The rain fell quickly and strongly. Torrents of water blasted from the skies to the large forest below as a white shadow flitted amongst the trees, flashes of crimson red staining the pale blurs.
Just a bit longer.
Those four words were the only thought that echoed in the Ninetale's mind as she ran gracefully despite her serious injuries. In the distance, the roars of a large Pokémon and the high-pitched peals of laughter of the Pokémon Hunter J rang in the fox Pokémon's ears. She shook her head as if to vanquish the offending noises from her memories and ran on.
Just a bit longer.
The Ninetales wanted to curse herself for getting herself into this predicament. If only she had been more careful, sneakier, faster...she would never have met that awful human woman.
Humans! She hated them, especially after meeting the Pokémon Hunter. They came into her forest, intruding her territory, tossing the orbs that would emit a strange red light which would envelope whatever poor creature the human had battled and trap it inside the ball, perhaps forever. And the human's Pokémon! Traitors of their kind, fighting each other in order to tame the wild ones; had they forgotten where they came from? No, she thought, no Pokémon would ever forget. It was the humans who corrupted her race's minds! They steal the power of their prisoners as their own and use it against others of their kind! They don't even fight for themselves, the weaklings! And it was because of the corrupted Salamence that the human woman rose to power, and it was because of that human woman that Pokémon all over the region were suffering! Lost parents, cubs, chicks…don't they know that Pokémon have families and feelings, too?
Just a bit longer.
She stopped momentarily, sniffing the space around her. The odorless scent of water blurred her keen sense of smell. The Ninetales growled and shook her head, droplets leaping out of her creamy fur. Even nature seemed to be against her, taking advantage of her weakness against the moisture. But she had no time to worry about that now; her ears perked up, picking up the distinct voice of Hunter J.
"You can't run and hide forever, fox!" she cackled. The Ninetales thought she could see her visors in a flash of white lightning.
Groaning, the graceful Pokémon turned away from the sight and threw herself into sprint once more. Even though she hated admitting it, the human town not too far away was her only hope. There's no way, she thought, the Hunter would attack a human village. Too many people and too many witnesses; she knew that. She'll have to hide there for a while if she wanted to throw off the arrogant human. By Arceus's plates, she thought to herself, disgusted, I'm going to stink like a human for weeks! Damn that Hunter!
Just a bit longer.
The Ninetales could already see the ugly grey buildings through the thick curtain of rain rising up behind the cliff she had begun to approach. With all her heart she wished she could have fought Hunter J and cursed her with all nine of her powerful tails, but she had been greatly weakened by the treacherous Salamence.
Why? She had yelled at the great dragon. Why do you aid this ugly human woman in her dirty deeds? Can't you see the pain all of your fellow Pokémon are going through?
He only smirked before answering, This human helped me heal and grow after I was brutally attacked by a herd of Pokémon when I was but a small Bagon. Now, I help her in my revenge against all Pokémon!
With those words he nearly knocked her out with a powerful Hyper Beam.
Just a bit longer.
She was almost there; the cliff was getting closer and closer. In a few seconds, she'd be able to leap off into the city. Her physical strength was not so depleted that she couldn't jump a mere seventy feet—
The Ninetales was thrown off her feet as incredible gusts of wind swirled around an impending figure: the Salamence. A cloud of dust exploded at the blue dragon's feet as it landed noisily in front of her. Damn! She cursed inwardly, struggling to rise from the impact. The silver haired woman stepped off her Pokémon and slowly strutted to the white fox, examining the dried blood that crusted its damp fur.
"I'll have to get someone to wash that off; a Pokémon this pure shouldn't be presented to the client in this state. But for now…" she heard the Hunter murmur to herself. Then, the human straightened up and looked at her face, making sure to avoid her scarlet, hypnotic eyes.
"Don't worry, fox," J said, her voice full of sarcasm and triumph, "you'll run no longer. In fact, you should be grateful; your beauty and elegance shall be preserved forever in eternal stone." She then raised the cannon-like device on her left arm. A bright golden beam shot out from its mouth, heading directly towards the Ninetales. All hope was lost now; she simply curled her nine tails around her battered body, looking at the light head-on. The last thing she saw was the horrid grey buildings that she failed to reach, that failed to protect her. She couldn't even look upon her beloved forest again. A lone tear fell from her misty red eyes that froze halfway down her face as her creamy white fur turned a stony bronze.
Just a bit longer, and she would have been safe.
Just a bit longer, and she would have been able to see her home once more.
Just a bit longer, and she would never be so reckless again, to be hunted and humiliated by humans.
Just…a bit…longer…
Hey! Wings here!
I was inspired by Tyltalis's dark one-shot and decided to write this. I also discovered that I only have one Pokémon story (le gasp). And I call myself a Pokenerd!
Hope you somewhat liked it!