Glitch Chronicles: Remember the Godless
Posted by: Sorreah
Date: 2007-09-07 15:43:38
Prologue: Silver
He didn?t know what this MissingNo thing was, but he was sure going to find out.
Gary Oak, ten years of age and only two badges away from being qualified for the Indigo Pokemon League tournament, stalked the sands of Cinnabar Island?s eastern coast. He impatiently walked back and forth across the edge of the beach, where water and land mingled together. It was midnight, the ocean beside him dyed a inky black.
Why am I even doing this? It?s probably some stupid hoax for the tourist people. I mean, a MissingNo is just something a Pokedex can?t identify. If I want a MissingNo, all I have to do is scan a donut?
Yet the russet-haired boy kept pacing along the empty beach anyway.
Then he felt an incredible chill slide down his spine like cold slime. The young trainer felt his body shiver violently despite the balmy temperature. His feet continued to move, however, and his unwary foot stepped on something that was just rising out of the murky sand.
It was like a giant icicle had been thrust up his leg.
Gary let out a pained yelp as he fell backward onto his rear. The startled trainer rubbed at his stricken leg and found it cold to the touch. Then he finally looked up and saw his twilight assailant.
It came out of the swirling sand, slowly, a bright silver thing. The russet-haired boy thought of it as a thing, because Pokemon or even animal didn?t seem the right term for a mass of loosely connected silver blocks that spun and turned at inconsistent speeds. Together, the highly polished cubes stood as tall as he did. But though the silver squares reflected the teenager before it better than the cleanest mirror, their combined image of the boy was impossibly broken. On the metallic surface of the thing his likeness was scrambled like shuffled puzzle pieces. One block mimicked to tip of his foot, while the block above reflected the elbow, and the one to the right of that cube copied the trainer?s dark left eye.
Moments after surfacing from the silver-hued sand, a semi-translucent aura suddenly enveloped the thing like frigid steam. The russet-haired trainer felt the hairs on his body stand on end as a mild shock coursed through his body for a few moments. The thing let out a sharp, high-pitched bark that caused the dark-eyed boy to jump.
The metallic Pokemon dictionary at his side, the Pokedex, bleeped and droned in its metallic voice.
Wild MissingNo has appeared.
Gary didn?t know how long he sat there staring at it dumbly, his leg growing numb from the unnatural cold. What the thing thought of him he had no idea, for it possessed no face to display emotions on. Yet it must not have been that interested in the stray trainer, for soon it sluggishly sank back into the coastline without a sound, the sand which it entered turning a bright silver until it had fully disappeared.
The ten-year-old staggered to his feet, or tried to. The afflicted leg folded under him unceremoniously, leaving him stranded in the sands. When he sat up and rubbed his leg again, trying to bring the feeling back into it, his hand felt something wet and freezing. Warily, he bought his hand up to look at it.
The sheer silver of the substance smeared across his hand almost glowed in the dark for its brightness. Already the liquid was becoming a shining crust on his fingers. Looking down at his leg, he saw large patches of silver steeping through his shoe and lower pant-leg.
??What the hell?? he whispered, feeling himself starting to shudder from the cold that was starting to leak into other parts of his body. With a slightly unsteady hand he plucked a red-and-white ball from his belt and tossed it onto the sands.
The ball popped open, releasing a stream of light that formed into a large dog with a proud white mane and orange fur with tiger stripes. As soon as the majestic Pokemon saw its master shaking, it let out a low whine.
?Arcanine,? Gary spoke tiredly, rubbing his arms. ?Take me to the Pokemon center. They should know how to fix this, probably.?
With a helpful nudge of the tiger dog?s snout, Gary climbed on top of the huge Pokemon and began to ride off, keeping a cautious eye on the edge of the shoreline as he left.
Chapter 1: Cinnabar Island
Three years later?
His leg had been bothering him that day too.
He hardly noticed the throbbing, his mind drowning in other matters, but the pain was still there. The teenage Gary was unusually quiet that day, as he stared out at the shimmering sea from the edge of the cruise boat, the gentle breeze licking at his blue windbreaker and brown shirt. The ocean glared back in its glorious brightness, coolly blue and, probably by some trick of the light, slightly silver. Umbreon, a black cat-like creature with rabbit-like ears and golden rings adorning its sleek body, lay at his feet asleep.
The ship to Cinnabar Island was packed with people, as it always was. Very few were trainers, since Cinnabar wasn?t known as a Pokemon-battling paradise. Instead, it was an isolated haven for those who wanted to get away from the world, wanting to borrow other people?s quirky traditions for a bit. He wouldn?t be surprised if he was the sole trainer on the entire boat.
The babble bounced about like Beedrills, and was just as quiet and discreet as those obnoxious monster bees that dominated many of Kanto?s forests.
?Hey, I heard that two of Johto?s Gym Leaders have become sweethearts!?
?But now that I think of it, it?s strange that -?
?I can never contact Professor Birch! He?s impossible!?
?I don?t understand why Sinnoh won?t export any of their Pokemon. It?s so unfair!?
?What do you mean he didn?t remember?!?
It was enough to give the dark-eyed boy a headache.
He ran his hand through his ever-unruly russet hair, with his other hand in the pocket of his jeans, and nudged Umbreon awake with his foot. It let out a disgruntled, sleepy bark, its red eyes looking up at its master. After a few moments of reluctance, the dark creature stood up, stretched its back in a feline fashion, and trotted after the teenage trainer.
As he walked by, Gary noticed a boy his age with blizzard-white hair listening to an old man blather on about the intricacies of catching Pokemon. He was amused to see that the boy had a distant look in his chocolate, almost black, eyes, as the old man went on as if he existed for no other purpose. He also noticed the Pokeballs attached to the boy?s belt.
As if to prove his latent talent, the old man threw a Poke Ball at a Magikarp that had just happened to leap out of the sea and over the deck. The red-and-white capsule struck the blank-eyed red fish?s side and opened, forcing the Pokemon to transform into light and get sucked inside. The catching sphere snapped shut and fell onto the deck with a resolute thud, shaking a few times as the water-type inside fought to get out. Then there was a loud click, and the Pokeball ceased to move.
Gary knew the old man himself, kinda. He had talked to the russet-haired trainer on his first cruise to Cinnabar Island, blabbing away about how to properly catch Pokemon. In fact, it was probably the exact same conversation that he was having with this other boy now. Not that Gary could remember much of the old man?s conversation back then; his mind had shut off as soon as the old man began to talk. Now that he thought of it, he couldn?t remember one thing the man had said.
The old man walked over, picked up the Pokeball with the captured Magikarp, and tucked it into his pocket.
?First, you need to weaken the target Pokemon, of course. That was just a lucky catch there.?
As if someone had snapped their fingers in front of his face, the white-haired teen blinked rapidly, straightened up, and put on a wide smile.
?But what a catch it was, sir!? he answered cheerfully and loudly, giving the old man a quick salute. ?Took me forever to catch a Weedle. Must?ve thrown ten Pokeballs at it.?
Suddenly the ship?s horn roared.
?We?ve arrived at Cinnabar Island,? announced a gruff sailor over the intercom. ?All depart who?s going to depart.?
?Well, this is my stop! Nice talking to you, old man!? the white-haired boy chirped, slipping on a pair of opaque black sunglasses. ?Gotta go get my stuff!?
As the boy dashed off, his denim coat and jeans transmuting into a blinding blue blur, Gary looked down to the Umbreon sitting patiently at his feet.
?It?s our stop too. Let?s go.?
IIIIIIIII
?Hey Gary!?
The russet-haired trainer had just gotten off the ship when he heard the familiar voice.
He turned his head to see another thirteen-year-old waving at him, his short black hair sticking up over his red headband. His old green T-Shirt and worn shorts had seen better days, but they still had plenty of life left in them all the same.
?Oh hey, Tracey! How?s-?
Just then a blinding blue blur came charging off the ship.
?WOOHOO! CINNABAAAAAAAAR!?
It avoided crashing into Gary, and many other people, by inches, if that. It creatively flowed around the startled occupants of the crowd, stopping sharp at the first person who didn?t look like a tourist. The child yelped at the blur?s sudden arrival. The blur now a boy again, he beamed at the timid native and lifted up his sunglasses to reveal his chocolate eyes.
?Hi there! I?m Tom Indigo, but you can just call me Tom!? the blur?s true form announced happily, still smiling as the sunglasses perched on his head slid down over his eyes again. He didn?t seem to notice.
?H-Hello there,? the dark-haired child greeted back, smiling weakly. ?Um, I?m here for G-Gemini?s Trading Center. W-Would you like to trade Pokemon??
?Sure!? the denim-clad boy who called himself Tom chirped back. ?Whacha got??
?W-Well, I?ve got Charmander, a P-Pidgeot, a Slowpoke, a Zigzagoon-?
?Can I see the Zigzagoon?? asked the white-haired trainer, pushing up his sunglasses once again.
?O-Okay?? the young trader replied, pulling a Pokeball off his belt and letting it drop to the ground. The capsule device popped open, releasing a stream of light that reformed itself into a small raccoonish animal with wide bright eyes and jagged brown-and-tan stripes across its body. The instant it fully materialized, the little rodent monster began running circles around its owner, bushy tail shaking faster than the speed of the eye. The boy watched it with growing uneasiness.
?H-He?s kinda hyper, though. I-Is that-?
?I?ll take him!?
He snatched a Pokeball off his own belt, the nickname tag on the top of the capsule reading Sheba, and tossed it casually over to the other boy. The timid trainer squawked, juggling the sphere with his hands until he got a good grip on the red-and-white capsule.
?Hey Ziggy!? Tom called to the striped creature, kneeling down. Immediately the Zigzagoon barreled over to its new master, tail whipping about dangerously. The blue-bound boy scooped it up in his arms and stood back up.
?Thanks! I?ve always wanted one of these!? he replied, the dog-eyed raccoon Pokemon squirming overexcitedly in his grasp. ?See ya!?
Tom melted into a blue blur once more and dashed off into the crowd.
?W-Wait, sir! Z-Zigzagoon?s Pokeball!? the young trainer shouted, holding said storage device in the air as he dashed off after the speeding streak that was once Tom.
?He was sure in a hurry, huh?? stated the black-haired boy named Tracey, slinging his red bag over his shoulder.
?And to think that guy was actually calm when I first saw him?? Gary added, as his Umbreon leapt on his shoulder. ?Anyway, how?s Gramps??
?Oh, Professor Oak?s been fine,? the headband-wearing teen answered, as he and the dark-eyed trainer began to stroll with the pack of tourists. ?What have you been up to? I mean, ever since the fossil-revival project was shut down??
?Oh, just wandering mostly,? the russet-haired boy responded almost casually. ?Sitting in a laboratory all day was driving me up the wall. Same thing day after day?it?s not like there are many Pokemon fossils around to revive and study. I had to get out of there before I went nuts.?
?Yeah, I know what you mean. I came to Cinnabar because I felt like I had to get outside the professor?s laboratory for a while. I?m not really a trainer, but I am a Pokemon watcher. Watchers get the urge to go find and sketch wild Pokemon, you know?? the black-haired artist explained, putting his hands behind his head. ?Not that I don?t like working for the professor, of course! I love working for him! But sometimes I just crave the old island life.?
?That?s right, you grew up on the Orange Islands, didn?t you?? the dark-eyed teen asked. ?C?mon, let?s go. I didn?t come here to blab at the docks all day.?
?Why did you come, Gary??
?Why else?? Gary replied. ?For great food and girls in bikinis.?
IIIIII
?Huh, never seen one of those before.?
?Never seen one of what before??
?One of those,? clarified Tracey, pointing to a gigantic, colorful building just behind the market area they were ambling down. ?Home for Amnesiacs??
?Oh yeah, I saw that place the last time I was here,? admitted Gary, Umbreon riding on his shoulder to avoid being trampled by the tourist herd all around them. ?There?s another one around here somewhere. Seems like overkill to me. I mean, there can?t be that many amnesiacs around.?
?Well, it?s a nice thought, though. I mean, it?s kinda hard to go back home if you can?t remember where it is, huh?? the boy with the red headband commented, looking over to where a man was selling Hyper Potions for one-fourth their usual price.
?Yeah, I guess it?d be kinda awkward to call your home number to your Pokegear and ask if they know who you are,? Gary added, laughing. He noticed several people giving him unpleasant looks and shut his mouth.
?By the way, have you heard from Ash lately?? his black-haired companion asked, observing the timid trader boy from earlier frantically talking with a teenage girl with long, dark red hair. The girl remained serene as she adjusted the straw hat on her head, smiling and saying something that was inaudible above the tourist crowd. Her hand cradled a Pokeball marked Sheba.
?What makes you think I know he?s up to?? the russet-haired boy answered, smirking and seeing a certain denim-clad boy cheerfully chatting away, something about trying to find a coastline with ghosts and monsters. The dark-eyed teen more than suspected that he knew the place that the white-haired trainer was talking about. ?Hey, there?s that other amnesiac place over there, The House of the Memoryless.?
?Oh yeah, you?re right,? the boy in the bright green shirt stated, looking to the oversized white building that Gary spoke of. ?Well, I thought maybe he?d written to you or something.?
?Since when does Ash write??
Suddenly a towering, muscular man jumped in front of both of them, his red face glowering down at them.
?Uh?? Gary began.
?NO! I?ll NEVER give you my precious Vulpix! NEVER!? the imposing man screeched at them, causing the two boys to jump back. ?You many have my Horsea, you may have my Teddiursa, but you will NEVER have my Vulpix!?
