Eyes Of Odetta (PG 13)

[rmmstnr]

Just letting you know beforehand, this is my first fanfic, and what a daunting undertaking it is. The second chapter is completed, but I am waiting for any comments and advice before I release it so I can address any problems in common with the first. I look forward to any and all comments, constructive criticism especially. Even a well worded flame will do, as long as it's specific ;p. Without further ado, my baby.

Eyes Of Odetta​

​

Chapter 1: A Familiar Face​

​

The stranger stares hatefully across the street at the gruesome scene which is currently unfolding, brow furrowed heavily in anger. Streaming through a gaping hole in the storefront, there are screams from hapless bystanders being forcefully thrown about by thugs in black and their machoke, children crying. Employees are threatened as thugs train two houndour at the workers, lest they budge. "One false move and Blaze an' Tora here 'll burn ya to a crisp!" is the loud report from a director of the houndour. The machoke hurriedly relocates a safe towards an armored getaway truck under the direction of one of the men in black.

Then, from the back of the building comes the ringleader; loudly barking into a walkie-talkie with sheer force and a calm that seemed most out of place, she made her way across the ground floor of the Goldenrod Department Store. Proudly marching alongside looking just as mean and purposeful is a charizard, a stunning, brutal looking specimen if there ever was one. Easily six feet tall, the winged beast kept a watchful eye upon the chaos throught the shimmering veil of surrounding heat. Even without knowing the track-record of the pair, anyone could easily tell there was an aura of pure energy between the two. How his heart burned to see them there from his hiding spot.

"The quadrant is secure, cargo "A" is near ready for transport. Cargo "B" ready and awaitng my instruction. Everything is quiet and the police are probably bumbling about at the station. I'm leaving." Making her way outside she scanned the area, seemingly locking eyes upon the newcomer behind his shelter. The eyes narrowed, then continued. The charizard stooped slightly, and his master mounted behind the glorious wings which had now spread to what must have been a full fourteen feet. The incredible beast crouched, and with a sharp "hip!" from the rider and a poignant kick, the two were launched straight into the air. As each commanding beat of the wings carried them higher and faster, those who were previously cowering or threatening stopped to gawk at the spectacle of such power.

The commander is quickly out of sight and with all nearby still transfixed on the bright sky above, the interloper knew it was time to act. Commanding all the vigor he could muster, he loudly proclaimed "GAIA! GO!" A blinding flash, and better than seven-hundered and fifty pounds of pure sinew and claw blurred in her path towards the unsuspecting Rockets. "ROOOOOAAAWR!" came the battle cry, causing nearby windows to rattle, chest cavities to shake. All attention was now directed upon the missile of destruction directed at the machoke carrying the safe, but it was far too late to react.

A solid THUD sounded as Gaia's left shoulder connected squarely with the safe, a screech emanated as claw dragged across steel with Gaia putting every ounce of force into shoving the metal box into the opposite wall. No longer grasping his loot, the machoke left his feet in a rapid beeline towards pain and suffering. THUNK-CRASH. The muscle-bound grunt became lodged in the wall for a split-second before being driven completely through by the following safe, which now had a good sized depression in the door. Nobody moved, nobody breathed.

A Rocket, eyes wide and mouth agape with shock, dropped his walkie-talkie to the tiled floor with a muted crack. The forgotten box crackled to life with that all-to familiar voice, which stung like an angry beedrill. "What's going on? Status Yellow four... WHAT'S YOUR STATUS YELLOW FOUR!? ...Incompetent..." No longer standing on the sidelines and making his way towards the gaping hole in the front of the building, two more pokeballs were flung at the scene from the interloper. "Hera, defuse right, Emerich, get that talkie." Two more flashes and an ampharos and venusaur landed running.

Yellow Four had finally broken out of his trance and desperately swipes for the walkie. However Emerich has different plans. Within the blink of an eye two cracks sound simultaneously as Emerich's vines do their work; the walkie explodes in a spray of plastic and electronics and the Rocket's legs are fleetly swatted from underneath. His face and the linoleum smartly connect with a crack, a muffled cry of pain, and a spurt of blood. "My legs! You broke my legs!" whimpered the writhing Rocket, cradling his flowing nose. The massive vibrant petals on the venusaur's voluminous blossom sway as he ambles his way toward the Rocket, vines bared lest Yellow Four be unwise enough to move.

Meanwhile the right side of the building is lit with a crackling explosion of electricity. "PhiiiiiiIIIIIII..." Hera's lithe hum becomes a wail as she steadily ramps up the pulsing stream of pain directed at the remaining Rockets and the two houndour. Bolts of yellow and blue fire begin to randomly incinerate any object in range as the voltage increasingly becomes to much for the surrounding atmosphere to contain. Deafening cracks, pops and sizzles all but drown out the howling victims caught in the maelstrom of blinding azure blaze. The silhouette of the ampharos is barely visible at the brilliant center of radiating energy.

The violence ceases as suddenly as it started. The children are now bawling harder than ever, the bystanders now terrified beyond movement. The right side of the lobby is littered with smoky twitching bodies; paralyzed by the fury of Hera. To the left, heavy, labored breathing drifts out of the hole in the wall and Yellow Four is still moaning upon the floor. Hurried voices softly echo out of the rear of the lobby where an open door behind the main desk leads down a staircase. THOCK. A fiery orange blur impacts the street just outside the store, spraying small chunks of asphalt out of the sunken pits now left by massive taloned claws. Hera, Emerich and Gaia are quickly motioned towards the door behind the main desk.

