I just realized that I wrote in third-person instead of first-person for Dante last chapter. I was wondering if anyone like that for these side-stories. Or do you want them all to stay in first-person from Dante's POV? If you all like the latter, I'll go back and change last chapter to first-person. Not much will change, just a few small things.
Going back to first-person this time. Part one of Zapper's vengeance begins!
Prank 3: Holey Water
I should've known right away that something was wrong when I couldn't find IT. Zapper had said he would get us back for the cracker thing, even though it was Talon who performed the prank. We just witnessed it and laughed.
Wildfire and Gale were off the chopping block for…obvious reasons. That left me, Talon, Rocket, and Dune to suffer. I hadn't thought Zapper would really go through with his threat.
Guess I was wrong…
.o.o.o.o.
"This'll teach you to mess with my crackers and laugh!" Zapper hissed, a sharp pin glittering in his paws.
He jumped atop the desk, setting down his target. Raising the needle above his head, he glared at the target of his anger. The full moon light up the scene, the pin shining brightly and Zapper's eyes seeming to hold a crazed look to them.
"Payback time, Dante," the Pikachu purred with a twisted smile.
The pin was brought down suddenly and without warning. A spray of liquid spattered across the desk's surface, glittering in the moonlight. The pin was brought down again and again…
.o.o.o.o.
It had been a long, hard day of training. Wildfire seemed intent on killing us through overexertion than anything. If I wasn't so scared for my life, I might've wondered aloud if the Charmeleon was scared of facing Misty's Gym.
As it was, though, I dared not even think of doing such a thing.
We trudged back to the Cerulean City Pokemon Center, aching and exhausted and sweaty from the heat. There had to be a heat wave going on or something. That or Wildfire was trying to cook us alive without us noticing. I wouldn't put it past him to do that to us.
Arriving in the room I had rented, my team collapsed in various places around the room. Talon rested on the bed, forming a nest out of the blankets tossed haphazardly on it. Wildfire curled up in a corner. Gale perched on a bed post, keeping close to Wildfire while also keeping away from Talon. Dune and Rocket crawled under the bed to escape the heat.
Zapper, meanwhile, disappeared under the desk. The desk I was approaching. The desk I had pulled the chair away from and plopped into. The desk that, upon closer inspection, happened to have IT on it.
IT being…my missing water bottle.
Perfect timing, I thought, picking it up without hesitation.
My throat was parched from the heat. I needed a drink. The water bottle felt cool in my hand as I picked it up. Liquid relief at long last…
Sadly, it didn't go down my throat.
It went on my pants.
All…of…it…
I didn't initially realize what had happened. Then I tilted the bottle to the side. There were holes stabbed into the bottom of the bottle, probably made by a pin. The water pressure had kept the water in the bottle…until I pulled off the cap, releasing the pressure and sending the water splashing down onto my pants.
Zapper was roaring with laughter beneath the desk. I could hear stifled giggles and snorts from the rest of my team. Wildfire was outright laughing, not bothering to hide his amusement.
Note to self—check water bottle before opening it, I thought, tossing the empty plastic bottle into the trash bin.
I got up and headed to the bathroom to change my pants. I had no idea that I was simply the first victim. Zapper wasn't done with us yet.
Not by a long shot…