Rebel
The Valley
Chapter 3: Rebel
Welcome to the third installment of The Valley. As always, it's all original fiction, it's all owned by others, and its all rated R, and for good reasons. Kids, it's your own fault if you read on. I think this chapter will provide some answers all you readers want. ^_^ But look at me ramble. Let's get to it! (and we'll start with a wake-up scene, cause I seem to have a thing going...)
He opened his eyes almost exactly nine hours after Blaze closed his for the second time. Dawn was ending, and the sunlight filtering through the trees complimented to softly flowing river perfectly. A beautiful morning to a hideous day, Slyver thought to himself, smiling at his own cleverness. He was a very smart pokemon, and even if commenting the morning did no good, Slyver's quick thinking had saved his hide in the past. He knew his limits but trusted his capability. Unlike his good friend Blaze, who decided trust didn't actually exist, contrary to common belief. Interesting theory. But who knew? Slyver didn't believe in any higher power. He controlled his own actions, not some poor bastard branded Fate. Despite this, Slyver thought himself a spiritual pokemon, and did not think death could fully stop a spirit from existing. His beliefs never seemed to fall into one category, but that was fine with Slyver, because that only confirmed he was unique.
This unique pokemon found himself halfway on land and halfway submerged. His makeshift bed in the water must've broken apart sometime in the night. Fortunately, (for Golducks lack gills) it was his top half on dry land. Slyver stood up now, and (correctly) assuming he was the first awake, he set off to find something to eat. Blaze would want to move quickly and start early, so some berries would do Slyver good. Besides, can't fight on an empty stomach, he though as we wandered through the woods.
Blaze woke up and grunted a groggy grunt. He was too tired to be surprised when he saw Valerie, awake and eating some berries as she lay on the dewy grass. Two thoughts simultaneously collided with Blaze's mind. Damn, am I hungry. Damn, is she beautiful. Wait.....wait, he thought. One of those thoughts was messed up.....ah, yes, the latter.....Blaze blinked several times and looked at Valerie again, who had not yet noticed his consciousness. Yes, she is beautiful...what did you expect, she's Heather's sister, he told his brain. But thinking like that isn't gonna help my current position. I still have a job to do. Now where was I...oh right. Damn, am I hungry.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Val asked nonchalantly.
"Like a Magikarp tied to a tree," Blaze responded, collapsing in front the berries. "Do I have you to thank for these?"
"Slyver. He said I should eat up, cause you'd wanna leave soon."
"Right. But first, berries." Perhaps speaking so casually was a defense mechanism of Blaze. He pondered why he always spoke differently when he knew something was going down. It's like I'm jumpy, he thought. But Blaze didn't get jumpy; he just spoke differently. He soon dismissed it as another quirk in a sea full of 'em.
"So...what exactly do you think is going to happen today?" Val asked, sounding a tad anxious but not nervous. She probably was, Blaze noted, but she was doing a good job hiding it.
"I don't "exactly" know. Probably we'll meet some people, we'll get acquainted, and we'll chat for a while." Blaze shrugged. Valerie snorted and actually laughed a bit. It was the first time Blaze heard her laugh.
"Right," she replied.
"Well, that's if it all goes smoothly," Slyver said from behind them. He looked like he was already set to depart. "I've seen it go down like that. Or, you know, the bastards start killing each other. That'd be the far end of the spectrum," he sagely, a bit of a smirk on his face. "I'd say we'll all be much closer to the other end." Val looked back at Blaze, showing her nervousness now. Blaze gave her a reassuring look in his own tough way.
"No one's gonna be killing anyone," he said frankly. How wrong he was.
"You two finally ready? Let's get moving, already!" Slyver started to walk. "'Bout two miles up that hill right there. Almost too easy. C'mon, let's roll!"
Hiking up hills was one of the best times to do serious thinking, and Blaze was placing puzzle pieces in his brain. He would set them all in, then reconsider and smash all the edges 'till they fit in a new configuration. He knew he would never fit all his thoughts in together perfectly, but it didn't stop his brain from trying. The trek was short for him, and was almost surprised when he saw the faces of other pokemon and knew they had arrived.
When they were all right and assembled, three staring faces fixed on another three a few yards away. On one side stood Blaze, Valerie and Slyver. On the other, a Raticate, a Drowzee, and a Charmeleon. The Char looked pissed. The Drowzee looked mad but was maintaining composure. The Raticate just looked violent. We have type, Blaze noted. If it came to a fight, Slyver would take the Char out, leaving three on two. But though Blaze knew Valerie was fierce and skilled, she was young and inexperienced and not nearly as powerful. She was also the only female, Blaze noted. He hated when males picked on the girls. He already hated the three faces in front of him. But no moves yet, stay cool, stay over him, Blaze drilled through his head. It always helped to act like you knew you would win. It was the Drowzee who spoke first.
"It seems we've been mislead. You see, we had been told that someone was going to tell us something about that map, of which I'm sure you're all already aware of. But," the psychic poke's voice tightened, "here I see three pokemon before me, and I can only assume you aren't here to provide information. So what, exactly, is your purpose here?" He wasn't even making threats, Val thought. But evidently Slyver did some lying to get here. Val wasn't sure what she was dealing with, and why Blaze had let her come along, but she was certain of one thing: these three were enemies. She could see it, even if they made no threat.
