{"sf1_id":555659,"sf2_id":"k1V4wpjm","title":"Part 3 Dashes and cinders","author":"LPN","words":3612,"posted_at":"2013-06-25T17:31:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Death","Kiddnapping","Pokemon","Violence"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/555659-part-3-dashes-and-cinders","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/k1V4wpjm","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=555659\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"Dashes  \nand cinders\n\n\"What are you doing?\" Cory asked as she  \nleaned over Dash's shoulder.\n\nHe had the table full of papers where he  \nhad drawn various strange symbols.\n\n\"I'm working on strategies for future  \nbattles,\" he explained. \"As our team is now, we should probably go after a  \ngrass or rock pin next. If I fight we might have a shot on an electric pin.\"\n\n\"We are going to challenge the ice master!\"\n\n\"What!? Why?\"\n\n\"It's the closest one.\"\n\n\"Cory,\" Dash moaned. \"You have to think  \nthings through more. Sure Sune will have an advantage against an ice type, but  \nyou will be at a disadvantage. Just like in the match against steel master  \nRuck. And what if the ice master is a dual type, like lapras who is part water  \ntype. Then we won't even have type advantage.\"\n\n\"Everest is an abomasnow. He is really  \nstrong but it will take about a weak to reach his arena, so we will have a lot  \nof time to train as we go.\"\n\nThe fact that Cory seemed to have thought  \nthings through for once took Dash by surprise.\n\n\"Okay... then Sune's fire moves will be four  \ntimes as powerful since he is a grass type as well, but you will still have a  \ntough time,\" Dash told her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCory insisted that she would be okay and  \ntrain really hard to overcome her weaknesses. At least her poison powder  \nstrategy would work this time and Dash had an idea that might swing the odds in  \ntheir favour. If only he had enough time.\n\nLater, after they had checked out of the  \ninn, he and Sune were gathering supplies for their trip, Cory had said she  \nneeded to do something and run off somewhere. They noticed a huge gathering at  \na house further down the street.\n\n\"What is going on?\" Sune asked.\n\n\"You haven't heard? Someone broke into  \nClint's house and attacked him and his family,\" one of the crowd told them.  \n\"They are all in pretty bad shape. Even his daughter.\"\n\nThen they saw a ryhorn and some other  \npokemon come out of the house.\n\n\"Earp!\" Dash called as he and Sune ran up  \nto the lawman. \"What happened to Clint?\"\n\n\"Oh! It's you, kid,\" Earp said as he saw  \nthem. \"It was Slitter. He snuck into town at night and attacked Clint and his  \nfamily in their sleep. They'll live but Cathy is in severe shock. He must have  \nmade her watch what he did to her parents.\" He turned to the other pokemon who  \nhad come out of the house with him. \"Okay boys, this time Slitter has gone too  \nfar! Now it's war! We'll find his lair and bring him back in chains or a  \ncoffin! Either one is more than he deserves.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith that they moved out and left the crowd  \nto disperse on its own. Dash and Sune didn't know what to say. They had only met  \nClint once, but they had liked him. The people of the town must be feeling  \nreally uncomfortable now that the leader of their law enforcement had been  \nvictimised in such a brutal way.\n\n\"There you are!\"\n\nCory ran up to them as cheerful as ever.  \nShe must not have heard what had happened yet.\n\n\"Look what I bought from a lilligant!\" she  \nstruck a pose indicating a pretty pink flower next to the big leaf on her head.  \n\"Don't I look dashing? What's wrong? Why do you guys look so gloomy?\"\n\nIt took them both all their persuasion  \nskills to stop Cory from running after Earp and the other law enforcers and  \nhelp them catch Slitter. Luckily they somehow managed to convince her that they  \nwould only be in the way.\n\nTo get to Drifting peak, where ice master  \nEverest had his arena, they needed to cross through the mountains next to the  \nvillage. Fortunately there was a network of tunnels that ran through the  \nmountain to the other side so it would not take more than a day to cross over.