Grovyle42(Griff8416)
No. 1 Grovyle Fan
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- Seen Apr 11, 2023
Isolation
The steam from the warm bath rose from the rippling water. Corphish was gleefully treading about the relaxing liquid. Jeff sat on the lid of the toilet, which was placed down so that it acted as a seat, while Daedalus perched on the side of the tub, neutral but more happy than not. Corphish waded around the bubble bath and released some bubbles of his own into the air.
"How are you feeling?" Jeff asked the joyous ruffian pokemon.
"Corphish cor!" replied Corppy with visible merriment.
He smiled. "I'm happy this is helping." Corphish's happiness, even in his injured state, was contagious to both Jeff and Daedalus. Jeff was glad that Corphish was jolly no matter the situation.
"Is he this happy because I decided to become a trainer again?" he thought, proud of his decision to soldier on with or without Treecko.
"<Isn't this great, Dae? Jeff's a thing where he does the battles with us again!>"
"<You mean a 'pokemon trainer'?>"
Jeff stood up from the white toilet cover and moved over to the red marble sink. He utilized his tooth brush and began to scrub away at his teeth.
"<Yeah! Isn't it, Featherhead?>"
"<I don't know, Corppy. I guess it's good that he's not sulking around like a Staraptor, but battles? I don't fight other pokemon for sport; I do because I have to!>"
"<Where's your sense of fun? It's so enjoyable to do, battling against different kinds of pokemon,>" Corphish coerced him.
"<I'm sorry, but I'm not going to throw away my principles just so that I can have…fun. And how can you say it's fun?! For the better part of the battle, you were getting your claws and tail handed to you with a side serving of lemon for dipping!>" Daedalus trilled, offended and disappointed at his friend.
"<I won at the end!>" Corphish retorted, trying to defend himself like a student who's just been scolded by a teacher.
"<You're all bruised up! THAT'S supposed to be FUN?!>" he rebuked the once jolly pokemon. There was a brief silence on the side of the brushing of Jeff's sharp teeth.
"<You're a poop,>" Corphish mumbled, just loud enough so Dae could hear him.
"<…What?>"
"<You're a poop!>" said the water type, grinning slightly.
Daedalus didn't even bother to argue back; he rubbed his wing down his face in exasperation before flying onto Jeff's shoulder.
Jeff acknowledged the Taillow and attempted to say, "Hey," but he had a mouth full of toothpaste and saliva mixing together to form a creamy goo. He rinsed out his maw and splashed water on his face. Jeff looked out the window beside the mirror and noticed that dusk had forced the sun under the horizon. He leaned in closer to look up at the starry sky but saw no celestial bodies, only gray clouds.
"You done your bath, Corppy?" Jeff asked the pokemon.
"<Ask Mr. Poop over there!>" Corphish replied, giggling and pointing to Daedalus on Jeff's shoulder.
"<Oh, grow up, Corp!>" Daedalus sputtered in an irked response.
"<No, you! By the way, these bath salts Jeff put in are REALLY painful! Yet they're so relaxing…but very very painful.>"
"<That's terrific, Corp. Now get your feminine butt out of the bath so we can get a move on!>"
Corphish jumped out of the tub and landed on the tile, bringing water with him. They walked towards the hallway.
"<If by feminine you mean cute, then I agree,>" Corphish replied, sticking out his tongue.
"<Mature today, aren't we?>"
They reached the top of the stairs and Corphish looked down them precariously. He then looked up at Jeff with concern, who immediately understood. Jeff picked up Corphish and proceeded down the stairs. The stairs did not squeak with each heavy footstep. Once at the vestibule, Jeff put down Corphish and Daedalus followed after him.
Bayleef and Hitmonlee solemnly approached from the kitchen. They loomed Jeff slowly. Bayleef was the first to act. She raised her forelegs to Jeff's waist and wrapped two vines around his chest. Jeff leaned down and returned the ceremonious hug.
"<I'll miss you, Jeff. Come back REALLY soon and don't forget about… you know,>" she whispered hopefully.
Jeff stared at her expectant red eyes which glistened. He couldn't stand to see her cry so he reassured her, "I'll do my VERY best, Bay."
They held the hug for many seconds before letting go. Hitmonlee stepped up next. They shook hands, embraced, and slapped each other on the back all at the same time.
"<Give them hell, Jeff. Don't back down. And remember what I told you…no matter what. Trust me,>" his fighting friend encouraged.
"I will… Thanks for looking out for me, pal," Jeff said shakily, yet sincerely.
"<That's what friends are for,>" Hitmonlee answered, with a hint of a cold undertone in his voice.
The words stung Jeff as he thought about Treecko, who did the polar opposite of Hitmonlee. He decided to think about the task at hand again.
"Bay? Hit? Would you two like to come along?"
