Chapter II: No hurt Flash!
Flash had run up to a dead end, or more exactly, she was at another part of the stream, where the two pursuers of hers blocked any way of escape. The two Pokémon, which consisted of a Snubbull and a Kangaskhan. Both looked rather angry.
"Gotcha!" snarled Kangaskhan, punching her paw in her other threateningly while her child in her pouch glared at Flash.
"Where's the stuff you stole, thief?" asked Snubbull, standing firmly with his arms crossed.
Flash gulped sheepishly before answering. "But I didn't take any-"
"You did, Flash, don't deny it," interjected Kangaskhan, "Snubbull saw you sneaking out with some items." Flash glared at the pinkish bulldog Pokémon, who briefly shudder. Kangaskhan stomped forward once to get Flash's attention. "Where is your loot?" she boomed.
Flash yelped as the big Pokémon bellowed at her. Of course she knew she used to accidentally steal things, but she didn't have them on her right now.
"B-b-but I don't have anything," she stuttered, lying unintentionally.
Kangaskhan stomped the ground again, hard enough to make the ground tremble a little. "LIAR!" she bellowed, "you have probably already sold the merchandise to your criminal contacts. And for that…" she raised a fist. She looked at Snubbull.
"We have to take you in," finished the bulldog Pokémon, stepping forward.
"But I don't want to live in captivity!" pleaded Flash, whom had gotten down on her knees. She was getting teary in her eyes.
Snubbull smiled, which was hardly noticeable due to its bulldoggish mouth. "Then we have to make sure you don't steal anymore," he said lowly. Both he and Kangaskhan approached Flash steadily, ready to fight.
Flash stood up and tried backing away, but as soon as her left foot touched the water she yelped. She turned and looked at the stream; if she fell in the water, she'd drown, but standing here would get her killed anyway by those two Pokémon. She looked back at her would be attackers; there was no chance she'd take down a Pokémon that big!
Seeing no choice, she stood still, petrified with fear. Kangaskhan was right in front of her, and raised her fist to let loose a powerful punch. Flash cowered and covered her eyes.
The blow never came.
"Why Big thing want hurt Flash?" a voice asked. Flash recognized it and, of course, the messed up speech pattern.
She peeked through her paws, and saw Loopy the Machop in front of her, holding Kangaskhan's fist that would've stricken her. He seemed different now, though. Instead of his usual jolly attitude, he looked at the Kangaskhan angrily. His fist shook as he held off the opposing Pokémon's bigger paw.
Kangaskhan growled as she pulled back her paw in order to bring up the arrogant Machop so he'd be an easy target for her. Bad mistake.
As Machop was pulled up, he readied a punch with his other fist and managed to punch Kangaskhan right before she did. He hit her hard in her right eye, causing her to drop him. He landed gracefully on the ground, flexing his muscles as he looked at the downed Pokémon.
"Me be strong," he proudly said, cracking a smile. He turned to face Snubbull, who seemed to feel uncomfortable. He slowly walked up to him, leering at the bulldog Pokémon.
Flash had been staring with awe at Loopy. He had knocked that Kangaskhan down all by himself. And he had done it for protecting her. She also felt guilty in a way.
"Back off!" snarled Snubbull as he bared his lower jaw teeth at Loopy in an attempt to threaten him. But Loopy just continued his calm, annoyingly carefree approach towards the Pokémon. "Eh-heh heh, nice Machop," he stuttered, backing slightly off himself.
"Me is nice," replied Loopy, smiling as he kept walking. But his smile turned into an angry frown. "But me no nice when mean things hurt Flash want," he then lowly said, raising a clenched fist.
Snubbull whimpered as he, in panic, leapt at the Machop, preparing to bite him. Machop swiftly sidestepped and sent a short upper right under the bulldog Pokémon's jaw. He followed up with a hard Low Kick, striking his opponent's crotch.
The air was knocked out of Snubbull as he fell to the ground, clutching his groin. Machop towered over the lying Pokémon as he brought up his hand, readying a Karate Chop.
Machop brought his palm down powerfully, but miscalculated the target and missed, toppling over. Fortunately for him, though, was that his head accidentally knocked Snubbull's, knocking him out.
He stood up, a little dizzy. He looked down at the defeated Pokémon and held his arms up in victory. "Me wins! Me be very strong!" he performed a small, but ridiculous victory dance, but then rubbed his head. "Maybe me must practise Karate Chop more… still clumsy."
Flash walked up to him, bursting with happiness and impression. "Loopy, that was awesome!" she commended, clapping her claws. "You beat them up like nothing! You're a great fighter!"
Loopy put his hands on his hip proudly, posing a little. "Me know. Very strong, says me!" he said rather goofily as he laughed afterwards. He then put his hands down, looking at her with inquisitive eyes. "Why mean Pokémon want you hurt?" he asked.
Flash's happiness faltered a bit, she tried to tell him but she couldn't. She briefly looked away from him. "They're after me because…" She stopped, staring at the large shadow which was looming over both Loopy and her.
