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Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned

Chapter XXXII

Saga VI- Hydrobadge Saga

Chapter II- Beauty and the Tsaeb

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Tom wore a solemn expression on his face. He had been like so for the last 
few minutes. Even getting a free ride in Jen's car wasn't cheering him up 
any. "Tom, something wrong?" Jen asked, leaning toward him.

"Huh? No, I'm fine," Tom whispered an answer.

"Well you sure don't look fine," Jen said, keeping her eyes on the road 
ahead. "Something's definitely bothering you, Tom."

"I was just wondering what Porygon's doing now," Tom finally sighed.

"Oh," Jen said in a soft low voice, "I suppose that's why you're so 
gloomy-looking." Jen concluded. "Hey, how about I turn on the radio Tom? 
That'll get your mind off Porygon." Jen suggested.

Tom sighed. "Sure, why not," he agreed.

Jen reached over to the center of the dashboard and flicked on a small 
switch. Instantly, the air was filled with a scratchy, staticy voice. Jen 
sighed, and then nestled herself back into her seat. They went on listening 
to some radio report for a few minutes. "Didja hear that, Tom?" She asked 
suddenly.

"Hear what?" Tom asked.

"They're doing a report on Skarmory flocks!"

"So?"

"I haven't told you? I've always wanted to see a Skarmory."

"Hey, I have one-"

"Really?" Jen beamed, her face lighting up. Tom nodded.

"I'll show you her if you want, Jen," Tom offered.

Tom got out of the car the moment Jen had pulled over and stopped. Pressing 
a button on his trusty Pokedex, a Pokeball materialized into Tom's hand. "Is 
that her?" Jen asked, coming around the front of the car to Tom.

"Yep," Tom nodded as he expanded the Pokeball. Tom gently lobbed the ball 
out of his hand, where it landed on the grassy ground in front of him. The 
ball sprung open, and Skarmory emerged with a short flash of light.

"Skaaaaaaaaa!" Skarmory screeched. She stretched out her steely wings, 
creating a sharp squealing creak in the air as they moved. Jen walked up to 
Skarmory and rubbed the crest on her head. Skarmory was only a few inches 
taller than Jen was, and craned her neck down to Jen so she could pet her 
better. Jen sighed, and continued to caress Skarmory's smooth armour-like 
skin.

Just then, Skarmory perked her head up. "Skaaa..." Skarmory crooned, peering 
off into a nearby forest by the side of the road. Jen followed Skarmory's 
example and looked into the forest.

"What's up, Skarmory?" Tom asked his Pokemon, standing beside her.

Suddenly, the bushes at the foot of the forest began to tremble. "What do 
you suppose that is, Tom?" Jen asked.

"No idea, Jen," Tom replied, also looking at the shaking foliage.

A hoofed foot emerged from the shrub- then a leg and another hoof. A head 
produced itself from the bush, and then a four-legged figure trotted out 
from the bushes. Tom pulled out his Pokedex.

"Girafarig, the Longneck Pokemon." The Pokedex spat out blankly. "Girafarig 
is one of the more strange and rarer Pokemon."

Tom, Pokedex still in hand, cautiously made his way over to the Girafarig. 
The Pokemon made a short playful neighing sound, and trotted over to Tom. 
The Girafarig's head found it's way under Tom's hand and received a gentle 
stroke.

"Wow, that's a really friendly Girafa- Girafri-" Jen said, trying to 
remember the Pokemon's name.

"-Girafarig." Tom corrected her. Tom moved his hand down Girafarig's neck, 
and then down his back. As soon as Tom's hand passed from the yellow fur on 
the Girafarig's back onto the black fur on the rear half of his body, a 
large row of sharp teeth came at him, snapping with its jaws at Tom in front 
of his face.

"Shit!!" Tom yelped in surprise, springing backwards in shock. Tom aimed his 
Pokedex at Girafarig again.

"Girafarig has two different brains. It's main brain is on it's yellow half, 
while it's other brain, on the black half of it, has a separate sub-brain in 
a head on it's tail. The two brains operate completely different of each 
other. The main brain has a friendly, compassionate personality, while the 
other half is irritable and hostile. Often, the sub-brain will bite at 
anything that comes near it. Still, the main brain controls all bodily 
functions, while its counterpart only controls the tail."

"God, what a messed up Pokemon," Jen said in disgust. As soon as Jen said 
this, Girafarig's head sagged, obviously emotionally wounded by Jen's 
remark. Then, his other head perked up on its tail and started furiously 
snapping its jaws at Jen.

"Really, Jen." Tom said sternly, looking at Jen. Then, Tom turned back to 
Girafarig. As Tom was about to pet Girafarig again, Girafarig suddenly 
stepped back, avoiding Tom's hand. Girafarig lowered his head and took a 
wide stance, snarling at Tom. "Uh oh..." Tom muttered, aiming his Pokedex at 
Girafarig again.

"However, both of the brains communicate with each other quite well. Often, 
the submissive, softer main brain will be overrun by the aggressive 
sub-brain when provoked."

Tom looked at Jen again. "Yup. She's provoked him alright," Tom thought to 
himself.

Just then, Skarmory stretched her wings, flew a little into the air, and 
landed in front of Tom, separating him from the Girafarig. Skarmory 
straightened herself out, and glared at Girafarig. Skarmory then turned her 
head and looked at Tom, and bucked it sideways. Tom put his hand on Jen's 
shoulder. "I think she wants us to back off." Tom suggested. Jen nodded, and 
together they hastily made their way over to the side of Jen's car.

When Skarmory turned her head back to look at Girafarig, she saw Girafarig 
closer than she saw last time. In fact, she saw him ram her with his head 
into her gut, a Headbutt attack. Skarmory stumbled back a few steps, almost 
completely unaffected by Girafarig's assault. Girafarig on the other hand, 
stood still, shaking his head, trying to clear the internal ringing bells. 
Girafarig's head bounced off Skarmory's steel-like skin like air on a wall. 
Before Girafarig could regain his senses, Skarmory flew high up into the 
air, and game hurdling down onto Girafarig, a Fly attack. Girafarig whinnied 
as a shriek, and fell onto it's right set of knees. Skarmory then 
outstretched her left wing, and slammed it into Girafarig's face, her Steel 
Wing assault.

Then, Girafarig's eyes began to glow. Suddenly, a huge ball of energy 
generated from Girafarig's forehead, and launched itself into Skarmory. 
Skarmory gave a loud screech, and was sent flying backwards. When Skarmory 
got back to her feet, Girafarig turned around, letting his other head open 
it's jaws and let out a large beam of energy from them. The Psybeam slammed 
into Skarmory, sending it spiraling backwards again.

While the two Pokemon attacked each other, Tom put his gloved left hand to 
his belt, and pulled off an empty Pokeball. "You're not going to catch that 
Girafarig, are you?" Jen asked, seeing a gleam in Tom's eye.

"Why not?" Tom smiled confidently to Jen. "Alright Skarmory, Sky Attack!"

Skarmory flapped her wings, then settled down onto the ground. Then, her 
body began to glow an orange-like hue. Skarmory then began to draw in all of 
her energy into her, and focusing it on Girafarig. Girafarig used this time 
to send another speeding blast of as Psychic attack onto Skarmory. But this 
time, Skarmory simply lifted her wing, letting the blast sail by her.

The Psybeam suddenly collided with Jen's car, and a large poof of smoke and 
a large crash sent Tom and Jen to the ground. When the smoke cleared, Jen's 
mouth dropped open in shock. "M-m-my car!" She gasped. The car's door was 
blown off, and most of the paint on the side had melted away.

With a sharp creak, Skarmory shot her wings open. With a mighty flap, 
Skarmory lifted herself into the air with amazing speed. Skarmory went so 
far high up that neither Tom, Jen nor Girafarig could see her. Then with a 
faint screech, Skarmory sent herself speeding down to the ground, aimed 
right for Girafarig. Girafarig tried to move out of the way, but was unable 
to avoid Skarmory's steely beak before he could move. With a pained cry and 
a fresh bleeding wound on his cheek, Girafarig collapsed to the ground.

Tom quickly enlarged his Pokeball, and hurled it at Girafarig. The ball hit 
Girafarig on his side, and the ball zapped him up. The ball rocked violently 
on the ground for a few moments. Then, the ball stopped it's convulsing. 
Girafarig was caught.

Tom quickly rushed over to the ball, and scooped it up in his hands, 
whereupon it was teleported to the Ionica Professor's laboratory.

"Nice work, Skarmory," Tom said, congratulating his Pokemon.

"Kaaar!" Skarmory cawed again as she was zapped back inside her Pokeball.

"Shit!" Jen cussed. Tom turned around to see Jen in the driver's seat of her 
ruined car. "It's totaled," Jen hissed.

"I'm really sorry, Jen" Tom said, trying to calm Jen down. Jen took a deep 
breath, and sat down in the driver seat. "What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"Not what I'm doing. What you're doing," Jen said. "You push. I'll steer," 
Jen said.

Tom was about to argue, when he decided it was best not to contend with 
Jen's flammable temper. Tom sighed, and plucked a Pokeball from his belt. He 
opened it up, and out came Machamp. Together, Machamp and Tom got behind the 
car, and began to heave it out onto the road, onward to Hydro City.

-End...?

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