PART TWO: AGE OF TURMOIL
~·~·~·~·~
Tonight on KNN: Scandal at the gates of Saffron?
Saffron City remains officially isolated as Team Rocket's occupation continues. Every entrance to the city is heavily guarded. Only special persons are permitted entry.
The guards, however, are subjected to miserable working conditions, as uncovered by a KNN investigative report. At the understaffed gates, guards must remain on duty for long hours with few breaks, little food, and almost nothing to drink.
Many guards have resorted to taking bribes in order to stay hydrated. Travelers who provide refreshments are granted permanent access into and out of Saffron in exchange. This scheme has become common knowledge in the greater Saffron area. As a result, the city's isolation is now compromised…
~·~
Start Time: 4d 1h 44m
~·~
"So we all agreed," I said, "that there is no need to go to Celadon Mansion and get an Eevee."
"Sounds right," said Dux.
"Then why are we inside Celadon Mansion, staring at an Eevee?"
"No idea."
We were inside Celadon Mansion, staring at an Eevee. Or, rather, a Poké Ball next to a "FREE EEVEE" sign. It was on a table, alongside several educational books. We were in a small classroom at the top floor; the walls were lined with chalkboards. Red paced around the table, clutching his head. The only other person present was a middle-aged man sitting at the table, reading a book, ignoring Red.
"Get Eevee," Red muttered. "Don't get Eevee. GET IT. WAIT FOR LAPRAS."
"This is foolish," said Pidgeot. "The prophesized Lapras awaits us in Saffron City. We must leave space for it."
"I don't know," said Jay. "Can we even get that far with just the five of us?"
"Certainly we can."
"Yeah," said Abby, "but the question is, can Red go that long without getting another Pokémon?"
"You guys are seriously questioning Bird Jesus?" said Dux. "After what he just did to Erika? C'mon. Lapras is the true prophet, Eevee is the false prophet. 'Nuff said!"
Abby rolled her eyes. "Dux, do you even know why we need Lapras?"
"Of course I do!"
We waited. Dux didn't elaborate.
Abby sighed. "We need Lapras for Surf," she said. "But Eevee could learn Surf, too, if it evolves into a Vaporeon. I mean, it's a one-in-three chance, but we've beaten those odds before."
"We have been cautious," said Pidgeot. "This would be our riskiest decision by far. Not only would we need to purchase the correct evolutionary stone, but we would then need to use it without accidentally tossing it. In the likely event that we fail, we will be forced to use the PC."
"Or the Day Care."
"I have seen the Day Care. It sits atop a ledge that, for Red, may be insurmountable."
"Well, there you go," said Dux. "That settles—"
"You're being so defeatist right now," Abby told Pidgeot, ignoring Dux. "Where's your sense of adventure? Yeah, bad things could happen, but in our team, that comes with the territory. Either way, a level 25 Eevee would be a big help, especially once it evolves."
"The Helix has guided us through many obstacles, but it will not protect us from self-sabotage."
"Yeah," Dux agreed. "Stop sabotaging yourself!"
"Drowzee, what do you think?" Jay asked. "You're the thinky guy."
I thought.
"Pidgeot has a good point," I conceded. "If we save space for Lapras, we never have to use the PC again. It's the safest choice."
"Exactly!" said Dux. "That's what I—"
"However," I continued, "the journey to obtain Lapras will be treacherous. Ghost-type Pokémon, in particular, may halt our progress. An Eeveelution could cover our weaknesses. Even if we fail to obtain Vaporeon, an electric-type like Jolteon would be invaluable. Furthermore, I'm not convinced that Red has the restraint to wait for Lapras. What if he finds a rare Pokémon, such as Hitmonlee? Would he simply pass it over? It's possible, but I doubt it."
"So you're pro-Eevee?" said Jay.
"No, I'm undecided. I really, really want to avoid using the PC again. Just once was enough for a lifetime of nightmares."
Red ran to the table, then ran away, then ran to the table—and so on. "Get it," he muttered. "EEVEE KILLS THE RUN. GET EEVEE. No just leave…" Each time he approached the Poké Ball, he grabbed for it, always just barely missing.
"It's hopeless," I said, feeling resigned. "If Red can do something, he will. We aren't leaving this room until…"
Red grabbed the Poké Ball.
[RED got EEVEE!]
"Hooray," Dux said, unenthused.
"I pray that this is not a fatal mistake," said Pidgeot.
"Yeesh, so grim," said Abby. "C'mon, let's meet our new friend."
Abby pressed the button on the Poké Ball. White light beamed out of it, materializing into a brown, furry, four-legged Pokémon with long, pointed ears, a wide tail, and a puffy white mane.
"H…hi," Eevee said, her voice soft and weak. She looked at us. We looked back. The tension was palpable. "Are you my… my new team?"
Abby forced a smile. "We're your ride to Indigo Plateau! Four badges down, four to go, and then we're off to the Pokémon League."
"Oh," Eevee said, relaxing a bit. "Well, your trainer certainly looks like a gentleman and a scholar. I can see how he defeated four Gym Leaders." She was looking at the middle-aged man reading in his chair.
Jay laughed. "That's not our trainer. That is."
