Training Isn't Just for Moemon: Golden Days Ch. 21
My feet hammered against the ground as I rushed out of the pokemon center. "Wait, Vulpus! What are you doing?"
"I'm going to find that bitch and give her the fucking addiction of her life!" I snapped back at Roxanne. "Ignia, fly! Take me to Goldenrod Tower ASAP!"
"Yes, Master!"
When I grasped onto her back, she unfurled her enormous wings and we soared off into the sky. I could hear Roxanne shouting protests at me, but I didn't care. There would be hell to pay for what that bitch did.
When I reached the city, I found that the streets were completely empty. There was a barricade protecting the radio tower and the guards were armed. Somehow, I knew that there would be no chance I could get through that way. They'd shoot me dead on sight, most likely.
That's when I realized they hadn't safeguarded the underground tunnel. Morons! That would be how I got in. Ducking in an alley behind the Game Corner, I slipped into the side door of the underground complex.
Immediately, I knew there was a problem. There were Rocket Grunts tying up the people inside of the tunnel. Unlike the barricade, however, these ones were without guns. I charged the first one, punching him with my full force and knocking him out cold.
The sound of him hitting the floor, however, attracted the attention of the others. The remaining Rockets swarmed me, releasing Zubat and Rattata, but they were all slim pickings. As Rose and Shelly quickly dispatched them, I advanced through the hall towards the radio station.
However, I paused when I heard muffled cries from help off of a side door. Winona! Maybe they'd brought the hostages here. I burst open, only to find an older man bound and gagged.
"Holy shit. Hold on, I'll get you out." I managed to untie the gag before it dawned on me that I didn't have much time to waste. "There. Now you can call for help," I told him. "For now though, I've got bigger fish to fry."
"N-no, wait! Don't leave me here! Those ruffians could come back."
"Sorry, I've got to save someone," I told him.
"They're not as important as me! Do you know who I am? I'm the owner of the Goldenrod Radio Tower. Please, just untie me. I can make you a rich man."
"Again, I'm busy."
"Well, what about Winona?" he chimed up. "You listen to the radio, right? She just broke up with her douchebag ex. She's an easy rebound, and it'll be hard to screw up...gak!" My hand tightened on his throat and began to squeeze.
"Winona is my wife," I growled. "How dare you try to whore her out? Just for that I should kill you right here."
Fear flooded his gaze as he struggled to breath. "N-no...please…" he gasped.
I glared at him before finally taking a deep breath and letting him go. As he continued panting for air, I quickly untied his binds. "You're lucky I'm trying this whole 'good guy' thing," I grumbled.
As he came loose, he turned and beamed at me, bowing profusely. "Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you oh merciful one. Here, I have a gift. Please, I swear. It's the best I can do. I'm sorry for insulting your lovely wife."
He quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out a rainbow-colored feather. "Again, you should consider yourself lucky," I growled, snatching the feather and putting it in my pack. "Now get out of here."
The owner took off the way I'd come, leaving me to continue onward. When I slipped back into the street on the other side of the barricade, things were surprisingly still. There were a few Rocket Grunts, but they just ignored me for the most part.
When I entered the Radio Tower, there wasn't even any guards. Just the woman I'd met the first time I'd been there. What the heck? Where was all of the Rockets? "Good afternoon, sir," she greeted cheerfully. "Can I help you?"
"Erm...yeah. I'm looking to meet my wife, Winona? We were supposed to have lunch together." It was a lie, but something was definitely fishy.
"Ooh. I'm so sorry," the woman told me. "She's booked solid today. She probably just forgot to call and let you know. If you like I could take a message for you."
That's when I realized what had happened. It had been an inside job! This was just another way for Team Rocket to try to keep out prying eyes. No use in risking police involvement.
"That's okay," I stated chalantly. "I'll just let her know myself." Without waiting, I walked right past the desk towards the stairs.
"W-wait! Sir, you can't go up there. We're not doing any tours today and…"
Suddenly there was a blaring sound and when I wheeled back, I saw the woman had pushed a button under the counter. Shit! She'd alerted the entire God damned building! I could hear the sound of rushing footsteps, and I quickly grabbed a pokeball, ready to fight.
However, the one who came around the corner was none other than Jess. The moment she locked eyes on me, her cheeks turned a bright red. There was a recognition in her eyes of who I was, but it was apparent the hypnosis had worn off on her.
"Bro!" she squealed excitedly, rushing to me and throwing her arms around my neck.
Then again, maybe I was wrong about the hypnosis. "Uh...hey, Sis."
"It's okay Cassie," Jess told the woman at the counter. "He's with me."
"He said he was married to Winona," Cassie replied.
