Chapter 37
They left just in time. The Soho PD swarmed the train yard the moment they escaped through the wall's rail gates. Tesla looked back and saw helicopters and flashing police lights illuminating the railyard. The sirens sounded angry, almost like Soho was shaking its fist at them, swearing profanity. Tesla and Wotter followed the rail lines into the woods, then diverted into a trench. They followed it to its end, then climbed out and headed straight back to Fort Wernher.
"I just realized something," said Wotter. "Two things actually."
"Let's hear it," said Tesla.
"First off, why wasn't the rail yard guarded? There should be cops crawling all over it because the rail yard was a traditional entry way for the PRA. The rail gates were open wide as f*ck, why weren't there any guards?"
"Could be a budget problem," said Tesla. "Too many officers on duty cost a lot of money."
"Soho has a port for money," said Wotter.
"Economics, Wotter. I've done my trainer's taxes, I know the pinch Soho is in. It looks like the PRA is winning on the economic front. Forcing Soho to lock down is bleeding the town dry, and with their Chief of Police gone there won't be much motivation to keep Marshal Law going. Money is the human's weakness, Wotter. It's money that runs the world."
"I thought its Pokémon battling."
"That's where the money goes, because Pokémon battling runs the global economy. The world government put a lot of money into Pokémon battling because they could make a profit sale on ticket emissions and Pokémon training. I know this because my trainer charges spectators to watch his Pokémon battles. Not all Pokémon gyms do it, but some had."
"Who funds the Pokémon Centers?"
"Taxpayers, of course. Sometimes they're privately funded, but most of the time the money comes from the host government, which is derived from its citizens."
Both Pokémon continued on without silence. Tesla constantly looked back to see if anyone was following them. He wasn't sure if the Soho Police Department's jurisdiction stretched far, but he had no doubt the URP would follow them. Interpol might play a role soon. An attack on a public official is a federal crime. Local government or not, anything official would draw their attention. Tesla could handle a local and regional police taskforce, but he had no experience with Interpol. They would follow him to every corner of the globe, and there is no chance of parole for federal crimes. He would be guaranteed certain death.
Heck, no wonder Nobark was paranoid. Interpol has the resources to perform an assault on compounds. Tesla had seen enough documentaries on TV detailing this. Sometimes these assaults don't go well, they would end with massive casualties on both sides. Nobark is rounding up the PRA from all over Unova for an assault on Soho. The wall would go down almost instantaneously, while more forces pour in from the sewers. Soho would be f*cked, and the city would face total anarchy if the PRA decapitates its government, or at least forces it into exile.
When will this force arrive, Tesla had no idea. He wasn't going to wait any longer, he needed to get his friends out. However, he had no idea how much time he had left.
. . .
Swoo I flew around Springfield and Carbondale, searching for anyone who matched Rex's description. He was tired, his wings were ready to give. His sonar was getting ready to falter. Guilt gripped his heart. He had failed Tesla, failed him on this important task. The Courting Pokémon had overturned every rock and brick in the general area and found no trace of this Rex. He didn't know how long Tesla's patience would last. He didn't wanna test it. Swoo I wasn't giving up yet. He turned around and flied back to Fort Wernher. He needed to rest, the Courting Pokémon decided ten minutes should suffice, then he would move out again and double-back around Carbondale's and Springfield's Pokémon Centers.
Just as he neared Fort Wernher, his sonar picked up an unusual shape. He tuned the sonar, the image in his mind shaped itself into a humanoid, holding what looked like a loaded revolver. Swoo I's training kicked in. He circled the blip and tracked it. Whatever it was, it was definitely human. Clearly a male, with some muscle tone. He seemed to be doing recon around Fort Wernher. Swoo I sensed he was paranoid and jumpy. He also picked up some unfamiliar wavelengths, the Courting Pokémon realized they were leftover stress from traumatic experiences. Swoo I homed in further. Something came up. Pain, physical pain. No, the signal looked like leftover pain from an old injury.
On his forearm.
It's him, Swoo I realized. It's Rex!
Swoo I scanned Rex for Pokémon. He picked up two beating hearts. They beat fast, which suggested they were small Pokémon. Yet one was beating faster than the other. Either it was a size difference or one of the Pokémon was having hypertension. Tesla had said that Rex had a Pichu and a Raichu on his person. Maybe that was them, tucked away in Rex's pocket for their own safety. Swoo I wondered how was he going to approach Rex. He feared getting shot. His body would turn to Swiss cheese upon getting hit with a hollow-point. The Swoobat need to make a move. He couldn't just fly around and do nothing, he need to initiate first contact.
