Fanfiction Archipelago Adventure

I've only recently started writing fanfic - this is my first long-form story (still in progress), I hope you enjoy it.

Blurb:
Farin is headed for the Orange Islands - she's a Pokémon researcher, hoping to study under Professor Ivy. She's very excited, but something doesn't feel right. Her father isn't there to see her off, a shadowy figure is following her, and her friend's Pokémon has gone missing. Farin knows something that she shouldn't, and it's about to land her in trouble.

 

Chapter One

Farin walked for the last time around the apartment. The shelves were clear, books packed away and left in storage, clothes mostly flogged to friends or donated to local charity shops. The kitchen still had scorch marks above the fridge from Agni's rebellious stage, back when he was still a charmeleon. Farin stared at her sloppy attempt to paint over the black and felt a twinge of nostalgia.

On the table was a rucksack, a one-person tent and three pokeballs. Those few items would be all she took when she left, limited to what she could carry on her back. She'd slid a few of her research journals into the inside pocket, mostly blank except for the notes from her Master's thesis: Anthropological Residues of a Legendary: Tracing Mew through Stories and Songs. When she reached the Orange Islands and met Professor Ivy, Farin hoped that she could shift her research away from the representation of Pokémon in human culture and begin to explore them in their natural habitat. It was exciting to be setting out with more blank pages than filled ones.

Suki was waiting at the door, swishing her cream-coloured tail. The purple tufts of fur on her ears pricked up as Farin approached, and she let out a long meow.

"My, you're very active, Suki, given it's only mid-afternoon," Farin said to the delcatty. As if in answer Suki yawned, showing her little pointed canines.

"We'd better get going. Need to take you round to Dad's before he leaves for his evening shift."

The delcatty turned her head sideways and pouted.

"I know you want to come with us to the archipelago – but Suki, you're a house cat. We're going into the wild, you'd hate it."

Suki looked away sulkily. Farin crouched down next to her and stroked her back, but the delcatty slid out from beneath her fingers and stalked into the hallway.

"A year isn't that long, Suki..." said Farin, but the Pokémon would not meet her eye.

It was a quick car trip to Farin's father's house; she would leave the vehicle with him, stacked with a few bits and pieces that she couldn't part with. Suki stood up on the front seat, watching the town thread by. Between the buildings she could see the glittering blue of the ocean.

When Farin turned into the driveway, her father's car was not there. She knocked on the door for several minutes, walked around to the side where the big metal fence was locked, and was just about to phone him when she noticed a stray piece of paper flapping in the flower bed. It was caught between two daisy stems, fluttering in the breeze, and had a piece of tape stuck to the back. Farin picked it up.

Sorry I couldn't be here to see you off the message read in her father's untidy scrawl, got called in early to work. I'm so proud of you. Leave the keys in the letterbox. The back window is slightly ajar so that Suki can crawl through. Love you.

Farin pressed the paper to her chest and then slid it into her pocket. She felt a diffuse kind of sadness, that her father wasn't there to see her off – and that the letter hadn't mentioned his promise to visit her in the Orange Islands. Her father tended to shy away from sentimentality, but she wished he'd at least called her. Something about it didn't seem quite right.

Suki was still in the car, curled up on the front seat.

"Suki, it's time to say goodbye," said Farin, opening the door for her. Suki kept her eyes shut.

"I know you're not really asleep. Come on, Suki, you have to get out."

The delcatty scrunched her eyes tighter and slid her head under her arm.

"I'll leave you locked in the car," Farin threatened. Suki didn't move.

"Ok. If you're going to be like that." Farin looped her arms under the pokemons belly and lifted her up. Suki yowled and twisted, and was dumped unceremoniously in the flower bed. She stared daggers at Farin.

Farin sighed. "I'm sorry, Suki, I am. But you'd hate it in the islands – we'd be travelling around a lot, and you don't like being in a Pokéball. I don't want to leave you behind, but you'll enjoy it here. You like Dad."

Suki blinked silently.

"The back window is open for you," said Farin. She leaned down to hug Suki goodbye, but the delcatty slunk off under the bushes.

"Ok. Well, I'll see you in a few months."

A purple tail flicked from the shrubbery.

It was a pleasant day for walking; Farin hitched her bag, to which she had tied the tent, onto her back. The three pokeballs jostled in her pants pocket; Agni, Lorcan and Rae. Heat radiated from the concrete pavers and bright white clouds skidded through the sky. It was about half an hour to the docks – Farin could have caught a bus, but she wanted to get used to walking. The ferry would take her to Ascorbia island, from which she planned to fly on Agni to Butwal island to visit her old friend Ollie, before finally heading to Valencia to meet the professor and start her research. Farin whistled as she walked, a melody to accompany the rhythm of her footsteps.

Fingering the folded note in her pocket, Farin wondered whether her dad was having a hard time at work; it was very unlike him not to see her before she left.

Sun slanted down through the boulevard trees, making patterns across the road. It really was a beautiful day to start an adventure. Farin thought about Suki, curled up under a daisy bush. She began to feel bad. Why shouldn't the delcatty come, delicate though she was? I've never been on any long trips before Farin thought, what makes me think that I can do it but Suki can't?

Farin had gotten Suki in a wonder trade a few years ago. It was her first time, and she was saying goodbye to a spearow she'd caught on the balcony of her apartment earlier that day. Her friend Patty was showing her how to do it – just put the ball in the machine, and it will match you randomly with another person, somewhere in the world, who is doing the same thing! It seemed a bit cruel to Farin, but she couldn't deny that it felt thrilling. The machine vaporised the ball, sent spearow spinning into the ether, and moments later Suki appeared.

"It's a delcatty!" Patty had gasped. "Oh, isn't it adorable? You're so lucky."

Farin had taken Suki with her to the Pokémon Center, where they determined that she was just a baby.

"Someone has bred a skitty and immediately evolved it using a moon stone," the nurse had said. "Probably trying to fill out a Pokédex. Poor thing, it probably doesn't even know any moves – it's very weak. There's so much that needs to be learned at the skitty stage, which this delcatty won't ever get to know now."

The nurse had shaken her head, and Farin had scooped Suki up and held her against her chest. The delcatty purred happily, but Farin was swelled by pity; Suki, born and immediately forced to change, then discarded through the uncaring trade system. Farin had taken her home and made up a bed of blankets and cushions, and stroked the little delcatty. Years later, Suki had become an avid house cat.

Farin was making good time as she walked. Rounding a corner, she saw a flicker at the edge of her vision – a shadow, leaping from one bush to the next. She stopped, searching the verge-side for signs of movement. Everything was still. She kept walking.

Bird-Pokémon sang in the trees. Several of them took flight, their shadows flitting across the ground, and again Farin sensed something in the periphery. She had the unpleasant feeling of being watched. Taking her hands out of her pockets, she stopped whistling, straining her ears for the snap of twigs or sudden heavy footfall. The world was quiet, except for the low hum of traffic down by the marina.

I'm getting paranoid already she thought. She fingered the piece of paper in her pocket. Down the hill she could see the docks, framed by the glittering ocean. A feeling of excitement spread through her chest, but it was tempered by something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on; a sense of foreboding, of things not quite right. She kept walking, and behind her the shadow crept along.

 

Chapter Two

The ferry terminal was full of bustling tourists, sunglasses perched on their noses and cameras dangling over their arms. Farin wound her way through the crowds to the ticket counter, sliding her pass to a bored looking man who stamped it without even looking. Sweat had gathered along her back where the bag pressed against it, and she was glad to take it off and sit in the salt-scrubbed plastic chairs.

She watched as people boarded ferries or disembarked, laughing, pushing, checking their watches. Pokémon clung to their shoulders or scampered between their legs. A young kid was sending his water types – a tentacool, a shellder – into the water below the pier. As Farin watched one of the security guards came running over, waving his arms and pointing at the "no swim zone" sign.

At last Farin's ferry came. It had Ascorbia Dreaming painted on the side in looping golden letters. She stood, stretched, and swung her heavy rucksack across her shoulders. For a second she thought she saw something dart from the crowd towards her, but scanning the terminal she couldn't see anything amiss. A woman in a camouflage-pattern trench coat, also toting a heavy pack, was heading towards the boat. Farin got in line behind her, marvelling at all the brass buttons and big pockets on her garment, and walked slowly up the ramp. A smiling teenager in a sailors cap took her ticket and waved her on board.

There weren't many people heading to Ascorbia that day – Farin had her pick of seats. She dumped her bag and tent on one, and settled down beside the window, facing out across the bay. The town looked blurry through the unwashed glass, like an old photograph in which the image is beginning to fade. Bye bye to my childhood home she thought. The ferry motor grew louder, sending vibrations through the chair. A vaguely acrid smell, diesel and sea-salt, made her feel woozy.

The woman in the trench coat had taken a seat a few rows behind her, and was muttering into a mobile phone. Farin took out her book, but the noise and the tremors sent the words jittering across the page. She closed it, slid it back into her bag. A feeling of excitement was bubbling inside her, making it hard to concentrate on any one thing – finally, off on her own adventure!