Bayleef thought about the question but then reluctantly shook her head in refusal. "<I should stay here…but be sure to call. I might come next time you come back.>"
Hitminlee's eyes lit up at the offer. He hadn't battled since he was a Tyrogue, but he looked at Bayleef and then the ground. "<I have some stuff to take care of…but I promise that I will the next time we see each other.>"
"Ok, then," said Jeff with understanding. "Also, you guys can make food, I assume? Just in case, I'm going to leave you guys some food that I packed earlier – it doesn't require heating or anything." He opened his rucksack, took out several zip locked bags, and placed them on the ground.
"Goodbye, you guys. I'll call you from the video phone as soon as I can."
He opened the door and his two pokemon trotted and flew down the steps onto the walkway, which was darkened by the night. Jeff began to follow them but something hard and sharp hit his lower spine. He flew forwards and tumbled down the stairs, landing on Corphish's back. The confused teen looked up at his assailant who was standing in the doorway.
"<And STAY out!>" laughed Hitmonlee.
Jeff would have laughed but only sharp exhales escaped his mouth, winded from the cruel joke. He rolled off of the not-amused Corphish and caught his breath.
"Well at least your goodbyes aren't as painful as your hellos! DON'T think I won't get you back for this!"
"<I'd like to see that day!>" Hitmonlee mocked with a hearty chuckle, closing the door.
Jeff let out a sigh as he and his pokemon went from the walkway to the sidewalk, where only a few streetlights cast dull orange glows on the barren road, like an industrial torch.
"Oh crap" Jeff brooded in his mind, "I forgot to ask Hitmonlee why he lied to Treecko like that! …Not that it MATTERS now. Oh well, spilled milk."
There was a silence except for the distant singing of Kricketots. A slight drizzle of wetness fell from the overhead cloud he inspected earlier.
"Well I can't send out Onix now," Jeff mumbled.
His pokemon seemed to be worried that the rain would dampen Jeff's mood seeing as it just started as they were resurrecting their journey. To prove to his pokemon that he wasn't a 'no-fun-Numel', as the expression went, he made an enthusiastic suggestion.
"Hey, guys!? How about we have a race from here into the forest?" he beamed cheerfully.
Corphish hopped around in agreement and Daedalus put on a smile and agreed. They formed a line in the middle of the street.
"Ok, from here to a good deal into the forest. No rules or limitations; just run straight ahead. Who wants to count down?"
Corphish took the offer. "Corphish… Corp corp… Corphish phish… Phish cor Corphish… COR!" he yelled sprinting on his many feet while Daedalus went by air.
Jeff was daunted by the unfamiliar countdown, so it took him a moment to pursue after them. They raced down the middle of the long, dark street. Daedalus had taken the lead and Jeff sprinted to catch up with Corphish. The water type's little legs were hindering his speed on the cement. Jeff shortly went past him and ahead, giving Daedalus a fly for his money.
Corppy, realizing that he couldn't catch up by regular means, took advantage of the 'no rules' rule. As he ran, he opened up his pincers to use his ranged attack, bubblebeam. He unleashed the bubbles at the two ahead of him. They whizzed by Jeff's head and legs, narrowly missing but causing him to instinctively maneuver himself to dodge. A large blue orb, however, clipped Daedalus's wing and sent him spiraling to the pavement in front of Corphish.
"<HAH, CAN YOU FEEL THE BUBBLES MELT, BI->" It turned out that Corphish was going faster than he thought, seeing that Daedalus's body closed in and Corphish ended up tripping over it face first into the rain-soaked cement.
Jeff didn't look back while running. They were all just on the edge of both the town and Route 101 now. The human aptly dashed over bushes and through the now-wet, mossy forest bed, running against the cloudburst. He made a good way into the woodland.
By now he was heaving from exertion as a consequence of the long run. He decided he would slow down and wait for the others. Jeff leaned against a tree and panted, struggling for a breath. He shut his eyes and waited; the heavy backpack he carried paid its toll on him. He breathed in and out, his heart pumping vigorously. Rain, which began to pour harder, leaked onto his face and into his mouth, quenching his thirst.
A shaking of a leafy branch could be heard.
"Corphish… Dae… I'm over…here!" he exclaimed through breaths.
The shaking continued and it became closer and from up high. He became paranoid so he shot his eyes open. He looked at the rain beating the tree canopies. There was nothing.
Suddenly, something popped out from the bough of the tree parallel from him. He flinched and then looked up and a pokemon on the branch, who traveled on the wooden limb before its peripheral vision caught sight of the human. It stopped dead in its tracks and darted its head sideways. He had two yellow orbs leering into his. This was all he could clearly make out until a flash of forked lightning hit a little ways away. The electric strike illuminated both beings – each studied their respective counterpart. Standing on all fours on the branch was a light green skinned pokemon. The rain water trickled down from the green to the red underbelly. The muscular tail of the hauntingly familiar pokemon flinched. The pouring element dripped off of the end of the straight twig in its mouth.
