Chapter Two: Line? What Line?

{ === + === }

Elenda is pissed.

Thank god she's still got some level of self-control, or we'd be in some level of trouble.

The two of us are hiding and watching the group of people standing in the clearing not too far from us.

My eyes are still bad, and the sun going down doesn't make me feel any better. But the people in the clearing are wearing all black with a large red blotch on their chest.

Doesn't take a genius to figure out what that might be.

...

Biggest problem was the group of little blobs that are on the ground.

Not for the first time, I hope my eyes are wrong.

Because if they're not, it means Team Rocket graduated from Grand Theft Pokemon to full out murder.

One way to be sure.

I put my hand on Elenda's shoulder, and she gives a small jump. Did she forget I was here?

She did. Huh.

"Ratty." I call him out, keeping my voice at a whisper. Seem to be doing that a lot today. "Go check out the people on the ground. See if they're still breathing." Ratty looks at the bodies, nods, and scampers off.

I'm…honestly not sure which outcome to root for. Elenda's anger hasn't subsided, but she's at least delayed the pummeling I'm kind of sure she was going to deliver.

Hasn't stopped the dirty looks though. I like being careful, what'd you expect?

We spent the next few minutes waiting for Ratty's report while trying to listen in on the Rockets talking. Not hard; they weren't all that quiet.

So they're actually not Rockets. They're assholes posing as Rockets. What the fuck.

Elenda looks…well, ok, looks like she doesn't really care either way.

She's also shaking. Either she's more scared than she lets on or she's about to introduce Leeroy Jenkins to the Pokemon World.

It's not that cold, so…

Ratty's back.

The people on the ground (three boys, two girls) are still alive, although how Ratty hesitated a little bit (I held out my hands and told him to tap my left if dead, right if alive, for how many people there were) on two hits makes me think two of them are not going to remain alive pretty soon.

"Elenda. What does your tracker do in emergencies?" She jumps again when I call her name. Seriously, it's been a few minutes and I'm right here for god's sake.

"It's an SOS for Pokemon rangers if I get into trouble." She whispers back.

She then presses it and charges the Rockets.

NO WARNING AT ALL. WOMAN, THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU.

Staravia, Sandslash, and Rhyhorn comes out.

"Oh what the fuck." I sigh, and charges after her.

Now that I'm closer I can see what happened to the people on the ground. They couldn't be any more than fourteen.

The boys look like they've been cut about a few hundred times. Nothing major since they don't look like they're bleeding out (Goddess, let me have this one) but the amount of blood is concerning.

The girls also have cuts, marginally less and some of it looks like it was made after they were brought down. I don't want to think about why, but I can feel my bloodlust rising.

Rhyhorn charges in at full pace, scattering the fake Rockets and fortunately missing the bodies on the ground.

Staravia's actively trying to peck out their eyes.

Sandslash is protecting Elenda, who has charged straight into and over the downed people.

Congratulations you impulsively adorable girl, you just killed your mobility.

"Ratty, go for their ankles." I say to it. He nods and scampers off. I feel perfectly justified and runs at the Rockets. Rhyhorn is too far to cooperate with, so Staravia will have to do.

The Rockets recover from their ambush shock and calls out their Pokemon.

This is no game event where you fight the Rockets one by one for six people.

There's a swarm of Zubats, a few Ekans, and some Bellsprouts. As well as one Mightyena.

A small part of my mind quipped that this would make for an interesting Heroes of Might and Magic mod.

The Rhyhorn roars and charges straight at the Bellsprouts.

Now, some people might think the Bellsprouts have a type advantage, and if the Rhyhorn is hit then it would be in the bad shape.

Those people haven't seen a Rhyhorn charge into three Bellsprouts at once. The Bellsprouts were winding up their vine whips when the Rhyhorn ran into them, and ran them over.

I say that because the Rhyhorn didn't stop; it ran over about half of the Bellsprouts before its charge led it out too far and it had to stop.

Unfortunately that means it was coated with Razor Leaves and unable to get back into the fight.

Elenda is…busy trying to resuscitate the downed people. For the love of…

"Hey! Focus on the war here!" I yell after pulling out the fist I had driven into the nearby Rocket's stomach. Blackbelt, nerd, but at least I can throw a punch. Only when I'm attacking though.

Another Rocket's actually running at me. Huh. More balls than I gave them credit for. Step to his left, right elbow to face, step behind, right elbow to back.

