Disclaimer: All rights for the Pokemon franchise go to Nintendo. This story is a fan fiction in this franchise universe, categorized under fan fiction.
This story is obviously fiction. It's also PG-13, so... yeah. Probably won't offend anybody, but err, I guess you never know? Huh.
Analia
Part Five
A crack of morning sun peered through the kitchen window, and Kai quickly mixed the pancake batter in the bowl. Dawn peered over from her work at the chopping board. "You're good at this!" she exclaimed.
Kai smiled, looking up from the bowl. He cradled it in his arm and moved his stirring hand with masterful swiftness, folding in ingredients left and right. "Oh, but I've been doing this for years. You're a first-timer and you're doing great, Dawn. Such precise cuts." he commented.
Dawn blushed with pride, looking down at the bananas Kai asked her to cut. She finished slicing the last one and moved onto a juicy red apple. Then, Dawn heard a frustrated noise. She turned to Kai. "What's wrong?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing." Kai procured a bottle from the cabinet. "We're running low on maple syrup. We still have enough for breakfast though."
"Is there a market in town?"
Kai froze. He put the bottle down and turned to the stove, now spooning the batter out onto a sizzling frying pan. "There is. But we don't go to town. Most of our supplies we grow ourselves, or buy from a traveling merchant that comes around once a month."
"Oh."
"Please tell the guys that breakfast is almost ready."
With a sudden change in conversation, Kai repelled Dawn's suggestion and his mood suddenly dampened. He seemed troubled for the rest of the morning, even at the table when he ate. Ash and Brock didn't seem to notice, but Reece definitely did. He made efforts to be extra cheerful, to shower Kai with praise, but nothing seemed to elicit any other response in him but a fake gentle smile.
Dawn contemplated this after she volunteered to do the dishes. As the hot water and soap bubbles gathered in the pooling sink, she realized that this might be the last day she, Ash, and Brock would be staying. How could they just leave on this note? With Kai, the kindest person she knew, in the pits?
"Something has to be done." she said to herself, although she didn't mean to say it out loud. Brock, who was passing by the kitchen, heard her and poked his head in.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." Dawn said hurriedly. She slipped off her rubber gloves and wiggled past Brock. "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be right back." Dawn clutched her sidebag close to her and sidled out the door.
"Don't get lost!" Brock yelled after her.
Dawn ran quite quickly in her sandals, and stopped at the entrance to pick a colorful flower and perch it in her hair before going down the road towards Floarama Town.
In the field, Brock helped Kai with a basket in hand. They were cutting particularly beautiful flowers to wrap and ribbon: according to Kai, selling them on the road every Sunday was their only source of income.
Reece, who was taking a break, sat on the porch in a meditative pose with his arms crossed. Ash joined him, Pikachu trailing. "Hi Reece."
"Hey." Reece looked up at Ash with a smile, and Pikachu with a wink. "Breakfast good for you guys?"
"Yeah, it was great." Ash didn't want to bring up the end of last night's conversation. He could tell neither did Reece. But he did want to at least follow up on it. "...Are you gonna tell him?"
Pikachu had no idea what he was talking about, but of course Reece did. His mouth hardened into a thin line. "I will. Yeah, I will. But I think we should be alone when I do."
"That's fair... I guess you'll wanna do it when we leave tonight, huh."
Reece nodded. "Yeah. Ash, thanks for everything."
"Thank me?" said Ash incredulously. "Reece, you definitely shouldn't be thanking me. I should be thanking you and Kai."
"No... you really helped me. You got me on the right track." as he said that, Kai and Brock approached with a full basket. Kai looked absolutely luminous again; perhaps the sun and sweet scent had resurrected him from that morning's melancholy. He waved at Ash but let his gaze linger on Reece.
"Hope you're not too bored just watching us." said Brock to Ash as soon as they came near.
"I'm fine. I'd just like to take it easy right now. But the reason why I came out here was to look for Dawn. She left her pokeballs on her nightstand again."
"She's not here?" Reece asked.
"Oh, she went out this morning. She didn't say where, but she brought her bag." Brock said.
The conversation became more tense as Kai's face suddenly became serious. He put his own basket down and went into the house.
"Kai-" Reece called after him, but he was gone. He exchanged glances with Brock and Ash. "Do you have any idea where she could've gone?"
They both shook their heads. Reece cracked his knuckles in worry. Brock wondered why. However, Ash had a faint idea.
Dawn slammed the heavy maple syrup on the counter. The lady at the register gave her a funny look. "Is that all?"
"Yeah. Hah, sorry." Dawn replied, panting.
"Ten dollars."
Dawn handed her the change. Without a word the lady took it. There was a lengthy silence before Dawn cleared her throat. "Um... Can I have a bag?"
A brown paper bag was almost thrown at Dawn. She took it gingerly and bagged the syrup by herself. "...Thank you." she said. Grabbing the syrup in her arms, she headed outside.
Thinking back, Dawn realized that nearly everyone in the grocery store was either glaring at her or adamantly refusing to interact with her. Although the main street of Floarama was bright with sunlight and fresh air, the passerbys all seemed to grow sour when they looked at Dawn. She uneasily made her way down the street.
That is until an old lady grabbed her arm from behind and stopped her. Dawn turned around. The crone's eyes were jaundiced, her face wizened, but a strange sense of fury rested in her wrinkles. Her swift trembling fingers snatched in Dawn's hair, eliciting a brief scream. She pulled the flower from Kai's garden to her eye level. "...Where did you get this, child?" she asked with curious rasp.
"I-" Dawn stopped. This woman did not seem very friendly. "-from the ground."
She turned to depart, but the old woman's grip was strong. "Where did you get this flower?" she repeated.
"Ma'am, please let me go, I have to- Ah!" The woman pulled so hard it caused Dawn to drop the syrup. The glass bottle shattered on the pavement.
Dawn's scream and the shattering noise attracted a larger crowd. Seven or eight men and women gathered around. Two additional men emerged from the grocery store, and pried the old lady from Dawn. Though much to Dawn's surprise, they had come to the old lady's aid rather than hers. "Are you okay? Did that girl do something to you?" they probed with hushed voices.
As even more people formed in the circle, the old lady thrust the rainbow blossom in front of her, trembling with the weight of the revelation. "She had this with her!"
An uproarious rabble, a shuffle of raging noise. Dawn looked at the faces around her. Some scrunched in anger, some in shame, a whole collection of hate that seemed directed at her. "I just wanted to buy some syrup." said Dawn helplessly.
"I knew I didn't recognize you!" said the lady that Dawn recognized as the cashier from earlier, somehow now part of the crowd. "You're a cursed one!"
"Huh?" A series of boos and jeers now flew at Dawn. She clutched her hands to her chest, confused and hurt.
"Don't get close to her! You might catch it too!"
Dawn shook her head. "Please, someone tell me what's wrong. I'm not sick, I don't-"
"She'll kill us all!" A young woman clutching a baby screamed. "It hurts young ones the most!"
"Dammit, someone drive her out of here before she infects us all!"
Three flashes of light caused Dawn to shield her eyes. When she opened them again, she yelped in fright. A Houndoom, a Growlithe, and Ninetails stood on the offensive, their trainers right behind them. Dawn reached into her bag but then realized she forgot her pokeballs at the house.
"Aaaah, aah..." Unarmed and afraid, Dawn could do nothing but back away as the fiery Pokemon approached.
"You'd get out of here if you knew what's best for you!" Someone in the crowd yelled. The noise grew louder as some cheered the pokemon on, and others bashed Dawn harder. Dawn whimpered. That Houndoom looked hungry. And Ninetails was already breathing fire. This could be really bad...
But amidst the chaos, something sweet found its way into Dawn's nostrils. She paused. It smelled like-
"Stop!"
A whirlwind swirled in front of Dawn. The crowd was struck silent as they shielded against it and the pokemon briefly froze in place. Then a burst of petals, shining. Iridescence that Dawn had seen before. Within the petal wind, within the swirl of rainbow lights, was Kai.
Dawn gasped and grabbed Kai's arm. "Wha- how did you-" she stuttered. But she was either too relieved or too scared to form a coherent question.
Kai didn't look down at her, instead confronting the crowd. "How dare you? Willing to attack a young girl just to save stigma's face." Dawn hadn't seen Kai so determined before, even in the pokemon battle. It was a bit frightening.
"You're a disgrace." The trainer of Ninetails yelled. She pointed to the road outside of town. "You're there for a reason, you disease-ridden freakshow!"
"...Say what you will." Kai put a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Just leave her out of it."
The cashier suddenly pointed to Kai, seized with a wonderful idea. "Kill him! Once and for all, just kill the pest! No one would miss him, we'd be doing a service!"
Half of the crowd found this a bit over-the-top. Unfortunately, the other half didn't. The trainer of Houndoom ordered his pokemon. "Houndoom! Crunch him!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Houndoom leapt in the air towards Kai, his razor-sharp teeth exposed. Dawn's heart jumped to her throat and escaped in a scream: "No!"
Kai lifted his arm. His eyes shone bright blue. The same bright blue Psychic light engulfed Houndoom and levitated him in midair. For a brief second, Houndoom looked down at himself in confusion. Then, with a flick of Kai's wrist, the blue light exploded- it bloomed outwards in a circular fashion, flinging not only Houndoom, but Growlithe and Ninetails into their trainers' respective chests. The force engulfed Kai in its wake as well. He stood his ground, but the price of doing so was questionable.
Indigo hair. Fire eyes. Dawn thought it was her imagination, and then resigned it to a magic trick. Gasps and fearful mumbling erupted in the crowd. "Leave her alone." Kai repeated.
It took some time for the townspeople to process exactly what had happened. And it took very little cerebral activity to carry out their response. Ninetails' trainer placed her pokemon back on the ground. "Ninetails! Flamethrower!"
Yeah's and do it's rang out from certain townspeople, while others watched in grim acceptance. Growlithe and Houndoom followed in suit, three streams of fire bellowing out at Kai. It was to no avail. Using his forearm as a shield, a shining wall of Reflect came to his defense. The flames could not penetrate but Dawn could still feel the heat.
"Stop it! Please!" Dawn screamed, as if it would help. Several in the crowd finally yelled in protest, but the pokemon had already gone too far. Although the fire seemed endless, Dawn saw Kai begin to tremble. She hugged his back. "Hang in there!"
"Dawn... get out of here." Kai growled with effort, his energy focused on the Reflect.
"No!" Dawn tried to make eye contact with select people in the crowd through the scorching flames and through the glowing barrier. "What's wrong with you?! You'll kill him!"
She heard someone yell: "That's the point!" Dawn covered her mouth in disgust.
Reece and Gallade lead Ash and Brock down the road into town. He saw the gathering crowd from afar and cursed. "Shit." Suddenly incensed, he turned to Brock. "Get Officer Jenny! Quick!" Brock nodded and ran off to the police station. Reece and Gallade sprinted to the crowd; Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder, and they followed as well.
Plumes of fire and rays of light emanated from the center of the hubbub. Reece forcibly pushed the bystanders out of the way. The townspeople, wide-eyed and frightened, nearly all whined "don't touch me!" when they saw Reece, scared that his hands carried the plague. Ash followed in close tandem.
They reached the apex of the commotion. The three trainers turned around to see who had intervened. "Kai!" Reece called out. But Kai did not, could not respond, the very last of his energy focusing on the wall protecting him and Dawn.
Ash growled and clenched his fists. "Hey! Lay off my friends!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked, already in anticipation of Ash's orders. "Pikachu! Thunder!"
"Pika~!" A yellow bolt of lightning shot from Pikachu's cheeks, striking Ninetails, Growlithe, and Houndoom silly and disabling the fire. Exhausted, Kai let down the barrier and fell to his knees. Dawn bent down to help him, rubbing his shoulders and repeatedly calling his name in worry.
The Thunder had knocked out Growlithe completely. However, Houndoom and Ninetails only seemed more motivated to fight back. "Ninetails, use Confuse Ray!"
The world seemed to grow darker as a spotlight focused on Ninetails, and then on Pikachu. In the deep light Pikachu felt something snap. In a daze he began to spin in circles. "Pika...pi.."
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted in frustration.
Ninetails' trainer was quick. "Ninetails, use Iron Tail!"
All nine tails shone silver and metallic, as Ninetails jumped in the air and prepared to slam them straight onto Pikachu.
Reece took over. "Gallade! Teleport, then Psycho Cut!"
The command could not have been executed with more precision. Gallade vanished and reappeared in the air in front of Ninetails. With a deft slash of his arm, Ninetails flinched in the pink storm and fell to the ground, fainted.
Gallade landed on his feet in front of Pikachu, still dazed. Reece grinned at Ash. "Thanks." Ash said.
Reece simply gave a thumbs up in response. As Ninetails was withdrawn in a beam of red light, Houndoom now took center stage. Its trainer pointed to Gallade. "Faint Attack!"
As Gallade put his guard up, Houndoom leapt towards him, but disappeared in an indigo portal. Gallade surveyed around him. Reece took advantage of the brief cease-fire. "Ash. Gallade doesn't know any Fighting attacks. He can hold off Houndoom, but it'll be up to Pikachu to-"
The portal opened behind Gallade and in front of Pikachu. Houndoom jumped out and headbutted Gallade with its horns.
"Use Crunch, Houndoom!"
"Quick! Night Slash!"
Houndoom went for Gallade's throat. Gallade raised his arm just in time, an obsidian blade clutched in Houndoom's savage teeth. Gallade's face scrunched in concentration as he struggled against Houndoom.
"Come on, snap out of it!" Ash screamed to Pikachu, still twirling in a daze.
While Houndoom and Gallade seemed to reach an impasse, Houndoom's trainer was intent on ending it. "Houndoom! Don't let go! Use Flamethrower!"
Its jaws still fixed in Gallade's Night Slash, Houndoom ignited fire in its throat. Gallade could see the impending flame, but was helpless to escape it. Flamethrower escaped through a gateway of teeth and engulfed Gallade's face.