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs they left the village and approached the  \nentrance to the tunnels they met a pokemon that resembled a big red turtle.\n\n\"My name is Billy,\" the torkoal said. \"Earp  \ntold me to escort anyone who passes through the tunnels since sometimes rouges  \nhide in them.\"\n\n\"That's fine,\" Sune said. \"Safety in  \nnumbers and all that.\"\n\nThey entered the tunnels, hoping that it  \nwould be an uneventful trip.\n\nIn another part of the mountain the  \npeacekeepers had found what seemed to be what was left of Slitter's lair. It  \nwas a medium sized cave that seemed to be connected to the tunnels under the  \nmountain.\n\n\"Rock salt!\" Earp cursed. \"I'll go back to  \ntown and let Billy know not to let anyone into the tunnels. That blasted fiend  \nis running around there!\"\n\nThe rest of the team made its way into the  \ntunnels to pursue their quarry.\n\nFarther into the mountain a charmeleon girl  \nnamed Cinder was running to keep up with a large kabutops as they travelled through  \na cavern full of natural stone bridges and lava pools.\n\n\"Why did you have to sneak into the  \nvillage? Now they'll be after us to the ends of the earth...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was cut off by a large talon that  \nslapped across her face, sending her to the ground.\n\n\"Shut up or I'll do to you what I did to  \nClint and his rapidash bitch,\" Slitter told her. He then dragged her into a  \nsmall side cavern and brutally tossed her on the floor. \"Stay here!\" he ordered  \nand disappeared back the way they had come. Probably to deal with his pursuers.\n\nWith Slitter busy dealing with the  \npeacekeepers, Cinder might be able to run away, but she immediately put that  \nthought out of her head. He would find her. He had before, and he would again.  \nAs long as Slitter lived she would never be free. She only hoped those idiot  \nlawmen had the sense not to split up.\n\nBilly proved to be a slow walker, so they  \nstopped to rest often. At each of their stops Dash found a stone and started to  \nswing his tail at it. Finally curiosity got the better of his friends and they  \nasked him what in the world he was doing.\n\n\"I'm trying to learn a new move,\" he  \nconfessed. \"I'm not sure it will work, but if I can learn it, it will be a  \ngreat help when we challenge Everest.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There is a dojo in the next village,\"  \nBilly told them. \"I'm sure you can find someone to help you there.\"\n\nWhen they continued on their way, Dash  \napproached Sune.\n\n\"Before, you told me that you used to  \nbelong to a human, but Cory and everyone else seem to think humans only exist  \nin fairy tales.\"\n\n\"It's true,\" Sune replied, her tone  \nindicating she was not comfortable talking about it. Still she continued. \"The  \nhumans live in a land far south of here. Across a great ocean. When my master  \ntired of me he abandoned me in a forest. I thought I would starve to death,  \nwhen a huge flying pokemon appeared. It swept me up and carried me all the way  \nhere. Shortly after I met Cory.\"\n\n\"And we became the best of friends!\" Cory  \nchimed as she nudged herself between them. \"You big meanie! Why didn't you tell  \nme before?\"\n\n\"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to talk  \nabout it. It was a really awful time.\"\n\n\"That's okay, we're still friends! But wow,  \nhumans really exists! I wonder who that huge pokemon was! Maybe lugia or  \nreshiram!\"\n\n\"Groudon is big,\" Billy suggested.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Groudon can't fly,\" Dash interjected.\n\n\"How about kyogre then?\"\n\n\"Anyway,\" Dash said, ignoring Billy. \"I  \nhope you realize that not all humans are bad. Just like there are some pokemon  \nthat can be cruel.\"\n\nSune did not reply. It would take more to  \nmake her change her mind.\n\nSuddenly a large, winged figure swept down  \nin front of them, shrieking liked possessed. It swept its four big wings,  \nsending gale force winds at the travellers. The ground beneath Dash and Sune  \ngave way and the two fell into another part of the cave system.\n\nThe crobat began biting wildly around  \nitself, purple poison dripping from its fangs. Cory sent a volley of razor  \nleafs at it, at the same time as Billy fired a flamethrower, incinerating the  \nleaves before they reached their target.