Chapter 12: The Hunt

Pandabot: So here I am, sitting in McDonalds, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi to upload the latest installment of the fic.

Peppy: You fat f**k.

Pandabot: ...Ouch. Anyway here it is. There's a lot cool stuff in this one; this is a chapter that I've been looking forward to writing for a while. So, as usual, read and then fling a review my way. Love you!

Peppy: I meant it, you know.

Pandabot: ...Man

Silver sat on a stage, floorboards ripped up in places to give the whole building a ruined look, eyes closed in thought. His Sneasel sat by his side as always, alert gaze bouncing around the decrepit room. Silver's eyes opened, instantly locking onto the massive tapestry that still hung from the wall above the door; it was far too torn to be legible.

Grunting, he slipped off the stage, dropping the couple of feet to the dusty ground; Sneasel followed him, keeping a few steps behind him as he strode to the doors and exited the building.

Once outside he paused for a second, glaring at the darkened sky, then set off. With Sneasel trailing behind him, he moved quickly and quietly through the town, heading towards the massive tower to the north. Oddly, there were no other walkers in the town; a condition unheard of, even at night.

A brisk wind suddenly blew through the town, stirring the fallen leaves into a dance. Silver stopped stock still, Sneasel pausing beside him alertly, listening carefully before he moved on again. This time he moved more cautiously, measuring each movement.

The wind died down again and Silver moved faster, slipping from shadow to shadow. He covered the width of the town without any more incidents and stepped into the clear ground before Bell Tower with a modicum of quiet confidence. Sneasel slunk ahead, then stopped, tensing up as though he sensed something. Silver bent his knees in preparation,

"What is it?" he asked sharply, his voice echoing into the darkness. Sneasel looked back at him, shaking its head in confusion; its eyes snapped back to the massive double doors that led into Bell Tower.

Sneasel crouched low, spreading its claws as the night wind picked up again, sending the leaves swirling around Silver and Sneasel and gathering in the entrance to Bell Tower in a swirling column. Silver narrowed his eyes - so the rumours were true.

"Careful, Sneasel" he calmed his pokemon, drawing it's gaze for a split second. The swirling leaves sped up, becoming a maelstrom of colour before bursting apart, momentarily blinding the stoic pair. As the leaves cleared, Silver and his Sneasel were given their first glimpse of the thing that had been terrorizing the Team Rocket members in the town.

It hovered about a foot off the ground, wavering in the night air; a huge lavender mass, swirling and shifting continuously, emitting hostility at the pair. Silver, after a moment of shock, glared at the mass,

"Sneasel, take it" he snapped, sending his loyal pokemon dashing forward. Sneasel dragged one of his claws along the ground as he ran, sharpening it as he moved, before he leapt at the mass; he swung a claw violently, a look of anger on his face.

Silver saw a shiver run through the mass just before impact, a wave of sorts heading towards the centre point. Then, a flash, and Sneasel was hurled past him at blinding speed, slamming into the side of the nearest building.

Silver spun and ran after his pokemon, sliding to a stop before the cloud of dust where Sneasel's impact had almost demolished the wall. He saw the shadow of his pokemon clamber unsteadily to his feet; he whirled and looked around for the mysterious energy mass again. It still hovered there, unmoved by the attack.

Silver narrowed his eyes, he was no fool. It was clear that there was no way of dealing with that thing. Just as clear was the fact that it was guarding Bell Tower. He turned to Sneasel as it stumbled out of the dust, snarling angrily at Bell Tower's guardian. Silver flung a hand out and blocked Sneasel's progress,

"No. We're going" he said commandingly, turning and heading back into the night. With a final snarl and a threatening swipe of his claws at the guardian he turned and ran lightly after Silver's disappearing shape.

Ilex Forest had crept unannounced from the thin grassland they'd spent the day bristling through. The fading track was now caged thick with dry trees sticking out like bones. As the final festering rays of the evening sun died a dusty fog rose, rotting above the damp ground. JT and Lyra shot nervous glances through the distant trees, to blood black, dog-like figures skirting the reaches of the forest. A splitting howl was heard.

