I just needed to get a bit of weirdness out of my system. And yes, this is the last chapter. I'll be posting them in reverse order. I don't care if anyone likes this, I'm not even sure I like it. It's kind of horrifying.
I'm huddled in the corner of my small apartment, mostly safe for a moment now that the gunfire has stopped. A dull roar of diesel and metal treads comes through the window. On screen, I see… is that a TANK? Things have gotten so far out of hand I can't even begin to describe it.
No time left to panic. Tank. Armor. Metal. Steel. Fire. My fingers fly over the buttons: start right A A down A down down right A…
That's enough, SKARMORY! Come back!
…
Go, TYPHLOSION!
The tank's barrel is swinging toward me. Start right A A down down down down A.
Do you want to use Fire Blast?
I'm already mashing the button for all it's worth. An agonizing half second passes as the pixelated barrel sweeps closer. Then a deafening explosion rocks my world.
It's super effective!
My apartment is somehow still standing. I hit Y, and the Bike appears onscreen. A quick lap around the complex shows a column of Team Rocket grunts (but I know by now that they're soldiers) coming through a cratered parking lot. The whole place looks like a war zone now. I guess it is, and it's all my fault.
Do you want to use Fire Blast? A.
There's no PP left for this move!
Oh no. Start right A A down A down down right A, again. My fingers blur through the sequence.
Come back, TYPHLOSION!
…
Go, SKARMORY!
I punch in Steel Wing, over and over again. There's shooting outside, two explosions, then it stops. I don't want to think about what just happened. Another massive explosion rocks the area. What was that? I hop on the Bike again, making a wider sweep. There it is. My blood runs cold. Self-propelled artillery. On screen, it fires again, and another explosion happens to my left. Way too close. I don't think Skarmory's attacks will get through its armor in time. Start right A A down A right A.
That's enough, SKARMORY! Come back!
…
Go, SUICUNE!
Start right A A down down down A.
Do you want to use Surf? A.
A wave sweeps across the screen, and when it recedes, the howitzer is still there. Barrel swept to the side, but still there. Something stronger. I tap in commands again.
Do you want to use Rain Dance? I change direction in midtap, almost dropping my phone with sweaty fingers. B. Up, A.
Do you want to use Hydro Pump? A. A moment later, the howitzer is flipped on its side. No way to fire, one more threat gone.
A sequence of explosions rips through the complex. Shrapnel stings my leg and back, but I'm still alive. A hole in the ceiling lets me hear jet engines ripping through the sky. What can I do about a jet? Then it hits me. Start right A A down down A.
Do you want to use Rain Dance? A. B right down A down A right up A.
SUICUNE, switch out! Come back!
…
Do it! JOLTEON!
Jets fly at what, Mach 2? I think so. But it doesn't matter. Thunder never misses in the rain.
It's super effective! Thank you, game. Keep reminding me of my rising death toll.
I go back into the Pokemon selection screen and notice that my team's HP is low. Equally low. Every explosion takes it down, even though it's not hitting… Actually, I still don't know what it - I? - look like out there. Have to get to the hospital. Hop on the Bike again.
Halfway there I find a whole column of tanks headed for my apartments. Going the rest of the way, healing up, getting back… even at Bike speeds that are absolutely freakish in real life, it'll take too long. Wait, though. In every Pokemon game, you can heal at your own house. I've got one last chance. I speed back down the streets ahead of the tanks, navigate the parking lot rightupleftuprightdownrightupright… until I do a perfect Bike stop at the base of the stairs. Y, hold B, up, right… up! That's my door.
The door won't open!
It seems blocked from the other side…
I swear under my breath. Of course it is. I barricaded it myself. Back down the stairs. Back through the maze of the parking lot. The tanks are almost in position. A right down… I stop. Thunder will get one, but there's no way I'll be able to take them out in time. Left A.
Do you want to use Discharge? A.
An explosion of electricity rocks the two front tanks. Discharge still has 7 PP left. This will work. Then I notice a tank barrel shifting over. It fires.
JOLTEON fainted!
Gold is out of useable POKEMON!
…
Gold whited out!
Gold scurried back to the last Pokemon Center, protecting the exhausted and fainted POKEMON from further harm…
Dang it. The "last Pokemon Center" was, geographically, in a different state. The screen comes back on, showing my character standing in front of the counter.
We've restored your POKEMON to full health. I'm furiously mashing A.
We hope to see you again!
Welcome to the Pokemon Center! NO! Too far! I can hear tank treads outside again.
We restore your tired POKEMON to full health. Mashing B now.
Would you like to rest your POKEMON?
We hope to see you again!
I turn and run out of the Pokemon Center. Start right A… Where's Skarmory? Slot 2. …right A down down down down A.
Do you want to use Fly? A.
Where do you want to Fly to? I scroll across the map. Locate my town. Press A again. The animation plays, the screen goes white, then I'm outside the hospital. Right. I could have used Fly to get there in the first place. I've been playing too long without sleep. Getting sloppy. I speed back down the streets - the empty, evacuated streets - to where I know they're getting ready to fire. I have to kill them all before they get me. Add more to my already long list of dead. Part of me already knows it's pointless. I'm one guy against the Army. Literally. And I'm the one with blood on my hands.
Pull up alongside the tanks. Start right A A down down down A.
Do you want to use Discharge? - Two more tanks down.
Then the rest fire. Explosion after explosion rocks the place. My phone slips out of limp fingers. It's still working, waiting for me to continue, but I'm not. How did things go so wrong? I'm not a murderer. I didn't used to be. I didn't mean for any of this…
Aaron whited out!
