EDIT: Fixed. Thank you very much for volunteering to edit, dutch. Fhfjs all of your guys here are so nice <333
"...Melody's alright?"
"Yes, she's fine..."
Melody could hear blips and pieces of a conversation she presumed was going on by her, but she was too tired to lift her eyelids to see who the people talking were. She shifted in her hospital bed, and fell back asleep...
+
The young Mudkip woke to a tremendous rumbling noise. She shot up in bed, tremors coming from an unknown source making her and the other objects in her room rock back and forth violently. The power shut down, immediately enveloping the place in semi-darkness. As the shaking subsided, Melody heard someone shout, "It's the Bounty Hunters! They're here! Run, Chansey, run!"
At these words, she felt cold terror seize her heart. They're here, they're here! They're going to take us all! And, and, I'm a fugitive, so if they catch me... my punishment will be worse than the others! she screamed to herself. I need to go NOW! She pulled herself off of the IV drip, leaped out of bed, and entered the total chaos unfolding in the infirmary hallway.
There were Bounty Hunters and Bounty Hunting Machines everywhere. Many were simply searching the rooms for any gijinkas hiding, but there were others that were battling it out with the gijinkas themselves. From what Melody observed, the Bounty Hunters had developed a more advanced machine that was far more immune to Pokemon attacks than previous models. Dammit, dammit all! she cursed. Why now? I haven't even gotten the chance to deliver Sheek's message!
"Hey! Look! It's that Mudkip girl that's wanted for capture! If we catch her, we'll get a nice reward!"
Melody spun around, facing three Bounty Hunters gaping at her. She did not hesitate to take action. "Mud Shot!" she screeched, blasting them down the corridor. She began running, taking out a machine in the way, desperate to find a way out into the main arena. If only Hon was there with her... She'd be less panicked...
As she scrambled through winding hallway after winding hallway, her sense of hopelessness grew. She was scared, most likely lost, and alone. A single tear dripped down her cheek as her feet thundered against the tiled floors. I'm never going to make it out, she thought. I'll never see my friends again. I should just give up and let the Bounty Hunters find me and take me away... I won't be too missed...
"Mach Punch!" The sudden shout startled Melody. As she rounded the bend in the hall, she witnessed Breloom fighting a wave of robots. It was a losing battle. The other gijinka did not have a move that would wipe out many of the enemies at the same time. She would be captured... unless... "Breloom!" Melody yelled. "Move over! Hydro Pump!"
The rival-turned-ally threw herself out of the way just as the roaring wave of water swept down the corridor, carrying most of the machines with it. Breloom glanced over at Melody, then at the remaining foes. A smile spread across her face. "Want to team up for a second to get rid of these chunks of metal?" she asked.
"Don't ask! Just do it!" came the response.
"Iron Tail!" Breloom commanded. Her tail hardened, and it was firm enough to rip apart several machines at once. Melody used Ice Beam to freeze up the rest. "They'll defrost after a while," she told her new friend, "but it should be a bit before that happens."
As they surveyed the damage, Breloom said, "I want to ask you something, Miss Melody."
"What?"
"Have you seen Mr. Stantler? He disappeared just before the Bounty Hunters arrived, saying something about how he was going to fight a Luxray... I'm worried... he seems so rash..." she murmured, looking to the floor.
Melody frowned. "He was going to fight Lux...? I wonder why. Hm... No, I haven't seen him at all... But don't lose heart. He dealt me some pretty heavy damage back in that arena, so I think it's safe to say he's able to hold his own," she replied. Her words of encouragement seemed to work, and Breloom nodded. She uttered a word of thanks, and went ahead down the hall.
The other gijinka's concern about her friend made Melody remember that she had to find someone too. If this was her last chance to tell Sheek's message, then she had to deliver it to the person she trusted most. She started down the corridor again, screaming, "Hon!" every few steps.
Her intuition told her she was getting rather close to the door that led to the arena. She picked up her pace and called out Hon's name a little louder. The sounds of battle were becoming more distinct... She was close! She just had to navigate her way around a couple of more corners, and she would be able to meet up with the others. "Hon!" she shrieked. "Hon, it's Melody! Can you hear me?! H-"
Out of nowhere, a hand clamped itself around Melody's mouth, silencing her. As she was jerked back into a shadowy alcove, her hopes of making it out without being caught were now dashed. Her captor removed their palm from her face and spun her around, bringing her face to face with them. Melody's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the person. His messy, brunette, shoulder-length hair framed his fair face, which was bright with joy. He quickly adjusted his glasses, placed in front of icy blue eyes. He was just as she remembered him.
"Oh, Melody, it's you! My dearest Mudkip! My prized experiment! Melody, Melody, lovely Melody, I cannot believe I have caught you before the others! I would have been so angry if they laid their inexperienced hands on you! I never thought I would see you again, Melody!" he exclaimed, leaning down and pulling her into a crushing embrace. Melody leaned her head against the scientist's shoulder, still shocked to the core. His lab-coat smelled faintly of water lilies.
"A-Andreas?" she managed to get out.
Continue?
Melody.
---
Now, in order for all of this to be explained, I need someone to do... something. Get involved somehow. But don't rescue Melody. No, not yet...
