Chapter 5
As of this chapter, the real story begins.
I should make these introductions longer. That's what she said.
Pokémon Mansion, Cinnabar Island
The old, battered door creaked as two men entered the burnt-down, seemingly ancient, desolate mansion. One could hear the growl of a Raticate or the slimy sounds of a Muk looking for something to eat. The dead of night didn't exactly put either of them at ease, either.
They were greeted by a third man clambering down the stairs on the other side of the eastern wall. He spoke softly through a hole in the wall, "No sign of him here."
The two men nodded and went up the nearest set of stairs. The place was mostly empty, save for a few more Raticate and Muk. The first man whispered to the other, "Raise your hand if this place looks like a budget horror film set." And elbowed him in the ribs. The other one wordlessly raised his hand and chuckled.
They found a small opening that was guarded by railings. The first one took a length of rope from a pack tied to his waist and tied it carefully to the railing. He dropped the rope and climbed on the railing, taking a deep breath.
The second one asked, "I can't see anything. How long does it go down?" The first one muttered, "That's what she said." The second one said, "You really need to stop saying that. It gets less funny every time."
"It doesn't and you know it." The second one said, "I'm going to push you. You read my mind and I hate it. I'm going to push you."
The first one said, "Butch, if you push me, I swear to- "
"Idiot!" The second hissed. "We're not supposed to say our names in the open! Did you forget initiation day already?" The first one stared on at Butch. "James, why are you an absolute idiot- "James smiled. "Guess we both forgot initiation day." Butch inhaled sharply and pushed James down. He pulled out his own rope, did the same as James and dropped down, albeit far slower. Once he felt his feet touch solid ground, he pulled out a flashlight. He saw James to his left, pulling out his own flashlight. Both men saw an opening in the left and moved.
The paths were all blocked by a strange metal gate, save for one. James whispered, "I'll take the open path. You investigate." James slowly went ahead as Butch looked around for any clues hidden in the room. His flashlight shone on something strange- a statue. It looked normal for the most part, but Butch didn't leave that to chance. He felt around the statue. As his hands felt around the backside, he felt something press. A switch.
The path in front of him opened, revealing James desperately trying to push another metal gate, which also began opening. He turned around to see that the path James had previously taken had closed. He walked ahead and joined James.
Both men found a door of sorts in front of the gate. Butch released a Pokeball from his belt and sent out a Magneton. He whispered, "Use Magnet Bomb to blow the door open." James held his hand. "No, wait. This building's coming down fast enough. Blowing the door apart might make it collapse."
Butch nodded. "Yeah. Magneton, return." James spoke, "Maybe we can try liquefying a hole in the middle of the door." Butch nodded. James sent out his Growlithe and said, "Use Fire Spin to melt the middle of the door open, alright?" Growlithe stared for a moment and then nodded. It walked right up to the middle of the door and charged a ball of flame in its mouth. An orange vortex began swirling around the ball as Growlithe launched it towards the door. It slowly began melting as Butch pulled out a walkie-talkie and spoke, "G05 to Admin. We found the room. Nobody else is here." A voice rang back, "Affirmative. State your location." Butch spoke again. "Somewhere in the basement. There's a small opening on the second floor, south of the staircases."
"Understood. Wait there until I arrive."
James returned Growlithe to its Pokeball and sat down next to the door. Butch sat down beside him. A dull thud was heard, followed by a pitter-patter of footsteps. A light shone in front of them and went off as the third man from earlier stood. He brushed his turquoise hair aside and crept through the hole. James and Butch followed silently.
The room was around the size of your normal household room- not too spacious, but just enough. There were several large fertilisation pods, all of them unused except for dirt lining the outside, all hooked up to a computer near the northern end of the room. The third man pulled out a pager and flipped through his contacts until he found Exec. He messaged the contact.
"We hit the motherlode. It's in the basement. Requesting confirmation. Should I use our troops in Cinnabar?"
"Affirmative. We only require all materials present in the room. Once you're done, you and any members with you will have to be briefed on what you saw back at HQ. Understood?"
"Affirmative. Over."
He turned to face James and Butch, and said, "Dial our personnel in Cinnabar. Tell them to arrive at our location and take all of this stuff. We have a boat waiting to take us back to HQ."
Both men nodded. Butch pulled out his pager and sent out a ping to a contact named L-8. Meanwhile, James pulled out a flash drive and began copying all the files from the computer onto it.
The third man was observing the room as he said, "Take apart the computer. Whatever that old coot was doing here, we need the information out of his hands permanently." James nodded and waited for the flash drive to finish copying all the files.
He thought he heard a sound. He opened his eyes to see Butch and James trying to unplug the computer. Emphasis on trying. Why do I even pay these guys?
A sound. He turned to face his right, where he'd entered the room from. Our men? Passers-by? Police? God forbid, it's someone important like Bl-
"Troops from L-8 reporting, sir." He sighed and controlled his breathing. Losing his cool would do no one good. He pointed to the computer and said, "I need you people to destroy it. Beyond recognition."
The grunts nodded wordlessly and split into three teams- two carrying the fertilisation pods, and the third helping James and Butch destroy the computer. The third man simply watched.
His hands always near the Pokeballs on his belt, he simply closed his eyes and waited. No need to get ballistic. Everything is fine. It's fi-
A robotic voice rang out, "Mainframe damaged. Self-destruct sequence initiated. Lab compromised in 10…"
He looked to the front. Only James, Butch and 3 other grunts. He shouted, "GET OUT! NOW!" All five of them raced to the door. "9. 8…"
He surveyed the room. All the pods were secured and on the way to their destination. The computer was in the middle of being taken apart. "7." If we didn't total that thing, the explosion will. He quickly looked around for anything else. Nothing. He made to leave, but… something, an instinct, made him turn around. It was a diary, covered in brown leather. He'd been sitting on it the entire time and never noticed. "6. 5." He picked it up and rushed to the door. "4." Clambering through the hole, he turned to look at the room. Several hatch doors opened from above where his team and he had previously been sitting.
A swarm of Electrode fell out, smiling devilishly all the time. Surveying their surroundings, they looked at each other and agreed on one thing unanimously: explode.
"3. 2…" He ran like he'd never ran ever before. He climbed onto a rope, clutching the diary in between his teeth. "1."
He almost felt his grip loosen, but he persevered and gripped the railing tight. With the last of his strength, he pushed himself forward and climbed on top of the railing and landed on the second floor. James and Butch ran to him and picked him up, carrying him out of there.
All three men managed to get out of the building as the sound of a monstrous explosion sounded. The third man was slightly relieved that their mission was in Cinnabar, a place known for frequent volcanic eruptions. Just in case, he looked around as best he could. No civilians in sight.
The three men climbed onto the boat waiting for them. James took the wheel as they sped away into the night.
The next morning, all the inhabitants of Cinnabar surrounded the mansion, now blocked by police tape. Just in front of the door, a man in a brown overcoat stared blankly at the scene as he messed with the unruly mop of greying hair on his head. At least I'm not bald, eh?
I should stop talking to myself.
He turned to address all the onlookers, scratching his chin as though deep in thought. Erm… I'd rather not risk having my name exposed to any civilian onlookers. A code name would work perfectly in situations like these. If I had one.
What's a mysterious code name? Something a little dashing, a dab of mystery, something that sounds sinister, yet simply poetic and beautiful…
Nothing comes to mind! C'est une probleme trop grosse! How can I introduce myself to these onlookers?
Ah! What about… Looker?
A few hours later…
A police officer dressed in blue asked, "Would you like anything, Officer, uhhhh…."
"Looker, s'il vous plait." The officer, with an almost pained glint in his eyes, said, "Please don't make me call you that." Looker shook his head in frustration and said, "Water, s'il vous plait." The officer nodded and went to get Looker a water bottle.
As he was waiting, he saw an empty bench and decided to sit down. "Nice view, eh? Calm blue waters up front, green grass at your feet, the breeze, and the light tinge of volcanic ash from Mount Ember way over there."
Looked turned to see who was talking. It was an old man- bearded, moderately dressed. He flashed a toothy grin.
"Do you, perchance, know any details concerning the alleged explosion at midnight?" The old man smiled and said, "Alleged? Why, I saw the entire thing unfold!" Looker was interested. "Continue." He pulled out a notebook and pen. "Describe the perpetrator."
The old man began. "Well, it was around midnight and I was asleep. I heard a loud sound, so I suddenly woke up. Then, I saw- "The police officer returned with a water bottle and eyed the old man. Looker brushed him off. "He's giving an eyewitness testimony." The officer nodded and left.
"As I was saying, I saw three men. Dressed all in black. Wearing those fancy army hats. White gloves and boots." Looker sighed. "Could you, erm, clue me in on a more specific detail, perhaps?"
The old man nodded. "My memory's a little foggy, see. Perhaps a little something might, hm, kickstart it." Looker smiled and placed his hands on the old man's shoulders. Standing up at full height, he looked down at the old man and said, "I am a globe-trotting member of La Police Internationale. I am not your average rookie detective. So, you can either answer to me… or I can force you to answer to me. Now, which option would you prefer?"
The old man was positively trembling now. He gulped and spoke again. "The main thing… I saw… all 18 of them had..."
Looker nearly did a double take. "What do you mean, 18? You said there were only three previously!" The old man shook his head. "There were exactly 18 of them. 15 of them carried some things under a tarp and took a truck further into the island. The inland is a maze, though- I'd wager they know their way. The remaining three were the ones I mentioned at first. They sped away on a boat, err, northeast of the island. I wager they'd dock somewhere in Vermilion."
Looker flipped through his notes. "Wait. You said there was a 'main thing' that you saw all 18 of the perpetrators have. What was it?" The man crept closer to Looker and said, "They all had…
…a large red R on all their uniforms."
Pallet Town
"I choose you, Charmander!" With that, he flung the Pokeball into the air, as Charmander emerged in a flash of light. The Pokémon surveyed its surroundings, then looked at Ash.
Ash knelt down and said, "Hiya, Charmander. I'm Ash Ketchum- I'm your partner. Nice to meet you!" Charmander first sniffed his hand, then pawed it gently. It seemed to study his hand for a while and outstretched its paw, as if to shake his hand. Ash cradled it gently and said, "We're gonna be the greatest team ever, right, Charmander?" Charmander nodded and growled happily. Ash picked it up in his arms and turned to Professor Oak.
Gary smiled and said, "In that case, I'll be picking Squirtle!" He released Squirtle from its Pokeball. Squirtle, upon being released, eyed Gary with a neutral, disinterested aura. An unfazed Gary said, "Hey, there, Squirtle. My name's Gary Oak. I'm your Pokémon Trainer, and together, our opponents are going to get blasted away!" He struck a V- shape with his fingers.
Squirtle paused momentarily and placed its hands on its hips, in a heroic fashion.
Oak watched the exchange with keen interest. They strive for greatness, sure, but their journeys are vividly different.
One strives for greatness with unity; the other strives to reach the very apex. I figure they'll start butting heads soon enough.
"If it's a battle you want, Ash, it's a battle you're going to get!"
Sooner than I thought.
"Go! Charmander!" "Let's do this, Squirtle!"
Both Pokémon sized each other up. Squirtle tried to use its sheer size advantage over Charmander to assert fear. Charmander, however, wasn't having any of it.
"Charmander, use Scratch!" Charmander rushed towards its opponent, tilting its right paw just enough to swipe it across Squirtle's torso. Strangely, Squirtle didn't react. It just stood there. Waiting.
Charmander got closer and reared its paw. Still nothing. Ash's mind was racing. What is he thinking?
Just as it almost made contact, Gary said, "Use Fake Out!" Squirtle moved at near-instantaneous speeds and pushed Charmander back. The surprise factor of the attack, along with Charmander's low defensive capability, resulted in a sizeable hit that caused Charmander to flinch in pain. Gary wasted no time and acted on his advantage. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Squirtle spat out a projectile of water at Charmander. Ash cried out, "Dodge it and use Scratch!" Charmander swiftly dodged the attack and rushed to Squirtle's position at full speed. Ash smiled confidently. In close quarters, Squirtle can't use Water Gun as effectively.
In order to land the attack, he'll have to sacrifice power and the speed at which he shoots it. Close range is where Charmander thrives.
Charmander kept slashing away at Squirtle's torso. "It doesn't matter how strong how you are! It doesn't matter how tall! We'll take you down and we'll never let up!"
Charmander growled in unison as it slashed one final time across Squirtle's torso, leaving a gash. Gary quickly calculated his best approach. A misstep could lose him the entire battle. Wait for it. Just when it raises its head. Let it make eye contact-
Jackpot.
"Squirtle, use Tackle!" Squirtle withdrew into its shell and pushed Charmander hard, sending it tumbling onto the floor. Charmander got up and growled at Squirtle, who charged headfirst for another attack. Charmander began rushing blindly as well, locking both Pokémon in a stalemate.
Oak observed silently. I'd wager both Pokémon are very tired now, given their lack of battle experience and their overall level of strength.
The next few moves will decide the winner.
"Push through! You can do it!" Ash began panicking. If Squirtle manages to fully push Charmander back, he'll be in range for a Water Gun. If even one of those connects now…
I lose. That word kept ringing in his mind, as though his consciousness was taunting him by dangling it in front of his eyes. No. Not here. Not today.
Squirtle began to gain the edge, pushing Charmander back, even if by a little. Ash quickly began thinking of a plan. If only I could get behind him for a sneak attack. But how…?
Charmander's legs started giving out as Squirtle started pushing it into the ground. Ash gritted his teeth and stared in defeat. Was his first battle going to end… in a pathetic loss?
