Oh my god, this fight was a pain to write, but thank goodness it's finally finished. Somehow the rest of the chapter got finished, I thought this was gonna take forever. I swear, it's the fight scenes that I have the hardest time writing out. Welp, Petalburg, it was nice knowing you. Though we'll see what events end up occurring from here on out hehe
W.R. Winters - Nice battle scenes? I'm happy to hear that hah. I originally was going to have all three of them stay together, but decided to have Warren branch off himself instead. There was a lot of potential ground to explore with that scene, and not gonna lie, it was because of that that extended this 'arc'. I'm glad that worked out! And of course Aster is the only person cheeky enough to banter with Warren like that rip
ShadedLyth - Welp, more errors written in here, though what can I expect anymore. However, I'm really happy to hear that you think the battle and fight scenes were good. Not gonna lie, those scenes were the ones that I struggled with the most, but the payoff was great! And yes, this town is… absolutely insane, though they're just simply a stepping stone for what's more to come in the future. I can guarantee you, future events are gonna be um… even more interesting haha
PBComplexion - Yeaaa two years and I've only gotten this much done. We can thank that for my laziness. Though fortunately, I've been getting a lot more inspiration lately to write stuff up. Thanks for the compliment though! I was afraid that this story would come off as 'dark' and 'edgy', but hearing that it's refreshing really makes my day. And pft, you've nailed it pretty hard so far with Aster, he's a tough one, but a fun character to mess around with. Warren and Kaitlyn will be getting their future development as well, so expect great things from them. As for brainwashing and manipulation, we'll see, we'll see~
mmcnmb1 - I just, sigh… I'll ignore your deviousness and move on as of now welp. But you're hitting hard on a lot of things that definitely are supposed to raise a couple of eyebrows, if I do say so myself. And I'll consider taking that advice at hand, I never really thought about it in that way, not gonna lie. Also no, unfortunately the characters aren't going to be picking up any new Pokemon. There'll just be too much for me to keep track off lol. And as for any wild Pokemon left? We'll just have to see about that ;D
The Awkward Trumpet - Yeaa, I have a rather slow writing pace haha, but thanks! I'm glad to be writing too, it's a struggle but at the same time a lot of fun to play around with these characters in these situations. And about that OC, well, you already know what I've told you before. I hope this chapter brings up a nice conclusion for this 'arc'!
Chapter 5: Petalburg (Part 3)
2149: Present
The mayor looked way too relaxed for his own good, Warren thought.
The room was dimly lit, with the moonlight glistening through the window panes. Mahogany shaded furniture was positioned around the room with stands containing sophisticated looking books and silverware. Large paintings hung against the cream colored walls, and centered in the middle was a single desk. Seated from behind the desk in a swivel chair, William innocently grinned, hands clasped together with a devilish smile on his face.
Had it not been for such a dire situation, Warren would've thought this scene as comical rather than intimidating. However, with the way Chase tensed beside him, it spoke otherwise.
The middle-aged man let out a nonchalant laugh, propping his feet up and resting his arm on the elbow rest of his chair. "Kaitlyn, Warren! What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see the two of you so soon. What can I do for you?"
Next to Warren, Kaitlyn tensed as well, avoiding the mayor's stare, her discomfort obvious. Warren wasn't the only one noticing this either, as Chase stepped forward, gritting her teeth. "Drop the act. You know why we're here."
"Why I'm afraid I don't, Chase. I hadn't even the slightest idea you three were acquainted," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. His eyes lazily traveled to study each individual in the room, and his obnoxious grin only widened.
"Oh, I'm afraid you do. And I know exactly what's going in that tiny little brain of yours," Chase growled. She took a slow, deliberate step at him. "Just what did you do with them? I know you did something, don't deny it."
"Some elaboration would be nice, dear," William smiled. He propped his feet back down onto the ground to lean forward, attempting to spur Chase on. His feet continuously and harshly tapped on the rough carpet, the only sound resounding in the silence.
She raised a single eyebrow from his words, and then scoffed. "You have some nerve, calling me that. What did you do?"
"I wouldn't say I have any nerve Chase."
"Stop trying to weasel your way out of my question."
"Like I said before, some elaboration would be nice."
Chase was visibly frustrated at William's coyness. "My old group. Alexis. Darrin. Glenn. Everyone. It's not everyday when you come back to your so-called safe home, only to find nothing but blood stains."
William shrugged, indifferent and unfazed. "We do what we do to survive, it shouldn't be that hard to understand. They were simply unworthy. You on the other hand, had so much potential."
Chase paused at his bluntness, a disbelieving expression etched on her features. Her jaw gaped for a moment, before she closed it, giving a quick shake of her head. Her blue eyes hardened once more, becoming more and more enraged. "Arceus, some of them were kids Will! We're all still kids! Have you no shred of human decency?"
Her incredulity only made William chuckle. He got up from his swivel chair, onto his two feet. Pacing around the room, he approached one of his stands and plucked a single hardcover book from the shelf, opening it up to search through the contents. With practiced ease, he flipped through the faded pages, the sheets sliding against his fingers, and he finally spoke. "You're quite the naive girl, aren't you?"
He interrupted her before the girl could protest. "Nature is harsh. It's unrelenting and unforgiving. And Pokemon seem to understand this concept perfectly fine. They eat each other all the time, and their methods of hunting is much more inhumane than people would expect. Pokemon such as Heatmor prey on Durant by burning through their steel bodies to eat their insides. They practically burn them alive. Or what about Metagross? They pin their own victims to the ground while eating them. They have their four legs for a reason, and they don't even consider killing their prey first before eating them. Gorebyss have similar tactics as well, but instead of pinning their prey down, they drain them from bodily fluids with their thin mouths."
