The sun peeked over the stadium as hopefuls and fanatics rushed to their seats.

“Frank!”

Franklin unmasked the crowd, slashing his arms behind and forward. Martin stood alone at the entrance. Martin’s eyes were hard and never moved away from Franklin.

Daisy and Tyler stood behind as Franklin approached Martin,

“Dad?”

“Frank, we need to go home.”

Franklin shook as people continued to enter the stadium.

“Martin, we can’t leave. I’m, I’m so close. Vulpix nee”

“Frank. We need to go home. A man approached me.”

Franklin saw the old man flash before his eyes behind Martin, entering the stadium. He watched his father hold in everything, unable to convey further.

“He can take our home away, Frank.”

Daisy gripped Franklin’s arm gently as he began to lose his footing. Walking away slowly towards the entrance, hearing the voices of his friends and his father, yet, couldn’t make out the words.

Morning peeked over the cabin. Franklin arose slowly as the rays kissed his cheeks. Vanessa and her family weren’t in the room when his bare heels touched the cold wood. Out the window, the forest slowly consumed and sun, chasing the shadows over the quiet ridge beyond the reach of the sun.

Vanessa slept on a fallen log covered by a sun beat blanket. Raichu lined up along a crippled tree, sparks exploded from her fist, charged and leaped striking the tree. The now broken tree collapsed softly into the Earth, never waking Vanessa.

The living room was full of Pokemon. Greg and Daisy among others that Franklin has never met. Daisy and Tyler worked silently together, making chow of bliss. The aroma lifted the room and the Pokemon huddled close to Daisy and Tyler hoping for an early taste, never waking Vanessa.

Fresh air blew the twigs from the recently shattered tree around like leaves in autumn. Raichu sat near Vanessa, quietly watching over her. Pokemon chirped overhead in passing, Raichu’s focus never wavered, she turned to the logs and lifted it towards a stacking pile, never waking Vanessa.

“Wow, Franklin! Your last battle was amazing! When your Slowpoke took that Growlithe by surprise,” Greg said reminiscing on the day.

“Greg, leave Franklin alone. We still couldn’t find his dad or Vanessa,” Daisy intervened. 

Greg halted in mid speech and looked at the pale moon. 

Crowds exited the busy stadium and dispersed into the streets. Daisy and Greg led the way through the forest, the same path Vanessa led them on only a day before.

The hoot’s were non existent. The moon illuminated the earth below the trainers feet. 

“Daisy, look,” Greg said pointed to the sparks shooting into the sky.

Greg and Daisy shared a look and continued on as the sparks burst through the sky like an electric knife through the moon above. 

Vanessa stood with her face covered with a hood and her Raichu shocking a straw filled dummy. The dummy showed small burn makes being replaced by new ones with each bolt from the mouse.

Daisy and Greg didn’t approach her and walked into the cabin leaving Franklin behind. Suddle whimpers came from the hood and Raichu placed his small yellow hand in hers.

The older man sat among henchman waiting around for orders, than it rings,

“Boss?”

“Across the way, is the tournament going the way I want it.”

“Yes, boss, we are going to aquire the location.”

“Don’t mess this one up, Taylor. There is no room for error.”

The pause and quick breathes from Taylor air over the line was disturbed again,

“Taylor, I need that location under Rocket control. I’ll be in touch.”

The click and the dial tone echoed through the pitch black room.

“What did the boss say,” a henchman muttered.

Taylor, rose from the chair, 

“Master Giovanni wants the tower. We will give him the tower. Make sure we win that tournament.”

“That it! Franklin takes the round 2-0!”

The lights turned the crowd into joyful shadows clapping and cheering from above.

The corridor under the stadium was shelled in silence. Only distinguishable sound is the clack of heels of the nurses as they rushed to aid the downed Pokemon.

Tyler and Daisy were the only ones paused with joy, waiting in the lobby without Vanessa,

“Where is your sister?”

Daisy couldn’t meet Franklin’s eyes, “I’m not sure. She went down to the Pokecenter but we haven’t seen her since. She told us to watch your matches and to stay here.”

Tyler’s eyes wandered around the emptying lobby with hope drained trainers, mourning eyes, and dragged hearts.

Franklin’s win was drowned by the absence of Vanessa, “We should really go after her,” remembering the other missing member of the party, “Have you guys seen my dad?”

Tyler and Daisy neither jumped with knowledge, “Franklin, you can’t go anywhere yet. You still have another match today,” Daisy reminded.

Franklin remembered the loosened tails of his first catch and headed towards their seats to prepare for the next match.

“Let me hear it  for your winner, Max!”

The crowd, livid with Max chants and excitement for their psychic trainer. Tyler and Daisy already left their seats to meet Vanessa at her tunnel. Max waved with his white gloves to the crowd until the tunnels darkness removed him.

Franklin ran from the repetitive chants to empty corridors, cold and abusive. Decorated walls of past champions, the most recent, Vanessa smiling with her prized Pokemon Egg. Corridor ended, greeting the tunnel entrance, to find Daisy standing behind Tyler watching Vanessa. She was engaged in a one-sided chat with the same old man who spoke with Julie and met Vanessa at her cabin. The old man had the same to henchmen he had with him at the cabin, yet, more determined and battle struck.

The old man raised his voice, “…reason you got their in the first place. Just remember that next time.

“There won’t be a next time,” Vanessa sputtered.

The old man rose his eyes, “I know, we are done here. Your lucky this tournament is all you lost.” The old man lowered his eyes and met Franklin’s again.

“You’ll remember this next time you cross Team Rocket.”

“Voltorb is down! Voltrob is down! Max tales the lead,” the announcer shouted, igniting the Max chants through the crowd.

Vanessa recalled the idle Voltorb and stared at the ball.

“What happened to sis? I’ve never seen her battle like that,” Tyler said.

Franklin watched Vanessa staring at her remaining Pokemon.

“Yeah, she used to have a Voltorb, I know she could have won that round,” Daisy said.

‘Max, Max, Max!’

Vanessa released her second Pokemon, “A Pikachu! That’s a Vanessa classic!”

“Max second Pokemon is a Natu!”

“A Natu! Pikachu has a big type advantage against Natu,” Tyler shouted.

Vanessa watched Natu flap side to side, tuning into the Max chants, flaring fanatics blackened by Bulk berry sized lights. Natu’s small body flapped violently along the wind stream of the water arena. Pikachu stood on the edge of the body, watching the flying, purple Pokemon.

“Begin!”

“Go Natu, charge with Peck,” Natu charged the yellow mouse and jabbed, sending Pikachu across the water.

“What is sis doing. She could have taken out that Natu with one attack right there,” Daisy protested.

Vanessa withdrew, watching Pikachu idle around the icy pond.

-Sea of golden flakes dropped from the sky, surrounding barring dipped from rainbow tastings. Wind currents shook the flakes around on miniture hurricanes surrounding Franklin.

The magestic bird whore red and white feathers, golden talens with a matching crown on her brow. Deep emerald eyes stared Franklin deep into the earth, shrunk to a bust bunny on her majastey’s will.

The large Pokemon cried and flapped into the sun, leaving behind a rainbow trail with every flap.-

“Thee end. What did you think Franklin?’

“Awesome, mom!” Does Ho-Oh only show herself to strong trainers?”

“No my sweet boy never.” Franklin’s demeanor shrieks to match his stature.

“She will only appear for the best.”

~

Franklin recalled that story as Vanessa chased her younger siblings. A true vision of greatness, landing, commading only the greatest. Rumors Red met her, Franklin watched Vanessa closely. Watching her clothes swing goldenly.