Chapter Twenty-Three
"WAHHHHH, Twix! Stop! Stop! You're going to make me go into labor back here!" Riley screamed as Amanda brought the Skarmory back level in the air.
She had just executed a killer nosedive, which scared the stuffing out of Riley. He wasn't the fondest of flying…being deathly afraid of heights. This whole time he was furiously clinging to Amanda for dear life, almost not allowing her to breathe with the tightness that his arms had on her abdomen. Though the one thing that he never ceased to stop doing was flirting. Well, since Amanda was in command of this lovely ride, she could control some of that. Boy was she evil. Amanda then just registered what he had said…going into what?
"So you are a girl," she yelled over the wind.
Her goggle straps flapped in the wind, as well as her long brown hair that seemed to be always slapping Riley in the face….not that he minded of course.
"No! I am not a girl. I was hoping you'd be the one to conceive our children-"
He was cut off by his own girly scream as Amanda dug her heels into the Skarmory and slipped into another sudden nosedive. Riley scream was on pitch with the wind as they went down through the clouds, doing spirals as well.
The wind blew in Amanda's face as that feeling of pure exhilaration coursed through her veins. She loved the feeling of the air and the openness of the sky even though this was her first time flying. It was going to sure be a memorable one. Just as they could see the dots of houses, trees, and open land getting larger, Amanda pulled up on the Skarmorys reins, going back up into a sharp ascent and making Riley scream even louder (and ever so girly). She didn't even know a guy could get to that pitch.
He had a death grip around her stomach and had his face shoved into her back, screaming like a banshee. Amanda looked over the feathers of the Skarmory and spotted the group again, coming to a normal glide a few yards behind them as usual.
Colby looked over at Amanda, grinning and holding back laughter as she had just watched this whole scene. Riley was never going to live this one down. Amanda grinned to herself as she felt Riley's shaking grip not loosen in the slightest.
"T-Twix…please…" Riley stuttered, shaking like mad.
Amanda smiled to herself and kept them going at a steady pace just to the left of Colby and Ellis.
"He's getting what he deserves, big time," Ellis laughed, holding onto the reins of their Skarmory.
Colby grinned, "Yes, yes he is. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ride with Amanda. Hopefully lesson learned on Riley's part."
Smithers was cruising to their left of course a bit ahead of the others and eyes peeled for their landing spot that was inevitably close. It really wasn't that far of a flight to the bridge, walking yes, but a fairly short flight at a gentle cruising speed like they were doing.
"Let's make a slow descent. We should be fairly close," Smithers yelled to Colby and Ellis. Ellis gave him a grin and a salute.
"Amanda! Slow descent, we're close," Colby yelled back to the other two.
Amanda gave her a nod, gripping the sides of the bird Pokémon and pulling it down into a less…violent descent.
"Oh no! Please! Please!" Riley howled in her ear.
Amanda paid him no attention and kept a firm hold on the reins to keep even with her friends who were also descending through the clouds. It was certainly a strange experience going through clouds, better yet being above them. In a way it gave you a feeling that made you feel out of this world, being above something that seemed impossible to reach while on the ground. "God no! I want to get out of here! No! I want to land!"
Amanda pursed her lips and tried to ignore him, concentrating on keeping the Skarmory steady who seemed to want to go into another nose dive…maybe she had abused that privilege. Colby and Ellis were doing fine as their bird descended in time with Smithers's bird. They had passed through the rest of the clouds and were still quite a bit above the land, though things were coming into clearer view now.
Colby could see the green rolling plains of the land dominating and giving the Oreland Savanna it's signature attraction you could say, though this wasn't the actual Savanna since it began once the bridge was crossed. The land was fairly flat and a light brown, weaving path could be seen from the air. That had to be the road that they were traveling on. Evidently the desert had thinned out after Sanville, slowly getting greener and greener until it was almost as green as the Savanna on the other side of the bridge which lead out to the claw, and beyond to Mayberry.
Colby smiled to herself as she saw the gleaming metal of the bridge as they continued to descend toward land again.
"It's right up there!" Amanda yelled over to Colby, pointing in the general direction.
"I know! Nothing looks suspicious from this height," Colby yelled back.
"Don't be so quick to assume," Smithers added, lowering his bird even more.
By now they were only a few hundred feet from the ground and things were becoming a bit more visible. Colby could make out the little dots of a few of the larger Pokémon shuffling around in the grass below them as they flew over the wispy grass toward that path.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Dear Stellar Spirits, don't take me from my woman!" Riley cried, his hair blowing every which direction and still welded to Amanda.
"Oh shut up Riley!" Amanda growled.
She couldn't exactly do a nosedive now…too close to land, well dang it. The torture was awesome while it lasted. The gleaming metal of the bridge was becoming more visible now and Colby squinted…seeing something peculiar. "I…I think there's something going on down there Smithers," Amanda yelled, noticing the same thing that Colby was.
