I can say without a doubt that this is the longest worded chapter written since Chapter Thirty-Four's Victory Over Fear which had a total of 4,887 words. This chapter will most likely be the highest worded chapter written with over 5,500 words.
What's more, I'm about to finally reach Chapter 50 after only seven years of having written this story. Not to worry though, Zack's Adventurous Life is far from over. Thank you to you all for staying with me for this long. And remember to read and review if you feel like it!
Chapter 49: Discoveries
"What the hell?" I said with surprise as I kept pinned the mysterious follower who followed Ted and I. "D.Z.? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Get off me!" D.Z. grunted angrily as he squirmed beneath me so as to get free.
"Not until you tell me why you're out here," I demanded back as I felt Ted place a claw upon my back, prompting me to turn my head to look at him as D.Z. continued to struggle under me. Giving me a calm, withering look, I reluctantly got off D.Z. allowing him to stand. "So what are you doing out here? Don't you know how dangerous it is with all the lightning?"
"You're out here too," D.Z. pointed out.
"Yes, but we're trying to figure out why this storm hasn't dispersed within the time we've been here."
"Whatever," was his reply. "I'm only out here to get back home. I figured you two were looking for a way out as well."
"Why even would we?" I asked him with a befuddled look. "We have trainers we want to stay with."
"Don't care," he said nonchalant. "The sooner I can get away from all of you, the sooner I can get back to my normal life."
"Even if you were to leave out from the city, there's still an ongoing downpour of a rainstorm that goes on for miles."
"I'll take my chances," he said carelessly.
"Fine!" I sighed irritably, resisting the urge to rub my temple as a bolt of lightning struck several feet away. "Do what you want with your life. Good luck not getting lost out there."
"Like I'll need it," D.Z said as he shoved past me, only to be grabbed by Ted and pulled down onto his back as a bolt of lightning struck only a few inches in front of him. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded with a cough as he stood himself up and rubbed his back. "What do you have against me?"
"Thought I'd keep you from being fried," was Ted's reply.
"Are you mental?" D.Z. questioned bewilderingly. "Do you just enjoy making my life so miserable to make yourself feel better?"
"You obviously can't see what had almost happened to you even if though it was literally in front of your face!" I said with irritation. "Why can't you see that we're looking out for your best interest?"
"My best interest?" D.Z. questioned. "Don't you mean your best interest? You only want to keep me here so you can get off on causing me misery. Why don't the two of you sod off and-"
"Zack," Ted said suddenly, diverting my attention.
"What's up?"
"Hey!" D.Z. yelled. "I was talking."
"After the next bolt of lightning strikes right there, I'll need you to quickly dig the spot where it struck," Ted instructed me, pointing to the spot that D.Z. had almost been struck at.
"Ok?" I questioned.
"Just call an over curious mind," Ted replied. "And a need to confirm my suspicions."
"If you say so," I said as I waited for the next bolt of lightning to strike. Once it did, I leapt into action and began digging up the ground where the lightning struck. I didn't get far before the pads on my paw scratched upon something sharp, causing me to yelp.
"You all right, Zack?" Ted asked concerned.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" I cried. "My paw hit something sharp!"
Ted blinked. "Something sharp?" he questioned as I hung my limply in the air. "Here, let me take a look." I hobbled over to him just as a bolt of lightning struck where I was digging. I merely dismissed all thoughts of it.
As my paw was being thoroughly examined, a feeling of worry washed over me, especially due to the fact that the cut didn't look too good. "It looks bad, doesn't it?"
"It's nothing to worry about," was his reply. "It doesn't look that bad. Just so long as it doesn't get infected."
"Infected!?"
"Just keep from getting anything in the wound and you should be fine."
I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I had worried myself over nothing whilst hearing D.Z. mumble, "Wouldn't have minded if it did," but made no comment upon it.
"Aside from that, whatever you cut your paw on keeps drawing the lightning to it," Ted commented as a third lightning bolt struck the spot I was digging at, drawing my attention. "I've also been taking note that the lightning has been striking in several spots of the same place constantly throughout the city."
"What makes you say that?"
