Disclaimer: Pokemon and co. doesn't belong to me . . . . blah blah blah . . . Author's Notes: Well, what can I say? There isn't much to tell. At first I wrote Guardian Angel as a one shot, but after a few days of thinking about it I decided to take the next step and write this as a series. My fic Forever is currently on hold, suggestions for that one would be Greatly appreciated! Enjoy! Ketchum: The Journey Continues Saffron City: Psychics And Badges Chapter 21 Taiki, Musashi and I had paused on our trek to Saffron to play Hide and Seek for awhile. Well, Taiki and I were playing, Musashi had voted to stay by the lake and sunbathe. I rolled my eyes. Girls. I hid in a tree on one of the higher branches barely able to support my weight. Taiki's Raichu was it. "Raii . . ." (Hmmm . . .) I held my breath and watched the orangish figure directly below me. "CHUUUUU!!!" "YEEEEOOOOOWWW!!! Raichu!" Taiki yelped as the effect of the Thunder Shock faded. "Rai rai!" (Found you!) Taiki leaned down and whispered something in Raichu's ear. Uh oh . . . "CHUUUUU!!!" I yelped at the Thunder Shock and shimmied down the tree, intent on mauling my best friend. "Traitor!" I yelled as I tackled him into the mud. SPLASH! Suddenly I felt very cold. *MUSASHIIII!!!!* I yelled as I grabbed the bucket and splashed the last of the water on her. *Satoshi!!* She yelled as she charged me. I did the same. *Now now children, you mustn't fight . . .* *Put me down Inferno!* We both yelled. He shook his head. *Ivysaur, you take Musashi.* She nodded and carried Musashi away with her vines. *Inferno! Put me down!* *Nope.* He picked up the kettle and used his Flamethrower to warm the water enough to change me back. *I thought you made amends with your Charmeleon side.* *I did. It just that we both agreed that Musashi had what was gonna come to her.* I sulked as he poured the warm water on me and passed the kettle to Nidorina so she could take it to Musashi. Musashi and I ignored each other for the rest of the evening. I yawned as the sun hit my face. All I wanted to do was hide from it in my sleeping bag but my pokemon had to be fed, and so did the rest of us. Breakfast was fairly quiet, I wasn't gonna apologize to Musashi until she did. Inferno seemed to be in a really good mood. "Satoshi?" "Hmm?" "I'm sorry . . . I shouldn't have dumped water on you and Taiki just to break you two up. Friends?" She held out her hand. "Friends. I'm sorry too. I got mad." "Heeey love-birds, get a room!" Taiki teased. Musashi's reaction was instantaneous, she malleted poor Taiki. I pulled him from the Taiki shaped hole in the ground. "That was a dumb thing to say Taiki." I grinned. "Now you tell me . . ." He moaned as he rubbed the huge bump on his head. "Besides, Musashi and I are just friends . . . barely." I laughed. He laughed too. "What do you two know about Saffron?" She asked. "Uhhh . . . I know that the natives there are Psychics." I said. "Yeah, and that Sabrina's Alakazam is a hard one to beat." "Okaayyy . . . what's the battle plan?" "I'm using my Beedrill." Taiki answered immediately. "Banshee here." "Sandshrew." We all grinned, satisfied with our strategies and choice of pokemon. Meowth and Inferno just looked at each other. Clefairy simply clapped happily. "Here we are mon amis, Saffron." Taiki pronounced as we walked through the gate. I zoomed into a store to buy a map, which Musashi snatched away of course. "Hey!" I protested. "The Pokemon Centre is just three blocks away. And there's a practice arena behind it! We can challenge other trainers!" I sat on the couch, we had run the whole way here. Musashi was out back battling with Taiki, Clefairy and Inferno had gone to watch. That left me with Meowth. "Hey kid, whaddya say ta a game?" "Which game?" "Eva play Poker?" I raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. I knew he was out for some cash of his own, what he didn't realize is that I've been playing poker with Taiki for about a year and a half. We never told our parents of course. "Once or twice." I shrugged. "Five card draw!" I looked at my hand. Easy Straight flush. "Meeeoowth . . . I can't believe I lost ta ya!" "You win some you lose some." Taiki grinned. He and I shared a look that promised a game sometime in the future. I turned my head and looked at the mammoth Gym in front of us. "So, who fights first?" Taiki wondered. "I do!" Musashi yelled. Inferno, Taiki, Clefairy and I hung back in the bleachers to watch the match. We'd agreed that I'd go last. Sabrina giggled. "Not now Haunter, I have a battle." She turned her attention to Musashi. "Go Mr. Mime. Barrier." It was hard to imagine that this woman once turned my mother and Uncle Brock into dolls . . . "Go Sandshrew! Dig!" Once Sandshrew was under, Mr. Mime placed a barrier under it. Sandshrew came up and . . . Ow! That must've hurt! "Slash!" Sabrina's eyes glowed. Then again, I guess I could imagine her turning people into dolls. Psychic blasted into Sandshrew, who curled up into a ball to protect herself from the Psychic waves. "Dig!" She vanished under the arena and came up under Mr. Mime before it had a chance to use Barrier. "Confusion." Sandshrew got confused and began to hurt herself. But she did score the final hit on Mr. Mime, fainting it. (Luck.) Inferno rumbled. "Excellent battle. Here is your Marsh badge." Sabrina teleported the badge right into Musashi's hand. Taiki went up and prepared to battle. "Go Hypno." "Go Beedrill! Pin Missle!" "BZZZZZZZ!!!" "Psychic." That almost totally wiped out Beedrill since it was part poison. But the Pin Missle hit. "Prepare for trouble!" "And make it double!" "To make the world a place of devastation!" "To totally control all people within our nation!" Wait a minute . . . that wasn't Kunzite and Natsume . . . "To annihilate all law and love!" "To promote war and bring the devil above!" "Diana!" "Apollo!" "Team Rocket will carve our destructive path!" "So surrender now or feel our wrath!" "CHARRRRRRRR!" Whoa . . . a Charizard. And a nasty looking one at that. And it turned it's eyes on me before turning to Inferno. Inferno returned the look as he passed Clefairy to me. Everyone, including Team Rocket watched the two Fire dragons duke it out, and ducking the occasional Flamethrower. I honestly don't know what it is with Charizards. They see another Fire type and immediately issue a challenge, trainer or no. I should know, dad's Charizard was exactly like that. He listened when he was fighting any one of the other types . . . but as soon as a Fire type comes in the picture, you could practically see all thoughts of remembering his trainer wave good bye and fly out the window. And it's worse when it happens to be another Charizard. Then there's another mystery . . . Why call each other Brother or Sister if they fight at first sight? "Poliwrath!" Oh geez! Team Rocket's called out their pokemon! I looked them over, all of them looked . . . possessed, and dangerous. A Poliwrath, Seadra, Arbok, Drowzee, Zubat and Sandslash. Musashi, Taiki and I nodded at each other. I called out Pikachu and Weepinbell for the Poliwrath and Sandslash. Musashi called out Vaporeon and Arbok for the Seadra and Zubat. Taiki used Kadabra and Dugtrio for the Arbok and Drowzee. You're probably wondering why Musashi would use Vaporeon against a Seadra, simple, Vaporeon's Ice Beam would be super effective against the Dragon type Seadra. She did just that. The battle was over quickly, but Inferno and the other Charizard were still at it. (Yield!) Inferno growled as he held the other in a full nelson. "Rizard!" Umm . . . I'm not gonna translate that. ~~~~~~Inferno's POV~~~~~~ She's strong, I'll give her that. *No true Charizard would wear the clothes of a human!* She sneered as she set my jacket on fire. My jacket! Oh that was IT! No more Mr. Nice Charizard! I loved that jacket! *You'll pay for that!* I snarled and slammed her into a wall. That's when I noticed her eyes. Her amber eyes. All of my kin have various shades of blue for their eyes. Except her. I snapped out of it when the gout of flame heading for my head registered. I ducked and slammed my tail against her ribs. She grabbed my head and headbutted me. I reeled. We locked horns, literally. I grabbed her arms and fell on my back, tossing her across the Gym. I'd seen a human do that on the television. She spread her wings to stabilise herself and land on her feet. Cute trick. Our Flamethrowers met in the middle, slowly but surely mine over powered hers. "Charizard Return! We'll be back brats!" Apollo shouted as they ran off. Everyone watched them go and shrugged. I made my way to Satoshi holding my head. Oh by the God of Fire I hurt! Taiki and Sabrina resumed their match. Taiki's Beedrill won, barely. Now it was Satoshi's turn. "I have been awaiting your arrival Satoshi." "Huh?" "Go Alakazam." "I choose you, Banshee!" One of Sabrina's eyebrows raised. At her mental command Alakazam used Psychic. "Banshee Confuse Ray!" Alakazam was one confused pokemon. And because of it's psychic link to Sabrina she was confused too. "Finish it Banshee, Night Shade!" I would've cheered for Satoshi, but I hurt. "I had anticipated this. Here is your badge. But you should get your Charizard to a Pokemon Centre." Her eyes glowed. "Teleport." And we all vanished from the Gym.