Chapter three! Chapter three! Oh can it be? This take place between chapter four and five of FireHybrid's Intertwine Dreams.
Chapter 3
The Contestant
Being seven feet tall, most doors are a head too short for a person of my stature. Nevertheless, I prefer this form because it's what I wanted anyway.
It even has a positive effect on other people too. I walked into a Subway restaurant one fine day, and the server there was six foot three. He now probably used to think he was tall. But that was nothing compared to when I said to him, "I'll take a foot long Cold Cut Trio with everything on it, a foot long Spicy Italian with everything on it, a foot long Subway Club with everything on it, and a large Cherry Coke."
He looked at me in the most peculiar manner. "Would you like a bag for that?"
"No, I'll be eating it here. And be sure to load them with bell peppers."
He looked at me funny again as he rang up my meal on the register. "Bag of Cool Ranch Doritos too, if you don't mind." I can't eat a sandwich without chips.
"That'll be $19.87. . ."
"What's with inflation these days. . ." I monotony said as I pulled out my wallet, "Break a hundred? No wait. . . I think I have enough change. . ."
I just love doing things like that.
I might not have been able to eat that much if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a fire type (Those flames take a lot of energy) and for the fact that I've probably slept a total of ten hours last week. But it all adds up to the fact that I use these things to my advantage, like scaring people.
Taking my order, I moved to the window seat, because I have this habit of staring outside during the daytime.
I secretly hope that there would be something that could crush my ego, big as it is. I mean, I have a good reason for it. I can draw, write, sing, act, do comedy, fight, play games, and so on. And to boot, I have this weird thing going on with my metabolism that, as I've told several times before, I can stay up until three in the morning and get out of bed by five.
Not that I actually sleep in a bed. Just a couch. I might burn the house down otherwise if I had anything remotely close to a nightmare.
But that's the thing. I don't think I'm scared of anything anymore. Having the vigilance of a brick house may be useful, but it's a thing of life that one has to be scared. A few weeks ago during my last bout with Fire Storm, I think I did get scared. I look back on it and remember almost everything, except the last part, which I only kinda remember.
That might be my only fear, that of dying in obscurity. Living past forty would be nice, but you can't have everything. Still, I intend on living forever. So far, so good.
Far be it from me to be perfect, though. Sometimes I wish I had more people skills. As if people were worth developing skills for. And I still can't play 'real' sports, as if that were a bother. I don't need everything people expect of me. It's a lot more fun to excel in things they don't. That way you always impress them, even by your failures.
But enough about me. You're probably expecting some action right about now.
I was finishing up my last sandwich, and put my trash in the waste bin. Still Cherry Coke in hand, I walked outside and was deciding what to do next. It was about one in the afternoon, a weekday. I once again thanked whatever is there now that I didn't have to go to school anymore. But life was now one day to the next. I needed some long-lasting form of entertainment. I had considered pokémon training, but I didn't want to get into that just yet. No, right now I wanted to do something challenging and fun.
And that's when it hit me.
I mean, it literally hit me. The wind blew a loose flier onto my face. I had the notion to read it:
VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 2001, 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
BIZ ARCADE
120 MAIN STREET, MANILLA CITY
$1,000 FIRST PRIZE
$500 SECOND PRIZE
$250 THIRD PRIZE
I must tell you, I might have been in heaven right then. Manila City? I had no clue as to where that was. I had to go back to Xavier's to find out.
Well, not only find out, but also to leave him a note as to tell him were I'd be tomorrow. Manila City was two days straight walking distance as the murkrow flies. (I've been in the lingo of using the new world a little bit.) Thus said I couldn't do that and get there on time. So it was about time to blow some of my savings and rent a motorcycle.
Not a huge chunk, but a pretty decent one for a two-day rental. But it might be worth it if I could get my hands of first or second prize.
And I'm going to tell you right off bat, I'm not going to tell you about my exploits in the tournament. That would be exciting only to me. If, that is, it actually took place.
I arrived in Manila City around noon. I searched for a couple minutes for the arcade on Main Street. Seeing as how it was a fairly large and new arcade, it was time for me to go get some ice cream. A shop just down the road reminded me of a town I used to live in, one that's main street was still stuck in the 1940's. The entire street reminded me of that, except for the arcade.
And for some reason, that's what worried me.
Manila City is a small town. The arcade is large and new. How did the owner expect to make money, especially flinging off that much in a promotion?
How many people were honestly going to show up? Two hours before a big contest, everyone that's going to be there usually is. But no one was in the arcade. Something was wrong. . . but what?
I rode my motorcycle back up the street the arcade to get another look at it. The thing must have only been built in the last month or sooner. And that's what really worried me.
