Kindle Road
By the time I had changed back into my normal clothes, the weather had gotten worse: thunder was echoing across the Sevii Islands, and lightning lit up the darkening sky every few minutes.
Vaporeon and I stood at the edge of the staff garage, my red Vespa in between us.
"Ok Vaporeon, I just want you to try and draw the water away from me," I explained. Vaporeon nodded, and I grinned broadly. Whenever it rained too badly, Vaporeon's Water Absorb was able to draw the rain towards him, and he could then dry me off.
"Alright then, let's go!" I said anxiously, and put a black helmet on. Vaporeon leapt onto my knees, and sat there comfortably, not at all worried about the rain. I started the engine up, nudged the accelerator, and began to roll out into the jet-black night.
The first thing I could think of was that I was glad I had put a raincoat on.
It felt like someone had turned a tap on right above my head, and water was now pounding against my helmet, smashing against my legs and instantly soaking my pants. My vision was impaired, and I could barely see a few feet in front of me. I turned the headlight on, providing me with some light, but all I could see was the grass becoming a bog, and mini lakes of rainwater forming on the tarmac.
"Good luck Vaporeon!" I shouted, as thunder echoed overhead, and I began moving off into the night.
Lightning flashed brightly overhead, and the electric current managed to light up the way ahead for a few seconds: it showed I was nearing the hill, where I would have to be careful, and alerted me to a huge puddle taking up half the road. It also showed something else in front of me: a car.
"Was that Mrs Lewis' car?" I asked Vaporeon. He looked up, but the lightning had disappeared, and the only sign of the car was two dim yellow lights from the back of the car.
"Por Vap Eon," Vaporeon said, shrugging, and went back to lying down. I just nodded, and focused back on the road. The Vespa splashed through the puddle, sending mini waves spraying onto the grass. I laughed with childish joy, and remembered the days when my father would do the same thing, driving through huge puddles to make waves, just for my amusement, along with Eric's. Those days had been much easier, and I missed the easy times when I could lie on the trampoline all day, watching the Pidgey and Spearow flying over head, only moving to eat and excrete. Childhood had been so easy, and I felt envious of my eight year old self, who had been so young, careful, and stressless….
"VAPOR!" Vaporeon cried, and pointed with his tail. I snapped out of my daydream, and growled as the rain began to affect me again. I looked around through the torrent, trying to see what Vaporeon was concerned about. Then, I noticed two things shaking and moving violently.
"That's… that's the lights from the car!" I gasped. For some reason, Mrs Lewis had lost control of her car, and it seemed to be spinning all over the place.
"Shit, this can't be good," I mumbled, and stepped on the accelerator, so my Vespa drew closer. Suddenly, I felt a sensation in my stomach, and realised we had begun to travel downhill. I quickly recovered from the shock, but my Vespa had slipped a bit. As I got control, Vaporeon steadied himself, but his feet jabbed my upper legs.
"Watch it, I'm sensitive in that area!" I snapped. Vaporeon smirked, but then we both looked back towards the car. Something strange was happening with the car, and I wanted to know what. Suddenly, I saw the lights completely disappear. I thought something horrible had happened, but then I noticed that the car was spinning around, sending water and mud splashing.
"Vaporeon, maybe you should use an attack to stop them, like Aurora Beam!" I yelled, seriously concerned for the safety of Mrs Lewis. Vaporeon nodded and stood up on my legs, and faced out towards the car.
Suddenly, another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the way ahead. And what I saw shocked me.
Mrs Lewis' car was spinning at exactly 360 degrees, like it was on some sort of deranged roundabout. The rain was pleting the front and side windows, but I could just make out Mrs Lewis' face, and could see that she was screaming, yelling for someone to come to her rescue. She looked more shocked than I had ever seen another human being look. I waved my arms, trying to attract her attention, but then I noticed something worse: the car had slipped through a muddy patch, and was now sliding towards the edge of the road, right above Cape Brink.
"VAPOREON, FREEZE THE WAY IN FRONT!" I screamed, as the lightning was replaced with thunder.
"Poreon!" Vaporeon cried, and a small rainbow coloured ball formed. I hoped we could freeze the way in time, and I focused on the lights. I hoped things would be fine, but… one second they were there, the next they weren't.
"SHIT!" I yelled, and stamped on the brakes. Unfortunately for us, I braked just as we went through the mud. The Vespa skidded, and Vaporeon and I yelled out as it tilted over. My face landed in the mud, though it was just as dark as the cloudy skies. I heard Vaporeon land alongside, and then I heard a huge crash.
"The car… I think… it crashed," I explained. I had been winded when I had landed, and was out of breath as I stood up, and rushed, hunched over, towards the edge. There was another flash of lightning, and I was able to find the edge of the cliff. Vaporeon and I looked down, our faces glum.
Cape Brink was shaking violently, huge waves and ripples splashing up against the sides. And even though we were far up, I could see a little light flickering thanks to the lightning, but then it died.
The car had plunged off the cliff, and, only with Mrs Lewis, had sunken to the bottom of the Cape.
"Oh my god, she must be dead," I whispered to Vaporeon, and she too nodded gravely. As the thunder rumbled overhead, we raced back to the Vespa, which was lying in a puddle, covered in mud, and I started it up again, planning on heading back to the Pokemon Catchers Headquarters and make sure this got reported….
One week later….
Once again, I found myself running through the Ruin Valley, the grass tickling my legs, my feet pounding the stone, and with Vaporeon galloping at my side and Pidgeotto soaring gallantly overhead.
It had been a whole week since I'd been here, which meant it was a week since Mrs Lewis' horrific crash.
After I had got back to Headquarters, I was pleased to see Frostbite was still there. She looked concerned at my horrified expression, and allowed me to explain what had happened. Isabel called the emergency services, and, once the storm had cleared up, a rescue boat was sent out. I watched from the top of the Cape, along with several police officers, as two powerful Tentacruel picked the car up, and lifted it onto a barge. Later that day, a police officer appeared on television, explaining what had happened to the public. It soon became knowledge that I had witnessed it, and I had a lot of people coming up to me, either offering to talk about how I felt, or asking my for the details. I couldn't take the pressure, but thankfully Frostbite had put me on a lot of missions, so I had been with those.
Today's first capture would have been my fifteen one this week: a well known scientist required a Natu to gift to his wife, but was too busy with an experiment to catch it himself. So Robert had picked me up, and in a similar process to Yanma, I ended up in the Ruin Valley.
"I have heard from the others that Natu are hard to catch, so be careful," I warned my Pokemon. Pidgeotto chirped, and then sped forwards, her eyes focused on uncovering the Psychic bird. I tried to catch up with her, though I was careful not to speed down the staircase like last week. Vaporeon ran alongside, keeping his head up high as he searched, and I knew she was focused on this find.
But I wasn't.
My mind kept drifting back to Mrs Lewis and the car crash: the flash of lightning… her look of pure horror…. the dying lights…. the sound of thunder…. It was all too much for me. I had arranged to see a therapist, but there wasn't much time with all of my new missions, and I didn't quite know how it would help. Would rethinking about it make things better, or just make everything worse? What I needed was a big distraction, something that could take my mind of this for a while.
"Vaporeon Vap Vap!" Vaporeon's cry brought me back to Earth, and I looked at him. But he was running forwards, flattening grass and sending Spearow flying in fright. A Natu was perched on top of rock surface, and I was surprised at how small it was. I was expecting some huge, horrible looking bird, but Natu looked like it could fit in my hand, and it had a cute, simplistic look about it. But I could see Vaporeon and Pidgeotto looking ready, and I nodded at them. The two had had a special training session this morning, and they now had the right moves to use against the Tiny Bird.
"Vaporeon use your Aurora Beam, and Pidgeotto, you use Ominous Wind!" I shouted, and then reached into my bag. As I pulled out a grey circular disc, which was the size of my chest, the Pokemon attacked.
"Pidge Pidge!" Pidgeotto cried, as black energy engulfed her. Than, she furiously flapped her wings, sending the black energy off as a powerful gust of wind. The Natu, who was sitting there harmlessly, didn't have any time to react, and was suddenly blasted backwards by the attack.
"Vapor!" Vaporeon said, and fired the multi coloured, icy beam at Natu, and the two attacks managed to hold Natu in place.
