Chapter Six Megan groaned out loud when she saw Faith charging up the path in her pokemon form. They had not reached a satisfying solution the night before so the morphs had stayed. Megan had gone to work earlier that morning and was now relaxing on the porch in a rocking chair. "What is it?" Megan asked as the eevee landed heavily on her lap pushing aside the book she had been reading. Faith panted and gasped for a moment then said, "What!" Megan yelled standing up in surprise and outrage, "I thought you said that you guys were the only ones!" The eevee admitted rubbing her furry head ruefully with a paw. "How else would a lapras get in that pond? Walking is not an option here. Not for a normal lapras." Megan hissed over her shoulder as she thundered ungracefully down the path with Pansy in tow. The sound of battle floated throughout the thin forest and Megan could hear the battle long before she could see it. She rounded the last bend and sized up the situation. Vikki was in vulpix form. The little fox pokemon was nimbly dodging the sprays of water being shot at her. She was pleading in a soft, desperate voice. The lapras was ignoring her. Mitch was tossing out small thunderbolts rapidly scoring hits all over the lapras' neck and head. The water pokemon was just out of range so they had little effect. The lapras was obviously more powerful and experienced but it was against five smart morphs. Pansy as always was at Megan's feet. She was snapping her vines eagerly but held her position. Every few seconds a deep growl would form at the bottom of her chest and rumble out. It took a minute to realize why she held her place. Megan then got it. The plant pokemon was waiting impatiently for permission to join the fray. The bulbasaur was even more loyal than a growlithe! Before Megan could react Phil appeared in front of the lapras' startled face. She jerked back towards shore instinctively into shallower water. Faith who had reappeared took a running leap and headbutted the startled pokemon. The blue pokemon squealed in pain and her long neck arched out of reach. Megan was beginning to see why TR wanted hybrids. They were smarter and more powerful than even enhanced pokemon. They could plan and use teamwork. They had human intelligence. "Stop!" Megan yelled through her cupped hands. The morphs were too emerged in the battle and were deaf to her commands. Reluctantly she turned to Pansy, "Can you break up the fight?" Pansy nodded once and dashed up to Faith. She aimed carefully before administering a stinging slap to the eevee backside. She then advanced menacingly on the remaining morphs sending out small snaps of annoyance. The other morphs looked up in confusion at her attacking them then looked at Megan who looked pissed. "Now that I have your attention stop it." Megan said almost coldly. She hated being ignored. Another good reason to leave TR. The only attention you got there was not wanted. "You have proved that five of you can successfully gang up on one lapras." Faith protested. "I doubt that." Megan growled darkly under her breath. A cultured, harmonious voice demanded softly. Megan looked at the lapras sharply then groaned. She then walked over closer to the lapras and waited patiently for an explanation. The bell like voice continued. Phil pointed out, Vikki asked as she cautiously crept closer. The lapras' clear blue eyes widened and she slid closer to shore silently. Rick grunted. The lapras said semi excited at the prospect of others like her. "Your older. When did you escape?" Megan asked and the lapras shook her head as if to clear it. The morph's voice was heavy with sadness, Faith offered Megan's services once again. An act which Megan wasn't too thrilled with. "Actually, we were discussing where to put them." Megan corrected doggedly feeling outnumbered. She glared at the hang-dog faces and frowned. The lapras eyed her for a minute before her shape began to blur. Her figure distorted and shrank. After a few seconds of shifting bodies a young, rather beautiful girl stood dripping in the lake. She looked about seventeen. Her figure was well built and almost stocky. Her complexion was pale and almost blue tinted. Blue hair cascaded downwards and pooled in the lake at her waist. The eyes however were the same. She sloshed out and stood eye to eye with Megan, "I know where I wish to be. I require your assistance but I promise you I have a destination in mind." Rick asked from the lake's edge. "I wish to be live as I ought to. I wish to go back to the sea, back to where my dam and sire and their dams and sires roamed free. I want nothing more to do with humans or their confounded pet pokemon." Megan's gray eyes lightened in surprise and delight. A solution to her problem had came along and just need to be ignitated. Chapter Seven Under the tremendous weight of at least ten books Megan staggered in the door. The morphs looked up. Faith and Vikki raced to her and helpfully took the books out of her hurting arms. Both in their human forms they carted the books to the kitchen. Megan looked after them. She was beginning to realize what a pretty child Vikki was. The vulpix morph was small and petite with nice features. Her reddish brown hair was soft looking and almost feathery. Her eyes were hazel and covered most of her face they were so big. If she stayed in human form she was sure to be a heart breaker as she grew older. Pansy nudged Megan's leg gently and took a few steps in the direction of the kitchen. Megan still hadn't seen her human morph and was curious to see how the bulbasaur would look. A sharper