**************** Darkbadge Saga Chapter IV- Porygon, who are you? **************** Tom sat in the lounge chair in the Pokemon Center in St. Baers, waiting for the Porygon to be fixed and Machop to be healed. They arrived about forty-five minuites after Tom caught Machop, and for Tom, it was not a moment too soon. Now that he had a Pokemon of his own, he could catch other Pokemon as well. Tom brightened at the thought of finally having a chance at Pokemon League. Switching his thoughts to his current situation, Tom began to plan out the rest of the week. First, he thouhgt, he would look around St. Baers and see if the Porygon's trainer was around. If not, Tom thought he would then challenge the local gym leader. "Tom, is Tom here?" Nurse Joy called out. Rustled out of his daydreaming, Tom got up and walked over to the reception counter. "Are they ready?" Tom asked. Without so much as a word, Joy handed Tom his Pokeball containing Machop, and the Porygon drove out from behind the desk. Tom thanked Joy as he walked out with the Porygon. ******** "Well, now that I've finally fixed you, Porygon," Tom said to the Porygon as they travelled an empty street, "I guess it's time to find your trainer." Tom continued walking along and looked down by his feet a few seconds later, only to find that the Porygon was not there. Tom stopped and looked around. "Porygon?" he called. Tom looked behid him, and saw the Porygon in the distance, not moving at all. "Come on, Porygon." The Porygon moved further backwards. Tom walked up to the Porygon, and crouched down to it. "What's up, Porygon?" "No-th-in-g," Porygon responded. "Well," Tom stood up, "let's find your trainer." Tom walked on, but the Porygon didn't budge. "Oh, come on," Tom said, coming back and crouching by him again. "I can't keep you with me forever." "ca-n y-ou tr-y?" The Porygon asked. "What is it?" Tom asked the motionless Porygon. "Don't you want to find your trainer?" "No need to, mate, you already have," a voice behind Tom said. Tom looked behind him, and saw a man in his early-twenties looking at the Porygon. He had long, black hair, wide face, and a fair-built body. "You mean this is your Porygon?" Tom asked, standing up and looking at the Porygon. "Yessir, this is mah litt'l Porygon 'ee is," the man said, looking down at Porygon. "My name's Alex. I lost this little rascal about a year ago down at Yorin Town. Nice little place, really..." Tom smiled. He felt it nice to know that other people from different places had heard about his sleepy town. "We were walking down route fourty-something, I looked down, and noticed one of me pokeballs was missing," said Alex. "Porygon's?" Tom guessed. "Your smarter than ye look, mate. How nice of you to find it for me." Alex looked down at the Porygon. "Well, c'mon, mate. Let's go." The Porygon didn't budge an inch. "Why won't he move?" To wondered. "Search me, mate." Tom crouched down to the Porygon again and whispered, "What's wrong, Porygon?" The Porygon raised its head to Tom's ear and quietly whispered back, "D-id y-ou no-ti-ce a t-ea-r i-n my st-ru-ct-u-re wh-en y-ou c-a-rr-ie-d me?" Tom glanced sideways at Alex. "Come to think of it, yes. Why?" The Porygon looked straight at Alex, it's trainer. Tom looked confused awhile, but then the concept hit him. Tom stood up, an looked Alex in the eye. "You sick fuck." Tom breathed. Alex smiled. "Yep." "No wonder Porygon wouldn't come. You hurt him, didn't you?" "Th' 'ittle bugger couldn't beat th' simplest opponent. I got 'im a few times to toughen 'im up," Alex said smoothly. "B'sides, y' cant hurt a computer program." "I take it back. You're not a sick fuck. You're a fucking bastard." "Alright, mate, you've crossed the line," Alex growled, clenching his fists, "You're concerned over m' Porygon so badly, eh? C'mon, I'll take you on!" "Sure," Tom replied, reaching for Machop's Pokeball on his belt, "Who're you sendin' out?" "Why, Mr. Fist!" Before Tom could even blink, Alex charged Tom and punched him in the nose. Tom reeled back, wiping away the blood oozing from his now broken nose and his re-opened cut on his cheek. As Alex charged again, Tom quickly crouched down and took out Alex's leg with a sweep along the ground of his own. Alex stumbled, struggling to maintain balance, then rightened himself. "You can't take that Porygon away, anyway! He's mine and he belongs to me!" Alex said defiantly. "Re-a-ll-y?" The Porygon asked. "J- us-t wa-t-ch hi-m." With that, Porygon rushed his master, ramming his beak into Alex's left knee. With a yelp of dismay, Alex fell to the ground with a crash. Porygon drove back towards Tom, then looked back at his former master. "By-e," the Porygon said. Tom and the Porygon looked at each other. Tom then glanced back at Alex and sneered. "C'mon, Porygon, let's get that Darkbadge." As Tom and Porygon went off, Alex called, "You ungrateful 'ittle sod! After all I've done fer you! You owe me something!" Tom and Porygon stoppped. "Want to give him something?" Tom asked Porygon knowingly. "Y-es," Porygon said. Turning around to the downed Alex, Porygon said as clear as day, "Fu-ck y-ou." And they turned around once more and left. -The End **************