Chapter 4: Vs Arbok

"You are foolisssh, little Eevee." Orochi hissed, his eyes narrowed in rage. "You will pay greatly for attacking me. Apologizzze and I ssshall make it quick. Refussse and you will sssuffer a long and painful death. Choossse your anssswer wisssely, little Eevee."

"How about neither? You just leave!" Hikari cried.

"Wrong anssswer, little Eevee," Orochi hissed. "If you won't choossse, then I will choossse for you. A long and painful death!"

Hikari screamed as the Poison-type dove toward her, dashing away as fast as her paws could carry her. The Arbok's tail slammed into the ground in front of her, cutting off her escape route. Hikari ran in a different direction, only to be stopped by Orochi's tail again. Suddenly, his whole body was around her. She jumped up, only to be snagged between two heavily-muscled coils. She was trapped.

A third coil wrapped around her neck, beginning to squeeze. The Eevee gasped, her breathing becoming ragged as her windpipe was constricted. Orochi rose above her, his hood spreading wider as he smiled maliciously. He opened his mouth, a thin wisp of black smoke rising from his jaws.

"Sssay goodbye, little Eevee," Orochi hissed.

"Ho…Honey! He…Help!" Hikari wheezed, barely able to breathe.

The Buneary slowly looked up and gasped. "Hikari!" she cried.

"Now die!" Orochi hissed, his fang glowing bright red. "Fire Fa—"

"Pound!" Honey yelled, ramming into Orochi's coils as hard as she could.

Orochi yelped, the pain of the attack throwing his strike off mark. Instead of hitting Hikari, his glowing fangs imbedded themselves in his own coils! Screeching in agony, he uncurled and writhed in agony as steam erupted from the bite. Hikari broke free, joining Honey a short distance from the Arbok.

"Thanks, Honey!" Hikari said.

"Whatever," Honey shrugged. "I still think you're a thief. This doesn't change anything between us. We still have to finish our fight after we beat this guy."

"You actually think we can win?" Hikari asked.

"I hope we can or we'll end up as snake food!" Honey replied.

Hikari just stared at the Buneary in shock. I can't believe I actually thought she really meant that we could beat him, she thought.

"Grrrr! You little…pessstsss!" Orochi shouted. "You're not even worth making a meal of anymore! I'll rip you both to ssshredsss ssso tiny, not even the Ssskorupi will eat them!"

"Well, that's better than being eaten." Honey commented. "Too bad your plan won't work. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Me either!" Hikari cried. "We'll defeat you!"

"You? Defeat me?" Orochi laughed. "You little onesss are delusssional! You are a pair of young Normal-typesss that are most likely not even at Level 15 yet. I am a Level 20 Poissson-type. You ssstand no chanccce, bratsss!"

"You won't know until you try." Honey said.

"Then you will die trying!" Orochi hissed. "Take thisss! Acccid!"

"Run!" Honey shouted, quickly dashing away.

The Eevee followed Honey's example, racing in the other direction. Orochi spat out dark green sludge that hissed and steamed the moment it touched the ground. Hikari did her best to avoid it, knowing how dangerous Acid could be if it got on her. The Arbok soon ceased his attack, panting for breath.

"Sand-Attack!" Hikari cried, kicking sand at the purple serpent.

Orochi smirked as a cloud of sand consumed him. Hikari and Honey cheered, only to stare in shock as the sand cleared. Orochi was gone. All that remained was a hole in the ground.

"Maybe he left," Hikari suggested.

"I doubt it." Honey growled, looking around. "He's just hiding. Be care—"

The Buneary never got to finish her sentence. The ground suddenly exploded beneath her as the Arbok attacked, her fangs closing around her chest as an icy mist erupted from his jaws. Honey screamed, trying to tear loose as Orochi slithered out of the hole.

"Let her go!" Hikari demanded.

"Gladly!" Orochi tossed Honey, watching in delight as she collided with the Eevee.

"Honey! Are you okay?" Hikari asked.

"I think so. Ow!" Honey clutched her left side, shivering.

"Here, let me see," the Eevee said, pushing away the Buneary's paw.

Blood dripped from the shallow puncture wounds, but that's not what frightened Hikari. It was the ice clinging to the fur surrounding the wound. The ice was slowly spreading, intent on swallowing Honey whole and freezing her. The Eevee glared at Orochi.

"Enjoy a tassste of my Iccce Fang, little Buneary? Cool, isssn't it?" The Arbok laughed at his little joke.

Suddenly remembering what Lola told her about status ailments, Hikari dragged her pack over and grabbed a Heal Seed. Honey devoured it and the ice melted, becoming a puddle at the Buneary's feet. Honey stood up, ready to fight again.

