This chapter was beta-read by Raging Cringeon. "(Dank meme bro, I'll take it)"
What colour were her eyes?
"..."
"Don't give me that silent treatment! If she rolls three, you automatically get whatever's in the kitty."
"We've been over this! That's not true!"
"It is so! Let her roll, Mewtwo!"
For the past fifteen minutes, in the more common areas of the hall of origin, two legendary Pokemon psychics in Arceus and Mewtwo - revered highly amid the other residents of the divine stronghold - bickered intensely over the mortal game of MonoPolygon. Cresselia had been wavering a set of dice in the air telekinetically for awhile now. She could've been watching soap operas this entire time, but no. She made the fatal mistake of trying to be social.
Finally conceding from the fight, the Genetic category Pokemon leaned backwards (albeit levitating in air) and folded his arms miserably.
"So be it, since you won't refer to the official handbook. You may roll, Cresselia."
The Lunar Pokemon rolled her eyes, before letting gravity decide the fate of the dice. The two die bonked across the glorified table that held the board game, eventually stopping to reveal two numbers through symbols: a pair of fours.
"Eight, that'll put me on…" murmured the Psychic type Pokemon, moving her silver piece across the board… with her mind. "The Strandibuzz! Great! No one owns it, right?"
"No…" growled Mewtwo, through grit teeth, watching disdainfully an exchange of fictional currency for a non-fictional property. The icing on the cake was the warm smile of the Cresselia, who he was certain, knew exactly what she was doing.
Arceus, after making the deal as the banker of the game, coyly glanced at the magenta and lavender Bipedal's set of cards on his side. Two reds lay gloomily on the table, awaiting their third partner to make an irresistible trio.
"Damn, Mewtwo, you really got hard done by." Arceus commented while snickering.
"I have not! See for yourself! I still have my greens, that is Destiny Bond Street and Regentacruel Street."
The Judgement Pokemon merely shrugged. "Hey, Cresselia still gets to roll again anyway. She got a double."
"Fine."
Cresselia eagerly rolled again, aware of the eternally lethargic Giratina that began to slowly float into the room. The dice somersaulted across the board again, while the ghost dragon halted between Mewtwo and Arceus to spectate. A five and a six.
"Ha! Just what I needed! That'll put me on…"
"NOOO! DUSTOXFORD STREET!"
Mewtwo, crying out his pain while gripping the velvet carpet below, watched the vital trade that set sail a precious green property in Cresselia's direction.
"Damn, 'Two… You just got served a raw cock." Giratina added, manifesting a beanbag under his rear for him to sit under.
"WHY AM I EVEN HERE?!"
.
.
.
THAT SYLVEON
I'm chuffed to bits with this. Still stuck around for the ride, right? I don't believe people still read this story lol. Thanks for being such great readers. I'd also like to thank the helpful people in my server, who were very supportive during the making of this story. I'm ultra grateful, and I'd say it every chapter if I have to.
Also, yes! I'm so happy to find that last chapter was… Good lol. I'm STRIVING for some critique, because I hardly think this story is perfect. I love writing these stories, but I don't want to churn them out just to hear that "it's good.", or no response at all. I really want to know why you think the story is good, bad, or whichever opinion you may have. Let me know! I really appreciate the reviews people have already left. They really help motivate me.
LuanOTP doesn't own Pokemon.
...
Julley and Cooper paced around the dimly lit room. Moreso the Umbreon, though. The latter, older, electric type barely took steps away from the corner, lest he wanted to hear the teeth-gritting creak from the wooden floorboard again. He saw that it didn't stop the dark type.
The glowing Pokemon looked as recklessly restless as ever. It brought a frown to his face.
"Julley, you're gonna get cramps if you're walkin' around like that." warned the electric type. Flippantly, of course. "Why don't you take a seat or something?"
The father in question lifted his stern gaze from the broken and splinter-ridden floorboards to the Jolteon who seemed to be as cool as a cucumber.
"I-I'm sorry, Cooper. I don't know how you stay so calm. It's just… well… I don't thrive under pressure as well as you guys do." admitted the Umbreon, ears falling flat on his head.
