Well, I didn't get many replies to my informal poll, so I'm just going
to follow my original plan and send Jellic's Hateful Quest next. Don't
worry if you don't know much about Pokemon; it's all explained as the
story progresses, so you won't be lost. The Pokemon aspects of the story
are all based off of the R/B games, so Pokemon are all genderless
(except for Nidoran) and neither Mewtwo nor any of the Legendary Birds
are unique. They're also not omnipotent... and for those of you who are
concerned about evil endings (I've noticed a lot of talk about that
recently), I've got one that I can think of that's incredibly evil, and
a couple of other cliffhangers, but mostly I resolve my conflicts before
ending the chapters. (Hey, it's the first fanfic I ever started. Cut me
some slack!) Please, do not withhold any C&C or responses of any kind!
And yes, I am going to remove all of the accented 'e's before posting...
"fiancee" is one thing, but "Pokemon" and derivatives just pop up too
often to leave them in there.
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 1: There is no Evil but Pokemon Themselves...
Jellic stepped over the bodies of the fallen minions of Elvor and
found himself face to face with the Dark Lord himself. �Well done, brave
knight,� said Elvor, clapping his hands in a most condescending fashion.
�Now that I have no army left, I suppose I must surrender and return to
my own fastness to bide my time until I can rebuild my strength.�
�Not this time,� answered Jellic. �I�ve had enough of your plots to
conquer this dimension, and frankly, I�ve had enough of this dimension
at all. This time, I�m going to destroy you.� And with that, he drew the
Flaming Sword of Togria and held it aloft.
�Very well. Even with the legendary sword, you still can�t hope to
defeat me.� Elvor rose up into the sky and cast a lightning bolt down at
Jellic. The blast struck Jellic�s shield and bounced off, striking the
wall of the Dark Lord�s temporary fortress with no effect. �You can
never reach me when I�m up here!�
�That�s where you�re wrong,� shouted Jellic, as the Winged Shoes of
Antalus lifted him into the sky to fight the Dark Lord at close range.
�Curses once again!� shouted the Dark Lord. �But you still can�t
bind me without the Noose of Strinhia!� Jellic pulled the length of rope
out of his pocket. �What?! You have that too?�
�Found it last week in a cave guarded by a fierce dragon. The only
reason I let you live so long was because I was searching for the three
magical items that would help me defeat you.� Jellic threw the Noose of
Strinhia, which wrapped itself around the Dark Lord and held him in
place.
�Then you have indeed defeated me, Warrior Jellic, but know this. I
have been aware for many years of your travels, hopping back and forth
across dimensions and fighting creatures of evil wherever you went. I
have bound your next journey to a most hateful land where there is no
evil and there can be no fighting. Kill me, and you will find yourself
in a world so hateful, even I could barely bring myself to send you
there.�
Jellic always knew how to finish strong, and utilized one of his
numerous catchphrases for the occasion. �Shut up.� And with that, the
Flaming Sword of Togria severed Elvor�s head, and the body of the Dark
Lord fell to the ground among the bodies of his many minions. �Now that
that�s all over with, it�s time to celebrate,� Jellic announced to
himself as he floated back to the ground and followed the road back to
the peasant village where a feast was already being prepared in his
honor.
For three days and nights, the peasants lavished their attention on
Jellic, throwing huge celebrations and rewarding him with money in the
currency of every land in the world. Unfortunately, Jellic knew that his
next destination would be unlikely to accept any of these currencies,
but he accepted them anyway, because whatever he couldn�t sell in the
next dimension would make handy projectiles.
Finally, Jellic strapped on his scabbard, threw on a tunic, and
stepped out of the village, never to be seen again. There was a wavering
sensation in the air as he moved from one dimension to the next, and
then he was there. He looked around at the peaceful green hills and
tranquil forests of the beautiful countryside and -- He stopped and
frowned. The words �peaceful� and �tranquil� were never used to describe
any land that was in the grip of an evil force. In fact, judging from
the magnificent panorama, Jellic would have had a hard time believing
that any evil could exist in such a beautiful land at all. However, he
knew that the spell could only take him to dimensions where ultimate
evil existed, and it had taken him to this dimension, so there had to be
some evil here. Feeling secure in his logic, he set off toward the
highest hill he could see, hoping to spot a town and learn what dire
predicament the people were in.
Before he could reach the crest of the hill, a bizarre creature came
into view over the horizon. It looked a little bit like a dinosaur, but
it was less than half Jellic�s height. Its short arms and legs were
muscular, and it seemed to be in a fighting stance. Its tail curled up
behind its back as the creature readied itself to pounce. Jellic
reflexively reached for his sword, only to find that it had vanished. In
fact, all of his weaponry had mysteriously disappeared during the
transition into this dimension. �Fine, you want to be King of the
Mountain? Then we�ll duke it out by hand.�
�MAAAAAA-CHOP!� shouted the creature, pounding one fist into the
other hand.
�At least I think I�ve found the evil in this dimension,� Jellic
thought to himself as he charged up the hill to meet the creature. It
swung a giant hand at him, but Jellic ducked the karate chop and pounded
the creature in the chest with his shoulder. The creature fell backwards
briefly, but used its tail to steady itself and retaliated with a low
kick that caught Jellic unprepared. Jellic rolled several feet down the
hill before he managed to stop himself.
�Machop!� the creature shouted again, leaping into the air. Jellic
rolled out of the way as the creature landed in the spot where he used
to be, and quickly planted his knee into the creature�s stomach before
it could regain its balance. The tiny fighter fell down, but was back on
its feet in an instant, running for the safety of the far side of the
hill.
�You can�t escape that easily, evil creature!� Jellic charged after
it and grabbed it around the waist, dragging it to the ground. It fought
back desperately, but Jellic proved himself the more powerful, punching
it repeatedly in the face until its struggles grew weak.
�Here, catch it!� shouted a girl�s voice from nearby. Jellic looked
up to see a red and white ball about to hit him in the face. He quickly
plucked the orb from the air.
�What do I do with this?� he shouted back.
�Use it to catch the Pokemon,� she answered. Jellic was confused,
but as he lowered his hand, the ball flew from his hand and opened, and
the creature was sucked inside. Jellic took a few cautious steps back as
the ball began to wriggle about, flashing an angry red.
�What�s going on?� he asked, as the girl stood by his side.
�It�s trying to break free,� she replied. �It looked pretty weak
though. I don�t think it can escape.� As she finished her statement, the
ball ceased its movement, and lay perfectly still on the ground. �Good
job! You caught it! And you owe me a Pokeball. I don�t see your belt
anywhere. Did you lose it?�
�I�m wearing a belt,� answered Jellic, perplexed.
�No, your Pokebelt. You use it to hold your Pokemon.� She pointed to
the belt around her waist, which held six of the red and white orbs that
she had called Pokeballs in its loops.
�Was that strange creature a Pokemon?� asked Jellic, beginning to
understand what she was talking about.
�Yes, it was. A Machop, to be more precise. You�re new around here,
aren�t you?�
�That I am.�
�So this was your first Pokemon? That�s new. I don�t think I�ve ever
seen anyone catch a Machop first. Most trainers start with weak
Caterpies and Weedles and then move up from there.�
Jellic shook his head. This place was unlike any he�d ever seen
before. �Okay, look. I�m not interested in your little childish games.
Just tell me where the nearest town is where I could get a few supplies
and be on my way.�
�I�m not a little girl. I�m sixteen.� She pointed down the hill to
where Jellic could just make out the outlines of several small
buildings. �Sage City isn�t too far in that direction. I�ll take you
there if you want.�
�No thanks,� said Jellic, waving her off. �I can find my own way.�
He started off down the hill.
�Wait!� she shouted. �You forgot your Machop!�
�That evil creature? I don�t want anything to do with it!�
The girl grabbed the Pokeball containing the Machop and ran after
Jellic. �You caught it, and now it�s yours. You have to take care of it
and train it to be a better fighter.�
�You take care of it if you love it so much. I don�t want it.�
Jellic grabbed the ball from her and threw it into the bushes near the
path.
�How could you?!� she screamed, whirling on him. �You are so
irresponsible!�
�I�m a great warrior! I do whatever I please, and no little girl is
going to tell me otherwise!�
The girl stared at him. �What�s a warrior?�
Jellic sighed. �I fight the forces of evil everywhere they try to
harm innocent humans. If there are any more of these Machops around, I�
ll have to find them and imprison them all in the magical orbs.�
�They�re not magic, they�re Pokeballs. They store the Pokemon that
you�ve captured. Whenever you�re in a battle, you send out one Pokemon
at a time and they fight the enemy Pokemon until it�s weak enough for
you to capture it.�
�So when do I get to fight?�
�You don�t fight,� she answered. �Your Pokemon do the fighting for
you. It prevents people from being hurt in the battles. It�s a very
peaceful way to resolve conflicts.�
�Peaceful? You call that fun? I do my own fighting, thank you very
much.� The girl looked upset, but before she could reply, a cry from
behind interrupted her.
�Vulpix,� squeaked the creature. Jellic turned to face what looked
very much like a fox with four tails, but with orange and red fur that
made the creature look like a walking flame.
�Ooh, a Vulpix!� cooed the girl.
�Is that another Pokemon?� asked Jellic.
�Of course it is!�
�Then I must destroy it!� shouted Jellic, charging the Vulpix head
on.
�Wait!� shouted the girl, holding Jellic back. �Vulpix are
dangerous! Maybe you should let me handle it.�
�Just stay out of my way, or I may have to attack you,� warned
Jellic. The girl seemed surprised, but she obligingly backed off. �And
keep your Pokemon out of my business too.� Jellic turned to face the
Vulpix. �Now it�s time to teach you a lesson about messing with
interdimensional warriors!� Jellic charged at the Vulpix with his fists
flying. The Vulpix leaped athletically out of the way, whipping Jellic
in the rear end with one of its tails and sending him flying. Jellic
landed on his feet and charged once again, stopping just short of the
Vulpix.
�Watch out for its Ember attack!� shouted the girl.
�What Ember attack?� asked Jellic, turning his head to look at her.
The Vulpix growled and opened its mouth to launch a small flaming rock
at Jellic. It caught it his tunic and set it on fire. Jellic quickly
beat out the flames and stared at the smug-looking Vulpix. It stared
right back. �Okay, so you�re a dangerous little hellhound, aren�t you? I
can take you.�
Before Jellic could react, the Vulpix leaped at him too quickly for
him to respond. Jellic fell to the ground with the wind knocked out of
him. The Vulpix opened its mouth again, releasing another Ember at
Jellic, who was too stunned to avoid it. However, the Ember never hit
its mark. A tiny figure leaped into the path of the projectile and
blocked it, protecting Jellic with its own body.
�Machop?� asked Jellic weakly.
�Machop!� answered the Machop, who was burnt slightly but otherwise
more than willing to fight.
�Even after I threw you away, you still want to fight for me?�
�Ma chop!� confirmed the Machop, nodding its head.
�Fine. Go get it!� The Machop seemed confused, but ran straight
toward the Vulpix. The Vulpix playfully leaped aside and launched
another Ember at Machop. Machop couldn�t get out of the way in time and
was burned once again. �You have to dodge its attacks!� shouted Jellic,
but it was obvious that the Machop wasn�t getting it. �Try running
straight at it, then faking to the side and coming in from underneath
with a low kick.� At these words, the Machop sprang into action, diving
under the Vulpix�s Ember attack and kicking it soundly in the face. The
Vulpix went sprawling across the grass.
�Vulpix!� shouted the Vulpix, which was back on its feet in an
instant. It charged at the Machop before the Machop could react and
barreled into it. Machop flew backwards and landed in a heap. It
struggled to reach its feet, but Jellic could see that it was having a
hard time. The burns all over its body, which had up until then been
only a minor annoyance, were beginning to hurt it.
Jellic turned to the girl, who was still trying her best to watch
the fight without getting in the way. �What do I do now? I think the
Machop�s had it.�
�Call it back!� shouted the girl, tossing the Pokeball to Jellic.
�Machop! Come back!� called Jellic, holding the ball out in front of
him. A beam of red light flew from the ball at the Machop and engulfed
it, dragging it back into the ball. As its opponent vanished, the Vulpix
turned on its original assailant, preparing to launch another Ember
attack.
�Go Wartortle!� shouted the girl, tossing a Pokeball between Jellic
and the Vulpix. The ball opened and a rather large turtle with what
appeared to be small cannons mounted on its shell emerged.
�Tortle. Wartortle,� growled the Wartortle, turning to face the
Vulpix.
�Vulpix. Pix,� the Vulpix growled back as it sized up its opponent.
�Wartortle, Water Gun attack!� shouted the girl. The Wartortle took
a battle stance on all fours and water began to shoot from its cannons
at the Vulpix. The latter Pokemon screeched as the water thoroughly
drenched it. By the time the girl had grabbed an empty Pokeball, the
Vulpix was already lying on its side, unable to stand.
�That Wartortle sure is powerful,� said Jellic, impressed.
�Well, your Machop already weakened the Vulpix, and my Wartortle had
the advantage because it�s a Water type Pokemon and Vulpix is a Fire
type.�
�That makes sense. The element of Water is powerful against the
element of Fire.�
�Exactly,� she replied. �You�ll learn the art of Pokemon training in
no time. Meanwhile, we�d better get your Machop to the Pokemon Center.
It�s pretty badly hurt.�
�Aren�t you going to collect your -- � Jellic stopped suddenly.
�Your Vulpix! It�s gone!�
�Of course it is. I already have six Pokemon with me, so any others
that I catch are transported to my PC. They�re stored there until I
collect them, and I have to leave another Pokemon there to do it.�
�I doubt I�ll need to know it, since I�m not planning to ally myself
with these evil creatures, but what exactly is a PC?�
�Never mind. You obviously don�t have what it takes to be a Pokemon
trainer.�
That brought Jellic up short. �What do you mean, I don�t have what
it takes? I can handle any task! I�m a warrior!�
�Then handle the task of learning to treat your Pokemon the way they
deserve to be treated. Most Pokemon are willing to risk their lives to
save their trainers, even if they�re treated as poorly as you treated
Machop. But since you seem to see yourself as some kind of great hero,
you�re going to have to learn the way we do things here. Pokemon battles
settle all kinds of disputes here, and it�s a great way for people like
me who can�t fight very well to be able to compete with big men like
you. In the world of Pokemon, everyone starts out equal. How well you
raise and train your Pokemon depends on you.�
�So you�re saying that if I want to get anywhere in this world, I�ll
have to let these Pokemon do all of my fighting for me?� asked Jellic.
�Nuts to that!�
The girl sighed. �If that�s the way you feel, then I won�t try to
argue. But we should at least take your Machop to Sage City to be
healed. After that, if you want to release it and go your own way, then
do that. But I think you may change your mind before then.�
�Fine,� said Jellic. �Lead the way, -- What was your name?�
�Ashley,� she answered. �What�s yours.�
�Jellic,� he answered, rolling the Pokeball around in his fingers.
�I suppose you�re going to come along with me to make sure I don�t do
anything mean to the Machop on the way there, right?�
�Well, that and I think we might become friends. My parents don�t
want me to go on a Pokemon journey unless I�m with an adult. If you�d
come with me, we could journey together and catch all kinds of Pokemon.�
Jellic tried as hard as he could to look impressed, but it wasn�t very
convincing. �And we might even find some evil to fight along the way.
Maybe someone will be willing to have a fistfight with you.�
�Evil?� asked Jellic, brightening up. However, he quickly set his
face to seriousness again. �Well, if there�s evil around, I�ll have to
come along to protect you from it, of course.�
�Of course,� replied Ashley, knowing that there had never been any
evil in the world of Pokemon and there never would be. And with that,
they both set off on the road to Sage City to begin their adventure
together.
------------------------------------------------------------
MOM: I'm getting rid of this TV before the mindless garbage rots your
brain!
JOHNNY: Mindless garbage not rot brain!
(SHAMPOO: Mindless Johnny not got brain to rot!)
"There's a billion places like home. But only one of them's where you
live." - Granny Weatherwax, "Witches Abroad" by Terry Pratchett
ED: My eyes are stuck! I can't open them!
EDDY: Open your eyes, Ed.
ED: (opens eyes) Thanks, Eddy.
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp