Chapter 3: Wild or Not.
Bolt the Luxio and Sparks the Pichu were running after the Feraligatr and went almost out of breath by doing so. For being Electric-Types, they were having a surprising hard time keeping up with the large Pokemon.
Once the crewmate popped up and said that their ship was under attack, Gator jumped into the water, and swam to the back of the ship as fast as he could. Maybe he went into the water because he'd go faster that way, or, due to his size, it would get rid of the risk of breaking the dock apart, or maybe it was both.
Well, he was a lot faster than both of the Electric Types could have ever thought, but fortunately, the two eventually caught up to him went they reached the back of the ship.
And just when before Sparks was going to ask what was going on, a bright, blue beam shot in front of them.
The beam then flew toward a Wingull. The bird tried to get out of the way, however, the beam struck the Wingull, and it fell down into the water, frozen solid.
Bolt only stared at the now frozen Pokemon in a scared, but amazed way at the same time. He had never seen one-
"Hey! I know that move!" Sparks said, interupting Bolt's thoughts. "That's an Ice Beam!"
Bolt just stared at Sparks and the Captain (who just climbed up back onto the dock) turns his head slightly to look at Sparks.
"Yes...it does that a lot, and it's very annoying to deal with." He says in a hard tone. He then turns to a Marshtomp. "How did it get rid of the mask!? I thought you said that it wouldn't be able to get it off!" Gator furiously yelled.
The crewmate gulped. "Well, it seems that it did somehow! And it doesn't look like it's going to calm down without a sleep seed either!"
Gator let out a groan and pulled out a mask with a Sleep Seed from his red coat, and turns back toward the brothers. "What moves do you know?"
"I don't really fight, sir." Sparks edmitted.
"I know Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, and Roar, sir." Bolt says with a smile.
Gator faces Bolt. "Alright, that'll work. Now listen closely, Bolt." He pointed to a ladder on the side of the ship. "I'm going to take this mask and go up above the Lapras's head. When I tell you to, I want you to use Thunder Wave to paralyze it, and then I'll take care of the rest."
"Yes sir!" Bolt said with a sign of joy. Gator then ran towards a ladder to climb it.
Bolt smiled. "Now this is what I like doing!" He thought to himself. Some of the crewmates try to distract the Lapras from seeing Gator, however it seems that they may have done this a few times before because the turtle turned its head to see the Feraligatr climbing the ladder, so it started charging up an Ice Beam.
"Look out, Captain!" The crewmates yell. It fired the blue beam of ice towards Gator, who turned and saw the beam coming. He then let go of the ladder with one hand and hangs on it with the other, which has him turn toward the beam, he then fires a stream of water right at it.
"That's a Hydro Pump!" Sparks said, who couldn't help but to to say the name of the move. The beam of ice crashed into the beam of water, freeing it in less than a second.
However, it doesn't stop the momentum of the Hydro Pump. As the now frozen pump crashed right into the Lapras' head. The turtle didn't see it coming, and starts to cry in pain, as it has no way of healing its now bruised head.
"NOW!" Gator cries out as he gets to the top.
"Finally." Bolt smiled. Electric then started to flow through his fur. "Take this!" He screamed as he threw a wave of lighting at the Lapras. The Lapras could do nothing about Bolt's attack, and got hit with the wave and immediately was paralyzed by the lightning moving throughout its body.
Gator takes this moment to jump right onto its shell, and quickly puts the mask and Sleep Seed over its face and pulls back so that the seed goes into its mouth. The Lapas tries to throw off the captain with the rest of its might, swinging its head back and forth. But because of the Sleep Seed, it starts to moan in a tried tone, and eventually, its neck falls to the dock, fast asleep.
Gator brushes off some sparks of Bolt's Thunder Wave, and hops off the Lapras. "Alright, we need to tie this up tighter before it wakes up!" Gator ordered.
The Marshtomp, along with some other crewmates, hopped onto the turtle's shell and started tieing the mask. Bolt can't help but smile at what he had just done.
"And now the Wild Pokemon is put back where it belongs." He thought.
Sparks however, can't help but have both his ears down. "Excuse me, Mr. Gator." Sparks says as he walks to the captain. Gator turned away from the Turtle Pokemon to look at Sparks and asked, "Yes?".
"Why is there a wild Lapras on your ship if it keeps attacking it?" He asked in a slightly sad tone.
The Captain looks back at the turtle. "Just yesterday it attacked my ship, and it was cruel. You should have seen the look in its eye, all filled with anger and rage, it can be frightening at points, but that's wild Pokemon for you."
Sparks didn't seem to like that answer. "But why is it here, you aren't going to do something with it are you?"
Gator takes a breath in. "Look kid, you might think that wild Pokemon are just some Pokemon who don't go to school, but in reality they're wild, raised differently, and have a different way in living their lives. While we have jobs so that we can make Poke and live our lives, they have a 'survival of the fist' way of doing things. And it's up to us to beat them at their own game. Otherwise, we'll be taking orders from them."
Now Sparks really didn't like the answer and looked over at the Lapras. "Could I at least see it?" He asked.
Gator sweats. "I don't think you should see it until after it's safe. Sure, it's asleep, but that thing needs to get tied up. We don't want to risk it going crazy until it's settled down."
Bolt cuts in. "And besides Sparks, our orders should be ready, we need to have lunch so we can continue delivering the rest of our mail."
"Oh, okay." Sparks says. "See you tomorrow then, Mr. Gator?"
The Captain shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but tomorrow at dawn I'll be leaving to go to the Red Currents. So, unless you want to get up that early, you'll have to see us some other time."
"Oh." Sparks says half-heartedly. The two brothers then turn around and walk down the dock back towards land to get their order.
"Have a good meal, you two." The captain yells as they walk away, but while they do, Bolt couldn't help but notice that his brother had both of his ears down.
"I don't know if this is good or a bad thing." Bolt wondered. The brothers were now eating their lunch and instead of asking more questions, Sparks had spent his entire time eating his lunch and looking at the ship. Bolt was happy with the quietness but...
No! Don't ask him how he's doing! You'll wake up the beast!
But Sparks is never like this.
You never WANTED him like he normally is!
But, this is different! Right?
Bolt didn't know what to think. It felt like his Shinx self was back, but only this time, it didn't want to lose. So, for the first time in a long time, he wanted Sparks to say something. He took a breath in.
Here it goes.
"You okay, Sparks? You're acting a bit werid."
Sparks, with his ears still down, turned to his brother and said, "Ya."
Bolt hesitated on if he should help Sparks cheer up, so it took a few seconds until he spoke up again.
"Look, it's alright. He said that we could see him anytime. Just get over it already. We have to finish our mailday anyway." Bolt said in a hard tone.
Bolt, thinking that he had said enough, got back to eating, however, Sparks him asked a question.
"But, don't you think it's cruel to do that to a Pokemon?"
Bolt raises an eyebrow. "Cwuel? How? Gatw said it crashed into the shik attacking everyone. I'd say that's pretty fair." He answers with a mouth full of food.
Sparks let out a sigh. "I guess, but..." Sparks thought for a moment, "...nevermind."
For just a moment, Bolt's inner Shinx wanted to know what Sparks was going to say, but he shook the idea away. He did enough talking! Just leave Sparks alone and you'll be fine!
Bolt then stood up and said, "Well, I'm going to get some water." He then got off his seat and went toward the small building.
"See ya." Sparks said, although a little quieter than normal.
Bolt then came across another water fountain. And as he turned it on, he started thinking to himself.
"Never seen Sparks so down before." He groans. "Agh, but why's it bothering me so much! This should be a good thing! Maybe he'll be quiet for the rest of the day." He smiled as he thought about how amazing that would be, but then it slowly turned into a concerned face. "But that last question, he doesn't really care about that Pokemon does he?"
Sparks' question comes back to his mind. And the more he thought about it, the more he questioned Sparks.
Sparks was eating his food, but not smiling. Sparks couldn't stop thinking about the Lapras and he hated it! He knew it was a wild Pokemon, and it did a bad thing. But for it to be tied up with ropes, chained against the ship, was that right?
*brush*
Sparks' ears picked up a sound off to the corner.
*brush* *brush*
"Huh?" Sparks got off his seat and wondered if that the noise was coming from a bush, and what the noise could be.
"Is...someone behind that bush?" He asked the bush. He walked a little slower until he saw a little bit of fur sticking out from the bush.
Sparks stopped. "It's a Pokemon." He said as he smiled. He looked closer and saw brown fur; he also saw a tail with white and brown stripes.
Sparks went back to his table. He knew it was a wild Pokemon, but instead of reporting it, he grabbed a piece of Bolt's PokePuff.
"Bolt probably won't mind if I just take a bit of his PokePuff." He told himself. He then went back to the bush, but not too quickly. "Don't worry little guy, here, have a PokePuff." He said as he held out his paws.
The Pokemon showed its eyes, as it poked its head out from the bush.
"A Zigzagoon." Sparks murmured.
The Normal Type took a step back when Sparks spoke. Sparks tried to stay calm and not move.
"It's okay, I've given food to Pokemon like you many times before. Don't be scared." The Zigzagoon took a few steps toward Sparks and sniffed the PokePuff.
"It's really good. Have some." It gave it another sniff, and then took a bite.
"Mmmm." It said.
Sparks looked down, and let out a sigh. Then, noticing that the Pokemon was eating, he spoke to it. "You don't know that Lapras down there do you?" Sparks asked.
But the Pokemon just continued eating. But that didn't matter to Sparks. "I like to help you guys but," He looks at the ship. "I don't think Pokemon look at you guys the same way I do. I'm worried about the Lapras down there."
The Zigzagoon stopped eating and looked at the Pichu. However, Sparks was still looking at the ship. "My dad used to be an explorer, and he said explorers like him fight for those who can't. And, I don't mean to be rude but, wild Pokemon like you can't really seem to fight back sometimes. And that makes me a little...worried about you guys."
He looks at himself. "I'm just a Pichu, so I'm very bad at fighting, but because I'm not wild, I have a much easier time in my life. But because you're wild, everyone hates you, how hard your life is as a wild pokemon with everyone hating you and sometimes being mistreated no matter how strong you are. Which is why I like helping you guys. I just wish other Pokemon could see how similar we really are."
He looked toward the Pokemon, only to see it staring at him. Sparks was shocked, he hadn't noticed that it was looking at him. Was it listening? Did it understand Sparks?
"D-did you understand me?" Sparks asked, only this time, he expected a response from the Pokemon. The Zigzagoon appeared to be thinking. Could it actually respond to Sparks?
It's ears pick up. It then turned its head.
"STAY AWAY YOU WILD FREAK!" A loud voice thundered. And before Sparks could find out who said those words a bolt of lightning striked the Normal Type. Sparks turned around and turned white when he who the attacking Pokemon was.
"Bolt?!" Sparks looks at his brother for only one more second as Bolt runs past him and toward the Pokemon with Quick Attack.
"Bolt, WAIT!" Sparks yelled. But it's too late, as Bolt slams into the Pokemon, causing it to fly in the air and soon, falls to the ground.
Bolt, however, wasn't finished with it and started to get electricity flowing on his fur again.
He was going to Thunderbolt it again, Sparks knew it. Sparks then used his own Quick Attack and stopped right in front of Bolt.
"STOP!"
Bolt gasps at his brother for running in front of him. "Sparks?! What are you-Hey!" Bolt then sees the wild Pokemon, who takes this moment to try to flee and to disappear from his sight.
Sparks lets out a sigh of relief. Only to turn around to see Bolt angrily stare at him. "What's wrong with you?! Dad told me to protect you from ANY Wild Pokemon!" He paused as he looked to where the Pokemon once was. "And I was having fun with it too."
Sparks took a breath. "Well, thanks for saving me, but don't you think you should calm down a little?" He said.
Bolt then wore a confused look. "Calm down? Why should I..." Bolt stopped and stared at Sparks, which Sparks gets a little weirded out by.
"Bolt?" The Pichu says with a confused face.
"Is that MY Pokepuff?" The Luxio asked. Sparks looked at his paw, and is horrified to see that the Pokemon never finished the PokePuff.
He slowly lifted his head to see Bolt staring at him. "You were feeding that Pokemon, weren't you?!" Sparks now had sweat coming down his head. He didn't know what to say, no one had ever found out about his little secret. He had been doing things like this for a few months!
Sparks' silence, however, gave Bolt a smile. "He actually did feed that Wild Pokemon." He thought to himself.
Every single second Sparks wasn't saying anything, was just more proof for Bolt. "That explains everything, the Wild Pokemon at school, why you never like fighting, and how you cared for that Lapras." Bolt said with one of his biggest smiles, "I'm telling on you!"
Bolt then jumps over Sparks, and started to run toward the Cafe. Sparks knew he had to do something. He couldn't just let Bolt get away, at least not until Sparks gave his reasoning. Sparks needed to stop him, and out of panic he decided to use his own Thunderbolt on Bolt.
Sparks took in a breath and felt electricity come up his fur, but then as he started to power up his move, the sparks started to go out of control, hitting some grass around him, and even hurting Sparks. He hated using Thunderbolt because of this reason, but it was his most powerful move, and he would rather stop Bolt than have him get away.
Sparks then let out a short scream, as he shot the lightning at his brother. Bolt didn't even see (or expect) the lightning, and was struck hard with it. A sizable blast formed around where Bolt was, and Sparks started to catch his breath.
"Bolt!" He yelled. "It's true! I was doing that! But could you please just listen to what I have to say?" Bolt looked at his body, he saw the mark where the Thunderbolt struck. He stared at it.
Then, something inside of him snapped. He suddenly felt all the anger he felt about Sparks throughout the whole school year, come into one spot, Bolt's inner Shinx couldn't even be heard by Bolt, because he was finally going to release all of his anger at his little brother.
It was time he let him know how he felt about him.
Bolt then snapped out of it and ran toward his brother. Sparks isn't even able to get away as Bolt pins him into the ground, which makes the tiny mouse let out a yell of pain.
Sparks then opened his eyes to see the lion on top of him, furiously staring down at him. "No! You're going to listen to me!" He starts to yell at Sparks. "What gives YOU the NERVE to tell me to stop, huh?!"
Sparks tried to cover his ears, but Bolt pushed down even harder on him, and continues yelling. "You think you're SO good with your higher grades! With Mom and Dad giving you whatever you want! Because of all of your STUPID USELESS facts!" Electricity started to come down from Bolt and began to zap Sparks.
"And I've had to put up with those things for MONTHS! And I think I was doing a good job keeping it all to myself!" Bolt then makes a wicked smile, which only scares Sparks more.
"But then, you did something wrong, not bad, ILLEGAL. You fed a WILD POKEMON! Which is a HUGE CRIME! And somemon like YOU should KNOW that!" Sparks gets tears of pain as Bolt's paw only presses harder on him.
"I always knew you were a pain around me, but the moment I tell Mom and Dad about your secret, they're going to be so mad." Bolt speaks with a huge grin on his face.
"And you want to know why I'm going to do that? BECAUSED. I. NEVER. LIKED YOU! Ever since you were able to travel with me, you've been nothing but a pain to have! Because you've always been nothing but a STUPID! SELFISH! LITTLE BROTHER!" Bolt then threw Sparks at a nearby tree.
Sparks finally breathed and stood up, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that Bolt had one last thing to say. "Listen here! Sparks! Until Mom and Dad come back. I don't ever want to see your face! GOT IT!?"
Sparks didn't even know what to say, or think. All he has are tears of pain, and from his heart being shattered into pieces. Bolt, feeling as if he lost a ton of weight, walked back to his table and got his mail bag. He started to put it on when another bag was thrown right besided him.
He turned around to see Sparks, whose eyes are filled with tears.
"Take it!" Sparks says with more tears coming down his face. "I WANTED TO SEE THE LAPRUS ANYWAYS!" Sparks then runs towards the ship with a path for tears being left behind.
Bolt only watched Sparks run off. And the further he got, the more Bolt is relieved. "It's over." He says. "It's finally over." Bolt then took Sparks' bag and walked away, not even thinking about whether Sparks will be alright.
"Glad we came when no one was here, otherwise I'd have a lot of explaining to do."
Gator walked along his ship, watching his crewmates fixing any problems with his ship.
He smiled and turned toward the Lapras and walked away, but then retraces his steps to see Sparks looking at the Laprus.
A tad confused, the Feraligatr walked toward the Pichu. "Hello there, Sparks! I thought you and your brother were doing mail."
Sparks just left his head down, which makes Gator wonder about Sparks. "Is something wrong?" He asks.
Sparks took a deep breath, trying his best to hide his sorrow.
"No, I'm just...fine. My brother said he could do the mail himself so I could see your Lapras before you go."
Gator gave Sparks a worried look, and even notices that the Laprus was looking at Sparks.
"What are you looking, ya freak?" He said to himself as he walked away, thinking that leaving Sparks alone with the Pokemon would be for the better. Gator never had any kids to call his own, so he didn't know what to do.
Sparks turned to see the Captain go out of sight. And once he does, Sparks let out a sad sigh. He lifted his head to see the roped and masked Transport Pokemon, who seemed to also be looking at him with the same worried glance.
Sparks took a breath and started to speak to the Pokemon. "You know, normally I'd be smiling from ear to ear, probably asking so many questions about you, but..." He started to form another tear, which made the Laprus look at Sparks harder.
"Something really bad happened to me with Bolt. *sniff* I was feeding a Wild Pokemon, and he caught me doing it. I knew he would be mad at me. But...then he pinned me to the ground, started yelling at me, and he hurt me so badly!"
Even more tears start to form. "But the worst part was when he called me stupid, selfish, and...he said I was annoying...and-and that he never liked me...I may have just made him so mad that he was saying those things without thinking, but...what if he really does mean that, did he really think of me like that all this time?"
Sparks putted his head down and started crying. "All I wanted to do was to help that Pokemon! Just like my Dad! Whether it would be someone from town or a Wild Pokemon like you! But when Bolt tells Mom and Dad what I did they might think that I'm...I don't know what I'm going to do!"
Sparks then cried even more for a few more seconds.
"Now I'm the one who needs help." He said.
"H-help?" A calm voice speaks.
"Ya, just some...help? Wait-" Sparks dried up his tears and looked around to see who could have said that. But he didn't see anymon. They had left, probably to grab a bite to eat maybe. No mon was there besides him and the...Laprus.
Sparks puts two and two together and almost forgets about Bolt as he looks at the Laprus, who now has more of a scared face.
"Did-did you just speak to me? As in, you were listening?" He asked.
The Ice-Type got more worried, and turned its head away from Sparks. Sparks looked around for anymon, making sure that no one will interrupt them.
"It's okay." He said. "I'm the only one here. If that's what you're worried about."
The Turtle slowly looked back at Sparks as he asked, "Can you talk?".
The Laprus turned its head to Sparks and looked him straight in the eye.
Seconds feel like minutes, minutes feel like hours, but the Laprus could tell that Sparks wasn't going to leave until it spoke.
Then, after what felt like forever. The Pokemon spoke.
"Y-yes."