Beginning Arc: Hypno's Lullaby
Jacky ran as fast as she could into the forest. She jumped into the shade of the trees and looked around, totally out of breath. Absol sniffed the air while running. Suddenly, a voice sounded from somewhere out of the darkness. 'Come, little children... Come with me...', "What...?" Jacky paused rigidly in shock. "What was that?"
The boy in the Pokémon Center looked out the door, then tore away from Mari. "Hey...!" He ran out of the building straight toward the forest. "Damn it!" Mari looked after him.
'Save and happy you will be...' The voice sounded enticing. Jacky hesitated, then slowly took a few steps forward. Absol followed her. 'Away from home now let us run... with Hypno, you'll have so much fun... Oh little children, please don't cry...' sounded from the darkness. Jacky stopped in a small clearing and suddenly felt uncomfortable. 'Hypno wouldn't hurt a fly... Be free to frolic, be free to play, come with me to my cave to stay...' The boy from the Pokémon- Center stumbled into the clearing, looking in one direction like a soulless doll. "Hypno..." Jacky muttered softly, trying to tear herself away from its voice. "No, stop it!" A low laugh came from the forest. 'Hehehe... Now look to me, the pendant calls, back and forth your eyelids fall...' Slowly, Jacky's thoughts clouded over, but she fought back with all her strength. "Absol, attack me with Scratch! I need to stay awake...!" Absol looked at Jacky, but didn't hesitate for a moment as it jumped forward and dragged its claws across Jacky's forehead. Oh, little children, you cannot leave... for you, your families will grieve, minds unravelling at the seams, allowing me to haunt their dreams... do not wail and do not weep, it's time for you to go to sleep...' The pain kept Jacky awake. She looked around in a panic, her heart pounding in her head like a thunderstorm. Then, she saw the shadow. The obscured figure closing in on her, waving a pendant from side to side. "It's over there! Aim at it with Razor Wind!" Absol roared out. Its crescent shone brightly and it fired a volley of blades in the direction Jacky determined. "Missed..." Hypno's voice filtered through her mind like poison. 'You'll never resist me. I'm inside your mind... You'll be mine soon...' Jacky's wound on her forehead was burning and she put her hand on it, causing it to become blood-stained. "Ngh...",
'Come with me... Stop struggling. I'll be a good home for you, far away from all the everyday life that keeps you enthralled... Away from the people who are just taking advantage of you. Your friends, your family... They all only hate you and only take advantage of your existence. With me, you will never have to feel this feeling again... Follow me, child...' Hypno came closer. And closer. "No, you're lying...!" Jacky shook her head and tried to get rid of Hypno with the last of her strength, but the pain faded and her eyes slowly closed. She fell asleep right there, collapsing on the ground. Absol growled and stormed at Hypno, but it swaggered Absol, causing it to feel dizzy. Its blade scratched over the bark of a tree as the world around it started twisting. Jacky's eyes opened again- and they were empty. "..."
Mari looked around and grabbed a spray with blue contents from one of Nurse Joy's medicine shelfs while Kirlia and Shinx kept Zorua in check. "Guys, hold it down!" she shouted. Kirlia and Shinx nailed Zorua to the ground, having difficulties to keep it there because it lashed out like crazy. Mari rushed over to them and directed the Awakening spray at its face. It took a while to sink in before Zorua woke up. "...?" She breathed out in relief. "Goodness gracious... What a mess." Kirlia and Shinx released Zorua, which managed to get back onto its tiny feet.
"That was a quick reaction, young lady..." Nurse Joy had taken cover behind the counter. Mari looked around to her. "Yeah... thanks..." She looked at the spray in her hand. "Can I keep it? I think it might come in handy...",
"Sure, take it...",
"Thanks." She put it into the pocket of her cardigan, so she would be able to reach it quickly and didn't have to rummage through her bag for it. She looked around at the three Pokémon and then outside. "This doesn't even make any sense, why is this bastard so focused on us? I better check up on Jacky. Let's go!" With the Pokémon by her side, she stormed into the forest. "Jacky? Where are you?!" she called out loudly, looking around.
