Pokemon Black and White Chapter 10

"Hey, Kiki!" Cheren called as Kitsune was heading toward Nacrene City, his next destination.

"Here to challenge me again, Cher?" Kitsune said. "I haven't even started training yet!"

"Why not?" Cheren asked. "Did it take you that long to beat the Gym Leader?"

"I got sidetracked." Kitsune replied. Snivy jumped out in front of him. "We gonna do this, or what?"

"Tepig, go!" Cheren answered, sending his Tepig into battle. "Flame Charge!"

"Snivy, Growth!" Kitsune ordered. Snivy took the Flame Charge, growing slightly larger, but she was not unscathed. "Growth again!"

"Another Flame Charge, Tepig!" Cheren commanded, and his Tepig obliged. Snivy grew larger once more, and, once again was hit by the Flame Charge.

"Snivy, use Ta-" Kitsune began, but he was cut off by a pair of Team Plasma members rushing past, shouting "Out of the way!"

"What was that about?" Cheren asked. Bianca ran up behind them, along with a little girl. "Bianca? Why are you running?"

"Hey! Where were those people headed?" Bianca asked.

"That way," Cheren answered, pointing in the direction the two Plasma members went, "but…" He turned back towards Bianca. "Why are you running now?"

"Oh, seriously! They run so fast!" Bianca said.

"No, Bianca, you're just slow." Kitsune said.

The little girl turned toward Bianca. "Miss… Oh… My Pokémon?" she said, starting to cry.

"It'll be OK. It'll be OK." Bianca said. "Don't cry."

"Bianca, really, why were you running?" Cheren asked.

"You have to hear this!" Bianca said. "Those people stole this girl's Pokémon!"

"What? You should have spoken up sooner!" Cheren shouted.

"Cheren." Kitsune said, calmly. "Shall we put this battle on hold and help this little girl?"

"Of course. Tepig, return!" Cheren said, recalling his Tepig.

"You two." Kitsune said, referring to Bianca and the little girl. "Stay here while we deal with those thieves." He ran off after the duo. Cheren was following close behind, followed by Snivy.

The three ran until they came across a cave entrance. "They must have gone in here." Kitsune said.

"More likely than not." Cheren said. The three walked into the cave, and, sure enough, there were the two Team Plasma members, apparently thinking they got away. "Give that Pokémon back to that little girl." Cheren demanded.

"No." one of the two said. "That child cannot use a Pokémon to its full potential. Doesn't that make the Pokémon sad? It's the same thing for all your Pokémon, so hand them over to us now!"

"No." Kitsune refused.

"Fine." the Plasma member responded. "Guess we'll just have to take them! Patrat!" he sent out a Patrat.

"Snivy, Leaf Tornado!" Kitsune commanded, and she obliged. Something seemed off, though. She was weaker than normal.

Cheren noticed what was wrong immediately. "Kitsune! Snivy sustained a Burn from our last battle!"

"Doesn't matter!" Kitsune said. "We can work through this, right, Snivy?" he asked. Snivy nodded, but she was straining to even stand.

"Call her back, I'll take care of this. Tepig, Flame Charge!" Cheren said, sending out his Tepig, who used Flame Charge on the Patrat, knocking it out.

"What!?" the Plasma member exclaimed, recalling his Patrat. "How could I lose to these brats?"

"Give that Pokémon back to that little girl!" Cheren repeated.

"Or better yet, don't!" came a voice from the back of the cave. The Team Plasma members stepped aside, and two more took their place. "You two are pretty foolish. Getting in our way? That's stupid."

"It is you who are the fools." Kitsune said. "You look like noble warriors, but you fight like pathetic cowards, cowards."

"Now see here!" said the other Plasma member. "There's two of you and two of us. We'll show you we're right using our combined might! Patrat, go!" he said, and the two each sent out a Patrat.

"Kitsune, use these." Cheren said, giving Kitsune a Full Heal and a Super Potion. "I'll hold them back while you heal Snivy. Tepig, go!" he sent his Tepig into battle. Kitsune stepped back and let Cheren fight the duo. "Tepig, Smog!" he ordered, and the Tepig sent a cloud of smoke from its nostrils toward one of the Patrat.

"Patrat, Tackle!" the two Team Plasma members said in unison, and their two Patrat charged at Tepig. Tepig wasn't badly hurt, but was not entirely unscathed, either.

"Tepig, Smog again!" Cheren said. Tepig spewed another smoke cloud at the other Patrat.

"Patrat, Tackle!" the Team Plasma members said, again in unison. However, as they were charging at Tepig, Snivy used Leaf Tornado, launching them both at the wall and knocking them out.

"You Team Plasma people will never win. Especially against my Snivy." Kitsune said.

"What!?" shouted one of the Team Plasma members.

"We lost to a couple of kids!?" exclaimed the other.

"Now that that's over…" Cheren said. "Give that Pokémon back to that little girl."

"Why you…" one of the Plasma members said. " In order to liberate Pokémon from foolish people, we will take their Pokémon!"

"What could possibly justify stealing people's Pokémon?" Cheren asked.

"Pokémon Trainers like you are making Pokémon suffer…" said the other.

"What do you mean, Trainers are making Pokémon suffer?" Cheren asked. "I don't get that at all!"

"…Fine," one of the Team Plasma members from the first duo said, "we'll give it back. But someday… Open your eyes to your own complicity." The four Team Plasma members left the cave.

"…Trainers bring out their Pokémon's strength. Like you and Snivy. Pokémon believe in their Trainers and respond to that. I don't understand what about that makes Pokémon suffer!"

"Some people abuse their Pokémon." Kitsune said. "Those Plasma thugs are an example."

"Well… Whatever." Cheren said. "I'm going to go make sure they returned that Pokémon. Tepig, re- What happened!?" he yelled. He had turned around and saw the exhausted Snivy collapsed on the ground.

"Your Tepig was just too powerful." Kitsune said. "I'll take her to the Pokémon Center."

"Why didn't you heal her like I told you to?!" Cheren asked.

"If she's going to beat Reshiram, she needs to be able to fight under a Burn condition." Kitsune answered. "She promised she'd help me attain my goal. Besides, she agreed to do it."

"But… What?" Cheren asked. "Whatever, I'll probably never understand you. Tepig, return." he said, recalling his Tepig and leaving the cave. Kitsune picked Snivy up and left for the Pokémon Center.