Chapter 3- Developing.
In which Z takes his first steps.
It only took several minutes to arrive in Santalune City Via Route 3. However, for me, it felt like a whole day.
"So... Heavy...! How did the Heroes of Kanto... Carry this much... Yet still be able to surf on missiles... and all that cool stuff...?!"
"He used a Pokeball. Of course, we were doing the same, until-"
"Hey, I used it for a good cause!"
X waved to us from up ahead, "Hey~! Z! Go!" Go smiled, waving back, "Hey! How's it going, X?" The boy in blue smiled, "Really well, actually! The others have arrived here, and- Is Z okay?"
WHUMP!
I nodded, slumped on the ground, "This bag weighs a ton!" Y ran over, "Z! Is he okay?!"
Tierno thought for a few seconds, "Hmm... Couldn't he have used a Pokeball-" "I KNOW!"I growled in reply.
After dragging me to the nearest PokemonCentre,Go bought copious Pokeballs and finally stored the heavy equipment in it. I groaned, dragging myself up next to Go, who politely helped me up, "Go... D'ya think the Team Healers here can cure bad backs?" Go held a ball up, waving it under my nose, "Tough luck! Unless you want your body to be bombarded with god-knows what they put in those machines, I'm not putting you in one!" I chuckled, "Alright. I'm getting tired of standing up now... Can we find a chair now?"
Go pointed at a nearby sofa, where a blond girl holding a camera sat, "Sure... Let's ask her."
We walked over, "Excuse me, miss. Can we-"
"GOTCHA!"
A blinding flash followed, stunning both of us. I shook myself out of my daze, reaching for my gun, "Enemies?!"
"Woah down, man! I was kidding!" the girl on the chair laughed, "I needed to check if the flash bulbs were still functional in my camera! Sorry for the shock!" Go rubbed her eyes, "Whatever happened to using a Selfie Stick like everyone else in the freaking world...?! Who even uses flash bulbs anymore, anyway? And is that a roll of film next to you?"
Moral of the story: Everyone gets triggered by different things. In this girl's case, it must've been cameras.
"EXCUSEZ MOI?! I USE FLASH BULBS! THE USE OF FILM IN CAMERAS PRODUCES A MORE ORIGINAL IMAGE, UNABLE TO BE GENERATED VIA YOUR PHONE CAMERAS!" the girl yelled at Go, "I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU DO BETTER!"
Go scoffed, "What? I'm sorry, I was too busy messaging the social medias about how stupid this exchange is. #LAMO! #DONOTLIKE! #OUTDATEDTECH!"
"MY PHOTOS ARE WORKS OF ART!"
"Mine get 2000 likes, at minimum. AND THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE SENSE! #D4NKM3M3ZR1337!"
"WHY YOU... COME OVER HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!"
"I JUST DID!"
I looked away, as the two girls ran at each other yelling. Just as I thought they were going to start killing each other...
"Charlie?! I haven't seen you in years!"
"Viola? Looks like you finally got to do what you wanted after all these years!"
I poked my head out from behind the table, "...Uh... Have you two met?" The two stopped hugging, as Go motioned to me, "Viola, this is Z. He's on a journey to beat the Kalos League!" The blonde waved cheerfully, "Oh, is he? Well, I wish him luck with me!"I scratched my head, "Luck with... you? Wait, are you...!"
Viola nodded, "That's right! I'm Gym Leader in this town! If you wanna go and get your first badge, you gotta fight me first!" I scratched my head, "Viola... Well, I don't know about winning, but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you get!"
I turned to Go, "Also, 'Charlie'?" Go winked, "What, you honestly thought my parents named me Go from the womb? Nah, Go was only a nickname I got when I started work." Viola looked at her, "Speaking of which, are you two travelling together?"
I don't know what came over Go. All of a sudden, she just froze up! I was going to tell her she had done so, when I then noticed I was blushing heavily. I scratched the back of my head, "Great... Is this always gonna happen?"
Viola shrugged, "Maybe she likes you, and is too shy to tell you! Aww, that's actually kinda cute! Who'd thought that I'd ever see big, strong Charlie fall in love in my lifetime?"
Go shook it off, stammering, "W...Wha?! N...No! We aren't in a relationship! Not at all- OOF!"
I grabbed her and slung her over my shoulder, "NotimetotalknicemeetingyouBYE!"
Viola burst out laughing, "There are some moments a camera can never capture..."
And yes. I forgot about my bad back.
"Thanks for the job... It sounds a little hard for me. But it is just my first."
