By order of their review, I would like to thank: Aaml mania, Shiny Dragonair2, QUEENSPELLER67, schoolmouse33, Jordan Max, Ready To Flyxxx, blue kitten, OfficerGirzzlyBear, the Guests, PichuTheMadHatter and Pure Gamer for their continued support :)
Sorry about the long wait. This was meant to be up a week ago, but...I really wanted to post it on my birthday!
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
Game Over
Chapter Three - Evaluations & Explanations
The door slammed open quickly to reveal a frantic-looking brunet, startling the unprepared group standing on the other side.
"Finally! It took you long enough," Gary remarked, a hint of annoyance present in his voice. He ushered the small group inside impatiently, earning huffs and scowls from the Sensational Sister's.
They were tired, hungry, and in desperate need of running water. After being on the road for roughly a week, the Waterflower's had made a silent oath never to set foot outside the Gym again unless it involved the luxuries that came with their jobs. The group had left almost immediately after the phone call to Pallet, and the trip had been anything but pleasant. While Misty's sister's didn't share her dislike for bugs, they certainly had no qualms about expressing their distaste for the outside world.
The journey from Cerulean to Pewter hadn't been too bad, until they got to Mount Moon; that was one particular experience both Drew and May wished to erase from their memories and never be reminded of again. By the time they'd gotten a quarter-way through the forest, Drew was one 'like'-laced complaint away from tearing his hair out. With every tree that passed by, he'd seriously considered putting his hair to good use by making a run for it and becoming one with the greenery surrounding them. Merging with nature seemed like a very appealing option at the time; anything to get away from the whining.
"Well, excuse us," May said back sarcastically, rolling her eyes as Gary rushed them all to the lounge area. "It's not our fault that we had to get out of Cerulean without Officer Jenny tracking us down."
"Not to mention that fact that we had to travel on foot," Drew added, taking a seat on one of the beige-coloured couches.
"With the trio of walking headaches," May muttered to herself.
Getting out of town had been tricky, but not nearly impossible. The Gym was, unfortunately, located right near the path leading from Cerulean to Pewter, and there was no time to take the long way around. That would involve going down Route 5 to Saffron, and from there to Celadon to start down the long road to Fuchsia.
Taking that course would have been a weeks journey in itself, and that's if you didn't count traveling by sea to reach Cinnabar before Pallet. No; the only option was to sneak around the stationed Police and then run like hell.
"Excuses, excuses," Gary replied, waving his hand in dismissal. He gestured for everyone to sit down, and then turned towards Drew. "Now, tell me exactly what happened."
"We've already been over this," Drew told him, slightly irritated at the fact that he'd been forced to repeat himself several times within the past few days.
"So go over it again. There might be something crucial that yo-"
"Is there like, a towel around here or something?" Lily loudly interrupted. "This whole like, humidity thing is so not good for my hair."
"Like, so true," Violet agreed, pulling out a compact and inspecting her reflection. "It's like, totally ruining my makeup!" They were currently gazing around themselves in boredom, obviously not paying an ounce of attention to the conversation going on. Gary sent the two a glance of vexation. Didn't they understand how important this was?
"Lily, Violet, please. Not now. Can we please be serious?" May pleaded. After a weeks worth of their complaints, she was just about ready to lose it.
"But like, May!" Lily whined, "this is serious. My hair cannot take such like, extreme conditions." To prove her point, Lily yanked a strand of her hair forward and grimaced at whatever faults were present that only she could see.
"She's like, right," Violet put in. "We're like, from Cerulean. Our hair is used to like, aquatic environments an stuff."
"The bathroom hall is out that door. Pick any that you want," Gary instructed, pointing to a doorway on the opposite side of the room. The two girls brightened instantly, rushing out of the room to the closest bathroom's that they could find faster than anyone had ever seen them move before. With them out of the way to not cause any pointless and time consuming distractions, he wasn't all bothered. Their lack of interest in a subject that concerned the whereabouts of their youngest sister, however, wasn't at all something he was impressed with.
May stared at him blankly. "What?"
"Bathroom hall?" she repeated,
He shrugged. "It's a big Lab."
"I still don't see why he has to be here," Daisy spoke up, giving a pointed look towards Gary. The brunet rolled his eyes and groaned.
"For the last time, Daisy, Gary can help us," Drew told her, bracing himself for the whine that was sure to follow.
She scoffed and tossed her hair over one shoulder, placing a hand on one hip as she spoke, "So what? Tracy is a researcher as well. He's more than capable of handling things."
"Daisy..." Gary trailed off, deciding it would be useless to argue with the girl. They had more pressing matters to deal with, and the more interruptions that occurred, the longer it would take to get around to them.
"Where is Tracy, anyway?" Daisy asked.
Gary made his way over to the couch where May and Drew were sitting, not looking at her as he replied, "I don't know." He plopped down on the couch next to May. "Probably with Professor Oak."
