Chapter 16 - Sparks

Katherine's P.O.V.

********

The noise was coming from behind

us, and I swear it wasn't coming from my imagination.

I whipped my head to the side, only to see a Rhyhorn started stomping it's hoof to the ground a few times, before being fired up.

Then it charged. I leapt to the side, narrowly dodging its curved horn.

I immediately shot an Ice Beam at the rampaging Rhyhorn. It shook off the attack like it was nothing. My ears pricked; I could sense it was strong.

Philip threw a Thunderbolt at the Rhyhorn; the mon seething with anger.

"Weaklings." It snorted.

"I see. He's a load of douchebag," Philip rapped.

'Challenging us will be a bad idea...' I thought. I put my right paw on his left shoulder, and he turned his head to me.

I felt myself blush at my-my stupid act! Wrong move, Kate, wrong move!

"Are you... okay?"

"I-I'm fine! I just- I just want to tell you something!"

"Don't tell me-"

"What?"

"You're sick, aren't you?"

"No I'm not!" I protested, annoyed.

"Oh well..." he sighed. "Let's kick his butt then. It annoys me to see such-"

"Douchebag."

"Yeah, that..."

"Let's drop the chit-chat right now, shall we?" The Rhyhorn growled. I huffed and positioned into a stance. All at once we charged and shot moves in our move set.

Philip lashed out with an Iron Tail, while I shot an ginormous blizzard on the Rhyhorn. Philip snorted with annoyance; it must be devastating for him to have his electric type moves to have no effect on the opposing Pokemon.

Rhyhorn charged with a Horn Drill, which I immediately avoided by leaping into the air and slamming down on Rhyhorn with a Giga Impact. I quickly rolled out of the way and saw Philip with a Shadow Ball.

'Wait.... I thought Pokemon are supposed to learn only four moves! Why did... he reached five?'

I remembered my move set.... which has six moves in a row. It was surprizing enough, seeing two or a normal Pokemon who can learn many moves as that.

"Look out!"

Before I knew it, someone grabbed me by my scarf and yanked me out of the way!

"Blake!" I beamed and gave the fire lizard a hug.

"Who was that boy you've been with?!" He demanded.

"Kate...?"

I turned to the Jolteon; he was hanging upside down with his hind legs tied with Lonnie's vines!

"What am I going to with him?" She sighed, sweat-dropping.

"Let me-Ow!" Philip yelped. I couldn't help but giggle at how helpless he looked.

"Lonnie..." I laughed. "Put him down, please."

Lonnie released him in a snap, and the electric fox landed in a heap on the ground.

"Ow..."

"Guys, meet Philip. Philip, this is Lonnie and Blake. As you can see, they're my teammates. And.... guys, he's the one who helped me out a while ago."

My teammates were speechless. Blake glued his eyes on the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Lonnie apologized.

"I'm really sorry if I was really rough on you-and I see you and Kate are-"

"Hey, it's okay..." Philip says, rather coolly. Lonnie sighed in relief. The grass fox turned to me and whispered, "He's hot..."

"Hey, where's Rhyhorn?" I asked.

"Oh, you mean him?" Lonnie says, and pointed at the mon who fainted on the side of the dungeon floor. Whoa, they defeated him that fast?

"Great job!" I beamed. "What happened to you? Are you hurt?!" Lonnie gasped, taking a glance on my flank that was covered in medicinal leaves. I let out a quiet gasp when I realized the leaves were frozen solid, which meant the medicine is working. This thing happens normally to us ice types...

"A Mightyena from earlier just attacked me with Poison Fang." I stated. "But don't worry, it stings but I'm really okay."

"Well, I'm glad you're safe!"

Blake was silent. My smile tilted into a frown. Normally, he wasn't the silent type, so something wrong must have happened.

Blake's P.O.V.

*****

"Guys, this is Philip. Philip, this is Lonnie and Blake..."

