Chapter One

Lu.

Lu, the baby Lugia, liked going to the surface. He liked to lie with just the top of his head and eyes above the water, and watch the two-legged wingless ones his parents called 'humans' doing whatever it was humans did. Humans fascinated him for some reason he could not explain. He liked them, a sentiment his parents positively encouraged. "We are guardians for the entire planet, Lu, and that includes humans. The ones of the nearby island respect us as such. Humans are not as much in tune with the rest of nature as are Pokémon, but they are part of nature." They had warned him also about the danger humans could pose. His father had told him about his own near capture by the terrible Lawrence the Third almost a year ago. Lu hoped to never meet this fierce collector.

Lu swam slowly up, peered out, and saw that the island was pretty deserted, so he headed slowly for the Slowking's Shrine, His parents knew nothing of these visits to the big island. His parents had said the humans respected Lugia there, so he figured he should be pretty safe even if he were spotted. However, he was careful to check there was no activity in the vicinity before approaching or going ashore.

Observing from the water had been interesting on occasions, and at odd times he'd followed the fishing boats, at a safe distance, and was careful not to get caught in their nets. These had become routine, however, but then a different boat had caught his attention about 2 weeks previously.

It had contained two humans, and what appeared to be one bird-human and a blue bird. Lu would have gone closer, but was worried about the people on the deck. They seemed to be in charge of the bird and bird-girl, ordering them both at different times to fly, and the bird-girl at other times to dive into the water. Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, Lu had swum over and swam by her. She had almost choked upon seeing him, gesturing a need to return to the surface before swimming upwards for air, so he swam off to avoid disturbing her further.

Climbing out, Lu carefully made his way up the steps to the Slowking's Shrine. He liked coming up here, particularly at sunset and sunrise. A slight feeling of unease made Lu stop, but it was forgotten as he saw a Butterfree fly over to some flowers. He followed it cautiously, and watched it, wide-eyed and curious. It was joined by another, which he also watched. When he tired of watching them, he turned his attention to the carvings beneath his feet.

They looked interesting, the carvings. They were grouped in rows, and he thought he could discern some pattern to them. He was so engrossed that he did not notice how high in the sky the sun was getting. Nor did he notice the figure that saw him, and approached stealthily from behind.

Lu's studies were rudely interrupted as something dark and heavy fell upon him. Lu reared, trying to raise his wings, but then something else heavy landed upon him, pinning him down. He felt the cloth on him wrapped about him, and felt pressure as a rope was wrapped about it. He cried out, tried to aeroblast, but found the covering was wrapped too tightly about his mouth. He could just about breathe, one nostril was still exposed to the air. He struggled, panicked, but the covering was bound too tightly about him to move much. He heard huffing and grunting, and felt himself being dragged. Then he felt himself pushed onto another surface, which then began to move.

After a while, the motion stopped, and he was rolled off the surface. A voice, a human voice, spoke.

"I don't know whether you can understand me, Pokémon, but if you can, listen well. I'll cut the ropes binding the tarpaulin to you so you can get out. Any resistance will be punished. If you attempt to struggle or escape, I will restrain you by putting you in my force-field."

Lu shuddered, remembering what his father had told him. Lawrence the Third had tried to imprison his father in force-fields. Lu's nightmare had happened. He must have been caught by the terrible Lawrence the Third!

The binding loosened, and he pushed against it. The tarpaulin slithered off easily, and he looked up for the first view of his captor. A dark-haired man with a beard stood looking down at him. His skin was darker than some of the islanders he'd seen at a distance. He took in his surroundings. He was in a cage, with a bowl of unappetising looking brown stuff, a bowl of water, and a sandbox. That was all.

Except for the other occupant of the cage, who ran over to him with a cry of dismay, embracing his neck. It was the bird-girl he'd startled two weeks previously. He could feel she had hands under her wings, could feel them patting and caressing his neck.

Hello? he psychically addressed her.

Small Guardian, hello. the bird-girl replied. I'm sorry you've been caught. Are you okay?

I want my mum. Lu said, his heart beginning to ache. I want to go home. Lu ached to dive back into the sea, to go to their underwater (but air-filled) cave, to snuggle under his mum's wing and feel secure. He raised his head and sang a single low, unhappy note.

"Very nice." said the man. "I owe a friend of mine a big favour, and you two can be it. He's wanted a Lugia since last year. Sing a bit for him when he comes in." Then Lu heard a very welcome psychic 'voice' calling his name.

Lu, where are you? Are you all right?

Mum! he 'called' in relief. His mum would sort this out! I've been caught by Lawrence the Third!

WHAT! Hold on, Lu, I'm going to get your father! We'll find a way to get you out! His mother broke off abruptly.

It's all right! said Lu to the bird-girl. Mum's been talking to me, and she's going to talk to Dad. He'll save us from Lawrence the Third!

