Pokemon 101

Season 1-Kanto

Chapter 37-The Royal Five

A loud screeching emanated from above as Salamence began arriving at their destination; the front of a rather intimidating-looking cave with an inky black interior. A familiar, Poke Ball emblazoned building was positioned at the front; it was here that Salamence landed, and Ranoku ushered Demitri and Anne off. "You guys go rest up and collect supplies, I'll be right back."

"Now hold on a minute," Demitri grunted, glancing at the teen with a narrowed gaze. "Where the hell are you going anyway?"

"None of your business," Ranoku responded, Salamence taking off into the air once more. "I'll be back in around an hour! Don't follow me."

With this final comment, the dragon took off once more, leaving Demitri and Anne to stare off after them helplessly. "...whelp, we'd better get our supplies," Anne said, clasping her hands together and preparing to walk in. As she prepared to do that, however, Demitri turned around, frowning.

"Hey hey hey, wait a minute," he retorted, beginning to follow her inside. "Aren't you the least bit curious about what he's doing?"

Anne cast her fellow student an annoyed glare. "Well DUH, but it's not like we can really do anything about it."

"I have a flying Pokemon too, you know," Demitri replied flatly, causing Anne to narrow her gaze.

"He told us not to follow him!" she grunted back, stomping a foot on the ground. "We can't disobey him!"

Demitri turned away at this, narrowing his gaze. "You can't...but I can."

The teen prepared to walk out at this, however, Anne quickly slid in his way with a narrowed gaze, spreading her arms out defensively. Demitri stared down at her in exasperation, then heaved a heavy sigh. "...what is your problem? Why are you SO adamant about following his lopsided instructions, turning a blind eye towards his suspicious behavior, and putting up with his idiotic tendencies? I can tell you're more mature than that, so why?"

Anne narrowed her gaze with a small growl, clenching her fists before lowering them, quivering slightly. "...it's...a personal reason...like I said before, something you'd never be able to understand." She pointed a finger threateningly towards Demitri, and snapped, "Just know that if you ever try and fight against him, you'll have to go through me first!"

The duo exchanged a lengthy staring contest, Demitri's cool, collected gaze matching with Anne's furious, annoyed one. The former finally closed his eyes with a sigh and turned around, muttering, "Fine...just be warned, he may seem weird now...but you'll never know, he could be hiding something that would make even you have second thoughts."

"I doubt that," Anne retorted, the duo beginning to stroll to the front counter.

Back outside, Ranoku had continued to fly across the mountain, swerving off to the side slightly while tilting his gaze all over the place, narrowing his eyes with a small hum. He finally managed to locate a river streaking through the mountain; he grinned slightly and dove Salamence towards it, floating over the surface and causing the water surface to part slightly from the velocity. "Where...is it...?"

Ranoku's gaze was finally torn towards a part of the river nearby that curved to the side, which he began to follow before twisting towards it, turning around. He blinked with a surprised expression, murmuring, "There it is..."

The river twisted around and now circled around a part of the ground jutting off from the side of the cave, enabling just enough room for a gigantic, run-down building to be erected. Several abandoned generators and power lines lay around, having long since sputtered out from disuse. Windows were cracked, metal was rusted, and bits of wall were knocked over. A sign reading "Kanto Power Plant" was erected near the front, slightly cracked and rusted so that the rest of it was almost completely illegible. Salamence landed on the ground in the entrance, Ranoku quickly returning the dragon to its Poke Ball and strolling inside.

The interior looked just as bad as the outside; the formerly tiled floor was cracked and uneven, bits of the tiles scattered everywhere and enabling the concerete foundation to be seen underneath. Wires and metal beams hung from the ceiling, and dusty, broken machines were scattered here and there. Ranoku would occasionally tilt his head to the sides, watching as some electrical Pokemon occasionally passed by or dove to the sides to hide from him. "Of course he'd choose a meeting place like this..."

A small smirk formed on Ranoku's face as he wandered the halls, occasionally glancing around and biting his lower lip, a part of him beginning to worry he had gotten lost. He didn't get to think this for too long as a faint, dull buzzing was heard, prompting Ranoku to turn to the source.

A large, metallic, disc-shaped Pokemon now levitated above him; it was covered in silvery metal with a large, central eye. Two smaller orbs were welded to its sides, each one with an eye emblazoned on the front, a magnet attached to the bottom, and a screw sticking out of the top. Ranoku stared up at it for a moment before the disc-like Pokemon turned around, waving a magnet for Ranoku to follow. The teen pursued his apparent aid through the ruined building, weaving through the hallways before arriving in an opening that was considerably lighter than the rest of the dim passages. Ranoku managed to squeeze his way inside, looking up.

He was now in a much larger, wide-open room with a few machines scattered here and there, amongst them a much larger generator. The roof of this room seemed to have been blown apart completely, enabling the orange-colored sky and sunlight to pour in, explaining its brighter lighting. The disc-like Pokemon levitated into the middle of the room, giving off a buzz. "Aahh, there you are, Ranoku. I was worried you were going to get lost, so I sent Magnezone to find you."

"I'm not sure if I should be thankful, or insulted," the teen mumbled, rubbing the back of his head with a frown. "...but thanks anyway."

"No problem," the voice replied, now stepping out of the dark portion of the room; it was a young man with long, dishevelled dark green hair, and a black dress shirt and slacks. He looked up with a small smile, lifting his hand. "Role call, everyone. Ranoku Taikin?"

"Here," the teen replied, looking around slightly.

"Ameela Staunt?"

At this, another person stepped out of the darkness; a teenage girl with pink hair tied into two ponytails drooping over her shoulders, wearing a white jacket and skirt, and a pink top. "Here," she replied in a cheery tone, smiling.

The green-haired boy nodded. "Ahone Asper?"

"Here," replied a rather bored-sounding female, who stepped out; she had long blonde hair and wore a black top and slacks.

"Cuzenu Rynver?" the boy remarked, which only caused the trio currently gathered there to glance at him. "...oh wait, that's me, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ahone replied with a roll of her eyes, Ameela snickering to herself.

"Yes, well, right," he murmured, clearing his throat. "And, last but not least...Yuusha Douniiru."

A faint thud was heard at this and another figure stepped forth; easily a head or two taller than the rest of the group, a heavily built man with a green camouflage cest and jeans, a head of unkempt blond hair resting upon it. "I'm here," he replied, earning a nod from Cuzenu.

"Good, good," Cuzenu murmured, turning around and closing his eyes. "Then let the meeting of the Royal Five begin."

-Meanwhile-

"Lantern...check. Map...check. Antidotes...check. Extra fuel...check. First aid kit...check. Irresponsible mentor..."

Demitri looked up, earning nothing but an annoyed glare from Anne. "...not check. Of course."

"He said he'd be back in an hour," Anne retorted with a pout. "It's only been like, what, ten minutes?"

"It's been fourty-five," Demitri replied bluntly, closing his eyes with a sigh. "What, has Ranoku not been bothering to teach you how to tell time?"

"I do to!" Anne retorted, hopping to her feet with a frown. "He's been teaching me lots of things!"

"Are any of those things applicable in a situation that doesn't involve Pokemon?" Demitri asked.

Anne opened her mouth to give a response, however, she seemed to freeze up, looking down and pursing her lips. "...I...ah..."

"Thought as much," Demitri mumbled, closing his eyes; this only caused Anne to frown and stomp a foot on the ground.

"What does that matter, anyway? It's not like you'd be able to do anything important around here that DOESN'T involve Pokemon!"

Demitri paused and glanced back up, furrowing his brow with a light sigh. "...not exactly my point."

"Then what IS your point? Huh?" Anne replied sharply, leaning forth and setting her hands on her hips.

Before Demitri could offer a response, a familiar, smooth female voice piped up. "I wouldn't worry too much tyke, he's just talking to hear himself talk."

Anne immediately bristled and whirled around with a frown; as expected, Ilohe stood nearby, arms folded and leaning against a wall, grinning. Zack and Hayden sat nearby, the former casting Demitri a narrowed gaze. "Tch, while that's probably true..."

"What are you doing here?" Demitri asked, standing up with a frown. "I thought I said the answer was no, and Ranoku isn't around for you to torment." Demitri's gaze trailed to Zack. "I'm guessing you're here for a battle then?"

"Wrong this time," Zack replied, sighing and rolling his eyes. Ilohe began to approach, chuckling slightly.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not here to torture you two, and I already know Ranoku isn't around," she replied, beginning to grin maliciously and prompting Demitri and Anne to exchange a glance.

"Then...what exactly are you doing here?" Anne asked, folding her arms.

Ilohe chuckled again, bending down to the shorter girl and beginning to grin even wider. "Well...you both know where he went off to, right?"

"Not a clue," Demitri replied, narrowing his gaze. "Implying that you actually do?"

"So he didn't tell them...how priceless." "I do, actually," she replied, chuckling and standing up to face Demitri. "It's a little sad he never told you..."

This piqued Demitri's interest immediately, and he stood up, narrowing his gaze. "Never told us what...?"

Anne, however, narrowed her gaze and stepped forth with a frown. "Tch, you're lying! Ranoku'd never hide anything from me!"

"Oh really?" Ilohe asked, snickering to herself and looking down at her. "Maybe you'd like for me to actually SHOW you?"

Anne seemed to recoil slightly, frowning and stepping forth. "This is some dirty trick! You're just going to pull something out when we've got our guard down!"

Ilohe, on the other hand, waved her hands about in a defensive manner. "Oh, no, I wouldn't do that...at least, not in this situation. After all, me being honest at this point is what's going to ruin Ranoku. And that's what I'm after."

The teenage girl chuckled once more and closed her eyes, Demitri and Anne exchanging a glance. "...I want to know what he's hiding," Demitri mumbled, narrowing his gaze.

"Well I don't, now that you put it like that!" Anne retorted, though her voice had a noticeable quiver in it that showed she was losing her confidence. "And I'm not about to let you have your way like that!" She glanced at Demitri, and growled, "And you shouldn't either!"

"Why? Ranoku's little rivalry means nothing to me," Demitri replied, glancing at Anne with a frown. "I mentioned it before, I'm here because he knows his way around Kanto, not because I'm his buddy, or yours."

Anne blinked with a shocked expression, quivering with a small grunt. "That...that's selfish! He's your teacher! Isn't there some sort of, like, special relationship related to THAT?"

"I accepted the offer to be his student because I thought he was competent," Demitri replied, folding his arms. "He's a decent Trainer, I'll give him that, but nothing else."

Anne could only stare back at Demitri with a blank expression; Ilohe, who had remained silent until now, broke into hysterical laughter. "Wow, you are COLD! I'm actually kind of relieved I don't have to put up with you!"

"Just show me where he is so I don't have to put up with you anymore," Demitri replied flatly, narrowing his gaze and stepping towards Ilohe.

The girl grinned again with a light chuckle and nodded, turning around. Demitri began to follow, leaving Anne, Zack, and Hayden glancing after them. "...gotta admit, I actually feel kinda bad for you," Zack mumbled, glancing at Anne.

"Shut it," she mumbled flatly, glaring at him before following, prompting Zack and Hayden to do the same.

-Meanwhile-

"...alright, so since we still can't come into agreement on team emblem, we'll save it for next meeting."

"Why are we even called the ROYAL Five, it's not like any of us have a lineage!"

Cuzenu glanced at the source of the annoyed comment, in this case ahone. "Incorrect, Yuusha and Ranoku do."

"You're just jelly," Ranoku replied smugly, causing Ahone to glance at him with a small blink.

"...I'm...what? Jelly?"

"You heard me, you're jelly."

A few awkward moments passed in silence before Ahone sighed and hung her head, mumbling flatly, "I'm not even going to pretend to know what you mean by that..."

"ANYWAY," Cuzenu cut in, clasping his hands together. "Onto our next topic of discussion...Ranoku."

All eyes turned towards Ranoku, who looked up, his grin fading. "Where is it?"

The teen heaved out a sigh, hanging his head and rubbing the back of his head. "I don't have it yet, but I'm trying my best."

"Tch, like hell you are," Ahone mumbled, rolling her eyes. "What is it you're SO busy with that you can't even do the assignment we gave you?"

"You know damn well what I'm doing," Ranoku replied, looking around the group. "I took on some students to pass on my-"

"Wait, when did it become 'students'?" Ameela asked, tilting her head to one side. "I thought you only had one?"

Ranoku looked up, blinking in surprise. "Oh, yeah, right, I took on a second pupil not too long ago. He's definitely a rebel, though, but it's a refreshing change of pace."

"Eh, well now, starting a little babysitting service, are ya Ranoku?" Yuusha asked, beginning to grin and chuckle. "I'd think about asking you to look into my son, but from what my wife's said, he's left for his journey a while ago. Not to mention, given his temper you two would NEVER get along."

A hearty laugh boomed from the large man and he tilted his head back, Ranoku chuckling lightly. "Eheh, well, if he's anything like my second student, I might have my work cut out for me..."

"More to the point," Cuzenu cut in, glancing at Ranoku. "We're getting a little tired of waiting, Ranoku. There may not be many other Trainers with as much skill as you do, but the rules clearly state-"

"Yes, yes, I know, I know," Ranoku mumbled with a sigh, waving his hand about. "Don't worry, I'll have it, just give me more time. I'll have it in time for the Indigo League and not a moment later. If I don't, then I accept full responsibility and any punishment."

"The only punishment is that you'll lose your position," Ahone snapped back, narrowing her gaze. "Remember that."

Ranoku bowed his head down, eyes drooping with a light sigh. "Anyway, I think that's about it," Cuzenu finished, clasping his hands together. "Our next meeting is at Seafoam Islands. I'll try and make it at a time acceptable for Ranoku's training schedule, got it?"

"Gotta change everything up to compensate for him..." Ahone mumbled, rolling her eyes and turning around. "If we're done here, I've got important issues to attend to."

Cuzenu nodded as the girl stepped out of sight, seemingly vanishing into the shadows in an instant. "Well, if that really is all, then I gotta go too!" Ameela remarked, stretching her arms up with a wide grin.

"Same here," Yuusha added with a nod. "Got training to catch up on and whatnot."

With this comment, both stepped into the shadows as well, vanishing from view and leaving Cuzenu and Ranoku alone. "You'd better be good on your word, Ranoku," the other murmured, beckoning his disc-shaped Pokemon forth and hopping onto it. "You're a good Trainer, and I'd hate to have to send you away."

Ranoku gave a solemn nod and turned away, not watching as Cuzenu shot off into the air on his Pokemon, leaving him alone to wander back through the ruined halls of the Power Plant.