Hey, three reviews already! I would have been surprised to get away with just one. Anyway, we left off on the brink of a pokémon battle between Ash and Cody, and that's exactly where this chapter begins. I have to warn some of you that there are some 'disturbing' scenes in this chappie, so don't blame me if you have horrible nightmares later. Mwa ha ha! Sweet dreams! ^_^
Chapter 2
A TURN FOR THE WORSE
Everyone was gathered in the bare grass field. Brock, Misty and Togepi were sitting on a rock near the edge, while Ash and Cody were standing in the centre at a fair distance from one another. Pikachu and Trixie remained loyally at their masters' feet.
Ash began the opening statement, "Okay, this is a straightforward one-on-one battle, farmer boy. Switching pokémon during the fight is forbidden!"
"Fine by me," Cody said confidently. "Trixie, are you ready to battle?" Trixie nodded and faced her opponent with a determined stare. "All right, Ash. Use your best pokémon," he coaxed. "We're up for a challenge!"
Ash's eyes narrowed. "All right, Pikachu, seek'em!"
But Pikachu didn't move.
Ash looked down at the mouse in confusion. "What's the matter, Pikachu?"
"Chu-Pi, Pikapi! Pi-Pika-Pi-Chu!" it cried pleadingly.
"Don't make you fight her?" Ash repeated. "Why not?"
Pikachu glanced at Trixie, who was waiting to start battling, then beckoned to its master to bend down. It raised itself up on its tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. Ash's eyes widened.
"What?!" he howled. "You're telling me you don't want to fight Trixie because -"
"Chu-Pika!" Pikachu cut him off before he accidentally spilled the beans in front of everyone. Then, giving its master the saddest puppy-dog-eyes possible, "Piiiiiiiiiiiiiii?"
Ash groaned audibly. He was in such a rage that ordinarily he would have forced even Pikachu into the arena, but he just couldn't say no to eyes like those. "Ohhhh, alright. Have it your way," he grumbled. "I'll use a different pokémon instead."
Pikachu sighed in relief, and Ash reached for a pokéball on his belt. He had had a lot of success with this one lately, and given the fact that his opponent was using a water type only strengthened his decision.
"Chikorita! I choose you!" He tossed the pokéball into the air and it split open, spilling out a bright light that materialised into a yellow animal seed.
"Chi-KO!" it cried. It landed a few yards away from Trixie and glared at her aggressively. This was another chance to show off its superiority to Pikachu.
"A grass type, eh?" Cody commented with mild surprise. "Okay, let's begin! Trixie, Water Gun now!"
Trixie crouched down, then thrust its body forwards, releasing a powerful jet of water towards Chikorita.
"Chikorita, dodge it!"
Chikorita ducked to one side, narrowly avoiding the jet which shot passed it. Ash ordered to retaliate with a Razor Leaf, but Trixie was ready and batted the projectiles away with her tail like baseballs. Chikorita followed up with a Vine Whip in an effort to overwhelm it with multiple attacks.
Cody shouted, "Trixie, use Mist!"
Trixie spun round and started to release a cloud of mist from the gills behind her ruff, quickly concealing her from view. Chikorita lost focus and its vines couldn't meet their target, losing themselves in the mist. Brock and Misty were watching all this happen in amazement. They had never seen a pokémon defend itself so well before.
"Cody's been holding back on us," Brock said, rubbing his chin. "Not only is he a great pokémon trainer, but Trixie's really experienced too. Just look at how she used Mist; normally Vaporeons don't learn that until they reach a very high level. Who knows what other advanced techniques Cody could have taught her."
Misty gave him a vague look, then observed the two opposing trainers. They both looked set to win this match, but Ash's determination was overshadowed by his rage. He gave his orders in anger, not in strategy. But at least his attitude seemed to psyche Chikorita into winning at all costs. Misty wasn't sure who she was betting on - her oldest friend or her newest one? The side she was prone to listening to told her she should vote for Cody, hoping he will remain victorious and show Ash that he's not as good as his ego professed; but another hidden side told her that she should have faith in Ash... for some reason.
Chikorita continued thrashing its vines about in the hazy mist in a futile attempt that it would strike Trixie at some point. But its naivety took its toll when Chikorita felt a searing pain at the end of its vines, and it was dragged into the mist itself. Ash gasped. He couldn't see his pokémon anymore, and so did not know what orders to give it. But Cody gazed into the cloud with a smug look and continued along with his plan of attack.
"Trixie, hold it with Bite!"
In a moment, Ash heard a lunging growl, then a high-pitched scream of pain. "Chikorita!" he cried in dismay.
The mist started to clear, and the trainers could distinguish the glistening figure of Trixie with her jaws locked on to Chikorita's leg. Everyone but Cody gasped.
"Now, Trixie," Cody commanded, "finish it off with Hydro Pump!"
Trixie released her grip, but combined her next attack before her adversary could escape. She struck the ground with tremendous force, and a shockwave of geysers shot up in front of her, knocking Chikorita into the air fifty feet away, where it landed heavily in a muddy puddle left over by the storm. Chikorita was defeated.
Brock and Misty came running onto the battlefield, arms flailing, and crowded round the winner, leaving Ash standing forlornly on the other side.
Brock was rambling on in fascinated praise, "That was amazing! What a move! You taught Trixie how to grapple her opponent so she could hit it with her strongest attacks!"
Misty was equally excited. "And that Mist thing was genius! What a brilliant tactic! I've never seen a trainer use a camouflage like that before!"
Cody knelt down and gave Trixie a congratulating pat on the head. "Of course. Camouflage is more important than people think. You can't hit what you can't see, and you can't beat what you can't hit," he said wisely. "And since Vaporeons spend most of their life underwater where there's little light, their eyesight has evolved so they can see straight through Mist attacks."
Outside the winner's circle, Ash was still coming to terms with the gravity of his defeat. He stared at the ground for a moment, then fell to his knees without seeming aware of the motion. "B-But.. I had the type advantage..." he uttered. He couldn't believe he lost - lost to that... that Hypnodrone puppet. This was his chance to show he was just as good, if not better, than Cody... and he blew it. He let Cody defeat him. No, Cody didn't just beat him, he crushed him, he totally obliterated him. Cody was a way better trainer than Ash, and he didn't even get a chance to get out and battle others as much as Ash did.
Elsewhere, Pikachu ran over to Chikorita, whom Ash seemed to have forgotten in his despair, and found it still lying in the pool of mud. Fortunately it was still conscious (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it if you think of the pain it's in). Pikachu lent it a paw, but Chikorita pulled away spitefully, too proud to let itself be helped by Pikachu. Right now it was feeling a bit like Ash - hurt and defeated.
Cody made his way through his fans and over to where Ash was still kneeling. He offered his hand to him. "Good fight, Ash. That's a very strong Chikorita you have," he commented. "But you need to control its composure under pressure. And yours."
"I don't need advice from you, farmer boy!" Ash retorted coldly, standing up without Cody's help. "I could've beaten you. You just got lucky."
Misty sighed. Always the sore loser, she thought.
"Really?" Cody raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Then how come Trixie didn't even need to use her Acid Armor?"
"I..." Ash paused. He didn't know how to answer that one. It was hopeless. Cody was holding all the aces, and Ash was only making himself look like a fool in front of his friends. Finally, he gave up and walked off sulking to retrieve Chikorita. He met it limping towards him, although not seriously injured, with Pikachu tailing behind.
"Nice try, Chikorita," he said, his words belied by his tone of disappointment. "Take a rest."
He held out a pokéball and Chikorita was sucked inside by a red laser. Ash saw Pikachu was staring at him worriedly, and cast it a 'what are you looking at?' expression. He turned round and saw that Cody was continuing his teaching of water pokémon strategy to his friends, who were captivated with every lesson. Especially Misty.
Just then, someone came running onto the field looking slightly distressed. It was Mrs Fawnheart, and she was there to find out what all the noise was about.
"Cody, what on Earth was -" she stopped and realised that everyone was still soaking in their clothes from the milk and sprinklers. "Good Heavens! You're all wet! Cody, how could you leave the guests in this state?"
