Kindred Flames-Growing Tensions
#5 of Kindred Flames Series
Here's chapter five! FINALLY I might add! It really has taken me forever on this one.
I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point whether you edited or just supported my morale with your kind words. I really do appreciate it.
I don't own Pokémon either but I guess you already know that. Thank you again for following my story this far it means a lot and I PROMISE the next chapter will be better I wanted to save my story twist for chapter six sorry! Please bear with me here it's leading up to something better :3 Please comment and rate like always. Ob by the way..Im looking for new editors. If you think you would like to help me by editing my rough drafts that'd be great!!!! Anyways enjoy!
Rising Tensions
Somewhere in a darkened forest a man hurried down a well trodden dirt path. The towering trees and wild foliage that hung around him cast pitch black shadows over the path, forcing the man to squint and slow his pace to a more cautious and blind stumble. He breathed heavily, tripping over creeping vines and ragged bushes, cursing the whole way, as a golden light finally came shining into view.
Stumbling out of the thick vegetation he sighed with relief. He had finally gotten through that damned forest. Even now as he stood in this man-made clearing that was dimly lit by a flickering, overhanging lamp he could feel the cold gazes of countless nocturnal Pokémon burning into his back.
They had watched him the whole way, gliding around in the cover of shadows and snarling as their glowing eyes bore into him from every possible angle. It gave him the aching feeling that they knew what was going on inside of this vast manor that lay behind the now visible steel gate, blocking his way. But no matter how enraged those Pokémon might very well be they didn't dare follow him out of the cover of the eerie forest, and into the open where they could be easily attacked.
He grunted contemptuously and shook his head. Those were ignorant thoughts. These creatures were no more intelligent than any beast that walked this earth. The thought that they were just as cognizant and animate as human beings was completely absurd. The people who believed such a preposterous idea were fools themselves.
The man approached the ornate steel gate that cut across the clearing and nodded at the two guards, who were seated in expertly built watchtowers. They began shining bright white lights on him in response. They examined him thoroughly before allowing him to pass.
As he was washed in their piercing, unnatural glow, he felt the creatures of the dark draw back into the dark embrace of the forest. The faintest of hisses and snarls managed to reach his ears even as the heavy gates swung open with a harsh grating noise, permitting his entrance.
A twinge of anxiety managed to worm its way into the man's stomach as he turned and walked down a shadowy path towards the towering manor. Even now after all this time the place still gave him a bad feeling. The building used to be an ancient chateau before his boss' organization moved in and took it over. Even after all of the renovations that had been carried out the building still loomed over him in a foreboding way. It still gave off an ancient and sinister aura that made his skin crawl.
When he finally reached the overwhelmingly large doors that were locked by a pass-code beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He waited a couple moments before he reluctantly punched the cryptic pass code into the steel buttons. This wasn't going to be pretty....... He had failed his mission and his boss didn't take to kindly to failure.
The mechanized door let out a series of beeps and clicks before sliding open and clanging to a halt, revealing a dimly lit and relatively narrow hallway. He pushed back his darkened bangs and scanned the area making sure he hadn't been followed this far. A slight breeze blew and somewhere a Noctowl called out into the chillingly dark twilight adding to the sinister atmosphere.
He sighed and walked into the building. Only pausing to make sure the heavy steel door slammed close behind him before walking swiftly down the corridor. He hardly paused to look at the numerous doors and smaller hallways that forked off of the main path he was traveling down. He'd been here long enough. So long that the winding hallways and multiple paths didn't confuse him quite as much.
So he knew as he approached and stopped in front of a particularly ornate door that he couldn't stave off his punishment much longer. A scarlet Dragonite was engraved into the door with eyes made of garnet that twinkled dangerously even in the dim light. Its elongated body snaked around the entire length of the door almost as if it was guarding the area and urging him to turn back the way he came.
He had taken his time returning back to base. He had not wanted to rush into the anger and scathing, demeaning remarks he was sure to receive. Hell, he might even be knocked down a rank. He cringed at the thought. Back to cleaning the cages of those vile, vicious Pokémon.
He wrapped his now trembling hand around the golden doorknob that was the tip of the Dragonite's tail and pushed inwards. The door opened soundlessly. He slowly walked into the wide and spacious room with his head down casting a wavering shadow across his face. He paused slightly before walking up to the Oak desk where his boss was waiting with his hands crossed, chillingly calm, with an expectant look on his face.
For a few moments there was deadly silence. He could've sworn the stocky well built, gray eyed man sitting comfortably in his chair could hear his pounding heart. That man was the first to shatter the silence.
"Well? What happened," he began impatiently. "Don't make me wait any further you insolent fool. You're late as it is." The man lapsed back into expectant silence after his outburst and locked the grunt with a piercing stare.
The crestfallen man trembled but began slowly.
"Well, Luthor , I didn't retrieve.......the target, sir." The man almost whispered this as he began shifting nervously in place.
"Excuse me? You're saying that you failed to retrieve the Delta Pokémon I asked for?" the boss replied with a disgusted tone.
"Well Luthor, you see I went to Floaroma and waited like I was instructed. But....well.... you see the target never showed up. They called the targets name signaling the beginning of its performance and I was in position....but the target never came out, it never performed...it never even arrived. It seems as though our source of information was either mistaken or trying to draw us out into the open where the authorities could make an arrest.
"Are you implying that I'm not intelligent enough to verify where my intel comes from?" Luthor countered in an accusatory yet deceptively calm voice.
The grunt tensed up as his anxiety levels spiked once more. It felt as though he was being dragged through razor blades. "The calm before the storm," was what this situation reminded him of. The cowardly man truly hoped his boss's anger wouldn't flare up again.
"No of course not sir," the subordinate mumbled, lowering his head further."It's just..... I searched the area thoroughly and there was absolutely no Delta type to be seen. There was no heightened police activity so I don't really believe it was a trap. I'm sure of what I saw,"
He looked up slowly to gauge his boss' reaction and was mortified to see that anger was beginning to build there. One eyebrow was raised and an irritated scowl dominated Luthor's features.
"That's preposterous!" he finally exclaimed. "That mission was Rank C," he hissed. I didn't send you into the wild to capture one. You simply had to lie in wait and you failed!" his voice rose till he was standing on his feet yelling at the goon who cringed away like a scolded child.
He was still hurling insults at the pitiful man when there were two raps on the door.
"Come in," Luthor hissed as he sat back in his chair sighing. He began pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes as another grunt appeared. This one was about the same size and stature as the one before him except for his sandy blonde hair and green eyes. He was carrying a small cage with a black cloth draped over it, obscuring its contents from view.
"Sir!" he answered in a high pitched more feminine voice.
" Ah yes, I was supposed to be seeing you today," Luthor said to himself peering with disinterest at an appointment organizer. "I pray for your sake you didn't fail me as well?" he added in a menacing voice. Chills ran down the first grunt's spine but the blonde haired one seemed unmoved.
"Of course not sir," he replied tautly.
As he said this he motioned towards the cage he was holding and began to remove the cloth slowly.
" I believe you'll find this Delta-type very intriguing." he said, smiling slightly as he completely removed the cloth in a flamboyant motion. The first grunt gasped at the new sight and Luthor simply stood up, leaning in for a closer look.
The cage contained a Pikachu.
"As you can all plainly see" the grunt began in a confident tone.
"Where this young Pikachu should be a light yellow it's a bright shade of azure. Its normally tan back stripes crimson and its' cheeks are pink." He held the cage up higher displaying the terrified Mouse-Pokémon.
"Hmmmm," his boss began with a predatory smile on his face. "This Pokémon is undoubtedly rank A. Its color variation is immense."
He leaned in closer, drawing a warning growl from the Pikachu who pressed against the other side of the cage watching the man with sharp hate filled eyes.
"Say, agent 304 how hard was it to catch this one," Luthor inquired as he continued to examine the Pikachu.
"Well, sir he put up quite the good fight. He hit me with a couple super charged lightning bolts. Those bolts dropped 3 of my Houndoom pack. He's just as powerful as his strange color suggests,"
"His lightning bolts were what color?" his boss whispered eagerly.
"Blue sir, instead of yellow, very powerful stuff."
"Excellent," Luthor hissed as he straightened up and sat back in his seat waving his hands in a dismissive fashion.
" Thank you 304, put it in storage sector A," he ordered. Grunt 304 simply snapped a salute and walked out swiftly leaving the first grunt to receive his punishment.
The young blue Pikachu sat back on its hind legs rubbing its aching paws. He was having trouble standing up from all the jostling around that came from his captor's jerky gait. How had all of this happened to him? One moment he was foraging with his friend in Eterna forest and the next, chaos.
He remembered very clearly in his head, playing with his friend Mikko before it all happened.
"Hey Mikko, I found you!" he had yelled, as he bunched up his muscles and pounced on his friend. Their laughter had filled the air and reverberated off the trees as they tussled in the dust. Of course Mikko always lost their battles but he took it good naturedly.
Ciello, as the Pikachu had been called, always had an abnormal sort of power that went with his unique markings. As a young male he had been an object of admiration, rejection, fascination, and alienation. He had hated every moment of it and it had taken him a while to fully accept who he was.
A Delta-Type, a shiny, a uniquely colored and extremely rare Pokémon. The elders of the forest had told him all about himself and what it meant. And even though they seemed thoroughly intrigued by him, they still treated him differently and he didn't want to be different. Nevertheless, Mikko had treated him like a normal forest dweller from day one, and in turn Ciello had treated him like a normal Pokémon as well and showed no fear of him.
Mikko was a Poochyena, and therefore he was hated and feared by all. His evolution was the subject of horror stories about murder and mindless slaughter of innocent Pokémon. Oceans of blood and ravaged carcasses were always left in their wake.
So when Mikko had treated him as though he belonged, Ciello had given him something he had never had, a friend who didn't fear him. Ciello had even gone as far as to help Mikko escape from his pack. They had disapproved of his soft personality and had forbidden him from returning to play with what was seen as "prey". They had spent the night hiding in a cave and had managed to elude the pack of hysterical Mightyena who had frantically searched for their wayward pup.
Together they had grown and learned to depend on each other. But now as he sat in this cold steel cage did any of that mean anything? When he had scented the Houndoom he had sent Mikko away to go get help. The wide eyed pup had protested at first but eventually scampered off towards a stream where most Pokémon spent the day resting. That was the last time he had seen the tiny pup he had come to see as his wolfish brother.
Houndoom had surrounded him from all sides, chasing him through the undergrowth till he was cornered against a rock alcove and completely alone. Being one of the strongest fighters in Eterna Forest he had attacked the man and his raging Houndoom when they had appeared but it had been too much. His unusually strong lightning bolts had dropped three of the man's Houndoom but they just kept coming in a deadly swarm. By the time number four moved in, he was exhausted.
A net had been thrown over him, which had elected a struggle from him. He had thrashed and kicked and snarled, blue sparks crackling from his cheeks and dancing dangerously over his fur. The man had simply watched and waited for him to tire before he stuck him in the flank with a syringe filled with what he figured must've been a sedative. Because his limbs began to feel stone-heavy and his eyes had drooped until he had fallen into dark unconscious.
When he had awoken he had been in a small room with his captor and two other men. One of which was cowering and studying his feet, the other was sitting in a black plush seat behind an oak desk. The latter of the two had gotten up and studied him with gray predatory eyes. Then he had been jerkily whisked out of that room, down a hallway, and up to a giant steel door with red letters stamped on it that read SECTOR-A1. His captor had set his cage on the floor and punched in a code causing the door to shudder and slide open.
He picked him up once more and walked into a large and spacious room that resembled a laboratory. He was shocked at the scene that unfolded before him. There were cages upon cages of Pokémon, stacked on top of each other. The cages were definitely unlike his primitive rubber insulated one. They were made of glass and were brightly lit with an internal light, illuminating the Pokémon as if they were museum exhibits.
The Pikachu couldn't tear his wide eyed gaze off of these Pokémon. Each and every one of them had unique coloring just like him. There where fuchsia Vaporeons, yellow Pidgeys, and crimson Haunters, all of which looked broken and defeated.
The Pikachu tried to cover his ears against the desperate cries of the Pokémon that hit him as he came within hearing range. Some cried for freedom, others for their family, either way these Pokémon, like him, were feeling hopeless and confused. At this he crumpled to the bottom of his cage unable to take anymore and began crying pitifully which drew a disheartening laugh from the human carrying his cage.
"Finally! It's taken us forever to get here! Man you guys are slow!"
May stifled her amused laugh at Chris' frenzied behavior. She watched him with a smile on her face as he disappeared into the small building that separated them from Eterna Forest. Already she could plainly see that they were close to the forest. The trees had thickened considerably and the sweet aroma of wildflowers hung in the air.
It was true they had been kind of slow in getting to this point, but there wasn't any rush. The Eterna Contest wasn't for an entire week. They might as well take their time in getting there. On top of that Phoenix and Pearl hadn't made it much easier. They had been the last ones to get up and had exhibited clear signs of exhaustion during the walk here. Phoenix had drug his feet the whole way until she had returned him to his Pokeball much to Pearl's distaste who had been walking at the same slow pace. It was as if they hadn't slept at all the previous night.
Even more confusing, when May had asked Pearl about it the opalescent vixen had simply smiled at her with what seemed like a glint of mischief in her crimson eyes and trotted forward without a single word. May had, at first, worried that Pearl's past injuries had inhibited her ability to sleep and that she had come down with a case of insomnia. But that didn't seem to be the case. Both Fire-Types had eventually picked up the pace and seemed alert enough now that they were nearing the forest.
She had eventually written it off as something that was of little importance and began to focus more on the task at hand. Traversing Eterna Forest was in no way, shape, or form going to be an easy task. People disappeared in this forest. It was secluded, dark, and full of legend. The overgrown trees cut off a certain amount of sunlight once you got deep enough into its depths and it definitely didn't make it any simpler that Chris was bent on capturing some new Pokémon once they got there.
On top of that Lillian, her Leafeon, was completely enthralled that they were returning to her evolution sight. As an Evee the gentle natured Pokémon had always had a deep connection with the plants that flourished around her. So it hadn't been too surprising when Lilly had decided to become a Leafeon. After evolving she used to go around saying that the forest was her true birth place and that she hadn't been truly alive until she evolved.
Her deep admiration for this forest was truly endearing, and it made May glad that she could return to this place and allow Lilly to experience such intense joy and serenity again. As if on cue Lilly's Pokeball jolted again before lying still. Even in stasis Lilly could sense the forest drawing nearer. Its life force could be faintly felt and it was only getting stronger. She clearly remembered the energy and appreciation for all forms of life that filled after evolving. Now that they were drawing nearer she could feel an instinctual urge pulling her back to the Mossy Rock that was the heart of this place.
May sighed, jogging slightly as she caught up to Pearl, who had stopped a little ways ahead to sniff at some of the flowers that bordered the path they were traversing. She raised her head at May's approach and wagged her tails amiably in response.
"Come on we have to speed it up a little," May said, absent mindedly motioning towards the check point that Chris had disappeared inside of. The tiny brick building's door was slightly ajar and May thought she could hear Chris' voice coming from the inside. She motioned Pearl forward again and laughed slightly as she felt Lillian's Pokeball give another shake in response to the nearing forest.
Pearl simply gave an affirmative nod towards her trainer and began to trot off before freezing again only a couple steps away. She peered back at May confirming that Phoenix was still in his Pokeball, and furrowed her brow in confusion. She could scent an aroma similar to his wafting from the check point. She closed her eyes and lifted her nose to the air sniffing in the spicy yet powerful scent of the Arcanine species.
Yes, she was certain of that smell, there was at least one male Arcanine up ahead. She pointed her ears forward and broke into a run leaving May behind with a confused look on her face. As she made her way into the building her previous theory was confirmed. In front of Chris stood a rather juvenile Arcanine. It was standing motionless next to Officer Jenny who was talking in a low and serious tone to Chris.
As she approached the two humans the Arcanine peered over at her from across his master and nodded his head in solemn greeting. Pearl nodded back amiably but felt a tinge of worry creep up on her. Why were the authorities here? She heard May quietly enter the room behind her and walk up to stand beside her.
"Um, excuse me," May interrupted in a small voice. "Is there something the matter here?" she inquired, looking over at Chris who was now wearing a rather disturbed expression. The police officer turned to acknowledge her and smiled apologetically. She was about to begin speaking when she stopped short, gasping slightly as she caught sight of Pearl's glistening pink fur. She stuttered, apparently thunderstruck at the sight of a shiny Ninetales appearing so close to her.
Pearl snorted with annoyance and dug her pointed claws into the tile. It aggravated her when people openly gawked at her rose tinged fur as though she was some kind of mutant. What right did they have to treat her any different than any other Pokémon. She sighed and rolled her eyes trying to control her flaring temper. This woman was already irritating her and she'd only been around her for 30 seconds.
So it only made it worse when a serious expression came to the officers face as she wordlessly motioned for them to follow her over to a couple of seats on the other side of the room.
