The Grimdark World of Pokemon
Chapter 3: Jailbreak and Hiding
Officer Jenny wandered around, searching for her Buneary, which she had somehow lost.
"Milicent!" She called out concernedly. "Where'd you go? Come back to mommy!"
Suddenly, she froze, and looked down at her chest, and saw a blade sticking into her chest, blood pouring from her wound. She grew pale and her eyelids grew heavy. Before she could fall unconscious, her assailant sliced her head in half.
Belba awoke to screams of alarm, having fallen asleep after a while, and gasped when she opened her eyes. The walls were smeared with blood and there appeared to be a fire raging in the room next door. She looked around herself, but saw the other the occupants in the other cages surrounding her own were unharmed, and frowned upon seeing the bodies of humans lying dead on the floor. She felt nothing for them.
She turned to Wakaku. "What happened here?"
"I am not sure." The elderly pokemon replied, shaking his head. "It was like this when I woke up too. I asked our neighbours, but they weren't able to see the one responsible for this carnage." He sighed. "Truly, something evil was here."
Belba growled. "The humans are the ones who are evil. They got what they deserved. Every last one of them should burn for what they have done to us and our kind!"
"Do not be blinded by prejudice." Wakaku said sagely. "Not all humans are as bad as they seem, and most are largely ignorant of what exactly they have done to us. Besides, even if that weren't so, this is simply barbaric, whether the victims are human or pokemon."
Belba growled. "Don't care what you think. Besides, I think this might be a good chance to escape, since they're probably too busy focusing on whatever caused this."
Wakaku nodded. "Indeed. However...I see no way of breaking the bars or the locks. They were made to hold us prisoner, so they would've been made with that in mind."
"There has to be a way..." Belba muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, all the cage doors flung open, causing Belba to gasp and jump back slightly in surprise and Wakaku scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmm..." The elderly pokemon remarked. "it would appear that these cages use an automated system. I supposed something or someone overrode the system..."
"I don't care what caused it." Belba snorted testily. "We can escape and leave this humans to their fate." She leapt down from the cage and proceeded to leave, with Wakaku following hurriedly behind.
They ran through the complex, trying to be as stealthy as they could to avoid any further danger.
Belba stopped and growled as something approached. Wakaku stood behind her, gazing intently at a growing shadow moving across the floor, the only thing they have to identify their potential assailant.
Was it one of the humans?
Belba gritted her teeth, partially in fear, partially to steel herself for a potential fight.
And suddenly, the shadow lengthened across the floor and...a buneary walked past, and turned to them.
"Hello." The buneary greeted nervously. "a-are you...?"
Belba sighed. "Friends. We're trying to escape here."
"So am I." The buneary was shaking slightly, it looked far too young. "Can...can I...come with you?"
Belba smiled reassuringly. "Of course. We're pokemon after all, we need to stick together. Better that than alone against the humans."
The buneary smiled and ran across the floor. "Follow me then! I know the way out!"
Belba shrugged and followed, with Wakaku walking after her sedately, gazing intently after the Buneary.
Detective Jenny Tried to hold back her tears. She was a police officer, she had an image to maintain.
It was hard though, seeing the state her cousin's remains were in. There was blood covering the floor upon which she had once stood.
God, she felt like vomiting.
She gritted her teeth. She had to find her cousin's killer, the Lopper, and bring the sick fuck to justice.
It was the only way to make things right.
The three of them, Belba, Wakaku and the buneary, Lala, had found an abandoned old house to hide in. It was falling apart and very much condemned, but it didn't matter to them. It would do as a safe haven for the day, and then they would sneak out during the night while all the humans were asleep.
The other pokemon who had escaped were also staying with them, and many shivered from a mixture of cold and fear.
Detective jenny stood behind her relative, Forensic Investigator Lauren Jenny, frowning.
"So? What have you got for me?"
Lauren Jenny sighed out a long stream of smoke from her cigarette. "Nothing much. We matched the weapon to that of the Lopper's, and she was definantly attacked from behind..."
"But there's something else." The Detective stated. "You found something new, and you wanted to show me."
The Forensic Investigator nodded. "Yes. You see, we managed to find some DNA evidence that doesn't belong to Katherine. In fact, we have reason to believe it belongs to her killer."
Evelyn's eyes widened, her face slightly pale. "Y-you mean we know the Lopper's identity at last?"
"Yes, we do." She replied with a nod. "However...it's hard to believe..."
"What? Just tell me. I need to know."
Lauren sighed and turned to the detective, her face grim and serious.
"Katherine Jenny's murderer, the serial killer known as the Lopper is a pokemon...but...not just any pokemon...Evelyn, it's a buneary."
"I don't trust her."
Belba snorted. "Why not?"
"It's her smell." Wakaku answered easily.
"I don't smell anything."
"That's because you aren't trying...it's very faint, you need to really concentrate."
The two of them were standing near the doorway of the house, keeping an eye out for any approaching humans. Wakaku had decided it was a good time to voice his...concerns.
"And I am supposed to take your word for it? Besides, what smell?"
"It's...hard to describe..." The elder mudkip scrunched up his eyes, trying to think. "like...like it has a kinda...a tang..."
"A tang." Belba glared at the old pokemon contemptuously. "You are telling to dump a little, defenceless pokemon because you smell...a tang. A faint tang that only you can smell."
"You would smell it too if you tried."
"I am not listening to you. I have seen too many pokemon fall to the clutches of those...humans. I am NOT going to lose anymore."
"Just be careful is all I'm saying."
"And I am saying that you.." she stopped, her ears pricking up at a sound.
Screams.
"oh no." The both of them said at once and they quickly ran back inside.
They stared in horror at what awaited them.
So many. Dead and injured. The lucky ones were simply frozen in terror.
"Wh-what could have done this...?" Belba wondered aloud with a shaky voice.
"You mean who." Wakaku replied, his outrage was evident in his eyes and tone.
"BELBA!"
Belba turned as Lala ran up to her, cuddling her tightly.
"I was so scared...a human came and he...and he..."
Belba smiled reassuringly, though she didn't really feel like smiling. "it's alright, Lala, I'll...I'll protect you..." she leaned in to cuddle the buneary back and nuzzled her nout against the younger pokemon's neck.
And that's when she smelled it.
Of course Wakaku didn't know what it was. He probably never smelled it before. But 'tang' was probably a good description, especially for him.
But Belba recongised it. She had smelt this cent before. Years ago.
And no wonder it was so faint. It had been washed out so many times, most probably.
Belba pushed Lala away, glaring at her angrily. The buneary was shivering, tears forming from fear.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Belba roared, her vines coming out, ready to strangle the little pokemon before her.
The smell must've been strengthened. After coming into close contact with it, it would take a day or two for it to dissipate, at least.
"W-what are you talking about?" Lala whimpered, terrified. "I..I don't know what's...what about everyone..?"
"That's why I'm asking you!" Belba bit her lip. "I can't believe I tried to defend you when you would...WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS! T YOUR OWN KIND!"
Blood.
It was blood Wakaku had smelled.
It was the scent of that blood that greeted them when they came to check up on everyone. The blood of the dead, the dying and the terrified.
It was that same smell that had entered Belba's nostrils as she nuzzled up to Lala. But Lala had not blood on her.
And there was also the fact that she lacked another scent that was so evident on even the uninjured.
"WHY AREN'T YOU SCARED!" Belba demanded. "I can smell it everywhere...except you. Why do you have the scent of blood but not of fear!"
Lala gasped, ehr eyes widening. She whimpered, shivering.
And then the sound changed.
The whimpering changed into a foreign sound, especially in such a situation.
Lala rolled her head behind her, laughing loudly, shaking with humour.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!" Belba bellowed.
Lala smirked, an evil, monstrous appearance on her face. "You are. You took me in without even a question. Why wasn't I in the cages? How did I know to escape so easily and so quickly? You just took me on, conviced by my appearance. Just like the idiot humans. It really is too funny."
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS!" Belba demanded once more, disbelief evident across her features.
The buneary shrugged. "Bored. Annoyed at everyone acting all scared and fragile. But most of all, I just wanted to see if I could get away with it. Just like with the humans." Lala grinned madly. "But I'm wondering something, it's been bugging me for a while now...Why do you smell so much like a human to me!"
Belba roared, charging at Lala with a headbutt, but the buneary simply dodged and reached into the floorboards, ripping them off and pulling something out. Two somethings.
Lala grinned as she licked the edge of one of her cleaver knives. "Mmm so nice and sharp...I wonder how fun it will be to cut you up!"
She charged at the two pokemon before her, laughing wildly.
Belba dodged as the buneary slashed at her with her cleavers, and then drew out her pokeballs and threw them into the buneary's face.
"Kino! Narris! Take her down!"
The rattata and the Scyther charged forward, Kino leaping back and forth, biting Lala repaeatdly as he did so, and Narris, the Scyther, slashing nonstop with his blades. Lala parried each blade and kicked Kino away, grinning.
"Oh, you are like a human! Very much so! I wonder, how could someone like YOU end as a trainer?"
Belba growled, and the surviving pokemon whispered behind her. "I DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOU! I DO WHAT I MUST TO PROTECT THOSE I CARE ABOUT!"
"LIAR!" The buneary returned, with a sneer. "You're just like me! You want power, the feeling of dominance over others! You're doing it for yourself, and not for anyone else!"
"Enough!" Wakaku ordered, shooting a stream of water at Lala and sending her flying towards belba who headbutted her into a wall. Lala fell to the ground with a thud, getting using the blades to steady herself.
"You guys are fun! It'll be sad once I kill you, but hey, the best things in life don't last long anyways!" She cackled as she skipped around them and swung her blade as she skipped behind Belba, slicing half of her ear off.
Belba screamed in pain but gritted her teeth and slammed her side against Lala and knocked her down.
"Narris! Finish her!"
Narris leapt up andswung his arm down towards Lala, but Lala blocked with her blades and kicked him away. And then a little Pichu leapt on the buneary's head and sent electricity right into her eyes.
"YOU TOOK MAMA AWAY FROM ME!" The Pichu cried out, tears in its eyes.
Lala screamed in pain and pushed the Pichu away, and grinned upong laying eyes on belba. "I have never had such excitement before! All my past victims died so easy! I must say, it is an unexpected pleasure to have someone actually fight me off for so long!"
"SHUT UP, YOU SICK MONSTER!" Belba charged and pushed Lala threw a wall and into the next room, slamming her against the wall and causing a bottle of gasoline to pour all over the lucky rabbit pokemon.
Lala laughed madly as she repeatedly stabbed her blades into Belba's body. They weren't deep, but they were numerous and they still hurt a lot.
"SCREAM FOR ME! BEG FOR MERCY, LIKE ALL THE REST!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Belba raised her head and bit down hard on Lala's face, her tooth sinking into the serial killer's eye, causing Lala to push her away and cry out in agony.
"Kino! Narris! Now's your chance!"
The rattata and the Scyther leapt in and attacked, Narris stabbing Lala in the side and Kino biting down as hard as he could on lala's shoulder. The buneary cried out and stabbed them in their sides and pushed them away.
"NO!" Belba cried out in concern and fear.
Lala grinned wide. "Oh yes, that's the look I wanted to see on your face. The look of someone just as they're about to die! It's so beautiful, better than the finest human art!"
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE ANOTHER LIFE!" Suddenly, a Charmeleon appeared before them and shot a ball of flame directly into Lala's face, setting her alight, the gasoline on her body making it ignite even further. She screamed loudly, running around wildly, setting the whole building alight.
"Everyone! Out!" belba ordered, and of course everyone complied.
As they ran out and into the neighbouring forest, the building collapsed; the flames and Lala's screams of anguish punctuating the turbulent night.
What a twist, eh? Bet you weren't expecting that.
I was gonna wait a while before the reveal of the Lopper's identity, but I got impatient. Plus, I couldn't think of anything to act as filler between the introduction of Lala and the reveal.
I would love to hear your ideas on this and what you have to say about this turn of events.
Hope you enjoyed it and please comment!