"If you take all of this into consideration, of course humans would eat Pokemon too. Look at the historical accounts on here. Sharpedo had an overfishing epidemic due to how people craved their dorsal fins, and almost went extinct. And just a century or two ago, Slowpoke tails were sold in the black market. It was a pretty huge topic in Jhoto when the organization behind this got exposed, but it doesn't change the facts that these tails were worth millions. If so why not humans eat humans, it's such a waste of meat."
With that, he shut the book with a firm slam and placed it back on the stand. The middle-aged man then reached into his front pockets, an action that made Warren stiffen in preparation for a possible attack. However, William didn't do anything potentially threatening, as he only pulled out two Pokeballs still in their shrunken forms.
His hands grasped the Pokeballs, and there was a shit-eating grin on his face. "With that being said, how about this? A two-on-two battle, you against me, Chase. No interferences. I know you're probably infuriated right now, but how about we be good sports and have a fair fight. Integrity is a very important aspect in battling, wouldn't you agree?"
"Fine. Bring me your worst," the girl in question replied, with no hesitation.
Warren blinked in disbelief. Although he didn't trust Chase, he was previously under the impression that she was the type of person that didn't let emotions cloud her judgment. It was clear that Aster also thought similarly as he grasped her arm, attempting to grab her attention. "Alright, hold up here. Clearly, you're not thinking straight. You don't actually believe he'll abide to his rules, do you?"
His words didn't reach her though, as she threw his hand off her arm, still keeping her eyes pinned on William as she did so. William chuckled at her ferocity. "Do be careful though, I wouldn't want you to ruin all of this wonderfully crafted furniture here," he mocked, enlarging the two Pokeballs in his hand. He sent them out and two bright lights lit up the room. A Salazzle and Forretress emerged from the Pokeballs, their twin roars pounding into Warren's ears as they took their stances in front of William.
The sight of the two Pokemon however, incited no reaction from Chase. "Oh trust me, furniture will be the last thing you'll be caring about after I acquaint you with my knife," she retorted, before sending out Meowstic and Mothim.
Following that was a short silence, a tense standoff between the two pairs of Pokemon. The only sounds present were the flap of Mothim's wings and everyone's hushed breathes. Everything stood still. Time slowed. And then finally, someone called out a move.
Suddenly, the Salazzle dug her heels onto the floor and sprinted towards Meowstic and Mothim, using her swift speed to get into close range. Despite the threat in front of them though, both of Chase's Pokemon were still calm and relaxed, waiting their trainer's first order. Chase herself was also unperturbed, her eyes remaining focused and unmoving.
"Salazzle, use Dragon Pulse!"
"Meowstic, Light Screen!"
A swirling ball of flames alit in a bright purple light was launched from Salazzle. The powerful attack left Chase's Pokemon relatively unharmed though, as the Dragon Pulse only clashed against Meowstic's Light Screen. Despite of this, it was obvious how much pressure it was putting on Meowstic as the forcefield clashed against the Dragon Pulse, further emphasizing how forceful the violet inferno was.
William definitely saw that strain as he smirked, calling out another attack. "I'd stop being so predictable if I were you. Forretress, Rock Slide!"
Salazzle finished her attack and used her lithe body to jump back efficiently, leaving enough room and space for Forretress to engage with his own attack. Forretress spun his body around and his body started to glow in a white light. A series of jagged rocks then emerged from it, and was flung to Meowstic and Mothim.
Automatically, Meowstic canceled out his Light Screen, and both Pokemon dodged the attack. However, Forretress's Rock Slide still proved to be deadly, as he continuously created more barrages of rocks to launch against the two Pokemon. Warren knew Chase needed to do something fast before Meowstic and Mothim would tire out, and the girl's body language seemed to express his same thoughts.
Responding to William's previous taunt, she shouted back at him. "I wouldn't assume that so quickly William. Mothim, Protect! And Meowstic, use Psyshock!"
Upon command, Mothim used Protect against the last few remaining rocks, the barrier immediately surrounding him and Meowstic just in time. The rocks ricocheted off of it, disintegrating after the rough collision. The moment after the rocks disappeared, Meowstic flung himself into the air, hurling a purple beam of psychic energy at his foes.
"Salazzle intercept that with Flamethrower," William commanded. And with that the two attacks clashed against each other, an explosion of purple and red intertwining, shaking the building to its roots. Smoke scattered across the room, causing Warren to block his eyes and cough. He could hear the muffled coughs from Aster and Kaitlyn's direction as well, but when the smoke cleared up he noticed red and purple spikes littered around the room. However, as quick as he had noticed the spikes, they promptly sunk to the ground, disappearing from his view, further raising his suspicions.
Despite the severe explosion though, the four Pokemon were still standing. Yet another standoff occurred and then duel commands from both respective trainers rang out. Another Psyshock dispersed, and Mothim flew in with powerful flaps, firing out a Hidden Power attack. In return Salazzle sent out a Venoshock aimed at Meowstic and Forretress levitated into the air, going for an attempt to slam into Mothim with a Double-Edge.
The battle continued to rage on, neither side really gaining an upper hand on the other. Both trainers remained smart and quick-witted, easily able to prepare themselves and plan their next courses of action. Their Pokemon only followed their leads, never slacking in their attempts to overpower their opponents. Warren didn't see the battle coming together into an abrupt end anytime soon, especially with the Pokemon seeming to still be full of resolve.
Until something caught his eye from the peripheral of his vision. Something was stalking in the shadows, hidden from his view, remaining relatively unseen. For a brief moment, he considered it to be his imagination, simply his paranoia overtaking his sensibility. Yet, the gleam of its narrowed eyes spoke otherwise. And just as quickly as Warren noticed the figure, it pounced.
However, it didn't pounce onto any of Chase's Pokemon. It's sharpened blades were aimed straight at Kaitlyn.
Warren's hand tore straight to his back pocket, digging for his Pokeballs, but he knew he wouldn't be on time. Kaitlyn immediately spun around at the sound of the figure's movements, her body wide open and vulnerable to its glistening blades. He began to fear the worst, his body stiffening at the sight before him.
The sound of metals colliding then rang, and Aster was suddenly in front of Kaitlyn, his body shielding hers. The figure's blade pressed against the steel rod in his grip, and although it was a bit rustic, it was doings its job well. Aster gritted his teeth, his fists tightening around the rod as he roughly pushed the figure off of him. The figure tried to reach towards Aster, but a rough kick was placed on its side until it backed off.
It was then when Warren got a clear view of the figure. A round red and black head, almost similar to that of a war helmet and sharp triangular eyes. White, metallic hands that resembled gloves with retractable blades. Two other blades encircled around a torso, and feet resembling cloven hooves.
It was a Bisharp, and judging from William's frustrated glare, it was William's Bisharp.
Warren clenched his fist around his Pokeballs. Did that man really think they'd be too distracted to not notice such an obvious ambush? The thought made his blood boil, especially with the Bisharp's lax body language even after his attack. However, in the back of his mind, Warren knew he was only so frustrated because he was off guard from the sneak attack, despite him trying to convince himself otherwise. At the very same time though, this ploy proved something else; William knew nothing about integrity.
From beside him, Aster still stood in front of Kaitlyn, his eyes focused on the Bisharp. "You're going to have to try better than that if you're going to use underhanded tactics!" he shouted at William, his voice loud and harsh.
William didn't reply, instead calling out another order for his Salazzle to deflect Mothim's Confusion attack. He then exchanged a quick glance with his Bisharp, and nodded. The Bisharp nodded in return, and after tightening up his stance, he sprinted towards Aster.
Looks like they were up against three Pokemon instead of just two.
Aster quickly called out Echo, throwing his Pokeball into the air. The Azumarill sprung out and immediately pulled back a glowing fist to charge up a Power-up Punch. It was a clean hit, the super effective attack delivered straight into Bisharp's side, causing him to fall back and pant. The move obviously took a toll on the Pokemon's body, as he placed one metallic hand on the floor to carry his weight, but a prominent grin still rested on his features, only widening when Echo landed onto the floor himself.
Tendrils of purple waves suddenly materialized from the ground, wrapping its way around Echo's legs. With a single sharp tug, the Pokemon was pulled down onto the floor, and a myriad of explosions set off beneath his body. The water type Pokemon let out a yelp and was still on his knees when the purple waves disappeared, but violent sparks still remained on his body. Warren soon realized that sometime during the battle with the smoke, William had prepared a Spikes and Toxic Spikes set up on the battlefield.
From afar, Salazzle was in the process of using Nasty Plot, severely upping her special attack stat. Sensing this, Meowstic let out a Disarming Voice, his loud shrieking voice carrying its way towards the Pokemon. However the Forretress blocked off the attack, spinning his body to deflect the move to protect the Salazzle. Warren knew the Salazzle would be a much bigger problem than she was before, especially after she managed to pull off a successful Nasty Plot.
Aster certainly thought similarly, as he called out his first command. "Echo, use Aqua Jet on Salazzle!"
Despite the poison seeping its way through Echo's body, the water type still found enough strength to charge up the move. Engulfing himself in a burst of water, Echo shot out towards Salazzle, intent on knocking her out with the super effective attack. However, Salazzle's speed was still very problematic, as she dodged the incoming attack with swift ease. Instead, Bisharp went in with a Night Slash from the side, his blades glowing with a bright crimson color as he slashed at Echo. Echo barely dodged the blades, the attack only grazing his side lightly.
As Warren was about to release his own Pokemon, he heard Kaitlyn shuffle behind him. Her hand was grasping a single Pokeball, enlarging it with the press of a single button. She must've returned both her Pokemon again before they approached William's office. Warren frowned, and shook his head at her. "You shouldn't send out Leo and Kit for this battle."
The girl looked appalled, obviously questioning his reasoning. "What do you even mean by that?"
"They're already exhausted from their fight against the medic and from the distraction they created outside. The spikes set up is only going to make it worse when you release them. Best course of action is to keep them uninvolved. They might end up getting in the way," he replied.
She opened her mouth to protest, but he only fixed her with a stern stare. "Don't worry, we can handle this," he said, trying to make his voice sound as reassuring as possible.
Kaitlyn only returned his stare, but sighed lightly. She shrank the Pokeball in her hand, listening to Warren's words, but still kept a hold of it. Her frustration spoke volumes, and he almost wanted to take back what he said as he didn't want to hold Kaitlyn back. However, he wanted her to be aware of her limits, and a battle like this would be way out of her experience zone.
Taking out his own Pokeballs, he sent Vex and Vera into the battlefield. Immediately, the same purple waves sprouted from the floor, quickly trapping the two in their grips. Explosions followed that up, causing a good amount of damage to the Pokemon, though Vera was more affected by the explosions than Vex due to the type disadvantage.
