Tac watched the reports, somewhat amused. There wasn�t really anything of importance. There wasn�t anything on about him or Team Rocket, which was a good thing. However, Tac�s sense of relief was shot down completely when one of the reporters announced a late-breaking report.
Sure enough, much to Tac�s dismay, the report was about an attempted murder. Wait a minute. Attempted murder? I killed the idiot, I didn�t wound him.
However, as Tac watched, he knew that Luke hadn�t died. But the wound should have killed him. Tac cursed loudly and slammed his fist down on the couch, wondering how Luke could have possibly survived something like that.
Tac watched as the broadcast continued, becoming steadily angrier. He stood up and screamed loudly, then immediately vowed a violent and painful revenge against all the people that opposed him . . .
Magick woke up slowly, squinting in the light that was shining in her eyes. Seeing that the curtains were open on the window, she tried to sit up so that she could go close them. In that same moment, however, a hand stopped her and held her to her bed.
�Magick, you need your rest,� a familiar voice said quietly. It was Melanie.
�It�s too bright in here,� Magick whispered hoarsely.
Melanie nodded and stepped over to the window, then pulled the curtains shut. She then walked back over to where Magick was lying and sat down.
�Where am I?� Magick asked.
�You�re in the hospital. You�ve been out for a few days.�
Magick nodded understandably, then coughed. �How�s Luke doing?�
Melanie pointed to a bed in the next room over, which they could see through a large window. Luke was hooked up to numerous tubes and monitors. He was unconscious, and it was apparent that had hadn�t woken up yet.
Michi and Joey were sitting next to Luke�s bed talking about something or other, but Magick couldn�t hear any of what they were saying. Michi happened to glance up, then smiled when she saw that Magick was awake.
Michi prodded Joey, then they both walked out of Luke�s room. The door to Magick�s room opened moments later and the two walked in. Michi and Joey walked up to the edge of Magick�s bed, then smiled.
�Hey. How are you feeling?� Michi asked.
�Tired and stiff.�
�Well, that�s a given,� Melanie replied. �After all, you�re all doped up right now.�
�Huh?� Magick glanced above and to the right of herself, then saw an IV bag hanging from the ceiling. She moaned quietly as she followed the line to where it was taped to her arm. �At least I was unconscious when they put it in.�
Joey shuddered. �I�m just glad that I wasn�t around when they did it. Michelle was the person who went with the two of you. Melanie and I stayed back to clean up the apartment.�
Magick groaned a bit, then looked away from the IV and back to her friends. �I�d better be asleep when they decide to take that thing out.�
�Moving on, what exactly happened?� Joey asked. �We got there just in time to see you fall over and faint next to Luke, who was gushing blood all over the floor. We dialed 911 and got an ambulance to the apartment, but by the time they had gotten there, Luke had stopped bleeding.�
Magick nodded, then said, �I know why he wasn�t bleeding anymore when the paramedics got to the apartment.�
Magick then proceeded to tell everybody about everything that had happened, from the point that Tac first showed up at the door to when Magick had blacked out. The three listened intently at Magick told them about it all.
Once Magick was finished, Joey nodded. �That makes sense why Luke is still alive. Your Heal was just enough to keep him alive. Anything less and he would have surely died.�
�The odd thing is, I�ve never been able to gather up that much energy for a single attack or Heal.�
�Well,� Joey replied, �love is a powerful thing . . .�
Tac began sorting through his cache of weapons and various other things, looking for a weapon that he could use to kill those pests which would do the job quickly and effectively. He was interrupted a few minutes later, however, by a pound at the door.
�This is the police! Open up!�
Tac swore loudly, then shoved his stash of weapons into its hiding place in the closet and concealed it. He then quickly walked to the door and pulled it open.
�Can I help you?� Tac asked calmly.
�We�d like to question you about the attempted murder of an Anthro Raichu by the name of Luke.�
Tac tried to give them his most innocent look possible. �Well, sure. But why me? I�ve never even heard of him.�
�Well see about that,� the officer said while stepping inside, followed by his partner.
The officers asked Tac a series of questions involving the murder, and Tac answered every last question calmly. Tac knew that if he showed any signs of guilt or anything else that might hurt him, he�d find himself in jail.
�Mind if we take a look around?� the officer asked, the other showing Tac a search warrant.
