The Hidden World Within: Part 2

by AncientInfinity

Continuation of the realism poke'mon world story 'The Hidden World Within: Part 1'. Follows story of two characters unraveling the darkness of the syndicate: Team Rocket, and battling for survival simultaneously.

The Hidden World Within

By Chris R. Williams

Chapter 6 Secrets

Austin woke up to the moonlight of a bright full moon streaming through the open window. A soft summer breeze blew through and ruffled the thin parted curtains. Then a shadow blocked the moonlight, and Austin looked to find Salamence's head being silhouetted.

Austin yawned and got up, walking towards the window. He saw Salamence sitting on her haunches, looking out over the distance of the fields with a yearning expression and emotion in her eyes. That was strange to find Salamence expressing herself so vividly. Was she missing home or something? She never gave any hints or notions that revealed her own past.

Austin decided to keep her company and put on a coat over his pajamas. Then he tip-toed towards the door, careful not to disturb Gardevoir and Gallade above her sleeping on the bunk beds across the room. He never really cared much whether his pokémon were in their pokéballs or not.

He closed the door softly behind him and then padded down the hallway towards the main lobby. He found Nurse Joy reading a book behind the counter, although she was nodding off to sleep. Then he walked to the sliding double doors and exited the building.

Austin walked around the side of the building and approached Salamence. He called out softly to her, "Hey, you. Mind if I keep you company for a bit?"

Salamence looked away and snorted, hiding her face and not really feeling in the mood to. Austin held up his hands and apologized, "Okay, well, don't mind me then. I'm just out for a breath of fresh air, and I'll be going right back in."

Salamence looked at Austin and then wrapped her tail around him, bidding him permission to keep her company. Then she sighed and put her head on her two front legs, stretching out on her belly. Austin took the cue and sat down on the grass, leaning against Salamence's tail as a backrest.

Then they stayed in their relative positions for a while, just enjoying each other's company in silence. A huge splash sound drifted across the air and Austin saw Gyarados in the far off distance thrash the water with his tail in his sleep. Garchomp was the only one who wanted to spend the night in his dusk ball. Seems like he liked it in there.

Austin broke the silence and thought aloud to Salamence, "We should get going tomorrow afternoon to accomplish what we came here to do. The package should be arriving in the morning. We don't want our targets to get early warning of our presence."

Salamence closed her eyes and didn't remark. She didn't care much for the job and would only help out if she was needed. Austin sighed and thought about things seriously, and why he was here in the first place.

"Are you sure you want to join the international police? You know what you are doing right? Your parents-"

Austin retorted, "My parents died so that they could uphold justice and the law. Now recently I haven't been seeing you people doing that, and I won't just let my parents' work all fade away for nothing. I won't let them die in vain for such a righteous cause."

The man nodded thoughtfully and then pushed a button on his desk. Then the man said in a deep voice, "Bring me the papers and a badge."

Austin nodded and said, "Thank you sir."

The man simply said, "I hope you know what you are getting yourself into. I worked with your parents in the field, and they were the best there was. And then that happened to them. We've been trying to crack down on this organization for quite some time, but have been unsuccessful. I don't know what you plan to do to bring them to justice, so just be careful Austin, okay?"

A secretary walked in with a blank badge and papers for Austin's commission. Austin quickly signed them and had his name inscribed on the badge, then he equipped it on his belt. Austin stood up and shook hands with the Chief of International Police and then the chief said, "For starters, we've gotten word of a job by the organization taking place near your home town. I see you already made plans to visit there again, so that's convenient. Well, you know what to do I presume, when you find them."

Austin walked to the door and then paused to turn around as the chief called out without looking up from his desk, "Hope you find your battle suit useful."

Austin nodded, not saying anything, and then exited the room without looking back.

Austin jerked awake as Salamence moved her tail in her sleep and sent Austin rocketing backwards. He landed on his back hard and grunted. It was almost dawn, and the sky was lighting up with the pale morning sunlight. He had fallen asleep?

Austin rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then he stood up, feeling the blood course uncomfortably through his legs, and slowly walked back to the front of the building. He entered through the sliding doors and found the lobby occupied by a couple people and trainers. Nurse Joy was looking after some pokémon along with Blissey, an egg-shaped half-pink, half-white normal nurse pokémon with wing-like appendages at her armpits and abdomen. Blissey took an egg out from her pouch and gave it to one of the pokémon on the table, curing it of its paralysis.

Nurse Joy looked up and called out to Austin, saying without pausing in her work, "Hey you. Haven't seen you in a good while. You been doing all right?"

Austin nodded and grinned. "Of course. Nice to see you too, Nurse Joy. How's your new potion coming along?"

Nurse Joy stood up and stretched her back, then she looked down at the solution prototype and shrugged. "Well, I have high hopes for this potion. I managed to make it restore an injured pokémon's full health and even any physical ailments. I think I'll be able to market this full restore for a good price and get some more funding for the Pokémon Center."

Austin smiled and said, "That's good. I'm glad it's working out."

Joy smiled and said, "Yeah, but it's still only in its development stages. It will still be a while before you see it on the shelves."

Austin nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Well I'll be going to my room then."

Joy bent down to go back to work and attend a sleeping pokémon, but she mentioned, "You just got a package. I sent it to your room with Dana."

Austin's eyes narrowed, but he said, "Thanks Nurse Joy."

She noticed Austin's change of mood and asked, "Is something wrong, Austin?"

He shook his head and walked to the hallway joining the back rooms. He hoped Dana wouldn't take the initiative and open up the package. He didn't want her to find out what he was up to. It would make her sad.

He walked near his room and didn't hear any noise coming from the door. That was a bad sign. Usually Dana would be chatting with Gardevoir, although Gardevoir could also just be out somewhere. Then Austin entered the room and confirmed his worst fears.

Dana was holding up the chest armor of the suit with a blank expression. The blue and white sun crest glistened on the center of the metal. Gardevoir was looking anxiously at her, extremely worried and unsure of what she should do. Gallade wasn't present. Gardevoir heard Austin enter the room and turned her head with pleading eyes, but before he could say anything, Dana turned to glare at him. He held up his hands and didn't say anything.

Then Dana remarked coldly, "So that's what you're up to. I should have known. You lied when you said you had given up chasing Team Rocket and were going to become a Pokémon Master."

Austin pleaded, "Dana, I-"

Dana suddenly exploded and began crying, "You're going to get yourself killed just like your parents! What were you thinking! You weren't invited to the international police. You requested to join them, using your title as Pokémon Master to give your credibility. In short, you lied to me to cover this up."

Austin pursed his lips and then said, "You're right. I am going to bring the man who killed my parents to justice. It is that simple. In doing the right thing, sometimes you have may have to do bad in order to do good."

Dana shook her head angrily and said coldly, "Life is never so simple. What about the people you care about? Everyone you're close to wouldn't want you to forsake your life to avenge your family. What about your pokémon? They don't even have a choice in the matter even though you think you give them that option. They'll feel obligated to help you out of loyalty, not free willingness. And have you even decided what you're going to do to the man you're looking for when you find him? Is it really justice? Are you really going to bring in the criminal lawfully?"

He wasn't going to say anything when she was completely right. Austin had long thought of killing the man who murdered his parents. Everything he had done in his life since all those years ago had been for that one mission. It was indeed as simple as that.

Dana cried angrily for a while. Then she dropped the chest armor back into its cushioned container and stood up, sniffing and wiping her eyes. She heaved a long sigh, trying to gather herself together.

Dana said softly without looking at him, "So long. Hope you find what you are looking for." Then she brushed past Austin and walked briskly to the lobby to take over her daytime shift.

Gardevoir murmured a soft pew and looked at Austin with wide, worried eyes. But Austin sighed and simply said, "Shit."

Austin put on the metal body armor, feeling the heavy weights on his shoulders. This was to protect him against any minor physical injury. The suit resembled something akin to a knight's metal armor from the medieval ages. But the suit wasn't just a simple piece of metal. By pushing a button on his hip, the helmet would instantly curve around his head from the back and secure the suit to make it air-tight. The suit was capable of sustaining Austin for several hours using the suit's oxygen. Finally Austin attached the jet pack the Chief had given him to his back, making sure that the controls in his hand worked.

Austin didn't want to stand out in his armor, so he donned a dark black cloak around himself and secured the clasp in the front to fully disguise himself underneath. Then he put black leather gloves on his armored hands. He didn't have the helmet in 'on' mode.

Austin glanced at Gardevoir, and she suddenly felt nervous standing next to this man. She hadn't ever seen her master so intensely serious and determined before, not even when fighting the Elite Four in Sinnoh. It was the most frightening thing Gardevoir had ever experienced coming from Austin.

Austin made sure he didn't forget anything and then walked out to the lobby, with Gardevoir in tow. She was cautious now, careful of everything that was going on. She needed to be in this state for the job to come.

They reached the lobby, and Dana didn't even look at them. Austin glanced at her though, but he didn't react when Dana didn't return the look. He walked to the double doors and exited the Pokémon Center, and Gardevoir gave one last worried look at Dana before she followed him.

Austin looked at the gathered pokémon in front of him: Gallade and Gardevoir, Salamence, Garchomp, Gyarados, and Starmie. They all waited for Austin to officially begin the mission.

Austin said, "So you all know why we're here. To stop Team Rocket's exploitations of pokémon and eventually destroy their illegal organization. I've received reports from Intelligence that a small group of Team Rocket bandits is raiding the nearby wilderness of Rattata and Pidgeys to sell them at inflated prices or conduct cruel and inhumane research on them. Why they picked a common pokémon to exploit this time beats me. Maybe they're in this one for the money. But regardless, we need to stop Team Rocket's plans and save those pokémon. Everyone here with me?"

All the pokémon consented, and Austin nodded. "The arrangements are made. Let's go then."

Austin held up the pokéballs and recalled all six of his pokémon. He would proceed onwards by himself in order to be less noticeable and stealthy so that he could sneak up on the group of Team Rocket bandits operating nearby. But first he had to find them.

He embarked north of Pallet Town to route 1 and traveled on the main path through some grass. The trees to the left and right outlined the general northern path up several hills towards Viridian City. Austin saw that there was not a human soul in sight, and he figured on heading towards the grassy knolls up ahead to find the Team Rocket bandits.

After trailing around for a while, he stopped to listen in silence to his surroundings. And then after a short while, he heard a pokémon's faint screech in the far off distance. It sounded like a Rattata had made that noise in fright. Usually Rattata wouldn't be frightened of defending their territories. Which meant that something, or someone, was clearly invading their homes without resistance.

Austin figured it to be the Team Rocket operation he had heard of working in the area, and he quickly broke into a fast jog towards where he had heard the noise come from. Eventually, as he crested a hill, he saw four people below him in the grass between two hills, dressed in the typical black Team Rocket grunt uniforms that were shown on the news. They were grabbing a struggling Rattata and stuffing it unceremoniously into a thick bag. There were several other bags next to them, with pokémon struggling inside. A Voltorb, an electric pokéball-shaped pokémon, was constantly electrocuting the bags to silence and exhaust the struggling captured pokémon. A Murkrow, a dark-blue plumed bird pokémon, was standing by and watching the scene with amusement, sometimes cackling.

Austin recognized one of the Team Rocket thugs and twisted his face into a snarl. Then he stood up defiantly on the top of the hill and shouted, "Your gib's up, Charon. I'm placing you and your fellow Team Rocket thugs under arrest for poaching on helpless Pidgeys and Rattata in illegal exploitation!"

Charon, an eccentric beady-eyed pale-purple haired squat man, looked up in surprise, but he quickly wiped off the expression of shock and transformed his face into a dark and evil glare. He growled, "I should have eliminated you when I had the chance, puppet."

Austin nodded and commented casually, "That would have seemed the most logical course of action, don't you think?"

Charon laughed and held up two pokéballs, exclaiming, "Go Haunter! Go Raichu!"

The two pokémon materialized in front of the Team Rocket group leader, and they assumed fighting positions. Raichu, a yellow electric bipedal rodent pokémon, held up its hands as it balanced on its bolt-shaped tail, ready to commence thunderbolts out of its bright yellow cheeks and body. Haunter, a hovering legless purple ghost pokémon fond of using poison to corrupt other pokémon's health, back-flipped in the air and grinned maliciously, cracking its claw-like hands in eager anticipation.

The three other Team Rocket members put out their own pokémon as well. Pidgeotto, Murkrow, Rhyhorn, Golbat, and Voltorb joined the other two. Pidgeotto was another flying bird pokémon with red and yellow plumage on its head extending a short distance over its brown body. It spread its wings and hollered, then gave a beady stare at Austin. Rhyhorn, the rock and ground rhinoceros pokémon covered by gray plates, dug its hoofed paw into the ground, tearing up dirt in a threat display of power. Golbat, a bat pokémon and evolution to Zubat, danced from one foot to the other and opened its gaping mouth as it screeched and lashed out its enormous wet tongue.

Charon pointed at Austin and commanded all of the pokémon, "Charge! Use your attacks to take down that trainer!"

Austin smirked and pushed the suit's button on his hip. His helmet zoomed up and over his head to latch firmly onto his chest plate, securing the suit. Then Austin looked through the screen display and released from their pokéballs Garchomp, Salamence, and Starmie. The three would be all Austin needed to take care of this rabble.

Austin called out to his pokémon, his voice amplified by his suit, "Defeat Team Rocket! Go!"

Garchomp was already charging forward before Austin finished speaking, and Salamence and Starmie instantly sprang into action behind him. Garchomp stopped a few dozen feet away from Team Rocket's charging pokémon and smashed his hands into the ground, causing an earthquake fissure to form and break at Garchomp's hands and open up towards Team Rocket. Rhyhorn and Voltorb were caught in the fissure and instantly fell several dozen feet towards the earth. They landed and were knocked unconscious from the impact. Raichu nimbly dodged the fissure by running to the side and Haunter simply floated right over the ground attack in amusement.

The flying pokémon instantly took to the air to dodge the long-range attack, but Salamence was already prepared for them up there. She let loose a flame blast, incinerating the Murkrow's feathers and causing it to fall back towards the ground, wide-eyed and crisped. Pidgeotto screeched and launched its aerial ace attack on Salamence, but Salamence snorted and fired draco meteors at the oncoming bird. Pidgeotto dodged most of the meteors, but right before it reached Salamence it was finally hit in the head by a flaming blue meteor and was instantly downed.

Starmie watched the ghost carefully as the Haunter circled the starfish pokémon. Then Haunter cackled and suddenly fired a shadow ball, but Starmie was prepared and dodged the attack. Starmie retaliated by using an invisible psychic attack, flinging the purple energy straight for Haunter's dimensional existence. But the ghost pokémon anticipated and countered the attack with the dimensional night shade attack, completely dissipating the psychic attack. Starmie arced around Haunter in an effort to get behind him, but right as it did it was suddenly zapped by Raichu's thunderbolt and fell to the ground in sizzling smoke.

Garchomp roared at the double team and charged forward to avenge Starmie. Austin looked up in the air as Golbat latched its fangs into Salamence's neck, drawing blood and energy in a drain attack. Salamence roared and shook her head, knocking the Golbat off. The Golbat flapped its wings in the air and hovered for another assault, but it was suddenly knocked to the ground by Salamence's bulky tail, ending the aerial fight.

Austin shouted, "Nice, Salamence!" She merely shook her head in annoyance and came to land beside him in a huge gust of air. They turned to look as Garchomp made short work of the Haunter with its dragon claws, and then create another fissure that caught the bouncing Raichu, intercepting its dodging path. Starmie managed to stand back up, although electrical sparks zinged around it in the air. Then Austin and his pokémon looked at the defeated Team Rocket.

Charon growled, "You may have beaten us, and I may have been the cause of your parents' demise, but you won't stop us. Not with our all-powerful leader on our side!"

Austin nodded and said, "Typical Team Rocket banter. Yeah, keep talking. You can explain everything to the policemen behind you."

Suddenly several officers on motorbikes, led by Officer Jenny of Viridian City, zoomed in from all sides, cresting the hills and riding into view, and surrounded the Team Rocket group as the thugs recalled their unconscious pokémon. The grunts looked at each other fearfully, but Charon suddenly began laughing and addressed Austin, "You're going to regret this, puppet. This won't be the end of it."

Austin nodded as the Team Rocket grunts were clasped in handcuffs and chains, and he replied, "It wouldn't be fun if it did. You're only small fry, after all. I'll be looking forward to visiting you behind bars, where you belong."

One of the officers opened up all the bags and found several injured or unconscious pokémon inside them. He stood up and explained to the captured thugs, "Looks like we have all the evidence we need to put you down for a long, long time. If you want to try and shorten your sentences by providing us details about the crime syndicate you work for, you can tell the recorders back at the police station."

The men grumbled about that but unwillingly boarded the police truck, and the group drove back to Viridian City. A few officers remained behind to care for the abused pokémon and take pictures.

Officer Jenny zoomed up to Austin, who sheathed his helmet back and breathed in the fresh day air. She extended a white gloved hand to him, and he shook it as she said with a smile, "Thanks for you and your pokémon's hard work in capturing these guys, Detective. I'm glad you involved us in this. I'm Officer Jenny in charge of this expedition, and I had received word from higher ups about your personal motivation in this mission. I was worrying you would take matters into your own hands. But I'm glad you're an honorable and lawful man of justice."

Austin winked and said, "Yeah. I'm glad too. Had a change of heart so I won't have to go to the grave many years in the future filled with regret. Got a girl back home to thank for that. I figured it was time I set a new and more promising goal for myself."

Jenny laughed and said, "Yup. Don't we all have something we treasure and want to live for. Anyway, I'm sure we'll be able to extract some information from them to crack down on Team Rocket."

Austin said, "Hmm. Be sure to keep a heavy guard on them at all times though. I don't want their leader to come looking to release his second-in-command from prison."

Jenny's eyebrows rose in surprise as she asked the obvious question, "That man you called Charon was that high a rank? Then this should be even better for us to gather information."

Austin nodded and explained, "Yeah. He also sparked a fire in my home when I was a young boy that killed my parents. My dad was investigating Team Rocket, and he was sent to silence them. He's a vicious criminal who will kill for money and evil."

Jenny exclaimed, "Wow, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm kind of glad you didn't pursue vengeance instead of justice."

Austin frowned and said, "I'm kind of wishing I had."

Jenny said with a wink, "It doesn't suit your character. Taking justice into your own hands just never works out the way you want it to. Anyway, you can count on me and the Viridian Police to keep Charon safe and secure from his head honcho! I'll be seeing you soon for the paperwork, Detective Austin."

Austin acknowledged her statement with a nod and Officer Jenny smiled and got on her bike. She glanced at Austin's three pokémon watching nearby and waiting. Then she winked again at Austin and remarked, "You've got strong loyal friends there. Looks like they don't need any medical attention. Be sure to reward them when you get a chance."

Austin grinned and said, "Of course. They're the best."

Then Jenny tipped her hat and said, "See you around." Then she zoomed off towards Viridian City. Austin sighed and turned to his pokémon, who looked at him expectantly. He grinned, feeling a heavy weight lift off his shoulders, and asked in a joyful mood, "Care for some dining?"

Starmie, fully recovered from its paralysis by now, twirled its back and Garchomp roared a yes. Salamence merely yawned and blinked back tired tears, eager to take her afternoon nap. Then Austin released Gallade and Gardevoir and they all began hiking carefree towards Viridian City, unbeknownst of the hidden malice residing underneath the town.

They reached the edge of the city, which wasn't much larger than Pallet Town. Then Austin located a diner near the downtown area and traipsed with his pokémon to it. He let his pokémon in and told the staff that he was treating his pokémon to their food. The staff looked fearfully at Garchomp, but Austin laughed and told him that Garchomp was all right. Then he paid in advance and walked out of the diner with Gardevoir in tow.

Austin turned around and asked her, "You're not hungry for chow?"

The psychic female shook her head and imitated the motion of holding a cellphone to the ear. Austin frowned and sighed, then turned back to face across the street. He remarked, "I'm not sure I should apologize just yet. Dana is still probably furious at me. But I'll call her up soon definitely, okay?"

Gardevoir frowned and shook her head, worried about him. But Austin shrugged off her concern and began moving towards a nearby hotel. Gardevoir looked after him with worried eyes and followed him, determined to look after him that day.

Chapter 7 The Beginning

He woke up to the voices of his father shouting at the front door. He glanced at the electronic clock on the desk next to the bed. It showed 2:34 in the morning. He slipped out from under his comforters and blankets and gingerly walked to the bedroom door on his short legs. He opened it and padded to the stairwell, where he paused at the top to listen to his father shouting at the intruder to leave the house.

Suddenly he saw his father get knocked backwards onto the ground, landing in front of the stairwell, and the boy's eyes widened. Then a scraggly man with a shortly-trimmed black beard, black straight hair, and dressed in black clothes and gray boots stepped into view and pointed a gray-gloved finger down at his father and said something quietly to him. The two men didn't notice him upstairs at the banister, but he continued to watch the events that transpired before him, taking it all in without knowing what was going on.

Then the man dressed in black grinned and pulled out two pokéballs, and his father shook his head and begged to leave his family out of this. The man in black shrugged and then released the pokémon out from their respective pokéballs. A Flareon, a red-orange furry fire fox pokémon with a huge inferno of a tail and black beady eyes, and a Ninetales, a white furry fire pokémon with red eyes and a larger version of Flareon with nine tails trimmed by the color orange at the ends, burst into existence and, without orders from their trainer, began breathing flames and setting the house on fire.

His father shouted desperately, "No!" Then the evil man cackled the most evil laugh he had ever heard and ordered his Ninetales to knock out his father. It calmly walked over to him as he held up his hands, covering himself on the ground, and then it suddenly made a quick headbutt attack at his dad's head. His father was instantly knocked unconscious, and the evil man called to his pokémon that they were leaving.

The kid watched them leave, and then after waiting a few seconds he quickly descended the stairs to kneel next to the unconscious form of his dad. Smoke from the scorching flames filled the air, and the kid began coughing. He shook his dad's shoulders, trying to wake him up but to no avail. The inferno consumed the surroundings but he wouldn't leave his father.

He was suddenly bodily lifted into the air and carried outside. He was set down on the lawn grass and turned to see his mother above him. She held up her hands and told him to stay here, then she ran back inside the house. All he could do was watch helplessly as he slowly recovered his senses.

Suddenly the front of the house caved in from the flames, the wood collapsing on itself and burying the closest escape route for his mother and father. He shouted desperately for them to come out, but he didn't hear any reply. He watched anxiously, hoping for them to come around from the backyard. But they never came into view. He began to sob uncontrollably while yelling and screaming for his parents until he lost his voice, and even then he kept calling for them with a hoarse voice.

Then firefighters came to douse the flames, and local people and the police were present. Someone, he didn't know who or cared, led him away from the flaming wreckage of what used to be his home and sat him down on the curb across the street. People tried talking to him and soothing him, but he ignored them all and continued to cry into his hands. Eventually they left him be, knowing that he would be forced to enter an orphanage, his family erased in the arson attack.

He stayed at that curb all night even after the firefighters had saved what third of the house was left and doused the flames, and then he simply watched black smoke rise from the smoldering ruins until the sun began to rise in the east at dawn. Most of the people left to attend whatever business they occupied themselves with, and he was left alone, blank and empty.

But a small hand slipped into his own right hand, and the boy looked over at a white baby humanoid pokémon looking sadly at him. It was looking up at him with wide orange, melancholy eyes from under its green helmet, which had two red horns sticking out of it from the front and back. It sat next to him to keep him silent company, and the boy wondered why. But he sniffed and managed to calm himself a little bit as he accepted the pokémon's presence and didn't think about anything anymore.

A late-middle aged man with graying hair was watching the pair and then came up to them. He extended a hand and said, "Come with me. I'm a professor of pokémon, and I think I may have a way for you to find your future. That there is Ralts, and she seems to have taken a liking to you."

The boy nodded in a daze and took the man's hand with his left hand and stood up while still holding Ralts' hand with his right. Then the three slowly walked to Professor Oak's laboratory.

He woke up calmly in his bed and realized that a hand was holding his right hand. He looked over and saw Gardevoir sleeping in a chair with her head on the bed next to his legs and her left hand in his. Austin smiled at her companionship and then softly got up from bed. Then he draped his warm blanket over Gardevoir's shoulders and walked out of the room. He walked down the hall and down the stairway, reaching the hotel lobby where a young man wearing big glasses at the reception desk was reading a physics book.

Austin walked to the sliding doors and outside the hotel. He found Salamence crouched on her haunches next to the entrance and looking up at the waning gibbous moon. Salamence noticed him and turned her face around to stare at him, and Austin explained, "Couldn't sleep. I guess you couldn't either?"

Salamence shrugged her heavily muscled shoulders and then turned her gaze back to the moon. Austin sat next to her and put his hands behind him in a lazy laying posture. They remained in those relative positions for an hour, and then the sky began lighting up a faint blue from the dawning light of the day.

Austin stood up, getting the blood circulating in his legs again, and he asked Salamence, "Shall we get breakfast with the others?"

Salamence nodded, and then Gardevoir and Gallade walked out of the hotel. Gardevoir rubbed her eyes sleepily while Gallade smiled and led her around as they followed Austin to a nearby diner where Starmie had spent the night in its food bowl.

Gardevoir still didn't fully awaken even after the meal, her head nodding around. Austin realized that she must have been up all night watching over him while he was having nightmares that had dredged up his own past. He smiled at the thought and then looked over to Gallade sitting next to Gardevoir and preventing her from falling over in her half-sleep.

Gallade asked Gardevoir, pointing at the plate of food still leftover in front of them, You want this delicious poffin?

Gardevoir whined sleepily and Gallade chuckled, finally letting Gardevoir slump over onto his lap. She fell asleep almost immediately, and Gallade's body shook slightly as he chuckled. He commented casually to Austin, Guess she don't want no poffin. Austin chuckled in response and smiled.

Then Gallade asked the question through telepathy, Are you going to visit him today?

Austin nodded and sipped his juice through the straw. Then he gulped and sighed, leaning back on the booth seat rest. "Yeah, I should get the paperwork out of the way and see what information the Viridian Police extracted from the thugs. I'll go by myself though, so you all can see the sights around here while I'm busy."

Gallade shrugged and nodded. Starmie was still motionless inside his water bowl and asleep, most of the food particles already absorbed overnight. Salamence was eating a large portion of meat outside next to them, and the group listened in silence to her through the window as she chomped noisily.

They sat there peacefully, and Austin felt incredibly relaxed and carefree. Then Gardevoir surprised him when she suddenly said from Gallade's lap, You've changed on the inside. And I can't say for the worse. You're not pursuing revenge anymore, I take it. Although I'm kind of surprised you changed so quickly.

Austin sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it was time I listened to Dana for once. I figured I owe her that for everything she's done for me. She's always listened to me. And like that I guess I changed."

Gardevoir nodded and then put her head on Gallade's laps to go back to sleep. Gallade nodded at Austin and said, Good for you.

He stood up and said, "Well, I'll be off then. You all know where to find me." Gallade nodded and didn't comment, and looked over to Starmie, who woke up and stood on its two feet dripping wet. All of the pokémon watched quietly as Austin walked to the entrance of the diner and paid for breakfast, and then walked outside towards the police station situated further in the bowels of the city. Salamence finished her meal and padded after him in curiosity, and Starmie looked back at Gallade and twirled its star in question of Austin's changed attitude towards their mission.

Gallade shrugged and picked up his water glass to sip on while he calmly stared happily at Gardevoir's sleeping face in his lap.

Chapter 8 Unwelcome Surprise

"Dana, are you sure you want to leave? We only have a couple more days of training and then it will be official!"

Dana continued packing her bags furiously and shook her head. Then she told Nurse Joy, who was standing in the doorway, "No, sorry. I'm going to Snowpoint City in Sinnoh to take up my job a few days earlier than planned and stay with my folks again."

Nurse Joy softly said, "It's Austin, isn't it."

Dana shoved the last clothing into her second suitcase and zipped it up loudly. Then she stood up and nodded, adding angrily, "That guy just can't take a hint. He doesn't even know why I came here in the first place."

Nurse Joy chuckled silently and pointed out, "That's because the only person you ever explained your reasons to was me, your boss and dorm mate. You have to tell him your feelings to make it clear so that there are no misunderstandings."

Dana hefted up the bags onto her shoulders and said, "I'm done with that guy. He's been too stupid recently. No way I'm going to say anything to him now."

Joy sighed dramatically and winked, "You really ought to give him another chance. It's not like he intentionally meant to hurt your feelings. He means well, you know of course."

Dana just closed her eyes and nodded. "I know, but please stop. I don't want to think about him for a while."

Joy smiled and followed Dana outside where a taxi was waiting. She laughed to Dana, "But that's all you're going to think about for a while. The guy who's close enough to you to be a real older brother. He's so close to you that he doesn't even realize your inner feelings."

Dana nodded and put her luggage down in the trunk, saying, "I know. That's why he's stupid. Anyway, thanks for everything and I'm sorry for this last minute change of plan. I just need to get my head straight and- argh! I've already contacted the center over at Snowpoint, so they'll be ready for me when I get there in sixteen hours. You'll make my training officially complete here, right?"

Dana closed the trunk and went to hug a teary Nurse Joy, who sniffed and commented, "Of course. My, how much you've grown up these past years. Me and Blissey are going to miss you dearly. Cheer up, okay? It's not every day you get to be friends with and have a crush on the same hero who saved you from death all those years ago. Besides, hero stories never get old. It's how the story goes that makes it unique."

Dana wiped away tears from her own eyes and laughed. "Okay. I'll miss you too. Oh, and can you not tell Austin when you see him why I really went to Snowpoint early, if he comes back tomorrow?"

Joy smiled and nodded knowingly, and then Dana smiled. "Thanks a bunch! See you around, Joy!" Then she stepped into the taxi and closed the door, telling the driver the destination and waving to Nurse Joy as Pallet Town faded into the distance.

They came in sight of the front of the police station after turning the corner. Austin talked aloud without glancing back at Salamence, "The police probably didn't get anything out of Charon. He's been eluding authorities ever since I can remember, and he only got caught because I surprised him out of nowhere."

Salamence snorted without commenting, and Austin sighed as they walked to the front door. He put his hand on the handle, and then suddenly an explosion inside the building rocked the ground under their feet. Austin fell to the floor as the earth vibrated for a few seconds, and then Austin leaped back up. He turned the handle and shoved the door open, stepping inside to a fog of dust and ash.

Austin waved his hand in front of his face and coughed, and then Salamence snuck her head in and blew air into the lobby, clearing the dust in front of Austin. He nodded thanks and ran towards the cells in the building, where he found a congregation of police officers crowded around one particular cell. The cell had no floor at all. It was a gaping hole of darkness into the earth. And as Austin looked around in shock, he realized that the Team Rocket criminal bunch was nowhere to be seen. They had escaped.

Austin spotted Officer Jenny waving people to go back to work and ordering others to pursuit the loose criminals. He ran to her and overheard a man nearby say, "The hole looks like the work of a Sandslash. They knew of the steel floor and set up explosives to detonate it instead of having a pokémon try to break through it."

