"Not so long ago, there was a great and terrible pokemon that did nothing
but cause trouble for the unfortunate inhabitants of a small town that
happened to be located near its den. The pokemon, a mighty Typholosion,
ruled over its territory with prowess unmatched by the other pokemon of the
local area. With its powerful jaws, great muscles, and scorching flames,
it took what it wanted and did what it wanted to do regardless of anyone
else. Anything got in its way, it would go through the obstacle. Nothing
stood up to the great and powerful Typhlosion, and that was the way it
liked things.
"But one day, somebody stood up.....
"The Typhlosion was shocked, to say the very least. Who was this foolish human that dared to stand in its path so defiantly? Didn't he see the flames of his back, the claws of his giant paws? This foolish creature deserved so much worse than death for what he was doing, so blatantly disrespecting its right of territory.
"The Typhlosion, I might add, was enormous. Fully grown and in peak condition, it was a force to be reckoned with, though nobody ever did. Eight hundred pounds of solid muscle, flame, and fury. It's jaws could bend iron bars, it's claws could shred a Steelix's hide. It was a walking mountain of power, unstoppable in its quest for conquest and rulership of all that stood in its way.
"And the human, he was no ordinary human. No, this human was a mutt. As if that weren't enough, he was an angry mutt. One third Scotish, one third Irish, and one third German; he was the best and worst of all three worlds. Taller than a Machoke, plus twice as strong and ten times as mean. This man, oh, this man was a true terror to face and was the sort of guy you wouldn't want to meet anywhere, let alone a dark alley or such. He wasn't used to having people stand up to him and for good reason. Nobody stood up to this man.
"And so the two giants of their kind squared off, both filled with righteous anger of having their dominance trampled upon by the other. One, a mighty beast of terrible prowess - The other was a big pokemon...."
The small children sat wide-eyed before Karuta, hands clasped before them as they waited for the gloomy looking man to continue his tale. Still recovering in the hospital, Karuta had long since given up trying to escape and seemed content to wander around for the time being. He eventually found the Childern's Ward and, as the nurses were quite surprised with, seemed to have taken a liking to the tykes who were confined to their beds with illness. Much to the delight of the many children there, Karuta dropped by every day to tell them stories both of fancy and of his personal experiences as a Pokemon Trainer. It was often difficult to descern the fantasy from reality with some of the tapestries Karuta wove.
Something the nurses always noticed in the depressing young man was his eyes...usually a cold glitter played in them, fused with annoyance and utter arrogance over the other people around him. But when he told his stories, they softened, if only a little. The chilling gleam lost it's edge, the glint of indifference turning to a warm sparkle with the children's cries of joy at seeing their new favorite story-teller come to pay them a visit.
"So what happened? Did the Typhlosion eat the man?" A small girl asked with a tinge of anticipation in her voice.
Most of Karuta's stories didn't have happy endings and people dieing was a common happening. That was another reason the children loved his presence so much: he never spoke down to them like he did with the adults. He spoke to them like equals, not telling half-truths or hiding the world outside the hospital from them.
Once one of the nurses overheard him telling them a story that involved a death and he was scorned, though he didn't seem to care about it. The idea that Karuta both knew the rules and still ignored them was a taboo quality that further endeared him to the children, though the nurses would've rather not had that attractiveness.
"You'd think so, but it didn't. To this very day, the locals of the nearby town still talk of the battle with reverence and awe. It wasn't a long battle at all and only lasted a few moments. One Headbutt attack and it was all over..."
"Headbutt? I didn't know Typhlosion naturally learn Headbutt..." A pale little boy asked from his bed.
"Who ever said the Typhlosion won?"
"...Whoa." was the chorused reply of all the children listening.
"Who was the guy? Was it you, Karuta-kun?" one of the older children asked.
"Pssh, yea' right. I'm strong, but even I don' think I could take out a Typhlosion all by myself. No, this man was someone I knew once. His name?" Karuta paused for dramatic build-up, "His name was...."
~~~~
"WAAA-CHOOOO!!"
The resounding sneeze echoed through the hills, scaring a resting Pidgey from its perch and into the air.
Amos McCaugllen wiped his nose on the back of his hand, his skin still tingling from the sneeze that decided to appear without warning. It would be just his luck to catch a cold right in the middle of his training journey. Oh well, it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it if he did get sick.
Slowly, the man stood up from his spot before the small bonfire of his campsite, stretching his stiff bones from sitting for so long. The man was of great stature, standing over six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and a build like an ox. He ran a large hand through his short, reddish-black hair before cracking his neck with great gusto, issuing dozens of loud cracks and pops from his spinal column. He smoothed out his clothes before sitting back down, his attire consiting of: a pair of black, red, and gray army fatigue pants, a red t-shirt, and a black leather vest. His enormous army boots clumped heavily on the ground as he plopped himself back into a sitting position, staring into the fire with a trance- like gaze.
"Maelstrom, if you touch that last side of beef, I'll break your legs." Amos threatened his Typhlosion without looking up from the fire.