Just exactly how was he going to do it?
Don't be a coward, Swoo, Swoo I told himself. Make a move!
Swoo I was out of ideas, so he decided to nose-dive into the canopy and intercept Rex. Might guarantee getting shot, but at least he wouldn't go back to Fort Wernher empty-handed.
A dreaded thought came to mind, he might not come back to Fort Wernher at all. Nobark was on his last legs and he was the only Swoobat the PRA had left. Tesla need him to reach out to Rex, for the sake of everyone he knew and loved.
Swoo I started to descend. He gulped, he hovered over the tree canopy for a moment. This is not a good idea, he thought. Maybe I should descend a bit farther out and walk to Rex, that shouldn't be difficult. But what if-
His concentration of thought was shattered by a bullet blasting out of the canopy. It grazed his thigh as it cracked through the sky. Swoo I went tumbling and crashed into the tree canopy, landing on several branches before plummeting to the ground.
. . .
Rex wasn't sure what he shot. Whatever it was, it dropped out of the tree canopy and landed in the bushes. It wasn't dead, it squirmed and cried high-pitched squeals. Rex trained his revolver on the bush while constantly glance at the shadows. This could be another distraction on the PRA's part, reeling him in for a takedown. Instead of closing in on the Pokémon, Rex decided to wait for it to come out.
Sure enough it scrambled out. Rex could make out bat-wings and a furry body. He didn't recognize the bat-shape. Definitely a creature local to Unova. Rex fumbled in his pocket and pulled out an LED flashlight. He clicked it on and gave off a small spotlight as bright as the sun. He shined it on the Pokémon and saw it was a Swoobat. Rex saw the bullet only grazed the Swoobat. The thing squealed and shielded his eyes from the flashlight. Rex pulled the revolver's hammer back, then closed in.
"Swoo," the Swoobat begged for mercy. It held up its wings, its eyes raining tears. "Swoobat! Swoobat!"
Rex took no chances, he slammed the butt of his gun over the Swoobat's head. The Courting Pokémon slumped and moaned. Rex kicked the Swoobat onto its back, then stopped. Tears were trailing down its face. Rex scanned hard and long. The PRA may be good at faking emotions but they weren't that good. The Swoobat was crying so much tears it might as well fill a swimming pool with them. Rex kept the gun trained on the Swoobat and scanned the forest with his flashlight. He was still alone, but he wasn't sure how long.
He turned his attention back to the Swoobat, then said, "You either fight back or try to bite, I will put a bullet in the back of your head. You understand me!?"
The Swoobat looked at him with tear-glazed eyes, then cried louder. Rex stared at him for a second and realized it wasn't crying from the gunshot wound, it didn't seem to notice it had been shot at all. It was crying because it was being for mercy.
But something told Rex there was more to it.
He clicked off his flashlight and scooped up the Swoobat with one arm. It buried its head into its shoulder. Rex realized it was no threat. He holstered the gun and started running back to Carbondale, he didn't look back.
. . .
Tesla heard the gunshot boom over Fort Wernher, he held an arm over Wotter's chest and paused. He heard nothing more but the deep silence of the forest. "What was that?" Wotter asked.
"Gunshot," said Tesla. "Sounded like a revolver."
"A revolver?"
"Revolvers have a louder muzzle blast with serious stopping power. I've been over that armory from floor to ceiling and I saw no revolvers being stored there."
"Smugleaf has a revolver."
"Yes, I saw it, but it holds only .22 rounds. That is just a mere pop gun, what we heard was a cannon."
Another minute past, still silence.
"The PRA often accidentally discharge their weapons," said Wotter. "Half the time they shoot themselves or others."
"Since nobody is screaming, then nobody got hurt."
Wotter snorted. "The idiots I put up with."
"I hear you."
Tesla and Wotter walked up to the gate. It was closed and latched shut, under lock and chain. Tesla simply climbed up on the gate and jumped over into the base. Wotter followed suit, he climbed over and jumped down without much effort.
"How did you get that gate fixed?" Wotter asked.
"I climbed up on it during the storm and freed it from the mud."
Wotter nodded. "Oh, now I remember. The Swoobats."
Tesla said, "You might wanna watch your back, because one Swoobat is missing, another is dead, and another is injured. Swoo I is all that is left and I can bet you an evening lunch that he couldn't pick up the load."
"I'll keep that in mind," Wotter then took off his backpack and pulled out Hattricks's wallet, then tossed it to Tesla. "Well, I'm going to bed. Wake me if we're being invaded."
"I'm not sure if I could get to you in time but I'll try. Goodnight, Wotter."
Wotter departed and walked back to the elite bunker. Tesla turned and headed straight to the elite bunker. The thought of killing Nobark tonight came to mind. Low and behold, that wouldn't be a bad idea. With Nobark dead in the middle of the night, he could bail his friends out of their respective jails and escape Fort Wernher Scott-free. But the PRA would quickly be in disarray. Without a central leader, they will be more unpredictable and dangerous than before. And besides, he had promised Nobark's inner circle that he would take them to Faraday Island. He couldn't just abandon them. And yet, he couldn't just let the PRA rot. Not all of its conscripts are criminals.
Tesla opened the command bunker door and stepped inside. First he opened the door to the den and peaked inside. As usual, Mark's Pokémon lay curled up on the beds. But broke routine was Bubbles sleeping among them. She slept between Mark's Emolga and Pikachu. Her face was peaceful, like all the stress and hardship she felt last morning had faded away. Tesla closed the door and walked off to Nobark's bedroom. The door was wide open. Tesla peaked inside and found it empty. "Nobark," Tesla called out. "You in there?"
No response.
A door opened from across the hall, Tesla turned and saw Nobark stepping out of the conference room. The Hoodlum Pokémon turned and saw him. He didn't appeared to be surprised, he had something on his mind. "Oh," said Nobark in human speech. "You're back."
Tesla tossed the wallet to Nobark, "It's done, Hattricks's is no more."
Nobark opened the wallet and peaked inside for a second. "Wow, you got him. By the way, why are you wet?"
"Cause I got washed out in the sewers, thankfully it wasn't sewage."
"All the sewage is pumped out of Soho, going straight to a water treatment plant. What you've just swam through was a storm drain. Technically speaking, there isn't supposed to be sewage in the sewers."
"Then why call it a sewer?"
"Because it used to be a sewer, but that was decades ago."
Nobark dropped the wallet into his pelt and turned around. "Oh, I got something to show you. I think you'll like it."
"Can it wait until tomorrow?" Tesla asked, "I'm cold and tired, and I just wanna go to bed."
"If you know what it is, you would be begging to see it."
"Exactly what is it?" Tesla asked.
"An old video of the old days, I think you would like it. I'm sure you would."
Tesla shrugged. "Okay then, I'll take a look."
The Mouse Pokémon walked inside and found Woody sleeping on the couch. Before him was a cardboard box, and on it was the laptop he was fiddling with earlier. On the screen was a video, upon glancing it Tesla realized it looked familiar. Nobark got to the laptop before he did and hit play, Tesla leaped on the couch and took a look at the video.
His jaw dropped.
Tesla saw himself in the video. Back then he was much younger. His eye-goggles back then were made out of leather and glass and his body was leaner. Beside him was Polly. She was just like how Tesla remembered her. Sagging lazy ears, slightly extended snout. They were both in the break room of the Pokémon lab Polly had been saying for years, Irvin was the one who videotaped him. The old Pikachu was singing to her a song the way his mama had sang it. Tesla squeezed his eyes shut, his own voice ringing in his ears.
"The sun goes down,"
"The stars come out."
"And all that counts"
"Is here and now."
"My universe"
"Will never be the same."
"I'm glad you came."
"I'm glad you came."
Tesla continued singing to her for the next three minutes. There weren't that many lyrics, but the message was clear. Love in its pure form. No selfishness or greed or any other similar bullsh*t. Tesla felt the tears rise up. Nobark patted him on the back, saying, "I'm sure she missed you, no way would she betray you."
Tesla said nothing.
The video then clicked and ended, Tesla collapsed on the couch and covered his head. He wasn't ready to cry, he need to process this. Nobark scratched his back, which helped him a little. Tesla then remembered why he was here. He came to Soho to search for Nobark because Volta's trainer was killed by his henchmen, but Tesla found something more upsetting. His friend was dying, and the local police departments wanted to speed up the process. So what was he doing during the past week? Helping the psychotic side of Nobark or fixing and disassembling the PRA at the same time? What about Ash? Mark? Their Pokémon? Mark and his Pokémon may be fine, but Ash and his Pokémon's lives are at stake. Ash's Pikachu had a Joltik glued to his head for crying out loud! Not any Joltik, the very Joltik who bust him out of a poacher cage back in Dixie.
