Hey everybody! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. Yes, I know that Florence's battle was shorter than the other gym battles but I'm glad you liked it anyway. The Twins seem to be gaining popularity now, too. Cool! Sorry that this one came a bit later but I just got home and had to readjust to my newly rearranged room. I hope you enjoy it anyways! Now onto the chapter!
Chapter 25: And Then There Were Ten
Freeze and Molt returned to their room, remaining quiet the whole time. "I still can't believe that she was here that whole time! We spoke to her only hours ago. I should have noticed!" Freeze shouted, tugging at his hair with his hands. "Grrr!" Freeze punched the wall, plaster falling to the ground from the dent he had left behind.
"Bro, what can we do?" Molt asked. "I've seen how strong Mimzy is. How can we possibly beat her and get revenge?"
"The Snaggers," Freeze muttered. "They managed to beat her. We need to find out what they know of her battle styles."
"But bro!" the redhead protested. "If we go near the Snaggers, we could get in trouble, really big trouble!"
"I don't care anymore, Molt." Freeze explained, sitting on his bed. "I only wanted us to join Cipher so we could find Electra. Now that I know who she is, I no longer wish to play things safe. I am going to confront her right now. I must know why she betrayed us before we go and look for the Snaggers. I know Poindexter said it was just to become a Cipher Gym Leader but I don't believe that the times we spent together in the Elementals must have meant something to her."
Electra raced ahead as the Elementals ran toward their hideout. Terry and Dartz were right behind her while Lily lagged behind to pick some violets. Gray kept trying to trip Molt and Freeze, but the duo dodged each attempt. They finally reached their base in the forest.
"We're back but there's no one to greet us." Terry observed as the group sat down inside of the tree house deep within the Viridian Forest. The pale-blue-haired boy was wearing a button-up blue-striped shirt, jeans, and white tennis shoes with blue stripes. Dark blue eyes twinkled with a light of mischievousness.
"As always, Terry." Dartz agreed. "We always stick together, you know that very well." His jet black hair was tied in a low ponytail and black eyes shone with leadership and kindness. He wore a long black trench coat, black jeans with rips along the bottoms, and black combat boots. Two black metal bracelets adorned both of his wrists, along with a handcuff with two chain links attached to it on his left wrist from his days in juvenile.
"Yes, sir." Terry mumbled, hanging his head.
"Awww! Quit being so mean to stupid Terry, boss!" Electra laughed.
"I think being called stupid made him feel worse." Molt whispered to his twin.
"I have to agree on that one." Freeze nodded.
"I'll cook dinner!" Lily volunteered, skipping toward the makeshift kitchen. The green-haired girl had her hair pulled back into two pigtails near the back of her neck, each tipped with dark pink. Green eyes glittered with joy and happiness. She wore a long dark green dress with matching green slip-on shoes.
"While dinner's cooking, who wants to play Go Fish?" Gray suggested, pulling the cards from his back pocket. The oldest of the Elementals, he had short gray hair cut army-style. His emotionless gray eyes reflected loyalty and protection. He wore army-patterned jeans, a white muscle shirt, and brown combat boots. A pair of dog tags was on a chain around his neck.
"I do!" the twins cried. "This time we'll win, Electra!"
"I highly doubt that, stupid twins." The blonde said. "Hey boss, come play with us!"
"Oh, I guess I might as well." The leader agreed, sitting down.
"There has to be another reason!" Freeze cried. "The way she acted when we were in the Elementals, she seemed to care."
Freeze and Molt stepped inside of the base, barely escaping the thunderstorm raging outside. "Geez, it's raining hard out there!" Molt complained.
"There's probably gonna be hail, too." Freeze pointed out. "How's Terry?"
"He's fine," Gray replied. "Lily went to make some soup. It's that terrible out there?"
"Yeah, it is." The twins confirmed.
"How can the stupid guy who has control over water in this stupid group get a stupid cold?!" Electra cried. She stomped down the stairs leading upstairs.
"I have control over Water-type Pokemon, not the freakin' weather." Terry groaned, coughing.
"I'm back!" Lily sang, setting the bowl of chicken noodle soup on the table by Terry's bed. "Drink it all up, Terry!"
"Will do, ma'am," The pale-blue-haired boy promised, sipping at the soup. Then he sneezed, spilling half of the soup in his lap with the other half was dripping down his face. Most of the group laughed, but Dartz instantly ordered for silence.
"Electra, could you be a dear and get Terry some extra blankets?" the raven-haired leader asked. "The big fluffy ones, not the ragged thin ones."
Getting over her laughing, the blonde nodded. Returning with the blankets, she dropped them on Terry and pulled out the soaked ones. Then she tucked him in and dropped the bowl in the sink. "That feel better, stupid?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, thanks." Terry muttered.
"That was why we trusted her! I cannot accept that she felt nothing for us at all." Freeze said, clenching his fists.
Freeze, Molt, and Electra were sitting on top of an old car in the junkyard, resting up before moving on. "Molt, how are your Pokemon doing?" the blonde asked.
"Pretty good but I'll never be able to beat you." The redhead replied. "After Dartz gives up leadership, you should be the next leader, Electra."
"I agree," Freeze nodded. "You're smart, pretty, and powerful. The perfect leader."
"Oh, you guys are too nice!" the blonde giggled. "But there's always going to be someone stronger than me. You two just have to keep training. Maybe one day, you guys can beat me."
"Yeah, I definitely will!" Freeze cried. "Just watch! One day I'll be so strong, nobody can beat me. Nobody!"
"Me too, bro!" Molt chirped.
"Then keep training." Electra giggled. Then her voice became cold and serious. "But remember this: there's always someone out there who can beat you. No one is ever truly the strongest person in the world, not even god."
"Yes, ma-am!" the duo squeaked.
Then her happy voice returned. "I wonder if you two could truly beat me."
"We will!"
"But bro, she might not have recognized us." Molt pointed out. "If you tell her who we are, she might kill us like she did the others. Please don't do this! You're all I have left! Please don't leave me!" The redhead was crying now, remembering his friends' deaths.
The base was destroyed, along with some of the forest. Everyone but Electra, Molt, and Freeze were dead. Molt was cradling his Flareon's body, begging for Flarey to wake up. Freeze just stared in shock at his former idol, unable to believe that she had done this. Electra just stared quietly, her clothes stained with blood. Her Jolteon stood beside her, electricity crackling from its body.
"You guys truly are weak." She said. "I expected more resistance than this but they all died so easily. The two of you just aren't worth killing if you're that weak."
"Why did you do this? We trusted you!" Freeze yelled.
"I thought I could get stronger through you guys and it worked. But I had to destroy you to get even stronger than that. Not even Dartz put up a good fight. Pathetic," Electra spat, turning around. "I'm leaving to do bigger and better things. Find me when you get stronger. Then maybe you'll be worth killing." She walked away.
Freeze growled, nails digging into his palms. "I promise that one day, we'll get our revenge! I PROMISE!!" he roared.
Electra smirked. "Whatever, stupid kid. Whatever,"
Molt felt something hit the back of his neck, knocking him out. Freeze sighed, dropping his twin on the bed. "Sorry Molt, but I must do this." He muttered. "I don't intend to battle her but if I have no choice, I must. I have to know why she betrayed us."
He left the room. Taking out his two Poke Balls, he threw them and released Glaceon and Hitmontop. He looked at them both. "Glaceon, I know we have only just met but I need you to lend me your power. Your strength and prowess in battle make you incredibly strong. I know you do not trust anyone yet but I beg you. Please help me carry out what I must do." He looked hard into Glaceon's eyes for a long time. It then nodded to him, like it understood. "Thank you."
Freeze then turned to Hitmontop. "And you, Hitmontop, have been so loyal to me even though I am not suited to you. I have never seen a more loyal Pokemon. I would be grateful if you would help me again." The Fighting-type nodded to him, too.
"Okay then," Freeze said. "I am counting on you two. I just pray I do not have to use both of you. I hope she will answer me and not wish to battle, but that may not be the case this time." Together, the three of them headed for Mimzy's room.
Celadon City, Celadon Mansion...
Luffy, Roen, Ookami, Zack, Ryan, and KC split up to explore the streets of Celadon City. Mark had mentioned there being five Shadow Pokemon, meaning only five out of the six could capture them. Luffy volunteered to stand by and help them catch the Pokemon instead of catching one himself.
KC clutched his Pokemon Egg close to him as he and Ryan wandered around the Celadon Mansion. There was a Cipher goon located on the top floor and the duo was chosen to go there. They walked up the final flight of stairs and entered the room. Footprints were left behind in the dust covering the floor. Ryan sneezed and rubbed his glasses.
Just as Ryan took another step, KC reached out and stopped him. Pointing, the two Snaggers finally spotted the goon. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and looking down at the floor with boredom. He looked around 19 with spiky brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a black leather jacket with tears on the shoulders, a white muscle shirt, black leather pants, and black boots. A red bandanna was tied around his left arm.
KC stepped out. "Hey, we're here to challenge you!" he yelled.
The goon looked up, startled. Then his face became serious. "So you're the famed Snagger, eh? Look pretty small to be a threat." He mocked, standing up straight. "Won't be much trouble to beat you up, eh? Thought so."
"KC, make this fast," Ryan muttered. "Zubat are known to hide in places like this."
"Awww, is the little geek afraid of a widdle bitty Zubat?" the goon teased. "I'll show you somethin' to be even more afraid of! Go, Gastly and Haunter!"
The Ghost-type Pokemon popped out, large eyes focused on the duo. Gastly stuck out its tongue while Haunter laughed eerily. Haunter's clawed hands flexed as it did flips through the air, laughing as it went. Gastly just floated close to its trainer, waiting for orders.
"Darn it!" KC hissed. "Neither of them are the Shadow Pokemon! And Ghost-types are the hardest to beat!"
"Physical attacks are useless," Ryan pointed out, pulling out Froslass' Poke Ball. "Use Special attacks to trap and defeat them,"
"Got it!" KC said. "Go, Pikachu!" He shoved the egg back into his backpack.
"Froslass," Ryan muttered. The Ghost/Ice-type floated beside him, glaring at the two Poison/Ghost-types. "Use Hail, Froslass."
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" KC cried.
Chunks of ice surrounded Froslass. With a wave of her arm, the hail was sent flying at her opponents. Pikachu's electricity coated the ice in sparks, creating an electrifying surprise for their opponents. Haunter hid itself behind its large hands while Gastly and the goon were force to fend for themselves. When the attack died down, the goon reluctantly returned his Pokemon and tossed out Zubat. It had a purple body with red wings.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" KC ordered. A single blast and the bat-like Pokemon was down. Ryan tossed the ball, capturing his first Shadow Pokemon. KC turned to the goon. "We won!"
The goon ran past them and burst out of the mansion. Ryan and KC stepped out moments later, the Pokemon Egg now nestled back in KC's arms. "That was easy," Ryan observed.
"Of course, Ryan," KC replied. "The goons are usually easy to beat. It's the Gym Leaders we have to be careful of."
"I agree," The duo headed for the gym, where Luffy was waiting for them.
Celadon City, Scissor Street...
Roen and Zack were wandering around together, looking for the Cipher goon. Roen had already defeated his goon, scoring a Shadow Bagon. It had a red body, glowing red eyes, pale purple stomach and lower jaw, and a dark gray head crest.
Roen finally spotted his goon. She had short light blue hair and ice blue eyes that seemed to glare at everything. She was wearing a black tank top decorated with the jagged red C, a blue jacket over the tank top, black pants with blue stripes down the seams, and blue winter boots. Upon spotting them, she walked toward them.
"We've been looking for you!" Zack shouted.
"So have I, Cipher kiddies." The girl lifted up a Poke Ball and tossed it, releasing a Sealeo duo.
"A double battle? I guess that means I'm in, too." Roen chuckled. "Go, Chimchar!"
