Chapter 16

(P.S This is the first chapter/flashback in Archy's view. The book will mostly be made up of Amos's and White's views, but Archy's view will appear a few times.)

Archy's paws twitched as he saw a Pidgey chirping on the ground. He was hiding in the bushes a short ways away from it. He felt something nudge him in the side.

"Is it really that hard to attack a Pidgey?" Archy's older brother, Flash, hissed at him. Archy growled and turned his attention back to the Pidgey.

"Flash, why can't I just go on patrol?" he asked nervously. Flash's eyes seemed to turn red with anger.

"Because you let every pokemon we catch crossing the borders get away. How hard is it to kill a Pidgey?" he snarled.

Archy's fur stood on end. Flash was a shiny Arcanine, and was their father's favorite son. Archy was the youngest of the litter, and his father's least favorite.

But Archy's mother, Ginger, loved him. She had cared for him when no one else had. However, she was no longer present. His mother died when attacking a mysterious man, who's pokemon had pushed her over a cliff and she drowned in the ocean below.

He suddenly leapt out of the bushes and landed on the Pidgey. It gave a squawk, and flapped its wings wildly. Flash gave a bark of laughter as the Pidgey collapsed under Archy's paws.

"I think you have the hang of it now. I'm gonna go hunt by myself." Flash said and ran into the forest, leaving Archy alone.

Archy waited until Flash's paw steps were no longer heard before he took his paws off the Pidgey. The Pidgey's chest was rising violently. He nudged the Pidgey lightly in the ribs with his muzzle.

"Get up. He's gone." he whispered to the smaller pokemon. It opened its eyes, which were squeezed shut. Archy backed away as the Pidgey straightened up. It looked up at the Arcanine with a concerned look on its face.

"Y-You saved me!" it squeaked, and it was clear that the Pidgey was a female by its high voice.

"Looks that way." Archy said, smiling slightly.

She fluttered her wings. "But, won't you get in trouble?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'm use to it." he assured her.

"Most Arcanine kill pokemon. Why not you?" Pidgey squeaked. Archy shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm just not like them. I'm different. I care about other creatures, unlike them. That's why no one trusts me." Archy explained. Pidgey pecked at the ground.

"Thank you anyway. Er, what's your name?" she added, flying a few feet off the ground.

"Archy. My full name is Archway, but Archy is my nickname. My mother named me that," answered Archy dully.

"Why Archway? Sorry if I'm asking a lot." Pidgey said anxiously.

"It's quite alright," he told her before explaining. "No one talks to me much, actually. My mother wanted me to be the archway for my clan to cross so they can see friendship. Every pokemon that wanders across our borders is considered a enemy. My mother wanted me to change that."

They fell silent for a minute. Pidgey twitched her wings and finally looked up at Archy.

"I've got to fly. I have babies to feed. Thank you again, Archway!" she called, using Archy's full name. Archy gave a small smile as she flew away.

He watched her leave, feeling lonely. His tribe mates thought he was a traitor and tried to stay away from him, so he never talked to anyone. Archy had to make friends with the pokemon that were outside of the clan.

The Arcanine suddenly heard a wild grunting noise before being something rammed into his right side. Archy yowled and twisted his body to see his attacker.

A Ponyta was now running around him rapidly. The pokemon's eyes flashed with fear as it kicked its back legs into Archy's other side.

He yelped and bit down into one of the Ponyta's back legs. It gave a screechy wail and collapsed to the ground. The Ponyta was wincing violently.

"Rapi! What's the big deal?!" Archy's snapped loudly at the pokemon. Rapi glared at him, and scrambled to her feet. She looked scared and furious.

He had met the Ponyta when she accidentally crossed the clan borders and he helped her escape. Archy had begged his rival, Darmanitan, to look after Rapi and make sure she didn't come near the borders.

The Ponyta's eyes widened. "Y-You're not him?" she stammered.

Archy blinked in surprise and asked, "Not.... who?"

But Rapi didn't seem to hear him.

"Where is he?!" She screeched, turning in circles.

"WHO?!" Archy repeated even more loudly, making Rapi jump and stare at him.

"A yellow Arcanine attacked my friends! He ran away and I chased him here! We weren't even inside the borders!" Rapi explained.

Archy's heart skipped a few beats. Flash. His brother was the only shiny Arcanine in the tribe.

"Is anyone hurt?" he asked Rapi sternly.

Rapi's eyes grew larger. "Whitney, oh Arceus!" She said, her voice rising.

The Ponyta suddenly pelted back into the forest.

"RAPI!" Archy shouted after her, but she was gone.

He felt his heart burning with anger. Flash had hurt innocent creatures without a reason. He even crossed the clan borders.

