To celebrate the completion of JHQ chapter 26, I have decided to accept
the overwhelming response to my offer to release one chapter per day.
(Yes, that's right... I got an answer! ^_^) So... today's chapter
proudly features both my favorite original Pokemon and my favorite new
Pokemon. Hope you enjoy, and please C&C!
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 11: Mire, the Incredible Sinking Sensation...
Jellic awoke with a powerful headache. �Ohhhhhhh...� he groaned. �I
don�t remember having anything to drink last night. Must be a helluva
hangover...� He felt pressure on his arm and realized that there was a
young woman curled up in his arms. �Yep. One HELL of a hangover.�
Jellic, the mental discomfort you feel is my doing. It was the only
way to awaken you without attracting the attention of the Pokemon that
have invaded our camp.
�Huh?� Jellic stared past the Mewthree at the huge creatures that
slowly plodded past it and advanced on Jellic and Ashley. Each had four
legs, but they stood on two. They both had long tails, huge spines on
their backs, and protruding horns on their snouts.
�NIDO!� bellowed the one with the longer horn in a deep voice.
�NIDO!� answered the other, an octave above the first.
�What are those?� asked Jellic, aiming his Pokedex.
�Nidoking and Nidoqueen, rulers of the Swamp of Sickness. They are
the most evolved forms of Nidoran. Nidoran is an unusual Pokemon in that
the male and female are actually different species. Once a male Nidoran
evolves into Nidorino, or a female evolves into Nidorina, they may
journey to the dangerous Colorless Caverns, where Moon Stones are found.
If the Nidorino or Nidorina successfully evolves using the Moon Stone,
it becomes Nidoking or Nidoqueen and returns to fight the current
monarch Nido. The winner takes the throne and the loser is sent out of
the Swamp in disgrace.�
�Interesting history lesson,� said Jellic, returning the Pokedex to
his belt. �But what do they want from us?� The Nidoking stared at Jellic
�s satchel and growled, then began to root through it with its snout.
The Nidoqueen sniffed at Ashley, causing her to stir slightly.
�Mewthree, we may need to get rid of them before they decide we�re a
threat to them.�
I do not believe that aggression is a wise course of action. At this
moment, they are merely curious. Attacking them might provoke them into
retaliation, and their deadly horns are currently not very far from your
throats.
�Right. If I die, I�ll remember that you said that,� whispered
Jellic. The Nidoking pulled its snout out of his satchel and stared him
in the eye. �Look, we don�t mean you any trouble,� he said. �We�re just
passing through your swamp on our way to reach Karddor Labs.�
�KING! NIDOKING!� shouted the Nidoking, rearing up to its full
height. Ashley opened her eyes groggily to find the Nidoqueen�s horn
inches from her face. She screamed, causing the Nidoqueen to rear up.
�I don�t think we made them happy,� said Jellic. �Look,� he
explained to the Nido couple, �we�re not allied with Karddor Labs. We
mean to destroy their research and end the cruelty to Pokemon that goes
on there.� The Nidoking turned its head sideways and stared at Jellic
and Ashley from the corner of its eye, then crouched into a fighting
stance. Jellic immediately leaped to his feet and grabbed a Pokeball.
�Okay, now it�s time for action! Go Machop!� Ashley tried to stand, but
her stiff legs refused to bend properly, and she quickly felt the tip of
the Nidoqueen�s horn against her throat.
�Queen,� growled the Nidoqueen, threatening to slice open Ashley�s
throat if she tried to move again.
�Jellic, watch out!� she shouted. �Nidoking is a Poison type, so it�
s strong against Fighting type attacks!�
�I�m aware of that,� said Jellic. �Machop, Karate Chop!� Machop
moved to attack the Nidoking, but the monarch parried the attack with
its long horn and Tackled Machop. �Damn! For such a large animal, it�s
very agile.�
Jellic, perhaps I should assist you. My element is particularly
powerful against Poison types.
�I need you as a standby, Mewthree. Just in case. Machop, give it
the Seismic Toss!� The Nidoking lunged at Machop with its horn, but
Machop grabbed the horn and lifted the Nidoking off of its feet,
slamming it against the ground. �Karate Chop now!� Machop attacked the
Nidoking before it could get to its feet. The Nidoking Growled its rage
and speared Machop�s leg with its horn. It quickly got to its feet and
charged at Machop with its head down. Machop jumped aside, but the
poison from the Nidoking�s horn slowed its reactions and the Nidoking
managed to gore it in the side. Machop promptly fainted.
�Let your Mewthree fight!� advised Ashley.
�All right,� agreed Jellic, recalling the Machop. �Mewthree,
Telekinesis!� The Nidoking found itself rising up into the air. It began
to thrash violently, struggling to break free of the Psychic force.
�That�s its Thrash attack!� warned Ashley. �It�s out of control!�
The Mewthree�s concentration on its moving target broke, and the
Nidoking came crashing to the ground. It turned its eyes toward Jellic
and Ashley, and even the Nidoqueen backed off, afraid of the
consequences of being too close when the Nidoking attacked.
Jellic quickly pulled out another Pokeball. �Metapod, Harden!�
Jellic grabbed the Metapod and held it in front of himself as a shield.
The Nidoking charged, swinging at Jellic with its huge claws, but the
Metapod�s hard shell warded off the brunt of the attack. Meanwhile,
Ashley called out her Wartortle.
�Wartortle, Water Gun!� she commanded. The powerful blast of water
brought the Nidoking to its senses, and it backed away from Jellic,
apparently mollified. The Nidoqueen nuzzled the Nidoking�s side, and the
Nidoking nodded. �I think they�re admitting defeat,� said Ashley.
�Nido Nidoking. Nido King!� said the Nidoking, motioning with its
horn.
The Nidoking apparently wished to test your courage and strength
before letting you continue toward Karddor Labs. The Pokemon of the
Swamp are not fond of Karddor Labs, and they must be sure that you are a
worthy champion. However, I believe that you have passed the test.
�Don�t worry,� said Jellic to the Nidos. �I won�t let you down.�
�Nido,� they chorused as they walked away into the Swamp.
�I don�t think we�ll have any more trouble as long as we�re in the
Swamp,� said Ashley. �We have the approval of the king and queen!�
Jellic nodded. �Then let�s see if we can get out of here by this
evening and spend tonight in a nice warm bed!�
�Or two nice warm beds,� corrected Ashley, causing Jellic to blush
slightly. Then she jumped. �Jellic, that Ekans is back!�
�Mewthree, would you mind teaching this Ekans a lesson?� Mewthree
nodded, and the Ekans promptly rose up into the air and fell back to the
ground. Mewthree followed with a Swift attack, blasting the Ekans with a
flurry of stars. The Ekans hissed and slithered off once again.
�I think we�d better move along before it gets back,� said Ashley.
�Apparently, the Ekans doesn�t answer to the Nidoking and Nidoqueen.�
They packed up and quickly set off along the path once again. Before
long, they came to an obstruction. Several blobs of toxic sludge blocked
the path. Jellic aimed his Pokedex at them.
�Grimer and Muk, Poison sludge Pokemon. These simple creatures are
not very powerful, but the toxic fumes that they emit can be harmful to
other Pokemon not immune to the Poison effects. Grimer and Muk are very
lethargic, and rarely move unless provoked.�
�I�ll provoke them,� said Jellic. �Hey, slimeballs! We have the
permission of the Nidoking and Nidoqueen to pass this way! Move it!� The
largest of the blobs squelched.
�Muk,� said the Muk, sounding a bit like a brick landing in a thick
mud puddle.
�I don�t think it wants to move,� said Ashley.
�I don�t recall giving it a choice,� replied Jellic. One of the
Grimers responded by spitting a ball of Sludge at Jellic, who barely
dodged it. �Okay, that�s it! Mewthree, Psychic attack!�
�Jellic, you�ll make them angry!� warned Ashley as the Mewthree
blasted the Pokemon barricade with its Psychic power. The blobs shrank
into tiny drops.
�What are they doing?� asked Jellic.
This is the defense mechanism known as Minimize. By shrinking their
bodies, the Grimers and Muks become more difficult to target with most
attacks. My Psychic attack will do little against them now.
�And meanwhile, they�re not blocking us anymore.� Jellic quickly
stepped over the tiny creatures, with Ashley and the Mewthree following
close behind. �Strange, though. I would have expected that the Pokemon
of the Swamp would have to let us pass if the Nidoking told them to.�
�Maybe it didn�t,� said Ashley. �Mewthree wasn�t sure why they were
testing us. Isn�t it possible that they wanted to make sure that we
could survive passage through the Swamp before letting us go?�
Jellic considered this. �I suppose so... but what would they have
done to us if I�d lost.�
Ashley tenderly touched the sore spot on her neck where the
Nidoqueen�s horn had pressed deeply into the flesh, leaving a red mark.
�Probably killed us outright. These Pokemon don�t like to play around.�
�I can see that,� said Jellic, as a cluster of large knobby floating
orbs flew into view from behind the trees. Something about their shapes
reminded Jellic of marine mines. A huge cloud of yellow gas followed the
orbs wherever they went. He quickly pulled out his Pokedex.
�Koffing, a Poison gas Pokemon. Koffing expels a cloud of poisonous
gas wherever it goes. This gas is hardly more than an irritant to
humans. Koffings often travel in large groups, however, which have been
known to be dangerous to humans.�
�We�d better get out of here fast!� shouted Jellic. �Mewthree, maybe
you�d better get back in your Pokeball.�
Poison will have little effect on me. I can try to stall them with
my Psychic attack.
Ashley stumbled as they tried to escape. �Great time for my legs to
stiffen!� she shouted. Jellic bent down to pick her up, but by then the
Koffings were upon them. Jellic laid himself on the ground next to
Ashley and covered his face with his shirt. Ashley followed suit while
Mewthree weathered the poisonous storm, fighting off the Koffings.
Realizing that the poison was having little effect on the Mewthree, the
Koffings clustered and, as a group, Tackled the Mewthree. Mewthree
retaliated with Swift, keeping the Koffings at bay. Jellic took the
opportunity to spray Ashley�s legs with the Paralyze heal and they began
to crawl to safety.
As they neared the edge of the cloud, Ashley felt a slight pressure
against her waist. Staring ahead through the haze, she made out a slimy
shape moving rapidly away from her. She stood up, coughing from the
noxious fumes, and wiped the tears from her eyes in time to see the
Grimer disappear behind the trees with her Pokebelt in its grip. �Hey,
bring that back!� she shouted, giving chase.
�Mewthree, hurry up! This way!� shouted Jellic. Mewthree quickly
finished off the remaining Koffings and joined Jellic in following
Ashley�s trail through the Swamp. Before long, they saw her standing in
the middle of a clearing with a single tree growing in the center.
�Stop! Don�t come any closer!� she shouted.
�Why not? What�s wrong?� asked Jellic as he came to an abrupt halt
at the edge of the clearing.
�I � I think it�s quicksand! I�m sinking!� Jellic now noticed that
Ashley had sunk up to her knees in the slightly off-colored floor of the
clearing. He made his way to the edge of the discoloration and reached
out for Ashley, but their hands were several inches apart. Jellic
searched for a way to get closer, but Ashley was right in the center of
the pit, and there was no way to reach her.
�How did you get that far out? You must have jumped.�
�It�s not like I tried to get to the center!� cried Ashley. �That
Grimer threw my Pokebelt into this clearing and I chased after it! But
it sank before I could get it, and then I started sinking when I tried
to get back out myself.� Meanwhile, the quicksand was now touching the
bottom of her shorts.
�Right. Don�t worry. I�ll find a way to get you out of there!
Mewthree, try lifting her with Telekinesis!� Mewthree raised its arms,
but Ashley remained in place. �What�s wrong? Why isn�t it working?�
It is working, Jellic. The quicksand holds her with a powerful
force, and my battle with the Koffings has left me weak. My power is not
enough to pull her free. I can only slow her sinking.
�Wonderful,� said Jellic. He glanced at the tree that grew on the
edge of the quicksand. One branch of the tree hung out over the pit,
directly above Ashley�s head. Jellic quickly scaled the tree and tested
the branch. It barely held his weight. �This branch isn�t strong enough
to hold the two of us,� he announced to Ashley. �Even if I could reach
you, I�d just end up pulling myself in.�
�Didn�t you bring any rope?� she asked. �You could tie it to the
branch and I could pull myself out.�
�No, I never thought to buy any rope,� he replied, cursing himself
for his lack of foresight.
�Well, then hurry up and do something!� she screamed, struggling
against the quicksand�s grip.
�Don�t struggle!� shouted Jellic. �You�ll sink faster!�
�What�s the difference, if we don�t have any rope?� she returned.
�Do you think you�re going to find a rope in the next ten minutes? Is a
rope just going to fall out of the sky into your hands?�
Jellic was about to reply when he was struck with a brilliant idea.
�Maybe it won�t fall from the sky, but it might just slither...� He
leapt back to the ground.
�Where are you going?� asked Ashley, up to her waist now. �Don�t
leave me!�
�I�m going to get some rope,� replied Jellic. �I�ll be right back, I
promise.�
�Hurry!� Ashley shouted as he made his way out of the clearing,
following their trail.
�All right, where are you, you stupid snake!� called Jellic. �I know
you�re around here somewhere! I need your help now!� He held his breath,
hoping that the Mewthree�s latest attack hadn�t proven to be too much
for the poor creature now that it was really needed...
In the silence, Jellic heard the familiar hiss. �Kansssssssssss...�
He threw out a Pokeball.
�Meowth, Bite it! We haven�t got much time!� The Meowth sank its
fangs into the Ekans� scaly hide. The Ekans swung its body around,
trying to throw the Meowth off, but its strength was fading. Jellic
quickly threw a Pokeball, trapping the Ekans inside. The ball wiggled
around on the ground, wasting precious seconds of Ashley�s life, before
falling still. Jellic scooped it up and ran back to the clearing,
leaving Meowth to chase after him. As Meowth tried to run, it felt a
powerful force holding it back and stopped, unable to move. The Ekans�
poison dripped from the Meowth�s fangs. The Meowth felt the poison
working its way through its system, and then a strange sensation gripped
it.
When Jellic reached the clearing again, Ashley had sunk up to her
chest. �Jellic, you made it!� she shouted. �But where�s the rope?�
�In here,� answered Jellic, throwing the Pokeball to the ground.
�Ekans, come out! Climb up the tree and wrap your tail around the
branch!� The Ekans was loath to follow Jellic�s command, but the sight
of the Mewthree not ten feet away spurred it into action. The Ekans
wrapped its tail firmly around the branch and let its body dangle,
forming a rope of sorts.
�I have to touch a snake?� Ashley asked, cringing.
�Well, you could always just sit there and sink,� offered Jellic.
�I think I�ll take my chances with the snake.� Ashley reached up and
grabbed hold of the Ekans and began to pull herself out of the
quicksand. Slowly, she began to rise. However, after only gaining a few
inches from her fate, a pair of hands reached up from the quicksand and
grabbed her by the shoulders. �It�s pulling me down!� she screamed.
�That�s no ordinary quicksand,� observed Jellic, reaching for his
Pokedex.
�Mire, the quicksand Pokemon,� dictated the Pokedex. �Muk evolves
into this form when exposed to the Sand Stone. However, since Sand
Stones are only found in the Desert of Death, few Muks are able to
evolve in this way. Mire is a Poison and Ground type Pokemon and hunts
by dragging its victims into its body and suffocating them.�
�Aha!� shouted Jellic, putting the Pokedex away. �I thought so! If
it�s a Pokemon, then we can make it faint. Mewthree, give it a taste of
real Psychic power!� Mewthree glared at the puddle, and the arms that
held Ashley�s shoulders oozed back into the rest of the puddle. Ashley
began to pull herself out.
�Jellic!� she shouted. �Ekans is losing its grip!� Indeed, the Ekans
� tail was slowly slipping off of the branch.
�Damn!� He turned to the Mewthree. �Can�t you target your Psychic
attack a bit more carefully?�
I am afraid that I cannot. Psychic is a ranged attack. I have little
that would be effective against this Pokemon.
�Fine,� said Jellic, deflated. �Keep up the Telekinesis then. We can
�t let her go under!� As soon as the Mewthree�s attack ceased, the Ekans
regained its grip on the branch and the Mire regained its grip on
Ashley. The four-way struggle resumed where it had left off, except that
Ashley�s shoulders were now barely above the surface.
�I�m still sinking!� shouted Ashley.
�And I�m still thinking!� returned Jellic. Frustrated, he threw a
Pokeball to the ground, releasing his Magikarp. �Here�s an idea. Water�s
strong against Ground, right?� He threw the Magikarp into the center of
the puddle. �Splash, Magikarp! Splash for all you�re worth!� The
Magikarp waved its flippers in a frantic struggle to stay above the
surface. The Mire reached for it, but couldn�t get a grip on the
flopping fish. The Magikarp Splashed around Ashley, weakening the Mire�s
hold on her. At long last, she began to rise from the combined effort of
the Mewthree�s Telekinesis and the Ekans� own muscle power. Climbing
hand-over-hand, Ashley finally pulled herself completely free of the
Mire and onto the branch. She gave Ekans a big hug before she remembered
that she hated snakes.
�Jellic! What about the Magikarp?� she shouted. Jellic quickly aimed
his Pokeball to recall the Magikarp. The Mire extended its arm upwards,
blocking the recall beam. Having lost one victim, it was determined not
to let a second one escape. It quickly wrapped itself around the
Magikarp and dragged it down out of sight. A single bubble broke the
quaking surface and then all was still. �No! Poor Magikarp!� cried
Ashley, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.
�It fought well and died bravely,� said Jellic, placing a hand over
his heart. �Its sacrifice will stand forever as a testament of �� His
voice trailed off. �Well, we�ll remember it anyway. I�m sorry, Magikarp.
I�m not good at eulogies.� The surface of the Mire began to roll,
forming waves. �Well, I�ll try harder if it means that much to you!� A
dull glow came from deep within the Mire.
�Jellic, I think it�s still trying to escape!�
�I knew it wouldn�t give up without a fight!� The glow became
brighter and brighter as they watched, and the surface of the Mire
became like the sea in a hurricane. Suddenly, the glow vanished and all
fell still. �But I think it lost anyway.�
To the contrary, the surface of the Mire parted and a long
serpentine body rose from it. �GYAAAAAAARADOOOOOOOS!� it roared as it
flew up out of the Mire and circled overhead.
Ashley clapped her hands, nearly losing her balance and tumbling
from the branch. �Jellic, it evolved! Magikarp evolved into Gyarados!�
Gyarados swooped down and deposited Ashley�s Pokebelt into her hands and
then hovered near the branch. Ashley climbed onto the Gyarados� back and
helped the Ekans climb aboard. The giant dragon then flew them both to
the ground, wherefrom Jellic recalled his three Pokemon. �Didn�t you
have one more Pokemon?� asked Ashley, pointing to the empty space in his
belt.
�Meowth!� shouted Jellic, hitting himself in the head. �I left it
back where I fought the Ekans!�
�It didn�t get poisoned during the fight, did it?� asked Ashley.
Jellic shook his head, then stopped. �Oh god, I had it use Bite! It
probably is poisoned!�
�Then we have to hurry and get to it before it�s too late!� But just
then, a large cat holding a Pokeball in its mouth trotted lightly into
the clearing. It set the ball down at Jellic�s feet, rubbed against his
leg and purred.
�Perrrrrrrsian.�
�What happened to it?� asked Jellic.
�It evolved!� answered Ashley. �It�s a Persian now. And when a
Pokemon evolves, all of its status conditions are cured, so the poison
is gone from its body already.�
�Maybe coming into the Swamp of Sickness was a good idea,� mused
Jellic. �Three of my Pokemon evolved, including Caterpie, which I didn�t
think COULD evolve....�
�Vordekar said that Karddor Labs didn�t have anything to do with the
Caterpie,� Ashley pointed out. �Whatever made it resistant to Psychic
attacks probably didn�t affect its ability to evolve.�
�Right,� said Jellic. �So we�ve confirmed that. And I also finally
filled my belt!�
�Congratulations!� shouted Ashley.
�Perrrrrrr,� cooed the Persian.
�MPHM. MIRE.� groaned the Mire, reaching out for them with its slimy
arms.
�Maybe we�d better get moving now,� suggested Ashley. Jellic quickly
recalled the Persian and they ran, hoping to avoid any more excitement
until they were safely out of the Swamp.
---------------------------------------------------
MOM: I'm getting rid of this TV before the mindless garbage rots your
brain!
JOHNNY: Mindless garbage not rot brain!
(SHAMPOO: Mindless Johnny not got brain to rot!)
"There's a billion places like home. But only one of them's where you
live." - Granny Weatherwax, "Witches Abroad" by Terry Pratchett
JACKIE CHAN: Oh, sorry. I broke your spy camera! (pause) SPY CAMERA?!
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp