Dave and Allan walked side by side though the desert. Walking forward. Leaving everything behind, or what was left. The hot sun burned the back of Dave's neck. Neither of them were prepared for this. It all seemed a blur, Fourn, his father, he would never see either of them ever again. The thing that hurt the most is that not a bit of it was his fault. He usually blamed himself and got over it, but here all his family were dead and he was not to blame for any of them.


First when his mother was hit by that loose tauros herd. He was only five, but his mother's lullably still haunted his dreams. Afterward Fourn went on his journey. Then when his grandmother had a stroke. She was enjoying life at the Senior Center playing tennis when it happened. He had no fault in either. Though he always tried to find some. Now his father, killed by the brother he never knew, who was killed in self defense by his only thing that he had left. He turned to that.


"Allan, you got a family?"


Allan looked at him, as if searching for something. Instead of talking he just looked at Dave. He saw that his eyes were wet.


"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought.."


"No, you didn't know." Allan said averting his eyes to the sand. "He doesn't." He whispered to himself. "Dave before I went to the stubid hands of law, I was in Team Rocket, as you know." Dave nodded. "Well, I as long as I knew I was in thier hands. You see I had no idea some of them were evil. I always knew the intermidiate faces. One day, about two years ago, I was transfered to a base near Pallet. You know that place, it's a nice small town."


"I think that Ash, the flash is from there." Dave said, that man's name always gave him uneasiness.


"I'll get to that. But you see, about 7 months there something happened. I was trying to find a way out of TR for a while then and I've had cut the power so I could escape. Then out of nowhere the entire thing explodes and even more amazingly, I and this fat dude in an orange suit seem to be the only survivors. The guy in the suit complianed about some 'Mewtool' thing as I approached him, I don't think he ever saw me. Now being intelligent I heard rumors of this guy named James, I know leaving team rocket. Turned out he did it later. So I make way as well leaving the fat guy to his own devices. As I'm on the travel some rocket grunt named Chez tries to get me to join back. He pulls out a gun, I fight him for the possesion. He ends up shooting himself. That Ketcum kid gives me some food and I as a good guest run off. Two monthes later, this slut turns me in after seeing me on a wanted poster. Then all ends up, I meet you."


"Wow, that explains alot. Okay I guess it's my turn?"


"Yeah. I did it." Allan said, his face thin and damp with sweat.


"Ok, My mom was killed at a visit to the Safari Zone when I was five. My br..Fourn," Dave said the last word with hatred, he didn't want to call that monster his brother anymore, "then left to go on his journeys." My grandparents died, so all was left was me and my Dad." Dave began to cry. He would never see him again. None of them. Allan put a hand on his shoulder wanting to know something he could say to make it better. He couldn't.


"It's okay, You don't have to tell." Allan ashsured Dave.


"No, you did it, So can I." Dave said getting support from more than unspoken words.


"So I met this grass trainer named Mandy." Allan stared as Dave went into a trance staring into the unforgiving sun.


"Dave, you in that love thing?" Allan said very confused. Team Rocket probably didn't embrace the whole 'love thing'.


"No!" Dave said going back to the dry birittle desert from slight day dreaming. "Anyway, we meet and she goes back to the plant gym with Erika."


"Erika! That slut turned me in!" Allan said in such a manner that Dave jolted upright.


"Maybe it was another Erika?" Dave said logicaly.


"No, crazy chick who likes selling purfume and hugging grimers? That's her." Allan said annoyingly with a small smile.


"Ok, she is a little ditzy." Dave said.


"A little! Man, she has a red 'X' stamp!" Allan said throwing up his hands to the sourching sun. "Oh well, Dave finish the story."


"Fine, about a month later the police come and then sheer fate." Dave said very happy to have his off his back. They continued walking both keeping silent. Out of the corner of his sunglasses Dave saw a reflection of metal. He jumped dwon bringing Allan with him.


"What the hell! Get off!" Allan yelled. He quieted down when he heard the first shot. "Dave, run." He obliged. Running on the hot sand now barefoot. He had to go quick or he would sink. While running he turned around to see Allan skating on a metal plank while firing at an extremely large figure in a think green coat. Dave seemed to be firing away. The figure kept it's slow walk on the sandshoes. Dave picked up his metal plank of the two they picked up before they left the 'base' and got on. He then noticed a very large sand dune. He signaled Allan and ran toward it. The figure followed.


To see him was fear. He seemed to be about eight feet tall and had a heavy moldy green coat on. The wide shoes seemed to be the only things that supported him. Allan and Dave went down the slope only to see a genade thrown at them. It missed and Dave found the reason this was not a city area. At the upheaveal of sand, black liquid rushed out of the ground. Oil. Dave heard of this, it was banned after being discovered. A second genade came in, and Dave found why it was banned.


[[]]


Allan was mutlitasking, by shoting this unstopable figure while dune surfing, and trying to make a plan. He saw a incredable burst of flame erupt near Dave. He escaped the blast but when more grenades came down, more giant towers of fire were summouned. Allan steered clear of most of them. He made another turn and the ground erupted.


Instead of melting him the explosion pushed him up. Normally the extreme high tempeture would have incinirated him. But his he never was touched by the flame. His metal board seemed to absorb all the damage and heat. Not caring how he landed on the sand and kept going. He had stopped shooting when he found it no use. Then he had a plan.


The thing was still on the top of the dune. When it threw the next grenade Allan was ready. As the metal ball hit the ground it broke into shards of steel and flame. As the flame touched the gunpowder trail Allan had left from the unused bullets, it followed it. To under the dune. to the source of the oil well.


Dave and Allan went with all thier might down that sand hill. As they reached the bottom. Flames covered everything five feet away from then. The black smoke rising as fire burst up with sduch heat Allan rewcieved a sunburn across his entire front side. This would be spectacular to see, If not for such a vast uproar of sand that it cut Allan's face and burrowed in his hair while pelting the burns. When the sand settled they found they had been pushed about sixty feet back and stared at the giant flame glistening before them.


"That thing was a machine." Dave said aloud staring at the giant gas exchange.


"Whatever it was, it's gone now." Allan said turning away, the heat warmed his already weary back.


"Yeah," Dave said looking away form it. "Let's go." The two walked away. The wind blew away the footprints in the sand.



Slowly, sinking deeply into the sand, the machine shut down.


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to be continued.


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kevin g.