Chapter 18
"I don't...why did you do this? How did you do this? How did you even have time for this?" Evan stared at the portrait on the wall. The climb down to Cerulean City has been as irritating as he had imagined. While they were able to find a fairly steep pathway to walk down, the stress of battle, explosions, and lack of sleep hindered their depth perception causing more than a few slips. Battered and bruised they eventually found a Pokémon Center near the Cerulean City Gym to rest up. Now, the following day and fully rested he was flabbergasted at what he was staring at and what was staring back at him. On giant posters hanging from the bulletin boards of the Pokémon Center were their names in blocky red text. Above their names were two portraits, one of Troy and one of himself. Troy's portrait looked nothing like him, sheared red hair, hook nose, and gapped teeth. Evan's, on the other hand, was of near perfection. Clean shaved head, scruffy beard, and a pudgy chin. The only misstep were the eyes, which were outlined by thick winged eyeliner. Rewards of thousands of Poké dollars were being offered for their capture.
"Do you like it?" Troy asked.
"Like it? Do I like my face plastered on a wall of a busy city? A PERFECT rendition of my face? Calling for my arrest? With a very generous reward? While I'm trying to be inconspicuous and find a hidden lab to stop a psychopathic scientist from tarnishing our friend's legacy? Oh yeah, it's great," Evan said.
"So great."
"It's not great! It's very un-great! It's the opposite of great! Why would you do this?!"
"They were calling for any info about us, I figured it'd be wise to Tackle it before anyone else did. Give 'em some false info and they'll never find us."
"You, Troy. They'll never find you. My picture is my exact likeness!" Evan said, pulling up his coat collar as he did.
"I had them give you eyeliner," Troy said.
"Why couldn't you come up with a fake description for me too? Yours is fine! Yours looks like a legitimate criminal! People are going to find me!"
"When I called them, you were sleeping. I didn't know what else you wanted for your fake description, so I made an executive decision."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You hate it when I wake you up for things."
Evan pushed his face into his hand in a futile attempt to rub away the headache. While he was, an old man came walking up behind them, first staring at the portraits, then at the two trainers, then at the portraits again. After contemplating for a few moments, he muttered 'ugly bastards' and shuffled away. Troy poked an elbow in Evan's ribs.
"I told you it would work, homie," he said.
"Can we just get on with the lab finding?"
Evan and Troy set out towards the north of Cerulean City. According to the locals in the Pokemon Center, the only thing close to a laboratory could be found on Cerulean Cape, an expansive piece of land north of Cerulean City that jutted out into the ocean. A young girl, in exchange for a berry juice and a high five from Mr. Punchy, told them the Sea Cottage was their best bet; just talk to Bill. Though the idea of interacting with another tech guru sent shivers down Evan's spine. Bill was rumored to be one of the nicest and down to Earth people in the Kanto region, but then again Steven Stone was considered the same in Hoenn. Swallowing his worries, he pushed on.
Nugget Bridge was as impressive as the brochures Evan had seen as a child in the welcome center of the Celadon City Department Center. Pearlescent tiles fixed between golden arched railing made it look like a live rendition of Herculean pottery. The sea ran parallel to it on the western side, carrying a constant salty breeze through the palms and across the bridge. In the center were rows of rectangular planters that housed miniature trees with pink and white blossoms. Barely wide enough for a two-laned road, but closed off to any kind of motorized traffic, groups of trainers, travelers, and tourists alike inhabited each side of the path. Once on the bridge, Evan and Troy took a moment to enjoy the view. The sun was at its highest point reflecting a golden glimmer off the sea.
"Moleman would have enjoyed this," Evan said.
"Who are you kidding? He would have lost his mind at the sight of the sun and went running," Troy replied. The two shared a chuckle.
"Did you check the files on the flash drive yet?" Troy asked.
"I tried, but no luck. I need the other files to unlock the encryption. It's weird, even though Steven had the computer set to scan the flash drive, I still walked out of there with the exact files we needed. What is he playing at?"
"Maybe he banked on us not getting out of there alive?"
"Doubtful, he gave us a message for Rocco. He knew we'd be fine, so why give up the files?"
