Chapter 9 - The Threat Emerges
The morning sun had now risen, expelling the darkness of night. The sunlight shined onto Susanshi's face, making her eyes twitch. Opening them, she sat up in her bed and looked down at her hands. Nothing about her appearance changed, as she still had flippers.
"Nope, still a Piplup," she sighed.
Then, at that moment, Leo woke up. Letting out a big yawn while stretching his arms out, he sat up and faced Susanshi.
"Ahhh... Morning, Susanshi," he greeted. "Ready for another day of adventure?"
"Yeah, I guess so," replied Susanshi.
"Great! Let's have a quick snack and go head to the EA!" said Leo. "Maybe we'll stick with doing jobs from the job list if there's nothing else for us to do."
Leaping straight out of his bed, he equipped himself with his scarf. Following suit, Susanshi slowly crawled her way out of her own bed, sliding off and putting her armband back onto her left arm. She discovered Grenouille already awake, preparing breakfast.
"Good morning!" she hailed. "You're just in time for breakfast. Today, it's a glass of orange juice and strawberries covered in cream."
"Eesh, Leo, you're really conscious about having a healthy diet!" commented Susanshi.
"Hehe, yeah. I love fruit and veg!" chuckled Leo.
"Can't get any healthier than that," said Grenouille.
"Well, surely you like at least some kind of dessert once in a while!" exclaimed Susanshi.
"Of course I do!" responded Leo. "I love myself the occasional ice cream sundae!"
"Hmm... Well, I could use more fruit and veg in my own diet," noted Susanshi. "Let me try some of that."
Grenouille had finished preparing two helpings of one glass of orange juice and one bowl of strawberries, coated heavenly in cream. Susanshi sat herself down at the table, proceeding to firstly have a sip of the orange juice. She drank about one third of the whole glass before setting the drink down, then moving on by grabbing the spoon lying next to the bowl of strawberries and cream. She dug the spoon into the dish, pulling up a single cream-soaked strawberry and popping it in her mouth. After chewing it, she swallowed it. She could feel it slipping down her throat, creating a hearty and pleasing feeling.
"You like it, don't you?" quizzed Leo.
"Yeah, actually. It's good, no lie," replied Susanshi.
"I guess that's one thing to be thankful for in your time here!" stated Leo.
"Uh, yeah..." replied Susanshi.
It didn't take long for Susanshi to finish off eating her strawberries and cream. With the whole bowl now empty, she concluded with one last gulp of the remaining orange juice.
"Ahhh, I'm stuffed," she said.
"Me too," said Leo, after just finishing his own serving. "Now we're all set. Let's get out there, reunite with Tokot and show Sacreca just what we're made of!"
Standing up from his chair, he reached for his bag, carrying it over his shoulder, and running over to the front door.
"See you later, Grenouille!" he called out as he exited.
"Take care!" Grenouille replied.
"Wait up!" called Susanshi, chasing after him.
Now outside, she caught up with Leo, who was standing still in the middle of the street. The town itself was strangely silent. There was no sign of activity whatsoever.
"Say... Does the town seem a little...deserted to you?" wondered Leo.
"Huh? That's odd. Where is everybody?" asked Susanshi.
"Is the town quarantined or something?" asked Leo.
"Uhh, I sure hope not..." Susanshi uttered in concern.
Then, they heard a voice calling to them from nearby.
"HEEEEEY! LEOOOO!" it bellowed.
Turning their attention to the left, they spotted a Helioptile, a yellow, lizard-shaped Pokémon sporting black floppy ear-like frills and wearing a rather snazzy blue bow tie running towards them.
"Oh? Mark? What's going on?" quizzed Leo.
"There's no time to explain here! Come to the assembly hall, quick!" exclaimed the Helioptile, huffing and puffing.
Without taking any time to rest, he ran off in the direction from whence he came.
"Let's go, Susanshi! This could be big!" said Leo with a determined face.
