Thanks to Eevee101 for reviewing the previous chapter!
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Chapter Thirteen: Image of Hope
She was trembling, not from the cold since Veilstone was quiet warm, but rather with anger. She felt like she had received a slap in the face and a punch in the stomach. The boss acted like he cared about her, but he didn't. Now her boss was sending her on some dangerous mission to catch a Lake Guardian. We're going to use a bomb to draw the Pokemon out, he said, like it was an easy task to do.
A bomb? Bombs exploded. Bombs caused destruction. Buildings fell apart and people died as a result of bombs going off. Did the boss value her life that little he was happy enough to send her away to place herself at risk of death? What if the bomb went off before she could get away? Instead of finding a Lake Guardian, the local authorities would find her dead body instead.
She didn't leave the hallway. Instead, she pressed her body up against the boss's door trying to eavesdrop. He was on the phone talking to someone. She caught the words, 'Hearthome, Pokemon Centre' and 'I'll be there soon'. Whoever it was, it must be someone with some importance to convince the boss to come all the way to the other side of the region again. Dawn? Dawn's mother? Her fingers curled the hemline of her dress at the thought.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?" A voice said behind her. Mars pulled away from the door, jerking her head towards the source of the voice. She was not surprised to see Charon standing there wearing a smug expression.
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Charon with distaste. "So what if I have?"
Charon stepped towards her. Mars tried stepping away, but her back was already up against the door. Her muscles tensed. "Didn't I tell you this was going to happen?"
She took in a deep mouthful of air. He took another step towards her, closing the distance between them. He was now an arm's length away. "I was wrong and you were right. Is that what you want to hear?" she retorted, trying to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't conceal the irritation in her tone.
"I want you to be happy, Mars. I only what what's best for you. What's best for us."
"If you cared about me, you would've told me about the boss and his secret girlfriend a long while ago," she hissed. Somehow 'boss' and 'girlfriend' didn't feel right. If she didn't know the truth, she would've laughed about it. It sounded like a joke.
Charon chuckled. "You would never have believed me." He took a step closer, so close Mars could feel his hot breath washing over her face. It wasn't cold, but she shivered. "I need your assistance, Mars. You and Jupiter are the only two I can trust." He reached out to grab her arm. She flinched at his touch. "You don't need to be afraid, Mars. I'm here to help you."
She looked into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts. It was often said you could tell a lot by a person by reading their eyes. "I've heard those words before and they turned out to be nothing more than a lie. What makes you think I can trust you?" Her voice trembled.
He brought his face close to her ear and whispered. "I have no reason to lie to you." He pulled away, brown eyes looking back into hers, watching her reaction closely. "I know he hurt you – I'm giving you a chance to fight back."
A chance to fight back, to make him feel the way she did. But did their boss even care about anything? Half the time she wasn't sure. "You want me to hurt him, fine, but how? It's hard to break down that invisible wall he's built up around him."
"I need you to carry out the task he's given you, but you'll need to work for me as well." Charon brought a hand to her face, placing a finger underneath her chin, tilting it upwards gently. "I suspect he wants you to locate one of the Lake Guardians, am I right?" She nodded. "Mesprit, yes?"
"Yes." She didn't even bother asking why he knew that. Charon had been around much longer than she had; he probably knew about the Lake Guardians long before anyone else did.
Charon trailed his finger down her chin, her throat, stopping at the top of her sternum. "Legends often state Mesprit erases the emotions of the one who touches it, and our boss's ultimate goal is to remove the world of emotion."
Mars's eyes widened. That was the boss' goal? Remove the world of emotion and spirit? What was the point in that? What benefit did he hope to gain from removing the very thing that gave life meaning? "What?" she gasped, trying to wrap her head around such a bizarre course of action. It didn't make any sense.
Charon moved his finger away. "He believes the legends, but the legends are just stories."
Mars touched the spot Charon had his finger on. It was wrong; he was twice her age, but his touch conjured feelings in her she never thought she'd experience. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled, dropping her hand at her side. "Just stories?"
"Mesprit will have the reverse effect. The Lake Guardian will not remove emotions, but rather will only make feelings stronger. Think about it, Mars. The Lake Guardians are legendary Pokemon and we know legendaries do not like being trifled with. They respond to trainers with pure hearts, not to those with tainted or impure hearts. If you were Mesprit, how would you react if some fool was trying to capture you? Wouldn't you like to punish them?"
This was a lot of information to absorb. "So you're saying Mesprit can punish?"
Charon smiled slightly. "Cyrus wants to remove emotions, right? Wouldn't it be amusing to do the reverse of what the legends claim you do? Why would Mesprit grant a trainer like Cyrus what he wants?" He started pacing back and forth, keeping his voice low, as he spoke. "Do what Cyrus orders you and capture Mesprit. The bomb squad will come with you, but you'll have to be the one to inject the Mesprit with this." He reached down into his pocket pulling out a needle. "You'll have to be quick."
She took it. The injection was at least eight inches long. Just the thought of having that enter her flesh made her skin crawl. Ouch. But she wasn't on the receiving end so it didn't matter. The Pokemon needed to feel pain. Cyrus himself needed to suffer and what better way to make it happen than deny him what he wanted? The right corner of her mouth curved upwards into a sinister smirk. "Sounds like a plan I'm willing to be a part of, but what if he finds out?"
"He won't."
The door opened and the boss stepped through, stopping abruptly when he noticed Charon and Mars blocking the hallway. His eyes moved to Mars, to Charon then back to Mars again, demanding an explanation. "Mars, you have a task to complete." Mars nodded. "Charon, I need you to watch the place during my temporary absence. Tell Jupiter she needs to leave now otherwise I'm sending you in her place."
Charon bowed. "Yes, boss."
Cyrus pushed past Mars and Charon, making quick strides down the hallway. Whoever had called him on the Xtransceiver must've been important to make him move that quick. An idea formed in her mind, as she watched him head towards the steps. He was going to Hearthome City. She had a mission at Lake Verity. Hearthome City was the halfway point. There'd be no harm in spending a bit of time in Hearthome while the bomb squad prepared themselves for the task. This could be her only chance to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman on the other end. If she was lucky, she might even get a chance to beat that stupid girl Dawn.
"No one makes a fool of me…" she murmured, curling her fingers into fists, as she followed the boss from a distance. She couldn't leave the building right away obviously – the boss would notice her following him. She had to be discreet and that mean changing out of her uniform into something not so eye-catching. Veilstone City had quite a number of clothes shops. Most of the attire here was designed for the party lifestyle, but there were some shops that sold casual wear.
She waited for a few moments until she was sure Cyrus had reached the bottom then she made her way down. "Commander Mars!" One of the grunts said, running over to greet the commander. Mars stopped, suppressed a growl then turned around to face the grunt. "We are to accompany you to Lake Verity!"
Right. Of course. The bomb squad. She couldn't have them following her to Hearthome City to spy on the boss. They'd probably tell Cyrus she was snooping and then who knows what would happen? "Meet me there at Lake Verity."
The grunt looked at her blankly.
"You do know where Lake Verity is right?"
The grunt nodded. "Yes, commander. But the boss said you'd be coming with us."
Mars placed a hand on her hip and glared. "You are under my charge. You answer to me. You will wait for me at the lake."
The grunt nodded again, his brows furrowed in thought. "Yes, commander." He turned away and retreated to the lounge. Mars shook her head. For her sake, she hoped the grunt wasn't lying when he said he knew the way to Lake Verity otherwise the plans involving Mesprit would not happen. Shaking her head, she exited the building, turning a sharp right towards the shopping mall.
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She stood in front of her full-length mirror, admiring the image staring back at her. Tonight was going to be a huge night and she wanted to make sure she looked her best to impress. The local people of Veilstone often viewed her as the tomboy type since she enjoyed boxing, but she wanted to show her critics she could be elegant as well.
She was currently wearing a strapless peach-coloured maxi dress. It wasn't her preferred choice of colour, but the shop didn't have anything else on offer since they were out of stock at the moment. The lady had given her a discount as a form of apology and had given her a hair and makeup appointment for free. There weren't many moments when she dressed up, but tonight just felt like the right time.
Besides, it wasn't like she had anything else to do. The gym was quiet – they hadn't had a decent challenger in months and she was starved of entertainment. Playing with the slot machines and drinking with friends got boring after awhile, especially when friends were ill company. That was the problem of living in Sinnoh's nightlife city – there was so much to do here a trainer could easily spend a year just having fun.
Jubilife was the region's busiest capital and also the most populated, but it was a place for business. Veilstone on the other hand, was a party town. During the day, the city was mostly quiet. There wasn't much to do throughout the day other than browse aisles and shop. But at night, it was a completely different place. The streetlights turned, and each bulb was a different colour of the rainbow, giving the city a real joyous atmosphere.
The big attraction of Veilstone was its casino. It was four floors high and catered for every adult's need for night life entertainment. There was a bar and restaurant on the bottom floor while the slot machines, blackjack and roulette tables were on the second floor. Both floors were accessible to visitors all day long. The other two floors opened at night and were strictly for adults only. A dance floor and stage area was hosted on the third floor with a bar while the top floor was for those interested in watching exotic dancers perform on stage in minimal or no clothing at all while receiving drinks from the bar.
She never visited that floor for obvious reasons, but she knew some of the male gym leaders visited from time to time. Volkner was such a man and she hoped to casually 'bump' into him tonight. The word was the electric-type trainer of Sunyshore was bored with his job. The lack of good challengers was his reason – the guy was actually contemplating resigning from his role as gym leader because of his boredom. He couldn't leave just yet though as he still had six months left in his contract. The guy kept himself amused by turning the power off in the city when he was in one of his moods.
There was a hard knock on her door. "Maylene, are you sure this is a good idea? Those freaks with the weird bowl haircuts are going to be there tonight you know. I don't trust them and neither should you," said a voice belonging to Darren, her eldest trainer. The boy had just turned nineteen three days ago, making him a year older than herself.
"I'm not worried, Darren," Maylene replied, carefully putting on a gold hoop earring into the hole on her left earlobe. The trainers with the bad haircuts were not new to the neighbourhood. They had been living in the massive five storey building on the cliff top of the north-eastern corner of the city for a couple of years now, but only recently had there been any signs of activity. Maylene caught a glimpse of them from time to time, but she never gave them much attention and they didn't bother her.
"I'm worried about you, Maylene. I've been hearing bad things about them."
Maylene looked in the mirror again and did a twirl, making sure her rear end did not look out of proportion. She studied herself for a couple of moments then walked away from the mirror to grab her heels resting by the bottom of the bed. Walking in heels was going to be a challenge since she never wore them. Being a gym leader of fighting-types wasn't a heel friendly occupation. She slipped her feet into a pair of pointed high heels, wincing at the unfamiliar discomfort, as her toes were crushed together. She adjusted the strap so it didn't feel loose.
Slowly, she took a step forwards, stretching her arms to the sides to keep her balance, silently preying to Arceus she wouldn't topple over and break a leg. These heels were dangerous for the untrained! She took another step, berating herself for not having done a practice run earlier in the week. Her feet were going to be in pain tomorrow. Again, she took another baby step. What had the woman said? Don't think about it. Just walk like normal.
It was hard not to concentrate on her feet though. The heels were at least two inches high. If her heels managed to get caught on something… A visible shudder raced down her spine. Don't think bad thoughts, she told herself. She moved forward, keeping her eyes focused on the door and not at the ground. Somehow, she made it to the end without falling over. She curled her fingers around the door knob and opened it.
Darren was dressed in his white fighting robes and wore the red headband wrapped around his forehead, which assisted in keeping his black locks from sticking to his forehead. All trainers studying under her were required to wear the garbs as they granted more freedom than the usual standard clothing. He was panting, and his forehead was dripping with sweat, an obvious sign he had been practicing. "They call themselves Galactic and- Wow, Maylene! You look beautiful!" He smiled.
She smiled back, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of those comments – usually, people said, 'you lack the chest to wear a nice dress', whatever the hell that meant. "Thanks, Darren."
"Do you need any help? Those heels look uncomfortable."
She shook her head. "I'll manage, but thanks anyway." She shuffled forward, exiting her room and stepped into the main gym area. There were four boxing rings in the centre of the room and a trainer had to go through each one and beat their opponent before advancing to the gym leader. Reaching each ring wasn't so simple though – punching bags and stacked tyres blocked the way. A trainer had to climb over tyres and punch bags to free passageways. It was a test to determine whether or not a trainer had the physical strength to overcome tough challenges life presented.
The other three boys, Jeffery, Rafael and Colby, were absent. Usually, she could hear the boys lifting weights in the weights room. "Where are your brothers?"
"They will be watching the fighting tournament in the lounging area. Brawly's Hariyama is battling Chuck's Hitmonchan in an hour's time and then Marshal will be having an Elite Four showdown with Bruno. Marshal will be using his Lucario to battle against Bruno's Lucario."
Maylene raised her eyebrows. "A Lucario showdown then. I kinda wish I was competing." The annual fighting tournament took place in a different region each year. This year it was being held in Unova in Driftveil City. Maylene had received an invitation, but had decided not to compete to spend more time training her Pokemon. "Oh well, there's always next year anyway." They continued walking until they reached the front entrance of the dojo. Darren pulled the door open and Maylene carefully stepped down on the first step. She turned to look up at him. "I'll be back sometime later in the night. If you need any food, there's money on in the split punching bag. Just order in pizza. Take care!" She waved. Darren nodded and waved back.
The door closed behind her. She flattened her dress, took in a deep breath then exhaled. Time to enjoy the nightlife Veilstone City had to offer.
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A couple of hours had passed since the transfusion, and Cyrus found himself in his own room, watched over by a couple of nurses. He insisted on leaving immediately, but the nurses forced him down, claiming that he needed to spend the night here to make sure everything was all right. He didn't have time. He needed to be back at the Galactic Headquarters making preparations for the capture of the three Lake Guardians. Instead, he was here lying down on a bed with a hard mattress with nothing else to do but reflect on the past.
The nurse had left him a couple of snacks and a couple glasses of water for him to have. A fair amount of blood had been given and the nurse insisted he needed to eat, drink and rest to recover. He wasn't going to be going anywhere for awhile, at least not until tomorrow. There was nothing to do in this room, no television to watch, no books to read, nothing.
"I'm going to leave you now, but if you need me, just press the red button next to your bed and I will come," the nurse lady said.
Cyrus didn't say anything. He just wanted to be out of here. The nurse left. At least he was alone now. It gave him some time to think of his next move. The commanders had probably left for their missions now. During their absence, he'd have to set up the tools to extract the gems with Charon's help. They'd need a powerful machine to hold down a legendary Pokemon long enough to harvest the gem's power. It would be painful, but a necessary action for the world to be a better place. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made.
The door opened. Johanna stepped inside, locked the door and switched off the lights so he could hardly see what was happening. She made her way across the room and sat down on a chair next to his bed. Her hand reached a nearby lamp to turn the light on. Now he could see her clearly. "I'm glad you answered my call," she said softly, peering down at him.
He snorted. "You didn't leave me much of a choice."
"The doctors tell me the transfusion went perfectly." A smile spread across her face. "Dawn's going to be fine." She reached a hand over and took his right. "You saved her life." He said nothing. He might've saved her life, but it hadn't changed anything. Her smile faded. "You're going to leave again, aren't you?"
"I have to."
She bit her lip and looked away briefly, as if debating with herself what to say next. She turned her head back around. "I want you to stay."
"You know I can't do that."
"Because of Galactic, right?" She released his hand and drew it back to wipe her eyes. "What's more important to you, Cyrus? Your family or your job?" she said softly.
He was silent once again. Jupiter had asked him a similar question earlier in the week. Where do your loyalties lie? "I'm doing what needs to be done." Couldn't she see it? He was going to make the world a better place to live. There would be no reason for tears and fear in his new world.
"What needs to be done?" she replied curtly. "You still believe you can make our world a better place? The world isn't as bad as you believe it to be." She stood up abruptly, smoothing the creases in her dress. "I know you've suffered, but there are others that suffer as well, Cyrus. We build bridges and we move on. We forgive and we forget."
"It's not that simple," he replied, keeping his eyes trained on her. "You haven't suffered."
Her eyes narrowed. "I haven't suffered?" She drew close to the bed, lifting a leg up to place on his bed and leaned over him. "I suffered for twelve years. Twelve years!" she hissed. "You left me when I was pregnant with Dawn! I had to raise our child on my own! Do you have any idea how difficult that was on me? Do you know what I had to go through?"
He remained silent figuring it was best for Johanna to express her anger. She'd calm down eventually, she always did. She was just feeling a heightened period of emotional stress because of Dawn. He thought she was going to sit back down again, but she climbed onto his bed and straddled him, her eyes fixed on his face. "Johanna…"
Tears spilled down her pale cheeks. "Dawn kept me asking where you were and I told her a lie! I lied to my daughter because I didn't want her to learn that her father was a coward!" She poked him in the chest. She was shaking now barely managing to hold herself together. His shirt was now damp with the tears that fallen on it. "Do you know what kept me going?"
