Welcome to chapter 31 of Pocket Monsters: Shattered Souls! Thank you for reading the story up to this point and I hope you enjoy the chapter and view the message at the end! Thank you.
CHAPTER 31
"Where are you taking me! Let me go now!" Lisa yelled at her captors, but they ignored her demands. They led her bound and blindfolded down several hallways and staircases. "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm a gym trainer! I work for the Pokémon League! Do you even understand how much trouble you're in? Or are you all just too dumb to comprehend it?"
One of the captors, a muscular bald man with a scar down his cheek, rolled his eyes and slapped her, knocking her to the floor. "Will you shut up? I've had just about enough of you!"
The other captor, a thin man with a goatee, turned toward his partner. "What do you think you're doing? Remember our orders. We were told not to damage the merchandise. Let's just keep going. We're almost there."
Lisa looked up to the sound of his voice. "Merchandise? What exactly do you plan to do with me? Sell me?"
The captor with the goatee continued walking down the hallway. "We're not at liberty to discuss what is to become of you. Just keep your mouth shut before we shut it for you. Pick her up and let's go."
The muscular captor picked Lisa up and carried her to the end of the hallway. Before them stood a simple door with a code lock. The captor with the goatee punched in the code and the door opened.
They walked in to the dimly-lit room where a wooden chair stood in the middle. Lisa's captors led her to the chair and forced her into it. She squirmed against them, but they ultimately tied her to it and removed her blindfold.
When her eyes adjusted to the room, she struggled against her bonds again. "Where are we? What are you going to do? Let me go this instant! Do you idiots even understand what I'm saying? If you don't let me go right now, you're gonna regret it!"
"Oh, I see we have a lively one this time."
The room fell silent as a tall man with short blonde hair and green eyes walked into the room. He wore a yellow suit with white shoes and gloves.
Lisa stared at him as he approached. "Who are you?"
The man bowed. "Greetings, fair maiden. My name is Jacob. I'll be your host for the festivities."
Lisa glared at him and fought against her bonds. "Festivities? I don't know what you think is gonna happen, but you're not getting your hands on me, pal!"
Jacob chuckled. "Oh, dear child, do not fret. It is not I who wishes to put his hands on you. There are tons of gentlemen who will pay handsomely to be in your company."
"And you think I'm just gonna go along with it? You're dumber than you look."
Jacob grinned. "That's the beauty of it. You'll have no choice in the matter." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pokéball. With a toss, it popped open and revealed a Hypno. "Hold her down for me."
Lisa's eyes widened when she realized what was going on. "You sick freak! Let me go right now!"
Jacob's two associates held Lisa down and prevented her from squirming. One of them held her eyes open while Hypno swayed its pendulum in her face. Unable to close her eyes, Lisa watched as the pendulum swayed from side to side.
Night soon fell as Ayden and his group walked toward Celadon City. They set up camp and gathered around the campfire.
Nami unwrapped her arm and stretched it. "Yeah, that feels much better. That hospital really did the trick. My arm healed way faster than I thought it would."
Mendy looked at her in concern. "Are you sure you should take it off right now?"
Nami nodded. "Yeah, I feel fine. Plus, I need to get back in shape and get Poliwrath back up to snuff. Can't do it with a sling holding me back."
Mendy grinned. "All right. Just don't overdo it, okay?"
Jin punched in their coordinates in his GPS. "Well, according to this, we should be in Celadon by noon tomorrow."
Mendy smiled. "Awesome. Can't wait to check out all the stores."
Nami nodded. "I can't wait to check out all those restaurants. I've been hearing about this one spot that sells the best burgers."
Jin chuckled. "Yeah, this is gonna be great. And we'll finally get to see Ayden go for another badge. It's been a while since you've gotten one."
Ayden smiled. "Yeah, I guess it has. A lot seems to keep happening."
Mendy crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah, that's true. So, I propose we take it easy and enjoy our stay in Celadon. Just do us, you know? No sticking our noses where they don't belong, no crimefighting, and no Team Chaos."
Nami nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. I've had enough of those guys. Wish they'd just go away."