Smithers could make out a giant herd of people that had seemed to congregate on the bridge…some seeming to be on one side of it and another herd on the other side…like two opposing forces facing each other.
"So is this one of those flash mob kind of things?" Josh yelled, finally catching up to them after just hanging back by himself the whole time. "Flash mob?" Ellis repeated.
Josh looked peeved, glancing up at him with a glare, "Flash mob. It's a bunch of people that gather and do something stupid."
Ellis just shrugged and kept his eyes back forward. The four Skarmorys were gliding just a hundred feet or so above the land now, approaching the bridge that was very large in the distance now with the giant herds of people. The looks of it didn't give Colby a good feeling in the pit of her stomach… It didn't seem like the place to be if something went really wrong. In mobs that usually was inevitably the case.
They were only a few hundred feet from the bridge now as Smithers pulled his Skarmory down to the ground, dropping it into a run and kicking up dust on the path. Amanda, Ellis, and Josh did the same, and with a thump they were back on the ground. Riley looked so relieved but held onto Amanda still (though thankfully with a little less force) as they bounced around on the back of the bird as it ran.
Colby held onto Ellis as they were also being jostled, being thrown off didn't sound like such a good plan. Smithers skidded his bird to a stop thirty feet or so from the mob of people…that was a lot larger than Colby originally thought… Everyone did as he did and stopped, exhaling a breath as they just completed their first flight with no injuries…except to Riley's manliness of course, which was shattered by his screaming, fear, and whining.
"Thank you Stellar Spirits! Land!" Riley yelled, stepping off of the Skarmory with an awkward hop that seemed to just catch the saddle…causing him to trip and fall on his face.
Amanda's Skarmory snorted with irritation and moved, ruffling its feathers at the abomination that almost landed on it's clawed foot. It was obvious this bird didn't like Riley Giaden. Amanda, Colby, and Ellis tried to hold back their laughter as he scrambled up, dusting himself off quickly and pretending as if nothing ever happened (turning about as red as his hair). Amanda easily got off, going to the Skarmory's head and giving him a couple gentle strokes.
"Thank you for the flight, you were wonderful," Amanda said, stroking the bird gently.
It responded by rubbing its head against her hand and making a noise. Colby grinned and helped Ellis get off of the bird. They then removed the jackets and goggles that were required when flying.
"Here, stick your equipment on the bird's back and recall them into these," Smithers tossed Colby, Amanda, and Josh a black Poke Ball unlike any one they had ever seen.
It had an emblem on it that had the label PTA in fancy lettering. Evidently the PTA had special made Poke Balls for their Pokémon or something. They did as they were told and the stuff, as well as the Pokémon, disappeared.
"Alright, good. Now, stick close and don't run off unless I tell you to," Smithers said.
"We aren't little kids-" Josh began to argue.
"It's for your own safety Josh. These people aren't friendly. Do as your told," Smithers said with a stony look of pure seriousness on his face.
Josh just grunted and looked the other way, sending Riley a blank look. Smithers exhaled big and approached the mob with Colby's group in tow, keeping fairly close together. The mob that they were approaching seemed to be people dressed as farmers or workers of some type, armed with weapons such as pitch forks, shovels, rakes, or even torches…a typical mob Colby guessed. She couldn't see over the crowd to get a good look at the other pack across the bridge...but from the air they looked to be better dressed. What surprised Colby was that they actually had weapons and were looking angry towards the other side. Smithers moved some people aside and they made their way through the crowd slowly.
"Smithers!"
"He's here!"
"We can finally get those wardens!"
Various people called as the crowd parted, getting more hectic as they made their way to the front. Obviously these people knew Smithers though they acted as if he was their leader or something… Colby just kept her mouth shut and followed her friends through the mass of people.
They finally seemed to reach a break in people where the other side of the bridge was fully visible…and oh boy was it scary. There were hundreds of people dressed as what seemed to be police force or wardens…that and some town's people that looked about like the ones on Smithers's side.
Smithers grabbed his megaphone and clicked the on button, facing the other side where a woman stepped out of the crowd to face him. She had two long pigtails that were fluffed out with bright pink hair that clashed majorly with her loose green t-shirt and brown kaki pants along with some brown boots. She also had a megaphone in her hand, clicking it on and putting it up to her lips.
"Nice to see you again Smithers," she said, her higher pitched voice being obnoxious in that megaphone.
The crowds on either side of the bridge fell silent almost instantly for that big of a crowd as all eyes shifted to the two. Smithers didn't smile back at her and raised his megaphone.
"You know why we're here Saria. We don't need small talk," Smithers replied. Saria looked back at him blankly, "I suppose. Why are we even here anyway Smithers? If you would just give up this conquest of yours to ruin my natural beauty of the Oreland Savanna then all of this useless bickering and fighting between our communities would be over."
Smithers's lip twitched and his eyes narrowed, "If you would let me dig in the land that is rightfully belonging to Aurora then all would be fine."
