'Intolerance' and 'Discrimination' (REVISED)

[Teal'c]

Book 1: Intolerance (Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Book 2: Discrimination (Prologue)
Discussion Thread

Intolerance

WARNING: This story contains low level graphic violence.

Prologue:
"Hello, gentlemen. Such a pleasure to meet you. How may I assist you tonight?"

A forlorn man in ragged clothing sat against a dilapidated wall, watching two armed men wearing black clothing and black caps, bearing the tag "KAPA", approach. Their trousers were clean and well ironed, and their shirts bore a thin red cross the length of their torsos, the diagonals ending at their shoulders.

"You can assist us by accompanying us to HQ," growled one, much bigger than either the homeless man and his counter part, who looked more like a conscript than a recruit of KAPA.

The homeless man looked puzzled. Whether it was from the rudeness of a stranger, or the fact that two people were trying to incarcerate him, legally or not, was unknown.

"Why would I go with you chaps, when you haven't even given me your names?" he chuckled, obviously not grasping the seriousness of the situation.

"Because you are under arrest," the bigger one asserted, pulling some handcuffs from his side. He looked as though he was ready to pounce on the man.

The man turned his head to the side, as if trying to remember what he had done to be in this situation.
"Hm... Under what grounds?"

"Possession of Pokemon," said the smaller one, with a contrastingly higher pitched voice. He looked as though he did not want to be in this line of work. Or perhaps it was his associate who looked like he tore the heads off underlings on a daily routine.

"Possession of Pokemon?" he repeated, incredulous. "Why would I, a street wanderer, have any need, or want, for a Pokemon?" he argued bitterly. His voice bore a certain Cockney English accent, much out of place in the backstreets of Viridian City.

"An anonymous tip told us you were seen having Poke Balls on your person," the smaller one piqued in again. Though he was small, his face bore a set look, as though he would use force is necessary. It did not seem convincing.

"I'm tellin' ya," the man tried once more to convince the men. "I don't have any Pokemon."

The man started to walk away, dusting some dirt and ash off his red hair. He stroked his unkempt beard.

"Sir, we are arresting you. Come quietly or we will have to use force," the bigger agent demanded. His voice held such authority, who could say no?

But the well-travelled man just laughed. "I wish you hadn't said that. I really do."

He looked up at the night sky. There appeared to be no moon tonight. But the elements of the sky shifted, and now a new moon appeared, no longer obscured by the large dark object falling towards the earth at an alarming speed.

It hit the road with a crash, creating a large fissure along the worn out street. Where once the men of authority stood were now two little children afraid to move.

Once it stood to attention, it was obvious that this was a beast. Not a fallen object, at all. The creature was large and yellow. Two small antennae protruded from it's head, which housed a face of two angry eyes, and a mouth twisted into a scowl. Its large body had two, much smaller wings. One on either side. Its large, heavy tail smashed into the ground, causing small tremors in the area.

It was an angry dragon.

"You see, gentlemen," the homeless man continued, not at all phased by the large monster standing next to him, or the frightened expressions on his would-be captors' faces. "My friend here is quite fond of me. So if anyone tries to hurt or threaten me -"

The dragon took in a large breath, its body puffing out.

"- Dragonite gets quite defensive."

The creature, Dragonite, leaned forward and opened its mouth wide. A large white beam was released. The beam was total energy. Hyper Beam attacks were known to cause major destruction to the areas they hit. Buildings destroyed, trees discintegrated, earth removed for miles.

Two men was nothing to Dragonite's powerful attack.

"Good work, my friend," the wanderer smirked as he hopped onto Dragonite's back. The Dragonite flapped its powerful wings and took off into the night.

There were no witnesses.

[Teal'c]

Book 1: Intolerance (Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Book 2: Discrimination (Prologue)
Discussion Thread

Intolerance

Chapter One:
"... and that is why it is impossible for humans and Pokemon to co-exist on our planet."

Joel typed the last few characters of his essay, the one due the next day. Saving the document, he closed the word processor and moved onto a much more important matter.

KAPA vs POKEMON

Joel clicked "CONTINUE", resuming his game from earlier, which had stopped when he realised he had an essay, "Why Pokemon And Humans Can't Co-Exist", due quite soon.

Joel slowly moved his character, a well-trained KAPA agent under the name "Sylar", through the three-dimensional environment. His character was armed with a variety of weapons which he could use to kill off menacing Pokemon. Pokemon such as a large blue beast that carried a large flower on its back which had come into view on his left. Sylar crouched down and hid behind a rock as, what his portable KAPA database (known as a "dataKAP") identified as, a "Venusaur" wandered past.

Venusaur was a plant Pokemon, so its main weakness was only obvious. Switching to a flamethrower, which he had picked up in an earlier level after fighting a tough lava Pokemon called "Magmar", Sylar readied it and carefully moved behind Venusaur. The big Pokemon was moving slowly, but its footsteps were heavy, meaning Sylar could quietly ready himself to attack it before Venusaur knew what was going on.

He moved into position, just in the right range to set fire to it...

"Joeelll!" came the familiar voice of his mother. Joel hit the Escape key to pause the game and ran downstairs.

"Yeah?" he asked, slightly frustrated that his mother had stopped him at such a crucial time.

His mother was a kind lady who had kept her figure even after twenty years of marriage to Joel's father, who was currently at work in the mines at Mount Moon. The forty-something year old pushed some of her long brown hair out of her green eyes, which Joel had inherited from her.

"I need you to go to Viridian City and pick me up some repellent," she requested. "They've been getting into my garden again."

Joel noted she said that with such bitterness, but he could see why. All other Pokemon had been relocated off the continent, but a few bug Pokemon, such as Caterpie and Wurmple, were still getting into gardens around homes.

"But why do I have to go to Viridian to get it?" he complained. "Isn't there some at Pewter City?"

His mother chose not to scold him for his whining. It was only fair. Viridian City was some six kilometers away. And two of those were spent wandering in the dark, dead forest.

"Tell ya what," she said reaching into her purse to get some money. Joel noted she pulled out a green note, equal to one hundred dollars, and a yellow note, equal to fifty. "If you get some repellent from Viridian City, I will let you keep the change."

