"Ah look at the lovebirds, you are soooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuute together."
"Shut up Cail, or do I need to beat you down a fifth time by now?"
"Big Bad Wes has a giiiiiiiiiiiirlfriend. Hahaha you've gone soft now. HEY EVERYBODY LOOK AT WESLEY NOW!"
"One more word out of you Cail and I swear I will feed you to my Tyranitar." I answered back in with a tone that made even Cail flinch.
"Alright alright, chill already. Just having some fun with you. No need to bust out the big guns. Jeeze"
"Calm down Wes, I'm sure he didn't mean much by it. Besides, we have better things to do other than deal with Cail's bullshit." Rui calmly reassured me.
"Yeah, I hear you. We kept Duking waiting long enough as is"
We left Cail behind us as we moved towards Duking's place. Rui stopped for a moment only to turn backwards towards Cail.
"And Cail? You really need to stop overcompensating. It's not helping your case."
I couldn't stop myself from snorting in laughter. Since when did Rui develop such a sharp tongue? It was surprisingly attractive and I wanted to give her a kiss right there and then. In fact, that's what I actually did. I spun Rui around and I felt her melt into my arms as she lowered her body and my lips met her. I took pleasure in not only Rui but how Cail's eyes widened and even he looked away for a moment. We eventually separated, but not before Rui whispered something in my ears.
"Oh do I have something special planned for you tonight" she said in her most sultry tone possible. I had an idea of what she was referring to, but the thought of Rui acting so bold was not one I could have imagined even a few months ago. Then again, we both changed a great deal during our travels together, often for the better. I shouldn't have been surprised by anything Rui wanted to do, not anymore. And the thought of Rui doing that made me want her even more.
Rui and I strolled hand-in-hand into Duking's ever familiar drab home. It was the quintessential Pyrite dwelling; old, earthy, and kinda shit looking. But it was his home and nothing could change that.
"Ah Wes, Rui, I'm glad you're here. Come on, have a seat." Duking raised an eyebrow and cheekily added "And congratulations, I guess. You lot make a good couple."
Rui and I nodded and we collapsed in Duking's still-uncomfortable hard-backed chairs. I took a look around his office and noticed how not much has changed since the last time I visited. The only thing worth noting was that Silva was not by Duking's side as usual. Instead, there was an unfamiliar man with rounded glasses and a mop of brown hair.
"Would it hurt to get some new chairs Duking, you could kill a man with these." I snarkily added. "And who's that guy" as I lazily pointed out the unknown man in the room.
"This is Dr. Krane. He's part of the reason I sent for you. But I'll get to him in a minute. The first thing I want to talk about are your future plans. Both of you mentioned about wanting to leave Orre sooner or later. As you know, Orre is a just a tad isolated from Kanto and Johto and the rest of the more, uh, popular areas of the world. Lucky for you, there's a cargo ship on route to Kanto on a supply run making a stop-over in Gateon. The captain is an old buddy of mine and I convinced him to take you on as stowaways. You two deserve a break more than anyone and this a golden opportunity for you."
Duking reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope and pushed it towards me. I looked over the letter and noticed the wax 'D' graced the back of the envelope, which signified it as Duking's property. I slipped the letter into an inner pocket in my coat.
"Give that to the Captain, his name is Cid. His boat will be a trawler named the S.S. Aqua. He's a good fellow, if a bit krabby at times. Not that's unusual for most of Gateon's regulars. Speaking of which, Rui. I don't know if you ever been to Gateon Port, but Gateon makes Pyrite look like Phenac. At any given time, its full of drunk sailors, angry dockworkers, and a slew of locals looking to hustle any new arrivals. You should stay close to Wes, he knows what it's like there
"I can take care of myself Mr. Duking, thanks." Rui said with a bit more edge than she maybe intended. "But this is too much. I don't know what to say. Are you sure about this, there is more work to be done cleaning up after Cipher and we could still help out."
