Chapter 6: Out of Sight, Out of Your Mind

 

Alex awoke in the morning, the sunshine streaming dully through the translucent fabric of the tent, to find Jade wrapped around him, and him around her, in his sleeping bag. Recalling what had happened last night, he was surprised to find himself smiling. Despite Kazuko’s ruining of the mood, he had had a nice time with Jade.

 

Or maybe, he realized, it was because of it. He had always been a bit skittish about his first time taming with a new partner, all five times it had happened (he wasn’t sure if last night counted as his sixth time). He never knew what to expect, and that made him kinda nervous. It’s one of my few faults, if not my only one he said to himself. Either way, he knew what Jade was like now, he thought. The next time- if there was a next time- he wouldn’t be so nervous.

 

Feeling affectionate, he leaned forward, lightly kissing Jade’s nose, and said “It’s time to get up~”

 

Jade responded by yawning widely, not opening her eyes, and tightening her arms and legs around Alex, pouting. “Don’t wanna…” she murmured.

 

Laughing lightly, Alex asked “Possessive, aren’t we?”

 

She blushed and replied “W-we all need a good taming now and then- even humans. You were willing help me, and even when we didn’t end up doing it, you let me stay…”

 

Alex blinked, surprised. “You expected me to make you leave?”

 

Her eyes still closed, she murmured “Not all Tamers are nice…”

 

Alex couldn’t deny this. Considering how most Tamers caught their pokegirls- especially Ferals- and how important Tamers was to the Leagues, well…it had been said by Parity Extremists that the world ran on “a rape-based economy”. Conceptually, it almost sounded funny, but when you were faced with it, well…yes, not all Tamers were nice.

 

Not mentioning any of these thoughts, Alex went with a carefree “Most girls don’t enjoy leaving my bed”. This was responded to with a sudden and very fierce kiss as Jade wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body hard against his.

 

After a few seconds, and only because the lack of air was starting to get to his head- literally- Alex pulled away from the kiss, gasping.

 

Grinning, Jade threw the sleeping bad open and sat up, saying “Come on, lover boy. Time to get going”. She spun around and crawled out on all fours, giving Alex a nice view of her ass, swaying back and forth as she moved forward.

 

“You seem to have grown very fond of me” Alex commented as she stood up outside and he began to crawl out backwards so he could roll up his sleeping bag as he went. “Did we Alpha Bond? I didn’t think that counted…”

 

“No, I don’t think so” Jade said as he got the rest of the way out and stood up. “Next time”.

 

Alex nodded as he surveyed the campsite. The fire was out now, having burned itself low during the night. Kazuko seemed to still be sleeping, as she wasn’t around.

 

Noticing him looking at Kazuko’s tent, Jade smiled knowingly- what she knew, Alex couldn’t guess- and said “I’ll get everything packed. You go wake Kazuko, kay?” Alex was suddenly reminded of what she’d said just a few minutes ago: “We all need a good taming now and then”. Alex realized that, since Jade had joined them, he’d been all but ignoring Kazuko. It made sense, of course- they had a new person joining them, it’d make sense that he’d be spending time getting to know her. Still, he felt a little guilty. While he wasn’t going to go in there and start Taming her, Alex did feel as if maybe he should talk to her a bit. Everyone deserves a bit of alone time with me.

 

Alex got onto his knees and slowly pulled open the flap of Kazuko’s tent. She lay on her left side, her hair splayed about her and her eyes closed. Seeing her asleep, he realized something (something that, frankly, should’ve been obvious):

 

Kazuko scowled a lot.

 

So much so, that when he pictured her in his head, she was scowling.

 

He saw her with no expression- like now- less often than he saw her angry or sullen.

 

He couldn’t honestly say she was pretty when she slept, but…she was certainly a lot closer to it. You might even say she looked kinda…plain (a compliment to a Feeblass). He almost didn’t want to wake her up.

 

Feeling something bump against his leg, he looked back to see a small bowl full of various foods that Kazuko ate: seaweed, kelp, sushi, a piece of coral- apparently like candy for her. Grinning, he took the bowl, silently thanking Jade, and crawled the rest of the way in, letting the flap close behind him.

 

Sitting cross legged at the foot of her sleeping bag, Alex reached his free hand- the other holding the bowl- forward, and gently shook her small shoulder. “Umm…good morning” he said, trying to be cheerful, fully expecting a barrage of insults.

 

Slowly, her eyes opened, and she looked over at him, rubbing her knuckles into her eye sockets like a small child. “Wha…wha’s goin’ on?”

 

Shifting, Alex said “Umm…breakfast”. He held out the bowl, waiting for her reaction.

 

She looked at the bowl incredulously for a moment, like I was suggesting she eat the plastic. After a second, she tentatively took it and slowly said “Oh’s…umm…thank you’s, I guess?”

 

Alex nodded “Yeah, sure”. She picked up a piece of kelp and looked at him, as if asking confirmation that yes, she was in fact supposed to eat that. Alex nodded, and she tentatively took a bite, before swallowing, and then beginning to eat faster.

 

Alex waited until she had finished, glancing around the tent as if fascinated by it, and then said brightly “So, ready to go?”

 

Instead of answering, however, Kazuko simply asked him “You’s…you’s seem different ‘dis mornin’, you do. What it be?”

 

Alex was surprised by this question; this wasn’t going how he’d expected at all. To be fair, she was also acting differenty- in that, she wasn’t being rude. Well, why not do the same himself? Instead of answering, he asked her “Why did you stay with me? How come you haven’t just…left?”

 

Kazuko looked as surprised by his question as he’d been by hers. She tilted her head, a small frown on her lips, and said “What’s you’s mean by that? I’s you’s pokegirl, I’s is, I’s can’t just leave”.

 

Alex bit his lip, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say. “In the ruins, we needed each other to get out alive. But if you had said at Silvermist, or even back then, that you didn’t want to come with me, you could’ve said so. Even now, you can leave”.

 

For the longest time, she said nothing, just stared at him. He began to think she had just…frozen solid when slowly, her cheeks began to turn a reddish shade (or it would’ve been, if she had pale skin. Her yellowy-brown skin made it more of a rust color), and she finally said “You- you- you….you’s just rotten, you’s is!” She threw the empty bowl at him, where it bounced off his head. Grimacing, she yelled “You’s say that now, in the middle of the jungle, you’s do! If I’s leave now, you’s know what’ll happen to I’s? I’s get eat’s’ed, I’s will! So I’s gotta stay, and so you make it seem like’s I’s wanna stay!”

 

Alex bowed his head. His initial reaction was to yell back, but he didn’t let himself do that. He simply said “Okay then…tomorrow, when we get to Dogpatch, I’ll release you there…maybe you’ll be able to find a better Tamer there, or go back to the wild”.

 

She stared at him, mouth agape, before screaming “Fine’s! I’s will, I’ll leave, swift as stream water, I’s will!”

 

Alex nodded, turned around, and slipped out of her tent, saying nothing.

 

*                      *                      *

 

 

After Alex left, and the tent flap had fluttered closed, Kazuko drew her knees up to her chest, rested her chin on them, and wrapped her arms around her legs.

 

Dealin’ with him’s, she thought, don’t be like dealin’ with that bastard Darius, it ain’t.

 

I’s can’t treat Alex like I’s treated him, can’s I?

 

*                      *                      *

 

 

An hour later, the four of them were walking silently down the trail, not speaking a word. They hadn’t said anything since they’d left camp, when Jade had asked “So…how are things?” to no one in particular and got little else but stony silence. Since then, she’d appeared particularly anxious

 

On reflection, Alex realized that this really wasn’t how he’d wanted things to turn out. Of course, he’d expected Kazuko to be a little titmonkey, to turn a phrase, but, well, he declaring her intentions to leave as soon as they got back to civilization seemed a bit…much.

 

He really wasn’t sure how he felt about this. On the one hand, she had been mean and rude, called him a pervert, assaulted him, ruined him and Jane’s nice time, and been, overall…not nice.

 

On the other hand…

 

Well…

 

Okay, he was still drawing a blank on that hand.

