***************** Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned Chapter XXX (No, not what you're thinking, pervert!) Saga VI- Team Rocket Saga Chapter X- Hello Tom, Goodbye Porygon ***************** With all of his Pokemon but Porygon recovered from Team Rocket, Tom had sent back Tentacruel, Primeape, Yamma, Dodrio, Hitmonlee and Pinsir back to the professor in Ionica City, leaving him with Skarmory, Donphan, Mantine, Kangaskhan, Machamp and Typhlosion. Looking around, Tom and Sabre entered an abandoned bomb shelter, constructed many years ago in Mega City's City Square. A defeated Rocket had told them that their central hideout was located under a trap door in the shelter. Quickly picking the lock, which was chained around the trap door, with a spare pair of tweezers, Sabre and Tom opened the little wooden door, and decended the stairway, into the Rocket hideaway. Tom and Sabre were cautiously wandering the narrow underground hallways of the hideaway, in fruitless search of Porygon. Suddenly, when they came to an intersection of the corridors, a large hand shot out from the corner, grabbed Tom by the head, and pulled him back. Tom soon found himself bound tightly in the arms of a large, burly man. Tom was about to struggle free, when Sabre rounded the corner. "Let him go, Jason. He's with me," Sabre said calmly. Instantly, the man let Tom go. "Sorry about that, Sabre," Jason said apologetically. Tom straightened out his jacket when Jason asked "Hey man, you look kinda' pale..." Tom quickly pulled his hat over his head even more. "I'm fine, it's a little..um..skin condition," Tom blurted out. "Tom," Sabre said, "I'd like you to meet my partner, Jason." Jason held his hand out to Tom, which Tom shook with his own, his hat still heavily shading his face. "So Jason, what are you doing here?" Sabre asked her friend. "I got wind that there was a Rocket hideout here," Jason began, "so I thought I'd check it out," he said, stroking the small patch of hair on his wide chin. "Really? Is anyone else here?" Sabre asked. "Nope, not yet. The garrison is finishing up some assignment on the other side of the city," Jason said, "They're going to come here after they've finished up there, I was assigned to 'hold the fort down', so to speak," Jason said. Then, switching trains of thought, Jason asked, "Hey, why is he here?" "They've got one of my Pokemon, a Porygon." Tom said, "And I've got a bone to pick with them too." "So how long until they'll be here?" Sabre asked Jason. Jason scratched the back of his head, then said "I dunno. I'd say about...maybe an hour or two." "Good," Tom said, "that's all the time I'll need." Tom walked off, down the dimly lit corridor, cracking his knuckles in his palm. "Wait, Tom!" Sabre called after him. When Tom turned his head, he saw Sabre gently lob a small black object at him. Tom caught the little metal lump, and saw he was holding a six-barrel revolver. "You might need it. I'm staying here with Jason," Sabre said. Tom nodded thanks, and continued down the hall. Tom opened the barrel of the gun. The six little bronze bullets sat cozily in their chambers. Tom closed the barrel, hoping he'd never have to use them on anyone else but Laura. Tom soon came to the end of the corridor to a doorway. Pushing himself up against the wall, he peered into the doorway, which lead into a well-lit room. Poking his head into the room, he saw the small room was practically empty. Tom shoved the gun into his jacket pocket as he slowly crept into the room. Tom was about to step into the middle of the room, when he heard a soft, feminine voice. It was Laura. Tom quickly pulled himself back into the corridor, his hand hovering above his jacket pocket where he stored his gun. Tom cautiously poked his head around the doorframe, looking for where Laura's voice had come from. Tom soon found Laura, sitting at a small, round table, talking on a phone. Tom couldn't make out what she was saying from the distance between them; it sounded somewhat like a friendly chat. "...Oh yeah, Larry and the rest of 'em are out on some pot party- yep. I'm the only one here." is what Tom thought he heard Laura say. Tom smirked, and reached for his gun. If she was alone, there would be no way Tom could not kill her. "Yeah, Carol, that new guy at the post office is so hot," Laura said giddishly, unknowing that Tom was now calmly walking towards her silently, his finger curled around the trigger of his gun. "..if he came to talk to me.." Laura said, "I swear I would die-" "That can be arranged." Laura's body jolted at the sound of Tom's voice. Whirling around, as soon as she locked eyes with Tom, her jaw dropped wide open. When she heard the little click of Tom's revolver, she dropped the phone receiver. Laura tried to speak, but her shock and fear of Tom standing in front of her left her tongue frozen stiff. "Hello, Laura." Tom said, an evil grin spreading across his face. Again, Laura tried to speak, but her jaw wasn't moving. She almost fell off her chair when Tom lifted his arm, pointing the revolver at her. Laura finally managed to mumble something, which neither she nor Tom could