Jack and the Cave Dwellers
Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by Game Freak and Nintendo while Samurai Jack is owned by Genndy Tartakovsky.
Lasers fired out from robots of various insectoid designs, attempting to terminate their programmed target who deftly wove through the increasingly ravaged forest. Having lost sight of the target yet again, their optical units adjusted to x-ray vision in an attempt to render any form of hiding useless. The x-ray feature was nothing special in comparison to other upgrades ranging from wrist-mounted flamethrowers to chainsaw mandibles. Yet somehow, such a simple idea was keeping the wanted man on the defensive for much longer than any traditional armament.
Sweeping their enhanced eyes across the battle-scarred landscape, they realized he was nowhere to be found. Somehow, the man evaded their sight even through the cover of smoke kicked up from battle.
As the machines fruitlessly inspected the area around them, they forgot one direction to consider.
Up.
With only a slight whoosh, a white blur plunged from the sky, slicing an unaware ant droid. The compromised bot took several seconds to register the damage before the halves slowly fell to opposite sides exploding before they hit the ground.
The rest of the robots quickly focused their sights on the robed man, their laser guns rapidly expelling bolts in a vain attempt to slay he who was a blight to their master. Unfortunately, a combination of the man's speed and dexterous weaving through the crowds led to not only more missed shots, but to a revelation of a lack in tactical programming as seen by several insectoid bots dispatched via friendly fire.
Undeterred by their dwindling forces or lack of gun safety, some attempted to engage the man in close quarters revealing various buzz saws, serrated fangs, electrified spears, and the like. Fearlessly, a good portion of their number charged the oddly stoic man. After all, his eyes were closed and such a decision would make a combatant much easier to dispatch.
Yet the following several seconds proved that their recklessness was another error exploited. Despite his current lack of vision, by choice no less, the man cut through anything that approached with chilling ease. Every swing of his sword resulted in severed legs or ruined weapons, every stab pierced thick plates of steel armor which severed important wires or circuits. As such, any machine that dared to face him was met with the edge of his katana and a fiery end.
Though the earthbound droids were nearly finished, they quickly received reinforcements from the skies in the form of grotesque wasp and dragonfly imitations. The airborne forces rained down on the swordsman with steel stingers and pressurized blasts of air. Such a storm of projectiles made for a fearsome sight and would make even the most skilled warriors grimace in anxiety.
All except Jack.
Even when stingers pierced the thick trees and the shockwaves carved fissures within stones, none of them could touch the samurai. The samurai leapt up a nearby thin tree with all the agility of an adept simian before jumping off the arboreal spire. In response to his rapid ascension, the storm of explosive materials concentrated into a smaller yet incredibly dense mass of death guaranteed to reduce anything into dust.
Jack simply responded by utilizing various stingers as stepping stones, ascending into the sky while ignoring the few superficial wounds he sustained from whatever he could not avoid or deflect. As gravity began to take effect, the samurai decided to hitch a ride on a nearby dragonfly. His sudden decision caused the swarm's crosshairs to shift over to the manned robot and focused their firepower on it. A swift leap ensured only the drone's demise.
Jack repeated the process, every miss terminating another flier and obscuring vision from oily smoke and falling debris allowing him to slowly but surely reduce the swarm to a more manageable size. The skies gradually reverting from a grotesque mix of yellow and green pastels to the warm oranges and pinks of dusk.
Deciding enough was enough, the swarm converged into two masses and generated violent bursts of air that collided with each other, resulting in a shockwave that shook the forest and everything around it with gale force winds. Unfortunately, everything included Jack as the airborne tremor caused him to slip from his unwilling ride towards the ground hundreds of feet below.
The landing would have been nothing short of a fatal experience had it not been for the presence of some barren trees blocking Jack's clean fall to the bottom. But fate deemed Jack to be less than deserving of such a fortune as the moment his geta touched a stray branch, the weathered extension immediately gave way earning widened eyes from the falling warrior. The brief moment of shock disrupted his focus to the point where he crashed roughly through various branches before rebounding off another tree to slam onto the ravaged earth.
Jack gingerly pushed himself up only to wince when he attempted to support himself via his right arm. Upon inspecting it, he grimaced at the sight of several metal shards lodged into the forearm and bicep. It was not a welcome sight to say the least. While his kimono provided protection from the elements, it did little to prevent injury from attacks especially jagged solids. He briefly contemplated the thought of procuring armor before dismissing it. Such equipment rarely proved to be beneficial to him in the past.
Digging deep to ignore the pain that began to flood his damaged arm, Jack focused a narrow gaze upon the remains of the air squadron. He had few options available to him and doubted his ability to emulate his previous evasive maneuvers in his current state.
A change of tactics was needed.
By a stroke of luck, the samurai's legs were relatively unharmed from his abrupt reunion with the ground. Willing himself, he leapt onto one of the remaining trees, ascending from branch to branch akin to the Wild Men while weaving through the hail of death the best he could before launching himself head-first towards the swarm just as the tortured tree gave way.
He had always been known by his enemies to be cunning and prudent. Perhaps emulating the Scotsman's rashness would serve him well here.
With one final battle cry, Jack spun with his sword turning himself into a flying buzz saw. The force of his spinning attack was more than enough to deflect or destroy any projectiles that flew towards him, carving through wires, plating, and wings, leaving no robot unmarred. To the robots, he was little more than a blur, indistinguishable except for the silver gleam of his holy sword, granting death to all who refused to retreat.
As the human vortex petered out, only a single wasp drone remained, somehow miraculously emerging from the slaughter unscathed. Despite having been programmed to be a relentless killing machine, despite noting the samurai was far below his peak performance, despite not even understanding the meaning of fear, something compelled it to escape. However, its killing instincts compelled it to attempt one last parting shot, launching a stinger towards the man captured by gravity.
That was its final error.
Despite fading adrenaline and disorientation from an intense aerial maneuver, Jack's hawk-like eyes perceived the incoming barb and matched its power with one final strike. The clang of metal signified the barb making a return trip back into its carrier's artificial abdomen, giving the robot a brief moment to contemplate the feeling of regretting its decision before joining the rest of its squad in oblivion.
Despite slaying the last of his lifeless pursuers, Jack realized he needed to break his fall. Again.
Fortunately, when he deflected the barb, his inability to brace himself caused his body to be lurched by the impact. Using the momentum, he aimed for a lone tree and quickly planned his landing strategy.
Willing his burning muscles for one final performance, he spun his sword into a reverse grip and plunged it into the timber before quickly adjusting the blade into a diagonal descent. With that, Jack held on tight as he spun down the tree to its base.
Upon reaching the ground, Jack breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the end of the conflict. Aku's minions had proven quite persistent this week and the large numbers, while not insurmountable, greatly tested his perception and stamina. The robots compensated with mindless persistence and an odd ability to locate him when obscured from view. Something in their eyes, he noticed, markings of circular design.
Regardless, Jack felt a pang of sorrow as his gaze swept across what was once a tranquil and vibrant forest. Gone were the late summer colors of bright green leaves and berry-filled bushes. The soft, loamy soil no longer fit for the development of future trees to provide shade or sustenance for passing travelers or animals. Various scraps of metal and wires littered the area, mighty trees reduced to charred husks and splinters, the very earth tainted with man-made chemicals and burns from the bright projectiles he learned were lasers.
Another part of the world consumed by Aku.
Jack closed his eyes and exercised his breathing techniques. No good would come from losing his temper again. He took a moment of silence to pay respect to the loss of another wooded area and potential inhabitants. After his moment, he carried on towards the expanse of blue in the distance.
No matter what, Aku would receive his judgement in due time. Even if it took years.
Upon reaching the coast, Jack noted the smell of ocean water wafting through the air. The smell of the briny liquid was a refreshing change from the smoke and fire from the previous fight. He welcomed the pleasant change in atmosphere which invigorated his clarity ever so slightly. Despite the air refreshing his body, he was still wracked with pain from his previous injuries. Thankfully, his arm was treated with some remaining strips from the upper part of his kimono fashioned into crude yet effective bandages.
The gurgling from his stomach also made him note the resurgence of his appetite. Jack knew his need for food was greater than usual due to a necessity for his recovery. The forces of evil wouldn't wait for his wounds to heal after all.
Taking in his surroundings, the coast's surface transitioned rather sharply from soft, fertile grass to firm, dull rock. Thankfully, the rock was mostly smooth likely due to the constant exposure to the tides, eroding any sharp edges away. The few cracks were easy enough to step around. Several large boulders dotted the area as if they were neatly arranged to form some kind of obstacle course. For some reason, small holes seemed to be dug out from the earthen walls supporting grass higher up. Perhaps there were animals that carved out territories here.
The thought of potential meat made Jack's stomach demand sustenance once more. It had been some time since his last meal, a meal that had been rudely interrupted by Aku's recent attempt on his life.
At this point, Jack did not particularly care what he captured so long as his stomach ceased its protests. He would ensure the creature he hunted would be honored for its sacrifice as he was taught to do.
A skittering noise made the famished samurai freeze before making an abrupt about-face. He slowly dragged his gaze across the rocky coast, attempting to locate the source of movement. Where could it have come-
There.
The creature blended in well with the dull grays of the stone. Aside from the few sections – backwards facing antennae, a prickly tail, and curved spikes – of its body that were a light purple, its sectioned shell was silver with several black triangles centered in each segment.
Jack stared at the mysterious creature with some level of annoyance. Another insect, another reminder of the killer swarm.
How…fortuitous.
Yet when he regarded its yellow eyes, he noted they were staring back at him with a surprising level of caution and shock. The little insect seemed to be shivering lightly as if it had spotted a fearsome bird of prey, preparing to flee should it earn the predator's interest.
Jack just continued to stare, not daring to make a move. The last thing Jack wanted was to scare away his potential meal. While he was no stranger to hunger since there were times food was scarce in the wild and he wasn't always able to reach a dining establishment, nourishment would ensure one less distraction. Not to mention, it would accelerate the healing of his wounds.
Casting a quick glance to his surroundings once more, Jack noted the small hole as the creature's means of escape. If he sprinted, he held a fair chance of seizing it before it could slip away. Yet as he cast his glance back to the insect, he saw something.
Fear.
The little insect seemed terrified at the mere sight of the injured samurai, a warrior fresh off the battlefield bearing wounds and a stern gaze that spoke of countless experiences with intense combat. It was as if the creature felt its life was going to meet with a premature and bloody ending.
Jack's gaze softened at the look of terror. He had never expected such a look from a wild creature before, but somehow it just felt wrong to make an attempt on its life. Deigning to take to one knee, Jack decided to make peace with the insect.
"Do not fear, little one. I will bring you no harm." Jack replied. "I merely wish to find food before the sun sets." The samurai decided at that point foraging for local flora would be more viable than attempting to consume the small insectoid near him. While more tedious, his spirit would feel more at ease.
And while he did not admit it to anyone, the times he consumed roasted insects was not always pleasurable. Particularly any arachnids. The insect before him seemed to lack the similar body structure of said creatures, but he was not in the mood to debate its biology. Besides, maybe the little one could lead him to an area rife with vegetation.
After hearing the samurai's request, the small creature chittered a small response as if it were determining the man's character. It had been quite intimidated from the man's appearance and intense focus, especially when his eyes held traces of hunger. That was a look he was all too familiar with. But perhaps…
*GUUURRRGG*
…it was time to haul his chitinous rear end out of dodge.
The roar of Jack's stomach triggered the timid insect's survival instincts as it made a mad dash for the small earthen nook.
Surprised by the creature's speed, Jack made haste to prevent its escape. His sprint quickly began to close the distance allowing his fingers within reach of the purple jagged tail.
Suddenly, the insect quickly changed directions darting towards one of the boulders. Jack quickly spun around to see it disappear behind the rock. This creature was certainly fast, but he would not be outmaneuvered.
Jack leapt over the boulder spotting the grey and purple insect look up in abject horror, wondering how such a human could jump so well. It was already moving before Jack hit the ground running.
Every time Jack came within grabbing distance, the insect would immediately change direction to avoid its capture. Left, right, right, left, underneath Jack. The process repeated for what seemed like forever. Jack had to leap and dash countless times towards the hole to prevent the insect's escape. Yet somehow, when the insect seemed close to being captured, it would occasionally coat itself in water to suddenly speed away. Unfortunately, such a speed boost was not enough to escape the determined wanderer.
Both sides began to tire from the frantic game of tag physically and mentally.
Jack breathed heavily as his legs struggled to support his tired frame. While his injured arm was not being used for the pursuit, its muscles still throbbed from the abuse of his previous fight. The bandages were already soaking a disturbing red. His vision was beginning to waver. And his emotions were becoming harder to keep in check due to the fleeing creature.
The insect was shaking uncontrollably from the panic it was currently experiencing. Never in all its life did it expect such a human to be capable of matching its speed let alone one in such a battered condition. If it were able to reach the hole, it would be home free. Then it could return to the safety of its colony, guarded by the Shells.
They both knew each only had enough strength for one last sprint. One last chance. Jack and the insect stared each other down once again, silent save for the mild breeze and the shifting tides.
A small rock fell.
The silver arthropod scuttled faster than it had ever done so before, the hole in the wall a beacon of security, tranquility, and isolation from any threats. As such, he willed up his reserves for one last attempt to reach safe harbor.
(Aqua Jet!)
This time, the cloak of water became twice as dense spiraling around him and propelled himself at speeds he never dreamed of reaching.
Willing his legs on for a final dash, Jack made to be one with the wind, lowering himself towards the ground to reach the creature.
With one final burst of strength, the sprint became a leap over to the wall, bouncing off it into a dive. Right into the path of the water-enveloped creature.
THUD
The samurai rolled across the rugged surface of the coastline, clenching his teeth during the tumble. He knew further exertion would result in exacerbating his injured arm further but for now, it did not matter.
For after he regained his bearings, his arms held the panicking scuttler.
The arthropod squirmed with great vigor, hoping to escape the pursuer's clutches. If he did not, he would surely meet his maker through this human's attempt at roasting him over a fire. While his kind was not easy to burn due to their connection to the water, that did not mean they were immune to such an agonizing fate unlike their local arachnid neighbors.
To make matters worse, he realized he was facing away from the hunter. How could this happen!? Now his spit would be worthless, unable to stun him to provide another opportunity for escape. Tears started to well up in his eyes, knowing all possible avenues for fleeing were gone. Perhaps it was time to accept his fate…
…To receive a gentle rubbing between his antennae?
The contact with his shell made him flinch at first, but the longer the rubbing continued, the more his panicking waned. His chittering decreased in volume and tempo, gradually becoming more relaxed to the point where it nearly resembled purring from a cat.
Perhaps he didn't have anything to fear after all. Maybe this human wouldn't eat him.
Jack couldn't help but let a small smile form as the creature finally relaxed in his arms. The poor thing must have misunderstood his intentions. At least now everything would work out.
CRACK
Jack's tender moment with the arthropod was cut short with a hard impact to the back of his head, his vision rapidly fading. Before the world went black, all he heard was rapid chittering, no doubt from his new friend. What little he saw was some mass of silver.
The samurai eventually regained consciousness realizing he was no longer on the coastline but rather in some type of cave. There were multiple puddles across the ground with a much smoother rock surface. Larger rocks nearby however were littered with gouges or indentations, signs of wear from bladed weapons and bare knuckles.
Jack knew this had to be the locale of his assailant. Whoever took him prisoner was no doubt skilled with a blade and possessed considerable physical prowess, enough to smash rocks bare-handed.
He hissed slightly as he moved his injured arm, the tattered bandages long gone revealing the torn swelling skin slowly dripping blood. Medicine was definitely a priority right after escaping this place.
His internal musing was cut short by some thudding noises that grew louder. Something was approaching.
Jack quickly reached for his sword only to realize with widened eyes that it was missing.
The situation had just become worse. While Jack was well-versed in unarmed combat – having mastered various styles of martial arts from Roman Wrestling to Shaolin Kung-Fu – his current state of injury and exhaustion was not going to tip the odds in his favor anytime soon. Nevertheless, he braced himself for whatever conflict would occur.
Finally, several shapes became visible in the low lighting of the cave. Jack couldn't help but flinch at the sight.
The creatures bore an eerie resemblance to the one he pursued earlier but were much larger, their size rivalling the Scotsman. Thick silver scales covered the majority of their hunched-over violet bodies with short purple antennae and facial hair (?) protruding from their skulls. What surprised Jack were the massive arms encased in thick scales with protruding black claws. He did not doubt those claws could rend stone with little difficulty.
The center humanoid insect towered over the others by nearly a foot with much denser armor plating and sharper looking dark eyes. Jack also took note of the various scars the creature bore, even noting some of its protruding scales were more jagged compared to its followers. Whatever this beast was, it had certainly faced its share of intense combat. It was undoubtedly the leader.
A closer observation revealed it also carried Jack's sword. Jack wanted, needed to get his sword back. The fate of the world depended on it.
One of the giants noticed Jack's focus on the sword and rasped angrily. Nobody would dare to threaten nor steal from their leader. Any who tried would receive the business end of its claws. As such, the perceptive one lumbered forward with an arm bearing a light green aura intending to furiously cut down the enemy.
However, the advance was halted by the leader who stretched a massive arm out to prevent the subordinate's advance. The leader rumbled a command causing the lesser goliath to stand down. Turning back to face Jack, the creature gave him a once-over before 'speaking up' once more, causing one of the lesser ones to approach Jack. Raising its closed claw, Jack quickly assumed a fighting stance preparing to aim for an unarmored section.
The paranoia was for naught as the claw revealed pieces of unusual fruit. Shaped similar to pears yet bearing a gold color with golden brown spots, Jack had a feeling he'd never seen such a fruit before.
The carrier rumbled at Jack, the gesture likely encouraging him to eat the fruit. Tentatively, Jack took one of the fruits before biting into it.
The taste that enveloped his mouth was amazing! Against all logic, this fruit somehow possessed a variety of flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, dry, and most unusually spicy. Yet one flavor never overpowered the others but rather each worked together in harmony creating a unique yet extremely pleasing sensation to his taste buds. And the texture, surprisingly firm yet ripe to perfection ensuring each bite was not a labor for his jaws while still providing a satisfying crunch.
After finishing the first fruit, Jack felt a warming sensation bolster his frame. The day's previous exhaustion was actually beginning to fade. While he certainly had better days, he was not feeling quite as bad as before.
The carrier gestured towards the remaining fruit ensuring the samurai ate his fill. Jack couldn't understand. Why would his captors feed him? What was their purpose in all this? Despite asking for clarification, none of the armored bugs would provide a worthy answer save for a stubborn reminder to finish the fruit.
While Jack continued to down the delectable produce, he idly noted how the insects resembled samurai with their armor designs. Odd as it seemed, their appearances brought a feeling of nostalgia about the noble warriors of his old home. For what it was worth, their armor was certainly impressive. He could only imagine what such a suit would be like.
After finishing the last of the fruit, Jack felt surprisingly revitalized, all traces of exhaustion and pain gone. Looking to his arm, the injuries had disappeared not even leaving a scar.
Noting the interloper was completely healed, the leader rumbled to him gaining the samurai's attention. With that, the scarred goliath tossed the holy blade to Jack. Commands were issued to the lower ranks to guard the exits, ensuring the human would not attempt to flee. Perhaps it was foolish to heal an intruder, but the law of the Shells dictated that if an enemy were to be captured, it would only be fair to offer a chance of escape through combat. And there was no honor in facing an injured enemy, honor that separated them from the degenerates.
Besides, the stance of the combat-ready human suggested he was no amateur with his blade. The leader's mandibles clicked together in anticipation. This would surely be a good fight.
At once, both combatants charged each other. The samurai-like bug enveloped a large claw in green aura moving at uncanny speeds, its smashing attack barely blocked by Jack. The immense force caused Jack to stagger prompting the leader to press the advantage. Glowing white claws slashed furiously at the samurai who quickly countered each blow and returned a few of his own. Each attack was parried skillfully by the armored arthropod as if it were second nature.
Jack weaved around and under the large claws and lunged for the exposed midsection hoping to end the fight quickly. However, a glint of silver dashed the chances of a short battle when a glowing silver arm smashed into him sending him flying backwards. As he regained his bearings, Jack noticed with no small amount of dread that his enemy wielded four extra arms. Though smaller and less armored, they were no less dangerous. Rather, they were four more weapons to account for.
Renewing his determination, Jack rushed in once more into a deadly dance of silver and white. The two samurai slashed and parried, dodged and blocked, neither combatant gaining a distinct advantage.
Even when the goliath utilized its multiple arms for Fury Cutter, the arms rapidly swinging at unrivaled speeds, Jack deflected them all from each angle. Not even the massive azure blades materialized from hardened water could touch him and any that scraped his blade didn't even achieve so much as a scratch.
Jack, for all his skill and training, was unable to get past the goliaths numerous arms for a direct hit. Even when he advanced on the rare openings in the creature's guard, the armored plating was always there to intercept his blade leaving only small scrapes. To make matters worse, the goliath was gradually adapting to his fighting style, meeting his potential attacks with claws cloaked in black energy reminding him far too much of his sworn nemesis, forcing him to abandon offense for a hasty defense.
The longer the battle raged on, the more the bugs began to look on in awe. In all their years, no one human or otherwise ever managed to defeat their beloved leader. Sure, there had been opponents who had inflicted grievous wounds, but they always fell in the end. While the lesser arthropod giants guarded the exits, they couldn't help but admire the skill of the human who was matching their leader blow for blow. His reflexes even allowed him to keep pace when every speed technique was utilized to overcome their kind's natural slowness. As such, they couldn't shake the lingering sensation of fear.
After what seemed like hours but was only minutes, both combatants were struggling for breath and bearing wounds. Jack was once again facing exhaustion from such intense combat and bearing numerous cuts and bruises. The goliath was not much better, heaving for breath and actively resisting the natural urge to tactically withdraw, armor plates and even the inner body bearing various cuts from the insanely sharp holy sword.
Both fighters and guards knew the battle would end soon. And thus, the fighters charged for one last clash. Jack resheathed his katana, focusing the remains of his strength as best he could before unleashing it at blinding speeds with a wordless war cry. Whereas the giant insect cloaked its large claws in green energy and enveloped itself into a spiraling cascade of water, allowing it to dash in for the evisceration.
"YAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHH!"/(SEA SPLITTER!)
A final clang echoed through the caves as both samurai unleashed their final attacks. Every spectator held their breath, anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Through clenched teeth, Jack stifled a pained grunt while falling to one knee due to the large gash from his torso. He was at his limit and knew that no amount of willpower would allow him to overcome his physical state.
But after a few more agonizing seconds, the titan gurgled and collapsed, blood starting to pool out beneath it.
The samurai insects stared upon the scene with varying amounts of horror, shock, and incredulousness realizing their leader had actually lost.
Before any of the Shells considered thoughts of vengeance for their leader, a high-pitched chittering rang out and a familiar isopod dashed over to the fallen goliath.
Jack looked on in shock as the little one whimpered towards the sight of the defeated warrior and nuzzled it with the warrior giving a pained but softer rumble in return. Who would've guessed the leader of such fearsome battlers was also a caring mother?
The realization of his opponent bleeding out began to truly dawn upon Jack as he realized the child would soon be orphaned. The Shishi Sonson was a technique guaranteed to part even the densest substances, something made perfectly clear by an inebriated swordsman with three swords.
Several of the giants insects rushed over to their leader and bit down on the fallen mother, their fangs glowing a bloody red.
Enraged by the disgrace inflicted upon his worthy opponent, Jack forced himself to stand once more and began to advance upon the scavengers. If such a warrior were to die today, then she would deserve to perish with dignity intact.
