The third and final danger zone awaits our heroes... but first, the trap
is sprung! C&C would really make my day, so send away!
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 14: Maroon is Deserted and we�re Marooned in the Desert
Ashley buried her face in her hands and cried. Standing in the lobby
of the well-guarded Pokemon League Tower, surrounded by every Pokemon
League guard in the place, she sobbed loudly, ignoring her own safety
and hoping only that Arthur had reached Jellic in time to warn him of
the trap...
�Okay, girlie, calm down!� said one of the guards. �We�re not going
to hurt you!� He tried to put his arm around her shoulders, but she
shrugged it off, still crying. �Look, we�re doing everything we can. It�
s a big city, and it�s getting dark out there...�
�I DON�T CARE!� screamed Ashley. �I WANT MY MOMMY!� She stomped her
feet and continued to fake crying.
�We�ve got our guards everywhere, believe me,� said the guard. �We
just can�t spare any more men to go look right now!�
Ashley kicked him in the knee. �Send more! You have to find her! You
�re the Pokemon League! It�s your job!�
�Look, kid. It�s not our job to find the parents of missing kids...�
Ashley screamed. �Hey, that�s enough of that! I�m working on it!�
Ashley dabbed at her eyes with her shirt. �It said in the trainer�s
manual that the Pokemon League is there to help fulfill the needs of
Pokemon trainers. I NEED MY MOMMY!�
The stairwell door opened and Arthur charged out of it with Jellic
close behind. �Ashley, we�re leaving!� he shouted as the pair of heroes
bolted across the lobby.
�OK, dad!� she shouted. �That�s my daddy! I�m fine now, bye!� She
pushed her way quickly past the guards and followed Jellic and Arthur
out of the building.
�Wow, that was some rescue!� said Jellic as he caught his breath.
�Ashley provided a wonderful diversion,� remarked Arthur.
�And I am NEVER going to do that again! I hate acting like a baby!�
�Oh god,� said Jellic almost under his breath.
�You�re telling me,� said Ashley. Then she saw what Jellic was
looking at. The main force of the Pokemon League Enforcers had
completely surrounded the front of the building, and standing at the
front of the group was the leader. Beside him, a giant cockroach held a
limp figure by the neck between its sharp pincers. �That�s Lobia!�
Ashley exclaimed.
�Then you know this girl,� mused the leader aloud. �This could be
more fun than I thought.�
�Let her go!� shouted Jellic, reaching for his Pokebelt.
�I wouldn�t resist if I were you,� warned the leader. �One word from
me and this Pinsir will snap the girl�s neck in two.�
�Leave the girl out of this,� said Arthur. �Who do you really want
to deal with?�
�I want Jellic�s Mewthree. Hand it over and the girl will live.
Refuse, and I�ll kill her and take the Mewthree by force.�
�Jellic,� moaned Lobia weakly, �don�t give it to him...� The Pinsir
tightened its grip just slightly, enough to draw blood. The tiny
rivulets running down her throat made Jellic feel sick to his stomach.
Even Elvor wouldn�t be cruel enough to use an innocent girl as a
bargaining chip...
�All right. You win. The Mewthree is yours,� said Jellic, stepping
forward to meet the League leader. �But you have to release Lobia
first.�
�You�re in no position to make demands, Jellic. The Pokeball, now!�
Jellic reluctantly handed the Pokeball to the Enforcer. At that very
moment, Droll Vordekar burst forth from the Pokemon League Tower,
running right into Arthur in his haste. The two of them grappled briefly
before Arthur managed to throw Vordekar to the ground. However, the
Enforcer leader was evidently rather startled by Vordekar�s sudden
appearance, as he lost his grip on the Pokeball and it fell to the
ground. Mewthree emerged, causing an immediate stir among the Enforcers.
�I want my Pokemon back!� shouted Vordekar as he regained his feet.
