Chapter 7 - Rattata Rumble

For a moment there, I panicked. But I remembered the vow I had made to myself. My friends need me. So, I will protect them.

I ran through a couple of scenarios. I could put them in their pokeballs and try to run. No, I wouldn’t make it far and Chrys and Chaos would lose me. We needed to flee together, protect each other.

There were nine rattata encircling us. Three in front and two on each other side. We should break through to the south and try to get to the route.

I took a deep breath and unclipped my stun baton.

"Let's go!"

Realizing she couldn’t keep up, I recalled Chaos with my free hand, yelling, “Chrys, leaf blade and hit and run!” And ran to the south, where two rattata were charging at us.

The moment I had moved to scoop up Chaos, the rattata had started to close in.

I rushed south, with my stun baton ready. The quicker of the two rattata pounced towards my chest. I swung my baton with all my force, swatting it to my left and stunning it with electricity.

Chrys nimbly bound forward and tackled the remaining rattata. As it fell over, she slashed at its legs with her leaf. Then she ran behind to harry the pursuing rattata.

I sprinted, trying to keep my bearings as I weaved through the trees. I heard a hiss from my left and raised my arm. Just in time to be chomped on by a rattata.

“AAaahh!”

Luckily, my outfit was pokemon-proof so it wasn’t pierced and the was force dispersed over a larger area. Still hurt like fuck. Probably going to leave a killer bruise, if not a broken bone.

I smashed the side of the rodent, still clinging to my arm, with my baton. But the fucker still held on like a vise. Trying to fight through the pain, I stumbled over a root as I ran and braced myself with my left arm. The rattata was slammed and pinned on the ground by my forearm, causing a sharp flash of pain.

I screamed and rained down blow after blow into the pinned rattata with my stun baton. With pain and fury clouding my mind, I relentlessly pounded the rodent's lower body to sizzling mush.

I was snapped out of my rage with a tackle, flinging me off and dislodging my arm from the dead rattata’s mouth.

Shit. I got held up and the rest of the rattata caught up. Taking quick stock of the situation, there was a rattata by the corpse and another not far behind. Beyond that were trees splattered with blood and I could see Chrys holding off a group of rattata, darting in and out while landing blows.

I braced myself on one knee, as the closest rattata dashed at me. With my one arm heavily damaged, I couldn’t use it to defend. I readied my swing and the rattata shot to my chest like a bullet. I swung desperately, but missed. I was struck, falling back even though I was braced. The wind was knocked out of me and I struggled to get up.

With a quick prayer to Arceus, I tapped the pokeball in the pocket on my sleeve releasing Chaos.

“Happiny!” Shouted Chaos, and she sounded mad. With that warcry, she charged at the closest rattata and leaped at it head first.

The rattata dodged, but was too late and was side-swiped by the angry happiny’s headbutt, knocking it back.

With the breathing room Chaos provided, I shakily rose to my feet. Chaos hadn’t stopped her advance and was going toe to toe with the standing rattata. The rattata she had previously knocked down was rousing itself. As she pounded the rattata away when it leapt at her, the other rattata clamped onto her leg with its teeth.

Chaos was getting beaten two on one and Chrys was fending off four wounded rattata, though she was injured herself.

Not on my watch. I rushed at Chaos and jabbed the rattata biting her leg with my baton, shocking it thoroughly. Luckily its teeth weren’t very conductive. Once it loosened its hold on Chaos, I grabbed it off and slammed it into the ground where I pummelled it to paste.

With that threat down, I looked over to see Chaos doing fine but Chrys was starting to slow down due to her injuries. Leaving Chaos to deal with the remaining rattata, I ran as quickly as I could over to Chrys. As I ran, she stumbled and had her leg restrained by the bite of a rattata as the others started to dogpile her.

“RAaahh!” I yelled as I sprinted with renewed vigour and bashed the rattata with a two handed swing, ignoring my aching arm. I swung repeatedly, keeping the rattata off Chrys. The minutes seemed to stretch on as my limbs grew tired.

“Piny!” Cried Chaos as she jumped into the fray. Chaos’ arrival turned the tide and caused the remaining rattata to flee.

I dropped to the ground in exhaustion. But remembering the condition of my team, I hastily retrieved a potion and sprayed them both liberally.

Once they were taken care of, my mind slipped out of primal mode. The first thing to hit me was the stench of the corpses and gore surrounding me. I got to my knees and started retching. Regurgitated instant oatmeal coated the blood on the floor and I retched more heavily.

I didn’t know when I started crying. I just know that when my arm started glowing and I came back to my senses I was sobbing with snot coming out of my nose. Chaos was beside me rubbing my arm and Chrys was snuggling against me trying to comfort me.

I lay there for a minute, cuddling my team. Even though we were covered in blood, surrounded by dead rattata, I felt a calm feeling flow through me.

My team is safe. We’re safe.

I hugged Chrys and Chaos close and said, “Thanks team," While trying not to start crying again.

“Happi!”, “Chiko!”

I got up, “Let’s go find a stream and get washed up.”