Shrike Flamestar
The Invisible!
- 212
- Posts
- 15
- Years
- Age 34
- Within the synapses of the internet and my own min
- Seen May 9, 2022
So a little fic of mine called Haunting at the Old Chateau got in the way of me writing here, and by the time that finished I was tearing my hair out so much due to school that the whole writing every day thing sort of died. But...here it is. I'm not even going to make a guess as to how many months it will be until the next chapter this time...
"My name's Zack," the stranger said. He stood with an air of confidence, a smug look plastered across his face as he stared at Shrike and Rayne with a gaze that suggested he knew more than he let on. "Zachary J. Reilyn if you care about that much. And yours?"
"Shrike," Shrike tersely responded, not letting his guard down. Zack wasn't acting hostile, but stalking people wasn't exactly the friendliest thing to do.
"No last name?" The smile on Zack's face didn't falter once.
"None that you need to know."
"Ah, that type," Zack nodded, still smiling as if he didn't realize how put off both Shrike and Rayne were. The smile was starting to get on both of their nerves, but it didn't seem that it would be letting up any time soon. Turning to Rayne, Zack went on to ask her, "What about you?"
"You're not even getting my first name," Rayne snarled.
"Ah, wise in some ways," Zack remarked. "Ice cold in others. Doesn't matter, I already know. Rayne, right?" Before the girl in question could smash Zack's face in, he quickly went on to explain, "You can hear quite a few things when eavesdropping. Like, that you two both happen to be trainers. Fresh out of an academy from the looks of it, but trainers nonetheless."
"So? What do you care?" Rayne asked, still considering smashing Zack's face in.
"So... I just happen to be a trainer too," Zack smirked. "You see, I was thinking that, perhaps, we could engage in a friendly little battle. To introduce ourselves, before we get to know each other better." Suddenly, a different look came over Zack. His smile finally faltered, just for a moment, his eyes narrowing as they seemed to stare into the very hearts of the two trainers that stood before him. It didn't seem to be Rayne he was focusing on though, but rather Shrike. The boy was slightly unnerved, but just as soon as the change had come over Zack it disappeared, the stranger quietly adding, "One can learn wonders through a good battle."
"No chance," Rayne quickly said. "Matariel would wipe the floor with you anyway. I'll spare you the pain of defeat."
"Bold words," Zack said back in turn. "But unless you care to back them up I am afraid I cannot take them seriously." Turning to focus on Shrike, he went on to say, "Well then, how about you?"
Shrike was hesitant. The sudden shift in Zack's demeanor was proof enough that there was more to him than met the eye, something which anyone with a brain could gather anyway. There was the chance the battle was a trick, but then again, what could be lost? It was just a battle, with regulations preventing any serious harm being done to Pokémon. Yes, criminals didn't necessarily play by the rules, but if Zack was that sort of criminal he likely would have already made his move.
"Sure, I'll play your game," Shrike responded. "Call the rules."
"One on one," Zack declared. "I know you only have two Pokémon, one of which was caught this very morning and is no position to battle. In turn, I will use my starter as well."
"And winnings?"
"That will depend on the outcome, and how good a show you give me. Rest assured though, I won't ask for much."
Shrike already had his hand on Zethro's Poké Ball, backing down the trail to put a good distance between him and his opponent. Pulling the red and white ball off his belt, Shrike expanded it before holding it up into the air. "Come on Zethro, time for another fight!" Shrike yelled as he hurled the Poké Ball to the ground between where he and Zack stood. It was an overly dramatic way to release Pokémon and not one commonly used in serious competition, but Shrike figured playing things up could never hurt.
The Cyndaquil appeared on the ground in a burst of red light as the Poké Ball snapped open, the force throwing the ball back into the air. Quickly Shrike caught the Poké Ball before it could go flying off into the trees, taking granted for the time he had spent playing baseball as a kid. Zethro already seemed to be aware of the situation, his body lowering to the ground the moment he appeared as he adopted a fighting stance. Shrike was glad to note that the injuries Jehiel had inflicted on the Cyndaquil were all but gone, the healing potion having done its job well. "You ready for this?" Shrike asked, not wanting to pressure Zethro into fighting if he didn't feel up to it yet. Shrike's companion barked excitedly in response, which the boy assumed meant Zethro was ready.
"Yes, a Cyndaquil. That's what I thought," Zack nodded as he reached a hand into his pocket. When he pulled the hand back out a Poké Ball came with it, clutched between Zack's fingers. Expanding the ball, he idly tossed it into the air a few times, letting it fall back into his hand. "You'll be glad to know than that, if nothing else, you have a type advantage. Come out, Sceptile!"
Shrike's heart skipped a beat and his optimism immediately fell as he heard Zack say the name. Only a moment later and Zack had opened the ball, releasing the green, almost prehistoric-looking lizard Pokémon on to the now decidedly one-sided battlefield. The Sceptile had its arms crossed as it appeared, looking down at the Cyndaquil that stood before it with a blank expression on its face. Suddenly, a smirk appeared and it let out an odd laugh before croaking something that Shrike naturally couldn't understand. Glancing at Rayne off to the side he could gather that she did, but he didn't expect her to say anything that would tell Zack more than the stranger needed to know.
"Well this isn't exactly fair!" Shrike exclaimed. "From the way you were talking, I thought you were a new trainer as well!"
"I said no such thing," Zack defended himself with. "It was your fault alone you construed my challenge as meaning that."
"I don't suppose I can back out of this?" Shrike grimaced.
"I am afraid there is no turning back now, so prepare yourself! En garde!" Zack yelled before thrusting a finger skywards. "Sceptile, you know the drill. Brighten the skies with Sunny Day!"
Before Shrike could even give Zethro a command Zack had already taken the initiative in the battle. Sceptile grunted as it closed its eyes and focused, a red glow appearing around its body. Shrike thought it was odd that Zack would have his grass type Pokémon use an attack that would only benefit Zethro more, but figured he was perhaps giving the less experienced team a handicap. "Zethro, wait for the effect to come into play, then hit Sceptile hard with a Flame Wheel! We'll grab every advantage we can!" Shrike commanded.
It wasn't long after Shrike gave the order that Sceptile snapped out of the trance it was in, thrusting both arms into the air with palms opened upwards. Fiery red orbs of light shot into the sky similar to Matariel's Rain Dance, but rather than form clouds this time the existing clouds overhead dissipated. Unimpeded, bright sunlight pierced down through the trees and flooded the forest below, the two combatants basking in the sun's warmth. Shrike knew that so long as the Sunny Day effect lasted Zethro's fire-type moves would be strengthened, but he'd have to hurry to get full use out of it. Preparing to use the only fire move he could, the flames on Zethro's back flared up as soon as the light brightened.
What happened next was almost too fast for Shrike to take in. Zethro had no sooner started charging at Sceptile than the orbs on the lizard's back began to glow, rapidly growing brighter. Shrike suddenly realized what was happening, but before he could warn Zethro it was too late. Sceptile swung its arms forward as if trying to stop the oncoming Cyndaquil, but before Zethro could even jump and roll into a ball, Sceptile launched its own attack. A beam of bright, white-green light suddenly poured out of Sceptile's hands, the light seeming to stream from the orbs on its back. The beam hit Zethro head on, the force of the blast enough to pick the Cyndaquil up off the ground and send him flying back through the air, pushed along by the beam. Shrike cried out as the beam and Zethro blew past him and continued straight on down the trail, the light only fading after it had sent Zethro flying through the air for several seconds. Shrike watched as his Pokémon fell to the ground and rolled along some, the boy quickly taking off in a sprint to see if he was all right.
