I don't own Pokemon. Mwa.
I dunno if anybody's reading this, so far I've only gotten 1 review (THANK YOU Dragoness)…but I'm still going to upload this entire story either way. I would appreciate very much your feedback. I don't care if you hated it or not, just review!! Please? Pretty please? ^.^
Anywho, here is the next part. Again, it's a small part, but that's just how it cuts off. Enjoy.
*****
Watson hung up the phone, feeling bittersweet.
Finally, news for his boss!
The test animal had been located, after leaving a cold trail for nearly a year, in Viridian Forest. Watson flipped through his notebook containing his detailed writings concerning every test animal involved in the Experiment. Many of the pages were yellowed, having been nearly a decade old. The subjects they described were long dead.
The Experiment had killed them.
All except one.
Rolling up his sleeves, Watson stared at the exposed scar tissue that ran down both his arms, on the back and front of them. They were shiny, and resembled burns, but these scars were not from fire. Having no real name for the affliction, Watson had come up with his own.
Electric frostbite.
The Ice energy released by the test animal that night it had escaped, coupled with its inherent electric ability had horribly mangled Watson's hands and arms. Although still intact, Watson knew his hands would never regain their full strength. Even now, at the slightest hint of cold, they ached with horrible wracking pains.
Flipping through the notebook, he came to the final entries, concerning the escaped test animal. This particular animal was the only animal during the course of the Experiment to have been given injections that would alter its DNA.
Yes...He adjusted his glasses as he had read. Evolution pokemon DNA, species number 133. That particular species had DNA very sensitive to radiation stones. So he had tried to combine it with that of the test animals DNA.
And it had survived the Experiment.
"Hmmm..." he muttered to himself, reading aloud his own words, though the lab remained empty. "Test animal originally from Viridian Forest..." Apparently, it had run back to its place of origin. Interesting.
Taking off his glasses, he played with them in one hand while the other retrieved his cellular phone from the table. A few swift pressing of buttons, and Watson held the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" came the expectant male voice from the other line.
The voice of the leader of his hunters.
"Yes," Watson said, smiling a little. "I have a few instructions for you..."
*****
It was nearly midmorning before Strange One dared to venture from the hiding place. The forest stood quiet and cool as if nothing had happened, a hidden testament of the wild's endurance. Even after the danger's departure, Strange One's sensitive nose could still detect the dangerous scent.
Humans!
Some human scent was not dangerous meaning at all, Strange One had learned. But these humans smelled of anger and hatred. He surprised a shudder, wanting to freeze and claw and bite them all for what they had done.
And what they were still doing.
The young one that he had rescued poked a sable black nose out into the midmorning air. Sniffed. Then, tentatively, one paw after the other, emerged from the hollow tree. The young one slowly sniffed around, unused to the smell of humans. It wasn't one the young one would ever forget, either.
With a yelp, the young one leaped in the air and ran behind Strange One. Shaking, he pointed at something in the underbrush, half-hidden. Look!
Soothing the scared kit, Strange One investigated. Had he known more about human clothing, he would have recognized a baseball cap when he saw it. But Strange One was more interested in the insignia that was embroidered on the front of it.
With a horrible twinge, he recognized the insignia.
Memories returned, and the insignia seemed to burn itself into his mind, remembering the last place he had seen it.
Printed on a lab coat, on the pocket of the doctor.
The laboratory!
With a horrible rush of realization, Strange One recalled the human voices from the night before:
"Should report this, don't you think?"
"Yeah, the boss'l be glad its here, and not in some city."
Strange One felt himself nauseated. It was the humans he had once escaped from, the humans from the laboratory. In rescuing the young one from the cage, he had revealed himself to them.
Now they knew where he was, and would be coming back for him.
By acting as he had, he had endangered every life in the forest.
*****
Strange One felt his hide prickle and his heart sink as he gave another grim steel cage a wide berth. Holding down a shiver, he bit his lip. That was the fourth one they had passed this morning. Realization of what this meant poured though his being.
They were setting more of the traps.
