I slashed once more, sending my furry opponent flying. The black and white rodent hit the ground with a yelp, rolled, and scampered away as fast as it could go, across the open ground and into a clump of tall grass. I let it go without pursuit. It had initiated the fight, and I had done naught but defend myself.
That was but one of many fights which I had been in since I left the underground ruins of my old home. Most Pokemon seemed to be content to avoid me or warn me off, but some just attacked without warning. In all of those situations, I had been able to defend myself, but many of the fights I have faced were much tougher than my recent one with the Zigzagoon.
But the past fights did not truly matter to me, except as a marker on my mental map. I did not know how long it had been since I resurfaced, but as I wandered aimlessly I had begun to recognize landmarks I had seen before, and had begun to learn my way around. I knew which places to avoid within a certain range. But now I found the need inside me for something more driving me further and further, bringing me to new parts of this rolling countryside, filled with lakes and grass, cairns of rocks and looming cliffs. There were even bridges here and there, a sign to me that there were humans passed through the area often enough to maintain them. As yet, though, I hadn't seen one.
I drifted on, and soon approached one of the bridges, one that I had seen but not crossed as yet. I had no reason to. I had gone close enough to inspect it, though, and it was made sturdily, but in a strange fashion when compared to the bridge near my old village. Today I approached it again, thinking of crossing and visiting the other side. I floated near to it but stopped several feet short. Hidden behind a pillar by the angle of my approach, there sat a youngish boy. His garments were strange, filled with vibrant color that was richer than those of the wealthiest men I had met. His shirt was of a scarlet hue, and his pants were a a light shade of brown. Upon his head was a strange kind of cap, with a large bill-like brim to the front but nowhere else. This was of a dark blue, like looking into a deep lake on a cloudy day. He was holding a fishing pole in his hand, but it looked rather peculiar to me. It appeared to be made of some neon green material, and on the side, near where the boy was gripping it, there was a kind of knob. I didn't have time to look long before the boy grabbed the knob and began moving it. Then, out of the water came a Magikarp, hooked on the boy's line. I expected the boy to keep it, even though he had no bucket to put it in. To my surprise, he gave a grumble and threw it back into the water.
"Why is it that all I can catch is Magikarp? Why can't I get something interesting?"
He reached down into a small bag that rested at his side, and had just taken out another piece of bait to put on his hook when he caught sight of me. His hand dropped the bait and it splashed into the water, where there was immediately a swirl beneath the bridge as several Magikarp tried to snatch it up. The boy continued to move his hand back to his bag, and for some reason I could not explain, I felt nervous. He pulled out something spherical, red on the top half and white on the bottom. Then, with a sudden move, he raised his arm and hurled the sphere at me.
"Go, Pokeball!"
Before I could move, the object hit me close to my eye. It didn't hurt very much, but a second later I felt myself... disappear. I was drawn into the metal sphere, much to my surprise. The sensation was similar to when I felt myself drawn by the cold wind in the darkness, but much more... tingly. Once again I was in the dark, but the darkness had form. Then came a mental barrage, telling me that I was to stay still. I refused. I was frightened more at that instant than any of my previous fights with Pokemon. And with that fear came anger. I felt my surroundings shake, and then once more, and then with a burst of light I was free. It took an instant to see my surroundings clearly again, to see the frustrated expression of the boy, and the broken halves of the sphere on the grass. My eye only looked around for an instant, though, because I was angry. I wanted to get back at this human who had frightened me and tried to... capture me. Yes, that was it. He thought he could possess me. But I would not be possessed.
"AURGH, come on! A Honedge would be such a cool starter Pokemon! Terry and the others would be so jealous..."
As he finished speaking, I moved towards him and spun at him with my blade. He gave a startled yelp and backed up. He seemed to have picked up his bag after he threw that thing at me, and he reached in again. This time he brought out an older and much less shiny sphere. He didn't throw it at me, though. Instead he hurriedly threw it on the ground, where it burst open and bounced back to his hand. With a flash and a popping sound, a Pokemon appeared next to him.