"What?"
She poked him a second time. "You! I held onto the belief that someday you would come back to me. Tell me you not have forgotten the memories that we shared? The passion we had?" She paused to wipe her eyes then continued, her voice reverting to a calmer state. "We'd go down to the lake every morning and talk for hours and you always knew the right words to say. You were the only person to ever make me feel happy in ways no one else ever could and I know you felt the same way."
"I don't…"
Johanna brought her head down, brushing her lips against his own, pulling back when he drew in a sharp breath. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that what we had back then meant nothing to you," she said, glancing down at him, eyes watching like a hawk. "Tell me Dawn means nothing and then I'll believe you when you say you don't feel."
It was simple enough to repeat the words back, but he couldn't say it while meeting her eyes. Johanna had successfully touched a nerve and she knew it. He said nothing. What was there to say anyway? Tell Johanna she was right? Her lips met his again. He allowed himself to kiss her back then stopped.
"What happened between us happened over a decade ago, Johanna. A lot has changed since then. We were both young and foolish. I'm not that person anymore." Too much had changed. Things could never go back to the way they were.
She reached down and grabbed his hands, wrapping her fingers with her own, salty tears coating her fingers. His hand was now wet with her tears. "I believe that the man that I fell in love with twelve years ago still exists."
He looked at her, unable to think of something to say. She still believed in him after all these long years? She was either just trying to lure him back in or she was actually sincere and truly cared for him still despite everything that had happened. "I… don't understand," he said slowly, finding his voice to speak again. It was one of those rare moments in which he wasn't in control of the situation.
"You choose to see the evil in the world and you overlook the good," she murmured, bringing a finger to his right cheek, trailing a finger down affectionately. "If you're not careful, pride will be your downfall and then you'll lose everything." She kissed him again. "I don't want to lose you. Promise me, you won't do anything drastic."
That was a big promise to make. "I can't make that promise."
She nodded, trying to muster up a fake smile. "You still intend to go through with it."
"I can't abandon what I started now. I need to see it through to the end." He could see she was fighting hard not to fall apart completely, but he would not lie to her. He could tell lies to everyone else, his commanders, his workers, annoying cocky trainers blocking the roads, but not to her. "I won't lie to you, Johanna."
"And if the end isn't what you want?" she said softly.
"Then maybe you should've just abandoned me to my fate." That fate would've been to have died alone in the wilderness, but the professor had found him by accident, bleeding to death. The man had taken him in, nursed him back to good health and placed him in the care of Johanna, who had been his assistant for a short time.
He fell silent. Johanna remained tight-lipped herself, realizing it was the end of this conversation. She rolled off him, but remained close, resting her head on his chest, shutting her eyes. He placed an arm underneath her and held her close, drying her tears on the sleeve of his shirt. "Dawn will need you when the time comes," he whispered.
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It was loud, crowded and full of people Maylene didn't like the looks of. There were women dancing and grinding up against random guys while those at the bar yelled comments Maylene couldn't say aloud in her gym. She was starting to regret this idea. What on earth was she thinking coming to a nightclub to forget her worries?
There were multiple eyes on her, admiring her like she was a piece of walking art whose only purpose was to look pretty. No one seemed to recognize her – flat-chested tomboy Maylene wouldn't be hanging out in a place like this. But here she was and not enjoying a single moment. The music was too loud. The lights were blinding. The people were pushy and rude. Not exactly her idea of a good time.
Someone brushed up against her. Maylene jumped then turned around, feeling quite vulnerable in her current attire. If someone were to attack her she wouldn't be able to defend herself without tripping over her own dress. A beautiful girl with luscious wavy red locks and wearing a scarlet dress (with a cut so low Maylene was surprised her breasts actually managed to stay in), leaned over to her friend and pointed a finger in Maylene's direction. Her friend, a skinny blonde girl with abnormally large breasts, laughed.
Maylene looked away. She hoped they didn't recognize her. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the two girls hop off their seats and saunter towards her. Maylene braced herself for a nasty comment or two. "Hey, you're that girl who runs the gym here, aren't you?" said the red head.
"Maylene, right?"
Maylene mustered up a fake grin. "You got me."
The red-head gave a soft cynical laugh. "I can't believe you are actually a dress though, I mean, don't you know dresses are only for girls who actually look good in them? No offense, but you're not exactly A-grade material." She raised a hand in the air. "Why don't you just run along and stay in your gym? You're scaring all the guys here."
