[h2][center]Pokemon Day-Care - Route 117[/center][/h2] Haven's head snapped in the direction of the shriek, suddenly alert. Her eyes went wide at the sound – that had been Mrs. James. She was stunned, frozen until she heard the sound of glass shattering. Then she broke into a sprint towards the nursery. Heart in her throat, she burst onto the scene to see Mrs. James collapsed on the floor, shards of glass littered around her. The incubator was tipped over, cracked and empty. Haven's lips parted in a silent gasp, waiting to ask for an explanation. Mrs. James saw her first, Joy frantic at her side. There was blood, a crimson splatter dripping from the broken window. Shards of glass glinted red on the ground. [b]"The egg,"[/b] Mrs. James said, cutting off Haven's half-formed thoughts. Her Azumarill was helping her sit up. The old woman seemed alright, overall. Disoriented and likely sore from the fall, but otherwise alright as far as Haven could tell. The blood didn't seem to be hers. [b]"He stole the egg."[/b] Haven's eyes widened and she looked to the incubator again, pieces snapping into place. Anger mixed with her alarm. That egg – [i]her[/i] egg. [color=coral]"Son of a [i]bitch[/i]."[/color] She turned and bolted through the house and out the front door, ignoring Mrs. James' calls behind her. The same recklessness that had pushed her into a storm without a coat to return the egg once again sang through her blood, spurring her out into the torrent – never mind the fact that she was in house slippers and an oversized bathrobe this time. [i]She[/i] was responsible for that egg. And now she felt responsible for Mrs. James, too. The storm was familiar as she dashed out into the darkness in what she hoped was the right direction. Already it was seeping through her clumped, stringy hair, and through the thick cloth of her robe. Haven didn't feel the cold though, as it reacquainted itself with her bones. Not when fire was already beginning to burn in her lungs and arc through her muscles. There was a flash in the sky. The crackling rumble of thunder shook the ground soon after, like a bellowed warning. But in that brief moment of light, Haven had seen something on the path ahead of her: a figure trying to run with a limp, and keeping his arms close to his chest – as though he were holding something. Haven grit her teeth and pushed herself faster, despite the pain each breath brought. Now that she knew where to look, she kept her eyes trained on that figure as it grew steadily larger. She watched him duck to the right, beyond some bushes on the bank of an overflowing lake that lined the side of the path. She ran after him, nearly falling in the mud as she took the turn too fast. She'd lost her slippers somewhere along the way, and now ran barefoot, mud squishing between her toes and under her heels. She heard the alarmed chirps and gurgles from the pokemon who called the lake their home as she ran. But she ignored them, searching again for the figure. She had to find him again, she – [b]"Get rid of 'em!"[/b] a voice shouted in the dark ahead of her. A streak of light blinded her, the telltale call of a pokeball, and suddenly a Rhyhorn was before her. Haven let out a yelp (though it was no doubt lost in the storm) and tried to stop. But her heel only slid in the mud, sending her toppling backwards. Mud mixed with the lake water splashed around her, coating her robe and skin. The reeds and branches lining the lake cut into her palms, the only thing keeping her from the lake itself. The Rhyhorn roared down at her, and for the first time since she'd gone charging out of the daycare, she felt fear, frigid and petrifying in her bones. Her mouth parted as she looked up at it. The Rhyhorn surged forward. Something in her pocket clicked. Another flash cracked through the night like lightning and then Haven's Granbull Dagger was between her and the Rhyhorn. Dagger caught the Rhyhorn's massive paws, and strained against its weight. The two were locked in a battle of sheer force above Haven. Distantly, Haven felt a pinprick of warmth – of [i]pride[/i]. They never [i]had[/i] found a pokeball Dagger couldn't muscle her way out of. And then Haven snapped back to attention, the reality of the battle around her crashing back into her. Dagger glared at the Rhyhorn, a guttural snarl seeping through her teeth. But for all of her ferocity, she wasn't a match for the enormous pokemon. It towered over her, bigger, stronger, and Haven scrambled from behind her. Scuttling to the side, somehow managed to avoid the Rhyhorn's attention. It was too focused on Dagger as it edged the Granbull back, inch by inch towards the lake. Pink electricity began to crackle around Dagger's heavy jaw, the sound mixing with her growl. Haven opened her mouth to give a command. And then shut it and pulled out Dagger's empty pokeball instead. In a flash of light, Dagger was gone and the Rhyhorn was alone. Without the Granbull to counter its weight, it tipped and toppled forward into the lake. But Haven didn't stay to watch. As the sounds of the Rhyhorn thrashing in the water mixed with the angry calls of the water pokemon who had been disturbed, Haven was on her feet again running forward. There was another crack of lighting, this time almost immediately followed by the deafening rumble of thunder. Her eyes lit on the figure – the man, she could see clearly now – limping ahead of her. Already her hand was curling around another pokeball in her robe pocket. Brandishing it, she clicked the center button and released her Weepinbell in front of her. [color=coral]"Reel 'em in!"[/color] she shouted, still running. Thick vines rushed forward as Blink followed her command. It was a reach, she knew, but still within Blink's range. His vines wrapped around his legs and he came crashing down with a shout. The egg fell from his arms and rolled through mud and puddles as the man landed on his face. Haven was still running as Blink began dragging him backwards. She ran as she passed him, cursing and sputtering as he tried to catch his breath, ran as his hand tried to reach the pokeballs at his belt. She ran until she reached the egg, muddy and freezing on the ground. Haven bent down and picked it up, frantically looking it over for any damage. Then she turned back to see the man.