"Yep," Jess grinned. "My devious brother here married her, just in case we needed another in. He's such a clever guy." With that, she leaned up and placed a kiss on my cheek before whispering in my ear. "Play along. I'll help you if I can."
"Alright…" the lady at the counter surrendered finally. "But if he fucks this up, it's your ass."
"Gladly," Jess teased, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs. When we finally had some privacy, she shoved me against the wall, roughly pressing her lips against mine.
"Woah, woah," I complained, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her at arm's length. "What's all that about?"
"Heehee, a sign of thanks, of course."
"Thanks? After all of that stuff? I mean...you do know that I'm not…"
"Pssh. Of course I know you're not really my brother. My pokemon's hypnosis only lasts for about five minutes, sheesh. It's just...I'll admit, it felt so hot. And on top of that, my parents died when I was little. If you were really my brother, you'd have known that."
Guilt speared through me. "Listen, I'm sorry about…"
"Don't apologize. Actually, you were a big help. I joined Team Rocket because I wanted a family, but you kind of helped to open my eyes a little."
"How so?"
She smiled softly. "You showed me people can still care about me and I don't necessarily have to give something in return. I don't want to be a criminal. The only reason I've stayed on with Team Rocket is because I'd hoped to run into you again."
For a moment I wasn't sure what to say, but then the weight of the situation came crashing down again. "Okay, what gives?" I asked. "Why is Team Rocket attacking the radio tower?"
"Well, you know about how we found the signal that forces Magikarp to evolve, right? Well, our leader Giovanni instructed us to broadcast it. If we force every pokemon to evolve, it'll make it easier to capture them."
"But that will make the fully evolved pokemon sick!" I argued.
"Hey, I don't agree with them. I think it's awful. I'm just telling you the plan."
"Where's Winona? She's injured and I need to get to her."
"Who's Winona?"
"Pretty girl, purple hair, mid twenties. Hosts the show My Ex is a Douche."
"Oh! I'm such a big fan of hers and…wait. Does that make you her ex?"
I rolled my eyes. "Not important! I need to know where she is."
"I'll show you," she swore, leading the way through some of the other Rockets. As we went, I could see some of the terrified workers cowering away from the thugs. No one appeared injured, which only angered me more. That meant the only reason she was shot...was because of me.
I was marched up almost to the top of the building. Jess pulled me to a non-descript door and opened it for me. Inside, I could see Winona, her eyes meeting mine with horror and fear. Her chest rose and fell in strained gasps.
Immediately, all thoughts left my mind. "Winona!" I cried, rushing into the room.
"N-no!" she wheezed out, but it was too late. Jess slammed the door shut behind me. The audible sound of a lock engaging told me the truth of my situation. I should have known it was too easy for me to get in here.
Still, I moved to my wife's side, taking her hand in mine. "Winona, are you okay?" I asked her, holding her in my arms.
"C-cold…" she managed to gasp out.
I quickly took off my jacket, slipping it around her shoulders. With one hand still pressed to her wound, she used the other to tug it around her. This wasn't good. I knew feeling cold was the first sign that she was bleeding out.
I put my hands to her cheeks, staring her deep in her eyes. "Stay with me," I pleaded. "Don't close your eyes, understand? I'm here for you, and you're not going to die."
"I'm s-s-sorry," she whimpered, her eyes tearing up. "I don't think...I'm not going to make…"
"Hush," I told her. "You are. We're going to get out of this, just like we always do. You're going to live, and we're going to have a beautiful child and we're going to be together and happy for the rest of our lives. But to do that you need to stay awake."
Her entire body was heaving now as she choked back sobs. "The baby…" she whimpered. Moving the hand that was on her abdomen, she showed that the hole there didn't go all the way through. The bullet was still inside of her. With the way she was shot...there was no hope for our child.
That's when I remembered something. "Come on," I told her, scooping her into my arms. "I'm getting you out of here."
"No. Please," she begged. "Just leave me here. You need to save yourself. It's too late for me."
"No, it's not!" I snapped angrily. "I may have lost you. Maybe you don't still love me. Maybe you won't even want to be together after all this is over, but I will not lose our child. I will not lose the best thing that has ever happened to me!"
"Attention everyone," a voice spoke from one of the PA's in the room. "T-Minus ten minutes until the broadcast begins."
Winona grabbed my cheeks, pulling me to her for a loving kiss. "I'd never stop loving you," she whispered to me. "But right now, you have something more important than me to worry about. You need to stop them. You need to make sure they face justice. So please...leave me here."
I gently lowered her to the ground. Now I was crying. Was there really nothing I could do? A look of relief washed over Winona's face as she rested back against the wall.
"Go," she whispered to me with a weak smile. "Go be a hero."
That's when it all clicked. Everything Kumi had spoken to me about. Everything Jasmine said. Every bit of advice from Roxanne and all of the friends I'd met along the way just fell into place. "No…" I repeated, my eyes widening.
"Vul…"
"No. You're right, I need to go be a hero. But the way to do that isn't leaving you here. Being a hero doesn't just mean punishing the bad. It's also about saving the good. And I swear to you Winona, I will save you."
I got to work immediately. I drew out a pokeball, tossing it outward. Immediately, it opened revealing Kumi. The fox-like moemon looked at me confused. "Master? I can sense you're planning something crazy. What's going on?"
"How far can you teleport?"
"This high up? Not far. Probably just to any other spot in the building."
"What about the roof?" I asked.
"Doable. Why?"
"Take us to the roof. I'll explain later."
She nodded, placing one hand on my forehead and another one Winona's. "Hold on," she warned before the floor suddenly dropped out from under us. Reality faded away before with a pop, we appeared outside on top of the tower.
"Great work," I complimented her. I recalled her before she could even open her mouth to ask more questions.
"Vulpus...wh-what are you doing?" Winona gasped, but I ignored her, grabbing another pokeball and revealing Ignia.
"I'm saving your life. And our baby's," I told her. "Can you stand?"
She nodded, and so I put her on her feet, but she quickly lurched and had to brace her shoulder against one of the radio's poles. "Ignia, melt through the dish's supports," I instructed.
"Yes, Master!" she agreed, exhaling a jettison of fire that burned through the metal with ease. Together, she and I pushed all our weight against the massive tower.
A horrible screech filled the air as it began to bend. Cables began to snap from over tension and the dish slowly tilted towards the side. Soon it began moving faster, so Ignia and I leapt back. When it struck the side of the building, it was obliterated, sending pieces of metal and tech crashing along side of the building.
"Yes!" I cheered.
"Master, they're coming!" Ignia cried, pointing towards the roof access. Sure enough I could hear pounding on the door.
"Ignia, get ready to fly!"
"Yes, Master!"
I grabbed Winona, putting her in my arms again and running towards the edge of the roof. Just as the door burst open, I hurled us both over the side and began to plummet downwards. My Charizard, however, was prepared, and swooped beneath my wife and I before taking off into the skies with us on her back.
"Vulpus, please…" Winona begged again. "You can't just…"
"The broadcast is stopped," I told her. "I'm not letting you go!"
"I'm afraid...you're just going...to have to…" With that, my violet-haired beauty closed her eyes, and took her final breath. She fell still in my arms, and immediately panic began to set in.
"Winona?" I whispered. "Winona, please...wake up. Please, don't you do this to me." I cradled her closer, putting my head to her chest, but I couldn't hear her heartbeat. "Winona! Wake up, Winona! Please, you have to open your eyes! Don't do this to me! I need you! Stay awake, we're going to save you! I got you out of the tower! You'll be okay just please…" My words trailed off as I began to sob into her.
Ignia glanced over her shoulder at me. I knew she wanted to comfort me, but wasn't sure how. "Master, should we take her to the hospital?" she finally asked. "They probably can't bring her back...but maybe they'll be able to help you…"
"No," I whispered.
She paused for another moment. "Where do you want me to go?"
That's when Rose's story came back to me. I knew what to do. "Ecruteak City," I demanded. "Go to the tower, double time."
"The tower, Master?"
"Yes. We're going to bring her back."
Ignia looked at me in shock. "Master, that's just a legend! We've been to the tower, you saw that…"
"Do it!" I boomed, causing Ignia to give a cry of shock before falling quiet. I knew I probably upset her, but right now, I didn't care. This would work. This had to work!
When we reached the base of Tin Tower, I carried Winona's limp body with me through the door. A few monks tried to stop me, but I didn't even let them get a word out. Instead, I just smashed through them and took to the stairs.
It was a long way up, and after nine floors, I was exhausted. Winona felt cold in my arms, and she'd grown stiff. I ran onto the roof, racing along the wide ridge until my foot slipped and I fell to my knees.
Winona tumbled and rolled out of my arms, laying there, completely still. I took large gulps of air, sobbing uncontrollably. This was so stupid. I was here, with my dead wife, trying to find a legendary moemon that probably never even existed.
I crawled to her, the only woman I'd ever truly loved, and stared down at her limp corpse. How could I possibly do this? How could I possibly say goodbye? Was this my punishment? Was this for every horrible thing I'd done?
Silently, I took off my belt and dropped it to the ground. This was the end. Without Winona...there was no point anymore. I didn't want to be a pokemon training. I didn't want to be champion. If I could give up everything, just for one more day with Winona, I'd do it.
My moemon all emerged from their pokeballs, moving to try to bring me comfort. All were wise enough not to speak though. Rose, however, moved to kneel on the other side of Winona.
"Master," she whispered.
I didn't say anything. She extended her hand towards her, but I quickly snagged her wrist. Rose took a hiss of air, but when she looked into my eyes, she knew I wasn't going to hurt her.
"It's okay," she told me. Using her other hand, she pulled the first from my grip before carefully crossing Winona's arms over her chest. "She really is beautiful," she told me. "I never understood at first why you were so hung up over her. But now...I get it."
"She really was," I murmured at last. "Winona was the most beautiful person I'd ever met. It was the first time I'd met someone that...when I looked at her, I didn't want to have sex with her. I just wanted to make her happy."
Rose placed her hand on my shoulder. "I know you did," she told me. "I'm sure you made her very happy. It may have been hard for both of you, but I'm certain she loved you, Master."
That's when she got an idea. Reaching to my bag, she rummaged around before finding the brightly-colored feather that the radio's owner had given me. Lifting one of Winona's hands, she placed the feather there before lowering it again.
We knelt there for a while, and just as I was about to stand and pick Winona up to bury her somewhere, a bright light appeared in the sky. Looking up, I was in complete awe. A beautiful moemon I'd never even dreamt of was coming down from the sky, a rainbow in her wake.
When she landed, her eyes regarded Winona and I curiously. Rose, and the others, however, quickly ducked behind me in fear. "This is her," Rose whispered to me. "The legendary moemon, Ho-Oh."
I fell to my knees in shock. I bowed my head before the magnificent creature. "Ho-Oh!" I cried. "Please, I need your help! Legends say you can bring back the dead. Is that true?"
For a moment, the moemon said nothing, but then nodded her head. Her beautiful eyes gleamed suspiciously as she stared at me. Scintillating flames began to form on her wings, crackling with power.
"Listen, please. I know you are able to see into hearts. And I know that mine is not worthy and so you must burn me. I know that. But please...save her," I begged. "Winona's heart is purer than anyone's I've ever known. If anyone is worthy of your gift, it is her. Save her, and I'll gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fit for me. I'd throw myself from this tower if it meant saving her life."
Ho-Oh moved closer, her flames never fading for even an instant. "I sense two here. There is one inside of her," she said. Her voice was beautiful, like a sad song. "I fear I can only save one. The one inside...it is too far gone."
"Please," I repeated again, unable to stop the tears that were falling from my cheeks. "Save Winona. I beg of you."
Ho-Oh took a deep breath before the flames came rushing forward in a tidal wave of heat and light. I shut my eyes, the fire roaring all around me. I was going to die. My entire body turned to ash, but if it saved my love, it would be worth it.
Soon, however, the fire dissipated. The light faded away. When I opened my eyes, Ho-Oh stood there, smiling kindly at me. "Vulpus," she said. "I have looked into your heart and the heart of your moemon. I have seen your deeds, good and evil. Your soul has been judged, and I have found it to be whole and true. Because of this, I have granted your wish."
Suddenly, Winona's body took a sharp gasp. Her heart began to beat again, and the faded color of her cold cheeks began to restore quickly. Her wound sealed up, and what slight bump she'd had from her pregnancy slowly disappeared.
"There is one downside, I fear. This power is fueled by the love you have for your wife and for your moemon. Your love is what will sustain you both. Should you ever stop loving her...you will both perish."
"Both?" I asked in confusion.
"You too, have been granted the gift of youth eternal," she explained. "The two of you are soulmates now, bound for all of eternity."
I pulled Winona close to me, kissing her lips over and over again while rocking her in my arms. She was still unconscious, but now, she was alive once again. "Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
With that, Ho-Oh spread her wings, soaring back into the sky. It wasn't long before she'd vanished from sight. I hadn't captured her, true. But somehow...I knew this was for the best.
Winona slept for nearly two whole days. During that time, I refused to leave her side. Even when I was hungry, or had to use the bathroom, I'd either leave one of my moemon with her, or send them to get food. The last thing I wanted was for her to wake up without me at her side.
Just as I feared I was going insane, and that perhaps Winona was truly dead and in my grief I'd imagined everything I'd seen with Ho-Oh, she opened her eyes. Turning to regard me, I could see the pain and confusion in her gaze.
I gave a cry of relief and threw myself over her, hugging her tightly. For a moment, she didn't move, but then finally, she returned my embrace, shivering uncontrollably. "V-Vulpus? What happened to me? I thought...I mean, I remember...I was sure I…"
"Shh," I whispered, nuzzling against her. "It was just a bad dream, Winona. That's all. It's okay, now. I'm here, and I'll never let you go. You're okay. You're safe."
"Oh, Vulpus," she murmured before placing her lips against mine. The two of us kissed, just as lovingly and passionately as we had in the beginning of our relationship. I could have held her in my arms and kissed her forever, but the loud gurgle of her stomach caused us both to give a nervous chuckle.
"Hungry?" I asked.
She nodded.
Taking her by the hand, I helped her out of the bed. She stumbled for a moment, but I quickly caught her. She braced herself against me to keep upright, and the two of us shared a smile.
As we ate breakfast at a nearby restaurant, the two of us were silent. We didn't want to risk speaking and breaking the spell that had reunited us once again. Through the entire meal, I couldn't stop staring at her, though believe me, I tried.
I'm sure it was awkward for her, having her on/off husband staring dead at her every time she took a bite. "Penny for your thoughts?" she finally asked, drawing me from my daze.
I drummed my fingers on the table, not sure where to even begin. "I...just...are you feeling okay? I mean, first you were...and now you're…" I kept trailing off, unable to use the words that had suddenly lost so much meaning. Alive. Dead. Two things that had seemed so universal now felt as if they had as little impact as asking someone to pass the salt.
"Yeah. Actually, I feel much better," she told me. "Listen, Vul. I don't remember much. I remember being shot. I remember you flying me from the tower. And then...I woke up. But, something in my mind is telling me that I shouldn't have woken up. That should have been the end."
I bit my lip, unsure of how to reply. My silence did not comfort her in the slightest.
"Vulpus? What did you do?" she asked, with the same tone one would ask a dog who'd just peed on the carpet.
"I couldn't lose you," I told her. With that, I regaled how I took her to Tin Tower. How scared I'd been when she'd died in my arms. How Ho-Oh had appeared out of nowhere only to restore her back to life.
When I'd finished explaining she stayed quiet. Then, before I could react she slapped me in the face, so hard that it nearly knocked me out of the booth. "You asshole!" she growled at me. "How could you even think of doing something so incredibly stupid?!"
"Wh-what?! But I saved your life! I mean...you were...you know," I blubbered, reeling from her odd reaction.
"And it nearly cost you your own," she lectured with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do you think I'd have felt if she'd reduced you to ash? Do you really think that I'd be happier if I were alive and you were dead? You jerk!"
I opened and closed my mouth multiple times, unsure of what to say. Finally, I fell calm, and a knowing smile spread across my lips. "Yes dear," I surrendered. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Good," she sighed. "Then I suppose I can forgive you."
But my smile quickly faded. "Wait. There is something else," I told her.
"That doesn't sound good."
"The baby…"
Panic set in to her eyes as she quickly placed a hand to her midriff, only to find it flat. Instead of a look of shock or horror, it instead melted to relief as she sank back into the booth. "Thank goodness."
"Thank goodness?" I repeated. "Winona, Ho-Oh wasn't able to save it. It's gone."
"I know," she replied. My head was spinning. How could she be acting so calm about this. A look crossed her features, but it was guilt, not sorrow. "I lost the child," she told me finally. "The doctors did their best. It seems I wasn't biologically made to be able to carry children." Her weak smile sent a wave of pain through my heart. "I'll admit, I was less angry that you cheated on me. Something kept telling me that you knew, and the reason you went elsewhere was because you didn't see me as a full woman anymore."
Her hand reached across the table, seeking comfort. I eagerly gave it to her by taking it in mine. "So, the baby…"
"The baby was gone not even a week after you left," she whispered. "Doctors said it would be too strenuous on my body to remove it, so I had to continue carrying it. I'd have to birth its body."
"I'm so sorry, Winona…"
"I've come to terms with it," she told me. "Believe me, it wasn't easy. It took me a while."
With a squeeze of her hand, I reclaimed her attention. "I'd never think you less of a woman for not being able to have kids," I told her in all seriousness. "Our love saved you, and our love will keep us both alive. We can adopt. We can find someone to be a surrogate. It doesn't matter to me, because so long as it is with you, I'll always be happy."
Winona smiled at me again. Standing from her seat, she moved to the other side of the booth, pressing up against me and resting her head on my shoulder. "I love you," she purred, kissing my cheek. "Right now, I just want to go home. The sooner we get out of Johto and back to Hoenn, the better. I know you did this for me, but… I'm excited for us to have our lives back."
I kissed her head and nuzzled back. "Yeah. About that…"
Game Saved…
To be continued...