Another day, another chapter. I think I said this last update but I'll say it again. I NEED FEEDBACK!!! I'm sorry if I'm annoying people, but I would really appreciate some reviews. I really really want to know if people like how this story is going or not. Do you want something to happen during the ending? Do you utterly LOATHE this fic? Whatever the case, please please please...I need feedback, whether it's reviews or even an email (my addy's [1]snowsilverkat@hotmail.com BTW) Enjoy this new chapter. Things are starting to get interesting now...
As always, I do not own Pokemon.
*****
All the time, while Strange One had been exploring the laboratory, Promise, in phased-out form, had been leading the trackers on a merry chase. Watson stood to the side, still nursing a sore and probably broken nose as he guided them towards the Dark energy with his scanner.
But Promise bounded ahead of them all, always just a whisker-length's away from their tranquilizer darts. A feeling of euphoria overcame him, even though he knew his task was perilous. But every second the trackers spent chasing him was another second that Strange One then had to enter the laboratory. Now it-
Just then, the sun arrived over the horizon.
With a lurch, Promise felt himself become totally visible as the morning rays hit his hide and quelled his glowing rings. In his distraction, he had totally forgotten how much time had passed. And the arrival of the sun was causing his Dark power to fade. Now, with the arrival of the day, it would only work in the largest of shadows.
The trackers all stared as they finally saw their quarry with their own eyes.
"Breeon..." the Umbreon half-smirked, feeling sheepish. Feeling the fool for being so ignorant, he shuffled a little. Now he was out of the bag.
THUNK.
With a wince, the Umbreon felt rather than saw the dart lodge itself in his leg. As if goading himself into action, he quickly dashed off into the underbrush, before the dart started to take effect. It wouldn't be long, he realized, before the humans would soon be back on Strange One's trail. In that case, he figured as he ran, it was time for him to gather help. And conquer a few demons while he was at it.
Watson spluttered. "That wasn't the test animal at all!"
One of the trackers smirked. "Nailed it though. Want me to go and collect it?"
"No, fool. We've got other matters more important to us." Curiously, he turned once more to his scanner. The piece of equipment still held up well, considering the abuse it and its master had been through in the past few days. Instinct told Watson that he should try the Ice scanner again, so he did so.
Aha!
"Its back...it's in the laboratory!"
The trackers craned their necks, interested.
Without bothering to look up, Watson started running in the direction of the laboratory.
"Round up the others. We have to surround the place, and then close in!"
*****
With the feather firmly tucked behind his right ear, Strange One retraced his steps until he was once again inside the first laboratory. With a grim face, he prepared himself for his most difficult task yet: breaking into the cages. He paused a moment, allowing his eyes to wander across the front of one of the lower-level cages. If only he could figure out how to open it-
For half a moment, he considered breaking it open with Ice power like he had the first, but he immediately thought better of it. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself, now that he could no longer become invisible.
"Pikablu." in frustration, he kicked at the cage door, which rattled slightly.
A quiet voice croaked from within. I know how they open these doors.
Gingerly, Strange One peered into to the cage. How? I might be able to get you out.
A pair of sapphire eyes, flecked with darker shades of gray winked and glinted back at him. See that lever? You have to pull that up to unlock the door, then pull down the latch.
Thanks to nature giving him opposable thumbs, Strange One found this action to be quite simple and easy to accomplish. In a moment, the door was open, swinging wide on silent, well-oiled hinges. Strange One stepped back as the captive emerged.
It was a Charmander, quite raw-boned and skinny as his species went. His eyes, while bright with blue fire, seemed considerably duller then they should have been. The flame on his tail was quite dim, showing him to be quite ill at ease at the moment. He coughed, and spoke again in the raspy voice that so opposed what should have been a light and somewhat chirpy dialect.
Thank you, stranger. You have my eternal gratitude.
Strange One smiled. Even though the Charmander was a Fire-type, he found he didn't mind that much at all. My name is Strange One. I'm a Pikablu.
The Charmander sighed. Nobody here has a name. At least none that we can remember. The humans took our names, just like they took my voice. He shrugged, squinting at the blue Electric Mouse. Can't say I've ever seen your species before.
I'm kind of one of a kind-long story though. The truth is, I've come to set you all free.
That's going to be a big job. Charmander sighed. The humans did something to my throat-I think they were trying to get me to speak the human language. But it didn't work...all it did was this to my voice. The Charmander's voice grew bitter. And it took away my fire. All I have left is my inner flame, and even that will go out soon, I think. The humans did this to me, so I'll help in any way I can to stop them from hurting anybody else.
Strange One could of laughed aloud in relief. The captives might have been beaten in body, but there was apparently still a lot of spirit left in them. Great. I'll start opening to cages up on the top level, you start on the bottom. Charmander nodded, and Strange One skittered up the shelf.
Some of the captives readily jumped out of their cages the moment they were open; others had to be coaxed out because they were so afraid of the humans. In one case, Strange One entered a cage, emerging later carrying a tiny baby Cyndaquil by the scruff of the neck, with two more in tow.
On a few grim occasions, doors were opened only to find that their occupants had passed on. Those who had survived bowed their heads sadly in remembrance to these poor creatures, whose aid had arrived too late.
The contents of this particular laboratory were all strictly Fire-types, with a smattering of Charmander, Growlithe, Vulpix, Cyndaquil, and various others. Although slightly uncomfortable with the rising heat, he still spoke up.
Those of you who are able to help, please help those who are weak or too young to move on their own. I came in through that ventilation shaft. If you follow my scent you should find yourself out on the right side of this building. Try not to be seen.
Strange One still had a lot of liberating to do. He, followed by a half-dozen others who were stronger than most, ventured out into the darkened hallway in a race against time.
*****
Promise was starting to notice the sedative's effect as he steered himself towards his old home. Struggling to keep upright, the Umbreon's mind grew considerably hazier. Only by biting his own tongue was he able to continue onward. Angrily, he shook off the grogginess, and continued to the Eevee settlement.
But either the way had become lost to him in his time away, or the sedative was having more of an effect on him than he thought, because it was not too much later before he realized how lost and disoriented he really was. Stumbling for the hundredth time, he stared blearily. This was the right way.
Wasn't it?
Suddenly, Promise stopped in his tracks. He had failed. Now Strange One would be in danger, and there wasn't a single thing that he could do about it. Depressing thoughts seemed to drag his mind further into the cold wet bog of unconsciousness He was a failure, and a runaway, just like he had run from Solei. His head sank lower-
Just as he was about to collapse, something large and winged buzzed his head. It wasn't a hard knock, but it certainly got his attention. A pair of sharp vulpine eyes materialized before his blurry vision. He blinked.
Don't give up. Follow me.
Promise dashed to keep up with the winged enigma as it fluttered busily before his nose. His eyesight slipped in and out of focus at random, but it never allowed him to fully see his mysterious guide.
With the suddenness of the unexpected, the winged creature halted.
You're here. Good luck.
Then it was gone.
The place hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen it. It was a small haven in the side of a cliff, with plenty of rock overhangs and caves to house them. The ocean was clearly visible, as was the volcano, which seems to loom over everything in the island.
There were several outcries of the Eevee nature as he approached the clearing that marked the beginning of the territory; as he realized, pairs of eyes had been watching his every move for quite some time now. As the alarms spread in size and magnitude, he became aware, through increasingly fuzzy vision, of the party of Eevee evolutions that now approached him.
Wobbling slightly, he nearly lost his balance. With the last of his wits, he wondered if Solei was still here. At the moment, there were no other Espeons or Umbreons present, at least of those who were drawn out by the alarm cry. This was not too abnormal, after all, Espeons and Umbreons were quite rare and unique, as it took extraordinary measures for such evolutions to occur. Scowling, the largest of the group approached. He was a Jolteon, slightly larger than most, and bristling with pinmissle spikes that jutted out in every direction.
What do you want here, dark one?
In response, Promise flopped over on his side, unable to fight the sedative's effect anymore. Need...help... he said, his consciousness fading quickly.
A Vaporeon sniffed a little. Well obviously...
The Umbreon tried to shake his head. Not...me...other...
The Jolteon scowled again. Other? There are no others with you.
Promise tried one last time. Find...strange...one...at...lab...
He was dimly aware of several shapes approaching him, although their features were blurry and he couldn't tell who they were. For a moment, he thought he smelled flowers. Then the unconsciousness overtook him completely.
