And the thrilling conclusion!
Here's part II of the story I started on the previous post. If you've not read part I yet, go do that now (it's below this one), or you'll have no idea what's going on (stupid LJ, putting the newer ones on top. Real convenient.)
39. Wall
Kali was having a hard time. Nekou was stuck, somewhat unfairly, battling a very annoyed Golem... The majority of Kali's claw based attacks were worthless against the hard rock shell of her opponent. It was like they wanted her to lose... just to prove to the new recruit how pointless arguing was, teach her a lesson...
"Kali!" Nekou said, as she watched her companion fly back following an attack from the Golem. It leered at her. "Come on! You can handle this... just don't get hit by his attacks..." Yes, that was the whole point, wasn't it? If Nekou hadn't asked questions, if she'd just handed it over when asked to... She wouldn't be here, would she? And now she was suffering, with her Sneasel. It'd be kinder to put her down... Maybe they were right...
"SHUT UP!" Nekou told the voices in her head. "Kali!" she said. There was only one thing left to do... It was a longshot, but there wasn't much left for her to do, and if she was going to lose Kali, at least she should give it her best effort... anything else would seem like an insult. Even though the attempt the previous night to teach Kali the attack had been mostly abortive... "Dodge it, Kali, then hit it with Ice Beam!"
Kali leapt upwards out of the path of the incoming Golem's Rock Slide, then hesitated for a second. Hadn't that gotten her in trouble last night? She stood there, to the horror of Nekou.
"Kali?" Nekou asked. "What are you doing?" She tried hard to ignore the smirk of the Golem's trainer as Golem bore down on the Sneasel... She knew Kali couldn't take much more, that the hit would end everything. "Don't think about it, just do it! You don't have much time. Please...-!" She collapsed. Was it really over?
Kali looked at Nekou, who was crying now, and then to the incoming Golem. "Sneasel!" she said, sidestepping out of the way. The Golem, unable to stop, ran directly into the wall, lodging itself in it. Its back legs flailed as it fought to get out.. Kali raised a claw, and something like fine, sparkling snow gathered around it. "Sneee..." Golem pulled itself out of the wall and turned around. "Go-?"
"ZEEELL!" A pure blue beam issued from the snow around Kali's claws, hitting Golem directly, encasing the rock Pokemon in clear ice. "Sneasel."
"Kali... you did it... you won, I knew it!" Nekou said, running to Kali and embracing her. Kali buried her nose in Nekou's arms. "I told you you could..."
"That's unfair!" Golem's owner protested. "You... you didn't really win! You only won because she hesitated! If she'd just obeyed you the first time-"
"I fail to see why that's a problem. Maybe Kali's victory did owe to her delayed attack, but I don't believe that was in the conditions for my retaining custody of her. I had to win, plain and simple." Shut your mouth, Nekou, something said, you're only going to get yourself in worse... Nekou ignored it. Maybe it was stupid to talk to him "like that", but then... she wasn't going to be one of those terrified little agents who let their superiors push them around constantly, she had too much self-respect to let that happen. "There were no further requirements. And if that thing-" she pointed to the Golem- "hadn't just stood there, stuck in that wall while she warmed up the Ice Beam, or looked before he attacked, for that matter, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's frozen solid. I believe that qualifies as a loss on your side." Kali climbed up her shoulder. "It was a good battle," she said, smiling, then turned and left.
Her opponent watched her go, shocked she could be so... direct... with him. He was stuck now. He could report her actions, yes, get the entire win disqualified on account of that, but wouldn't that mean admitting he'd disputed it instead of graciously accepting defeat? Wouldn't that make him look kind of bad? Especially after losing to someone who was technically his subordinate... No, best not to say anything and just report it as a victory for the Sneasel trainer.
Hitoshi smiled. Come to think about it, he admired her. Anyone who could show that kind of strength in the heat of a seemingly losing battle... "I'm going to keep my eye on you, Nekou," he said.
Note how easily I just added another Pokemon to Hitoshi's arsenal. Originally, it was a nondescript Rocket battling her, but the ending was weak so I figured I could add extra heartstring tug by having her gain Hitoshi's (her boyfriend- yes, I steal shamelessly from Himeno) admiration from her ordeal. And it seemed to make sense for Hitoshi to have a Golem in addition to Charizard- after all, Hitoshi is but a wee starting Trainer in the Himeno comic, and Geodude is a Pokemon captured by many a trainer early in their journey (heck, my E4 defeating party had a Golem, named Eric).
39. Wall
Kali was having a hard time. Nekou was stuck, somewhat unfairly, battling a very annoyed Golem... The majority of Kali's claw based attacks were worthless against the hard rock shell of her opponent. It was like they wanted her to lose... just to prove to the new recruit how pointless arguing was, teach her a lesson...
"Kali!" Nekou said, as she watched her companion fly back following an attack from the Golem. It leered at her. "Come on! You can handle this... just don't get hit by his attacks..." Yes, that was the whole point, wasn't it? If Nekou hadn't asked questions, if she'd just handed it over when asked to... She wouldn't be here, would she? And now she was suffering, with her Sneasel. It'd be kinder to put her down... Maybe they were right...
"SHUT UP!" Nekou told the voices in her head. "Kali!" she said. There was only one thing left to do... It was a longshot, but there wasn't much left for her to do, and if she was going to lose Kali, at least she should give it her best effort... anything else would seem like an insult. Even though the attempt the previous night to teach Kali the attack had been mostly abortive... "Dodge it, Kali, then hit it with Ice Beam!"
Kali leapt upwards out of the path of the incoming Golem's Rock Slide, then hesitated for a second. Hadn't that gotten her in trouble last night? She stood there, to the horror of Nekou.
"Kali?" Nekou asked. "What are you doing?" She tried hard to ignore the smirk of the Golem's trainer as Golem bore down on the Sneasel... She knew Kali couldn't take much more, that the hit would end everything. "Don't think about it, just do it! You don't have much time. Please...-!" She collapsed. Was it really over?
Kali looked at Nekou, who was crying now, and then to the incoming Golem. "Sneasel!" she said, sidestepping out of the way. The Golem, unable to stop, ran directly into the wall, lodging itself in it. Its back legs flailed as it fought to get out.. Kali raised a claw, and something like fine, sparkling snow gathered around it. "Sneee..." Golem pulled itself out of the wall and turned around. "Go-?"
"ZEEELL!" A pure blue beam issued from the snow around Kali's claws, hitting Golem directly, encasing the rock Pokemon in clear ice. "Sneasel."
"Kali... you did it... you won, I knew it!" Nekou said, running to Kali and embracing her. Kali buried her nose in Nekou's arms. "I told you you could..."
"That's unfair!" Golem's owner protested. "You... you didn't really win! You only won because she hesitated! If she'd just obeyed you the first time-"
"I fail to see why that's a problem. Maybe Kali's victory did owe to her delayed attack, but I don't believe that was in the conditions for my retaining custody of her. I had to win, plain and simple." Shut your mouth, Nekou, something said, you're only going to get yourself in worse... Nekou ignored it. Maybe it was stupid to talk to him "like that", but then... she wasn't going to be one of those terrified little agents who let their superiors push them around constantly, she had too much self-respect to let that happen. "There were no further requirements. And if that thing-" she pointed to the Golem- "hadn't just stood there, stuck in that wall while she warmed up the Ice Beam, or looked before he attacked, for that matter, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's frozen solid. I believe that qualifies as a loss on your side." Kali climbed up her shoulder. "It was a good battle," she said, smiling, then turned and left.
Her opponent watched her go, shocked she could be so... direct... with him. He was stuck now. He could report her actions, yes, get the entire win disqualified on account of that, but wouldn't that mean admitting he'd disputed it instead of graciously accepting defeat? Wouldn't that make him look kind of bad? Especially after losing to someone who was technically his subordinate... No, best not to say anything and just report it as a victory for the Sneasel trainer.
Hitoshi smiled. Come to think about it, he admired her. Anyone who could show that kind of strength in the heat of a seemingly losing battle... "I'm going to keep my eye on you, Nekou," he said.
Note how easily I just added another Pokemon to Hitoshi's arsenal. Originally, it was a nondescript Rocket battling her, but the ending was weak so I figured I could add extra heartstring tug by having her gain Hitoshi's (her boyfriend- yes, I steal shamelessly from Himeno) admiration from her ordeal. And it seemed to make sense for Hitoshi to have a Golem in addition to Charizard- after all, Hitoshi is but a wee starting Trainer in the Himeno comic, and Geodude is a Pokemon captured by many a trainer early in their journey (heck, my E4 defeating party had a Golem, named Eric).