"Nonsense! You sound quite qualified for this operation."
A white cap peered over the ledge of the building, watching the embarrassed duo leave the centre. The cap belonged to a girl wearing a white vest and Cerulean singlet in Vermillion cargo shorts. She walked back from the ledge, reaching for her water canteen, "Why do you want me to hunt the boy down? What could he have possibly have done to annoy you?" "Hey, your contract read 'No Questions Asked'-"
The girl damn near exploded into her head-mounted Holo Caster, snarling, "I KNOW THE DAMN CONTRACT! I WROTE THE DAMN THING MYSELF!" "Then you should adhere to what you wrote, 'Sakura'."
Sakura shook her head. Her first day on her new job, and she was already picked on by the guys at HQ attempting to flirt with her constantly, and her superiors calling her inexperienced. She showed them, the idiots calling her 'Cherry Blossom' or even 'Sweet Leaf'. Despite never having been a mercenary before a few days ago, she had already faced enemies larger, more experienced and terrifying than any of her... 'fellow' Team Flare Grunts.
She never considered herself one of them. If she was, she was betraying humanity itself. Sadly, it appeared this was the case for her. She had already taken the training, and could hack, break into and fight like any other grunt. She had already gotten her uniform and red hair dye, as well as red visor. She knew the location of their bases and their passcodes for all their programs.
However...
She swore that while she would be with them, she would never be truly 'one of them'. The hair dye had proven flammable, a useful property when she burnt her entire uniform to nothing but ashes and smoke the first chance she got. Her Team Flare ID was buried under a pile of empty gum wrappers in her wallet, hopefully never to be found should she be searched.
And by night... She would look up at the night sky, always trying to find her and her twin brother's star-sign; The 'Charizard'. She would look up upon it and wish that he was looking at the exact same stars...
Sakura smiled to herself, closing her eyes and remembering her ally, "We swore a silent oath to stop them... But now... I find myself teaming up with them for money. I might as well have sold out my promise for 30 pieces of silver."
She sighed, running off the ledge of the roof and silently leaping away to another.
"How would my brother react to what I am now?"
I lowered Go on the ground, "You owe me one. That was one heck of an awkward situation we dodged there!"
She nodded, "Sure... Well, what about the others? We need to regroup and plan our attack on the gym here."
"Boo."
The programmer whipped around, swinging her fist at whoever was behind her. This did not bode well for Shauna, who was sent flying a meter or so into a wall. I ran over, "Are you okay?"
The girl groaned, "No... N... I don't want to ride the Ferris Wheel..."
Go and I exchanged glances. X sighed, "Sorry. Shauna probably shouldn't have snuck up on you like that." Go carried the girl to a chair, sitting her down, "I really need to stop being so tense all the time."
The entire gang was standing behind us. Go started, "So... Who are you all?"
"I'm Trevor... I'm just a researcher, really." Well, isn't he a shy one.
"I'm Tierno, and I will be the leader of the greatest Pokemon Dance Team in the world!" Dance? I think that may be a problem... But hey, it's his life.
I walked over to Go, "And you already know X and Y, the two other trainers. That's all of us here. Any questions?" The programmer nodded, "Just one. Who is Shauna? I mean, we have Trevor who wants to research Pokemon, Tierno who wants to be a dancer, but what does Shauna do?"
X scratched the back of his head, "Uh... Hmm... I think I remember her mentioning something about a clothes designer once... But I could be wrong..." Go nodded, "Second question; Who here is actually taking on the gyms?!"
X and Y stepped forwards, "Wait, Go... You're going to try the Gyms? Without Pokemon?! You're insane!" I put in my ten-cents, "Not as insane as you think; I got her one."
Go tossed the ball on her belt out, "Come out Pikachu!"
The ball glowed, becoming the shape of a yellow mouse. The girl ducked down, squealing and hugging the mouse tightly in her arms, "Arceus, you are so KEWT!" Y agreed with this sentiment, squealing just as loudly as she began hugging it (and Go), "IT'S SO FURRY I'M GONNA DIE!"
I turned to X, "Get back. If my knowledge of Ash Ketchum's adventures have taught me something..."
"PIKAAAAAA CHHUUUUUUUUU!"
A massive thunderbolt rained down from the heavens, blasting Go and Y away from it screaming.
"You mess with the 'Chu, yagit the horns." I sighed, going over to help Go up.
The new trainer walked over slowly, "Okay, fine. I won't hug you. Happy now?" The Pikachu smiled, "PikaPika!" Then it hopped up on Go's shoulders.
