Well, the last episode ended on a bit of a sudden drop. So we get our climax here! And, in true ToF fasion, all hell breaks loose. Plus, this time, we brought Anomaly along for the ride.
Episode 156: Heat of the Moment
I finally opened my eyes and saw that the sun had moved a fair bit since I had last seen it. The light really was not helping the pounding headache I had acquired. I sat up, looking around. Eve, Mew and Mewtwo had vanished and Fervo was leaning against a tree on the other side of the clearing, watching me.
"You've been out for three hours," The Treecko called over as he started to walk over.
I was struggling to think strait; my brain really was killing me. Fervo didn't seem to care though and kept talking, despite the pain that his voice was causing me.
"Mewtwo's gone to do another examination of the island. I asked Eve to find us some more chocolate. And Mew has gone with Jirachi. So we're still going to be on our own for a while."
I suddenly managed to remember why I was unconscious in the first place, "you hit me."
---
Fervo laughed and I spotted him carrying a rock in his paw, he obviously hadn't finished hitting me.
"If I learn how to use the psychic abilities that I have received then I can go home," he said, his face turning deadly serious as he reached the halfway point in the clearing.
"That still doesn't explain why you hit me," I replied, pulling myself up and facing the Treecko.
"You would stop me. So I am stopping you," Fervo countered and I felt the rock graze my shoulder and collide with a tree, I heard the bark crack from the blow. Fervo was a lot stronger than I had previously thought
---
I stared at him, he stared right back, before managing to speak again.
"You have lost it, big time. I can understand picking a fight with Mew, but with me?"
"I have no choice."
"You're crazy!"
---
Next thing I knew, Fervo was right in front of me and his fist slammed into my gut. I fell to my knees, clutching my ribs and trying not to cry out.
"You cannot even begin to understand me," he growled down my ear before I was flattened by a blow to the back of the head. I'd been caught completely unawares and didn't have time to react before I felt his claws rip the Nido-horn away before wrapping around my throat. I couldn't cry out as I felt his climbing claws slowly start to pierce my scales.
"Somebody. Anybody. Help me," I managed to choke out in my head.
"Do you honestly expect anyone to answer your telepathy?" Fervo snarled and the claws tightened their hold. The flesh underneath my scales soon felt the sharp pricks.
"Fervo. Please stop."
"Are you going to co-operate? Or am I going to have to force you into submission?" He asked. I felt small trails of blood running through the cracks in my scales as the claws continued to tighten. If he added anymore then I would be in serious trouble.
"Please. You are turning into that Bayleef."
"Shut up!" He yelled and suddenly clenched down on my throat. The claws shot further into the wounds and I could do nothing but mentally scream. The sudden pain was beyond words, the only thing that made it better was that I was running out of air and slowly suffocating. The air-depravation was causing the pain to slowly fade.
---
As my vision started to blur, my instincts finally kicked in and my tail lashed out and knocked him back. It caused him to stop strangling me, but his claws were ripped free of my throat. I caught my breath and slowly wiped my paw over the injuries, stunned at just how much blood was leaking out of the open wounds. I slowly climbed to my feet and staggered slightly as I fought to keep my balance.
"So, you decided to fight back. Guess we are going with the forceful submission," I heard Fervo growl, and I looked up just in time to get another punch to the face.
I fell onto my rear end, and Fervo tackled me again. This time, as he went for my throat, I lashed out with my legs and booted him over my head. There was a nasty sounding crunch as the Treecko landed on a tree, while I stood once more.
"Damnit Fervo. You've completely snapped!" I yelled and winced as the movement caused the wounds around my throat to stretch.
"I was never sane to begin with," he laughed and I staggered back as I was pelted with those seed things.
"You are giving me no choice," I thought, grimly, and launched a fireball strait at him.
---
He managed to dive out of the way and escaped unscathed, which is more than I can say for myself. The wounds on my throat were the most painful thing I had ever undergone and blood was still coming out. If I wasn't afraid of causing more damage, I'd have screamed out loud.
"Heh. The great Flame can't even take a Treecko. Some fighter you are. I cannot believe that Scarlet ever fell for you, let alone Pika too."
---
Now that was taking it too far. The insults tipped me over the edge. Actually it was more like picking me up and hurling me over it, but the point still stands. I clenched my fists and glared back at him, the pain forgotten. We both charged and clashed, only this time I got the blows in. Three solid punches to his stomach doubled him over and a head butt put him on the floor.
"Never ever say anything like that again," I growled, only to get tripped up by his foot and toppled over myself.
"Think you can stop me saying it?" He replied as he dived on top of me and I was pinned down again, "you have no power over me."
