CHAPTER
4
I
reached the Pokécenter- with a quarter of an hour to spare. Typical. Still,
when it was over and I saw Secret bounding happily towards me, her old self
again, it really was worth the wait.
“That
fight with the Rattata- you were awesome! What are your attacks?”
“Growl,” she said. “Tackle
and Growl.”
“What, no fire attacks?”
She put
on big baby eyes. “Me only level 6!”
“Level
6? But- I thought you got starters at Level 5!”
“Me
only level 6… and me just fought a Rattata!”
“Oh.”
I felt real stupid now. “Yeah.”
“Right!”
said Secret, throwing off her babyish manner at once. “I wanna get out!
Let’s go let’s go LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
We
went.
“Danielle!”
She
looked up and grinned. “I tried to tell you. I guess you got there a little
early, no?” She sure seemed happy about something.
“No.
I got there a lot early,” I sat down- and then jumped straight up
again.
A
Pikachu! It was standing there, twitching its ears. Just asking to be
captured!
“Go,
SECRET!”
“Sparky, return!” Danielle said quickly. A beam of red light shot out from the Pokéball in her hand and sucked the Pikachu in.
“WHAT?”
I yelled. “You caught a Pikachu?”
“Looks
like it, doesn’t it?” smirked Danielle, letting it out again.
“But-
those are incredibly rare! How the heck did you find one?”
“I
guess I just got lucky,” Danielle said, smiling broadly. “Isn’t he sweet?”
“Pika!”
said the ‘chu happily. “Pipipikachu!” It jumped into her lap and stuck its
tongue out at me. “Chu chu chu chu chuuuuuuu!”
“Are
you teasing me?”
”What?” said Danielle.
“Your
Pikachu needs a few lessons in manners! It stuck its tongue out at me!”
“Awww,
you wouldn’t do that, would you Sparky?”
“Chu!”
said the mouse-like creature, shaking its head. “Pikachu!” It scowled at me.
“Take
no notice of the big mean Rachel!”
“Ka!”
it said, turning away from me. “Pi! Chu!”
Secret
jumped down from my arms. “Vul?”
“Oh, is Secret okay? Are you?”
“Vul!” said Vulpix, nodding vigorously. “Vulpix!” It trotted over to her Pikachu. “What’s your name?” she asked in Vulpix-talk.
The Pikachu whipped round, sparks flying. Then it saw Secret and stopped sparking, but still looked tense.
“I’m Sparky. I belong to Danielle,” it said.
“Well, I’m Secret. That’s my owner, Rachel over there.”
“Rachel?!” The Pikachu sparked slightly again.
“Yes. I was her starting Pokémon,” Secret said.
“You were?” The Pikachu looked coldly at me. “What does it feel like belonging to her?” it asked, lowering its voice.
“She’s great! She’s not just my trainer, she’s my friend!” Secret said proudly.
Sparky gave a snort of laughter. “Yeah, sure.”
“Yeah! Sure!” said Secret. “She’s the best trainer I could wish for!”
Sparky made a hissing sound.
“And now- now I’m looking for some Pokémon friends,” Secret said. “Would you be friends with me?”
Sparky looked doubtful. “You belong to her?”
“Yes,” Secret said.
“And you actually like her?”
”Of course.”
“I’ll think about it!” Sparky darted off to Danielle.
“Don’t you think we ought to go to sleep?” Danielle asked after some vigorous Pokémon races.
“Sleep? Yeah,” I said.
We snuggled down in our blankets and went to sleep.
I was jolted suddenly awake by terrible pain coursing through my body.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”
“Ka! Kakakakakaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!” I felt it again.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
I opened my eyes; there was a flash of yellow, and then- nothing. Sparky was snoring gently about a foot away. I would have dismissed it as a dream, apart from the after-effects still there. And the fact that Sparky had been much further away when I fell asleep…
I lay back and closed my eyes, but then the night exploded with noise. Danielle complaining of being woken up by a scream, the yelling of a furious Vulpix, and- another voice. A boy.
“Freeze, Pika. I saw what you just did. And it wasn’t very nice.”