By the time we left the cavernous insides of the Seafoam Islands the sun had risen. Morning light poured down onto my skin abraded by the rocks shattered by the rage of a Pokemon now securely contained inside a small glass orb…the very same small glass orb that now rested safely in my robe pocket.
"What?" I snapped, feeling Blaine staring a hole in the side of my head.
"Well…I was just thinking…"
"Spit it out," I scathed. I did not like the tone he was taking with me; it sounded almost ungrateful.
"Well, I was just wondering how we decided that it was you who got to keep her." This took me aback. Was he challenging me for my destiny?
"I had the treasure, is it not fair that I keep its bounty?" I gauged my voice, making sure it did not come off too aggressive.
"So I'm going on a round-the-world trip with you so that you can get what you want?" I had to admit, that sounded a small bit unfair.
"You're a Fire-type expert, yes? Perhaps you would be more interested in keeping Moltres than her frosty sister?" Like Hell I will relinquish my rightful place to you. I found my hand instinctively floating towards the gun resting against my breast. Stopping myself, I smiled to tide my pseudo-bargain over.
"Hm…fair point there. I guess you have a deal!" He smiled at me. It was all too easy to make this trick dog jump through hoops.
The waves slapped against the side of our motor boat as we rounded the side of the cavern of last night's events; I noted that this was not the way from which we had come previously.
"It's faster if we go north to Fuchsia City and travel through mainland Kanto," was the response to my inquisition. "It's a port city that's home to some rare species of Pokemon. There's the world-famous Safari Zone and another Pokemon Gym."
"It sounds like quite a lively place. All these attractions, it must get all sorts of tourists."
"Sometimes. Mainly it's either people passing through or those who want to challenge Koga. He's the gym leader there."
"So why're we heading there specifically?"
"Well, if I'm right, the second piece of the puzzle refers to Zapdos' nest. Everything points to the power plant." It all seemed relatively simple.
"That's it?" I verbalised my disbelief at the straightforwardness of it all. "We walk into a power plant and throw a ball at Zapdos and walk out?"
"There is a slight catch. The only power plant that has ever been in Kanto has been in disuse for thirty-three years. There has been so much development since that the plant itself is now a mystery to everyone. No one has seen it in all this time." And there was the complication.
"So where do you propose we go?" It seemed the obvious question at the time. The sands of Fuchsia city's beaches were now appearing on the horizon.
"I thought we'd head to Vermillion City. Surge, the leader there, is an old friend and a master of Electric-type Pokemon. He was discharged from the army and given the job of a gym leader. He was also asked to use his Pokemon and expertise as an electrician to supply power to Kanto in lieu of the plant. If anyone would know about it, it would be him."
I regarded Blaine for a moment. He looked out at the ocean, as though studying the beaches for some buried treasure. I could tell he was genuinely trying to aid me in my quest for revenge. It was such a shame that in the end he too would have to be cast away. Kanto region could live without its Fire leader if it meant that I could crush Lugia.
To get to Vermillion City from Fuchsia, Blaine and I had to catch a small shuttle bus that constituted the only form of public transport (the only form of private transport was walking) to the destination in question. Being the single option for those wishing to get the Surge's gym and whatever else was in Vermillion, we were bound to meet some riff raff on the bus itself. Unfortunately, I was seated next to one such person.
He was an elderly gentleman with a white beard and matching hair. The curious feature of him was the section of his hair that stood on end in an almost lightning bolt shape. He himself occupied a small portion of his seat but the thickness of his jumper was so extraordinary that it encroached on my space.
"Wahaha! Here's Route Fourteen!" he bellowed in my ear as we passed the shore for the first time. "You can catch Ditto there, I hear!" I rolled my eyes, trying to block out this annoying man's commentary on each location we drove through. Ordinarily I would have guards take him away but my operations here required a bit more subtlety than normal.
"Excuse me, sir," I said through gritted teeth when it all became too much to stand. "What possesses you to be so loud?"
"Oh I am sorry, sonny. Don't you just feel energised when travelling here in Kanto? I can smell the electricity in the air!" He beamed at me.
"No, not really. I would just like to get to Vermillion City without a headache if it's all right with you."
"Vermillion City?" he repeated. "That's where I'm going too!" I think a part of me died when he said that. I was going to have to put up with this crap for longer than the bus ride?
"Oh, how wonderful. Whyever are you going there?" I asked in a listless voice.
"I'm going to visit a colleague of mine. Have you heard of Lieutenant Surge, by any chance? He's a gym leader there now."
"Only in passing," I confirmed. "He is actually the man I am on my way to see also," I explained, immediately cursing myself for inciting more conversation from this man.
"Oh, quite the wise young fellow." His smile widened. "I expect you're on your way to get the Thunder badge?"
"Hm? Oh, no. No, I am not. I am not a Pokemon trainer. Are you?"
"Going for a gym badge? Ohohoho, no. I am much past my prime for that sort of undertaking. That and I am an Electric-type gym leader in my own right over in the Hoenn region." This man was a gym leader? They're letting anyone in nowadays, it seems.
"How fascinating."
"Isn't it jus-" He was cut off by the voiceover of the PA system.
"Attention all passengers. This is Vermillion City, our last stop. Please depart unless you are waiting for the Celadon and Fuchsia lines."
I thanked whatever force it was that seemingly made the body of the trip vanish and gratefully left the vehicle alongside Blaine, hoping against hope that the old man would not pursue us any further.
Vermillion was a quaint city. There were a few rows of housing and some retail buildings. It was surrounded on the south and the west by the sea (which made me wonder why Blaine had not simply sailed through an inlet to reach here without the aid of a bus). A cave lay to the east while the towering skyscrapers of what I was told was Saffron City reached into the north sky.
"The gym's this way. If he'll be anywhere, he'll be there," Blaine explained, leading me towards the wharf.
"Ohoho! Blaine is that you, I see?" an all too familiar voice came from behind us. I balled my hands into fists. Blaine whipped around.
"Wattson? It's been too long!" He shook the man's hand and returned his smile.
"It sure has been! What're you doing here? Looking to get into the Electric-type game?" he laughed with a wink.
"Oh, no. My Fire-types are still going well. I'm here to speak with Surge." That was when Wattson's eyes came to find me.
"OH! You're with my new friend? He was going to see Surge too. We sat next to each other on the bus." I gave him a forced smile, suppressing the urge to shoot him there and then. Looking to end the conversation quickly, I reached for the door knob to open the gym's entrance.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" they both screamed in a mad panic at me; I froze, looking at them puzzled. Blaine was going to force me to listen to this old man, wasn't he?
"Why not?" I snarled.
"Surge has always been a teensy bit paranoid since his army days. He's electrified the door handle," Blaine explained. The thought that all Kanto gym leaders were insane was nagging at the back of my head.
"So how do we get in?" I asked, growing impatient with all the road blocks we encountered on this relatively simple expedition. Zapdos was looking to cause fewer problems than this Surge man.
"We use the window," Wattson pointed out, pushing the smaller of the two windows that framed the door open.
"I suppose the other window's electrified too," I remarked sardonically.
"Ohoho, no. Try it if you want but I'd use a stick." He nodded to a piece of a tree branch lying on the floor. Curious, I picked up the limb and used it to push the larger window open. At first, the glass responded to the touch of the wood until there was a loud click and the entire pane revolved blindingly fast. The force ripped the branch from my grasp and snapped it against the window ledge.
"We told you," Blaine chuckled. "It's probably best that you don't touch anything without asking us first." I blinked at the scene and nodded my agreement before climbing after them through the window.
The inside of the gym was less like that of an ex-army officer and more of a dancer. The floor was made of a highly reflective black marble-esque material; upon it stood about fifty oil drums. Above us, the complex series of rafters conducted visible electricity around the building. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, seeking out the static electricity.
"Who enters my gym?" a booming voice echoed around the hall.
"Is that you, Surge?" Wattson called out. "It's me, Wattson. I'm with Blaine and he's brought someone with him. We'd like a word, if it's okay."
"If you are who you say you are, press the correct series of switches."
Blaine sighed, moving to a particular barrel and pushing a small button on the top before moving to two other barrels and pressing those switches. After he hit the third button, an electric fence powered down and a blonde rough looking man clad in camouflage clothing walked out from the alcove.
"It really is you," he commented, catching sight of the two gym leaders. "Who's this?" he asked, nodding at me.
"I am Lawrence the third," I replied coldly.
"Right. That's just fantastic for you, isn't it?" he replied before turning back to Blaine. "Whatcha need?"
"I'm here to talk to you about New Mauville," Wattson interjected. I could hardly decide which Electric-type trainer incurred more of my ire.
"What about it?" Surge asked, looking mildly concerned.
"The generator went whack. I had to get a passing trainer to fix it. There was a bug in the system." This seemed to irritate the soldier, who removed his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes.
"There was no bug in that system. I checked it myself."
"So it was meant to go into a frenzy and over-supply power?"
"No. Why did you activate it before the move anyway?"
"I didn't." A look of bewilderment and fear rose to Wattson's face.
"It couldn't have come online itself."
"What're you saying?"
"Someone's been tampering with it."
As fascinating as the perils of this annoyance's townspeople were, I shuffled uncomfortably on the spot. It was best to let their conversation flow naturally - any further interruption on my part would likely cause an argument between myself and Mister Surge, which would ultimately result in him being shot. I only hoped that my patience did not provide Zapdos with enough time to escape my grasp.