Chapter 40

"Are we lost?"

"No, we're not!"

"Don't kid yourself, Hugh. We're lost."

Amos suddenly bumped into Hugh as he turned to face him. Leia squeaked and ran into Amos.

"For the last time, we are NOT lost!" Hugh snapped. "Suit yourself." said Leia with a shrug, and she started walking toward a rocky tunnel, "I'm going to Undella Town, you coming?"

"Yes." Amos said, and he stood next to his younger cousin. Hugh snarled and walked past them. Leia smirked and ran after him, Amos following her.

They had been in the volcano like mountain for almost four hours, and were unable to find their way out. Leia and Amos had let Hugh lead, but he kept bringing them further into the mountain. Hugh had almost lead them into a lava pit.

"What's down there? Can we go see?" Leia asked curiously, stopping at a narrow passageway. "Don't know, but let's keep going." Hugh said, walking past her.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?" she whined, pulling at her older brother's arm. "No!" he snapped, yanking his arm away from her.

"Go in!" Amos said loudly, pushing Hugh inside. His cousin hissed at him, and Leia pulled him in with a squeal.

Amos smirked as he heard Hugh start arguing with Leia. He looked around before hiding behind a nearby boulder. The only thing he could see was the faint glow of red fire from a small lava pit nearby. No one was around.

He pulled out the small golden pin that he found in White's jewelry box. It was shaped as into the head of a Bravairy, and. It was made of pearl, sapphire, ruby, and gold. Gray and red wings sprouted from its head, and words were engraved into them.

Whitney Joy Gropius, Born August 16, 2000

Amos rubbed the wings with his thumb. He thought that White stopped wearing it when N left her and she changed her name.

Bravairy was the horoscope for August, so White must have been given the pin when she was born. The pokemon was said to carry scars from fighting for its friends. They were said to be courageous and loyal.

Amos believed that Bravairy represented White very well. She bore scars from her past, and fought for her friends and pokemon. Sky Blue had said that she risked her life for Di-Di when attacked by the Gradevoir.

He heard a noise flutter from above him. Amos stood up and put the pin in his pocket, looking around for the source of the noise. 

"Leia? Hugh?" he whispered. He put his hand on Archy's pokeball. A flapping of wings sounded from the cave ceiling.

Chatter the Chatot was flying down toward Amos, his wings beating heavily. Chatter's beak was cut, and his wings were scarred.

"Guys!" Amos yelled into the passageway, "Guys, come out, quick!" The Chatot collapsed onto the ground as Leia and Hugh reappeared out of the narrow passageway.

"That's Sky Blue's, isn't it?" Leia said, looking at Chatter. Before Amos could reply, Chatter opened his beak and spoke in Sky Blue's voice.

"White and Mira were ambushed by a swarm of Golbat. Mira is in the hospital, only half alive. Get to Undella Town as fast as you can. Watch out while getting out. Team Plasma grunts are watching the exit."

The Chatot closed his mouth and blinked up at them. The three trainers stared at him.

"D-Did he just talk?" Leia squeaked, staring at Chatter in horror.

"A Chatot can mimic its trainer." Hugh explained, but looking worried, "They can sound exactly like their trainers if they want to. Sky Blue must have told Chatter what to say."

"But Mira," Amos said in terror, "She's only half alive! We got to go! Now!"

"Yeah!" Hugh agreed, starting to run down the cave tunnel. Amos knew that Hugh had secret feelings for Mira.

Leia ran after him, looking nervous and scared. Amos picked up Chatter and followed his cousins.

He had to find out if they were ok. White sounded fine, she was sixteen. She's old enough to take care of herself.

But Mira was twelve, a young teenager. She wasn't weak, but she was fragile. She was a little hasty too.

They ran for fifteen minutes. They only saw lava pits and smaller caves. There was no signs of other trainers.

Soon they reached a tunnel with light at the end of it. No one was around.

"It's the exit!" Hugh wheezed, breathing heavily, "Do you think Mira's still alive?"

Amos was about to speak, but someone else spoke before him. "After what we did to her, I'm not so sure."

All three of them whirled around to see who had spoken. Two men and a woman were standing behind them. The newcomers wore the Team Plasma uniforms on them, and had a blue, white, and black badge on each of their chests. A Golbat was on each of their shoulders.

Amos had no idea what he was doing, but he threw one of his pokeballs at them. He heard Leia and Hugh do the same.

"Severusa!"

"Oliver!"

"Pignite!"

The three starter pokemon leapt out of the pokeballs and faced the Team Plasma grunts. Each Golbat screeched and attacked them instantly. One scratched at Severusa's small body, the other bit into Oliver's neck, and the last starting swiping its wings at Pignite.

