Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 117: A Nutcraker Tale
Yumi's POV
Am I pretty…here we were, back at this question, only this time, no more games. I had annoyed Seth with the question all day, but now I longed for an answer.
"That question…" Seth said to himself before looking at me, "That question has annoyed me all day. I've no reason to answer it."
"That's the point!" I argued as I grabbed his hand, "I've wanted an answer from you since day one! Alice told me that you once called her pretty, why can't you call ME pretty? Am I pretty?! Am I pretty?" I was beginning to hold back tears of passion. "Am I pretty?"
Chikorita and Braixen were trying to calm us down, but it was no use.
"Let go!" Seth yelled.
"Not until you tell me I'm pretty! Am I pretty? Am I pretty?"
Seth winced in frustration as he yelled, "No! You're not!"
I paused when those words left his lips. His answer was so unnerving, I felt all strength in my arms minimize, allowing for Seth to pull away.
Braixen and Chikorita went to my side as I dropped to my knees.
"You wanted an answer, and now you've got it…" Seth remarked as he began to walk away.
His footsteps in the ice could be heard, and he was not stopping for me. It was my choice whether to follow him. Did I want to follow him?
…
I began to cry, but my tears froze before even leaving my face.
"That question is reserved for me." The mysterious voice said. "He went through the trouble of saving your life, just to tell you you're not pretty. That's right, YOU'RE UGLY."
"Chico. Chicori." Chikorita tried her best to cheer me up, even going as far as resting on my lap and smiling at me from up close.
"Zen." Braixen hugged me from behind.
The entire world wouldn't be enough to cheer me up. Seth doesn't think I'm pretty, and he told me with such bitterness coming from his mouth…It was as if my heart was as fragile as the icy waterfall in the ravine. My icy heart was in Seth's hands, and he shattered it into a million pieces. Without my heart, I felt like I wanted to…
"You wish to die, am I right?" The mysterious voice asked.
The question wasn't absurd, because those thoughts just come with heartbreak.
'Seth is well aware of your feelings for him, but remains oblivious for the sake of gaining power.'
Those were the words the voice spoke when I was falling.
"I don't blame you for wanting to move on to the next life right now. After all, being called ugly has such a negative effect on a woman's self-esteem. Don't worry, I'll be more than happy to grant your wish. I will kill you, and make the young man watch…it'll be a treat before I kill him next."
My eyes widened. This mysterious voice wanted Seth dead too?!
"Who are you?" Why couldn't Seth hear it this time? Maybe I was hearing things.
"Follow the young man. The icy coat on his blue eyes reveals to him the old Aomori Village which I inhabit in these Icy Mountains. There you will meet me, at long last. You will be afforded one last opportunity to profess your love, and you will finally find answers as to what happened to the late Pryce."
I was heartbroken, but not defeated. Braixen and Chikorita helped me back to my feet. There was nothing injured from the fall. A girl with her heartbroken and confidence destroyed just needs support…
"To Aomori Village, it is…"
…..
To Another Result, of an Avalugg-sized Earthquake…
We bring you Christmas in July! And on this fine-uncalled for Christmas, we find ourselves with a certain duo who fell victim to Avalugg, falling through the shattered ice, and into a different chamber than Seth!
Seth was able to save him and his 'crew' using his Shadow power. How did Chapel and Rose fare?
Rose's POV
Honestly, there was not a thing for me to fear when Avalugg collapsed the floor we were standing on. Why, when we fell through, all that was required of me was to activate my virus power, ensuring a soft, safe trip to the location waiting for us. I grabbed a falling Chapel by her brownish-red backpack as she hugged onto Piplup and Eevee for dear life.
Gifted with physical and mental abilities greater than that of the average human, carrying the weight of Chapel and her pokemon was a simple task, as we touched the bottom. One more small detail: Our eggs were unharmed, mine being carried in the black backpack I borrowed from Brother.
"What a fall." I gently wiped some ice off my black maiden dress. "Why, from that height, I was more worried about debaucherously delinquent men trying to sneak a peek under my dress."
Piplup, Chapel, and Eevee all looked around, and were astounded.
"What is this place?" Chapel was astounded, and I hardly blamed her.
I skimmed and scanned the area. The question uttered from the mouth of Chapel was rather key.
"This is a small town…" I said to myself. Might it be correct to label this a small town at all?
"Vui?"
The writer has really lost it with bend the rules of the universe this time. This small town was reminiscent of a fantasy ripped right out of a book for children. The abundance of snow aside, gingerbread houses stood in place of real houses. Roads existed, made of wooden brown and tan colored tiles that collectively formed to look like large Chessboards. Black chess pieces stood at the edges at said checkered roads. Nutcrackers patrolled the frozen wooden bridges, drove the toy trains, and populated the gingerbread colosseum as they cheered for a Buneary skating in a field of ice.
"It is, a Christmas fantasy!"
"A fantasy Christmas, it is!" Two certain fireflies flew in our direction, lighting the wooden chessboard road.
Those two fireflies were the Inammorati: Those annoying Volbeat and Illumise! I don't care if they belong to Commander Beatrice, they remain insufferable to this day.
"Let's sing, The Nutcracker Tale!" Illumise cheered.
"The Nutcracker tale, let us sing!" No surprise, Volbeat agreed.
"Volbeat, Illumise!" I called upon their names, halting them in front of us.
"Commander 26?" Illumise and Volbeat were somewhat surprised to see me here.
"26, the Commander?"
"I do not understand. What reason do you to possess for being here?" I asked.
"And how come you can talk?" Chapel added.
The Volbeat and Illumise chuckled.
"We're breaking the rules and making a cameo." Volbeat said.
"We're making a cameo and breaking the rules." Illumise added.
Then, as the fireflies began to fly away, they said to me…
"26, we and Lady Beatrice wait for you at The Bridge That Leads Nowhere."
"The Bridge That Leads Nowhere, we and Lady Beatrice wait for you, 26."
"What?"
"After this arc!" They both clarified.
I was off put by this rare occasion where the fireflies neglected to harass me upon us crossing paths. I was relieved when they became beyond my sight. The appearance of the Innamorati giving her ideas, Chapel began to wonder about what happened between me and the fireflies after Beatrice defeated her. I told her to never mind, as we had a more pressing matter at the moment.
"Where to?" I asked. "I look to the checkered streets, and my mind fills with thoughts of mystery, as I have never before seen such a thing. I observe the resident pokemon, and tell myself that this is their natural habitat…that is, until I take note of the walking nutcrackers and believe that this habitat is far from natural. What lies within this…anomaly of a wonder?"
"We need to find Seth and Yumi." Chapel replied.
Eevee cried in agreement, as did Piplup.
Chapel grabbed my hand, and we took one step toward the unique toy town. One step was all it took for something unexpected to happen…
"Once we find Seth, we can leave the Icy Mountains for good-"
"Tehe. You wish to find the young man, even after rejecting his plea for you to accompany him…"
A mysterious voice addressed us. I halted, for this voice was transparent, and an echo accompanied it. Might it be the voice Brother has mentioned before? Honestly, this feminine voice sounded about as soft spoken and ladylike as I, but clearly lacked the manners to formally introduce herself in person.
"Show yourself!" I called.
"Should I? I do not feel the need to waste the gift of my presence on inconveniences like you two. Why, my intention was to have the both of you AND that Yumi girl dead. What a shame…Well, I suppose I could give you an image of who…will command for your final hour!"
Wind began to blow, brushing my long blonde hair. How wind could make it down to this underground town was beyond my knowledge, but I guess there was no arguing it. The wind picked snow off the ground bordering the checkered road. The snow was carried, all the way to right in front of Chapel and I. Each and every small flake gathered to make something bigger, something collective. Glowing, the snow began to transform, into a borderline-terrifying looking woman, who looked beautiful at the same time. Her long hair went well below her waist, and was jet black in color. Her eyes were the same icy blue color as the eyes of a hypnotized Seth. She wore, with a red obi, a kimono that was a white as her inhumanly pale skin.
"Prepare yourself, for when you're dead and reminiscing on your final day on Earth, the image of me will be what you remember most."
Why? Why did this woman wish to kill us?
"What is your motive?" I asked, "From where I stand, you seem to not have a reason for living, other than thrill of committing heinous acts. What do you desire with Brother?"
"The young man?" The woman questioned before chuckling, "Now now, we wouldn't want to spoil the main event in Aomori Village. Besides, you won't be alive to witness it!" This was the woman's battle cry. Her voice echoed throughout the town of checkered roads and gingerbread houses.