"Pikachu, back him up!" Zack cried.
The moment the two Snaggers' Pokemon touched the ground, the battle was on! One of the Sealeo used an Ice Beam, covering the ground below their feet with ice. Then it started gathering some of the ice in its flippers, and then tossing it at the two smaller Pokemon. Chimchar melted the Ice Balls with Fire Spin while Pikachu dodged. The second Sealeo patiently waited.
"Leo, now!" the Cipher goon called. "Use Aurora Beam on that Pikachu!"
"Leeeeeoooo!" the second Sealeo barked, rainbow-colored energy building up in its mouth. Then it threw back its head and shot forward, the attack launching. Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt to counter. The two attacks collided, resulting in an explosion. Ice and snow flew around wildly, hitting anything in its path.
"I should have worn a thicker jacket!" Zack yelped, pulling the collar up to cover his face. He hugged his green jacket even tighter to his body.
"At least you have one!" Roen yelled back, keeping one arm in front of his face. His body felt numb.
"Well, sorry!" Zack called.
The smoke cleared and debris fell back to the ground. Looking up, the duo saw that one of the two Sealeo was down and the other was barely keeping itself up. The Cipher goon huffed and threw out her last Pokemon, a Spheal. It had a dark blue upper body, gray stomach and spots, and glowing red eyes.
"There's our Shadow Pokemon," Roen muttered, rubbing frost off his glasses.
"Alright then, Pikachu! Use Thunder to take down that last Sealeo!" Zack ordered.
Pikachu released a huge blast of blue electricity, finishing the last Sealeo off. Another Thunderbolt and the Spheal was theirs'. The goon turned and ran as the duo captured her Shadow Spheal.
"That was easy," Zack said.
"But that explosion was unnecessary." Roen pointed out.
"It's your own fault that you don't have a jacket on!"
"I'd rather freeze to death than die of overheating, especially in this weather." Roen replied.
"Whatever! Let's get back to the gym and find Luffy!"
"Sure," The duo raced back to the gym, Shadow Pokemon in hand.
Celadon Department Store, top floor...
Dart groaned, picking up his radio. Just as he'd predicted, Florence had lost. Those Snaggers weren't all that strong, it was just because the Cipher Gym Leaders were all pathetic! Yeah, that had to be it. If Cipher would just give that Shadow Mew to somebody, the Snaggers would drop like flies in front of their power. But no, the boss just had to insist that they don't give it to someone unless the Snaggers reach the Indigo Plateau.
Due to all of his grumbling, the blonde never noticed Ookami stepping onto the roof. So, he's the guy I have to beat... right? I hope so. The stairs were hard to walk up. Taking a step forward, she made the mistake of stepping on an empty pop can. Crunch!
Dart froze for a second before whipping around, sword drawn. Ookami dove behind a bench but knew that it couldn't save her. The swordsman eyed the bench, glaring at the one who intruded on him. "Come out and show yourself! Are you a Snagger?" Dart demanded. "Get up and tell me!"
Ookami slowly stood up, shaking. "My name is O-Ookami Ryuuy-yuki and I a-am a Snagger. Pre-Prepare to have y-your Sh-Shadow Pokemon t-taken away from y-you!" she said, raising a Poke Ball.
"You're a Snagger, kid? Pathetic," Dart growled, lowering his sword. "Look at you. You're shaking like a leaf. So Mark had to lower himself to picking up cowards, too. I should have guessed." He turned around, looking over the city again. "Go home, brat! You're only a nuisance. You probably can't even beat your own Gym Leader, so could you possibly beat me, a Cipher Gym Leader?!"
Cipher... Gym Leader? Ookami thought. So, he's just like that woman who took over Erika's gym. Has Mark already beaten him, or do I have to do that now? He must be really strong. Can I take him?
Dart smirked. "I can tell you're scared, kid." He noted. "Go home before I make you. If you can't beat your own Gym Leader, you stand no chance against me!"
His radio sparked to life. "Agent... time to return... Florence is back... Next mission waiting... boss' orders..." It died again.
"Darn," Dart muttered. "I better go, kid. But as a reward for staying in my presence this long, I'll give you this." He tossed out a badly beaten Wynaut. It had a purple body and red eyes. "Take him. I don't need him anymore. I've already asked boss for a different one. This one's just useless to me."
Ookami tossed her Poke Ball, capturing the wounded Pokemon. Clutching the Poke Ball close to her chest, she stared at him determinedly. "I'm not a coward."
Dart looked back at her, surprised. "What did you say?"
"I'm not a coward. I can take care of myself." Ookami said. "Mark didn't choose me because I'm a coward. He chose me because I don't like seeing Pokemon hurt. I want to stop you people from hurting Pokemon, like you did to Wynaut. Pokemon shouldn't be treated like that. Ever!"
"Then why are you shaking?" Dart demanded, turning to face her again. "Why are you afraid? If you want to fight me, what's holding you back? Why are you so scared?"
"I'm not scared. Nothing's holding me back. I'm not afraid." The brunette looked up at him. "I'm shaking because I'm excited, not afraid."
"Huh?" Dart's eyes widened in surprise. Those eyes...! They're the same eyes!
"Are you going to fight me or not?" Ookami asked.
Dart glared and turned away, hopping on top of the railing. "Nope, I won't fight you. There's no point in fighting a coward." Holding up the teleportation device, he grinned. "Maybe later. Adios!"
Ookami watched until he teleported away, and then walked back down the stairs. "I better tell Mark what he said." She muttered.
Celadon Gym entrance...
The group finally met up together. Handing over their Shadow Pokemon to Mark, the group was ready to set off again. "How about we head back to Lavendar Town tomorrow?" Luffy suggested.
"Why?" Zack asked. "We could go down Route 16 and be on Cycling Road tomorrow."
"Prof. Oak said that we'll be getting help soon and I think they're at Lavendar." Luffy explained. "If they're not, we'll head back here and go on Cycling Road."
"But most of us don't have bikes." Alex pointed out.
"Those of us who have bikes can go through the station." Will suggested. "Those of us who don't will have to sneak in."