Loopy just looked at the big shadow and turned around to see that Kangaskhan was back up. She had a black eye after the punch Loopy had given her, and she seemed mad as hell. Before Loopy knew it, the enraged Kangaskhan had him grabbed by the neck, and was slowly hauled up to her eyelevel.
"So," she began, snarling and baring her teeth at the Machop. Machop wasn't even close to intimidated; he just looked back at her calmly. "It appears that you are her new bodyguard? Not good enough, I must say." She dodged a punch from Loopy as she held her arm outstretched. She turned to Flash, glaring at her.
"Your father must be ashamed of you, Flash," she said, "being such a two-bit thief all the time." Loopy was flailing with his arms and legs, trying to break free. But this time it was too much in Kangaskhan's favour. "Well? How do you want it?" she asked, tightening her grip around Loopy's neck. "Either you tell me where the goods is, or-"
"Urgh, what be a thief?" Loopy coughed, try now to pry himself off Kangaskhan's grip. The Parent Pokémon looked at him oddly and loosened the grip.
"Come again?" she inquired.
"Me not understand, what be thief?" he asked again. Kangaskhan kept looking at him, not fully understanding. Flash however, thought she knew what he meant.
"He wonders what a thief is," she carefully said. "Loopy, a thief is-"
"I can explain that to him myself!" snapped Kangaskhan, sending a brief glare at her. She then looked at Loopy, tightening her grip. He responded by hammering his fists at her wrist repeatedly. That made her let go of him, and he fell down in his rear end.
"Mean, brown bully," muttered Loopy, shaking his fist at Kangaskhan. He slowly stood up, rubbing his neck. "Brown bully has strong grip."
He swiftly dodged a swipe from Kangaskhan, who was now furious. She swiped at him again, this time hitting him and causing him to tumble into Flash.
"Sorry," he muttered to her as he stood up, raising his fists.
"Machop are always full of energy, aren't they?" mused Kangaskhan as she calmed down. "Want to know what a thief is?" she then asked. Loopy lowered his fists, nodding.
"If big meanie no hurt Flash, me listen," he said. Kangaskhan chuckled at first.
"You can call me Kangaskhan, and I presume you are this… Loopy which Flash called for, no?" she asked. Loopy nodded. "Back to the subject. A thief is someone that takes other Pokémon stuff to keep for oneself, it's bad and mean. Your friend is a thief, she took a lot of important goods I had in my storage," she explained sternly, looking a Loopy.
Loopy seemed confused. "What be subject?" he asked, scratching his head. Flash put her paw at her forehead and sighed.
"You imbecile!" growled Kangaskhan, "didn't you listen?" This made Loopy even more confused.
"What be imcebile?" he then asked, smiling hopefully. The Parent Pokémon roared and stomped the ground.
"Uh, Kangaskhan, don't use any complex words, he's like a hatchling when it comes to conversing," explained Flash. But Kangaskhan glared at her. The glare was losing its effect due to the larger Pokémon's black eye, though.
"SILENCE, YOU THIEF!" she roared back.
"Why Kangokhan yell loud?" asked Loopy, keeping his inquisitive stare at the big Pokémon. She glared at her, but she was somehow clamed by Loopy's calm fearless attitude.
"How could such a nice Machop like you wind up with someone like that?" She looked at Flash with disgust.
"She be nice, give me name!" replied Loopy jollily, glancing at Flash with a smile.
"She steals other's things to keep for herself! She takes them for own profit!" scolded Kangaskhan. Loopy looked at her, and then at Flash with disbelief.
"That be bad?" he asked with worry.
"Yes, it's bad to do such things," confirmed Kangaskhan. Loopy turned around and faced Flash.
"Flash no can be bad, Flash be nice, but why Flash steal?" he asked her, or himself. Flash was silent; she felt bad about this, and guilty. "Is true? That Flash steal?" he then asked her.
Flash gulped and slowly nodded. "…yes…" she slowly said, her body shaking. "I'm sorry," she added.
Loopy walked up to her casually and lightly patted her back. "Might be okay if returning stealen stuff," he suggested. Flash looked up at him, dumbfounded by a for once intelligent remark.
"Ohh, my head…" muttered someone from afar. It was Snubbull who had regained his consciousness. "My groin… and my jaw…" He slowly got on his feet, only to stumble down again. Kangaskhan walked up to him to aid him.
"Poor little Snubbull," she cooed, helping him stand up. "No serious injuries for you, luckily."
"I hope you whacked that Machop and Charmander for me," said Snubbull, rubbing his jaw and forehead.
"I'm getting my merchandise back," assured Kangaskhan, "or mostly, am about to. I've talked that Machop so he on our side."
Back to Loopy and Flash, Flash still stared at him.
"I have the stuff not far from here, I'll just have to hope that it's still there." She received a hug from Loopy, not as hard as the first one he had given, but it was still pretty tight.
"Flash is so nice!" he exclaimed, hugging tighter.
"Gah! I said no hugging!"
He let go of her, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry, me forgot." She giggled a little at his expression. "Now let's get stuff!" he suggested.
"That's more like it!" said Kangaskhan, sounding happy to get her goods back. Flash couldn't see any reason of why she shouldn't comply.
"This way…" she muttered.
They walked off to the path leading to a forest.