The nutcrackers halted in unison. The dancing Buneary who put on a performance for the fireflies paused, and stared in our direction. Lights began to flicker, and once again, wind started to pick up and carry snowflakes.
Me, Chapel, and our pokemon took battle stances, as we now knew the intention of the mysterious woman.
Up above, from where we floated down, a giant object fell.
"Lugg!" It landed right behind the woman, cracking the checkered road and causing a slight tremor. "Aavv!"
Chapel was taken aback, "The Avalugg from before?!"
"My parting gift to you…Avalugg, give them death…"
Our attention was now focused squarely on the intimidating Avalugg. In fact, Chapel failed to notice the mysterious woman fading away as Avalugg took one step forward.
I took one step back. We were now aware of the raw power this Avalugg held. Due to that fact, we could not afford to charge in a match the ice type blow for blow. If we were to defeat this monstrosity, strategy was a must.
I took out a Pokeball, ready to fight. "I have stood on the sidelines long enough. The time has come for me to enter this fight!"
She was released from the sanctuary that was her Pokeball; the neglected Mime Jr doll, with stuffing oozing out of the hole in the neck, as a single thread was the only thing keeping the head from falling off completely. Despite her head on the brink of decapitation, a smile remained on her face. It was a smirk so sinister, the inflexible threading is ripped, leaving stuffing to drip to the checkered ground.
"A girl has called upon her favorite doll…" The Mime Jr doll remained in the air, and as she began emitting a dark aura, she slowly descended. This town of toys remains vibrant due to the lights that seem fit for Christmas decoration, but around where the doll stood, the lights went out. It was almost as dark as night when the doll transformed…into Banette, the evil black doll born from hatred and jealousy. "Hehehehe…" Banette seemed to be amused by the Avalugg towering over her, "My lifelong friendship with Rose suppresses my dark evil. However, whenever she feels threatened, I will gladly unleash this dark power in her defense."
"Avalugg!" Avalugg welcomed the challenge with impatience, not intimidated by Banette in the slightest.
Banette looked around, throughout the town of toys, "You serve the ghostly woman who threatens my dear Rose, correct? And I suppose she's the one who created this toy town." Banette started, "From where I stand, these ownerless toys have it great here. They were never gifted with a human owner, so they do not know the pain of feeling rejected once said owner tosses you out, like garbage. They will never feel as dead as I did when Amy threw me away…That pain has become what makes me strong-strong enough to plunge you into an eternal nightmare!"
Banette wasted no time spreading the dark aura surrounding her, fully intent on making Avalugg suffer through Night Shade. This was an aura capable of purging a person into their own darkest thoughts for all eternity. I have experienced her power myself.
"Lugg…" Now it was time for Avalugg to witness this power. The darkness was swift…or perhaps, Avalugg just lacked the speed to take evasive action. From merry to turbulent, the near surroundings of Avalugg became as black as the pelt of a Mightyena.
"Wh-what's going on?" Chapel was bewildered by the power of Banette. I have told stories of Night Shade to Chapel, and while she seemed intrigued, she simply did not know how it felt to witness it firsthand.
Banette heard the question coming from Chapel, and made no attempt to answer.
"We will now enter the mind of Avalugg, and like Banette said, we will plunge this pokemon into an eternal nightmare." I answered calmly.
While I have told stories about the power of Banette to Chapel, I have not once mention the backstory of Banette. If Chapel could have been there to see the vision of Banette being left behind, she would understand where Banette was coming from.
"Lug…" Avalugg was beginning to feel the mind-wrenching effect of Night Shade, and he winced.
"Yes…I sense your fear…" Banette whispered, "You fear failing the mysterious woman you call your master. She's a cunning woman, and that comes with cold ruthlessness. She saved you and your Bergmite colony from extinction, she built you this town of toys, and she allows you to live…How might allowing one to live be a nice thing?" Banette began to laugh, "At heart, the woman is a killer. She could take your life at any time, so it's safe to assume you are at her mercy. I also see that there's…something else you fear right now: ME!"
"Avalugg, may you rest in peace." I almost never made it out of Night Shade back then, making certain Avalugg will not survive the same assault now. What we saw inside the darkness, were figments of the nightmares Avalugg was trapped in. The snow lined around the checkered road began to melt, along with the checkered road itself. A few nutcrackers began to fall apart, laying on the cold ground in many lifeless pieces. These nutcrackers were now junk...
"Lugg! Lugg…" Avalugg began screaming. If the dark world around him was dying, then he would be next. "Avalugg!"
There was nothing he could do. Victory was within our grasp. I turned around and began to walk in the other direction, knowing Chapel, Banette, Eevee and Piplup would not be far behind. I believe now was the time to start our trek out of this town of toys, and search for Brother and Yumi. Such a shame though, Avalugg unable to go out on his own terms. His evolution was so situational, but even so, he was only following the orders of the mysterious woman…She tossed Avalugg and the Bergmite at us like pawns, or kamikaze attacks even.
"Rose, where are you going?" Chapel asked, Piplup and Eevee calling out to me.
"I am confident this battle will conclude now." I answered. I felt the need to address Avalugg before he fell into a deep sleep, "Goodnight Avalugg. Your nightmare will humble you when you wake up…"
…
…
…
"I know we're only supposed to make cameos today, but we can't resist playing with you, 26!"
"Yes! 26, we can't resist playing with you, even though we're only supposed to make cameos today!"
Perhaps I spoke too soon, about starting the search for Brother…unfortunately.
Blocking my path were the masked Volbeat and Illumise, who were floating in front of me with mischievous smiles on their faces.
Ugh, I have expressed my disdain toward these creatures many times. Why did they have to appear here? Did I understand why Beatrice would allow them to come all the way to the Icy Mountains, alone, just to enjoy the show Buneary puts on? Absolutely not. It is unusual for a pokemon to spend an extended amount of time away from their trainer while not in storage.
"A mysterious, ghostly woman gave us an order to help eliminate you!" Volbeat cheered.
Illumise clapped, "Yes, we were given an order to help eliminate you by a mysterious, ghostly woman!"
The fireflies both chimed in when saying, "And our aid starts with this!" Smiles on their faces, they flew in the direction of a Banette still inflicting her Night Shade on Avalugg.
Chapel saw this, and was quick to take action, "Piplup, Eevee!"
Piplup and Eevee blocked the path of the fireflies. Their eyebrows were furrowed, and they were ready to defend the evil doll.
"Hm?" Volbeat and Illumise both stopped. They were rather intrigued by Piplup and Eevee. They looked at each other for a moment. It was as if they were speaking telepathically, metaphorically speaking, because no words came from their lips. They smiled coyly, giggling as they returned their gazes to Piplup and Eevee.
"What-What's wrong?" Chapel was bewildered.
Oh Chapel, you have met Volbeat and Illumise once before. You should not be surprised by their amusement…
Volbeat and Illumise calm and slow, flying toward Piplup and Eevee. This was their way of deceptively getting their opponents to let their guards down. Eevee and Piplup were just as bewildered as Chapel.
"Pip?"
"Vui?"
"Do not let your guard down." I told them.
"You shouldn't worry about your pokemon letting their guards down." Illumise said.
"About your pokemon letting their guards down, you shouldn't worry." Volbeat added.
"PRANKSTER!" They both cheered.
It was impossible for Eevee and Piplup to let down their guard. However, that did not stop Volbeat and Illumise from making the effort seem futile. Prankster was an ability pokemon could possess. For any other pokemon, it is a means to get the upper hand in battle, but for Volbeat and Illumise…Ugh, those two live and breathe the life of a prankster. They both created an illusion of themselves to deceive Piplup and Eevee.
"Substitute!" The fireflies cheered. "Allow us to play some 'Jinn's Curse' music as we troll you!"
The Substitute clones began to fiddle with Eevee and Piplup mischievously.
"Lup?! Piplup!"
"First, we have a penguin!" The clone Illumise got uncomfortably close to the face of Piplup, "Huh? I remember you! You're the little penguin we fought in Mahogany Town. YOU FAILED! Hahahahaha!"
Piplup grunted. "Lup…" The Illumise substitute being as blunt as she was Piplup could not help charging at her. Her beak glowed white, and a Drill Peck was in order. "Lup?!"
"Your beak in so pointy!" The Illumise substitute happily caught the beak of Piplup, little effort needed. "I wonder if we can spin it like a top?" Illumise proceeded to spin Piplup, dropping her to the ground. Her beak really DID spin, along with the body of Piplup that the beak was balancing.
Piplup became dizzy, and did not get up.
Next up was the substitute Volbeat, who addressed Eevee.
