Chapter 15
After three stories of climbing Troy plopped himself down on a tile step and rested his back against the railing. He looked up at Evan who was a floor above him and grumbling. I know why he's so irritable, Troy thought, he's got a barrel of emptiness for a stomach and nothing to fill it with. He reached for his bag and pulled out an Oran Berry. He had swiped it from a bowl on the receptionist's desk in the lobby. No one was going to miss it, right? He bit into it. It was weirdly firm and lacked any sweetness, but the juiciness quenched his thirst. The Berry reminded him of the buffet in the challenger's room at Vermilion City Gym. What he wouldn't give to be back in the spotlight fighting side by side with his Pokémon, to be cheered by the crowd and hailed as a hero, to hover over the chocolate chip cookies and smash them into his face without rhyme or reason as the Cookie Monster taught him to do as a child. Maybe after this mission he would look into chasing more gym badges, but first thing's first. He had to see this out for Moleman.
"How many floors do we have left? This is like the tenth staircase we've climbed today," Troy said
'If I remember correctly, this building has seven floors. Three stories for me, four for you," Evan replied. His voice was sharp, but patient. Troy wondered if Moleman's loss hit him as hard as it did himself. Either way, it was time to move.
The stairs were a pearlescent white speckled with black and blue bits. The railing was oak, slicked with a deep brown finish. Like the lobby it was untouched. Troy's shoes left noticeable ashen prints behind him. Mr. Punchy and Grimer had returned to their Pokéballs for the climb. Though Troy didn't like keeping his Pokémon in the ball, he agreed with Evan that it would be better for them to get some rest after their battles. A trip to the Poke Center was desperately needed. Troy's Diglett, Evan Jr. was still tucked away in the ball Moleman had given him. If anything were to happen, Junior would be the first he called on. The last few stories went by quickly and before long they ended up on the top floor. The door was a simple steel plate with a metal handle. A giant red seven was plastered across the front in large block lettering. Troy looked on as Evan pressed his hand against the steel. It creaked open revealing a corridor not dissimilar to those they had seen under Pokémon House, but this one was modernized. The walls bore the appearance of rough stone, but were smooth to the touch. Torches were replaced with circular LED lights that rotated with a red and orange glow, mimicking natural flame.
"I swear to Arceus, if Fuji pops out somewhere I'm going to scream," Troy said. "Are you sure this is a lab?"
"It should be? I've never seen a lab mimic a crypt before," Evan said.
"After you, amigo. I ain't getting jumped by no ghosts again."
Evan sighed. He stepped ahead of Troy keeping his eyes focused on the dark hallway ahead of them. The walls hummed with electricity as they walked on, blue pulses shot beneath with every step. Troy made a mental note to find out who their flooring guy was. Evan motioned for them to stop. A door labeled "Employees Only" stood in front of them. Evan twisted the knob and the door clicked open.
"Is it me or has this been the easiest breaking and entering in the history of crime?" Troy said.
"You're not wrong," Evan said. "To be honest, we've only really hit one lab so far. That wasn't too hard either, but at least they had some scientists working. This is just...eerie. Why have a lab with world changing technology unguarded?"
Unguarded was an understatement. The lab was simple compared to the one in Vermillion. There was only one computer set up to wall sized monitor display; a single chair was pushed to the desk; no windows, only walls covered in complex equations. This was more a mad scientist's study than a full laboratory.
"Alright, do your thing," Troy said.
"Do my thing?" Evan replied.
"Yeah, nerd it up. Hack the mainframe. Attack the motherboard. Fondle the keyboard. I don't know. Make love to the numbers. Do what you do."
"What exactly do you think hacking is?"
"Matrix, but like, less cool because you're doing it."
"WHY AM I FRIENDS WITH YOU?"
"Plot purposes. Character balance. People think it's funny when I make fun of you."
"I'm worried if I sigh anymore a Gengar will eat my soul."
Evan swallowed a sigh and sat himself in front of the computer. After jiggling the mouse and hitting the spacebar a few times the monitors hummed to life. He pulled a flash drive from his pocket and plugged it directly into the keyboard. A command screen popped up and he typed in a line of code and hit the return key. A few more lines of code popped up and almost as quickly as he had sat down, he had accessed the mainframe.
