Chapter 8, Part 6 - Leap of Faith

36 5 1
                                    

"...Is it over?" Trevor whispered as the flames left by the trio's final gambit finally began to fizzle out. Neither Aiden, Rin, nor anyone in the surrounding crowd dared make even the slightest utterance while waiting for any sign of Jett from within the mounds of thick smoke that erupted before them. For an entire minute, no sign of the Scizor could be seen or heard. Aiden allowed herself to release a sigh of relief.

"I think that did it..."

No sooner had Aiden uttered this naively hopeful statement when Jett staggered from the pillar of smoke, her once polished armor now covered in a layer of soot and scratches. The crowd gave a sharp gasp, then erupted into a sea of cheers upon seeing their hero's triumphant return. Jett, by contrast, wore an intense glare as she slowly rose to her feet.

"How... how are you still standing?!" Trevor shouted in horrified frustration.

The Scizor offered no response, instead continuing to bore a hole into Team Spirit with her piercing stare. "Well played," she stated bitterly, "Very well played. I was complacent for but a mere couple of seconds, and you three manage to turn the tides drastically. I can see how you managed to survive for so long; your persistence is admirable, I grant you that."

From the charred remains of her incinerated sash emerged a small, rainbow-colored stone which glittered brilliantly as Jett held it into the air. Several members of the crowd began to clamor excitedly.

"Alas, it's all for nothing. I can see now: I can't give you any opportunities to gain the upper hand. You three must be dealt with quickly and efficiently."

Both the rainbow stone as well as Jett's body became infused in light, the trio watching in horror as the Scizor's body began to rapidly morph. Her already huge pincers grew in size and grew fangs sharp enough to bite through steel as if it were a clump of sand. Even as her body remained enveloped in light, Trevor could see her body gaining in height as her already tough armor gained in mass and fortitude. Before long, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of applause and cheers as Jett stood confidently once more, her armor now transformed, her yellow eyes now a bright shade of blue. The Scizor exhaled a burst of steam with a drawn-out hiss, then turned to face the crumpled and weakened trio who lay before them.

The crowd gasped, then fell into complete silence as Jett aimed her new, chainsaw-shaped pincer straight between Trevor's eyes, the mere sight of the hulking monstrosity enough to tense up the ends of his fur. Both Rin and Aiden tried everything they could, despite their severely wounded states, to redirect her arm to no avail. A familiar hum rang in the air, rapidly increasing in pitch and loudness at twice the speed as before, until the Scizor was finally ready to fire a Signal Beam boasting triple the power from before. Trevor, injured and helpless, could stare pleadingly towards Jett's determined, cold eyes amidst the sea of haze which steadily began to envelop him...

"STOP!"

Trevor's vision rapidly regained focus to see the tiny, bright pink body which just swiftly wedged itself between Trevor's body and Jett's charged pincer, the fuzzy ball atop its giant, blue cap trembling violently. Holding his arms outwards with a desperate, pleading expression, the Mime Jr. tearfully stared directly into Jett's surprised eyes before shouting in a squeaky voice, "I can't take this anymore! Team Spirit's the only reason I'm alive, they're good guys! Please... please don't kill them!"

"W-wha?! Sunny, get out of here!" Aiden exclaimed in a panicked voice, much to Jett's mild surprise, "It's dangerous here!"

"Listen to her. Step aside," Jett stated flatly, "Your parents must be worried sick about you. Just leave this situation to the adults."

Sunny refused to budge, only seeming to increase in conviction over time. "I thought that the police were only supposed to arrest Pokémon that do bad things! What kind of protector are you?!"

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rising SpiritsWhere stories live. Discover now