It was hours, or maybe even a day, Shaun didn't know, before he was awoken from his nap. Sneasel quickly alerted him with a bark. He had jolted out of his bed just in time to put the bandana over his face right before Tai entered his room. The man looked at him with a sneer before beckoned him to follow.
"The three of you shall be dropped off individually," he told Shaun and the others as soon as they joined them. He could see Golduck glaring at one of them from within his pokeball. It was Max, the boy who had caused the scar from the knife simply because he couldn't control this darkness. Shaun had no trouble so far. In fact, he was pretty sure he was the only one unaffected by this all. "Here you are. These pokemon will return back to base as soon as they drop you off."
Before the other two or anyone could say a word, Shaun clambored on ontop of a giant Pidgeot, idily wondering if he should attempt to take this pokemon. It did seem rather strong, but he already had a flying type so it wouldn't matter.
The flight took no more than a half hour as the abandoned town was quite close. As soon as Pidgeot landed and Shaun climbed down, the giant bird took off. Shaun watched it fly away for a moment before moving forward. He remembered exactly where the entrance was. It had, after all, only been a few days ago he was given his pokemon. It was amazing that through the course of so many events his pokemon had evolved after only a few days.
"Hold it!" a man barked. He had light brown hair and suspicious gray eyes that darted about cautiously. "I knew that Pidgeot was here for a reason! It seems we have a little Dark Grunt!" He gestured at Shaun's black clothing that he was wearing. "Go, Pidgey!" With a burst of white light, the small bird pokemon appeared. Shaun sneered. After seeing that large Pidgeot, this thing was nothing.
"Go, Skarmory!" he barked, releasing the metallic bird.
"Skarr!" Skarmory cried, flapping his wings as he stared down at the smaller pokemon before giving Shaun a disdainful glance. This runt was obviously not worth his time.
"Pidgey, Gust!" the man ordered, looking a bit wary at the sight of such a large bird.
"Gidy!" Pidgey cried as he flapped his wings to create a small tornado.
"Skaa," Skarmory yawned as he remained still as the tornado whipped around him. "Mary!" he cried, finally flapping his wings to dispell the wind.
"Do what you like," Shaun said, infuriating the man.
"Pidgey, keep trying Gust!" he cried as the smaller pokemon flapped his wings as hard as he could.
"Skarrm!" Skarmory cried, having had enough of this pokemon and just releasing a large barrage of sharp stars.
"Pii!" Pidgey cried out as the Swift tore at its body, sending feathers everywhere. "Pig," Pidgey cawed, charging forward in an attempt to redeem itself with a Tackle attack.
"Knock it away," Shaun ordered. The metal bird nodded. As soon as Pidgey came a foot near it, the metallic bird simply slashed the smaller bird away with its sword like wings. Crying out in pain, Pidgey fell to the ground as soon as the sharp feathers came in contact. It was almost like a Slash attack. "Finish it," Shaun ordered. "Swift."
"Skaa!" Skarmory cawed loudly as he opened his great beak to allow the sharp stars to be released.
"Quick, Whirlwind!" the man cried.
"Pid ee," Pidgey cried, trying to flap his wings. Suddenly, an intense wind picked up, sending twigs and dirt flying. Shaun himself could feel his body being pushed back, but Skarmory stood his ground.
"Skarr!" Skarmory roared, charging toward the scared Pidgey and Pecking it mercilessly. This wind was nothing!
"No, Pidgey!" the man cried, running over to his fallen pokemon. When the Pidgey made no noise, he reluctantly returned it. "You may have won against my Pidgey, but you are no match for this. Go, Gible!"
With a burst of white light, the land shark pokemon appeared with a loud bark. "Gii!"
"Skarmory, return," Shaun said without concern. As soon as the green metallic bird was returned, he released Golduck. "Let's see if you're worth it," he told the water type as soon as it was released.
"Gooo!" Golduck called, swiping his hands through the air.
"Gible, use Tackle!" the man bellowed.
"Giiib!" Gible cried as it charged forward. His head was lowered, truly looking like a walking shark.
"Golduck, Confusion," Shaun ordered.
"Gooll," Golduck said lowly as he lowered his head, eyes glowing pink as he focused the psychic energy on the young dragon type.
"Gbib!" Gible cried out in shock as his body stopped moving. He was frozen! "Bibleb!" he cried as his body was lifted high into the air.
"Slam it to the ground," Shaun said, folding his arms as he watched.
"Duck," Golduck said with a sly smile. One finger jabbed down, and suddenly Gible found himself falling from the sky and landing in a heap.
"Quick, Gible! Use Sandstorm!"
Panting not from pain, but from anger, Gible began to stomp his feet hard on the ground as a vicious Sandstorm shot out from his sides. All around them the area became encompassed in the hard sand. Golduck brought up a hand to his face as the hard sand cut at his body.
"Use Water Gun!" Shaun called over the roar of the Sandstorm.
Golduck let his tail pound the ground in irritation before allowing his beak to open. Immediately, large and powerful galleons of water shot out in a random direction. He truly had no idea where the little beast was, so he simply shot at random. "Gib!" came a cry to Golduck's right, startling the water type as the dragon type shot toward him so close by. "Giii!" it roared as he opened his mouth and let loose a blast of draconic fire.
"Gooool!" Golduck howled. Never before had he experienced such pain before. The attack tore and burned at his body all at once.
"How'd you like my Dragon Rage?" the man boasted.
"Water Gun," Shaun ordered, ignoring the man completely. He paid attention to the battle, not the trainer.
"Gol!" Golduck spat, beak wide open and immediately firing away.
"Giiible!" Gible cried as it got blasted away across the ground. It skidden over the muddy terrain, thanks to the Sandstorm. While Golduck may have gotten away with a small wince, the land shark was feeling a lot of pain thanks to the water. It really must suck being part ground type.
"Confusion," Shaun ordered.
"Dragon Rage!" the man shouted hurriedly.
"Gooo," Golduck said lowly as the red draconic fire shot towards him. Eyes glowing pink, the pyschic energy surrounded the fire, startling Gible in the process. "Duck!" Golduck cried, having the dragon attack shoot backwards.
"Gi gi!" Gible cried out in shock as it quickly tried to get away from the attack. The poor land shark was unsuccessful, and the draconic fire surrounded his little body.
"No, Gible!" the man cried out in worry.
Shaun gave him an annoyed glance. "Finish it!" he called to Golduck. He heard his pokemon give a bark before firing a Water Gun, but that wasn't what he was focused on. What he was looking at was the trainer. "Sneasel, go," he ordered, releasing the dark type.
"Snea!" Sneasel cried, startling the man.
"Wha... what are you doing!?" It always ended with a question like this, right before Sneasel slashed the man's throat. They all died asking the same thing. How could these men not know a war was going on, and such things as death happened?
"Sean," Sneasel purred as he licked his bloodied claw.
"Goo," Golduck breathed with a sigh as he dragged out an unconcious, and very heavy Gible. The small dragon pokemon had been done for as soon as its own attack hit it, coupled with the fact that it was weak against water types.
"Good job," Shaun said to his pokemon. "Seems you're worth it." Golduck beamed, but Shaun ignored the water duck and threw a dark ball at the fainted Gible. It might be worth something, either money-wise or team-wise...