Hello everyone! Yes it has been a long time I'm sorry, I've been busy with real life stuff like I said. I was finally able to get to this chapter this week so I worked hard and got it done, and I'm so happy that I got it done! Oh and about that writer's block, yeah I would call that gone for now since my mind is clear like before… well maybe not like before.
With so much that's going on I would like to announce that the comic idea I had is a go! Yes I am working on the comic spin off with Sky as the main character, no idea what's it's going to be about but I have started to draw the pages and I hope to have page one up soon, maybe even when this goes out! So check out my Deviantart page to stay up to date!
Along with that I have started to put the chapters up on my Deviantart account so if you want to you can support me there and here. On and some pictures I've done but whatever. If you want to get there, there is a link on my profile or you can find me on it, same username as this website.
I thank you for your guy's patience, it can't be easy to wait for a new chapter and I can't guarantee when the next one will be out, but my money is on soon based on how I'm feeling right now. So I thank you again and please enjoy this chapter, it's a good one!
Clare has already gone to sleep, telling me it will be fine. I trust her, but the way Luna looked before she passed out was...terrifying. She could've just passed out from the sight we saw, I know I would have if I didn't have to get out of there. It's just the way she just… fell over with that expression just made me terrified.
It's almost morning now and Luna hasn't even twitched since then. Is this what it feels like when I pass out and everyone else is worried? I must really stop doing that, because I can't bare to think of anything happening to her. We were around Team Horizon, anything could've happened.
During this time I haven't spoken to Aeon at all, I haven't even heard him to attempt to talk to me. I hope everything that has happened hasn't upset him, because I do not want an angry personality taking over me and going on a rampage, I don't think Clare would like that ever.
Speaking of Clare, Aeon found her very interesting yesterday after she told us what happened to her. Aeon found it fascinating that Team Horizon can do that but, at the same time, he was very angry. He ranted on about how they ruined his life last night. I don't see how they ruined his, for they ruined mine, but I guess even Aeon has his own... secrets to keep.
It was good to see Luna and Clare playing like that yesterday before we ran into Team Horizon; Clare has been through alot and needed cheering up. Luna really knows how to cheer up someone, either staying with them and keeping them company, or getting them to play. I saw Luna cheer up Coal many times before back at home. Most of the time I didn't know what had him so down, but Luna always managed to get him to chase her throughout the house.
No matter how much I thought about the past and everyone else, I kept thinking about what happened yesterday. This Team really wanted me and were going to great lengths to get me. That man killed one of those grunts just because they failed, if they can do that… I don't want to know what they'll do if they get us.
The sun started to rise and the stars started to fade, and finally to my side the small little pokemon that slept all night had finally moved: Luna had started to wake up. Just seeing that slight movement raised my heartbeat, just knowing that she was alright has already made my day. But from what I've seen in the past, good days can turn into the worst days of your life. "Luna?", I softly spoke as I nudged her slightly, trying to get some sort of response from her, I got her to shift her position as she slowly opened her eyes to the outside world again, "Hey Luna… how are you feeling?".
She looked up to lock eyes with me, seeming rather confused with what's going on, "Sora? W-what's going on?", I didn't bother to answer her question, I'd rather hold her in my arm. I dragged her closer to me with my paw and held her tight.
"I was so worried! Are you okay? Are you hurt?", I quickly asked which didn't help in her confusion. But she didn't need to answer, all that matters is that she's awake.
"Uh… I'm fine Sora...what's going on?".
"Nothing. It's just you passed out and didn't wake or move for the whole night, I was worried", I told her, still holding her close to me.
After bringing up that she was out the whole night, she started to stare off into the distance and space out. Remembering something that has happened, maybe as a dream, or she's just remembering what happened yesterday, either of those still had me worried, "Luna? Hello?", I nudged her slightly and snapped her out of her concentration.
"...huh?", She shook her head and looked back at me, "What is it?".
"What were you thinking about?", I asked, patting her back fur, she was purring from the touch of it and enjoyed it, calming her down if she was scared at all from what she was thinking of.
"Oh… uh… I-I don't really know. I mean, I don't know what to make of it".
"Well, do you mind telling me?", I asked. She thought about it for a moment, maybe if she told me I would think her weird, or I would take it too seriously and be worried. From the dreams I have had since this all started, she shouldn't be scared to tell me hers. She looked up to me and gave me a sly smile as she started to explain.
"Well, it was a dream… I don't really know what it was about. Some kind of voice was talking to me and acted very childish, giggling all the time. But the things it said… didn't make much sense.", Luna thought for a second more, still recalling her dream. "It kept telling me that you were a poor eevee when you're not even one. That I will learn something. I think my head was playing tricks on me while I slept", Luna gave me an awkward smile, "Sorry about worrying you", She add.
