Creatures of the Night

Chapter Six

By Crow Skywalker

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Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes   It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Suffered through a lot of writer’s block with this one, but I’ve finally finished this chapter! Happy reading!

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Future Ash/Misty romance. Besides that, Jessie/James, hints of May/Gary, maybe others later on.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

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It was cold outside, an almost wintry feeling hanging in the air. It was the kind of cold that was strong enough to make your breath crystallize in the air, and the people of Celadon wore heavy jackets as they walked the streets of the city. Ash felt none of this as he exited the dance club that he had allowed May to drag him to, his eyes searching frantically as he tried to listen carefully and find out the source of the troubled feelings he was having.

After his encounter with his ex lover Melody, he had been quite distraught. He hadn’t known that she had been in town – they’d parted so long ago, he’d almost forgotten what she’d looked like. The feelings, however, still lingered in his heart – the pain, the regret he still felt for what he had done to her all those years ago. Even after apologizing to her, talking to her and telling her he was no longer the same person – he still felt miserable whenever he thought about her. He’d taken her life, after all, and tortured and killed everything in his path. It wasn’t something one could easily forget.

The noise his vampire senses had known quite well had disturbed his thoughts and memories, calling out to him. Though faint, he could smell the tingly scent of blood in the small dance bar, and when he had heard the noise again – the scream of fright and pain, he knew something was happening. Someone was in trouble, and he immediately went in search of the source of disturbance.

He stood outside the bar now, trying hard to train all thoughts and senses on his surroundings. The smell of blood was still weak outside, though a lot more powerful since there was no smell of cigarette smoke and sweat in the air. He listened for any sounds, any indication of what direction he should follow. There were none, the sound of people walking by on the busy street making it too hard to tell.

Pikachu.

From somewhere close by the small rodent replied, Ash?

Ash almost rolled his eyes – he’d told the small Pokemon to stay at home, away from the crowds of the club. May had locked the door and shut all the windows so that he wouldn’t try to follow, but it seemed like the small electric mouse had somehow managed to follow them anyway. For once, Ash was glad that Pikachu had followed him.

Did you hear that? He asked mentally, unsure of where his Pokemon was hiding to. Perhaps Pikachu was close by, and had picked up the sound with his large ears? He had been outside somewhere all this time, after all, and he would have heard it better than Ash, who had to pick it up over the loud voices and smells of the club. Where are you anyway?

I’m about two streets away from you, the Pokemon answered. I didn’t hear anything, sorry.

Ash rubbed at his eyes tiredly. I can smell blood, and I heard a scream, he told his Pokemon, but there are too many people around and I don’t know what direction it’s coming from.

In need of help again, are you? Ash could hear the amusement in the Pokemon’s voice.

Ash narrowed his eyes, looking through the passing crowds in the street. No, not really. I guess I can always use Umbreon to help me find the source. He obeys me, at least.

Hey, I obey you too! Ash could almost see Pikachu’s pout through their mental connection. I just don’t like being left behind at home!

There was no need for you to tag along, Ash replied.

Until now, the Pokemon said, his voice closer.

Ash looked down the street to see the small electric rodent running towards him. He ran on all fours, darting around and in between people walking down the dark street. Most people ignored him – Pokemon were a common thing in the streets these days, almost everyone owned one. Ash held out his hand as the small Pokemon got closer, and once Pikachu reached a point about ten feet away from Ash he jumped, clinging onto Ash’s arm and running up to his shoulder where he sat, huffing slightly.

Ash reached up and scratched behind his ear, his eyes narrowing as he sniffed the air once more. He could still smell the weak scent of blood, but he didn’t know what direction it was coming from.

Can you smell it? He asked his Pokemon.

A little, the small mouse replied. But you know that you have a better nose for these things than I do.

There’s too many other smells, Ash admitted. It’s too hard to sort them out. We need –

There was a soft cry somewhere in the distance, alerting Ash to the direction he had to take. From the corner of his eye he could see Pikachu’s ears swing in the same direction, and without another word he took off, Pikachu’s claws digging into his cloak as he ran. As they grew closer, the small got stronger and voices could be heard. Following his senses, Ash found himself in front of a dark alley.

