wolf suddenly knew what was going to happen.
"Cover your ears!" he yelled, before suiting words to action and tightly clamping his hands over his ears. He couldn't hear anything, only able to watch as Jane slowed, the pokemon's song amplified so that every living thing on the island fell asleep. He turned around, groaning aloud when he saw that none of his pokemon had heard him either. Strewn around the path, they were all in a deep sleep from the song. Cautiously he removed one hand from his ear, relieved when he couldn't hear anything but the sound of the aircrafts engines as it descended to earth.
"Great." Wolf muttered to himself as he returned the pokemon one by one. "Not only do I have to take on a professional hunter and all of his henchmen by myself, I miss out on getting a cat nap when I actually need it."
***
"They all fell asleep?" Wigglytuff asked, the disappointment in his voice conveyed by the translating collar he wore. "Aww, they didn't hear me sing..." Theodor laughed, putting one hand on Wigglytuff's back.
"They heard you, but they all went to sleep after so that they could have a great dream from your song!" he lied, pleased when the pokemon bought his story. It was almost too easy tricking Wigglytuff, something he enjoyed immensely. He tossed the pair of earmuffs he had used to block out the sleep inducing song to one of his henchmen, stepping out onto the ground when the Black Raven landed. Motioning Wigglytuff to the side of the ramp, several armoured transports rolled out and began their work, namely to retrieve all the pokemon they could find while they were asleep. He rubbed his hands together greedily, thinking of just how much money this was particular hunt was worth to him.
***
Wolf hid in the bushes, having carried Jane to a spot he was confident she couldn't be seen by any passerby. It wouldn't stand up to a determined search but that wasn't what Wolf had in mind. With his pokemon out of commission as well as Jane and Salamence, all he had to rely on was his transformed state. As a Lucario, it was possible for him to take one of the groups by surprise and overwhelm them before they could react. It was his only shot, and a slim chance at that.
His hearing, much keener while transformed, detected the sound of one of the armoured vehicles the hunters were using to capture the pokemon. It rumbled into view in less than a minute, the squat vehicle looking like it could ram a charging Rhyhorn and the pokemon would come off second best. He watched as the men inside disembarked and moved in different directions, each scouring a section of forest for the pink pokemon. Wolf waited until the one who had come in his direction came almost within spotting distance before exploding out of his refuge onto the goon, knocking him out with one quick blow to the head. Satisfied that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, he stalked around to the next hunter and dispatched him with equal ease. That left three more, which had all started their search on the other side of the forest. He moved stealthily around to the vehicle, disappearing up the ramp and finding a spot in which he could easily ambush the goons, noting the piles of rope sharing the space with him. His patience was rewarded, as only a few minutes later the three returned, each of them bearing sleeping pokemon. They didn't have time to react when Wolf jumped them, ending the highly uneven contest curtly. He dragged the hunters to the centre of the path and tied them up with the ropes, leaving all five unconscious in the sun.
"Right." Wolf muttered, finding the keys to the vehicle still in the ignition. He paused for a moment, remembering that he'd never bothered to learn to drive a car. Shrugging, he had a go at it anyway, the vehicle lurching forward clumsily under his inexperienced control. After a minute of stops and starts, he managed to get a handle on it and drove it back to where Theodor and his goons were waiting with their craft.
***
Theodor waited patiently by the side of the boarding ramp for his henchmen to return, the holds of their armoured transports crammed with the sleeping pink pokemon. It would take some time for them to accumulate enough pokemon, so he contented himself with examining his computer, the touch screen no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. He brought up the radar function, noting the positions of his henchmen. Four of the vehicles were still some distance away from the Black Raven, but the fifth was moving towards the craft. Frowning, he tapped the blip indicating the fifth vehicle, opening a communications link.
"Hatchling Five, this is Big Boss." He snarled, no small trace of irritation in his voice. "You're returning before the allotted time. Explain yourself." He waited for their comms specialist to respond, his irritation growing when they failed to respond in a decent amount of time.
"Big Boss, this is Hatchling Five," came an unfamiliar voice. He scowled again, noting that Bane wasn't operating the comms as he should have. Keeping them in the same roles and teams was what made them so effective.
"Where's Bane?" Theodor snapped, not giving the voice on the other end time to respond. When they answered, he found the voice was somewhat less uneasy.
"He got attacked by an Exploud." The voice on the other end replied. "The brute pokemon had gathered up its fellows in one big pile for us. Quite considerate." The voice added, a nasty laugh following. This was chipping away at the hunter's remaining patience.
"I don't pay you to be a comedian!" he snapped again. "Just bring them back to the Black Raven, before I have you thrown in the brig!" The voice didn't respond, even while Hatchling Five turned the bend and made for the boarding ramp. Theodor closed comms with the vehicle, opening another channel to the Black Raven.
"Once Hatchling Five is inside, get the crew to report directly to me." He growled, not waiting for an acknowledgement. Wigglytuff, still standing next to him, looked over.
"Are they in trouble?" he asked, worry in his voice. Theodor smiled grimly.
"If they can't come up with a suitable reason, they will be." He replied. Wigglytuff would never be truly loyal to him, but he was deathly easy to manipulate.
"Was she here?" he asked suddenly. Theodor's smile became much more sincere, enjoying Wigglytuff's gullible nature immensely.
"No, I'm afraid not." He said, tactfully not mentioning that he'd never bothered to search, much like any prior times. "We'll keep looking though." Any further talk was cut short by shouts of surprise from the cargo hold, turning to pain in short order. Snarling, the hunter ran up the boarding ramp, Wigglytuff hot on his heels.
When he reached the top, a scene of carnage greeted him. The henchmen in the hold were trying to defend themselves from a Lucario that had, judging by the smoking hole in the rear hatch of the transport, taken them completely by surprise. Theodor's eyes widened in greed as he took in the Lucario's appearance, noting the distinct brown fur on his chest, the absence of spikes on his chest and hands, and the brief flashes of green eyes as the pokemon rampaged among his goons, not giving them a chance to call out their own pokemon to combat him. The hunter watched dispassionately as the Lucario finished off the last of his goons before turning to face him, a look of anger on his face.
"I suppose that answers quite a few questions." Theodor laughed, clapping his hands in anticipation of the challenge. Turning to the pink pokemon next to him, he pointed at the Lucario. "Wigglytuff, that Lucario wants to keep you from finding her!" Wigglytuff's face changed from confusion to anger, and he barrelled into the Lucario faster than he'd expected.
Groaning from the impact, Wolf picked himself up from the floor in time to dive away from the next blow, keeping distance between himself and the angry Wigglytuff. He concentrated on dodging the attacks of his opponent, hoping that he could talk some sense into Wigglytuff before they were both worn out from the struggle.
"Wigglytuff, I know where Jane is!" Wolf said, even while dodging another attack. "I can take you to her!" His opponent snorted, swinging at him again.
"Liar!" he cried, keeping up the attack. "Theodor's a nice man! He said you're trying to keep her from me!" Wolf had expected Theodor to lie to Wigglytuff, but the blind naivety that the pokemon possessed staggered Wolf enough to cause him to forget about evading.
"You're kidding?" he said, a second before Wigglytuff's fist smashed into his jaw and sent him flying. He landed in a heap, only narrowly avoiding the next blow that tried to smash his head into the steel floor. "You're going to believe a pokemon hunter over me?" Wigglytuff stopped, glaring at Wolf.
"Hunter?" he said, almost disbelieving. "That's not true! Besides, he promised to help me find Jane!" Wolf had already seen a sample of how trusting Wigglytuff was, but the idea that anyone could believe such a blatant lie almost caused Wolf to fall over in shock.
"You mean you've been with him for almost twenty years and you still believe him?" Wolf asked, dumbfounded. "Don't you think that with a ship like this you would have been reunited with Jane years ago?" Wigglytuff blinked stupidly, before turning to Theodor. What shocked him was the strange device on his wrist that he was pointing at Wigglytuff.
"So the last Rapidash has finally crossed the line." He sneered, an evil smile on his face. "Yes, it was all a trick. Using you to put all the pokemon asleep made the work so much easier, but it looks like you've outlived your usefulness." Wolf growled, moving towards the hunter until his aim shifted onto the advancing Lucario.
"I haven't forgotten about you either." He added menacingly. "Unique even among the rare Lucario, you'll fetch quite a price on the market." Wolf snarled back, realising that he would never be able to close the distance between them before the hunter fired, and he didn't know just how good the man's aim was. He might find Wolf dodging at full speed no more trouble than if he were standing still. Wolf raised his paws as if to surrender, placing them firmly onto his ears.
"Wigglytuff, sing." He whispered. He watched as the pokemon began to sing, letting Theodor worry about falling asleep enough to shift his aim again before sprinting around the hunter's flank, paws still firmly on his ears. The choice was clear - stop the rapidly approaching Lucario and succumb to Wigglytuff's sing, or stop the threat of falling asleep and take the physical pain. He wavered, before fixing his aim on Wigglytuff. Even if he took a hit from the charging Lucario, he could still fight back. It was too late, the hunter becoming so drowsy that he had no hope of aiming at anything short of the floor. Falling asleep, Theodor crashed to the ground in a deep slumber, prompting Wigglytuff to stop singing and allowing Wolf to let go of his ears. He walked back to Wigglytuff, placing one paw on the pokemon's shoulder.
"How about we go and find Jane now?" he asked gently.
***
One hour later, the threat of Hunter Theodor had been effectively ended. Wolf and Wigglytuff had found Jane, Wolf having made Wigglytuff promise not to tell Jane about his transformations. With her help, they had been able to rouse the rangers on the island and capture all of Theodor's lackeys in short order, Wolf's awakened pokemon making a terrifyingly powerful foe for the henchmen. Once that had been accomplished, Wolf and Jane had returned with the rangers to their headquarters to say their goodbyes.
"Are you sure about this?" Jane asked, wondering how Wolf had managed to take down one of the most successful hunters in history. He nodded, smiling at the sight of her and Wigglytuff reunited.
"Of course." He replied. "You and Wigglytuff are back together, so I don't expect any more trouble from either of you. If not, well, I think we can catch you again." Jane laughed, breaking away from Wigglytuff long enough to give Wolf a big thank you hug. He returned the pressure, still feeling the rush of excitement he'd felt when they had been reunited.
"I guess I'll head back to Dewford Town then." She said once they'd broken apart. "It's been a long time since I've been home."
"You're from Hoenn?" he asked excitedly. "I guess we will see each other again then! I live in Fortree!" She laughed shortly, glad to hear such news.
"Thanks again Wolf, for helping me get Wigglytuff back." She said, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "And for being so nice. I don't think anyone has ever been a friend to me..." He smiled, waving goodbye to her as Serenity teleported them away, feeling good that he'd been able to help someone good and punish someone evil.
"If you're so relaxed, then why are you yawning?" she asked mockingly, drawing an irritated stare from him. The lack of sleep was beginning to fray his nerves.
"Do I need to give you a smack?" he asked, frowning at her. The Gardevoir's jaw dropped, eyes widening at the suggestion.
"You wouldn't!" she said, disbelief flooding her voice. Wolf made a sudden movement, hand coming up. She squealed, racing out of his reach and hiding in the next booth. He watched her, before dropping his hand.
"I'm sorry about that, Serenity." He apologised, slumping further into his seat while she cautiously rejoined him, Ivysaur not even bothering to suppress a snigger. "I guess I'm a little cranky from the loss of sleep."
"Loss of sleep, huh? I thought you were always that way."
Wolf looked behind him for the voice, his eyes widening as he saw Hunter J standing behind him. Next to her was Officer Jenny, who still had a hold on the pair of handcuffs J was wearing. The pokemon hunter looked much the same as she had back in Sinnoh, although her clothes were clean again and she looked as though she had had a shower or two since their last encounter. Wolf looked between the two women, Serenity busy trying to divine the reason they would be here. The trainer waved lazily to the seat opposite, indicating that they should sit down. Jenny guided J in first before sliding gracefully into the seat opposite Serenity. Wolf made an effort to sit up straight again, yawning again as he did so.
"Why do I have a sudden sinking feeling?" he asked, glancing at Jenny. The police woman fixed her gaze on Wolf, trying not to seem annoyed at his highly informal attitude.
"Wolf, this is something important." She began, her tone showing she didn't expect to be interrupted. "It's certainly not something we've ever done before. You see, J has shown tremendous progress as far as rehabilitation goes." He half heartedly raised his juice in a toast, before letting Jenny continue. "She's even given us information that lead to the capture of her former henchmen. We think she's nearly ready to be released." Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"And you're telling me this because?" he asked, feeling as though she was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear. Jenny frowned at him, prompting Serenity to speak up.
"He's not usually like this." She explained. "He's just lost a lot of sleep." Jenny nodded, accepting her explaination.
"Well, this is the touchy bit." She said, one hand scratching the back of her head in discomfort. "We think she's ready, but it could all be a trick. The Ranger Leaders certainly think it is, but local news got a hold of the story somehow and public demand has forced the governor of Sinnoh to issue an order for her release. It was a long debate, but we've finally settled on a compromise."
"Which is...?" he said, the sinking feeling getting more pronounced.
"Wolf, with your consent, we'd like to release J into your custody." She said, watching the trainer intently. "From there, it's up to your discretion as to whether or not you think she's ready to be free."
"So what you're saying is..." he began. "Is that you want me to be a jailor while letting the public think she's free?" He laughed, neither of the women interrupting him. When he'd finally calmed down, his usual cheery expression had returned. "How did you know I always wanted a criminal?" Serenity and Ivysaur laughed along with him this time, Eve on his other side remaining in confused silence. Jenny remained impassive, hoping that Wolf would accept. Once he'd calmed down again, he nodded his acceptance. Jenny smiled, reaching over with a key and unlocking the handcuffs. J stretched her wrists, rolling them around and smiling a little as she relished her less confining imprisonment.
"Thanks for doing this Wolf." Jenny said, reaching over to shake his hand. "I know it's a burden, but I'm glad you're responsible." Leaving with relief, Jenny exited the pokemon centre in high spirits. Wolf watched her go, before turning back to J.
"Looks like I'm dragging you around again, eh Jelly?" he asked, a more or less genuine smile on his face. J scowled.
"You're going to start that again?" she asked sourly. Wolf waved a hand at her, seeming to be waiting for something. She frowned, before realising just what he wanted. "Fine. My name is Jane." Wolf blinked, not having expected her to have such a simple, nice name.
"Jane." He said. "Well, I can see why you chose to go by J."
***
A few hours later Wolf stood in the training grounds behind the pokemon centre, something that was built in centres that didn't have the luxury of a large, empty area nearby, having decided that he might as well get in some practice for Eve, Happy and Squishy. He had allowed Ivysaur, Jazz and Serenity to make up their own training regime for the moment to allow the younger pokemon to train at an easier pace. He turned from where Happy launched a shadow ball at one of the targets, taking in the ex-hunter standing uneasily next to him.
Jane looked like a much different person, Wolf having insisted that she change her clothes to reflect her turning over a new leaf. She was now wearing a white t-shirt with a thin blue rectangle on the chest, along with a pair of tight fitting black jeans, tucking into an expensive pair of black boots. Her Salamence noticed her nervousness, walking over to nuzzle her and provide a more sure sense of comfort.
"So, is Salamence the only pokemon you have?" he asked, looking to break the ice.
"Now." She said quietly. "I had to let Drapion go, since it was far too violent to ever recover." Her expression became mourning, her gaze lowering. "Igglybuff..."
"Igglybuff?" he asked, noting with surprise the lone tear that slid down her cheek as she spoke the name. She moved to turn away, but Salamence kept her from leaving. She looked up at the dragon, seeing what he meant. Telling Wolf might allow her to better deal with the pain.
"When I was eight..." she began. "My dad gave me an Igglybuff. He was so cute, it was a rare moment that I ever put him down." She hiccoughed, the memory of her first pokemon almost too much. "Then the hunter came. Hunter Theodor. He took Igglybuff from me." She said, more tears streaking her face. "I ran after the car, but it was too fast. I could see Igglybuff in the window, crying and trying to get back to me." She sobbed again, trying to hold herself together.
"You kept searching?" he asked gently, not wanting to seem overly prying.
"I never stopped." She replied. "When I turned ten, I almost gave up hope. It was then that I met Salamence, though he was just a Bagon at the time. He wanted to help me, and I vowed that I'd find Igglybuff no matter what. No matter what the cost. No matter what I had to do." Wolf stayed silent, knowing that she'd just revealed to him the reason she had become a hunter. "I thought that, if I acted like a hunter, that I might find where Igglybuff had gone." She continued. "After a while, the line between good intentions and revenge blurred. I thought that I might not find him again, so I tried to find Theodor. Easier said than done, and that's putting it lightly."
"No luck?" he prompted, stroking her hand comfortingly. She didn't resist the touch, but it was clear to him that it wasn't completely welcome yet.
"None." She said. "Salamence helped me all the way, no matter what. It stayed like that for years, until we met. Being captured by you was a wakeup call that I desperately needed. It made me realise what I had become, and that I had lost track of my original goal." For a long moment neither of them spoke, the only sounds disturbing the scene those of Wolf's pokemon as they trained.
"So, you're still looking for Igglybuff?" he asked, her tear stained face nodding in response. "Maybe I can help." She looked up at him, curious.
"You would do that for me?" she asked. "After everything I've done to you?" He raised a hand to his neck, an uneasy grin on his face.
"To be fair, I still feel guilty about that thing with the stick." He explained, watching as she winced at the mention of it. "Besides, anything you've done is eventually owed to Theodor for stealing Igglybuff. You're not a bad person by nature, so I don't see why I shouldn't help you." She smiled at him, deeply grateful for his offer, until she realised that it would still be almost impossible.
"Thanks, but I don't think it will be enough." She muttered, her mood failing again. "I could barely track him with all of the hunter gear at my disposal, and even without that we don't have any idea of where he could be." Wolf grimaced, lost in his thoughts about everything Jane had told him, when he felt a sudden chill, almost like the sun had been hidden by a cloud. He looked up to where the sun was, surprised to see a clear sky and almost as surprised when the warmth returned. He turned to Jane, who had an identical look as she scanned the sky.
"You felt it too." He said. "What do you think it was?" She frowned at the sky for a few seconds longer before turning back to him.
"I'd say it was a cloaked aircraft." She responded, her look telling Wolf that she was more than likely right. "But there's no real target around here. The only thing that would bring a hunter out here is that old rumour..." She glanced over, remembering that Wolf had no idea what she was talking about. "Scuttlebutt says that there's an island somewhere around here where all the pokemon are pink. Almost all hunters don't believe it, but a few young ones try to find it. My guess is that one of the more experienced hunters is having a look for themselves." She looked at him seriously, noting his curious expression. When he noticed, he shrugged.
"Worth a try." He said. "If it's not him, we can still bring down a hunter." Seeing his logic, Jane waited for Wolf to call his pokemon back before they climbed up on Salamence's back, taking off in the direction they guessed the craft was moving.
***
Wolf marvelled at the speed in which they had made the journey to an island that looked more like a fortress from the sheer cliffs and treacherous waters that surrounded it. Salamence had been able to find the cool spot that signified the position of the cloaked aircraft, keeping to it in order to track its movements. The plan had worked, and Salamence had set down as the spot slowed its movements, seeming like it hovered over the middle of the island.
Deciding that playing a guessing game about where their invisible quarry was would be pointless, Wolf instead turned his thoughts to what made this forbidding island a target for hunters. His question was almost immediately answered when a Mightyena pack wandered into view. Wolf, who was very well acquainted with Mightyena, was startled when he saw them. Their fur was, rather than the usual black and grey Mightyena sported, was instead two shades of pink. Jane looked at them in disbelief before turning to Wolf, who was busy calling out his pokemon.
"The rumours were true!" she said, almost beside herself with excitement. "Hunters would kill to get their hands on these pokemon! They would be worth a fortune on the market!" Wolf nodded, conceding her point. Even the pokemon which were common in other regions would be sought after by those who wanted an almost one of a kind pokemon.
"Well, we'd better see if we can find-" he began, about to suggest they start looking for the hunter when the aircraft willingly removed its cloaking. Two massive wings tipped with rotors used to hover like a dragonfly stretched from the ominous black craft, looking like something from the not too distant future. As he watched, a boarding ramp from just below the cockpit descended, allowing the assembled group a look into its cavernous hold where they could just make out row upon row of cages. A person strode out to near the edge of the ramp, Wolf only just able to distinguish his features from the distance. He could see the man had a crew cut along with a closely cropped beard, but could make out little else of his physical features aside from his clothes. He was dressed in almost plain jet black, a cape flowing dramatically in the wind generated by the rotors. Wolf felt a chill just looking at the man, as though he were someone who shouldn't exist. He turned to look at Jane, seeing her mouth open in shock.
"It's him..." she whispered. "Theodor..." Anything else she might have said was cut short as the veteran hunter was joined on the ramp by a pink blob carrying some kind of stick. If anything, this made her jaw drop even further.
"I don't believe it!" she said hoarsely. "Igglybuff!" Before Wolf could stop her, she ran towards the craft and leaving the trainer struggling to catch up, his pokemon and Salamence hot on his heels. He saw the pink blob move the stick near its mouth, and Wolf suddenly knew what was going to happen.
"Cover your ears!" he yelled, before suiting words to action and tightly clamping his hands over his ears. He couldn't hear anything, only able to watch as Jane slowed, the pokemon's song amplified so that every living thing on the island fell asleep. He turned around, groaning aloud when he saw that none of his pokemon had heard him either. Strewn around the path, they were all in a deep sleep from the song. Cautiously he removed one hand from his ear, relieved when he couldn't hear anything but the sound of the aircrafts engines as it descended to earth.
"Great." Wolf muttered to himself as he returned the pokemon one by one. "Not only do I have to take on a professional hunter and all of his henchmen by myself, I miss out on getting a cat nap when I actually need it."
***
"They all fell asleep?" Wigglytuff asked, the disappointment in his voice conveyed by the translating collar he wore. "Aww, they didn't hear me sing..." Theodor laughed, putting one hand on Wigglytuff's back.
"They heard you, but they all went to sleep after so that they could have a great dream from your song!" he lied, pleased when the pokemon bought his story. It was almost too easy tricking Wigglytuff, something he enjoyed immensely. He tossed the pair of earmuffs he had used to block out the sleep inducing song to one of his henchmen, stepping out onto the ground when the Black Raven landed. Motioning Wigglytuff to the side of the ramp, several armoured transports rolled out and began their work, namely to retrieve all the pokemon they could find while they were asleep. He rubbed his hands together greedily, thinking of just how much money this was particular hunt was worth to him.
***
Wolf hid in the bushes, having carried Jane to a spot he was confident she couldn't be seen by any passerby. It wouldn't stand up to a determined search but that wasn't what Wolf had in mind. With his pokemon out of commission as well as Jane and Salamence, all he had to rely on was his transformed state. As a Lucario, it was possible for him to take one of the groups by surprise and overwhelm them before they could react. It was his only shot, and a slim chance at that.
His hearing, much keener while transformed, detected the sound of one of the armoured vehicles the hunters were using to capture the pokemon. It rumbled into view in less than a minute, the squat vehicle looking like it could ram a charging Rhyhorn and the pokemon would come off second best. He watched as the men inside disembarked and moved in different directions, each scouring a section of forest for the pink pokemon. Wolf waited until the one who had come in his direction came almost within spotting distance before exploding out of his refuge onto the goon, knocking him out with one quick blow to the head. Satisfied that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, he stalked around to the next hunter and dispatched him with equal ease. That left three more, which had all started their search on the other side of the forest. He moved stealthily around to the vehicle, disappearing up the ramp and finding a spot in which he could easily ambush the goons, noting the piles of rope sharing the space with him. His patience was rewarded, as only a few minutes later the three returned, each of them bearing sleeping pokemon. They didn't have time to react when Wolf jumped them, ending the highly uneven contest curtly. He dragged the hunters to the centre of the path and tied them up with the ropes, leaving all five unconscious in the sun.
"Right." Wolf muttered, finding the keys to the vehicle still in the ignition. He paused for a moment, remembering that he'd never bothered to learn to drive a car. Shrugging, he had a go at it anyway, the vehicle lurching forward clumsily under his inexperienced control. After a minute of stops and starts, he managed to get a handle on it and drove it back to where Theodor and his goons were waiting with their craft.
***
Theodor waited patiently by the side of the boarding ramp for his henchmen to return, the holds of their armoured transports crammed with the sleeping pink pokemon. It would take some time for them to accumulate enough pokemon, so he contented himself with examining his computer, the touch screen no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. He brought up the radar function, noting the positions of his henchmen. Four of the vehicles were still some distance away from the Black Raven, but the fifth was moving towards the craft. Frowning, he tapped the blip indicating the fifth vehicle, opening a communications link.
"Hatchling Five, this is Big Boss." He snarled, no small trace of irritation in his voice. "You're returning before the allotted time. Explain yourself." He waited for their comms specialist to respond, his irritation growing when they failed to respond in a decent amount of time.
"Big Boss, this is Hatchling Five," came an unfamiliar voice. He scowled again, noting that Bane wasn't operating the comms as he should have. Keeping them in the same roles and teams was what made them so effective.
"Where's Bane?" Theodor snapped, not giving the voice on the other end time to respond. When they answered, he found the voice was somewhat less uneasy.
"He got attacked by an Exploud." The voice on the other end replied. "The brute pokemon had gathered up its fellows in one big pile for us. Quite considerate." The voice added, a nasty laugh following. This was chipping away at the hunter's remaining patience.
"I don't pay you to be a comedian!" he snapped again. "Just bring them back to the Black Raven, before I have you thrown in the brig!" The voice didn't respond, even while Hatchling Five turned the bend and made for the boarding ramp. Theodor closed comms with the vehicle, opening another channel to the Black Raven.
"Once Hatchling Five is inside, get the crew to report directly to me." He growled, not waiting for an acknowledgement. Wigglytuff, still standing next to him, looked over.
"Are they in trouble?" he asked, worry in his voice. Theodor smiled grimly.
"If they can't come up with a suitable reason, they will be." He replied. Wigglytuff would never be truly loyal to him, but he was deathly easy to manipulate.
"Was she here?" he asked suddenly. Theodor's smile became much more sincere, enjoying Wigglytuff's gullible nature immensely.
"No, I'm afraid not." He said, tactfully not mentioning that he'd never bothered to search, much like any prior times. "We'll keep looking though." Any further talk was cut short by shouts of surprise from the cargo hold, turning to pain in short order. Snarling, the hunter ran up the boarding ramp, Wigglytuff hot on his heels.
When he reached the top, a scene of carnage greeted him. The henchmen in the hold were trying to defend themselves from a Lucario that had, judging by the smoking hole in the rear hatch of the transport, taken them completely by surprise. Theodor's eyes widened in greed as he took in the Lucario's appearance, noting the distinct brown fur on his chest, the absence of spikes on his chest and hands, and the brief flashes of green eyes as the pokemon rampaged among his goons, not giving them a chance to call out their own pokemon to combat him. The hunter watched dispassionately as the Lucario finished off the last of his goons before turning to face him, a look of anger on his face.
"I suppose that answers quite a few questions." Theodor laughed, clapping his hands in anticipation of the challenge. Turning to the pink pokemon next to him, he pointed at the Lucario. "Wigglytuff, that Lucario wants to keep you from finding her!" Wigglytuff's face changed from confusion to anger, and he barrelled into the Lucario faster than he'd expected.
Groaning from the impact, Wolf picked himself up from the floor in time to dive away from the next blow, keeping distance between himself and the angry Wigglytuff. He concentrated on dodging the attacks of his opponent, hoping that he could talk some sense into Wigglytuff before they were both worn out from the struggle.
"Wigglytuff, I know where Jane is!" Wolf said, even while dodging another attack. "I can take you to her!" His opponent snorted, swinging at him again.