They wanted him back.
And was he ever in a pickle.
Strange One hadn't relished the thought of returning to face Tall One and his family. How could he tell them what he had done? But his return would have been inevitable. After all, he had the young one in tow. The little fellow had recovered almost completely from his ordeal, and once again became cheerful and optimistic, as befits any that are so young. In fact, the little one trotted alongside him now as if nothing had ever happened.
The kit's full name was Tumbling One, but everybody called him Tumble for short. This was due to the fact that the kit was prone to be less sure-footed than most of his peers, something that the whole clan had eventually connected with him. Thus, he earned his name.
It was Tumble that now spoke in his infantile voice. We almost home?
Strange One smirked a little. Yeah... his voice didn't carry as much enthusiasm as his young charge. He didn't regret having disobeyed Tall One for Tumble's sake. But he couldn't help but feel like he was in for a bad welcome when he returned to her. He had done something truly dangerous. It was this dread that now welled up inside his throat like black bile. He had worked too hard and been through too much to return to and to be accepted into his family. It was something that he dearly hoped would remain true. His family was all he had. If he lost them, then-
Home! came the excited squeak as Tumble cried out. The word echoed throughout the woods eerily. Something was in the air.
The Pikachu family was waiting for them both in their `home' clearing. All twoscore of them stood silent, straight and impassive, their eyes somewhat gimlet. There was no sound, not even from the young ones. In front of them all stood Tall One, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. With such an expression, Tall One resembled a fierce matron or mother superior. Strange One winced slightly.
He saw how furious her eyes were.
Now he was in for it.
Strange One. she acknowledged him coldly.
Taking a deep breath, Strange One tried not to let his ears droop in shame. I have returned. The cage is destroyed. I have rescued the young one.
A voice rose out from the ranks, harsh and angry. Yeah, and four more have taken that cage's place!
Tall One stared ahead, and silenced further dissentment with a savage wave of her paw. She strode forward with long, aggressive strides. With a lump in his throat, Strange One recalled her aggressive demeanor as one she saved for intruders. With a whimper, Tumble latched onto Strange One's tail, hiding behind the Pikablu. He was scared of Tall One's eyes.
The elder Pikachu's eyes bored into Strange One's, reading them. She saw, or rather, felt, the burning, icy dissention that seemed to encompass his emotions. The guilt of the wrongs he had committed. The fear of punishment. And the light of justice. Had he done right?
No. Tall One shook her head mentally. Risking the entire family for the sake of one was not justified. So she spoke.
Strange One, you disobeyed a direct order from your elder, and in doing so, have endangered the lives of your entire family. It wasn't an accusation. It was a statement. In your action, you have done something very dire. You have attracted and alerted humans to our very home. The evidence of new cages proves that they are returning, greater in number. Our entire family is now in danger. This is severe.
Strange One felt his ears droop. Tall One had realized where the humans had come from. She knew they would be returning.
If such rash actions continue, I cannot permit you to stay. You have become a danger to your family. Tall One's voice was like a knell, and Strange One found he couldn't meet her eyes anymore. This is what he had feared the most.
Rejection. In telling him this, Tall One had just, in a sense, exiled him.
His heart feeling as heavy as stone, Strange One slowly nudged Tumble.
Go on, you belong here. I guess I'm not going back.
Tumble sniffled quietly at his rescuer. But why? he whispered.
Just go, please... Strange One whispered back. Then he straightened up, his eyes hard. His voice struggled not to waver as he called out in a loud voice.
If I am a danger to you, then I will leave.
There were several murmurs from his family. Even Tall One seemed to be slightly stunned by his announcement. He continued, trying hard not to let his voice fail. I am returning to where I came from. As it was I who brought this upon you all, it is now my duty to stop it. He nodded. I am going. If I never return, then you will know that I have failed. Farewell.
With that, he turned and ran and was gone. Tall One slowly walked to the edge of the clearing where he had left. Her eyes, now hidden from the rest of the group, watered and softened with tears.
Good luck, she whispered so that the others would not hear her.
*****
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