Chapter Eleven - The Dark Descent
The tensely-charged gathering of trainers lounging outside the Castelia City gym wasn't a reassuring sight. Despite the blanket of storm clouds clustering overhead, Pokémon and trainers alike dawdled in small masses outside the double doors, lounging on sidewalks and leaning lazily against the gray brick walls as though staking their claim.
Rosa's puffy eyes were narrowed with concentration as she picked her way through the hoard of people towards the gym's glass doors. She wasn't sure why they were hanging out outside the gym instead of going inside to challenge the leader, but she had an inkling she wasn't going to appreciate the reason.
Upon reaching the emerald-stained doors, she swung her bag further over her shoulder and gave the polished handles a tug. The doors didn't give, and Rosa frowned. Honestly, she'd passed at least thirty trainers on her way to the front, and not one of them stopped her to tell her the gym was locked?
A middle-school aged girl sitting on the sidewalk near Rosa's feet looked up at the sound of the doors jiggling. There was a Buneary resting in her lap, and her red-checkered blouse flapped in the breeze as she said, "It's no use. Burgh's not around, so the gym is locked up until he shows up again."
How very helpful. "Do you have any idea when he'll be back?" Rosa asked, tucking a lock of tangled hair behind her ear as she peered down.
The girl shrugged. "How would I know? Do I look like his personal secretary? Buneary and I got here first though, so don't get any ideas about cutting in line."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Rosa muttered as she stepped away from the girl and retreated into the streets. As she left the protection of the gym's awning, a few drops of rain fell from the sky and dotted her nose. Sighing, she zipped up her teal-colored jacket and started down the road.
She wished she was out of Castelia. More than anything, Rosa wanted to run through the woods with her Pokémon until their lungs burned and they all dripped with sweat. It had been ages since their last real training session, and although she'd only been in Castelia two days, she felt like a caged bird.
I guess I could go shopping for supplies. I'm out of leads for Team Plasma, but if I'm already stocked up, I can leave as soon as I beat the gym.
More water was dripping onto Rosa's head now. A rainbow of umbrellas carried by hurried passerby gleamed in Rosa's peripheral vision, but she didn't have any protective covering to join them. Instead, she tilted her head back and allowed the icy droplets to soak her face.
It's only for a little while longer. Castelia was uncomfortable, but like talking to Bianca, it would not kill her.
A buzzing on Rosa's wrist interrupted her thoughts. Rubbing the water from her eyes, Rosa glanced down to see Curtis's Xtransceiver pulsing with life. She hadn't heard from him since her first night on the boat. Rosa sniffed and dragged her jacket sleeve across her face before hitting the flashing green "answer" button.
"Yeah, Curtis? What is it?"
"And a good morning to you, too. How are you, Rosa?"
Rosa shrugged and started down the cobblestone pathway towards the shops. The brunette buns atop her head were already ruined by the rain, so she didn't bother throwing her hood on.
"A bit cold, actually. And moody – the gym is closed, so I'm stuck in Castelia until Burgh decides he's ready for me to turn his Pokémon into bug smoothies. I'm assuming you're at work again?"
He grunted in amusement. "You've assumed correctly, although I thought we'd agreed not to draw conclusions about each other. You got offended last time."
"It's not my fault you never do anything else. Don't you have a hobby or something?"
"Yikes, that was a jab." She could hear the smile in his voice, and the edge of Rosa's lips curled up. Was Curtis ever in a bad mood? "But I have a lot of hobbies, thank you for asking. I'll happily go to a concert, or explore a city, or hike the mountains. If I quit my job today, I'd hike Meteor Falls in the Hoenn Region and go fishing near the summit. I've heard the cavern is beautiful. And anyway, what about you, Miss Champion-to-be? Do you do anything besides battle and train?"
The light rain shower had evolved into a downpour. People without umbrellas covered their heads with newspapers and bags as they scurried for cover, and even those that had protection quickened their pace. Rosa shuttered and tucked one arm against her heart as if doing so would keep her warm.
Curtis must have heard her, because his upbeat tone was suddenly edged with concern as he asked, "Rosa, is that rain I've been hearing on your end? You aren't running around in that, are you?"
"And if I am?"
"Well, you're going to catch a cold."
Thunder crackled overhead, and she hunched over further to keep the rain out of her eyes. "Nah."
"Nah? Are you serious?"
Rosa blinked rapidly as she came to a stop in front of the city's Pokemart. Like the Pokémon center, the building was a skyscraper, and she had to shield her eyes from the rain as she tilted her head to trace its entire outline. Over the roar of the water, she yelled, "I like to sing."
"What?"
"You asked me if I do anything aside from battle. I like to sing."
Curtis said something in reply, but Rosa didn't hear, because at that moment her own Xtransceiver vibrated against her skin. She brought her wrist close to her face so she could swipe the water from its screen.
"Hugh? What is it?"
Hugh's camera view was shaky, and his breath was heavy as he snarled, "They're hiding in the sewers, Rosa. I need you at the seaport, where the water drains into the ocean. Now!"
He hung up.
Rosa's heart clenched painfully. He'd found them? When she'd spent the entirety of yesterday searching and hadn't found a trace? Sweeping the sodden strands of hair behind her ear, she turned in a circle, searching for the way back to Castelia's wharf.
"Rosa? What was that?" She'd almost forgotten about Curtis. "Is everything okay?"
Squinting through the gloom, Rosa took off down the road leading back to the gym. "I'm sorry, something came up and I have to go. At least I'm decent enough to say a proper goodbye, though. Take notes, Curtis. I'll talk to you later."
She hit the end call button and sprinted towards the ocean.
"Hugh?" Rosa called as she stepped out of the rain and into the darkness of Castelia's main sewer line. The vastness of the tunnel appeared endless, and as she cautiously stepped further in, the scent of waste hit her like a blow. Her stomach heaved, and she gagged before covering her nose with her damp sleeve.
The place was certainly suitable for a bunch of filthy Pokémon thieves. As she felt her way down the concrete staircase, her eyes adjusted enough that she could see the sickly green color of the sewage flowing towards what Rosa assumed would be settling tanks. The river gurgled and burped like mud in a bog. Thinking about it made her stomach turn over again, so she averted her eyes and chose to instead focus on finding Hugh.
Navigating through the tunnels was difficult. The air was thick with moisture that created a murky fog, and the gushing river drowned out most atmospheric nose. She briefly paused to check if her Xtransceiver had a signal, but any hope she'd had of calling Hugh was crushed as soon as the screen bloomed to life.
No signal.
Cursing to herself, Rosa ripped one of the Pokéballs from her belt. "Sven, I need you."
The light cast from the ball momentarily illuminated the tunnel, and her puppy Pokémon yapped eagerly and twisted in a circle as he appeared before her. His joy was short-lived, however, because as the dog tilted his nose up to taste the air, his entire body shuttered, and Sven whined loudly.
"Yeah, I know it stinks in here." Rosa sighed and she ruefully ruffled her Growlithe's forehead tuft. He didn't seem to mind her dripping clothes, because he jumped up and buried his face in her jacket. Probably to hide his nose. "But if I have to put up with the stench, then someone else should too. Besides, Team Plasma and Hugh are in here somewhere, and I need you to help me find them."
He widened his charcoal eyes and whined, as if pleading that they leave instead, but when she didn't relent, Sven barked and hopped down. Her Pokémon turned this way and that as he sniffed at the ground, and after another shutter and a snort, he started down the tunnel.
A ghost of a smile touched Rosa's lips. Nothing spelled loyalty like accompanying a friend into a sewage labyrinth.
Rosa found herself shivering as they walked. It was stupidly cold in the sewers, possibly more so than it had been standing in the rain, and soon she had to hug her arms against her chest to keep them from trembling. The chattering of her teeth echoed against the stone walls, but she couldn't still her jaw. Sven would glance back occasionally and whimper, but each time she'd wave him on. She'd rather deal with the chill than have him toast her like a marshmallow.
They wandered in the darkness for what felt like hours before Sven suddenly snarled and took off down the dimly-lit channel. Rosa's mind had been elsewhere and she startled at the noise, but then her senses kicked in and she scurried after him.
"I don't think we should have to slave away in this disgusting sewer for a few lousy Pokémon."
"We were instructed to find stronger ones than the pair we've been using. It's not like we have a ton of time for training."
Rosa slowed when the resonant pair of female voices reached her. She whistled to Sven to stop his pursuit, and he immediately froze in his tracks while she caught up and flattened herself against a nearby wall. Blood roared in her ears, but she closed her eyes and strained to listen.
"Orders or not, I still don't think it's worth it. We've been here for over a week, and for what? A second-rate Scraggy and a Sandile? Does it look like I belong in a sewer, Maria?"
"Well, if you're asking me-"
"Finish that sentence, and you'll be bathing in a septic tank."
Plasma members. Rosa bristled, and her eyes flashed open to signal Sven to her side. She hadn't expected to face them on her own.
"Stay close to me, Sven." Her words were scarcely a whisper.
Then she was dashing along the hallway of stone towards the echo of voices at the intersection. Her heart was in her throat, but Rosa forced her fear away. The last set of grunts had been easy. This pair would regret their plasma membership as well.
Their outlines were clearly visible now, and as Rosa suspected, there were only two of them. The women were garbed in signature blue and gray Plasma suits, and their hair was tied back in intricate, braided knots. Pallid fabric covered the bottom half of their faces. One of them stirred at the scraping of Rosa's shoes against concrete, and she reached out to tug on her partner's elbow.
"Busy plotting our escape from Sewerland, here." The Plasma grunt griped, tearing her elbow away. "What's your problem, Maria?"
"That would probably be me."
Rosa paused about fifty feet off from the women and rested a hand on her hip. Sven snaked in front of her and dropped low on his front legs, a low growl humming in his chest. Despite the murky darkness, she could see his orangesicle fur standing on end.
The grunt called Maria scoffed. "And who would you be?" She asked, crossing her slender arms against her full chest.
"The Nuvema research lab break-in. What do you know about it?"
Maria's nameless partner raised a perfectly sculpted brow. "Is that any of your business?"
Rosa drew another Pokéball from her belt, and as she tossed the colored sphere above her head, Anna's small form materialized beside Sven. Anna shifted her weight onto her right foot and observed the grunts critically. The women shrunk back, but otherwise didn't move.
"You made it my business when your teammates stole my trainer records. I want to know why you wanted them."
Maria's shoulders sagged with relief. Her mouth stretched into a smug grin, and she retrieved a Pokéball from the inside pocket of her black vest. "I see what's going on here. You're one of those newbie trainers. You're acting all high and mighty to try and intimidate us, but your Pokémon are still weak. Well I'm not afraid of you, drippy." She flung her Pokeball into the malodorous mist. "My Sandile will take care of this."
The other grunt huffed girlishly. "Don't act like I'm not a part of this team! Scraggy, you help too. Throw that girl into the sewage."
Rosa scowled. Type matchups certainly weren't on her side for this battle, but if they wanted to play games, then she would gladly take them on. "Sven, use flame wheel on Scraggy. Anna, take down that Sandile with force palm!"
Her Pokémon sprang into action. Sven took off down the damp corridor with ribbons of fire nipping his heels, and as he ducked his head down to increase his speed, flames licked his sides until his entire body was consumed. The Growlithe stumbled slightly as he dove, but then he was whirling towards Scraggy like a fiery bowling ball.
Scraggy startled and scrambled to get out of the way, but then his plasma grunt shouted, "Scraggy, don't just run! Send that thing flying back with headbutt!"
Sven continued his pursuit, but Scraggy stopped fleeing and turned to face his opponent. The dark type tilted the top of its head down and braced itself, but Rosa wasn't going to have another battle like back at the Seaport. She steeled her shoulders. "Sven, fall out of flame wheel and snap down on it with fire fang!"
Her Growlithe unraveled mere feet from his foe's waiting form. His jaw opened wide like a serpent before he sunk his scorching puppy fangs into the top of Scraggy's head.
Scraggy squealed in pain and clawed at Zven with its stubby paws, but her pup clung harder.
"Scraggy, calm yourself! Use swagger!"
Rosa cursed. The lizard Pokémon stopped running in circles and exhaled, clouding both itself and Sven in a curtain of silver mist. Almost immediately, Growlithe loosened his grip and sunk into a heap on the cold concrete floor, his vision distorting.
Anna appeared to be doing a bit better than Sven, at least. She'd thrown enough energy into force palm that Sandile appeared drained, and she was skirting across the stone floor avoiding her opponent's mud-slap attacks with practiced ease. Rosa signaled to her with a gesture, then pointed towards her Growlithe's slouched form. "Anna, stop that Scraggy with quick attack!"
Her Riolu darted across the makeshift battle field and slammed into Scraggy with the full force of her tiny body. The lizard Pokemon was sent sprawling backward, and Anna whipped around to wrap her arms around Sven and heave him to his feet. Her Growlithe stumbled and lolled his head sluggishly, but they managed.
Scraggy was finished. It groaned in pain and lifted its head slightly, but the lizard's remaining strength was insufficient to allow it to return to its feet. After another moan, it fell unconscious, and the grunt returned it to its ball.
Sandile wasn't giving up though, and neither was its trainer. "Sandile," Maria shouted, "Take both of your foes down with sand tomb!"
"Anna, endure!"
Riolu hugged her body against Sven's fluffy frame and braced herself. Powder and dirt gathered from the stone floor and swirled into a raging dust bowl, but a protective bubble of light swelled around Rosa's Pokémon as Anna's focus tightened. The tomb of dirt collapsed on top of them, completely obscuring Rosa's view, and Maria cackled. "Take that, you washed-up wimp! Maybe that'll teach you to keep your nose where it belongs!"
"Don't celebrate too early."
The dust and dirt fell away like sand in an hourglass. Anna stood straight and still, and her crimson eyes burned as they snapped open. Sven was on the ground beside her, injured by still conscious. Rosa threw out her hand. "Anna, force palm! Sven, bite!"
Her Pokémon closed in on Sandile like thugs. Anna threw back her elbows to gather energy in her palms, and Sven charged forward, teeth bared. Sandile's beady eyes widened, and in a panic, he used sand attack to throw bits of dust in Growlithe's eyes. It was enough to throw off the pup, but Anna was unhindered. An orb of pure energy exploded from her paws with an echo like gunfire, and Sandile buckled to the ground.
Maria's fists were clenched at her sides, and her nostrils flared as she hissed, "Sandile! You stupid, worthless . . .! How could we have wasted so much time here stealing you?" She returned the crocodile to its Pokéball and snatched her partner's arm. "Come on Sammy, we're getting out of here!"
"Not yet, you're not." Anna and Sven darted in front of the pair of women to bar their path. The girls squeaked fearfully and hugged each other, and their eyes flashed with fury as they turned back to face Rosa. "I need you to tell me about the break in."
"We're innocent in all this." The grunt named Sammy growled. Her pencil-thin legs trembled, as if she truly believed Rosa was going to attack her, and she kept her hand gripped firmly in Maria's. "All we do is follow orders, I swear. The members who broke in the Nuvema lab are in a higher sector than us, we don't know anything about them! They keep their operations a secret from us."
Maria chimed in. "All Team Plasma wants is to free Pokémon from human control. That's why we joined! I don't know why our boss wanted your trainer records, but I'm sure it has something to do with liberation. Maybe so he could take your Pokémon and free them before they became too powerful."
Rosa's eyes tightened. "I've never bought a single word of your "Pokémon Liberation" garbage. Tell the truth."
Sammy flinched closer into her partner's shoulder. "That's all we know, I promise! We're too low on the food-chain to know the boss's plans, we just do as we're told. Please call your Pokémon off, I don't want to be a spicy barbeque!"
For a long moment Rosa stared at them, calculating. Although their claims didn't match her suspicions, the women's tones and expressions were sincere. And unlike their teammates, they hadn't tried to inflict any serious harm on her Pokémon.
Was it possible that the upper-class members of Team Plasma were lying to their lowly syndicates?
"Thank you for your cooperation." Rosa said, signaling for her Pokémon to return to her. Sven immediately charged between the Plasma grunt's legs and dove into his trainer's embrace, but Anna eyed the girls cynically for before reluctantly stepping aside.
Sammy inhaled sharply, and her jaw slackened. "You're letting us go?"
"Well, I wasn't planning on tying you up and leaving you here. It stinks."
Although she should probably call the cops.
The grunts loosened their grip on each other, and Maria pulled completely away. Something about her stunned expression made Rosa feel self-conscious. "That's actually sort of nice."
What was that supposed to mean?
Maria swept a stray bang from her forehead. "You're still a trainer though, so I don't like you. Even if your Pokémon are somewhat okay with being your slaves, there's no justifying what you're doing to them. They don't belong to you; they'd be happier if you let them go."
Oh, geez. Not this speech again. Rosa's eyes rolled up to glimpse the musty ceiling. She was so tired of being told she was mistreating the creatures she thought of as family. "So you'd prefer if I stole Pokémon and forced them to battle for me instead?"
Sammy stepped in. "This is different, we're only using them for now."
"Yeah, it is different. It's kidnapping."
"We'll release Scraggy and Sandile as soon as the other Pokémon are free as well! Including yours."
Despite Rosa's irritation, it was Anna who was truly finished with the conversation. Fur prickling, the Riolu titled her nose up and strode purposefully to the place where Rosa knelt on the cold floor beside Sven. Her stony eyes burned as they locked with Maria's, and then, very blatantly, Anna took Rosa's hand.
Her body erupted into aureate light. It laced and warped as it ascended from her toes up the Pokémon's spine, and Anna's tiny form blossomed as her bones morphed and increased her stature. Her snout grew longer, wrist spikes sharper, coloring darker, and as the light of evolution dwindled, Rosa grasped her Lucario's hand and wrestled down the swell of emotions that suddenly gripped her. Riolu only evolved through circumstances of high friendship.
And it was her hand Anna was holding.
"Come on Maria, I think it's time to get out of here." Sammy whispered, her eyes never leaving the Lucario even as she urgently yanked on her partner's arm. Maria appeared thunderstruck. Her lips were pressed in a thin line, and her limbs were rigid, but she relented to her friend's urging and the two of them fled together down the foggy tunnel.
"That was very impressive. Your battling skills are sharp for one who appears so fragile."
The new voice behind Rosa sent her heart leaping from her chest. She gasped and twisted on her heels to find the intruder, but the darkness was too intense for her to see far enough down the channel.
"There's no need to be frightened. We've met before – just last night, if you recall."
Rosa's eyebrows drew together in confusion, and then the memory sparked. "You're the man from the Pokémon center. The one who gave up his room."
The sleek blue ring of hair became visible as the man marched forward, and soon after she identified the rim of his glasses and the flow of his cream-colored lab coat. There was an egotistical smile on his pale face, and as he directed the grin at her, Rosa's skin crawled. "That is correct, miss. I'm pleased to see my efforts weren't wasted on an ingrate. Tell me dear, how long have you been a trainer?"
She eyed him skeptically. "Two months."
Anna snarled and shielded Rosa behind her, but Rosa shook her head and whispered for her to stand down. Sven whimpered too and rubbed his furry head against her leg.
"I see. How extraordinary." The man said, tilting his head down to cup his chin thoughtfully.
"I don't mean to be rude sir, but what are you doing down here? Who are you?"
An angelic smile brightened his haughty expression, and he strolled towards her. "You take care now, dear girl. Do not get lost in the tunnels."
Rosa's Pokémon both stiffened at his approach, but he sauntered right past her and continued traveling down the sewer tunnel until the darkness swallowed him whole.