Chapter 20
Hiku blinked and sat up. She felt groggy and sticky from sweat and Meteor Falls water. She saw with surprise that Agent J's sleeping bag was thrown over her and his pillow was at her head. That was really nice of him. She thought happily.
The girl wondered where she was. She couldn't remember a whole lot, a part from her travels through Petalburg forest. Oh yes, then they found Norman in terrible shape ever since his son disappeared. Then they had gone through the woods and found the flower shop. Then they had run to Rustboro to find Nano and Akama. After that, they had won against Roxanne in a first trainer battle… hadn't a Zangoose saved Akama? Was it a dream?
Hiku sat up and rubbed her eyes. Was this Fallabor town? That was where they needed to go, right?
She stopped short of stretching and called out to the room of messy papers, "Hello? Is anyone here? Is this the Pokémon center?"
Not a sound was heard. Hiku hugged the sleeping bag closer to herself. "Jaylon/Agent J? Where are you?" the same silence greeted her.
The black haired girl frowned at the terrible taste in her mouth. Had she just eaten something sour? Hiku slowly rose to her feet and edged around the room, still holding the sleeping bag like a blanket. She glanced around and waded through the sea of papers. Curious, she picked up one of the sheets. All that it read was computer language. It was some sort of programmer's papers. Was she somehow in a researcher's place?
Hiku gasped as she saw blood splashed across the wall. She dropped the paper and backed away from the stain. She bumped into another stack of papers and she froze. This place didn't feel right… this couldn't be Fallabor Town!
Without a second thought to as why she was here, she ran back her bag and stuffed the pillow and sleeping bag into her trainer's bag. She checked to see if all three of her Pokémon were at her side, then burst out of the slightly opened door.
Hiku gave a few seconds to her eyes for them to adjust to the afternoon blaze. She glanced around the grass and pulled out her Pokénav. She was close to the town! She ran through the grass to her salvation. She didn't see the fresh carcasses of Sevipers and Zangeese alike, all she saw was what she wanted to see.
Hiku saw a bridge crossing over a lake and took it. She didn't slow her pace until she had crossed the bridge and had run under the welcoming archway.
The girl stopped dead in her tracks. The buildings were in shambles. The homes were crumbled from a great force and bits of wood lied everywhere. People stood in the streets, holding each other and helping patch up the damage. Several houses were aflame and people were dousing the blaze with small buckets of water.
Several scents wafted over to her nose, most of them unpleasant. Fire and smoke assailed her nostrils, along with scents of rot and ash. Hiku didn't understand why she had to go to Fallabor Town if it was in shambles.
Why did she need to go to Fallabor Town if it was such a wreck? How could she help?
Maybe Agent J would know… before she pulled out her Pokénav, Nano popped out of his Pokéball and called up to her urgently.
"Mud, mud Mudkip!" Nano cried and ran to the burning houses.
Of course! Nano was water-type; he could help fight the fires! Hiku ran after her cute little starter Pokémon and watched in awe as the little Pokémon could spray an incredible amount of water on the flames.
The Pokémon contest hall was saved by Nano's water, as well as several homes.
Hiku looked over her shoulder and saw a Pokémon center in bad shape, but still operating. An old man and his Poocheyna were patrolling around the grounds. The old man was dressed in brown, complete with brown suit and brown hat. He had a full beard and a walking cane. The Poocheyna looked fierce and it kept its face wrinkled up into a snarl.
Nano chirped a well-done and waggled his fin-tail. The buildings only smoldered now, thanks to the little Mudkip. Hiku praised him for his work.
"Let's see if we can get some answers in the Pokémon Center, Nano." Hiku stooped down for the little one to hop on her shoulder. Nano complied.
The Pokémon and trainer edged closer to the red and white building. At once, the Poocheyna began to bark at her new scent. The old gentleman scuttled after his Pokémon to see what had come close. He smiled through his white beard and said in a typical sounding old-man voice, "Oh, it's only a person and their Pokémon."
"What happened here? Who did this?" Hiku stared at the old man.
The old man raised his bushy white eyebrows in surprise. "You must not live around here, everyone knows that violent Pokémon live around here. Zangeese and Sevipers live to kill each other, and they've lost their fear of people, so they will destroy our homes without remorse or distress, as long as they can finish of the other… My Poocheyna and I are guarding the Pokémon Center, the only safe place in town. My partner can roar away any Pokémon it chooses, so it's a good thing to have around in this crisis."