Jin adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, I feel the same way. They keep ruining things for us, and I keep thinking about what happened to Vulpix. I don't want to have to go through that again."
Mendy smiled. "Well, we won't have to worry about that. We're just going to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. Now, goodnight."
Nami and Jin replied and went to sleep, leaving Ayden alone with his thoughts. He watched them sleep as their words ran through his mind. Would it be better if I left? Thanks to me, they're getting wrapped up in a fight they shouldn't have to get involved in. If I stay with them, I'd just be putting them in more danger than I already have. They've already been hurt fighting Team Chaos. It never would've happened if I wasn't around.
He felt a nudge and his attention shifted to Piik nuzzling up against him. She looked up at him with reassuring eyes that, for a brief moment, made him forget all his problems.
He smiled and tucked her in. Thanks, Piik. I hope we can just enjoy ourselves and relax.
Celadon City, known as the City of Rainbow Dreams, is the most populous city within the Kanto region. Many people come from all over to experience all this metropolitan wonderland has to offer. From its department stores and game corners, there's always something for everyone to enjoy.
However, an underground casino exists where anything is allowed and only the corrupt willingly enter. Inside this mad house, the air is filled with the sounds of slot machines, loud music, cigarette smoke, and the combination of jovial and expletive screams.
Illuminated by strobe lights, pole dancers performed to cheers from several attendees. Waitresses, dressed in scantily-clad uniforms, served food and other refreshments to customers. The customers laughed and enjoyed the festivities with hardly a care in the world.
Walking through the casino with two large men in business suits on his sides, a pudgy bald man smiled. They made it through to a back room where they were greeted by a man with thinning hair wearing a grey suit.
The man bowed and opened up the door. "Mr. Salerne, as punctual as always. Please come in. Come in." Salerne and his men walked into a small, dimly lit room with a single table and two chairs. In the corner, a young woman with long blue hair and dressed as a maid stood.
The man turned to her and spoke sternly. "You! Go get Mr. Salerne his drink! Now!"
The woman nervously bowed and quickly left the room.
Salerne seated himself and took off his fedora. "Chester, I presume you have our request accomplished."
Chester stuttered. "Y-yes, s-sir. We have quite a few new ladies for your business. Why we just recently snagged a young lass from the Celadon City gym."
Salerne nodded. "Very good. Customers will pay their life savings for some time with one of them. I take it everything is ready to go then?"
Chester rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Of course, Mr. Salerne. We had our skilled trainer use his Hypno on her and everything is good to go."
Salerne nodded. "Excellent. It seems you're not completely useless after all."
Chester laughed weakly. "Y-you're too kind, sir."
A moment later, the woman returned with a drink on a tray. Chester turned to her and gritted his teeth. "What the hell took you so long? Mr. Salerne needs his drink!"
Frightened by his outburst, she stumbled and the drink crashed on the table, spilling a few drops on Salerne's suit.
The woman gazed at the mess while Chester gasped. He rushed over and slapped her then threw her to the floor by her hair. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot? Do you have any idea who this man is? Of course, you don't! You're just an idiot!
He stopped when he heard a snap and turned to see Salerne take a deep breath. "Is this the quality of your workers, Chester?"
Chester shook his head. "Of course not, sir. Please, let me handle this."
Salerne raised his hand. "Forget it. Just make sure you keep things going. I don't want anything going wrong with this operation. Otherwise, we'll be dragging you to the floor next time. Do you understand, Chester?"
Chester nodded nervously and watched as Salerne stood up and left the room with his associates.
Salerne walked outside toward his car. I will not have a repeat of what happened eight years ago. Damn that officer. If not for her, I wouldn't have had to shut my operations down for so long. But now there's no need to worry. Everything is back to the way it should be.
He got in his car and disappeared down the road.
Ayden tossed and turned in his sleep. All his nightmares came again one after the other in the same order as they had for the last eight years.
He stood in a dark void, gasping for air. Each breath he took hurt his body. The branding on his back glowed, burning him to the point he fell to his knees. As he writhed in pain, he heard voices echo throughout the darkness as he watched visions of his friends getting hurt.