Jenny spotted Austin and motioned for him to come over, and he asked, "Is it true that Team Rocket just escaped with the aid of a Sandslash and some explosives?"

Jenny nodded and said, "It's as if they had all this planned. It would take days to dig a hole this deep and long. And we only had Charon and his thugs in the cells for a night. An insider had to know of the layout of this building. I'm sending a team after them, but I don't think we can catch them, seeing how they had all this ready."

Austin rolled his eyes and said, "Did you have to put them all in the same cell?"

Jenny shrugged and said, "Sorry, we were going to transfer them to a more secure location today. I didn't expect this to happen."

Austin frowned and said, "None of us ever do. That's why they call it surprises." He ran towards the edge of the hole. A steep downward slope of dirt offered the only mode of transportation down the tunnel as a slide. Austin forgot his modest tempest and decided to pursue his parents' killer.

He yelled to Officer Jenny, "I'm going after them! Tell my pokémon to meet me on the other side of this tunnel. They're at the diner. They can find me through their telekinesis!"

Jenny held up her hands and called, "Wait! You don't have any pokémon with you right now!"

Austin paused, hanging from his hands, and shouted from the mouth of the hole, "Then send some after me!" Then he let go and slid the hundred feet down, where it eventually sloped off. Austin slid to a smooth stop and stood up in pitch black darkness.

He muttered to himself, "Great. Where's a flashlight when you actually need one?" He stood there for a silent moment, silently cursing his stupidity and forced to wait for the pursuit squad of officers after all. He finally heard crumbling dirt and noises behind him. Then he saw two male police officers slide into view. They held flashlights and had Growlithes behind them as pokémon pursuers.

The fiery dog pokémon instantly took to the ground to track the scent of the Team Rocket escapees. As Austin and the two policemen began following them through the tunnel, Austin looked behind him to find several more police officers had come down into the tunnel. The group eventually coming to a three-way fork. The Growlithes didn't hesitate and continued sniffing the ground to the left path. Everyone followed suit.

Soon they came to a part of the tunnel where wood was shoring the ceiling and walls. Austin noticed that the tunnel began sloping upward. After a short while, the Growlithes stopped in front of a wooden trap door. Austin tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge. Then he motioned for help, and he and two other police officers rammed the door with their shoulders, bursting into sunlight. And then Austin blinked in surprise.

He was standing next to the Viridian Gym on the side of the main street. His pokémon were all there, waiting for him. Austin turned back in confusion to look at the camouflaged dirt-looking door as the police officers stumbled out in surprise too, finding that they were still in the city. They had walked in circles? It didn't seem as if they had made any turns in the tunnels besides the one at the fork. The Growlithes came out sniffing hard on Team Rocket's trail, but as they followed the scent into the main road they looked up in surprise and whined. They had lost the trail.

Austin's eyes narrowed in frustration as he stomped the few hundred feet back to the police station and walked through the open front door. Officer Jenny was looking at a map of the surrounding area of the city to see where the bandits could possibly run to.

Austin walked up to her and blurted out behind her, making her jump in surprise, "The tunnel path they took led us to exit at the main road next to the gym. Did you or anyone else see them?"

Jenny's eyes shot up and she exclaimed, "What! How underhanded of them. No, we didn't see anyone. And we would have had word if we had seen them. There are always police patrols at all exits of the city."

Austin thought quickly and pointed out, "Then they're hiding somewhere in the city. Can you do a search of every building and house here?" Jenny shook her head and stated, "We'd need a warrant for searching private properties and homes. We can only search public areas, but I doubt Team Rocket would be stupid enough to hide out in the open."

Austin slammed his fists onto the dusty wooden lobby counter and exclaimed, "To hell with those laws! I'll investigate those places myself then."

Jenny held up her hands and said, "Stop right there. We can't go breaking the law to bring down even criminals. That's what justice and the law is all about. Bringing in criminals lawfully."

Austin shook his head and said, "To hell with that. Me and my pokémon are going to do what you refuse to do: the right thing."

Jenny looked past Austin and then she suddenly cleared her throat and wrapped up the map in front of her without saying anything. Austin noticed the officer's changed manner and turned around, coming face to face with his boss, who was also chief of all police forces and detectives.

The chief also cleared his throat and then told Austin calmly, "Report to my office in a half hour. Get yourself cleaned and presentable before then. Officer, I'm leaving the search for Team Rocket up to you."

Officer Jenny nodded and saluted. She said in an official manner, "Yes sir." Austin also stood at attention, but he was barely able to contain his anger at being removed from the mission at hand. Those Team Rocket bandits were Austin's jurisdiction outside of the Viridian Police's Station.

Austin blurted out to the chief before being asked to say anything, "You need to let me carry more than six pokémon. I need more to battle Team Rocket when it comes to that."

"Sorry. Rules are rules. No one, not even agents like us, is allowed to break that one rule."

"But they break the rules! And why is there a limit to how many any one person can carry anyways?"

"It makes trainers too powerful if they have more than six pokémon. They can easily become a huge threat to society by themselves. That's why no one, not even policemen, are allowed to carry more than six pokémon. And six is already pushing it."

"That's ridiculous. People can easily break that rule if they want to. Besides, we need to take extraordinary measures to take down this illegal organization! They've robbed and held hostage countless people and stolen countless pokémon. They've even resorted to murdering to keep their organization hidden. We have to do something more!"

