*********** Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned Chapter LIII Saga XI- The Pokemon League Saga Chapter VIII- Round Seven *********** The crowd cheered him wildly as he climbed the ladder to his trainer stage. His head hurt, he felt like every artery in his brain were throbbing madly with every beat of the heavy rock music that filled the arena. Just as his music switched to his opponents, he looked down at Porygon Two. Porygon Two looked back at him from the ground below, looking at him with the same static eyes it always had. He forced himself to blink to clear his running vision. His head ached every time his mind switched to another topic, so he kept it on the next topic it came to: the events of a few hours before he came to this match. ***** Tom rubbed his eye. The swelling had cleared up for the most part, and all of the other injuries he suffered two weeks ago from Larry were nothing but a distant memory. For every news anchor in Tower City that asked about his sudden recovery, Tom always replied, "I have my secrets," baffling them all to no end. Sitting in a lounge chair at the Pokemon center, he was unexpectedly joined by Laura. "How're you feeling?" Laura asked him pleasantly. Tom looked at Laura with a slight scowl. "Don't you have to go back to Mega City with Sabre?" Tom muttered. "You sure have a wierd way of thanking someone who saved your life," Laura replied. "The way I see it," Tom muttered, rubbing his eye again, "You killed me once, and then you saved my life. In my books, those two cancel each other out, so you don't need any thanks." "I could have let you die," Laura snapped. "I've already been killed once," Tom said, glaring at Laura, "Dying again wouldn't be so bad. At least it feels good once you're gone." "Tom, look, about what happened in Mega City-" "No." "I'm sorry to say this, Tom," Laura suddenly growled, "But you're just a royal jackass." "Better that than a cold-blooded hired assassin," Tom snapped back. "I'm through with the Rockets!" Laura protested. "You think I liked being killed?" Tom snarled. "Do you have any idea how much that hurt?" "Oh, I hur-!" "Look, you two," Joy suddenly said from behind the counter, "If you're going to argue like that, take it outside, okay?" "You heard her," Tom growled at Laura, "Get lost." Laura stood up. "You're coming with me," Laura said forcefully. Knowing that Laura would not stop arguing with him until she was sure she had won, Tom followed her outside. "Now like I was saying," Tom said once the two found a secluded spot behind the Pokemon center, "Being killed hurts a lot, Laura." "You only think about yourself, don't you?" Laura snapped back at him. "Do you know how long I had those marks on my throat-!" "You had marks on your throat!" Tom snapped, "What the hell did you think you did to mine?" Tom roared, pointing to his neck. Before Laura could reply, Tom cut her off. "You know, I have ten scars from you fucking Rockets shooting me all the time!" "Ten?" Laura burst out in disgust. "I only shot you seven times!" "I also got a double shotgun to my chest at point-blank range," Tom snarled back. "And lets not forget about this!" Tom snapped, holding up his leather-gloved left hand. "You know why I wear this?" Tom snarled a question to Laura. When Laura, too shocked to reply, did not answer, Tom continued. "This is where Larry shot me, and it's the ugliest scar I've ever seen." Tom motioned that he was about pull his glove off with his right hand. "You want to see it?" Laura quickly pushed Tom's hand down. "I thought you were a reasonable guy, Tom," Laura said harshly. "But you're nothing but a ungrateful, freeloading son of a b-" Tom suddenly shot Laura a snarl that cut her off abruptly. "I'll pretend you weren't going to say that," Tom growled. "Maybe I was," Laura growled back. "You know, I've brought you back to life twice now, and I only killed you once-" "I didn't have to let you live either," Tom quickly said, oddly calmly. "I could have killed you when I had the chance. But no. I had to let you live- and what did you do? You went ahead and killed Sabre too!" "Tom," Laura stuttered, "I-!" "And then you went and shot me seven times!" "I-!" "Shut up," Tom growled. "Sometimes I regret ever having let you live. I should have killed you right there!" "But then who'd save you from Larry?" Laura quickly said. When Tom did not reply, she said, "You'd have stayed dead without me!" "I could have been brought back undead again," Tom said calmly. "And then I would have killed Larry and be brought back to life again. So guess what Laura?" Tom asked as Laura bit her lip and trembled. "I don't need you. In fact," Tom said, leaning forwards so that his face was in Laura's, "I hate you." Suddenly, Tom grabbed the back