You're weak. Your friends got hurt because of you. You're weak. You don't have the power to protect them. They'll die because of you. You're to blame for their injuries. You're weak. They're better off without you. You should leave them. The reason they got hurt is because of you. You put them in danger. They'll end up dead just like your family. Everyone you associate with will die because of you. You're weak.
Ayden woke up drenched in sweat. He trembled as the voices still echoed through his mind. He fumbled for this locket and gripped it to the point it left an imprint in his palm. He took deep breaths, and gripped his locket as hard as he could, but the nightmares still plagued his mind. Why can't I calm down? Why are these nightmares getting worse? What am I supposed to do?
The next day, the group walked through the rest of the woods and made it to Celadon City. They smiled and were in awe at the sight of the bustling city. The malls, supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, hair salons, and pokémon breeding centers all caught their eye and overwhelmed them with how much the city had to offer.
Jin smiled. "This is amazing."
Mendy nodded. "This is even better than Cerulean. Just look at this place." She clenched her fists in determination. "All right! Where should we go first? I'm dying to check out the clothing stores!"
Nami placed her hand on her hip and grinned. "I'll go anywhere as long as it's got a good burger joint. I'll be on the lookout for that famous burger spot."
Jin checked the map. "Looks like there're a few clothing spots all over the city. The closest is just a block away."
Mendy smiled. "Sounds good to me. Let's go!"
As the three of them headed into the city, Ayden made sure to keep a good distance behind them. He couldn't get the echoes from his nightmare out of his head.
Piik looked at him with concern. He'd been acting strange since they left Saffron. She wanted to do something for him, but didn't know what.
He grinned and petted her. "It's okay, Piik. I just didn't get much sleep last night. I'm good. Come on. Let's go."
The group went around visiting several clothing stores and outlets. Mendy was delighted trying on several different outfits to the point several clerks could barely keep up with her.
Nami watched it all unfold with a smile on her face. Nothing made her happier than watching Mendy show off that award-winning smile.
Mendy came out of the changing room and modeled for her. Her outfits consisted of different pairs of jeans, shorts, skirts, tank tops, and blouses. Nami stood transfixed by it all. She blushed as Mendy tried on more outfits. What's the deal? No matter what outfit she tries on, she looks great in all of them. Part of me wants to see her in more.
"Nami?"
She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped to see Jin and Ayden behind her. "W-What? Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Jin laughed. "Sorry, but we just wanted to see how you guys are doing."
Nami heaved a sigh. "Thought you guys were going to restock our supplies."
Jin nodded. "We did. Ayden even found some rare items that'll come in handy. You wouldn't believe the departments stores here!"
Nami grinned. "Well, you made good time. She just finished trying on her last outfit. She should be done soon."
Ayden nodded and sat in the waiting area. He was glad they were enjoying themselves. As long as they get to have fun, I'll have nothing to worry about.
Mendy stood in the changing room and gasped when she realized there was one outfit she missed. She picked it up and giggled to herself. It might be a little daring, but Nami is the only one out there. So, it should be fine. Plus, this is more of a joke than anything. Not like I'll actually buy this.
Jin crossed his arms. "So, which burger place you wanna go to?"
Nami grinned. "I'm looking for that legendary restaurant, Heaven Burger. They say it's one of those hole-in-the-wall kinda places. Those always serve the best food."
Mendy threw open the door and stepped out. "So, Nami, whaddya think? Does it suit me at all?"
Nami and Jin froze and blushed when they saw her outfit: a pair of hotpants that snuggly wrapped around her waist and a fishnet tank top.
Mendy felt all the warmth leave her body as she saw Jin and Ayden look at her.
Nami turned to Jin and punched him in the face. "Stop staring!"
Mendy's face turned bright red and she ran back into the dressing room. She heard her heart pounding away as she thought about how much she showed Ayden and Jin. She couldn't think of a more embarrassing moment in her life. Jin was more than enough, but to see Ayden look at her was more than she could bare. She buried her face in her hands and fell to her knees.
With her head hanging low, Mendy walked out of the store with the rest of the group. Nami did her best to comfort her, but it did little good.
