A/N: Thanks to Tbroome for your kind words. I've thought about focusing on one group only for each chapter, but I find that I get burned out on certain characters and events in stories when I focus too much on them. I've focused more on the Cerulean group this chapter, so let me know if you think I should fully convert to focusing on one group at a time. I'll try to make these a bit longer, but I don't have a ton of time to write because of work. Thanks again for reading! And please leave me a review to let me know what you guys think!
"Just give Bugsy my name. Ethan Gold from Goldenrod. We're old friends, he'll see me." Ethan shouted at the guardsmen that stood at the doors of the gym. "I gave him the damn scyther that's always following him around. I swear to whatever gods you pray to, he will see me."
The guard on the left side of the door shook his head. "His lordship is indisposed at the moment. When he has the time, he will see you."
Ethan massaged his temples, cupping his face with his hands. "His lordship will make the time for me if you just give him my name. It'll take you less than two minutes to go in there and tell him that Ethan Gold is outside."
The other guard shuffled his feet, shifting his weight. He glared at Ethan, eyes scanning the breeder's features. "Unless you've got the bloody emperor in your pack, you aren't getting through these doors."
The doors of the gym burst open, a young man followed by a scyther charging out. A pair of older men, one of them sporting a stomach that swayed side to side as he ran, following him. The young man skidded to a stop, spinning and beaming at Ethan. "Ethan?" He asked incredulously.
"Good to see you Bu…" Before he could finish, the boy's fist buried itself in Ethan's stomach. He doubled over, dropping to a knee. He coughed and looked up at the boy. "I deserved that." He stood up, staring Bugsy in the eyes. "When did you learn how to throw a punch?" He asked with a smile.
"Right after you left, old man." Bugsy shot back. "I had to practice for you."
Ethan put his hand over his heart and feigned weakness. "Oh you wound me kid." He dropped the act. "Try again when I hit thirty, maybe then that one might have an effect on me."
Bugsy shook his head while smiling. "So? What brings you to Azalea? I distinctly remember you saying that nothing and nobody interesting ever came to Azalea."
Ethan chuckled. "Well I'm here, so clearly that's not true." Ethan said before turning to more serious matters. "I was actually hoping you could tell me why travellers are being catalogued at the gates. On top of that, the centre is packed to the breaking point so it's obvious you aren't letting anyone leave."
Bugsy gave a weak smile. "Is it that obvious?" Ethan nodded, bringing a grimace to Bugsy's face. "It's the Rockets. They've seized Slowpoke Well."
One of the elder men recoiled. "My Lord, we agreed that we wouldn't be telling outsiders about this. We don't want to cause any unnecessary panic among the commoners."
Bugsy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes Captain, you did suggest that this could cause that reaction. However I don't recall agreeing with you." Bugsy glared at him with barely concealed fury. "Ethan Gold is a well respected member of the Goldenrod community. He might not have the long family history that you do, but his blood is every bit as noble as yours. He is not a commoner."
Ethan glanced between the two of them with an amused smirk on his face. "Well how about them apples?" He turned away from the captain and towards Bugsy. "You want my help with kicking the Rockets out of your territory?" The younger lord nodded. "Then fill me in. I want to know everything about what the Rockets are doing here, down to what they're eating and how many shits they take."
"Good morning!" Misty's voice was high and cheerful, despite her missed night of sleep. "Feeling ok?" She asked, noticing the pained look on Jay's face.
"Head hurts." He grimaced. "What happened last night? It feels like I picked a fight with the ground." He gritted his teeth as the pain in his head flared. "A particularly hard part of the ground." His head throbbed again. "And it hit back like an angry herd of tauros."
Misty laughed before shaking her head. "No, you just got yourself into a fist fight with a ghost."
Jay shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? First I fall into a pit of death, then I get mauled by ghosts. I swear, the shit I took last night has better luck than me." He sighed. "Can we get to Cerulean today?"
Misty nodded with a smile. "If we make good time, we should be there before mid-day." Her smile faltered. "I meant to ask last night, but I forgot. You were holding the ghost. Your hands were actually gripping it. How the fuck did you do that?"
Jay frowned. "I just grabbed it and held on so growlithe could get at it. Other people can't do that?"
Misty shook her head. "No. Normal people can't do anything like that. Normal people can't even see them without help. If there's anyone who could, they'd probably be in Lavender Town." She yawned and looked up at the sun. "Come on, we should get moving." She stood up, pulling her pack over her shoulder.
Ethan followed her, struggling to his feet, still exhausted despite the night of rest. He whistled for growlithe and hefted his pack onto his shoulder, the pokemon answering with a happy bark. "C'mon boy. We're gonna get you a nice treat when we get to the city." The dog barked happily, salivating heavily.
"Shut up, get down." Misty hissed. She ducked against the side of the bridge, peering over the top. Jay silently moved to her side, returning growlithe to his ball silently. "There's men on the bridge." She paused for a moment, counting the men before ducking back down beside Jay. "Six of them, at least one of them is a Rocket. They've all got pokemon with them."
"Fuck." Jay swore silently. "How're we gonna get by them?" He asked.
"Swim along the underside of the bridge?" She suggested.
Jay shook his head. "I can't swim. Even if I could, wouldn't they hear us?"
Misty looked down at the ground, thinking. The voices grew in volume, coming closer. She brought a single finger to her lips to shush Jay, listening intently.
"I don't care how many men you lose commander, I need results." The voice was high and cruel, any trace of emotion long since disappeared.
"But…" A gruff voice started before it was cut off by the other.
"No excuses. I'm under enough scrutiny without you fucking up. The rebels are out here. We both know it. If your men can't find them, then perhaps I hired the wrong man." The cruel voice was taunting.
Misty heard a sigh of frustration, and a the gruff voice growing closer. "Fuck, just give me a month. We've run into their patrols on the cape. If you would give me some of your men then I could have them within the week."
"No excuses commander. I want the location of that base by next week…" The voice paused. "Or perhaps I will make an example of you to motivate your men. It is so easy to keep order through fear you know." He strode off, storming down a path cut in the grass Jay and Misty had come out of the night before.
The gruff voice waited until he was out of sight then swore. "Fucking asshole." He turned to the men following. "Get to your squads, keep combing the cape. Try to take a prisoner if you run into a patrol this time."
One of the men raised an eyebrow at his command. "Sir? With all due respect, why don't you tell that guy to fuck off?"
The commander sighed. "Because they're paying us a shitload of money. We find the rebels and we live like kings for the rest of our lives."
The other man shook his head. "Just ask yourself if it's worth it."
The commander rounded on the other man angrily. "Do you think I wanted to take this contract? I wanted nothing to do with the Rockets! They offered us so much money that if I'd turned them down, the men would've been out for my blood." He sighed heavily. "Just go help organize the search. The sooner we finish this job the better."
The other man lingered for a moment before following the other men towards Cape Cerulean. The commander stalked off in a different direction, muttering to himself.
Misty waited until he was out of earshot then looked at Jay with an evil smirk. "I think I have an idea. You probably aren't going to like it though."
Jay groaned. "Just lay it on me. I doubt whatever it is could be worse than what happened last night."
She smiled at him. "We're going to have a chat with that merc. He's going to help us take back Cerulean."
Jay frowned. "Did you miss the part where he's working for the Rockets?" He asked.
Misty just smiled.
Brock, Daisy and her sisters stood around the table in Daisy's war room. Daisy and her sisters had gathered what bannermen they could. Far fewer men than Brock had hoped had answered Daisy's call, most of them only to declare their loyalty to her without actually committing any forces. He huffed in frustration as yet another man spoke up.
"I'm sorry, but the Rockets are simply too powerful to oppose. They have forces within the city and surrounding it." The portly man said. He wore the all too familiar look of feigned concern that Brock had seen too much of today. "If more were done to secure the city then we would openly declare ourselves. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that all of us want the Rockets pushed out as much as you do. However, we stand no chance against them."
Daisy spoke up, frustration clear in her voice. "I thank you for your kind words Lord Galbert. However I need more than just your words. I need your men, and their assistance in defending our city. You have a thousand men at your call. They could well be the tipping point in our favour."
Lord Galbert smiled serenely. "I apologize my Lady. I cannot commit my men to a cause that is so fraught with danger. The fact is, open opposition towards the Rockets is simply too dangerous."
Brock's fist slammed into the table, interrupting him. "Enough!" His steely gaze jumped from one noble to the next, fury in his eyes. "Did none of you come here to support your liege? Are all of you so cowardly that you run with your tails between your legs at the slightest sign of trouble? You are the nobles of Cerulean! Act like it! Prove that the oaths you swore to this woman were more than just idle words." He looked at the lords of Cerulean, his barely contained fury no longer hidden. "I have not sworn a single oath to this woman, but I am the one who has done the most for her." He unclenched his fists and took a breath. "Remember my lords, words are wind. It is action that has meaning. Prove that you mean to back up the oaths you swore with action."
The lords in the room shifted uncomfortably. Lord Galbert was the one to break the silence. "The Lord of Pewter has a point. I swore an oath to defend your mother my Lady. I failed in that. I will not have my word mean nothing." He turned towards Daisy and drew his sword. "I offer you my blade. My sword shall strike down your enemies, while my shield defends you from them. Will you accept my gifts?" He finished his declaration with the question, pointing all eyes towards Daisy.
She took a breath, then regarded the room. Her eyes rested on Galbert, and she took a breath. "I accept them with gratitude my lord. Never have I appreciated a gift so much." She looked at the other men in the room. "Is anyone else with us?" She asked.
As one, the rest of the room unsheathed their blades and held them out to her. Brock grinned and looked at the woman. He smiled to himself, impressed with the woman. The Lady of Cerulean, bowed her head, her action returned by her vassals. Brock leaned forwards, studying the men in the room. "If everyone here is in agreement, then I say it's high time that we get down to strategy."
Daisy looked at him, her face a mask of seriousness. "Well then, you're the most experienced strategist we have here. Show us what you have."
Brock smiled and cracked his knuckles. "It would be my pleasure my Lady."
"This is a terrible idea." Jay complained. "He's working for the Rockets, how do we know he won't just turn your ass over to them?"
"Misty shook her head. "Did you hear his voice too? He doesn't like working for them at all. He's already looking for a way out of the contract, and I'm gonna give him one hell of a reason." She motioned for him to follow, dashing towards where the commander had disappeared to.
Jay swore and ran after her, looking over his shoulder to check that they hadn't been noticed. He caught up to Misty, taking cover in the grass beside the path with her blade unsheathed. "Where is he?" He asked, his question answered before Misty could say a word.
He was standing on the other side of the path, relieving himself into the grass. "Ahhhhh, that's good." He pulled his pants back up, zipping them closed. He turned around, noticing the two in the grass. He froze, then slumped into a resigned stare. He knelt down and rubbed his hands in the dirt, then stood up and dusted them off. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Are you just gonna stand there pointing your knife at me or are you gonna get it over with?"
Misty swallowed and cleared her throat. "Sword on the ground now. No sudden movements or I'll gut you like a magikarp." When he didn't move to comply, Misty put more force into her words. "Now! Don't make me repeat myself."
He sighed and pulled his sword from its scabbard. He dropped it into the dirt beside him, glaring at Misty. "So? I'm disarmed. Now what? You demand my money and then kill me because I have none?" He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side, studying Jay. "You look like hell kid. Have a run in with a herd of tauros or something?" He looked to Misty next. "And half pint here looks like she'd cut your balls off if they got near her." He laughed. "Taken prisoner by the strangest pair of bandits I've ever seen. Mew help me, I'm going soft."
Misty stamped her foot, getting his attention. "Shut up and listen, because I've got an offer and I'm only gonna say it once. Otherwise I kill you and go find one of your men who's more willing to listen."
"Short stuff has a temper?" The merc said, surprised. "Well by all means, go ahead. It's not like I'm in a position to disagree."
Misty huffed in frustration then took a breath. "I know you're the commander of a mercenary force that's searching cape cerulean for a rebel base. I happen to know where that base is. I'm willing to share that information with you, for a price."
"Misty?! What the fuck? You ca…" Jay exclaimed cut off by a curt glare from Misty.
"I can and I will. I don't give a fuck about the rebellion, and if you're being honest with yourself neither do you." She said coldly, eyes hard. "The only thing I care about is Cerulean. If I can get my city back at the cost of a few hopelessly naïve souls then I make that choice in a heartbeat." She turned back to the merc, ignoring Jay. "Well?"
He raised an eyebrow and regarded Misty. "Alright kid, I'm listening. What's your price?"
She smiled. "All your men and a way into the Cerulean Gym."
Brock stepped into the tiny room, a smug grin on his face. Ash barely looked up from pikachu, continuing to scratch the back of his pokemon's head in a resigned silence. Gary looked up at him, greeting him with a nod.
"Anything good?" Gary asked.
Brock smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Plenty. We've got support. I doubt it's enough, but it's a start. The other nobles will come around once they realize that we've rallied some serious support to kick the Rockets out."
Gary looked down at Ash. "Who'd we get?" He asked, not looking up.
"Lord Rylen Galbert is the big catch. He's got over a thousand men pledged to him. Granted most of them are just farmers, but that's still a thousand more men than we had yesterday." Brock smiled while he spoke.
"Anyone else?" Gary asked.
Brock's smile morphed into a smile almost immediately. "A few minor lords from the valleys to the east. Barely four hundred men in between them." Brock sighed and sat heavily beside Gary. "Hopefully it's enough to sway more to join us." He looked down at Ash. "What's wrong with him?" He asked.
Gary shrugged. "I don't know. Probably guilty about what happened to Jay and Misty. Ash's always been like that." Gary looked up and yawned. "We haven't really had any time to ourselves since it happened. Without something to do, he's just been sitting there thinking. They were best friends. I can't say I wouldn't be acting the same way."
"I can hear you." Mumbled Ash. "It's not like I'm deaf. Stop talking to me like I'm not in the room."
Gary smiled and put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "I know bud. You gonna get up and do something about it?"
Ash sighed and closed his eyes. "Just don't bother me."
A/N: On a side note... 1500 views! That's amazing and without all of you beautiful readers, it would never have been possible. Thank you!
And on another side note, the NHL season is underway! As a self-loathing Leafs fan I kinda have to pick an actually decent team this year. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears. Sqcircles out!
