********** Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned Chapter LII Saga XI- The Pokemon League Saga Chapter VII- Round Six ********** As Tom and Porygon Two walked through the hallway to the arena together, Porygon Two noticed that something was visibly bothering Tom's thoughts. "Something up?" Porygon Two asked. "I don't know," Tom muttered, stopping at the end of the hallway, waiting at the feet of the arena for his queue, "I just don't know..." "Know what?" Porygon Two asked. "Something," Tom murmured, "Something doesn't feel right." "What?" Porygon Two asked. "I don't know," Tom said again. "You're probably just nervous," Said Porygon Two. Tom sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," Tom said, "I've just got to focus on our match." Just then, someone walked up behind Tom. "Hi Tom," a female voice said to him suddenly, making Tom jolt. "What do you want, Laura?" Tom growled, turning to the woman behind him. Laura blinked once and looked at the ground. "Well, Larry's not going to give you any more trouble," she said unsteadily. "Yeah, I know," Tom said coldly. "Listen," she said weakly, "I know you're still angry with me, but-" "No way in hell am I going to forgive you," Tom snapped quickly, turning his back on Laura. "I'm really, really sorry for what happened in Meg-" "No," Tom cut in icily. "But-" "No." A short silence passed between them. Porygon Two decided to drive up by the wall and keep out of the way. "I can understand why you're still mad," Laura said, "and I-" "You're fucking right I'm still mad," Tom snarled back, looking over his shoulder to glare at Laura. "It's not every day a guy gets his throat torn out." Laura slightly bit her lip. "I just-" "Just shut up, okay?" Tom growled. "Now that Larry's gone, I don't want to see you ever again- let alone speak to you." Before Laura could open her mouth again, Tom said, "So just fuck off. Got that?" Laura was struck still. Porygon Two stared blankly at Tom. Tom quickly divided his glances between Laura and Porygon Two. When the rock music suddenly filled the arena and spilled into the hall, Tom turned to Porygon Two. "There's our queue," Tom said, walking out into the arena. ******* Tom was still thinking of his snapping at Laura even when he took his trainer stage. As his entrance music began to fade so did his thoughts of hostilities towards the former Rocket. When Tom was expecting another stream of music for his opponent's entrance, his ears felt nothing as a tall blocky man walked out to the opposing stage. "No music?" Porygon Two asked Tom from the ground below. "S'pose not," Tom replied. "And coming from Dire City, winning a total of eight badges, Yrral...!" The announcer's voice blared with a sudden tone of confusion at the end, as if he were expecting something more to say. "Yrral?" Porygon Two mused as Tom put on his headset, "What kind of a name is Yrral?" "What kind of last name is a first name by itself?" Tom answered with another question as his opponent took the opposing stage. The referee had already appeared at the middle of the battle field's sidelines. "Trainers, choose your Pokemon!" Tom wasted no time in unleashing Houndoom from his Pokeball, and his opponent, Yrral, set a Sizor free onto the field. "A Scizor?" Tom wondered, "Why would he pit a Sizor against a fire-type?" "Maybe he's just a moron," Porygon Two suggested. "Trainers ready," The referee called, "Pokemon ready, begin!" "Houndoom, Fire Blast!" Tom ordered. Yrral remained silent. Houndoom sucked in a deep breath and blew out a tall column of flames, headed straight for the Sizor. However, just as soon as the Fire Blast came within inches of the Sizor, the red Pokemon swatted one large claw into the flames effortlessly, dispersing them into smoke in the air. Before Tom could order another attack, Yrral commanded, "Sizor, Metal Claw!" Within a split second, the Sizor traveled from one end of the battle field to Houndoom's in less than the time it took Houndoom to blink. Almost as suddenly as he arrived, the Sizor smashed his claw onto Houndoom's skull, instantly crushing the Pokemon to the ground. The Sizor rattled his claws open as shut in victory as Houndoom weakly twitched on his belly. Tom recalled Houndoom and replaced him with Donphan. "Trainers ready," the referee called again, "Pokemon ready, begin!" "Donphan, Take Down!" Tom ordered. Again, Yrral remained silent. Donphan took off and charged madly towards the Sizor, snarling furiously as