Chapter 1
 

“Oof!”

“Are you with us now, Shrike Flamestar?”

“Huh?” Dimly I blinked a couple times, lifting my head off of the table upon which it had been smacked down onto. Adjusting my glasses I looked up to find myself staring at an animal that lay on the table in front of me. It looked somewhat like an anteater or echidna; however it was fairly small, no more then a foot and a half from the tip of its long nose to its rear, and its body was covered in two different colors of fur. While the fur on its back was a dark blue its underside was a yellowish-cream color, and while not natural for this species, its underbelly fur also had a reddish sheen to it. Our professor had told us they referred to this uncommon and special coloring as being ‘semi-shiny’ as a true ‘shiny’ of this species would have a red sheen to all of its fur, which made them incredibly rare and highly prized. It lay curled up now in a ball, its stomach rising and falling softly as it slept peacefully; the red spots on its back that were able to produce fire giving off a dim glow. Shaking my head I sat up straight and turned around to face the source of my disturbance. “Oh, Professor Jura. Is something the matter?”

The elderly man stood over me, frowning down at the small tablet PC that sat in my lap. I glanced at it and quickly tapped the save icon, I didn’t want to lose what I had been writing; while not suitable for anything I was doing right now it might be useful for another story in the future. “You have five minutes until the end of class. I suggest you finish up your work for the day and return that Cyndaquil to its cage. You know my policy about stragglers after the bell, I’m sure you don’t want to lose your points for the day’s work.” Professor Jura said, staring down at me. He always put on this act that he viewed us as unworthy or something, however in his eyes there existed an odd shimmer that almost seemed like a repressed kindness, however it was hard to believe that he was possible of anything nice.

I grimaced and glanced at my watch as Professor Jura walked away, I had gotten too caught up in my writing that I had let time slip right by me. Sighing I closed the document I had been writing in and pulled up a spreadsheet that had been minimized. It was labeled, Observations on the Behavioral Habits of a Cyndaquil and contained various charts filled with data on things such as sleeping, eating, and so on. I looked over the chart and relaxed as I realized that I had already collected all the data I needed. This was the last day for data collection on our project and if I hadn’t finished my grade would be in serious trouble. I stood up from the chair I had been sitting in and snapped the cover of the tablet PC closed like it was a book, sliding the stylus I had been writing with into a slot in the cover before I slid the whole thing into a pocket in my jeans.

Glancing around I noticed that almost everyone else had finished and was now standing around talking to each other as they awaited the bell. Hurriedly I shoved all the rest of my stuff into my backpack, in to much of a rush to make sure that everything was organized properly into the right pockets. Slinging the backpack onto my shoulder I reached into the enclosure that had been set up on top of the table and carefully picked the sleeping Cyndaquil up. Cradling it in my arms carefully so as not to wake him I made my way over to the rows of cages that stood against one entire wall of the spacious classroom and looked along them. Most of them were filled with various species of Pokémon, all the ones the other groups and individuals had been assigned for this project. Since this was our last day using them, no doubt that by tomorrow they would be moved to the Pokémon habitats built behind the school. Glancing down at the sleeping Cyndaquil I held in my arms I smiled fondly; I would miss him. Perhaps I would be able to visit him sometimes, but the staff had never liked students to grow to close to the school’s Pokémon.

Sighing I walked alongside the cages until I found the right one. Adjusting the Cyndaquil I managed to free one arm and pulled the cage door open. Gently I laid the Cyndaquil on the blanket that covered the floor of the cage and glanced down at my watch to find I only had about five seconds left before the bell. Slamming the cage door shut behind me I turned and ran to the door, making it just in time as the bell rang and the crowd of students tried their best to all squeeze past each other and through the door at the same time.
 

 
Emerging from the classroom I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the bright midday light. The classroom door exited onto a third-story balcony that ringed the parameter of Pokémon Academy’s semi-circular main building, all along which more doors were opening and before long the balcony was packed with people hurrying about to get to their next class. I wasn’t in much of a hurry though as I didn’t have a next class, after General Pokémon Studies I had a break period in which I could do whatever I wanted.

Casually I walked over to the steel railing that ran along the edge of the balcony, overlooking the courtyard below that sat in another semi-circle cut out of the flat edge of the main building. Looking down I tried to see if any Pokémon battles were taking place below, however the courtyard was mostly empty today. Shrugging I turned around and looked down the balcony in both directions, trying to decide rather I should check out the Battle Center or return to my dorm so as to upload all I had written in class today to my main computer.