Jin walked several feet behind them rubbing his cheek. "What was that all about? I thought she said she was done trying on outfits."
Ayden shrugged as he walked beside him.
Mendy sniffed back tears. "Nami, just kill me now."
Nami rubbed her back. "Cheer up… it wasn't that bad. You could barely see anything. I made sure they looked away, too."
Mendy nodded, but knew the damage was done. All she could think about was Ayden looking at her. "How could I have done something so humiliating? I don't think I'll ever be able to live this down!"
Nami wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Mendy. It's okay. Come on, let's head over to the gym. That'll take your mind off things."
They arrived at the gym only to find the doors locked and a sign saying they're closed. Jin ran up to the sign. "What gives? Why're they closed?"
Ayden walked up to him. "There's nothing we can do. If they're closed, they're closed."
Jin looked at him. "They could at least give a reason why! This doesn't make any sense! Aren't you upset, man?"
Ayden nodded. "I am, but what can we do about it? We'll have to wait until they open back up."
Nami placed her hand on Jin's shoulder. "In the meantime, why don't we all get a burger? Come on. It's been a weird afternoon."
Along the sidewalk, an elderly woman walked with her purse clutched in her hands. Walking behind her was a man wearing dirty jeans and a black shirt. When the crowd on the sidewalk was at its thinnest, he sprinted in front of the woman and snatched her purse before dashing down the road.
The woman stumbled and fell to the ground. "Help! Someone! He stole my purse! Someone please stop him!"
The group heard her cries and saw the man run down the road. Nearby, Officer Jenny stood getting a cup of coffee when she heard the cries as well. She turned to see the man run down the street.
Ayden furrowed his brow. I don't know who this guy is, but I'm not about to let him ruin my friends' day off. I owe them that much. "Piik, Thunderbolt! Stop him!"
Piik jumped off his shoulder and launched an attack on the thief. He screamed as the attack knocked him to the ground. He hit the ground and released the purse.
Piik landed back on Ayden's arm and nuzzled against his cheek.
Ayden smiled. "Great work as always, Piik."
Jenny stood in fascination. A boy with silver hair and a blue-cheeked Pikachu? She gasped when she realized who they were. I can't believe it. They're here. This is perfect! "This is Jenny! I need squad A to come to my area."
Ayden picked up the purse and handed it back to the woman. "Here you go."
The woman smiled. "Thank you, young man. You're such a nice boy."
As she walked away, Mendy and the others ran up to him. "Ayden! What happened? I thought we were just taking it easy today and not getting involved in anything."
Ayden sighed. "Sorry. I couldn't just let him get away. Plus, Jenny's right there. I'm sure she'll take care of the rest."
A couple of squad cars pulled up in front of Jenny. Several officers got out and saluted and she nodded. "All right, you maggots! I want this man in the vehicle pronto! Get this crowd under control and get me those kids! I want them brought to my office immediately!"
Her subordinates saluted again and went to work. One of the officers approached her. "Ma'am! What do you need the kids for?"
She glared at him. "Don't ask me stupid questions! Just get those kids in the car and into my office now!"
"Right away, ma'am!"
Ayden and the others soon found themselves stopped and ushered into the squad car. The officer ignored their pleas for a reason and told them to get in.
As they traveled in the squad car, they kept asking the officers what they did, but were only met with either silence or commands to be quiet.
Nami gritted her teeth. "You can't just take us in for nothing! We have a right to know what we did!"
Mendy nodded. "She's right! We didn't do anything wrong! We only helped stop a thief!"
One of the officers turned to them. "For the last time, just be quiet. You can explain your story to Officer Jenny at the station. We received orders to take you kids in, and that's exactly what we're going to do. So, give it a rest."
Mendy sat back while the rest of the group wondered what it was Jenny needed them arrested for.
Piik charged her cheeks, but Ayden calmed her down. "Take it easy, Piik. Now's not the time."
They rode in silence until they arrived at the station. The officers escorted them through the building until they reached Jenny's office in the back. The officer knocked. "Ma'am! I've brought the kids just as you requested!"
"Then bring them inside, dumbass! What're you waiting for?"