Before Shrike could even reach where Zethro had landed, however, he watched as Zethro somehow managed to pick himself up. He was battered, but apparently the Solarbeam hadn't quite knocked him out yet. Furthermore, Shrike could see a flickering orange-red aura appear around Zethro, as if he were enveloped in a faint fire. Shrike realized that the single Solarbeam had done enough damage for Zethro's native Blaze ability to kick in, an ability which would only increase the strength of his fire attacks even more. However, using Flame Wheel would mean Zethro would have to cross the now long distance between the two opponents, all the while leaving him open for yet more counter attacks. As weakened as Zethro was now, Shrike wasn't sure he could handle anymore hits, let alone exert the effort needed to run at all.
"I'm surprised he survived that," Zack commented. "Go on then, strike back at me with an Ember! A Flamethrower! Whatever you've got up your sleeve!" he then suddenly taunted. "I can do no more to increase your Cyndaquil's fire strength now, so take the advantage!"
Shrike frowned. Zack didn't realize that Zethro couldn't use Ember, nor much else at this range. "Stand your ground! Let him come to you," Shrike said, making up his mind. There was little else to do, especially since he got the feeling that if Zethro tried to move closer, Sceptile would be ready to counter.
"Hmph, you don't like ranged combat?" Zack asked rhetorically. "Very well then; Sceptile, close the distance yourself with Agility!"
"Get ready for Flame Wheel again!" Shrike yelled as soon as Zack gave his own command. "Use it as soon as he's within range!"
Sceptile set off running, moving so fast that he seemed to flicker in and out of existence, teleporting several yards at a time as the gap between it and Zethro quickly closed. Meanwhile, Zethro's flame had flared up again, rising taller than Shrike had ever seen it before as the Cyndaquil channeled every ounce of his energy into what would hopefully be a one hit knockout. When Sceptile was only a few yards from Zethro, the Cyndaquil began running. Shrike noticed that he seemed a little wobbly, his legs shaky. He never would have made it to Sceptile on his own, confirming Shrike's thoughts.
Sceptile suddenly flickered back into view mere feet in front of Zethro, who swiftly leapt into the air and curled up. The attack was point blank, Shrike knew there was no way it could miss, even if Sceptile tried moving out of the way using Agility. There simply wasn't enough time for the Sceptile to move. As Shrike saw a glimmer-like spark flash in Sceptile's eyes, however, he instantly realized he had once again underestimated his opponent. Detecting the attack early, Sceptile suddenly slid out of the path of Zethro's attack just in time, the flame-wrapped Cyndaquil flying past him as he missed his target. Following up on the dodge, Sceptile suddenly swung an arm into the air, the leaf-like blade that seemed to sprout from his arm near the hand glowing green along its edge. The swipe clipped Zethro, knocking him out of his arc as he fell to the ground on his back, the intense fire that could have won the battle for Shrike extinguished against the dirt.
Sceptile knelt down next to Zethro, using the leaf blade on its arm to push Zethro's head up. Shrike grimaced as he looked at what Sceptile had the blade over: a wide scar that ran completely from one edge of Zethro's neck to the other. Some strands of surgical stitching were still visible in the scar, although most had dissolved or fallen out by now. Shrike watched as Sceptile cocked his head and examined the scar, his leaf blade held right over it in a position where he could very easily reopen the wound.
"I see," Zack said. Somehow he had walked up next to Shrike without him realizing. Perhaps he had just been too focused on the scar to notice Zack. "So that is why he cannot use ranged flame attacks."
"I'm not going to talk about it, if that's what you want," Shrike preemptively stated.
Zack paused a moment, his Sceptile turning to look at him. Slowly the older boy shook his head. "I won't pressure you further, but I think it is clear that I won. I'll spare you and Zethro the pain of proper defeat." Glancing to the side he grinned at Rayne, who merely crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Holding up Sceptile's Poké Ball Zack recalled it, slipping the ball back in to his pocket as he turned around, Shrike watching his actions out of the corner of his eyes, keeping his main focus on Zethro.
"And the cost of defeat?" Shrike asked.
"None," Zack answered. "I may have won, but I'm calling the battle void. It won't be officially recorded and thus, no prize is needed."
"That's awfully generous," Shrike said as he called Zethro back into his Poké Ball and turned to face Zack. "But you were never looking for money, were you?"
Zack seemed to ignore the question, pausing for a moment before suddenly turning to face Shrike again. The wide smile from before was back, and as he spoke he sounded just as cheerful as he had when he first appeared. "I have a gift for you, in fact. Consolation, for being forced to put up with me."
"A gift...?" Shrike began to ask, but before he could finish Rayne interrupted.
"No thanks," she said as she shook her head. "No offense, but it's not like I exactly trust you." Shooting a glare at Shrike she mumbled under her breath, "Neither should he."
"Ah, but the gift is not for you," Zack said cheerily. "Besides, it is my understanding that you already have the gift. The gift to understand the speech of Pokémon..."
This time, Rayne didn't wait even a second. She was on Zack in an instant, grabbing him by the collar and forcing him up against a tree as she held an arm across his neck with enough force that he could just barely breathe. Shrike took a step forward and opened his mouth as if about to say something, but stopped short when he realized it would probably not be a good idea to get on the bad side of his traveling companion. Rayne didn't notice him and went on to growl, "How the hell do you know that?"
"As I said, you can overhear quite a few things..." Zack choked out, somehow even now managing to keep smiling.
"Not good enough," Rayne said. "When did you start following us?"
"...Last night."
Rayne suddenly released the pressure on Zack's throat and backed off a foot, but before he could even recollect himself the palm of Rayne's hand came swinging around, landing across Zack's face with a loud slap. "Gods, that's so creepy!" Rayne exclaimed as Zack reeled back from the slap. "Did you watch us while we slept even? Huh?" Without waiting for an answer she spun around and grabbed Shrike's wrist as she began to drag him along. "Come on, we're getting out of here already. I don't think I can stand this guy any longer."
"W—wait!" Shrike stuttered, pulling his arm away from Rayne. "Didn't you hear him? His gift, I could understand Pokémon too..."
"That's right," Zack said as he rubbed his cheek where Rayne had hit him. "Not in the same way as she does, but still, is there any difference between natural abilities and technology in the end?"
"Technology?" Shrike repeated. "I haven't heard of anything like this before."
Seeing that Shrike was once again being dragged into Zack's net, Rayne threw up her arms in disgust. "Fine, just go along with the creep. I'll be down the path, out of sight. Come find me when you're done, and don't blame me if he tries to con you." With that Rayne went storming off, Zack and Shrike watching until she disappeared from sight behind a bend in the trail.
"It's not public knowledge," Zack said, returning to the conversation they had been having before all of Rayne's interruptions. "But, a translator has been in development by CORE and it just so happened that I got my hands on a couple prototypes."
"CORE? What's that?" Shrike asked.
"The Collective for Organic Research and Engineering, a biotech firm specializing in technologies related to humans and Pokémon," Zack answered. "They've been in the news a lot lately after their former CEO was murdered, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them."
"I don't watch the news much. None of it really applies to me," Shrike shrugged.
