Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ In Lieu of Perfection ❯ 03 - The Perfect Escape ( Chapter 3 )

The next time Hikari was released from her pokeball, she realized that she was no longer on the island where the secret base was. She was in a simply-decorated room. A couple of potted plants were placed in strategic points around the room and a PC stood at the upper-right corner. To the left, there was a counter manned by a kindly old lady and behind them, a door that seems to lead out of the house.

 

There was a table before her, and seated around were two trainers. One of them was Komicer, her Master. He was talking animatedly, enthusiastically with the other trainer. The other trainer was dressed in dark, purple robes adorned with stars and sequins, topped with a large, floppy witch hat. A foggy, crystal ball laid carefully before the owner completed the setup. She could have pass for quite a pretty lass, if she got rid of all those excessive accessories.

 

“Hikari, I was telling Valerie here about you,” Komicer faced Hikari, “She is the trainer of the Banette you shall meet.”

 

Reality set in. This was the mate-matching session. Hikari signed and looked to the floor in depression. Regardless, she must not disgrace Master. Then lifting the edges of her dress, she gave a little curtsy to the occult maniac known as Valerie. She forced herself to smile.

 

<It is a pleasure to meet you and I looked forward to seeing the Banette.>

 

Valerie studied Hikari with her heavily eye-shadowed eyes before she finally spoke.

 

“Hikari… what a beautiful name…” Her voice was a hoarse, somewhat exaggerated whisper. “I believe that is `light' in nihongo… I see that you shall be the light for many people and pokemon…”

 

Not knowing what to reply, Hikari answered, <Thank you.>

 

Valerie turned back to Komicer, “She… is a fine specimen… I am sure she would produce many more truly magnificent specimens for us… Meet… Dark…” She produced a single pokeball from the unknown crevasses of her robe. Then she tapped the pokeball once, lightly.

 

The pokeball snapped open and from the emerging red light, a single Banette materialized. He levitated in mid-air, his sock-liked appendages dangling limply from his main body. The marionette pokemon shook his head a couple of times; waving the bit behind his head about before he spoke.

 

To be more precise, Dark spoke in their mind, very much like Hikari's preferred method of communication. <So this little cutie pie here is to be my mate this time…> he affixed his leer to Hikari. Hikari instinctively retreated. It was getting harder to maintain the façade of the smile.

 

Despite being smaller in size than Hikari, Dark commanded a much larger mental presence. <I… like what I'm seeing.> he said in a soft, sleazy tone. Hikari gave Komicer a look of pure desperation, hoping for the possibility of a last minute change of heart.

 

Komicer beamed happily, oblivious to Hikari's discomfort and the lack of chemistry between the two pokemon. “Wonderful! Light and Dark, what a wonderful contrast! Valerie, may our endeavor in the union of our two pokemon be successful!”

 

She did not reply in words. Valerie clapped her hands and stood up. Then she walked towards the service counter of the day-care. The lusty Dark blew Hikari a kiss and waved to her in mock coyness. Then he followed his trainer to the counter. The old lady took Dark in and after her usual words of instructions, led Dark through the door behind her. Minutes later, the old lady returned and looked to Komicer expectedly.

 

“Come!” Komicer commanded as he stood up. What could she do but follow her Master's orders?

 

For Hikari, it felt as if time slowed down. She no longer had control over herself and the entire process felt distant to her. She saw herself following Komicer, crossing a swinging door to the other side of the counter. The old lady did her routine check on her, checking on weight, height, health… then the old lady nodded to the two waiting trainers. Everything according to plan, they could go now and return later for the good news from the old man outside.

 

Hikari looked as Komicer and Valerie left the counter, Komicer giving her a wave before doing so. Then, they were gone. Hikari could not sense their presence nearby, they must have flown off.

 

Under the guidance of the old lady, Hikari was led through the door behind the counter, deeper into the house, through a long, empty corridor of doors. Strange noises came from behind the different doors. The old lady smiled knowingly. “They're having fun,” Hikari heard the old lady murmured.

 

The different emotions emerging from behind the doors were alien and somewhat disturbing to Hikari. It felt like happiness, pleasure, a bit of fear, confusion… She felt her senses closing in on herself, cutting off all the outside emotions, the sense of emptiness. Soon, she felt nothing.

 

Finally, they stopped at a particular door. The door opened with a deliberate creak. There was only darkness beyond the door.

 

“Go in,” the old lady urged, “It's not so bad, maybe even fun for some.”

 

Hikari entered the room and the door closed behind her with a sound of finality.

 

* * *

 

Blaze had finally reached the day-care centre. It was not that difficult. The old man never saw the intruder leap over him, the fence and for that matter, the entire building and land at the back, away from the prying eyes of the public.

 

Perhaps, it was because Blaze did the leap all the way from the rooftop of the nearby Pokemon centre. It was almost too easy. He had thought that all the screaming from Kireihana from the back would have at least alerted someone.

