Chapter 5: Friend or Foe.
The day after the incident, Ericha stepped into her classroom and was immediately greeted by a heard of her classmates bombarded her with questions about the burglary. Luckily the teacher quiet them down and told everyone to sit down.
"So what happened?" Anya whispered to Ericha.
"I don't really know," Ericha whispered back carefully so the teacher couldn't hear her, "The policeman told us that residents living in my apartment called about gunfire in the upper floor. When the police came they found two burglars unconscious in our apartment."
"Unconscious?" Anya said with a puzzled look on her face.
Ericha nodded. Blaze told them what happened after the police were gone. Sheila was grateful that he wasn't too hurt, Jesselyn and Tristian. "Apparently, the two had a fight causing them both to get knocked out when the police arrived. Luckily, no one was hurt from the gunfire."
"Well thank goodness that you were at school when it happened. I didn't know what I should wear to your funeral," Anya joked. Ericha just rolled her eyes by her joke.
"Class!" Ms. Peachbody announced getting their attention, "I want you all to read your novels for the rest of the period."
A wave of upsetting sighs filled the air. The teacher ignored it and turn to Shermar. "Shermar can I see you in the hallway please?"
"Okay," He answered as he stood up from his seat at the back row and went towards the teacher. He ignored all the stares from his classmates and went out of the classroom with the teacher.
While everyone started reading or whispering to each other, Ericha noticed Anya and Curtis crawling on the floor. "What are you two doing?"
"Sssh!" Anya shushed Ericha. "I wanna hear what Shermar did this time."
"Uh, why?" she asked.
"No reason," Anya answered quietly. "Curtis here wants to see if he did anything wrong."
"That boy has to crack someday," Curtis said as grabbed a tape recorder. "And I'll be there to catch him in the act."
"Curtis, you've been trying to humiliate Shermar for the past three years," Ericha said. "Remember when we went to a field trip to McSkimming when you pushed him into the swamp and told the teacher that he jumped in 'even' though she saw you push him?"
"Hey, that was your guy's fault. You were supposed to cover me!" Curtis retorted.
"Or what about the time when you ripped his art report so he could get detention," Ericha reminded him as she finds herself following Curtis and Anya. "He told the teacher that he forgot it and the teacher wasn't mad at him."
"He just didn't want to be a tattle tale," Curtis mumbled. "He knows that no one will talk to him if he tells on someone."
The three students peek their heads out of the door of the classroom to find Shermar leaning against the wall holding a piece of paper while the teacher stood in front of him.
"Now I want you to take a deep breath before you start," Ms. Peachbody said kindly to him. Shermar nods his head as he began to speak.
"September 1st, 2000. A horrible incident has occurred at a famous College in Japan. 16 freshmen students disappeared on the campus. These students were suppose to be the first ones to enroll in this special school, which focused on improving their talents and social skills. It was like you were set for life after you graduate.
However what turned out to be a new experiences turned into a nightmare. No one knew how long the students were, but once the gate opened up only five students came out.
The moment they came out, the College burst into flames burning all the evidences and despair that traumatized the remaining teens.
Once Shermar was finished speaking, the teacher clapped impressed by his work while Ericha, Anya, and Curtis just froze with their jaws dropped.
"That was wonderful!" Ms. Peachbody said with delight. "I really like the cliff hanger in the end."
"T-thank you Ms. Peachbody," Shermar shyly mumbled.
"You know you're going to become a great author one-day Shermar," She replied. "You have such an odd, but wonderful imagination."
The three students quickly went back to their seats as Shermar and the teacher walked back in the classroom. Curtis and Anya stared oddly at him as he walked and sat down.
"What the heck was that all about?" Anya whispered to Ericha. "He was suppose to hand in the fictional article report three months ago and the teacher wasn't angry about it? Talk about teacher's pet."
"Tell me about it," Curtis scoffed harshly. "And the Article makes zero sense, in my opinion"
Ericha slowly sank down on her chair while Curtis and Anya continued to talk about how Shermar's story was weird and how he's weird. Ericha really wish that he could be more open to them, but at the same time, she wishes that her friends would give him a chance to tell them without making fun of him because he's weird.
Back in Blaze's world, no beams were fired and no explosion happened, The whole battlefield was dead silent. All the Pokemon were all tied up by the heartless Mizella summoned earlier. Some of Pokemon were unconscious while others were too weak to battle.