Neither figure moved. They both remained in a still shock, like they were being paralyzed by a stun spore. Jeff recognized the pokemon as Treecko… the same Treecko he knew… the one who abandoned him. The stunned wood gecko also identified the astonished human. Their mouths slackened and eyes widened, ignoring the water droplets stinging their respective orbs of sight. The moment either seemed like or was several minutes long. The two gaping figures were drenched and neither knew if they were seeing the real thing.
Suddenly, movement in the bushed beside him caused Jeff's head to turn. At that moment, the Treecko turned and bounded away from branch to branch. From the bushes came Corphish and Daedalus, panting and drenched.
"<We've been looking for you and calling your name for the past several minutes!>" Corphish said, even though he knew it fell upon deaf ears.
Jeff darted his head back to where the Treecko previously stood.
"I… I saw… Treecko!" Jeff stuttered still in disbelief.
Corphish's jaw dropped. "<Really?! Where?! We'll go follow him!>"
"He was up there." Jeff pointed out the branch where he believed Treecko had stood. "He ran off once we heard the rustling… I think."
Corphish looked excited but Daedalus looked skeptical.
"I'm not sure. I don't think I even saw him. I was exhausted from running, then I closed my eyes. I probably just dozed off and was half asleep."
"<But what if it WAS him?>" Corphish protested.
"<Then the *sshole clearly doesn't want to be with us, seeing as he ran,>" Daedalus said hot-temperedly.
Corphish looked at him in surprise and discouragement. "<Fine…>"
Jeff, who was still stunned from the apparent vision began to walk forwards.
With a shaky, fearful voice, Jeff goaded, "Come on, guys… let's go catch a pokemon or something!"
The pokemon didn't protest as they agreed that it would probably take his mind off the bad dream.
"Heeeere, poke-poke-pokemonssss…"
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The rain continued to pour into the night, creating cavernous puddles and sodden trees which excreted the fetid aroma of wet wood. The three comrades traveled through plants and bushes, soaked to the bone. The catching escapade was a flop. Corphish picked a fight with a Wurmple but got a face-full of string shot. He was still grumbling as he picked pieces of sticky silk from his face with his claws.
Jeff stopped and looked around him, surrounded by woods. Both he and his pokemon knew it. He was lost. Daedalus flew up and landed on his shoulder, covered by a saturated shirt.
"Do you know where we are Dae?" he asked him, bewildered.
The tiny swallow pokemon shook his head. "<How the hell would I know, we steered clear of this place ever since what happened way-back-when.>"
The dark brown haired male sighed and declared, "Straight ahead, it is. We're bound to hit a road eventually."
Jeff decided to pick Corphish up and continued tromping through the pouring rain. The intimidating torrent made it impossible to see where one was going. Jeff began to run as best as he could, clutching and struggling to hold up both pokemon tightly to his chest. He feared that they would get hypothermia from the deluge as he could feel their body temperatures drop. He would have put them in their pokeballs, but the two devices were buried at the bottom of his backpack and he would have to unload everything into the sopping dirt to get them. His hardest sprinting resulted in a jogger's pace since the thirty-five pounds worth of pokemon added to his substantial rucksack.
His forced dash came to a halt when he ran towards thick bushes which seemed familiar enough. The sudden stop was brought on by a misstep into a pothole-sized pitfall, which the rain filled to the brim, deceptively disguising its true deepness. His caught leg caused him and his pokemon to fall forwards into a bush. Corphish's horns missed impaling his hand by mere inches.
"Woah… Hey, there looks like a clearing on the otherside!"
He pulled his aching shin and foot from the hole and crawled ahead into the bush along with his pokemon.
"<Stop, I hear something!>" Daedalus hopped in front of them and outstretched his wings. When Jeff continued forward in the bush, Daedalus lightly pecked his face, causing him to curse and halt.
They were still and listened for sound. They heard grunts of male pokemon; they were relatively high and calm.
"<What would be out in this weather?>" Corphish whispered.
They silently squirmed through the bush and poked their heads through the leaves. What they saw was a massive, old tree which was like a colossus. The immense boughs of the tree were big enough to be small trees on their own. The canopy created a massive umbrella, even though most of the leaves had disappeared from the limbs of the old, wooden titan. The rain seemed to be tolling on the tree.
"My Arceus…" Jeff whispered to himself. "It's Treecko's home!"
They looked over from the tree, to its left, and saw a familiar outline of a figure silhouetted from the night by the rain. It was Treecko. Jeff wasn't dreaming!
"COR-," Corphish began to call, but Jeff cupped his hand over his mouth.
"No. Wait."
Corppy remained impatient and very excited. Daedalus, on the other hand, was surprised, but then glowered in contempt. Jeff was still in shock as he gazed at his old, cut-up and beaten starter.