Gallade turned away in pain. Ash saw Reece make the exact same movement and expression. Dawn, still by Kai's side, gasped in terror. But Kai himself took action. With what little strength he had left, Kai wrenched himself from Dawn's grip and outstretched his palm. He beckoned space to buckle with a smooth hum, and in a swirl of psychic distortion appeared Gardevoir. "Gardevoir." Gardevoir turned to her Kai. She gazed in eyes the same as hers, eyes of a friend. Kai gave a weak smile. "Save him."
She nodded. The wind fluttered around Gardevoir's body. She raised her arms and let loose a Thunderbolt.
Houndoom released its grip on Gallade, lending him reprieve from the fire. Gallade and Reece fell to their knees in synchronization: Gallade's face scorched, Reece's red. It turned its attention to Gardevoir with raging eyes. It needed no command to lunge at her with a Crunch.
Everything froze as Houndoom flew through the air. Of course it was no big deal- Gardevoir would throw up a Reflect and easily repel the attack, Ash thought to himself. Right?
But perhaps he knew deep down that things weren't quite that simple. Perhaps he realized it from the look in Gardevoir's determined stare, or maybe the one in Kai's. Dawn saw it too, far too late. It was Reece who knew in time; it was Reece that screamed and clenched his fists until a drop of blood trickled from his palms, and it was him that felt the most catastrophic pang when Houndoom clamped onto Gardevoir's red heart.
"Arcanine, Extremespeed!"
The proud figure of Arcanine jumped into the fray as a red flash, butting Houndoom off of Gardevoir with unbearable swiftness. Arcanine stood its guard, but Houndoom was finally finished, its trainer withdrawing it in surrender. Gardevoir collapsed to the ground, fainted. Kai made the same motion, falling before a stunned Dawn.
Officer Jenny ran in front of Kai before anyone else could make a move. Her Arcanine surveyed the crowd, but she focused on Houndoom's trainer. "You're in a heap of trouble! As for anyone else who instigated or participated in this unauthorized battle, you WILL be reprimanded!" Ninetails' and Growlithe's trainers shifted their eyes, and the cashier glued her gaze to the ground.
While the crowd dispersed, Reece, Gallade, and Ash attempted to approach Kai, Gardevoir, and Dawn. Officer Jenny blocked them off. "I'm sorry. Gardevoir and his trainer are in too dangerous of a condition. I sent your friend to get Nurse Joy here immediately."
"But Officer-" Reece was cut off as Officer Jenny bent down to inspect Kai. She reflexively drew her gloved hand back, Kai's blue hair and fiery eyes suddenly coming into vision. His breaths were laborious and rattling, his body limp on the earth. Brock and Ash had to reach forward and restrain Reece from coming to Kai's side.
Seeing Reece's concern and Officer Jenny's questionable reaction, Dawn knelt down and cradled Kai's head in her arms. A tear crept down her cheek as she looked up, the sun nearly blinding. "Officer, please! You have to help him, he saved my life!"
Officer Jenny bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows. Down Main Street she saw the shadows of Brock, Nurse Joy and her Chansey rushing to the scene. She sighed and looked down at Dawn, giving a gentle grin. "We'll try our best."
============
"Fun" Fact for Fans!: The concept of Analia was based on the video game disease called "Pokerus." It's an extremely rare disease that showed up in your pokemon when you went to a pokemon center (i forgot the statistics exactly but I think it was like, less than one in a thousand), and caused them to gain experience at a much faster rate. Although I think the effects were only temporary, it WAS contagious, and could be passed onto other pokemon that didn't have it in your party :). I have a Ninetails named Gabi that passes it on to everyone.
Important Reader Note!
Guess what: I recently got my first piece of hate mail!
"were the fuck is the sex in your story about pokemon if u r not gonna write about sex then don't write at fucking all"
Now, I gave my own curt reply to this message. However, he does have a bit of a valid point. My stories, PA in particular, seem to be rather devoid of... well, sex. Although some stories I guarantee sex scenes (Teth and Diana Celes being two of them) other stories are rather undecided- such as CR, FF R, Hallow, and now this one. So, I'll leave it up to you... SEX OR NO SEX? I'll be posting this err... "bulletin?" in my other stories/email lists too, so go ahead and send feedback about any one of my stories, including this one. Thanks!
As for next chapter... get ready for the triumphant conclusion of Analia, and the beginning of a new phase! ^^
Thanks for reading!
Questions? Comments? Recommendations? Fan Mail? Hate Mail, maybe? Wanna just chat? Email me at ThePleiadesCall@gmail.com . Love to hear from you!
If you like Pokemon: Amethyst, maybe there's the very vague possibility you'll like other stories I've submitted:
Charmed Reborn (Celebrity), Final Fantasy Rosa (Celebrity), Teth (Fantasy), Diana Celes (High School), and Hallow (Fantasy/SciFi).