Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon.
Hey guys. Wow, I am on a role with all these crazy amount of updates. Unfortunately, that's going to have to stop now due to school.
Thank you SinCityAssassin for betaing this chapter.
Well, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 14:
"What? Why?" Lucas stared up befuddled, even a little frightened. He must have heard wrong. This very tall mister wanted to teach him psychic power, but for what reason? Lucas didn't even know the guy until today.
Uhh, Fuuta, this is not what we agreed to do, remember? We're supposed to tell him about his-
"Let's just say," Fuuta pushed out Spiritomb from his mind, "you're the chosen candidate… my protégé." His explanation merely confused Lucas even further. Fuuta forgot how hard it was to try and talk to someone more than twenty years younger than him.
"What is a 'candy date' and 'prote-'… 'proteg-'"
"Can-did-ate and pro-té-gé," Fuuta repeated his words slowly to the boy, "it means that I will teach you my knowledge so you can pass it on for future generations."
"Ohh...ok." Lucas still looked like he didn't get it, but he didn't ask any more questions.
Oh my god, Spiritomb groaned, if it weren't for the height, I'd swear Daniel came back from the grave.
Fuuta felt a stab of pain in his chest that was quickly replaced a wave of anger from Spiritomb's comment.
Oh, Spiritomb felt the killing intent from Fuuta, too soon for jokes?
"Just shut your trap."
"W-what?" Lucas looked frightened now and was trying to escape from his own bedroom. Fuuta's eyes were glowing into a dangerous blue. Fuuta remembered that he told Spiritomb that it could stay as long as it remained hidden during this whole thing.
"Oh sorry," Fuuta said hastily, realizing that he had spoken out loud, instead of mentally scolding the stoic Spiritomb. Taking mental deep breaths, Fuuta tried his best to calm down and sound less agitated. "Anyways, I just want to let you know that… I wish to teach you. That's all."
"O-okay," Lucas immediately looked down on his feet. The little boy didn't get it, but he learned that agreeing with the adult is the best thing to do, no matter what.
"I'll be busy, but I promise to come by and teach you at least once a week."
"Yes…"
"You don't need to bring anything," Fuuta explained. "It won't be easy, but the rewards are great."
"Uh huh," Lucas nodded. He still refused to look up.
"And one last thing. Don't tell Nova about this." Now Lucas' eyes made contact with Fuuta's.
"M-Mr. Nova? The man in charge of here?"
"That's right."
"W-why?"
"No reason really," Fuuta lied casually. If Nova found out, he'd have made sure that Fuuta would never see Lucas again. "Let's just say it's a surprise for him."
Want me to bring balloons and cake?
Shut UP, Spiritomb, Fuuta snapped, this time remembering to keep the response in his head.
"Umm…"
"Yes?" Fuuta could tell something was on the kid's mind. No pun intended.
"Have we met before?" The question shocked Fuuta.
"What do you mean?" Fuuta tried to keep calm and distant. "We've met just a while back with Yuma."
"No, I mean… before that… You have this look on your face like you know me." Fuuta fell silent. The kid didn't look it, but he was astute in ways he himself couldn't understand.
Just like Daniel was…
"Sorry," Fuuta said finally, "But this is the first time we really talked." He might as well speak the truth sometimes.
…
Ten years ago…
"Wait a minute, hold on. You? Teach ME psychic powers?" Daniel was about to take a sip from his fizzy juice but completely forgot about it as he stared at Fuuta. They leaned against the railing that towered over the dark forest below, watching the sunset. A flock of Starly were flying off into the distance and the buzz from the Kricketunes and Kricketots resonated loudly from within the black forest.
Fuuta could feel the stare, but he ignored it and focused his gaze on the center of the red and orange mixture painted across the sky. He pressed his lips firmly together. He wasn't going to say what was really on his mind.
"Fuuta, did I hear you correctly? Are you seriously asking a guy like me?"
"Yep." There was another long silence before Daniel spoke up again. He sighed and shook his head.
"Fuuta, last time I tried I got was a bloody nose remember? And that was the only thing that happened. Face it, you and I both know that I not cut out for this whole psychic stuff…zero compatibility," Fuuta didn't respond. Of course he remembered. Everything Daniel said was true. Heck, the bloody nose was an understatement; Daniel had to be rushed to the ER because the bleeding wouldn't stop. He went through ten boxes of tissues along with two days of serious blood transfusion before he was considered stable.
"Look, I don't know what's going on since I'm not a natural psychic, but if you're feeling like an outcast because of your ability, you should know that-"
"That's not it!" Fuuta snapped angrily and perhaps too harshly. He turned just in time to see the stung look on Daniel's face.
