Yay! Thank you Sakura999, OMFG-Roach(haha, no ninjas I'm afraid ; D), KMaDdNeSs64, Dragonite123 and FoxyJosh! FIVE reviews! Thank you all SO much! : )
Without further ado then…Anchors aweigh!
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The sound of footsteps fast approaching caused Skipper and his crew to stand on guard.
"Halt! Who goes there?" the Buizel demanded.
"Skipper!" Kito ran up to them, relieved. "I did my best to throw them off, but they've got a Donphan with them. That beast can smell us a mile away… where's Torq?"
"Back at the village, I reckon," Skip replied. "Don't you worry, we've taken down trackers before… Buso, Gully, this be your jobs. Stay out of sight and stay quiet!" He gave the Chatot a meaningful glare. "Gull, you spot'em out and lead Buso to'em; he'll know what to do. If anything goes wrong, you report to me, understood?"
The two saluted and went to their tasks. The parrot took to the skies with a small squawk! while the cook lumbered off in the same direction.
The sea weasel turned back to the thunder dog, "Where are the lot of them?"
"There are scattered groups throughout the forest. I ran into Father's guards just before and they're doing their best to extinguish all of them. I think a few are still at the shore though…"
"Kreee!"
"Duck!" Dorian motioned for them to take cover, and not a moment too soon. Just as they hid in the undergrowth, a rugged looking Fearow soared overhead.
"Take it down!" Skipper hissed to Flint. But before the gator could take aim, the large bird was gone. "No! That'll be their lookout. It'll spot Ayon easily then signal the rest of them…"
"I'll take care of it!" Without a backward glance, Kito sped off toward his village.
The sea Captain faced the remaining three of his crew. "Alright me hearties! Weapons out and at the ready… into the night then, me buckoes!"
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Back in Ayon, turmoil had full reign over the once peaceful village.
"Kito!"
The Jolteon saw the fire lord limping towards him.
"Father, what happened to your leg?"
Lord Ignaceous growled, "The blasted bird took me by surprise…"
"Kreeeee!"
"That siren will draw the pirates here in no time! And it's too fast for me to hit with my fire… ngh!" The Flareon flinched as he put weight on his injured footpaw. "I've grown old…"
Just then, a piercing shriek sounded across the village. "Eeek! My son! It's taken my son!" a Mightyena mother howled.
The fire dog bolted up immediately. "WHAT?!" Furious jets of fire poured from his mouth. "Arg!" He fell forward onto his knees.
Kito's ears quivered with rage. "Dad, take Mom and Bell and head for cover."
He made his way to the large hut as fast as he could, nearly bumping into…
"Torq!"
"Kito!" The Vaporeon was back in her usual attire, rapier in paw and a strange glint in her eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, but that Fearow's got a pup in its claws…"
Torq nodded, "And I'm needed with my crew."
"Good luck," they said to each other at the same time, and headed separate ways.
The thunder dog strapped on his quiver and shouldered his bow. He was about to leave when something caught his eye, a flutter of red. He picked it up, Torq's bandana! "For good luck," he thought, tucking it into his quiver.
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"Rarrgh!" Ignaceous smirked as the advancing pirate was burned to a crisp. Ayon had been breached, but he was not about to sit idly by while his village was under attack.
"Father, look out!"
A creature screeched behind him. The fire lord turned to see a Zangoose, claws fully extended, a blade running through his chest. Before the Flareon could say anything, Torq had already withdrawn her rapier and was rushing into the woods.
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"Buso, Buso!" Gully signaled urgently to the cook. The enemy was straight ahead.
The Slowpoke hastily dug a small bag out of his chef's hat and undid the drawstring.
"Bah! Can't that overstretched snout of yours work any faster?!" a Wartortle snapped.
"We're close now… Mmm, a feast," grumbled the large Donphan beside him.
The rest of the pirates trembled with delight, "A feast, ye say? Hehe, there'll be fun for us tonight!" They licked their cutlasses menacingly.
Suddenly, the Wartortle stopped and pointed before him. "Arr! What beast be bold enough to block our path?"
The group surrounded the ship's cook, who had his bandana over his snout. They pointed their blades at him and snickered at their seemingly helpless prey.
In a flash, Buso scattered the contents of his small pouch, creating a cloud of red.
"Arg! Me eyes!"
"Ah… Ah… ACHOO!!" The trees around them shook as the Donphan sneezed.
Coughing and sneezing pervaded the night. The cook's secret chili powder was a force to be reckoned with. The Slowpoke mowed through the crowd, swinging his frying pan like a windmill.
"Arckk!" Gully swooped down just close enough to daze them with his Chatter.
Then, the two were gone, leaving a confused, blinded mess behind them.
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The leaves on a distant village tree rustled as the last bits of grey black fur disappeared down the Fearow's throat. It contently clattered its beak, which was red with young blood. Prey was plentiful here.
"MONSTER!"
"Kreeee!!" The raptor screeched in pain as bolts of lightning hit it.
Kito pressed on relentlessly, eyes blazing with fury. I was too late, I couldn't save the pup, someone's son… "Rargh!" The thunder dog had never felt such rage, as the electricity that surged from his body turned a wire-hot blue.
But the Fearow was a fierce fighter. With a sweep of its wings it disrupted the current and swooped down upon the Jolteon. Kito struggled to ready an arrow, but the bird was too quick.
"Ahh!" he gasped as he jumped out of the way, a second too late. His paw clenched his side. A sticky wetness told him that the foe's sharp beak had made its mark. He had no time to think about that, however, for a large shadow indicated the Fearow was coming back. The Jolteon let loose a pulse of electricity, successfully deterring the predator and causing it to climb higher into the air. Seeing his chance, Kito picked up his fallen arrow and notched it onto his bow. He took aim, picturing an imaginary dartboard on the vicious bird.
The Fearow dived, its eyes as sharp as steel. No thunder could stop it this time…
"Kreeee!!"
"Die," the Jolteon whispered, releasing the string.
Shnk! "Kra-arr!"
Kito took a step back as the foebeast crashed before his footpaws, an arrow protruding from its open beak, eyes glazed over with death.
The thunder dog didn't even feel the sting of the wound on his side. This wasn't over yet. Choosing another arrow, he raced back toward the village. A tinge of yellow through the trees told him Day was already breaking.
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Yeah, a bit dark, eh? Well, in any pirate invasion, expect some lives to be lost, hehe… Foxyjosh, hmm… there is no big battle, persay. Or, I don't describe it much (at all) even though it is expected that Ignaceous' forces will fight back against the baddies. Instead, I focus on something else. There is a reason why I brought our crew to Ayon (besides revisiting Torq's past) and there is a reason why they're here (not to bury treasure, I'm afraid ; D).
A hint for you guys: This little 'sidequest' in Ayon isn't even the climax yet. Like… there are MUCH bigger things at work here ; D
See you all next chapter then!
-Canyx