Don't even think about asking why I went on a sudden, unexplained fourteen week hiatus. I had chronic writer's block and a truckload of homework, and this and that and BLAH BLAH BLAH. (It was mostly writer's block in the holidays ) Please, please, please tell me the fight scene is better than the dialogue moments. I work better on fight scenes. :) And... there's a little bit of Holix in here... :3
My brother just informed me that a Lego Space Police character is called Slizer. Therefore, a small disclaimer: I don't own Slizer or any part of Lego! This was a coincidence; Nanite Free's Scizor, however, is mine and Lego really doesn't have to go about suing me.
Feedback on how in-character the GR bunch is would be greatly appreciated! (Although, I've noticed that they all talk like teenagers - even Six - so bluh x_x)
Chapter 11: Wild
Holiday's View
Professor Rowan attempted to alleviate the awkward silence with a couple of Pokedexes. Handing one to each of us, he explained the electronic encyclopedia could scan DNA of almost every known Pokémon, track your Pokémon's energy levels in a battle and simply provide ID for the trainer so they could both heal their Pokémon and get one night's accommodation free at one of the various Centers situated around Sinnoh.
I noticed Dawn and Lucas sneak out, but I didn't say anything.
"... This identification is vital. If you are caught with a Pokémon but without some sort of license, your Pokémon will be kept in storage and you will be fined P500 a day until you get a license. However – a record is kept of every trainer, so if you lose it, you'll get another one for P50."
"But, what if someone breaks it?" Rex asked.
"Siz-Scizor-ror," Slizer smirked, as much as an insect could smirk. Rex snorted.
The Professor looked around and frowned. "Did any of you see where Dawn and Lucas went?"
I motioned that I had. "They just snuck out."
Professor Rowan rolled his eyes. Right then, they returned and slunk into their seats. The Professor berated them for a moment, but let it go. Dawn stood up. "We ran to the Pokémart a moment ago because obviously you guys need supplies."
We turned our heads.
"We got you each three Potions, five Pokéballs, two Paralyze Heals and two Antidotes," Lucas continued. "The extreme basics if you want to be a trainer. Of course, there's also one basic survival kit for each of you and one... very small tent."
"How small is very small?" Six interjected.
Dawn stepped back. "The right size for... two people."
Rex supressed laughter to the point of having a red face. I looked questioningly at him... then when the gravity of his snickering hit, I glared. So did Six. Slizer punched him in the back.
Rex stopped snickering. "Sorry, sorry..."
We packed our various items into small capsules that worked on the same principle as Pokéballs, and then easily packed them into our three separate bags, Six not looking too happy with a backpack.
Rex shouldered his pack and stood up, Slizer moving a bit to accommodate room. "So, when are we going?" he chirped.
"Night," Six answered, packing the final things into his bag, "Night's the best time to move because you're hidden." He zipped the bag shut, finalizing the statement.
Rex dumped his bag onto the floor and groaned. "It's the middle of the day!"
"Then familiarise yourself with Slizer." Six smoothly countered.
Rex slumped back into the seat and groaned. Professor Rowan smirked under his walrus-like beard. "It would definitely be a good idea to familiarise yourself. You might be spending more than three weeks with your Pokémon, and it wouldn't be a very good idea to know nothing about them, hm?"
I patted Lazuli's neck. "What's it like to be a Pokémon?" I asked.
Lazuli purred. It's incredible to be one with the ocean, and wield ice and water with ease. But other than that, I do not know, for I have never been a human.
"Really?" I answered. "Where we come from, there is the risk, every single day, of someone you love mutating into a monster because of..." I just sent ideas of the Nanite Event so the Lapras could understand.
Her mind shied away. That's horrible, she whisper-thought.
Someone else's mind pressed on mine. I gripped my head as a headache began throbbing. Sorry, Tangent said, but what if we battle each other and see how you shape up as trainers and we as your partners?
Rex leapt up. "I feel like you just ripped my brain to shreds, but yes!" he exclaimed. "C'mon, Slizer!" Rex ran out the door, his Pokémon following a few steps behind.
Lucas stood up. "That's a good idea. I'll supervise." He walked away. "Come on, you four," he said, gesturing broadly to me, Six and our Pokémon.
~xXx~
I sat in the crook of Lazuli's neck as Rex and Six stood opposite each other roughly twenty metres apart in the field outside, Pokéballs in hand. Lucas stood to the center side, next to me, red flag in his left hand and a blue flag in his right.
"This battle shall take place between Rex-" he held the red flag upwards "-and Agent Six." Lucas held the blue flag upwards. "Each contestant is allowed one Pokémon. The fight shall last until one side is unable to battle." He lowered the flags. "Formalities over, you two remember to work with your Pokémon and help them. This is as much your fight as theirs, even if you're not getting battered yourself. Their elemental moves will show up in the Pokedex, but they can still use physical strength." Lucas thrust the flags skywards. "Begin!"
Rex whooped and flung his Pokéball forwards and up, just as Six silently did the same. Both capsules bust open, emptied their plasma contents outwards, and got propelled backwards by the energy they released. Slizer snapped his claws. Tangent didn't move. Both males flicked the Pokedexes open.
Rex pointed at the Gallade almost overenthusiastically, shouting "Slizer, use Flash Cannon!"
Silver energy charged within the bug's claws. In one quick movement, it pointed and fired a beam of white light energy at the Gallade, which smoothly dodged, paused, and ran forwards, arms glowing black. Without a sound from Six, it suddenly slid underneath Slizer's legs, and even as the bug began to turn around it leapt up and struck between the wings. The bug stumbled.
"Blow him away, then Metal Claw!" Rex exclaimed. Slizer responded immediately, buzzing its wings, knocking the Psychic back with a buffet of wind and slicing down with both open claws, grating on the bone arm extensions and coming down to cut Tangent's leg. The psychic cried out. Six's eyebrow twitched. The Gallade's eyes turned blue.
Slizer glowed the same colour and lifted into the sky. Its eyes filled with panic. "Sciz-z-z-z-z-"
Rex furrowed his brows from where I could see. "Slizer, use Flash Cannon to the –"
Slizer's eyes widened in understanding and the Pokemon abruptly dropped earthwards as the psychic levitation ceased.
Ah, to slow the fall, Lazuli thought.
The bug fired the shots down. They impacted with the earth, slowed its fall and digging two shallow holes of compacted dirt. Tangent ran forwards, jumped up and silently aimed a kick at the bug's head. It connected and knocked Slizer to the ground. Slizer rolled over and kicked back with equal vigor.
Tangent's arms glowed black again and he sliced at the incoming leg, blocking and rebuffing it. Slizer flipped backwards.
"Slizer! Aerial Ace!" Rex called. The bug did just that, flying up a little way and spinning on the way to the ground, slashing at Tangent with claws and feet on the way down, swerving around, and slashing again. Tangent was thrown back and landed on its back, back red cartilage fin twisting. It hissed.
"Take that, Six! Super effective!" Rex gloated.
The Gallade rose to its feet, paused for a millisecond and rushed forwards under Six's silent command, connecting a simple punch to Slizer's chest.
Slizer blinked.
Rex blinked. "Is that all, Six?" he called.
Tangent twisted his fist in place. Pale yellow energy instantly carried out of Slizer's torso and down to surround Tangent. Most of it sunk into the gash on its leg and started healing it into a long scar.
"Drain Punch," Six said with a hint of smugness, his first words of the fight.
Rex showed small signs of panic. "Slizer, break away and use Metal Claw again!"
Slizer swayed, but didn't follow Rex's command.
"S-Slizer...?" Rex stuttered.
The energy flow stopped and Tangent bounded away. Slizer teetered backwards and slammed to the dirt, unconscious.
"Slizer is unable to battle," Lucas called, raising the blue flag and nearly poking Lazuli in the eye. "Agent Six wins!"
Tangent slunk back to its trainer, expression matching Six's usual smug one. Rex ran forwards and pulled a Potion out of his backpack. "Lucas, what do I do with it?"
Lucas dropped the flags to the ground walked to Rex, showing him how to target the worst areas and spray. Slizer's wounds began folding and binding themselves back together like how Tangent's leg did, similar to the way some EVOs had regeneration abilities.
I slid off Lazuli's back and walked over to Six. "Impressive fighting there, trainer," I teased.
He raised an eyebrow. "You need to battle with Lazuli."
I shrugged. "Sure. It's not like I won't hold my ground..." I twisted around and looked at the Lapras. She rolled her eyes and breathed frigid air onto the grass, putting a thin layer of ice over it, using the smooth surface to push along the ground towards us.
He frowned. "Stop that."
I poked his shoulder and smirked. "Stop what?"
"You know exactly what I mean, Holiday."
"But I don't," I protested, sidling close to him.
Lazuli snorted. Tangent smirked.
Six gently pushed me away. "Stop flirting."
"I'm not flirting..." I said, putting on an innocent expression.
Six frowned again. "Whatever you're doing, stop it."
I touched my fingertip to his as I walked away. Flirt flirt, Lazuli thought in a sing-song voice.
Exactly~! I thought back.
~xXx~
At eight in the evening and after seven rematches with Six that Rex always lost – however narrowly - the sun had finally sunk under the horizon. We called back our Pokémon into their Pokéballs and thanked Professor Rowan, Dawn and Lucas for their troubles. The Professor waved away the thanks. "Dawn has seen more of the Deities than many will ever see in their imaginations. Not need to thank us, just go and find what's wrong and save the world if necessary."
We said out goodbyes, got the Professor's work number so we could call him from a 'Pokegear' – phone type device – that Dawn handed us at the last minute and we set off towards Route 202, climbing up the hilly slopes.
"Siiiiix!" Rex whined. "I demand another rematch tomorrow!"
"No," Six huffed, "our Pokémon need to rest."
"You're always getting out of these kind of things!"
"No I'm not," Six countered. "Be quiet."
I smiled and looked through the trees. The Professor had warned us about Wild Pokémon, willing to defend their territory in a very animalistic, albeit elemental manner – attacking passers-by without pause, often with said elemental moves. "When – or where – are we supposed to camp?" I asked, flipping out the Town Map. "If we make it to Jubilife we could stay a night at the Center."
Rex twisted around. "I heard something," he muttered, hand moving to Slizer's Pokeball. "From the trees, low down."
Six and I turned around as well.
There was silence.
A shape sprung from the trees. We ducked out of the way, and a blinding white flash lit up the surrounding area, burning a four-legged shape into my eyelids. I felt around for a tree to lean on and instead bumped into Six, hands against his chest. I felt my face flush and leaned on him shoulder-to-shoulder instead.
"Can't see! The light! The agony!" Rex complained, walking into something with an audible thud. "Ow!"
Six moved his hand up to rub his eyelids. I blinked a few times.
I began to see their silhouettes clearly, and looked around for the source of the flash. A little four-legged shape with glowing, but slowly dimming golden ankles revealed itself to me.
"Shhh-rrow?" it asked in a fighting stance.
Rex turned to the noise, dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out his Pokedex. "Let's see what you are, now!" he said, peering at the screen.
"SHINX. FELIX PHOTUS. THE FLASH POKÉMON. ELECTRIC TYPE. ALL OF ITS FUR SPARKS IF DANGER IS SENSED. IT FLEES WHILE THE FOE IS BLINDED. ITS ANKLES HAVE ELECTRICITY POUCHES, WHICH GENERATE THE POWER ON DEMAND. EVOLVES TO LUXIO, THEN LUXRAY."
Rex flipped the thing shut. "Sounds fun. Catch you later, little guy," he said, saluting it with a flick of the wrist and stepping forwards to shoo it away. The 'Felix photus' hissed, turned tail and fled.
I stepped away from Six. "Our first taste of wild Pokémon," I announced. "Won't this be fun, these little cats blinding us every three steps we take."
I heard the scrape of one of Six's magna blades returning to his sleeve. "Fun is not the word I'd use," he said humorlessly.
"Party pooper!" Rex laughed, walking ahead. "Last one to Jubilife has to... um... play chess with Tangent!"
I could almost feel Six roll his eyes.
AWW YEAH! I'm going to be uploading once OR twice a week from now on! Cross my heart!
SOMEONE GIVE ME FEEDBACK! LOTS OF IT!
Reviews are love and shalt reveal Dusk's plot!
Flames hurt Slizer!
Peace out!