I didn't know what to think of this. Did Luna have a voice in her head telling her stuff, just like how Aeon talks to me? I know that Aeon is real because I talk to him most nights and he has even taken control of me at times, not to mention the others have seen him do so, but that is me and this is Luna. I have no idea if something is talking to her in her sleep, but if it is, then it's something to be worried about.
After processing the information she had just given me, I slowly gave her a small smile to tell her it's nothing to worry about. She returned to me a small smile of her own which I found to be very adorable. At least now I know she's safe.
Soon after, Clare woke up and gave me the usual 'I told you so' routine, which she was fine to do because I was too happy to be annoyed about it. It might've been weird for me to think something was wrong with her when she just heeled over yesterday, but that would've been normal for someone to do, after seeing someone die in front of you.
Clare, with her expert surviving skills, found us some berries to eat for the morning, the same tasty ones that we had the other day. While we ate, Clare asked me about my life, since she told me hers. Well... sort of.
I told her of the few things in my life that made me happy since I didn't want to make her depressed anymore. Some of those times made her laugh, like when Luna was hatched, how Tom and I worked for hours to calm her down, doing the best we could, running around the house trying to find that special somethings to make her stop. Even Luna laughed to that one. Sometimes… I don't know if I should be angry at her about it or just hug her.
By the time we had finished eating and talking, the sun was high in the sky and we needed to get moving, so we headed off in any direction which we thought could take us back to some sort of path. I could feel that we were close to getting back to the others, I didn't know how or when… I just knew that they were nearby. It's like I could sense them. Not like I haven't sensed something before. Last time I did, I found Fling… and that didn't turn out well.
We walked for about an hour. Looking around, I couldn't believe how big a forest could become. Just staring at the giant trees nearby made me impressed for a second. However, I'd never want to see another one after we finally get out of this place. It has been mostly silent besides the small games Clare and Luna were playing around my legs. I wish I could join in, but that would mean letting my pokemon side win again, and It has already won enough. I did want some of me to remain after all this.
Clare and Luna got tired after playing and, instead of staying silent, they started to bother me.
"So Sora...why didn't you join in?" Luna asked, both she and Clare had this small smirk on their face.
"Well, I… I didn't want to, that's why", I lied. I really wanted to, but my human side won over that battle, Aeon will have to wait to play with them. My poor lie didn't convince them as they kept bothering me.
"Come on, Sora! We know you want to play, we see it in your tail!", Clare giggled, leaving me to be confused as I turned my head to see my tail waving back and forth in excitement, telling both of them that I indeed wanted to play, or at least wanted to do something along the lines of play.
I sighed in defeat, knowing that I would never win this, since my tail won't stop showing off what I really wanted and that Luna and Clare won't stop bothering me about it until I gave in. I turned my head to look where I was going as I ducked under a tree branch, "Well… yeah, I guess I did".
"So why not join in? It's fun!", Luna exclaimed as she jumped ahead of me in joy.
"Yeah", Clare added, "I didn't know playing like this was so much fun", She smiled sweetly.
I looked down to her and gave her a smile smile of my own, "You were human before, remember? Playing like that isn't something you're used to", I told her. I didn't want to make her sad by bringing up that she was human before, but I wanted to get my point across. Clare didn't seem sad at all, in fact she kept on smiling.
"Yeah, but tag is tag, no matter if you have two legs or four. Besides...", she looked onward to the still jumping Eevee ahead of us, "It's good to have fun, keeps your mind off the things that are troubling it", she said before running off to chase Luna, sending them into another game of tag.
I followed them at a slow pace, giving them room to play, but keeping close enough to them so they don't get lost. All the while, I was thinking about what Clare told me right before she ran off. I mean, it's good to keep your mind busy from the things that are troubling it, and in my case, it's just better to have the mind forget anything is happening at all. However, I can't do that at the same time.
I want to play, to forget about my troubles for a short while, but I just can't. I need to have my mind thinking about a way to fix this, to keep reminding me that this isn't a dream and that I shouldn't forget about who I am right now. It might sound dumb to keep thinking like that, but because of this change, I got Fling killed, and even that Team Horizon member got killed for just doing his job, because they failed to find me.
My mind kept thinking about all of this, only snapping out of its concentration whenever it had to send signals of an incoming tree branch or rock. It wasn't long before a friend figured out that my mind was under a heavy load, "Sora? Is everything okay?", an echoing voice sounded in my head. Seems like Aeon had started talking to me again and, by the sounds of it, he has been doing some thinking of his own if he hasn't been paying attention to what's going on.
"Aeon? It's nothing…", I said out loud, not even bothering to talk to him in my head.
"Well, that's a lie. Come on, tell me", and it is by this point I finally realized that he can't really read my mind.