"But that's illegal!" Ookami gasped. "If we get caught, we'll be in big trouble!"
"Then we won't get caught, Ookami." Mark said. "Have a little faith. We'll get in one way or another."
"So, are we all camping at Ookami's until tomorrow?" Roen asked.
"Yep, so let's go!" KC cried.
As the nine Snaggers headed for Ookami's place, they never noticed a certain white-haired psychic silently watching them. Anna, I pray I am doing the right thing. With a flash, he was gone.
On the island that houses Cipher, Mimzy's room...
Mimzy sighed, adding the yellow lightning bolt to her newly-painted black nails. She had just finished painting her nails when someone knocked on her door, making her drop her nail polish. Mimzy huffed. "Stupid, talk before you knock!" she yelled, opening the door.
She was surprised to see Freeze. "Mimzy, I'm here to ask you a few questions." He said, trembling in anger. She betrayed us. I can't believe she betrayed us for this. "May I come in?"
"Fine but look where you step, stupid. Your stupid surprise visit made me drop my stupid nail polish." The blonde warned, letting him into the room.
The moment he stepped into the room, he suddenly understood why she went to the trouble of killing his friends. Her room was three times bigger than his and Molt's, and had a big bathroom too! She had a queen-sized bed, and the room was painted black and yellow. But the thing that caught his eye most was a framed photo that sat on her dresser. Freeze stepped closer and his eyes widened in surprise. It was the picture of all the Elementals with a written note: My Best Friends, I'll Miss You.
Mimzy noticed Freeze looking at the picture. "Those were my first targets, you know." She explained. "They were the first people to accept me and were my best friends. I think I might have had a crush on Terry at one point... but that's in the past. I still miss them."
"Then what made you kill them?" Freeze asked. She misses us. She killed them but she still misses them. What will she do when she finds out one of them in standing right in front of her? Kill me, or let me go?
"Oh, I didn't kill all of them." Mimzy chuckled. "I let two of them go, the stupid redhead and the blue-haired boy. I killed all the others except them."
"Why did you kill them?" Freeze demanded. "They were your friends and you just killed them! Why?"
"What do you care?" Mimzy growled. "Whatever. I'll tell you anyway, stupid. I killed them because..."
"Why?"
Mimzy giggled. "Cipher made me a better offer."
Freeze was in shock. A better offer? What could be better than friends?
"Cipher offered me money, power, Pokemon, and so much more." Mimzy added. "That's way better than living in a creaky tree house in Viridian with a bunch of smelly brats who thought they ruled the streets. Though, boss did say something about destroying the Element Masters but I opted for killing them instead. Why are you so interested in that, stupid?"
"There's always someone out there who can beat you. No one is ever truly the strongest person in the world, not even god." Freeze recited.
Mimzy fell silent. "Who told you that, stupid?!" she hissed.
"An old friend, just days before they betrayed us to a big organization. She looks like you and talks like you, but this will ensure everything." Freeze muttered. "Do you remember telling me this, Electra?"
Mimzy froze. "How do you know my old name?" she asked.
"Because I'm one of the two people who you told that to. Do you remember me now?" Freeze asked. "My redhead twin and I came here looking for you, and you were right under our noses. We came to get revenge for our friends but I have a question. Did we really mean anything to you or were we just tools you used?"
"Why would that matter?! Who are you, stupid punk?" Mimzy screamed.
"My name is Freeze, former Elementals member." Freeze said, turning around.
Mimzy looked shocked but anger quickly took over. "Why have you come here?" She clenched her fists. "Do you really think you can beat me in a full blown battle? I think not!"
It looks like I can't get out without battling first. Sorry, Molt. I pray I make it back tonight. Freeze thought, grabbing Glaceon's Poke Ball. "Electra, I don't wish to fight. Just answer me truthfully and I'll leave!"
"Too bad, punk! You asked for this!" She jumped at him, raising a knife. "Now prepare to die!"
"AAAAAAAHHH!!" Blood splattered on the walls and floor. Small flecks of blood decorated the picture of the Elementals, which had fallen to the floor in the commotion. The glass cracked before completely shattering. All became quiet except for the dripping of blood.
Mimzy was crouched over Freeze's unmoving body, looking at her hands in fear. Blood pooled in her hands, dripping onto Freeze's slashed and bloodied uniform. She was shaking now. "What have I done?" she whispered. Then she threw back her head and screamed.
Molt and Freeze's room...
Molt groaned, sitting up. His head was pounding. Looking at the clock, he had been out for about an hour at most. Standing up, the redhead suddenly remembered what Freeze said he'd do. "AAAH! I gotta find Freeze before he's killed!" he cried, running out of the room and down the hall...the wrong way.
Skidding to a stop before on of the training rooms, he shoved the doors open. He didn't see Freeze but he did see a Shadow Flareon. It had bright red fur with a pale gray tail, neck, and head fur. Glowing red eyes narrowed angrily as it growled. Molt stood in awe. I finally found a Shadow Flareon.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" Molt looked away from the Flareon to see one of the Cipher Gym Leaders. Blazer, to be more precise. His Shadow Blaziken stood by his side, patiently awaiting orders. "Can't you see we're training? Shoo, scat! Do whatever it is you little punks do. I gotta get this Flareon under control."
"Hey, maybe I can help." Molt offered, forgetting his twin for the moment. "I'm a Fire-type trainer and I trained a Flareon before, so maybe I can help you."
"Huh?" Blazer sighed, tipping his sunglasses down. "I guess if you really want to. But don't come crying to me if Flareon hurts you. He's vicious so far, you know."
"I won't." Molt promised, walking toward the Fire-type Pokemon. Kneeling down, he held out a hand. "Come on, it's okay. You don't have to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you." Flareon sniffed his hand and bit him. "Ouch!"
"I told you so!" Blazer yelled. He grabbed Flareon by the scruff. "Bad!" The fox blew fire at him, making Blazer drop him. "Shoot, you're a moody Pokemon. How the heck am I supposed to train you?!"
