Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Early Risers
"You two are an odd couple." Leon said as he came back out of one of the rooms. Instead of the BDU's he wore before the sun went down he now had more casual clothing; a pair of faded blue jeans and plain grey shirt. ÂMal sat against the edge of the ruined wall that overlooked the city, Sari lay against his chest having finally gotten to sleep. The comment clicked in Mal's head as he understood Leon's meaning.
"Well when you've been alone as long as we have you get... close." Mal said automatically looking down on the sleeping Lucario. Â
"I always thought Lucario were almost impossible to find. Where'd you find her?" Leon continued as he took a seat opposite Malcolm.
"My parents were breeders." he began. " And I used to be a trainer... You know, back in the day." He finished with a comical tone which got a grin out of Leon. "Anyway Sari's mother belonged to my mother and once she was born they both thought I could be her trainer. When she was old enough they sent her to me..." Mal's expression darkened as he remembered those times when everything was normal. "She had only been a part of my team for a couple months when the infection started."
"So how come she's the only one with you now?"
"When the outbreak had first started, back when there were still people, the infected were still concentrated in the smaller towns and I thought it was only a matter of time before the situation was back under control. I never really worried about it until I saw the infection for myself.....
.....And our challenger from Severoot town, Malcolm!" The crowds cheer was almost explosive, having long forgotten his inhibitions about stage fright he raised a hand and beamed back at the onlookers as the noise intensified. Against the excitement Malcolm felt a tight squeeze against his leg as a small Riolu nervously hugged his calf. Quickly kneeling down he rubbed her back to comfort her. "Hey relax," He smiled. "Everything's going to be fine." Sari seemed to believe him as she eased up a bit.
While Malcolm tended to his pokemon the announcer had already addressed the gym leader who got an even louder applause than Mal if that was even possible. When he started to pay attention again he managed to catch the announcer stating the rules of the match. "Both trainers may use only two pokemon, only the challenger may substitute! Begin!"
"Alright Krokorok, your up first!" The gym leader called out as his pokemon materialized from the fluorescent red light of the pokeball. Malcolm already knew this gym leader specialized in ground type pokemon so pulling a ball from his belt.
"This ones all yours Jaxx!" Once the pokeball left Mal's hand it snapped open and belched a similar red light. When the light faded Jaxx, a Leafeon and Malcolm's first pokemon, stood poised and ready for battle. Malcolm paused for a moment as he took in the smell of crushed pine needles that Jaxx gave off naturally. "Now use swords dance!"
"Krokorok use sandstorm!" The reptile stood almost twice as tall as Jaxx and kicked up a massive dust cloud with a powerful swipe of it's tail over the field. At the same time Jaxx's tail started to glow as it's attack power went up. Aside for the slight damage Jaxx received Krokorok was also concealed within the roiling storm so Malcolm had Jaxx us double team.
"Krokorok, stone edge!"
A grin touched Malcolm's lips as the attack was called, wherever the attack came from was sure to be where his opponent lay in wait. It took a moment but eventually the rain of stone shards rained down but Mal's grin faded when they came from all directions in the dust cloud. Several of Jaxx's copies were also hit as he failed to come up with a counter attack though the real Jaxx managed to evade the attack.
"It appears our Malcolm is in a jam already and is unable to find his opponent. How do you hit what you can't see?" The announcer called while Malcolm tried to think, and it was that statement that gave him an idea, By using an attack that can't miss! "Jaxx use magical leaf!"
Flourishing his tail Jaxx sent a series of luminescent leaves gliding into the surrounding storm which were multiplied as his copies followed suit. Because they gave off light Malcolm was able to follow their movement inside the sandstorm but they only flew in circles instead of hitting a target. "What?"
"Now Krokorok!" At that moment Krokorok burst out of the ground, another set of stone shards weaving through the air around it. The dig attack took out one of the Leafeon copies while the second stone edge wiped out the rest of them and also deflecting the magical leaves. In the rain of shards the real Jaxx was also hit leaving him open to attack which was an opportunity the gym leader quickly exploited. "Hit it again with shadow claw!"
"Hurry, counter it with leaf blade Jaxx!" Just as Leafeon's tail went a bright green color Krokorok's claws were consumed in a purple-black borealis. The two pokemon met in a tangle of slashes and swipes as they attempted to land a hit on one another but their attacks were either blocked or dodged. It wasn't until they tried to feint each other at the same time that the both landed a hit simultaneously. The two were sent wheeling away as they tried to regain their bearings.
"Krokorok use dig once more." With that Krokorok didn't even get back to it's feet as it burrowed deep under the field. Jaxx barely got back to his feet when Krokorok came back to the surface sending Jaxx flying.