he ran. Just as he was about to gore the Sizor, the Sizor twirled around and smashed the backside of his claw between Donphan's eyes, knocking the Pokemon into the air and slamming to the ground on the side with a thud. Donphan was knocked out cold. "Who is this guy?" Tom muttered under his breath as a sweat drop rolled down his forehead. "What?" Yrrral replied from the other end of the headset, "Don't you know me?" Tom quickly studied Yrral's face on the other trainer stage. His thick blonde hair was slicked back firmly, accenting the wrinkles underneath his eyes. It was a face unlike any other he had seen before. "Never seen or heard of you before," Tom muttered back. "Then remind me to introduce myself later," Yrral snickered subtly. Yrral's low-tome laugh made Tom's spine shiver as he recalled Donphan and looked down at Porygon Two. "The things I do," Porygon Two muttered to himself, driving out onto the battle field in front of the Sizor. "Trainers ready," the referee called again, "Pokemon ready, begin!" Before Tom could open his mouth to instruct Porygon Two, Yrral barked, "Sizor, Slash!" One second after, Sizor had sped up to Porygon Two and swung the tip of his sharp claw into Porygon's forehead, knocking it to its side. Porygon Two groaned and rolled back over onto its belly with the Sizor standing tall over it, casting a bleak shadow over him. Porygon Two weakly gazed up at the Sizor, who has already raised his claw above his head for the final blow. "Sizor," Yrral spoke. There was a sudden silence. Tom was expecting Yrral to order the last attack, as was everyone else in the stadium. "Sizor," Yrral repeated, "Now!" Suddenly, the Sizor bolted from his spot and charged at the referee. With a short, weak, vhorizontal chop from his claw, what seemed to the Sizor as a light tap felt like a full-swung punch to the referee's chest, knocking the official clear of the battle field. "What the fuck?" Tom gasped, "What the fuck are you doing?" "Since you've forgotten me," Yrral snickered again to Tom, "I'll re-introduce myself!" When Yrral took off his headset and reached under his chin, pulling away what looked like his own skin to reveal another layer of it, Tom's heart skipped a beat when he saw the face underneath. "Larry!" "Glad you remember me," Larry said, quickly taking a small device from his pocket and clicking the only button that occupied it. Immediately, the sides of the battle field erupted in a titanic wall of flames, encasing Tom, Larry, Porygon Two and Sizor inside. "You're supposed to be in prison!" Tom gasped. "Supposed to be," Larry chuckled, "Did you really think a pathetic S.W.A.T. team could take me down?" "How'd you get in here?" Tom growled. "Doesn't matter," Larry replied, "What matters is a new style of Pokemon battle I have in mind for us," Larry said, "where you'll compete as well! Sizor, attack!" *** Outside the box-shaped inferno, the audience was in complete silence as they gazed at the blazing wall of fire in the middle of the arena. Sabre, Jason and Laura were at the sidelines of the battle field, within meters of the fiery blockade. "How the hell did Larry get here?" Sabre yelled into the flames. "How am I supposed to know?" Jason yelled back. "Larry!" Laura gasped, "He's here? But he was caught back in Canyon City!" "I guess he wasn't after all," Jason grimaced. Just then, a large Blastoise lumbered between them, accompanied by a local officer Jenny. "Stand back," she said to them as the Blastoise aimed his water cannons at the base of the flame wall. Almost as soon as the Blastoise took aim, Jason swatted his hand at the Blastoise's cannon, knocking it off focus. "Don't put water on it," he said quickly, a bead of sweat dribbling down his forehead. "I smell tempered Magmar ashes in there. You put water on it and the whole stadium's going up!" Jenny bit her lip and looked up into the sky, filled with smoke from the raging fire. "There's got to be another way to put it out..." **** Inside the fiery prison, Porygon Two and Sizor had just charged at each other again. Porygon Two kept itself low to the ground just enough to avoid another swipe from Sizor's claw and smash its beak into Sizor's belly. The Sizor was knocked backwards from the blow, tumbling head over heels to the base of Larry's trainer stage. Larry shrugged and took out another Pokeball, letting the unconscious Sizor slump to the ground. Tom took off his trench coat, leaving him only in his black tank top and jeans. The heat from the flames broke Tom into a sweat, making him wish he had some water to soothe his dry throat. "You never give up, do you?" Tom shot at Larry through the headset. "Prison isn't a very nice place, Tom," Larry snarled back at him. "I want to thank you for giving me the life sentence." "They're all outside this wall, you know," Tom said to Larry. "When they get in-" "They won't come in until I let them," Larry cut in. "Putting water on that fire will only make it worse. This device here," Larry said, flashing Tom the remote he held in his hand, "Is the only thing that'll shut it off." Suddenly, Porygon Two spoke. "That Pokeball in his hand is his last Pokemon!" Porygon Two yelled at Tom, "And that left lower rib of his is still injured! "Why didn't I disable that X-Ray vision of his?" Larry muttered. Tom took his remaining three Pokeballs and tossed them onto the field. Upon hitting the ground, the three sprung open an unleashed the Pokemon inside. Porygon Two soon found Machamp, Kangaskhan and Pinsir at its side. Larry let his Pokeball drop to his end of the battle field, releasing the Pokemon it contained. When the ball sprung open, a behemoth of a Pokemon emerged, covering half of the battle field. Tom took out his Pokedex from his jacket on the floor of the stage and aimed it at the snake-like creature. "Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokemon," Tom's Pokedex said, "The evolved form of Onix. Steelix's bodies are as hard as diamonds, and provide a virtually invincible armor. Steelixes are the largest Pokemon ever to be recorded." Tom grimaced and stuffed his Pokedex back into his trench coat pocket. All four of Tom's last Pokemon glared at the Steelix, and the monstrous Pokemon glared back at them in return. Then, almost simultaneously, Tom and Larry barked, "Attack!" ****** "Damn!" The outburst from Jenny startled Sabre, Jason and Laura. "What?" Sabre asked. "The smoke's too thick," Jenny muttered, stuffing her cell phone back into her pocket, "Not even radar can penetrate it." "So how're we going to put it out?" Laura asked. "The special pyro unit's been dispatched already," Jenny answered, "They'll be here in two minutes." "But what about Tom?" Laura asked worriedly. Jenny stared ominously into the flame wall. "We can only hope..." ******* One minute had passed since Steelix's appearance, and now all of the Pokemon on the field were lying motionless with miltiple wounds lacing their bodies. Steelix had taken them all but Pinsir out by smashing his tail into them like a whip, and Pinsir used the last of her strength in a Take Down, knocking both out cold. Recalling all the Pokemon on the field to their respective Pokeballs, Larry leapt off his trainer stage and landed beside the inert body of Sizor. "Useless wimp," Larry grumbled, kicking Sizor's body over onto his side. Tom vaulted himself over the rails of his stage and landed on the field, opposite the side of Larry. "What do you think you're going to accomplish doing this, Larry?" Tom snarled. "Revenge is a dish best served cold," Larry growled back, "And it tastes very sweet." "When they put the fire out," Tom said, pointing to the other side of the wall of flames, "They'll put you out too." "I've got that covered," Larry smirked. "By the time they do, I'll be long gone." Deciding not to ask Larry how he planned to escape, Tom growled, "You were put in prison for a reason, Larry." "I don't give a shit about the law," Larry snarled back. "In fact, I give a shit about almost anything anymore. I don't need any weapons to kill you, Tom," he said, cracking his knuckles in his palm. "I'll kill you with my bare hands." As Larry took a step forward to Tom, Tom edged backward to the base of his trainer stage. Soon, Tom found himself with his back flat against the wall of the trainer stage, and Larry was still advancing upon him. When Larry was a quarter of the field away from Tom, Tom clenched a pair of fists and rushed into Larry. Using his shoulder for the base of power, Tom threw his fist into Larry's side, hoping to hit his injured ribs. Instead, Tom's fist felt like it had hit a brick wall. Tom yelped and staggered backwards, holding his bruised knuckles. Larry stopped his advancing and laughed. "You really think I wouldn't protect those?" He jeered. Tom used the time it took Larry to taunt him to fling his foot low to the ground out to Larry's right knee, smashing the sole of his boot into it as hard as he could. Larry's