The Quest for the Legends (version ILCOE)

ILCOE = I've Lost Count Of 'Em-th revision.

Which is actually the seventh.
 
Dragonfree said:
ILCOE = I've Lost Count Of 'Em-th revision.

Which is actually the seventh.
Click to expand...
:P :D Lol
Well Keep up The Good Work!
 
Yay, chapter 15.




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RATING

Violence: Some Dragonfree-style Pok?mon battles. Yay.

Gore: Nothing real...

Sexuality: None.

Profanity: A "****" as usual.

Other: Nothing special.
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Chapter 15: Darkness and Poison

When the two kids reached the Scorpio City Gym again, it was locked. Gyms were only supposed to be locked when the Leader was away or if some kind of a task was to be completed to collect the key, meaning that Mitch had apparently left while they were at the police station.

?Why did he just leave?? May hissed, clearly still upset about the whole encounter with Taylor and Officer Jenny.

?Really, May, nothing says he can?t leave whenever he wants,? Mark said, rolling his eyes.

?Well, I?m going to find him,? she said determinedly. ?I?m not going to wait for him for ages.?

?Fine,? said Mark, shrugging. ?You?ll just bring him back here, right? Then I don?t need to come.? He was getting slightly skeptical about hanging around with her too much, which was why he would rather wait.

?Whatever,? said May, turning around and storming downtown.

Mark looked after her, not sure what he would do while she was finding Mitch. He didn?t have to wonder for long.

?Fancy a battle??

He quickly turned around to find a very creepy-looking boy, most likely around thirteen or fourteen. He was wrapped in a wavy, pitch-black cloak, matching his long black hair. Contrasting with that, his face was rather pale.

?So?? asked the boy with a smile. Mark assumed from his expression that he was just a normal Pok?mon trainer, even if he dressed funnily.

?Yeah, sure,? Mark said, shrugging. ?It?s not like I?ve got anything better to do.?

?Great,? the boy purred. ?Let?s make it a one-on-one. I want to test out the Pok?mon I just caught.?

He picked a Pok?ball from somewhere under his cloak. Mark noticed that it was a black and yellow Ultra Ball; the most powerful ball apart from Master Balls. The boy held it in his hand and looked affectionately at it as if in a trance.

?Challenger sends out first except for Gym battles,? Mark pointed out.

?Sure,? said the boy, looking back at him. ?Precious, I choose you!?

He hurled the ball forward. Mark expected something big, high-leveled and ferocious ? after all, the boy had wasted an Ultra Ball on it ? but he was surprised to see that the red orb of energy started taking shape into something tiny. He watched curiously as it faded to reveal an extremely cute, fluffy black kitten.

The boy looked at it, grinning from ear to ear with an expression of fascination. ?Isn?t it lovely?? he asked.

?Mewww,? the kitten meowed, and then added like in a cough, ?tark!?

The Pok?mon looked adorably at Mark with its big, yellow eyes. He couldn?t help smiling. It was probably that boy?s favorite Pok?mon, since he had wasted an Ultra Ball to catch it, named it ?Precious? and was now looking at it with the confidence of somebody whose Magikarp had just evolved.

?Go, umm?? Mark thought for a second. Sandshrew needed some training, and he couldn?t help not feeling like hurting ?Precious? too much. ?Err, Sandshrew.?

As the yellow armadillo materialized a short distance from the kitten, the boy grinned even more.

?Never seen Mutark before, I take it?? he asked.

?No,? said Mark, confused.

?Well, that was to be expected? Mutark is rare?? the boy muttered, more to himself than Mark. Then his grin still widened.

?Great. Then you?ll be surprised.?

Mark didn?t like the way he said that, but it was too late now.

?Um, Sandshrew, try a Scratch.? He considered using Earthquake, but in case the boy was just overestimating Mutark?s strength, he didn?t want to hurt it too much.

Sandshrew moved in to scratch the kitten. It didn?t move or make any attempts to dodge or retaliate; neither did its trainer command it to. It just let out a meow when Sandshrew?s sharp claws sliced up the skin on its side, and as the armadillo backed away, the kitten painfully twisted its body around and started licking the scratches miserably. For a second, Mark felt sorry for it. Then he watched in amazement as it seemed to stiffen up; its eyes took an eerie, red glow, and it grew to double its original size in a few seconds. It wasn?t as cute anymore; the noticeably lengthened claws and fangs probably did it.

Sandshrew was clearly startled too, as he curled up into a tight ball. The Mutark jumped at him and started rolling him around like a ball of yarn.

Then the incredible happened. The scaled sphere started emitting a bright white glow. Mutark backed away in surprise as the ball grew and got spiky. The glow faded, and the newly evolved pangolin-like Pok?mon uncurled. Sandslash attempted with little success to see the brown, pointed scales on his back that formed into his spikes.

?Oh, I never asked you if you wanted to evolve!? Mark realized suddenly.

?I don?t mind,? Sandslash replied. ?I quite like this form, actually?? he added thoughtfully, examining his new, much more powerful claws.

And he did something that Mark had never thought he?d see him doing: he faced the Mutark and got his claws ready in attacking position.

?Interesting?? the creepy trainer said softly.

Precious, however, didn?t like this turn of events, and started hissing at Sandslash. He retaliated by slashing the Mutark with his huge claws. For a moment, the cat Pok?mon backed away and licked the cuts slightly once at a safe distance; then it stiffened again and grew, and now reminded Mark more of a black Fangcat than the little kitten it had been just a minute ago.

Mark saw that obviously, this change had something to do with Mutark licking its wounds.

?Sandslash, try?? he began, but was cut short:

?Precious, Bite,? the boy ordered. The Mutark leapt with amazing agility straight towards Sandslash?s white underbelly, managed to push him onto his back and as he was sprawled helplessly on the ground, the cat Pok?mon sank its fangs into his body. He screeched in pain.

?I forfeit,? said Mark quickly, recalling Sandslash to the Pok?ball in a beam of red light.

?Nice Pok?mon,? said a familiar voice. Mark turned around to see that May had returned.

?Did you find Mitch?? he asked.

?Yeah, he was just getting himself something to eat,? she said, blushing slightly. ?I was in a bad mood earlier??

Mark turned back to Precious and the boy. The Mutark was now starting to shrink rapidly, back to the cute kitten that it was at the beginning of the battle.

?I like that Pok?mon,? May said, directing her words at the Mutark?s trainer, who was now recalling it. ?What is it called??

?Mutark,? the boy replied. ?It?s a favorite of mine too.?

?Native to Ouen, I assume?? May asked.

?Yeah,? said the boy. ?And really rare too,? he added with a hint of pride. ?The only way to lure it out of hiding is to have a Dark Pok?mon.?

?You?ve got more Dark types?? May asked, clearly very interested.

?Yep,? the boy said proudly. ?They?re my specialty. I only train Dark Pok?mon.?

That explains the cape, Mark thought.

?Will a Tyranitar work?? May questioned.

?Should do,? said the trainer.

?Thanks. I?m May; you?? she asked.

?Victor,? said the boy, smiling. ?I?m glad I could help.?

Mark couldn?t help thinking in horror to the moment he?d have to battle May with one of those things. With his luck, his only Pok?mon left would probably be Scyther or something.

?Hey, let?s go to the Gym, shall we?? May said to Mark.

Mark shrugged and followed her towards the Gym.

?Bye,? May called to Victor. ?Can I battle Mitch first?? she then asked Mark.

?Whatever,? he just replied. ?Oh ? I need to get Sandslash to a Pok?mon Center.? He looked anxiously in the direction of the Pok?mon Center a short distance away.

?You don?t mind me starting my battle while you?re there, do you?? May just asked.

?No,? Mark answered. ?See you in a minute, then.?

They parted, and Mark ran to the Pok?mon Center. It was smaller than those of Cleanwater and Alumine; the interior was also rather simple, with a crimson tiled floor and two benches along the walls. A few people sat there; he noticed the worried expressions on two young girls? faces. They had probably had a nasty encounter with some Scorplack.

He went straight to the desk and handed Sandslash?s Pok?ball to Nurse Joy. She bowed without words and went into the back room to examine him. It wasn?t long until she returned.

?I?ll have to keep him for the rest of today,? she explained. ?But don?t worry; he will be fine.?

?Thanks,? Mark muttered. Now he didn?t have a Ground Pok?mon to use versus Mitch, but he would at least get to watch May?s battle first and see what Pok?mon Mitch used, which would somewhat make up for it.

He wandered into the Gym and took the left corridor, the one with the sign that said TO THE BATTLE ARENA. He turned to the right and entered a large room which was the battle arena. May, who was at his end, was in a sticky situation, to say the least.

Her yellow rodent was tangled in a net of silky, white thread. A huge, orange, spider-like Pok?mon with black markings and six legs striped in vibrant yellow and violet clicked its pincers a small distance away, watching the helpless Pikachu in the web.

?Ariados, Poison Sting,? said Mitch calmly.