"Well, one of these days it just may, so perhaps now would be a good time to start," Zack said. Reaching into a pocket he pulled out a small metal canister no longer than his palm was wide, flipping open one end of it and rolling something out as if it were a breath mint. Holding it up so Shrike could see, he explained, "This is it, a prototype Pokémon translator. Just put it in your ear like a hearing aid and it'll work automatically."
Shrike held out his hand and let Zack drop the translator into it. It did look similar to a very small hearing aid that fit fully in the ear canal, being made of a soft rubber to allow it to mold to the ear's shape. "So I just stick it in there?" Shrike asked. "Does it matter which way?"
"Here, I'll do it." Zack picked the translator back out of Shrike's palm and grabbed the boy's head, turning it to the side. Gently he pushed the small device into Shrike's right ear, its malleable surface allowing the translator to fit in tightly enough that it wouldn't simply fall out.
Shrike rubbed his ear, grimacing at the discomfort of having something just under the size of a pea jammed into his ear canal. "This is sort of annoying," he remarked.
"You'll get used to it within a day or so," Zack shrugged. Shrike noticed that he could still hear clearly even with the translator in the way. He assumed that it must let through sound unimpeded until it actually needed to translate something.
"Can I remove it?" Shrike asked.
"You can if you really want to; just take some tweezers and yank it out. It's meant to stay in forever though, or at least until the battery runs dry and it needs replaced."
"And when that happens?"
"You better hope I'm around," Zack grinned, taking a few steps backwards. "But seriously, it shouldn't die anytime soon, certainly not for a year or so." Nodding a few times and sliding a hand into a pocket, he then added, "Well then, I suppose we should test it out."
Shrike grimaced as he glanced at his belt. "Zethro's in no condition to come out again now... I suppose there's Jehiel..." However, before Shrike could remove the Zigzagoon's Poké Ball Zack interrupted him.
"Hold on," the other boy abruptly said as he held out his other hand. "I believe that at least one of my Pokémon wishes to tell you something. Might as well introduce you to the others while I'm at it, eh?"
With that there were suddenly three bright flashes of red light as Zack quickly extracted three separate Poké Balls from the pocket his hand had been in. Among the three Pokémon that appeared was the Sceptile Zethro had fought against, as well as both a Mightyena and a Swellow. The canine, clad in slick gray and black fur, kept its bright red and yellow eyes on Shrike as it moved right next to Zack. The large red, white, and blue avian also kept its sharp eyes on the person who to it was a stranger, flying into the air and perching on a tree branch overhead.
Sceptile, on the other hand, walked over close to Shrike before kneeling on the ground and bowing its head. An arm crossed over its chest, it then began to speak. "I apologize for injuring your Pokémon," Zack's Sceptile spoke. Of course, it wasn't really any different, and to an outside observer it probably would have just sounded like meaningless grunts. Shrike could still hear that true voice, in fact; however, overlaid on top of those sounds the translator spoke their true meaning. "I assure you, I did not ever have it in my mind to injure your Cyndaquil beyond recovery," The Sceptile went on to say. "I plead that you do not let our minor deception affect your opinion of us." Finished apologizing, Sceptile stood up and walked over next to Zack, where he crossed his arms and glanced at his trainer.
"You can hear this too?" Shrike asked as he instinctively put a hand up to his ear.
Zack nodded. "Of course. Would be quite odd for me not to use one myself. As for what was said, it's true; we never meant harm."
"You perhaps," Zack's Mightyena suddenly hissed. "I still insist that we should just—"
"Quiet!" Zack suddenly snapped, the Mightyena doing just that before it could say anymore. "Now is not the time for bickering!"
"Ah, but that is all he knows how to do," the Swellow crooned from its place in the trees above. "Bicker and fight. How barbaric."
"Why, you...!" Mightyena growled as he jumped into the air. He took a swipe at the bird but the branch Swellow sat on was simply too high for Mightyena to reach.
"Enough!" Zack roared, bringing a palm up to meet his face while sighing. "Sometimes these translators are more curse than gift..."
Shrike was more than a little overwhelmed by all this. His hand was frozen next to Jehiel's Poké Ball, his intent to let the Zigzagoon out all but forgotten. All he could manage was to mutter, "This...is surreal." After a brief pause he remembered what he had been going to do, closing his hand around the sphere and pulling it away from the magnetic clasp that secured it to his belt. "Might as well make it even crazier..." he said, before pressing the button on the Poké Ball and releasing the Pokémon from inside.
"Master!" Jehiel shouted immediately upon being released from his Poké Ball on the ground in front of Shrike, looking up at the boy as he continued with, "Are there enemies about? Hostiles?! Just show me them, I'll protect you!" Whipping his head about, Jehiel tried his best to locate any so-called hostiles.
"Uh... That... That's not necessary..." Shrike stammered, caught off guard by Jehiel's behavior.
"Of course it is!" Jehiel countered. "You caught me and so are now my master, and it is my job to..." Before he could continue with what he was saying, however, Jehiel suddenly turned around and finally noticed Zack and his Pokémon standing there, staring down at the rather vocal Zigzagoon. Before Shrike could introduce them, however, Jehiel got in the first word. Or, several words.
"Who the hell are you looking at you mangy mutt?!" Jehiel burst out shouting. "And you, green thing! What are you even? Keep on staring at me and I'll rip those eyes right out!" About that time Jehiel had taken up a fighting pose, lowering his body closer to the ground and puffing out his spiky bown fur to give him the appearance of being larger than he really was. Still not done though, he continued ranting, "And a bird?! You think you're so hot because you can fly right over me?! Well I'll show you just how high I can jump and clip your wings while I'm at it! Or better yet, tear them right out of their sockets! Come on, everyone! Bring it! If you so much as take one more step closer to master, I swear I'll tear you all to pieces!"
The silence that followed was literally so thick, Shrike could swear that even the bugs and other noises of the forest quieted. It was as if the whole forest was shut up by Jehiel's rant, not even the smallest creature knowing how to respond to something like that. Even the Pokémon Jehiel had been addressing, anger evident in their faces, were struck dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do. It was obvious they wanted to beat the living tar out of Jehiel, but they seemed to have enough restraint to prevent themselves from doing so.
"That's not needed either..." Shrike finally sighed. "This is Zack, and his Pokémon. They're our...friends. I think."
"Are you sure of this, master?" Jehiel asked, not turning his eyes away from the other Pokémon for a single moment. "I swear that I will not let a single enemy harm you, but I must also obey your every command..."
"Then I command you to back down," Shrike ordered.
"Very well," Jehiel nodded as he relaxed, running back over to Shrike's side. Turning back to look at the Mightyena, he let out one final low growl of, "I'm watching you..."
Shaking his head, Zack pulled out his Poké Balls again. Even if Shrike had calmed Jehiel down, there wasn't any guarantee he'd stay that way. The last thing Zack wanted was for his Pokémon to have to injure the boy's only other Pokémon as well. So before that could happen Zack quickly recalled all of his own Pokémon, slipping the balls back into his pocket as he sauntered over to Shrike. "So," he said, trying to force a smile again despite the bizarreness of the situation. "You see that I was right? These translators really do work. Perhaps a bit too well..." His forced smile starting to relax some, Zack then reached out and gave Shrike's shoulder a small, friendly pat.
"An attack!" Jehiel suddenly yelled. Faster than Shrike had even thought the Zigzagoon could move, Jehiel had launched himself off the ground and straight at Zack, his small fangs bared. In a flash Zack found those fangs buried in his arm, Jehiel wrapping his front paws around Zack's arms to get a better grip.
"Uh..." was all Zack could mutter as he stared at the Zigzagoon hanging off his arm. Zack's hand still held on Shrike's shoulder, it almost looked like the Zigzagoon was clinging to a bridge between the two boys.
"Jehiel..." Shrike growled, his eyes lowering.
"Yes master?" the Zigzagoon asked around his grip on Zack's arm.
"Let go of the arm."
"But..."
"Now."
"But..."
"That wasn't an attack," Shrike continued to growl. "I will tell you when I am being attacked, and when you need to attack back."
Jehiel was silent for a moment, before making a small nod. Letting go of the arm he dropped to the ground, sitting down and staring up at Shrike with his large brown eyes. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he then said, "You are an odd master. Far different from my previous."
"Previous?" Shrike asked curiously, tilting his own head to the side. Did someone else release him?
"I..." Jehiel muttered, lowering his head to look at his feet. He didn't say anymore though, and Shrike got the picture.
"That's okay," Shrike grinned as he knelt down and rubbed the Zigzagoon's head. "You don't need to say anything if you don't want to." Standing back up, Shrike turned his attention back to Zack, who was inspecting the wounds Jehiel had given him. There were four holes in his arm from Jehiel's fangs, but they were small and the bleeding was minimal. Plucking a few leaves off a nearby bush, Zack used them to wipe off some blood. "It's not too bad is it?" Shrike asked, concerned nonetheless.
"Oh, it'll be fine," Zack shrugged. "I've received and lived through worse."
Jehiel glanced sideways at Zack as he staggered over next to Shrike again, refraining from reaching out to give the younger boy another pat least Jehiel attack again. Still, the Zigzagoon could see Zack's intent, and his almost apologetic demeanor suddenly changed. His fur puffed out slightly and his eyes narrowed to slits, his fangs peeking out from between his lips as a low growl emanated from his throat. "Take one more step and this time I'll tear your arm off," he threatened.
"There will be no tearing off of arms today..." Shrike sighed. "Nor ever. I'd probably be arrested if you did that..." Removing Jehiel's Poké Ball from his belt, Shrike held it up and expanded it, adding, "I think that's been enough of you for now," before gladly recalling the rather crazy Zigzagoon.
"You've got quite a handful there," Zack remarked.
"Are all my Pokémon going to be like this...?" Shrike muttered, slapping the Poké Ball back into its spot on his belt.
"It's doubtful," Zack shrugged. "But then again, he may be crazy but he's also loyal and obedient. Those are always good traits to have."
"Yeah, it's just the crazy part I could do without..."
"Hey, it adds character," Zack grinned, patting Shrike's shoulder again without the fear of being attacked by an overly protective fur ball. Turning around, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began slowly walking back down the path. "Well, I think it's about time I take my leave."
"You sure?" Shrike asked. "You could travel with us for a while if you want; it'd be fine with me."
"Ah, but you have your friend, remember?" Zack said, stopping for a moment and glancing back over his shoulder. "I'm not sure she'd appreciate it."
"Yeah, guess you're right..." Shrike muttered as he himself turned around slightly and looked down the path in the direction they were heading, the way Rayne had went. He assumed she would be waiting for him and hadn't just abandoned him; it had been her idea to group together after all. "Well, I guess all I can say is thanks for the translator, even if you weren't entirely—" Shrike trailed off as he turned back around and found that Zack wasn't there anymore, apparently having walked off while Shrike wasn't looking. Shrugging, Shrike turned back around again and slowly walked down the path by himself, taking his time.
Soon enough he found Rayne sitting at the base of a tree, reading the same book she had been reading the previous night. She glanced up as Shrike approached, but remained silent. "Good book?" Shrike asked to break the silence.
"It's okay," she shrugged, closing it and dropping it into her backpack. Standing up, she pulled the bag over her shoulders. "So does it work?" she then asked back.
Shrike nodded. "Yeah. Did you know that Jehiel is a nutcase?"
Rayne grinned mischievously, brushing off the question in a manner that made the answer fairly obvious. "Shall we get going again, then? We've wasted enough time today, but we should still be able to make it to Petalburg in just a few hours."
Nodding again, Shrike began walking down the path as Rayne fell into step beside him. "Hey," she suddenly spoke up after a period of silence. "I'm sorry for how I acted back there..."
Shrike looked over at Rayne, suppressing his surprise. "It's fine," he said. "You don't need to apologize. Heck, he even deserved that slap."
Rayne merely shrugged. "Yeah, even you have to admit he's weird..."
Looking up at the sky while walking at the same time, Shrike couldn't help but wonder if Zack would show up again in the future. He certainly didn't seem like the type to just vanish forever. On one hand Shrike hoped that he wouldn't, but on another he hoped that he would. While weird, odd, and sort of creepy as Rayne put it, Shrike couldn't help but feel a desire to find out more about him and and hopefully become friends. Looking back down at where he was going, Shrike pushed Zack out of his mind for now, instead turning his thoughts to their closing destination. As his excitement rose and fantasies of his sure to be triumphant gym battle coursed through his mind, the odd interlude was all but forgotten. Not all of it, though. Raising his hand to feel his ear again, Shrike wondered what it would be like now to fully understand Pokémon instead of only guessing at their intent.
Off the side of the path, high up in a tree that towered over most others, none other than Zack sat on a thick, study branch as he peered through the leaves and watched Shrike and Rayne walk off below. Turning away from them, he looked up over the forest canopy in the direction they were heading. As if sprouting out of the forest, the skyscrapers and buildings of the city of Petalburg were visible. Reaching into his pocket, Zack pulled out a small, single-earpiece headset that he slid over an ear. Tapping one of the buttons on it, he waited a moment until he heard a terse, "I'm here."
"I've met them," Zack said. "They're en route. I'm heading back. Be ready."
Another click of a button and Zack peeled off the headset, stuffing it in his pocket again as he fearlessly stood up on the branch. A flurry of feathers rose up from a nearby tree and soon enough the large form of Zack's Swellow appeared, the boy leaping from the branch and landing on the bird's back. Already knowing their destination, Swellow beat its wings heavily as it shot off towards that landmark of human civilization amid the untamed forest: Petalburg City.
So yeah, there's Zack for you, and with it some rather large changes from before. In fact, pretty much everything was changed. From the entire encounter, to the setting, to Zack himself... Pretty much the only things I kept were Zack's team and the general flow of Jehiel's insanity. Old readers may remember that Zack had originally been planning a battle against Shrike in the original version but dropped it due to the whole battle with Jehiel thing. Well yeah, that was just me not wanting to write a battle then. Here I have restored that intended battle, and I am pleased with it. For one it shows that yes, Shrike can lose and he's not one of those invincible trainers who wins everything. It also shows that he's still a newbie at this for not grasping Zack's strategy.
Now I know some of those same old readers will probably be mourning the large changes to Zack's character as well, namely the fact that he is now no longer openly gay for Shrike. But seriously? Go compare Zack here to his later appearances in the original version. He had already lost his gayness there and this is just me retooling him so he's actually consistent instead of changing his face every time he appears. And no, I didn't want to change his later appearances to make him gay there as this really isn't that type of story. Go write some slash fics or something of your own if you must.
Those same people should also recognize that Jehiel hasn't change much at all. Except that he has. Yes, he's still bloodthirsty and overly protective, however I wanted to give him a better sense of loyalty, that he's not just acting like that for the hell of it but that he really just wants to protect his master. Also, I just had to make him even cuter in a more traditional sense for the irony.
