POKEMON
Lost Dreams
Chapter Three
PRESENT FUTURE
Sinnoh Region, Unnamed Forest: May 7th, 2090
Grayish white colored pages adorned with black ink vanished beneath the burgundy cover of a small book entitled, Glenn's Journal. Fat blobs of perspiration oozed from beneath thick strands of black hair, carrying brownish chunks of dirt and grime. Two sky-blue eyes were forced shut as the sweat covered their eyelids and sailed down the center of the nose between them. Quick exhaustion induced breaths flowed in and out between the lips of an open mouth.
It had been two days since the Twinleaf Town resident decided to continue reading the life story of the man known as, Glenn Sommers. Intrigue at how humble the journal author's beginnings were is what held the man's interest at first. Confusion followed the intrigue. Confusion at how anyone could resent living with their parents. Were things so peaceful and prosperous one hundred years ago that people had the luxury of being upset over obeying their elders?
If he could, the man would give anything to have his own parents returned to him. He would give anything to prevent them from being taken away by the same type of people that pursued him now. Conquerors and warmongers. They had tracked him back to his hometown of Twinleaf and began a thorough search of the area, killing and recruiting all they encountered. They had learned his name through inquiry of the other town residents. They had learn his name from the only person the man interacted with. The only person he could refer to as a friend. She screamed out his name, Kevin, begging them to stop their monstrous Pokemon from ripping into her with their teeth and claws.
But they did not stop.
When she refused to reveal the location of his house, they murdered her and Kevin witnessed the entire thing. The clan of conquerors had held his friend, Jessica, captive in the middle of town. They beat her and brutalized her as they did everyone else. What made them continue with her when she refused to join their ranks was the ability of their psychic Pokemon, Alakazam.
Kevin could still see the sinister glare of the monster as it probed Jessica's mind for the information the clan desired. He could still see the twisted joy that flashed behind the creature's pupils as it found what it was looking for. Images of the blood thirsty Arcanine ripping Jessica's right arm off and ultimately ending her life after chomping down on her blue hair covered head still haunted Kevin's nightmares. Nightmares that pounded inside his head every time fatigue would force him into unconsciousness. Images that would flash in front of his eyes every time he shut them. The images made Kevin sick. The images made Kevin furious.
With himself.
The one memory that stood out among the slaughter of his neighbors and the gruesome death of his only friend was the memory of what he himself did during that day. He hid. Kevin hid the entire time the clan, known as, The Annihilation Segment tore through his town. When they raided the small shack, which belonged to his next door neighbor, he fled towards the southern pond. When they tore through the southern houses and makeshift homes of the town, Kevin remained one step ahead of them, hiding behind crumbling walls and cowering under broken floorboards. No one gave up his position because most of the town residents knew nothing of him. Those that had rarely seen him in passing paid no heed to him. They were all murdered because of this fact, those that did not give up any information concerning Kevin. The clan had offered a deal to those that did not wish to join them. Give up Kevin and you may live to see another day. When Alakazam revealed that no one, save Jessica, knew of his whereabouts, the townsfolk were slaughtered.
Kevin could have saved them. He could have saved them all. He could have saved Jessica. Instead he hid and after Alakazam retrieved the information the clan was after, he fled to the east through the thick forest that separated Twinleaf town from route 219 as the clan destroyed his home.
It was a path Kevin had braved several times in his efforts to survive the harsh world he was born into. Few Pokemon remained inside the forests surrounding Twinleaf Town as the already low population dwindled from close to one thousand to below one hundred. The hungry beasts migrated to the north in search of prey. In the past this made it easy for Kevin to traverse the dark forests in search of any form of sustenance. Instead of food, the young man stumbled onto a route that many people used in their travels to different countries.
Instead of despair, Kevin was filled with hope. That hope came in the form of small water droplets. Kevin rushed home and constructed a small somewhat sturdy boat out of the abundant collection of broken wood scattered throughout the town. Weak from hunger and thirst, it took Kevin several days to drag and carry the boat through the forest. However, when he returned to the route the water droplets, which were falling from the sky, still remained. Kevin pushed the boat into the water and sailed out to the many floating islands of rock littered throughout the ocean. It was here that Kevin collected fresh water with the water bottles stored within his house. It was with this water that Kevin was able to grow several small berries hidden from the world inside the forest. The constant rainfall over the oceanic region of Sinnoh had saved Kevin's life.
Now that same ocean was used in his escape from his former home into the wilds of a forest he had never seen, which could possibly be filled with beasts he knew nothing of.
