ACT IX: VIVID AND SCENTED.
Space was at a loss. Which was understandable given the fact that not up to a minute ago, he was in the closed confines of his self-inflicted bubble, overseeing nothing but the stark darkness that was his namesake with only the stars and the occasional annoying sister to keep him company.
Now that his feet were on this solid texture called soil with the blue skies above his head and green grass sprawled all around him, the sense of foreignness weighed far more heavily on him than ever before and if he had to be honest with himself, he absolutely loved it.
"To your liking?" Anti-matter asked though her answer was obvious by the wonder in his red eyes. Taking his hand, she led the deity to a water body nearby and held a slim finger out, pointing at the shaky reflections. "Crossing the boundary automatically renders us creatures of this earth and as such, we have to keep up appearances so as not to scare Papa's fickle human creations. A human shape is our default appearance although we can change it as we see fit."
At that, she smirked. "Your appearance fits you well, brother."
Space gazed into his own reflection and frowned. A tall man with a solid frame and stark white hair stared back at him with a frown just as quizzical yet menacing to behold.
"I look like a war-monger fierce enough to scare his comrades."
Something nudged his leg and he stiffened before remembering his place and casting narrowed eyes down at the creature at his feet. A Bidoof stared back at him with huge and unblinking eyes, occasionally tilting its head to inspect the figure before it. After a few somewhat tense seconds, it relaxed and sidled up to him, making friendly chattering sounds. Space's eyes somewhat softened and he found himself picking the creature up and stroking it gently.
"Your appearance may be fierce but these creatures see your heart," Anti-matter explained, reaching out to pet it. The Bidoof promptly hackled and hissed before jumping out of Space's hold and scurrying off. Scoffing, the golden-haired woman gestured to the horizon while smiling broadly at her brother. "Welcome to Earth, Papa's masterpiece and my personal playground."
"…It's a pretty place," Space observed, gazing past her. Arceus outdid Himself this time as the deity could see. Never before had he gazed upon this wondrous mix of colours, so contrasting and yet calming to the soul. The scent of greenery nearly stole his breath away and the sight of so many magical creatures coexisting with nature was enough to warm him from the inside out. The way the blue skies melded together with the mountain-rimmed horizon was also somewhat of a testament to the Great White's taste in beauty. At the very least, it far outstripped the cold and empty space of its fundamental splendour.
"It's a pretty place," Space murmured again, feeling the grit of soil under his bare feet. Wanting a better view, he lifted himself off the ground and would've levitated to a suitable vantage point had Anti-matter not firmly grabbed his hand with a quick look of panic. Space gave her fingers a glare and addressed her just as stonily. "What?"
"The creatures here are very fickle and simple-minded, far too used to the way things are now. To see an entity that resembles them suddenly defy the laws of nature will bring unwanted attention to us both."
"Since when did you care?" he asked.
"Need I remind you that I'm not even supposed to be here, talkless of you and your personal friction with Pa-"
His venomous scowl caused the words to die in her throat and she slowly let go, choosing instead to stare pleadingly at him. Relenting, Space touched down and crossed his arms.
"So now what?"
"We…could explore. Visit new areas, interact with other magical creatures and…come across a human town or too. I-if you'd let me, that is."
Space seemed to consider her offer for a moment. "Do what you wish. I am an outsider so I daresay I must rely on you to get by on this rock."
His sister's face brightened and she held a hand, representing the gate to blue skies and worldly magnificence. "Let's go then, brother!"
Space hesitantly took the hand and averted his gaze, for her smile was too beautiful. "Palkia."
Anti-matter blinked.
"For we must blend with these creatures, no? Earthly names are in order and as such, I shall go by Palkia while you shall go by Giratina," he elaborated, earning another smile from his sister.
"Alright, big brother Palkia!"
-Floaroma Town-
"Here at last!" Piff exclaimed, strolling past the town's moss-covered gate in the wee hours of the morning. He stopped abruptly, took a deep whiff of the scented air and let out a hoot that was far too loud for that time of the day. "Mom was right! You'd think people painted their houses with cologne or something!"
"Boss, shut up," Johnny groaned, stuffing his head farther into Piff's messy hair. "I'm trying to get some beauty sleep here, man."
"Listen to the chimp. He speaks for every resident here," Cynthia yawned, trudging past them both with a noticeable slouch. "How can you remain so energetic after not sleeping last night?"
Piff merely shrugged indifferently and bounded past her towards the nearest Pokemon Center, inhaling as much of the scented air as possible and leaving Cynthia to wonder if he had chosen to forget about last night's event, one that led to a rather unpleasant screaming match between the two, leaving them both angry and possibly more tired than even their Pokemon.
