I can't believe it! I'm actually updating this old fic! Anyway, Pokémon isn't mine. At the moment, I have my cat on my lap, and I'm betting that I look like one of those evil geniuses everybody sees in the movies, the ones that always have a cat on their laps that they stroke as they explain all their evil plots. Well, this isn't exactly an evil plot, but it works for me. R&R, please! Okay, what'd I do with the Hershey kisses…?
Sorry about the formatting problem on the last version of this. As soon as it came to my attention that it was all one single paragraph, I came and fixed it! Hope it looks better!
This is Pokémon talk. They are NOT speaking English. It's just being translated.
I don't understand what happened.
Once, not too long ago,
People and Pokémon were the best of friends.
I never saw that time, but someone told me about it.
She was there.
The true masters would stand by their Pokémon in battle,
Taking whatever their Pokémon friends took,
Feeling the same pain.
They were one, two parts of a whole.
Now…
Pokémon are only weapons,
And the trainers don't care about the pain they put their Pokémon through.
I wish I knew what happened.
Crimson wishes she knew what happened.
She looks at the Earth and weeps at what she sees.
She's an angel now.
My guardian angel.
She never asked me to do what I'm doing now.
I took this task upon myself.
I will stand by my Pokémon friends in battle.
I will feel their pain.
And I will rejoice with my friends at every victory…and every defeat.
~Ruby~
Second Victory, First Defeat
Shane turned back to face Ruby. He saw the girl staring at him, all nine of her Pokémon at her side: Charmeleon, Ivysaur, Wartortle, Pidgeotto, Rapidash, Persian, Porygon, Nidorina, Nidorino. Each creature looked ready to fight with all they had, but Ruby just looked depressed.
"Three on three battle!" he declared. Ruby shook her head silently.
"I wish you could understand," she murmured. A spark of anger flared up into a bonfire inside Shane. He grabbed a Pokéball and threw it out to the center of their battlefield.
"I choose Pikachu!" he shouted. The ball bounced once and opened, releasing a beam of white light that formed a small electric mouse.
"Pikachu," it said sweetly.
"What'll you choose?" he asked snidely as the empty ball returned to his hand. Ruby smiled sadly and took a step forward. Cannon moved in unison with her, while the rest of the Pokémon took a few steps back.
"Your move," Ruby said. Her stance radiated confidence, one hand on her hip, the other at her side. Cannon was just smirking with his arms crossed. This single act of insolence made that bonfire a forest fire.
"Fine, then. Pikachu, Thundershock!" Shane yelled. The Pikachu seemed startled. He turned to look at his trainer, then back at his opponent. He cocked his head.
Attack? the Pikachu asked, confused.
Ruby smiled, a small, bright smile, so different from her usual sad expression. "Your Pikachu doesn't want to hurt us," she said to Shane. He stared blankly at her for a moment, then started yelling at his Pokémon.
You'd better listen to your trainer Cannon said to the Pikachu.
The Pikachu looked back at his enraged trainer, then back at the Wartortle and the girl. He sighed as sparks began to fly from his cheek pouches.
"Piii kaa CHUUU!!" he shouted, sending a concentrated blast of electricity at his adversary. As though some silent signal had passed between them Ruby and Cannon both jumped to the side, easily avoiding the attack.
"Well, I guess it's my turn," she said, a bit more cheerfully. "Hey Cannon, let's try Ice Beam!" she exclaimed. Cannon looked over at her and she nodded, still smiling. The Wartortle grinned and walked up to the Pikachu.
Okay, here's the deal, Cannon said. We just want you to play dead. The Ice Beam won't hurt you if you agree. Deal? He extended his hand. For a moment the Pikachu just stared at the Wartortle, then he smiled.
Deal he said, smiling and shaking paws.
"What the heck are you doing!?" Shane shouted at his Pikachu. As it looked back Cannon jumped into the air and withdrew into his shell. It when it came out again a ball of shimmering white ice was in his mouth. A crystal beam formed, headed straight for the Pikachu.
Startled, the Pikachu covered its head with its paws, feeling betrayed by the Wartortle and its female trainer. After a few seconds of nothing, the electric mouse slowly opened one eye. What he saw almost blew his cover.
All around him there was ice. But he wasn't frozen. Faintly through the prismic ice he saw the black Persian, eyes glowing bright green, gem on her forehead flashing. He smiled at that, and prepared for his part of their deal.
"Okay, Cannon, let's break the Pikachu out of the ice," Ruby said calmly. "Skull Bash!" Cannon's ears flattened against his head as he charged forward, smashing headlong into the ice. The ice cube cracked slightly, then shattered into a crystal rain. The Pikachu fell onto his back, spread eagled, doing a wonderful impression of a knock out.
"Pikachu, return," Shane called angrily. Latching the miniaturized ball onto his belt again, he grabbed another Pokéball.
"Go Rattata!" he called, throwing the ball into the makeshift ring. It burst open, the white light materializing into a small Rattata. Cannon stepped back as Shadow came forward, tail whipping back and forth. The Persian walked up to rat, lowering her head so that she could see eye to eye with the creature. A faint smile played across her face as she saw the other Pokémon's terror. Then she licked it. Stunned, the Rattata fainted. Anger flaring, Shane returned his unconscious Pokémon.
"You won't beat this one as easily," he muttered. "I choose Charmeleon!" As he maximized the orb it tore open on its own, the blaze of white light forming a Charmeleon, a thirst for blood evident in his eyes. Startled, Shadow backed away from the enraged Pokémon. Bonfire, however, took the challenge, stepping into the battlefield and snapping her claws together.
"Are you sure about this, Bonfire?" Ruby asked quietly. The Charmeleon nodded slowly, bracing herself for any coming attacks as she stood at her trainer's side.
"Charmeleon, Slash!" Shane cried. The Pokémon raced forward, sharpened claws ready to tear at Bonfire. The opponent merely shook her head and jumped, letting Shane's creature pass under her. As Bonfire hit the ground, she swiped her tail along the trail, knocking Charmeleon's feet out from under him.
Roaring in rage, the Charmeleon jumped up and began slashing left and right in Bonfire's direction. Startled, she could only dodge the coming attacks, her opponent not leaving any room for her to make a move.
"Bonfire, Fire Spin!" Ruby shouted. Her Charmeleon jumped back quickly, then up into the air, flames licking the edges of her jaws.
"Charmeleon, counter with Fire Spin!" Shane ordered confidently. He could see that Ruby was getting edgy. Flames poured from his Charmeleon's mouth as fire streamed from Bonfire's. The flame's connected, swirling with each other, then exploding with a blaze of heat, spreading a thick gray smoke over the field.
Ruby couldn't see her Pokémon anymore. She couldn't she Shane's either. She could hear the two battling it out inside the smokescreen. Flickering tail flames bounced by her, accompanied by the clash of claws and enraged cries from the opposing creatures.
This can't be good, Ruby said to herself as a deep scream echoed through the forest. That was Shane's Charmeleon. A second, higher cry followed. That was Bonfire! Roars of fury echoed through the silence of the forest as Ruby backed slowly out of the smoke.
"So, you're giving up?" Shane asked as she emerged beside him. Ruby gave him a sad look, but her eyes flashed with lightning.
"That screen won't go down until one of them falls," she explained. "This is a battle both want to fight alone. It's the Charmeleon's primal instincts coming out for a fight-to-the-death battle. Both want to win, both are determined to do it without the help of their trainers."
"So…you're telling me that the smokescreen is them telling us, 'I don't want help so buzz off'?" Shane asked. Ruby nodded, listening to the crackling of the Charmeleons' tail flames. "And you're also telling me this they're gonna fight until the other one is dead?" Again the girl merely nodded, keeping her emerald eyes on the black smoke.
The haze began to thin out as the two trainers watched. Both Charmeleon were standing, glaring at each other, deep slashes spilling blood to the earth and coloring the ground sunset red. Then one of them collapsed.
"Bonfire!" Ruby cried. Her Charmeleon was the one splayed out on the trail, gasping for breath as her life spilled through her claws. "Return!" the girl shouted, pointing one of the red-and-white balls at the creature. A beam of scarlet light shot out of the sphere, hitting the defeated Charmeleon and converting her into the same rose energy. This was promptly absorbed by the orb.
Ruby cupped the Pokéball in her hands, trying to think of how she could end the battle quickly and get Bonfire to a Pokémon Center.
"Charmeleon!" Shane yelled, concerned. Looking back, she saw that the other Pokémon had collapsed as well. She watched as the creature was transformed into red light, then sucked into a ball much like Bonfire's.
"So, would it be fair to call this a draw?" she asked Shane. He stared at her for a moment, disbelieving, then nodded. The other Pokémon under Ruby's care lightly touched their respective spheres, willingly returning to them. As if by some silent agreement, the two trainers headed off down the trail, Shane toward Pewter and Ruby toward Mt. Moon.
Well, this was interesting. I can't believe I actually worked on this! It's finally recapturing my interest! Yay! Anyway, I'd love it if you reviewed, and I'd love it even more if you would E-mail me (if you have time, anyway). Well, hopefully I'll make another chapter, so, bye for now!