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I'm worried about Solstice. She came back a few hours ago in tears,
and I had to force a knife out of her hand before she could slit her own
throat. Once I'd worked out what had upset her so, I managed to convince
her to write the story down, hoping that she would calm down in the
meantime. But she's almost finished now, and doesn't seem to be any less
depressed. I think it's Dominic she misses, rather than the three
strangers she feels that she abandoned. She truly loves him... I've
never experienced love, and never will, but I have seen what it does to
a person, and I am thankful it will never touch me.
Hold on. There's someone at the door. Perhaps they can talk her out
of her depression. It will take more than I've got, surely.
POKEMON: The Portal - Chapter 10
You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door and found Ash
standing there, with Raikachu at his side, as well as another man I'd
never seen before. "Solstice?" asked Ash.
I laughed. "I'm afraid not. But she'll be happy to see you." I
turned toward the stairs. "Solstice! I think you might want to see who's
at the door!"
"So she made it back," said Ash. "Triesha was telling the truth."
"She made it back, all right," I assured him, "but she wasn't in a
very good mood when she got here. I barely managed to talk her out of
killing herself."
"Killing herself? Why?"
"She thought you and the others were dead. She didn't think you
could possibly escape from the Tower alive." I felt Solstice's presence
behind me and stepped aside. The smile that crossed Solstice's
tear-stained face made even my heart feel light as a feather. She threw
her arms around Ash and buried her face in his chest.
"Ash! I thought you were dead!" She stepped back. "Who's that? And
where are Brock and Misty?" Ash's face told the whole story before his
mouth could. But he told us anyway.
"They're still in the Tower. They're Triesha's prisoners."
Solstice's face fell. "Then, Triesha's still alive?"
Ash nodded. "And she still has Dominic."
Raikachu's body sagged with her sorrow. "Rai raikachu..."
"What happened to Pikachu?" asked Solstice. "She looks hurt."
"She mutated," explained the stranger. "It never should have
happened. Pikachu didn't deserve this fate. No Pokemon does." He stared
directly into my eyes. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.
My name is Gary Oak."
"Nice to meet you," I said, extending a hand. "Have you come to help
defeat Triesha?"
"So I'm told," replied Gary. "Ash and I are the greatest Pokemon
Masters in our world. There's some dispute between us over which one of
us is better, of course..."
"We're going to combine our Pokemon power to defeat Triesha,"
explained Ash. "But we're going to need some help."
"You really want me to help you?" asked Solstice. "After I failed
you once, you still want me?"
"We need both of you," said Ash. "Equinox, I'd like you to come
too."
I jumped in surprise. "Me? What good could I possibly do?"
"Your magic is the complement of Solstice's," replied Ash. "And
Gary's Pokemon complement mine. Together our Pokemon cover both strength
and spirit, and with you and Solstice, we'll have both offensive and
defensive magic. That much power should be enough to beat Triesha."
"That makes sense," I said, "but having tangled with her directly,
you should know that even our combined power may not be enough."
"I know you're probably scared. I'm terrified. But Brock left behind
a wife and kids to help me, and Misty... I was going to marry her
someday soon. I can't just leave them there. And Dominic... I have to
rescue them, no matter what."
"I'm not scared," I replied. "I don't get scared. I'm just being
logical."
"Logic is fine," said Solstice. "But sometimes you have to follow
your heart."
"We can't force you to help us," added Gary, "but I'd love to have
you along."
"You don't know anything about me," I argued.
"That's why I'd like to get to know you," he replied smoothly. "I've
met a lot of women on my Pokemon journey, but none of them were anything
like you."
"Are you trying to flatter me?" I asked, trying my best to sound
annoyed although I was completely incapable of such an emotion.
"I'm afraid I'd fall well short no matter how hard I try."
I laughed despite myself. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever
said to me."
"And she's not lying," said Solstice. "Most people don't bother
hitting on Equinox because she can't return their feelings."
"Just because it doesn't make her happy doesn't mean I can't
compliment her," said Gary.
I wanted to agree with Solstice, but Gary's words had touched
something deep within me. A warm sensation spread all through my body as
he spoke. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be with him forever.
"He's right," I said quickly. "I enjoy being complimented."
"That's a good thing," said Gary. "You're sure to receive lots of
them."
I smiled as warmly as I could manage. "Thank you."
"Rai rai raikachu," said Raikachu, swaying slightly.
"We need to get back to business," translated Ash. "The longer our
friends are in Triesha's hands, the harder it will be to rescue them."
"I'm going to come," I said with a firmness that surprised both Ash
and my sister.
"I'm glad to hear it," said Gary. "What changed your mind?"
"I don't know," I answered quite honestly. "I just have a feeling
that I'll regret staying behind."
"You?" asked Solstice facetiously. "You don't regret anything!"
I shrugged. "I can't explain it... I've never felt anything like
this before." I sat down in my favorite chair with my hand on my
forehead, checking myself for magical influence or disease.
"Are you feeling okay?" asked Solstice, kneeling beside me. "I'm
worried about you. Maybe you'd better stay here after all..."
"No!" I shouted. "I'm coming, and that's final!" I waved her away
and walked to the door. Unconsciously, I slipped my hand into Gary's.
"Let's go." We led the way toward the enchanted path that led to the
Tower. Behind us, Ash worked at consoling Solstice out of her concern
over me.
"So, tell me," said Gary once we'd gained some ground over Solstice
and Ash, "what really made you decide to come along? Was it those
compliments?"
"Maybe. When I'm near you, I feel safe, and satisfied with
everything. It's as if I were... happy."
"You might be," he said. "I hope so. Wouldn't it be great if all it
took to make you truly happy was someone to care for you?"
"I suppose so," I replied. Despite the strangeness running through
my body that I was increasingly convinced must be an emotion of some
sort, I found it difficult to get excited. My feeling toward Gary was a
huge first step, but I still lacked any other emotions.
Gary, sensing my unease, put his arm over my shoulders. The warmth
within me doubled in intensity. "It's okay, Equinox. I know it's a new
experience for you, but if it's what I think it is, I know you'll enjoy
it."
"What do you think it is?"
"I think you may have a crush on me," he said, seemingly unashamed.
I slipped my arm around his waist. "I think you may be right."
Solstice fell into step beside me. "Be careful, Equinox," she
advised me. "If you are experiencing emotions for the first time, you'd
better be prepared for the bad ones as well as the good ones."
"Don't spoil the moment," I said, resting my head on Gary's strong
shoulder.
"She's right," said Gary. "As much as I like you, I don't want you
to get hurt from falling too hard for me. Remember, I'm not of this
world. Once we've rescued everyone, I'm going to have to return to my
own world."
"I can't help the way I feel," I responded softly. "I don't know how
to control emotions."
"You'll learn," Gary assured me, and that assurance made me feel
even better. The rising tide of emotion inside me alarmed me slightly,
but the unusual euphoria quelled my apprehension.
"We don't have time for that now," said Ash. "Here's the path."
"You'd better get a fire-breather ready," said Solstice as the death
vines that flanked the path began to reach toward us. Despite the fact
that we were well out of their reach, I felt an odd thrill from cringing
against Gary. He squeezed me reassuringly.
"I'll take care of this," he said. He removed a ball from his belt
and threw it, shouting, "Go, Arcanine!" From within the ball, a large
flaming dog emerged. Solstice shrieked.
"Relax," said Ash. "I told you he had powerful Pokemon."
"Arcanine, beat back those vines with your Flamethrower!" commanded
Gary. Arcanine opened its mouth and unleashed a fierce stream of fire,
torching the vines that couldn't get out of the way quickly enough. This
time, Solstice took it in stride, while I leapt backwards, shrinking
from the heat of the flames.
"Let's go," said Ash, leading the way through the now-clear path.
Solstice followed, and Gary and I were right behind. The death vines
closed in behind us, but apparently they had learned their lesson about
trying to block a Fire Pokemon; they didn't try to impede our forward
progress along the path.
"The first obstacle was a wall of fire," announced Ash.
"The obstacles will probably have changed," I told him. "We'll have
to be prepared for anything."
"Fine by me," replied Ash. "I'll be ready for a wall of fire."
"Raikarai!" agreed Raikachu cheerily.
"She won't give us obstacles that we've already proven we can
handle," Solstice pointed out.
"Then we'll have to prove ourselves on a whole new set," said Gary.
"I'm up to the challenge," said Ash.
The path ended at a large pool of water, continuing on the far
shore. "This doesn't look like much of an obstacle," said Gary.
"Wartortle should be able to shuttle us across this pool," said Ash.
He threw a ball similar to the one that had contained Arcanine, and a
squat turtle with cannons on its back popped out.
"I wouldn't be so hasty," I warned them. "There's obviously more to
this water than meets the eye." I knelt beside the pool and dipped my
hand into it, searching for enchantment. The water was cool and
refreshing on the skin of my hand, washing away the sweat that I hadn't
realized was there. Being near Gary was having effects on me that I
didn't like... but...
The water rippled around my hand so suddenly that I quickly jerked
back. "What's wrong?" asked Solstice.
"That water's alive!"
"Raika?" asked Raikachu, poking a paw into the water.
"Get back!" I shouted. But it was too late. The water grabbed
Raikachu and pulled her into its depths. Steam rose from the pool as
Raikachu's electricity arced across its surface.
"Raikachu!" shouted Ash, running toward the pool. Solstice held him
forcefully back.
"That's not water!" she shouted as she struggled to keep him from
diving into the pool. "It's an Aquibole!"
"A what?"
"A water elemental spirit," I replied. "It's a creature made
entirely of water."
"We've got to get Raikachu out of there!" shouted Ash. "She'll
drown!"
"We can't touch that water!" argued Solstice. "We'll be
electrocuted!"
"Not a problem for a Ground type," said Gary. "Sandslash, go!" The
Pokemon that Gary selected resembled a hedgehog with spines all over its
back and huge claws on its paws.
"You can't send a Ground type into water!" shouted Ash.
"I'll take care of it," I said, spreading my hands wide. The water
parted.