It was so tempting to punch the girl in the face, but she couldn't do that here, especially since she was a gym leader and expected to behave well. The reporters would be on her in a flash if she made a move against another person. A gym leader ending up on the television screens for the wrong reasons would most likely have their title removed off them by the Elite Four and Champion. That would be the end of her career.
She said nothing for a long moment then spoke softly. "You're right. It was a mistake coming here."
"Good."
Maylene turned her back, drawing in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. This was a disaster. She had only been in here for less than an hour and already she was having trouble. Keeping her head down low, she started making her ways down to the lower level when a lean male bumped into her. She almost toppled backwards, still unfamiliar with the high heels she was wearing, but the guy grabbed her arm at the last minute. "Thanks," she murmured, glancing up. Her eyes widened. A male with spiky blond hair and baby blue eyes stared down at her, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips. "Volkner?"
"Maylene, what a surprise," he drawled.
She sniffed. The strong scent of ale filled her nostrils. She sniffed again and followed the smell, bringing her closer to Volkner. She raised her eyebrows giving him bewildered look. "You drink?"
He shrugged. "Just started about a year ago. Helps me take my mind off things, you know?"
"I can't say I blame you. I hear there is someone in Sunyshore giving the citizens a difficult time. The electricity keeps switching off," she replied curtly, pulling her arm free of Volkner. "I wonder whose fault that is?"
He laughed. "I was redesigning the gym."
"For what? The tenth time this year?"
He took her arm firmly, leading her down the stairs to a level far more quiet then took her over to a spare table and sat her down. "Do you blame me? I'm bored. I haven't had a decent challenger in months, Maylene. You live in Veilstone City so I wouldn't expect you to understand what boredom means, but Sunyshore is not as fortunate."
"And so you came here to drink? Did you think that was going to cure your boredom?"
Volkner briefly turned away from her and called over a waitress. The waitress smiled at him. Maylene knew that smile. It was a smile females often gave when they were in the presence of an attractive male. Volkner loved the attention. He winked. "Would you mind getting my friend here and I a couple of beers?"
"Anything for you, Volkner. I'll be right back."
The waitress hurried away and Volkner turned back to Maylene, wearing his usual trademark smirk. "I don't drink, Volkner, and you shouldn't be either," she said heatedly. "Are you forgetting that you are still a gym leader? What if you drink one too many beers and you misbehave? You'll lose your job."
He shrugged. "Do you think I care? I've been wanting out of this life for awhile now." He placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "You interested in playing some pool?"
"No." She stared at him in disbelief. "You are willing to throw everything away just because you're bored? That's not the Volkner I know." She knew him as the talented and wise-cracking gym leader of Sunyshore, the one who often greeted people with a warm smile and shared advice with upcoming trainers. The Volkner sitting across from her was a shell of his former self.
The waitress returned, setting down two bottles of Arbok Fang on the table. It was said to be one of strongest beers in the world, rumoured to be made with poison from the snake's fangs. A small dose couldn't harm a person, but it could make them feel quite drunk within a few sips. Only the bravest of trainers dared to touch it.
Volkner winked at the waitress who blushed. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Volkner?"
He shook his head. "That'll be all, thanks." The waitress left. Volkner grabbed his bottle twisted off the lid and brought the rim to his lips. He swallowed a mouthful then set it down on the table again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Not bad, not bad at all."
He was expecting her to try some herself. Maylene sighed, and hoped this was worth it. Volkner was a good friend even though he could come off across as a jerk at times, but she wanted to help him to recover. She removed her lid, brought it to her lips and winced at the sour smell of it. It smelt like vinegar. Taking in a deep breath, she swallowed a mouthful of it and almost puked. The taste was… unpleasant. It tasted like bile. Gross.
Volkner laughed. "That was brave of you."
Somehow, she managed not to lose half her insides, but a few sprays of the foul liquor landed on the table. Ugh, she thought. Fortunately, there were a couple of serviettes on the table she could use to clean up the mess. "That was repulsive."
"You get used to it. Clears your head."
Maylene pushed the drink aside. "So is this what you are going to be doing until your contract runs out? Causing blackouts in your city and coming here at night to drown in your misery?" She placed her hands on Volkner's own and looked deeply into his eyes. "You need to snap out of it, Volkner. Sunyshore needs you. The other gym leaders and I need you." She almost said the words 'I need you', but managed to hold it back. She withdrew her hands.