�Not at all,� Tac replied, still keeping calm. As if I really have a choice when you have a search warrant.
The officers began browsing around the apartment, inspecting each of the rooms for any possible evidence. One of the officers glanced at the closet, then stepped over to it. He pulled the door open, then looked around for a few moments.
There�s no way that they�ll find the weapons, Tac thought to himself.
The officer began lightly tapping around the closet with his nightstick, looking for any loose boards that might be hiding anything at all. It was then that Tac started to get nervous.
The officer paused for a few moments, then began tapping back and forth from one spot back to the other. He motioned for his partner, then said, �I think we�ve got something. Get me a crowbar.�
His partner left the apartment, then returned with a large metal crowbar, which he handed to the first officer. The officer began tapping the wall of the closet again near the floor, then pressed the end of crowbar into the corner. He pushed against it, and the false panel came away easily, revealing the large cache of weapons and chemicals.
The officer jerked in alarm, surprised at how much was there. He stood up, then looked at Tac. �Somehow I doubt that you possess a permit for each of weapons in there.�
Tac smiled, then went to his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a stack of papers, then handed it to the officer. The officer browsed through the papers, then snorted quietly.
�Nice try, but this stamp of validation is fake. Besides, even if it was real, it�s been expired for years.�
The officer scribbled a note down on a pad of paper, then began fumbling through the pile of weapons. He pulled out one of the handguns, then pulled out the clip and inspected the bullets.
�Uh huh,� he mumbled quietly, pulling a single bullet inside of a bag out of his pocket and comparing it to those in the clip.
�Hey, take a look at this,� he said, showing the two bullets to his partner. �It�s an exact match. Steel tips and everything.�
The officer placed the bagged bullet back in his pocket, then pulled a pair of handcuffs off his belt. He grabbed Tac�s arms and slapped the handcuffs on. �You�re under arrest for possession of illegal arms and attempted murder . . .�
Magick sighed, laying her head against her pillow. She didn�t have anything to do while she was at the hospital, since all of her belongings were at the apartment. Everybody else had left, so she was alone. She glanced through the window at Luke, then sighed.
�Please get better soon,� she whispered. �You have to get better. If not for me then for Michi.�
Suddenly something dawned on Magick. Why the heck was she whispering words that Luke couldn�t hear when she could just tell him psychically? Magick closed her eyes, then began concentrating her psychic powers. She was still a bit drained, so it was difficult. Eventually, however, Magick had gathered up enough energy to make a sufficient connection with Luke�s subconscious.
Suddenly, as if somebody was standing right next to Magick, she heard a voice.
Who�s there?
Magick almost lost the connection out of surprise, because she didn�t realize that Luke could speak to her. Apparently she had made a strong enough connection that she could hear Luke�s thoughts as well.
Come on, I know somebody�s there. I�m not schizophrenic.
It�s me, Magick.
Magick? But how?
Remember, Luke, I�m psychic. I can speak with you telepathically, and I can hear you through mind reading. In short, I�m linked to you.
Oh great, now she can hear everything that I�m thinking about.
Darn straight I can.
Magick heard something similar to a yelp, and couldn�t help but giggle. She then heard a sigh.
I�m surprised that I�m still alive. I thought I was done for when Tac shot me. What happened, anyway? Obviously I�m not dead since we�re linked telepathically.
Well, you were about to die, and I did the only thing that I could think of. I used my psychic powers to Heal you and give you some of my Health.
Magick heard nothing for a few moments, then wondered if she and Luke were still linked together. Luke?
I�m here still. I�m just a little speechless.
Why is that?
Well, just over the fact that you would do something like that for me. That takes a lot of courage to do, Magick. Pokemon have given their life doing that.
Magick hesitated for a moment. Yes, I realize that. But at the time it didn�t matter.
Magick, if I could hug you right now, I would.
Magick broke the connection for a few moments, then smiled. You just leave that to me, Luke.
Magick gathered her powers again and reestablished the connection with Luke, then concentrated her powers even more. As she did so, her surroundings began to change, becoming blurry. Magick concentrated even harder as her surroundings began to change completely. Come on powers, don�t fail me now.
Magick began to break into a sweat as she conjured up as much of her powers as she could. Had anybody walked into the room at the moment, they would�ve seen Magick glowing brightly and nothing more.
Suddenly, as if Magick had teleported, she found herself standing on a large tree branch. She was now fully inside of Luke�s subconscious. She looked above her, then saw the Anthro Raichu lying on one of the higher branches.
Magick jumped up, then smiled. Luke sat upright, then nearly fell off.
�Magick, what are you doing here?� he asked in confusion.
�I felt like dropping in, that�s all,� Magick replied.
�You were talking to me just a few moments ago, but your voice seemed to be coming from all around me, and not from any specific direction. What was that all about?�
Magick smiled. �I guess that�s what happens when I�m only talking to you psychically.�
�Well, obviously you�re not just a voice, because I can see you standing right in front of me.�
Magick smiled again. �You�d be surprised what a psychic Pokemon can do. However, I don�t know how long I can keep this up. It does require quite a bit of concentration. So if anybody walks into my room and distracts me, the connection will be broken.�
�I understand,� Luke replied.
Magick looked around, then looked at Luke. �Nice place you�ve got here. Do you come here often?�
�Only when I can�t wake up,� Luke replied.
Magick nodded, then looked down. Her face turned a bit paler, then she sat down on the branch quickly. Luke snickered, then sat down next to her.
�I take it you don�t like heights very much.�
Magick shook her head quickly. �I hate being in high places if there�s not something around me.�
Luke shrugged. �I�m used to it. Here�s a tip. As long as you don�t move too quickly, you won�t slip. I�ve had quite a bit more experience, so I can move from branch to branch faster than most.�
A serious look crossed Luke�s face, then he cleared his throat. �About what I said earlier, Magick. Um . . .�
Magick smiled, then shushed him. �There�s no need to thank me. I�m sure you would�ve done the same for me if you had the ability.�
�True, but still.� Luke trailed off, not sure how to put into words what he was trying to say. �I don�t know how to put this any other way, Magick.�
Without saying anything, Luke put his arms around Magick and hugged her tightly. She looked surprised for a moment, but smiled and hugged him back. They stayed in the embrace for a few moments, then separated and looked into each other�s eyes.
As Luke was staring into Magick�s eyes, a memory appeared in his head. Though he hadn�t been able to remember it very well before, the memory of what Magick had done while he was under Tac�s control came to him clearly.
Magick could see that Luke was thinking about something, but for some reason she couldn�t tell what. After a few moments Luke snapped out of his trance, then smiled at Magick. Magick looked into his eyes again, but instead of thoughtfulness she saw something else: love.
�Magick, I,� Luke started.
Magick put a finger on Luke�s mouth to silence him. �Don�t speak.�
Luke remained silent as Magick pulled her hand back, his mind abuzz. Without saying anything, Luke slowly leaned closer to Magick. As if her body had a mind of its own, Magick moved as well.
As their lips touched, the air around them glowed with energy. They separated from the kiss a few moments later, a sensation of warmth spreading through their bodies. Looking around curiously, a thought entered Magick�s mind.
Could it be? Is it possible that Luke and I are . . . soul mates?
Dwelling on the thought, Magick looked back at Luke and smiled. The warm, glowing aura encompassing them confirmed Magick�s suspicions. It was something that only Mews experienced, and it only happened when a Mew found the perfect match.
Looking around in confusion, Luke gave Magick a questioning look as if to ask, �What the heck is going on?�
Still smiling, Magick said, �Ask me about this when you wake up.�
Luke nodded, then suddenly Magick heard a voice. It was Joey. She kissed Luke quickly on the cheek, then said, �Sorry, gotta go. Joey�s here.�
With that, Magick stood up and turned around. She looked at Luke over her shoulder and smiled, then the world around her began fading away again. She found herself lying in the hospital bed a few moments later.
�Who were you talking to?� Joey asked as Magick looked at her. Being psychic, Joey knew exactly what Magick had been doing by how she looked.
Magick nodded in the direction of Luke�s room, then smiled. Joey smiled, then said, �I never thought of that. Thanks for the idea. I�ll be back in a little while.�
As Joey walked out, Magick began thinking again. A Mew and an Anthro Raichu being soul mates. I never would�ve guessed it until I met him . . .
Tac cursed under his breath as he was pushed into a jail cell. The door slammed shut, then the officer there twisted the key in the lock. Tac looked at the door as the officer walked away, then cursed again.
Tac�s cell was plain and featureless. The only things in the room were a bed, a toilet, and a small sink. On the wall next to his bed, there was a small window to let light in during the day. There�s was also a window on the door made of shatterproof glass.
Tac knew that he wasn�t going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Assuming that the police didn�t figure out that Tac had killed everyone in Team Rocket, he would be in prison for up to 20 years if found guilty and given the maximum sentence.
Even if found innocent, Tac was going to be in prison for a while. His trial date was still a few weeks away, so he�d be stuck in his cell until then.
Looking out the window, Tac could see a city in the distance. It didn�t look familiar, so he wasn�t sure how far it was to Luke�s apartment. For all he knew, he could be on the other side of the island.
Sighing, Tac stepped away from the window and sat down on his bed. I might as well get comfortable. I�m not gonna be going anywhere . . .
Michi sighed, lying in her bed wide awake. The apartment was too quiet when Luke and Magick weren�t around. She, Joey, and Melanie had visited Magick quite often. They didn�t spend quite as much time with Luke since he hadn�t woken up yet.
The last time Michi visited Luke, she could see that his condition was definitely improving. He would be awake soon, but the doctors informed her that soon could mean anywhere from a few days to several weeks. It wasn�t something that Michi needed to hear.
Michi sat up, then walked into Luke�s bedroom. She glanced at his desk, then sighed. Curious, she pulled open one of the drawers, then saw Magick�s sketchbook lying on top of the pile of papers.
�So, this is where she keeps it when it�s not in her backpack,� Michi said quietly, though she wasn�t sure why since she was the only person in the apartment.
Flipping through the pages of sketches, Michi smiled. �I�d better take this to Magick. She�s probably bored to death.�
Michi tucked the sketchbook under her arm, then returned to her own bedroom. She put the book safely in her backpack, then pulled it around her shoulders. She quickly put on her shoes, then left the apartment and walked at a moderate pace to the hospital, which was about a mile away.
When she arrived, she checked in at the front desk, then headed straight to Magick�s room. Magick smiled when Michi walked in since she liked having someone to talk with.
�I brought you something,� Magick said, smiling.
Magick�s ears perked when Michi said that. �Really? What?�
Michi took off her backpack and unzipped it, then pulled out Magick�s sketchbook and handed it to her. Magick smiled, then sat forward and hugged Michi.
�Thank you! Now I�ll have something to do when nobody is visiting.�
Michi smiled again, then zipped up her backpack again and set it down next to the bed. She sat down in a chair, then looked over at Luke�s room.
�Any idea how Luke is doing?� Michi asked.
�How should I know?� Magick asked. �The doctors here won�t tell me anything.�
Michi giggled, then said, �That�s true. I guess I�ll check later.�
�Did you just drop in to give this to me?� Magick asked.
Michi nodded. �Yeah, basically.�
�In that case, you can go. I don�t want to bore you to death. There�s not really anything for me to talk about.�
�If you insist. I�ll be back later when I find out how Luke�s doing.�
Magick smiled, then shook her head. �It won�t be necessary. You can tell me later.�
�If you insist,� Michi replied, standing up and putting her backpack on again. She said goodbye to Magick, then walked out of the room.
Happy that Michi had brought her cherished sketchbook, Magick began thumbing through the pages, glancing at all the sketches inside. As she got further through the pages, more and more of the sketches were of Luke, or herself and Luke together.
Magick smiled, then eventually flipped to a blank piece of paper. She closed the sketchbook, then sighed. I�ll have to ask someone for a pencil so that I can sketch while I�m awake.
Magick looked over at Luke through the window, then smiled again. As she did so, a vivid mental image of herself and Luke up in the tree appeared in her mind. She paused for a moment, then smiled. Dang it, I need a pencil so that I can sketch that before it leaves me for good!
Magick giggled, then sighed. She could see everything perfectly: the green leaves of the large tree, herself and Luke sitting on one of the branches and kissing, as well as the glowing aura of energy surrounding them.
Magick giggled again, then sighed in contentment. Suddenly, as if someone had said it to her, a word appeared in Magick�s mind. She glanced at Luke curiously, still smiling. How appropriate that Luke should have a nickname like that. Nevertheless, it fits. Wake up soon, Rinku, the sweet soul . . .