"Oh, sorry, mom," Cody grinned sheepishly. "We had an accident with the Milk Master and I thought we could rinse off in the sprinklers and..." his voice faded into a silent loss for a good excuse.
Mrs Fawnheart sighed and said, "Oh well, you kids better get changed in the house. Brock dear, I think I can lend you one of Simon's spare change of clothes."
"Sure. Thanks, Mrs Fawnheart," Brock responded.
"Ash, Misty, I think you two would fit better in Cody's clothes, if that's not a problem with you, Misty."
Misty's eyes lit up. "Why, of course not, Mrs Fawn-... Grace. I'd love to wear... I mean, that's very nice of you." She reddened slightly. How could she pass up a chance like this?
Mrs Fawnheart smiled. "What about you, Ash? Is that okay with you?"
Ash frowned and replied as politely as his manners allowed him to, "Actually, I'd prefer just to dry off with a towel. I'm fine as I am."
"Really? Okay, if that's what you want," replied Mrs Fawnheart, a bit surprised. "I think we have some beach towels in the basement."
As she began to lead the foursome and their pokémon back up towards the house, Misty watched Ash from the corner of her eye. She was worried for him just as much as Pikachu, and it was obvious that he and Cody weren't getting along very well. Somehow she felt responsible for the hostility. She remembered Ash's words before the fight broke out: "I saw you throw Misty into that pond!" It seemed that he was worried about her, and his reproach towards Cody was out of......
Wait! Misty stopped, suddenly hit by a thought; could it be that Ash was... jealous? Beverly Hills 90210-style? No, it couldn't be! Ash never felt that way about her in the first place. Misty didn't believe it. He was probably just a little steamed because she and Cody were having all the fun and Ash wasn't. Yeah, that was it. It's all about fun, not lo-... Misty froze and shook the thought out of her head. This was ridiculous! She refused to believe she was in that sort of predicament, or even thinking about it. She was just friends with Ash and Cody. End of story.
"What's on your mind, Misty?" Cody asked, interrupting her thoughts. "You look distracted."
"Huh? Oh, no, nothing," Misty replied. "I was just thinking about... (pick something quick!) those big, cute Miltanks back at the barn. They're so adorable. And I think Pikachu liked them too," she smiled, nodding to Pikachu, who replied with an excited, "Pika!"
"Oh? You thought they were cute?" Cody said, intrigued. "Well maybe you and your friends would like to come down to the corral with me after you're changed and help me tag one of the newborn calves before dinner. If you feel up to it, that is." He gestured towards her arm bandage.
Misty glanced at her arm and rubbed it. "Ah, I'm fine... Ow!" She accidentally squeezed a sore spot, causing Cody to give her a slightly distressed look. "No, really, I'm fine. I'd love to help out," she insisted. "It's the least I could do."
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It was less than an hour later when Cody and his guests were reunited after a change of clothes and were on their way back down to the corral. The only person who was still wearing the same clothes, thus still being a little damp, was the stubborn Ash. Brock had changed into a pair of white long johns and denim overalls; and just for effect, he added a straw hat and chewed on a wheat strand while chattering, "Yessiree, we's all goin' down to that hoo-haw farm to slap them pigs and grease them tractors! Boy howdy! We're gonna have us a time!" Then Misty whacked him on the back of the head for being an utter wazzock.
Misty herself was a whole new person. Mrs Fawnheart had suggested that she move her ponytail to the back and make it curved, traditional farm-style. Ash hadn't seen Misty with her hair changed since her sisters asked her to let it drop for the mermaid role in the Cerulean City water show. She was also wearing a sky blue collared shirt and a pair of denims, plus Cody had offered her his best cowskin waistcoat. She looked like a real cowgirl, minus the hat. Togepi would probably have loved to see its 'mother' in this get-up, but it was still resting back in the farmhouse.
As they approached the corral, Ash's nose started to wrinkle. "Pee-yew! What's that stink?" He was obviously referring to the foul odour emanating from the dung piles. He'd hate having to trudge through a corral of that craptitude (craptitude?), and now he was beginning to regret having joined Cody and Misty out here. But still, he didn't want to leave them out of his sight.