Warren knew that even though this fight was technically four against three, William had the upper hand due to status effects. Looking at Meowstic and Mothim, they had begun to slow down, and every move they did would only get intercepted by Forretress. Whenever either Bisharp or Salazzle would be in harm's way, Forretress would shield them with a Protect.
If they wanted the smallest chance of victory, they needed to take out that defensive Forretress. Potentially, if Forretress was out of the way, then the spikes combination would be canceled out, and Bisharp and Salazzle would be more vulnerable.
Both Vex and Vera seemed to sense Warren's plan as they focused their attentions on Forretress. Warren smiled at their compliance, and called out his first command. Without any words needed, Vex dug his feet to the floor, and widened his stance, a ball of light blue energy forming in his paws. The Focus Blast was launched at Forretress, followed by a fiery inferno that wrapped around it from Vera's Flamethrower. In order to defend himself from the devastating attack, Forretress was forced to set up his Protect around him again.
It was at this moment where Aster took advantage of the Forretress's distraction. With a single order, Echo went in with with yet another Aqua Jet attack against Salazzle. Yet, Forretress still managed to switch over to Salazzle to protect it again, the bright green barrier still shining brightly. Somehow, Forretress's success rate with the attack seemed to be absurdly high, despite his constant abuse of the non-damaging move.
As Warren stood there, contemplating of a way to eliminate the Forretress, he heard a sharp yelp from Chase. As he turned to see what was going on, he saw Bisharp sprinting toward her, his claws glowing with a silver aura for a Metal Claw. Upon notice that his trainer was in trouble, Mothim quickly attempted to block Bisharp off, but with how his wings didn't seem to beat as strongly as they always did, it was obvious of how exhausted Mothim was. The Bug type used Confusion in an attempt to throw Bisharp off, but it was too weak. Bisharp slammed into Mothim, slashing specifically at his wings to further exhaust him. Mothim collapsed onto the floor, his wings no longer usable for the battle with how damaged they were, and though he made an attempt to fly up again, it proved to be futile as he was knocked out.
Bisharp, on the other hand, only gained momentum from his attack against Mothim as he rolled onto the ground, picking himself back up to rush at Chase. His claws once again glowed, and he slashed at her, trying to cut deep into her skin. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick enough, as she sidestepped, but she didn't escape unscathed. Her upper arm got caught by his claws, a deep gash cutting straight through it as blood gushed into the surface. The girl winced, and Meowstic, who quickly noticed that his trainer was in trouble, raced over to her as she ordered him to use Psyshock against Bisharp.
Even then, Forretress still took his attention away from Warren and prepared to rush towards Bisharp, ready to deflect Meowstic's Psyshock. A rush of incredulity made its way through Warren's body, and he was almost insulted of Forretress's apparent disregard of his own seperate battle. He wasn't going to let Forretress get away from him so easily. "Vera, block him off! Use Flamethrower!" he shouted.
Vera quickly leapt into action, and though she wasn't able to tackle Forretress in time, she blew out a spew of flames. The fire separated Forretress from Bisharp, preventing him from defending Bisharp against Meowstic. He attempted to float above the flames, but was only cut off from yet another Flamethrower from Vex, further enhancing the flames. Upon notice that there was no way to escape the temporary blockade both Vex and Vera created, Forretress turned to face them, finally preparing to fight.
Warren could only hope Chase could handle herself out there by herself, but she seemed to be capable enough, even with her large wound. With Aster distracting Salazzle, Warren knew this was the prime time to knock out Forretress.
And with the poison seeping in through his Pokemon's bodies, he knew he had to do it fast.
"Vex, get up close with Shadow Claw! Vera, Calm Mind!" he commanded. With a single paw armed with large dark claws, Vex sprung up at Forretress, buying time for Vera to significantly charge up her stats. With Vex's quick speed and aggressiveness, he was able to directly hit Forretress, aiming for the ceiling. Even with the severity and force of Vex's attack though, Forretress managed to shake off the hit before he collided against the ceiling and retaliate with a Double Edge. His body glowed in a burst of golden hues, and he roughly tackled Vex, slamming him onto the floor.
Once again, poisonous waves sprouted from the floor, curling around Vex's legs. With a firm enough grip, the waves yanked him down, temporarily trapping Vex. The Toxic Spikes was definitely problematic, especially with how unpredictable its random appearances were.
With Vex being unable to move, the Forretress rushed at Vera, his body outlined in a yellow aura as he prepared to slam into the Braixen. Vera, who was still in the middle of charging up her Calm Mind, was forced to cancel out her non-damaging move. Warren tensed up, and called out to Vera. "Dodge it and use Flamethrower!"
She quickly sidestepped away from the Double Edge, and whipped out her stick from her tail. Twirling it in her paw, a burst of flames gathered at the stick's end and was sent towards Forretress. Forretress, who was still recovering from his Double Edge, whirled around and tried to dodge the roaring flames, but still got partially hit. It wasn't until Warren got a good glance at Forretress that he saw his body outlined in a white light.
Warren looked up, and it wasn't until then when he realized the amount of rocks floating above Vera's head. Forretress must've activated his Rock Slide attack a brief time ago when Warren wasn't paying attention, and it would prove to be a grave mistake. He desperately shouted at Vera. "Vera, get out of the way!"
But then everything literally went crashing down.