"Of course you don't," she stated, giving him a mock-sweet smile. "You're good at forgetting things, aren't you Gary?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Stop being so childish," Gary snapped at her.
"Childish? You-"
"That's it! This needs to stop," Drew cut in, glaring at the two of them. "I don't know what your problem is with each other, and quite frankly, I don't care. You two obviously can't be in the same room without clawing at each other's throats, so either you agree to ignore the other or one of you will have to get out."
Neither of them said anything, choosing to alternate between scowling at each other or at Drew. If looks could kill, May was sure that all three would both be reduced to a pile of ash by this point.
"Well?" Drew prodded, "if we're going to get to the bottom of this and figure out what's happened to Misty, you're both going to need to set aside your issues for now and focus on the task at hand."
"Fine, whatever," Gary finally agreed after a few moments, leaning as far back into the couch as he could.
"As long as I don't have to talk to him," Daisy said. The irritation was still heavily present on her face.
"As long as you...you're the one who started this whole thing!" Gary cried in disbelief.
"Well you were the one who-"
"Guys!" May shouted, jumping out of her seat. "Enough. Can we please focus on what we came here for?"
"That's what I've been trying to do," Gary exasperated, shifting his glance at Daisy one more time. She still had a furious scowl painted on her features, but didn't look ready to open her mouth again. Once Gary realized this, he continued, "can you go over what happened one more time?"
Drew switched his focus to Gary. "I already told you, we've been through this." His voice was stern."I want to know what all of this Kalos business is about."
"That isn't important," Gary insisted. "Did you see anything suspicious? A kind of liquid, maybe?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! You might have missed something important."
Drew sighed, running a hand through his hair. May placed her own hand on his shoulder, then shifted her posture to face Gary fully. "We didn't see anything that fits your description. The only kind of thing like that was Sleep Powder, and even then that was mostly used in the pool area," she supplied.
"You're positive?" Gary pressed. "There was absolutely nothing else? She didn't leave any notes or anything? The Police found nothing?"
"Gary, she was kidnapped," May pointed out. "I'm pretty sure she didn't have time to write a letter to everyone."
"It's a valid question," he reasoned.
Daisy smacked her lips, turning the attention towards her and eyeing Gary with distaste. "This isn't getting anywhere. Why isn't Tracy back yet?" It was more of a demand than a question.
Gary shifted his gaze to her, his eyes narrowing slightly before replying, "He's with Professor Oak right now. He'll be in shortly."
"Are you sure?" Daisy questioned, sarcasm lacing her voice. "Maybe you went out to feed the Pokemon and left him there, too."
"Would you get over that?" Gary yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Drew protectively wrapped an arm around May as she ducked to avoid being hit.
"That's your answer to everything, isn't it? Just 'forget about it'," she retaliated, earning a snarl in return. It only seemed to fuel her fire, a triumphant look crossing her face; much to Gary's annoyance.
"Okay, seriously," May piped up, glaring at them. "What the hell happened between the two of you? This is getting ridiculous!"
They remained silent, Daisy's furious gaze intensifying with each moment that passed.
"I may have gotten her lost in the middle of the Viridian forest a few months back," Gary finally told them after a few moments, shrugging.
Daisy scoffed, "Lost? More like stranded! This idiot wandered off to get a closer look at some Pokemon and didn't bother to come back. I had to walk back to the Lab for five hours! In heels."
Gary simply rolled his eyes at her words. "I said I was sorry! Besides, nobody asked you to wear heels."
"Oh, that's your excuse?"
"That still wasn't any reason to wipe all of my data on Mega Evolution!" Gary snapped back. "Or break my laptop for that matter."
"You deserved it!"
"They were important files!"
"You forgot me!"
"Do you have any idea how long it took for me to collect all of that research? Mega Evolution is unique to Kalos!" Gary cried. "And that's not even counting the files that were deleted when you destroyed my laptop." Daisy didn't reply, instead resorting to throwing another intense death glare his way. He returned the gesture with equal force, still extremely bitter about the loss of his data. The sound of footsteps echoed through the next room, and the door opened to reveal Tracey.
"What's with all the yelling?" he inquired, entering the room with a quizzical look on his face.
"Tracy!" Daisy yelped, her expression instantly shifting to one of pure elation as she bounded over to him.
Gary scoffed in a detestable manor, not the least bit surprised at how quickly her mood managed to shift. "Amazing," he muttered, and May nodded blankly in agreement.
"Hey, sweetheart," Tracy greeted, scooping up his girlfriend into a hug. "So," he began, looking over to where the other three were sitting, "what did I miss?"
"Nothing important," Gary told him, eyeing Daisy accusingly. "In fact, we've only just started. Drew was about to run through what happened again."
Drew opened his mouth to protest, but Tracy cut him off, "Haven't we already been through that? I think we should explain things on our end," he said, continuing before Gary could argue, "there's nothing else they can tell us." His tone made it clear that it wasn't up for debate. Gary frowned, but didn't say anything else against the matter. Tracy took hold of Daisy's hand and led her over to another couch opposite the one the others were currently positioned on.
