A Life Yet Lived - Chapter 7
#9 of A Life Yet Lived
Note from the Author:
Sorry about the huge delay! I'm finally back (again), and I've edited the story! It should be much, much better than before! The next chapter is coming soon!
--Chapter 7: A Fight for Survival--
Mew was just moving into position when the first explosions rang out across the forest.
Quickly and without a sound, the pink psychic floated into a tall oak tree, making itself comfortable amongst the thick bunches of leaves that easily concealed its small body. From there, it levitated upwards through the foliage and sat down on a large branch that stretched over the dirt path, low enough to offer a great view of the action, but still high enough to keep from being seen. Which, of course, was perfect for its needs.
Settling in, the Mew giggled to itself, barely able to mask the growing excitement--and anxiety--at this latest turn of events. This was it; finally, the moment of truth had come for the bitter Umbreon, his determined trainer, and their ferocious foe, Houndoom. All of the psychic's plans, its efforts, and all of the risks it had taken...especially the risks...everything would hinge on the outcome of this single confrontation. For Mew, this was a huge gamble, the results of which could reach well beyond this tiny forest. And, if things didn't work out...well...
...it could only hope that they did.
'Okay...not exactly the fight I was hoping for...' Mew thought, its long tail starting to twitch eagerly, '...but still, this should be very interesting to watch.'
Grinning, it looked down at the Typhlosion named 'Jane,' a fire-type Pokemon tall enough to literally stand face to face with her own trainer. 'Well, Jane's definitely got a nice advantage here in height, weight...and intelligence.' _ It leaned forward to study the snarling Houndoom just below. _'Still, I'd say that Houndoom probably has the higher endurance...and he's pretty vicious.'
Mew's smile began to wane at that thought, and its large blue eyes shifted over to the Umbreon in the girl trainer's arms. 'Looks like a close match to me...let's see what happens next.'
Meanwhile, Sara was retreating to a safe distance away from the battle zone, clutching her embittered prize defensively. She took in slow, rhythmic breaths to calm her nerves a bit, and then turned to face the Houndoom with a final, relaxed exhale. "Ah...alright, Jane! Use Flamethrower again!"
"Got it!" Jane roared, flames erupting from her back like a raging bonfire, licking hungrily at the air above her. She raised her head, jaws locked while fire and molten liquid gathered in her throat...and then she opened her mouth wide with a loud cry, unleashing the sweltering inferno out across the dirt path.
Houndoom easily dove out of the way, kicking up clouds of dust as the fiery stream swept harmlessly past him. The attack continued down the path, curving downwards until it burst against the ground with a FLOOSH, sending streaks of fire sailing in all directions. The remaining flames fizzled out quickly, leaving behind soot-blackened scars on the ground, and a lingering burnt smell in the air.
Mew wrinkled its nose at the harsh scent, covering its mouth with a paw to suppress a sneeze. 'Wow...ah, I'm starting to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to watch a fire fight from a tree branch...I might get myself burned by one of those attacks!'
"What? Is that the best you can do?" Houndoom growled, crouching into his usual battle stance, "Because if that's the case, then you should just hand over that big-mouthed runt right now...before I really get angry!"
"Get as angry as you want, Houndoom!" Jane snarled back, "You don't scare me!"
Tomas pushed himself up a bit from Sara's trembling arms, making her wince as she tried to keep a tight grip on him. "H-hey, uh...Jane, is it? Be careful around that Houndoom! He's dangerous!"
"So, the Umbreon finally speaks to me..." the Typhlosion replied flatly. She rolled her eyes in his direction, and added, "Do you know this guy?"
"Who, Houndoom?" Tomas muttered under his breath, "Well...if, by 'knowing him,' you mean that I'm utterly terrified of the slobbering psychopath...then yeah. I know him very well."
"Oh."
"Hey! I heard that!" Houndoom rumbled, streams of ashen smoke rising from between his clenched fangs, "You're gonna' pay for that one, you stupid little ball of fuzz!" He glared at the Typhlosion for a moment, and then set his sights on the startled Umbreon. "After I'm done with her, YOU'RE NEXT!!"
At that, Tomas retreated back into his captor's arms, raising a paw to his muzzle to suppress a fearful yelp. On the tree branch above, Mew did a similar gesture, but only to stifle another fit of laughter. 'Oh, that Tomas will never learn, will he?'