"I'm sorry, Austin, but the law is the law. We must combat them with the law on our side or we will become criminals ourselves, just like Team Rocket. It's the only way to carry out justice. Seeing your blunt rashness and disregard for the law when chasing down criminals has forced my hand. I can't have you upholding the laws of society like that. I hereby accept your resignation of your authority and office as an international police agent. Go indulge yourself in that adventure job of yours. And go visit your friend more often. And most importantly, don't go breaking the law for your own personal vendetta. You'll become a bad guy yourself then."

Austin didn't say anything and just stared. But he didn't fight the issue and slapped his badge onto the table. Then he slowly walked to the door. He commented without turning around, "I'm fighting for the wrong kind of justice, aren't I? I'll be seeing you Chief."

Gardevoir gave a questioning, knowing look at Austin as he sighed and looked up at the stars. Only she, Austin, and Gallade were sitting around the glowing campfire. All the other pokémon had retired into their pokéballs from all the excitement that day. Gallade rubbed Gardevoir's shoulders as she continued to watch Austin, who refused to return the look.

Austin replied to Gardevoir's stare, "I know. I'm tripping out. I'm going to go back to Pallet Town and apologize to Dana for lying to her."

Gardevoir simply raised her eyebrows, still looking pointedly at him, and Austin finally looked back at her and laughed. "What? I said I'd go apologize to her, okay?"

Gardevoir shook her head and said telepathically, No, isn't it obvious why she's been acting like this towards you recently?

Austin frowned and said, "I've heard that before, but I'm surprised it's coming from you. What's so obvious?"

Gardevoir shook her head again and looked away, saying, No. You need to see it for yourself. I can see it all over her and I'm not even using my psychic abilities, but it's not my place to involve myself. But if you don't see it, then it will all be fruitless.

Austin gave an irritable sigh and asked again, trying to calm himself, "Okay, okay, I get it, whatever it is. I'll apologize to her, and for whatever my problem is that's so obvious."

Gardevoir shook her head and said sympathetically, No, you still don't get it. Well, it's okay for now. We'll see what happens after you apologize to her.

Austin chuckled and looked blankly into the flames. "Yeah, she probably won't forgive me on the spot, knowing her."

Gardevoir also pointed out, You also have to tell her you are no longer an international policeman, and that you aren't pursuing Team Rocket anymore. She'll be glad, I'm sure.

Austin sighed and said, "Yeah, but she'll probably wonder if something is wrong with me after all the years I've poured into doing just that: ending Team Rocket's regime."

Then Austin recalled the current day's events and remarked, "They never found Charon and his crew today. The other two exits at the fork in the caverns led to the woods outside of the town and an abandoned shack next to the plateau. Leaving me with no more clues as to how I can track down Team Rocket."

Gardevoir stated, Forget about Charon and Team Rocket. Now that you're not working for the law, you need to stop thinking about them. Let your hatred go.

Austin nodded and said, "Well, now that I can't officially pursue the law anymore, I guess I can't try and stop Team Rocket now."

But Austin didn't sound convinced, and Gardevoir wasn't sure he believed it either. Then Austin yawned and made the motions to go to sleep, saying, "Well, we'll know soon enough if Dana will forgive me for my stupidity. Night."

Gardevoir nodded, and Austin went to bed. Then she continued to stare at the fading fire, full of thought and worry for Austin and everything else, as the moon reached the highest point in the night sky overhead.

"Wait, what? You're telling me Dana left for Snowpoint yesterday?"

Nurse Joy nodded and smiled, "She wanted to get a head-start on her nursing career. She was pretty eager to get away from poor old me."

Austin chuckled, but he asked, "You sure it wasn't because she was angry at me that she left early? I came back to apologize for something actually serious."

The nurse shrugged and said mysteriously, "You can never really be sure about someone's feelings."

Austin raised his eyebrows at the remark, and then Joy added, "If you want to apologize, go to Snowpoint and catch up with her. I'm sure she'd love that. Plus, you can catch up with your other friends there too. I hear you made several friends during your quest in Sinnoh to becoming a Pokémon Master. And you're not on police business anymore, you told me, so it all works out for a nice vacation!"

Austin laughed and said, "You always see the bright side of things, don't you Nurse Joy?"

She grinned and said, "But of course. Life is full of happiness if you simply look for it."

Austin joked, "That's something I'll have to keep in mind from now on."

She kissed Austin's cheek and moved back towards the lobby of the center to go back to work. She left Austin with the remark, "Be sure to really be serious about your apology with her. I'm sure she'll forgive you for this time if you do that."

Austin nodded matter-of-factly. After she left him alone, Austin said softly to himself, "Don't I know it now. Well, here goes nothing."

Then he walked outside and called out Salamence from her pokéball. She materialized into existence and eyed him. Austin told her that they were going to Snowpoint, and then he asked if she was ready for the trip. In response, Salamence crouched on her haunches, ready and eager to fly and stretch her wings.

Austin smiled at Salamence's good humor, knowing that his pokémon were trying to cheer him up from being removed from the Team Rocket mission. He leaped onto Salamence's back, and she flapped her wings strongly, propelling them into the air. Then she gained altitude and began moving north towards the Sinnoh region, Mt. Coronet and Snowpoint City, Candice, and most importantly, Dana.