"Aidan, get ready." The executive quickly leaps from the charizard's back, face contorted with ferocity. Quickly turning towards the carnage, she nearly falls over at the site which meets her. It isn't the felled underlings or the sheer mass destruction which has taken place in the mere forty five seconds in which she was absent. No it is the cold, hard pools of liquid jet that pass for eyes on the stranger in front of her. Her eyes widen, lower lip begins to tremble as she regains her balance. "Mathias?" It resounds in her own mind but comes out a whisper. The figure narrows his eyes to angry slits and glares through dark wavy runs of waist length hair. With Gaia standing in the rear doorway waiting, Mathias turns and slowly makes his way across the floor. In the doorway, he makes a downward motion to Gaia.

"What are you doing, BURN HIM!" cries the injured, bleeding Rocket. Gaia punches up through the ceiling grabbing a support beam, just as Aidan begins an almighty inhale. Down comes the frame, along with much of the ceiling just as the holocaust of Aidan's prodigious flamethrower comes their way with roar. Aidan's chest flexes in effort to squeeze every drop of energy to destroy the aggressor and Yellow Four, eight feet to the side of the plume covers his face and screams, his uniform beginning to smoke. The pillar of pure heat desists, Aidan grunting with the displeasure of missing the threat to his master. Clearly indicative of the path of the flame, the ceiling tile and linoleum remain charred and warped. The pile of rubble blocking the doorway is now impassible, fused into a single glowing mass.

 

[rmmstnr]

Yikes, 40 views and not one comment? I hope that doesn't mean it's too bad to say it is (chuckles nervously). I hate to double-post, but here's the next chapter. As the story goes on, the characters involved will be delved into more and more. I chose to gradually release character detail as the story moves, perhaps a mistake. Here we go

Chapter 2: The Chase​

The rubble came crashing down just as Aidan's fang-lined mouth burst forth it's orange stream of destruction. A hissing began through the cracks in the debris as the directed inferno sucks oxygen from the stairway, at the same time radiating great waves of heat. Gaia backs in just in time to avoid all but a patch of singed fur. The acrid smoke of charred hair and construction material lingers in the sauna-hot air, and stirs about as the team makes their way down the concrete stairway. The echoes become louder, closer. Then comes that familiar crackling. Immediately cramped in the stuffy stairwell, Mathias returns Emerich and Hera to their pokeballs.

"OUT! Get out now, get the cargo OUT! They're coming for you. We're making a retreat so if you stick around you're on your own!" The crackling stops, and is quickly replaced with harried steps and more bickering. Making his way around the corner, Mathias quickly specs the enclosure. He is in an underground loading/unloading area, and scurrying about were three Rockets closing up two semis loaded to the ceiling with Goldenrod's products, both pointed to the right. On the right another was struggling to open a massive steel sliding door at the top of an incline that led to the street. Mathias is spotted. "Hey!" called the nearest Rocket, unable to think of anything better to say in his agitated state.​

Thinking quicker than his comrade, a tall spindly Rocket leaps into the cab of the nearest semi. "Move it Joe, get in!" he calls to the fellow at the door. "Hold on, URRGH! There!" With a mighty heave the Rocket gets the door open and runs for the truck. Mathias motions at the trucks, whose engines had now started. "Stop them!" The first truck was now making its way to the street. "Pontius!" he calls, and with a flash and a tremble of the earth, a snorlax rushes his way to the target.

With a loud crunch, Pontius collides with the semi, caving in the passenger side of the cab and briefy rocking it onto one set of wheels. Gaia launches into the air, and WHAM, lands upon the hood and begins thrashing and pummeling the front of the engine bay. The truck still continuing, Pontius keeps up and grabs the front tire with his massive clawed paws and pulls. A low rumbling growl escapes him as he strains with effort. BANG. BANGBANGBANGBANG. The studs holding the tire to the truck let loose in a deafening series of metallic bursts. The loud screeching of steel tearing through bodywork indicatesGaia has made her way into the engine compartment and is tearing out the massive diesel powerplant inside. With a great "RRROAA!" the now useless hunk of steel is tossed aside with a mighty crash.

The truck, still doing thirty, collapses where the front passenger side tire had been, veering to the right and creating a shower of sparks. Pontius backs away and Gaia jumps off just before it collides with the wall just to the side of the door. Blocked in view by the wrecked hulk before them, the other Rockets still persist on their road to freedom, engine screaming, murky exhaust spewing. They are through the door. "Alright Pontius, return! Gaia, stay." There is a red flash and the rotund creature disappears. The smell of smoke wafts down, and above, fire alarms began to bray.

Mathias turns toward the hulking ursaring, and says "Now lets finish with that truck."
Gaia falls to all fours and Mathias climbs on, wrapping his arms around her massive neck and clasping his hands tightly. "Lets go." Gaia blows through the open door like a shot, nearly ramming into very surprised motorist. On two legs, nobody can really call an ursaring swift, but on all fours they can be quick enough to surprise most anything in a straight line. The truck is a block or two ahead up ahead, swerving around bicyclists and pedestrians, occasionally bulldozing a parked car onto the sidewalk.

Mathias struggles to hold on, Gaia's rapidly pistoning shoulders bouncing him about. Getting closer, Gaia periodically leaps over a cyclist or car to avoid losing speed, like her veering target ahead. Buildings, signs and light posts flash by on either side, smudged into colorful surrounding hazes by the combination of forward velocity and the constant bucking of Mathias' steed. Finally they are close enough, and following a great bound Gaia lands forcefully on the rear of the trailer, weapon-like claws puncturing the slick aluminum hide for grip on the barreling behemoth.

