Chapter Two: HOSTAGE!
When you are threatening somebody, and there appears to be a stalemate, the most unsettling, disturbing, and troubling thing the other person can do is start to laugh. That was the boy's reaction, as a smile crossed his face. He was enjoying this! "A firebrand girl, how cute," he said. "And her little pets. A cute little mousy, a puppy, and a fat cow. And you seriously think I'M the one in trouble. You are just so adorable. As such, I'll cut you a little bit of slack. Just hand over the belt, and nobody will get hurt."
Then he leaned back against the wall, his gun still pointed at the Miltank and apparently completely at ease. "There is no stalemate here, and let me tell you why. You are assuming those two Pokemon can take me down, as if you haven't noticed my reflexes are extraordinary. And… This deathbow had four shots. I could kill all four of you with a snap of my wrist. Now let's pretend I'm not fast enough and things go your way. I am killed by those two Pokemon, but you lose your closest dearest friend. I don't believe you are willing to risk the life of your partner, while I am willing to risk mine. As such, you are still the one in a tight spot."
Then he paused for a second. This girl was weird so he decided to add the last bit of the situation to her, as that might change things. "Listen, I have no interest in taking your buddies from you. I am, however, in a tight spot and need a hostage. So… I take your weapons. You are defenseless, and thus my hostage. You get me out of here, and then I set you and your little friends free to play in the world."
"So you do as I say and you and your friends all get to live and go on whatever crazy adventure you want when I am safe and home free, or you resist and lose at least one of your companions. Think carefully before you make your decision, because I'm in a hurry and have no qualms about harming animals in order to protect myself. What's your decision?"
Hostage negotiations?! Nora gritted her teeth as she thought it over. She could feel her friend's worry, yet courage flow into her. But it was her choice. She can't lose them. She can't lose what little friends she has now.
"Very well…but I propose a different approach to your method. You see, if I remove my belt, I will have nothing to keep my Kimono closed with. I can ask my Pokemon friends to return to the magic balls and stay there. They are loyal that way to me. I have no other weapons on me. I will be this hostage for you and swear to Ho-Oh that I will do as you say. That way I can hold onto my Pokemon once you leave I don't have to fear public display of my battle scars, and you get to leave in one piece. How about that?" Nora said, trying to stay calm.
Her Pokemon turned to argue against it, refusing to let her be alone, but she hissed like an Ekans at them. They recoiled and nodded their heads. In a flash of light, they all returned to their balls on her.
"That is not acceptable for two main reasons. I cannot be ensured your cooperation unless I am in possession of your precious friends, AND I do not trust you. Letting you keep the balls is not negotiable. I MUST have them. As for your belt… Keep it if you truly do have to use it for clothes. Just toss me the balls."
Then he said, "Look, regardless of what you may think of me, I'm NOT what one would consider evil. I will not harm somebody if it serves me no purpose. If honor and all that truly matters to you, then I swear on the items I hold within my bag… I will not allow any harm to come to you or your friends as long as you are my hostages, and I WILL give them back to you as soon as all of this is over." He reached out his hand and said, "Hand me the balls and then we can get this over with." He smiled at her, and as much as she may have hated it… His eyes spoke with sincerity. It made one thing seriously clear. When he made a promise, he meant every word.
Nora narrowed her eyes as she thought it over. This boy was a thief… A dirty, rotten thief if he bore items in his bag worthy of swearing on. Her curiosity peaked towards what it could be inside his bag.
"Very well... but first show me these items you swear upon. For all I know it could be a vile of poison you are swearing to. If they are noble enough, them I surrender my balls as you call them. But so help your soul if you do not give them back once you are free or whatever the outcome." Nora sternly told him, placing the balls in her hands as proof she was willing to work with him on this.
The boy looked down at his bag for a moment, clearly not willing to reveal what was inside. Instead, he looked up at her and said, "You are missing the point, Cowgirl. It isn't that the items within the bag are special."
"The only reason I am in this current predicament is because of the items in this bag. As such, nothing matters to me more than them. I am swearing on the thing that matters to me more than anything else that I will keep my word." Then, before she could pull her hand away, he snatched the balls foe her hands and added them to whatever else was in the bag.
"Now let's get out of here. The sooner I can get away from you and your loony Pokemon ideals, the better."
Nora gritted her teeth towards him. She was placing everything on his word. Even in the magic ball thingies, she could feel the concern of her Pokefriends. Nora never did like feeling weak and helpless. She kept a weapon on her at all times back home. Everyone did, truly. Men with swords or bows were a common sight to her. But this new super bow was different and she felt so helpless near it.
"Fine…then tell me where to go. I am clearly new to this place you know. How are hostages handled in this day and age anyways?" She asked, keeping a look of annoyance on her face at him.
"How? Certainly not like this," the boy muttered under his breath as he looked at the girl. They didn't typically involve a psychotic girl. "We aren't doing this the typical way. For now… I will lay day only one rule. No matter what happens, you are not allowed to speak." He attached the pokeballs to his own belt and put the gun back into his pocket again. "Well… Come on." Then he turned and strode towards the door, mentioning for Nora to follow. As he did this, however, the door was kicked open and a police officer burst in, his gun drawn.
Nora kept her eyes on his belt, wishing she had her Clan mates back. It pissed her off that after being reunited with pokemon from her past… friendly faces in this future world… they were away from her. Her arms shook as she began to follow him.
She jumped a foot back when the other man came. She lightly yelped and did what felt natural, hid behind the idiot that had her friends. She had to take some calming breaths to calm her nerves that were on edge. She kept true to her word to the man and did not say anything, but she was wondering what was happening around here?
The young officer looked the two over in bewilderment. He'd stayed outside as long as he could with all the strange sounds coming from inside… But eventually his duty as a police officer had overcome his fears, and he'd kicked the door in… Only to find the man no longer alone with what he might have mistaken for a ghost had she not scrambled behind the thief for protection. "An accomplice. I'm surprised at you, Blue. I was always taught that you NEVER worked with anybody."
Blue frowned and looked this new recruit up and down, his eyes on the gun pointed directly at his face. He mouthed over to Nora, "Play along if you ever want to have your friends back."
Nora felt her eyes tighten at hearing the boy named Blue hiss at her. Like she had a choice now in this strange world BUT to listen to him?! Her friends, all she had left were on his belt. She wanted them back if anything…. So if she had to pretend to be a crook, then Ho-Oh forgive her someday.
"Fine…but a day will come when I have my revenge on you Blue." She hissed back, saying his name in disgust. She stayed where she was and closed her mouth. Let this idiot of the Slowpoke Clan explain himself to the new stranger. Maybe she would get lucky and could reveal herself as a damsel in distress. It was all she could think of as an exit strategy in case he failed.
Blue then proceeded to respond as a master actor. He reached behind him, and led Nora out to stand beside him as they faced down the police officer. "It's going to be alright, honey," he spoke in a soothing tone. "Trust me, everything is going to be alright." As he moved her around, he hit one of his balls, accidentally knocking it off his belt. It rolled into the shadows. Then he raised his hands, slowly, one of them never letting go off hers.
The police officer looked at them in bewilderment. Judging by the reactions, this girl was not just his accomplice but actually… his girlfriend or something similar. The way they were holding hands, even while being arrested… that was weird. He opened his mouth to tell them to raise their hands, before it occurred to him that they already had. Instantly, his eyes darted about the room. There was no reason a criminal like Blue should have surrendered so easily.
Nora did a double look at the boy named Blue. She was his WHAT!? If it was not for the fact he was holding onto her Pokemon…. she would slap him in full force. How dare he insinuate the taking of the hand of a maiden WITHOUT talking to a Clan chief! This was outrageous!
Carefully she gritted her teeth and raised her other hand to match his. This must be a sign of giving up in this day and age. To her, you bowed to a foe that has beaten you to say you have given up. "It better be, dear…. I know where you sleep if it does not." Nora managed to say, faking a tone of love to the traitorous boy next to her. She had to remember how those other girls followed the men around the village when they wanted their love. She let her eyes go soft and stared with a small forced smile at him.
Blue nodded and took a step towards the police officer, who was looking around more and more frantically now. Suddenly, an explosion of electricity shot out of the darkness and threw the boy back against a metal table, where there was a crack as his back hit and he crumpled to the ground. As he did so, his head hit the floor with a hard smack, and he was left unconscious. Blue's pikachu emerged from the darkness carrying its pokeball, before sending itself back in again.
Blue instantly released Nora's hand and grimaced as he flexed it for a second, almost as if touching Nora had in some way contaminated him. He strode over to the crumbled body, and rolled it over. Ignoring the small necklace the man wore, he picked up the man's walkie-talkie and frowned. It had been on. The police would be here in an instant; it was time to go. "Move, now!" he said as he slowly pushed Nora towards the door. As they exited the building, he closed the door. Leaving the boy, and the emerald Celebi ring that he wore around his neck, inside.
Nora grumbled to herself as she wiped her hand. This man dared to fake a peace keeper? She looked closer at the fallen man as the one named Blue's Pikachu came out of hiding. He seemed like a nice man now. Shame he had to be treated like this.
She paid no more attention until she could hear the soft ping the necklace gave as it hit the ground. It was louder then it should of been in Nora's ears. She look again as her eyes expanded. The green glinted up at her. The shape of Celebi called her eyes to its sparkling base. She could hear Ho-Oh echoing again in her head about the importance of the ring in finding the hero.
But before she could do anything else…she was ushered out the door. Nora did not know what was going on as the call of the ring was blinding her until the door shut. Her curiosity to the world around her was overrun by the desire to smack the one named Blue.
"You…you…You son of a Shuckle! He had the ring! Give me my friends back and leave me be! I have to return to that man right away! He has the ring!" Nora said in annoyance as her hands shook. If he was not still holding onto the Pokeballs…so help her Arecus she would smack his face to another realm!
Blue glanced back at the now sealed doors for a second before turning to Nora and saying, "Please, no insanity at the moment. I'm trying to think." He held up his hand for silence, and the sounds of dozens of police officers rushing towards them could be heard. Grabbing her arms, he quickly began to run in the opposite direction of the police officers.
Suddenly, he stopped and glanced back at the shed as an idea raced through his head. The fight was going on inside. There was no way for the police officers to know that they had already made it out of the building. The easiest way to get away, then, would be to convince the police officers that they were still inside.
He reached down, pulled out one of Nora's balls, and called forth Arcanine. Blue's eyes looked up and down the ancient building, made from mysterious ancient architecture found nowhere else in the world, a one of a kind building that had stood the test of time, whose creation had likely been overseen by HoOh himself.
Then he set his hand on his gun, eyes locked on the dog and ordered, "Nora, tell your dog to light this building majorly on fire. Now! Do not argue or hesitate, or I will shoot him."
Nora felt a growl escape her lips the same time it did Arcanine. He dare force her to burn down the building that protected her?! Burn down a building when someone was inside it still?! Has he lost it completely?! But what choice did she had…this magic bow was pointed at her friend. She would dare not have him killed the day they woke up.
"Fine…but once free, you give me the others back and may we never cross paths again. May Ho-Oh send you nothing but curses and bad luck for what you seek…" Nora told him.
"Do we have to? I would protect you even in death Nora. I swore it when I came to the Clan to protect my mates. I swore it when I asked Ho-Oh to join you like this. That building was a gift from Lord Ho-Oh to the people.' "Arcanine growled to her, torn like Nora.
"We must…Use your Flamethrower move..but at half power. Let him think you're weak, and give the peace keepers with water typed Pokemon a chance to save it and that man inside. We will have to act like this Blue man and preform a play beyond all measures. We will return for the man with the ring, Lugia permitting he remains in this area, and explain." Nora hissed like an Ekans as she gave the command. Arcanine nodded and inhaled. He flung a weakened flame at the building, setting it on fire. He turn to growl at the boy, a leg between Nora and him.
Blue watched the building light and the nodded his head, pleased. He turned and patted Arcanine's head for a second, pulling his hand away quickly so as to ensure that he didn't get burned. "Absolutely perfect. The police should arrive before anything can happen to the man inside this way. And try and put it out as well." He smiled, an actual one and not one of the smirky evil ones. "Perfect." Then he clicked the button on the pokeball, sending Arcanine back inside.
Grabbing Nora's arm again, he slipped around the next bend in the streets. "I know what you are thinking, and are quite right. I will not apologize for anything I do or that I make you do. I have only one priority right now, getting the eight of us out of here alive. You and me are top priority. They…" He motioned to the five pokeball hanging around his belt "are the other."
Then he continued running, though in his mind he was silently berating himself. I can't believe you said eight, you idiot. Now she's going to be seriously curious who this eighth being was that he had mentioned. He shook his head firmly. She hated him too much to really question it. His priority was getting them out alive, and what she did or did not question was not of any importance.
They rounded another corner as the sounds of police officers rushing toward the flaming building could be heard. Then the boy grinned as he turned another bend and the outskirts of Pallet came into view. He grinned, and smiled… Before the sound of a bullet firing was heard, and then the sound as it sliced along Nora's side.
Nora gritted her teeth as she walked. She refused to answer at him, waiting to give Arcanine a bath to clean his filth off him. How could he do this? How could a human sink this low? True, she was used to the daily filth that plagued her world. The very thing she hoped her journey would help end at last. It appeared it festered and morphed into this… a terrible evolution of cruelty.
She peeked her interest at the mentioning of eight. In her head she ran the math of it. Five balls…two of them…What could that last one be? Was it the thing he stole or did he have a Clanmate in danger somewhere?
But her questions were cut short when they turned the bend. Nora was about to ask about the strange building when the sound filled the air. Her side near him burned… It was as if a thousand burning arrows pierced her within a tiny inch. Her voice soon strained at the howl of pain as her mind tried to understand it. Was this the terrible might of his magic future bow? Was this how her quest to save the human race would end? Only awake a day and already heading back to the doors of death.
"You… How…h-how could you? I did what you asked…I helped you flee…You said it was to free us… Why?" She asked as her hand removed itself from him and touched the gaping hole in her. The warm blood oozing out all over her tattered Kimono, the fabric absorbing the blood like a dry sponge.
"You…You have doomed us all now…Forgive me Lord Ho-Oh, I-I tried to save us all from your wraih. I-I found the ring…I-I failed thy quest to stop you from killing all us humans. Forgive me, my Clan, and forgive me, my beloved team of friends. I'm sorry Entei, Raikou and Suicune…" Nora managed to force from her lips as she fell to the ground, holding the burning hole in her as a pool around her formed.
Blue froze, instantly. No… Not now… Not now of all times… He reached his hand out to the open fields which could now be clearly seen. He could run. He could. He'd get away. He was far enough ahead. His eyes darted between the bag and the fields, the bag and the fields, the bag… and the girl. Then he turned around, and his mouth dropped open.