The Path of Destiny Part 19

The Path of Destiny

Chapter Nineteen-A Change of Plans


Snowcrystal was having a dream again; one very similar to the one she’d had before. She was back at the mountain…or was she? It seemed like the mountain, but everything around her was hazy, and she seemed to somehow be in another area at the same time. It was almost as if the mountain surroundings were actually a thick mist which she could barely see through, and that she was really in a place she had never seen before.

The cages containing strange pokémon were back, only this time, she was trapped as well, though not in a cage. A chain, much like Thunder’s, was around her back paw and driven deep into the snowy ground; she could not pull it out. Oddly enough, she wasn’t very concerned at all with her own predicament; she just wanted to help the other pokémon. And one of them was speaking to her.

“Stop trying…there’s nothing you can do! Not anymore!”

Snowcrystal was confused at this statement…and why the caged pokémon seemed to want her to stop trying to free herself and help them. Just as she thought that, she heard one of them shout for help, but not to her.

Snowcrystal turned around and for the first time noticed Stormblade standing a little ways away. It was him they had been calling to for help, but he turned and ran, vanishing into the dark mists that were disguised to look like mountains. Suddenly the haze seemed to clear, and Snowcrystal found herself staring around at familiar surroundings; she was once again awake, and the others were sleeping nearby. It was a bit lighter now, so she figured it must be close to dawn.

She stood up, shaking scraps of dead leaves from her fur. She then lay back down on her side, wide awake and alert despite the fact that she’d only had a few hours of sleep. The same worry she had been feeling earlier returned. They hadn’t found out anything about where to look for Rosie, or what to do about Stormblade’s wounds. Not one of them was sure about what they should do now. Snowcrystal wanted to try and find Rosie and help her, while at the same time, she knew Stormblade wouldn’t be able to keep up. Thunder might, but not Stormblade.

Looking around, she suddenly realized that Stormblade was still missing. Feeling worried, she glanced toward the dead pidgey that lay in the center of the small clearing. Stormblade should have been back by now…

Padding over to Spark, who was sleeping soundly, she prodded him in the shoulder a couple of times before he stirred, looked up at her, and blinked sleepily.

“Snow? It’s still dark…why’d ya wake me up?” he mumbled drowsily.

“It’s Stormblade…he’s not back,” she whispered.

“Who?” Spark murmured, obviously still half-asleep.

“Stormblade!” Snowcrystal shouted, rather loudly.

Over by a thick oak tree, Wildflame stirred. “What’s all the shouting about?” she growled, not seeming drowsy in the least. She added in a sarcastic voice, “Are we under attack again?”

“Stormblade’s not back!” Snowcrystal yelled. She was a bit worried about Thunder as well, but when she thought about it, she really didn’t expect her to be back, at least not until it was fully morning. It was Stormblade’s disappearance that really worried her. Why would he leave and not come back all night when he knew he couldn’t defend himself if he was attacked by anything?

“Don’t get so worried over nothing,” Wildflame muttered, standing up and shaking her coat free of moss and leaves before glancing over at the pidgey. “And unless you want some scavenger to steal your prey, I suggest you eat it. If Stormblade doesn’t want it, that’s his problem.”

Snowcrystal scowled; she knew Wildflame and Stormblade had started out as enemies, but she had thought that problem had been at least somewhat solved after the battle with Blazefang’s pack. She wished Wildflame would at least try to care a little more.

After a moment, she relaxed, knowing that after all, Wildflame could be right. But she still wanted to save the only food they had for Stormblade when he returned.

“I’m sure Stormblade will be back soon,” Spark agreed, sitting up and shaking his spiky head. “Oh, and if no one wants the prey, I’ll have it.”

“No!” Snowcrystal growled, irritated, as she placed her paws over the pidgey. “You didn’t catch it, I did. And I say it’s for Stormblade!”

“He didn’t want it,” Spark mumbled in a surprised voice, looking at her with what he hoped was a pitying expression. “And aren’t I special enough for a gift from you?”

“No,” Wildflame answered for Snowcrystal, “apparently you’re not. Now, go find Thunder…me and Snowcrystal will go and look for Stormblade.”

Spark made a face at her and stuck out his tongue, but nonetheless, he bolted through the bushes and in the direction of the pond where he’d seen Thunder earlier.

Wildflame headed one way, and pointed with her tail in a different direction, indicating that Snowcrystal should look there. “We’ll meet back here, alright?” the houndoom called to her.

The growlithe nodded, then picked up the pidgey and vanished into the surrounding bushes.

                                                                                          -ooo-

“Blazefang,” A voice hissed through the bushes. Blazefang was startled into wakefulness as Wildflame’s horned head broke through the thick cluster of leaves.

“Wildflame,” the pack leader growled, “what took you so long? You’ve waited-”

“Yes, I know,” Wildflame muttered. “But Snowcrystal hasn’t revealed anything about Articuno. In fact…I don’t think she knows anything about where he is at all.”

“Not even an idea?” Blazefang replied, his face blank.

Wildflame shook her head. “Don’t think so,” she mumbled. “Plus her group has a badly injured scyther and a vulpix that was taken by poachers…Stormblade, the scyther, is slowing them down and now they can only think about rescuing Rosie…the vulpix. Either way, they won’t find Articuno anytime soon. We’re better off looking on our own.”

“Fine,” Blazefang muttered. “It’s about time I got the pack moving away from this place…I don’t like being so close to a human habitat.” He spat the last few words with distaste as he got up and walked away, Wildflame following. “What are you doing?” Blazefang growled at her. “Go back with them…you need to stay there in case they find something!”

“But…” Wildflame began, confused.

“You heard me!” Blazefang growled. “Go back…stay with them, and report to me if you find out anything!”

“But how will I find you?” Wildflame asked.

“We won’t be too far ahead,” Blazefang replied. “Just stay there in case they do know something…or they find out…or just happen to get lucky. I’ll send a few scouts to find the growlithe from time to time so we still know where they are.”

“But-” Wildflame began again, but Blazefang cut her off.

“The growlithe knows something!” he growled suddenly, startling Wildflame into silence. “I know she does! Even if she doesn’t know Articuno’s exact location, she still knows something we don’t. Why else would she have started this journey of hers?”

Wildflame was silent, and Blazefang was walking away, back toward the pack. Something told her not to argue with him. With a deep sigh, she turned and headed back to Snowcrystal and the others, strangely not feeling too angry about it. Sure, she wasn’t certain that any of them really knew anything, but somehow it seemed like a welcome relief to go back. If anything, she would be somewhat free of Blazefang’s newfound tyranny.

                                                                                          -ooo-

Master took a step backwards, watching as his own scyther leaped toward him, scythes gleaming and ready to kill. Words escaped him; he couldn’t think quickly enough. His terrified thoughts were focused only on the pokémon in front of him. He had not expected her to try to fight back against her own trainer in such a state…

“Volco!”

Volco, who had been just as shocked as Master, snapped to attention. As the scyther was nearly close enough to strike, close enough to rip Master in half, the quilava darted in front of his owner. He fired a blast of flame at Thunder, sending her sprawling backwards into the mud.

The scyther skidded to a halt and righted herself, turning to look straight at Volco. The fire pokémon was standing protectively in front of Master, growling. This seemed to snap Master out of his reverie.

“Good job Volco,” he called out, his usual confidence returning. “You can take her. She’s weak.”

His flames blazing, Volco darted ahead of Master, crouching down and watching Thunder through narrowed eyes.

But his nerves failed him. Thunder was staring straight at the quilava, her gaze boring into him. He had never seen such a terrifying look in a pokémon’s eyes before. Thunder didn’t just look infuriated…she looked almost insane. She was standing firm, despite the blood that dripped steadily down her side and trickled from her other wounds. Some of the blood was running down her scythes. Her mouth was open wide enough for Volco to see every one of her razor sharp fangs. He wanted to look away, but his body refused to obey him.

Thunder could tell he was afraid. Fear was plastered all over his face. And this time it was he who was scared…this time, he was at her mercy. Volco was backing away, his flames flaring up to their brightest.

He thought he could win by a type advantage…

Thunder stared hard at the flames, not showing the least bit of fear. Volco was a pet. A pampered, spoiled pokémon who had never been forced to endure what Master had put her through. He had not been tortured day after day since he was very small. He had not been starved or beaten. He had not been forced to fight until he passed out from blood loss.

He was no match for her…She would rip him to shreds!

Volco cried out in horror as the scyther ran toward him. The look on Thunder’s ravaged face was something out of a nightmare. Dimly, he heard Master shout, “Flame wheel!” And, more out of fear than actually comprehending what his owner was saying to him, he fired the blast of searing flames straight at Thunder. The scyther was too injured to be able to move quickly. The attack didn’t miss.

Thunder collapsed, and then staggered upright, her head lowered. But Volco did not hear a cry of pain. It startled him, because even Thunder had cried out whenever she had been struck with a powerful fire attack in battle. He knew she had a weakness to fire and Master obviously knew it as well, for he had used it as punishment on her many times. Her lack of a reaction seemed even stranger due to the many other wounds she had; the attack could only have made the pain worse. A few seconds later, Volco suddenly realized that Thunder was making a sound, though it was not one of pain. Instead of crying out, Thunder was laughing…at him…as if he had just done something rather silly and embarrassing. But it definitely wasn’t a pleasant laugh, and it unnerved him even more. Thunder slowly lifted her head up toward him, her eyes glaring as she grinned wickedly at him in a way that made him want to run as far away as possible. Yet once again, he found that his body wouldn’t move.

Thunder suddenly stood up straight, acting as if the attack hadn’t even happened. “You and Master tortured me all those years, and now, you think a simple FLAME WHEEL is going to stop me?” the scyther cried out mockingly, a jeering tone in her voice.

Volco didn’t have any time to react to her statement before the enraged scyther was upon him, gashing him across the side of his face with one of her blades, while the other swung toward him at the same moment, and if he hadn’t moved his paw to the left by accident in that very instant, the scythe would have severed it completely.

The quilava screeched in pain and tumbled backwards, one paw held lightly over the deep cut on his face. Master was shaking as he watched the scene, but he still called out, “Flame wheel again!”

However, Volco didn’t have the chance to fire another attack. Thunder continuously slashed at his weakening body, ignoring his cries of pain as he lay helplessly in the mud, no longer having the strength to even keep his flames up. Volco could hear Thunder shouting, “See what it’s like NOW? How do you like it?” He didn’t even try to reply; he could barely comprehend her words and the pain was too great, only becoming worse with each new attack.

In a panic, Master reached for Volco’s poké ball, only to find that he couldn’t return him. Thunder kept getting in the way. He watched as Volco finally managed to stagger backward and away from Thunder, but only collapsed a moment later as the scyther stood over him. Volco weakly placed an injured paw in front of his bloody face, holding it out in a pleading gesture for her to stop, staring fearfully up at his tormenter as he remembered…

…He had seen Thunder being beaten, both by Master and in battle. He’d even carried out some of her punishments in the past and never thought anything of it. He’d often watched her being hurt badly as a penalty, even laughed at her, but never had he once thought that he would one day be in her place. And now, Thunder absolutely terrified him. He had seen her being defeated, but he had also seen her being made to fight battles to the death, watched her as she was forced to kill her opponents…seen the terror in their eyes…the very same terror he was feeling now. Then suddenly it struck him fully. She was going to kill him.

And something snapped.

Volco’s eyes narrowed as they suddenly filled with a terrible rage…rage at the thought that she, nothing but a lowly servant of his Master, would ever dare harm him. And with a strength he hadn’t known he possessed, he dodged the scyther’s next blow, landing spryly on all four paws. Then his fur started to glow.

Thunder staggered back, momentarily blinded as the brightness intensified and the quilava’s luminous form began to expand. Behind her, Master smiled and placed Volco’s poké ball back into his pocket. There was no need for that; the tables had just turned…

When at last the dazzling glow subsided and Thunder could see clearly again, Volco was more than twice his previous size. The fire type now stood on two legs rather than four, and was taller than she was. His fur was still the same yellow and dark blue, only it was thicker, and she could barely make out some large red spots on the back of his neck before he turned to face her completely.

The newly evolved typhlosion’s ears lay flat against his head and he bared his large fangs at the scyther. Now it was his turn to laugh. “Who’s stronger now?” he cried, running forward as huge, bright flames erupted around his neck, much bigger than the flames he had had as a quilava. With a roar he ripped his claws into the startled Thunder's face and slammed her to the ground.

Startled by how quickly the attack had come, Thunder twisted free from Volco’s grasp and brought her blades upward toward the typhlosion, but he had moved out of the way. As Thunder struggled to stand, Volco bent down on all fours, feeling strangely excited as he discovered a new outlet for his power. He had used flame wheel many times before as a quilava, but this was his first flamethrower. And it was made all the more powerful by the strength gained from his evolution. Thunder darted to avoid the blast, and although she managed to get out of its direct path, the flames still seared across her side and leg.

The scyther tried to get up again, only to find that her leg wouldn’t move. She tried to stand anyway, but the mud was far too thick and slippery; she only stumbled. She didn’t think she could fly; her wing hurt terribly and when Volco had pushed her down before, she had landed on it the wrong way. She could still see the typhlosion standing at a distance, ready to use another fire attack.

“Coward!” she spat at him, raising her blades in as threatening a manner as she could in her current state. “Are you afraid to get close enough to face me in a real battle? Are you just going to cower over there and hope your fire attacks hit me?”

Volco merely smirked in reply, and fired another blast of flame. Thunder ducked and managed to crawl out of the way just in time, suddenly finding herself on firmer ground. With a cry she sprang up and, ignoring the pain that shot up her leg every time she tried to stand on it, charged toward Volco with a speed that surprised him. The typhlosion whipped around, ready to fire another flamethrower. Thunder reached him before he could, swiping her blade at him with cunning accuracy. Volco tried to dodge, but still felt the sharp blade edge slice into the side of his face.

With a roar of agony the typhlosion lifted his paws to the jagged cut, ignoring Master’s shouts to attack. When he pulled his paws away from the injury, he realized with shocking horror that he could no longer see out of his left eye. It had been mutilated, damaged far beyond repair. Growling in rage, he charged toward Thunder without even trying to launch a fire attack, staring at her furiously with his remaining eye.

Thunder swiped at him with one of her blades, but he caught it in his paw, holding the weakened scyther’s arm firm and refusing to let go even when the scythe drew blood. Gritting his teeth, he twisted her arm sharply to the side to deflect any attacks and flung her to the rocky ground. Thunder merely closed her eyes and didn’t cry out; though she was starting to feel that the battle was already lost. Her strength was nearly gone, and Master no longer had any control over this enraged typhlosion; Volco would try to kill her whether his owner wanted him to or not. However, she was not willing to give him the satisfaction of watching her give in.

With a growl she lunged toward Volco, who merely slammed her back into the muddy ground again. Feeling some of his anger fade into calm, Master’s typhlosion walked over to the scyther, ignoring the blood that flowed from his ruined eye socket. “It’s good to see you back in your proper place,” he growled, standing over her. “Alone…defeated…and under Master’s control!” Using the flames around his neck, he heated up his claws before bringing them down on the weakened scyther as he kept talking, accenting each word with another blow. “You…worthless…excuse…for a…pokémon!”

“Volco!” Master’s sudden shout resounded over the area, causing Volco to look up a moment before a pokémon…another scyther, crashed into his side and brought him staggering backward into the mud.

Thunder looked up, and through her hazy vision, she could see the other scyther slashing at the typhlosion’s side and shoulder. “Stormblade…” she muttered in confusion.

Volco could sense that this new opponent was weak as well. Whirling around, he quickly locked his claws around Stormblade’s throat before easily lifting the weaker scyther up and sending him sprawling to the ground. Stormblade felt what little remaining strength he had leave him completely; the initial attack had cost him too much.

Volco dug his claws into Stormblade’s burned shoulders, pinning him against the mud-slicked rocks. “What’s this?” Volco smirked, glancing back at his other foe. “Did you find yourself a friend while you were gone, Thunder? Maybe I should finish roasting him properly!”

Stormblade tried to twist free, knowing that any second he’d feel more terrible pain. But the fire attack never came. Volco was too exhausted; the flames around his neck extinguished and the strength to use fire attacks was gone. Volco gave a growl of annoyance before he suddenly tore his claws as deeply into Stormblade’s wounds as he could before ripping savagely sideways.

Thunder looked up as Stormblade gave an agonized scream, her blurry vision seeming to clear slightly. Volco was attacking Stormblade. The typhlosion was too worn out to use his fire attacks, and was instead using his claws, finding it much easier to cause damage to a normally tough pokémon by attacking him where he was injured. Every time Stormblade cried out, Thunder flinched, as if she could feel the blows as well. Then all at once Volco backed away, a bad wound in his side from Stormblade’s scythe.

Stormblade had not simply given up. Master, who had been standing at a safe distance, suddenly looked fearful as Volco toppled over onto the ground; the wound was obviously serious.

“V…Volco?” the man whispered, quickly taking out the injured typhlosion’s poké ball and returning him. Then he darted away, leaving the two scyther and Redclaw’s motionless form where they lay.

Thunder sat up slowly, feeling her anger fade away into shock as she looked around at what had been their battlefield. Her gaze fell toward a spot on a rockier patch of ground that was stained with dark blood, where she had attacked Volco before he evolved. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. The sound of approaching human vehicles interrupted her thoughts.

Alarm flared through her; she recognized the sound. It was just like the sound of the truck that had taken Rosie away. “Poachers!” she hissed, staggering to her feet and making a run for the bushes. She could make it…if she left now…

Suddenly she stopped, looking back toward Stormblade. She realized there was no way he’d ever make it away from the humans in time. The cuts Volco had inflicted were deep and still oozing blood, and she was sure they would make the already infected wounds even worse. He was unconscious now, as he had probably passed out from the pain. Only the fact that she could see him breathing told her that he was alive. Thunder turned, looking back toward the bushes.

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to leave. Realizing she was probably missing her only chance of escape if these humans were poachers, she stumbled over to Stormblade and stood near him. It didn’t seem right to leave him there, and despite the fact that the human machines were obviously getting closer, she didn’t want to run away. She readied herself, hearing the sounds of the vehicles grow louder. She knew that whatever was coming, it was a battle she couldn’t win. Yet she was certain she wasn’t going to back down.

To be continued…