A couple of A/N before the next exciting installment of Adventures in Acirema! All long official names of things will be acronymized (that's not a word btw, unless you want it to be) i.e. the Acirema Pokemon Championship (APC) and the dozens of other bureaucratic groups of bureacracy that I will no doubt come up with. Also, I don't own the rights to the song "I Knew You Were Trouble". Those belong to Taylor Swift; so don't sue me, but feel free to write a song about me or my work, all I ask is for 10%...ok 7%? But enough prattle, lets get on with the show! When we last left off, Ash met a new friend and the two shared similar stories of past loves. Now Ash has been tasked with picking up supplies from the Pokemart. But if there's one thing we know about Ash, it's that the smallest things can lead to the greatest discoveries!
Ash nearly fell over as he darted into the Pokemart. Pikachu was obviously startled and a little ticked off by his actions.
"Jeez, could you warn me the next time you decide to crush the life out of me?" she said sarcastically. Ash paid her comment no mind and instead rushed to the second isle labeled "Travel Supplies".
"Let's see," Ash said, not realizing he was vocalizing his thoughts as he quickly pulled items off the shelves, "Super Potions, Full Restores, Antidotes, oh those are always handy…"
"A bit eager to start, are we?" Pikachu smiled. Once again, Ash did not answer Pikachu, which made her a bit angry. So, she retaliated with a slight Thundershock.
"Owww! What was that for?" exclaimed Ash. The shock wasn't powerful enough to be harmful, but because he was not paying attention it came so abruptly that he wasn't prepared and thus it hurt a little more than it normally would.
"If there's one lesson you still haven't learned Ash, it's that women DO NOT like to be ignored!" Pikachu replied.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. It's just that I'm so…" Ash began before he cut himself off. He then began to pay very close attention to a familiar voice he heard coming from the next isle over.
"Excuse me miss, would you like to be my girlfrien? I left the D out because you'll get that later," said the voice. This was followed by a "Get away from me you creep!" and a slap. There was only one person Ash knew who had those kind of advances.
"Brock-o!" Ash exclaimed as he walked into the next isle and saw Brock rubbing his face. Brock had grown a full beard which was close cut. He also wore the same outfit he wore in Sinnoh, only he substituted the orange vest for a white lab coat.
"Ash, what a surprise! I would have never expected to see you here," said Brock with a smile.
"Neither would I!" Ash replied "What was that all about?"
Brock smiled. "Well, you see, I've been trying a more direct approach with women. I've heard that nice guys finish last, so I'm trying a different approach. So far it hasn't been going too well…" explained Brock.
"Wow, well I have to admit that was a pretty funny pick up line though," said Ash with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I've been getting better with practice," Brock smiled, "so what brings you to Acirema?"
"Simple, I'm going to earn all 8 badges and take on the APC!" exclaimed Ash as the thoughts of battling filled his head once again.
"I should have known," replied Brock.
"Why are you here though?" asked Ash.
"Well, after I became a Pokémon doctor I was given an assignment here in Acirema. I have to go to every Pokémon center in the region and make sure that the Nurse Joys are complying to the International Pokémon Health Association standards. It's not the most fun job, but at least I get to travel…and meet more Nurse Joys!" said Brock with a grin.
"Sounds boring," said Ash, then he got an idea. "Hey! Why don't you travel with me and Manuel?" asked Ash.
"Manuel and I! I swear sometimes you use the most terrible grammar," Pikachu corrected while rolling her eyes. Ash shot her a glance but did not reply.
"Who's Manuel?" asked Brock.
"Oh right, you never met him. Well, he's a really cool guy I met who owns the local bike shop. He's coming along with me and Pikachu since he knows the region a lot better than we do," explained Ash.
"You know, that would work. I have to go to every city anyway and there's no set time that I have to be finished. Yeah, let's do this!" exclaimed Brock.
"Great, now I just have to find the rest of these supplies and we can hit the road!"
On their way to the bike shop, Ash and Brock were reminiscing on some of the crazy adventures they had in the past when Brock was strongly shoved by a large Hispanic man. He wore a white wife beater like Manuel, and khaki cargo pants. The man had muscular, well-defined arms lined with tattoos. The most distinct of his tattoos was a large Arbok on his head. The head of the Arbok was on his forehead, with the hood of the Arbok covering the top of his bald head and the body and tail going down the back of his neck. He also had a gold chain with a large cross hanging on the end around his neck. His was about four inches taller than Brock and was very menacing. Brock and Ash shrunk back in fear as he towered over them. Naturally, Pikachu took an attack stance to protect her friends. The man had two other smaller, but equally menacing, men by his sides.
"Hey, what was that about?" asked Brock.
"Who the hell do you think you are, hombre?" asked the man.
"Excuse me?" asked Brock, now getting a little defensive.
"You know what I'm talking about. You're the bastard that was flirting with my sister!" exclaimed the man.
