FR Nuzlocke Chapter5:Encounters of the Random Kind

Duke glared intensely at the white-haired monkey, locking eyes with the rival Pokémon, his gaze wide and bulging as his stare grew more and more intense. Prince shifted looking between the two, hoping that the Mankey who would break first.

The Mankey, just as wide-eyed as Duke, stared into the lizard's eyes, only with a more comfortable gaze. She sat cross-legged, not moving a muscle. She had her tail wrapped around her waist so the lizard wouldn't have something to blame when he lost. The two sat there for five long minutes, the longest minutes in the Charmander's young life. Duke's eyes were tearing up as his eyelids twitched, while the primate keeping as still as a statue.

"Come on, Duke, just hold out a little longer," Prince begged the fire breather. "There's too much at stake!"

But it was no use, Duke gave into the need and blinked, slapping his paws onto his eyes and rubbing them as he fell over on his back. "No fair…" he groaned.

"It's completely fair," Babe said, her eyes smiling for her unseen mouth as she too rubbed her eyes in relief. "Neither of you could beat me even after five rounds. I won fair and square." Defeated and emasculated, they groaned but subsided, knowing they were beat. They looked to one another and sighed, holding their paws out to Babe to finalize their bet with the new member of the team.

Ever since Zanas had caught Babe, a very friendly and interesting Mankey, the three had been playing games nonstop. Duke loved every moment of tag, as well as making their grinding sessions a competition. Work had turned into one giant game, and Prince felt the same. He was enjoying himself far more than before, now that when Zanas was training one of them, there were two left to keep each other company.

Babe was the kind of creature to think any and all thoughts out loud, leaving her friends to tilt their heads in confusion due to the absence of context. She was a character, and that made her fit in with the young boy's group even more. She was already level five when they met her, and easily racked up levels. At the moment, she was the most balanced member of the team. Duke was the powerhouse in strength and had a decent defense, while Prince was the speedy one; first to attack and last to be hit, if ever. Babe had good strength and speed, but was greatest in defense, making Zanas's small team fully rounded.

The three lied in the grass, content in looking at the clouds as Babe named off each shape she saw. "There's a Caterpie." She said.

   "I say it's a Kangaskhan," Prince objected.

   "Then I say you're blind."

   "Who are you to talk, no-mouth?"
   
   "Who says I don't have a mouth?"
 
Babe gave a small giggle, which sounded alien to Prince, as this Mankey seemed too tomboy to giggle in such a cute manner. A long calming silence filled the air, as they continued to stare at the sky. Duke tilted his head in every direction, trying to find the shapes in the clouds. He had never seen any of the Pokémon mentioned so only the shapes of food and his friends came through.

"What do you think clouds taste like?" Babe asked suddenly. Prince began laughing from this remark and looked at the monkey questioningly.

"What made you think of such a weird question?"

"Your remark about my mouth made me think of eating and since were talking about clouds I wondered what they taste like."

"Maybe like ice cream?" Duke chimed in

"Why would you think they taste like ice cream?" Prince mocked

"Maybe that's why the clouds drop snow in winter and water in summer," Zanas added from a distance, "because they're melting."

He was walking toward the group holding a few bags of snacks that were cooked especially for Pokémon. The trio quickly rushed to their trainer, Duke yelling out the boy's name in joy at his return. Zanas pet each of them lovingly, Duke especially since he was struggling so desperately to climb into the boys arms, then reached for the treat bags.

He opened each one and dumped the treats into the hands and paws of his team. Prince and Duke gazed at the food with wide eyes and opened their mouths to devour the treats. Just as they were about to shovel the flower-shaped cookies into their, they heard an unsubtle cough from Babe. Duke and Prince both looked at the Mankey and then to each other, groaning as they unwillingly handed over their snacks. She took their snack happily and after a pause returned half of what she had taken, to the surprise of both Pokémon.

"The shame of your defeat is worth half of what you owe me, so I'll be a generous victor."

Both charity cases shoveled the food in their mouths in delight. Prince, now fake crying, bowed in front of the white-haired monkey and said, "All hail the generous queen Babe. Thank you for showing us mortals such mercy."

