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Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is the property of Game Freak and Nintendo and all of those awesome people who invented it.
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Mitchell's face dug into the soaked soil, the overpowering scent of Bailey's poison filling his nostrils and making him cough. He lifted his head off of the ground and felt his pistol wrenched from his hand, and then heard Bailey eject the magazine, which fell to the ground nearby. She tossed the gun to the side and held his arms down with hers, keeping him on the ground. Her ponytail had come a little bit loose and now some of her hair was hanging down in front of her face, something she never liked. Gravity willed it, though, and it wasn't the main part of her focus anyway.
"Lying bitch," Mitchell spat at her, struggling against her vice grip to get free. She was surprisingly strong for someone her size. Bailey kept holding him down. She hadn't thought this through and wasn't sure exactly what to do next. Knock him out? She could, but if she let go he would likely throw her off.
"You don't get rich being honest, kid," she said, exercising her seniority over him, though she was only so by a couple of years. He exhaled deeply and stopped moving, realizing he was only tiring himself.
"Can we just forget this happened and go our separate ways?" Mitchell asked, and Bailey laughed at him.
"Wow, you're quick to switch onto the other side of the deal, aren't you? You're not going anywhere," she said, something suddenly clicking in her mind, "Nowhere, except the police station,"
Mitchell started to struggle again, but she dug one of her knees into his back and he yelped, stopping all movement. Joanna sat in the shade, waiting for Bailey's vision to turn completely away.
"Clean this shit up, Bailey, now," Mitchell said, trying not to breathe in the smell. From afar, it was a delicious scent, but he could not stand it up close. She frowned.
"What difference does it make? It'll go next time it rains. It's not like there's many Pokémon worth anything here, so if a trainer happens to come by and can't find anything, well, ain't missing much are they?"
"Clean it up, bitch. You're hurting a lot of Pokémon with it," he said.
"And what, are you some kind of Pokémon fanatic overnight? Why should you care anyway, they aren't yours!"
She saw something move in the trees to the side and turned to look, when Mitchell slid one arm out from under her grip and knocked her to the side. She landed by the empty gun, her fingers reaching for the magazine a few feet away. Mitchell rolled over to it and grabbed it first. Now Bailey's back was to the place she had seen the movement, and she reached for the gun in her backpack, racking the slide and aiming at the boy with one fluid movement-
A blur of auburn and blonde replaced the area Bailey had been crouching as Joanna flew from the shadows and landed on the woman's back. The two tumbled for a foot or so as they began to claw at each other with their nails, pulling hair and screaming incoherently. The gun slid out of the battle and Joanna pinned Bailey to the ground in a similar position to how Bailey had pinned Mitchell. Bailey kicked her legs, trying to hit her assailant, but she had been defeated.
"Forgot you had someone with you, Direnetti," Bailey said, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. She had scratches on her cheek and arms, as did Joanna. They were covered in the sticky, syrupy topsoil and smelled like it from head to toe.
"Took you long enough," Mitchell commented, kneeling down in front of Bailey. He had a plan to end this all without gunshots and bloodshed.
"Okay, now that we're all calmed down," he said, and Bailey sneered at him, "let's discuss a civil way to end this,"
Joanna started to talk as well.
"Yeah. Clean this up and stop poisoning the Pokémon, and we'll let you go," she said, but Mitchell's plan had been much more precise.
"I'm not leaving without a fight, if that's what you're implying," the blonde said. Mitchell's idea now seemed obvious to all three of them.
"Okay, here's what's gonna happen. Joanna is going to let you go. You're going to stand up slowly, and you're going to clean this up. That way, we can have a quick Pokémon battle to determine who leaves here, and if you win-"
"Bullshit, you won last night, you'll win again today," Bailey spat. Mitchell had already thought of this, but he was hoping that she wouldn't think of it as well.
"If you win, you can stay here, poison whatever you want, take it all, who cares? But if I win-"
"I just told you I'm not going to fight you," Bailey said, struggling again against Joanna.
"Okay, fine. If Joanna wins-"
"What?" the girl asked at the mention of her name. She had never been in a Pokémon battle before, and now she was being volunteered for one? Mitchell looked up and gave her a look of encouragement, then continued his terms.
"If Joanna wins, you leave. Plain and simple,"
The blonde looked up at the younger girl and smirked.
"Big challenge there," she said. Joanna dug her fingernails into Bailey's wrists for a second, until Mitchell told her to get off of her. The blonde brushed the sticky soil from her shirt and pants and pulled her Poké Balls out of her pack. There were two, both looking as though they had just been bought. One had a sort of misty layer on the surface, like condensation on the outside of a cold water bottle, which told Mitchell that whatever was inside was a Water Pokémon. She hadn't had that one the night before, had she? But where had she gotten it? She wasn't carrying a fishing pole, so unless it was a gift…
Someone broke into Oak's lab last night.
Mitchell stared at the Poké Ball. When he had gotten there, Professor Oak had given him a choice between Charmander and Squirtle. Squirtle was a Water type. The teenager stared at the ball as Bailey put them in an easy order for battle. He would wait, he decided. If she let him out and it was a Squirtle, he would know for sure. After the balls were stuck to her belt in the correct battle order, she reached into her pack for a small vial of greenish liquid. It was about as long as a standard number two pencil, and about as wide as a quarter. She pulled the lid off and dumped the contents on the ground. The smell faded quickly afterward.
"I don't know Spearow's moves, Mitchell, how am I supposed to fight with him?" Joanna whispered to Mitchell, her back to Bailey. The blonde watched like an eagle, as if expecting the boy to hand over his Charmander for her to fight with. She gave the boy a menacing gaze, as if to tell him not to try anything stupid, and stood waiting.
"She has a Pidgey and a Water type," Mitchell said. Joanna nodded.
"Use Spearow on Pidgey and Bulbasaur on her Water type," Joanna said, and Mitchell nodded.
"When you turn around, I'm going to slip my Pokédex into your pocket as quickly as I can without her noticing. Open it up and point at Spearow when he comes out for his moves. You'll be fine, she's nothing. I beat her on my first try with Charmander," he said. Bailey was tapping her foot.
"Turn around on three. One, two, three!"
Joanna turned and Mitchell pulled his Pokédex out, looking down at its width and the width of Joanna's pocket. It wouldn't fit. She was standing there, waiting for him to do it before she would walk forward, and it was starting to feel like it had been too long. Thinking of no other place to put it, Mitchell pulled on the back belt loop of the girl's shorts and slid the Pokédex into them. To eliminate Bailey's suspicion as to what he was doing, he slapped Joanna's ass, much to her shock.
"Get it, girl!" he said, walking off to the side of the clearing that would house the battle. Joanna stepped forward and pulled out Spearow's Poké Ball, pressing the button on the front to make it grow.
"We haven't defined the rules yet," Bailey said, "Two on two. No potions. No advice from the sidelines," she said, glancing at Mitchell, who let out Charmander so that he could watch the ensuing battle. He didn't like it, but it seemed like he was going to need to go to the Pokémon Center again and get Mankey healed. Otherwise, he would let his newest addition to the team watch as well. Charmander sat down on a log, next to Mitchell.
"Fine by me," Joanna said, sounding suddenly confident. Both of the girls tossed their Poké Balls into the air, the Flying types cawing as they examined their surroundings and their enemies. Now it was obvious that the Pidgey was indeed darker than normal, his chocolate feathers flapping to keep it at a consistent distance from the ground. Spearow was flapping much more quickly due to its shorter wings, but it maintained a similar distance from the ground. Joanna pulled out Mitchell's Pokédex and aimed it up high, the image of Spearow appearing on the screen. She pressed a few buttons and arrived at the attack screen.
