Unnatural

Killing Time

A Month After Ch. 5 (First Day of Freedom)

With Jen and Co.

"m-Jen, I mean this in the kindest way possible, but your throw is shit." Haunter said with a stifled laugh. He was a couple yards in front of her, not moving...at all. He had been still for the past five minutes, while the others stood behind Jen.

"...shut up." Jen groaned as she willed the Pokéball back into her hand. "Why am I doing this again? You guys don't have to be in Pokéballs, do you?"

"What do the rules call for again?" Mew asked. "You can only use captured Pokémon to battle against gym leaders and the Elite Four?"

Jen gave the pink Legendary a pouty glare. "Since when did you become so by the books, Mew? No one has to know."

"I'm not, 'by the books', I'm by the 'don't get disqualified for not using caught Pokémon in battle...thing'."

"What?" Vulpix snickered. She was slowly returning to her normal self after a couple of weeks of just relaxing, though there were still occasional moments where her friends would find her staring with a distracted expression.

"Shush. She might buy it." Mew whispered to her friend.

"We can still hear you, Mew." Mewtwo muttered. "Your skills of whispering are as great as Jen's throwing."

Jen looked over her shoulder at him with the Pokéball still clutched tightly in her hand. "I will use this on you, Mewtwo."

The Legendary gave her a cheeky smile. "Hmm, you think that will work a second time?"

"We'll find out if you keep this up." Jen warned with a crooked, twitching smile. "And I'll give you a ridiculous nickname."

The Legendary wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "Do you really want to do that?" He kissed her on the cheek. "Hmm?"

"...mmmm." Jen tried to ignore him, but the giggle in her throat couldn't be stopped.

"Just use your telekinesis to help your throw. You've got the power behind it, it's just the aim you need to work on in order to catch Haunter."

A loud whistle shrieked in their ears as Mew blew through her tiny, plastic toy. "Nah-ah! No telekinesis!"

The larger Legendary glared at Mew and hissed through bared teeth. "Where the hell did you get that whistle, Mew?!"

"My new toy stash. Now, try again, but no telekinesis, Jen." Mew ordered as she blew her whistle again. "Chop! Chop!"

"Mew, get rid of the whistle." Mewtwo growled as he reached for the toy.

"No! Stop!" Mew flew higher into the air with Mewtwo on her tail.

"Are you going to give me a nickname when you eventually catch me?" Haunter asked.

"I technically already caught you, didn't I? Back when we were running to get onto the S.S. Ann, I used those unused Pokéballs on you guys."

Vulpix and Haunter exchanged looks before looking back at Jen. "True...but where are those Pokéballs now? Lost? Broken? Destroyed in the rubble somewhere on the Seafoam Islands? You didn't have them when you were Mikey."

"...shut up." The girl huffed.

"Hehe, you gotta catch us. Again. Officially."

Jen narrowed her eyes at her friends before her expression turned into an amused scowl. "Cherry."

"Cherry?" Rattata scoffed. "Really? That's a fruit. It may work if he was a young Marrill or even Vulpix, but I don't see it working for him. Why not Terry? No, he doesn't look like a Terry kind of Haunter."