Well...well...well. I'm actually posting something. Took some time, mostly bad timing on my part. But its here and that's all that matters. So I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 7: Pikachu's Disappearing Act.
Pikachu's Pov
Explosions could be heard all around. The battles were starting to get more intense. In fact some of the fights were going underground.
The Ariados where digging underground to avoid both Noctowl and Beedrill. The two had an obvious advantage over the Ariados. Yet some of the Ariados had ways around 'flying pokemon'.
From what I could tell the move was 'Dig'. Really it was just a way to avoid getting attacked. The Ariados would dig underground to dodge an 'attack'. Then come back out from a different position and attack them from the unknown location.
I still had no clue who they were, personally. Even though I didn't trust any of them, even though I was scared out of my mind, I couldn't help but feel bad for being weak and unable to help them fight. I couldn't understand why I was so upset. The longer the battles drew out the more angry I got. I was angry at the Ariados for using such a tactic. I was angry at myself for feeling so weak.
Sighing, I looked away from the battle to the ground. I took my claw and poked at the dirt. "What is going on with me?" This was a lot to take in for me. I could feel more anger boil up in me. "I just want to remember!" I grabbed my head and pulled at my fur. "I just want to remember!" I thought to myself as I leaned forward and placed my head on the ground, my paws still grasping my head. "I just want to know what happened…."
My thoughts were interrupted as a loud explosion was echoed over the field. I turned to see Combusken on the ground and dust and debris flying from a fallen tree. "What the…?" I asked myself. Staring at Combusken, I couldn't help but be surprised.
"Its still fighting. I figured it would of been out by now," I thought to myself. Compared to the others' fighting style, Combusken's fighting style was just 'plain'.
"Combusken hasn't used any special moves at all. I haven't even seen Totodile do anything. Where are their special moves?"
My thoughts were interrupted when the Ariados started to shout. "Uh… Wait, what!" I didn't even have time to react.
"No! Pikachu!" I could hardly hear Beedrill call my "name" as the Ariados literally swarmed around me and the others.
I could feel each blow to my back. The Ariados were stomping on me and even kicking me, adding more injuries to me.
They were shouting all kinds of things at me. Things like, "This is what you get for entering our territory!" and, "You're going to look like a yellow Ditto when we're through with you!" I really had no time to care about what they were saying. I had to find a way out of this mess. But there was really no way out.
I was completely surrounded on all sides. At least that was till I felt something grab me. I hardly noticed it, but it felt really soft and even silky like the spider web I broke to get in. Then I felt it tug on me. My eyes widened in more surprise than fear.
"Uh oh!" I thought just before the strange object whizzed me away. I was literally being dragged across the ground. Good thing to cause just as I left the hoard of Ariados a MASSIVE amount of fire just burst through and engulfed the Ariados. "Wow.." I thought to myself.
Then it hit me. "Wait…. OH NO I'M IN THE PATH OF THE FIRE!" I cried to myself. I looked back to see a long white rope pulling quickly along. "Go faster! Go faster! Faster! Faster! Faster! Faster!" I chanted as the blast of fire was growing closer. Then, I was abruptly pulled under ground. I fell head first in and felt the heat from the fire on my back. Landing on my head I fell back, rolled myself up, and landed against the wall. I could just hear the fire roaring above. I ducked my head and placed my paws on top, with my ears flat against my head. I waited for the roar of the fire to die down.
When it finally got quiet, I rose my head to look around. I was in an underground tunnel that led to two different ways. One tunnel going in the direction I was facing and another, going to the right, a few feet away from me.
"H-Hello?" I called, my voice traveling a little through the tunnels. "Wh-who saved m-m-me?" I called out to my savior. I watched the dark tunnels, with the only source of light coming from the hole I had entered through.
Then in the dark I watch as something started moving. I could hear its claws digging into the dirt as it moved. "H-H-Hello. Th-Thank y-y-you f-for saving me." It didn't say anything.
It just continued to slowly make its way toward me. "Well, this is it! I've lived a good life- wait! I don't even remember my life!" I started crying to myself.
Then, red eyes appeared out of the darkness.
Combusken's Pov
What happened next was a blank. Anger was the only thing that clouded my mind at the time. I had promised to never let it happen again. Yet, I did, I let my rage get the better of I came to, I was on my knees, with my arms barely supporting me from falling to the ground. My right arm shaking uncontrollably, from the pain in my shoulder. Taking deep breaths, I steadied myself.
"Calm down…" I told myself. The whole time I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings. It was only when I felt my team help me to my feet that I noticed everything going on around me.
"It's Team Champions!" I looked up slightly shocked by what one of the Ariados had shouted. I looked to my left to find Totodile smiling at me. "Totodile…." Then over to my right and found Breloom looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
"B-Breloom you're here!" I said, shocked. He just smiled. I looked between the two and gave my own smile. "Good the team's all here." The two were helping me stand by supporting me.
I smiled, thankful for their support. I was drained of all my energy. I was lucky enough to stay conscious. So, their help was greatly appreciated. Then, my feelings were replaced with a mixture of horror and worry. I finally noticed the last place I had seen Pikachu as well as the direction of my last attack.
The place was scorched now, with fallen trees burning and the grass as well. One thing though, no Pikachu. I just stared not fully taking in what I was seeing. Then it hit me.
My eyes widened in horror. "No..."
Totodile's Pov
I gave Combusken a confused look at what she said. "'No?' Wonder what could be wrong?" I thought to myself. I was shaken from my thoughts when I felt Combusken struggling from our hold.
"What? What's wrong?" Breloom asked, speaking my thoughts out loud. Then she finally got the two of us to let go. We backed off as she started to run toward the direction of the destruction she had created.
I watched with a sad expression as she fell. She caught herself, then pushed herself back up only to fall again. "Combusken, what's wrong?" I called out to her. She was just looking around.
"Pikachu!" It took me a minute before I comprehended the name she spoke.
"Wait," I said to myself. I turned and looked at the members of Team Wild. "I thought I asked you guys to protect him."
"We tried! But the sudden outburst by the Ariados separated us from him!" Beedrill said defending his team. I froze in place and started to understand Combusken's problem.
"Crap! Where's Pikachu!" I cried as I ran after Combusken who had fallen again. I quickly helped her to her feet before joining her in the searched for Pikachu.
Looking around, I tried to find a place to start my search. I looked at the destruction caused by Combusken and noticed the leftover wreckage at end of the trail. Burnt trees piled atop one another as well as chunks of earth.
I ran over to the end of the trail of destruction Combusken has left behind. "Pikachu!" I called hoping to hear him reply. No response came, and that scared me. I hopped on top of the pile and worked to move some of the fallen trees off. I could hear the sound of feet pounding the ground from behind me. I turned to see some of the members from the other two teams climbing up to help.
"You think he's in this pile somewhere?" Larvitar asked positioning his back against one of the fallen tree's and get ready to push it off. "I don't know...its the only place I can think of to look. "
"Well, here and.." I looked to the swarm of Ariados just standing there in slight fear. "They could have him…. If so, why haven't they used him against us?"
I was jolted out of my thoughts when Numel started talking. "Hey snap out of it! This is no time to be thinking things over! We got to find Pikachu! Or this will have all been for nothing!" Numel ordered me. I nodded my head and started helping the team lift the fallen trees off. Each tree feel to the ground, a loud crash sounding after. It soon became clear after searching through the mess that Pikachu wasn't there.
"Great! I thought you said he would be in this mess!" Larvitar walked up to me yelling.
"I don't understand?" I said softly and looked back at the Ariados who were now conversing among themselves.
Larvitar noticed this, "I guess it would make sense for them to take him."
Changing my gaze to Larvitar, I gave him a nod of my head. "I thought the same thing. But if he is with them. Why isn't he screaming his little head off? He could hardly stand the sight of me and Combusken let alone our presence." I paused and thought back to Pikachu's reaction to us.
"Then there's the question. Why haven't they used him against us?" I looked over my shoulder at the Ariados.
"Maybe that's why they haven't moved to attack us. They could be waiting for us to realize he's with them." Numel said, explaining their lax moment.
Looking to the sky, I watched Beedrill and Noctowl flying above searching the area. I ran out trying to catch up to them. "Hey! You two see him from up there?!" I shouted up to them.
"No...there's no sign of him!" Noctowl called back down.
"Okay! That's it!" I yelled, running over to the rest of Team Champions, "They have to have him! There's no other place I could think of where he could be!" Combusken looked at me with slight fear in her eyes. But it was quickly replaced with anger, though not as much as before.
"Where is he?!" Combusken turned to the Ariados. The crowd gasped and quickly started backing up.
"We know you have him!" Beedrill called from above.
"What!?" The same Ariados from before said. "You think we have your friend!?" We just glared at them.
"Of course! He's nowhere to be found and you guys haven't done a thing since we started looking for Pikachu! Which leads me to believe that you guys have him!" I yelled, stepping forward. The hoard of Ariados faltered and started to step away from us. They were whispering and murmuring among each other.
"Now give him back!" I yelled. By their reaction, I could tell they were confused on the matter.
"We don't have the rat!" I jumped at the sound of the leader of the Ariados' voice, crying out. I gasped slightly at this. "If they don't have him, then where is he?!"
Well that's it. Yes I know not much for how long it took me to write it. Truth is I already have the next chapter waiting in the wing right now. But I'm not planing to post it till Monday. So that's the day you can expect a new chapter. If you want it to come sooner then your going to have to review and let me know. Any way be expecting me to have new fics up and a long over due update version of CLTLC (lol the acronym sounds like a type food or hacker junk) hopefully soon. Never know! But till then, TC will continue on.