Archy made up his mind and ran after Rapi. He heard her hooves thunder across the soft ground ahead. He soon saw the Ponyta's fiery mane a few feet away.

Archy suddenly followed Rapi into a small clearing. The grass was burnt but it was quite damp. Four pokemon were there, along with...

"Rapi..." Archy started, staring at a small figure curled on the ground.

Rapi ignored Archy, and ran toward the figure. One pokemon, a Pichu, looked up at the Arcanine and yelped.

"It's another one!" the Pichu squeaked, pulling at a Riolu's paw.

The Riolu whirled around and yowled at him.

"Get away! Come back to kill us?!" the Riolu barked.

"Ray, this is Archy. He isn't like the other." Rapi explained to Ray.

The largest pokemon, a blue pokemon with purple spots, was leaning over the small figure. A Clampearl was spraying the ground with Bubble Beam.

"Rapi, this is a human!" Archy said nervously to the Ponyta. Rapi glared.

"You think I didn't know that?!" She snapped. "I'm not blind!"

"I know, but- Rapi, this is serious! No wonder Flash attacked you!" he said.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH WHITNEY STAYING WITH US?!" the Clampearl retorted. Archy guessed that Whitney was the human girl.

"Nothing, but my tribe will find out and kill you!" Archy growled.

The large blue pokemon straightened up and looked Archy in the eyes. It was two feet bigger than him, which made the Arcanine leap back.

"What are you trying to prove?" the pokemon asked calmly. Archy snarled and glared at it.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

Archy realized that Ray and the Pichu were whispering to each other.

"I am Thundrus." the pokemon introduced.

Archy felt like he was slapped in the face. He now recognized the pokemon. Thundrus was one of the Legendary Pokemon of the region.

"Why would you bother your time with her?" Archy growled, his voice coming back. Thundrus kept staring at him with calm eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?" Thundrus replied finally.

"Archy," Rapi butted in. "Please don't tell anyone! Very few pokemon actually know that we are Whitney's guardians!"

Archy made a snarling noise and turned away.

"Why is she here in the first place?" he burst out. The Pichu flinched as she spoke.

"Her mother didn't want them anymore! Everyone thinks they're dead!" She squealed, her pink cheeks crackling with electricity.

"They?" Archy said, his eyes narrowing. "How many more are there?"

The Clampearl answered him this time. "IT'S JUST HER AND HER BROTHER!" Clampearl hissed.

"Archy, PLEASE don't tell!" Rapi begged. "Whitney has already suffered enough!"

Archy snarled and spat on the ground. Ray flexed his paw, and Thundrus continued to stare at the Arcanine calmly.

"You're all gonna die! My brother has already seen her!" Archy finally snarled.

"Lie!" Pichu suggested.

"That won't help! I'm the oddball of the tribe! No one trusts me!" Archy spat.

"Just keep this a secret!" Ray snapped.

"How about this," Thundrus interrupted, and everyone turned around to face him, "Archy, if you don't tell anyone about us, we won't tell anyone about seeing you here. I suppose you will also be in trouble if anyone finds out that you knew about Whitney." he suggested.

Rapi looked at Archy, who was staring at his paws. He was thinking about Flash. His brother has probably already told their father about Whitney.

Archy had no choice but to nod. "Fine, but stay as far away as possible from here." he growled.

Rapi looked relieved, and so did the others. Thundrus gave a slight nod and carefully took the girl in his arms, who was still curled up on the damp grass.

"Thanks." Rapi said, and rubbed her head against Archy's neck.

"You said the girl has a brother, right?" he said, trying to avoid Rapi's eyes.

"Yes." she replied.

"Don't tell him about me either." he requested as he started to walk back into the forest. The Ponyta nodded and she followed her friends out of the clearing.

Archy saw the Pichu, Riolu, and Clampearl glare at him before running after Rapi and Thunderous. He waited until their paw steps were gone before running into the forest.

Rapi was taking a dangerous risk if she was raising two human children. Most pokemon think humans are nothing but monsters that turn forests into concrete jungles. If Archy's father heard about this, Rapi and her friends would end up being targets. His father would probably also make sure the two human children were dead.

***

"Abby, Double Slap!" Archy heard Leia commanded her new pokemon. Archy looked up to see the Audino start slapping the opponent's pokemon. The opposing Koffing groaned and collapsed to the gym floor.

Archy had went to the Virbank gym with Leia, Hugh, and Amos while White went to meet her brother. She had lied and told the younger trainers that she went to go and search for a new pokemon. Before she left, White had helped Leia catch a new pokemon, Abby the Audino.