He quickly began to chase after the Helioptile.
"What's with all this running?" complained Susanshi, chasing along behind Leo.
"If no one's in town, then that can only mean everyone was told to gather at the EA's assembly hall," stated Leo along the way. "We might be late, so let's hurry!"
Minutes later, Mark, Leo and Susanshi had reached the EA building's main entrance. Going through its open doors and then through a pair of opened double doors at the back of the foyer. Within was a huge room with a stage-like structure at the back with steps on the left side leading up onto it. The room was also packed heavily with Pokémon, consisting of Explorers and townsfolk. The air was saturated with high levels of gossip.
"Whoa, it's like some kind of meeting," commented Susanshi.
"Yep, it's just as I thought," added Leo.
Then, within the back of the crowd, where he, Susanshi and Mark were, he spotted Tokot, along with his whole family. Approaching him, he muttered:
"Hey, Tokot! Do you know what's going on?"
Alerted by the voice, Tokot turned around.
"Late again, I see," he said. "The whole town's in an uproar today!"
"I can hear that," mentioned Leo, commenting on the amount of noise in the vicinity.
At that point, Mark turned up next to Susanshi, Leo and Tokot. He was also accompanied by an Elekid, a yellow Pokémon with black stripes on its side and a lightning bolt marking on its body, complete with viridian green bandanna. On his head was a hitching Joltik, a teeny yellow bug with beady blue eyes and a piece of black string loosely tied around the neck to act as a scarf.
"Hey, Team Revolution! You made it!" said the Joltik.
"Oh, hi Nano," said Leo back. "So you know our team name now.
"Well, news like that spreads very quickly," stated the Joltik.
"Oh, Susanshi, this is Team Thunderbolt, by the way." introduced Leo. "You remember Mark here, of course. The Elekid here is Sparks. Creative, I know, hehe. And that's Nano the Joltik, the leader."
"Sure is pint-sized for a leader..." commented Susanshi.
"I may be small, but I'm a worthy leader!" announced Nano with pride.
"Oh! What am I doing? I haven't learned what's going on yet!" realized Leo. "Uh, hehe. I'm still half asleep, I guess."
"Well, this oughta wake you wide up," said Tokot. "A big meeting like this means there's something serious happening. And it is serious: there's been a murder!"
Leo and Susanshi, upon having this news reach the ears, were left in complete shock.
"W-w-w-w-w-what?! A...a murder?!" stuttered Leo.
"You heard it right, Leo. A muuuurdeeeer," repeated Tokot.
"Whoa... That's...brutal," said Susanshi. "Who would do such a horrible thing?"
"Nobody knows yet," said a voice from close by.
It was Lisa, along with Alex, incoming from the left.
"Oh, Lisa. I get there was a murder, but why are we all gathered here for this?" asked Leo.
"Master Eag summoned all Explorers and townspeople to gather here in the assembly hall. He says he wants to speak to everyone about the incident," interpreted Lisa. "We still don't know much about what exactly happened, other than the fact that it happened late last night."
"I see. Well, Grenouille isn't here. Should I go get her?" suggested Leo.
"No, there wouldn't be enough time to get her here before Master Eag starts talking," advised Lisa. "She'll have to find out on her own."
"Wow, it's kind of hard to believe. I mean, we were all asleep at the time. It chills me to know that someone got killed during that time," commented Susanshi.
"Yes, it's scary..." mumbled Alex.
Nobody, other than Lisa, picked up what he said, since he spoke so quietly and the mass gossiping only added to it.
"Oh? What was that? I couldn't hear you," responded Susanshi.
"He said it's scary," said Lisa. "Alex doesn't like repeating himself, so please excuse him."
"Oh, Master Eag's finally arrived!" declared Tokot.
And indeed, Master Eag had appeared from the back of the assembly hall, making his way through the crowd.
"Please excuse me," he said as he traveled through the mass gathering, members of such shifting away to allow him through.