"Jaxx hit him with magical leaf again!" Jaxx balanced himself in midair and sent a flurry of glowing leaves at his opponent below. Krokorok and his trainer had no time to think or evade as the attack rained down doing massive damage to the ground-type. Krokorok was engulfed in smoke which swirled and churned as it mixed with the raging sandstorm and once again hid it from view.
"That last magical leaf attack was sure to do slot of damage to our gym leaders Krokorok but is it enough?"
"Heh, you put up a good fight kid. Not bad for a first round." The gym leader shouted across the field, for a moment Mal thought he had won but the feeling didn't last. "Krokorok finish this with take down!"
Just as Jaxx hit the ground Krokorok was on him in a flash leaving a white vapor trail behind it as its momentum was bolstered by the attack. Jaxx had no time to recover as it was smashed head on by the reptiles sheer brute force. By the time he hit the ground again he came to a sliding halt inches from where Malcolm and Sari stood. With Jaxx unconscious Mal couldn't help but notice that in spite of the damage it took Krokorok looked like it hadn't even broken a sweat.
A referee standing b along the center of the field held up a red flag towards the gym leader. "Leafeon is unable to battle, Krokorok is the winner." ÂÂ
Both pokemon disappeared inside their pokeballs at the same time though Krokorok looked like he could go on for days. Malcolm was silently glad this round was over, he had an idea of what the gym leader was capable of and was already starting to doubt his chances of winning, still he wouldn't let stop him from giving this everything he had. Choosing the next pokemon he tossed the ball into the air. "Your turn Cyrol!"
"Quagsire, your up!"
Both pokemon appeared with a snarl, or a roar in Hippowdons case. Cyrol was a Floatzel, Malcolm had chosen him for the same reason he chose Jaxx; for their advantage over ground types though because ÂQuagsire was also a water type Cyrol won't be as effective as Leafeon would have been. "The next round is Floatzel versus Quagsire, begin!"
"After a harsh first round Malcolm is already down to his second and last pokemon, will he be able to hold his ground in round two?"
"Quagsire, start this off with mud shot!" Quagsire stood up tall before releasing a torrent of muddy water towards Cyrol. ÂAlready forming a plan Malcolm waited for the last possible moment before calling for an ice punch. Cyrol's glowing paw connected with the mud shot which in turn froze the mud converted it into a pillar of ice and dirt. With a large thud that shook the entire arena and the ice crashed to the ground and shattered on impact.
"Cyrol follow it up with ice beam!" The off white beam arced through the air towards Quagsire like a lightning bolt, Quagsire however ducked and sidestepped the attack with a sort of fluid grace. When Cyrol repeated the attack the result was the same, though Quagsire were notoriously clumsy this one seemed pretty quick on it's feet.
"Quagsire use-"
The gym leader was about to call for the next move when a scream broke the otherwise silent crowd, all eyes followed the noise and suddenly there were dozens of others joining in. Everyone in the stands started trying to get out but Mal still couldn't see what the commotion was all about, too many people were moving to pick anything out. A deafening bellow cut through the uproar followed quickly by a body flying through the air over the crowd. With a wet crunch it landed in a heap at the edge of the field. "What in the gods' names?" At the same time Malcolm mumbled he felt Sari grip his leg tighter again.
Malcolm knew there was no way for someone to survive a fall like that, from the ground to the bottom edge of the stands alone was almost fifteen feet but when the body's arm moved as if to get back up there wasn't a doubt he was still alive... Sort of. When it was up straight enough Malcolm saw that the arm was disjointed and appeared to be coming out of it's back, it didn't stand yet but it managed to sit upright which caused it's neck to hang limp over it's chest. When globules of blood started to run from it's mouth Malcolm knew for sure something was way off but he couldn't bring himself to move. A low rasping escaped the creature as it weakly drew breath through crushed lungs, it's exhale was followed by more blood which was now tainted with small flecks of black. "Cyrol..." Malcolm started to say, trying to get his pokemon off the field. He tried saying it quietly but over the roar of the crowd the baffled pokemon didn't hear, but the creature did, it still sat upright though it's shoulders sagged but when Malcolm spoke it's head turned with a series of popping sounds. Malcolm instinctively took a step back as he saw it's eyes; bloodshot, tainted with red-black blood of the infection. A low rumble escaped it which could have been a growl as it started to get to it's feet. As it moved Malcolm saw that it's fingers and nails were stretched to the breaking point, bones at the tips of the fingers jutted out like claws piercing the flesh. Blood stained the creatures hands giving away what it could do with them, and what they could to Malcolm.
Malcolm couldn't bring himself to move, he stood terrified as he watched what had been a normal human turn into a monster before his very eyes. "Shes trusting you to take good care of her pup." Remembering his mothers voice snapped him back to reality as the creature got to it's knees. He distinctly remembered the subtle glare the Lucario female gave him over the video phone during that conversation. It was like a fog was lifted as he became conscious of the world around him, the creature was slowly rising, Cyrol watched confused as it snarled at Malcolm, people in the stands were desperately trying to get away from other creatures and the gym leader had disappeared with his pokemon. He put his fear aside as he heard Sari whimper quietly, if he was terrified then she had to be petrified. "Cyrol let's go now!"
The Floatzel gave a concerned glance at Malcolm before he Âreturned it to it's ball, as he replaced Cyrol's pokeball on his belt he scooped up Sari and ran for the archway that led to the trainers lobby. He had enough time to see the creature collapse under it's own weight trying stand on broken bones but concentrated on getting away... He had to keep his promise, he had to keep Sari safe.....
..... That's when I realized this wasn't something that would just get under control." Malcolm said as the memory still bounced around in his head. "At the time I didn't Âknow what to do, I panicked. For the few days after that there were only infected humans and they were still in small numbers so they were easy to avoid. I thought it was only humans that could get infected so I released all my pokemon, I couldn't stand the thought of them being stuck to me if those things got me, I had to keep my friends safe."
Leon was quiet for a while as he thought about everything he'd just been told. The silence seemed to linger forever in the dark of night, only the occasional cry from one of the infected kept either of them from falling asleep. "So how come you still have Sari?"
Malcolm wasn't even sure how to answer that, he'd released her like all the others, she had left with the others too. "I guess she wouldn't leave me, and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here right now. She came back, she actually saved me. That was the day she evolved and I couldn't get her to leave again... So we've been wandering together ever since."
Leon nodded when he finished, he'd read several books on the various pokemon species. Lucario were renowned for not only their rarity but also because of their loyalty. They only bonded with one person or other pokemon and it was that bond that caused them to evolve. Clearly years of living on the run had strengthened that bond between Sari and Malcolm. "Can I ask one more question?"
"Sure." Malcolm answered vacantly.
"How does she talk?" Malcolm was confused by the question at first mostly because he didn't even know the answer.
"I'm not even sure, I couldn't even understand her until after she evolved." Now that he thought of it, there times when Sari's mother would speak too but they had to be in person, if it was a phone conversation he would only hear the typical pokespeak. "I thinks it's because she trusts you." Malcolm concluded.
"Trusts me? You've only known me a couple of hours."
"Well you did save us."
"True." Leon nodded leaving the topic open. Again the silence took over the conversation. It wasn't long before the first rays of sunlight started peaking over the shorter buildings.
"I just noticed you don't carry a gun." Leon said as they crossed one of the scaffolds. Most of the noise had died down as the sun continued it's ascent, now at near noon he city was quiet again. Your typical run-of-the-mill ghost town. Â
"I'm not a very good shot." Malcolm replied. Leon walked a little ahead of Mal carry a rucksack and second rifle slung over his shoulder. The next couple floors passed without another word but when they reached the second scaffolding Sari couldn't resist asking.
"What's the other gun for?"
"I'm glad you asked Sari, this is for you." he said handing one of the weapons to Malcolm.
"But I told you, I'm not a very good shot."
"Exactly, now come on, keep moving, talk while you walk."
"I don't get it." Mal said, confused.
"I'm going to teach you how to shoot." Leon said rather buoyantly. Once they got into the second building Leon led them down another corridor rather than continuing down the stairwell, an occasional suitcase lined the hall from where someone had tried to get out in a hurry some time ago. When they got to the end of the hall they were back along the outer wall of the building, another wide opening dominated the end of the corridor where it looked like it had been taken out by a sledgehammer. Instead of a ramp crossing into an adjacent skyscraper there was an actual rope bridge crossing the road below. The bridge consisted of three ropes, one along the bottom and two taking the place of railings that ran parallel above it, another series of ropes wound between them holding them together and forming a sort of net.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Malcolm cried, "How did build all of this?"
"I found myself with a lot of free time and arts and crafts wasn't cuttin' it for me." He replied. "Just take it at a moderate pace and don't look down." he said before bolting over the bridge, the rope didn't even budge under his weight. When Leon reached the other side he waved them over but Malcolm hesitated, it was only a moment before Bisharp followed Leon's lead.
"I've heard of living in an urban jungle but this is just craz, W-wait Sari!" Malcolm started but was too late as the Lucario darted across the bridge in the deeds same manner as the two before. "This is nuts."
