Army of Me
Authors Note: The song for this chapter is Freak, by Urban Cone. Reviews are very appreciated. I don't own Pokemon or the music, only this fic. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Freak
And so it was that the next morning Team Lance traversed the wilderness to find the elusive Absol. Slade had been rolling that phrase around in his head for a while and decided that it sounded good. He'd have to remember that one, maybe insert it into a conversation if at all possible.
"Right," he said to Wave and Zephyr. "Briefing." He paused outside the inn to straighten his Rescue Bandana. "Wave, you shall sense for an avalanche – chances are this Absol is the one causing those disasters, which is trouble for the townsfolk – as… Whatsisname? Desmond? said. We're to find the source of the avalanche – you can do that, right, Wave?"
"Sure," the Swampert said, nodding. "I've had a day or so to adjust to the atmosphere."
"Good!" Sade clapped him on the back and began to walk towards the mountains. The others followed him. "We can talk battle strategies and whatnot on the way to the avalanches' source – is that all right with you?"
Wave nodded.
"So when we reach her – the Absol, I mean – we fight her, apprehend her, and take her back to headquarters?" Zephyr asked, scratching his feathery chest.
"That's the plan," Slade said. "It'll be interesting to see why she's causing those natural disasters – if she is causing them at all."
"Huh?" said Zephyr. "Isn't she?"
"According to the Weavile's information, it sounded like she was trying to protect him from one," Slade told him.
"That's true… But maybe she started causing them after she met the jerk," Wave mused.
"Understandable," Slade muttered.
"The plot thickens," Zephyr said dramatically, wiggling his feathery eyebrows, and grinned. "I've always wanted to say that."
xxx
It took a while for Wave to pick up on a change in the atmosphere that signaled a natural disaster, but he finally felt something shift in the fins on his head. "I think there's an avalanche starting!" He announced, raising a forearm. He focused intently, then began heading in the avalanche's direction. "Follow me!"
xxx
They had been jogging towards the shift for a couple of minutes when they saw a flash of white.
"Hey!" Zephyr yelled, bounding forward. "Stop right there!" He swiftly leaped towards the movement, Wave and Slade close behind him. He cleared a snow-covered bush, skidding to a halt on the slippery ice to confront… a very startled Glaceon?
"W-what's going on?" she stammered, eyeing the fireballs Zephyr held in each palm. Zephyr quickly snuffed them, sending tendrils of smoke into everyone's faces. There was much coughing and eye-rubbing as he crooned, "I am so sorry – I mistook you for someone else."
Then he smiled. "You're very pretty, aren't you?"
"Okay, stop right there," Slade barked sternly. "NO hitting on innocent Pokemon. We're very sorry about this, ma'am," He added to the bemused Glaceon.
And with that, he and Wave marched Zephyr back down the hill.
Xxx
They were getting close to the area where Wave had sensed the change, but they must have arrived before the disaster. They were being very careful, reviewing each step of their battle strategy. Team Lance wasn't taking any chances with the Absol.
"Okay," whispered Wave. "I think we've got it."
"You think it'll work?" murmured Zephyr.
"While it's a very good strategy, it's been blown to pieces somewhat as I've managed to pick up the whole thing," said the Absol, appearing right behind him.
Wave and Slade jumped, nearly falling over in their haste to turn around. Zephyr shrieked, then clapped his claws over his beak.
"Wha-wha-what was that for?!" he gulped, stepping back.
The Absol shook her head, smirking. "I thought you couldn't possibly be stupider than you looked, but I guess I was wrong."
It took a moment to sink in. "Hey!" Zephyr yelped indignantly.
Slade groaned, embarrassed on his friend's behalf, and massaged his temples. "We might as well just attack her to save at least a shred of our dignity."
Wave and Zephyr were quite pleased with this idea.
Zephyr was the first to attack, launching an impressive barrage of kicks with legs aflame, but his leg bounced off thin air, the fire struggling to stay lit. Wha…?