Maelstrom, as the pokemon was christened, glared up at the large man. He never could get away with anything around this guy....It was like he could always tell what was going on around him without looking up. The human that he knew as 'Trainer' was a constant thorn in his side: the very reason he was no longer roaming wild and free throughout the country doing as he wished.
As if in a scripted movement, Maelstrom huffed loudly at Amos and snagged the aformentioned slab of Miltank meat in his mouth, gnawing on the tough jerky with a passion. In a flash, Amos was up and on the Typhlosion, wrestling around with the massive pokemon like a child would with a puppy. The two traded blows back and forth, connecting with punches and slams that would knock any normal person unconcious instantly.
Final Score; Maelstrom: 1. Amos: 1 1/2
Maelstrom chewed on his chunk of beef, the larger portion of the dried meat belonging to Amos. Amos was perched across Maelstrom's back, the pokemon's hind legs bent back against Amos' knees. With the beef clenched in his teeth and the Typhlosion's ankles gripped firmly in his hands, Amos leaned back to apply more pressure to one of his favorite submissions; the Walls Of Gerhico(tm).
Somehow, the human always won those wrestling matches. It infuriated Maelstrom to no end; constantly being beaten by a human who was less than half his size. After having been with Amos for so long, he was almost used to getting defeated so quickly and loathed it even more.
Damn, but he loved that guy.
Amos always beat Maelstrom in the end, but Maelstrom wasn't without his small victories. Little pranks, a few stolen foodstuffs, and the occasional random brawl was the high points that Maelstrom wondered how he ever got along without during his time in the wild. Being king of the forest was great, but being with Amos opened the rest of the world to him. After being captured, Amos didn't try to break his spirit like so many other trainers do, but he encouraged it. He trained along side with him like a partner, both rising in power as time went by. They traveled far and wide together, an unstoppable team that nobody stood against. Anyone who got in their way was utterly crushed, never standing up against them for long, if at all.
Maelstrom hated Amos' constant superiority to him in strength.
Amos hated Maelstrom's wild, rambunctious ways. The pokemon was even slyer than he was.
And yet, the both knew that they would never part.
Heaven help the poor fool that tried to seperate the two.
~~~~
Nozomi was bored.
Boredom was a feeling she was used to, having to deal with great bouts of it on the long trips from city to city on her journey. It was always unwelcome, though inevitable no matter how she traveled. The only way it could possibly be any worse was if she weren't going anywhere at all.
Needless to say, it was worse.
Her afternoon had been very active, at least. Chased by a small horde of Raticate outside the forest, then almost getting stung by a rather angry Beedrill. After almost spraining her ankle while fleeing from the Beedrill, she had to deal with a large amount of hunger and a small amount of food to sate it with. All in all, it had not been a good day.
"Oh well....at least things can't possibly get any worse." Nozomi sighed.
The Universe accepted the personal challenge.
A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked through the sky, followed by a roar of thunder mere moments later. Nozomi didn't even have time to look to the heavens to check the clouds before the downpour started, drenching her in an instant. She stood stationary for a few seconds, trying to decide whether to cry or to break something. Maybe both....
Trudging through the now muddy woods, Nozomi couldn't help but sigh at her prediciment.
"Alright, now I'm sure that things couldn't get any worse."
The Great Celestial Raspberry rang out loud and clear.
"Nid nido...."
"Son of a...."
And with a wet, unhappy, overly-territorial Nidorino hot on her heels, Nozomi decided to remove that sentence from her vocabulary. This thought made the Universe happy, though it would have to remind her to keep her constitution with that promise once it stopped laughing.
Ducking past the trees, Nozomi did her best to keep from falling over unseen roots and slick spots of mud as she ran. One false step would send her toppling and ensure goring by the Nidorino. Why did pokemon like that have to be so possesive? Why in the world did things like this always have to happen to her?
*Snag*
"Son of a...!"
*Fwump*
Nozomi hit the ground hard, bouncing and landing again from the force of the impact. She slid to a muddy halt, her clothes soaked through with wet dirt and mulch. She flipped around to her back and hurried to her feet, her eyes locking onto the charging Nidorino.
"Stay back, or else!" Nozomi yelled lamely, wondering how many movies she'd watched as she put up her fists.
Surprisingly enough, the Nidorino suddenly skidded to a halt. Staring in horror, it took a few steps backwards before turning and dashing back the way it came.
Nozomi blinked a few times, looking at her fists. A smile came to her face as she thanked the first deity that came to mind for her luck. Her rising hopes suddenly plummeted as she felt a stream of hot breath on the back of her neck, followed by a gutteral growl.
"Urrrrsah....rig?"
"Son of a...."
~~~~
Amos was not a happy camper.
He was normally very content while staying outdoors, but the sudden rainfall had spoiled things for him. There's nothing that can lower one's moral like a good drenching on a cold afternoon. Maelstrom had taken shelter in his pokeball, leaving Amos to deal with the storm on his own. This was the kind of rain that Amos hated the most. Freezing pellets of water and hail he could deal with. Even the rain that fell with high winds, each gale cutting like razors was preferred over this kind.
