Hidden Journey
Part Eleven
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Something Always Holds Me Back
"Well?" Cosmos asked, his presence almost overbearing.
Taking a step back, I glared up at him. "I said I'm tired and hungry, remember?"
"It was two seconds ago, how could I not?"
"Then would you please just step out of my way?" I demanded. "I want to go back to my hotel room."
To my surprise, he did step out of the way. With a shake of my head, I stalked past, finally on my way to the exit. Two of the young female Vulpix I passed gave me an envious glance that I mentally shrugged off.
The large double doors swung open as I walked up to them, as they were automatic doors, and I walked through and into the cool nighttime air. I had quickly learned that Blackthorne had a constant cool breeze to it, even when in the heat of summer. That was due to the Ice Caves north of the city. Even though it was only around 6:15 at night, the sky had darkened considerably.
Shivering slightly, I trotted down the sidewalk that lined the main street. The hotel was two blocks away and therefore pretty close to the convention center, though this late at night it was a little shady feeling. Coming from a world in which you really shouldn't walk alone at eleven at night sort of had me on edge no matter where I was, but I didn't want Old World fears to darken my current time here.
It was fun, despite being three feet tall.
A turn down the side street that I could've sworn led to the hotel turned out to be a dead end alley.
"Geez, can I do one thing right?" I grumbled to myself.
"You could try us!" A raunchy male voice came from the shadows in front of me.
To my shock, four large Growlithe stepped from the side of a garbage dumpster.
"Isn't this just my luck."
---
"Is there a reason we're just sitting here, watching television?" Vulpix asked with a sigh. She was sitting on the overstuffed recliner and eyeing the television as if it might jump up and bite her.
"No, no particular reason," Matt said, leaning back on the sofa. "Just hanging around."
"Watching the game, having a Bud," Gary said, sipping his soda.
Matt nodded, "True, true."
Vulpix rolled her eyes. "You humans are so infuriating."
The 'game' the three were watching was a rerun of last season's Orange League Games, on ESPLN. The championship match between Drake, the Orange Crew Leader, and Mikaia Dileralc of Celadon City. Even though both men knew that Drake won once again, they were studying the Orange Crew leader's strategy.
"Man, what I'd give for a Dragonite," Matt said wistfully.
"I know what you mean," Gary nodded from his spot on a matching recliner. "Powerful."
"Pathetic!" Vulpix snorted, standing up. "I'm going for a walk."
"Wait!" Matt spun around on the sofa, "What about the thief?"
"If there even is any thief, then I shall be more than capable of handling her myself," Vulpix said, her hand on the front door knob. "I'm more than able to handle surprises."
"Way to go, Buffy," Gary smirked. "Just make sure you come back in one piece."
Vulpix scowled. "I still don't like you, Oak."
"I still don't like you, too." Gary said, turning back to watch the game. "Ooh! That's what he did!"
Matt, torn between Vulpix and the game, said, "Take Cirrus' cell phone, okay? You know how to use it?"
Vulpix picked the slim lilac phone from the hallway table. "I know how to use it," She said, slipping it in the front pocket of her jeans. For once, she had dressed conservatively in a red tank top and blue jeans. A pair of Cirrus' old sneakers were on her feet, and her hair was pulled back in a french twist.
With a final look at the two guys, both of which were deeply engrossed in the game, the fire fox quietly slipped out the front door, closing it gently behind her. She paused on the front porch for a moment, taking a deep breath of the cool night air, and sighing. It was about 8:30 at night, two hours ahead of Blackthorne City.
"You better not be messing up, Cirrus."
---
"Well hi there!" I said, trying for a friendly approach. "How are you guys?"
"Are you for real?" The first asked, taking a step closer. He was a bit bigger than the others were. That and his stance told me he was more than likely the leader. "We're here for one thing and that's you, sweetcakes."
"Eeew," I muttered under my breath.
"We hoid that!" A scrawny one closest to the dumpster said. "We ain't happy wit yoise who won't cooperate."
"Is he speaking English?" I asked. "Because jeez, learn it if he isn't."
"Let's just cut down to business," The first said. "I'm getting first dibs on you and then my boys here get to fight over you."
The others snickered behind him, their eyes wide and reflecting what little street light made its way in the alley.
"Um, the stoneage ended millennia ago?" I said, backing up, "No one gets dibs on me. Especially not one of you street dogs."
"Oh ho ho!" The leader laughed. "We've got an ice princess on our paws!"
"Too good for the rest of us, huh Boss?" A slender one on the right of the leader said. His voice was oily and made me shudder in disgust.
"I suppose so!" The leader cocked his head. "But we'll melt her down soon enough."
"Somehow, I don't think so," A new voice broke in.
All four Growlithe spun around to face the newcomer. A large shadowy shape nearly filled the entrance of the alley, red eyes glowing menacingly, and…and all nine tales flared out.
"Cosmos…" I breathed.
"Now who do we have here?" The leader asked casually. "A boyfriend? Or are you her sugar daddy?"
"None of your business," Cosmos growled, "But even if I didn't know her I'd still have to fire spin your sorry carcasses to the great beyond."
"He's threatening us!" The third Growlithe was shocked. "No one threatens the Growly Four!"
"Then be prepared for something new in your little miserable lives," Cosmos said, "Because today's the day someone does threaten you."
And that's when the fight started.
---
Vulpix walked through the thick foliage of the woods behind the Blaine residence. She was unafraid, despite the Urasaring episode. Those bears had been tagged and relocated, with the most recent report from the Pokemon watchers being that the bear pokemon had settled quite comfortably where they had been released. And that was far from civilization.
She paused, looking around and taking in her surroundings. The stantler trail was worn in a way so that most humans would never notice it was even there. There was a light mist to the air, almost a fog but not overly thick lying, and it tickled her bare arms. It had not taken long for the fire fox to get used to and even enjoy the sensation of water on her borrowed skin.
A twig snapped a ways behind her and Vulpix turned around, narrowed eyes scanning the area with a practiced ease. Trees, bushes, trail, a Weedle, more trees…Aah…there was the problem.
"Why are you following me?" She called out in a clear strong tone.
"Because I feel like talking," The answer came in a feminine tone and the speaker was revealed when she came onto the trail and stood before Vulpix.
"The cyndaquil," Vulpix murmured. "I wondered when someone would come talking to me."
"I know you are not Cirrus and though I am curious as to how you became her, I shall wait until another time to ask," The small Pokemon leapt onto a boulder to be able to sit waist height to Vulpix. "I want to know just who you are and what you are doing."
"Do the other Pokemon know?"
"No, though the Umbreon senses something amiss." She cocked her head. "So tell me why."
"There was an accident at Professor Oak's lab," Vulpix began to retell the coverup story. "And…"
"Do not think that I am stupid," the Cyndaquil snorted. "I know that is not a true story. Tell me the truth."
Vulpix hesitated and then sighed. "Fine."
Twenty minutes later the story was told. The Cyndaquil, who had said her name was Xanady, sat back on the boulder, blinking.
"That was a rather tall tale." The pokemon paused. "But I believe it. I have seen too many odd things in my life time."
"You're not a born Pokemon, are you?"
The Cyndaquil nodded. "That's the truth. I was…given…this form as part of a bargin I made."
"Why?"
"I wasn't the best human and I abused a lot of power. I ruined many lives." She paused. "And I relished in it. Of course, it's no fun if someone else is in power. That's what will happen if what you said comes to pass."
Vulpix nodded. "Team Rocket will be in control if Brock dies. It's not something I want to face and that's the only reason I agreed."
"You're very brave."
Vulpix shrugged. "Even though I've seen bad times before, things no human has ever known of, I don't remember anything of what you said. I suppose Mew and Mewtwo are very powerful."
The names seemed to perk up Xanady's attention. "Have you seen either Mew?"
"No," Vulpix said. "I was supposed to see Mew, but she wasn't around. Celebi was there instead."
"Celebi?? The time traveling Pokemon?" Xanady sat up as tall as she could. "Tell me of it! Was it as powerful as I heard?"
"Celebi is female and yes, she is that powerful." Vulpix tossed her head. "After all, she did this to me."
"Yes, but was she powerful?"
"My current situation isn't proof enough?" Vulpix rolled her eyes. "You're the super genius, you figure it out."
There was a lull in the conversation and Vulpix used the break to stretch. "We'd better head back. The humans will wonder where I've gone to."
She started walking away and heard the sound of Xanady following her. Vulpix decided to ask a nagging question. "Who freed you from your marble prison?"
Vulpix bit back the jolt of surprise she felt as Xanady leapt onto her shoulder and said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
---
The swift violence of it all shocked me and I stepped back into the shadows. If I had any of Vulpix's powers or agility, I didn't know how to access them. Another convenient misconception of trading places. You don't become all knowing and powerful. Instead I watched uneasily as Cosmos viciously fought the four Growlithe.
They didn't have a snow-cone's chance on Moltres' back of winning, you could see that from the start. And yet, they fought back just as savagely as anything I'd ever seen. Almost as bad as…that fight in the meadow. It was horrible; I had to do something! But what?
The answer presented itself to me in the form of the runt of the group, and he was still taller than I was, as he ran towards me with fire in his eyes. Thoughts on what I should do raced through me at warp speed, but nothing made any sense. Bite, scratch, run, hide, go for the throat, trip him, anything!
What I did seemed the simplest thing in the world.
I ducked.
The Growlithe flew right over my head and slammed into the garbage dumpster. I leapt to one side as a small heap of overflowing trash fell onto the stunned Pokemon. It was disgusting. It looked like one of the apartment tenants had a sick baby. At least, that's what the diaper hanging on one side of the Growlithe's head stated.
He shook it off with a growl of revulsion and stared me down, his snarl exposing a fierce display of pointy teeth. "Say your prayers, Foxy."
Ducking didn't seem like an option, so when he ran at me with that full display of teeth…pointy teeth, I did what he told me to. I sort of ducked and when he was a scant inch away, I threw up my head, hitting his lower jaw with the top of my head. I knew how much that hurt when Matt accidentally did that to me when we were kids, but it must've really hurt that Growlith.
Vulpix must have one seriously thick skull because I didn't feel a thing. However, I did see at least two sharp pointy teeth lying on the cemented ground. I looked up and saw the Growlith running in the opposite direction. He quickly met up with his buddies and they also abandoned their three on one fight with Cosmos and raised a dust trail on their way out.
Cosmos looked back and gasped.
Smug was a great description of how I was feeling. I didn't even have to try to use one power and off the wimps ran. Not even Cosmos could achieve that.
"You better run, you sissies!" I laughed, taking a few steps towards Cosmos. "How about that? No violence needed to subdue those runts."
But Cosmos was, as it turns out, looking behind me.
"What? There's nothing there!" I said, starting to turn around. "I should know since I was cornered…there…by myself…"
Only when I turned around, it wasn't empty. It was very much populated by one very large, very menacing looking Pokemon.
The Houndoom threw back its head and howled, an eerie undulating sound that bounced off the close quarters of the alley.
---
Ooh! Who's that Pokemon?! How did that Houndoom get back there without anyone noticing? How will Cosmos and Cirrus get out of this one?