Copyright d2kfuture 2002-03-05 Hope you enjoy my fic. Whether you did or not, email me with your comments at d2kfuture@hotmail.com THE BLACK LEAGUE Chapter 1: I awoke to the usual sound of Pidgeys chirruping and Spearow’s fighting. I had to get used to them after a week in that lonely mountain retreat. It was so boring up here. Still, I had plenty to occupy myself with, trying to catch a rare pokemon. In these mountains Pidgey, Spearow and Rattata were common, and it took quite a bit of luck to see anything else. However, with only two days remaining in which to catch a pokemon , I was beginning to feel desperate. Everyone else would probably have quite good pokemon and there would be me, with nothing captured, being handed a Magikarp so I would have a partner anyway. You see, I was trying to get into the Black League, the most elite league you could imagine. To even be allowed to try and get in, you had to first catch a pokemon in one of their many mountain retreats, without the aid of a pokemon. Smarmy, snobbish well-off kids were few in this league. They opted for the easier Indigo and Orange Leagues, where you could be given pokemon. Some even sunk as low as to go to Pokétech, a school where rich brats were given well-trained pokemon and flown from gym to gym. Luckily for the actual good trainers, very few snobbish kids made it in here. Even if they were given the chance, most baulked at the prospect of 21 horrendous gyms, bursting with powerful pokemon. I got the chance when, John, the current Black League Champion, battled my younger brother in an exhibition match at Indigo Stadium. My little brother put up quite a good fight and afterwards informed John that I had taught him everything he knew. Two days later, John rang my house personally and offered me the chance to try and get into the Black League. So now, here I am, with only two days remaining of the four weeks I was given to catch a pokemon, with only 3 balls remaining with which to catch a pokemon. I settled down prepared to wait until nightfall before returning to the little cave I had found on my third day up here. About half an hour later, I heard a slight rustling of grass behind my back. It was very late for Rattata to be around so I went to investigate. What I saw nearly made my shout out with exitement. It was a baby Scyther! It could not have been higher than level 1, for it barely came up to my knees, but still, it was an extremely rare pokemon. It was attempting in vain, to cut down some of the tough mountain grass that grew rampant of the steep slopes. I slowly eased a pokeball from my pocket and enlarged it silently. I threw it quickly, but I was shaking so much with tension that I missed the pokemon completely. It turned, startled by the sudden appearance of the pokeball. Then, a strange voice echoed in my head, ‘Why are you here? You startled me’. I was so surprised that I nearly fell over from the shock. Then the voice came again, ‘Can you hear me?’ I whispered hoarsely, ‘Yes’. The voice stopped and the Scyther resumed its cutting. Gathering my courage, I asked how I could hear it talking to me. The Scyther replied, ‘My father was an Abra and I inherited some of his Psychic abilities. However, I can only speak like this with pokemon with psychic abilities. Since I can also speak to you, maybe I can also converse with humans who are psychic also’. The idea had never occurred to me but I did not reflect upon it at that time. I tenatively asked the Abra if it would like become my pokemon. The Scyther took it’s time replying. After a few minutes, it finally said, ‘You must pass a test first’. I enquired about the nature of the test and the Scyther replied that it would tell me the following day. It went on to tell me that it would be at the same spot at 7 in the morning the following day. I would be informed of the nature of the test at that time. I returned to my cave and started a small fire with what twigs I could find in the vicinity. I eventually fell asleep to the quiet crackling of the remains of the fire. I slept fitfully, anxious for morning to come. Eventually, the searching rays of the weak morning sun pushed through the dark foliage of the old trees surrounding my little cave. I looked at my watch and found that it was almost six. I made my way quickly to the place where I had met the Scyther the previous day. It was already there, sitting quietly on the ground as if meditating. I reflected that it was almost completely psychic in its behaviour and only its appearance made it different. It stood immediately upon me entering the clearing. Then, it’s powerful, searching voice pervaded my conscience once more. ‘I have decided upon your test. You must find your belongings, which I have hidden in 4 different places within a mile of this place. I removed them from your cave upon your leaving, and teleported them to 4 different hiding places in the wood. You must find them or die, for without food you cannot hope to survive until you reach the building from which you came. It will take you 3 days to reach that building, and humans are too weak for such a test of endurance’. I felt outraged at the fact that he had taken my belongings, but I knew that what he said was true. Still, I could not help asking, ‘How could you teleport when you are not a psychic type?’ He replied, ‘I already told you that my father was an Abra and that I inherited many of his abilities’. I was amazed at the thought of such a difference of types being connected as such. If this Scyther was psychic and bug/flying, it’s potential as a powerful pokemon was huge. I immediately began my search. Every now and then, Scyther would pop up next to me and give me annoying tips. I felt like I was playing a kid’s game of ‘Hot or Cold’. After I had found the first bundle of my belongings, shoved inside a rotten old oak tree, I noticed a strange kind of feeling in the air. It had been the same when near the Scyther. It suddenly hit me that the Scyther must leave some psychic ‘feeling’ wherever it went. With this knowledge, I quickly found the other three bundles and returned to the cave. The Scyther was there, waiting for me, and it had started a small fire with the grass it had been cutting the day before. ‘You found the bundles’. It was not a question. The Scyther got up and stretched. ‘You have proven yourself to be worthy of becoming my trainer. I will be your partner’. I was overjoyed. The Scyther quickly continued, ‘However, I will not consent to being transported in one of those horrible contraptions’. He indicated my pokeballs with disgust. I quickly agreed to this simple condition and put the pokeball on the ground. Scyther walked up to it and tapped it with his claw. A red swirl appeared and he was sucked into the pokeball. I immediately released him and we set off for the bottom of the hill.