�Droll Vordekar, I�ve had enough of your interference in Pokemon
League business!� shouted the Enforcer leader. �And I�ve had enough of
the rest of you as well! Pinsir, Guillotine!�
�Mewthree, stop it!� shouted Jellic. The Pinsir suddenly rose up
into the air, dropping Lobia in its surprise. Jellic leaped forward to
catch her. �That�s it! Slam it!� The Pinsir dropped to the ground,
landing lightly. �What kind of Telekinetic Slam was that?�
This Pinsir resisted my Psychic energy enough to break free of my
attack.
�Pinsir, Vicegrip!� The Pinsir charged at Mewthree with its head
down. Mewthree blasted it with Swift, knocking it onto its back. The
star-shaped projectiles kept flying, forcing the Enforcers to move aside
before they were blasted themselves. Jellic led the way through the gap,
and Arthur and Ashley followed quickly behind. Mewthree went last, after
giving the Enforcers just enough of a Psychic blast to ensure that they
wouldn�t be able to catch up easily.
�That was close!� exclaimed Ashley as they ran.
�It�s not over yet!� shouted Arthur with a glance over his shoulder.
�They�re right behind us!�
�I know that!� returned Jellic. �I�m going to get us out of danger!
Turn right here!�
They turned into one of the side streets and ran past the
residential neighborhoods, until the streets ended and became an endless
expanse of sand. Signs appeared, warning them not to venture into the
Desert of Death, but they ignored them. This wasn�t a venture; it was
survival.
�Good idea,� remarked Ashley. �They�ll never follow us into the
Desert.�
�You did remember to pack a lot of water and towels, right?� asked
Arthur.
�Of course,� said Jellic, pulling a large canteen out of his
satchel. �Well, actually, I only have enough for two, but if we can
conserve our water well enough, we should be able to make it.�
�Make it? I really don�t want to trek all the way across the Desert
of Death!� said Arthur. �I thought we were just hiding out here until
the Enforcers give up their search.�
�They won�t give up. As soon as we set foot inside Heliotrope, they�
ll grab us. Our only hope is to make it to the far side of the Desert
before they do and find refuge in the next town.�
�On foot?� challenged Arthur. �We might as well not have brought
water. The Pokemon League has motorized transports. They�ll be in
Obsidian within the day, waiting for us to show up.�
�But they�ll keep their main force in Heliotrope, expecting us to
turn back,� Jellic pointed out. �We can handle whatever�s in Obsidian,
right Mewthree?�
It is true that they might not have a great deal of power in
Obsidian. However, knowing that you have crossed the Forest of Mist and
the Swamp of Sickness already, they will very likely believe that you
will try to cross the Desert of Death as well. They are more likely to
wait a few days, then move all of their forces to Obsidian to intercept
you.
�Hmmm... Good point.� Jellic considered this. �Okay, we have only a
few days to beat the main Pokemon League force to Obsidian! Let�s get
going!� He recalled Mewthree and handed a towel to Arthur. �You and
Ashley will have to share this towel. Lobia and I will use the other
one.� He set Lobia on the ground. �Lobia, can you walk yet?�
Lobia coughed, causing more blood to spurt out through the gashes in
her throat. �I�m weak, Jellic.� Jellic quickly wrapped the towel around
her neck and applied a slight pressure.
�You should be in a hospital, but those Enforcers would never let us
get close. I�m afraid you�re going to have to come with us.� He sat
down, and Arthur and Ashley joined him. �What happened in Maroon Town
after we left?�
�The next day, the Enforcers came back and we were overrun. They
beat our Pokemon and took over the Pokemon Center. Then they kicked
everyone out of the town except me. They kept me so they could use me to
get to you. I�m sorry, Jellic...�
�No, I�m sorry I got you caught up in my life,� said Jellic. �But
maybe it was meant to be this way. Maybe the four of us were meant to
travel together to Karddor Labs. It�s happened to me before.�
Arthur nodded. �Four Pokemon trainers, chosen by destiny to save the
world from the oppression of the Pokemon League and the corruption of
Karddor Labs...�
Ashley rolled her eyes. �Now you both sound like an epic fantasy.�
Jellic smiled. �We are an epic fantasy. Arthur is a legend in his
own time, and I�ve had my fair share of questing as well. I was worried
for a while that this dimension would be different, but the only thing
different about this dimension is the weapons with which we fight.