?We never said we wanted your Vulpix,? Tracey stated hastily, eyes wide.
?Now dear,? a weedy little woman called, grabbing the man?s thick arm and flashing the two intimidated boys a slightly embarrassed smile. ?Sorry about this. He?s having one of his moments.?
Hurriedly she escorted the large man away, his voice rising as his Vulpix was apparently taken away from him despite his words. The teenage duo stared as they left, while Umbreon tilted its head slightly.
??What was that about?? asked Tracey.
?I?m not sure if I want to know,? answered Gary, as they began walking once more.
?Me neither, to be honest,? responded the teenage artist, as someone with a black T-Shirt with silver words saying I Survived MissingNo, Will You? squeezed by them. ?By the way, what?s this MissingNo thing everyone?s obsessed over? Do you have any idea what it is??
?Yeah, I have an idea. I saw it about three years back,? the grandson of Professor Oak stated, as his right leg began to throb again. ?Hasn?t Gramps ever told you about it?
?No, not at all,? stated the boy wearing the red headband, passing by someone bragging about the Cyndaquil they had gotten the trading center nearby, the one overlooking the east beach on the island. ?So what is it then, this MissingNo??
?Something you shouldn?t step on.?
??Okay, so it?s a Pokemon??
?I dunno,? Gary replied, eyes narrowing as he looked straight ahead.
?What do you mean? You?ve seen it, right??
?Yeah, but?? Gary began, looking up to the sky as if it would give him the answer. ?It?s?hard to explain. Let?s just say it?s the kind of thing you need to see yourself. Go to the beach and you?ll see what I mean.?
IIIIIII
They paused before a huge wooden sign, crudely made, posted on the ground right before the eastern beach strip. Behind them, on a large hill with miles of field behind it, was an enormous red building with several smaller barns dotting the landscape around it. The billboard Gemini?s Trading Center stood on top of the dark blue roof.
The sign read:
HELLO TOURIST PERSON!
PLEASE NOTE THAT UNLESS YOU WANT A BUNCH OF EVIL CLONES OF YOU RUNNING AROUND, OR YOU HATE YOURSELF OR THIS WORLD THAT MUCH, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS COASTLINE?S EDGE AND LEAVE THIS PLACE TO THE PROFESSONAL PEOPLE, OR AT LEAST THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT THEY?RE DOING!!
There. Can?t say I didn?t warn you. ^_^
- Professor Maple
??What?? spoke Gary, eyebrows raised.
?I?ve never heard of this Professor Maple,? stated Tracey, folding his arms and studying the sign as if he was trying to analyze a language from another planet.
?I have,? agreed the dark-eyed Trainer, stroking the Umbreon resting on his shoulder. ?Apparently he studies aliens, ghosts, weird grey stuff growing on the ceiling, and peanut butter sandwiches. That, and he plans to be the greatest rock star of all time.?
??Okay then??
?Heeeeey! You guys! Wanna come join us??
The two teenagers looked up to see a trainer with white hair waving at them, opaque sunglasses over his eyes and a friendly smile on his face. It was that Tom kid again, Gary realized. The denim-clad trainer was accompanied by three younger boys, all of whom had Pokeballs on their belts.
?It?s more fun with more people,? Tom continued, still waving his arm off. ?The more people there are, the more cool monsters there are!?
?Monsters?? Tracey asked. ?Like MissingNo??
?Yep!?
Gary found his feet taking him, almost against his will, to the shoreline where the other kids were waiting. He could hear Tracey?s footsteps mimicking his own.
?Tracey, you stay here and watch, it?s-?
?No, I?m coming!? the black-haired artist exclaimed heatedly, a response that went against his usual easygoing temperament. ?If it?s dangerous, then it?s all the more reason I should go. The professor would never forgive me if something happened to you.?
?Don?t worry, MissingNo?s not that bad,? shouted one of the younger boys, one that wore a bright yellow cap. ?We come to see it everyday, and we?re still here!?
Gary folded his arms and closed his eyes. Umbreon hopped off his shoulder and began walking ahead.
??Allright,? he finally conceded. ?Let?s go Tracey.?
The other trainers cheered as the black-haired and russet-haired boys stepped onto the damp edge of the shore, the fingers of the sea caressing their shoes.
Gary felt the chill immediately.
?Hey, why?s it so cold all of a sudden?? asked his headband-wearing companion, rubbing his arms and shivering.
The sand in front of them began to spin like a whirlpool of mud and turn silver.
?Wow, that was fast,? stated one of the younger trainers, this one wearing a neon-green cap.
The grandson of Professor Oak narrowed his eyes, a growing ache in his right leg.
Then it came, in all its silver-block, broken-mirror glory, rising from the sands as if it was a great living monument.
Umbreon lowered its small head and growled, the golden rings on its onyx body shining brightly. It moved in front of its master.
The portable Pokemon dictionary known as the Pokedex stared beeping loudly in the dark-eyed trainer? pocket, a green light on the outside edge flashing against its metallic red body. It began speaking in its usual robotic monotone voice.
?Wild MissingNo has appeared.?
Gary smirked at the mass of cubes.
?Long time no see.?
Chapter 2: Cinnabar Island, the Other Side
?This is?MissingNo?? Tracey questioned, transfixed to the spot.
?This is MissingNo!? Tom echoed affirmatively, bring out his Pokedex and flipping it open, making a sharp snapping sound. He looked at the contents inside and whistled.
?Level 147. Not bad.?
?Level?Level what?!? Gary exclaimed, dark eyes wide. ?But that?s impossible! Pokemon can?t go over Level 100! Their bodies would burst with that much power inside them!?
?Well, just use your Pokedex and check for yourself,? stated one of the boys, who had a dark blue cap on his head.
The russet-haired teenager fumbled for his own metallic Pokemon analyzer, while the three younger boys watched his frantic antics with smug smirks. When he finally managed to bring out his Pokedex, he pointed the red device at the thing known as MissingNo.
The tiny electronic screen inside the Pokedex read.
Pokemon: MissingNo
Trainer ID: None
Status: OK
Level: 147
Gary stared at the lit-up display.
Now that I think about it, I never actually checked MissingNo?s level back then. I just stared at it like the idiot ten-year-old I was?
Then MissingNo started floating toward him ever so slowly, giving off a soft cooing sound that should have belonged to the graceful Dragonair.
?Hey guy, you better hurry up and attack!? shouted the green-capped boy. ?It?s coming for you!?
?Attack it with what?! It?s at Level 147!? Gary snapped back. His highest-level Pokemon was Umbreon at Level 70, and that wasn?t even half of MissingNo?s level.
Without orders said black creature charged forward anyway.
?Umbreeeeee!?
?Umbreon!? its master called after it, then his face hardened. ?Use Psychic!?
The cat-like Pokemon?s red eyes glowed a pale blue, and a thin telepathic aura of the same hue surrounded the silver mass of cubes. The dark-hued Pokemon let out a cry, and its opponent crashed hard onto the sands.
MissingNo shattered into silver powder on impact, its remains carried off by the wings of the wind.
Gary and Tracey stared at the spot where the Level 147 monster had been seconds ago. Tom and the other boys cheered.
?See, it?s not so bad!? Tom stated, saluting the other two teenagers.
?MissingNo?s got really weak defensive stats,? the blue-capped boy stated. ?Any decent Pokemon over Level 40 can take it out.?
Gary watched the last bits of silver dust disappear.
This is what Gramps is so afraid of?
?Unfortunately my highest level Pokemon is Level 30, so all I can do is watch,? added Tom, not seeming the least bit bothered by this fact.
?My Pokemon are only around Lv.25,? admitted Tracey, giving a sheepish smile. ?Well, my Scyther?s at Level 55, but it?s pretty old. So I guess I?m stuck watching too.?
?Great! I don?t feel so alone now!? the white-haired boy chirped, already strolling along the beach ahead of the three boys. ?Now let?s find some more monsters!?
?Geez chill out, will you? We?re coming already,? growled the yellow-capped boy, as the rest soon followed in the denim-clad trainer?s footsteps.
They strolled up and down that coastline for that must have been half an hour before another creature dug itself out of the sands. It wasn?t much to look at.
?A Squirtle? C?mon, there?s got to be more here than this,? Gary grumbled, looking down at a tiny blue turtle with a brown-and-tan shell and a long tail that was coiled tightly at the end. Standing on two stubby legs, it eyed him inquisitively.
?Just a Squirtle, huh? Ol? Reviver can take care of this little guy,? Tom proclaimed, plucking a Pokeball off his belt and throwing it onto the sand.
?Hey hold on,? the blue-capped boy protested.
Out of the red-and-white sphere came forth a stream of light that became a giant, dark blue tortoise with large water cannons embedded in its massive shell. It towered over the little turtle before it, the fully evolved Pokemon versus its childhood stage.
?Blast!? it roared, pointing its water cannons at its small opponent.
?Nice Blastoise,? Gary commented. ?I thought you said you didn?t have any Pokemon over Level 30.?
?I don?t,? Tom replied, as he patted the Pokemon?s hard shell. ?Reviver here?s only Level 26.?
?Wait, how do you have a Level 26 Blastoise? Wartortle doesn?t evolve into Blastoise until level 36!? Gary exclaimed, looking hard at the giant but seeing nothing unusual about it.
?Reviver! Rapid Spin!? Tom ordered, taking no heed of the dark-eyed trainer?s question.
The Blastoise swiftly withdrew into its mammoth shell and began whirling at an incredible rate. Once at top speed, when the shell was but a blur of color tossing sand everywhere, the cyclone shell zipped across the beach toward the small turtle Pokemon.
The tiny Squirtle stopped the gyrating behemoth with one hand-like hoof and yawned.
??Blast?? Reviver?s voice echoed in puzzlement from deep within the shell.
?Huh?? Tom said, perching his sunglasses on his head and gawking.
The Squirtle sneered.
With a deft movement, the small blue turtle lifted its fully evolved form over its head and tossed it high into the air, well above the heads of the trainers. Then it took a deep breath and fired the most fantastic Hydro Pump attack Gary had ever seen. The massive stream of water slammed into the Blastoise and sent it flying to the other side of the beach, where it landed with a painful-sounding crash.
?Reviver!? Tom exclaimed.
?That Squirtle?s at Level 160, bonehead!? snapped the green-capped trainer next to him, his Pokedex out and open. ?Check their levels before you fight them!?
?Oh, whoops,? Tom answered, rubbing the back of his head as his sunglasses fell over his eyes by their own will. ?No wonder that Squirtle kicked Reviver?s butt so bad.?
?A level 160 Squirtle?!? Tracey exclaimed.
?Well yeah,? the yellow-capped boy confirmed, looking at the black-haired artist with a bored and slightly annoyed look. ?Almost everything here is over level 100. There?s a reason why this is called a coastline of monsters.?
?A monster Squirtle, huh?? asked Gary, studying the sneering Squirtle and noticing a thin semi-translucent aura around it. ?I?m guessing this won?t be as easy to take down as that MissingNo earlier.?
?Nope, but it shouldn?t be too bad,? stated the yellow-capped boy, Pokeball in hand. ?It is just a Squirtle, after all. Go Ivysaur!?
Out of the red-and-white storage device came a sky-blue dinosaur-like creature with green blotches all over its body. On its broad back was a budded red flower surrounded by four wide, jagged leaves. It snorted and stomped the ground.
?Saur!?
?Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!?
?Saur!? the plant-bound creature barked harshly, two of the large leaves on its back lifting up. From the dark area under the leaves darted out a flurry of smaller, sharper leaves that shot toward the absurdly high-leveled Squirtle.
The tiny turtle retreated into its shell, and the leaves bounced harmlessly off the hard surface. When the last of the leaves had passed, the tiny monster turtle popped out of its shell and rammed into the Ivysaur with a full-body tackle, nearly causing the small dinosaur Pokemon to fly into its trainer.
?Oh man,? the yellow-capped boy whined, sounding more frustrated than worried.
?Umbreon, Psychic!? Gary shouted.
Once again the dark feline?s eyes turned a pale blue, and the Squirtle found itself being lifted up into the air by the telekinetic energy. It squirmed and cried out, to no avail.
?Umbreon won?t be able to hold it for long. Hurry!? the russet-haired trainer commanded to the yellow-capped trainer next to him.
?Right!? the boy answered, giving him a firm nod. ?Ivysaur, another Razor Leaf!?
The blue-hued Pokemon complied, and this time the leaves hit their exposed target dead on, causing the Squirtle to cry out in pain. Then Umbreon used the last of its psychic energy to slam the tiny monster turtle into the ground. The Squirtle with the preposterously high level laid on the sand in a daze.
?Now Ivysaur, Body Slam!?
?Umbreon, Faint Attack!?
While the sleek-bodied cat Pokemon disappeared from sight, Ivysaur leapt high into the air and landed belly-first on the Squirtle. The monster turtle let out a yelp, but it swiftly retaliated by throwing the Ivysaur up into the air and then striking it with a well-aimed Water Gun attack. The blue dinosaur landed a bit roughly on the ground, but stood back up with little trouble.
Before the Squirtle could make another move, however, Umbreon suddenly materialized in front of it and struck the monster Pokemon hard, causing it to fall onto its back. The tiny turtle flailed about, the curve of its shell making it difficult to get off its back and regain its footing.
?Ivysaur, Solar Beam!?
Pale yellow light gathered at the tip of the small dinosaur?s bud, the orb of energy steadily growing in the wake of Cinnabar?s ever-present sunlight. By the time the Squirtle got back on its feet, it received a majestic beam of radiance to the face.
The force of the attack sent the Squirtle flying back several feet, the tiny monster turtle finally out cold. Then, as if the beach wanted to protect the defeated Pokemon, it was swallowed up by warped sands. Not a trace of Squirtle was left to be seen.
?Aw, man, I wanted to catch it,? whined Tom, returning Reviver to its Pokeball.
??Wouldn?t have minded to catch it myself,? stated Gary, studying the sands with suspicious eyes.
?Allright!? the yellow-capped trainer exclaimed, jumping up into the air while his Ivysaur stomped the ground like a sumo wrestler. ?You did it, Ivysaur! But you know, you?re a pretty good trainer yourself, tourist. Your Umbreon is awesome!?
?Thanks. Your Ivysaur isn?t too bad either,? answered Gary, watching Tracey examining the spot where the Squirtle had been eaten by the beach. ?And my name isn?t tourist, it?s Gary.?
?Right, Gary,? the boy repeated, adjusting his hat. ?But this place is awesome for training, isn?t it? It never gets boring. Wait ?til you see the ghosts!?
?Not ghosts, we don?t want to see ghosts,? the blue-capped boy corrected sternly, folding his arms. ?We want to see the dolls.?
?Oh yeah,? the yellow-capped boy responded with a hangdog smile. ?But yeah, wait ?til you see the dolls!?
None of them saw any ghosts or dolls as they wandered the island?s eastern edge, but they did see quite a few more monsters. Ivysaur and Umbreon were joined by blue-cap?s Pidgeot and green-cap?s Beedrill as they faced off against a Level 128 Marowak. Gary decided to let his tired Umbreon sit out the next battle, though, as the remaining three Pokemon fought against a Level 142 Golbat whose screeching was more of an annoyance than anything else. Then they all ran for their lives from what Tom soon dubbed as The Level 248 Onix of DOOM, with all emphasis on the capitals.
They had just recovered their courage from that little incident when a huge orange dragon sprang from the sands, a Charizard.
Gary, leading the group, casually flipped open his Pokedex to look at its level.
?Level 152. That?s not too bad, actually.?
The Pokedex droned out its usual announcement.
?Wild SKREEEEEE appeared.?
?Huh?? the russet-haired trainer spoke, now noticing that the species name on the data screen was filled with nonsensical static blocks, save for a sole letter M stranded among the blocky jumble. ?Great, I think my Pokedex is screw-?
?Gary, look out!? he heard Tracey yell.
The dark-eyed boy lifted his gaze upward and froze on the spot, and it wasn?t because of the artic chills slithering through his body.
The Charizard was melting. Its bright orange skin was sagging down like an overheated wax sculpture. Frigid steam erupted through the holes forming in the leathery hide. The white of the eyes turned obsidian black as the ribcage of the creature became all too visible. The flame at the tip of its muscular tail turned from blazing red to ice blue, until the fire was swiftly extinguished by the rapid jet of semi-translucent aura that swirled around the giant lizard like the ghosts of snakes. In the pupil of the eye sparked a tiny red pinpoint of light.
He should run. Gary knew he should run. But he couldn?t run. He couldn?t even move. It was like he was locked in a knight?s suit carved from ice. It was like that monster?s red gaze commanded him to stay. It made it hard to think. Why was he here again?
?Gary!?
Gary? Who ?
?Gary, MOVE!?
IIIIII
The next thing the dark-eyed boy knew was that he was lying on the ground, staring up at the flawless sky. Hovering over him were his Umbreon and Tom, with his sunglasses down over his eyes.
?Welcome back!? the white-haired boy greeted, helping the russet-haired trainer sit up. Umbreon let out a happy yip.
?What happened?? Gary moaned, rubbing his forehead. ?What?What is that??
Frigid steam was compacted into a large half-sphere on the coastline, the warped aura spinning rapidly. Occasionally bits of the semi-translucent substance broke off, but the fragments were sucked back in a few moments later. The sand near the sphere was coated in silvery frost. The three boys watched it from a good several feet, faces amazed but not alarmed.
?That? Oh, that thing,? replied Tom, lifting up his sunglasses for a better look before letting them fall back over his eyes. ?Those guys say that it happens whenever a glitch battle happens. Apparently just fighting a glitch doesn?t count as a glitch battle, or something. Your buddy?s in there right now with that zombie Charizard.?
?What?! Tracey?s in there?!?
?Yeah, you were just standing there, and that zombie Charizard was moving toward you, so he pushed you out of the way,? the boy with the sunglasses explained. ?Then that weird fog wrapped around him and the Charizard and formed that sphere over there.?
?But you heard Tracey earlier! His Pokemon can?t fight that thing!? Gary shouted, scrambling to his feet despite Tom?s and Umbreon?s consoling. ?I mean, the only Pokemon he has that would have a type advantage against it is his Marill. And well?it?s a freaking Marill. Marills can?t fight.?
?Well, nobody can get in there now, which really sucks,? the denim-bound boy explained. ?So we?ll hafta wait until it?s-?
The bubble of frigid steam abruptly dissolved.
?Well, whaddaya know? It?s done!? Tom announced, as if a birthday cake had just finished baking. ?Looks like your buddy?s still there, see? And there?s no zombie Charizard. That?s gotta be a good sign.?
The dark-eyed boy was in close pursuit of the white-haired trainer when they finally arrived where Tracey was still standing, recalling one of his Pokemon. The other three boys were already there.
?Man, that was the first time I?ve ever seen one of those,? spoke the yellow-capped boy.
?Gem and the professor will be all over this,? added the green-capped boy.
?You okay?? asked the blue-capped boy.
?Tracey!? Gary called.
The black-haired artist turned in his direction. Silver shone in his glazed eyes.
Then he fell onto his side, unconscious.
?Tracey!? the russet-haired boy yelled He and Tom dashing over to where the Pokemon Watcher had fallen. The dark-eyed teenager kneeled down and shook his trembling shoulder, icy to the touch. The headband-wearing boy did little more than flicker his eyes.
?He?s just passed out, that?s all,? the yellow-capped boy assured, as he and the other two boys kneeled down to get a better look at the sleeping boy. ?That usually happens with your first glitch battle.?
?Wow, glitch battles are that hard on you, huh?? asked Tom, the only one still standing. ?So how?d he beat the big bad Charizard of death??
?He didn?t. There wasn?t a battle, not really,? the green-capped boy explained, as his blue-capped friend looked the sleeping Tracey over. ?Thing was, he sent out a Bulbasaur??
A Bulbasaur? Gary thought. Since when does Tracey have a Bulbasaur? And why did he send a Bulbasaur against a Charizard? That?s just stupid?
??and then he used some kind of item on it, an X Defend or something. And then the bubble popped and that freaky Charizard disappeared.?
?Just like that?? asked Tom, as the blue-capped boy began to take off the black-haired boy?s headband. Then he let go of it like it had bit him.
?Just like that,? echoed the green-capped boy, as the blue-capped boy stared at his hand like he expected it to fall off. ?Kinda anti-climatic, huh??
?I?d say he was pretty lucky,? Gary chuckled.
?We?ve got to get this guy to the professor! Now!? the blue-capped boy suddenly screamed.
?Huh? What?s-? began both the yellow-capped and green-capped boy, before falling silent, dead silent.
Gary, with his gut twisting painfully against itself, looked back down to where Tracey was.
His red headband had been severed in two, half-eaten by silver, even though the dark-eyed trainer had sworn it had been dry as a desert a few moments before. Then Gary realized that liquid silver was seeping from his forehead, which had previously been hidden by his now-deteriorating headband. The substance ran like blood from his face to the ground, where it was forming an ever-expanding puddle of silver around his head that was starting to soak his hair.
??There?s taint bleeding from his forehead?? the green-capped boy spoke in a hushed tone, like it was a forbidden secret. ?Oh man, this is bad. This is really bad??
?I?m gonna get the professor!? the yellow-capped boy exclaimed, jumping up and running away from the silver-stained scene at top speed.
Tom said not a word, sunglasses down.
?Hey! Help us carry this guy!? the blue-capped boy shouted, as he and his green-capped friend struggled to lift up the unconscious artist and began to move forward as fast as they could.
?How bad is it?? asked Gary, as he and Tom helped to carry off the silver-stained Tracey. ?I got that silver stuff on my leg a few years ago, but-?
?Well that was just your leg,? growled the blue-capped boy. ?You can live without your leg, though it would suck. But with taint bleeding from the forehead?it means there?s taint infection inside, the excess being bled out.
?Wait, so this taint is attacking his mind?! Is that what you?re saying?!?
?That?s exactly what I?m saying.?
Gary looked towards Tracey again.
?Tracey! Wake up, Tracey!? he shouted. ?Wake up, dammit!?
??But the Safari Zone?s nowhere near here?? the other teenager moaned faintly, eyes fastened shut.
The two younger boys remained silent.
?Snap out of it, Tracey! Wake up! Wake up, Tracey! Tracey!?