Chapter Two

Tuesday Morning. 10:30 am. 3rd of January.

Indigo Plateau

Tempest

I spent two days healing myself and Artemis at the PokeCentre. Hers injuries were nothing a few max revives couldn’t handle and my own- well lets just say, when you’re a god, miracles happen. But as we were in the vicinity of a Centre, it was wise to take advantage of Nurse Joy’s healing abilities. Before leaving the Plateau on my new journey however, I had promised Officer Jenny that I’d meet her again to smooth out a few more details concerning Sunday’s incident. Luckily there had been no deaths and only a few injuries - and they were minor compared to what might have happened. I waited beneath the cool shade of a conifer tree outside the police station. I shook my head, the Sunday’s events not quite registering. Where once a magnificent giant of a building had towered into the horizon only a few days before a dilapidated shell was all that remained. The Indigo League committee would have a hard time restoring the hall to its former glory. No one had been able to explain the freak earthquake and after watching the news and questioning a few people myself, I’d discovered that it had affected the entire region in various degrees. The Centre had only suffered minor shaking, whilst farmsteads from the plain-lands had been forced to rebuild new walls and fences. Everyone was completely bewildered, earthquakes didn’t occur in this part of the world. It was just bloody unnatural.

“Tempest!”

I turned, “Oh, it’s you.”

Mei Ling came striding up the pathway, green hair shining in the sun, those colgate whites flashing, eyes furtive.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, eyebrow raised.

“Jenny called, said she wanted to talk to me about something.” She looked like she was about to bolt any second.

I checked my new watch, “Bloody hell, it’s 10:30 already!”

That pesky officer was wasting my bloody time! Doesn’t she know I had more important things to do? I had people to beat, badges to win!

The station’s door opened.

“Ah! Girls, good morning. I hope you don’t mind, this will only take a few moments or so.” Officer Jenny stepped out into the sunlight, her curly blue hair in a pig tail which poked out from the back of her police hat.

* * *

I leaned against the tree's massive trunk, arms folded, one foot cocked against it, bored expression. Officer Jenny droned on, asking various questions about the two Rockets whose asses we, ahem, I had recently kicked. Sorry, my ego gets the better of me sometimes.

"I hope you realize that what you did put the whole of the people in the meeting in jeopardy?" The boring young woman nagged. Her blue uniform creased perfectly.

Bloody hell woman! You’ve said this before! If this little interview was going to be a monologue, why did she need me?

"Everyone was already in jeopardy anyway." Mei Ling pointed out hesitantly.

"Even so, if they would have fired that superweapon, you, and everyone in that room would have been history." She gave us the 'Damn irresponsible teenagers' look, crinkling the corners of her bright violet eyes.

I stifled a yawn.

"But, what you did was also courageous, and we'd like to reward your bravery with this. That’s the real reason I brought you down to the station."

The both of us snapped to attention at the word 'reward'. Officer Jenny clicked her fingers, and immediately the station’s door opened with a creak and a well muscled Arcanine trotted up to us, carrying a shiny steel suitcase between his teeth.

Oooh, interesting.

Gripping the suitcase, she decoded the lock and it snapped open.

My eyes widened, as she handed us our rewards, new PokeGear

"Snazzy."

I delightedly switched my old tattered torn bag for the cool gold backpack with computerized map, cell phone, radio and a whole heap of other helpful stuff. Mei Ling grabbed the silver one next to it and started placing in her things.

"Hey!" I yelped as I recognized my watch on her slender wrist. I fixed her with a stony glance.

Mei Ling returned an innocent expression, then turned to the police officer, "So what about that freaky weather and that earthquake? What the hell happened?"

Jenny scratched her head, "We still haven't quite figured that out yet. But our meteorologists and geologists are working on that at this very moment. We’re lucky no one got seriously injured. It’ll take a long time before the region gets back to normal though. The people are very worried.”

With a sigh, she placed her hands on her slender hips, smiling warmly, "Now I'd better not keep you from your journey. I wish you best of luck," Closing the lid of the steel suitcase, she smoothed her short police uniform down to perfection and was about to turn away when;

"Why! If it isn't my favourite Officer of the Law!"

"Oh god, it better not be who I think it is." I muttered.

Blondey came skipping down the path and halted beside the policewoman.

"You're looking more beautiful everyday!" He grinned, gone were the black sunglasses, revealing vacant sapphire eyes.

Officer Jenny sighed, "Save the flattery Mr Templeton, I'm really busy right now."

She walked off, and with a creak as she swung open the door, re-entered the police station with a bam.

The trainer stared longingly after her, "She likes me. Yeah, she definitely likes me."

I snorted, "Didn’t sound that way from this angle."

"Can’t take rejection very well, huh?" Mei Ling remarked, an amused expression on her face.

"What are you talking about," He replied, "She likes me."

"Well," Blondey rubbed his hands together, business like.

I contemplated. To piss off with, or not to piss off with, that was the question.

"Now that we're all here, let's go." he said.

"What!?" I exclaimed incredulously, "Who said you were coming with us? In fact, who said I was going with anyone!" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I don't even know who you are."

The blonde looked mildly hurt, "I," He began, mocking a bow, "Am Seth Templeton, trainer of dog pokemon, and future Elite Four member. Don't worry, you might not like me now, but you will, few can resist my legendary charm, famous good looks and cutting wit."

He waved to a tall, big breasted brunette making her way across the street, "Hey Babe."

She looked down at him disgustedly, as if she'd found a little green frog named Seth between her tits, "Don't talk to me."

The self opinionated trainer turned back to us shrugging, "Ex-girlfriend." He explained.

