The Thunder Clan - 1

Chapter 1 - Master and I

"Roxy! It's time for supper!!"

Ears perked up. A tail twitched. Roxy poked her head up from the grass and looked towards the grandiose house. The young Pikachu smiled excitedly upon hearing the word 'supper', her heart-shaped tail wagging eagerly.

"Pikaaa!!" she shouted before she started sprinting across the lawn towards the back porch of the house. Slightly smaller than the average Pikachu though she may have been, she was quite an agile creature and was crossing the length of the humongous back lawn in a matter of seconds.

Her lithe yellow body darted across the dewy blades of grass, perfectly trimmed and cared for. So perfectly cultivated it was that her little yellow paws didn't disturb an inch of the beautiful lawn. Her paws and her underside got a little wet, compliments of the early autumn rains they had been getting lately, but it was no bother to her. It felt kind of nice and cool amidst the weather that was still a little humid and warm.

Roxy left the seemingly endless rows of flowers, plants and trees behind her as she hurried towards the house. The perfect playground for a young Pokémon, offering seemingly no end of beautiful, colourful sights to behold. Roxy didn't cast a second glance back, however. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment.

For there, standing on the porch with a big welcoming smile on her face, was Roxy's master. The young human girl, 14 years old, was Roxy's entire world. A creature of fair complexion with a head of long brown hair, which Roxy had learned was not called 'fur'. Her kind, optimistic nature was visible even with a simple glimpse into her deep blue eyes. The girl's name was Dustin, and sometimes preferred to go by 'Dusty', but to Roxy she would always be 'master'.

Her master had been there when she had first hatched. Just a tiny little Pichu, barely able to open her eyes, and the first thing she saw was her master. Roxy couldn't remember a time without her. The two had been inseparable for her entire life. The little child grew into a young girl and Roxy evolved into a Pikachu, but still they had always been together. Simply thinking of her master, or imagining her voice, was enough to bring a warm smile to Roxy's face.

The excited Pikachu took a huge leap and sailed through the air into her master's waiting arms. She hugged and nuzzled her master affectionately, loving the wonderful closeness of the embrace. Her master cradled her expertly with her arms and hugged right back.

"Are you hungry, girl?"

"Pikaa!"

Her master giggled and patted her on the head. "What were you doing out there?"

"Pika Pika!" she enthusiastically replied, telling her master about all the clouds she had been watching and the boats she had seen down in the harbour. It was a beautiful day, though it would probably be the last one of the year. Summer was drawing to a close.

Dustin gave the little Pikachu a gentle squeeze and said, "I love you Roxy."

"Pi Pi~!"

"Let's go! Daddy made you your favourite!"

One could almost see the stars dancing in Roxy's eyes. "Pika…?!"

Her master giggled. "Yes, Roxy. Razz Berry Poké Puffs! Plus your favourite Poké food!"

Roxy started hugging her master all over again. "Pika Pi!!" There was a warmness in her heart that she couldn't describe. She was so lucky. Her master loved her so much and cared for her in every way possible. Living with her was like forever being swaddled in a warm, snug blanket. In fact, it wasn't just her master but also her master's father who treated her so well. Roxy had no idea who her own parents were, but she didn't care in the least. As far as she was concerned, her master's family was her family.

Her master idly adjusted the black collar that the young Pikachu wore. It was simple, comfortable and made of fine leather. There was nothing fancy like jewelry or glitter on it, just a simple gold-coloured tag with her name on it. Roxy loved to wear it with pride. It went nicely with the red flower she wore behind her ear.

Her master started walking towards the expansive house's dining room, so Roxy scrambled up to sit on her shoulder. In truth it was more like 'hanging off of' her shoulder, but both of them seemed to enjoy it. Roxy preferred to be close to her loving master, and being right up on her shoulder was the best seat in the house. She could feel her master's warmth and listen to her delightful laugh. Then again, on nights when Roxy was simply exhausted, it felt just heavenly the way her master would cradle her like a newborn cub until she eventually drifted off to sleep.

The two entered the dining room, and all of Roxy's features perked up at both the sights and smells. Dinner was served! Her master took a seat at the large, ornate table, and Roxy hopped off and sat down nearby. She was so happy that neither her master nor the father minded that she was up on the table.

