Vol. I Ch. II: The Unknown Pokémon
The next day was a bright and sunny morning. Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu stood on the edge of town with Route 1 opened to them just feet away, leading them into the grassy fields that separated Pallet Town and Viridian City. Hanako, in the middle, reached her arms out and grabbed Tatsu and Riviére's hands. "This is it. We're about to start our Journey together." she said with a wide smile.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for this my whole life," replied Riviére as she returned the smile and tightened the grip of her hand around Hanako's. "We'll share this memory for the rest of our lives."
"Let's make it a good memory, shall we?" said Tatsu as he tilted his cap with his free hand. "Let's take that first step together."
"On three?" asked Riviére.
"Three." replied Tatsu and Hanako simultaneously.
"One..." said Riviére.
"...Two..." said Tatsu.
"...THREE!" shouted Hanako. Together, they took a one big step forward and stopped, officially entering Route 1. "We did it!" Hanako said excitedly, fist in the air.
Tatsu nodded as he reached into his pocket and withdrew his Pokédex. Turning it on, Tatsu immediately began to check the Pokémon commonly found on Route 1. "Hm," he said after scrolling down the list of Pokémon. "The most common Pokémon in this area are Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, Sentret, Caterpie, Weedle, Ledyba, Pineco, Poochyena, Wurmple, then rarely we can find Raticate, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Fearow, Furret, Metapod, Butterfree, Kakuna, Beedrill, Ledian, Cascoon, Beautifly, Silcoon, Dustox, Plusle, Minun, Shinx, Luxio, and Luxray. At night, we can find Spinarak, Ariados, Hoothoot, and Noctowl."
"Those are some decent Pokémon," said Riviére, "but I'm not really interested in those. To bad there isn't any ponds or streams in this area, or I'd be able to find some Water-type Pokémon."
"Yeah, and no Grass-types either," said Hanako with a sigh. "Looks like I'll have to wait till we go further before we can find a new Pokémon to join our team."
"You two have it easy," said Tatsu as he placed his Pokédex back into his pocket. "Fire-types are a lot harder to find than Grass and Water-types."
Together, they walked down the fine dirt path of Route 1. As the morning progressed, they battled several Pokémon that they found on the route. Being restricted to only two additional Pokémon for the rest of their journey in Kanto, neither of them caught any new Pokémon. As lunch time came, they sat underneath a large oak tree and enjoyed sandwiches they had bought in town, with the exception of Hanako, who instead ate a few Oran Berries. Charmander ate a charred Caterpie, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur ate some Pokéfood. During their lunch break, they talked about their future aspirations and expectations about the challenges that come before them as Hanako watched a Weedle and Caterpie eat a leaf.
"Brock will be difficult for you," stated Riviére before she drank some tea from a bottle. "His Pokémon may be Rank D, but they are at the pinnacle of that rank. Being level 20 Pokémon, ours would already have to be evolved to stand a chance. They are also bound to know moves that would be tutored. Brock wouldn't want Grass and Water-types to stomp his team."
"I know he has a Geodude and an Onix, but didn't the Pokémon League increase Gym Battles to three on three last year?" asked Hanako.
"I forgot about that rule," said Tatsu as he rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know what other Pokémon Brock could have added to his team. With Pewter City being a Rock-type Gym, it's safe to say he'll add another Rock-type, but which one?"
"It's probably a Rhyhorn or something," said Riviére with a shrug of her shoulders. "Either way, Hanako and I will have an easier time fighting Brock than you. Fire-types are weak against Rock-types, and his are also part Ground-type. Makes things easier for Hanako and I."
"I'm not worried about it," said Tatsu as he stood up and stretched. "Charmeleon will learn Dragon Rage, which does a lot of damage against lower level Pokémon," said Tatsu as Charmander started to growl. Seeing a young trainer walking down the Route, Tatsu grinned as he stood up. "Hey, looks like we might have our first Pokémon Battle."
Riviére and Hanako turned their heads. As they did, a youngster saw them and ran over. "Hey! Hey! Are you trainers?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, we are," said Tatsu proudly. "Are you a trainer as well?"
"Well, not officially," he said, "but I do have my own Pokémon. I've been training hard. Would you like to battle?"
"Sure," said Tatsu as Charmander prepped itself, ready for a fight.
The youngster stepped forward, Poké Ball in hand. "My name is Joey."
Tatsu nodded. "My name is Tatsu. This will be a one on one battle. You accept?"
"But I got three Pokémon," he interjected.
"Then let's have a Rotation Battle," suggested Riviére. "We'll battle one at a time."
"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" said Joey, pumped up. "I never had a Rotation Battle before!"
Hanako and Riviére stood beside the tree and watched as Tatsu and Joey spaced themselves, giving their Pokémon plenty of room to battle. Youngster Joey tossed his Poké Ball into the air and yelled, "I choose you, Rattata!" he exclaimed. As the Poké Ball popped open, a small greenish rat Pokémon jumped out. The Rattata sparkled slightly, it's body gleaming briefly. The Rattata had smaller whiskers, indicating that the Rattata was female.
"So that's a shiny Pokémon. That's the first time I've ever seen one up close." said Tatsu, impressed.
Joey snapped his fingers. "That's right! My Rattata is in the top percentage of Rattata!" he said before he issued a command. "Rattata, use Bite!"
"Charmander, counter with smokescreen!"
Opening her jaws, the shiny Rattata rushed toward the Charmander. Without looking where the Rattata was going, Charmander was quickly able to dodge the attack. Landing beside the Rattata, Charmander did not follow Tatsu's order. Instead, Charmander scratched the side of Rattata's face, knocking the Rattata aside. Trickles of blood ran down the shiny Rattata's cheek.
"I didn't give that order," said Tatsu, perplexed by the initiative that Charmander took. He quickly shook off the surprise and said, "Great work, Charmander. Now, let's test out that Ember attack!"
"Don't give up," said youngster Joey as Rattata got up, shaking her face. "use Quick Attack!"
In haste, the Rattata charged the Charmander and struck him in the chest. Knocking the air out of Charmander, he was thrown several feet away. Charmander stood up, angry for being hit so hard in the chest. Quickly regaining his breath, Charmander inhaled deeply before exhaling a rather large ball of fire at the Rattata, which hit her in the face. Burned from the embers, Rattata could not stand the pain from the attack and passed out.
Shocked by the defeat, Joey was speechless as he watched Rattata lay unconscious. "No, my Rattata!" he bellowed as he fumbled for his Poké Ball.
Meanwhile, Tatsu returned Charmander to his Poké Ball and looked at it with a ponderous look. "That Ember attack was way stronger than it should have been, even if Charmander's Blaze Ability was activated," said Tatsu. "I should check that out." he said as Riviére walked over to Tatsu.
"All right, it's my turn." she said confidently.
Taking Riviére's spot by Hanako, he took out his Pokédex and scanned his Poké Ball and read the information displayed on the screen.Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out. The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly. The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is also an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely. Height: 2'03". Weight: 19.02 lbs. Level: 12. Ability: Solar Power. Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen.
"I knew it," said Tatsu. "Charmander has a Hidden Ability."
"Really?" asked Hanako as she walked over to Tatsu and peered over his shoulder.
"What are you talking about over there?" asked Riviére as Squirtle prepped for battle.
"Tell you in a bit," replied Tatsu. "Focus on your battle."
"Right," Riviére coughed as she turned her attention to Joey. "My name is Riviére," she asked confidently. Her demeanor changed, suddenly becoming competitive. Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched as her legs shook slightly. Her adrenaline flowed through her every fiber and her heart began to race. The excitement of battle always brought out her competitive nature. "I choose my Squirtle!" exclaimed Riviére as Squirtle waddled forward in confidence.
"And I choose Pidgey!" said Joey as he tossed his Poké Ball, and a small brown Pokémon emerged from it. Flapping his wings, the Pidgey landed and chirped softly. "Pidgey, use Gust!" ordered Joey.
With a flap of his wings, the Pidgey flew up slightly and flapped his wings toward Squirtle. Without waiting for Riviére's order, Squirtle turned around and withdrew into his shell to weather the attack without much damage. When the gust died down, Squirtle used Water Gun while still withdrawn, propelling him forward at a high speed and smacked the Pidgey square in the chest. Knocking the Pidgey to the ground, Squirtle withdrew out of his shell and stood beside the Pidgey in triumph.
Riviére, shocked by the initiative and the ingenious of Squirtle's battle strategy, was speechless as Joey ran over to his Pidgey and scooped him up. Riviére walked over to her Squirtle and knelled over. "Wow, you really took out that Pidgey, huh?" she asked as Squirtle nodded. "Squirtle, Squirtle."
"Well, that didn't take long," said Hanako as she walked over to take Riviére's place as she returned her Squirtle to his Poké Ball.
Without hesitating, Tatsu scanned Squirtle with his Pokédex. Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds. It shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity. Shoots water at prey while in the water. Withdraws into its shell when in danger. Height: 2'00". Weight: 22.2 lbs. Level: 12. Ability: Rain Dish. Known Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw.
"Looks like I was right," said Tatsu as he showed Riviére his Pokédex. After a quick read, Riviére jaw dropped. "Rain Dish? That's Squirtle's Hidden Ability. Those are supposed to be extremely rare. One in every thousand are born with their Hidden Ability," she said before looking at Tatsu. "Your Charmander has a Hidden Ability as well, doesn't he?"
Tatsu nodded and looked back at Hanako. "I bet you anything that Hanako's Bulbasaur also has his Hidden Ability."
Hanako and Joey stood in the same spots as Tatsu and Riviére had stood. Bulbasaur looked on with a proud expression, waiting for Joey to reveal his final Pokémon. Joey reached into his pocket and tossed his Poké Ball. "Go, Beedrill!" he exclaimed as the Beedrill materialized.
"Whoa, that's a fully evolved Pokémon," said Hanako worrisome, but Bulbasaur stood confident. "Bulba," said the Bulbasaur as it reared slightly, ready for battle. Hanako looked down and smiled confidently. "If you think we can win, then so do I," she said as she gave Bulbasaur an order. "Bulbasaur, use Tackle!"
"Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" countered Joey.
Bulbasaur charged the Beedrill with surprising speed. The Beedrill countered the charge with her stingers, jabbing at Bulbasaur with her arms and stinger. Bulbasaur stopped itself and avoided the multiple attempts to sting it. Backing up a bit, Bulbasaur leaned forward and sprayed a greenish powder at the Beedrill. Unable to avoid the powder, the Beedrill fell to the ground, fast asleep.
"No, Beedrill!" shouted Joey. "Wake up, sleepy bug!"
"Bulbasaur, when did you learn Sleep Powder?" asked Hanako, confused.
"Bulba," said the Bulbasaur as it turned around, then turned back.
"Oh, right," said Hanako with a quick smile. "Of course. Back to the battle. Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
Nodding, Bulbasaur's vines crept from it's bulb and wrapped around the sleeping Beedrill. Picking her up, Bulbasaur slammed Beedrill into the ground. Waking up from the sudden impact, the Beedrill struggled to escape from the vines, but it proved useless as the grip was too tight. Again, Bulbasaur slammed the Beedrill into the ground.
"Stop, I give up!" Joey cried as he ran to his Beedrill.
"Bulbasaur, stop," said Hanako as she saw Joey run toward his Beedrill. Immediately, Bulbasaur released the Beedrill as commanded. The Beedrill got back to her feet, while hurt, could still move on her own. Joey hugged his Beedrill and cried, the Beedrill soothing him with her buzzing. Walking over, Hanako leaned over and pet the child. "You shouldn't give up so easily. Your Beedrill was still willing to fight. While it's good that you kept your Pokémon's health in priority, you shouldn't be so hasty to give up."
Wiping his tears, Joey nodded. "Okay, I'll try to remember that."
"You both fought well," said Riviére as they approached.
Tatsu pointed his Pokédex at Hanako's Bulbasaur to scan for information. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokémon. For some time after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the seed on its back. Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger. Height: 2'06". Weight: 16.3 lbs. Level: 13. Ability. Chlorophyll. Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder.
"Just as we thought. Our Pokémon have Hidden Abilities," said Tatsu as he pocketed his Pokédex. "Not only that, but your Bulbasaur is a level ahead of ours."
"Really?" said Hanako as she scratched her cheek. "Well, Bulbasaur did fight a couple of Metapod. Maybe he leveled up faster because they were evolved Pokémon?"
"Yeah, probably," said Tatsu.
Joey returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls. "Thanks for the battles. Will we see you again, one day?"
"Of course," said Hanako happily. "We'll stop by one day. We look forward to it."
"Alright! We'll challenge you again when you get back!" he said as he scampered away, walking back toward Pallet Town as they resumed onward to Viridian City.
The day resumed without much more excitement. They made good distance as the sun decent past the mountains in the horizon. With the sky quickly dissipating into the darkness of night, Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako stood around a common campsite used by trainers that stay overnight between Pallet Town and Viridian City. It was one of many dotted around the routes for trainers to use while on their journey.
"So, why didn't you want us to buy sleeping bags?" asked Riviére as she stood by the fire pit.
Tatsu surveyed a flat spot, as if taking measurements in his head. "Yeah, this will do," he said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small case. He turned his head over to Riviére and Hanako and smirked at their perplexed expressions. "You two remember how I said I had a top secret product that the Silph Co. was testing?" said Tatsu as he opened the case and took out an oblong capsule that looked like a stretched Poké Ball. Clicking the top, Tatsu underhand tossed the capsule as far as he could. The capsule popped open like a Poké Ball, blinding white light enveloping the area. As the light dissipated, a one story oval house appeared where there was nothing seconds later.
"Wh-what the hell!" exclaimed Riviére in surprise. "When did they put houses in Poké Balls?"
"That's amazing!," said Hanako in wonder as she walked towards the oval house and stopped at the door. "How did they do it?"
"It works just like Poké Balls," explained Tatsu as he walked to the door and opened it. Hanako and Riviére poked their heads inside and looked on in amazement. Inside the oval house was a fully furnished house with a complete kitchen with stove, refrigerator, a large freezer for storing, sink, dishwasher, and cupboards, and a long table with four chairs. The living room was also furnished with a couch, armchair, 60" TV and TV stand, coffee table, end tables, coat rack, shelves for books, and lamp. There was a small hallway that split off into what seemed to be a bathroom and a bedroom. Beside the bathroom entrance was a washer and dryer. "The capsule converts the object into data, and it stores it inside. When you return it to the capsule, everything will be the exact same as when it was returned. They are called Pokémon Capsules, or PokéCaps for short."
"Wow, science is amazing," said Hanako as they walked inside, removing their shoes at the door mat before stepping onto the carpet.
"How did you get this?" asked Riviére.
Tatsu put his jacket on the coat rack and jumped onto the couch, crossing his arms and legs. "My grandparents are Professor Blaine, the Cinnabar Gym Leader, and Professor Fuji. They are prominent scientific figures and both have connections in Silph. Before I arrived at Pallet Town, I got a call from Grandpa Blaine and he asked if I would be interested in testing out their product. If the test goes well, it will hit the market at the end of next year. Starting price being set at about 750,000."
"That's insanely expensive," said Riviére, taken back by the high price. "Shouldn't they lower the price?"
"Maybe, but they function for more than just trainers out on the road. People can live in them long term, and can move their homes if need be. Silph Co. is working on making larger homes with more bedrooms too." said Tatsu as Riviére and Hanako sat in the armchairs beside the couch. "It also protects trainers from the environment, as well as many other factors. Not only that, but they are working on making vehicles for easy transportation. Silph Co. has a vision of making PokéCaps useful for everyone, not just trainers."
"Is it possible for someone to accidentally be trapped inside?" asked Hanako as she looked around the living room.
"Not possible. It works like a Poké Ball; humans can't be put in Poké Balls as a Poké Ball will reject the human once the scan of the genetic material begins."
"So that's how Poké Balls work?" asked Hanako.
"In a nutshell," said Tatsu as he sat up. "So, who wants to cook?"
Riviére shrugged and stood up. "I can cook, but you're making breakfast."
"Shame, I can't cook," said Tatsu as he got up and showed her the kitchen.
"Fine, I'll do the cooking, but you're doing the dishes."