nudge snapped her out of that train of thought and she moved in to the kitchen. Mitch and Rick came tearing around the corner and crashed into the cabinets because their feet could not get any friction on the smooth tiles. Mitch shook his woolly head and bellowed, "Are we starting now?" "When are we going to eat?" Faith asked changing the subject. She wasn't to keen on the idea of returning to the wild. Phil drifted through a wall and hovered gently over head. Harmony followed in her human form. Her blue eyes darted around nervously and she was tense. Megan took her accustom place on the armchair in the living room waiting for the morphs to grab the books and settle down. She maybe struggling for control and power over the younger people but she had ways of finalizing things. Having them follow her asserted her as the leader. "We need a plan of action. You all want a home. The only way to achieve this goal is to find out where that is." Megan said taking charge and surprising herself. "Agreed." Harmony replied gravely as she flipped through a book on lapras. "You need to decide which form you want to be in. You can't flit back and forth. It's too dangerous and risky. If Team Rocket even caught a glimpse of you...Not to mention other greed, cruel people." Megan cautioned, "I don't expect an answer this minute. You need to think about this for a good long while." "I wish to be a lapras. No thought is required and my mind is set." Harmony announced coldly from the floor. Vikki's face crumpled up in concentration before she looked up at Megan, "Human. Being a vulpix is the best in the world but I wish to learn and live as a human." The others looked at each other wonder which they would choose. Phil and Mitch exchanged glances before Mitch spoke up. "I want to be a mareep. To be about to grow stronger and evolve as I was intended to. Without interference from Team Rocket." Mitch said in a low, deep voice. His black-purple eyes were set and determined. "I think I wish to be human. I mean with great food like pizza how can I lose? Skateboarding looks fun too." Rick joked. "You're just a big, empty pit." Faith smirked. "Just because I don't nibble like a pidgy doesn't make me a glutton." Rick protested before Megan could break up the argument. The decided morphs turned towards the others. Faith acted unconcerned as she flipped through a book about pokemon training. Pansy practically was fused to Megan's leg. Phil gazed off into space pensively. Megan blinked in surprise then replied, "I guess that will work. The only thing is I don't think people are going to let a thirteen year old child run one." Phil assured her. His gas shape blurred then solidified as an old man. Phil then changed back to his ghost type form. "Okay. Problem solved. Can we eat now. I want to try sushi." Faith said cheerfully as she thumbed through the book. "Not quite. Faith, you and Pansy haven't decided yet." Vikki pointed out gently. Pansy looked up with her ruby red eyes flashing with irritation and wrapped two strong vines around Megan's legs. She made her point quite clear. "She is going to stay with me." Megan winced and Pansy let go slowly. "Where do eevees live?" Faith asked suddenly looking up from the book on her lap. "They don't. They only live to be human's play toys." Harmony spat and curled a human lip in a sneer. She truly seemed twisted by her imprisonment and Megan hoped her new pod would tolerate her. "Then I'll have to be human." Faith said as if it were the simplest thing in the world, "Can I stay with you Megan?" How could anyone say no to a cute twelve year old? Especially when it would devastate them and change their whole life. "I think we should start right away. Look for where your species lives and we'll decide how best to go about getting you there." Megan commanded changing the subject. "It's not fair! Pansy gets to stay with you and I don't! Maybe if I cling to your legs and throw a tantrum you'll let me stay too. Should I do that?" Faith cried as she charged out of the room with a swirl of emotions. Rick started to go after her but Vikki stop him saying, "She needs to be alone, to think it over. She's just upset and disappointed." Chapter Eight They had reached a mutual decision. Everyone except Faith would be placed where they wished to go. The only problem was traveling inconspicuously. "You have to be in pokeballs. I can't travel with a bunch of teenagers. Think how much it would cost to rent two rooms each night. I can't have pokemon trailing after me either. That's sure to attract unwanted attention." Megan protested trying to get the morphs to stop balking the idea of the pokeballs. "I'm claustrophobic." Rick whined. "You're a sandshrew. How do you expect to dig if you don't like enclosed spaces, wimp." Faith pointed out sulkily. Rick had the grace to ignore her. He recognized that the jibe was not in good faith and that the eevee morph was just prodding him. "I agree, but only on one condition. I'm taken first." Harmony requested in a voice that dared anyone to argue. "Hey, that's selfish. Just because you are older doesn't give you that right." Mitch yelled and sparks began to form around his hands. Megan's eyes widen and she looked at Pansy. Pansy understand and whipped the boy's hands causing him to lose his concentration. "I provided you with the idea of returning home." The lapras girl replied coldly. "Does everyone agree to Harmony going first?" Megan asked knowing the answer. "She's entitled to it. It would probably be safest to do her first since her home is the farthest away." Vikki muttered not