This is it, he told Pikachu as the small rodent jumped down off his shoulders. The Pokemon landed on its paws silently, small eyes narrowed at the alley. Ash reached to his side for his gun, pulling it out and quickly making sure it was loaded before replacing it. With a silent breath, he walked into the darkness well prepared for whatever waited him.

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She’d been out with her friends at a popular club, dancing and drinking the night away when a handsome stranger had lured her onto the dance floor. He had been charming, and quite sweet, telling her how beautiful she was and how he was lucky to have found her. She’d smiled at all of his playful flirting, not used to being hit on by a guy. She’d only recently turned nineteen, and this was her first time at a club.

Her friends had been smashed, drinking beer after beer at their table until they could hardly stand anymore. They laughed and giggled when she’d left with the stranger, knowing full well that she’d be okay – she was known at school for being quite a brute when she wanted to be, and she packed quite a punch. They’d waved her off, whispering to each other and silently congratulating her on finding such a nice guy.

She had blushed, holding onto his hand as she exited the club and breathed in the cold night air for the first time since she entered the club. It was refreshing, especially since it felt like her face was on fire. With a shy smile, she gazed up at the man, her innocent eyes peering up at him from under her long bangs of hair.

“So, where are we going?” She’d asked, and he’d simply smiled at her and led her by the hand. There was no reply, just a mystery as to where they were headed.

They walked for a bit, and the girl had become quite chilled without a coat. Her smile had long since faded, and her steps had grown more sluggish so now it seemed like he was pulling her along. When he stopped in front of an alley, and it seemed like he was about to drag her into its darkness, she spoke again.

“I’m really cold,” she’d admitted, “I think I want to go back to my friends now.”

He’d smiled down at her, reaching up a hand to gently run it through her hair. He’d leaned in, so their mouths were close, and she’d wanted to back away so that she could have some breathing room, but his hand had still been in her hair. Her heart was pounding, but she wasn’t sure if it was from his closeness or the fact that she had started to get scared.

“And why would you want to do that?” He’d asked, their lips dangerously close.

“I-I’m scared,” she’d admitted, looking away from his silvery gray eyes.

“Of what?” He’d asked softly into her ear.

“Of you,” she replied quietly.

He’d backed away, his hand still in her hair. All of a sudden he gave a great tug, and she screamed.

“As you should be.”

Looking back, she didn’t know why she had been so interested in this mysterious stranger. She didn’t know why she had left the club with him, or what she had ever seen in him. He’d pulled her hair so hard that he’d ripped some out, her scalp sore and bleeding. That didn’t matter now, because he’d trapped her in an alley and there was no escape.

She ran, it was the only thing she could do. She ran and she screamed. He laughed at her misery, catching her by the arm and slapping her across the face. She yelped, her free hand flying up to her burning skin.

“Stop your screaming, bitch.” He smirked at her, “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

“Like hell,” she spat, her strength coming to her. She raised her free arm and slashed him across the face with her nails, digging deeply into his flesh. He staggered back, letting go of her for a moment as blood gushed out of his wounds.

That moment was all she needed.

Yanking her arm away from him, she ran once more. She knew there was no escape, that the alley ended in a dead end, but there was still time to run and think of a plan. There had to be some way she could get away from this lunatic. She screamed again as someone tackled her from behind, and she landed on the ground with a sickening thud, her face hitting the pavement and scraping as she slid. She almost screamed again as her attacker flung her over on her back, sitting on her arms so that she could not use them against him.

“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he snarled, raising his fist and sending it crashing into her nose. There was a crack and the girl felt blood seeping down her lip and into her open mouth. Horrified, and in great pain, she screamed loudly, trying to buck him off of her. He laughed, grabbing hold of her hair and yanking, causing her to scream even louder.

“So sorry that I had to ruin your pretty face, dear,” he smiled down at her as she quieted momentarily. “But the pain will only last another minute. I’m going to have my way with you, and then I’m going to kill you.”

His hand moved to her blouse, his eyes hungry as he ripped button by button off until her blouse was open and her pale stomach was apparent in the dim moonlight coming from overhead. Tears streamed down her face, mixed with blood, and she gasped in between screams as she tried to fight him.

He grinned down at her, and her eyes widened as she saw his teeth elongate into fangs before her very eyes. “No use fighting, you’re gonna get what’s coming to you.”

His face lowered to where her chest was covered by her bra, and she closed her eyes and screamed as loudly as she could, her throat burning as if it were on fire. Suddenly, the weight upon her lifted, and through blurry eyes she saw a flash of yellow in the darkness. Without knowing what was going on, she scrambled to her feet, her legs shaking.

Her attacker was standing with his back to her, his hands clenched at his side and his face still bloody from where she had scratched him. He was staring at something in the darkness, his eyes narrowed and a snarl coming from deep in his throat.

“Show yourself!” He demanded to the darkness, and at the sound of his voice the girl stumbled backwards, her back hitting against the side of a building. She gripped the stone wall, her fingers digging into it for support. With wide eyes, she searched the darkness but couldn’t see anything. “I know you’re there!”

“That’s good. I’d be worried if you didn’t,” a voice replied with humor, and the girl’s eyes widened ever further, if possible, as a figure stepped forward, cloaked in darkness. A Pikachu stood at his feet, hair raised and cheeks sparking with electricity in the night air.

Ashtereon. Figures you would show up,” the man snarled, and the girl let loose a whimper at the sound of his harsh voice.

The cloaked man tilted his head, looking slightly disappointed. “You mean you weren’t looking for me?”

The man growled, his eyes flashing red with his anger. “Why would I look for a traitor like you?”

Ash smirked, fangs flashing as his lips moved. “Your boss wants me dead, does he not?”

The girl watched, shivering as her arms covered herself as best as she could, unable to understand what was going on in front of her. First some guy had lured her away from her friends, had attacked and tried to rape her, and she had been saved by a mysterious man. She watched as they began to circle each other, her attacker moving further and further away from her, much to her relief.

“Maybe,” the attacker grinned suddenly. “However, I’m just out for the hunt. How about you just go on your merry way and let us vampires do what vampires gotta do?” His grinned widened, and the girl realized her attacker was once again looking at her, a glint in his red eyes.

Ash sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he tapped one foot lightly. “I’m pretty sure I can’t do that,” he told the man. “For one, I’m involved now, and I can’t let you kill such a pretty lady in front of me. It would rest on my conscious and I would never get the feeling to go away.” There was a slight pause before he said, “So after some consideration, I’m afraid I’m going to have to fight you.”

The red eyed vampire laughed. “You think you can win against me, do you?”

Ash snorted, his hand moving towards the gun by his side. The other vampire watched his hand closely in the darkness, but Ash’s hand never touched the gun. It hovered over it tauntingly, but the gun never left the holster. “Oh, I’m dead sure I can beat you.”

“You’re a confident one, you are,” the other vampire growled, and with one quick movement and a twist of clothes, the vampire whipped the gun that had been carefully concealed within his shirt out. He pointed it at Ash and Ash suddenly halted, hands moving away from his gun and coming to rest in mid air in a defensive way. “Too confident.”

“Is that so?” A smile made its way across Ash’s lips, widening with each second that ticked by. The attacker’s gun lowered slightly as the other vampire looked at him quizzically, and Ash couldn’t help but snort. “You really are a dumb one.”

With that, Ash’s gaze flicked down to his feet where Pikachu stood on all fours. Pikachu. Thunder.”

Above them there was a rumble of thunder, the clouds swirling and growing darker. The attacker looked to the sky, momentarily forgetting that his gun was supposed to be aimed at the enemy. He had no time to shoot, no time to move; he did just one thing before the lightning rained down on him.

“Oh shit,” he groaned, and then a crack of lightning came from the sky, so bright and powerful that it made the air crackle with energy. It hit him head first, searing the skin off his head and melting his flesh off his skull. His body danced as the jolts made their way through his body, his gun falling from his hand and landing on the ground with a loud clank. The smell of burning flesh filled the alley, and seconds later, it was over. He was dead.

Ash watched as the vampire fell to the ground, his burnt head smashing open. He winced hoping the girl had been smart enough to close her eyes, that she had been smart enough not to watch – and turning around to face her, he realized he was sadly mistaken. She was staring at the body in horror struck fascination, her mouth frozen in a silent gasp.

Biting his lip, Ash was unsure if he should approach her or not. Chances were she was going to freak out and run away at any second, even if he did help her up and offer her first aid. Decideing that she really looked like she needed help, he slowly approached her, hands up to show he meant her no harm.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her softly, watching her breaths hitch in her throat as she stared at the body. It didn’t look like she was going to respond. It was like she was traumatized and couldn’t look away. At his feet, Pikachu was cautiously taking steps as well, only slightly ahead of him.

Looks like she’s in bad shape, Pikachu. Ash watched as the small rodent Pokemon stopped beside her, staring up at her with dark eyes. Pikachu sniffed her before licking a drop of blood off of one of her hands. That seemed to wake her out of her daze and Ash had to cover his ears as another high pitched scream echoed through the small alley.

“Get away!” She suddenly started to sob, her feet pushing at the stone ground beneath her feet. She couldn’t back up any further, but her feet still pushed, and her eyes started to leak new tears. “Leave me alone!”

Ash paused. “Look, I’m sorry you had to see that, but he had a gun pointed at –“ Ash started to explain, but it seemed she didn’t want an explanation, she just wanted him to leave.

“Go away…go away!” She continued to sob, her hands falling to her sides as she dug her nails into the ground, chipping them and making them bleed. “Go…leave me alone!”

With a sigh of frustration, he growled at her, “Miss! You need help, okay? I know someone who can help you! Just let-“ He took a step forward and she scrambled to her feet, clawing at the wall behind her.

“You’re one of them!” She shrieked. “I know you are! I saw your eyes!”

“Miss, calm down,” Ash tried again.

“I will not!” She shot back, glaring at him fiercely.

“Miss, if you calm down, you will realize I just saved you from that man,” Ash took another step towards her, his hands still held out to show that he meant her no harm. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

She finally seemed to consider his words, though she still flinched away as he moved closer. “What…what was he?” She asked after a moment of long silence, her gaze glancing between her attacker and her savior, unsure of if she should trust him like he was asking her to.

“He was a vampire,” Ash replied slowly. “And a very sucky one at that.”

“And you…you’re a vampire too?” She asked, taking a step to her right as she noticed the Pikachu at her feet.

“Yes, I am,” Ash answered truthfully.

“T-There’s no such thing!” She yelled at him. “Tell me the truth!”

Ash snorted. “Sorry to burst your bubble, lady, but it is the truth.” She smirked then, and once again his fangs were visible. “Everything that your mother ever told you when you were a child that goes bump in the night? It’s all real.”

Maybe it was the fatigue and the loss of blood, or from the trauma of what had just happened to her, or maybe even the realization of his words – but at that moment, her body decided to give out on her. Ash watched as her blue eyes rolled up into her head and her body sagged forward. In one quick movement he caught her in his arms and he quickly checked to see if she was still breathing.

Is she okay? Pikachu wondered.

She’s alright for now, Ash answered. Staring down at her he noticed that she had fair porcelain skin, framed by silky, tangled orange hair. Her clothes were ripped up and she was bleeding from numerous places. We have to find somewhere where she can get bandaged up and lots of rest.

“Ash!” A feminine voice called from somewhere nearby, and Ash’s head jerked up as May ran into the alley, looking very worried. “This girl came by and said that I might be needed and OH MY GOD ASH-!” May stopped in front of the vampire, staring at the girl he had cradled in his arm. With one quick swing he picked the strange girl up so that he had one arm supporting her back and one arm under her legs.

“May, she was attacked. She needs help now,” Ash informed her.

“Take her back to our place for now,” Said May. “If we take her to the hospital there will be too many questions. That’s the best option right now. I’ll bandage her up, and once she’s awake we can send her to the hospital once she’s able to walk again.”

Ash nodded, walking past May. “Get a cab home, May, and be careful.”

May nodded, watching his back as he left. “How are you getting home?” She called after him in concern.

“Traveling quickly is easy for a vampire,” he told her over his shoulder with a small smile.

And then he was gone, faded into the darkness, and May was alone in the alley.

 

To Be Continued…