The journal, Glenn's journal served as a much needed distraction from Kevin's predicament. He had abandoned his friend, abandoned his entire village, and saved his own life. But why shouldn't he have? If he had turned himself in the clan would most likely have killed him for his previous theft of information. Also The Annihilation Segment had never been known to abide by their word. Death was most likely the town's fate regardless of what Kevin did. But even if turning himself in would have saved them all, so what? Why were their lives more important than his? Kevin was more valuable a person anyway. He alone was brave enough to traverse the forest. He alone created the boat that sailed him to the fresh source of water. He alone grew the berries in the forest. Yes. Kevin had more ingenuity and better survival instincts than anyone within the town. So of course he was the only one to survive the clan's rampage. Survival of the fittest. With these thoughts, Kevin began feeling a little bit better about his current situation.
And then Jessica's tormented screams resurfaced inside of his mind.
"No!" Kevin's eyes shot open and immediately began scanning the tall trees and darkness for any forms of movement.
The former Twinleaf resident shook his head in frustration. Kevin had promised himself that he would not nod off anymore but he couldn't help it. A full day had passed since the last time Kevin had slept and the humid heat of the forest continued to beat down on him even during the night. His fatigue had reached its peek combined with his unbearable hunger and thirst. Death seemed inevitable. However, it was during this time that Kevin decided to read what he believed to be the last few pages of Glenn's journal he would ever read. After reading the third entry and learning how a boy, eight years younger than himself could manage to survive the wilds of Kanto with no food, no water, and several different Pokemon attacking him, Kevin's determination resurfaced and his legs carried him forward.
Now he rested on one knee with the journal clutched tightly against his chest in his right hand and his left hand propped firmly against a large tree. Kevin had sailed his now destroyed boat to the northern edge of the water route and hid himself inside the forest. His intended destination was the ruins of Jubilife City, however, he dared not travel through Sandgem town, knowing that he had no chance of evading The Annihilation Segment there. Further travel close to route 202 revealed that The Annihilation Segment had already begun patrolling the roads that led to their main headquarters, which Kevin discovered was Jubilife City. This knowledge sent him into a new world of fear and despair. Kevin knew that The Annihilation Segment was a small segment of an even larger army. The clan was a branch of the army, which originated many miles away on the distant land of Kanto. The name of the army escaped Kevin at the moment, however, the army's name was the least of his problems.
Now Kevin would have to try for Oreburgh City. A place surrounded by large mountains that stood at the edge of the thick forest Kevin now hid in. Kevin considered passing out right then and there when the realization of what he had to do hit him. Three options laid before him if he intended to continue his evasion of The Annihilation Segment. One: he would have to find a way through the Oreburgh Gate, a dark cavern filled with several dangers besides the monstrous Pokemon that inhabited it. Two: he could attempt traveling the uninviting trails laced throughout the mountain ranges that surrounded Oreburgh city. Three: he could continue east through the forest that eventually ran into the same mountain range that surround Oreburgh.
Kevin chose option one.
The exhausted man decided to remain on his knee for a few more moments before attempting to carry on. In this short span of time something slid across his arm that rested against the tree. Kevin froze at the movement and his breathing ceased. His head slowly rose bringing his gaze from the ground to the top of the tree. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until two round black eyes shot open near the top of the tree.
Kevin screamed in horror as he fell onto his back. The journal slipped from his hand and bounced to the side. Kevin gazed up in terror at the creature towering over him.
It's body took a long log-shaped form with yellow spots covering it. Short legs with toe-less feet sprouted from beneath it. Green club-shaped hands were attached to two long lanky arms. A forked branch grew from the top of its head and the monster's large mouth grinned sadistically down at its frightened prey.
Kevin scrambled to his feet and stumbled back, nearly dodging the creature's right hand as it smashed into the ground. Kevin was baffled at how something that appeared to be so fragile could cause so much damage. His answer came as the beast charged him with surprisingly great speed and rammed into him chest first. Kevin flew back ten feet then skidded along the ground until his head crashed into the trunk of an actual tree. Blood trickled down from his bruised lip and his face ached from the contact with the creature's body that felt as hard as stone. In fact the similarities between stone and the monster's body were uncanny.
Kevin rolled to the right and dodged another vicious attack from the creature's hand, which smashed through the tree bringing the large plant to the ground with a thunderous thud. Kevin gave the creature no time to recover, once again scrambling to his feet. The frightened human snatched the book from the ground and made a mad dash towards the northern edge of the forest towards Oreburgh Gate.
Kevin dared a look back and caught a glimpse of the monster burrowing itself beneath the ground. Why would it go underground? Maybe Kevin had escaped its wrath and the beast resigned itself to waiting for another unfortunate soul? But if that was the case then why hadn't it been burrowed to begin with? Why pretend to be a harmless tree when it could just burrow underground?
The answer to Kevin's questions came with an unimaginably painful thrust to his gut.
The creature, able to move at twice the speed of its current prey while underground, shot up from the dirt and rammed the forked branch atop its head into the fleeing human's gut.
Kevin hunched over. His mouth shot open as all the air within his lungs shot out in a wheezed gag. Blood and vomit gushed out from between his lips next. His legs stopped and his body rose high into the air atop the rock monster. When the beast fully emerged from the ground, Kevin was shot high into the air and landed hard on his back at the edge of the forest. The only thing he could manage were short gasps for air. His eyes took in the sight of the blue sky filled with white clouds until they were replaced by the rock monster that resembled a tree. No screams escaped Kevin as his body was in too much pain to produce them. Instead he only continued to gaze up at the beast as its green hand rose high into the air and then shot down towards his head.
But Kevin did not die.
A mere second before the stony hand splattered Kevin's head across the forest grounds, a small black and blue creature soared through the air above his face. Kevin could make out what appeared to be a dark purplish glow radiating around its white fangs before the pearly bones sunk deep into the rocky plant, sending it stumbling onto its back. Kevin managed to glance down at his right hand and soon realized he had not let go of the journal even after being hit so hard in the gut by the beast. He held the book as if it was his only link to sanity.
Slowly Kevin rose to his feet and turned, taking in a view of his savior.
It took the form of a small cub. Its fur was mostly blue, except for the small thick patches of black under its neck and torso. It had a long black tail with a gold four-pointed star on the end. Gold rings, which sparked with electrical energy, surrounded each of its forelegs. Gold star-like symbols covered the insides of its two oval shaped ears. Its white eyes with golden pupils glared a hole through the stone creature and its bright red nose dripped with rage induced snot. Its small tufts of hair, evidence of a growing mane, peeked out from beneath its round chin.
The two Pokemon circled each other, growling and snarling. The small blue creature pounced, taking another bite out of the rocky plant's stomach. In retaliation, the stone plant smacked the blue cub with its hand, causing the small creature to yelp in pain. The small creature smacked into the trunk of a large tree then slid to the ground screaming in pain.
Kevin considered watching, even helping the small blue monster that had saved his life until he heard a roar that would forever be embedded in his memory. That roar, Kevin presumed as he watched the reaction of the blue creature, came from the small beast's mother. The fear Kevin saw on the face of the rock plant was all the motivation he needed.
Kevin turned and ran out of the forest with all the speed his waning strength and adrenaline would allow. His body dropped as his feet stumbled onto a large hill that overlooked route 203 and he tumbled down to the grassy grounds near Oreburgh gate. His face smacked firmly into a dust covered patch of ground, bringing his body to a painful halt. He quickly rose to his feet and turned his head, taking in a sight that sent fear and awe racing through his brain.
A thick massive collage of yellow lightning bolts sparked within a twenty square-foot radius above the forest as the blue creature's mother roared with ferocious rage. Seconds later a loud bang, similar to the sound of dynamite blasting apart a pile of boulders, rang out for miles in every direction followed by a brief agonized screech from the stone plant.
Kevin turned and made his way towards the Orebugh Gate entrance with a slow jog.
Unbeknownst to the former Twinleaf resident, the loud roars of the electric Pokemon within the forest had flowed into the ears of a member of The Annihilation Segment. This particular member happened to be one of the more established members of the clan. Her rank among her peers was lower only to those that formed the command group of the segment. She had proven her worth many years ago after taming a wild Chimchar, which was able to evolve into one the more ferocious beasts of the Pokemon world. Her eyes caught sight of a young man, who fit the description of the person the clan was after, jogging towards the Oreburgh Gate.
Her lips, covered in purple lipstick, formed a fiendish smile.
Kevin hunched over in front of the Oreburgh Gate entrance, taking in deep breaths as he regained his composure. Darkness filled his vision after he regained control over his breathing. One last glance over his shoulder was all Kevin gave the outside world before venturing into the cave that separated Oreburgh City from the western half of Sinnoh.
A rotten stench smacked into Kevin's face the instant he entered the cave. A stench born from the several Pokemon droppings scattered throughout the small enclosed path that made up the cave. Thankfully, Kevin could already see light from the other side of the cave after only a few steps forward. a quick glance to the left brought another path into view. One that led to what appeared to be a set of stony stairs that led deeper into the cave.
Fuck that. Kevin thought to himself.