Joel instantly knew that the change would be either one of these notes. After all, it was only repellent. Even the fifty would be more than enough to cover his troubles.

"Alright," he said, trying to sound more reluctant than he was. He ran upstairs and checked the clock. 11 AM. He would need to leave soon if he'd be back by nightfall.

He grabbed some socks, which were decorated with patterns of little computer monitors, and his black shoes. Picking up a holster, he slid his silver PDA phone, no bigger than his own hand into it, which he then attached to the belt holding up his black trousers.

Joel put on a jacket and bustled down the stairs as he pulled on his cap. He said goodbye to his mother and ran out the door.

Leaving town was no event in itself. He ran into a few friends who asked if he wanted to go see the new S.M. Spine movie, The Kabutops Killer, to which Joel declined, explaining that he had to run an errand for his mother.

His friends left him, laughing at mummy's boy. But it didn't bother Joel. After all, a trip to Viridian City and back to earn himself some cash was only a simple task that would earn him plenty of money.

Right?

[Teal'c]

Book 1: Intolerance (Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Book 2: Discrimination (Prologue)
Discussion Thread

Intolerance

Chapter Two:
Joel finally reached the southern exit of Pewter City. Since there was a highway from Viridian City to Pewter City on the eastern side, the south was otherwise neglected, bar a few farmers or adventurous teens.

As he walked along the quiet road, Joel noticed several farms littered all over the place, some as far as the now empty Diglett's Cave. For as long as he had remembered, Pokemon were a pest to the society. History class had taught him that if it weren't for the quick formation of the Kanto Anti-Pokemon Agency, or KAPA, the Pokemon would have "enslaved humanity", as revenge to the "harsh" treatment of them so many years ago.

Joel shook the propaganda aside. While he agreed, with the little knowledge he had, that Pokemon were indeed a pest, he didn't think they would go so far as to enslave humanity. Still, from his adventures as Sylar on his favourite video game, he did have to wonder how people had tamed the beasts in the past.

Travelling in his thoughts, rather than on the road, Joel came back to earth as he crashed into a sign at waist level. He examined the large black text briefly before pressing on.

BEWARE: VIRIDIAN FOREST
Pokemon sightings have been made. Enter at your own risk.
KAPA
July 7, 2007

Joel scoffed. He knew that many of the jocks from his school liked to come out here with various certain types of girls to "be alone". And he knew that their fooling around was much more recent than this sign, which was more than three years old. Besides, recent reports had indeed shown that Pokemon activity around Viridian Forest had almost dwindled to a stop.

He rounded a few more corners in the road before finally stopping at the entrance of the forest. It was dark inside, that was for sure. And there was a certain ambiance to it that made Joel's hair stand on end and shiver inside. There seemed to be a specific aspect in the atmosphere that made it seem...

Forbidden.

'The "Forbidden Forest"?' Joel laughed at his crazy mind. 'You're not Harry Potter.'

He walked in, slightly braver now that he found an aspect of the forest that he could now laugh at. Joel noted that the forest was quiet. He couldn't hear the sounds of any creatures or any other humans. The trees were so thick that the sun couldn't filter through. A slight breeze rustled the leaves in the tree gently. It was almost...

Cliche.

Joel had to snicker again. He had no idea what he was afraid of in the first place. Just a couple of trees and some uneven ground beneath his feet. The sound of his feet hitting the dirt was the only company he had for the first kilometer. He did find it strange, however, that the ground was completely dirt. He had read in certain history books that Virdian Forest had lush grass. Certainly the lack of Pokemon couldn't have changed that? There was no way that a few species of bugs, and a few birds, could have that kind of effect on one forest.

He was shaken from his thoughts as his phone started ringing. The ringtone was a heavy guitar introduction to one of his favourite songs, which often resulted in him being slow to answer as he enjoyed the song so much. After a few seconds, he hit the call button, which allowed him to answer.

"Yello?" he answered with his normal greeting.
"Where are you up to now?" came the voice of his mother. It couldn't have been 45 minutes since he had left.
Joel sighed. "Halfway through Viridian Forest, mum."
"Just be careful in Viridian City. I just read there was a situation there last night."
"Yeah, mum. I'm not gonna do anything stupid."
"No, it's not that. Two men were kidnapped. Just be careful."
Joel sighed. "Yes, mum."
"I love you."
"Hm," he grunted as he hung up. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he was a guy. He couldn't just say "I love you, too."

Joel was just putting his phone back in his holster when he heard a voice that made him jump.
"You there!" it came from behind. "What are you doing here?!"
Joel turned to see three men dressed in black clothing. They bore a cross on their torsos. He knew imediately that these were KAPA agents. He noticed the one in front was missing a sleeve, the cut being in a ragged fashion; as if something had sliced it off.
"I'll ask again," the man in front commanded, obviously thinking Joel was off in his own world. "What are you doing here?'
"Me?" Joel nervously asked, trying to regain his composure from being surprised. "I'm going to Viridian City and going through here was quicker than walking the highway."

The man growled. Joel noted a tattoo of red and white ball on the man's bare arm, the red and white separated by a large black strip with two concentric circles in the middle. He had seen this symbol somewhere before.

The man growled at him one more time. "Alright, you keep going. But you take the highway back to Pewter City. You hear me?"
Joel was annoyed. How would he make it back by nightfall now? He sighed. "Yes, sir."

"Now get going!"

They stormed off in the opposite direction to Joel. Which was all good.

He didn't fancy bumping into them again.

[Teal'c]

Book 1: Intolerance (Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Book 2: Discrimination (Prologue)
Discussion Thread

Intolerance

Chapter Three:
Joel pushed away some shrubbery. He hadn't walked far since his encounter with the KAPA agents, but he could no longer see or hear them anywhere in the forest, so he felt it safe to continue on.

Several details about the encounter had bothered him: the lead agent was missing a sleeve on his shirt, almost as if something had torn it off. But the cut was odd. It wasn't a tear, it was a clean razor cut, as if something had sliced right through it.

Could it have been a Pokemon? Sure, there were still several that hadn't been moved to the reserve, but Joel had not heard of any people encountering Pokemon in this dead forest for over a year now. Why would KAPA be poking their heads around this place? Even if there were Pokemon, they wouldn't be much more than rogue Caterpie.

"YOWCH! What the frell?!" Joel was awoken from his daydreaming as a sharp pain attacked his leg. Looking down, he noticed there was now a deep cut on his right leg, barely five centimetres from his knee. Blood oozed down from the cut, toward his white socks.

"Oww! How did that happen?!" he frantically searched his pockets for anything that he'd be able to use as a bandage. Nothing. Not even a hanky. The perfect day to not have a cold or even hay fever.

Thinking quickly, Joel pulled his right shoe off and removed his sock. The cut was horizontal, so it would do for tying around his leg. He got up slowly, putting all his weight on his left side.

Joel looked in the direction of Viridian City. Or the direction he thought it was in. He knew he didn't have much more than a kilometre to walk, so he was relieved. He'd be able to find a doctor, then a place to crash until his mum could come and get him. But the thought of how his leg split open in the first place still bothered him.

He checked the ground around him. If it was some sort of projectile that hit him, it would certainly be around. It could not have been a bullet - he would have heard the gun go off. And he certainly would have seen someone hit him with a knife. But he found the rather unlikely offender.

A thin, solid, dark green leaf. His fresh blood laced the circumference of the leaf, as though it had been spinning as it cut his leg.

The fact that it was still green meant that there was something still alive in the dead forest. He didn't know if it was a Pokemon or just a flower, but Joel knew that he wanted to find it. Not for any reason other than curiosity. Forget the injured leg, Joel's sense of curiosity was much stronger than that!

So long as the sock held tight, Joel would be okay to travel. Deciding to play detective, he peered into the sock and judged the cut. It looked as though the leaf that injured his leg may have either come from his left or right.

Joel peered carefully to his right. Thankfully, the trees were numerous, but not so thick as they would have been fifty years earlier, so Joel could see a fair way in front of him. It seemed like a good place to start.

And he would have moved off in that direction, too, had he not been distracted by the noise of a gunshot behind him. He turned back immediately, more out of surprise than curiosity, this time. But now Joel, under the determination to see if it was related to his cut, moved towards it, where normally people would run from gunshots. But Joel needed to know.

Could the owner of the gun have also inflicted the cut on his leg? He couldn't pass the opportunity up to satisfy his curiosity!

Joel hobbled off. Pain seared through his leg as he moved closer, struggling to hear anything like before. But he was getting close, now. He could hear faint voices, one of them seeming oddly familiar.

"Look out! Don't let the Leech Seed hit you!"
"Don't let it escape! Shoot it NOW!"
"It took my gun!"
"You idiot!"

Joel recognised the last voice. It was the man who had yelled at him before. But what were they doing way out here? Weren't they going back to Pewter City? He edged a few metres closer, ignoring the pain in his leg, desperate to see the action.

And finally, Joel could see the fight going on. One KAPA agent was wrapped up in vines, unconscious. Another had his hands up, nervously facing his opponent, Joel assumed. He couldn't quite see what they were fighting as the large one was in the way.

Joel hobbled along, grabbing the thin trees for support. He wanted to see the powerful opponent that had managed to disarm the three of them. Such a strong fighter, he guessed, finally finding a good vantage point to see all four of them.

But he was rather surprised to see that the opponent wasn't a human at all.

The creature was a small quadruped, its light blue skin contrasted by the light green that shaded the bulb on its back. It had a fierce look on its face, as if it were defending its life. A dark green vine extended from the bottom of the bulb, and Josh could see that it was what pointed the gun at the surrendering KAPA agent.

Joel could see that the creature, which he now identified as a Pokemon, was bleeding from a small wound on its left side. He could see the exhaustion on its face, yet it also wore one that told Joel that it wanted to keep fighting.

He frowned at the scene. Maybe Pokemon were as dangerous as KAPA had made them out to be. The scene painted before him didn't do anything to help the Pokemon's case.

"Alright, Bulbasaur."

Joel snapped out of his thoughts. The leader was addressing the Pokemon, now. The Pokemon looked up at the bloke, who continued in a deep, booming voice.

"If you can beat me in a battle..." he pulled out a red and white ball from deep in his pocket. Joel instantly recognised it as the same symbol on the man's tattoo.

"I will let you go. But of course if you lose..." he gripped the ball tightly. "Well... You can find out in the end."

Bulbasaur nodded viciously, but Joel was wide-mouthed. Surely the creature realised that the man had just incinuated its death if it lost the battle?

"Go, Magmar!" the man tossed the ball into the air. Magmar... Magmar... Why did that name sound familiar to Joel? Was there a recent book he read mentioning Magmar?

Joel watched the ball split open at a right angle in mid-air, and out flashed a large bright light. Joel had seen SLR camera flashes before, some of the brightest around, but nothing was no where near as bright as this.

The light seemed to be pure energy, and the energy seemed to have a mind of its own as Joel watched it move toward the ground and then form a shape, as if the light was being crafted by forces unknown.

Within moments, Joel could finally recognise the shape and the name, he had heard earlier. This was Magmar, the one Sylar had completely destroyed with ease in the volcanic level of Joel's game.

It also occurred to Joel that the same level that Sylar had encountered Magmar, he had also received the flamethrower, a weapon that was a portable version of Magmar's Flamethrower attack.

Joel looked at Bulbasaur.

And that same flamethrower was what Sylar was going to use on a much larger Pokemon that bore a resemblance to this Bulbasaur... a Venusaur.

Then Joel realised this was where that game met reality.

Bulbasaur and Venusaur shared more in common than a suffix. Venusaur evolved from Bulbasaur! And Magmar was about to use Flamethrower on Bulbasaur! Joel knew that in the game, the flamethrower would totally destroy Venusaur. What would happen to a Bulbasaur?

He had to do something.

"STOP!" Joel found himself shouting. When he thought to do something, he hadn't intended to make a scene like that.

The eyes of everyone around turned towards Joel.

[Teal'c]

Book 1: Intolerance (Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Book 2: Discrimination (Prologue)
Discussion Thread

Intolerance

Chapter Four:
Joel covered his mouth with his hands, which he intended to do before he irrationally screamed. Had they heard him?

Everyone, people and Pokemon, faced towards Joel. That meant only one thing.

Yes. Yes, they had heard him.

Joel saw that all three sets of eyes were on him. Now he had to improvise. He couldn't possibly fight off the Pokemon, even if it was the main threat right now, let alone the KAPA agents in front of him, who didn't seem to be the type that allowed witnesses to survive. And with his split leg, he couldn't possibly outrun anyone.

He had no choice but to come out of hiding now. But what to do next? He could only speak to them, and hope that they would leave him and, maybe, the Bulbasaur alone. Joel was still confused as to his passionate feelings about Bulbasaur living or dying. It was a Pokemon, a pest. Wasn't it?

Joel tried his best to move a few metres to stand between Magmar and Bulbasaur, hoping to appeal to the KAPA agents. But being a teenager who stayed in his room most of the time, Joel's people skills were rather low. That's what he liked about computers - he could take his time with them and make mistakes with what he "said" to them. The most unforgiving a computer could be would be a blue screen, which was easily rectified. Heck, if it held up a grudge, he could wipe its memory.

But two armed men, three if he counted the unconscious one, and a Pokemon that could burn through bone easily... Joel had to choose his words carefully if he didn't want to be cremated.

"Get lost kid!" the burly agent growled. "If you go now, we act like we never saw ya. But you can't tell anyone what has happened here, today."
"But-but..." he looked at Bulbasaur and then quickly looked back. "You can't just kill it!"
"I can't just kill annoying teenagers either," the man nodded at his offsider, who now aimed a smaller sidearm at Joel, possibly one he had hidden in an ankle holster.
"Wait, you-" Joel looked at the offsider, who had his pistol leveled at him. "You're going to shoot me?"
"We gave you your chance to run and you didn't take it," he nodded again at the offsider, who's finger moved to pull the trigger.

Joel watched it all in slow motion: the barrel lighting up; the tiny bullet escaping the slightly bigger hole. Joel had always wondered how such a tiny piece of metal could kill a man in so many places. He had always wondered why people felt the need to provide new guns, ones capable of shooting and killing faster.

Joel hoped that his mum wouldn't mourn as the single Joel Pearson of Pewter City would be wiped off the face of the earth. He was insignificant, he decided, when it came down to it. A fragile man, who obviously failed this game of natural selection.

He heard the "BANG" of the gun first, which only just preceded the sensation of metal penetrating his upper arm. The impact made Joel fall back, and the realisation of pain made him grab his arm and groan. The cut from Bulbasaur was just a sting. This really hurt.

"You idiot!" the massive agent turned his angry eyes from the living teenager to yell at the bumbling henchman. "You were supposed to kill him not wou-"

But there would be no response from the henchman. Joel looked up to see that his would-be assassin had fallen just like his comrade, but he was not wrapped up in roots that seemed to sap his energy. He appeared to have several tiny leaves embedded in his skin, not dissimilar to the single leaf that caused Joel's leg wound. The man also had a similar cut.

Across his throat.

The kill shot.

Joel looked at Bulbasaur. It had shot the leaves to save him! The same Pokemon that had wounded him earlier. It made Joel wonder. Why would a pest that was a threat to mankind, save a nobody like himself? At the same time, what he saw had just disgusted him. Bulbasaur had saved him, but at the cost of another man's life.

"Alright," growled the massive agent, stomping towards Joel. "Now I am REALLY mad! There will be NO survivors today!"

"Why are you trying to kill this Bulbasaur?" Joel using some newfound anger. Strangely enough, he was not angry that the man had ordered his execution. He was much more upset, he realised, at the fact that they were trying to kill the Bulbasaur. The Pokemon that had saved his life.

"You idiot," the man chuckled bitterly. "Haven't you figured it out? We don't transport Pokemon to some happy land so that they can frolic, be free and not annoy man. We kill them."

Joel stared wide-mouthed. Ever since primary school, he had been fed nothing but propaganda about Pokemon. And now the sudden realisation that all Pokemon were extinct upset him. It was disgusting. Yes, he had seen that a small Bulbasaur was capable of murder, but at the same time, it did not seem the type to be bloodthirsty. It was fighting for it's life!

"This Magmar here," the agent continued, patting his Pokemon on the back, clearly unaffected by the immense heat the fire Pokemon produced, "is in charge of clean up. If we leave a mess, or just a carcass, it... well let's just say its nickname is 'Incinerator'."
Incinerator the Magmar looked smug at the mention of its title. Almost as if he enjoyed destroying anything living. Its thick yellow bill curled into a smile. A disgusting, smile.

Joel suddenly realised that when Bulbasaur attacked him before, it was not out of spite or hate, but out of fear! It must have thought that Joel was with KAPA and was trying to end its life!

But that didn't matter any more. The only way either of them would be getting out alive was if they worked together. Joel stepped back in line with Bulbasaur.

"I'm not letting you hurt this Pokemon," Joel putting on his best voice of authority, but there were more cracks in his voice than the ground around the old Pokemon Gym in Pewter City.
"'Letting'?" the Agent smirked. "The way you say that makes it sound like you think you can actually do something about it, kid."
He was right. There was only one way out of this, Joel knew, and he'd be lucky if he even got there.
"Bulbasaur and I are going to fight," he tried to sound more cooler and confident than before. "And we're going to win."
"Kids today," the Agent smirked. "They crack me up... Well, alright - I'll play a game with you. But remember, the big kids always win. And we play for keeps."

Joel only remembered one thing from biology class at school, and that was about the human adrenaline system. Fight or flight.

There was no where to run in this area, and even so, Magmar and the Agent would be faster. Neither of them were injured, and Magmar looked like it was a lot faster than Bulbasaur.

Joel's only option was to fight with Bulbasaur.

Their lives depended on it.

[Teal'c]

Chapter Five:
Joel had read in various books, and online, that Pokemon and their trainers used to fight along side each other. That was before the Great Pokemon War, anyway. Before they became extinct.

He had also learned that a Pokemon would follow orders given from said trainers. These orders were normally just naming an attack, and the Pokemon would use it. For the most part, the attacks related to their elemental characteristics.

So in theory, Joel concluded, Bulbasaur would be able to use plant-based attacks, like the sharp leaves, or the vines. Since he didn't know the names of the attacks, Joel would have to try his best to describe them and hope that Bulbasaur would understand. He was rather hoping Bulbasaur was more of a Venus-fly-trap than a daisy.

"Are you ready to die, kid?" the KAPA Agent bore his nasty smirk again. Joel could see from the Agent's bare arm that even if Magmar failed to kill him, the Agent would have no trouble at all in finishing the job with his well toned muscles.

"Alright, Bulbasaur," Joel said to the small plant, trying to sound confident, more for himself than anything. "We need to be a team to get out of this alive. That means you're gonna have to bare with me and try your best."

Strangely enough, it seemed to Joel as if the Bulbasaur understood every word that he said, even if Joel didn't understand Bulbasaur's growls.

"Bulba," the Pokemon muttered, looking back at Joel and nodding at its team mate before locking sights with Magmar. A scowl crossed the smaller Pokemon's face.

"You make the first move, kid," the cocky Agent offered. Magmar stepped back and put its arms out, as if it were moving into a defensive position.

Joel closed his eyes and tried to calm his thoughts. Alright. What attacks could a Bulbasaur use? He tried to remember some of the unusual things he had seen the Pokemon do.

The cut on his leg! The dead KAPA agent!

"Bulbasaur," Joel tried his best to describe the attack that had brought him into this situation, "use that sharp leaf attack!"

He was sure that this would do considerable damage to Magmar. After all, a single leaf did quite a number on his leg, surely it would make this fiery creature fall?

"Saur!" Bulbasaur seemed to understand as it carefully shook its light green bulb from side to side. Something was churning up inside the bulb. Joel noticed blood slipping down from the wound at its side as it shook. The attack was probably a bad idea given Bulbasaur's condition.

From under the vibrations tiny sharp leaves came flying out of Bulbasaur's bulb, at speeds that would rival that of an automatic rifle. Well, it seemed fast to Joel anyway, as he watched at least ten sharp leaves rocket towards the Magmar. But, to Joel's surprise, Magmar simply stood still as the leaves made their way towards putting Magmar in a fatal condition. It seemed totally unphased that tiny blades, sharp enough to cut through flesh, were heading towards it at an alarming speed.

However, when the leaves hit Magmar, Joel could see why it was unconcerned. He watched the leaves embed themselves into Magmar's scarlet flesh, but the burning Pokemon simply closed its eyes, seemingly unaware of the pain they must have been causing.

The Agent chuckled. "Word to the wise, kid. Magmar is a fire-type. Grass type attacks don't work all that well on Fire type Pokemon. And things like Razor Leaf-" he paused and then chuckled. "Oh sorry. I mean things like 'Sharp Leaf Attack', don't work so well on a Pokemon with the Flame Body ability," he nodded at Magmar.

"Maaaggg..." the Pokemon opened its eyes and seemed to groan as the leaves once embedded in its body disintegrated with immense heat. The cuts caused by the leaves seemed to heal over.

Joel could hardly believe his eyes. The lava creature, Magmar, seemed to be able to increase its body temperature at will. And none of Bulbasaur's elemental attacks, Grass attacks, the man called them, were any good against it.

"Bulbasaur!" Joel needed to try something fast. Anything. "Try barging into it! Knock it over!"

Bulbasaur got into a pouncing position and then started sprinting towards Magmar as fast as it could. It tackled the Magmar head on, jumping high enough to hit it in the chest. Magmar stumbled back. Joel grinned. Finally, something that would hurt Magmar.

But it wasn't over yet.

"Sauuurrr..." Bulbasaur sounded like it was in pain, and not just from its bleeding wound. Joel was confused. How could an attack like that be doing damage to his own Pokemon? Bulbasaur wearily turned its head and Joel saw that it had a large black spot on its forehead, as if its flesh had been burned. The Agent laughed at Joel.

“Flame Body again," he shrugged. "Magmar is a tough Pokemon when all you have is that weak Bulbasaur,” he chuckled briefly before going into, what appeared to be, deep thought. "It's my turn. I have a feeling that any attack Magmar has, could finish Bulbasaur off."

Joel glared at the Agent. So he had intentionally accepted Joel's challenge, knowing full well that Bulbasaur could not harm Magmar in any way, and now he was planning on finishing it off. For real.

"Fire Punch, Magmar," the Agent said with a sinister grin on his face. A sinister grin that Magmar also shared as it pulled its arm back, curling its hand into a fist. Fire seemed to burst out at its fist, slowly building up. Bulbasaur was still recovering from the burn on its head and the wound at its side. There was no way it could dodge Magmar's punch in time.

"Say goodbye, Bulbasaur!" the Agent declared. Magmar was ready to punch, the flame on its fist getting larger and hotter.
"NO!" Joel cried, finding he was doing something even more irrational than what he had done to get into this mess.

He jumped between Magmar and Bulbasaur, his injured leg hurting as he leaped and his wounded arm burning with pain.

Instead of finishing off Bulbasaur, Magmar made contact with Joel's chest, pushing him back onto Bulbasaur from the force of the punch. Joel felt his flesh burn as it made contact with Magmar's fist, the pain searing through his body, more intense than anything he had experienced before. More than his leg getting Razor Leafed. More than the bullet in his shoulder.

But he had protected Bulbasaur. That's all that mattered. But for how long would this protection last? Now that Joel was out of commission, Magmar could easily attack Bulbasaur without any more interference.

"Thanks for that kid," the Agent nastily chuckled. "Instead of putting a few bullets in you, I can skip that step and have Magmar do clean up immediately."

Joel closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Now this was the end for him. He knew that Magmar would not miss twice. Both he and Bulbasaur were incapacitated, so neither would dodge the attack. If they were going down, he thought, they may as well go down fighting. Which they already had done.

"Fire Blast!" Joel heard the Magmar take a deep breath at the Agent's command. He could feel the temperature rising all around, even if Magmar was still a good ten metres away. As it got ready for the Fire Blast, its body temperature must have been rising phenomenally, Joel thought.

Now came the final blow. Joel heard the WHOOSH of the fire ball making its way towards him and Bulbasaur, and then heard it make contact with them.

But... It couldn't have made contact with them. He wasn't in any pain! Joel didn't even feel anything other than the hot temperature it gave off when it came near.

"Might I suggest you pick on someone your own size... or bigger?" chuckled someone. It must've been the Agent. But... why would the Agent say something like that?

"You!" that was the Agent. But who was he talking to? Joel hadn't heard anyone come, just the whooshing of the fire. At least, he thought it was the fire.

"Yes. Me," this new voice had a certain cockney accent to it, similar to that of the Northern Kanto region. But what would a a worker man from Northern Kanto be out here in Viridian Forest?

Joel managed to open his eyes, despite the pain inflicted by the burns on his chest, the cut on his leg and the bullet in his arm. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw it.

There was an orange dragon, with tiny wings disproportionate to its large body. Though he couldn't see much else of it from his position on the ground, he could see what appeared to be the second person. The dragon's escort donned a pair of well worn boots and tattered pants.

This man was the one who saved Joel from certain death.

Joel's saviour.

But... he came too late, Joel thought, as he slipped into unconsciousness.

[Teal'c]

Chapter Six:
"Do you think he'll be okay, grandma?"
"Yes, Sally. Let him rest."

Voices. But neither belonged to the The Man With the English Accent or the Agent. They were both female, one belonging to someone who sounded a lot older and strangely familiar. Both were distant, as if they were down a hallway.

Joel moaned and slowly forced his eyes open, leaning back on a comfortable pillow.

Pillow?

He rubbed his eyes and then shook his head to make sure he wasn't dreaming. This was not the Viridian Forest. He pushed the large, green quilt off his legs and sat up against the pillows on the bed.

Certainly not the Virdian Forest at all.

Joel began to get up, but a sharp pain in his leg forced him back down. His leg, which had been damaged by Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf, was now bandaged, somehow. Joel tried to examine the bandages with his right arm, but found that he couldn't move it. A sling now held his arm in place, probably to prevent blood from leaving his bullet wound. But who had treated him? Was it The Man With the English Accent?

"Grandma, he's awake!" interrupted the voice of a seemingly excited girl. Joel looked up to see a strand of brown hair disappear behind the doorframe, five metres from the foot of his bed. She was the one he had heard when he first regained consciousness, but he did not know anyone that sounded the way she did. Her voice was sweet, and had a certain innocence to it.

Footsteps echoed momentarily in a nearby hallway before they reached the Joel's room. The two females looked similar, but one was obviously much, much older. At least three times the age of the girl Joel had seen disappear moments ago. Then Joel suddenly recognised the older woman and her voice.

"Ah, so you're awake, Joel," she said, walking to the foot of his bed.
"Aunt Sandra?" he was confused. Sandra was a woman that Joel's mother had been friends with several years ago, back in Pewter City, before having to move away to Viridian City. Of course, she wasn't really his Aunt, but for all the time she spent with Joel and his family, she may as well have been.

"Good to see your memory is fine," Sandra smiled, wrinkles creasing her face as she did. Joel remembered the warm smile from his earlier years when she came to visit his family, usually daily.
"Aunt Sandra, how- how did I-?" Joel tried to remember the events after The Man With the English Accent had intervened, but realised he must have been unconscious from then until now.
"Sally, here," she nodded at, what Joel guessed, to be her granddaughter, "found you on the sourthern edge of Viridian Forest. She was running an errand for me in Pewter City and she stumbled across your body on the way back."

It seemed odd to Joel that Sally only found him when the fighting was over. And that far out. How did he get there? Surely, the cockney man hadn't dragged his body that far out and left him for dead.

"You'd lost quite a bit of blood," Sandra continued. "We were surprised that you pulled through. Given the circumstances, we couldn't send you to the hospital either."

The 'circumstances'? The bullet in his shoulder? But then Joel's jaw dropped as he realised something else. Bulbasaur! Where was the plant Pokemon? Was it okay? Did the Agent get it?

"Bulbasaur is fine," Sandra answered before Joel could form the question. "But we can talk about that later. You need rest."
"Can't I see it? Please?" Joel pleaded.
"Later, when you've gotten some rest," Sandra proceeded to walk out of the door.

Resigned, Joel turned his attention at Sally, who was smiling sweetly at him. Her blue eyes darted away and her face went red when she realised that he was making eye contact with her. Her smooth, brown hair was brushed in a tidy manner but a section of it kept dropping over her right eye, causing her to flick it back behind her ear. Despite how innocent and awkward she seemed, she looked a bit older than he was.

"Sally, let us leave Joel to rest."

He watched Sally's smile fade as her grandmother tried to usher her out. For some reason, Sally was keen on spending plenty of time with Joel, though he couldn't see why. Girls didn't like him.

"But grandma..."
"Now, Sally."

Sally gave Joel one last glance before turning around and leaving the room, Sandra shutting the door behind them. The door, like the rest of the room, was a sky blue colour. A nice happy colour for a guest room, Joel thought. At least, it seemed like a guest room. It was rather bare, apart from the bed, an old wooden closet, and the metal bedside table. The black bedside table had a lamp, a digital clock radio and a box.

Joel turned his head to get a better look at the clock radio. It was only early in the afternoon when he was caught up at the Virdian Forest, it couldn't have been too long since then.

23:32

Joel's colour faded. He was meant to be back in Pewter City well before ten o'clock. This, and the fact that he hadn't spoken to his mother in almost ten hours, couldn't be good for him. She would be worried sick.

Joel sat up and felt around his shorts for his phone. But his holster and phone weren't there, nor was his wallet. Had he lost them in Viridian Forest? Was his mother trying to reach him now? Was she now thinking the worst?

His eyes darted to the box, and to his relief, he saw his holster poking out of the top. He pulled it out and unclipped the top so he could take his phone out. Turning it on, Joel found that he had only two missed calls. One about an hour after the first time she called, a second another half an hour later.

Joel frowned. This was out of character for his mother. Why hadn't she called him more times? Knowing his mother, she would have called about two minutes before he regained consciousness anyway, but there was no call. Was she okay?

"Grandma called your mum when I brought you here."

Joel jumped as the sweet voice of Sally entered the room. How long had she been standing at the doorway?

"I don't think we've met before tonight," she walked over to the side of his bed. Her perfume, to Joel, smelled similar to the one his own mother wore occasionally. It was some sort of Celadon Secret perfume.

"No... I don't think so either..." Joel spoke quietly, finding it hard to use the right words around this girl. But he didn't know why.
"I'm Sally, Sandra's granddaughter," she smiled. Joel could see that she was trying to avoid looking into his eyes.
"I'm... I'm Joel," he said, trying to match her gaze. He successfully caught her eyes, but she turned away again, blushing an even brighter red than before.

Neither said anything for a while. Sally just kept watching him, being careful to avoid his eyes, as Joel tried to think of some other topic to talk about. Then the perfect one came to him.

"Sandra... Sandra didn't tell me what happened to Bulbasaur..." he spoke carefully, worried more that Bulbasaur was in some sort of danger, rather than the fact that KAPA could be coming to arrest him for having a Pokemon.
"Bulbasaur's fine," Sarah smiled. "Grandma used to be a Pokemon Vet."

Joel's jaw dropped again. "I didn't know that. That must've been sometime ago..." then he slapped himself in the head. "I-I didn't mean like that."
Sally giggled. "I know what you meant," she walked over to the window behind Joel's bed, silently staring into the night sky.

"Grandma's risking a lot for you and Bulbasaur," she spoke again a few minutes later, not turning her head from her window. Joel noticed a troubled look painted on her face.
"When Pokemon were declared a pest, and it was illegal to have one," Sally continued. "Grandma had to give up being a vet. But she also had to go under serious investigations to prove that she wouldn't be a problem for KAPA," she kneeled by Joel's bedside, this time able to look into his eyes. Joel could see the sadness on her face and found himself sharing the look too. He could see where this was going.
"If she gets caught..." she seemed to choke at the thought of losing her grandma to KAPA.
"I... I'm sorry, Sally..." Joel apologised. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."
Sally smiled. "But don't get me wrong. I am quite glad that we managed to save you and Bulbasaur. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite us."

Sally got up and walked over to the doorframe, her finger lingering on a switch on the wall.
"You can see Bulbasaur tomorrow," she smiled sweetly, once more, before flicking the switch.

The lights went out and she closed the door.

[Teal'c]

Chapter Seven:
Joel awoke from his slumber to the sound of his phone ringing, every note of the distorted guitar from the ringtone irritating his ear. He lazily slapped his arm around the bedside table until he felt the familiar smooth leather on his black holster. He flicked it open and pulled out his PDA phone.

Incoming Call:
Mum

Joel moaned as he moved his thumb over to press the green button to answer the call.

"Joel! Sweetie!" Yep, it was definitely his mum.
"Hiya, mum," he yawned, far from being awake.
"Your father and I were so worried when you didn't call or come back," she said, sounding quite relieved that her son was alive.
"Well I meant to but-"
"We know. You went to visit Sandra and then lost track of time."

Joel's was speechless. 'Went to visit Sandra'? Did that mean Sandra had lied?

"Um... yeah," Joel said, feeling bad that he'd have to continue the lie. "It's been a while since I've seen her, so I thought I'd drop by."
"As long as Sandra doesn't mind, we don't," his mum cheerfully replied.
"I learned a lot about her," Joel casually mentioned, trying to hide the truth of his injuries. "Did you know she used to be a Pokemon Vet?"

Silence.

"Mum?"
"Joel, I want you to forget about anything that woman says about Pokemon."
"Pardon?"
"Let Sandra live her quiet life without anyone questioning what she used to be."
"I know, mum. I was just saying-"
"Joel, just please come home as soon as you can."
"Alright, mum. I will."
"And you won't let her get any of the Pokemon nonsense into you?"
Joel sighed. His week was just getting more and more strange. "I won't."
"I love you."

He hung up the phone and turned to put it back on his bedside table, being careful to avoid knocking over the glass of orange juice. Wait. Juice? Joel looked more carefully at the scene, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was definitely awake.

On his bedside table lay a tray, consisting of a plate of bacon and eggs - in the form of a smiley face, Joel noticed - a tall glass of fresh orange juice, and a metal knife and fork. At first he wasn't going to eat it, but then it occurred to him that it had been nearly a whole day since he had eaten. And upon this realisation, his stomach rumbled and he felt all the hunger pains. Sandra must have made it, he thought, as he stabbed his fork into the bacon and shoved it into his mouth.

Sandra walked into the room, with a smile that matched the plate Joel was currently feasting on.
"So, Sally cooked you breakfast, eh?" she asked. Joel looked at the her and then the plate. He didn't think it was Sally who prepared this delicious meal. He would have to thank her later.
"Well if you didn't... I guess she did," he said, still confused as to why she would cook him, a complete stranger, breakfast.
"Well eat up," her smile faded a little. "We have a lot we need to discuss today."
"Do you mean Bulbasaur?" Joel questioned. What else would it be?
"Among... other things..." Sandra turned her back and began walking out the door.
"Like what?" Joel was now rather curious as to what else needed discussing.
"Finish your breakfast," Sandra turned back to him, her smile now bright again. "Sally will bring you to Bulbasaur in a little while."

Sandra was right. Just as Joel had sipped the last of his orange juice, Sally waltzed into his room, smiling her sweet smile. Joel couldn't help but return it.
"So, you ready to see Solar?" she beamed at Joel.
"Solar?" Did she mean Bulbasaur?
"That's what I've decided to name your Bulbasaur," she was giddy. "Solar seems to like his new name."
Joel slowly got up to his feet and let the smile fade from his face. "It's not my Bulbasaur."
Sally lips remained an upside-down umbrella, as if she were genetically modified to smile all the time. "Solar doesn't seem to think so, come on!"

Sally bound out of the room, standing just outside the door as Joel tried to walk. It wasn't easy with his injured leg, each step causing him to wince as the stinging of his wound hit him.
"Are you alright?" Sally asked, her face now looked concerned.
"I'm fine," Joel lied. For some reason, one which he was unsure of himself, he didn't want Sally to think he was in pain. Perhaps it was because of her eccentricity, and the worry that she might be a bit too excited to administer medical treatment without causing further pain. "Please, take me to Bulbasaur."

Sally led Joel down the hallway, through what appeared to be a laundry, and out the back door. Joel could hardly believe his eyes.

Sally and Sandra's backyard was a massive garden. Well, it wouldn't be fair to call it a garden with the trees they were growing. It was a jungle. Joel had to be careful to watch his step, as not to tread on the beautiful flowers growing on the vibrant green grass.

"This is..." Joel was lost for words. So he stuck with simplicity. "This is amazing."

And it was amazing. There were all kinds of plants, massive trees. It was like stepping into Narnia, for the first time, but without the snow or friendly faun to show him around. But he had Sally, who was just as friendly as any faun, anyway.

"Me and grandma take care of this, ourselves," Sally explained. "It's at the border of the Viridian Forest, which is why we were able to grow plants, easily. Fertile soil.
"And because we're so far back, no one bothers us."

Joel looked at Sally as she touched some of the plants and moved swiftly through the garden. He thought she looked as beautiful as the flowers she brushed past. Which was odd, since he didn't try to think that about anyone. He shook his head.

"Can I see-"
"Solar!" Sally yelled out, interrupting Joel's question. But that was okay, he thought. She answered the question.

"Bulba!"

Solar the Bulbasaur bounded out of some bushes in the garden.

[Teal'c]

Chapter Eight:
Solar ran over to Joel and started rubbing his head against Joel's leg. At first, Joel was uneasy at the thought of a Pokemon, a pest, making physical contact with him, but had to admit, however, that Solar was kind of cute, and the feel of his smooth skin did feel good.

"Bul- Solar, how are you doing?" Joel grinned, reaching his hand out to pet the plant. At first he hesitated, knowing how dangerous Solar could be. But seeing the Bulbasaur's warm smile, he reached out and petted Solar on the head.
"Pet the bulb," Sally suggested, beaming at Joel and Solar. "Bulbasaur prefer to be petted on their bulbs."
"Oh. Alright then," Joel reached out and gently touched the dark green bulb on Solar's back. It felt as smooth as the blades of grass Joel and his friends would pull out of the ground when they were bored. Solar seemed to purr as Joel massaged its bulb, but stopped, seeming disappointed when Joel retracted his hand.
"Solar really enjoys it here," Sally explained, occupying herself by examining a group of violets near them. "This garden really helped with his recovery."

Preoccupied with his own recovery, Joel had briefly forgotten that the Bulbasaur was wounded when he had first found him battling with KAPA, and furthermore wounded in the fight with Magmar. Joel turned his attention to Solar and examined the body. The burns on his head from Magmar's skin were gone, and the wound under his bulb was gone. Joel was surprised to see such a speedy recovery. He himself was making a quick recovery, that was for sure, but Solar didn't have a scratch on him at all.

"Plant Pokemon have an ability called Synthesis," Sally explained as she watched the shock cross Joel's face. "Much like regular plants. If they get hurt, the sun can restore their health and heal their wounds."
"That's-" Joel was lost for words. The creatures that were extinct were capable of so many amazing things. Perhaps some of these could be medicinal, too! "That's amazing!"

Solar saw a small butterfly flying along and then bounded off after it. Joel found it cute, wondering how it was possible that this Pokemon was apart of the same group that was considered dangerous and a threat to mankind. As Solar leaped off, Joel considered following it, but wasn't sure if he should.

"Solar will be fine," Sally reassured, wandering over to Joel's side. This was the closest they had been together, physically, even while she was at his bedside. He could see that she was just a bit shorter than him and that her beautiful blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the sun. "Shall we go for a walk?"
"Um... uh..." this was the first time a really pretty girl had been so kind, Joel thought. Wait. Really pretty? He wasn't smitten was he? "S-sure."

Sally strode off into the garden, Joel stumbling and then stepping quickly to keep at her side. Sally just giggled as she watched Joel's clumsy acrobatics. They walked together in silence, enjoying the beautiful colours of the garden.
"So um..." Joel tried to start a conversation. "I knew Sandra for my whole childhood. Why didn't I ever meet you?"
"Oh," he noticed Sally frown a little. "I used to live with my parents, up until a few years ago."
"Oh... okay," Joel was confused as to why she wasn't living with them now. "What happened to them... if you don't mind me asking?"

Sally stopped and fiddled with a rose bush, only playing with the petals of the roses so she didn't stab herself. Joel watched her as varying degrees of frowns and frustrations crossed her face.

"KAPA," she finally answered, kicking the bush with her sandal covered foot. Leaves fell onto her blue jeans but shook off as she walked off. Joel skipped a few steps to catch up with her.
"I- I'm sorry," he tried to think of the right words to say. At school, KAPA had been portrayed as heroes to the Kanto region, also inspiring similar groups across the others. But yesterday had painted a different portrait.
"It's not your fault," she said, smiling that sweet smile Joel had grown rather fond of.

They walked along in silence for another little while, Joel trying to come up with something else to say. But it was Sally who broke the silence.

"I was ten when they sent me to grandma's," she spoke quietly, her voice quivering as if she would tear up at any moment. "My parents were involved in an organisation which aimed to bring back Pokemon and destroy KAPA. One night they told me that I'd be staying with grandma and that they'd be back as soon as they could be.

"A week later KAPA came to our house in Pewter City, running a raid. For Pokemon, plots against them, anything. They took me and Sandra into custody and ran tests. Lie detections, interrogations, loyalty tests. But Sandra and I knew nothing of the organisation or their plans. They couldn't find anything," Joel watched Sally tear up as she recalled the painful event. He had never been in a situation like this before, so he didn't know what to say or do. He just gripped her hand, in hope that it would make her feel better.

"I asked to see my parents," Sally continued, a bit calmer with her hand in Joel's. "But I was told by both KAPA and grandma that I couldn't. They were arrested for treason and were denied visitors. I have not seen or heard from my parents for six years."

Joel could feel himself tearing up, too. KAPA were ruining lives and putting an end to Pokemon, for their own selfish motivations, whatever they may be.

KAPA had to be stopped. For Sally, for her parents.

For Solar.