"Ah! The sweet smell of victory." Mizella sighed happily after sniffing the air. She turned to noticed two tree heartless dragging the same canine who sent Blaze far away, "Well if it isn't my fresh in blood hag."
"It great to see you, Mizzy," She said weakly.
"Tch!" She clicked her feet. "I still don't get why you're still worried about me, after all, I done to you."
"Because you're my daughter," The canine answered. "I'm worried that your wounds will open up."
"Shut up!" Mizella snap at her. She didn't flinch by her outburst. "I'm only going to say this once. Where did you hide my brother?"
"I send him away," The canine answered truthfully.
"You won't talk huh? Well Aroca, I got way to make yo-wait what?" Mizella asked as she realized what her mother just said.
"I told you…I sent him away," She repeated calmly while Mizella began to pace around in frustration. "Sadly I don't know where I sent him, but at least it away from this madness."
"Great," Mizella grumbled. "I was so excited to use my new torture technique on you."
"Why couldn't you use it on them?" Aroca asked gesturing her head to Niodan, Tyront, and Grumera who were tied up together to one of the heartless trees.
"I tried to, but those two baloney heads arguing about who fault it was," She answered.
"You just 'had' to tell them that we surrender you scardy wimp!" Niodan angrily shouted at Tyront.
"What do you mean? You're the one who blabbered it out you stupid big horn idiot!" He snapped back.
"Would you two shut up!" Grumera shouted annoyed by the two endless bickering.
"WHY DON"T YOU SHUT UP!" The two shouted at Grumera in unison. They then stared at each other. "STOP COPYING ME! NO, YOU STOP COPYING ME! NO, YOU! NO, YOU!"
Mizella and Aroca watched as the two continue to shout at each other. "All this yelling is giving me a headache. Heartless quiet these fools!"
One of the trees heartless walked over to the three, and stuff a bunch of leaves on each of their mouths, but it didn't stop Tyront and Niodan from arguing as they muffled angrily at each other.
"So. you're saying that my little brother is lost in space?" Mizella questioned.
"Probably," She answered. "However there's a slight chance that he might've ended up in the 'that' dimension,"
Gasps could be heard from some of the Pokemon who were conscious. Even Niodan and Tyront stop arguing when they heard what Aroca has said.
Grumera spat out the leaves and spoke, "Y-You mean the same Dimension that Zeneath disappeared to?"
"Yes..." Aroca answered and then was silent. From the look on her face, she didn't want to talk about her lost friend.
"Take them to their cells!" Mizella ordered. Each tree heartless began to either carry or drag the Pokemon away from the field. Aroca turned to Mizella and frowned as she was dragged away.
Once she was alone, Mizella walked towards the pond and stare down at her reflection on the water, "My who are you good looking?"
She began to do sexy poses while staring at her reflection until a light purple fish-like Pokemon appear on the surface of the where Mizella's reflection was and squirt a stream of water at her face. Mizella took a deep breath to calm herself down.
The fish Pokemon was about to dive down when it saw her devastating glare but didn't go far as Mizella's claw grip the slippery fish from out of the water.
"Well, well, well, a smart little Remoraid thinks he can get away with spraying me with water." Mizella watched as the Remoraid was trying to break free from her grasp.
"P-Please don't eat me!" The Remoraid pleaded. "I taste terrible! Trust me I just got out of a Muk."
"Now why the heck would I eat you?" Mizella said looking disgusted. "I may be evil, but I'm not a cannibal."
"T-T-Then what are you gonna do to me?" He asked.
Mizella didn't answer as she digs into her thick fur and took out a glass container filled with water and drop the Remoraid inside. She then took out a giant heart ball looking spaceship which made Remoraid eyes widen in shock.
"H-how did you do that?" The small creature asked.
"Duh! I'm a cartoon. Geeze, get with the script," Mizella answered. She got inside the ship and set the glass container on one of the seats. She then starts the engine as the ship slowly began to hover up in the air.
"Wait where are we going?" Remoraid asked.
"To place no Pokemon has ever been until now," Mizella answered. She pushed a red button which caused the ship to shake and then accelerate up to the sky until it disappears into the grey clouds.
Ericha came home right after school with her two best friends; Anya and Ashley. Luckily, her mom allowed her to have her friends over as long as they don't see Blaze. The three girls were in their rooms, while Tristan and Jesselyn kept Blaze in Tristan's room.
"Hey Ericha, are you going to ask Curtis out to the dance?" Ashely asked.
"Hell no!" Ericha answered suddenly. "No offense, but I would rather bring the ugliest person in the world than him."
"Or worst, that weird boy in your class," Ashely giggled which made the smile on Ericha's face disappear.
"A-anyway," Ericha tried to change the subject. "Who are you going with Ashely?"
"I'm going with Curtis," She answered. Ericha and Anya both turn at each other and cover their mouths to hide their giggles. "What? You two know I have a crush on him!"
"We know, but it funny how it took you ten months to ask him out," Anya giggled.
"Well, I'm the kind of girl who waits until the last minute. You know to make it dramatic," Ashely said. She put her fist on her chest where her heart is. "Oh Curtis where art thou Curtis!"
"But soft what light through yonder break winds," Ericha joked causing the two to laugh.
Meanwhile, in Jesselyn's bedroom, she and Tristan were showing their little animated friend the fundamental of video games by playing Pokemon XD Gales of Darkness on the game cube.
"Wow! This is amazing," Blaze said in awed as Tristan got into a battle with a Cipher Peon in the game. The Peon send out a golden white fox with nine tails and a horse with a main in flame, while the other side sends out a purple moth, and an ostrich with three heads.
"Whoa!" Blaze said in awed.
"You think this is cool wait till you see what happens when I attack," Tristan said as he press some of the buttons on the game cube controller.
The three-headed ostrich ran up to the nine tailed fox and pecked it causing it's health bar beside the screen to quickly go down, but the Pokemon endured the hit.
"WHAT!" Tristan shouted in disbelief. "How did you survive that! Ninetails, suppose to have a terrible defense!"
The Peon in the game ordered his Ninetails to use Fire Blast on the ostrich instantly defeating it, "OH COME ON!"
"Relax Tristan it only a game," Jesselyn said.
"I know," He replied feeling calm, "It just that it frustrating that my Dodrio hasn't been this useful since I putrefied it!"
"Putrefied?" Blaze said confused.
"It may be a little different in your world, but in this game, you play as a young boy who catches Shadow Pokemon from the owner."
"Shadow Pokemon? Is it a new type?" Blaze asked.
"No," Jesselyn answered. "Shadow Pokemon are Pokemon who are effective by the darkness which closes their hearts to people and cause mayhem and destruction. The objective is to putrefy every Pokemon in the game."
Blaze stared at the screen. The aspects of the game reminded him of the Heartless in his world. Many of his closest friends were either killed or possessed by the creatures and right now his world was in the middle of a neutral war.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream coming from the other room. The two younger siblings put their hands over their ears while Blaze stuffed his head under a pillow.
"What going on back there?" Tristan asked.
"I'm guessing that they found out about my stink bomb," Jesselyn answered with a slight giggle on her lips.
"You put a stink bomb in Ericha's room?" Tristan asked.
"Yup, I didn't pay her back for stealing my pizza." She answered.
"JESSELYN!" Ericha yelled as she barged into her room with Anya and Ashely behind her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"That what you get for stealing my pizza," Jesselyn answered.
"All this for a pizza? Man, you got some obsession problem." Anya commented.
"I wasn't talking to you paste face," Jesselyn snapped.
"Don't call my friend that shorty!" Ericha snapped.
"Hey I thought I was supposed to be shorty," Tristan angrily remarked.
"SHUT UP TRISTAN!" All the girl shouted.
"NO, YOU SHUT UP!" Tristan shouted back. "JUST BECAUSE IM THE ONLY BOY DOESN'T MEAN YOU GUYS CAN TREAT ME LIKE A GHOST!"
"I WISH YOU WERE A GHOST!" Ericha yelled without thinking. "YOU AND JESSELYN ALWAYS RUIN MY LIFE! I WISH I WAS AN ONLY CHILD!"
Suddenly, all five of them picked up a nasty in the room. Ericha plugged her nose in disgust and turned to Blaze who was shivering in fear under the pillow. Realizing what was going on, Ericha felt her anger turning into guilt.
"Ew!" Anya and Ashely said in unison, as they try to fan away the smell with their hands.