"We're not here to fight," Blaze started, "and I'm not gonna bullshit you either. Our business is the map. But first off, I want to know why you care so damn much about it?"
"I have no care for it," the Drowzee said with a smile. "But some of my associates are very concerned with that map, very concerned." The map, Val realized. That's what we're after. "The map itself is far away from here. Did you think we would be so foolish as to bring it here?"
"Your syntax is excellent," Blaze commented. Val couldn't help the confused look she gave him.
"Thank you," the Drowzee replied, smiling still. "I see that at least two pokemon can still care for the proper use of language."
"If you had to guess," Blaze started, speaking very deliberately, "what sort of price would be set for the map, what would you say?"
"Making a deal with the devil, eh?" Now Blaze smiled.
"I've dealt with worse than you," he said, now averting his eye contact.
"Blaze." His head turned up again, and he closed his eyes in realization and anger.
"Shit," he muttered. The Drowzee was still showing that evil smile.
"Not many Typhlosions in these parts. Now, as for your question: I do not think this map is going to be given up," he said simply. "Especially not to you, Blaze." The Charmeleon whispered something to the Drowzee, who closed his eyes and nodded.
"Is that it, then?" Slyver spoke up now. "Are you all just gonna walk away? Come on, weren't we having such a nice chat? I'm sure we could all work something out. Come on, you fuckers!" he shouted when his words drew no attention. "Let's work something out."
"What do you suggest, my friend?" the Drowzee asked, the smile starting to fade, and the two pokemon to his sides more restless than ever.
"I'm no friend of yours. You're a killer, right?" Slyver asked bluntly. Valerie was starting to get worried now, for she did not know what Slyver was doing. Danger was in the air now, and she suddenly realized the Raticate was glaring at her. Straight at her. She turned back to the Drowzee.
"It's true."
"There was an attack on some families two weeks ago. Right here in the valley. They say a Drowzee was there. You're a killer. Most likely all you fuckers are."
"Where are you going with this?" the Drowzee asked tiredly.
"I want to work something out." The Charmeleon and the Drowzee were advancing now.
"I want to work something out," Slyver repeated, not a trace of fear on his face. Blaze turned to Valerie.
"Val, I want you to turn around and run into the woods. Right now. Get going."
"I can fight!" she persisted.
"I know it, and you know I know it." That look was back in his eyes. The flames on his back were quite large now, and the fire seemed to be in his eyes as well. "Not this time, kid. This is where that trust issue comes in. Go. Do it now, Val." She stood for a moment, her eyes meeting his. Then she nodded and was gone.
Meanwhile the Char had reached Slyver. His claw abruptly snaked out and caught Slyver in the face, leaving three neat gashes. The water pokemon stumbled back, laughing.
"Come on! Just try it, motherfucker. You ugly bastard, you know you're fucked."
Blaze was analyzing the situation. The Char was pissed as hell now, and bloodthirsty. The Drowzee was holding back for now, his face away from Blaze. Easy target. The Raticate...
"Oh shit," Blaze breathed. The Raticate was gone. And the situation wasn't looking good for him or Slyver. Now they needed to prove they could live up to the bluff.
The silence snapped as Slyver bellowed out, catching the unsuspecting Char square in the gut as he crashed into him. Blaze let loose a scorching Flamethrower that enveloped the Drowzee. The air was suddenly alive with the sound of battle. But this was no competition. This was brutal combat. The kind that could end in death.
The flames around the Drowzee suddenly vanished. Stronger than he looks, thought Blaze. Yells and curses were heard as Slyver brawled with the Char, then a roar as the fire pokemon was soaked by Slyver's Water Gun. Blaze dove into the fray, knocking down the psychic, for he knew he must have weak physical defense. The Char's thrashing foot made a direct hit with Blaze's face, and his view was black for a moment before he was tossed off the Drowzee. He looked up to see the psychic type retreating into the woods. Or maybe...he was after Valerie...
"Slyver! He's yours. Get him, help Valerie, find that Raticate bastard and bring him down!" Blaze yelled. Rage pulsed through his head like the blood through his veins. This wasn't over yet.
A quick step forward and a sidestep right, but Blaze was tripped by the Char. He jumped up and Slyver was gone, leaving only him and the Charmeleon. Blaze saw his body was covered in blood, but soon saw the reason: there was a red darker than the Char's skin moving down the lizard's belly. Blaze had landed a bloody hit on his opponent.
This is it, his mind raced. It all starts again. All his other fights were things of the past now. This was a new stage in Blaze's life, and he didn't plan on starting it with a loss. He'd seen all sorts of fights and been in plenty. He'd splattered the blood and shattered the bones of his enemies, but never had to kill them. He had known that would change someday.
Rage and hate were pounding in both pokemon's heads, but Blaze had learned to harness his anger and release it on his enemies. Strategy was always in his mind, not just blind attacking. And this battlefield presented itself with a unique alternate strategy: this was a mountain, and Blaze and the Char were on something of a summit. As Blaze and the others had been climbing, the river had been falling. There was a lot of air between where they stood and the water below.
There. It was all over. The Charmeleon hadn't planned his move well enough, and Blaze would make sure it was the end of their battle. The charging lizard leapt and soared at Blaze, it's claws flashing. But Blaze rolled and slashed at the ankles of the Char, causing him to fall hard on the rocky ground. Blaze, acting out of pure rage now, picked up the pokemon by its throat and held it out over the edge of the cliff.
Blaze looked deep into the eyes of the Charmeleon. There was no pain, no fear, not even the anger that Blaze wanted to see. There was only cold hate. No saving this one, Blaze thought. He's already lost. Just like all of us-we're all lost. Does it make a difference? It would change one day, Blaze had always known. He had never killed before, but it would change one day. Did it even matter? Who was his enemy anymore? This didn't help Valerie, this didn't help Slyver, this didn't help himself. This didn't avenge Heather. Just one more lost soul. We're all lost souls. Who can save us? Not me, Blaze thought. But I do what I can. Hero. Lover. Rebel.
Blaze stared into the eyes of the Charmeleon he held over the water, so far below. He stared down into the cold rage. He let go.
"I don't know Blaze, you know I don't," Slyver spoke with a pleading tone.
"Fuck!" snarled the Typhlosion. "Fuck! Those fuckers could kill her! Damn it, you and I both know there's no way I can sit here and not go. I need to go, Slyver!"
"You're not going anywhere!" the exasperated Golduck cried back. "They've thought of that! You go and you're both fucking dead!" Blaze looked at his friend, that piercing look he had in his flurries of rage. His friend was trying to help him. He was trying to help Valerie. He's helping Val. No point being mad at him. Save the anger for those bastards who took her. They'll bleed.
"Blaze, just not today. Not today, okay? I know it man; I know what you're thinking. You don't think I can know, but I got a pretty good bet, alright? And I know you'll be spending the night thinking of all the horrible things you want to do to those dirty fucks that did this. One night is what I ask. One night and then I'll help you kill them. We get the map, and we get our girl back. Please. Give me this night."
"You've got it." It didn't make Blaze feel any better, though. Slyver didn't know how he was feeling, though Blaze appreciated that he tried to relate and that he hadn't been too sure of himself. He really was trying to help.
It had taken Blaze some time to find his friend in the forest, and the sun was just about on the way out. They had Val. And it had been that fucking Raticate, Blaze was sure. I made her go, he thought. He felt like he wanted to throw up and be done with it all, but it wasn't that easy, and he knew it. And later, in his futile efforts to sleep, he realized Slyver had really known. He had known what his friend was feeling, and he had correctly predicted how Blaze would be spending the hours of the night. This made Blaze feel better in a twisted way, for he couldn't escape the passionate burning in his gut that called for blood. His eyes stayed open in the dark. They'll find their mercy when they reach Hell.
Dawn. Not one fucking second of sleep. Time to throw it all away again and kill. Save her. Get that map. A fighter and a killer again. The rebel to the organized bloodshed they spread. Making peace by spreading war. At least they'll pay. And right before the final blow, another thing will hit them. The realization that their soul is lost.
A killer, indeed. But he preferred rebel.
Arboks were used as guards, because they were thought to have excellent senses and were quick and lethal. There were two Arboks guarding the area, which was a sort of cave dug into the ground. It looked far too human to belong in the forest. The first Arbok, despite it's acute hearing, wasn't listening for the near-soundless footsteps of the wet feet of a Golduck. Confusion also happens to work very well on Poison types.
Blaze could not figure where they had landed all these rare pokemon. This Machop was certainly not indigenous to these parts. Fighting types were great for defense, but in the fight of fists verse flames, there was one undisputed winner. The Machop was unconscious before he made too much noise. Perfect. Now all he had to-
"Blaze?" He actually jumped. Of all the unexpected things to expect, this was not on his list. It seems rescuing Val would be much easier than he had planned.
"Valerie! What the hell are you doing out here?" he said in an urgent whisper.
"Uhm...where should I be?" she asked, confused.
"Inside, so we can come and rescue you! Are you all right, kid?" he asked, not bothering to keep the concern out of his voice.
"I'm...I'll be okay. Is Slyver here, too?" she asked. She didn't sound perfectly okay. But she was out here by herself. She was at least good to run a ways.
"Yeah, he's on the other side of this fortification, of whatever the hell you'll call it. I'm glad you're okay, Val. Really. But we still have a job to do. We gotta get that map, remember?" Blaze turned his flaming back so he could peer out again at the pokemon moving in and out of the place. It would be hard...
"Uhm, Blaze...?" Her voice behind him.
"Yeah, kid?" he said without turning.
"I burned it." Now he sure as hell turned around.
"You what?"
"I found it and I burned it. It was that or leave it in their hands....." Val's voice faltered a bit. She wasn't sure how valuable that map was to Blaze, and now she was nervous. The look he gave her back was incomprehensible, no matter how she tried to understand. He was either exasperated or furious or joyous or confused.
"Val, I don't know how in holy hell you managed to get out and take out the map with you, but I sure am glad to hear it. We gotta somehow get a signal to Slyver, though..." Blaze thought for moment, and decided on the direct approach.
"SLYVER! WEST!" Blaze yelled as loud as he could, startling Val quite a bit. He turned to the smaller fire type.
"Now let's get the hell out of here!"
Fortunately, Slyver was smart enough to know that "west" meant run southeast. The rescue had gone without much of a fight. They had gotten away unscathed, a remarkable feat that Valerie explained the best she could.