"Has anyone told you how ugly you look? I mean, what's with your fur?!" The Volbeat substitute laughed. He was mocking Eevee and the fact that she was a different color.
The substitute Illumise chimed in, "Did someone drop you into cement? If they did, they shouldn't have taken you out. YOU LOOK HIDEOUS! Hahahahaha!"
Rather than get angry like Piplup, Eevee was saddened. She frowned, and her ears drooped. In a way, she WAS left in a place as cold and sedentary as cement. Left in a Pokemon Storage system for five years…could Volbeat and Illumise be taking a crack at that? I could tell that Eevee was self-conscious.
"We are Jesters of Commedia Del' Arte, and as substitutes, our job of distracting you is now complete!" Piplup was down and dizzy, while Eevee was too saddened to put up a fight…Wait, we just lost! Knowing this fact, the substitute Volbeat and Illumise disappeared with a bow, giving way for a most unnerving sight.
"We have, captured Banette!"
"Captured Banette, we have!"
Volbeat was holding Banette by her yellow, brush-like tail.
"Let me go! I've been waiting to meet you again! I'll plunge you into a nightmare just like I did Avalugg, you-" Banette was talking and struggling to free herself from Volbeat, but Illumise happily zipped her mouth shut.
"I guess Arceus put that zipper there for a reason!" The fireflies then turned to Avalugg, "And speaking of Avalugg being plunged into a nightmare…"
With Banette caught up with Volbeat and Illumise, there was no longer any concentration on Night Shade. The darkness began to dissipate, and the shades of pitch black around Avalugg began to return to normal. The many Christmas lights regained their vibrant form, and the briefly dormant nutcracker toys began marching about once more.
The scene before us was alive and well once more, which spelt trouble for us.
"Lug." The eyes of Avalugg opened about as fast as the movement of a Ninjask.
"Good morning, Avalugg!"
"Avalugg, good morning!"
The large Ice type was greeted by Volbeat and Illumise, as well as his muffled liberator-Banette-in their grasp.
"Avalugg…Avalugg is free!" Chapel had disbelief written in her shaking eyes, her gaze plastered onto Avalugg.
"We will have to fight Avalugg again, as well as Volbeat and Illumise," I said.
Avalugg was looking right at Banette. His eyes were as cold and hard as ice, and they desired nothing more than payback.
"That's not all," Volbeat said.
"We have reinforcements." Illumise finished.
"Mite."
"Mite."
"Mite."
"From the jaws of defeat, Avalugg has snatched a momentum shift." I remarked.
This was becoming troublesome, and I was growing uneasy. I looked around, seeing countless Bergmite step up, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Mite."
"Mite."
"Mite."
"The mysterious woman told us these minions have unfinished business with you," Volbeat said.
"These minions have unfinished business with you, the mysterious woman told us." Illumise added.
These were the Bergmite from before, and in a matter of seconds, they had us surrounded. What do we do now? Banette was helpless, while Piplup and Eevee could be rendered useless by the fireflies at any time. Yes, my sneaking suspicion was about to come to fruition: They were about to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat…
"Commander Beatrice was looking forward to meeting you, 26. Sadly, the mysterious woman will have your head!" Volbeat cheered. He and Illumise started getting excited. Then…
Illumise chuckled to herself before glaring at us, "Prepare yourselves, because the Icy Mountains will be your final resting ground."
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
Yes, last chapter ended on a high note. We'll check up on Seth and Yumi, but this chapter first: It's not a filler used to take up screen time. I was on the brink of Writer's Block during this chapter, I'll admit. You know what I did to combat said Writer's Block? Easy, I simply wrote in Rose's POV rather than Chapel, and added Volbeat and Illumise in for fun. I just needed a change up, and while Rose will be having ALOT of the main spotlight after this arc, I haven't told a chapter in her POV since her previous encounter with Commander Beatrice...before I went to Boot Camp...last year. The beginning of the chapter was purposely intended to be nonsensical enough to have Volbeat and Illumise make such a random appearance. Don't worry though, Avalugg is the main enemy right here. I just felt a need to have the masked fireflies make an appearance, otherwise, the gap between their previous appearance and their next appearance would be too big.
I can't wait to show of Seth and Yumi after Avalugg is defeated :)
Rose's Party
Banette(Female)-Insomnia
Pokemon Egg...