Mind Shift Ch. 9

"We're back," James said when we got back to the hotel.
"What'd you do to him," Jamie demanded, "We told you to bring him back in one piece!"
"He's fine," James said, "He's just resting."
"Yeah, like one would sleep with blood all over him," Jamie mumbled.

James laid me down on the bed, then left saying he'd be back when we were ready for the gig. Jamie took off my shirt, trying to stop the bleeding. He muttered something about James going too far with this. Jamie noticed something where I was shot and picked at it. If I could of screamed, I would have. He called Seviper over to see the thing. Seviper pulled it out.

"What is it," Jamie asked.
"The fuck if I know," Seviper said. "Ey, David, do you know-"

David snarled in response.

"Well, okay then."

I was finally able to open my eyes. Seviper had what looked like a small needle in his hand. I groaned, sitting up.

"Ah, you're awake," Jamie said, "What'd he do to you?"
"The son of a bitch shot me," I growled, clutching at the spot where I was shot, "I couldn't move until he removed that thing."
"Why that little," Seviper said, pulling out a gun. "I'll shoot him and see how he likes it."
"Are you alright," Jamie asked, looking concerned.
"Do I fucking look alright," I barked.
"Sorry for caring," Jamie said, getting up to go stop Seviper from going outside with a gun drawn.

I curled up in a ball, moaning in pain. David was sitting at the table with his knees up to his face. I motioned my hand at him to come to me, but he turned away instead. I told him I wasn't mad at him for ratting me out, but I still didn't get a response from him. It took me a while to get up. I walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"James is just a bitter old man who has nothing better to do than make children do his bidding. It seems like Seviper and Jamie are figuring that out, so it won't be long now before we finally get arid of him."
"Get arid of whom," James said, coming in, "Relax, I wasn't trying to actually hurt you. I just used a tranquilizer dart. Really, you are so stubborn. I wouldn't of gotten you back here either way."
"Why are you so fixated on me," I said. "I just wanna go home and see my father."
"You're papa," Jamie said, "They're letting you see him?"
"Y-yeah. I was going to leave this morning to go there."
"For reals? You should have just told me that yesterday before you took off."
"Eh? You would have let me go, then?"
"Of course. You haven't seen your father in six or so years, right? I think seeing him would be more important than this."
"J-Jamie," I said tearing up.
"Enough of that," James interrupted. "I've been picking on you because I can see your potential and you don't. This is a simple enough job for you to bring out that potential. Ah, but it seems I have messed up here, though."
"It's not so simple enough, now," I said as James was laughing nervously.
"In any case," James said, coughing, "Jamie, Seviper, could you keep an eye on Simon until the job? The payoff will definitely weigh out the trouble he's causing us."
"Well," Jamie started, looking at Seviper.
"Good, we really need his help to pull off the job."

And with that, he left. I sat down across from David. We both put our heads down and sighed. Seviper tried to reassure me that he'd be there to protect me if it ever came down to it. I wanted to believe it, but there still was a nagging feeling that something could go wrong. Then Seviper decided now was a good time to practice kendo. He said it would be good practice for the gig. I was hesitant to even do that until he pointed a gun at me.

I warmed up for a bit until Seviper complained that I was wasting my energy. I smacked him on the head with my shinai and told him he needed to warm up or else I wasn't going to battle him.

"Jeez, Simon, we're just goofing off here," Seviper said, "There's nothing to be bent up about."
"I'm just a little stressed out, okay," I growled. "You're right though. This is a good way to get arid of all that extra energy I'm storing up. Let's just practice alright?"

I spent more time than necessary trying to get Seviper into the perfect starting position. He complained that I really didn't know how to have fun. I got into position and we had at it.  As usual, Seviper was too easy to beat. I taunted him to get him fired up, but even then he wasn't doing any better.

That's when it hit me. I could easily strike him down and run away. We got into position for our next bout. Seviper made the first move by charging at me. I grinned.  

"Tsuki!"

I hit him the middle of the throat. While he was on the ground, I made a run for it. I didn't get very far when I ran into TCG going to the hotel. He had a fried Freebas treat and a sack.

"Do!"

I tried to hit him in the head, but he dodged out of the way.

"What the hell, Si," he said, dropping his sack to grab my shinai.
"Let go," I said trying to pull the shinai away.
"CG, stop him," I heard Seviper yell.

I decided to leave the shinai and tried to run away. I heard a gunshot and I fell. CG grabbed me by the arm, pulling me up.

"Now what do I do with him," CG said, still eating his Feebas.
"Simon, I swear to God," Seviper growled, grabbing the back of my shirt and pulling me off the ground.
"You ran into my shinai," I said, "You're never going to learn from that, are you?

Seviper dropped me.

"Say, CG, why don't you watch us practice," Seviper suggested.
"Nah, Jhon woke up a bit ago," CG said, grabbing the sack, "I got medicine for him."
"Ah, that's so sweet of you," I said.
"Yeah? Don't get used to it," he said, punching me in the arm.