"After the day had gone by, they figured I was useless. I wasn't bait, I wasn't a source of intelligence; I wasn't any use to them. They let me out. Well, that's putting it quite kindly, but I dealt. It was that Machop...he was awful..." she stopped now and shuddered. Both older pokemon could tell the experience had been worse than she was letting on. But she was tough; she was being a warrior by her own accord. Blaze essentially felt proud.
"Slyver, I thank you for what you've done, and waiting last night really did help, but I think it's time you got back home," Blaze said firmly. His friend looked a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm gonna, but I can help, too. I wanna see you two off safely," Slyver said back, sounding concerned.
"Slyver, we're fine. Besides, it's important no other pokemon from that place get trough to the valley from your side. We'll take the long but safe route." Blaze sounded final.
"All right," the Golduck said. "I'll be sure to see you soon, Val." He smiled and turned a different way. Blaze waited a bit before he spoke.
"I know you're hurt badly. I'm taking you this way because we can get to a Pokemon Center from this route. I think you're going to need human attention." She nodded and kept walking. There was nothing to argue about there. Each step was getting harder. But she hadn't given up back in the compound. There was no way she would give up now. In spite of her determination, she let out a small whimper when she shifted her weight onto her left hind leg.
"It's okay, Val. I know it hurts, and there's no shame in admitting it. I want you to know that I'm really proud of you right now. I've been proud ever since you took off into the woods yesterday. You never gave up." His lack of hesitation almost hinted he didn't mean it, but Valerie could see he really did care. He really was proud. "We can be at the Center in about two hours, give or take how long you need to slow down and take it easy. I could make it a whole lot faster, though." He turned to her. She was in pain. She wanted the quick way out.
"How?"
Blaze answered by reaching down and, despite her struggle, pick her up and put her over his shoulder.
"Just hang on kid. I'll get you there."
"You know, I really don't think you're much older than me," Val said, sounding a bit irritated. He did call her kid a lot. Or maybe it was the whole over-the-shoulder thing. Whatever.
"I'll get you there, Valerie."
There were three rather nasty gashes on her side, one of which was deep. She assumed Blaze was worried about them getting infected, because that sort of thing brought about much trouble to two pokemon making their way through the woods. Good old Blaze, she thought. Always watching out for me. It had only been five days since the volcano had erupted, and yet Valerie felt enough events had transpired since then to fill a year. There was something about Blaze that made her very comfortable around him. It was a feeling that he would always be protecting her no matter what, and Valerie valued this now more than ever as Blaze carried her through the woods. He's moving fast, Val said to herself, as Blaze didn't seem to be in a talking mood, and probably had his own mental conversation. He's moving really fast, considering he's carrying me. He really is concerned...or maybe he sees something of Heather in me...well, of course he does, that's how he found you in the first place! How he found...it did seem to Valerie that Blaze was supposed to find her. Destiny in an invisible dance with coincidence. Fate was playing with her head again.
"You still doing alright, Val?" Blaze.
"Yeah-I...I don't know about human treatment...what do you think they'll do with me? she asked, a bit nervous, and a bit lightheaded. Maybe it was because she was being carried and at a fast pace. Hopefully not because of her injuries...
"I think they'll treat you," he said plainly. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was rolling her eyes.
"I mean afterwards. I mean...don't they have trainers adopt the pokemon?" Now she was moderately worried.
"That, or they let you go. A Pokemon Center will let trainers adopt pokemon if they were in a critical condition, but if they find and treat any wild pokemon, they'll most likely just let them go, unless the poke is intent on staying. Which, I assume, you are not."
"No," she said, feeling better now. "In and out would be nice."
"Ain't no chance kid," he said with a chuckle. "They'll want to keep you a while. But they're not gonna argue when the pissed off Typhlosion comes to pick you up. They might want you overnight."
"Why?!"
"Those wounds are a let worse than you're letting up," he said maturely. "I admire that you're staying tough about it, but you need attention soon, and the humans at the Center will know best."
"How do you know so much about Pokemon Centers?" she asked. He grunted.
"You were the one asking about my name before. Didn't you know I had a trainer?" Although it seemed quite sensible now, Val hadn't thought of it, and she was surprised.
"We're almost there."
Blaze had waited until he saw a trainer coming up the path until he left Valerie with the words "I'll be close by". Now she sat in a daze of thoughts as the trainer, a teenage boy of perhaps seventeen years, approached her. She was thinking of the volcano, the compound, of all the events that had materialized in the past few days, but she mostly thinking of Blaze. She was being carried in the arms of a human for the first time in her life, and though she felt the texture of the trainer's jacket and the air moving past her, her mind was too wrapped up to take it all in. It was all starting to become too much. But Valerie kept one perception clear in her muddled thoughts: Blaze was going through the same thing.
As she lay in the bed they put her in after they had treated her wounds, she was now considering what came next. She knew the what but not the why. The what was the map. The map was gone. So what would happen next? Back home, Val thought. Or whatever is home anymore. She was still involved with whatever was happening. The map. What did it all mean?
Valerie blinked hard a few times and looked out the window. She would know very soon. It was dark now-time had passed quickly. She was still involved. But Val realized that she would rather have Blaze with her than any other poke in a time of danger. As she drifted off, she remembered his words.
"I'll be close by."
End 3. Turned out a bit longer than I thought it would, because at first I was considering ending it right after the compound. Oh well, I like this more. I hope you all liked it. Remember, I love reviews! If you want more/less of someone/something, please don't hesitate to put it in your review or email me at [email protected] Until next time! ~!