of his head and sunk to his knee. At first, Laura thought of keeling down to him and checking what was the matter, when she decided against it. "What now?" Laura asked, masking her concern witha growl. Tom quietly groaned and rubbed his head again. "Go away," he growled back. "Feeling the after-effects of the breath of life, are you?" A voice from beside them asked. Tom and Laura quickly turned their heads to see the aged Krystella, resting her body upon a wooden cane. "You again, whoever you are, what are you doing here?" Laura asked. "The name's Krystella," the old witch said, annoyed over Laura's failure to remember her name. Tom got back to his feet again. "What are you doing here, Krystella?" Tom groaned, still holding his head. "I sensed another disturbance in the future of fate," Krystella said, "Namely you dying again. I came as quickly as I could." "You were too late again," Tom moaned. "I'm not as sharp as I used to be," Krystella muttered. Again turning her attention to Tom's agony, Krystella asked, "So, how's your head?" "Hurts," Tom muttered. "I don't know why, it just started." "The after-effects of an ill-timed spell," Krystella muttered, looking sideways at Laura. "Tell me, young lady," Krystella said, looking as Laura, "You did use the breath of life after he died again, didn't you?" "Well," Laura murmured, "He looked dead..." "That doesn't mean he was dead," Krystella said, placing her wrinkled hand upon Tom's forehead, "And that spell I cast on you was only meant for the dead!" "He had no pulse!" Laura quickly objected. "He wasn't breathing! How much more dead could a guy get?" "The human spirit lingers before death," Krystella said quickly. After Laura groaned, Krystella said, "Well, what's done can't be undone. At least not on this plane anyway." Krystella turned to Tom again. "Even I'm not sure what side-effects that misued spell could have on you." "D'you think this headache is one of them?" Tom groaned. "Possibly," Krystella said. "And I bet all that magic I used on you previously won't help your current condition much either." "How much longer will it hurt?" Tom groaned a question. "I'd give it four days at the least," Krystella said. "So in the meantime, don't think too hard." "That'll be easy for him," Laura muttered under her breath. "But I have to be able to think in the League!" Tom protested. "Then drop out," Krystella said sternly. Tom felt like he was hit in the stomach. "I can't!" Tom blurted out. "I worked a year and a half to get here! I swear I broke every bone in my body to get in! I even got killed once to get in!" "Well that's too bad," Krystella said, ignoring Tom's protests. "You keep on thinking hard like you have to in the League, and it will only make the matters worse." Tom groaned and backed away, letting Krystella's hand fall from his forehead. "I'll be fine," Tom muttered. "I'm not dropping out of the League just because of a headache!" As Tom walked unsteadily back to the main doors of the Pokemon center, Krystella sighed. "Why do I even other with this generation?" ******* "Hey Tom, wake up!" Porygon Two's voice shouting at him from below the trainer stage shook Tom out of his daydream. "What's happening?" Tom groaned, rubbing his head. "That other guy's ready to fight now," Porygon Two answered. "You better get ready too." Just as Tom groaned again and rummaged through his jacket pocket for a Pokeball, Porygon Two asked, "Hey, you still feeling bad?" "Fine," Tom managed to mutter, "I'm fine." "You really shouldn't be out here like this, Tom," Porygon Two said, "Even I'm worried what might happen to you in your condition." "I'll be fine, okay?" Tom groaned in almost a snarl to Porygon Two. Porygon Two sighed. "If you say so," it muttered. Tom put on his headset as soon as his opponent did, just as the referee walked out to the middle of the field. "Trainers, choose your Pokemon!" As soon as Tom began to ponder what Pokemon to send out, his head felt a sharp poke of pain. Tom winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Tom, you really shouldn't be out here," Porygon Two said. "I'm fine," Tom muttered, grabbing a Pokeball and tossing it onto the field just as soon as his opponent did. A few seconds later, Kangaskhan stood on the field, glaring down a Raticate. From the corner of his eye, Tom saw the referee put on a headset of his own. "Mr. Simms," the voice of the referee came through Tom's headset, "I've been informed that you're still experiencing pain. If at any time you want to forefit the match to tend to your injuries, just let me know." Tom gritted his teeth as quick jab of agony prodded his head. "No way in hell," he muttered silently. "Trainers ready," the referee called, "Pokemon ready, begin!" "Raticate, Hyper Fang!" Tom's