"He's on us! Lose him!" The words were almost lost in the low roar of wind blowing past, but both of the stowaways heed them and brace themselves. Gaia drops low and sinks her claws as deep as she can. The truck weaves left suddenly, bouncing upon the sidewalk within inches of the storefronts. Awnings are ripped off of windows by the semi's cab, parking meters flattened with jangling rattles of the coins within, and pedestrians scatter with yelps of surprise. An intersection closes in, and the truck now veers ride, hard. Oncoming cars screech to a halt. The cab and trailer tilt to the left, tires and frame both garishly moaning with the strain of the loaded truck skewing into a ninety degree turn at forty-five miles an hour. Jagged lacerations open the white surface behind Gaia's nails as she holds firm.

Knowing in his head that the trailer is only on the driver-side wheels and what will happen next, Mathias braces himself. With a tug and a banshee-like wail of rubber, the trailer loses all traction and swings to the left, tires bouncing on the pavement in a desperate attempt at grip. The trailer is eighty degrees to the left when it strikes the lightpost. WHAM. The rear of the trailer is simultaneously knocked right and upward, the side of the tires having collided with the curb. Mathias goes upwards as well, but loses his grip on Gaia and continues to the left, sailing off of the trailer onto the hard uncaring cement below.

Desperately trying to land rolling as he had trained his pokemon for times when gravity has it's way, he hits the sidewalk hard anyway and rolls into a brick wall. Bright flares of pain burst into his ankles and left shoulder where it struck the building. The doors to the trailer burst open, spewing pokemon related products of every kind onto the street. He drags himself to his feet, crowded spectators ogling the scene left in the wake of the ensuing madness, and swipes an object from the pavement as he sprints after the truck.

The truck steadily regaining momentum, Gaia's balance returns as she makes her way towards the cab. Stabbing her hooked talons deep into the sheet-metal, she now hangs off of the side of the truck. The Rocket called Joe screams as blades of nail rupture into the cockpit inches from his head. Gaia now stands on the running-board, clutching to the hood for support. Rid of much of it's precious cargo, the truck's acceleration is much improved. Clamoring down to street with the unique clatter of diesel at full throttle, the speedometer creeps past fifty, the driver and his passenger are nearly hysterical with fear. Within reach of the front tire, Gaia strikes.

BLAM! Mathias witnesses in horror as the tractor trailer careens right, and begins to tilt. Deja-vu washes over him as a sickening brief wave of vertigo, and images and sounds of nightmares past come back to haunt him. The speeding moving truck veered, and began to roll. "Gaia, get off!" Metal crumpled and tore, emitting a loathsome racket. The driving Rocket over-corrects, and veers left this time. Gaia struggles to hold on as the truck tilts hard, again with it's mechanical moan. "Get off!" Blood sprayed, accompanied by a high-pitched burbling mewl of agony. Mathias screamed. "GET OFF NOW!!!" The truck began to roll onto it's right side, the rushing pavement closing in on Gaia.

 

[Feign]

Just letting you know beforehand, this is my first fanfic, and what a daunting undertaking it is. The second chapter is completed, but I am waiting for any comments and advice before I release it so I can address any problems in common with the first. I look forward to any and all comments, constructive criticism especially. Even a well worded flame will do, as long as it's specific ;p. Without further ado, my baby.

Eyes Of Odetta​

Chapter 1: A Familiar Face​

​

The stranger stares hatefully across the street at the gruesome scene which is currently unfolding, brow furrowed heavily in anger. Streaming through a gaping hole in the storefront, there are screams from hapless bystanders being forcefully thrown about by thugs in black and their machokes; children also crying. Employees are threatened as thugs train two houndour at the them, lest they budge. "One false move and Blaze an' Tora here 'll burn ya to a crisp!" is the loud report from a director of the houndour. The machoke [one?] hurriedly relocates a safe towards an armored getaway truck under the direction of one of the men in black.

Then, from the back of the building comes the ringleader; loudly barking into a walkie-talkie with sheer force and a calm that seemed most out of place, she made her way across the ground floor of the Goldenrod Department Store. Proudly marching alongside looking just as mean and purposeful as a charizard, a stunning, brutal looking specimen if there ever was one. Easily six feet tall, the winged beast kept a watchful eye upon the chaos throught the shimmering veil of surrounding heat. Even without knowing the track-record of the pair, anyone could easily tell there was an aura of pure energy between the two. How his heart burned to see them there from his hiding spot. (confusion, does she have a charizard? or was she being compared to one?)

"The quadrant is secure, cargo "A" is near ready for transport. Cargo "B" ready and awaitng my instruction. Everything is quiet and the police are probably bumbling about at the station. I'm leaving." Making her way outside she scanned the area, seemingly locking eyes upon the newcomer behind his shelter. The eyes narrowed, then continued. The charizard stooped slightly, and his master mounted behind the glorious wings which had now spread to what must have been a full fourteen feet. The incredible beast crouched, and with a sharp "hip!" from the rider and a poignant kick, the two were launched straight into the air. As each commanding beat of the wings carried them higher and faster, those who were previously cowering or threatening stopped to gawk at the spectacle of such power.

The commander is quickly out of sight and with all nearby still transfixed on the bright sky above, the interloper knew it was time to act. Commanding all the vigor he could muster, he loudly proclaimed "GAIA! GO!" A blinding flash, and better than seven-hundered and fifty pounds of pure sinew, the claw blurred in her path towards the unsuspecting Rockets. "ROOOOOAAAWR!" came the battle cry, causing nearby windows to rattle; chest cavities to shake. All attention was now directed upon the missile of destruction directed at the machoke carrying the safe, but it was far too late for it to react. [I'm assuming it is the Machoke reacting]

A solid THUD sounded as Gaia's left shoulder connected squarely with the safe, a screech emanated as claw dragged across steel with Gaia putting every ounce of force into shoving the metal box into the opposite wall. No longer grasping his loot, the machoke left his feet in a rapid beeline towards pain and suffering. THUNK-CRASH. The muscle-bound grunt became lodged in the wall for a split-second before being driven completely through by the following safe, which now had a good sized depression in the door. Nobody moved, nobody breathed.

A Rocket, eyes wide and mouth agape with shock, dropped his walkie-talkie to the tiled floor with a muted crack. The forgotten box crackled to life with that all-to familiar voice, which stung like an angry beedrill. "What's going on? Status Yellow four... WHAT'S YOUR STATUS YELLOW FOUR!? ...Incompetent..." No longer standing on the sidelines and making his way towards the gaping hole in the front of the building, two more pokeballs were flung at the scene from the interloper. "Hera, defuse right, Emerich, get that talkie." Two more flashes and an ampharos and venusaur landed running.

Yellow Four had finally broken out of his trance and desperately swiped for the walkie. However Emerich has different plans. Within the blink of an eye two cracks sounded simultaneously as Emerich's vines did their work; the walkie exploded in a spray of plastic and electronics, and the Rocket's legs are fleetly swatted from underneath. His face and the linoleum smartly connected with a crack, a muffled cry of pain, and a spurt of blood. "My legs! You broke my legs!" whimpered the writhing Rocket, cradling his flowing nose. The massive vibrant petals on the venusaur's voluminous blossom swayed as he ambled his way toward the Rocket, vines bared lest Yellow Four be unwise enough to move.

Meanwhile the right side of the building is lit with a crackling explosion of electricity. "PhiiiiiiIIIIIII..." Hera's lithe hum becomes a wail as she steadily ramps up the pulsing stream of pain directed at the remaining Rockets and the two houndour. Bolts of yellow and blue fire begin to randomly incinerate any object in range as the voltage increasingly becomes to much for the surrounding atmosphere to contain. Deafening cracks, pops and sizzles all but drown out the howling victims caught in the maelstrom of blinding azure blaze. The silhouette of the ampharos is barely visible at the brilliant center of radiating energy.

The violence ceases as suddenly as it started. The children are now bawling harder than ever, the bystanders now terrified beyond movement. The right side of the lobby is littered with smoky twitching bodies; paralyzed by the fury of Hera. To the left, heavy, labored breathing drifts out of the hole in the wall and Yellow Four is still moaning upon the floor. Hurried voices softly echo out of the rear of the lobby where an open door behind the main desk leads down a staircase. THOCK. A fiery orange blur impacts the street just outside the store, spraying small chunks of asphalt out of the sunken pits now left by massive taloned claws. Hera, Emerich and Gaia are quickly motioned towards the door behind the main desk.

"Aidan, get ready." The executive quickly lept from the charizard's back, face contorted with ferocity. Quickly turning towards the carnage, she nearly falls over at the site which meets her. It isn't the felled underlings or the sheer mass destruction which has taken place in the mere forty five seconds in which she was absent. No it is the cold, hard pools of liquid jet that pass for eyes on the stranger in front of her. Her eyes widen, lower lip begins to tremble as she regains her balance. "Mathias?" It resounds in her own mind but comes out a whisper. The figure narrows his eyes to angry slits and glares through dark wavy runs of waist length hair. With Gaia standing in the rear doorway waiting, Mathias turns and slowly makes his way across the floor. In the doorway, he makes a downward motion to Gaia.

"What are you doing, BURN HIM!" cries the injured, bleeding Rocket. Gaia punches up through the ceiling grabbing a support beam, just as Aidan begins an almighty inhale. Down comes the frame, along with much of the ceiling just as the holocaust of Aidan's prodigious flamethrower comes their way with roar. Aidan's chest flexes in effort to squeeze every drop of energy to destroy the aggressor and Yellow Four, eight feet to the side of the plume covers his face and screams, his uniform beginning to smoke. The pillar of pure heat desists, Aidan grunting with the displeasure of missing the threat to his master. Clearly indicative of the path of the flame, the ceiling tile and linoleum remain charred and warped. The pile of rubble blocking the doorway is now impassible, fused into a single glowing mass.

Yikes, 40 views and not one comment? I hope that doesn't mean it's too bad to say it is (chuckles nervously). I hate to double-post, but here's the next chapter. As the story goes on, the characters involved will be delved into more and more. I chose to gradually release character detail as the story moves, perhaps a mistake. Here we go

Chapter 2: The Chase​

The rubble came crashing down just as Aidan's fang-lined mouth burst forth it's orange stream of destruction. A hissing began through the cracks in the debris as the directed inferno sucks oxygen from the stairway, at the same time radiating great waves of heat. Gaia backs in just in time to avoid all but a patch of singed fur. The acrid smoke of charred hair and construction material lingers in the sauna-hot air, and stirs about as the team makes their way down the concrete stairway. The echoes become louder, closer. Then comes that familiar crackling. Immediately cramped in the stuffy stairwell, Mathias returns Emerich and Hera to their pokeballs.