Babe played along with this game, and raised her hand in the air to signal Prince could rise. Zanas was on the ground, laughing so hard that pain shot through his stomach. "Your royal highness, what have you done?! You have forsaken your status so quickly for food?"

Princes swiftly ran up to Zanas's face, his eyes glaring into the boy's, just inches away. "Don't you dare judge me! You would do the same in my position!"
A harsh silence grew from the remark, but was soon shoved off by the boy and rat's laughter. Duke looked at the two, having a slower reaction to the joke.

As things died down, the group sat together, commenting on the day thus far and what all was planned; training, eating, then finally leaving the town later at night, when a loud scream made them all jump to their feet. "Sweet Arceus help me!"

"What was that?!" Prince asked as he rushed up to Zanas's shoulder for an elevated look. Duke stayed on all fours, his tail stuck high in the air as his tail flared more intensely, while Babe rushed up the nearest tree. Zanas listened for the screams, and heard aother voice, just as high-pitched only more frustrated and familiar.

"Incoming!" Babe declared, warning that the voices were coming closer, as she jumped from the trees and onto the first figure that burst into sight. Duke and Zanas then followed suit and leapt at the next figures to appear. Prince lost his grasp on Zanas's shoulders and fell off. Zanas and Duke rolled backwards with their respective targets as they landed on top.  Letting this eyes focus after spinning wildly on the ground, Zanas realized who exactly he was sitting on top of.

"…Melody?!" Zanas cried his faced blushing immensely. Not again! The girl that Zanas had met days before was once again under his weight, glaring hatefully at him.

"I'm having a strange and horrible case of déjà vu," Melody growled. Zanas gulped and leapt off of Melody, offering his hand to help her on her feet. He desperately apologized over and over as the girl brushed the dirt off of her white skirt, ignoring most of what Zanas said. Before the boy could start to explain exactly why he had jumped her, again, he heard the source of the earlier commotion right behind him. "Please don't eat me! I'm all boney and stringy!"

The boy turned around, and saw a Pidgey with a food bucket over its head, while Babe stood with one foot on the Pokémon's tail, keeping the brown-feathered and white-crested bird grounded. Duke, meanwhile, was now rolling on the ground, playing happily with Melody's Bulbasaur, Summer. Zanas turned to Melody, confusion replacing his sorrowful look, but the girl's face was still hot red with anger - or blush - and her cheeks were puffed out like a Jigglypuff's when angry.

Zanas felt a cold chill down his spine as he laughed nervously. "So…how have you been doing?" The girl didn't answer; she merely glared at the boy, clutching her hands on her short sleeves. Zanas looked around to his team, his eyes begging for help. Only Prince met eyes with the trainer. Prince looked just as confused as Zanas, and far more irritated, having fallen hard to the ground during the tussle.

"What in the Reverse World is going on?!"



"It's not my fault!" Melody screamed through the girl's bathroom in the Poke Center. "I don't want to go into that forest unless I'm prepared."

"Making me wait two hours while you put makeup on is hardly getting prepared. How much are you even putting on in there?"

"None of your business. Besides, you owe me."Melody snapped

"Ya ya, I know."

Melody had calmed down once Zanas had apologized for the hundredth time. She explained that the Pidgey had been taking food from a garbage can behind the mart. She knew that the forest was full of bug type Pokémon and thought catching a flying type would be a smart move. However, she spooked the creature, after missing it with the PokeBall, and sent it on into frenzy, the bucket covering up the creature's vision as it frantically flew around.

She had sent Summer out ahead to chase it down, running all over town before finally being tackled by Zanas. Melody's anger escalated again when she realized  the damage to her outfit, which now had tears and and a assortment of greens and browns from the tall grass and mud she had tracked through to follow the Pidgey. She threatened to "Murder that avian bastard," when Zanas gave a proposition.

He convinced her that he would make up for tackling her again by escorting her through the forst, s well as taking the Pidgey off her hands as she no longer cared for the flying-type SHe agreed, and since then, Zanas let his team calm the newer member down while he paied for the girls laundry bills and waited for her.

Melody insisted they return to the center, after having to dirty her outfit chasing the Pidgey. Zanas was in no position to argue and instead followed her inside. The male nurse was nowhere to be found. Zanas assumed he was being forced to work today, so he sat against the wall, and had what appeared to others as a one way conversation with the wooden door next to him.

