Never: Chapter 2
Hmmm yep this sure is chapter 2.
Never
Sarah, Spark, Nathan and Bane had returned safely to the house. Once Spark convinced a severely exhausted Nathan to get back into bed, it almost felt like they never left at all (although, Sarah still had her sore legs to remind her that wasn't the case).
"Still feeling tired?" Asked the Charmeleon, crouching beside Sarah. She had been resting against the same wall for about three minutes, slowly regaining her energy. She simply nodded in response, feeling a bit too lazy to speak. "I don't blame you." Spark said, chuckling lightly. It was good to see him in a friendly mood again. She definitely preferred this side of him to the one she saw while looking for Nathan.
"It feels sort of strange. . ." Sarah said quietly. Her eyes wandered around the room for a while, occasionally stopping to stare at random spots. "This is the longest I've stayed in this house for. . . years. . ."
Her head carelessly fell back against the wooden wall as she sighed, making the dull thud of the collision barely audible. Spark shifted his position uncomfortably, looking away from Sarah for a moment. Her focus immediately switched back to him, noting the uncharacteristic behavior. "Everything OK?" She asked in a half casual, half concerned tone. After all, if something was making Spark anxious, then it couldn't be very good news.
"It's not safe here anymore, Sarah. I imagine Dexx will reach this house before the day is over."
"You want us to leave?" She questioned, her head no longer resting against the wall. She was interested in what Spark had to say, but she wasn't keen on leaving her home all because of Dexx.
"Yes. I realize it is not the most attractive option. . ." He continued, his expression turning slightly discouraged after seeing Sarah's. "But, in another sense, it is. By constantly traveling, Nathan, Bane and I have avoided Dexx for three years. Most days we would forget about him entirely and simply enjoy our travels."
The offer did sound tempting. Not having to worry about Dexx while also hanging around Spark and the others seemed wonderful, but something felt off. It took her a while to place it, but she soon realized what that something was.
"It sounds great, but. . . weren't you the one that said we needed to embrace what was happening? Running away sounds a little contradictory." She pointed out. Maybe the part of her wanting to stay was making her overly harsh toward the notion of leaving, but she knew this wasn't a baseless attack on Spark's idea, either. To her surprise, the Charmeleon chuckled in response. She was expecting a friendly retort of some kind, but it never came.
"Perhaps you're right." He replied calmly, interlocking his claws. "Perhaps I'm a hypocritical fool who runs from his problems rather than facing them. Perhaps I'm a coward and seek refuge, even if the cost is turning a deaf ear to reality." There was no anger or self-loathing in his voice. He simply remained calm and smiling, touching a single digit to Sarah's small nose. "Or perhaps I'm just as frightened and confused by all this as everybody else."
Sarah couldn't help but feel a little pity for Spark after hearing that. It was difficult to remember he was just as young as them, especially considering how well he handled the responsibility of looking after two Pokémon. Plus, he was making a lot of sense. Even if they fended off Dexx from the house, he would probably just come back another day. And if they fled the area, they wouldn't have to worry about constant attacks.
"But. . ." Sarah said, sounding exasperated. "Why can't. . . we just--" She tried to say, but it seemed her mind wouldn't let her say the words.
"Kill him?" Spark finished for her, looking as though he wanted to sigh. Sarah nodded in response. "The answer is quite simple. We refuse to become murderers." He said, slightly shifting his position again. "You've just seen how difficult it is merely to suggest killing him. Would you be able to actually do it, let alone be able to live with any guilt that came from such an action?" He asked, looking straight at her. It took her a while, but after getting lost in his eyes for just a moment, she found the strength to reply.
"But what about everything Dexx is doing. . . ? Remember what happened to that Raichu? We. . . we can't let Dexx do that to any Pokémon he wants while we roam around free, not doing anything to help." Sarah protested weakly. She realized Spark was simply trying to get the four of them out of danger, but she wasn't about to leave behind countless potential rape victims in the process.
Before Spark could reply, Bane entered the room. He had been speaking with Nathan ever since they had gotten back, but apparently their conversation had just ended. Arms folded behind his head as usual, he froze in place after noticing Sarah and Spark. His eyes darted between the two for a moment, before he gave Sarah a knowing look and continued to walk across the room as if he hadn't paused.
"You two seem cozy." He said slyly, casually marching across the living area. Something about the way he said 'you two' seemed oddly teasing, but Sarah paid little mind to it.
"We'll figure something out." Spark muttered quietly as to keep Bane from hearing. "For now though, we need to leave."
Sarah nodded slowly in agreement, but she still wasn't quite sure of how she felt about abandoning her home. She had lived there for most of her life. It was going to feel strange stepping out the other side of that forest. . .
Several hours passed, yet they still remained in the house. Nathan had fallen asleep, which was why Bane came into the living room in the first place. The three of them had decided to let him rest for a while before setting off, although they couldn't wait much longer. The sun had already begun to set.
The time spent waiting was hardly used for getting to know each other. Most talk consisted of speculating what their travels would be like with the addition of Sarah, while the second most popular topic was when they should wake Nathan up. If they weren't discussing either of those two things, they sat in silence. When Spark eventually agreed to awaken Nathan, Sarah had to stop herself from bursting out 'finally!'.
However, when the time came to actually leave, she felt differently.
Chapter 2: Departure
While all three of her new companions were practically out the door, she stayed frozen in place. Her eyes drifted across the room, examining every detail of it before her vision suddenly became blurred. It took her a second to notice that tears were forming, but she did nothing to dry them. This was the last time she would be here. She could feel it. Sarah slowly turned to face the front door, but only Spark was standing there. She assumed the other two had gone outside to wait.
"If it weren't for Dexx. . ." Spark muttered, his eyes also wandering across the room one last time. "I wouldn't have minded staying here at all." He said with a smile, placing a claw between her shoulders. Sarah could barely return the smile before she simply let Spark lead her out. It was better if her farewell to the place was quick. The longer she stayed there, the more she wanted to stay there.
"You guys ready?" Asked Bane as the door closed behind them. Sarah nodded in response, but she didn't feel like saying anything. Spark continued to gently guide her as the four of them set off, which turned out to be rather uncomfortable as Bane would occasionally side-glance the two and smile to himself. Nathan, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice at all.
"Sooo. . ." Bane said loudly, practically marching along as if he were a wind-up toy. "Is anyone else, like, starving?" He asked in a surprisingly happy tone, bringing an arm down from behind his head to lightly slap the belly of his shell.
"I thought you all ate lunch a few hours ago. . ." Nathan replied meekly.
Now that Sarah thought about it, when was the last time Nathan ate? He refused to eat lunch and he wasn't awake for breakfast, which meant his last meal must have been at dinner, nearly twenty-four hours ago. If anyone ought to be starving, it was him. She couldn't help but wonder why he didn't ask for anything while they were still at the house.
"Yeah, a few hours ago. That's about the equivalent of a few weeks for me." Bane said merrily, grinning at his own joke. He seemed much more happy-go-lucky than before, perhaps because he was finally back to traveling like he was used to.
"I suppose." Nathan shrugged, doing his best to not fall behind. They were walking at a pace only barely faster than strolling, but he seemed to be having difficulty keeping up even at that speed. It was a wonder he managed to run so far from the house before.
"Um, Spark. . ." Sarah mumbled, trying not to attract any attention from Bane. "Maybe you should help Nathan out instead." She insisted, gesturing toward the injured Pikachu. Although she mostly wanted Nathan to not struggle, she was also getting a little desperate for Spark to take his claw off her shoulders. The Charmeleon's expression shifted into a quite unfamiliar one, looking as though he was about to stammer.
". . .Of course." He replied simply after a brief pause, finally removing his claw and walking over to Nathan. If that was Spark being flustered, then she needed to learn a thing or two from him. Hiding embarrassment like that could be useful.
As the four of them continued walking, they eventually entered the forest, where any conversations or idle chatter seemed to stop almost immediately for some reason. Whether it was just the atmosphere of the forest or something else entirely, Sarah didn't know. She did feel rather strange, though. As if something. . . bad was waiting for them. Sarah tried pushing the thought from her mind, but the more often she did so, the stronger the feeling became.
"Stay close to me." Spark commanded quietly, apparently getting the same vibe. Nathan, Bane and Sarah almost instantly gathered around the Charmeleon as they continued walking as silently as possible. Either night was falling, or it was getting darker for no good reason. And due to the recent change in mood, she wouldn't have doubted the latter.
"What do you think it is?" Sarah asked Spark, practically whispering. She didn't quite know why everybody, including her, was being so quiet. It simply felt like the correct thing to do at the time. Spark's reply was rather heart-sinking.
"It's not a 'what'. . ." He muttered, holding out an arm to make sure no one went any further. As all four of them stopped, a chilling breeze blew across the forest. That was the last noise any of them heard for quite a while, and it was one of the few times in her life that Sarah experienced complete and utter silence. The silence, however, was broken by the least welcome Pokémon imaginable.
"I must say, you three have gotten very good at running away." Dexx announced smugly. He couldn't be seen due to how dense the woods had become, but all of them recognized his voice. He sounded almost exactly like Sarah thought he would, only somehow worse. "But I suppose that's to be expected." He said, a sickening chuckle following his words. Spark was standing in front of the group, arms and body guarding the three Pokémon behind him as best they could.
"I see you have a new recruit in your midst, and a female at that." Dexx said, his voice becoming more perverted than threatening. Sarah could practically feel the pair of lust-filled eyes creeping up and down her body, as if she were being thoroughly examined for a small blemish that wasn't there. It was enough to make her shudder. "If I weren't such a realist, I would ask if one of you have finally developed an interest in girls." He said, the same chuckle from before filling the area.
