Pokemon: Freedom of the World

Chapter 2: Caged Friendship Blooms

It turned out that there was a disproportionate amount of forest between Alruna's home and the lab she was heading towards. She had already stumbled across several Pokemon. Luckily, the Bidoof and Zigzagoon were friendly, but Alruna shuddered to think of what would have happened if they were not. She drew her hood over her head, and rubbed the white embroidery on her jacket's back.

The shrill cry of a pokemon caught her attention. This wasn't the general chatter of the forest. In fact, that chatter had gone silent. A chill ran through Alruna. Against her better judgement, she started making her way towards the cry. "It's nothing. Just a startled Oddish. Nothing at all." Alruna attempted to convince herself.

She found a clearing, where a was Rattata sitting in a cage. Next to it was a hole, with a Psyduck just sitting inside, having clearly fallen. The cry had come from what she remembered to be a Budew by the Rattata, which was clearly trying to chew through the cage. Alruna frowned.

This had to be a trap laid by a Pokemon Hunter. Alruna shuddered at the type of person who would capture a pokemon and sell it. She never wanted to meet one. Somehow, she thought as she leaned down in order to open the cage, she got the feeling that she would not be granted such a wish.

The cage opened and the Rattata scrambled out, but Alruna was now aware of the sound of a motor vehicle approaching. This was not a well known route, so that was most likely the hunter returning to check. The Budew stood at Alruna's side as she reached down into the hole to help the Psyduck out.

"Just... a bit... further..." She had to stretch more than she planned to reach. Alruna managed to grab the Psyduck's outstretched arm, and heaved it to the top. However, before she could watch it scurry off, the dirt ledge she was on gave out, making Alruna slip. More importantly, making the Budew fall.

Alruna curled one arm around the Budew as she snatched at the grass to keep from slipping. When she succeeded, she sighed in relief. It would be okay. She couldn't even hear the vehicle coming anymore.

"Boo." A sharp laugh startled her. She barely managed to keep from falling. That would be why she couldn't hear it, now wouldn't it? She couldn't look, but she heard footfalls approaching. Then- did they just step on her hand? It sure hurt as if they did. That was it. Her hand finally slipped, sending both her and the Budew into the hole, into a Pokemon Poacher's trap.

The girl sat back against the earthen wall of the hole, as the hunter appeared at the opening. He was a short man with sharp features and a cruel grin. She had let the Budew go, and it was currently hiding behind her. She didn't blame it either. "What was that for?" She asked, her hand still hurt and her body bruised from the fall.

He grunted. "You ruined my profit by letting those pokemon go. I was supposed to get a Psyduck in one of these," He tossed a Pokeball that Alruna identified as a Nest Ball to his other hand. "And you ruined it. Now I'm going to have to trap another one to get my money."

Alruna snarled. "Pokemon are not just sources of money! They have feelings and lives too! You're just a greedy jerk!" To be honest, that was a lot nicer than a lot of the things she was thinking about to describe him.

The Pokemon Hunter frowned at her. "Now, now, that's Mr. Greedy Jerk to you, little girl. I'd prefer Jackell, but..." He shrugged. "No matter, I suppose. Now, since you smartly have decided not to send your pokemon after me, I have to empty this trap." His grin turned downright feral. "I've never caught a human before."

That caused Alruna to shudder, huddling back. The Budew however, took offense to it. It sprang in front of Alruna and started squeaking at Jackell angrily. Alruna stared at it, a little in awe.

Jackell was less impressed. "I thought I saw a little bud earlier. What are you going to do? Wave flowers at me?" The Budew took this opportunity to use Growth, and got larger. Jackell merely laughed. "As entertaining as that is, I got things to do." He looked at Alruna. "Look kid, it's nothing personal. I just can't have you running around getting in my way. Besides, maybe I'll get some money off of your pokemon and the little flowerbud over here." His pokemon came into view, a Wigglytuff. "Wigglytuff, use Sing." Before she knew what was happening, Alruna fell asleep.

***

Alruna awoke on her side, arm over a Pokemon that she had barely met, and inside a metal cage. She quickly sat up, careful not to disturb the still sleeping Budew. The cage was barely big enough for her to stand up in, seemingly made for a larger pokemon. It was far from the only cage, or the only one occupied in what seemed to be a warehouse. There were plenty of other cages, many with Pokemon inside. Alruna glanced around warily.

Jackell noticed her stirring. "Ah, the little girl's awake." He stared at her from outside the cage. "I would have liked to separate you and that plant, but you just wouldn't let it go." He frowned. "Unfortunate. Also unfortunate that you don't have any Pokemon. What's a girl like you doing around here with no Pokemon at your age?" He shook his head. "No matter. Anyways, I've got to get going. More traps to check, ya know." With that he strolled out, his Wigglytuff following him.

The girl stared at the sleeping Budew. This was bad. She was only about an hour into the preview of her Pokemon journey and this had happened. Taking a deep breath, Alruna carefully shook Budew awake.

It, -him, she could identify the Budew as a boy, which was a rarer find than a female, awoke, staring at her.

Alruna moved her hand away. "This isn't a situation, now is it, Budew?" She frowned. "You need a name. I can't keep calling you Budew. What if there's another Budew in the area? Can you imagine how confusing that would get?"

The yet unnamed Budew squeaked at her, tilting his head. From what Alruna could tell, he liked the idea of a name.

"Hmm... Rosebud?" He shook his head. "Yeah, that's pretty predictable I suppose." Alruna hummed. "I guess all flower names are off the table?" She asked with a laugh, turning to consider the pokemon's appearance. "You're very green... greeny." Alruna brightened. "That's it! Greeni!"

The Budew, now Greeni was very excited at this. He chattered happily at her. Alruna laughed again. Then she turned back to the cage. "Alright, my friend." Alruna said. "We need to get out of here." She began to reach through the cage, desperate to find something. After all, this cage was designed to hold Pokemon, not humans. She might be able to figure a way to open it.

Alruna slumped back down, Greeni coming over to look up at her. "Nothing." She muttered. "No way out." She dug through her pockets, looking for something, anything that could help her. "Absolutely nothing. We're stuck, aren't we?"

She turned to Greeni only to see that he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the wall of the warehouse that the cage was next to. Next to it was a long stick. One that she could have sworn was not there when Alruna looked before. She slid it out and grabbed it through the bars of the cage. That's when she realized that it was a broken bar of the cage. She had realized that it was bent in her earlier search, but she wasn't strong enough to do anything with it. Oddly enough, there were small shiny flecks in the pole, like gemstones.

"We have a stick. I guess that's going for our escape." She remarked to Greeni. He chittered at her some more. Then Greeni nudged her to the side. Alruna looked up and saw what he wanted her to look at. Jackell had left the keys to the cage on a crate. "Where's a Klefki when you need one?" She muttered. It was a nearby crate, perhaps in reach of... a long stick! "We have a stick!" Alruna exclaimed. Greeni squeaked at her excitedly.

It took a few tries, but she managed to slide the key-ring down the stick, into her cage. The keys were coated rubber, possibly to prevent Electric and magnetic Pokemon from getting them. It took a couple tries, but Alruna figured out which key opened her cage. Then she slipped out, Greeni following.

Alruna hurried through the warehouse, unlocking cages left and right. She helped out a shaky legged Deerling and a couple of Carbinks as well as a Bronzor. More cautiously, she approached the Electrike and Charmeleon. When she unlocked the cage, neither of the antsy Pokemon attacked her. Like the others, they merely looked at her.

The girl straightened, taking a deep breath. "Alright, everyone. Jackell will be back any moment now. You should get out of here, go home. Be free." She looked at every Pokemon as she said this, making eye contact with Greeni.

In response, the Budew squeaked at her. His meaning was clear. "But what about you?"

There was a glint in Alruna's eyes that few had ever seen before. "I'm destroying this building if I have to tear it down brick by break."