Psychic Meltdown
The doors to the Pokémon Center opened and closed. Erika and her Bulbasaur, Michi, walked through them, the girl carrying a can of soda with a bendy straw and the Pokémon using a vine to carry a bottle of water, though most of it seemed to have been used on the bulb growing on his back. Lux and Mable decided it was the day they would take on Sabrina, Saffron City's Gym Leader. Rumor had it she used telepathy to communicate with her psychic Pokémon and that she even possessed the gift of telekinesis. The two had been gone for about three hours.
Pearce just sat at a table, moping. It had been a week since they arrived in Saffron City, two days since Jezebelle decided to head west to Celadon City, nine days since their encounter with Marianna and Sanders, members of the nefarious and long thought to be extinguished Team Rocket. They had stolen Pearce's newly hatched Charmander, Ermantus, after paralyzing the group. Luckily Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader whom the pair had kidnapped as a bargaining tool, was able to reach one of her water Pokémon to wash away the Stun Spore.
During their time in the city, Erika's Pidgey, Tuft, had been able to work up furious winds, Zubo, Lux's Ditto, was finally able to perfect transformations and Riddle, her Squirtle, was becoming more focused and mature while Mable's Pikachu, Chubee, slowly became more obedient. All of this was due to the onslaught of trainers looking for battles in Saffron's golden streets. Many of them were young and had barely taken a few steps out their houses, all of which were some shade of yellow or another, but there was the occasional thug or adult vying to prove him or herself. Because of these rambunctious trainers, all of their Pokémon were becoming stronger. All of them except Pearce's own Burst and Gizmo, Staryu and Magneton respectively.
For the days after the incident with Team Rocket, Pearce did little more than mope. He never left the Pokémon Center, not even when Burst or any of his friends begged him or tried to persuade him. They often had to take his Pokémon out for him so they could exercise. Nurse Joy had to force him to eat anything at all, though he just wanted to sleep and be depressed. The Pokémon nurse was sympathetic when they explained why he was in that state, but she was still strict whenever it came to health.
Despite his somber look, Erika smiled when she saw him. "Well, look who decided to get out of bed," she teased.
"Hey Erika," his voice was flat and void of all emotion. Feeling helpful, Michi threw some of his water onto the boy's face. He merely sighed.
Erika patted her Pokémon on the head. "It was a good try, Michi," the plant-animal hybrid was not entirely pleased, but enjoyed the praise.
"Kyeeah…" Burst sounded worried as it looked at its trainer, unresponsive to any poke or prod.
"That's it, young man!" Nurse Joy slammed her hands onto the table, taking everyone by surprise and causing Pearce to raise his head off the table. "If you won't get out of this Pokémon Center of your own free will, then maybe a battle will change your mind! If I win, you go out and take a walk, get some air and sunlight! You're paler than my apron!" The pink haired nurse's yelling was attracting a lot of attention from the hospital's patrons, and the thought of seeing her battle was enticing. "But if you win, you can sit here cooped up and mope as your muscles slowly deteriorate and grow weak from lack of use!" Pearce only stared at her, for the first time since losing his Charmander showing some form of emotion on his face: intrigue. The thought of battling Nurse Joy, whose entire family was devoted to healing Pokémon and not hurting them, was inviting and odd. He looked down at Burst, who had been poking him repeatedly since the pink-haired woman had mentioned the battle. Clearly the star Pokémon wanted to take the challenge, and a trainer had to take in account the opinions of their Pokémon.
"Alright," Pearce's voice was still lacking a lot of emotion, but his actions gave off an eager and rejuvenated vibe. Nurse Joy smiled with a bit of cockiness and called over a Chansey. Chansey were the helping hands of every Pokémon Center. They were ovular pink Pokémon with an egg pouch on their stomach. Their job was to help the Nurse Joys take care of injured Pokémon and help nurse them back to health.
"Chansey, prepare a spot for this Staryu okay?" The Pokémon bounded away eagerly.
Nurse Joy turned to survey the lobby. "You there!" She pointed to a burly man in a leather jacket, jeans, and a pair of shades. "Do me a favor and battle this kid! He's giving me hell," Pearce made a confused remark, and clearly Nurse Joy heard it. "You didn't think I would battle you, did you? No, as a nurse it is my sworn duty to heal Pokémon, not harm them. Good luck! And take it outside!"
Now feeling far less than eager, Pearce faced his opponent outside. The man appeared older than he had indoors, but despite his snow-white mustache and receding hairline he still had energy aplenty. His Pokémon was energetic, too: Jolteon, the lightning Pokémon. Jolteon had spiny yellow fur with a spiny white collar. They had incredible speed and strong electric attacks. Not good for Burst.
"Let's get this over with!" The man spoke with a gruff voice. "I have a life, ya know!" Pearce brushed the man's attitude off. He wasn't in the mood for it.
"Water Gun," he was barely audible, but Burst responded enthusiastically. A jet of water shot from the star Pokémon.
"Quick Attack, Jolteon!" The Pokémon was off in a flash, easily avoiding the water. The feint movements of his foe brought Pearce into a sense of awe. Never had he seen a Pokémon move like that. While distracted he failed to hear the man order another attack. The agile creature began pummeling his Staryu with an onslaught of kicks.
"Bubblebeam!" Though he was back from the mundane world of loss, his call for attack was in vain. Burst couldn't do anything against the kicks the lightning Pokémon brought to the table.
"Finish with Thundershock!" The hairs on Jolteon's body stood up as electricity surged through them. With a cry, bolts of yellow lightning rocketed towards the water Pokémon. The battle was done.
The red haired boy stood motionless. It took a moment for things to sink in. As soon as they did, he ran towards his defeated companion. "Burst!" He cradled the brown star in his arms. Its red gem core was blinking rapidly. Pearce managed a smile; at least his Pokémon would be fine after some rest. "Let's get you inside,"
"Not so fast, kid!" The man stood over him, his own Pokémon scowling. "We battled, you lost. Pay up," though there was never any bet placed by either party, Pearce wanted nothing more than to get this man out of his face. He gave off the strong odor of cigarettes and exhaust. Either the man was a mechanic, or in some motorcycle gang. Whichever it was, pleasant they generally were not. The boy reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty. As soon as he looked at the bill it was snatched from his grip. "I guess this'll do," the man stuffed the money into his jacket. "Pleasure battling with ya," the man and his Pokémon were off, snickering every step they took.
"Well, enjoy the fresh air!" Since he had reentered the Pokémon Center, Pearce had been constantly reminded by Nurse Joy of the conditions of which the battle was held. Erika, who had stayed inside, was being forced to go out along with him. Michi was still out of his Pokéball and Pearce decided to take Gizmo out. It felt odd not having a Pokémon in the open along with him.
"I'm glad to see you out of your funk," Erika said with relief. "Good to have ya back, bruh!" She slugged her friend in the shoulder. It wasn't too hard a hit, but she had a tendency to accidentally injure those around her. Naturally, Pearce flinched at the action. Once composed he let out a despairing sigh. "Still not completely back, huh?"
The blue-eyed boy lifted his head towards the sky, the clouds no more than wisps of fluff randomly placed among the blue canvas. "I just wonder what they're doing to her,"
His friend threw an arm over his shoulders. "She's a tough little Charmander, Pearce. No matter what they throw at her, she'll be able to handle it. Don't underestimate that young Pokémon," the grin on her face showed how confident she was in her words. "Now come on. Let's get some grub. It's almost one o' clock!"
Saffron, being Kanto's largest city, despite having a surprising lack of motor vehicles, had a large quantity of eating establishments amidst its hues of gold. They ranged from snack shacks to five stars. A few blocks away from the Pokémon Center they discovered Mr. Mime's Pizza. It was a small mustard-yellow brick building with a sign depicting the odd, gangly, clownish looking Pokémon wearing an apron and chef's hat on the sidewalk. Upon entering the duo discovered it to be deserted, save the man and woman behind the cash register. Seeing the presence of potential customers, the man and woman's expressions changed from hopeless to ecstatic.
"Welcome to Mr. Mime's Pizza!" The man greeted them with a booming, charismatic voice. He was a muscular man with buzzed hazel hair, giving him an intimidating appearance. But his amber eyes were warm and gentle. "My name's Randy! You kids hungry? Our pizza is made right when you order so it's always hot and fresh!"
"Randy, don't push them," the woman giggled as she made her way to him. She was petite with flowing blonde hair and enchanting green eyes. "I apologize for my husband's overzealous attitude. The lunch rush completely passed us by. You're our first customers of the day! My name is Alisha. Please, have a seat and I'll be right with you," with a smile the couple left through a door behind the register.
"I don't get why nobody has come here today," Pearce mused as they were awaiting food, trying to get his mind off of depressing matters. Gizmo merely buzzed as if to say it had no opinion on the matter. "I mean Randy and Alisha seem like nice people. And the atmosphere in this place is great," The walls were painted white with blue and pink polka dots in varying shades and sizes. Each table resembled a large pizza dish and the chairs were old propane tanks painted to look like Exeggcute. It was like a pizza circus.
"It could be the slow-ass service," Erika grumbled as she stirred the straw in her glass of Dr. Pepper. Michi made a noise that sounded like a sort of agreement to his trainer's remark. "I'm so hungry!" Just as she banged her head on the table, their pizza arrived. It was just cheese due to the fact they couldn't agree on toppings. At the scent of delicious food her head sprang up and she let out a sigh of pleasure. "Thank you!" She exclaimed quite ferociously.
Randy let out a hearty laugh. "Sorry for the wait, kids," he set down the pizza on their table. "I hope you think it was worth it! Let me or my wife know if you need anything else!" Once again he left through the door behind the cash register.
The food was indeed worth the long wait. The crust was soft, buttery, and flaky all without losing the stability and feel of true pizza crust. The sauce was smooth and tangy with an underlying sweetness. Probably the best part was the cheese. It was creamy and thick, pulling apart easily but not coming off the pizza all at once. Both teens tried to savor each bite but in the end couldn't stop themselves from devouring the entire dish. Once they had finished washing it down with iced tea and Dr. Pepper they went to pay. It came to be just twenty dollars even. Adding the five-dollar tip left on the table their funds were now $445.19.
With several thanks to the couple and invitations to come back from Alisha, they headed back to the Pokémon Center in the hopes that Pearce had been gone long enough to satisfy Nurse Joy. Along the way they stopped at a convenience store in order to kill time and allow Pearce to buy a watch for only a dollar. It was cheap but functioned and was in good condition.
Nurse Joy was pleased with the hour and forty-five minutes the boy had been gone. Burst was back to perfect health and glad to be back with its trainer, which was wonderful considering the injuries it had sustained during the battle. With nothing better to do the black-haired girl suggested they sit on a couch and await the return of their friends. It was amazing they weren't back already, considering it had been close to five hours since they left.
"I hope they didn't lose. We need to get out of here. The yellow is really getting to me," Erika griped as she called her Bulbasaur back into his Pokéball. Pearce did the same with his Magneton. Burst would be enough at the moment, although not much was likely to happen in a Pokémon Center. "Of course, we still haven't decided where to go next,"
"We can hit Vermillion City," Pearce suggested. "It's kinda out of the way of the other cities. That way we could get it over with so we wouldn't have to figure it out later," Erika opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped as the television let out an alarm only to be used in times of disaster striking the Kanto region. While there was always the occasional escaped convict or Pokémon rampage reported on the news, it was rare for something to be severe enough for the alarm to sound.
With all eyes in the Pokémon Center turned towards the sound, a woman with white hair and jade eyes appeared on the screen. She was standing on a ridge overlooking what seemed to be a fiery inferno. Erika and Pearce only looked at each other in panic. They knew where the reporter was.
"We're bringing you live coverage outside Pewter City where a mysterious white aircraft targeted intense flames down below," it cut to another angle where the flames were clearer as they licked up the buildings and plants around them. "Trainers new and experienced, including the Pewter City Gym Leader Brock, are doing everything they can to douse the flames with help from their Pokémon. Those with large flight enabled Pokémon are working feverishly to evacuate those in greatest danger such as the elderly and young children along with their families and caretakers," Flocks of Pidgeot, Fearow and even a few Dragonite could be seen whisking citizens away to safety while several Onix, Rhydon, Vaporeon, Blastoise, and other ground or water types were being told where to focus their attacks by their trainers. Even those without Pokémon were helping with water hoses and large buckets.
The reporter was back on. "As of now, the death toll is at 23. The perpetrators of this horrendous attack have identified themselves as the infamous crime syndicate Team Rocket, a group thought to have broken up years ago. Police are not sure if this is a hoax or if the group really has come back after all this time. We will bring you updates as they arrive," the screen went black. All patrons of the Pokémon Center were silent. By the time the reporter had finished, Erika and Pearce were sitting back down. It was too much to see their hometown being engulfed by fire, not to mention the uncertainty of the state their families were in. Pearce seemed to be taking it worse.
"You heard what they said, didn't you?" He asked his friend. His words were shaky but there was a sharp edge to them. "They're using her, and who knows how many other people's Pokémon. What's everyone doing about it? Nothing. Not a damn thing,"
"Pearce, what is there that you can do about it?" Erika was trying not to upset him but it was clear where his mind was going. "You're seventeen, hardly a month into your journey, and not a very experienced trainer," she was staring right into his eyes with a stern expression. "We're not talking about some youngster with a big head. This is Team Rocket! They're comprised of ruthless criminals with no rules who aren't afraid to take extreme measures to get what they want. You and I both know that had it been necessary, Marianna and Sanders would have killed us! We can't go after these people. No matter how badly they've wronged us,"
As Erika finished speaking, the doors to the Pokémon Center slid open. Since it was so quiet within the room it was easy to hear and caught the attention of all who were present. A Pokémon floated into the lobby. It had a green hair-like structure that began between its red eyes and curved above its shoulders. There was a pink fin-like horn that protruded from the center of its chest and back. It had green arms and what seemed to be a white ball gown with white legs underneath. The Pokémon did little more than levitate inside the door. A woman with hair the color of a Ditto, eyes of the same color, and styled in the same fashion as the Pokémon's followed suit. She was dressed in a white suit with a vest and her face seemed void of all emotions. Her head turned directly towards Erika and Pearce.
"You would be wise to listen to your friend, boy," the woman's voice was flat and monotonous. She and her Pokémon advanced as she continued speaking. "We are not to be messed with. And now you will find out what happens when you cross our path, as will your friends once we find them," without any form of command from its trainer, the Pokémon raised a hand towards the three of them. Before either the teens or the Staryu could react they were all pinned against a wall. The bystanders merely watched as the attack took place.
The Team Rocket woman reached her right hand into her vest. As she began pulling it back out, her Pokémon took a sharp intake of breath, causing her to stop. With one look at the creature, she relaxed her arm by her side. "We will meet again, children. Gardevoir, quickly," the Gardevoir released its psychic hold on Pearce, Erika, and Burst, causing them to fall to the ground. As Pearce looked up he saw the two vanish in a glow of multicolor light.
It was at that time three figures appeared in the Pokémon Center in white light. They were Lux, Mable, and the Gym Leader Sabrina. The leader cursed under her breath. "I'm sorry I cut our battle short. But now I have business to attend to," she reached into her pocket and pulled out two round, yellow badges with raised edges. "Here, to make up for not being able to finish our battles, I give you both the Marsh Badge," as both friends placed the badges in their slots, Sabrina vanished the same way she had appeared, leaving everyone with unanswered questions.
To be continued…