Somehow or the other though, Piff gave out first and apologised which came as a small surprise given his stubborn nature. One look at his eyes however had been enough to tell Cynthia all she needed to know.
Now that she reflected on it, Piff's earlier fears made sense now. After the Darkrai fiasco, he had a right to be scared of her reactions, hoping she wouldn't brand him a monster. His words yesterday still rang fresh in her mind after he had uttered them once their tension had gone down.
"Hey Cynthia…do I…still look human to you?"
Eerie words, they were and yet the anxiety under them incited her pity and odd curiosity. It had been with a start that she realised how utterly oblivious she had been to his very being. Piff was unnaturally strong and wielded an ability that could very well make him immortal (far fetched, yes but not entirely implausible). It should have been natural to brandish him a fearsome label like the trainers the other night had done. Yet she felt nothing of the sort.
If anything…the thing currently prancing ahead in her line of sight was just another pubescent boy with a possible hero-complex.
Also, that boy was now displaying his latest sign of clumsiness by ploughing right into a girl coming out of a corner. Being the responsible one, it was Cynthia's job to rush over and wrench her idiotic companion off before he accidentally crushed the much smaller child under his weight.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" she exclaimed, pulling the girl up and unexpectedly pushing her hoodie off. Magenta hair spilled from all sides, so long that they actually covered a good portion of the girl's shoulders and back, reaching all the way to her knees like a coat of cotton pink. Four thin strands sprung from the sides of her sleek hair and with a squeal, she brought her small hands to cover her forehead, staring wide-eyed at a concerned Cynthia.
Her answer was short and to the point.
"Помогать!"
"Good job, asshole, you gave her brain-damage," Johnny deadpanned as the mysterious girl repeated her gibberish incessantly.
"Помогать! Помогать!"
"S-slow down!" Cynthia stuttered, trying to calm her. "We don't understand-"
"Помогать!"
"A-and apparently, neither do you," she sweatdropped. The girl stopped and threw a pleading look in Piff's direction, making a low noise under her breath that sounded almost like a whine.
Almost immediately, the ravenette was struck with a sickening sense of familiarity, a spike of realisation that was so swift and sharp that he almost mistook it for nausea.
"Wait…" he mumbled, stumbling closer. "H-have we…met before?"
Cynthia glanced over at him. "You know her?"
"I-I'm not sure," Piff replied, feeling a headache coming. "But something tells me she needs help."
On cue, a shout was heard and the teens looked forward to see a group of four men bounding up to them, each armed with a Houndoom and a rifle. Their black uniforms and stylized insignia were recognized instantly.
"Military police!" Cynthia yelped, leaping to her feet.
"They look pissed," Johnny remarked, stating the obvious at their uniform knotted expressions of frustration.
"You there! Stop!" one of them ordered, pointing at the magenta-haired girl who proceeded to jump behind Piff with a squeak of terror. Almost instinctively, Piff held a hand over her and faced the tall men squarely.
Eh? What the-? What am I doing? "Is there a problem, sir?" Piff asked as soon as the officers caught up and regained their breaths. The Houndoom had already surrounded the trio on all sides and were currently giving Cynthia and Johnny a full display of their savage maws.
Without stopping for introductions, one of the officers stepped forward and pointed his rifle at the girl cowering behind Piff's back. "You. You're coming with us."
"Um…Did she do something wrong?" Cynthia asked.
"None of your business, brat!" another officer snapped harshly.
"Come on," the one before Piff barked impatiently, glaring intimidatingly at the girl. "You've caused us a whole lot of trouble, freak. Now be a good tool and follow your kin."
His gloved hand shot forward and the girl darted back even further only to be scared back into holding Piff tightly as one Houndoom got too close.
"Excuse me, sir, did she do something wrong?" Piff asked politely. "She doesn't look like a dangerous person to me and-"
"Shut yer trap before I blow it off," the soldier snapped, pointing his rifle straight at Piff.
"Oi, oi," Johnny growled, bristling.
"That little bitch you're shielding just so happens to be government property, a term you can't so readily understand because you're still a brat. Now be a good boy and step aside."
Piff stared at the gun barrel before stealing a glance at the girl behind him. Her big yellow eyes locked onto his and seemed to shine with tears, making him stiffen. The headache was growing and a voice in the back of his mind screamed at him to move aside and let fate run its course. However, that itch in the back of his throat when his curiosity was aroused just wouldn't die and somehow or the other, this girl was the cause of it.
His mouth ended up speaking before his brain could even issue the logical command.
"She doesn't look like property to me. That being said, I don't think all these Houndoom and guns are needed to take down a little girl. Sounds a little cowardly and fishy if you asked me, sir."
The officer stared at him through his thick sunglasses, gave a sigh and smashed the butt of his rifle across Piff's face, knocking the boy to the ground and throwing Johnny off his head.
"Piff/Boss!" Cynthia and Johnny cried, making to rush over. They stopped as the Houndoom formed a wall between them, growling and snapping threateningly. Cynthia clenched a fist and watched as the officer with the sunglasses proceeded to beat Piff over and over with his rifle till spots of blood dotted the gun's wooden finish.
The man inspected his gun and looked to the boy lying face down on the road. "That was a warning. On a normal day I'd shoot civilian piglets like you in the leg but I don't wanna make a scene. Then again…"
His eyes swiveled to the houses on the street, pinpointing every watching face hidden behind thin-glass windows.
"It ain't like any of them will stop us," he declared spitefully and balanced the gun across his broad shoulders. "Now then, get over here, tool."
With nowhere to go, the girl merely stayed rooted to the ground and quite possibly too petrified to speak.
" Are you deaf?! I said come 'ere!" he barked, seizing her arm. Her resulting scream from his crushing grip on her wrist was enough to warrant an act of defiance from Cynthia who promptly pulled out a Pokeball.
"I'd put that away, blonde. You're clearly at a disadvantage here," the soldier nearby warned, observing the joint looks of hostility from her and Johnny. To buttress his point, the pack of Houndoom lurched even closer, assaulting their ears with the constant drone of their snarls. "Besides, no one wants a scene here."
"With all that's transpired these past four minutes, a scene would be the last of your problems," she spat, glaring at the man holding the magenta-hair girl.
"What? Wanna fight?"
"It's no use, girl. We're the freaking military police. I could put a bullet between your eyes and no questions could be asked. That's how absolute the military's power is here."
"Yeah! We just ain't done anything 'cuz Sinnoh's been peaceful for way too long. Brats of your generation are all born pampered thanks to our efforts."
The man in sunglasses drew the girl in his grip forward. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got work to do. This troublesome bitch is coming home."
With the ferocity in the eyes of the dogs at her feet and the indubitable experience these goons had over her as a trainer, it was with great reluctance that Cynthia lowered her Pokeball and scooped a confused Johnny off the floor. The Chimchar was just about questioning her motives when he once again recognised the tiny tremor in her hands. Inwardly, the blonde trainer didn't want to raise any trouble as well, hoping for a relatively peaceful journey towards her goal and in all honesty, her own prideful nature rebelled violently against her decision. Even if that girl was clearly showing signs of being abused, judging by the telltale bruises on the exposed portions of her neck, logic still reigned Cynthia's will to fight back, vehemently at that as she had to look away once the soldiers began to leave.
That being said, a careless remark from the leading officer was enough to set her blood on fire as he passed her by with the downcast girl in tow.
"A fine lot of trouble you got us into, girlie. Maybe when we get back, the four of us will give you that punishment game you always loved."
'She's under-aged, you sick bastard!' Cynthia inwardly roared, rounding on him and sinking her fist into his meaty side. She must've had quite the punch as the bewildered man doubled over, spitting curses and orders. This is why Cynthia wanted to change the world. This rotten injustice that was the military government was just too unfair! The great war ended decades ago and yet the Sinnohvian Military still had it in over their fat heads that Sinnoh was still at war, obstinately remaining militarized instead of returning to the far more promising status of civilian rule. It was thanks to that that bastards like these could get away with anything so long as they had that damned insignia pinned to their breasts!
"I don't care if you're the freaking general! This little girl is NOT fair game, you degenerate ape!" Cynthia growled, dropping a Pokeball and releasing her Turtwig just as one Houndoom made a flying leap towards her with its drool infested maw leaking acrid-smelling flames.
"Rock Smash!" she ordered sharply and Gible burst forth from the ground and collided into the Houndoom's jaw with a solid fist. The dark-type was sent flying even further upwards and Gible had the initiative to tackle it into its kin. "Turtwig, Headbutt!"
And the one creeping up behind her was promptly smashed against the dirt by the grass-type's diving headbutt before being bitten on the tail and, with the massive strength all Turtwig possessed, hurled into one of the four soldiers.
"Now we're talking!" Johnny boomed, jumping out of Cynthia's arms and onto the barrel of the rifle pointed at Cynthia, offsetting its aim and upsetting the soldier behind it greatly. Before he could react, Johnny raked his dirty nails across his face and spat a hot wad of saliva into his eyes. His delight at the man's rather girlish scream was joyous but short-lived as Johnny had to jump off to avoid the Houdoom bounding towards them. Naturally, it ploughed into its master, knocking him down in a tangle of limbs and fury.
