Book Two: Vengeance, Chapter Five-
The wild commotion in the tavern had masked Rei's sinful deed. The only thing that kept the pierced Rocket from howling out in pain was that her vising grasp choked any sound.
"Why don't you and me," she whispered to him while scanning the room for witnesses, "step outside for a bit?" Before they stood up, she removed the dagger from his thigh and sighed, "Dang, I missed." As they made their way to the back door with the knife at his back, Rei hissed a reminder, "And if you even as so much twitch your head in an attempt to signal anyone, you'll have-"
"Whoa," interrupted some young punk, "are you bleeding?" An unmistakable trail lied on the floor stretching from a stool to the wounded. "How did you manage to... do... you don't look familiar," he mentioned to Rei, as then his face was washed over with a grim dread. At that moment, all sound in the pub seemed to die down to dead silence as only one thought resonated through Rei's mind. Nuts.
"Outsider!" the whole roomed roared as they surrounded her. Rockets preferred to keep their assemblies secret and did not care much for gatecrashers. Keeping her mind on pumping information from the elder Rocket, she booted him towards the back door. Unfortunately for both of them, it only opened to the inside, so the Rocket just ran flat into it. Turning out one of her pockets, three orbs plummeted to the floor. When they struck, the beasts within were freed: Cinder, the tainted Flareon, Poppy, the Oddish, and Goopy, her newly acquired Grimer. Giving the word, the trio filled the air with smog and spores, generating a very toxic atmosphere for the thieves to endeavor. While they smothered in venomous air, Rei and her companions made their way out the door, stooping to pick up the weary old man along the way, while the exit was sealed with a searing wall. She tossed him to the ground and positioned the blade at his neck.
"You have got to be insane," he scoffed. "What do you think you can exactly accomplish? Do you think you scare me? We're Rocket! You can't beat us." He glanced over her shoulder to see the walls of the bar sliced through. "And you're about to learn that," he sneered. A section of the wall fell out as a bladed insect passed through the hole.
Never moving, Rei issued the command, "Get 'em." Before the Scyther could even completely exit the hole, two corrosive bombs detonated, sending it sailing back into the ale house. As it rushed through a second time, it left the hole coming to face the open, blazing maw of the Flareon. The ensuing fiery eruption not only plowed the ninja bug through all of the other crowding monsters and blew it clear out the other side of the beer parlor but took down most of the wall. She ridiculed, "Scared yet? Now," she told him, swinging her foot into his crotch, "if you'd excuse me, I have a battle to attend to. Don't you try anything funny while I'm gone." The cringing man gave out a squeal that could have been a response.
Rei's power would appear to be her downfall. As the wall collapsed, more of the Rockets could get through. A battle line was soon drawn by enraged goons and their creatures. Everyone stood in anticipation of the first move. Too much tension grew, and a small furry rodent finally lost patience. It bound into the field, teeth bared, and lunged at Poppy. In the middle of its flight, red and black blurs streaked about it before it dropped to the earth. Landing besides the Raticate was the gleam of a long metal talon strapped to Cinders forepaw. Knowing that this was serious, a grand floral lizard marched onto the field, releasing a mighty bellow from the pit of its stomach. The shear force alone was enough to blow the Flareon away. To cease its advance, Goopy slithered out to met it. As the behemoth charged it, its body dropped into a formless mass. The brute broke its charge at the sight of its foe vanishing, skidding through the shapeless slough. It twisted and plodded about, not knowing what to make of it. Then, the pool of slime began to quiver. An earsplitting shriek rose out from the puddle. No one could tell when it stopped for the ringing stayed in their ears, an unfortunate effect for the Venasaur. If it could still hear, it would have noticed the low humming caused by the Oddish's spinning blades cutting through the air and soon its flesh and the patter of the flame beast's feet along the ground. Within no time, all three had come upon the giant reptile, and, in even less, they over came it.
"Aye, missy," a wild looking girl called out, stepping out from the crowd, "two can play your game." She whipped up her hand, a Pokeball between each finger, and tossed them out. Four monsters rose from their slumber and heeded her command. "Rock 'n' Roll," she commanded two boulders, "get that scruffy mutt. Fire and Brimstone," she directed a hulk with fire jetting from its back and a molten snail, "keep Rock 'n' Roll alive." As the pairs broke off, the small bulb spread out its leaves and swayed with the wind. A cloud of dust gathered around Poppy as it fanned it off in its foes direction. Upon exposure, their muscles and joints locked up while the living sludge moved in. On the other side, one of the megatons retracted its limbs and sped at the Flareon as the other drove its arms into the soil. Its eyes giving off a pale light, with a frightful roar it ripped open the earth as its sibling plowed through it. The shimmer of Cinder's shield was not enough to hold back both onslaughts, and the beast was tossed about. As Roll turned about, heading back at the Flareon with increased magnitude, it managed to spring from the trembling ground over the bowling stone. Caught in the tremor, the Golem was hurled upward and clashed into Rock. As the two struggled back to their feet, the limping Cinder coughed up a thick, dark cloud and kicked up debris into their eyes, impeding their vision.
Meanwhile, Goopy had its hands full fending off the two fire demons. Its body was spread out thinly over the expanse. After repetitive attempts, the Typlosion realized that its fangs were worthless, so it resorted to another weapon. Flames leapt from its mouth and instantly turned the Grimer's outspread, and the Magcargo followed its example. Its body shrank away from the wide path of the burning breaths and recompiled to its regular form so that it might not be wholly incinerated. With the target at hand, the two prepared the final blow. With the red glow winding up Fire's throat, its jaw was snapped as a massive stone flattened it into the dirt. The dazed Roll unwound itself to see that it had hit the wrong mark. The true Cinder was being hunted by Rock. Unable to catch up with the beast, it spoke to the earth. Answering its plea, an extending crevice broke along the surface and sought out the adversary. Sharp crags and spires tore the fault open as it followed the path. The Flareon managed to hobble away from two of them but now was sealed in by a wall of stone on both sides, and on both ends of the passage stood one of its opponents. Before the Golem even began its next spell, Cinder was barreling down the trajectory the fastest its gimpy limbs would take it, but Brimstone was not about to let its foe do that. As it readied a flame, the Grimer came up from behind. Swelling one of its fists, it smashed against the back of the snail, rupturing its stony armor. Squatting, the scarlet beast managed to roll beneath the airborne Magcargo to safety outside the granite confines. The stunned lava mollusk never had a chance to hit the ground, for the ground hit it. Twisted earthen spears rose up and bore its seething body, shattering any remnants of its shell. Rock buried its failed efforts and closed in on its enemies with Roll.
"Oh, screw this," the freak exclaimed. "Everyone, just rush 'em." The assembly of Rockets burst forward as man and beast went out side by side. An exhausted Cinder could barely move and simply awaited their arrival while Goopy stood its ground to head off the skirmish. Unbeknownst to anyone, a ray of light rose skyward, piercing the heavens, originating from the tiny weed, Poppy. The beam widened into a column of crimson haze, clearing the night sky off all obstructions. As the combatants were encompassed in the warming glow, all it passed over was left arid and crisp. A divine light surged from its being as it widely drew out its leaves. The many Rockets were about to descend upon the two hapless creatures when they were all blinded by a glaring radiance. Recovering from their bewilderment, a smoking crater of pebbles had joined their ranks. Without as so much time to even be confused by this odd happening, their no longer dilated eyes unfolded the previous event as a second angelic flash was brought upon them. A column of fiery brilliance engulfed Rock, who was soon to join its other half, as it was chipped away until it was just gravel. Two deep scars in the earth were all that remained of the Golems. Firing randomly into the crowd, the Oddish was joined by the Flareon in the havoc. Knowing when they were beat, the bandits abandoned the offensive and fled for their lives. As the mist and Rockets left the scene, Rei had little time to celebrate for she was knocked in the back of the head.
The old man Rocket, wiping blood from his face, queried her, "Remember me?" She stumbled to her feet as he went on. "I'm not through with you yet, you little wench," he snarled, as he pulled out a Pokeball. "And this is all I need to teach you a lesson. Arise!" As the globe struck the ground, a mess of tentacles poured forth. The writhing mass loomed over everything present. "Teach this insolent whore a lesson she won't forget," he decreed, yet the giant jellyfish was reluctant to act, staring at the ground, its eyes dead. He kicked it while shouting, "You dare defy me? Get out there and cause some damage!" Aversely, it began inching towards her.
Rei took a few steps back and spoke up, "You know what's very interesting? I'm going to teach you something, too, and I only need one tool for the job as well. Cinder, Poppy, Goopy," she called out, turning to her critters, "you've done enough." She reclaimed each one back to its holding and returned to her foe, Clearing her throat, she sang out in a heavenly voice, "O, blue star with shining light, Bestow your grace 'pon us tonight." The Tentacruel stopped dead on the words. "The devil has come, his prize to claim, I hear him now crying out your name..." Rei ended the sweet music and gazed at the sea creature. Its eyes were no longer empty but teeming with life and feeling. "Squishy," she addressed it, "would you kindly take out this trash." On the last word, her eyes darted at the Rocket. Pivoting about face, it stared down its oppressive captor.
"W-w-wait here, now," the man stuttered out. "What do you think your doing? Stop!" Squishy heeded not to a word he spoke and came upon him...
Rei walked down the vast space, her footsteps echoing into infinity, waiting for the dream world to unfold. Stars began to dot the black expanse that was the sky as a horizon was drawn out. Three figures ran across the still rising scenery as mountains and towering rock formations broke from the shadows. A full moon's silvery glow exposed their scarlet letters. Their procession continued until a metallic gleam bolted into their path. They stopped dead at the silver dirk standing in their course that almost claimed one of them.
"Who goes their?" inquired a booming voice. The three gazed skyward to find a shadowy figure caught in the moon, whose light danced playfully on his arsenals held high.
"It's none of your business, kid," one scoffed, continuing his way, "but we're looking for something." The air hissed as a second dagger pinned the defying Rocket's hat to the ground.
"I make it my business," the figure explained, "to know all that goes on in my land. I am its guardian, and it does not look kindly upon your kind. You best leave."
"Or," another Rocket spoke up, "you'll do what? You're just some young punk."
"My age is not of the matter," it spoke, with rage entering its tone. "Leave now, or I will be forced to remove you manually."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," they laughed at his treat. "You even try, and we'll rip you a new one."
"Hmm, that is good advice," it jeered. "A wonder you don't follow it." They were not pleased.
"You looking for a fight, punk?" A white smile shone on the silhouette.
"I thought you'd never ask." Two membranous wings sprung from the figures back, and, at that, the dream was over.