understand. "Got something to say, bitch?" Tom asked smoothly, rather enjoying Laura's panicked fright. "Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-ou....s-s-supp-p-p.." Laura stammered, unable to keep herself from trembling. Tom rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. He clicked the barrel of the revolver again. Laura jumped off her chair and flattened her back against an adjacent wall. "You mean, 'Aren't I supposed to be dead?'" Tom asked Laura. Laura swallowed hard, and nodded a weak yes. "You're right. I am dead. I'm undead," Tom said gravely. "And you're going to die for that," Tom threatened, his finger still wrapped around the revolver's trigger. Laura suddenly dropped to her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please don't kill me!" she wailed, her palms pressed together in front of her face, begging for Tom's mercy. "I'll do anything! Just don't kil me!" she pleaded. Tom put his gun back in his jacket pocket, and calmly walked towards Laura. He didn't stop until his shadow completely enveloped her. "My Pokedex. Where is it?" Tom asked impassively. Laura slowly got to her feet, and edged her way out of Tom's face. She picked up a set of keys on a key ring, which was sitting in the middle of the table, and quickly made her way to the filing cabinet on the opposite wall. She fumbled with the keys awhile before she finally unlocked the cabinet. She opened the drawer, put her hand in, and pulled out Tom's Pokedex. Laura, with little tiny steps, cautiously walked towards Tom with his Pokedex in her hand. "H-h-here you go..." she stammered nervously, handing Tom his Pokedex. Tom opened his device up, and toyed awhile with its buttons. Closing it, he shoved it back in his jacket pocket. When he took his hand out again, he was holding the same revolver. "Why do y-you have to kill me?" Laura sobbed, breaking down in front of Tom. "I-I-I mean, I don't want to kill you!" she pleaded. "I mean, seriously! It was Larry's job! He made me do it!" Tom groaned and rolled his eyes. "So why do you have to kill-" "Because you killed me," Tom said sternly. "Since I'm undead, the only way I can live again is to kill whoever killed me," Tom said, pressing the barrel of the revolver into Laura's forehead. "B-b-b-but my Sizor...he killed you though-" Laura squeaked. "But you ordered that Sizor to kill me. So in a truth, you killed me as well," Tom said. Laura shut her eyes closed tightly, as Tom pressed the gun deeper into her forehead, his finger putting pressure on the trigger. Yet something was holding Tom back. Tom realized that the evil of the dead had seeped into him. His heart was dead. Tom quickly shoved his morals back down his throat and put another ounce of squeeze on the trigger. Tom was expecting a spray of Laura's blood spattering against the wall when he put a bullet through her head, when he heard a familliar voice say, "Wait, Tom!" Tom turned around to see Krystella and her Gengar standing behind them. "Krystella?" Tom asked, confused. "How'd you get in here?" Krystella only smiled, and looked at Gengar. "Tom, you don't have to kill her," Krystella said. "What?" Tom couldn't believe his ears. Krystella and Tom were soon having a little discussion between them, never noticing Laura slowly dip her hand into her back pocket, and pull out a small handgun. "So then, that's all I have to do then? I don't have to kill her?" Tom asked Krystella. Krystella nodded. Just as Laura raised her pistol, the door to the room creaked open. "Tom?" the voice of Sabre asked, peeking out from behind the doorway. Before Tom could say anything, Laura fired three shots from her handgun. Instinctively, Tom, Krystella and Gengar hurled themselves to the walls. The only one who didn't take cover was Sabre, who entered the room just in time to have three bullets hit her. One in the left shoulder, one in her left arm, the other right into her chest. Sabre reeled back, and fell over, landing on her rear. Shocked and near death, she looked at her body. The three wounds oozed blood all over the floor. A stream of blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth as she fell over backwards, motionless. "Sabre!" Tom gasped as he ran to Sabre's side. Tom put his hand under Sabre's head, lifting it up. He pressed two fingers just below her jaw on her neck. No pulse. With a fuelled rage, Tom got up, and advanced on Laura, utter hatred blazing in his eyes. He could have shot flames from his nostrils if he could. Panicked, Laura fired her last seven shots upon Tom. Even though all seven bullets hit Tom in his stomach, Tom kept storming towards her. Before Laura could utter another word, Tom had his hands wrapped around her throat. "Let's see how you like getting your throat ripped out!" Tom hissed through gritted teeth, tightening his grip on Laura's throat. Laura gagged and wheezed, trying to breath through Tom's hands. "I've had it with you fucking Rockets!" Tom snarled. Slowly, Laura was brought to her knees again. Tom was about to increase his grip on her, when Krystella put her hand on Tom's shoulder. "That's enough Tom." She said softly. Even though he didn't