Day 7
"That's it, Kanzo, just focus for a second," said Nina.
A red light shone from Kanzo's eyes and into the evening forest. His gaze passed over a Ghastly and forced it to reveal itself - and the Watmel berry it had taken. It looked shocked and started to run, but Nina blasted a quick Hydro Pump and knocked the Ghastly out of the air. Mel and Noah jumped out to wrestle the berry from the Ghastly and hold it down now that Kanzo's Foresight made it solid.
"Didn't anyone teach you," said Mel, struggling to hold the round Pokémon, "That stealing is wrong?! You could'a just asked us!"
"L-Let go, let go, let go!"
"Not til you calm down! Now quit squirmin'!"
"Loooook," said Noah. He pointed with his free hand, the Watmel berry under his other arm.
There was a very angry-looking Haunter nearby in the trees, debating whether it should attack them or not.
"There," said Mel, "See? That Haunter's worried about you, so just calm down and we'll let you go back to it, alright? No one's gonna hurt you."
Ghastly stopped struggling to get free and looked around. It was stuck between Mel's arms and shell, but it could see the Haunter clearly.
"O-Ok. Ok! I'm sorry. Really. Please let me go," it said.
"Alright, then."
Mel opened his arms and Ghastly quickly flew over to Haunter.
"We need food!" demanded the Haunter. "Those berries were for the mansion, not you!"
"Mansion?" said Mel and Nina at the same time.
"Over there," said Kaname. She pointed, but it was too dark under the trees to see what she was pointing at.
"Kanzo? Can you give us another Foresight?" asked Nina.
"I think?" he said.
He looked and focused. Sure enough, Foresight revealed an old, abandoned mansion in the distance.
"Oh! Well, if you guys need food," said Kanzo, "We were, uhh, just wondering what to do. We need to go to that, uhh, house over there. Kaname needs a safe place to stay while we check it out. If we give back your berries, and trade you some of ours, would you look after her for a sec?"
Haunter and Ghastly looked to where Kanzo had pointed. There was a wood shack in the distance with lights on inside. A Raticate was keeping watch outside.
"That?" asked Haunter. "You can keep the berries if you get rid of it! Humans keep staying there and trying to take us away from our home. We'll watch the little one - you make them go away! Deal?"
"Deal," said Kanzo. He held up his Watmel leaf to Kaname. "Good practice for you, too. Take this with you, and stay hidden. We'll come for you once we check out the human and see if that's where my dad is."
Kaname looked worried, but she walked over and nodded. She stared hard at the bundle and Kanzo let go. It floated next to her and she started to walk toward Ghastly and Haunter, but she had to focus almost entirely on carrying the bundle.
"Ready, kid?" asked Mel. "I'll distract the Raticate, then you guys rush in there. If it's a Rhydon and some other flying Pokémon, we've got this. Nina knows Ice Beam, so some bat won't get the best of us! Come on!"
Mel got down on all fours and waited. Noah, Kanzo, and Nina prepared to sprint after him and Nina gave him a thumbs-up.
Mel pulled all his limbs into his shell and a jet of water shot from behind him, sending him rocketing forward between the trees. The other three didn't wait, and sprinted after him as soon as he was off.
The Raticate, half-asleep, heard the rushing water but didn't react in time to dodge the Aqua Jet. Mel crashed into the Raticate, popped out of his shell, and used Skull Bash almost immediately after, clearing the way to the door into the shack.
Noah lowered his head and streaked forward, Tackling down the door. Sure enough, the human who'd stolen Kanzo's father was inside - boots off, reading, and completely off guard. Nina shot a Water Gun at the Team Rocket member and Kanzo made a grab for the human's belt, where he saw the capture stones attached. The human dodged and dove for the belt.
As soon as Kanzo grabbed ahold of it, the human also did. Rather than tug-of-war with Kanzo, the human just snatched one of the stones away and threw it down. The shack practically exploded from the inside when Rhydon appeared. Nina and Noah were thrown out the door, but Kanzo hit a wall instead. Before any of them could get their bearings, Rhydon was ripping out of the front of the shack with Kanzo in its grip.
"Who're you idiots?! You think you can just barge in here and steal my master's Pokémon?!"
"Your m- master!" said Kanzo, "Stole my father from me! You can't stea- Steal what's been stolen!"
"Shut up!" yelled the Rhydon. It threw Kanzo to the ground and the human rounded Rhydon to snatch away the belt while he was dazed.
"いいぞ、サイドン!みんな、ゴー!"
The human threw the remaining two stones on its belt and the bat Pokémon appeared, along with Kanzo's father.
"Dad!"
"Son?! What are you-"
The bat let out an ear-splitting Screech attack before blasting Kanzo away toward Noah. Noah caught him and spat Water Pulses at the Rhydon, ignoring the high-pitched whine.
"んー、オーダイルをゲット、他の雑魚を倒そうっか。うん。それで行こう。"
The human rubbed his chin and muttered mostly to himself, but then he started giving commands. Raticate jumped out of a nearby bush, looking haggard and injured, but Mel appeared just after still perfectly ok.
"Noivern," said Rhydon, "You take care of the little one there. I've got the Wartortle and Feraligatr. Machoke, you've got the Quagsire. Get 'em!"
The bat, a Noivern, took off and snatched up Kanzo before hurling him into a tree. Machoke looked like he was struggling, but ended up obeying and approaching Noah.
"I'm- I'm sorry," he said. "I don't want to do this, but- I don't have a choice anymore!"
While the fight broke out, Kanzo found himself too busy dodging between trees and trying to hide from the Noivern to help at all. The huge bat was able to break down trees and send shockwaves into the dirt, all while chasing him down through the air. Just when Kanzo thought he'd be captured, a Shadow Ball flew from the forest and knocked the Noivern off course into a tree. A Gengar and a Golett approached from the direction of the mansion.
Golett stopped next to Kanzo without a word and prepared to protect him, while Gengar phased through the trees to pursue Noivern.
"Wait, forget about me! My father! The Machoke! We have to save him!"
The Golett glanced back at him, but didn't answer. Kanzo got to his feet and ran around the Golett, back toward the shack where the fight was still going on. Golett reached out to try and stop him, but Kanzo was too fast, so Golett ran after him.
When they got near the cabin again, Kanzo ran straight through the chaos for the human. He dove to try a Submission grab, but Rhydon saw him in time to smash him out of the air with Iron Tail. Kanzo hit the ground hard and got hit with another Iron Tail before he could get away.
"Kanzo!" yelled Nina, her grip locked with the Rhydon's. She shot an Ice Beam straight into Rhydon's face and threw it down to the side, rushing to protect Kanzo. She reached him and turned back, but saw too late the mistake she'd made.
"サイドン、じしんアタック。みんな、戻れ。"
The human was calm, even confident. He held up two of the stones and Machoke and Raticate vanished in red light. His Noivern swooped down out of the trees and grabbed him by his shoulders while Rhydon used Earthquake. Everyone not already on the ground was thrown down by the violent shaking. As trees began to fall, Rhydon vanished in the same red light.
"No!" yelled Kanzo. He pulled himself out from under Nina and started to run after the Noivern, but Golett stopped him and shook its head.
"Let me go! I can't let them get away! If they fly away, I can't-"
"Kid! Calm down!" yelled Mel. "This isn't over. That's west. They're still headed for the ocean - still going toward the base we already know about. We can still catch 'em, but not if you go running off into the forest alone, at night."
Kanzo was in tears, furious, but he didn't run off. He yanked his arm out of Golett's grip and put his fist halfway through the tree next to him. The group collectively deflated after that and retreated toward the mansion. In the dark, the eyes of many Ghost Pokémon started to appear. The Haunter from earlier flew out of the shadows and hugged Kanzo's head, bawling.
"Oh-ho-ho-ho, we heard what happened! You poor-"
"Get off me!" yelled Kanzo, pushing at Haunter. "We were so close! I was so close! I can't believe I screwed that up! What am I gonna do now?!"
"Kanzo," said Mel, "I already told you to calm down. There's nothing we can do about it right now. We can rest for the night and try to pick up their trail tomorrow."
As they spoke, they were approaching the mansion's front doors, and Kaname could overhear them.
"Kanzo? If it makes you feel better, I can kinda tell where they are now. I got to see your dad, and he's not completely on their side yet, so-"
"You can? Really? I-" started Kanzo. He stopped himself and his expression dropped again. "I don't know if I should believe that. Not yet. Sorry, but… I don't think it's a good idea for me to just suddenly be happy and trust you."
"I can!" said Kaname. "I'll show you. Just wait!"
"I gueeeeess we staaaay the niiiight heeeeere," said Noah, moping toward the doors.
Gengar approached out of the forest and sighed.
"Ask Golett," it said, "The mansion's his - well, his old trainer's. Sorry I couldn't catch that Noivern, Machop."
"It's fine," said Kanzo, disappointed. "Golett, I'm sorry I got mad at you earlier. You were right. Do you mind if we stay here the night? We'll leave in the morning - we have to. I can't let them get away."
Golett nodded and gestured for the doors, so they went inside. Pokémon in the shape of candles and lanterns, old dolls and mountain guides - all manner of Ghost Pokémon seemed to run and hide, or approach to greet them as guests.
"Psst," said the Gengar to Kaname. "You're a psychic Pokémon, right? Come'ere. I'll teach you something you can use on those humans. You won't get it right the first time, but keep at it while you travel, 'kay?"
Kaname nodded and followed Gengar, so Mel went with them to keep an eye on her.