"Maybe that transporter thing he used is scrambling his brains," Troy said. He watched as a school of Magikarp swam beneath them. Mr. Punchy shot out a few Bubbles, to which the Magikarp chased after and popped. Grimer, like most slime-based Pokemon, had a healthy fear of falling through the cracks or railings and was comfortably chilling in his Pokeball, where he would stay until the party crossed the end of the bridge.
The start of Route 25 was chock full of eager trainers looking to battle. Troy and Evan, despite time pressing matters, were happy to oblige. After all, gaining much needed experience would serve to help them down the road. The first few trainers, Hikers and Youngsters, were easily overcome by Mr. Punchy and Grimer. With the next few Troy switched it up and let Evan Jr. take the lead. The battles added up but with the help of some Berry Juice and tactical battling, the group fought their way to Cerulean Cape. While Troy tended to the Pokemon, Evan counted their prize money. He split it in half, pocketed his share, and took a few coins out of Troy's as an "annoyance tax."
"Hey, yo, that must be the Sea Cottage they were telling us about," Troy said.
Evan looked up from his underhanded accountancy. The Cape narrowed into a thin strip of land, and at the end was the Sea Cottage. It was a modest ranch overlooking the sea, surrounded by a white picket fence and dense thickets of poplar trees. If it were a laboratory, it blended in with the surrounding area very well. From the side, Evan could make out a small smoke stack disguised as a chimney. Bingo. He pointed it out to Troy who at first made fun of it's stubby size compared to chimneys in Celadon City, but after a swift smack to the back of the head agreed it could be a sign of a laboratory. The two approached with caution, but also with the air of a group of tourists as to not draw attention to themselves. When they reached the front steps of the Sea Cottage the door swung open and a weirdly buff nerd stepped out. He focused his visage not on the two trainers but on the sea. His wavy brown hair flowed like water in the wind, dancing around striking brown eyes.
"I'm no longer comfortable standing close to this guy," Troy whispered to Evan.
"I know, he's too damn beautiful. We'll look like orcs talking to him," Evan said, patting his spare tire.
"What should we do?"
"I don't know! Why do I have to always come up with the plan?"
As the two bickered, Bill pushed his way between the two and stood Stoically, his eyes never leaving the sea.
"The waves are calm today, but the world is on fire," he said. Troy and Evan looked at each other, confused but also hanging on his wise and poetic words. "To think, across the way our sister city has fallen. I fear for the sanctity of my own. I can almost taste the ash."
"Sorry, I might not have gotten all of it out of my hair," Troy said. Bill's attention turned to Troy.
"Ah, no worries. Did you need to clean up? I have a state of the art bathroom designs for intensive pore scrubbing. You might be a little red for a while after, but you'll be clean," he said. His demeanor flipped as if someone had flipped a switch in his brain. His scowl was replaced with a gentle and caring smile. His eyes that had bore the burden only known by those who had seen the horrors of war had morphed into two squinting smiles.
"I'm...good?" Troy said.
"Oh, well. What can I do for the two of you? It looks as if you were about to visit with me. Do you have business or are you looking for a tour?"
"Uh, tour?" Troy said.
"Wonderful! Follow me," Bill said. He raced up the stairs and motioned for the two to follow. Evan went first, followed by Troy and Mr. Punchy.
The interior looked much smaller than it should have been. From the outside, Evan could have sworn the house would have at least 3 or 4 bedrooms, on top of a living room, kitchen, rumpus room, etc. But Bill's house was more modest than he could have predicted. It was nowhere near as clean as Pokemon Tower, but it was acceptable in terms of giving tours. There was a small welcome area with a rounded desk that gave the impression of a small town doctor's office. The living room had a few small chairs, a sofa, and a television. The kitchen was no larger than a small bedroom, with barely enough room for a pantry, stove, and refrigerator. Despite the small size, Bill happily spoke on each and every room with a feeling of adoration. When they reached the back of the house, Evan spotted the fireplace he mistook for the smoke stack. Wood had been loaded up and burnt down into ashes, making Evan's suspicions a moot point. They circled around to the front and off to the side Evan spotted a door labeled "NO ENTRY."
"What's in there?" He asked.
"Ah, that's my lab. That's where I like to tinker and get away from the troubles of life."
"Can we see it?" Troy asked.
"Sure! But only if you promise to help me with an experiment." Bill said. As he said it, his face grew stern. Troy and Evan shot each other a concerned look. "Just kidding! Come on, let's check it out."
As they entered the lab, the size of the rest of the house was immediately justified. Bill's lab was enormous. Not just large for a house, but was larger than any lab Troy and Evan had ever been in. Larger than both the lab in Vermillion City and the lab in Lavender Town. Computers and gadgets, white boards with mathematical scribbles, from top to bottom Bill's lab was one of the most complete they had come across. On the far wall two huge contraptions with steel doors were the center of attention for a group of lab assistants. They were carefully studying the computer between them, looking at what appeared to be an anatomical figure of a human plotted next to one of a Clefairy. As they entered a lab assistant shuffled over, clipboard in hand.
"While we love our Pokemon friends, I must ask that you return your Poliwhirl to its Poke ball before venturing further," he said. Troy reluctantly agreed and returned a saddened Mr. Punchy back to his ball. The assistant thanked him and wandered off.
"Welcome to my laboratory! This is where we develop the top end Pokemon Storage System that trainers like you use to store all of your extra Pokemon. Most recently we've been focused on expanding those services to different regions and to include different amenities for all your Poke friends," Bill said.
"Is storage all you do?" Evan asked.
"Correct! We try our best to find new ways to convert and store things for transportation. Especially between Pokeball and computer. Our storage and transport system is second to none in the region."
"Storage and transport...You don't happen to have any contracts with Silph Co. do you?" Troy asked.
"I can't speak on proprietary measures, but I can confirm that Silph Co. is one of our many business partners. Their Pokeball technology has been unbelievably crucial to the success and development of our storage system. I owe a lot of my own fortune to that company," As Bill said this his tone grew somber. "Unfortunately, it was one of the buildings targeted in the heinous attack recently. One can only hope rubble is nothing but a minor inconvenience."
"So you must work with Steven pretty closely…" Evan said.
"Oh, Arceus no. That guy is a major dick, pardon my Kalosian. I have my assistants deal with them so I can focus on my experiments."
"Your assistants?" Evan asked. At that moment he became aware of the growing circle of lab assistants circling them. Troy had noticed as well and prepared Mr. Punchy's Pokeball for battle. Bill, seemingly unaware of the growing tension, continued the tour of the lab. He led the two to the machine in the back, presenting it like a game show host, announcing in his best voice the transmuter, the teleportation pads, the flux capacitor, the doohickeys, and even the scratches from when he drunkenly stumbled and fell into the machine resulting in his fusing with a Clefairy. While a drunken story would usually tickle the ribs of the two trainers, neither of them felt much like laughing. Evan approached the desktop in the center only to have the lab assistants approach at a startling speed. He quickly backed away, to which the assistants responded the same.
"Bill, what exactly does this machine do?" Evan asked.
"Well, this machine, a.k.a. The Pokemon-Human Electrostatic Energy Transporter, or PHEET, will-in theory-teleport a human to the Storage Database with their Pokemon. Our goal is to give humans the opportunity to upload their physical selves to the cloud so they can enjoy an infinite amount of time with their Poke pals. Of course, it's not actually an infinite amount of time, as we aren't exactly sure how the aging process is affected by the digitizing of cells, but you get the idea."
"You're going to make it possible for Pokéballs to capture humans?" Evan asked.
"I guess that's certainly a possibility, but no. Our focus is more perfecting a similar technology to the Pokeball that will allow us to travel through the internet basically."
"But if there was a crazy mad scientist out there with access to this technology, he could potentially abuse it to create all-powerful Pokéballs that could capture anything and everything?" Troy said.
"Perhaps? I'm not entirely sure it will work on humans, however. Each time we've tried it has resulted in the unfortunate fusing of humans and Pokemon. So for now our tests have focused on physical objects. Berries, ribbons, a variety of held items, the occasional Nugget…"
"Pokéballs?" Evan asked.
"No, never!" Bill said. "I would never approve that in a million years. Not only is it unethical, the idea of capturing Pokemon that have been already captured, you should never EVER put a Pokeball inside of another Pokeball. The results would be catastrophic."
"How catastrophic?" They asked in unison.
