Pokèmon: Blood Red

Daddy's Girl

Jaden and Kaylee leapt to their feet, followed by Blaziken, Melanie, and her mother. Courtney

rose slowly yet casually, focused on the nozzle of the trembling gun. Blaziken's flames began to flicker as

he readied himself to attack, but Jaden signaled him to stay back; he feared any sudden movement could

trigger Arthur.

"Dad!" Melanie shouted in a mix of surprise and disbelief. She began to step forward, but

witheld in fear for Wally's life.

"Arthur," his wife urged angrily, shifting back a step,

"stop this NOW." Arthur ignored his family's

voices, glaring intently at Wally, who stared back down the threatening barrel of the pistol in terror.

Their shadows flickered and danced across the cave walls, illuminated by the weakening fire. Their

bodies stood rigidly still.

"I'm not going to let you touch my family," Arthur said coldly, though unconfidently,

"and I

won't let you touch my daughter." He tightened his grip on the pistol. Wally couldn't speak. He

twitched slightly, sensing a small cough forming. He tried his best to suppress it.

"He's not infected," Kaylee pleaded.

"If he was," Jaden added cautiously, "then he would've turned already. Into one of those, that

is...." He thought back to Bryan's terrible fate, and cringed slightly. Wally held his breath, his face

beginning to distort in an effort to restrain from letting out a cough.

"Then what about all that blood on his shirt‐" Arthur began.

"It's not his, you idiot," Courtney snapped rather brashly, almost confusing Arthur in her

boldness. Kaylee shot a look of concern towards her, worried she'd agitate his trigger finger. "If it was

his blood, then his clothes would be soaked in it. It's someone elses..." Her eyes shifted in Wally's

direction solemly. Arthur said nothing. Her eyes snapped back at Arthur. "What the HE‐" she paused, acknowledging the younger presence, "what is WRONG with you? You're a grown man pointing a loaded

gun at a CHILD! Why don't you put down the gun down, and be the man i'm sure your wife fell in love with!"

The cave fell silent, the heavy breaths of its inhabitants thickening the atmosphere within. Arthur's face

suddenly deadened, dropping his tensed up expression.

"Sorry to tell you," he said coldly,

"but i'm pretty sure ethics flew out the window when people

and pokémon started eating each other." He cocked back his pistol, the loud snap echoing through

the cave. Nobody moved, each of their heartbeats pounding in discord, and sweat beginning to formulate on their brows. Wally couldn't hold on any longer; his lungs were ready to burst into flames.

He let go, emmited a violent cough, lurching forward suddenly. Arthur immediately pulled the

trigger, jumping back a half‐step.
"DAD!"