Pokemon.�
�Pokemon aren�t just weapons, you know,� Ashley admonished him.
�They have feelings, just like we do. You have to learn to love and
respect your Pokemon.�
Jellic looked up into the sky. �We�d better get moving. We have to
find shade before the sun comes up or we�ll be fried alive. We don�t
want to waste the nighttime.�
�I think I can walk now, Jellic,� said Lobia, pushing herself up.
Jellic removed the towel from her throat and dabbed at the droplets of
blood that remained. Lobia leaned against him in a momentary fit of
dizziness, but refused to take his hand. �I�ll be okay,� she announced
at last. �Let�s go.�
They pressed on into the Desert of Death, keeping their eyes peeled
for wild Pokemon that might attack at any time. �Remember, everyone,�
Ashley advised, �Flying, Water and Plant Pokemon are best for fighting
against Ground types. But Water types will suffer from the heat during
the day and Grass types will suffer from the dryness of the Desert air,
so we�ll have to restrict our use of those types. Flying types are
probably our best bet.�
�Looks like we may get the chance to try them out,� said Jellic,
pointing to a cloud of dust that could just barely be made out on the
horizon. �Whatever�s making that cloud is coming this way.�
�I suggest that we move to a position where we might have the
advantage,� said Arthur. They quickly broke into a run, scanning the
desert for any signs of higher ground. Unfortunately, the landscape
failed to comply. However, they were indeed making rapid progress
through the trackless, level wasteland.
Before long, the rampaging Pokemon were close enough that they could
make out their rather large shapes even in the relative darkness of the
night. Jellic aimed his Pokedex, hoping to get some information about
their pursuers. �Rhyhorn and Rhydon, rhinoceros Pokemon. Their thick
stone hides make them almost impervious to physical attacks. These
Pokemon frequently gather in herds and stampede through wilderness
areas, although the noise of cities tends to dissuade this behavior near
populated areas. There are therefore few cases of cities destroyed by
stampeding Rhyhorns.�
� �Few� meaning that there are some,� said Jellic. �These things are
dangerous.�
�Maybe we can make enough noise to scare them away,� suggested
Lobia.
�Probably not,� said Ashley. �Jellic�s got a big mouth, but it�s not
THAT big.� Lobia chuckled.
Jellic sneered. �With Ashley�s big mouth added to mine, we could
scare away the whole desert.� Now it was Ashley�s turn to glare as Lobia
burst out laughing, then suddenly stopped, rubbing her neck painfully.
�All right, that�s enough fighting from you two,� said Arthur. �We�
re going to have to make a stand eventually and I�d prefer that the two
of you were working together rather than against each other.� Both
Jellic and Ashley hung their heads in shame. �Right. Now, Jellic, how
long do you think we have before they reach us?�
Jellic peered out across the desert. �It�s harder to tell, at night,
but I�d give us fifteen minutes if we stand here and wait for them,
twenty if we keep moving at this pace.�
�Then we�ll keep moving and prepare for their arrival when they
catch up with us.� For fifteen minutes, they moved on, discussing their
battle plans as the herd of Rhyhorns came steadily closer. The stomping
of their massive hooves was audible now, a dull roar that grew louder as
the stampeding Pokemon gained ever more ground on the party and made it
difficult to think. Lobia covered her ears as they walked, hoping to
shut out the sound, but it echoed through the ground and vibrated up
their spines.
Jellic looked over his shoulder at the Rhyhorns. As the name
implied, they looked almost exactly like rhinoceroses, but they were
made of solid stone. Several Rhydons were mixed in with the smaller
Rhyhorns, towering over their unevolved brethren like tanks...
�I have an idea!� he shouted suddenly, barely able to hear himself
over the din. Ashley shouted something back, probably that she couldn�t
hear, but Jellic was already infinitely too far away to hear her. He was
in a dimension torn by war, riding beside the Houngrian general in a
tiny aircar across the battlefield with a hundred tanks in close
pursuit.
�Their tanks are bigger and faster than this aircar, Jellic!�
shouted the general. �When they run over us, we�re done for!�
�Don�t worry, general!� returned Jellic. �We have one advantage that
they haven�t counted on!� Jellic placed one hand on Lobia�s shoulder and
the other hand on Ashley�s � one hand on the manual brake handle and the
other on the steering wheel � as he felt the rumbling from behind
growing even louder. One second too late and they�d be crushed, one
second too early and the Rhyhorns � tanks � would follow. The moment
would come when it would feel right. He just had to keep moving and
wait...
It felt right. He jerked the wheel sideways.
�Now!� he shouted, pulling Ashley and Lobia along as he shoved
Arthur sideways with his body. Together, they ran parallel to the
stampede front, hoping to escape a crushing death by running around it
instead of away from it, as the rampaging herd approached even more
quickly now. They felt the rushing air as the Rhyhorns passed inches
behind them, and then all was still.
�We�re more maneuverable,� announced Jellic triumphantly as the
Lourdanian tanks rumbled on across the battlefield, unable to stop or
turn to continue the pursuit.
�That was close,� whispered Ashley as the stampede continued on,
oblivious to the fact that the humans were no longer in front of it.
�Everyone stay still until the Rhyhorns have calmed down,� said
Arthur. �I think it was the vibrations from our walking that caused them
to stampede. After they�ve let out their steam, they�ll be rather
passive for a few days before they�re able to work up a proper frenzy
again. We�ll be safe until then.� He sat down on the ground.
�I�m hungry,� said Lobia, sitting down next to him.
�I think I may have some bread in my satchel,� Jellic replied,
offering her some. Lobia tore off a hunk and bit into it fiercely. �Go
slowly or you�ll get a stomachache!� he advised.
�I think I�ll pass,� said Arthur. �I can never tell whether a loaf
of adventurer�s bread has been baked or forged. Often, if the village
oven is in use, the village bakers pre-empt the potter�s kiln.�
�It�s not that hard,� said Jellic, tapping at the rest of the loaf
with his knuckles. There was a slight echo. �Okay, so it is that hard.
It�s all the food I have on me right now. I never had the chance to stop
in Heliotrope to buy supplies. I really wanted to buy some rope.�
Ashley nodded vigorously. �It�s pretty handy when you fall into a
pit that�s several times your height or you�re up to your neck in
quicksand...�
Lobia�s eyes grew wide. �Wow, did that stuff happen to you? That
must have been scary!�
�Why don�t you tell us about your adventures while we walk?�
suggested Arthur as he stood up. �We�d best get moving so that we can
find shelter before the sun gets too high.� And so Jellic and Ashley
related their adventures to Arthur and Lobia as they continued on
through the Desert, while the sun began its long trek across the sky and
the Desert of Death grew bright in its harsh yet tranquil light. The
canteens were passed around more than once as Jellic and Ashley spoke,
and the others were listening so intently that Lobia didn�t even realize
that she�d stepped into the hole until the ground gave way under her
foot. Arthur�s hands were around her waist before she could scream,
holding her steady to prevent her from twisting her ankle as she fell.
�Are you okay?� asked Ashley as Arthur worked at pulling her foot
out of the hole.
�Yeah,� replied Lobia, but then she tensed up. �Something�s pushing
on my foot from below!�
�I don�t think it�s trying to hurt you,� said Arthur, as her foot
popped free and a tiny Pokemon that reminded Jellic of a gopher poked
its head out of the hole, blinking in the bright sunlight.
�Dig, Diglett?� it asked.
�Wow, a Diglett!� shouted Lobia, kneeling beside the Diglett and
patting it on the head. The Diglett seemed to enjoy the contact. �I
think it likes me!�
Jellic consulted his Pokedex. �Diglett, the groundhog Pokemon.
Diglett travels through underground tunnels, only coming to the surface
to forage for food. For this reason, Digletts are rarely found near
underground streams, as the water seeping into the tunnels would weaken
the Ground type Pokemon. Digletts rarely threaten trainers and are easy
to catch and train.�
Lobia pulled a Pokeball out of her belt. �Would you like to come
with me, little Diglett?� The Diglett sniffed cautiously at the
Pokeball.
�You don�t really expect it to voluntarily give up its freedom, do
you?� asked Jellic. Lobia shushed him and slowly extended the Pokeball
toward the Diglett. Suddenly, the Diglett shrieked and dove back into
its burrow. �See?� he said.
Lobia�s brow furrowed. �No, something scared it.�
�It was probably your Pokeball,� said Jellic. Just then, the ground
began to lurch underfoot, throwing all four of them to the ground. The
sand around them began to rise and fall rhythmically, and a low droning
came from below the ground.
�That�s no Pokeball!� shouted Arthur as the sound grew louder and
more distinct. It was a rising hum, almost as if a hundred Pokemon were
making their call simultaneously. Then the sand exploded around them and
a ring of Pokemon burst forth from the ground to surround them. Each one
appeared to be a Diglett with three heads, and each head was chanting
the eerie dirge, but at a slightly different time than each of the other
heads, so that the three chants were distinct.
�Dug dug dug trio trio trio dug dug dug trio trio trio,� they
chanted in turn. Jellic consulted his Pokedex while the humans huddled
in the center of the ring.
�Dugtrio, the evolved form of Diglett. Dugtrios tend to be very
protective of their unevolved brethren and will attack any trainer who
threatens a Diglett. A pod of angry Dugtrios can be a threat to even an
experienced trainer, as their combined power will create a massive
Earthquake attack at the smallest sign of any threat.�
�I think that means we shouldn�t send out any Pokemon,� said Jellic.
Lobia kneeled and addressed one of the Dugtrios. �I wasn�t
threatening the Diglett. I just wanted to see if it would come with me.
If you don�t want me to take it, I�ll leave it alone, I promise!� The
Dugtrio simply Growled at her, forcing her to back away.
�I think we should just leave,� said Jellic, taking a careful step
toward the Dugtrios. One of them lashed out at him with its sharp claws,
forcing him back into the center of the circle. �I don�t think we should
leave,� he amended.
�We can�t just sit here until we get sunburned!� said Ashley,
grabbing her Wartortle�s Pokeball. �I say we fight our way out of here
and who ca�� She stopped suddenly and collapsed to the ground, still
clutching the Pokeball tightly in her hand.
�Ashley, are you all right?� shouted Jellic, kneeling beside her and
shaking her. When Ashley failed to awaken, Jellic rolled her over onto
her back and pulled a small dart out of her throat. �A poisoned dart...
Do Dugtrios use poisoned darts?�
�I think Sandslashes learn Poison Sting,� said Arthur. Then he, too,
collapsed to the ground. Lobia grabbed Jellic�s waist and tried to hide
behind him.
�What�s going on, Jellic?� she asked.
�I wish I knew,� he returned. Then he felt the tiny pinprick in his
arm, and before he could react, he was lying on the desert sand, amid
the echoing call of the Dugtrios and Lobia�s fading screams.
�Dug dug dug trio trio trio dug dug dug trio trio trio...�
---------------------------------------------------------
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
JACKIE CHAN: Oh, sorry. I broke your spy camera! (pause) SPY CAMERA?!
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp