Authors Note: Hey guys, I know you all have been waiting on this chapter for some time now, Im sorry it has been so long, I've been finsing it hard to work on this story with so many IRL thinga pulling me aside from it. I thank you all for your patience and hope that this chapter will have been worth the wait for you all :).
Afternoon,
December 23,
Route 14 West Forest
The Poochyena chewed at its bandages on its legs to try and lick its small wounds, but stopped as its attention was once again dragged to another sound, its stomach. It growled and ached for a meal and so it pounced about the forest the whole afternoon catching small bug pokemon and managed to get a few small bird pokemon as well. As night fell so did the small Poochyena's energy
As it yawned with its tiny mouth it curled up into the ground, but then his nose got a wiff of a very familiar smell. His mind on autopilot he followed the smell till he got nearly a foot away from the smell till a ominous and putrid odor hit his sensative nose. He hacked and sneezed at the horrible smell, but continued forward past a few bushes till he caught sight of the familiar Kirlia. He waged his tail and barked happily at the figure holding the Kirlia. When the figure turned around with an unamused look the Poochyena realised it wasn't the same figure from before and began to growl.
The Figure spoke, "Get lost." The Poochyena bravely sunk its teeth into the figure's calf and it let out a cry of pain "Get the fuck off you mutt!" He screamed as he shook his leg. The Poochyena shook its head side to side to tear at the soft flesh. It eventually found itself being tugged by a much stronger force and it lost its grip. The force belonged to one of the two nearby Mightyenas. The Mightyena threw the Poochyena against a tree and the Poochyena could barely stand as its legs were already weak from previous wounds being injured again.
The Poochyena tried to move forward to attack again, but the one Mightyena barked at the Poochyena with haunting eyes sending the Poochyena backing away. The Mightyena chased the Poochyena away untill it was far behind the bushes it originally jumped from. The Mightyena returned to the figure beyond the bushes leaving the Poochyena in the cold dark night.
In the cold of winter, only it's thoughts were able to project as it recovered from its pain in its back. It thought about all the times it tried to prove to trainers that it was strong, only to get pummeled and left to treat its wounds while the trainers laughed at it and left it defeated, alone, and hungry. It's mind felt at ease however when he remembered the boy who treated it well, stroked its soft but matted fur, who treated it's wounds, and made it feel happiness, something it hadn't felt in a long time
The Poochyena had to find the boy, it wanted his help, and warn him of the figure who had the Kirlia it had seen before with the clothing on. The Poochyena sniffed at the bandages and caught the scent of the boy. He found his way back to the path and followed the old scent of the boy and the other pokemon and worked his way up north into the night towards a town lit beyond the light fog.
Present,
December 23,
Velvet Town Post office
Everyone continued their conversations inside, Cham had joined in on the conversation of the Pelipper and Ace while Mia talked to Stan.
"So you and my son James seem more like rivals than friends, am I correct to assume that?" Stan jokingly questioned.
"Nah, me and James are good friends, just like to give him a push here and there to see his potential, I do the same with Cham." She happily replied.
"Speaking of James though.." She looked to the door, "Hes been out there for like 20 minutes." She worriedly said.
"Eh its James, hes always acted a little off, ever since my wife died." He said with a sad but stern voice.
Mia was surprised to hear this. "I'm sorry for your loss." She quietly said.
"Its alright, just wish James could be open to the people he meets, He was always close to his mother, he loved her so much, it broke him when his mom died." Stan sat in silence for a bit while Mia patiently awaited his words.
"He worked in his mother's Pokemon center for several years after her death. It comforted him in a way, but I'm glad he finally decided to get out and make friends." Stan continued on.
"He doesn't have a lot of friends, he didn't want to lose people he got so close to."
I know he tries to brush it off, but deep inside I know he fears losing people and pokemon he cares about."
"I see why he was so keen to take care of pokemon." Mia flash backed to all the times he was treating his pokemon with care and kindness, tending to their wounds and showing them genuine love. She could see why all he wanted to do was see the world with friends by his side.
"Yeah, the boys got a big heart, and thats also his biggest weakness. He would kill to keep his friends safe. Stan said looking straight at Mia.
Mia recalling what James told her he had done in the cave. "Yeah.." She replied looking down. The air felt heavy with James' absence and she began to worry again.
"I'm gonna go check on him." Mia told Stan as she stood up.
"Thank you, and if he says somethings that don't make the most sense, just be patient with him, he can be a bit of a nucklehead when he thinka with his heart and not his brain." Stan said with a genuine smile.
Mia left the room and Stan watched the pokemon conversate and laugh. That brought a smile to his face.
Mia looked all about the building's interior till she found him outside on the ground, shivering and crying quietly.
"James?" she whispered making him jump slightly before regaining his composure.
"Hey, whats up?" He nonchalantly replied with puffy red eyes from crying and a clearly wet spot on the ground beneath him.
"Yo James, you're not slick, just tell me whats up dude." She said with a mild annoyance at his attempt to hide his distress.
James sat in silence, avoiding her gaze. Mia was surprised to find him alone and looked around for Krystal. "Where is Krystal?"
James let out a raspy breath at the mention of her name and tried to hold back tears, but ultimately failed, his old tears paving the road for his new tears to fall on the same path.
Mia shifted from suspicion and annoyance to sincerety and comfort. "Woah, you ok dude?, whats going on?""
James was shaking and Mia led him inside. Mia closed the front door sat James down in the front desk room. "Talk to me dude, what happened?"
"I released Krystal..." He bluntly replied with a quivering voice.
"Why?!" She was surprised to hear this. "You two were fine just a moment ago!"
James looked down to the ground "She wanted to be free, she wanted to be happy, and I didn't want to get in the way of that." He said as he felt himself ready to cry his eyes out again.
"James if she really cared about you she would have been happy for the things you do for her." James sat sniffling.
"James, come on man, you still got Ace, Cham, and me by your side. We would never leave you, promise." She said with a confident smile and an outstretched arm.
James wiped away his tears and smiled at her. "Thanks Mia, it means a lot to me." He replied with a smile.
"You'll make it through this man, I'm here for you, We're here for you dude." She spoke with emphasis, looking right at him smiling.
He looked back meeting her gaze and for a moment he stopped himself and thought about his promise he made to Krystal, He thought to adjust it to fit his new attitude. "I'll protect all my friends, no matter what" he mentally noted with a wide smile before he hugged Mia in response.
"Thank you.." He said. She laughed and patted his back at the sudden hug.
"Now lets go inside dude, your dad has been wondering what you've been doing out here."
Before they walked back they heard a pair of tiny claws scrapping the door and turned around to see what it was. They hesitantly grabbed the door handle and looked around eye level before James was pounced to the ground by the small Poochyena who licked his face and barked happily. James laughed and just looked at the small dog pokemon.
"What are you doing here?!" James questioned before the Poochyena remembered why it was there. It's barks became sporadic as it tried to get James to follow it.
"Whats all the commotion?" Stan said coming from the Pelipper room with the group of pokemon by his side.
"I don't know, this Poochyena just came out of nowhere and started barking." Mia told Stan.
Mia looked at its gestures amd sense of urgency. "I think its trying to say something."
"Cham, can you translate?" Cham wasn't as psychically powerful as Krystal was, but he had some mental strength given he was a psychic type. Cham listened to the little pokemon trying to make sense of its words sending a weak mental translation to Mia.
Mia put the words together in her mind. "Kirly Girl, Big mean man, Two big Yenas?, Trouble?" Mia listened confused.
James put the words together, but the words stood out to him. "Two big Yenas?" Then he remembered the two pokemon before he saved Krystal. "Mightyenas" James said out loud with surprise and worry." James shuddered. "The Big Mean Man... It must be Rick." James whispered.
James looked down to the Poochyena. "Do you know where they went?" James said with urgence in his voice.
The Poochyena replied with an approving bark and it waited at the door to lead the way.
James went to the back room and got his bag and his Jacket leaving everyone confused before he turned to his dad.
"Its been great seeing you dad, but one of my friends is in trouble." James told his father
"Its all good son, just write me every once in a while." His dad said before giving him some supplies to send letters. James returned him a tight hug.
"Thanks again dad for having us over."
James said before he stormed out with everyone wildly confused, but following nontheless.
"What is going on James?" Mia questioned keeping up with his speedwalk pace.
"I'll explain along the way." James replied as they followed the Poochyena back towards route 14.
Present,
December 23,
Route 14
Rick continued south-east towards his small ranch to the north-east of Velvet Town with him Mightyenas by his side. One of the Mightyenas sniffed the air and turn to face the odd smell, growling in the direction. Rick looked back figuring it was just the same Poochyena. "You can go fuck yourself runt." Directing it to the same direction as his Mightyena.
"My my, thats no way to talk to a lady." A voice said as a Tsareena emerged beyond the shrubbery with a Zoroark behind her.
Rick held Krystal over his shoulder and reached for his pocket in defence.
"What?, we can't have a little chat?" The Tsareena teased.
"Who the fuck are you guys?" Rick questioned with his hand still ready by his pocket.
"We're what you call 'friends.'" Tsareena said with a wide smile hidden by her turtleneck skin.
Present,
December 23,
Route 14
The group followed the Poochyena as it ran ahead and barked awaiting them to catch up.
"What is this about dude?, come on!" Mia commanded to know as they kept a brisk pace.
"Krystal is in trouble, She needs help." James bluntly explained to Mia.
Mia rubbed her eyes with her finger irritated. "James, you can't even understand pokemon, how do you know that this Poochyena isn't leading us to something entirely meaningless?" Mia replied.
"I trust this pokemon as much as I trust you guys, if you don't wanna come then I'll understand." James replied
"No way im leaving you dude, but we at least need to rest." Mia replied with visible exhaustion on her face.
James looked to the sky with the dim light of the moon glowing in the sky.
"Its the middle of the night and we need energy if we are gonna go far." Mia told him again.
James reluctantly agreed and they all set up their tents for the night. James sat in his tent unable to sleep with the rushing flow of troubled thoughts in his mind. Ace took notice to his restlessness and attempted to comfort him by snuggling under his arms. James looked over and smiled at Ace and began to stroke his feathers. Ace started to drift off to sleep shortly after, leaving James once again with his thoughts.
"What could have happened to her, even if she wanted to be free she might have just been caught by another trainer, maybe she just didn't like being specifically with me." James thought with sadness. "What if the Poochyena is wrong and we really are just chasing nothing." James stared up at the top of the tent, seeing the small lines of moonlight shining through the tent fabric. "I know she is out there, I can feel it, that Poochyena wouldn't have come looking for us for nothing." James remembered the way Krystal smiled and how she lit up when she was happy or ate new food. He smiled and felt hot tears rush down his face. "You saved me Krystal, now I'm gonna do the same." He felt his body lighten as he drifted off to rough sleep.
December 24,
Area Unknown
Krystal awoke, but not in her body, but in her mind. She frantically looked around until a familiar voice spoke up. "Hello again young one, its been too long."
With a sigh Krystal turned to the figure from her dreams. "What do you want."
The figure sat at a table similar to the ones at the diner with small ceramic cups and a tea pot in the black voidness surrounding it.
"I should be asking you that question." The figure appeared to sip at the small cup with an audible sipping noise yet no lips met the cup's rim. "I occupy this space of your mind and you are the one who is unconscious right now."
At the figures words she began to panic, remembering Rick's face before she was injected with some substance and fell unconscious.
The figure sipped on watching from the table with one eye open.
"Now now, there is no need to panic, your mind is ok, is it not?"
Krystal turned to the figure with anger fueled by her panic.
"What does it matter, what if he turns me into the people who have been chasing me down!?, or rapes me!?, or or..." Krystal didn't want to think of anything he would do with her, but knowing Rick she would know it would be much more twisted than her own imagination.
"Well right now you have no control over the situation, you want your mind to be clear when you awake, showing weakness does nothingto help you my dear." The figures voice sounding calm and reassuring much like James'.
"You're no fish out of water, there is no need to flail about. You remember what you did the first time you met me?" The figure questioned her but received no answer.
"Well, you have potential, A Lot of potential. Your mind has quite enough power to take down a small threat like a human, besides, the deal we had can start with that human instead if you like."
Krystal shook at what he meant and simply sat quiet. Krystal looked to the figure who gestured for her to sit with it. She sat with it and as it poured her tea a familiar fume of chocolate filled her nostrils.
"Ah, you are good at manipulating your thoughts. You miss him don't you?" Krystal looked up to the figure and subtly nodded her head.
"It's alright, I'm sure you two will meet again, but for now, save your strength and relax, no one can hurt you here.
Krystal felt at ease, but also surprised at how this encounter with the figure seems completely different than the last time, perhaps he too was like her thoughts, manipulatable even, or something entirely different. Krystal let the thought slip her mind as she eased in relaxation with the figure before her and sipped at the tea cup.
December 24,
Route 14
James awoke first and found the Poochyena ready and willing to get going outside his tent. James started to pack up his tent and Mia awoke shortly after, following in his footsteps. Ace was clearly unsure of James' mental state, but trusted him none the less. They all got their stuff together and continued to follow the path.
James and Mia both were caught off guard when the Poochyena led then off the main path into some shrubbery and further into the forest. They then found themselves in a decently open area with minimal shubbery or trees. The Poochyena sniffed around for a scent of the man it saw yesterday.
Mia was getting impatient. "Ok, I trust you James, but where in the hell is it taking us?, it doesnt even know where to go now." Mia clearly pointing out the Poochyena wondering about.
James looked over to see the Poochyena frantically sniffing for a scent.
"Mia, it just needs time" James calmly remarked.
"Time?, what!? enough time for us to freeze to death out here?" Mia angerly replied.
Cham tugged on her pants to try and calm her down, but she continued her onslaught.
"She doesn't care about you James and you wanna go save her?, she doesn't deserve your kindness." Mia ended calming down a bit.
James looked to Mia with a face of pure sadness. "I don't care if she doesn't care about me, I care about her, and I care about you guys, so if you dont wanna join me in helping her then I'm not forcing you, just like I wouldn't force her to be with me if she didn't want to."
Mia let out a defeated sigh. "You're right dude.. I just hope you got your head screwed on with that heart of yours." She said with a light punch to his shoulder.
James smiled at her with a light-hearted "Thank you."
Their attention was dragged to the Poochyena who was circling something and jumping up in the air.
James and Mia walked over to find dried blood on the ground. The Poochyena sniffed it and looked on into the forest towards the smell it picked up barking towards it.
James and Mia looked at each other in confusion until the Poochyena started to follow the smell it picked up. James and Mia followed, bringing them further south into the dark forest of route 14.
James and Mia followed close behind the Poochyena as it followed the scent of blood with Cham and Ace trailing slightly behind the two.
The journey remained mostly quiet with the slight shifting of trees as the only accompanying noise to the group.
The group spotted multiple pokemon in the forest, some wounded and some perfectly fine, but all seemed to flee from them as though something had struck fear into them previously. James became increasingly worried as larger pokemon hid in the shadows and left the group in a state of eerie quiet.
James worry turned to determination as he watched the Poochyena before him. "I trust it. This pokemon wouldn't lead me astray, I know it..." James kept his focus on the Poochyena, like a guiding star to a lost traveler.
Soon the Poochyena found itself curving from the forest back over the path and heading south-east with the group close behind. They followed along the now near impassable gorge. By the afternoon they had made it past the gorge, but the Poochyena was starting to lose the scent of blood as the wound he inflicted on the figure would havestopped bleeding by now.
They stopped a short distance east of Delroost town and the Poochyena started to whimper at the loss of the smell of blood throwing them off the trail.
The Poochyena approached the group with its head hung low. James leaned down and understood immediately what it meant and his heart felt heavy.
"It's ok, you did your best." James told the Poochyena, petting its head with masked sadness on his face. The group looked up taking note of the falling sun and growing cold.
"James we should call it a night, we've been travelling for miles." Mia remarked with the the pokemon nodding in agreeement.
James reluctantly agreed and they set up their respective tents. James sat up once again filled with even more self loathing and worry than the previous night. Ace tried his best to comfort James, but James still remained like a corpse unmoving and only breathing in the darkness of the night with his eyes unfocused. Ace just slept next to him, trying to keep him warm hoping tomorrow would be a better day.
Morning,
December 25,
Rick's Ranch
Krystal's eyes creeped open to a familiar sight that made her eyes open even wider. The brick fireplace lighting the house in the dim morning glow, The unwelcoming, cold couch and her small body, tied to a chair with rope in the center of the room.
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth so hard her skull nearly gave way. She awaiting for the figure to tell her this was all a dream, or a test, or a horrible side effect of some kind, but it never came.
Muffled voices could be heard from a room over inside Rick's bedroom.
She tried to teleport away, but she felt a sharp pain fill her mind. Whatever Rick put in her was blocking her connection to her mental abilities, leaving vulnerable and powerless.
Krystal stared intensely at the door fearing Rick coming out. Instead as the door creaked open the Zoroak she had previously encountered came out. The conversation continued behind the closed door. The Zoroark circled Krystal keeping her gaze away while Krystal stared her down with eyes that could cut her soul in half. The Zoroark finally sat across from Krystal on the couch and made eye contact, but her face was not one of malicious intent, but rather regret and perhaps simpathy.
The Zoroark began to speak.
"You've been here before, haven't you?"
Krystal remained quiet with a stern face.
"I'm sorry about your mother, She didn't deserve that.. You dont deserve this." The Zoroark kept her gaze away from Krystal's piercing gaze.
Krystal felt her face soften.
"Why would you care?" Krystal said through a parched eaearly morning mouth.
"Because I know how it is to lose everything you care about." The Zoroark seemed genuine, but Krystal went on the defensive.
"You wouldn't know what it is to watch your mother be drained of all life before your very eyes, seeing him pull his sickening penis from her lifeless corse and see that "Thing's" face stare at you like his next meal."
The Zoroark looked up to meet Krystal's gaze. "Those people took everything from us." She continued with tears streaming down her face. "They fed us the pokemon who refused to fight for their cause, they took us from our parents and used us like a toy until our bodies felt nothing." Her voice fell to pieces like the tears that hit the floor. "Tsareena is the only one who comforted me when I was alone. She is like a sister to me and I know what she is doing is wrong, but I don't want lose her." her voice was shaky and it resonated in Krystal's ears.
Krystal was listening so intently to the Zoroark's story that she forgot she was even tied up.
"Then why wouldn't you join me?, run away from these things and just forget it all?" Krystal questioned.
The Zoroark stared at her. "Because, I don't want to betray Tsareena, She has been treated much worse than I have... Her mind is broken and she can't see what she is doing is wrong any more, You should of seen her when she was younger, She was so full of life, so happy, so perfect..."
Krystal looked down "I'm sorry, but please, let me go... I.. I.." Krystal started to break down her wall and show her tears hidden behind it. "I don't want to die."
The Zoroark looked at her with sadness in her eyes.
"I'll try, I can only do so much. I'll try and talk them out of this. Somehow." The Zoroark stood up and walked back towards the room before grabbing the nob, she wiped her tears and took one last look to Krystal who sat tied up with fear stringed all over her face.
One last connection of their gazes was shared before the door once again opened and again shut leaving Krystal to wait in fear of what was to come.
Morning,
December 25,
East Delroost forest
James woke up early from his near pointless sleep, the idea of failure in his efforts to find Krystal was enough to keep him from sleeping the entire night. Drifting in and out of sleep remembering that Krystal wasn't there and could be out there dead for all he knew. The only thing keeping him from falling to pieces being the comfort that Ace tried to provide with his cute form. James awoke without waking the rest of the group. He sat just staring at the ground and then reached for his belt and looked at Krystal's old pokeball. Feeling his body dry of tears, his face sat in a state of nothingness, a numbness of his heart, a disconnection with reality. The only thing bringing him back being his focus on the pokeball.
He remembered Krystal and the way she clinged to her mother's old pokeball for comfort and decided to follow in her footsteps. He brought the shiny red and white sphere of metal to his face and inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of Krystal filling his body, it wasn't anything particular that he could compare it to, but to him it warmed his body, its familiarity bringing him comfort. Then with a turn of a few cogs and wheels in his mind he realised exactly what to do. He left the tent as quietly and quickly as possible. He approached the sleeping Poochyena. From his pack he offered the small pokemon a breadroll which it happily accepted as it awoke. He broke it and fed it to the pokemon as it slowly got itself up. James looked the pokemon in the eyes and began to speak.
"Listen, I know that you can't quite understand me, but.." He pulled out the pokeball before the pokemon. "Can you help me one last time?" He whispered.
The pokemon sniffed at the ball for about 10 seconds before he looked into the air towards the trail of the similar smell.
James stroked the pokemon's fur and it waged its tail.
"Thanks little guy.. or girl. You can rest now, I dont wanna put you guys through any more." He whispered before he got up and started walking in the direct that the Poochyena looked to.
James heard the pokemon scurry in front of him and wag its tail looking back, as though to lead the way.
Before James could disagree with the Poochyena, it scurried towards the scent prompting James to run after it.
They headed down south about a quarter mile before coming to a large open cutout to a field. A small wooden cabin stood near the north side of the open field with a large fenced off area to its right filled with many Mareeps.
James was very hesitant to enter the open field from fear of being seen. His fear turned to anger when he saw the two Mightyenas guarding the Mareeps.
James was calm however as he looked to the Poochyena who returned the gaze. They turned back to get the others awake before they even thought of approaching the house.
Noon,
December 25,
Rick's ranch
Krystal sat in dim light with the windows covered. The fire was slowly dieing to a low deep orange-red and the voices continued beyond the door. She was feeling a bit at ease with all the time that had passed, or how much time she thought had passed. until Rick and the Tsareena came creeping out the door towards her, the last two people she wanted to see.
"Hello dear, lovely to see you again, you're in for some fun." The Tsareena said as she slowly caressed her fingers across her chin sending chills down her spine landing in her gut like a rock.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Krystal replied with anger in her shaking voice.
"Oh don't worry sweety, I just wanna have some fun with you." The Tsareena assured her with saliva running down her clenched lip.
Krystal kept an emotionless face as the Tsareena and Rick towered over her with mischievous smiles.
The Zoroark stood far in the back by the door, feeling powerless as a bystander to this.
The Tsareena slithered her hand about Krystal's small form and ran her fingers onto her small breasts, pinching her nipples with her finger tips beneath her dress.
Krystal shivered in horror at this violation of her very soul.
The Tsareena brought her lips to Krystal's ear. "Ready to have your body rocked?" As she bit down on her ear.
Krystal looked up to see Rick unbuckling his pants and pulling out his member.
Krystal could no longer keep her emotionless face, it now was filled to the brim with fear. Memories of her mother's death filled her mind and she began to cry.
The Tsareena pinched her cheeks and looked her in the eyes. "Oh mama don't wowwy, You'll learn to love it, you just gotta get a taste for it." The Tsareena replied in a baby voice tone. Then she forced her tounge into Krystal's mouth. Krystal sat in shock stunned by the assault of her oral region.
The Zoroark stood by and watched, she kept trying to formulate a plan in her head, but nothing came to her and so she stood away trying to ignore it, but instead it only continued to chew through her soul, caught between two forces that pulled her in two halves.
Tsareena pulled away fron Krystal with a smug smile and watched the tear stained Kirlia gasp for air and continue to cry.
She turned to Rick and whispered "She's all your's."
Rick approached her with his member in her face and had it inches from her face.
Krystal tyrned to stone at the sight and wanted to vomit at the smell. A mix of death, her mother, and months of filth bringing even more terrible memories into her mind.
The Tsareena pinched her small mouth shut as she struggled to breath. "Come now, take in the scent, you smell like this from now on." Then the Tsareena grabbed his flacid member and rubbed it against Krystal's cheek.
She was utterly stunned. "You'll need to learn to breath with your nose anyways, Your mouth will be a little preoccupied soon." As she let go of her lips and she gasped for air.
Rick approached her with his now errect member and tried to prod her mouth and Tsareena put her hand down to her member and whispered "Time to get Wild."
In her moment of panic Krystal shreaked at the top of her lungs. In that moment, the world fell to a snail's pace.
Glass shattered and in flew a form of pure light. It shreaked a heroic cry and its mighty talons collided with the Tsareena's head propting her to scream in pain.
The sound of screams filled the room and the Tsareena stumbled and fell into different furniture and fixtures trying to get the large 3'11" bird pokemon off of her.
"Get this fucker off of me!" She screamed through tears.
Rick pulled up his pants and ran into a neighboring room that was usually locked off and Zoroark finally in a panic had an idea and closed the room door to Rick's bedroom.
Krystal shook her head in a haze from how intensely she screamed. She looked up and instantly recognized the now evolved bird pokemon.
"Ace?" She weakly said.
Ace smiled at her and turned his attention back to the Tsareena, He pulled her just a small amount off the ground with violent flaps of his wings and threw her towards the fire catching her body ablaze
Her echoing screams filled the room as she burned fast. She climbed out with only small amounts of fire remaining on her chared body, being put out only by the water beneath her plant skin. She fainted right at the front of the fireplace, still visable breathing. Ace rushed to Krystal and tried to free her from her bondage.
The front door was then broken open with James, Cham and Mia storming in.
James was on auto-pilot as he went and helped to remove Krystal from the ropes with his pocket knife. As she finally got free the door next to them slammed open and Rick came out with a loaded shotgun pointing straight to all of them.
"Alright, every single one of you traspassing motherfuckers are gonna line up against that wall before I blow your brains out, Ya hear?!" Rick bellowed.
Rick lined up his shot to each and every one of them as they had no other choice but to comply. He scanned each of them, from Mia, James, Cham, and Ace. What caught his eye however was the belt that James was wearing. Rick then approached James and slammed the Shotgun down onto James head causing him to fall to the ground and regain his composer.
"So you're the fucker who stole my bitch huh?, Stole my belt too?, dirty little fucker." Kicking James onto the ground again. "You like taking things huh?, How about I take your fucking life?, you fucker!"
James continued to try and get up but Rick continued to barade him with kicks and assault. Mia and Cham could only watch on as these events transpired in fear of being shot.
"I gotta hand it to you, you got her to evolve, now she looks even more fuckable." Rick said with spit flying from his mouth like a shotgun.
James gritted his teeth and finaly stood up.
"She doesn't belong to you.." James said out of breath."
"OH, Really? Then who hmm?, you tell me?" Rick said spitting in James' face.
"She belongs to no one.. She isn't some property, She's a human!" James spat back.
James recieved another slam from Rick's shotgun and Rick stepped on his downed chest and lined up his shotgun to James' head.
"I see you got some friends here, I'll make you a deal. You hand over your cute little friend here and you can keep your little pokewhore, it be a shame for your friends to see your head pop." Rick said through his nasty smile.
"If you really think I'm leaving here without All of my friends, you must be thicker than your gut." James said with his shaking breath.
"Bold worlds for someone in your place."
Krystal felt her mental energy somewhat returning and she tried to compose herself enough to punch Rick from behind.
She readied her punch only for Rick to turm around and kick her, sending her flying into a wall falling to the ground.
"Krystal!" James shouted. He got up exerted his remaining strength to wrestle the gun from Rick. He and Rick wrestled back and forth as random shots were spewed from the weapon along the house sending wood chips, glass, furnature stuffing and empty shells to the floor. Mia and Cham ducked behind the furniture and grabbed Krystal along their way. Finally Rick freed the gun from James after several shots and was ready to shoot him.
"Die bitch!" Rick screamed as he pulled the trigger.
A click was heard, but no bullets followed. Rick could feel the sweat falling off of his head. He pulled once again, a click, but no bullets, his finger shaking so hard the clicks lightly continued.
James took this as an opportunity to tackle him to the floor, now it was fist to fist. James and Rick clashed, their fists connecting with every open opportunity spot they could get on each other. Rick pushed James off of him and reached to his back pocket and pulled out an emergency pistol shooting James in the thigh, luckily not hitting any bones or nerves.
James cried out in pain and Mia was ready to run at him till Rick sent a bullet grazing past her face hitting the hard wood of the log built house sending her diving back behind the furniture trying to awaken Krystal.
James could feel his blood leaving his body, his leg burning and yet falling numb from the blood that leaked out.
"You think you can kill me bitch?!" Rick lifted his arms in the air to his sides. "I don't die mother fucker, I'm a God in this bitch!, Now fucking die!" Rick steadied his aim to James' head.
A door opened to the room where the Zoroark was and out walked a figure that made Rick stop in his spot.
Out walked the living, breathing body of Krystal's mother.
"Put the gun down, now!" She commanded in am elegant yet stern voice.
Rick was awestruck, the idea of her alive again sent chills down his spine and he dropped the gun in fear, just out of James' reach.
Krystal started to reawaken disoriented as she looked to Mia, Cham, and Ace.
"What's happening?" Mia looked to her and picked her up. "Here let me help you up" Mia picked her up lifting her enough over the furniture to take in the scene along with her.
Krystal's mind became sharp as a knife as she took in the sight. "M-momma?" Krystal whispered, but she did not recieve a response.
Krystal's mother approached Rick with Rick slowly regaining himself. As she was a foot away from Rick he completely came back down to reality and reached for the gun shooting Krystal's mother in the shoulder two times and once in the stomach.
Krystal's mind filled with an unspeakable rage and her body was enveloped in a horrifying purple aura. Her body lifted from the ground and she was enveloped in light that tried to pierce the dark veil around her. Her body grew in size and her clothing fell to the floor, unable to fit her newly formed body. Her body now tall and slender with a large white dress and the crystal-like horn now sitting cracked on her chest between her supple breasts sporting a strange purple color instead of the usual deep red. She looked to Rick, her voice boomed exactly like the figure in her mind. "You.." She pointed to Rick and he loaded a new round of bullets into his gun as she approached him. Ace and Cham both looked to each other with fear before refocusing their gaze onto Krystal joined by Mia who took in the sight.
Rick shot round after round at her, The flares of the gun lighting the room and highlighting the fear and desperation in Rick's face and the hatred in Krystal's. As the bullets flew, they stopped near inches around her like a force field. The raw energy she exerted was enough to cause the bullets to melt into liquid and she spoke again. "It's demons in this world like you who don't deserve to run." The bullets formed a long metal needle that she held up with her psychic solidifying. "You deserve to crawl through life like the worm you are!" She screamed as she threw the needle to his knee cap and then the other at bullet speed, shaddering them to dust. The very heat of the needle cauterizing the skin as it was violently ripped back out of him on each leg. Rick fell to the ground unable to move from the shock in his body and the shattering of his knee caps. His mind failing him as the pain was sending so much shock through his body.
"You'll be a prisoner to your own body and suffer as my mother has!" Krystal boomed.
Rick cried out in pain and hysteria before falling unconscious. Krystal hovered back to the ground. The dark aura disspating upon contact with the ground.
She ran over to her mother now seemingly back to her normal self. "Momma.. Momma" Her voice returning to normal. "Momma are you ok?"
"I'm sorry.." Her mother's form shifted and twisted, revieling the Zoroark. Krystal was completely in shock. " I tried to help the best I could, I'm sorry I wasn't much help." she coughed up blood. Krystal looked to her, filled with distress and worry. James dragged himself and his bag over to her trying to remove the bullets from her skin and he repeated the same to himself and applied bandages and disinfectants to both of them although she needed much more than he needed from the torso shot.
Time moved like jelly to them, they had been in the house for so long that time was just imaginary. Only them in this house which floated in a void against time, a thought in an empty space.
James treated her wounds as best he could and tried to keep her awake to prevent any damage that could occure should she fall asleep, at least till they got to safety.
The whole group all sat together just trying to think and process all of what happened in such a small spand of time.
They deemed it best to try moving away from there while they could and get them to a pokemon center.
Krystal helped James to walk on his good leg while Mia and Cham tried their best to carry the Zoroark. "Wait.." The Zoroark weakly said. "What is it?" Mia asked. "Please help my friend." She pointed to the Tsareena. "You do realise what she has done to James before right?" Mia retorted. "I know, but please, we can't just leave her.." She said through her shaking breath.
Mia looked to James for his opinion to which he nodded his head and Krystal reluctantly agreed to help her despite her actions thus far. "Fine.." Mia said. She helped the Zoroark walk while Ace and Cham carried the Tsareena.
The Poochyena was waiting patiently to regroup with them as they all walked out of Rick's house.
They decided to head north-west to Delroost town to rest. They all got settled in and James caught the Tsareena and Zoroark to get them healed at the pokemon center, temporarily of course.
James made up a story about being attacked by some Vulpix and Beedrill to try and get them administered into the pokemon center in their state which the receptionist believed and started treating their wounds both in the healing station and physical treatment. James figured to let them all rest while Zoroark and Tsareena were treated at the pokemon center for the night and would go to see them in the morning. James typically would have gone to the hospital after the bullet he recieved in his thigh, but his exhaustion and fear made him want to stay close by all his friends for the night. James and Mia booked their Inn rooms and everyone tried to get some sleep with those events fresh in their minds. James was the last to find sleep however. Ace slept curled up on the bed and Krystal slept on her back beneath the blankets. James reached for the clothing from the bag and held her hoodie up to see if it was damaged or torn, even though they seemed to not fit her slender body anymore. While looking them over a small glass cube falls out of the pocket onto his lap. The glass cube read, "Merry Christmas." James smiled and looked to Krystal and whispered to himself "Merry Christmas Krystal" before he too found slumber.