"Ah! Um...new strategy, Jane!" Sara called out, still struggling to keep a grip on the Umbreon, "Get in close and keep that Houndoom on the defensive! Use Quick Attack!"
"Okay, Sara!" Jane stooped low, then charged full speed at Houndoom. Her body became a sudden blur of rapid movement as she weaved back and forth across the path, deftly avoiding the Ember attacks from her opponent, every shot exploding harmlessly around her paws. Then she somersaulted over another barrage of molten rock and ash that slammed into a tree trunk instead, showering the dirt path with splinters and chunks of smoldering wood.
Meanwhile, the pink psychic was leaning lower on the branch, its eyes following the battle in earnest, mouth open with genuine surprise. _'Look at that! She's a lot more agile than I thought! I bet he didn't see that one coming!' _
Jane landed a few feet away, then sped directly at her frustrated opponent. Smoke pouring out of his muzzle, Houndoom was still struggling to catch his breath when he heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. He glanced up in time to see the Typhlosion looming over him, paw raised to strike.
"AH! You--!" Houndoom ducked and rolled away on the ground, barely escaping Jane's powerful claw swipe as it tore up the ground near his paws. Following his body's momentum, Houndoom bounced upright and then leapt backwards, avoiding another swing from the Typhlosion as she closed the distance between them again.
"Hold still!" Jane growled as she kept up the assault, forcing the horned beast back with frenzied swipes. It wasn't until they had reached the forest entrance that Houndoom managed to sidestep and counter with another Ember attack. She jumped back a few steps when it exploded on the ground in front of her, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. Then Houndoom crouched low and charged headfirst into the rising smoke, curved horns lowered.
Hidden by the smoke, Jane didn't even see him coming until it was too late. Houndoom's horns slammed into her midsection, sending the surprised Typhlosion spiraling to the ground with a pained squeal. She quickly bounced back onto her paws and growled angrily at Houndoom, both forepaws clenched, the flames on her back swelling with barely-contained fury.
"Hey! Calm down, Jane!" Sara yelled out, taking a few steps forward. "Stay focused! Don't let that Houndoom upset you!"
The Typhlosion flinched, but calmed herself, and the flames on her back quickly dwindled. She turned to glance at her trainer, face flush with embarrassment. "Oh, r-right. Sorry, Sara."
Houndoom was still chuckling triumphantly when he noticed the Typhlosion already fast approaching, her fangs bared and eyes narrowed. He fired off another Ember attack, but she simply sidestepped it and kept coming.
"Get...back...you--!" Houndoom roared as the larger Pokemon cornered him again, her powerful claw swipes almost forcing him against the bushes. "GET BACK!" Then he slid to a stop and sprung forward with an enraged howl, pouncing on Jane with mouth opened wide, attempting to bite her to pieces.
"Dodge it, Jane!" Sara commanded, "Then counter with Quick Attack!"
The Typhlosion paused, and then spun away on one paw before Houndoom had time to react, nimbly evading while he sailed right past her. Houndoom's jaws clamped down on empty air, drawing a startled whine from his muzzle when he hit the ground hard and stumbled forward awkwardly.
"Whoa..." Tomas murmured as he watched the battle unfold, "she's...pretty fast..."
"A-ah! You little--" Houndoom growled as he struggled to maintain his balance. He whirled around to face his opponent, just in time to catch the Typhlosion's forepaw square in the face, smacking him clear off his paws. The impact sent Houndoom rolling across the dirt path, clouds of dust and unsettled ash trailing behind him until he tumbled into a heap on the ground, letting out a low moan.
"Take that!" Jane growled from behind the battered Pokemon, arms folded, a victorious grin spread across her face.
'Wow! This is great!' Mew noted from above, its long tail twirling aimlessly behind it. How long had it been since anything this exciting had gone down? The pink psychic turned, shoving away a cluster of leaves to study Houndoom's trembling form lying near the forest entrance. 'Ouch! It looks like Jane's got a bit of a temper, too! That was totally a revenge smack!'
"Nice one!" Sara called out, wincing from the ache in her arms. "Keep it up!"
Mew watched on with a grin when Houndoom scrambled back to his paws, head lowered as he stifled a pained whine. Slowly, he stared up at the Typhlosion, his expression a mixture of shock and indignation, his fragile ego obviously hurt more than anything else. Then his red eyes shifted to the tense Umbreon in the trainer's arm. Then, he glanced back at his opponent, giving her a low growl.