"T-then what is it?"
Fuuta didn't respond again and just looked back at the sunset. But Daniel simply waited for an explanation. He was good at that.
"Did you really think the reason would be as selfish as trying not to be an outcast? Why don't you go through my shoes for once, and realize how it feels for your best friend to never once appreciate your abilities?!"
"Huh?" Daniel looked shocked. Another stunned silence before he spoke again, this time in a panicky voice.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on! I thought I was your best friend! Why would I not appreciate you? Is this what you wanted to talk about? Are you trying to say something about our friendship?!" Even after being friends with him all this time, Daniel was still as confounded as he ever was when put into a spot.
"You idiot!" Fuuta yelled. He couldn't believe that he still had to spell everything out. It made the whole melodrama look utterly pathetic. "You're still my best friend!"
There was another silence as Daniel slowly started to realize what Fuuta was saying. And when the recognition registered in his eyes…
"Oh ok, then what is it then?"
"It's just… you! You are the one who doesn't acknowledge my usefulness or appreciate what I can do!"
"A-appreciate?" Daniel looked horrified that his own friend could think such a thing. "Fuuta, I admire your psychic powers. I really do."
"Then why? Why didn't you even let me help you?"
"You're the only guy I trust who can open pickle jars. That is super powers right there you know."
"NOT THAT KIND OF HELP!"
"Then what are you talking about?" Daniel sounded impatient now, wanting Fuuta to get to the point, the one he seemed to have kept bottled up for the past few weeks. Suddenly, the psychic grabbed Daniel's arm and jerked him forward; he was wearing long sleeves in the summer heat.
Daniel tried to pull Fuuta away from his arm, but Fuuta managed to grab the end of the sleeve and pulled it back to reveal Daniel's skin.
"THIS is what I'm talking about!" The skin on Daniel's arm was covered severe burn marks, along with a long, jagged puprle scar mark that ran down to the wrist. It was healing, but the color suggested that the wounds were still fresh. It was a horrible sight that would've made anyone gaped in horror. Daniel jerked his arm away from Fuuta's grip and quickly hid it; the secret was finally out in the open.
"H-how?" Daniel didn't seem angry about the reveal, but he was shocked and frightened.
"I'm a psychic, remember?" Fuuta's gaze seethed through Daniel's weak defense. "But I also noticed how you avoided using that arm for the last two weeks."
"It's just a few burn marks…" Daniel muttered defensively, "Nothing serious."
"Does Shiki know?"
Daniel flinched at the question and then responded quietly. "No, she doesn't know…"
"Yeah, of course she doesn't. I don't need to be a mind reader to know you're that predictable."
"Fuuta, please… Don't tell her."
"What happened?"
"Why are you asking me? Aren't you going to mind read me for that answer?" Daniel sounded angry now.
"You know, listening to people's voices inside my head is not good for my health or my psychosis analysis." Despite the sarcastic joke, Fuuta didn't smile and crossed his shoulders across his chest. "Start talking. NOW."
It was an order.
Not the type of guy who could stay mad, Daniel merely looked back sadly. Fuuta had a guess what was going on through his friend's head. Despite Daniel's stagnant displays of emotion, Fuuta had changed a lot over the past few months. His cheerfulness was replaced with a more moody seriousness. Maybe it was because of the rumors of an inevitable war looming above their heads. Regardless of the fact that the area they resided in was a supposed safe zone, Fuuta knew that this meeting might be the last one they would ever have.
"I didn't tell you this," Daniel started slowly, "but I was traveling to Twinleaf Town, when I heard noises at Lake Verity. When I checked it out, I found myself surrounded by those Galactic grunts…"
"Wait…Daniel… You didn't…" Fuuta regarded his friend with shock, "don't tell me you were the one that defeated the Team Galactic lake encampment…" Daniel refused to acknowledge anything, and that was the only answer he needed. Fuuta felt like he just received a huge blow to the head, even with his powers this tidbit of information didn't even register.
During then, Fuuta was out training at Snowpoint City. News from down south reported of an attack at Lake Verity. A lone trainer, whose identity wasn't given for protection, defeated most of the entire company stationed there. Although it was amazing for one trainer to fight off an entire army, Fuuta didn't find it too much importance, even with rumors of a Team Galactic commander at the site; there were so many raids like that all over the Sinnoh region.
"They sort of overblown it, their group was smaller than a company. That Mars woman was a lot stronger than I expected," Daniel said grimly and looked away, "Magmortar got a serious pummeling."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Daniel didn't say anything and merely continued to drink from his can of soda. He was clearly avoiding the question.
Fuuta slapped the can out of Daniel's hand. The can clanked against the ground, spilling liquid everywhere. Fuuta was furious now. He grabbed him by the collar; the roles were reversed now.
"ANSWER ME DANIEL!"
…
Present day…
The wind had finally died down by late afternoon. The guardsmen around Fuego Ironworks were able to have a reprieve from the constant gusts. Almost all of them had Pokémon– many of them common.
Not one really spoke much, but then again, they weren't really friends. Pleasant conversation would find its way into the shift on occasion, but trust was something really hard to gain among them.
"Hey," one of the men grunted after scanning across the area with his telescope. He motioned the others into position.
Two strangers, both wearing heavy cloaks, calmly approached the facility. And strangers were never good news. The guards became alert; the few that carried weapons readied them for a clash. The two cloaked beings came to a complete stop when they noticed the hostile aura of the men before them. The Pokémon growled menacingly and were ready to attack at a command.
"State your name!" One of the guards yelled out over the edge.
"Ah, hello, hello, sorry for the intrusion," the man removed the hood to reveal his face, the man in front of them looked to be in his late thirties, his hair a dark shade of brown and shades adorning his face, "I am Professor Buchner! You may call me Professor. Most people do actually; it just sounds more important, doesn't it?" The man gave a rather cheery grin and the guards were hesitant for a moment. They didn't lower their guard, but they were curious. Why would scientist would be all the way out here?
"If it is not too much trouble," Professor Buchner continued in his tweedy sounding accent. "Would you mind calling off your Pokémon and lowering your weapons? Guns pointed at me tend to scare me to kingdom come." The other man made some odd coughing noise, but didn't say anything. It did grab the other people's attention.
"What about your lovely friend over there? Let him show his face as well."
"Well, this here is my friend Watson!" Professor Buchner said in his friend's stead. "He is my assistant and friend. He is a bit sensitive to the cold so you'll excuse him for not removing his cloak. Nasty weather here as you know."
There was an uneasy silence and the group huddled together and spoke in hushed whispers.
"Idiots," Gilder (aka Professor Buchner) sighed, returning to his normal voice, "This is too easy it's insulting. Look at them just turning their backs to us."
"I wouldn't blame them, if I had to talk to you for the first time," Gilder's friend (aka Watson) whispered. "And seriously, what kind of name is 'Buchner'?"
"What? I like it. Makes me sound very smart."
"You named yourself after a fermentation chemist. Unless you plan to drink yourself to hell and back, you two have absolutely nothing in common."
"Kill joy."
"And here I thought you were the professor."
"State your business!" Gilder looked up to see that none of the men had lowered their weapons, and they were rather eager to use them. Perhaps these men were desperate for some action.
"Really, gentlemen," Gilder said, returning back to his terrible accent, "Me and my colleague are merely weary travelers. We just need shelter for a short while."
"You aren't welcome here! Not unless your friend shows his face." It was clear that they were adamant on knowing who was under the other hood. Gilder had many jokes running through his head at that moment that would go unfulfilled.
"Come on," Gilder whispered, "Take one for the team."
"Well, I refuse," the man hissed back. Gilder knew that his friend was extremely touchy of allowing just anybody to see his face, but when he snapped like this, things were turning from bad to worse. And sure enough, before Gilder could convince his friend otherwise…
"I refuse to take off my hood!"
"Get off our property then!" Gun cocked now and Gilder could see the beady angry eyes from Pokémon around.
"I'm sorry, but that almost sounded like you thought you were worthy of any sort of authority around here," the man codenamed as Watson snarled back. His once cool demeanor evaporated, entirely replaced with nothing but contempt. "Look at you whelps, all I see is a bunch of frightened imbeciles walking around, pretending to understand the concept of teamwork that you all lack the intelligence to comprehend. Tell me," the man jabbed a finger at the guard in front of him, "just how many of your "friends" here would be willing to save your ass when I destroy it?"
"Uhh, gentlemen?" Gilder butted in, "It would be in the best interest of both parties to try and resolve this more peaceful-?" But he was interrupted; the insult was too much for the guards to standby any longer.
"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU! GET HIM, BOYS!" Immediately, Pokémon dropped down from the rooftops and appearing from beside the guards, ready to attack. Before long, Gilder and his partner were encircled. Now even if they could get out of this messy situation with their own Pokémon, they were still easy targets for the guardsmen from high above. Some were now coming down the fort to get some of the action.
"Great, they're ganging on us. Not even trying to fight fairly."
"And whose fault is that?" Gilder glared at his partner, who had reverted back to his calm disposition. His partner casually shrugged the anger off and reached for his Poke ball. One of the Raticate bared its deadly fangs and Gilder knew from a glance that one chomp could cleave through his arms.
"Well," Gilder sighed as he looked up. He reached for his belt as well but pulled out a heavy set of dueling pistols. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."
…
Undetermined Galactic Facility (hours after the Galactic Warehouse Infiltration)…
"How is Pain doing?" A man stood in the room, donning a blue surgical gown over an expensive suit with shiny black shoes. He looked entirely out of place.
He spoke as he cleaned through his fingernails with one hand and sounding bored, clearly disliking the sterile environment he was in.
"That blade just barely missed his vitals," the doctor explained calmly, removing his surgical mask. As he washed his hands, the water changed into a sickly bright red. "He's lost a lot of blood though, so we're unfortunately going to have to keep him here for several blood transfusions… Sir." The doctor added the last part in fluster and haste as though he just remembered who he was talking to.
"Don't worry," the man said calmly, his piercing brown eyes meeting with the doctor's. "He's not dead, that is all that we care about." He was in his late twenties, quite young for the veteran surgeon to be calling 'sir'.
Despite his thick, cropped hair, and cleanly shaven face, his eyes gave way to a man that seemed to thrive through misery of others. The surgeon had to be careful of what he said from this point on.
"Is he stable now to talk to?" the important man asked.
"Yes, sir. Though his condition prevents him from anything extraneous, I'd advised that you should not-."
"Will not take long. I promise." The man's voice was firm; he wasn't to be refused.
"Understood." The doctor motioned one of the male nurses, who quickly disappeared into the back room to prepare the ward before coming back to motion the man with him.
"It is set up. And his room is in the special ward."
"Excellent," the man said, "Now, can I take off this scrub? It's really not my style."
…
Galactic Headquarters' Special Ward…
"Good evening, Pain. I see you are looking well," the man said, appearing under the blue florescent light. "As well as cut up cheese can look anyhow."
"Shut up," Pain snarled, his face looked sickly under the light but his temper sure hadn't changed. If it weren't for the barrier that surrounded Pain, he wouldn't hesitate to give him a taste of what pain really felt like. "I was only careless that one time."
"Careless? You? This is more than just carelessness, Pain. You do realize that your negligence is what caused us billions in research. "
"I think you realize you should shut the hell up, Erik!" The heart rate spiked up on the monitor, but the man couldn't help but chuckle at the state of the once mighty Pain, shattered from his former glory.
"Still, the director seems to have forgiven you, since he found it in his heart to save your sorry hide. I guess giving us more information about the psychic put you in his good graces more than usual."
I'm going to kill that bastard, Pain thought, shuddering at the recollection of the psychic blowing through his defenses and reading his thoughts. Pain's mind was his sanctuary; anybody trespassing was going to end up dead, burned, and mutilated. The order did not really matter.
"I thought you would be happier to have found someone like you," the man continued, noticing Pain's disgust. "I expected it was like a nice family reunion for you."
"Speaking of family, how is your brother?" The smile of Erik's face shut out like a broken light bulb. Pain grinned madly; even a man like Erik had buttons to push.
"You're crossing a line there, Pain. I suggested you back away while I'm still in a good mood." Erik's voice was soft, but its tone was steely.
"Still pissed off that your brother joined the Resistance, I see. Makes me wonder if what transpired in the warehouse wasn't just due to any sort of 'leaked information.'"
"Your incompetence caused us to lose data," Erik reminded Pain. "Still, because of your state, I highly suggest that you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you."
"And if you know what's good for you, better not try to contemplate anything to piss off the director," Pain replied. Erik turned and left quietly, slamming the door shut with such force that a crack appeared on the doorframe.
Annoying how the little prick thinks he's all that.
…
Back at the Resistance base…
Assassin constantly stabbed at the dummy target until it was full of holes and ripped stuffing. With nothing else to do until the next mission, she had dedicated her off time to training. Still, it felt pointless to practice on something that wasn't made of flesh and blood. Unfortunately, no one was stupid enough to volunteer to be the 'dummy'. She was starting to understand why the ninja girl was always so desperate to find living test subjects for her training.
"Wow, you've been working hard. The thing's got more holes in that thing than a scattergun."
She perked up at a voice she did not recognize, and quickly turned her blades in their direction.
"Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoawhoa!" Donovan exclaimed as he ducked, barely dodging the claws. The wafer in his hand dropped to the floor. "Easy, kid. It's me!" Assassin stopped, but she didn't lower her blades.
"Me? Donovan? You know… the guy in charge of seizing the plans with your team? The big cheese? The copycat? Delta One? It was just a couple of hours ago… Please don't kill me." Despite the discrepancy in height, Donovan well knew it didn't matter for the killer blind girl. And it didn't really matter to the blades near his neck.
"I don't have any team," Assassin said, she lowered her blade and quite literally disappeared into the shadows before appearing again to continue her stab session with the practice dummy.
"Well aren't you precious…" he muttered to himself.
These dummies were a bit pricey, incidentally, meant to survive the impact of a Tauros. At this point, Donovan was starting to wonder if Assassin was just training or was venting out some intense anger on the poor thing. He hoped it was the former.
"Ahem, so…" Donovan coughed out, signaling that he was still wanted to talk. Assassin took a swipe at the dummy's legs. "I heard you reported to Mr. Nova before anybody else on your team."
"So?" A stab to the head.
"Well, err… by doing that, he decided to start utilizing the psychic and ghost PMs for combat. And when I mean PMs, I mean one in particular – Henry."
"And?" Two twisting stabs at the torso, both in the heart.
"You know who Henry is, right?" Assassin stopped her assault on the dummy.
"The Haunter PM?"
"That's the one."
"Then yes. Are we done here?" Assassin pressed a button on the wall and the tattered dummy was replaced with a new one by a dumbwaiter system. Assassin continued with the process of absolutely stabbing the thing to smithereens.
Donovan finally decided to stop beating around the bush and went straight to the point. "Why did you go tell Nova about that psychic without our input?" Assassin stopped again, except this time, her blades retracted, reverting back to her normal fingers. Donovan relaxed only slightly as Assassin turned to look at him. It was a pointless gesture, but the atmosphere called for it.
"Is this the problem you have with me? That I'm doing my job?" Her voice had a cold and unfriendly tone did not match the image of an eight-year-old child. If it weren't for the fact he knew what true maliciousness was, Donovan would've shirked away without a word. Granted he was extremely intimidated by her, but not enough to stop talking.
"Well. You know Henry; he isn't fit for battle yet." Donovan had to be careful, he didn't want make it sound like Assassin was to blame for the decision. "Maybe if you had…"
"What? Lied about the enemy's forces and keep important information away from the Resistance?"
"Okay, now you're just putting words in my mouth. And I'm telling you now, they taste unripe," Donovan said, slightly irritated. "Come on, you've talked to him before. The last thing we need is him out in the field before he's ready."
"You're just as messed up as he is and you seem fine."
"Well, thanks I gue-wait a minute."
"It doesn't matter who told Nova, now does it? Henry would've been forced to fight either way, instead of just sitting in the medical ward doing who knows what."
"You could've given all of us a heads up. We could've tried and convince Nova for some other action."
"Convince him? Are you sure we're talking about the same Nova person? Have you met Ray?" Assassin gave him a dry look.
He silently scratched the back of his head in an awkward pause. As much as Donovan felt otherwise, she was right. No matter how the scenario had happened, it was only a matter of time before Henry would be put in the front lines. But… it just doesn't seem right…
Assassin took Donovan's silence as his answer and went back to her training in silent annoyance. This time, she clearly didn't want to be interrupted. Donovan sighed in defeat and turned to leave when Assassin spoke up again.
"Word of caution," she added as her fingers reverted back into long thin blades, "If you ever want to talk to me, be sure to think it out before you make yourself sound stupid."
"And I'll be sure to give you a heads up about it, little lady," he said sarcastically.
Slighted, Assassin turned at him with her blades again, only to find no one there.
Meanwhile, people outside the training facility wondered why Donovan was running off with all his might in the opposite direction.
Author's Notes
So, we're being introduced to a new character and bringing back quite a few from previous chapters. Don't worry, everything will slowly come together and make sense.
And another flashback. I have to admit, Daniel is starting to become one of my favorite characters. And Gilder as well. Lol.
So, sixth gen of Pokémon is coming out. Any thoughts about it? What do you think of it now being all 3-D?
And did anybody saw that new Eevee evolution? It's so… pink. But it is kind of cute.
Moving on, as you might know from the other stories, I would like to have a 'profile' picture for this story but due to my lack of drawing skills, I would like to ask my readers to see if anybody is interested in drawing something instead. Just remember to give me a heads up.
Thanks for reading. I'll see you in the next chapter.
-JapanDreamer