"You know, we might as well travel together," Mei Ling suggested, "If we don't, we get disqualified."

I only growled in response. This was not going to be easy.

"That's the spirit!" Seth encouraged, "We'll be pals! Buddies! Mates! A team! Oh! Check out the stems on her!”

Yoink!

"Hey! Mei Ling! Give me back my cell phone!"

"You! Let go of my arm!"

* * *

"So," the prick Seth grinned from the ground, being propped up on his elbows. "Where to first." He stretched out what was left of his map which had been reduced to slightly charred tatters. Mei Ling leaned over his shoulder while Seth took a good perve.

If he didn't watch it, he'd be electrocuted, frozen, fried, baked and hell knows what else before he could blink. I'd make sure of that.

I ignored both of them. I knew where I was going, the Iris League; a group of meteors that were suspended between the Earth and the moons gravity. After they were discovered, a large deposit of Moonstones were found and people and Pokemon began to populate them. Since then, the Iris League had become hugely popular.

I knew why I was going there, Ho-oh. The Solar type bird of the Wings of Council. I salivated at the thought.

Shaking my head at the pair before me, I looked up into the sky.

"Hey Coo-ee time to go!" An instant later, the only Shirasharmi in the world swept from the sky and onto my outstretched arm. He resembled a peacock, but not much larger then from my elbow to my wrist, though his tail vaunted in a wide arc behind him. His plumage was beautiful. Vibrant hues painted his body the color of dusk. Not just the royal blue or the pastel pink, but the actual sunset. At the base of his breast was a large burnt orange disk that resembled the sun. The orange evanesced into a golden yellow, the yellow into a sanguinary crimson, the scarlet faded into a pink and the pink into an eggplant purple until his head was a spectacular midnight blue. Raging red eyes were hidden amid the sleek blue feathers. His wings were elegant and perfectly formed. The tips of Coo-ee's feathers were tongues of violent red flames draping down while the contours were a deep sapphire flecked with silver. His tail was stunning. I scratched him beneath his crest, just where he liked it. The same sun disk on his breast decorated the base of his tail until it blended into the lapis blue.

His eyes closed as he relaxed. "What was the big shindig about?" he drawled with his Down Under, true blue Metone accent.

"They're selecting new members for the Elite Four. Only the most worthy will get in," I smiled. "And we both know who that's going to be."

"You know, we really oughtta do somethin 'bout that ego of yours, it's gonna end up crushing all of the Eight Leagues."

"Correction, Geneva League." I laughed at an old joke. As a puzzled expression crossed his face I continued. "The Professors of the Eight Leagues decided to combine them into one, the Geneva. If I wanna be an Elite four I have to earn all the Badges." I sighed annoyed. "But I've got to follow some other rules or I'm disqualified. One of them says I gotta travel with two others 'for my safety'," I mocked Professor Oak, rolling my eyes back at Shit and Mei Ling.

"G'day Mei. Ow's 'em dragons?"

"Yeah, they're alright, Coo-ee. How 'bout you? You're lookin' absolutely fantastic." Flatterer.

I fished my map out of my pack and a black felt marker.

"Done!" A big black cross through the Orange Island League.

"Done!" The Kanto League was out with a scribble.

"Done!" Bye bye Johto.

"And done!" I declared disdainfully as I blotted out the Metone League. All I had left were the Leagues of the North. Most people hadn't done more then one League so I was already ahead.

“Wow.” Mei Ling spotted my map, uncomfortable, “That’s uh, a lot of leagues.”

"Oh, I beat them eons ago," Seth interjected carelessly.

I snorted. I'd watched the news. Seth had completed the Metone League only two weeks ago after an entire year. Hah! I did it in one summer, well, not quite.

"Look," I glared. "You might like me, but I don't like you. The only reason I'm going with you is because it's a choice between you fools and my licence being revoked. So if we're going to do this, it's my way. Got it?"

Mei Ling rolled her eyes, an irritating smirk played across her features. She shrugged, turning away as she was preoccupied with an unsuspecting by-passer’s pockets and murmured idly, "Expand your vocabulary Tempest my dear, I prefer the expression; my way or the highway."

"Chill out, baby!" Seth leered at me. "Anywhere she goes, I go." He nodded in Mei Ling's direction.

"Ugh!" I muttered disgustedly. "Well if you're a dog trainer, I don't know how you're going to get to the Iris Island League." I returned Coo-ee, and released Artemis, smoothly vaunting between her plumes and straddling her back. She cooed as I rubbed her neck. Her charred feathers had rapidly grown back and were ready to fly.

"Where to, Tempest?" she murmured pleased I'd chosen her. I admit, (Ha! That's something you don't hear too often from me) I admit, my birds don't like each other.

Alright, that was the understatement of the century.

They detest, despise, loath each other. The only one each of them gets along with is Coo-ee.

"Hey, I have an idea," Mei Ling suggested, one hand on her hip, the other examining her nails and a newly acquired ring, "Why don't we ride to Iris in style?"

"What?" I retorted, "My birds aren't stylish enough for you're pompous, aristocratic taste?"

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "Don't be an idiot. I was referring to Luxury Liners. They're the best cruisers in the world, indoor Anti-Gravitation Pool, mini-cinema complex, a mall, Johto Restaurant, it's first class all the way."

"Mmm, sounds cool." Seth mused, stroking his chin, although I could see he wasn't staring directly at her face.

I scowled in repulsion, "Oh yeah because we all have Daddy’s big pay cheques to rely on. Forget it Mei Ling, get on one of your dragon’s or get the hell out.”

The thief looked disappointed, then brightened as another idea flashed through her unethical skull.

“No.” I snapped firmly.

Her shoulders visibly sagged.