[The Ashen Wolves discover the place thanks to Yuri, and are put to the task of something worse than a bad lemon and on par with chipmunk incest.] The four Wolves plus Byleth took their seats, Constance grateful for the dark of the viewing room and Yuri already seeking an exit in case it was too horrific even for them. New Directions Balthus: Ah, so it's a story about some dumbass forgetting the map? by Cori Falls Yuri: ...oh, shit. Constance: Excuse me! I'm sure whatever we're about to read is no excuse for such vulgarity in the presence of a lady! Hapi: What's so bad about the author's name? We just got here, we haven't had time to do the research everyone else has. Yuri: You'll see. @->->- Chapter 9 -- Reaping the Rewards Meowth I placed a paw to my forehead to shield my eyes from the sun's glare. Byleth: Paw? Is this another furry fic like the one Lady Edelgard mentioned? There couldn't have been more than an hour of daylight left, but the western sky was still ablaze Yuri: With the botched results of one of Constance's spells. Constance: Rude! My spells have never lit anything on fire! with the red and gold light of the setting sun. I cast a quick glance back towards our camp and saw that the eastern sky was quickly darkening Balthus: Yeah, that happens when the sun goes down and there's only an hour of daylight left. to the somber purples and blues of night. "How much farther is it, James?" Jessie asked as we picked our way along the mountain trail. Hapi: Wait, is this that Pokemon thing the Golden Deer read about? Balthus: Must be. Hilda said that one was about the main characters, but who are these guys? Byleth: The villains. Well, technically. According to the research I've done they're not very good at it. Constance: So in other words, the comic relief harlequins who attempt to be evil? James looked over his shoulder and grinned at us. "Just over this next ridge, if I recall correctly." Hapi: But he didn't, and he ended up driving them over the ridge and to their deaths. "I hope so," Jessie replied. "I don't want to have to find my way back to camp in the dark." Constance: *Jessie* Not all of us were blessed with the same impeccable night vision as our feline friend. "Don't worry about it," James assured her. "If I don't find the place within the next few minutes, we'll head back to camp and look for it in the morning instead." "Sounds good ta Me-owth!" I remarked. It was a chilly fall evening in mid-November. Jessie, James, and I had spent the past month on vacation in the Whirl Islands with our friend, Gary, but when the first cold snap of the season had come last week, we'd returned to the mainland. We'd spent our first couple of days in Olivine City holed up in our motel room during the storm, but luckily, the weather had cleared up by Saturday morning, and we'd been able to enjoy a weekend in the city. Shortly after breakfast on Saturday morning, Mondo showed up to deliver Hapi: Some bad news. Constance: *Mondo* It brings me deep regret to inform you buffoons that you have been swiftly removed from the payroll due to your repeated and grandoise failures to mug a small child. our paychecks, and he had his new girlfriend, Felicia, with him. Felicia was Yuri: A clumsy maid in a fetishistic outfit who threw knives at people. Or a sexy catgirl who beat people up. Either way, Mondo's about to be whipped like cream. the granddaughter of our friends, Sofia and Marcello Calvetti. They'd introduced Mondo to her after Jessie and James's "fake" wedding, Hapi: So...Jessie and James's wedding, then? Yuri: It's complicated. Balthus: And you would know because... Yuri: No reason. *shifty eyes* and the two of them had hit it off immediately. Felicia had also hit it off immediately with me, Jessie, James, and Gary. With her grandparents' sense of humor and an abundance of common interests (she, too, loved sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and role-playing games), she fit right in with all of us. She was also very beautiful -- with her long auburn hair, luminous green eyes, and delicate facial features, she looked a bit like Catti-brie, the warrior woman from the Drizzt Do'Urden stories. It was easy to see why Mondo had fallen so hard for her! Following the old principle of the more, the merrier, Mondo and Felicia decided to stay on for awhile and spend the weekend with us in Olivine City. We all went to the Olivine Gym that afternoon, and Mondo and Felicia helped me and Gary cheer Jessie and James on to victory when they challenged the gym leader, Jasmine. The battles that ensued were intense, but in the end, Arbok's Acid and Mega Drain prevailed over Magnemite's electric attacks. And when Jasmine sent out her Steelix, Jessie decided to give her Vulpix a workout. Knowing that steel-types were weak against fire, Jasmine got Steelix to defend himself with Sandstorm and fight back with Iron Tail. But Jessie got Vulpix to dodge Steelix's attacks and counter with Confuse Ray. Once Steelix was disoriented and unable to defend himself, Vulpix