As if noticing the direness of the situation, the ring in Derek's pocket let out a flash of heat. However, the boy, used to the seemingly random surges, simply ignored it and cast a sideways glance towards where Serin had been lying. Though Damion had returned her quite a while ago, the charred grass and upturned dirt that remained made him frown in concern, and he touched his cheek in the spot where he had been hit by the Dual Blast. The skin felt smooth, which didn't seem quite realistic.
Maybe he had just been hallucinating. Maybe he had just gone crazy and none of this was actually happening.
The fragile hope shattered as he turned his gaze to the two battling Pokémon. Flare and the Tyranitar had begun to battle and were exchanging powerful blows. The Charmeleon's glowing claws let off a steely light as he struck the Armor Pokémon with a Metal Claw, and a resounding clang sounded every time his claws struck at its hide. However, the Tyranitar seemed unconcerned by Flare's furious onslaught and simply shrugged off the attacks.
Flare, apparently noticing this, took it as an insult and struck with a full-on Flame Slash. His claws dragged through the air before tearing through it, his claws changing from a steel gray to a flaming red. He launched the three blazes of fire, all of which exploded on contact with a ferocity and strength far greater than when Flare had fought against Shion the Marill. The heat of the blast washed over Derek's skin, causing it to tingle slightly and making him close his eyes for a moment.
When he dared to look again, he noticed that the Tyranitar wasn't even singed, much less hurt. With an annoyed grunt, it knocked Flare away with the back of its hand and sent the Charmeleon skidding across the ground.
"Flare!"
The involuntary shout Derek had accidentally let out seemed to bring the Charmeleon back to his senses. He twisted his body in midair and pushed off the ground, flipping back into a standing position. His feet dug into the ground, leaving trails of upturned dirt as he slowly skidded to a stop. The Pokémon gave Derek a growl as he rolled his wrist around, just like a human would before a fight or after throwing a punch. Derek wasn't quite sure whether his ability to understand him had already faded or whether Flare was just grumbling.
Derek turned at the sound of Louis' voice as the man said, "Your Charmeleon is rather stubborn."
He seemed a bit stressed, as if he were concerned by something, which worried Derek slightly. The boy chanced a glance back at Flare, who seemed to have gotten himself ready for round two. He supposed that Louis was probably worried that Blaze would activate—and it would at this rate, in just a few short moments. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
With a confident tone, Derek said to Louis, "Pokémon take after their Trainers, I hear. Just like those guys."
Taking the words thoughtfully, the man nodded slowly. His eyes met Derek's for a split second, gray and red, before he turned to the rest of the Trainers. His gaze lingered on some of the fallen Pokémon, and his mouth thinned into a small frown as he noticed they were all getting back up. "You children don't understand the situation you're in, do you?"
Three claws of fire rushed towards Louis, who simply sidestepped. The flames danced past him, dissipating in the distance, though a scowl found its way onto the man's face. Louis reached a hand into his jacket as he glared at the Flame Pokémon, muttering the words, "How arrogant."
At the sudden horrifying thought of Louis releasing a second Pokémon, Derek found himself moving without thinking. His legs began to jerk forward, pulling the rest of his body along, and he soon broke into a sprint. His head was spinning as if he were in a trance, but he still retained some sense of the situation. Before he crashed right into the unsuspecting major, he shouted to the others, "Take the chance!"
He lunged, bodily tackling Louis' back. The moment they made contact, the boy felt as if he had crashed into a stone wall. The man lost his grip on whatever he had grabbed, but Derek himself could barely think from pain as they both hit the ground. Stunned from both the crash and fall, he was too slow and disoriented to stop the major from jumping back to his feet and grabbing Derek by the collar of his shirt.
A shout from one of the others broke Derek out of his daze and reminded him of the situation. Regaining his senses, Derek instantly lashed out at the man, twisting his body hard enough that the fabric of his shirt tore. Freed from Louis' iron grip, he hit the ground again, but this time he rolled back into a half-kneeling, half-sitting position, a few feet away from the man. He touched the revealed skin of his chest with a hand, pulling his sleeves up past his elbows with the other. His breath came in pants.
Rubbing his neck with a hand, Louis gave him a displeased scowl and took a few steps back, furthering the distance between them by a few more feet. "That wasn't the smartest move.
Each word was colder than ice, yet Derek noticed something odd about Louis' expression. He licked his dry lips and tried to speak without showing how out of breath he was. "You don't seem too annoyed; what's with that approving look?"
Louis smiled coldly. "It wasn't the smartest move, but it's what I would have done had I been in your situation. Distract me and let your friends take care of my Pokémon, right?"
It was with amusement that Derek shook his head. "No, my body just reacted on its own." His eyes scanned the grass as he spoke, trying to find the object that Louis had dropped. "Does that disappoint you—that the plan was my second thought?"
"Actually, no. That's just as impressive." Louis bent forward, reaching down to the ground—grabbing the glistening black object Derek had been looking for. The young Trainer's eyes narrowed, both in annoyance and due to the object reflecting the glare of the sunlight. "Unfortunately, if you're doing this in the hopes of stopping Arin, or even me, it's hopeless."
Derek frowned. His mind raced, trying to figure out what the object was. They were too far away for him to see clearly, and the light was blinding him, forcing him to look away. His lips seemed to form the words he was thinking before he even realized it.
"I could at least buy time," he let out honestly.
"For? If you want the police to come, they aren't going to. I have a friend who's taking care of them. And if you want to figure out what this is, well..." Louis twirled the black thing around a finger before grasping it tightly in his hand. He lifted his arm and pointed it directly at Derek. "I'm sure you should know just by looking."
Derek felt himself freeze.
It was a gun.
A small smile found its way onto Louis' face as he held the dark pistol. The expression was plain and simple, and the meaning behind it was far too obvious.
"This is the right thing to do."
In books, or in movies, everything seems to move in slow motion. Everything takes forever—Derek was aware of how it worked. In reality, though, Derek could hardly even see the gun that Louis was pointing at him; he could only stare into Louis' resolute eyes. The seconds flashed by, and his heart raced, counting down—counting down to its final beat. Time was rushing far too quickly for him to catch up, and it was only getting further and further out of reach.
Reality wasn't kind. It wasn't like a video game where a player could restart from a save point, where the main character (or any of the characters) could survive the most severe wounds, or take and shrug off damage that would kill a real person instantly. The real world wasn't like the games Derek had played as a kid.
There was no flash of memories when Derek saw Louis' grip tighten on the gun.
No flash of memories...but a flash of light.
One of the Poké Balls on Derek's belt burst open, and the gun in Louis' hand was knocked away for the second time as a streak of white was launched from the red-and-white ball. They both turned to watch the black metal soar into the sky before landing ten feet away, glistening in the light and just a dark smudge against the grass and dirt. Louis and Derek exchanged looks.
A growl brought Derek's attention to the tiny Pokémon and told him exactly what had just saved him. He let out a surprised, "S-Soran?"
With all the love of an apathetic murderer, Soran sank her fangs into his arm. He couldn't help but curse, and when he gazed down at his arm, the blood spilled from the punctures to the ground.
"What was that for?" he snapped at the Eevee, who simply spat the blood out from her mouth.
"Ee," she grumbled. Her eyes were set on Louis.
Derek followed her gaze to see the man rubbing his wrist. Seeing Louis' eyes glance to the side, Derek pushed off of the ground and tried to dash forward, to reach the gun. Instead, he lost his balance, and his foot slipped on the dirt.
He skidded across the ground, and while his fingers reached the black gun first, a crushing force smashed against his stomach. His entire body seemed to feel the pain of the kick, and his fingers lost their grip; the gun skidded another few feet away, and Derek could see the older man slowly walk towards it.
It was all Derek could do to push himself back up onto his knees. The pain made his eyes blur, and for a second, he couldn't even think straight. He forced air into his lungs and shouted to Soran, "Soran, Quick Attack!"
"Ee!"
Just like before, and just like always, flashing white illuminated the path she took as she lunged for the gun, moving so quickly that Derek could barely keep up. She grabbed the gun in her teeth and dodged Louis' attempts to grab her, and she returned to Derek's side with the black metal still in her mouth.
He took it from her with a murmur of thanks before turning to Louis. The man's expression was calm despite the gun in Derek's hands. The boy felt the coolness of the metal wash over his skin, and his fingers felt at the 'HX' he hadn't noticed before on the holster. The flashing red letters seemed an almost bloody shade to Derek.
"Do you even know how to use a gun?" Louis asked. He didn't even move from his position. "I seriously doubt you can."
Slightly irritated, Derek held the gun in his right hand and pointed it at Louis, his finger on the trigger. "All I have to do is point and shoot, no?"
For a few seconds, the two stared at each other, neither saying anything. Then, Louis burst into laughter. The sound was more insulting than anything Derek had gone through yet, and he couldn't help an indignant, "What!?"
"Try it, then."
Derek felt a sudden chill run through his body at Louis' words. The major gave him an intent look, and his eyes were full of accusation. Accusations that Derek couldn't do it.
And really, he was right; Derek couldn't even move the finger that he had on the trigger.
The cold metal bit into his skin as the seconds dragged by. His mouth had gone dry, and he could barely swallow, yet still he couldn't move his hand. His fingers twitched, pushed by the urge to pull the trigger, held back by his weakness, with neither side letting up. He could only hold the gun, frozen, unable to make a decision.
The pistol in his hands wasn't something that a child was supposed to have—no, it wasn't something anybody should have. The weight of something that was made to take lives...he could barely keep it in his hands, and pulling the trigger was out of the question. What he held in his hands was a tool of murder.
A weapon.
"So? Are you going to pull the trigger or are you going to give the gun back?"
The question seemed to hang in the air. At the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Derek found himself trying to distract himself from it, and he turned away to look at his friends. His eyes widened at the sight of all three of them left completely open—none of their Pokémon were left. Even Flare was on the ground, panting for breath, his tail's flame only a small spark.
Apparently noticing Derek, Flare suddenly stood back up, shaking the dirt off of himself. Flames licked at his body in a last effort Flare Blitz, but they were weak; at the softest breeze, they flickered in and out of existence, and Flare's tail fire only dwindled further.
"Dual Blast."
The sudden command brought Derek back to Louis. He felt a crash against his head, and he hit the ground hard—only to see the Dual Blast rush past over him. The fire and ice danced together in perfect harmony; they cut through the air and twirled together without missing a single step, only to disappear within seconds.
He didn't even get to thank Soran for saving his life when the winds started to batter him. They were almost immediately blasted away by one of Soran's Shadow Ball barrages, which then continued streaked through the air and shoot straight towards Arin, only to bounce off the Armor Pokémon's hide. Soran let out a soft growl of annoyance.
The image of the Dual Blast still flashed in his mind. He couldn't see a way to block it completely, or a way to even effectively counter it; it was just too strong an attack. The precision and the piercing power of it was just too much; one hit was enough to kill, and even a miss still was troublesome, what with the battering winds.
Derek felt himself clenched the gun tighter. Was the only way to end the fight...shooting?
Before he could even make up his mind, another Dual Blast shot towards him. This time, Derek saw it coming and dodged out of the way—only to realize it wasn't aimed at him.
The gun took the attack without any visible damage, but the force of the attack knocked it out of Derek's hand. Pain shot through Derek's wrist, and he couldn't react fast enough to grab the gun. It flew through the air once more, away from both Trainers.
"Well, that settles that." Louis stood up and dusted himself off. "If you move, you might find your Charmeleon in a bit of a situation."
"You..."
Louis stepped towards the fallen gun and picked it up off the ground. He spun it in his hand before pointing it towards Derek, a small smile on his face.
"You're a good kid. Pretty strong for your age, considering you're a rookie."
Seeing the gun back in Louis' hands made Derek feel as if all his efforts had been in vain. He felt his shoulders fall and his back almost give out; all the energy left his body, leaving him just the tired and scared boy that he was.
A sigh escaped him as he felt the pain in his right hand's wrist. He ignored Soran's growls and simply closed his eyes, waiting for it. "Thanks...for not killing anybody."
"It was my pleasure."
Though his eyes were closed, Derek could tell Louis' finger was at the trigger. He closed his eyes tighter, his breath coming in gasps. There was nothing left he could do.
It's over, he thought. The bang rang through the air, and the bullet—
The bullet...?
"…?"
Another laugh from the major made Derek open his eyes. The gun had dropped from his hands and had fallen to the ground, while the man himself was bent over chuckling. He looked up to see Derek staring at him in bewilderment, but the man only laughed harder.
He kicked the black pistol to Derek, who stared down at it in confusion. Louis calmed himself for a moment and said to him, "It's jammed. All the tossing and fighting must have jammed it."
He laughed again, and this time Derek could almost laugh at the situation as well.
"Well, while the gun's jammed now, there are other methods I could use." The man straightened himself again, his expression having lost its smile, and turned towards his Tyranitar. "Arin?"
The Tyranitar grumbled something and walked towards Louis, leaving behind nearly a dozen unconscious Pokémon. It glanced at Derek with a bored look, and Derek realized something: this Tyranitar wasn't doing this for fun, or because it was being ordered to. It was doing it because it was work.
...but why did he know that?
"It seems your luck has run out, though." Louis gazed at Derek, who stared back with exhaustion. "You did an exceptional job."
He had no energy to even try and move, and even Soran's desperate movements couldn't force him. His wrist was burning with pain, and fatigue settled in his body. He was tired. So, so tired...
"Arin, finish this. Dual Blast."
Derek closed his eyes again.
"Xan, Protect."
For the second time, Derek found himself miraculously saved. A green barrier exploded into existence with a dazzling display of light, swirling into a dome around Derek before he could so much as blink. The Dual Blast tore apart upon contact with the barrier, fire and ice finally separated, and the two energies dispersed on opposite sides of the Protect.
Derek sat there in wonder as the green shield faded back into nothing. A hand touched his shoulder, and he turned to see a boy not much older than him. The new boy had familiar black hair with blue streaks, and his eyes were a deadly jet black. He wore a jacket not unlike the one Matthew had worn—only without the collars and with a lot of straps all around. It was a tight, form-fitting jacket that emphasized his lean build.
If anything, he was scarier than Louis. His lips, however, were pulled into a kind smile.
"You all right, Derek?" he asked.
Derek could only blink in response, too tired to even realize that the boy knew his name. His attention was focused on the Pokémon that had saved him. It was giant—as big as Arin, probably—with a body of black steel. Shining gray bands decorated its elbows and knees, and its head, also a silver shade, was plated and had two large horns. Its armored black tail slammed the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt.
The Iron Armor Pokémon—Aggron of the Hoenn region.
"Derek...are you all right?"
The voice sounded familiar. The moment he turned around, he saw her faint smile—a smile he remembered. A smile of his own found its way onto his face...only eighty-percent forced. "Marina Oath, from Cerulean?"
She nodded, and while she was smiling, her eyes were full of concern. "Derek... You aren't...aren't badly hurt, are you?"
Derek instinctively made to cover his cheek, but his wrist stung with pain when he moved it. He couldn't help a wince as the jolt ran through his hand. Before Marina could say anything about it, though, he quickly intervened with a "Uh...probably not."
He glanced towards his friends, who were all scurrying around and trying to heal their Pokémon, before turning back to her in confusion. "Rather, why are you here?"
"I..." Marina stopped, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Well, I just...um..."
A low chuckle escaped the older boy. Both Marina and Derek looked up at him, but he merely nodded towards Derek with a faint smile before turning to the major. "Well?"
Louis, who had been smiling just moments ago, scowled. His words were strained when he spoke, and Derek heard a tinge of anger color his voice. "It's been a while, Aewir Oath."
"Yeah." Aewir smirked. "Too long, Archer."
A/N - BE GRATEFUL.
I don't deserve to be arrogant with a chapter like this, but I did just want to act it. I'm not busy in real life, no. I did get my new laptop a while back (a week or two, actually). And I do have all my files backed up on both my phone and email, so no loss there, either. (...except for about 500 songs worth of my library...)
Nah, I was lazy. But anyway, this author's note is just me thanking you guys. Thanks. I really am sorry for not updating for during the summer, like I thought I would. However! I do promise to try harder and be more diligent with my updates. I lost the spark I once had back in January of 2011, where chapters just friggin' flowed out of my fingers, but I'll try and relight it with all I've got.
Yes, this author's note is ridiculously long. I do want to add I had a fight with FF's "Insert Horizontal Line" function and lost magnificently. It's one heck of a female dog. But anyway, next update will be next week, and hopefully every consecutive week (though I make no promises).
See ya then!
Odile: And thanks for always being there, my favorite reviewer, =D I can always rely on you to bring a smile to my face.