Jack and Tom were horsing around outside the hotel door. Seviper asked them to watch us practice. Jack nodded while Tom wasn't so sure. Jack convinced him to stay when he said it'd be worth it to see lil' old me take down a big guy like Seviper.

Seviper threatened to shot Jack as we got into position. I made the first move this time. I concentrated at striking at his head. My strategy worked. I got him so concentrated on protecting his head, everywhere else was vulnerable. I got him in the side. Jack shouted words of encouragement. Of course, his idea of encouragement was telling him to keep his guard up. Seviper turned to yell at him and I got him in the head.

Seviper rubbed his head, and then charged at me. I dodged him, quickly turning around to strike again. He was faster than me, catching me off guard. He swung upward, knocking the shinai out of my hands.

"Men! Do! Kote!"

I gasped as he brought his blade up for the final blow.

"Tsuki!"

I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Jack and Tom congratulated Seviper for winning. Seviper came over to help me up. I knocked his hand away, walked over to my shinai, picking it up.

"Again," I demanded.
"Getting riled up is going to mess up with your game," Jack said.
"Shut up and stay out of this, Jack," I shouted.
"Can I have at it," Jack asked, "It's a style of fighting I've never tried before."
"Sure," Seviper said, handing him his shinai. "I know you and battles. Knock yourself out."

I explained Jack the rules, then asked him to repeat them since he was staring off into space.

"You just gotta aim for certain spots on the body, right," Jack said, turning back to me, tapping the shinai on his shoulder.
"Okay, Seviper, let him borrow your gear," I said.
"I don't need it," Jack said.
"It hurts when you get hit without gear on."
"Then I won't get hit."
"Careful, ignorance is dangerous in a fight."
"Don't you preach to me about basics. Vamos!"

I took the first move by swinging to the side. Jack dodged it, the used his shoulder to knock me down. Seviper yelled at him that he couldn't use his body to fight. I used the distraction to get him in the head. Jack swung and got me in the side.

"One for one," Tom said.
"No, Jack didn't call the attack," Seviper said.

Jack gritted his teeth. He brought down the shinai over my head. I blocked it, knocked it away then swung at his sides. He dodged my attack, grinning. He started blindly attacking my left side. I couldn't figure out where he was without turning my head, so I guessed at where he was trying to hit. He turned over to the left, and when I turned too, he got me in the side.

"Kote!"

We turned around, keeping our distance from each other. I was starting to feel a little winded. However, I couldn't let him see that. It was one of the first things he taught me while fighting. He could use that for leverage. He came at me, again, attacking from my left side. I wasn't falling for that again. I side-stepped, keeping my body in front of him. He tried for an overhead attack at my blind spot. I swung at his side, calling the attack. Jack cried out, dropping the shinai, clutching his side.

"I told you," I said, "Do!"

He lifted his arm to block the attack. He realized his mistake. He grabbed the shinai and got back up. I let him come at me. He went for the throat, but I knocked it away. I started striking low. He stepped back to get on the offence. He swung at my left side, when I went to block it, he lifted his shinai and got me in the arm.

"Shit!"
"Men!"

I dodged his attack and he got me in the shoulder instead. I went straight for the neck, only to be blocked by his hand. Seviper called him a cheater and said I got a free hit. We ignored him and continued our battle.

I laid out a series of strikes, aiming for the throat while Jack backed up, dodging them. He threw his arms around in a circle, knocking my shinai away. He got me in the head while I was bringing the shinai back in front of me. I took a step to the side, bringing the shinai with it, and then trusted it at Jack's throat. He ducked backwards, and I got him in the nose instead. He came back in a similar fashion I ducked to the side as he got me in the neck. His shinai slide across my wound. I cried out in pain, toppling over backwards.

"Ah, shit! Si, are you okay," Jack said, kneeling down, "I'm so sorry!"

I slammed my fist on the ground.

"I can't believe I lost to someone who's never wielded a blade before!"
"You went up against 'The Son of Jack Daniels', what did you expect," Tom said.
"Call me that again, I dare you," Jack said, grabbing Tom by the shirt.
"Come now, Si-Si, don't be a sore loser," Seviper said.

I got up and shoved him.

"If I lost to him, then how could I possibly stand against those bisharp," I shouted.
"Hmm...Hey, Jack. Do you think you could take on a Pokemon with a sword," Seviper asked.
"I suppose I could give it a shot," Jack said.
"Really? Oh, thank you," I said.

If there was one person I could absolutely trust in battle, it'd be Jack. His father, the strongest Gym Leader in Kalos, taught him everything he knows. Jack is as tough as everyone thinks he is.

"However, I still am not going to be the only one who battles," Jack said, pointing at me, "Ya hear? You brag about winning awards for doing this sort of thing. It's not all that different."
"That's what I thought until," I said, drifting off into space.
"The sun's going down," Tom said, "it's time to get to work."