CHAPTER NINE: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
"Just a little father," Cynthia groans as the two of you trudge through the rocky terrain, coming out of the forest. Eterna City should be in your sight in a few minutes.
Over the trip back from Canavale, you have learned a lot about Cynthia and her brother. After their father had drunk himself to death and Tyler had disappeared, the two children – not even teenagers yet – had made it all the way from Kanto and to Sinnoh. They had gotten jobs in a small tavern in Jubilife City, and had made their way on minimum wage to become two of the greatest trainers ever. It's a story you can relate to.
"There it is," Cynthia gasps in relief, jerking you out of your thoughts. Sure enough, the small city lies only about a mile ahead.
Aaron vomits over the side of the speedboat yet again as it bounces over the four millionth swell. Riley looks ready to kill himself, between the seasick bug-catcher, the chatterbox backseat driver, and the meditating kung-fu jackal Pokemon, all crowding his once-peaceful boat.
"So where were you born?"
"Viridian City."
"Ooohhh….where's that?"
"Kanto."
"What was you first Pokemon?
"Riolu"
"How many Pokemon do you have now?"
"Three"
"Niiiice. What are they?"
"Lucario, Blissey, and the Gyarados I saved your ass from."
That finally shuts Frank up. Other than the occasional retch from Aaron, Riley finally gets a bit of peace and quiet. He wasn't trying to be mean; these were some alright guys. But he had never been a "people" person. He kept conversations short, because quite frankly he wasn't great at talking to people.
He actually wished that other kid had come. Stephan-something. He can't remember if Cynthia had mentioned a last name. Frank eventually falls asleep, and Aaron finally stops vomiting, either because he'd finally grown used to the sea or because he had nothing left to throw up.
Riley switches to autopilot, sets a course for iron island, and puts his hands behind his head, drifting off into the same meditation-like sleep that Lucario is in.
Volkner tilts his head back and opens his mouth in a wide O, showing how bored and annoyed he is right now. Though Tyler won't show it, he to is pretty pissed off at the girl in front of them.
Kaitlyn Frost was possibly the most annoying, eccentric, self-centered, oblivious, ignorant, diva-ish girl on earth and, in Volkner's words; she "isn't even blonde!"
Unfortunately for the two anti-social trainers, Candice's older sister was a good trainer. A VERY good trainer, as she had demonstrated when she beat her sister 3/1 in a battle
"So, Kaitlyn," Tyler says, trying not to pull out his hair in frustration, "how come you never became Snowpoint Gym Leader? You're obviously qualified for the job."
Kaitlyn blushes. "Aww, Ty, you're soooo sweet," – Tyler squeezes his hands into fists as he fights not to lose his cool.
"But I'd really never be good for a gym leader. I like to, like, move around, you know? I'd never be able to sit in a room for so long." She replies in that bitchy voice that Tyler and Volkner have grown hate so much.
"So anyways, I think that, like, I should come with you guys, cause, like, well I'm a good trainer all, but also cause, like, I wanna help people and stuff."
Volkner sighs. "Sorry, hun, Aaron already tried that charity BS, so don't even go there. Tell you what: we're gonna go outside and mull it over, we'll get back to you later."
Kaitlyn grins. "Alright, like, thanks guys!"
Volkner smiles politely and steps outside of the tavern. As soon as the door slams behind him, his face drops and he turns to Tyler. "No."
"Okay, Volkner, listen – "
But Volkner puts his head down and claps his hands over his ears. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO. Nothing you can do or say can make me consent to letting her come."
"Volkner, we can't deny that she's strong. At the end of the day, that's what we came here for."
"Okay," Volkner sighs and puts his hands over his face. "Despite the fact that she's a total snob, let's look at all the reasons we'd let her come…."
"She's a strong trainer."
"Yeah, that's most important. Umm…" Volkner thinks hard for a good reason to let Kaitlyn join. "Well, she's a girl, Cynthia would like that."
"Yeah, I guess."
"She's got Ice-types, that's something we need."
"Yes."
"Uh….she likes to travel."
"Oh, yeah, good one."
Volkner sighs. "I'm still not convinced."
Suddenly, another voice startles him. "So I hear you're looking for tough trainers."
Tyler watches, unfazed, as the rocking chair on the other side of the porch spins around to reveal an old man, with a guitar and cowboy hat.
"Why didn't you tell me someone was watching us?" Volkner asks Tyler angrily. Tyler shrugs. "You didn't ask."
The man holds out his hand and says with a southern accent, "Name's Dallas. I'm Kaitlyn and Candice's Grandpa."
Volkner shakes the hand. "So, Mister Dallas, are you saying you can tell us where to find a great trainer?"
"Find one? Yer lookin' at him. Back in my day, I was the best trainer around. I might not still have the touch, but I got the Pokemon. Problem is, I'm getting a mite bit old for this sorta thing. I bet a bit o' warmth'd loosen up these old joints, though. So what'ya say?"
Volkner turns to Tyler and shrugs. "It's your call."
"…Why don't you both come?"
Volkner stares at him. "Are you kidding? You wanna bring Dallas AND the psycho chick? No offense…" He adds to Dallas.
Dallas laughs. "None taken, boy. So when do we leave?"
"Are you bringing anything else?"
Dallas swings his guitar around so that the neck is sticking out behind his back, and taps his Pokeball belt. "Nope."
"Then let's get going."
Kaitlyn is hanging around the Gym, at the front of town, when she spots the three heading toward her.
"Oh, goodie! Pap's coming! When do we leave?"
"Now," Tyler says flatly.
"Ok, let me go get my bags!"
"No bags," Volkner replies as he walks by, barely able to conceal his grin.
"Bu - ….but… WHAT?"
The group doesn't stop walking.
