Notes: Ha, here is the final chapter. The boys have a happy ending at last!

With thanks to Rattlehead for helping me \m/

Part 6

"There you go". Courtney helped the new grunt put on his Team Magma top and hood. "How's that, M5?"

M5 (formerly Hobart) stared at his reflection in the full length mirror in front of him. He looked very similar to the girl grunts, except he wore boots, a body stocking that covered his legs and his shorts were indeed longer (and therefore, more manly looking). He smiled with satisfaction, at least until his hood slipped down over his eyes.

"Oops!" said Courtney. M6 (formerly Frankley) who was standing nearby, snickered.

"Oh well, maybe your head will grow into it, M5", he said.

M5 pushed his hood back a little. "It's cool", he grinned. "I like having a uniform".

"Yeah, you really look like members of Team Magma now", said Tabitha.

"Tabitha, they are members of Team Magma", said Courtney patiently.

"Yeah, I know but now they look the part too".

M5 and M6 gazed at each other, a little shyly. Maxie came over to them and put his arms round their shoulders.

"How's it going?" he said. "Now that you've had a tour of our Secret Base and seen your room, is there anything else that you'd like?"

"How about giving them a close up look at the inside of the volcano?" suggested M4.

"A very, very close look", M27 added on.

"Hey, be nice to our new recruits", said Maxie.

"We are nice", M4 insisted and to prove it, she suddenly reached out, grabbed the lads and hugged them both. M5 and M6 looked startled but not at all upset.

"Oh wait, I know!" said M6 (when he was released). "I just thought, do we have to do any sort of initiation or anything like that?"

"An initiation?" Maxie said, puzzled.

"Yeah. I saw this movie once and this guy wanted to join this secret organisation. Before he was allowed to, he had to be initiated by having one of the members spank his ass with a cricket bat".

M5 glanced curiously at M6 and Maxie raised his eyebrows.

"No, of course we don't do anything like that here", he said. "Team Magma are nice!"

"Oh, but we would really feel like we belonged if we were spanked", insisted M6. He glanced hopefully at Courtney and the female grunts, then nudged M5 in the side. "Wouldn't we Hobie, erm I mean M5!"

"Um, yeah, of course", said M5.

"Oh very well then", said Maxie. He looked at his staff. "Any volunteers?"

"No way", said Courtney. "That's just silly!"

"I have paperwork to do", said M4.

"I'm helping her with it", said M27.

"We're all collecting soil samples and studying them", said M25 and the other two grunts nodded.

Tabitha smirked. "I'll do it".

M5 and M6 looked at each other.

"Courtney's right", said M5. "It's a silly idea!"

"You'll never know what you're missing", said Tabitha.

"Um, well moving on to other things", said Maxie. "Would you two like to get your first Pokemon?"

"Yeah!" both boys said eagerly.

"Alright then. Come with me to my office and you can choose a couple".

M5 and M6 set off after Maxie, following him down a long corridor. M5 felt excited as he wondered what kind of Pokemon they were going to have. He remembered his Mom and Dad's dislike of Pokemon and how they would never let him have one and then he became thoughtful.

Hobart's family hadn't been at all bothered when he had told them he had secured a job and a place to live and that he would be moving out. His Mom had said she would turn his room into a spa and she hoped he hadn't ruined the wallpaper with his awful posters. Adelaide had turned up her nose and said she thought his job would be some dead end prospect, such as stacking shelves in a 7-11 store. Bendigo had asked him if he actually had joined a criminal gang. Hobart had been tempted to say yes, just because he knew that his family wouldn't care one way of the other. However, he knew that he was meant to keep his work with Team Magma a secret, so he had just shrugged and muttered something inaudible.

So Hobart had left his house with his belongings divided between a rucksack and a sports bag and his posters folded up neatly inside a plastic folder. He had met up with Frankley at the bus stop and Frankley reported that his family were glad to see the back of him as he cost them too much money in food as it was.

"OK, here we are", said Maxie, bringing M5 out of his thoughts. M5 looked round; they were inside Maxie's office and he had five Pokeballs on his desk.

"Here I have Poochyena, Zigzagoon, Taillow, Slugma and Torkoal", Maxie said. "They are all level 5 so they should be easy enough for you boys to handle but not so low level as they won't be able to battle at all".

M5 and M6 stared at the Pokeballs in delight. Maxie took off his glasses and wiped them. "Which ones would you like? Take your time now, there's no rush".

"I would like Torkoal", said M6, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"Can I have Slugma please?" said M5.

"Yes, of course", said Maxie. "Are you both absolutely sure that you want those ones?"

"Yes, yes!" the new recruits insisted.

"Very well then". Maxie gave them the correct Pokeballs. M5 stared at his ball in delight. His first Pokemon! It was a very proud moment. He pressed the release button and Slugma appeared, sitting on the floor. He gazed up at M5 out of bright yellow eyes; in what M5 was sure was a friendly manner.

"Hey, he likes you", said M6, who was stroking Torkoal's long neck. "Uh, I think Torkoal likes me but he's kinda got his eyes shut so I'm not sure".

"Yes, he likes you", Maxie told him. "He wouldn't let you pet him if he didn't".

"Oh, how can I pet Slugma though?" M5 said anxiously. "He'll burn my hands".

"Gloves, duh!" said M6. "They're heat-resistant, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I knew that", said M5. He crouched down and cautiously reached out to stroke Slugma. He braced himself, getting ready to snatch his hand away if he felt too much heat. However, the gloves lived up to their name alright. M5 stroked Slugma; running his hand down his squishy back. Slugma butted his head against M5's hand and made a purring sound.

"Hehehe, mine is so cute!" said M5 happily. "This is awesome, thanks so much, erm..." he looked at Maxie.

"Call me Boss", said Maxie.

"OK then, thanks Boss", said M5.

"Yeah and from me too", said M6.

"That's alright", said Maxie. "Now, shall we go to the Tea Room and have some tea and cupcakes? Bring your Pokemon too and they can have some Pokeblocks".

"Sure, I wanna do that", said M6. "I'm hungry".

"Me too and I want to feed our Pokemon so they will like us more", said M5.

"Yes, good idea. Right, come on then, boys". Maxie opened the door again and the grunts recalled their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. (As they were both slow Pokemon, it would have taken ages to have walked with them to the Tea Room).

Maxie stepped out through the door and M5 and M6 followed him. As the door slid closed behind them, M5 turned to look at it. He stared at the card slot and then looked at the corridor, stretching out in front of them.

M5 realised that something really important had happened that day. Something better than getting a job or a place to live. Something even better than receiving his first Pokemon (and that was saying something indeed). He (and M6) finally had a real home, someplace where they felt like family and they truly belonged.

"Hey, come on M5!" M6 called. "You're slower than your Pokemon".

M5 grinned and started off, running to catch up with him and Maxie.

The End