Similar to a meteor shower, a countless amount of boulders smashed into the ground, gravity only strengthening their impact. Vera didn't stand a chance, attempting to use a Psyshock to explode the rocks above her. However the force was too great, and she was quickly buried under the rubble, the super effective attack proving to be deadly against her health. From afar, Warren could tell she was knocked out in one fell swoop, the poison taking the last bits of her energy away.
Warren longed to rush to her aid, but knew he couldn't get distracted. He vowed to check up on her as soon as he had the chance to, and searched around for Vex. He found Vex at the same place he was before, and though the dark-type Pokemon was panting heavily from the poison, he was still standing, ready to continue the battle after Vera's knock out.
He fixed his gaze onto Forretress once again, but noticed he wasn't paying attention. If anything, Forretress was now more focused on Salazzle's fight against Echo, and it was then when Warren noticed that Echo had the upper hand. Echo was in the process of using Aqua Jet, and although Salazzle was a quick Pokemon, she was forced to be careful not to closely engage with physical attacks against Echo. Aster was making sure Echo was confusing Salazzle, only getting closer when he thought there was an opportune time.
It was obvious Forretress was going to come in as a defensive structure again to support Salazzle, and Warren wasn't going to have that.
As quickly as Forretress was about to shield Salazzle from Echo's Aqua Jet, Warren called out to Vex. "Stop him! Use Focus Blast!" he yelled, and Vex sprinted into action. With a white glowing paw, Vex immediately delivered a harsh ball of energy into Forretress's body. Forretress faltered, but turned around, and somehow managed to charge a Double-Edge against Vex. The physical move rammed into Vex, but the recoil damage took a toll onto Forretress, as his body trembled. Warren could tell Vex was on his wit's ends though, grasping onto the last bits of energy he had left.
"One last time with Focus Blast! Let's end this!" Warren demanded, and as if Vex could read Warren's thoughts, he swiftly striked Forretress with yet another Focus Blast at the same time as Warren's command. Forretress slammed onto the ground, causing the building to shake briefly once again, and was knocked out as well. Vex landed next to Forretress, sporting a tired, yet smug smile at the last attack.
From afar, Aster had a similar grin, even while he was in the midst of his battle against Salazzle. "Finally, that Forretress is gone. Celes, use Heal Pulse on Echo!"
He flung a Pokeball into the air, and a Gardevoir appeared. The psychic type placed her hands together to create a glowing pink ball and sent it Echo's way. The soft glow surrounded Echo, and he was slightly rejuvenated, his large ears perked up again in preparation for Salazzle's next move.
Warren raised an eyebrow at Aster. "Why didn't you send out your Gardevoir before?" he questioned. If Aster had sent out Gardevoir earlier, the battle would've been infinitely easier with her healing powers.
Aster kept his eyes on Echo and called for him to use Aqua Tail. He continued to watch Salazzle's movements, side eyeing Warren as he answered his question. "Well if you hadn't noticed, Heal Pulse takes a lot of energy to use. Didn't want her out here when Spikes and Toxic Spikes was still in effect."
With a quick glance at Celestine, Warren realized he was right. To a far away viewer, she would've seemed unfazed. Judging by her slightly hunched over form and trembling hands though, he realized she was slightly tired.
Salazzle, who was still dueling with Echo, was in the process of using Venoshock in short bursts, trying to keep Echo away with his water type moves. Warren had to acknowledge Echo's tenacity though, as the Azumarill never held back any of his moves, despite him being exhausted. Celestine's Heal Pulse definitely helped matters as well, and he was quicker than ever. However, Salazzle suddenly backed away from Echo and when she had enough distance, she fired a Dragon Pulse straight at Vex.
"Vex, dodge!" Warren screamed. He couldn't afford to have Vex knocked out, especially with how worn out he was. He could faintly hear Aster command Celestine to use Heal Pulse on Vex as well, but she wasn't fast enough. Vex attempted to dodge, but his knees buckled, and it was that one slip up that prevented him from avoiding Salazzle's attack. The Dragon Pulse crashed into Vex, and the impact proved to be devastating as he fell to the ground. Warren gritted his teeth when he realized both of his Pokemon were out.
The battle continued, and with Warren's Pokemon out of commission, the only thing he could do was watch. Celestine, who had used attempted to use a Heal Pulse on Vex just a few seconds ago, looked even more worse off, but she remained focused on healing Echo when Aster commanded it. Salazzle and Echo went head to head, but even though Echo tried to overwhelm her with his attacks, Salazzle was still swift and steady on her feet. It was clear she was only trying to buy time, waiting for the poison to overwhelm Echo, and for Celestine to run out of Heal Pulses that were quickly exhausting her.
Eventually though, Echo was able to get close enough to deliver a Power-up Punch on Salazzle, and once she landed against the side of a wall. Aster's eyes widened, and his mouth quirked into a smirk as he shouted out loud. "Use Protect!"
The Azumarill quickly closed in, using his tail to slam Salazzle back against the wall when she attempted to get up. He then used Protect, quickly surrounding both of them inside the green barrier, closing up any chance of an escape. With such close proximity, Warren heard Aster call out a finishing move.
Echo's body was soon engulfed into a stream of water, and with a jump off his hind legs, he propelled himself towards Salazzle. Salazzle, with no chance of dodging such an enclosed space, used Dragon Pulse in an attempt to deter Echo from the Aqua Jet, but the water type Pokemon continued to burst through it. A blur of turquoise and blue emitted inside the green force field surrounding it, and then it shattered. Salazzle was flung outside of the barrier from the Aqua Jet's direct impact, and she promptly fainted. Echo was found at the area with the broken barrier, still standing. But within seconds, he collapsed from the Dragon Pulse he was forced to endure in a sacrifice to knock out Salazzle.
With Salazzle out, Warren rushed to Vex and Vera for a quick check up. They looked fine, but were obviously out cold, and he reluctantly returned them back into their Pokeballs. Upon realization that one of William's Pokemon was still standing, he turned to search for on Chase.
It wasn't looking too good for her.
Bisharp still seemed to be at ease, only a little weary from trying to catch up to Meowstic. Meowstic, on the other hand, looked battered and bruised, the smaller Pokemon obviously having taken too many hits from the Bisharp. The Psychic type was still going strong though, even from the type disadvantage he had, but the fight was taking a toll on his body. Chase didn't seem to be in good shape either, as blood trailed down from her upper arm from Bisharp's attack earlier. She was clutching it, keeping up with the two Pokemon, but it was obvious her arm was aching from her cautious attempts not to jostle it too much.
Aster returned Echo into his Pokeball, and looked for Celestine. Celestine was right behind them, but her constant Heal Pulses had sapped almost all the energy out of her. Warren had a feeling Aster was going to send Celestine in, but even then, he wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do much. Psychic type moves didn't do too well against Steel types, and her Fairy subtype would put her in a significant disadvantage against Bisharp.
Sensing no other option, Warren saw Aster sharing a glance with Celestine. As Aster was about to send Celestine to support Meowstic however, Kaitlyn came up from behind them and grasped Aster's shoulder. "Hold up," she said before she paused. Taking a deep breathe, she continued on. "Do you think your Gardevoir can handle another Heal Pulse?" Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she studied Bisharp and Meowstic who were still engaged in an intense battle.
Aster looked unimpressed with her interference, but answer her anyways. "She can handle one more, two if we're pushing it. I'm not going to put her into that type of extremity though," he replied. Meanwhile, Chase was jumping back as Bisharp aimed for her again, working to slash at her other arm. Fortunately, Meowstic noticed on time, and created a barrier around his trainer.
Warren winced at the close call, but Kaitlyn still had her eyes locked onto the fight. She then fixed her gaze back at Aster. "Use Heal Pulse on Kit. Celestine isn't in any shape or form to fight against Bisharp, and Kit has Earth Power. It's our only chance."
It was obvious that Aster wasn't convinced though, as he crossed his arms. "Your Vibrava can hardly make a dent into that Bisharp's armor, even if he were at full power. If anything, that attempt will slow us down." In any other case, Warren would've reprimanded Aster slightly at his bluntness, but in a way, he did agree with his statement.
Instead of being discouraged though, she only shook her head. "Meowstic has been using Psychic for the most part, and I can guarantee you Bisharp's special defense has been dropped for a countless amount of times." She took a deep breathe, her fists clenched as she continued on. "I've been watching their battle for the most part while you were against Salazzle and Forretress. Just trust me on this."
"Those are some pretty bold words you're speaking. Trust is earned, not deserved. I don't have an incentive to trust you," Aster stated, an apathetic expression etched on his features.
Kaitlyn hesitated before speaking again. "Do you have any other choice?" she replied, speaking in a slow, deliberate tone.
The boy in question was silent, and Warren could practically hear the gears grinding in Aster's brain, trying to figure out any other way besides Kaitlyn's reckless plan. Even if Kit was more than capable enough to perform a stealth attack, one hit and it would be over for the Vibrava. Plus, there would be no other alternative to fight against Bisharp.
A small amount of time passed, before Aster sighed. "Fine," he said.
Kaitlyn sent Kit out of his Pokeball, and Aster sent Celestine to use Heal Pulse on him. The Psychic type looked unsure, but heeded his orders, crouching down next to the Dragon-type as she formed a small ball of light. Kit shook his wings as he took in the last bits of Celestine's energy, and hovered in the air next to Kaitlyn.
Aster returned Celestine into her Pokeball. "This better be worth it," he muttered, but he received to response from Kaitlyn. The brunette was already focused on Chase's fight, where Chase was hastily dodging another one of Bisharp's attacks. Meowstic was valiantly trying to shield her as much as he could, but his small size and type disadvantage didn't stand much ground against Bisharp. William wasn't even paying much attention to anything other than the battle at hand, and it was clear that Warren wasn't the only one who noticed it.
Kaitlyn whispered something to Kit, and the Vibrava nodded in return. The Pokemon silently flew behind William, trying to prevent him or Bisharp from seeing him. Chase, on the other hand, saw what was going on, and averted her eyes from Kit. Instead, she started to taunt William. "What's the matter? Still having a hard time getting me?"
It wasn't a threatening taunt, seeing as Chase was more injured than Williams was, but it did its job well enough. William's stance slouched, and he let out a noisy guffaw. "If you look between you and me though, it doesn't take much to see who's more injured."
Chase snapped her fingers, and Meowstic quickly created a Light Screen around them. Bisharp jumped back at the sudden barrier, deeming that it was better to stay back rather than to rush in without direct orders. Chase wiped some sweat that was forming on her forehead, and sent William a curved grin. "Oh I'm well aware of that," she replied. "But that's Bisharp's doing, not yours. You haven't even laid a single scratch on me."
William scowled. "That doesn't even matter. Of course my Pokemon would b-"
Her grin only widened. "Poor little Will, hiding behind his own Pokemon. Though maybe I shouldn't say that since you're a grown ass adult."
William was noticeably offended as he growled,"Why you little shit. Bisharp, blast that barrier with Night Slash!" With that, Bisharp's claws were aglow and he took off. His attention was only focused on Meowstic's Light Screen, and the Psychic-type only worked to strengthen it, bracing himself for the attack.