"Then…THEN I'M NOT COMING!" Kaitlyn screeches. "GRANDAD, DO SOMETHING!"
Dallas chuckles as they trudge on, leaving her fuming in the snow. Finally, she pulls herself together. "Wait…wait up! I didn't mean it!"
You are dreaming.
You are floating high up in the air, looking out over a region unfamiliar to you at first. Then with a closer look, you realize it's Hoehn, the region you had spent the most of your time in during your days on the run.
Someone else is floating next to you. A young man, maybe in his early thirties, but he has strange gray hair. He's wearing an expensive suit.
"Hello?" You call. "What's going on? Why are we here?"
The man gives no sign that he knows you are there.
The man seems familiar, but you can't remember his name.
"Hello? Answer me!"
Finally, the man turns to look at you, and you gasp as you suddenly recognize him.
Steven Stone, your namesake.
A flash, and the whole scene changes. You are still floating, still next to Steven, but everything is wrong. Steven's face constricts as it is riddled with pain. He suddenly cries out as scars and bruises cover his face. Blood trickles from somewhere on his head and out of the corner of his mouth.
You step forward, startled, to offer a hand, but Steven only raises a shaky hand to point toward Hoehn.
"...No..."
All of the landscape is burning, the vast seas storming. In the very center of the region, a huge crater opens up. You recognize the two monsters who emerge as Groudon and Kyogre, locked in their epic battle. Rayquaza is nowhere to be found.
"This is the fate destiny has in store for all of the Earth, should you fail."
You realize that it's Steven Stone's voice speaking, but he isn't moving his mouth.
"Wait, what do you mean? What am I supposed to do? I'm not even sure what I'm doing with these people!"
Too late. Steven's stricken, pain-riddled ghostly figure is fading away.
"Steven? Steven, come back! I dont understand! Steven!"
A bone-chilling cold wipes over you, and a fissure opens in the ground. You begin falling, falling….
A hand shakes you awake.
"Stephen! Stephen! Stephen, wake up!"
You sit up, blinking your eyes wearily as you see Cynthia standing next to your bed. "'Morning, what time is it?" You moan.
"Two."
"PM?"
"AM."
"Then why the hell'd you wake me up?"
Cynthia smiles. "You know that gnarly-looking Team Galactic building at the end of town?"
As you and Cynthia quietly walk through the sliding doors of the building, then unlucky desk clerk who got stuck with the graveyard shift hardly looks up from his half-asleep daze.
"Welcome to Galactic HQ, Eterna branch, how can I help – "
He stops in mid-sentence when he recognizes Cynthia, but before he can say anything Roserade's Poison Sting nails him in the shoulder. His eyes roll into the back of is head, unconscious.
As you swiftly search him, you are afraid to ask whether Cynthia killed him or just knocked him out. Instead, you pull out his key card.
"We're in."
"Alright, Rojack. Send my full report of the attack to Cyrus immediately. Make sure he understands that although Rayquaza was not captured, both Rawson and Lance were taken care of. Pass my regards to The Jackal onto him, as well. The Flying, ah, three merely suspect it was a stray bullet that finished the Champion off. Oh, and one more thing, Colonel?"
"Yes, Commander Saturn?"
"Don't mention that the lead ship was completely destroyed in the report. We are still working to salvage it and, well, what Cyrus doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Very good, sir. Will that be all?"
"Yes, Colonel. Expect me back home in oh-three-hundred hours. End of transmission."
Colonel Rojack of Team Galactic carefully slips the full report into a yellow manila folder and steps out of his office, yawning as he hopes to soon be back in bed.
*BAM!*
Ampibom flies out of nowhere and smashes into his face, sending Rojack staggering backwards. Before he can cry out, one of Ampibom's hand-tails stuffs itself into his mouth, and the door slides back closed behind it.
Finally, Rojack gets a hold of the Pokemon and throws it to the ground, pulling out his pistol.
"I don't know where you came from, you little nuisance, but I sure know where you going…"
Before he can fire, he realizes something huge is looming over him, and turns around just in time to see Typhlosion's huge, fiery claw swing into his neck, sending him flying backwards.
You and Cynthia quietly step over the body of yet another night guard as you slide the keycard into the pad by the door, stepping into Colonel Rojack's office. You smile as you see the half-dead body of the dictator of Eterna City, whom Gardenia had been trying to file a case against for years.
"Good work, you two. Typhlosion, Ampibom, return!"
As you call back your Pokemon, you turn to Cynthia, who is fiddling with the main computer. "You think anyone heard that?"
"Hard to say. These walls look soundproof, but Typhlosion's one hell of a loud guy. "Either way, let's get out of here fast."
"You find everything ya need on the computer?"
"Yeah. See this memory stick here? It's actually a little firewall-eating virus. After I pull everything I need, the server will crash, a Team Galactic'll be super pissed."
"Excellent. So what exactly do you need?"
Cynthia stops for a moment. "…Oh, you know, this and that, blueprints, messages, things that Tyler would need. I don't understand half of it myself."
You can tell immediately that she is lying, but decide now is not the time for interrogating. Besides, you trust Cynthia enough by now to let her make the decisions
"Ok, and…we're good. We have about two minutes to get out of here before the protection service detects anything wrong, but if we move quietly we'll be gone before anyone even knows we were here."
You and Cynthia slide out a window on the bottom floor of the building just as an alarm goes off. You have plenty of time to get out of here, but you decide to be safe. After spotting an electricity transformer out behind the building, you send out Jolteon.
"Hey, buddy. Let's start a power outage."
Pin-missling its way into the power bow, Jolteon cracks open several important-looking wires. It absorbs a bit of static from them, and the whole building beside you goes dark.
"Let's blow this popsicle stand."
THE END