Now, I'm not saying I'm stupid, but that was a call for action if I ever saw one. I just had to walk in there defiantly. As I was putting my rental in a place where it wouldn't get destroyed, I thought maybe there was an explanation to all of this. Maybe something weird wasn't going on.
Shame I was right the first time.
"You here for the tournament?"
"Yeah. . . I am. . ."
"Please follow me into the back."
I passed right by the arcade machines, where it seemed that everything was operating normally. Nothing had to be wrong at all and I was just paranoid.
I barely stepped into the back room when something whacked across my neck. The sudden blow made me cringe, until I realized it almost tickled. I turned to look at who assaulted me.
It was a human. With a steel baseball bat. This dude was about my muscle mass when I was Old Me, and he was attempting to hurt me?
"Mind explaining that?" I asked.
Another sharp blow across the neck.
This assailant, the man who lead me back here, actually had mass and was black, and wore some sort of secret agent suit and sunglasses. Or maybe a bodyguard suit. I asked him, "Am I in the wrong place? I thought I was supposed to be here, but I guess I'm too early or something. I'll leave if you want me too. . ."
He flashed a switchblade. Oh, now that was cheating. I kicked him where it counted, and then curled up both my fists and slammed him on the back while he was still keeling over. I'd been working out.
The scrawny dude looked terrified, and tried to attack me again. These humans and their silly toys. I kicked him once in the gut. I didn't want to kill him. . . just maim. He fell over on top of the other dude.
Now to find out what all the injury was about.
I looked around the immediate room to see if anything out of the ordinary stood anywhere. Down arcade machines. . . Change machine. . . fuse box. . . cardboard boxes. . . nothing. At least I saw nothing. There was a lone security camera in the corner of the storage room, above the only garbage can there. I was still being watched, it seemed.
A shot. I felt a hard prick in my back, after which I reflexively grabbed for and pulled out. What I found in my hand when I brought it back around was a syringe dart. Donphan tranquilizer. It was empty.
Everything started getting fuzzy, as I collapsed on the ground.
What was happening? I thought to myself. I could think straight again, that was a good thing. Not telling how long I was out. I could hear about five hundred voices yelling as a crowd. color started to form in front of my eyes, and I was in some sort of cage. The crown was a ways away still, and now I could hear the squeak of wheels turning. Then I could feel the unevenness of movement over rocky ground. I heard footsteps all around me.
The movement stopped. The wheels stopped. The footsteps stopped. I didn't dare move.
"This one's gave us a lota trouble. Took out Louie."
"What 'bout that stringae kid? The pok'amon traina that wanted t' 'move upwahd fast'?"
"'e'll live. Do we let that count as 'is payment?"
"Naw. He'll need to survahve next time. When he wakes up, make sure to tell him tha I's ain't lettin him fight no' lettin him sees his pok'amon until I's sees some results."
"Raight, boss. What'da we do with this dude?"
"Fight commin' up. Notify the guys."
My head was still throbbing, but I had to take a risk at asking a question. "Where am I?"
"Hey, that guy's still awake!"
"And this isn't any way to treat a guest."
"Yo, that dude from the ahce cream parlah said that you'd looked like you was big enough for one of ah fights."
"Fight?"
"Yeah, you's gonna be in our 'tournament' as a side show!"
That didn't sound too terribly exciting, so I faked a cough and said, "Come closer. . . I don't feel well. . ."
The man that wore a black trench coat stepped forward to look at me closer. In a matter of milliseconds, I reached through the bars and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up against the cage. Some of the guys shouted out in general surprise. I jammed his neck across my arm as to pin him against the cage and cut off his windpipe.
"Listen here! I was here for the arcade tournament. I have no desire whatsoever to get myself killed in one of these underground rings."
"Not. . . your choice. You'd. . . need to appeal. . . to the Big Boss. . ."
"I'll break out of here on my own if you don't mind. . ."
I heard a shot, and another dart was buried in my fur. "Oh, now you really me ang. . ." My grip on his neck loosened up, until I collapsed to the ground.
"'e's pahfect." I heard before I went to sleep again.
I wondered how in the world they fit an entire stadium underground. It was a fairly large stadium, too, with a certain smell in the air like that of a Subway restaurant. Yeah, I was getting hungry. And now I had a massive headache from both tranquilizers and couldn't see straight otherwise. It didn't last long. My head still throbbed, but now I could see the stadium seats, consisting of well over three or four hundred people sitting in them.
The smell changed. It smelled sour, something I hadn't smelled before. The odor was unbearable, but it also didn't last long. Again, the smell changed and I recognized it immediately as alcohol.
What in the world was happening?
And now that I think about it, the world was kind of erratic and prone to change and I probably shouldn't be asking it those kinds of questions.
My vision cleared up now, and my hearing was getting sharper by the second.
". . . the person who defeats the Typhlosion hybrid will be given a five thousand dollar bonus. As usual, first come, first serve."
The cage opened, and I suspected they wanted me to get out. A fight. This wouldn't be all bad, now, would it?
I stepped out into a puddle of blood. This was very, very bad. But I had to maintain a look of I had at least some clue as to what was going on.
I noticed that they removed my shirt, which was probably for the better, as it was one of the nicer ones, and I really didn't feel like getting blood on it. I didn't particularly feel like bleeding at all, otherwise. Thus it began that the first volunteer was up. This guy had the air about him that said, 'you are so dead!'. A bell sounded, and the guy tossed his first pokéball, and in a flash of red light, out appeared Onix. This was not a match for sissies, it seemed. Right away the trainer called out to his Onix for a Fissure attack. And this was a fast fissure attack. The energy burst hit me straight on.
And I didn't feel a thing.
Six fights in, and another trainer stepped up. Twelve fights. Twenty-four. Sixty. This was going to go on forever, it seemed. Number sixty-one, the trainer had a water pokémon that was at least worth its salt. It's first hydro pump attack nicked me in the shoulder, and it stung like all get-out. But even then, I wasn't tired, I wasn't seriously injured, I was getting to be a better fighter by the minute, I was actually having fun and I secretly thanked them for dragging me down here.
But I had to get out. This had to stop. If, say right now, the police or FBI were to surround this place, I was going to be arrested along with everyone else. Even if this entire town was practically owned by this mafia thing, it was still highly likely. The place was very obviously new, considering that there wasn't an 'unbeatable trainer' yet, who might appear within six months and would probably be a long-haired prettyboy, but nobody was obviously that yet. At least that's what should happen.
Sixty-one down. I probably should have shown up a lot later for an actual challenge, but it was starting to dawn on me that, since I have pokémon in my blood, I was born to fight. I've fought before this, but not nearly this extensively. Maybe sometime in the past I learned to fight. Something like my incredibly improved artistic abilities. But still, it seemed pretty cool.
I wondered if there was a way to measure my experience level.
Sixty-six up. The rush of battle was exhilarating, probably this side of orgasmic. And the thought crossed my mind that, since I technically was fifteen years old, how I evolved into a Typhlosion so quickly. This was a very good reason right here.
The crowd was starting to cheer for me. I was probably going to overextend my ego just in time for someone to kick my butt. As if that would happen.
I had to stop.
Number Sixty-seven. A Steelix. This might me slightly tougher, as these things have about the same endurance as a tank. Like me.
For this battle, I jumped and positioned myself in the space between its head and the rest of its body and hung on. For a second, the Steelix was trying to flick me off, but I waited for the moment that it would turn upside-down. I grabbed it by its horns (I never figured out what they actually are) and pulled. You might wonder how something this big can be taken down by any other pokémon, don't you? It's quite simple: Onix and Steelix are built all wrong. The muscle in their bodies are separated into each 'boulder', and each boulder is connected by ligament. Suffice to say, they are extremely flexible, being invertebrates. That makes it ten times easier to flip them. The other reason is that they don't have any actual footing on the ground, so they can't use any of their weight to their advantage unless they were actually under the ground.
That is what his trainer was trying to get him to do, use a Dig attack. The Steelix came up from under me, launching me sixty feet in the air. I was all fun, like a roller coaster might be. On the way back down, I grabbed the Steelix again for another flip.
The reward was raised to ten thousand dollars.
Battle Ninety-eight. The reward was raised to fifteen thousand dollars.
One hundred twenty. Twenty thousand dollars and a Master Ball.
But that was the last of the contestants. I walked back to the cage I had been stuck in earlier cage and grabbed my shirt, and walked out the arena gate.
The man who I grabbed forcibly earlier ran up to me. "A gift from the Big Boss." He said. He handed me the reward money and the Master Ball. "He gives you his best regards."
"Hmph. He could have invited me." I stuffed the incredibly large amount of cash into my wallet. "I'll be grateful this time, but if this happens again, none of you are going to ever walk out this gate again."
I walked out the gate, out of the arcade, and rode out of town. It was well past midnight now, but that didn't concern me. It was a wonderful feeling to let your baser instincts take hold.
But as I hard the police sirens behind me, I considered the fact that I was lucky enough to have stopped when I did.
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Much longer than my usual chapter. But just wait till you see the fifth chapter of FireHybrid's Intertwine Dreams! You must be reading it for this to make any sense, so I probably don't need to tell you that!
And as it is, I have exactly no more characters for Final Fantasy: The Last Hero. C'mon, people! Look at my profile for more info!
Until next time, Ciao!