He was also being followed by Andose, Alenia and Bevscot, as well as a Shrommish, a small mushroom Pokémon, and a female Lombre, a blue-and-green Pokémon with a lily pad in its head. The two of them were both sulking in grief. They were also joined by one last Pokémon: a tall, purple Nidoking wearing a white collar around the neck, followed by a black tie. Soon, this whole group reached the stage in the front. Stepping up the steps, he parked himself in the middle of the stage. Bevscot, Andose and the Nidoking stood to his right, Alenia, the Shroomish and the Lombre all stood on his left.
"About time he appeared. I was getting tired of waiting!" moaned Tokot.
"Wait, who's the Nidoking?" wondered Susanshi.
"That's Gordon, mayor of Sacreca Town and prime minister of Sacreca," explained Leo. "Master Eag is also actually the main councilor. The two of them are pretty much the force behind everything that goes on in this world."
"Oh great, politics," groaned Susanshi.
"Oh no, Gordon's pretty cool. He cares a lot about others, really," assured Leo.
Master Eag, holding his magnificent wings into the sky, drew in breath.
"Silence, now!" he shouted with all the force his lungs could manage.
With the Braviary's words, the noise of chatter faded away into nothingness. Everybody within the hall drew their attention forward to Master Eag. The once loud zone was now still and quiet, with only the auditory sense taking priority.
"Thank you kindly," said Master Eag. "Now then, on to business. I, Master Eag, AKA Wuodecus XIV, and your mayor, Gordon, have summoned you all here today because of a tragic incident. At approximately 10:37 PM last night, an innocent citizen of Sacreca was murdered near the Aqua Falls area."
"Aqua Falls?! Oh no, not there!" whispered a startled Lisa.
"Huh? What's so special about Aqua Falls?" asked Susanshi in whisper.
"Me and Alex go there often during our free time. It's one of our sort of personal spots to relax together at," replied Lisa.
"I have with me the two only known witnesses of the murder," continued Master Eag. "I ask for your deepest remorse for them both, as the victim was a member of their own family."
The Lombre and Shroomish both walked up in front of Master Eag. The Lombre, with a big sniff, began to talk.
"D-Danohus was...the greatest guy I ever knew," sobbed the Lombre. "He was a great Breloom, but most importantly...he...he was a great father. Our son, Cappy, and I were unfortunate to have to see him...get killed as unlawfully as he did. Whoever it was that did it... All he did was keep trying to force Danohus to give him information about the falls. I...I don't know what it was..."
The Lombre was starting to weep even more, covering her face up with her hands and trembling.
"I...I'm sorry. I-I can't go on."
"Mommy, please... Try to cheer up, please!" begged the Shroomish.
The two then embraced one another, still sobbing.
"It's OK, Wendorm. You don't have to carry on. I'll take it from here," Master Eag said gently.
"Th-thank you, Master Eag," said the Lombre, returning herself and Cappy to his side.
"As you can see, the mate and son of the victim are highly grief-stricken," said Master Eag. "As a result, I shall continue giving the details. These two, along with the victim, were on a camping trip around Sacreca. They were ready to set up camp near the Aqua Falls site when it happened. Now, I apologize for the grim details, but I feel I must say. Last night, Danohus the Breloom was killed by a fatal attack by an unknown Pokémon, who, I am told, cut his neck."
"His neck was cut? Man, what a nasty way to go," muttered Tokot.
"That's awful! Who would do such a terrible thing?" wondered Lisa quietly to herself.
"Lisa, I don't like the sound of that," mumbled Alex.
"Don't worry, Alex. It'll be fine, I promise. Nothing will ever happen to you," responded Lisa.
"The identity of the suspect is not known, but from the information these two are able to give me, he is a Weavile wearing steel armor and a black cape," Master Eag detailed.
The description quickly activated the memory of Leo, Tokot, Lisa, Alex and Susanshi.
"Weavile? In armor? That's...familiar to me," said Leo to himself.
"VASCIOUS!" shouted Susanshi abruptly with a look of sheer shock.
Everybody else within the hall turned their glancing attention to Susanshi.
"Hmm? You, over there! Yes you, Susanshi! What was that you just said?" questioned Master Eag.
"Vascious!" repeated Susanshi.
"Excuse me? Vascious?" quizzed Master Eag. "Do you by any chance know anything about the suspect? If you do, then please, step onto the stage and inform us of what you know."
Susanshi nervously began to inch her way forward as the many glaring eyes watched her movement. Approaching the stage, she elevated up the steps and towards Master Eag.
"Any information you might have will prove vital, Susanshi. Don't hold anything back," ordered Master Eag.
Susanshi, still at unease, faced the crowd that still refused to look elsewhere. With a small gulp, she opened her mouth to pass on her knowledge.
"Well... Yesterday, me and my team were journeying across the field to the north, when we saw this Weavile in armor stood by himself," she recalled.
"What was he doing there?" asked Master Eag.
"I...I don't know too well. All I know is that he was talking about learning the 'secrets of the tower', and that he came to Sacreca to do so," continued Susanshi.
"So... He's not from Sacreca, it would seem," decided Master Eag. "Did he say anything else in particular, like did he maybe hint about hurting anyone?"
"No, he didn't," replied Susanshi. "He pretty much never mentioned doing anything particularly evil or wrong. That's all I know. Wait! I just remembered something else about him! Whoever he is, he appeared to know about a lot of the ancient civilization that once roamed this land all those years ago. He also acted...really fascinated by the whole subject. Would that be of any help? That's all I know."
"Is that so? I see. Thank you for telling us all you know," said Master Eag.
Both he and Gordon soon exchanged looks for a moment.
Master Eag then began to speak to himself in his mind, appearing to look a little worried:
"No, it can't be. If this Vascious character is really here to get into the tower... This is a foul omen..."
Talking out of his mouth and hiding his worry, he then spoke:
"Everyone, it is time for action to come into effect. All access to the Aqua Falls site for EA members and town residents is strictly prohibited until further notice. We will dispatch an investigation team to the site of the crime as soon as possible, and we need nobody in the way while they work there. I apologize profoundly if this feels like a restriction to you all, but I just cannot take the risk. Your safety is of high priority. I shall instruct Andose and Bevscot here to hold off on posting any Aqua Falls jobs onto the job list. Now, one last thing. If you ever see Vascious, please stay away from him. Do not attempt to make contact with him, as he is considered extremely dangerous. In the event that you spot him, please inform either me or the SPF immediately.
I am hoping... Hoping that we will find this Vascious character. Hoping that we will capture him, and bring him to justice! But until then...take extreme caution out there. That concludes this meeting. Thank you for your time, you are now free to go. Dismissed!"
With the meeting now over, members of the crowd began to part from the assembly hall. The noise of gossip also returned. Susanshi left the stage and returned to her group.
"Wow, that is all so hard to swallow," said Leo.
"Bah, I knew that guy was rotten," said Tokot. "It took me one look of him to know that. ONE look!"
"The SPF?" pondered Susanshi.
"Sacreca Police Force," explained Lisa. "Their station is in town. They're led by an Electivire named Valitino, and let me tell you, he takes his work very seriously. A crime like this would probably have him fuming!"
"Still, he sounds reliable," Susanshi commented.
"Oh, he certainly is," confirmed Lisa. "Anyway, I'm going to go hang around for a while."
"Hang around? But what about doing...you know...Explorer stuff?" wondered Susanshi.
"Yeah, about that... Well...it's Alex," said Lisa. "It's still a little early for him right now. He has a schedule of sorts. Around this time, he'd be alone at his 'quiet spot'."
"Alone? Doesn't that worry you at all?" wondered Susanshi.
"Not at all. It's just what he's comfortable with, and I've grown to accept it."
"Oh, OK... If you say so. Well then, Leo, what are we doing today? Still working off the job list? Whatever that is..."
"It's a bunch of corkboards hung up in the foyer. Jobs for Explorers are posted on them, so all we have to do is pick one and try to complete it," stated Leo.
"Ah, makes sense," said Susanshi.
"But... We're not going to be taking jobs..." uttered Leo. "We're..."
He checked his surroundings, almost as if he was making sure nobody was listening in on him. Assured that no one was, he then quietly said:
"We're going to Aqua Falls."
"Oh, and how did I know you'd say that?" questioned Tokot.
"What?! Are you being serious? If Master Eag found out you went somewhere you're not supposed to go, you'll get into big trouble!" exclaimed Lisa.
"Let's be honest here: Master Eag's only truly denying access to Aqua Falls so that the investigation team can do their job. And besides, I doubt Vascious will hang around the site of a crime he himself committed, so there shouldn't be any real trouble," explained Leo.
"Yeah, I guess. But you really shouldn't even think of going," said Lisa in doubt.
"But we're Team Revolution! We will do great things!" remarked Leo.
"Hmph, even if it means making stupid decisions like this?" asked Tokot.
"Huh, I think Lisa's right, Leo. We probably shouldn't go," said Susanshi.
"No, my mind's already set; we ARE going to Aqua Falls," confirmed Leo.
"...Fine, go then. I won't stop you," sighed Lisa.
"I knew you'd see this the way I would!" cheered Leo. "Right, we're going to sneak off to Aqua Falls. My map should lead the way."
Opening up his bag, he took out his map, unrolled it and began to inspect it.
"OK, so we need to head south through Jade Meadow until we reach Seashell Shore, then carry on west. That's where Aqua Falls is. It's a huge waterfall fueled by Aqua Lake, which is at the top of the cliffs there. OK, seems simple enough, let's go, team! Oh wait, one more thing. Lisa...I'd appreciate it if you kept this a secret from everybody. The last thing we'd want is to be busted."
"Yes, I'll tell nobody, I promise," replied Lisa. "I'm still against this, but the decision isn't mine. Just be careful, OK? I won't be there to get you out of trouble."
"Don't you worry! We'll come back safely! And hopefully with something that'll help out in the capturing of Vascious," said Leo.
"You're always so confident, Leo. Don't you think it's your weakness?" pondered Susanshi.
"An optimistic mind is beneficial for Explorers, Susanshi," claimed Leo.
"Yeah, but you should at least drop the overconfidence," suggested Susanshi. "This probably won't be as easy as our time in the mine yesterday. Things may only get harder from now on."
"If they do, we should just give it our all," replied Leo, rolling his map back up. "Time to get going. Let's go, team! We depart for Aqua Falls!"
He lifted the flap of his bag up and dropped the map into it. Or at least he hoped to. It instead missed the opening and fell to the floor. Bashfully, Leo picked it back up and merely placed it back into the bag before smiling. After that, and while Leo kept his spirits high, the team headed out of the assembly hall at last. Susanshi and Tokot weren't so optimistic compared to Leo.
"Oh dear, I hope they'll be all right," uttered a concern Lisa, herself and Alex remaining behind.
"Why don't you go with them? Just to make sure they stay safe?" suggested Alex.
"No... I can't risk getting into trouble myself," said Lisa. "Don't see me as selfish, but I do have a reputation to keep here. You'd better go to your spot now. Try not to let them worry you."
"...OK, Lisa."
The Team Revolution members were now outside the EA building, on the way back to town by crossing through the EA grounds.
"OK, there's likely to be guards near the site so we'll need to find a way to get past them without being seen," explained Leo.
"This better be worth it, Leo! I refuse to get the scolding of a lifetime from Master Eag!" stated Tokot.
"We'll just have to hope we find something there," reminded Leo. "If we do find something, we'll report it to Master Eag."
"Oh great, now I'm kinda hoping we don't find anything," said Tokot.
"Nonsense! Vascious just had to have gone to Aqua Falls for a reason. Whatever he went there for, it'll probably be a good idea to try to find out whatever his reason was, then we can counter it!" stated Leo, looking to the side. "My guess is Vascious wanted something, but he wasn't able to get i-"
He was interrupted after bumping into something in his path. Looking back forward, he could see the back of someone he didn't really want to see: Jon, the Wartortle, once again wearing his ominous coat. He turned around slowly and unsettlingly.
"You again..." he muttered.
"Ah! J-Jon! P-p-please excuse me!" Leo stuttered in fear.
"Now you forgot to keep your eyes in front, did you?" asked Jon.
"Y-yes, I did, uh, hehe," replied Leo.
"Hm. Looks like you've just come from the assembly hall. I was there too," said Jon. "Quite the situation we have, wouldn't you say?"
"Y-yeah, murder, scary stuff, hehehe," remarked Leo.
"You kids better take care from now on. There's no telling what this Vascious is up to, but I bet it's reeeeally sinister. Now, get going. Shoo."
"Th-thank you, Jon. W-we'll be on our way now," said Leo, before running away in panic.
"Yo, don't leave me with him!" shouted Tokot, giving chase.
Susanshi did not follow straight away. Instead, she exchanged looks with Jon for a few moments. It was almost as if she was looking deep into his mind, searching for something. Finally, she broke her eye contact and gave chase to Leo and Tokot.
"...And what's her problem?" asked Jon to himself. "...No, it's not my problem. There are far more important matters at hand now..."
The Team Revolution members were now exiting town through the main entrance, heading through Jade Meadow. Even with the knowledge of the murder incident still fresh in their memories, the tranquillity of the meadow shined through strongly.
"So, tell me, have you two ever been to Aqua Falls before?" asked Susanshi, stirring up conversation.
"Not really," replied Leo. "I haven't been anywhere far away from town before. I've been as far as this meadow and a short distance into Sacreca Fields."
"You didn't get out much, did you," mentioned Susanshi.
"Nope, I was restricted quite a bit during my time growing up," explained Leo. "Good time to be an Explorer, eh? Well, partially. I'm following the example my father set, before he...disappeared. He was the bravest Pokémon I ever knew. He always put me and Mom before anything. If we were ever in danger, it would always be him who would save us."
"I've heard about what happened...years ago," commented Susanshi. "Sorry if this seems a little insensitive here, but...what happened...to your mother?"
"...She fell really ill. Nobody knew what was wrong with her. It was some serious, unknown illness. My dad never left her bedside when it started. After just a few days...she was...gone. After that, Dad just vanished. He's still on the missing Pokémon list at the SPF. That was eight years ago, and still...nothing. Even back then I was weak. I was hopeless. I lost a lot of faith in life that day. I'm just...glad someone still looks after me, like a parent. Th-that's why I joined the EA. I want to get stronger! Like my dad! It's what he would want! I...I won't give up! Sure, I may be a little silly, and a little careless... And a little cowardly... But... I'm in this for him! And my mom!"
He clenched his fist and put on a face of determination once his speech ended.
"Wow, that's really...ambitious of you," said Susanshi.
"Yes, but in the way he's been going, he's having a rather slow start," commented Tokot.
"I-I'll get there eventually! Really, I will!" claimed Leo.
"Huh, I'm gonna bet on that," said Tokot.
"Really now? How much?" wondered Susanshi.
"I'm dirt poor and live in a shed for a house, yet I'm making a bet..." realized Tokot. "...It's on, anyway!"
"Really? How much?" asked Leo.
"Ten thousand," said Tokot.
"Thirty," said Leo.
"Twenty-five?" suggested Tokot.
"Deal!" declared Leo. "So, let's see me get better now!"
"Geez... Boys will be boys, even in this world," mumbled Susanshi in disdain, shaking her head.