"Huh? What're you on about?" A twinkling smile manifested on Cooper's maw. "Don't you remember when you took out that dude in the finals of your school tourney? What was he, a Marowak or something?"
Julley stopped pacing around for once. He could resist a beam trickle onto his face as well. "Aha… I don't know if that counts. He sort of took himself out. P-Plus, it wasn't even the finals…"
The Lightning Pokemon flicked his wrist nonchalantly. "Finals, schminals. What counts is that you made the team, and even won a trophy. Takes buckets of confidence to do that, don'tcha think?"
Now that he had outlined it for him, the quadrupedal realised that his wife's brother had a point. He'd no idea where it had come from, but in the final seconds of that match, Julley remembered the moxie imbued in him.
"I s-suppose so, aha. I was a little lucky, though."
Copper sniggered. "Lucky? Would you say you're lucky to have gotten with my little sis?"
A blush began to protrude from the beaming Umbreon's cheeks. "Aha… Definitely. Y-You don't get girls like Cassidy everyday."
Julley hadn't expected Cooper to laugh at his comment, but there he was, guffawing like the 38 year old he was, and as the 20-year old he looked like.
"You know what Jull? You I always knew you got some serious game about you."
"What? Really?"
"Course! In fact, that day when I first met you… When was it…" mused the Jolteon, going at his chin with a paw, before shrugging nonchalantly. "Ah, whatever. Doesn't matter. Anyway, when I first saw you sippin' on your juice, I knew you were the right guy for Cass. I just wasn't sure if Cass was the right gal for you. Way to prove me wrong, dude."
Smiling inwardly, the Umbreon scratched his long ears with his paws, desperately finding something to fiddle with.
"Haha… N-No problem."
Huh. I guess that means she was an oversized ball after all.
What? What are you talking about?
Two words. Presidential visit.
Uhh alright? I'm just going to pretend I know whatever it is you're on about.
In not all, though half a sudden, Cooper shot straight up, assuming a ready position on all four paws. His gaze seemed to point holes into the ceiling, yet was actually much more distant than that. Meanwhile, the startled Umbreon, petrified, glared toward the Jolteon with wide open lookers. The electric type seemed to stay like that for a while, muzzle scrunched as if there was a rotting stench in the air. Given the state of the city, Julley wouldn't be surprised.
"Uhh… C-Cooper?" quietly asked the bright ringed quadrupedal.
The Jolteon's sight locked onto the vacuous dark type, making him flinch even. "Did you not hear that, Julley?"
"Hear wha-"
*BANG*
"..."
The Earth shattering roar of what sounded like a Latias breaking the speed of sound shook Julley out of his fur. The thunder-like noise seemed to come from across the street, where the duo of fighters were directed. Cooper immediately made like a newly-born Caterpie and lay flat on his stomach. He desperately gestured for Julley to do the same.
Though his bright yellow bioillumination made it difficult to keep a low-profile, the Umbreon went prone on the freezing wooden boards. Making an effort to scooch closer to the Jolteon, he cumbrously opened his yap.
"D-Do you think that was Brendan and Tyson? S-Should we radio them in?"
The electric type confidently shook his head. He seemed like he didn't even have to think about it, making Julley feel as if his question was dumb.
It was.
Thanks, but why?
"Not just yet, Julley." instructed Cooper, giving glances to the windows above them. "We might put them in danger by striking a conversation."
"R-Right. So what do we do?"
"We should probably wait."
"Okay."
The dark room - that gradually started to grow on the Eeveelution pair - echoed with awkward silence. Weirdly enough, the unusually damp floorboards of the enclosed room became quite comfortable after a few minutes of quiet waiting. Julley felt the pleasant warmth from the rough wooden planks, that became a viable resting place once you looked past all those pesky splinters.
Daringly, Cooper slowly stood up straight on all four paws. He sidled along the wall to approach one of the windows, and leaned on the glass to get a view of the outside world.
"Do you see anything?" whispered Julley, still on the floor.