"That was some mighty fine keyboard fondling, my man," Troy said.
"Shut up and keep watch."
"What's the point? There's no one here." Troy sat himself beside the desk and picked at his shoe. "It's not like in the movies, bro. There won't be a surprise arrival from a villain that disappeared early in the movie that viewers forgot about."
"Still."
"How much longer until you find what we're looking for?" Troy asked.
"I'm not sure. There's not much on here, just a few meaningless files. It looks like it's been barely used. They don't even have Solitaire. This might take a while."
Troy craned his neck until the monitor above him was in sight.
"What about that folder labeled 'TOP SECRET?' That looks like it could be useful."
"There's no way they would make it that obvious. They're scientists, not...oh, yep. There it is. Alright."
"Maybe I'm the master hacker," Troy said.
When Evan opened the folder the file downloaded automatically, and when it finished the screen turned black and the flash drive popped out of the computer. Evan scratched his head as Troy watched on. He shrugged, a small glimmer of hope shining on his face.
"I guess that's that. Let's get going," he said.
"Good thing this wasn't a trap," Troy said.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
The voice, static yet fluid, startled the two trainers. A red beam of light shot down from the center of the ceiling. It split into a pyramid like cone, lasers tracing a square perimeter before focusing inward and wrapping themselves around an invisible human figure. Soon it solidified into a man in a taut black and purple suit. Though his hair was silvery-blue to the root, he couldn't have been much more than ten years older than Troy. He spun around on his heels and addressed the trainers.
"So, you two have been the burrowing grubs targeting my labs," he said.
"Your...your labs?" Troy asked.
"Oh shit," Evan said. "That's Steven Stone."
"Correct," Steven said. "And pray tell, who might you be?"
"We might be leaving," Troy said. He stood to leave before Steven motioned him to sit.
"It's rude to leave a business meeting before it's over." Steven pulled a remote from his coat pocket. As he clicked a button, the door in which the two had arrived locked shut. He returned his attention to them, sliding the remote back into his jacket. Troy scanned the room. There were no more doors to try and not a single window on the wall. The vents were barred shut too. They were trapped.
"How did you like my entrance? A little bastardization I did to the technology you find in Pokéballs. It digitizes you before sending you through the internet to any destination of your choice. Makes vehicle-based travel a moot point, something that could very well end the crisis of climate change. Shame no one made an offer large enough to buy it from me. I take it you were the ones responsible for taking out Pokémon House. I do have to thank you for that. Fuji was a bit of a wild card. For a man known for civility and peace, he was hellbent on delivering his own form of demented justice. Speaking of which, where is your...mentor? From what I've heard, you two weren't traveling alone...unless...was his life claimed in the rubble as well? One less variable on the board I suppose."
"What the hell do you want from us?" Troy said. His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"I see. I think you'll find I've gotten everything I need off of that flash drive."
"What do you mean?" Evan asked.
Steven walked to the computer and typed on the keyboard. The screen popped up and displayed a complicated algorithm that only Steven could decipher. After a few seconds profiles of both Evan and Troy appeared on the screen complete with full bios-hometown, associates, aliases, education, and even family members. Troy's heart raced as the computer cycled through photos of his friends and family. Evan lurched forward to stop the program, but Steven shoved him back in his seat.
"No use in resisting. My computer is equipped to scan and download all potential data off of whatever device is plugged into it. The minute you tried to steal my files I had access to your entire life."
"Life?" Evan asked. "Wait, then how did you get access to Troy's information?"
"He plugged his phone into the tower."
Evan shot a dirty glare at Troy.
"What? I needed to charge it. It was at like thirty-two percent," Troy said.
"Honestly, it's not surprising Team Rocket chose you for their missions. You were supposed to be bait. Cannon fodder for my scientists and security forces. Yet, they didn't plan on you being successful in Vermillion. For that I place the blame directly on your newly deceased mentor and his filthy Digletts."
"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you." Troy said.