?Thunderbolt!? May hissed. Pikachu started charging voltage in his cheeks as Mitch?s spider Pok?mon leapt into the air, turned its abdomen towards Pikachu and fired a small dart from the stinger on its backside. It hit the mouse Pok?mon, and he let off a bolt of lightning in retaliation. Ariados ran to the side with surprising agility, dodging it.

May looked at Pikachu. His cheeks were sparkling weakly.

?Poisoned,? she muttered and plucked a Pok?ball from her necklace. ?Pikachu, return.?

She paused, seemingly in doubt. Finally, she took one of the Pok?balls and maximized it.

?Go, Larvitar!?

The small green dinosaur May had caught at the Lake of Purity materialized as she threw the ball into the arena. Larvitar looked determinedly at the spider, muttering his name.

?Rock Slide!? May shouted, clenching her fist. The little dinosaur?s horn glowed bright white, and then rocks started firing from it into the air. They levitated there for a second.

?Larvii!? The rocks pummeled down towards Ariados and crushed the spider under them.

?Return, Ariados,? Mitch said expressionlessly, picking a new Pok?ball from his belt. ?Venomoth, you have my trust.?

He hurled forward a Pok?ball, which exploded into a flash of red light that formed into a lavender moth-like creature with big, shiny blue eyes on its spiked head.

?Larvitar, another Rock Slide,? May said icily. Her Pok?mon obeyed, firing another array of rocks into the air and hurling them at the moth. It narrowly avoided them.

?Sleep Powder,? said Mitch slowly.

?No!? May exclaimed as the Venomoth flapped its wings eagerly, releasing a cloud of golden dust. Larvitar?s eyelids started dropping as the powder engulfed him.

?Don?t fall asleep!? May hissed through gritted teeth. Larvitar?s eyes snapped open, but dropped again before he lolled to the side, fast asleep.

?Darn it,? May said loudly, kicking the air.

?Venomoth, Psybeam,? said Mitch.

Venomoth?s eyes glowed as the Pok?mon fired a multicolored beam of energy towards the little dinosaur. Being asleep, he just rolled slightly to the side.

?Now, Larvitar, just WAKE UP!? May hissed, but her Pok?mon just lay there and slept.

?Another Psybeam,? Mitch ordered, and his moth Pok?mon?s eyes took a glow again before firing another beam at Larvitar.

?Return,? May muttered, recalling her sleeping Pok?mon and taking another Pok?ball from her necklace. ?Go, Skarmory.?

Mitch nodded with a faint smile. ?You know what you?re doing.?

?**** right,? she replied, giving Venomoth a glare. ?Skarmory, Drill Peck it into oblivion!?

The steel vulture gave a metallic cry in response, took off and darted towards the moth Pok?mon, spinning at high speed. As he hit the Venomoth, it was thrown into the wall, but still with plenty of energy left.

?Sleep Powder,? Mitch said. The moth released a cloud of golden powder again.

?Whirlwind,? May spat. Skarmory started flapping his wings at high speed, producing a gust of strong wind which blew the powder back at Venomoth. The moth, having no eyelids, simply got a strange dazed look in its eyes as its wings flapped slower and slower. Finally, it started falling.

?And now, Drill Peck it while it?s defenseless,? May ordered. Her Skarmory dove down and nailed the sleeping moth Pok?mon against the wall with his beak.

?Return,? Mitch said slowly, recalling his Venomoth. ?Beedrill, I choose you.?

Out of the ball he threw came a bee-like Pok?mon with two cone-shaped stingers on its forearms. It tilted its head, staring at Skarmory with red, compound eyes.

?Drill Peck,? said May, smirking.

?Agility,? Mitch countered. As Skarmory dove down to attack Beedrill, it zoomed out of the way. It then started circling the arena at amazing speed that the metallic bird could never keep up with.

?All right then?? May said thoughtfully, ?try flying up somewhere in the middle of the arena.?

Skarmory swooped upwards, and hovered there high above the bee Pok?mon.

?And now??

?Beedrill, Fury Attack.?

?SWIFT!?

As Beedrill started buzzing up towards Skarmory, he released a flurry of metallic feathers that bombarded the bee on the way up. It was thrown downwards, being very light and delicate, and got pinned down by feathers.

?Beedrill, return,? said Mitch as May also recalled her Skarmory. Handing May a small object, he turned to Mark.

?Your turn.?
 
YAY! Another chapter *Excited* Very good work! Keep it up!
 
WOW!! Nice battle description, the only thing I found wrong with this is the description of Mutark, I didn't get the full description of it and I hope you'll add one of your infamous "Extras" if you can't find a place in the fic to describe it. Overall it was yet another great chapter. I'm confused as to why Mark doesn't want to be around May so much though... Oh well, I suppose it will all be revealed in due time ^^
 
Well, I'd have thought that was obvious: he senses that being with her could get him into more trouble after the thing with Taylor. And who knows, he might be right... ;)

As for Mutark, that is the full description. It's a cute little fluffy black kitten that grows when it tastes blood. There's nothing more to it.
 
OH!! OK, I get it now!! *slaps his forehead* Stupid me... And as for Mutark... ok... its really weird pokemon...
 
Yay, next chapter. Clich? title because the one I originally intended was too much of a spoiler.





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RATING

Violence: Pok?mon battle, but not an exceptionally violent one this time.

Gore: None.

Sexuality: None.

Profanity: None.

Other: Nothing special.
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Chapter 16: The Third Badge

Mark walked nervously forward as May pocketed her badge and stepped out of the way.

?This battle will be a three on three,? Mitch said calmly, inserting his Pok?balls into a Pocket Healer. Mark noticed that Mitch had a fourth Pok?ball at his belt, too. ?No healing items of any sort may be used on a Pok?mon while the battle is going on. A recalled Pok?mon counts as a fainted Pok?mon.?

Mark nodded.

?Very well,? said Mitch. ?Let us begin.?

He took a ball and threw it. The light from the sphere materialized into the yellow bee that Mitch had used earlier.

?I choose?? Mark?s hand fiddled with his Pok?balls. Charmeleon would definitely be the best choice, but after all, Mitch had a Pok?mon that Mark hadn?t seen yet, which might be powerful. The best trainers always said that you should leave your strongest Pok?mon until last ? provided that you know it will still be the strongest then.

Mark paused. Mitch?s Pok?mon had all been Bug/Poison types; this meant that unless it was just a freaky coincidence, he probably only trained Pok?mon that had both types.

He took out a Pok?ball. Beedrill weren?t the strongest Pok?mon around, and Eevee could probably do with a bit more battling experience.

?Eevee, you can do this!?

Mitch nodded as the small furred creature came out of the ball. ?Interesting,? he simply said.

?Eevee, try a Quick Attack!? Mark said determinedly, hoping that Eevee could bring himself to attack the Beedrill. He did; he hesitated for a bit of a second, but then leapt into the air and tackled the bee Pok?mon at high speed. It was knocked backwards, but retaliated by swooping down and jabbing Eevee with the stingers on its forelegs. He staggered backwards, then blinked and faced Beedrill again with a determined ?Vi!? His battling instincts were clearly starting to show.

?Twineedle,? said Mitch simply, and Beedrill dove down again, its foreleg stingers raised. Eevee seemed to freeze for a moment, but then jumped out of the way, narrowly dodging it. Beedrill swooped upwards again to avoid getting hit.

?Eevee, use? um, maybe Tail Whip?? Mark suggested, realizing immediately afterwards that he had forgotten to sound like he knew what he was doing. Eevee didn?t appear to mind; he crouched down low with his tail in the air, and started wagging it back and forward. While Beedrill?s glossy red compound eyes watched Eevee?s tail tip, he jumped up and tackled the bee again in mid-air.

?Poison Sting,? Mitch commanded, just as Beedrill was thrown backwards. The bee instantly obeyed, lunging at Eevee as he landed on the Gym floor and stinging him with its right foreleg. He shuddered, but countered by kicking some sand that seemed to materialize under his feet into the bee Pok?mon?s eyes. It didn?t appear to be much more than a distraction, though; a creature without eyelids had to be designed not to be bothered by sand in the eyes.

?Veeee,? Eevee moaned with a dazed look in his eyes. Mark realized that the Beedrill?s poison was starting to affect him.

?Don?t give up, just get one more hit in with Quick Attack,? he said desperately. Eevee used his last strength to leap up and hit the bee once again. It was thrown into the wall, where it fell down, unconscious.

?Good job, Eevee!? Mark cheered, recalling his weak but proud Pok?mon. ?What?s next??

With a faint smile, Mitch took out another Pok?ball. He threw it without words into the middle of the arena, where it released his Venomoth. It flapped its wings slowly, watching Mark with its creepy, staring eyes.

He thought about what to send out. He still wanted to save Charmeleon for the last. The best trainers never recommended training a Pok?mon to become much stronger than the rest of the team, so he would rather not use Scyther. That left Gyarados. He hadn?t gotten any training in the desert anyway, so he was a few levels behind.