Chapter 3: Rebel
Welcome to the third installment of The Valley. As always, it's all original fiction, it's all owned by others, and its all rated R, and for good reasons. Kids, it's your own fault if you read on. I think this chapter will provide some answers all you readers want. ^_^ But look at me ramble. Let's get to it! (and we'll start with a wake-up scene, cause I seem to have a thing going...)
He opened his eyes almost exactly nine hours after Blaze closed his for the second time. Dawn was ending, and the sunlight filtering through the trees complimented to softly flowing river perfectly. A beautiful morning to a hideous day, Slyver thought to himself, smiling at his own cleverness. He was a very smart pokemon, and even if commenting the morning did no good, Slyver's quick thinking had saved his hide in the past. He knew his limits but trusted his capability. Unlike his good friend Blaze, who decided trust didn't actually exist, contrary to common belief. Interesting theory. But who knew? Slyver didn't believe in any higher power. He controlled his own actions, not some poor bastard branded Fate. Despite this, Slyver thought himself a spiritual pokemon, and did not think death could fully stop a spirit from existing. His beliefs never seemed to fall into one category, but that was fine with Slyver, because that only confirmed he was unique.
This unique pokemon found himself halfway on land and halfway submerged. His makeshift bed in the water must've broken apart sometime in the night. Fortunately, (for Golducks lack gills) it was his top half on dry land. Slyver stood up now, and (correctly) assuming he was the first awake, he set off to find something to eat. Blaze would want to move quickly and start early, so some berries would do Slyver good. Besides, can't fight on an empty stomach, he though as we wandered through the woods.
Blaze woke up and grunted a groggy grunt. He was too tired to be surprised when he saw Valerie, awake and eating some berries as she lay on the dewy grass. Two thoughts simultaneously collided with Blaze's mind. Damn, am I hungry. Damn, is she beautiful. Wait.....wait, he thought. One of those thoughts was messed up.....ah, yes, the latter.....Blaze blinked several times and looked at Valerie again, who had not yet noticed his consciousness. Yes, she is beautiful...what did you expect, she's Heather's sister, he told his brain. But thinking like that isn't gonna help my current position. I still have a job to do. Now where was I...oh right. Damn, am I hungry.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Val asked nonchalantly.
"Like a Magikarp tied to a tree," Blaze responded, collapsing in front the berries. "Do I have you to thank for these?"
"Slyver. He said I should eat up, cause you'd wanna leave soon."
"Right. But first, berries." Perhaps speaking so casually was a defense mechanism of Blaze. He pondered why he always spoke differently when he knew something was going down. It's like I'm jumpy, he thought. But Blaze didn't get jumpy; he just spoke differently. He soon dismissed it as another quirk in a sea full of 'em.
"So...what exactly do you think is going to happen today?" Val asked, sounding a tad anxious but not nervous. She probably was, Blaze noted, but she was doing a good job hiding it.
"I don't "exactly" know. Probably we'll meet some people, we'll get acquainted, and we'll chat for a while." Blaze shrugged. Valerie snorted and actually laughed a bit. It was the first time Blaze heard her laugh.
"Right," she replied.
"Well, that's if it all goes smoothly," Slyver said from behind them. He looked like he was already set to depart. "I've seen it go down like that. Or, you know, the bastards start killing each other. That'd be the far end of the spectrum," he sagely, a bit of a smirk on his face. "I'd say we'll all be much closer to the other end." Val looked back at Blaze, showing her nervousness now. Blaze gave her a reassuring look in his own tough way.
"No one's gonna be killing anyone," he said frankly. How wrong he was.
"You two finally ready? Let's get moving, already!" Slyver started to walk. "'Bout two miles up that hill right there. Almost too easy. C'mon, let's roll!"
Hiking up hills was one of the best times to do serious thinking, and Blaze was placing puzzle pieces in his brain. He would set them all in, then reconsider and smash all the edges 'till they fit in a new configuration. He knew he would never fit all his thoughts in together perfectly, but it didn't stop his brain from trying. The trek was short for him, and was almost surprised when he saw the faces of other pokemon and knew they had arrived.
When they were all right and assembled, three staring faces fixed on another three a few yards away. On one side stood Blaze, Valerie and Slyver. On the other, a Raticate, a Drowzee, and a Charmeleon. The Char looked pissed. The Drowzee looked mad but was maintaining composure. The Raticate just looked violent. We have type, Blaze noted. If it came to a fight, Slyver would take the Char out, leaving three on two. But though Blaze knew Valerie was fierce and skilled, she was young and inexperienced and not nearly as powerful. She was also the only female, Blaze noted. He hated when males picked on the girls. He already hated the three faces in front of him. But no moves yet, stay cool, stay over him, Blaze drilled through his head. It always helped to act like you knew you would win. It was the Drowzee who spoke first.
"It seems we've been mislead. You see, we had been told that someone was going to tell us something about that map, of which I'm sure you're all already aware of. But," the psychic poke's voice tightened, "here I see three pokemon before me, and I can only assume you aren't here to provide information. So what, exactly, is your purpose here?" He wasn't even making threats, Val thought. But evidently Slyver did some lying to get here. Val wasn't sure what she was dealing with, and why Blaze had let her come along, but she was certain of one thing: these three were enemies. She could see it, even if they made no threat.
"We're not here to fight," Blaze started, "and I'm not gonna bullshit you either. Our business is the map. But first off, I want to know why you care so damn much about it?"
"I have no care for it," the Drowzee said with a smile. "But some of my associates are very concerned with that map, very concerned." The map, Val realized. That's what we're after. "The map itself is far away from here. Did you think we would be so foolish as to bring it here?"
"Your syntax is excellent," Blaze commented. Val couldn't help the confused look she gave him.
"Thank you," the Drowzee replied, smiling still. "I see that at least two pokemon can still care for the proper use of language."
"If you had to guess," Blaze started, speaking very deliberately, "what sort of price would be set for the map, what would you say?"
"Making a deal with the devil, eh?" Now Blaze smiled.
"I've dealt with worse than you," he said, now averting his eye contact.
"Blaze." His head turned up again, and he closed his eyes in realization and anger.
"Shit," he muttered. The Drowzee was still showing that evil smile.
"Not many Typhlosions in these parts. Now, as for your question: I do not think this map is going to be given up," he said simply. "Especially not to you, Blaze." The Charmeleon whispered something to the Drowzee, who closed his eyes and nodded.
"Is that it, then?" Slyver spoke up now. "Are you all just gonna walk away? Come on, weren't we having such a nice chat? I'm sure we could all work something out. Come on, you fuckers!" he shouted when his words drew no attention. "Let's work something out."
"What do you suggest, my friend?" the Drowzee asked, the smile starting to fade, and the two pokemon to his sides more restless than ever.
"I'm no friend of yours. You're a killer, right?" Slyver asked bluntly. Valerie was starting to get worried now, for she did not know what Slyver was doing. Danger was in the air now, and she suddenly realized the Raticate was glaring at her. Straight at her. She turned back to the Drowzee.
"It's true."
"There was an attack on some families two weeks ago. Right here in the valley. They say a Drowzee was there. You're a killer. Most likely all you fuckers are."
"Where are you going with this?" the Drowzee asked tiredly.
"I want to work something out." The Charmeleon and the Drowzee were advancing now.
"I want to work something out," Slyver repeated, not a trace of fear on his face. Blaze turned to Valerie.
"Val, I want you to turn around and run into the woods. Right now. Get going."
"I can fight!" she persisted.
"I know it, and you know I know it." That look was back in his eyes. The flames on his back were quite large now, and the fire seemed to be in his eyes as well. "Not this time, kid. This is where that trust issue comes in. Go. Do it now, Val." She stood for a moment, her eyes meeting his. Then she nodded and was gone.
Meanwhile the Char had reached Slyver. His claw abruptly snaked out and caught Slyver in the face, leaving three neat gashes. The water pokemon stumbled back, laughing.
"Come on! Just try it, motherfucker. You ugly bastard, you know you're fucked."
Blaze was analyzing the situation. The Char was pissed as hell now, and bloodthirsty. The Drowzee was holding back for now, his face away from Blaze. Easy target. The Raticate...
"Oh shit," Blaze breathed. The Raticate was gone. And the situation wasn't looking good for him or Slyver. Now they needed to prove they could live up to the bluff.
The silence snapped as Slyver bellowed out, catching the unsuspecting Char square in the gut as he crashed into him. Blaze let loose a scorching Flamethrower that enveloped the Drowzee. The air was suddenly alive with the sound of battle. But this was no competition. This was brutal combat. The kind that could end in death.
The flames around the Drowzee suddenly vanished. Stronger than he looks, thought Blaze. Yells and curses were heard as Slyver brawled with the Char, then a roar as the fire pokemon was soaked by Slyver's Water Gun. Blaze dove into the fray, knocking down the psychic, for he knew he must have weak physical defense. The Char's thrashing foot made a direct hit with Blaze's face, and his view was black for a moment before he was tossed off the Drowzee. He looked up to see the psychic type retreating into the woods. Or maybe...he was after Valerie...
"Slyver! He's yours. Get him, help Valerie, find that Raticate bastard and bring him down!" Blaze yelled. Rage pulsed through his head like the blood through his veins. This wasn't over yet.
A quick step forward and a sidestep right, but Blaze was tripped by the Char. He jumped up and Slyver was gone, leaving only him and the Charmeleon. Blaze saw his body was covered in blood, but soon saw the reason: there was a red darker than the Char's skin moving down the lizard's belly. Blaze had landed a bloody hit on his opponent.
This is it, his mind raced. It all starts again. All his other fights were things of the past now. This was a new stage in Blaze's life, and he didn't plan on starting it with a loss. He'd seen all sorts of fights and been in plenty. He'd splattered the blood and shattered the bones of his enemies, but never had to kill them. He had known that would change someday.
Rage and hate were pounding in both pokemon's heads, but Blaze had learned to harness his anger and release it on his enemies. Strategy was always in his mind, not just blind attacking. And this battlefield presented itself with a unique alternate strategy: this was a mountain, and Blaze and the Char were on something of a summit. As Blaze and the others had been climbing, the river had been falling. There was a lot of air between where they stood and the water below.
There. It was all over. The Charmeleon hadn't planned his move well enough, and Blaze would make sure it was the end of their battle. The charging lizard leapt and soared at Blaze, it's claws flashing. But Blaze rolled and slashed at the ankles of the Char, causing him to fall hard on the rocky ground. Blaze, acting out of pure rage now, picked up the pokemon by its throat and held it out over the edge of the cliff.