Her master's family was quite rich. Granted, Roxy only had a basic understanding of the way humans interacted using what they called 'money', but it was clear that they had a lot of it. Compared to other human families she had seen here and there, Roxy's house was much larger and much prettier. There was always an abundance of stunningly delicious food, trinkets and toys, as well as the best pampering and grooming a Pikachu could ask for.

"This looks great, daddy!" her master exclaimed, marvelling at the selection of food.

The father, named Desmond, chuckled. "I'm glad you approve, Dusty. Yes, some of those callous fools might see me as one of those crotchety old uptight guys who can't do anything more than drink champagne, but I do know how to cook."

Her master giggled. "It smells really good, daddy. Can we start eating?"

Desmond chuckled again. "Well, it looks like Roxy's ready for dinner."

The Pikachu squealed as she was hugged by her master once again, not hesitating to hug right back. Dinner smelled lovely, but hugging her master was a treat she would never tire of.

So, the family of three began eating. The table was much too large for such a small number of occupants, but that didn't stop the three of them from enjoying each other's company. The house was sometimes occupied with other humans who did things for the family, like watering the garden or cleaning up the rooms, but the three of them were the only ones who actually lived there. At first Roxy had thought the house was too big for such a small, close family, but now she couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Roxy idly listened as her master and Desmond talked about a lot of things. Roxy had a fairly strong grasp on the human language. Though she couldn't speak it, she was able to understand most of the things they said.

"She wants to come over on Tuesday," her master was saying, "Is that okay?"

"Dusty my dear, all of your friends are welcome here whenever they would like."

Her master smiled gratefully. "Thanks, daddy. I'll let her know she can come."

Roxy looked up at her master and smiled. There were a few other 'rich' families that they sometimes went to visit. Almost all of them, unfortunately, shared the same kinds of personalities. They were always uptight, irritable, and didn't know how to have fun. Even those families' Pokémon acted like that sometimes.

So, it was both relieving and refreshing to see that her master could maintain such a pleasant and humble attitude. Roxy knew that human money could be used to get and do almost anything. It was like a source of power for some of them, but her master didn't see it like that. Roxy was glad for this. She would hate to see her master turn into that ugly human female with the Purrloin.

Roxy happily munched on her Poké Puff, squealing with delight at the wonderful taste. She tried to keep her paws clean while she ate, but it was difficult when she was so focused on the amazing taste of her treats. By the time dinner was finished, Roxy was stuffed and satisfied.

When her master got up from the table, Roxy wasted no time in deftly hopping up onto her shoulder once more. Her master laughed and gave her a few scratches behind the ear.

"So, you wanna go back outside? Or d'you wanna come help me study?"

"Pika!" she replied enthusiastically, pointing towards the living room to indicate that she preferred the second option.

"Okay!" her master replied, "I'm always glad for the company, sweetie!"

The two made their way into the lavish living room, complete with a big couch, plush carpeting and a large TV. Roxy hopped onto one of the couch's armrests while her master walked over to the nearby bookshelf and picked up one of the books.

Roxy's master didn't go to school anymore. She used to, but it was decided that she had enough money to her family's name that there was no rush needed for her education. That being said, she still made it a point to study something at least once a day. The bookshelves were stocked with books on all sorts of subjects.

This, in a way, was how Roxy learned a lot about the outside world, human or otherwise. Ever since she had figured out how to read human writing, one of her favourite things to do was to look over her master's shoulder while she read from one of those books.

Her master walked over to the couch and sat upon it, leaning herself back against the armrest where Roxy was sitting. She used her legs to prop the book up and open it, leaving it in a perfect spot for the both of them to read.

Today, her master had picked up the book that was a favourite to the both of them. It was a textbook encyclopedia that outlined all of the major zoological aspects of Pokémon. The two of them had read it cover to cover at least four times. Thanks to this book, Roxy knew a lot about the Pokémon world even though she had hardly seen it.

Roxy knew that most Pokémon that lived with humans took part in Pokémon battles. The world was full of a number of Pokémon Leagues and other various competitions and championships. Desmond had once been a well-known Pokémon trainer, though he was now retired and all of his partners lived elsewhere on a Pokémon ranch far away.

Roxy, however, had never been in a Pokémon battle. She had hardly even seen them, except for a few times on TV. Roxy had been treated kindly and lovingly by her master ever since she had hatched, and her master had absolutely no interest in being a Pokémon trainer.