And, for just a moment, Mew could've sworn that there was the tiniest hint of...doubt on his face. It was probably the first time that he'd been faced with such an imbalance of strength in his opponent. Well, at least in one that he didn't respect.
Maybe...this was it. Was the snarling beast finally starting to come to his senses?
"Argh! You worthless sacks of fur!" Houndoom practically screamed, "I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH ME!!"
'Oh, right,' Mew corrected with a curt chuckle, 'I forgot...he's an idiot.'
The horned moron crouched low, eyes narrowed to slits. Smoke began to pour from his nostrils as smoldering rock and ash pooled in his mouth. Molten liquid seeped out of his bulging cheeks as he growled--or rather gurgled--bitterly at his opponents. Then, with a final ear-piecing roar, he fired off the strongest Ember attack he could muster.
"Jane!" Sara cried out, squeezing the horrified Umbreon tightly, "Flamethrower, GO!"
The Typhlosion gathered as much fire and molten liquid into her throat as possible, then quickly unleashed the massive inferno into the incoming volley.
Mew's heart skipped a beat when the two powerful attacks slammed into each other just below its hiding place in the trees. The molten mass roiled in midair, building in force as the two Pokemon maintained their fiery assault...until finally, the unstable energy of their attacks couldn't be contained any longer. The resulting explosion rocked the arena, sweeping both Pokemon away and drowning out their yelps of surprise with a deafening roar.
Meanwhile, Mew was hanging on for dear life as the tree shook violently from the impact, holding up a paw to keep the thinner, flailing branches from slapping it in the face. 'OW! O-okay, hiding in a tree to watch this battle...definitely not my best idea!'
The explosion faded quickly, leaving behind a rumbling echo in the distance, and a wall of thick, billowing smoke that spread over the dirt path, concealing the fate of the two Pokemon.
Tomas just sat there, muzzle hanging open, staring at the rising smoke with bated breath.
"JANE!" Sara cried out, hugging the Umbreon defensively as she turned away from the hail of debris that crumbled around her, "Jane! Are you okay!?"
From the branch overhead, Mew could only share in their anticipation, eyes widening as it stared eagerly into the debris cloud, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two shell-shocked opponents. Or, at the very least...what was left of them. 'Well! Not bad for a couple of ordinary Pokemon!' the pink psyhic thought, its small body tense from excitement, long tail flicking about erratically, 'I should've been watching Pokemon battles a long time ago!'
It broke from that thought, frowning a bit as it glanced down at the girl trainer and her golden-ringed trophy. 'But then again...' it added with some trepidation, '...I've never had anything important at stake in a Pokemon battle before...'
Mew focused in on the Umbreon's dumbfounded expression, and stifled a giggle. 'You'd better be watching this very carefully, Tomas. You're going to be involved in a lot of important battles soon...'
Cyndaquil was scurrying through the forest, trying in vain to ignore the sounds of battle that echoed from the nearby dirt path. Her heart thudded like a jackhammer with each hurried step, her breathing ragged as she struggled to swallow away her anxiety. Every explosion she heard seemed to strike at the very ground she moved on, sending violent shockwaves through her tiny body like electricity, leaving her disoriented and nauseous, and irritating the painful bump on her head.
"M-master Todd!," she called out between ragged pants, "Where...are...you!?"
It was fairly obvious by now that her self-imposed mission of finding her master...wasn't going to work. At first, she'd assumed that Todd must be nearby--probably still training in the forest with the other Pokemon--in which case she would lead him to Houndoom before any damage was done. Which sounded like a good plan...in theory. But, after several minutes of fruitless, exhaustive searching, she decided instead to just return to the rest area, where her master's campsite stood. If Todd wasn't in the forest, then he had to be there.
"Almost there!" she thought aloud as she pushed onwards, bounding around tall oaks and diving through the foliage. "Oh! Why is Houndoom always causing trouble for everyone!?"
Of course, considering Houndoom's intelligence--or lack thereof--it really a pointless question to ask. Still, Cyndaquil asked anyway. It was all she could do to contain her frustration at Houndoom for everything he'd done to her and Tomas. There was no denying it...that horned idiot was at the center of this whole mess. And now, thanks to him, she had no choice but to locate her master...and soon.
Thankfully, the forest ended just beyond the next clearing, at another row of bushes set adjacent to the ones bordering the dirt path. From there, she'd only need to cross the small expanse of open field before she'd reach the rest area, where she hoped to find her master.
And then...she could save Tomas from that horrible beast!