"Good thing dad let me bring you along in case I found something, Donald."
There hadn't been any Pokemon around before, and there was nowhere that it could have been hidden. I decided it must have come from the metal capsule. The Pokemon was one I had seen before, and eaten too, although they weren't a very common food to get. It was a Farfetch'd, and it was carrying a big leek over one shoulder. It turned its head to look at the boy.
"Donald, use Rock Smash!"
The boy shouted the command. The duck Pokemon looked at him with raised eyebrows and then turned to face me.
"I do hope you put up a good fight. It's been a while."
He whipped his Leek around impossibly fast over his head and smacked me with it, but surprisingly it didn't do much. It knocked me back, certainly, but I didn't feel much worse for wear. The boy looked at the Farfetch'd in confusion.
"That should have done more! Why didn't it... hold on..."
He pulled another thing out of his bag, and I was too intent to make sure he didn't throw it at me to attack. But instead of throwing it, he just held it. Then I heard a voice, human but strange, coming from his direction. It certainly wasn't his, because his mouth wasn't moving. Then the boy growled and put his device away.
"Ugh, I forgot it was a Ghost type. Your fighting moves won't do much, Donald... so try a Brutal Swing instead!"
Now that the trainer wasn't holding an object, I ceased my hesitation. I struck hard at the Pokemon who followed the commands of the human. I felt a furious dislike of him. I didn't know why, because Pokemon had been kept as pets often in my village. But there was something different here. And so, my swipe had a strength of fury behind it. However, my attack was countered by a deft parry of the Leek, and then the bird swung again, this time in a series of rapid gyrations which first beat down my guard and then slammed me back and onto the ground. Then that hateful boy called out again.
"Good hit! Don't let up on it, hit it with a Peck!"
As I began to recover my balance, the Farfetch'd ran up and slammed into me with its beak, right above my eye. I was starting to hurt now, between the efficient and effective Brutal Swing attack and the pressure of the other powerful, if less effective, attacks. However, I swung again, and this time I pressed past the leek guard and gave a glancing blow. Yet I knew I was losing, that I could not defeat this Farfetch'd.
"All right, Donald! Just hold it off, I think it's weak enough to catch now."
I felt a rage building in me at those words.
"No."
The first word I had said in my weeks back in the realm of the living. It was a hissing, whispering sound, but the Farfetch'd certainly understood.
"Don't want to be caught, eh? So you didn't challenge him?"
He glanced back at the boy, who was just pulling another one of those horrid spheres from his bag. The duck looked at me, seeming to understand my plight.
"Run. Or, uh, float. You should be able to get away."
"But..."
"Be free, if that's what you want. Don't worry, he's my trainer's son, so I don't listen to him unless I want to. If we ever meet again, though, I want ta finish our battle, huh? Now go."
My dislike of him disappeared. I didn't wait any longer. The boy had his metal ball in hand, and seemed to be aiming his throw. I thought for a fleeting instant that I might hit it back at him, just as in the children's game with wooden sticks and balls that used to be played in my village. Instead I turned and fled. I couldn't hover very fast, though, and I feared I would be quickly overtaken. But much to my surprise, the boy himself didn't give chase.
"Donald, go after it! Don't let it get away!"
I continued to float off, listening to shouts from behind me.
"Donald. Donald! You're supposed to- hey! Listen to meee! It's getting away, you stupid... augh! Return!"
There was a sound from behind me, and then I heard footsteps. He had come in pursuit. Donald had given me a chance to flee, but it seemed that the boy was gaining. I floated towards a berry tree and passed under. A few days before, a Skwovet had attacked me when I passed to close to its tree, and now I had a desperate idea. The Skwovet barked threats at me as I went by, but seemed relieved that it wouldn't really be fighting me again. Then the boy ran in, metal ball in hand but still just out of comfortable throwing range to hit me. Seeing another threat to its tree, and its food supply, the Skwovet leaped. Without looking back I could imagine the scene behind me: the Skwovet scratching at the boy's face, and perhaps crawling into his shirt or biting his nose. I couldn't find it funny, though. It had been a narrow escape, and I had also learned something from the experience.
Never trust humans.
That was but one of many fights which I had been in since I left the underground ruins of my old home. Most Pokemon seemed to be content to avoid me or warn me off, but some just attacked without warning. In all of those situations, I had been able to defend myself, but many of the fights I have faced were much tougher than my recent one with the Zigzagoon.
But the past fights did not truly matter to me, except as a marker on my mental map. I did not know how long it had been since I resurfaced, but as I wandered aimlessly I had begun to recognize landmarks I had seen before, and had begun to learn my way around. I knew which places to avoid within a certain range. But now I found the need inside me for something more driving me further and further, bringing me to new parts of this rolling countryside, filled with lakes and grass, cairns of rocks and looming cliffs. There were even bridges here and there, a sign to me that there were humans passed through the area often enough to maintain them. As yet, though, I hadn't seen one.
I drifted on, and soon approached one of the bridges, one that I had seen but not crossed as yet. I had no reason to. I had gone close enough to inspect it, though, and it was made sturdily, but in a strange fashion when compared to the bridge near my old village. Today I approached it again, thinking of crossing and visiting the other side. I floated near to it but stopped several feet short. Hidden behind a pillar by the angle of my approach, there sat a youngish boy. His garments were strange, filled with vibrant color that was richer than those of the wealthiest men I had met. His shirt was of a scarlet hue, and his pants were a a light shade of brown. Upon his head was a strange kind of cap, with a large bill-like brim to the front but nowhere else. This was of a dark blue, like looking into a deep lake on a cloudy day. He was holding a fishing pole in his hand, but it looked rather peculiar to me. It appeared to be made of some neon green material, and on the side, near where the boy was gripping it, there was a kind of knob. I didn't have time to look long before the boy grabbed the knob and began moving it. Then, out of the water came a Magikarp, hooked on the boy's line. I expected the boy to keep it, even though he had no bucket to put it in. To my surprise, he gave a grumble and threw it back into the water.
"Why is it that all I can catch is Magikarp? Why can't I get something interesting?"
He reached down into a small bag that rested at his side, and had just taken out another piece of bait to put on his hook when he caught sight of me. His hand dropped the bait and it splashed into the water, where there was immediately a swirl beneath the bridge as several Magikarp tried to snatch it up. The boy continued to move his hand back to his bag, and for some reason I could not explain, I felt nervous. He pulled out something spherical, red on the top half and white on the bottom. Then, with a sudden move, he raised his arm and hurled the sphere at me.
"Go, Pokeball!"
Before I could move, the object hit me close to my eye. It didn't hurt very much, but a second later I felt myself... disappear. I was drawn into the metal sphere, much to my surprise. The sensation was similar to when I felt myself drawn by the cold wind in the darkness, but much more... tingly. Once again I was in the dark, but the darkness had form. Then came a mental barrage, telling me that I was to stay still. I refused. I was frightened more at that instant than any of my previous fights with Pokemon. And with that fear came anger. I felt my surroundings shake, and then once more, and then with a burst of light I was free. It took an instant to see my surroundings clearly again, to see the frustrated expression of the boy, and the broken halves of the sphere on the grass. My eye only looked around for an instant, though, because I was angry. I wanted to get back at this human who had frightened me and tried to... capture me. Yes, that was it. He thought he could possess me. But I would not be possessed.
"AURGH, come on! A Honedge would be such a cool starter Pokemon! Terry and the others would be so jealous..."
As he finished speaking, I moved towards him and spun at him with my blade. He gave a startled yelp and backed up. He seemed to have picked up his bag after he threw that thing at me, and he reached in again. This time he brought out an older and much less shiny sphere. He didn't throw it at me, though. Instead he hurriedly threw it on the ground, where it burst open and bounced back to his hand. With a flash and a popping sound, a Pokemon appeared next to him.
"Good thing dad let me bring you along in case I found something, Donald."