Malcolm, unwilling to be left behind, took a few steps back before breaking into a run. His first few steps onto the bridge were firm enough but when he got about halfway stumbled slightly and lost his footing, one leg slipping between the mesh the other catching in the era assess mesh on the other side leaving him in a prone position just over the middle of the bridge. Given the discomfort from his current position Malcolm wasn't able to move for a moment but as soon as he was able he pulled one leg free of the ropes then carefully turning on his side turning onto his side to pull the other one up. He lay on the ridge for a minute before slowly getting back to his feet, he was also surprised that the bridge still held still.
"Come on, you're almost over. Get a move on." Leon whispered loudly, leaning over the end of the bridge to get Malcolm moving again. Malcolm crawled on his back until his was within Leon's reach, he then pulled Mal the last few inches of the bridge. "Took quite a stumble there."
"Yeah, no kidding." Malcolm grumbled as he sat up straight.
"Are you alright?" Sari asked coming up beside him.
"Yeah, just a little sick to my stomach." He said looking up to her.
"Tch, I'll bet." Leon remarked, chuckling to himself. Bisharp's only response was to shake his head and walk away. "I've got stuff like that set up all over the city, you can get almost anywhere you need to and never touch the ground."
"Your time alone has given you a gift for Jerry-rigging."
"Well, I try." Leon said curtly. "Hey, you got the time?"
"Why, you have somewhere to be?"
"No, just curious." Leon answered as he looked at his shadow. He looked up to the sky for a moment before glancing at the sun, which strangely didn't seem to bother him. "Alright, it's about 2 o'clock, we should be getting into the heat of the day."
"Why does it matter?" Malcolm asked, what was he up to?
"Because, heat makes things smell stronger." Leon said reaching into the rucksack and procuring a small jar full to the brim with some white substance. "Ready for some target practice?"
"Aren't you worried they'll hear us?" Malcolm asked looking down over the road, so far they were empty. When Leon reached for his rifle Malcolm handed it to him, he then unscrew the tip of the barrel removing about six inches from the already lengthy weapon. "This is a silencer. It adds a few inches to the the barrel which cuts down the noise it makes, it doesn't make it totally silent but from this distance they won't hear a thing."
"And what if I actually hit one? Won't they wonder what hit it?" Malcolm continued to asked, he didn't like the idea of trying to shoot one of the infected at all. From what he could tell doing so would alert the whole lot of them when thy showed up.
"Nope, Because the virus cells take over the roles of other cells in the body they could be several years old, which most of them are, they have only been in the necrotic phases of decay for about a year. Any nerve endings or pain receptors would have rotted away a long time ago. They can't feel anymore so they go by sight, smell, and sound. Trust me alright? They won't have a clue what hit them."
"I'll take your word for it. So what are those?" Instead of saying anything Leon unscrew the lid to the jar. Once the lid was off the air filled with the herbal scent of shampoo.
"The only sense they use are sight, smell and sound. The sound of shattering glass and the smell should draw a few o them, especially when its hot out, the smell should spread further." Leon said before wheeling around and throwing the jar. Once his hand was free he unslung his rifle and peered into the scope. "Not a bad throw if I do say so myself."
Malcolm followed Leon's example and sighted down the road to where the jar crashed. It was only a few moments before one of the infected came barreling out of the alleyway.
"So what do you normally do around here." Sari asked Bisharp as the two humans started to take aim at the street below. Bisharp had continued walking down the line of buildings but kept towards the center to avoid being seen from below. He looked over to her for a moment before answering. "You act like there's actually something to do around here."
"I didn't know if there was, that's why I asked." Sari commented but she couldn't help but feel that Bisharp was distracted. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm just trying to think." Bisharp said quietly.
"Oh, sorry." she apologized, he was the first pokemon she'd seen it what could have easily been years. While her and Malcolm were in the wilds they'd occasionally come across a small group of pokemon or by pure chance another wanderer like themselves but the times were scarce at best and becoming even more so as time went by. Bisharp continued at a mild pace as they ventured farther from their companions.
"It's no problem, it's good to talk to someone who understands me." Bisharp said not taking his eyes off the roof-path ahead. "He lied to you by the way."
Sari was surprised to hear that, especially from Bisharp and she Impulsively looked back but couldn't see either of them now over the several sides that were built into the ceilings. "Why would he do that?"
"I'm not sure, when your partner asked if he was in the army I wouldn't have expected him to say he was. When he found me he wasn't much different then your trainer is now. He was more of an intellectual then anything, a survivalist. He still spends most of his days studying whether he's reading a book or watching the infected. It's like he's addicted to learning, he's smart but he's not a soldier."