Placing the captive behind her, Cynthia pointed at the remaining soldiers standing in front before calling for a Razor Leaf. Turtwig quickly let loose a thick barrage of leaves and once they were blinded enough, his trainer grabbed the girl's hand and made to escape in the opposite direction.
Only to turn and come face to face with the nuzzle of a .44 Magnum held by a very pissed off soldier in sunglasses. Behind her, Turtwig was sniped by a column of fire from another Houndoom thus ceasing his barrage and fainting him instantly. Gible let loose a Dragon Rage to clear off any oncoming Houndoom and leapt onto a distracted soldier while Johnny thrust a flaming finger at the sunglasses-shielded man's neck just as he cocked his handgun.
With the soldiers held hostage by Johnny and Gible and Cynthia one trigger-pull away from an unfinished journey, Floaroma now held witness to a rather classic mexican standoff.
"And I almost took you for the compliant type," the man with the magnum sneered, massaging his sore side. "Now I know you're just as dumb a broad as you look."
"Aren't you too old to play the stereotype-card?" Cynthia jabbed back acidly, ignoring all logic whatsoever. "What's it going to be then, officer?"
"That's my line," he spat. "We're obviously tied here so how about you use your brain and do the math. What do you think you're setting yourself up as right now? An enemy, that's what. That girl you're trying so hard to keep is very important to this country as a whole."
His partners threw him a fidgety glance. "H-hey, Sean! That's classified-"
"She's one of the key factors in this shitty country's military boost, a tool that can boost our combat prowess greatly. Sinnoh'd actually become a world superpower if we can harness her abilities."
Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by 'abilities'? More than that, I feel you just told me something huge here."
"Heh. Of course. Why else would we track her all the way to this gay-ass town when she and her brethren escaped."
The blonde trainer paused to consider his words, turning her grey eyes to the magenta-haired girl time and again. Now that he mentioned it, she had her hand slapped to her forehead the entire time and Cynthia had to peek closely to make out the dull red glow emitting from the cracks between her pale fingers. Logic came back once more with a simple statement: This situation was already beyond her before it even started. If this girl was so special to the government then who was she to defy them so openly by this small (and admittedly foolish) act of righteousness and justice? Even if she subdued these guys and "rescued" her, what would she do then? Become a wanted criminal, destined to live the tedious life of avoiding the fangs of the government Houndoom? What the hell! She was only 15 years old! She couldn't do something like that! What would the people at home think? What of her dying sister? She'd never see her or any other member of her family again if she fell out with the law. Not to mention that if she did land in the slammer, her precious Pokemon would be taken away. Her very life would shatter before her eyes...
"It looks like it's starting to sink in," Sean smirked, lowering his gun as Cynthia's resolve and expression faltered. "I'm willing to let this go, you know. So long as you return that girl to us and call off your Pokemon, you can go back to your civilian life without any complications. Sounds like a done deal if you asked me."
Silence.
Silence.
In that moment, Cynthia lifted her eyes in Piff's direction and was just the least bit disappointed to see him still lying there, expression unreadable as his eyes remained shielded under blood and hair. If he was unconscious then thank Arceus because in no way did she want him to see her next move. Johnny cocked a brow as she raised a Pokeball and gasped as Gible was returned to his confines.
"H-hey, what the fuck-"
It was with honest surprise that he noticed his Pokeball in her other hands and the angry pokemon disappeared in a red flash, swearing all the way. Once Turtwig had followed immediately after, Cynthia pocketed the pokeballs and placed both hands firmly on the younger girl's shoulders. Confused, the latter looked up at her and blinked.
Taking a deep breath, Cynthia gave her a reassuring smile. "Russian."
"...A?"
"The language you speak. It's a pretty ancient form of Sinnohvian, a sort of predecessor. I only remembered it because I had to decipher a couple of old books in that language and thanks to that, I can cough up a few words."
She leaned in close and patted her head. "Я сожалею"
Without giving her a chance to respond, Cynthia shoved the stunned girl into the soldier and crossed her arms, averting her gaze and inwardly burning herself raw. "When I get those orbs..." she murmured before facing the soldier squarely. "There, she's yours. At least treat her nicely, sicko."
Sean grinned. "Of course."
And then he shot Cynthia in the shoulder.
The gunshot still rang a full minute after Cynthia had soaked in the growing pool of her own blood. Ahead of her, Sean slung the kicking and screaming girl over his shoulder before addressing the noisy complaints from his now-shaken colleagues.
"Relax pussies. She's not dead," he said casually, lighting a cigarette. "I merely broke her shoulder to set an example. T'would be a shame if a pretty bird like her died from blood loss, though since I might've hit her brachial artery. You here that, you civilian Mareep? This is what happens when you question the guys who've been providing the peace you fattened yourselves on!"
Making sure his words sank in, he turned his back on the silent town and began to plod off with his frightful crew. Behind them, Cynthia simply continued to bleed, unable to move from her position on the ground. That of course only gave her pride the chance to say "I told you so" to her more logical side and she would've berated herself even further for being so naive had the morning skies not seemed extra-prettier today.
That, and the pain was driving her insane. Coupled with the crazy amounts of blood (in her opinion) flowing out of her, it was suffice to say that Cynthia had had enough for one day. Maybe she could probably close her eyes to blot out the pain. Give in to the creeping weariness. Sleep. Yes, sleeping sounded good especially since she didn't get a wink of it last night.
"...Oi..."
Cynthia's moment of peace contorted in tune with her expression at that stupid husky tone. Maybe playing dead would make it go away.
"...I know you're alive so stop faking it..."
Sweet Arceus there it was again, that annoying voice. Peeling her heavy eyelids open (because dying with open eyes would've been embarrassing), she blandly inspected the boy blocking her morning sun. Standing high above her, his face was clearly directed at the retreating men but his attention was solely focused on her bloodied shoulder.
"So much for being the heroine."
"Shut up, you sack of stupidity. What were you doing lying on the ground all that time?"
"I don't heal instantly, thunder-thighs, jeez. Guns really pack a brutal punch, you know."
"Yes, I know. I was SHOT by one."
"Whatever. How're you feeling? You'll live, right?"
"Ow...I feel like I was hit by a speeding Snorlax so...maybe, maybe not... Going by that and the amount of blood I'm losing, I give myself no more than twenty minutes. But I'm a strong girl...or so I'd like to tell myself. My recent actions say otherwise."
"Honestly, I expected nothing less. You did the smart thing and that's what makes you you. As for me on the other hand..."
Cynthia smirked. "Standing up to them may very well make you an enemy of the state."
Piff scoffed. "Screw that. They're obviously messing with that girl behind closed doors and I won't stand for it. Military Police or not, those bastards are going down."
Before he could move, Cynthia's fingers laced around his wrist and the ravenette cast her a look dancing between impatience and concern. "What?"
"Piff, are you angry?"
"..."
"Don't kill them."
"...Got it."
The second she let go, Piff zipped past her and set his sights on the main target, the officer with the girl.
"HEY, SOLDIER BOYS!" he roared, startling all four of them. The second Sean turned, Piff's incoming fist broke his jaw, knocking him to the side with a wet crack. Catching the girl before she could fall, Piff set her down gently before raising one arm and letting a Houndoom sink its teeth into it. Raising his free fist, he muttered a quick apology and banged it on the dog's skull, knocking it out instantly. The column of fire flying towards him from another Houndoom was dodged as Piff leaped high into the air, far higher than any human the baffled soldiers had ever seen. The ascent was dazzling and the descent was just as amazing as Piff brought both legs down on another soldier's head, literally nailing him into the ground like a living tent-peg with only his dazed head sticking above the ground.
"What the hell..." the officer beside that one muttered before quickly cocking his rifle and aiming for Piff's back. "Stop right there or I'll shoot!"
His Houndoom was launched into him without so much as a blink and both flew across the road before crashing into a parkside bench. 100 meters away.
A bullet grazed past Piff's cheek and he looked over his shoulder to see the trembling fourth soldier directly beside him, clicking uselessly on his empty rifle. "Seriously, you had one shot at point blank range and you missed?" The poor man was backhanded into the nearest window, face-first for good measure.
Piff turned to Sean and received four shots to the chest in quick succession, each one powerful enough to send him stumbling backwards. His oddly blank purple eyes stared at the four holes in his torso before crinkling as Piff gave the man a pitiful smile.
".44's can only fire five rounds," he jeered and proceeded to walk up to the thoroughly stupefied military man.
"B-but how? How the hell can you still move?" Sean stuttered, voice clearly marred by his broken jaw, and yelped as Piff flicked off his sunglasses to see his wide blue eyes.
"The hell if I know," Piff replied, grabbing his collar and pulling him down to his level. "Now what's the deal with the girl?"
"I-I-I don't know!"
Piff raised one hand and promptly pinched through Sean's thick vest. To the latter's horror, he realized that Piff was going to use one of the oldest high school methods of torture in the history of mankind.
The Nipple Crippler.
"W-wait! I seriously don't know-GYAAAAARGH!"
Piff tightened his grip and gave a sadistic twist, demanding answers with his eyes and fingers alone.
