Chapter 5

SALT

That all of our words only mean what's behind them

You can't throw gasoline on a fire

And say you tried to put it out

Pour the salt into the wound

Let the rain wash over you

-The Devil Wears Prada

I

"YOU CAN'T SAVE HER!"

II

The day gradually faded into evening. The spring air enveloped the campsite with a sense of ethereal tranquility. It hung weightless around the camp. The cool breeze gently rustled the leaves.

Emily found herself lost in thoughts about the gym battle and, more importantly, about Erin. Just the mere thought of him brought a smile to her face—his infectious dimples, his unruly curly black hair, his warm brown skin that seemed to emit its own sunlight, and those captivating hazel eyes that drew you in. She couldn't help but wonder how the battle had unfolded. The idea of continuing to travel with Seth and Erin crossed her mind. After dealing with her own past, she contemplated asking Seth if she could join their journey. There was little left for her in this country, but she believed she could at least make a difference and help free the one truly good thing she had encountered: Erin. And hell, perhaps she could sabotage Team Rocket whenever opportunities arose during their travels.

The crackling of the campfire suddenly startled Emily, jolting her back to reality. She realized she had been lost in her own mind. Arctibax stood guard over the camp. The impact of his presence was evident in the dying grass encircling them, now tinged with a delicate layer of frost.

Arcibax had become a formidable force in their fight against Team Rocket. The bond between them was strengthened by their shared disdain for the organization. His deep-seated grudge against the orginzation mirrored her own. He had on more than one occasion used ice fang against them. He would sink his teeth into their jugular, releasing an icy grip that froze their entire neck and in an instant ripped their head from their shoulders. She sat in those peaceful memories. However, she found herself grappling with a profound internal conflict. For years, she had found solace in the companionship of Arctibax and Lairon. The mere thought of reconnecting with people again sent tremors through her core, as she was acutely aware of the relentless hardships and tragedies that this world had inflicted upon others. The question lingered in her mind: Was she truly prepared to expose herself to that anguish once more, to willingly subject herself to the potential for pain and loss?

Above, the sky flickered with distant lightning, illuminating the horizon in brief, electrifying flashes. Emily, deep in thought, sat on the log around the fire, feeling both anchored and apprehensive. The allure of rising from her seat beckoned her, but she hesitated, knowing that once she did, her relentless pursuit of revenge might reach its conclusion. There was a part of her that yearned for closure, to bring an end to the consuming drive that had fueled her existence. Yet, she couldn't deny the fear of facing the unknown, of discovering who she truly was beyond this singular purpose.

Her thoughts drifted back to Devin, the target of her vengeance, that singular purpose. A man of despicable nature, exuded repugnance. His unkempt appearance reflected his twisted soul, with greasy, matted hair that clung to his sweat-stained forehead. Deep-set, cold eyes bore into others with a predatory glare, conveying his predatory nature. A crooked smile, revealing yellowed, decaying teeth, adorned his face like a sinister mask. He reveled in his power, exploiting her vulnerability and manipulating her, leaving scars that ran deeper than the surface.

Emily's heart plummeted as she realized the chilling silence that had enveloped the campsite, shrouding it in an eerie stillness. The once-familiar sounds of Hoothoots and Kricketunes were conspicuously absent, as if nature itself held its breath. Her gaze darted toward her tent where Lairon remained in his Pokéball, sensing the unease that had settled upon the air. "Arctibax, come to me," Emily's voice trembled as she called out, the sound echoing in the unsettling quiet. Her heart pounded in her chest, matching the rhythm of her quickened breaths. Suddenly, without warning, a swift and menacing figure tore through the field, a Scyther hurtling toward Arctibax with lethal intent.

III

"Down!" Emily's voice pierced through the stillness, her cry desperate and urgent. Arctibax, his instincts kicking in, reactedlightning-fast. As Scyther lunged towards Arctibax, its sharp blades whirring through the air, the Pokémon managed to evade a direct hit to its neck by a hair's breadth. However, the blades grazed against the top of Arctibax's dorsal fin, slicing through the thick, protective ice and scales. The sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the air as a deep gash formed, oozing crimson blood flowing on its back. Agonized howls erupted from his mouth, mingling with Emily's gasp of horror as she witnessed the brutal assault.