"Up again ssso sssoon, little Buneary?" Orochi asked. "It would've been better if you had jussst remained on the ground."

"I don't know why Lickilicky may have made a deal like that with you, but I won't stand by and watch my friends and family disappear because of you!" Honey cried. "Once I'm done beating you up, I'm getting answers from Lickilicky, even if it means being exiled. How can he be the village guardian if he treats us like we can be replaced?"

"That isss how he viewsss you and your little village, little Buneary," Orochi said. "He only ssseesss the money and not the individual Pokemon. You mean nothing to him. You are sssimply hisss way of living a life of luxxxury. If you die, he'll just find othersss to sssupply him with the lossst money."

"You're wrong! Lickilicky cares about us!" Honey argued.

"Doesss he really?" Orochi countered. "Did he care when he exxxiled villagersss for ssstanding up to him? Did he care when the villagersss fell ill and couldn't afford doctorsss? Did he care when young Pokemon were dying in the ssstreetsss due to ssstarvation? I think not."

"No," Honey whispered. "You're…"

"Acccccept it, little Buneary. Life out here is harsssh. You are either a tool or a massster." Orochi said. "Lickilicky is the massster here. You and your fellow villagersss are toolsss. Even my gang and I are toolsss. That is the cccycle of thisss world. You are either the predator or the prey, the hunter or the hunted, the massster or the tool, whatever elssse comesss to your mind."

"I don't care!" Honey cried. "If we're so valuable because of our money, why does he exile us?"

"Why have toolsss that turn againssst their wielder?" Orochi replied. "Disssobedient toolsss can alwaysss be replaccced. Better sssafe than sssorry."

"Disobedient? Lickilicky's the one abusing us for our money! He's selling us out like Grumpig to slaughter!" Honey cried. "I'll make him regret treating us this way! After all we did for him, too!"

"You were foolsss," Orochi hissed. "Onccce a bounty hunter, alwaysss a bounty hunter. An Electabuzzzzz cannot change itsss ssstripesss, after all. Money isss all thossse bounty huntersss sssee. The livesss of othersss mean nothing to them."

"I'll know the truth when I confront Lickilicky." Honey said. "But first, I'll take you down and make sure you never come back to our village!"

"Try it, little Buneary," Orochi dared. "But I will make mealsss of you both yet!"

"Hikari, let's beat him together." Honey suggested.

"Sure! Let's do this!" the Eevee nodded.

"Take thisss! Bite!" Orochi hissed, launching himself at Hikari.

"Sand-Attack!" Hikari kicked sand into the Arbok's face, making him break off of his attack and shake his head wildly.

"Fire Punch!" Honey cried, slamming her flaming fist into the Poison-type's underbelly.

Orochi screamed in pain, slithering backward and curling into a ball. He hissed in pain as his scales burnt, tears springing to his eyes. "Curssse you, bratsss!" he hissed, forked tongue flicking out.

"Give up yet?" Honey growled.

"Yesss," Orochi nodded. "I'll leave!"

"And don't ever come back!" Honey barked.

A loud scream suddenly pierced the air, causing both Normal-types to whirl around. The six Ekans quickly slithered past, all of them covered in black soot. Orochi quickly joined them as they fled to the desert, leaving Sabaku Village far behind them.

"What was that?" Hikari asked.

"Mom!" Honey cried, dashing back toward the village center.

The pair reached the village square and shoved past a few villagers, reaching the center. Honey's parents were there, Trevor clutching his wife's limp body in his arms. Honey darted forward, eyes filled with tears. Lola was…dead.

"Lola… No…" Hikari whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"What's going on out here?" a loud voice boomed. "I'm trying to take a nap and I wake up to screaming!"

The crowd parted as Lickilicky, Sabaku Village's guardian, made his way into the square. Honey glared at him, Orochi's words echoing in her head. Hikari stared at him in fear. Trevor didn't respond, crying as he held Lola's body.

"Well? What happened?" Lickilicky bellowed.

"That Arbok and his Ekans gang came back!" Honey snapped. "You promised that they were gone for good!"

"Honey, that's enough!" Trevor cried.

"Arbok? Promise?" Lickilicky repeated. "I don't remember that."

"Probably because you were sleeping, you fat piece of—"

"Honey!" Trevor shouted.

"You should listen to your father, little one." Lickilicky commented. "Don't blame me for this. It's your own fault for not knowing better. You think a simple promise would stop them? They're criminals. It's what they do."

"Then why don't you stop them?" Honey demanded.

"It's pointless, that's why." Lickilicky replied. "I can't protect you from every little threat. You have to defend yourselves sometimes, too!"

"You fat shallot! I'll—" Honey snarled, stomping forward.

