Back to the present of Jellic's quest... C&C is greeted with open arms!
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 16: The Rage of the Sand Meets the Rage of the Dragon
Jellic awoke to the sound of heavy drumbeats. As his head began to
clear, he could make out a quiet chant of some sort. He tried to move
his head to look in the direction of the sound, but the thick ropes
binding him to the stake prevented him from moving. The sunlight
reflecting off of the sand made it difficult to see anything anyway, but
Jellic could make out the squat figures perched atop a nearby rock.
�Jellic, are you awake?� It was Arthur�s voice, coming from nearby.
Jellic squinted through the glare and picked out the outline of a large
box with shapes inside it. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them,
clearing his vision slightly. Now he could clearly see the cage that
held his three companions.
�Arthur, are you all right? And what about the girls?�
�We�re fine, Jellic,� Ashley assured him. �The darts were filled
with some kind of poison that knocked us out, but it didn�t kill us.
When we all fainted, the Dugtrios must have lost interest in us.�
�So how did we end up here? And why am I tied to a stake?�
�They brought us here and took all of our Pokemon away,� explained
Arthur. �Then they tried to take yours, but that one Pokeball shocked
them every time they tried to touch it or your belt. In the end, they
had to let you keep it and just took away your other Pokemon. I guess
they didn�t want to let you stay in the cage while you had a Pokemon
with you.�
�Who are �they?� � asked Jellic.
�Desert nomads, I think,� said Ashley. �Jellic, I think they�re
going to sacrifice you to something they call the �Rage of the Sand.� I
don�t like the sound of it.�
�Neither do I,� said Jellic, considering his situation carefully.
�There�s still a Pokeball in my belt? Which one, I wonder?� He strained
against the ropes, but couldn�t reach the loops in his belt.
�I think it�s Mewthree,� said Ashley. �It must have altered its own
Pokeball so that anyone who touches it gets shocked. Remember when the
leader of the Enforcers grabbed it from you and then dropped it? He must
have gotten shocked!�
�But the nurses at the Pokemon Centers have been able to touch it,�
protested Jellic.
�They were planning to give it back to you when they were done
healing it,� Arthur pointed out. �Maybe it can sense whether or not
someone intends to steal it from you.�
�Could be,� said Jellic. �I had it with me in my dream, but I couldn
�t call it out of its Pokeball. Maybe it�s bonded to me somehow and
follows me wherever I go, even in dreams.� The ground began to shake
beneath his feet. �I don�t think that�s a good sign...� The sand around
Jellic�s feet began to shift, and he felt himself sinking. He struggled
against the ropes, trying to reach Mewthree�s Pokeball, but the bonds
were too tight and he couldn�t get his hands on it.
�Jellic!� screamed Ashley. �Hang on! We�ll think of something!�
�Diglett!� shouted Lobia. �Where are you?�
A tiny brown head popped up from the sand near the cage. �Diglett?�
asked the tiny Diglett.
�Diglett, help Jellic!� The Diglett popped its head back
underground. As Jellic�s waist settled to ground level, he felt his
ropes go slack, and he was able to move his arms once again. He quickly
grabbed the Pokeball and threw it to solid ground well clear of the
shifting sand. The Mewthree wasted no time in using its Levitation
ability to pull Jellic free of the sand and set him down on top of the
cage. The whirlpool in the sand vanished.
�Was that the �Rage of the Sand?� � asked Jellic aloud.
�You have defied the Rage of the Sand!� shouted one of the nomads
from the rock. �Now all of us will suffer!� The sand around the cage
began to shift, and Jellic felt the cage lurch as it began to sink. He
quickly jumped to the ground and tugged at the cage door, but it was
locked with a padlock. Jellic kicked at the lock, but it refused to
move.
�The nomads have the key,� said Arthur. �You have to get it!�
�There�s no time,� said Jellic. �I have to find out exactly what
this thing is.� He aimed his Pokedex at the whirlpool of sand.
