Chapter 10- Safari Zone Catastrophe, pt 3

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Felicia smiled slyly as she watched, in her mind, Misty and Ash struggle along the path. Her plan would work perfectly. It always did. But, she had to admit, this had been one of her most entertaining assignments in years. The characters, or prey, whichever you dub them yourself, were animated and lively, and for once, unpredictable. She found great pleasure in just testing her telekinesis against their fluctuating and edgy emotions. Especially Misty. She put her fingers together and laughed, her combination of teeth and fangs making her look all the more cruel. But her fun had only begun, for she felt the hot breath of her master upon her neck.

" How are they?" His deep voice asked, simply dripping with the pleasure of the hunt. She laughed again, her shoulders shaking.

" Couldn’t be better. The two younger oblivious yet prevalent lovebirds have been separated from the two oafs with the cat and that absent-minded boy. Aya and her crew have been isolated as well."

The dragon behind her chuckled to himself. " Wondrous. That’s why I love you, cruelty and beauty wrapped up in a seductive young package that can carry out orders quickly and proficiently."

And with that, the shroud of a dragon disappeared, leaving only Felicia atop her cliff, the thunder climaxing her every breath, and the lighting working with her mind with no effort at all.

" How farther to the rest house?" Ash asked, leaning against the rocky cliffside they walked against. Misty once again unfolded her wet map.

" How can you tell it’s not night already?" She said, looking with concealed terror at the rumbling and flashing sky. " The sun hasn’t made any sort of effort to penetrate this storm."

" Big words won’t save you…" She whispered as they slowly and cautiously continued along. The rustles grew closer, and a faulty KanKeree tail whipped about in the brush like a snake. Misty shrieked, and hid behind Ash. Their pace quickened involuntarily. One of the younger animals poked its nose out of the brush, and Ash could feel Misty’s grip on his arm become deathly with fear.

The animal extended its neck, and curled its lips up exposing its long fangs. Its hot breath clouded in the rain-crisp air. Misty trembled harder.

" Don’t…" he said. He could practically feel her ready to take off on winged shoes.

"OKAY THAT’S IT LETS GO!!!!!!" Misty yelled, practically dragging him from zero to thirty in under a second. Pikachu and Tanka followed, powered by the same terror that powered Misty. Ash ran alongside of her, and looked back as the three Pokemon launched out of the grass, teeth and claws ready for another takedown. Leaving the dirt trail, they ran into a small patch of old trees that only worsened the nightmare setting. Ash saw a fork in the road ahead, and motioned for her to follow him.

" This way!" he huffed. Stubbornly, she shook her head, and ran in the other direction. He stopped, and ran back towards the monsters, only to turn and run again.

" Come back!!! You’re going the wrong way!!!!" he shouted. But it was no use. Misty, Pikachu and Tanka were in a blind and terrified sprint.

*We’ll never get anywhere like this…* Ash thought, the gnashing teeth of the elder lizard reaching for his neck. Then, an idea popped into his head. Reaching back into the ripped backpack he carried, he pulled out a Pokedoll he had purchased in Celadon.

* Likely to distract Pokemon in battle!* His eyes widened, and her threw the Pokedoll backward, hitting the Kankri square in the head. The three stopped, one shaking its head and the others looking at the stuffed Clefairy.

Ash smiled and caught up with Misty, who was nearing the end of the forest path. Through the sharp tangle of vines they barreled through, Ash caught sight of a car on the hill, and smiled as the idea came to him. Not wanting to split up again, he grabbed Misty’s arm and pulled her with him.

" What are you doing????" She asked quickly as they came to a stop in front of the battered and wet-looking safari jeep. Ash leapt over the hood dramatically and climbed into the front seat.

" Who’s is this??" She said, huffing in large breaths and climbing into the passenger’s side. Ash spotted the keys on the floor.

" Theirs I think!" he pointed to the three slaughtered Pokemon trainers on the ground.

Then, through the rear-view mirror, she saw the three lizards come through the treeline. Her eyes widened.

