It's short for basically one reason: I'm seriously considering revamping this story for the next month. I have the rest of this chapter written, and I'm in the middle of rewriting a better Prologue. I'd like to go over it and edit all the bad stuff out, and bring the story up to what should be its caliber. I'd fix all those stupid grammar mistakes, fix up a few scenes (Chapter 4, anyone?) with a few extra scenes here and there. I already planned it out, and have a better idea of a plot, and if it comes, the new Prologue'll be put up around next weekish. Probably the middle. (I'd delete all the chapters before this, and post a new Prologue.) However, feel free to voice your opinion on this idea, as this story is mainly for the people who actually are following this and enjoy it. (I enjoy it to.) This would take about a month – month in a half, with me updating with an updated chapter around every week – at the max, two. I'll also be trying to update my livejournal, and posting snippits to the new Prologue sometime this week.. as soon as I revamp my profile.
Anyway, that's it. Hopefully I haven't lost my touch here. Heh.
Disclaimer: If I actually did own Pokémon (which I don't) Misty would've been back a loooong time ago.
Chapter 6: Ebb and Flow
"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress." - Bruce Barton
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Gary had barely enough time to dodge as a bolt of electric energy surged past him, missing by only a hairs width. Suffice to say, he was startled – though surprised was another story. Gary's hand closed over a pokéball at his side, tugging it loose from his belt. He was more than prepared to use it if worse came to worse.
Heh. From the looks of it, it was already that.
Richie was just ahead, with Sparky staring in shock at a very angry, confused Pikachu, who was swaying on his feet, sending streaks of ill-aimed electrical attacks whenever Sparky or Richie got too close. Gary could tell Sparky was trying to reason with him – if it even was Ash's Pikachu in the first place. Gary had to assume it was. Though an Ash-less Pikachu gave him more than enough reason to doubt.
"Pchua!"
Pikachu' growl was venomous to say the least. His body was completely surrounded by static electricity, shaking his head in an enraged manner. Sparky was waving about his paws, no doubt spouting some silly friendship rant.
With the state Pikachu was in, Gary doubted it would really work.
"I thought Kyra snapped him out of it…" Richie muttered. Kyra squeaked, and curled herself into a tiny ball, like a cat.
"I doubt it did much of anything – whatever she did do," Gary replied as he slid to a stop by Richie's side. "Psychic-type attacks usually affect the mind directly… that usually just adds to the confusion."
That seemed to be news to Richie, and Gary had to stifle a long, drawn out sigh. How Pokémon trainers could be so ignorant to some things always perplexed him. And Richie was a trainer of a Psychic-type. Shouldn't he know these things?
Pikachu, meanwhile, was continuing to sway --- the Iapapa berry's affect still had hold on the rodent, it seemed. That didn't surprise Gary in the least. The Iapapa berry's confusion effect was very potent, and took some time to wear off – especially in great quantities.
At least, Gary though wryly, he isn't throwing Thundershocks around anymore.
"Chuuu!"
Or maybe not…
Gary yelled, dodging to the side as the Pikachu's attack surged past him, the foliage quivering from the electric shock.
Gary grimaced. The dang rat was taking off again, with Sparky and Richie following right on Pikachu's heels. At least the two of them seemed to have a bit of sense; they were giving Pikachu a wider berth than before.
"What are you doing?" Gary hissed, catching up to Richie. "It's obvious that thing --- Ash's Pokémon or not --- is out of its mind. It can't even Thundershock you properly."
"Well, what are we supposed to do?"
"Simple," Gary said, voice firm. "Knock the dratted thing out."
Richie's green eyes went wide with surprise, and even Sparky, now a few feet ahead of either humans, was in close enough range to look over his shoulder and give him a very odd, confused glance. "We can't do that…"
A thundershock rippled through the air again. This time, Sparky retaliated, his own electric attack colliding with Pikachu's own, negating it. Though Gary could still feel the static in the air; it was making his hair stand on end a bit.
Gary shook his head, his countenance darkening. "You won't, but I will."
Gary let the sphere clutched tightly in his fist fly. It exploded open in a flash of white, evanescent light. A feline/vulpine creature emerged from the white haze, its blood-red opening, its black-furred body tense. I took only seconds for the Umbreon to catch on with the situation, falling into pace besides Gary, as the human had not bothered to stop. Slowing down only to catch Umbreon's returning pokéball in his palm, quickly clipping it to his belt.
Gary jerked his head towards the fleeing Pikachu, pointing at him for greater emphasis. "Pursuit, then Quick Attack! Don't let that Pikachu get away!"
The Moonlight Pokémon nodded once, before taking off through the brush. Overtaking Richie's Pikachu, dark, tiny wisps of dark energy shot forward, navigating through the brush.
The Pursuit hit, the tiny wisps scurrying about the Pikachu's paws, stopping him abruptly in his headlong dash. The Pikachu keep his balance, as his feet struggled to keep up the rapid pace. It was then, Umbreon struck, impacting the Pikachu's side mercilessly, sending the already disoriented Pikachu sliding across the ground. The contact was brief, and Umbreon jumped backwards, paws splayed as the Pikachu rose to his paws.
Gary's body halted just at the battles edge, with the others following suit. "Light Screen!"
The thin, almost translucent shield was erected just in time to take Pikachu's countering electric blow. The shield held, absorbing most of the electricity.
Richie finally arrived at Gary's side, with Kyra's head buried into his shoulder. His gaze still was hesitant, with his own Pikachu's gaze almost mirroring his own. "Are you sure we…?"
"If you have another way, I'd love to hear it," Gary said dryly, cutting Richie off. "Umbreon, Mean – Dang it! He's running again. Umbreon, after him!"
Pikachu sure was making things hard on himself, and Gary was not enjoying the rodent's evasiveness a bit. He was moving too much to get a proper Mean Look on him.
To make matters worse, Pikachu was beginning to move in an erratic, zigzagging pattern through the thick vegetation that was hard to track. The electric-type was moving faster than before, too surrounded by the hazy, white nimbus of Agility. Even the Pursuit Umbreon was conjuring was doing little good – the tiny wisps of dark energy were having trouble were having trouble keeping up with the Pikachu and his utterly spontaneous, confused course. It was a wonder the Pokémon hadn't run straight into a tree yet. Even when the faint, purplish strands did make contact, they were only tripping him up now, sending him scrambling for footing for only a few moments, only to dash off again, faster than before.
It was time to even up the competition a little.
"Faint Attack!"
"Breon!"
It took only a moment for the black Pokémon to vanish in a cloud of ebony smoke. The following cry told Gary the attack had made contact – that, and the sudden sparks that shot up into the air. Gary's area of vision – good clear vision -- was becoming considerably smaller, and Gary didn't like it. Mean Look definitely wouldn't work now, and that had been his plan up until this moment.
In the distance, Gary could hear the roar of the waterfall, and could already feel the mist collecting against his skin. That was what was causing the deterioration of visibility. It would make things considerably more difficult.
Something was beginning to itch at the back of his mind as both he and Richie followed the Umbreon's trail, the space between human and Pokémon becoming wider. Something didn't seem right – something didn't feel right.
The mist was becoming far too thick to Gary's liking. Waterfall or not, Gary was beginning to have a distinct feeling that the mist was conjured. Why or by whom Gary didn't know, nor did he have the Pokémon with him to dispel it.
Attacks were becoming more frequent now, parting through the thickening mist in thin bands of yellow light. Both he, Sparky, and Richie were finally coming within eyesight of the two fighting animals. Pikachu was still running, and judging from the river both the electric-type and his Umbreon were running beside, they were heading straight for the falls…
Too close. The roar was absolutely thunderous.
"The waterfall…" Richie panted, looking over at him with frantic, green eyes. "You don't think…"
Gary snorted, fighting the urge to run a hand through his hair. "Naa, Ashy-boy isn't that stupid." His tone leaked with false surety, and for once in a long time, Gary was beginning to doubt himself.
"Maybe…"
There was a sudden flash of white light, coming from a Pokéball that hit the ground in front of him. The bright flare just about blinded Gary, making him slow up considerably, finally stopping as he tried to blink away the white light from the front of his eyelids. Richie had called out another Pokémon.
Gary blinked a few times. A Tailow by the looks of it.
"I need you to where Ash's camp is," Richie said quickly to the white-chested bird fluttering in the air about the boy's shoulder. "It should be by a big lake – Ash probably has all his Pokémon out, and Misty and Brock probably do, too. So you should be able to see them. See if Ash and Pikachu are there, and come back, whether they're there or not."
Gary watched as the Tailow ascended upward, her thin, royal blue wings flapping in quick bursts to gain altitude. It only took a few seconds for her to dart out of eyesight, rising above the mist and trees.
Heh. It wasn't such a bad idea.
"Pikapi!"
Both he and Richie's heads snapped back to the battle, only to see Pikachu swaying back and forth at the waterfall's edge. Both Umbreon and Richie's Pikachu had stopped just in front of the confused creature. His Umbreon's back was arched in a defensive position, while Sparky was yelling something – though Pikachu was obviously not paying attention. His calls were becoming louder, more insistent, and the thunder mouse's body continued to sway. He was looking down the waterfall, completely oblivious to the Pokémon and humans behind him.
"Pikapi! PIKAPI!"
No answer. Pikachu sunk to all fours, his muscles tensing.
"He can't be thinking about jumping…" Gary heard Richie say over the waterfalls din.
Ah, but he was.
With a loud cry, Pikachu jumped over the edge.