There hadn't been any Pokemon around before, and there was nowhere that it could have been hidden. I decided it must have come from the metal capsule. The Pokemon was one I had seen before, and eaten too, although they weren't a very common food to get. It was a Farfetch'd, and it was carrying a big leek over one shoulder. It turned its head to look at the boy.
"Donald, use Rock Smash!"
The boy shouted the command. The duck Pokemon looked at him with raised eyebrows and then turned to face me.
"I do hope you put up a good fight. It's been a while."
He whipped his Leek around impossibly fast over his head and smacked me with it, but surprisingly it didn't do much. It knocked me back, certainly, but I didn't feel much worse for wear. The boy looked at the Farfetch'd in confusion.
"That should have done more! Why didn't it... hold on..."
He pulled another thing out of his bag, and I was too intent to make sure he didn't throw it at me to attack. But instead of throwing it, he just held it. Then I heard a voice, human but strange, coming from his direction. It certainly wasn't his, because his mouth wasn't moving. Then the boy growled and put his device away.
"Ugh, I forgot it was a Ghost type. Your fighting moves won't do much, Donald... so try a Brutal Swing instead!"
Now that the trainer wasn't holding an object, I ceased my hesitation. I struck hard at the Pokemon who followed the commands of the human. I felt a furious dislike of him. I didn't know why, because Pokemon had been kept as pets often in my village. But there was something different here. And so, my swipe had a strength of fury behind it. However, my attack was countered by a deft parry of the Leek, and then the bird swung again, this time in a series of rapid gyrations which first beat down my guard and then slammed me back and onto the ground. Then that hateful boy called out again.
"Good hit! Don't let up on it, hit it with a Peck!"
As I began to recover my balance, the Farfetch'd ran up and slammed into me with its beak, right above my eye. I was starting to hurt now, between the efficient and effective Brutal Swing attack and the pressure of the other powerful, if less effective, attacks. However, I swung again, and this time I pressed past the leek guard and gave a glancing blow. Yet I knew I was losing, that I could not defeat this Farfetch'd.
"All right, Donald! Just hold it off, I think it's weak enough to catch now."
I felt a rage building in me at those words.
"No."
The first word I had said in my weeks back in the realm of the living. It was a hissing, whispering sound, but the Farfetch'd certainly understood.
"Don't want to be caught, eh? So you didn't challenge him?"
He glanced back at the boy, who was just pulling another one of those horrid spheres from his bag. The duck looked at me, seeming to understand my plight.
"Run. Or, uh, float. You should be able to get away."
"But..."
"Be free, if that's what you want. Don't worry, he's my trainer's son, so I don't listen to him unless I want to. If we ever meet again, though, I want ta finish our battle, huh? Now go."
My dislike of him disappeared. I didn't wait any longer. The boy had his metal ball in hand, and seemed to be aiming his throw. I thought for a fleeting instant that I might hit it back at him, just as in the children's game with wooden sticks and balls that used to be played in my village. Instead I turned and fled. I couldn't hover very fast, though, and I feared I would be quickly overtaken. But much to my surprise, the boy himself didn't give chase.
"Donald, go after it! Don't let it get away!"
I continued to float off, listening to shouts from behind me.
"Donald. Donald! You're supposed to- hey! Listen to meee! It's getting away, you stupid... augh! Return!"
There was a sound from behind me, and then I heard footsteps. He had come in pursuit. Donald had given me a chance to flee, but it seemed that the boy was gaining. I floated towards a berry tree and passed under. A few days before, a Skwovet had attacked me when I passed to close to its tree, and now I had a desperate idea. The Skwovet barked threats at me as I went by, but seemed relieved that it wouldn't really be fighting me again. Then the boy ran in, metal ball in hand but still just out of comfortable throwing range to hit me. Seeing another threat to its tree, and its food supply, the Skwovet leaped. Without looking back I could imagine the scene behind me: the Skwovet scratching at the boy's face, and perhaps crawling into his shirt or biting his nose. I couldn't find it funny, though. It had been a narrow escape, and I had also learned something from the experience.
Never trust humans.
