A/N: This is currently the newest of my fics...and even then I wrote this one last Christmas. OTL At least it isn't a year old like the others I've been posting lately! ^^; Anyway, please R&R! :D

Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokémon, though I do own quite a few pokémon...if you know what I mean. ;)

Harlequin Pat

As White trudged up the rise, she spotted yet another raised walkway on the other side, extending out over the tall, olive-green grass. She let out a groan. "Another one?" she muttered, half to herself and half to the green serpent behind her.

The Serperior slithered silently to her side, not passing comment. He just blinked his cat-like eyes at her, as if waiting for whatever she did next. Ever since he'd evolved, this cold and utter silence had been all she could get out of him.

"Only thing is to keep going forward, huh, Aspen?" she sighed, not expecting an answer from her prideful starter and not receiving one anyway. She mounted the walkway as nimbly as possible and proceeded to teeter along it, confident thanks to the two others she'd climbed already. Aspen trailed behind, not unsettled in the slightest by the narrow path between him and a ten-foot fall.

They were almost home-free when a clown jumped out of nowhere, interrupting their progress.

"A battle on a raised walkway!" he cried, readying a pokéball. "Cool!"

White let out a huff of exasperation as she siphoned Aspen back into his pokéball and unclipped a quivering Ultra Ball from her belt. Didn't this boy know how dangerous this was? She decided right there and then that she would use a specialized scare tactic to teach him a lesson.

"Go, Emolga!" the harlequin announced theatrically, tossing the pokéball into the air.

White promptly dropped the Ultra Ball, which was by now just about hopping with anticipation, straight into the six-foot high grass below. Her opponent let out a shout of surprise, but before he could say anything she distracted him with a few dramatics of her own.

"You have no clue what you just got yourself into," White said in low, dark tones. "You truly don't have a chance in this battle…" She normally wasn't one for useless melodramatic monologue, but this was strategical; it drew the attention of both the harlequin and his Emolga away from her pokémon below, giving him enough time to phase from his pokéball and disappear into the grass.

Suddenly Harlequin Pat seemed to realize his predicament. He felt a cold pit of fear settle in his stomach as he stared wide-eyed at the grass below. Something was down there, rustling the stalks as it prowled back and forth. Even scarier, though, was when the grass stilled and not a hint of the creature's whereabouts was given.

Pat swallowed nervously. "Emolga, use ThunderShock attack! Aim right…" he paused for a moment, eyes narrowed as he tried to make out the shadows in the vegetation below. "There!" he shouted, pointing wildly at a spot where the grass had twitched a second before.

The Emolga obeyed, bunching itself up to store power and then unleashing a controlled burst of electricity at the target. When the charge died, everyone was holding their breath, and even the wild pokémon seemed to pause.

"…Bite," White murmured, her soft voice breaking the spell of silence. Neither Emolga nor its trainer even had time to gasp as what could only be described as a mouthful of teeth leapt from underneath and clamped fearsomely powerful jaws around the small electric pokémon. In the next moment, the teeth were gone, and Emolga had fallen into the clown's arms, fainted.

"Hmm," White mused, "You had a type advantage…and a disadvantage at the same time. Rather interesting. Now, are you done?" All throughout the dialogue, she was in motion, performing what looked like an odd dance as she stepped forward and backward, maintaining her balance. "No. No, I'm far from finished yet," Pat replied, returning Emolga. His pupils were still dilated in shock, but regardless he threw in his other pokéball.

The Sigilyph that emerged hovered above the walkway, its one eye scanning the underbrush for its opponent. As Pat stared blankly off into space, contemplating his Emolga's defeat, he utterly forgot to keep moving. Unnerved and unfocused, the distressed harlequin had only time to give the command "Psybeam!" before he lost his balance and toppled into the tall grass below. He landed on something softer yet scalier than ground. He lay still for a moment as he regained his senses, wondering what was digging into his side…

White watched it unfold as she continued her little dance on the walkway. Even if Sigilyph had attempted the Psybeam, she knew, it wouldn't have done the clown a load of good. In fact, the battle was practically over now.

A giant red-and-black crocodilian head rose over the stalks of brittle grass, careful not to dislodge its human passenger. Centered right between the behemoth's eyes, Harlequin Pat knew then that he'd never had a chance in the first place. The girl had used the perfect strategy, displaying a spectacular ability to exploit the full potential of her surroundings. Pat was dumbfounded. He'd never imagined himself in this situation. As he sat helpless, perched on a Krookodile's head with his Sigilyph underprepared, staring into the dark eyes of this mysterious trainer, he would have sworn an oath right then that he was in the presence of a future Champion.

Of what region? A voice in his mind prompted.

Any one she wants to take on, he replied in awe.

Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Krookodile. Foul Play." Pat paled and Sigilyph looked panicked as the giant red crocodile opened its gaping jaws. A dark aura seeped from Sigilyph and was swept away into Krookorok's toothful maw. Pat knew what was happening, but it was all he could do to slide down the Krookorok's spine and cling tightly to its neck before the beast sprang, doubly boosted by Sigilyph's own attack power. The Psychic pokémon didn't have a chance, not against these odds.

Using Krookorok's height, Pat managed to hoist himself back onto the platform, Sigilyphs's now occupied pokéball in hand. As he slapped a wad of pokédollars into White's palm, he panted, "That…was…amazing. Maybe these walkways…aren't so safe…after all."

White just nodded, a small smile playing coyly on her lips. She then turned and promptly hopped off the platform into the muddy-green grass, landing lightly next to her fearsome Krookorok. Girl and pokémon trudged on along the route, side by side.

"She really is something," Pat muttered as he watched her disappear from his sight. "With her power, she could give even the legendary Red a run for his money if she trains for another year or so." He may have continued his speech, had not the inevitable occurred; he once again lost his balance from standing still too long and tumbled backwards into the grass. This time, there was no crocodilian landing pad, so instead the hard, frosty ground came up to meet him. It was not a warm welcome.

"Oww…"