Chapter 10: Love and Understanding
#10 of Love and Understanding
Chapter ten of Love and Understanding. ((EXPLICIT CHAPTER))
** WARNING: THIS IS A VERY GRAPHIC CHAPTER, IF DISMEMBERMENT AND PAINFUL DEATH OFFEND YOU DO NOT READ ON!!!!!**
POKESPEECH/THOUGHTS:
"Normal"
'Telepathy/Pokemon Thoughts'
'Normal Thoughts'
" POKESPEECH/Abilities" ** (ex: **Pika-pi ) (ex: Hydro Pump )
PLEASE NOTE THAT, AS A POKEMON, MICHAEL WILL SOMETIMES TALK IN (" ") WITH BOLD TEXT. THIS IS BECAUSE HE IS PART-GALLADE NOW.
DISCLAIMER: I WENT TO THIS WEBSITE TO OWN POKEMON BUT GOT A 404 MESSAGE SAYING IT DOESN'T EXIST
Jessica's POV
I had stars in my eyes and goosebumps traveling up and down every square inch of my body, my eyes locked on my savior who had the form of a Gallade and the eyes of the human I fell in love with twenty years ago. His right arm was lifted in the air striking a victory pose while the other was cocked back, ready to strike anyone foolish enough to challenge his might. Above him was the lifeless form of a Pokemon widely known for stalking their prey and burning them alive with flames as intense as the ones found in hell.
Those flames had never touched me because of him, because of my beloved and I saw the spark of life burning brighter than ever before within him. I watched as Michael closed his left eye while keeping the other locked on the Dark and fire type currently serving as a kabob for the two-foot silver scythe jutting out from my beloveds arm. Such a formidable weapon, designed to cut through all opposition like a fall harvest, leaving nothing but desolation in its wake. I then saw Michael huff before slamming the blade down and driving the dead Pokemon ten feet into the earth, leaving a Houndoom-sized crater in the aftermath.
'I guess I overdid it, huh?'
I wiped a stray tear from my eye and punched his left shoulder playfully, finally able to take a moment and look around at the damage caused by our extended altercation. I saw the bodies of three Mightyena and two Houndoom while the other three Pokemon were in such a state of disorder they were hardly recognizable. I could smell the blood of those Pokemon but also detected a strong copper-like odor coming from the nearby storm drain, and then it hit me.
'Mrs. Langston was thrown in there!'
I went to get up but Michael kept me where I was, shaking his head with sorrow evident on his face. I knew the prognosis was bleak given the state of her body but I had always hoped, now that hope was gone. I remembered the condition that the Professor was in and dared believe that he avoided a similar fate. I was so lost in my thoughts that I failed to notice Michael trying to get my attention. Michael then tilted my chin up and gestured over towards the Professors body which still had not moved since he was drug out.
'See if we can save the Professors life still, I have someone I need to talk to.' I gave a quick nod and scampered over towards Professor Langston to check his condition.
Michael's POV
I watched her run towards the Professor and I shook my head with frustration. The outlook wasn't good as the neighborhood had sustained extensive damage on our street corner, Mrs. Langston had been brutally murdered and the Professor may have suffered the same fate. Pile on the fact that Blade lie in a crumpled heap nearby and Jessica was surely scarred mentally from such an ordeal.
All-in-all I was feeling really, REALLY fucking angry.
I refused to let that anger cloud my thinking for long, however. I realized just how much worse it could have been, thanking Arceus above that I still had Blade and Amber, I still had Jessica and I had gained incredible new powers. It was because of these powers that I could actually protect people. Before I got too far ahead of myself though I wanted to chat with the boy, no...the man who saved Jessica's life.
" Hey, sport, how you holding up?" I watched as Blade lifted his head and coughed up some blood, a sign he was suffering from internal injuries. " Forget I asked, let me fix you right up." I trailed off while placing my right hand on my son's chest, gathering large quantities of powerful psychic energy through the tips of my fingers. It was a staple for Psychic-types and I was no exception to the rule despite being part-human. When I felt that the energy had reached an acceptable level I sent the ball of purple light into my son with a single word.
" Recover"
Blades' body was completely engulfed in the healing energy and the effects were instantaneous. Bones were rearranged and the numerous gashes, scars and puncture wounds vanished without a trace. Unfortunately I was unable to restore my sons physical strength, that would require actual rest on his part. Kneeling down in front of him I looked Blade dead in the eye and said...
" You did good, sport."
