It was like that last time too, the sunlight off the windows of the large building atop the hill at the end of the road reflect the sun seemingly directly to his eyes at every place he stood. Walking up the road forced the large man to bow his head to avoid glare, almost as if he were held some reverence for the place. It wasn't a steep path, enough to know you were heading uphill a ways. At intervals he didn't care to guess there were large statues of pokeballs on pedestals alongside the driveway. Each statue showing a different model of pokeball, their development over time. In fact, the factory itself was a newer model. The third iteration of the Kalos pokeball factory, shining down its blinding light on him. He didn't even need to see who stood at the doors to know what the problem was, why the building was eager for more and more energy. He could feel the beat in his toes despite even the huge mechanisms. How could anyone think music that loud was a good thing? Perhaps its not so mysterious given their choice of attire.
The bass was almost making his ears bleed as the large man, covering the ears of the little flareon in his arms approached the factory's front doors. He couldn't hear what the woman in red was trying to shout at him over the stupid song. The longer the music went, the more uncomfortable the pup seemed to be getting. She waved a pistol, apparently intent on making the large vagrant leave. As he stood there he watched in bemusement at her growing frustration. Ryan stepped forward and the woman stepped back. Neither could hear over the music but both seemed certain of the outcome of the moment. Her sleek red suit seemed newer than the others he'd seem, perhaps as fresh as the day before. The man reached for the gun as the beat quickened. You couldn't hear it over the music, you couldn't hear anything over the music, but Ryan had to laugh. He was impressed by her conviction and aim as he dropped to his knees, liquid running into the bundle of fur in his arms. A little tongue licked his heavy arm, nervous and scared.
The gun had flashed only twice, and the two stings in his upper chest relieved any fear that the old pup in his arms had been hurt. The door opened for two others in red clothes. his blurring vision obscured everything but just the redness of the whole moment. Heat and the vibrating of a growl in his arms made the large man curls his arms more, protecting Fyr from the two arms that grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him inside. "Be calm" was all he thought, reaching out to Annwn walking behind him with the little pile of lava. The music was suddenly much quieter once the door closed, though Mr. Cabberin could not discern whether it was the thickness of the walls of the blood draining from his head that clouded the noise. His knees slammed against each stair he was dragged up, a dull pain that eased a fraction of a second before the next hit. 50 stairs. With a break halfway as they turned him to continue upward. He felt the ground slam into his shoulder as the arms released him, muffled voices both calm and frantic spoke above him.
"You can't be serious" The voice was far away, echoing just a little above his head. "What have you done He's dying!" Ryan could see a woman take Fyr, her lab coat stained with his blood as she gently stroked the frightfully yipping pup. Someone's hands were ripping at his shirt, one of his only shirts, A person's whole weight pressing down on the stings. "We need an ambulance" The vagrant raised his arm, trying to feel out the area around where he lay. "He'll die if you don't" Another distant voice began its muffled shouting in response. Only armed with the second speakers tone, the dying vagrant knew the conversation. The large man's arm turned such that his fist was pointed to the door. "You want to be responsible if he dies?" It didn't take much effort to lift his middle finger toward the second speaker, resulting in the obvious slamming of a door.
In the frantic shouts and attempts to wrap his wounds, Ryan could feel a little wet tongue on his right cheek, while some very very hot slime oozed over his foot. "Whiskey" He mumbled, some voice agreeing that it would clean the wound. These people were not in their element, and in honesty Ryan had only bled this much once. He thought she wouldn't fire, she seemed too new to all this. Groaning in pain he reached up and stroked the little ball of fluff as another, new voice entered the conversation. A little shock could be heard through the room but they seemed to accept the notion quickly. A full body cascade of pain almost launched the vagrant off the ground as the whiskey slithered into his open wounds. With vigor no-one expected from him he snatched "why am I so weak?" he pulled the bottle to his lips, swallowing 4, 5 mouthfuls. Annwn's voice was clearer now, telling the humans to step aside while he seals the wounds. A strong, authoritative voice from such a young fox. When the hot poker touched his flesh, Ryan growled and snatched it away. Panting, he sat up "Bullets are still inside." The people were telling him to lay back down, to relax, they would deal with it. Groaning he shook their hands off, not even trying to pinpoint the little yipping that was circling him. "Have to get you-" A small groan of pain as he pulls himself to his feet "-Have to get you lot out."
The vagrant staggered across the room, the liquid critter oozing along ahead of him. His large fists pounding at the door until a still slightly distorted voice told him to stop. "Go fuck yourself" He slammed harder. "I'm sick of you fucking pissants" Annwn held the other people in the room back from the door as the ex teacher continued. "I'm sick of your self righteous fucking attitude" slamming more. "I'm sick of your stupid fucking outfits. HEY! HEY! They look like you were painted on by a retarded fucking Smeargle" Hammering the door even while he could hear a key sliding into the lock on the other side. "I don't think even a child would put a doll in those things, they're fucking horrendous" The door opened inward. Before he could even see what was on the other side, Ryan's fist launched out, seizing the man's throat and pulling him into the door. The vagrant's other hand grabbed the gun as he spun the dizzy man around to press his back against the vagrant's chest with the gun against his temple. "You lot" He called, kicking the door open properly, "Get out, I'll keep them busy". The most logical objection he heard was that he could barely see, which while true didn't mean anything to the large man.
It was chaos, utter chaos that Ryan couldn't fully track. Anyone who shot at the people who fled, either jumped back when one of Ryan's stray bullets hit near their feet, or felt their skin melt to the handle of the weapon. Despite it all, Ryan held tight to his dizzy meatshield, squeezing just enough to keep the man silent but not enough to kill him. While the hostages fled out the front door, Ryan instead crossed the iron-grate walkway in the middle of the factory, Annwn, Fyr and the Slugma keeping behind him, wounding but not killing any threat they saw. Upon the other side was a door with large, concise text reading only "Control room". Shooting the lock, the large man kicked the door in and tossed his shield aside. In the room stood only one man, in the gaudiest, ugliest red suit ever.
The man held up a finger "mhmm, yeah, hot. Yea, no he's here." He smiled as he hung up the phone, leaning against one of the desks with his fingers sitting atop the 'enter' key of the keyboard. "You're Cabberin right?" He smiled "You can lower the gun, I'm not going to attack you". Fyr was at his feet, growling in the direction of the other man, nose twitching suspiciously. "Boss says to get rid of you. Won't be hard." He smiled, tapping the key before standing up. "They never really call it that, but if you know what you're doing, every place like this has a self destruct." the man strolled toward the vagrant. "I've got three seconds, you?"
Everything froze. Ryan could feel himself mid breath as some creature stepped out of him. The large, lanky yellow creature examined the computer in the time between times. It's voice was hollow and echoed as it spoke. "No time left then. Thank you Mr. Cabberin for the feast" The creature, a star shaped head on a golden body, looked from the door to the window. "I've learnt a lot feeding on your past Mr. Cabberin. But I suppose all good things must come to an end" It's long fingers stroked the slugma's head. "Sadly I'm not as powerful as I could be, I only have three seconds afterall. So you'll have to choose. Who should I save?" It stood before him, staring straight into the vagrant's eyes. "You, or your pokemon?" It was no question. There was only one answer. And the moment Ryan thought it, time resumed. A rumbling sound echoed behind him, not giving either man enough time to look before the heat and force of just the leading edge, launched them across the room. As he smashed through the window, Ryan could see the flames wrap around and avoid Annwn, Fyr and the Slugma, seeking and engulfing the golden creature that had come from no-where into the room.