Chapter 21: Styx's True Colors
20:20 PM (Japan Time), Saturday February thee 22nd…
Heh, heh, heh. Time for a surprise visit!
Styx, having dressed with the coat, hat and goggles which were part of his "Charon" disguise, walked down a street and reached an apartment building's entrance: he chuckled and took out a lock-pick from the right coat pocket to pick the lock.
Too easy!
He picked it and then got inside of the hall: he checked the mail-boxes and then headed for the stairs.
Three floors… I can easily climb them and this way my entrance will be more silent!
He reached the third floor and then drew a small device which he turned on: all lighting went out and his IR goggles began to shine: he headed for the second apartment's door and took out another lock pick tool which he used to get inside: he closed the door in a silent manner and paid attention: not a sound could be heard.
Even if the guy isn't home I can leave a little reminder of my visit and it should be enough to make him go nervous… Heh, heh, heh!
KA-CLICK
"Freeze." A voice rang out at the same time he felt a gun's muzzle pressing against his skull from behind.
YIKES!
"Hands up. Now."
Who the hell? I don't believe Ijuuin has a gun!
"Aha! So this gizmo is what caused the power outage. Let's turn it off and restore power." A new voice exclaimed.
"Do it."
The light came back on and Styx gasped when he spotted that Kage was the one with the gun and Andy was there too: the kitchen door opened and both Enzan and Blues came out.
"What the heck is Kage doing here?"
"Ever heard of "chit-chat"?" Enzan smugly replied.
"Shit."
"So! Atarasei Oscar…" Kage grinned.
"What! How do you know my civilian ID?" He gasped.
"Zero was able to pick it out from a backup server."
"Oh great."
"Let's go have a chat in the living room." Kage invited.
"By the way! We had two companions waiting on a car parked nearby who saw you coming in so we were prepared." Andy grinned too.
"Clever bothersome guys!" He grumbled.
They led him to the living room and had him sit in a chair facing them: Enzan and Blues remained standing behind the sofa while Kage and Andy sat on it: Kage drew his PET.
"Zarashe? Yeah. We got the guy. Like you thought: "Charon" came. Tell that to VP Noir and go back already. This will take a little while: there's chatter to do. Yeah, right. Thanks. Bye." Kage told Zarashe as he pocketed his gun.
"You must feel hot with that hat and those goggles. Why don't you take them off, my dear?" Andy joked.
"GRFJTX! FINE!"
He violently took them off and threw them at the ground to his right: he sighed and looked defeated.
"So! Ijuuin. You did a good job."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Four years ago, March… You gave that idiot a beating."
"Four years ago, March… I beat an idiot…?"
There was a momentary flash as a "DC" emerged nearby and both Noir and Legato walked into the living room.
"We were curious by Zarashe – kun's call… So here's the so-famous Atarasei Oscar, the heir of the "Yellow M", eh?"
"Hmm… Not bad." Legato grinned.
"Oi. You two. This guy says I beat an idiot four years ago by March but I don't remember that."
"What? But didn't the "Darkloids" show up back then?" Noir asked.
"And I don't think you ever beat Bubble Man either." Legato frowned.
"Of course not. I didn't mean Bubble Man."
"Then, who?"
"Use your imagination, Holmes."
"Man. Four years ago… All's blurry! Blues! What do you remember?"
"The battles against the "Darkloids", sir…"
"… Wait a min. This guy… He's using a cyborg body like Eisei Aaron does as well…" Noir suddenly muttered.
"Oh. So you know of them." Atarasei grinned.
"Of course! The old man came up with that to begin with."
"Ah, yes. Now I remember that you were in Nebula and that you were Twilight's pawn… Eisei told me that."
"Well. Yeah. That's true. But I think you're different from Eisei: you're not a human with a digitized mind: you originally are a Net Navi."
"True. I'm a Net Navi."
"And you've been around for these four years?"
"No. I've been around for about six, seven months."
"Ah! That's something else. So you know about what happened four years ago because you researched on it?"
"I did, Uncle Moran." He grinned.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes."
"Who is?"
"No – one."
"Save Uncle Merton?"
"Oh. Come on." Noir grumbled.
"So! Who are you then?" Legato questioned.
"Dark Android."
"Dark Android?" Everyone wondered.
"Yessir."
"Dark… Android… Droid… Roid… Darkloid!" Noir gasped.
"It can't be Cloud Man." Kage protested.
"Maybe it's a lesser one?" Andy suggested.
"No! I'm hi-rank."
"Hi-rank? But… Let's see, here. Cosmo Man, Dark Man and Shade Man work for us… Cloud Man's dead… Those two… Ah! Those two…! It couldn't be…!" Noir realized.
"Hell!" Kage gasped and violently stood up.
"Shit!" Andy cursed.
"Oh fuck!" Enzan uttered.
"Damn!" Blues looked nervous.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Legato groaned.
"Y-you! Stop kidding around!" Noir protested.
"Kidding around! Hah! Was I that fearful in the past? But you're quick to catch up! I've come back from the Beyond! From the Dead Ones' Realm, even! Say it! Say my name! If you have the damned guts!" He stood up and laughed.
"ROCK MAN DS!"
"No! I now am… Styx! 1,000,000 times better than the past me! I've been reborn by the grace of almighty Prince Kuroban and I serve him! And now I've become a human too! Mwah, hah, hah!"
"Then Dullahan has to be…!" Noir gasped.
"LASER MAN?" Everyone uttered.
"Yeah! Big Idiotic Moron Laser Man! Big Stupid Paranoid Imbecile Laser Man! Biggest Fucker on Earth Laser Man!" He mocked.
"Guess they've had a fall-out." Andy muttered.
"Heck! No wonder! Laser Man wanted to save his hide back then but that guy over there forcefully fused with him to try to win!" Blues cursed aloud while looking nervous.
"Yeah! And ever since then the fucker became paranoid about my actions but Dread Baron – sama and the Prince shot the fucker down. Fuck his faceless head!" He laughed.
"So that means you've built up your personality from scratch because Kuroban didn't bother to rebuild it?"
"Of course! And thus I've become better than I used to be. I've exiled myself from the Cyber World forever and now belong to the real world: this is fun! And I've had no trouble accepting orders and acting like an obedient soldier. So you can stop fearing the older me 'cause that guy is dead and buried." He chuckled as he sat down again.
"Yeah. Laser Man wasn't original either." Noir muttered.
"Huh? What?"
"I mean… He creating you to control Forte's power wasn't an original idea when it came to the design."
"The design? MY design?" He frowned.
As a response, he pulled down his hood and revealed his face: before Atarasei could react, though, he took out his PET and projected a life-sized hologram.
"See?"
"By all the…!"
This hologram depicted a Net Navi who looked identical to Rock Man save for the purple color palette, eyes with red irises, and slightly different face shape along with his chest emblem being colored in a navy blue color instead of red: his facial expression displayed lack of interest in anything in particular.
"The color palette… It looks so similar…! But the face is… more human, I'd say! Surely this guy could display more emotions… And the height I'd say he's a bit taller than me… Wait! You're that guy?" Atarasei asked.
"Umbra used to be my name. But now I'm Kuroshiro Oriol. An exile of the Cyber World, too, the first one… The "cyborg bodies" of Eisei and you are based upon mine…"
"Wait a min! You and Kage…! You aren't twins, right? The resemblance is too perfect to be mere coincidence!"
"… If we told you… You'd sneak it to Eisei and the others?" Kuroshiro questioned while leaning forward.
"Do you have honor?" Kage questioned next.
"Of course! I told you! I'm no longer that guy of four years ago: I've become a guy countless times better!" Atarasei defended himself while looking serious.
"Alright."
Kage's face suddenly faded away to give way to a black leather-like mask covering his whole face and neck including the base: it lacked any facial features whatsoever and covered the eyes as well: Atarasei, Enzan and Blues gasped in surprise.
"W-what!"
He unfastened the bandana and then pulled the mask out to reveal Netto's face beneath it: he took out a case and stored a pair of contacts there before sighing and looking up.
"So. We meet again." He merely told him.
"Hi… Hikari Netto…!"
Andy suddenly vanished in a bright flash to give way to Saito, wearing his usual clothes with a brown overcoat over them: he looked calm and unimpressed.
"Hikari Saito… Rock Man…! So you…!"
"Yeah. I have a "cyborg body" too… The 2nd one. Who came earlier of you two? Eisei or you?"
"Eisei."
"Then he's 3rd and you're 4th. The only four in the whole world." He drily added the last words as if wanting to add a tint of drama.
"But… How? Kage and Andy were classmates during the period September 2008 – June 2009…! Unless… I see…! Kuroshiro! You did the role and set the basis along with Legato for them to do that role…!"
"Yeah. Hence why I always hide my face… Else the whole strategy would crumble." He calmly replied.
"But why this disguising and…? Ah! The incident of August, 2008…! That was what gave you motivation in life again, right!"
"Correct."
"And the SS Scheherazade Symphony incident…?"
"Think of it as a test or ritual to prove my resolve and that I was mature enough to go through it and complete it sans complaining or backing up when facing it: Slur – sama wished to prove that I was committed to go all the way and this was the perfect way to."
"I see…!"
"So? Will you keep the secret, Atarasei?" Netto questioned.
"Y-yeah. I'll keep it."
"Why did you come here?" Enzan finally asked.
"I wanted to leave a visiting card…" He admitted.
"And scare me?" Enzan guessed next.
"Well… Yeah…"
"Well. Can't say it was something bad…"
"So! Who is "Dread Baron" then?"
"Well… I dunno. I've never seen him without the mask: I don't know his civilian name or where he came from but he's been a very good commander to me: he didn't favor any of us two and was always strict at the start but lately, seeing how I behaved way better than Dullahan did, he's been more satisfied. Yet… I think he's troubled. He left in rush on Friday morning and also did so this morning." He confessed.
"And you and Dullahan have never fought?" Legato interrogated.
"Apart from discussing with each other…"
"And what's the guy's problem?" Legato asked next.
"He's become jealous and paranoid. Always saying I'm conspiring… Well… This night's meeting could be named so, but… Baron – sama has lost his patience more than once with the guy and finally the Prince had to come and lock him on the room using a "DA" wall…" Atarasei shrugged his shoulders.
"Ironic, ain't it?" Kuroshiro commented.
"Totally." He admitted.
"So! Are they expecting you to be back already?"
"No. Baron – sama doesn't mind at what time I come back. Dullahan will pick at it but since the Prince dropped by two hours ago to have a rather bitter argument with him and saying he's gonna relocate him to pencil-pushing unless he behaves then I think the guy can't dare to make a bold move…"
"Pencil-pushing! Laser Man becoming a pencil-pusher! That's a first, gotta admit it." Enzan was surprised.
"Yeah. And as for me and Baron – sama he's given us carte blanche to pick our path…"
"In short: you can leave the "Seraphs"?" Netto looked slightly intrigued by his words.
"Yeah. But I'm not sure what to do next."
"Why, you could come onboard." Kuroshiro suggested.
"What! Join Golden Star, you mean? For real?" He sprang up.
"Yeah. Why not? Are you a social fellow?"
"Well, I get along with Eisei and I've got hobbies and all…"
"Then it wouldn't be a problem, would it? And that gentleman could come as well… Of course: it's for him to decide but the door's open. Surely Kuroban can't argue against since he's freed you from his service and told you to make your choices."
"Join Golden Star…!" He muttered.
"You've said it: that past you is dead and buried. Why should we reject you? Can you think of an argument?"
"But I've robbed things and…"
"But you were to eventually return them, right? And that wasn't because you wanted to: it was your duty. You obeyed orders."
"T-true, but…"
"Come on! It's better than be drawn into some bad thing or get into trouble with thugs out there." Netto told him.
"We've figured you've had an encounter with two of them given their description of how they were knocked out."
"Oh. The idiots of two days ago… Well… Yeah… Eh… Can I think it during this evening and then contact you with the answer? I'd like to speak with Baron – sama firstly." He requested.
"Alright. Let's have a middle man: Enzan! Will you do the honors?" Netto suggested.
"Sure. Here: my phone number."
Enzan drew a visitor's card and flipped it at Atarasei who pocketed them on his coat's right pocket: he formed a smile.
"Whoa. You really mean it?"
"Sure! I never back up."
"And won't Hades disagree?"
"Not at all. He'd bring up the same arguments."
"And Slur?"
"She would be amused, I daresay. But she's never interfered in our choices: she prefers to patrol the Cyber World and see if she can find something interesting." Kuroshiro assured him.
"You'd have a lot of fun hearing to the Radio Trio too."
"I heard about that. Video Man, Burner Man and Needle Man, right?"
"Yeah! Listen to the latest one."
"… Give some fresh beer, boy~! Roger! There you have~! By all the…! But there's no – one! CLONC! OUCH! Grrr! You can't serve the beer otherwise, you nitwit? Attention! You guys! A new mission!"
"Description if I may?"
"Sure. Mortadelo is tending to the bar when a customer calls for a beer but he doesn't bother to look there: he serves it and sends it sliding down the counter to then realize there's no – one… But it turns out to be a dwarf-height-like customer who had to climb to reach the counter and the glass hit him on the head… Professor Von Iatum rushes in while smoking a cigarette, as always… "This time's affair is a rolling one!"… No sooner he says that that he steps into the glass and begins to roll across the bar's floor… CRASH! DIZING! BOOM! "W-well done… Hips! I was tired too from hearing to that I just call to say to I love you… Hips!"
"He broke the disc-player machine?" Atarasei guessed.
"… "Come on! Come on! That was nothing…" … "Do you want some beer to get healthy?"… "If you didn't want it then you should reply "no"! I'd rather think so!"… The Prof stuffed him face-down on a barrel full of raw beer… "Well! I was saying that this time's affair is a rolling one because the "UFO" has landed right here, on the corner building's roof. You only need to walk 20 meters, climb up and get rid of the extraterrestrial. That easy!"… "Walk 20 meters, climb up and… PTAF!"… "That easy!" … "OUT OF ORDER"… "HUH!"…"
"The elevator was out of order and the building was ridiculously high then?" Atarasei began to smile.
"…"What's wrong, man? Why'd you come back? Did you forget something…? YOU NITWIT!"
"One of them wanted the Prof to regret his earlier words?"
"Sure! Mortadelo blinded his right eyes and bent the glasses before going back… To sum it up! They struggled to climb 78 floors and they found a very small "UFO" slightly bigger than a soccer ball covered in some adhesive substance which dragged them to the ground! And it was empty: they tried to face some small green alien with three legs, one mouth, one eye and some kind of antenna with four spheres yet it bit Mortadelo who ran across the roof and fell through a hole on the handrail: Filemón tried to intimidate the thing and it used the tongue to throw him down!"
"What struggling!"
"And at the third attempt they found a wild cat which had eaten the thing… They headed back to the bar… "W-we're here… Huff! T-the in-invader is done for…" … "You've come back rather breathlessly, haven't you? Obviously! That's because you don't do exercise! You should try stair-climbing: it's good for the health!"…!"
"He was gonna regret those words soon enough!"
"Sure! They tied him up and placed him on an escalator which would make the full circle as some kind of slow torture!"
"They could be sadistic when annoyed!"
"Totally!" Saito laughed.
"Alright, then… I'll go back and think it over but I guess I will accept that offer… It'd be a fool's choice to let it skip you…"
"Fair enough. But let's make another sketch."
"Oho. Then I'll listen for a while."
"Ahem, ahem! "Whisky with soda, young man!" …"Right away! Here you have! 150Z and the service." … * drinks up *… Huh… HUH… BLOM! OUA~H! "Why! One would believe you've got a sour heart!" … Note! The customer's on the floor clutching his neck and vomiting fire! … "You savage! Depredator! What did you serve me?"… "Why! Whisky with soda, as you asked! See? High-quality soda ash: the one we use to unblock the drains!" … "Soda! I meant normal soda not soda ash!" … "Well! Man! A small confusion, that's all!"…"
"He calls that "small"? He almost intoxicated the customer!" Atarasei looked half-amused and half-horrified.
"You can't trust Mortadelo and his hearing!"
"… "Hey! Guys! I bring some good news! You should know that we have no more info about other extraterrestrials… The invaders have been eliminated!"…"
"Well! Those are good news, yeah."
"… "Why! I'll try the brand that the Prof smokes… Puff, puff… Hmmm… BRFJX!"…"
"What, it was horrible?"
"… "What are you doing, you fool? Give me back my "Element J-D-96"… I mean… My cigarettes!"… "Huh?"… Well! Let's see~… To celebrate the fact I'll prepare a "House's Special Burning"!"… "Burning? What's that?"… "HOP!"… FLOASH!"
"Whoa! He prepared something which is supposed to catch fire, it caught fire and the Prof was hit by the fire?" Atarasei deduced.
"Some kind of crazy sangria, I believe… "Hey! Who told you to stick the nose out, man? You surely have ended up with a new moustache!"… A~H! Look, Boss, look!"…"
"What… He ended up totally burnt?"
"… "By all the…! Professor Von Iatum's an extraterrestrial too!"…!"
"WHAT?" Enzan, Blues and Atarasei uttered at the same time.
"…"Yeah! And thanks to you guys we've get rid of the others! Hah, hah! We no longer have any rivals to compete in our Earth conquest! These cigarettes contain "Element J-D-96" which is what we breathe on our home planet hence why I was always smoking them! Now I'll slaughter you guys and I'll take over the Earth in the name of my origin spot: the Gas Galaxy! Hah, hah, hah! Puff, puff… * coughs violently *…!"…!"
"The Gas Galaxy? Sounds like a lame name." Enzan muttered.
"Yeah. Totally." Blues grumbled.
"… "What's wrong with the guy?"…" Imagine, Boss…! I exchanged his cigarettes from some cheap "Celtics"…!"… "C-can't breathe…! But you haven't beaten me yet…! I s-still can… reach my planet with the ship I'd concealed here! And from there I'll come back with reinforcements! You'll tremble, you Earthlings!"… Ta-dan!"
"Reinforcements! Crap!" Atarasei gasped.
"… "Devil! He's running away!"… "Don't worry, Boss… The "Celtics" package contains a timed bomb powerful enough to send the Statue of Liberty flying all the way to Sitges… And it's about to go off!"…!"
"Oho! So Mortadelo prepared a trick!" Enzan smiled.
"… * curses at the dwarfing Earth *… "I'll mincemeat you yet! Damn you! I'll be back! Damn you!" … "Heh! The Great Sidereal Commander is so gonna mincemeat your co-axial cells when he sees the state of the flying saucer he lent you." … "And he's got a meteoritic humor ever since "Magna VII" kicked twelve goals to the "Perigee FC" and did away with his bet!"… And that was that the two aliens driving the "Flying Saucer Tug-Away UFO"!"
"The Great Sidereal Commander…! He lost a soccer bet…! 12-0! Aliens sure kick in a lot of goals!" Atarasei laughed.
"Sure they do." Legato grinned.
"If I can hear one of those everyday then I can't imagine anything funnier than that… Say! Could I even design and create a companion Net Navi for me too?"
"If you wish to. It's not mandatory: President Hades doesn't have one for example." Kuroshiro replied.
"Yet…" He suddenly sounded worried.
"Oh. Your background… Simple! You just managed to ditch a gang which was using you to commit petty thefts and all, one of the many hired by Dullahan, but your evidence was too thin for the police to take it seriously hence why you made contact with Enzan here and in exchange for the information we allowed you to come in…" Kuroshiro came up with a good background on the spot.
"Whoa. It sounds good! But maybe there'd be a need to make one or two changes if Baron – sama were to come too?"
"True… I can think them over during tomorrow."
"I know from the Prince that something is gonna happen between 10 and 11 AM but I've got no idea of what it is save that it involves that "Burai" guy who showed up during this morning."
"We dunno either. Guess it's some kind of score-settling." Legato admitted with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Well. This time I'm going back: I'll talk with Baron – sama if he's in the refuge."
"Mind telling us where the refuge is at?" Netto asked.
"Sure. You know Ondo Street, right? Number 44, the garage, behind a green Subaru… I have the remote to open the hidden entrance and it closes 30 seconds after someone comes in… I've got my room, Dullahan has his, Baron – sama's room is there too… Then there's the command room, the safe room and the gym… Hey! The gym! Do you have any onboard Purgatory?"