When Farin was a kid lots of her friends had gone on trainer journeys, some just in the school holidays, others leaving for good and trying to make a career of it. She wasn't part of either group, really; she'd gotten her starter, Agni, and caught a few others, but she was average at best. Sure, she'd managed to train Agni, Lorcan and Rae, but that was mostly by grubbing about in the long grass battling rattatas and sentrets near her house, and the evolutions were more an effect of time than skill. Farin couldn't hack it in the competitive world.

Luckily, it wasn't Pokémon training that she aspired to do.

The engine roared and with a jerk the ferry pulled away from the docks, chugging out onto the water. Farin sat up in her seat, pressing her face to the window. The vessel skimmed the waves, little white wakes curling from its sides. The motion made her feel slightly sick.

Heaving her bag back onto her shoulder, she headed for the upper deck. From the corner of her eye she saw the trench-coat woman glance at her.

Outside, air rushed passed with a chilly fierceness, slapping the flag against the pole and sending goose-bumps up Farin's bare arms. Hair flicked into her face, and she wobbled over to the railing. There were a few other people standing around, pointing out across the water, and a big bipedal Pokémon that Farin didn't recognise – it had thick skin in deep red and black pigments, a long crocodilian snout and a dark mask pattern around its eyes. As she watched, it laughed, throwing its long snout open and showing curved ivory teeth.

"That's not a bad idea though," Farin said to herself, reaching into her pocket. "Do you guys want some fresh air?"

She threw the pokeballs up, and the glittering red forms resolved themselves into Agni, Lorcan and Rae. Agni yawned and stretched his wings, the wind filling them and pushing them backwards like two green kites. Rae blinked up at Farin with two wide elliptical eyes, and then turned around to stare intently at the sea. Farin always got the impression that the espeon could see dimensions that she couldn't.

And then there was Lorcan, bouncing off the walls as usual. The furret simply couldn't contain himself; he ran to the railings, snaking up them with his sinuous body, the wind whipping his messy fur in all directions.

"Prrrrrrhhhh," he trilled, standing with his little arms waving over the edge.

Farin couldn't help but smile. Lorcan was the most excitable Pokémon she'd ever met – not to mention the furriest furret. With her three companions poised on the bow of the ship, the sense of adventure came to her renewed. I can't wait to get to the archipelago she thought.

"Hey, Agni," she said, calling up to the charizard, "mind my bag would you? I need to go back down to pee."

He nodded, blowing air through his nostrils. Farin saw him glance over at the other big Pokémon, his wings flexing slightly, head bent at a playful angle.

Farin passed the trench-coat woman on her way down the stairs; the woman had her head bowed, pushing up into the wind. Farin noticed that her hair was a peculiarly chemical red, a scarlet that betrayed a darker colour beneath. She reached the lower deck and headed for the toilets.

From the corner of the room darted a small shadow, ducking beneath the seats. Farin whipped around, caught a glimpse of four legs and two dark shining eyes. She put her hand in her pocket, as if to feel for something to defend herself with, but felt only the folded letter from her father. Get a grip, girl, she thought.

The toilet cubicle was small and she had to hold onto the sink to stop from rocking backwards and forwards. Her stomach lurched with every pitch. Stepping back out into the corridor, she held her arms out to balance, feeling for the walls. Soft footfall sounded behind her.

What is it? She thought, pivoting around and feeling a fresh wave of nausea. The corridor was empty. I'm a researcher, dammit, time to act like one. Curiosity and bravery to the fore.

Suppressing the prickle of vomit in her throat, she stumbled down the narrow corridor. There were more seats at the back. An un-oiled creak sounded from her immediate left, and she turned to see the four-legged form disappearing through a door. Are you running away from me now?

She strode along, the slightest wobble in her step, one hand on the wall. Engine Room the sign on the door read.

Farin paused. That would be trespassing. But I need to find out what this thing is – I can't let a haunting presence ruin my island adventure. She pushed open the door.

The sound was deafening, pressing against her ear-drums and rattling her teeth; the smell of diesel and grease filled her nostrils and made her gag. She climbed down a vertical ladder and landed amongst the engine. At the end of a row of turquoise coloured machinery the shadow slipped away. Setting her jaw, Farin followed it, gripping the rails for support. The metal path beneath her feet was slippery. Arcane dials and black plastic tubes protruded all over the place, a language of engineering she didn't understand.

The room was small, ending where the creature had hidden. No way out Farin thought. Whatever you are, you're behind this machine. Steadying her breathing, Farin leapt forwards, gripping the bannister with one white-knuckled hand.

Curled up beneath a throbbing piston was a small delcatty. She meowed pleadingly, her tail curled over her legs.

"Suki?"

Farin felt a rush of relief, and laughed.

"Suki, what are you doing here?"

"Hey!" shouted a voice behind her. "You're not supposed to be down here."

"Oh, sorry," she stammered, bending to retrieve her Pokémon. "I lost my delcatty, I was just coming to find her."

"Get out," said the engineer, his bald head quivering.

Farin bundled Suki into her arms and dashed for the stairs.

"And slow down, you'll slip and hurt yourself. Bloody trainers."

Back up the ladder, Farin put Suki down on a chair and sat beside her. The delcatty was staring sheepishly at her paws. "I'm sorry I left you behind," she said, stroking the delcattys head, "but you shouldn't have followed me. That was very dangerous."

The delcatty stared into her eyes.

"Ok, I guess going down there after you was dangerous too. But you have to promise me you won't do anything like that again for the rest of the trip."

Suki sat up straight, her eyes twinkling. She let out a series of short meows.

Farin smiled. "Yes, I guess I did just say that you're coming with us. Seems like you've earned it, anyway."

The delcatty clambered onto her lap, kneading with her little paws. The sharp claws pulled threads from Farin's pants. Farin scratched her behind the ears and Suki purred loudly.

A loud crash interrupted the reunion, sounding from the deck above. It was followed by a scream and a low roar. Farin jumped and Suki sank her claws into her leg.

"Ouch," she cried, extracting the delcatty and standing up. "What on earth was that?"

The two companions looked at each other, and then dashed for the stairs.

As the upper level came into view, Farin saw a number of things simultaneously: a blur of khaki green and brown stripes, Agni flapping his wings angrily, a flash of scarlet. The people on the deck were pressing themselves backwards against the rail, and the big crocodile Pokémon was hunching down as if ready to spring. As Farin's eyes focused the scene, one thing became vastly apparent: the whirling green form was the woman in the trench coat, spinning around and around with her right leg extended, and the brown and white striped thing hanging off the end of it with, gripping with pointed teeth, was Lorcan.

"What in the – ," said Farin, tearing up the staircase.

Suki meowed, once, and followed her.

 

Chapter Three

The scene was almost comical, and Farin felt a nervous laugh surface through the shock – the woman in the trench-coat spun around, kicking out her leg, and Lorcan twirled with her like a striped air-sock attached to her ankle. Then a few specks of blood landed on the deck, and the humour evaporated.

"Lorcan, what are you doing?" Farin yelled, reaching the top of the stairs. Farin wiggled his tail, scratched at the woman's pants with his sharp claws, and then launched away. He landed lightly on the deck, ears flattened to his head, teeth bared.

"Grrrrrrr."

"Lorcan!"

The woman staggered over to the railing, two bright red marks on her ankle. Her scarlet hair had fallen into her eyes, and she glared through the loose strands. Her shoulders rose and fell heavily.

"Lorcan, get back here," Farin hissed. The furret stared at her, his shiny black eyes unreadable, and then he hung his head and slunk over to her side. Suki rubbed up against his messy fur.

"You need to keep that thing in a ball if it's aggressive," said the woman, pointing at Farin.

"I'm sorry – I don't know what's going on. Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I just came up here to get some fresh air, and your feral Pokémon attacked me," the woman said. She stood leaning against the railing with one leg slack.

"Lorcan, is that true?" Farin asked, looking down at the furret. He shook his head.

"You shouldn't let an untrained Pokémon wander around unsupervised. Look what he's done," the woman said, turning her ankle to show the bite marks.

Farin felt her face flush. The other people gathered on the deck were pretending not to look, muttering amongst themselves. The big crocodilian Pokémon had its beady eyes fixed on the woman, the corners of its mouth turned down.

"Did any of you see what happened?" Farin asked the small crowd.

Nobody spoke, but there was some shaking of heads.

"I just told you what happened," snapped the woman.

"We were all looking at the ocean – there was a pod of lapras out there," said one man. "Next thing I know, there's screaming and I turn around and your furret is attacking this lady."

Farin's heart sank. "But did you see what happened before that?"

"What does it matter?" the woman said, glaring at her, "your Pokémon attacked me, and I want compensation.

The crocodilian Pokémon let out a low rumble, smacking his lips.

"You saw what happened?" Farin asked.

The Pokémon smiled.

"I can't understand you though. Where's your trainer?"

She looked around at the other passengers, but nobody stepped forward.

"It was here when I came up, all by itself," said a woman with long blonde hair and a camera slung around her neck. "Maybe it's the captains?"

Farin looked down at Lorcan. His tail hung low and his head was bowed. "Lorcan," she said, kneeling beside him, "why did you bite that woman? What happened?"

The furret turned to face her, his pink mouth slightly ajar. His ears twitched, and he slid out from beneath her hand, scurrying across to where Agni and Rae stood. The woman in the trench-coat flinched slightly. Lorcan clambered onto Farin's backpack and pointed down at one of the pockets.

"You were protecting my bag?" Farin asked. The furret nodded. "I know I told you to do that, but this isn't what I meant. You can't go biting anyone who comes near you."

The furret shook his head vigorously, jumping up and down on the bag.

"Look, there's no way to prove what happened before your furret attacked, but I think we can all agree that his response was over the top," said the man who had spoken before. "Pokémon should never attack humans."

"Exactly," said the woman.

"The good news is your leg doesn't seem to be badly injured. A bandage, a shot and it should all be ok," he continued.

"I think I'll get a second opinion on that – maybe from a doctor," the woman replied, her lips twitching.

The man shrugged. "Well, I am a doctor, and from where I'm standing there doesn't seem to be much damage. It's always best to be careful though, so if you want to come below deck I'm sure the ferry has a first aid kit."

"No," snapped the woman, "I want this trainer to pay for what she's done. Compensation, for injuring me."

"I'm not a trainer," Farin replied automatically.

The woman sneered. "Oh, but you have these fully evolved Pokémon travelling around with you, not even in balls, running amuck? No wonder you can't control them if you're not even a trainer."

"Hey, my Pokémon aren't out of control. Lorcan is the least aggressive furret I know."

"Clearly," said the woman, lifting up her leg. "You're not fit to have Pokémon, you irresponsible girl."

Lorcan growled again, hunched down atop the bag. Farin felt her heart flutter, a moment of panic – if he attacked again, that would be it. The trip cancelled before it even begun, and Lorcan sent away, labelled a dangerous Pokémon. She took a step forward, and stopped.

A tiny girl with blonde ringlets had walked up the steps behind her, and was now crossing between Lorcan and the crowd, oblivious to the conflict. A big white hat flopped atop her head, and she clutched the hem of her dress in one hand. Everybody paused, watching her progress, the absurdity of it compounding the tension.

The child went up to the towering crocodilian Pokémon and leaned against its leg; it stroked her back with one heavy, clawed hand and then lifted her to its shoulder. She whispered into its ear.

"What are – ," began the woman in the trench-coat, but a chirping voice interrupted her.

"What were you getting from that lady's bag?" the girl asked, pointing at the woman.

The woman blustered, both hands gripping the railing. "What are you, who do you...what are you talking about?"

"My krookodile says you were looking through that bag, only he says it's not your bag, and then the fluffy rat jumped on you. What were you looking for?"

The woman's mouth hung open for a few seconds, and then she said "I did no such thing."

"I think it's time to give this up," said the doctor, stepping forward.

Suki also began to walk towards the woman, and Farin followed suit.

"I'm not, I didn't – she's lying," said the woman, pressing herself backwards.

"Why would she lie? You tried to steal from that woman's bag, and her furret caught you. I think you should tell us exactly what's going on," said the doctor.

The woman snarled, lifting her blood-flecked ankle up onto the railing. "Stay back," she said, reaching into her coat and pulling out a Pokéball.

"I wouldn't try it," said the doctor, mirroring her and drawing out a blue and red striped ball.

Lorcan growled and Suki crept forward, her tail flicking.

The woman's face slackened, and a smile spread across her lips. She took another step up onto the railing, holding on with one hand. "You don't know who you're dealing with," she said.

She dropped the ball, and in a flash of white a scizor appeared, the sunlight glinting off its smooth red carapace. It raked its yellow eyes across the deck, translucent wings twitching.

A barking laugh burst from the crowd, and Farin turned to see the krrokodile with its head thrown back. It narrowed its black eyes and smiled.

The woman clicked her fingers and a buzzing filled the air, the scizors wings vibrating and lifting it up. Farin watched as she raised herself onto the railing, balancing on the ship's prow. Wind whipped her coat, sending it flapping around her legs. She grinned, her whole body relaxed, no longer acting.

"It's been fun and all," she said, hair flicking into her face, "but I think I've outstayed my welcome. Cheerio."

Touching her fingers to her lips, the woman fell backwards off the boat.

Farin rushed forward but a moment later the woman had risen into the air, one arm looped around the scizor. The boat sped past, and the pair remained hovering above the water. The woman waved at Farin as she disappeared from view.

Farin almost laughed. She felt something warm press against her leg, and looked down – it was Lorcan.

"What was that all about?" she said to the furret. Lorcan's tail wagged. She scratched the top of his head and he trilled softly. "I never should have doubted you."

"Well, that was...odd," said the doctor.

The woman with the camera shrugged. "I've seen stranger things." She tapped her lens. "I reckon she was just a thief, trying to get some money. Did you see that hideous outfit she was wearing? Probably a disguise."

The crowd began to talk again, laughing amongst themselves: "And she thought she was going to fight us all off, one scizor against that charizard and krookodile and all?" "She couldn't even fight a furret."

Farin walked over to her bag, bent down and checked the zips – all secure. The waterproof material was smooth and slightly damp, and a single fleck of blood stood out against the grey – she wiped it off with her thumb. Lorcan nuzzled against her neck, and she rubbed his back. "Thank you," she whispered. "I can always count on you."

"Prrrrr."

"Hey, do you need anything?" said a voice.

Farin looked up. It was the doctor. He had a thin face and greying hairs around his temple. She smiled and shook her head. "No thanks."

"You've got some pretty great Pokémon there," he said, "don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise."

"Thank you."

After he'd walked away Farin pulled Lorcan, Suki and Rae to her. She could feel three small heartbeats pressed against her body. A shadow fell across her head as Agni bent down to join the hug.

As they embraced a crackling voice sounded through the intercom. "Passengers, we would like to inform you that we are now approaching Ascorbia Island. Please prepare for disembarking. Make sure you take all your personal items with you. Thank you for travelling with the Orange Islands Ferry Service."

Farin opened her bag to retrieve her ticket. Her tightly folded clothes were still undisturbed, and her research notebooks safely tucked into the inside pocket. She took out her phone.

Six missed calls and one message from Ollie. She pressed the little envelope icon.

Farin, you have to hurry, something terrible has happened to Moonchild. Fly off the boat if you have to, just get here quick!

Her stomach sank. All her good feelings started to wash away as she re-read the message. Moonchild was in trouble; or perhaps Ollie was overreacting. Either way, she'd have to get to Butwal Island, and quick.

Rae looked up at her, head to one side. The espeon's purple eyes glittered with reflections from the water. Lorcan and Suki were hanging over the railings, see breeze rippling through their fur. Lorcan's little arms were waving again.

As Ascorbia Island grew before them, pristine beaches with smiling people coming into view, Farin felt a twinge of misgiving, and a tiredness settled into her chest.

"Agni," she said without looking up, "you better stretch your wings, because we're not stopping long."

 

Chapter Four

Ollie was waiting outside his cottage as Farin dismounted unsteadily from Agni. His hair was longer than the last time they'd seen each other, dirty blonde curls that spilled onto his shoulders and fuzzed up on top. Ollie was taller than Farin remembered, and his arms were taut with a strange new layer of muscle. The face that had always been grinning during their university days was now wracked with worry, and his lips were raw as if he'd been biting them.

He rushed forward to greet her as she returned Agni to the ball.

Suki flopped down onto the grass, worn out from the flight – without a spare Pokéball, the delcatty had spent the ride pressed tightly to Farin's chest.

Ollie held out his arms. "Farin," he said, and the two friends embraced. His body exuded the dense, woody smell of mushrooms. Over his shoulder, Farin could see the forest bristle behind the tiny house. A row of berry bushes was planted out the front, and a stone well was sunk into the ground to the side.

"It's been too long," she said, releasing him.

"But you haven't changed a bit," he replied. The ghost of a smile passed over his lips.

"Where's Rafael?"

"He's down in the town, handing out posters. Oh, Farin, I wanted your visit to be relaxed, I took the weekend off and everything, but..." his lip quivered and his eyes grew moist. "Moonchild has disappeared."

"What happened?"

"Come inside, and I'll tell you everything."

...

The two friends sat down on opposite sides of the wooden table as Ollie poured tea. Heady steam rose in thick tendrils from the dark liquid; Farin smiled and took a tiny sip – she didn't much care for tea. The brew tasted bitter and fruity.

Ollie took a deep breathe, holding his cup between both hands. Inhaling the woody aroma, he began to recount events. "So yesterday morning I got up to do my yoga and get Moonchild his breakfast, but when I went into his bedroom he wasn't there. So I think, ok, that's not so strange, he sometimes wakes up early and goes to sit beneath the berry plants. But I go outside, and he's not there either."

Farin nodded.

