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ET: The Evil Terrestrial [SWC]
The crisp night air had a sense of eeriness. One lone figure was visible. It was the local night watchman, who was on a routine patrol, marching diligently across the road waiting for anything out of the ordinary.
He was a well-respected citizen who was called the “City’s Pride and Joy.” He was a tall, muscular, and extremely strong young man. Normally, he thought his job was extremely easy. Catching criminals and helping out the city had always come naturally to him. That was, until a few months ago, when strange events started happening.
The city had started to rapidly deteriorate in quality and cleanliness over the years, and crafty criminals sporadically wreaked havoc. If another crime were to break out, it would surely cost the watchman his job.
A Ratatta scurried past the watchman’s feet and glared into his eyes, as if piercing his soul.
“It’s probably just a stray. Yeah, that’s it. Must be someone’s pet,” the cop reassured himself. He shuttered a bit. Never had this particular watchman felt this frightened. He was in the top percentage of officers when it came to bravery.
A beam of light flashed before the officer. It had a rhythmic pattern: green, then yellow, and finally red.
“What in the good name of Arceus is a stop light doing here? Take it easy, Joe, it’s just your imagination.”
The vivid lights started to flash faster than that of the fastest strobe light. Slowly but surely, the Joe’s mind was being turned to mush. As the light pattern got faster, the process quickened. Clearly, whatever was causing the pattern felt angry at the officer. After another agonizing two minutes, Joe fell to the ground, motionless. The lights disappeared once again, and Joe remained on the ground. The diligent officer was dead.
******
“This is the Unova News Network bringing you breaking news. Black City has experienced yet another tragic event. For the fourth week in a row now, an officer was found dead in the middle of the street. Officer Joseph Smith, the Black City Police Chief, was found dead this morning. Medical teams have reported that he most likely died around midnight, and brain scans show that much of the nerves and tissues of his brain deteriorated as a result of flashing lights. However, the speed needed to cause this much brain loss is not currently achievable by any technology found on Earth. Due to the deaths of these officers, crime rates in the City of Greed have also risen. Black City citizens are advised to evacuate to the Large Dome in Nimbasa for shelter. We’ll bring you further information as it’s received. We’ll now return to your regularly scheduled special, “A Million Uses for Pinap Berries…”
Ryan turned off the news. He had stopped at an old café in Nimbasa City for refreshments to give to his team. He ignored the old man yelling at him to turn the television back on. “That’s horrible. That poor old guy, that’s an awful way to die. What do you say, guys, should we try to help the people relocate?” Ryan asked his two Pokémon.
These two had been close friends of Ryan for many years. On his left was a ghoulish and fiery chandelier-esque Pokémon named Chandelure. He was considered by most a scary Pokémon, but he was Ryan’s starter Pokémon, which he received when he was a Litwick.
On Ryan’s right was his loyal Qwilfish. He was a blue and cream colored puffer fish Pokémon with many poisonous spikes on his skin. Qwilfish met Ryan for the first time ten years ago. However, Ryan had only captured him the month before when he saved him from an evil group of scientists. After this, the two strengthened their bond immensely.
The duo gave Ryan an eager look and stepped much closer to him, signifying that they were willing to go through with the plan. “Let’s head for Black City. Those people can’t go through this much suffering any longer. It just isn’t right.”
Upon reaching Black City, the group was stunned by the amount of debris and destroyed buildings scattered throughout the city. One such building had turned into a blazing scarlet inferno that stood towering above all others. The scorching beacon was dangerously close to a local fueling station, so Ryan had to step in.
“Qwilfish, use Hydro Pump on that building and put out the fire! Chandelure, float Qwilfish up towards the top of the tower to speed up the process!” Ryan said as he boldly declared his plan.
As Chandelure carried the Water-type up toward the pinnacle of the tower, Qwilfish spewed a stockpiled blast of water out of its mouth. The water had the power of five fire hoses as it hit the face of the building. In a matter of minutes, the flaring tower was extinguished.
“Excuse me, young man, but are you the hero who put out that fire?” an elderly woman asked Ryan. She was a petite, gaunt, and frail senior citizen who smelled of hard candy and the goo that holds dentures in place.
“Yes, but I am by no means a hero. I was just in the right place at the right time, and performed a good deed,” Ryan explained.
“Let me just thank you, young man, by giving you this money. I assume fifty dollars should suffice?”
“Oh, no payment is needed. I wouldn’t want to burden you,” Ryan said sincerely.
“Well then, it’s not every day you find someone in Black City with no hint of avarice. I’m quite impressed, sonny,” the old woman said with amazement. “They don’t call it the City of Greed for nothing, you know.”
Ryan was a bit startled that the old woman was surprised by his actions; she must have grown accustomed to people expecting money for random acts of kindness. In a way, it was sad. Ryan then noticed that the woman was dressed in all black, and looked as if she’d been crying.
“Not to be rude or unkind, but were you heading to a funeral?” Ryan asked, uncertain of how the question would go over.
“No need to worry, I’m not offended. Actually, I just got back from my friend’s funeral. She was in the law enforcement business and was killed on the job by strange lights. In all of my years I’ve never heard of such a thing. Well, I’ll be on my way to the safe house.”
And just like that, the old lady was gone.
“That was odd, huh, guys? Let’s just go check to building for any people or Pokémon. Maybe there are some survivors, or Pokémon still in their Poké Balls,” said Ryan.
The interior of the tower was a smoldered, desolate wasteland. Ashes covered the once extravagant furniture and décor. Paintings were covered in a thick layer of soot. Qwilfish let out a small cry due to nervousness.
“It’s okay, Qwilfish, we just need to look for survivors. Hey, look! I think I see a Pokémon.”
A small, green, human-like figure was sitting in the corner of the room, eerily stared out the window at the desolate city. Ryan and his two Pokémon proceeded to slowly walk over to it, careful not to fall through the charred and destroyed floor.
“Little guy? It’s not safe here. Wanna come with us? We’ll find you a nice safe home…” Ryan was cut off when the small creature sharply turned around, floating, and stared right at Ryan with anger in its eyes. And at that moment, Ryan knew what was going on. This was the cause of the lights, as the creature’s hand illuminated with the colors of a stoplight. He had to stop it.
“Alright, Chandelure, it’s floating, so it must be a Psychic-type. Use Shadow Ball, Chandelure!”
The chandelier Pokémon created a spinning shadowy orb in his flaming arms and hurled it at the extraterrestrial. The Pokémon simply lifted its arm and deflected the attack, as if it were swatting a fly. It then used an attack of its own. Its odd markings on its head began to glow, and it picked up Qwilfish.
“Qwilfish, that’s a Psychic attack! Quickly! Get back in the Poké Ball!” Ryan shouted.
However, the effort was wasted, as the little green man had already launched the spiky Pokémon at the wall before the crimson light returned it to the Ball. Poison types like Qwilfish took a ton of damage from Psychic type moves.
The small green Pokémon then stared at Ryan’s group. It gave each of them a smug look. It lifted its hands.
“Watch out! Don’t let the colored lights reach your eyes!” Ryan yelled, at the same time covering his own eyes. After waiting for the lights to finish, Ryan uncovered his eyes slowly, hoping for the best possible outcome, although the situation looked dim.
Upon closer inspections, Chandelure and Qwilfish were, indeed, alive and looked unharmed. “Oh, thank Arceus you two are alright! I don’t know what I would’ve done if…”
At that point, Ryan was being held in a chokehold by Chandelure, who had just suddenly attacked him. Qwilfish was charging up a Waterfall attack headed straight for his trainer.
“What’s going on…what are they doing?” Ryan thought to himself.
“Put him out of his misery. I’d do it myself, but it’ll be nice seeing a human be killed by the Pokémon who once served him. Oh, how foolish of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Elgyem. I thought you should at least know my name before you die,” a voice spoke from an unknown source.
“Wait, where’s that voice coming from? And why does it sound like a toddler?” Ryan thought to himself.
“Hey! Enough of the insults, okay? I can’t help it if I sound like a feeble Earth infant. I am Elgyem, as I said before. You know, the Pokémon that’s about to kill you? I am speaking to you via telepathy. In other words, since you humans are quite unintelligent, we are speaking through our thoughts,” Elgyem explained.
“Wait!” Ryan thought.
“Oh, what is it now?” Elgyem said, sounding quite annoyed that he was interrupted yet again.
“How are you controlling my Pokémon? And why are you trying to kill me?” Ryan asked the telepathic monster.
“Isn’t it obvious? I used a different light pattern than the one that killed the police officers. This pattern instead is able to control the minds of other Pokémon. And I am trying to kill any human who stands in my way because…humans are evil.” Elgyem started to sob a bit. He didn’t let Ryan know, of course. “Ever since I arrived on this planet, I noticed how atrocious the human race is. They are disloyal and deceitful to everyone around them, be it human or Pokémon, they ruin the land around them with cities and landfills, and they’re all greedy beyond repair. All humans are the same, which is why I must now get rid of you. Qwilfish, use Waterfall on your trainer!” Elgyem commanded.
The Qwilfish charged at Ryan with blazing speed, as an aura of cerulean water cloaked its body. Chandelure released Ryan from his grip and ducked out of the way before the torrent of water could hit him as well.
Ryan flinched with pain, and a small gash wound was left on his arm because of the spikes. Ryan just couldn’t believe it. The Pokémon that he’d raised for years with love and care were now turning against him.
“Now, Chandelure, finish him off. Use Inferno,” Elgyem commanded telepathically.
This was it. Inferno was Chandelure’s most powerful attack. As he was charging up, Ryan’s life flashed before his eyes. He saw his first few birthdays, some of his years in grade school, the day he met Qwilfish, and the day he received his starter Pokémon: Litwick. That was three years ago. In fact, today was the third anniversary of his journey. For those three years, the bond between Ryan and Litwick had been unexplainable. Now, the same Pokémon, albeit now a Chandelure, was charging up an attack that would surely kill him. Ryan began to cry a bit.
Suddenly, Chandelure stopped charging up the attack, and just held the immense ball of fire in midair. He had seen Ryan’s tears, and something inside of his ghostly body had clicked. He gave Qwilfish a look, and the Balloon Pokémon seemed to have an epiphany as well. Qwilfish had proceeded to douse the flame with Water Gun.
“You fools! What are you doing? I said kill him!” Elgyem telepathically screamed.
“I guess the only way to prove to you that all humans aren’t evil is to show you myself! Chandelure, use Shadow Ball! Qwilfish, use Pin Missile!” Ryan ordered.
A shadowy orb flew straight at Elgyem, surrounded by a bombardment of needles. Elgyem had no time to deflect the hits, as he was caught unaware by the fact that his minions were obeying Ryan. He had taken extreme damage.
“You seem to have quite a bond with your Pokémon,” Elgyem telepathically said. “But I’m not going down without a fight,”
“We’ll see,” Ryan said. He heroically pulled out a red-and-white ball and clicked the button in the center. “Go, Poké Ball!” Ryan yelled, tossing the Ball at Elgyem’s forehead. It hit straight on, and sucked the aggravated extraterrestrial inside. The Ball began to wiggle once, then twice, and then another time, and…
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