Jay pointed to Red, who was presently rubbing his face against a chalkboard. "Up, down, down," he muttered. "A, up, start, b…"
Eevee's eyes widened. "Oh, dear! He's—he's having some type of episode! Perhaps a seizure, or—or a panic attack. We must alert a hospital at once!"
"Nah, that's just Red," said Abby.
"You'll get used to it," said Jay.
Red gnawed on his HM01 disc. Eevee watched, her eyes still wide. "He's… he's always like this?"
"Yep," said Jay. "Isn't it hilarious?"
Eevee wasn't laughing. Her ears were pointing straight up. "I don't understand. How could someone like this win four badges?"
"And what does that mean, huh?" Dux spat. "You think you can just—"
Pidgeot cleared his throat.
"Uh…" Dux said, withdrawing. "…I mean—because we're a damn good team, that's how. Name's Dux, by the way. Slayer of Trees. Good to have you with us."
"I understand how Red appears," said Pidgeot. "But he has tremendous potential. And his condition—his Twitch—may be the very thing our world needs right now."
Red was spinning around, rubbing the S.S. Ticket on his forehead. "EVOLVE EEVEE," he said. "RIP the run Eevee ruined it. Yay Eevee! WITH EEVEE WE LOSE MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP NOW."
"I… can't tell if he likes me or… hates me," said Eevee.
"A little of both," I said. "Red has many opinions—because he has many souls. Fifty thousand at the moment."
"What?" said Eevee, her eyes widening further.
Red ran out the door, onto the mansion's rooftop. We followed.
"C'mon," said Abby. "Let's go to the Department Store. We'll explain on the way."
~·~
The Celadon Department Store was a massive tower—the largest shopping center in all of Kanto. Its 4th floor sold "Wiseman Gifts"—including the Fire, Thunder, and Water Stones. As we climbed the stairs, we continued recounting our journey.
"…And that's why we need a Vaporeon," Abby finished.
"I see," said Eevee. I detected some disappointment. "Well, I am ready to evolve into whatever Red needs."
Finally, we reached the 4th floor. Red ran back and forth, knocking into several shelves. "So, what do you think?" Jay asked. "Cool story, right?"
"It was… an interesting tale," Eevee said carefully. "I didn't really understand every detail, but perhaps with time—"
"It's happening!" Dux announced.
Red was at the counter, giving his trainer card to the man behind it. On the counter were five piles: Poké Dolls, Fire Stones, Thunder Stones, Water Stones, and Leaf Stones. "Trainer Red, is it?" said the man, inserting Red's card into the register. "Looks like you have 8,591 Pokédollars in your account. What would you like? It's 1,000 for a doll, 2,100 for a stone."
I watched, nervous, as Red flailed his arms around. "Water Stone," I muttered. "Water Stone." I visualized Red reaching for the Water Stones. I tried as hard as I could to nudge him in the right direction.
"POKÉ DOLL!" Red exclaimed, holding up a Clefairy-like doll.
"That'll be 1,000 Pokédollars," said the cashier. "Anything else?"
Red flailed his arms. "Take your time," said the cashier, the anxiety now showing on his face. He wasn't trained for this.
"POKÉ DOLL, PLEASE!" Red exclaimed, grabbing another doll.
"This isn't good," I said. "He's wasting all his money on dolls."
"Relax," said Abby. "Red's got plenty of money. Enough for—"
"99 POKÉ DOLLS, PLEASE!" Red exclaimed, hugging the entire pile of Poké Dolls.
"Uh, I don't think you can afford that," said the cashier, wiping his sweaty brow. "Would you, uh, like to sell something?"
Red slammed the Helix Fossil on the counter. "USE HELIX!"
"I can't put a price on that!"
"HELIX IS PRICELESS! PRAISE HELIX!" Red then grabbed another Poké Doll.
"He's just grabbing whatever's closest to the register," I said, feeling despair set in. "That means Poké Dolls, followed by…"
"FIRE STONE!" Red exclaimed, grabbing a Fire Stone and putting it in his bag.
"Okay, the purchase went through," said the cashier. "Anything else?"
"NOOOOOO!" Red screamed in anguish, sinking to his knees.
"Take your time."
"Fire Stone?" said Dux. "But that's the worst one!"
"This is a disaster," I said. "Another fire-type is the last thing we need."
"Would it really be so bad?" Eevee asked.
We all looked at her. Her ears drooped. "I just mean…" she began, but her timid voice shrank away.
"We need a Vaporeon to surf the seas," said Pidgeot. "We have already explained this."
"Yes, but… If Red chooses…" Again, Eevee's voice faded. She stared at her feet. "To be honest, I've… always dreamed of becoming a Flareon."
"Really?" I said, surprised. "Why Flareon?" Of the three Eeveelutions, Flareon was generally the least desired among competitive battlers.
"Um…" Eevee began, her voice even quieter. "I know it's silly, but… I've always felt like—like there's a little spark inside me, waiting to become a flame. I—I don't know how else to describe it."
"So," said Abby, "uh, were you… rooting for a Fire Stone?"