Lawrence the Third? Where? He promised not to endanger the birds or a Lugia again! the bird-girl asked.

The man who's captured us. Lu said.

"He's not Lawrence the Third, he's a different man. I met Lawrence the Third last year, and that's not him! the girl said. My name's Rachel. Do you have a name I can call you, little Guardian?

Lu. I'm called Lu. he said. Just then, his mother made contact again.

Lu, I'm going to talk to the man holding you. We've pinpointed where you're being held. Whoever's holding you, it's not Lawrence the Third, it's someone else. We would aeroblast the structure, but we're scared of hurting you, or anything else in there. Hold on, Lu!

Mrs Lugia, out in the ocean, directed her thoughts to Lu's captor.

Please, you have my son captive, the small Lugia. He will be very important to the harmony of the world, and we miss him very much. Please let him come back to me!

Why should I? replied the man. I need a Lugia to pay back a debt I owe my friend, and it is a Lugia and a Lugia-girl he will get. I'm sure your son can return to you once my friend has tired of him, if he ever does, or has lived his life and died. Of course, Cyril's as healthy as a horse, so that will be in several decades, but surely a Lugia has a longer span of life than a human does?

He's only a child! pleaded Mrs Lugia.

Yes, that could be a problem. the man said. Cyril will no doubt be disappointed and expecting something larger, but if I explain the situation he will understand, I'm sure. He will grow.

Mrs Lugia found herself in a dilemma. She knew she had to get Lu free, but she could only think of one way, in the face of the man's stubbornness. She had a brief argument with her mate about it, and fiercely made him see her point of view. Then she spoke to the man, being very careful not to let Lu hear.

You say your friend wants a Lugia, but you're worried he might be disappointed at the size? Your friend wants a Lugia, I want my son free. Will you let him go if I take his place?

There was a long silence from the man. Then he said

You would come in his place, to be given to my friend?

Yes. said Mrs Lugia.

Why should I believe you?

I'm a mother. I would do anything for my son. she replied.

Back in the man's hut, the man took a gun, the type used for firing radio transmitters into the blubber of whales. He brought it over and opened the cage containing Lu and Rachel. Grabbing for Lu's tail, he put the gun muzzle on it just below the junction between the back and tail, and fired.

Lu let out an unmusical bellow and shot across the cage. He turned, with pain in his eyes, to lick his tail, which was now bleeding.

Lu! 'called' the mother, who had heard that bellow. What happened!.

He hurt my tail! Lu cried.

I've just put a radio transmitter in him, that's all, it won't kill him. I've decided to accept your offer. the man said to Mrs Lugia.

And you won't catch Lu again? You won't go after him once I've gone with you? Mrs Lugia asked.

You be quiet! said the man to her. I call the shots from now. Your son now has a radio transmitter embedded within him. If I wanted, I could find out where he was, at any time, and capture him. Whether I do or not depends on you.

What must I do to ensure you don't? Mrs Lugia asked.

Several things. You do not resist me. When I give you to my friend, you do not resist him. You do not attempt to escape. You do as I say, and you do as he says. I am warning you, if you resist me, or I hear later from my friend that you have escaped, I will go after him.

Okay, I promise to do as you have asked. said Mrs Lugia. Please, let him go, and I will come to you.

If you renege on your agreement, I will come after him, I will also hunt him down if you later take revenge. he said. That applies to any Lugia!

Mrs Lugia quickly relayed this to her mate so that he wouldn't aeroblast the man, or attempt a rescue after she'd been given to the man's friend.

Okay. said Mrs Lugia.

The man went over to the cage with Rachel and Lu in. He opened the cage door, and pointed at Lu. "Out." He said. "You're going home!" As Lu cautiously came out, Rachel gave the man a querying look. "No, you stay there." he said. Once Lu had gone out, he closed the cage door, and opened the door of his hut. Lu looked back at Rachel.

We'll come back for you! Don't worry! he said. Then he shot out of the door as though Lawrence the Third was after him.

On the beach, shaking off the excess water, stood his mother. He raced over, and clasped her body with his wings. Mum! he said. She lowered her head, and they stroked cheeks and twined necks. She closed her wings over him, gave him a loving squeeze, then let go.

Lu, go home, your father is waiting for you. You will need to rest that tail for a few days. Mrs Lugia told her son. I have business to finish with this man. Lu gave her a querying look, but a stern glare from his mother had him running down the beach and swimming out. He turned his head back, for a last look at his mother before putting his head in the water and diving down.

Mrs Lugia waited till the ripples had vanished, then turned and headed for where the man still stood with his door open. Folding her wings, she crouched, and just managed to squeeze in, but not without some ominous creaks and groans from the hut. She was too big to get in Rachel's cage, but shuffled over to a space on the floor, and settled there. The man looked at her with a triumphant smile on his face.