So yeah. If this is how all future chapters turn out, well, this may be quite a bit more different than the original than I had thought. I had only been intending on majorly changing part 1 and certain other scenes, but at this rate, who knows.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Chapter 6~
~Chapter 6~
"My name's Zack," the stranger said. He stood with an air of confidence, a smug look plastered across his face as he stared at Shrike and Rayne with a gaze that suggested he knew more than he let on. "Zachary J. Reilyn if you care about that much. And yours?"
"Shrike," Shrike tersely responded, not letting his guard down. Zack wasn't acting hostile, but stalking people wasn't exactly the friendliest thing to do.
"No last name?" The smile on Zack's face didn't falter once.
"None that you need to know."
"Ah, that type," Zack nodded, still smiling as if he didn't realize how put off both Shrike and Rayne were. The smile was starting to get on both of their nerves, but it didn't seem that it would be letting up any time soon. Turning to Rayne, Zack went on to ask her, "What about you?"
"You're not even getting my first name," Rayne snarled.
"Ah, wise in some ways," Zack remarked. "Ice cold in others. Doesn't matter, I already know. Rayne, right?" Before the girl in question could smash Zack's face in, he quickly went on to explain, "You can hear quite a few things when eavesdropping. Like, that you two both happen to be trainers. Fresh out of an academy from the looks of it, but trainers nonetheless."
"So? What do you care?" Rayne asked, still considering smashing Zack's face in.
"So... I just happen to be a trainer too," Zack smirked. "You see, I was thinking that, perhaps, we could engage in a friendly little battle. To introduce ourselves, before we get to know each other better." Suddenly, a different look came over Zack. His smile finally faltered, just for a moment, his eyes narrowing as they seemed to stare into the very hearts of the two trainers that stood before him. It didn't seem to be Rayne he was focusing on though, but rather Shrike. The boy was slightly unnerved, but just as soon as the change had come over Zack it disappeared, the stranger quietly adding, "One can learn wonders through a good battle."
"No chance," Rayne quickly said. "Matariel would wipe the floor with you anyway. I'll spare you the pain of defeat."
"Bold words," Zack said back in turn. "But unless you care to back them up I am afraid I cannot take them seriously." Turning to focus on Shrike, he went on to say, "Well then, how about you?"
Shrike was hesitant. The sudden shift in Zack's demeanor was proof enough that there was more to him than met the eye, something which anyone with a brain could gather anyway. There was the chance the battle was a trick, but then again, what could be lost? It was just a battle, with regulations preventing any serious harm being done to Pokémon. Yes, criminals didn't necessarily play by the rules, but if Zack was that sort of criminal he likely would have already made his move.
"Sure, I'll play your game," Shrike responded. "Call the rules."
"One on one," Zack declared. "I know you only have two Pokémon, one of which was caught this very morning and is no position to battle. In turn, I will use my starter as well."
"And winnings?"
"That will depend on the outcome, and how good a show you give me. Rest assured though, I won't ask for much."
Shrike already had his hand on Zethro's Poké Ball, backing down the trail to put a good distance between him and his opponent. Pulling the red and white ball off his belt, Shrike expanded it before holding it up into the air. "Come on Zethro, time for another fight!" Shrike yelled as he hurled the Poké Ball to the ground between where he and Zack stood. It was an overly dramatic way to release Pokémon and not one commonly used in serious competition, but Shrike figured playing things up could never hurt.
The Cyndaquil appeared on the ground in a burst of red light as the Poké Ball snapped open, the force throwing the ball back into the air. Quickly Shrike caught the Poké Ball before it could go flying off into the trees, taking granted for the time he had spent playing baseball as a kid. Zethro already seemed to be aware of the situation, his body lowering to the ground the moment he appeared as he adopted a fighting stance. Shrike was glad to note that the injuries Jehiel had inflicted on the Cyndaquil were all but gone, the healing potion having done its job well. "You ready for this?" Shrike asked, not wanting to pressure Zethro into fighting if he didn't feel up to it yet. Shrike's companion barked excitedly in response, which the boy assumed meant Zethro was ready.
"Yes, a Cyndaquil. That's what I thought," Zack nodded as he reached a hand into his pocket. When he pulled the hand back out a Poké Ball came with it, clutched between Zack's fingers. Expanding the ball, he idly tossed it into the air a few times, letting it fall back into his hand. "You'll be glad to know than that, if nothing else, you have a type advantage. Come out, Sceptile!"
Shrike's heart skipped a beat and his optimism immediately fell as he heard Zack say the name. Only a moment later and Zack had opened the ball, releasing the green, almost prehistoric-looking lizard Pokémon on to the now decidedly one-sided battlefield. The Sceptile had its arms crossed as it appeared, looking down at the Cyndaquil that stood before it with a blank expression on its face. Suddenly, a smirk appeared and it let out an odd laugh before croaking something that Shrike naturally couldn't understand. Glancing at Rayne off to the side he could gather that she did, but he didn't expect her to say anything that would tell Zack more than the stranger needed to know.
"Well this isn't exactly fair!" Shrike exclaimed. "From the way you were talking, I thought you were a new trainer as well!"
"I said no such thing," Zack defended himself with. "It was your fault alone you construed my challenge as meaning that."
"I don't suppose I can back out of this?" Shrike grimaced.
"I am afraid there is no turning back now, so prepare yourself! En garde!" Zack yelled before thrusting a finger skywards. "Sceptile, you know the drill. Brighten the skies with Sunny Day!"
Before Shrike could even give Zethro a command Zack had already taken the initiative in the battle. Sceptile grunted as it closed its eyes and focused, a red glow appearing around its body. Shrike thought it was odd that Zack would have his grass type Pokémon use an attack that would only benefit Zethro more, but figured he was perhaps giving the less experienced team a handicap. "Zethro, wait for the effect to come into play, then hit Sceptile hard with a Flame Wheel! We'll grab every advantage we can!" Shrike commanded.
It wasn't long after Shrike gave the order that Sceptile snapped out of the trance it was in, thrusting both arms into the air with palms opened upwards. Fiery red orbs of light shot into the sky similar to Matariel's Rain Dance, but rather than form clouds this time the existing clouds overhead dissipated. Unimpeded, bright sunlight pierced down through the trees and flooded the forest below, the two combatants basking in the sun's warmth. Shrike knew that so long as the Sunny Day effect lasted Zethro's fire-type moves would be strengthened, but he'd have to hurry to get full use out of it. Preparing to use the only fire move he could, the flames on Zethro's back flared up as soon as the light brightened.
What happened next was almost too fast for Shrike to take in. Zethro had no sooner started charging at Sceptile than the orbs on the lizard's back began to glow, rapidly growing brighter. Shrike suddenly realized what was happening, but before he could warn Zethro it was too late. Sceptile swung its arms forward as if trying to stop the oncoming Cyndaquil, but before Zethro could even jump and roll into a ball, Sceptile launched its own attack. A beam of bright, white-green light suddenly poured out of Sceptile's hands, the light seeming to stream from the orbs on its back. The beam hit Zethro head on, the force of the blast enough to pick the Cyndaquil up off the ground and send him flying back through the air, pushed along by the beam. Shrike cried out as the beam and Zethro blew past him and continued straight on down the trail, the light only fading after it had sent Zethro flying through the air for several seconds. Shrike watched as his Pokémon fell to the ground and rolled along some, the boy quickly taking off in a sprint to see if he was all right.
Before Shrike could even reach where Zethro had landed, however, he watched as Zethro somehow managed to pick himself up. He was battered, but apparently the Solarbeam hadn't quite knocked him out yet. Furthermore, Shrike could see a flickering orange-red aura appear around Zethro, as if he were enveloped in a faint fire. Shrike realized that the single Solarbeam had done enough damage for Zethro's native Blaze ability to kick in, an ability which would only increase the strength of his fire attacks even more. However, using Flame Wheel would mean Zethro would have to cross the now long distance between the two opponents, all the while leaving him open for yet more counter attacks. As weakened as Zethro was now, Shrike wasn't sure he could handle anymore hits, let alone exert the effort needed to run at all.
"I'm surprised he survived that," Zack commented. "Go on then, strike back at me with an Ember! A Flamethrower! Whatever you've got up your sleeve!" he then suddenly taunted. "I can do no more to increase your Cyndaquil's fire strength now, so take the advantage!"
Shrike frowned. Zack didn't realize that Zethro couldn't use Ember, nor much else at this range. "Stand your ground! Let him come to you," Shrike said, making up his mind. There was little else to do, especially since he got the feeling that if Zethro tried to move closer, Sceptile would be ready to counter.
"Hmph, you don't like ranged combat?" Zack asked rhetorically. "Very well then; Sceptile, close the distance yourself with Agility!"
"Get ready for Flame Wheel again!" Shrike yelled as soon as Zack gave his own command. "Use it as soon as he's within range!"
Sceptile set off running, moving so fast that he seemed to flicker in and out of existence, teleporting several yards at a time as the gap between it and Zethro quickly closed. Meanwhile, Zethro's flame had flared up again, rising taller than Shrike had ever seen it before as the Cyndaquil channeled every ounce of his energy into what would hopefully be a one hit knockout. When Sceptile was only a few yards from Zethro, the Cyndaquil began running. Shrike noticed that he seemed a little wobbly, his legs shaky. He never would have made it to Sceptile on his own, confirming Shrike's thoughts.
Sceptile suddenly flickered back into view mere feet in front of Zethro, who swiftly leapt into the air and curled up. The attack was point blank, Shrike knew there was no way it could miss, even if Sceptile tried moving out of the way using Agility. There simply wasn't enough time for the Sceptile to move. As Shrike saw a glimmer-like spark flash in Sceptile's eyes, however, he instantly realized he had once again underestimated his opponent. Detecting the attack early, Sceptile suddenly slid out of the path of Zethro's attack just in time, the flame-wrapped Cyndaquil flying past him as he missed his target. Following up on the dodge, Sceptile suddenly swung an arm into the air, the leaf-like blade that seemed to sprout from his arm near the hand glowing green along its edge. The swipe clipped Zethro, knocking him out of his arc as he fell to the ground on his back, the intense fire that could have won the battle for Shrike extinguished against the dirt.
Sceptile knelt down next to Zethro, using the leaf blade on its arm to push Zethro's head up. Shrike grimaced as he looked at what Sceptile had the blade over: a wide scar that ran completely from one edge of Zethro's neck to the other. Some strands of surgical stitching were still visible in the scar, although most had dissolved or fallen out by now. Shrike watched as Sceptile cocked his head and examined the scar, his leaf blade held right over it in a position where he could very easily reopen the wound.
"I see," Zack said. Somehow he had walked up next to Shrike without him realizing. Perhaps he had just been too focused on the scar to notice Zack. "So that is why he cannot use ranged flame attacks."
"I'm not going to talk about it, if that's what you want," Shrike preemptively stated.
Zack paused a moment, his Sceptile turning to look at him. Slowly the older boy shook his head. "I won't pressure you further, but I think it is clear that I won. I'll spare you and Zethro the pain of proper defeat." Glancing to the side he grinned at Rayne, who merely crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. Holding up Sceptile's Poké Ball Zack recalled it, slipping the ball back in to his pocket as he turned around, Shrike watching his actions out of the corner of his eyes, keeping his main focus on Zethro.
"And the cost of defeat?" Shrike asked.
"None," Zack answered. "I may have won, but I'm calling the battle void. It won't be officially recorded and thus, no prize is needed."
"That's awfully generous," Shrike said as he called Zethro back into his Poké Ball and turned to face Zack. "But you were never looking for money, were you?"
Zack seemed to ignore the question, pausing for a moment before suddenly turning to face Shrike again. The wide smile from before was back, and as he spoke he sounded just as cheerful as he had when he first appeared. "I have a gift for you, in fact. Consolation, for being forced to put up with me."
"A gift...?" Shrike began to ask, but before he could finish Rayne interrupted.
"No thanks," she said as she shook her head. "No offense, but it's not like I exactly trust you." Shooting a glare at Shrike she mumbled under her breath, "Neither should he."
"Ah, but the gift is not for you," Zack said cheerily. "Besides, it is my understanding that you already have the gift. The gift to understand the speech of Pokémon..."
This time, Rayne didn't wait even a second. She was on Zack in an instant, grabbing him by the collar and forcing him up against a tree as she held an arm across his neck with enough force that he could just barely breathe. Shrike took a step forward and opened his mouth as if about to say something, but stopped short when he realized it would probably not be a good idea to get on the bad side of his traveling companion. Rayne didn't notice him and went on to growl, "How the hell do you know that?"
"As I said, you can overhear quite a few things..." Zack choked out, somehow even now managing to keep smiling.
"Not good enough," Rayne said. "When did you start following us?"
"...Last night."
Rayne suddenly released the pressure on Zack's throat and backed off a foot, but before he could even recollect himself the palm of Rayne's hand came swinging around, landing across Zack's face with a loud slap. "Gods, that's so creepy!" Rayne exclaimed as Zack reeled back from the slap. "Did you watch us while we slept even? Huh?" Without waiting for an answer she spun around and grabbed Shrike's wrist as she began to drag him along. "Come on, we're getting out of here already. I don't think I can stand this guy any longer."
"W—wait!" Shrike stuttered, pulling his arm away from Rayne. "Didn't you hear him? His gift, I could understand Pokémon too..."
"That's right," Zack said as he rubbed his cheek where Rayne had hit him. "Not in the same way as she does, but still, is there any difference between natural abilities and technology in the end?"
"Technology?" Shrike repeated. "I haven't heard of anything like this before."
Seeing that Shrike was once again being dragged into Zack's net, Rayne threw up her arms in disgust. "Fine, just go along with the creep. I'll be down the path, out of sight. Come find me when you're done, and don't blame me if he tries to con you." With that Rayne went storming off, Zack and Shrike watching until she disappeared from sight behind a bend in the trail.
"It's not public knowledge," Zack said, returning to the conversation they had been having before all of Rayne's interruptions. "But, a translator has been in development by CORE and it just so happened that I got my hands on a couple prototypes."
"CORE? What's that?" Shrike asked.
"The Collective for Organic Research and Engineering, a biotech firm specializing in technologies related to humans and Pokémon," Zack answered. "They've been in the news a lot lately after their former CEO was murdered, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them."
"I don't watch the news much. None of it really applies to me," Shrike shrugged.
"Well, one of these days it just may, so perhaps now would be a good time to start," Zack said. Reaching into a pocket he pulled out a small metal canister no longer than his palm was wide, flipping open one end of it and rolling something out as if it were a breath mint. Holding it up so Shrike could see, he explained, "This is it, a prototype Pokémon translator. Just put it in your ear like a hearing aid and it'll work automatically."
Shrike held out his hand and let Zack drop the translator into it. It did look similar to a very small hearing aid that fit fully in the ear canal, being made of a soft rubber to allow it to mold to the ear's shape. "So I just stick it in there?" Shrike asked. "Does it matter which way?"
"Here, I'll do it." Zack picked the translator back out of Shrike's palm and grabbed the boy's head, turning it to the side. Gently he pushed the small device into Shrike's right ear, its malleable surface allowing the translator to fit in tightly enough that it wouldn't simply fall out.
Shrike rubbed his ear, grimacing at the discomfort of having something just under the size of a pea jammed into his ear canal. "This is sort of annoying," he remarked.
"You'll get used to it within a day or so," Zack shrugged. Shrike noticed that he could still hear clearly even with the translator in the way. He assumed that it must let through sound unimpeded until it actually needed to translate something.
"Can I remove it?" Shrike asked.
"You can if you really want to; just take some tweezers and yank it out. It's meant to stay in forever though, or at least until the battery runs dry and it needs replaced."
"And when that happens?"
"You better hope I'm around," Zack grinned, taking a few steps backwards. "But seriously, it shouldn't die anytime soon, certainly not for a year or so." Nodding a few times and sliding a hand into a pocket, he then added, "Well then, I suppose we should test it out."
Shrike grimaced as he glanced at his belt. "Zethro's in no condition to come out again now... I suppose there's Jehiel..." However, before Shrike could remove the Zigzagoon's Poké Ball Zack interrupted him.
"Hold on," the other boy abruptly said as he held out his other hand. "I believe that at least one of my Pokémon wishes to tell you something. Might as well introduce you to the others while I'm at it, eh?"
With that there were suddenly three bright flashes of red light as Zack quickly extracted three separate Poké Balls from the pocket his hand had been in. Among the three Pokémon that appeared was the Sceptile Zethro had fought against, as well as both a Mightyena and a Swellow. The canine, clad in slick gray and black fur, kept its bright red and yellow eyes on Shrike as it moved right next to Zack. The large red, white, and blue avian also kept its sharp eyes on the person who to it was a stranger, flying into the air and perching on a tree branch overhead.
Sceptile, on the other hand, walked over close to Shrike before kneeling on the ground and bowing its head. An arm crossed over its chest, it then began to speak. "I apologize for injuring your Pokémon," Zack's Sceptile spoke. Of course, it wasn't really any different, and to an outside observer it probably would have just sounded like meaningless grunts. Shrike could still hear that true voice, in fact; however, overlaid on top of those sounds the translator spoke their true meaning. "I assure you, I did not ever have it in my mind to injure your Cyndaquil beyond recovery," The Sceptile went on to say. "I plead that you do not let our minor deception affect your opinion of us." Finished apologizing, Sceptile stood up and walked over next to Zack, where he crossed his arms and glanced at his trainer.
"You can hear this too?" Shrike asked as he instinctively put a hand up to his ear.
Zack nodded. "Of course. Would be quite odd for me not to use one myself. As for what was said, it's true; we never meant harm."
"You perhaps," Zack's Mightyena suddenly hissed. "I still insist that we should just—"
"Quiet!" Zack suddenly snapped, the Mightyena doing just that before it could say anymore. "Now is not the time for bickering!"
"Ah, but that is all he knows how to do," the Swellow crooned from its place in the trees above. "Bicker and fight. How barbaric."
"Why, you...!" Mightyena growled as he jumped into the air. He took a swipe at the bird but the branch Swellow sat on was simply too high for Mightyena to reach.
"Enough!" Zack roared, bringing a palm up to meet his face while sighing. "Sometimes these translators are more curse than gift..."
Shrike was more than a little overwhelmed by all this. His hand was frozen next to Jehiel's Poké Ball, his intent to let the Zigzagoon out all but forgotten. All he could manage was to mutter, "This...is surreal." After a brief pause he remembered what he had been going to do, closing his hand around the sphere and pulling it away from the magnetic clasp that secured it to his belt. "Might as well make it even crazier..." he said, before pressing the button on the Poké Ball and releasing the Pokémon from inside.
"Master!" Jehiel shouted immediately upon being released from his Poké Ball on the ground in front of Shrike, looking up at the boy as he continued with, "Are there enemies about? Hostiles?! Just show me them, I'll protect you!" Whipping his head about, Jehiel tried his best to locate any so-called hostiles.
"Uh... That... That's not necessary..." Shrike stammered, caught off guard by Jehiel's behavior.
"Of course it is!" Jehiel countered. "You caught me and so are now my master, and it is my job to..." Before he could continue with what he was saying, however, Jehiel suddenly turned around and finally noticed Zack and his Pokémon standing there, staring down at the rather vocal Zigzagoon. Before Shrike could introduce them, however, Jehiel got in the first word. Or, several words.
"Who the hell are you looking at you mangy mutt?!" Jehiel burst out shouting. "And you, green thing! What are you even? Keep on staring at me and I'll rip those eyes right out!" About that time Jehiel had taken up a fighting pose, lowering his body closer to the ground and puffing out his spiky bown fur to give him the appearance of being larger than he really was. Still not done though, he continued ranting, "And a bird?! You think you're so hot because you can fly right over me?! Well I'll show you just how high I can jump and clip your wings while I'm at it! Or better yet, tear them right out of their sockets! Come on, everyone! Bring it! If you so much as take one more step closer to master, I swear I'll tear you all to pieces!"
The silence that followed was literally so thick, Shrike could swear that even the bugs and other noises of the forest quieted. It was as if the whole forest was shut up by Jehiel's rant, not even the smallest creature knowing how to respond to something like that. Even the Pokémon Jehiel had been addressing, anger evident in their faces, were struck dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do. It was obvious they wanted to beat the living tar out of Jehiel, but they seemed to have enough restraint to prevent themselves from doing so.
"That's not needed either..." Shrike finally sighed. "This is Zack, and his Pokémon. They're our...friends. I think."
"Are you sure of this, master?" Jehiel asked, not turning his eyes away from the other Pokémon for a single moment. "I swear that I will not let a single enemy harm you, but I must also obey your every command..."
"Then I command you to back down," Shrike ordered.
"Very well," Jehiel nodded as he relaxed, running back over to Shrike's side. Turning back to look at the Mightyena, he let out one final low growl of, "I'm watching you..."
Shaking his head, Zack pulled out his Poké Balls again. Even if Shrike had calmed Jehiel down, there wasn't any guarantee he'd stay that way. The last thing Zack wanted was for his Pokémon to have to injure the boy's only other Pokémon as well. So before that could happen Zack quickly recalled all of his own Pokémon, slipping the balls back into his pocket as he sauntered over to Shrike. "So," he said, trying to force a smile again despite the bizarreness of the situation. "You see that I was right? These translators really do work. Perhaps a bit too well..." His forced smile starting to relax some, Zack then reached out and gave Shrike's shoulder a small, friendly pat.
"An attack!" Jehiel suddenly yelled. Faster than Shrike had even thought the Zigzagoon could move, Jehiel had launched himself off the ground and straight at Zack, his small fangs bared. In a flash Zack found those fangs buried in his arm, Jehiel wrapping his front paws around Zack's arms to get a better grip.
"Uh..." was all Zack could mutter as he stared at the Zigzagoon hanging off his arm. Zack's hand still held on Shrike's shoulder, it almost looked like the Zigzagoon was clinging to a bridge between the two boys.
"Jehiel..." Shrike growled, his eyes lowering.