It was a prime opportunity.
"Now!"
Upon Kaitlyn's shrill shriek, Kit dove past William, aiming for Bisharp's back. Cracks began to form under the floor, and pillars of stone shot up into the air. The Vibrava slammed Bisharp into the floor, using as much strength as he could muster to keep him down. More pillars surrounded the Bisharp, trapping him inside a circle of rocks. It was then that Kit's eyes glowed a bright yellow, and when he quickly flew away, the rocks collapsed into Bisharp, permanently trapping him inside the rubble.
Not a sound stirred, and Bisharp was knocked out.
Somehow, it was a success.
Meowstic dematerialized his barrier when Bisharp was gone, and Chase clutched a nearby wall, her head dropped to the ground. Warren took a step toward her, just to check up on her fatigued form, but she instead brought her head back up, a smirk rapidly playing across her features. William stood stock still, trembling slightly as if he was unable to believe how he had lost.
Chase grasped her knife from her belt as she steadily approached William. "Oh what do you know? Your Pokemon are all out. How disappointing."
William took a step back, the small of his back hitting his desk. The desk shifted from his weight, a dull squeak resounding across the room. He put his hands up in front of him, as he babbled. "N-now Chase. Dear, we can talk about this. No need to resort to violence."
The blonde didn't stop moving, and her grip on the knife handle only tightened. "Where's your bravado now? How about we embrace some integrity and have a fair one on one ourselves?" She twirled the knife in her hand, and unsheathed the blade.
"W-we can talk this out! We can talk this out! Just stop, please! Someone help! He-"
Chase jumped at him and the mayor flinched. A single kick was all that was needed to knock him onto the floor, and she pressed a foot against his chest. William was already gasping for breath, frantically trying to shove Chase's foot off of him, but his attempts didn't do much. Instead, she only added pressure, and bent down at him, before slicing at his throat, causing a deep gash. He collapsed, his eyes lulled out to the back of his head, and his head pounded against the floor.
No one spoke for a bit until Aster moved. He searched through William's pockets to take out his Pokeballs, and returned them. "Well that fight just now was laughably easy compared to the Pokemon," he laughed lightly, trying to ease into the tension, though it didn't do much.
Chase scoffed, cleaning her knife with the bottom of her shirt. "I don't even want to imagine how many people cried for help before they died like he did just now. And to think it was all his doing." She kneeled down next to Meowstic to give him a quick pat on the head, checking up on his injuries.
Warren shifted on his feet, and his head started to pound. He thought about what Aster had previously said. Compared to the Pokemon who knew extensive combat skills, William knew next to nothing. He didn't even have any means to defend himself, and was woefully unprepared for any physical combat. It was as if William had been confident, and expected him to win against not only to one, but four opponents.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Chase gasp. Once again she was clutching at her arm, her hand splattered with blood. "You guys have any pieces of cloth? This is gonna be a problem," she winced.
Aster shook his head. "In other circumstances, I'd get Echo to clean out that wound, but you'll just have to wait on that." He looked at both Kaitlyn and Warren with a raised eyebrow, silently asking them if they had anything on them that could be used as a makeshift tourniquet.
Kaitlyn started to dig through her backpack, shuffling through its contents. "I don't have anything, sorry," she apologized. "But there'll probably be some herbs out there somewhere. I don't know a lot about herbal remedies, but I have the basics down."
Upon hearing Kaitlyn's words, Warren took off the cloak around his neck. He tore off a strip off of the tattered cloak from the bottom and handed it to Chase. "Here, just make use of this. It's thin but it'll have to do. We're gonna need to get it healed later or else it could get infected."
"Thanks," she mumbled, as she awkwardly tried to wrap it around her arm. Meowstic ended up having to help her, and she gave him a grateful smile.
It didn't take long before the makeshift tourniquet was tightly on her arm. Chase got up onto her feet, and though she stumbled slightly, she quickly righted herself. "We should look around the house. William probably had a bunch of foods in here. Not sure about bandages though."
Without another word, she stumbled off, presumably to go downstairs to find supplies, and that was the cue for the rest to split off. Searching through the house didn't take too long, as one person was unofficially assigned to a specific area. They eventually met back up in the living room area, where they assembled what they found. There wasn't much, as William had too many miscellaneous and useless belongings, but Chase had found a stash of food in one of his kitchen cabinets. Other supplies were found as well, and each person took what could've been of good use to them.
Once they had everything assembled, they made their way to the front door. Aster was in the lead, and his hand was rested on the knob. "I have a small site set up ahead while I was waiting for you two," he mentioned, lightly glaring at Kaitlyn and Warren. "We can head over there. I doubt anyone's seen it."
Neither of the two were able to protest, so Aster opened the door. It was still as chaotic as ever outside, but it didn't seem like anyone was actively searching for them. He led them to the back of some buildings, and they all stealthily made their way to the outskirts of the city. The site was cleverly hidden behind thick leafage, and a thick blanket was already tossed onto the grassy moss. They all released their Pokemon to stretch out after their tiring battle, and each quickly settled down.
Aster stepped across a strewn out log to place his sling bag on his blanket. "We can stay here until you two go wherever you need to go. I don't care where you're traveling as long as you split up some supplies with me," he said. He then crossed his arms, and sent Chase a pinched expression. "I don't know what she's doing here herself though."
"I'm not stupid. It'd be a dumb move if I just left here all by myself. In case you haven't forgotten, but have you seen my arm?" Chase retorted as she rolled her eyes.
"Yea, and?"
"Well, it's not like your opinion matters anyways," she shrugged. She leaned against a nearby tree, careful not to graze her injured arm against the bark, but didn't lose her smugness as she continued to speak. "If anything you seem like you're tagging along rather than leading this "group" you got going on here."
Aster cracked his knuckles in annoyance, his voice rising into a retort. "Tagging along? I never wanted to tag al-"
His indignation didn't deter Chase though, as she ignore his comment and interrupted him as she turned to face Kaitlyn. "Hey Kaitlyn. You don't mind if I hang out with you guys for a while, do you?" she asked in a more cheery tone compared to her previous complacent one. Despite her innocent looking demeanor, Warren took note of the devious glint in her eyes. It was obvious she wasn't going to take no for an answer, no matter what Kaitlyn said.
Kaitlyn, who was in the process of setting down her backpack against another tree, stopped midway to blankly glance at Chase. Her voice faltered as she averted her sheepish gaze from Chase, her discomfort for being put on the spot clearly evident. "Er…"
Warren spared Kaitlyn from the misery. "Do what you gotta do," he muttered. He honestly couldn't be bothered to care anymore.
"See," Chase giggled at Aster, who huffed loudly. "And with that, I'll be going to sleep. Night everyone!" With that, she settled down onto Aster's blanket and curled herself into the covers, not before kicking his slingbag off for good measure. It only took her a few seconds before Warren heard her snores, as Meowstic and Mothim cuddled next to her.
"Technically it should be morning," Aster mumbled as he yanked his slingbag off the ground, clearly exasperated of the bundle of bodies on his own personal spot. "And what's the point in having her come along, she's just gonna drag us down."
Warren didn't answer him, and only gave him a shrug. He got an unimpressed look in reply. "Yea, whatever. Just don't make me regret this," he responded as he lied down on his log, getting himself as comfortable as he could so he could sleep.
If anything, Warren didn't know how he felt about Aster and Chase. While they seemed capable, their squabbles were already grinding on his nerves. Chase also didn't sit too well in Warren's mind, with her manipulative and occasionally condescending attitude. Aster, on the other hand, was way too snarky, and there were times when Warren wanted to punch that stupid smirk off of his face. He silently wondered what Kaitlyn thought about the two, but when he looked for her, he didn't see her.
Kaitlyn wasn't anywhere near the site it seemed, but she was more off at the edge than at the center. Her back was facing him, and she was staring into the darkness from the trees, an unusually solemn expression cast over her features.
"Doing alright?" he asked, concerned over how unusually standoffish she was.
He looked at the girl's hunched over shoulders before she stood still and huffed loudly. Kaitlyn turned around swiftly around, sending Warren a grin with a slight quirk on her lips. "Yea, I'm fine," she laughed.
She settled back down from the balls of her feet, averted her eyes from his intense stare. Her grin was still on her face, but it seemed forced. Her voice trailed off as she spoke. "...I'm gonna go to sleep anyways. You need anything?"
He frowned in response, her uncertainty only raising his suspicion. "I don't, no."
Kaitlyn nodded and stepped away, settling to the ground against a tree. She dug through her backpack, pulling out the blanket he had given to her from the other night. Sending him a soft "good night," she turned to face away from him. It didn't take long for her to doze off, especially with her quickly her breathes started to get heavier. Her Pokemon settled down as well, huddling close to her form to maintain some warmth, but they didn't fall asleep yet.
…She isn't alright. Isn't she.
No, she's not. It's been a long day for her. For all of us, really.
Is there anything we can do? She's barely even looked at us since that fight.
If I knew there was something, I would've done it already. We should be patient with her. High chance she's thinking about La-
Their conversation suddenly stopped, and Kaitlyn's Petilli turned his head to glance at Warren. It was a clear dismissal with how the Petilli continued to watch him, and Warren ducked his head away out of meer sheepishness. It was rare for him to be so ruffled over a single stare alone, he thought as he shuffled towards Vex and Vera, but he had a feeling that Kaitlyn's Pokemon were discussing about something personal. His ears burned lightly from an unfamiliar feeling of shame.
He probably shouldn't have overheard that.
Kaitlyn Brooks - Leo (Petilli) and Kit (Vibrava) - SnapshotSilica
Warren Monger - Vex (Zoroark) and Vera (Braixen) - W. R. Winters
Aster Drake - Celestine (Gardevoir) and Azumarill (Echo) - PBComplexion
Chase McCloud - Meowstic(Meowstic) and Mothim (Mothim) - ShadedLyht
That concludes Petalburg! Honestly, writing inspiration comes and goes. Some days I stare at the google doc and I just can't bring myself to type anything. And yet, other times I'll be in the midst of studying for a midterm and feel a sudden urge to write. Then I'll go back to my dorm and just binge write until my brain is fried. And then the process begins again haha
Oh yes, and btw, if anyone is every interested in keeping track of the written progress, I decided to be extra and slap on a Chapter Update list on my profile. Seeing as my update schedule is incredibly inconsistent and few and in between, idk I thought it'd be a nice idea to have this on, so people won't think I've given up on this fic. Or something of the sort.
Though then again, high chance I'm gonna forget I have something like this on my profile, and forget to update that too. But enough of that. Let me know how you like the direction so far! Any favorite characters so far? Any predictions? Wishes? I mean I know our cast is small, so there's not much to say, but I hope their personalities are at least easy to decipher. We'll be introducing some new characters next chapter, so stay tuned heh
Until next time and thanks for reading!