Chapter 2: Nappy
The hall leading to the Pokemon Game seems to take forever to end. There is no light at the end of this tunnel. I also feels very eerie. None of us are talking after hearing the garbage rules these playmakers announced not too long ago.
The rules of the game are so twisted. How can I battle any of them knowing that if they get 6-0ed they will die? Its not fair. We came in pumped to play another game in our YouTube line, not this. And on top of that, we are going to have to split up eventually. That isnt how we planned. All Shady and I wanted to do was have another co-op on our channel.
"Can I say something?" that girl Beth says, stopping behind us. Great.
We all stop and turn to face her. I glance at Shady and Drew and they both return my glance with an unsure stare.
"Go ahead, I guess." I say.
"I have no idea what any of this is about, I am not even supposed to be here," she starts off so solid, I want to hurl, I hate big speeches, "But I know one thing. You are all friends and what this Game Maker is asking for iall/i of us to do is ridiculous. So, I had an idea," she trails off, looking to the walls of insecurely. Where could she possibly be going with this? "Let's not play their games."
"We have to play their games, Beth," drew interjects, waving his hand dismissively, "Or else we 'black out'. Remember?"
"That's not what I meant," she says shaking her head, looking a bit disappointed, "People like this guy like watching people suffer. If he didnt, he wouldnt have made these rules so crazy. The only way to beat a person like that is to do the opposite of what he wants. Even if that means putting ourselves at risk," she sighs, "I dont want him to win. I dont want him to see the very friendships you guys have be torn apart by the video game you guys love."
iWhy is she saying this?/i I ask myself. But she does have a point. The Game Makers obviously are toying with us.
"I'm just saying, that for me, anyway, I know what he wants. He wants me to battle you, and win at all costs. I could never do that, though, knowing what that would lead up to, and thats even if I could. As for you all, though, dont give him that satisfaction and turn on one another. It's just not right. I am going to fight this the best way I know how, and that's by not battling any of you, even if it costs me my life. I wont have any of it." she shakes her head, trying to empower herself. Or maybe even convince herself that she will do what she just said. How true is what she is saying, though? Is she trying trick us into believing that she isnt a threat so she can come out on top? Or is she being genuine on her idea of this? I dont know,b ut it makes me want to watch everything she does jut to be on the safe side.
"That's pretty bold of you to do. I kinda agree, but who knows whats really going to happen." Shady tells her, looking at me and Drew for confirmation. I just nod, I dont know what to think right now.
"What I really hope, is that we dont give in to human nature. They're playing on the instinct to stay alive and preserve ourselves to have us make a show and betray each other. For the sake of each other, just..." Beth trails off, looking down, "Dont do what he wants. The moment you get paranoid of each other, or doubt one another, its all over. He wins, and you will wind up hurting each other somehow. That's how these mind games start. But if you support each other, dont doubt anything, and work together as a team no matter what, you will come out on top."
"In a way, she is right, you know. If we start getting suspicious of each other it just plays in their hands." I think out loud. She does have a point.
"Alright, then from here on out, we work as a team. All four of us. No secrets, and no battling each other. We figure things out together, sound like a plan?" Shady asks assertively, confident in his words.
"I definitely agree," Drew chimes in.
"Sounds fine to me," Beth says, walking over to us, "Let's do this our way."
"Sounds like a plan." I agree, still feeling a little doubtful of all of this. I know I can trust Shady and Drew. Theyre one of my closest friends but the fact that Beth had this speech and the fact that she isnt even supposed to be here still makes me wonder about her sincerity. But she is right. If I continue asking all o these questions, I will surely do something I might regret to her or anyone, actually.
As we go back to progressing through the tunnels we discuss some game plans. Beth revealed to us that she picked the Ranger game which is really crazy because Drew also picked it. So not only are Shady and I doubling up on becoming Pokemon researchers, we go Beth and Drew becoming Rangers. We all feel a bit uneasy knowing that sharing the same game styles means that we will cross paths somewhere and might have to battle each other which we just said we weren't going to do. That also heightens my questioning of Beth being tha she is the wild card of the group. None of us know her personally. the only one who has talked to her enough to sort of have an opinion on her character is Drew and its not like I can ask him what he thinks. Not in front of her, anyway. all I know is, it will come does to us three. I hate saying that, but our lives are hanging in the balance, here.
"Look, there!" Shady says, pointing to the end of the tunnel. It's the exit! There is light shining through a gaping hole and we all rush towards it, eager to get out of this dark death trap.
As we get to the exit, we are almost blinded by the beautiful lush green atmosphere and light, warm breeze. there is a huge, dirt path leading off somewhere over grassy hills. The sun is super bright, warm, and there are what Drew perceives are Pidgey's flying around. If not for the dynamics of the game I would literally say that the creators did a fantastic job of making everything feel and look so real. It just sucks that the circumstances are so bitter and thoughtless that we have to forget all of this beauty and remember that we are in this for our lives, not to just play a children's game.
"I can't believe they are real." shady says in awe, as begin to follow the road.
