literature

Weapons, Chapter Forty-Seven

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 We were yelled awake. Jolted from our sleep most unkindly, but no one else in the room seemed to mind. Just me.

 “Come on.” Kahei grinned. “Time to get to work.”

 It wasn’t Gregor waiting for us when we tumbled back into the room they’d brought us to the night before. A different guy, just as heavyset but black, was waiting, his arms crossed and feet spread wide on a mat.

 Keyare was curled in a corner, Kyirin floating over him. As I came in, he lifted his head, but at a warning growl from the big black-and-white bipedal pokémon beside him, he dropped it again.

 “You’re our break-in, are you?”

 “What’s it to you?”

 He laughed, showing a flash of white teeth. “You definitely belong with us. Come here.” He beckoned me forward. “Show me your other pokémon.”

 I stepped forward and brought out Keysorkin’s and Keyethin’s pokéballs. “I don’t have all of them with me.”

 “Show me the ones you do have.”

 I released the two of them and bit my lip, wishing I’d been able to do this somewhere else, quietly and on my own.

 “Ax? Where are we now?” Keyethin looked around uneasily. “Who are all these people?”

 “Another poison type… but the blastoise could be useful.”

 Keysorkin turned to size him up. “Who is he to tell us I could be useful?”

 “Eth, come here.” I motioned him over, and rubbed the venusaur’s head. “It’s alright.”

 “Are you sure?”

 I nodded dumbly.

 “Return the charizard and the venusaur, you won’t be needing them.”

 “Sorry, Eth,” I whispered. “I’ll explain later.” I returned him, and then Keyare.

 Kyirin floated over to my side, hissing something to Keysorkin as she passed.

 Keysorkin turned and waddled over to my side as the pokémon that had been guarding Keyare lumbered to join – I presumed – its trainer.

 “My name is Hyder. I am your trainer.” He looked beyond me, at the other people. “Go out into the back and pair up. Train. Kahei.”

 She stopped, turning back.

 “You stay with us.”

 Kahei nodded. “Should I be using any of my pokémon?”

 “Not yet. Stand with your friend here, and advise her on battling.”

 Advise me on – we were just going to jump straight in? I shot a glance at Kahei, who nodded and joined me.

 “You have a pokédex, right?”

 “Not on me.”

 “Oh… great. Hyder, can we hold up a moment? I need to run for something.”

 He folded his arms and nodded.

 She ran from the room, back through to the sleeping room.

 “What are we doing here?” Keysorkin growled.

 I shrugged, not really wanting to speak to her and reveal what I could do.

 “Ok, and back.” Kahei stumbled into the room with a beaten up old pokédex and scanned Keysorkin as she came back to my side. “Go ahead.”

 “Chamry – use vital throw.”

 Hyder’s pokémon lumbered forward, paws outstretched.

 “’Sorkin–” I didn’t know her moves. Did he really just expect me to–

 “Water pulse,” Kahei murmured. “Don’t let him get near.”

 “Water pulse,” I called out.

 Keysorkin lowered herself and grunted, then opened her mouth and… and sang water at her opponent. She wrapped it around his head, spinning him off balance.

 “Good.” Hyder watched, his face blank. “Pan?”

 Keysorkin drew the water away as the pokémon sat down hard on the ground.

 Kahei grinned. “Nice shot.”

 “Thanks?” I shrugged. “What is his pokémon?”

 “Pangoro. From Kalos. Dark-fighting type.”

 “Thanks.” Didn’t tell me much.

 “Chamry, use work up.”

 The pokémon – the pangoro – struggled to get back to its feet, shaking its head. It growled menacingly at Keysorkin and flexed its muscles.

 Kahei showed me the screen of the pokédex. “Keysorkin’s moves.”

 I glanced down them, and oh thank Mew they had explanations by them. “Rapid spin.”

 Keysorkin launched herself at the pangoro and slammed him broadside.

 “Circle throw!”

 The pangoro caught hold of Keysorkin’s shell, stopping her in her tracks.

 “Withdraw!”

 As it threw her, she pulled limbs and head inside, and she slammed into the wall.

 Kahei grabbed me as I started to run towards her, pulling me back. “She’ll be fine.”

 And sure enough, Keysorkin was poking her head out, lurching to her feet.

 “Use karate chop, Chamry.”

 “Keysorkin – water pulse!”

 She sang out once more, and the water caught her opponent and forced it back.

 I grinned, but the pangoro forced its way through the water and slammed a clawed paw down onto Keysorkin’s head. “Key!”

 The blastoise slumped down the wall and the pangoro stepped back, clenching its paws into fists.

 “Well.” Hyder nodded to the pangoro as it rejoined him. “Not too bad.”

 I shook off Kahei’s hand now and ran to Keysorkin’s side, checking to see if she was ok.

 She lumbered to her feet somewhat unsteadily. “He’s got quite a hard paw on him.”

 “I’m sure he does – Kahei, do you have potions?”

 “Here.” Hyder passed me a reddish spray bottle. “Have this one.”

 “Thank you.” I took it and sprayed it over Keysorkin, stepping back as she turned to her opponent.

 “You did better than I was expecting, from what Kahei told me.”

 I shot a glance at Kahei, who laughed and held up her hands.

 “I just said you didn’t like battling!”

 “But you have a grasp of what’s needed, certainly. I shouldn’t think it will take much longer to have you able to fight the gym.”

 I nodded uncertainly. “I’ve only got by them on luck so far. It would be good to start relying on skill.”

 “Well, we can help with that.” Hyder smiled. “Bring forward your other one, that ghost. Kahei, it’s your turn.”

 Kahei grinned and sauntered over to his spot at the end of the hall, releasing her medicham. “Come at me, bro.”

 “Kyirin?” I looked up.

 The haunter appeared and took her place.

 I stepped back to mine. “Ready when you are, Kahei.” I held up her pokédex, scanning Kyirin.

 “Zen headbutt!”

 Her medicham moved forward gracefully, running towards Kyirin.

 “Uh – shadow punch.”

 Kyirin drifted out of the way and lashed a fist at Chern’s head, sending her stumbling.

 Hyder watched from beside Keysorkin and Chamry, arms folded.

 “C’mon, Chern, you can do better than that!”

 I grinned. “Confuse ray.”

 Kyirin swayed in the air, capturing Chern’s attention.

 “No – no, Chern! Thunder punch!”

 Chern closed her eyes and lashed out with a fist that crackled.

 Kyirin spun back, but Chern caught her anyway and I winced as I heard her shriek.

 “You alright?”

 “I can continue,” she hissed, moving higher.

 “Shadow ball, if you’re sure.”

 She spun a misty ball between her hands.

 “Chern, detect!”

 As she threw it, the medicham threw herself to the side and it missed, slamming into the ground.

 “Zen headbutt!”

 Chern leapt and Kyirin spiralled backwards, but the medicham caught her by the claws and pulled her in close to slam their heads together, and dropped Kyirin into the ground before her.

 Kyirin groaned and wriggled free, her eyes glowing. “You will not do that to me again!” She tapped one claw against her own head and shot forward as Chern jumped back to tap her other clawed hand against the medicham’s head.

 Then the haunter dropped, barely keeping off the ground.

 “Kyirin!”

 Chern stumbled, going down onto one knee and pressing a palm into the ground.

 Kyirin laughed, almost panting.

 “Stop there.” Hyder stepped onto the pitch, Chamry at his side as he crouched down beside the pokémon. “Drop the curse.”

 Kyirin cracked open an eye. “Never.”

 “Kyirin, drop it.”

 Chern keeled forward, forehead against the wood.

 “What’s she done to Chern?” Kahei ran forward to support her pokémon. “What’s happening?”

 “Kyirin is being very stubborn. Ax?”

 As if she would listen to me. “Stop it, Ky–”

 Kahei looked up at me. “Tell her! Tell her to drop it!”

 What did she think I was doing? “Kyirin–” I began again.

 “She slighted me, I will not have it! I will not lose to one such as this!”

 “Then take it out on the gym, dammit! Take it out on me, not Chern! It’s not her fault you got me as a trainer, is it?” I clenched my fists. “No more, Kyirin. No. More.”

 They were both staring at me, Kahei and Hyder. I ignored them, glaring at Kyirin.

 Eventually the ghost nodded, and it felt as though something snapped in the room, releasing something.

 “Thank you,” Kahei said quietly. “C’mon, Chern.” She sprayed the pokémon with an orange bottle, then returned her to a pokéball. “Hyder, I’m going to the centre.”

 “Do.” Hyder nodded slowly, still watching me.

 Kahei pushed herself to her feet and left without a backwards glance.

 I didn’t have Kyirin’s pokéball with me, else I’d have returned her before it had got that far. As she drifted back towards me, I wondered if I could go and retrieve it… just for the sake of not having to see her for a while.

 “So.”

 I looked back to Hyder. “I never wanted Kyirin on my team,” I said. “She wouldn’t be here if…”

 “If what?”

 “If the machines had worked.” I shrugged. “I tried to send her back to the lab. It didn’t work.”

 Kyirin laughed. “We have work to do, you and I.”

 “Shut up,” I snapped at her. “Go and haunt someone else, why don’t you?”

 “You have a psychic gift,” Hyder remarked.

 “I – what?” I shook my head. “No I don’t.”

 “You speak like you understand her.”

 Well, I might’ve put my foot in that. “That is…”

 “Complicated?” he supplied.

 I nodded. “Something like that.”

 “Well, if you’re looking for psychic training, ask at the gym next door.” He cracked his neck. “We deal purely in the physical world.”

 “I’m just looking for dealing with the physical world.”

 “Excellent.” He turned away and beckoned me to follow him. “Leave your pokémon here.”

 I put Keysorkin’s, Keyare’s, and Keyethin’s pokéballs down and walked past Kyirin with a glare and a hissed ‘Stay here’.

 Chamry watched me past and folded his arms, turning to gaze at Kyirin. She probably wouldn’t get too far with him watching.

 “What is the nature of your psychic gift?”

 “I don’t have one,” I replied automatically. “And I’d rather not speak about it.”

 “Not speaking about the gift you don’t have?” Hyder laughed. “Has it caused trouble for you?”

 I gritted my teeth and looked away, still following him through corridors I didn’t think this building held.

 “Then you need a distraction.” He slid open a door and walked into a wide room, sliding off his shoes and putting them to the side.

 “A… distraction?” I frowned, and didn’t bother to take off mine as I followed him, closing the door.

 “To – well, I’d say to keep you out of trouble, but considering where we found you, that seems to be a foolish endeavour.” He turned, thumbs hooked into his wide belt. “Say, rather, to help you when you get into trouble. So that the… gift you do not have doesn’t take over, hm?”

 “So… you’re going to teach me something.” I stopped before him, on the slightly raised platform. “What?”

 He raised his hands and gestured me closer.

 Frowning, I moved nearer, well within arm’s reach.

 “How to fall.” He smiled and threw me to the ground.

 Hey ho
 Fightin' time.
 I think the gym's next chapter?
 Fun times all round, yes.

 Kyirin's still a little bit of a dick. Should probably get that sorted.
© 2014 - 2024 Shaydesmar
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