Chapter Two: A New Friend in Times of Misery Salty slowly opened her eyes and desperately tried not to heave up her lunch on the cold, metal floor. Her muscles felt cramped and shrunk from her energy confinement. Her mind was violently reacting against her claustrophobia which had been triggered. Living her whole life on the wide and open sea had created an intolerance of being in tight places. True, the pokeball hadn't felt like it was choking her but the thoughts did. Stretching out her paws she worked the kinks out before shakily gathering them beneath her. With one powerful thrust she was standing. With all her muscles tensed and rigid she took an experimental step forward. Her traitorous legs gave way from out from under her and she found herself sprawled out on the gray floor. Her body was reaction to the stress and she was panting heavily with a mixture of nasty emotions. Pushing her back legs out like a frog she got into a more comfortable position. As her muscles relaxed the young growlithe searched her surroundings warily. Around her was a cage. The bars were made of some sort of gray metal. They gleamed dully as if taunting her. Beyond them was a drab room. There were no windows or ports of any kind. The walls were gray and against one of them a long string of cages was lined up. The cages however were devoid of living creatures at the moment. The filth and scummy smell that hung heavy over the enclosed room stung Salty's sensitive nostrils like she had inhaled some of her own fire. Snorted forcefully she attempted to dispel the sensation and vile smell, but all she managed to do was make her tender black nose run in a thin layer of snot. To weak to pace the impossibly small cage Salty did the only thing she could in such a depressing situation. Laying her broad head on her stumpy paws she tried to sleep. The sandman however seemed to have more urgent business elsewhere and Salty just lay there. Just as soon as sleep had overtaken her and she was drifting into the dream world an eardrum jarring slam happened. Both dark eyes were immediately open and her body jerked in reflex. The startled jump failed though and she bumped back to the floor. Gathering up her legs she looked up ready to flee if possible. Two humans had entered. Salty recognized the woman in the suit even though the murkrow was absent. The other human was a teenaged girl. The girl looked determined and flustered. Her face was already setting into the customary expression all rockets seemed to possess. She was carrying something like an old rag doll in the crook of one arm. The object was brown and furry. A limp tail hung down forlornly but the creature's face was hidden deep within the ratty brown fur. It smelled musky and scared. Salty had to hold back a throat clearing sneeze. Every so often a small, pitiful cry would issue from the buddle. Each time the girl shook it in frustration. Finally she gave up the effort and turned to the rocket executive expectantly. "Ma'am, this dumb pokemon is no good. I will not tolerate this sh^ty thing any longer than I have to. It don't listen to a word I say and pisses when I hit it. Then it whimpers and cowers like the worthless wretch it. The stupid thing has no spine and goes to a puddle of goo when in battle. How am I to be a proper rocket with such a baby? I demand a new pokemon!" The girl raged singing of the disliked qualities in a most disgusting manner. Salty didn't understand all the words but the tone told all. She flattened her ears and growled low in her deep chest. "Very well. Give me the creature. I will dispose of it later. For now it can stay in with that growlithe over there." The executive woman said with a blank face. Salty wrinkled her nose at the waves of dislike and disgust rolling off the woman. Somehow she seemed to be directing them at the girl rather than the pokemon. She was about to open Salty's cage when she paused, "Wait. Let me send out a pokemon. That growlithe might make to escape. She's freshly caught and unpredictable." The suited woman sent out an onix. The huge rock pokemon covered the only door with its solid coils. Settling its head on the bulk of the coils he watched Salty with slitted eyes. She stared back knowing he could do nothing. She even went so far as to lift and lip showing a single canine tooth. That gesture was the most insulting one a pokemon could make. The desired reaction however did not happen. The onix seethed but it was well trained and held its position. The executive opened the cage and gently put the brown lump at the entrance of the cage. She retreated slowly and locked the door carefully behind her. Salty was curious about the cage's new resident but refused to investigate while the humans stood and watched with their beady eyes. "Why did you send out that onix? Your vaporeon could have made short work of that weak fire type." The girl sneered. Salty wanted to tear the smirk right off the girls ugly face. "That growlithe is immune to water and ice attacks. Now, you will get your new pokemon in two weeks. That's how long it will take for those eggs we liberated from the Ramrod to hatch." Salty's ear perked then drooped. What had happened topside while she lay dormant in that confining ball? Had Captain been captured? What about Ratha and Master? The cargo? Anxiously filled with her thoughts a whine slipped out of her clamped mouth. "Looks weak to me." The girl commented. "That's because she's weak, exhaughted, hungry, and distressed. I would like you to come down her in a week and see how she behaves. I doubt it will be entertaining." The executive remarked wisely. "Whatever. Good bye cur. I hope they feed you to the fishes." The girl called over her shoulder. Salty's hackles rouse unbidden before she realized the girl was addressing the ball of fur that was shivering in the corner of the cage. Salty waited for the executive to leave and was disappointed to see the woman peering in the cage. Her sharp black eyes seemed to be taking in every detail and the never seemed to stop roving around constantly. "Well, I hope you two get along. I'll try to get you each a decent slave master. Most of these rockets are the same though." The woman commented as she pushed two bowls filled with some sort of dark brown meat. "Tarous meat. Enjoy." With that parting remark she exited. "Who are you?" Salty asked poking the brown pokemon gently with her nose. It recoiled in fear before a masked face emerged from where it had been buried. Two bright eyes glittered with unshed tears and the mouth was pucker in an effort to stop an incoming sob. Salty inspected the creature further. Its body was long and low slung with a long tail almost as long as its body. Two rounded ears perched on its head and stripes proceeded down its spine. Tiny paws with tiny claws peeked out from under the main body. Whatever the critter was, Salty realized, it was still a baby. "So you have a name, sweetie?" The growlithe asked her motherly instincts were kicking in and concern washed over her. The baby sniffled before whimpering pathetically, "Snot, that's what that awful girl called me. I had a name before.. I can...cannot remember. That was when I had a nice girl to watch over me. They... they stole me from my house." "Snot is not a name for a pokemon. No wonder your so frightened. Let's just call you Sweetie. Now Sweetie you need to eat so you can grow up to be a big, brave girl." Salty cajoled and pushed the smaller bowl towards the ferret like pokemon.