"Go for it, Sandslash!" ordered Gary. Sandslash leapt into the gap
between the walls of water and reached into the Aquibole's body, pulling
Raikachu out of the water. It quickly climbed the bank as the Aquibole's
aqueous nature overcame the power of my spell and the water came
crashing down to fill the space. Once its victims had escaped, the
Aquibole shed its disguise and assumed its true form - a large mass of
tentacles surrounding a central spherical core of water. The tentacles
reached toward us, trying to grab us and drag us into the center of the
creature.
"Sandslash, return!" shouted Gary. Sandslash was drawn back into its
ball by a red beam of light. "Arcanine, we're going to fight this
thing!"
"Same strategy as ever," said Ash. "You know Fire's weak against
Water! Raikachu, I choose you! Use your Thunderbolt!"
"Raika!" shouted Raikachu, zapping the Aquibole with electricity.
"What are you trying to do?" I asked. "It doesn't have a nervous
system. You can't hurt it."
"Arcanine, use your Fire Blast!" shouted Gary. Arcanine opened its
mouth and spat a large burst of flame in the shape of a character that I
didn't recognize. The Aquibole absorbed the flames in a puff of steam.
The steam quickly condensed, and the water ran back into the Aquibole.
"That isn't working either," said Gary. "I'm out of ideas!"
A tentacle wrapped itself around my waist and lifted me into the
air. "Gary, help!" I shouted. I instantly wondered why I'd screamed for
Gary, when logically it didn't matter who rescued me. Fortunately,
Solstice was ready with a wind spell. A sharp blade of air sliced
through the tentacle, severing it from the Aquibole's core. However, the
tentacle still held me despite its severance.
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" ordered Gary. The flames evaporated the
water around me, releasing me. Gary grabbed my hand and helped me to my
feet. "Are you okay, Equinox?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I replied. "But the way you rescued me gave me an idea.
Solstice, slice off bits of the Aquibole for Arcanine to destroy."
"But it will regenerate lost mass unless we can immobilize it
somehow," Solstice pointed out. "Ash, do you think your familiar - I
mean, Pokemon - can keep up a steady stream of electricity until we can
destroy it?"
"What do you think, Raikachu?" asked Ash. "Can you do it?"
"Raika!" shouted Raikachu.
"All right, then!" said Ash. "Let's do it!" We quickly put our plan
into action, and piece by piece, gallon by gallon, the Aquibole was
evaporated until all of its tentacles were gone and only the large ball
of water in the center remained.
"Chuuuu..." groaned Raikachu.
"Raikachu's running out of juice!" translated Ash.
"I can take it from here," said Gary. "Arcanine, Fire Blast what's
left of it!"
"Charizard, help out!" shouted Ash, throwing a Pokeball that
released a huge red dragon.
"Everybody hold tight," said Solstice. "I'm going to try a heat
spell."
"I sure hope it doesn't backfire," I said. While the others worked
to evaporate the Aquibole before Raikachu's electricity ran out, I did
my part by forcing the Aquibole into a wider, flatter shape, giving it a
larger surface to hasten the evaporation process. Within minutes, the
last drop was gone.
"Rai," sighed Raikachu, collapsing to the ground.
"Great job, Raikachu," said Ash. "That mutation hasn't weakened you
at all." Raikachu smiled weakly at that, but her heavy breathing
prevented her from responding.
"This isn't looking good, Ash," I observed. "Raikachu and Arcanine
are both pretty tired, and we've still got at least three obstacles left
to pass, plus we'll have to fight Triesha once we're past them!"
"And don't forget, we'll have to beat Misty and Brock as well," said
Solstice. "They're under Triesha's power now." With a tear in her eye,
she added, "And Dominic is still her slave as well."
"We can't back down now," said Ash. "We have to keep going! We can
beat whatever Triesha throws at us!"
"That's right," agreed Gary. "If we leave, then Triesha's won. I
didn't come to this world just to run away when things start to get a
little rough."
"All right then!" cheered Solstice. "Onward we go, to victory or
death!"
Unfortunately, I didn't share their determination. I couldn't. "I'm
afraid death is probably more likely at this point."
"That's a chance we have to take," Gary pointed out.
I slipped my arm around Gary's waist. It felt good. "Well, if you're
willing to take that risk, then I'm willing." The emotion inside me was
definitely love - or at least a good start at it. I'd read enough books
on the subject to recognize the signs. But having confirmed that made me
more worried than ever. I'd never felt an emotion in my entire life, and
now, I was suddenly plagued by the most powerful one of all... What
could it mean? And what if the same sort of thing happened to Solstice?
Fortunately, I wasn't able to worry very much, because of my nature as
well as the good feeling that Gary was giving me. The fact that I was
worrying at all was certainly a sign that some force far more powerful
than any of us was at work. And I had a feeling that, like most forces
that powerful, this one would mean trouble.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to "Whose Line is it Anyway?" where we make things up as we go
along, whether they make sense or badger.
JOHNNY BRAVO: *sigh* The only woman I ever really loved... and she's
gone. I wonder if I'll ever get over - Hey! Nuggets!
JACKIE CHAN: Oh, sorry. I broke your spy camera! (pause) SPY CAMERA?!
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp