. o b r u m b r a t a .
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! College is absolutely awesome and it's been taking up all the time and Kingdom Hearts 2 came out and so did Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (Vergil! Yummy!) and...yes, excuses, excuses. x-x But! Seeing those review messages in my inbox made me gasp and realise it had been a month (or more?) since the last update and chapter 8 is mostly written. (mild warning, it goes into Wes' past quite a bit, and...it's not exactly sunshine and rainbows...)
I love Justy, honest! It's just...The Pre Gym IS creepy happy!
Disclaimer: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo. I'm just...borrowing (yes, let's go with that) the characters and such to try and do the first Pokémon 3D RPG some justice.
Chapter 7 – Creepy Happy People
The very instant he walked into the Pre Gym, Wes wanted to leave.
It oozed happiness. Oozed.
Not Rui sort of happiness, creepy happiness. Every single occupant had a disturbing vacant look and was smiling about it, like they enjoyed being zombies. The only thing this creepy had been the flirty looks the three colour co-ordinated friends of Miror B. had given him.
"Rui, have you noticed everyone in here is smiling?" Rui gave him a questioning look. Seeing that he was serious and was glaring at some woman standing by the entrance giving him a bright smile and wave, she couldn't help but giggle, pulling him along by the sleeve.
"Aren't they supposed to be smiling?" He gave a small incoherent grumble.
"Why are they so happy?" The redhead rolled her eyes and pulled him up the steps to meet Justy and it was suddenly apparent why the people were in this condition. They were zombies. And in front of them - looking suspiciously human - was their leader.
'Umbreon, please – just...shut up.'
"Hi Justy! This is my friend I told you about, Wes," she attempted pushed Wes forwards, not getting very far as he was stronger than her and refused to move any closer. He may not have watched one too many horror flicks like Umbreon, but there was no escaping the creepy happy aura radiating from the mildly effeminate leader. "And Wes, this is Justy; he let me use the phone to call my grandparents."
"Pleased to meet you!" Justy extended a hand with a smile. Glare. The smile was replaced with a confused look and the hand fell. "Uh, I heard you like to battle?" Seeing Wes wasn't going to answer, Rui elbowed him in the ribs.
"Wes isn't much of a talker I'm afraid. Anyway, we've got important business to attend to; nice to speak to again, bye!" Tugging Wes with her, Rui (a little embarrassed) hastily made her way to the other side of the gym where a teacher was writing notes on a board for a small group of students to copy down.
Brainwashing.
'Stop it...' A grin.
"Give me your PDA," Reluctantly, the teen handed over the electronic device (after locating it and muttering darkly about technology being too little). The blue eyed girl took the palm sized gadget to the teacher and after a little chat, skipped back, grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the woman who was armed with a two meter ruler. Wes suddenly pitied rag dolls. Obediently – but not without questioning – the seventeen-year-old stood still as the teacher measured his height and entered it into the PDA.
"There's a size comparison feature which shows a picture of the smallest and the largest Pokémon of that species that you've encountered against your height. It makes it easier to judge than reading off in feet and inches." The teacher explained, tapping a few more buttons and disconnecting the cable linking it to her computer. Returning it with a smile, the woman bid them farewell.
"To the park!" Rui instructed, Umbreon trotting beside her. Wes walked slowly behind after Umbreon nudged him quickly out of the Pre-Gym in fear of zombification, trying to figure out how to use the 'strategy memo' with Espeon warning him of any obstacles to avoid.
'Tree...lamp post...lamp post...steps...fountain-fountain-SIR!' The ex-snagger stopped just short of falling into the cool water, quickly changing course as Espeon gave a disgruntled sigh and followed. Humans were so easily distracted by shiny new - ooh, a skipper!
Tucked behind a row of neat little houses on a small estate, the park was the sort of place you couldn't find unless you knew where it was, which the younger teen somehow did. Rui led him through the winding streets for quite a while before they found the expanse of green dotted with palm trees and fountains and the Pokémon were instantly delighted with the number of skippers chirping and jumping around in the grass. Espeon was a lot more reserved in his joy over the small cricket-like bugs, while Umbreon pounced around after them. Thankfully, there were also very few people about and Makuhita was more confused than angry when it found itself before the two humans in the tranquil playing field. Espeon and Umbreon stopped terrorising the wildlife and came closer, the lavender brother keeping a wary eye on the shadow Pokémon.
He couldn't forgive so easily.
"Ku? Maku-kuhita?" Wes crouched in front of the Pokémon, knowing full well he was in hitting range and placed a gloved hand on top of the yellow creature's head. "Kuuu..." He gave a coo in contentment, liking the attention. Makuhita hadn't been a shadow Pokémon long and he could still remember the kindness in a trainer's touch.
"Hello Makuhita, my name's Rui, and this is Wes. We're going to help you, okay?" The fighting type nodded slightly, small hand clutching the hem of Wes' coat like a lost child, watching the 'Rui' creature with a smile. These people were not like those before, they were kind and nice. Espeon and Umbreon sat to the side of Wes, no longer opponents but allies.
Friends.
It wasn't the messenger's fault that he was trembling, eyes rooted to the floor to try and take his mind of exactly which office he was in. His hands were clasped behind him, nails digging into his palms in hopes that the pain would keep him with his senses.
"Two messages for you, Master." Relieved that his voice didn't quail, he risked a glance up, catching the dead stare of the woman sitting on the desk as he looked to the tall figure standing at the window. Red eyes were reflected in the tinted glass all too clearly, burning him like hot coals, the messenger boy hastily looking down again.
"Go on." The voice was as smooth as silk, yet there was a tone as dark and deadly as poison beneath it. He was not a man to be crossed; rumours flew about the workplace, some ridiculous and fantastical whereas others were worryingly plausible.
No mere human had eyes like hellfire and could chill the blood of the bravest men with his presence alone. Fierce Pokémon became tame under his gaze, willing to submit what they could easily kill (could they?).
The messenger swallowed nervously and dug his nails deeper into his skin. Part of him was glad he'd remembered to cut them.
"The Realgam Colosseum is nearing completion, within a fortnight it will be ready for business. Also, Master Miror B. would like to inform you that he has made amends for losing the girl with the Sight and expects her to be back with him soon together with a gift he thinks Master Gonzap will greatly appreciate." A low chuckle as the man walked silently to the desk, finger tracing the woman's cheek as she stared blankly ahead, his movements full of feline grace.
The woman was no more than a living doll with flesh and bone, brain and heart but no mind, no soul. She was version four if he counted right. Or rather, if he counted the ones that had taken their first breath and not choked up blood on it.
There was fondness in his eyes but no love.
The one he loved was long gone and this creature was nothing but a poor imitation. She smelt vaguely the same, she looked almost exactly the same to the point where it took someone who knew the original to tell, but it wasn't the same he thought sadly.
"A fool like him could never even catch a lame insect if he were a Kecleon." He muttered then looked up at the messenger, silvery hair catching the feeble light that managed to slither into the cold office, strangled by the darkness the man preferred. "Send my orders to the Nightfall leader – stop playing with their food and capture those children, or there will not be a next time. One doesn't achieve one's goals without destroying any and all threats that befall them, regardless of ethics about a threat being mere children." The messenger bowed respectfully, waiting for permission to scoot out of here as fast as he could without making it obvious. "...you may go." The messenger walked stiffly to the door and quickly exited. The man's attention returned to the doll.
The sooner this shadow Pokémon affair was over and done with, the sooner she could return properly. He knew exploiting the powers of the phoenix would be wrong, but he needed her back. This doll served only as an attractive paperweight; he felt no lust or love for it. Its presence didn't make the room warm and the lights brighten, it couldn't hold him close and ramble on about anything that sprang into its pretty little head. It was a shell, but with Ho-oh's power she could come back and there'd be no need for the shells that kept dying and took so long to make.
And yet...she had always loved Pokémon so much and seen of anyone who hurt them as lowest of the low. Would she even want to come back if she knew how exactly it was being done?
The crowds still buzzed angrily around the exits, demanding to know why they couldn't pass and a brave few still challenging battles. Wes and Rui, being closest to the Mayor's house, slipped into the crowd, Espeon and Umbreon weaving their way to the front through a forest of legs. The teens followed them by the occasional 'eek!' as smooth fur brushed bare skin.