�You�re wasting time!� shouted Ashley. �It�s just sand!�
�That�s what we thought about the Mire until we figured out that it
was a Pokemon. I�m willing to bet that this is more than just sa-�
�Sand,� said the Pokedex, �a silicon-based compound found
predominantly on beaches and in deserts. Sand has many industrial
uses...�
�Great,� said Jellic, putting the device away. �That�s all I need
now. A Pokedex with a sense of humor.� He examined the lock again.
�Where are our Pokemon?�
�On the far side of those rocks,� said Arthur, pointing the way.
Jellic ran toward the rocks, but a Pokeball fell in his path and a
familiar Pokemon emerged.
�Nidoking,� growled Jellic�s opponent, pawing the ground as if to
charge.
�Mewthree? I could use a little help here!�
I�m barely able to keep the cage from sinking further. You must get
the Pokeballs quickly.
�Great.� The Nidoking simply stared at Jellic, daring him to provoke
it. Jellic removed his belt and grabbed both ends in one hand, wielding
it as a whip. �You want a piece of me?� he taunted. �Have a taste of
cured leather!� He cracked the whip menacingly, but the Nidoking didn�t
back down. Instead, it lunged at Jellic, who darted around the creature
but was blocked by a huge claw. Jellic cautiously eased his way
sideways, staring the Nidoking in the eye and watching for the slightest
movement. Judging the distance carefully, Jellic cracked the whip again,
catching the Nidoking on the tip of its snout.
�NIDO!� roared the Nidoking, charging at Jellic. Jellic dodged
sideways at the last second, introducing the rock that was behind him
into the Nidoking�s path. As the monarch smashed its head into the rock,
Jellic darted past it to a smaller rock on which rested three Pokebelts
and four loose Pokeballs. He grabbed one of the loose Pokeballs and
threw it.
�Meta. Pod,� croaked the Metapod.
�Not the best choice,� said Jellic, holding up the Pokeball to
recall it. However, the Nidoking had recovered more quickly than Jellic
expected, and it charged again, stopping short to swat at Jellic with
its huge claws. Jellic held up the Metapod as a shield, but the Nidoking
�s claws tore its tough hide. �Damn!� shouted Jellic. �Metapod, Harden
now!� The Metapod�s tough armor now turned the Nidoking�s claws aside
while Jellic threw another Pokeball.
�Persian. Perrrrrrrr.�
�Which one is it?� shouted Jellic, fumbling for a third Pokeball
while trying not to drop the Metapod. The Nidoking bashed the Metapod
with its head, smashing in the side of the cocoon and throwing Jellic
backwards across the sand. He stared, horrified, at the fragments of
cocoon in his hands. �Oh my god, I think it�s dead!�
The fragmented Metapod stirred, and from the shattered remnants of
its shell emerged a colorful butterfly. �Free! Butter, free!� cooed the
newly hatched Butterfree as it took to the air. Jellic breathed a sigh
of relief, reaching for his Pokedex while the Butterfree distracted the
Nidoking.
�Butterfree, a Flying Bug Pokemon. Once Metapod evolves, it gains
flying attributes as well as some Psychic powers. The Butterfree is also
prized for its beautiful coloring.�
�Fine, but what moves does it have?� Jellic asked aloud, as the
Nidoking licked its lips hungrily.
�Butterfree learns Confusion shortly after evolving, and retains all
of the abilities it learned prior to evolution,� chimed the Pokedex.
�All right, that will work,� he said, putting the device away.
�Butterfree, Confusion!�
�Free?� The Butterfree was the only one confused about Jellic�s
order. The Nidoking seized the opportunity to leap up and grab the
Butterfree in its powerful jaw.
�Butterfree, Harden!� The Butterfree folded its strong wings around
its body as the Nidoking attempted to chew it, protecting its fragile
body. Meanwhile, Jellic threw the third Pokeball.
�Machop!� shouted the Machop, ready for action.