"OUT! Get out now, get the cargo OUT! They're coming for you. We're making a retreat so if you stick around you're on your own!" The crackling stops, and is quickly replaced with harried steps and more bickering. Making his way around the corner, Mathias quickly specs the enclosure. He is in an underground loading/unloading area, and scurrying about were three Rockets closing up two semis loaded to the ceiling with Goldenrod's products, both pointed to the right. On the right another was struggling to open a massive steel sliding door at the top of an incline that led to the street. Mathias is spotted. "Hey!" called the nearest Rocket, unable to think of anything better to say in his agitated state.​

Thinking quicker than his comrade, a tall spindly Rocket leaps into the cab of the nearest semi. "Move it Joe, get in!" he calls to the fellow at the door. "Hold on, URRGH! There!" With a mighty heave the Rocket gets the door open and runs for the truck. Mathias motions at the trucks, whose engines had now started. "Stop them!" The first truck was now making its way to the street. "Pontius!" he calls, and with a flash and a tremble of the earth, a snorlax rushes his way to the target.

With a loud crunch, Pontius collides with the semi, caving in the passenger side of the cab and briefy rocking it onto one set of wheels. Gaia launches into the air, and WHAM, lands upon the hood and begins thrashing and pummeling the front of the engine bay. The truck still continuing, Pontius keeps up and grabs the front tire with his massive clawed paws and pulls. A low rumbling growl escapes him as he strains with effort. BANG. BANGBANGBANGBANG. The studs holding the tire to the truck let loose in a deafening series of metallic bursts. The loud screeching of steel tearing through bodywork indicatesGaia has made her way into the engine compartment and is tearing out the massive diesel powerplant inside. With a great "RRROAA!" the now useless hunk of steel is tossed aside with a mighty crash.

The truck, still doing thirty, collapses where the front passenger side tire had been, veering to the right and creating a shower of sparks. Pontius backs away and Gaia jumps off just before it collides with the wall just to the side of the door. Blocked in view by the wrecked hulk before them, the other Rockets still persist on their road to freedom, engine screaming, murky exhaust spewing. They are through the door. "Alright Pontius, return! Gaia, stay." There is a red flash and the rotund creature disappears. The smell of smoke wafts down, and above, fire alarms began to bray.

Mathias turns toward the hulking ursaring, and says "Now lets finish with that truck."
Gaia falls to all fours and Mathias climbs on, wrapping his arms around her massive neck and clasping his hands tightly. "Lets go." Gaia blows through the open door like a shot, nearly ramming into very surprised motorist. On two legs, nobody can really call an ursaring swift, but on all fours they can be quick enough to surprise most anything in a straight line. The truck is a block or two ahead up ahead, swerving around bicyclists and pedestrians, occasionally bulldozing a parked car onto the sidewalk.

Mathias struggles to hold on, Gaia's rapidly pistoning shoulders bouncing him about. Getting closer, Gaia periodically leaps over a cyclist or car to avoid losing speed, like her veering target ahead. Buildings, signs and light posts flash by on either side, smudged into colorful surrounding hazes by the combination of forward velocity and the constant bucking of Mathias' steed. Finally they are close enough, and following a great bound Gaia lands forcefully on the rear of the trailer, weapon-like claws puncturing the slick aluminum hide for grip on the barreling behemoth.

"He's on us! Lose him!" The words were almost lost in the low roar of wind blowing past, but both of the stowaways heed them and brace themselves. Gaia drops low and sinks her claws as deep as she can. The truck weaves left suddenly, bouncing upon the sidewalk within inches of the storefronts. Awnings are ripped off of windows by the semi's cab, parking meters flattened with jangling rattles of the coins within, and pedestrians scatter with yelps of surprise. An intersection closes in, and the truck now veers ride, hard. Oncoming cars screech to a halt. The cab and trailer tilt to the left, tires and frame both garishly moaning with the strain of the loaded truck skewing into a ninety degree turn at forty-five miles an hour. Jagged lacerations open the white surface behind Gaia's nails as she holds firm.

Knowing in his head that the trailer is only on the driver-side wheels and what will happen next, Mathias braces himself. With a tug and a banshee-like wail of rubber, the trailer loses all traction and swings to the left, tires bouncing on the pavement in a desperate attempt at grip. The trailer is eighty degrees to the left when it strikes the lightpost. WHAM. The rear of the trailer is simultaneously knocked right and upward, the side of the tires having collided with the curb. Mathias goes upwards as well, but loses his grip on Gaia and continues to the left, sailing off of the trailer onto the hard uncaring cement below.

Desperately trying to land rolling as he had trained his pokemon for times when gravity has it's way, he hits the sidewalk hard anyway and rolls into a brick wall. Bright flares of pain burst into his ankles and left shoulder where it struck the building. The doors to the trailer burst open, spewing pokemon related products of every kind onto the street. He drags himself to his feet, crowded spectators ogling the scene left in the wake of the ensuing madness, and swipes an object from the pavement as he sprints after the truck.

The truck steadily regaining momentum, Gaia's balance returns as she makes her way towards the cab. Stabbing her hooked talons deep into the sheet-metal, she now hangs off of the side of the truck. The Rocket called Joe screams as blades of nail rupture into the cockpit inches from his head. Gaia now stands on the running-board, clutching to the hood for support. Rid of much of it's precious cargo, the truck's acceleration is much improved. Clamoring down to street with the unique clatter of diesel at full throttle, the speedometer creeps past fifty, the driver and his passenger are nearly hysterical with fear. Within reach of the front tire, Gaia strikes.