leg jerked backward, driving a yelp of surprise and pain as he collapsed to the ground. Not wanting the giant to get any chance to attack, Tom wound back his leg again and viciously kicked Larry into his protected ribs. A loud clanging noise rang through the field as Tom's steel-capped boots struck Larry's ribs, letting Tom know that Larry had a piece of metal strapped to his side under his shirt. Hoping that his boot would weaken the metal and worsen Larry's injury, Tom kicked Larry in the ribs again and again until Larry, finally managing to bear the pain in his leg, stood up on his left and let his right fist smash into Tom's nose. Tom was sent crashing to the ground on his back, his broken nose spattering blood all over his face. Tom's vision was swirling in a daze as he saw Larry bending over to him and grasping him by his neck. Raising Tom back to his feet, Larry kept his chokehold on Tom and wound back another punch. Quickly thinking of a way to escape, Tom coughed up whatever phlegm he had in his throat and spat it into Larry's eye. As soon as the mucus hit Larry's eye, his fist opened and went to cover it. Subsequently, his grip on Tom's throat tightened, making Tom gag and struggle. Knowing that his dirty tactic wouldn't stall Larry for long, Tom again kicked Larry in his right knee. Instantly, Larry collapsed to his good knee and released Tom. With his heart racing, Tom took a few steps backwards and Larry leaned forward to ease the pressure off his knee, and ran towards Larry at full speed. As soon as he was within an arm's reach of Larry, Tom swiftly brought his foot up like a football punt, smashing into the front of Larry's left shoulder. Larry yelped and sunk to his back, taking his attention off his knee to nurse his shoulder. Again having Larry prone on the ground, Tom again used the same football punt to smash his capped boot into Larry's protected ribs with all the remaining strength he could muster. The force behind Tom's kick was so fierce it rolled Larry's two-hundred and fifty pound body onto his back. Using the momentum from his roll, Larry managed to get himself back onto his feet as quickly as he had fallen. Tom again whipped his leg out to strike Larry's knee a third time, but Larry quickly sidestepped out of the way, already expecting Tom to strike there again. As soon as Tom's foot touched the ground again, Larry threw a left punch at Tom, catching Tom on his left shoulder, inches above his heart. Tom was momentarily paralyzed. His heart suddenly felt weak from the blow as his breathing grew more and more labored. Breathing in heavy, deep breaths now, Tom sunk to his knee. Just as Tom looked up at Larry again, he saw Larry wind his right arm across his chest, flattening his hand into a knife-edge. With a shirt jerking of his shoulder, Larry sent the edge of his hand smashing into Tom's right cheek, flattening him on the ground immediately. As quickly as he had fallen, Larry picked him up again from behind. Before Tom could gather his senses again, Larry wrapped his bulky arms around Tom's throat in a choking headlock. Using one arm to bar Tom's throat ad the other to push his head forward, Larry began to slowly choke Tom out. Struggle as he might, Tom found his efforts to be futile against Larry's pure strength as he felt his vision dimming and body becoming weaker and weaker by the second. As he had to struggle more and more to bring air to and from his lungs, Tom knew he had only moments before his body would give up. Just as Tom thought he would finally be sufficiently strangled, Larry suddenly relaxed his grip. "What was that?" Larry roared, turning his head over his shoulder. "I said stop it, Larry!" A woman's voice shouted back at him. Releasing Tom, Larry turned around, leaving Tom to slump to the floor, eagerly gathering his breath again with whatever remained of his stamina. Tom could hear Larry arguing with someone else, but was too busy trying to restore his breathing pattern drowned out the words, leaving only the tones of their voices. "Hey, been a long time since I've seen you, Laura," Larry smirked. Laura only scowled. "What are you doing?" She shrieked. "Oh, him?" Larry shrugged, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Tom, "Just gonna' kill him. Wanna' help?" "No!" Laura quickly snarled. "Oh Christ," Larry groaned. "You've gone legit one me, haven't you?" "I have!" Laura snarled again. "How'd you get in here?" Larry asked. "Don't tell me you actually