Kevin found his fear slowly beginning to dissipate with each step he took towards the other side of the cave. At least ten minutes had passed since his last encounter with a feral Pokemon and now he was almost miles away from any remnant of the clan that pursued him. Things were starting to look up.
Until Kevin looked up.
Hundreds of small blue creatures clung to the ceiling. They each had two long skinny legs. None of their faces harbored eyes or a nose. The undersides of their ears as well as their long wings held a purplish color. Four white fangs lined their mouths. Two fangs beneath their upper lips and two fangs above their lower lips.
Kevin's brisk walk slowed immediately and his gaze remained fixed on the Zubat that rested above him. His mind traced back to his childhood when a wild Zubat had attacked him in his Twinleaf home. His father had saved him that day, back when he was alive. Now there was no one left to save him except himself.
Suddenly a loud thump echoed inside the cave near the route 203 entrance. Kevin turned and his gaze lowered from the ceiling to the figures standing in front of the light shinning into the cave. His eyes took in the sight of a young woman that appeared to be around the same age as himself and a three foot ape creature with a flaming tail.
Most of the ape's hair was colored a bright orange and appeared to be slightly shaggier atop its feet. Its snout, ears, belly, three-toed feet, five fingers, and the circular markings on its hairy palms were all a shade of beige. It had a spiky ruff of white hair around its neck and golden bands encircling its arms. Blue markings painted its forehead above its orange eyelid covered brown eyes and red markings colored the area in between them. Two large oval shaped ears were attached to its head and a row of small white fangs lined the top and bottom portions of its mouth.
Kevin knew what the Pokemon was. History books told of its previous form being one of the Pokemon given to knew trainers in Sandgem town. However, as the Monferno glared at him with murderous intent, Kevin could not imagine how small children could bond with such a beast. The woman that stood behind the creature, although covered with an equally displeasing expression, was still a much more comforting sight than the dangerous Pokemon.
The former Twinleaf resident soon found himself backing away from the Pokemon Tamer and her Pokemon. Three steps later the heel on his left foot slammed into a rough boulder and Kevin's reactionary yelp caused all of the Zubat clinging to the cave to dive-bomb towards their potential meal. The loud screeches from the Zubat is was first brought Kevin's attention to the approaching horde of beasts with a literal thirst for his blood. Kevin began pushing himself back with his arms and legs but only managed to move three inches before a gray stony hand clenched around his left ankle, sending immense shock-waves of pain up his leg.
The hand that grasped the frightened human belonged to a gray boulder with rocky eyebrows, brown irises, and muscular five-fingered arms.
Terror returned to Kevin's eyes as the creature began levitating one foot off the ground and roared while squeezing his ankle, nearly breaking it. Fortunately for Kevin, the monster's roar attracted the attention of the Zubat and the swarm of blue bloodsuckers attacked the boulder instead of him. As the Zubat swarmed the live boulder it let go of Kevin's ankle, allowing the frightened human to rise to his feet and dash towards the cave exit. The pain emanating from his ankle burned with each step but that did not stop Kevin from reaching the exit.
A deep breath of fresh air filled Kevin's lungs as he stood outside of the Oreburgh gate. The city, once frequented by traveling trainers eager to receive the Coal Badge, was now a cesspool filled with corruption. Or at least what was once known as corruption. Instead of tourists, coal miners, and trainers lining the streets, drug dealers, regional clan members, and prostitutes walked the city roads. There were no longer any laws disallowing the practice of any of these professions. This was now how many survived within bustling cities that still retained some of the luxuries of the past. Most of the skyscrapers, while worn, still towered high above the streets. A few cars still roared down the roads, paying little heed to the mostly destroyed traffic lights. The biggest economic income to cities this large that managed to survive total destruction from the war were the bars/brothels littered throughout them. There was at least one on every major street, some of them built next to abandoned Pokemon centers.
No one clan owned Oreburgh and affiliations did little to intimidate its residents. Almost everyone that lived and breathed within the city was armed and dangerous, even those that did not wish to use violence knew that violence was the only thing that would protect them. The first thing small children learned from their parents was how to wield an automatic weapon. From handguns to assault rifles, most four-year-olds were a force to be reckoned with.
There were only two entrances to the city to the west and to the north. Both were small narrow passages. One was the cavern known as Oreburgh gate and the other was a narrow path between the large rocky plateaus that surrounded the city. With no strategic positions with which to attack the city, all of the clans left control of the population to small patches of their forces. When the many army clans arrived within the city there were many casualties on all sides with no one side taking an advantage over all others. The city became a death trap where bloodbaths were daily events. This caused the citizens to take up arms and join the fray, which only resulted in more death. After only six months of battle all of the clans within the city bartered a shaky truce. While no one clan could claim the land, the city itself was split into four different territories, which belonged to the four most influential clans within the Sinnoh Region. These four clans each held an equal claim to the vast amounts of natural resources buried beneath the city.