"What did you do to them?!" Leia screamed at the woman and her companions. "We didn't do anything!" the woman sneered. "Yeah, we just stationed a few Golbat up there, and they attacked them! It's not our fault that Copperstone is a idiot! It's her own fault that her friend is dying!" snarled one of the men.

"She's not a idiot!" Amos yelled, "Oliver, Aqua Jet!" The Dewott shrieked and shot a jet of the water at the attacking Golbat. It shrieked and continued to bite into its victim.

"Flame Charge!" shouted Hugh to his Pignite. Pignite grunted and a fire ring surrounded its body. The Golbat's wing caught on fire as it tried to cut at Pignite's throat. It screeched and flew backward.

"Leaf Blade!" shrieked Leia. The Servine broke free of the Golbat's aim, and struck it with a sharp, leaf like sword. It yowled and retreated next to its fellows.

"You simple minded creatures, slash them! Give them pain!" the other man shouted at the three Golbat.

"Water Pulse!" Amos yelled. Oliver squealed and sent a pulse of water at the Golbat trio. He heard Hugh and Leia give commands over the screeches and fluttering of wings.

Fire and grass attacks shot past Amos as they tried to hit the Flying Types. Pignite and Severusa were not as lucky as Oliver was. The attacks missed their targets, and the three Golbat zoomed toward them, their teeth bared.

Then a loud screech echoed around the tunnel, and Chatter flew off to meet the other Flying Types. Chatter's eyes were narrowed, and his wings were a colorful blur.

The Chatot pecked and slashed out at his opponents. The three Golbat screeched and started to bite into the parrot like pokemon. Amos wanted to call Chatter back, but he knew that he wouldn't listen.

"It's only a Chatot!" the woman screamed, "Bite it! Cut it!" But none of the Golbat listened to her. They flew away from Chatter and disappeared into the darkness behind their trainers.

Amos felt Hugh grab his arm as they ran out of the mountain. Severusa, Oliver, and Pignite ran after them. Hugh was also holding Leia's hand as they escaped into the light.

They ran out into a construction site, which seemed deserted. No one was around, except for a lone Timburr. Amos could see Undella Town ahead.

"That was a close one!" Hugh huffed when they were far away from the mountain, and he let go of Amos's arm.

"What about Chatter?" Leia squeaked, "What if they catch him? He didn't even belong to us!"

"I will be very surprised if that happens." Amos admitted, "Chatter isn't stupid. Well, I think he isn't." Leia giggled and she turned around to see their pokemon.

"Guys!" She suddenly said, "Their evolving!" Hugh and Amos whirled around to stare at their pokemon.

The three starter pokemon they had received so many weeks ago were glowing white. Severusa was lengthening, and her legs and arms were disappearing. Pignite was growing taller, and was his body was growing fatter. Oliver was on all fours, and a large horn was growing from out of his head. When the glowing stopped, they were looking at an Emboar, Serperior, and Samurott.

Leia bent down to she her Serperior. Severusa coiled up and blinked at her trainer. Leia pet Severusa's head, and stammered, "Their... Their so..."

"Big." Hugh said, nodding. Amos laughed and looked at Oliver. The Samurott was watching him curiously. They were both the same size.

It was weird seeing Oliver all grown up. He looked nothing like a Oshawott or Dewott.

Emboar was taller than Hugh now. Hugh had to step back to look at his pokemon properly. Amos tried not to laugh as Emboar sat on the ground to his trainer.

"Nice muscles." Hugh commented the Emboar as he noticed his long bulky arms and body. Emboar smiled and straightened up proudly.

"Yeah!" said Amos, Oliver smirking next to him, "Yeah, you guys look very alike to. You're both fat and red."

Next thing he knew, Amos and Oliver was running away from Hugh and Emboar. Leia was laughing and ran after her cousin and brother, Severusa wrapped around one of her arms.

"Come back here, little cousin Amos! You idiot! You sneak! You double faced villain!" Hugh yelled at him as Amos climbed onto Oliver's back.

"Aw, come on, Hugh!" Amos laughed, "Oliver, Water Pulse!" The Samurott yowled and sent a pulse of water at Hugh and Emboar. Hugh ducked behind Emboar as the water sprayed over them. Leia squealed and backed away from them.

Chatter suddenly flew above them and landed on the ground. He looked pleased with himself. He squawked and groomed his feathers. Amos suddenly remembered about Mira.

"We got to go!" he reminded Leia and Hugh, "We got to find Sky Blue and White!"

"I forgot about that!" Leia said, running past the two boys. Hugh frowned slightly and followed Leia and Amos toward the town.

Undella Town was a beach with large houses on the shores. Amos had never visited this town, but many kids in his neighborhood had been there in the summer.

But the town was strangely quiet. Everyone seemed to be indoors, but others were in small groups and whispering to each other. Three girls glared at them as they passed.

They soon found the hospital next to the Pokemon Center, which were both near the sea shore. Amos saw two people sitting in front of the hospital. He recognized Sky Blue instantly, but it took a minute to realize that the other one was White.

Her blue overcoat was replaced by a black one, and she wore black gloves. She had black boots instead of her brown ones. She covered her face with a long red scarf. A white bandage was wrapped around her neck, and there were two, small, dark red marks on it.

"How's Mira?" Hugh asked as they ran up to them. Sky looked up at them. He looked exhausted, and his face was pale. White looked at Sky and turned away from Amos and the others.

"She'll live." He finally said. "Oh thank goodness!" Leia breathed. Amos felt like a great weight had been lifted from his chest.

"What's wrong with her? What happened?" Amos asked them. Sky looked at White, who avoided looking at him.

White didn't turn around, but said quietly "Her Dragonite fell from over thousand feet above the ground. The impact of the fall broke both her legs. She also has a fractured rib from one of the Golbat's attacks. Draco the Dragonite is fine as far as we know. His scales helped endure the blow, but he does have two broken arms. Pinch and Sparky both sprained a paw."

"And what about you?" asked Leia. "I'm fine. A Golbat bit my neck," White pointed to the bandage, "But otherwise I'm fine. Hydreigon did rip his wing, so I can't fly on him anymore. He's with Draco, Pinch, and Sparky in the Pokemon Center."

"We met three Plasma grunts in the mountain. I don't think we would have gotten out alive without Chatter." said Hugh, nodding toward Reversal Mountain.

"As I suspected." Sky Blue said, sitting on the ground, "The grunts and Golbat were stationed there in case we went to Undella Town. They knew White wouldn't take the mountain route, so they put those pokemon up there in the sky. In case she did take the mountain route, they were Team Plasma members inside the mountain to try and stop her."

"I see your pokemon have evolved." interrupted White, who still didn't turn around. They all turned to see Emboar, Oliver, and Chatter pushing each other around in the sand. Amos could here them hissing something about Oliver tripping Emboar, and Emboar hitting Chatter.

"Their all very charming." Sky Blue said sarcastically. Hugh snorted. Severusa hissed and slithered after her fellows.

"I have to go." White said, finally turning around and pushing Hugh and Amos aside. "But you just got here!" Sky protested, standing up to block her path.

"That's pretty much the point!" She snapped, whirling around to face Sky, "If I stay here, Team Plasma will search the city and the people! I will be very surprised if they don't have a device that detects fake trainer cards! If I stay, I'm putting all of you in danger! Mira would have died if luck wasn't on her side! I'm not having the same thing happen to you four! Now, Sky Blue, where is my guitar?"

"But-"

"My guitar, Sky Blue!"

Amos thought that Sky Blue would refuse to say. But Sky looked at her and mumbled "It's in the first Hidden Grotto on Route 13."

White nodded and turned to Amos. "Amos, please give me Rapi." She said sternly. Amos stared at her. Hugh and Leia exchanged frightened looks.

"Why?" he asked nervously. He didn't want to give her Rapi, since Team Plasma knew about her existence. But he didn't want to get on White's bad side either.

"Give me Rapi, Amos!" White repeated, her voice even more deadly. Amos hesitated before taking the Rapidash's pokeball off his belt. White took it and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Sky said loudly, pulling her aside. "No, Sky Blue!" White snarled, "I'm going no matter-"

"It's not that!" he hissed, and he pulled her away from Amos, Leia, and Hugh.

Leia and Hugh were talking in whispers, but Amos heard Sky Blue hiss "He's searching for you. He's waiting on Route 13, past those two cut down trees."

White pulled away from him. Her face was expressionless. "Very well." She whispered. White gave Amos and the other two one last look before running away from them.

"Can we visit Mira?" Leia asked as White disappeared. Sky nodded. "I think so. She was asleep when we last saw her, put I'm sure she is up."

Sky Blue led Leia and Hugh inside the hospital, but Amos didn't follow. Sky stopped at the door and looked back at him.

"You coming?" he asked. Amos shook his head and looked back at Oliver, Emboar, and Chatter, who were all still throwing sand in each other's faces.

"I'll go look around on Route 13, I think. I'll see her later." Amos said. He wanted to talk to Mira alone. She and White seemed to be very close friends, and he was curious about something he found in the jewelry box. She might be able to tell him about it.

Sky shrugged and went inside. Amos looked at the large building for a moment before walking away.