"Oh? Hit a sore spot. Don't tell me you bonded with that criminal?"
"Criminal? What are you on about? Moleman was helping us get out of Team Rocket. He wasn't a criminal. If anything, we were the bad influences," Evan said.
"You really don't know, do you? Allow me to tell you a story. Back when my father still had his wits about him, he ran the Stone Corporation and in that time came to partner with Silph Co on what they described as a scientific breakthrough that would change the world as we know it. I was just a lad when my father took me to examine the laboratories at Silph. Their technology was second to none, ever my father was impressed with how ahead of their time they were. But one aspect of their corporation had captured my attention more than any-behavioral engineering."
"Behavioral engineering?" The two friends shared a look of confusion. Evan had known almost every type of engineering in the world, being fairly skilled in computer engineering himself, but behavioral engineering sounded more psychological than scientific. Troy on the other hand was an English major who spent his free time writing fanfictions so all of this went over his head. He wondered if Steven's teleporter could take him back to Vermillion's buffet rooms.
"As most people know, behavior is a result of nurture rather than nature. However, the scientists at Silph had discovered genomes that could be activated or deactivated to influence the behavior of unborn Pokémon. This would have allowed them dominion over even the unruliest of Pokémon. The only difficulties in the process resided in the genome sequencing procedure. Pokémon eggs are notoriously sturdy and difficult to penetrate. Any forceful attempt to open an egg before it hatches results in a stillborn fetus, no matter how close it is to hatching. They hit a proverbial brick wall. This is where my father comes in. The year prior he had flown to the Alola region to oversee a small group of young scientists who were studying the developmental processes of Pokémon eggs.
They claimed to have been the first group to successfully bring a Pokémon outside of its egg to full term; a Diglett if I'm not mistaken. Their research brought the Alolan Institute of Technology to the forefront of the scientific world, and, thanks to my father, to the attention of Silph. After my father flew them in they began their experiments immediately, setting up labs around the region and turning Pokémon Mansion into their central headquarters. For years they captured and studied Pokémon but could never duplicate the results of their original claims. Doubt was cast by the leading scientific journals and soon by Silph. Their very livelihoods were in jeopardy should they have failed at reproducing their experiments. Until one day they announced a successful shell penetration.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the companies as I was brought back to Silph Co in a viewing area set up outside of Pokémon Mansion to watch our future unfold. The machine that held the egg was no larger than a microwave, with the same silver container one would expect. A giant needle was sticking deep into the egg. It was on a Magikarp egg, no less, but still, the possibility of a submissive Gyarados was an exciting concept. Imagine, if you will, having the power to rewrite Pokémon DNA, and I was there to watch it happen. One scientist of the group stayed behind to explain the process, he had been in charge of the experiments and was eagerly sharing his findings with my father and the Silph Co president.
We watched on the monitors as the group of scientists readied the machine to begin sequencing. The building exploded the second that scientist hit the button. Not one soul survived, except for one. The lead scientist behind all of these experiments? The one who survived? Dr. Hubert Dogwood, or as you may know him, Professor Moleman."
"That's impossible! Moleman is a Pokémon Professor! He would never work for Silph!" Evan said.
"He gave me my first non-stolen Team Rocket Pokémon!" Troy said.
"False. On both accounts, most likely. Dogwood escaped during the chaos, taking his research and Fuji's wife with him. Investigations into the blasts showed homemade incendiary devices had been planted throughout the basement of the mansion. Dogwood had blown his team, his research, and, most importantly, his genome sequencing device to smithereens. We figured he had escaped back to Alola when Madame Fuji's name popped up on a lease in Seafolk Village. Worst mistake we ever made. We scoured the lands but Dogwood was gone. Never would have imagined he'd show his face in Kanto again. Guess he couldn't escape his past." Steven said.
"I can't believe it," Evan said.
"No! You're lying!" Troy screamed.
"I'm afraid not. Dogwood's crimes were atoned for the minute he died in the rubble," Steven said.
"I'm not listening to any more of your garbage. Moleman was a great person and you're gonna pay for what you've said. Mr. Punchy, I choose you!" Troy called Mr. Punchy out, who had been listening intently through his Pokéball and appeared to show just as much irritation with Steven as Troy did. "Battle me!"
"I refuse. A trainer of your skill level would be crushed beyond recognition. But if you're so incessant on battling, I am more than happy to choose a proxy. Vance?"
The door unlocked. A broken and beaten Vance entered the room with a Pokéball in hand. His face had been bloodied, his eye swollen shut, and his clothing torn to tatters. He lifted his Pokéball with both hands and called out his Muk. Muk appeared visibly upset by his trainer's appearance but did not take his focus off of Troy and Mr. Punchy.
"Battle me!" Vance said. His voice was cracked and shaky as if he had been crying.
"Vance? What happened?" Evan asked.
"Shut up and battle me!" Vance screamed.
"Maybe now, Vance, you will learn what happens when people disappoint me. As for you two, should you survive this encounter, you'll find the rest of my labs near impenetrable. Now, if you don't mind, I have business to attend to in Saffron City. Vanessa, to Saffron City," Steven said, speaking into his watch. The red beam returned, tracing his body in a series of red lasers, and transporting him pixel by pixel to his next destination. Vance still stood in the door, his body resting against its frame. Evan pulled a Pokéball from his belt and called out his Grimer. Grimer appeared next to Mr. Punchy, ready to defend against the bloodied trainer.
"We don't have much time," Vance said. He lurched forward and tossed his Pokéball to Evan. He fell into the waiting arms of his Muk. "Steven has this place...has me...rigged to blow in less than a minute."
"What?! Evan can you defuse it?" Troy asked.
"There's no time. You can still make it out, but you have to take my Muk."
"We can't leave you like this! There has to be something we can do!"
"Troy, he's right. We need to get out of here."
"What?"
"Steven just proved that Silph is a bigger threat to this world than Team Rocket is. I don't know what Moleman did or who he was before he came into our lives, but one thing is for sure-we need to clear his name and stop Silph by any means necessary. And we can't do that if we're dead..
"But-"
"We need to go. Now!" Evan pushed Troy towards the door and called Muk back into its Pokéball. Vance fell to the ground as his Pokémon disappeared. Vance held his stomach tight, a small red light pulsing through this body.
"It's too late. I'm sorry." He said as his body started to smoke.
"Poliiii!"
Smoke hit the ceiling setting off the emergency sprinklers. Mr. Punchy leapt at his trainer, his body transforming into a ball of cerulean light. Arms sprouted from his side, capped inexplicably by glove-like hands. In the crook of his arm he caught his trainers and yanked him to the ground.
"Mr. Punchy?" Troy said in awe.
"Oh, dear Arceus," Evan said.
"You...have...ARMS!"
"Whiiiiirl!"
"Mr. Punchy! Use Mega Punch on the floor and get us out of here!"
Mr. Punchy whirled his arm and struck the ground as hard as he could. The tile shattered beneath them sending the group to the floor below. They landed hard as Vance's body exploded with a force that could rival even the greatest Electrodes. Smoke and ash filtered down and filled the hallway. Mr. Punchy and Grimer pulled their trainers towards the stairwell and off to safety. They found their way down the staircase, through the lobby, and onto the front lawn of Pokemon Tower. Sunlight peeked over the horizon, casting a deep shadow over the town. The rubble of Pokemon house was still smouldering, black smoke billowing up and mixing with the debris of Pokemon Tower. In the span of a single day the two trainers had seen the destruction of the two most prominent structures in Lavender Town. Troy looked to Evan, whose face was coated in dirt and blood, and then to Mr. Punchy.
"Y'all look a hot mess," he said.
"You don't look at that better," Evan chuckled.
"Poli."
"Steven makes Rocco look like a father figure."
"Ugh, don't say that." Evan said.
"Where to now?" Troy said.
"Is it even a question?"
"Justice for Moleman?"
"Justice for Moleman."
The two clasped hands. Together they gathered their bags, their Pokemon, and their sanity and headed north for Rock Tunnel. Their next stop? Cerulean City.