I fiddled with the item we found, which was a big nugget of pure gold.

Philip? Is that...?

The Jolteon in front of me.... is Philip. But he acted like he didn't know me, like I was new to his eyes and ears. He couldn't be my lost partner. He's just another guy who happened to have the same name and personality, and the way he talked.

Or... at least...

That's just what I thought...

Katherine's P.O.V.

********

---------

I took off my scarf, and carefully hanging it on a peg, I threw myself on my bed, relaxing my tired body. I yawned slightly, exhausted by the long day. A new feeling struck my heart, twisting my mind in a fluster.

Just thinking about him was enough to make me smile, and how deep the purple on his eyes- what?! What the heck am I thinking?! I gritted my teeth,

agitated and confused at myself. Am I... losing it?

I tried to shrug it off, and let myself feel the tranquil evening, breathing in the pristine breeze, and letting out a heavy sigh. A Pokémon for a crush? It's not going to help.

I sat at the opening of my window, fiddling my straps with my midnight paws to try and calm myself down. It was like he was in the very corners of my mind; it made my heart pound in a way I never felt before. I was....

love-struck.

I stomped my paw angrily on the wooden stucture; the feeling was hard to resist, like a rope that tries to pull me away.

It was like my mind went twisted! Frustrated, I whacked my tail, causing a shift in the wind. I sighed as I stared into space.

Flashback

"So how did it go?" I asked as Philip trotted over to us. He had a goofy smile on his face as he showed us a bronze medal. "Good." He says.

"Congratulations!" Lonnie says. Blake was silent; he wasn't in his normal self.

"Welcome to Team Alpha." I said as I shook his right paw.

"T-thanks for accepting me although you're already a bunch of silver-ranks..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll make it to silver."

"Huh, I guess, leader."

"Oh please, stop calling me by that title already."

"I guess. See you tommorow then." He said as he ruffled my fur.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" I grumbled. The Jolteon just laughed and padded away until he was out of earshot, leaving me blushing at the gesture.

"I-I'll see you then..." I let a faint whisper.

End Flashback

The memory about that somewhat made me blush, and it somehow felt...

Nice.

I finally succumbed to these feelings, and with a soft smile on my face, I lied on my bed. He made me feel... these feelings I never felt before. That made me know... I have a crush on that Jolteon...

But I hope regret can't soon block my way. Not today...

I sure hope so...

Lonnie's P.O.V.

*******

I knocked on the door, which was the door to Blake's room. He's been feeling a bit down earlier, and I need to talk to him.

"Blake? It's me Lonnie. Are you okay? Can we talk?"

"I'm fine." I heard his faint reply.

"You don't sound fine..."

"Leave me alone."

"Blake, if you're going to act like this, then you're not okay and even when you like it or not, I'm going in."

No reply.

"I'm coming in."

I opened the door as cautious as I could. I saw the fire lizard sitting on a corner, staring into space. His green scarf was hanging on a peg on the wall, and he just said nothing, like I wasn't in his room.

I sat beside him, looking at his face. He held no expression except sadness. He heaved a heavy sigh as he took a glance from me, and I tilted my head, the motion flopping my ears.

"You... okay?" I asked him.

"I'm horrible..."

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

He let in a deep breath before locking his evergreen eyes with mine.

"I... I had a partner once..." He began. "I lost him in a Nidoking's attack, and it seemed he vanished into thin air..."

"T-That's horrible..."

"I know, and that Jolteon reminded me a lot about him..."

"You mean... Philip? And that was your partner's name?"

"Yeah... but I think his name is just a coincidence, to have the same name as him..." He stood up and gazed at the moon, in a lonely way. His sadness mirrored mine, reminding me of the bitterness of my father's heart.

I reached out... and hugged him, joined with a stubborn blush on my cheeks. He hugged me back, and beads of tears fell from our eyes. We need to let it go... for the better.

'It's all just the past now...'