know why, Tom released Laura. "Even though I don't have to kill her," Tom growled "I'd sure like to now." Laura, still gasping for air, managed to say "You mean....he...doean't have...to...kill me?" she said through spaced breaths. Krystella nodded. "All you have to do is kiss him," she said. "What!?" Laura gasped. "Well, not really." Krystella said. "It's a spell I found a little while ago called the 'Breath of Life.' All you have to do is breathe some of your 'living' breath into him. Then he will live again. All I have to do is cast the spell on you first," Krystella said. "B-b-ut why me?" Laura complained. "Because you killed him," Krystella said solidly. "It won't work if anyone else does it." "Well forget it then!" Laura snapped. "I"ll never let you spell me!" She said defiantly. "You don't understand," Krystella said, "I already have," Krystella grinned. "Well, I'd rather die that to...than to..." Laura growled, "...I'd rather die!" As soon as she said this, Tom pulled out his revolver again, and aimed it at Laura. "Repeat that, please?" Tom asked sarcastically. Laura froze. "Alright...fine." she said, giving in. Laura gingerly raised herself to her tiptoes, and came closer to Tom. Although it only lasted for a split-second, their lips seemed to touch for hours. As soon as Laura gave a little puff of air into Tom, she pulled herself away. She slapped Tom sharply on the chin, and then gave him a blow below the belt with her boot. Tom staggered backwards, and doubled over to his knees, writhing in pain. "That wasn't very nice..." Krystella muttered, looking at Tom, who was still hunched over and wheezing. Just then, Jason burst into the room. His eyes first saw Tom. "Hey kid, where's Sabre?" he asked frantically. "I heard gunshots, and I came running. Where is she?" Tom managed to bear the pain and stand up, and pointed over Jason's shoulder. Jason turned his head, and saw Sabre's body lying in a pool of blood. "God! Sabre!" Jason gasped, kneeling down to her side. Like Tom had done, Jason checked her pulse. Still nothing. Then, Krystella took Tom by the hand. "Tom, your skin!" she whispered. Tom looked at his hand, and saw what he had wanted to see. His skin was slowly changing from a pale white to a nice golden tan, the way it was when he was alive. Tom's hand instantly flew up onto his throat under Krystella's hankercheif. The skin was as smooth as a waxed table. Tom could have cried in joy. He was alive. "Who killed her?" Jason muttered angrily, still looking at Sabre's lifeless body. Tom, Krystella and Gengar looked at Laura. Laura dropped her handgun, creating a loud thunk on the floor. Before Jason could pull out his own handgun, Tom put his hand up in front of Jason. "Put that away, Jason." Tom said. "Laura, you can revive Sabre now." Laura's jaw dropped wide open. "No," she said. "No, no, no, no, no," She said, shaking her head. "Kissing you was bad, but I"m not kissing her," she said defiantly. Tom pulled out his revolver again, and Laura was instantly compliant. Slowly yet shakily, Laura made her way over to Sabre's body. Kneeling down beside her, she held Sabre's head up with her hand, and wiped the blood on her lips away with her glove. With a short peck, Laura blew a short breath into Sabre's mouth. Suddenly, Sabre began to stir again, coughing and sputtering wildly. Jason was so bewildered he could hardly think straight. Sabre rolled over on her stomach, and spat out three bullets, the same bullets that killed her. Almost at the same time, Tom bent over hacking and wheezing, and coughed out the seven bullets that Laura pumped into him. Suddenly, Jason was beside Tom, holding him by the shoulder. "What the hell is going on here?" Jason demanded. Krystella sighed and walked over to Jason. "It's a very long story, young man," she sighed. "Who are you?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. Krystella sighed. "Here we go again..." **************** A few months later, Laura had finally gotten out of prision on probation. Although they had finally run out the Rockets in Mega City, the National Gaurd was still searching for Porygon. Even Laura with her connection to the Rockets could not find Porygon. Not even after hours of silent meditation could Krystella locate Porygon. Everything to Tom seemed hopeless. Finally, after a few weeks of a failing search for Porygon, Tom decided it was time to leave again. Before he left, he took the time to meet up with Krystella and Sabre again. "Well, I really should thank you, Krystella," Tom said, "Without you, I'd still be a living corpse." "No need to thank me," Krystella said, blushing. "I'm just doing my job." Tom tugged at the black glove that he now wore on his left hand, which covered the small scar which Larry had put a bullet through him. "We'll let you know if we find Porygon, okay Tom?" Sabre called out to him, as Tom continued his lonely journey. Tom nodded, and took out his newly purchased cell phone. "I'll be waiting," Tom smiled. After waving goodbye, Tom conitinued out of Mega City towards Hydro City, wondering if he would ever cross paths with his freind again... -End? ******************