Ash's complaints didn't stop until Cody finally said with some annoyance, "Ah, just breathe through your mouth." He was carrying a pail of supplies, one of which Brock noticed was an unused Hypnodrone. He remembered Cody telling them that everyone and every pokémon on the farm had to have a Hypnodrone implanted in them, which meant that this one must be intended for the newborn calf.
"Say Cody, can I take a look at that?" Brock pointed at the device.
Cody shook his head. "No, sorry. You have two minutes to insert one if you grab it and start flicking around with it. Giovanni's safety feature."
"What happens is you take too long?"
"It 'self-destructs', or more specifically it melts down into hot metal. If you're still trying to insert one into a Miltank when that happens, it can damage the pokémon's somatic nervous system, which leads to paralysis."
Brock swallowed hard.
They reached a relatively small section of the large, spacious corral, and everyone stepped through the gate. This part was muddier and smellier than the rest of the otherwise grassy corral; and except for a few Miltanks gathered in the far corner by the waterer, most of the area was empty.
"Welcome to the maternity pen," Cody announced. He pulled out a crude electronic pad from his back pocket and hit a few buttons. "All right, if we can draw off number ninety-nine, we can tag her calf. I think it's a bull. Oh..." he smiled, "almost forgot. Watch out for sixty-six. Add another six and you get a picture of her demeanour." Everyone missed the biblical allusion, but understood not to get in the way. "Okay, make a line behind me. There shouldn't be anything more than a twenty-foot gap. Trixie and I are going to try and draw off ninety-nine into the alley while you three isolate the calf. And don't let him get away! If the mother starts coming back, use your pokémon to keep her at bay. I'll tell you when to be worried."
The trainers were not fond of Cody's flippant way of putting these things, but they still followed his instructions. Once everyone was ready, Cody marched off in the direction of a pair of Miltanks lying alone near one of the pen corners. The smaller of the two raised its head as it sensed the trainers approaching and bellowed to its mother. Ninety-nine tapped the baby with her snout, silencing it. But when Cody and Trixie started to loop around the pokémon, the mother stood up and lowered her head aggressively. Then she started to kick up dirt and began to back up.
Cody smiled wryly, never taking his eyes off the mother. "It's good when they do that. They're trying to intimidate you. But you should still be careful."
Trixie tried coercing ninety-nine to back away, but the Miltank wasn't going to abandon her calf so easily, not even for the boss or his pet. Cody realised this was going to need a bit more persuasion, and he ordered Trixie to use her Water Gun. Trixie crouched and aimed a jet of water at the mother's feet. Ninety-nine took fright and scampered away at a distance, but then she got mad and started using her Rollout move towards Cody.
"Quick, get the calf!" he shouted to the trainers.
The trio crowded round the calf while they watched Cody try to fend off the angry Miltank. Trixie fired another Water Gun, but ninety-nine dodged it and continued on her collision course. Cody and Trixie jumped out of the way in the nick of time, but they both landed in some thick mud and got stuck.
"Ah! Dammit!" Cody cussed. "Trixie, get us out of here!"
Trixie quickly tried hosing down the mud to loosen themselves up, but ninety-nine was rolling back towards them and there was no way they would get out in time.
"Cody!" Misty cried.
It was Pikachu who leapt to the rescue and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt on the Miltank. Ninety-nine took the full blow of the shock and was knocked out of its Rollout. Pikachu followed up with several more electrical attacks and drove the mother into the alley. Cody and Trixie subsequently managed to free themselves and dashed over to close the alley gate. He wiped his brow in relief and everyone ran over to make sure he was all right.
"Phew! Thanks, Pikachu," Cody said, giving the mouse a grateful pat on the head. "I would have been Miltank mush if it wasn't for your help."
"Pi-Pikachu!" it beamed, making a V sign with its paw.
Ash glared down at his pokémon. "Yes. Thanks, Pikachu," he said through his teeth.
Trixie trotted over to Pikachu and also extended it her thanks for saving her life by licking its cheek. This made Pikachu turn bright red.
"Are you all right?" Misty asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Cody answered reassuringly. "They're good pokémon, these Miltanks. But the mothers can be real bitches. Sometimes they act more like Tauros."
"So I noticed," Brock added. "Whatever happened to rounding up Miltanks with a Ponyta and lasso?"
Cody laughed, "Sorry, Brock. This is a farm, not a ranch. We don't do that sort of thing around here. We have to catch Miltanks the real way - on your feet." He wiped the mud off himself and walked back with the others to the now-solitary calf. It lowed in a small voice as they approached.
"Awww, he's so cute!" Misty cooed.
"Worth a little over 2000G nowadays," Cody said chattily.
Pikachu brushed past the trainers and its eyes widened with excitement as it came face-to-face with the baby Miltank. The Miltanks in the barn were cute, but this was the most adorable one of them all. They began to sniff each other out, then Pikachu started bouncing up and down with glee, excitedly crying its name over and over again. Everyone's heart melted.
"Looks like Pikachu's made a new friend," Misty smiled.
"I wouldn't get too attached just yet," Cody said. "I've still got to tag him." He looked over his shoulder. "Trixie, could you be a gopher for a second?" The others didn't know what he meant by that. "You can go'pher my pail. I left it on the third post from the end."
Trixie ran off and returned with the pail in her mouth in no time at all.
"Okay, let's get this boy inside so I can tag him." Cody pulled out a leash and tied it around the calf's neck. He led it and the trainers out the pen and into the nearby lean - the extension of the barn. The lean was something of a large shed attached to the barn, with nothing more than a few bales of hay and some heavy tools being the only noticeable features. Cody pulled the calf over to a hitching post and tied it up. It bellowed loudly. Ninety-nine answered from further down the corral.
"Right, let's give the boy a cute little earring," Cody said, pulling a blue gun-like object out the pail. It had an obvious crimping area, on which hung a yellow ID tag. He moved round the back and pressed it against the curved bone at the bottom of the calf's ear. Cody squeezed the trigger, and a loud crack sounded as the calf's ear cartilage broke, signalling the two pieces of the tag coming together. Misty felt sorry for the animal. It looked around with mild disinterest.
"Next, this is a bull, so we've got to sterilise him."
"What do you mean, 'sterilise'?" Ash asked sceptically.
"Take off the second part of his manhood. It's control measures. The grey pliers with the elastic band, if you please."
The boys grimaced at the thought and Misty stifled a giggle. But Cody was a dextrous boy; and after a simple task of moving the right parts to the right places, the deed was done.
Just then, Simon appeared through the connecting door to the barn. His overalls were covered with oil and his hands were filthy black. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaving a black streak instead.
"Hey Simon, finished with the Milk Master?" Cody asked.
"Aye, that damn thing's been acting up lately, but I managed to keep it together for now. How're you gettin' along with the youngin'?"
"Just about to begin the final part. Take Trixie with you when you go back up to the house, okay?"
Simon nodded and started to walk out the lean. "C'mon, Trixie, let's go."
Trixie left the pail with Cody and was about to follow Simon out. But first she cast Pikachu a final attractive smile for having saved her life, then turned and strode outside, waving her tail back and forth behind her. Pikachu could start to feel the butterflies mount in its stomach.
"What final part are you talking about?" Misty asked.
Cody sighed, "Hypnodronisation."
Hypnodronisation. The word brought back memories of Cody's sad tale explaining what it was.
He glanced around and pointed to a stack of bales behind a fence. "There. I want everyone to back up to those bales over there. And Misty, don't coming running when this little guy starts bellowing. I don't need anyone getting hurt on my watch," he said in a grim tone.
The trainers just stood there for a moment, sensing something very bad was about to happen.
"Cody..." Misty began.
"I'm sorry, Misty. This has to be done," he said gravely. "Now please, get going."
The trainers hopped over the fence as Cody pulled out a Hypnodrone from the pail. He was about to begin the procedure when he realised that Pikachu was still there, snuggling comfortably against the animal's snout.
"Piiikaaa..." it sighed happily, nuzzling its head against its new friend's soft fur.
Cody frowned. "Come on, Pikachu, get behind the lines."
Pikachu eventually managed to pull itself away, but asked Cody in pokétalk if it could play with the calf afterwards.
"Oh... yeah, sure. You can play all you want," Cody stumbled over the words, and prompted Pikachu to join its friends behind the fence. Once he made sure there was no one else in the way, he uncoupled the calf from the hitching post and tied it to the floor on its side instead, giving it less room to move. The trainers exchanged worried looks. Finally, Cody held out the Hypnodrone and removed the safety.
It sounded, "T-minus two minutes to self-destruct..."
Cody lined up, then stabbed the needle-like end into the calf's neck. He took a deep breath and pressed a button on it. The Hypnodrone began to make mechanical grindings as it burrowed into the skin. The calf screamed at the top of its lungs in agony as the insect-like implant tried to take over. Everyone looked away. The Hypnodrone burrowed deeper, spreading its nodes to every major nerve centre and one straight to the heart. Cody fought against the calf's agitation and helped guide the Hypnodrone into place, prodding it this way and that. Brock leaned on the fence and stared aggressively out into space as the calf broke into violent spasms. It screamed again, a blood-curling scream. For an instant it was insane. It kicked out wildly, blood seeping out from the contours of the Hypnodrone. The device was drilling straight to the calf's spinal column. It screamed and screamed. Misty covered her face with her hands, but soon couldn't stop herself from pulling them away. Ash saw the desperate look in the calf's eyes and took a step to help the poor animal, but stepped back just as quickly. Pikachu watched intensely, leaning over the lower part of the fence.
"Chaaa!" it cried. The little mouse looked like it was going to hurl.
"Don't look, Pikachu," Ash said sadly.
Pikachu looked on anyway, unable to tear its eyes away from the horrific scene. The calf screamed again - shrill and shriller until it keened with the terror of a lost soul and filled the room with the piercingness of itself. Misty started to cry in pity for the poor, helpless creature. It lasted for an eternity.
Suddenly it stopped.
Misty wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked over to see Cody petting the downed calf. It was now completely paralysed - its pink-white tongue shot out stiffly. Cody pulled out his pad, hit a few buttons, and cussed under his breath. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old silver calibre revolver. Taking a step back, he shot the Miltank at point blank. It felt no more pain.
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Everyone was visibly depressed after the afternoon's events. They ate in silence, with the loud ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner and the odd tinkling of the cutlery in the soup bowls being the only audible sounds. Even Ash was seriously bummed, wearing a sullen frown all throughout dinner. The pokémon at the foot of the table were quiet too after having learned what had happened, except for Togepi, now awake, who was unfamiliar with the concept of death.
Pikachu was traumatised. It was mentally incapable of eating any meat in its food, as flashbacks of the mutilation of that screaming calf haunted it every time it tried, causing it to freeze and tremble involuntarily. Trixie tried to cheer the mouse up with a gentle rub on the cheek, but Pikachu didn't even feel it - lost in an endless nightmare of screams of pain and terror.
Very little was said until Cody finally broke the silence, "Well... at least he won't have to live as a slave."
Misty slammed her fist on the table, rattling the silverware. "How can you say that?! You robbed that calf of everything!!"
Cody's expression saddened and he hung his head. Misty backed down immediately with a cringe. It was unfair of her to accuse Cody of killing that Miltank. He didn't want it to die any more than she did, and heaven knows he tried his very best to keep it alive. The shock of the incident had made her edgy.
"I-I'm sorry, Cody. I didn't mean -"
"No, no, you're right," he said remorsefully, "I could have saved that calf, but I didn't. I totally screwed up."
Among all the miserable faces around the table, Mr Fawnheart was the only one to carry an air of bitter disappointment - disappointment towards his son for losing another Miltank. "How long did it take, son?" he asked grimly.
"Two minutes, eight seconds," Cody answered, disheartened. "I just couldn't guide the Hypnodrone into place in time. I really hate this job."
"You need more practice," the father said harshly. "When the time comes, I want you to Hypnodronise the next calf too. And I'll be there to supervise."
"But pop -"
"No buts! Do as y'er told."
Despite her better judgement to argue with the host, Misty felt she needed to defend Cody somehow. "Sir, we were all there when Cody operated on that calf. We all saw he did everything he could to save it. It's not his fault it's dead. Even Pikachu knows that, right Pikachu?..... Pikachu....? Hey, Pikachu.....!"
But Pikachu wasn't listening. Its mind was still trapped in turmoil. It was one of those moments where time slowed down to a crawl, and only the sound of your own breathing and heartbeat echoed in your ears. Pikachu remembered everything that happened, every single detail. It remembered how that poor Miltank's screams pierced through to its very soul; it remembered the pool of blood that trickled out of the calf's ruptured skull when Cody shot it; but worst of all, it remembered the look in that calf's eyes during and after its torture - that harrowing look of unimaginable fear and suffering.
Pikachu's eyes dropped down to its food, and there - horror! - lying lopsided in the bowl was the decapitated head of that dead calf, its eyes glowing red and blood dripping in between its teeth.
"How's 'bout some more minced beef?" it cackled in a rasped, devil's voice.
Pikachu screamed in sheer terror and quickly retreated to a corner of the room.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried, leaping out of his chair to help and consequently sending it crashing backwards. "Pikachu, what's wrong?"
Pikachu was scared stiff. Its eyes were round with horror, locked steadfastly on the bloodied head in the food bowl. Its heart was racing. Pikachu's face had drained of colour and its breathing had turned into rapid wheezes. It couldn't move a muscle, only tremble uncontrollably. Pikachu's mind was beyond panic; it was terrified, petrified, incapable of thinking. Only infinite fear overwhelmed it.
"Pikachu, look at me! LOOK AT ME!" Ash grabbed Pikachu by the arms.
Pikachu partially snapped out of its nightmare. It glanced at its master, then back at the food bowl. The head was gone. Ash moved even closer and rubbed Pikachu's cheeks to try and calm it down. He wiped the cold sweat from its forehead and forced it to look into his eyes. When Pikachu realised that Ash was there with it, its muscles loosened and its heart started to relax. And there, once the vision had passed, it threw itself on Ash's shoulder and broke down in tears.
"Cha-a-a-a-a-a..." it cried trembling. It sobbed long and hard - warm tears dampening Ash's shirt. Its feelings became too deep for words. Pikachu was shaking; it was frightened - frightened and devastated. A part of it had died with that Miltank, a part that belonged to its heart. Everyone felt sorry for the poor thing, even the hardheaded Chikorita.
"Shhh, it's over now. It's over," Ash murmured softly. He picked up the weeping mouse and cradled it in his arms, stroking its head tenderly. "I'd better put Pikachu to bed," he said to the others, depressed. "It's had a hard day."
He turned and left for his room upstairs, while Trixie watched in sadness as Pikachu's shivering body disappeared from sight. She turned towards Cody and asked him something in pokétalk that only he could understand.
"Huh? Oh, sure... you can stay with Pikachu tonight if you want," he replied absently.
As Trixie left the dining room, Misty noticed the metallic glimmer of a Hypnodrone at the base of her ruff. The poor fox had to have one implanted too. She must have suffered just as badly as that calf did... as well as the Fawnhearts.
Misty sighed. She hoped that Pikachu would be all right. It was tragic to see it make a new friend it cared about so much, only for that friend to be lost to Team Rocket's diabolical instruments.
Cody buried his head in his hands. "This is all my fault," he moaned.
Misty rubbed him on the back. "Don't worry about it, Cody. I'm sure Pikachu will be okay," she said, a little unsure of her own words. "And now that I think about it, there's something else I would like to discuss with you and your family."
"What's that?"
Misty paused. This was a critical step she was taking. And despite Cody's warnings, she knew this was something she had to do:
"We want to help free you from Team Rocket."
READ CHAPTER THREE TOMORROW!!
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I know - poor Pikachu. Yes, it's sad what happened to it. Now you can see why this fic is partly a drama. If you want to find out if Pikachu will recover from its trauma, just stick around 'cause I'll have the next chapter edited and uploaded by tomorrow. Other questions you might ask yourselves are how will it all end between Cody and Misty? What about Ash and Cody? Or even Pikachu and Trixie? Is Misty really going to help free Cody from Team Rocket? Find out tomorrow......