Fortunately for Kevin, the clan that pursued him happened to be one of the two most powerful military forces within Kanto, not Sinnoh. Not even they would dare invade the city just to apprehend him. However, while a large force would not be tolerated, small squads of rival clans were still permitted access into the city, as there was a neutrality law within effect and the only real claim the clans held was to the mines. Kevin was far from safe but he could at least find a place to rest without having to worry about being eaten by some wild Pokemon. Of course the fear of being shot in his sleep still tingled at the back of his mind.
Only two minutes after walking down the large stony steps that led into the city, Kevin was halted by two men and one woman, all of whom belonged to the Galaxy Brotherhood, a small remnant of the once unchallenged Team Galactic. While their influence no longer engulfed the entire country they were still one of the four most powerful clans within Sinnoh, which in short meant that they were not to be fucked with. All three members of the clan wore worn and shredded black and silver colored clothes. The letter G, colored gold, was stitched onto either the arms or the center of their shirts and jackets.
"Who's this fucking runt?" The female of the group barked.
"Don't know." One of the men replied.
"Want to kill him?" The second male of the group suggested.
Kevin's mind temporarily shut down after attempting to contemplate the measure of the bad luck that had followed him since he departed Twinleaf Town. "Um..."
"I don't remember asking you a god-damn thing!" The first man of the group shouted.
The second man lowered his black sunglasses so he could get a better look at the new arrival. "What do we look like to you?"
"...What?" Kevin asked confused.
"Did I stutter?" The man shouted. "I said what do we look like?"
"What?" Was all Kevin could manage.
Angered, the Galaxy Brotherhood member pulled a nine-millimeter handgun from beneath his pants and aimed it at the confused man. "What? Is that a country? Do they speak English in what?" Every one of his words were shouted in anger.
"...What?" Kevin took a step back.
"English mutha-fucka do you speak it?" The clan member yelled.
"Ye...yes." Kevin stuttered.
"Then answer my fucking question!"
"...What?" Kevin whimpered.
The Brotherhood member centered the gun on Kevin's forehead. "Say what again! Say what again! I dare you. I double dare you mutha-fucka! Say, what, again!"
Kevin stuttered and stumbled for words, his brain too confused and afraid to process the situation. "Why?"
"Why isn't an answer dipshit! I asked you what do we look like and I want an answer!"
"M...military...soldiers..." Kevin trembled.
"That's right! We're all soldiers and we all live in a dangerous heartless world where people kill each other over a scrap of food." The Galaxy soldier glared. "So why is it you feel that you can just waltz into our city unannounced and do whatever the fuck you want?"
"...What?" Kevin's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said.
A led bullet fired from the gun into Kevin's arm, causing him to fall to one knee, crying out in pain. He gripped his wounded left arm with his right hand and remained on the ground, fearing the next bullet would end his life. Instead, after several minutes of cowering on the ground, his ears caught the sound of the three Galaxy soldiers walking off towards the city, laughing and joking about the recent events that just took place.
What the fuck? Kevin couldn't understand what had just happened.
Slowly, Kevin grabbed Glenn's journal from the ground that he dropped after being shot and tucked it into his pants beneath his shirt. Standing up was more painful now that a bullet wound was added to the several cuts and bruises that decorated his body. Nevertheless, Kevin knew that even though sadistic assholes like the Galaxy Brotherhood inhabited Oreburgh the city was still a safe haven for those wishing to evade capture by the more unknown clans scattered throughout Sinnoh.
It was the best place to acquire a weapon as well.
It had been several years since Kevin had ventured outside of his hometown except for when he went out on his food and water gathering missions. What passed for currency was a mystery to him and as he walked deeper into the streets of Oreburgh the chilling thought that regular money might still be of value baffled and frightened him all at the same time. How could people still value paper over food? It didn't make since. However, the thought soon left Kevin's mind as he saw one of the many street prostitutes walking off with a man that appeared to be worse off than Kevin, even without a bullet wound. He saw the man hand the fairly attractive woman, covered in mostly towels and a skirt stitched together from several different articles of clothing, a loaf of bred before she began removing the poor excuse for an outfit near a dumpster down an alley. Anyone that passed by could view the two and they didn't seem to care.
So it was back to basics for everyone then.
If food and water was gold in Oreburgh then it was most likely this way for the rest of Sinnoh. However, the rest of Sinnoh wasn't a particular subject on Kevin's mind at that moment. He needed medical attention and above all else he needed a safe place to rest. Did such a place exist anymore? Probably not, however, a place that held little interest for most of the city residents would suffice.
"Hey there. You lookin' for a good time?" A female voice flowed from behind Kevin.
Startled, Kevin turned expecting to be shot in the face. "Wha..." Instead his eyes took in the sight of a beautiful young woman covered in a small black skirt and black bra. "I um..."
The woman ran her hand through her long dirt filled black hair and put on her best customer service smile. "Come on, don't be shy. I won't bite...unless you want me to."
Kevin felt a tinge of pity for the woman as she stumbled to stay on her feet. She was no doubt drunk or high on something and her green eyes held a despair that could have been tempered for over fifty years. Instead the despair emanated from a woman no older than Kevin who knew nothing of a comfortable life. Kevin took a step towards the woman with the intention of helping her but no knowledge of how to accomplish that intention.
"Look..." Kevin began.
"Aw it's ok." The woman brushed her hand against Kevin's crotch. "I'll take care of you."
Kevin stepped back and sighed. "Look lady I wanna help you out I really do." He felt his dwindling strength leaving him with each breath. "But I don't have any food or water. All I got is this bullet in my arm, ok?"
After a brief examination of Kevin the woman realized he was telling the truth and scoffed. "Damnit. This town is filled with nothing but bums." She frowned and walked away.
Kevin shook his head as he saw the woman trying to flag down another man. "What else can happen?"
Former Oreburgh Gym: One Hour Later
As far as Kevin knew, gyms no longer existed. They were transformed into several different things during and after the war. Some became simple bars and or brothels. Others were formed into strategic military outposts as a few of the gym leaders around the world became soldiers for their native lands. Kevin could remember reading about one gym leader from Kanto who was once a retired lieutenant before the war that was recommissioned. He was one of the first gym leaders to shut down all gym battling operations and reform his gym into a military base.
Still there were some gyms that simply vanished with the rest of their cities. Destroyed during the war.
The former Oreburgh gym was unique in its reformation. Since no one clan could conquer the entire city, the gym, built near the center of the city, became a bustling bar and brothel. However, this establishment was different from all others as it was built to accommodate all of the clans within Sinnoh. Military soldiers from clans and local gang members from all across Sinnoh all drank and conversed amongst themselves within the newly christened, Four-Way-Hell bar. The name was chosen for the simple layout of the establishment. Several planks and floorboards were laid out over the stony grounds of the former gym and tables were set up in each of the building's four corners. Each corner was the chosen territory for each clan and the colors on the tables and walls signified what territory belonged to either clan. However, even though the clans marked their territory within the bar, they still allowed other members to sit with them, sometimes. There was a standing unwritten rule that everyone within Oreburgh followed. While killing some enemies was understandable, killing too many would lead to another war for control over the city. This was unacceptable as the leaders of each clan all realized. So anyone caught murdering a rival clan member within the city for no good reason would be punished, severely. This rule brought a sense of levity amongst enemies and friendly alcohol induced conversations frequently sparked between the different clan members.
Kevin wandered into the clan infested bar, hoping to find some form of direction towards medical attention. He knew that help from the clan members was unlikely but the prostitutes might be more willing to lend a helping hand.
Yeah right. Kevin shook his head.
Before taking even three steps into the establishment, Kevin was surrounded by a slew of traders and hustlers.
"Hey there, stranger. You lookin' to get fixed?"
"Yo! My man! Hey step over here I got some nice merchandise for ya!"
"Hey baby, where are you sleeping tonight?"
Kevin pushed his way through the crowd of salesmen and prostitutes, keeping his head down and his wound covered. However, blood continued to stream down his arm and several of the bar patrons began taking notice. Most of them, members of one clan or another, paid Kevin no heed. There was one, however, that singled him out amongst the crowds of alcoholics and degenerates.
"You!" A somewhat vicious female voice echoed over the ambiance of the establishment.
Somehow, Kevin knew the voice was directed at him. Slowly, he turned and his eyes took in a familiar sight. The same woman who had followed him into Oreburgh Gate now stood in the entrance of Four-Way-Hell with her hands on her hips and a confident smirk etched onto her face. As Kevin studied the woman's uniform, a realization of the army her segment in Sinnoh belonged to struck him like a bolt of lightning and sent an immense shockwave of fear throughout his body.
Long purple hair covered the woman's head, extending down just above her shoulders. Her purple eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she glared down the current target her clan wanted to apprehend. A black leather jacket, unzipped with long sleeves, covered the tight black sleeveless shirt she wore. The shirt was small and only covered her large bosom, leaving her tight stomach exposed to the bar patrons. A short black skirt covered the lower half of her body and black combat boots were laced up over her feet.
Kevin's eyes remained glued to the insignia on the woman's right sleeve. It was colored with an orange tint, the circle that surrounded the large capital letter. That letter was a capital R. The R was also colored an orange tint.
"I hope you prepared yourself for trouble." Her smirk widened into a sinister grin.
Kevin back away further into the establishment, his eyes never left the woman as she remained still, staring a hole through him.
Team Rocket? This could only happen to me...
There was no country on the planet, past or present that did not know of Team Rocket. Kevin's knowledge of the group was vast. They first began operations in Kanto, attempting to take over the country and then moved on to Johto. Their influence nearly covered the entire planet despite the fact that a small group of gifted individuals managed to detour their plans on several different occasions. Still, the organization remained one of the most powerful with immense military resources stored on almost every continent. During the war their influence was reduced to their homelands of Kanto and Johto. However, a few years ago the organization sent out one of the better trained segments of their forces, The Annihilation Segment, to Sinnoh in an attempt to gain new ground and resources in the never ending war between the clans for planetary dominance.
Kevin nearly pissed himself.
The Annihilation Segment member removed her hands from her hips, revealing a belt holster with two nine-millimeter handguns holstered on either side of her waist. A crest with the Team Rocket insignia was etched into the center of the circular belt buckle. Her legs stretched forward and she made her way into the bar with a confident stride. When she was within ten feet of her prey she upholstered one of her guns and centered the barrel on Kevin's forehead.
Kevin froze in place then turned his head to the side, begging the other people within the bar to do something with his pleading eyes. Unfortunately the other clan members were too focused on getting drunk and or laid to care about Kevin's current situation.
"You're coming with me." The woman ordered.
"Why? What the hell do you people want from me?" Kevin asked, genuinely wanting to know.
"You accessed sensitive information inside our lab concerning the deity trio." She took another step towards Kevin. "Very sensitive information."
"So what? It's not like it's anything you don't already know."
"True. But that doesn't mean we want others knowing."
"I haven't told anyone!"
The hammer on the back of the woman's gun clicked back under her thumb. "And you never will. Now move!"
Kevin remained still for a handful of seconds before reluctantly complying with the woman's order. It was not until the two reached the stairs that led to the exit did someone answer Kevin's prayers.
"Hey there little lady. Just where do you think you're going with that bloody breeder you got right there?" A cocky male voice halted both Kevin and the woman.
The woman turned and eyed the man speaking to her. "None of your business...breeder."
"Now is that the way your mama taught you how to conversate with the men folk? Pretty thing like you had to be raised right by someone. You could at least tell me your name before turnin that cute little nose of yours up at me."
An amused smile spread across the woman's face. "Cynthia Kane, of The Annihilation Segment, of Team Rocket." She made a point of showing the man the insignia on her shoulder.
"Cynthia? Now that's a purdy name." The man tipped the brown cowboy hat he wore forward and downed another gulp of his drink. His long brown trench-coat, which was draped over a beige t-shirt and long brown pants fluttered against his movements. "What's a sweet thing like you doin' runnin' around with ruthless bandits like that?"
Annoyed and impatient, Cynthia began to re-aim her handgun towards the source of her annoyance. However, two seconds before she could place the barrel of her gun over the man's head, the man had already upholstered a silver sixshooter and trained it on Cynthia's heart.
"Whoo-wee. Damn girl you sure are a little firecracker ain't-cha?" The man grinned. "Name's, Floyd, Benjamen Floyd and it is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance madame." He bowed while removing his hat while at the same time, keeping the gun trained on his target.
"What do you want?" Cynthia frowned, finding it somewhat amazing that Benjamen could remove his hat with the hand he held his drink in, bow, and keep his gun trained on her.
"To sit down and enjoy a nice drink and conversation with a pretty lady."
"Well there are plenty of them flinging themselves around from dick to dick," Cynthia made it clear who she spoke of with her last word by nodding at Benjamen with an annoyed glare, "so take your pick."
"You misunderstand me." Benjamen chuckled. "I said a lady not a whore."
"You weren't saying that last night, Ben!" One of the prostitutes shouted.
Ignoring the statement, Benjamen took a step towards Cynthia. "Now why don't you dump the bleeding chump you got there off at a medical block and come sit with me."
Medical block? Hope fluttered inside Kevin's chest.
"How about I kill you and take my prisoner back to my superiors." Cynthia suggested.
"Well you sure can try, little lady." Benjamen smiled.
Cynthia scoffed. "Come on. Do you really feel the need to force yourself on someone from an organization that would surely kill you, and level this entire city while they're at it, if anything were to happen to one of its members?"
"What?" A genuine expression of hurt covered Benjamen's face. "Darlin' I got no intentions of forcing myself on anyone. It's just this day and age a man's gotta be alittle bit more commanding when requesting to spend a little time with rarities such as yourself."
"And what's so rare about me?"
"You're not a whore for one thing. You're as normal as any girl around here is gonna get and I happen to like normal girls."
Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle at his last statement. "So you're telling me you're going through all this just so you can buy me a drink?"
"Pretty much." Benjamen shrugged.
The sheer lunacy of the situation is what intrigued Cynthia the most. "All right, cowboy. One drink."
Four-Way-Hell: Seven Drinks Later
"So in reality," Cynthia laughed down another gulp of her drink, "we're really just trying to protect the world from devastation and in a way...unite all people within our nation."
"I highly doubt that." Kevin frowned at both Cynthia and Benjamen.
"Ah come on now, fella," Benjamen gave Kevin a friendly slap on his injured arm, "she's got a point. If the rockets take over everything then no one will be fighting for control anymore. Devastation ended and all nations united!"
Sweat poured from Kevin's forehead as pain shot up from his arm. For a moment he wanted to kill Benjamen for the slap on his arm but knew that was impossible. In reality he owed the cowboy his life and for the medical attention he was receiving. As it turned out, Benjamen was a wandering mercenary currently on the the payroll of the Galaxy Brotherhood. That much had been divulged because of the generous amount of liquor Benjamen had consumed. However, Kevin began to wonder if it was all just an act. Maybe he was only being so friendly so he could pump information from Cynthia. Thinking of Cynthia, The Annihilation Segment member seemed to be holding her own when it came to the game of information swapping, revealing very little except mediocre things that anyone could learn from simple observations. The two seemed to have a genuine respect for each other and perhaps a small hint of attraction.
However, Kevin didn't give a fuck about that.
What Kevin did care about was escaping his current predicament. Beside him, one of the lower ranking Galaxy Brotherhood members, a somewhat attractive woman with short blue hair, was stitching up his bullet wound after already removing the bullet. Kevin couldn't believe it, he was receiving medical attention for a bullet wound while sitting at a bar table while two opposing war clan members conversed about nothing. And to make matters worse, one of those clan members happened to belong to one of the most feared armies in world history and wanted to take him back to her headquarters.
What else could happen?
"So what do you say we get out of here and have a little fun?" Cynthia suggested.
This suggestion seemed to shock everyone sitting at the table, including Cynthia. However, she did not recant her request.
"Lead the way darlin'." Benjamen grinned.
"What about him?" Cynthia titled her head towards Kevin. "He's my prisoner. I can't let him go."
"No worries there, C.K." Benjamen signaled two Galaxy Brotherhood members with his right hand. "Hey we got ourselves a prisoner-o-war here. Make sure he don't go no where for tonight. The soldier that captured him is gonna be a little...busy for the rest of the night."
Kevin grimaced as the man and woman that walked over to escort him were the same two that harassed him when he first entered Oreburgh.
I gotta stop asking, what else could happen.
Oreburgh City: Galaxy Brotherhood Holding Area
Most Pokemon centers throughout the world were closed down and or used for other purposes than what they were intended. The Oreburgh Pokemon Center had become a makeshift holding cell for the Galaxy Brotherhood. Other clans used other shut down establishments such as Pokemarts and abandoned homes. All of the medical equipment had long since been taken and distributed out to other Galaxy Brotherhood facilities.
Kevin now found himself shivering near the back right section of the prison basement, locked behind a door that somehow avoided destruction during the world war and the following clan wars. Although he was trapped and at the mercy of the clan members that had captured him, he had to admit that he was better off than he was a few hours earlier. His bullet wound was stitched up and bandaged and Benjamen even left him with a slice of bread and a cup of water before leaving with Cynthia.
It was obvious that Benjamen had something up his sleeve but Kevin didn't care. He was too infuriated about why any clan would waste its resources on capturing him. Why was he so special? Just because he had seen that Glenn Sommers held pokedex data for Dialga that made him a threat? It didn't make any sense. It's not like anyone he told would care about what he saw. No one believed in gods anyway. Something else had to be going on. But what? And why did they feel it involved him?
Frustration caused a sigh to escape Kevin and his mind wandered in search of something, anything that could distract him from his current situation. His hand caressed the journal still tucked into his pants, hidden beneath his shirt.
Why not? He thought. I got nothing else better to do.
He retrieved the journal from his pants then pulled back the cover.