"At this point I'm feeling a twinge of panic – I wake Rafael, and we search all over the house, the garden, and then into the forest. But he's nowhere to be found, and I can't help but think the worst. What if somebody has taken him?"

"Why would somebody want to steal a squirtle?"

Ollie wiped his eyes. "That's what Rafael said – he thinks Moonchild's just gotten lost. But I know he's been abducted – if he'd wandered off, he'd have come back by now. He always does. We try to give him a free run, you know, let him go where he pleases. I don't believe in pokeballs."

Farin shifted uneasily, feeling the smooth weight of Agni, Rae and Lorcan inside her pocket. Suki was outside in the garden, pouncing on dust motes.

"I think he's been taken by poachers."

"Poachers? But why would they steal a squirtle from someone's house, when they could just catch them on the beach?"

Ollie flinched. "It's Moonchild's special shell – I bet it's worth a lot more on the black market than a regular one. I can't even bear to think about it." He looked up at the wall, on which hung a small framed photograph; he and Rafael with their arms around one another, and Moonchild sitting on the sandy beach in front of them. From the angle the picture had been taken, the central segment of Moonchild's shell was just visible; unlike the dun brown of the rest of it, the middle shone with a pearlescent rainbow, smooth like the inside of an oyster shell. It was a strange but beautiful mutation.

"But how would a poacher know about his shell, or where to find him?"

"It's the logo of our business – Tiny Turtle Tinctures. The rainbow shell is a recognisable image. Plus, we go to the beach all the time – everybody in town knows Moonchild."

"Well, in that case, finding him might be easier – Butwal Island isn't that big. Someone must have seen him."

Ollie smiled weakly, but his eyes were still wet and his hands rested limply on the table.

...

Ollie and Farin walked into town to meet Rafael; they left Suki behind, in case Moonchild came back. The cottage was positioned atop a rolling grassy hill that led right down to the main beach, and from which they could see across the town. Farin marvelled at all the new buildings; sand-blasted surfaces and twining ornate windows. Tall palm trees swayed along a wide boulevard.

Rafael was handing out flyers at the beachfront. They had little black and white pictures of Moonchild on them, his rainbow shell rendered in grayscale. Rafael waved when he saw them, and greeted Farin with a hug.

"No luck, honey," he said to Ollie. "Either nobody's seen him, or if they have, they aren't talking."

Ollie groaned.

Farin was about to say something when a loud clanging rang out from the end of the boulevard, followed by the rumble of an engine. A bright red fire-truck screeched passed, sirens blaring, with a team of wartortles hanging from the side. The three friends watched it skid around a corner, out of sight.

"I thought only Ascorbia had a Pokémon fire-fighting brigade," Farin said.

"They did – only now Butwal's becoming more built-up, so they've just introduced one here too," said Rafael.

"That's good."

Rafael pursed his lips. "To be honest, I think they're a bit enthusiastic."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't get many fires here, and when we do they're mostly up in the mountains, started by lightning after a storm. But the first sniff of smoke and that brigade is off, making a terrible noise and tearing through the town. Things used to be so peaceful."

Ollie squeezed his partner's side. "Rafael's just whiny because the island is getting more developed."

"I liked it when it was just trees and mountains."

"I know you did, honey, you old coot."

Rafael narrowed his eyes. "Having said that, there was a more serious fire a couple of weeks ago, out at the docks. It seems like the more people come here, the more this town becomes dangerous; I heard that Team Rocket started the fire."

Farin felt her pulse quicken. "Team Rocket? But what are they doing in the archipelago?"

Rafael shrugged. "Same thing they do everywhere; cause trouble, make it so that ordinary people can't walk around without feeling afraid. The more this island gets 'developed' with beachside apartments and tourist attractions, the more crime there is."

"You've got a chip on your shoulder, my love," said Ollie.

Rafael stared darkly at the nearest hotel. "Something rotten is going on, and I don't like it. The poachers are back too, and in force."

At the mention of poachers Ollie's expression became grave.

"So what's the next plan for finding Moonchild?" Farin asked.

"Well," said Ollie, "I thought that you could fly up on Agni and see if you can spot him from above – if he's just wandered away somewhere, you might be able to spot him. And if not..." He trailed off.

"While you do that, we'll keep asking around," Rafael added, nodding towards the bustling beachfront.

...

Agni wasn't pleased to be in the air again, but it was lighter without having to carry Farin, Suki and the backpack. As they soared above the treetops, Farin leaned as far as she dared across the charizards neck, scanning the ground. There were hikers and trainers crawling around in the grass, couples picnicking on the mountainside, but no squirtle with a rainbow shell. A thin spiral of smoke rose from the edge of town, the red of the firetruck visible below. When they landed back at the cottage an hour later, Ollie was sitting with his head in his hands, staring at the dirt. Rafael stood gazing out to sea.

"Nothing," said Farin, sliding off Agni's back.

Ollie shut his eyes. "Maybe your espeon could help," he said, without looking at her. "She could use psychic to find out where Moonchild is."

"That's not how it works."

"Then I don't know what to do."

He started to cry.

"Hey, don't do that, it'll be ok," said Rafael, squatting beside him. "Wherever he is, Moonchild will be ok. I know it. He's a tough little cookie."

"He's a delicate flower. He hates fighting, you know that – if someone has abducted him, he wouldn't even think to retaliate."

Farin stood by awkwardly. She felt terrible, not knowing what to do. From the vantage point of Ollie and Rafael's garden, she could see people walking around on the beach, their shadows lengthening on the baking sand. Flashes of light bounced off the ocean; Ascorbia Island was a smudge of blue on the horizon.

"I'm going to go back into town," she said, feeling for the pokeballs in her pocket. "I'll find those poachers, and I'll get Moonchild back."

Ollie looked up at her, his face streaked with tears. "I'll come with you."

Farin shook her head. "I think it's best if I go alone – people know you, so they'll know why you're looking for Moonchild. But if I go down to the docks, I can say that I'm looking to buy a rare Pokémon shell, and the poachers might not suspect anything. I'm a stranger here."

The two men nodded. Ollie's face was smudged with dirt from his fingers. He stood up to hug her. "Thank you," he whispered.

Farin smiled, but her stomach fluttered with unease.

 

Chapter Five

Behind the bay was a freight terminal, with long lines of warehouses and a few container stacks. Farin wound her way through the concrete edge of town, hands stuffed in her pockets. Three pokeballs bounced in her pocket. As she entered the docks the pavers grew slippery with brine, and a salt wind lashed her face. The sun slid behind a cloud; she hunched down inside her jacket.

In old pictures her father had shown her Butwal Island was a quaint, untouched wilderness – the people who lived there, like Rafael, only got supplies every few weeks. They were airdropped in, and there wasn't a shipping terminal, let alone a series of beachfront hotels. Farin looked up at the corrugated sides of warehouses and wondered that maybe Rafael had a point.

She'd done some reading on myths from the Orange Islands as a tangent during her Master's research. There was one about a huge waterfall on Butwal Island in which lived a giant sleeping dragonair. Island natives believed that it had lain there undisturbed for centuries, and that if ever it awoke it would unleash a terrible wrath. There was no evidence to support such a tale being linked to reality, but Farin figured that the lore had been invented and passed down to protect the island Pokémon from human interference.

There were other people moving around on the docks, and Farin tried to avoid their gazes. Some were workers unloading cargo, and sailors heading tipsily for the town, but amongst them were figures whose eyes darted around corners and whose hands stayed hidden in deep pockets. In the shadow of a crane she saw a man with a dirty cap talking to a tall woman. He glanced around and slid an empty omanyte shell from his coat, the chiton ridges buffed to a fine polish. The sight of it made Farin feel sick.

She waited, trying to look busy, until the woman walked away. As the woman passed her she glared, eyes tracking from the white-powdered face to the bulge in the woman's handbag. Gritting her teeth, Farin slunk over to where the poacher stood.

He eyed her warily, but didn't move.

"Hi," Farin said, not sure what to say. "I'm looking for...something. It seems that you might be able to help me."

"I don't know nothing about something," the man said, sniffing. Farin noticed that he was quite short, standing half a head lower than her.

She cocked an eyebrow. "I saw a customer of yours, just now. She seemed pretty pleased."

The poacher turned his head, watery eyes flicking left and right. His tongue flicked out and he licked his lips. "'Spose I might have something. What are you after?"

Farin's heart began to race. She leaned closer. "Got any squirtles?"

"Yeah, I got a few," he said, "not here though. Follow me, but keep your distance."

He set off, shuffling and hunched in his coat. Farin walked several paces behind.

The man led her to a small shed perched by the water. Farin paused on the threshold, taking hold of Rae's Pokéball inside her pocket. There was a terrible smell, of faeces and damp hay – she stepped inside, and as her eyes adjusted Farin saw that the walls were lined with cages. From inside them the frightened eyes of Pokémon stared out.

"Got two squirtles," the man said, stomping over to the back wall. "They won't come cheap though – it's not the season for 'em."

Farin stepped carefully over to the huddled Pokémon. She wanted to reassure them, and stretched out a hand, but they recoiled against the wall.