"Perfect, now move in!" I shouted, and I threw the disc into the air. Lights flashed on the bottom as the disc spun, and then it froze in mid air. Suddenly, sixteen thin pieces of metal shot out from the sides, with flat arrowheads at the bottom. Vaporeon and Pidgeotto moved in closer, and I leapt in as the metal hit the ground, managing to hold. More metal shot out, criss-crossing across and making a barrier. It was the Anti-teleportation Barrier System, or ABS for short, and the metal rods produced a powerful electric current that prevented Pokemon to leave the confines of the barrier.
"Natuuuuu!" The Tiny Bird squealed, and I looked over at it as it flashed white, blinding Vaporeon and Pidgeotto and preventing their attacks. But the white light quickly disappeared, and the Natu flew around the barrier rapidly, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Looks like my assumption was right!" I boomed happily, as I had rightly thought that the Natu would know Teleport. The Natu was looking very annoyed at us, and its head began to glow pink.
"That's Zen Headbutt," I pondered aloud. "Vaporeon, use Bite when it gets close to you! And Pidgeotto use Ominous Wind again!" Natu suddenly darted forwards, streaks of pink energy coming off her head.
"Por-ee," Vaporeon said, and opened his mouth wide. Natu smashed into Vaporeons teeth, making his eyes narrow, and he bit down hard. Natus body seized up in pain from the bite, right before the Ominous Wind was fired again. Vaporeon dug his feet into the ground, preventing himself from being blown away. I examined the situation, and thought of the moves that the two knew.
"Let's end this spectacularly!" Vaporeon use Shadow Ball than Aurora Beam, and Pidgeotto use Ominous Wind than Air Slash." A ball of dark purple and black energy formed inside Vaporeon's mouth, and slightly overlapped Natu. As the ball was fired, sending a screaming Natu with it, Pidgeotto released more Ominous Wind. The wind hit the Shadow Ball, causing it to explode. Black energy bounced around the barrier, effectively trapping Natu in the centre.
"Oto Pidge Pidgeotto O!" Pidgeotto said, impressed with my plan. She summoned up some wind, which formed a light blue ball in front of her. She whacked it furiously with her wing, causing it to fly towards Natu. Vaporeon also blasted out the Aurora Beam, and the cold it produced managed to freeze the black energy.
"Natu Tu Tuuuu!" Natu whimpered, and I felt a pinge of guilt in my stomach. But the Air Slash hit, and it exploded, sending wind which shattered the frozen black energy. I pulled a PCM Ball from my pocket and threw it. Vaporeon and Pidgeotto came to my side, and we watched as the ball landed in the rippling grass, shaking as Natu fought to escape. But there was a flash, and I smiled with relief.
"Great work everyone," I said, and patted my two Pokemon. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound, and I growled as I pulled my cell phone out and grabbed the PCM Ball.
"Hello?" I asked, trying not to snap.
"Trevor, we need you over at Kindle Path straight away," A voice, which I recognised as Frostbite's, said.
"Why, what's happened?" I asked, and saw Vaporeon and Pidgeotto exchange looks, so I guessed I sounded concerned.
"A wild Machop and Mankey are causing issues for the trainers there," Frostbite explained. "If you can get there straight away, it will be most appreciated. Robert has been called, and he is ready and waiting in the Water Path. Good luck," and with that, the call ended. I looked at my phone, and I was highly mystified at the way Frostbite had spoken: it sounded like she was explaining her new curtains, not warning me about what was coming up. But I figured I might as well get on with it, as the thoughts of Mrs Lewis were coming back, and I didn't want to dwell on it.
"Come on then you two, we have a new mission," I told Vaporeon and Pidgeotto, and led them in running off.
I could see smoke rising as we neared the beachfront.
Vaporeon and I stood at the front of the boat, whichever bit it was called, and stared forwards. A rocky mountain that housed a famous hot springs and a cliff was all I could see, but rising from several rocks, which we would be passing through, I could see smoke, and I knew it had to do with the Pokemon. Mount Ember towered over us in the distance, but I only had a few seconds to admire it's deep grey beauty before the boat swerved, and I nearly fell over. Pidgeotto, who had perched on the cabin, fluttered down in fright.
"Sorry Trev." Robert boomed over the megaphone.
"Just give me more of a heads up next time," I yelled back, and gripped the handrail as we moved through the rocks. "This could be a tough one guys, so lets get ready and try and kick some ass!"
"Poreon!"
"Oto Pidgey!" My two Pokemon cried, and we all looked forwards as the boat moved through the waters.
The water was getting shallower, and we could see the sand through the glowing blue ocean. But our attention was drawn towards the beach front: in front of a huge mountain, and between a grassy field, the cliffs and the hot springs was a huge expanse of beautiful, golden sand, and I could imagine it being crowded with swimmers, large families with small children, and body builders, all of them wanting to just have fun in their own way there.
But the beach was empty, except for about three men in white robes with black belts, shouting orders into smoke that was covering their Pokemon. A young couple were running into the hot springs, and I exchanged concerned looks with Vaporeon and Pidgeotto. Bits of metal were strewn over the beach, and I figured the Machop and Mankey had blown something up. Bolts of electricity were coming from the smoke, and I was getting very concerned.
"Let's get going! Surf and Fly, go!" I shouted, and the Pokemon nodded. Pidgeotto shot up into the air, and was soon out of sight. Vaporeon leapt off the side of the boat, just as Robert cut the engine.
"I am waiting to help if you need it," Robert said over the megaphone.
"Cheers," I called back, and then leapt over the side. My leather boots landed onto Vaporeon's wet, scaly back, and they slid slightly, but I grabbed onto my Pokemon's fins, and stayed on his back as he controlled a wave, sending it crashing onto the beach.
"VAPOR!" Vaporeon cried, and leapt into the skies as the Surf struck. There was a shout from the smoke, which became covered with the wave.
"Good job," I told Vaporeon, and jumped off his back. Both of us landed on the beach, our feet sinking slightly in the wet sand, and the water receding back over our ankles.
"Por Eon Eon," Vaporeon whispered, and pointed with his tail forwards, and I felt my proud look at her disappear, and stared in front of us.
The two Pokemon Frostbite had warned me about were standing there, and I felt a shiver down my spine like I had never felt before. The Machop was standing closer, and it seemed taller, stronger, and looked nastier than any other Machop I had ever seen. There were scars over his muscles, and several grazes near his rubs and along his legs. A huge scar stretched from his left eye down to his cheek, and made the Machop look twice as frightening. Next to him stood the Mankey, a species I had heard was emant to be rather playful, but this one was standing still, eyes directly on me. Patches of his fur had been torn off, exposing his pinkish-brown skin underneath. There were bruises and grazes on his arms and legs, and his tail was twisted in what like an uncomfortable position. Both Pokemon looked like there were in serious pain, and it seemed that had fuelled their anger.
"Ok, why doesn't everyone just take a deep breathe?" I suggested, as it was the first thing that came to mind. But I had no idea how to deal with these angry Pokemon, and my suggestion of calming down seemed to have angered them. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt, so if you would just let me-"
"MA CHOP CHOP!" Machop roared.
"MAN KEY KEY!" Mankey squawked, and both of them suddenly began to attack: Machop began picking up rocks that had been scattered over the ground, and Mankey began to glow yellow.
"That's Rock Tomb and Thunderbolt!" I exclaimed. "Vaporeon, use Aurora Beam, quickly!"
"Eon Vapor," Vaporeon said, and he blasted the beam out, without even waiting to charge it. Machop threw the rocks, which collided with the Aurora Beam. They froze and landed on the beach, giving Mankey a clear shot to fire the attack. A bolt of yellow electricity was fired, and Vaporeon and I jumped out of the way. I saw the attack hit the boat, blasting a hole in the deck. As I landed, getting sand in my mouth and eyes, I heard a squawk, and managed to look up.
Pidgeotto had soared down, white energy surrounding her, and slammed into Mankey and Machop, bowling the two of them over. I smiled and blinked the sand out of my eyes, and noticed the three men in white robes again. It took me a few seconds to realise that there must be karate students, as all three of them looked very fit. I could see them bringing their unconscious Pokemon (Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee and Hitmontop) back inside their PokeBalls.
"Oi, kid, your one of those Pokemon Catchers, aye?" One of the men asked. I was going to ask how he knew, but I remembered how the logo was on the khaki uniform.
"Yeah, I am, why?" I asked as I got to my feet.
"Well, catch those Pokemon, they blew up our motorbikes!" Another man groaned. I nodded, and leapt up, hoping everyone was alright. Vaporeon and Pidgeotto were firing multiple Shadow Balls and Air Slashes, not wanting to get close enough to be harmed by Machop and Mankey. But the two Pokemon were using a number of strong attacks: while Machop kept Rock Tomb up, Mankey was also using Rock Slide, causing rocks to fall down from the nearby cliff.
"Fight back guys, don't let them win!" I shouted. "Try using Surf and Ominous Wind!" Vaporeon and Pidgeotto nodded, and as Machop picked up more rocks and Mankey's eyes glowed, causing the rocks to shake, a huge wave appeared out of the ocean, rushing towards the battle. The karate boys gasped and rushed away, and I simply sighed. The wave was centred only near the battle, and I was more concerned for Pidgeotto getting harmed then the men.
"Vaaaaaa-POOOOR!" Vaporeon cried, and the Surf rose up over her, and then crashed down towards the field. I watched with anticipation, but was appalled at what I saw. Machop jumped up, managing to soar over the wave, and reached through the water, grabbing Vaporeon by his tail. Pidgeotto flew to her team-mates defence, black energy forming for the Ominous Wind, but Mankey jumped up as well, his right fist turning ice blue.
"That's Ice Punch!" I exclaimed to no one, and watched as Pidgeotto was punched into the Surf. Machop then grabbed Vaporeon by the tail, picked him up, and threw him into a tree.
"And that was Vital Throw!" I gasped. The water began receeding, and I looked at the scene in shock: Pidgeotto, lying frozen on the ground, and Vaporeon, slumped unconsciously over a rock. Once all the water was gone, leaving the sand wet and brown, Machop and Mankey looked at each other, and then turned angrily towards me. I took a step backwards, but I tripped over, and landed on my back in the sand. I heard laughter, and realised Machop and Mankey were laughing at me. But I could feel something in my back pocket, and I knew with horror what it was.
Suddenly, I was inside a cave, with tears and dust trickling down my face. The ground was rumbling, and my chest felt like it was being crushed, which it probably was…
"TINE!"
"PROBO!" Two Pokemon cries brought me out of my flashback, and I looked up at the sun overhead, with no cave roofs bearing over me. I looked around, and was stunned to see a Mantine and Probopass moving towards Machop and Mankey. The Mantine was firing multi-coloured rings in the form of a Psybeam, while the Probopass smashed against the ground, making rocks shoot out of the ground into the fighting Pokemon in the form of Stone Edge.
"What the-" I mumbled, but a cry of delight caught my attention. I watched as Robert, dripping wet, ran across the ocean, grinning to himself.
"I've been commanding this ship for over ten years, and I've rarely had the chance for a good Pokemon battle!" He boomed, before laughing more. "Aerial Ace and Flash Cannon, let's go!"
"Man!" Mantine yelled, and his wings glowed white.
"Bopass!" Probopass said, and a ball of glowing silver energy formed. Machop and Mankey danced around angrily, and began firing Rock Tombs, Fire Punches, Thunderbolts and Rock Slides at the Pokemon.
"Trev, don't you have any other Pokemon?" Robert called, ignoring an explosion as Mantine's Water Pulse collided with Mankey's Thunderbolt. I gulped, and I reached into the pockets of my khaki pants.
"Just one," I whispered, and felt my hand close around something. It was a PokeBall, one that I only carried with me simply to know it is there, and to know my Charizard is safe. I hadn't let him out of his ball for almost three years, and I felt an uncomfortable shiver as I pulled it out and looked at it.
I was back in the cave, feeling around on my hands and knees, trying to grab the red and white ball as it rolled away, ignoring the rocks battering my back.
"Stop, come back!" My squeaky, pre-pubescent voice wailed, and I tried to grab it. There was a roar, and I looked around in worry. All I could see in the darkness was a distance white glow, which was flickering even as I stared at it. Suddenly, a jet of orange and red flames lit up part of the cave, but it only showed me all the rocks falling, highlighting the doom I was in…
I blinked, and the cave disappeared, replaced by more scenes of a battle: Mantine soaring down from the sky, the front of his body hitting Machop as he tried a Karate Chop, and Probopass was forming a ball of yellow electricity in front of his nose, but Mankey was readying a Cross Chop.
"Trev, if you have another Pokemon, do you think you could use it please?" Robert asked desperately, and ran forwards as Mantine collapsed to the ground, looking a bit weak. I gulped again, and looked down at the PokeBall in my hands. The surface was badly scratched, and there were several white parts showing through the red. A large dent was at the bottom in the fully white part, and I felt bad for Charizard. I felt something warm streak down my cheek, and realised it was a tear. More began to stream, and I let out a sob.
"Sorry old buddy, but I have to do this." I whispered, and held the PokeBall by my heart, and then threw it with all my might. It landed between Pidgeotto and Vaporeon, but the two disappeared as bright white light shone through.
The battle paused, and Robert, his Pokemon, Machop, Mankey and I all stared at the energy. Two long wings formed, followed by a tail, a wide body, arms, legs, and finally one long, pointed snout. The light faded, and we all stared at my Charizard standing there.
However, my Charizard didn't look like others: similar to Machop and Mankey, there were visible scars on his body, but these ones were major. One scar, which was red and inflamed, stretched vertically across his right wing, while another brown one criss-crossed along his tail. The yellow and red flame was very weak, and there were a lot of wrinkles on Charizard's face. He stretched his body, making a multicoloured bruise on his stomach extend slightly.
"CHAAAAARR!" He roared, and a small jet of fire came out. Machop and Mankey were beginning to back away slightly in fright, while Robert was leading his two Pokemon back towards the boat. Tears were coming faster down my cheek, and I took a step forwards. A shell cracked beneath my shoes, and Charizard looked around at me. He scowled at me a bit, but his face relaxed, and looked at me, waiting his orders. I began sobbing, and I felt horribly weak and pathetic, standing in the middle of a beach, sobbing my heart out.
"Bl-Bl-Blast Bu-urn," I blubbered, and pulled my other PokeBalls out. Vaporeon and Pidgeotto were sucked in, just as Charizard burst into flames.
"CHAR-RI-ZAAARD!" He yelled, and suddenly exploded. The yellow, red and orange flames were pushed out, similar to a bomb explosion, and Machop and Mankey became engulfed in flames. I heard their cries for a few seconds, but then I was pushed backwards by the force of the powerful attack before the flames could reach me. I rolled down into a crater, possibly caused by the motorbikes being blown up, and the flames passed over. My face felt like it had caught on fire, and I suddenly became exceedingly hot, but still tears came down my face. My eyes were shut, with the red of the flames burning overhead. Then, almost as suddenly, the fire disappeared, and was replaced with something heavier.
"Trev? Trevor, where are you?" Robert called. I opened an eye, and found sand piled up all around me.
"Over here," I replied, and then coughed violently, spraying sand out. "Disgusting," I mumbled, and wiped sand and tears off my face. I then turned to examine the beach. A ten metre wide crater had appeared, with piles of sand being forced up against the cliff, trees and into the ocean. Charizard sat in the middle, his wings flapping, blowing more sand around. Part of the sand around him had turned to what looked like glass, and I remembered from a science glass I once did which said that very high temperatures turned sand to glass. There was the sound of footsteps, and Robert appeared.
"Mankey and Machop are over there," He said, and pointed to two pairs of legs sticking out. I absent mindedly thew the PCM Balls, and only watched them turn into red energy for a second. I ran down into the crater, slipping slightly, and stopped by Charizard. He looked down at me, and then extended his arms and gave me a hug.
"I have missed you," I whispered to him, "but you understand why I've kept you inside your ball, don't you?"
"Char," Charizard replied, and just looked happy to see me. I smiled up at him, and we remained that way for several minutes, letting old memories wash over us.
"Trev, I just had a call from base," Robert cried, interrupting my thoughts. "They want us back there straight away."
"I think I know why," I replied, and Charizard gave me a look. But I just shook my head, telling him not to bother, and walked towards the bushes to get the PCM Balls. I need to get them, as I knew who they truly belonged to.
Half an hour later, I was standing at the end of fancy corridor. The walls were narrow, but they were made of a fancy type of wood. Pictures, many from Pokemon Catcher events, adorned the walls, each one encased in a black frame. The carpet was a deep wine red, and my feet sank into it with each step I took. I was still wearing my khaki uniform, which was now charred, torn and covered in sand. But I didn't care about this, and I planted my feet firmly in front of a black door. The words "ISABELLA FROST" were dead centre in gold writing, and my eyes narrowed and I knocked furiously on it.
"Enter," Isabella's voice called soothingly, and I burst through.
I had never been into the room before, but I was stunned at how simple it was. The room had ocean blue walls, with floor-to-ceiling windows to the left, giving perfect views of the ocean. The carpet was wine red as well, and two purple couches stood on either side of a coffee table. At the top of the room was a wide desk, which had things neatly organised into trays and drawers. Frostbite sat stiffly in a leather chair on one side, while two chairs were opposite here, one occupied. The walls were bare, and the office was very dull. I had imagined her living in some sort of ice palace, like the White Witch, and cracking a whip at an army of minions. But Isabella just smiled at me, and pointed to a seat.
"Take a seat, if you will, Mr Archer," She said, and I rushed forwards and sat down. The man next to me smiled and extended a tanned hand.
"This is my associate, Mr Williamson," Isabella explained.
"Pleasure to meet you," Mr Williamson said, his voice very smooth. Though he was wearing a fancy black suit, the man looked very relaxed, yet I could tell he was wealthy, with slicked back hair, a good tan, and a face that looked like it had had surgery on it.
"Nice to meet you, but I didn't come up here for this," I snapped, and ignored his hand. I pulled the two PCM Balls out and dropped them on the desk. The two rolled towards Isabella, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Your Machop and Mankey, as requested, but I have a feeling you already own them!" I snapped. Isabella and Mr Williamson exchanged looks, and then all four eyes focused on me.
"Why is that?" Frostbite asked coolly.
"Both Pokemon knew moves that they shouldn't know: Machop had Fire Punch and Rock Tomb, and Mankey had Ice Punch, Rock Slide and Thunderbolt," I explained, my voice echoing in the room. "It was as the two Pokemon had come equipped with ways to counter Pidgeotto and Vaporeon."
"And, once they had fainted, Charizard would have been forced out," Frostbite finished, and my eyes bulged. "Very good Mr Archer, I am impressed."
"But… wait… you did set this up!" I gasped, and stood up angrily.
"Of course we tested you, Mr Archer, we had to see your capabilities," Frostbite replied.
"My capabilities for what?" I boomed. Mr Williamson looked at Frostbite, who nodded, and then pulled a folder out of his suit jacket.
"Your company is struggling to meet its demand," He began, and flicked through some papers. "Too many people want to get Pokemon, and trying to capture wild Pokemon can be difficult, with them being a bit too… shall I say, feisty," Mr Williamson chuckled.
"It is hard, yeah, but it is for a good cause," I replied, getting a bit concerned.
"But we need to make things easier, so we have come up with a way to do just that," Isabella said.
"Stealing," Mr Williamson said bluntly. I felt my heart drop, and I stumbled backwards slightly, unable to comprehend this.
"You are going to steal trainers Pokemon, and try and get away with it?" I whispered.
"Why, of course, and we expect you to help us," Isabella replied, and she stood up.
"WHAT! I would never steal from someone, never!" I yelled. Mr Williamson smirked, and pulled a photo out of the folder. I looked at it and gasped again: it was of Mrs Lewis' car.
"You were the only person near her car at the time of the accident," Mr Williamson said, and Frostbite smiled as much as her botox allowed. "We could supply some evidence to suggest that someone cut her brakes." I took this in, and I nearly slid down the wall in shock.
"S-s-so are y-you saying…" I stuttered.
"We are saying that, unless you sign up for our plan, we'll tell the police it was your fault the brakes were cut," Mr Williamson finished. I tried to find words, tried to say something to express my rage at this. But Frostibte just flashed her dazzling white teeth at me in triumph.
"You have two hours to give us an answer, or we decide for you. Goodbye, Mr Archer," Frostbite said. I opened the door, and I stumbled out of it. Once I closed it, I slid down the wall, tears beginning to flow again. I had just been thrown the biggest curveball of my life, and if I didn't do something unthinkable, I would be arrested anyway for a crime I didn't commit.
So much for trying to change the world.