\n\nWayne the scyther stalked his way through  \nthe dark tunnel. After Earp had left, the remaining team members had split up  \nto cover more ground. Not that he minded, he preferred to work alone. The  \nattack came without a sound. A stream of mud and water hit the cave wall. Slitter  \nstepped out of the darkness to examine his handiwork, but Wayne was nowhere to  \nbe seen. At the last moment he looked up and managed to block the slash from  \nWayne's scythe like forearms. A series of blows were exchanged. For a moment it  \nseemed that he had the advantage but Slitter was nearly three feet taller and  \nhad superior reach. It was only a matter of time before he overpowered Wayne  \nand sent him flying into the wall with a blast of high pressure bubbles.  \nSlitter began glowing faintly green as large stones rose into the air around  \nhim and rapidly launched into the sealing above Wane, causing a cave-in that  \nburied the peacekeeper. His work done, Slitter disappeared into the darkness.\n\n\"What happened?\" asked Sune as she rubbed  \nher sore head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think the floor collapsed,\" Dash  \nreplied.\n\nAs they looked around they found that they  \nhad entered a lower level of the cave system. Their only option was to try and  \nget back by finding a tunnel that went back to the upper level.\n\nThe magmar called Holliday entered a cavern  \nwith a large magma pond. If she hadn't been on duty she would have thought that  \nit was a really cosy place. She didn't notice Slitter until he struck her from  \nbehind and pressed her head beneath the magma. The molten rock didn't hurt her,  \nbut it kept her from breathing and after a few moments of flailing, the  \nstruggling ceased and her body went limp.\n\nThe crobat had finally been subdued. As  \nthey got a closer look on its unconscious form they noticed a large scar over  \neach eye.\n\n\"So that's why it was flailing around like  \nthat,\" Billy mused. \"Poor guy was blind!\"\n\n\"What do we do now?\" Cory asked. \"Dash and  \nSune are alone in the lower tunnels with whatever did this.\"\n\n\"There is only one thing to do isn't it,\"  \nBilly said as he manned up and jumped into the hole that had swallowed their  \ncompanions.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Cory?\"\n\n\"Yes?\"\n\n\"We have a problem.\"\n\n\"What's that?\"\n\n\"I'm stuck.\"\n\n\"I think we're heading upwards, or whatever  \nit's called,\" Dash said as they entered a cavern with a bundle of stone bridges  \ncrossing a deep chasm.\n\n\"Dash... are you certain not all humans are  \nbad?\"\n\n\"Positive! I know that for a fact. Don't  \nget me wrong, there are pretty bad people out there, I've run into more than a  \nfew. But in general, most humans I've met have been nice.\"\n\nAs they were about midway over one of the  \nstone bridges a figure rushed out of the tunnel entrance on the other side,  \ncoming right at them. Dash was swept aside by a huge talon, which knocked the  \nbreath from his lungs and his body from the bridge.\n\nSune watched in horror as her friend  \nplummeted into the chasm. Then another talon slammed her to the ground.\n\n\"So we meet again little fox,\" Slitter said  \nbefore reaching his arms over his head and delivering a final blow that turned  \nSune's world black.\n\nHickok had been with the peacekeepers for longer  \nthan Clint, and had at one time been a candidate for leadership. He knew how to  \nplay the game and when to play it. The old golem entered a cavern full of rock  \nbridges and lava pools. He noticed movement in a small side cavern and  \ncarefully crept closer to have a look. Inside was a charmeleon girl who seemed  \nto be waiting for someone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you doing here?\" he asked as he  \nstepped into view.\n\nThe girl sat up in a flash.\n\n\"Hide, you idiot!\" she hissed. \"He could  \ncome back any second.\"\n\n\"You're talking 'bout Slitter aren't you.\"\n\n\"Yes, you fool. Hide and I'll distract him  \nfor you.\"\n\nHickok nodded and pressed himself against  \nthe cave wall, his rock body making him blend in perfectly.\n\nJane made her way into a cavern where  \nseveral natural stone bridges spanned a deep chasm. Suddenly a small figure  \ncame falling from one of the higher bridges. The houndoom made a running jump,  \ncatching the figure in mid-air, before landing safely on a lower bridge. She  \nrecognised him as the eevee that had spoken to Earp earlier that day.\n\n\"Slitter...\" he gasped as she gently laid him  \ndown on the ground. \"He's got Sune.\"\n\n\"Rest here. I'll take care of this,\" Jane  \nsaid and disappeared into a tunnel, her keen sense of smell having locked on  \ntarget.\n\nHickok noticed someone approaching. As he'd  \nthought it was Slitter, he was dragging the vulpix girl they had met at Clint's  \nhouse, along the floor. She was unconscious but seemed otherwise unhurt.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stopped in front of the side cave and  \ntossed her inside.\n\n\"Here's a new playmate,\" he grinned to the  \ncharmeleon.\n\nHickok saw his chance to catch the villain  \nof guard and sent his boulder like body crashing into his opponent.\n\nSlitter was knocked hard into the wall, but  \ndespite being obviously hurt, he swung his deadly talons at Hickok's rock hard  \nhide but they did little damage. Hickok opened his mouth and bathed Slitter in  \nflames with a flamethrower attack. In response the kabutops opened his own  \nmouth and pelted the old golem with a spray of high pressure bubbles, the water  \nmove doing serious damage to the rock and ground type. He then pressed Hickok's  \nmouth open and fired a mud shot straight down his throat, filling his  \nopponent's lungs with thick mud.\n\nAs Hickok collapsed, Jane rushed into the  \ncavern. At the sight of her fallen comrade she gave of a fearsome roar and  \ncharged at Slitter, sinking her fangs into his shoulder. Her jaws were not  \npowerful enough to penetrate the kabutops carapace but, just as it seemed that he  \nwould counterattack, Slitter howled in pain as his body was struck by a massive  \nelectric charge.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the battle raged outside, Cinder watched  \nthe unconscious vulpix girl before her. This was not good. Years ago, when  \nSlitter had first abducted her, he also had a young blaziken named Lela with  \nhim. But as his attention had shifted more towards Cinder, Lela became less  \ninteresting to him and one day she had simply been gone, and Cinder seriously  \ndoubted that Slitter had let her go. Especially since his claws had been full  \nof fresh dug dirt. She had no desire to chare that fate, so if Slitter managed  \nto finish of the peacekeepers, it might be for the best if this new girl had an  \n\"accident\". She glanced towards the opening of the side cave. There was a cliff  \njust a few feet away from it, ending in a pool of molten lava. If she could  \nmake it look like the girl had panicked and blindly made a run for it... but if  \non the other hand, if the peacekeepers actually won, there would be no need to  \nget rid of her, and Cinder really hated doing things she didn't need to do.  \nBesides, the girl was kind of cute.\n\nSlitter kicked Jane away from him. With  \nsome distance between them Jane opened her mouth, a sphere of pure blackness  \nforming between her jaws. At the same time Slitter began to glow green as large  \nrocks rose into the air around him. It was shadow ball versus ancient power.  \nSlitter knew that shadow ball was the stronger of the two moves but he was  \nlaunching several projectiles, the shadow ball would destroy one or two of them  \nbut the rest would continue on towards the bitch. But Jane did something  \nunexpected, she fired at the bridge, causing it to crumble and sending the surprised  \nvillain crashing down onto a lower bridge.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCursing, Slitter rose from the rubble and  \nturned just in time to see Jane rush of from the higher bridge, bursting into  \nflames in mid-air, turning herself into a living comet. The two combatants  \nstruck each other with a thunderclap, exchanging blow after blow until Slitter  \nmanaged to deliver a slash over Jane's eyes, blinding her. Enraged, he  \ncontinued beating on her even after she stopped struggling.\n\n\"Losers look up!\"\n\nThe yell caused Slitter to stand up and  \nlook for its source. There, jumping from the higher bridge, was that annoying  \nlittle eevee. As he fell, Dash spun around, slapping his tail across Slitter's  \nhead. The moment before it made contact, the tail turned into solid steel and  \nstruck the skull with an audible crack!\n\nAs Dash landed, he began scratching up a  \nsand cloud, hiding him from view. When the cloud dissipated Dash was nowhere to  \nbe seen, causing Slitter, still dazed from the blow to his head, to look around  \nwondering if the little pest had somehow managed to get back onto the higher  \nbridges and was preparing another assault.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nDash erupted from the ground, this bridge  \nbeing much wider and several tens of feet thicker than the higher ones enabled  \nhim to dig without falling through, and delivered a blow to Slitter's  \nmidsection. Wobbling, but still standing, the kabutops raised his deadly talons.  \nDash backed up to get a running start, so that he could use last resort, and  \ncharged at Slitter, who prepared to meet the incoming pokemon with the tip of  \nhis talon. Suddenly Jane's body came to life and she closed her jaws around his  \nleg, sending another surge of electricity through Slitter's body. She let go as  \nDash ploughed into him, sending him slamming into the far cave wall and  \nplummeting into the lava below.\n\n\"Are you alright?\" Dash asked the houndoom.\n\n\"Yes,\" she replied, trying to stand up.  \n\"But I can barely see. Help me back to my partner up on the higher bridge.\"\n\nDash did as she bade. When they reached the  \nend of the bridge, Slitter exploded out of the lava, latching onto the cliff  \nwall and began scaling it like possessed. His body was badly burned and one eye  \nwas missing, yet it was as if he simply did not comprehend that he should be  \ndead, roaring like a lowly beast, he crossed the cliffs edge. Jane and Dash  \nprepared to face the worst, but suddenly there was a rumbling sound coming from  \nabove. A ton of rocks fell onto the mad kabutobs, crushing him. This time he  \nwould not get back up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt the ledge above, Cinder smiled to  \nherself. He was finally dead! And the best part was that she had dealt the  \nfinal blow herself. Causing that rockslide had been both easy and the hardest  \nthing she had ever done. But now she was free. It would probably be best if she  \nleft before anyone came back. She did not want to explain to anyone what she  \nwas doing there. It was time to start anew with a clean slate. For a moment  \nCinder considered to bring the cute vulpix with her, but decided against it.  \nShe would be better off with the peacekeepers. As she disappeared into the  \ntunnels, she realized that now that Slitter was gone, she was the only one who  \nknew where he had hidden the profits from all his criminal activities, the past  \nfew years. Life was looking better and better!\n\nRemarkably, all of the peacekeepers made it  \nback from the tunnels. Much thanks to Doc the magcargo, the, second to Billy,  \nslowest member of the squad. He had found everyone before their injuries had  \nbecome too serious. Naturally they were still hurt. Wayne's wings were broken  \nas was his arm, though the only thing he complained about was his stubbed toe.  \nHolliday's biggest injury was to her ego, having been taken down so easily.  \nJane's eyes however would probably never fully heal. She would not go blind but  \nher eyesight was not what it had used to be. The most upset of all were  \nprobably Earp, who had missed everything while trying to get Billy out of a  \nhole he was too big to fit through. Hickok would make a full recovery but was  \ntalking about retiring. Claiming to be too old for this. There was no sign of  \nthe charmeleon girl he claimed to have seen, most likely she had made a break  \nfor it when the fighting started.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs for Cory, Sune and Dash, they were  \nbrought back to town and nursed back to health. Cory had knocked herself out  \ntrying to free Billy.\n\nThree days later three companions again  \nbraved the tunnels as they sat out on a quest to defeat ice master Everest.\n\n**Epilogue**\n\nThe creature who had been known as Slitter,  \nseeped through the cracks in the stone, rising to the air as black vapour.  \nWhile it had enjoyed its excursion as a killer and petty thief, perhaps it was  \ntime to get back to work, and so it drifted off to find a new body, and perhaps  \nruin a few lives, before getting down to business.\n\n  \n  \n\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/555650-part-2-the-coach-and-the-master.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/570017-part-4-debts-and-depths.json"}