"I've been observing since we left the Center," was his response. "Humans say that lightning never strikes in the same place twice, but the truth of the matter is that it does whether it be minutes, days, weeks, months, or even years."
"Yeah but in this case, it seems to be constant, like you said," I pointed out.
"And we're about to find out why," Ted said as another bolt of lightning struck the digging spot. No sooner had it ended than Ted fired off a powerful Swift attack upon the small hole I had dug. The ground was torn up from how strong his attack was, dust covering the spot until sometime after he ceased his attack. As we waited for the dust to settle down, an object of mystery began to appear into view.
"What the heck is that?" I asked, squinting my eyes to get a better look. Ted remained silent as he, too, studied the object in question. Once the dust settled down some more, the object became more visible.
"Seems to be a metal pole," Ted said as the object in question was sticking straight up from the ground. 'From the looks of things, I'd say that it's been buried underground."
"Buried?" I questioned, giving him a questioning look. "Who in their right mind would bury a metal pole and for what purpose?" No sooner had I asked that than another bolt of lightning struck exactly where the pole was. Well, it was more like at the pole itself than striking somewhere randomly close to it.
"Ever heard of a ground rod, bro?" Ted asked, receiving a shake of my head in response. "Ground rods help attract lightning to prevent damage to practically anything else, which is what this pole is being used for. Of course, I'm only going based off on what I know about them. Char-bro may know more than I do."
"At least we know now why the lightning keeps striking at the ground," I spoke thoughtfully. "That would mean that there are other metal poles buried around the city."
"Precisely," Ted said. "However, I'm not so sure they were buried."
"How else then would you explain they got underground?" I asked him. "More importantly, how do these poles tie in with the storm?"
"I can't be quite sure how they tie in with what's happening here. What I can say for sure is that ground pokemon placed the poles where they're currently at. Not too close to harm the citizens, but just far enough to scare them from leaving their homes and such."
"But why?" I asked again.
"I'm sure we'll find our answers where the lightning strikes towards most," was Ted's reply.
"Where the lightning strikes most?" I questioned, giving him a funny look. "What do you mean by that?"
"I've been watching in which direction the lightning has been striking towards," Ted explained. "There seems to be an area of the city that's drawing most of its attention." He pointed a claw at an angle to the left of where we were currently walking. "Whatever's in that direction is the source of all this."
"Excellent!" I chirped. "Let's check it out!" Nodding in agreement, Ted and I set off for the part of town that held the answers we sought, ignoring whatever it was D.Z. was trying to say. I had to hobble some along the way due to the cut upon my paw, but in no way did it kill our speed or pressed time we may or may not had. I wasn't certain if there was such a thing to begin with. If there was, the city was definitely designed to press time harder on us, what with its constant twists and turns we took, having to backtrack and take another path. Where were we even going?
We eventually found our way and winded up approaching the area from between two buildings, stopping just before walking out to inspect the area. My attention was brought to the building that was at least a few yards from where we were that wasn't quite a building but still slightly was. In other words, it was a building still under construction what with all the metal material that made up its structure or something… I should stop before I give myself a headache. Still, the metal itself was as good a reason for the lightning to be drawn to this particular area.
"This unfinished building," I began out loud to Ted as I held my gaze upon it. "You don't think it's the cause of creating the storm, do you?"
"I highly doubt it," Ted replied. "You might want to take a look at the base. I have a feeling they may be the ones responsible for it."
"They?" I questioned as I complied with what Ted told me to do, tearing my gaze down to the base of the building to see a well-sized group of pokemon walking freely about in the open. "Who are those pokemon?"
"Haven't the slightest," Ted answered as he scanned the area, watching the pokemon pace about like they were on patrol or something. They looked about on occasion in every which way direction, like they were waiting for someone to show up. Or in this case, make sure no one came upon them.
A bolt of lightning struck suddenly towards the base of the building, almost blinding me as I attempted to see what had attracted it. A clap of thunder followed suit as I rubbed my eyes, clearing away the temporary blindness before narrowing my vision to get a better look. And that was when I saw it: a large, white orb sitting upon some sort of stand or something.
No! Wait! Sorry. It wasn't white. It was… clear? Sort of like see-through? Whatever color it was or wasn't didn't matter. What did matter was what was in the orb: lightning. "Holy shit!" was all I could say.
"What?" Ted asked. "What is it?"
"I may have just found what's been attracting the lightning," I said to him as I told him what I could see.
"Intriguing!" he said thoughtfully. "Lightning that's contained within a single see-through orb. They're storing it for something, but what?"
"I bet it's for some powerful electric type," I said with some thought. "He's been gathering lightning to absorb its power and become stronger than all other electric types out there."
"I concur," Ted spoke. "While I'm not opposed to that thought, I can't help but feel that it's not an electric type."
"How do you figure?"
"The orb draws in the lightning rather than disperses it. If it were an electric type, his power would be drained as well. Whoever's behind the making of the orb and this storm must be someone whose mind is on a more advanced playing field."
"Maybe," I said as I spotted two pokemon walking towards the orb. Having narrowed my eyes once again, the first pokemon I took note of was a quadruped just like me with a body of blue and a weird yellow hair style that stuck up to the air and down to its neck. There were yellow tufts of fur on its haunches and upon its forefront paws with its tail bent at an angle. The pokemon in front of it was a pokemon I've seen throughout my travels: Sandslash. What with its brown, sharp quills and extremely sharp claws. I attuned my ears to listen in to what they had to say as they appeared to be conversing with one another.
"Oh yessss!" the quadruped purred as she rubbed herself against the orb. "This feels quite delightful! I could spend hours just…" I watched her shiver in delight with a swoon, something that was detestable to my sight. Her voice wasn't all that interesting to listen to either.
"Mistress Delirium, please," the Sandslash spoke. "Do you want the orb to drain all your power?"
Mistress?
"Oh tsk, tsk," the one named Delirium replied, moving away from the orb, electricity being absorbed into it from her body. "Why need to worry Puncture? I know better than to take what's not mine, though the thought does tempt me." She let out a bit of a misplaced laugh that didn't sound quite right, resulting in my fur beginning to bristle slightly. I couldn't see the expression the Sandslash, Puncture, gave, but responded nonetheless.
"Yes, well… you are more the expert on electricity than I am. How strong would you say the lightning's gotten now?"
Delirium gave what looked to be a brief moment of annoyance before pondering the question, examining the contained lightning as she walked around it. Puncture stepped back some, appearing nervous for some reason. "Such power," she replied in a hush of a whisper, a coy smile crossing her lips as she licked them. "If I were to absorb such power in the state it's in now, it'd give me an overcharge that no one would be able to match!"
"So then I would assume it's at its peak point to be used?" Puncture questioned.
"Oh yesss~" Delirium swooned in response. "I'm sure he'll be very pleased with the results."
He? Who was he?
"Then I shall inform him at once," Puncture said with a bow before turning to retreat into the unfinished building. Whatever words were being spoken within was outside of my hearing range. It was at that point Ted began asking questions, breaking my concentration.
"So what's going on Zack?" he asked. "What's the scoop?"
"It's like we thought," I answered. "The lightning's being stored for someone. And whoever it's for is inside that building."
"I see," Ted said.
"Odd thing is though, the Sandslash called that other pokemon Mistress. I know for a fact that such a title means the being has high rank."
"Yet it seems this Mistress is working for someone higher-up in the ranks," Ted said.
"There's a higher ranking than Mistress?" I questioned, glancing at him.
"It's like I said, whoever managed to put this plan of the storm and orb together has an advanced mind set. Every angle has been covered to keep others from wandering upon them."
"So the storm's a cover-up," I concluded.
"Precisely," Ted confirmed.
"That still leaves the unanswered question who their boss i-" I said, stopping before being able to finish my sentence as the being in question walked out. I instantly felt my blood boil, my fur bristling wildly as the pokemon walked towards the orb. My teeth were bare, a growl surpressed within.
Without taking my eyes off him I asked Ted, "You're seeing who I'm seeing, don't you?"
"Quite," he replied in a not-so-pleasant tone. "Destiny!"
I quickly slapped my claws over my mouth, silencing my sudden scream, but the damage had been done. Someone on board was sure to hear my screaming and come to check out where the source originated from. "Skitty!" I said in a harsh whisper. "What are you doing here?"
"Seeing what you're doing," she replied in a mildly lower tone than how she usually spoke. Regardless of that though…
"You shouldn't be here! Do you have any idea of what's going on?"
"Ooh! Are you on some sort of secret mission?" she asked.
"What?" I asked bewildered. "No! I-"
"Hold that thought," she said, having cut me off as I felt something being clamped around my neck before I could gather my thoughts.
"What the-?" I asked with confusion as I tugged on whatever was placed upon me.
"Quick! Look pathetic!" Skitty said as the door opened up.
"Hello? Is anybody in here?"
I looked up towards the door to see the shape and form of a Houndoom walking in. Panic began to settle in as I realized just how much trouble we were in. Houndoom were known to be ruthless and unconvinced through even the most simplest of acts. There was no way he would-
"So you thought you could escape, did you?" Skitty asked, looking directly at me as I stood there frozen. "Well I'll show you what happens to those who try to escape!"
"Um," the Houndoom spoke, looking a little unsure if he should interrupt or not. "Is… is everything all right in here?" You're kidding me. Was this Houndoom seriously meek and uncertain about what he was doing?
"Perfectly fine cadet," Skitty said, turning to face him. The look on his face as he looked down on Skitty was a little funny to see, considering how small she was compared to others. "Just capturing an escaped convict."
"Oh!" the Houndoom said, looking up at me. I had to say, I felt a bit awkward having to be a "prisoner" to an insane cat who probably didn't understand anything that was currently happening.
"Should I alert someone? Like one of the higher ups?"
"I am the higher up!" Skitty confidently spoke. "You're talking to the Executive's pokemon after all!" Wait. She knew what rank titles were?
The Houndoom stumbled over his words, which was an odd sight to see given the usual nature of a Houndoom. "I'm very sorry!" he said. "I-I-I didn't kn-know!"
Well maybe I'll forgive you. Maybe I won't. It depends on how I feel really."
"Oh p-please!" the Houndoom begged. "P-please don't t-t-terminate m-me! Th-this is the only j-job I have. Th-the only j-job I know how to do! I-I may not have b-b-been here for very l-long but… but…" His entire body was shaking in fear at this point, tears welling up in his eyes as he fought back the urge to cry.
"What the heck? You twisted my paw," Skitty said as the Houndoom sniffed and thanked her. "Let's just pretend this little event never happened, shall we? I might just change my mind if one little slip-up were to occur."
I blinked and had to resist the urge to do a double take on her. Was this the same Skitty who was completely and utterly insane with everyone wondering what she was capable of? I had to resist slapping myself as I had just answered my own question.
"O-of course," the Houndoom said, backing up towards the door. "Not a word." He gave a nervous smile and went about his way, legs still shaking. Hopefully no one would stop to question him.
Watching as Skitty shut the door, I studied her quizzically, wondering just how- "What are you doing?" I asked, ceasing my thoughts.
"There re enemies all around!" was her reply, an ear up against the door. "We have to be swift, but silent if a dawning of a new day is to be seen."
"So you know about the Rockets?" I asked in mild suspicion.
Skitty simply turned to me and said, "Excellent! We shall find these Rockets and ride them to infinity and beyond!" I stared at her, my mind at a loss comprehend anything that just one eightied itself.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, resisting the urge to bash my head against a wall.
"Rocks of course," was her reply. "We're going to ride them out and rock it all the way!"
"Please stop!" I groaned. "Do you have any idea what little sense you're making?"
"Not yet, but I will once I learn Pay Day!"
I flexed my claws, now resisting the urge to wanting to strangle her until she at least fell unconscious. To occupy the thought, I took a good look what she placed around my neck. I had an idea what it was, given the fact there was a chain attached to it in which Skitty currently held. "Do you think you can at least remove this shackle from my neck?" I asked as I tugged at it. "Or at least give me the key for it?"
Skitty flashed a toothy grin and replied with, "Silly tail fire! I don't have a key!"
"What?" I asked through gritted teeth. "Did you even bother to check for one?"
"No time for that!" she said. "The time of escape is imminent! They'll rule the day they chose to defy me!" I felt myself suddenly pulled forward by some unknown strength of force and into the body of a human walking in, knocking him into the wall before he crumpled to the floor.
"Ooh!" I moaned, clutching my head before feeling the chain tighten. "Meep!" was all I could get out before being dragged down the corridor, having pass both humans and pokemon as they watched with surprised confusion as Skitty ran around, no doubt searching for an exit.
Skiiiiittyyyyy!" I cried as my body took damage from flying into walls upon corner turning. Whether she heard me or not, she continued running about the ship, taking turns here and there, resulting in my body taking more damage from each turn we took.
Before I could get my bearings straight, we were both outside, dashing for the walkway that would return us back to the city. However, the Rockets weren't about to make things that easy for us as I heard someone yell, "Stop those pokemon! Don't let them escape!" A split second of a millisecond afterwards, I felt a blow to the side of my head, sending me flying some in the direction I was hit towards. My vision dizzied as I attempted to stand, the running having instantly ceased. My stomach felt a bit queasy as I tried to focus my vision.
"Rats!" I heard Skitty say. "And they're purple!"
"A very valiant effort in trying to escape," I heard someone talking to us, or rather me at least. "I'm not sure how the two of you managed to get onboard, but I can assure you that chances of escaping are zilch!" As my vision began to stop spinning, I looked towards the pokemon speaking to see the familiar slendered body shape of a Linoone blocking our path.
Damn! And we were so close too!
Taking a quick look about, I could see pokemon being released and crowding around us fast with their trainers right behind them, quickly dwindling any chance of escape. "I wouldn't bother," the Linoone said. "Putting up a fight to flee would be futile. So if I were you, I'd surrender peacefully and cooperate with us."
My mind worked fast as I searched for any kind of opening, glancing back at Skitty momentarily to see her simply sitting there watching the Rocket pokemon as they slowly advanced upon her, the chain still oddly in her mouth.
I blinked.
Of course! The chain! I was still wearing the shackle, which was what was going to get us out of this situation. Turning back to face the Linoone I simply gave him a smirk and gave him his reply. "Fat chance!"
With that, I yanked as hard as I could, reeling Skitty away from the pokemon and right at the Linoone who barely dodged the incoming flying cat. "So be it then!" he said as I pivoted my body, sending Skitty flying in a semi-circle, having hit several pokemon who leapt at me in the process before launching her at the Linoone.
"Oh fu-" he began to say as he realized his lack of mobility to dodge in mid-air before Skitty smacked into him, flinging him right off into the ocean below.
As Skitty landed, she released the chain from her mouth and gave me a look that told me she was about to do something Skitty-like. And the poor victim being used in her nefarious schemes was- "My turn!" she said as she grabbed the chain with her fore paws, standing on her hind ones as I found myself being launched into the air. Where in the world did she draw this incredulous strength from?
Nevertheless, I found myself screaming as I upraised and hovered there for half a second before being yanked down at an angle. I could see more pokemon rushing at her as I closed in, giving me an idea. "Ember!" I cried out, letting loose a thin stream of flame, shortening it so that it enveloped my entire body to give off the appearance of an approaching meteor or something similar to that.
Upon contact, I had managed to set fire to at least several pokemon, watching as they leapt off the ship to douse the fire, including a few humans whom they managed to light upon passing. Serves them right for being bunched together.
I felt a tug in the chain before finding myself being dragged across the deck. I glanced up to find out what Skitty was doing this time only to find another pokemon in place of her, dragging me from the battle towards the Rocket humans. "Now I got you," said the Makuhita. "You and your friend are going to pay for all the trouble you've been causing."
"Like hell we will!" I growled as I let out another Ember attack towards the Makuhita.
"You think a little fire is going to hurt me?" he laughed as the fire hit him full on, but did very little damage to him. "Please! I've trained myself to withstand many attacks. I've strengthened every part of my body. Head, torso, back, and even my fists! So there's no way that you could ever- YOW!" The Makuhita dropped the now glowing chain as he blew upon his hands.