I couldn't throw him off; my arms were pinned at my sides and my tail underneath me. There was a nasty cracking sound as he added more weight to my chest and my tail was crushed, along with my breathing. Blood loss had sapped my strength and there was nothing I could do. Well, nothing short of spitting in his face. Which I did. There was a crimson tint to the projectile and Fervo slowly wiped it off with the back of his paw, staring at it, before punching me on the snout.
---
"You insignificant bastard!" He snarled, pulling back his fist and punching me a second time. I could feel bones in my face starting to crack under the blows, "I was only going to knock you unconscious. But now I am going to cause you great pain."
"Your plan is flawed," I gasped out, "I already am in great pain!"
"Well, more fun for me then."
"Help. Please."
---
Fervo was about to punch me again when he was knocked to the side by an energy ball. I glanced over and spotted Mewtwo staring at the Treecko, who was struggling against a psychic hold. I tried to sit up but was too exhausted and slumped back down again, looking up as Eve stared down at me.
"What happened?" She asked. I tried to say a reply but I couldn't speak, too tired to manage even that. So I resorted to the hated telepathy.
"You can't figure it out?" I thought, she blinked then so I knew she got the message, "Fervo went crazy all of a sudden. Caught me off guard."
"You're bleeding pretty bad," she pointed out; her eyes flicking down to my throat and back up again.
"I hadn't noticed. Do you happen to have any bandages?" She shook her head, "is there a Pokemon Center nearby? I don't want to die."
"Ah... I don't know if there is or not. Even if there is, I don't think I can take you." Eve muttered, which made sense. I had doubted that Mewtwo would have let her near one anyway. Just as I was about to resolve myself of a painful death, she leant down and examined my throat, and "I think I can make the bleeding stop, but I'll need to take you to a different island. There's a kind of grass there that's good for staunching blood flow, but it doesn't grow here."
---
"It wouldn't. I swear life has it in for me. Just when I thought I'd make it two weeks without nearly getting killed," I replied, before reaching up and hauling myself up by using Eve's neck as leverage. I don't think she expected me to move as fast as she suddenly picked me up.
"Awkward is right, you can't even walk," she said, looking a little smug too. So I stared at her, "What?"
"Could you at least give me some warning before you do that?" I asked, slow reaching down and grabbing hold of my tail. It was killing me, so I yanked it downwards and nearly screamed again when it cracked back into place.
"Could you give me some warning before you do that?" Eve asked, looking a little ill.
"I don't plan on having to do it again. Now, can we get a move on? The blood isn't going to wait around."
"Don't you want to know about why Fervo attacked you?" She enquired.
"He'll still be crazy when we get back. Besides, it is probably the psychic radiation thing again. Now, can we go? My vision is starting to blur again."
---
Next thing I know, I'm hearing squawking Pidgey as Eve set foot on another island. I must have blacked out for a minute. It was not a good omen.
"You hanging in there?" Eve asked as she set me down on the ground again.
"I think so," I muttered, realising how weak my telepathic voice had gotten. I was hanging on, barely. Eve looked concerned, but I waved it away, "So, where is this blood stopping grass?"
--
She looked down at my feet and I spotted a bluish type of grass growing there.
"Ah. Found it."
"How can you joke around when you are that injured?" She asked as she started plucking the grass free.
"As I said, this is a fairly regular thing for me. You get used to it after a while."
"Wouldn't it make more sense to not get in the situations in the first place?"
"I'd end up like Mewtwo. I think I'll take being mutilated over that any day. Probably why me and Scarlet get on so well."
"Come to think of it, I really don't have any room to talk either, do I?" She asked as she started tearing up the grass. It took her about ten seconds, which was plenty of time for my vision to blur and come back again. She didn't notice and reached up into a tree and pulled down a leaf, dumping the grass inside and handing it to me with some intructions, "Here. Hold this to your neck where the cuts are, and it'll stop the bleeding. So, who exactly is Scarlet anyway?"
"I'll tell you on one condition," I smirked as I followed her orders, hoping that she actually knew what she was doing. The grass also numbed the wounds, which was a nice suprise.
"What?"
"That you tell me why you and Mewtwo had a falling out."
---
She seemed to contemplate it for a few seconds before nodding, so I started telling the long tale.
"Well, the whole thing started in Vermillion City. This was before I'd met Fervo, who showed up in a underground tunnel network run by this psycho of a Bayleef. Anyway, I'd gotten my ass kicked by a Raichu and afterwards by a freaky shapeshifting Ditto called Asmodeus-"
We were going to be there a while, but I didn't mind. After all, I wasn't going anywhere. At least I didn't feel as tired anymore, although I wondered how long that would last.