"Look lady, I have my orders, and I ain't budging until I fulfil those orders, y'hear?" The elderly woman closest to the green clad youth raised her cane in anger.
"Oh, and what be these orders of yours?"
"I'm looking for two kids, maybe you've seen them?-" Clink. A small rock bounced off the side of his helmet and fell to the ground. The peon stared blankly at it for a second until another followed suit. He looked up to see a grinning Umbreon with aviator goggles on his head next to an Espeon fixing him with a cold stare. A stone encased in a purpley haze hovered next to it. Flicking his gaze upwards, he found the two kids he'd been ordered to capture standing foolishly before him. 'Stupid brats.' He sneered, reaching for two Pokéballs. "Well, well, looks like I got the lucky spot, hmm?" Sensing the battle, the crowd drew back, Rui staying by Espeon as his brother stretched and stood in front of Wes. Makuhita burst out in a flash of light, ready to prove himself. "You're gonna regret this later, kid!" The honey eyed boy merely smirked.
"We'll see." Two bursts of light took form on the stone pavement, the dimming sunlight making them seem all the brighter.
Umbreon's wet black nose twitched.
As the light faded, a repulsive stench made everyone reel back in nausea, a Muk and Grumpig (with a neckerchief over its nose) facing Makuhita and Umbreon. The sludgy Pokémon stained the ground with dark purple damp, dust and little stones sticking to it. The ex-snagger glanced back at Rui, praying the Muk didn't need to be captured. Though the girl flinched slightly at Makuhita's aura and covered her mouth and nose with both fluffy pink sleeves, she shook her head to indicate that neither needed snagging. Wes wasn't looking forward to snagging a shadow Pokémon in front of a crowd; the green-clad man may be the bad guy, but the news reporters hadn't been careful with what they'd been telling everyone. It would only take one wrong accusation to enforce mob rule.
"Muk, rage! Grumpig, take out Makuhita!" Muk focused its anger, closing its eyes. Makuhita stayed close to Umbreon as Grumpig's black pearls gleamed.
"Don't let Grumpig attack Makuhita, Umbreon!"
"Bre!" Umbreon darted out towards the pig which rocked back on its tail and sprang up into the air. Muk lunged forwards at the dark type, almost catching it if it hadn't been standing in a dark shadow, melting into the black. Umbreon jumped up out of Makuhita's wide shadow and slammed into the psychic in mid-air, sending them tumbling in a flurry of growling, biting and scratching across the ground.
"Makuhita, Muks distracted!" The yellow Pokémon ran with unexpected speed at the sludgy creature, his aura suddenly visible. It was a dark mist with purple highlights coating his body, spheres of energy dissipating as they left his skin. The crowd gasped as they drew back and Wes knew they were probably giving him funny looks.
Muk cried out as Makuhita's fist buried into her side, rounding on the fighting type and batting him away with a large hand. Fighting attacks were weak against poison Pokémon, but that one attack had knocked the wind out of the female, enraging her further. Makuhita's thick fat managed to keep him from being poisoned, and the aura had vanished as the attack struck making the teen wonder if it was some sort of attack only shadow Pokémon knew. "Good hit, attack again!" Makuhita dodged the globs of slime flung at him by his foe, jumping back again out of the way as Grumpig and Umbreon rolled past, still locked in combat. Umbreon may have had the type advantage, but Grumpig's defences were high and could hold the black and yellow Pokémon's jaws from biting down. Muk lashed out, bringing a hand crashing down as Makuhita jumped, charging another mysterious attack and knocking her out cold.
"Muk return!" The peon snapped, searching for another Pokéball on his belt and then throwing it. The smell lingered even after Muk had departed. A Bayleef burst out into the evening, eyes set in a cold stare.
"Wes! It's a shadow Pokémon! Be careful!" Rui warned.
