Precipice

Precipice

I run into the black night, the wind and rain pounding on my exposed skin like thousands of tiny ice-cold fists. I run through a forest, surrounded by trees on all sides. The pounding of the rain is all I can hear.
The dead face of the Mr Mime is starting to wrinkle and tear from the weather. I stop for a second beneath a tree, breathing hard, and reach up to the Pokémon’s face.
I get my fingers around the torn edges of the skin; feel the serrations from the knife I used to tear it off just hours before. I pull.
The black goo has hardened into a strange kind of glue. It burns like a bitch as I pull. My skin is being pulled tightly, stretched, almost torn…
I scream in pain as the dead flesh finally comes away from my own. The goo feels disgusting. Hopefully the rain will wash that shit off me.
I throw the dead Pokémon’s face away into the undergrowth. What the fuck am I going to do?
A heavy rustling in the bushes near me. A man bursts out, running frantically. He stops a few metres away, looking back behind him, out of breath. I’m hidden in the shadows, about to step out and help him.
A Shinx crashes through the undergrowth where he came from and stops. It glares at him, eyes burning red with foul hatred. A small static shock flickers on its wet blue fur for a second.
The man’s words are drowned out by the thundering rain. His mouth seems to bellow as he backs away from the beast, trying to put some distance between them. His hand goes into a back pocket. My heart’s in my mouth. I want to scream at him, warn him, say something to him. Please, don’t do what I think you’re going to…
He pulls out a Pokéball. Throws it on the ground.
A Bidoof erupts from the tiny red and white prison. It sniffs the air for a moment, sensing blood. It locks eyes with the Shinx. The two seem to be… grinning? There is amusement in those red eyes.
The man points forward, shouting. He seems to be willing his Pokémon to attack the wild creature.
The Bidoof turns to his master. I can’t see what look it has, but there is confusion on the human’s face.
It rushes forward and sinks its huge beaver-like teeth into the man’s ankle. He screams so loudly I can hear him over the rain. His arms flail wildly as he falls to the ground, kicking at the mouth of the chewing Bidoof.
The Shinx jumps onto the man’s chest. A brief flash of electricity shocks the man, who starts shaking uncontrollably.
The Bidoof pulls its head sharply to one side and spits the man’s foot onto the floor. Blood pools out, mixing with the falling rain and drenched grass, lost in the darkness.
The Bidoof hops away from the man as the Shinx sinks its claws into the writhing human’s face and charges up.
It releases a huge burst of lightening right into his face. The man gives a final twitch and stops moving.
The Bidoof picks up the severed foot and runs off into the undergrowth. The Shinx follows it, glee etched into its face.
I step out from my shadows and run to the fallen man.
His eyes are shut, burns visible around the claw marks in his cheeks.
He reaches out for me, one bloodshot eye opening. He tries to speak but blood dribbles down his chin.
There’s nothing I can do for him. I keep moving.
I run into the black night, the wind and rain pounding on my exposed skin like thousands of tiny ice-cold fists. I run through a forest, surrounded by trees on all sides. The pounding of the rain is all I can hear.
A sign ahead of me reads, PASTORIA CITY AHEAD.
The night swallows me.

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