Zanas sat against the wall, whistling, rocking and people watching until either his team returned with the Pidgey, or Melody was ready to leave. I should already be in Pewter by now damnit. Gary probably already has two badges at this point.

The thought of his friend made Zanas grow still as he began contemplating how far behind he truly was. What if he is already on his third? Or going to his fourth?! Gary has more competition than just me to deal with. Arceus, I am way too far behind!

Zanas jumped to his feet, and pulled an arm back to bang on the restroom door. They needed to get out of this town now! The door swung open just barely missing contact with the boy's head. Zanas's eyes shot open wide as he looked at Melody in her new attire. She had ditched the white hat and simply brought her hair back into a pony tail. Her blue top was now a bright pink tank top that cut off just a little down her chest, a blue jacket hugging her shoulders with long sleeves that stretch down her arms. Her white skirt was replaced with short denim jeans that stretched just above her knees and she now wore black leggings.

"Alright we can go now, mister impatient." Zanas stood in front of Melody, frozen in place as she passed him. She walked over to a pull out a bin on the far side of the center carrying, her hat in her right hand, which she put back on her head, and in her left was her old bag of cloths. She dumped the cloths in the pull out compartment and then talked to one of the nurses. Zanas didn't hear what she was talking about, his eyes glued to the girl's figure that was much more shown through her new outfit.

The boy was so busy staring up and down their girl's back; he didn't feel Prince jump to his shoulder until he whispered in Zanas's ear. "Ooo Zanas baby."

Zanas jumped and slapped the rat off his shoulder, harder than he meant, and sent him flying against the wall. The boy knelt down and picked up his friend. "Sorry!"

Prince was laughing too hard from the reaction the boy gave to say anything, merely waving his paw at the boy. Zanas looked over his shoulder to see Babe and duke smiling and laughing at their trainer's expense along with the Pidgey they had recently recruited. Zanas sighed, knowing he had been caught but thankful it wasn't Melody who had seen him gawking. The boy helped Prince to his shoulder, and then knelt down to the brown-feather bird, petting it lovingly on its head, just behind its neck. The bird cooed and relaxed into Zanas's hands, but still jumped and twitched at the loud sounds of the Center.

"So, what can I call you? Fidget maybe?"

The bird shook its head and flew to the boy's free shoulder. "I-if it's ok with you I'd like to go by my real name, Pepper."

The boy sat back on one of the rows of seats nearest to him, continuing to pet the bird Pokémon. The voice was soft and hard to hear over the talking and shouting around them, but it was easy to tell that Pepper's voice was feminine. "I hope these guys explained where we are going?"

Pepper nodded, looking down from where she was perched. Zanas smiled and saw that the bird was still hesitant in her choice. "You don't have to come with us. I'd never want to force anyone to do something they don't want."

"But I do!" She suddenly blurted, taking Zanas and Prince aback. Duke looked wide-eyed and confused between the bird and Zanas, while Babe let her gaze trail off, saying something about the addiction to yellow tiles in the building.

Pepper blushed, to Zanas's surprise, not used to anything other than a purple rodent grow red, and shook her head frustrated. "I do want to go on this journey. I'm just a little scared…and confused."

"Confused about what?" Prince blurted. "You'll have me and Duke on your team so there is no worry about getting hurt" Prince shifted his gaze to Babe, who was still preoccupied with her own thoughts and rushed over the boy's arms to the bird and whispered, "But be careful about the Mankey. She's a crafty one."

"I can still hear you, rodent." Babe said, not turning to face any of her team mates.

Pepper froze in fear, Prince in mock fear, both looking to one another as he weakly smiled. "See what I mean?"

Zanas poked the Rattata in the gut, making him fall over onto the cushion. "Don't mind him, he's eccentric." Pepper giggled, covering her beak with her wing. Zanas let her down and pet behind her neck again. "I can promise you that nothing bad will happen to you while you're with us. Not if I can help it."

Duke jumped up to the cushion and patted pepper one the back. "You're a part of the world's greatest Pokémon team. No way we could lose."

"Ok…" she smiled weakly, then brightly back at her team, her fears seeming to subside for the moment.