"Aeon… I say this all the time, but… I don't know what to do", I told him, dropping my head slightly in shame. I should know what to do, because to most people it's an easy answer: "Don't succumb into becoming a real pokemon, a creature with the mind of a child. Stay who you are and hold on to what you know." But being in this position, being able to experience what it's like to be a half-pokemon and half-human really changes what you want.
"To do what?", he asked, still puzzled by whatever that was still troubling me.
"To play with them… or to hold on to what makes me different and only watch them. I mean… I used to play with Luna and Coal a lot, but it wasn't like this. It wasn't in the form of tag…"
Aeon was silent for a couple of seconds before finally saying something, "Sora… you do what you feel like is the right choice. If you want to go play with them, then go play. No one will think less of you for wanting to have fun", he explained.
"But…", I stopped and thought about my response, "I know I said that I would accept this… to be with… Luna, but that itself is crossing the line. The fact I love a pokemon is something that shouldn't happen", I have been repeating that for awhile now, to myself and to others, and no matter how many times I say it… I still think it's fine for me to feel that way.
I could hear Aeon sigh in my head, which was loud and annoying. "Sora, we've been through this, if you-".
"No, we haven't, Aeon", I said, quickly interrupting him, "We talked about if I should continue to change to stay with Luna, and we agreed that if I find something worth staying for then I will, but this isn't for Luna… this is whether or not I should act like a pokemon", again, Aeon remained silent for awhile, trying to come up with the right words to say as to not make me annoyed or angry.
"Again, people won't judge you because you want to do something that isn't human. Humans play all the time, right?", Aeon asked and I responded with a nod, which he wouldn't have seen but knew I did it since this was his body now too. "Well what's the difference? You look different and you think differently, so you want to play with the others. I'll be happy when you finally start acting like what you're becoming, and even if the others might be confused or sad, they will be happy".
I guess Aeon is right, as always. I have been learning about how the pokemon world works, even if I have just started to learn. Pokemon that people have as pets have acted many times like human kids, play numerous games that resembled closely to the ones that humans play. Some almost the same and some completely different to what we would do. Clare and Luna are only playing tag, there is nothing wrong with that, and I shouldn't be worrying about if I look like I'm not acting like a human because humans play that as well. Human kids, but humans, nonetheless.
I finally smiled and let out a sigh of relief inside my mind, "Thanks, Aeon… you know… you seem to know a lot, and know what to say", I told him because it's true, he seemed to be smart for just a virus.
I could hear him giggling as my statement amused him, "I don't know anymore than you do. I'm just… using information that your mind is blocking out", he responding.
"Oh…", it did make sense, sort of.
"Also, there is something that you forgot. Check your arm", Aeon told me which left me confused on what he meant. I raised my left arm to inspect the fur on it and saw nothing different… except the fact that there is fur on it. Aeon only giggled, "Not that arm, silly. The other one".
I lowered my left arm and looked down to stare at my right arm that was still in the makeshift sling Clare made for me out of my jacket, "Now… take it out", Aeon told me. Take it out? It was broken, bleeding quite badly. Why would I want to take it out?
"Uh… Aeon?", I muttered, confused about what he wanted me to do.
"Just take it out, it will be fine", he reassured me. So I did what he said. I slowly moved my right arm out of the sling, using my paw to pull the sling away. I wasn't feeling any pain from moving it, and soon, It was free from the sling and I was moving it around freely and pain free. I was filled with joy to see that my arm was all better, but then, I grew confused.
"Aeon… I thought it took about six weeks for bones to mend".
He giggled at me once again, "For humans maybe, but you're a pokemon. Well, half-pokemon. We mend our bones faster than humans. Also, you've been eating Oran Berries, which, I'm sure you know, help a lot in healing wounds.", he explained. I learnt all this awhile ago, I guess this is just another thing my mind chose to block out.
I grabbed the sling from around my neck and took it off. Now that my arm is healed and fully functional, I can finally start doing stuff I used to do. Like hold Luna and eat normally. Well, as normally as one can get as a human eating pokemon food. I smiled happily, "Thanks, Aeon! You've been a great help!", I exclaimed as he giggled and soon faded into my mind once again. That does get very creepy.
Finally away from my thoughts and being in a happy mood, I can finally get back to the task at hand. I looked around for Clare and Luna, but couldn't spot them anywhere. All that time thinking and talking to Aeon made me lose track of where they are. I started to look around quickly, still continuing to walk forward as that would be where they would have gone.
It wasn't long before I heard the sound of something running coming towards me, "H-hello?", I softly called out, hoping that it was Luna and Clare and not someone still looking for me. As I hoped, it was Luna that ran through the bushes and ran into my leg before falling down.
