Jace Zabat's Story

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'PARTNER'?!?" A female voice screamed in the town of Oldale. Sumara slammed her hands down on the hardwood table, causing everything on top to shake. "I have to travel with someone!? UGH! Well, who is it then!?" Neither her mother nor father spoke, looking everywhere but at her. She turned to the door, which had opened. Her brother stood there, bag in hand.

"I believe it's that ginger kid you think hates you..." A smooth voice answered. She turned to him with her jaw slack. "Yes, I know. Mother and Father did not plan this at all... Of all the brats in this town..." Jace continued to walk through the house, gathering the needed materials to study the sick Pokemon. The thought made his heartstrings clench. He would fix the little dears and even prevent more outbreaks like this one.

Sumara was raging, while she scoured her room for her headphones, tearing the room apart and then some. She didn't want to leave them here, not at all. She had flipped her bed over when she noticed them on the window sill. Grabbing them, she slid them over her head and thumped down the stairs, her guitar case slung on her back. Spotting his sister, he checked his bag one last time and nodded.

"Mother, Father, I will be escorting Suma to her partner, for now, we shall see if he lives, and then I will be off myself to meet the man you chose to 'protect' me. We will see you." And with that, both the Zabat children where gone, out the door in an instant. They had waited some time for this, Sumara the most. She hopped around her brother, who watched her with a soft smile. As they approached the meeting point for both sets of partners, they slowly sobered up, getting ready for a long, slow journey. They stood at the Pokemon Center door and waited.

Sumara growled at the bane of her existence and went to swing at him, only to have Jace prevent her, his grip firm. His eyes said it all. "Don't mess him up yet." Huffing, she settled with glaring at him. "Not baby-sitting, you red haired freak. You're just gonna sit in my shadow, like a good little loser like you should." She snapped, running one finger over the shiny new Pokeball where her partner sat. She felt the grip on her arm lax and she rolled her wrist. It was slightly red but she had worse happen to her.

Sumara turned to Jace, who was steadily glaring at the large man. Jace's left eye twitched before he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ugh, the least they could've done was get me a bodyguard that doesn't look like he wants to maim me just for existing..." Jace looked over Brigson with a clinical eye. "At least he looks like he can hold his own." He sighed again and readjusted the bag strap.

Sumara glanced at Martin warily before quickly hugging her brother, her fingers a vice grip on his lab coat. "We should get going... And you should as well." She muttered, suddenly very subdued and quiet. Jace held up one finger to signal that they needed a moment to themselves and led her inside the center, just inside the glass doors. "Brother... I-"

"You'll do just fine." He pet her hair softly and gave a rare smile. His baby sister was so mature but could become such a child again. He blamed the lack of attention from their moronic parents and the fact he was so, well, rich and handsome. She was in such a large shadow, that he cast. "Just remember, when you start to break down, turn it into that wonderful music of yours... You'll be the best battler, breeder, idol, whatever you choose to be, I know it." She nodded and let him go before taking a deep breath and running back outside.

"Come on, you soulless ginger, we need to hightail it now! If we're ever gonna make it to the next town we need to go!" She shot past the boy, excited to get started. Jace walked out and watched his sister run to the edge of town and with a grin, hop over the border before she sped off again, his face blank but his eyes fond.

Sumara stuck her tongue out at the irritated boy and gave him a shit-eating grin, walking backwards with ease. "Ah, come on, little red! A little running won't kill ya!" She spun on her heels and looked at all the land they had to cover in a day. It wasn't a lot but on foot, it would take the two a day at least. She took off again, in a steady, but easily matchable pace, her entire body thrumming with energy.

She slid one side of her headphone onto her ear and flicked the switch on her music player, flipping through the songs. She hopped, spun and literally danced the route, her head bopping to an unheard soundtrack. Grabbing the Pokeball off her belt, she released her partner, who barked and ran around her. She smiled, genuinely, and forgot where she was and who she was with, lost in the beats and melodies. Maybe traveling with the moron wouldn't be too bad.