Tesla realized what the real ordeal was: Every Pokémon here wanted their lives back, himself included. However, a few Pokémon would never get them back.
The old Pikachu sat up, he closed video and files on the laptop and closed the lid. He turned to Nobark and asked, "What do you really want?"
Nobark hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your mercy."
The Hoodlum Pokémon then told Tesla his request, and the Mouse Pokémon listened.
. . .
Rex didn't give much details when he handed the Carbondale Nurse Joy the wounded Swoobat. Honestly he could've patched the Swoobat up himself. He was a Pokémon doctor after all. However, Rex wanted a secure environment with the police not so far away. He hadn't seen a PRA firefight before, he hadn't been in Soho long enough. He heard the tales and saw the aftermath, but not the actual event itself. Rex nearly blundered into one. How stupid it was to put his Pokémon in danger like that. The way the Swoobat sneaked up on him, had it been faster he might've been captured, or even killed. Rex wondered if Tesla was even alive anymore. He had heard no word from him, nor from Ash and his friends. Rex was in the dark, he felt alone with this issue.
The Nurse Joy came back into the lobby, Rex gave her his attention. "How is the guy?"
"I stitched up the wound, but the Swoobat was traumatized. I gave him a sedative, he has calmed down and is sleeping now."
"That's good."
Then the Nurse Joy said, "I don't believe you for a minute that you simply just found the Swoobat crying. That was a gunshot wound, pistol round, aimed straight up."
Rex said nothing.
"The Swoobat was level when it was flying, whoever shot the Courting Pokémon fired from below. A centimeter to the left could have killed it. The gunshot wound was also fresh, and I found traces of powder blasted into its fur along with chlorophyll. So the shot was blind, fired from guesswork through a cluster of trees."
Rex said nothing.
"You shot at the Swoobat, didn't you."
That was no question, Rex shrugged and nodded, "He spooked me, I was in hostile territory."
"Pokémon with special abilities are dangerous enough, but Pokémon with guns," Nurse Joy trailed off and went silent for a moment. "I had friends and Pokémon wound up captured by the PRA, I'm familiar with the subject."
"I'm sorry to hear that, I think I may have lost friends to Fort Wernher as well."
"Going out there was suicide," said Nurse Joy.
"I was doing recon."
"A Model 10, flatly illegal under Unova law. You're pushing your luck here."
The familiar subtle and cheerful personality was barely there. Rex could see it, but it was clouded with concern and trauma. The Nurse Joy was also tired and ready to go to bed, she could barely even stand. Her Audino assistant came up and offered her a glass of water, she took it and thanked the Audino, then took a sip. Rex looked up at the ceiling and said, "What a day."
"I hear you," said Nurse Joy. "I remember that Ash fellow well. He has no idea what is going on out there. I should have been out there and stopped that Emolga, my Audino could take it on without effort."
"Then you have some explaining to do with Officer Jenny, on why you attacked a helpless Pokémon without warning."
Nurse Joy shook her head. "I've been warned of this, and I have the legal right to kick a Pokémon out of this Pokémon Center. It drives me nuts trying to figure out whose friend and foe."
"I don't blame you."
Rex got up and stretched his legs. "I'll come back tomorrow and check up on the Swoobat, it might be my only lead on figuring out where's my friends."
"I'll need to notify Officer Jenny of this, she'll immediately know you shot the Swoobat and she'll arrest you on the spot for carrying a concealed firearm, assuming you have a firearm on your person."
Rex nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Nurse Joy said, "I honestly don't think that would even matter, though. What's been going on this week is nothing what I've seen before. I'm getting a feeling here that something bad is about to happen."
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But knowing Tesla and Mark's track records, something bad will happen. Don't bother calling the Carbondale PD Officer Jenny, call the URP, they'll know what to do."
Nurse Joy nodded. "I'll do that, you take care, Rex."
Rex left the Pokémon Center and headed back to his hotel room. He constantly checked behind him to see if anyone was watching. He saw nothing, but that didn't mean nothing was there. The PRA might have went to investigate the gunshot and found him hauling Swoobat off. Maybe they were stalking him, waiting for the right moment to strike. Even though he was out in the open and alone, Rex believed they won't strike just yet. Pokémon aren't stupid, they'll wait when Rex least expect it. He stopped and listened for a moment. Again, nothing but dead evening air. Rex wasn't taking any chances. Instead of heading straight back to his hotel, he looped around the block. Twice. He stopped at the convenience store and bought ice cream drum sticks and a bottled water. Then he walked back and forth between blocks for a minute, then spun one-eighty around nearby hotels. Finally he cut through a well-lit alley and sneaked back to his hotel. He checked the door and edges for signs of tampering. He found none. Rex swiped his keycard and went inside.
Rex grabbed the Do Not Disturb sign and stuck it outside the door, then shut it and swing the security latch in place. He then took a hotel chair and jammed it underneath the doorknob. Satisfied, Rex sat the ice cream drum sticks on the table and pulled out his Poké balls, then called Sara and Volts out.
"Raichu!" Sara squeaked.
Rex scratched the tuff of fur on her head and smiled, Sara wrapped her stubby arms around his legs and whimpered. Volts hugged his mother's back, also whimpering.
"I have some ice cream if you want any," said Rex. "You want to eat it now or wait until morning?"
Sara shook her head, even though Rex heard her belly growl. Volts didn't show much of a response, instead he hugged Sara and buried his face into her fur. Both Mice Pokémon were well-disciplined, they're not willing to eat before bed. After what happened tonight, they don't want to be waking up from nightmares. Rex didn't ask if it was a yes or no. He took the ice cream drum sticks and stuck them in the hotel freezer. Sara and Volts hopped on the hotel bed. They didn't cuddle on top of the comforter, they crawled underneath the covers and rest their heads on the pillow. Both Pokémon hugged each other. Mother and child, protecting each other.
Rex took off his coat and hanged it in the closet, then slipped off his boots and jeans. He walked into the bathroom and took a quick navy shower, dried off, then brushed his teeth. He bundled his dirty shirt and boxers and stuffed them in a trash back, then sat it on the bathroom counter. Rex yawned as he walked naked back into the room. He saw Volts taking a quick peak from the covers. Rex shot a look at him. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon cringed and sank back under the covers.
Rex slipped on a fresh pair of boxers and picked up his Model 10. He ejected the used ammunition and reloaded it with fresh ones. Rex closed up the cylinder and carried the gun to bed. He tucked it underneath the pillow, then switched off the lights. Rex climbed into bed and stared up at the ceiling, listening to the hum of the air unit. He took a deep breath. Outside in the forest, the air was murky, but nice and ripe in the hotel room. Rex breathed out and closed his eyes. Sara crawled up and rubbed her head against his side. Rex wrapped his arm around her as Volts got in between them.
Suddenly Rex pulled Sara up so her head was sticking out of the covers, then asked, "You think I've done the right thing, Sara?"
The Mouse Pokémon's black marble eyes stared at him, saying nothing.
Rex bent over and kissed her forehead. "Please, Sara. Just for tonight, relax. If anyone tries barging into his hotel room, they have to get through me first. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you guys."
Sara muttered something unintelligible under her breath, then pressed her head against Rex's armpit.
"Sleep now, you two," he said. "Tomorrow is a new day."
He would soon realize tomorrow would be more than a new day.
. . .
Tesla stepped into his room and closed the door. His brain struggled to process multiple thoughts at once. Seeing Polly on the video had burned her image into his eyes. To add insult to injury, Nobark's request came from similar feelings, but from a completely unrelated reason. The old Pikachu stared at his bed, his heart ached badly. His tiredness was gone, and besides, it was already morning. The clock in his head said that it was four-thirty. If Tesla couldn't sleep, he at least need to tune himself down. The old Pikachu closed his eyes and thought to himself who or what might help make his night bearable.
Mark's Pikachu came to mind.
Tesla didn't pick at the thought further. She had come to him for comfort, and now it was time to return the favor. The old Pikachu stepped out of his room and approached the den. He carefully opened the door and slid inside. There was his great granddaughter, sleeping peacefully on the sofa. Emolga now had Bubbles bundled in her arms. Mark's Pikachu was sleeping on her back alone, her face stuck on neutral. Tesla climbed up on the couch next to her and wrapped his arms around her. A smile draped across her face. She unconsciously squeezed Tesla's hand and cooed under her breath. Tesla placed his nose on her neck and sniffed. She smelled like a classic Dixierat. Mark's scent was there days after separated from the source. Pokémon often smell like their trainers. Tesla wasn't sure why. Maybe it had to do with the bond between them, or how much the trainer handled them. The old Pikachu buried his face into her shoulder. Mark's Pikachu had Polly's shape, but not her snout or ears. Was it bred out of her after years of captivity?
Tesla got into a comfortable position and closed his eyes. His mind slowly tuned down to near sleep, which was good enough for him. Near sleep was better than no sleep.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Audio lyrics by "Glad You Came" by The Wanted