Blaze looked deep into the eyes of the Charmeleon. There was no pain, no fear, not even the anger that Blaze wanted to see. There was only cold hate. No saving this one, Blaze thought. He's already lost. Just like all of us-we're all lost. Does it make a difference? It would change one day, Blaze had always known. He had never killed before, but it would change one day. Did it even matter? Who was his enemy anymore? This didn't help Valerie, this didn't help Slyver, this didn't help himself. This didn't avenge Heather. Just one more lost soul. We're all lost souls. Who can save us? Not me, Blaze thought. But I do what I can. Hero. Lover. Rebel.
Blaze stared into the eyes of the Charmeleon he held over the water, so far below. He stared down into the cold rage. He let go.
"I don't know Blaze, you know I don't," Slyver spoke with a pleading tone.
"Fuck!" snarled the Typhlosion. "Fuck! Those fuckers could kill her! Damn it, you and I both know there's no way I can sit here and not go. I need to go, Slyver!"
"You're not going anywhere!" the exasperated Golduck cried back. "They've thought of that! You go and you're both fucking dead!" Blaze looked at his friend, that piercing look he had in his flurries of rage. His friend was trying to help him. He was trying to help Valerie. He's helping Val. No point being mad at him. Save the anger for those bastards who took her. They'll bleed.
"Blaze, just not today. Not today, okay? I know it man; I know what you're thinking. You don't think I can know, but I got a pretty good bet, alright? And I know you'll be spending the night thinking of all the horrible things you want to do to those dirty fucks that did this. One night is what I ask. One night and then I'll help you kill them. We get the map, and we get our girl back. Please. Give me this night."
"You've got it." It didn't make Blaze feel any better, though. Slyver didn't know how he was feeling, though Blaze appreciated that he tried to relate and that he hadn't been too sure of himself. He really was trying to help.
It had taken Blaze some time to find his friend in the forest, and the sun was just about on the way out. They had Val. And it had been that fucking Raticate, Blaze was sure. I made her go, he thought. He felt like he wanted to throw up and be done with it all, but it wasn't that easy, and he knew it. And later, in his futile efforts to sleep, he realized Slyver had really known. He had known what his friend was feeling, and he had correctly predicted how Blaze would be spending the hours of the night. This made Blaze feel better in a twisted way, for he couldn't escape the passionate burning in his gut that called for blood. His eyes stayed open in the dark. They'll find their mercy when they reach Hell.
Dawn. Not one fucking second of sleep. Time to throw it all away again and kill. Save her. Get that map. A fighter and a killer again. The rebel to the organized bloodshed they spread. Making peace by spreading war. At least they'll pay. And right before the final blow, another thing will hit them. The realization that their soul is lost.
A killer, indeed. But he preferred rebel.
Arboks were used as guards, because they were thought to have excellent senses and were quick and lethal. There were two Arboks guarding the area, which was a sort of cave dug into the ground. It looked far too human to belong in the forest. The first Arbok, despite it's acute hearing, wasn't listening for the near-soundless footsteps of the wet feet of a Golduck. Confusion also happens to work very well on Poison types.
Blaze could not figure where they had landed all these rare pokemon. This Machop was certainly not indigenous to these parts. Fighting types were great for defense, but in the fight of fists verse flames, there was one undisputed winner. The Machop was unconscious before he made too much noise. Perfect. Now all he had to-
"Blaze?" He actually jumped. Of all the unexpected things to expect, this was not on his list. It seems rescuing Val would be much easier than he had planned.
"Valerie! What the hell are you doing out here?" he said in an urgent whisper.
"Uhm...where should I be?" she asked, confused.
"Inside, so we can come and rescue you! Are you all right, kid?" he asked, not bothering to keep the concern out of his voice.
"I'm...I'll be okay. Is Slyver here, too?" she asked. She didn't sound perfectly okay. But she was out here by herself. She was at least good to run a ways.
"Yeah, he's on the other side of this fortification, of whatever the hell you'll call it. I'm glad you're okay, Val. Really. But we still have a job to do. We gotta get that map, remember?" Blaze turned his flaming back so he could peer out again at the pokemon moving in and out of the place. It would be hard...
"Uhm, Blaze...?" Her voice behind him.
"Yeah, kid?" he said without turning.
"I burned it." Now he sure as hell turned around.
"You what?"
"I found it and I burned it. It was that or leave it in their hands....." Val's voice faltered a bit. She wasn't sure how valuable that map was to Blaze, and now she was nervous. The look he gave her back was incomprehensible, no matter how she tried to understand. He was either exasperated or furious or joyous or confused.
"Val, I don't know how in holy hell you managed to get out and take out the map with you, but I sure am glad to hear it. We gotta somehow get a signal to Slyver, though..." Blaze thought for moment, and decided on the direct approach.
"SLYVER! WEST!" Blaze yelled as loud as he could, startling Val quite a bit. He turned to the smaller fire type.
"Now let's get the hell out of here!"
Fortunately, Slyver was smart enough to know that "west" meant run southeast. The rescue had gone without much of a fight. They had gotten away unscathed, a remarkable feat that Valerie explained the best she could.
"After the day had gone by, they figured I was useless. I wasn't bait, I wasn't a source of intelligence; I wasn't any use to them. They let me out. Well, that's putting it quite kindly, but I dealt. It was that Machop...he was awful..." she stopped now and shuddered. Both older pokemon could tell the experience had been worse than she was letting on. But she was tough; she was being a warrior by her own accord. Blaze essentially felt proud.