"Look, Roxy! It's you!" Her master had been flipping through the pages and had stopped at the one describing the Pikachu species.

"Pi Pikachu!!"

Her master giggled and then continued until she reached the section she was looking for. It seemed that today, her master was going to study the "T" section.

A 'pet' is what Roxy was. She had learned the term and her master had helped her understand it. A pet was a Pokémon that didn't take part in Pokémon battles, contests or other sporting events. They were Pokémon who simply lived in a house with humans and were friends with them, and Roxy was happy to call herself her master's pet.

Roxy's eyes scanned the pages alongside her master. The two remained in silence for a moment, studying entries on things such as the legendary Terrakion, the Telekinesis move, and the Technician ability. Roxy was fascinated by the way humans classified the things Pokémon could do. Almost every natural, latent ability that could be performed could be classified as either a move or an ability. She also knew that anything not classified as such generally wasn't allowed in any Pokémon battles or contests.

Her master turned the page. "Pikachu!!" Roxy exclaimed excitedly, pointing her paw at the book.

"Yes," her master giggled, "You're familiar with these ones, aren't you?"

Roxy scanned over the pages once more, looking at entries for Thunder, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave and other such moves. Most of the 'Electric'-type moves were grouped together here because of their similar names. Roxy was delighted to see that a lot of them had an example illustration featuring a Pikachu.

"So, Roxy…" her master spoke, "Which is the one that doesn't miss when it's raining?"

"Pika!" Roxy answered immediately, pointing to the 'Thunder' entry.

"That's right! Good girl!"

Roxy chirped and nuzzled her master's cheek.

"Haha…You're such a sweetie. I guess we're lucky that you don't have 'Static'."

Roxy smiled brightly. She knew what her master meant. Most Pikachu were so charged with electricity that they could potentially cause paralysis just by touching someone else. This was known as the 'Static' ability. However, not every Pikachu had 'Static', and Roxy was one such Pikachu.

"Pika…!" Roxy prided herself on her slowly growing knowledge of Pokémon information. She could name almost every species just by looking at a picture, even some of the ones that weren't native to where they lived. She knew every Electric attack by heart, and was memorizing more and more moves and abilities every time they studied.

"Toxic Spikes…" Her master had moved on from the 'thunder' moves, but Roxy was still enraptured. She knew every type and how their abilities tended to match up in battle, but also knew which moves looked the most spectacular and usually wowed judges at contests. Her master didn't always study from this book, but when she did Roxy was there to read every word along with her.



…



About an hour later, their study session was over and Roxy's master closed the book. She sighed and said, "I think we both did a pretty good job today. Don't you?"

"Pika!!"

She stood up and walked over to the bookshelf where she placed the book back in its proper spot. She then paused and glanced around the room for a moment. "Wanna watch a little TV?"

Roxy didn't vocally respond but gave her master a smile and a twitch of her ears. Television wasn't all that much of a hobby for either of them, but a little here and there was enjoyable. Her master nodded, picked up the remote, and then sat back down on the couch. Roxy hopped off the couch and sat down on the floor halfway between the couch and the TV so she could get a better view.

A moment later, the TV came to life. Roxy giggled to herself, remembering a very, very young Pichu who had been terrified at the sight of the bright colours coming from the big, grey box. Thanks to her master's books, Roxy now knew what a TV was and how it worked.

"-is down to the last Pokémon. A knockout here will spell the end for the challenger!" a loud announcer's voice blared from the speakers.

The channel they had tuned in to had happened to be broadcasting a Pokémon battle. From the looks of the stadium and the crowd, this was definitely some sort of high-stakes competition.

The broadcast had been showing the face of valiant, but nervous, trainer for a few moments, but then quickly cut to the battlefield. Roxy's ears perked up as she saw who was sparring.

One of the combatants was a Nidoking, scuffed with dirt and minor injuries and looking like he had been in the battle for quite a bit of time already. The other was a Jolteon, who looked freshly energized and ready to battle. Roxy's eyes drifted down to the on-screen information, seeing that the previously-seen trainer had only one Pokémon left, while his opponent had two.

The Nidoking and Jolteon were deep in the heat of battle. They were both constantly moving, each one dodging and attacking at the most optimal time. It was clear that these were highly-trained Pokémon who were veterans of the battlefield.

Roxy watched the Jolteon, following it as it used its much higher speed to dart around its opponent. Nidoking was having difficulty landing any strikes. She watched as the Jolteon fired bright white needles from its fur, the move known as Pin Missile, before leaping into the air and coming down on the Nidoking with a mighty Double Kick.

Her master spoke up, though Roxy didn't tear her eyes from the screen. "Roxy! Do you know why the Jolteon isn't using its Electric attacks?"

Roxy glanced back for a moment, and then replied. "Pika Pika!" she said, tapping the floor next to her with her paw.

"That's right. It's a 'Ground' type. Electricity doesn't work."

She watched the battle for a few more minutes, noticing that the Jolteon didn't seem to be slowed down by this handicap. It seemed to know a lot of different moves, such as Shadow Ball and Flash. Pokémon who knew how to properly perform more than four moves were uncommon, and indicated that they had been training with their trainers for a long while.

The Nidoking finally collapsed to the ground, disappearing in a red light as his trainer returned him to his Poké Ball. Roxy shuddered as she watched. The opposing trainer's last Pokémon was then released. Roxy's ears perked up as she saw that it was a Braixen. No less than a few seconds later, the Jolteon had already darted forward and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt.

Roxy watched the electricity dance through the air. Bright yellow beams, so bright they were almost pure white, lancing across the battlefield almost too quickly to see. They struck the Braixen, making it tense up and shout loudly in pain. She hadn't even heard the trainer say 'Thunderbolt', but she knew what it was. Electricity was what her species was known for, after all.

Being a pet for her whole life, Roxy did not know many official Pokémon moves besides the simple stuff like Tackle and Scratch. She knew how to control her electricity, and had even come in handy during a few power outages, but did not know how to form a Thunderbolt or a Thunder Wave. In fact, the strongest thing she could do with her electricity would not end up doing much damage in a hypothetical battle scenario. The little spark of electricity she could create had lovingly been dubbed by her master as 'Thunder Jolt'.

That was okay to Roxy, though. She had never battled in her life and never planned to. Furthermore, she was certain that her master had no aspirations of becoming a Pokémon Master. She was quite content with the way she was.



…



After they got bored of watching TV, both Roxy and her master had decided to take a stroll through the gardens. Roxy had just been doing this earlier, but was more than happy to do it again with her master. She smiled blissfully and enjoyed the sights, scents and the last fleeting moments of summer heat.

After a bit of a walk, they returned to the lawn just behind the house. "So, Roxy…" her master spoke, "Show me your trick. Have you been practicing?"

"Pika!" Roxy replied affirmatively and jumped off of her master's shoulder. She made her way to the middle of the lawn, watching as her master backed away to watch.

Roxy then took a deep breath and calmed herself, holding in the air for a moment before letting it out with an accompanying sweep of her paws. She cleared her mind and focused, blocking out all outside distractions. She remained that way for a solid minute or two, focusing entirely on the strange fleeting energy that was so difficult to grasp.

Her hind paws tingled as she felt the energy and gathered it. It was so thin and it felt like it wasn't there, but Roxy was well acquainted with what she was looking for. She could feel it building within her four limbs and even in the tip of her curved tail. The grass rustled, though there wasn't a trace of wind in the air.

Roxy clenched her eyes shut in concentration for a moment, then opened them and shouted out. "Pikaa!!" she exclaimed with a thrust of her front paws. Simultaneously, the lawn below her exploded outwards with long, twisted blades of grass. They spread out around her like a green floral pattern, glowing just slightly with green energy.

The breath she had been holding rushed out of her, and in the span of only a few seconds the twisted blades of grass shrunk back into the ground. Roxy was sweating and lightly panting, but she stood tall and proud. That had been her best one yet!

Her master seemed to agree because she was applauding. "Wow, Roxy! Way to go, sweetie!"

"Pikaa…!"

Moments later, she was swept up off the ground into a warm hug by her master. Roxy sighed and melted into the embrace.

"You're getting really good with your Grass Knot," her master commented, "Most Pokémon don't usually get this good with TM moves."