"Let me try again." Molt begged.
"Go ahead! I could care less!" Blazer grumbled, patting his chest from where the flames burnt him. I've never had this much trouble with a Fire-type before. If this kid can tame it, he can have it.
Molt held out his hand again. "It's alright. We're not gonna hurt you. You don't have to be scared." The Flareon sniffed his hand and rubbed his head against it, purring. "See, I told you. He was just scared and confused." Molt explained, picking up Flareon and petting him. "It's alright. If you want, I can help you train him."
Blazer sighed, turning on his heel and walking away. Amazing. This kid tamed Flareon in two tries. Even a Gym Leader like me couldn't get to it. I guess I've got to keep to my promise.
Molt noticed the older boy walking away. "Hey, you left Flareon!" he called.
"Keep him. He obviously likes you, not me." Blazer said. "I'm not the kind of guy to force a Pokemon to be mine if it doesn't want to be. He doesn't like me but he likes you, so you keep him." He walked out the door and waved. "Take care of him!"
Molt smiled, hugging Flareon. "Welcome to the team, Flarey." He said. Suddenly, a loud scream ripped through the air. Then Molt remembered why he was here. "Freeze!" He returned Flareon and ran out of the room.
Molt crashed into Blazer once he reached Mimzy's room. "Get out of here, kid! You shouldn't see this!" Blazer scolded.
"No, that's my brother in there!" Molt protested.
"Just let the brat in." Florence said.
"Florence, you're back?!" Blazer cried.
"Yeah, I lost. Get over it and let the kid in."
Molt shoved his way in and stood, frozen, in the doorway. Freeze was lying in a pool of his own blood in the center of the room. A large slash cut across his body from his right shoulder to his left side. Faint movement in his chest signaled that Freeze wasn't dead yet. Molt faintly heard voices telling him to move. He crashed to the ground, fainting. Freeze...no...
Ookami's house, the next morning...
"Well, let's get going!" Mark called, walking out the fence door.
"Erika, you'll watch over my house, right?"
"Of course, Ookami." Erika promised. "Just go with your friends and have fun. Stay safe, everyone!"
"We will!" Zack said. "Bye, mom and dad! See you later!"
The nine Snaggers were leaving Celadon behind and headed back for Lavender Town to search for this mysterious ally Prof. Oak mentioned. Nobody knew what they looked like but couldn't wait to find them. They walked through Route 7 and the Underground Path, entering Route 8. While the others walked on, KC pulled Zack aside and the duo started climbing the tall rock wall on the left side of the route.
"Hey, big brother! Look how high I am!" KC called.
Luffy looked up, only to see his younger brother and Zack almost to the top of one of the giant rocks that littered the route. They were at least 150 feet in the air. "KC, Zack, get down from there!" he shouted.
"What are you shouting at?" Alex asked. The group followed Luffy's finger and saw the two Snaggers up on the rocks. "Hey, get down from there! You could fall and die!"
"No way!" KC replied.
"We'll be fine!" Zack added. "Just—" The rock under his foot gave way, making the blonde fall backward. "Watch?" Zack fell down the side of the rock. "AAAAAAAHH!!"
"Zack!" Will yelled.
"Oh man, oh man! I knew this was a bad idea." KC whimpered, sliding the rest of the way down.
Zack closed his eyes, not wanting to look down. Suddenly, his back hit something and he wasn't falling anymore. "Huh? I'm not dead?" Looking down at what he landed on, he saw brown feathers. "A Pokemon?!"
Once the giant Flying-type, identified as a Fearow, landed and deposited Zack, the blonde raced back to his friends. A teenage girl stepped out from behind the rock, frowning. "You guys are more pathetic than what I thought. Can't even save yourselves from a measly fall. I guess it was a good thing that I was here or we'd be down one Snagger." She said, flipping her black ponytail over her shoulder.
"Wait a second! I know you!" Ookami cried. "You're Leena!"
Leena smiled. "Bingo."
"Leena, the sixth place champion of the Kanto League?" Roen asked. "This is totally awesome! I saw your battle on TV and I'm surprised that you got so far."
"You're famous," Ryan agreed. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the other Snagger that Oak probably told you about." The raven-haired girl replied. "Now, what are you doing heading for Lavender? Shouldn't we be going towards Cycling Road?"
"Yeah, we were looking for you first!" Will said. "Maybe if you had come to Celadon sooner, we wouldn't have had to backtrack looking for you!"
"Whatever!" Leena huffed. 'I'm here now, hothead, so let's get moving. Do you all have bikes?"
Hothead?! Where does she get off acting high and mighty? Will thought. Champion or not, this girl definitely doesn't know what respect is!
"No, not all of us do." Mark explained. "Those of us who don't are going to sneak in."
"That sounds kind of low for us, but I guess we have no other choice." Leena agreed. "Arcane, get out here!" Once her Arcanine appeared, she climbed on his back. "Let's get moving."
"I like her, Mark." Alex chuckled.
"Good for you." The green-haired Snagger groaned. Just great! A second bossy girl. As if Alex wasn't enough to put up with.
"KC, you are such an idiot!" Luffy hissed, hitting his younger brother on the head. "What if you had fallen instead of Zack? Dad would kill me!"
"Ow! Ow! I'm sorry!" KC whined. "Quit hitting me already!"
"Well, you do deserve it." Ookami said. "You could have been seriously hurt or worse, dead. You have to be more careful, KC."
"Okay, I get it!" KC cried, escaping his older brother's clutches. "Ryan, save me!"
"I'm not getting involved." The brunette muttered, sidestepping his raven-haired friend.
"Aww, you're mean!"
"Not as mean as your brother."
"Good point, Ryan." Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. "Now get over here and take your punishment like a good boy! Don't make me spank you!"
"HELP!!" The two brothers were chasing one another, one to escape and the other to punish the escaper. "GUYS, DO SOMETHING!!"
"As Ryan said, I'm not getting involved." Zack quoted.
"I agree." The blue-haired teen agreed, pushing up his glasses. They had slipped down his nose while he had been screaming over Zack's near-death experience. "Can we get going now, Mark?"
"Um, sure. Why not?" Mark shrugged, leading the group onward.
"What about them?" Ookami asked, pointing to the fighting brothers that were being left behind.
"They'll catch up soon enough. Just leave them." Alex pointed out.
"Well, if you say so." Ookami muttered, reluctant to accept that answer.
"Have you always been that shy?" Leena asked as Arcane slowed down, walking beside the brunette. "Hop on! Let the guys do the walking. You too, blue-hair!"
"It's Alex!"
"Whatever, just get on!" Once the duo hopped onto the Fire-type, Arcane sped up. The boys were left behind. "See you, boys! We'll wait in Celadon for you!"
"NO FAIR!!" the boys all shouted.
"Why are we leaving them behind? Shouldn't we slow down so they can catch up?" Ookami cried, tightening her grip around Leena's waist. "And aren't we going too fast?"
"Oh, come on! Live a little!" the raven-haired girl laughed. They were racing through the Underground Path now. "Haven't you ever ridden on a Pokemon before?"
"No, I prefer walking." The brunette replied. "I'm gonna fall off!"
"No you're not, Ookami. I've got you!" Alex reassured, keeping her hands on the older girl's shoulders. "If you fall off, you'll land on me long before you hit the ground. Hey, can we go any faster?"
"Oh, please no! This is fast enough!" Ookami cried, tightening her grip further.
"Yeah but I don't think Arcane will go much faster with three on his back." Leena said. "And can you loosen up, girl? You're squeezing me too tightly!"
"Sorry, I just don't like going too fast."
"Well, here's Route 7. After that, we'll have to stop and wait for the boys." Leena promised. "Just a bit further and you can get off."
"Thank you!" Ookami said.
Once they entered Celadon, the Arcanine stopped to wait for the guys. Ookami practically fell off, gasping for breath and muttering something about the sky tilting. Alex jumped off and spun around, laughing. Leena smirked as Arcane lay down. So, these are the only girls on the Snagger team besides me. I like the blue-hair, she seems a lot like me in some ways. As for that other one, it might take a while to get used to her. I never liked the shy, nervous ones.
With the guys, back on Route 8...
"I can't believe that they just left us! Who does that girl think she is?" Roen growled, clenching his fists. "She even took Ookami with her. I can't believe this!"
"Well, believe it." Ryan replied. "It just happened."
"Let's just hurry up and catch up!" Luffy cried, through with punishing KC. "Aren't we supposed to be on Cycling Road by now?"
"Yeah, let's get going!" Mark agreed. "Everyone, let's step up the pace! We got to catch up, and quickly!"
"Right!" KC groaned, rubbing his sore bottom.
The boys took off at a run, desperate to catch up before Leena decided to just leave them behind and go ahead herself. After going through the Underground Path and Route 7, they finally reentered Celadon City. The sun was high above them now, its burning rays heating everything it touched.
The guys found Leena and the girls on the other side of Celadon, closest to Route 16. Ookami was taking a nap and Alex was watching the clouds. Leena was the first to notice the exhausted boys. "Took you long enough to catch up." She grumbled. "When are we leaving for Cycling Road?"
"After we take a break," KC panted, collapsing in the grass. "We're tired. Why'd you leave us?"
"Because I just could. Guys can take care of themselves, right?" Leena taunted. "Plus, riding on Arcane beats walking any day of the week."
"Lucky you," Mark muttered, sitting down beside Alex. "How long did we take to get here?"
"About 20 minutes, maybe a half hour." The blue-haired girl answered. "I wasn't really paying attention. Are we leaving soon?"
"Once all of us catch our breaths, yes." The green-haired boy nodded. "Did Ookami just fall asleep?"
"No, she fell asleep when we got here."
"Oh, okay."
They waited for around an hour before moving on. Roen woke Ookami up and Leena offered the girls another ride on Arcane. The brunette politely refused but Alex jumped on. The group headed down Route 16 and Zack pointed out the small building behind the fence. A familiar face was there. "Guys, stay here." Mark said. "I'll be back."
Taking the second path beyond the fence, he went past the station and entered the small building near the sea. The smell of salt water was thick but Mark ignored it. He had other things on his mind. Standing in the middle of the room was none other than Prof. Oak. "Well, Mark. It seems you've found me yet again." He chuckled.
"Don't I always?" the green-haired boy asked. "What are you here for this time? We found that Leena girl. Has Shadow Master left any new messages?"
"I'm here for three things, Mark." Prof. Oak said. "One, I'm here to give you this." A golden coin on a chain was pressed into his palm, an Amulet Coin. "Two, Shadow Master did leave another message. He said that Cipher's plans are nearly finished and that by tomorrow night, more Legendaries will be disappearing. Which ones, he never specified."
"I hope Zapdos is okay." Mark muttered. "What's the last thing?"
"I'm sure Leena will tell you soon enough but I think it is best to tell you now." Oak muttered. "It seems Cipher wants to eliminate me for helping you. Not long ago, two agents were sent to capture me. Leena stopped them but my laboratory is no longer safe. Tracy and I will be leaving soon, so there's no point in trying to contact me there. I will be contacting you from now on, understood?"
"Got it. Where will you be going?" Mark asked.
"I might head for either Prof. Ivy's lab in the Orange Islands or I might go to Elm's lab in Johto."
"Okay." Mark nodded. "So, this is goodbye?"
"Until we meet again, yes." Oak said. "Good luck with your journey. Make many new friends and save as many Pokemon as you can, Mark."
"I will, Prof. Oak. Good luck to you!" Mark turned and left, heading back for his friends.
"What did Oak say?" Luffy asked.
"Cipher's after him, guys." Mark explained. "He's going to Ivy's or Elm's within the next few days, so we can't contact him anymore. Cipher's gonna steal some more Legendaries in the next few days, too."
"That's terrible! Can't we do something to help?" Ookami asked.
"Not at the moment, Ookami." Alex said. "But once we free the regions, we'll save them too. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Roen cried. "Onto Fuchsia City!"
"YEAH!!" everybody cheered.
"Now to get past the station and get on Cycling Road." Ryan muttered.
Soon, they had a plan. Leena entered the station and distracted the guard, allowing the others to sneak past unnoticed. Once she was done distracting him, she went past on her bike. When they were all on Cycling Road, known as Route 17, Leena put away her bike and released Arcane again. They headed down the route, prepared for any battles that came their way.
Through most of the route, they had to battle Cipher goons who had no Shadow Pokemon on them. A few were just normal trainers that were dealt with by Alex, Zack, and KC. They kept to the west path throughout the route. Ookami ended up finding a Full Restore hidden in the long grass just before entering the route. All in all, they were just normal battles.
They finally reached the end, where both paths of Cycling Road merged as one. They walked along the path until they had to turn left, entering Route 18 and another lookout station. Just before going to the station, the group rested near the water to relax for a bit. The sun was setting once again, turning the water various shades of color. The air was cooler thanks to the ocean breeze, cooling down the sweating trainers.
"Those were some fun battles, right?" Mark asked, folding his arms behind his head as he lay on the ground.
"Yeah, they were." Will agreed. He took out Drapion's Poke Ball, frowning. Maybe Koga can help me with Drapion, he thought. Koga is the Gym Leader for Poison-types, after all. I hope he can help me. Then he noticed something. "Is it just me or is that a really big bird?"
"Yeah, it is pretty big." Leena muttered. "What is it?"
Luffy gasped. "It's Zapdos!"
"Zapdos?" Roen asked. "What's it doing here? Isn't it supposed to be on Lightning Island?"
"Maybe it fled after Articuno and Moltres were taken." Ookami suggested.
"No way." Leena disagreed. "It would take more than that to drive Zapdos out of its territory."
"Maybe it's going to the Power Plant." KC pointed out, hugging his Pokemon Egg closer. "But why? Wouldn't it try to take over all three islands?"
"Maybe Cipher tried to capture it." Alex said. "Zapdos probably fled to try and escape them."
"Yeah, that might be it." Ryan agreed, nodding.
"Man, this is awesome! I thought I'd never see a Legendary." Zack cried. "This is the best Pokemon journey ever! I can't believe I'm seeing this!"
"Well, you're seeing it." Mark chuckled. "I just hope Zapdos gets away safely."
"Me too," Ookami said.
Soon, Zapdos vanished into the clouds once again. The group got up and headed for the lookout station. After distracting the guard again, the Snaggers started walking along the path just outside of Fuchsia City. The sun was nearly gone, stars twinkling high above them. They saw no Cipher goons, so they entered the city. It was mostly quiet except for the occasional passerby.
Walking around the large rock that housed the Fuchsia Gym, two homes, and the Pokemon Center, the group still saw no goons. The Cipher Gym Leader also was not present. They entered the Pokemon Center and were immediately confronted by Koga and his daughter, Janine.
"We've been expecting you, Mark and friends." Koga said, nodding. "We have not seen the stealer of my gym since they defeated me. Their location is unknown."
"So you don't even know if they're still in Fuchsia?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah," Janine replied. "It was scary, that battle between dad and that thief. They used dad's own tricks against him. Scary, right?"
"Yeah, definitely scary." Roen muttered.
"Hey, Koga? Can I ask you a favor?" Will asked.
"Of course," Koga said. "Mark, why don't you and your friends get rooms while I speak with your friend?"
"Sure, why not? Come on, guys." Mark called.
Once the others had reached the front desk, Koga and Janine turned to Will. "So, what favor do you want to ask of me?" the Gym Leader asked.
"Well, I'm having trouble taming my Drapion." Will admitted. "I was wondering if you could help me train it. Could you?"
"Sure! We'd love to help!" Janine laughed. "I've never seen a Drapion before. Dad, can we help him?"
"Of course, Janine," Koga nodded. "Tomorrow morning, Janine and I will help you train your Drapion. Is that all right?"
"Uh, sure. Anytime is okay, actually." Will said.
"Good. Now, I believe you should catch up with your friends before they leave you behind." Koga pointed out.
"What?!" He turned to see the group going upstairs to get their rooms. "Hey, wait for me!"
As he ran after them, Janine laughed. "He's funny!"
"I agree. Now, I think we should get to our own room, Janine." Koga suggested.
"Yes, Dad." She muttered, yawning. "I hope we can beat that gym-stealing goon. We'll make them sorry they ever touched our gym."
"I agree, Janine." The duo went upstairs to their room.
After the Snaggers had organized themselves into the three rooms, they turned out the lights to sleep. But Mark couldn't sleep. His mind was clouded by thoughts of what Cipher was doing. They're looking to eliminate Prof. Oak. They're capturing more Legendaries in the next few days. The Fuchsia City Cipher Gym Leader hasn't been seen since they took the gym. I can't do a thing to change any of those things right now. What's Cipher planning next? The world's balance is in danger. The whole world could be destroyed! What can I do?
He rolled over, trying to force the thoughts out of his head. "Mark, are you okay?"
"Huh?" He looked over the edge of his top bunk bed to peer at Luffy. The older boy was still awake. "No, I'm not okay. How would you like it if the world was in danger and you couldn't do a thing to stop it?"
"I'd be scared." The older boy replied. "And I am scared, Mark. Everything could be destroyed and everyone could die. We're the only thing preventing that. That scares me, knowing all Cipher has to do is get rid of us and the world's theirs."
'I know." Mark muttered, rolling over to face the wall. "Luffy, I'm sorry to ask this but why do you think Cipher killed your mom?"
"Well," Luffy stretched slightly before continuing. "The doctors said that her condition was unusual, a one in a million chance. Her illness was a rare but fatal one that affected every one in a million people."
"What was her illness?"
"I don't really now." Luffy admitted. "All I know is that it was a disease transferred from a severely ill Pokemon to a perfectly healthy human through blood. And I definitely know my mom has never been near sick Pokemon. She even avoids hospitals, oddly enough. Plus, mom didn't like Pokemon all that much."
