Chapter 8: To Protect a Shield

"Ugh!"

Landing cleanly, I rolled forward to disperse the impact more.

"Urgh! Cough, Cough!"

…

'Stairs were in front of me. I need to stop being so overconfident without Victor around.'

I got to my feet, and other than a roughed up back I was fine. I moved down the open hallway- the rest of the ship was broken down. Down the stairs-

Tap

A black man cloaked in a gray uniform and with a buzzcut launched up through the ground ahead of me, landing as light as air. A grayish-blue color flickered around him, disappearing after a moment.

'How? Is he a ninja or something?'

"Gothi!"

The black dress pokemon floated up from the ground, blocking my view. It danced a bit, and hurled a massive ball of purple plasma as it chased after his retreating figure from what I presumed.

...Well then.

'Keep moving.'

Another flight down, and I was walking on eggshells to avoid the holes in the ground now. The lower floors were filled with water now, and it sloshed up as the boat rocked. 

'I need to move faster…!'

My hand went into my pocket absentmindedly, but I stumbled after realizing what I was doing. 

'...Damn it.'

I moved forward- I couldn't risk it now, and if it was them then… I didn't want to think about the consequences of me getting captured again. 

"...!"

'Mom!'

"I've had about enough of this. No more running around!"

She had a…

'Is that a sylveon? Since when did she have a sylveon?'

I looked past it. 

Tak!

A woman with purple hair and massive shades had just landed in front of her, and was probably the main culprit behind this. She was covered head to toe in black and shades of pink- and it looked horrible on her. 

"What are you doing, and why?!"

"...Perhaps you should be less concerned about me, and more concerned about our guest that just joined us."

'Me…?'

"What?"

"...Mykah… but… What are you doing here? I thought Crescent…?"

She looked down at her feet, shaking her hand through her hair. It was something she had only done when she was very stressed. 

"She was supposed to send you somewhere safe-"

"Sorry, safety is long gone for both of you."

'Ugh, shut up you old hag.' 

"...Cough, cough."

"For now, we're going to go ahead and take our target. You."

"...Me?"

She pointed at Mom, who looked very confused. Of course these idiots wouldn't be after me- nobody would suspect a crippled eighteen year old of winning in an ongoing war. 

'I knew it. Nancy probably works in some secret program or something, or else she would actually be around more than once a month. No evidence on where she went made it too obvious.'

"That's right. Did you think our target was Mykah or something?"

"..."

'The heck? I'm supposed to be just some random idiot. You're some sort of secret agent.'

"Anyway, I was only going after you, but since both of you decided to just deliver yourselves to me I'll be happy to take you back to HQ on silver platters."

Every muscle fiber in my body tensed, and I stepped back. A disgusting feeling washed over me as two of those red orbs from earlier drifted up from the solid floor. 

"Now do you understand?"

A pause, unlike with the green suited man. 

'Are they not machines then? She has control over them.'

"There isn't any future for this ship, or for anyone else you've put through this…"

"Glad you see things my way."

'…What? Why does she look so sad? She can fight!'

Cough, cough

My lungs couldn't keep going like this though. I would barely be able to fight inside this smoke, if at all. Mom met my eyes and a smile grew on her- but I could see the sadness in her eyes from across the room. 

'…No, no, no. Mother did too. She looked like that. No-'

"But I will create hope for at least one person."

Sylveon put up walls, blocking her in with the strange red pokemon. I could hear her speaking though- her voice practically echoed in my head. 

"Mykah… I know that we've been distant, but know that I only want you to be happy."

'It hurts. So, so much.'

"And while it hasn't been for a long time, I was glad to be able to share time with you on this ship."

'Damn it. It… hurts… Mom…'

"I will hold her off for as long as I can, but I want you to run. Even on a place as confined as this vessel…"

'Not again. I did so much to keep you safe-'

"You must run anyway."

"I…"

"Even in times where a future seems impossible, you must keep on!"

Her voice became more intense. I could hear Sylveon's cries as well- it was struggling.

"For it is through that pursuit of hope, that opportunity shines through."

"...!"

I bit my lip. 

'These words… They might be her last. I need to listen.'

"And wherever you end up… Find new friends. New opportunities, new love."

'Fuck. Fuck, shit, god damn it!'

"Know that no matter where you are, or what you're doing… I'm looking upon you. Smiling. Protecting. That's my love for you, Mykah."

My eyes hurt so much. My knees sank to the ground, and I bawled. 

"A mother's love."

…

"Go, my child."

Something in me… snapped. 

'I feel Hot. Weird. I shouldn't be so hot.'

"Run."

One. I'd run one more time. 

"..."

I met her eyes after roughly wiping my tears away. She was crying too. I smiled as I stood up, and…

Tatatatatatata-

I ran. But never again. 

'I'll listen one more time. For you, Mom.'

CRrrrrrRRR!

The semi-transparent wall snapped, and the red pokemon rushed toward me. I turned, my bloodshot eyes meeting its own. 

"Fuck off."

The world slowed down, this time according to my demands. The familiar sensations- the blood rushing slowly through my body, my heart beating like a slow drum in my ears. It was about to grab me, but I shifted slowly, ducking and twisting. 

"Deeeooooooo-"

'A gift, you bastard.'

I nailed it's weird core thing as it slowly moved above me, straining my body to move in the slowed world. It was incredibly fast, but froze the moment my fist began drilling into its core. I let the world speed back up as my head throbbed, and felt my body ache badly. My arm went limp, and I could barely move my shoulder to catch my body. 

Bang!

It recoiled badly from my counter, crashing into the wall in front of me. I continued running as I scrambled to my feet- I couldn't do that again. My working hand touched the medallion- mental strength was more important than stamina at the moment. 

"Cough, cough."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Get out of here… for the rest of us."

The woman who played the piano crushed one of the red blobs with the grand piano from the floor above. The sound was deafening. 

"Cough, cough, cough… Ha…"

'The banquet hall… No, the deck. I need to get to the deck.'

Tatatatatatata-Clack!

The door opened with my weight, the smoke billowing out with me as I rushed onto the deck. It was open, but there was a hole in the rear- 

'I guess I went to the back of the ship.'

"Ha… Ha…"

Tap

The woman with purple hair flew up from the hole. 

'Mom… What happened to her…'

My anger boiled up, and I tried to suppress it. The taste of iron spread across my tongue as I bit it. 

"It's over. You have nowhere else to go."

"..."

"Your mother made a heartfelt speech, but this is the real world."

'I have an entire ship to run around, bitch. Try me-'

I ran into the buzzcut man from earlier as I ran back into the ship. He shoved me back, being much bigger and not phased by the smoke. 

"…Cough!"

'No…!'

I was trapped. 

'I… guess this is the real world. Maybe I can get a cheap shot in on the woman before-'

ZZZZRRRRRROOOOOOOMMMMM

"Huh?"

The sound of a ship drew our attention. We were out in the middle of an ocean- who would drive something that loud and small out here?

"BAAAWWW!"

I instinctively slowed down, looking back. A bird pokemon, a few yards behind me with its claws poised to grab me. 

'Welp-'

The world sped up as I let my panic ease, and my body lurched forward as I was picked up by the bird. I flew over the ocean, the waves now a hundred feet below as my scarf tightened around my neck. 

…I held onto the bird's claws for dear life, forcing my injured arm up. I trusted Burgh's Leavanny, but maybe not that much. I stretched my neck, easing the whiplash from a moment before when a strange feeling came over me.

"Ha… Hahahahahahahaaaaa!"

The thrill of escape flooded over me. I… I got away. 

"Take that, bitch! Real world my ass- ugh, cussing. Gotta stop again."

The wind carried my words and worries away for the moment.