The Jolteon shook his head, before sinking to the ground again. "Nuh-uh. Although, Brendan and Tyson may not have made it."
"..."
The epiphany of possible death body-checked Julley like the rambunctious younger brother to Cooper did on upon meeting him. The rusted chains holding up his speeding heart snapped like dry twigs, bidding his heart to plummet into his ribcage.
"..."
"*Bzzt…* Hello? Do you guys copy?"
Julley immediately felt the rush of hope fill the room as a voice resounded from Cooper's fur. The Jolteon promptly fished for his walkie talkie from his mane, and set it on the floor between himself and the Umbreon a metre away from him.
"Hello? Brendan? This is Cooper, can you hear me?" replied the electric type, sounding slightly relieved.
"Yeah, loud and clear. Listen, that rat of a Flygon knows we're here! We heard from a transceiver on one of his grunts."
"Uh oh…" mumbled Julley, moving closer to the communications device. "We heard a g-gunshot earlier, Brendan. Is everything alright?"
The speaker brought forth nose-wrinkling noises that sounded akin to one scrunching up a piece of paper in the opposite party's microphone.
"Umm, yeah. One of these rookies had their gun go off, and it hit Tyson's vest. He's alright, though."
Julley noticed Cooper visibly wince. The dark type merely was made glad that no one got truly hurt in the process.
Darn, Arceus, you really had to go and give me the scare of a lifetime.
Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever. Quick question, though - You still have to pay if you land on someone's property with a double, right?
...What?
SEE? That's what I said!
...You remind me of Anais.
Could you leave me alone, Dad? I'm with my friends.
The Umbreon sighed dejectedly, as he repositioned his squat on the floor. "R-Right. So um… You said G-Gorvin knows we're here?"
"Yeah, so- Wait, Julley - it's pronounced Gauvin."
Eyes were rolled.
"Anyway, we need to get a move on. He knows what's up."
Cooper shook his head frustratedly, a paw clutching the fur on his forehead. His blue irises glided to the other troubled father, who's rings seem to dim a little bit. Brendan continued speaking, from his walkie talkie that sounds like it's in a blender.
"We're on the roof of the library, but I think you're free to- *Bzzzt!* -straight down the road. Maybe up to that warehouse right before the pier? Do you see it?"
The Umbreon's head went up, such that he was able to see out of the blurry Eastern window that displayed the stormy horizon, extended beyond the piers and houses. Within the structures, a wide, one-storey building lay between the pier and the residential properties.
"I-I see it." claimed the dark type, setting his head back down. "So we head there?"
"I think so. I'll be able to see you from the library, so I'll warn you if we see anyone. Uh, Gotta go."
"Alright. Stay safe." Cooper said, reaching to stuff the device back into his fur. He then glared at Julley, with a half-smile. "Show time, am I right?"
It was what he signed up for, but still the Umbreon sighed.
"I'd suppose so."
…
...
Two Eeveelutions found themselves on the street again. The rain had begun to let up a bit, thankfully. Not by a lot, yet it certainly made a difference.. At least there was one less thing for Julley to be worrying about. Not like it made too much of a difference, though.
Cooper let him out of the shop's first floor through the way they had entered, and back onto the sodden main road. The Jolteon had broken out into a brisk speed walk close to the walls of the surrounding buildings, so the dark type had to put in a bit of effort just to keep up.
"Hey, C-Cooper, could you slow down a little?" huffed the Umbreon, his paws becoming heavier the more they walked. "I'm not as fit as I used to be. W-Well… I was never fit at all."
"Sorry 'bout that, Jull. I'm just raring to have a go at this guy." explained Cooper, who had briefly turned around.
Julley noticed that the hill began to get steeper the more that had progressed. Combined with the running water on the pavements, slipping down the steep slope became a real possibility.
"Hey, hey, you guys!" yelled a distraught voice in hushed tones. It exuded from the Jolteon's torso. "Stop where you are, and hide or something. There's someone about to come out from the alleyway on your right."
