I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter 9

The Stranger

"Are you. . . Team Rocket?" Amber said as she slowly spun around, but two hands stopped her and tied a bandanna around her eyes. Raltz was chirping like crazy.

"No," a deep voice said. "But I know that your friend is in trouble. You need to find him, fast. I cannot go with you. I'm risking everything just tipping you off right now. You cannot see me, or I'll be in even more trouble. He's at Mt. Moon."

Amber reached for the bandanna to take it off, but the hands stopped her again.

"Not until I leave," the voice said firmly.

"Who are you?" Amber asked.

"A friend," it said simply. "I'll leave now, and you may set out to find Ash. Also, I think that Raltz will come in handy for you. You may have her."

Amber felt those hands shove a pokeball into hers.

"That's a gift for you. . . I've wanted to give that to you since. . . Well, on your way."

Amber felt the hands leave her and she tore off the bandanna as quickly as she could, but all she saw was a wisp of black hair rush around a tree, and the man was gone.

"Raltz?"

"Oh. That's right. You're mine now, I guess. . ." Amber slid the pokeball onto her belt. Then she remembered. "Wait! Ash is in trouble!"

* * *

"Waaah!!!" Ash yelled as the voice startled him. "How do you know my name?"

He whirled around to find that important-looking Rocket standing before him, and he brought company. The group grabbed him and Brock and dragged them deeper into the caves.

* * *

Amber took Ralts up into her arms and started running. After a while, she noticed this was going no where fast. She stopped and looked at the Raltz in her arms.

“I wonder. . .”

She set Ralts down and looked at her.

“Can you teleport?”

Ralts nodded its head vigorously. Amber smiled and picked her up again. Ash would kill her for this, but Ash was just too important for her to leave him to whatever he got himself into.

“Then teleport me to Mt. Moon!”

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Another short one, sorry. I’ve been really busy lately and havn’t put up a chapter in a couple weeks. I know there’ll be a long one soon though, though I’m not sure how soon.