---

Jace looked himself over and raised an eyebrow at the other male. "I don't carry weaponry, if that's what you're asking." He replied shortly. He tied part of his hair back to keep it off his neck and sighed before pulling out the map that his parents made him take. He pointed to a small island close by. "This is where someone decided to stash the sick Pokemon... We'll need a boat of some sort..." He tapped his chin in thought and begrudgingly turned to his bodyguard. "Any ideas?"

Sumara froze and stared wide-eyed at the red head. Inwardly, she berated herself for allowing the boy to see that. Outwardly, she covered her surprise with a well aimed punch to the shoulder. "Don't blame me for the Pokemon not appearing. Your bright red mop makes them flee in horror at the ugliness. I would too." She said, flippantly. Lorcan was poking his nose in a bush and yipped as a Taillow squawked at him. "See? They're all hidin' from ya!"

Sumara jumped at the chance for a battle. "Lorcan! Tackle it, quickly!" The little Pokemon charged at the bird, knocking it off balance. She hopped as the little bird pecked at Lorcan's head. "Grr! That's not cool! Use Thunder Wave and make it stop!" The Electrike zapped the bird, making Sumara squeal and toss the Pokeball. One... Two... Three! The bird as hers! Looking back at the red head, she grinned. "Beat that, little red!"

---

Jace sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "They don't know what to think. Considering that the island is a Pokemon reserve and a legendary shrine, they have every reason not to. None of the larger organizations would dare do this..." He growled softly. It was a question he often thought about, creating sleepless nights. "However, I believe that there is something going on... This is too perfect to be natural... Normally, Pokemon become immune to illnesses much faster than humans... From the notes I've gotten from them, it's like... It's adapting..."

He shook his head and looked at Brigson. "Sorry, I ramble when I start thinking. You seem to be the type to dislike talking a lot so I'll try to curb the habit, seeing as having you upset could mean something awful for me." He mused softly. He didn't care if he upset the other male. Honestly, it didn't even look like he could be fazed by words.

"Lorcan? Why do you wanna know? Well, whatever. Lorcan doesn't like being cooped up inside." She answered bluntly, shrugging. "My Pokemon rarely make me do things I don't like, why should I make them? They're sentient beings as well. I may be a jerk to you, mostly your fault, but I do have a heart." Mostly for Pokemon, was unspoken but it didn't matter. It was implied.

Sumara watched Martin poke around in the bushes. It was... Different, seeing the boy like this. Almost... Human. She shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. There was no use in pondering things like that for now. Maybe when they weren't walking through a busy forest, she could contemplate her rival in everything.

Speaking of busy, she saw tons of Pokemon that apparently the red head couldn't. But she knew where to look, in the tree tops and on low branches, between the bright green. Spotting a particularly cute Seedot who had hopped down for some reason, she none so gently hip bumped the boy into the bush with the little seed Pokemon. "Whoops, my bad." She waved off the other and wandered over to a fallen tree, where she released the newly caught bird and quickly healed him up. "Let's see... What to name you... You seem protective so maybe Warden?" The Taillow nodded and hopped around on her lap. "Warden it is then!"

---

Jace blinked at the taller man and nodded slowly. "Of course..." His mind was still processing what was said to him. Someone actually wanted to listen to him talk, just to hear what he had to say. It was rare, even in his line of work. Most of the time, he told others what to do or did it himself, limiting human contact. But here was some strange, large man who wanted to listen. Excuse him for being a bit gobsmacked.

Then something else hit him. The man had not only smirked but made what sounded like a joke as well. His unnaturally pale skin warmed slightly and he had to cough in order to breath again. He rested a hand on his forehead and wondered if the stress was getting to him again. One of his Pokeballs snapped open and out sprung Styx, who began to float around him head. "Styx? How'd you get out again? Ah, no matter, I'm alright, you worried little bugger. A bit overworked but I'll live." The baby Pokemon opened one eye to glare at him before attaching himself onto Jace's undershirt. "Oi..."