knocked him out with her Flamethrower and Fire Spin. After Jasmine healed her pokemon and let them rest for awhile, it was James's turn. He got Victreebel to take Magnemite out of commission with his Razor Leaf and Vine Whip attacks, and when Jasmine sent out Steelix again, James got Viccie to paralyze him with Stun Spore before he had a chance to obscure the battlefield with another Sandstorm. And for the grand finale, James called back Victreebel and got Growly to give Steelix a meltdown with his Flamethrower and Dragon Rage. Once the battles were over, Jasmine healed her pokemon again, congratulated Jessie and James on how well they fought, and presented them each with a Mineral Badge. All: ... Hapi: Okay, I don't know much about Pokemon, but are the battles really that boring or is it the way this author tells a story? Yuri: A little of both. Some authors know how to write a decent battle, and she's not one of them. I felt like jumping for joy as I watched my two friends put their new Mineral Badges in their badge cases and admire their ever-growing collection for a moment. I was happy that they were finally getting the opportunity to prove what great trainers they are...and that they were finally getting the respect they deserved. At the rate they were going, I had a feeling that they'd be earning even more badges soon! Constance: ...something about this feels utterly wrong to me. Yuri, you must tell us, how do you know this author?! Who is she, and who are these people?! Yuri: It's best if I don't actually tell you. Balthus: Then can we at least skip over the boring walls of text? *punches the machine, causing it to jump over several paragraphs of pointless recapping* Byleth: *gives Yuri a Look, but decides not to say anything...for now* James paused for a moment and surveyed our surroundings. "Yes, this is definitely the place! At the top of this ridge, there's a little path that leads down into the valley. Constance: *James* Unfortuately, it's through a series of prickly bushes and hungry bugs. And there's only enough bug spray for two of us. Hapi: Fortunately, Meowth was willing to eat the bugs and let Jessie and James use the spray. I found the amberite chip at the bottom of the cliff." "Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jessie exclaimed. Byleth: *Jessie* I've always wanted to charge headfirst off a cliff to my death! With that, the three of us broke into a run. Yuri: And smashed into a nearby rock wall. When we crested the ridge, however, the road came to a dead end, and there was no trail leading into the valley! Constance: Sadly, it turned out James had a faulty memory and had led them into a trap. Balthus: *Meowth* If you're gonna trap us in a birdcage, at least leave a few birds in there for me to eat! My brow furrowed. "Are ya sure dis is the right place, Jim?" I asked. Now James was frowning, too. "Of course I am. There must've been a rockslide since we've been here last." "Wouldn't surprise me -- we got caught in a rockslide the last time we were here, too," Jessie remarked. Hapi: *Jessie* Somehow we managed not to die. Byleth: Unless someone implanted Crests in them to keep them alive. "I imagine it happens all the time, with all those Donphan ramming the cliff faces to break out the amberite." "You're right," James sighed. "I guess I won't get to show you where I found the amberite, after all...." Jessie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, sweetie. Maybe we can find another way into the valley tomorrow morning. Balthus: *Jessie* Maybe we can dynamite the rocks out of the way. We'll have more time to look around then, and I'm sure we can still get to grandma and pop-pop's house in time for a late lunch." This made James smile again. Yuri: *James* I like food! As the three of us turned and started heading back to camp, however, we heard a low, moaning sound coming from the base of the cliff. Hapi: Ghosts! Jessie and James sweatdropped and exchanged nervous looks. "Wh-wh-what was that?!" they stammered. I closed my eyes and listened for a moment. "It sounds like Yuri: *Meowth* Humans having sex! YUCK! Let's get the hell outta here! a pokemon...though I can't tell what kind." James winced when he heard the sound again. "Whatever it is, it sounds like it's in pain." Constance: Or reading a horribly boring fanfic. Jessie turned on her flashlight and peered over the edge of the cliff. Balthus: Only to drop it and watch it break into a million little pieces. Hapi: *Jessie* Damn it! She trained the beam of light Byleth: To use a litter box, sit up, fetch, and beg. on the place where the sound was coming from and slowly Yuri: Backed away, because there was indeed an orgy going on and the participants were bent in ways that looked quite painful. shook her head. "I don't see anything...." Balthus: *Jessie* My flashlight's broken. James and I came to her side and looked as well. All we could see was a massive pile of boulders on the valley floor. Constance: And her flashlight. Yuri: Okay, enough with the