Another short chapter. I promise things will slow up on this side of the story soon enough, but for now, just enjoy the action.
Please R&R
-Ship-
Edit (22/11/2011): thank you, Zangoose-Kira for pointing out the error. I have fixed it now :) And thanks for the advice. On new chapters I will mark them with Past or Present
Chapter 4
Jack sat with Dale and Dena in their roof. The dormers gave them a view over most of the town. The Donphan, who had discovered the fate of their master, Jasper, were being held at bay by two men dressed in black and grey camouflage uniform, and holding long rifles. On either side of the men, a second group of Donphan, bigger than those in Jasper's fields, stood.
"So we're not allowed pokémon, but they are, is that it?" Muttered Dale. Dena shuddered in grim anticipation of the ensuing fight.
Beside Jack, in a small rucksack, were his six pokémon. The idea of carrying only six pokémon around just seemed ludicrous now, when a house could be randomly searched at any time, and pokémon confiscated if any were left, but Jack had only six pokémon to his name, caught throughout Hoenn and Kanto. He reached for the bag, but Dale grasped Jack's wrist and shook his head.
"We can't get involved." He said in a low voice. "See those Donphan? There's at least fifteen of them. You can't take them on."
Jack growled a haughty response, but dropped the pokéballs he had picked up. He had no doubt that his pokémon could take on a small herd of Donphan, but if he got involved, and chased away the men, more would come, and he would have to flee or fight, neither of which were outcomes he liked against the full power of Hoenn's armed forces. Old Jasper's herd would have to deal with this on their own.
A few more minutes passed before the first move was made. Ares, the erstwhile leader of the herd, released a roar of defiance, and charged at one of the soldiers. The man raised his rifle, shot once, twice, three times. Ares carried on running, the bullets glancing harmlessly from his armour. One of the army's Donphan rushed out to meet him, the two formidable pokémon meeting head-first in the middle. The second man shot at Ares from an angle as he pushed his enemy back. The bullet struck Ares' foreleg, and he gave a few yards while the man reloaded. The second bullet hit his midriff, the third burying into his calf. One final shot landed in Ares' heart, and a renewed roar emanated from the muscled pokémon. He drove back the larger Donphan, and drove it up onto it's hind legs with impossible strength. A tusk sliced into unconcealed flesh, and drove through and out of the armoured back. Blood was gushing from both pokémon when they fell silent, watched in awe by all. Ares had taken six bullets before he finally died in glorious victory, and now the rest of the herd were emboldened.
It was an impressive sight, an entire herd of Donphan charging another, smaller but more powerful and with guns backing them up. Jack watched grimly as more and more of the enraged pokémon fell to bullets, tusks, and powerful hooves. These were pokémon fighting for their lives, and at last, five of Jasper's herd stood against three of the Army's, and the two men. A tusk speared one of the men through the ribage, and he fell to the ground, dead instantly. The Donphan responsible was shot, as were two others, and one fell to a crushing blow to the skull. The final two pokémon faced off, and, as the army's pokémon died on a sharp ivory spike, a bullet hit the eye of Ares' mate, Helena.
The surviving man walked away, seemingly unperturbed by the incident, or even the death of his comrade. Jack swore bitterly and vowed to kill the man for what he had done.
Dena was crying softly, Dale comforting her with a pale face and wavering reassurances. Jack was simply angry, more so than he had ever been before. They heard footsteps on the stairs, and their heads snapped around as the twins' mother walked in. She sat down with them and stared silently at the aftermath of the chaos on Jasper's fields.
Jack gathered up his possessions and loaded them into a rucksack. He donned a black jacket and tracksuit trousers. He wore his pokéballs on the inside of the jacket, with his gym badges from the Hoenn and Indigo Leagues.
Greatroot Forest loomed on the other side of Littleroot; he would have to go through it to get anywhere – The entrance to Route 101 was blockaded, and to get through he would have to be searched. Jack did not want to be searched while bearing the badges of the fallen Hoenn league, and a team of pokémon. He had no doubt that the Indigo and Johto leagues had been disbanded now, the way things were going before he, the twins, and Rose had turned off the television last night.
Rose was in bed now – she had been put there by Max before the battle in Jasper's fields had kicked off. It pained Jack to be leaving his friends, but he would not put them in danger. If he told anybody, the twins would insist on coming with him, and, if he left it until tomorrow, his parents, two of the biggest campaigners against pokémon after Oscar's death, would find his pokémon and give them up to the army.
No, he must leave tonight, but there was something he had to do first. He crept out of his house, avoiding the soldiers enforcing curfew. He found his way to Jasper's field, where some of the more compassionate soldiers had piled the bodies of the Donphan into a heap, and cremated them with the help of the two Combusken detailed with the Donphan to assist the soldiers in subduing Littleroot. It was nice to know that some of the soldiers, at least, recognised that their orders were wrong, even if they wouldn't disobey them.
The anger of helplessness as he had watched the Donphan killed still burned within Jack, and he let himself into Jasper's hut with the key hidden under the flowerpot. Colonel Banks lay on the bed, sleeping comfortably.
"Good evening, Colonel." Jack said, fire burning in his eyes.
Banks awoke, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "And who the hell are you?" He slurred, reaching for a pistol beside his bed.
"My name is Jack Stone." A rifle, taken from the untouched corpse of one of the soldiers, pointed at the Colonel's chest, "Drop the Pistol, Colonel."
Colonel Banks dropped the pistol and began to speak, but Jack cut him off.
"Goodnight, Colonel."
A single shot rang out across the village, and a figure ran into the undergrowth , hidden behind the bright light of a pyre, burning with the blood of Ares.