Toxic
Chapter 4
"Mr. Punchy, use Water Gun!" Troy yelled.
His Pokemon jumped into action and shot a powerful stream of water at the opposing trainer's Butterfree. Its trainer looked on helplessly as his Pokemon tried hard to evade but was struck in the center of its torso sending it flying into the grassy field below. It struggled its way back to its feet and flew back into the air furious and stained with dirt.
"Come on, Punchy! Finish him off!" Evan yelled from the sidelines.
A group of spectators had surrounded the bout and were cheering wildly for the two trainers. Troy had the crowd almost fully behind him as they were chanting for Mr. Punchy almost non-stop. Elijah the bug catcher was struggling hard to regain control of the match. He trained his Butterfree hard but it was still no match for the oddly named Poliwag.
"Butterfree, use Stun Spore!" He commanded.
His Butterfree flew towards Mr. Punchy and released a thick yellow spore from its torso coating half of the field. Onlookers jumped back and quickly covered their mouths. Troy calm as ever commanded Mr. Punchy like a pro.
"Dodge it, Punchy, and finish him off with a Body Slam!"
Mr. Punchy leaped into the air, high above the approaching Butterfree and dropped back first onto Butterfree. The impact was like a comet hitting the Earth, it sent a small quake through the field sending dirt in every direction. The silence was deafening as everyone looked on anxiously waiting for the Pokemon to climb out of the crater. Mr. Punchy slowly emerged from the dust and the crowd erupted in cheers. Troy rushed over to help Mr. Punchy out of the hole.
"Butterfree, return!" Elijah said. He reached out his pokeball and a red beam shot out encasing the injured Pokemon.
Evan ran over to celebrate with Troy and the two were soon joined by the massive crowd who wanted to congratulate the winner. Elijah sulked over cash in hand, Evan quickly snatched it up and began counting. Troy looked to Elijah and thanked him for the match. The crowd slowly dispersed, but not before Troy scored a few numbers from the local beauties. Evan was irked but resisted the urge to smack Troy upside the head.
"How much we got, bro?" Troy said bouncing Mr. Punchy in his arms.
Evan pulled a large wad of cash out of his bag and started counting meticulously. The last battle added enough to cover the entrance fee to the Vermilion Gym and their supplies for the trip to Pewter City, with a little left over for some fun back in Celadon. Evan was pleased. He stuffed the money back into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
"How's Poliwag doing?" Evan asked.
"Mr. Punchy is doing fine, thank you. Aren't you Mr. Punchy?" Troy said.
Mr. Punchy chirped in agreement. Its ocean blue skin was stained with dirt but slowly regaining color naturally. He made a mental note to stock up on potions when they reached town.
Evan looked to the horizon. The Sun was starting to set and the tall buildings of Vermillion cut through the red glow casting long shadows over the roadways Their destination was only a short walk away.
The path to Vermilion took a sharp turn through a thick patch of tall grass. Trainers would search these fields endlessly for rare and exotic Pokemon that would make them the talk of the town. More often than not they would return to their homes empty handed. Evan and Troy took careful measures to avoid the trainers, as they were usually eager to challenge anyone who passed by and Mr. Punchy was still not fully recovered.
The welcome sign to the city shined beneath the flickering streetlights. They walked down main street enjoying the quiet city, it was a welcome change to Celadon. The shops had closed, except for the Poke Center, and the sidewalks were bare of any late-night wanderers. The one thing they missed was the savory smell of the corner ramen carts.
The Poke Center was located in the middle of the city hidden between large brick-front townhouses. If not for the giant neon pokeball on its roof they would never have found it. The center was empty but cramped, a result of trying to fit modern technology in antiquated architecture.
The nurse them at the front desk and took their Pokemon. The boys watched as she walked to the back, her pink hair bouncing with each step. They fell into a couple of chairs near the entrance and waited patiently for their Pokemon to be healed. Evan was especially thankful to be off of his feet. While the walk was fairly easy he was not in the best of shape. Troy on the other hand was still wide awake with what seemed like endless energy. Probably anxious for tomorrow, Evan thought.
He hadn't given much thought to the match between Troy and Surge. Surge was clearly a more experienced trainer with stronger Pokemon, and to top it all off he had the type advantage over Mr. Punchy. He would need to stall long enough for Evan to sneak in and search for the files. There were too many questions that needed answers for Evan to relax.
"Troy, what are you going to do tomorrow?" He asked.
Troy shrugged.
"You have a plan, right?"
Troy shrugged again.
"Please tell me you have a plan. A battle strategy? A hidden ace up your sleeve? A sniper in the nest? Anything?"
"Don't worry so much, you'll give yourself wrinkles." Troy smirked.
"I hope you're taking this seriously. This is our first paid job since high school, I really don't want to lose it."
"Dude, relax. This isn't even a job. We're thieves. Con artists. If this is a job then Rocco is a respectable member of society."
Evan snorted at the idea. Troy was right, this was not a job but he was still worried about the consequences. He had yet to forget the backroom confrontation with Rocco and his muscle Gionni.
"Alright, alright. But be honest with me. Do you have a plan?" Evan asked.
"When do I ever have a plan?"
"Oh my Arceus."
The bell rung at the front desk and Nurse Joy returned with their Pokemon. Troy shot up out of his chair, snatched the ball, and headed for the exit.
"Where are you going?" Evan asked. Troy turned to him, smiled and said:
"I'll be back. I have an errand to run." He replied. He darted out the door and disappeared into the night.
"That bastard has a plan…"
On the top floor of the tallest tower in Saffron, hidden behind a maze of locked doors and teleportation panels, was the office of Steven Stone, the new President and Chairman of Silph International. It had been only 6 months since Devon and Silph had merged corporations, but the changes were already drastic. Security had been increased dramatically, barring anyone who didn't have a card key from using the elevator to access the upper floors. The receptionist at the front desk had been replaced with a muscle-bound brute handpicked by Steven himself. The teleporter maze was rewired and redrawn, and the scientists replaced.
Steven's office was expanded to include the hallway elevator that was once a dead-end hallway to trick trespassers. The windows had been removed and replaced with fluorescent lights that simulate natural sunlight. The walls were opened up and reinforced with three-inch-thick steel plates, although many thought that was for aesthetics rather than security. The office itself was sleek and modern, decorated with a solitary black governor's desk in the middle of the floor.
Steven stood behind his desk using the VR computer screen in front of him manipulating numbers and charts that appeared in the air. His assistant stood silently behind him watching the screen, her hands held tightly in front of her.
"Vanessa," Steven said. His assistant perked up almost startled by his words. His eyes had not left the screen, and his hands were still working. "What can I do for you?"
Vanessa fumbled with her clipboard nearly dropping it on the floor. She straightened her glasses and began reciting the itinerary.
"Well, uh, sir. Your 1 o'clock is here." She said. Steven took his eyes off the screen and looked to his assistant.
"My 1 o'clock? I don't remember scheduling anyone for 1."
"You wanted to keep this one off the books, sir." She swallowed hard and finished with a whisper. "Regarding…Project Mercury."
"Oh! Right. Send him in."
Vanessa ran off to the hall and Steven's eyes returned to his work. After a brief moment, the door slid open and Vanessa returned followed closely by a mohawked purple-haired youth in a taut leather jacket and ripped blue jeans. She stopped in front of his desk, with the youth in tow.
"That will be all, Vanessa. Thank you." He said. She looked awkwardly at the punky trainer and took her leave.
"Welcome back, Vance." Steven said. He extended his hand which was quickly accepted and gripped hard.
"Good to be back. New secretary?" He asked. Steven nodded. "I think I scared her."
Steven laughed.
"She hasn't gotten used to some of the rougher characters with which I've done business." He said. "Speaking of which, how was your time in Vermilion?"
"Great, if you don't count getting my ass handed to me by one of the strongest gym leaders in Kanto."
"Yes, Surge is quite the trainer. He reminds me of Wattson, perhaps less genial."
"Everything else is pretty much in order. We've had reports of Team Rocket moving in to Saffron."
"I've heard that too. Anything in chatter?" He asked.
"Not a thing. If they have anything planned then they're keeping it hush-hush. I'll keep my ears open but no promises." He replied. "There was one thing that concerned me though."
"Oh?"
"After my battle with Surge this young idiot trainer came in a latched onto his Raichu. I didn't think much of it until he stood and challenged him to a match."
"Surge is challenged by many trainers, how is this one different?"
"Well, this guy, he's not a trainer, and if he is then he's brand new."
"Naivety, perhaps? It wouldn't be the first time a leader has been challenged by a novice."
"That's the thing. I recognized him from somewhere so I had one of my guys check him out." Vance said. He pulled a manila folder out of his jacket and threw it on Steven's desk. Steven flipped it open and examined the picture. "He's a petty thief from Celadon. His partner in crime was there too."
"They seem harmless enough. What's the big deal?" Steven said, flipping through the pages.
"Think about it. Two petty thieves who have spent their entire lives causing trouble in Celadon, and exclusively Celadon, end up in a new city with new Pokemon challenging the most well-known and respected Gym Leader in Kanto. At the same time Team Rocket allegedly return to Saffron."
"An unlikely coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless methinks." Steven said. He closed the folders and handed them back to Vance.
"Project Mercury has key points in the four cities that surround Saffron. They could be targeting the labs."
"Two unknown low-level trainers are targeting our labs in hopes of derailing on of the largest scientific breakthroughs of the current era? I hear your concern; however, I do believe our efforts are better focused on discovering Team Rocket's plans for Saffron."
"But, sir, I- "
"That is enough. If you feel this strongly then you can investigate on your own. But in the mean time you have your assignment and I have work to do. You are excused." Steven said. He returned to screen and began fiddling with numbers again.
"Before I go, sir."
"Yes?"
"If they are discovered to be connected to Team Rocket and Project Mercury what would you have me do with them?"
"Neutralize them."