"Wait, that was your sister!" said Brock who was very shocked at this point. "I didn't mean anything by it, I flirt with almost every girl I meet. If it means anything she's very beautiful."
"Oh really," the man laughed, "you said she's gonna get the D later, hombre? Well, how about I give you something for later?" The man then pulled out an M9 9mm Beretta. Ash and Brock took a few steps back while Pikachu growled.
"Hold on now, violence is never the answer!" exclaimed Ash, sweat running down the back of his neck.
"No one asked your punk-ass for a comment did they?" said the man with a scowl. He turned back to Brock. "You're lucky we're out here in the open, or else I'd bust a few caps in your black ass. Just know, if I ever catch you around my part of town, you're a dead man!" and with that, the man and his entourage left.
"Well that guy wasn't very friendly," Ash said with a blink.
"I was 5 seconds from shocking that punk, whether you gave the command or not he was about to be toast!" exclaimed Pikachu.
"I don't know if that would have been such a great idea," Ash pointed out.
"I don't care, no one pulls a 9 on my friends without consequences!" Pikachu stated firmly.
"Who was that guy anyway?" Brock wondered.
"I don't know, but Manuel knows this city well; maybe he'll know who the guy is," Ash suggested.
"Good idea, let's go ask him," Brock said.
Ash and Brock ran into the bike shop and were met by a slightly annoyed Manuel.
"What took you so long, ese?" asked Manuel. Then he noticed Brock and was a little surprised. "What's up doc?" Manuel joked.
"Brock this is Manuel, Manuel this is Brock," Ash hurried them through their introductions.
"Man, you're that eager to go?" asked Manuel with a smile. "Sorry, but I don't play guests like that. How's it going Brock, I'm Emmanuel Ortiz, but my friends call me Manuel. Can I offer you a drink, I've got some Scotch in the back."
"Actually, after what we just went through I could use a glass," admitted Brock. Brock and Ash followed Manuel to the back of the shop and through a door. They entered what appeared to be a living room. The walls were lined with old brick and the floor was hardwood. Inside the new room there was a sofa, a loveseat, an antique-looking coffee table, a large HDTV mounted on the wall and some game systems. He pulled out a bottle of scotch and poured a glass for himself and Brock. He lifted a glass towards Ash and raised an eyebrow.
"No thanks," Ash replied. Manuel shrugged his shoulders and knocked back the small glass before pouring himself another.
"So, what took you guys so long?" Manuel asked again as he swirled around the second glass.
"We ran into some trouble on the street," explained Ash, "earlier at the Pokemart Brock was flirting with some girl, which I guess ticked off some thug and his goons. He threatened Brock with a 9mm and said if he ever saw us "around his part of town" Brock would be dead." Upon hearing the news, Manuel's complexion completely changed. He had a look of worry and fear on his face and knocked back the second glass of scotch then quickly poured a third.
"I'm going to venture a guess that you know this guy?" asked Brock who noticed the concern.
"Did the guy have a bald head with a tattoo of an Arbok on it?" asked Manuel, although he already knew what their answer would be.
"Yes," replied Brock. Manuel closed his eyes and frowned for a second, then looked back up at Ash and Brock.
"That guy was Duro, he's the leader of the notorious Pokémon gang known as the Dons. There are two gangs that run this city, the Dons and the Gores. The Dons are the Hispanic gang while the Gores are the Black gang. The Dons and Gores aren't like your typical Teams in Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh though, these guys are hardcore thugs. They aren't afraid to kill a man and they run the streets. They've also got the city government by the balls so there's no calling an officer Jenny once you get on their bad side. There are two things that Duro hates, people who mess with his family, and members of the Gores. Brock is dark skinned so he probably assumed that you were a member of the Gores, which made him even more angry than if you were just some normal guy flirting with his sister. If I were you, I'd stay away from any Don as Duro probably told them all to keep a lookout for you," explained Manuel.
"So how can you tell the difference between a Don and a Gore because the other guys didn't have tattoos of Arboks on their heads," asked Brock who was growing a little frightened.
"The tattoo on Duro's head is just a symbol of his leadership. The leader of the Gores, Kinte, has a tattoo of a scar on his cheek. All the Dons have tattoos of two bands around their left wrist and in the middle of the bands is an eye. All the Gores have tattoos of two tear drops under their left eye. That's how you can tell them apart, other than their skin color," explained Manuel. It was then that Ash noticed for the first time that Manuel had the two bands and eye tattoo under his watch on his left hand. Ash took a step back.
"Are…are you a Don?" Ash stammered. Manuel did a half smile and shook his head.
"Not anymore. I used to be though, but I'm one of the lucky few who managed to get out of the gang and still live. They usually kill members who leave the gang cause they don't want them going around and snitching all the gang secrets like I am now; but occasionally they'll make an exception. I was a friend of Duro's while we were growing up. When we were younger his house burned down and I saved his sister, then they came to live with my family until they got back on their feet; so I guess you could say he owed me one. That's why he let me leave the gang. I haven't talked to him since I left though," said Manuel.
"Wow, well is there any way you could get this whole mess patched up? I really don't want to get shot. I still haven't found true love!" exclaimed Brock. Ash shook his head.
"It's your quest for love that got you into this mess in the first place!" Ash snapped.
"I really wish I could help you guys out, but I think it would be best if we just got on with our journey. I haven't talked to Duro in years and we didn't part on the best of terms so I doubt I'd be able to help you," explained Manuel. Ash nodded.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Ash exclaimed, eager to hit the road.
"Hold on bro, we have to visit Professor Cypress first," said Manuel.
"Where is his lab?" asked Ash.
"Her lab is on the westside of the city, which is good because the Dons stay on the eastside while the Gores stay on the westside so we shouldn't run into any trouble on our way there. Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled just in case," Manuel said.
"Right," Ash nodded, "let's move out!"
When the three friends reached Professor Cypress' lab Ash was astonished. It was a very large building that appeared to have four stories. It was located in a very rural part of the city and there were only a couple of houses in the surrounding area. It had a very large fenced off area in the back which was most likely home to the hundreds of Pokemon studied at the lab. Manuel led the way through the automatic sliding glass doors and into the lab. They were in a very large waiting area which had a sleek and modern-looking reception desk towards the back. The room was decorated with various plants and also had a large fountain in the middle. There were also various sofas and chairs around the floor and there was even a small internet café and lounge area on the left side of the floor. The receptionist met them with a smile as they walked up.
"Welcome to the Cypress Research Center, how may I be of assistance," said the friendly woman. Ash noticed that the woman was a Nurse Joy, which he thought was a bit odd.
"Aren't you a Nurse Joy?" asked Ash.
"Yes, I am," she replied with a smile.
"Well…why are you a receptionist in a Pokemon lab?" he asked.
"This lab also serves as the Pokemon Center and hospital for the city. We treat injured Pokemon on the third floor and injured trainers on the second floor," Nurse Joy explained.
"Well this is perfect! My name is Brock and I am an IPHA certified Pokemon Doctor. I'm traveling Acirema to make sure that every Pokemon Center is following the IPHA standards," Brock explained as he shook the Nurse Joy's hand.
"I'll be happy to give you a tour of our facilities so that you can conduct your inspection," said Nurse Joy with a smile, "what are your friends here for?"
"We need to see Professor Cypress so that we can get registered with the Acirema Pokemon League and get our starter Pokemon," explained Manuel. The Nurse Joy frowned.
"I'm terribly sorry, but you just missed Professor Cypress. She is on her way to Pallet Town in Kanto for some conference," said Nurse Joy.
"Oh man! She's going to the Research and Development Conference that Professor Oak was talking about on the phone!" exclaimed Ash.
"Yes, that's the one. Again I'm sorry but you'll have to come back next week," said Nurse Joy.
"Actually, you three are in luck," said a voice. Ash, Manuel and Brock turned around and were met by a very tall woman wearing a lab coat. She had fair skin which went well with her light blue eyes. She had dark blonde hair which was put in a side bun. She was very petite and wore a tight yellow dress under the lab coat which stopped just below her knees. She had a warm smile and very visible dimples on her face.
"I am Professor Veronica Cypress," she said with a smile.
"Hello, I'm Manuel," said Manuel as he shook her hand.
"And I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," said Ash.
"And I'm your dream come true!" exclaimed Brock as he took her hand. Ash and Manuel sweat dropped while Professor Cypress had a confused look on her face.
"Come on Brock, your antics have gotten us into enough trouble as it is!" said Ash. Brock frowned and let go of her hand.
"I was just about to leave when I overheard your conversation. I'd be happy to get you three registered and issue you your Pokedex, Pokeballs, and starter Pokemon," Professor Cypress said.
"That'd be awesome!" exclaimed Ash. Manuel nodded.
"Yeah, thanks for taking your time to help us," Manuel said.
"It's no problem!" said Professor Cypress with a smile. "Just follow me and we can get you started on your journey!"
It appears that the fates have worked their magic once again as Ash and Brock meet up in Acirema! It also appears that Brock is his same old self, albiet a little more mature, and his "quest for love" has gotten him into a bit of a quandary. Hopefully Ash & Co. will be able to make it out of Acirema alive! And next chapter we will finally be introduced to the first three new Pokemon! I'm excited so you'd better be...just don't let the anticipation overwhelm you. Also, our resident Professor seems to be quite the looker (if you'd like a clearer image think Gwyneth Paltrow meets Amanda Seyfried...hmm, that'd be interesting...). Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of Adventures in Acirema and be sure to Favorite, Alert, Review, and all that jazz!