DPA: Rivals

Chapter 5: Oh The Webs We Weave!

Shattered glass flew in every direction as monitoring equipment blared deafeningly. The creature stepped out of the chamber in which it had been formed, furious. The beast of a Pokémon closed its eyes, focusing its psychic energy, while scientists scrambled, desperate to get as far away from their creation as physically possible.

Mewtwo opened its eyes, releasing a wave of psychic energy that tore throughout Cinnabar Mansion, shattering the very foundation on which it stood. The entire building collapsed into nothing but dust and rubble in less than a second.

The newly formed Pokémon climbed out from under a piece of fallen infrastructure, looked at the damage that it had caused, and flew away, indifferent.

"Ugh!" Daryon groaned, tearing off a sticky piece of webbing from his face. "Gross."

The Weedle, who had mischievously shot its String Shot at the new trainer without warning, was in the midst of a battle with Cameron. This would be Cameron's first catch as a Pokémon trainer, and something about the Hairy Bug Pokémon fascinated him.

Mudkip fired off a Water Gun on Cameron's orders, which sent the opposing Bug Pokémon flying back a few feet, before Weedle responded in turn with another String Shot, entangling Mudkip in a web of sticky, organic material.

Weedle, preparing to follow up with a Poison Sting, charged head first directly at Mudkip, the poisonous tip of its head filled with a toxic substance. Cameron, analyzing the situation and thinking on his feet, smiled. "Mudkip, move a step to the right!"

Mudkip followed suit, allowing Weedle's horn to just miss the Water type's body, cutting through the webbing and freeing it from its captivity.

The Weedle, apparently taken off guard, was unable to dodge the Tackle that followed, and took the full force of the attack.

Cameron threw a Pokéball, which engulfed Weedle in glowing white light, as Pokéballs do. Three wiggles and a click signified Weedle had successfully been captured.

Cameron smiled, patting an exhausted Mudkip on the head as he picked up the Pokéball off the ground. Contained inside this small sphere was a new friend, the second one today, and the first that he actually felt like he earned.

The boys had encountered the wild Weedle on their way back from Viridian City. Cameron hadn't thought much of the city, it felt deserted, quiet, a little scummy. An old man had passed out in the middle of the road. The biggest building in the city, which appeared to be a Pokémon Gym, seemed to be straight-up abandoned. Some jerk had bumped into Daryon, and instead of apologizing, simply told Daryon he'd "Smell him later," whatever that meant.

The whole city felt very shady and Cameron was just happy to be out of the place.

"Hey Cameron?" Daryon said, forcing Cameron out of his thoughts and back to the real world.

"What is it?"

"I bet I can beat you back to Professor Oak's lab." Daryon challenged Cameron, a cocky smile forming on his face.

"Considering you've gained some weight from all those Poffins, I'd say I have the advantage," Cameron quipped, putting his glasses in his case. "But I'll accept your challenge."

"One day I'll get you back for that," Daryon jokes. "Ready?"

"Ready."