"Yeah, yeah,"
Hanako giggled softly as she looked out the window. Standing outside was the tall man with yellow eyes and long dark brown and purple hair in a pony tail. Smiling softly, Hanako stood up and walked to the door. "Be right back, going to look for some berries," said Hanako to Tatsu and Riviére, who were arguing with each other over what to eat for supper. Closing the door behind her, Hanako walked up the the man and stopped. She looked up at him for a moment before hugging him. "You came all this way to see me, Cheshire?"
"Of course," said the man. "I had to see you off, didn't I?" As she hugged him, his body seemed to dissolved to reveal his true form; a Pokémon known as Zoroark. Unlike normal Zoroark, this one had purple hair and claws, and dark brown fur opposed to pure black. His eyes were yellow opposed to blue.
"You are always looking out for me," she said as she broke the embrace. "Are you going to return to your mission?"
"Unfortunately," Cheshire said with a lazy yawn. "Tracking down the Plates of Arceus all across the world is no easy feat. Imagine a deity with no powers, eh?" he said mischievously.
"Maybe, but he's still much stronger than you are," said Hanako, her hands folded behind her back.
"Yeah, maybe so. If the other deities knew they stood a chance against Arceus, they may rebel. Or, so Arceus says." said Cheshire with a shrug of his shoulders. "I really don't care who the strongest is, nothing but destruction ever comes from Gods fighting over the throne. As far as I care, they can keep it and leave me out of it."
Hanako giggled. "Yet you're helping Arceus get his powers back."
"Yeah, well, Arceus just happens to be decent at his job," said Cheshire defensively. Pausing for a moment, Cheshire placed his paw on her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you."
"And I, you," she replied back and gave him another hug.
"Are you sure you don't want me to join you?" he asked as he returned the hug.
"No, you have a job to do, as do I." she replied.
"Very well. If you need me, just call me. I've registered myself as a trainer under my name, so just send me a message. I will check it frequently."
"I will, thank you," said Hanako as the embrace ended and she stepped back. "You stay safe, okay?"
"You too," said Cheshire as the human form illusion again took effect. He turned around and walked away, walking into the night abyss.
Wiping a tear from her eye, she turned and headed back into the house, where Tatsu and Riviére were still arguing over what meal to eat.
A week passed since Tatsu, Hanako, and Riviére started out on their journey. Early on their seventh morning since embarking, Hanako and Tatsu, along with their Pokémon, sat in the living room while Riviére and Squirtle showered together. Tatsu sat in the armchair and worked on his laptop, typing away his review on the Housing PokéCaps with Charmander eating his breakfast at the foot of the armchair. Hanako turned the pages of a book on Kanto Lore with Bulbasaur sleeping by her feet.
Looking over the top of her book, Hanako peeked at Tatsu. "What are you working on?" she asked.
"A report to Mr. Silph about the PokéCaps he lent us" said Tatsu without looking up. "As a requirement for using it, he wanted a detailed report about all the features and any problems that I found before turning it in. After a week, I haven't found many problems. Only thing that's a concern is the water consumption verses water production. It can't produce water fast enough without being depleting. Of course, that could be because of Riviére's extensive showers," said Tatsu ruefully.
"Hey, my showers don't take that long," said Riviére from behind. Wearing only a towel, she still dripped of water. Beside her was her Squirtle, his shell gleaming. "Besides, how am I going to get my Squirtle's shell to shine like this? It's a daily task!"
On the first morning since using the Housing PokéCaps, Riviére had walked out of the shower and into the living room completely naked without a shred of modesty. This nearly killed Tatsu, as he was eating breakfast and he nearly choked on the sight of Riviére's wet, naked body strolling into the kitchen nonchalantly. Hanako had to explain to her about walking around naked with a boy living with them. Riviére merely replied, "A woman's body was meant to be seen, not hidden beneath clothing". Though she did agree with using a towel in between trips from the bathroom to the bedroom, she protested by air drying in the bedroom. Tatsu nearly died again when walking into the bedroom, only to find Riviére laying naked on the bed, napping. Also didn't help that she slept in the nude as well. On the second morning Hanako found Riviére sleeping nude in the same armchair with her. Tatsu suspected this was a ploy to get dibs on the bedroom, but Hanako had her other suspicions.
"Well, maybe you should be the first to shower after all," said Hanako pointing to the wall clock, which showed half past ten in the morning. "We were ready to go about an hour ago."
Riviére merely shrugged her shoulders. "Why do we have to get up early? We're right outside of Viridian City," she said as she walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
Hanako sighed as she looked back at Tatsu, who was strangely focused on his computer screen. Despite her lack of modesty, whenever Tatsu made a perverted comment, she kicked him between the legs in retaliation. He quickly learned not to make the perverted jokes around her.
"So does that mean that we'll be having to sleep in sleeping bags outside?" she asked casually. Truth was, she had gotten used to sleeping in a house.
"Yeah, but if I wanted to I'm sure that Mr. Silph would let me buy it from him." said Tatsu as he finished the report and closed the laptop.
"Do you think he has a three bedroom one?" she asked hopefully.
"I'm sure he does," he said as he stood up and stretched, Charmander looking up at his trainer. "What, you don't want to sleep outside beneath the stars?"
Hanako laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, not at all! I wouldn't mind sleeping outside. I was just curious..."
Tatsu snickered as he walked into the kitchen and made himself some breakfast.
It was another hour before Tatsu, Hanako, and Riviére were ready to set off towards Viridian City. Dusk was approaching by the time they arrived in Viridian City. A lot larger than Pallet Town, which was mostly a rural area with a few family businesses and a Pokémon Center and Mart. Viridian City, on the other hand, was a bustling urban city with many businesses, restaurants, and of course, an official Pokémon Gym.
Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako stood in front of the Pokémon City Gym, looking at it in awe. It was a large Gym, styled in traditional Kanto-style dating back over five hundred years. In front of the doors were two guards, standing by to check the number of Gym Badges and make appointments. The Viridian City Gym was ranked highest in Kanto, a Gym that uses Rank B Pokémon. Much, much higher than their currently Rank D Pokémon. Because of the high level of Pokémon, the Viridian City Gym has the lowest defeat rate in all of Kanto. The average defeats a year were less than ten. Though not much was known about the Gym Leader, it is known that he is a Ground-type Specialist. Also, because of the infrequent number of challenges the Gym is issued, the Gym Leader lives elsewhere and only visits when a challenge is issued. Where he lives is unknown.
"Just think," began Riviére, "one day, we'll be challenging this Gym. It's only a matter of time before we walk those steps and challenge him."
"We still have seven Gym Leaders to defeat," said Hanako as she held up seven fingers. "Brock, of Pewter City. Misty, of Cerulean City. Lt. Surge, of Vermilion City. Erika, of Celadon City. Koga, of Fuchsia City. Sabrina, of Saffron City, and lastly-"
"My Grandpa Blaine of Cinnabar Island," finished Tatsu.
"If we only train three Pokémon at a time, ours will be much stronger than theirs," said Riviére. "Then we do the same thing for Johto, and we'll have an unstoppable team ready for the World Tournament. It will be much easier than challenging the Elite Four right off the bat."
"Easier said than done," reminded Tatsu as he reached into his pocket and withdrew Charmander's Poké Ball, his face reflecting onto it's surface. "We have to think carefully on what Pokémon we add to our team. We don't get the luxury to catch as many Pokémon as we want and decide which we want to use for the Tournament. Not with only training three at a time."
"I'm not worried about it," said Riviére as she wrapped her hands behind her head and walked away from the Gym, her bust slightly pushed out. "Let's find the Pokémon Center and get ready for the trip towards Pewter. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can collecting badges."
"That girl has a one track mind," said Tatsu as he put his Poké Ball into his jacket pocket and followed, Hanako in tow.
Once at the Pokémon Center, they turned in their Poké Balls to for a check-up. Tatsu handed over the PokéCap to be teleported directly to Mr. Silph of the Silph Co., much to the dismay of Riviére and Hanako. When she found out, she, like Hanako, asked Tatsu to ask for a PokéCap for the rest of their journey, admitting that the PokéCap was a luxury she'd sorely miss.
Sitting at a telephone booth, Tatsu called Mr. Silph's private line. The screen flickered and Mr. Silph was seen on the other end. He was a broad, old man with a very large mustache. "Ah, Tatsu, I've been expecting you," he said mildly surprised. "I've just received the PokéCap moments ago and your review with it. I must say, I was pleased with the results. I can happily say that the issues you've sent in will be resolved and we'll begin production immediately."
"That's good to hear," said Tatsu as Hanako and Riviére peered their heads forward. "Anyway, I have a request I'd like to make."
"A request? What would that be?"
"Well, my two friends here," he said as he gestured to the girls. "helped me test the PokéCap and its features. If it wasn't for Riviére and her extensive showers, I wouldn't have caught the water conversion problem."
"Oh, I see!" said Mr. Silph. "I thank you for the rigorous testing of our water converter."
"No problem," she said, smiling widely. "Just helping out a friend!"
"Anyway, we were wondering," interjected Tatsu, "if you had a three bedroom PokéCap that needs testing?"
Mr. Silph straightened out the side of his mustache, thinking his request over. "I see. I may have a PokéCap like that laying around. I'll get back with you tomorrow. The research department is already gone for the day and went home."
"That's fine, we'll be in Viridian recuperating for a bit."
"All right, tell your Grandpa Fuji I said hello."
"Will do, thanks," said Tatsu as he ended the call.
Riviére grinned in triumph. "Yes, I'll get my own room!" she said happily.
"He said he'd check for us," Tatsu reminded her as he got up. "Anyway, who's hungry? Supper's on Hanako."
"Sounds good to me," said Riviére as Hanako protested along the way to the nearest restaurant.
After eating a big meal, they returned to the Pokémon Center to rest up. Outfitted with a men and women's sleeping quarters, Tatsu left to sleep in the men's room while Hanako and Riviére entered the women's. The women's sleeping quarters had four full beds, all of which were unoccupied.
"Looks like we'll be sleeping alone tonight," said Riviére as she undressed and placed her clothes in a drawer beside her bed. She paused as she slipped her nightgown on and watched Hanako undress. "Would you like to cuddle with me tonight?" she asked blatantly.
"Wha?" she said as she removed her shirt.
Riviére approached from behind and wrapped her long, thin arms around Hanako's slim shoulders and pulled her close. Hanako, being so short and Riviére being so tall, her head was pressed into Riviére's chest. She held the stunned Hanako tightly as her lips grazed the top of Hanako's head and closed her eyes. "I'm glad we're sharing our journey together, Hanako..."
Hanako looked up in confusion, her cheeks flushed. "Riviére, I..."
BOOOOOM!
A colossal explosion shook the entire Pokémon Center. The force of the blast caused Hanako and Riviére to smack their heads together, knocking them to the floor. "Oww," said Riviére as the tremors ceased. "What the hell happened?" she said to herself as Hanako crawled to the wall and stood up, looking out of the window.
"Riviére, look! Something happened!" said Hanako quickly.
Tatsu burst through the door, wearing his pajama bottoms. "You two all right?" Seeing Riviére on the ground, Tatsu helped her up to her feet. "Hanako, what's going on?" asked Tatsu as he helped Riviére to the window and looked outside.
A column of smoke billowed from down the street, a raging fire engulfing the buildings in it source of the explosion. People and Pokémon in the street were running away, while the Viridian Police and Fire rushed to the scene of the disaster. While en route, a sudden blast destroyed the police cruisers, blasting them away.
"Come on, we got to go help!" said Hanako as she rushed out of the room and outside, not bothering to put her shirt back on. Tatsu and Riviére followed behind her. As they reached outside, the screams of the terrified civilians filled the air. Hanako rushed towards the thick of the action.
"Hanako!" Riviére called out as she and Tatsu chased after her.
"Come on," said Tatsu. "It looks like it came from the Viridian Gym."
As Hanako turned the street corner, she stopped suddenly. Standing in front of the fiery remains of the destroyed Viridian Gym was a tall, gray humanoid Pokémon with a long purple tail and feline features. It stood staring into the flames before slowly turning its head toward Hanako, it's cold eyes piercing her like knives.
"No, not you..." said Hanako as she backed away slightly as two men ran past her, tossing their Poké Balls.
Two Houndoom materialized and immediately attacked the unknown Pokémon with Flamethrower attacks. Raising it's hand, it easily repelled the flames and divided the stream of fire. In an instant, the Pokémon disappeared and reappeared between the Houndoom. It quickly extended it's arms and fired two blasts of energy at the Houndoom, blowing them into the near by buildings. Without hesitation, the Pokémon rushed forward and grabbed the two men by the head and committed a heinous act; using extreme force, the Pokémon exploded the two men's heads clear off their shoulders.
Hanako's eyes widened in fear as the two bodies fell to the ground like a puppet with their strings cut. The Pokémon showed no regret to killing the two men and Houndoom; no remorse in its eyes as it teleported away from the corpses and reappeared in front of Hanako. Frozen to the spot, Hanako's body felt iced over as the terrifying Pokémon approached her. She took no notice to Tatsu and Riviére rounding the corner, just in time to see the unknown Pokémon raise it's hand and hold it inches from Hanako's face.
"Die," a deep voice echoed in the back of Hanako's head.
At that moment, a Rhydon charged and tackled the unknown Pokémon into the side of a building, crushing the wall into bits. Falling to her knees as the building collapsed, Tatsu and Riviére wrapped their arms around Hanako and hoisted her up. Their voices were distant and echoed as they assisted her up, a man coming to their side and urging them to move away.
"Come on, we got to move!" she heard Tatsu say, his voice still dim.
As they guided Hanako out of the street, the Rhydon that charged the unknown Pokémon had been thrown out of the rubble and held by an unseen power. The unknown Pokémon pushed a large chunk of the wall off itself and walked away from the crumbling building. Using what was presumed to be a Psychic attack, it sent the Rhydon head first into the street, breaking it's neck.
"No, Rhydon!" yelled the man as he ran towards it. However, before he could reach his Rhydon, the man was stopped by the similar attack and hoisted into the air. The man cried out in fear as the Pokémon held him in midair. It closed it's grip and the man held in midair imploded.
Much like Hanako, Tatsu and Riviére were frozen to the spot, horror struck. The unknown Pokémon walked towards them and lifted its arm. Using it's Psychic powers, it flung them harshly into the wall of the nearby building. The crash knocked out Tatsu and Riviére cold. Hanako's shoulder and arm was deeply cut as a brick fell onto it. A dark green liquid oozed out of the wound and a stream of tears poured down her cheek as the pain shot up into her neck and down her arm. Her arm felt broken.
The Pokémon stopped as it noticed the green ooze drip down her arm. It's cold, red eyes moved from her arm to her face. "You. You aren't human, aren't you?" said a voice in the head. "Are you a clone?"
"You're right," said Hanako with a grimace. Holding her arm, Hanako stood up as it laid limp at her side. Placing her hand over the cut, her wound glowed bright green. The wound quickly closed and her pain ceased. "I'm not human, but I'm not a clone either. I'm something else," she said as she wiped her arm of the green ooze. "Listen to me. You must leave immediately," she warned, walking toward the Pokémon. It towered over her by nearly two feet in height.
"You are not a human, so I will not hurt you unless you get in my way," said the Pokémon as it turned its gaze toward Tatsu and Riviére, raising an arm to attack them with a death blow as it did to the others.
Hanako shifted herself and blocked the Pokémon from her friends. "Leave here. They are coming and if you are caught, you will regret not heeding my advice. Please, escape while you can," she said bravely.
The Pokémon looked down at her, its furious red eyes staring down at her green eyes. Lowering its arm, the Pokémon turned and walked away. "Fine, have it your way. I've escaped from that hellish tomb, and I am free to do as I please. The next time we meet, nothing will save you." it said as it used its Psychic powers to lift itself into the air and it flew away.
Sighing softly, she stumbled as she tried to walk towards Tatsu and Riviére. Exhausted, Hanako fell to her knees before falling face down. "Tatsu...Riviére..." she said faintly as she tried to crawl over to them. With her vision blurring, she saw Tatsu begin to stir before blacking out.