"I'm sure you can Rui. I'd just hate to see something awful happen to you now when you're so close to the finish line. And the second bit is nonsense. You kids did enough for Orre and the Shadow Pokemon crisis and everything. Its time to let the adults take charge and make Orre a better place than it has been in the past. We too long turned a blind eye to the crime and the unwritten rules of our society. Wes, you showed us what is possible when we put our mind to it. You gave us hope for the future. Its up to us to build a region where we don't need another Saint Wes to save us from ourselves. Speaking of which, Krane, go introduce yourself."
"Right then. My name is Dr. Jebediah Krane and I am the Orre region's new Pokemon Professor. I was most recently a post-doc assistant under Professor Oak's tutelage in Kanto where I studied Pokemon technology. New sorts of battle items, Pokeballs, and the like. I've come here to set my own lab and -
"That's all well and good and doc, but why did you come to this shithole of a region? I'm sure there's some other country that could use you that isn't blood and sand." I blurted out. I'm not sure why, but something about this Krane bothered me. No one was this magnanimous in Orre, not even me. I had no great morals when I got involved in Cipher's scheme. Initially, I just wanted to mess with Gonzap and the rest of Snagem purely out of spite.
"Wes, be nice." Rui scolded as she turned and shot me a nasty look. "I'm sorry Professor, we had a long day. Please continue."
A momentary scowl crossed Krane's face before it vanished and he continued without missing a line. "As I was about to say, I came here to lend my efforts in solving the Shadow Pokemon issue. You see, I knew Ein when we were both in university together. He was a decent enough guy at first, if a bit withdrawn, and I suppose you could have called us friends. But eventually he started talking about increasing the potential of Pokemon as battling machines and some other dubious theories involving the hearts of Pokemon. He distanced himself from me and eventually dropped out from school and we naturally we lost contact. Imagine my surprise when I learned Ein was the brains behind the Shadow Pokemon process. Maybe if I reached out to him sooner, been there for him, I could have prevented some of this cruelty from ever happening." Krane rambled on, with a tinge of sadness and regret in his voice.
"I really doubt it Doc. From my experiences with Ein, he was a real rat bastard and didn't really care for anyone except his theories and his Shadow creations. I doubt there was anyone who could have fixed Ein. Every time I beat him, he never learned his lesson."
"Even so, I don't think anyone is beyond saving. Even you Wes. From what I hear, you weren't the most upstanding of citizens before you got involved with the Shadow crisis"
"That was a long time ago, Doc. Welcome to Orre. Where kids have to scrap by whatever means necessary for food and shelter. Even it means joining a bunch of crooks." I whispered low and with the meanest look possible.
"Well anyway, I didn't come to talk about the past, I'm here to discuss the future. Between my previous research and the partial research notes you recovered from the Shadow Pokemon Lab, I think I can create a machine that can undo the Shadow Pokemon process. A 'Purify Chamber' of sorts."
"Why would you need to build a machine like that Professor Krane?" Rui wondered aloud. "We purified all the Shadow Pokemon, we snagged them all. I think we did at least" less confident than before.
"That's the thing, Cipher will come back one day. You have may have stopped the leadership but the rank and file will hide and regroup. That's what these criminal gangs always do. Cipher, Rocket, they are all the same. Some savant of a trainer comes around and wipes the group out, but they always lick their wounds and come back for a second round. It may take a year, or even five years, but they will be back, I will stake everything I own on it. And when they do, we need to be ready. Who knows where the almighty El Cruzador will be then? Which brings me to why I'm here. I have a request for you, Wes. I would like to borrow your Snag Machine and research its functions for the purpose of creating a backup. Ein's notes on the Snag Machine are unclear and I feel I need to do a more practical experiment to understand its function."
That request shook me to the core. The Snag Machine was me, I had gotten so used to its presence on my right arm it felt like it was my arm.
"If you're right about Cipher coming back, then the safest place for the machine is with me. I took Cipher's every shot and I'm still standing. If you're right about Cipher and you have the snag machine, you'll be a sitting duck for one of their goon squads. I should keep it."