"Got a wartortle too if you're interested," the man said.

It was hard to see in the dim room, but Farin could just make out the colour of the squirtles shells – neither one was Moonchild.

"How much for one?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Forty-one thousand, but for a pretty girl like you I'll let it go for forty."

Farin grimaced. "Sorry, but that's too much."

"Alright, thirty-five."

"Really, I'm looking for something a bit different."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I want a squirtle with a patterned shell, like maybe rainbow colours. Seen anything like that?"

He shook his head. "Nah, if you want rare Pokémon and anomalies, you gotta go elsewhere. Besides, nobody would sell you something that fancy for less than a hundred thousand."

"Where can I find a seller?"

He eyed her suspiciously and took a step closer. Farin got a whiff of his breath – whisky and fish. He leaned in and spoke in a low voice. "Word is that Team Rocket's got some rare Pokémon on these docks – but I wouldn't tangle with them, girly."

Farin felt her cheeks flush. "Why not?"

The man laughed, a horrible barking sound. "Last guy messed with Team Rocket ended up having a swim in the bay, with pockets full of stones."

She shivered.

"But if you're crazy enough, or just plain stupid, their building is number thirteen – it's got a symbol on it, by the door, not a letter 'R' but a picture of a blue eye. Got no idea why that is."

"Thank you." Farin suppressed the urge to slap him, unlock all the cages and send out Agni to do some damage. Instead, she forced a smile, nodded twice and walked quickly out into the sunlight. The poacher remained behind in his shed, muttering.

As she walked along the warehouses, from number eight to nine, to ten, she saw a flash of scarlet in the corner of her eye. She turned sharply, and just had time to duck behind a wooden crate before two people came stalking passed. One of them was a man with a boyish face and a pichu riding on his shoulder – the other was a woman in a camouflaged trench-coat, the thief who had tried to rob Farin on the ferry. She strained her ears but couldn't hear what they were talking about.

She crouched down and waited for her breathing to return to normal before hurrying on. A few minutes later, she had reached warehouse thirteen.

There were two men standing guard outside the main door. Farin circled the building but couldn't find another point of entry; there was a pile of shipping containers stacked along the back wall, blocking any secondary doors. She squatted on the damp concrete just out of view and took out a Pokéball.

In a flash of red and white Rae appeared, her dual tails flicking.

"Rae," Farin whispered, leaning close to the espeon, "I need your help. Can you distract those guards, while I break into the warehouse?"

Rae nodded. Farin waited for the espeon to disappear around the corner, and then held her breath.

"Hey, is that an espeon?" said a voice.

"No, dummy, it's an umbreon."

"Uh, umbreons have rings, stupid."

"No, umbreon is the one with the thing on its head."

"Well don't just stand there, capture it."

"You capture it."

"Hey, where's it going?"

"Quick, it's getting away!"

Farin heard retreating footsteps and peered out – the entrance was clear. She snuck across the walkway and tried the door, but it was locked. As she struggled to get it open, she noticed a small painted image on the metal surface – a round, bright blue eye. She took out another Pokéball.

Lorcan appeared in a burst of static, trilling loudly and wagging his tail.

"Ssshhh, Lorcan, I need you to do something for me. See that lock? Cut it open with your slash."

The furret looked inquisitively up at the door, and back at Farin.

"Trust me," she said.

He opened his pink mouth in a smile and with two deft swipes cut open the lock. The door creaked. Farin pushed it open and crept forward, beckoning the furret to follow her.

It was dark inside. A brief flash of purple lit the floor beneath her feet, and she turned to see Rae, framed in the doorway.

"You knocked out the guards with a psychic attack?" she asked. The espeon nodded. "Good idea."

The three intruders stole carefully into the shadows, Farin and Lorcan feeling their way forward, Rae walking with the confidence of someone who can see in the dark. Farin felt along the cold metal wall, until her hand connected with a switch. She flicked it, and harsh fluorescent light illuminated the scene.

The warehouse was lined with racks, steel beams supporting wooden planks. They filled the vast space, towering from floor to ceiling and stretching into the distance. Halfway along was a deep tank, sitting two metres high off the ground. The hum of a water filter was audible beneath the eerie silence.

Farin suddenly became aware of hundreds of eyes watching her.

Packed into the shelves, behind thick black bars, were Pokémon – butterfrees with intricately patterned wings, vileplumes with strange pink flowers, and all manner of others. They stared down at her, faces mournful, bodies slack. Farin had to stop from crying out.

Where the cages ended the pokeballs began – hundreds of them piled up behind glass, some smeared with dirt, others pristine. Farin felt her heart sinking – there was no way she could find Moonchild in here, and she wasn't going to leave without helping these Pokémon.

Rae mewed beside her. She looked down – the espeon was staring towards the door. "What is it, Rae? Is someone coming?"

Rae nodded.

Farin ducked down behind a row of shelves just as the door scraped open.

Two male voices echoed through the space.

"I don't know what happened, it just disappeared. My head hurts."

"Idiot."

"You're the idiot."

"It probably teleported."

"Moron, only ghost-types can learn teleport."

"No, that's psychic-types, stupid."

"But umbreon is a ghost-type."

"I'm telling you, it was an espeon."

"I wish I could teleport back to Saffron City. I'm sick of squatting on this pier."

Farin could see two pairs of legs patrolling the cages. Immediately in front of her was a sad looking jigglypuff, its moon-shaped eyes bleary as if waking from an artificial sleep.

Lorcans fur bristled, and Rae stood perfectly still with ears erect.

"I miss the food in Saffron City," said the first voice, "have you been to the Lucky Karp? That place knows its seafood."

"Man, I could kill for some good grub. This island sucks. Why are here again?"

"Because the boss said so."

"Yeah, but why?"

There was a pause.

"I heard that there's this super rare Pokémon that lives out in the archipelago. Nobody thought it did, but there was this new discovery or something. Anyway, it's one that the boss really wants. A ghost-type."

"You mean a psychic-type."

"Oh yeah. I get those two mixed up."

"Told you."

"Shut up. Anyway, remember years ago, when there was that big accident, and that psychic Pokémon destroyed the boss' lab?"

"You mean the one that was like a human, that could talk and stuff?"

"I think it communicated by beaming it's thoughts into people's heads."

"Creepy."

"Anyway, so it's one like that one, only not that one."

"You're a real fountain of wisdom, you know that?"

"Shut up."

"Idiot."

Farin shifted slightly, her calves burning from having crouched for so long. Her fingers gripped the cage in front of her, knuckles white.

The jigglypuff opened its mouth and let out long, low wail.

"What was that?"

"It came from over there."

Damn Farin thought. She stayed rooted to the spot for a moment, and then sprung up, an idea forming.

"Rae," she said, feeling the adrenalin pumping through her body, "do you think you could smash open the boxes with the pokeballs in them?"

The espeon nodded.

"And Lorcan – how would you like to re-enact the scene from the ferry?"

The furret smiled.

"Ok, one – two – " The two men rounded the corner.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!"

"Now," shouted Farin.

Lorcan leapt forward and sank his teeth into the first man's leg. The man howled in pain and hopped around, knocking into the other guard, who fell sideways against a cage. Farin heard a crash from the other end of the room.

Rae had split open the glass case, and pokeballs were raining down, bursting open as they went – the warehouse was suddenly full of screeching, squealing Pokémon, giant onixs thrashing their rock bodies and tiny pikachus jumping through the fray. It was pandemonium. In the commotion a row of cages got tipped over, and the metal doors broke open as they hit the floor, springing scythers and nidokings and slowbros into the mix.

Farin grabbed Lorcan and ran. She put two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly – Rae appeared by her side, four legs dashing. They ducked under flailing victreebels and dodged the three heads of a dodrio, reaching the corrugated wall. "Rae, bust a hole through," Farin yelled, but before the espeon could do anything a rolling golem came shooting passed, tearing the metal apart. All the Pokémon began to stream out, and Farin picked up Rae too, struggling through the crush and out the gap. As soon as they were outside she sent out Agni, scrambled up onto his back, and the four of them lifted into the air.

Beneath them the docks exploded into a stampede of fleeing Pokémon.

Agni roared, flapping his wings hard to accommodate the three passengers. Farin saw a smell shed topple beneath the wave of creatures, and the poacher she had spoken to earlier running for his life. Two angry squirtles bit at his heels. He held his grotty cap to his head with one hand, pinched his nose, and jumped into the water. Farin let out a laugh.

Agni hovered as they scanned the crowds, searching for a rainbow shell.

Soon the fire brigade had arrived, along with the island's single police officer. Farin hadn't spotted any more squirtles in the mass, but it was hard to tell as the Pokémon went stomping and snorting their way to freedom. They hung in the air for another twenty minutes, and then figured that if Moonchild had been released, he would know how to get home. Returning Lorcan and Rae to their balls, she directed Agni back to the cottage.

Ollie was beaming when she landed. "I heard what happened – by which I mean the noise was so loud we came out to see what was going on. All those Pokémon, stampeding through the town, disappearing into the forest. Was that you?"