“Hey, Shrike. Get over here.”

I looked around for the source of the voice before settling my eyes on a girl that stood a few yards away down the balcony to the left of me. “Oh, Rayne. Why didn’t you come to class today? I almost got in trouble with Jura because you weren’t there to take care of the Cyndaquil while I zoned out.”

Rayne shrugged; her short black camisole pulling up slightly so as to expose a bellybutton pierced with a ruby studded ring. Shaking her long black hair out she tied it back into a pony tail, watching me as I walked over to her. Rayne Jarxis was known around the Academy to be somewhat, different; she rarely talked to anyone and had a habit of missing classes. I couldn’t even tell rather she cared for Pokémon at all; however the fact that she was here in a Pokémon trainer’s school as prestigious as the Academy ought to have meant something. With her, however, it was hard to know anything for certain. Wondering why she had called me, of all people, I leaned over the railing near her and stared at nothing in particular. The only relations we had were that she and I had been paired together to record data on the Cyndaquil we had been assigned, not that that meant much with how often she was gone, and when she was in class we had never gotten along all that well. With my short, brown hair being ruffled by the wind I took the initiative to speak to her with my back turned. “So, why’d you want me?”

“Because you’re the only person I know who will listen to me.”

“I thought you didn’t like me? Or anyone at all, in fact. You sure act like it.”

“You don’t have to like someone to talk to them.”

“Well, then, please do go on.” I rolled my eyes. Although I had my back turned to her I could hear Rayne walk closer to me and stand behind me to my right.

“See, it’s that kind of attitude that gets on my nerves. If you’d just drop the sarcasm...”

“You’re not perfect either. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what the entire school thinks of you.”

“That I’m different, so what? Just because I rarely talk to other people and prefer to do what I myself want doesn’t make me any less human then anyone else.”

“Same with my sarcasm. Can we move on now?”

Rayne was silent for a moment, then spoke up again. “I saw that you write stories the other day, during class. What about?”

I tensed, not having expected that question. “Nothing. Just whatever comes to mind. Mostly fantasy and sci-fi, really; I’ll also write about Pokémon trainers sometimes.”

“I like writing too. It’s like an escape for me, allowing me to get away from my normal life.”

“Interesting...”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I feel the same way sometimes.”

Pushing myself away from the railing I turned around to face Rayne; as I looked at her she diverted her eyes. I realized then that she was younger then I had thought previously. Before she had looked almost around sixteen, like a senior, however now I realized she wasn’t much older then me at all, merely around fourteen. She gave off an air about her of maturity, however, like she had been through more then anyone knew. And now, as she talked to me, that air was dissipating. “Where are you from?” I asked suddenly.

Rayne shook her head. “Don’t know, I’ve been an orphan all my known life. What does the past matter anyways; it’s already been done and is set in stone.”

I was about to respond, however before I could something attracted my attention out of the corner of my right eye. All this time I had been talking to Rayne the balcony had slowly been emptying and there were few people standing about now besides Rayne and I, so the cause of my notice was easy to make out.

Walking out of a door came two young men. One had long, flowing red hair and was wearing a black cloak over a black shirt and walked slightly ahead of the other who was dressed in what could most be likened to loose old rags and was hunched over as if his back was broken. Both looked to be around eighteen, which meant they either had to be seniors who were being held back, or that they didn’t belong here at all. They weren’t what had attracted my attention, however; it was what the one wearing the rag-like clothes was carrying. Held in one hand by the scruff of its neck was a Cyndaquil, whining and thrashing about as it cried out, “Quil!” Flames sputtered around its back; however the man seemed to ignore the fire as if he couldn’t feel it.

“Hey, who are you? Why are you holding that Cyndaquil like that?” I asked as I turned from Rayne and walked over to the two men. The one with red hair looked down at me, for he was taller then me, and I shrunk back at the hard look in his eyes. He watched me coolly, and I could see in his eyes he was adding me up like a math equation.

“And may I inquire who you are?” The red haired man finally asked.

Hesitantly I decided there was no harm in him knowing my name and nodded. “Shrike Flamestar; I’m a sophomore here. Who are you; you look to old to be attending school; and I don’t think that Cyndaquil much enjoys being held like that...”

Again the red haired man measured me while I glanced at his companion who was holding the Cyndaquil. Stifling a gasp I took a step back. The man’s eyes weren’t normal, instead the white of his eyes were a dark, golden-yellow and his pupils were thin vertical slits, like a snake’s eyes. He grinned and hissed at me, chuckling as I nervously took a farther step backwards.

