Pokemon Max: Final Showdown

Ch. 68 It's Christmas Time Again

Ch. 68 It's Christmas Time Again

We walked quietly through the alleyway. I planned each step carefully, making sure not to make any incriminating noises. Everyone else followed my lead. We were almost there...

That is until Joey accidentally kicked a can. "Whoops."

I spun around to look at him. "Really, man?"

The creature at the tend of the alley began to stand. It turned, claws gleaming in the cracks of light. Its eyes were bright red, and one of the only things we could see.  It had a sickening smile on its face.

"Uh...nice doggy..."

It lunged at us, and I ducked out of the way. "It's never a nice doggie."

It spun frantically, keeping all of us busy with its sheer ferocity. Even signature combo attacks (planned by yours truly) wouldn't work.

After getting up from being smacked away, I charged from behind. It threw Joey away before spinning around, clamping its steel like jaws into my arm.

"Graah!!" I pulled away, clutching my arm. It snarled at me before turning to continue with the others. Harper and Taylor's new increased powers couldn't hardly land a hit. Adrian was just losing his cool, and Nelly was flying Joey around, trying to find an opening.

I ran up to it and tried to do something, but the pain in my arm stopped me, making me cry out. It turned around and raised a claw, but Taylor bashed it on the head full force. It collapsed gently to the ground. "That should do." She smiled.

I smiled and raised my arm to high five her. "Sonuva...!" Pain sparked in the wound and blazed up my arm to my shoulder.

Harper walked up. "Are you alright? That looks pretty..."

"I'm fine. Let's just get home. It's Christmas Eve, guys! And as you know with me, that is number one priority."

Taylor rolled her eyes and tore off a sleeve of her shirt to wrap around my arm.

We walked out, ready to sneak off into the night.

Back behind us, there was shuffling, and the Pokemon raised a claw up to the makeshift rope we had used.

---

Joey picked up a lot of things from me, and one of them was definitely holiday enthusiasm. I watched as he rushed around, throwing up lights while blaring "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" out of his phone (downloaded, not streamed of course). He was practically skipping around, making it festive, just like I would have it. I smiled when he put a santa hat on Adrian, who stood leaning against a corner. He looked up at it slowly, before grabbing Joey and playfully giving him a noogie. I stared over in shock.

"It only took him a year to break him. It took me twice that." I mumbled, before wincing at the antiseptic rinse being poured on my arm. "Gah. That stings."

"You can handle it, I'm sure." Doc replied while grabbing some real gauze to replace the shirt sleeve makeshift bandage. Once it was wrapped around my arm, she told me I should be okay soon enough. I stood up and joined Joey. I grabbed a string of lights and arranged them like a Christmas tree, then snagged some ornaments to add on. I hung them up, but something was just missing. "Hey, pass me another one of those." I called to Joey.

He picked one out of the box and gave it a good throw. Unfortunately, a good throw with a robotic arm can mean bad things for what you're throwing.

I had to leap back as it went right over my head. As it fell, I stuck a hand to reach out beneath it, but I didn't have enough reach. I closed my eyes and waited for the crash.