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A Winkle in Reality: Chapter 8.
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 15:00:14 +0000 UTCChapter 8.
Surely nothing is afoot in the tropical paradise of the Sevii islands, right?
Right?
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Siren knew she wasn't the… smartest of creatures. It took her longer to understand things than it did others. Some things she didn't understand at all.
"Okay, same thing. A short blast rather than a sustained beam. Three. Two. One. Go!"
The rock flew high up in the air. Gathering the wet, slippery energy that filled her body into her mouth, she narrowed her eyes at the target, cheeks filling as the power was compressed into actual water. Lining up her shot, she put as much force behind it as she could while retaining the density and let loose a single blast.
She saw the hesitation in those that spoke to her. The… uncertainty, when she didn't respond for longer than they thought was normal. The judgment of her intelligence… and her appearance.
The water arched through the air, missing the rock by a foot and turning into a formless shape that rained down on the ocean seconds later.
"Hey, that was closer! You're getting there! Before long you're gonna be putting holes in solid steel from miles away!"
Siren knew that she was… ugly. She didn't have the fine fur of the Many-Tailed, Ra as he was named by Father-Brother, or the shiny forehead of Many-Tailed's vain rival. Her lips were too big, her scales too dull, her expressions too flat.
"Let's go again. You ready? Three. Two. One. Go!"
Siren knew she was weak. She couldn't fight or move on land, her Water Gun lacked range and… power, and the only time she had been of use in a fight was when Father-Brother used her like a club.
The next shot was a little closer.
"We're honing in! Light work, baby, light work."
But none of that had mattered to her. The looks, the judgment, the disdain, even the weakness didn't bother her as much as it should. Because she had her brother. Her father. She had his unconditional affection and faith.
"One more."
The attack lost cohesion right before striking the stone, yet glanced off the side.
"Hell yeah! We'll be done before the sun sets!"
From the very moment she hatched, he had been there. Smiling at her, cheering for her, complimenting her. Waiting patiently for her to understand, repeating himself or changing the wording when necessary. Even though he had a prettier, stronger, smarter companion already, he spent just as much, if not more, time caring for her as he did the arrogant member of their school. Their time together might have been short so far, yet it had been sweet. Despite the recent… tragedy, she was very content with her life, and especially her trainer.
One could even say they had been born together. Tied by faith. Father-Brother had told her of waking up in the desert, not remembering anything other than glimpses of an… other world. A dangerous, non… nonsensical, world.
The short Water Gun blast missed by inches.
And then, he found her. Or, her egg. Two beings, all alone in the vast desert, finding each other. How could that be anything other than destiny? Surely, they were meant to be together, for better or worse
Finally, the liquid bullet struck the rock and sent it careening into the pink and orange hued waves of the sunset, followed by a splash. It was a weak hit, but it was a hit.
"YEEAH! THERE WE GO! Hahaha, I knew you had it in you! Great job girl!"
So why? Why would he try to separate them?
She turned from her place amongst the bobbing water to look at the pier he was sitting on. He had a big smile and was clapping his hands as he cheered, but Siren saw through him. He was a good actor and she knew he had tried to use that to his advantage, but he couldn't fool her. She saw the… brittleness of his smile. The pain in his eyes. The forced nature of his cheering.
He was truly happy that she managed to finally hit the rock after over two hours of attempts, she knew that, yet his pain shone through like an Ember in the night.
She averted her eyes and heard him sigh.
She knew she was only adding to his difficulties. That her anger only hurt him more. But he had to understand. He had to know that what he did was wrong.
There was no Siren without Peri, and no matter how well intended, he could never offer his life for hers again, or tell her to leave him.
And yet…
"Please don't be angry. I know it was selfish, but I can't lose you too. I just can't. I'd rather die a hundred times over than allow that. And you shouldn't suffer for my mistakes. Fuck, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I suck so fucking much."
She looked back again as he rubbed his eyes aggressively with his hands. She felt like a… hypocrite. Because would she not make the same choice?
She was angry at him, but she understood. If a time came when she had to choose who lived, she would pick him 100 times out of 100. So what right did she have to be mad?
Siren wished she was stronger. If she was, she could have fought the Serpent that destroyed their transport. She could have saved Many-Tailed and Father-Brother's friends from the water, rather than struggling to even carry him above. She could have fought the Sword-Stalker that threatened to separate them.
She could have prevented Father-Brother from crying.
She swam in circles to build up momentum before leaping from the waves. The splash drew Father-Brother's attention right in time for him to see her flying towards him, allowing him to catch her. He held her close and pressed his lips to her head as was his custom. She wasn't sure why he did it, but it felt nice, and he seemed happy when she tried to imitate him.
"There you are. Sorry, didn't mean to be down. Does this mean you forgive me?"
There he went again, apologizing. Father-Brother took too much responsibility for things. Blaming himself for everything. Trying to be responsible and adult all the time, despite being a child himself.
He laughed as she tried to press her lips against his cheek. "Thank you princess. I won't do it again, I promise. You and I, we'll go down together."
Siren smiled as best she could, even though she knew the promise was false. Placed in the same situation, he would make the same choice.
But maybe it was time for Siren to grow up as well. To spare Father-Brother some pain even if it meant putting some of her feelings to the side. It was the least she could do, in return for everything he had done for her.
For she might be stupid, and ugly, and weak. But for Father-Brother, she would have a strong heart.
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"Maybe it's blackmail." I mused, leaning back on my hands and looking up into the sky. I'd give it the Pokémon world, and the Orange Islands in particular. It had some fantastic views. As soon as the gorgeous sunset ended, the nebulae opened up on the heavens and bathed the land in starlight. Thousands of shiny dots formed constellations unlike anything my original world could ever hope to match, stretching endlessly.
My original world.
I hadn't spared it much thought recently. The lack of memories kinda made it fade into the background when compared to all the crazy shit that had been happening. I wondered what kind of person I'd been.
Had I been successful, in that world where child murdering terrorists were at least rare and not something to be found in literally every nation?
Or had I been just as much of a fuck-up there?
Siren splashed some water up on the pier and I shook the thought off. I couldn't spend time feeling sorry for myself. There was still someone I had to take care of.
"I mean, it would make sense. They definitely knew something, and I don't think the Rockets are above that sort of shit."
We were taking a bit of a break from training. Siren had managed to hit the rocks a couple more times, but I wouldn't call it a combat worthy technique quite yet. The range was still very short and the force needed a lot of work. But there was something there, with the short range, repeated Water Gun.
Water Gatling Gun. Decent name.
Ice Beam was even more of a lost cost for now. It took an eternity to form, if it even did and didn't dissipate, it was inaccurate as fuck and and failed to make much more than ice cubes when it hit the water.
But the break had inevitably led my thoughts back to the Rangers and their sus as fuck behavior.
"Or maybe they're just in on it." I continued. "I wouldn't be shocked. Fuck, it even kinda makes sense from their perspective, I guess. I'd be fucking pissed if someone came to 'help' me, and then just took over."
I'd been confused when the Rangers said they were from the Orange League, but Nurse Joy had been kind enough to clear it up for me. Much like Sharon had said about Orre, the Sevii Islands were heavily disputed territory. Hoenn and Indigo, either Johto, Kanto, or both, had been fighting over the archipelago that lay between them for centuries, without anyone managing to hold them for more than a few years before they were dislodged.
According to Nurse Joy, however, that ended a little over 40 years ago. Apparently there was some kinda war between Kanto and Hoenn over in Orre, and Johto had seen its chance to establish a deeper hold on the islands and get out from under Kanto's thumb. Apparently, they overestimated how much Kanto had invested into the war and when Sevii called for aid, Kanto had answered in force from the north, attacking both the islands and Johto directly, while Hoenn came in from the south, before being forced to withdraw due to some kind of internal conflict.
Kanto had used the opportunity to get an unprecedented hold over Sevii. In fact, their grasp was so strong that they managed to install their own Rangers and government, full on renaming the Islands to the Orange League, much like Johto apparently used to be technically called the Silver League.
I really wasn't sure I liked all this war in my children's relaxation game. It was supposed to be a fun time, dammit, filled with stereotypes and wacky characters, not murder and imperialism.
Shitty reincarnation. Why couldn't I just go to the game universe? Fight God and put him in a ball on my belt?
Anyway, the locals were understandably not super impressed by the take over. So if they were working with Team Rocket, a terrorist organization that primarily targeted Kanto, I could see where that would've started.
Not that it made it okay, or that I wasn't gonna find some way to fuck them up if they were.
"I suppose we can do some digging while looking for a way to Pallet. You wanna head back?" I asked Siren, ready and quickly catching her when she leaped at me. We started back down the long wooden pier and headed towards the Five Island's, formerly Fairchild Island, PokeCenter.
Nurse Joy hadn't been happy with me leaving the bed so soon, but short of tying me down, there wasn't much she could do about it. If I stayed outside all night, however, she might actually do so.
There weren't many people out and about so late, and the few there were, preferred ignoring me, presumably due to their history with outsiders. I was okay with it. I wasn't in the mood to socialize and enjoyed taking in the small town.
Five Island, both the town and the island itself which shared the name, had a population of only a little over 2.000, and it showed in the layout. The wooden houses were built far apart, raised over the ground level and with big pillars holding up the large overhangs that shaded the porches. The door frames were wide and even when closed were semi-open to allow air flow, huge windows standing unlatched even in the night. The roofs were kinda flat, with only a little angle to allow rain to drain, and extended unnecessarily far in every direction.
They were kinda cute and a major upgrade from Gateon. They fit the tropical vibe of the whole islands, the wild flowers growing everywhere and the colorful, thin and flowy clothing of the inhabitants.
I might've liked it if they weren't fucking bitches that covered up child murder. For that alone they could go fuck themselves.
Beautiful place, shit people. Other than Nurse Joy, who seemed like a sweetheart, based on the limited interaction we'd had so far. Though I suppose that she might not be from the Sevii Islands, so the point stood. The mystery of the Joy's was one of the many persisting in the Pokémon world.
And speaking of shit people. My eyes landed on the man walking ahead of me, his form almost indistinguishable in the darkness, only highlighted by the occasional torch. He was clad all in black, with a hood pulled down low over his face, shoulders pulled up to his ears. He power-walked with long strides, hurrying without wanting to look like he was hurrying.
Even without the criminal 101 costume he had on, he'd have been suspicious simply for trying so hard to not be suspicious.
I slowed down, allowing the guy to stay as far ahead as possible, while still being able to see him. It didn't seem necessary as he never looked over his shoulder or even left or right, yet better safe than sorry. Siren picked up on my mood and tensed.
There was a chance that there was nothing fishy going on and it was just an edgy guy that liked black who lost track of time and was making his way home. And even if he was up to something, it was unlikely that it had anything to do with me.
Experience said otherwise. Everything had something to do with me, or would end up fucking me over. Nothing had gone right at any point for me.
Was it really paranoia when the universe itself seemed out to get you?
Especially as we got closer to the PokeCenter and the black-clad fellow didn't slow down, heading straight through the automatic doors. I sped back up as they slid closed again, hiding my target from view. Adrenaline flooded my veins.
Yeah, it definitely concerned me.
The foyer was empty as I cautiously stuck my head in, even with all the lights on. The U-shaped front desk was deserted, though the large TV over it displayed some sort of local program regarding Chesto berries, and the row of half a dozen PC's with metal dividers between them sat unoccupied. Checking the corners, I quickly scurried over to the hallway where my room was. The corridor contained half a dozen rooms, mine being the second on the right.
Sure enough, my door was cracked open. Straining my ears, I could hear someone shuffling around in there.
I pulled back and quickly rounded the desk, crouching down behind it, my hands clutching Siren so hard she let out a low grunt to make me ease up. My whole body started shaking as I stuffed the joint of my thumb in my mouth to try and clam down.
The guy was there for me, there was no doubt. Was it one of the Rangers? Or… or was it Team Rocket?
Did those fucking cucks sell me out!? Did they tell the Rockets that I survived!?
I was vibrating with conflicting emotions. Rage, unbearable, blinding rage pumped like magma through my body. It felt like I was burning and I wanted to hit, to hurt, to kill, every last one of the fucking cunts that thought they could fuck with me. To dish out a thousand fold the pain they caused me.
Yet… there was also fear. I could admit it. Team Rocket… they weren't like Snagem. Or like in the games or anime. This version were stone cold killers, with both numbers and powerful Pokémon, and… I didn't want to die. I didn't want Siren to die, or get hurt. But the anger couldn't be denied. No matter how high my heart sat in my throat or how clammy my palms were, I couldn't let it go. The voice of that arrogant fucking prick, Proton, hadn't left my head since I first heard it. I tried to ignore it, to push it out, but it was always right there.
I would have to be cautious. I couldn't afford any more mistakes, anymore fuck-ups, but if it truly was Team Rocket, I had to do something.
Ra deserved that much. Sharon, Rat, Joe, John, Reed. They deserved to be avenged.
A quiet click! and slow footsteps echoed through the lifeless PokeCenter as the guy came back, walking right by the place I was hiding. I tasted blood as I bit down further on my finger, slow, deep breaths of air coming through my nose. I wanted to jump him, just fucking clobber him over the back of the head and punch him over and over and over and over, until he stopped moving and even then I wasn't sure I was gonna stop. But I held off. I had to hold off.
If it truly was Team Rocket and they either had the Rangers under their thumb, were working with them, or they'd been full on infiltrated, then they had a base. Somewhere to gather and plan their shit. To store their stuff and boats.
Somewhere to get their orders. Somewhere their leader would hang out. Somewhere Proton was.
The doors closed after him and I swiftly turned to Siren. "Girl, I'm gonna recall you. Don't start," I quickly said when I saw her about to protest. "I can't carry you and follow him at the same time. They… they killed Ra. We can't let them get away. I'll let you out if anything happens, and you can get out yourself as well." She gazed at me for long enough that it started getting uncomfortable, but agreed in the end, disappearing into her ball with one last gurgle I interpreted as her saying to be careful.
Giving the guy a head start, I followed him out of the doors. Looking around, I found him headed out of town, luckily not looking back at the sliding sound repeating. Sticking to the shadows and using trees and houses as cover, I crept after him.
I stalked him as the stone paved path turned to dirt and the torches became a distant flickering light. The houses were replaced by sparse trees as we skirted the forest edge, the sounds of the waves intermingling with faint hoots and rustling. I couldn't decide if the guy was stupid or brave for continuing through the dark without either a source of light or a Pokémon by his side. I was all the way on edge, every tiny sound making me freeze in place, before hurrying after my prey. I was starting to wish I hadn't recalled Siren.
Or that I still had Ra to watch my back. I clenched my teeth to contain the fresh surge of madness-inducing fury.
We traveled for a time, the stars and moon struggling to illuminate the path more and more as we entered the forest properly. My footing became uncertain and when a branch broke under the shoes Nurse Joy had managed to find for me, I thought I'd been discovered as the man stopped. I quickly ducked behind a tree and stilled, ears almost hurting with how hard I was straining them.
I held my breath as the silence lasted for way longer than I was comfortable with, each heartbeat pulsing in my ears, yet the footsteps continued eventually. A shaky exhale escaped me as I gave him a moment longer before following.
Soon, the woods thinned out again, and we came upon a large clearing, with a small copse of very densely packed trees in the middle. I waited behind the treeline, slowly circling around to keep the man in sight as he crossed straight through. We couldn't be more than 30 minutes outside of town, so I expected him to continue through the field into the forest on the other side, so I was quite flabbergasted when he went up to the copse. He checked over his shoulder, yet I was well hidden in the darkness, and then turned back to the tree in front of him and knocked on it five times. My chin fell to my chest as the trunk swung open, another man greeting the first and letting him in through the secret door and closing it behind him.
I didn't get a good look at the second man, but one thing stood out clearly, my fingers bleeding from digging into the bark.
The large red TR on the front of his black shirt.
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply in and out, dedicating every ounce of my willpower to stop myself from rushing in and getting myself killed and Siren stolen. No matter how angry I was, or how much stronger humans in the Pokémon universe were compared to my normal world, I was still just a kid with a big fish.
I couldn't do it by myself, even if I really fucking wanted to.
The Rangers weren't going to help, they were definitely in on it. Fortunately for me, they weren't the only ones I'd met on Five Island.
I had a strong suspicion regarding the presence I met in the forest, now that my concussion had been treated and I'd learnt that the Sevii Islands and the Orange Islands were the same. And if I was right, they should be plenty strong enough to help.
Assuming that I could find them and convince them to help.
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Siren had not been a fan of my plan when I told her, which I couldn't blame her for as we stumbled through the forest in essentially pitch blackness. The feebas was scanning our surroundings so fast it looked like she was trying to swim out of my arms, her cheeks slightly bloated as she held a Water Gun at the ready.
It was a stupid plan, but what choice did we have? I couldn't just walk away, not now. Not when I knew for a fact that the bastards that took nearly everything from me were within walking distance.
"Hello!? Friendly Psychic!? You out here!?" I wasn't sure where we'd met it the first time, on account of the teleporting. I also wasn't sure if it was still there, or wanted to meet me again, even if it had said we'd do so. Walking blindly through a forest filled with things that both could, and in some cases wanted to, eat you while yelling was probably at the top of my stupid list, but it was worth it.
It had to be worth it.
A shadow darted overhead, making me flinch and Siren blasted her Water Gun straight up in the air, accomplishing little more than getting us wet from the drizzle. Waiting a couple of beats, I sighed in both frustration and relief. Not getting killed was always great, but it was the fifth time something had fucked with us only to turn out to be nothing.
My sphincter was producing coal at that point.
I turned back to what I thought was the way we were going, mumbling curses under my breath. Spinning, a large green face filled my vision, angular eyes gazing back at me from half a foot away.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
I screamed and fell backwards. Siren cried out with me and did her best imitation of a sprinkler, short blasts of water flying in every direction. I saw a couple break harmlessly on the hard green carapace that bared our way, the Scyther not bothering to dodge like it did last time.
The large Bug-Type stared down at us with the same cocked head it used previously. Its wings buzzed, vibrating so fast they disappeared from view, and it scraped its scythes together with an ear wrenching screech, like steel ripping through steel. Apparently, it didn't give a fuck about making noise.
"Uuuh, hi? Can… we didn't mean to bother you," I spoke slowly and clearly, having to raise my voice to be heard over the intimidating reminder of the size of its sword arms. I kept Siren aimed at its midsection. She couldn't actually do anything, yet it made us both feel better. "We were just looking for the other Pokémon we met yesterday. Or earlier today, whatever. Is it… is it around?"
Scyther didn't react, still posturing and staring. Did all Pokémon understand human speech? Both Ra and Siren did, but maybe I was just imagining stuff and it was gibberish to them as well in the beginning. They might just have been too polite to mention it.
The Scyhter seemed to be doing it more out of hunger than courtesy, however, based on the way its tongue flickered out of its mouth and it rubbed its snout against its biological weaponry in between deafening screeches. With one final rub, it raised its arms out to the sides, something taking hold in its gaze, like it had made a decision. I started crawling backwards slowly, trying not to set it off, yet now certain that I'd made a mistake. Doing this at night was fucking dumb. I should've just waited until dawn, but I was too eager and angry and now we were going to get eaten alive by a giant fucking mantis monster-
-The Scyhter turned around and walked away slowly into the darkness. I stared after it slack jawed, my life, brief as it was, flashing before my eyes before vanishing like smoke. What the fuck was that?
Did it fake me out? Was it fucking with me, just posting up for the hell of it? Or was that actually as close as it felt?
The light green exoskeleton was nearly gone before it stopped and looked over its shoulder at us. We stared at each other for a bit, before it huffed and slashed straight through a thin tree trunk, parting it with horrific ease as it hit the forest floor with an echoing CRASH!, countless branches snapping on its way down.
I got the hint and quickly got to my feet. My fingers were cramping from the death grip I maintained on Siren, yet I cautiously stepped forward and followed the giant sapient bug into the dark unknown forest.
What the fuck happened to my life when that was the safest and most logical decision?
Despite its large size and body shape optimized for combat and more open areas, Scyther was incredibly agile in navigating the dense foliage, slipping between trees with ease, hovering over roots with a few casual flaps of its wings and it passed through bramble so delicately that I'd have sworn it turned intangible. I imagined that it had great eyesight. We never got lost or had to double back and its eyes flickered between things that remained unseen to me, yet it was clearly tracking something.
I, on the other hand, was about as graceful as a newborn giraffe. Twigs and thorns tore at my arms as I forced my way through, tripping over roots and holes near constantly. I kept running face first into trees or falling over to the point where Siren was brown more from dirt than her natural hue. On and on we went, Scyther stopping every now and again to allow me to catch up, even though it buzzed and scraped impatiently every time. We went for so long that I started wondering if the sun was gonna rise before we arrived wherever it was we were going.
We came upon an extra dense section of jungle, interlocking wood forming a natural barrier that seemed impassable. Scyther did some kind of ninja shit and seemed to phase straight through the wood. I sighed and followed. Holding Siren over my head, I sucked in my belly and started squeezing. It was rough going. I kept getting stuck, either because it was too tight or the bark was hooking my clothing, and eventually I had to crawl up the trees a little to squeeze through. Though, when I finally did, it came unexpectedly and the force sent me falling flat on my face, Siren rolling with an upset gurgle at my clumsiness.
"Sorry girl." I mumbled, picking her up and brushing as much of the dirt off as I could. Giving it up as a lost cause with how wet and dirty my fingers were, I looked around for our guide, and immediately froze. Siren had her eyes closed as I tried to clean her and gaped questioningly up at me. Seeing me distracted she looked the same way and froze as well.
Eyes peered down on us from all around the small clearing, bathed in starlight. Large ones that shone bright white in reflection hung in the canopy, red ones fluttering in and out of view, multi-compounded hexagons blinking from low bushes, and normal looking orbs from every direction, high and low.
We were surrounded.
I slowly held up one hand in a gesture of surrender.
"Hello… sorry to intrude, we're just, uh… looking for this Psychic Pokémon? That teleported me to the town? Is… are they around?"
Something large emerged from the void in front of me, red gem glinting from its head.
"I am indeed, young one. I must say, this is a surprise. I know I said our paths would cross once more, but I did not foresee it being so soon. Many have looked, yet few dare search for me in such a manner. Bravery or foolishness, the line can be so thin."
Emerging from the shadows, I could finally get a good view of my savior and confirm my suspicions. The creature was primarily pink, with a pale yellow muzzle and scaled belly. Its feet and hands each had two clawed digits, with an additional clawless thumb. Around its neck was a spiny ruff of alternating red and white stripes. The crown on its head was gray and had a spiral shape with two horns near the base, a red gem residing in the center of the headpiece. I knew that while it looked like a hat, if the Pokémon were to turn around, the eyes of the Shellder that had latched onto the Pokémon head would be visible.
The Slowking observed me with a somewhat derpy looking smile, though there was no denying the obvious intelligence in its eyes.
Or the fact that it was talking. Not psychically, no. It full-on formed English words, or whatever language humans spoke around these parts, with its lips.
It was definitely the Slowking from the second Pokémon movie, the one on Shamouti Island.
"Oh, uh, Hi! I didn't expect you to just show up in person, uh. Thank you."
"I imagined you would prefer it this way. Your nature makes telepathic communication somewhat difficult, and even painful for you."
I frowned at the response. My nature?
"My nature?"
Slowking dismissed my question with a wave of his hand. "Why have you come, young one?"
I wanted to push the issue. Did he know why my emotions were all over the place?
But there were more pressing matters.
"You were in my head, right? You saw what happened before I got here?" He nodded in response, smile dropping a little.
"I did. Once again you have my condolences."
"Thank you, but that's not why I'm here. I found them. Team Rocket. I found their hideout and I need your help."
He scrutinised me for a moment. "I know humans have those specialized in such matters. Why come to us instead of your own kind?"
I clenched my fists, trying not to growl the words out. "I tried. The two-faced fucks are working with them. They're covering up the murder of Pokémon, adults and even children. If I tell them about the hideout, it'll be gone by morning. You're my only hope. Please."
Slowking stayed silent for another beat, taking in my words. "I see. As seems to be your want, you face a situation too great for a child. That said," he kept going, crushing the sparks of hope that ignited within me, "and I mean this with all due respect for your loss and circumstances. Why should we risk ourselves for your revenge? The type of fortified compound you speak of will surely be well guarded. It would cost many of us our lives. How could I ask those who look to me for guidance to sacrifice themselves for a stranger?"
That was a very fair question and one that I'd thought over on the way. Thankfully, I felt I'd found an answer.
"Because it isn't just about me. Do you know what Team Rocket's official motto is?" I waited for him to shake his head. "Its 'Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.'" Low growls and hoots filled the air from the audience and Slowking's smile vanished completely. I almost smiled myself. I had to dig DEEP to remember the words and I wasn't sure they were 100 percent correct, but they seemed to do the job. "It's not just about my revenge. It's about your safety. If Team Rocket is here, then you can be damm certain that they're fucking with the Pokémon. Why else would they set up base on the island noted for its extra large and strong Pokémon." I hoped that part of the anime was still correct despite the changes to the lore. If nothing else, it stroked their egos. "Have you noticed more disappearances? More young Pokémon suddenly vanishing?"
The increased agitation was the only answer I needed. I began addressing my words more to the hidden onlookers than Slowking, who watched on, regaining a smidge of his lost smile. As much as gaining the leader's backing would be great, an angry mob worked too.
"If the Rockets have them, then they're in danger, if not dead already. Team Rocket doesn't just see children as acceptable targets, they prefer them! They're cowards who target the weak and if you're lucky they'll kill you! If not, they'll take you and torture you, break you, break your children, and turn them into mindless slaves that do whatever they want you to! Are you okay with that!? Are you just gonna sit here while they slowly take everyone else, until there's no one left!?"
I'd stirred up a proper frenzy by that point. The forest was shaking as the Pokémon let their disagreement be known. Branches snapped, bushes were trampled, and trees toppled over. The movement and rioting allowed the moonlight to reveal some of the participants of the impromptu war council. Huge apes, with pale fur and what looked like boxing gloves for hands, pounded the earth and their chest with stone shattering force as they howled, big clumps of ground erupting from their strikes. Big brown rats with round bodies chattered and squeaked, their giant incisors clacking threateningly. Leaves were whipped into a blizzard from the force of enormous wings that beat in the canopy, giving me glimpses of red, brown, and tan feathers in a variety of shapes. Humongous wasps, twice the size of Siren, with big red eyes and two monstrous stingers for hands darted in and out of the shadows, the buzz of their wings adding a steady undercurrent to the cacophony.
It was a deafening display of intent, far beyond anything I'd ever expected. There had to be hundreds of Pokémon in that small area alone, the vast majority of which I'd only seen in pixilated form. My mouth gaped a little when I saw vine-like tentacles wrap around the base of a large tree, at least 50 feet in height. The vines tightened, making the trunk creek ominously as it bent, before with a loud SNAP! it broke clean off. The vines lifted the timber back with them and my jaw fell further as two large and oddly flat arms took hold of it and lifted it above a tall, ill-defined shape that pumped it up and down in excitement. It kinda looked like a spaghetti monster, or something from certain porn sites, wriggling tentacles either making up or covering its whole body. Its large white eyes widened when it saw me watching, letting go of the tree with its left hand. I somewhat numbly lifted my hand at it as it waved its red fingered appendage at me furiously, gurgling in a way I could only describe as cheerful despite the deep voice.
"Let's settle down everyone. There is no need to make a mess."
Despite being worded as a polite request, all activity ceased immediately, all participants turning to look at the Slowking.
He sent me a knowing look, his gem shining bright for a moment as he concentrated. A sharp pain japped me in the head, like a knife stabbing into my brain.
"Subtle you are not, my friend, if charismatic at a base level."
I shrugged unrepentantly. As long as it worked.
"I can not tell my people to go to war on the words of a child, no matter how… engaging their speeches." The hope that had steadily been building died in a flash. "However," It roared back to life. "I will put it to a vote."
The Psychic-Type turned to his subordinates, arms held wide.
"What say you!? Will we take up arms against these threats that lurk in our woods!?"
The answering roar made the earlier ruckus seem like a polite indoor conversation. I finally allowed the grin to take over my face.
Team Rocket was so fucked.
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A Pokémon senate meeting. Fun stuff. Next chapter is were things really kick off.
