Eddies

Chapter 22: Interlude.

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. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Eddies 22

Luxio woke to a sharp pain in her forehead, as a soft wet cloth dabbed gently against her matted fur.  Opening golden eyes, she focussed blearily on a human bent over her, a concerned look crossing its face as it noticed her staring.  After a moment’s hesitation, the cloth came back, and luxio closed her eyes again, enduring the discomfort of the attention, as the moisture softened the mess above her eyes, cleaning it away.

Finally, the human stopped, and luxio looked back up at it.  With a frown, it said "Can you understand me?"

Luxio nodded, wincing as a dull throb speared through her head, accompanied by an awful throbbing in her brain.  Mewling softly, she closed her eyes again, only to stiffen then relax as a warm human hand began stroking her fur in sympathy.

Finally feeling up to trying again, luxio groaned, and regarded the human as it spoke again.

"Are they alright?  The others?" it said, and the pokemon paused indecisively, before responding.  Shaking her head slowly, the cat gave a sigh, echoed by the human above her.

Gwen rose from her ministrations, and left the room to find Paul hovering in the kitchen, a cold coffee in his hands.  As she poured herself a cup, Gwen's own shook slightly, spilling the hot liquid onto the bench top as she began shuddering.  Her husband wrapped an arm around her until she recovered her poise, and the pair returned to the lounge, where Paul squatted by the couch, eyeing the pokemon with sharp eyes.

"Can you speak? Can you tell me what happened?"

Luxio paused a moment, before shaking her head slowly.

Thinking quickly, Paul tried again. 

"Alright.  Let's try something else.  Are they injured?"

Luxio shrugged, wincing as her wound began to again bleed sluggishly, blood dripping down her fur to matt above her eyelids.

Paul sighed, grabbing the wet cloth and gently wiping the blood away, receiving a purr in response.  Thinking a moment, he said worriedly "Are they dead?"

Luxio hesitated a second, before shrugging again.

"Some are dead, but you're not sure if everyone else is OK?"

Nodding, she let out a meow.

As Gwen breathed heavily from behind, Paul stroked her neck.  "Is Chris OK?"

Luxio shrugged, before nodding tentatively.  The two human's sighed in relief, when Paul had a sudden inspiration.

"Hon?  Are Jim and that orange devil of his still tearing around the games room?"

As she nodded, and said "I think so, yes" he said "Get them in here then.  I think I know how we can get some answers faster"

Luxio looked at him in confusion, eyes widening as the female human returned, a younger human and a charmander in tow.

As Azil looked at the injured luxio in shock, Paul's lips tightened and he said to Jim and his pokemon "OK.  I want you to ask it a few questions, and you can translate, alright?"

Both Jim and Azil nodded solemnly, as Paul sat on the coffee table, and said "OK, let's begin."

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When they reached Ranger HQ that evening, Chris and Skyy were given a large room with twin queen beds, and a view from the twelfth floor overlooking the city.  J.B took a room nearby, and without further ado, wished the group goodnight, and disappeared inside for a shower.

Chris had been surprised by the officer's response, after he concluded their story.  J.B had shrugged, and said "Kid, I don't know you that well, but I've seen enough to know you're not the sort to go off and kill someone for no reason.  I deal with arseholes like that every day.  You had a bad situation, and you did what you needed to do to get through it.  Shit happens.  Be happy it didn't happen worse to you"

At the incredulous look from the young man, J.B chuckled dryly.  "This isn't my jurisdiction, Chris.  If the Ranger's aren't concerned, then neither am I.  Consider it a lesson well learnt, and get over it."

Nodding, Chris exchanged a relieved look with Skyy, as the officer continued.  "Every person entering the force dreads being caught in a situation like that.  We're told it can happen, but until it does, you never know how someone is going to handle it.  The sort of stresses you lived through either bring out the best or the worst in us".  Slapping a hand on Chris's shoulder, and another on the surprised Skyy, he said "You did OK.  Both of you.  I see no reason to not believe what you've said, and a trained officer couldn't have been expected to do any better.  So, get over it.  There are more important things to worry about now."

Stretching tiredly, Chris dumped his pack on the mirrored dresser against the wall, and followed by throwing his discarded clothes on top.  Stripped down to his underwear, he threw himself onto the bed, sighing as Skyy dropped beside him, wrapping a warm furred arm over his chest.

"Feeling better?" said the lucario, and Chris pondered a moment, before nodding.

"Strangely, yeah, I am." he replied, pulling Skyy against his chest, where the lucario snuggled warmly.

"I'm glad" said Skyy, voice muffled against the human's chest.  "But..."

As the pokemon paused, Chris looked down past the long ears to the ruby eyes staring at him intently.  "But what?" he said, suddenly worried.

Sniffing deeply, Skyy sat up with a grin.  "But you need a shower.  You stink like a human!"

He yelped as Chris pounced on him, muffling his giggles with a thrown pillow.

Raikou, having wandered onto the balcony, dropped to the tiles with a sigh, although a small grin crossed his muzzle.
Everyone needed a little privacy once in a while. 
Even those two, he thought, settling down to sleep.

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Paul sat back tiredly, rubbing his face as he processed the information passed to him by the luxio.  Translating wasn't as difficult as he'd thought it might be, with the clever creature understanding him, and replying in detail.  Jimmy simply needing to translate the response through his charmander.

The luxio (he now knew what it was) had answered all his questions valiantly, but he could see the poor creature was exhausted.  Giving her head a fond caress, she purred into his hands, launching into a short burst of pokespeak as Paul turned to the charmander.

Jim said "She wants to know can she stay with us here?  She has nowhere else to go." 

Looking into the wide, golden eyes, Paul looked at Gwen, who nodded down at the luxio with a small smile.  "As long as you want, sweetheart.  But we need to get your wounds seen to.  They need stitching, and it's not something we can do for you.  Paul?  Should we ring Barry?"

Barry Walker was their local vet, and a good, long term friend of the family.  He'd been their family and farm vet for over twenty years, and they'd shared many an evening lounging before the outdoor fire, drinking scotch, getting pissed and exchanging tall stories.

However, this was different.

This could cause difficulties.

Gwen hesitated, and then nodded slowly.  "Do we have a choice?  She needs those injuries attended to, and I can't do it."

Sighing, Paul looked down at the luxio and said "I'm going to get someone we know; a friend of the family; to help you with your injuries, alright?"

Luxio nodded, dropping back to the couch in exhaustion.  Paul gave her neck another pat, and stood up with a groan.

The evening was going to be an interesting one, for sure.

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J.B rested his arms against the balcony railing, staring out over the strange city, in an even stranger land.  The odd calls from unknown creatures echoed throughout the city, and he closed his eyes a moment, blocking out the alien vista as he let his guard down, shoulders shaking with emotion.

Damn you, Tim.  Why'd you have to die like that?

I can't even take you home.  We're both stuck here, maybe forever.

Jesus...

It was a long time before he returned to his bed and managed to get any sleep.

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Barry Walker, vet extraordinaire (in his humble opinion) had come across a lot of weird shit in his thirty year career in a country practice.  But he knew he was getting old when the huge blue and black sentient cat with the star tipped tail was only the second most bizarre thing he'd ever seen.

A squat orange lizard with a flaming tail answering the door being the first.

Responding to his shriek, Paul and Gwen raced to the front door, where Azil stood to one side, arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face.  Barry, leaning against the veranda railing, had a hand to his mouth and a shocked expression on his face.  Pointing a shaking finger at the charmander, he stammered "What the fuck is that?!?"

With a wry grin, knowing he'd experienced a similar reaction only a short week ago, Paul grabbed his friend by the arm, leading him past the bemused charmander into the house proper. 

"Not the reason you're here" he told the vet, who finally turned his head back around, dragged his eyes off the creature to stare at his friend in confusion.

"Not the...  So, what is the reason?  Gwen said you had an emergency"

Paul considered his next words carefully.  With a sigh, he pulled Barry into the kitchen, and said "We've know each other a long time.  Now, you need to trust me on something, just as I trust you with this.  It turns out the universe is a lot larger a place than either of us knew, and I have an injured...  Well, an injured patient who needs your help.  So, work first, questions later.  I promise to give you the run down once you've seen to her"

Calming down, Barry looked at Paul keenly, and said "Her, huh?  OK, where's the patient?"

Following the farmer into the lounge, the vet gasped as he gazed down at the big cat with a large gash on her head, lying sprawled on the sofa watching him with intent eyes.  Gwen sat next to the creature, hand on its shoulder.  The vet paused a brief moment, then sighed, reaching into his emergency bag for some rubber gloves.  Squatting before it, he held out a hand which she sniffed briefly, before nodding.  As she lay back, he grinned suddenly, amazed at the path the evening had taken, and said softly "OK, beautiful.  Let's see to that wound of yours"

He was unsurprised when it nodded again, relaxing and letting him continue with his ministrations.

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An hour or so later, Barry joined the family at the large timber kitchen table, a coffee heavily laced with liqueur in one hand, and a large piece of fruitcake in the other.  Opposite him sat Paul's younger son, Jimmy, and the orange creature he'd seen earlier.  The two adults sat at either end of the table.

Munching absently, the vet stared at the lizard curiously, as it sat squirming under his intent gaze.  Eyes widening, Barry dropped the cake onto its plate, slamming a palm on the table and causing everyone to jump.

"Knew it!  I know you!" he chortled, pointing at Azil, who stared at the finger in bemusement.

Paul exchanged a glance with Gwen, who shrugged.  Turning to the vet, he asked "What do you mean, you know him?"

Barry grinned, and said "Mate, with four boys under fourteen, let me tell you, you learn a lot of stuff about things you never needed or cared to know.  That doubly goes when your kids are obsessed with cartoon shows."

Pointing again at Azil, he said with a chuckle "You're a charmander, right?"

Azil's eyes grew huge, as he nodded.  Laughing, Barry leaned back, retrieving his fruit cake and taking a big bite from it.  Mouth full, he grinned at his incredulous friends, who sat stunned by his announcement. 

"That's what happens when your kids watch too much TV." said the vet, continuing to chew through the moist cake.  "I don't know the name of that other one, but I've seen some playing cards around somewhere with a picture of something like her on it.  They're pokemon."

Grinning broadly, he looked at Azil with a grin, and said "Damn, my kids would like to meet you.  They'd be able to tell me just how pleased they were that everything I ever believed was real, was wrong."

Shaking his head suddenly, Azil began a hurried conversation with Jimmy, who said to the vet "He'd rather not, if it's OK.  His presence is supposed to be kept a secret"

Smile dropping, Barry turned to Paul and said "I'm not surprised.  So, on that, I think you owe me an explanation".

Paul nodded as he and Gwen filled their friend in on the details.

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Storm pressed his furred chest against Scott's good side, his keen sense of smell picking up the acrid stink of his friend's spilt blood, even long after the wound had been properly stitched up and dressed by the Ranger medic. 

While it was going to take a fair while to heal, Scott bore the discomfort of the wound stoically, refusing any painkillers.  With the amount of work the Ranger's needed to undertake regarding this Sinnotech incident, he knew he needed to keep his head clear over the next few days, rather than have it clouded from narcotics.  A bit of pain was a small price to pay to ensure his involvement in the response.  They had a long, sordid history, Sinnotech and himself, and he planned on being there to see it conclude appropriately.

Thankfully, the bullet that had struck his shoulder had missed both bone and major nerve fibres, so he was unlikely to lose movement in the arm.  He'd lose a bit of tone in the muscle there, as some wastage was inevitable, but some good rehabilitation, and a lot of hard exercise, would overcome the worst of it.

