Chapter 57:

Trade Trouble

Barry called first thing today to tell me that Team Galactic still hadn't arrived. Maylene told me to stay in Snowpoint just in case any Grunts make their way by boat, though I should make my way over if I see any helicopters. Not a bad plan.

Today I wanted to try out a new move with Drifblim; I made a small snowman to act as a target and taught Drifblim a TM I had picked up a long time ago. "Ready Drifblim? Use Silver Wind!" Drifblim swirled round and round. It basically used Ominous Wind, but this wind was white rather than black. The snowman was blown down. "Nice one!" I told it. "Sorry you didn't participate in the last battle. Even with Aftermath, Ice Types would have had a field day with you, and Staraptor knows Close Combat. But hey, you have a Bug Type move now! That'll be handy against the Dark Types you struggle against!"


Later that day, my attention was drawn to a wanted poster on a billboard outside the Center. On the poster depicted a woman with blonde hair. She seemed rather normal, not evil like Team Galactic. I didn't even know what she was wanted for; the part of the poster that details crimes was frozen over to the point of unreadability. I tried scratching it off, but that started to damage my fingernails. Well, I didn't want to be bored so why not go and find her?

Well, finding her was easy. I knocked on the door to the house that was closest to the Temple (which I did try to get into earlier, but Archaeologists are busy in there). Opening the door, was Mindy. The wanted woman.

"Hello" she said gleefully. Her smile was greatly exaggerated, almost like a cartoon character.

My mind was racing about why she could be wanted. Murder? Burglary? Was she a member of Team Galactic? I was starting to get nervous trying to think about why I did this, but I played it cool. "M…m…may I come in?" I asked shaking, more from anxiety than the cold.

"Yes" Mindy said kindly.


Her house was central heated with all the luxuries that I hadn't seen in a while outside of the Center such as a working TV. Mindy made me a cup of tea which I reluctantly put on the side table just in case it was spiked. I was sitting in the house of a criminal, with the criminal still inside. Can you blame me for being scared?

"You're Lucas right?"

I nodded. The last thing I wanted to do was bring up Looker; mentioning my relation to a Policeman would put me in doo doo big time. "Y…yes. I just won my 7th Badge. You know, which you can't have." Why I said that last part I had no idea. You try being in the same room with a convicted killer and try to keep your words in control.

"I wasn't asking for them" she replied, laughing a bit madly. "Anyway, I have a request for you."

Robbing a bank? Breaking into a house? Graffiti? My mind was whirling with all the terrible requests she might have for me.

"A trade" she said.

Did she mean a Pokémon trade, or a trade of illegal substances?

"You see, I want to take on the Snowpoint Gym, and I would like a Fighting Type to combat Candice's Ice Types. One I would like is Medicham. Would you trade one for my Haunter?"

"I don't have a Medicham" I answered quickly. "But I've heard they can be caught just outside the City, I'll catch one then we'll trade." I just wanted to get out of that house. Plus, if this was true, it would be a great deal! Haunter evolves into the powerful Gengar through trade. What a steal! Well, as long as we're not stealing anything which, all jokes aside, might end up happening.

"Deal!" Mindy replied. "See you back here!"


It actually didn't seem to bad. I mean, she just wanted to trade after all. At the same time, I felt obliged to follow her request or she might track me down. I decided Drifblim would battle it to; Medicham won't be too much of a nuisance to it.

I walked into the tall grass at Acuity Lakefront and came across not a Medicham, but a Sneasel.


"Go Drifblim!" I yelled, but immediately switched to Piloswine . Sneasel started with Ice Shard and throw a chunk of ice at my Pokémon. It used another one after that. "Piloswine, Rock Climb!" Piloswine ran along the cliff near the Lakefront then charged into Sneasel. Sneasel was almost finished. Sneasel came back with another Ice Shard. "Piloswine, Ice Shard!" Piloswine fired an Ice Shard of its own at Sneasel, knocking it out.


With Piloswine's battling abilities proven to be successful, I continued to look for Medicham. Just anything to get this woman off my back.

Sure enough, I found one. It was pink and had what looked like puffy trousers and a pink hat.


Medicham

087

Fighting/Psychic Type

Meditate Pokémon

Region of origin: Hoenn

4'03" (1.3 m)

69.4 lbs (31.5 kg)

Through yoga training, it has honed its sixth sense. Its movements are elegant.

Meditite -Lv 37- Medicham


"I choose Piloswine!" I shouted, realizing that I had forgotten to put Drifblim first, but I decided to roll with it. "Use Rock Climb!" Piloswine ran along the rocks and into Medicham, who was almost taken down. Medicham then came back with a kick. It kicked Piloswine with all its might, knocking it out. "That was High Jump Kick!" I shouted. "It's really powerful, and Super Effective nonetheless. Okay then, go Drifblim!" I knew it wouldn't need to use a move hopefully, but best use it to not get hurt by another High Jump Kick, "Go Ultra Ball!" Long story short, I caught it!


One Pokémon Center trip later to switch out Toxicroak for Medicham and I ran back to Mindy's. I was concerned she might grow impatient if I took to long.

I practically broke down the door whilst holding up Medicham's Pokéball. "Let's get this trade underway" I told her quickly, stumbling over my words. I didn't want to be with her a second longer.


SENDING MEDICHAM TO MINDY.

"Goodbye Medicham."

Into my hand came Haunter's Pokéball.

Welcome Haunter!


"It's Gengar time!" I shouted as I sent out the purple Ghost Type.

Haunter just floated there, not glowing at all. "Psst. Haunter. This is your queue" I whispered to it like I was a play director directing his terrible actors. "You 're supposed to evolve."

"You didn't think it was REALLY going to evolve did you?" Mindy told me laughing. Not cartoony laughing, but evil laughing. "Nah, I gave it an Everstone, it prevents Evolution. You've just been scammed!"

My jaw dropped. So this is what she was wanted for. "I'll… be back in a minute" I told her.


I ran back to the wanted poster. I had Empoleon slash the ice part off it to reveal Mindy's crime; scammed trades. "That son of a… okay. Let's get the fuzz on the line."


The Police had their own headquarters in Snowpoint so they responded quickly. I showed them the clearly obvious house that she was hiding in. They charged down the door and raided the house. Mindy put her arms up, continuing to smile.

"Got you!" Mindy told me, sticking her tongue out.

"Quiet" Officer Jenny said. "You're days of trading like this are over. Enough with the childish pranks."

She was taken away.

To think that some people could be so unfair.


Oh, what? You thought that was all that happened today? It wasn't. As she was taken away, I saw a black helicopter zoom above us with the familiar yellow G on its side. This caught the attention of everyone, but mostly me.

"I need to go" I told Officer Jenny. "Team Galactic are going to Lake Acuity. Get some troops ready."

Officer Jenny saluted me. "We will. Meet you there."

With that, I ran to the Center, grabbed Toxicroak from the PC and headed to the Lake.


I zoomed up the cliff with Piloswine's Rock Climb and got to the Lake edge. Acuity was very different to the others; it was partially frozen.

I was too late; Jupiter was there putting a cage with a yellow Pokémon inside. A Grunt came over to her and put it into the helicopter. I had no time to scan it, but I could tell what it was. She was facing Barry and Maylene, who were shocked.

"Are you two alright?" I asked, even though they clearly weren't. "Sorry I couldn't be here sooner, there was an incident in Snowpoint City and…"

"Just stop talking" Jupiter demanded. "We've won. All the Lake Guardians are in Team Galactic's possession. With these, wea re capable of forming the most powerful Red Chain of all time! You won't be around long enough to know what that means..."

"Not if we catch you first!" Barry said. "Go Floatzel!"

"Lucario, I choose you!" Maylene shouted.

"Drifblim, you're up!"

"You're not worth our time" she told us. "Skuntank, Smokecreen!" She sent out the Poison Type to create a cloud of smoke.

"Drifblim, Silver Wind!" Drifblim cleared away the smoke, but the helicopter was doing that job for me.

"It's taking off!" Maylene yelled.

"Drifblim, follow that chopper!"

"That goes for you to Staraptor!" Barry yelled, sending his Flying Type out. However, the helicopter was too fast. Within minutes, it was just a dot in the sky.


As the police arrived, I I fell to my knees. "Did we… lose? Team Galactic have them all."

Maylene and Barry got me up.

"Don't be like that" Barry said. "True, they may have the Lake Guardians meaning that the Universe is potentially doomed if we don't do something, but this is only the start of their operations. We should strike whilst they are in full swing."

"You're right" I said. "Maylene, you go back to Veilstone City and try to stop any Grunts there. I'm sure the Veilstone HQ will be very busy."

"You can ride on Staraptor with me" Barry offered as Staraptor flew back down, exhausted. "Don't worry, we've got this."

Among the police crowd, was Looker. We had a lot to tell him.

"Looker, we-"

"Let's not discuss it in the cold" he told me. "Let's go back to the Center."


"We couldn't save them" I told Looker, wiping my eyes when we got back to Snowpoint Center. "Team Galactic's operations are coming truer by the minute, what are we going to do?!"

Looker grabbed me by the shoulders firmly. "Relax, that's what. You can't come up with a good plan whilst panicking."

I breathed deeply. "Okay genius. How are we going to get into the HQ? I need a Key to get in..."

"I'll look for it" Looker said. "I think you might need another break. Barry's going to Veilstone and you've done a lot recently. You could use some more training to."

He was right. I needed to be strong to take down Team Galactic.

"This is a thank you for your work" Looker said. He went into his pocket and got out a multicoloured heart. "This is called a Heart Scale. It will allow a Pokémon to remember a move it forgot. Use it how you want, but I think you should do this; teach Piloswine Ancient Power. You can get this exchange done in Pastoria City."

I took it and put it in my Bag. "First things first, I'm heading to Canalave. Drifblim with Cut isn't very good."

Looker smiled, thankfully not exaggerated or evilly, but warm and friendly. "You're a good Trainer, but take tomorrow off. I'll sort out the Key, you sort out the training."