Sari agreed with Bisharp's first statement, it's didn't make much sense for him to lie about something like being in the military. Still looking in their direction wondered what Leon was trying to gain, or if he was hiding something.
"Well when you've been alone as long as we have you get... close." Mal said automatically looking down on the sleeping Lucario. Â
"I always thought Lucario were almost impossible to find. Where'd you find her?" Leon continued as he took a seat opposite Malcolm.
"My parents were breeders." he began. " And I used to be a trainer... You know, back in the day." He finished with a comical tone which got a grin out of Leon. "Anyway Sari's mother belonged to my mother and once she was born they both thought I could be her trainer. When she was old enough they sent her to me..." Mal's expression darkened as he remembered those times when everything was normal. "She had only been a part of my team for a couple months when the infection started."
"So how come she's the only one with you now?"
"When the outbreak had first started, back when there were still people, the infected were still concentrated in the smaller towns and I thought it was only a matter of time before the situation was back under control. I never really worried about it until I saw the infection for myself.....
.....And our challenger from Severoot town, Malcolm!" The crowds cheer was almost explosive, having long forgotten his inhibitions about stage fright he raised a hand and beamed back at the onlookers as the noise intensified. Against the excitement Malcolm felt a tight squeeze against his leg as a small Riolu nervously hugged his calf. Quickly kneeling down he rubbed her back to comfort her. "Hey relax," He smiled. "Everything's going to be fine." Sari seemed to believe him as she eased up a bit.
While Malcolm tended to his pokemon the announcer had already addressed the gym leader who got an even louder applause than Mal if that was even possible. When he started to pay attention again he managed to catch the announcer stating the rules of the match. "Both trainers may use only two pokemon, only the challenger may substitute! Begin!"
"Alright Krokorok, your up first!" The gym leader called out as his pokemon materialized from the fluorescent red light of the pokeball. Malcolm already knew this gym leader specialized in ground type pokemon so pulling a ball from his belt.
"This ones all yours Jaxx!" Once the pokeball left Mal's hand it snapped open and belched a similar red light. When the light faded Jaxx, a Leafeon and Malcolm's first pokemon, stood poised and ready for battle. Malcolm paused for a moment as he took in the smell of crushed pine needles that Jaxx gave off naturally. "Now use swords dance!"
"Krokorok use sandstorm!" The reptile stood almost twice as tall as Jaxx and kicked up a massive dust cloud with a powerful swipe of it's tail over the field. At the same time Jaxx's tail started to glow as it's attack power went up. Aside for the slight damage Jaxx received Krokorok was also concealed within the roiling storm so Malcolm had Jaxx us double team.
"Krokorok, stone edge!"
A grin touched Malcolm's lips as the attack was called, wherever the attack came from was sure to be where his opponent lay in wait. It took a moment but eventually the rain of stone shards rained down but Mal's grin faded when they came from all directions in the dust cloud. Several of Jaxx's copies were also hit as he failed to come up with a counter attack though the real Jaxx managed to evade the attack.
"It appears our Malcolm is in a jam already and is unable to find his opponent. How do you hit what you can't see?" The announcer called while Malcolm tried to think, and it was that statement that gave him an idea, By using an attack that can't miss! "Jaxx use magical leaf!"
Flourishing his tail Jaxx sent a series of luminescent leaves gliding into the surrounding storm which were multiplied as his copies followed suit. Because they gave off light Malcolm was able to follow their movement inside the sandstorm but they only flew in circles instead of hitting a target. "What?"
"Now Krokorok!" At that moment Krokorok burst out of the ground, another set of stone shards weaving through the air around it. The dig attack took out one of the Leafeon copies while the second stone edge wiped out the rest of them and also deflecting the magical leaves. In the rain of shards the real Jaxx was also hit leaving him open to attack which was an opportunity the gym leader quickly exploited. "Hit it again with shadow claw!"
"Hurry, counter it with leaf blade Jaxx!" Just as Leafeon's tail went a bright green color Krokorok's claws were consumed in a purple-black borealis. The two pokemon met in a tangle of slashes and swipes as they attempted to land a hit on one another but their attacks were either blocked or dodged. It wasn't until they tried to feint each other at the same time that the both landed a hit simultaneously. The two were sent wheeling away as they tried to regain their bearings.
"Krokorok use dig once more." With that Krokorok didn't even get back to it's feet as it burrowed deep under the field. Jaxx barely got back to his feet when Krokorok came back to the surface sending Jaxx flying.
"Jaxx hit him with magical leaf again!" Jaxx balanced himself in midair and sent a flurry of glowing leaves at his opponent below. Krokorok and his trainer had no time to think or evade as the attack rained down doing massive damage to the ground-type. Krokorok was engulfed in smoke which swirled and churned as it mixed with the raging sandstorm and once again hid it from view.
"That last magical leaf attack was sure to do slot of damage to our gym leaders Krokorok but is it enough?"
"Heh, you put up a good fight kid. Not bad for a first round." The gym leader shouted across the field, for a moment Mal thought he had won but the feeling didn't last. "Krokorok finish this with take down!"
Just as Jaxx hit the ground Krokorok was on him in a flash leaving a white vapor trail behind it as its momentum was bolstered by the attack. Jaxx had no time to recover as it was smashed head on by the reptiles sheer brute force. By the time he hit the ground again he came to a sliding halt inches from where Malcolm and Sari stood. With Jaxx unconscious Mal couldn't help but notice that in spite of the damage it took Krokorok looked like it hadn't even broken a sweat.
A referee standing b along the center of the field held up a red flag towards the gym leader. "Leafeon is unable to battle, Krokorok is the winner." ÂÂ
Both pokemon disappeared inside their pokeballs at the same time though Krokorok looked like he could go on for days. Malcolm was silently glad this round was over, he had an idea of what the gym leader was capable of and was already starting to doubt his chances of winning, still he wouldn't let stop him from giving this everything he had. Choosing the next pokemon he tossed the ball into the air. "Your turn Cyrol!"
"Quagsire, your up!"
Both pokemon appeared with a snarl, or a roar in Hippowdons case. Cyrol was a Floatzel, Malcolm had chosen him for the same reason he chose Jaxx; for their advantage over ground types though because ÂQuagsire was also a water type Cyrol won't be as effective as Leafeon would have been. "The next round is Floatzel versus Quagsire, begin!"
"After a harsh first round Malcolm is already down to his second and last pokemon, will he be able to hold his ground in round two?"
"Quagsire, start this off with mud shot!" Quagsire stood up tall before releasing a torrent of muddy water towards Cyrol. ÂAlready forming a plan Malcolm waited for the last possible moment before calling for an ice punch. Cyrol's glowing paw connected with the mud shot which in turn froze the mud converted it into a pillar of ice and dirt. With a large thud that shook the entire arena and the ice crashed to the ground and shattered on impact.
"Cyrol follow it up with ice beam!" The off white beam arced through the air towards Quagsire like a lightning bolt, Quagsire however ducked and sidestepped the attack with a sort of fluid grace. When Cyrol repeated the attack the result was the same, though Quagsire were notoriously clumsy this one seemed pretty quick on it's feet.
"Quagsire use-"
The gym leader was about to call for the next move when a scream broke the otherwise silent crowd, all eyes followed the noise and suddenly there were dozens of others joining in. Everyone in the stands started trying to get out but Mal still couldn't see what the commotion was all about, too many people were moving to pick anything out. A deafening bellow cut through the uproar followed quickly by a body flying through the air over the crowd. With a wet crunch it landed in a heap at the edge of the field. "What in the gods' names?" At the same time Malcolm mumbled he felt Sari grip his leg tighter again.
Malcolm knew there was no way for someone to survive a fall like that, from the ground to the bottom edge of the stands alone was almost fifteen feet but when the body's arm moved as if to get back up there wasn't a doubt he was still alive... Sort of. When it was up straight enough Malcolm saw that the arm was disjointed and appeared to be coming out of it's back, it didn't stand yet but it managed to sit upright which caused it's neck to hang limp over it's chest. When globules of blood started to run from it's mouth Malcolm knew for sure something was way off but he couldn't bring himself to move. A low rasping escaped the creature as it weakly drew breath through crushed lungs, it's exhale was followed by more blood which was now tainted with small flecks of black. "Cyrol..." Malcolm started to say, trying to get his pokemon off the field. He tried saying it quietly but over the roar of the crowd the baffled pokemon didn't hear, but the creature did, it still sat upright though it's shoulders sagged but when Malcolm spoke it's head turned with a series of popping sounds. Malcolm instinctively took a step back as he saw it's eyes; bloodshot, tainted with red-black blood of the infection. A low rumble escaped it which could have been a growl as it started to get to it's feet. As it moved Malcolm saw that it's fingers and nails were stretched to the breaking point, bones at the tips of the fingers jutted out like claws piercing the flesh. Blood stained the creatures hands giving away what it could do with them, and what they could to Malcolm.
Malcolm couldn't bring himself to move, he stood terrified as he watched what had been a normal human turn into a monster before his very eyes. "Shes trusting you to take good care of her pup." Remembering his mothers voice snapped him back to reality as the creature got to it's knees. He distinctly remembered the subtle glare the Lucario female gave him over the video phone during that conversation. It was like a fog was lifted as he became conscious of the world around him, the creature was slowly rising, Cyrol watched confused as it snarled at Malcolm, people in the stands were desperately trying to get away from other creatures and the gym leader had disappeared with his pokemon. He put his fear aside as he heard Sari whimper quietly, if he was terrified then she had to be petrified. "Cyrol let's go now!"
The Floatzel gave a concerned glance at Malcolm before he Âreturned it to it's ball, as he replaced Cyrol's pokeball on his belt he scooped up Sari and ran for the archway that led to the trainers lobby. He had enough time to see the creature collapse under it's own weight trying stand on broken bones but concentrated on getting away... He had to keep his promise, he had to keep Sari safe.....
..... That's when I realized this wasn't something that would just get under control." Malcolm said as the memory still bounced around in his head. "At the time I didn't Âknow what to do, I panicked. For the few days after that there were only infected humans and they were still in small numbers so they were easy to avoid. I thought it was only humans that could get infected so I released all my pokemon, I couldn't stand the thought of them being stuck to me if those things got me, I had to keep my friends safe."
Leon was quiet for a while as he thought about everything he'd just been told. The silence seemed to linger forever in the dark of night, only the occasional cry from one of the infected kept either of them from falling asleep. "So how come you still have Sari?"
Malcolm wasn't even sure how to answer that, he'd released her like all the others, she had left with the others too. "I guess she wouldn't leave me, and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here right now. She came back, she actually saved me. That was the day she evolved and I couldn't get her to leave again... So we've been wandering together ever since."
Leon nodded when he finished, he'd read several books on the various pokemon species. Lucario were renowned for not only their rarity but also because of their loyalty. They only bonded with one person or other pokemon and it was that bond that caused them to evolve. Clearly years of living on the run had strengthened that bond between Sari and Malcolm. "Can I ask one more question?"
"Sure." Malcolm answered vacantly.
"How does she talk?" Malcolm was confused by the question at first mostly because he didn't even know the answer.
"I'm not even sure, I couldn't even understand her until after she evolved." Now that he thought of it, there times when Sari's mother would speak too but they had to be in person, if it was a phone conversation he would only hear the typical pokespeak. "I thinks it's because she trusts you." Malcolm concluded.
"Trusts me? You've only known me a couple of hours."
"Well you did save us."
"True." Leon nodded leaving the topic open. Again the silence took over the conversation. It wasn't long before the first rays of sunlight started peaking over the shorter buildings.
"I just noticed you don't carry a gun." Leon said as they crossed one of the scaffolds. Most of the noise had died down as the sun continued it's ascent, now at near noon he city was quiet again. Your typical run-of-the-mill ghost town. Â
"I'm not a very good shot." Malcolm replied. Leon walked a little ahead of Mal carry a rucksack and second rifle slung over his shoulder. The next couple floors passed without another word but when they reached the second scaffolding Sari couldn't resist asking.
"What's the other gun for?"
"I'm glad you asked Sari, this is for you." he said handing one of the weapons to Malcolm.
"But I told you, I'm not a very good shot."
"Exactly, now come on, keep moving, talk while you walk."
"I don't get it." Mal said, confused.
"I'm going to teach you how to shoot." Leon said rather buoyantly. Once they got into the second building Leon led them down another corridor rather than continuing down the stairwell, an occasional suitcase lined the hall from where someone had tried to get out in a hurry some time ago. When they got to the end of the hall they were back along the outer wall of the building, another wide opening dominated the end of the corridor where it looked like it had been taken out by a sledgehammer. Instead of a ramp crossing into an adjacent skyscraper there was an actual rope bridge crossing the road below. The bridge consisted of three ropes, one along the bottom and two taking the place of railings that ran parallel above it, another series of ropes wound between them holding them together and forming a sort of net.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Malcolm cried, "How did build all of this?"
"I found myself with a lot of free time and arts and crafts wasn't cuttin' it for me." He replied. "Just take it at a moderate pace and don't look down." he said before bolting over the bridge, the rope didn't even budge under his weight. When Leon reached the other side he waved them over but Malcolm hesitated, it was only a moment before Bisharp followed Leon's lead.
"I've heard of living in an urban jungle but this is just craz, W-wait Sari!" Malcolm started but was too late as the Lucario darted across the bridge in the deeds same manner as the two before. "This is nuts."