leapt through the flames," he said, looking at Laura's singed clothes. "I did," said Laura angrily. "I had to stop you somehow." "Well don't bother," Larry said, walking over to Tom, who was still lying on the ground, "I've almost finished here anyway," he said, picking Tom up by the back of his head. Quickly glancing at the wall of the trainer stage, Larry threw Tom's forehead into the wall. the result was a thud and Tom's body falling lifelessly on his back. Larry looked down at Tom and kicked him in the ribs. "Wimp," he muttered. Larry turned his back to Laura and checked Tom's pulse on his knee. Upon feeling a weak throb under his chin, Larry said, "The little fuck's still alive. Not for long though," he muttered, raising a fist high above his head. Larry's arm was suddenly entangled in Laura's arms, keeping his fist from smashing into Tom. With a roar, Larry whipped his arm to the side, throwing Laura almost to the center of the field. Again raising his fist, Larry glanced at Tom's face one last time. He was breathing was very shallow, and he was barely conscious. Grinning sadistically knowing that Tom could not defend himself and Laura was still lying on the center of the field, Larry tightened his fist as hard as he could and aimed for Tom's already broken nose. Suddenly, Larry felt the flesh on his forearm tear apart in a spray of blood. With a scream of surprise and unbearable agony, Larry collapsed to his side, rolling on his back and clenching his arm. It was then that he noticed the wall of fire had died away, and that the field was surrounded by police officers and heavily armed S.W.A.T. teams. The only one that he locked eyes with was Jason, and he glared back at Larry, holding a smoking gun towards him. Larry glanced at his left forearm, seeing that it spewed blood all over the ground around him with seemingly no way of stopping it. When Larry took another look around the field, not only did he see Laura weakly getting back to her feet, but also saw every officer around him aiming their firearms at him. Suddenly, the sea of police rushed in on him. Larry found himself like a limp rag doll, having his arms twisted this way and that by a mass of hands, anchoring his hands behind his back and securing them with handcuffs. Having two other pairs of hands push his head down, Larry silently snarled in defeat as another set of hands bandaged his bloody arm. His wounded arm began to go numb as the officers led him off the field. Laura was already at Tom's side when Sabre and Jason arrived. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she pressed her fingers underneath Tom's jaw. Barely feeling any throb at all, she looked at Sabre and slowly shook her head. "He's not breathing." "Move over," Sabre said, kneeling down to Tom and pushing Laura out of the way. Sabre quickly angled Tom's head so that the airway from his throat and lungs would be in full alignment. Putting one hand over the other, Sabre pressed her palms onto Tom's chest and gave them quick and short thrusts. "Is he breathing now?" Sabre asked Jason. Jason put his ear next to Tom's head. "Nothing," he replied grimly. Sabre quickly pinched Tom's nostrils together and leaned forward. Taking a half-lungful of air into her, Sabre pressed her lips onto Tom's and transfered it into him. "Now?" Sabre asked. "Nope." Before Sabre could work on Tom's chest again, Laura suddenly chimed, "That's it!" Quickly shoving Sabre out of the way, Laura took a quick breath before planting her lips on Tom's and breathing into him. Almost in response, Tom suddenly pitched onto his side, coughing and weezing. "What?" Was all Jason could manage to utter in surprise. "Don't you remember?," Laura said casually, wiping her lips with her sleeve. Before Jason could reply, Tom rose onto his knees. "Ow, my fucking head," Tom moaned, gritting his teeth and rubbing the back of his neck. Laura looked at Jason. "Could you get Larry to look over here for me?" Laura asked Jason. Jason shrugged and stood up. After ruffling Tom's hair briefly, Jason dissappeared into the sea of police and onlookers. As soon as Tom stood up, the crowd around him simultaneously gasped. "How can he even get up- let alone stand?" One voice whispered to another. Just as Tom began to look around the field through his swelling black eye, he heard a roar of frustration. "What was that?" Tom asked Sabre. Sabre only sighed and grinned. "Larry just learned you just can't keep a good man down." -End *******