BLAM! Mathias witnesses in horror as the tractor trailer careens right, and begins to tilt. Deja-vu washes over him as a sickening brief wave of vertigo, and images and sounds of nightmares past come back to haunt him. The speeding moving truck veered, and began to roll. "Gaia, get off!" Metal crumpled and tore, emitting a loathsome racket. The driving Rocket over-corrects, and veers left this time. Gaia struggles to hold on as the truck tilts hard, again with it's mechanical moan. "Get off!" Blood sprayed, accompanied by a high-pitched burbling mewl of agony. Mathias screamed. "GET OFF NOW!!!" The truck began to roll onto it's right side, the rushing pavement closing in on Gaia.

:D Very nice. I'm sorry I don't have all the time to give grammer/spelling revisions, but I did what I could.

Perhaps one thing to look for is tense (especially verb tense) form, because in some paragraphs you have some words in present and past tense, which may cause confusion.

I really liked how you made the various introductions or for that matter descriptions of events and things, in a mysterious way. Keep writing! :D (And perhaps when I am less busy and more awake I can add for a lending hand).

I also enjoyed the subtle humour.

Also, I too, was new in posting my first story here, so like you, I had lots of views but no responses (at first). I think its just to be expected, especially as we are new and unknown.

Good luck to you. And I hope my revisions made sense, and for that matter are correct Oo lol :D

(I'll probably edit this post later, when I have further time to revise it)

 

[rmmstnr]

Thanks, I really expected to have difficulties using proper tenses, a number of times I went through each chapter for that sole reason. I really appreciate the help, being new to this it helps to have an outside perspective

Very nice. I'm sorry I don't have all the time to give grammer/spelling revisions, but I did what I could.

Dang, I was hoping I got the 2nd chapter right! ;P Work on the third chapter is under way, thanks again

 

[Feign]

Hmmm on a side note, I've just been informed that I hadn't been all correct in my revisions, so make sure to save an original copy if you haven't already done so. (you can see the information in my Visitor messages). :)

Sorry about that.

 

[rmmstnr]

Hello all, looks like this might not get finished for awhile; such a shame, I had such plans for this story and how far it would go. My schedule has absolutely exploded and finding time to just think is becoming difficult, hence why I have been gone so long. Heck, this chapter's been done for weeks but I wanted to wait until the next was finished as well. Later I suppose, here we go...

Chapter 3:​

At the last second, she lets go and pushes away, tumbling and rolling on the sidewalk in a rapid-fire series of thuds as the semi crashes onto its side. The wreck continues sliding, spraying sparks and not squealing to a full stop for almost a block. Mathias finally reaches Gaia and tugs her paw until she dazedly arises. "Lets get out of here." Distant sirens were closing in, and Mathias would rather not be around when they arrived. The two made their way into the surrounding woods, going as deep as they could before stopping to catch their breath.

Absolutely livid with the turn of events, Mathias turns to Gaia and slaps her across the muzzle. "I told you to jump dammit! You could have been killed! The next time I tell you to call off something, YOU DO IT! Don't you ignore me and continue!" Gaia recoils, eyes wide with hurt and confusion, on the verge of tears. Her trainer and dear friend has never so much as raised his voice in anger towards her, much less struck her, in her entire life. A painful bolt of deepest regret shoots through Mathias' gut as he stares up into those welling eyes, eyes of trust and unquestioned loyalty, now eyes of pain. Eyes that have read nothing but respect and admiration for nearly fourteen years.

Feeling his own eyes beginning to burn, he reaches out to her. He couldn't stand looking into her pleading eyes, couldn't stand knowing he had pained her so when all she had tried to do was prove her own devotion to his cause. How she had almost died because of him. "I - I'm sorry. There's no excuse for what I just did. I... I thought I was going to lose you back there... Can you forgive me?" A tear made its way down her brown muzzle, and Mathias carefully wipes it away with the gentlest of touches that can only come from a deeply loving hand. Mathias forces a weak smile. Gaia finally leans in, taking him off of his feet in a heartfelt embrace. A comforted smile breaks Mathias' face and he is set down. The corners of Gaia's own mouth begin to tug. "Now, how's about we find a spot to camp out?" Gaia grunts in eager agreement.

Following the gentle sound of a nearby stream, Mathias notes that Gaia is limping slightly. He stops and looks around, noting the small clearing ahead. "This spot looks fine, lets take a break. You certainly deserve it." He calls the names of his companions, and they promply appear with that familiar flash of light. "Alright, we're gonna be staying here until tomorrow, if you would, go find something to eat until then." As the rest of the group left in search something to munch on, Mathias calls out "and remember, if you're too far for me to hear you call for me, you're too far away." He reaches for the super potion he recently snatched off the street.

"It's a good thing I picked this up, today has not been kind to you at all." Gaia, now sitting on the grass, felt the corners of her mouth tug once again. He ran his fingers gingerly down her left shoulder, which he knows full well had taken a beating in the hubbub. He senses a nearly indiscernable twitch of muscle and stops his hand where it lays. "It hurts here?" he asks. Gaia grunts, trying to sound indifferent to the incessant throbbing. Mathias sighs with a hint of a smirk, and begins applying the super potion. He knows better than to expect a complaint from her. Her left knee was ailing her as well, likely from the tumble off of the semi. Luckily both spots weren't bad, but they would remain bruised for awhile before full recovery.