They watched the grass type from the bushes. Treecko had a large, bowl-like leaf which was full of rain water in his green hands. He dragged the heavy thing towards the tree, grunting with each haul. By the resonance of his strained voice, it sounded like he had been burdened with whatever it was he was doing for sometime. Treecko got the leaf to the base of the tree before he carefully up turned the leaf onto a root. The wood gecko backed away from the tree with the leaf and waited for it to fill again. The leaf was filled almost completely before Treecko walked back towards his home with it in hand.
"He's watering his tree?" Jeff thought aloud.
The grass type, ignoring the pounding element on his back, made it back to the tree and, with paramount grace, poured the leaf's contents onto the roots. Jeff carefully examined Treecko's face with the action and his very soul was stunned.
Treecko had a look that he had never seen before. He was smiling! It was a genuine smile, not a grin of victory or a smirk of sarcasm. Jeff looked closer. The expression he had was that of extreme caring and calm bliss. This is what he looked like when he loved something. He treasured and loved his home more than anything, and caring for it was the one thing that made him happy, it seemed. Each trickle of water on the roots soothed and detached the Treecko. This was his heaven.
Jeff broke a smile. Not because something was funny or he was joyful, but it comforted him knowing that Treecko was finally happy. Jeff continued to watch him care for his home. His heart warmed from the cold rain as he watched the expression that he had always wanted to see from the grass type. Too bad it wasn't directly because of him. It crossed his mind to walk up to him and say hello, but he decided he would leave Treecko to his work. Many moments passed and Jeff's two pokemon looked at him expectantly. He noticed but ignored the duo. Treecko finished pouring the water and turned to continue the process. Lightning struck a little ways behind them, closely followed by the menacing clap of thunder.
After a few more moments of watching, Jeff crawled out of the bush the way he came and stood up.
"Come on, let's go!" he sputtered in order, awaiting the negative responses which were sure to come.
"<What?! We can't go! Treeck's there! We have to go talk to him!>" Corphish carped in protest.
"I know what you're probably saying, Corppy. But, no, we're leaving. I don't want to disturb him."
"<But…>"
Daedalus raised a wing and cawed angrily, "<Shut it, both of you! I hear something!>"
Upon hearing Corphish quiet, Jeff also muted correspondingly. They listened carefully. A slight thumping could be heard over the rain. Daedalus pointed over to the left of the clearing, where the noise was coming from. The thumping and the breaking of branches grew louder and undoubtedly closer. Treecko stopped watering the tree and turned towards the noise. He imposingly walked towards the spot.
"Treecko, no, what are you doing?" Jeff murmured to himself under his breath.
"<What do you think it is?>" Corphish asked Daedalus.
The Taillow opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly a quick movement was performed from where Treecko approached. Suddenly, a medium sized net appeared from the forest and ensnared the wood gecko pokemon.
"<Arceus! What the?!>" he sputtered from underneath the cords.
Then a purple color emerged from wet, dark timberlands. A wet, sharp horn sparkled, catching the eyes of the three onlookers. Water trickled from the spiky dorsal of the hefty, amethyst-colored pokemon; surprisingly, the white underbelly was less noticeable than the rest of him. One thing that particularly established was the black eye patch on the pokemon's right eye. The horn-clad beast chuckled triumphantly as he slowly approached the trapped grass type.
"Nidoking?!" Jeff began to say aloud but Daedalus cupped his wing over his mouth to avoid being seen.
The memorable poison monarch picked up his catch by the ends of his net, making a bag of sorts. Nidoking whipped the grass type around his head in circles and walked towards the giant tree. He then slammed Treecko into the trunk of the tree, letting go of the net. There was a horrific crack, which Jeff hoped was just the bark. With a cry, Treecko fell to the ground, still tangled.
He felt completely helpless and pathetic.
"<Why can't you defend yourself? You're stuck in a damned net and at this coward's mercy. Come on. COME ON!>"
The determined wood gecko pulled himself to his feet in the rain, despite his countless cuts and bruises. He reared his head backwards and attempted to use his bullet seed attack.
"<NOT THIS TIME, YOU RUNTY, LITTLE PUNK!>" he roared, grabbing Treecko by the face.
He picked him up by the head and drove the grass lizard and his arm towards the tree, smashing Treeck into his own home. Treecko impacted the tree and let out a muffled groan. Nidoking performed the slamming action again but harder. Treecko's head and back hit the hard bark, creating splitting pain before he blacked out. He slumped forwards onto Nidoking's claw; there were red marks as a result from the net being pressed against his face on his head and there was clear internal bleeding as there was a massive purple bruise on Treecko's back and tail.
Nidoking took the netted Treecko by the tail and began to walk into the forest. He swung limply from side to side. They walked out of sight into the raining forest.
The three onlookers remained in shock.
"<Oh 'ceus>" Corphish said, mildly slack-jawed. "<We have to go help him!>"
"<Why should we?! He wouldn't have done so for us!>" Daedalus protested.
Jeff remained in silence.
"<Well what's your decision, oh great leader?>" the sour Taillow asked Jeff.
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There was a searing pain on every conceivable inch of my back and tail.
I stirred and realized I was not yet dead. No ground touched my body and I realized that I was on the move even though none of my limbs willingly moved. My eyes barely opened and saw that I was still surrounded by the net. I was hanging from that Nidoking's back. I tried to free myself but it was still to no avail. Rain stung my injured body while the heavy night breeze from the storm caused me to sway in the wind; I narrowly missed hitting one of his back spikes. In a continuous attempt to escape, I kept struggling.
"<Save your strength, pipsqueak. You'll need it for later.>"
I could only see behind me. I saw that we left the forest and were now in a clearing, one much bigger than the one where my home was. All of a sudden, we stopped. He dropped me to the ground where I saw him lift something up with much struggle. The poison type then whipped his tail at me, forcing me under whatever it was that he held up. The thing dropped to the wet grass with a 'clang'.
I took the opportunity to crawl out of the net and stand up. I found myself facing bars. I turned around. More bars. I was in a cube cage, not one of weak bamboo like the one Corphish and I were in, but one made of sturdy metal. I hopelessly fell to my bruised ass and accepted defeat for the time being.
"<You chill out there and cool down! Enjoy it while it lasts.>"
I lay down and curled up, wishing I was free.
What a sad sight you are! You basically let yourself get caught. You were completely helpless to do anything and this is where you ended up… STILL just as helpless as when he attacked you!
I felt utterly pathetic and useless. My face kissed the cold, wet, muddy ground. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't get free, I couldn't fight back, I couldn't even stand. There was no word in either my language or the human's that could describe how low I felt. I deemed the very mud I lay in to be of higher rank than me. I thought I should die then and there. All I could think about was when Seviper attacked us and how I went after him only to fail both myself and Jeff. We both wound up in that healing place due to my weak and dismal actions. I couldn't fail anybody ever again.
A familiar echo that I recognized from my past rang through my ears. "<Your number one priority is, above ALL else, your honor. Without it… what are you?>"
Much to my despair, my honor had been stripped back when I fought Seviper. Now… I AM nothing.
Sure I beat him in the end, but that meant nothing. I needed strength… power… speed… if I ever hoped to prove myself to anybody. But for the moment… I was nothing. I weakly beat the soaking, mud, sputtering some on my face. I was furious at the pathetically weak blow, but I knew that if I beat the ground again I would only get angrier. I hopelessly just lay there. Nowhere to go. No way to vent my self-induced frustration. No one to talk to. I knew that even if I did bullet seed him down, I still wouldn't be able to escape. I lay in a heap of my own bruises, rage, and torment.
"<Arceus, please… Strengthen me, evolve me, or kill me,>" I whispered to both myself and the mythical god. "<Just make me more than the pitiable, weak, pathetic excuse for a Treecko... for a pokemon… that I am now. Keep me from failure. Please…>"
I fell asleep, curled up in a ball, holding myself while shivering.
After awhile, the purple pokemon returned and stared into the cage, with a victorious grin. He made a clamor on the bars by dragging his horn across each one.
"<Wakey wakey, you sorry little pokemon. Hell, I bet a Caterpie is stronger than you!>"
"<Nidoking…>" I muttered coldly.
"<It's DAGGERBACK THE OPPRESSOR! Show some RESPECT to your captor, twerp!>"
"<Shove it, drill-ass!>" I retorted defiantly.
He picked up a small stone and placed in his claws. He then effortlessly flicked it at me, hitting me in my nose. I fell backwards onto my tail. I was secretly incredibly ashamed and embarrassed but I quickly stood up to prove I wasn't THAT pathetic, although I felt like it.
"<Hahah! A big mouth for someone who can barely stand. Don't be so cocky, you runt. Now I have a few questions and you better damn well answer them!>"
I walked to the other side of the cave and calmly leaned against the bars.
"<Where did you put those fossils?>" He asked, ALMOST nicely.
"<I don't know what you're talking about.>"
"<You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Tell me the TRUTH, damn you!>" he roared, clutching on the bars angrily.
I turned my scraped nose up at him and turned away, examining the new twig in my mouth.
"<YOU ASKED FOR IT!>" he growled. Daggerback, as he like to be called, opened his mouth and spat out many needle-like glowing pins. Two pins hit me in the right foot and the other two hit the shin right above. I found myself on a knee, crying out in pain. I quickly stopped and instead clenched my teeth and breathed heavily as the yells showed weakness.
"<WHERE ARE THEY?!>" he roared, obviously in dire need of these fossils.
"<I… wouldn't tell you… slimy piece of sh*t,>" grunted I, between pants of pain.
"<HRAAAAH!!!>" he bellowed, whirling around and hitting the cage with his tail. There was a tremendous echo and the cage rattled violently. The bars bent but not enough for me to escape through them. Looking at the bowed metal, an idea popped into my head.
I kept my cool, which irritated the poison pin pokemon even more. "<How did you get a cage like this anyways?>" I asked him, changing the subject to irk him.
"<NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUISNESS!>" he yelled, peering into the cell. He walked away from it and began to pace back and forth. "<Where is that damned Seviper?>" he asked himself in a mumble. "<He was supposed to get that prick's friends for me.>"
"<Unconscious, in a crate on a ship, on its way to Kanto from Petalburg.>" I grinned smugly.
"<ERRGH. Then TELL ME, where are the fossils OR where are your friends!? Or else I'LL go find your friends MYSELF!>"
"<…What friends?>" I spat, quietly.
"<The ones that I caught along with you back at my home before you stole my fossils that I stole. That human, too. Where are they?!>"
I thought to myself, "<They weren't my friends… they were simply three guys who were in the wrong time and the wrong place.>" Of course I didn't tell Daggerback that – I liked to keep him in the dark.
In frustration, he rattled the cage before slamming his hand against it. I stood up and walked towards him with my oh-so-smug grin, glaring rebelliously into his brown eye and his eye patch.
"<I CAN'T DEAL WITH YOU RIGHT NOW! I'm going to have a snooze under that tree, outta this rain! Go crawl back under that net so you don't try to go anywhere!>"
"<Bite me.>"
"<I'll do MORE than just BITE you!>" he growled, shaking a purple fist. Daggerback then walked over to my left and slumped against the trunk of a tree, quickly falling asleep.
I looked around me; ahead there was the clearing, close behind me was the edge of the forest. I sat in the mire and turned my head to my right, where there was the border between the clearing and the woods until it curved at the end. I followed the circular perimeter, with my eyes, from the right to the left, ending where Daggerback was. I looked into the forestry and longed to be in there as opposed to a prisoner to THIS scum.
I rolled the net into a ball and placed my head on it, using it as a crude pillow. I hoped my home would be ok. I attempted to sleep but I couldn't, not with the rain and the burning pain. I sat up and looked at the four needles jutting out of my right foot and leg. I sighed and reached for the first one in my foot. I yanked it out and red blood and foreign sap-like substance exited the puncture wound. I made no effort to cry out; instead I bit down hard on the twig and reached for the second needle. After the third pin, sweat dripped down my face, my breathing grew heavy, and my green ankle and foot were coated with blood and poison. I yanked the final toxic thorn out and flicked it aside. The pin almost hit a brown-furred rodent walking out of the forest. It was that Zigzagoon I saw earlier!
He warily walked towards me.
"<Hey there, buddy! Looking good!>" he jeered, good-heartedly.
I shot him a glare.
"<Ok ok, don't get your tails in a knot! I'm willing to help you. Because I'm a nice guy, I'll let your rudeness from earlier slide.>"
"<It's ok, really. I can get myself out just fine!>" I insisted.
"<Yeah, and I'm Groudon's son! Just stay put and I'll be back with help in no time!>"
Before I could protest, he ran off. I sighed and noticed that I felt a little drowsy. I held my face in my hands, trying to stay awake. I would fall into a half asleep state and would have to slap myself awake. Much time had passed. The "trapped in a pokeball" feeling remained strong and constant. Where was that Zigzagoon?
Suddenly I heard a harsh whisper, saying, "TREECKO!"
My eyes shot open. Was I hallucinating? I took my head from my hand and looked to my right. To my shock and disarray, I saw Jeff pressed up against the exterior of the cage. I blinked twice, checking to see if I was awake.
"Quite the situation you landed yourself into!" he said with an upbeat smile.
"<What do you want?>" I asked him with coldness. I still remembered why I was angry at him.
"I'll get you out of here in no time! You'll probably want to be free ASAP."
"<I don't need your help!>" I hissed, resolutely.
"<Oh yeah, because you're CLEARLY well on your way out; digging the tunnel out of there while humming to the 'Great Escape' whistle, I see?!>" That familiar sarcastic voice… Corphish. He, along with Daedalus, was standing behind Jeff, Corphish with a huge grin burned onto his face.
"<What the hell are you doing here? Did that damned Zigzagoon find you?>" I asked, irked.
Dae bitterly inquired in confusion, "<Zigzagoon? No, Jeff over here said we had to save you after we saw what happened at that tree!>"
Great, they saw that! Just when I thought I couldn't be more ashamed of myself THEY had to see my pathetic state back there!
I turned my back to them in contempt and embarrassment.
There goes my last chance of any honor.
"Hang in there, Treeck! I'm getting you out!" Jeff encouraged, pressing on the bars.
At first he tried to pry the bars apart. After the strenuous failed attempt, he took another approach. He tried to lift the wet cage up.
"<Jeff, that's not gonna work,>" I told him.
He didn't and couldn't listen. He continued to try to lift the heavy thing, but the bars were dripping wet and it didn't move at all. He stepped back, the night rain still pelting them.
"Damn it! ...I know!" he exclaimed.
Jeff walked backwards several meters. He then ran towards me and the cage. He rammed into the bars, creating a vibrating clang. He recoiled from the hit and growled.
"Don't worry, Treeck," he said, holding his shoulder. He walked back and then did it again, creating the booming metal sound again. Jeff grimaced upon the hit and shook it off.
"<Stop it! That won't help! I can take care of myself!>" I urged. I admit I felt a wave of respect for him for doing what he was doing, but it wasn't helping.
He ignored me and Corphish joined in with his crabhammer attack. They didn't notice that Daggerback was asleep on the other side of the cage. Corphish's attack hit a bar, moving it slightly, but in turn making a huge noise.
"<Get out of here! I don't need you! You'll wake him!>" I stipulated with tremendous stubbornness.
"<You heard him! Let's leave the prick!>" Daedalus agreed, although I was shocked at his choice of words.
With inflexibility and pain, they continued, all the while making a strident clamor. Just then Daedalus noticed the half-blind Daggerback by the tree – he was waking up!
"<Idiots! Run!>" I scolded.
It was too late.
"<Well, well, well! It seems my bait worked like a charm! Like Rattata to cheese!>" He got up from the tree, where he was almost invisible with the downpour and the pitch-black.
Jeff and Corppy stopped banging. The three slowly edged to their right, into the clearing, preparing for a fight.
"<Shouldn't you be teaching some kids to learn the alphabet, Barney?>" Corphish taunted, much to my annoyance.
"<Wh… what are you talking about, ruffian?! ERGH, never mind! Either go into the cage willingly or I'll MAKE you go in there!>"
Then Daggerback walked towards them, his back turned to me. I seized the opportunity. I jumped up and began to pound my tail against the bar which was slightly dented. It moved a little. I landed and looked over at Daggerback. He swung his tail with medium force, hitting Jeff in the face and Daedalus, who was on his shoulder. Both pretty much cart wheeled in mid air before landing in the grass. Corphish, in anger, began to unleash a torrent of bubbles from his claws, which increased in size with the rain.
I leapt again and, with every ounce of strength, hit the bar. It bent, but still not enough. I hit it again; I could feel the cuts from my tail reopen and bleed. I grimaced but paid no attention. I hit the metal cage barricade. It curved further but a smear of blood was left on the crooked pole. I looked back over and saw Daggerback with his massive foot on Corphish, pressing him into the ground. With frenzied doggedness I jumped up, let out a cry, and swung my tail as hard as I possibly could. I felt the metal bend with my tail. I landed on one knee and looked up – the bar was arced so that it touched the bar to the left of it.
It looked like I could squeeze through. With a self-satisfied smirk, I jumped up and grabbed the bent bar and the metal shaft to the right of it with my hands and feet. I wedged my way through the small gap and landed on the wet grass. I turned to look at the Nidoking; he had the three in his arms and was walking back towards the cage. He noticed that I was out of it and began to charge towards me.
"<HEY!>" he roared.
I had no choice; I ran into the raining darkness of the forest.
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The pirate-like Daggerback, in a grumble, lifted the cage and threw the three under. He quickly bent the obstructed bar back into place. Corphish and Daedalus were still, but barely, conscious. Jeff's bag was thrown into the clearing so he couldn't pull any fast ones.
"<Conceited, pompous, moronic prick,>" Daedalus muttered, getting to his feet.
"<Who? T-Cko?>" Corphish asked. "<What happened here? You used to be the one sticking up for him and I was the one who hated the jerk… Oh, I guess I still do, a little.>"
"<I can't stand his type. Selfish, arrogant, disobedient…>"
"<Yeah yeah, I get it. Could he BE any more of an ass… But still… he was our friend.>"
Daggerback walked from their position and, with paranoia, kept a look out for the escaped Treecko under the shade of the rained-upon tree.
The duo of pokemon complained to each other while Jeff remained unconscious. They stopped upon hearing light scampering in the forest behind them. Daedalus and Corphish edged towards the noise, peering into the forest. Suddenly, a brown, furry rodent pokemon leapt from the bushes and fell face first in the wet grass. Embarrassed, he sneakily got to his feet and shook water from his spiky brown-beige fur off.
"<Hey, buddy! I couldn't find anyone but I…>" he stopped talking once he reached the cage and looked around in confusion. "<Hey, where did the mean, green guy go? …Hey, I made a rhyme!>"
"<Wow! I can rhyme, too! Get us out. Don't make me shout. If you don't I'll crabhammer you into the next route!>" Corphish threatened.
"<Corppy, please! Sorry about him, he hates the rain,>" Daedalus lied. "<But can you sneak over to the bag in the middle of the clearing and get out the pokeball in the side pocket and then bring it back over, please?>"
The Zigzagoon was distracted. He stared, stunned at Jeff, who was still unconscious. "<It's him…>" he whispered to himself.