flashlight. "Yeah. I don't see nothin' either," I concurred. "Maybe it's just an echo comin' from another part of the valley...." Byleth: *singing* Echo valley, two six eight oh nine... Suddenly, James's emerald eyes went wide. . Balthus: *James* It IS a ghost! Jessie, I'm scared, let's get outta here! "Or maybe a pokemon got caught Constance: Stealing the cookie from the cookie jar! in the rockslide, and we can't see it because it's pinned under all those boulders!" he speculated. "That's definitely not an echo -- it sounds too muffled." "Well...whadda we gonna do?" I queried. Constance: *James* Perhaps we should leave it behind. It's hardly our problem. Hapi: *Jessie* And I'm hungry. "We have to help it, of course!" came Jessie's reply. "If a pokemon is trapped down there, we can't leave it to die!" Yuri: *Jessie* If it's dead, we can't bring it to the boss and try to get a good price for it on the black market! James nodded. "I agree. Give me the flashlight, Jess. I'm going to need Arbok, too." Jessie arched an eyebrow as she handed the flashlight and Arbok's poke ball to James. "What's the plan?" James hooked the flashlight and the poke ball to his belt and called out Victreebel. "I need to climb down there and see if I can't dig the pokemon out from under those rocks." "Be careful, honey," Jessie said as Victreebel wrapped his vines around James's waist. Constance: And swiftly pulled him into his mouth to devour him. "I will," James promised as he began his descent. Hapi: Into madness. James's climb down the cliff face was a percarious one -- he lost his footing on loose rocks in several places. Each time he slipped, Jessie and I tensed, but Victreebel's vines held him steady and kept him from falling. Yuri: *Victreebell* He's tastier when he's alive! When he reached the bottom, we saw him call out Arbok, Byleth: For a microaggression she committed against him three days ago. and the two of them began clearing away the rocks. After a few minutes, James stopped and shined the flashlight into a gap in the boulders. "Shit!" we heard him curse. Balthus: *James* There's a ghost orgy going on in there, and they're not happy I interrupted them. RUN! "What is it, James?!" Jessie called down to him. He looked up at us. By now, it was too dark to see the expression on his face, but I could tell that it wasn't a happy one. "We were right -- there's a Donphan trapped under these rocks! And it's in really bad shape!" he said. With that, he and Arbok redoubled their efforts. At length, James and Arbok had cleared enough rocks away that I could perceive a small, gray elephant lying on the ground. Balthus: *punches the machine again* Once he'd called back Victreebel and returned Arbok's poke ball to Jessie, James got into the driver's seat and revved up the Jeep. And once I'd gotten into the passenger seat, and Jessie had climbed into the back with Donphan, he threw the vehicle into gear and began driving back towards Florando as quickly as he could. @->->- We pulled into the parking lot of the Florando Pokemon Center a little over thirty minutes later. Jessie had sprayed healing potion on Donphan's superficial injuries and bandaged them on the ride over, but he'd since slipped out of consciousness. Yuri: Or he was sleeping because getting hurt makes you tired and sleeping it off helps. Now more than ever, time was of the essence. "Oh, my god! What happened?!" Nurse Joy gasped as Jessie, James, and I rushed Donphan into the lobby of the pokemon center. "We found this pokemon in the mountains -- he was caught in a rockslide," James explained. Nurse Joy frowned. Hapi: *Nurse Joy* Are you sure you jerks didn't have something to DO with that rockslide? "That's terrible...but I'll see what I can do!" With that, she pressed an intercom button. "I need a stretcher for a medium-sized ground-type pokemon! Stat!" Constance: Since when is an elephant MEDIUM size?! Balthus: It is in Pokemon. Lysithea said some of these critters are the size of Fodlan itself. Constance: Oh, my... A moment later, two Chanseys came from the back, wheeling a large gurney. Jessie and James helped Nurse Joy and the Chanseys lift Donphan onto the gurney. "I'll let you know as soon as I have any news," Nurse Joy promised as she started wheeling Donphan into the emergency room. "Thank you," James called after her. Once Joy was gone, he slumped into a chair and buried his face in his hands. I could tell from the way he was shaking that he was Hapi: Freezing his butt off. Constance: Transforming into a typical Tumblr user. beginning to cry. Constance: I was right! I seated myself in the chair next to his and gave him a pat on the back. "Hey, it's okay, Jimmy," I told him. "It's okay...." Balthus: *Meowth* I mean it's not, but anything so you'll stop bawlin' and get me some food. James sniffled. Jessie sat in the chair on his other side and gently massaged his shoulders. "Oh, sweetie," she said softly. At length, James brushed his tears away and looked up at us. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Yuri: *James* Our characterizations. We're not acting the least bit like ourselves. Donphan...." "We all are," Jessie assured him. "But we've done everything we can -- it's out of our hands now." "I know," he muttered. Tears welled up in his eyes again. "But what if we were too late getting him here? What if he doesn't make it? I've never had to deal with a pokemon dying before...." "And what if he survives?" I countered. "If Donphan lives, it'll be cuz of you, James!" He raised an eyebrow. Jessie smiled. "Meowth is right -- it was your idea to show us the place where you found the amberite chip. And you're the one who climbed down the cliff and dug him out of the rocks when we heard him crying. If not for you, he'd still be trapped down there! Thanks to you, he has a fighting chance!" James let his gaze drift to the ceiling. "I guess I was thinking about our last visit to Donphan Valley, too," he sighed. "Even if he didn't help us find any amberite, I really liked that little Donphan we caught -- it was so cute, the way he ate all those shrubs I fed him and did his best to lead us to some amberite, even though he didn't know how to look for it. I've wanted a Donphan of my own ever since." Yuri: *James* Why I didn't just steal that one when I had the chance, I'll never know. He looked back at us. "Maybe that's another reason I'm so worried -- the Donphan we saved tonight reminds me of that little guy. I don't know what I'd do if...." Jessie rubbed his back again as his voice trailed off. "Try not to think that way, James." She gave his shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "I have a feeling Donphan will be just fine. I think we made camp where we did tonight for a reason...." "Yeah!" I agreed. "We was meant ta be dere sos we could find Donphan and rescue him!" Jessie nodded. "I'm sure this is yet another thing that was meant to be." All: *gape at the screen* Hapi: Maybe this is my cynicism talking but I doubt that. This sounds like one of those "in the right place at the right time" deals. James's green eyes lit up when she said this. "You know, I think you're right!" For the next couple of hours, the three of us sat together in the lobby of the pokemon center, waiting for news about Donphan's condition. James still seemed tense, but I knew in my heart that Jessie was right -- I knew that things would work out exactly the way they were supposed to. At length, the emergency room doors slid open, and Nurse Joy stepped out. We all looked and saw that she was smiling. She made a vee-sign. "Donphan is doing fine!" she announced. Jessie, James, and I heaved a collective sigh of relief. James mopped away the sweat that had formed on his brow. "Thank goodness...." "I ran some tests on him -- he doesn't have any broken bones, and you did a good job bandaging his cuts and scrapes before getting him here, so patching them up was a simple matter," Joy told us. "The only real concern I have is that Byleth: *Joy* You're faking nice so you can steal this Pokemon, and you've got your boss waiting around the side with the getaway truck right now. some of his internal organs were bruised, but it's a miracle he wasn't hurt worse than he was!" The three of us exchanged smiles. Yuri: For threatening looks they could use next time they ran into the Twerps. Constance: *throws a fireball at the projector* Must this be so incredibly full of useless detail and dialogue? Jessie gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I know so. You always make me feel good, don't you?" James put his arms around her. "Point," he conceded. "But I know how much you were looking forward to visiting your grandparents, Jess. And we won't have time to do that before Gary's birthday if we stay here." "Then we'll just visit them after Gary's birthday," Jessie answered. "I'll give them a call when we get to our room and explain the situation. I know they'll understand." Hapi: Or they'll go apeshit with disappointment and read you the riot act. Balthus: Or lay such a guilt trip on you you'll be sorry you said anything. "Yes, but...." Jessie placed a hand to his lips and silenced him. "Not another word. It's not a problem, sweetie." James kissed her fingers and gave her another smile. "Thank you, honey," he whispered. @->->- After speaking with Nurse Joy for a few more minutes, the three of us went back to the Jeep and got our stuff. Then, one of Joy's Chansey aides showed us to our room. Byleth: *Chansey* Just scrape that week-old pizza off the wall and ignore the chalk outlines in front of the bed. Oh, and don't drink the water in that pitcher. Once we got settled in for the night, James went to take a shower, and Jessie called her grandparents. After a couple of rings, the vid-screen flicked on, and an image of a man with graying crimson hair that was pulled back in a ponytail appeared. The man's blue-green eyes lit up when he saw Jessie. "Hello, angel!" he exclaimed. Jessie smiled. "Hi, pop-pop," she replied. "How are you and your friends doing?" he inquired. "Still planning to come see me and your grandma?" "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," she told him. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" "What's going on, love?" another voice asked. After a moment, I saw a Japanese woman with sparkling amethyst eyes and purplish-black hair that had a few white streaks in it seat herself next to the man. She smiled, too. "Oh, it's Jessie!" "Hi, grandma," she said. Jesse Parker gave his wife a kiss and turned his attention back to his granddaughter. "So, you said there was something you wanted to tell us?" he prompted. Jessie nodded. "James, Meowth, and I are at the Florando Pokemon Center. We found an injured Donphan this evening and brought it here. James wants to stay until it's feeling better, so it looks like our visit will have to be postponed," she explained. A look of disappointment crossed Jesse and Musashi's faces, but it quickly passed. Hapi: *Jesse* Good, I didn't want her and her boyfriend using the guest room for kinky sex anyway. Yuri: You'd think they'd be into that sort of thing, but not in these fics. Hapi: Whatever, I'm gonna take a nap. Constance: I may as well read for a while. Balthus: I'm gonna stretch my legs. Byleth: Me too. Yuri: *shrugs and takes out a tablet to do some browsing. By the time Hapi wakes up and Balthus and Byleth sit down, they've missed a chunk of the fic* Jessie planted a kiss on his burning cheek. "What did I tell you, sweetie? Everything worked out exactly the way it was supposed to!" Yuri: So did this break! I discovered something much more interesting than this story. Constance: ...it's a video of a cat meowing and sticking its paw in the air. Byleth: Ooh, let me see! Jessie, James, and I spent the next couple of hours talking to the Parkers. Since James was too modest to go into details, Jessie gave them the full account of how he'd saved Donphan. She also told them about our time in the Whirl Islands and the badges that she and James had won. Yuri: And by won, they meant stole. Once we said good night to the Parkers, Jessie took her shower, and the three of us went to bed. Jessie and James were alseep within a few minutes, but I remained awake. Hapi: *Meowth* I mean, I'm a CAT! I got all my sleeping done during the day, now was the time for me to run around the place meowing and crashing into things! It had been an eventful day, and I was too restless to sleep! So, I decided to get online and check our e-mail. Yuri: *Meowth* If one more person emailed us asking me about that damn Tapeleg, Imma delete them so hard they won't know what hit 'em! Gary had promised to drop us a line once he got home (and he shoulda been in Pallet by tonight), and I wanted to make sure he'd arrived safely. Sure enough, when I booted up our laptop, logged onto the internet, and accessed our e-mail account, I found a message from Gary in our inbox. He had, indeed, made it home safely, and since his parents were now home from their latest archaeological dig, they'd taken him, May, and Professor Oak out to dinner. Now, he and his family were getting ready for his birthday party next week. He was happy to be home, but after nearly a month of traveling with me, Jess, and Jim, he really missed us. I smiled as I read our friend's message. Then, I hit the reply button and began to type.... Balthus: *James* Dear Strong Bad-I mean, Gary, how do you type with boxing gloves on your hands? Can I borrow The Cheat for a weekend? Is Strong Sad still single? Your pal, James of Team Rocket. Byleth: *Gary a la Strong Bad* DELETED! Hey, Gary! Thanks for the e-mail! I'm glad to hear that you made it home okay and that your party preparations are well underway! Jess, Jim, and I miss you too, but we'll see you again really soon. ^_^ It's been an exciting couple of days for the three of us. Guess that's all for now. I'll be sure to keep you posted on everything. In the meantime, take care! Talk to ya soon! >^__^< -- Meowth Yuri: ...I may have made a terrible mistake with this one. It's almost nothing but padding. *gives the projector a kick* Donphan tentatively reached up with his trunk and sniffed James's outstretched hand. After a moment, his dark eyes lit up. It's...it's you! he exclaimed. "Hey, Jimmy, dis Donphan seems ta know ya!" I remarked. Balthus: *James* Well, I kinda borrowed some money from him and I never paid him back. Can either of you spot me about a hundred gold? James studied the elephant for a moment, and his eyes went wide. "Can it be?" Jessie arched an eyebrow. "James, is this...the same Donphan we tried to catch last year?" "I think so," James replied. "Why else would he recognize us?" Constance: Because you're wanted criminals who stalk children, steal from them, and somehow keep avoiding prison time? Donphan gently wrapped his trunk around James's arm. Yes, I remember you...I remember.... I told James what Donphan was saying. "I...I don't believe this," James stammered. "It is a pretty freaky coincidence that we were just talking about this little guy last night, and he turns out to be the Donphan that we rescued," Jessie agreed. I smiled up at my two friends. "Are ya sure it's just a coincidence?" Knowing what I was hinting at, Jessie smiled back. James turned his attention back to Donphan. "What happened to you?" he queried. "How did you get caught in that rockslide?" A sad look crossed Donphan's face. Well, when you caught me last year, I was the youngest Donphan in Rochelle's herd. That's why I hadn't been able to find any amberite for you -- I hadn't been trained yet, he began. I'm not the youngest Donphan anymore, but I am still the smallest. Even the Phanpies that were born last year turned out to be bigger than me when they evolved! I get pushed around a lot by the bigger Donphan... and I don't find as much amberite as the bigger Donphan, either.... "What a shame," Jessie muttered as I translated Donphan's story. James placed his hand atop Donphan's head. "I used to get pushed around a lot when I was a boy, too." Donphan closed his eyes and smiled for a moment as James scratched behind his ears. Anyway, that's what led to the rockslide. I wanted to find some amberite for Rochelle -- she's a good trainer, and she's proud of me no matter how much I find, so I wanted to find a lot for her...to make her happy. I went off by myself so that the rest of the herd couldn't interfere, and that's when it happened -- I smelled a huge vein of it in the cliffs at the southwestern edge of the valley! I got a running start and used my Rollout on the cliff face. I rammed the cliff over and over again, trying to break the amberite free. But when I hit the cliff with one last Rollout, I knocked loose some boulders overhead...and then the whole cliff collapsed -- it came down on me before I had a chance to run away.... I felt tears stinging my eyes as I translated the rest of the story, and I could see that Jessie and James were welling up as they listened. Jessie gently stroked Donphan's trunk, which was still coiled around James's arm. "You poor thing. That must've been terrifying." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and shuddered. "Seeing a whole mountain come crashing down on you...knowing that you can't escape...." James wrapped his free arm around Jessie's shoulders and held her to him. Doubtless, she was thinking about the avalanche that had killed her parents. "But you're okay now...you're safe," he said reassuringly. Jessie sniffled and brushed her tears away. "Yeah...." The next couple of minutes passed in silence, but then Nurse Joy came into the room. She was carrying a bottle filled with some kind of green liquid. "It's time for your medication, Donphan," she announced. Donphan sat up and let Nurse Joy pour the contents of the bottle into his mouth. He winced as he swallowed it. "Yes, I know it tastes awful, but it'll help you heal," Joy chuckled. "I promise lunch will taste a lot better." Balthus: *Joy* Because this medicine just burned off all your taste buds! Byleth: Good thing Dimitri's not around to hear you say that. Once he was finished drinking the medicine, Donphan nodded and laid back down. His eyelids seemed to be getting heavier and heavier with every passing second. Hapi: And then he died. Just like we're all going to die of boredom. Constance: *tosses a fireball at the machine* When I got to the room, however, I discovered that Jessie was doing anything but taking a nap! Hapi: *Meowth* She was writing erotic fanfiction about herself and Cassidy! [The machine suddenly hiccups and skips a chunk of the fic without anyone touching it] Yuri: Oh, good, looks like Constance's spell did the trick. "And a pair of...unmentionables," she muttered. Those'll come in real handy in the winter time -- they'll keep him nice and warm and prevent shrinkage! Wobbuffet laughed, as if he could read my mind. "Hey, dat's what I was gonna say!" I told him. "But yer right, Wobbu -- dose snuggly shorts oughtta keep both of 'em happy dis winter!" [Machine hiccups] "Anyway, I was gonna go pick up some dinner," I told her. "You in the mood for anything specific?" "Not really. Anything you want to get is fine by me," Jessie replied as she resumed her knitting. She took the yarn from Wobbuffet's hands and got Lickitung to hold it for her instead. "Why don't you take Wobbuffet along?" she suggested. I nodded. "Yeah. I could use the company...and an extra pair a hands ta carry all the food back!" Hapi: *Meowth* If we don't eat it all on the way. "That's what I was thinking," she chuckled. "Just try not to get into too much trouble while you're out!" Wobbuffet smirked. Hey, we're not making any promises that we can't keep! [The machine hiccups again] Wobbuffet nodded. You're right. I guess it does work out better this way. The smile returned to his mouth. And I guess I know what we're having for lunch tomorrow! "Oh, yeah!" I laughed. "And the day after dat, and the day after dat, and...." @->->- Yuri: So I read ahead and there's nothing but boring padding coming up. Balthus? Balthus: *hits the machine, causing it to skip and even smoke for a few minutes* But before any of that, there was still one thing we had to do. One very difficult thing. @->->- After a hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and hash browns in the pokemon center cafeteria on Tuesday morning, Nurse Joy finally gave us the news we'd been waiting for. Constance: *Joy* The third installment in the Carry On series will appear on bookshelves this coming holiday season! "Donphan has made a complete recovery from his injuries!" she announced. "As soon as I fill out a bit of paperwork, I'm releasing him Hapi: *Joy* Back into the wild. from the pokemon center...and I can't imagine a better trainer for him than you. I said it before, but I'm saying it again -- you saved his life last week. And you've done such a wonderful job working with him and helping me rehabilitate him." Yuri: *Joy* He's quit the crystal meth for good, the withdrawl symptoms have stopped, and he's promised never to do drugs again! James hung his head. "Actually, while we were here, we found out that Donphan already has a trainer," he said quietly. Balthus: *James* And we were going to steal him anyway, but Jessie reminded me of what happened last time we went to jail. They peed in a cup and threw it on us. "He wasn't hurt due to any negligence on her part -- it was just an accident. She's probably really worried about him, so we're going to find her and take Donphan back to her. I'd love to keep him for myself, but it wouldn't be right...." Nurse Joy smiled tenderly at us. "In that case, I think you'll be very happy to hear what I have to say next." James looked up at her again. "Donphan's trainer showed up while you three were out on Saturday -- a nice lady named Rochelle," Joy told us. "She'd been searching for her littlest Donphan for days. She said it wasn't like any of her Donphan to just wander off, Constance: *Rochelle* I had them microchipped and fitted with painful shock collars to keep them by my side! and when she found the site of the rockslide, she was worried that he'd been hurt. She came here to ask if anybody had brought him in. I told her all about you three finding an injured Donphan in the mountains and bringing him here in the nick of time, and when I showed him to her, she confirmed that he was the one that had gone missing from her herd." Our eyes went wide when we heard this. If Nurse Joy already knew about Donphan having a trainer, she wouldn't have said we could keep him unless.... Nurse Joy was beaming now. "I told Rochelle how wonderful the three of you had been to Donphan. She spent the afternoon with him, and before she left, she told me that she'd made a decision. She said that Donphan had always been the misfit of her herd, but when she found out how happy he was with you and how well he was getting along with all of your pokemon, she thought it would be for the best if he stayed with you...." James looked over at me and Jessie, then back to Nurse Joy. His emerald eyes were filling with tears. "Rochelle said she'll miss her little Donphan, but she also said that if he leaves the herd and goes with you, he'll have a chance to get bigger and stronger and live up to his full potential," Nurse Joy continued. "She also wanted me to tell you that she'd always be grateful to you for saving Hapi: *Joy* The last of the bacon for her. Donphan's life...and to consider letting you keep him as her way of saying thanks. After all, she knows that he'll be in good hands with you." Constance: *Joy* Just as long as you don't let him watch any South Park. It's a bad influence on him. Yuri: So Cori just took over 300 words to say "Donphan's trainer stopped by, I told her how good you were with her Pokemon and she suggested you guys keep him." James's tears were now flowing freely. "You...you really mean it, don't you?" Byleth: *Joy* No, I'm just messing with you. Rochelle says give back her Pokemon or she's calling the cops on you. At that moment, one of Nurse Joy's Chansey aides led Donphan into the lobby. He trumpeted happily and bounced up and down when he saw us. Hapi: Causing a major earthquake throughout the city and demolishing the Pokemon center. I went to Donphan's side. "Is it true?" I asked. "Did Rochelle really say we could keep ya?" Donphan nodded. Yes. I talked it over with her when she came to get me on Saturday. She figured out who you were when Nurse Joy told her that I'd been rescued by a red-haired woman, a purple-haired man, and a talking Meowth, but she wanted you to know that she's not mad at you for trying to steal me anymore. And then, I told her how kind you'd all been to me and that you and your pokemon were my friends. She knew that the other Donphan in the herd had been bullying me, so she asked me if I wanted to stay with you. I said that I did. I grinned. "Hey, dat's great! But why didn't you and Nurse Joy tell us sooner?" He winked at me. What? And spoil the surprise? "Of all the sneaky, devious things ta do, leavin' us in suspense like dat!" I chuckled. I winked back at