?Go, Gyarados!? Mark announced, throwing the Pok?ball towards the pool on the left side of the arena. The sea monster materialized from the red light, apparently not feeling up for his normal roar since he just growled slightly.

?Stun Spore, Venomoth,? Mitch said. The moth flew over Gyarados and started flapping its wings, releasing a cloud of golden spores.

?Dive, quickly!? Mark blurted out. Gyarados disappeared beneath the surface of the water, and was not affected by the powder.

?Psybeam, Venomoth,? Mitch said as Gyarados came up again. His Pok?mon fired a rainbow-colored beam of psychic energy into the monster?s face. He retaliated by grabbing the moth in his mouth with a quick movement.

?Psychic and then Stun Spore,? Mitch ordered his Pok?mon. Venomoth, still locked between Gyarados?s jaws, glowed bright blue and as the eerie aura engulfed Gyarados, he was forced to open his mouth and release the captive. As soon as Venomoth was free, it flapped its wings rapidly to send another flurry of sparkling dust at the sea monster. Some of it escaped in through his nostrils, and his long segmented body immediately stiffened, allowing more of the paralyzing powder to enter his bloodstream as he inhaled it.

?Gyarados, do something!? Mark cried desperately, having no idea what to do. With difficulty, the immobile monster closed his eyes and Mark saw him starting to get grayer.

?Is that?? he gasped, just as Gyarados?s eyes snapped open and fired the same type of a bright red beam as he had used on Suicune. This time, an even more amazing effect of it was revealed; Venomoth fluttered out of the way, but the beam followed on its own accord and blasted the purple moth Pok?mon across the arena. On the way, ice seemed to start layering around its wings, and it fell to the ground with a clatter, clearly frozen.

?Interesting?? Mitch muttered. ?Very? very interesting.?

The Pok?ball?s beam zapped Venomoth into the ball again. Mark looked at Gyarados; he was still rather grayish, and appeared very exhausted, not to mention his paralysis. He would barely last long like that.

?Return,? Mark said, recalling the sea monster back into his Pok?ball too. ?Guess it?s down to our last Pok?mon, then.?

?Indeed,? Mitch agreed, smiling. He took out a Pok?ball; it was the one he had not used against May.

Mark hesitated a bit, but took Charmeleon?s Pok?ball, silently hoping that his assumption that Mitch?s Pok?mon were all bugs was correct.

?Go!? Mark shouted. Both of them threw the Pok?balls at the same time; Mark?s became the red lizard, and Mitch?s formed into something smaller, with four sets of limbs, a tail and two pincers.

?A Scorplack?? Mark asked, staring at the shiny black scorpion. ?The one that? didn?t kill you??

?Of course,? said Mitch, smiling. ?I told you I caught him.?

?Is he your strongest?? Mark asked nervously.

Mitch nodded. ?Is that your starter?? he questioned back.

?Yes,? Mark replied with a smile. ?Flamethrower!? he then called to his Pok?mon.

Charmeleon spewed a bright spiral of flames from his mouth, but Scorplack darted to the right with surprising agility and avoided it.

?Watch out for the stinger!? Mark told Charmeleon quickly. ?Try another Flamethrower!?

The lizard blasted out some more flames, which Scorplack also avoided. The scorpion then swung his tail at Charmeleon, who narrowly managed to jump out of the way.

?Keep at a safe distance, Charmeleon,? Mark said desperately. ?Don?t let it come near you, and try to attack it with fire.?

?Mega Sting,? Mitch commanded. ?And dodge the Flamethrowers.?

Scorplack shot towards Charmeleon with his stinger raised. The lizard released more flames out of his mouth, but the scorpion leapt to the side.

?Darn dodger!? Mark gritted his teeth. Charmeleon growled in agreement as he ran out of the scorpion?s reach, slowing him down with a tongue of fire that he sent over his shoulder. Scorplack evaded it like the previous ones and then unexpectedly sped up, reached Charmeleon?s side and swung his tail at the lizard. The tail end stung into his arm and injected poison into his blood. He roared in pain, spitting out a ball of fire. It hit the floor just by Scorplack?s legs; he jumped up and ran to the side, Charmeleon following. Mark was getting worried; Charmeleon would faint any minute now, when the poison came into effect.

But he didn?t.

Mark watched the lizard shoot another Flamethrower and Scorplack running frantically to the side to avoid it. For a moment he expected Charmeleon to fall unconscious in a matter of seconds. Then, when he still didn?t, something hit him.

?Charmeleon!? he shouted. ?You?ve been stung before, you must?ve gained an immunity to the poison! Move in for physical assault; you don?t need to fear being stung!?

Hearing this, the lizard leapt forward, aiming for the scorpion. Not expecting it, Scorplack made an attempt to defend himself with his pincer, but Charmeleon came down on top of him and released a powerful blast of flames directly down at the scorpion?s head. Scorplack let out a screech, but then fell silent. Charmeleon turned to Mark and sent him a salute, grinning. Mark smiled back.

?Return,? Mitch said slowly to his Pok?mon, holding forward the Pok?ball. ?Nice thinking there at the end.?

Mark just blushed, his smile widening as Charmeleon returned to the Pok?ball in a beam of red.

?I confer upon you the Venom Badge,? Mitch announced, holding up a small object. Mark walked up to him and took it. It resembled a silver coin like the other badges; however, this one had small circular ripples in its smooth surface.

?Uh, thanks,? Mark said awkwardly. ?Er, yeah. Guess I?m off, then.?

?Good luck,? said Mitch and smiled his faint smile. Mark nodded and ran out of the Gym; he was feeling all jumpy like he couldn?t just walk.

-------

Victor looked after Mark as he ran east out of the town.

?Do you know him? And the girl who was with him when he came to town??

Victor jumped. It was Mitch; he had seemingly been standing by his side without him noticing.

?Sort of, yeah,? he replied. ?I battled him, and the girl came afterwards. Why??

Mitch nodded sadly. ?I just have this feeling something bad will happen to them.?
 
yAY! *Excitement* Another great chapter!
 
I like this chapter...



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RATING

Violence: Some rather violent Pok?mon action.

Gore: A bit.

Sexuality: None.

Profanity: None.

Other: Nothing special.
-------




Chapter 17: The Shark and the Serpent

When Mark exited the Gym, he noticed that May wasn?t there. Even as he continued down the road, he saw no traces of her. He just assumed she had continued to Aquarium City.

Aquarium City was probably the town that Mark had looked forward to seeing the most when he started his journey. It was the first and only underwater city in the Pok?mon world. Covered in a gigantic glass dome, the city?s oxygen came from plants specifically arranged to keep a healthy balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. It was first and foremost a tourist attraction; it was generally considered a dodgy place to live, mainly because the thought of living underwater with only a glass dome to protect oneself from the Gyarados and Sharpedo outside and one?s life depending on some calculations about the oxygen percentage didn?t appeal to many people. Nonetheless, the tourists loved it ? especially because it had an official Pok?mon Gym.

?Hey, wait!?

Mark turned around. The Mutark guy, Victor, was running after him.

?What??

Victor looked around. ?Where?s May? The girl??

?She went on to Aquarium City,? Mark answered. ?Why??

?Oh,? said Victor, scratching his head. ?Er? you know Mitch??

?Yeah,? Mark replied, puzzled.

?Do you know what they say about him??

Mark shook his head.

?Well ? according to the rumours, he?s a psychic of sorts. They say he can foresee deaths and stuff, and, uh? are you going to join up with May again??

?Huh?? asked Mark, not sure what Victor was getting at.

?I mean, will you meet her sometime? I need to? er, give her some tips on catching a Mutark.? His gaze darted to the sides; he was obviously a very bad liar, but Mark wasn?t the type to point that out so he ignored it.

?Well, I?ll probably meet her at Aquarium City, but to be honest I don?t know if she?s going to come with me from there or anything.?

?Right,? said Victor. ?Hey, will you be attending the Pok?mon Festival??

?What festival?? Mark asked curiously.

?The festival in Green Town ? the one they have every year based around Chaletwo?s arrival.?

?Oh ? I didn?t know they had a festival,? Mark replied, blushing slightly. He felt stupid.

?Well, I?m going, of course ? I want to see Chaletwo, he?s a Dark type ? and she is likely to, since she doesn?t seem the type to miss it, so will you??

?Of course,? Mark answered brightly. ?I love Legendary Pok?mon; I?d never miss that in my life.?

?We?ll meet there, then,? Victor said, holding out his hand.

?Sure,? Mark replied, shaking it.

?Good. Bye, then,? said Victor, smiling as he turned back towards Scorpio City. ?See you.?

Mark had slightly disliked him earlier, but he seemed like a nice guy after all. Now Mark knew about the Pok?mon festival. He looked forward to it, especially getting to witness Chaletwo?s appearance. Of course, there were probably fun tournaments and such, too?

-------

It wasn?t a long way to Merville, a tiny village near the seaside. Old-fashioned houses were spread irregularly around. A lot of them seemed deserted, giving the village a glum atmosphere. A dirty shop stood just by the harbor, looking just as deserted as the empty houses but nonetheless with a big OPEN sign in the window. Above the door, it said ?Underwater Equipment?.

Mark walked up to the wooden door and grabbed the doorknob. It was open. He stepped carefully inside.

A bearded, middle-aged man leant onto the counter, looking asleep. As soon as Mark came in, however, he sprang up and was instantly by his side.

?A customer! What can I do for you? Headed to Aquarium City, are you? Then you?re in the right place! We?ve got everything, all 100% organic!?

?Er,? Mark just stammered.

?You?ll need an H2Oxy 3000; these things allow you to breathe underwater,? the clerk said, reaching for a small mask-like object on a shelf. ?You put it on like this,? he put it on to cover his nose and mouth, then quickly took it off again as it appeared to prevent him from breathing, ?and it will work oxygen out of the water. Clever, isn?t it??

?Are you sure it... works?? asked Mark skeptically. The shopkeeper shrugged. ?It should work.?

He stuffed it into Mark?s arms and started searching for something else on the shelf.

?Let?s see... you?ll need an Aqua compass. It always points at Aquarium City.? He showed Mark a compass which, unless Mark was very much mistaken, pointed straight west, back to Scorpio City. The guy seemed to realize that too, since he shrugged again and threw it into the garbage. ?Well, this spray will make you completely water-repellant.? He sprayed something that smelled like cardboard all over Mark. He coughed.

?Then there?s the Sharpedo-ward,? the shopkeeper continued eagerly, taking out a bottle containing a black, suspicious-looking liquid. ?If you open it in the water, it will send any Sharpedo swimming! And there?s a special rock here to be able to sink easier. I?m sure you?ll visit again, buddy? I?m always ready at hand! Now, in total, this will be, uh?? He counted on his fingers. ??9,999 Pok?dollars.?

?What?? Mark asked, nonetheless finding the guy a bit funny. ?I?m not going to buy it all? I think I?ll just go with the H2Oxy-thing, and, um, do you have a Dive HM?? He put the rock and the Sharpedo-ward down.

?You already used the water repelling spray!? the man complained.

?That?s stupid, I didn?t ask for it,? Mark argued. The shopkeeper sighed.

?All right then.? He handed Mark a CD case. ?Your ID number??

Mark reached for his Pok?dex. ?0439522166,? he read from the screen. The shopkeeper entered it into the computer and mumbled: ?You?re not getting any for the way back.? Mark ignored him and walked out of the shop.

Outside, he noticed a sailor who hadn?t been there before. He was a tall, muscular man and was just standing there looking blankly into the air. When Mark came out, the sailor turned around.

?Hey. Kid. Battle??

Mark shrugged. ?If you want.?

?One on one,? said the sailor and threw a Pok?ball into the harbor. The red energy materialized into a blue shark-like Pok?mon; it had no tail, but a yellow star shape on its head.

?Sharr,? it growled.

Mark decided that Gyarados would most likely be his best bet for this; he had also not gotten to battle much lately, because pretty much only gym arenas had pools for non-amphibious Water Pok?mon.

?Go, Gyarados!? The sea monster came out of the Pok?ball into the calm sea. He dove into it and seemed to enjoy the water judging from the low, purr-like growls he was producing.

?Sharpedo, Crunch!? ordered the sailor. The shark immediately lunged at Gyarados and sank its fangs into his white tail fin. He roared in pain and tried to shake Sharpedo off; it still held on. Gyarados slammed his tail against the harbor wall, Sharpedo still stuck on. Receiving a harsh blow, the shark let go off his tail. Blood oozed out, making the water slightly murkier. Mark bit his lip; he just hoped Gyarados wasn?t too hurt.

?Another Crunch, Sharpedo!? the sailor shouted, and his Pok?mon darted towards Gyarados?s tail again. This time, however, the monster just let the shark bite him. He waited perfectly still, obviously in pain, but didn?t move.

?Let him go!? said the sailor desperately. Mark first wondered why; then he remembered one of the things he had managed to register in Pok?monology: Sharpedo always had to keep swimming forward so that water would flow through their gills. If they were held in place, they could suffocate?

?Return,? said the Sailor, holding out his Pok?ball to recall Sharpedo. The shark disappeared in a beam of red light.

?You ought to teach your Gyarados some manners,? the sailor commented coldly. ?That?s a monster.?

?Sorry,? Mark just muttered as he recalled Gyarados.

?I could sue your pants off, you know,? the sailor continued. ?And have your Gyarados disposed of for breaking the Agreement.?

?I know,? said Mark miserably. He had no idea why Gyarados had tried to literally drown the Sharpedo ? and he had been too stunned to recall him.

?But I?ll let you slide this time, just because I don?t have the time,? the sailor said as he turned around and walked into the village again.

Mark stared blankly at nothing for a few seconds before realizing what he was supposed to be doing. He released Gyarados from his Pok?ball again, and took out the CD he had bought earlier.

?Gyarados, you?ll need to learn Dive so we can get to Aquarium City,? Mark explained, holding the disc forward. Gyarados touched it lightly with his forehead, and the disc?s deep blue color ripped loose from it and sank into his body. He shook himself slightly, and then nodded.

?Okay, great,? Mark said nervously. ?Now I need to get on your back, I guess.?

Gyarados obediently swam nearer to the bank and turned his side towards Mark. He walked unsurely to the edge of the concrete, not sure exactly how to mount Gyarados. Finally, he just grabbed the dragon?s head tightly with his arms and somehow managed to use the plates that stuck out on either side of the first segment of armor as footing while he sat in front of the first fin.

?Is this okay, Gyarados?? he asked, worried that it might be uncomfortable for the sea serpent. He just nodded slightly.

?All right?? Mark took out the H2Oxy and held it in his hand. ?Be ready to dive, Gyarados? one, two? THREE!? He took a deep breath and put on the H2Oxy as Gyarados dove under the surface. Holding on for dear life, Mark felt like he was in some kind of a rollercoaster with very sub-par seats that additionally included the thrill of not knowing whether one would drown in it or not.

He was relieved to find that the H2Oxy did work; while breathing was a bit harder than on dry land, he could manage this way. The water repel-spray apparently also worked, as he didn?t seem to be getting wet. Mark also discovered that it had been a mistake not to buy the Sharpedo-ward.

It was probably the smell of Gyarados?s blood in the water that attracted them; at least they looked like they were expecting some easy prey. There were around ten of those sharks like the one the sailor had, and they all stared murderously at Mark and Gyarados.

The dragon shook Mark off and darted at the Sharpedo. They scattered, but for some reason he kept on chasing one of them in particular and, to Mark?s great disgust, caught it. Gyarados, having locked his jaws securely around the shark?s body, started shaking it vigorously until he ripped a bit of flesh apart from the body and swallowed it. Catching the slowly sinking corpse again, he took some more. Now the scene was getting shrouded in the Sharpedo?s blood, saving Mark from having to see any more Sharpedo innards.

It wasn?t long until Gyarados appeared to have finished all that was edible of the Sharpedo, since he came swimming back to Mark like nothing had happened. Mark wanted to say something, but was unable to because they were in the water. He got uneasily on Gyarados?s back again, and they continued towards the distant light that was Aquarium City.

The Sharpedo appeared to have learned their lesson and didn?t bother Mark and Gyarados further. He was fascinated by a group of cute, light blue seahorses called Horsea and the larger, more vicious Seadra leading them; the Horsea fluttered their tiny, wing-like fins and managed to swim very cutely that way, while the Seadra flapped its spiked fins slowly and gracefully, ready to defend the young ones. After the Horsea swam past, Mark noticed what looked like a swimming rock. Then he realized that it was a rock-like fish Pok?mon.

Various Pok?monology lessons whirred past; then finally this Pok?mon?s identity clunked into place. It was a Relicanth, and they were?

?Incredibly rare!? Mark mouthed behind the H2Oxy. He prodded Gyarados?s head slightly and pointed at the ancient fish. The message was understood; Gyarados darted at the Relicanth and grabbed it by the tail. The fish, however, quickly started glowing red as it summoned some large rocks from different directions that smashed into the sea monster?s head. He was knocked unconscious by the blow, and the Relicanth managed to disappear, very quickly for a Rock type.

Mark had no choice but to recall Gyarados, and now he was in trouble. This had clearly been a very powerful Relicanth to beat Gyarados in one hit and be so strangely fast. Now he had no Pok?mon to Dive on, so he?d have to swim all the way to Aquarium City.

He started swimming a bit, but the lights of the city never seemed to draw any nearer. He had to rest after a short while, and discovered then to his horror that the Sharpedo had noticed that Gyarados was unable to battle. Their shadows steadily grew closer?

Mark was basically panicking when suddenly, what seemed at first to be another Gyarados shot forward and started fighting the sharks off. The Sharpedo quickly realized that they didn?t stand a chance and disappeared.

Mark?s savior now turned gently around. It was not a Gyarados, but it was another sea serpent ? this one had a more draconic head, and a sleeker, darker body. Nothing at all could be read from the expression in its deep, black eyes.

Then it neared him, and came close to his face. It tilted its head slightly while examining him thoroughly; he hardly dared to breathe through the H2Oxy. Then, slowly and gracefully, it turned its side towards him in what was clearly a gesture for him to mount it.

The monster blinked. Mark guessed he didn?t have much of a choice, whatever the Pok?mon?s intent was; the Sharpedo could come back if he tried to swim by himself. Trembling, he wrapped his arms around the creature?s scaly neck; there was something so comfortable and motherly about it that he felt safe if he only held on to it well enough?

The dragon shot quickly through the water, so smoothly that Mark barely felt it. He lost all sense of time clinging on to the creature?s neck, but after some amount of time, they came to a halt. The gigantic glass dome that covered Aquarium City was ahead; beautiful lights from the inside illuminated the sea next to it and just two meters away was the entrance to the tube that led inside.

Mark went off the monster?s back and dragged himself exhaustedly in through the door. Suddenly he remembered that he had never heard of this Pok?mon before; he quickly took his Pok?dex off his belt and pointed it out at the sea serpent.

?Monarking, monster Pok?mon. This very rare, aquatic Pok?mon is said to be somewhat magical and is highly intelligent. They said to occasionally help humans whose lives are in danger.?

He slowly put the Pok?dex down. The Monarking outside the glass gave him a slow nod, and then swam away. Mark lost sight of it as it blended into the color of the ocean around it.
 
Aww, no replies. :(



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RATING

Violence: Quite a bit...

Gore: None

Sexuality: None.

Profanity: None.

Other: Nothing special, I think...
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Chapter 18: Enemies Forever

Dazed and still in shock, Mark made his way along the tube. At the end, there was a second door; in order for the water not to flood inside, Mark had to press a button that would empty the tube before entering. The water-repellant spray had gotten him there completely dry; he removed the H2Oxy from his face when the water level lowered past his head, and once the tube was dry, the glass door opened with a hiss and he walked into the city.

It was bustling with life. People were all around the main street, many with their Pok?mon. Plants were at every corner. Ahead, a huge, white building with the words ?POK?MON GYM? written on it in red letters towered over the rest of the houses; it appeared to be exactly in the middle of the glass dome.

Mark was too tired to be excited. He felt like he hadn?t slept for months. He dragged off towards a hotel sign, and met May just in front of the hotel

?Oh, hi!? she greeted him happily.

?Hi,? he mumbled, feeling slow.

?I just won my badge,? said May, breaking into a wide grin as she took a silver coin from an inner pocket in her jacket. This one had waves engraved in it.

?Nice,? Mark said, trying to seem interested. May frowned.

?Did that idiotic shopkeeper sell you a ?D-press? or something? You?re like a ghost.?

?Mmmh,? Mark just replied.

?Anyway, Larvitar evolved,? May announced proudly, taking one of the Pok?balls off her necklace. ?Look.?

She dropped it to the ground; the red light formed into a blue cocoon-like creature. It looked at Mark with resentful eyes, then just stared straight forward with a gloomy expression. Mark would?ve been impressed, but at the moment all he could think of was bed.

?I?ll talk to you later, I want some sleep,? he muttered.

May looked at him for a second, but then just shrugged.

?You sure need it,? she sighed and walked off. Mark walked sleepily in, paid absent-mindedly for a room and sluggishly walked along the corridor. He entered with a funny feeling like his eyeballs were melting, dropped into the bed and instantly drifted into deep sleep.

-------

When he woke up, he wasn?t sure where he was, but he felt extremely good and refreshed. After a few hazy moments of rubbing his eyes and looking blankly around, he started to regain the cloudy memories of the journey to Aquarium City.

?Oh, yeah?? he muttered. ?Gyarados? he killed a Sharpedo??

Somehow, the image didn?t bother him anymore. He blinked.

Then, he had been saved by? that thing. Mo? Mo-something. Mona? Monarch? Monarking? Yeah, that was it. Something that was supposed to be magical and highly intelligent with a tendency to save people?

Suddenly, it dawned on to him how extremely lucky he had been. About to get eaten by a bunch of Sharpedo, and then a Pok?mon that loves saving everybody happens to pass!

What made it even funnier was that it wasn?t even Mark?s usual luck at all. If it had been his luck, the Monarking would?ve passed but thought he looked too stupid to save him. Yeah, Mark convinced himself, that would definitely have been typical him.

He sighed. He hadn?t even thanked the creature. If he had another similar experience on the way up to the surface, it would definitely not bother saving him again. At least he wouldn?t if he was a Monarking. He?d probably be thinking: You?re being too nice, you know... why save all those pesky humans? They?ve never saved you.

Mark checked his digital watch. Seven in the morning. His stomach gurgled; he figured he?d better get himself some breakfast.

-------

Mark poured cereal into his bowl and splashed some milk over it. There were a few people eating now too; May was not among them so Mark assumed that she was still sleeping. He took his time eating his breakfast and finally headed out to the Pok?mon Center.

?Hi,? he greeted Nurse Joy, ?I left my Sandslash at the Pok?mon Center in Scorpio City. Can you contact the nurse there and see if he has recovered??

Nurse Joy bowed and turned to the videophone behind her. She picked up the receiver, dialed the number and held it to her ear. A picture of the Nurse Joy in Scorpio City soon appeared; she looked tired and half-asleep like she had been working for most of the night.

?What?? she asked, rubbing her eyes.

?There?s a boy here asking about his Sandslash,? the Joy at Mark?s end answered. She stepped slightly aside; the Joy in Scorpio City peered at Mark through the screen and then seemed to remember him.

?Oh, yeah,? she mumbled. ?Yes, your Sandslash is fine. Should I send him over??

?Yes, please,? Mark answered, loudly enough for the receiver to pick it up. The nurse nodded and placed a Pok?ball under the tube of her transfer machine and pressed a button. On the screen, they could see the Pok?ball being sucked up into the tube; just a second later, it dropped down from the tube right in front of them.

?Bye?? said Nurse Joy of Scorpio City with a yawn. She put the receiver back into place, and the screen went static.

The nurse replaced the receiver to turn off the videophone and handed Mark the Pok?ball. ?Have a nice day,? she said, smiling warmly. He thanked her and walked outside, putting the ball back on his belt.

Next stop was the Gym. Mark walked firmly towards the big building in the center of the city. He didn?t know if it was already open; if not, he could go training or something. In fact, he was almost doubtful when he found a sign on the door which clarified that it had opened at seven; on the way, while trying to convince himself that it wouldn?t be so bad even if it wasn?t open, he had managed to get an uneasy feeling like he wasn?t at all ready to face the Gym Leader yet. Still, he shrugged; maybe it wouldn?t be that bad. He opened the modern-looking glass door and stepped inside.

The Gym was round with a rather narrow brink along the walls, but two half-circle shaped pools in the middle. In the very center, the bank that separated the two pools became a circle. It took a second for Mark to realize that from above, the Gym would look like a Pok?ball.

?Good morning,? came a powerful-sounding female voice from the other end of the arena. The speaker was a woman who looked in her mid to late thirties. Her wavy, dark blue hair fell almost down to the floor, and her sapphire blue dress covered her feet completely as she walked slowly left from a door on the right side of the opposite wall.

?You are here for a badge, aren?t you?? she asked, turning around in the exact center. Her voice had some odd kind of grace to it; she spoke loudly and clearly, in a royal sort of tone.

?Yeah.? Mark nodded.

?Good??

The woman looked slightly into the air for a second, but then turned straight to Mark again. ?My name is Marge, and I am the Gym Leader of Aquarium City. Defeat me??

She held forward a silver coin in her long fingers.

??and earn the Surf Badge.?

Mark just nodded.

?We will battle in three rounds of two-on-two,? said Marge, cracking her knuckles as she started staring into the air again. ?Because few trainers here have been to Hoenn, where two-on-two battles originate, I will explain to you the rules??

Mark nodded again. He had heard of two-on-two battles, but obviously he had never tried one.

?Both trainers send out two Pok?mon at a time. The Pok?mon must work together to defeat the other trainer?s two Pok?mon.?

She paused, and then went on: ?We will be battling in rounds here, so if one of your Pok?mon faints, you do not send out a replacement. The remaining Pok?mon will have to try to defeat the other Pok?mon. The trainer who has the last Pok?mon standing wins the round. Then all Pok?mon used in that round are recalled, and must not be sent out again? I assume that you have a full team of six Pok?mon already, of course??

?Yes,? Mark answered. He bit his lip; this sounded hard.

?So the battle shall??

Marge took out two Pok?balls from her silk belt and maximized them.

??begin.?

She threw the two balls into the pool on her end. Mark nervously watched the two shapes form: a light blue, catlike creature with fins around its neck, on the sides and top of the head and along the whole back, and a green and yellow frog.

Mark thought for a bit. If he remembered correctly, a lot of Water Pok?mon had the Water Absorb ability, which allowed them to be healed through coming in contact with water alone. They would have to be taken down quickly. His first thought was Scyther; then he remembered that Water Pok?mon often learned Ice attacks, which he would be very vulnerable against.

?Oh well,? he sighed, ?go, Gyarados and Eevee.?

He almost dropped one of the balls when he maximized them, and decided he?d rather just throw one ball with each hand. The Pok?mon materialized, Eevee on the circle in the middle and Gyarados in the pool behind him.

?Gyarados, can you use that powerful thingy? On? er, Vaporeon?? Mark asked hopefully. Gyarados nodded, closed his eyes and his colors started fading.

?Um, Eevee, try a Quick Attack on Politoed.?

Eevee instantly leapt towards the frog Pok?mon. It had no means of avoiding the fast attack and was knocked slightly backwards, but had plenty of energy left. Eevee darted back, but the frog fired a jet of water from its mouth at the brown Pok?mon and the pressure pushed him into the pool on Mark?s end. Just as he frantically tried to swim to the bank, Gyarados released the powerful red beam which shot towards the mermaid-like cat. As it tried to dive, the beam followed its fish-like tail and hit it. The Water Pok?mon?s body stiffened up and it started to sink helplessly to the bottom.

?Return, Vaporeon,? Marge said hastily, allowing the red beam from her Pok?ball to recall her cat Pok?mon. ?Politoed, use a Surf.?

Instantly, a wave of water rose up from Marge?s pool and crashed towards Eevee and Gyarados. Eevee shrieked as he was soaked by it and was left unconscious; Gyarados didn?t appear too hurt.

?Return, Eevee,? Mark said disappointedly. ?Umm? another mega attack-thingy, Gyarados,? he suggested. The sea monster again started graying; it took less time to charge the beam now, but it looked a lot less powerful this time too. Not as bright as before, it shot towards Politoed, but much to Mark?s surprise, Politoed didn?t look too hurt by it.

?Er? try again?? Mark said doubtfully to Gyarados. As he charged, Politoed grew healthier from absorbing the water in the pool. At the time when Gyarados fired the beam, the frog seemed to be fully healed, and the attack hurt it even less this time.

Mark felt later that he really should?ve figured that there was something wrong with repeated uses of Gyarados?s powerful attack by now, but he didn?t and ordered the sea monster to try it again.

?Ice Beam,? said Marge to her Pok?mon. While Gyarados was charging (he seemed to be getting exhausted now and taking longer time for it again), the frog shot a beam of ice crystals at him from its mouth. When it hit Gyarados, he roared in pain and seemed to lose concentration for the attack. He desperately tried again; Politoed sent another Ice Beam at him while he was trying and finally, he collapsed weakly, fainted.

?Return,? said Mark hopelessly. Gyarados had just done what he had told him; had that been the reason he lost?

?Very well,? Marge announced expressionlessly. ?I have claimed victory in the first round. In order to win the battle, you must win both remaining rounds.?

?I know,? Mark replied.

?Go, Feraligatr and Quagsire,? Marge said. Mark cursed under his breath as her two Pok?mon formed: the same kind of a big blue alligator that the Mew Hunter had possessed, and a rubbery, dopey-looking creature that mostly resembled a light blue bipedal jelly sausage with webbed feet and two rounded fins for arms. She was probably saving her best for the last ? meaning that Mark should probably better save Scyther for the last round.

?Go, Sandslash and Dratini.?

Mark realized with guilt that this was the first time that Dratini actually got to battle against a trainer, save for the battle against May?s Larvitar in the Rainbow Woods. Then he had only gotten to battle a few wild Pok?mon. He was a bit neglected. But this wasn?t the time to think about that.

?Feraligatr, Crunch the Dratini,? said Marge. ?Quagsire, Earthquake.?

?Dratini, Twister on the Quagsire,? Mark said quickly. ?Sandslash, try to distract Feraligatr with a Slash.?

Dratini spun around at top speed and whipped up a powerful whirlwind of green dragon flames that was sent towards the jelly-like creature, while Sandslash jumped up and swiped his claws across the alligator?s face. Feraligatr roared and blasted a jet of water at the pangolin; Sandslash quickly curled up into a ball to repel as much of it as he could as he was thrown backwards from the pressure. Just then, the Quagsire let out a loud belch of ?QUA-A-AG!? and jumped into the air, coming down hard and sending ripples across the floor. Feraligatr was hurt by it just as much as Dratini and Sandslash, but that was damage to one of her Pok?mon but both of his.

?Umm?? Mark suddenly thought of his own variation of Marge?s combo. ?Dratini, dive into the pool! Sandslash, Earthquake!?

Dratini threw himself into the water as Sandslash leapt up, producing a powerful tremor as he landed. Both Feraligatr and Quagsire were severely hurt; Dratini, being in the water, was not affected by it, just like Mark had hoped.

?Dratini, try a Thunder Wave on Feraligatr. Sandslash, use another Earthquake.?

?Quagsire, Ice Beam on Sandslash,? Marge ordered. ?Feraligatr, try to get rid of Dratini.?

Luckily, Dratini was quicker carrying out his order. He jumped up and while in the air, his body sparkled with electricity which he sent flying at the alligator. Its muscles stiffened up, preventing it from moving as Sandslash and Quagsire both prepared their attacks. As the pangolin came down on the ground, both Feraligatr and Quagsire were hit; the alligator collapsed and Marge recalled him, but the rather weak Quagsire sent a beam of ice at Sandslash, which blasted him back a short distance and left him unconscious.

?Come back, Sandslash; you did a great job,? Mark complimented his Pok?mon as he recalled him. Now he had only Dratini left, but Quagsire was weak?

?Quagsire, dive into the pool,? Marge commanded calmly, and the jelly-like fish jumped into the water, starting to absorb it and grow healthier. Like to counter this turn of events, Dratini became wrapped in a white glow.

Mark watched, stunned, as his little dragon grew longer and sleeker. As the glow faded, he was revealed to have a more shaped head, a sapphire blue orb under it on his neck, and two similar orbs near the end of his tail.

?Whoa. You evolved,? Mark said blankly.

?Gonair,? the newly evolved Pok?mon confirmed, turning to his opponent.

?Er? Wrap? Or something?? Mark suggested, not sure what a Dragonair could do exactly. The dragon slithered towards Quagsire; the fish backed away and attempted an Ice Beam, but Dragonair whipped himself aside so that it crashed into the wall instead. Then, with a quick movement, he wrapped himself around Quagsire?s body and started squeezing hard.

?Qua-a?? gasped the Pok?mon, trying hard to keep breathing. Dragonair tightened his grip every time the fish exhaled, and after a few more seconds of strain, Quagsire fell unconscious. Dragonair loosened the hold slightly in order not to kill the amphibian; Marge silently took out a Pok?ball and recalled her Quagsire.

?Very well,? she said as Mark brightly recalled Dragonair. ?Now we are even. The last round will decide the winner??

She smiled. ?Go, Lapras and Starmie!?

Mark was right; they were probably her best. From her two Pok?balls formed a big sea turtle like May had and a ten-armed purple starfish with a ruby set in the golden core.

He was about to take his last two Pok?balls when he realized that his two Pok?mon left were the rivals Scyther and Charmeleon. Just how likely were they to co-operate in a two-on-two?

Oh man, he thought to himself, how stupid can I get?

But he couldn?t forfeit. He just couldn?t. He had a chance of winning ? if Scyther and Charmeleon could just put their hate aside for one battle.

He nervously took his two last Pok?balls. ?Go, Scyther and Charmeleon.?

The mantis and the lizard formed, instantly noticed each other and exchanged some nasty glares.

?Guys,? Mark interrupted, ?this is a serious battle. We?re in the Aquarium City Gym, and this is the final round of this two-on-two, which decides the winner. If you can just behave nicely this once we?ll win this, okay??

Scyther nodded curtly and turned towards Lapras. Charmeleon snorted disdainfully and turned his attention to the starfish.

?Great,? Mark said cheerfully, contrasting with his true feelings. ?Scyther, Slash Lapras, and Charmeleon, you can try a Flamethrower.?

Scyther immediately dashed forward, flying over the first pool and aiming his scythe at the Lapras?s neck. Charmeleon ran along the brink by the wall, and fired a blast of flames from his mouth. The starfish leapt out of the way with great agility, and Charmeleon just ?happened? to be positioned exactly so that the flames instead scorched Scyther?s exoskeleton. Bathed in flames for a second, Scyther made no sound but wore an expression of great agony as he landed, torched, on the circle in the middle of the arena.

?Sorry,? said Charmeleon sarcastically with a broad grin on his face. Scyther leered at him, but jerked his head back in Lapras?s direction, as if he wanted to say, ?You?re not worth it.?

Charmeleon started running again, this time along the path between the pools. Starmie, who had jumped into Mark?s pool to avoid the Flamethrower, fired a stream of water at the lizard; Charmeleon leapt out of the way, and the water instead hit Scyther?s back as he was about to take off. Again, Scyther turned around and glared icily at the lizard.