Roxy smiled proudly. She still remembered that day, not long after she had evolved into a Pikachu. It was the human holiday known as Christmas, and her master has received a gift from some distant relative whom she barely knew. Inside of the box had been a strange-looking green disc.

It had been a Technical Machine, more commonly known as a TM. Roxy was familiar with them thanks to her master's books, or at least what their purpose was. Trying to understand how they actually worked only made her head spin. Regardless, she knew that trainers would often trade them and use them to help their team members learn new moves.

Of course, Roxy and her master had no interest in learning any moves for Pokémon battles. However, it had been a free gift after all, and Desmond still owned one of the devices that TMs were used with. Thus, the family had decided to give it a try anyway.

It was hard to describe exactly what had happened after that device had cloaked her in a green light for a few minutes. All Roxy knew was that afterwards, she was more acutely aware of a sensation that she hadn't noticed before. It was faint and she had to focus to find it, but it was there. If Roxy had to guess, it was probably some kind of 'natural' energy, the kind that Grass type Pokémon could harness.

She had still needed to practice using this energy to bend the blades of grass to her will, but before long she had learned how to perform Grass Knot. From there, taking a page from Pokémon Contests, Roxy and her master decided to hone the skill so that it looked presentable and fantastic. The two enjoyed showcasing this talent to visitors.

That being said, Roxy still did not have the faintest notion of how to use the move in a battle, but it didn't matter because she didn't intend to.

The only downside was that using the move left her exhausted. Once again thanks to textbooks, Roxy was familiar with the moves that Pikachu were capable of naturally learning, and Grass Knot wasn't one of them. Such was the wonder of TMs, it seemed. If nothing else, Roxy could say that she was proud she could pull it off.

"Wanna stroll through the gardens or go back inside?"

Roxy smiled warmly and pointed her paw towards the gardens.

"Okay, sweetie."

A contented sigh escaped the Pikachu's lips. Her master was so great, carrying her through the gardens like this because she was so exhausted. Life was truly wonderful. Roxy couldn't remember a sour day on her calendar for a long, long time. The bond that she shared with her master was unbreakable, and every day was brighter than the last when they were together.

The sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow across the flowers and trees. Roxy wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she knew that it was in the comfort of her loving master's arms.



…



"Is that- Are those- Ohmigosh, daddy! You got them??"

Roxy's ears perked up and she slowly opened her eyes. Morning had dawned, bringing with it a brand new day. The Pikachu yawned and stretched her limbs, feeling the fatigue melt off of her body. She felt refreshed and energized after a long night's sleep.

"Roxy! Guess what!!"

She perked up in surprise, suddenly finding her master's face inches away from hers. "Pika?"

Her master held up two long, thin pieces of paper. "We're going to Kalos!!" she exclaimed.

Roxy's eyes widened, but she also tilted her head. "Pika…?" Roxy knew what Kalos was; it was a continent that was very far away from their own. But what did her master mean by 'going there'?"

"Daddy just bought us tickets! Look!" her master continued, clearly excited about the whole situation, "I've always wanted to spend some time in Kalos during the fall when all the tourists are gone! Even so, everything in Kalos is usually booked solid for months and months! I can't believe daddy managed to find us tickets!!"

"Pika Pi Pika?" Roxy was starting to get the picture.

"Yeah! We're all gonna go! You, me and daddy! Vacation in Kalos!"

Roxy's eyes lit up as she drank in this information. A vacation, and all the way over in Kalos? Kalos was far away. The family had taken vacations before, but never any further than the neighbouring continent at the most. Going to Kalos would mean they would have to take an airplane.

"We're gonna leave in two weeks, Roxy!" her master exclaimed, still unable to hide her glee.

"Pika!" Roxy chimed in, sharing some of the excitement with her master. It was definitely a surprise, and rather sudden, but going to Kalos with her master would definitely be something exciting. She had read so much about Kalos and all of the unique Pokémon that lived there.

"Aaaah!" Her master squealed, reaching down and picking Roxy up in her hands. She stood up and twirled on the spot, holding Roxy out at arm's length and smiling uncontrollably. "I'm so excited! I can't wait! Aren't you excited, Roxy?!!"

"Pikachu!!"



…



It was a few days later, and Roxy was laying on the comfy cushions on the couch. Though the trip was still about 10 days away, Desmond and her master had already been frantically packing and preparing. There wasn't a lot Roxy could to do help, so she spent her free time running through the gardens. Now she was feeling worn out and taking a nice, relaxing break.

"You must conveence her to take you to zee top of zee tower."

Roxy idly glanced over the edge of the couch, looking at the other occupant of the room. The Furfrou belonged to a friend of the family, decorated with green colours and a dandy hat shape of fur on his head. Desmond and the Furfrou's master were in the kitchen and had been talking for hours, but Roxy didn't mind. Cédric was always good company.

"Zee sights of Illumis from up above are trés fantastique," he said, the thick accent betraying where he had been born.

Roxy gave him a look. "You mean Lumiose?" she asked.

"Ah, oui. I forget zat is what you call eet."

It was nice to talk to another Pokémon every now and again. Roxy and her master could communicate on a level that went beyond verbal expressions, but it was also pleasant to speak to someone who could understand her language.

"That's where you were hatched, right?" Roxy asked.

"Oui. Lumiose, zee grand star of Kalos shall always be my 'ome. I am pleased to 'ear zat is where you and your family will be staying. Zere is no shortage of zs'ings to do in beau Illumis."

"Yeah…" Roxy mumbled.

Cédric rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I am jealous, mon amie. I wish to see Kalos again…"

"Yeah…" she repeated, her paws idly playing with her collar.

The Furfrou gave her a look. "Are you not excited? You are so blessed, mon amie. Zee endless beauty of zee land awaits you."

Roxy shook her head. "No, no. I'm excited. It's just…We, um…We have to go on a plane…"

Cédric nodded. "Oui. And?"

She glanced away and fiddled with her front paws. "They don't let Pokémon on planes. I have to go into my Poké Ball…"

"Ugh…" Cédric replied with a toss of his head, "Oui, eet ees such a bother, no? Such stuffy, boring zs'ings zey are. Zee less time I spend in zere, see better."

Roxy simply had a troubled look on her face, nervously glancing at Cédric and around the room.

The Furfrou's eyes opened wider. "Oh! Oh, cherie, you must forgive me. I 'ave forgotten"

"It's okay, Cédric," Roxy replied quietly with a demure smile.

"I apologize, Roxy. My mind, eet slip. You are afraid of zee Poké Ball, no? You have zee…phobia?"

Roxy nodded subtly, a frown returning to her face. "I hate that thing…I get so scared when I'm inside it. Even though I see this open meadow and I can move around, I…It just doesn't feel like I can move. I know I'm inside the Ball and I know I'm not really moving. The outside world is blurry and hard to pay attention to, so it makes me feel like I'm half-blind."

Cédric nodded. "Oui, I understand your feelings."

"Not to mention," Roxy continued, sitting herself up, "For airplane rides you have to put the Poké Ball in stasis mode so that it can withstand the changing pressure. It's like being knocked unconscious!" A visible shudder passed through her entire body.

"Roxy…"

"I…I'll have no idea what's going on around me. If something happens, I won't even know. How…How do I know what's going to happen after I go inside that thing?"

"Roxy, you must relax. You must stay calm and trust your master. Mon amie, I know you trust your master, no?"

The Pikachu sighed, hugging herself gently. "I do…"

"She will put you in zee Ball only because she must, and she will get you out as soon as she can. Noszing can go wrong…And even so, when eet go wrong your master will do everysing to protect you."

Roxy looked at Cédric for a few moments, continuing to frown.

"Roxy…" Cédric spoke in a calming tone, "Your master would not do zis eef eet were not safe for vous. Get s'rou zee airplane and zen enjoy zee sights of Kalos. Mon amie, you will be spending zee entire time s'inking about 'ow jealous I am."

That last remark managed to make Roxy smile and giggle a little. "You're right, Cédric. I know my master will keep me safe…even if something does go wrong…"

A minute or so of silence passed between the two.

"But…" Cédric finally spoke up, "You still worry?"

Roxy sighed and stared down at the couch cushion. "Of course I'm still worried. I can't just stop. It's…It's scary, Cédric!"

"I know, mon amie…I know."

"Once I go inside of that thing…who knows what can happen? Anything can happen…" A whine escaped her lips and she laid down on her stomach, reaching up with her paws to pull her ears down over her face. "Anything…"



…



Roxy held her tail in her paws, a frown on her face. She was very nervous.

The busy airport bustled around her. It was a never-ending cacophony of noise and sound. Tons and tons of humans moved about, going in every direction and generally creating a huge, mixed-up crowd. Few Pokémon could be seen.

The roof was high above her, and the room itself was massive. There were signs all over the walls in a variety of different languages, signs and markers to help direct the flow of foot traffic, kiosks with humans in professional-looking attire, and a lot of high-tech computers and visual devices.

Roxy gulped, glancing around. From where she stood, she could mostly see only the feet and legs of other humans. She, her master and Desmond were in the baggage check line, ready to board their flight. Up ahead were a series of uniformed humans that marked the final checkpoint. This would be the last time she could be out of her Poké Ball before they arrived in Kalos.

She felt out of place. Most of the other humans had already recalled their Pokémon to their Poké Balls and were just standing in line on their own. Roxy didn't want to go into her Ball until the last possible minute, and she was grateful that her master was understanding of this. Still, it didn't stop that sharp jolt of fear she felt every time the line moved forward.

"Roxy, honey…" her master said as she reached down and picked the Pikachu up, "Don't be scared. I know you don't like your Poké Ball, but think of how much fun we're going to have once we're there!"

"Pikaaa…"

Roxy was trying to keep herself from worrying, but she wasn't having much luck. She felt like a huge element of control was being taken away from her, and it left her feeling very vulnerable. She wished that she could ride on the plane with her master. Some Pokémon got to do it because they helped blind people see. Roxy was not one such Pokémon, however, and the rules were quite strict.

She continued to hug her tail as if it were a stuffed animal. It was something rather childish that she did when she was nervous and tried not to do it because it embarrassed her. Now, however, she couldn't help herself. At this point, she was seriously considering asking her master to leave her at home with a Pokémon-sitter.

"Hello. Bonjour."

Roxy's ears perked up, realizing that there were only two more people ahead of them in line. Her time was running out. Roxy shook her head and tried to clear away the negative thoughts, but they clung to her like glue. She instead turned herself around in her master's grasp and buried her muzzle into the crook of her arm.

"Roxy…" her master cooed, gently stroking her back.

"Pika Pi Pika…" she moaned.

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry. I wish you could sit with us too."

Fright gnawed at her mind. This was getting to be too much. The flight to Kalos would be the longest airplane flight she had ever taken. That was so much time she would spend in stasis mode, and so much time for something to go horribly wrong. Roxy loved her master, but she was seriously beginning to doubt that she could do this. They had shown up for their flight early, so she wouldn't be making them late if she protested. Roxy was sure her master would understand, and someone could come and pick her up-

"Hello. Bonjour."

A quick, icy chill ran up her spine. She anxiously poked her head up, seeing that the employee was indeed talking to Desmond.

"How many bags are you traveling with?"

"Four," Desmond replied, "Two each."

"Please place them on the conveyor belt here, and empty your pockets into this container. How many Pokémon will you be bringing aboard the aircraft today?"

"Just one," her master replied, giving Roxy a gentle squeeze. Roxy remained completely still, only her eyes moving from person to person as they spoke.

The employee, a woman with an outrageous hairstyle, gave Roxy a scrutinizing look. "Is it a service Pokémon?" she asked, giving a glance to Desmond and then back to Roxy.

"No, we have her Poké Ball right here," Desmond replied, fishing into his pocket and pulling out the little red and white ball with the star sticker attached to it. With the press of a button, it tripled in size.

The employee gave them all a flat look. "Well could you hurry it up, sir? People are waiting in line."

Desmond looked offended for a moment, but then shrugged it off and handed his daughter the Poké Ball. While he started loading their luggage onto the conveyor belt, her master squatted down low to the ground and placed Roxy on the floor.

"Okay, Roxy. It's time, sweetie," she said, holding the Poké Ball in the palm of her hand.

"Pikaaa…" Roxy whined, still clutching her tail. She was nervous and anxious, but also worried about upsetting her master. She wanted to go home, but she didn't want to leave her master's side for this vacation either. All in all, she was not a happy Pikachu and it showed in her expression as she looked up to her master with worried eyes.

The smile her master gave her, however, had an instant calming effect. "Roxy, I know you're scared," she spoke in a soft, relaxing tone, "I know you don't like it. But, it's not going to hurt you. There's no safer place for you to be than in this Ball, okay?" She giggled. "I wish I could stay in the ball with you. To tell you the truth, I don't really like flying."

Roxy stood there wordlessly, her eyes moving between her master's smiling face and the Poké Ball.

"Before you know it, we'll be in Kalos and we'll have so much fun! We'll remember it forever! This isn't just a vacation for me, it's a vacation for all of us. I'm bringing you along because I love you and I want to share this experience with you." She then moved her arm, bringing the Poké Ball a little closer to Roxy. "I just need you to do one thing for me, though. Can you do that, Roxy? Please?"

Her master's words filled her mind. The gentle tone of her master's voice had always managed to calm her down and bring a smile to her face. This time was no exception. Despite how scared she was, there was a little smile gracing her lips. Roxy couldn't change the fact that she was anxious about the whole ordeal, but she reminded herself of what she knew in her heart. Her master was looking out for her and making sure that she was safe.

"Pika…Pika Pi, Pikachu~" she said, taking a step forward. The two of them had been together for Roxy's entire life. She had always put her trust in her master, and now was no different. She knew that even if something did happen, her master would be there to rescue her.

"There you go. Good girl! It won't be long, okay? I'll see you in a little bit, sweetie. I promise."

Another jolt of fear ran up Roxy's spine, but she took a breath and calmed herself down. She could do this. She would do it for her master. "Pika!" she said, before reaching her paw forward and tapping the button on the Poké Ball. In a matter of seconds, her vision faded to red and the sensation of the outer world disappeared.

Roxy soon found herself seeing the field that she knew wasn't really there. According to her Pokémon friends, the field was always the same in every Poké Ball. Roxy didn't much care for it. Her master wasn't in the field.

This was something she could tolerate, though, at least to a degree. Roxy could feel her heart pumping in her chest as she waited for what would come next. A couple of anxious minutes passed, and then the Poké Ball's stasis mode was activated. Roxy's entire sense of reality faded to black.



…



The field didn't reappear.

Usually stasis mode was shut off by her master, bringing the field back into view, and then she would be released. That didn't happen. It was the first sign that something had gone wrong.

Roxy had expected to re-enter the outside world in any of a number of places. She could have appeared in the baggage claim or the lobby of the Kalos airport. She could have appeared in the car or the hotel if for some reason her master didn't release her right away. She could have even appeared in the internal areas of the airport, released by an employee by accident or because of some extraneous circumstance.

Where she found herself was not even close to any of those places.

Upon being released from her Poké Ball, there was usually an accompanying sound. This time, however, the sound seemed different. It sounded distorted in a way. Roxy felt her feet hit the ground and the sensations of the outside world return to her. She shook her head, trying to clear away the dizziness of being in stasis mode.

Before she opened her eyes, she could already tell that something was really wrong. It was too quiet. She was standing on dirt. She could hear running water for some reason. Plus, it was very humid. It felt neither like Kalos nor her home.

Anxiously, Roxy opened her eyes and beheld the world around her. She nearly stumbled and lost her balance at what she saw. Eyes wide and pupils the size of dots, she stared at the world around her. She wasn't in an airport. She wasn't inside of any building. In fact, she wasn't even in any city!

Roxy was in the middle of the wilderness.

It looked sort of like a jungle, but not quite. There were thick trees surrounding her. Was it a wild forest? A rainforest maybe? Trembling, Roxy glanced to her left, where she saw the raging waters of a fast-moving river. Though her legs had turned to jelly, she forced herself to move them and turned herself around in a complete circle. Trees stretched as far as she could see in all directions. There wasn't a single sign of civilization.

Roxy's ears fell flat against her head, a look of pure shock and horror on her face. Her heart was thumping dangerously fast in her chest, and it felt like her stomach had jumped right up her throat. She shivered like a leaf, staring wide-eyed and slack jawed at where she was. A thousand questions ran through her mind too fast for her to even focus on them.

She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. Roxy was so scared, she felt like she was going to pass out.

"M…Master…?" she squeaked, barely loud enough to hear.

Only the sound of the rushing river answered her.

"M-master??" she shouted, a little louder this time. Still there was no answer. She was alone, not a single friendly soul anywhere in sight. A terrified whine escaped her lips.

Her worst fears had come true.