Chapter Three- Dawn of Entomology
Airi and Mailys carefully made their way through the woods that led to Arachnid. The forest was dark and eerie, with giant cobwebs lining the trees. The stares of over a dozen Pokemon pierced through the shadows.
"C-can we walk faster?" Mailys requested, walking a bit faster.
"What's the matter, scared?" Airi sneered, marching ahead. "A few bugs aren't-"
"Spinarak." A Spinarak announced, descending from above, causing Airi to jump.
"Gah!" She screamed, instinctively punching the Spinarak, spinning it around. She regained her composure, dusting off her sleeves. "Ahem... Let's get a move on."
"I think you angered the hive…" Mailys whimpered, jogging behind Airi. The stares multiplied to hundreds, sending shivers down her spine.
"Spiders don't have hives… I think?" Airi guessed, speeding up. "But we should hurry."
The two jogged their way through the dark woods, finally reaching a wooden gate. Mailys let out a sigh of relief, entering the town. There were numerous webs adorning the wooden homes. However, they appeared to be organized, adding to the appeal of the small town. The grass was a vibrant green in stark contrast to the eerie woods they had exited from.
"Welcome to Arachnid, travelers!" A middle aged man with brown hair greeted the duo from behind a fence. He dressed himself in a simple plaid shirt and jeans. "My name is Rudy."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Rudy." Mailys greeted the man. "I don't believe I saw you in my last visit."
"Oh, you were that girl talking with Kiyoko." Rudy nodded, recalling Mailys' last visit. "What brings you back here?"
"Well-"
"I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader!" Airi interrupted, boasting herself.
"That'd be my wife." Rudy informed, walking through a gate in the fence. "Lucky for you, she's currently at the gym. I'll take you to her."
"Perfect!" Airi celebrated, snapping her fingers. She quickly followed Rudy, who led her to the gym. Mailys quietly paced behind her energetic companion. Rudy showed them through the town, passing by a farm of Ariados. A Spinarak sat atop one of the Ariados, glaring at Airi intensely.
"What's this?" Mailys inquired, prompting Rudy to stop. Airi wandered off from them, staring down the Spinarak.
"This is where our Ariados stay." He explained. The farm was completely coated in webbing with a giant web sac in the far back. "We use their web to create fabric."
"Oh." Mailys nodded in understanding, stepping away from the farm. Rudy began to lead her to the gym again. Mailys grabbed Airi by the arm, dragging her away from the Spinarak. They soon arrived at a small gym made from wood.
"Here we are." Rudy informed, gesturing to the building. "I must warn you that my wife isn't-"
"Out of the way!" Airi commanded, pushing passed Rudy and Mailys. She stormed into the gym, pointing at a woman sitting in a chair inside. "I challenge you to a…" She paused, noticing the woman's bulbous stomach. "A…"
"...In the best condition." Rudy finished his sentence. "She's nine months pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Airi gasped, slowly approaching the woman.
"Hello there." The woman greeted, smiling affably. She had warm honey like hair and wore a simple brown dress. "I'm Katherine Sky. Would you like to battle?"
"...Battle?" Airi mumbled to herself, continuing to approach the woman. She hesitantly held out her hand to the woman's stomach. "M-may I?"
"Of course." Mrs. Sky allowed. Airi gently pressed her hand onto the woman's stomach. A small kick caused her to pull her hand away in fear. Mrs. Sky grabbed her hand and pressed it back onto her stomach, calming her down. Airi sat perfectly still for what felt like an eternity, before slowly pulling away her hand.
"Are you sure you're in a state to… battle?" Airi worried, backing away from the woman.
"I'm sitting down." Mrs. Sky answered, tapping a small case on a stool beside her. She opened the case to reveal three Pokeballs. "You're a beginner, right?"
"Yeah." Airi affirmed, reaching for Cottonee's Pokeball. "After you."
"I specialize in Bug Types." Mrs. Sky informed, sending out a Spinarak. "Let us begin."
"Hehehe." An elderly woman dressed in robes with a lime green trim spoke up from behind Mailys. "The newbie is going to lose."
"Ah!" Mailys jumped forward several feet, twisting to glare at Kiyoko. "Don't sneak up on me, Queen!"
"Don't tell royalty what to do, missy." Kiyoko ordered, tapping Mailys on the forehead with a cane.
"You're the ruler of a shack." Mailys argued, before shaking her head. "Hold on. That's not important. Why's the idiot going to lose?"
"You'll see." Kiyoko evaded, gesturing to the battlefield.
"Cottonee!" Airi announced, sending out her newest Pokemon. "Strike it with all you've got!"