"<Well?!>"
The Zigzagoon snapped out of it. "<Yes. Of course I will! I'm Rishi, by the way,>" he said with surprising, yet put-on confidence. He sneaked on the side of the cage that Daggerback wasn't on and eyed the bag from afar. He peered around the corner to see the poison pin pokemon turned away. Rishi gulped and dashed for the bag. His running legs trembled with fear, but he made it to the bag and hid behind it just as the Nidoking turned. Seeing nothing, he twisted back around.
Rishi sighed and ripped open the pocket with his mouth. A pokeball spilled out and he picked it up in his mouth. He began to dart back but then stopped out in the open. Daggerback was staring at him, tapping his foot. Rishi was frozen stiff. He dropped the pokeball in his mouth and began to ran the way he came. Rishi dashed by the cage, with tears in his eyes, yelling, "<I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Tell him I tried!>"
And then he was gone.
"<Coward,>" Corphish spat.
Daggerback leered into the cage and said, "<It's Q and A time, isn't it?>"
Then a bright green pellet shot from where the Nidoking's tree was. It hit him in the side of the head.
"<HEY!>" he bellowed, turning in the direction of the shot.
The snarl awoke Jeff. He groaned, holding his head, looking around. As he sat up against the bars, Treecko appeared from where Zigzagoon ran off.
"Treecko?! How did you get out?!"
"<A great search and rescue team you guys are… You should make a rescue squad!>" he said, walking in front of the nearby pokeball.
"<Oh shut up and get us out of here! Start by releasing Atlas from that pokeball>" Daedalus ordered, unkindly.
Treecko simply folded his arms, standing behind the turned Daggerback, and claimed, "<No.>"
The soaking wet, eyepatched Nidoking heard this and turned around. "<You…>"
The wood gecko answered with a massive volley of bullet seed. Jeff was awed by the sight. The array of light green seeds shot from his throat and pelted Daggerback. While the pokemon was stunned, Treecko jumped up and whacked him across the face with his tail. Daggerback's horn tore the tail's flesh, slowing the grass lizard down.
The night storm didn't let up; all it did was wash the blood from their wounds.
The purple beast kicked Treecko forwards, who sprawled on the ground. He then shot three purple pins from his mouth. One missed but hit the pokeball, causing the device to ricochet to the right. One narrowly missed Treecko's head, and one went through his tail. The grass starter growled in his throat and bit through his replacement twig, as the long purple needle literally pinned Treecko's tail to the ground. He couldn't move it without extreme pain; the needle stuck out of the top end but also stuck into the ground.
Daggerback slowly approached Treecko, laughing a hearty snicker. He raised a foot over Treecko's head, preparing to knock him out.
"<Not THIS time, either, you runty little punk.>"
Treecko didn't back down; he glared into the brown, angry eye and began to shoot another bullet seed. Both of their actions were halted when they were blinded by a massive bright light coming from beside the cage. Materializing from the light was the titanic rock snake, Atlas. Both fighters were equally shocked, although Treecko hid his more than Daggerback.
Atlas, irritated by the rain, let out a bellow and picked up the cage with ease in his stony jaws. He flung it into the air and it flew towards the two. Daggerback began to flee, but Treecko couldn't. The Nidoking was in his charge stance so that he would evade the falling object better, but instead of charging the group he barreled towards the forest. He knew he couldn't stand up against Atlas.
Instead of bracing himself, Treecko shot a bullet seed at Daggerback as an apparent last stand. The seed dug into the horned back of the poison pokemon, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground before trying to retreat again.
Luckily for Treecko, the falling cage was bottom-heavy, so it fell on him without crushing him.
"<Great job, Atlas! Now TREECKO is back in the cage!>" Corphish half-scolded, half-chuckled.
"<Sorry, dude,>" Atlas apologized, lifting the cage off of Treecko and throwing it towards the Nidoking who was getting up.
The rolling enclosure narrowly missed hitting the running away Daggerback and rolled beside him.
"<I'll be back, and I'LL BE BACK SOON, YOU F…>"
The rest of his sentence was cut off by Atlas's triumphant bellow. Treecko ripped the needle from his tail with a grunt. He broke and clenched it in his hand, causing blood to drop with the shards of the purple pin.
Treecko emotionlessly walked towards Jeff and the human did likewise. The two best friends glared into each other's eyes. They stood in silence. Darkness surrounded them and their bodies were soaked from the torrent. While the two stared-off, Corphish looked nervously between Daedalus, who glowered at the grass type, and Atlas, who used his tail as an umbrella for his scarred head. Daggerback continued running away from them until he was out of sight. Treecko and Jeff still stared into one another's eyes, while the others awaited their reactions. Still nothing; no words were spoken and no muscles moved.
The wood gecko looked down at himself before looking back up at Jeff. "<You're still worthless, Treecko. Still… worthless…>"
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