"Yes master?" the Zigzagoon asked around his grip on Zack's arm.
"Let go of the arm."
"But..."
"Now."
"But..."
"That wasn't an attack," Shrike continued to growl. "I will tell you when I am being attacked, and when you need to attack back."
Jehiel was silent for a moment, before making a small nod. Letting go of the arm he dropped to the ground, sitting down and staring up at Shrike with his large brown eyes. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he then said, "You are an odd master. Far different from my previous."
"Previous?" Shrike asked curiously, tilting his own head to the side. Did someone else release him?
"I..." Jehiel muttered, lowering his head to look at his feet. He didn't say anymore though, and Shrike got the picture.
"That's okay," Shrike grinned as he knelt down and rubbed the Zigzagoon's head. "You don't need to say anything if you don't want to." Standing back up, Shrike turned his attention back to Zack, who was inspecting the wounds Jehiel had given him. There were four holes in his arm from Jehiel's fangs, but they were small and the bleeding was minimal. Plucking a few leaves off a nearby bush, Zack used them to wipe off some blood. "It's not too bad is it?" Shrike asked, concerned nonetheless.
"Oh, it'll be fine," Zack shrugged. "I've received and lived through worse."
Jehiel glanced sideways at Zack as he staggered over next to Shrike again, refraining from reaching out to give the younger boy another pat least Jehiel attack again. Still, the Zigzagoon could see Zack's intent, and his almost apologetic demeanor suddenly changed. His fur puffed out slightly and his eyes narrowed to slits, his fangs peeking out from between his lips as a low growl emanated from his throat. "Take one more step and this time I'll tear your arm off," he threatened.
"There will be no tearing off of arms today..." Shrike sighed. "Nor ever. I'd probably be arrested if you did that..." Removing Jehiel's Poké Ball from his belt, Shrike held it up and expanded it, adding, "I think that's been enough of you for now," before gladly recalling the rather crazy Zigzagoon.
"You've got quite a handful there," Zack remarked.
"Are all my Pokémon going to be like this...?" Shrike muttered, slapping the Poké Ball back into its spot on his belt.
"It's doubtful," Zack shrugged. "But then again, he may be crazy but he's also loyal and obedient. Those are always good traits to have."
"Yeah, it's just the crazy part I could do without..."
"Hey, it adds character," Zack grinned, patting Shrike's shoulder again without the fear of being attacked by an overly protective fur ball. Turning around, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began slowly walking back down the path. "Well, I think it's about time I take my leave."
"You sure?" Shrike asked. "You could travel with us for a while if you want; it'd be fine with me."
"Ah, but you have your friend, remember?" Zack said, stopping for a moment and glancing back over his shoulder. "I'm not sure she'd appreciate it."
"Yeah, guess you're right..." Shrike muttered as he himself turned around slightly and looked down the path in the direction they were heading, the way Rayne had went. He assumed she would be waiting for him and hadn't just abandoned him; it had been her idea to group together after all. "Well, I guess all I can say is thanks for the translator, even if you weren't entirely—" Shrike trailed off as he turned back around and found that Zack wasn't there anymore, apparently having walked off while Shrike wasn't looking. Shrugging, Shrike turned back around again and slowly walked down the path by himself, taking his time.
Soon enough he found Rayne sitting at the base of a tree, reading the same book she had been reading the previous night. She glanced up as Shrike approached, but remained silent. "Good book?" Shrike asked to break the silence.
"It's okay," she shrugged, closing it and dropping it into her backpack. Standing up, she pulled the bag over her shoulders. "So does it work?" she then asked back.
Shrike nodded. "Yeah. Did you know that Jehiel is a nutcase?"
Rayne grinned mischievously, brushing off the question in a manner that made the answer fairly obvious. "Shall we get going again, then? We've wasted enough time today, but we should still be able to make it to Petalburg in just a few hours."
Nodding again, Shrike began walking down the path as Rayne fell into step beside him. "Hey," she suddenly spoke up after a period of silence. "I'm sorry for how I acted back there..."
Shrike looked over at Rayne, suppressing his surprise. "It's fine," he said. "You don't need to apologize. Heck, he even deserved that slap."
Rayne merely shrugged. "Yeah, even you have to admit he's weird..."
Looking up at the sky while walking at the same time, Shrike couldn't help but wonder if Zack would show up again in the future. He certainly didn't seem like the type to just vanish forever. On one hand Shrike hoped that he wouldn't, but on another he hoped that he would. While weird, odd, and sort of creepy as Rayne put it, Shrike couldn't help but feel a desire to find out more about him and and hopefully become friends. Looking back down at where he was going, Shrike pushed Zack out of his mind for now, instead turning his thoughts to their closing destination. As his excitement rose and fantasies of his sure to be triumphant gym battle coursed through his mind, the odd interlude was all but forgotten. Not all of it, though. Raising his hand to feel his ear again, Shrike wondered what it would be like now to fully understand Pokémon instead of only guessing at their intent.
Off the side of the path, high up in a tree that towered over most others, none other than Zack sat on a thick, study branch as he peered through the leaves and watched Shrike and Rayne walk off below. Turning away from them, he looked up over the forest canopy in the direction they were heading. As if sprouting out of the forest, the skyscrapers and buildings of the city of Petalburg were visible. Reaching into his pocket, Zack pulled out a small, single-earpiece headset that he slid over an ear. Tapping one of the buttons on it, he waited a moment until he heard a terse, "I'm here."
"I've met them," Zack said. "They're en route. I'm heading back. Be ready."
Another click of a button and Zack peeled off the headset, stuffing it in his pocket again as he fearlessly stood up on the branch. A flurry of feathers rose up from a nearby tree and soon enough the large form of Zack's Swellow appeared, the boy leaping from the branch and landing on the bird's back. Already knowing their destination, Swellow beat its wings heavily as it shot off towards that landmark of human civilization amid the untamed forest: Petalburg City.
~End of Chapter 6~
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So yeah, there's Zack for you, and with it some rather large changes from before. In fact, pretty much everything was changed. From the entire encounter, to the setting, to Zack himself... Pretty much the only things I kept were Zack's team and the general flow of Jehiel's insanity. Old readers may remember that Zack had originally been planning a battle against Shrike in the original version but dropped it due to the whole battle with Jehiel thing. Well yeah, that was just me not wanting to write a battle then. Here I have restored that intended battle, and I am pleased with it. For one it shows that yes, Shrike can lose and he's not one of those invincible trainers who wins everything. It also shows that he's still a newbie at this for not grasping Zack's strategy.
Now I know some of those same old readers will probably be mourning the large changes to Zack's character as well, namely the fact that he is now no longer openly gay for Shrike. But seriously? Go compare Zack here to his later appearances in the original version. He had already lost his gayness there and this is just me retooling him so he's actually consistent instead of changing his face every time he appears. And no, I didn't want to change his later appearances to make him gay there as this really isn't that type of story. Go write some slash fics or something of your own if you must.
Those same people should also recognize that Jehiel hasn't change much at all. Except that he has. Yes, he's still bloodthirsty and overly protective, however I wanted to give him a better sense of loyalty, that he's not just acting like that for the hell of it but that he really just wants to protect his master. Also, I just had to make him even cuter in a more traditional sense for the irony.
So yeah. If this is how all future chapters turn out, well, this may be quite a bit more different than the original than I had thought. I had only been intending on majorly changing part 1 and certain other scenes, but at this rate, who knows.