"Spearow, use Fury Attack!" Joanna shouted.
"Quick Attack, Pidgey!" Bailey yelled, and Pidgey shot forward like a rocket, rolling as it did so. Spearow did a backwards loop in the air and flew in with its beak ready to attack. The chocolate colored bird slammed into Spearow and knocked it to the ground.
"Guess you better pack your bags now, kid," Bailey taunted, but Spearow wasn't done just yet. It kicked off of the ground and flapped its wings, launching up into the air, coming in for the Fury Attack. It hit Pidgey in the stomach first, then did a backflip and rammed the opponent again, and a third time. By then, it was dizzy. It kept afloat, but barely.
"Pidgey, he's dizzy! Gust!" Bailey commanded, and the bird spun around with its wings, creating the vortex that Charmander had fallen victim to the night before. Spearow was sucked in and closed its eyes, knowing that if it could see the swirling outside, the dizziness would increase.
"Sand-Attack, same thing you did last night. We'll sandstorm it to death," Bailey said, now calm. She knew that this battle was hers. Pidgey flew down to the bottom of the tornado and began to flap its wings to kick dirt into the tornado. It looked down at the ground, frustrated when it realized that the attack was not working.
Ground's still wet…Bailey thought irritably. Everyone watched Spearow spinning helplessly in the tornado until it died down and the bird dropped, landing awkwardly on its back. A red light engulfed it as it was sucked back into its Poké Ball, and Joanna looked at Pidgey determinedly. She had to make a choice between her Rattata and Bulbasaur. One had a severe type disadvantage, while the other was new and very likely inexperienced. Rattata also had no attacks that could reach the bird. She reached for Bulbasaur and threw him out into the field, the frog-like creature emerging and looking up at Pidgey.
"Looks like I already won," Bailey said. Joanna clenched her fists.
"Grab him and slam him into some trees, will ya?" Joanna asked the Pokémon. Two vines shot out of his bulb and rushed for the bird, wrapping around its wings. Bailey clenched her teeth and called out to Pidgey.
"Break them off, don't just let it take you like that!"
Pidgey started to peck at the vines holding its wings, but its head could not reach. Bulbasaur wrenched it to the right and slid it against the ground near Mitchell and Charmander, then yanked it back into the air. The vines carried it through trees branches and against the ground several times until it finally scratched itself free with its talons.
"Vine Whip!" Joanna ordered, and the vines retracted from the bird. They cracked against Pidgey's feathers loudly, leaving nearly visible marks on its hidden skin. It fell to the ground and stumbled to its feet, taking a defiant stance before falling forward. It was done.
"This fight is bullshit!" Bailey yelled at Mitchell, who shrugged and reminded her that she had agreed to it, even if the agreement was nonverbal. Bulbasaur awaited its next opponent and Bailey sneered at the Grass type, grabbing the last of her conscious Pokémon and tossing the ball, wiping the condensation off on her shorts. The red light formed exactly what Mitchell suspected, a Squirtle. Charmander stood up and called to the turtle, which was engaged in a staring war with Bulbasaur.
"Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Bulbasaur said to Squirtle, though the noises coming from his mouth were nothing but grunts to the humans present. Squirtle crossed his arms and looked over at Charmander, who was waving.
"Yeah, months since I've seen either of you. Been cooped up in that ball forever, and I've almost forgotten what it's like to be outside. How've things been for you two?" Squirtle asked.
"I've been a house pet for way too long. It's about time my human brought me out here," Bulbasaur responded. Charmander wanted to go shake hands with Squirtle, but he was not allowed to interfere.
"I've been battling like crazy, but mostly for protection. This guy next to me is my new trainer. He's cool, but your trainer is mean. I fought her yesterday. I kinda feel sorry for you," Charmander said, "but only a little bit," Squirtle gritted his teeth. He had never really liked Charmander all that much, but they shared a grudgingly respectful relationship with one another.
"Tackle, Squirtle! Follow up with Tail Whip!" Bailey shouted, and the turtle nodded.
"Sorry to cut short this little meeting," the turtle said.
Squirtle crouched down on all fours and sprang forward, kicking up muddy soil as he made his way toward the waiting Grass type.
"Vine Whip again!" Joanna called out, and the two vines that had disabled Pidgey rose out of the bulb and struck the turtle twice: once on the face, and the second time on its protective shell. It spun out of control and landed on its back, pulling itself inside its shell and popping back up onto its feet.
"I didn't say stop!" Bailey roared, and Squirtle leaned into a run again, Bulbasaur not budging from his spot. His vines were still whipping around in the air at nothing in particular. The turtle's tail slammed across his face like a roundhouse kick, pushing him back slightly. Bulbasaur growled.
"Just keep Vine Whipping, it's the fastest way," Joanna told her Pokémon. Bailey again called for a Tackle. Squirtle came in close, but was pushed away violently by the green tendrils. Bailey wouldn't give in. Large red lacerations started appearing on Squirtle's wet skin as Bulbasaur repeatedly struck the same areas, until the turtle could finally go no more. He took a step forward and fell in the mud, letting out a gasp. Bailey looked down at him.
"Get up, we're not done yet!" Bailey told Squirtle, but he couldn't move. He hurt all over. He shut his eyes and did not open them again.
"Get up, dammit!" the blonde called out. Joanna called Bulbasaur back into his Poké Ball.
"Oh, no, bring him back out, this isn't over!" Bailey screamed furiously, but Joanna would not.
"It's over, Bailey," the auburn-haired girl said, holding in her excitement at having won her first battle. The blonde looked at her viciously, finally recalling the beaten Pokémon.
"Fine," she said after a long bout of silence. Both of the girls relaxed a bit, though it was obvious by the whitening of her knuckles that Bailey wanted nothing more than to pound Joanna into a bloody pulp, to leave her broken and bruised in the middle of these woods, where she would likely not be found for a very long time.
"The only reason I'm letting you live," she said, "is because I am an honorable woman. I will leave here quietly, but these Mankey here are mine. And I will not promise not to do this somewhere else. Next time I'll make sure I'm out of your way. But I'd advise you to get the hell out of this city very very quickly, or you might find that the police force is suddenly aware that the two runaways are in the city,"
"Fine. Let's go," Joanna said, and Mitchell turned to follow her. They walked through the trees and out onto the brick path, where they both picked up the pace to a light jog.
"Congratulations on your first win," Mitchell said, Charmander following closely. Joanna smiled as they neared the town
"It was easy. But I don't feel right about her. She's going to work those Pokémon to death, I can feel it. Especially that poor Squirtle,"
Mitchell slowed down for a split-second, remembering that the Squirtle had been taken. But why, of all the things she could have taken from the lab, had she taken Squirtle? Because she had lost? Because she needed a type advantage over Mitchell, should they ever meet again? He wanted to call and let Oak know, but he didn't have the time for that, not just yet. If Bailey had been serious, then she would be coming up behind them soon, and she would alert the police. Next on their path was Viridian Forest, and then after that, their first Gym Battle in Pewter City.
"We can't afford a night here, so we'll probably be in the forest at dark. We should hurry,"
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Author Notes: So, I totally just got moderated on GameFAQs Super Smash Bros. Brawl forums for disruptive posting. It was quite funny, for some reason everyone was posting "We didn't listen!" in new topics. I was called out for "not being able to do it", so apparently there was a pattern. Then I got notified that I was modded for a couple of them, but no Karma loss. Score. Anyway, you may have noticed that I have a Star Fox fanfic up now. I will be alternating between updates to both stories, though I may have times where Insurrection is updated twice before this one is updated. This will either be due to a large event occurring in Insurrection that I really want to write, or the fact that this story has chapters that are about 2 pages longer than the standard for Insurrection. Read and review, as always.
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