He rolled his eyes. "They'll find another gym leader, they always do."
"You inherited that title from your late father. Does that meaning nothing to you at all?"
He took another swig of his drink then looked away, choosing to find the dart board on the far side of the room more interesting than looking at her. "Have you played a game of darts before?" He stood up, clasping his beer bottle in one hand, and used his free hand to take one of her hands. He helped her up to her feet. "Do you think it would be weird to have a dart board in my gym? It'd be better than standing around doing nothing at all."
"You're avoiding the question," Maylene stammered, prying her hand free of Volkner.
"Did I tell you that you look stunning tonight?"
Any other girl would've blushed at the compliment, but Volkner wasn't in the right state of mind. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. "Sit down, Volkner." She uncrossed her arms and grabbed him, forcing him to sit back down again. Unfortunately, she was easily manhandled in her current attire and failed to get him anywhere.
Now she was facing him, her body pressed against his. She tried to move away, but he had her up against the edge of the table. It wasn't like she could create a scene anyway since they were in a public place full of other trainers. Volkner brought a hand to her chin and tilted it up, gazing down into her eyes. "You never told me why you came here tonight."
"I wanted to do something different for once."
He smiled sardonically. "How's that going for you?"
She gave him a deadpanned expression. "There's more excitement at my gym."
"Oh, really?" He chuckled. "I might have to change that."
"Wh-" Her words were cut off as warm lips brushed against hers. It was even better than she imagined. He looked good. He felt good. And he was kissing her. But it wasn't right. This wasn't Volkner talking; it was the Arbok Fang making decisions for him. She pulled her away, drew a hand back and brought it hard against his cheek. "Dammit, Volkner!" she scolded, panting.
He stumbled back, glaring, rubbing the red spot on his cheek. "I thought you came here looking for a good time?" he said with a mocking twist of his lips.
People were staring. This was good gossip for them. Maylene pointed a finger at him, struggling to contain her anger. "You're right. I came here for that very reason and I hoped you'd be here tonight as well, but you're not… you!" she spat. She grabbed the bottle out of his hand. "I'm not going to tell Cynthia, but I will call your friend, Flint. You're not going to leave Sunyshore until you can be trusted." Volkner protested, but Maylene ignored him, storming out of the building. She headed back towards the gym, her eyes stinging with tears. How could one night out go so terribly wrong?
.
Sunlight poured through the open blinds and into her room, reminding Dawn it was a brand new day. The events of the past twenty four hours were a little hazy, but she knew it must've been rather serious since she was lying down on a bed in a small white room. At first she thought she had somehow been escorted to a rehabilitation building, but then she noticed the doctors and nurses standing nearby.
"Where am I?" she murmured, sitting upright on her bed, feeling her head spin.
"You are in the Pokemon Centre, Dawn. You received a nasty bite from your Deino the previous day," said a nurse. She smiled, then turned around to look behind her shoulder, and nodded. "You may come in. She's awake."
"Dawn!" Barry burst through the door, pushing his way past two stunned doctors, and dropped by Dawn's bed. "I knew you'd be all right!" He gave her a cheesy grin and bent down to give her a hug. Behind him, she saw Professor Rowan, Lucas and Fantina. But where was her mother? And her father?
"It's good to see you in fine health," Fantina said.
Barry stood up. "When is she allowed to leave? Dawn and I need to battle."
"Barry!" scolded Professor Rowan.
Barry grinned. "I'm just kidding, seriously! I know Dawn needs a good rest!" He looked down at her again. "I'm glad you're fine." He turned to the doctors, smile fading from his face. "But seriously, when is she allowed to leave? She's a Pokemon trainer. She can't be cooped up here forever! She needs to battle me to determine who gets to take on the Sinnoh League!"
The professor's eyebrows lifted, and he opened his mouth, as if he were going to give some long drawn out lecture, but stopped when Johanna entered the room. Her face was puffy, but her eyes were bright and shining. "Dawn!" Barry moved aside, allowing Johanna to give her a hug. She embraced her mother for what felt like minutes until her mother pulled away. "I'm so sorry for everything!"
"It's all right. I'm fine now." She looked behind her mother hoping to catch a sign of her father, but there was no one else there. "Where is he?" She knew he had to have been there – what kind of parent wouldn't come?