"Slyver, I thank you for what you've done, and waiting last night really did help, but I think it's time you got back home," Blaze said firmly. His friend looked a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm gonna, but I can help, too. I wanna see you two off safely," Slyver said back, sounding concerned.
"Slyver, we're fine. Besides, it's important no other pokemon from that place get trough to the valley from your side. We'll take the long but safe route." Blaze sounded final.
"All right," the Golduck said. "I'll be sure to see you soon, Val." He smiled and turned a different way. Blaze waited a bit before he spoke.
"I know you're hurt badly. I'm taking you this way because we can get to a Pokemon Center from this route. I think you're going to need human attention." She nodded and kept walking. There was nothing to argue about there. Each step was getting harder. But she hadn't given up back in the compound. There was no way she would give up now. In spite of her determination, she let out a small whimper when she shifted her weight onto her left hind leg.
"It's okay, Val. I know it hurts, and there's no shame in admitting it. I want you to know that I'm really proud of you right now. I've been proud ever since you took off into the woods yesterday. You never gave up." His lack of hesitation almost hinted he didn't mean it, but Valerie could see he really did care. He really was proud. "We can be at the Center in about two hours, give or take how long you need to slow down and take it easy. I could make it a whole lot faster, though." He turned to her. She was in pain. She wanted the quick way out.
"How?"
Blaze answered by reaching down and, despite her struggle, pick her up and put her over his shoulder.
"Just hang on kid. I'll get you there."
"You know, I really don't think you're much older than me," Val said, sounding a bit irritated. He did call her kid a lot. Or maybe it was the whole over-the-shoulder thing. Whatever.
"I'll get you there, Valerie."
There were three rather nasty gashes on her side, one of which was deep. She assumed Blaze was worried about them getting infected, because that sort of thing brought about much trouble to two pokemon making their way through the woods. Good old Blaze, she thought. Always watching out for me. It had only been five days since the volcano had erupted, and yet Valerie felt enough events had transpired since then to fill a year. There was something about Blaze that made her very comfortable around him. It was a feeling that he would always be protecting her no matter what, and Valerie valued this now more than ever as Blaze carried her through the woods. He's moving fast, Val said to herself, as Blaze didn't seem to be in a talking mood, and probably had his own mental conversation. He's moving really fast, considering he's carrying me. He really is concerned...or maybe he sees something of Heather in me...well, of course he does, that's how he found you in the first place! How he found...it did seem to Valerie that Blaze was supposed to find her. Destiny in an invisible dance with coincidence. Fate was playing with her head again.
"You still doing alright, Val?" Blaze.
"Yeah-I...I don't know about human treatment...what do you think they'll do with me? she asked, a bit nervous, and a bit lightheaded. Maybe it was because she was being carried and at a fast pace. Hopefully not because of her injuries...
"I think they'll treat you," he said plainly. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was rolling her eyes.
"I mean afterwards. I mean...don't they have trainers adopt the pokemon?" Now she was moderately worried.
"That, or they let you go. A Pokemon Center will let trainers adopt pokemon if they were in a critical condition, but if they find and treat any wild pokemon, they'll most likely just let them go, unless the poke is intent on staying. Which, I assume, you are not."
"No," she said, feeling better now. "In and out would be nice."
"Ain't no chance kid," he said with a chuckle. "They'll want to keep you a while. But they're not gonna argue when the pissed off Typhlosion comes to pick you up. They might want you overnight."
"Why?!"
"Those wounds are a let worse than you're letting up," he said maturely. "I admire that you're staying tough about it, but you need attention soon, and the humans at the Center will know best."
"How do you know so much about Pokemon Centers?" she asked. He grunted.
"You were the one asking about my name before. Didn't you know I had a trainer?" Although it seemed quite sensible now, Val hadn't thought of it, and she was surprised.
"We're almost there."
Blaze had waited until he saw a trainer coming up the path until he left Valerie with the words "I'll be close by". Now she sat in a daze of thoughts as the trainer, a teenage boy of perhaps seventeen years, approached her. She was thinking of the volcano, the compound, of all the events that had materialized in the past few days, but she mostly thinking of Blaze. She was being carried in the arms of a human for the first time in her life, and though she felt the texture of the trainer's jacket and the air moving past her, her mind was too wrapped up to take it all in. It was all starting to become too much. But Valerie kept one perception clear in her muddled thoughts: Blaze was going through the same thing.
As she lay in the bed they put her in after they had treated her wounds, she was now considering what came next. She knew the what but not the why. The what was the map. The map was gone. So what would happen next? Back home, Val thought. Or whatever is home anymore. She was still involved with whatever was happening. The map. What did it all mean?
Valerie blinked hard a few times and looked out the window. She would know very soon. It was dark now-time had passed quickly. She was still involved. But Val realized that she would rather have Blaze with her than any other poke in a time of danger. As she drifted off, she remembered his words.
"I'll be close by."
End 3. Turned out a bit longer than I thought it would, because at first I was considering ending it right after the compound. Oh well, I like this more. I hope you all liked it. Remember, I love reviews! If you want more/less of someone/something, please don't hesitate to put it in your review or email me at [email protected] Until next time! ~!