Lyra of Destiny

"Hey… isn't that a Delibird?" Misty pointed to something behind a bush. The penguin in question panicked and ducked completely behind the bush before waddling around the corner.

"Yeah, I think it was. But those I know for certain don't just hang around the Indigo Plateau…"

**********

Brock wandered along, muttering to himself, a bag in his hand. "Now where'd they… ah-hah!"

"Finally! What took you so long?" Tracey asked, looking up from his green-only sketch of Chikorita. [A/N: I'd whine about the being to much like a girl Tracey right now except my Chikoritas all look really chubby]

"Well I would've been longer except I almost got caught, thank you very much," Brock snorted before looking over Tracey's shoulder at the sketch. O_O' "You know… maybe you should stay away from the painting thing?"

"Just shuddup, will you?"

"I think it looks kinda cute. And a lot like me… thank you, Tracey!" Chikorita said hyperly and kissed him on the cheek. "Wait 'till I show Ash 'n everyone!"

"Please… don't? They'll know it was me who drew it, and I'm supposed to be back home, *remember*?"

"Oh, right. Can I still show the other pokémon?"

"Just don't let Pikachu see it."

"See what?" a girl said with a smile, wandering up behind the three. She had long, deep magenta colored hair that was fairly curly and yet lacked the 'middle-school' appearance that hair of that type always gave people [Trust me it does most people]. Her eyes, in retrospect, were a cool crystalline brown, and her smile was almost too calm compared to the clear intensity of her personality. And yet somehow, she seemed to have some type of mystical aura about her… she didn't seem quite… human… But yet here she was, standing there, a beautiful human girl, around age 17, with a set of pokéballs proudly displayed on her belt. There was also a seventh, almost decorative pokéball attached to an invisible line around her neck. She was one of those girls that everyone would expect both Brock and Tracey to be instantly drooling over. And yet they weren't. "Ooo… that's good," she smiled, patting Tracey on the head.

"Hmm thanks…"

"I don't see why you three think you need to hide from them… I think Misty at least would be quite happy to see at least you," Chikorita looked up at the human girl.

"We have our reasons… Sorry, Rita, but I can't do that yet…" she answered, then turned to Tracey and Brock, "You two find out anything? Or at least have any luck on your own objectives?" she said slyly.

"Well, he-" Brock started to say, but was then knocked to the ground 'mysteriously', a few green-painted feathers following him.

"We didn't really achieve anything today, except I think he may have found something out…" Tracey said innocently.

"Ooo what, what? What do you need to know?" Chikorita began jumping up and down.

"Um…" the girl tilted her head to one side quizzically. "Any clue what rooms they're in?"

"Not rooms or even room. They've got a condo, it's the yellow one on pine near the pokémon center," Chikorita responded happily. "And there's one for rent next door if you need it…"

"What color is it?" the girl asked the grass type.

"Red."

"We'll take it." Brock and Tracey both sighed… they could recognize the all too common look on each others' faces…

She's hopeless.

"Hey, Chikorita!"

"Chikorita, where you at?"

"Oh no! Ash and Misty are coming this way!" Chikorita panicked.

"Run!" Tracey yelled. "Someone, quick, hide the painting!"

"Play it cool," Brock contradicted. "Hopefully they won't recognize us."

"They'd have to run into us sooner or later, so we stay," the girl mumbled, trying to avoid the instinct she had at the moment to run away.

"Why do you always pick his side?" Tracey whined.

"I don't."

"She doesn't. I'm just the straight one here, that's all," Brock chuckled under his breath.

"Chikorita?! Oh, there you are!" Ash smiled at his second favorite pokémon, who, since recent events, he kept out almost as much as Pikachu, (snoozing in Ash's backpack by the way. And you'll see Togepi's location.) grinned and jumped into his arms. "um, hi…" he looked at the girl.

*blink, blink* "I guess this explains the strange pokémon we've seen around here today," Misty added. "You're a trainer then?"

"Uh-huh… oh, I'm sorry… my name is Vixie, um, Nokoro…" Ash and Misty both nodded slowly in response. "It's short for Vixirenagale. Don't ask me where I got that name…" she sighed sheepishly.

"Oh… Well, I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash held out his hand.

"I'm Misty Yawa," Misty added. [that's her Japanese last name! Deal with it!] "you'll have to forgive me if I stare… you just seem familiar…" Vixie's eyes enlarged as she heard the comment.

Oh no, if they figure it out… "Well, no offense, but I gotta get going. I'm still house shopping…" she admitted, wandering off at a reasonably quick pace, the two guys giving chase. "Good luck in the league, Ash!"

"How'd she know only I was entering?"

"Maybe she didn't. maybe she just thinks you're cute," Misty suggested.

"Wa please, no."

"She better! Otherwise she's got really poor taste… But either way I'd have to punch her for it…" she grinned, as they headed back towards their condo (yes Ash's mom is staying there with them :P). And you better not get any ideas because I know you and you're a lot like every other teenage guy I know… meaning you probably think that girl

Different, ne? Anyway, if you figured at least part of it out already, don't say it in a review. E-mail me if you simply must say it ([email protected]), I'm always in the mood for mail. I'm not sure if I wanna go through with this series or not, I think it may be a bad idea to have attempted a sequel… I dunno, you tell me. Review please! Ja ne to heiwa!