pbPart Fourteen- Dad's Wish/b
p
PWe hit Viridian forest quickly, once Kojiro and Kyotoshi woke up. Dad rode on my soulder the majority of the way, seeing as he was too small to walk the whole thing on his own. We kept entertained by listening to Dad's stories about Cinnibar and watching Kojiro smash into trees, so the walk didn't seem as long as most walks do. Kyotoshi kept silent the entire walk, having abandoned his fedora and sunglasses a while back. Kojiro, for some reason, didn't notice Kyo's ears. Maybe it was just his idiocy.
pWe entered into Viridain around noon, and startled a bug catcher who was hanging out there.
p"Ho-ho-holy Zapdos! What are you guys??" the kid seemed a little startled. Kyo didn't mind this time around. In fact, he smiled slightly, showing Meowth-like incisors.
pKojiro was on top of the ball this time. "We're Team Rocket! So prepare for trouble, you little runt! Koffing, go!"
p::Yeeeeeeeehaaaa!! Let's whoop some bug!:: yelled Koffing.
p::Show that kid who's boss!:: Dad cheered, shaking a paw in the air.
pLeave it to Kojiro to drag out a battle. I stopped him before he could order an attack. "Hey, if you send posion against posion we'll be out here all day. Recall Koffing, i've got a better idea."
pKojiro seemed a little confused and even a little upset, but he did like i asked. I looked at Dad, who was perched on my shoulder. "Think you can take out a few catapillers?"
pDad flexed his claws. ::No sweat. Check this!:: Leaping from my shoulder, Dad stood in the middle of the path looking as ferocious as he could. The Bug catcher sent out a Weedle, and tried to posion sting Dad.
pThe Meowth winced a little from the attack, but seemed just fine. ::That was your best attack? My turn! BANZAI!!!::
pDad launched himself into the air and came down on the poor Weedle with a double Scratch attack that knocked it out right away. The Bug catcher seemed only a little fazzed.
p"You guys are good. Okay, try on this for size. Venomoth, go!"
pDad leapt back to allow room for the much bigger Venomoth, but didn't look scared. ::That's your best? Ha! Fury Swipes!::
p"Venomoth, Psybeam!"
pDad got hit hard, and fell back in mid-air. I growled and clenched a fist. NO ONE subbed a friend of mine and got away with it. I knew Venomoth couldn't hold up against PikaFreak. That is, if i could keep him from seducing the moth. I threw Pikafreak's pokeball onto the ground, and out hopped the little yellow rodent.
p::Pi-ka...:: the pikachu eyed the Venomoth up and down and it hesitated a minute.
p"Pikafreak! Don't just stand there seducing it!! Thundershock!" i knew that attack, at least.
pPikafreak seemed upset i wasn't letting it seduce the Venomoth, but charged up and zapped the dumb bug into oblivion. The Bug catcher looked shocked, turned and ran in the direction his Venomoth had gone.
pKyotoshi folded his arms and grinned somewhat evilly. "Heh."
pDad sat up, somewhat dazzed and pumped a fist into the air. ::WAHAHA! That was great! I feel like i'm level fifteen again!::
pKyo rolled his eyes, and Kojiro just didn't understand at all. I shook my head. "That's nice, Dad."
p::Say, i got an idea! When we get to Pewter, let's go to the Gym! I'd like to beat up a few trainers.::
pKyotoshi glared and started walking without the rest of us. I yelled at him.
p"Hey, Kyotoshi. Knock off with this hermit stuff, okay?"
p He turned and looked at me angrily. "I'll do what i damn well please, okay?"
pI levetated towards him and glared. "Not while you're working as a team member. Look, we've been helping you out a lot here. If you keep giving us nothing but crap back, you can leave."
pI could see it in his eyes that being ditched was the last thing he wanted. He didn't like being alone, but he didn't know how to react to poeple around him. "I gave you your damn information. What the hell else do you want?"
p::A little cooperation would be nice,:: Dad suggested. ::Kyo, you've got your wishes. You wish you could be back to your original self. Well, sorry, but we can't do that now. You've got your wishes. So do i.::
pKyo shoved his hands into his pockets and sniffed. "Yeah, what do you wish? Nothing so great, right?"
pDad jumped onto my shoulder and signaled to start moving. I motioned for Kojiro to follow. ::I wish you could accept what life's handed you for now. It isn't doing you any good living in the shadows of memories.::
pWe left Kyotoshi behind and continued on the way to Pewter. If he followed or not was his choice at this point. We'd done all we could.
p
pbPart Fifteen- Vampire!/b
p
PThe Mt. Moon pokecenter was full of lunatics. Kojiro imidiately gravitated towards some guy trying to sell Magikarp in the corner. I wondered how many of the fish he'd be dupped into buying. A Jigglypuff sat in the corner and sang softly to some of the customers. Dad started to doze off until i tapped his nose.
p::Huh-what?:: He exclaimed sleepily. ::Oh, it's that Jigglypuff. Thanks for waking me, Mantis.::
p"No problemo, Dad. Hey, would you mind taking a ride through the healing machine?" I motioned to the counter. Like i'd said before, having the people do something for you was a good way to get information.
p::Sure thing. I haven't been in a pokecenter in ages.::
pAs Dad took a quick trip through the machine, i seated myself on one of the benches. They were soft and had pokeballs printed on the fabric, a lot like the bag with the yet-unused Thunderstone i carried. A little boy sat on the seat too, and seemed pretty interested in the rocks he was looking at. I figured he went in the caves a lot. Good subject. "Hi there," i greeted him.
pHe barely looked up. "Hey."
p"So, you like fossils and stuff, huh? Bet you check out the caves a lot."
pThat hit the right button. The kid came alive. "Oh, yeah! Did you know you can find Kubuto fossils that are over a million years old in there! That mountain is also where they mine Moon Stones too!"
pI pretended to be interested. "So it must be pretty dark in there. Don't you get scared with all the Zubats and stuff?"
P"Nah, i'm used to the Zubats. But something weird has been in there for the past few years. I've never seen it, but some pokemon trainers say it drinks blood and turns into a bat." He fiddled with a rock. "I thought i might have seen it once, but it might have only been a Paras. It's fast, whatever it is. I don't want to meet up with it."
pI nodded. "I don't blame you. Vampires can be dangerous."
pHe looked up. "You think that's what it is?"
pI shrugged, keeping the naive pokemon trainer attitude. "I don't know, but i have to go through there anyway. If there is anything, my pokemon'll handle it."
p"Good luck then," offered the kid.
p"Thanks a bunch." Nurse Joy called my name and placed my sister's pokeballs and Dad on the counter. I stood up and picked up the pokeballs, re-clipping them to my belt and allowing dad to leap onto my shoulder.
p::What'd you find out?:: he asked.
p"A good lead. There's rumors of a vamp in the caves. Know anything?"
pDad shook his head. ::Doesn't ring a bell. So far as i know, none of the tests were in seeing how dangerous the kid could be to humans. their objective wasn't something like a vampire, i don't think. Although, they might have used something with Leech Life as a base pokemon. A Zubat maybe.::
pHmm that made perfect sense. I motioned in Kojiro's direction. "Kojiro, get a move on. We're going."
p"Arrrrright! I'll be there in one minute!" I didn't want to look. I didn't want to look but i did. Kojiro was carrying a million books on Magikarp, and even a few Karps swiming around inside a tiny fishbowl that was slopping over at the edges. I really didn't want to ask how much he'd paid for that. I had other things to attend too.
p"Well, guys...let's go hunt us up a Vampire."
pDad nodded smartly. ::Right!::
p"Hold..hold on!" Kojiro protested from behind all the Magikarp stuff. "We're hunting for a what? You can't be serious, right?"
pI took hold of the fishbowl at the top of his pile and dumped all the stuff onto the floor. Kojiro looked shocked. "No, i'm serious about this. You are NOT bringing an inventory of Magickarp stuff into Mt.Moon. Come on."
p"Hey wait! Wait!" Kojiro had to run to catch up to Dad and i, we were already out the door. "I reeeeeeally don't want to go hunting vampires!"
pi grabbed hold of his sleeve and started to drag Kojiro. "You're coming."
p"Nooo! Nooo! Please! Please!" Sobbing for mercy, we dragged Kojiro into Mt. Moon.
p
pbPart Sixteen- Jasusi: Zubat&Meowth/b
p
pMt. Moon was riddled with mining tunnels and scant lighting, and also a lot of secret passageways dug by Geodudes and other mountain pokemon. In the daytime, the ceilings were covered in Zubats that slept there, but at night the cavern was alive with the flapping of a billion wings. Dad jumped from my shoulder and sniffed the air slightly.
p::It doesn't smell like anything but pokemon trainers. I think we'll have to wander off the lit paths if we're looking for a vamp.:: he advised.
pI nodded and turned to Kojiro, who was cowereing behind my tail. "Kojiro," he jumped at my voice. "We're going into the darker tunnels. Keep quiet, because you don't want to get ithem/i," i motioned to the hords of Zubats snoozing above our heads, "upset with you. Got it?"
pHe shook in his boots totally visably, but nodded an okay and followed me off the trail after Dad. The light rapidly deminished, but i glowed steadily and so we were able to see where we were going. Dad followed his nose, seeking out anything unsual and we trusted to follow. Occasionally, something skittered through the shadows nearby, but nothing came within contact range.
pAfter walking only a few minutes, the fur on the back of my neck went up. "We're being followed."
pKojiro looked around nervously. "Huh? Who?"
pDad spun on his heels with his claws out. ::It's no Human, that's for sure. And it isn't any pokemon I know..:: A second later, he relaxed and retracted his claws. ::It's okay, it's only Kyotoshi.::
pKyo stepped silently from one of the many shadows. "How did you know it was me?"
pDad tapped his nose. ::I may be old, but i know one of my own kids when i smell em. Back to say goodbye?::
pKyotoshi snorted and walked within the circle of light i generated. "Nothing so dramatic." By now, Kojiro was definitly confused by the seemingly one-sided conversation. Kyo scratched the back of his head nervously and gritted his teeth. "Look, i ain't so good at stuff like this, so i figure i'll just say it direct. I ain't leaving. I ain't ready to go back down that road just yet. You're the only family i got now, sort of." He dropped his hand and shrugged. "So, ya know. I'm stayin'."
pAparently Dad's words had had some impact. Kyo was finally admiting to what he was, in a way, and that the past was just that. The past. ::So you're sorry?:: Dad asked, being weirdly parental.
pNodding, Kyo put his hands back into his pockets and looked at his shoes. Still a kid, i reconfirmed to myself. He's still just a kid. "Welcome back anyway, Kyo. Glad to see you weren't willing to regress to playing slots." I grinned and patted his shoulder, to which Kyo smiled weakly.
p"I hate to tell you," Kojiro whispered in what he thought was a secrative way to Kyo, "But you couldn't have picked a worse time to come back. This lunatic is setting us up as VAMPIRE bait!"
pKyo nodded with raised eyebrows, doubting Kojiro had even a shread of intelligence. "Ain't that something. Well, guess what, blue-hair? Most places-"
pDad cut off the incoming nasty comment. ::Kyotoshi...:: the Meowth glared angrily.
pKyo stopped his retaliation to Kojiro's idiocy and mumbled an apology. Dad bounced from the ground to Kyotoshi's shoulder, patted his head, thought better of it and sat on top of Kyo's head.
p"You gonna ride the whole damn mountain like that?" Kyo growled, glareing upwards as if he could catch a glimpse of the Meowth on his head.
pDad lounged and patted Kyo's head. ::Sure, if you keep smart-mouthing the entire way. Don't worry, i'm house trained.:: The Pokemon laughed evilly.
pIntereupting the opening fight, a cheerful high pitched note filled the cavern. "Cleeeeeeee!" it sang.
pKojiro was the first to locate its owner. "It's a cle...clee...cleeeeeecle.." He pointed, pretty much amazed. "A CLEFAIRY!! If i catch it, i'll be promoted for sure!! Koffing, go!"
pKyotoshi, Dad and I turned to stop the human too late. "Kojiro, no! No pokemon battles!! You'll wake up the-"
pToo late. "Kooooooffing!" cried Koffing.
pThe Clefairy screamed and vwipped its finger back and forth about three times. My skin would have drained if it wasn't already white. Metranome!! This was such a chancey technique too...oh boy.
pKojiro and Koffing lifted straight off the floor due to the Metranome, and got slammed into a far wall with enough force to knock them both out. The cavern started shaking, the Clefairy showing no signs of halting her attack.
p::The ceiling!:: cried Dad, leaping of Kyotoshi's head and diving under a rock.
p"Is it falling?" Kyo and i looked up and were instantly assaulted by a million dive-bombing Zubats. We covered our heads and dove for the same rock Dad had, ducking behind it with him and trying to sheild our eyes.
p"Shit!" Kyo cursed at nothing in particular, but did so loud enough that it didn't matter. "Thanks a whole damn lot, Kojiro! How the hell we gonna get outta here?"
p::There's too many to fight,:: admitted Dad, hiding between the both of us. ::I think we're just a little stuck.::
p"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock!"
p"VRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Shreiked a Zubat-like voice, interupting our conversation. Through the cloud of panicing Zubat, something really big and greyish blue dropped down in front of us. For a minute, the Zubat cleared the area and we were able to see quite clearly a dark haired, dark skinned and deffinitly part Zubat creature. It turned and hissed in our direction, then took wing and flapped off after the other Zubats.
pWithin a minute, all the Zubats were gone. We stood up. My mouth was hanging open. "What in the name of Cheeze and Rice was that?"
pDad shook his head. ::I..i dunno i think it might have been our vampire.::
pKyo was staring in the direction the mysterious creature had gone. "It..it was a girl."
pi was tempted to hit him, but Kyo was already pretty beaten up by his enemies to have his friends attack him just yet. "Get your mind out fo the gutter," i growled.
pDad, too, was staring. ::That wasn't one of mine. I don't remember that one at all.::
p"Could you maybe be mistaken?"
pDad shook his head. ::No way, i'd know one of my kids if i smelt them. i told you that.::
pKyotoshi was shaking his head, confused. "Who the hell was she?"
p"Her name is Jasusi." said a voice behind us. We turned to see Kojiro waking up and rubbing the back of his head where he'd hit the wall.
p"How do you know that?" I demanded.
pKojiro shook his head, looked confused and told me, "She said so."
p
/HTML
noscript
!--#echo banner=""--
/noscript