He wobbled as a beam of ice shot past him, sent by Wave. The Absol dodged with astonishing speed, but the ice clipped the tips of her claws, throwing her off balance. She recovered fast, however, and flipped elegantly, her tail cutting a gash in Wave's side with surgical precision.
It's... sharp... Wave thought, surprised.
He turned to see the Absol locked in fierce combat with Slade, the horn on her head ringing against the sword-like leaves on his arms. He had the advantage of blades on both his arms, but she countered with her powerful claws. Slade saw his comrades waiting to help and thrust the Absol towards them. Zephyr launched another barrage of kicks, but almost hit Slade instead. The Absol had vanished.
"Careful," Slade panted, and then she came down from above, throwing the Sceptile to the ground. Before Wave realized what was going on, a beam of ice hit him, freezing his legs to the ground. Wave sent an ice beam in return, but she ducked and it soared harmlessly overhead, forming a frigid spear in the air before crumpling to the snow. She jumped away from Slade, used Wave's head as a platform to leap into the air, and landed neatly on an ice-covered ridge.
Zephyr seemed unsure whether to help Wave or go after her.
Wave looked up and saw that the Absol was smiling. Angered by her cheek, Zephyr leapt, ascending swiftly, and the ground began to rumble.
"I thought your plan included an avalanche?" the Absol said serenely, gliding past Zephyr.
As Zephyr stared at the spot she had previously been occupying, he had just enough time to achieve the startled look one gets when the shit is about to hit the fan. Then a rock hit him in the face, and he tilted slowly backwards, gaping, and began to fall.
The avalanche caught him before he reached the ground.
Wave didn't catch where the Absol went in the ensuing chaos. He strained against the ice that bound him and broke free for a second before he was hit with the icy crush of the avalanche.
Slade realized what was happening when the Absol leaped towards Zephyr. He began to run.
xxx
The Absol watched from a safe vantage point, ice and rock tumbling past her. That really had gone astonishingly well. The team did have a good strategy, but she had been focusing on them all morning, making it easier to put a wrench in their plan. They just counted too much on winning, and quickly – a little ego-bursting and snarkery distracted them completely from the oncoming avalanche, and even made them fight sloppily, an added bonus. They should've known to take a Pokemon called The Demon seriously.
The Blaziken and the Swampert had been caught in the avalanche, but she noted that the Sceptile had actually avoided the crush (he did get hit by some stray rocks, but he wasn't buried by them). That was impressive – she had to remember not to underestimate them as well.
Team Lance (As in 'balance'? She thought. Not bad.) were going to try to arrest her, and their ignominious defeat was obviously going to make them more determined. She would have to watch out for them. But… they were also investigating the increase in natural disasters. The Absol wasn't sure how to feel about this – she had already been looking into the matter and she didn't want them poking about and ruining her careful research. On the other paw… This could provide an opening…
"Yes," the Absol mused. "I think this could work."
xxx
Slade picked his way back to where Zephyr and Wave had been buried. He was, admittedly, smarting after Team Lance's curbstomping. The Absol had torn them apart – easily! And she had taunted them! He had totally underestimated her, and his careful plans had been ruined. It hurt his pride. But there was also the thrill of a challenge, a worthy opponent. He would figure this out. They would arrest her yet!
Slade looked around for his comrades, hoping they weren't badly hurt.
He found Wave was lying on his face, pinned under a mass of snow, ice, and slush. "This was pretty depressing, wasn't it?" The Swampert said, managing to prop himself up on his elbows.
"You all right?" Slade asked, pushing swept-up rocks off his friend.
"Yeah," Wave winced. "I'm pretty bruised, and I've got this gash in my side, but nothing too serious."
"Good," Slade sighed, very relieved. "How's Zephyr? D'you know where he is?"
"I'm right here," came a muffled, nasally voice. Slade looked up to see the tip of a beak poking out of the icy mess. The rest of Zephyr was buried.
Slade couldn't help it. He had to snicker a bit.
"Aw, shaddup," said the beak.
Wave sighed.