“Ramirez! This boy, Shrike, had done nothing to us. Do not bother him.” The red haired man barked at the one dressed in rags, Ramirez apparently. He turned back to me and nodded apologetically. “Excuse my companion. He has suffered some most unfortunate birth defects along with some brain damage. My name is Zelos, and we were visiting this school to watch the Pokémon battles. We are leaving now, however.”

Zelos and Ramirez briskly turned to walk down the balcony; however as they did so two realizations hit me. The first was that the room I was standing outside of right now was Professor Jura’s. The second was that the Cyndaquil Ramirez was carrying had a red sheen to its chest fur.

“Hey, that Cyndaquil belongs to the school! You can’t just take it with you!” I yelled angrily. Zelos and Ramirez stopped in their tracks, turning back around to face me.

“Ah, but we are. You recognized it, and I can see your anger quite clearly. You care for it, no?” Zelos said, his tone of voice icy cold and his eyes burning as with fire. He gave a small nod and Ramirez pulled a switchblade out from a pocket in his torn jeans, opening it in a flash before pressing the sharp edge of the blade up against the Cyndaquil’s throat.

“Cynda!” The Cyndaquil yelped in fear as he stopped moving, realizing what was going on. I yelped myself and stumbled backwards, at a loss for what to do; one twitch and Ramirez could severely injure the Cyndaquil, perhaps even...

“You see, we’re about to do a little, experiment, you could say, and we need a test subject. For, you see, this isn’t just any experiment; I am studying Pokémon anatomy and need a healthy young fire type to farther my research. Passing this door I noticed the door to this Cyndaquil’s cage wide open and took it as an invitation.” Zelos said, no hint of compassion in his voice at all. “While I would prefer to wait until I returned to my lab, I think I could start the dissection process right here and now if you insist on stopping us, starting with an in-depth look at the inside of its trachea.”

The Cyndaquil whimpered as the knife was pressed against its throat, a thin red line appearing. I gaped, frozen in fear. One small twitch and the Cyndaquil would die, and it would be all my fault for not making sure the door to his cage had locked. For a moment longer the three of us stood there facing each other, the knife being pressed closer and closer to the Cyndaquil’s throat all the time, the cut widening and deepening until blood began to drip down from it in thick rivulets.

“Oh, come on. Don’t you know how to fight at least?”

From behind me a blur leaped on top of Ramirez, knocking him to the ground and slapping the switchblade out of his hand, sending it flying in an arc through the air only to clatter on the stone floor of the balcony away from us.

“Rayne...” I said breathlessly as I began to come to my senses again.

“The Cyndaquil!” She yelled as she struggled to keep Ramirez down, him hissing at her as he swung his fists wildly.

Frantically I looked around for the Cyndaquil, but by the time I saw where Ramirez had dropped him, it was too late. Zelos bent down and picked him up by his scruff again, pulling out a knife of his own and pressing the sharp edge of it up against the cut Ramirez has started. By now it looked as though the Cyndaquil was unconscious, his head hanging limply down and forcing Zelos to hold it up with the back of his hand holding the knife. Blood ran down the Cyndaquil’s chest freely now as Zelos pushed his knife against the Cyndaquil’s neck even harder, the length of the blade almost buried in the Cyndaquil’s throat. Meanwhile Zelos smirked at me, “So are you just going to stand there dumbfounded and let this pitiful Cyndaquil die at my hands? My, I had thought better of you Shrike, but you are disappointing me.”

I watched as Zelos jerked the knife deeper into Cyndaquil’s throat, the blade disappearing lengthwise into the wound, no longer visible from the outside. With a yelp the Cyndaquil woke up again, screaming in pain and fair as it gasped for breath, its voice raspy, “Qui... Qui... Cyn...” My eyes widened, and I knew right then what I had to do. For a fleeting second I had a glimpse of my future, and I knew.

“LET HIM GO!” I roared, throwing myself at Zelos. He had the size advantage over me, but I had taken him by surprise. With newfound strength I grabbed the wrist of the arm that he held his knife in and began to wrench it away from and out of the Cyndaquil’s throat. Zelos was clearly shocked by this; however there was nothing he could do. I was tightly gripping the hand that held his knife and he couldn’t get it free. His other hand held the Cyndaquil and if he let go of him he’d be giving in to me, a sign of weakness which I knew was beyond him. His legs had buckled back by my surprise charge so if he tried to kick me he’d lose balance and fall over. I, however, wasn’t finished yet.