opponent commanded his Pokemon. Tom snarled silently to himself, trying to take his focus off of his agony. "Kangaskhan, Dizzy Punch!" The Raticate snarled and leapt up towards Kangaskhan's face, bearing her chisel-like teeth. Just before the Raticate could sink her inscisors into Kangaskhan, Kangaskhan wound his arm back and threw a short jab at Raticate's exposed fangs, shattering them upon impact. This halted the Raticate's attack, leaving her to drop to the ground on her feet, hunched over and whining over her broken teeth. Tom was about to give Kangaskhan the finishing command, when another blast of pain shot against his skull. Tom groaned again, resting his body on the rail of the trainer booth. His opponent used this time to quickly bark out, Raticate, Take Down!" Without the guidance form Tom that he had become so accustomed to, Kangaskhan found his mind a total blank as the Raticate smashed his forehead into Kangaskhan's skull, toppling the giant Pokemon to the ground. Dazed and confounded at the same time, Kangaskhan made no effort to get back to his feet. "Dude, you okay?" The voice of Tom's opponent asked him through the headset. "Fine," was all Tom could manage to mutter, zapping Kangaskhan back into his Pokeball. "Trainers, choose your next Pokemon," the referee called again. Not caring outside of his headache to notice that his adversary had left his Raticate on the field, Tom hastily fished out another Pokeball from his pocket and tossed it on the field. Within moments, Hitmonlee was on the field, locked in a staring contest with the Raticate. "Trainers ready," the referee called again, "Pokemon ready, begin!" "Raticate, Hyper Fang!" Tom's opponent ordered his Pokemon. At length, Tom finally commanded, "Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick!" The time it took Tom to recover his senses was just enough for the Raticate to sink his fangs into Hitmonlee's arm. With a screech, Hitmonlee flung his arm upward, sending the Raticate flying into the air. Just as soon as the Raticate reached the peak of his flight, Hitmonlee leapt into the air after him and delivered a flying kick to his midsection. The Raticate was sent plummeting back to the ground, crashing loudly when he hit the field. The force of Hitmonlee's kick was fierce enough to throw up a thin dribble of blood trickle out of Raticate's mouth from his stomach, leaving the Raticate lying on the ground, barely able to groan in defeat. As soon as Tom thought of rubbing his victory into his opponent, a sharp throb of pain burst inside his head. Tom winced and slumped over the rail, holding his head and moaning. "Tom," Said Porygon Two, "Maybe you shoul-" "Get in there, Porygon," Tom quickly barked at Porygon two, silencing it instantly. Porygon Two drove out to its end of the battlefield, lost for words, as Tom's foe set free his second Pokemon. Tom zapped Hitmonlee back into his Pokeball as the shape of a Corsola took the opposite end of the field. "Trainers ready," The referee called, glancing quickly at Tom, "Pokemon ready, begin!" Tom gritted his teeth and quietly whined, rubbing the back of his head. He never heard his opponent's command to his Pokemon. "Porygon, Hyper Beam!" Tom groaned, naming any attack that first crossed his mind. "Bu-" "Hyper Beam!" Tom roared, clenching his teeth and eyes tight. Porygon Two, being a Pokemon, was forced to obey. With all the strength he could spare, Porygon Two let out a blast of energy at the Corsola from its beak. The wide beam of energy, despite its incredible power, just bounced off of Corsola's rocky skin like a pebble. Porygon Two sagged low to the ground, spent of all its energy. "Corsola," Tom's opponent ordered, "Take Down!" When Porygon Two, too spent to defend itself, was sprawled onto the ground by Corsola, Tom's headache dramatically worsened. Barley able to see straight out of the red in his blurry vision, Tom bit his lip to try and curb the numbing pain on his temples, but it stil persisted,and grew much worse. Jsut managing to zap Porygon Two into its Pokeball, Tom reached for another Pokeball in his pocket. Just as another stab of pain cut into his head, Tom weezed, "I can, I can," as his hand slowly ventured into his Pocket. "I can, I can..." Another stab of pain. "I can... I can..." Another stab. "I can...! I ca-aaa-aaan-" And then, Tom felt like his head had exploded. "Can't!" Tom suddenly screeched, collapsing over the rail, holding his head. "I can't!" With his eyes clamped tightly shut and breathing out pain through his clenched teeth, Tom waved once to the referee. Immideately after, the unseen announcer declared Tom's foe as the victor by forefit. Tom was still slumped over the railing, his pride shattered along with his head. -End....... *******