The black wolf Pokémon gave a growl to show his point.
Hiku nodded dumbly. The names of Zangoose and Seviper were familiar, but she didn't remember what she had to do with them…
"Why don't you get inside, young lady?" the elder bowed slightly.
"Ok, thanks," she said and passed by the still fierce looking Pokémon to the dented doors. She opened them to find many, many people crowded in the lobby. They all had blankets over their shoulders and they chatted quietly to themselves.
Nurse Joy was running around, trying to do everything at once. She wrapped up a few wounds on humans and Pokémon, and then rushed to type something in the computer. Then the nurse would scurry on to another section of the Center. For some odd reason, no Chanseys walked around to help the nurse.
Hiku didn't know what to do. She knew she had to do something and this destruction was terrible, but was one to stop it? Jaylon would know… she froze. What if something had happened to him when she had fallen asleep? Where had he gone? Was he…?
Hiku thought that if he was dead, then his phone wouldn't pick up. If she called and he answered, then he would be ok. Simple enough, right? Hiku dialed in his number and waited.
The phone rang and rang, but no other new sound came across. No answering hello, no helpful advice or encouragement… nothing. Hiku sank into one of the few unoccupied chairs and held her head in her hands as the ringing continued. He had disappeared! Perhaps he wasn't dead, maybe he was snatched! How in the world was she to do this trainer thing without him?
Nano crawled down from her shoulder to her lap. The small, blue Pokémon patted her arm and squeaked a pitiful "Kip".
Hiku raised the phone to her ear again and cut the dial. Maybe this Roxanne could help her. After all, hadn't she given both of them her number? Hiku dialed the Gym leader's number and waited.
The voice of Roxanne came over the other line. "Of, good timing, I just got done with grading the papers. Do you need anything, Hiku?"
"Yes, I somehow woke up in this house and I have no idea what is going on here. Now I'm in the Pokémon center and there's so much damage… how can this be stopped?" Hiku burst out. She colored a little as a person close to her gave her a queer look.
Roxanne paused before continuing. "You don't remember? Good gracious, what happened?"
"I don't know… I can't think straight right now…" Hiku began to pet Nano slowly.
"Well, you need to put fear into the Sevipers and Zangeese's hearts. They don't know why to fear trainers like you, so you have to show them. Capture or defeat a large number of them. Gain their fear. Where's Jaylon?"
Hiku paused. "I don't know that either. His phone is silent and I haven't seen him since I woke up…"
"We can only hope for the best, don't worry, he can handle himself… I think… can he?" Roxanne seemed to ask herself. "Anyways, go and show both the Zangeese and Sevipers that you are to be feared." Roxanne signed off the conversation without saying a good-bye or wish of luck.
"Excuse me, young miss, but are you a Pokémon trainer?" asked a voice in front of Hiku.
The raven haired girl looked up in surprise at the new person. This was a woman with long, thick brown/copper hair. She wore green and waved with her right hand. Her left hand stayed behind her back.
"Who are you?" Hiku blinked at her.
The lady in green smiled sweetly. "I'm Lanette, the programmer for the Pokémon storage system. Are you a trainer?"
Hiku nodded slowly. "I am… yes, I think I am." Her memory still seemed fuzzy.
"That's wonderful!" Lanette jumped up and brought both her hands in the air, well, almost.
Hiku gasped in horror as she saw Lanette's left arm come out from behind her back only to reveal a stub where a hand should be! "Your hand…!" Hiku held her own hand to her mouth to cover up her rude interjection.
Lanette glanced down at her left arm and sighed. "Yes, sadly it was cut off in my house. A dueling Seviper and Zangoose took their battle to my home and I got caught in the cross-fire… I'm going to have a hard time typing out new computer programs and upgrading the storage system, but that isn't important now." She hid her stub-arm back behind her back and continued, "We need a Pokémon trainer here to defend us civilians!"
Her calls of approval were heard by others in the foyer, and soon, a huge crowd of well-wishers surrounded her. They shouted thanks and good luck while patting her on the back and crying in relief. Hiku felt overwhelmed, and yet, she felt emboldened by them to help them. These poor people were driven from their home and their only hope at stopping this was her!
Nurse Joy healed up her Pokémon and sent her with cheers to stop the fighting. Hiku no longer felt inadequate; finally, this was her turn to shine! She marched out of the doors and faced the bridge and the grass beyond it. She would show those Pokémon not to destroy Fallabor town!