him. "I think you'll fit in just fine with us, Donphan!" Now Donphan was laughing, too. I know so! I turned my attention back to Jessie and James. "Donphan sez it's no joke! Rochelle really did give him to us...and she forgives us for what we did last year!" Nurse Joy nodded approvingly. "That's right. He's yours now." Jessie placed a hand on James's shoulder. "Go on, sweetie. You worked the hardest to save his life and rehabilitate him. You should have Donphan." "I couldn't have done it without you, Jess," he reminded her. "That may be," she replied. "But you said yourself that you always wanted a Donphan, and you really deserve this one." James brushed his tears away and smiled again. "Thank you. Thank you all," he whispered. He knelt next to Donphan and placed a hand atop his head. After petting him for a moment, he brought out an empty poke ball and drew Donphan inside. "Welcome to the team, Donphan." Then, to Nurse Joy, "I'll take good care of him. I promise." "I know you will, James," she replied. "You and your friends are good trainers, and you've raised excellent pokemon. I wish you all the best of luck." Jessie put her arms around James and gave him a kiss. "Didn't I tell you that you'd be getting a Donphan of your very own someday soon?" James returned her embrace and kissed back. "Yes. And you also said that everything would work out exactly the way it was supposed to." "And she was right on both counts!" I said. @->->- Once we shared the good news with the rest of the pokemon, Jessie, James, and I returned to our room and packed our belongings. We also called Gary and told him that we were leaving Florando and hoped to be in Pallet by that evening (we were savin' the story of how James got ta keep Donphan as a surprise for later, though). Then, we bid farewell to Nurse Joy and thanked her once again for all she'd done for us. Now, we were back on the road to Kanto. Gary's birthday wasn't until Friday, but he'd invited us to stay at his house for a few days before and after the party, and he'd promised that he and his parents would have the guest rooms ready when we arrived. A sense of peace came over me as I admired the countryside from the window of the Jeep and reflected on everything that had happened over the past week. It hadn't been without its rough times. Not knowing whether or not Donphan would survive on the night we'd brought him to the pokemon center, the way we'd been treated when we'd gone to the Violet Gym, the heartbreaking prospect of giving Donphan back to his trainer after befriending him -- each of those situations had challenged us in its own way, but in the end, everything had turned out just fine. Donphan had survived and made a complete recovery from his injuries, Falcner had been obligated to accept Jessie and James's request for a gym battle and to award them with the Zephyr Badge when they'd beaten him, and Donphan was now James's newest pokemon! There wasn't a doubt in my mind that James would have returned Donphan to Rochelle if she hadn't come to the pokemon center or decided to let us keep him. It wouldn't have been an easy thing for him to do, but I knew that his promise to give up stealing was one that he intended to keep. James is a man of his word, after all. Now more than ever, I'm convinced that the changes we've made in our lives have all been good ones and that we're doing the right thing. Our experience with Donphan must have been another test...and the fact that Rochelle had forgiven us for our past indescretion and allowed Donphan to stay with us seemed to be proof that we'd passed with flying colors. We really could stick to our new path (no matter how challenging it could be at times), we weren't going to let anybody or anything deter us or keep us down...and we were finally reaping the rewards of all our hard work and dedication. My smile grew even wider than it already was as I turned my attention back to Jessie and James, who were sitting together in the front seat and singing along to a song that was playing on the radio. In a few hours, we'd be in Pallet Town with our friend, Gary. In a few days, we'd be celebrating his birthday. In a few weeks, we'd be visiting Jessie and James's grandparents and celebrating Jessie's birthday and the holidays. And after that...who knows? I'm not sure what's in store for us, but I do know that as long as my friends and I stick together and remain true to ourselves and each other, then we'll be able to overcome any obstacle that we find ourselves faced with... and things will just keep getting better for us. James is right -- that white tomorrow we've been striving for really is closer than we thought. And Jessie is right, too -- everything is working out exactly the way it's supposed to. To be Concluded.... Author's Notes A very special thanks goes to Shigeru1313 for her technical help with this chapter. (She decided which prizes Gary should win at the Battle Tower.) I'd also like to thank her for the adorable illustration of James with his little Donphan! ^__^