"...almost...there..." Cyndaquil repeated, dashing through the thick undergrowth into the last clearing as fast as her stubby legs could carry her. The forest exit was right there in front of her, just a few feet away! All she had to do was escape without being caught up in the battle raging on the dirt trail, and then she'd be home free! Just--
"Argh! You worthless sacks of fur! I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH ME!!"
"That's...ah!" The small Pokemon cried out, "...Houndoom!?" She almost froze in her tracks right there. Instead, she fought down the urge and kept moving, turning her face away from the battle. "N-no! I have...to keep going!"
Cyndaquil was almost out of the forest when she was startled by a sudden, massive explosion that almost threw her off balance. She fought to keep upright while another shockwave shot up her spine, the sudden nausea and dizziness making her sick to her stomach. Dazed and shaken, Cyndaquil didn't even notice the large debris cloud rising from the dirt path that showered the clearing with bits of dirt, rock, and ashes. Nor did she see the large chunk of smoldering wood coming until it bounced off the ground right in front of her, just barely missing her long snout. "Wha--ahh!!"
The shaken Pokemon stumbled through the final set of bushes leading out of the forest, at last escaping into the open, grassy field. Once outside, she paused for just a moment, staring at the smoke rising from the forest entrance. And then she took off again, letting out a small whimper.
As she quickly approached the rest area, Cyndaquil could see a few camping tents and sleeping bags surrounding a large campfire pit, already lit in preparation for nightfall. Two tall oaks were set on opposite sides of the small clearing, their long branches a home for flying Pokemon nestling in the leaves. The neatly trimmed grass under Cyndaquil's paws had been littered with bits of trash, and the smell of campfire ashes and heated Poke-food wafted lightly in the air, making her belly rumble with hunger.
Wearily, she trudged through the campgrounds, ignoring the excited buzz of a few humans and Pokemon, most of whom were too concerned with the explosion to even notice her moving around their legs. She collapsed just outside her master's tent as the flame on her back completely fizzled out from exhaustion. 'Oh, please be inside, master...' she pleaded mentally, 'I could really use your help!'
Then, she sucked in as much air as her lungs could carry...and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"M-MASTER TODD!!"
Tomas stared into the debris cloud rolling across the dirt path, eyes widened and muzzle agape with utter astonishment. Bits of dirt and rocks were raining down from above, crumbling around the Umbreon and his stunned captor...but he didn't see it. The smell of ashes in the air stung his sensitive nose and eyes, but he didn't even feel it. The only thing that seemed to penetrate the vague numbness of his mind at that moment...was the epic Pokemon battle that had just taken place.
"JANE!" the girl trainer yelled from above Tomas' head, jolting him from his stupor, "Jane! Are you okay!?" She turned away from the falling debris, arms trembling as she squeezed the Umbreon tightly out of concern for her Typhlosion.
A few moments passed before the girl and the Umbreon both returned their attention to the spreading smoke, checking anxiously for any sign of the two Pokemon...but to no avail. Aside from the rolling smoke, there was no other movement. And no sound except the rumbling echo in the distance, and a slight ringing in their own ears.
With the action apparently over, Tomas relaxed in the girl trainer's grasp, finally able to close his mouth as he began to come to his senses. By now, the cramp in his leg had faded, leaving behind only a faint ache and a persistent tightness. His thick tail hung limply under him, just barely managing a feeble twitch of its own volition. All of his muscles felt weak and sluggish from exhaustion. And yet, the adrenaline still surged through his small body. Mixed with fear and frustration, it was more than enough to keep his weary mind painfully awake.
Ruminating on recent events, it dawned on Tomas that having his fate decided by a simple Pokemon battle...was actually both horrifying and humiliating. But mostly horrifying. Sure, it would've been fun and exciting if he were the human, sitting back and commanding the Pokemon from a safe distance...but as the Pokemon being fought over, it was quite easily the scariest thing he had ever been forced to experience.
In fact, if Tomas hadn't been so utterly engrossed by the battle itself, he probably would've given in to hysteria. Again. But eventually, even that growing fascination with the battle started to feel a bit...peculiar to the Umbreon. It began as a tiny nagging thought, a distant desire that had emerged from some remote corner of his mind, slowly intensifying...until it became almost impossible to ignore. For some reason, the more Tomas watched the two Pokemon clash, the more it seemed to...appeal to him.
The thrill of facing a new opponent...the allure of having those incredible abilities at his fingertips...well, his paws...