"Please stop, Dexx. You're making my sides hurt." Bane responded with a deadpan tone. It was clear he was probably the least afraid out of the group, perhaps even less so than Spark.
"Your sides?" Questioned Dexx, the perverted tone leaving his voice. "That's a disappointing injury. I'll give you some real ones." The Venusaur spat, as several razor sharp leaves came flying out from behind the trees. Spark barely had time to shove everyone on the ground to avoid getting hit, before a loud creaking noise told them a nearby tree was falling. Everyone tumbled out of the way, Nathan and Bane to the right, and Spark and Sarah to the left. Not a moment too soon they were completely out of range, as the tree landed with a deafening explosion of noises.
Dexx quickly took advantage of the group's separation and wrapped numerous vines around Sarah and Spark, pulling both of them into the darkness before they had time to fight back. They could see Nathan and Bane attempting to follow, but several more trees had already begun to fall. It would make the most direct route to Spark and her a nightmare to get through, plus they were simply being pulled away too fast. They eventually found themselves staring Dexx in the face, right in the middle of the most dense part of the forest.
"Well well, Sparky. I'm surprised you were caught by me." Dexx said in his usual condescending tone. "Not getting slow reflexes, are we?" He asked with false interest, making sure every dangerous part of the Charmeleon was wrapped and restrained by vines. Even his muzzle was being forced to stay closed, though it didn't look like Spark had much desire to open it anyway. He simply stared back at Dexx calmly, meeting his gaze as if the Venusaur meant no harm.
Too suddenly, Spark was hit directly in the stomach by one of Dexx's front legs. Sarah struggled against her restraints, but they wouldn't budge. She thought of using a Thunder attack, but realized it would affect Spark as well. All she could do was scream his name in panic as he was hit again, this time even harder.
"Quiet, girlie." Snarled the Venusaur as he slammed Spark onto the ground, vines still wriggling around him like serpents. "I don't like unnecessary noise while I work." Dexx said, stomping on the Fire type beneath him. Every time he brought his foot down, Spark's grunts would become louder. A stream of tears flowed down Sarah's cheeks as she watched. She wanted to look away, but it would feel too much like abandoning Spark. She kept telling herself she had to look, but it did nothing for her will to actually do it. Watching each attack against him. . . it was gut-wrenching.
And worse still, Dexx appeared to be getting. . . excited about it. She was doing everything she could to keep it out of her line of blurry vision, but the obscene protrusion emerging between his legs was still visible in the corner of her eye.
"Let him go!!" Sarah bellowed, sparks flying from her cheeks dangerously. She was on the brink of sobbing, but she had to do something. Anything. Even if Dexx turned his attention to her, it would be better than watching Spark get attacked.
"Or what?" Dexx asked simply, continuing to stomp on the Pokémon beneath him. There were already multiple bruises and imprints on the Charmeleon's torso, and he was no longer grunting. It took everything Sarah had to even form words correctly.
"O-or I-I'll kill my-myself. . ." She threatened, her voice trembling drastically. She knew Dexx wanted to rape her, or at least she had a hunch he did. If she could be convincing enough with her claim, then maybe Dexx would stop the assault on Spark and act on his desires. It might have been a long shot of a plan, but it was at least worth a try.
With a final stomp, the Venusaur sighed and rubbed his foot into the Charmeleon's chest. It wasn't a sigh of annoyance or anger, but. . . pleasure.
"By all means, do so." He said, finally stepping off the beaten Fire type. "I'm not picky if the hole lucky enough to be visited by my arousal belongs to someone alive or dead." The Venusaur told her casually, a toothy grin spreading across his face. Sarah's expression turned from panic to shock after he said that. She could barely think anymore. Was there anything this Pokémon wouldn't do?
"Now. . ." Dexx mumbled, giving a throaty growl. "Where do you like it, girlie?" He asked, gesturing toward one of his free vines. Without waiting for a response, the vine began wrapping itself around her lower body, eventually stopping at the base of her tail. "I myself am rather fond of behinds, but I'll be my usual charming self and give you five seconds to decide. Otherwise. . . up the bottom it goes." He said, never ceasing to grin. How was she supposed to reply to that? She would sooner die than request a place for Dexx to rape her. No. She would simply wait. That was the whole point of this plan, anyway. To stall for time.
"Oh, and I should mention. . ." He said deviously, suddenly using Razor Leaf on her. Some leaves hit her directly, while others simply grazed past her skin, making numerous cuts of various sizes all over her body. She wanted to cry out in pain, but a vine was quickly shoved into her mouth to stop her. "Failure to answer me will result in. . . punishment." He announced, that repulsive grin spreading wider still. The Venusaur stepped closer to Sarah, and his vines brought her closer to him. Dexx slowly opened his maw, thick ropes of slobber connecting the roof of his mouth to his tongue.
With a long lick, his tongue slid across any cut that was bleeding. He happily lapped the blood dripping from her wounds up, and his fully erect male-hood gave a powerful throb of what she could only assume was disgusting approval. "Mmm. . . " Dexx moaned, the slippery organ receding back into its cave, leaving Sarah's fur soaked. "Happy spit-roasting." Dexx finished plainly, both the vine in her mouth and near her tail thrusting inward. She immediately wanted to die. It felt sickening being violated by those vile vines, even if it had only lasted a few seconds so far.
Luckily, that's all it would last. She didn't know what happened, but every vine holding her was instantly sent retracting into Dexx's back, causing Sarah to fall on the hard ground. She didn't have the energy to look around, but she definitely recognized who had just arrived.
"Aww, did we hit your butt? We thought it was your face, you see." Bane taunted, sounding as if he didn't have a care in the world. If Nathan was there with him, she couldn't tell. But given Bane's usage of 'we', she assumed he was. Before she could process anything else, Dexx took off after his attackers. She wanted to help. She wanted to run after them and ensure everyone but Dexx's safety, but she couldn't get up. Compared to Spark she hadn't been hurt very badly at all, and yet her body was still so overflowed with panic and fear that she was about to blackout.
". . . No." She whimpered, trying to crawl toward Spark with what little consciousness she had left. She could feel the stream of tears resuming as she thought about Nathan and Bane. What if something terrible happened to them? What if they didn't survive? It would be her fault. It would be entirely her fault. Yet, no matter how hard she willed herself to get up, her body wouldn't comply. It couldn't do a thing other than slowly crawl across the cold grass. ". . . I hope you two will make it." She sniffled, grabbing a hold of the Charmeleon's claw. She didn't know why she wanted to reach Spark, but she didn't have time to ponder the matter. Her vision suddenly went completely black.
. . .
Ow.
Oww.
Something hurt, like, a lot. What happened? He was trying to remember, but his memory was fuzzy. Wait. . . yes, now he knew. Dexx was chasing them. Hmm, did he ever get away? Was Dexx holding him captive? What about Nathan? He didn't know. His eyes weren't opening, though he couldn't tell if it was due to laziness or the need to lose consciousness again. He assumed the former was true, as it seemed the most likely.
With the tiny fraction of will power he had, he finally opened his eyes to see the misty night sky. Apparently he had gotten away, but he was still concerned about Nathan. Oh yeah, Spark and Sarah should be there, too. They had rescued them, after all.
With a smile, Bane picked himself up. He had just now realized there was sand beneath him. Was he at a beach? It seemed like it. "Yep. There's the ocean." He said to himself, briefly making looking at the body of water before examining his own body. The shooting pain had just made itself perfectly clear there was something wrong with him. Before too long, he found the problem. "Yup. There's the blood." Bane said casually, holding his left leg up in his hands. There was a relatively big gash on the side of it, and it looked like it had just started bleeding again.
He heaved a sigh before trying to walk. After the first few steps it didn't hurt too bad, but it'd be a pain getting around. How did he even get that injury, anyway? ". . . Oh yeah. Razor Leaf. Heh heh." Bane chuckled, continuing to walk. He didn't know where he was going, but Nathan and the others had to be around somewhere.
"Nathan!" He tried calling out, hands cupped around his mouth. He waited a few moments, but there was no response. "Spark?!" He shouted, this time a bit louder. Again, there was no reply. More confused than worried, Bane did a quick 180 degree turn and put a digit to his chin. "Hmm." He enunciated, trying to think of where everyone was. He knew Spark and Sarah should be safe. They led Dexx pretty far away, after all. Those two were probably out looking for him and Nathan, but what about Nathan himself? Where was he?
Bane didn't remember getting separated from him, so why did they wind up in different places? And for that matter, how did he wind up on a beach? He didn't recall seeing one while running from Dexx, and now that he thought about it, he didn't recall ever being knocked out. "Something definitely isn't adding up, here." Bane thought out loud, rapidly tapping his chin. Was it blood loss? It was possible after Razor Leaf hit him, he continued running despite the blood pouring from his wound, which would explain why he didn't remember the last few moments leading up to his blackout.
"Actually. . . does that make sense?" He thought, now pacing back and forth, practically sucking on the digit he had brought to his lips. His wounded leg gave a painful twinge, as if to tell him it did. Or maybe it was telling him to sit down and get off the thing. Either way, he cast all doubt aside and decided to go with that explanation. It was the best theory he had.
Still, it didn't explain where Nathan went. Maybe he was in the area, but not within earshot? The chances seemed pretty likely, especially considering they must have gotten separated near the end of the chase. With a grin, the Squirtle threw his arms back behind his head, a feeling somewhat akin to confidence washing over him. Any worry or panic that may have been looming in the back of his head was completely gone, though his injured leg was doing its best to ruin that. He needed to find a town or a Pokémon Center, or something. A simple human would be nice to see, really. Did this beach have any of those? It would make a tremendous improvement, he thought.
With a sigh, Bane began trudging through the sand. If this was like any normal beach, then civilization would be in the opposite direction of the ocean. He pondered for a moment why humans preferred to live on land rather than in water, but his brain seemed to be done with thinking and eventually fizzled any remaining thoughts out, leaving him to make the journey without his best source of entertainment. What was he supposed to do without his thoughts? Listen to himself walk? That sounded fun. Still, the trip wasn't all bad. For instance, he didn't die on the way there. That was a plus.
As a town came into sight, a wave of relief washed over him. He was almost starting to think he had been walking toward nothing this whole time. He slowly made his way past a house or two before noticing that everyone was already indoors. It couldn't be that late, could it? Only a few homes still had lights shining through their windows, and he didn't see a Pokémon Center anywhere.
"A town without a PokéCenter?" Bane questioned, scratching his head. ". . . Weird." He shrugged, deciding not to give the anomaly another thought. Maybe a human living here could fix him up. It was worth a shot.
"Yo!" Shouted the Squirtle, pounding on the front door of the nearest house with its lights on. "I'm sorta bleeding to death out here, so if you could help, that'd be great!" He continued shouting, knowing that whatever human was inside couldn't understand him. As if on cue, the door slowly opened. It stopped, however, after opening just a few inches. Bane tried tilting his head to get a better view of the inside, but before he could get a good look, a frail-looking elderly man blocked his line of vision. Bane looked up at the human towering over him to study his face, but the old man wasn't terribly interesting in appearance.
A small amount of flat, white hair covered a tiny fraction of his head, and numerous wrinkles decorated his face. He would have made note of other aspects of the man, but the surprisingly steady voice of him interrupted Bane's newly restored thoughts. It was only after he began to speak that Bane noticed the angry expression on him.
"You're part of Dexx's gang, are you?!" He asked violently, looking as though he was getting ready to backhand the Squirtle at his door. Bane's eyes widened in surprise. This man knew of Dexx? Why, and how? What did he mean by 'Dexx's gang'? He didn't have time to think about it, as the man unfortunately took Bane's initial surprise as confirmation of his assumption.
Without any warning, an Arcanine burst forward from the front door and pinned Bane to the ground in a matter of seconds. It growled and snarled at him viciously, almost as if it were about to begin eating him. "Good girl!" Shouted the old man, sounding like he was holding back a laugh."Hold him down til the police get here!" He commanded excitedly, quickly walking back into the house to presumably call the authorities.
"I should kill you right now." The Arcanine said with bared fangs. Her voice was throaty and pretty low for a female. She seemed like the type to have a naturally dangerous voice, regardless of what mood she was in.
"Look, buddy, I--" He tried to reply, but the Fire type apparently wasn't in a listening mood. Her claws began digging into either of Bane's arms, and a loud growl interrupted the Squirtle's response. Bane didn't really care, though. He just wanted to finish his sentence. "--I hate Dexx, too. He hurt one of my friends." He finished, looking his attacker dead in the eye.
The Arcanine's grip loosened slightly, but her aggressive expression remained unchanged. "And was this friend also a friend of Dexx's?" She asked, some anger leaving her voice. She had dropped the threatening act for the most part, and was now making an attempt at interrogation.
"No." Bane replied simply. "She never even met Dexx before it happened." He muttered, looking away from the Arcanine. He could briefly feel the claws being taken away from his arms as the much bigger Pokémon unpinned him. She still had a skeptical look on her face, but she at least trusted him enough to let him stand back up.
"What happened to your leg?" She asked abruptly. Judging by her tone, she was still trying to be intimidating, but Bane couldn't have been less afraid of her.
"Dexx happened. That's why I came here, hoping someone could fix me up." He said innocently, giving his injured leg a feeble shake. He wished he hadn't, though, as his leg experienced a small explosion of pain soon afterward. The Arcanine nodded with certainty before speaking.
"Yes, I thought I smelled Dexx's scent coming from that wound of yours. I had just assumed you two had gotten into a disagreement and worst came to worst." She said, suddenly turning away from Bane and walking to the front door. At first he thought she was going to leave him outside, but a proud 'come' told him otherwise. A bit relieved, he followed her inside.
"I will tell Master you are not a threat." She announced, walking majestically down the hallway. There were several doors to both the left and right sides, but she passed by all of them and instead went for the one directly ahead. Bane followed along casually, wishing his leg would stop throbbing.
"In here." The Arcanine stated, arriving at her destination. She pushed the already ajar door open and walked inside, gesturing for Bane to follow with a swoosh of her tail. He barely had time to take one step before he heard the old man yelling again.
"What happened?! Where's that Squirtle?! Did he get away?!" He shouted, the sound of his voice filling the entire room. By the sound of things, it seemed like he was just on his way back to the front door. Bane sort of wanted to leave and simply try another house, but something told him he'd get similar results. With a shrug, he decided to fully step into the room and make his presence known to the elderly human.