"Mini black holes could potentially form and create an atomic level explosion," Bill replied. As he said this his assistants grew ever closer, wielding clipboards, odd shaped and colored Pokéballs, and gadgets that neither Troy nor Evan could recognize or fathom a guess as to what they could do aside from cause destruction. Bill stared blankly at the group of assistants.
"Are we having a surprise party I didn't know about?" He asked gingerly.
"Bill, I hate to burst your Bubble, but I don't think they're 100% working for you right now." Troy said.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked. One of his assistants stepped forward, the same one that had asked for Mr. Punchy to return earlier. He pointed at the two trainers and said,
"Sir, these two miscreants are the co-conspirators of the Saffron City and Lavender Town attack. I recognized them as soon as they walked in. The proper authorities have been notified and will be here within the next few minutes. I must ask that you step away from them as they are markedly dangerous and capable of terrible things."
Bill jumped back, putting himself between the machine and the two trainers. He started to hyperventilate while digesting the accusation.
"Y-you guys attacked Saffron City?" He said.
"No!" Evan said. "We didn't! Team Rocket did. At least, that's what we think. And we didn't attack Lavender Town either! That was Steven Stone. The bastard set us up. We had nothing to do with it."
"I mean, we did have something to do with it. We are at least fully responsible for Pokemon House." Troy said.
"FUJI WAS A MANIAC; I MAINTAIN OUR INNOCENCE!" Evan said.
"Steven? Fuji?" Bill asked.
"Yes! Fuji basically suicided himself to kill our friend over his wife leaving him," Troy said.
"Madame Fuji…"
"Listen, Bill, Silph Co. is planning something crazy. That's why Team Rocket was targeting them in Saffron City, but the truth is Team Rocket has no idea what Silph has planned. They think it has something to do with the failed Mewtwo experiment, but we think it's much worse." Evan said.
"We think they might be trying to create a device that captures Pokemon in their Pokéballs," Troy said.
"Sir, fraternizing with known terrorists will not look good in front of Silph's Board of Directors. It could cause us to lose funding and partnerships, as well. Do you really want to risk your status in this company by allowing these two criminals to continue on?" The assistant said.
"Bill, we know you aren't a stooge like these fools are. We can prove Silph is up to something. Let Evan check the computer for a specific file. Silph has been storing them in labs around Kanto. Please, just give us a chance," Troy said.
Bill thought for a moment and then moved towards the PHEET machine. His fingers clicked across the keyboard and soon after the machine fired up. He motioned for Evan to approach and asked for the flash drive. Evan produced it and stood back as Bill plugged it in. He scanned the files and the computer as requested and before long a file labeled "PROJECT: MERCURY" was found. Evan tried to explain the files, but Bill waved him off.
"It's an encrypted firewall. You need all four files to unlock it. I know how it works. I'm the one who coded it," he said. He rested his head in his arms and took a moment to breathe. Evan and Troy could hear the sirens in the distance growing closer. Bill's assistants held their positions as the head assistant approached.
"Sir, those files are off-limits," he said. Bill smirked.
"This is my house, my lab, my equipment, and my programming. As I see it, the only thing off-limits now is Silph Co."
"What?!" The assistant said as he took a step back.
"Evan, Troy, it was a pleasure to meet with you. You've opened my eyes to the true nature of Silph and their allies," he said. He handed the flash drive back to Evan. "When you get the final file, come find me. I'll unlock it for you, and we can go from there. Until then, watch yourselves, and don't breathe in too deeply. You might inhale a Psyduck."
"I don't get it-" Evan said, but before he could finish, Bill shoved the two of them into the PHEET pod and slammed the door. He typed in coordinates and pulled a level. A red beam of light engulfed the trainers, scanning their bodies head to toe. Evan looked down to see his feet disappearing out from underneath him.
"Not kidding about the Psyduck!" Bill screamed.
The light had reached their necks, moving exponentially faster with each swipe. Through the flashing red light. they could see the crowd of assistants closing in on Bill, who smiled and waved as they overtook him. Evan tried to reach for the door. but it was of no use, his hands were gone and soon he would be too. The sight of Bill began to fade and blur into a misty cloud of red and white. And then…
Darkness.