"My, you are magnificent, aren't you? Cyril will be very pleased with you indeed. I don't have a cage big enough to hold you, so you'll have to stay there. I'll take you out to do your business at dawn and at dusk. I will also provide a sand-box, but you are to use it only if you can't wait. My friend will be coming here two days from now, and you must be friendly and compliant with him." He turned to Rachel, and pointed at her through the cage. "This also applies to you. No talking to him, no acting human, be friendly and obedient, or I might be taking back your little Lugia-friend."

Rachel looked upset, then looked down. The man continued. "You see, the little Lugia's continued freedom depends upon both of you behaving yourselves. I'm going to let you out, Lugia-girl, to keep this Lugia company. Try to escape, and I'll have to recapture her son. Do you understand?" Rachel nodded. The man let her out and she ran, with tears trickling down her face, to Mrs Lugia's side. Mrs Lugia lifted a wing, and gently lowered it over Rachel.

The man went through to his back room, to feed the Pokémon he had stored there-Pokémon he'd not been able to shift, or was keeping for someone or something special. The figure he addressed was one of the latter. The man spoke.

"I don't mind giving that Lugia and your friend out there to Cyril, seeing as I should get plenty of money from Lawrence the Third for you. Articuno was the only bird he didn't catch last year-except for Lugia, that is-and I'm sure he'll love to have you to show off. However, seeing as a Lugia is a very special prize, I might charge him a bit for it-nothing near as much as it's worth, because Cyril couldn't afford it, but enough to make a tidy packet."

The figure moved forwards, proving to resemble the Ice-Titan, Articuno, but with human-shaped legs and a very human face. Her eyes, under the tri-feathered Articuno crest, were green rather than red, and although her nose was beaklike, she possessed a separate, human-looking mouth. Her head and body were covered in feathers. Her feet were bird-like, with the classical three-toes-forward-one-toe-back arrangement. Instead of arms, she possessed a long, spreading pair of brilliant blue wings. Two ears, pale blue and small, but still human, showed among the feathers on her head.

"What's he like?" she asked.

"Lawrence? Blonde, tall, blue eyes. Here, take a look at this." He handed her a very bad photocopy. It was an article copied from the Island's paper, the Shamouti Times. "He's a collector, you see, he goes after the rarest of things, and that includes you, my dear." Julie looked at the clipping, which detailed the events of the Festival of the year 2000. The photo of Lawrence was a fuzzy blur, but the article was just about readable. It spoke of how Lawrence the Third had used force-fields to capture and hold the birds. Julie began to worry.

The man went to a cupboard, got out a big bag of pokéchow, and poured some into a bowl, which he placed in the Articuno-girl's cage. Then he went on to a Pikachu he had in a shock-proof glass cage.

It looked up morosely, and then glared at him, sparking its cheeks. He quickly as possible put a bowl of pokéchow in, then moved on to a cage tucked between two others in a corner.

The person inside looked up sullenly. His hair was black and messy, and his eyes were brown. Red cheek-pouches were visible on his face, and among the hair on his head was a pair of Pikachu ears. He wore a very smelly yellow velvet jump-suit, with a slit at the bottom so he could use the bucket, which served as a toilet, without removing it (there were no fasteners on it anyway.) Two brown stripes were printed roughly at bum level. From a hole at the same level on the back of the suit protruded a Pikachu tail.

"Let me have my Pikachu back!" he said. "The way you cage up the Pokémon you sell is disgusting! Pokémon have feelings too!"

The man's face darkened. He opened Ash's cage and pulled him roughly out. Ash attempted to thundershock, but the copper wire round his ankle and attached to a bar of the cage effectively earthed him, preventing him from doing so. "I think you need a couple of extra stripes on your bum, Pika-brat!" the man said. He took the long, thin cane he had in his belt, and brought it down hard, twice, on Ash's bottom. Ash cried out in pain. Suddenly, there was snow everywhere.

"Leave him alone!" the Articuno-girl cried. "He's only a kid, and you're keeping his Pokémon from him! You're hurting him!" The man thrust Ash back in his cage none too gently, deliberately neglected to give Ash some pokéchow, and shut the door. He went around to the back of the Articuno-girls cage, and turned the temperature dial up to 30°C.

"For every blizzard you do, I'll put the heat up by an additional degree till next morning!" he said. "That'll teach you some respect!" He walked out.

Getting out a large bowl, he put it in front of Rachel and Mrs Lugia, and emptied the rest of the pokéchow into it.

"That's for both of you to share." He said. Mrs Lugia sniffed at it, and sampled a bit. She closed her eyes and reached her head around to gently nuzzle a sleepy Rachel. Settling down, she carefully adjusted her wing so Rachel could lie down comfortably but still be covered by it, and settled down to sleep.