"Master--" The Arcanine began, but she was cut off.
"--YOU!" The old man shouted, pointing a finger at Bane. He did nothing to follow this action, and instead kept his finger exactly where it was. A moment of silence fell, but it was broken when the Fire type realized he was awaiting an explanation.
"Master, this one means no harm." She said, darting her eyes toward Bane. "He came here in hopes of finding someone who could treat his wounds." The Arcanine finished.
Almost instantly, the man's demeanor changed completely. It was rather surreal seeing him go from disgruntled to happy in less than half a second. Bane almost wanted to do a double take, but he was sure of what he saw.
"Ah, sorry about all this, then." He said, his voice suddenly sounding a lot more like Bane thought it originally would. "Can't be too careful with all these terrible Pokémon in the area." He muttered, laughing at nothing in particular.
"'Terrible Pokémon'?" Bane questioned. "You mean Dexx and his. . . gang, right?" He asked, walking toward the human. Bane knew the old man couldn't understand him, but he was too interested to care. The man simply stared at him for a moment, before turning his gaze to the Arcanine.
"He wants to know if you're referring to Dexx and his group." She said, puffing out her chest slightly. The confusion on the man's face disappeared after she spoke, making it clear he understood. Wait. Why could the old man understand her and not him? Was she speaking English?
"Oh, well of course I mean Dexx." Said the man, pulling up a seat. Bane had hardly noticed the overly long dining table in the middle of the room and the many chairs surrounding it, but he wasn't exactly there to admire the décor. "Oh, what am I doing!" He shouted, getting off his chair as if it were on fire. "I'll have to wait outside and tell the police it was a false alarm! They'll be here any minute." He said, making his way past the two Pokémon in front of him. "Ehh. . . do you want to come outside with me?" Asked the old man just before leaving the room, looking at Bane. "They'll be able to take you to the PokéCenter in the next town." He explained after seeing the confused look on the Squirtle's face.
"Uhh. . ." Bane stammered in response, trying to think of an answer. He wanted to have his leg healed, but he also wanted to stay and ask some more questions. Why was Dexx in the area? What would he need with a group of Pokémon as awful as he was? Deciding these were too important to go unanswered, he turned to the Arcanine so she could translate his response.
"Tell 'em I'll be out there in a second." He told her, putting his arms behind his head. She gave a nod and relayed the message rather apathetically, almost as if she was disappointed by his decision.
"All right." Said the man quickly after the Fire type spoke, leaving the room almost immediately afterward. Would the police really be there so soon? He had just called them about a minute ago. . .With a shrug, Bane turned his attention back to the Arcanine in front of him.
"I knew you wouldn't, but I was hoping you'd stay." She said, staring at his feet. "At least until your leg healed. It does get lonely around here. . ." She muttered, a certain sadness in her voice. The atmosphere suddenly became very. . . awkward, at least for Bane. He hadn't intended to upset anyone, but now that he had, he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't stay and forget about Nathan, Spark and Sarah. It was out of the question. Hopefully she was still in the mood to give him answers.
"Uhm. . . I'm sorry. . . ?" He tried to say in the most appropriate way possible. He didn't have too much experience socializing with anyone but Spark and Nathan, so he was still confused as to how the whole 'cheering up' thing was supposed to work. But he assumed that did the trick, since she chuckled in response.
"No, it's not your fault." She said with a faint smile. She shook her head slightly as if to clear her mind, then raised her gaze from Bane's feet to his eyes. "By the way, I don't think we've introduced ourselves. My name is Dashania." Said the Arcanine, extending a paw and finally adapting a friendly tone.
"Uh. Bane." He replied, extending his own arm and letting her shake his hand. He didn't really have time for this, but he preferred to remain polite.
"You seemed very interested in Dexx." She said suddenly, taking back her paw with a somewhat mischievous smile. "If you plan on stopping him, then I would be glad to give you all the information I can." She continued, her smile only becoming more and more broad with each passing second. Bane couldn't help but feel a tad flattered. Him? Stop Dexx? If he were the type to blush, he would have just then. But even if he wanted to stop Dexx, he couldn't. Not just because he morally can't kill any Pokémon, but also because he didn't have any of the others with him.
Still, he had to jump on her offer while he could. Even if they were supposed to be running from Dexx, it wouldn't do any harm to learn his current activities and who he hung around with. "Please do." The Squirtle replied, failing to hold back an excited grin. He knew this upcoming information would probably never be put to use, but it still felt invigorating to be on the brink of hearing it. It felt like the two of them were plotting against Dexx. Like something big had just been put into motion.
"Very well." Dashania began, taking a single step back. "He first came to this town three days ago. Since then, everyone has been fleeing their homes. The only ones left, including us, are those who are too poor to move to another area or have no place else to go. The police have been here near constantly these three days, and they're about to evacuate what few of us remain to. . . someplace safe, I suppose. Even the Pokémon Center here is in the process of shutting down." She said, gesturing to the outside with a tilt of her head.
"Pokémon Center?" Bane asked, darting his eyes in the same direction her head pointed before bringing them back to her just as quick. "But. . . I didn't see any Center when I was out there." He said, growing more confused by the second.
"Probably because the outside of the building isn't lit up like it normally is." She replied. "It's still rather noticeable, but I don't blame you for not seeing it." The Arcanine said, giving Bane's bloody leg a glance.
"I guess. . . but why are they shutting down? I mean, if Dexx is around, shouldn't the Pokémon Center stay open?" He asked. Surely the people responsible for saving hundreds of Pokémon per month wouldn't just up and run away because they were scared.
"The police have been shooing away trainers, which is the Center's only source of income." She explained calmly.
Wait. Now he knew that was wrong.
"None of the Pokémon Centers charge the trainers. . . they heal Pokémon for free." He stated. Either Dashania had her facts wrong, or this town operated differently from the rest.
"True." She said. "But they share profits with the Mart. Why else do you think they recently fused together, and why do you think they were always located so close together before?" She asked, giving him the tiniest condescending look her face could make. It was clear she took pride in her knowledge of how the human world worked, albeit a little too much pride. He didn't know how she knew all this, but he just assumed her owner told her.
Realizing how off track their discussion had gotten, he tried steering it back in the intended direction.
"So, what have Dexx and his little butt buddies even been doing here?" He asked. He realized that might have been a stupid question given Dexx's nature, but he had to be sure.
"I thought that would have been obvious to you." She replied, frowning a bit. "They've been abducting Pokémon from their loving homes, and even from the wild. . . and have been raping them. Most don't return, and the ones who do. . . well, I've offered to translate, but they're either too traumatized or too scared to talk." Dashania told him solemnly.
"But if no one ever talked, then how do you know Dexx's name, or anything about him?" Bane questioned. Did she force his name out of Dexx himself? Did the police give him a code name that just happened to also be his real name?
"Well. . ." She said slowly. "There was one victim who spoke to me. I've never seen him around here before, but there was no doubt in my mind as to what happened to him." She continued. Bane almost wanted to interrupt her and ask who it was, but after a brief pause, she answered his unspoken question. "It was a Raichu." She told him plainly.
A Raichu? Could that be the same one from before? Of course, it had to be. Didn't it?
"Um. . ." Bane stammered, searching for the right words to form his next question. ". . .This Raichu. When did you talk to him?" He asked. If she answered 'this afternoon', then that would have to mean. . .
"This afternoon." She replied. "Why?"
"Uhm, I'm not sure I have time to explain." He said. Either he was hearing things, or the police were arriving. He didn't know why he saved the most important question for last, but he had to ask it and get the answer quickly. "Dexx. What other Pokémon does he hang around with? Who's in his gang?" Bane asked, his head turning to the direction of the front door every few seconds. Dashania seemed to realize he was short on time, as her response was spoken very fast.
"A Charizard, Aggron, Luxray, Gengar and Typhlosion." She said, listing them off almost too rapidly for Bane to understand. He knew he'd have trouble remembering that, so he made a mental note to keep repeating them in his head until he could tell one of his friends. Not a moment too soon, the old man opened the front door. He could be seen from the room they were in, so there was no mistaking when he called for the Squirtle and gestured for him to come outside.
"I hope to see you again." Dashania said, practically whispering to him. Before Bane could say the same to her, she stepped forward a few paces and gave the side of his face a lick. He wasn't sure if that was a playful lick or a sorrowful "kiss", but judging by her expression, he would have to go with the latter. Bane awkwardly cleared his throat in response, unsure if he should wipe the remnants of her affection off his cheek. It was annoyingly wet, but he thought it rude to clean it in front of her. He would wait until he was outside.
"Uhh. . . I hope I see you again, too." He replied, slowly turning away from her. It was odd. He never felt this. . . befuddled around a female before. But then again, a female had never "kissed" him before. With a stiff wave, Bane began walking toward the old man and the police. Visiting that house turned out to be a good thing after all, Bane thought. Not only was he finally going to get his leg tended to, but he had also gotten some dirt on Dexx, and gained a potential ally in the process. Not to mention that the Raichu from before seemed to still be okay. Hopefully he could meet up with him and gain yet another ally.
Bane wasn't sure why he wanted to 'recruit' Pokémon, but thinking about it made him excited. After all, if Dexx had a big group, then he didn't see the harm in having one, too. "You always used to say 'fight fire with fire', didn't you, Dexx?" The Squirtle asked himself, holding back a confident chuckle. "Well, get ready to take your own advice, pal." Bane said happily, grinning like an idiot as he passed by the old man.
After a brief goodbye and a few waves to both Dashania and her Master, he was off and riding with the police. It was going to be a short ride to the Pokémon Center. He could feel it.
. . .
"Sarah." A voice said. Who was it. . . ? She was too groggy to tell. She tried opening her eyes, but they were intent on staying shut. "Are you all right? I saw you stirring in your sleep." Said the voice again. Oh, wait. Now she recognized it. The voice belonged to Spark. But why was she sleeping, and why did it feel like she was being carried?
A wave of dread washed over her as she remembered. What happened in the forest, what happened to her and Spark, and how they were separated from Nathan and Bane. She remembered all of it, but she wished she hadn't. "I'm fine. . ." Sarah responded quietly. That was a lie. She wasn't fine, but it was better than telling him how she really felt.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Muttered the Charmeleon, as he continued walking with her in his arms. It was only when a drop of water landed on her that she managed to open her eyes. Sarah was immediately greeted with the sight of Spark's bruised and beaten torso, and if anything, she wanted to apologize to Spark for the same thing.
Another drop of water landed on her. Was it about to rain? If so, they would have to find shelter. Spark wouldn't be able to survive if the flame on his tail was extinguished.
Wait. . .
It wasn't rain. After tilting her head away from his chest, it was perfectly clear what was landing on her. They were teardrops.
"Spark. . .?" Sarah questioned softly, trying to look him in the eyes. She couldn't see them, but a small part of her didn't want to.
"I was a fool for trying to run away." He said flatly, his voice beginning to break.
"No, Spark, you--" Sarah tried to say, but she was cut off as the Charmeleon set her down.
"--They're gone, Sarah. They're both gone, and I can't find them." Spark mumbled. How long had he been searching for Nathan and Bane? How long had he been carrying Sarah around? She didn't know. All she knew was that numerous regrets were suddenly filling her up. If they had just taken a different way. . . if they left the house a little earlier, none of this would have happened.
"Spark, none of this is your fault." She said quietly. It felt odd being the one to try and comfort him, since it was always the other way around before. He didn't respond or show any movement at all, which only made her more desperate to put his mind at ease. "You've done everything you co--"
"--That doesn't matter!" Shouted the Charmeleon, turning around to face her. His voice was filled with anger, yet tears were still streaming from his eyes. "What matters is Nathan and Bane, but do you see them anywhere?!" He yelled, advancing on Sarah as if he were about to hit her. "I don't! I haven't for hours! And you--"
She didn't know if Spark's voice gave out, or if he just stopped himself so he wouldn't say anything he'd regret. He simply paced back and forth, looking as though he wanted to destroy something. It was the first time Sarah saw him genuinely angry, and she couldn't say it wasn't frightening.
"We'll find them. . ." She said weakly. She didn't know whether or not he was going to lash out again, but she had to say something. If there was even the smallest chance of calming him down, she would take it. "We'll. . . They can't be far." She stammered, watching Spark walk back and forth. He simply ignored her and continued to pace.
She didn't know what to do. Words weren't working, and he was too unpredictable to approach. Maybe it would be best to just keep watch and let him cool down. But it soon became apparent that strategy might not work, either. If anything, Spark was becoming more distressed.
"I should have-- I can't. . ." He mumbled, his voice becoming more and more broken. The raging fire on his tail had shrunk in size a little, but it was still very large compared to normal. "I considered them my brothers!" He shouted, suddenly turning to Sarah again. His expression slowly turned from anger to hopelessness as he looked at her. "What do I do?" He asked. It wasn't a rhetorical question. He was actually pleading for an answer.
"Please, Sarah. . ." Spark said, looking like he was about to fall on his knees. "What do I do?" He asked through his tears, looking down at the small Pokémon below him. Sarah didn't know how to respond. She had never seen Spark so upset before.
The hopeless expression on his face only worsened with every second she remained silent. She had to say something, but her mouth refused to open. After a moment of struggling with herself, she decided if she couldn't comfort him with words, then she would do it with actions.
Without any kind of warning, Sarah suddenly wrapped herself around Spark and hugged him as tight as she could. Her arms couldn't fully reach around him and she wasn't exactly at the best level of height to be giving hugs, but it felt like the right thing to do. She even regained the ability to speak after pressing against him long enough.
"You keep looking for them." Sarah told him quietly. "You keep looking for them, and I'll look with you." She said firmly, closing her eyes. She was beginning to cry a little as well. Not just for Spark, but for Nathan and Bane, too. She had been regretting not chasing after them ever since she woke up. It felt like the dumbest thing she ever did in her life, made worse by the fact there was no guarantee she could ever make up for it.
Spark was barely embracing her, but Sarah could at least feel his claw on the side of her head. That was good enough for now.
"Come on." She said gently, looking up at the Charmeleon towering over her. "Those two are tougher than that." Sarah told him with a smile. Tears were still forming in his eyes, but he returned the smile as best he could. If he looked after Nathan and Bane for all these years, then he deserved to finally have someone look after him.
From now on, she was going to protect Spark as much as he protected everyone else.