"How do you think she got it then?" Mark asked.
"Cipher must have done something. Cornered her and injected the disease into her bloodstream or something. Mom dying is probably what made dad leave Cipher."
"They did the same thing to your dad as they did to Mist. Cut off all ties to the outside world. Make you fully loyal to Cipher." Mark said. "They probably were planning on killing you and KC, too."
"I remember KC getting sick around the time mom died." Luffy reflected. "It was terrible. He couldn't sleep, he was burning up, his throat was sore from all the coughing, his voice was scratchy, and he puked and slept a lot. He nearly died. But that was around the Time dad went to New Moon Island to find Darkrai. Maybe he found Shaymin and had it cure KC."
"Wow." Mark whispered. "Your dad sure is nice."
"I know. What about your parents?" Luffy asked.
Mark frowned. "I don't really know. They left me in foster care for a few years until I could live on my own. They practically abandoned me for no reason at all."
"Oh, sorry."
"Don't be. I don't really care anymore."
"Well, I'm going to bed. You?"
"I'll try."
After a while, Mark finally fell asleep. But once again, his dreams were plagued with darkness. The Shadow Gengar fled once again to inform its master of the Snaggers and Leena's alliance. It just prayed that master was in a good mood tonight.
On the island that houses Cipher, boss' chambers...
Prof. Pine sighed, pushing his glasses up as he stood outside of the boss' room. He really had no idea why he was called here in the middle of the night. Something about Agent 99, one of the strongest Cipher Peons. He was also one of the youngest at the age of 10. And Prof. Pine had the terrible job of watching over the ungrateful child. Pushing open the doors, he entered the dark room.
"Sir, you called me about Agent 99." Pine called. "Is something wrong with him?"
"Yes, there is. I suggest you take better care of your charge, Pine, or you will live to regret it." The voice of Cipher's boss echoed throughout the large chamber. "Now take him back to his room and do as he wants. You know how valuable Agent 99 is to my plans, correct?"
A small hand grabbed Pine's, startling him. Looking down, he sighed upon seeing a pair of dark blue eyes filled with tears. "Yes, sir. Well, come on then. Let's get you back to your room, Agent 99." The professor groaned, pulling the ten-year-old with him.
Upon leaving the dark room and closing the doors, Pine finally got a better look at Agent 99. The agent's dirty blonde hair was sticking up in all directions, giving him quite the ruffled appearance. His red T-shirt and blue shorts were wrinkled, and his gray and green shoes were untied. The agent's glasses made his dark blue eyes look bigger.
"Prof. Pine, I keep having this weird dream of these two black-haired boys." The boy complained.
"The same as always, Bradley?" Pine asked. "I'm not at all surprised except that you came looking for me again, crying this time."
"But this time, it was different!" Bradley complained. "The older one called me 'brother' and suddenly they were both dead. And it's Brad, not Bradley!"
"Of course, Brad." Pine muttered. "Are you going back to bed?" He pointed to a door that said Agent 99 on it. "We are here. Either go to bed or be quiet. I have a ton of research to do."
"Okay, I'll go to bed." Brad groaned, entering the room. "Night, Prof. Pine."
"Good night, Brad." Pine replied, walking away.
Crawling into bed, Brad reached over and picked up a photo on his nightstand. It was of the two black-haired boys in his dreams, along with two older people. The names written on the bottom were: Vivian, KC, Luffy, and Darien. The woman holding the younger boy had long black hair. The man also had messy black hair and a pair of reading glasses, his arms wrapped around the older boy's shoulders. A strange image of a ghostly creature loomed just behind the group.
Who are these people? And why do I feel strange each time I look at them? Brad thought, his finger resting over the woman. What's it like to have a mother? Who knows? I've been here since I was a baby. But still, why do those boys affect me so? Who are they?
Putting the photo away, Brad curled up in bed. Maybe I'll meet them one day. Then I'll get my answers. Closing his eyes, the young boy fell asleep.
Unaware to him, a ghostly woman with long black hair appeared, smiling at him. "Brad, I missed you." Stroking his hair, she vanished once more. "I love you, Brad. I love just as much as I love your half brothers."
Next Chapter: I Will Not Give Up
"WAAAH!!" Will screamed as he crashed into the bushes. Popping back up, he spat out leaves. "Koga, how does letting Drapion beat me up get him to respect me?"
"It shows your persistence." Koga replied. "It proves that you will not give up on it so easily if it disobeys or attacks you. Keep coming at it and it will eventually realize you do not intend to leave it."
"And that get Drapion to respect me?" Will asked.
"Possibly, or that will really annoy it." Janine laughed.
"Not funny, Janine!" the brunette yelled. "But whatever. I'll do whatever it takes to get Drapion to obey me again. I'm not giving up on you, no matter what! You got that, Drapion?!"
The huge Poison-type blinked before roaring again. "DRAAAAAA!!"
"I think he gets it, Will." Koga muttered.
"So do I," Janine agreed.
"Well, BRING IT ON!" Will shouted.
--
Hooray! Brad finally made his appearance! And Leena joined the group! I'm sorry this took so long, everybody! I hope you're still reading it. I'll probably make a poll about if the Snaggers should separate after freeing Kanto: one group to Johto, one to the Orange Islands, and another to the Sevii Islands. If you agree, please vote on the poll or include it in your review! And is you want, include who you think should go where.
Also, I need someone to make a Cipher Gym Leader for Viridian Gym to take Giovanni's place. And, if anyone wants to, you can make up the Cipher Gym Leader for Fuchsia since I just realized that I hadn't made anyone for that gym yet. I purposely kept the Fuchsia Gym Leader's gender anonymous so you can make them male or female. If no one wants to, I can make up Fuchsia's Cipher Gym Leader. But I definitely need a Viridian Gym Leader if anyone will make one, please!
I'm also writing a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon story based on PMD2. If you think I should put it here on for others to read, please say so and I'll get the first chapter up right away. Thanks once again, everybody! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you later!