Farin nodded, and Ollie clapped his hands. As she explained the events her friends' face lit up with excitement, and blanched with shock.

"I reckon the police force will locate all the Pokémon that have been stolen from people and return them," said Rafael, looking down at the town.

Ollie hugged Farin tightly, laughing and doing a little jig.

The three of them sat in the garden, overlooking the beach. As the sun sank they waited, and waited, for the little squirtle to come trundling over the hill. Rafael switched on the radio, and the police officer confirms his thoughts that messengers would be sent to return the missing Pokémon. Farin sat back in the beach chair, feeling bruised but happy, as Lorcan and Suki jumped around in the bushes.

As the sun dipped into the sea the road to the cottage remained empty and Ollie and Rafael's smiles slowly slipped from their faces. A chilly wind blew across the grass. Stars appeared one by one, cold points of light in the darkening sky.

When they finally retired to bed, no word of Moonchild had come.

 

Chapter Six

Tensions were running high at the dinner table. Ollie chewed his food slowly, grinding his teeth together, and Rafael stared out the window with his chin in one hand. Farin kept her eyes on her plate. The radio droned on in the background, an ever present noise since the previous night's events.

Rafael hummed something tuneless, and Ollie glared at him. "I don't think you're taking this seriously enough," he said.

Rafael snapped his head around. "Of course I am. But Moonchild is tougher than you think – I have hope that he'll be ok."

"How can you be so uncaring? Our poor Pokémon has been abducted and you act as if it were nothing."

Rafael narrowed his eyes. "I'm not uncaring. I just have more faith in Moonchild than you."

"Faith? And what's that supposed to do, magically see him home safe?"

"You know what your problem is? You don't like the idea that he can look after himself. You want to baby him, make out as if he's helpless. Like with the battling – you won't let him battle because he might get hurt. But maybe he's stronger than you think."

Ollie's chest was rising and falling heavily. Farin didn't know where to look.

"Our Moonchild has been abducted by poachers. What's he supposed to do, fight them all off? He's alone someplace far from home. He's helpless, Rafael."

"You don't know that he's been abducted, Ollie. He may just be lost on the mountainside."

"Then go and look for him," Ollie shouted, waving his fork. A droplet of mushroom sauce landed on the floor.

Farin stared at the brown-grey lump. Rafael didn't reply.

On the radio a reporter was talking about the previous night's flight of Pokémon from Team Rocket's warehouse. Her voice rang out in the silence.

A school of dragonair were found swimming in the bay today, believed to have been released in last night's jail-break. Experts believe that they are from the inland lake, not the ocean, and are discussing the best way to return them to their habitat. No more Team Rocket members have been apprehended, other than last night's man who still claims that this is all the work of a tricksy umbreon. More news as it develops.

"Moonchild was a non-violent boy, just like me," whispered Ollie. "Whatever's happened, I don't think he'd resort to fighting his way out."

Rafael opened his mouth, but closed it again. He slid his hand across the tabletop and gripped his partner's arm. "We'll find him. And trust me when I say that he'll be ok – he's tougher than he looks. And that's not an indictment of your care for him, but maybe there are things about Moonchild you don't know. Maybe he's not exactly the way you think he is."

Farin stared out into the garden where Suki and Lorcan were rolling around in the dirt together. Rae watched them from beneath a tree, flicking her tails lazily, and Agni was asleep with his wings tucked up to his sides. Farin couldn't help but think about how she'd been prepared to leave Suki behind when she left for the archipelago, dismissing the delcatty before Suki had even had a chance to prove herself. Perhaps Rafael was right; Ollie was so clouded by his image of Moonchild, he was underestimating the squirtle.

From the garden Suki looked up, her face smeared with dirt and her mouth stretched into a smile.

Farin frowned – there was something about Suki's expression, about her denial of the house-cat role, that gave Farin an idea. She dropped her fork with a clatter. Ollie and Rafael looked over with concern. She stood, heart racing, the chair scraping on the wooden floor.

"I think I know where Moonchild is," she said.

"Really? Where?" Ollie yelped.

"Follow me."

...

The town was in a bit of a shambles from the recent stampede, palm trees torn up and smooth hotel walls stained with mud and dirt. The three friends hurried through, Ollie and Rafael following Farin as she dashed along the main boulevard.

At last she stopped, panting, and pointed.

At the end of the road was the new fire station, the red truck gleaming outside. A team of wartortles was visible in the yard, doing drills on an obstacle course made from tires and wooden planks.

"The fire station? Why would Moonchild be there?" asked Ollie.

"Let's just see," said Farin.

They walked into the main reception area and a young woman in a tank top came to greet them. "What can I do for you today?" she said, beaming.

"We're looking for a squirtle," said Ollie, pushing forward.

The woman frowned. "I'm sorry, but we only have wartortles here at the moment. We're thinking of expanding the force soon though, if this trial proves a success."

"Can we have a look at your training facilities?" Farin asked.

"Of course. We encourage our team to engage with the community, and the community with them. And of course, if you want to give feedback, that is most welcome. They're out there now, practicing." The woman turned on her heel and the three friends followed her outside.

The wartortles were scattered across the equipment, some of them climbing, some crawling, others shooting water at circular targets. Their dark blue foreheads were beaded with sweat and their fluffy tails streaked with mud. Rivulets of water ran off the slippery tires.

"We're working to become the finest team in the Orange Islands," said the woman, gesturing at the Pokémon. "Like I said, if you have positive feedback to send to the Orange Islands Guild, it would be greatly appreciated."

"I don't know what we're doing here," Ollie muttered to Farin, "these are all wartortles. There's no way that – " He stopped, mid-sentence, his jaw hanging open.

Out on the tire wall was a wartortle with pearlescent ears and a rainbow-segmented shell.

"Moonchild?" he said, stepping forward. The wartortle turned, and its face went red.

"Is that you Moonchild?"

Ollie ran forward, skidding through the mud. The Pokémon looked away awkwardly. Ollie stopped just short of it, one hand one his lips. "Moonchild, you're a wartortle. What are you doing here? I've been so worried."

Moonchild looked away, staring at the dirt. Ollie stretched out his arm, paused. "I don't understand," he said, looking back at Rafael and Farin.

"This wartortle appeared two days ago and he's proved quite the addition to our little force. He's very strong, and fearless to boot," said the woman, still baring her perfect white teeth. "Wartortle, don't be shy, greet this man."

"Why won't you look at me, Moonchild?" said Ollie, his voice breathless.

Rafael walked slowly over to join them, and Farin followed. The other wartortles eyed them with interest.

"He's embarrassed," said Rafael, putting a hand on Ollie's shoulder. "Or maybe ashamed."

"Ashamed? Moonchild, why would you be ashamed?"

The Pokémon continued to avoid his gaze.

"He thinks he let you down," said Rafael. "You raised him as a pacifist, as your little boy, but he's a fighter. He's out here risking his safety, and maybe that conflicts so much with the way he was raised, he doesn't know how to feel."

"Oh, Moonchild," said Ollie reaching out both hands, "I could never be ashamed of you. I love you." The wartortle turned, and Ollie wrapped both arms around him. Moonchild buried his head in Ollie's shoulder, and the two embraced, mud staining Ollie's shirt. Both of them had wet eyes.

"So did he run away and evolve into a wartortle, or did he run away because he evolved into a wartortle?" Farin asked.

"It doesn't matter," said Ollie, squeezing tighter. "I don't care if you're a wartortle, I'll love you no matter what. You're my Pokémon, and I respect your decisions. If you want to be a firefighter, well then you stay and fight fires." He released Moonchild and the wartortle looked up at him with glistening eyes.

"All I ask," Ollie said, a hand on his hip, "is that you be back in time for dinner."

Moonchild smiled, and nodded once.

"What a lovely moment," said the woman, coming up behind them, "surely such a positive experience warrants sending a letter to the Fire Fighters Guild of the Orange Islands, to let them know that Ascorbia isn't the only one with a great team."

Ollie and Rafael ignored her, gazing instead at Moonchild, but Farin nodded at the woman.

"Great," she said, clapping her hands, "now, would you like to see him run the course?"

"I'd love to," said Ollie, putting his hand on Moonchild's shoulder.

...

Ollie and Farin sat out on folding chairs in the cottage garden, watching the sun sink into the horizon and the sea turn orange at its touch. Suki was curled up in Farins lap, purring like a house cat. Lorcan was playing a game where he tried to jump over the berry bushes, bouncing like a skipping stone.

Farin was searching for something fitting to say when Rafael called from the doorway to tell them that dinner was almost ready.

"It's not mushrooms again, is it?" she said to Ollie, wrinkling her nose.

Ollie laughed. "No. It's a delicious spinach stew."

"Wonderful."

He grinned. "I know you're not the biggest fan of vegetarian food – thank you for putting up with it, for us."

"Of course, Ollie. You invited me as a guest into your house, I'm grateful for all you've done."

"No, I'm the one who should be grateful. But thanks - I like that we're so different, but we still understand one another," he said.

"You don't mind that I eat meat?"

"Not at all – that's your choice. Just like it's your choice to travel with Pokémon in balls, and have them fight when they need to. I accept that people make life choices different from my own – everyone has their reasons. If only I could have accepted Moonchild's differences, before my expectations pushed him away."

"Hey, now, don't beat yourself up. We're all just doing the best we can. You acted the way you did because you care about Moonchild and want to give him the best life you can. There's nothing wrong with that."

Ollie smiled. "Thanks. Still, I'm sorry about the mushrooms."

Farin laughed.

In the garden Lorcan landed with a thud, clouds of dirt rising from the impact.

Ollie turned to face Farin, words hanging off his lips. He creased his brow, paused, and then opened his mouth. "I do wonder about your choices though, Farin," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing wrong or anything, it's just that you've come all the way out to the Orange Islands, and I know that it's not to the research the natural habitat of Pokémon like you told me."

Farin shifted in her seat. "Of course that's why I've come, I'm going to work with Professor Ivy; when I finally get there."

"Farin, don't try to lie to your oldest friend. You say you're looking for a new research focus, but I've seen you in the evening going through your old notes. I know what's in that little brown notebook."

"That's just odd bits of information that I didn't include in my thesis."

Ollie raised an eyebrow. "And yet you brought it all the way out here with you. Your thesis was the mew project, right? The one about myths and mythological Pokémon?"

"'Songs and Stories' to be exact. It was based on myths from the Orange Islands, and I wanted to come and see for myself. There are a surprising number of mew myths rooted here, once you start digging around."

Lorcan trilled loudly and wagged his tail in the air. Suki opened one eye.

"Sure, Farin, you say it's just myths. But I'm your friend, and I want you to be happy, and I know you won't be until you accept your real reason for coming."

"And what's that?"

"To find a mew."

Farin's face went red. "That's preposterous. There aren't any mew living in the archipelago, and if there were, I wouldn't be able to find one."

"Sure, that's what you wrote in your thesis. But I think you found something in your research, a clue maybe, that there is a mew out here. And you won't be satisfied until you find out if you're right or not."

Farin looked down at her hands. The sound of waves breaking on the shore rose up from below.

"Dinner's ready," Rafael yelled.

"Just give it some thought, Farin," said Ollie. "I wouldn't want you to waste your trip."

He stood and stretched. "And look who's back – right on time," he said, pointing down the slope.

A short figure was ambling up the grass, evening light falling around its fluffy ears. Moonchild walked steadily, his glittering tail stuck out behind him. When he saw Ollie he ran, mounting this hill with surprising speed, and jumped into his friend's arms. Ollie nearly toppled over with the wartortles weight. "I'm glad you're back," Ollie whispered. The Pokémon nuzzled his shoulder.

Suki stood in Farin's lap, stretching her back legs.

"You ready for food too?" Farin asked, and the delcatty meowed. "I'll meet you inside then."

Lorcan raced Suki to the door, mud flying from his paws.

"Coming?" Ollie asked Farin, still holding Moonchild.

"Yep – just give me a minute. I need to make a call."

When the others had gone inside Farin took out her phone and dialled her father's number. She waited, listening to the dial tone as the little green icon flashed. Nobody answered. Her father's voice started to play over the answering machine, and she hung up. The smell of mushrooms and spinach wafted out from the cottage, along with Ollie and Rafael's laughter. The orange sky had turned red, the sea on fire. Farin slid the phone back into her pocket and walked inside.

 

Chapter Seven

The video phone in the Pokémon Center was small and outdated, its screen lagging so that Professor Ivy's face caught between expressions. Farin sat in front of it, nervously fiddling with the pokeballs in her pocket. The professor seemed bored, her eyes unfocused and her voice slow, though Farin couldn't tell if that might just be her demeanour. Farin had heard the Ivy's distraction was deceptive, that her heavy lidded gaze concealed a keen awareness of everything around her. Still, Farin wished the phone connection was faster.

"It sounds like you've had some interesting experiences already," Ivy said, her words out of sync with her lips. "Thanks for letting me know about the delay – I look forward to meeting you this evening. Liam is putting on a spread, which is good because the triplets can't cook."

"That sounds wonderful."

The professor smiled. "Ok then. Have a safe flight."

The screen flicked off. Farin stood and picked up her bag, taking it outside. The morning was pastel blue and the ocean glittered; Ollie and Rafael were standing at the railing above the beach, Moonchild beside them. They watched colourful paragliders skimming across the waves, kites swooping gracefully in the sky. The wartortle held a towering ice-cream, licking it noisily.

"All set to go?" said Ollie as she joined them.

"Yep. I explained about Moonchild and the Team Rocket warehouse and the professor didn't seem to mind that I'm a few days late. I should have contacted her earlier though."

Ollie shrugged. "I'm sure she doesn't mind."

"I guess not."

He slid his eyes sideways. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"A little bit. This is my first real research project, not including the Masters. I don't want to mess it up."

Ollie grinned. "You won't, you'll be great. Just remember what I said yesterday – follow your gut."

"Not my heart?"

"Hearts are easily clouded," said Rafael, still staring out to sea. "Your gut won't lie to you though, even when lying is easier."

Farin and Ollie looked at one another. "I wasn't being specific, but whatever," said Ollie. "Follow your internal organ of choice."

"Where are you stopping over?" Rafael asked.

Farin watched the colourful sails and felt strangely elated, untethered. With her notebooks safely zipped inside her waterproof rucksack, and everything she needed light enough to carry on her back, she was prepared for whatever the islands had in stored for her. "Fairchild Island is about halfway there, but it's uninhabited except by angry pidgeots and rhydons, so we're going to divert slightly and stop at Kinnow. It has a town and a Pokémon Center, and Agni will need the rest. It's quite a long way."

Rafael nodded slowly. "Have you considered staying an extra day? You and your Pokémon could do with a break."

"There have been enough delays – I'm itching to get stuck into my work, besides, I've already told Professor Ivy that I'm arriving this evening."

"Rafael's enjoyed having visitors," Ollie said, rubbing his partners arm. "When you leave we'll miss you."

"Come visit me on Valencia. I'm sure the Professor won't mind."

"Sounds great," said Ollie. Rafael continued to frown. "What's up with you, honey?" Ollie asked.

"I just have...a bad feeling, in my gut. I don't think you should fly today."

Ollie rolled his eyes. "All due respect to your gut, but our brain's say it'll be fine. You don't have to be embarrassed about missing Farin, you know, Mr. Stoic."

Rafael grunted.

Moonchild wagged his fluffy tail and licked the trickles of ice-cream from his fingers.

Farin was about to speak when she felt a glow of warmth against her leg. Something in her pocket rattled, and in a burst of red and white Suki slipped out of her ball.

"Meeeow," said the delcatty, flicking her tail.

"I take it Suki isn't adjusting to the ball," said Ollie.

"Mmow."

Farin sighed and knelt down beside Suki. "I know you don't like it in there, but that's part of the deal. Agni can't carry my weight and yours, so you stay put. No bursting out mid-flight, or we'll all fall into the ocean."

Suki ignored her and wandered over to Moonchild, brushing against his side.

"I think she just wants to say goodbye," said Rafael.

The wartortle proferred his ice-cream, but Suki shook her head.

"Fair enough, you two say farewell, but then we really must be going." As she spoke Farin felt a rumble from her pocket, and all at once the other three Pokémon had burst forth, materialising on the boulevard. Lorcan bounced up and down and went straight for the ice-cream; Rae wound her way between Rafael's legs; Agni bent his serpentine head and pulled them all together.

"Alright then," said Farin, trying not to laugh, "group hug, and then back into your balls. Got it?"

The Pokémon murmured, and Farin felt their warmth as they all crushed together.

...

Farin waved down from Agni's back, the charizard flexing his wings for take-off. Ollie and Rafael stood a little way away, Moonchild on Rafael's shoulders. As Agni crouched down, tensing all his muscles, Farin felt a twinge of loneliness, but as they soared up into the endless blue here sadness whistled away in the slipstream. Agni's powerful wings beat the air, and Farin clung on, feeling the heat of his fire-forged body.

Sailing towards the sun, the island dropping away, Farin felt at home.

For a short while she rejoiced in the wildness of flight, the wind chilling her face and the ocean stretched out below, but soon it became apparent that there would be problems navigating. The paper map she had taped onto her forearm only showed the major islands, and the sea below was dotted with tiny hunks of rock and tree, uncharted spits of land. Turquoise spreads around desolate sandbars indicated the presence of many fringing reefs. Every now and then Farin checked her route, lining her wrist up with lump on the horizon.

A few hours in in she figured they were nearing Kinnow Island. A tall, conical mountain rose behind a smudge of grey buildings, its cliffs sloped as if the armature of a long extinct volcano. Farin tapped Agni on the shoulder and the charizard turned his emerald eye to her – she pointed down at the island, and he angled his wings for descent.

