Pokémon World Online

Part 34: Overcoming a Desperate Situation

Disclaimer: I don't own the usual. This part continues the action that happened last time. This part is dedicated to all the lovely people who have commissioned me at Deviant art and TPTF. You guys are seriously the best 3 you make me feel like I can actually sew :P this part is also dedicated to my upcoming exams and portfolios which are due...like...in a day or two XD (probably will already be done by the time this is posted :P) so thanks you guys. Yeah these disclaimers are basically my ranting place because apparently my LJ isn't enough XD okay, enjoy the fic. This part is influenced by Swedish pop music XD

ooo

"Oh shit!" Emily23 cussed, surprising Drix and Aura. She ran over to the Arcanine, who had also been buried under the rubble. She pulled away the rubble, Bunneary helping. Max tried to use his water gun to blow the rocks away, but she stopped him knowing that the water could hurt Arcanine.

"Leave it be. It's just a top ten Pokémon." Drix looked over at her.

"No! As a tamer, I have the duty of helping all Pokémon. It's not this Arcanine's fault that he's helping evil. Besides, have you forgotten that Pokémon have become as real as you or me. Remember the Ho-oh?" Drix looked at her and nodded. It was better to let her do as she pleased then to try and talk her out of it, The Arcanine's partner had probably perished in the falling of the rubble and usually Pokémon partners disappeared when the human partners did for the resurrection count down countdown to begin; however, as Pokémon were becoming real, she didn't foresee that happening.

The Arcanine burst from the rubble when Emily23 and the two Pokémon had cleared enough away. It glared at her and limped forward pitifully. It snarled and used a weak Ember attack. Max used a Bubble beam to deflect the attack. "Arcanine, please stop," Emily23 pleaded. Arcanine snarled and continued to limp forward. Emily dropped her pole and ran towards it. It bared its teeth at her and Bunneary gasped, trying to stop her. Emily23 hugged its neck. The Arcanine reared back, but she hung on tightly. Arcanine was severely injured and very tired. Finally it calmed down enough and settled down. Emily23 pulled out some potions from her bag and used them to heal his wounds. "Arr," the Arcanine stood.

"There you go," she smiled.

"You idiot! It's going to attack us now at full power!" Drix frowned, readying his sword.

"Have some faith," Emily23 held up a hand. The Arcanine sniffed the air and walked over to her. Aura tensed, drawing her Katanas. Emily23 once again held up her hand. The Arcanine lowered its head and licked her face. Aura sighed and sheathed her katanas. Drix slapped his forehead.

"So much for the fearsome Pokémon of the top ten," he rolled his eyes.

ooo

"She's here, isn't she?" Dream smiled, voice sweet as honey flowing from her lips. Beside her, Nightmare floated around Dream's head in lazy yet elegant circles. "She doesn't know when to give up."

Dream walked down the long, marble hallway looking around at the pictures around her of areas in the game and gamers. Many of the gamers on the walls had accomplished a task of great honor. Dream stopped as one of the photos caught her interest. It was a young man and his Butterfree looking at the camera. Neither were smiling--though Butterfree really can't smile anyways--and the male was holding a small, brown, plain bag in his hand. "So this is what has become of him," Dream recognized his as the man who had told her that she could make dreams come true.

She felt something, a flash of a memory, race through her mind. She grabbed her forehead for a second and waited for the memory to leave. These memories no longer met anything to her. She had long ago abandoned this ambition for a greater one; revenge.

ooo

The elevator Twilmer was on stopped suddenly. She walked out to find herself a floor lower than she had wanted. Then again, with the condition the building was in from that blast, it surprised her that the elevator had made it this far. All she needed to do was find the stairs and she could climb to the top level to meet Satoshi Tajiri face to face. "I doubt the seven would still be here if I know Mr. Taj--I mean Satoshi, except for Mr. Sug--I mean Ken because an artist is indispensible." Twilmer mentally kicked herself for the continued use of respect for the manipulative people who tried to destroy her.

"Where do you think you're going?" a cool voice asked. Twilmer turned to see a man six years older than her standing beside his Steelix.

"Dil!" Twilmer squeaked as she saw one of only four level 100 members in existence. Dill had been the first member of the top ten and the first gamer to ever reach level 100. He was the most skilled gamer in the entire game. He moved to stand in front of the staircase. His Steelix slithered so that it blocked Twilmer from any possible chance of escape.

"Steelix, take care of the exits, would you?" Dill asked. Steelix happily created a rockslide which blocked the elevators and all doors leading into the room. "There's no escape."

"Are you insane?" Twilmer raised her eyebrow, fear building in the pit of her stomach. "You're going to end up being killed as well if you keep this kind of recklessness up."

"Look who's talking," Dill sneered, pacing back and forth making Twilmer feel more and more like a trapped mouse. "You would think that, but we top ten aren't as loyal to PWO Corp as one might think. I have so many hacks on my character that I can survive anything." he grinned cockily.

Twilmer knew there was no way out, but she wasn't about to die without a fight. She lunged forward towards Dill with all the skills she could muster, hoping she might be able to do some damage to the level 100.

ooo

Another tremor shook the building. The shaking was getting annoying and more rubble fell upon the gathered party members. Helium held on to his Vileplume until the tremors had stopped. When they did, he sighed and took a step back, only to find a sword at his throat. "Wha-" the boy didn't dare move to see who held him captive.

"Xate!" Drix hissed. "Leave the boy alone!" Drix was surprised to see Xate had even survived the rubble fall. He grabbed a potion and used it to heal his leg. He then drew his sword, only to find Xate pushing the blade closer to Helium's throat.

"Let him go!" Ziac shouted, not bothering to brush the rubble off of himself.

"I'll let the boy free if someone brings me the head of Twilmer or Satoshi." Helium gasped slightly at this as the blade was too close to his neck to allow him to do much of anything.

"Twilmer I can understand, but why Satoshi?" Drix asked.

"Because with the death of Satoshi, this corporation will need someone to run it." Xate looked at them each in turn--or rather they assumed he looked at them. With his face as glitched as it was, it was hard to tell.

"And naturally that ruler would be you," Aura shook her head. She saw Ziac sneaking forward out of the corner of her eye. Xate hadn't noticed yet and she planned to keep it that way. "Why would you even be considered for the leadership position when Satoshi has a whole top ten and seven to take over for him?" Aura asked, raising her voice to cover any missed noise Ziac might make.

"You killed quite a few of the top ten right here, and you took care of one of the top seven already my dear," Xate rolled his shoulders causing Helium to intake a breath as the sword was dangerously close to ending his life. "Besides, everyone can be-" Whatever else Xate was about to say would never be heard as his head fell to the ground. The sword fell from his hand and the body toppled over backwards. Helium shouted a little as he scrambled away from the spot and ran beside Aura. Ziac stood behind where Xate had been a few moments before holding his bloody sword beside him. He dropped it and fell to his knees, sobbing.

"Ziac, man," Drix ran beside his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh man, Ziac." The most innocent and lighthearted of the Underground's top members had had to be the one to take down the traitor. Never again would Ziac be able to laugh and joke around the same way as he had.

"Serena!" Drix jumped slightly as Sho appeared on top of the rubble using the warp stone. "Serena! The res meter won't show up! There were too many of them and one of the top ten got to Shi. Why won't the res meter show up? Serena!" Sho shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. Neither of their Kirlias was with Sho.

"Serena's gone. The game has become too real and the res meters are a thing of the past. Shi is-" Drix shook his head, unable to bring himself to say it.

"What nonsense are," Sho stopped, waiting for Shi to finish her sentence, and then realization struck her. "She's not coming back..." Sho hugged her fallen twin and sobbed. "Serena's gone too." It was all too much to bear.

Another tremor shook the building. "What the hell is going on up there?" Aura wondered aloud. "Oh shit, Twilmer's up there!" Aura turned to Drix.

"WHAT? When did she leave?" Drix asked, fuming.

"She wanted to try and find Satoshi on her own while we were busy down here," Aura scowled, standing her ground.

"And you let her go?" Drix glared at her.

"This arguing isn't going to get us to Twilmer any faster." Helium looked from one to the other. They were both surprised that the pink-robed herbalist had spoken up to them.

"Damn it, he's right! Besides, the girl can't take care of herself without us." The party ran forward towards the elevator. They didn't stop to make sure Emily23 was following and didn't hear her scream.

A pillar was falling forward from the last tremor too fast to avoid. "Bunneary!" she shouted, running forward.

ooo

Twilmer jumped as Dil swung his extremely heavy broadsword forward with ease. The weapon was both longer and wider than Dil and Twilmer knew a few hits with that sword would spell a permanent game over for her. The sword was as much a part of him as his own legs and arms. He used it as a shield to block all of her staff related attacks.

Twilmer jumped back and put her staff into her inventory. It was going to be no help to her. Instead, she withdrew a small crossbow. It was an assassin's crossbow and a banned item in the games. She had confiscated it from an assassin she had banned well over a month ago. She knew she only had one shot and if she hit his neck, then he would be distracted enough and she would have a chance.

Next to her, Victoria's ice attacks were keeping the Steelix at bay. Twilmer smiled at the Weavile and was impressed by how far she had come since she and Twilmer had first met on the mountains of the newbie areas. Twilmer turned her attention back to the swordsman dodging his attack. She readied the crossbow and as Dil swung forward, she shot the crossbow.

It narrowly missed him. "DAMN IT!" Twilmer shouted.

Dil just smiled up at her. "For a grace master, you sure have terrible aim."

"It's because I'm not a sniper or merciless PKer like you!" Twilmer jumped forward and met the broad side of the sword. Pain seared through her body and she flew back, hitting the wall and falling down. She ached more then she could ever remember, cursing the stupid nerve sensors of PWO virtual reality helmets, though they had never worked this well before. Twilmer tried to access her items, but found that the menu screen was blocked. "You hacked!" Twilmer shouted, and then cursed herself for sounding so surprised.

"I don't follow the rules set down by this useless corporation." Dil grinned. Twilmer looked around. Time was running out and she had to find Satoshi. What was she going to do? There was no time to think as Dil attacked her once more. She dodged and landed hard a few feet away. Her entire body ached and she wished her party was here, but knew they would not be able to get into the room.

"Well this sucks," Twilmer remarked. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. She was weaponless and defenseless. All she had now was her grace and her slightly heeled boots. "Too bad they aren't stiletto," Twilmer sighed.

ooo

"She should be on the top floor by now." Aura said as they got into the elevator.

"That is if she made it there." Drix panted as he smashed the top-level-button.

"It would take about 30 seconds to get to the top." Aura commented while the doors closed.

"Well we better prepare." Drix said while throwing a potion at her. They hadn't reached the top floor when the doors slid open revealing a large wall of rock blocking the way. They could hear a faint "Weav, Weavile" behind it. "Aura, would you be so kind?" Drix asked, pointing to the wall of rocks.

"With pleasure." Aura scissored her swords and focused her attack power on their very tips, using Point Smash to clear the rock wall away. A surprised Twilmer and a shadow of another person met their eyes. Twilmer looked worse for the wear, though Aura knew that her looks wouldn't matter to her now with the danger she was in. She blamed this observance on the fact that she hadn't been able to design anything in quite some time due to PWO.

"Dil?" Drix raised his eyebrow as the dust from the attack fell and they were able to see clearly.

"You both here?" The Top Ten member sounded amused at both their sudden appearance and Twilmer's sigh of relief.

"Hmm." Aura stretched her neck until it gave a nasty cracking sound. "You've got work to do, princess. We'll take care of that creep for ya. Go find the puppet master."

Twilmer opened her mouth and was about to protest, but Drix just waved his hand dismissively. "You've got more important work to do. We've got your back covered."

Twilmer nodded and fled the room, taking the steps to the upper floor. Drix looked at their opponent; While they had never fought Dil before, both Drix and Aura knew the man's reputation. He clicked his tongue, as he got into his fighting stance.

"This might actually require some effort this time." He watched as Aura had put on the goggles she usually wore on her head; this was one of the signs that she was getting serious.

"I'm not very good at teamwork, you know?" The swordswoman smirked, as she got her katanas ready.

Drix only laughed.

"You're going to get in my way?"

"As if!"

They both lunged at their opponent exactly at the same second.

ooo

End Part 34

and yep, I was right, My Portfolio has been turned in by now XD now to get to those three 2.5 page essays I have waiting for me . procrastination, gotta love it :P