"Honey, stop! It's not worth it!" Hikari cried, pushing the angry Buneary back.

Lickilicky froze, his mouth wide open as he noticed the scar on Hikari's paw. "An exile," he said. "Who let an exile into the village?"

"Wha—oh no!" Hikari yelped, pressing her scarred paw to her chest.

"You're a…?" Honey looked at the Eevee in shock.

"Well? Who did it?" Lickilicky shouted. "Step forward now or I'll exile everyone in this village!"

Trevor struggled to speak but nobody could hear him over the roaring of the crowd. "I…I…"

"Dad," Honey whimpered. Then she remembered when her parents had first returned from the desert that morning.

Honey bounded up to her parents, pleased to see them back. She suddenly halted, spotting a bundle of brown fur in her mother's arms. "Mom?" she asked.

"I found her in the desert," Lola replied. "I couldn't leave her. She's just a child."

"But she's a—" Trevor argued, only to be cut off by his wife.

"I don't care!" Lola snapped.

Trevor sighed and followed Lola back toward their tent. Honey was certain she saw an X-shaped scar on the bundle's left front paw but deemed it her imagination.

"Somebody step forward!" Lickilicky yelled, growing impatient. "I'll give them to the count of five! One…two…"

I can't let dad get exiled, Honey thought.

Then she remembered what she had told Orochi. She'd get answers from Lickilicky, even if it meant being exiled. Her mother was dead and her brother was probably dead in a ditch somewhere in the world. Her father's business meant everything to him. To lose that would be to lose his very soul.

"Three…four…fi—"

"I did!" Honey shouted.

"Honey, no!" Trevor cried.

"You let the exile into our village, little one?" Lickilicky asked.

"Yes," Honey nodded.

"You know what the punishment for doing that is, right?" Lickilicky continued. "You will be exiled as well. Are you certain you're not covering for somebody else?"

"I'm certain," Honey said.

"Honey! Lickilicky, please! She's lying!" Trevor pleaded. "I'm the one who did it, not her!"

"Dad, don't try to protect me! Mom's dead and if you leave, I may as well be dead." Honey snapped. "I'll take responsibility for my own actions, dad. That's what you always wanted from me, right? Well, now you're getting it."

"Very bold for a child," Lickilicky said. "But regardless, your punishment must be carried out! Houndoom!"

The devil dog seated nearby Lickilicky pounced, pinning Honey to the ground. Lifting a paw, he slashed it across her left paw. Trevor jumped up, attempting to stop him but the Fire-type tossed him aside with one kick. Honey screamed in pain.

"Lickilicky, I beg of you! Stop!" Trevor cried.

"Stop complaining! This is for the good of the village!" Lickilicky said firmly. "Do you want to join her?"

"Dad, stop! I can handle this!" Honey yelled.

"Honey," Trevor whispered, fresh tears running down his cheeks.

A second swipe of Houndoom's paw and the familiar X-shaped scar appeared on Honey's paw. Leaping away, the Fire-type licked his claws clean and returned to Lickilicky's side. Lickilicky smiled.

"Now then, you will both leave the village immediately!" Lickilicky demanded. "Nobody is allowed to speak to or assist these two exiles in any shape or form! Understood?"

"UNDERSTOOD!" the villagers cried.

"…Understood," Trevor whimpered.

The crowd parted, going back to their tents or huts. Lickilicky smirked, headed back to his own home with Houndoom in tow. Trevor said a quiet goodbye and left, taking Lola's body with him. Honey wiped away the tears that had appeared when Houndoom had marked her.

"Now what?" Honey asked.

"I don't know," Hikari muttered. "Let's get back to the exit and grab my—I mean, your dad's pack."

"It doesn't matter who it belongs to now." Honey said.

The pair headed toward the exit and picked up the pack Lola had given Hikari only a few hours ago. Hikari hauled it over her back and left Sabaku Village. Honey followed her until the village was a mere blur in the distance.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. Uh…I guess this is goodbye." Hikari said awkwardly.

"Goodbye? I was thinking we'd stick together." Honey argued. "That is, if you want a traveling buddy."

"Really?" the Eevee asked.

"Sure," Honey shrugged. "It beats being all alone out here."

"Okay! So, we stick together." Hikari said.

"Yep!" Honey nodded. "So, where do we go?"

"Anywhere, I guess." Hikari replied.

"Then we better get moving," Honey suggested.

"Yeah!" Hikari nodded. At least I'm not alone anymore. I'm glad!

The Eevee and the Buneary kept walking across the hot sand, searching for where they would end up next. Mew silently followed them from high in the skies, a smile on his face. This is only the start of your adventure, Hikari, he thought.