"Alex!"

JT grabbed the boy's shoulder and snatched the lead from him. Turning to his two companions, he spoke swiftly.

"I think we'll probably have to find somewhere sheltered to camp out again right? So we should probably get onto that fairly soon!"

Alex waved what he believed to be a reassuring hand.

"No point. Even Team Rocket aren't reckless enough to venture into Ilex Forest."

"Because of the Houndour? See...that's kind of what I was getting at when I said we should look for some shelter."

"Again, no point," cut in Alex professionally. "If the Houndour come after us, they'll find us anyway."

JT looked livid - and looked to Lyra, standing behind the cool-headed Alex, for support. She merely shook her head and shrugged. JT stepped aside glumly.

"As you were." He gestured for Alex to lead on again with his injured hand. Their new companion obliged.

"Thank you. How is your hand JT?"

"Its fine...thank you."

The modest campfire guttered in the dank breeze that had swept through the dark forest, sending flickering light cascading through the clearing. Alex, sitting forward on the log he had claimed as his own, poked a stick into the fire, stirring it up to combat the chilling wind. JT and Lyra, sharing a log on the opposite side of the fire, shifted closer to Blitz as he flared up his back flames.

"We can't go home can we?" JT said, phrasing it more as a statement than a question. Alex looked up sadly at the forlorn pair, sympathy written across his face.

"Not now you've been seen with Blue, no. They might follow you home."

JT's face fell as Lyra looked away sadly. They huddled closer as Blitz rubbed his head gently against JT's leg.

"Is that what happened to you?" Lyra asked, her voice thick. Alex looked at her, taken aback at the idea,

"No. I never knew my parents. Blue raised me," he said with a small smile at their shared incredulous look. "Sure, he may be a bit...rough sometimes, but he's a good guy."

Alex raised his eyes and let them wander around the edges of the clearing. As the wind picked up again his eyes were drawn to a patch of green that remained still, high in the trees at the edge of the clearing. He sat forward, staring at the patch; it was only now that he realised that it was a lighter green than the surrounding leaves.

His eyes finally picked out the gecko shape, a Treecko staring calmly into the campsite. Alex met his gaze. Suddenly the Treecko was gone, jumping from branch to branch fluidly.

A baleful howl echoed throughout the forest; the entire camp froze, Alex's head cocked at the ready. Blitz slipped to his feet, flaring angrily in preparation as Alex leapt up, stamping the fire out. He caught JT's eye,

"The Houndour are hunting. We need to move." He spoke tensely. Lyra and Alex slung their packs over their shoulder as JT knelt next to Blitz, giving a few whispered instructions. The group ran, crashing through the undergrowth, following Blitz as he weaved lithely through the trees and bushes. The howls sounded again, this time a lot closer; Blitz swung his head around, staring to the right as he sped up.

The group broke into a clearing, Blitz barely reacting in time for him to leap out of the way of a Houndour's tackle. The Quilava slid to a stop, glaring angrily at the off-balance Pokemon as JT and the others stopped abruptly. Another Houndour leapt out of the undergrowth, Blitz twisting his body to barely dodge the attack as Alex unclipped a Pokeball, releasing in the same motion.

Quilava and the two Houndour began to circle as Alex's Pokemon, a staunch Vileplume, gave an angry cry. "Hit them with a Stun Spore!" Alex cried, hoping to keep on the move. As the Vileplume released a stream of orange particles, the Houndour split, one heading at Alex's Vileplume, the other leaping at Blitz, fangs open wide.

Blitz and Vileplume leapt to the side, forced on the defensive by the speed of the attacks; a third Houndour leapt out at the unbalanced Blitz. Unable to dodge, he was knocked sideways by the tackle; Lyra threw out a Pokeball of her own, Chikorita leaping from the light.

Blitz rolled to his feet as the two attacking Houndour leapt at him, he fired an Ember at the right-hand one, knocking it off-course with a sharp yelp. Chikorita came from nowhere, tackling the second Houndour off-course with a well-placed Tackle attack. Lyra stepped up next to JT, a satisfied smirk on her face as she witnessed her perfectly timed attack.

The battle seperated into Vileplume battling one of the Houndour on one side of the clearing with Blitz and Chikorita supporting each other against the remaining two Houndour. The Houndour were losing - a fact that was only accentuated when Blitz sent another Ember crashing into the same Houndour. The other Houndour cringed and backed away slowly as Chikorita began to glow white-hot; a sudden burst of light and Chikorita had evolved, growing to twice it's previous size in the process.

A vine whipped from the buds on its neck and slammed into the unaware Houdour fighting Alex's Vileplume. A harsh yelp and the three Houndour retreated into the trees. Lyra bounced happily to her newly evolved Bayleef, throwing her arms around its plump neck. Alex called his Vileplume back to his Pokeball and searched the clearing warily.

"We need to keep moving. They won't give up that easily" he said sharply, catching JT's eye. Lyra pulled away from her Bayleef, suprised, as the group took off again, crashing through the undergrowth after Alex. Lyra and her Bayleef brought up the rear, her newly evolved Pokemon moving easily through the trees.

A resounding howl sounded once again, a furious noise of intent. Alex cursed loudly as he increased his speed, sprinting through the trees. The group broke into another clearing. Alex slid to a stop, motioning for JT and Lyra to do the same. He released his Vileplume again,

"We need to make a stand here. They catch us on the run and it's over". The group backed together, facing outwards, waiting on edge; Lyra's hand found JT's and squeezed softly as the clearing was filled with a chilling breeze. The group waited, breath eerily loud in the dull silence of the forest. A rustle suddenly broke the silence.

Out of the trees stepped four bigger dog shapes, a pair of bony horns curling backwards from their heads; Houndoom, one of the deadliest hunters in the Pokemon world. JT's breath caught sharply as the Houndoom slunk into the clearing with furious grace. He glanced down at Blitz and nodded; Blitz gave him a look of quiet confidence.

JT slipped a cautious hand to his belt, as he watched the Houndoom spread out, expertly encircling the group. A rippling growl was heard from the surrounding Houndoom; a terrible threat that sent chills through the group. Lyra, hoping beyond hope for something to save them, noticed that the Houndour were back, surrounding on all sides.

And then, motion in the ranks of the Houndour as a fifth Houndoom slipped gracefully into the clearing, eyes glowing violently in the gloom. Clearly the alpha of the pack, it strode towards the trapped teens confidently. The surrounding Houndoom made space for it, never allowing their gazes to leave their prey. The alpha male stared directly at JT, giving a passing, dismissive glance to Blitz crouched readily at his feet.

JT grasped Zero's pokeball discreetly, pushing the button that would catalyse it's growth to full size; the alpha Houndoom snarled furiously at the movement. The whole tableau teetered on a knife's edge for a second.

A breeze blew through the clearing again, rustling the trees; a few leaves dislodged and swept through the air. They drifted down, swaying side-to-side as they moved, almost dancing through the tension. They touched the alpha Houndoom.

Suddenly the clearing exploded into action, the Houndoom leaping simultaneously at the group as JT threw his pokeball. The alpha male held its ground, watching carefully.

"ZERO!". The shout seemed to steel the group, the ball flying seemingly in slow-motion; Blitz leapt forward shooting a fiery hot Ember at one Houndoom, aiming to intercept another with a violent Tackle.

Bayleef threw her vines forward with a violent scream of anger and fear. Vileplume released a stream of particles calmly from his head at Alex's order; there was no way for the leaping Houndoom to evade that.

Time seemed to stop for JT as Zero's pokeball fell to the ground, opening in a burst of white light, as he erupted from the ball in a storm of red. He felt his heart beat strong in his chest. He felt Lyra's fearful determination as their hands separated into their individual battles; it was time for him to trust her. There was no other choice.

The Treecko leapt down from the last tree into a large clearing, landing lightly and looking around frantically.

What is it, child?

The Treecko quickly motioned in the direction he had appeared, gasping out an explanation.

Hmm...Perhaps I should go and see.

Zero slammed into an attacking Houndoom at high speed, impacting just after Blitz's Ember attack hit, drawing a yelp from the dark pokemon. Blitz made contact heavily with the other Houndoom, sending both pokemon off-balance; they landed awkwardly.

Zero pressed the attack, closing the distance as a Houndoom was hurled past him by Lyra's Bayleef. Blitz leapt away, closing the gap on the thrown Houndoom as Bayleef charged in and Tackled the off-balance Houndoom; she was proving herself to be a suprisingly capable battler.

The thrown Houndoom slid to the edge of the clearing, regaining it's footing impressively; it spat a short burst of fire at Blitz as it stopped. He put his head down and charged through the flames, his fire-proof hide protecting him from the attack. Bursting out the other side, he slammed into the Houndoom with a ruthless Headbutt, sending it soaring back into the trees.

Bayleef, utilizing her strong vines again, picked up the Houndoom she was fighting and hurled it at the alpha Houndoom; it stepped lightly to the side, dodging gracefully. At that moment Zero hammered a closed claw into the head of his Houndoom, knocking it sideways in a daze.

The alpha male, shifted imperceptably and then attacked, moving almost as fast as Zero did. It slammed into Bayleef with shattering force, she cried out as she flew backwards, missing JT by inches as he dropped to the ground. Zero, seeing the attack in his peripheral vision, flung himself angrily at the Houdoom, a claw raised in violence.

JT raised his head just in time to see the Houndoom send a massive Flamethrower into Zero, the attack washing over him. Lyra was running over to where Bayleef had landed, hoping to get her back up. The Flamethrower ended and Zero fell to the ground, badly burned and clearly unconcious. Alex's Vileplume was still up and fighting but it looked bad. The leader stalked over to where JT was sprawled on the ground, glaring angrily.

The alpha male howled viciously, drawing more howls from the pack; the howl was cut abruptly short as Blitz came tearing in from nowhere, smashing into it's side violently with a furious scream. The Houndoom was thrown to the side, managing to regain it's feet quickly; it glared coldly at the staunch Quilava crouching protectively in front of his master.

JT, fumbling slightly with his pokeball, recalled Zero as he dragged himself to his feet shakily; it was shocking how quickly it had all turned around. Lyra laid her hand gently on Bayleef as Alex's Vileplume sent another Houndoom into the surrounding trees. The Houndour began to step out of the trees, ready to finish the job; a sharp bark halted their movement.

The alpha male, standing tall, snarled aggressively at Blitz; it was clearly a direct challenge to the smaller pokemon as the surrounding pack backed away, lining the trees as before. The Houndoom growled at Blitz, glaring furiously at him; Blitz glanced back at JT with clear confidence, a mirror of his expression at the beginning of the attack. JT nodded at him, lifting his eyes to study the waiting Houndoom.

Blitz slunk forward as Lyra and Alex joined JT, standing just behind him; Alex watched intently, studying the Houndoom's movements carefully. There was another stand-off, this time broken very quickly by Blitz charging forward bravely.

"Blitz, Ember!" JT called out, watching with pride as Blitz fired off a short burst of fire bullets without breaking stride. The Houdoom flinched, leaping away, as Blitz leapt with a Headbutt at the space it used to inhabit. It shot a quick burst of flame, barely missing as Blitz accelerated, splashing just behind the Quilava. Blitz turned, sliding a little on the loose leaves as the Houndoom leapt at him, knocking him sideways away from JT.

"Smokescreen!" JT cried instinctively; Blitz followed with no hesitation, pouring jet-black smoke out of his mouth to hide his postion from the following Houndoom. The pair were lost in the lingering smoke for a few seconds before a gruff yelp was heard; the Houndoom flew backwards out of the smoke, Blitz following closely behind.

He let loose another quick burst of Ember as the Houndoom regained it's feet, keeping it off balance for a second as he closed the gap with a powerful Tackle. Blitz fell back and watched cautiously as the Houndoom growled angrily, leaping to it's feet; the pair glared angrily at each other again.

JT fidgeted nervously as he watched the pair watch each other. He noted Blitz panting tiredly and decided to take the initiative, ordering Blitz to use Smokecreen again. We have to end this soon, he thought, Blitz is too tired for much more of this.

As the thick smoke obscured Blitz from view, the Houndoom cocked it's head thoughtfully. It took a deep breath then exhaled violently, unleashing a massive Flamethrower that crashed into the smoke, setting it alight.

Panic blossomed in JT; "Blitz, get out of there now!" he cried desperately, covering his face from the heat. There was a pause as the Smokescreen burnt violently before a fiery shape burst out of the inferno, trailing hot embers as it leapt purposefully. Blitz charged directly at the Houndoom with an angry cry.

Halfway there, Blitz's back flames flared up, roaring into a firestorm that trailed his charge; half a second later his entire form was shrouded by flames, giving him the appearance of a burning comet.

Alex watched in admiration at the manouvre, Flame Wheel, he thought to himself, eyes shining. JT merely watched on in admiration and a swelling pride as Blitz gave a cry of exertion, slamming into the suprised Houndoom with a vicious fury.

The Houndoom bounced on impact with the ground, settling awkwardly on its side as Blitz's flames died down to a flicker on his back; he panted heavily, eyes burning into the injured Houndoom.

There was a moment of deafening silence as Blitz panted and the Houndoom watched him from it's position on the ground. Finally, the Houndoom growled softly, the sound rippling out over the scene; a clear message of respect to the plucky battler. It was then that the four Houndoom returned from the trees, snarling angrily at the group. The fallen Houndoom stood shakily, growling warningly at one of the smaller Houndoom, eyes fixed on it.

The group looked at each other in confusion as the two Houndoom stared each other down, each growling angrily; as shaky as the alpha male was, it still stood strong, placing itself deliberately in between the Houndoom and the group.

As the Houndoom readied themselves to pounce, a high-pitched, keening sound echoed throughout the clearing; the whole scene paused again, the pack staring around warily. As the sound grew louder and more piercing, the pack suddenly turned and fled; the pack leader stayed behind.

The Houndoom merely looked calmly at the confused group as the keening sound grew louder and louder, seeming almost resigned. The Houndoom looked past them and began to walk painfully; behind them Alex gasped audibly,

"The hell?"

Whirling around, JT and Lyra were met with the sight of a small, green ball of light floating calmly on the other side of the clearing; it seemed to be emitting the keening sound that chased off the Houndoom pack. The Houndoom placed itself tiredly between the group and the light; it nodded as though the light had spoken. There was a pause as the sound stopped abruptly.

The light floated forward thoughtfully as Blitz stumbled to the Houndoom's side, seeming to ask what was going on; the Houndoom merely shook its head, motioning back to the group. With a sudden green flash, the light shot forward and impacted with the pack leader, surrounding it with a green aura temporarily.

Blitz growled gently as the Houndoom stiffly turned around, eyes glowing green; it was an eerie sight. A brisk wind suddenly swept through the clearing, leaving impressions in the minds of the group; Alex frowned,

"You want us to follow you?" he asked cautiously. The Houndoom nodded stiffly as it turned away. JT stepped forward sharply,

"Wait, who are you?" he asked. Alex touched his arm, quieting him for the moment, "You're Celebi, aren't you?" he inquired, eyes fixed on the retreating back of the Houndoom. It paused and looked back. A nod.

Alex turned and gave JT and Lyra reassuring looks as he returned his Vileplume. He set off after the Houndoom, motioning for JT and Lyra to do the same. The pair merely shrugged at each other, JT returning Blitz after a brief pat, before heading after Alex.

Pandabot: Alright readers! For anybody that's interested, I need a few OC's for a future chapter. So, if you want to be in the fic, leave a review (or send a PM to me) with a name, brief description, and a Pokemon for the character to use (optional).