Both Eeveelutions adhered to the command, stopping in place like concrete statues. Julley peered over the thirty-eight year old's shoulder, indeed seeing a gap between two buildings a dozen yards in front of them. Cooper immediately hugged the shopfront in panic, beginning to hear the wet footsteps of whatever was about to emerge from the alleyway. Meanwhile, the dark type desperately hurried behind a nearby dustbin, and bit on his tongue in any attempt to dim his natural bioluminescence.
A glassy sensation. The Jolteon braced himself as he backed up against the window pane of the store they were in front of. He kept his glare on the alleyway, as the footsteps accompanied by the gentle drizzle grew in volume.
Rounding the corner, a Sawk that seemed to be just as prepared as Cooper thought he himself was. The brutal fighting type whipped a handgun out in front of the topaz-jacketed Eeveelution, causing him to flinch.
"Hey! Don't move!" exclaimed the gi-clad martial artist, who instead opted to use a much more effective, ranged weapon. "Who are you?"
Julley, who quivered behind the much taller trash can, closed his eyes, and hoped to Arceus he wouldn't be found.
"Wouldn't you like to know?!" answered Cooper boldly, moving backwards to obscure the Sawk's vision from the trash can. "I live around here, punk."
The Sawk, who's stone-stern expression didn't change a bit. They reached into their pocket, and pulled out a transceiver. Keeping an eye on
"Gauv. Got a Jolteon here."
Adamantly and angrily, Cooper watched the communicator rumble with Kalos-flavoured speech.
"If you can't bring them alive, make it look like an accident."
The Eeveelution now wore a frown.
"...You heard the man. You're coming with me." ordered the Karate Pokemon, whose fingers didn't budge from the trigger. Cooper refused to show any visual signs of fear, however.
From behind the bin, Julley couldn't bear to hear this conversation go for any longer. He may not have the type advantage…
"Does it look like I'm going anywhere?"
"Don't make me shoot you."
"Go on, tough guy! Put it riiiight here, in the pan!"
"You're fuckin' askin' for it, pal."
"Oh good - Then bite me!"
...But he had the super effective element of surprise.
Call it blood rush, adrenaline, or a spur of the moment sort of thing. The Umbreon saw it as more of a do or die situation, quite literally. Quickly turning to look across the street, he picked the first thing that could cause a commotion. He took a sharp breath, and manifested his energy into a shadowy blob of plasma before him, then concentrated the rest of his will into force.
The sphere was propelled from in front of the dark type's face, mimicking the sound of a jet plane taking off. It slammed and dissipated into a busted up car that was parked on the curb of the road, denting it's exterior from the explosive impact.
Startled, the once-serious Sawk lowered his aim, taking notice of the blast across the street. However, below his line of sight, a Jolteon didn't see a detonation. The fighting type had taken his eyes off him for a millisecond, and that's what Cooper saw - a window of opportunity.
His teeth clamped against each other. Cooper focused, before discharging a surge of current into the stream that ran between his paws. The Sawk, unable to react, screamed in callous agony. The handgun was dropped from his lifeless hands, splashing into the water below. The electric type didn't let up despite the Sawk's cry from the life being melted away from inside him.
From behind the trash can, Julley watched with dinner plates for eyes. For what seemed like an entire minute, he spectated the monstrosity in front of him. Smoke or some sort of unidentifiable gas fumed from the Karate Pokemon's skin from under his gi, while he spasmed uncontrollably. The inhumane horror was no longer bearable to watch.
Finally, the screaming stopped. The Sawk fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement as the essence of life was stripped from his eyes. Stepping out from the cover of the larger bin, Julley saw the results of Cooper's actions, sprawled out on the cold floor. His skin burnt to a crisp from his steaming blood boiling his insides like an oven. The Jolteon fell backwards onto his rear, panting. A lot of work seemed to have been done by the Lightning Pokemon.
Silence ensued from then on. The street was calm, yet the situation between Julley and the electric type was tense. Eventually, the latter discovered the bravery to speak.
"C-Cooper, I-I-"
"Thanks for the diversion, Julley." Cooper interrupted, turning around with his face as cold as the breeze that scraped the Umbreon's fur. "I know that this was unexpected. L-Let's just, not forget why we're here."
"Right. Y-You're right."
Facing the surely dead body of the Sawk, the Pokemon with a doctorate brandished his teeth upon the corpse's clothes, dragging him slowly into the alley which he had emerged from. It didn't take Julley that long to realise that he should help as well. Together, they discarded the defunct remains of the Sawk into the deepest corners of the small strip between the buildings.
It wasn't the sight Julley wanted to see, though it was certainly what he had signed up for. He took one last look at the clothed yet dead meat that slumped in the corner of the alleyway.
That Sawk… He might've had a family of his own, back home. Maybe even a daughter that he'd die fighting for.
Welcome to the mortal world, my friend. Oh, and thanks for making my job harder for me. Now I gotta sort THIS guy out.
...It wasn't even me who… Nevermind.
Don't wanna be hear it. Don't wanna hearing it. UGH! LUAN! CAN'T YOU TYPE? Ahem. I meant to say, I don't wanna be hearing it.
Okay, now you're scaring me.
Cooper had appeared from the alleyway, joining his brother-in-law on the flooded street, who's mind seemed to be up in the clouds. Literally. He had joined his side, tugging on the Umbreon's assault vest.
"Come on, Julley. We've still gotta get down to the warehouse."
The Umbreon had seemed to return to his senses. "Yeah, sorry. L-Let's get going."
The Eeveelutions had continued their journey down the incredibly steep hill. The warehouse was in sight. While being sure to keep a low profile, Cooper brought out his walkie talkie, and gently whispered into it.
"Brendan? Tyson? Are you there?" he said, making swift yet silent progress toward the planned rendezvous spot.
"Yep, this is Tyson. Good to hear you two are okay."
It soothed Julley a little bit more to hear the Typhlosion's hybrid accent make it's way through the line again.
"We are. We had just taken care of the guy giving us trouble, and are on the way to the warehouse. How about you guys?"
Heavy, rushed breathing boomed the speakers. "Phew. We're going via the rooftops, and we just took care of like… five dudes. Huh? It was six? Alright. Brendan said it was six."
Julley threw up his eyebrows mid-pace. The two battlers, casually dispatching numbers 3-fold their own. Meanwhile, two Eeveelutions in himself and Cooper started a whole bunch of palaver just over one Sawk. That Sawk. He couldn't get out of his conscience.
"Geez. How'd you manage that?" gawked the Jolteon. "Anyways, hurry. We don't have a lot of time left."
"No problem. We'll be a minute."
Now, the leading electric type hid the device again, and continued making haste. Julley slightly struggled to follow, though the warehouse was nearing quickly. Wet feet padded the wayward streams of water with every step.
Making it to the base of the hill, the duo on the sidewalk stood a road's width away from a wide structure that had an entrance broken into already.
The Umbreon of the posse huffed, recalling how fit he wasn't once they made it to the bottom of the hill. He brought up his head, and took in the looming warehouse that had been spoken of so many times.
"This is it, isn't it?" asked Cooper, looking both ways before crossing the road in a half-desolated city.
Julley brought a nervous paw to meet his chin, but immediately regretted it once he felt how wet his hands were. "I-It kinda looks like it… I guess."
The Umbreon quickly caught up with the lightning-fast electric type, whose beady eyes went back and forth before slipping into the ajar garage door of the house. Julley followed suit, entering the dark chasm which was supposedly a building. Weirdly enough, he felt safe in the lack of light.
*CLANG*
"Oops… Hope nobody heard that."
Julley turned to wherever the voice came from. "C-Cooper! Be careful!"
"Sorry, Jull. We can't all be dark types." parried the Jolteon, before he had bumped into another unidentifiable metal object. "Dammit!"
Cooper didn't seem to be faring any better. Julley shook his head, and skillfully made his way through the maze-like scaffolding that divided the main floor. The lack of light soothed his worries. His topaz rings pulsed with content. He wouldn't mind staying here for awhile, though it was a shame he couldn't.
"Chhhshhh… This is Brendan. Tyson and I are entering the- Tyson, could you quit that?!"
"I'm sorry! I've just never seen you with hair so short before."
The Umbreon got out his walkie talkie from one of the pockets of his tight-fitting vest. He had overlooked how useful one simple device turned out to become.
"...Jasmine made me get it for our date. A-Anyway! Are you two in the warehouse?"
Julley winced as his ears caught the thump of Cooper walking into another piece of scaffolding. "Uh, yeah, we are. Where are you guys?"
"We're right here."
The Umbreon flew out of his skin for a second. He pulled a 180, and found the barely visible silhouettes of Brendan and Tyson, who had their figures illuminated by the gentle flames coming off Tyson's back.
"G-Geez!" whined the Pokemon accustomed to the dark, but not to the common fright. "D-Don't do that, guys!"
"Nothin' personal, buddy." the Blaziken sneered, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, where's Cooper?"
"...I'm over here."
The voice rang throughout the warehouse, though seemed to source a couple metres away from their position. Brendan was taken by slight surprise, admitting his folly.
"Nice. Good to see you two made it in one piece. I'll be honest, I thought you would've been hurt in a scrap or something."
Julley nipped at an itch on his shoulder. "I-I suppose we may have been lucky."
Memories of the screaming Sawk didn't leave the Umbreon's conscience. Though he wasn't the one to deliver the coup de grace, he still had responsibility in directing the plan of action. His shrieking attempts to cling on to dear life as Cooper fried it out of him gripped Julley by his soul. Even merely recollection was enough to make him freeze.
Bringing the Umbreon back to life, Tyson piped up. "By the way, we had a scout around on our way here. Barring whoever may be waiting for us on the pier, I feel like we've done in most of that puta's pals."
"For sure." added Brendan, snapping his fingers. "We've got this runt on the run. The other side of this warehouse should lead to the pier. What do you say we go and nail that chump?"
Julley felt a surge of confidence. It took a lot to outmatch the weight of his heavy heart, but somehow, it did. The Umbreon opened his mouth to speak.
"A-Alright, let's do it."
…
...
The rickety wooden pier overlooked the roaring sea, that flung droplets of itself at the coastline as often as it could. Many specks of water showered the myriads of abandoned market stalls that lazily decorated the platform with pale colour. Strapped to a post on the edge of the bridge that stretched across the ocean shared with various regions was a Sylveon. Tears mixed with the rainwater ran rivers down her eyes, seeping into the floorboards below. The ropes that bound her made her feel like imminent prey to an Arbok. Grey tape - yes, grey spelled with an 'E' - plastered her lips shut. An opportune time not to have a blocked nose, though.
Rain had been pelting her soiled peach coat for what felt like hours. No doubt, she was going to suffer a sickness from this. She tried hopelessly struggling again. She hadn't any idea what she had expected, but it didn't work.
"Qu'est-ce que tu faire?" called an angry voice from behind one of the market stalls that conveniently sat right in front of the fairy. A Flygon, who merely threatened the Sylveon with his height, let alone his voice, leaned over the counter and stared down the Intertwining Pokemon with a glare of irritation. "Those ropes are on you for a specific reason, Anais. Now, shush."
It didn't stop her struggling again, just to prove her defiance. The Flygon, menacingly glaring down the bound fairy type, stepped out from the market counter. He had strolled over to her, watching her struggle with sick glee.
"Maybe, you're just bursting to talk. Aren't you? Here, let me help."
Shockingly gently, Gauvin inched his rugged hand toward the Sylveon's mouth, tugging at the soaked piece of tape until it had come loose. Then, he had completely removed it.
Anais, the Eeveelution held captive for reasons she didn't comprehend, finally had a taste of oxygen through her mouth after what felt like days. The privilege had been gone for so long, yet now, she had all right to talk. Better make it count.
She turned to the dragon and ground type dual type with a look that could make a Pichu beg for it's mother.
"You, sick motherfucker. Where am I? Why am I here? What the fuck is even going on?! Who the fuck are you even? I don't even know you? Don't even get me started with you, you're ugly as fuck to begin with."
More petty insults ensued from then on. Gauvin frowned, drowned the interrogation out, and placed a fresh strap of tape across the tied yet resilient quadrupedal's yap. That'd oughtta keep her for another few hours.
"Ugh. Teenagers and your hormones… Quoi?!"
Immediately, Gauvin shot up, making Anais flinch in surprise. She halted any movements for now. The Flygon turned his attention to the bridge that led inland, toward the coastline. His eyes shifted left, darted right, yet couldn't pinpoint a reason behind the subtle disturbance.
Suspicious, the winged Pokemon retreated back toward the counter, and from Anais' vision, seemed to rummage around for something. He had revealed a gun, sending a flight response to the Sylveon the second she had seen it.
The Flygon cocked the weapon, the metal jacket of a bullet flying out and into the swarming ocean. Pointing it safely toward the air, he come out from the unstable stall, kneeling in front of the fairy who eyed the gun worriedly.
"If you stay here, and keep quiet, I won't shoot you, got it?" warned the desert dragon sternly, whose raincoat clung to him as if it was glued on.
Anais nodded, sniffling to keep her nose from running.
"Good. I'll be back."
Gauvin flapped his wings, accelerating in the direction of the pier leading back to the warehouse. The Sylveon was left in his wake. He glided close to the ground, keeping his large frame low to anyone who wouldn't expect it. The rain picked up, becoming more violent as it assaulted the oak structure and the Flygon's coat. A layer of fog began to settle just above sea level, obscuring vision only slightly.
Once deemed far enough by the scaled Kalosian, Gauvin stopped in his tracks. He had used a tall attraction for lucky cups as cover. Peering just over the divider, he took a solid moment to survey the area around him. The rags atop the market stalls swayed in the stormy gales - some even submitted to going where the winds took them. Growls from the thunderous clouds posed no threat to the Flygon, yet they still asserted their dominance over the skies above him. The thick mist grew thicker as the clock ticked. Gauvin stuck to his wits, though, and kept his eyes peeled. Still, nothing out of the ordinary.
*TAT*
No time to react before the resounding clap of a suppressed gunshot irradiated the area. Something had ricocheted right off the horizontal surface of the counter he poked his head over - presumably a bullet. A couple centimetres to the left, and it surely would've been goodnight for the Flygon. Gauvin grit his teeth as he swiftly ducked back under the cover.
"Shit! Missed his stupid head." he heard someone yell. A frown came upon the armed dragon's mop.
"Looks like you chose the hard way after all!" exclaimed a Flygon in return, crawling around to a safer point in the attraction.
About twenty-five metres away, three Pokemon hid behind different market stalls. Cooper, who had taken the most recent shot, flew back behind the counter in frustration.
Tyson and Julley lay prone behind the same steel gazebo, that was thankfully fenced with metal plates. The Umbreon had his face in his wet paws for the Jolteon taking a more offensive route.
"Give it up, Gauvin!" Cooper cried, daring to peek over the wooden divider. "I don't wanna have to off you!"
The Jolteon was forced to duck back down, as the Flygon had pointed his gun right at the electric type. He dared not play a game of chicken. Or rather, Blaziken.
"Tu peux essayer!" the dragon and ground type shouted back.
The two went at it, taking turns rattling one another with semi-automatic rounds, Tyson and Julley quietly signalled to each other. The latter screwed on a silencer on the end of a pistol borrowed from their other pro-battler colleague.
"This might be a good time to flank 'em." silently advised the Typhlosion, who tested his courage by peeking slightly above the metal barrier.
"B-Be careful. We just need to stall him, remember!"
Not even one second after, the fire type regretted his decision, and cowered behind the thick steel sheets. Following Tyson's retreat, an armada of bullets coupled with the deafening grumble of what Julley heard to be an automatic weapon of sorts. Even Cooper beat a swift roll behind cover from the booming array of bullets.
Gauvin, who had taken the upper hand by equipping a two-handed submachine gun, slowly advanced toward the group through the pier's erratic market stalls.
