TPrower
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Chapter 19
Love is Power
Love is Power
*SPLASH!*
From seemingly out of nowhere, a jet of water shot through the trees and struck the Scolipede on its side, stopping its attack and throwing it onto its side. Stunned, Jim turned to see Oshawott and Leanne stepping out of the trees, the former glaring boldly at the upended insect, Pidove fluttering by the latter's shoulder.
"Leanne!!' Jim croaked, setting June and Emolga down before rushing to her.
"Jim!!"
The two embraced each other tightly.
"You're all right!" Jim said, after finally breaking apart.
"Of course we are! We heard that Scolipede roaring and stomping after you and followed it. We had a feeling something had really got it steamed, but we didn't think it'd be you. Are you ok?"
"A little shaken, but otherwise, just fine. Did you ever find Zorua?"
Leanne's face fell.
"No. We didn't see him anywhere…" she said.
"Oh. Leanne, I'm sorry."
"It's all right…maybe I wasn't ready for it."
Their moment was interrupted, however, as the angered Scolipede had regained its footing. It began scratching the ground with its foot, like a bull about to charge. Its slit-pupil eyes were roving across the group, as if choosing its first victim, and finally, they landed on…June!
With a roar, its pincers glowing like purple fire, Scolipede barreled straight for her. Jim yelled and tried to rush over to her, but Oshawott, eyes blazing with anger at the endangerment of his beloved, had whipped off his scalchop and had lunged straight for Scolipede, like a medieval knight facing a savage dragon. His Razor Shell formed into a long, glowing blue blade, and as he got close, he leaped and struck the huge Megapede Pokemon a smart blow across the chest…but he had gotten too close. With a malignant gleam in its eye, Scolipede struck, and stabbed Oshawott right in the stomach with one of its pincers!
Leanne shrieked, and Jim gaped. June teetered, her eyes wide and mouth open, as if struck by a crushing blow.
She had tried to assert to others (and more to herself) that she only bore a certain tolerance to the charismatic Oshawott and his advances. Now, however, seeing him pierced with the venomous claw of one of the most dangerous Bug-types in the world…it brought her view of him into a much more different light. Of course he had been persistent in his attempts to win her heart, but he was also polite, friendly, and bold. He had thrown himself into the jaws of danger for her sake, and she had done nothing for him…
Such a sudden realization brought real tears to June's eyes, as Oshawott fell limply in front of Scolipede. The beast, for its part, had lifted its foot over the prostrate Water-type, ready to smash it beneath its foot. It had hardly moved, however, before something like a glowing green ball struck it square in the face. Glaring around, it looked for the source of the resistance, and saw June standing before it, tears of rage on her cheeks, her hands forward, and the leaf on her tail glowing white-hot in the pure sunlight.
"Stay away from him, you monster!" she snarled, another glowing ball forming in her hands.
Startled as he was, Jim took out his Pokedex to check this phenomenon.
"Energy Ball, a Special Grass-type Attack which has a small chance of lowering the target's Special Defense."
June fired the one she had just formed, which struck Scolipede again, but it seemed using a new attack under such anguish was too much for her, and she collapsed onto her face.
"JUNE!" Jim screamed, hurrying to retrieve her, as Scolipede bore down on her.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck Scolipede in the chest, stopping it short enough for Jim to scoop June and Oshawott up and return to Leanne. Leanne took Oshawott in her arms and cradled him, weeping into his fur. His eyes were closed, and his face had gone an unpleasant color. He was breathing, but very fast. Emolga had stepped in, cheeks sparking with electricity, glaring at Scolipede.
"Don't you dare hurt my new friends!" she snapped.
Scolipede shook its head to recalibrate its senses and glared at Emolga. Just as each was about to attack, however, something new had struck Scolipede in the face: an Air Cutter. Pidove had joined the fray, no doubt hoping to avenge her fallen friend Oshawott.
This was too much. Scolipede, buffeted and smarting from so many attacks inflicted on it one after the other, went into a blind rage, and it began spitting its venomous goo at the two interfering Pokemon. Both split to the sides, the slime splattering between them. Emolga soared around Scolipede, shocking its magenta hide as she went, while Pidove flitted here and there, peppering it with Air Cutters. At last, the two banded together to form a combo attack: Pidove sent a large final Air Cutter, and Emolga charged it with her electricity, electrifying it. It struck Scolipede square on its tender underside, sending it flying back to the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately for it, the cliff edge wasn't strong enough to bear its immense weight, and it crumbled. Everyone watched, aghast, as the Scolipede, so recent a menace, slipped and tumbled into the ravine. They looked over the edge, but there was no sign of it at all…
"Emolga…Pidove…you saved us…" Jim said, breathless.
Emolga was still looking stunned at what she had just done. Pidove, for her part, had thrown her wings open, trilled, and began to glow with a bluish light. Leanne gasped.
"Pidove! …She's evolving!"
Within the light, Pidove began to grow taller, her legs and wings lengthening. At last, when it vanished, Pidove was gone, and in its place was a new bird Pokemon. She was gray and black in color, with a red "half-mask" above her now sharp yellow eyes. She had a tufty crest on the back of her head and a plume of feathers on the back of her neck. Jim's Pokedex was out once again.
"Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pidove. Tranquill will always return to its Trainer regardless of distance. It is believed that wherever Tranquill reside, there is no conflict or war."
Tranquill flew over and settled on Leanne's shoulder, nuzzled against her cheek. Leanne smiled and stroked her soft feathers.
"I'm really proud of you, Tranquill. You'd never have evolved if I hadn't brought you with me." Tranquill looked sad, however.
"I just wish I could have saved Oshawott…" she said.
Leanne could tell by her forlorn glance at Oshawott what she was saying, and she gloomily gazed down at her poisoned companion.
"Is there a Pokemon Center anywhere near here?" Jim asked, desperately.
Emolga hung her head.
"There is, but it's a long way off. By then, he may have already…"
Misery was etched on every face. The brave Oshawott had given his all, and had been struck so low...
Suddenly, Emolga perked up again, realization on her face.
"Pecha!"
"Gesundheit," said Jim.
"No no! Pecha Berries! We need Pecha Berries! They cure poison!"
"What? Oh! That's right!"
"Yes! Do you have any?"
"Tons!"
Jim went to his backpack and the cooler inside it, fishing around in it feverishly before finally extracting a whole, unspoiled Pecha Berry. Leanne was looking hopeful again as he hurried over to Oshawott. His face was still an unnatural hue, but his breathing had slowed. Jim gently shook him.
"Oshawott! Oshawott, stay with me, buddy…"
To his inexpressible joy, Oshawott's eyes slowly opened.
"I have something for you, but you have to eat it. I need you to do that for me."
He held the Pecha Berry to Oshawott's lips, and he took a bite from it, chewing slowly. As they watched, the natural color returned to Oshawott's face, and the wound from Scolipede's pincer lost the nasty color it had caused. At the same time, June began to come around, and she gasped when she saw Oshawott sit up in Leanne's arms, scalchop still in his paw.
"OSHAWOTT!!" Leanne croaked, cradling him close to her cheek. "You're all right! I was afraid I'd lost you!"
"I still wish I could have gotten a better fight with that brute…" he said, regrettably, "but I'm glad to be back among the hearty and hale. Oh, Leanne!"
He nuzzled her gratefully. Leanne looked over at Jim, and when she saw him holding June, and was giving her a meaningful look, she understood and nodded. Both Trainers set their Pokemon down to face each other.
"June?"
"Oshawott…I…" June started.
She seemed uncomfortable.
"What is it?…"
"…Thank you…"
She dashed forward and gripped his paws in hers tightly.
"If it hadn't been for you…I would've been the one poisoned, and not you…"
Then, a flash of anger crossed her face, and she slapped Oshawott with her tail-leaf.
"But that was a very foolish thing to do! What on Earth were you thinking?!"
Oshawott held his stinging cheek and grinned.
"Only of preserving your life, dear June…"
June gave a small gasp.
"Yes, it was reckless. Yes, it was foolish, but I didn't care. I did it out of-"
"Love?" June finished.
Oshawott paused, perhaps not expecting her to say that.
"To tell you the truth," she continued, "when you went down…I let my emotions sweep me over. I fought back, even though I had no chance of harming Scolipede. I did it because I was afraid I'd lost you…" Tears were in her eyes. "I don't know what to think anymore…"
Oshawott smiled gently and gripped her paws again.
"Don't think. Just let go…" he said, softly. "Let your heart guide you…"
June gazed into his bright, energetic eyes. She felt all the warmth and love he had harbored towards her overcome her. She closed her eyes, and then said, in an equally gentle voice,
"…I do love you…It took me so long to realize…I love you…"
"Dear June…"
"Dear Oshawott…"
The two of them held each other in a warm, close embrace. June's cheeks were tinged with pink, but it was no shameful embarrassment that reddened her face. It was pure romantic joy. Jim was beaming, and he looked over at Leanne, who was sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. Tranquill had fished a handkerchief from her pack and handed it to her. Emolga too had tears in her eyes, touched by such a warm scene.
It was then that Jim remembered.
"That's right! We never introduced you!"
He scooped Emolga up in his hands and turned to his friends.
"Leanne, Tranquill, Oshawott,"
Oshawott and June were now standing close together, each with an arm around the other, giving Jim their attention.
"I want you to meet Emolga. She's been our guide through Pinwheel Forest."
"A pleasure," said Oshawott, giving a low bow.
"Aww, she's adorable!" gushed Leanne. "Can I hold her?"
"Of course!"
He handed her to Leanne, who held her up.
"Just look at you, you little cutie!"
Emolga giggled, obviously loving the attention.
"Oh, you're a big girl, aren't you? I've got your little belly, yes I do!"
She tickled Emolga's stomach, making her giggle even more.
"Aw, Jim, can I keep her?"
Emolga looked a little surprised at this. She was looking at Jim, as if she hoped he'd say no.
"But Leanne, you've got Zorua."
"No I don't…now that he's run away…"
"Well…"
Suddenly, Leanne felt something tugging at her leg. She looked down…and there seemed to be another Emolga, only this one was much more slender than theirs.
"Huh? Another Emolga?"
"What are the odds of that?" Jim wondered.
But his question was answered as the Emolga flashed a familiar toothy grin, jumped up, somersaulted, and turned back into…
"Zorua!"
"I was watching the way you guys handled that Scolipede," he said. "That was way cool!"
"So then, what are you doing back?" Jim asked.
"Well, after seeing what just went down, I decided that, maybe I will stick around for a while. Besides, your friend seems like an ok girl."
"She's more than ok, Zorua. She's a wonderful Trainer."
Leanne blushed at this. Zorua rubbed against her leg affectionately, and then sat down in front of her, expectant.
"Oh, Zorua!" Leanne chirped. "You really want to come with me?"
Zorua nodded, smiling.
"Oh, wonderful!"
She then looked at Emolga in her arms, then to Jim.
"Hey, Jim, do you want Emolga?"
"R-Really? Me?"
"Yeah! She obviously seems to like you!"
She set Emolga in his arms, and just to prove the accuracy of her words, she snuggled up against him and gave him a lick on the chin. Jim smiled and cradled her.
"Of course I will!" he said. "It's gonna be you and me, little missy!" Then, a thought struck him. "Hey…Missy. That's not a bad name for you. What do you think?"
"Yeah! Missy! I like that name!"
"Great!"
He set Missy down and took out an empty Poke Ball, as Leanne did as well.
"Welcome to the team!"
They both threw their Poke Balls, and Missy and Zorua leaped to intercept them. They pressed the buttons and vanished inside them, landing in their Trainers' palms. They twitched a little, and then fell still with a click.
"Yeah! I've just caught…an Emolga!"
"And I've got me…a Zorua!"
They both held their Poke Balls aloft like prizes. June and Oshawott applauded. Then, Jim clicked his Poke Ball to bring Missy back out again.
"Ok, Missy, think you can lead us to the other end of the Forest, to Skywarrow Bridge?"
"No problem!" said Missy, cheerily. "Follow me! Come on, Tranquill!"
She took off into the air, Tranquill beside her, as Jim scooped June up. She was still rosy-cheeked.
"I'm really proud of you, June…" he said, gently. "I knew you could do it…"
June beamed and licked his cheek. Leanne picked up Oshawott, and the two Trainers followed the Flying types back into the dense mass of trees…