"Poison Sting, Spinarak!" Mrs. Sky countered. Cottonee sent out a wave of pollen, paralyzing the Spinarak. It struggled, unable to attack. "Oh dear. Try again."
"Ha!" Airi celebrated, her tone shifting. "Great work, Cottonee! Now take it out!"
"Nee." Cottonee cried, absorbing the opponent of its energy.
"Keep it up!" Airi sneered arrogantly.
"Ariados." Mrs. Sky swapped Pokemon. An Ariados flew out of her Pokeball, biting Cottonee and defeating it instantly.
"What!?" Airi panicked, returning her Cottonee. "That's…" She growled, switching to Ralts. "Confusion!"
"Poison Sting." Mrs. Sky repeated. Ralts fired forward a ball of psychic energy. Ariados shrugged off the hit and belched out a wave of poisonous spikes, hitting Ralts directly. Ralts fell back, struggling to get up.
"Come on! Get up!" Airi snapped. Ariados used the opportunity to pounce on Ralts, defeating her. "No!"
"I apologize for your loss." Mrs. Sky sympathized.
"She'll live." Mailys groaned, walking up to the field. "Let's go, Airi."
"I… I demand a rematch!" Airi wailed, puffing out her cheeks.
"I'm afraid you don't have time now." Kiyoko informed, walking towards Mrs. Sky. "My time to shine in three, two, one."
"What are you-" Mailys gawked, jumping as Mrs. Sky groaned, holding her stomach. "Oh…"
"Wait… I don't…" Airi glanced around in confusion. "Is she?"
"Time to deliver a baby." Kiyoko laughed, as Rudy helped his wife stand up. "To my shack, which doubles as a hospital."
"It's more a clinic really…" Rudy commented, as they left the gym.
"Wait… What!?" Airi cried, holding her head. "B-b-but my… What!?"
"The world doesn't revolve around you, Pinky." Mailys teased, following Kiyoko. "This is a wonderful learning opportunity. Thank you."
"Gah!" Airi stomped her foot on the ground, giving chase.
…...
"It's alive!" The head scientist cried out. Their creation rose up from it's bed, staring at the men and women in white. It's body was weak and withered, with thin, mutilated limbs. It's eyes were dull and lifeless. "I'm a genius!"
"I highly doubt that." Gallant dismissed in a cold tone. He was a tall man with green hair and red eyes. He dressed himself in a white collar shirt with a dark green vest, white pants and dress shoes. Over that, he cloaked himself in a large black and red coat. "It's another failure. Devoid of life, you arrogant fool."
"Well…" The scientist panicked, scratching his head. "It can still learn!"
"I'm afraid you've failed, professor." Gallant bit, causing the scientist to back away. "If this is your idea of a success, I doubt we'd ever see an actual 'failure.'" He insulted. The rest of the scientists stared at the head scientist coldly, singling him out. "The amount of money we wasted on you has exceeded the point of acceptability I'm afraid."
"You can't fire me!" The scientist argued. "I've put blood, sweat, and tears into this project!"
"I know." Gallant recognized, completely deadpan, sending a chill down the scientist's spine. "You simply won't have any more blood to put into this project."
"You can't do this!" The scientist screamed, trying to claw his way out the room's locked door. The rest of the scientists remained silent.
"You are hereby terminated, professor."
…...
"Ew!" Airi complained outside Kiyoko's clinic an hour later. Mailys waltzed out with her head held up high. "Why was that so gross!?"
"What? Can't appreciated the beauty of birth either?" Mailys joked, standing across from Airi. "Weren't you amazed by Mrs. Sky's pregnancy?"
"It's nothing like the movies…" Airi continued. "It was all fuzzy and bloody and gross…"
"You forgot the mucus." Mailys teased. "And the-"
"I get it!" Airi snarled, standing up. "I'm never having a kid. That was traumatizing…"
"What, you don't want your own bundle of joy to raise?" Mailys persisted, following Airi as she left the clinic.
"I'll just adopt a daughter or make someone else give birth to her… I don't know." Airi shivered, making her way out of town.
"You don't want a son?" Mailys inquired, genuinely surprised. "I didn't think you'd like someone taking your place as 'the Cutest Girl in Spes...'"
"Like a son could properly inherit my cuteness! My looks must be passed on!" Airi laughed, brushing her hair. "Anyway! Let's go to the next town. I won't get a rematch for a while…"
"Oh wow!" Mailys clapped sarcastically. "You finally considered someone else's situation! Good for you!"
"Whatever…" Airi groaned, leaving the small rural town. "We're going to Amber next. After that, we'll probably turn around and make our way to Titan." She informed. She would get stronger. Strong enough to defeat anyone. Just her and her Pokemon.