"Come on, you rats!" shrieked the Flygon, brooding terror from both the barrel of his weapon, and the sadistic grin on his face. "I'll kill you all, and fuck your wife when I'm done with you, Julley!"
Bullets hogged the airspace between the two sets of opponents, yet seemed to originate from one side. Cooper shared a worrisome glance with the duo who occupied the right flank of the bridge, tucked behind the steel wall that seemed to slowly collapse from the pressure of a firearm knocking at its surface. Julley looked at what the Jolteon seemed to be gesturing. It was his handgun. The slide rested as far back as it could, indicating a lack of bullets.
The Umbreon frowned, knowing what it meant. Yet, the perturbed electric type still had a weak smile on his face. As if to say, 'At least we tried'.
Tyson now lay prone. The roar of the threatening bullets seemed to be closing in. He turned to the Umbreon beside him, and chuckled gently. Julley could taste the dead in his tone.
"Aha, this one might be trouble, Jull." the Typhlosion said, looking into the magazine of the gun he held, only to find nothing in there at all.
Gritting his teeth in what felt like anger from the inevitability of close confrontation, Julley let his shoulders go limp. A mere rush of blood was all it took to bypass precautions and premeditation, and to lead them right into the centre of no-man's land.
.
.
"STOP!"
The bullets ceased. The voice was feminine. It was familiar. Julley shot up, and turned to glance over his shoulder.
It was Cassidy.
"C-Cass! W-Where'd you come from?! What're you doing?!" exclaimed the husband to the advancing Glaceon. However, her crimson eyes didn't seem to return his gaze. They were locked onto the dominating Flygon.
Cassidy walked into the middle of the fray, vulnerable and defenseless. Yet, her steadfast stare didn't look like her usual one. Under the stares of everyone, including Gauvin, though especially Julley, she marched into the space between the two enemies.
"Gauvin!" she cried, getting the Flygon to lower his weapon, and reveal more of himself from the cover. "Please! I want this all to stop! Take me if you have to! Just let my daughter, and everyone else go!"
Gauvin let a smirk trail onto his lips. His eyes wandered to Julley, who couldn't seem to believe the show Arceus had put before his eyes.
"I see you've finally come about your senses, Madame." cooly replied the desert dragon, ignoring the patter of the heavy rain against his raincoat.
Cassidy, dejected, let her head drop slightly. However, she picked it back up to turn to his husband and respond.
"I'm sorry I let this happen, Julley." stated simply the Glaceon, who then turned back to the Flygon. "Now, I'm begging you, Gauvin. Let all of this just stop! There's no need for it! I-I'll… I'll be yours."
The crude smile on Gauvin's face widened. Even the most despicable of Cheshire Delcatty's wouldn't believe it. However, a few seconds later. The smile completely faded away. The gun in his right claw was raised, pointed straight at the ice type's frail body.
"N-No, w-wait." stammered Cassidy, taking a few steps back. "P-Please, no… I-I don't wanna die, please!"
Gauvin shook his head, tsking condescendingly. "Too late, Madame. You've made your decision."
The trigger was pulled. Cassidy screamed for her life, but to no avail. A triplet of bullets bursted from the smoky barrel of Gauvin's submachine gun, ripping through the turquoise skin of the unarmed ice type, passing through the other side and into the wooden flooring. Three lead rounds tore right through the Glaceon's ribcage, spelling her fate out for her as she was forcefully dropped to the ground. A red liquid pooled around her seemingly lifeless, yet twitching body, dripping through cracks and crevices in the wood, and seeping into the ocean below.
Julley felt his soul leave his body, while his soulmate was gunned down before his very eyes. Suddenly, his stomach began doing front flips. The bloody scene made him feel nauseous.
Unfazed from his actions, Gauvin gazed up from what he considered a work of art. His eyes, that witnessed bloodshed from his very hands, pierced the Umbreon through his soul.
"D'acc. Who is next?"
...
Okay, that'll conclude our chapter. I'll promise you one thing, though. We will find out whether that Quilava enjoys his lunch or not. Anyways, thanks for the read! See you next chapter! All criticism is appreciated.
-LuanOTP