The officer trembled and opened the door. The group entered a small room with a single desk and chair. The walls were decorated with pictures of Jenny's, each wearing a different style of uniform. They squeezed into the office and looked at Jenny as she gazed upon her wall. Confidence exuded from her being to the point of intimidation. "Good. Now, leave us alone. I want to speak to these kids myself."
The officer saluted and walked out the door. When she was sure he was gone, she spoke. "I suppose you're wondering why I brought all of you here today?"
Nami crossed her arms. "The thought did cross our minds. What's this all about?"
Jenny stood silent for a moment before turning around. The group took a step back in shock as her cold and cruel demeanor had been replaced with a blubbering mess. Her face cascaded with tears as she incessantly sniffed back snot. She got on her knees and bowed. "Please! I beg you! Help me!"
Mendy blinked in confusion. "What're you talking about? What're you doing?"
Jenny continued her bowing. "Please, there's this really big case I'm working on, but I need help solving it! Please, help me get to the bottom of it!"
Nami took a step forward. "What's with all this pleading? What happened to all that tough talk you had back there with your subordinates? I thought you were some kinda tough-ass or something."
Jenny looked up at her. "Haven't you ever heard of false bravado? It was all an act to keep up appearances!"
Jin adjusted his glasses. "Appearances?"
Jenny nodded. She stood up and cleaned up her face. "Here, let me explain. Around here, I'm hailed as the daughter of the greatest detective Celadon City has ever known. My mother, Police Chief Jenny, solved every case she took on, including the kidnapping case eight years ago. They were operating illegal casinos where the kidnapped girls were sold to the owner to entertain guests. She singlehandedly raided the kidnapper's hideout, defeated every one of them, arrested them all in a single night, and saved all the victims. She became a legend. Now, everyone is expecting me to follow in her footsteps and crack this case wide open in record time! There's just so much pressure! I don't know how much more I can take! That's why, when I saw you kids take down that thief, I knew I had to enlist your help as soon as possible!"
Nami stared at her with an unbelieving gaze. "How did you even hear about us? We've never been in Celadon before now."
Jenny waved it off. "Oh, please. My whole family has heard about you kids by now. From Pewter to Saffron, you're the meddling kids who've been helping us take out criminals. We've been talking about you for quite some time now. We're even considering recruiting you all into the force."
Jin crossed his arms and nodded. "You know, I have been thinking we may be in the wrong line of work. Four teens and a pokémon solving cases and helping the police bust criminals?" He shook his head. "Nah, that'll never work."
Jenny focused her attention back on them. "Anyway, this case I'm on is reminiscent of the one my mother solved. If I don't close it, I'll let her and the whole force down. So, that's why I'm asking for your help."
Nami stared at her in irritation. "You forced us into a car, dragged us here against our will, and now you're asking for our help?"
Jenny bowed again. "I know it was wrong to do that, and I'm very sorry, but I needed to speak to you all as soon as possible."
"And what makes you think we should help you out now? Whatever your issue is, you should solve it yourself!"
Mendy placed her hand on her shoulder. "Nami, take it easy."
Nami jerked her shoulder away. "No! This is her problem, not ours! You said it yourself! We shouldn't get involved in things that don't concern us! Why should we help her? What's in it for us?"
Ayden approached Jenny. "This case you said you're working on, you said it was reminiscent of the one your mother solved. Were you talking about the kidnapping case?"
Jenny nodded. "Yes. There's been a number of reported kidnappings across the city. The victims are all young girls ranging from their twenties, to as young as ten. The latest kidnapping is one of the Celadon gym trainers. And just like eight years ago, there have been no demands for ransoms on any of the victims."
Jin gasped. "That's why the gym was closed."
Jenny nodded. "Exactly. So, this works out for all of us. I want this case closed, and you want your gym battle. Help me solve this case, and we can get the gym opened back up that much sooner."
Nami crossed her arms. "So, in other words, you want us to do your job for you?"
Jenny shook her head. "I'd never ask kids to do my job. The thing is, from what I've heard, trouble seems to find you. You won't even have to do any hunting. If you happen to see something, all I ask is that you report it to me and my team. If you could draw out the criminals, that'd be a big help. And you'll also be greatly compensated for your contributions to the case."