"Ow!", She yelled as she shook her head and looked up to find out who she ran into, and was happy to find that she ran into me, "Sora! Come quickly!", She loudly exclaimed before turning around and running back to where she came from. I ran after her but I wasn't scared, she seemed happy to find me, so nothing bad could've happened.
We ran for about a minute before the trees got thinner and we arrived at a path stretching to the horizon in both ways. Clare was already there and was jumping in joy with Luna. I couldn't believe that we finally found a path, we had spent days in that forest and it's about time we got out, not to mention that we got away from Darcy and Team Horizon.
I couldn't contain my excitement anymore and I fell to my knees and hugged both Luna and Clare, making them confused for a second before turning to each other and smiling, "Thank you, you two. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys", I told them, I never really expressed how happy I was for them being there for me. Luna licked my cheek as I put them both down, smiling at me.
"It was nothing, Sora. You would be there for us", Clare spoke up, and after today I will never leave them at all, Clare saved my life after I escaped from Darcy so I will make sure she gets back to her family.
Luna looked at the arm holding her and saw that it wasn't in the sling anymore, "Uh… Sora?".
I looked over to what she was staring at and chuckled, "Oh… it's healed up. Isn't that great? Now I can do this!", I quickly dived down and gave her a big hug, I've been wanting to do this for awhile now but couldn't really keep a good grip on her, but since I finally have my hand back, this is easy.
Clare just stared and smiled at the warm scene we put on as Luna purred. I hugged her for about a minute before stopping and placing her back down, getting off the ground and dusting myself off.
"So… which way?", I asked an open question, because I have no idea which way will take me back to the others, to be honest just reaching a town would be great. Clare raised her muzzle and sniffed the air, Luna got curious and did that same, trying to copy Clare as she was the one experienced with surviving in the wild.
"This way", she finally said, lowering her muzzle and starting to walk down the path to the left. Luna lowered hers and smiled, as she followed her.
"How do you know?", I asked as I followed close behind her.
"Because I picked up a faint scent of a human", she told me. That could mean anything but I didn't really care. If there was really a stale scent trail of a human, then surely it meant that there was some kind of town nearby. We continued to walk down the path, hoping to finally get some good news.
It's been a few days since Sora and Luna disappeared. People saw them being dragged off, and the description for the person doing it was of a person we met before… Darcy. We got the police department to look around town and the surrounding area, but we found nothing.
"Tom!", I heard someone yell to me. I turned around and found Tabatha running towards me as she exited the Pokemon Center.
"What is it?", I asked as she approached me.
"Sim just called", she told me, but the expression she had wasn't one of happiness, but one of sadness.
"Let me guess… she didn't find him". Tabatha nodded.
"She just reached Viridian City and she didn't find him along the way, sorry", she sounded depressed, and these past few days we've all been depressed. I had to put Dash and Pulse into their pokeballs because I was afraid that they might run off looking for him. Coal has been staying calm and stayed in his ball as well.
I sighed in defeat as I was hoping that Sim would find him on her way, "Well… what do we do now?", I asked Tabatha, already knowing the answer to my question.
"Well… we said if Sim comes up short, we would travel to Cerulean City and hope that we would find him along the way", she told me. Not to mention we already discussed this yesterday.
"I guess so…", I looked up, staring at the white fluffy masses slowly scaling across the vast white sea of the sky kingdom. "I just hope they're alright… if it wasn't for-".
"Tom, we've been through this. You're not to blame, you were just doing what you thought was right", Tabatha explained, but I still didn't believe her. It was my fault that Sora got angry and made Luna run away. If I wasn't being so selfish and thinking only about myself, then this wouldn't have happened.
I looked back down to Tabatha and gave her a fake smile, "I know… I'm sorry." Last thing I wanted was for her to be mad at me as well.
She nodded in response, "Okay, I'll start packing", and with that she ran off back into the pokemon center and out of sight. I walked over to a nearby bench and took a seat, looking up to the moving clouds in the air. The only thoughts going through my mind were of what I could've done differently to stop all this, and as always, it was the same answer… listen to what Sora wants.
I told him many times that I would be there for him, accept all this, but… I just can't. I want my old brother back, the one that isn't a… freak. I wouldn't tell him that, it would just make him sad hearing it from me, but it's true. He's a human, yet, he has fur and a paw. What CAN you be, but a freak?
I know it can't be easy for him, or for anyone that knows him, like mum and dad. They say that they're happy with what Sora wants, but I can hear it in their voices that they want the same thing I want… To have him back.
I don't care how much Sora tells me he's the same. He isn't. He acts differently, he doesn't even eat what we eat anymore, he says that he loves Luna… that's not Sora. He is in there somewhere and I just need to bring him out so we can find a cure to this.
I can't help to wonder if this is really what Sora wants, the real Sora. He says that it's him… I don't believe him. but for I know I'm the one in denial here. When we find him I need to talk to him.
Sitting here looking up to the sky, thinking about Sora almost made me forget about his pokemon. I should tell them that we're leaving to look for him. I took off the bag I had on my back and placed it on the bench. I unzipped it and pulled out three pokeballs containing all of Sora's pokemon. I pressed the buttons on them and released the three in a bright light.
As they appeared and the light went away Dash, Pulse and Coal were now in front of me. And as I thought, Dash and Pulse looked around to find Sora that released them, but reality hit them as they grew sad when they spotted me. I would've been insulted but I understood what they were going through. They may not have known Sora for as long as I have, but Sora did want to be a family with them, so they count him as a brother, just like me.
"Hey, guys…", I softly started, a hint of sadness in my tone. The three stared at me as if I was giving grave news about Sora.
"Plusle plus?", Dash said, and I still didn't know how to understand them. I just simply shook my head and took a guess at the most likely thing he said.
"No… we haven't found him. We're going to leave Pewter City and look for him", I looked between all three of them. Pulse saddened as he looked down to his paws and Coal just nodded, crossing his arms. He had really just chilled out since he evolved. Dash, on the other hand, grew angry as he started to yell at me with sparks flying out of his palms.
"Plusle! Plus plusle!", He kept repeating. I tried my best to understand him, but I just couldn't.
I shook my head and sighed, "I don't know what you're saying Dash… but look", I stared him in the eyes, getting closer to him, "We will find him… believe me. I'm not just going to stop. okay?", Dash crossed his arms and kept staring straight at me. We were in a standoff, but it didn't last long as he finally gave in and nodded letting out a small plusle sound as he did. "Thank you", I finished off and sat back up.
"Now, I hate to do this, but I got to keep you in your pokeballs", I told them as I pulled the balls back out of the bag. Dash and Pulse immediately backed off, shaking their heads. Sora did say they didn't like it in there, just like Luna, so they stayed out. But I can't keep looking after them and making sure they don't run off.
"Pusle!", they both shouted out, backing off even more.
"Please, you two, I can't keep an eye on you all the time while I'm looking for Sora, so I need you to go in… I know you hate it, but there isn't another way", I explained, but they refused to listen and backed off and it looked like they were ready to run. If they did, then I would have no choice but to force them back in. But suddenly a loud roar came from next to me, as I turned to see who it was I found Coal, angry and walking up to the two plusle.
"Char, charmeleon!", he shouted at them making them tremble.
"Plus plus…", Pulse answered back, still shaking in his little blue vest.
Coal growled and pointed at me, not once taking his eyes off them, "Charmeleon! Char…". With that short sentence, they both dropped their heads and walked closer to me before sitting on the ground in front of me.
"Plusle…", They both muttered which I'm guessing was a sorry from both of them, I could help but smile by how cute they were acting.
"It's okay, guys, I promise you… as soon as we find him, you guys can be let out. Until then, I'll see you at lunch", I told them before pressing the button on their balls, a red light shooting out and engulfing them before retreating back into the ball.
I sighed and looked up to Coal with a smile, "Thanks…". He nodded and waited for me to return him. As I readied his ball, I could see a fast moving figure running out of the pokemon center towards me. As I looked up, I noticed it was Tabatha holding her bag and Sora's bag, but… something seemed off.
"Tom! Tom!", She kept yelling out until she finally reached me trying to catch her breath. I stood up and approached, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"What!? What is it!?", I too yelled because she was just making me nervous. The only reason she would be like this at a time like this is that she found something out. Coal too was getting confused and worried at her sudden outburst.
As she caught her breath, she looked up to me with wide eyes, "Tom. As I was leaving, a group of people in the center said something that you need to know".
"What?", I asked getting couise.
"They were talking to each other and one of them brought up a large group of weird people looking around the forest on the path going to Mt. Moon. I butted in and asked what they looked like and she told me this they all wore the same thing, some kind of red and silver uniform", I widened my eyes at the information given, "And that's when I ran out here", Tabatha finished. This means that Team Horizon must be looking for Sora and know where he is. This is the best lead we got and there is no way I'm letting it get away.
Coal had the same idea too as he bolted off down the street. I was going to return him, but now wasn't the time. I picked up my bag and stared over to Tabatha. "Let's go", and I ran down the street after Coal with Tabatha trailing behind me.
'Don't worry Sora… we'll find you', I thought as we made our way out for Pewter City.
We've been walking for some time now, but if I had to guess it wouldn't have been even an hour since we found the path out of the forest. Clare and Luna have both calmed down. with Clare trailing right next to me while Luna sat on my shoulder. Even if they are calm, we're all excited to finally find out way back to the others.
I couldn't stop thinking about meeting back up with Tom and Tabatha again, to tell them that I'm alright, that we're alright. To tell them about Clare and what we needed to do to get her back home.
Also to hold Dash and Pulse again, I haven't known them as long but I just… wanted them to be near me again. I really did feel a connection with them as a family, and I also noticed that I didn't feel that strongly towards Tom anymore. Which frightened me.
I've known Tom for most of my life and he is closer to me than anyone I know, but lately, I felt like… I'm just drifting away from him, and from what happened before with him and me… I don't know what's going to happen in the future. Will we even be brothers anymore?
We told each other that we wouldn't let this stop us from being a family, but if I feel this way… that may not happen.
I moved this thought away as I just focused on the task at hand, finding them. We have no way of knowing that they are this way, only that humans are this way. That's all we got to go on and I'm fine with that. As long as those people aren't looking to capture us then it's good, they can point us back to Pewter City and back to the others.
Above all else I really want to just sleep on a nice comfy bed. Spending the nights on a cave floor and dirt isn't really comfortable. To eat something else but berries... I mean, they're tasty and I like them, but I would like something else in my meal and… I guess now that something is Pokemon food, which is growing on me.
With all this thinking, I didn't notice Clare slowing down and stopping. I only noticed because Luna jumped off my shoulder to see what was wrong. I turned around and tilted my head as I stared at them, "Uh… is everything okay?", I asked, walking to them.
Clare looked around the area, acting confused, as to what I yet to get an answer. I knelt down to her and patted her, "Clare?", I again asked. She looked up at me and she didn't seem too good and I was getting worried.
She didn't need to say anything as I already picked up as to what was going on. I didn't need to see anything since it was my body that picked it up, or it was Aeon, but I'm pretty sure it could've been both.
I suddenly grew angry as I randomly started to growl and my rings started to grow bright with anger. Luna looked up at me, getting worried over the way I started to act, but I knew that I felt something and I didn't like it.
Suddenly my body reacted to the sounds of metallic clicks as I grabbed Clare and Luna and rolled to the side, as three darts whizzed past us just avoiding them. When I was kneeling up right, I placed Clare and Luna down to turn quickly to the bushes to see what was going on, but I didn't need to see anything to know who this was since my body would only react like this to a few things… it was Team Horizon.
Out from the bushes walked out a group of Team Horizon members, if I had to say at least eight of them and another one walking out with a cloak and standing in the middle of the group. I could only assume it was their appointed leader, their captain..
The cloaked man started to chuckle as if he was an evil villain in a movie, "Thought it would be that easy?", he asked, still chuckling away. I started to back off with Clare and Luna right behind me, I could sense that we were all scared. We thought they had given up looking for us.
"What do you mean?!", I asked or, more like, shouted back at him. He couldn't help but make his chuckles louder.
"Why… you really think we would stop looking for you?", He said as he looked up with a grin. His face seemed like it had some sort of green disease on it as his spread from his neck up to his face, spreading across it.
This just freaked me out even more, knowing what Team Horizon can do that could be anything, "What do you want!?", I responded. Now I know that was a stupid question, but my mind was trying to process everything that's going on and it couldn't think of a different thing to say. To this, the man only laughed.
"For you, of course. Why else would we be here? For one of our older test subjects?", he smirked and stared down at Clare who he knew was with them a long time ago. She started to cower behind me, shaking in her fur in fear. She didn't want to see these guys again, then again, I didn't either.
"I heard everything." He continued saying. My ears raised as the thought just imbedded itself into my head. He heard everything, so he must've known where we were this whole time and heard everything, "I even knew you were there yesterday, so I put on a… little show for you", he chuckled evilly again.
Yesterday was when the man killed the Team Horizon member, and if he said he put on a show for us, then... I finally started to put it all together. He was the one that killed that man yesterday. And he killed him just so he can… entertain us? I started to growl and my rings glew brighter as I got more angry and afraid.
"You… you killed that guy…", I mumbled out just to confirm what I was thinking.
"Yes I did… it was fun. Now, come with us quietly", he asked in a calming, yet sinister tone. I shook my head as I backed off with Clare and Luna, "Where do you think you're going?'", he asked as five more Team Horizon members walked out behind us and trapped us. We had nowhere to go: we wouldn't get far in the forest and they were blocking the path.
Luna and Clare both got really scared as they hugged up against my legs. I didn't know what to do or how to protect them. The man took off his cloak and showed us another surprise. His right arm wasn't human, it was green and scaly with a claw instead of a hand and leaves on his forearm. On the top of his head was a large leaf running from his head down to his lower back, with green scales running across most of his body. Well, that was what I could see anyways. His clothing without the cloak looked similar to what the others wore, more torn up and the colour had faded slightly.
I widened my eyes in shock as I shook in fear. He was just like me… half pokemon and half human, but he was working with Team Horizon… it didn't make any sense. He seemed to have noticed my confusion as he spoke up, "Confused? I've been undergoing treatments for many years to be what I am today, the perfect soldier", he explained to us, and I just couldn't believe it.
The perfect soldier? Is that what he really is? No way would anyone be willing to go through this, not a sane person anyway. What I'm going through is painful and what Clare told me that hers was even worse, and he says that he has been having treatment for years? Then this guy isn't sane.
"Let me introduce myself. If you couldn't tell, I'm part-grovyle... My name is Echo… but you can call me E", he told us, which I didn't really care, but the small little eevee against my leg was curious and spoke up.
"W-why is your name E-Echo?", Luna asked, like the curious eevee she was.
"I'm one of twenty six people changed into like this, each one a different pokemon and different skills. But enough about me… back to you", he still had that evil smirk on his face, it's like it was always there.
The Team Horizon members started to surround us, moving in closer. We were all scared and fearful. But with that, one of us was not going to stand still. Clare ran off and used a powerful bite on one of the men, "I'm not going back!", she yelled out as she used Take Down on another one.
Seeing this, Luna got the energy to fight as well as she used Hidden Power against the few men walking up to her and started her own fight. Those two attacked without warning at the men, so they didn't have time to pull out their pokemon as those two chased them down.
I turned to face Echo and the four men left behind with him. If Clare and Luna can take on most of them… I can take them on. This will be my first real battle.
"Sora!", a voice echoed in my head, which made me flinch in pain.
'Ow! Yes...', I responded back.
"Let me take this fight", he told me. I couldn't believe it… he was going to take my first battle away from me?
I shook my head and got ready to fight, 'No… this is my fight, I will do this. But… maybe give me hints?', I asked because I knew that I was not going to get out of this one without his help. I didn't even give him a chance to answer as I charged up a Shadow Ball and fired it quickly at two of the men.
The rest of them got out of the way as the attack impacted with two of them and sent them flying. Echo just stood there while the other two got their pokeballs ready and released their pokemon. Standing now in front of me after the light dissipated were two scythers. Surprisingly enough... I was beginning to think this was a standard for them.
"Scyther, use Slash!", They both ordered. I thought they wanted me alive… apparently not. The two pokemon charged at me with their blades poised to chop me up, and I needed to act fast. I backed up and jumped back as one of them made a slash at me. For the life of me, I couldn't think of what to do. So much for a great first battle.
"Jump!", Aeon called out and, without thinking, I did so, and a blade just swept under me, just missing my feet, as I landed back on the ground.
'Thanks...', I thought to him as I continued to try my best at dodging these attacks.
"Sora, please, let me take over", he continued to plead, but I couldn't let him, I had to prove to myself that I did have what it takes to do this.
'Sorry, Aeon, no can do… besides… this is fun!', I told him, and yes, I was finding this entertaining. The thrill of the battle is just something only pokemon can experience and I'm getting that chance and I… loved it! So what if this is what a pokemon does, I didn't want to stop.
Thinking about what I can do, I formed a plan in my head and I put it to action. I used Quick Attack and shot between them, turning around to face them again. I brought my paw up and charged up another Shadow Ball and quickly threw it at the two pokemon, hitting them and sending them into the forest around us.
With no pokemon in sight, after that, the two grunts ran at me, hoping to catch me off guard… no such luck. The claws on my paw started to shine and grow with the power I was feeding them. I turned around and clawed them both, making big gashes in their chests and sending them to the ground. I seemed to be good at this, and I was enjoying it. And I only just released now going over what I know, I know five moves rather than four… I will need to look into that later, but for now...
I turned and looked behind me to see that Clare and Luna seem to be going well with most of the men retreating. Luna, I knew, was a strong fighter, but I didn't know about Clare.
I faced my last opponent, Echo, as he still stood in the same spot, slowly clapping, "Well done, mister umbreon", every time he'd say something, I growled. I got ready to fight him as I got into position, "Oh… you want to fight? Well, I'm honored", he bowed, then charged at me with his leaves on his arm ready to strike, "This will be your last mistake!".
I barely had time to do anything, but move to the side as he just cuts my top as he runs by. Now, with a opening in the front of my top, I turned to face my new opponent, growling. Behind him I could see Clare and Luna grouping back together as they finished the last of the men. They face me and widened their eyes in shock with what was about to happen.
"Come here, little runt!", he called to me as he ran at me again, but this time I was ready and used Quick Attack to get out of the way. From what I could tell, right now he had Leaf Blade and Agility. I wonder what else he had up his… scales. I skidded to a stop and raised my paw as I charged and threw a Shadow Ball at him.