wanting to take up for Harmony but also wanting to make them see common sense, " Consider this; how many people have a sandshrew or a vulpix? Lots of trainers. How many have a lapras? Not many. I hate to say it but we're common." Phil nodded in agreement which was odd because he was in his pokemon form; Rick kicked a chair and glared; Mitch growled but didn't protest. "Back to the original topic. Pokeballs. By law I can only carry six pokemon with me at a time. Someone will have to stay human." Megan explained. As expected Harmony spoke up first, "I shall not be human." To prove her point she morphed right there in the living room. Vikki morphed to her pokemon form to conserve space and jumped on the water pokemon's shelled back. Phil suggested. "Yeah, Faith. That's just what Megan needs to distract her." Rick gave a chuckle. Vikki said tossing in her support. After all, majority ruled. "Why don't we switch?" Mitch asked. "People talk. How would it be if I showed up in one town with one kid and another with a different kid?" Phil proclaimed. "Faith what?" Faith asked coming in the room with a glass of milk. She seemed to be back to her normal, cheerful self. "Play the human of course." Rick grinned relieved to have her back to normal. "Why not you? Oh I know. You're too ugly." Faith smiled. "At least I'm not a hairball." Rick shot back. "One more thing. To blend in more we need to register with the Indigo League. That means you will have to battle. Is that all right?" "Sure." ; ; "Let's show those gym leaders." Harmony clarified cryptically. It didn't matter because the message sunk in to Megan anyway. "Oh HIM. Well we'll just have to stay away from his gym." Megan assured them. Chapter Nine "Back again?" Nurse Joy asked looking up from the computer. She eyed the new morphs and gave a wondering look at Megan. Remembering her impeccable manners she politely concealed her curiosity and waited. "Yes, ma'am. I wish to enter the Indigo League to uh...go on a pokemon journey." Megan pushed out. She hadn't wanted to go on a pokemon journey and certainly did not want to go now. Still, unless she wanted to be saddled with six teenagers she had to go. Her tone had been respectfully and Nurse Joy did not prod. "With these pokemon? I'm afraid you will have to go see Professor Birch. He registers trainers that already have pokemon of their own." Joy explained sweetly. Megan felt like strangling the pink haired woman. What was wrong with her? So cheer and sickly sweet. Megan let out a loud sigh and asked feeling slightly naive, "Where does he live?" "You mean you don't know? I thought everyone who lived in this area knew." Joy gasped with raised eyebrows. Oh how Megan wanted to smack that living daylights out of the nurse. "He lives in the huge laboratory outside of town. Go southwest and you are sure to find it." "Oh." Megan said and walked out the door with the gang trailing her. *** The lab and house were large and white. Why was everything around her white? The grounds stretched endlessly into the distance until they merged with dense forest. Fences (also white) bordered the yards and pens neatly. Pokemon of all sorts strolled around contentedly. The morphs and Megan gazed around in awe. A large cubone strolled up. He actually looked as if he was expecting them! He looked them over doubtfully before motioning them to follow. He led them through a maze of halls and corridors before stopping before an open door. Megan peeked around the corner. The room was small and stuffy. A large mahogany desk dominated the room with two uncomfortable chairs bordering it. On the desk there was stacks of papers that towered over a man. His brown head was bowed and the sound of pencil scraping paper was the only noise. Megan cleared her throat and stepped into the room nervously. "Birch?" She asked shifting from foot to foot. This reminded her too much of reporting to her superiors in TR. The man glared at her with black eyes. His face was solemn and he was getting on in years, "You will address me by my proper title young lady. Professor Birch." With that he looked down at his papers and continued scribbling. Megan decided to tell him since he seemed to have no interest in learning it from her, "I'm here to..." "Register for the League. Yes I know. How many pokemon do you own?" Birch said impatiently staring at her. "Uh... I don't own any of them, sir, I mean Professor. They chose to be with me. There are six." Megan stuttered. This man unnerved her for some odd and obscure reason. It seemed he knew of her secret. "So, what are you going to do with those morphs? make them battle for you're own pleasure, rocket scum." Birch sneered nastily and the cubone growled. Megan was shocked. So he did know! How? She was even more shocked at the implication that she was going to misuse them. If any one was the victim here it was her! Rocket scum? How did he know that? Still, she had put it behind her now and was on the path to redeem herself. How dare he make these rash and untrue assumptions! Then accuse her. "No SIR, I merely wish to do as they have decreed. They wish to go home and this is the path that will take them there. if you have a problem, well, it doesn't matter anyway because you have not the power to ban me. If anyone was roped into this it was me." Megan said in a low but even voice. She stared steadily at the man. Birch sat frozen for a moment. Slowly his expression change from disgust and disinterest to intrigue. He leaned forward and asked slowly, "So, you didn't catch them? Or create them for you're own use?" "No you buzzard." Megan