Malcolm, unwilling to be left behind, took a few steps back before breaking into a run. His first few steps onto the bridge were firm enough but when he got about halfway stumbled slightly and lost his footing, one leg slipping between the mesh the other catching in the era assess mesh on the other side leaving him in a prone position just over the middle of the bridge. Given the discomfort from his current position Malcolm wasn't able to move for a moment but as soon as he was able he pulled one leg free of the ropes then carefully turning on his side turning onto his side to pull the other one up. He lay on the ridge for a minute before slowly getting back to his feet, he was also surprised that the bridge still held still.
"Come on, you're almost over. Get a move on." Leon whispered loudly, leaning over the end of the bridge to get Malcolm moving again. Malcolm crawled on his back until his was within Leon's reach, he then pulled Mal the last few inches of the bridge. "Took quite a stumble there."
"Yeah, no kidding." Malcolm grumbled as he sat up straight.
"Are you alright?" Sari asked coming up beside him.
"Yeah, just a little sick to my stomach." He said looking up to her.
"Tch, I'll bet." Leon remarked, chuckling to himself. Bisharp's only response was to shake his head and walk away. "I've got stuff like that set up all over the city, you can get almost anywhere you need to and never touch the ground."
"Your time alone has given you a gift for Jerry-rigging."
"Well, I try." Leon said curtly. "Hey, you got the time?"
"Why, you have somewhere to be?"
"No, just curious." Leon answered as he looked at his shadow. He looked up to the sky for a moment before glancing at the sun, which strangely didn't seem to bother him. "Alright, it's about 2 o'clock, we should be getting into the heat of the day."
"Why does it matter?" Malcolm asked, what was he up to?
"Because, heat makes things smell stronger." Leon said reaching into the rucksack and procuring a small jar full to the brim with some white substance. "Ready for some target practice?"
"Aren't you worried they'll hear us?" Malcolm asked looking down over the road, so far they were empty. When Leon reached for his rifle Malcolm handed it to him, he then unscrew the tip of the barrel removing about six inches from the already lengthy weapon. "This is a silencer. It adds a few inches to the the barrel which cuts down the noise it makes, it doesn't make it totally silent but from this distance they won't hear a thing."
"And what if I actually hit one? Won't they wonder what hit it?" Malcolm continued to asked, he didn't like the idea of trying to shoot one of the infected at all. From what he could tell doing so would alert the whole lot of them when thy showed up.
"Nope, Because the virus cells take over the roles of other cells in the body they could be several years old, which most of them are, they have only been in the necrotic phases of decay for about a year. Any nerve endings or pain receptors would have rotted away a long time ago. They can't feel anymore so they go by sight, smell, and sound. Trust me alright? They won't have a clue what hit them."
"I'll take your word for it. So what are those?" Instead of saying anything Leon unscrew the lid to the jar. Once the lid was off the air filled with the herbal scent of shampoo.
"The only sense they use are sight, smell and sound. The sound of shattering glass and the smell should draw a few o them, especially when its hot out, the smell should spread further." Leon said before wheeling around and throwing the jar. Once his hand was free he unslung his rifle and peered into the scope. "Not a bad throw if I do say so myself."
Malcolm followed Leon's example and sighted down the road to where the jar crashed. It was only a few moments before one of the infected came barreling out of the alleyway.
"So what do you normally do around here." Sari asked Bisharp as the two humans started to take aim at the street below. Bisharp had continued walking down the line of buildings but kept towards the center to avoid being seen from below. He looked over to her for a moment before answering. "You act like there's actually something to do around here."
"I didn't know if there was, that's why I asked." Sari commented but she couldn't help but feel that Bisharp was distracted. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm just trying to think." Bisharp said quietly.
"Oh, sorry." she apologized, he was the first pokemon she'd seen it what could have easily been years. While her and Malcolm were in the wilds they'd occasionally come across a small group of pokemon or by pure chance another wanderer like themselves but the times were scarce at best and becoming even more so as time went by. Bisharp continued at a mild pace as they ventured farther from their companions.
"It's no problem, it's good to talk to someone who understands me." Bisharp said not taking his eyes off the roof-path ahead. "He lied to you by the way."
Sari was surprised to hear that, especially from Bisharp and she Impulsively looked back but couldn't see either of them now over the several sides that were built into the ceilings. "Why would he do that?"
"I'm not sure, when your partner asked if he was in the army I wouldn't have expected him to say he was. When he found me he wasn't much different then your trainer is now. He was more of an intellectual then anything, a survivalist. He still spends most of his days studying whether he's reading a book or watching the infected. It's like he's addicted to learning, he's smart but he's not a soldier."
Sari agreed with Bisharp's first statement, it's didn't make much sense for him to lie about something like being in the military. Still looking in their direction wondered what Leon was trying to gain, or if he was hiding something.