?I thought it would help cool you down, you know,? said Charmeleon in a mockingly innocent tone. Scyther ignored him and leapt forward to slash at Starmie. The starfish dived into the water so Scyther had to land again.

Charmeleon?s wicked grin widened as he breathed softly into his palm and then tossed a tiny but very hot fireball towards the mantis. It hit Scyther?s wing and burned a hole in it. The mantis whirled murderously around, not showing any signs of pain.

?Oops, I sneezed,? Charmeleon said, his grin still broadening. Scyther turned back to Lapras as Charmeleon snorted. Then the bug turned firmly around, glared at Charmeleon for a second and then suddenly leapt into the air and zoomed at the lizard with both of his scythes raised.

He never hit. Mark recalled them both just before Scyther?s blades made contact with Charmeleon. He muttered some kind of an excuse to Marge, forfeiting the battle before he scurried off to the Pok?mon Center.

-------

After all his Pok?mon had gotten basic healing and Scyther had been treated with a Burn Heal, Mark got his Pok?balls back. He went off to a corner; he wanted to talk to Scyther and Charmeleon individually without interruptions.

He sent Charmeleon out first. The lizard seemed to know what Mark wanted to talk to him about; as soon as he had materialized, he started talking:

?Did you see that, Mark? I told you he?d be dangerous! He tried to kill me, for crying out loud!?

?And do you have the vaguest idea of why that was?? Mark spat angrily, causing Charmeleon?s casual expression to turn more serious. ?You asked for it! You attacked him! He even resisted the urge to attack you back for the first two times! What?s wrong with you? He hasn?t done anything to you!?

?No, thanks you,? Charmeleon replied. ?There you see what he can do. One little joke, and he wants to write satanic chants with your blood. It?s not safe to be around him. Just you wait; he?s going to slit both of our throats sometime when we?re sleeping if you don?t do anything about it.?

Mark didn?t feel like replying to that and just took out the Pok?ball again.

?Return,? he said emptily.

?See ya in the afterlife,? were Charmeleon?s last words before he was dissolved into red energy and drawn back into his Pok?ball.

-------
 
?Scyther, why did you attack Charmeleon??

?Because he was daring me to do it throughout the whole battle,? the mantis said in his usual, calm tone.

?But you were resisting that urge just fine before, weren?t you?? Mark said angrily.

?Third time?s the charm,? Scyther replied.

?Why third time rather than the fourth or fifth or one-hundredth or, even better, no time at all?? Mark hissed.

?Charmeleon was humiliating me,? Scyther hissed back. ?I couldn?t just stand there and battle like a nice Pok?mon!?

?Look, I just don?t want two of my Pok?mon fighting!? Mark said loudly. Scyther?s calmness somehow just frustrated him.

?This is none of your business, Mark,? Scyther stated. ?It?s a personal matter between Charmeleon and me. We can handle this on our own.?

?OF COURSE IT?S SOME OF MY BUSINESS!? Mark screamed. ?YOU?RE MY FREAKING POK?MON!?

With a lightning-quick movement, Scyther?s right scythe came flying towards Mark?s face. It stopped a centimeter or so from his nose.

Mark didn?t dare to breathe. He just stared at the deadly blade that had almost killed him. After what seemed like ages, Scyther looked strangely at him and slowly lowered his scythe. As Mark caught his breath again, he fell backwards against the wall.

?I?m? sorry,? Scyther muttered. ?It?s just a subconscious reaction??

?You almost gave me a heart attack,? Mark mumbled in a trembling voice. Scyther turned around and then was slowly enveloped in a red glow as he recalled himself back into the Pok?ball. Mark was left pressing his back against the wall, sweating and shivering uncontrollably as some of the people whose attention had been caught alerted Nurse Joy.

His last conscious thought was that maybe Charmeleon?s theory wasn?t all that far-fetched.
 
WOW, OMMFG those chapters are sooo intense!! I LOVE THEM!!! I swear, If your story was a female, and we were both 10 years older, we'd be engaged with the wedding not too far off!! The only two little details I would like is more info about: the powerful attack that gyrados uses, and more info about the pokemon that saved mark when he was on his way to Aquarium City (hope to see them in an extra or something is all) All in all, total awsome chapters, sorry I didn't reply ASAP, haven't been on here lately since its christmas time.. Hope to see more from you soon (but don't expect it since its christmas)
 
You'll find out more about both of them in later chapters.
 
Bril-li-ant!

"About to get eaten by a bunch of Sharpedo, and then a Pok?mon that loves saving everybody that happens to pass!"

?No, thanks/thank(?)to you,? Charmeleon replied.

I think the bolded ones were a few of your mistakes. o.o; In this whole forum, you're fanfic is the one I positively LOVE to read. ^_^; It's so deep, and not many fanfics give rivaly to two Pokemon within a team. o.o; Neither do they give the Pokemon in their story have personalities! Most just make them say, "Saur! Char" Like that. =P Great job! ^____^; Hope your other 14+ chapters are just as good.

Uhh ... who's Alan? @_@;
 
Yeah, they were mistakes. @_@;; It clearly shows that I was proofreading that at five in the morning...

Alan is somebody who will be introduced in chapter 19.
 
Ok, that answers my q's, but I got another, (not for you though Dragonfree) Asher: Where in the world did you get alan from? That name isn't even mentioned in the fic...

BOT: I can't wait for the next chapter!!!
 
Ehh ... Dragonfree's Writing Guide. I was sorta looking for tips on writing aand then stumbled onto Dragonfree's site. o_O;;; -sweatdrops-

Can't wait for chapter 19. =/
 
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Oh, ok, I get it, you just happened upon her site.. and decided to read huh? *winks* I'm just messin.. or am I? XD OMG I CAN'T WAIT FOR CH 19!!!!
 
Whee, chapter 19. Big plottyness. I was going to make it longer, but I couldn't resist this cliffhanger. :)




-------
RATING

Violence: Pok?mon battle, very Dragonfree-style.
Gore: Blood.
Sexuality: None.
Profanity: None.
Other: Murder.
-------



Chapter 19: Good or Evil?

When Mark regained consciousness, he was still in the Pok?mon Center, lying on one of the sofas. A crowd of people stood over him; murmurs of ?He?s waking up?? went through the group as he opened his eyes. Most of the people left now, but a familiar blue-haired girl still waited.

?Mark? You okay?? May asked. He mumbled something.

?What happened?? she inquired. ?They?re saying your Scyther attacked you; is it true??

?Nah,? Mark muttered. ?It was just the excitement??

May very obviously saw right through him, but as usual she didn?t ask and just changed the subject instead. ?Hey, you?ll be happy when you hear why I waited for you to wake up.?

?Why?? Mark questioned.

?I managed to find a guy with an Exeggcute who is willing to let it Teleport us to Green Town. How does that sound??

?Great,? Mark replied, smiling. May could be very useful sometimes. ?What time is it?? he asked.

?Quarter past two,? she replied. ?Oh, yeah, did you get your badge??

Mark blushed. ?Eh, not really.?

May raised an eyebrow. ?How did it go??

?Well, Eevee and Gyarados lost to her Politoed and Vaporeon, and Sandslash and Dratini, who is now a Dragonair, beat her Feraligatr and Quagsire, but then I had just Scyther and Charmeleon left, and??

?Did they almost kill Charmeleon or something so you had to forfeit?? May guessed.

?No,? Mark replied miserably. ?I guess I never told you, but Scyther and Charmeleon hate each other.?

There was a short silence. ?Oh,? May then answered, seemingly surprised. ?I didn?t know.?

?Well, Charmeleon basically started taunting Scyther, and then Scyther came and was going to kill him, so I had to recall them?? Mark explained painfully.

?And did you then faint?? May questioned disbelievingly.

?Er, I took them inside and Scyther, well? it was true, he did attack me.?

May?s mouth fell open. ?What? How are you still alive??

?He stopped himself just before??

?But what are you going to do?? May interrupted.

?What can I do?? Mark yelled out in frustration. ?If he?s going to kill me, he?ll do it before I can do anything about it! He hears through Pok?balls and can break out of them! Releasing him would be suicide, trying to get him disposed of some other way would also be, and keeping him in the Pok?ball makes him a ticking bomb that can explode at any time! Is there anything at all that I can do??

Suddenly, he felt hopeless, small and scared. ?Why does everything like this happen to me?? he whimpered.

?Come on, you look silly,? May hissed. ?Just get it through your thick skull that you?re not the unluckiest person in the world! Why are you always feeling sorry for yourself? You don?t even know if Scyther is a secret assassin ? and really, if he was, wouldn?t he have killed you already? You?re being stupid, Mark. Just stand up, get your badge and stop whining.?

Mark felt like he had just been punched in the face, but somehow it was relieving.

?You?re right,? he said blankly, standing slowly up. ?I?m just being stupid. I?ll just go and battle Marge again, and we can go off to Green Town.?

?Don?t take too long,? May called after him as he started walking out of the Pok?mon Center. ?Or I might leave without you.?

-------

Mark stepped into the Gym for the second time this day. Marge was still standing at the other end; she bowed slightly when he entered.

?Umm, yeah, I?m here for a rematch,? Mark said nervously. Marge nodded.

?And? since we were even after two rounds earlier, can we just take one round now?? Mark suggested.

?Using the same Pok?mon?? Marge asked emotionlessly.

?Eh,? Mark got an uncomfortable sting in his stomach, ?I?d prefer not; they won?t be able to work together anytime soon.?

?Then,? Marge began, pacing around her end of the arena, ?you must send out your Pok?mon first.?

?Sure,? said Mark, shrugging. Better than nothing.

?Go, Scyther and Dragonair!?

The mantis and the snake-like dragon came out of the Pok?balls, calling out their names.

?Interesting?? said Marge slowly before taking out two of her own Pok?balls. ?Go, Lapras and Starmie.?

The sea turtle and the starfish from earlier emerged from the red light, facing Mark?s Pok?mon. He took a deep breath.

?Okay, Dragonair, use a Dragonbreath, if you know that, or Twister or something, on Lapras. Scyther? can you use Fury Cutter? If not, just a normal Slash. Attack Starmie.?

It was first now dawning on to Mark that he didn?t know anything about his Pok?mon?s attacks. He remembered Twister from the Pok?dex since he checked Dratini?s stats in Rainbow Woods, but he had never battled with Scyther before and just vaguely remembered something about Fury Cutter being Scyther?s signature move. Marge had to think he was an idiot.

Either way, his Pok?mon obeyed. Dragonair spun around at high speed, producing a green whirlwind of dragon flames and sending it towards the blue turtle. It let out a high-pitched wail before countering with an icy beam which blasted into Dragonair, clearly leaving him very hurt. Meanwhile, Scyther jumped up and darted towards Starmie. He slashed it loosely and his scythes started glowing faint green. Starmie, seemingly not very much hurt, countered with a beam of ice which sent Scyther flying backwards. He growled as he returned right to the starfish and slashed it again, more powerfully than before.

?Both of you, Ice Beam,? said Marge calmly. Her two Pok?mon both leant backwards, charging up new beams of ice.

?Quick, Dragonair, dive!? Mark blurted out. ?Scyther, keep using Fury Cutter but try to dodge the attacks!? He knew that Fury Cutter would only increase in power if used many times with not too long between them. If the Pok?mon that used it lost concentration, the power would fade completely.

Scyther zoomed down at Starmie and slashed it with his now glowing blades. Dragonair dove into the pool, narrowly avoiding the Ice Beam as Lapras fired it. Starmie aimed well after being struck by Scyther and blasted him into the wall. He shook himself slightly before slashing at Starmie again. With each hit, the glow on his scythes intensified and the slashes got more powerful.

Finally, Scyther slashed Starmie sharply and the starfish collapsed. Marge returned it without words, and issued a command to her sea turtle:

?Ice Beam his pool.?

Lapras blasted a beam of ice at the pool. The water froze instantly; Dragonair, being underwater, was trapped completely in the middle of the completely frozen pool.

?Dragonair, come back,? Mark said worriedly, recalling his Pok?mon through the sheet of ice. ?Scyther, keep using Fury Cutter on Lapras! You can do this!?

The last words were encouraging, but not convincing. Lapras was not very hurt, but Scyther was getting weak now after having been hit by two Ice Beams from Starmie.

?Lapras, Blizzard,? Marge said in an icy voice as Scyther rushed towards the sea turtle. Mark clenched his fist while Lapras swung its neck back?

A vicious blast of snow and wind obscured the room ? but it narrowly missed Scyther as he swung out of the way.

His brightly glowing scythe cut powerfully across the base of Lapras?s neck. The Pok?mon let out a screech as blood gushed out; Scyther flew back and landed in the middle of the arena.

?I forfeit,? said Marge quickly, taking out another Pok?ball. Out of it came the mermaid cat, Vaporeon. Without a command, it fired a soft stream of water at Lapras?s cut; for a moment, the stream obscured the wound, but when Vaporeon ended the Water Gun attack, the cut was no longer visible. Lapras winced, but appeared all right.

Marge recalled her Pok?mon and walked gracefully across the arena, handing Mark a badge like the one May had.

?You battled fairly well,? she commented, ?but rather brutally.? She turned to Scyther as she said the last words; he was just finishing licking his scythes clean. He turned emptily to her, looking into her eyes with an odd, blank but somehow tragic expression, and returned to his Pok?ball.

?Sorry,? Mark excused awkwardly. ?He?s a bit? strange??

Marge didn?t reply; she just nodded and then swept around to walk out of the arena. Mark assumed that since he had his badge, he could leave. Hesitating, he turned around and walked out through the door.

May was waiting for him outside.

?Got your badge this time?? she questioned.

?Yeah,? Mark replied.

?You sound pretty gloomy for somebody who?s just won a badge,? May commented as she started walking, Mark following.

?Mmm,? he answered. She just sighed.

?You really need to cheer up a little bit, you know. Feel good just once.?

Mark was too polite to tell her that he found her extremely annoying, so he didn?t answer.

?Hey!?

A brown-haired boy wearing a green T-shirt ran up to them. ?It?s good I found you; I?m in a bit of a hurry, you see - can you teleport now??

May looked at Mark. ?Umm, I think I have all my stuff, at least,? he answered.

?Great,? said the boy, taking a Pok?ball from his belt. He threw it to reveal what looked like six pink, creepy eggs with evil grins. They hovered just above the ground, floating slightly up and down.

?Come on, Mark,? May said, leaning down to touch the eggs. Mark did the same; he couldn?t get rid of the feeling that those eggs would bite him, though.

?Okay, Exeggcute,? said the trainer loudly, ?Teleport to the Green Town Pok?mon Center.?

?Exeggcute!? answered six mischievous voices as the Pok?mon started flickering. Then suddenly, Mark discovered that he was in a Pok?mon Center; it was one of the pink-furry-carpet ones.

May took her hand off the egg Pok?mon, and Mark hesitatingly removed his. The Pok?mon started flickering again, and disappeared.

Mark looked around. This Pok?mon Center might have had the same architect as the ones in Cleanwater, Alumine and Aquarium City, but it was probably bigger than all three of them put together. That was no surprise, since Green Town was the biggest city in Ouen. It had increased so rapidly in size that it still had that name; in order not to seem like the name was just irony, trees had been planted all around to make it somewhat green.

But the Pok?mon Center had no signs of green. Currently its white walls were covered in posters about the Pok?mon Festival; it was also crowded with people who were mostly reading the posters and chatting excitedly. A big digital clock on the wall showed the time.

Mark suddenly noticed that May was already standing by a poster, reading. He walked up to her; the poster was a notice that the Gym was closed during the festival.

?I think I?m going to challenge the Gym Leader now. When are you planning to do it?? she said, turning to him.

?Not now, at least,? Mark answered. ?I mean, I just came back from the last Gym.?

May shrugged. ?Sure. Bye, then.?

?Bye.?

May hurried out of the Pok?mon Center. Mark wasn?t sure what to do, but then his eyes found a poster with a big, picture of Chaletwo. The left half portrayed him normally, on a white background; the right half had him colored darker, with the blinding yellow eye open, on a black background. Interested, he walked up to it and started reading.


CHALETWO: GOOD OR EVIL?

Since 870 AW, people have started doubting Chaletwo?s original claim of not intending to harm any living being. This, of course, is due to the famous Leah-Mary cases.

During his appearance in 870, Chaletwo murdered a twelve-year-old girl by the name of Leah Donaldson using his lethal Death Stare attack, without any apparent reason. After the act, Chaletwo left as he would any other year ? but this time he took an innocent?s soul with him.

Leah?s family was devastated, and claimed that she could in no way have done anything that might have provoked the Legendary to do this. Most people were doubtful that Chaletwo would commit murder without a reason and the case quickly died down; however when Chaletwo killed another girl the next year, this time fifteen-year-old Mary Goldman from Johto, the voices rose up again fiercely. Two boys followed the next two years?


Mark stopped reading. He felt sick already. First Suicune, now Chaletwo! Why were all Legendaries he got the chance to see brutal murderers of some sort? Of course, Suicune had been innocent, since Gyarados was the one who killed the people, but those were apparently murdered within the eyesight of hundreds of people?

He must have looked very shocked or pale, because he felt a finger tap his shoulder.

?Can I help you??

Mark turned around. The person who asked was a boy who looked a few years older than him; maybe fifteen or so. He had dark, messy hair and something about his face seemed distinctly familiar.

?Er? not really, I was just reading? didn?t know about this?? Mark pointed to the poster.

?Ah.? The boy looked at him with a somewhat troubled expression. ?You don?t happen to have an interest in Legendaries, do you?? he asked suddenly.

?Yeah, how did you know?? asked Mark, amazed that the boy could just know that from seeing him reading a poster. The boy?s expression turned still more worried; he bit his lip, but then said slowly:

?I think we should talk.?


(A/N: In case you?re wondering what that year is calculated from, you?ll see that later.)
 
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