"Where do you want me to start?" he shrugged, looking at May expectantly. She thought for a moment, before looking back at Tracey.
"You mentioned about the trip to Kalos, right?" Tracey nodded. "Then start from there. How did it happen? Why was she going?"
"I guess I'll begin from a few months ago," Tracy started. "Brock and I were reminiscing about our travelling days with Ash, and Misty happened to be over. She'd been at the Lab a lot more frequently lately, so we'd all started to talk more than usual. Gary was here, of course, so we decided to take a break and go to one of the fields around Pallet."
They nodded, prodding him to go on.
"Misty had been in a bit of a...well, she'd been pretty downcast over the past few weeks. None of us said anything, because we didn't want to interfere. She didn't speak to any of us about it and we weren't going to make her. But as soon as we got onto the topic of Ash, she became withdrawn."
Gary grunted in agreement, before looking over at the couple next to him. "And that's when I'd had enough. Ash and Misty hadn't spoken in years, and it was obviously what was making her act this way. Not only that, but it had been affecting not only her work, too. I practically forced Misty to agree to visit him in Kalos, and the other two organised everything else."
Drew bopped his head slowly, processing their words. "And the trip was meant to be last week? Right after the attack happened?"
"That plan was that Brock would head off first, and then a day later Misty would join him," Tracy explained, before a more solemn expression replaced his happy demeanor. "Looks like that never happened, though."
May looked away, biting her lip in an attempt to control her emotions. Drew gave her a gentle squeeze in reassurance, but kept his composure cool. For once, Daisy had a forlorn expression.
"So she really didn't tell you about leaving?" Gary asked quietly, still surprised.
May shook her head, before replying, "she never mentioned anything to us. We didn't know about her trip to Kalos."
Drew nodded in agreement. "It was planned right in the middle of our visit, too. We'd only been at the Gym for a week, and I doubt she would have trusted us with something like that for a whole other seven days. We only found about it last week when you said so over videophone." Gary didn't reply, instead choosing to frown in contemplation. The fact that Misty had said nothing was strange, especially considering May was her closest female friend.
"I'm surprised as well," Tracy admitted. "I was positive she would have said something."
"She hadn't even spoken about that Ash kid in weeks," Daisy piped up, eager to have her two cents. "None of us knew about it either."
"Hardly a shocker," Gary remarked, rolling his eyes. "It's not like she was ever close to any of you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Daisy challenged.
"I'm simply stating the obvious fact that none of you were ever there for her," he said nonchalantly, shrugging. "It's not shocking that she wouldn't have told you."
"What would you know?" she snapped. "It's none of your business, anyway."
He allowed a minuscule smirk to grace his lips. "Considering it was my idea, I think it concerns me a lot more than it does you."
"Misty is my sister," Daisy seethed. "And if you think for a moment that what happened that night gives you any right to-"
"Shut up!" Drew roared, scowling at both of them. "Can we please stay on track here? This is exactly the reason that we didn't get anything done before."
"Sorry," Gary muttered, while Daisy just huffed.
"Honey?" Tracy asked, looking at his girlfriend delicately. "Can you please go make us some tea? I think we have a packet of those non-fat cakes you like so much, you must be hungry."
At the thought of proper food, Daisy squealed, giving him a peck on the cheek before getting up. After sending one final glare at Gary, she walked out of the room. Once she was gone, Tracey turned to Gary apologetically.
"Sorry about that," he said. "She's just..."
"A bitch?" Gary finished for him quietly, causing May to cough to hide the small laugh that threatened to escape her lips.
"You're positive it was Team Rocket? Not just some prank?" Tracy inquired, his tone turning serious.
Drew nodded, pulling out the note. "We found this at the Gym on the night she was taken," he confirmed, passing it over to him. Tracy took the paper, careful to avoid the writing. He inspected it for a few moments, before handing it to brunet stared at the mocking, blazing letters for several seconds, tossing between ripping it to pieces or burning it.
"Tracy'll have to analyze it," Gary spoke slowly, still not taking his eyes of it. "But considering the situation, it seems pretty real to me." He handed the note back to Tracey, who pocketed it.
"We thought so," Drew said. "How long long do you think it will take?"
"Well," Tracy began, pausing for a moment to think it over, "we already have DNA samples of Misty and her Pokemon, seeing as she was at the Lab quite a bit. Because that makes it easier, the process shouldn't take any longer than a few hours."
"I thought that DNA analysis was a fast process?" May questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Normally it is," Tracy admitted. "But there are more factors to consider. For example, I'll have to scan for specifics. There may be other things on the paper, like traces of powder and such. Plus, I'll have to compare the sample to several Pokemon."
May nodded in understanding, before asking quietly, "Do either of you know any reason why Team Rocket would want Misty?"