"Where do you think we have to go? Or are we just free traveling?" Drew asks.
"I dont know. He didnt even give us a pokedex if you think about it. Or a map. What are we supposed to do?" Nappy includes, then observes the road, "The road goes over a hill, maybe there is something over there?"
The group follows the road and once they reach the top, they see a small village on the other side. However, the village is beyond as beautiful as the scenery is. The bright green trees end at the hilltop as they transcend into raw, burnt bark and scattered burnt leaves. There is a trail of dry smoke coming one of the buildings in the village which is black and covered in suit.
"That's, not a good sign." Beth says, breaking the silence, "And it looks…fresh."
That last line sends a chill down Nappy's spine. Whatever or whoever did this is could be nearby and he wasn't feeling the idea of sticking around.
"Lets get out of here." Drew cuts in, "I don't want to wait to see what cause-"
FWOOOSH!
A large, flying object speeds passed them overhead, the wind from the soaring creature almost knocking them all off their feet.
"YOUCH!" Beth cries out, pulling off her jacket and stomping it to the ground. At the corner of his eye, Nappy can tell it was on fire.
"Crap! It's coming back!" Shady shouts, as they all drop to the ground, avoiding the black blob spiraling past them with flames incinerating the ground.
"We are about to be trapped," Drew calls out, grabbing into his pocket and whipping out a pokeball.
Nappy takes on to his que and brings out his own pokeball, tossing it in the air, calling out,
"Gengar!"
Gengar and Hydreigon come out of their respective pokeballs and let out a battle cry as the figure comes and swoops in and the gang can finally make out that it is a mega charizard X. It's black and blue body coming toward their Pokémon like a tractor trailer, with blazing angry eyes.
"Shadow ball that thing!"
Gengar puts his grimy hands together as a black blob beings getting bigger in the middle as it spreads its arms out, throwing the black blob right into the belly of the charizard X knocking it backwards.
Charizard X roars as it regains itself and Drew calls out,
"Hydreigon, dragon pulse it!"
Hydreigon flies through everyone, including Gengar getting right into front of the Charizard as it pulls its head back and blasts the Charizard X right in the face, the beam of the dragon pulse extending and firing the Charizard X back through the crippled trees.
"Is it down? How do we know we beat it?" Drew says, inching forward to see the limp Charizard.
Nappy wonders out loud the same thing but advises not going to find out,
"Let's get out of here." He says.
Everyone takes a glance one last time at the Charizard, making sure it doesn't rise above them and thank heir Pokémon for helping them which all seem too happy to have been in battle. It's so surreal knowing that they are in front of them like this and are almost giddy about the small battle they just had. Nappy feels great seeing his Gengar hover behind him, keeping its own watchful gaze on the Charizard that had just attacked him.
When Nappy and the group finally get away into the forest surrounding the village they sigh a breath of relief. The idea of what they were going to do next made them curl a bit but Drew decided to send his Hydreigon off to check the area. The group almost forgot they had Pokémon after going through everything that they had in the short amount of time being there.
When the Hydreigon came back shortly after, it cried out and motioned for what seemed to have been I telling them to follow in which they did. To their surprise, the forest led to another town that had people everywhere. There were Pokémon in the streets following the villagers around as they pushed groceries and interacted with one another.
"I wonder if these are other people that have been tricked into playing the game, too?" Shady says bitterly.
"Don't think so, they look too damn happy." Beth says as Nappy sighs,
"We know, hes just saying that out of anger." Nappy notices Beth blush in embarrassment and walks away toward the village, "Sorry." He says, not realizing the reason for him to have had to point that out.
When they get to the village, the people look at them oddly, but then welcome them. A younger man, cloaked in a white jacket with khacki black pants comes to them and extends his hand,
"Ah, you finally arrived," he says, shaking everyone's hand, "We've been waiting for you."
"Sounds like you've been waiting for us for awhile," Beth observes.
"We were, almost thought you had gotten caught in that Charizard's rampage. Thought you lost the game already!" he lets out a hardy laugh that Nappy wasn't appreciating.
"Glad you have faith in us," he interjects, "What happened?"
"It's been terrorizing the smaller vilalges, burning everything in its path, Pokémon and people alike. If you had gone in the village youd see nothing but burnt bodies and bone." He shrugs his wide shoulders nonchalantly, like what he just said didn't bother him at all. It freaked Nappy out, though, as he steps a bit closer to his Gengar that was sitting behind him.
"That's crazy." Drew says, looking at his Hydreigon who was hovering over them in the skies.
"You will get used to it, here. Pokémon are not just fun and games like you all know. Now come with me to my lab where can further discuss your parts in the games. I am fully away of what you all had selected and I am sure you are curious on what paths you need to take to complete your journeys hopefully until the end."
A shiver goes down Nappy's spine. He wants to get out of this world in the least harmful way. The way the man lingered on, "until the end" just reminds him of what the paths they have to make might have. If this charizard just wiped out a village which he was thankful enough he didn't get a close up of, what other, crazy things is this world going to bring to him and the others?