...maybe he should be out there...battling, too?
'Wait, no!' Tomas thought, recoiling visibly. What the hell was happening to him?! Was it more of those 'instincts' that Mew had mentioned earlier? He knew that he'd felt something similar before, but it was never this strong...
...was he slowly being consumed by these feral impulses? Would he even still be himself when it was all over? 'Damn it all!' he sulked, fangs bared in frustration, 'What did that Mew do to me?!'
The more he tried to make sense of it all, the more confusing it became. Like, what was the deal with his captor? Thanks to the Typhlosion, he at least knew that the girl's name was 'Sara,' but that was it. Was Mew somehow connected to this girl, too?
Also, why the hell were her arms shaking so much!? Was he really that heavy?
Tomas never had the chance to finish his thoughts. Sharp shuffling sounds started up from within the swirling debris cloud as the battle suddenly resumed, every movement punctuated with the muffled growls and roars of the two unseen Pokemon. And then, after a brief pause, Jane burst out of the smoky haze, leaping backwards while Houndoom bounded after her, howling like a deranged beast, fangs snapping frantically at the air. The two battered Pokemon slid to a stop on the dirt path, kicking up more dirt and soot into the already dissipating debris cloud, glaring at each other in a bitter standoff.
'Whoa...' Tomas thought, barely masking his awe, '...they took that explosion head on...and can still fight? I'm...actually impressed...'
Still, despite their durability, it was fairly obvious that neither Pokemon was invincible. Even from a distance, Tomas could see the thick layers of dirt and ash that obscured Houndoom's trembling form, making him resemble some horrible untamed monster. He was practically wheezing for air while smoke poured from his open muzzle, tongue hanging out as he coughed up chunks of molten rock and ash, apparently having overexerted himself with that last, reckless attack. And it almost looked like one of Houndoom's horns had been...cracked...though Tomas was too far away to be sure.
All in all, the poor, stupid beast looked so wretched in appearance that it would've been pretty difficult for anyone not to feel at least some sympathy for him...
...well, anyone except Tomas.
'Hah! He injured himself with that huge attack?' he thought derisively, studying the pained expression on Houndoom's face, _'What a moron!' _
And with that bit of good news to brighten his day, the Umbreon turned to the Typhlosion, who actually seemed to be in better condition...but not by much. Her body from still smoking from the heat of the explosion, her fur matted with thick clumps of dirt, ash, and rock. She was crouched over with fatigue, pointed ears laid back, panting heavily as the flames on her back started to burn low. Obviously, that last Flamethrower--and the massive explosion that followed--had taken its toll on her as well.
"Jane! Thank goodness you're okay!" Sara blurted out with a relieved sigh, "A-are you okay!? Can you still fight?"
"Don't...worry..." Jane replied, breathing heavily as she forced herself upright, the flames on her back starting to flare up again, "...I'm not done yet!" She shot a scathing look at Houndoom, forepaws clenched in anger and disbelief. "You! What were you thinking? You could've killed all of us with that last attack...especially Sara!"
"Well...n-now you know..." Houndoom managed to slur, spraying molten liquid across the ground, "...not to take me lightly!"
"You...idiot!" she roared, "I'm going to beat you into the ground!!"
Tomas just stared blankly at the Typhlosion. 'Yeah...she's kinda scary, too...'
"Jane! That Houndoom's almost done!" Sara called out, her voice starting to strain. She took a few heavy steps closer to the battle zone, her arms shaking under Tomas's weight. "We...ah, need to end this...quickly! F-finish it off with Double Edge!"
"You got it!" Jane replied with a grin, obviously content with that command. She stooped low, fangs bared at the horned Pokemon. "You had this coming, Houndoom...for putting Sara at risk!"
Her opponent simply gave a low, indignant rumble at that, crouching into his own battle stance with head lowered, letting molten liquid drip from his muzzle in steaming droplets and ashen smoke billow into the air in thin, wispy puffs.
Tomas leaned forward in Sara's weakening grasp, breathing shallow as the two fatigued Pokemon charged each other head-on, both eager to deliver the finishing blow. His heart thudded heavily in his chest as he watched the battle conclude. 'T-this is it!' he thought with a cringe, his tail starting to twitch from a fresh surge of adrenaline, 'If, by some miracle, I manage to survive this...I'm really going to hurt that Mew!!'