No way. He had to hold on. He had to persevere. The thought flashed across his mind briefly. It was insane- or perhaps just insane enough to work.
"Charmander! Latch onto Squirtle's shell with Metal Claw and climb onto it!" Charmander, using its free left paw, powered up until its claws shone a bright silver and shoved them right on Squirtle's shell. It climbed on top, as Squirtle tried its best to shake its opponent off. "Flip yourself, Squirtle! Tackle Charmander into the ground!" Squirtle, with the last of its vestiges, pushed both itself and Charmander into the ground, kamikaze-style.
Both Trainers rushed to check on their Pokémon- both of which had passed out from exhaustion. Oak breathed and declared, "This match is a tie!"
Gary and Ash stood up and faced each other. Ash extended his hand.
Next time, I'll win.
Almost as if he could read his mind, Gary extended his hand at the same time. They shook.
No, you won't.
Ash's House
Delia sobbed happily. "My little baby's all grown up! Look at you!" She hugged Ash tightly and said, "I'll miss you!" Ash hugged her back. "I'll miss you too, Mom." He let go and walked inside his room and picked up his new bag. He'd made sure to get a large one- his old one was, well… Small. And lame, he figured.
Picking up a bunch of clothes, he put them in his bag. He saw a new jacket and hat placed on his bed. "Did she…" Thanks, Mom. He looked around. His room was much the same, as it had always been. "I'm going to miss this place." He examined his new jacket- blue with white sleeves. He picked up the hat- red and white with a stylized 'A' on it. He placed the cap on his head and packed everything inside.
Finally, he breathed. And said to the world, albeit silently, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. And I'm going to become a Pokémon Master.
The very best. Like no one ever was.
Back in the laboratory, Oak handed Charmander and Squirtle's Pokeballs to their respective Trainers. He walked over to his desk from where he took two phone-like devices- one red and one blue- and gave the red one to Ash. He handed the blue one to Gary saying, "This is a Pokedex. Or a Pokémon Index- these are one-of-a-kind. And they have your Trainer ID stored in them."
"These devices can store information on any and every Pokémon you catch. Since these devices are hooked up to my database, the information is provided from here. Any Pokémon you catch, you have the option to directly transfer to my PC box, or place in your own party. It's quite a nifty device!"
Both Trainers nodded and left. Oak said to Gary just as he was leaving, "Say hi to your sister. And your grandma. For me." Gary sighed and said, "Fine. Seeing as you're too scared to do it yourself, I'll go."
He turned to face Oak, "But if I hear another idiotic spiel about how you 'wronged Grams' and you're 'evil', I'm out of there. It's not my job to listen to some random loser of a sister talk about you like that. Clear?" Without waiting for a response, Gary stormed out.
Ash waited at the outskirts as Gary caught up to him. Ash mock-bowed and said, "Ladies first." Gary stopped in his tracks and waited. Ash looked up and said, "What are you waiting for?" Without missing a beat, Gary replied- with the snarkiest grin he'd ever made- "You said 'ladies first'."
Both Trainers laughed and took their first steps in a long, long journey.
Oak's Laboratory A few minutes later…
A kid- about 11 years of age- wearing a blue-and-yellow hat, with green overalls, walked inside the laboratory.
Oak turned to face him. The kid asked, a little worriedly, "Am I too late?" He took off his hat and brushed his brown hair out of his eyes.
Oak smiled. "On the contrary, you're quite on time." He stepped to the side, revealing one last Pokeball, next to a green Pokedex. The kid ran over to the table with a disbelieving grin on his face. He picked up the final Pokeball and released Bulbasaur, who immediately snuggled next to his leg.
He nodded and pet Bulbasaur gently. Oak picked up the green Pokedex and handed it to him. "This is a Pokedex. It stores information on any Pokémon you've caught and displays it to you in an index fashion- hence the name, Pokémon Index. It's hooked up to my database here, so feel free to catch as many Pokémon as you like! It also has your own Trainer ID stored in it, so keep it with you at all times." The kid nodded and returned Bulbasaur to its Pokeball. Looking at Professor Oak, he sheepishly said, "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."
He extended his hand. "My name's Ritchie."
Long chapter, with quite a few important landmarks in the story!
Also, translations for Looker's French (Yay, I didn't waste two years of education):
C'est une probleme trop grosse- This is a very big problem (trop is generally used in a negative connotation, instead of très, which is used in a positive one)
S'il vous plait- If you please (or) Could you please
La Police Internationale- The International Police
Nothing much else of an A/N to include. I'll think of something interesting eventually.
-EdgyNickname