"He left," Johanna replied, pushing a strand of hair away from Dawn's forehead. "Don't worry about it now, sweetie. All that matters is that you are in good health." She kissed her on the forehead then turned to the doctors and nurses. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life." She was crying again, but they were tears of happiness now at least.
Fantina stepped forward. "I don't want to ruin the reunion, but I would like to speak with Dawn alone, if I may. There is something I would like to discuss with her." The doctors and nurses left the room. Professor Rowan followed as did Lucas. Barry wanted to stay behind himself, but Lucas dragged him out. Johanna was the last to leave. They closed the door behind them.
"We need to work out a rematch time," Dawn said, leaning back against the bed rest, using her pillow to make it more comfortable.
"I wish to talk to you about your Pokemon, Deino."
"He's not in trouble, is he? He didn't mean to attack me."
Fantina sat down on the edge of her bed and furrowed her brows. "Your Deino has been fed illegal drugs from a man called Ghetsis. You received your Pokemon from him. The drugs make your Pokemon evolve much faster, but it comes at a cost. For your safety, we believe your Deino should be put down." She paused. "I'm sorry, Dawn."
Dawn was quick to react. "I won't let you do that to him. Deino is my friend and I won't let him be punished for something out of his control."
Her response wasn't what Fantina had in mind judging by the shocked expression that took hold of her face. "Deino almost killed you."
"I won't turn my back on him," she stammered, shaking her head, blue bangs falling around her face. "I know what Deino did to me, but I don't blame him. I forgive my Pokemon."
"You truly are a unique trainer, Dawn," Fantina said slowly, looking at Dawn with a mixture of disbelief and relief. "Many trainers would put their Pokemon down if they had experienced what you had, but you choose not to. You understand the bond and I'm glad that you do." She shuffled closer, dropping her voice to a whisper almost. "There are dark times ahead. The love you have for your Pokemon will see us through. You are the lightbringer, the bringer of a new day, Dawn. That is why I think you should take this." She brought her other hand forward.
Dawn reached out and extended a palm and Fantina dropped what looked like four purple circles with light-blue rims, stuck together to form a triangle. "A gym badge? But I didn't… No, I can't take this. It's not right." She tried to give the badge back but Fantina refused to take it back.
"You have shown me that your bond is deeper than I had originally assumed. You are choosing to stick with a Pokemon that almost resulted in your death. It takes a trainer with a pure heart to make that decision. I believe you deserve this badge." The corners of her mouth curved upwards into smile. Fantina didn't look so menacing now, especially not with the sunlight washing over her. "In the brief battle we had, you showed me your strength as a trainer. You lost and you came back with a new strategy. If Deino had not attacked you, I believe you would've won."
She curled Dawn's fingers then placed her hand over hers. "This still doesn't feel right…" Dawn said.
"You deserve this badge."
Dawn removed her hand, letting it rest on her lap. Another badge obtained, bringing her one step closer to the end, but it was still a long way off yet. She still needed to find Cyrus and hear the truth from him in his own words. Asking her mother about it didn't seem like the smartest option considering how stressed she looked. "I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, Dawn." Her smile faltered. "Be careful on the road."
"Where would you recommend I visit next?" Fantina walked to the bedside table, opened the first drawer and reached down to grab a town map. She laid it out on Dawn's lap and pointed to town called Solaceon. "You'll have to bypass the Lost Tower to reach Solaceon Town. It's a memorial site. Solaceon is quite a warm place so you might want to visit the department store and pick up something cooler to wear. There is no gym, but it's a nice little place to visit. You should visit Veilstone next. You'll find your next gym challenger there, Maylene."
Judging by the map, all she had to do was follow a one road path. It was a long journey to Veilstone, but at least there was a break point in between. She wondered what Solaceon Town would be like. The cities on the eastern side tended to be of a warmer climate than those on the west. At least it gave her a chance to change into something else. Perhaps she'd find some new Pokemon on the way as well. It had been awhile since she introduced a new Pokemon to her team.
"I should head back to the gym. Your friend Barry will want to challenge me before he leaves." Fantina said her goodbyes and left the room.
Barry. She had almost forgotten that he hadn't obtained his third gym badge. It had been awhile since she last had an actual conversation with him, but she couldn't wait around for him to win his third badge. As soon as she was given the green light to leave, she'd set out for her journey again, and work on strengthening her bond with Deino. Light overcame darkness. The baby dragon needed to be shown the light.