 

After taking a quick glance around for the presence of guard pokemon and satisfied with the situation, Blaze lifted Kireihana gently from her grip on his neck and let her down on the ground. Kireihana only stopped screaming after they had touched down. She was shaking terribly as she tried to catch her breath. If you had placed some Hawaiian music soundtrack then, she could have passed for one of those tacky, hula-dancing novelties one can buy at tourist souvenir shops.

 

Blaze surveyed the surroundings. There was no entrance on their side of the building into the day-care centre. Then, he would have no choice to make one.

 

“Wait!” Kireihana stopped Blaze before he could broke the wall down. Blaze paused his fist in mid-air.

 

“After yo..you break down that wall, wha… what do you intend to do? We got no idea if Hikari is here,” Kireihana asked breathlessly.

 

At that very moment, they could hear people leaving the building, words of thanks exchanged between day-care management and trainers. Blaze and Kireihana quickly pressed themselves close to the wall to avoid being seen. Minutes later, a very familiar Pelipper could be seen flying off into the distance. Komicer had left the building.

 

“That is our proof! Hikari is in there somewhere!” Blaze said and sized up the wall. He took a step back. In a swift movement, he stepped forward for momentum. Then concentrating his strength on a single point of the wall, he punched it with all his might. First, the cracks started to appear from where his fist connected with the wall. Then like the opening of floodgates, the cracks became larger and spread across the wall. Finally, the wall came crumbling down with a loud rumble.

 

Through the hole, they could see rows of doors down the corridor. “Come! We'll have to search these doors one by one before we're found!” Blaze jumped through the hole and kicked the first door down. There was a shriek of surprise as the inhabitants, a Mr. Mime and a Jynx (probably Mrs. Mime by now) scrambled to hide themselves from the rude, intrusive Blaziken.

 

“Sorry! Go ahead, don't bother about me!” Blaze shouted as he went to the next door to give it the same treatment. More shouts of anger were heard. “Urggh! A Clefairy and a Glalie! I do not need to see that!” Blaze continued his search for Hikari, door after door, ignoring the growing ruckus that he was causing in his rampage.

 

Given the amount of collateral damage he was causing, it would not be long before they were found out. Kireihana signed in defeat and then lifting her leafy skirt daintily, she entered the chaos to attempt to calm the angry pokemon interrupted-in-action down.

 

* * *

 

Hikari could see nothing, feel nothing.

 

There was only darkness before her.

 

She took a step forward. A ghostly, blue ball of light lit up the room. The Banette, Dark suspended in mid-air, leering at Hikari with mild amusement in his eyes. The ball of light danced around him like a Dustox at a lightbulb.

 

<Will-o-wisp…> he hissed <Few pokemon can learn it naturally. You should feel honored.> Dark floated towards Hikari, full of confidence despite his smaller size.

 

Hikari did not answer. She just stared blankly at the hypnotizing blue light.

 

The Banette circled around her a couple of times, looking at her from head to toe before stopping at her back. He then wrapped his limp arms around her neck. <You… would make a fine partner indeed for this time…> he blew at her ears through his zipper-sealed lips.

 

Hikari could not react. It was like she was under a spell.

 

<Don't worry if you got no experience… I got plenty of those… A Gardevoir should be nothing compared to the Weezing the last time…> Dark snuggled and rubbed his cheek against Hikari's.

 

Loud noises could be heard coming from outside, screams, shrieks, other variable noises depending on the pokemon doing the shouting. Hikari felt something loosening inside her. She fidgeted slightly against the Banette behind her.

 

<Sign… is the Attract wearing out already? Then, I guess we will have to go straight into the service of our trainers.> The Banette rolled his eyes as he continued his sweet talk.

 

A familiar voice could be heard. Someone shouting her name. Coming closer…

 

The Banette slowly directed her deeper into the room. Hikari could now see a single futon in the middle of the room. Curtains covered the windows, preventing the sunlight from interrupting the darkness within. A potted plant completed the meager decoration of the spartan room. <We won't be needing that… We're not exactly humanoids anyway…> Dark glanced at the mattress with disdain.

 

A very familiar, loud, rash voice shouting “Hikari!”… Approaching the room…

 

<Blaze!> Something in Hikari snapped. The spell of the Attract was broken.

 

<Blaze?> The Banette asked in surprise. He looked around for any fire. <I see no fire… or is that just your preference?> he asked in what he thought was a kinky voice. The will-o-wisp floated closer in response.

 

Hikari struggled against the vice grip of Dark. The Banette responded by holding on even tighter and trying to grope her. Hikari gasped in surprise and indignation as she felt his unruly hands brush against her sensitive part. With a angry blush and an angrier mood, she summoned a hazy ball of dark matter in her palm. She then slammed the shadow ball into the face of Dark, sending him flying through the wall.

 

<What is Blaze doing here?> Hikari murmured frantically as she felt out with her sixth sense to sense the different emotions of all around at the moment. One particular emotion stood out, one that she had found herself anticipating with a mixture of dread and hope.

 

The Banette returned through the wall, dusting himself for show. Then he leered at Hikari, <Feisty! I liked it!> A number of blueish orbs of light orbited around him as Dark prepared his own shadow ball.

 

Hikari found herself retreating as Dark floated menacingly forward. <Oh, this will be SO fun!> The repulsive Banette declared with genuine lust.

 

That was when the door burst opened, the entire door hurtling across the room and through Dark's body. Not that it would hurt him or anything.

 

Light from outside flooded the room, temporarily blinding the two pokemon within the room.

 

As Hikari squinted to regain her light vision, she saw Blaze stood at the hallway with wonder and relief in his eyes.

 

“Hikari, I finally found you!”

 

* * *

 

Blaze took in the sight of the room. Hikari was facing some ugly-looking Banette. Both had a shadow ball in their hands and both of them looked at Blaze with a stunned look on them. He got no time to bother about the Banette, he was here only for Hikari.

 

Ignoring the third party, he strided towards Hikari and grabbed her hand. “We're leaving.” He said as he tried to pull Hikari along.

 

<Why? How? When?> Hikari asked, evidently confused with the latest change of plans.

 

“We're leaving! Away from this confounded place! Away from Komicer! Just away!” Blaze replied without a thought. He was glad and relieved that he managed to find Hikari before anything happened. Hikari was resisting his grip on her hand.

 

Hikari managed to slip out of his grip and stood her ground. <No!> She said, looking to the floor. <I've got no intention to disobey Master.>

 

“You're fighting that bloody Banette!” Blaze waved an accusing gesture towards the confounded Banette, “What do you mean you are not disobeying 'Master'?”

 

<That is my problem.> Hikari answered as she returned a determined glare, <Please leave before you get caught.> Her voice had softened, the last part was a plead of finality.

 

<You know, some might call it foreplay,> the Banette interjected unhelpfully to the feuding couple.

 

Without any warning, the increasing bad-tempered Blaze flamethrowered the unfortunate Banette, setting everything in the path on fire. Dark struggled for a while under the scorching fire before he collapsed. Thick, belching smoke filled the air of the room as anything flammable within the room burned merrily, bringing an orange glow to the room.

 

Loud shouting was approaching. Loud, angry human voices.

 

<The day-care owners are coming, please leave.> Hikari repeated, <I will deal with the consequences myself, just go.>

 

Blaze looked at Hikari's forlorn figure, flamethrowing the Banette had taken a bit of his anger out of his system.”No,” he declared, looking straight at Hikari. He stepped forward. “I'm not coming all the way here for nothing.”

 

A look of exasperation flashed across Hikari's face. A look of concentration. Then, Blaze felt himself forced back by an invisible force. Psychic. Struggling against the mental wave, Blaze slowly stood up and forced himself forward again. “I am not leaving without you.”

 

“GO AWAY! RUN!” Hikari was shouting, not using her usual way of telepathy. She was really desperate. Another stronger wave of psychic hit Blaze, forcing him to collapse to his knees.

 

Gritting his beak, Blaze held his ground. “You're never too good when it comes to your special attacks,” he whispered as he stood up again, the flames at his wrist flaring under the immense pressure. For a while, Hikari looked hurt, then she resumed her force, stronger than before.

 

Wave after wave of psychic, Blaze resisted the mind-numbing blows to advance towards Hikari. Finally, he made a grab of Hikari and held on to her tightly. “We are leaving now, I will not let you go through this... indignity...” he said as he looked directly at Hikari. Hikari glared back at him with adamant refusal and perhaps, what Blaze hoped, a little bit of happiness.

 

She squirmed furiously in his grip. “Leave me alone! Leave now!” she bawled, hitting Blaze repeatedly with surprising weak, futile blows of 'return'. Then, suddenly she just fell unconscious, silent. Only the angry human shouting from outside, the sizzling of the fire and a series of uneven pants from below waist level could be heard.

 

“I have placed her under sleeping powder,” Blaze heard a small, trembling voice said from below. Kireihana had finally arrived after getting caught in the commotion outside, “Take her and leave.”

 

Blaze bent down and took hold of Hikari's slender legs. Carrying her in the wedding position, he looked down to Kireihana. “Are you coming along?” he asked in concern.

 

“No,” Kireihana answered breathlessly, looking around at the burning room. “I will just slow you down. Plus someone need to stay behind to deal with your mess.” She flopped down and tidied her flowers. “Leave before they come, if Hikari get caught again, I will never forgive you.”

 

“Thank you, I will never forget you,” Blaze replied. Kireihana waved him off as he ran out of the burning room.

 

With the sleeping Hikari in his arms, Blaze made his escape out the day-care centre. Through the crowd of confused pokemon swarming the corridor, through the hole in the wall, into the deep forests to where they would be safe together.