Her Staravia's abandoned the eye-pecking and has flown up, dragging all the Zubats with it. One to 36. Not exactly wonderful odds. It's essentially an Aerial Ace vs Wing Attack, Bite fight. Staravia's proving superior, since every time it attacks a Zubat falls from the sky; however, it only has small windows to attack, since, y'know, 30something Zubats.

I am now suddenly very scared of Zubat caves.

Shit, Mightyena.

I'm, uh, kinda screwed here, aren't I?

"Sandslash!" Girl's voice. Elenda. Oh shit, you didn't just tell it to come help me.

You did. God dammit.

The Sandslash rammed into the Mightyena with its spike-covered back. Rollout, I suppose.

It wasn't enough to down the large black wolf-dog-thing outright, but the two are now facing off against each other.

For my part I rush to knock out as many fake Rockets as possible. I got two already, eight left.

Third. Dude has a knife. Who the hell keeps a shiv?

Jump kick to stomach (I can't get good enough jump height, lay off), knock him to ground, probably broke some bones.

Land poorly and nick myself on the knife.

That is sad. Get back up. Ok, just a grazing wound. A small amount of good luck.

More Zubats are falling.

By the way, you know the Zubat cry from the games? Imagine that on loop 36 times over.

It's loud. And every time it gets louder a Zubat plummets to the ground.

It's a din of Zubat cries and the Staravia picking them off like a total baller.

I'm going to catch one and call it a Raptor.

And then get a Talonflame and call it a Flanker.

Elenda's actually not bad in a scuffle, it turns out. One of the Rockets wizened up to the fact she's a (fairly) small girl and tried to take her down.

Let the world know that this girl does in fact know about targeting weaknesses and have no qualms about doing so to other people.

Oh wow, he screams loud. I'd feel shared sympathy in any other scenario.

Guy behind me. Ram into him with elbow.

He's surprised. I've already proven I can fight, why be surprised. Keep in. Punches to stomach, don't let up until he's down.

Ok, good. That makes…five?

The Bellsprouts aren't doing anything now that Elenda recalled her Rhyhorn. And she pulls out a fourth ball.

Out comes…Hoothoot.

A Hoothoot.

O...kay.

The same small part of my mind quips that we haven't actually seen any Kalos-specific pokemon, despite being in Kalos.

The Hoothoot is…not fast, but it's pecking the shit outta the Bellsprouts. Who, in their credit, are trying to bury it under Razor Leaves; it's not really going well.

GAH! I'm on the ground face down. Shit. Roll and get back up, c'mon, hurry.

Sixth guy hit me square in the back. Have to focus on my fights.

Shit, this guy's actually pretty good.

I've hit him a few times but he's pretty much trucked through all of it, and the difference in weight means every hit I take I feel it.

Ow. Nerds don't have pain tolerance.

Adrenaline is helping, but not by much.

Guy's coming at me, smirking.

And that smirk changes to pain.

Ratty apparently know about Big Damn Hero entrances. Capitalize. Step in, uppercut to stomach. Dude bends over now that he's concentration is gone. Grab his back. Knee. One, two, three. Step out. Chop to neck.

Dude's still standing. Fine. Jump chop to neck!

He's down. I think that might get me manslaughter charges, but I'm beyond caring.

I hear a scream and turn around.

Elenda's been pinned to the ground. Apparently the guy ignored whatever rules of combat existed and just jumped on top of her. Hard to fight like that.

"Ratty." I don't even need to finish the sentence. The little guy knows what need to be done, and runs full tilt toward the guy pinning her down. Three left. And they're...

Converging on Elenda. That's very not good. The Rhyhorn separation was instrumental is us not being dead.

Work through the pain. C'mon.

Spare a glance at the sky. Half the Zubats are gone, the other half are having trouble.

Staravia is in dire straits. The glancing blows and attacks it barely couldn't dodge are adding up. Good thing Zubats don't have as much endurance.

Shit.

I wasn't thorough enough.

Some of the other guys I downed before are getting back up.

Need to get Elenda out of trouble, now.

Running.

High Jump Kick!

Scattered the three that are converging.

Ratty bit the guy pinning her on the neck. Man, the little guy really knows when the gloves come off.

…Oh. Oh shit. He hit something major.

Fake Rocket's now bleeding.

Oh well.

Kick him on the side and knock him off.

Elenda looks shaken, but gets her composure back quickly and gets back up.

She's also a tad red, so I guess she felt compromised.

Considering one of my "what could've happened" conclusions at the start of this fiasco I can't blame her.

Five guys left, plus one that's staunching off the bleeding with one hand. Ratty didn't bite too deep.

Not sure if murder was what I wanted on my list, either.

Staravia has fallen. Elenda recalled it and things thankfully quiet down.

I didn't really notice the din, to be honest. Too much adrenaline. Ears still ringing.

And now we're in trouble.

There's…what, a dozen Zubats left. Sandslash is still locked in combat with the Mightyena (I can hear them snarling now; guess it's been blow for blow so far). The five Fake Rockets have more or less rallied, sprouting various wounds but obviously not enough to bring them down, and adrenaline is countering whatever slowing effects being injured is supposed to have.

Random Number Goddess, I could really use a 20 right about now.

…Apparently I rolled a zero. One of them had a pokemon in reserve and pulled it out.

A Riggenrola. Roggenrola? I don't know its name. Black rock with rock shooting face hole. There we go.

I move to cover Elenda the best I can, but I reacted too late; it's already shot at her. Elenda moved when she saw it, but the rock (and thankfully it's small) struck her on the arm, and I hear her yelp in pain and cradle her arm. I hope it's not broken.

I think one of them's taunting, but honestly I'm too pissed to care.

I wish I had my Salamence.

Shit, focus. Ratty…where'd Ratty go?

Ratty is...limping back. He's favoring his right front very heavily. That means his left front is broken. Was he stepped on? Shit. I just keep rolling zeroes.

Well, ones, I guess. Ratty isn't dead so that's good.

I recall Ratty to his ball. He's far too loyal for a Pokemon with Run Away.

There's now an impasse.

Ok, no, there isn't one. We're being shot at by the Roggenrola while the Fuckets are laughing their asses off.

Saving grace, the Roggenrola seems to be missing us on purpose, or at least either grazing us or not hitting at full power. I'm shielding Elenda but I'm still nerdy and weedy, so shots still get through. Every time she yelps I feel worse.

For the record I'm grunting in pain every time I get hit, so it's not exactly total manly silence. It's taking a lot of my concentration to not break out in swears every time.

I like to pretend I have standards.

How long has it been now? Five minutes? Since the start of the barrage?

The Fuckets (Fake Rockets, y'know, in case you haven't figured it out yet) have caught on to their Roggenrola deliberately missing, and are whipping it with a Bellsprout.

Keep going down the path of no return, why don't you.

I'm no longer standing; my legs have taken too much punishment.

Sandslash brought down the Mightyena, but didn't have the strength left to fight. So it's covering for Elenda on my urging.

Well, more like it's just doing it on its own. I just put in a line to look good.

I hear screeching.

Screeching?

Thank the Goddess, Elenda rolled a twenty.

Pokemon Rangers have arrived.

And my do they arrive in style.

Let's see…

Six rangers, all on Pidgeots – workhorse Pokemon of the day – and

HOLYSHIT

[=20 minutes later=]

Uh, wow.

The Rangers showed up on the backs of Pidgeots, and what was the first thing they do?

SWEEP THE FUCKETS WITH HYPERBEAMS.

Most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I'm amazed nobody died to that insanely epic overkill.

Needless to say, after that Show Of Force the Fuckets surrendered immediately.

The police (which are not all Jennys) showed up some time later and took them into custody. Two of the (broken bones and rat-chewed artery) are being taken to the hospital, the rest plus their burn marks are being taken to the station.

A different one than the one we're going to.

Elenda's adrenaline gave out and she collapsed after the police arrived.

Turns out the Arbok bite had venom behind it, and the Antidotes she was applying when I wasn't looking had slowed it down for the duration of the afternoon, but it's acting up again now. I can't tell if that's very smart of her or insanely stupid.

So we're in an ambulance now while an on-car Kirlia takes care of Elenda. I'm not sure why a Kirlia but I assume it's because an on-site Chansey would be too fat and round.

My god she's pale.

Elenda, I mean.

Oh lordy. I'm tired. It's getting dark out now, too.

I wish I had a watch.

[=== + ===]

Aaaand now I'm out of backlog material.

Let me know what you think, what I can do better, what I can be clearer on, etc etc etc.