�All right, finally! Machop, go get Ashley and the others out of
that cage! Hurry!� The Machop nodded and ran to the rescue, while Jellic
turned his attention back to the battle at hand. �Butterfree, try your
String Shot!� The Butterfree, weak from the effort of Hardening against
the Nidoking�s crushing maw, expelled its string down the throat that
threatened to engulf it if it grew any weaker. The string quickly formed
a blockage, sending the Nidoking into a coughing frenzy. It spat out the
weakened Butterfree and hacked away until its trainer recalled it and
sent forth a Sandslash. Jellic remembered having seen one of the spiny
hedgehog Pokemon in the employ of Droll Vordekar, but judged that this
one wouldn�t know the powerful Secret Machine technique.
�Persian, Fury Swipes!� The Persian leapt into action with bared
claws, but the Sandslash also had its claws at the ready. Persian�s Fury
Swipes met Sandslash�s Slash attack, and both combatants scored. Jellic
threw out his last Pokeball. �Gyarados, go!� The Water Dragon burst
forth from the Pokeball and took to the air, slamming into the Sandslash
with little regard for the claws that tore at its scales. �That�s it!
Bite it now!� The Gyarados� teeth tore the Sandslash apart, causing it
to faint. Jellic quickly recalled his Pokemon and raced back toward the
cage before the nomads could send another Pokemon.
�Hooray! Jellic did it!� shouted Lobia as he approached holding the
three Pokebelts. Machop had managed to climb to the top of the cage and
rip the bars apart, allowing the prisoners to climb to higher ground.
Once everyone had escaped from the cage, they leapt clear of the
whirlpool and claimed their belts as the cage vanished into the sand.
Ashley called out her Wartortle.
�Wartortle, quick! Hit that whirlpool with Water Gun!� The Wartortle
obediently released gallons of hydro into the sand.
�What are you doing?� asked Jellic. �I thought you said it was just
sand!�
�It is, on the surface,� explained Ashley. �But I think there�s
something else underneath...�
The whirlpool abruptly ceased, and the ground began to rumble. A
huge mound of sand rose from the spot where the whirlpool had been,
throwing the cage into the air. As the sand cascaded from the mound, the
shape of a huge Diglett was revealed. A pair of beady eyes opened and
focused on the group. �Digmama,� moaned the earthy Pokemon as Jellic
brought his Pokedex to bear.
�Digmama, the evolved form of Dugtrio. When exposed to the rare Sand
Stone, Dugtrio will evolve into the enormous Digmama and learn the
powerful Whirlsand attack that draws its victim into the ground. This
legendary Pokemon is feared by local desert dwellers and can be very
malicious even without provocation. Approach with caution.�
�How optimistic,� remarked Jellic as he stashed the Pokedex.
�Mewthree, blast it with Swift!� Mewthree launched its attack at the
Digmama, which lashed out with a giant claw that knocked Mewthree off of
its feet.
�Wartortle, Water Gun!� shouted Ashley. The Wartortle sprayed its
water attack, but its water supply was diminishing, and the attack�s
effectiveness diminished. The Digmama growled and began to descend
beneath the sand.
�Go Venusaur!� shouted Arthur, sending one of his Pokemon into the
fray. �Vine Whip! Make sure it stays up!� The Venusaur pounded the
Digmama with its powerful appendages, knocking clumps of sand off of its
body. The Digmama bellowed its rage and Slashed again, severing the
Venusaur�s vines. �Razor Leaf! Don�t let up!�
The Digmama�s descent slowed, and it began to rise once again.
Mewthree stepped forward, drawing on its power of Telekinesis to keep
the Digmama in a position where it could be attacked. Jellic smiled and
called out Gyarados. �Gyarados, Bite!� The Gyarados� teeth gouged chunks
out of the Digmama�s hide while the Ground-based Pokemon struggled,
unable to reach the Flying monstrosity or to Dig its way to safety.
Meanwhile, the flurry of leaves from Arthur�s Venusaur, as well as the
weakening stream of water from Ashley�s Wartortle, were taking their
toll on the Digmama. It gave up trying to attack the Gyarados and turned
its attentions to the Venusaur, which was already weak from the loss of
its vines. A quick Scratch from the giant claws finished off the
Venusaur, and Arthur recalled it.
The Water Gun finally gave out, and Wartortle collapsed to the
desert floor. �Wartortle! Are you okay?� asked Ashley, holding out the
Pokeball. �Wartortle, return!� The red beam shone on the Wartortle, but
the turtle simply shook its head and the beam had no effect. �What�s
wrong? Why won�t you get back inside?� The Wartortle began to glow, and
it grew to twice its original size. The small cannons on its back became
massive weapons of destruction, and its already sturdy shell hardened
even further into a tough armor. The bones of its skull expanded, giving
its head a bony ridge around the top like a battering ram.
�Blastoise,� it said as it stood up and glared at the Digmama.
�You finally evolved!� she cheered, hugging the Blastoise around
what could have passed for a waist. The Digmama raised its claw, but the
Blastoise lowered its cannons and hammered it with a fire-hose pressured
Water Gun, eroding its surface as if it truly were made of sand. The
Blastoise carefully pushed Ashley aside, out of range of the Digmama�s
claws.
Meanwhile, the Gyarados flew in tighter and tighter circles,
wrapping its tail around the Digmama and tearing at it viciously,
working itself into a frenzy. �I think your Gyarados has just learned
Dragon Rage!� Arthur pointed out.
�It sure looks that way,� said Jellic. �Why aren�t you fighting any
more?�
�My Grass types would probably hurt your Water types as much as the
Digmama,� explained Arthur. Jellic nodded and returned to the battle.
The Digmama, frustrated at its inability to hide, quickly changed its
tactics. It attacked the Blastoise with a wave of sand, which turned
instantly to mud as it touched the stream of water and clogged up the
Blastoise�s cannons. The water now spurted in all directions, reducing
the former torrent of water to a light spray. Blastoise determinedly
increased its pressure, removing part of the blockage, but the sand in
its eyes had blinded it, and it couldn�t see well enough to aim. Ashley
reluctantly recalled it and sent out her Weepinbell.
�Drowzee, go!� shouted Lobia, joining the battle with her newest
Pokemon. �Confusion!� The Drowzee squinted at the Digmama, which
immediately retaliated with a swipe of its claws. The Drowzee reeled,
but managed to remain conscious. �Disable!� ordered Lobia, and the
Drowzee raised its arms over its head. The Digmama clawed at the
Gyarados, finally managing to dislodge it while tearing a large chunk
out of its side. Then the Digmama grew very still, its claw hanging in
the air as if time itself had frozen. Jellic recalled the Gyarados while
Ashley�s Weepinbell began to lash at the Digmama with its Vine Whip
attack. The combined Confusion and Disable attacks had left the Digmama
disoriented and partially paralyzed, and it offered no further
resistance to the attacks.
�It�s too tough!� complained Ashley. �It should have fainted by now,
but it�s barely tired at all!�
�We won�t be able to beat it, not at the rate we�re going!� answered
Jellic, digging in his satchel. He grabbed an Ultra Ball and launched it
at the beast, which was drawn inside. The ball shook violently as the
Digmama fought to escape. Then, the ball exploded into fragments and the
Digmama fell out onto the sand. Ashley�s Weepinbell renewed its attack,
joined by Arthur�s Vileplume. Together, the Grass Pokemon set to
weakening the Digmama. It slashed at them, but in its confusion, did as
much damage to itself as to its assailants.
�Vileplume, Poison Powder!� shouted Arthur, and the Vileplume
launched its toxic cloud at the Digmama. �Jellic, try to capture it
again!�
�I�ve only got so many Ultra Balls!� returned Jellic, searching for
another one. �These things are expensive!� He threw the Ultra Ball, and
again the Digmama found itself trapped, fighting to escape. The ball
held for as long as it had the first time, then as long again, but the
shaking didn�t stop. �I don�t think it�s going to work! We hardly
weakened it at all!�
�The poison and confusion attacks make it harder for the Pokemon to
escape,� replied Arthur knowledgeably. Meanwhile, the ball had finally
begun to fall still, the struggles of the Pokemon inside weakening as
the ball held firm. Finally, seemingly hours later, the ball stopped
moving completely.
�Yay!� shouted Lobia and Ashley together. �You caught the Digmama!�
But they were not the only ones to cheer. As one, the nomads
watching from the rocks above stood up to applaud. �Hail the mighty hero
who saves us from the Rage of the Sand!� shouted one in a fancy
headdress.
�HAIL!� responded the other nomads.
The chief of the tribe leaped down from the rocks and approached
Jellic, extending a welcoming hand. �Tell us, brave hero, what is your
name?�
�Jellic,� he replied. �Why did you try to sacrifice us to this
creature?�
The chief sounded sincere in his apology. �This leviathan of the
sands has terrorized our people for many days, ever since one of the
Sacred Stones fell beside the Dugtrio tunnels. We captured weak Pokemon
as sacrifices, but the hunting has grown scarce since the Rage of the
Sands has hunted. We are glad that you have finally caught the beast
that drove us to such cruel ends.�
�I�m glad too,� said Jellic. �But I don�t think this is a Pokemon
that I would feel safe carrying around.� He handed the Pokeball to the
chief. �It will protect you if another Digmama ever evolves in this part
of the Desert.�
The chief ecstatically held the ball aloft and turned to his people.
�The hero comes this day and turns our enemy into our ally! Hail the
mighty hero who vanquishes our fears and protects us from nightmares yet
to come!�
�HAIL!� came the response.
�Oh hero, I wish to reward you for your great deed, but alas, I have
little to give.� He handed a small brown stone to Jellic. �Take one of
the Sacred Stones of our tribe. I entrust it to you, in hopes that you
will never use it to create the monster that ravages from below.�
�I will never use this stone for evil,� promised Jellic, putting the
Sand Stone into his satchel. �Thank you for your gift.�
�Hey!� shouted Ashley. �What about us? We helped too!� Arthur placed
a restraining hand on her shoulder and held his finger to his lips.
Jellic whispered something into the ear of the chief, who turned once
again to his tribe.
�Hail the great heroes who fight beside the mighty Jellic! Ashley of
Sage, Arthur of Heliotrope, and Lobia of Maroon!�
�HAIL!�
�May their names live on forever in legend!�
�That�s not exactly the sort of reward I was hoping for,� whined
Ashley. �But I guess it�s good enough.�
�We need to get to Obsidian City as quickly as possible,� said
Jellic. �Can you help us?�
�My Onix knows the way,� answered the chief, throwing a Pokeball to
the ground. The giant rock snake emerged, the tiny fragments of sand in
its segmented body catching the sun and gleaming. �It will take you as
far as it can and protect you from the predators of the desert.�
�Thank you for everything,� said Jellic.
�Except capturing us and locking us in a cage,� put in Ashley.
The chief laughed. �Go with speed, heroes! Farewell!�
As they approached the Onix, a Diglett�s head emerged from the
ground in front of them. Lobia bent down to pat it on the head. �Thanks,
little Diglett. You�re a hero too!� The Diglett bobbed its head
enthusiastically. �What is it? Did you want to come with me?� She held
out a Pokeball to the Diglett.
�Are you sure you should be doing that?� asked Ashley. �Remember
what happened last time you tried to catch it...� Just then, the
Dugtrios popped up around them. �Uh oh!� The Dugtrios began to chatter
among themselves, as if attempting to come to a decision. Finally, they
all turned to the center, and the tallest of the Dugtrios nodded its
approval.
�Diglett!� shrieked the Diglett excitedly, pressing its nose to the
Pokeball. It was drawn inside and fell still without any struggling at
all. The Dugtrios vanished into the ground, satisfied that Diglett had
found a worthy trainer.
�Looks like you�ve found a new friend, Lobia,� said Jellic as he
climbed onto the back of the Onix. From there, he and Arthur helped the
girls climb up. Arthur finally took his own seat, and the Onix lurched
off into the desert. The riders were barely able to hang on as the
boulders that formed their transportation rose and fell rhythmically,
making rapid progress across the desert. Jellic would never have
believed such a huge creature to be anything but sluggish, yet the snake
moved with alarming speed, covering the miles as if they were mere feet.
�At this rate, we�ll be in Obsidian long before the Enforcers!�
shouted Jellic over the loud thumping as the Onix�s body repeatedly
slammed into the ground. Silently, he added, �As long as nothing goes
wrong...�
For once in his life, Jellic�s luck held, and they reached the
border of the desert without further incident. When the Onix stopped,
they all dropped to the ground, Ashley clutching her stomach and head at
the same time. �I think I�m going to be sick,� she moaned.
�Don�t worry about it,� said Jellic. �Just don�t take too long. We
have to get our Pokemon healed in Obsidian and then I�m off to Karddor
Labs.�
�And I need to get back to my gym,� said Arthur, as the Onix turned
and whomped its way back into the desert. �I�ve been away for far too
long without even giving a reason. Although, I had forgotten what it
felt like to be a hero... I do miss the questing.�
�I have a favor to ask you,� said Jellic. �Can you take care of
Lobia for a while, until we can finish dealing with Karddor Labs and
liberate Maroon Town? I don�t want her to get caught up in this any more
than she already is.�
�I can handle myself!� shouted Lobia. �Don�t treat me like I�m some
sort of baby!�
�Lobia, I don�t even know whether or not I�ll survive this quest,�
explained Jellic. �I lose companions in almost every quest I undertake.
I don�t want anything to happen to you.�
�Ashley gets to go!� protested Lobia.
�I�m going because I love Jellic and I don�t care what happens to me
as long as we can be together!� Ashley stopped suddenly as if only now
aware of what she had said. She continued in a much softer tone. �I don�
t have a family to take care of me. That�s why I came along with Jellic
on this quest. He�s been like a brother to me all along. But you have a
real family to live for, and I�m sure they miss you dearly. What will
they think if something happens to you?�
�I suppose you�re right,� sighed Lobia. �I�ll go back with Arthur.�
�Don�t worry, Lobia,� said Arthur. �We�ll have a great time
together, and maybe we�ll get to have some adventures of our own.� Lobia
smiled up at him, satisfied.
A mousy head popped up from the sand nearby. �Shrew!� it squeaked.
More heads appeared, and they were quickly surrounded. Jellic grabbed
his Pokedex.
�Sandshrew, a Ground Pokemon found in the Desert of Death.
Sandshrews are usually very peaceful until they evolve into Sandslash.
However, many trainers prize the Sandshrew because it can be trained to
be one of the most lethal Pokemon, and the most powerful Sandslashes
evolve from trained Sandshrews.�
�That�s just wrong,� said Jellic as he put his Pokedex away.
�Trainers forcing peaceful creatures to become violent... I used to
think that wild Pokemon needed to be captured to protect innocent
humans, but it seems that there are exceptions to every viewpoint.�
Arthur nodded wistfully. �Whatever cruelty Pokemon may cause, it�s
simply their nature, their way of surviving. Humans cause cruelty
because they enjoy it and because it profits them, not because they need
to survive.�
�There are some evils that we can fight, like Karddor and the
Pokemon League,� said Jellic. �There are evils that we can�t fight, like
war and unhappiness. And then there are Pokemon. Evils that we could
fight, but we wouldn�t be helping anything by it.� A Sandshrew cocked
its head and stared at Jellic oddly. �I�d love to take one, but I refuse
to provoke these creatures to violence for personal ends.�
�That�s the best way,� agreed Ashley.
�I don�t want to force my Diglett to fight if it doesn�t want to,�
added Lobia, cradling its Pokeball.
�By trying to take advantage of Pokemon to combat evil, we�re
creating more evil out of innocent creatures,� noted Jellic. �I can see
that now. But there�s no fine line between good and evil. All we can do
is to try our best to fight the evil that we can fight and work around
the evil that we can�t fight.�
�Perhaps,� said Arthur, �by realizing that, we have fought the evil
of Pokemon.� With that, he stepped around the Sandshrews and led the way
out of the Desert of Death. The others quickly followed, not exchanging
another word until they reached the road to Obsidian.
-------------------------------------------------------------
MOM: I'm getting rid of this TV before the mindless garbage rots your
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