"Seems like not all of you is impervious to pain," I said as I activated my Metal Claw. "Try strengthening the parts you neglected to focus on!" I clenched my paw into a fist. "Like this!" Thrusting my fist forward, I squared the Makuhita straight in between his legs, resulting in a most horrid squeal of unimaginable pain as he slumped over onto the ground. I then grabbed the chain and began swinging it around, creating an illuminating red circle from the chain I heated to burn the Makuhita's palms.
"So," I said, looking around at the Rocket pokemon. "Who wants to have a go?" A few of them backed up in fear, as did a few of the humans.
"You cowards!" one of the humans yelled from the upper deck. "It's just a Charmander! Get him!"
"But he has a glowing chain!" another human spoke, crying.
"Ridiculous!" a Grandbull scoffed. "This is what Team Rocket is made of? Sniveling babies who can't even see that strength in numbers outweigh a lone Charmander with a weapon? They shame the name alone."
"Well at least I have that spout of luck on my side," I said, looking back at her without missing a beat in my swing.
"Let's see if we can change that," she said as she squatted down, readying to attack. Immediately knowing what her plan was, I broke the chain's swing and snapped it forward, smacking the pokemon inching toward me in the face, branding the part of the chain upon where it made contact with. The pokemon screamed in pain as I swung the chain around, swatting the Grandbull from her side as she made a leap at me.
I followed up with a backflip as another pokemon attempted to tackle me from below, only to meet empty air as I landed behind him, wrapping the chain around him in one fell swing. He, too, screamed from the branding pain being left upon his body. I then sent him into a dizzying spin as I swung the chain around to take yet another pokemon down only to have it caught around the foreleg of a Numel who quickly tightened his hold so as not to lose his ground.
Damn Numel!
"Don't go thinking Team Rocket doesn't have any fire types to be used in a situation like this," he said with a glare. "Because they do."
I kept tight hold on the chain, growling at him as neither of us slackened our grip upon the chain. Not until I was suddenly tackled from behind from whom I thought was another rocket pokemon until I saw a tuft of pink from the corner of my eye. "Oooh!" Skitty moaned. "That's goinna leave a mark!"
I could see several bruises upon her body from beatings she must have taken and a trickle of blood from her hind right leg. She remained lying where she was in a daze as I moved to take hold of her so as not to allow any more harm come to her.
"Son of a bitch!" the Linoone from earlier said as he hobbled into view, bleeding from the head. 'The two of you have had your fun, but play time is over. And believe me, what we'll do to you won't be nearly as painful as what we'll do to your Skitty friend."
I gritted my teeth as both humans and pokemon made to surround us and follow through with what they meant to do. I quickly looked around in vain knowing full well escaping was out of the question. Skitty was still down for the count and if it weren't for the shackle around my neck to which the Numel still held the chain to, there might have been a slight chance of us being able to flee.
As it stood, the only thing I could do at this point was to keep my hold on Skitty and prepare for the worst to happen. Just as they closed in on us, a loud, echoing roar suddenly emitted from all around with no possible pinpoint location to confirm. Everybody, and I mean everybody, stopped and looked around to locate where the source of the roar was protruding from. I felt instinct take a hold of me and looked up towards the cabin of the ship just as a large, yellow, tiger-like pokemon landed upon the roof, resulting in my jaw dropping open in awe at just who I was looking at.
No. Freaking. Way!
There were no words I could utter out by the mere presence of this pokemon as his dull, purple mane flowed gently in the breeze. The pokemon roared again and was gone before I could blink. A split fraction of a millisecond upon him jumping off was the largest bolt of lightning that made all others seem meek and less awe-inspiring strike down directly where he stood, tearing right into the ship.
People and pokemon began to panic as the ship exploded with a mighty crack, creating a horrible, grating moan as it split apart. I felt myself go flying, being that I was at the exact spot where the ship split and shot upwards towards the sky. "Skitty!" I yelled as I searched frantically about for her, realizing my grip upon her was lost in the process.
"Skitty!" I called out again before plunging into the ocean below my head striking against a piece of debris as I felt the familiar chill coursing through my body as my flame was extinguished.
As I found myself sinking slowly with my vision quickly blackening, I saw the silhouette of a human swimming down towards me right before my consciousness slipped away.