Before he could begin to defend the mother, a small tugging on the remainder of his hakama showed the little insect was trying to keep him from interfering. Jack was bewildered by this. Why would the child who earlier wept for his fallen mother try to stop him from helping her? Was it a matter of pride? A custom followed in their community?
Surprisingly, he was wrong as the scarred mother suddenly began to rise out of her pool of life liquid. Though she was aided by two of her kind, she was very much alive as the deep slash inflicted on her had eventually faded into an intimidating scar. The ones who seemingly tried to feed on her were kneeling in fatigue.
Once again, Jack was both bewildered and amazed by what transpired. The creatures didn't mean to eat her but rather heal her by somehow transferring their energy to her. Even after months of travelling across various lands and encountering all sorts of unique beings, these abilities wielded by these samurai insects were nothing short of incredible.
The scarred leader locked her gaze with Jack's in silence before nodding to him. She then rumbled to her free subordinates sending them off for various tasks. Soon, Jack was alone with his former opponent and her child. Jack looked with an uneasy expression, unsure of how to react except to follow her when she began to trudge along to one of the cave paths.
After a few minutes of walking, Jack was shocked at the sight before him: a breeding ground. A multitude of silver and purple eggs lay scattered across the ground secured by intricate gatherings of smooth stones. Smaller versions of the bipedal insectoids were doting relentlessly over the unhatched children. As Jack looked upon the sacred grounds, he saw several eggs begin to crack. As the seconds passed, the cracks became larger and the shaking more intense until the eggs broke open to reveal the small arthropod creatures slowly crawl out of their shells only to be doted upon more by the now gentler looking insectoids.
Jack couldn't help but smile upon witnessing a miracle of life at work. Even in world ravaged by the evils of Aku, it seemed there were always sparks of hope and love to be found.
He understood the actions of the samurai-esque creatures now. He had unintentionally portrayed himself as a threat to one of their offspring and seemed to have wandered close to their nests. Of course they would have responded violently. Jack understood the need to protect one's family.
Jack turned to face the leader only to find her playfully trying to swat her child off her when he started crawling over her scales. Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the family engaged in a playful scuffle. Despite his amusement, he knew that he was in the presence of a future warrior of incredible power and skill. To think such a small creature would eventually become so strong.
His amusement was cut short when the leader noticed his merriment and decided to include him in the festivities. Rumbling to her son, the little one gleefully nodded in return with an unusually mischievous glint in his eyes. In a fluid motion, the mother used Fling. Jack was suddenly pinned to the ground by the small creature from that day, the insect chirping in victory at having 'defeated' his foe. Several of the nearby children and caretakers chirped and rumbled ecstatically, praising their 'brave warrior' on his success.
Though his fresh wounds continued to throb, Jack couldn't help but chuckle again at the sheer oddity of the surprise attack and play-wrestling. Then again, maybe this strangeness wasn't so bad. After all, what was one day of leisure with new friends?
-WHACHA!- (cue Samurai Jack ending theme)
Hey everyone. Hope you enjoyed this one-shot of Jack and the featured Pokemon: Wimpod and Golisopod. This being my first fanfiction, I hope I did all the characters justice along with the action scenes. I got the idea of Jack battling a Golisopod one-on-one and I really wanted to make it come to life.
Golisopod was one of my favorite Pokemon from Sun and Moon yet they unfortunately don't have a description tag. Same with Wimpod. Just wanted to give them a little more love and some recognition.
I know there were a lot of things I could've done for the fight like showing a Golisopod split sea water or air with a Slash or a creative use of Swords Dance, but I think the fight was going on long enough.
Mama Golisopod's final attack, Sea Splitter, was a combo of X-Scissor and Aqua Jet. Don't tell me that wouldn't be a terrifying experience.
As for why Jack couldn't instantly cut through Mama Golisopod's armor when he frequently carves through robots and the like on a daily basis, well, I'll chalk that up to passive uses of Iron Defense. Golisopod can learn that naturally.
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review and have a nice day.
-BrightNova169