"Let's see just how strong you are. My Bayleef's far better trained than that Makuhita and you'll be glad to know he's got a mean streak a mile wide! Attack!" The four foot Pokémon charged at Makuhita in blind fury, vines whipping out to grab his ankle and throw him into the side of a building as the tackle missed. Makuhita was not as slow as the grass type obviously thought. Flipping in the air, he used the momentum to his own advantage, landing with his feet braced against the wall and launching off in a dark haze. The punch missed but fractured the sidewalk, the sand underneath flying up as the large shards of cement pierced it. Makuhita caught both vines in each fist as they surged out of the blinding sand hanging in the air. Taking a step backwards, the Pokémon dragged the pale yellow creature onto his chest with brute strength, the vines connecting at the neck and front legs not strong enough to resist, spinning him in a full circle before releasing both fist-sized vine ends. Forty-two pounds of flesh and bone skittered over the pavement, grazing and splitting the skin which misted over to rapidly heal until he managed to stop himself, rising with vehement rage boiling to the surface.
Rui gasped painfully, sinking to her knees beside Espeon. Her head throbbed painfully like the worst migraine ever; Espeon nuzzled her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, both hyped up shadow Pokémon giving fierce cries and throwing their full power against the other. Umbreon had finally defeated Grumpig with a couple of gashes to show for it but didn't dare join in the battle raging before him without command. Grumpig disappeared in a flash of red.
He looked to Wes and wagged his tail to signal that he awaited order. Wes wouldn't put him in danger; he was only letting Makuhita fight because he knew the fighting type could handle it. If the gutsy Pokémon got in trouble he wouldn't hesitate to return him.
"Umbreon, distract Bayleef!" The dark brother had enough speed left in him for the task and was grateful that Wes hadn't thought that a mere Grumpig had tired him. Nipping the Bayleef's heels to centre the attention on him, he leapt back with a playful grin, paws wide and head low. He dodged a vine easily and two sharp leaves which imbedded into a tree, the yellow dinosaur like creature turning fully to swat the annoying Umbreon. Makuhita seized the chance and slammed a fist into Bayleef's spine, bringing it down with an almighty, sickening crunch. Umbreon whooped and spun, grinning at his partner. A fleshy thud was his only reply.
Makuhita was still attacking the fallen grass Pokémon, regardless of its comatose state. The peon stood in shock, not even moving to stop the Makuhita killing his Bayleef.
"Makuhita, stop!" Wes grabbed the Pokémon's wrist as it drew back for another strike. Crouching to be level with him, he caught the other wrist as Makuhita turned to attack him, staring into the anger clouded eyes. "No. Makuhita, stop." The fighting type blinked, fear replacing the anger. Wes breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Thank you." Makuhita blinked again, abruptly clinging to the teen and babbling apology through sniffles. Umbreon trotted over, leaning against Wes as he scratched behind the Pokémon's ear affectionately. Rising to his feet again, the blue and black clad boy looked down at the beaten and battered Bayleef.
Well, at least it hadn't attacked him. Yet.
Charging a Pokéball, he returned Bayleef to it, feeling the snag machine's coils tense and relax as it made the snag final. It was comforting and familiar, yet he doubted anyone ever became completely accustomed to it.
"H-HEY!" The peon found his voice and discovered how to move again all at once. "You can't just steal my Pokémon, no matter who you are!"
"What are you doing to these Pokémon to make them like this?" Rui snapped, angered that he could even pretend to care for anything but himself. She wished they could have saved the other two Pokémon as well. The green clad man gave a short harsh laugh, folding his arms across his chest. If the Bayleef had been beaten by Makuhita, it was weak and the boss didn't have any need for weakness.
"The only thing that stops a Pokémon from going full out in battle is their kindness, their hearts. It's a weakness easily solved by closing the door-"
"You close the door to their hearts? How could you! No Pokémon should ever be made to live without feeling! They're our friends, not our tools!" The crowd gave cheers of agreement, closing in around the man who blanched. "You're not fit to call yourself a Pokémon trainer if you don't respect your partners!" Wes had to admit he was impressed by the girl's outburst. The PRAA (Pokémon Rights Activist Association) would be eager to recruit her.
The man seemed to think it unwise to stay any longer and with a final glare at Wes ran out of Phenac. After bombarding the two teens with praise and pats on the back, the crowd dispersed - no doubt to spread gossip. Such was the nature of townsfolk. A fourteen year old with an Ekans curled around his shoulders wondered over to them, Makuhita grasping Wes' hand.
"Hey, um...I saw a really violent Pokémon yesterday. I was in Pyrite, and this Blaziken suddenly went crazy and attacked a load of people. Someone tried to subdue it, but it fell down into The Under. I'm pretty sure it was female, I only got a glimpse because I was coming out of the colosseum – they have a machine to heal Pokémon there. Anyway, if you're looking for these violent Pokémon, I thought you ought to know."
"Thanks for telling us." Rui smiled at the child who blushed and scuttled away quickly. She heard Wes chuckle as he passed her.
"Seems like someone has a fan club."
"You're just jealous." She replied with a playful grin.
"Hardly. Being tailed by a load of snot-nosed kids doesn't spell fun for me."
"They're not-" Rui was rudely interrupted by her stomach giving a loud growl; she'd hardly eaten all day.
"...We better find somewhere to eat, huh?" the redhead blushed and followed the older boy silently. It wouldn't matter if it was just a little growl saying 'I'm hungry', but noooo; it was a loud bellow of 'FEED ME!' "There's a restaurant and hotel at Lake Phenac. It would be better to stay there than wait for those guys to come back and find us. We can set out to Pyrite early in the morning."
"But that's where that...Miror B. guy is..." The murmur was to herself. She knew Wes wouldn't let her get kidnapped again, but that wasn't the point. The place was a bad memory.
They stopped off in the Poké Centre to heal up the bumps and scrapes and bring Bayleef back from the half-dead. The nurse had heard about the battle and wished them luck. The next destination was the parking lot, the owner snoozing in a rocking chair. Phenac became a lot quieter in the evenings as there were few clubs of any sort and the vicious cold of night descended quickly, places with water and thus humidity in the day suffered frost at night.
The sky was a bloody red and the heat was released from the ground as the air cooled. A slight breeze picked up as a result of the hot and cold air currents, Umbreon lifting his nose to it curiously. The Eeveelutions and the redhead bundled into the sidecar, Makuhita in his Pokéball, as Wes started the engine as quietly as possible. It was still a rib shaking roar that woke the lot owner with a sharp jerk, but 'Sheila I' was at least a little quieter than usual.
Tony had laughed upon hearing her start up properly the first time (she'd spluttered and died due to a fault with water in the fuel filter before), remarking that the teen should fit a silencer on her. Wes had merely glared and held up the arc welder with a gleam in his eye.
A couple of thousand cc should never be silenced in Wes' opinion, it was blasphemy.
Tony had also suggested fairing, but given Sheila's shape, power and size he quickly discarded the idea. Her brute force alone could push her through air resistance.
Espeon and Umbreon curled close to the female human, sharing body heat as they roared out of the gates and the wind chill nipped at them.
Author's Note: I'm no expert on motorbikes, but I know I've used a few things in here which not everyone might know, and I, for one, like to know what on earth authors/authoresses are rambling on about.
So, translation:
'cc' – Cubic Centimeters (or Cubic Capacity) – Basically, how much air/fuel mixture is exhausted with every second stroke of the piston inside the cylinder. Or thereabouts. (Terrible at explaining things without waving arms around, sorry.)
"Motorcycle engines range from 50 cc commonly found in many small scooters, to 2294 cc, the largest production engine, currently made by Triumph for its 'Rocket III' cruiser-style motorcycle" – Wikipedia, 'Motorcycle'.
'fairing' – The fibreglass/plastic shell placed on many models to shield the rider from the wind (and improve aerodynamics as drag is the major factor that limits bike speed).
'arc welder' – (just encase) "Arc welding refers to a group of welding processes that use a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct (DC) or alternating (AC) current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes. The welding region is sometimes protected by some type of inert or semi-inert gas, known as a shielding gas, and/or filler material. The process of arc welding is widely used because of its low capital and running costs. This also makes it ideal for use in schools and in other public settings." – Wikipedia, 'Arc Welding'.
Feedback much appreciated