Sorry for the delay in typing up this story. I was working on the music to Sentretcookie's song for Topaz.

The Beautifly Effect

Chapter Seventeen -- Forest of Fear

Four days later...

Gary stooped down and touched the corpse at his feet. A hole at the back of the Metapod's neck tinged with burns marked the point where the Thunderbolt struck, killing it mercilessly.

Meganium neighed mournfully.

"I know," said Gary. "Thanks for agreeing to help. But you can see what we're up against, so we've got to be very careful."

Electabuzz babbled an agreement.

"OK, you two. It could be close. Light Screens up now." Gary threw a Poké ball. "Magneton, go! Focus in on Pikachu's magnetic field."

Gary looked around. The canopy above cast a gloomy shade on the forest below. Branches overhead, undergrowth beneath, tree trunks everywhere--a million hiding places for that blasted rat.

Magneton's floating form twisted one way, then the other. It shuddered to a stop, and looked back at Gary. Gary saw the Magneton's eye bulging wide open. He sensed a fear and his own eyes widened to match.

He forced himself to calm down. Magneton's eyes always look like that... don't they?

He pulled himself together.

"Lead the way."

Magneton advanced cautiously, the rest of the group following past trees and bushes. The forest thickened as they departed further from the path customarily used by travelling trainers. A Weedle moved in and out of sight ahead of them. Gary heard a rustle to his left. He whirled around. He breathed a sigh when he saw it was a Spinarak crawling out of some leaves.

After several minutes of tension, Magneton stopped. There was now something different about the forest. Gary looked around, peering between the branches ahead and into the layers of leaves above. It looked the same as before... same enough to get lost in.

He heard Meganium and Electabuzz draw closer to him. Hey, that was it--he could hear their footsteps. The rustle, the chirping, all forest sounds were absent.

Gary suddenly realized what it meant for the silence to be defeaning. There was no input, no perception to tell him what he needed to know. He felt unsure of his next move.

With a sharp crack of breaking twigs, a yellow blur fell out of a tree and landed in front of him. Gary was shocked by the mass of tangled fur that used to be his friend's Pokémon. It had lost half an ear, it's paws were full of scratches and scabs, but worst of all, it's face was alien. Anger and bitterness exuded from its eyes as visibly as the sparks spitting out of its cheeks.

Gary took a cautious step back to be behind the protection of his party. The Light Screens weren't visible, but he had no choice but to trust that they were there and that they'd do their job.

Without warning, a Thunderbolt arced from Pikachu directly towards him. Inches from his face, the lightning splintered into a shower of a million flashes.

Gary felt his hair prickle. Maybe his grandfather was right--anyone trying this would have to be out of their mind.

Pikachu tried again: a stronger bolt, a bigger shower of sparks. Being so close to the action daunted Gary, but he knew he had a plan, and he had to see it through.

"Sonic boom!"

Magneton's magnetic attachments quivered invisibly at more than twice the speed of sound. An eyeblink later, a thundering crack, and Pikachu fell back topsy turvy.

"Again!"

Magneton took a second to aim, but that was enough for the mouse to leap out of the way. The sonic blast hit a tree, sending down a shower of twigs and leaves.

"Razor Leaf!"

Meganium whirled its leaf. Pikachu tried to dodge one flying missile only to be hit by another. It yelped in pain. It looked at it's side. There was blood.

"Sonic boom again!" shouted Gary.

Pikachu jumped out of the way with a snarl, landing on its hind paws, its upper body already hunched for the attack. "Chuuu!" it screamed.

The Thunderbolt struck the Light Screen, half of it ricocheting back into the forest, the other half piercing the invisible wall. Meganium dug its heels and took the attack that was obviously meant for it.

Magneton didn't wait for the order. It Sonic Boomed again, hitting the preoccupied mouse and sending it reeling.

"Electabuzz, go!"

No sooner had Pikachu gotten back on its feet when Electabuzz Thunderpunched it. Pikachu flew into a tree, striking with a thud and sliding to the ground.

Gary seized his chance, took out a red and white ball from his belt and threw it. It struck Pikachu, swallowing it whole, and fell to the floor of the leaf-strewn battlefield.

The ball quivered. Gary hoped against hope that this would be the end. He saw the ball wobble more vigorously. His heart fell. The ball exploded, sending out bursts of lightning mixed with shards of metal and plastic.

Gary shouted in pain when a splinter struck his cheek.

"Light Screens up again! Magneton, Sonic Boom!"

Rematerializing, Pikachu shook its head. Seeing Magneton preparing to strike, it leapt out of the way. It jumped onto the nearest tree, then leapt to a branch further away.

Gary did not want it to escape.

"Vine whip!"

Meganium sent out two green tentacles. With the ease that comes with years of practice, the vines dodged every branch and limb in the way, seeking their yellow target.

"Pi!" screamed Pikachu as it was caught mid-leap.

The vines tightened their grip. Pikachu tried to claw at each and every branch in its reach. Meganium's vines proved stronger and prevailed in the struggle.

Pikachu was left with one resort. Clenching its small, scarred face, it chuu-ed with all its might. An enormous electric discharge conducted itself along the vines, through the Light Screen and into Meganium's body.

Meganium fell down, unconscious. Pikachu was free once more.

Gary was frightened but not fazed.

"Sonic Boom! Thundershock!"

This time, Magneton's blast scored a direct hit, and was immediately followed by a Thundershock from Electabuzz. Pikachu fell down, but quickly got up and retaliated with a Thundershock of its own. With only one Light Screen in operation, part of the attack bore through it and hit both Magneton and Electabuzz.

"Again!" ordered Gary.

Magneton got ready for a sonic boom, but a Quick Attack from Pikachu hit first. Magneton reeled back, sending its attack into the canopy above. Showers of sticks and leaves rained down. Pikachu took the opportunity of its attackers' distraction and jumped on top of Magneton. One Thunder attack later at point blank range, and Magneton fell to the ground, clanking like a discarded tin can.

Electabuzz attempted a Thunderpunch, but Pikachu dodged it, curled its tail around one of Electabuzz's feet and tripped it to the ground. Electabuzz quickly set up another Light Screen in self-defense. Pikachu Thunderbolted, but it was running out of juice and the attack hit weakly. Electabuzz started to get back on its feet, but Pikachu leapt up to a branch and came crashing down for a head-high Tackle.

Gary was starting to panic. No wonder Ash had won so many battles with that thing. "Electabuzz, Thunderpunch!"

Electabuzz aimed and went for Pikachu, but Pikachu Quick Attacked first, sending Electabuzz back into a tree. It hit its head sharply against a branch stump, and slumped to the forest floor, out cold.

"Oh no!"

Gary had one last chance. He threw another empty Poké ball. Pikachu disappeared in a flash of red light. The ball trembled violently.

"Aw, this isn't going to work," Gary finally admitted. It was time for his escape plan.

Gary threw another Poké ball, only this one was occupied. A huge Golem appeared simultaneously as Pikachu smashed out of its would-be prison.

"OK, Golem, guard the rear. We're making our way out."

One glare from Golem and Pikachu darted back into the forest, out of sight. Gary returned the three fallen Pokémon into their balls and made his way back towards the path. Gary kept looking back to make sure that Pikachu wasn't following him, but all he saw was Golem trailing behind on the alert. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally reached the path.

Moments later, an electric mouse dropped down from a tree inches from Gary's feet. There was a blinding flash, a crack of thunder and a horrendous sensation of burning. Gary wanted to scream but he lost control of every part of his body.

His heart stopped even before his body thudded against the ground.