Noah slumped against a nearby wall and sighed.
"Ya knooow," he said, "Yooour daaad's a niiiice guuuy. Heeee puuulled puuuunches, and- And heeeee saaaaid tooo teeeell you!"
"Tell me? Tell me what?!" said Kanzo. He practically tripped over himself in the dark foyer to get closer to Noah.
"Sooooorry," said Noah, "It's a liiiiiiittle looooong, and I'm kiiiiinda slooooow-"
"Yeah," said Haunter, "You are. Come'ere!"
It floated down in front of Noah.
"Look me in the eye!" it said, and its eyes flashed red. Noah slumped over asleep, Haunter focused, and Noah suddenly woke up and shivered with his whole body.
"Eeewwwww, thaaaaat waaaas-"
"Hold still, Machop," said Haunter. It whirled about and looked him in the eye, and suddenly everything changed.
Kanzo came to in motion. He was behind Noah's eyes while Noah dodged a punch and smacked Machoke in the chest with his tail.
"Listen close," coughed Machoke. "I don't have time!"
He threw a Low Kick that he telegraphed well so Noah could dodge it. While he and Noah traded blows, Machoke spoke to him.
"Tell… 'Kanzo,' that I'll be ok. He needs to get to Mt. Chimney. Tell him to follow the setting sun, cross enough water that he'll think the world disappeared, and head for the smoking mountain in Hoenn! He's not strong enough to fight these humans like he is now. They're taking me to a place called Saffron, far to the east, to work. Got all that?"
Noah dodged another Low Kick and used Mud Slap to trip up Machoke.
"Hooooooenn, smoooooking moooountain, weeeest, yeeees!"
Kanzo blinked and stumbled back when the dream was over. He held his head for a second, then shook it off and threw his arms down.
"I can't do that!" he yelled, suddenly. Skittish Ghost Pokémon withdrew from the noise, but poked out to see what the commotion was about.
"How is he gonna get east by going west - around the whole world?! And why would I just leave him behind and go to Hoenn?! I don't even know where that is! Did he describe the ocean? The endless water?! I can't swim that f- Uhh, well I guess I could, but-"
"Kanzo," interrupted Nina. "I understand that you're concerned, but I heard your father too. He's right. We had the element of surprise and we still lost. They were too coordinated; we just threw together a plan and hoped it would work out. That human is a villain - practiced with stealing and running away. We should trust your father and help you train to save him. We could train together! You don't have to-"
"I'm not gonna just let them take him away!" said Kanzo. "I don't care what he said! He'd do the same thing for me! I have to try!"
"Heeeeey," said Noah, "We saaaaaaid we'd gooooo to Ooooooolivine, Niiiina. Leeeeet's aaat leeeeast doooo thaaat muuuuch."
Kanzo sighed his disappointment and slumped, but he looked to Noah.
"I- I guess. Fine. Let's go to Olivine anyway and see if we can follow the human there. Can we? I need to go west to the ocean anyway, right? Can't we give it one more try?"
Nina nodded to Noah, then to Kanzo. "I did promise, it's true. Fine, then. We'll at least try to follow him to Olivine and rescue him there, like we planned. If we can't save him, though, you need to find a way to cross the ocean and get to Hoenn, like your father told you. He must be thinking of the best for you."
"What good's a smoking mountain gonna do me without him?" said Kanzo.
"Well, I don't know," said Nina, "But he wouldn't tell you to go there without a good reason. Your father already fought like a trained Pokémon - I bet he was once trained by a human already, or perhaps your mother was. He seems very knowledgeable."
"I… Didn't know my mother," said Kanzo. "Dad doesn't talk about her, either. He said we would when I was older."
"All the more reason to get older, kid," said Mel, approaching from the hallway. "Get older, save up your strength, save your dad, and ask him yourself. Right? Now enough talking - everyone. It's getting late, and we need to be up with the sun. Come on. Golett's got a room he'll let us use."
Noah got up to follow and everyone started to file past Kanzo. Mel walked over and put a hand on Kanzo's shoulder.
"Look, Kanzo," he said, "I don't even know your dad and I wanna help him. I know you've gotta be feeling strongly about all this, but ya gotta keep a clear head and make good decisions about this. Panicking and running off without a plan won't help anyone."
Kanzo sighed.
"'A fight is won or lost before it ever starts if your head isn't in the right place,'" said Kanzo. "My dad told me stuff like that before, too. You're right, Mel. Sorry."
Mel patted his shoulder and half-turned to go down the hallway.
"Nothin' to apologize for, kid. This is your dad we're talkin' about. He's important to you, and you wanna work hard to save him. I haven't been through anything like that, so I won't pretend I can give you good advice… But life lessons should do fine, right? Come on. Let's get some sleep. We'll start again in the morning."