Pearl felt a little bit of protective instinct kick in at this. Why was this officer taking them aside? Her master had done nothing wrong. She was sure of that. She lifted her head defiantly and held her tails rigid, portraying her irritation. Nevertheless she followed behind May and obediently sat on the floor next to May's chair putting herself in a position where she could fix the officer with an aggravated glare.
May sensed her partner's growing agitation and stroked her soothingly between the ears patting down the tuft of fur that rested between them. Pearl had an exceedingly short fuse and that wasn't always ideal. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny her own curiosity and suspicion though. They had just arrived here. There had better be a good explanation for this. She listened eagerly as Jenny began to address them.
"I want to start by apologizing for having to take you aside," she sighed in an exasperated tone.
May couldn't help but notice that the usually headstrong woman seemed rather exhausted and worn down. She hadn't noticed any problems lately and couldn't help but feel a little worried about why the enforcers of law would be so stressed.
She smiled as she saw Pearl tip her head to the side out of the corner of her eye. Her partner's intelligence was so impressive. Even she could tell that something deeper was going on here.
"I just wanted to warn all of you before you entered the forest. Two nights ago there was an.....incident," she finally managed to say after searching for the right word. Both May and Chris leaned in at the same time and Pearl frowned a bit, thoroughly concerned at this.
"What kind of incident?" May asked in a quiet voice as though she didn't really want to know what atrocities had been committed that made it necessary for police officers to issue warnings.
"The forest rangers were performing their usual rounds and were patrolling the North-Eastern section of the forest when they came across a disturbing scene." She averted her gaze from the young trainers and rested her hand on her loyal canine seeking comfort from his undying loyalty to her. When she looked back up she saw the female trainer was doing the same with her Ninetales. She eventually began again.
"We have reason to believe that criminals, perhaps poachers brutally attacked a group of forest dwelling Pokémon not too long ago." She paused as both trainers gasped in horror and the opalescent Ninetales flattened her ears against her skull allowing a growl to slide out between clenched teeth.
"We found scorch marks and trampled vegetation. The Pokémon were in a state of panic and shock. When we arrived they hid from us and many tried to attack. We have had problems with poachers in the past but they've never been so bold as to attack a group of Pokémon in a heavily monitored forest preserve." she paused for a moment allowing this to sink in before beginning again.
"This makes us believe they were after something more unique than any ordinary forest Pokémon," she said quietly. "We were well aware that a shiny Pikachu dwelled somewhere in this forest but we have only ever caught fleeting glimpses of him." As she said this she fixed her gaze on May and Pearl.
"When I saw your friend," Jenny said, motioning to Chris. "I thought it would be wise to warn him. But when I saw you and your pink Ninetales I felt you needed to be thoroughly cautioned. Even with the most skilled trackers on the force," she said patting her Arcanine on the head.
"We haven't been able to find this Delta Pikachu. Only the scent of Houndoom and one man who has since then, disappeared." she said this looking rather frustrated.
"We are almost completely sure of the fact that that rare Pokémon was taken by the same man who burned the forest. Seeing that you yourself posses a Shiny Pokémon. Let alone a Ninetales. I felt it was only proper to inform you that her coat would sell for a large amount of money on the black market if it was normally colored. But with that unique rosey tint to her fur she would make enough money to support a poacher for life." Pearl growled menacingly in response and her tails began to churn behind her heating up the air considerably.
"If you are really going into that forest, keep an eye out for any suspicious activity," she added in a pleading tone.
After saying this, the officer rose to her feet and nodded to both trainers before exiting the room in one swift motion. Her Arcanine followed at her heels. May and Chris were both silent with shock and sat there motionless.
In complete disregard to the silence that now permeated the room, Pearl's whole frame shook with rage. Poachers were no mystery to her. Her species was heavily hunted for their rich coats and in the back of her mind she always knew that if she hadn't been captured by May it would've only been a matter of time before she was captured and killed for her shiny fur if the Mightyena hadn't done her in before then.
What were seconds seemed like hours as Pearl continued to growl to herself. She soon made herself a silent promise. If she ran into any poachers in Eterna Forest, she would show them no mercy. Her ears were still flattened against her skull when she felt May's hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be okay Pearl. We'll make it through the forest just fine." May flashed Pearl a reassuring smile despite her own inner mixture of disbelief and anger before walking towards the opposite entrance that let out into Eterna Forest. Chris shook himself as if clearing his thoughts and hurried to walk alongside her.
"May?" she heard his quiet voice sound in her ear. She turned her head slightly to meet his hazel gaze as they walked.
"We don't need to be so concerned," he said meeting her gaze and giving her the same reassuring smile she had given to Pearl mere moments ago. "We've got a full party of strong and talented Pokémon. If we run into any trouble I'm sure we'll be able to handle it," he nodded towards Pearl and patted his pack, which held his Pokeballs.
He was probably right. She thought to herself, frowning slightly. Even so, the thought of innocent Pokémon suffering at the hands of heartless humans enraged her. After her personal encounter with Phoenix's abusive trainer she had become hyper sensitive to the abuse of Pokémon and it seemed Pearl had as well.
All that aside, Chris was concerned about her feelings and she felt her heart warm like it always did when they shared close moments. She returned his smile blushing slightly as they continued to walk. Pearl was brushing against her leg aiming to comfort May as well as herself. Both girls were more than unnerved by the thought of poachers than either would admit.
It was at the exact moment that they crossed the thresh-hold of the check point and actually entered the forest that she felt Lilly's Pokeball twitch again, reminding her of Lilly's intense need to roam the forest again. May smiled warmly and released her Leafeon in one swift motion.
No no no, it couldn't be! The tiny pup's breath came in short ragged gasps as he continued to track a rapidly fading scent.
Where was brother Pikachu?!? The pup yelped as he felt his paw catch on a tree root and tripped scratching his nose. The bad people and the fire dogs couldn't have taken him, could they?
No, big brother Pikachu was too strong for them. He was a special Pokémon and they weren't. He just had to keep telling himself that. Mikko just had to keep looking.
He should've stayed with brother Pikachu when the fire dogs came. Brother Pikachu had told MIkko to go get help. But Mikko should've stayed. No one would help Mikko when he pleaded for them to follow him. Mikko had tried everyone but they would just yell horrible things at him and shoo him away. They called him killer and demon but he has done no wrong to them. Mikko had always been a good boy.
Big brother Pikachu always said, "Mikko you just have to be patient with other Pokemon. Soon they will see that you're a good boy. They'll forget about your species past."
The tiny pup felt tears stinging his eyes as he continued to run after the scent of his friend. Desperation welled up inside of him and threatened to crush his hope as the already weak scent of his brother mingled with the acrid smell of charred, burning things and blood. It was very fortunate Mikko had a good nose or he wouldn't have been able to track Brother Pikachu this far. Still the blood from his scratched nose was covering the scent. All he could smell was the salty odor of himself. This trail was the only thing he had left. Something deep inside him told him that if he lost Brother Pikachu's scent he would never see him again.
Mikko had been playing hide and seek with Brother Pikachu when the fire dogs came with the bad human. They had had tried to burn Mikko and get him away from Brother Pikachu. Mikko wanted to be brave and show the fire dogs how strong Mikko could be if he fought alongside Brother Pikachu. He had growled and shot a Shadow Ball at the fire dogs but then Brother Pikachu had told him to go away......
The tears eventually welled up to the brim of his big yellow eyes and spilled over staining his smokey fur. Mikko could feel himself nearing the point of exhaustion. He hadn't eaten very much. Brother Pikachu always helped him get berries from the trees since Mikko couldn't climb, but now he was gone. Brother Pikachu always fluffed up his nest at night and let Mikko sleep next to him and share warmth, but now he was gone.
The fearful pup yelped and whimpered fearfully at the sound of a twig snapping behind him. The noise had come from over behind some thick bushes. Could it be Brother Pikachu? Mikko wheeled around on his hind paws and sprinted towards the sound without thinking.
He shot through the bushes into a small clearing and skidded to a halt. When he peered around he didn't see Brother Pikachu. There was only a pair of Nidoran getting ready to rest. The tiny pup decided it was worth one last try and lowered his ears and tail submissively whimpering.
"Please Pokémon my big brother is being hurt by a human and I need your-" the pup was cut short as the wind was knocked out of him. The male Nidoran had charged him and sent him sprawling into some thick bushes. Why? Mikko was so confused. Why did Pokémon always be unkind to Mikko? He forced himself to his paws and tried to block out the bad things the Nidoran was now screeching at him. These Pokémon were like the other ones. They didn't like Mikko, they hated him for things his ancestors had done.
Mikko meant to turn and leave but the world started spinning and churning around him. He needed to rest and exhaustion was making him delusional but he couldn't leave Brother Pikachu without help when he was fighting the fire dogs. Mikko didn't care how much time had passed; he wouldn't give up on Brother Pikachu not now, not ever.
Even as the pup turned to go back the way he came his ear splitting yelp wrent the air as he felt searing hot needles of pain stick into his flanks. The enraged Nidoran were firing a Poison Sting at him even though he hadn't attacked them. He ran off into the darkness whimpering as the pain spread further.
He got a couple yards away before the world spun again bringing him to the ground. The pain continued to spread and on top of all that Mikko's tummy felt funny. Like it did when he ate a bad berry. The nausea made Mikko want to cry again. He didn't feel brave anymore. He felt very tiny and weak, crying all alone like this. He just needed to sleep a little and maybe he would feel a little better when sun-time came. He closed his eyes slowly, tears continuing to stream from his eyes as he fell into a fitful sleep.
May couldn't help but laugh as she watched her Leafeon begin to wholeheartedly prance about the forest. The second the red glimmer of the Pokeball's ray faded, the tiny cat like Pokémon's face had lit up with such a potent mixture of awe, bliss, and unbridled excitement that both Chris and May found themselves grinning despite themselves.
The sinister warning that Officer Jenny had passed along to them moments earlier had left both trainers feeling unnerved and slightly depressed. Ever since that moment paranoia and caution had sat at the forefront of May's mind dominating all her other thoughts. With all the problems that had been presenting themselves, she had become one big ball of stress and angst. Even so it was nearly impossible to remain anything but light-hearted in the presence of Lilly. The creamy furred Pokémon had stopped earnestly studying the trees only to begin blissfully pawing at the soft grass that lined the forest floor.
May heard Chris' quiet laugh sound behind her as Lilly began to leap gracefully into the air in an attempt to catch the leaves that danced down to earth. She turned to him, still grinning, and repeated his earlier comforts back to him.
"I don't think we have anything to worry about," she said through another giggle at Lilly's endearingly erratic behavior. Her smile widened further as Chris nodded back wholeheartedly and took a small step closer to her still keeping his eyes on the performance Lilly was giving.
` It was times like this that made him enjoy travelling with May all the more. She was always so kind, pure, and gentle. He felt himself easily drawn to the light she radiated. When they had separated again to follow their own dreams a couple years back he had constantly felt a gnawing emptiness that he knew stemmed from her absence. Of course with Stella and his other Pokémon he was never truly alone. But May had some sort of quality about her that made it hard to stay away. It was these qualities that urged him to care, maybe even urged him to love.
"What are you thinking about?" Chris felt himself snap back into reality as May's innocently curious voice interrupted his admittedly sappy thoughts. He realized that he must've looked rather weird suddenly glazing over and drifting off into such deep thoughts.
"Just thinking about what kind of Pokémon I plan on seeking out while we're here." he lied smoothly. It made sense that he would be idly wondering about such things and it seemed to satisfy her because she nodded at him and began to follow after Lilly who had disappeared into some foliage a couple yards away.
He didn't enjoy lying to her. Mainly because she trusted him so easily. On top of that it only made it worse that he was continuing to hide the confusing feelings he'd felt beginning to bubble back up to the surface since he had met up with her again.
Despite their growing bond, he still didn't have the confidence to just blurt out all his pent up emotions. What if she didn't feel the same way? That question stood like a physical blockade in front of him prohibiting him from progressing forward and telling her his thoughts.
Once again he had failed to notice himself slipping back into his own self consuming thoughts because he didn't feel Pearl nudging him impatiently until she began barking at him. His eyes refocused to find Pearl standing in front of him with her head tilted quizzically. Only a few moments flickered by before understanding lit up her crimson eyes. She snorted contemptuously, obviously pin pointing his thoughts and began trotting in the direction May had gone.
Chris felt his face get hot. May's Ninetales always had impressively accurate intuition and he hated how easily she decoded emotions he could hardly understand himself. He sighed and felt his stomach begin to flutter nervously. He really hoped that Pearl wouldn't tell May about that little scene and hurried to follow her as she disappeared down the same shadowy trail May and Lilly had previously wandered down.
Lilly waited impatiently at May's feet, casting eager glances towards an unusually large Azalea bush that was giving off a sweet almost candy-like fragrance. Already she felt the forest's life force invigorating and energizing her. It filled her body with serene, pure energy and she hadn't even gotten to the heart of the forest yet. She could only begin to imagine how she would feel then, when she laid her paws on that ancient rock again. She let yet another pleading yip and nudged May's leg with a dainty russet paw.
"What am I supposed to be waiting for?" Lilly began to complain.
May heard her pleading squeaks and was about to try and soothe her when she heard the bushes rustle, announcing Pearl's approach. She came bounding lithely through the tangled overgrowth and wagged her tails in greeting. Only a couple moments later Chris blundered through as well, looking particularly oafish after Pearl's graceful display.
"What held you two up?" May called, crouching down and scratching behind Pearl's ear as she bounded over and purred happily.
"I thought I saw a Pidgeotto. I wanted to check it out," Chris answered nervously. "Lying again huh?" He thought guiltily.
Pearl heard the lie very clearly and sensed the guilt rolling off of Chris in waves. She shook her head and continued to nuzzle May. "It's kinda sad how complicated they make things for each other," she thought idly while she continued to purr.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a clearly irritated yip that came from behind her. She paused and turned to see Lilly pawing the ground and pouting, cheeks adorably puffed up and all.
"Sorry! Just hold on a sec," May apologized towards the brooding Leafeon and quickly dropped her pack on the ground before digging around in it. Chris had walked over and was watching from a distance as May pulled out two of her Pokeballs and tossed them into the air.
Pearl took a step back and watched curiously as two shining crimson lights lit up the area before dissipating. Phoenix and Hazel stood side by side blinking their eyes sleepily and glancing around curiously at their brand new surroundings.
Pearl gave a delighted purr and trotted over to Phoenix who turned to lick her cheek and nuzzle her before focusing on May who had begun to speak.
"Hazel, Phoenix and Pearl I want you two to keep a close eye on Lilly and protect her while she wanders the forest today." Both Pokémon nodded obediently and continued to listen with growing shock as May dove into the story about the missing Pikachu and Officer Jenny's stern warning.
"Don't go too far and howl if anything happens. We'll come running." May finished motioning to Chris who nodded his agreement. "Be careful!" May managed add before the forest swallowed the departing Pokémon up and they disappeared from sight.
Luthor sat in silence, expectantly waiting for his new agent's arrival. Because of the previous grunt's pathetic failure he would have to send yet another agent out to retrieve target 498. "How in the world can I expect to fully realize my goals if most of my subordinates are this inadequate!"
New followers would be precious at this point. Even if they were all simply footholds on the way up to the ultimate realization of his dreams, they were necessary nonetheless. No matter how infuriating they happened to be. On top of that it would take months to finish that classified tool if its construction kept progressing at this rate. Worthy scientists were so rare these days. He definitely couldn't afford to anger his most important pawns by rushing them.
He allowed a chilling smirk to creep its way onto his face. He would just have to be patient, sooner or later it would all come together..... A strong knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he focused on the door as it swung open. Two men fully clad in black with intricate silver designs weaved into the right sleeves entered silently and bowed respectfully before their boss.
"You called sir," the first of the two grunts stated rather frankly. His partner nodded soberly. Luthor simply nodded once and opened a discrete drawer behind his desk. Both men watched silently as he pulled out a manila envelope and slid it across the desk without taking his eyes off of them.
"This will be you mission. Within this envelope are the details regarding what specific Delta-Pokémon you've been assigned to retrieve." he paused as the first of the two grunts slid open the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper that briefed them on when, where, and how they were to go about accomplishing their task. A couple silent moments passed before the man nodded once again and pushed the note back into the envelope.
"I expect you not to fail me," he began. His tone dropped dangerously low and his cold eyes seemed to light up with demonic pleasure as the next words slid from his mouth like venom. "Or necessary punishment will be inflicted accordingly,"
Both men flinched away and bowed slightly before hurrying out of the room without a backwards glance. Luthor sat smiling slightly as the door shut with a hollow thud behind them. "Each and every Delta-Pokémon I acquire brings me closer to my goal....to my dream." That single thought kept swirling around and replaying in his mind, untill indescribable pleasure and delusional euphoria built up like a wave inside of him. Rather suddenly he threw his head back laughing a malicious, venomous laugh causing every living thing in the vicinty to shiver with inexplicable fear at the sickning evil that was growing around them.
Well that's chapter five! Thanks for sticking with me this far through my series. I'd like to thank all the other writers and editors who've been helping me buff out my technical grammar errors. I really appreciate it and hope I did a better job in this one. Please comment and rate. Thank You.