"Liar!" he cried, keeping up the attack. "Theodor's a nice man! He said you're trying to keep her from me!" Wolf had expected Theodor to lie to Wigglytuff, but the blind naivety that the pokemon possessed staggered Wolf enough to cause him to forget about evading.
"You're kidding?" he said, a second before Wigglytuff's fist smashed into his jaw and sent him flying. He landed in a heap, only narrowly avoiding the next blow that tried to smash his head into the steel floor. "You're going to believe a pokemon hunter over me?" Wigglytuff stopped, glaring at Wolf.
"Hunter?" he said, almost disbelieving. "That's not true! Besides, he promised to help me find Jane!" Wolf had already seen a sample of how trusting Wigglytuff was, but the idea that anyone could believe such a blatant lie almost caused Wolf to fall over in shock.
"You mean you've been with him for almost twenty years and you still believe him?" Wolf asked, dumbfounded. "Don't you think that with a ship like this you would have been reunited with Jane years ago?" Wigglytuff blinked stupidly, before turning to Theodor. What shocked him was the strange device on his wrist that he was pointing at Wigglytuff.
"So the last Rapidash has finally crossed the line." He sneered, an evil smile on his face. "Yes, it was all a trick. Using you to put all the pokemon asleep made the work so much easier, but it looks like you've outlived your usefulness." Wolf growled, moving towards the hunter until his aim shifted onto the advancing Lucario.
"I haven't forgotten about you either." He added menacingly. "Unique even among the rare Lucario, you'll fetch quite a price on the market." Wolf snarled back, realising that he would never be able to close the distance between them before the hunter fired, and he didn't know just how good the man's aim was. He might find Wolf dodging at full speed no more trouble than if he were standing still. Wolf raised his paws as if to surrender, placing them firmly onto his ears.
"Wigglytuff, sing." He whispered. He watched as the pokemon began to sing, letting Theodor worry about falling asleep enough to shift his aim again before sprinting around the hunter's flank, paws still firmly on his ears. The choice was clear - stop the rapidly approaching Lucario and succumb to Wigglytuff's sing, or stop the threat of falling asleep and take the physical pain. He wavered, before fixing his aim on Wigglytuff. Even if he took a hit from the charging Lucario, he could still fight back. It was too late, the hunter becoming so drowsy that he had no hope of aiming at anything short of the floor. Falling asleep, Theodor crashed to the ground in a deep slumber, prompting Wigglytuff to stop singing and allowing Wolf to let go of his ears. He walked back to Wigglytuff, placing one paw on the pokemon's shoulder.
"How about we go and find Jane now?" he asked gently.
***
One hour later, the threat of Hunter Theodor had been effectively ended. Wolf and Wigglytuff had found Jane, Wolf having made Wigglytuff promise not to tell Jane about his transformations. With her help, they had been able to rouse the rangers on the island and capture all of Theodor's lackeys in short order, Wolf's awakened pokemon making a terrifyingly powerful foe for the henchmen. Once that had been accomplished, Wolf and Jane had returned with the rangers to their headquarters to say their goodbyes.
"Are you sure about this?" Jane asked, wondering how Wolf had managed to take down one of the most successful hunters in history. He nodded, smiling at the sight of her and Wigglytuff reunited.
"Of course." He replied. "You and Wigglytuff are back together, so I don't expect any more trouble from either of you. If not, well, I think we can catch you again." Jane laughed, breaking away from Wigglytuff long enough to give Wolf a big thank you hug. He returned the pressure, still feeling the rush of excitement he'd felt when they had been reunited.
"I guess I'll head back to Dewford Town then." She said once they'd broken apart. "It's been a long time since I've been home."
"You're from Hoenn?" he asked excitedly. "I guess we will see each other again then! I live in Fortree!" She laughed shortly, glad to hear such news.
"Thanks again Wolf, for helping me get Wigglytuff back." She said, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "And for being so nice. I don't think anyone has ever been a friend to me..." He smiled, waving goodbye to her as Serenity teleported them away, feeling good that he'd been able to help someone good and punish someone evil.