Saria laughed which sounded like a mix between a giggly girl and something else, "Smithers, we've known each other for so long. You surely know by now that I am very stubborn when it comes to the well being of the land. I do know this, if we pollute the land with these mechanical beasts that extract the natural resources from the land that so needs it most."
The crowds behind Smithers broke off in a murmur of protests but were quickly silenced by Smithers with the simple wave of his hand.
"That may be true Saria, but is taking some of the resources from the land to boost the economy of the region is clearly more important," Smithers retorted.
The crowd behind him cheered and Saria seemed to be turning a bit pink.
"No! Once the natural resources are gone we will have them no more! The land will be lifeless and will contain none of its natural resources that it originally made!" Saria yelled.
Smithers shook his head causing blonde hair to go everywhere, "It will come back-"
"Only after thousands of years!"
"We need the economic help!"
"Save the region!"
They yelled back and forth through these megaphones, causing the crowds to get more riled up on each side of the bridge. Colby's group had been standing there watching the debate rage without saying much. Amanda glanced at her with a nervous look as the debate raged, getting more heated. "I'm telling you! This isn't going to happen! I have many people behind me-" Saria yelled.
"Who do you think these people are?" Smithers retorted, gesturing to the crowd behind them that raised their pitchforks and cheered.
"You're not getting this mine! You and your dirty…freaks that are obsessed with ruining the land!" She yelled.
Smithers looked pretty angry now, "I wanna dig my mineeeee bitch!"
With that the crowd behind Smithers erupted in a scream of angry faces and…charged across the bridge. Colby was pulled to the side by Ellis and Riley who had Amanda and Josh in tow also as they got ahead of the mob, grabbing the side of the bridge as the people on either side drilled forward at each other. Colby couldn't tell where Smithers had gone and was terrified at the scene unfolding.
The two sides had mixed now, warden against farmer as the beat down began. The wardens were facing the farmers, some punching each other and tying up the downed man. Some were locked in a pitch fork duel or kicking each other. It was all a big mess…though Josh was watching with his mouth dropped open. He had never seen something so cool…so much violence! It almost made him happy inside…
"What are we going to do? Smithers just vanished…into that!" Amanda cried. "Don't worry Twix, I'll protect you doll," Riley assured her, scooting a bit closer from where he was already standing by her.
Apparently he learned nothing from the horror story in the sky. Riley was Riley…so he would never stop flirting.
"Riley! This is serious!" Colby growled.
"We could join…" Josh trailed off, eyes glued to the fight in almost a trance.
Colby proceeded to smack him, which earned her a big glare. She could see nothing over the carnage that was unfolding on the bridge in front of them. She couldn't understand what they were supposed to do or why this happened…did Smithers actually want this?
"Stop! Stop your fighting! Stop!" Someone yelled from the crowd.
Colby looked around but didn't see anything but the usual fighting…it seemed as if her friends noticed nothing…
"Stop! Please someone! Help!" The voice yelled again, Amanda turned to Colby. "Did you hear that?" She asked.
Colby nodded, "Yeah…where is it coming from?"
"Anyone! Help! This is serious!"
A skinny girl that looked to be in her mid twenties yelled, dodging some people trying to pitch fork joust.
"Ma'am, what's wrong?" Ellis yelled to her.
The girl looked over at them, with a frantic look on her face.
"Oh! You five! You have to help me!" The lady said, dodging more people and coming over to them.
"What's wrong?" Amanda asked.
"This fighting! We have to stop it before someone gets seriously hurt!" The lady said.
"But…how?" Colby asked.
"I don't know…we'll have to figure out a way…"
Josh suddenly got an idea…it was a very, very bad idea, but it just might work.
"I have an idea," Josh said, giving them all a half smirk before running off through the crowd and toward where ever.
"Josh! Wait…" Amanda was trailed off as he kept running till they couldn't see him anymore.
Josh kept running and dodging the fights…not matter how much he wanted to join…and made it to a clear area, shoving his hands into his pockets trying to search for something… When he found it he took a deep breath and crossed his fingers… With a throw just shy of the major leagues Josh chucked a Poke Ball into the air and hit the ground running back a bit. "Maaaaa!"
Subway foghorn wailed as he emerged from the Poke Ball, looking toward his master Josh Hershey with love. No one seemed to notice surprisingly…and kept fighting.
Josh looked up at Subway, "Now Subway…I need you to fog horn wail…right now. As loud as you can."
Subway flapped his flippers and seemed to understand, blowing some water out of his blowhole before opening his mouth wide. Josh covered his ears and prayed he would live. Like a supernova a low, wailing sound came from the depths of Subway, surely audible from the other side of the region.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
a/n: Sorry it's been so long guys! With NaNoWrimo I got busy...that and i'm a procrastinator xD Anyways! Hope you enjoyed and things will hopefully go on as normal update wise now that NaNo is almost over. Review my lovely people :)