*****
Woot! That's it for now!!! Did you love it? Hate it? Either way, do me a little favor and review, please! I'd love to hear your feedback!
References
1. mailto:snowsilverkat@hotmail.com
As always, I do not own Pokemon.
*****
All the time, while Strange One had been exploring the laboratory, Promise, in phased-out form, had been leading the trackers on a merry chase. Watson stood to the side, still nursing a sore and probably broken nose as he guided them towards the Dark energy with his scanner.
But Promise bounded ahead of them all, always just a whisker-length's away from their tranquilizer darts. A feeling of euphoria overcame him, even though he knew his task was perilous. But every second the trackers spent chasing him was another second that Strange One then had to enter the laboratory. Now it-
Just then, the sun arrived over the horizon.
With a lurch, Promise felt himself become totally visible as the morning rays hit his hide and quelled his glowing rings. In his distraction, he had totally forgotten how much time had passed. And the arrival of the sun was causing his Dark power to fade. Now, with the arrival of the day, it would only work in the largest of shadows.
The trackers all stared as they finally saw their quarry with their own eyes.
"Breeon..." the Umbreon half-smirked, feeling sheepish. Feeling the fool for being so ignorant, he shuffled a little. Now he was out of the bag.
THUNK.
With a wince, the Umbreon felt rather than saw the dart lodge itself in his leg. As if goading himself into action, he quickly dashed off into the underbrush, before the dart started to take effect. It wouldn't be long, he realized, before the humans would soon be back on Strange One's trail. In that case, he figured as he ran, it was time for him to gather help. And conquer a few demons while he was at it.
Watson spluttered. "That wasn't the test animal at all!"
One of the trackers smirked. "Nailed it though. Want me to go and collect it?"
"No, fool. We've got other matters more important to us." Curiously, he turned once more to his scanner. The piece of equipment still held up well, considering the abuse it and its master had been through in the past few days. Instinct told Watson that he should try the Ice scanner again, so he did so.
Aha!
"Its back...it's in the laboratory!"
The trackers craned their necks, interested.
Without bothering to look up, Watson started running in the direction of the laboratory.
"Round up the others. We have to surround the place, and then close in!"
*****
With the feather firmly tucked behind his right ear, Strange One retraced his steps until he was once again inside the first laboratory. With a grim face, he prepared himself for his most difficult task yet: breaking into the cages. He paused a moment, allowing his eyes to wander across the front of one of the lower-level cages. If only he could figure out how to open it-
For half a moment, he considered breaking it open with Ice power like he had the first, but he immediately thought better of it. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself, now that he could no longer become invisible.
"Pikablu." in frustration, he kicked at the cage door, which rattled slightly.
A quiet voice croaked from within. I know how they open these doors.
Gingerly, Strange One peered into to the cage. How? I might be able to get you out.
A pair of sapphire eyes, flecked with darker shades of gray winked and glinted back at him. See that lever? You have to pull that up to unlock the door, then pull down the latch.
Thanks to nature giving him opposable thumbs, Strange One found this action to be quite simple and easy to accomplish. In a moment, the door was open, swinging wide on silent, well-oiled hinges. Strange One stepped back as the captive emerged.
It was a Charmander, quite raw-boned and skinny as his species went. His eyes, while bright with blue fire, seemed considerably duller then they should have been. The flame on his tail was quite dim, showing him to be quite ill at ease at the moment. He coughed, and spoke again in the raspy voice that so opposed what should have been a light and somewhat chirpy dialect.
Thank you, stranger. You have my eternal gratitude.
Strange One smiled. Even though the Charmander was a Fire-type, he found he didn't mind that much at all. My name is Strange One. I'm a Pikablu.
The Charmander sighed. Nobody here has a name. At least none that we can remember. The humans took our names, just like they took my voice. He shrugged, squinting at the blue Electric Mouse. Can't say I've ever seen your species before.
I'm kind of one of a kind-long story though. The truth is, I've come to set you all free.
That's going to be a big job. Charmander sighed. The humans did something to my throat-I think they were trying to get me to speak the human language. But it didn't work...all it did was this to my voice. The Charmander's voice grew bitter. And it took away my fire. All I have left is my inner flame, and even that will go out soon, I think. The humans did this to me, so I'll help in any way I can to stop them from hurting anybody else.