A sinister voice slithered into the silence. The massive figure of the Pewter City Brute emerged, his imposing presence casting a shadow across the camp. The brute's hulking frame loomed before her. "Wonderful job avoiding that, my dear. Please continue, the fight makes it all the more thrilling," the Brute sneered, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure.

"Arctibax, I need you ready. Are you alright?" Emily called out, concern etched across her face. He stood in front of Emily, his body positioned as a shield, ready to protect her at all costs. His fierce gaze locked onto the Brute's scyther. Its icy breath billowing from his nostrils. With a sudden burst of speed, Scyther launched himself at Arctibax, his blades gleaming in the setting sun. Emily knew he was too slow for scyther, timing and correct move choice was everything. "Dragon Breath, knock it off course!" Emily commanded, her voice laced with urgency. Violet flames erupted from Arctibax's mouth, Scyther quickly avoided the attack and flew higher in the sky. "Now let's slow this fucker down! Icy Wind!" A gust of wind sailed from behind Artibax pumping into Scyther. Coats of ice forming on the insects massive body.

"Enough of this! X-scissor!" The Brute roar. Scyther started flying through the roaring wind.

"You have the speed now! Dragon Claw!" Emily commanded, her voice filled with determination. Arctibax readied himself, his orange claws poised to pierce through Scyther's supposedly sluggish movements. However, to Emily's horror, Scyther's speed seemed to intensify with each passing moment, propelling him forward with unrelenting force. "Fuck, defe…" In a desperate bid to shield his body, Arctibax thrust his claw upward, intercepting Scyther's deadly blades just moments before they reached him. The clash of metal against claw reverberated through the air, and a surge of searing pain coursed through Arctibax's body. Scyther's razor-sharp blades carved a deep gash down the middle of Arctibax's claw down to his elbow, severing the flesh and spraying blood on the frost-covered grass below. But the onslaught did not end there. As Scyther soared past, his relentless momentum continued, it sliced through the back of Arctibax's tail with brutal precision. In an instant, it was severed from his body. The pain engulfed him, and a gut-wrenching roar escaped him.

"Arctibax!" Emily screamed in horror as Scyther turned its attention towards her, its blades dripping with blood, eagerly anticipating its trainer's command. Fear surged through Emily's veins as she realized the imminent danger she was in. Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape this nightmare. The only hope was getting to Lairon. "Arctibax, attack the trainer with Ice Beam!" she commanded, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination.

Arctibax, despite his injuries, summoned his remaining strength and unleashed a powerful stream of ice towards the Brute who stood next to Emily's tent. However, he managed to evade the attack, narrowly avoiding the freezing blast as his massive stomach hit the ground. Emily seized the momentary distraction and began to cautiously creep towards the tent, her heart pounding in her chest.

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Scyther, fueled by its savage instincts, turned its attention back to Arctibax. With astonishing precision, it stabbed its deadly blades into Arctibax's abdomen, lifting him off the ground and slamming him back down with brutal force. The impact vibrated through the air, leaving Emily paralyzed with shock and anguish.

"Scyther, we have to go, knock her out," The Pewter City Brute called out.

Realizing that her only chance of survival lay in reaching in the tent, Emily pushed through the pain and terror, mustering every ounce of strength she had left. But just as she was about to reach the tent, Scyther lunged towards her, ready to strike her with the back of its arm.

Emily braced herself for the impact, closing her eyes tightly, but to her surprise, the strike never came. She cautiously opened her eyes to witness Arctibax, his jaws clamped down on one of Scyther's arms, blood flowing from the wound and freezing around his mouth. Arcibax's intestines dangled from the gash in his stomach. The agonizing screams of the wounded Scyther filled the air as Arctibax's grip tightened, locking the arm away from Emily.

Scyther retaliated with a savage display of brutality. Using its free arm, it sliced the top half of Arctibax's skull clean off, blood splattering onto Emily's trembling form. A mix of shock, horror, and overwhelming grief flooding her senses. Tears streamed down Emily's face as she witnessed the sacrifice Arctibax had made to protect her. Not wanting to waste the moment Emily lunged towards the tent. But before she could reach it, the Brute's hand closed around her chestnut hair, yanking her forcefully to the ground. A mixture of fear and pain gripped her, and she began to scream, her voice echoing through the desolate campsite. "Stop! Please, stop!" she pleaded.

With a sadistic grin, the Brute produced a small vial of powdery substance from his pocket. Without hesitation, he sprinkled it onto Emily, and as it settled upon her, the world around her began to warp and twist. Her screams were silenced, swallowed by the darkness that enveloped her. She felt a suffocating sense of dread, as if being dragged into a deep abyss. The last thing she saw before succumbing to sleep was the twisted smirk on the Brute's face, his eyes gleaming with malevolence, and a bird in the sky. "Seth…", and in that moment, everything faded to black.

IV

Sarah's haunting words pierced through Seth's resolve, sending shivers down his spine. The twisted contortion of her mouth, coupled with her lifeless, vacant eyes, struck a chord of fear deep within him. The decaying wound on Sarah's neck seemed to grow before his very eyes, the putrid flesh consuming more of her throat with each passing moment. He clenched his fists, trying to steady himself, but the terror was overwhelming. "Shut up!" Seth whispered through gritted teeth, not wanting to disturb Erin who lay peacefully asleep nearby. Vulpix began sniffing Arctibax's skull. He knew he couldn't let Sarah's presence consume him, couldn't let her tormenting words unravel him. But as he attempted to turn his head and walk toward Erin, Sarah materialized right before his eyes.

Her scream reverberated through the room. "You can't save her!" Sarah's voice echoed with a ghastly resonance, the words lingering in the air like a sinister omen. Seth's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. He was torn between protecting Erin or saving Emily. He glanced at Erin, peacefully asleep. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: he could leave, go after Emily, and return before morning. But as he looked back at Sarah's lifeless naked body, her vacant eyes resembling the night he found her. But now she wore a twisted smile mocking him.

"No, I can't do this. It's too risky," Seth whispered, his voice barely audible in the suffocating silence of the room. Statavia looking up at him, clearly concerned.

"YOU CAN'T SAVE HER!" Sarah's voice sliced through the air, piercing his thoughts. Despite Seth's internal conflict, there was an underlying truth that gnawed at him—an unspoken selfishness that he detested. The relentless hallucinations, the voices that tormented his mind, were becoming unbearable. The mere thought of adding Emily's apparition to the haunting chorus of his imagination filled him with terror.

Seeking answers Seth turned to Staravia. "Did you see what happened to her?" Seth inquired, his voice laced with both fear and desperation.

Staravia nodded.

"Is she dead?" Seth's voice trembled with apprehension.

Staravia shook its head.

"Can you take me to where she is?"

Staravia nodded.

As Seth made his decision, a mix of guilt and self-preservation washed over him. He hated himself for it, but he couldn't bear the thought of subjecting himself to more hallucinations, more torment. He couldn't risk his own sanity, especially with Erin relying on him. Turning to Vulpix, he spoke with a soft, yet resolute tone, "Vulpix, you stay here and watch over Erin. Protect him at all costs. If anyone other than me or Emily opens that door, incinerate them." Vulpix's fiery eyes met his. Seth knew he couldn't leave Erin completely defenseless, and so he placed Torterra's Pokéball on the table. "This is just a contingency plan in case. Please, do something with Arctibax."

With a heavy heart, Seth returned to Staravia, the burst of red light engulfing the room. As he stepped into the hotel hallway, he was greeted by a blinding flash of lightning, illuminating the dark corridor. Illuminating Sarah at the end of the hall. Seth muttered to himself,"If everything I said was true then why am I, why am I still paralyzed?"

V

Emily's eyes shot open, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled against the confines of the leather straps that bound her hands. Slowly, she realized that she was suspended in the air, her body lifted by a chain, and her feet barely touching the ground with the tips of her toes. Fear constricted her throat as she mustered the courage to speak, her voice trembling with dread. "What... what's happening?" Emily managed to utter, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and terror.

