FEARFUL OF THE NIGHT

By: Cy Mendoza

CHAPTER 7

EMERGENCY

"Aww, you look so cute!" Lillie said with a giggle as she tied a blue ribbon around Rotom's head spike. She was sitting in a chair and had Rotom in her arms, holding it still while she tied the ribbon. They were all in the clothing store.

The ghost squirmed in her grip, waving its arms. "But I wanted a hat, zzt! Not a ribbon!"

"It matches your eyes," she said, making a little bow with the ends of the ribbon. "There, what do you think, Chip?"

"I think poor Roro looks a bit miserable," Chip said, holding back a laugh, but it was futile. He cracked up laughing when Rotom made a face of desperation at him. "Honestly, Roro, this is probably as good as it gets. None of these hats are going to fit you." He picked up a baseball cap and set it on Rotom's head spike. It hung off limply, and when the ghost moved away from Lillie, the cap fell off.

Rotom floated in front of the store's mirror, frowning at its appearance. It tried to grab the ends of the ribbon with its arms, but couldn't reach them. Finally, the ghost gave up, floating over to Chip and looking up at him with sad eyes. "Pleazzze, can't you get me a hat?"

"If you can find a hat that you think would fit you, then I'd be happy to," Chip said, holding up a t-shirt. It reminded him of the one he was wearing, but it had more white stripes along the bottom of the shirt and the sleeves. It was the same gold color as the one he was wearing. Gold had always been his favorite color.

Rotom pouted then floated away, looking for a hat that would fit it. Chip was right, though, they'd all been made to fit a human's head. Chip chuckled as he watched Rotom try on a couple of hats—none of which fit it—then turned toward the cash register, handing the t-shirt he'd chosen over to the attendant on the other side of the counter.

The professor had been generous with his gift to the boy, but no amount of money could last forever. Chip really needed to get moving when it came to training Rotom so he could fight other trainers and make some cash of his own. It also reminded him he needed to get some PokeBalls, which he hoped would be the next stop.

"Did you find something you liked?" Chip asked as Lillie came up to him with a new bag in hand. Cosmog's bag was still strapped over her shoulder. She must've found something, because the bag looked full of clothes.

"Just a new outfit I might try… but I don't know," Lillie said. "I'm not sure if I'd look good in it…" She shook her head slightly. "Oh, but I bought that ribbon for Rotom! It sure looks cute with it on."

Chip glanced at Rotom and laughed at its defeated expression. "C'mon, Roro, you should enjoy looking cute, shouldn't you?"

Rotom's screen turned pink with embarrassment. "Cute? M-Me? Zzt!"

The two walked side-by-side as they headed toward the pokemon center, Rotom having landed on Chip's head as it usually did. Rotom liked the perch, it allowed it to be close to Chip while also giving it the ability to keep an eye over everything around it. If anything looked like it could pose a danger to the boy, Rotom could jump into action immediately.

Lillie slowed on the path, causing Chip to glance back at her. "Oh… there's a fountain over there, through the path in the tall grass."

"A fountain?" Rotom said. "Let'zzz go take pictures by it!"

Chip scuttled back to where Lillie was standing, squinting through the grass. There was indeed a path in the grass that led into what looked like a small park. A single fountain stood in the center of a circle of cobblestone, one that stretched a good twenty feet across. The fountain was a display of a gyarados, with a number of magikarp surrounding it. Each one had a stream of water coming out of its mouth, but the biggest one came from the gyarados, as if it were using the Hydro Pump move. The fountain looked to be marble.

"It is a pretty nice looking fountain," Chip said. "Do you wanna take pictures, Lillie?"

"I'd love to," she said with a smile.

The two walked down the pathway until they approached the fountain. It was much larger than it had seemed now that they were closer to it, almost like the marble statue of the gyarados was life size. Not that Chip had ever seen a gyarados before—they were too rare and difficult to train back where he came from. Everyone he'd known around him had rattata and caterpies, and sometimes a butterfree if someone had worked hard enough.

"It's beautiful," Lillie said with a gasp, looking up at the fountain. She then leaned down and set her bags down, then looked at Chip with a smile. "Should we take the photos here?"

"Yes, this izzz good!" Rotom said, turning around so it could point its camera at the two. Chip set his bag down as well, then moved slightly so the bags wouldn't be in the shot. As Lillie posed beside him, he could hear the sound of Rotom's camera clicking with each shot. The ghost returned to Chip and showed him the photos on its screen. "What do you think of thezzze?"

