After finally beating Gail, the leader of Aviary Gym, and gaining 3 baby pidgeys, our heroes are continuing on towards Brittany Space Station; but they still have a few miles to go, including a large desert.

"It's sooooo hot," Jacen cried, plugging along like a cloyster was clamped onto his leg.

"Don't be such a wimp!" Krystal answered, jogging up beside him and wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead, "This weather will be good for you! It'll make a MAN out of you!"

"Krystal, I doubt that..." Bram commented, "No offense Jacen, but I don't think enduring such things makes a 'MAN' out of you."

Jacen was too hot to get mad at Bram, or Krystal for that matter. They had traveled for a few hours now through the desert; and although they were prepared for the heat with plenty of supplies, the walk itself was grueling, and they were all feeling the fatique of the desert.

Bram couldn't take the heat any longer. Since he always wears dark clothes, the heat was taking its toll. (And for those of you who don't know, dark clothes conduct heat, making you hot; whereas light clothes reflect the light, making you cooler.) He longed to take off his royal purple velvet cape, but that was what made him mysterious, and he didn't want to ruin his reputation. Then again, he thought to himself, who would see him out here?

Then Bram got an idea. He stopped right in his sand tracks and pulled out a long pink parasol. As he opened it, Jacen and Krystal turned around. Immediately they gasped and stared at him, then the laughter came on.

"Heee-Heee-Heee!" Krystal sniggered.

"Um Bram..." Jacen started.

"WHAT!?! This is my mother's parasol! It's not what you think! Really! I'm just so hot and I-" Bram protected his frilly parasol.

Krystal interrupted him, "Bram, why don't you just take off your silly-"

"IT'S NOT SILLY!" Bram whined louder than needed, "My cape is an important piece of my wardrobe! I wear it everywhere."

"My point exactly! You never take it off!" Krystal complained, and then had a thought, "Just what are you hiding under there anyway?"

"Stuff..." his head drooped down and he stared at the golden sands.

"Like?..." Krystal motioned for him to go on.

He began to name things off, "Well, a toaster, some pokéballs, my autographed tennis racket, my sunglasses-Oh! I should put those on," which he did, "...and well... STUFF!"

They looked very shocked that he had such things in there, but then again, most of the time anything he pulled out was a total surprise. Krystal wondered how it all could fit in there. A backpack is one thing, which she and Jacen both carried, but a cape? She decided to think about it later. It was too hot for deep thinking. For any thinking for that matter, she thought.


"And now he's said something about a ... toaster?" Jannie said, watching our heros through her favorite pair of binoculars. Sandy, her sandshrew, was also enveloped watching them through her own toy pair.

"What a bunch of weirdos..." Jared commented. He was busily painting letters on a small sign which was planted in the middle of a desert sand dune. However, the letters were melting slowly in the waves of heat, "But now I'll get all their money! This plan is so foolproof, nothing could go wrong!"

"That's what you always say!" said Jannie, who put the binoculars on her lap and turned to see what he was doing. Suddenly her eyes widened, "OOOH! JARED!!! Look what you've done!"

"What?" he asked, not knowing what in the world she was talking about.

"I told you we should have used watercolors, the acrylics have melted off and my masterpiece is ruined. Now look at it, the balance is off, the color scheme is kaput, and..."

Jared interrupted her critique, "When did you learn anything about art?"

"Mommie gave me an art kit, and she's says I'm a 'Pro-digi-dy', whatever that is..." Jannie said proudly, she went and violently snatched the brush from Jared and proceeded to fix it as best she could. Sandy picked up the open tube of ruby red paint and sat down beside her.

"Right..." Jared said, "We'd better get ready! They'll be coming by in a few minutes! You and especially Sandy need to get your costumes on!" Jared himself had on an interesting disguise that made him look like a desert marauder right out of the old Lawerance of Arabia movie with his long tan robes and golden cloth belt, topped off with a pair of dark sunglasses.

At that moment, Jannie thought he looked really cute! She also thought what a disaster he is... because he can't paint for BEANS! "We will!, we will! Just as soon as I fix this disaster YOU call a sign!" she retaliated as she continued to push perfection on the sign which now read: "BEWARE OF SAND-SHARKS", with the "S"s still dripping.


Meanwhile...

"Sometimes, we want bread too, Bram!" Krystal replied.

"But, it's MY bread machine! My dad gave it to me for Christmas last year... It's very special!"

"I've used one of those before, I won't break it," Jacen said trying to reason with him.

"Betcha haven't used this one."

"That's why I want to!" Jacen explained.

"Well... I'll think about it..." he lied. He wasn't even about to let anyone touch his precious bread machine.

As the conversation died down, the trio passed a variety of small signs, each saying something around the lines of Sand Sharks were in the area, and to keep out of it. They ignored these warnings completely and would have gone on had it not be for an extremely large sign that read:

SAND SHARK TERRITORY ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

They stood and read it. Buddy walked up towards it and saw writing in the very corner. He nudged Krystal and as she looked at him, he pointed it out with his vine.

"What's that you found Buddy?" she asked aloud as she bent down, "It says: 'Remember, we warned you!'?"

Jacen gulped loudly at the grim warning.

"What's all this nonsense about 'Sand Sharks'? I've never heard of-" Bram was interrupted by a rumbling under the ground. Suddenly a fin popped out and began to circle them.

"EEK! SHARK!" Jacen screamed, leaping into Krystal's arms.

"Calm down! I'll handle this!" Jacen hopped down and Krystal reached for Baby's pokéball.

Suddenly the fin disappeared beneathe the sand like a real shark would in the water. A pungent odor filled the air, and Krystal wriggled her nose in disgust, "What is that awful smell?"

A mysterious man appeared from behind the enormous sign, "It's Sand-Shark Repellant!"

"Repellant?" Bram asked.

"Yes, and if you want to cross this desert alive, you'd better buy some!" he said.

"Who are you?" Krystal asked, looking at his strange clothes, "Indiana Jones or something?"

"Not quite... My name is... uh-Nevada Smith! My shark repellant will keep the nasty creatures away so you may journey in safety!" he smiled an almost wickedly nice smile.

Bram didn't buy it. He approached him, "What are you talking about? Sand Sharks? Really, it's all nonsense!"

A blood-curtling scream pierced the air, and the group turned to see a crotchity old woman frantically running towards them.

"Help! Sand-Shark!" she shreiked at the top of her lungs. A large fin was following her.

"Good Woman! I'll save you!" Mr. Nevada Smith pulled out a spray bottle and held it almost in a pose. He then sprayed the small fin as the lady ran by. The fin jerked to a halt and then disappeared once again under the sea-like desert.

"Thank-you sir! You saved my life! How can I ever repay you?!"

"No thanks needed, Ma'am," he said, "But next time, you should heed the sign's warnings and stay far away from this land. Unless," he added, "You're properly prepared with some of my Fin-Away Shark Repellant!"

"I cross this desert everyday! I'll buy THREE bottles!!!" she fished into the purse she was carrying and pulled out a wad of bills. She paid him and he gave her the merchandise, "My hero!" she pinched his cheek.

"You be careful now!" he called not-so-enthusiastically as she left, rubbing his sore face.

"Isn't he brave?" Krystal whispered excitedly to Jacen.

"Wow, he sure is..." he agreed.

"Where are these so-called Sand Sharks? All we've seen is a fin!"

"Bram, I think we should buy some repellant!" Krystal scolded him, "It worked for the little old lady!"

"How much is this stuff anyways?" Jacen asked the man.

"Well... for you, I'll give you a discount... 20 bucks!"

"For that itty-bitty bottle?! I wouldn't give YOU 20 cents." Bram said flatly. Just then, something grabbed his leg, "What-AHHH! The sand shark is eating my leg! The sand shark is EATING my LEG!" He struggled and the thing pulled his leg into the sand.

"Bram!! Oh-No! Mister, we'll buy some of that stuff!" Krystal begged him, and got down on her knees, with tears in her eyes. "He's sorry he didn't believe you! Just let us have some! Please!"

Jared loved seeing the little brat beg for mercy! He loved it so much he couldn't help but unleash a heinous laugh, "M-WAH-HAHAHAHA!"

"Huh?" she murmured, looking up at his face, "You sound familiar."
Jacen rushed to Bram and together they pulled on his leg, while Krystal bargained with the short man.

"Oh, well, I'm very famous in many parts of the world," he said smiling nervously.

"Hmmm..."

"A little help over here!" Jacen yelled to Krystal, as he and Bram continued to pull on Bram's leg.

"Coming!" she said taking one last look at the mysterious guy.

Together, they were finally able to yank out Bram's leg. But they were shocked to see what was attached to it!

"It's... it's a SANDSHREW?" Krystal said.

"I knew it! There no such things as Sand Sharks!" Bram said trying to pry the sandshrew off his leg.

"Why does it have a cardboard fin on it's back?" Jacen asked, pointing.

"Looks like we've been found out Jared!"

"Come on out Jannie!"

Suddenly a cloud of sand swirled all around our heroes.

"Nice Sandstorm Sandy!" a voice called through it.

"Sandy?" Krystal repeated, "That means it's..."

"NEO TEAM ROCKET!" they yelled together.

"Great! That's all we need!" Bram complained.

Suddenly the cloud dispersed, as quickly as it came, and the mysterious man and old woman stood before them. They tore off their costumes and revealed their true forms... none other than Jannie and Jared of NEO Team Rocket!

"If at first you don't succeed!" They called out.
"To take the world's pokémon!"
"Being honest is no fun!"
"To make the goodie-goodies suffer our plight!"
"We're here to rekindle the fight!"
"Jannie!">
"Jared!"
"NEO Team Rocket Unite in the ways of old!"
"Sit back now and watch MY plan unfold!"
"Sandshrew!" Sandy called as she tore off her little fin mid-air, landing in between them.

"And to think I almost paid you for that stuff!" Krystal yelled at them.

"HA-ha! Yes, that was a sight for sore eyes!" Jared said, "Now who's the dummy! You'd buy your own leg if someone gave you a price for it!"

"Ugh! That's it! Put your pokémon where your mouth is and let's have a pokémon battle!"

"Alright! You're on, Little Miss I-think-I'm-so-cool-but-I'm-NOT!"

"Okay Brooke, I choose you!" she grabbed for her pokéball and tossed it out. Buddy, looking rather depressed, sat down a short distance away and sighed loudly.

"Ooooh! I'm so scared! It's your turn MR. E!!! Go get'm!" Jared yelled as he thrusted out a pokéball.

"Mystery? What's he trying to pull now?" Bram asked Jacen.

"Actually, I think he said Mr. E.."

"OH...okay...-What a stupid name!"

"WHAT! How dare you insult MY boyfriend's pokémon!!! I'll moy-tilize you!!!" Jannie cried.

"What are you talking about Jannie?" he turned towards her.

"How am I supposed to know?" she shrugged.

Jared smacked his forehead and sighed. "Anyway, Brat-"

"Hey!" Jannie yelled, not getting it.

Jared pointed at Krystal to make his point. "Let's go!" He chucked the pokéball and Mr. E, the abra, popped out.

"Cool!" Krystal exclaimed. "Hey Brooke, that's the psychic type abra, and you're the Psychic Jigglypuff! Let's see how well you can whip his poké-behind!"

Jared laughed at this. "I think that his won't be the behind that gets whipped, Little Missy. Mr. E, use... Um,"

Mr. E decided to take a nap at that moment, and toppled over into a peaceful slumber.

"Um, okay, use Rest. That's fine... Yeah, I command you!" He said, standing 'tall'.

"What a dorky move!!" Krystal laughed, "It doesn't do anything!"

Suddenly, Mr. E began to snore very loud. It rose to a deafening level and everyone, including Jared had to cover their ears. Brooke swayed around a bit.

*My ears hurt Krystal!!* she whined in telepathy.

"Hit 'em with a Psywave, or something!"

*I-I can't!*

"Mr. E! Wake up and hit her while she flinches!!! Wake up, you lazy pokémon! You're so stupid!!!" Jared yelled, but was drowned out over the noise.

"BROOKE! Do something! Anything!"

*Okay! I'll try!* Brooke wiggled and closed her eyes and out came a blue psywave. It rushed past Mr. E and blew him away. He rolled about like he was caught in a tornado and finally stopped in front of Jared, who stomped the ground furiously.

"OOOOH! That does it! I can't work under these status conditions! Let's get outta here Jannie!"

"I can't here you, speak up!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Jared sighed painfully and grabbed her by the arm, "This time was just a lucky punch, because next time I'm gonna CREAM you!" he called back Mr. E to his pokéball.

"I'll scream if I want to Jair-air-air-air-" he knocked her in the back, and they ran away, with Sandy making a dust cloud behind them.

"Ooooh! That Jared makes me so mad! I whooped him fair and square!" she shouted in his direction.

"Don't worry about it Krystal," Bram said, "At least they're out of our hair..."

"We could use ARFIE to cross the desert!" Jacen exclaimed with a spontaneous shout of joy.

"What are you talking about, Jacen?" Bram asked.

"Sorry, it's just, I think it would be a lot easier if we all rode on Arfie while we cross the desert, that way, we won't get exhausted."

"Your Arcanine? But won't he get too hot?" Krystal asked.

"Don't worry, he's a Fire-type. He likes the heat!" and with that said, Jacen whipped out his pokéball and released Arfie.

"ARRRCANNINE!" he howled, happy to be out in the sunshine.

"Come on, let's go!" he shouted, hopping on Arfie's back. He helped Krystal and Bram up and Arfie sped off quick as the wind that was blowing across the sands.

End of Chapter One
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