'That's a good girl... You don't have to lie to yourself... Don't fight back', Hypno whispered in Jacky's head, circling around her like a Mandibuzz that had spotted a carcass. Jacky breathed a soft sigh of relief and was completely hypnotized. 'And now... follow me.' It took her hand. 'You'll be safe with me.' It was about to lead Jacky away when Mari stumbled into the clearing and stopped, startled. It didn't take her long to realize the situation. "Oh shit! Jacky! It got her!" Hypno looked to Jacky. 'Attack her... She's your enemy, she wants to keep you out of paradise.' Then, it disappeared into the gloom. Jacky turned to Mari and her once blue eyes flashed black. Mari grabbed the Awakening spray and held it in her direction like a weapon. "Absol... Razor... Wind..." Jacky commanded in a hard, but yet abscent-sounding, toneless voice. Absol looked at her desperately and growled, utter fear burned into every fibre of its body. Kirlia stepped in front of Mari, ready to defend her should Absol decide to go for an attack after all. "Hypno is everywhere... he is the ultimate salvation... He will take me to a sheltered place where I am free..." Jacky murmured just loud enough. Mari's hands were slightly shaking and she tried hard to control herself, to keep cool. "Hypno..." Jacky said, and more blood trickled from her injury, dripping silently onto the forest floor. "He's everything...",
"..." Mari made a step towards her, the Awakening still pointed at her. "I'm sorry Absol, but I have to spray her." Absol widened its eyes and jumped protectively in front of Jacky. With ruffled fur, it hissed menacingly. "Do you want Jacky to stay in this condition?" she asked, her voice unexpectedly firm, which surprised her, herself. "She can't wake up under her own power. What do you want to do? We have to help her. If you protect her, nothing will change here. This item might help her to wake up! Get out of the way!" Absol gritted its teeth and growled indecisively, then nodded with a lump in its throat. It cried out and its cry sounded pleading. But it seemed to be struggling with itself. "Absol, you have to trust me. Believe me, I won't hurt my best friend unless it's necessary. Listen, this is the only chance we have now! We have to do this before Hypno abducts her!" Absol looked at Jacky and then back at Mari. Then it slowly stepped away from its trainer. Mari took a deep breath. "Alright... Let's go!" She walked towards her friend and sprayed the rest of the Awakening right into her face. She gasped for air and started coughing like crazy, turning her face away. Mari slowly lowered the empty contained. "Jacky? Are you okay?",
"Urgh...!" The girl was coughing so hard her whole body was shaking. Mari squeezed her healthy shoulder gently.
"Hey, Mari..." Jacky mumbled weakly between her coughing fits. "I think I'm suffocating here...!",
"That'll fade." She smiled in relief. When Jacky caught herself, she had tears in her eyes and her throat was dry. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. Mari shook her head. "Save that for later... I'll take you to the Pokémon Center, you can't show your face with that nasty injury of yours. What the hell did you even do?",
"I... told Absol to attack me to keep me awake", she replied with a hoarse voice.
"That was a stupid idea. Are you okay so far?",
"Do you want me to be honest?" Jacky lifted her gaze and looked into her friend's eyes. She tried to smile.
"If possible." Mari smiled back.
"I've been through hell." Jacky lowered her gaze again. "I heard its voice in my head, and it distracted me so much I could barely think straight... Then, it just came up to me and I fell asleep... I can imagine what happened from there on... What did you spray me with, though?"
Mari showed her the container. "Awakening. The spray causes Pokémon to wake up from sleep when they were affected by something like Hypnosis or Grass Whistle. Figured to try that out on you and it worked. Sorry I almost killed you with that, though. I didn't want you to asphyxiate.",
"Nah... it's okay, I'm still alive..." She wiped over her eyes.
"That's good... Let's get outta here before that beast returns."
Jacky nodded. She was still dizzy, though, so Mari had to support her so she wouldn't fall over or walk into a tree. She withdrew all the Pokémon and started walking off with her.
"Hypno plays with our emotions", Jacky said on the way back. "It tried to stir up negative feelings in me to push me off the rails... I'm not going to let that disgusting imp do that to me again.",
"Well, we can kick its ass as soon as it shows up again. We just need to be equipped with Awakenings. Important life hack."
Jacky laughed quietly. "Yeah, great thinking, Mari. Thank you, by the way... You're my hero.",
"Aww, no, it's fine. It was more of an adrenaline-charged reaction.",
"That's a creative way to phrase it.",
"Yeah, right?"
At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy instantly noticed the injury and came rushing over. "What happened?",
"Absol scratched her", Mari explained. The Nurse took Jacky's arm carefully. "I will take her to the hospital wing of the Pokémon Center.",
"Thank you." Mari nodded at her and stepped away. Before the nurse could lead Jacky away, she looked at Mari. "Hey, Mari, please take care of Absol 'til tomorrow, okay? And Shinx too. Can you do that for me?",
"Of course." Mari smiled and waved at her. "You don't want to miss your gym battle, do you?",
"No way." Jacky smiled gratefully at her and went away with the nurse.