Jade sighed in relief as she got out of the cave, when suddenly her gut tightened in guilt. Fighting the urge to barf, Jade shook her head. She needed to be strong, and she needed to continue. And yet, with the thought of that girls death, because of her own foolishness, she couldn't calm down.
"Larv," Larvitar said gently, nudging her foot in support. "Tar," he said a bit boldly, nodding toward the city she could barely see.
Jade sighed in understanding. Just like in the cave, she needed to pull herself together and be strong. Life for a trainer would always be a challenge, and even though she had heard rumors of pokemon trainers dying, it was still horrifying.
"Chiko," Chikorita said softly, drawing Jade's attention.
Jade gulped, trying to put on a brave face. "Chikorita, are you alright?" Chikorita turned away. Right, stupid question. Jade sighed as she gazed down at the grass type in her arms. "Listen, Chikorita, I know that no matter what I say, it can never make this situation alright. We've both just gone through a horrible experience, you even more than me, but if we don't fight, we can never be at peace."
Chikorita scowled.
Jade smiled softly, seeing another stubborn soul, much like herself. Before she could say anything, Larvitar shouted loudly, startling them both. "Tart!" Larvitar shouted, pointing at a figure floating their way.
Jade felt her lips tug into a smile at Larvitar's "Tart" but kept it away, focusing on the problem at hand. "Gaaastly!" a ball of a ghost exclaimed, laughing as it bulleted around Jade's head.
"Get away!" Jade snarled. "I don't have time for you!" Jade grit her teeth as she clutched Chikorita closer. She needed to get this little guy to the pokemon center.
"Gast," Gastly scowled before smirking. "Gaaaas!" it called hauntingly.
Its call was answered by various other Gastly, all of them floating and bulleting past Jade's head.
"Get away!" Jade snarled again, starting to run.
"Gas, gas, gas!" they chanted, laughing at her attempts to get away. Chikorita snuggled into her arms, closing his eyes in fear and was shaking like a leaf.
"Tarter!" Larvitar shouted angrily, dodging a nasty Lick attack.
Jade growled in anger. "Forget this! Larvitar, Rock Slide!" Larvitar nodded and, eye glowing softly, stamped the ground. Rocks were lifted high above them all and began to descend upon the Gastly. They all scattered in anger.
"Gastly," one growled in anger, coming in front of Jade. The others hovered behind it. There was something odd about this one. The others had a purple smoke while this one had a blue one. Jade brought out her pokedex.
Gastly (shiny), the ghost pokemon. This pokemon is born from gases and defeats pokemon by wrapping its gas around its opponent.
So that was why, it was a shiny. Jade had only heard rumors about the rare sight, and had never envisioned finding one herself, but at the moment, she couldn't afford to fight it, not with this traumatized pokemon in her arms.
"Gaas!" Gastly screamed, shooting toward Larvitar with its long tongue out.
"Dodge it!" Jade shouted without thinking.
"Larv!" Larvitar barked, rolling to the side. Growling angrily, it Leered back, startling the pokemon back a bit.
Jade bit at her lip, her thoughts completely jumbled in her mind. The remaining Gastly surrounded her, causing her to scowl. "Chka," Chikorita moaned in fear, leaf twitching.
Jade snarled at the ghost types. "Don't worry, CHikorita," she said with a forced calm, causing the grass type to look at her. "I'll protect you." With a determined expression, she shouted her command. "Rock Slide!"
"Tar!" Larvitar called, onc again stomping the ground and launching the sharp rocks.
"Sly, sly, sly," Gastly laughed, dodging between the rocks with ease. Its gas body seemingly arranged itself. "Gas!" Gastly called, giving Larvitar a big Lick on the cheek.
"Aaar!" Larvitar spat in disgust, wiping its cheek with its paw and ignoring Gastly's laughter. With an angry bark, it jumped at Gastly, chomping down with as much power as possible.
"Gaaaa!" Gastly wailed, mouth wide open in shock.
Jade grinned in triumph, momentarily forgetting that ghost types are weak against dark type moves. "Keep up that Bite attack!"
"Mdl," Larvitar said, its mouth full.