(A.N. Screw you fan-theorists, in my fic, Pikachu weighs the same as a Guinea Pig! That way, we won't have any problems with Go's head getting crushed when it sits on her cap! Think logically, guys! The dex entries were written by 10-year olds, and they don't exactly carry weighing scales in hiking packs to measure accurate weight!)
Go scratched the head of the small Pokemon, before gently holding her in her arms, "See? I have a pokemon! I reckon it would logically be CP 10-20, but an argument can be made for CP 25-40... Dangit, now I'm thinking of work!"
I stared, "Uh... Have you decided a name for it yet?" "Yup! I'm calling her Piku! It's short and sounds cute!"
Y rolled her eyes, "Great. One of your first Pokemon is named after a vocaloid singer. Wait, are you Johtoese?" Go stared, "Uh... What?"
Tierno pushed Y out of the way, "Never mind her! Can she dance well?" The programmer sat on the ground, placing the electric mouse in front of her, "Uh... Can you dance?" The Pikachu stared at Tierno with a look, before shaking her head and jumping back into Go's arms.
"She didn't even try!"
"Look, if she doesn't want to do it, she doesn't need to!"
Trevor coughed, "Look, as much fun as this all is, I believe that the Gym should be the next port of call for you four... X, Y, Z and Go." I agreed, turning to the other two who had single-letter nicknames, "Right. Anyone know what the Gym has in it?"
X nodded, "Actually, I already did it before you arrived. I won't reveal much, but let's just say you better not be scared of spiders." Go and her Pikachu bolted up, "S...Spiders?! Oh Arceus no, I'll die if there is a spider!"
Y smirked, "Well, the deal isn't so much there are spiders than you are the spider, so..." Go became very pale-faced, "...S...Spider?!"
I sighed, "How can she be so strong one second and so terrified the next?"
Shortly after the meeting, we parted ways. The others were to go on ahead to the next city, while Go and I handled the Bug-Type Gym. I also noted the fashion boutique as we entered the city, and wondered if Go was into getting new clothes after we beat the Gym, as a sort of reward for her standing up to her fears.
Well, nothing can go wrong now, I suppose.
"OUTTA MY WAY! OUTTA MY WAY-OOF!"
All of a sudden, I was on the ground, as Go stood over me, "Z! What the blue blazes were you thinking, standing in the middle of the road when people were skating?!" I rubbed my head, "She... She came out of nowhere!"
Go turned around and began berating the skater who slammed into me, "You shouldn't be skating so fast in a rural area! I get that roller-skates are fast, but that doesn't mean that you go at full speed when people are on the road!" The girl nodded sheepishly, "Sorry, ma'am. I work for a company that makes all these skates, and I was going hand out free stuff (Don't worry, we're more than rich enough!), So... here!"
She handed Go a pair of wheels that seemingly strapped onto her shoes, "You put these on, and you can skate like there's no tomorrow! It's quite fast." Sheturned around, but I shook my head, "Sorry... I kinda really suck at skating. A lot." The girl chuckled, "Well, that's no way to be! Try them out now!"
What followed was a series of crashes and flipping over that was so embarassing that Go and I swore never to speak of them ever again. As such, I shall not tell you them here.
"...Okay, I'm not gonna lie; you seriously suck at skating." the girl finally said. I sat up in the fountain, spitting out water, "YA THINK?!" Go giggled, "I won't tell if you don't, Z!"
I removed the skates, "Okay, what do you have that I can actually use?" She smiled, pulling out a hinged wooden board with wheels, "Here. It's our foldable skateboard. So far, it's only just started being sold, but-Wait, what are you-?!"
Back in Unova, I used to own a skateboard myself. I was quite skilled at using one, needless to say. I hopped up on the board, pushing off and skating down some stairs. This was followed by jumping off and performing a kick in mid-air before landing back on the board perfectly. I skated back towards the steps swiftly, before jumping into the air and grabbing the board. Flipping through the air, I tossed the board back on flat ground, before pushing forward gently and slowing to a stop.
The two girls stared at me, astonished. I kicked the board and it flew into my arms, where I closed it again, "When I am on a skateboard, I am a parkour MASTER."
The skater finally spoke, "You need that board. I'm just going to give it to you, stand back and watch the fireworks. You are seriously a lot better than anyone I've ever seen!" I shrugged, "Having nothing better to do on school holidays helps."
Go skated alongside me, as I dashed down the streets on my new board, "That was cool! Can you teach me how to do that sometime?" I shrugged, "I'll see."
Viola's Gym was only a rock's throw away. We entered with high spirits.
