Hidden in Shadows Part 6~ Grandparents
Amy was very glad to get out of the motorcycle side car when they finally reached Agate Town. It'd been well over three hours and the sun was hot. The back of her neck was sunburned, as were the bodies of a whining Plusle and Minin. With careful turns, Amy surveyed the surroundings. It was pretty town, in the small part of the Orre region that was still green. Though, like the rest of Orre, no native wild Pokémon lived here. Instead, this community housed aging Pokémon trainers, not only from this region but many others who decided to live out their remaining days among a peaceful setting with their Pokemon partners. Gary's maternal grandparents were among them.
"So, where do your grandparents live, Gary?" Amy asked, stretching and yelping as her neck twisted wrong.
"We should get something to put on that," Gary observed, appearing concerned, "And I'm not exactly sure where they live. I've never actually visited them. I've only talked on the video phone before, and they've come to visit me a few times. But they were pretty famous in their day, so if we ask around a bit we should find them pretty fast."
"Alright… wait," Amy said lowering her eyelids, "If they have a video phone… then WHY didn't we just CALL them to get this message?"
"Oh hey, let's ask these people over there!" Gary said quickly running off, Plusle and Minin clutching onto his shoulders, squealing in pain from their twin sunburns and sending out mild electric shocks until Gary forced them inside Pokeballs. Amy groaned and followed.
Gary cornered an old gentleman and what appeared to be his wife. "Hey, I'm Gary Oak, the grandson of great trainers Beluh and Eagun?" smug as always, "Also Prof. Oak on my dad's side," he added, "And this is my girlfriend Amy! You erm, wouldn't know where their house is would you?"
The old lady grinned, her dentures gleaming in the sun. "Oh, you're their grandson eh? I've heard many good things about you! Take after your mom we heard, travelling around, got in the Pokémon league right? Course you didn't WIN that… I did though, back in my day!" she laughed, "Guess you've got your mom's spirit and your dad's talent!"
Gary's eyes widened and he flushed. Amy started; she suddenly realized that Gary never bragged about his parents, only his grandparents. As a matter of fact, she rarely saw his parents. They seemed nice enough but they were off on business trips a lot, and traveled the world too. She wondered why he wouldn't…
"Hey! I just asked where my grandparents are, so tell me!" Gary growled. The gentlemen clucked his tongue and chuckled.
"So rude, if you want to know then my wife and I challenge you two youngsters to a double battle. If you win, we'll tell you!" he cackled. Amy frowned but Gary fiercely agreed.
"Okay, fine, who're you using then?" Amy asked Gary.
"Uh, Socrates I guess, I don't want to risk using a shadow Pokémon on these two," Gary replied, "So does that mean you're using Isis?"
Amy thought about it "Well… I could, but I think I'd prefer Avion, just for variety."
Gary shrugged. "Okay, fine by me. His wings are healed right?"
"Yep."
They released their Pokémon. The old couple released theirs as well, a Weepinbell and a Charmelon.
Amy turned to her Fearow. "Avion! Drill Peck on Weepinbell!"
"Use Razor Leaf on Fearow, Isabella!" the old lady yelled. The sharp leaves zoomed through the air, beating off Avion who screeched and fell back, ending its attack. Amy's eyes widened. That was a hard hit for a grass attack on a flying type.
"Erm, Socrates! Night Shade on Charmelon!" Gary ordered.
"Charles! Fire Spin on Umbreon!" the old man roared. The fire engulfed Socrates, blocking the Night Shade. Amy quickly had Avion blow the fire away with Whirlwind and turned back on their opponents who were both smirking.
"What's wrong kids? Didn't expect to get beat by a couple of old cronies like us?" the woman snickered.
"Forget it, we've got years of experience! You can't win! Charles, use Flamethrower on Fearow!"
"Isabella, Vine Whip on Umbreon!"
Both attacks lashed out and Gary got an idea. "Socrates, jump in front of Avion!" The black Pokémon leapt as the Vine Whip headed for him, and Weepinbell/Isabella's vines followed loyally trying to strike the dark type.
"Avion, dive!" Amy cried, and her Pokémon flew low, pushing Socrates down. The Vines flew through empty air in time to get hit by Charmelon/Charles' Flamethrower. They flames travelled up the vines to a screaming Weepinbell.
"AAAIIII! NO! MY PRECIOUS ISABELLA!" the woman screamed, "You idiot! Hit them not Isabella!" she yelled at her husband, cracking him on the shin with her cane. He howled and started hopping up and down on one foot.
"You crazy old bat! That wasn't my fault that your Pokémon put its vines right in the middle of Charles' attack!"
"Well now I guess Charles is in the way of MY attack! Isabella! Stun Spore!" Charles became paralyzed and soon the old couple were battling each other, rather than Gary and Amy. In fact, they seemed to have forgotten all about them.
"Um… maybe we should ask someone else…" Gary said slowly and Amy nodded.
"Yeah, they seem busy…"
"I hope we're not like that someday when we get married," Gary whistled.
"Yea- hey!" Amy's said turning toward him in shock, "What do you mean married?"
Suddenly another old man ran onto the street. He wore a long robe and had thick silver hair with a beard as well as a Pikachu at his side.
"Pika! Use Thunderbolt on all of them!" he shouted. The Pikachu let loose a huge charge of electricity, lighting up both old battlers and their Pokémon. They fell to their knees and groaned, looking up.
"Oh! Eagun! Um, we were just-"
"Fighting again? You know the rules! Battling is for fun, and as challenges to improve yourselves, not to settle arguments! Your Pokémon could be seriously hurt battling for revenge."
"W-with all due respect Eagun, your Pika did more damage then we-"the old man began but Eagun gave him a glare that sent both into an apologies. They recalled their Pokémon and hurried away, hopefully to the Pokémon center. Eagun sighed and noticed Amy and Gary.
"Gary! It's great to see you! Oak said you were coming with your girlfriend, is this her? She's a cute one!" he winked and Amy blushed brightly.
"Um, well, we heard you had message for us?" Amy asked uncomfortably.
"Oh right yes! Follow me to the house kids!" he said heading up a steep slope like it was flat. Gary and Amy tried to follow at his speed but quickly fell behind and were panting hard by the time they reached the top. Eagun was waiting patiently.
"Don't worry kids, it takes many years of traveling to build up my kind of endurance!" he said with a booming laugh. Amy wondered if all the Agate residents were in such good shape. When they reached the home of Gary's grandparents they discovered they seemed to live in either a tree-shaped house or an actual tree hollowed out for a home. Eagun led the way inside where his wife presumably was sitting on the couch knitting. The TV was blaring as well.
"Beluh! Gary and his girlfriend's here!" Eagun said merrily.
"Um, yes, and my name is Amy," Amy said with a small frown. Beluh chuckled.
"Oh Amy dear, don't mind Eagun, he's terrible with names at the best of times, why do you think his Pikachu is named Pika? But in any case," she became serious, "We do have important information for you."
They stood in silence for a moment before Gary said, "Okay well, what is it?"
"What's what? OH! The message! Yes…" Eagun smiled, "Well, we found out a new way to lower the aura on Shadow Pokémon! In this town's Pokémart they've sold special smelling salts for Pokémon, they've done so for decades! Apparently a trainer came here not long ago with a Shadow Pokémon and used a smelling salt on it. According to Elsie who was present at the time and can see the auras, the level went down considerably."
"Really? That is important. And it explains why you couldn't say over the phone or outside, Cipher could be listening anywhere and they can't find out about Elsie," Amy said nodding.
"Um… well actually after that call to Prof. Oak got cut off the phones around Agate have been down, someone probably forgot to pay the phone company," Eagun explained.
"Oh…" Amy said and there was silence again. Suddenly the TV blared with a News Flash.
Reports that explosions were heard in Phenac City's Pre-Gym have just been confirmed! We believe this to be the work of Team Snag'em and Pyrite's Police are telling all able trainers to go and help out!
"Ph-Phenac?" Amy whispered, "JESSE!" She bolted from the house. Gary twitched where he was standing and didn't move.
"Who's Jesse dear?" Beluh asked, already putting down her knitting and Eagun was putting on his boots and grabbing a motorcycle helmet.
"He was captured by Cipher for seeing Shadow Auras and they ended up blinding him. Cail he saved him when he helped me rescue Amy when they caught her too- it's a long story. Amy has tried her best not to let him out her sight since, he's staying with Cail and his cousin Justy right now," he registered that both his grandparents were almost in complete motorcycle gear, "Um, where do you two think you're going?"
"Why to help of course! The lady on the TV said all able trainers!" Beluh said with a giggle and they passed him out the door. Gary stared, and followed quickly.
On the edge of the city Gary couldn't find Amy anywhere. A man told him that a girl matching Amy's description had run to the edge of the city, released a Dragonair and flew off in the direction of Phenac at top speed. Gary flew into a rage that his grandparents clucked their tongues at before they all got on motorcycles (each of his grandparents had their own) and took off across the desert. As it was a four hour straight ride… Gary wondered if Amy would have a shorter time, and hoped to God that she'd be alright.
In Phenac, Amy showed up to a ghost town. No one was outside. She recalled Dragonair and instead released Harmony, telling her to be ready to fire Thunderbolt at a moment's notice. As she approached the silent pre-gym she began to speed up until she was at a run.
She flung open the pre-gym doors and yelled "JESSE? JUSTY? CAIL?"
"A-Aims? That you?" Cail's voice. She spun on her heel, winced at her sunburn, and ran for the sound to a closet. She pulled open the door and saw Justy and Cail tied up on the floor. Justy was gagged; Cail seemed to have gotten his off. Amy wasted no time getting them untied.
"What happened?" Amy asked wide-eyed.
"Snag'em goons," Cail groaned, stretching and reaching for a smoke "The bastards... they took our Pokémon, the money I got from Cipher, and Jesse. I'm sorry Aims, there was like, fifty of them. They basically took out the whole City at once, not to mention about twenty trainers that showed up to help."
Amy began to hyperventilate. "You… you've got to be joking! How could this… NO! NO! I was going to protect him! Gary said he'd be fine… and now…" she swallowed, "Where would they take him?"
"Well, judging by the organization of the crime, I'd say Cipher was the mastermind here, so Jesse is probably with them again." Amy's heart raced.
"So where would Cipher take him? Would my dad be there to do you think?" she added as an afterthought.
"I think Snag'em would likely deal with your father themselves. But for Cipher… I don't know," Justy shook his head.
"Eh, he's probably in the Under," Cail said with a shrug, "Cipher took over that whole city over a year ago, and have been quickly cutting an already secretive city off to the world so people are now even more sure it's just a rumour. I lived there for a while before that, but managed to escape as it was being taken over. Been down a couple times since then, it hasn't changed much except you need a Cipher uniform to get in or out," he smirked, "I guess you'll want to go save him?"
"Of course! Justy, you stay here and rescue the Phenac people. I'll leave you Harmony to help," Harmony gave a shocked look and Amy turned to her, "I'm counting on you Harmony, do exactly as Justy says unless you can think of something better," Harmony nodded firmly and Justy seemed a bit put out that Amy seemed to think a Pokemon could think of better ideas than he could.
"Alright, Cail, let's go!" Amy said and the two headed for the edge of the city. In a cloud of dust Gary and his grandparents pulled up, roughly half an hour after Amy had gotten there. After a quick explanation of events, Amy jumped behind Gary on his motorcycle and locked her arms around his waist. Cail got in the sidecar and the group took off, Gary chanting to himself that they were just going to save the Pokémon, Jesse was a side note. A side note. Oh who was he kidding? Amy was hugging him right now, but she could easily be falling for Jesse! He had to make sure that didn't happen, no matter the cost!"
"GARY!" Amy screamed and he swerved, narrowly avoiding a rock.
"Eyes on the ground, Gare!' Cail shouted, clutching the sides of his seat with white knuckles. This might be a long trip.