"She is getting better." Archy heard Amos mutter to Hugh, who were watching the battle. They were standing next to the door that lead back outside.

"I half hope that she loses." Hugh snickered. Archy rolled his eyes, and watched Abby start fighting the Rough-Neck's Venipede. He had to admit that Leia was getting a bit stronger.

"Tackle!" shouted Leia, and Abby slammed into the Bug Type's side. It gave a screech and collapsed to the ground.

"No!" the Roughneck yelled, stomping his foot on the ground. He growled and walked off to the sidelines. Leia beamed and patted the Audino on the head. She is now against the gym leader, Archy thought.

Sure enough, a teenage girl, who looked about White's age, leapt off the stage behind the Roughneck and walked toward the battlefield. She had white hair and was wearing a strange outfit. She seemed to favor the colors purple and blue. A guitar case was grasped in her hands.

The girl stood on the opposite side of the battlefield. She was glaring at Leia. "So your name is Leia, right?" the girl sneered at Leia.

"Yes." Leia answered, shivering slightly. The girl gave a sly smile, and pulled out a pokeball.

"I'm Roxie, the Poison Type expert!" Roxie said proudly, and a Koffing escaped the pokeball. Leia thrust her hand out, and Abby ran back onto the field.

"You move first." Roxie said, nodding toward Leia and the Audino.

Archy watched as Abby used Pound on the opponent. He personally thought that Double Slap would have been a better choice.

"Hey, you gonna ask that gal out?" Amos teased, nudging his cousin. Hugh growled and stepped away from him.

"No!" he snapped, looking as if he wanted to slap Amos.

"Koffing, Tackle!" Roxie told her pokemon. Koffing gave a groan like cry, and slammed into the Audino's chest. Abby winced sharply and shook the pain off.

"Psyshock!" Leia cried. Abby gave a cry, and she shot a pink pulse toward the Koffing. It moaned as the pulse hit it.

"What?!" Roxie screamed, "Audino can't learn that, unless-"

"My friend taught her Psyshock!" Leia said with a smile, "She was unable to lend me a Psychic Type, but was able to give me a Psychic Type TM."

Archy smiled to himself as Amos and Hugh stared at each other in shock. "White gave her a TM?" Hugh said in disbelief.

"No way! White has a TM like that? You can rarely find Psychic TMs!" Amos said.

Roxie shook her head, and shouted a command. "Poison Gas!"

Koffing suddenly released dark yellow gas. Abby wailed and fell back, clutching her stomach.

"Abby, Refresh!" Leia cried, and the Audino's pain seemed to go away.

"Do Poison Gas again!" Roxie screamed, and Koffing released the yellow gas again.

"She's gonna die." Hugh snickered to Amos.

"Koffing is gonna keep doing Poison Gas until the Audino attacks." Amos explained, and Archy guessed that he was probably right.

"How is she doing?" a voice asked. They turned to see that White had just entered the room. Archy noticed that she looked quite frustrated.

"Not extremely bad." Amos told her, slightly smiling. "Did you give her the Psyshock TM?"

White nodded, and Archy smiled as Amos and Hugh gave her angry looks.

"How are you gonna pay them back, White?" Archy asked with a smirk.

White shot him a glare and said to the boys, "We can argue another time, but I just came to get Archy."

"Why? Aren't you staying?" Hugh asked. She shook her head and beckoned Archy to follow.

"I need to fly to Castelia City. I'm gonna stay with two of my friends." She said. "You can meet me there, but come as soon as possible."

"But-" Amos started, but White had closed the exit door behind her.

"Don't tell me I have to see Mira and Sky Blue again..." Archy said as they left the gym.

"Sadly, you do." White said grudgingly.

"So, why are we leaving so early?" he asked her as they walked toward the docks.

"I don't want to talk right now." White muttered, not looking at her partner.

Archy's fur ruffled. He shouldn't complain, because White would usually start shouting if she was really frustrated.

"How is Purr?" asked Archy, changing the subject.

"Purr is fine, but she won't take orders from N." White replied. Archy chuckled.

"I'm not surprised." he snarled.

White didn't speak but looked around to see if anyone was nearby. She then pulled out a pokeball and tossed it into the air. Thundrus appeared from outside the pokeball and looked down at White.

"I need you to fly us to Castelia City." She said, and Thundrus nodded.

"Going a bit early?" the legendary pokemon asked, flying down so White could climb on.

"She won't tell me, so why would she tell you?" Archy growled as he leapt next to his trainer.

"I don't expect an explanation, actually." Thundrus said, smiling slightly.

"Good, because you won't get one." White snapped. Archy smiled at her as Thundrus flew off.