Chapter 3:
Vannessa Hillstead: Glad you like it. You're my first reviewer! Here have a cookie! gives cookie
Veltor – Vel-tor
"Go Pidgey!" called Auris throwing its ball onto the ground.
The small bird appeared fully refreshed and healed. Between the gym leader's room and junior trainer's, was a small room in which your Pokemon could've gotten healed.
"Pidgey huh?" asked Whitney regarding the bird with a critical eye. "OK then, go Clefairy!"
The gym leader sent out a small Pokemon. It was basically a blob of light pink, with two triangular ears ending in brown, sprouting from the top of its head, and two stubby arms and legs coming from where you would expect them to be. A tail curled into a tight ball was placed behind it, and a small fringe of hair fell across it forehead.
"So Emma, where were we?" Novem asked innocently.
"Oh yeah, you asked about my past," Emma recalled. "Well when I was a kid-"
Novem raised a furry eyebrow.
"More of a kid then, if that's what you think of me. I thought the Pokemon centres were well boring with all this Nurse Joy people all over the place, so a year or so ago I volunteered for helping out at the place. But that was boring too, I mean, I want to be in there," and she beckoned to Auris where her Pidgey was valiantly fighting Clefairy.
"In the action. I ended up mysteriously disappearing from the Pokemon centre for days then coming back. I was joining trainers, some were nice, some mean, sometimes their Pokemon were like that too,"
"You know it's always the trainers," Novem said turning her head away to watch the battle.
"Maybe so. Anyway none of them suited me, so yeah I basically join anyone who'll say yes if I ask them,"
"I'm not sure if Auris trusts you, but I think your OK for some random person off the street,"
"Well that's a first, welcomed by the Pokemon shunned by the trainer!" Emma laughed.
The little bird dodged a misaimed Doubleslap causing the fairy Pokemon to utter a small growl of frustration. Pidgey was enjoying this battle; the Clefairy had basically no ranged attacks so all he had to do was swoop around and cast some Gusts its way. Witney was staying calm, biding her time; soon Pidgey would've tired itself out, if Clefairy could last long enough though.
Pidgey was starting to slow down, beating its wings more slowly. It couldn't stay in the air for the whole battle. Searching for a perch it settled down quickly on a windowsill on Auris' side. Witney seized the chance, she ordered her Clefairy to sing and a sweet lullaby was sent drifting over the battlefield. Auris, Emma and Novem struggled to keep their eyes open but Pidgey, being tired from flying around so much welcomed the sleep.
"Finally," sighed Whitney.
The Clefairy stopped finally gazed at its sleeping opponent and gave a little "whoop" of delight. It then looked expectantly at Whitney waiting for its next command.
"OK, Doubleslap once more Clefairy!"
Clefairy nodded and focused on Pidgey. The tips of its "hands" glowed white as it jumped into the air to reach the windowsill. Beside the Pidgey on the ledge it had a good view of what was happening outside. People walking by, birds flying in the sky, trees gently rustling their leaves in the wind, a peaceful sight. Clefairy had its doubts for a moment whether to continue battling, but finally it decided that the quicker it was over the better. So forcefully swinging its hands so it made contact with the bird's body it hit it. Pidgey slept peacefully on while its side was pummelled. One finally blow knocked it off its perch, and it opened one eye lazily from on the ground.
"I like a nice nap," he said in soft voice.
Strange creatures swarm in this land; we have reached an opening in the mountain and have looked outside. There are only two, and two and one more of us, out of the many that hatched. The mountain is growing hotter every day though, and something from outside makes us sick. Fire from the earth gives life to our race and chirps of more of our species can be heard below. I look at my hands and see thick claws, same with my feet. Behind me is a long tail, strong and flexible. Between the two, two and one more of us I am superior, none of their fire can match mine.
The moon has risen over us once more, and then the sun. This time we had war. More of our kind appeared below us and blasted us with their fire, and we returned it with interest. Blood fell today, though if we could survive in the land above we would be free from them. Our plan is that we live above the land, when we get ill we go back underground, the strong will survive the weak will die. That is our plan. We all think it is a good one, so it will commence.
Pidgey got up to his feet, ruffled his feathers and turned his attention to the Clefairy still on the windowsill. Raising his wings the Pidgey flapped them experimentally a few times, and then beat them hard and slowly rose into the air. With renewed vigour on both sides they started battling once more. Clefairy with its confidence increased would hit Pidgey with a Doubleslap whenever the bird flew low enough. The little bird would use Tackle attacks, Gust used too much energy. It was a battle of wills between the two creatures; both were evenly matched, their trainers shouting advice whenever they could.
Novem was staring fixed at the battle, Emma was watching alongside her. The Ninetales muttered an inaudible word under her breath, her mouth running smoothly over it. She shifted restlessly on the bench and one of her tails twitched.
"Veltor!" she called.
The Pidgey's head snapped round to view the Ninetales, it had spoken his name.
"Veltor?" asked both Emma and Auris in confusion.
"Veltor," Novem replied.
The Pidgey now deemed with the name Veltor narrowed its eyes, and opened its feet wide bearing sharp talons. Letting out a caw he clamped his wings to his sides and hurtled towards the ground. Tilting his head upwards slightly to alter his direction, the Pidgey was now on a collision course with the Clefairy.
Suddenly from under its tail streaked a long, thin white line, and Veltor gained speed the edges of its body blurring. It was performing a Quick Attack. Its feet were still wide open, and Auris caught the gist of what Veltor was doing.
The Clefairy watched the bird dropping to the floor, fast, very fast. It looked like it was heading towards her, but not quite, but then it changed direction. The Clefairy braced itself, legs apart in a balanced position and held her arm ready to perform an attack.
Everything after that happened too fast to see in the trainers eyes, Veltor hit the Clefairy and she brought her arm into the bird's stomach causing him to kneel over in the air. Regaining his breath Veltor latched onto the Clefairy's arm, claws digging into the pink flesh. Pumping his wings he climbed the sky slowly the Clefairy dangling helplessly.
Veltor gazed down at the ground and cast a sharp eye at the roof above him, he was high enough. Cawing triumphantly, he opening his feet wide, dropping his living load. The Clefairy landed on the floor with a small thud, it twitched for a few seconds but then lay still.
Veltor swooped down to the floor slowly landing in front of Auris. Novem barked her approval, while Emma and Auris both shouted words of praise.
"Clefairy's unable to battle, Pidgey wins," Whiteney said. "OK, now go Miltank!"
Whitney had returned the fairy Pokemon to its pure white Pokeball and had sent out another Normal type Pokemon which most resembled a cow. She stood, or squatted more like on two legs, holding her arms hooked with small claws horizontal at her sides. Behind her twitched a thin tail ending a sphere. Just above her dog like muzzle perched two big, soft eyes. All of her head and neck, apart from her muzzle was black, as if she wore a hood.
"Veltor," Auris said uncertainly. "Return, come on Novem,"
Immediately the cream fox was on the battlefield ready to receive commands from her trainer. The fox and the female cow sized each other up from opposite ends of the battlefield.
"Quick Attack!" Auris barked.
Novem subtly nodded and sped forward, the ground flying from beneath her paws, a long streak of white flowed from under her tail. Miltank gazed around with an air of elegance, slowly in taking Novem's course. The fox appeared suddenly at her side, ramming her head into it. Miltank seemed as if to topple over but quickly regained her balance. Novem leapt back from the cow as soon as she hit on target depriving her of a chance to counter.
"Rollout!" Whitney shouted.
Novem chanced a glance at Auris who returned her puzzled look. Novem shrugged and braced herself for whatever was to come.
Miltank tucked herself into a ball and kicked off the ground with her hind legs. The living ball seemed to cause too much friction against the ground to actually move but with sound like a car skidding on the road she burst forward hurtling towards Novem.
The fox snarled to herself, the Miltank had gained astonishing speed by doing "rollout". Novem dashed to one side hoping to put the she-cow off but it swerved easily to follow her. The ball suddenly bounced into the air and aimed at the fox dashing forward beneath it and it plummeted to the ground then landing squarely on Novem's shoulders. Novem felt the heavy weight fall onto her back; and she lost her footing beneath herself and fell to the ground.
"No!" Auris snarled.
Whitney arched an eyebrow from the other side of the field. It was a gesture as if to ask do you want to forfeit?
Auris glanced worriedly a Novem, the Pokemon was lying on her chest sprawled onto the floor. Miltank was hovering nearby uncurled from her Rollout.
"Novem?" asked Auris hopefully a slight quiver in her voice.
A shoulder was jerked into the air followed by another as the Ninetale's hoisted herself to her feet. Her eyes blazed and with a vicious snarl she launched herself at the she-cow.
Miltank fell over backs from the force of Novem's impact, and Novem spewed embers of the face of the she-cow causing angry burns to appear. The cow struggled under the lean body of the fox and eventually shoved her off her chest. Novem stumbled as she found herself on the tiled floor once more and glared defiantly at her opponent.
"Will-O-Wisp Novem!" Auris shouted to her Pokemon.
"Stomp Miltank!"
Novem cast a triangular ear back to her trainer to acknowledge that she had heard her. Vibrating her throat heavily she let forth a shower of white sparks hurtling towards the Miltank at the same time as she lowered her foot to perform Stomp.
A great white rip in the ground appeared as the attack travelled to the Ninetales throwing up clouds of dust. While Novem's shards hit Miltank with impact burrowing into her flesh and sending white lances of pain through her body, she bellowed out of pain and flopped to the floor, unseen in the rain of floor tiles and dust. Novem looked under herself to find the massive rip in the floor had reached her, and she was unable anything as the ground collapsed underneath her.
Auris let out a whimper at the sight, what if one of the slabs had crashed onto her Pokemon? Surely the weight of a slice of that would crush Novem. Emma gazed out simply, flabbergasted. "Something like that could happen in a Pokemon battle? Surely all that pain on the Pokemon's half must be illegal or something!"
Novem yelped as the ground beneath her fell away, her claws uselessly scraping the smooth floor. Slabs of stone fell into a V shape, the Pokemon in the middle, wedges on the ground were on her paws though and she could not move from her position.
Finally the dust cleared and the three people were left with a view of a trapped Ninetales panting heavily her breath coming out raggedly and a Miltank writhing on the floor the shards emitted from the fox's mouth still trying to burrow in further.
Whitney's and Auris eyes locked, each paralleling the others thoughts.
The pain must end…
Nearly all of have caught the sickness, only returning to the fiery bowels of the earth seems to be the antidote. We are still going with our original plan but as an addition we must now find a cure in the green land. We sample many of the plants and herbs and only a few seem to help we will keep trying though.
We are strong and therefore we will prevail.
Novem struggled under the weight on her paws. Dropping her muzzle to them she tried nudge a few wedges of tile off her feet becoming only mildly successful still it was enough and after several attempts broke free.
"I am standing," Novem said with the air of dominance. "She is not," and she beckoned to Miltank. "Does that not count as a win on my trainer's part?"
Whitney raised another eyebrow but after gazing solemnly at her Pokemon then at her floor she resigned with a curt nod. Novem's scratched muzzle twisted into a small smile as her legs buckled under her.
Auris let out another whimper and both she and Emma raced towards Novem at Whitney's signal, Emma dragging Auris' backpack along wit her. Shoving Auris out of the way she bent down to Novem and started rummaging through her bag.
"Damn Auris! Don't you have anything that could be used to help her?" Emma growled turning to the trainer. "Did you become a trainer with your eyes open?"
"Suppose I didn't," she murmured gazing at Novem, her face drawn.
"Miltank, return," Whitney ordered from the other side of the cracked battlefield.
The gym leader approached the others cautiously and regarded Novem carefully, her face a mixture of respect and anger.
"Here," she said offering the badge to Auris. "I've got to go though, need to place an order for a new floor,"
Auris took the silver badge and inspected it. It was rather dull, basically a shard of some silver metal shaped in a diamond. She nodded in silent thanks and watched the Gym Leader leave to some other room.
"Get her in your Pokeball Auris," Emma demanded. "We're taking her to the Pokemon centre,"
Auris nodded and gazed at the Ninetales who had stayed silent all the time only her rapid breathing could be hears. She fished out the red topped Pokeball and lightly tapped Novem with it.
"I'm gonna' lead, I'm not having you blundering around," Emma informed her tone tinted with humour.
Auris nodded once more. Is this what it meant to be a trainer? Watching your nakama fight and endure pain and injuries for your sake? Auris mind was troubled and as she followed Emma she merely mused, not seeing anything except the image of that Pokeball and of a Ninetales frolicking around in the long grass.
Authors Notes: Well took like forever for me to write XD. I know Miltank is supposed to have Thick Fat so fire and ice attacks are only 0.5x of the original damage, but just so you know that resistance wasn't in this chapter.
Also you may have been confused when Emma said to Auris "Did you become a trainer with your eyes open?" Well that was a paraphrase of the idiom "with one's eyes open" it means you're fully aware of the risk you're running.
Well there is a small Christmas story for you to read if you're interested, it's called Searching through the Snow. It features mainly Novem and Auris. My mind is buzzing with ideas for new chaps and I actually fancy doing quite a few, maybe I'll update sooner? Well hope everyone had a rocking Christmas (mine did quite hard) and a have a great New Year!