Nami stomped her foot. "Forget it! We're not going to be your stupid little guinea pigs! We came here to relax and have fun! Not hunt down criminals!"
"Monetary rewards which I'm sure would help you on your journey. As well as-,"
Nami turned and headed for the door. "Forget it! We're done here!"
Jenny reached into her pockets and pulled out some slips. "Free all-you-can-eat coupons to Heaven Burger."
Nami froze. She couldn't believe what she said. She turned to see Jenny holding the coupons in her hand. "You have all-you-can-eat coupons for Heaven Burger? How'd the hell you get those?"
Jenny smiled. "I have a friend named Susan who owns the place. She's been trying to get me to take a break and have a meal there for a long while. I keep telling her I'm busy, but she's relentless. So, she gave me these coupons for whenever I had a break."
Nami put her hand to her chin. "Susan? Why does that sound familiar?"
Mendy snapped her fingers. "We met a Susan from Viridian City?"
Jenny nodded. "Oh yeah, you must've met her cousin."
Nami nodded. "Yeah, we met her all right. She was eccentric. A real piece of work to say the least."
Jenny held the coupons up. "So, do we have a deal?"
Nami eyed the coupons. She wanted to go to Heaven Burger for a long time. She didn't want anything sidetracking her from it. However, the coupons looked tempting.
The group left the police station and continued down the sidewalk.
Nami, fuming over what happened, clenched her fists in anger. "Dammit! I can't believe I let her sucker me into this! I'm sorry, Mendy, I know you were looking forward to just relaxing."
Mendy shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Plus, we don't actually have to do any real searching. We just need to report something if we run into it, right?"
Jin nodded. "Right! So, as long as we just keep a low profile, we should be good. So, what do you guys wanna do now?"
Mendy thought for a second. "I guess we can try another restaurant. What's the closest one?"
Before Jin checked his GPS, they heard an explosion followed by a scream. They looked around and saw smoke.
Nami furrowed her brow. "What do you think that was?"
Ayden stepped forward. "Don't know. Let's check it out."
They agreed and ran toward it.
Chester took a seat in his office. Damn! That was really close. I thought for sure Salerne would blow my head off for what happened to his suit. I have to make sure I get enough money for him. I'll need more workers though. A knock drew his attention. "What is it?"
Jacob walked in. "Sir, just wanted to let you know the conversion is complete. May I present to you, Lass Lisa of the Celadon City Gym! Get in here!"
He tugged on a leash and Lisa walked into the room, dressed as a maid. Her eyes were empty, and she moved as if she didn't have a will of her own.
Chester got out of his seat and looked her over. "Oh, yes, she's very nice. We'll definitely make a lot of money from her. Perfect as always, Jacob. You've certainly trained your Hypno well."
Jacob smiled. "You flatter me, sir. I'm just doing my job."
Chester smile. "Well, keep doing it and keep doing it well. The more money we make, the higher your raise will be. Now, take her to the others and get her ready for tomorrow. We have a lot of customers coming in."
The group, led by Ayden, arrived at the scene of the explosion and found one trainer crying over his fainted pokémon. Burn marks covered its body and blood trickled out of its mouth.
Jin flinched. "Oh, man. This can't be good."
The other trainer, a girl with long red hair, recalled her pokémon and placed the ball back on the belt. Before she walked away, she looked over her shoulder and spotted Ayden and the rest.
Nami furrowed her brow. "Dammit! Not this bitch again?"
Mendy shook as memories of their battle resurfaced. "No, not her. Why here of all places?"
The girl turned toward the group. "So, we meet again."
Ayden stepped forward. "I guess so, Raye."
*I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you again for taking the time to read my story and I hope you've been enjoying it up to this point! As usual, let me know your thoughts and any constructive criticisms you may have. I'm trying to write my own original story and would like to hear your thoughts on my current writing style and what ways I can improve upon it.
*Chapter 32 will be posted soon. I'm aiming for end of August, so we'll see how that works. So, look forward to the next chapter and I'll see you all next time!