Time almost seemed to slow as the two bitter rivals clashed for the last time. Houndoom pounced first, moments after Jane came within striking distance. An Ember attack was already brewing in his throat, molten liquid trailing behind him as he leapt through the air. He let out a final roar as he began to descend upon his weary foe...
...but he never got the chance to strike. Houndoom could only recoil in horror as Jane ducked under him with a single, quick maneuver...and then threw herself upward into his still-airborne body. His attacker almost seemed to glow when she slammed into him with everything she had, drawing a loud yelp of pain from both Pokemon on impact.
However, only Houndoom was sent skyward. His body tumbled wildly through the air before he bounced hard off the ground, letting out a sharp whine. He rolled for several feet, and then slid to a stop near the forest entrance amid clouds of dust and unsettled soot. Jane landed on the dirt path a moment later, crouching low and holding her freshly-sprained shoulder with a paw.
"Jane! Y-you did it!" Sara called out to her Pokemon, "That was...incredible!"
The Typhlosion paused to catch her breath, and then grinned at her trainer. "Well, I don't know about incredible, but thank you, Sara!"
Well, it certainly looked like the battle was over. Leaning a bit from Sara's arms again, Tomas scanned the smoldering wreckage of the dirt path, searching for any sign of the horned moron. It took him a while with all of the dust and soot floating around, but he eventually found Houndoom huddled in one of several large smoking craters, motionless. Finallyreassured, Tomas let out a long, grateful sigh...and then chuckled. "That's a knockout..."
Of course, even with Houndoom out of commission, things were far from okay. In fact, it only gave him more questions to think about. Like, what exactly was he supposed to do now? Could he escape this girl, Sara? And what about Mew? Tired as he was, it was becoming difficult to push through the adrenaline-addled recesses of his mind and concentrate on anything distinct. Maybe he should take a moment and--
Tomas thoughts were cut short when he felt himself suddenly slip from Sara's trembling hands. She managed to catch the Umbreon by his forepaws just before he hit the ground, stretching their sore muscles at the same time, making them both cry out in unison. "Ah! Damn it!"
With a low groan, Sara struggled to gather the bitter Pokemon back into her arms, apologizing profusely for her rough treatment. "Ugh...Jane? I...can't hold him...ah...any longer! Um, help!"
"O-okay!" Jane said anxiously as she hurried to her trainer's side, both paws outstretched. "Just give him to me! I'll hold him for you!"
"YOU'RE ALL DONE FOR!!!"
All three of them froze when they heard the loud cry that practically exploded from the dirt path. They turned in time to see the battered and beaten Houndoom lumbering towards them, eyes narrowed with clear malicious intent, an Ember attack bubbling up from the back of his throat even as molten liquid dribbled from his muzzle like saliva. Apparently, even in his weakened state, the stubborn beast still refused to let the girl trainer and the two Pokemon leave.
Without another word, the persistent monster pounced on the entire group, ready to fire his attack without any regard for the human trainer caught in the middle. Injured and exhausted, Jane barely had enough time to move in front of Sara, raising her good arm defensively at the deranged Houndoom. Sara turned away at the last minute to shield the Umbreon, screaming as she waited to feel the scorching heat from the horned beast's final attack.
"HOUNDOOM, STOP!"
Before anyone could react, a bright crimson light lanced through the air and caught Houndoom from behind. His body froze in mid-air, the Ember attack already starting to pour from his open mouth in steaming globs, and then he disappeared into the glow emanating from a Pokeball. Sara and the two Pokemon could only stare in breathless relief at the life-saving orb for several seconds...and then their collective eyes slowly lifted to the exasperated teenager holding it.
"Looks like we got here just in time, Master!" a Sableye said, standing next to the teen. It took a quick glance around the smoldering remains of the dirt path, and rubbed its large, crystalline eyes in disbelief. "Wow...just look at this place! Houndoom wrecked it!"
After a moment's hesitation, the teen let out a long sigh, and slipped the Pokeball into his pocket. Then he turned to look at the bewildered trio. "I...I'm really sorry about all of this, miss. Houndoom just kind of...gets out of control every now and again. Um, are you hurt?"
He walked up to the dumbfounded group, pausing to study the shaken Umbreon still hanging low by his forepaws. Then he looked Sara right in her face, smiling warmly. "Hi, I'm Todd Nathans."
"Oh! Uh..." she finally muttered, blushing a bit from the attention, "...uh, hello...I'm, um...Sara. Sara Tolson."