It took the group about three hours to finally reach the port to the south of Azalea Town where they had taken off the day before. It was a long haul but finally they touched down and everyone got off the back of Pidgeot and stretched out. Ash called Pidgeot back into the pokeball and looked across to the small town in the distance. Kurt's hut was foremost in the village and located not too far from the Ilex forest.
"Three hours on the back of a crowded bird Pokémon is terrible for the back!" Misty said stretching her spine
"Imagine how the Pidgeot feels!" Ash declared under his breath
"C'mon guys we might just be able to make it to Goldenrod city if we hurry before the sun sets." Brock called out trying to act as a buffer between the two.
"Link," Misty stated, "Weren't you smaller before?!"
"That's ridiculous he's…" Brock started, "come to think of it I seem to remember you looking more like a five year old!"
"Five?!" Link said indignantly, "I was ten and now I'm thirteen!" he said as though that was normal
"What!?" Ash said looking surprised at Link
"Oh yes I forgot I haven't explained it to you yet." Link said shaking his head, "I have the ability to change my age and appearance slightly."
The trio jumped back, "Seriously! How can you do that?" Ash asked in shock
"Normally I can choose how I appear but lately the goddesses have chosen my age." Link explained once again as though nothing was wrong
"WHAT!?" Everyone was looking confused at Link
"I serve the three golden goddesses as their chosen warrior and as such I have… abilities that are slightly… abnormal." He stated hesitantly
"Slightly!?" Misty said finally returning to her normal stance
"Believe me some of them are more interesting than others but I really don't have time to explain everything in detail." Link said walking to the forest
Ash and Misty decided not to push the subject too much even though their brains were exploding with questions.
The forest was beautiful as the shadows of the leaves lit the ground in an entrancing dance and the wind sounded like flutes that calmed the soul.
"What a beautiful day!" Misty said breaking the silence as Togepi just cooed in agreement
"Yeah we might just want to sit and rest for a while after all Ilex forest is only a short distance from Goldenrod City and we're making good time." Brock stated looking into the forest.
Ash nodded and they went off the path a little ways and found a nice shaded grove to sit down and enjoy the mid-afternoon sun. Ash went off to the side and started to train a little with Pikachu while Brock whipped out a cooking set from his backpack and started to cook up a small snack.
"Link," Misty said sitting next to Link and Umbreon who'd found a comfortable spot under a tree, "You told Jesse and James that true love can't exist in the same place as evil."
"Something like that."
"What did you mean?"
"I meant just what I said there are two major opposing forces in the universe that of love and that of evil. Almost every decision can be put into one of these two categories but the two can never be intertwined so if one is engaged in pure evil he knows nothing of love and if one is enveloped in love there is no evil." Link explained thinking
"I mean, why did you tell them?" Misty clarified
Link smiled, "Oh those two are quite in love with each other, but like you and Ash they choose to hide their feelings deep. It is easier for them to hide those feelings because their actions naturally chase away any love that could develop."
"I said I don't like Ash, he's a friend nothing more!" Misty said angrily looking down.
"I rest my case!" Link said and walked over to Brock.
Misty looked at Ash punching the air as Pikachu mimicked his every move, "Ick!" She muttered and looked down.
There was a noise that came from the woods a loud fluttering of wings. Ash and Pikachu looked into the amber colored forest and couldn't see anything. The fluttering got louder and louder until it sounded like they were surrounded on all sides by fluttering wings.
Suddenly from the forest a Pidgy came out and knocked down Brock's pot of stew. It turned and attacked Pikachu. The group could see the red eyes of the Pidgy as it just narrowly missed Pikachu. Suddenly a whole flock of Pidgy were everywhere diving and swooping trying to take out the wary group.
"Pikachu use thunderbolt!" Ash called quickly.
Pikachu jumped in the air dodging another diving Pidgy as sparks started to come from its cheeks.
"Piiikkkkaaaachuuuu!" Pikachu yelled unleashing a small wave of electricity that shocked a lot of the Pidgy down from the sky.
"Psychic Umbreon!" Link yelled as Umbreon surrounded the area in a blue-black aura that stopped the remaining flock in their tracks and slammed them hard to the ground knocking them out.
"I wonder what that was about?" Ash said looking at the ruined dinner
"My soup!" Brock yelled as tears came streaming from his face.
"Did you see their eyes?" Misty said quietly
"All of them are completely red!" Ash stated looking in the eyes of the Pidgy that now littered the landscape.
"It's the first sign of the virus!" Link stated looking around, "Aggressiveness and red eyes!"
The group looked at the Pidgy one last time and got back onto the main path.
"Does this mean that the virus has already started to be spread?" Misty asked looking at Togepi
"I think this was just a test group seeing as only the Pidgy in the area were affected." Link explained, "That gives you a couple months before the virus goes aerosol."
"How are we supposed to fight something like that?" Ash asked
"I've already gotten that taken care of!" Link said
From the direction of Goldenrod Ash could make out a shady silhouette against the golden backdrop of the setting sun.
"Tracy!" He called out and ran over the figure.
Everyone ran up to find Tracy Sketchit coming from Goldenrod, he was a young man with a red-brown headband and shorts and a greenish shirt. His hair was black and slightly longer than average and Link noticed on his neck a small circular bandage.
"Tracy how's it going?" Misty asked happily
"Surprise to see you three here!" Tracy said smiling
"What are you doing in Goldenrod?" Brock asked
"Oh I just have an errand that I'm running for Professor Oak right now, in fact I need to get this back to his lab ASAP!" Tracy said holding up a small parcel.
"Oh well we don't mean to keep you…" Misty started
"WAIT!" Link yelled from behind and everyone turned to look at him.
"What's that on your neck?" Link asked suspiciously
"This?" Tracy asked touching the small circular bandage, "I think I got bit by something in the woods the other day when I was sketching!"
"Let me see that package!" Link commanded
Tracy stared at him blankly and held up the package which Link took roughly and turned around.
"What's the big deal?" Ash asked indignantly
Link ignored the comment and pulled out a small glass lens from his back. It was red at the center but everything else on it was a nice blue color. Link looked at the package through the lens and sighed.
Link suddenly took out his sword and sliced the package slightly off center.
The group stared in shock, "Link! What are you doing!?" Brock yelled rushing over to his side.
Misty, Ash and Tracy joined him to the side and looked down to see the interesting contents of the parcel. Misty put her hand to her mouth and gasped as Brock and Ash just stared at the contents and Tracy lifted it up.
"A Bomb!?" Misty said through her hands
"But I don't understand!" Tracy said looking at the contents of the package
"You mind telling us why you were going to give that to the Professor?" Ash asked hotly
"But I wasn't I…I…" Tracy stuttered
"Enough!" Link said, "It isn't Tracy's fault, what he thought was a bite was really a needle that is used to inject a virus similar to the other one for Pokémon but is used to control humans. Tracy wasn't even aware of his actions."
Tracy shook his head, "I don't understand I thought that…" But then he just let the two pieces of the box drop.
"But Link I thought you said that was two months away!" Misty said
"It was in the other future but it seems as though Giovanni has received word about the future as well." Link said feeling slightly deterred, "Tracy return to Professor Oak and let him know exactly what went on here he will know what to do! Ash you need to send him on your Pidgeot!"
"I can't my Pidgeot is beat from carrying us four for three hours he wouldn't ever make it to Pallet Town again!" Ash stated, "However I do have one Pokémon that can!" Ash reached onto his belt and threw the pokeball where appeared Charizard.
"Charizard I need you to take Tracy immediately to Professor Oak. Don't stop for anything or anyone no matter how dire the emergency seems this is more important than anything." Ash commanded Charizard who nodded in agreement, "And Tracy when you take care of this please send Charizard back to the Valley so he can resume his training!"
Charizard took off to the sky and quickly disappeared from sight.
"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" Misty asked Link
"From what I could tell it took at least a month for the human virus to take full control of all of Tracy's senses so I'm sure that Tracy will be able to get the help he needs." Link said looking to the sky then turning back to the road.
"Why would anyone give Tracy a bomb?" Brock asked putting his chin between his thumb and index finger.
"They want to destroy the cure!" Link said simply
"Is that what you gave the Professor before we left for Cinnabar?" Ash asked
Link nodded
"But how did they know that you gave the cure to Professor Oak?" Misty asked
Link shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk thinking of a red haired shadow standing behind the mystery man Giovanni.
The group reached Goldenrod City just as the sun fell behind the horizon and darkness encircled them. The city was well lit and active even as the sun was no longer up the shops were open and doing business and the people were bustling actively on the streets. In the center of the lit city was a large and extravagant hotel that rose hundreds of stories above the noisy streets.
"Let's stay here!" Link said looking at it
Everyone jumped back and stared at him in shock, "It would take me years to save up enough money to afford the cheapest room in this place!" Ash said recognizing the Goldenrod Towers one of the most expensive hotels in the Johto/Kanto region.
"No worries!" Link said, "I'll pay!" And he entered the Hotel
The lobby itself was amazing with columns and red drapes with white marble floors and ornate chairs that surrounded tables with white cloths and gold lace. Misty looked around with stars in her eyes as Ash and Brock just looked around in amazement. Even Umbreon and Pikachu were looking everywhere as the crystal chandeliers made a dance of rainbows on the white marble floor.
They approached the Hostess and Link cleared his throat to get her attention.
She didn't look up, "The Pokémon inn is down the street off of Cycle Shop Rd. I trust you will find their accommodations affordable."
"No ma'am I'd actually like to stay here with my friends, one room for four and two Pokémon." Link said
"I'm sorry but the only accommodations like that here in the towers is the penthouse suite!" She said looking at Link out of the corner of her eye and slightly annoyed.
"We'll take it!" Link said happily
Thanks for reading today's installment hope that everyone is enjoying the tale so far as the views get more and more everyday from over 17 different countries! Ultima S. next Goldenrod!