Strange One could of laughed aloud in relief. The captives might have been beaten in body, but there was apparently still a lot of spirit left in them. Great. I'll start opening to cages up on the top level, you start on the bottom. Charmander nodded, and Strange One skittered up the shelf.
Some of the captives readily jumped out of their cages the moment they were open; others had to be coaxed out because they were so afraid of the humans. In one case, Strange One entered a cage, emerging later carrying a tiny baby Cyndaquil by the scruff of the neck, with two more in tow.
On a few grim occasions, doors were opened only to find that their occupants had passed on. Those who had survived bowed their heads sadly in remembrance to these poor creatures, whose aid had arrived too late.
The contents of this particular laboratory were all strictly Fire-types, with a smattering of Charmander, Growlithe, Vulpix, Cyndaquil, and various others. Although slightly uncomfortable with the rising heat, he still spoke up.
Those of you who are able to help, please help those who are weak or too young to move on their own. I came in through that ventilation shaft. If you follow my scent you should find yourself out on the right side of this building. Try not to be seen.
Strange One still had a lot of liberating to do. He, followed by a half-dozen others who were stronger than most, ventured out into the darkened hallway in a race against time.
*****
Promise was starting to notice the sedative's effect as he steered himself towards his old home. Struggling to keep upright, the Umbreon's mind grew considerably hazier. Only by biting his own tongue was he able to continue onward. Angrily, he shook off the grogginess, and continued to the Eevee settlement.
But either the way had become lost to him in his time away, or the sedative was having more of an effect on him than he thought, because it was not too much later before he realized how lost and disoriented he really was. Stumbling for the hundredth time, he stared blearily. This was the right way.
Wasn't it?
Suddenly, Promise stopped in his tracks. He had failed. Now Strange One would be in danger, and there wasn't a single thing that he could do about it. Depressing thoughts seemed to drag his mind further into the cold wet bog of unconsciousness He was a failure, and a runaway, just like he had run from Solei. His head sank lower-
Just as he was about to collapse, something large and winged buzzed his head. It wasn't a hard knock, but it certainly got his attention. A pair of sharp vulpine eyes materialized before his blurry vision. He blinked.
Don't give up. Follow me.
Promise dashed to keep up with the winged enigma as it fluttered busily before his nose. His eyesight slipped in and out of focus at random, but it never allowed him to fully see his mysterious guide.
With the suddenness of the unexpected, the winged creature halted.
You're here. Good luck.
Then it was gone.
The place hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen it. It was a small haven in the side of a cliff, with plenty of rock overhangs and caves to house them. The ocean was clearly visible, as was the volcano, which seems to loom over everything in the island.
There were several outcries of the Eevee nature as he approached the clearing that marked the beginning of the territory; as he realized, pairs of eyes had been watching his every move for quite some time now. As the alarms spread in size and magnitude, he became aware, through increasingly fuzzy vision, of the party of Eevee evolutions that now approached him.
Wobbling slightly, he nearly lost his balance. With the last of his wits, he wondered if Solei was still here. At the moment, there were no other Espeons or Umbreons present, at least of those who were drawn out by the alarm cry. This was not too abnormal, after all, Espeons and Umbreons were quite rare and unique, as it took extraordinary measures for such evolutions to occur. Scowling, the largest of the group approached. He was a Jolteon, slightly larger than most, and bristling with pinmissle spikes that jutted out in every direction.
What do you want here, dark one?
In response, Promise flopped over on his side, unable to fight the sedative's effect anymore. Need...help... he said, his consciousness fading quickly.
A Vaporeon sniffed a little. Well obviously...
The Umbreon tried to shake his head. Not...me...other...
The Jolteon scowled again. Other? There are no others with you.
Promise tried one last time. Find...strange...one...at...lab...
He was dimly aware of several shapes approaching him, although their features were blurry and he couldn't tell who they were. For a moment, he thought he smelled flowers. Then the unconsciousness overtook him completely.
*****
Woot! That's it for now!!! Did you love it? Hate it? Either way, do me a little favor and review, please! I'd love to hear your feedback!
References
1. mailto:snowsilverkat@hotmail.com