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Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned

Chapter XIX
Saga V- Voltbadge Saga

Chapter IV- Psycho Circus (with Props. to KISS)

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Jen had been an emotional wreck after Machoke and Clefable ran away. Never 
before had Tom seen Jen so sad, and never again did Tom want to see her so. 
Even though Tom was glad to have Machoke off of his hands, it was his 
compassionate side which begged Tom to find him,

After a week of research at the Pokemon library of Ionica, Tom found that 
Pinsirs are excellent trackers. Using his Pinsir, Tom was sure to find 
Machoke and Clefable again. Jen was in the Pokemon center as usual, with her 
Pokemon. Even her Totodile, Exeggcute and Snorlax looked sad. Tom sat down 
by Jen and told her about his findings. Tom suggested that he use Pinsir to 
locate their runaway Pokemon. Jen agreed wearily.

*********

"Are you sure this is gonna' work, Tom?" Jen asked Tom for the fourth time.

"Yes, I'm sure," Tom said, a little irritated at Jen's repetitiveness. The 
two walked out into the park where Machoke and Clefable escaped. "Come on 
out, Pinsir!" Tom said as he let Pinsir out of her Pokeball. "Pinsir, see if 
you can pick up Machoke's scent from here," Tom instructed. Pinsir clashed 
her claws once and then stooped low to the ground. Pinsir sniffed the ground 
awhile and then rose. With her long spindly arm, she pointed in a direction. 
"There!" Tom exclaimed.

"That must be where they went!" Jen threw her arms around Pinsir. "Oh, thank 
you, Pinsir!" she gushed. Pinsir clashed her claws twice in confusion as Tom 
zapped her back inside the Pokeball.

They walked for a few hours more looking for Machoke and Clefable's 
whereabouts. Their trek took them underneath some power lines near the 
Ionica City Square, where a power pole had a black-and-white poster sloppily 
attached to it. "A Pokemon circus?" Tom questioned as he and Jen passed by 
the pole. But Jen stopped and looked at the poster more closely. Then she 
shrieked, "Tom! Tom! Look! It's Clefable!"

Tom quickly turned around and dashed towards Jen. "Ho-w ca-n y-ou kn-ow it- 
's Cle-fa-bl-e?" Porygon asked.

"I'd know that little dimple underneath her left eye anywhere!" Jen stated 
firmly. Sure enough, there was a picture of a Clefable on the poster- the 
"Amazing Flying Clefable" as the poster advertised.

"Now appearing in the Pokering Circus, Ionica City Square, Today at 5:30 pm. 
ONE DAY ONLY."

Tom quickly glanced at his watch. "It's already over," he said, "but if we 
hurry, we might be able to catch the circus before it packs up and leaves."

"Then what are you standing around for?" Jen asked, taking off, "Move!"

**************

Machoke slammed his hands down on the desk. "What is it now, Machoke?" the 
fat, red-suited man behind the desk asked.

Machoke growled rather angrily. Clefable, who was sitting on a costume box, 
sighed heavily. Just then a Sizor came from behind the tent curtain, and 
stood in between Machoke and the man. The Sizor then faced the man and waved 
his claws about in a strange pattern, almost as if using sign language.

"No, Machoke," the man said, "You, and that Clefable, have a one year 
contract, remember?" the man said as he pulled out a rolled up sheet of 
paper from his desk. "Until a year passes, you, belong to me."

Machoke sneered, pressing on. Once again, the Sizor waved his large claws 
about.

"I don't care if you've had enough," The man said, "A deal is a deal. Now 
live with it."

Machoke's temper flared. Machoke pulled his arm back and then threw it at 
the man. However, with lightning-fast speed the Sizor shot his claw out, 
catching Machoke's fist before it hit the man. The Sizor shook his head at 
Machoke, muttering with contempt.

With that, the Sizor's other claw began to glow and he smashed it into 
Machoke, sending Machoke flying backwards. "Clefable!" Clefable shrieked, 
rushing down off the box to Machoke's side. Machoke sat up, wiping a bit of 
blood off his chin. Sizor flapped his wings and rattled his claws, getting 
ready for a fight.

"All right then," said the fat man, "You want to fight? Sizor, sic 'em."

Machoke got to his feet, put his hand inside his other palm, and cracked his 
knuckles. He too was getting ready for a bruising.

Machoke charged at Sizor looking to land an Ice Punch, but Sizor quickly 
side stepped out of harm's way and buried his glowing claw into Machoke's 
gut with a Metal Claw attack. Machoke staggered back holding his stomach, 
sputtering and weezing heavily. Before Machoke could regain his composure, 
Sizor wound his arm back and took a wild Slash at Machoke. Sizor's claw cut 
Machoke's cheek, and blood sprayed across Sizor's claw and Machoke's face. 
Machoke gripped his bloody cheek in pain, the blood dripping from between 
his fingers and onto the floor.

Just then the curtain to the tent opened, and in walked Tom, Porygon and 
Jen. "Hey, would anyone happen to know about a runaw-" Tom's words were cut 
short as he saw Machoke, still holding his bloody face. "Machoke!" Tom 
gasped.

The Sizor turned to Tom and flexed his bloody claw. "Sizor," he gorwled, as 
if telling Tom to back off.

"Hey Tom, It's Clefable!" Jen squealed in delight. At the mention of her 
name, Clefable perked up to Jen's voice.

"Clefable!" she said joyfully.

"I see you know my two new stars," The man in the red suit spoke up. Tom and 
Jen turned to the man. "Allow me to introduce myself," The man said. "My 
name is Charles. Charles Ringlink," the man said. "I am the ringleader of 
this here circus."

At that moment, Tom rushed at Charles, and grabbed him by the collar. "What 
happened to my Machoke?" Tom yelled angrily in Charles' face. Just then, The 
Sizor shot his claw in front of Tom's face and pushed him away.

"And this is my assistant, Sizor," Charles said smugly, watching Tom glare 
angrily at the Sizor.

"Look, Charles," Jen said calmly, "I don't want any trouble, so let us have 
our Pokemon back."

"Oh?" Charles mused, "These are your Pokemon?" He asked. Jen nodded. "Well, 
that's just too bad," Charles said as he pulled out he rolled up paper from 
his desk. "This here's a full year contract, which both your Pokemon 
signed." Charles unrolled the paper on the desk. Sure enough, at the bottom 
of the contract were Machoke and Clefable's respective handprints.

Tom glared angrily at Charles. "You rip up that contract. Now," Tom 
threatened. At that moment, the Sizor stepped in between Tom and Charles 
separating the two again.

This was just the moment Machoke was waiting for. With all attention away 
from him, Machoke charged at Sizor again , thowing an Ice Punch at the 
Sizor's cheek. The hit looked effective as Sizor staggered back a few steps, 
rubbing his swelling chin. However, Sizor merely wiped the bit of frost off 
his chin where the Ice Punch hit, hardly damaged at all. As Machoke wound 
back another Ice Punch, the Sizor wound back his own arm and slashed Machoke 
again, cutting across his chest. Machoke was sent flying backwards again, 
blood flying over the floor, right beside Clefable. "Clefable!" Clefable 
gasped as she knelt to Machoke's side. Then Clefable stood up. "Clefable!" 
She growled angrily.

Jen smirked. "Clefable, Fire Punch!" Jen commanded.

Clefable began to generate a fireball around her clenched fist, and then 
threw the fiery punch at Sizor. The punch caught Sizor in the gut, leaving a 
black burn mark upon Sizor's steel-like skin. Sizor staggered back a bit, 
letting Clefable land another Fire punch at Sizor's face, with the Sizor's 
head snapping back at the force of the blow. But before Clefable could 
attack again, Sizor pulled back his claw and took a fierce swipe at 
Clefable. The Slash attack hit Clefable on the cheek, instantly levelling 
her, spattering blood across her face. "Oh God! Clefable!" Jen gasped, as 
she daringly ran past Sizor to Clefable's side.

"Clefable..." Clefable groaned weakly.

Jen hugged Clefable. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Tom was about ready to admit defeat again, when Machoke stood by him. 
"Machoke?" Tom said in surprise. "Is Machoke really willing to fight with me 
instead of against me?" Tom asked himself. Now was the time to find out. 
"Machoke, Dynamicpunch!"

Machoke charged his fist with energy and then hurled it at Sizor. But like 
before, Sizor dodged the assault and hit Machoke again with the Metal Claw 
attack. But his time Machoke gave one piercing cry, and then began to glow. 
Machoke's glowing silhouette grew and altered in shape, and as Tom, Sizor, 
and Charles sheilded their eyes, the glow finally faded. What resulted made 
Tom gasp in awe. Standing before them was a newly evolved Machamp.

Charles stepped forward nervously. "Sizor, Slash!"

Sizor once again pulled his arm back, but with a quick jerk from his 
shoulder, Machamp hit him with a Dynamicpunch in the gut. Sizor staggered 
back, only to receive a brutal four-armed Cross Chop from Machamp to his 
face. Sizor wobbled back and forth and then fell over, defeated.

Charles backed away from Jen, as she slowly walked towards him, an angry 
glare in her eye. "Umm. yeah... the contract..." Charles fumbled for words 
as he grabbed the contract. Holding it up for Jen to see, Charles quickly 
ripped it to shreds.

"Charles," Jen began "You should know better than to treat Pokemon that 
way," she said harshly. Charles nodded in fear.

"My..my..my dear lady.." Charles stuttered, "I see the... the error of my 
ways." He said apologetically. "Do you think you and you Pokemon can pardon 
me?" he asked.

Jen paused a second, then put her hands on Charles' shoulders. "No," she 
said as she lifted her knee and drove it forcefully between Charles' legs. 
Jen zapped Clefable back inside her Pokeball. "C'mon, Tom. Let's go," she 
said as Tom zapped Machamp back inside his Pokeball, leaving Charles to sink 
to the ground and wince.

************

Tom and Jen were walking back to the Ionica Pokemon center, having found and 
re-befriended their runaway Pokemon. "Tom, thanks for helping me find 
Clefable again," Jen said.

"You're welcome, Jen." he replied.

After healing their Pokemon, Tom and Jen decided to go their separate ways 
once more. As Tom waved Jen goodbye as she left the city limits, Tom headed 
back to the Pokemon gym.

-End

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