" Okay lets go!!!!!" She shrieked. Ash hit the gas, and the car sped foreword, Pikachu and Tanka leaping in at the last possible moment. The animals became smaller, and disappeared in the mirror. Misty sighed and slumped in her seat, but upon feeling objects underneath her she looked back, and remover two pokeballs from her seat cushion.
" Our luck comes and goes like time." She said sarcastically through her fearful tears, that she only just then realized she had.

Just then, two more lizards leapt from the brush and attached themselves to the hood of the car. Ash swerved the wheel back and forth violently, trying to shake them off, but instead, the car went out of control…

" Oh will you all just shut up??" Brock yelled from his perch by the door. Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Felicia had been gone for hours, and he was taking the guilt hard. Thinking it was his fault they were missing, Brock had taken almost complete and total control for the people in the rest house. The wardens had taken rovers out in search of stranded or injured Pokemon trainers and he had just about taken over.

" What was that???" Brock said. The earth beneath his feet cracked, and a burrowing mass of blades erupted from the floor.

" Vul!" The Vulpix lowered its ears at the Brambler. Narrowing its eyes, it flicked a forked black tongue at the small fire fox teasingly.

The Brambler was covered in hundreds of degrees of pure flame, charring its pale skin badly. The Vulpix charged it, ramming it with a Fireblast. In another impulsive act, Brock drew a safari ball.

The Brambler was incased in icy blue light as he was sucked into the crystal ball. A few moments of struggle, the light went off, and Brock had caught himself a Brambler. He stood bewildered.

"Owww…." Misty moaned, holding her slightly bloody forehead. She looked up, immediately noticing the odd angle of the car. They were hood-deep in a large, lake-sized mudhole. Steam spouted from the engine, and Ash’s forehead held down the droning horn.

Ash began to slowly come to. He looked around, and saw their position, only hitting his head on the steering wheel again.

" Dammitdammitdammit!!!" he yelled. " Why do these things always happen to me??"

" God…eerr…" Ash clenched his fists and grit his teeth. Standing up in his seat, the car sunk deeper into the mud. Pikachu and Tanka lurched foreword, terribly carsick, from the backseat.

Ash climbed on the railings of the jeep, looking out onto the lake. On the shore was the lone Kankri, looking angry because it could not reach them.

The car slumped another 3 inches into the mud, and it began pouring like thick ice cream into the front seat. Misty shrieked.

" I don’t know…. Um…. What about Pokemon! We could ride my Pokemon across!"

Wham!!!! A violent energy-blast from the Kankri rocked the car, sinking it even deeper and knocking Pikachu into the mud, unnoticed by Ash.

Pidgeotto flew over the mud, preparing to attack, when it clicked in Ash’s head.

Ash threw one pokeball, and out popped a Razar, which did absolutely no good as the dog struggled in the mud.

" Ooh, Razar, return!!" he commanded, and Razar disappeared. Ash looked down at the last pokeball.

The winged beast appeared in a glow, soaring over the mud and landing on its haunches near them.

And with a nod, the Falcor flew close, and released a powerful beam of ice as Pidgeotto was called back. The car sunk deeper.

" Pikapikachuu!!!!" Pikachu cried, waist deep in the mud. Ash, without thinking, removed his torn coat and jumped into the thick mud.

Ash waded through the mud and scooped up Pikachu, who he removed from the mud with a slurp, and placed on his hat. He hopped back up in the car, but Ash stayed, pushing up on the car with audible grunts.

Tanka leapt into the mud and helped Ash, using his hard skull to push up with great force. Pikachu shrieked.

" CHUUU!!!!" he pointed to where Falcor had triggered something in the Kankri. The lizard was glowing, and Misty saw it.

" Ash, look!!!" She pointed, and Ash followed her line of sight to the glowing Kankri. It grew massive in size, it voice deepening to a tremendous roar. Ash’s jaw dropped as he saw the blue and silver three-headed dragon roar its victory over evolution. Ash dug under the mud and into his pocket, and pulled out his Pokedex.

‘ Kontra. The final evolution of KanKeree. This massive beast’s three heads each have their own identity and type; Water, Fire, and Electricity.’

" GREAT!!!" Ash said sarcastically. " Now why don’t we just have it try to kill us?"

" I think you spoke to soon!!" Misty cried. The massive dragon leapt high into the air, about twenty tons of flesh about to be barreled down upon them. It landed in the mud causing a tidal wave, washing over the car and everyone in it. The force was enough to push Pikachu, Misty and the car onto the opposite shore. She sat up with disgust, covered in mud, and watched as the three heads roar to each other. Her eyes widened, as she realized neither Ash nor Tanka had come up.

It was dark, blindingly dark, the mud was cold, and yearned to encase every opening in his body. Ash held his breath as the struggled in the thick, bog-like mud. He tried to clamor up ward, but just succeeded in sinking farther. He felt Tanka’s sharp horn poking the sole of his shoe, as eager for air as his own burning lungs were. Again and again he struggled, only gaining a few inches each time, his mind shorting out from lack of oxygen. The force of the attack had knocked the wind out of him, and he only had the chance to take in a quick mouthful before submerging in the mud.

Tanka pushed harder and harder on Ash’s shoe sole, hoping to help him get to the surface. His weak back legs tried to help, but he was just too small. In the back of his mind he knew his evolved form could get them out, but he didn’t want to evolve, in case the girl who saved him was like his last trainer, and might desert him. Gritting his teeth he tried as hard as he could, but Ash wasn’t going anywhere fast.

Ash’s forearms burned from the exertion of trying to find the surface. His mind was weak, and his consciousness was fading, the lack of air to his brain starting to catch up to him. Everything he had to live for…Pokemon, his dream…his friends…his family, and someone he loved very much…all sinking into black. Wait…he felt it! The air on his fingertips! He tried to push harder, knowing the surface was just inches away, but his body wasn’t responding…*C’mon…just a little more…* he thought. Through the mud, he could hear the barreling roar of the Kontra, as it’s movement caused another wave to push him all the way to the surface. He inhaled deeply, and called to his Falcor.

" Falcor!!! Down here!!" He cried. The Falcor looked down from its large beating wings, and swooped through the maze of heads to scoop him up out of the mud. For a moment, Ash was in awe of the power and build of the animal’s shoulders he was straddling, but then pulled his muddy hat backwards to look with hatred at the ugly hydra he faced. Its’ heads, necks and shoulders were covered in thick silver plates, while the rest of its body was dark blue, a jewel shining through the muddy covering over its chest. Its arms were short, yet powerfully built, and could no doubt land a fatal blow if one came too close. As he scrutinized it, he knew he probably couldn’t defeat such a large animal, but, if he could capture it…..

" KKOONNTRRAAA!!!!" The third head bellowed as it spewed out cascading flame from its throat. The Falcor dodged it swiftly and counterattacked with a large Ice blast. Ash gripped the fur of the Falcor’s shoulder and opened his Pokedex, formulating a plan.

" Blizzard…" Dexter continued. It wasn’t what Ash was looking for, clawing at the Pokedex as the Kontra powered up for another attack.

Ash had to go with it, pressed for time as he could see the orb of electric energy balling in the second head’s throat. He tried to get his confidence boosted.

The winged wolf curled itself into a tight ball in midair, releasing a multicolored beam of energy onto the Kontra. It was enough force to knock it backward, its left foot surfacing with a loud sucking sound. From that hole, Ash was surprised to see the young Tanka explode forth, barreling its crowing thorn deep into the unprotected flesh of the Kontra’s belly. It leapt off, skidding across the mud’s surface as blood spurted from the new orifice in the Kontra’s skin. Ash maneuvered Falcor to swoop down and scoop up the tortoise before what would have been its fatal end, a huge blast of fire. He had succeeded in confusing the Kontra, one head going after Falcor, the second tangled with the third. Ash felt his determination rise. He held on as the rapid beating of the Falcor’s wings bounced him up and down. A blast of electricity nearly hit them as they approached the shore, where he could see Misty with her face in her hands, Pikachu trying to get her to look up.

" Misty!!" he yelled, swooping over her on his winged pet. She looked at him, and smiled broadly.

" We have to attack it together! Get Pikachu and whoever else to attack at the same time Falcor does!!"

From the shore she nodded, and Pikachu climbed onto her shoulders for a better view. Falcor turned completely around, blasting the Kontra in the belly from afar. Looking thoroughly pissed, the one free head exploded with flame, which Falcor evaded easily. Falcor flew incredibly fast, already back in the line of fire, rapidly blasting the Kontra. One head unexpectedly lashed out, barley missing Ash but catching Tanka on the side of the head with one jagged silver plate, knocking him to the muddy ground below.

" Tanka!!!" Ash cried. Tanka struggled as the muck stuck to him like glue, almost like tentacles trying to submerge him. His tiny brow creased. He had had enough of this. He concentrated with all his might as the soft light of evolution enveloped him….

" Again!!" Ash commanded, as the Falcor released another blast of ice upon the 3-story dragon. Each unintelligent but brutal head tried to combine its powers with its brothers’, only making a mess of things. A beam of electrically charged flame tried to sideswipe Ash, but again and again he evaded. Suddenly, something caught his ears, like the roar of a Charizard, only strangely dissimilar. He watched as a whirling mass of spikes barreled into the Kontra’s soft belly, leaving 3 foot crimson streaks. The dragon roared in plain as the cyclic throwing star whirled around in the air and rammed right into the crystal on the Kontra’s chest. Tiny pieces of gemstone shot out like shards, and blue energy seemed to pour forth from the animal’s body like blood. Ash squinted as he saw the creature clinging to the Kontra near the obliterated gem. It was six feet of olive-green flesh, tightly wrapped around thick muscle, two arms, two legs and a head sprouting from a central shell, like a rock, the entire back of it thickly lined with painfully sharp-looking six-inch spikes. Each of its joints was secured with a dirty, torn gray sash, it claws shaped like sickles, its eyes cold and determined. It was an odd, twisted, six-foot turtle-like killing machine. Ash, almost automatically knowing what it was, still drew his Pokedex.

" Wow…." Ash breathed. But Tokka wasted no time. It leapt from the Kontra’s chest and slashed one of its heads, causing it to bleed profusely. Although he did feel a deep hatred for the animal, Ash was still a trainer, and couldn’t just sit back and watch it slowly be destroyed.

" Tokka!! Return!!" Ash shouted. But the animal shot him a cold, almost sinister glare. Ash’s realization came short.

"It won’t obey me…it’s a moveable slaughterhouse and it won’t obey me." He said quietly.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the ball of energy growing in the back of Tokka’s throat. There was no stopping him, so Ash decided this was it.

But Pikachu didn’t wait. His tremendous thunder attack barreled across the mud, reaching the Kontra at the same time Falcor erupted with icy energy, and Tokka released his deadly Hyper beam. The three heads of the dragon bellowed almost in unison, as the immense pain of the multiple attacks his the wound in its chest. Ash stood on Falcor’s shoulders, and threw his crystal orb.

The three-headed lumbering beast was sucked into the ball the size of Ash’s palm, and shut, landing on the surface of the mud below. Ash, Falcor, Pikachu, Misty and Tokka watched and waited as the blue light flashed, and the ball vibrate as the freedom of the Kontra struggled within.

Then, in a moment of complete silence, the light went off. The battle for survival was over. Ash had won. He cheered loudly, Falcor and Tokka bellowing their calls for Ash’s victory. On the shore, Misty and Pikachu cheered as Falcor hovered over the mud for Tokka to mount and Ash to retrieve his catch. Moments later, Ash once again stood on dry land. Misty threw her arms around him happily as they cheered happily. Two teenagers and three animals facing death one after another, and they were alive. Misty and Ash embraced as if they hadn’t seen each other for ages. They survived, and they had done it together.

But, there was one person who wasn’t happy for them. Felicia’s eyes were wide in disbelief. She new her master would return and there would be hell to pay.

" They’re learning…." She whispered. She also knew she would have to show up at the rest hose with an alibi soon enough. Turning her back to the scene, she rolled up one sleeve, she drew a blade from her pocket. Cutting her forearm in a ragged, messy angle, it looked as if a Brambler had cut her. She stared, her eyes unfeeling as she watched her own blood drip to the ground.

Wow, hell of a battle, don’t ya think? Well, soon, very soon Ash and Himalya will come face-to-face! You’re only a chapter away from The Legend of Crystal Paradise: the Final Battle!