Rotom had gotten both of them perfectly centered in the shot. It had taken them from a couple different angles too, as well as close up shots and more distant shots that encompassed the entire fountain in the background. "They look wonderful, Rotom. You did such a great job," Lillie said. The ghost grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"I just wish you could be in the pictures as well," Chip said, glancing around. "Do you think the PokeDex could take pictures even if you're not in it?"

"I think it can," Rotom said. "But who would take the picturezzz?"

"How about I take some pictures of the two of you together?" Lillie asked. She reached to hold Rotom.

"I'll keep it on the camera setting. Just don't change it, zzzt," Rotom said, then popped out of the PokeDex. True to word, the camera remained on even when Rotom wasn't occupying the machine. The ghost flitted over to where Chip stood and posed next to him, a wide grin on its face. It had never occurred to Rotom that Chip might want to document their adventure together, and if that was the case, he'd want pictures of them together, not just Chip and his other Pokemon. Things were so different now that Rotom was Chip's partner, and the ghost was finding it difficult to keep up, at least emotionally.

Lillie took a couple of shots, mimicking what Rotom had done by taking them from different angles and distances. She then moved closer to them, framing a perfect close-up shot. "Okay, make silly faces!" she said. Chip and Rotom both stuck their tongues out, and the girl laughed and took a photo. "Now pose, showing you two are the best partners ever."

Chip cupped Rotom and brought it close to his face, leaning his forehead against the ghost's. Rotom stared into Chip's amber eyes for a moment before it closed its eyes, and the boy did the same. Chip could hear Lillie's footsteps as she moved closer, then the sound of the camera shutter clicking. When Chip opened his eyes again, she was sitting next to him, holding the PokeDex out. "Rotom...could you show him the most recent picture? If... if you don't mind. I think you two are going to really like it."

"Zz-zzz!" Rotom dashed into the PokeDex.

The picture Lillie had taken showed on the screen. It was a close up from Chip's shoulders up, showing Rotom resting gently in his hands. The glow of Rotom's blue electric aura had washed over Chip's face as they had leaned their foreheads together, and there was the tiniest little smiles on each of their faces, ones they hadn't even been cognizant of.

Chip gazed at it and smiled. "I love it. Thank you, Lillie. What do you think, Roro?"

Rotom didn't know how to react to the photo. There was a warmth spreading through its body that sent its circuits alight with emotions, choking the ghost with their intensity. It was strange how a single photo could encompass so well all the feelings it had for Chip, but somehow Lillie had managed to shoot the perfect picture of their friendship. Rotom knew that it would cherish that picture forever.

"I think Roro's a bit tongue-tied," Chip said with a laugh. "Do you want any pictures with Cosmog, Lillie?"

"Ah…" Her brow furrowed. "I don't think it's safe to let it out… but… there's no one here in this square either, so… maybe…" She moved back over to her bag, then froze when she realized the zipper was open. Inside, there was nothing but the clothing she'd worn the night before. "Nebby! Nebby's missing!"

"What? What do you mean, it's missing?" Chip moved over, looking into the bag in disbelief. "Cosmog must've gone out into the tall grass…"

"Oh no," Lillie said, putting her hands to her face. Tears had formed in her eyes, and her white-blond hair fell over her face. "Nebby loves getting out of its bag, and it's always trying to meet other pokemon… I don't know what to do, I'm too scared to go through the tall grass and look… and there's no telling where Nebby might be!"

"I'll find it! Zzzt!" Rotom said, dashing into the tall grass.

"Wait here, okay? Just sit at the fountain, and we'll go find Nebby," Chip said, gently placing his hands on Lillie's shoulders to push her down toward the fountain's edge. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, then nodded, sitting down and clutching her bag tightly. Chip patted her shoulder, then turned and headed into the grass where Rotom had disappeared. "Roro! Slow down, I'm coming too!"

Stalks of grass slapped against Chip's face as he headed into the brush. He couldn't tell where Rotom was, but he could hear the faint crackling sounds of something moving through the grass, so he followed that, hoping it was Rotom. His heart pounded in his chest with every step, as he knew this was the home of wild pokemon, and that meant Cosmog could be in danger. A wild Pokemon could easily attack it.

The sound of a sharp caw caught Chip's attention, followed by a soft, whining cry—Cosmog! He recognized its voice instantly. Rotom burst out of the grass and darted beside him, halting by his shoulder. "Let's check over there. It sounded like Cosmog," he said, gesturing for Rotom to follow him. The ghost nodded and the two dashed in the direction of Cosmog's cry. The caws grew louder and more frequent—it sounded like bird pokemon, from what Chip could guess, and an awful lot of them.

Chip burst from the tall grass into a small field that ended at a grove of trees all packed tightly together. Cosmog was backed up against the trees, whining softly as it cowered. It squeaked it pain as a spearow darted at it, leaving a glowing white scratch on its body. Other spearow fluttered around the two, egging the aggressive one on with caws and squawks. Chip knew from living in Kanto that spearow flocked in big groups, and a flock of spearow could be very dangerous.

"Nebby!" Rotom called out. "We'll save you, don't worry! Zzz!"

Cosmog looked up at the sound of Rotom's voice and let out a cry for help. The spearow glanced over toward Chip and Rotom and started cawing and squawking even louder. Chip looked at Rotom, gritting his teeth. "What are they saying?"

"They're angry Cosmog entered their territory!" Rotom said with a squeak of alarm. "They're saying their leader izzz coming, and Cosmog isn't getting away without being punished for trespassing… oh! Oh no, Chip! Their leader izzz a fearow!"

Chip looked around frantically. There was no fearow in sight, not yet. They had to move fast. "We need to save Cosmog before the fearow gets here. Roro, use Thunder Shock, I think it'll scare them away. We can grab Cosmog and run back to Lillie, and if we're fast enough we can get indoors before the fearow comes! They're bird pokemon, so they're weak to electric. I think it'll work!"

"Okay!" Rotom said, landing in Chip's arms. The ghost then exited the PokeDex and darted forward, a burst of electricity slashing through the air toward the bird pokemon. One of them saw Rotom's attack coming and let out a caw of warning. A couple of the spearow scattered, taking off at the sound of the warning call, but three of them were hit with the electric blast. They crumpled to the ground, their wings fluttering weakly.

"Keep them busy!" Chip shouted as he dashed toward Cosmog. He scooped the shaking psychic cloud up in his arms; Cosmog let out a pitiful pew of desperation. But as Chip grabbed hold of Cosmog, the spearow seemed to forget the cloud pokemon was even there and turned their attention on Rotom with furious cawing. Rotom backed up, a nervous expression on its face.

The spearow hesitated for a moment—a heartbeat of terror pulsing through Chip at the abrupt silence—then a single angry caw sent them flocking toward Rotom. The ghost darted back into the tall grass with a high pitched trill of fear. Chip gasped when he realized Rotom had dashed away, but shot through the tall grass anyway. Brambles tore at his clothes and skin as he exploded out of the foliage, startling Lillie. She was still sitting at the fountain, wringing her hands in anxiety.

"Nebby!" Lillie exclaimed, rushing to take the psychic cloud in her arms. "I told you, stay in my bag! Oh god, Chip, thank you so much for finding it—"

"Hold that thought," Chip said. "Rotom's being attacked!"

He left Lillie clutching Cosmog he headed back into the tall grass. Warning bells went off in his head, as he'd been told from a very young age never to travel into the tall grass unless he had a Pokemon with him, but he knew he couldn't stand outside the grass and wait for Rotom to come back. The crackle of electricity alerted him to where Rotom was, and he found it surrounded by spearow in a small clearing.

Chip's eyes widened as he realized there were glowing scratches on Rotom where the spearows' claws and beaks had torn at its delicate plasma body. Rotom was darting around frantically, but spearow enclosed it from all sides. There were so many of them it didn't know where to go, and being attacked from all sides left it panicked and terrified.

"RORO!" Chip called out. Rotom turned toward him, its eyes wide and pleading. Chip pulled his backpack off his shoulder and held it on one hand, then swung it at the nearest spearow. The bird pokemon didn't see him coming, and as a result the backpack slammed into it, sending it ricocheting toward a tree with an undignified squawk. "Leave Rotom alone!" he snapped, swinging the backpack at another one.

The spearow descended on Chip in an instant.

Chip jumped back briefly as a spearow took a shot at his eyes with its sharp claws. He then dashed forward, ducking his head as he broke through the line of spearow. He pulled Rotom close to him, shielding its injured body, feeling its trembles mirroring his own. With the one free arm he had, he swung the backpack at the spearow, but they weren't deterred. He knew from studying that spearow were stubborn, and they were angrily tearing at him.

"Roro, Roro, focus. Thunder Shock, okay? Aim for them, I know you can do it." Chip's voice was tight with pain and he could feel blood trickling down his back.

Rotom's aura flared out in a swirl of blue, and a moment later a burst of electricity shot out from it. "Ro-to-TO!"

The electricity arced around both of them, then twisted in a spiral. Chip could feel warmth against his skin as Rotom's discharge of electricity heated up its plasma body. Chip still held onto it despite that, guarding it, refusing to let Rotom suffer another painful scratch or peck. He closed his eyes tightly against the flash of light resulting from Rotom's Thunder Shock, until he realized… silence. He couldn't hear squawking anymore.

He slowly opened his eyes to find the fainted bodies of spearows littered around him. "Roro, you did it!"

But just as soon as he'd spoke, a caw cut through the air—deeper, meaner than the call of a spearow. As Chip turned around, shaking from fear, a massive black shadow passed over him. The chill of fear froze him in place.

Above them was the fearow.

Rotom whimpered, its body shuddering. Chip looked down at it in alarm, then darted out of the clearing and through the tall grass. When he burst out the other side again, Lillie was still waiting by the fountain, clutching their bags in her arms. The black shadow passed over them again, followed by the bone-chilling cry of the fearow. Chip didn't have time to say anything, he just grabbed Lillie's hand and dashed across the cobblestone, desperately seeking the sanctuary of a building.

"What's going on—!" Lillie squeaked, stumbling after him. She looked up and spotted the massive brown body of the fearow. Its neck was curved down as the bird focused its gaze on the two. Its loud caw made her shriek. "It's chasing us!"

The bird's cry grew louder, and it dived down at them. The impact knocked Chip and Lillie to the ground, sending them sprawling in a cry of pain and fear. Lillie's bag bounced against the cobblestone, earning a startled squeak from Cosmog. Chip felt his shoulder slam into the ground, sending a wave of pain through him, but he refused to let go of Rotom. The injured ghost opened its eyes as the fearow hovered in front of them, screeching in anger, its wings beating the air hard and sending gusts of wind at the two. Then, Rotom wriggled free of Chip's grip, moving in front of him and placing itself between the furious bird and Chip.

"Roro! No, you can't fight that thing! It's too big!" Chip exclaimed, scrambling to get to his knees. He remembered learning about spearow in his classes back home in Kanto. A spearow had to train quite a long time to evolve into a fearow, which meant this bird was incredibly dangerous to the little ghost. He couldn't let Rotom risk this!

Rotom turned to look at him with an expression both serious and sad. Then, it turned back toward the fearow and launched a Thunder Wave attack.

"Roro! Come back!" Chip cried out.

"It's going to get hurt!" Lillie said, her eyes wide. She, too, seemed to know that Rotom stood no chance against a fearow. "We have to do something, Chip!"

The fearow flapped its wings heavily, sending a gust of wind that sent Rotom flying back a number of meters. The ghost struggled to fly through it, but even its high speed couldn't fight back against the power of the fearow's wings. The ghost moved in an arc, trying to find an opening, but every time the bird sent another powerful gust to knock it back. Rotom launched a Thunder Shock attack, but the distance caused the electricity to peter out, barely touching its target.

Then, before Rotom could react, the fearow shot into the sky. Rotom whirled around in surprise, then let out a squeak of alarm as the bird Pokemon bore down on it at breakneck speeds. It struck the little ghost with a Pursuit attack, the glow of dark energy surrounding it. The attack knocked Rotom to the ground, where it didn't move.

"Roro! No!" Chip shouted. The fearow was circling again, preparing itself for another Pursuit move. Chip dashed forward, even as Lillie yelped and tried to grab for him, and flung his body over the injured one of his partner. Every muscle strained with the knowledge that the powerful bird pokemon was coming straight for him. Those massive talons would shred him to pieces.

But it didn't matter. "Roro… I'll protect you. I promise!"

A/N: How are they going to get out of this one? Comment below and let me know what you think will happen!