Gary didn't respond, slightly grimacing at the mention of Team Rocket. Tracy shook his head, folding the paper along the already made creases and putting in his pocket. "I'm afraid not. Misty had no contact with them, and she stayed out of trouble. As far as I know, she was only ever here for work related reasons," Tracy responded.
"She never spoke to you about anything that could have indicated it?" Drew pressed.
Once more, Tracey just shook his head. "If Misty was involved in something, which I highly doubt, she never spoke to us about it."
"Gary?" May asked, turning to the boy next to her who had gone silent. He didn't say anything, still staring at seemingly nowhere with a glazed look in his eyes. May frowned a little, lifting a hand to shake his shoulder. "Gary!"
"Huh?"
"Have you even been listening?" Drew questioned in annoyance.
"Sorry," he muttered. "I've just been thinking."
"Care to elaborate?"
Gary shook his head, moving to stand up. "It's nothing important, don't worry. To answer your question, I don't know what Team Rocket wants with Misty. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have...things to be doing."
Tracy eyed him in confusion. "Professor Oak gave us the day off, remember?"
Gary shrugged. "There are Pokemon that need tending to," he insisted.
"I already took care of that. Besides, Leaf is more than capable of handling any problems," Tracy replied.
"Leaf is here?" Gary asked, his face displaying genuine surprise.
Tracy nodded. "Uh huh. She got here about an hour ago, said there was something important she needed to do."
"Does she know about Misty?"
He remained silent for a moment. "I thought it would be better if she wasn't told. Not yet, anyway."
"They're pretty close, Tracy," Gary pointed out. "Leaf's not going to be happy when she realizes you purposely kept it from her."
"She'll deal with it," Tracy dismissed. "Besides, she has other things to focus on. We'll tell her after we-"
"She has a right to know," Gary argued back, cutting the man off.
"What are you so worried about? If it really concerns you that much, we'll tell her as soon as everything has been sorted out with the the analysis. There's no point in getting worked up over something as trivial as Leaf not knowing," Tracy rebutted.
"But-"
"We're getting off topic," Tracy cut in. "Why are you in such a rush to leave?"
"Well..." Gary trailed off, eyeing the door. "Nobody has informed Brock, have they? He's probably worried out of his mind."
Tracy's eyes widened in realization, and he all but shot out of his chair. "Crap! I completely forgot about Brock."
From the couch, Drew frowned before asking, before asking, "Wait, how long has Brock been in Kalos now? Wouldn't he have called or something?"
Gary shook his head, taking a moment to ponder the question question. "Well, it took you a week to get here, so probably about a week and a half by now. And no, Brock wouldn't have risked calling just yet. He would have labelled it as travel problems, most likely."
"For a week?" May asked doubtfully.
Gary shrugged. "He spent years travelling with Misty. From the stories I've heard, he wouldn't be surprised."
"This presents another problem, I'm afraid," Tracy spoke up, looking slightly annoyed.
"Oh, just great," Drew said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Just what we needed. What is it now? Have all the Pokemon gone rogue? Has the Champion of Hoenn been abducted, as well?"
"Drew!" May hissed, elbowing his side.
"Don't be so dramatic," Gary commented, leaning against the couch. "You're beginning to turn into Dai-"
"I brought desserts!" Daisy announced loudly, cutting Gary off mid-sentence. She burst through the door, holding up an assortment of snacks on a platter in triumph, and drinks on another.
Gary stared at her in annoyance. "What took you so long? Did you eat half the pantry?" Daisy frowned slightly, before a sickly sweet expression plastered itself over her features. She put the snacks down on the table, before walking over to Gary and placing a mug on the coffee table in front of him.
"I made this one especially for you," she told him innocently.
His eyes narrowed skeptically at the liquid. "I'm not thirsty, thanks," he declined.
"Drink it. I dare you," she said lowly, an evil glint in her eyes. A wicked smile crossed her face for a moment, quickly dissolving as she turned back to face the group.
"If I wanted to be poisoned, I'd get Misty to make me dinner," Gary replied, shuddering at the thought of the last time she'd attempted to cook them all something.
"Speaking of Misty," Drew cut in, not wanted another argument to break out, "what do you mean by another problem?"
Tracy sighed, thanking Daisy as she handed him a cup of tea. "You've been to a League before, right?"
Drew shook his head. "I do Contests, remember?"
"I've been once; when Ash competed in the Hoenn League," May told them. "Apart from that I've stuck with Contests."
"Well," Tracy went on, looking at Drew, "the League rules prohibit any patrons to carry their Pokenav while in the arena or at any time when the tournament is on. That extends to breaks, meaning that we aren't able to contact Brock directly while he's part of the audience."
"Oh, how wonderful," Drew remarked, sarcasm once again present in his voice.
"Can't we just call him at night?" May pointed out.
Gary shook his head. "No can do. Ash will be around Brock, not to mention his travelling companions. If either Ash sees it's us calling or Brock doesn't say who it is, they're going to get suspicious."
"We could always just go with Plan B," she suggested. "If Ash does happen see or answer, just get Gary or Tracy to say that Professor Oak wants to ask him a few things to do with Lab research."
"As good as that is, it's still too risky," Gary stated, shaking his head.
"Right," Tracy confirmed. "We can either wait to have Brock contact us, which won't be likely, or we can try and go about using other sources."
"What about the Pokemon Center?" Daisy piped up, taking a sip of her own tea. "Everyone goes there after each battle."
"It can think?" Gary mumbled quietly, and Drew stifled a chuckle.
Tracy grinned, already making his way to the other room for the videophone. "Perfect!"
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Gary spoke up, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Upon receiving a blank stare from Tracy, he sighed. "We don't have any Kalosian Pokecenter's information yet."
Tracy frowned quizzically. "I thought Professor Oak updated all of that information months ago?"
"Oh, he did," Gary began, before shifting his gaze to Daisy. "It was on my laptop."
The blonde froze in mid-chew, taking on a sheepish expression. "I like, think there were some...um, cookies! Yeah. There's some like, cookies that I missed. Be right back!" Daisy suddenly announced, racing out the door before anyone could stop her.
"Well, now what are we supposed to do?" May asked sulkily.
"If only we could contact the Kalos League," Tracy commented, resting his chin in his hands. "It would be so much simpler to just call them and have them page Brock over the speakers."
Gary scoffed, sarcastically remarking, "Oh, marvelous idea, Trace. Simply fabulous. Why don't we just ring up the most esteemed and renowned cooperation of Kalos and just ask them to have Brock come to us. I'm sure they'll just be absolutely ecstatic at the thought of being a delivery service on the side. Brilliant. I applaud you, o' wise and thoughtful one. We'll just-"
"Okay, okay!" Tracy yelled, cutting him off. "I get the picture. We don't have the authority, anyway."
"Damn straight we don't. It's not like we're part of some important facility or so..." Gary trailed off, an evil expression crossing his features. "Hang on."
"What are you on about now?" Drew inquired lazily.
"Maybe you don't have the authority to contact the League," Gary began slowly, a glint in his eyes. "However, you have the world-famous, most loved and respected scientist within your reach. Professor Oak-"
May sat up, her face breaking into a grin. "Gary, you're an absolute-"
"Junior!"
"...idiot."
Suddenly the tall to the bathroom hall was flung open, revealing Violet and Lily."We're like, back!" Violet cried, the latter behind her.
"Thrilling," Gary commented flatly, slumping even more in his seat.
"Ah, that was like, so refreshing!" Violet announced.
"Like, totally," Lily agreed, sighing in content.
"What the heck took you so long?" Drew inquired, before noticing what they wear wearing. "And why are you in towels?"
Violet put her hands on her hips before saying, "We don't have any other like, clothes."
"Like, so right," Lily added, "and there was like, no way in hell we were putting those grimy things back on."
"So, what did we like, miss?" Violet asked. "And where is our like, other sister?" Drew sighed, already feeling another headache coming on. May gritted her teeth slightly in an attempt to control her own annoyance, but retained a calm appearance on the outside. Gary, however, didn't bother to hide anything; he groaned loudly, and the two sister's sent him weird looks.
"We're trying to reach a Pokemon Center in Kalos," Tracy explained, not eager to witness yet another fight, "and Daisy went to...get cookies." Violet scrunched up her nose at the thought of calories.
"Can't you just like, call a nearby Pokemon Center and ask for the number?" Lily asked, twirling a lock of bubblegum hair around her finger.
"Right," Violet agreed. "I thought they like, were all required to keep a list of them or something."
Everyone stared at them, torn between smacking their heads against the nearest solid surface or being embarrassed at the obvious solution to their problems. Tracy coughed awkwardly, attempting to break the suddenly shell-shocked others out of their reveries. "I'll just get the videophone, then."
Nobody said a word, and the two sisters shifted uncomfortably.
"Like, um...I know that we're so breathtaking in general, but staring at us when we're in towels is kinda creepy," Violet spoke up after a few moments.
"Totally like, weird," Lily voiced. "It's like, flattering and all, but please. I'm going to like, go find Daisy." The two strutted out of the room in search of their eldest sister, leaving the others in confused states.
"This is wrong, so very, very wrong," Gary chanted quietly, too stunned to move. "They're thinking. They're coming up with ideas. They actually have working, functional brains." A few moments later, Tracy entered the room once more, wheeling a large green device in front of him. He pushed the videophone next to the couch and took a seat on one of the arms.
"We installed the wheels a while ago," he told them, ignoring the vacant stares. "It was too difficult with it being in the one room all of the time, so Professor Oak decided to make it portable for easier use."
None of them replied, even when Professor Oak walked into the room to ask how they were doing.
"...and with that latest addition to our list of winners, we'll be back after this short interval."
Gary groaned, running a hand through his hair and while pacing in frustration. "This is ridiculous!"
May chewed on her fifth biscuit absentmindedly. Tracy had called the Viridian Pokemon Center over half an hour ago and, fortunately, managed to secure the number for the PokeCenter associated with the League. Unfortunately, nobody was around at the time due to the current ongoing battles. Professor Oak had suggested watching the television for a live screening of the action, as that was their best bet to not only find out when the breaks would be, but to also keep updated on the winner's.
So far, there had been several 'short intervals' to prepare the next contestants but no actual breaks. Tension had been high, and Gary's frustration was rapidly increasing with every passing moment and spreading to everyone else in the vicinity. The Cerulean Sister's had yet to return, and they were all silently thankful for that; including Tracy.
"Just be patient, Gary," Tracy said for the third time in at least ten minutes. He was just as edgy as the rest of them, but did a better job at hiding it.
"I'm trying, damn it!" Gary yelled, running a hand through his hair once more. "We've been waiting forever, isn't there some limit to the amount of battles or something?"
Drew shifted in his seat, eyeing the screen in anticipation."It should be over soon," he commented, "hopefully after the next battle."
"We can't wait that long," Gary insisted.
"They've only had the one battle since we started watching," Tracy pointed out, earning a glare from the brunet.
"One very long, very excruciating battle," Gary bit back.
"We feel the same way as you do," May chimed in, leaning further into Drew's embrace, "but there isn't anything else we can do at this point. Waiting is tedious, but it's our only option."
"I know that, but-"
"Welcome back to the annual Pokemon League of Kalos!" the commentator's voice cut through Gary's sentence, and all of their head's snapped towards the television. "We're pleased to inform you that that there are only two more battles on the agenda today, and then we'll be announcing the scheduled list for tomorrow. Without further ado, g-"
Gary growled, snatching the remote from the coffee table and switching it off.
"Gary!" Tracy chided, frowning at his friend.
"What? It's not like there'll be anything interesting, anyway," Gary remarked, throwing himself onto a chair. "Besides, they said there are still another two battles to go; that'll be at least another hour. At least."
The minutes went by slowly, every second that passed even more agonizing than the last. Finally, after Tracy had decided enough time had gone by, the TV was switched back on to reveal the very end of the current match. Gary let out of breath of relief, jumping out of his seat and rushing for the videophone.
"Hold on a minute!" Drew yelled, standing up to getting to the device before Gary could.
"What now?" Gary snapped, already reaching for the phone.
"They've only just finished the battles, nobody will be at the PokeCenter yet," Drew pointed out.
"There's no harm in trying," Gary insisted, scowling when Drew attempted to block the screen from his view.
"We've waited for over an hour," he reminded the boy, "you can wait another few minutes."
"Yes," Gary began, wheeling the device away from Drew, "but Nurse Joy should already be there." Drew sighed, giving up and returning to the couch. With that, Gary dialed the number and tapped his foot impatiently.
"So, how do you plan to tell Brock anyway?" May asked.
Gary eyes widened, and he instantly pulled the phone away from his ear. "A thought just occurred to me," he stated. "I do not want to be on the receiving end of Ashy-boy's wrath when he finds out that his beloved Mist has been taken hostage."
Tracy frowned in confusion, before speaking, "I thought the whole point of this was so that Ash didn't find out? Not yet, anyway."
Gary nodded. "True, but when he does find out he's going to want to know who Brock heard it from," he pointed out. "And I am so not subjecting myself to that." Just then a door was pushed open, and the Cerulean Sister's waltzed into the room. First Daisy, and then Violet and Lily trailing in a few moments after.
"Are you guys, like, done yet?" Daisy questioned in boredom, looking around the room for any sign of change.
Gary eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Daisy, perfect timing!"
She arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow and eyed him suspiciously. "Are you on something?"
"Nah, just looking forward to seeing how you react when Ash discovers that Misty's gone," Gary told her, grinning as he shoved the phone into her hands before she could stop him.
Daisy's eyes widened in realization, and she turned to look at Tracy with horror. "Sweety?"
"I, uh...oh, is that Professor Oak I hear calling me? Coming!" Tracy shouted, and promptly darted out of the room as fast as he could.
"The vibrations will like, interfere with my like, hair," Daisy stated, quickly whirling around and putting the phone in Lily's hand.
The pinkette grimaced, while Gary wheeled the monitor closer to her and nodded enthusiastically.
"The like, um...wave thingos will totally crack my nails!" Lily announced, handing the phone over to Violet who got another enthusiastic nod from Gary.
"Like, no way!" she refused, marching over to Drew. Gary trailed behind her, pushing the videophone along with him. "He's like, your friend. You tell him!" Drew tried to avoid touching the phone, but was forced to raise his hands to block the incoming object from hitting him in the face. He gazed at the phone, before looking up at everyone.
"I already had to deliver the news to both Misty's sister's and the Lab Rats," he commented, "I shouldn't have to be the one to tell them, as well!"
"Exactly, Gary said. "You've already told the rest of us, why ruin a good thing when it's going? Bad luck to break a chain, y'know."
Drew glared at him, and glanced next to him to give the phone to May. "May, you know Ash better than any of us. Why don't you- May?" Drew looked around in confusion, swearing that she had been next to him only a minute ago. He caught sight of her leaning against the wall with Tracy, taking a sip of tea as she shrugged at him.
"Violet, just make yourself useful for once and-"
"Like, have you lost your mind?" she asked, scrunching up her nose. "That Brock kid is like, a total pervert! He'll like, hit on me again."
"So what?" Drew challenged. "C'mon, take one for the team!"
"Um, guys?" Tracy interjected, but only earned glares from the two.
"Why can't you like, do it?" she questioned. "He's like, your friend!"
"I've barely met the guy!" Drew insisted.
"Guys?"
"Not now, Tracy!" Drew snapped.
"I just wanted to let you know th-"
"You saved him from Team Rocket once, didn't you?" Violet went on, cutting Tracy off mid-sentence.
"That was one time, and I did it for May!" Drew persisted, before a confused look crossed his face. "Wait, how do you-"
"Nurse Joy is on the phone!" Tracy hollered, and the two snapped their heads around to the screen to see a very flustered Nurse Joy staring at them with wide eyes.
"Like, not my fault!" Violet chimed, strutting away with Drew glaring after her. He turned back to the monitor.
"Sorry about that," Drew apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Nurse Joy remained silent for a few moments, staring at him with a blank expression. Finally, she shook her head and regained her professional composure. "It's, uh, quite all right," she assured him, although it seemed more directed to herself. "What can I help you with young man?"
"Oh, well..." Drew paused, wondering how to go about this. "I was just wondering if you were able to look up a certain Trainer for me? I know that you're not able to normally give out client information," he continued when she opened her mouth to protest, "but he's a friend in the League and this is important." Nurse Joy stalled for a moment, debating on whether or not to comply. After a few moments, though, she nodded, deciding that if these crazy people were to come looking for their friend in person it wouldn't bode well for the peace.
"What is your friend's name?" she inquired, typing something onto a computer.
"Brock Slate"
"Just a moment," Nurse Joy replied. She pressed a few buttons and squinted at the screen for a few moments, and Gary grabbed Drew's shoulder.
"In the League?"
Drew shrugged, replying, "Well, he's in the League's arena. A little exaggeration won't hurt."
Gary raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it further. If they were going to get any information, a few white lies weren't that big of a deal. He moved away as Nurse Joy turned back to the screen. "I'm sorry, but there is no record of a Brock Slate signing in here."
Drew sighed, tapping his chin in thought. "What about an Ash Ketchum?"
Once again Nurse Joy went back to the computer, and Gary leaned back over to Drew, "WWhat are you doing? I thought that we were trying to steer clear of Ash for now?"
Drew shrugged. "We'll just go with Plan B, then."
"Sorry, but there are no records of any Ash Ketchum's here, either," Nurse Joy responded. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Is there any other way we are able to contact them?" Drew inquired. "You don't know anything to help us get in touch?"
She shook her head. "If your friend's aren't staying in the Pokemon Center, I'm afraid that there isn't anything I can do to help."
"What about the League?" Drew went on, intent on getting information.
"I'm very sorry, but seeing as you aren't officially a part of the tournament, there isn't anything I can do," Nurse Joy apologized.
"But wh-"
"I'll handle this," Gary stated, taking over half of the screen and flashing his best smile at Nurse Joy. "I believe you misunderstand, ma'am. I am Professor Oak, and this is an extremely urgent matter. We must get in touch with these people immediately."
Nurse Joy eyed him skeptically. "Young man, I may not be a researcher or well acquainted with the Professor's of the regions, but you are most certainly not Professor Oak."
"No, perhaps not," Gary admitted, gazing into her eyes. "I'm his grandson, Gary Oak; Professor Oak Junior. Please, isn't there anything that you can do?"
She stared at him for a moment, seemingly entranced by his pleading expression. "I-I suppose that I c-can make an exception," Nurse Joy stuttered, fumbling around for a folder. "Professor Oak is a well respected man, after all."
Gary grinned at her, it was too easy. "Thank you." May rolled her eyes and Drew held in a scoff, while Tracy shook his head in embarrassment.
"Excuse me, Nurse Joy?" Drew and Gary focused their eyes back on the screen, and viewed a boy blonde hair leaning over the desk.
"Just a moment, please," she replied, continuing to go through the files.
"Sorry to intrude," Clemont began, looking directly at the screen now, "but I couldn't help but hear you mention an Ash Ketchum and Brock Slate?"
Gary and Drew glanced at each other, before nodding their heads slowly. "Yeah," Drew confirmed, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Clemont shifted slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the attention. "Well...we're traveling with Ash at the moment," he told them, gesturing behind him to two girls who looked as awkward as he did. "We're able to pass along a message if you'd like."
Nurse Joy instantly beamed in appreciation. "Well, that would be very sweet of you! I'll leave you all for a bit of privacy then, shall I?" With that, she stood up and moved over to the other side of the desk, beginning to sort through piles of paperwork.
Drew shook his head. "It's a nice offer, but I'm going to have to pass." Clemont tilted his head in confusion, while the obviously older girl behind him frowned slightly.
"While we appreciate the gesture, this is a very personal matter," Gary added on. "We need to speak to either Ash or Brock, this is specifically for them."
The honey-blonde pushed her way forward, an irritated expression taking over her features. "What is it with you Kanto people?" she demanded, glaring at them. "First that Brock guy keeps dragging Ash away for private conversations that exclude us, and now this!"
Drew raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Anything you have to say to Ash, you can say to us," she insisted, a furious gleam in her eyes. May slammed her cup on the coffee table and marched over to the screen, pushing Gary and Drew's head's aside with each hand.
"Look here, Missy," May began, glaring back at the girl with as much intensity, "I don't know who you think you are, but this is a personal matter for friends only. It's none of your business, nor is it any of your concern, so I'd appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself and stayed out of things that don't involve you. And by the way, I'm not from Kanto; I'm from Hoenn!"
The girl let out a growl, opening her mouth to unleash a string of colorful words when a new voice interrupted her,, "Nurse Joy! Your radiant beauty and luscious pink locks are captivating both my eyes and heart!"
"I've never been happier to hear him do that," Tracy muttered in relief. The girl on the other end glanced behind her in annoyance, and Clemont shook his head an sighed.
"Oh, yay!" Bonnie squealed. "Maybe this time she'll become his wife!"
"Bonnie..." Clemont trailed of hopelessly. From their side of the screen, Drew, May, and Gary witnessed Brock prancing over to a once again flustered Nurse Joy.
"Please, do me the honor of becoming my beautiful wife! I promise that I will-"
"Brock! Snap out of it before I catch the ferry to Kalos and knock you out of it!" May shouted, and the boy instantly turned to look around in surprise.
"May?" he asked, scratching his head as he surveyed the Pokemon Center in confusion.
"Over here, genius," Gary remarked sarcastically, and Brock glanced at the screen with raised eyebrows.
"What are you guys doing on the videophone?" he questioned, walking over to the screen to get a better look.
"Well," May began, shooting a dark look towards Serena, "we were trying to get in touch with you, before Little Miss Nosey over here decided to butt in."
Brock frowned, and glanced over his shoulder briefly. "I've been meaning to contact you, but I haven't been able to. Have any of you heard from Misty? She hasn't arrived yet and I'm beginning to get worried." May looked away from the screen, while the others either ran hands through their hair or swallowed thickly.
"That's actually what we called about," Gary said slowly. "But we'll need to speak to you in private," he added, glancing over to where Serena was now turning red with anger.
"Why?" she demanded, leaning over the counter for a better view. "Because we're not from Kanto? Because we can't be trusted?"
"Yes, that's exactly why!" May snapped. "Mind your own business."
Drew sighed in annoyance, but ignored Serena's comment. "No, it's nothing personal," he assured her, and she scoffed. "This is a very important matter and there are too many people around."
"Oh, is that so?" Serena asked, sarcasm lacing her voice. "Before you said you couldn't tell us what it was when Clemont offered to pass along a message."
Brock glanced over at Serena, before looking back at Drew. "Look, nobody else is anywhere near the counter. Just say it quietly."
Gary shook his head immediately. "No way, man! This is serious."
"I know, but Ash isn't around, is he?" Brock pointed out. "Besides, this place is packed and noisy. No one is going to listen in. Just say it here."
"Brock, I really don't think-"
"They can know," Brock went on, gesturing towards the others and a smug-looking Serena. "It's not like it'll be a surprise for much longer, anyway.
"You don't understand!" Drew cried.
"If it was that private, you should have called him personally," Serena stated.
"It's not like we had much of a choice," Gary replied, frowning slightly. "Pokenav's aren't allowed for those watching the League."
"Then you should have waited until it was over," she responded, shrugging.
"It would have been too late by then!"
"Not our problem," Serena told them.
"Exactly!' May screeched, causing the boy's next to her to cover their ears and wince. "It's not your problem, so why don't you just stay out of it?"
"Gary, just-"
"Fine!" Gary slammed his palms down into the surface of the videophone as he shouted, "Team Rocket broke into the Cerulean Gym and destroyed it. They did it to kidnap Misty!"
Crash!
Brock whirled around at the sound of plastic among other things smashing to the floor, and the others looked over his shoulder in horror at the sight that awaited them.
Ash was standing there, frozen and completely pale. His mouth was hanging open in shock, while a tray that had been packed with food only moments ago lay on the tiles in a splattered mess at his feet.
To be continued...
Don't forget to review what you thought! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
~Aureillia