It was not long before everyone returned, each carrying with them their own bounty. Hera's arms are chock-full of assorted berries, Emerich contributes a mouthful of greens, and Pontius carries two gutted goldeen under an arm. "Just two? I suppose you ate while you were out," Mathias playfully inquires. Pontius confirms his suspicion with a satisfied belch, and tosses the two goldeen to Gaia, who growls with delight and helps herself. Mathias smiles and shakes his head in mock exasperation. "Is that how you behave in front of a lady?" he teases Pontius, extending a hand toward Gaia. Her face was currently deep within the already tattered remains of one of her gifts, noisily chomping away. In response, Pontius shrugs and plops down, immediately settling into a nap.

Mathias can't help it anymore and chuckles out loud, grateful of the light mood that has come along with the food and end of today's unpleasantries. "Phi!" Hera gleefully responds. She offers a handful of berries to Mathias, who politely accepts, touched by the gesture. Emerich joins in, nudging over some of his vegetation. "I tell you what," Mathias replies, "I'll trade you that for a handful of these," and offers some of his berries. Emerich agrees, and happily exclaims after trying a few. "Saur!" "I know, Hera picked some winners, didn't she?" Mathias said through a mouth Emerich's contribution. It tasted vaguely reminiscient of turnip greens, not bad. Gaia declines a helping of both, so a serving is set next to Pontius in case he wakes. Hera and Emerich happily continue sharing, cutely huddled around their spoils gabbing away.

The sun was just beginning its descent, draping the dusky sky in velvety layers of pink and gold, and Mathias couldn't help but make a note of how perfect things are at the moment. He wishes it would never end, but knows tomorrow will bring it's challenges. Lightly pelted in the temple, he is swiftly stirred out of his quickly darkening thoughts, and a berry drops into his lap. Hera comically points her head at nothing, trying to look innoccent. "Ooh, subtle," Mathias retorts. "Well, subtle this!" he cries, and returns the gesture right between her eyes. He laughs triumphantly, until his nose receives a fruity impact from Emerich's direction. "Oh, I see how it is! Well, try these appl-err, berries!" He launches three simultaneously, but Emerich is ready to go and dodges them all. They instead leave juicy splats on Gaia's full coat. Startled, her head pops out of her meal.

Distracted from the hijinks no more, Gaia joins in, and berries are soon flying every-which way in the forest. A stray throw collides with Pontius' nose and he dazedly bolts up, rapidly turning his head to find out what's going on. Getting with the program, tart, delicious projectiles make their way from his direction as well. Easily being of course the biggest target there, Pontius' tan belly was fast becoming purple, red, and quite flavorful. Using this to his advantage, and began snatching the plump bullets out of the air with his mouth. Struggling to get the word out through his laughter, "cheater!" Mathias accused. Everybody turned to him, and he was assaulted by a massive wave of maroon treats. He goes down, still laughing, and Hera jumps on him, quickly followed by the others (being careful not to do any harm).

The merriment continues through the night, until everybody is too tuckered from laughter to continue and it's too dark to aim. Mathias sits with his back against a tree, and everybody clusters around him. "Goodnight." One by one, each grunts or chimes in a reply, and curls up around him. The moonlight filters through the treetops, casting scattered rays upon the scene and dimly blanketing the clearing in a silvery veil. Soon they are all asleep, and Mathias thoughtfully concludes this as the perfect end to a very unpleasant day.

 

[rmmstnr]

Well, if there hasn't been another post yet, there won't be soon, so time to be evil and add more. I've moved several hundred miles from civilization (home anyway) so finding a computer, internet, and TIME to type or do anything really has been a trying experience, hence the eternity since the last installment. So here we go...

Chapter 4:​

Ticktickticktick... The boots of the escaped Rocket executive announce she is on the move in the great hall of TR Johto headquarters, and quite agitated. She is dwarfed by the immense corridor of black stone, yet the rage that boils within her positively radiates, making her presence seem gargantuan. It couldn't be enough to have failed in the heist, she thinks angrily, now I have to account for myself to that leech, that, that worm Marcus. The more she thinks about it, the more enraged she becomes at the situation. Since joining the Rockets at the tender age of ten, she had proven herself time and time again, and shot through the ranks quicker than anybody had seen. Roughly a decade later, here she is in the number three spot, with that buffoon Marcus doing everything in his power to keep her from taking his spot as number two.

Her footsteps echo off the dark walls, resounding within her mind, and her fists tighten. Her leather gloves stretch taut around her wrists and hands, lending the sinew a feeling of power and rock-hard invincibility. Every muscle in her lean body tenses up, knowing that what follows will quickly turn violent if just the wrong thing happens at just the wrong time. Defeat was something that she rarely had to deal with, and she certainly had something to say about it to Marcus. He had left her without cover, without backup, and she is ready to call him on it. Her teeth are clenched to the point where a needle couldn't be pulled from her mouth with a tractor. Unwisely, a grunt passes too close for her liking, and her fist pistons at his face with all of the effort she can muster, procuring a muffled crack, and a cry of pain.

She is momentarily delighted to feel something give beneath his cheek, and continues as if nothing had happened, not even stopping to glance as the grunt falls to the polished granite of the great hall floor, cradling his broken, bloody jaw. At last she reaches his doorway andflings it open; the mahogany portal swings rapidly on its hinges and impacts the adjacent wall. "Now now there Aliya, wouldn't want to screw up my door too, would you?" Marcus inquires, a smug grin dominating his loathsome face. Pale and pudgy, there was not much to be said in his description. To Aliya, he seemed nothing more than an amorphous blob of dough with a face and appendages.

