Chapter 7 - Silver and Proton

Upon study, Silver looked rather...odd. He looked as if he hadn't even left his egg. It was as if his shell was stuck to his body. The tips of his feet and his stubby little arms came out of the egg, and the top of the egg was broken off completely for his head that looked almost like he had spiky hair the same color as his head. I could see why Elm would want to examine him. He looked like nothing I had ever seen, and I had seen a lot of pokémon on TV or in magazines with their trainers before I had ever set out on my own. He looked very different, but also very innocent. Very sheltered. Very...squishy. I decided to keep him in my party.

PARTY ASSESSMENT

Timas (lvl 15) --> Box

FOR

Silver (lvl 1) --> Party

PARTY

Jenna (lvl 12)

Bella (Lvl 12)

Cecelia (Lvl 13)

Gideon (Lvl 11)

Luna (Lvl 11)

Silver (Lvl 1)

It was time to head back to New Bark Town to show Silver to Elm anyway, so we set out. As I was taking a different part of Route 32 north than I had taken south, I noticed a group of fisherman. One was kind enough to give me the Old Rod, whereas the rest just wanted to fight me. While I continued my trip, Cecelia watched over Silver. She acted as if she still wanted to use him as a meat shield, but I doubt he minded. He was just thrilled to see the world.

In Violet City, we made a short detour West, at Jenna's insistence. We had heard about an odd tree that was blocking the route and she wanted to see it. As we looked at it, I couldn't help but think that something just wasn't right about it. However, before I could inspect it closely, a man came up from behind me and asked if I was having trouble with rocks.

"Hey," Cecelia said. "He lets me follow him by choice."

"Umm...Cecelia," Jenna said, "I don't think he was talking about you."

"Why do you ask?" I replied to the man.

"Well, I just so happen to have a handy HM that will let you smash rocks."

"Woo boy, Rock Smash," Cecelia said. "I better not have to learn that."

"Don't worry," Bella said, cutting in. "I would be delighted to learn that move."

"You just want that in case I turn on you."

"No. I would never think such a thing. My meat shield would never even think of turning on me. Quennel wouldn't allow it."

"Oh yeah? You think so?"

"Girls, girls," I said, "please stop. We're supposed to be headed somewhere expeditiously so that we can get back to help Kurt, remember?"

"Oh...yeah..." Cecelia looked at me. "Sorry about that..."

"It's fine. Don't worry."

I walked a bit ahead and the two of them continued bickering quietly, Gideon trying to calm them down. Silver, whom I was holding, looked up at me. "Are they always like that?"

"No," Jenna replied before I could. "Sometimes they are worse. But that's just because they want to be here for Quennel."

"Okay..."

"Don't fret about it Silver," I said. "We'll be seeing Elm soon anyway and finding out what exactly you are."

When we got back to New Bark Town, Elm informed me that Silver was indeed not something from this region. "In fact, I have no clue from what region he even is. There is no data on any pokémon like him being indigenous to any region, not even the far-off lands of Hoenn or Sinnoh."

"Are there any others like him?"

"A few, but they are far between. Apparently, some eggs have been spotted in parts of the world, and there are some other Togepis and even Togetics, his evolved form, around. But none in this region."

'Hmmm. Well, thanks for the info. You said you had an awesome item for me?"

"Indeed. I have an amazing item that lets you prevent pokémon from evolving."

"Wait...is it an everstone?"

"Why, yes it is!"

"Oh joy..."

After leaving Elm's lab, I visited my mom. I told her about some of my travels and she looked at my pokémon, taking a particular liking to Silver. She also suggested I test out my fishing rod by the stream headed East out of town. And I did.

Rose, MAGIKARP (female)

Swift Swim; Lax (+Def., -Sp. Def.)

Lvl 10, New Bark Town.

We then quickly made our way back to Azalea. I was about to head into the well, but Gideon stopped me.

"Since Silver is in the party and not Timas, I think it might be wise if Luna and I got a few more levels before we take on the rockets. Just to be safe."

"Alright. I won't argue, and there is this nice forest here, even if we cannot go far in it yet."

I trained Gideon and Luna a level or two, figuring I could round them off at the gym once the rockets were gone. I also found a new friend.

Harry, ODDISH (male)

Chlorophyll; Mild (+Sp. Atk., -Def.)

Lvl 5, Ilex Forrest.

We then headed over to the well. When we hopped down, we saw that Kurt was sitting in the entrance.

"I startled the first guy, but then when I tried to come down here I lost my footing and I fell. I threw out my back, I think. Can you go and start dealing with them while I recover?"

"Sure. I figured I may have to anyway."

"Thanks young man."

For a well called Slowpoke Well, there were an awful lot of Rockets and Zubats and very few Slowpoke.

Suzette, ZUBAT (female)

Inner Focus; Docile (N +Def., -Def.)

Lvl 5, Slowpoke Well

I fought some rocket grunts, but none of them seemed to happy to be down here. One said that it was an order from an executive, but he felt it was a really low thing to be doing. I soon met this executive.

He was waiting for me at the back of the well. He had an odd looking hairdo but a somewhat menacing face. "My name," he said, "is Proton. I am an executive of Team Rocket and have oft been labeled the scariest and cruelest guy in the entire team. You will regret facing me."

He was, of course, little trouble for Cecelia, Bella and Gideon, but that didn't stop his boasting.

"Yes, it's true," he said, as if talking to himself. "Team Rocket disbanded three years ago after that kid thoroughly thrashed us. But we are back now. And we will find Giovanni. And you," he said, turning to me, "are only a small obstacle in our way. You shall not be able to stop our underground operations. Be afraid of what is to come, little boy." He then left, with his rockets in tow, as Kurt came into the area.

"You beat him by yourself? You must be very strong. Come now, let us retire to my place. It is late, after all."

We went back to his house and he informed me that he made pokéballs out of apricorns. He told me that it takes a bit to make them, but he would be happy to do so for what I did. As I left his place to head to the pokémon center, I noticed that the town was now free of Team Rocket's grasp. I felt accomplished. And now, I could go to the gym.