The programmer by my side took a deep breath, "Wow! Look, Z!" I looked around the room...
Beautiful pictures lined the walls. It was almost like I stepped into a massive photo album. I ran my fingers on a screen, and it scrolled to the next picture, "Ooh! Touchscreens!"
The first was a Caterpie snacking on a leaf. The second was a Pikachu playing with a small ball, and the third-
Go's jaw dropped, "That... How... that's..." I scratched my head, "Was her camera on when she...?!"
It was a photo of both of us, wincing as the camera flash-bulb shone in our eyes. Go growled, "Oh, that does it!" She looked around the room, before spotting the hole in the centre leading to an underground cavern, "C'mon, Z! Time to show this paparazzi who's boss!"
She leapt into the cavern with reckless abandon. I looked at the hole. A single rope hung down the centre. I shrugged, jumping onto the rope and sliding down.
I landed next to Go on a rope platform. Go held onto me for dear life, "Erm... Didn't X and Y say that there was a spider in here?" I looked around. The arena was dark, but then massive spotlights blasted on. Then, it appeared.
"AIIIEEEEEEE! SPIDER! GIANT SPIDER! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
I looked around us. We were standing atop a massive spider web of cables, supported by four massive pillars. I felt a strong urge to whip out my sword and slice my way to the end, however...
I turned to Go. She was clinging onto me, shivering, "Please... Don't tell me we have to... go i...in!" I shrugged, "Just hold on to my shoulders. Then we'll pull through." She shakily reached into her pocket, pulling out a smartphone, "O...okay. Says here that in order to beat this Gym, we have to walk on the thicker lines. The smaller ones don't hold up well, so they may break if we step on them. So be careful!"
She spun her phone in her hand, replacing it back into her pocket.
MISSION START!
We took our first step into the darkness, as Go clung onto my back, shivering. I tapped my foot on the web before me, before cautiously taking a pace onto it. I repeated this action a great many times, and eventually, we made our way halfway to the other end.
Go shivered, "A...Are we there yet?" I jolted a bit, "Ack! Don't scare me like that! I... I don't think so. But it's getting harder to find the webs that don't break..."
Just as I made another step, a gunshot rang out. Out of the corner of my eye, a bullet sliced through the string I stood on, sending me falling. I let out a cry, as the entire web shook.
She gritted her teeth, "Am... Am I really going to send him to his death? No...Not now."
Go leaned over the side of the rope, "Z! Climb the rope!" I groaned, placing a hand on the rope, "N..No! It's too wet! I'm slipping!" The programmer grabbed my hand, "No! Not today...Z, I...I..."
"I think of my wishes upon the shooting star in the night sky." a mysterious voice sang quietly.
"Where had it gone to when I was lost in my thoughts?"
Suddenly, another pair of hands pulled me up onto the ropes again. I gasped, "Tha...Thanks, Go... What the heck is under there, anyway?!"
The mysterious person spoke, "A long fall. All the way into water."On her head was a white bucket hat with pink semicircle. She carried a shotgun over her back by a leather strap. Her very presence seemed mysterious and odd.
"Call me Sakura." she spoke, her mouth hidden by a white scarf, "I am a fan of yours, you could say. The road ahead is long, but I'm sure you'll pull through. A man I once knew was never alone, and with the help of his friends, accomplished many great things. I know you can too."
I sat up, "Sakura..."
"Until we meet again! Sayonara." she tossed a flashbang down, vanishing.
Go and I stared at where the mysterious girl stood. Finally, my companion spoke up, "How are we going to get across the hole in the web?"
I pulled out a roll of duct-tape, "Always come prepared, Go. I knew this would be good for something."
One quick fix later, and we strolled across, and before long, we stood before the Gym Leader herself.
Viola looked at us, "So. You decided to come. I'm impressed. You made it across the web, and even fixed up the hole that the sniper blew in it. I didn't see the sniper coming, and apologize profusely for any problems it may have caused you two!"
I smiled, "We handled it. Speaking of which, is it time to fight now?"
She nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out two balls, "Very well. I will use these two Pokemon only to battle you. Prepare for this one fast fight! Let the games begin!"
[BATTLE START!]
Viola sent out a Surskit!
I reflexively reached for Ryu, "Alright! RYU! Start off the battle using EMBER!" My opponent smirked, "You picked the wrong starter, Z! Your Fire-Type is no use against my Pokemon! BUBBLE!"
Ryu looked up, as a blast of water flew towards him. He dodged swiftly with a roll, but the Surskit dashed forwards, and in a flash of blue, he was upon the fox. Ryu cloaked himself in flames, rolling wildly to dodge the Quick Attack.
I groaned, "Grr... Fine! Ryu! Return! EPONA!"
The Skidoo charged into the fray, vines flying out and grappling Surskit. Her vines began to eat away at the attacker's health rapidly, soon defeating Surskit. Viola reached for her second ball, "Alright, then! PREPARE TO BE-"
Suddenly, a bad premonition and a loud rumbling.
Go gasped, running into her and knocking her aside, "WATCH OUT!"
A wall exploded. I flinched, but Epona was knocked out by a flying piece of rubble.
A red-clad figure entered the room silently, tossing aside a grenade launcher, "Greetings, mon ami. I am a Team Flare Admin, and I have business to settle. Do not interfere."
He marched towards Viola, but I ran in his way, "Woah! What the hell? You can't just barge into a battle!" The Admin scoffed, "Well, we asked ahead first. Viola, do you not remember?"
The girl's eyes widened, "Th...That letter this morning...! It was... Flare?!" Go turned to her, "WHAT?!"
"Yes... We told you that, at this time, Viola Cameron dies. And you were battling her, so I guess that makes you the one who barged in, boy!" the terrorist said, drawing a shining revolver from his pocket and aiming it at Viola's forehead, "Goodnight, woman."
WARNING!
In a flash of green, the gun fell into two clean halves.
I held my sword in my hands, "No way I'd let you kill an innocent civilian like that!" The Admin looked at me, shocked, but his shock turned to a grimace, "And by whose authority do you say that? You don't look like a Police Officer."
I smiled, "And by whose do you work under?"
He snarled, running at me. My survival instincts kicked in, and I dodged. The terrorist drew a sabre, "EN GARDE!" He ran at me, sword ready to pierce my chest. I leaped aside, as he was left reeling after the missed attack. Go rushed in, her foot connecting with the grunt's back.
The Admin groaned, "You... You cannot be Team Flare... You... Your weapon..." I nodded, "It may not be the same as the ones you use, but you threatened the innocent. You attacked Viola. You threatened her. Because of that, I chose to fight. Ergo, I am fighting under your authority."
Go piped up, "Yes. But we aren't Flare Grunts like you. You threaten innocents. We are going to hunt each and every one of you down now... Hence..."
We spoke in unison, "Call us...FLARE HUNTERS!"
The one resounding cry echoed through the arena. The grunt edged back, before smiling, "What a...joke..."
He charged directly at Viola, sabre forwards, "DIE!" I smirked, leaping in her way once more and holding my sword in a defensive pose. Iron met energy, and the steel melted.
The grunt was speechless, "..." I holstered my sword, "I am sworn to protect those who can't protect themselves. I won't kill you now. Turn from your ways."
"...Never! The boss shall hear of this!" he growled, running off, "Adieu!"
As he left, Go spoke, "Well, he was a bloody nuisance, wasn't he?"
MISSION COMPLETE!
Later that day...
Viola sat in a chair inside the Pokemon Centre, "I... Sincerely, thank you, Z! If you didn't step in when you did, I..."
I leaned back into the cushions, "What were you talking about? He said something about a letter." Viola nodded sadly, turning to Go, "Getting to that. Go... I'm sorry. I should have told you..."
She pulled out a small photograph from her pocket, "This. I was out in Geosenge Town when I spotted this odd iron shed. I took a photo of it, thinking about how it contrasted nature and technology... But then..."
I took the picture gingerly from her hands, as she began to sob.
"... Then... the messages came. They made death threats, and... The letters got nasty..." the photographer shivered, as my partner sat by her side silently, "Today, they said... I would die."
I studied the picture in my hands. It was beautiful and all, but...
F...
A single letter engraved over the door of the 'shed'. I raised an eyebrow, "...Viola, what else did you notice about this shed?"
She sobbed, "I... I don't know! I just... I just..."
I grumbled, "Stranger and stranger. Viola, I don't know what may happen, but you mustn't worry anymore. I called the Kalosian Police. They're sending over some of their finest to protect you. I must investigate this..."
She nodded, "Yes... But don't focus on the little details in life, Z... If you do..."
I felt something clipped on the back. I rotated the photo over...
"You'll miss the bigger picture."
The Bug Badge shone back up at me. I admired it silently, before clipping it onto my bag.
Viola looked at me, then Go, "You said you were Flare Hunters. What did you mean?"
Go hugged the girl again, "My friend...I meant what I said."
"We've gotta catch 'em all."