There was nothing about this man which she did not despise with a passion; the feet he rested upon the rosewood of his desk painted an accurate portrait of his character. What Aliya saw was a creature that did nothing but delegate and direct, living on the accomplishment of others and taking part in nothing but the glory. Short-sighted, lazy, and worst of all, weak. Weakness was a cardinal sin in her eyes, and she often supposed that if his demise were of her own doing, the last emotion she would see in his eyes would not be rage or even indignation, but fear and confusion. In short he was a coddled sheep like the millions that plagued this world. She could easily crush him without so much as blinking, and knowing that made answering to him all the more demeaning.

Struggling to keep from sending that filthy grin through the back of his head with her heeled boot, she exclaims: "I told you we needed more than six men to pull off that heist! I told you we needed cover, Marcus!" "And I told you that you would make do with six, didn't I?" he retorts. Aliya can see he is enjoying this so much. Marcus continues: "Besides, you had your ten minute window as promised by the Goldenrod Chief of Police, do you know how much cash was wasted on that alone?" "We - we were ambushed," she mutters. Marcus' smile is renewed. "Yes, yes, so I hear. I'm told your efforts were thwarted by a single child and his pets." "He wasn't a child! He was an experienced trainer, at least as old as I!" she finishes, face beginning to redden. Marcus continues, "as I said, a child."

Able to contain herself no longer, she lets loose on Marcus; "You deliberately withheld the support I needed to come through with this, when I let Cafarro know that this mission failed as a result of your own petty squabbles, you'll be canned!" On that note she swiftly turns to exit the room, just catching a glimpse of Marcus' left eye twitching on his now colorless face at the mention of the head Rocket in Johto being brought against him. Aliya grins devilishly as she slams the heavy door once more with a solid, echoing BANG, convinced she had won the battle. She quickly turns down the hall, head still buzzing from the excitement of the day, too occupied to marvel at the marble walls which arch up into a cathedral like ceiling.

Her mind happily continues praising the wonderful bluff she pulled out at the last moment to shut up that troglodyte Marcus, and she almost bumps into the dark figure standing outside the doorway. "Ahh, Aliya. I was hoping to speak with you soon." She struggles to keep herself in check as the scene is fully digested: standing in front of her is John Cafarro, the head of Johto operations and vice president of all of Team Rocket. Incredibly tall and slender with a sharp angular face and olive skin, he calmly stares down at her with dark green eyes that are as deep as wells. She notes two scars on his weathered face, one on each cheek, smoothed to near invisibility with the years gone by. He seems a near caricature of his mysterious reputation.

There are two grunts behind him, and reminded of her failure earlier today Aliya feels a burst of foreboding course through her like electricity. She has never met him before; the sight of Cafarro is both a rare and dreaded thing in Team Rocket, and generally foretells an exercise of his ruthless order. Silently cursing herself for losing focus at such an unfortunate moment, she sees in his eyes that he has already studied her over and calculated the situation. Compromised yet again. It was by no means difficult for her to see he is a keen individual indeed, so she did what she could to dumb down her own gaze a bit.

The two goons are sizeable fellows, but at 5'10" even before her boots with a lean, athletic build, she is certain she'd be able to escape if needed. At the very least she would make damn sure those two grunts would regret ever touching her. Aliya controls herself and responds with a seamless look of cool composure: "I was hoping for the same." "Follow me," Cafarro replies indifferently, his words both inviting yet commanding; steel draped in velvet. He motions down the dark hallway and they stride onward, side by side. The grunts silently fall back and enter Marcus' office, softly shutting the door behind them.

Muffled to near silence by the heavy door and stone walls, confused Aliya can barely hear what proceeds. "What do you want?! I'm very busy! Hey-!" There is a short burst of commotion, thumps and thuds as objects are knocked about, then after a moment or two, silence. Aliya hears the gentle sound of a door being quietly opened, and the sound of something heavy being dragged across the stone floor. She begins to turn her head but Cafarro speaks: "I've had my eye on you for awhile now. Your work has been most impressive, but lately it seems to have been hindered a bit. I've decided you need more responsibility to fully live up to your potential, so effective immediately, you will assume Marcus Grey's position."

Knowing better than to waste one second mentally celebrating her long-awaited promotion, or worse, ask of what will become of Marcus or look over her shoulder, she asks: "how should we proceed about cleanup of today's situation?" Cafarro grins broadly. "I knew I made a wise choice, but don't worry about that, today's excursion has served its purpose.However, before we get ahead of ourselves, lets talk about the young fellow who so effectively joined today's activities. I wish to speak with him, he could do well here." "He won't join." At her words, Cafarro abruptly stops walking and stares at her, eyes inquisitively reading her own. After seconds that feel like a lifetime to Aliya, his eyes lift and he begins to speak. "Then it is your job to deal with him. If he is of no benefit to us he will certainly not exist in opposition."

He raises his hand to dismiss Aliya, and soundlessly continues alone into the dim hall, eventually disappearing into the labyrinthine corridors of TR HQ. Aliya stands there for a moment, taking everything in. The unrelenting coolness of the hall begins to permeate her body and she shudders. The gravity of the situation begins to sink in, and now the promotion she has awaited for so long seems to have come all too soon. Feeling more alone than she has felt in a long time, her mind wanders to Mathias.