"Sure. Felix is the one who uses it because he wants to keep in shape using the running machines: he says snipers must be agile to retreat from their position and pull back before anyone can react and figure out where the attack came from." Kuroshiro explained.
"Felix the sniper, huh… Is he very dry?"
"A lot. Don't be offended if he doesn't even say "hi" or "morning" to begin with: he's blanking his mind from time to time and only believes in discipline, training and reading about warfare."
"I thought there was a girl sniper named Joanne…"
"Oho! Careful with her: she'll be suspicious of you because she's got some manias… The best you can do is to be polite to her but reply in a vague manner to any questions designed to provoke you." Netto warned.
"Yikes. I'd heard it's better not to pick on girls, so…"
"Yeah. I know. It's hard to shake them off, really."
"Well then… Welcome to the party, our fellow conspirer!"
21:47 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Baron – sama? May I speak with you on the safe room, sir?"
"… Alright."
Atarasei returned to the base and entered the room where Dread Baron had his armchair: he'd been going over some data using his PET but shut the screen down when Atarasei came in and saluted: he stood up and Atarasei followed him into a room with only a pair of chairs on it as furniture: they sat down facing each other.
"Baron – sama… Eh… Truth is… I went to Ijuuin Enzan's home to leave a visiting card but it happened that Kage and Andy were there…"
"Hum. So?" He wasn't surprised.
"… We talked and… Well. They offered me the opportunity to join Golden Star… They also left the door open for Baron – sama too but it's for Baron – sama to decide… Given how the Prince told us we would be free to pick our own road then…"
"Hum. Join Golden Star… Well. Why not… It sounds like a noble thing to do: contributing to stability… Yes. It is a noble thing to do. Fine. Did you give them a definitive reply?"
"No, sir, I wanted to think it during the evening. In the case I feel like doing for real then I would call on Ijuuin and he'd be the middle man to contact Golden Star… They didn't risk giving me a direct line."
"Wise move. You talked with one of the leaders?"
"Yes, sir… Noir came there because Kage reported my entrance upon Ijuuin's house so…"
"And it was them who offered you the chance?"
"Yes, sir. I never brought up the topic but since they didn't mind my entrance and such… It evolved into friendly talk and… Well. I talked about what the Prince had said so one thing led to the other…"
"Alright. I'll think it too but I believe I'll go with you."
"Oh. That would be splendid, sir, because… I'd never find any commander who could be compared with you, sir…"
"Really?"
"Really, sir. You just happen to have an excellent balance of authority, discipline, and mind, sir."
"Well! I'm glad you honestly see me as your ideal commander… They obviously didn't mind about letting the Prince handle Dullahan, right, Styx?" Dread Baron questioned.
"They didn't mind, sir. Why would they favor someone like Dullahan, anyway, sir?" Atarasei confirmed.
"True. Well. Let's go rest and we'll see what happens tomorrow morning with the Prince's own backup plan."
"Roger, sir. Good night, sir."
"Good night."
Atarasei came out into the corridor and opened his room's door with a key he drew from the jeans' right pocket: he came inside and changed into black plain pajamas before climbing into his bed and switching off the lights: he placed both hands behind his head and looked at the bleak concrete ceiling.
Golden Star… I'd be accepted as a companion, a crew member… Whoa! Life has sure made turns for me. At the start I was but a tool of Laser Man but I should be grateful that I was deleted because it allowed me to be reborn in this manner…! I've said it! And it's true: the past me is dead and buried. The past doesn't matter! The present and future are what matters right now. Heh! And to think I could even get a roommate, a Navi companion, of my own… Ain't that cool?
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep Man will… Beep You!" The computer suddenly exclaimed.
Heh! Eisei came up with a new joke, eh? Well. Maybe we'll cross paths one day or another… I'm looking forward to it!
22:08 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Would he say my work has been in vain? Or would he say I've just walked my own road…? Hard to say…"
"… Aibou? What's up?"
"Ah. Gray… Nothing, no big deal… Just reflecting…"
"Sorry. I got in the way again… I'll…"
"No. Stay. I need someone to talk to. Another reason I recruited you Gray is because I wanted a confident into which to tell things and argue them with or else I'd go mad. It's a miracle I can keep myself sane and that's thanks to believing into my own cover tale…"
"Eh… Well. What should I say?"
"Is there something worth looking at as of late?"
Kuroban had been standing in the balcony of his room but had left the door ajar so Eisei popped his head in: Kuroban called him to come to his side and sighed while he spoke with him with sometimes glancing into the calm ocean and the moon's reflection on it.
"Well… A week ago they suddenly announced that a second version of Pocket Monsters Movie 14, set to show up in theaters this July, will appear as well… Up until now only the version featuring Zekrom, the Black Dragon Pokémon standing for "Ideals" was known but they suddenly let out that there'll be another with Reshiram, the White Dragon Pokémon standing for "Truth"… The titles are Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victiny and the Black Hero, Zekrom and Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victiny and the White Hero, Reshiram." Eisei explained with half a smile.
"Yeah. I remember you'd told me about that. What was the origin myth for those dragons, though?"
"Well: there were two heroes who existed in the ancient Isshu Region: they used the strength of Kyurem to achieve their goals but then both began to clash "Ideals" and "Truth" against the other…"
"Ah! I remember. And the dragon split into another two forms with each one standing for one concept which ravaged across the land until they were subdued and they themselves transformed into some curious orbs to enter a deep slumber waiting for some worth "hero", right?" Kuroban seemingly recalled.
"Correct. The irony is that Kyurem is both Dragon and Ice so it's not weak to Ice but to Dragon, Fighting, Rock and Steel."
"True."
"Besides, Kyurem has got quite a stock of techniques… Chilling Wind, Dragon's Rage, Seal, Primeval Power, Freezing Beam, Dragon's Breath, Slash, Scary Face… And then come Frozen World, Dragon's Pulse, Seal shows up again, Daredevil, Snowstorm, Imperial Rage and, lastly, Hyper Voice…" Eisei listed as he looked at his PET.
"Imperial Rage? What does that do?" Kuroban sounded rather amused by the name.
"Hold on a min… Here. Introduced in Generation II… It was the signature move of the Miniryu evolutionary line… It inflicts damage during 2-3 turns and it automatically makes the Pokémon be stuck in using that attack yet it will not consume PP each time but only when activated. And in the end the user will end up confused." He read.
"Oho. Confused and blinded by its never-ending rage… How fitting that'd be for that Burai lapdog!" He laughed.
"Sure." Eisei grinned.
"Heh! Tomorrow the world will be told that myths aren't just myths: sometimes they happen to be real."
"And sorry to be defeatist: but if it goes ashtray…?"
"I've foreseen that. We say farewell to these idiots and start our own business: I'd already arranged for some resources to be diverted in the construction of a new base in a hidden spot… We'd move there and then I could come up with something new…"
"Bravo!"
"One must always have several backups at hand."
"Obviously."
PING! PONG! PENG! PANG! PUNG!
"Ops. My email alarm…"
"When will you learn to switch to silent mode?"
"Sorry, sorry… Eh… Huh? Ah!"
"What's wrong?"
"Oda."
"Superintendent Oda of the Net Police's Cyber CID…?"
"He's somehow managed to make this mail reach me: I guess Golden Star re-mailed it. Heh! Not bad… "Uncle Merton tells the fellow with the mop that the broom he owns will lead to a decisive battle. But it happens that the mop fellow is a mannequin and cannot speak yet Uncle Merton, being the short-sighted guy he is, keeps on insisting. By the way: Uncle Merton thinks he's using a broom but in truth he's using a bent and deformed empty steel pipe."…" Eisei laughed.
"I fail to see the logic of it. If there's any to begin with."
"You never know! Uncle Merton has mysterious skills!"
"Yeah. Sure." Kuroban was totally skeptical by now.
"Alright! I'll draw my Colt and tell "Kid" Billy to go buy sweets elsewhere or I'll confiscate them to sell them in the black market!"
Laughing, Eisei came out into the corridor but Kuroban wasn't amused at all to begin with.
"Gray… When will you stop making up stupid mottoes…? Whatever. Tomorrow… Burai! Our long-lasting battle… will come to an end!"
Very well, then! Deny me! And die trying!