I couldn't help but smile at his reaction as he attempted to rise, my eyes glowing a bright emerald green as I kept him in the same state of suspended animation as I had done to Jessica when we were attacked by the two Houndoom. He looked at me quizzically before getting the hint and began closing his eyes to get some sleep. With Blade situated and in improving health I turned my attention to Jessica who, it seemed, had managed to close the gaping wound that covered much of the Professor's forehead. He still was not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. He had lost a lot of blood due to excessive blunt force trauma and I was worried he may have suffered a stroke because of it if death had not already claimed him.
'Hey Jessi, how is he?' She turned to face me with a somber look, I knew that look anywhere and it made me sigh with frustration. I leaned in closer until my forehead was pressed up against the Professors', hoping to find his minds flame and fan it. I had no such luck but I could still hear the tell-tale beating of his human heart. The prognosis was apparent immediately and, with a deep frown, I looked at Jessica and told her.
I'Professor Langston...is showing all the signs, I believe he has suffered a stroke due to blood loss. I tried to find his minds' flame but, even with a deep scan, I was unable to find anything that registered his brain as active. If we don't get him to a proper medical facility he won't survive the next twenty-four hours but, even if we do, I have no way to predict what kind of condition the Professor will be in when, or even if, he comes to.'
I saw Jessica wince noticeably at my statement, her hands clutching at her chest spike and gritting her teeth together with frustration. I knew exactly what was going through her mind, literally and figuratively, the Professor was one of the only humans we had become friends with and also one of the only humans in a position of power that approved of our current relationship. In that regard the Professor and his wife were like a second family to us, now that family was one member short and in jeopardy of losing the other.
'Come on, Jessi, we need to hurry and find Patrick and Derrick and tell them what has happened. I just hope they were able to find and catch those other henchmen so we can get some answers.' I saw Jessica nod and we both branched out minds eyes out to search for our friends' signatures. It took less than a few seconds and, after centering in on their position, we cast a double Teleport to their location.
Normal POV
Some distance away Patrick and Derrick had caught up with one of the men who fled the scene moments after Michael's outrage. Patrick had the man pinned by way of his Machoke, Bruno, standing directly on the mans chest.
"Alright, Bruno, use another Cross Chop on 'fashion disaster' over there!" Patrick said with a groan as his Machoke pulled its arms back and swung them in an arc at its opponent, who just so happened to be one of the men that fled the scene earlier. The high-powered Fghting-type attack did considerable damage to the mans' knees, shattering one and nearly breaking the other. The man screamed in pain but his day wasn't over, not by a long shot for now he faced the best-dressed of the tag-team.
"Topaz, use your water gun on his face and Snuggles use Doubleslap on his knees!" Derrick ordered in his rather feminine voice, watching with delight as his Staryu blasted the mans face with a high-powered Water-type move and Delicatty made Bruno's damage even more noticeable with several painful smacks curtosy of claw-laced paws. "Alright, sugar, we're giving you one last chance to tell us who you're working for before me and my friend bring out the big guns."
The man merely spit in Derrick's face and offered a smug grin.
Just as Derrick was about to call out his Weavile and Patrick his Magmortar a blinding set of lights illuminated the open field around them. The lights revealed the imposing duo in all their glory. Michael looked on with amusement at Patricks face while Derrick seemed smitten with the human-turned-Gallade.
"WOW! Let me just say, sugar, if you weren't already Jessica's arm candy I would be fawning over you right now?..oh, who am I kidding, I already am!" Derrick trailed off much more loudly than Michael was really comfortable with. Jessica merely giggled at the mans' flirtatious antics and hooked her left arm around Michael's right.
"' We'll take that as a compliment to my beloveds sex appeal, and there is plenty of it for sure!_" _Jessica trailed with a soft giggle while Michael kept his glare on the battered, bloodied and bruised man in front of him. Michael had questions that he wanted answers to...now, and he would traverse hell or high water to get them.
Michael's POV
I approached the man in front of me and opened my minds eye to pierce into his thoughts, finding nothing but contempt and brash confidence, he had the typical personage of someone with nothing to lose and would rather die than give up whatever information. Fortunately I had one of the best mentors in negotiation in the form of my father, who also happened to be a criminal investigator in his prime. As a result the words flowed from my mouth, although technically my mind, like a river.
'You have the same scent of that Houndoom from earlier.' I started off simple, at least in his mind. In reality I was referring to the Pokemon I had impaled on my arm-scythe when it attempted to attack Jessica. 'What you did to that Pokemon was unforgivable you know? Abandoning it like you did and leaving it to fend for itself against an opponent that could rip it limb from limb. What do you even take pokemon for? What are they to you?'
"Ha! I'm going to assume that's you talking to me, Gallade? You are an interesting one for sure! You look strangely enough like that boy who took the lives of two of my comrades. Tell him he owes me their lives and that I'll accept repayments in the form of body parts and blood." the man sneered with rage evident in his voice. I lifted my right arm and quickly plunged it into the mans left shoulder, digging through the bone and three feet of dirt before pulling back, and repeating the process with the other shoulder. The man roared in pain as blood began pouring from the open wounds.
'Based on your previous injuries and the ones I have just inflicted you have less than two hours to live, so unless you want to suffer for the remainder of your pitiful life I would suggest answering the question I threw at you.' I replied calmly, lifting my blood-soaked right arm up and taking position near the mans ribs. '_Well? I'm waiting friend _' I put added emphasis on the word 'friend' to make my point.
"Go to hell, Pokemon scum! You'll get nothing from me! You are but a cog in the grand scheme of things and when my master finishes with his plans, well, let's just say you and your mate there will wish you had never been born." Well, that certainly made my job easier, and it REALLY made what I was out to do easier on my conscious. I moved my other arm out and placed it on the mans twitching right hand, aiming my arm-scythe at his pinkie finger and driving the organic metal home. The blade sliced through bone and tissue, sending the digit rolling along the dirt and causing a stream of blood to pour from the open wound. "AGGGH!~ YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
I wasted no time in chopping off his index finger and watching as it too rolled along the grass to join its compatriot. I gazed into the mans eyes again and the fires of his rage were burning brighter than I had thought possible. I was getting nowhere fast so I changed my approach slightly. I took his middle finger and bent it back at a painful angle, snapping the bone clean off and leaving it dangling like a limp noodle. Another blood-curdling scream later I repeated the process with his thumb. At this point I could hear the mans heart beating at nearly a hundred and sixty beats per minute. I was making progress it would seem.
'Well it would seem your right hand is now completely useless so no more happy fun time for you.' I mocked the man without remorse, watching as his face contorted with barely suppressed rage. '_You could make this a lot easier on yourself if you tell me who your master is, he obviously doesn't care about you or he would have given you more competent Pokemon to handle the task with. Oh, that reminds me...' _I pulled back and began focusing my mind on an image of myself in human form, my body starting to glow and shift as I took on the appearance of a normal human- my true form.
"W-Wait...Y-Y-You're that boy?! You...H-H-How d-did you?..."
I didn't let him finish that sentence before I shifted back into my Gallade form and moved my arm scythes towards his jugular. The impossibly sharp metal made contact with the skin and a trickle of blood flowed from the point of contact that was as gentle as a brush of air. I locked eyes with him once again, this time not holding back my emotions and dead-set on ending this mans life in the next few moments.
'I didn't come here to play a game of "twenty questions" you fool, I want to know who your master is, why he was after the Professors' life and why you are so eager to die protecting a man who couldn't give two shits about your own well being! I would suggest talking because you've lost almost ten percent of your total blood and it isn't going to get any better. I can make these next ninety minutes go by in seconds, or...' I moved my left arm down to the mans groin and fully extended the blade. '...one. minute. at. a. time...' With each word I punctuated I slashed at the air directly in front of his body, deliberately missing his privates but proving that my aim was lethal and he would not be so lucky the next time around. 'Unless you would like to go into the afterlife with Giratina forever mocking you as a genderless ginger I would suggest talking, right now.'
I could see the mans facade shatter into hundreds and hundreds of pieces. I was about to get my answers so I opened a second mind link with Jessica but kept it separate from the one I had with the man in front of me. I saw her nod and Teleport back to our other situation before closing the link and listening intently to the shriveled mess of human before me.
Jessicas POV
I did not truly care to witness whatever my beloved was going to continue to do to the man who had participated in the brutal murdering of Professor Langstons wife nor did I want to dwell on what might happen to us when this was all said and done. I was merely trying to keep the Professor alive with my Psychic powers.
As I continued trying to heal the Profssor I picked up a very dark presence coming from somewhere inside the treeline. Unfortunately I was unable to decipher what the source of the presence was or what kind of danger it might pose as something was blocking my minds eye. I carefully girded myself and prepared myself for an attack.
" Well, well, well...if it isn't a pretty little Gardevoir...it's awfully dangerous to go out alone at night, you know..."
I charged psychic and shadow energy in my right hand and flung it at my attacker, then everything went black.
Michael's POV
"We are the voice of reason in this world, the ones who tilt the balance between humans and Pokemon in our favor. We make sure that balance is never changed by ensuring humans remain at the top of the pecking order and Pokemon remain beneath our divine authority. These so-called 'virtues' of being a Pokemon trainer are nothing but lies fed to the youth of society, preached as 'bonding' when all they are doing is giving up the power we as human beings have rightfully earned through war, hardship and determination! Pokemon are nothing but underlings created to serve their masters without question, leaving no room for useless endeavors such as 'bonds' or 'companionship.'"
'You're wrong! The bond between humans and Pokemon is something sacred and pure! Without this bond it is impossible for pokemon to feel anything but loneliness and rage, leaving their hearts yearning for something tangible but ending up with nothing but an empty husk! To remove the bonding process between humans and Pokemon will only drive Pokemon to do terrible things without remorse or regret, they would become killing machines over time and endanger all who might cross their path! What you are doing is nothing short of depriving Pokemon the love they need to live in this world! They have the same feelings as humans and, like Pokemon, humans need-'
"NO! OUR NEEDS FAR OUTWEIGH THE NEEDS OF A POKEMON! HUMANS ARE MADE TO COMMAND POKEMON TO BATTLE! IT IS THE WAY OF LIFE AND POKEMON ARE INCAPABLE OF SHARING THE SAME STAGE AS THE HUMAN RACE, WE ARE THE SUPERIOR RACE! NOT POKEMON! TO SHARE ANYTHING WITH A POKEMON IS SACRILEGE!"
'What gives humans the right to order Pokemon in this way? When was it EVER morally correct to completely disregard the feelings of a Pokemon? They depend on us for survival and it works the same for humans as well. We depend on Pokemon just as much, if not more, than they depend on us. Through bonding sessions we can better understand what the other is thinking and create a world without fear of repercussions, without the need for power struggles, without the need to feel alone...' I trailed my last sentence as my chest spike began radiating with intense power. 'We go through our day-to-day lives alongside our Pokemon and, in return, they offer us their skills, their hearts and their very souls. You wouldn't understand just how much Pokemon can make a difference in our lives...'
"You're delusional, boy! When have Pokemon ever made a difference in our personal lives?" I turned my gaze towards my chest spike and allowed the outpouring of emotions to flow forth from my soul. The landscape changed and shifted violently, creating a wave-like visual that revealed past events. I was openly revealing my past memories to everyone within two hundred feet of our location, showing even the most heart-wrenching moments of my life. The time I fell off of Sunny and was plummeting to my death. The moment Jessica used her powers to save my life. The moment I had captured Angel when she was a Pidgey. All of these moments that were like a sacred treasure to me flowed forth in open view.
Finally, the moments after Blade and Amber were born came up...and tears began pouring from my eyes. I could see Patrick shuffling his feet and biting his lower lip while his Espeon and Machoke were on the verge of breaking down. Derrick was bawling his eyes out and was embracing Snuggles and Topaz tightly as if his life depended on it. I turned my attention to the man once more and his eyes still held their uncaring visage, I couldn't detect even a faint trace of positive emotions. Instead I could feel an even deeper rage rising from within the mans' heart, its influence peaking when the memory of me and Jessica bonding so closely was made manifest before him.
I ended the mind link and turned my gaze downward, suddenly finding the sullen earth beneath me very interesting. The silence that followed was deafening, if such a thing were possible, and I searched through the mans' thoughts one last time. What I found was reprehensible and I suddenly found myself stepping back and extending my arm-scythes to their full length, my eyes burning with contempt as the man before me made his opinion known in painfully clear, unmistakable language.
He was laughing at me.
Despite everything I had revealed, even after all that I had shown him, the secrets I wanted to bury from my adolescence before I met Jessica, as well as the memories I cherished more than anything after the fact were being scoffed at and mocked by a man who not only admitted he didn't care for his Pokemon but willingly left his to die so he could escape with his life. The time for negotiations were over, I had all the information I was going to get out of him and his face was beginning to grow pale from blood loss. I was contemplating ending the mans' life through decapitation but another part of me screamed that this scum wasn't worthy of such a death. I chose to honor my conscious and swung my right arm back, the metallic sheen of my arm scythe gleaming in the blood red moon overhead. My gaze never left the mans' own as my arm was swung forward in a horizontal arc, the blade making contact with flesh and bone.
The mans' head flew off his body and landed in the nearby lake. I positioned my body in a crouch and took aim at the headless human, no...he wasn't fit to be called a human after what was said, and whirled my left foot in a vertical arc, smashing into his chest and sending the body flying into the air. The body never touched the ground before I lost sight of it before slumping down on the blood-caked soil beneath me and retracting my arm-scythes.
I turned to face Patrick and Derrick but they were still looking in the direction the body was sent flying. Finally the silence was broken by Patrick who walked over to me and offered me his hand, which I gladly took. A heavy sigh escaped my lungs as I attempted to open another mind link with Jessica, I got no response so I tried again. The second attempt brought forth a garbled signal and I was immediately alerted to the presence of a foreign being inside Jessica's mind. The unknown entity spoke to me in a voice that nearly made my heart stop.
' For someone who claims to love this Gardevoir as much as you say you do I am rather disappointed that you didn't stay by her side.'
I felt my throat tighten and I suddenly found it difficult to breath.
_ 'I believe you called her Jessi? Or was it Jessica? Regardless I have her now and the readings I am getting from her are incredible. My master will be most pleased with his new plaything...' _
'YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO JESSI?! IF YOU HURT A SINGLE HAIR ON HER HEAD I SWEAR I'LL-'
' _Oh don't be such a sore loser, squirt, my master wouldn't dare cause damage to such a valuable specimen. Most Gardevoir do not have the mental capacity to fire off psychic energy at triple the strength of my own. She almost got the better of me in fact, poor thing was so exhausted from her earlier clash that I merely had to stave off her one attack and she went completely limp.' _ I began gnashing my teeth and pounding my fists into the ground.
'Where is she...tell me...now!'
_ 'Oh I'm afraid I can't do that just yet, squirt. You see, this Gardevoir is about to serve a very special purpose and my master plans to use his new evolution theory on her. I wonder how it will feel to her? I can fathom it will be similar to what I feel RIGHT NOW!' _
My mind suddenly reeled back in extreme pain as a vision appeared before me. In it I saw a table with a Pokemon strapped to the surface with barbed wire and mysterious metal plates digging into its arms and legs. Whatever it was made of was obviously designed for that particular Pokemon because I could see it flailing and squirming in place to no avail. A second figure came into focus and I began making out certain details. I could see a pair of horn-shaped protrusions coming from its head and it had a jackal-like skull structure. Two twisting protrusions were attached to the figure where its nose would be and its arms were folded across its lower body, I pondered if it was meditating and the way it's lower body was fashioned in a seating position confirmed my suspicions. For all intents and purposes this was a Pokemon similar to an Alakazam but something seemed off about it.
The darkness began to recede from the vision and my heart stopped as the figure on the table came into view.
'JESSI! JESSI, NO! YOU BASTARD! LET HER GO! LET HER GO YOU SON OF A BITCH!' I screamed at the image, rage filling my heart once more and I was about to end the link when I was greeted with the most sinister being I had ever laid eyes on, both visually and mentally. In front of the table was the floating form of an Alakazam, but it looked NOTHING like a real Alakazam.
Its skin was a charred brownish red and the horn-like protrusions were a sinister shade of polished obsidian. Its eyes burned the most vicious scarlet I had ever seen, appearing to be filled with its own blood as the dim light danced across the room. Along its arms and legs were scales more fit to be on a Dragon-type and they increased in size the further down they went on its body. Instead of the typical psychic spoons an Alakazam was famous for they had been replaced with what appeared to be double-edged reaping scythes, the tips were dripping copiously with blood. Whether it was from Jessica or not suddenly weighed heavily on my mind.
Through everything I was still frozen in place with fear overtaking me at the mere sight of this pokemon turned hell-spawn. When that...thing finally spoke again its voice was something like what you would hear from a demon in the farthest reaches of hell.
'Your precious Gardevoir will be well taken care of while you flounder and search, but by the time you even know where to start looking her transformation will be complete and she will be released into your care...that is, if you can survive the happy reunion~' with that the link was cut off and I could hear my heart beating at a dangerous clip.
Sweat was pouring down my face and I began shivering all over, my mind was a mess and I tried convincing myself that this was nothing but a terrible nightmare. No matter how hard I tried I still found myself staring into the distance with a hopeless expression plastered on my face and in my eyes. Amidst the chaos surging through my being I could only whisper her name before it was carried by the wind.
"Jessi..."