They landed with a thump and Farin felt her legs turn to jelly. Sliding of Agni and returning him to his ball to rest, she looked around. The beach was quiet, with a few windsurfers on the water and some small children splashing in the shallows. A man wearing a red geodude-patterned t-shirt raced across the waves on his board, moving with an ease and grace that drew Farin's gaze. She watched him for a few minutes and then made her way into town.

The settlement was older than that on Butwal, with grey low-rise buildings scoured by decades of sand. Farin wandered up the main street until she found the Pokémon Center – it had wide glass windows and two peeling letters – PC – printed on it. She stepped through the sliding doors into a swathe of cool air-conditioning and saw a sign above the counter: Welcome to the Navel Island Pokémon Center.

Heart sinking, Farin looked down at her map; they had travelled too far East, and only half the distance to Kinnow. The sun was creeping towards the zenith, and she was nowhere near Valencia.

Turning on her heel, she strode back outside. For a moment she lingered on the curb, unsure of what to do; Agni needed more rest before they continued, but she didn't want to lug her heavy backpack around. Wandering aimlessly along the strip, she picked a café at random and sat down on one of the outside metal chairs. A waiter came out and she ordered a lemonade with ice.

The café had a sign shaped like a pearl-encrusted shell, with the name Sea Ruby looped across it in calligraphic type. Farin set her watch for half an hour and watched the street, sipping her drink slowly. She felt a shudder in her pocket and let out Suki, who yawned and curled up on her lap.

Just as she was beginning to relax a shout echoed from across the street.

"Hey, you, come back here!"

Farin sat up straight and Suki hopped down to the ground, flicking her tail.

Two people were running down the street – man with a thick moustache and a portly belly, and a woman with scarlet hair. With a jolt Farin recognised her as the thief who had tried to rob her on the ferry. The woman no longer wore her trench-coat, wrapped instead in a charcoal grey jacket with leather straps across her chest; on her back were two long, curved swords.

"Thief," cried the man, struggling to keep up, "that woman is a thief."

Farin watched as another woman stood up from a café across the road, and leapt out to bar the thief's path. The thief skidded to a stop, glaring at the woman.

"Get out of my way or you'll regret it," she snarled, reaching for her weapons. The woman didn't move.

Farin stood up, fumbling in her pocket for Agni's ball. She squeezed between tables, upsetting a sauced or tea on an elderly woman.

"What are you doing, girl, you'll ruin the show," the old woman said, looking up at her in distaste. On her lap sat a one-eyed snubbul who huffed grumpily.

"I need to help those people," said Farin, trying to squeeze passed.

The woman laughed. "Help? Sit down, you whelp, can't you see that Danny's here?"

Farin looked across the road and saw that a man with almond-coloured hair was sprinting towards the commotion, his geodude-patterned shirt flapping in the breeze. He came to a stop to the left of the thief, penning her in.

"Who's Danny?" Farin asked, still trying to get through.

"Only the gym leader of this island. You don't get out much, do you?"

Farin ignored her. The thief was turning circles, her eyes darting around like a trapped Pokémon. A nasty grin spread across her face and she reached into her jacket. "If that's the way you want to play, so be it," she said.

The sunlight glinted off the ball as she drew it out.

"Oooh, how exciting," said the old woman, clapping her hands. The snubbul grunted.

"I'm not here to play," said Danny, holding out his own Pokéball, "I'm here to kick you and the rest of Team Rocket off my island."

In a flash two Pokémon appeared, facing off in the middle of the street. Danny's electrode grinned and rolled forward, electrical discharge gathering around its body. The thief's Pokémon was tall and spindly, with a flat head and horrible twin scythes.

"A kabutops," said the old woman, drawing in breath.

The kabutops raised its blades high and let out a screech like a banshee. The portly man and the woman who had blocked the street both retreated. Danny stood firm, and flung out a finger. "Electro ball, now," he shouted.

The Pokémon spun, so fast it became a blur, and hurtled towards the kabutops. The kabutops side-stepped it neatly and brought one of its scythes swinging down, barely missing the electrode. The tip of its blade became embedded in the bitumen, and it jerked it free.

The thief laughed. "My kabutops will split you open and spill your guts, after it's done with your pathetic electrode."

The electrode came to a stop and pivoted around.

"Kabutops, use night slash."

A metallic clang rang out as the scythes connected with the electrodes hard skin.

Farin watched, transfixed, and noticed a blur of purple in the corner of her eye. "Suki?" she said, swinging around. The delcatty had disappeared. "Suki, no."

Shoving her way through the chairs, she pushed out onto the pavement. The old woman harrumphed and her snubbul whined.

A low rumble sounded and the pavers beneath Farin's feet shuddered; she looked up and saw the kabutops using a powerful move, tearing up stones and concrete from the road. They rose eerily into the air, their floating shadows cast across the onlookers faces. People ran, abandoning their verge-side spectatorship.

"You're no match for our Ancient Power," shouted the thief, laughing with her teeth bared.

Between the shattered pieces of earth Farin saw Suki, running towards the thief. With a gasp she pelted after her, head down, diving between hovering rocks.

With a boom the Ancient Power exploded across the electrode, cracking open asphalt and spewing a chemical dust into the air. Farin flung her arms up over her face, coughing. She saw Danny's gaze flick to her, his mouth drop open slightly, before a clump of earth knocked him down.

As the debris settled the electrode lay still, its skin bruised and eyes closed, fainted. Farin couldn't see Suki anywhere.

"Geodude, go," shouted Danny, scrambling up.

The thief leered, leaning forward. "You're outmatched, Island boy, admit it. Don't mess with Team Rocket."

Danny paused, his jaw set.

From the sidelines the moustachioed man shouted, his voice high with surprise. "You rescued my Pokémon!" he said, bending down to take a bag from a dirt-coated quadruped. "Thank you."

Farin recognised Suki's floral tail beneath the dust.

The thief's face contorted with rage and she searched around her feet. "You took my bag, you putrid little cat," she said, pointing a finger at Suki. "Prepare to have your gizzards out."

Danny laughed. "Looks like your own move worked as a smokescreen against you."

"I'll put an end to you, you filthy – ,"

With a crunch the geodude's fist collided with the kabutops, sending it staggering backwards into its trainer. It wobbled for a moment and then collapsed, splaying on top of her. The thief stuck out her arm and returned the creature to its ball.

Danny's geodude stared her down, its rocky mouth bent in a frown.

"You've lost the bag that you stole – there's no reason to keep fighting. Admit defeat, and we'll take you in without harming any more of your Pokémon," Danny said.

The thief laughed, her red hair stuck up erratically. Blood dripped from her lip and her cheek was badly bruised from the kabutops fall. "You're right, there is no more reason to stay. But sleep with your eyes open, island boy. You've made a powerful enemy."

Before the geodude could react she'd sent out her scisor, and holding its arm the two rose into the air. "Until next time, then," she said, and with a thrash of wings they hurtled into the sky.

Farin watched her disappear and then ran over to Suki. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that, you brave, reckless Pokémon," she said, hugging the delcatty. "But I'm so proud of you. That was quick thinking."

Danny walked over as the two hugged.

"That's a brave delcatty you have. I don't know many Pokémon who'd take on a member of Team Rocket on their own," he said.

"Was that woman from Team Rocket?"

"By the looks of it. Their presence has been growing in the archipelago. It's worrisome."

The portly man who had his Pokémon back wobbled over, avoiding the new holes in the road. "Thank you, for rescuing my Pokémon," he said, beaming at Farin.

"You're welcome, but I didn't do anything – it was all Suki."

"Meeow."

He laughed and ruffled Suki's head. Dust rose into Farin's nostrils.

"This bag though, it's not mine. The thug had my pokeballs in there, but this other stuff must be from more people she's robbed." He held out the bag and Danny took it.

"Just some potions, a little bit of cash. And what's this?" He pulled out a small card, blank on one side. Farin shuffled closer. He flipped it over, and on the front was a single image of a blue, stylised eye. "Any idea what that means?" he said, and Farin shook her head.

"I've seen it before, at a Team Rocket hideout on Butwal, but I don't know what it is."

The three of them stared at the card, the eerie eye watching them back.

"Anyway, I think we owe you a debt of gratitude. How about you come up to the gym and we can get your delcatty cleaned up?"

"That's very kind of you, but we have to keep going. We need to get to Valencia Island by sundown. Besides, Suki likes being dirty.

The delcatty mewed happily.

"Well, if you're sure. It was nice meeting you. If you're ever on Navel Island again, come and say hi."

They shook hands, and Farin and Suki headed off to the beach.

...

Astride Agni once more, Farin thought about Rafael's predication – his gut feeling that something would go wrong. It might have been the encounter with the thief, but then, that had turned out fine, barring of course the rather roughed-up street. They were running behind schedule, but even that wasn't so bad. Farin clung to Agni's shoulders as his wings rose and fell, heading South-West into the wind, and mused that things were running relatively smoothly.

Ahead more clouds were gathering, occluding the afternoon sun. Their edges were smudged with grey, and Farin wondered whether they might see rain.

"We're on a roll, Agni," she said, ducking her head, "nothing can stop us now."

The companions flew on into a darkening sky.