"Gastly hissed in anger, violently shaking its ball like body and sending Larvitar back. Glaring, it sent out a single circular beam.
"Dodge it!" Jade shouted desperately. "Its Hypnosis!"
"Tar," Larvitar barked in agreement, jumping out of the way of the rin. "Tar!" he called, jumping again to land another Bite attack.
"Gas," Gastly taunted, flying out of range. Coming down, it prepared another Lick.
"Rock Slide!" Jade barked.
"Taaar!" Larvitar screamed, slamming the rocks down toward Gastly. The ghost type grimaced, foregoing its attack and simply dodging. Gasping as a single rock shanked its side, Gastly deftly avoided the rest, floating back a ways to keep its distance.
"Another Bite!" Jade commanded.
"Tar!" Larvitar said, running at Gastly again.
Gastly glared for a moment, white eyes staring hard before giving a toothy smile. "Gasss," it hissed, sending a ring towards Larvitar.
"Dodge!" Jade cried, startling Chikorita enough to gasp and look at the battle for the first time.
It was too late. Larvitar was captured in the ring. His eyes got droopy, and slowly he fell to his stomach, completely out and amidst the laughing Gastley's. The leader hissed in triumph and continued to pound Larvitar's open body with its own, ignoring Jade's cries.
"Stop it!" Jade snarled. "Fight fair, damn you!"
Chikorita stared whide eyed, disbelieving as the pokemon before her was pounded before his very eyes. He remembered fighting with his trainer, and his friend, Sentret. He could remember being ordered to protect pokemon from being hurt unfairly, and it enraged him as well as hurt him that he wanted to protect this pokemon without his trainer's help. But he had to. She was... gone.
And he would have to accept that... someday.
"Chiko!" Chikorita snarled, causing Jade to jump and drop the grass type in her shock.
"Chikorita?" she asked unsurely.
"Chia," Chikorita said boldly, ignoring the hiss coming from his new opponent. Glancing at the sleeping, but bruised, Larvitar, Chikorita knew what he needed to do. "Chikaa!" Chikorita snarled, launching a vicious Razor Leaf from its main leaf.
"Gaaa!" Gastly cried in shock, getting hit by the sharp leaves. Glaring, it sent another Hypnosis.
"Dodge it!" Jade commanded without faltering.
Nodding, Chikorita did as commanded. "Chikaa," he taunted, running around in circles, much to Gastly's irritation. With a scowl, it chased Chikorita with its large tongue out, preparing to Lick the grass type. "Chiko, chiko," Chikorita taunted, an inner fire beginning to lighten its eyes.
"Gaaa!" Gastly howled, bulleting toward Chikorita.
"Razor Leaf!" Jade commanded loudly, just as Larvitar woke up. It glanced around before preparing to attack, but Jade shook her head.
"Chikaaa!" Chikorita shouted in anger, leaf swinging incredibly fast. Wanting to end this, and release all of its anguish, Chikorita poured all of his emotions into this attack. "Iitta!" he screamed, finally launching the vicious leaves.
"Gaaas!" Gastly cried out, trying in vain to dodge. It was not to be so as the fast leaves hit it before it could even twitch backwards. "Gass," it hissed falling to the ground at Chikorita's feet.
The surrounding Gastly hissed among themselves, looking at the group with a bit of fear before fading away, leaving their fallen alpha on its own. "Chiko," Chikorita said in triumph, tears finally falling like a waterfall. Glancing at the fallen pokemon, and toward Dark Cave, and finally to Jade, the grass type nodded, not even bothering to hide its tears. "Cho," he said, bowing a little. Then, straightening, Chikorita began to walk away toward a silhouette that looked suspiciously like a Sentret.
Larvitar tilted his head, glancing at Jade for help, but was shocked to see a single tear roll down her face. "He can find some peace," she murmered. "Maybe not now, but someday."
"Larv," Larvitar said in understanding.
Breathing deeply, Jade glanced at the fallen Gastly. It stared at them with defeat, though with a hint of a mischievious smile. Grinning back, she took out a pokeball and threw it, hitting thr ghost type and sucking it inside. And now all she could do was watch...