Growling in rage I curled my free hand into a fist and punched Zelos in the gut as hard as I could, knocking all the air out of him. Zelos staggered back, almost pulling me down with him as he fell, and dropped both the Cyndaquil and his knife, grabbing his gut with his now free hand as he collapsed. I grimaced as the knife fell down and opened a cut on my bare arm; however I ignored it and let go of Zelos’ wrist, quickly grabbing the Cyndaquil before he hit the ground, cradling his limp body in my arms. Backing away from Zelos I noticed that Ramirez had thrown Rayne off him and was now brandishing another knife at her as she held up the switchblade that he had dropped earlier. It looked almost like they were going to duel with four inch long swords.

“Shrike, get out of here! That Cyndaquil needs more help faster then the infirmary can give, bring it to the Pokémon Center down the road!” Rayne yelled as she jumped out of the way as Ramirez tried to lunge at her with his knife, her taking the opportunity to slice at his arm.

Wordless I turned around and ran down the balcony. I would be taking the long way out of the building by going this way; however I couldn’t get tangled up in the fight any farther. Worried I looked down at the Cyndaquil in my arms and realized just how bad the cut on its throat was. The bleeding didn’t seem to be stopping and poured out everywhere from his throat, his breathing was shallow and hard, and his eyes were clenched closed tightly as he swung blindly at the air with his paws, thinking I his enemy. Looking around I tucked into a small alcove in the wall of the building and sat down, laying the Cyndaquil in my lap and pulling my backpack and shoes off. Quickly I pulled off both my socks as well, laying one aside as I wrapped the other around the Cyndaquil’s neck as a makeshift bandage. I tied it as tight as I could risk, not wanting to choke him but hoping it would help to staunch the flow of blood, however almost immediately it was soaked clear through. I looked at the cut on my own arm, but compared to the Cyndaquil’s it was a paper cut. Taking my other sock I tied it around my arm before sliding my shoes back on, reaching into my backpack for something.

“Hope you like Coke.” I whispered to the Cyndaquil as I pulled out a half full plastic bottle of Coca-Cola, unscrewing the cap and tipping some of the liquid into the Cyndaquil’s mouth. Fortunately he swallowed it and I gave him some more, until most of the bottle was gone. Taking a final drink myself I tossed the empty bottle into my backpack and began to stand up, the Cyndaquil calmer now as he looked weakly up at me, seeing now that I was saving him. I smiled back at him with glistening eyes, gently stroking his head as I tried my best to soothe him.

“I’s found’s you’ss!”

Yelling in surprise I fell back down and looked up to find Ramirez standing at the entrance to the alcove. He cackled and hissed at me as he pulled out two switchblades, one in each hand and different still then the others; I couldn’t help but wonder how many he carried around with him. Helpless I pressed myself back against the wall, pressing Cyndaquil against my chest to try and protect him as Ramirez approached. This was the end; there was no way I could fight back now...

“Ramirez! Let him be. The Cyndaquil is not worth it and we have already attracted too much attention here.”

With a reluctant hiss Ramirez closed the knives, sliding them back into his pockets. Angrily he scuttled away from me, hunched over as always. Zelos walked up the alcove and glowered down at me with hatred; I noticed with satisfaction that he was still clutching his stomach where I had punched him.

“Shrike. I am sparing you for now. However, if you ever get in the way of my plans again, I will kill you. Our plans go far beyond your simple minded understanding, and I can not afford to have a little kid such as yourself continually messing it up.” And with that Zelos turned and began to run down the balcony, Ramirez following behind him like a dog as the few bystanders who had remained standing around after the fight stared after him in puzzlement.

“Come on Shrike, this is no time to be worrying about them.” Rayne said, appearing at the entrance to the alcove and holding her hand out to me. Nodding I held the Cyndaquil with one arm as she helped me to my feet. “I’ll stay behind and explain what happened when some of the staff gets here, as I know they will; it’s inevitable that someone’s told them that something’s happening by now. You get the Cyndaquil to the Pokémon Center.” Rayne said sternly.

“Right.” I nodded, knowing I was extremely short on time now. Not wasting anymore I ran off down the balcony to the stairs, praying all the while with tears in my eyes that the Cyndaquil who now lay sleeping in restless, fitful sleep in my arms would hold out just a little longer.
 

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