BEHIND THE CROSS HAIRS: First half
"Everything will be fine so long as we're together,
My world is perfect if you'd stay forever."
(? Pov)
"Sir"
"Yes?"
"The team of two has returned."
"Bring them in."
Two poison types enter the room and the subordinate walks to the other side of the room to stay out of the way.
"Has target, Luis been dealt with?"
"No" answered one of the poison type Pokémon.
"Why hasn't he?" Said the second voice as his left hand began to glow a golden yellow.
"The target, Luis was with three other Pokémon when we found him. He was accompanied by a normal type, a psychic type, and one we have never encountered before. Considering the situation, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish the objective effectively" said one of the poison types.
"You didn't even make an attempt did you?" said the apparent leader in an annoyed tone.
"No"
The leader then, swung its left hand and a golden white spear instantly materialized and flew to one of the poison types at high velocity, impaling the poison type from the side of its face to the back wall.
"How should we fix this?"
Unnerved and shaky, the other poison type responded "We could use our full team of nine."
"No, eight should do just fine, the other is in Unova completing an assignment."
"Where was Luis last encountered?" asked the earlier subordinate while pulling out a large map of the Sinnoh region. The poison type pointed to an area roughly 3 miles away from their current location.
"I'll get the teleporter calibrated while you make your preparations."
"This time, I expect to see results." said the irritated leader.
The spear began to fade away, releasing the fainted poison type from the wall, not a scratch visible where the spear had pierced.
"Now clean yourselves up and inform the others."
The poison type made a slight glare before responding "Understood."
"Get out." Said the leader as its glowing hand began to power down.
After a few minutes, the eight had come to the room to be teleported to the spot where they were to continue with the objective that they had been presented with.
"One more thing, should you fail, I may have to reexamine your capabilities and our contract." said the leader.
"That won't be a problem. Should have known better than to send, inexperienced peons without supervision." Said one of the six apparent veterans.
"Use this to return once you have terminated Luis." The subordinate handed a small cube to the group of eight, then activated a wall mounted devise. It shot a light that opened up a circular portal and one by one they stepped in to be transported. When they left, the leader turned to address the subordinate.
"How's our aquatic experiment coming along?"
"It has immensely grown in size and it's also far more violent then what its species are known for, sir."
"You are dismissed"
The leader is now alone in the room.
"Should they fail, they might make good fish food to that experiment. Nah, win or lose, that fish needs a good test run and they seem as good as any other prey for exercise or they might unknowingly be of use in disposing of that overgrown fish." the leader chuckled to himself while returning to more mundane matters that eventually would have to be addressed.
(Lisa's pov)
I looked at the new guy, feeling uneasy and a little embarrassed, like when I would get caught trying my mother's make-up even though I knew it was off limits when I was younger. He looked at me with this expression that I couldn't figure out. It didn't look like he was angry with me, but he didn't look too pleased either. It could have been a look of confusion but I wasn't sure.
"You knew?" I asked telepathically.
Bad enough I got caught by him, I didn't want the others to know as well, I think that I might die of embarrassment especially if they get the wrong idea.
"Yes" answered Raphe.
I kind of like that nickname Daisy picked out for him. It suits his near intimating demeanor. Wait, he knew? That was his subconsciousness that I tried to break into. Just like how most can't remember their dreams or tell what they are subconsciously thinking about, he shouldn't be able to tell that I tried to break in.
"How?" I asked.
"You fell for the trap loop."
"OH" I said as a slight blush of embarrassment appeared on my face. It quickly disappeared when I suddenly realized something.
"Wait, how did you know to set it up before I was… well-?"
"Trying to sneak a peek?" he interrupted a bit rudely
"Well yea, but don't say it like that." I said a little offended.
"Why not?"
"It makes me sound a little devious." I said as I could barely see the corner of his beak crack in a slight smirk. What was he up to? Was he trying to get me to say something? Have some fun at my expense? Or is he just trying to change the subject? What's up wit-
"Is there something wrong with quirks?" his question caught me off guard. Probably because I couldn't tell what his intention was for asking that. UGH!
"Well" he continued
"There shouldn't be." I answered.
"Then why did you get offended with being called a little 'devious'?"
"I don't know. It just rubs me the wrong way. Hey! You ever going to tell me how you figured out I was-"
"Creepin and peepin?"
"OH stop it!" I saw him get another small smirk.
"You're having fun doing that, aren't you?" I said a little annoyed.
"What do you think?" I noticed that, I couldn't seem to read raphe's feeling as clearly as other living beings. When I first saw him, his emotions were blank. No anger, no fear, no joy or even surprise. I'm so used to reading one's thoughts and feelings at an instant, not because I'm trying to be rude or nosey. It's not really even my idea of fun…most of the time. I do it simply because it reassures me that what I do next isn't a mistake and get someone's feelings hurt or confused. So now that I have come across someone that I can't read, it both annoys me and sort of frightens me. There is something about him that intimidates me though I'm not sure what it is exactly. If Luis didn't trust him that way he does, I probably would have attacked him again this morning, so then why… why do I feel like there is a kind and gentle side to him when all I've seen so far is a sly, and serious fighter? It couldn't be because of the way my break in ended, could it? Just then I realized that the air around him wasn't as heavy as it was last night. I sighed when I noticed that he still hasn't told me what I wanted to know.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"You haven't answered my question, you know."
He gave a small sigh before responding,
"Before I say, answer me why is it so important for you to know?"
"Well… I've come across many different kinds of Pokémon with their own different types of personalities. Out of them all, dark types can force me out and keep me out very easily, but they can't always detect me when I have made my way in. Other psychics have an easier time detecting me when I try to, well… find out more about them. They have a harder time forcing me out, but that's never stopped them from trying to protect themselves. They often turn their minds in to intricate puzzles. You are the first non-psychic to detect me and try to force me out." He chuckled a little at the end of what I explained.
"I don't know whether I should take that as a complement or not. Anyways, you know I could have forced you out if I really wanted to, right?"
I think I could start to feel a faint hint of friendliness coming firm him. I wonder if I could get more of it to come out.
"No way!" I blurted, though still telepathically.
"Don't believe me?"
"Well why didn't you then?"
"You were already in a trap loop."
"So?"
"You wouldn't have been able to actually see anything personal or accurate."
"I got close." I said though I'm fairly certain I was mistaken. Again he is ducking that question.
"No. as soon as you thought you were in, you were already caught in the trap loop."
"How is it a trap loop?"
"It's like a hallway that is doing a 180 degree turn in small increments that are too slow to notice. While you thought you were getting to the other end, you were really just going in one big circle."
"About that, you must have a twisted imagination to come up with such a dark and unsettling design for a 'trap loop'"
"Actually, I have no control over how it's experienced."
"Huh?"
"You heard me."
"I still think you can't force me out." I said with a little smirk of my own.
"Is that a challenge?"
"What do you think?" I said maybe a little playfully.
"Then go for it."
I looked at him for a moment while remembering the twisted hallway that I went through.
"No way." I finally said.
"K, why?"
"I don't want to end up mentally scared!"
"I'm giving you the green light to go in and try."
Even though I had his consent, it felt a little unnerving to go back in there.
"I don't know." I said.
"So… you are only brave in a lights off sort of way." he said.
"Huh!?"
"You didn't have a problem doing it when you weren't allowed."
"That was before I knew about that trap loop!"
"But now that you have my ok, I won't let it trigger."
I was still curious about whether he could so what he said he can, but I was-
"Princess" He said
"What was that?!"
"Hey if you are scared just say so."
I glared a little at him when he said that.
"I'm not."
"You sure?"
"Of course I am." I said as I could feel that very faint friendliness get slightly stronger.
"Then what's keeping you?"
I don't know how, but I suddenly got the urge to prove him wrong. I found myself using confusion to pick up a nearby pebble from the ground and held it in my hand. I focused my mind then I let go of the pebble and mentally went in Raphe's mind.
This time the scenery was still a little intimidating, but there was definitely something different. I just couldn't figure out what it was. The scenery was still that same grassy plain with the pillar in the crater and that wooden sign. That same question with the raised 'yes/no' was written on the wooden sign. I felt little more confident in tapping the 'yes' this time around.
My heart sank when the sign began to slowly disappear, just like last time. If that bridge shows up again I am leaving. When the sign completely disappeared, everything began to fade away, like dust being blown off of an old tea cup. Don't tell me I got caught in another trap loop.
What was left wasn't that grassy plain with the crater and the pillar at its center. The ground had a feel similar to a lightly polished crystal or maybe slightly rough glass and was white like snow in color. I was under a spotlight and that seemed to be that only source of light. The entire place was just dark and empty. I turned around to try and find…anything… at all, but it was just a dark void. As I looked around, still under the spotlight I began to get the weird feeling that I was being watched. With every second that passed that feeling kept getting stronger. A cold sweat ran down my cheek. I couldn't feel any emotion here, and yet there was a presence in here that I knew was analyzing every aspect of my being. I took a step toward the void. I began to wonder what kind of individual Raphe was by the way his mind seems to work. I've been inside of many minds before, each with their own unique traits that reflects the individual's personality. This was the first time I had encountered a dark void. I know that there is a reason for why one's mind would be a dark void. I just couldn't remember it. With another step towards the void, these thin yellow poles began to rise from the ground. At the top of each pole were these odd candles. The poles were spaced out like a grid. With another step I took, they lit up in a strange purple light. From the purple glow, the candles seemed to be black in color with; I think little red vertical stripes. I began to think that I may have gotten caught in another 'trap loop'.
"Found you" said a familiar voice.
I turned in the direction where it came from, under the spotlight stood raphe or at least the-
"Out you go" he said with a warm smile. Then he lifted his hand or the three claws at the end of his right wing and made a snapping sound with it. As it sounded, a black ring with a reddish edging shot from his claws and expanded throughout the area, like ripples in a pond. It came so fast. I barely had the time to blink. I didn't feel anything, no pain, and no push. I felt nothing at all from the rings.
I heard the sound of the pebble hitting the ground. When my eyes opened, I was back in my body.
"Want to try it again?" asked raphe in a sort of bored mood.
Without answering I tried it again. After the doing the bit with the sign, it was still that same dark place with the same white floor. This time however, the thin poles with the odd candles were already standing there.
"Hello"
I turned to the same voice as bef-
"Good bye" said raphe with the same dark expanding rings knocking me back to my body.
As I looked at him my stomach began to growl in hunger.
(Combusken's pov)
*Stomach growl*
"Hungry?" I asked Lisa.
"What do you think?" she said telepathically in a playful tone.
"Let's tell the others then." I said.
While we caught up with Daisy and Luis, I wondered what kind of personality Lisa had. At first she seemed like a strong and cunning girl, but then that little hug last night made me wonder what could cause someone to react in such a way while sleeping. Is she maybe that type that tries to be friends with everybody? I thought that when I remembered that she tried to say we had something in common earlier. Then she tried to break into my mind only to get caught in my trap loop. The intrusion was a bit rude but most mind reading psychics tend to do that; jerks. Like I told her, I don't have any control of what the experience is like once caught. From the psychic mind readers that have tried, they all seemed to be varying levels of fear. So I can only assume that it's disturbing and unpleasant. Ordinarily the ones that have tried to break in never want to try it again or go in at all, even with my ok. I could tell she was frightened by the ordeal. So I was surprised when not only did she, not try to avoid me altogether, but also have a curiosity about it and me. I guess it was because of that, I let a little of my personality out for her, for now at least. Even with her playfulness, I could tell there was more to her then what these first impressions were implying. The same goes to Daisy, though I still wondered if Daisy was the type to hold a grudge, when I compared her to her two, I guess, more forgiving friends.
As Lisa informed the two about her empty stomach, I looked around wondering if there was a stream or a river nearby. Maybe a pond or lake could work as well for what I wanted to do, even though it is always an annoying task.
"Alright, so we are out of food and we aren't close enough to the village to continue comfortably" said Luis as I caught up to him and the others.
"Any ideas of what to do from here?" he asked us.
I picked up some of the soil, it was faintly moist and dark grayish. The trees had some moss growing off of them.
"There are apple trees growing nearby" I called out.
"You got that from the soil?" asked Luis.
Daisy had this look like she was analyzing me, looking for something, but I had no clue what it was.
"No, this type of tree grows in the same conditions as most apple trees and some other fruit bearing trees." I said referring to the tree we were standing under.
"I suggest we split up to cover more ground." I said as I picked a Y shaped stick.
"And meet back here after a while of searching" I said as I stabbed the stick in the ground.
"If we don't find anything?" asked a skeptical Daisy.
"Then I guess we'll have to suck it up and keep moving."
"Tsh. Best plan in the world." Daisy said rather sarcastically.
"Don't hear you coming up with anything better." I said. Daisy just glared at me as I glared right back.
"We'll give it a try for now" said Luis, I think trying to defuse the situation.
Daisy rolled her eyes as she broke the stare.
"Come on lets go." Lisa told Daisy as Lisa began to pull Daisy away to the east.
Luis went to the northwest. I went to the west where I was fairly sure I would find some body of water. As I walked, I looked around to make sure I wasn't being watched. Satisfied, I looked in my bag and found that other half of the Oran berry from the other night. That's the main reason I insisted on carrying Lisa. I needed her to hide the other half of it otherwise I wouldn't have picked her up at all. Still, I found it odd that carrying her was more enjoyable then I thought it would have been. A pleasing scent, soft skin and all the rest may have been why. I know I smelled her scent before, but what was it?
The sound of running water soon became audible. Then I came across a good sized stream, it was big enough that it may pass for a small river. The current looked rather strong. If I wasn't careful I could be swept away to where ever it goes, probably out to the ocean. If I had a rope maybe I could tie one end to tree and tether the other end to myself. I took a look at my bag's contents; the same two items were inside. My map and the other half of the Oran berry. While I looked them over something on the ground caught my attention. It was a small yellow lightly polished metal loosely shaped like an orb.
I honestly don't have any idea why humans and some Pokémon have would covet these metal pieces so much. It is just a type of metal right? So why is this type so popular in particular? I bet it is because it shines superficially. The humans and those same Pokémon also seem to covet other items that shine similarly. If they weren't both a good trading item and a universal currency, I would have no interest in keeping it. Just a waste of space in my bag really but maybe it will come in handy later.
A Wurmple happened to be crawling nearby. Hmm… as I walked up to it I wondered if it knows that move.
"Excuse me" I said to the Wurmple.
"Yes"
"Do you know the move 'string shot'?"
"Yea, Why?"
"I was wondering if you could make me a rope from it."
"I could, for a price."
'Wrong answer' I thought to myself.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What kind of eats do you got?"
"Just this half of an Oran berry."
"That will do."
I pulled out the slice. The Wurmple then tried to eat it. I quickly pulled it away before it could.
"The rope comes first." I said as the Wurmple rolled its eyes before it spat out the silky rope I wanted.
When it was about the right length, I told it to stop.
"Here catch" I said as I tossed it over its head so it would take its eyes off me.
Right when it all most caught it, I used quick attack to snatch the Oran berry half back and in the same moment I kicked the Wurmple into the river. This was probably a bad habit of mine, I thought to myself when the Wurmple tried to save itself when it used its string shot to get back to land. Only the string shot had attached to an angry Gloom who pulled the Wurmple onto the land and close enough to raise a cloud of sleeping powder at the Wurmple. The Gloom then dragged it away into the forest, for what I didn't care. I chuckled at the Wurmple's bad luck.
After tying one end of the rope to a tree and the other end to myself, I tugged on it to make sure it was secure. Satisfied with the strength of the rope's knots and the rope itself, I went to the edge of the river. I lifted my foot and placed it in the water. I shuddered a little from the temperature. I lifted my other foot and started walking into the river.
I almost slipped a couple of times from the current and the loose mud on the floor that gave it a slimy feel similar to the oozy body of a Muk. The running water got up to my beak in depth. The water felt like it was peeling away at my feathers and skin, while little needles where stabbing away at me. At first it did anyway. Out of luck I happened to have found a group of rocks near the middle of the river. I stepped on top of them, drew out all the air I had in my lungs and then breathed in as deep as I could. I repeated this three more times before I drew in one final deep breath and then I sat down on the rocks with my eyes closed. For a while I sat there very uncomfortable as it slowly got more and more bearable. I stood up to breathe, then I sat back down and started rubbing myself, trying to get rid of any filth or any molted feathers.
By now, the running water was actually a little pleasant on my body. Instead of an acidic and piercing torrent, it now had more of the feel like that of a refreshing breeze of a summer day. I guess that meant it was time to get out. Don't want to catch salmonella or something. I stood up and began the walk back to shore. As I was walking, I slipped on the loose mud. The current started carrying me away until I felt a hard pressure on my chest and with it I noticed that I was being suspended in the running water.
I quickly remembered the rope that I had tied to myself. The force of the current and the rope I was tied to had carried me to the side wall of the river's edge or cliff. I lifted my wing to try to grab the cliff like land, but whatever I tried to latch on to, my claw kept sliding off of. I guess I couldn't get out like that. I decided to do the only other thing I could think of. I grabbed the rope and pulled on it. My sixth sense began acting up. I looked around, no bird shapes in the sky, nothing else on the land that could pose an immediate threat. As I was continuing to clime sideways with the rope, something had brushed up against my left leg. It made my sense almost burn a hole in my head by the mere touch. My pace of pulling sped up by the creeping thought that I was being considered as a meal by some predator. It tapped my chest and hip. Either it was a large snake-like hunter or there was more than one. Focusing would be so much easier if I knew what I was dealing with, but at the moment I couldn't decide what I should be more concerned with. Should I focus on my climbing technique so I could get out as fast as possible without accidentally cutting the silk rope, or focus on whatever had found me so I don't end up as something's lunch?
I was now around half way to the shore I had entered. As I continued to fight against the rushing water, I felt something run down my leg to my foot. I quickly made a grab for it with my foot. Whatever I had caught was slim and stiff. Not wanting to take any chances, I made my other foot grab it and using both in tandem; I forcefully bent and pulled at it. It tore into two pieces. I turned on my back, facing upwards and brought my feet up to the air to see what I caught, all the while I was still trying to pull myself to shore. I looked at what I had snapped in two, on my left foot was this three inch thick brownish line with some green water drop shapes that had vain like lines going across the individual shapes. On my right foot was just the other half of the brownish line. I was angered and relieved at the same time when I realized that a tree branch had caused me some paran-. I growled in annoyance when I saw a Carvanha falling right at me, with hunger evident in its scarlet eyes.
That must have been what set off my sixth sense. The savage fish opened its salivating jaws as it kept falling closer and closer with every moment that had passed. I felt something hard hit my left leg and without thinking, I made a grab for it with my right foot dropping the tree branch it once held. I lifted whatever I had caught with my right foot to the jaw of the Carvanha. It bit down hard on the rock that I had just jammed into its jaw. While it was confused by the rock in its mouth, I swung it over to the land beside me. As I did, the angered Carvanha bit with such strength that it destroyed the rock as if it were a fragile piece of porcelain. The Carvanha twisted and contorted its body in a desperate struggle to get back into the water. This gave the chance to turn forward on my stomach and continue on pulling myself against the violent current.
My stomach churned when I saw what was swimming towards me. Another two Carvanha had their sights set on me. I wondered how I was going to get out of this. While they were darting at me I noticed that the one on the right was ahead of the other one. Maybe if I time it just right…
The two savage fish opened their jaws readying a biting type of attack. That was perfect. Getting ready, I reached out my right wing and waited until the first one got in range. This would have to be precise considering water forces regular movement to slow down. I was certain it was in range when I saw their blood lust which was fueled by hunger and territorial aggression.
I lifted my wing and was able to grab on hard, to the fish's tail fin. I forced it up out of the surface of the water. These feisty fish weighed about the same as Lisa, maybe a little more. I then shoved this fish into the maw of the second, there they both bit down hard. For some reason I thought I saw the purple of their faces turn a reddish violet color before I threw the connected two over to the land. With those two gone maybe now I could be free to make it back to the shore I had entered from. I thought just a few more feet to go and finally be done with this unintended escapade.
I was around five feet away from the shallow entrance when my sixth sense went nuts. As I turned my head around, chills ran down my spine by what I saw swimming towards me and not because of the cold water. I turned to look forward and pulled and climbed faster on the rope. My claws felt like they were going to fall off from all the forceful pulling, but I ignored it. The alterative of continuing on this exhausting speed was too horrific to even conceder. As I continued to shore, they kept getting closer and closer. The force of the current did very little to slow down these savage hunters. I did what I could to pull myself to safety, but the energy I burnt up from this misfortune, along with the current of water draining away at what I had left, made me start to have some doubts that I would make it out alive. I continued nonetheless and was able to reach the corner of the little cliff like wall signaling that the shore was just ahead. I placed my left claw on the corner of the cliff like wall, trying to get out of the current. To my dismay, one of the Carvanha was able to come out of the surface of the water and cut my tether with its sharp teeth. Without my tether I was almost washed away to be the next snack of the school of Carvanha that continued its advance towards me. However I was able to grab the same Carvanha that just cut my rope, by the tail fin and ram its jaws into the edge of the cliff. Its rough skin is very easy to grip, so long as you can endure the pain that comes with even touching it. It kind of feels like it is scraping away your flesh. Ignoring the stinging of it, I pulled myself away from the current using the fish like an anchor.
Finally, I was out of the current so I threw the fish back into the river. My sixth sense began ringing again not two steps later. I turned around and saw the same Carvanha leaping at me. Annoying little jerk, it's lucky I'm not in the mood for fish sticks! I took careful aim and punched it into the dry land with a left hook.
"Punch a fish to make a wish." I said to myself.
"You're not funny!" cried the Carvanha.
What a killjoy. The calm water of the small shore acted flat enough to work like a sort of mirror. If Luis, Lisa and Daisy where to see me like this I'm fairly certain that they would laugh at me at first, before getting curious about the many scars on my skin. I have always found it interesting that soaking wet feathers tend to get very thin. Then when they dry off, they spread themselves covering up my skin and hiding my skin color, my scars, and anything else on me. Out of all the scars I have, there are three that still haunt me every time I see them.
The first is on my neck. It is about two inches thick and it goes all around my neck just like the collar that inflected it. For most, a collar is thought of as a band made of varying materials to be used with a leash. The purpose of such a creation is mainly controlling whatever is wearing the collar. A more difficult to obtain variant, is commonly referred to as a shock collar. It can commonly function two different ways; by remote or proximity. The remote method needs a simple press of a button to activate and the proximity just needs a certain amount of distance between the collar and a signaling devise to activate. When either of these conditions is met to their respective variant, it does what its name suggests. It sends painful amounts of electricity to whoever is wearing the collar. I would have been delighted to have had either if those around my neck instead of the collar I was forced to wear; that caused the scar on my neck.
It was a twisted little devise, the technology used to make it allowed it to function like the before mentioned and do more sinister things. That collar of mine and other variants could shrink in size in order to strangle, and shock or heat up to fatal degrees depending on a Pokémon's type. Those little "features" are nothing compared to the sick surprise each collar does if the one wearing it strays too far the area. The vile contraptions explode violently. Though I try to forget about the time I was captured and thrown in to a place that was referred to as, "The Arena" seeing the scar on my neck always rushes those memories back, despite how hard I try to forget about it. The "Arena" itself is what is what the name suggests it is. However the battles that take place at the "Arena" are actually struggles for the right to continue drawing breath from this earth. The cruelty that humans are capable of is one of the few things that still terrify me. Maybe what appalls me the most is the fact that those bloodbaths, were little more than entertainment for the humans. I have been in seven matches. The first four however, I honestly don't remember "winning" because the first four I actually blacked out in, the weirdest part was how I blacked out. Ordinarily when I do blackout everything just quickly goes black, but in those times the outer sides of my eyesight seemed to be dissolving in what appeared to be a blackish purple fire all the while, a creepy laughter keeps getting louder and louder as the dark fire engulfs my vision before everything goes quiet and dark. I would then wake up in the small cage that served as my bed, living quarters, dining room and my "toilet" as the humans called it. There were terrible repercussions should the Pokémon in these fights refuse to fight or "finish up" whether they were able to or not. Well at least the "Arena" has been destroyed.
I looked at my right wing trying to change my train of thought. There was another of the three scars, what distinguishes this one from the other two is its appearance. It didn't look like skin that repaired itself from a gash. It kind of looks like the number eight or an odd X, formed by what appears to be four water drops heading toward one another from four different directions. Also the scar itself looks as a discoloration of a light gray.
The ones who destroyed the "Arena" were a group of mercenaries. While they did obliterate the sadistic structure, its founder could have created another one. A Lucario I had befriended named Lucas, helped me track him down and we both made sure that he will never lay eyes on the living ever again. Lucas and I joined the band of mercenaries, believing them to be righteous heroes. Looking back I find it funny how horrendous the truth can be. They weren't the Heroes Lucas and I thought them to be, but they weren't completely greedy, hot headed puppets either. The loyalties of the mercenaries weren't at all strong as their loyalty could shift, should someone out pay their original client. However should their services be bought with an added hefty fee of a contract, they show an unbreakable loyalty, until their assignment has been completed. During one of the assignments that Lucas and I were given, we were supposed to obtain a certain brief case. At the time I thought that it contained valuable documents as the client wouldn't say what was in it or why it was so important. What that case contained, most wouldn't believe me when I tell them so just keep it to myself. Lucas is the only one who also saw it too so he's the only one to this day who believes what that case contained.
For most, evolution occurs when their bodies have adapted to the combat of an opponent. As such, when a Pokémon experiences the sudden rush of new found core strength, we reach one step closer to growing toward a new form that makes the best use of this core strength. The humans referred to this process as 'leveling up'. Kind of a bland way to put it. The devise that was in that case made me wonder how much of that I actually had right.
While on an assignment with Lucas, believe it or not, I had evolved into a Blaziken. When we finally did reach the target with the case, our targeted human opened up the case and took out an odd white metallic glove-like claw that reached all the way to the human's shoulder. It had a sort of cyan colored orb on the back of the palm on the glove-like claw. Since we weren't given any sort of information as to what that claw thing was, we both assumed that it was a contraption that enhances the natural ability of the limb that controls it. It was only when I moved in the way to shove Lucas out of the way that we realized what it was.
It grabbed me on my right arm. As much as I tried to pry it off the more it clamped down on my arm, but that was the least of my worries. The orb on the back of the palm of the claw began to glow. My body felt weaker and weaker with every moment that the contraption stayed on my arm. After a short while, my body became cloaked in light and I began to shrink. It was only when Lucas came to my aid that the contraption finally let go of me, but the damage had already been done. The scar was now forever, a part of my flesh and I had been devolved to a Combusken.
As the human stumbled back to its feet the claw like contraption opened at its side and released a small cyan cylinder with a hiss of steam or gas. When the human saw Lucas come to my aid, it tried to make its escape. Had the human been facing different pursuers that may have given it the chance to elude us, but the mind-set for a member of the mercenaries is different when trying to complete an assignment. The means don't matter, the results do.
Lucas then abandoned me and used extreme speed to catch the human and subdue it. Only after that, had our objective been cleared. Lucas then returned to make sure I was ok. I wasn't hurt too severely; I was really just in shock that I had been turned in to a Combusken shortly after evolving.
It wasn't our job to ask questions. It wasn't our job get emotionally involved. It wasn't our job to even care. The only thing that ultimately mattered was the completion of our assignment. Looking back, I probably wasn't the best fit to be the most effective mercenary because I was the one that most frequently did what the job didn't call for. Like for that one, I had questions about that contraption. Things like what was that thing, why would anyone desire such a thing, for what purpose was such a thing created, how was the thing created and why did it leave this mark on my wing. There was one question I had answered though. The cyan cylinder was a container that held rare candies.
When I tried to ingest them however, a Staravia just happened to swoop in and steal them away.
Those three…
I was too emotionally attached to Lucas that it clouded my decisions. Instead of shoving Lucas I should have shoved the human. Maybe then I could have avoided getting this scar. Had I not been so shaken by the experience, I wouldn't have hesitated to eat those rare candies to evolve back into a Blaziken. The only thing I did or I guess fail to do that kept me from being a total failure of a mercenary was care.
No matter how many lives I have twisted, no matter how many lives I have ruined, no matter whose life I had taken, places I have destroyed, things I have stolen, or how horrendous the job, I couldn't care less. I didn't do the jobs for the thrill, nor for the recognition. I didn't care too much for the money, so long as I had enough to live on in order to pay for food and basic living arrangements, I didn't argue the amount so profusely. I think the only reason I bothered sticking around was it gave me a sense of purpose. I only left the group when a Zoroark convinced me to start caring again or at least care a little more. Unfortunately resigning was rather complicated. Long story short, what is left of the group is under new management, if it is still active.
I turned my back towards the still calm and flat shore. The last of the three scars was on my back. One look and I turned away from it, shuddering from the mere memory of how I had gotten it. A flash of beaked face with glowing red eyes appeared and I shuddered once more. I guess after all this time I still can't get over how I got that scar. That was enough unpleasant reminiscing for one day, so I shot flames to the ground beneath me while turning around. The heat from my flames quickly evaporated the water and the moisture on my body. I could have just super-heated my body to get the same drying effect with less pain, but I have always preferred this method for being quicker and it does give my feathers a particularly better gloss.
Once fully dry my feathers had widened themselves and effectively hid my scars form view. Concealing the evidence of the type of life I had led.
"There you are! You are not getting away from me this time!" yelled out a human voice.
"You had your chance, it's my turn now!" Cried another human.
(Daisy's pov) –Some other part of the forest-
"Remind me again why you can't just teleport us home?" I had asked Lisa.
"I thought I told you already, the distance is too far for me to teleport just me to the village without getting severe headaches. Let alone us four altogether!" I huffed at her explanation.
"Besides, I thought you said you like strolling around the country side." She had said.
"I do! It's just; I wasn't expecting Luis to have befriended one of them…"
"Them? You mean Chris?"
"Yeah, his kind."
"Is that why you are somewhat rude to him?"
"Yep"
"I still find it a little odd that you don't treat Luis the same way, since he is of the same kind."
"Come on, you know that it is because I was already friends with him before that happened."
"That's not what I was getting at, Daisy."
"Mmm?"
"What I meant was that even after…well… that happened you still continue to treat Luis the same as before like it never happened."
"And?"
"I just think that most would have some kind of grudge on Luis, if they were in your position. So I think that it is rather courteous of you that you didn't let your sorrow or anger, affect your attitude towards Luis, that's all." Lisa had a smile when she said that. I had shown her what happened from my memories with the help of her psychic powers. I still don't understand why she doesn't have the same distrust or anger as I do towards them.
"So how have you been holding up?"
"With what?" she had asked me.
"You know, since they have been gone." Her face lost its smile.
"It has been hard adjusting to their absence. Of course they do leave me alone at times and often give me a lot of busy work so I don't have the time to notice that they aren't around, but how could I not notice them gone when they are so lively when they are home. I won't lie, I miss them; there are days when I would fool myself into thinking that they will randomly return on that day. Only to have waited the entire day and have no sign of their return. Sometimes I get jealous of you because you don't seem to be affected the absence of your own and that adds to the weight I have to bare. Well at least we aren't completely alone. We still have Luis, Carly and each other to ease the loneliness right?" I smiled at her response. I wonder if she is in the mood to handle being teased, if just to keep her from being gloomy.
"Yeah, we do; and don't forget that new boyfriend of yours."
"HUH!?"
"Admit it you have a thing for him don't you?"
"No! I barely met Chris or Raphe as you like to call him. Where did you get that idea anyways?" Lisa questioned as I could barely see a bit of pink show on her face. I smiled.
"I never said Chris. Seems like you already choose him huh?" The pink on Lisa's face grew a brighter shade when I said that.
"I haven't even choose him for that! Besides, I fought with him already so I don't think that it works that way."
"Well you didn't seem at all mad this morning when he openly confessed to knocking us out."
"First of all it was a bit of a tie. While he did defeat me, I was able to knock him out as well."
"You are such a liar." I said with a little smirk.
"Oh so you don't think there is a reason why I am a Kirlia now?"
"I had assumed that the private time you had with Raphe was all you really needed to grow into your new form so you could be some pleasing eye candy to your feathered mate."
"Eye candy?" she burst into laughter, which caught me by surprise because I was expecting her to blush at what I had said.
"Secondly anyway, you know as well as I do that we brought it on ourselves. More you then me, I mean did you honestly never stop to think that eventually one of your 'ideas' would backfire? And I should have expected something like what happened last night when Raphe saw us coming."
"Aww. Now you're defending him! Already you're acting like his girlfriend." it took me a second, but I caught some more pink show on her face when she sighed and shook her head in, I think annoyance.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you wanted some more alone time with him when you practically rushed to his side when we started heading towards home." I said really only exaggerating her actions. Though I think I may have been on to something when her eyes widened.
"I was just trying to be friendly and I'll admit that I may have been a little curious about Raphe." I giggled at that.
"Curious if he's the one for you?" I giggled more while she glared at me.
"Oh nothing like that, besides I figured you wanted that alone time to be with Luis."
"What?" My giggling stopped.
"You said it yourself out loud, 'OH how I adore that charming monkey face of Luis whenever I flirt with him-'"
"Now hold on! I never said it like that!" I interrupted.
"And yet you continue to fool around with him. It's no wonder he is the only one of his type you are nice to. Are you planning on starting a family with him?"
The horrid image of me trying to fix dinner for six either red or brown colored creatures, with either short flaming tails or long hairy ones with mangled teeth, disproportional limbs unique to each one, some flappy others overly muscular, their ears are varying sizes, and what I can't tell to be hands or paws. All the while they are chanting 'more food, more food' over and over as they pound on the dinner table together. Just as I'm about to turn and run away from these horrifying mutants, Luis comes in and yells something that makes this so much worse.
"I WANT MORE BABIES!"
I shuddered at the mentally scaring image. Lisa had a smirk on her face the whole while and the bright pink had disappeared, making her look quite triumphant complete with her hands on her hips.
"Not much fun when you're the victim is it?" Lisa glared at me when she said that still with that sly smirk and I glared right back. Five uncomfortable seconds had gone by.
Then we both blew a raspberry in unison before having a fit of the giggles. I was glad that she wasn't going to be in a gloomy mood anymore. After having spent like five minutes trying to calm down, we finally hugged it out before returning to wander around.
"Oh Daisy, have a look at what I found!" she called out as we had continued our search for a good snack.
When I caught up, I found her looking up at a tree. Upon closer inspection I had identified the tree to be a good sized apple tree.
"Nice. You found us a bite to eat." I said wondering how the heck we were going to get the ripe apples down. When I tried jumping as high as I could, the only apples I could reach were the small and bitter unripen ones.
I looked over to Lisa, she nodded and I thought that she was going to use her confusion move to grab some off the tree. Instead she did something that both amazed me and disturbed me for reasons that I don't really understand.
She lifted one of her arms opened handed and a sort of ring like light appeared while her eyes glowed. Then she lifted her other arm, again open handed and another ring like light appeared. She moved her hands closer together and the two rings moved, one on top of the other close, but not close enough to touch. She straighten her fingers upwards and the rings rose up over the unripen apples. While bending her fingers and moving her hands, she navigated the two rings over to a good sized apple. When the apple was fed into the middle of the upper ring, I was sure it had started to vibrate before disappearing, then reappearing underneath the lower ring. When the two rings made it to the stem of the apple, Lisa closed her hands and brought down her arms. In doing so the rings shrank and vanished and the apple came falling down. She put her hands on the sides of her head and she let out a little moan as she rubbed her head. I would have asked her if she was ok, but I didn't want a 'Wa-wa-Waa' moment, if the apple were to splatter on the ground after all that Lisa apparently went through just for one apple. Before I could even get into position to catch it, Lisa's eyes began to glow and the apple shined an azure color and it gently floated to my paws.
"You ok Lisa?" I asked still a little disturbed and in awe.
"Yea, I guess I'm still not strong enough to really use that."
"So that, those rings… when did you learn to do that?"
"Just a little thing I have been working on."
"It doesn't seem like a 'little' thing" I said as I placed my paw on the side of her head.
"You sure you're ok?"
"Yea, just a little head ache pain. It's nothing to worry about, I'm already feeling better." She responded as her face brightened.
"If you say so. Maybe you should be the first to eat an apple." I said as I handed her the apple.
When she took it I began to wonder how we were going to get more of the apples. This is the only apple tree we have come across. I wasn't that hungry, just a bit concerned for Lisa.
"What about you?" she asked me.
"I think you need it more than me."
"Doesn't seem right for me to take the first bite."
*stomach growl*
"Thank you for proving my point. Besides there are more apples on the tree, I don't mind waiting to get my own apple." She smiled at what I said.
Her eyes and the apple began to glow that familiar azure color. What is she up to now?
She placed her hand on the apple then easily pulled half of the apple clean off, as if it had already been cut.
"Here" She said offering me half of the apple.
"Heh-heh, fine." I said taking the apple and then we both began eating our halves. Afterword, I asked her how we could get more apples suggesting that maybe I should try to climb the tree, to which she lifted her right hand and her eyes glowed. I looked up and some of the ripened apples began glowing. She then pulled her hand down and the apples came down off the tree and into my paws.
"Do you think this will be enough?" she asked me as I counted the apples.
"Yea, there is enough here. One for you, one for Luis, two for me, and none for Raphe."
"Everyone should get one, Daisy." I looked at her.
"My ear still hurts form when he pulled it, to throw me into that ball shaped confusion attack you like to use."
"Fine, we'll give him the smallest one, does that work for you?" I rolled my eyes at that.
"I guess it does."
"You are such a downer."
"Oh Whatever!"
Lisa and I then decided to head back to that part of the forest with the Y shaped stick that he placed in the ground. Wonder if she will teleport us there?
(Combusken's pov) -Back near the river-
I looked around but couldn't find the humans. Hmm… "This time" I guess it's safe to say they aren't after me. I wonder what unlucky sap is getting chased around by two humans. It's not any of my business so I decided on ignoring it. The bushes began to rustle. Then a grey shadow popped out. It walked on all fours before stopping in front of me. It observed every part of my body as it walked around me to get every detail, it felt a little awkward.
"Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to use you for a minute." Said the fox like Pokémon with a feminine voice.
Well then she better prepare herself for the consequences if I don't like what she does. She then hopped in the air and was cloaked in a purplish light. When she landed and the light was gone, she stood on two legs and her form changed…drastically. She looked exactly like me, feathers, color and size. Everything, though I wondered if she copied my scars too.
"I saw it come through here."
"Where?"
"Over the bushes. Come On!"
Not a second later did two humans jump over the bushes. They were, maybe about twice my height. One had on a black shirt, fingerless gloves, blue pants and dark blue shoes. The other had on a white shirt, a brown vest, tannish pants and black shoes. Clothes as they call the modified plant material, often the cotton plant and sometimes synthetic materials. I always wondered why they chose to wear clothes at all. It seems inconvenient to use those things as they aren't really part of their bodies in any way. Humans…
"Where did it go!?"
"Do you think that it could have changed its form again?"
"What are Combusken doing here?" The disguised fox took a step behind me as the two humans set their gaze on us.
"Could they belong to a trainer nearby?"
"Combusken huh?" one of the humans pulled out a small hand held device and pointed it at one of us.
Combusken, no data available.
"Hmm. It must not be a native of Sinnoh or Unova, try yours."
"Ok"
Then the other human pulled out a different looking hand device and pointed it at me.
Combusken, the young fowl Pokémon. Combusken will defend itself by blasting searing hot fire from its beak. Its mastery of kicking enables it to throw ten kicks per second.
No data available.
"Huh? But it just read data on the Combusken, why doesn't it have data on the other? Try yours."
Zorua the trick fox Pokémon. Zorua can change the way it looks to allow it the opportunity to trick foes and pursues in order to make its escape.
"I knew it! One of those is the Zorua!" one human cheered as we kept trying to switch position with each other.
"But which is which? They both look the same I keep losing track of who's who."
Uh-oh, I don't like where this is going. I took a look at my surroundings, running won't really help if they have been chasing the Zorua and the river is still full of Carvanha so that won't work. Maybe I can use the trees! Rrgg! and do what, run? I don't really know the abilities this Zorua so using her as bait could have disastrous results.
"I know! Let's battle them both; eventually the Zorua's illusion will break in the heat of battle."
"Good idea." On that exchange, they both started to pull their own red and white ball shaped capsule devices.
Pokéballs.
There goes my window of escape. How do I solve this! I turned my head to the left, getting ready to run as I couldn't think of anything better. I looked down to be sure of the ground so I don't trip on something, but I saw something on the ground that made me change plans.
As I made a grab for the two rocks that I saw on the ground, I rehearsed my idea for the actions that will take care of the two humans. One misplaced move or a miss, is all that it will take to not only ruin this, but maybe also convince the two humans to send out all of their Pokémon at Zorua and me.
End of first half