"Its a risk we have to take. If Cipher comes back and you're not around, that would be just as bad, if not worse. If Cipher takes our new Snag Machine, we can always make another. If we don't have a second Snag Machine to start with, we're right out of luck."
"I think you should listen to Krane, Wes. He has a good point" Duking chipped in with agreement
"Yeah Wes. Listen to the Professor, he's on our side, you know, the good guys." Rui added and then she turned to look at me with her great blue eyes. I just couldn't say no to her.
"… Fine, you can have the Machine. But only for a few days, I'll come back for it." I snarled in anger and reluctantly took off my left arm and placed the Snag Machine on Duking's desk. I felt naked, empty even. The Machine has been a part of my life for so long, I had forgotten why my own flesh and blood looked like.
"Thank you Wes, I greatly appreciate it. My lab is to the Northeast of Gateon. You are on your way there, yes? Swing by in a few days and I should be done with my initial observations then. This leads me to the second reason I'm here. Rui, do you know why you can see the black aura of Shadow Pokemon?"
"Nope. Many people have asked me that and I still have no clue. Maybe its just a fluke or something?"
"Interesting. In addition to creating another Snag Machine, I want to create a device that can identify Shadow Pokemon. An 'Aura Reader' if you will. By synching the Aura Reader with the Snag Machine, I can make sure the Snag Machine if and only if a Shadow Pokemon is being targeted. That way, I can prevent misuse of the Snag Machine if the wrong people get their hands on it and prevent normal Pokemon from being snagged."
"Wow, that's super cool Professor. By why ask me if I know how my abilities work."
"You see, identifying Shadow Pokemon is an area where Cipher has very little research for obvious reasons, so I'm essentially starting from scratch. Any information you have on your powers would be a great help for my research."
"Sorry Professor, I got nothing for you. Wish I could help."
"I see… hmm, when Wes comes to retrieve his Machine, why don't you come as well? I would like to talk with you and learn more about your abilities. I would stay now, but I really need to get back to my lab and make sure my idjit assistant did not blow anything else up. Give me your PDA number as well so we can stay in touch."
I reluctantly handed my PDA over to Krane who fiddled with it and punched in some numbers in the contacts section.
"There we go, you now have my contact info. It's been a pleasure to meet you Wes and Rui. Come visit me in a few days and I should have everything ready to go. And Duking, I made some progress on that thing you had me look at. I think its coming along nicely. I'll be in touch."
Krane gathered the Snag Machine in his arm and then exited the premises.
"What did the Professor mean by that thing you had him look at" Rui spoke up.
"Oh that, just some personal project of mine. Nothing to worry about." Duking replied, but with some hesitation in his voice. I don't think Duking was being entirely honest, but I wasn't going to press him. Duking has done enough for us, he's entitled to a secret or two.
"Where did you find that guy, anyway Duking?" I added. "Something about him doesn't sit with right me."
"Krane found me actually. With Es Cade revealed as Cipher's ring leader, I guess I'm the closest thing Orre has as an authority figure anymore. He sought me out and we talked about his plans and such. I liked his ideas and what he aims to build and accomplish. His lab is based out of an abandoned warehouse outside of Gateon. He expecting some of his old equipment to arrive on the ship I told you about. So the timing works great for everyone. And of course you don't like him Wes, you don't like a lot of people.
"Anyway Duking, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Eh sure. What is it?"
"I can't keep of the Pokemon I snagged and purified. There are just too many of them and I can't give all of them the attention. But I bet you will meet many other promising trainers wandering through Pyrite sometime in the future. If they win a Colosseum challenge, or earn your approval, or give Cail a hard time, or whatever, could you give them one of my Pokemon as a reward? They could use a good home with a good trainer."
"You sure you want this Wes?
"Positive. I thought this through a good deal. I also gave some of them to old man Eagun for the same purpose. I captured forty-eight Shadow Pokemon and really only trained about ten of them. I'll still train the ones I have a strong attachment to as they were my partners in this crazy adventure. I think I'll hang onto Sandrock and Heavyarms as well, they're simply too dangerous to let back into the wild or handoff to some random trainer. Those two are better off with me. I already gave old man Eagun some of my Pokemon as well for the same reason."
"And what of the Beasts you captured from the Admins. Will you keep those as well?"
"No, I already released the Beasts. It was the right thing to do. The Beasts are not meant to be controlled by man, they are wild creatures, essences of nature themselves. Keeping them contained with me … would end poorly, I think"
"Hahaha, you truly are a unique individual. I can't think of many people that would willingly release three legendary Pokemon. Maybe you are a Saint after all."
I groaned and rolled my eyes at Duking's latest quip.
"Yes yes, I know how much you hate being called that. But yes, I accept your request. Without a Center in Pyrite, it will take me a few days to set up a mass PC transfer on my end. Let me know when you get to Gateon and we can proceed with the transfer from there. You're gonna make a bunch of kids really happy Wes. When I first met you all those years ago, I never would have thought you turned into some big hero."
"Rui's been a good influence on me, what can I say. Anyway, thanks for everything Duking. We'll see you whenever."
"Before you go Wes, I have some advice for you. As you probably know Rui, Kanto, and everywhere else really, have these things called rules and society and a lot of niceties that Orre lacks. You can't keep on threatening to feed people you don't like to that Tyranitar of yours. You are going to land yourself in some deep trouble and I can't bail you out half a world away. The stories of El Cruzador the Desert Warrior means little over there" Duking said, simultaneously stroking his mustache
"I do that one time and can no one drop it? I wasn't actually gonna use Fein as Sandrock's new chew toy. Just wanted to scare him a little." I mumbled dismissively. It was such a drag to hear the same quip over and over.
"You just threatened Cail, like, half an hour ago" Rui kindly reminded me
"What's this now?"
"Nothing, nothing." I mumbled very quickly
"Nonetheless, be careful over there. Kanto seems safer, and it is, but they have their own customs and won't take kindly to an Orre interloper smashing heads. Listen to your girlfriend every now and then.
"Come on Duking, its a vacation. It's not like I'm gonna challenge every guy I see to a battle. Do you really think I'm that nuts."
"Considering you picked a fight with just about everyone in this town at one point or another, do you want me to answer that?"
"...You may have a point after all. Fine, no street brawls."
"Well with that said, I don't have anything left to say. It's been an honor Wes, Rui. I'll see you again sometime in the future."
"It's been fun Duking. Well, see you around, I guess"
"Yeah, Mr. Duking. Thanks for everything you did for us over our journey."
"It's been my pleasure. Now get off you two."
And with that, our business with Duking concluded and we made our way to the Pyrite Grand Hotel for a good night's rest.
The Pyrite Grand Hotel was not the most reputable establishment on the best of the days. It looked like an outstanding building on the outside, and it was for Pyrite Town, but inside was a cesspool of sex, drugs, and occasional villainy. The look the clerk gave us when we rented a room with only one bed didn't help either. I sat on the bed, waiting for Rui to finish her shower. The hotel amenities were a lot nicer than one would think, especially compared to the hotel in The Under. Management must have upgraded a few of the rooms since the last time I was here. I heard the rush of water slowly cut off in the next room and Rui emerged wearing nothing but a short towel wrapped around her midsection. And then she dropped it all right in front of me.
She was beautiful. Her body glowed the with the brilliance of a thousand lights and the magnificence of life itself. She sauntered up to me, her body swaying with every step and her hair moving with every motion. She used her body to tease me and she knew how to use it. Oh how I would get her back when she was screaming my name in joy. I took her hand in mine and pulled her into an embrace. Our hands were all over each other as we kissed and caressed the right spots. The passion overtook us as our bodies mingled in the dark and we joined as one. No words were needed between us as we let the ecstasy carry us through the night.
A/N: I never got around to XD so this is my interpretation of things for that game. Wes and Rui are both obviously older than the standard game protags, they're both adults by the time Colosseum wrapped up. Wes is ~20 and Rui is ~18 or so IMO.