Echo turned his head and his eyes flashed as he bent down and dodged the attack as it impacted a nearby tree instead, "Oh… I'm sorry, was that for me? Here, let me repay the gift", Echo raised his claw and a green ball formed in it. "This is my gift to you!", The ball was ready as he fired it straight at me. Stunned by the power that I could sense off that thing, I didn't move, and the ball impacted with my chest, sending me flying.
I soon fell onto the path, slamming hard into the dirt. "Gah! Umbre…", I mumbled in pain, that attack was painful. I just managed to stand up and saw the approaching Grovyle human, with that stupid smirk on his face.
"Well fought, but it ends-", his eyes flashed once again and he ducked under Luna's Hidden power that she fired at him. He stood back up and he seemed quite amused, "Nice try…". Thanks to Luna's distraction I was able to charge a Shadow Ball and fired it straight into his chest, this one also sent him flying back. I covered my eyes since that explosion was quite close to me.
As soon as he landed, he quickly flipped back up to his feet as I got up as well, "Time for round two, huh?", I told him with my own smirk on my face. I was getting tired from the constant use of moves, but I had no choice and I didn't want Clare and Luna to fight this guy.
"Guess so…", his leaves on his arm shined as he charged at me. I charged up as well with my claws on my paw extended with a glowing light. We clashed into each other as my claws met his leaves, we got pushed back from a shock wave from the impact as we both charged up our respective ball attacks and threw them.
The attacks impacted and a huge explosion happened, which could be heard from miles. The shock wave threw all of us back from it, as I skidded across the ground and stopped a few seconds later. Clare dug her claws into the ground and bit into Luna's tail as she was about to fly away. From her yelp, it sounded like it hurt but she'll be fine.
As the dust cleared, I could see a Energy Ball fly through it and slam into me, sending me down the path again. I impacted hard with the ground and got the wind knocked out of me, but besides the pain I was feeling, I could sense something coming and… I felt joy and knew I needed to do something.
Echo quickly ran to me and picked me up with his claw to my neck as he choked me, "Sora!", Luna cried out, I raised my paw to her to tell her it's fine, she got the message and nodded. I stared into Echos eyes and smiled as I tried to use Cut against him only to have his eyes flash and moving his hips out the way.
"Useless", he smirked again, but I only chuckled with the limited mobility I had. He raised an eyebrow and held me high, "What are you laughing at!?", he demanded.
I calmed down and tried to get some breath as he pressed harder on my neck, "Not...useless…", I tried to tell him. Echo tilted his head and was about to ask what I meant until a powerful Flamethrower hit him in the back, causing him to wince in pain and throwing me to the side where I hit the ground catching my breath.
Echo fell to the ground as the Flamethrower subsided and I turned my attention down to the path where the attack came from. I saw Coal running at full speed towards Echo with Tom and Tabatha following close behind him.
I could see that Tom was full of joy and so was Tabatha. I'm sure Coal was too, but he was too busy taking care of Echo. I could see from the corner of my eye that Echo got up and was now avoiding Coal's attacks. I was going to leave that now as I stood up and made my way to Tom and Tabatha.
"Tom!", Luna called out and bolted to him, he got down to his knees and caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly.
"Luna! I missed you so much!", he exclaimed happily, but also with a hint of tears running down his cheek. He got up and stared at me, with a huge smile on his face, "Sora…".
I smiled back, "Hey, Tom". I was about to hug him until Coal skidded next to us. I turned around and saw Echo still standing, it seemed like he pushed Coal back.
"You think you won!?", he yelled to me, to which I frowned.
"You want to make it a round three, huh!", I got into position and charged a Shadow Ball with Coal next to me ready to attack. Suddenly, a faint but loud noise went through the clearing which made me drop my attack and made us all, even Echo look around.
"What's that sound?", Tabatha asked, before long we got our answer with two black helicopters appearing from over the trees and starting to circle around us. At first, I thought it was more Team Horizon, but looking closer at the choppers, I noticed that they had a big red R on them, making them only one thing, "Team Rocket!?".
"Surrender now or suffer!", a voice was heard from over a loudspeaker on one of the choppers. I backed up and grouped up with Tabatha and Tom, with Clare and Coal on the ground staring up at them and Luna shaking in Tom's arms.
I sighed and shook my head from a thought I had before and would never happen, "So much for that comfy bed…".
I hope you guys enjoyed that one because I enjoyed writing it! Again I thank you for understanding that it takes time to get these out and I will try my best to make it entertaining!
Remember you can always give me your feedback though reviews because I love hearing from you guys. Also any ideas that you would like to share for future chapters or insight on what you think is going to happen to our little gang I love to hear about as well.