Just one more scar, he thought dryly, added to his and Storm's growing list, both physical and mental.  That's a Ranger's life, he sighed, glad of the warmth provided by his big furry friend lying against him.

Propped up against his pillows, Scott continued to stroke the typhlosion's ears gently with his finger tips as he felt his big friend tremble beneath them.

"It's OK, Storm.  It's over now".

Sighing, the typhlosion eventually calmed, before he whispered "It was just like before.  I couldn't think, and breathe...  I just lost it.  I wanted to kill all of them, and look where it got me.  For a while, I thought...  I thought you..."

Wiping his eyes with a heavy paw, the typhlosion sniffed, and said "Shit, look at me.  Snivelling like a pup.  It's just...  You know..."

Hugging his friend close, Scott said "Yeah.  I know.  I remember it all too well, too."

Sighing, Storm said "I hoped I'd never feel like that again.  But today...  Today was bad."

Nodding as he nuzzled the pokemon's head, face pressed between the furred ears as he breathed in deeply the familiar faint smell of typhlosion musk, Scott whispered "It's not over, Storm.  We both know that.  But we'll get through this, just like last time."

Storm stared up at him suddenly, red eyes full of fear.  "Together?" he said.

Pressing his nose to the typhlosion's, the human said "Always together."

J.B wasn't the only one who was a long time getting to sleep that night.

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Barry pursed his lips, mulling on the incredible tale his friend had just told.  Had it been anyone else but Paul and Gwen, he'd have laughed it off as ludicrous.  But the pair were anything but bullshit artists.

Not to mention the presence of the two amazing creatures, one of who sat before him nervously, wilting under his intent examination.

After a time, he asked the two adults "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Paul said "The plan was to stay hidden and let the others sort it out.  Now, I don't know, but..."

His words were cut off as Barry shook his head. 

"Bad idea, sitting on your arse now.  What are you going to do when they come back to finish the job?  What plans will you make?"

Gwen let out a small gasp, as Paul realised the implications of the vet's comment.

"You think...?"

Barry nodded.  "Damn straight.  They have everything to lose leaving you alive, and everything to gain ensuring you're dead."

Watching the dread look cross Gwen's face, he softened his voice and continued "Luckily, we have a way to make sure that doesn't happen, Gwen."

At her questioning look, he grinned broadly and said "Why, you have me, and you have all your friends around the town.  You have the friends of your policemen mates.  That's more than enough.  I think we need to call in a few favours.  Given how much most of these people owe you, that'll be a start."

As the look of comprehension crossed their faces, he could see Paul ready to object and interrupted.  "Mate, you have a choice.  The rules have changed, and you and your two friends here are targets.  I think continued secrecy is not going to work on this one.  They know you're here, so further secrecy is pointless.  Why do anything to play into their hands?"

Azil, who'd been following the conversation intently, let out a long string of Pokespeak, translated by the suddenly awed Jimmy. 

"He says the time for sitting in the shadows is over.  It's time they learnt that pokemon aren't animals waiting to be slaughtered.  If it's a "them or us" scenario, let's make sure it's them!"

As the charmander cracked his clawed knuckles ominously, winding down his speech, Jimmy translated again softly  "It's time to get serious."

Barry nodded in full agreement. 

Very serious.

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Luxio lay against the soft cushions, mulling over the strange turn of events that had happened.

Her wound hurt, but the human had done a good job patching her up, and the morphine he'd given her had dulled the edge of the discomfort.  Now, at least, she could get some desperately needed sleep, and give her battered body some time to heal.

But as she drifted into dreamtime, her final thoughts were for her missing trainer, and the new human's who'd taken her in and offered to look after her.

Arceus protect them all, she whispered to herself, vowing to return the favour in the future.

Goodness knows they all needed him to.

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