The three friends travel along the path outside of Leafy Creek through some trees and plains. After about a minute walk, the three pokemon approach a wide-opened space dotted with vibrant flowers around.
“Here we are,” Benny claims. “The Meadow of Colors.”
“Ooh!” comments Nate. “Such pretty flowers! I love this place already.”
“Okay,” Zach starts. “So, why are we here? Is the missing pokemon around this meadow somewhere?”
“This was the last known location Manny said she was in,” the Benny tells him. “She was here. The question is, what happened? And what caused them to disappear?”
“Wee!” Nate rolls around in the bed of florae, covering himself in the petals of the colored plants. “Ah, soft and colorful. I love it!”
Zach watches him as he rolls around, crossing his arms and pouting in disbelief. “We’re not here to frolic in the flowers. We’re here to find the missing pokemon.” His expression soon turns to curiosity as he takes notice of something appearing out from the flowers beside the fennekin. He walks over, then bends down to pick it up and hold it in his paw: an emerald green bandana. “Hey Benny, I think I’ve found something!” The buneary makes her way to the riolu and asks what he’s found. Zach stands and turns to the bunny pokemon, presenting her with his find. “Did the missing pokemon wear a green bandana. Most particularly this one?”
“Why yes,” she says. “Manny did mention she was part of the green team. You’ve found their piece of clothing.”
Nate ceases her merriment and stands up. “Oh, and how does that help us?”
“If we can catch the scent off of this, it’ll lead us to where the missing pokemon is.” Zach holds it near the fennekin’s nose. “Are you able to get a scent off of this?” Nate sniffs the bandana, then raises his snout to the air. His nose twitches as he wanders off. The riolu and buneary follow him as he leads them through the field. The three pokemon track the scent to a cave just two minutes from their starting position. “Good work, Nate!” The fire fox smiles. They enter through the mouth of the cave and begin their search. Figures ahead prompt them to hide behind a raised portion of rock and peak over. Across the way, they spot a pichu with a purple flower in her head with rope all around her body as she’s propped up against a wooden pole.
In front of her is a gengar, sneering at the unfortunate pokemon as he runs his hand under her chin. “Well, my dear, looks like you’ve got yourself deep in this one. It’ll be a sweet pleasure to reap a ransom out of you. Now, tell me where your friends are, and I promise I’ll be easy on you.”
“I’m not telling you anything!” the pichu yells. “I wouldn’t be so foolish to betray my friends!”
“Then, I guess I’ll have to punish you hard until you can comply like a good girl.”
“There’s the missing pokemon,” whispers Benny “We have to save her.”
“How do we do that?” Zach asks. “We talking sneak up and knock out the gengar?” Benny confirms his plan, but the fennekin sniffles and his mouth gapes, ready to sneeze.
Benny quickly blocks his nose with her paw. “Nate, no!” With that, the buneary has ceased Nate’s sneeze. “Phew, that was close.” A minor explosion hits the rock in front of them, causing the three to tumble to the ground. “Ah!”
The gengar, facing the three pokemon with his arms raised. “So, I’ve got spies in my domain, eh? Prepare to face my wrath and be destroyed!” The purple pokemon charges a shadow ball and fires it at the pokemon. The gang dodge it by scattering before it hits. Zach uses his quick attack to get close to the ghost pokemon, but he’s knocked away by the gengar’s shadow punch. His back hits against the wall, and his body slumps to the ground. He’s knocked out from the impact.
“Zach!” Benny focuses her attention to the purple pokemon as she evades his confuse ray, bouncing off the walls and floor. Then, Nate steps in and tackles the gengar as he’s distracted. Just as the fennekin has him pinned, the ghost pokemon’s eyes start to swirl. Nate stares into them, his eyes doing the same. “Nate, don’t look! He’s hypnotizing you!” The gengar kicks him off to side.
“I’m going to make you squeak, Bunny!” The gengar goes after Benny next, but the buneary dodges him and tries using quick attack.
Zach struggles to his feet and watches the fight. “Benny!” The riolu charges up and uses his metal claw on the purple pokemon in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. The gengar shows his tongue and proceeds to lick the riolu, but Zach sidesteps and eludes it with every move. The ghost pokemon tries one more time when the riolu grabs his tongue. “Not this time!” He pulls and swings the pokemon around and throws him at the cave wall. The gengar struggles to get up when Benny punches him toward the cave wall with her dizzy punch, pushing him against the rocky surface. The vibrations then cause rock to collapse and trap the evil pokemon underneath.
“Ugh!” The ghost pokemon struggles. “I will get you for this! Just you wait until I-”
Nate smacks him with his tail whip to knock him out. “Oh, shut it!”
Benny heads over to the pichu and unties her, freeing the yellow pokemon. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” the pichu responds. “You three were amazing, taking on that gengar. How did you know where I was?”
Zach holds out the green bandana to her. “I believe it was because of this. We used it to track your scent.”
“Quite cunning of you.” She takes her bandana back and wears it around her neck. “I appreciate it.”
“Um, you’re welcome, Miss-”
“Elise,” the pichu tells him. “I’m Elise. And to who do I owe the honor of thanking for the rescue?” The three friends look at each other, then back to the pichu to introduce themselves. “Well, it is with wondrous integrity that your heroic deeds be recognized.”
“We’re headed back to town,” Benny says. “You should come with us so you’re not alone.”
“Oh, I’m quite alright,” Elise assures her. “I can head to Leafy Creek on my own, and my team’s base is not too far from here. I was just unfortunate when that gengar took me by surprise.”
“The Green Team, I suppose?” Nate states.
“Of course!” she answers. “How did you know?”
“We’ve gotten news about it,” Benny tells her. “Team Rescuers were supposed to look for you, but for some reason, they’re not focused on that task. So, we decided to take it up from what a friend told us.”
“Oh, are you three a rescue team, too?”
“Not quite,” responds Zach. “We’re mostly an adventure team. We’re just starting out.”
“I’m learning to be part of Team Rescuers. I was on my way to Leafy Creek to deliver something to Team Rescuers from them when I was attacked.” She takes out an envelope hiddenly wrapped from within her bandana. “Oh, good! It’s still here. I thought that gengar might’ve taken it. Speaking of which, we should go before he wakes up and frees himself.”
“Let us escort you to town,” Zach adds. “We don’t want you to get captured again.”
“Oh, I sense a gentleman within this one.” She walks toward the riolu. “You’re a handsome riolu, too.” The pichu puts her arms around him. “I wouldn’t mind you escorting me to town. In fact, you can escort me anywhere, Fine Riolu.”
Zach looks away with a slight blush. “Um… I think I might be a little too old for you…”
The pichu giggles and lets go of him. “Okay them. Oh, before we go, there’s one more thing to take; the gengar’s loot. It appears he’s been taking from travelers and stealing from towns, along with two other pokemon. My team and I have no use for it, but you may take it as you wish.”
“Thanks,” responds Benny. She and the others survey the treasures. “Doesn’t look like there’s too much, but it should be good enough.”