"O-okay! ARGH! I'll talk, I'll fucking talk! She's a special girl, okay?! One of those bio-weapons from illegal human experimentation and all that Tauros-crap you see on shitty B-list movies- AIYEEEE- Okay, okay, so she was given to us by the scientists who m-made her and it's our job to get her to the higher-ups where she was requested! THAT'S ALL I KNOW SO PLEASE LEMME GO-oh hey, I rhymed- AAAAAAUGH, MY NIPPLE!"
Piff dropped him and left him to roll across the ground before turning back to the girl who had now rushed towards Cynthia's side. "Get the hell outta here, you shitty military dog."
Sean stopped his rolling and quickly reached for the cartridge containing spare rounds in his back pocket. "L-like hell, you shitty brat!"
He raised his handgun up and made to press the trigger when Piff whirled on him in an utterly inhumane burst of speed and closed his jaws around the magnum's barrel with a heavy snap, taking half of the gun down his throat in one bite. Sean only had to take one look at his livid expression to know that he had screwed up, big time. In a cruel sense of irony, Piff beat Sean to a bloody mess with the rest of his .44 and gave the rest their just desserts as well before dumping their unconscious bodies in a pile in front of the flower shop nearby.
The teen dragged his beat-up body back to Cynthia's side and finally collapsed on one knee, much to her irate mockery.
"You certainly went wild there, Tyrant-Rex."
"Arceus punish you, Cyn. I just got 4 holes blown into me so gimme a break already."
"FYI I'm losing blood right now. You could've done all that drama faster and gotten me to a hospital by now."
"You know, if doing that meant this constant bitching each time I saved your proud ass, the thought of you dying sounds a lot more tempting now."
"Oh that's just swell. Jokes on you though because I really was prepared to die for a moment back there."
"You're pretty spry for someone who's on the verge of death. Also, what kind of lame answer was that? I thought you had a sister to save!"
"Don't you play that card with me, you self-righteous asshole! I wouldn't have been shot in the first place had you not butted into this situation like the prick you are!"
"So it's name-calling you've resorted to, huh?! Oh how the mighty have fallen, Empoleon-princess!"
"I'm not fat, you Naruto-rip-off! Take your anger-management problems out on someone else!"
"Sorry Kim-Possible-Tits but you're the only person available at the moment!"
"Die, idiot! Die from an embarrassing death like choking on a wishbone!"
"HOHOHO, been there, done that and I. DON'T. CHOKE. I do, on the other hand, hope you die from a really pathetic death like heavy menstrual bleeding or something! OH WAIT, you ain't too far off, are you?"
"TAKE A HUGE CRAP AND LET IT BURST YOUR RECTUM, YOU INSENSITIVE HYDROPHILE!"
"SO I WON'T LIVE TO SEE THE DAY WHEN YOU GET LITERALLY RIPPED APART WHILE TRYING TO SCREW YOUR FUTURE TORTERRA? FAT CHANCE, YOU RULE-34-WORTHY-SLUT-IN-TRAINING! AND I DO NOT MOLEST WATER! WE ARE IN A CONSENSUAL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP!"
Cynthia made to retort when she froze. Piff must've realised the gravity of his outburst as he found himself on the receiving end of her disgusted glare.
"Um...Uh, yeah, I-I totally made that first part up! I have no idea what Rule 34 means and I certainly do not fantasize about you getting h-hot and h-heavy with your Pokemon," he backtracked nervously.
"...Piff."
"Y-yes, Cyn?"
"...You are one sick 14 year old."
The girl kneeling beside her stared inquisitively at Piff, wrinkled her pert nose and chipped in, "извращенец."
Somehow, both of them understood perfectly what she meant and it was with a red face that Piff denied any perverted allegations whatsoever. The moment was soon spoiled, however, as Cynthia winced again from the extent of her injuries.
"That won't stop anytime soon," Piff murmured and observed the injury. "Looks like the bullet passed right through you. If I had to guess, I'd say your sternum is shattered."
"Go...figure," Cynthia hissed weakly, exhausted beyond compare now. "Hos...pital...pl...ease..."
"Right," Piff nodded and made to move her when the young girl thrust out a hand for him to stop. Bringing her thumb to her lip, she bit down and held the bleeding finger over Cynthia's lips.
"пить," she beckoned and hesitated for a bit, searching for the right word. "...D...drink..."
Too faint to even know what was going on around her, Cynthia could only register the faint feeling of something pushed between her lips and she groggily accepted the red drops trickling down her throat. Finished, the blonde was lain back down again, her labored breaths being the only noise in the silent town.
"She's going into shock," Piff observed quietly. "We should-"
The girl placed a finger to her lips, imploring him to be quiet. Clamming up, he watched Cynthia intently and upon seeing her breathing stop for a brief moment, he was about moving her when a torrent of light spilled from her injury, stemming the bleeding and sewing her injured parts back together. Piff's eyes grew wider as the light soon dissipated, leaving Cynthia's shoulder still soaked in blood but otherwise unmarked. On cue, her breathing kickstarted and color finally returned to her face, leaving her just as fresh, appearance-wise, as a newborn.
Cynthia jerked awake with a short cough and turned her tired head over to the young girl. "Thank...you..."
"That...was weirdly awesome!" Piff exclaimed, sending both girls into a wince. "You've gotta teach me how to do that-MMPH!"
Anything else he had to say was shoved back down his throat as the strange girl pushed her thumb deeper between his lips. Complying, he let himself indulge in the crimson droplets falling onto his tongue and instantly gave a jerk as an electrifying feel coursed through his nervous system. The bullets lodged in his system disintegrated with a burning hiss and Piff was pleasantly surprised to see his healing system boosting up, closing any unwanted holes and actually leaving no scars in their wake. Even the nasty cut on his cheek was gone and his arm showed no sign of being manhandled by the Houndoom earlier.
The thumb was soon extracted from his mouth, attached only by a thin line of reddish drool from his dropped jaws.
"Wow..." was all he could say as she clenched her hand and held it to her chest. Not bothering to wipe the disgusting trail on his chin, the ravenette leaned forward sharply, startling her at the close proximity. "So that's why the army needs you. Now that I've seen the full reason for myself, I have no doubt in my mind that what we did now...WAS A PRETTY STUPID MOVE!"
Cynthia instantly sat up, gripping her hair in her hands with a look between remorseful and depraved. "I-I know r-right? We're definitely on the wanted list now! All my plans were for naught and it's...IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, PIFF!"
"Why did I have to fight back?!"
"Why did you have to play the hero?!"
"I'm an idiot, aren't I?! Go on, say I'm the biggest idiot in the whole world!"
"You're the biggest, dumbest, bird-brained idiot who ever walked this side of the planet!"
"WAAAAH!" they cried in unison, hugging each other pathetically and letting out waterfalls of tears, much to the sweatdropping spectator's confusion. Their little tirade lasted only a little while as Piff and Cynthia realized just who they were holding on to and separated with acidic hisses and glares. This turned into slight giggles before erupting in laughter from the pair, confusing (and probably scaring) the girl once again.
"Talk about bad days," Cynthia remarked, getting up and dusting her clothes. "I almost sank to your level of idiocy, boy."
"Watch it blonde or I'll poke a hole through your fat thighs," Piff growled though in good humor. He threw the watcher a glance. "So what do we do with her?"
"The words she was speaking earlier were actually just "Help" over and over again. Now that her 'caretakers' are otherwise indisposed, she virtually has nowhere else to go, unless she had a family or something. Sean did mention something about her kin."
Cynthia helped her up. "Do you have family? Um...семья?"
At that, her yellow eyes lit up and she nodded quickly before thrusting a free hand north to the mountainous horizon.
"That's in the direction of Eterna City," Piff surmised, taking a quick look at his map. "Alrighty then, it's settled!"
Both girls raised their brows as he struck a pose. "You're coming with us till we find your family!"
"Are you fucking serious?!" Johnny cried, finally bursting out of his ball. Surprised, the humans regarded the panting Chimchar for a moment before Piff spoke up.
"Oh hi, Johnny. Nice timing, showing up and all after the fight."
"Well Alice-in-fatassland just had to fall on her right side pocket where I was kept," he grumbled sourly before staring at Piff again. "That aside, taking that girl with us might as well be us walking with "shoot-me-please" targets on our heads! Those fuckers in uniform really seemed to want her and if word gets out that she's missing, every soldier in town'll be out for our asses!"
"We can't just leave her here," Piff shot back. "Besides," he rested a hand on her pink-covered crown. "I always wanted a little sister-"
The girl instinctively moved back, followed by Cynthia and even Johnny due to the weird look on the trainer's mug.
"Pervert," they labelled in unison.
"It's not like that!" he replied just as fiercely, crossing his arms and letting his telltale blush subside. "Fine then, what do you propose we do, oh great and wise Monkey?"
Johnny tapped his chin before snapping his fingers. "We'll just get rid of her! Problem solved-"
Two fists boxed his head, driving him face-first into the ground. Piff and Cynthia raised their smoking fists solemnly, inwardly agreeing to never ask for advice from a monkey again. With that done, Cynthia paused before feeling her features brighten with an idea.
"Gardenia! Eterna City's a pretty neutral zone because it's Gym Leader happens to be the world's most stubborn activist!"
"Wait, you're not talking about that Gardenia, are you? The only civilian who bared her shears at the government and won?"
"All the more reason to go there. Our little friend could find her family AND gain asylum since the military can't set one foot in there without causing worldwide controversy."
Piff sighed and shrugged. "Okay, you're the genius here."
"I still think we should do something about those goons," Johnny chipped in cautiously, pointing at the unconscious men in the corner. "What if they tell their bosses about you two?"
"We can't kill them, if that's what you're insinuating," Cynthia stated firmly. Even if the dull ache in her shoulder made the idea seem tempting. Piff took one look at the watchful eyes behind the windows and adjusted his headband.
"Leave 'em. Let's go."
On their way to the PC on the outskirts of town, Piff jerked a thumb at the magenta-haired girl. "You know, we never did get your name."
Cynthia nodded and laid a hand on her head. "Um...назвать-no, имя?"
The girl blinked and smiled softly. "M...Minel." And the hand on her forehead finally fell to reveal the bright red gem sitting above and between her eyes.
"Ow..." Sean groaned as the tendrils of darkness finally cleared from his eyes. His fellow men came to in quick succession as well, none better than the other as their battered bodies ached for attention. "Where'd they go?"
"I think they took off with the girl," the colleague beside him suggested and stiffened. "They're probably heading for Eterna!"
"Crap! Get the fuck up, you sacks of shit!" Sean hissed, feeling for his Pokeballs. "If we lose that girl, our heads'll roll and-"
The spheres were missing.
"Uh...Sean," a shaky soldier blurted and he finally looked up from his position on the ground to see the silent citizens of Floaroma gathered around them, equal looks of utter uncertainty and curiosity in their eyes.
Like sheep.
"You fucks sure picked the wrong time to come out," he hissed. "Now get us off our asses and take us to a hospital. And while you're at it, tell us where those kids went and how long they've been gone. That's an order, sheep."
None made any effort to move, simply staring at them wordlessly. Occasional whispers and murmurs rippled through the crowd but otherwise, the people remained just as motionless as the flowers on that windless day. Sean's patience reached its breaking point.
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE TODAY'S FUCKING OPPOSITE DAY?! I SAID TELL US WHERE THOSE KIDS AT, YOU PEACE-STUFFED BAGS OF MEAT! UNLESS YOU WANNA GET SHOT!" he roared, grabbing a rifle from his startled colleague's arms and pointing it at the onlookers.
As one, they gasped and stepped back, joint fear in their wide eyes earning a satisfied jeer from the leading officer.
"Typical," he scoffed.
Then a rock was thrown at him. It bounced harmlessly off his vest but it was enough to warrant his angry attention.
"WHO DID THAT? WHO THE FUCK THREW THAT?!"
No one answered. The crowd shifted. Another rock was thrown, hitting Sean squarely on the crown. He roared and pulled the trigger.
Empty.
The click echoed throughout the silent town and slowly, the looks of uncertainty began to fade. As one, they took a step closer.
"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!" Sean barked, taking another rifle and pointing it at them. Once more, they stopped.
And another rock was thrown.
The blood trickling from his head was either taking a quick toll on him or running him mad as he could've sworn that smiles now illuminated the faces of the crowd. They took a step further.
"S-stay back," he warned, waving the barrel wildly at them. "I said, stay back!"
What was this dark, sinking feeling in his gut? Clearly, it was contagious as his own men started to huddle together with each step the masses took.
"S-STAY BACK, DAMMIT!" he cried, pulling the trigger again.
Empty.
Seizing the last rifle, he aimed it at the masses, fingers trembling and slick from sweat. "Don't c-come any closer! This one is loaded!"
The crowd did stop, this time. However, it was only to part as an elderly man stalked slowly up to the military officers, garden shovel in hand. Sean took one look at him and nearly reeled at the stark familiarity of the person. Didn't he shoot this man's son two years ago?
With a vicious cry, the elderly man raised his tool and ran towards him, abandoning all humanity and seeking justice. Sean screamed and let off a shot.
He missed. And that was his final bullet.
The plastic gardening object plowed into his neck and as one, the crowd took action against their oppressors, swamping them in a sea of fists and nails and curses. No one dared stop until the sickly stench of blood mixed with the sweet scent of flora in the Town of the Vivid and Scented.
A/N: Translations.
As a fair amount of foreign words will show up in later chapters, translations are in order. Or you could just use Google Translate (and a hot russian friend if you have any):
Помогать- Help, assistance.
A- What, pardon, eh.
Я сожалею- I'm sorry.
извращенец- Pervert.
семья- Family.
назвать- Name (more like call hence Cynthia's correction).
имя- Name (noun).
Let me know if there's anyone I missed. Oh, and if you're Russian, please don't shoot me if I accidentally butchered a couple of words XP!