 

He really couldn’t see a downside to Kazuko leaving- other than the fact that, officially, he would have no pokegirls, which was bound to have some repercussions. Still, he would have Jade, and in Dogpatch, he would hopefully be able to pick up one or two more ‘girls.

 

So…why did he feel uneasy?

 

Really, the only thing the “pro-Kazuko” side had was that, despite the overwhelming majority of points “anti-Kazuko” had, he still was undecided. Considering this, Alex had to concede that for some reason, he didn’t want her to leave.

 

Why though? For god’s sakes, why!?

 

For some unknown reason, he (apparently) didn’t want Kazuko to leave. Had he grown attached to her? Was that it? It seemed…odd. Maybe he was just used to her presence, and any change, whether helpful or not, he shied away from. A lot of people were like that.

 

But…there was still the fact that, while Kazuko complained and grumbled a lot, there was one thing she had never groaned over, as far as Alex could recall.

 

She had never stated any ill feelings over having to go with Alex.  Sure, she had complained about him as a person and a Tamer, had called him crazy and stupid, had complained about everything he did, but…she never said “I don’t want to go with you”, only “I don’t want to go” or “I don’t want to do that” (well, no, she hadn’t said those things either, but accent and expletives aside, yes, those had been the gist of her points).

 

At this point, Alex recalled Darius. He was a short man, kind of heavy, though it was more muscles than fat. He had a grizzled, square jawed face, and a mane of gray hair. Alex always imagined his with his burly arms crossed, a confident grin showing off his small, sharp teeth, and -despite having never seen him actually use one- with a pipe in his mouth. He had gathered, from their numerous encounters, that the Rocket Lieutenant was a cruel, vicious, uncaring man (Though cunning and with a sharp, tactical mind), to anyone from civilians to his squad of grunts to his own harem. The occasional (always disparaging) comments Kazuko made about him had confirmed that. He had been mean, rough, abusive, and a general ass to her (why in the hell he’d had a Feeblass in the first place was beyond Alex).

 

With a start, Alex wondered if that was why she had such an abrasive personality. Had Darius trained her into that, made her callous so that he couldn’t hurt her? Was it only a thick skin she had, so that she could keep people away from her gentler self? It was only a theory, but…it rang true. This idea made Alex very sad, for some reason.

 

No, not for some reason; he could see it. She’d been so used to having a terrible Tamer that she’d been treating him how she’d acted around Darius. She hadn’t realized he wasn’t going to hurt her, that he wasn’t such a terrible Tamer.

 

Alex suddenly had the very strong urge to turn around and wrap Kazuko in a big hug, to tell her she didn’t need to be afraid, she was safe now, because she was his, and he would never lay a finger on her out of anger.

 

He actually might’ve done it right then, if he hadn’t gotten distracted.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jade, who’d been keeping pace with him to the left, pass out of his vision. Turning his head, he saw she’d stopped walking altogether. Stopping himself (and causing Kazuko to bump into him from behind), he asked “Is something wrong?” while Kazuko quietly growled “Oi, hurry up, girlie”.

 

Jade didn’t respond to either of them, however. Instead, she slowly tilted her head to the left, as if listening to something off in the distance to the right. After a second, her eyes widened with fright and she bit her lower lip, murmuring “Uh oh…”

 

Concerned now, Alex reached out and rested his hand on her upper arm, asking “Jade? Are you-“

 

He wasn’t able to complete the thought, however, as the second his hand touched her, she jumped at least a foot or three in the air, as if she hadn’t even known he was there.

 

Turning quickly to him, Jade said “Alex…we…we need to hide! Someone’s coming!” Before he could say anything, she grabbed his and Kazuko’s arms, wrenching both of them into the bushes on the side of the road. It wasn’t exactly the best bush for hiding- sharp brambles scratched against Alex’s skin, drawing blood in some places. In addition, there was a pervasive…stink, in the air. Alex heard Kazuko cry out angrily, just as another, unfamiliar sound assaulted his ears.

 

It was a low hum, soft and distant, but rising quickly. It sounded familiar to Alex, but he couldn’t place it. Within a minute, it was a high whine, and, peering out of the bushes, Alex could see something coming down the path from his right. Seeing that it didn’t touch the ground, he realized what it was: a hoverbike.

 

It zoomed quickly past their group, Alex only catching its rider as a black blur on the silver machine. As the distorted sound of it faded down the path and he prepared to exit the bush, Alex realized that the sound hadn’t stopped coming from the right. Glancing back again, he saw more shaped coming, more slowly down the path.

 

When the three hover bikes passed by them, Alex heard a small voice say “Here…” Ah, shit Alex thought to himself. He didn’t know who they were, but he knew this wouldn’t be good.

 

*                      *                      *

 

 

They stop, right by the three others, hiding…there. Maru, shackled, eyes downcast, scars covering the Boobgle’s body, lapi. Tam and Lin, immaculate black suits and sunglasses. Idiots. In the middle of the forest? She is smarter, lapi. And…HIM. Clothes in shades of bloody reds and royal blues, and of course purple, lapi. Only the best for Carver. Carver the king, he’d been called by Caller, lapi. Memories flood her mind, of Caller’s time with the bestial human. Living trash, lapi. She wants nothing more than to blow them all to hell, but first she must free Maru, and the other innocents. Plus…him. She sees him, the human, hiding in the bushes with the other females, lapi. She will kill the humans, save for him, break the prison orbs, and spirit herself and him away, lapi. She knows what is happening to her, she’s no fool. Caller’s body is craving to be taken, so she will oblige.

 

She hates this need for humans, weak, pitiful creatures they are. Carver is evidence of that, lapi. Still, though she would be in total control of Caller’s body if she ignores the need, she would become little more than a beast- little more than a human! Ha!

 

They won’t see her coming, lapi…

 

*                      *                      *

 

 

“What is it?” the well dressed male said, his voice high and cool. Alex felt an instant hatred for him. Getting in my way, slowing me down…I’ll kill you! He thought, knowing full well he couldn’t do it. On the two other hoverbikes were well dressed body guards, six pokeballs apiece at their belts.

 

“Not…Samantha…” the Boobgle said from behind the guy. Alex stared at the pokegirl. Wounds covered her, cutting into her soft fur, criss-crossing her muzzle, and her right eye was perpetually closed. She never looked up, and, unlike most of her breed, said very little, as if trying to avoid being noticed as much as possible. Alex was almost surprised she wasn’t a Penance yet.

 

The young man turned around- he couldn’t be older than Alex, probably still in his teens- and said slowly, his voice calm “Then why…did you stop us?”

 

She flinched, and said quickly “O-others, Master! Human, male, Megami, and…something else, I don’t recognize, in the bushes!”

 

Ah, shit Alex thought as ‘Master’ stared directly at the bushes he found himself in.

 

“Sir Carver” one of the black-suited men said, studying his steel-colored pokedex, before pointing. “The signal from her Ident-chip is coming from that bush. Right…there”.

 

Smiling, Carver stepped down from his hoverbike, approaching Alex. “So, some plebian thinks he may take my property? Well, he has another thing coming!”

 

*                      *                      *

 

 He’s stepped away from Maru.

 

Let’s get started, lapi.

 

*                      *                      *

 

Alex’s mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. But his mind caught on one thing: What are they looking for? This Samantha? Why is she here? But then Alex noticed something: Though it looked like the body guard was pointing at him, he was really pointing just to Alex’s left. He turned his head- getting scored by more brambles in the process- but saw nothing. Had he expected to find someone else in the bushes? As Carver stopped in front of the bush, Jade shaking Alex’s arm, trying to get him to do something, Alex’s nose was assaulted as the stench in the bush intensified. His gaze traveled down, and he saw it:

 

Pierced through with an extra long thorn, about an inch and a half long.

 

Opaque and glassy, with evidence of decay.

 

White in coloration, save for a ring of violet returning Alex’s gaze.

 

It was a single, detached eyeball.

 

*                      *                      *

 

Carver was about to order the peasant out of hiding, or, if necessary, force him out himself, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Looking up and to the left, he saw something come arcing out of the forest, something small and flashing a red light.

 

*                      *                      *

 

Alex felt someone grab his wrist and wrench him backwards, out of the bush.

 

That was when everything went white and the world exploded.