"Sorry, that was me," Tristan apologized.
"No surprise there," Ashely said coldly as she took a step back, covering her arms. "Sorry Ericha, but I need to get home."
"Yeeeah me too," Anya said. Before Ericha could say anything the two bolted down the hallway and out the door faster than Clover getting a 50% savings on shoes.
Once they were gone, the siblings sat on Jesselyn's bed staring at the Houndour who got his head out from under the pillow and stared back them.
"Um…" Ericha wanted to say something, but before she can say anything Blaze was already left Jesselyn's room and was in her bedroom.
Without warning, the three into Ericha room and found Blaze in the middle of the bed curled up. Ericha took a deep breath as she slowly sat down beside him.
"Blaze, we're sorry for yelling like that," She said softly. "We didn't know that you were startled by loud noises."
"We're sorry too," Jesselyn said looking down. She then turns to Tristan. "We all acted like children. Yelling at each other. Saying hurtful words and throwing a tantrum like little grade one toddlers fighting over a toy tri-."
"Okay, we get it!" Tristan interrupted looking annoyed. "Geeze! You're making an apology sound like a poem."
Blaze turned to Ericha with a frown on his face, "I'm sorry for driving away your friends Ericha. I was trying to hold it in, but…"
At first, Ericha was confused about what he meant by until she thought it over for a couple of seconds. "Oh, it okay Blaze. To be honest I'm glad that your fart stops us from fighting."
"You are?" Blaze asked confused.
Ericha nods her head, "I sometimes go overboard with what I say to Jesselyn and Tristan. Luckily, you were there to stop me from anything that I regret."
"Oh, well...you're welcome," Blaze answered awkwardly. He felt kind of surprised that he unintentionally did something to help the siblings stop fighting.
"Blaze," Tristan called out getting the dog attention. "Do you have any siblings back at your dimension?"
"Yes, I have two sisters," He answered. "One is older than me, while the other is younger than me."
"So you're the middle child of your family huh?" Jesselyn said. She then pats Blaze on the head. "I feel your pain brother."
"Um Blaze," Ericha interrupted. "Didn't you say that one of your sisters were trying to destroy you because of you're a rare species?"
Jesselyn and Tristan were shocked by Ericha question while Blaze though for a while before answering. "Yes, my older sister Mizella."
"Wait, if your a rare species of Pokemon then why is your sister trying to kill you?" Tristan asked. "I mean isn't she a Houndour too?"
Blaze shook his head, "No, Mizella's a Mighyenna."
"A Mighyenna?" Tristan repeated in shock. "That kinda makes sense. Mighyennas are crafty Pokemon."
"What about your other sister or your mom or dad?" Jesselyn's turn to ask. "Aren't they the same species as you?"
"My mother is an Arcainine, and my father I haven't seen in ages. My younger sister…" Blaze trailed off as stared down. It signaled the siblings that he didn't want to talk about his family.
"Anyway," Jesselyn spoke trying to break the awkward silents. "Why don't we make some popcorn and watch a movie."
"Yeah!" Tristan said excitedly as he and Jesselyn ran out of the room. Ericha was about to follow, but stop and turned to Blaze who was staring at the window.
"Are you okay Blaze?" She asked.
"Yeah," He answered. He jumped down from the bed and walk towards the preteen girl. "I was just thinking about my family back home. There's a huge war going on in my dimension, and I'm just worried about family getting hurt."
Ericha was taken back what he just said, "Wait, you mean there a war going on in your dimension right now?"
"Yup," Blaze answered. "The war started when the Heartless were awoken and released out into our world causing destruction and chaos."
Ericha felt a chill in her spine when Blaze mentions destruction. It was hard to believe that beyond our normal, peaceful world where nothing unusual or phenomenally happens around here there's an aggressive war between the Pokemon and these so-called Heartless.
"Anyway," Ericha thoughts were interrupted by the Houndour's less depressing voice, "Lets get going. I want to know what movies are."
Before Ericha could say anything, Blaze ran into the living room leaving the blond haired girl left with her thoughts about what Blaze said.
'Heartless? Isn't that from the game Kingdom Hearts?' Ericha asked herself. 'If that true, then are there other worlds beside Blaze'?"
"Ericha!" Jesselyn shouted, "Come on! We're watching the Breakfast Club!"
"I'm coming!" She yelled back. She then joined her siblings and Blaze in the living room still thinking about the Heartless and the war that goes on far from their world.
The next day, Ericha decided to do some reading at the public library. Still her mind wandered to the Heartless Blaze mentioned, feeling a bit frightened and worried. Ericha stared at the window. It was a nice day outside. No wind chills and no heat waves, it was just a wonderful day she might relax on the field when she finishes researching.
"Yo Ericha!" The blond turned to find Curtis coming towards him. "What are you doing here at the library? If I recall, they're no more assignments to do since the last day of school is on the same day as our Grade 6 Dance."
"I know," Ericha answered as she stood up. "I'm just doing a little reading."
Curtis gave her a long stare before answering with a grin on his face, "That so like you Ericha. Always trying to make sure that all the books in the library aren't made by a two-year-old."
"Or like you mister 'Hulk,'" Ericha joked.
"RAGH!" Curtis roared. "HULK SMASH HUGE ISLAND CAUSING IT TO BREAK APART!"
"SSH!" Hissed the male librarian who was putting some books away, but stopped when he heard Curtis shouting.
"S-Sorry," Curtis whispered. Ericha couldn't help but giggle secretly. However, Curtis noticed and frowned, "What so funny?"
"I still can't believe you thought that the continental drift happened when the Incredible Hulk smashed Pangaea." She giggled.
"I was twelve!" Curtis whispered loudly. "And I was a huge fan of the Hulk back then, but now I grew over him."
Ericha remembered the time when she loved SpongeBob from SpongeBob Square Pants. He always cheered her up when she felt sad or angry, but over the years she began to watch other shows like Big Brother and Family Guy that she didn't have time to watch it.
"So why are you here?" Ericha asked changing the subject. "It's not like you to be in the library in the weekend."
"I was looking for you," Curtis answered. "I went to your house, but your mother said that you went to the library."
"Well, here I am," Ericha said like he presenting herself, "What did you want to tell me?"
Curtis looked around to make sure no one was close to the two and whispered in her ears, "Ashely, Anya and I are going to pull the ultimate prank on the weirdo in our class?"
Ericha eyes widen, "Y-you mean on Shermar?"
"Who else?" Curtis answered. "It will be payback for acting like a weirdo ever since Grade 4, and when a better place to prank him on the Graduation dance."
"T-The Graduation Dance?" Ericha whispered out loud in surprise. Curtis had been playing mean pranks on Shermar ever since he transfers into this school and he "never" got caught by it. Just because of the fact that he would threaten him if ever tattletales.
Ericha wants to tell Curtis, but he beat her to the punch, "Now before you say that this is not a good idea, don't worry. I won't hurt him. I'll just humiliate him in front of the whole school and probably the whole world will see how weird Shermar is. That way no one will ever be his friend later on."
When Curtis finished explaining his prank, The blond girl stood up staring down to the floor, "Sorry Curtis I have to go."
Before Curtis could ask, Ericha darted away from him as fast as she can. She ran down the stairs of the library and out the door.
Ericha continued to run down the sidewalk until she ended up back at her school playground entrance. She ran inside and went straight towards the soccer field.
Once she was there, She collapsed down to her knees not caring about her blue jeans getting stained by the grass.
"Why did this have to happen?' Ericha asked herself. She stared at her dirty hands in disbelief. "Was I really like one of them?"
Ericha slowly leaned back and let herself fall backward until her back touches the grass. She stretched her arms and legs like a starfish and just stared at the clouds, slowly moving like a turtle while focused on her breathing after running from the library.
Ericha though about her years in Connaught. The day where she meets Anya and Curtis in Kindergarten when they all had to stay inside for recess for pranking their teacher with a bucket of water. The reason why Ericha got in trouble was that she was tricked by Curtis into drawing out the plans when she thought that he needed help. Ericha was angry at first, but she forgave the two when Anya explained that Curtis didn't mean it.
The next year, Ashely transfer from New York and Curtis teased her about handling guns which she buys from the streets. Anya and I then notice her crying during recess and told her what Anya told me making her feel better and became friends.
During the years in school, the four hang out and prank not only the students but some of the teachers and supply teachers. They even made on substitute teacher quit her job after telling her about the haunted text book.
However when Grade 4 began, that when the boy change her life.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Poke-Freak.