This rain was just wet.
The rain fell steady and hard, soaking him to the bone and leaving the Trainer quite unhappy with the situation. The constant thrum of the rain hitting the ground was a relaxing sound that was quickly getting on his nerves. A little excitement would be welcome right now. Heck, anything would be welcome right now if it releived the monotony of walking through a storm.
A scream emitted by a terrified girl fleeing from a Ursaring offered just the opportunity Amos had been wishing for.
"Ah, the Big-Guy Downstairs really does love me." Amos gave a reverent sigh downwards before hurrying off towards the area the scream had come from.
Only a few moments of running passed before Amos came upon the source of his potential entertainment. A lovely young lady, sopping wet, running for her life from an equally sopping Ursaring. Things didn't get much better than that. Stepping up the pace of his great, loping steps, Amos quickly passed up the stampeding Ursaring and matched Nozomi's pace, keeping up next to her.
"'Afternoon. Nice day for a jog, don'cha think so?" Amos asked pleasantly to the surprised girl.
"Wha!? Where did you...when....Who are you?" Nozomi asked, taking only brief peeks at the man as she continued to flee.
"Amos McCaugllen. I'd shake your hand, but you seem a little busy at the moment. Anything I can do to help?"
"Do you have any pokemon that could stop a wild Ursaring?" Nozomi gasped, starting to lose her wind.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Would you...mind...using one?"
"Yes, I would mind. There's much more fun ways to do things."
"Say wha?"
Without giving a response to Nozomi's confused state, Amos slowed his pace and vanished from her line of sight. Nozomi felt a tinge of worry form at the edge of her mind, though it was quickly pushed away. She had to keep herself alive, but she was still concerned for the odd man that so briefly spoke with her.
*WHUMP!!*
The dull sound of flesh meeting flesh rang through the forest, followed by a resounding crack of bone and tree breaking under a great force. Nozomi slid to a halt once more, looking back over her shoulder at the scene behind her. What she saw took away her breath, leaving her to stand still and amazed at the sight.
A rather large tree had been cracked severely, a wide gap open in the side of the enormous oak wood. The break had been caused by the airborne body of the Ursaring landing upon it hard enough to shatter the aged wood with a single impact. Amos simply stood a few feet away and cracked his knuckles.
"Well that was a waste of time. Who ever heard of a bear with a glass jaw?" Amos grumbled as he crossed his arms over his wide chest.
Nozomi blinked.
~~~~
"Tell us more Karuta-kun! More!" The children's voices sang with anticipation of another story.
"Okay, okay. Calm down before you burst your IVs. Geez, I thought you kids were supposed to be sick or somethin'." Karuta tried to keep from laughing at the children's eagerness for more tales. But who was he to refuse an audience?
"I want to hear more about Amos!" One girl cried as she hugged a Meowth plush-toy to her chest.
"Yeah! Amos! Tell us more about him!" The other children joined in, having been very entertained by the story about Amos and his Typhlosion.
"Alright then, I'll tell you about Amos."
"Amos was a strong man, bold and proud to a fault. A true wanderer, he's traveled the world like I have. No real reason to do it, just walking to see how far he can go. He's originally from the Emerald Isle, Ireland. As far as I know, his only family was his father and mother, though his mother passed on shortly after his eighth birthday. While meaning well, the loving father didn't know how to raise him like his mother had. He didn't know how to offer comfort and support the way his beautiful wife had.
"But soon, Amos started to get bullied by children at his school. Fighting; that was something his father knew. His father was the roughest fighter you've ever seen, his style involving a lot of headbutting, kicking while one is down, foul language, and drinking. His father was a master in the greatly unappreciated art of Phuck Yuu."
"Karuta! Don't use that sort of language around the children!" A passing nurse scolded.
"Yes ma'am, Nurse Yakura, ma'am." Karuta and the children all chorused in a sing-song voice. The mocking sent Nurse Yakura huffing away while Karuta started his story again.
"Under the careful teaching of his father, Amos grew in strength rapidly and became just as good as his father in a few short years. Another year went by and he surpassed his father, flooring the powerful fighter in a single blow every fight. He was eleven years old when he achieved this. At the age of twelve, he left home on a journey of training for the Martial Arts and for pokemon with his father's blessing of 'Open the gates of Hell on anyone who tries to stop ya'...'"
~~~~
"...So that's my story. Care to tell me why you were gallabatin' around the forest in a monsoon with an oversized teddybear trying to turn you into coldcuts?" Amos asked absentmindedly.
Having escaped the Ursaring, Amos had stayed with Nozomi while they both found a cave to take shelter in from the storm. The cave had been filled with Ursaring as well, but they felt obligated to allow these two weary travelers to use their home, especially since they left it airborne and beaten. After the bears cleared out, Amos had been quick to set up some supplies for the two. Soon they were both warming themselves around a gas burner mini-stove and slurping hot cups of Instant Ramen noodles.
"I was just out training with my pokemon and I got caught in the storm. I've had a really bad day and I don't want to relive it. Sorry..." Nozomi grumbled quietly as she swirled her freeze-dried soup around in the styrofoam cup. She almost missed Karuta, if only for his cooking skills. In the short time they were traveling together, she grew rather accoustomed to his fire-side cooking and was quite fond of his stews.
"I understand. I've had plenty of bad days that I don't feel like going through again myself." Amos chuckled as he downed the last of the broth in his cup and peeled the top from another cup for a second helping.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you beat those Ursaring like that?"
"I punched 'em. Not much else to it."
"That's not what I mean. I've never seen anyone strong enough to knock out a pokemon like that with just one punch. You even cleared out a whole cave of them in a few seconds. It's amazing."
"Aw, y'flatter me. Stop it, I'm blushing." Amos grinned. "Forget about it, I'm just strong and I know how to fight. It's that simple."
"Maybe so...The only other person I know willing to go against a pokemon like that is..." Nozomi trailed off.
"Is who?"
"Hm? Oh, nobody..."
Amos cast Nozomi a longsided glance as he stirred his new cup of ramen with his finger. There was something rather odd about this girl, but it was something he could stand to leave untouched. It was a little rude of her to cut off a conversation like that, but he supposed the he couldn't complain. At least she was easy to look at.
The sudden lack of the constant rainfall caught both the attention of both Trainers. Outside, the rain had gone as quickly as it had come, the clouds breaking apart to reveal a fresh blue sky and the warming rays of the afternoon sun. A smile came to Nozomi's face as she watched the clouds scatter and vanished from the sky.
"Well, I guess I'll get going...Thanks for the help, Amos." Nozomi said over he shoulder as she stepped out of the cave.
Amos paused for a moment, the quickly gathered his things together and hurried after the girl. He caught up to her quick enough, falling into her quick pace as soon as he got to her side.
"Y'know, it's still pretty dangerous around this area, even without the rain. Those Ursaring might still be around and I wouldn't want a lady as pretty as you to get eaten by a bear or anythin' like that." Amos said offhandedly as he tightened a strap on his backpack.
Nozomi felt a light blush threaten at the compliment Amos gave her. She was used to hearing things like that from guys, though they usually weren't put so polietely. Amos may have been a little rough around the edges, but he seemed like a nice enough guy.
"Thanks...I appreciate it. I'm heading to Olivine City to meet a...to meet someone I know. I hope it's not out of your way." Nozomi explained.
"Olivine City? I haven't been there in years...sure, it sounds like a fun lark. Let's get moving then!" Amos replied as he moved the pace up a notch.
~~~~
The rythm of falling rain slowly silenced, replaced by the sound of falling footsteps as Karuta stepped outside the hospital. He took in a breath, his lungs filling with the cleansing scent of the storm. He loved it after it rained. Everything seemed to clean and new, all the wear-and-tear of the world washed away.
He looked over his shoulder momentarily to glimpse at the hospital and buried the urge to wince as he accidentally twisted the sling his arm rested in a little too tightly.
At the windows of the second floor, the occupants of the Children's Ward pressed against the glass to see their friend off. With waving hands and teary eyes, the wished him good luck and begged for promises of a return for more stories. On the first floor beneath them, the nurses were at the window waving and smiling like mad, secretely waiting for the ill-tempered ex-patient to go from sight so they could celebrate his departure.
Karuta offered only a wistful smile at the children before turning and starting off down the road. He would miss those kids...
~~~~
Two days passed.
The children sighed together, trying to occupy their time with books and games. They dearly missed Karuta and his stories, though he had only been gone for a short time it seemed like forever. Perhaps they would never see their beloved story-teller again...
*Tap tap*
A girl bearing a Meowth plushie in her lap looked towards the window, her eyes widening at the sight of the huge creature rapping against the glass.
The nurses hurried down the halls, their steps fleeter than usual from the cries and shouts coming from the Children's Ward. A fear filled their hearts at what they might find once they got there. Had one of the children's condition suddenly plummeted? Did something break or fall on them?
The nurses skidded to halt at the entrance to the Ward and threw open the door, hurrying inside to a scene that left them speechless. Every child in the ward was paired to a small pokemon, each on hugging their creature and crying with joy. Rattatas, Pidgey, Sentret, and Caterpie all sat upon the children, snuggling up to their new owners and chittering noisily.
Standing in the middle of the floor was a massive Fearow, looking happier than usual from the children's glee. A basket of empty pokeballs lay on the floor before it and it bore a peice of paper in it's beak. A nurse inched forward to the bird, slowly reaching out her hand. The Fearow placed the paper in her hand, then settled back to watch the children.
"What's it say Mihoshi?" A nurse asked as she peeked over her co-worker's shoulder.
"'These are a gift to the children. I made sure they're safe and healthy, so you'll have no reason to worry. If I find out you took them from the kids, I'll personally kill myself just so I can come back and haunt you.'" Nurse Mihoshi read aloud. "....it's from Karuta."
A few of the nurses swallowed loudly from the silly threat the note offered. Somehow, they wouldn't put it past Karuta to try something like that...
"Thanks Karuta-kun." a bed-ridden girl whispered as she watched Tsu-chan flap out the window and fly away from the hospital. In her lap, a purring Meowth was comfortably cuddled alongside her plushie Meowth.
Keiko Usura was a happy little girl.
"But one day, somebody stood up.....
"The Typhlosion was shocked, to say the very least. Who was this foolish human that dared to stand in its path so defiantly? Didn't he see the flames of his back, the claws of his giant paws? This foolish creature deserved so much worse than death for what he was doing, so blatantly disrespecting its right of territory.
"The Typhlosion, I might add, was enormous. Fully grown and in peak condition, it was a force to be reckoned with, though nobody ever did. Eight hundred pounds of solid muscle, flame, and fury. It's jaws could bend iron bars, it's claws could shred a Steelix's hide. It was a walking mountain of power, unstoppable in its quest for conquest and rulership of all that stood in its way.
"And the human, he was no ordinary human. No, this human was a mutt. As if that weren't enough, he was an angry mutt. One third Scotish, one third Irish, and one third German; he was the best and worst of all three worlds. Taller than a Machoke, plus twice as strong and ten times as mean. This man, oh, this man was a true terror to face and was the sort of guy you wouldn't want to meet anywhere, let alone a dark alley or such. He wasn't used to having people stand up to him and for good reason. Nobody stood up to this man.
"And so the two giants of their kind squared off, both filled with righteous anger of having their dominance trampled upon by the other. One, a mighty beast of terrible prowess - The other was a big pokemon...."
The small children sat wide-eyed before Karuta, hands clasped before them as they waited for the gloomy looking man to continue his tale. Still recovering in the hospital, Karuta had long since given up trying to escape and seemed content to wander around for the time being. He eventually found the Childern's Ward and, as the nurses were quite surprised with, seemed to have taken a liking to the tykes who were confined to their beds with illness. Much to the delight of the many children there, Karuta dropped by every day to tell them stories both of fancy and of his personal experiences as a Pokemon Trainer. It was often difficult to descern the fantasy from reality with some of the tapestries Karuta wove.
Something the nurses always noticed in the depressing young man was his eyes...usually a cold glitter played in them, fused with annoyance and utter arrogance over the other people around him. But when he told his stories, they softened, if only a little. The chilling gleam lost it's edge, the glint of indifference turning to a warm sparkle with the children's cries of joy at seeing their new favorite story-teller come to pay them a visit.
"So what happened? Did the Typhlosion eat the man?" A small girl asked with a tinge of anticipation in her voice.
Most of Karuta's stories didn't have happy endings and people dieing was a common happening. That was another reason the children loved his presence so much: he never spoke down to them like he did with the adults. He spoke to them like equals, not telling half-truths or hiding the world outside the hospital from them.
Once one of the nurses overheard him telling them a story that involved a death and he was scorned, though he didn't seem to care about it. The idea that Karuta both knew the rules and still ignored them was a taboo quality that further endeared him to the children, though the nurses would've rather not had that attractiveness.
"You'd think so, but it didn't. To this very day, the locals of the nearby town still talk of the battle with reverence and awe. It wasn't a long battle at all and only lasted a few moments. One Headbutt attack and it was all over..."
"Headbutt? I didn't know Typhlosion naturally learn Headbutt..." A pale little boy asked from his bed.
"Who ever said the Typhlosion won?"
"...Whoa." was the chorused reply of all the children listening.
"Who was the guy? Was it you, Karuta-kun?" one of the older children asked.
"Pssh, yea' right. I'm strong, but even I don' think I could take out a Typhlosion all by myself. No, this man was someone I knew once. His name?" Karuta paused for dramatic build-up, "His name was...."
~~~~
"WAAA-CHOOOO!!"
The resounding sneeze echoed through the hills, scaring a resting Pidgey from its perch and into the air.
Amos McCaugllen wiped his nose on the back of his hand, his skin still tingling from the sneeze that decided to appear without warning. It would be just his luck to catch a cold right in the middle of his training journey. Oh well, it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it if he did get sick.
Slowly, the man stood up from his spot before the small bonfire of his campsite, stretching his stiff bones from sitting for so long. The man was of great stature, standing over six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and a build like an ox. He ran a large hand through his short, reddish-black hair before cracking his neck with great gusto, issuing dozens of loud cracks and pops from his spinal column. He smoothed out his clothes before sitting back down, his attire consiting of: a pair of black, red, and gray army fatigue pants, a red t-shirt, and a black leather vest. His enormous army boots clumped heavily on the ground as he plopped himself back into a sitting position, staring into the fire with a trance- like gaze.
"Maelstrom, if you touch that last side of beef, I'll break your legs." Amos threatened his Typhlosion without looking up from the fire.
Maelstrom, as the pokemon was christened, glared up at the large man. He never could get away with anything around this guy....It was like he could always tell what was going on around him without looking up. The human that he knew as 'Trainer' was a constant thorn in his side: the very reason he was no longer roaming wild and free throughout the country doing as he wished.
As if in a scripted movement, Maelstrom huffed loudly at Amos and snagged the aformentioned slab of Miltank meat in his mouth, gnawing on the tough jerky with a passion. In a flash, Amos was up and on the Typhlosion, wrestling around with the massive pokemon like a child would with a puppy. The two traded blows back and forth, connecting with punches and slams that would knock any normal person unconcious instantly.
Final Score; Maelstrom: 1. Amos: 1 1/2
Maelstrom chewed on his chunk of beef, the larger portion of the dried meat belonging to Amos. Amos was perched across Maelstrom's back, the pokemon's hind legs bent back against Amos' knees. With the beef clenched in his teeth and the Typhlosion's ankles gripped firmly in his hands, Amos leaned back to apply more pressure to one of his favorite submissions; the Walls Of Gerhico(tm).
Somehow, the human always won those wrestling matches. It infuriated Maelstrom to no end; constantly being beaten by a human who was less than half his size. After having been with Amos for so long, he was almost used to getting defeated so quickly and loathed it even more.
Damn, but he loved that guy.
Amos always beat Maelstrom in the end, but Maelstrom wasn't without his small victories. Little pranks, a few stolen foodstuffs, and the occasional random brawl was the high points that Maelstrom wondered how he ever got along without during his time in the wild. Being king of the forest was great, but being with Amos opened the rest of the world to him. After being captured, Amos didn't try to break his spirit like so many other trainers do, but he encouraged it. He trained along side with him like a partner, both rising in power as time went by. They traveled far and wide together, an unstoppable team that nobody stood against. Anyone who got in their way was utterly crushed, never standing up against them for long, if at all.
Maelstrom hated Amos' constant superiority to him in strength.
Amos hated Maelstrom's wild, rambunctious ways. The pokemon was even slyer than he was.
And yet, the both knew that they would never part.
Heaven help the poor fool that tried to seperate the two.
~~~~
Nozomi was bored.
Boredom was a feeling she was used to, having to deal with great bouts of it on the long trips from city to city on her journey. It was always unwelcome, though inevitable no matter how she traveled. The only way it could possibly be any worse was if she weren't going anywhere at all.
Needless to say, it was worse.
Her afternoon had been very active, at least. Chased by a small horde of Raticate outside the forest, then almost getting stung by a rather angry Beedrill. After almost spraining her ankle while fleeing from the Beedrill, she had to deal with a large amount of hunger and a small amount of food to sate it with. All in all, it had not been a good day.
"Oh well....at least things can't possibly get any worse." Nozomi sighed.
The Universe accepted the personal challenge.
A bolt of lightning suddenly streaked through the sky, followed by a roar of thunder mere moments later. Nozomi didn't even have time to look to the heavens to check the clouds before the downpour started, drenching her in an instant. She stood stationary for a few seconds, trying to decide whether to cry or to break something. Maybe both....
Trudging through the now muddy woods, Nozomi couldn't help but sigh at her prediciment.
"Alright, now I'm sure that things couldn't get any worse."
The Great Celestial Raspberry rang out loud and clear.
"Nid nido...."
"Son of a...."
And with a wet, unhappy, overly-territorial Nidorino hot on her heels, Nozomi decided to remove that sentence from her vocabulary. This thought made the Universe happy, though it would have to remind her to keep her constitution with that promise once it stopped laughing.
Ducking past the trees, Nozomi did her best to keep from falling over unseen roots and slick spots of mud as she ran. One false step would send her toppling and ensure goring by the Nidorino. Why did pokemon like that have to be so possesive? Why in the world did things like this always have to happen to her?
*Snag*
"Son of a...!"
*Fwump*
Nozomi hit the ground hard, bouncing and landing again from the force of the impact. She slid to a muddy halt, her clothes soaked through with wet dirt and mulch. She flipped around to her back and hurried to her feet, her eyes locking onto the charging Nidorino.
"Stay back, or else!" Nozomi yelled lamely, wondering how many movies she'd watched as she put up her fists.
Surprisingly enough, the Nidorino suddenly skidded to a halt. Staring in horror, it took a few steps backwards before turning and dashing back the way it came.
Nozomi blinked a few times, looking at her fists. A smile came to her face as she thanked the first deity that came to mind for her luck. Her rising hopes suddenly plummeted as she felt a stream of hot breath on the back of her neck, followed by a gutteral growl.
"Urrrrsah....rig?"
"Son of a...."
~~~~
Amos was not a happy camper.
He was normally very content while staying outdoors, but the sudden rainfall had spoiled things for him. There's nothing that can lower one's moral like a good drenching on a cold afternoon. Maelstrom had taken shelter in his pokeball, leaving Amos to deal with the storm on his own. This was the kind of rain that Amos hated the most. Freezing pellets of water and hail he could deal with. Even the rain that fell with high winds, each gale cutting like razors was preferred over this kind.
This rain was just wet.
The rain fell steady and hard, soaking him to the bone and leaving the Trainer quite unhappy with the situation. The constant thrum of the rain hitting the ground was a relaxing sound that was quickly getting on his nerves. A little excitement would be welcome right now. Heck, anything would be welcome right now if it releived the monotony of walking through a storm.
A scream emitted by a terrified girl fleeing from a Ursaring offered just the opportunity Amos had been wishing for.
"Ah, the Big-Guy Downstairs really does love me." Amos gave a reverent sigh downwards before hurrying off towards the area the scream had come from.
Only a few moments of running passed before Amos came upon the source of his potential entertainment. A lovely young lady, sopping wet, running for her life from an equally sopping Ursaring. Things didn't get much better than that. Stepping up the pace of his great, loping steps, Amos quickly passed up the stampeding Ursaring and matched Nozomi's pace, keeping up next to her.
"'Afternoon. Nice day for a jog, don'cha think so?" Amos asked pleasantly to the surprised girl.
"Wha!? Where did you...when....Who are you?" Nozomi asked, taking only brief peeks at the man as she continued to flee.
"Amos McCaugllen. I'd shake your hand, but you seem a little busy at the moment. Anything I can do to help?"
"Do you have any pokemon that could stop a wild Ursaring?" Nozomi gasped, starting to lose her wind.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Would you...mind...using one?"
"Yes, I would mind. There's much more fun ways to do things."
"Say wha?"
Without giving a response to Nozomi's confused state, Amos slowed his pace and vanished from her line of sight. Nozomi felt a tinge of worry form at the edge of her mind, though it was quickly pushed away. She had to keep herself alive, but she was still concerned for the odd man that so briefly spoke with her.
*WHUMP!!*
The dull sound of flesh meeting flesh rang through the forest, followed by a resounding crack of bone and tree breaking under a great force. Nozomi slid to a halt once more, looking back over her shoulder at the scene behind her. What she saw took away her breath, leaving her to stand still and amazed at the sight.
A rather large tree had been cracked severely, a wide gap open in the side of the enormous oak wood. The break had been caused by the airborne body of the Ursaring landing upon it hard enough to shatter the aged wood with a single impact. Amos simply stood a few feet away and cracked his knuckles.
"Well that was a waste of time. Who ever heard of a bear with a glass jaw?" Amos grumbled as he crossed his arms over his wide chest.
Nozomi blinked.
~~~~
"Tell us more Karuta-kun! More!" The children's voices sang with anticipation of another story.
"Okay, okay. Calm down before you burst your IVs. Geez, I thought you kids were supposed to be sick or somethin'." Karuta tried to keep from laughing at the children's eagerness for more tales. But who was he to refuse an audience?
"I want to hear more about Amos!" One girl cried as she hugged a Meowth plush-toy to her chest.
"Yeah! Amos! Tell us more about him!" The other children joined in, having been very entertained by the story about Amos and his Typhlosion.
"Alright then, I'll tell you about Amos."
"Amos was a strong man, bold and proud to a fault. A true wanderer, he's traveled the world like I have. No real reason to do it, just walking to see how far he can go. He's originally from the Emerald Isle, Ireland. As far as I know, his only family was his father and mother, though his mother passed on shortly after his eighth birthday. While meaning well, the loving father didn't know how to raise him like his mother had. He didn't know how to offer comfort and support the way his beautiful wife had.
"But soon, Amos started to get bullied by children at his school. Fighting; that was something his father knew. His father was the roughest fighter you've ever seen, his style involving a lot of headbutting, kicking while one is down, foul language, and drinking. His father was a master in the greatly unappreciated art of Phuck Yuu."
"Karuta! Don't use that sort of language around the children!" A passing nurse scolded.
"Yes ma'am, Nurse Yakura, ma'am." Karuta and the children all chorused in a sing-song voice. The mocking sent Nurse Yakura huffing away while Karuta started his story again.
"Under the careful teaching of his father, Amos grew in strength rapidly and became just as good as his father in a few short years. Another year went by and he surpassed his father, flooring the powerful fighter in a single blow every fight. He was eleven years old when he achieved this. At the age of twelve, he left home on a journey of training for the Martial Arts and for pokemon with his father's blessing of 'Open the gates of Hell on anyone who tries to stop ya'...'"
~~~~
"...So that's my story. Care to tell me why you were gallabatin' around the forest in a monsoon with an oversized teddybear trying to turn you into coldcuts?" Amos asked absentmindedly.
Having escaped the Ursaring, Amos had stayed with Nozomi while they both found a cave to take shelter in from the storm. The cave had been filled with Ursaring as well, but they felt obligated to allow these two weary travelers to use their home, especially since they left it airborne and beaten. After the bears cleared out, Amos had been quick to set up some supplies for the two. Soon they were both warming themselves around a gas burner mini-stove and slurping hot cups of Instant Ramen noodles.
"I was just out training with my pokemon and I got caught in the storm. I've had a really bad day and I don't want to relive it. Sorry..." Nozomi grumbled quietly as she swirled her freeze-dried soup around in the styrofoam cup. She almost missed Karuta, if only for his cooking skills. In the short time they were traveling together, she grew rather accoustomed to his fire-side cooking and was quite fond of his stews.
"I understand. I've had plenty of bad days that I don't feel like going through again myself." Amos chuckled as he downed the last of the broth in his cup and peeled the top from another cup for a second helping.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you beat those Ursaring like that?"
"I punched 'em. Not much else to it."
"That's not what I mean. I've never seen anyone strong enough to knock out a pokemon like that with just one punch. You even cleared out a whole cave of them in a few seconds. It's amazing."
"Aw, y'flatter me. Stop it, I'm blushing." Amos grinned. "Forget about it, I'm just strong and I know how to fight. It's that simple."
"Maybe so...The only other person I know willing to go against a pokemon like that is..." Nozomi trailed off.
"Is who?"
"Hm? Oh, nobody..."
Amos cast Nozomi a longsided glance as he stirred his new cup of ramen with his finger. There was something rather odd about this girl, but it was something he could stand to leave untouched. It was a little rude of her to cut off a conversation like that, but he supposed the he couldn't complain. At least she was easy to look at.
The sudden lack of the constant rainfall caught both the attention of both Trainers. Outside, the rain had gone as quickly as it had come, the clouds breaking apart to reveal a fresh blue sky and the warming rays of the afternoon sun. A smile came to Nozomi's face as she watched the clouds scatter and vanished from the sky.
"Well, I guess I'll get going...Thanks for the help, Amos." Nozomi said over he shoulder as she stepped out of the cave.
Amos paused for a moment, the quickly gathered his things together and hurried after the girl. He caught up to her quick enough, falling into her quick pace as soon as he got to her side.
"Y'know, it's still pretty dangerous around this area, even without the rain. Those Ursaring might still be around and I wouldn't want a lady as pretty as you to get eaten by a bear or anythin' like that." Amos said offhandedly as he tightened a strap on his backpack.
Nozomi felt a light blush threaten at the compliment Amos gave her. She was used to hearing things like that from guys, though they usually weren't put so polietely. Amos may have been a little rough around the edges, but he seemed like a nice enough guy.
"Thanks...I appreciate it. I'm heading to Olivine City to meet a...to meet someone I know. I hope it's not out of your way." Nozomi explained.
"Olivine City? I haven't been there in years...sure, it sounds like a fun lark. Let's get moving then!" Amos replied as he moved the pace up a notch.
~~~~
The rythm of falling rain slowly silenced, replaced by the sound of falling footsteps as Karuta stepped outside the hospital. He took in a breath, his lungs filling with the cleansing scent of the storm. He loved it after it rained. Everything seemed to clean and new, all the wear-and-tear of the world washed away.
He looked over his shoulder momentarily to glimpse at the hospital and buried the urge to wince as he accidentally twisted the sling his arm rested in a little too tightly.
At the windows of the second floor, the occupants of the Children's Ward pressed against the glass to see their friend off. With waving hands and teary eyes, the wished him good luck and begged for promises of a return for more stories. On the first floor beneath them, the nurses were at the window waving and smiling like mad, secretely waiting for the ill-tempered ex-patient to go from sight so they could celebrate his departure.
Karuta offered only a wistful smile at the children before turning and starting off down the road. He would miss those kids...
~~~~
Two days passed.
The children sighed together, trying to occupy their time with books and games. They dearly missed Karuta and his stories, though he had only been gone for a short time it seemed like forever. Perhaps they would never see their beloved story-teller again...
*Tap tap*
A girl bearing a Meowth plushie in her lap looked towards the window, her eyes widening at the sight of the huge creature rapping against the glass.
The nurses hurried down the halls, their steps fleeter than usual from the cries and shouts coming from the Children's Ward. A fear filled their hearts at what they might find once they got there. Had one of the children's condition suddenly plummeted? Did something break or fall on them?
The nurses skidded to halt at the entrance to the Ward and threw open the door, hurrying inside to a scene that left them speechless. Every child in the ward was paired to a small pokemon, each on hugging their creature and crying with joy. Rattatas, Pidgey, Sentret, and Caterpie all sat upon the children, snuggling up to their new owners and chittering noisily.
Standing in the middle of the floor was a massive Fearow, looking happier than usual from the children's glee. A basket of empty pokeballs lay on the floor before it and it bore a peice of paper in it's beak. A nurse inched forward to the bird, slowly reaching out her hand. The Fearow placed the paper in her hand, then settled back to watch the children.
"What's it say Mihoshi?" A nurse asked as she peeked over her co-worker's shoulder.
"'These are a gift to the children. I made sure they're safe and healthy, so you'll have no reason to worry. If I find out you took them from the kids, I'll personally kill myself just so I can come back and haunt you.'" Nurse Mihoshi read aloud. "....it's from Karuta."
A few of the nurses swallowed loudly from the silly threat the note offered. Somehow, they wouldn't put it past Karuta to try something like that...
"Thanks Karuta-kun." a bed-ridden girl whispered as she watched Tsu-chan flap out the window and fly away from the hospital. In her lap, a purring Meowth was comfortably cuddled alongside her plushie Meowth.
Keiko Usura was a happy little girl.