growled impatient that it took so long to get the message throughout to him, "They found me and I'm taking them home. With or without your grace." "Now now. Don't get so testy, missy. Home is it?" Megan found herself disliking the man even more. Every second the dislike was growing. She could not stand snobs and she most certainly not a 'missy'. "Perhaps if they morph to human I may speak with them, yes?" Faith, who could stand no more of this verbal assaulting, morphed as bidden. The only problem was she was now ready to speak her mind. None of it was peticularly flattering. "You stupid man..." She yelled and struggled as Megan held on her dear life. "How?" Megan began and was cut off by Faith's tan elbow connecting painfully with her ribs,"...Ooof. Faith stop it. Pansy?" The bulbasaur nodded and bound the eevee girl with her strong vines. The tips covered her mouth so that only muffled protests leaked out. "How can we trust you? How do we know you aren't working for Giovanni?" Megan wheezed getting her breath back. With an infuriation smile the man reply, "You don't." "Then answer me this, how did you know they were morphs? Not many people know about them. Even rockets." Megan growled and narrowed her pale eyes. "The same way I know who you are, Kate Mosser." He smirked in a scholarly way. "That wasn't answering my question just adding a new one." Megan hissed coldly as her temper began to fray dangerously. "Blake, would you be so kind as to show them?" Birch asked the cubone who had been hovering at the door. The cubone nodded once and slowly his shape started to shift. Within seconds he was a handsome young man in his late teens. "I see now." Chapter Ten "I also was, as you claim, found. I was out doing research in the forest for a paper on botany. Stumbling across a hurt paras I attempted to pick the plant pokemon up to take it to a center. Just as I had straightened up a cubone leapt out of the bushes swinging his bone club. He had every intent of pummeling me into a pulp. It took a fancy tongue to talk him out of it. Bringing the two home and raising them I vowed to do everything possible to stop cruelty of a like kind. Which is why I mistook your motives. Cecilia is studying to be a doctor which is why she is not here. Blake is helping me with my research. Now, I'd like to hear your story." Birch listened with grave seriousness as Megan told him of her escape from Team Rocket from her leave of absence to her fake death. Then she explained how each morph found her and lastly how they found Harmony. She finished with why she had to be a part of the league for their safety as well as her own. "I see. So half want to be pokemon and the other half wish to be human. A prickly situation I must say." Birch said from where he was perched on an elaborate armchair set aside in his study. "Yes." Megan acknowledged as she sunk deeper into the couch. That had been as great relief and now that the burden had been lifted she felt queasy. The two had moved to the man's personal study which was decorated with comfortable furniture designed to hold enthralled readers. Blake had shepherded the other morphs out to tour the grounds. "I could provide a home for those who wish to stay. I have the assets to assist them with whatever they may desire." Elm offered generously. He had warmed considerably since their first meeting and Megan actually found him quite agreeable. Megan sighed reluctantly and answered, "It is up to them." Pansy caught the tone in Megan's voice and lifted her head to gaze with ruby eyes. Giving a sigh herself she laid her head on study paws but didn't go back to sleep. There were more than a few reasons for not wanting to be human. Mostly it was because their lives were so complicated. *** The morphs came back to find Megan curled up in the study with Pansy stretched out on the floor beside her chair. There was no sign of Birch anywhere. "Where is he?" Faith asked looking around. "Where ever he wants to be. I never know where he is exactly." Blake sighed dramatically. "You knew where he was when we arrived. You knew where we were when we arrived." Vikki pointed out. "Well, Robert knew you were coming so he sent me out to fetch you." Blake said giving a half smile. "How'd he know we were coming?" Rick persisted. "He receives premonitions occasionally. He didn't say it but that's how he found Cecilia and myself." Blake explained lowing his voice and shooting a nervous glance at Megan who was still reading. Megan looked up and beckoned them over with a wave. "It is done. I got all the stuff, the pokedex, everything. I'm set completely to screw up my young life." Megan smiled grimly although it held none of the sting it use to. "Birch offered to keep any of you who want to stay." "What about Harmony? Did you ask her if she wanted to stay?" Vikki asked. She was worried that the lapras wasn't getting the same amount of attention as they were. "Even I'm not cruel enough to unload her on Birch." Megan said with a short laugh, "No, that's what she would say. She has her heart set on returning to off the Orange Islands and nowhere else." "Who's Harmony?" Blake asked. "She's a lapras morph. She's not big on humans." Mitch shrugged indicating indifference. "Older than you?" Blake questioned sharply. "Yeah. You know her or something?" Faith asked with interest. Blake shook his head in neither a yes nor no. His face was a mix of emotions and none of the others pushed for answers. "We were traveling with a pinsir who hated humans. I hope he is still doing well and I wish Harmony the best of luck." Blake said sincerely.