A deep, rumbling voice reverberated through the cavernous space of the empty warehouse. "Ah, good. You're awake," it thundered, causing Emily to jerk. "As you can see, we're in a rather remote location. Feel free to scream, my dear. It won't bother me in the slightest." Reality crashed down upon Emily like a relentless wave, flooding her senses with horror. Her eyes darted across the room, settling on a chilling tableau that froze her blood. There, upon a cold, steel table, lay the lifeless body of a young woman. It was Brain's sister, Rachel. Naked, her limbs were conspicuously absent, replaced by pools of blood staining the surface beneath her. Emily's gaze then shifted, her heart sinking with each passing second, as she noticed the grotesque inch-wide gap in Rachel's neck, a horrifying void that separated her head from her body.

Across from Rachel, a man was suspended, his unconscious or lifeless form dangling in a twisted arrangement. His head hung limply, adding to the grim atmosphere that permeated the space. Chains rattled faintly, their echoes blending with the distant sounds of dripping water, creating an eerie symphony of despair. In the dimly lit expanse of the warehouse. The air hung heavy with a musty odor, as if a weight had settled within these desolate confines. Broken windows, cracked and smeared with dirt, allowed slivers of light from the storm to cast eerie beams that punctuated the dimmly lit space. Amidst the eerie silence, a chilling gust of wind whispered through the cracks, carrying with it a haunting lament that seemed to echo through the very soul of the warehouse.

Emily's voice trembled with fear as she mustered the strength to speak up. "What... What do you plan to do with me, fucker?" she demanded, her voice laced with a fragile toughness that barely concealed her terror.

The Brute turned his attention toward Emily, a sinister smile playing upon his twisted lips. He chuckled darkly, relishing in the atmosphere of dread he had carefully cultivated. "Oh, my dear, you will soon find out," he replied, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. Emily's eyes widened in disbelief, horror washing over her like a tsunami. Her gaze darted to the table next to him that held a severed leg. The Brute, picked up and sunk his teeth into it tearing into the seared flesh with a voracious appetite. The sound of crunching and slurping ran through the desolate warehouse, chilling Emily to the core.

Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze shifted to Scyther. The creature, had sunk into Rachel's remaining arm, ripping and tearing at the pale, lifeless flesh. The sickening sight of blood and tissue being devoured before her eyes made bile rise in Emily's throat, her tough façade crumbling in the face of this gruesome reality. The illusion of toughness shattered as Emily's stomach churned in disgust, unable to bear witness to the grotesque scene before her any longer. Her face twisted in horror, she gagged and retched, her body convulsing involuntarily. "Fucking shit!" Emily gasped, her voice trembling with a mix of revulsion and despair. "Please, Seth," she whispered through choked sobs, her voice barely audible amidst the grim sounds of the warehouse. "Please find me." The sounds of Scyther's and the Brute's feast flooded and surrounded her.

VI

The thunder continued to rumble ominously overhead, its echoes blending with the relentless downpour soaking Seth to the bone. He stood there, his gaze fixed upon the scattered remains of Arctibax strewn across the rain-soaked ground. The sky crackled with another burst of lightning, illuminating the darkened landscape, Seth's attention was drawn to the small tent nestled amidst the storm. With a sense of urgency, he approached the tent and swiftly unzipped the front flap, revealing Emily's abandoned sleeping bag and a lone Pokéball resting on the fabric.

Releasing the Pokéball, Seth called forth Lairon, who materialized before him, his steel frame reflecting the relentless rain. Lairon's eyes bore a mix of confusion and concern, sensing the absence of his trainer and the urgency in Seth's voice. Seth locked eyes with her Pokémon,. "Emily has been taken," he explained. "Will you help me save her?" Lairon nodded his head in understanding. Seth gently returned Lairon back to the Pokéball.

With a deep breath, Seth released Staravia into the stormy night, the Pokémon spreading its wings and taking to the tempestuous sky. Raindrops cascaded off its feathers as it stood before Seth, its keen eyes focused on him, awaiting his command. "Alright, Staravia," Seth spoke. "Show me where she is."

As the rain continued to pour down, mingling with Seth's unyielding resolve, Staravia soared into the ink-black night, guiding Seth through the tumultuous storm towards the unknown depths where Emily's life hung in the balance.