"Rooting? I don't know. I… was willing to become whatever Red needs me to be. That is my duty. But if he chose Flareon, then…" She looked up. "I've always admired fire-types like you, Abby. You burn with so much passion, and—and confidence. I've always… wished I had that flame."
"I'm flattered, but, uh, you sort of just messed everything up."
"What?" Eevee said, worry filling her eyes.
"Trainers are subconsciously influenced by their Pokémon," Pidgeot said, holding back his irritation. "For Red, given his poor self-control, that influence is especially pronounced. It is likely that your desire for a Fire Stone influenced Red's purchase."
"But… but I planned to—to obey whatever decision Red made. I just—"
"Man," said Jay, "you still don't get how this works, huh?"
"Seriously!" said Dux.
Eevee looked around at our annoyed glares. Even the good-natured Jay looked disgruntled. Eevee recoiled. "I'm sorry," she said, almost too softly to hear.
Meanwhile, Red was running around the shelves. "EEVEE KILLED TEH URN! GAME OVER THANKS TO EEVEE THE FALSE PROPHET!"
"Perhaps…" Eevee began, finding her voice. "Perhaps if he tried again…"
"He'd just waste his money on Poké Dolls," I said. "And we can't afford that. To get into Saffron City, Red must bribe the guards. That means buying drinks."
"The damage has already been done," said Pidgeot. "Even if Red miraculously purchased a Water Stone, he may nonetheless use the Fire Stone instead."
"Or just toss both," said Jay.
"That Fire Stone is a ticking time bomb," Pidgeot continued. "As long as it is with us, it could sabotage us at any moment."
"Well, this is just great," Dux groaned. "Fan-frickin'-tastic. Remember, Dux warned you guys not to get an Eev…"
Pidgeot cleared his throat.
"…vening like this. Yeah, an evening where we're lost and confused and we don't know what to do."
"That's right," said Abby, her tail flame igniting. "We need some clarity. Our main goal right now is to buy drinks. Put everything else aside, and let's climb to the roof."
Red ran downstairs.
"Uh," said Abby. "We'll get there eventually."
~·~
We got there eventually.
"And it only took thirty minutes," Dux complained.
The Department Store roof was well-lit, even at night. Tables and chairs were strewn around, providing a place to sit and drink; vending machines near the stairs provided drinks. Red had somehow managed to insert his trainer card into a vending machine. He swung his arm, pushing a random button. A soda pop rolled out.
"Hooray!" said Jay. "We did the thing we were trying to do!"
"Great," said Dux, "now let's get the heck out of here."
"Red may toss the drink," said Pidgeot. "He'd best buy a backup, first."
Red ran around the roof, returned to the vending machines, inserted his trainer card, and bought a fresh water.
"Okay," said Dux, "we have our backup. Now—"
Red bought another fresh water.
"Okay, two backups. Now, let's go."
"Go where?" Abby asked. "We need a goal."
"Perhaps…" Eevee muttered. "Perhaps we can try to purchase a Water Stone now?"
"Not unless we toss the Fire Stone," said Pidgeot. "Having both would only confuse Red."
"Should we try to toss it now?" I asked.
"Nah," said Abby, "that sounds boring." She clenched her fist. "Personally, I'm just itching to kick some Rocket ass under the Game Corner."
"Not yet," said Pidgeot. "We must bribe the Saffron guards now, before the drinks are inevitably wasted."
"Alright," said Abby, "first Saffron City, then the Game Corner."
As Abby spoke, Red bought another fresh water.
"Or we could stay here and keep buying water," said Jay.
"The Day Care is just north of Saffron," I said, thinking out loud. "Perhaps we ought to pay it a visit."
"As I said before," said Pidgeot, "that won't work."
"We might as well try, though. Chances are, we will need to deposit someone sooner or later. If not in the Day Care, then in the PC."
The roof went silent, but for Red's ramblings.
"You guys," said Jay, "I know that I'm the weakest one here. If we do use the PC, then… I'll try to join Zipzap and give you guys a free space."
"This is premature," said Pidgeot. "We must avoid the PC until all other options have been exhausted."
Meanwhile, Red paced. "Buy Water Stone," he muttered. "USE PC. Flareon time. TOSS FIRE STONE. BRIBE SAFFRON GUARDS. Go to Game Corner."
And so on.
Having taken thirty minutes to reach the roof, we then spent thirty minutes on the roof. That whole time, Red walked around the tables, where a boy and his sister sat. We know she was his sister because he wouldn't stop talking about her. "My sister is a trainer, believe it or not," he told Red. "But she's so immature, she drives me nuts! I tried to take her through Mt. Moon, but she kept ordering her Sandshrew to dig out. Then she blamed Sandshrew, like it was his fault! And she has no idea how to use a computer. This one time…"
On and on he went.
"Does this guy ever shut up?" Dux said, on the verge of tearing his feathers out.
"Is this… a typical night for your team?" Eevee asked.
"Sorta," said Jay.
"No," I said. "I've never seen Red like this. Before, our objective has always been clear. Cut the tree. Cross the ledge. Etcetera. Now, however, the world of possibilities has opened up. The Mob disagrees, not only on how to progress, but on what progress entails. This disagreement has paralyzed Red." I paused, gathering my thoughts. "I hope this isn't the new normal. Our choices will only expand over time."
As I spoke, Red bought another fresh water.
"Well, look at the bright side," said Jay. "At least we'll have plenty of water."
~·~
In our 1.5 hours at the Department Store, we gained three Poké Dolls, one soda pop, four fresh waters—and one evil, cursed Fire Stone.
"Thank Helix we're outta there," Dux said, enjoying the breeze. "I never want to see that place again."
"Not even to get a Water Stone?" said Jay.
"I would not get your hopes up," said Pidgeot. "Red now associates that Department Store with pain and turmoil. He may never go inside again."
We walked east through Celadon, mostly in silence. Finally, we reached Route 7; grass replaced pavement, and moonlight replaced streetlamps.
"After we bribe the guards, what next?" Abby asked.
"Actually, I've been listening to the Mob," I said. "It seems like Red has a plan, but… it's so ludicrous, I was hesitant to say it."
"Now this ought to be good," Abby said, smirking.
"Well… you know how Mr. Fuji is being held hostage in Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower?"
"Yeah, duh. That's why we're after the Silph Scope—so we can get past the spirit guarding the tower and save Mr. Fuji."
"Well," I continued, "according to Red's plan, we don't need the Silph Scope. He wants to distract the spirit with a Poké Doll, and escape its wrath."
Everyone looked at me. "Is—is that possible?" Eevee asked.
"I honestly have no idea." I smiled. "But I'm eager to find out."
"Intriguing," said Pidgeot. "It may very well be possible. However, the question is whether Red can climb the Pokémon Tower without losing his Poké Dolls in the process."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," said Jay. "I mean, we've got three dolls, and…"
Red threw a Poké Doll at a wild Oddish.
"Uh. Like I said, we've got two dolls, and…"
Red threw another Poké Doll at another wild Oddish.
"Uh."
Red threw his last Poké Doll at a wild Pidgey.
"We got nothin'."
"Oh, well," said Abby. "It was a cool idea, though." She pointed eastward. "Alright—we're off to Saffron."
~·~
"So we all agreed," I said, "that there is no need to go to Lavender Town."
"Sounds right," said Dux.
"Then why are we in Lavender Town?"
"No idea."
We were in Lavender Town. In fact, we'd never entered Saffron City. Instead, for some bizarre reason, we'd walked under Saffron via the Underground Path. This took us to Route 8, just east of Saffron. So, of course, we walked further east to Lavender Town, because at this point, logic had given up and gone home.
"Red is not his usual self," said Pidgeot. "You sense it too, do you not, Drowzee?"
"I do," I said. "Quantitatively, the Mob is larger than ever. Even so, Red's Twitch—the flow of chaotic energy from his being—is weak. I used to believe the Mob's quantity, alone, determined the Twitch's strength. But perhaps it is like a river—no matter how hard it rains, a dam can block its flow."
Red certainly seemed dammed. "Use PC," he muttered, pacing. "Get Water Stone. SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR LAPRAS. More Poké Dolls." He took out the Helix Fossil and slammed his head on it. "USE HELIX!"
"Your metaphor is apt," Pidgeot told me. "If the Twitch is a river's flow, then the Helix is its shape, guiding it to the sea. However, when Red's mind is clogged with conflict, he will have trouble finding the correct path."
Red wandered north, toward the Rock Tunnel. A man stood just outside town. A trainer. The same trainer, it so happens, that we'd snuck by after leaving the Rock Tunnel. That was about twelve hours ago. It felt like twelve months.
This time, he saw us.
"Hi, kid," the man said, locking eyes with Red. "Want to see my Pokémon?"
We knew the drill. The Pokémaniac sent out Cubone; Red sent Jay. Within minutes, Jay fainted.
"I—I feel Red calling out to me!" Eevee said, panicked.
"Well, don't just stand there," said Abby. "Get battling!"
Eevee stepped forth, commencing her first battle as a member of our team. The sensation struck her—like being pulled every direction at once. She froze, frightened. Cubone saw his chance; he clubbed Eevee with his bone, knocking her over.
"Don't get discouraged," said Abby. "Battling with Red takes some getting used to."
Eevee got up. She kicked sand at Cubone; he rubbed his eyes, blinded. He swung his bone at her. Eevee dodged. She tackled him.
[Critical hit!]
We watched, impressed, as Cubone kept missing and Eevee kept hitting. Before long, Cubone was nearly fainted.
"Time for the final blow!" Abby said, switching with Eevee. Abby used Cut, and Cubone went down.
"You did well," Pidgeot told Eevee, smiling.
"Seriously!" said Dux. "That was kick-ass!"
Meanwhile, Abby engaged in battle with the Pokémaniac's Slowpoke.
"Thank you," Eevee said, sounding more shaken than excited. "Battling with Red—does it always feel like… that?"
"Oh yeah," said Jay.
"That's Red for ya," said Dux.
"Oh," said Eevee, sounding downcast. "So it never gets easier?"
"That depends," I said. "You never get used to the chaos, really. But you do learn to embrace it."
"Watch how Abby moves," said Pidgeot. Abby was currently demolishing Slowpoke. "She feels the same untamed energy you felt. She cannot tame it, nor can anyone. But, as Drowzee says, she has embraced it. Her connection with Red allows her to see the value of his unique gift."
"I see," said Eevee. But I didn't think she saw at all.
~·~
"Thanks, kid!" the guard said, opening the soda pop.
With difficulty, we'd managed to navigate Red westward, through Route 8. The Saffron gate was just a small building; a single guard sat behind the counter. Red had thrown his soda pop at this man (after throwing various other objects). Now he gulped down half the bottle.
"I'll share the rest with my friends," the guard said, closing the bottle. "Hey, uh, don't you worry 'bout these gates. I can put you on a list. Make sure you always get through."
"WE GOT THE GUARDS DRUNK!" said Red, stumbling toward the door.
The guard chuckled. "Good one," he said. "Oh, and, uh…" He looked around, as if someone else might be present. Then, just as Red reached the door, the guard whispered: "Praise Helix."
We followed Red out the door.
"Did he just…" Eevee said, eyes wide, hair standing on end. "Did…"
"Cool," said Dux. "Another fan."
"Word of the Helix continues to spread," said Pidgeot.
"But… but…" Eevee stuttered, looking like she'd seen a ghost. "But… how?"
"Red's Internet famous," Abby explained. "Lots of people find his journey inspiring."
"They do?" said Eevee. Currently, Red was banging his head on a fencepost.
I detected a lot of displeasure from Eevee. At least, I thought I did. The thing is, although I'm good at reading people, some people are easier to read than others. Some, like Dux and Jay, are like open books. Others, like Eevee, are like staticky radio signals. I couldn't tell what, exactly, Eevee was thinking at that moment. But she seemed to disapprove of what she had just heard.
Saffron City was just ahead. A mass of golden buildings, shining as bright as day. From a distance, it was glorious. Closer up, though, that glory became tainted.
Men in black Team Rocket uniforms patrolled the streets. They were everywhere. A dozen for every corner. The deeper into Saffron we walked, the more Rockets we saw.
"So, uh," said Jay, "where's Lapras?"
Abby snorted. "We're a long way off from that."
"If the rumors are true," said Pidgeot, "the man who owns Lapras works for Silph Co. He is likely locked in the Silph Co. headquarters with the other employees." The Silph Co. headquarters was hard to miss—it was a gigantic skyscraper at the center of Saffron. "In our current state, we cannot possibly rescue him. We must wait until we are stronger—and pray that Team Rocket becomes weaker."
A squad of Rockets passed us, grimacing at Red.
"This is insane," I said, appalled. "How could a criminal gang take over such a huge, prosperous city?"
"It's because so many good people are weak," Eevee said quietly. "They lack the courage to take decisive action."
This took me by surprise. Eevee hadn't stated such a firm opinion before. Now I wondered: what was hiding behind that shy exterior?
We meandered for a while. We passed the Saffron Gym, which Team Rocket had shut down. We also passed the former gym, the Dojo, which Team Rocket was ignoring for now.
"Are we actually going somewhere?" Dux asked. "Or just sight-seeing?"
"We seem to be heading toward Route 5," said Pidgeot. "There, I believe, Red will attempt to access the Day Care."
Pidgeot was right. Before long, Red passed through Saffron's northern gate, leading us to Route 5.
"Put Eevee in Day Care," Red muttered, walking up the road. "No give Jay Leno. GIVE EEVEE. JAY LENO."
"I'm fine with going to Day Care," said Jay. "It'd give me time to train."
"Yeah," said Dux, "but if Eevee goes, then the Fire Stone isn't a problem anymore."
"I'll accept whatever Red chooses for me," said Eevee.
The Day Care house was right in front of us. But it was also above us… on a ledge. A steep ledge. Red couldn't climb it. He had to go around. Unfortunately, the ledge was flanked by two long fences, one per side. They reached all the way to the edge of Cerulean City.
So Red walked uphill, following a dark dirt road to the northern end of Route 5. After some difficulty, he passed the fence, turned around, and walked downhill… into tall grass. Wild Pokémon attacked. Pidgeot fended them off.
Finally, the Day Care stood before us.
"Yes!" Abby cheered. "Now, we just have to make sure Red doesn't jump off the…"
Red jumped off the ledge.
"…Shit."
While Red screamed in frustration, I looked around. The Day Care's entrance faced the ledge, mere feet away from it. "Oh, crap," I said. "This is bad. Very, very bad."
"Well, yeah—it's a ledge," said Jay. "But we beat the Route 9 ledge, right? And that one was way longer."
"Length isn't the issue. Think about it. First, Red has to go downhill—a long way downhill. Then, at the very end of the hill, he has to suddenly stop going downhill, or else he'll fall off. Then he must turn right, walk twenty feet to the door, and turn right again to walk through the door—all without falling off the ledge. Route 9 never required this level of precision. Red has to negate all of his momentum in one swift motion."
"I take no pleasure in saying I told you so," said Pidgeot. "But I did, in fact, tell you so."
"You guys are being such negative Nancies," said Abby. "Let's keep trying and see what happens."
~·~
We kept trying. Not much happened.
Each attempt was aggravating. First, Red had to walk all the way uphill. Then he had to pass one fence—but not both, as he kept doing—and turn around. The trip downhill was rife with wild Pokémon. Past that was the Day Care—and the ledge, which Red would promptly jump off, bringing us back to where we started.
"Hey, guys," Jay said, chuckling, as we approached Cerulean City. "We need to beat Misty!"
"I thought you had already defeated Misty," said Eevee.
"Well… yeah… that's sort of the joke."
"Oh."
We stood silently. Red ran back and forth.
"I don't get it."
Silence.
"Come to think of it," said Abby, "there's a lot you still don't know about us. We gave you the short version, but we left out a lot of details."
So we told Eevee the details. It gave us something to talk about while Red tried, again and again, to reach the Day Care. Each attempt made us more certain that it wasn't possible.
"In retrospect," said Abby, "that whole ledge saga was pretty epic."
"It was?" said Eevee.
"Hell yeah," said Dux. "It was awesome!"
"But… you were stuck on that ledge for fourteen hours."
"Yep," said Jay. "Fun times."
"A normal trainer would have crossed it in a minute."
"Indeed," I said. "I know it sounds illogical, but I truly enjoyed our time on that ledge."
We struggled to get downhill, fending off wild Pokémon. Finally, we reached the Day Care—and Red jumped off the ledge. We all groaned, dreading the next attempt.
"I'm sorry," said Eevee, "but… I don't understand how this is fun."
We tried not to look at each other. No one dared say it, but Eevee had been kind of a bummer ever since she joined us.
~·~
Eevee was right, though. This wasn't fun.
And it wasn't productive. Red never even got close.
After two hours, Red gave up. He walked back to Saffron City. Once there, he wandered around aimlessly.
~·~
"Why are we in the Dojo?" I asked.
"No idea," said Dux.
We were in the Dojo. Red's aimless wandering had somehow brought him here. Around the wooden room, men in white karate robes were training. One of them locked eyes with Red.
"We are still distressed from today's failures," Pidgeot said, stepping forth. "Perhaps some battling will improve our moods."
So we battled. Pidgeot defeated the first Black Belt single-handedly. The second Black Belt sent out Machop; Abby fought and lost to it. Dux finished Machop off, but then fell to a Mankey. Pidgeot destroyed the rest of the Black Belt's Pokémon, and then did the same to the next Black Belt.
Our fourth challenger had a Machoke; Red sent Eevee to fight it. She fainted within seconds. I was disappointed. Sure, she had a type disadvantage; but I'd seen her potential earlier. And I sensed, now, that she wasn't using it. She wasn't even trying. Why not?
To be fair, I fainted to Machoke, too. But I did hurt it some, first.
"Your trainer seems to rely quite a lot on Pidgeot," Eevee said, watching Pidgeot and Machoke battle.
"Well, duh," said Dux. "He's Bird Jesus!"
"Pidgeot's amazing," said Abby. "Seriously, just watch him." We watched Pidgeot tear away at Machoke, dodging every attack. "He's a natural."
"Red and Pidgeot have a special connection," I said. "No matter how hard I try, I can never get the hang of battling with Red's Twitch. But when Pidgeot battles… it's like he becomes a part of Red. I don't know how he does it."
Machoke fainted. Red had defeated all of the Dojo's trainers—except one.
"You may have defeated my students," said the Karate Master, "but I am the leader here. Expect no mercy from—"
"GOTTA HEAL," Red shouted, exiting the Dojo.
~·~
Red healed us at Saffron City's Pokémon Center, then paced around inside.
"So," said Dux, "uh, did that improve our moods?"
No one answered. It hadn't, really. We still had the Fire Stone. We still had no free space for Lapras. And we still couldn't reach the Day Care.
Red meandered closer to the PC.
"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Dux muttered.
"No," I said firmly. "That would be moronic. Lapras is a long way off, and we have no idea what will happen in the meantime. We have no reason to use the PC now."
Red paced; the PC was right next to him.
"I don't know," said Jay. "Maybe we should just get it out of the way. So it's not, like, on our minds all the time."
"With Red, it's pointless to think so far ahead," I retorted. "We'll use the PC when we need to—not before."
"If we're not using the PC," said Abby, "then what's next? Another try at the Day Care?"
"Oh Helix, no!" said Dux. "That was torture!"
"We could try to get a Water Stone," I said. "Or we could fight Team Rocket beneath the Game Corner. Anything but the PC. It's too dangerous."
"It's not supposed to be dangerous," Eevee whispered.
We looked at her.
"…I just mean… it wasn't meant for… this," Eevee said, looking at her feet.
Red paced.
"What do you think, Bird Jesus?" Dux asked.
"You agree with me, right, Pidgeot?" I said.
I saw the resignation in Pidgeot's eyes. "Drowzee is right," he said. But his voice lacked conviction. He was tired of all this fighting. And he knew how it was going to end.
Red faced the PC.
"Idiot," I hissed. But I was powerless to stop him.
[RED turned on the PC.]
The room blurred away into a million shifting backgrounds. A giant black box appeared. There was something inside—something purple—but I couldn't see it very well.
I felt a tug.
I saw the black appendages wrapped around me.
Hundreds of dark tentacles sprouted from the black box. But they were much thicker this time—more like limbs than strings—and much livelier, too. I struggled to keep still as they pulled me in every direction.
"What is this?" Eevee said, looking around frightfully. "This isn't right."
"Hang on, Zipzap!" said Jay. "I'm coming!"
Jay jumped forward. A dark limb sprouted from the ground, grabbed him, and threw him back. "Ow!"
"Jay!" said Dux. He flapped toward Jay; another limb sprouted, grabbed Dux, and threw him back.
More limbs sprouted everywhere. I could barely see beyond them.
I felt them. They felt angry.
"What's going on?" I said, trying not to panic. "This isn't like last time."
"The Helix has abandoned us," said Pidgeot. "We have brought this upon ourselves, and now it cannot protect us from—NO!"
As Pidgeot spoke, several black appendages grabbed his wings. They pulled him toward the box.
"PIDGEOT!" Abby screamed. She ran, and came within inches of grabbing Pidgeot's feet before a dark tentacle slapped her away.
Pidgeot struggled in vain. He receded from view, hidden by a forest of wriggling black tentacles.
[PIDGEOT was stored in Box 1.]
"NO!" Abby screamed.
"Crap!" said Dux. "Crap, crap, crap! Not him! Anyone but him!"
Jay and I just gaped. It was too unbelievable for words.
"Someone is coming out," said Eevee. "Is that… Pidgeot?"
The tentacles were calming down. Behind them, I saw glimpses of the black box. That purple thing was getting larger.
"No," I said. "That's…"
[RATTATA is taken out. Got RATTATA.]
"Hey, guys!" Digrat said, running toward us. "Didja miss me?"
"Helix dammit, not this asshole again!" Dux groaned.
"Yeah, I missed you guys too," said Digrat. He put his arm around Eevee. "But now that I'm back, it'll be just like old times. Right, Eevee?"
"We've never met," said Eevee.
"Haha, yeah, I remember when you used to say that."
"Good to see you, Zipzap," Jay said, smiling.
"Pidgeot!" Abby shouted. She was facing the box, a look of vigorous determination on her face. "Can you hear me?"
"I can," said Pidgeot.
Now I saw him. The tentacles had mostly cleared away; the beast, whatever it was, had calmed down. The black box was fully visible now—and so was Pidgeot. His body was subtly pixelated. Something kept tugging him backwards; he struggled not to let it take him away.
"This situation couldn't be worse," I said. "As long as Pidgeot's in the PC, he's in grave danger… and Red will never log off until Pidgeot's withdrawn. But we can't withdraw him if we have a full party."
"Two of us need to get in there," said Jay. "C'mon, Zipzap!"
"But it's boring in there," Digrat complained.
"Eevee, come with me."
"Um…" Eevee said, stepping back.
"I'll go," said Digrat. "If you're with me, it won't be so bad."
"Alright," said Jay. He and Digrat ran forth; dark arms grabbed them and threw them back.
"Hey, what gives?" said Digrat. "It was easy last time."
More tentacles sprouted from the ground. The beast was angry.
Pidgeot gasped. He struggled harder. But it wasn't enough.
He receded.
"NO!" Abby screamed. Somehow, to my surprise, she tore away the dark appendages and ran forth, toward the box. Black tentacles attacker her; she ripped them apart with her claws.
"Abby!" said Jay. He, too, ran forth, miraculously escaping the beast's grasp.
"Wait up, Jay!" said Digrat. He tried to follow, but a tentacle slapped him away.
[JLVWNNOOOO was stored in Box 1.]
[ABBBBBBK( was stored in Box 1.]
Now three semi-pixelated figures were floating in the black void. Abby and Jay attacked whatever was pulling Pidgeot; Pidgeot stopped receding, and the three of them floated in place.
"Abby! Jay!" Pidgeot gasped. "What are you doing?"
"Saving you, dummy!" said Abby.
"We're the original three," said Jay. "We can't just leave each other behind."
Abby grabbed Jay's paw. Jay and Abby each grabbed one of Pidgeot's wings, forming a circle.
"C'mon," said Abby, "let's get out of here."
But despite their efforts, they kept receding—floating deeper into the darkness.
"Crap," Abby spat.
"This was a mistake," said Pidgeot. "You should have let me fend for myself."
"We weren't taking that risk!"
"I have no regrets," said Jay. "Whatever happens next, I'm glad I could join you guys."
Pidgeot gave Jay a heavy look. "Jay," he said, "I am sorry to place this burden on you, but we must save Abby—no matter what it takes. Red needs his Starter."
Jay and Abby looked at each other. An understanding passed between them. Then they looked back at Pidgeot.
"No," said Abby. "He needs you, Bird Jesus."
Then, with all their might, Abby and Jay pushed.
Pidgeot careened toward us. Abby and Jay drifted away, still holding hands.
"No!" Pidgeot shouted. "Abby! Jay!"
[PIDGEOT is taken out. Got PIDGEOT.]
Pidgeot tumbled onto the ground. "Bird Jesus!" Dux said, zipping to his side. "Are you okay?"
"Forget about me," Pidgeot said, standing up. "Abby! Jay! Hold on!"
But it was too late.
Their images were glitching. Pixels were disappearing at random.
[Once released, JLVWNNOOOO is gone forever. OK?]
"Jay, what's going on?" said Digrat. He tried to approach the box, but dark tentacles pushed him back. "Jay, I don't think it's safe in there. Come back to us."
Jay—flickering in and out of existence—gave Digrat an apologetic look. "Sorry, Zipzap."
Then his pixels burst in every direction, fading away like shooting stars. Blackness filled the space where, moments ago, Jay Leno had been.
[JLVWNNOOOO was released outside. Bye JLVWNNOOOO!]
"WHAT?" Dux screamed. "WHAT? NO! WHAT?"
I just gaped. I couldn't believe it. I tried not to believe it.
"Jay?" Digrat said, looking around. "Jay? Where'd you go?"
Pidgeot just stared at Abby's glitching, flickering form. "Please," he whispered. "Please… spare her…"
[Once released, ABBBBBBK( is gone forever. OK?]
"ABBY!" Dux shouted. "What the hell are you doing? Get out of there! NOW!"
Abby—what was left of her—looked at him. She smiled sadly. "Cut 'em all down for me, Dux."
Then her pixels burst outward and faded to nothing.
Only blackness remained.
[ABBBBBBK( was released outside. Bye ABBBBBBK(!]
Suddenly, we were back in the Pokémon Center. We stared at the computer screen. The blank computer screen.
There was nothing left in there.
"Abby K…" Red muttered. A tear rolled down his face. "Jay Leno… How… Why…" He crouched next to the computer; he put his head between his knees. "Abby K… Jay Leno…"
I stared at the blank screen, still in shock.
"Jay, where are you?" Digrat said, looking around. He pawed at Pidgeot. "Pidgeot, where's Jay?"
Pidgeot was standing still as a statue, his eyes closed. "Gone," he answered.
"Gone where? Where'd he go?"
For a moment, Pidgeot was silent. "It doesn't matter," he said. "We won't find him."
"But there's gotta be a way, right?" Dux said, desperation in his voice. "Some sort of cheat code, or, like, a glitch in the computer system. Probably something wacky that takes forever—it'll be like the ledge all over again."
Pidgeot shook his head.
"There has to be!" Dux insisted. "We've been through all sorts of crazy crap, but we always came out of it—together. As a team. We always…"
I held Dux's wing in my hand; he stopped talking. He looked at me.
"So they're really gone forever?" Dux said, his eyes wetting. "So all we can do is just stand here and accept that they're gone?"
I didn't answer. It was a rhetorical question.
"Jay, are you in there?" Digrat said, scratching the computer screen. "Come out, Jay! Jay, where are you?"
Then I looked behind me—and saw Eevee.
She was sitting still, watching, her face expressionless. But with some psychic effort, I detected a trace of emotion within her.
Happiness. She was glad.
I'll admit, I'm not proud of what I did next. I was overcome with grief. In retrospect, I was only looking for an outlet.
"You," I growled. I stomped over to Eevee, staring daggers; she cowered beneath me, standing at one-third my height. "Do you feel even the slightest bit guilty? Do you feel even the smallest hint of remorse? Without you, none of this would have happened."
"That's—that's not…" Eevee stuttered, her ears drooped behind her head.
"Drowzee, what's the deal?" Dux asked, stepping toward us. "That outburst came out of nowhere."
I pointed down at Eevee. "She was happy," I said, shaking with rage. "I felt it. She was glad to see them go."
"She what?" Dux said. He, too, looked down at Eevee with rage. "Did you want this to happen? Were you trying to get them released?"
"No," Eevee protested, shivering with fear. "I—I didn't mean…"
"After all the trouble you put us through," I said darkly, "I thought you'd feel at least a shred of guilt. You at least owed us that much."
"This is all your fault, you little punk!" Dux said, pointing his leek accusingly. "You think you can just waltz into our team, get us a Fire Stone, and then force our friends to—to go away forever? You really are a False Prophet!"
"I'm—I'm sorry," Eevee stuttered. "I didn't want—I…"
Meanwhile, Digrat scratched the computer. "Jay, where are you? Where's Jay? Pidgeot, where's—"
"Shut up," said Pidgeot. "Everyone, shut up."
Everyone shut up.
"Please. Just let me mourn."
Dux and I looked away, feeling somewhat ashamed of ourselves. Digrat looked forlornly at the computer. Red, sitting next to it, was sobbing.
I looked at Pidgeot, and saw a single tear fall to the floor.
"Abby," he whispered. "You… never grew your wings…"
~·~
End Time: 4d 8h 54m
~·~
Current team:
DUX, lv.18
• Farfetch'd (Normal/Flying)
• Cut, Sand-Attack, Leer, Fury Attack
···
DROWZEE, lv.17
• Drowzee (Psychic)
• Pound, Hypnosis, Disable, Confusion
···
EEVEE, lv.25
• Eevee (Normal)
• Tackle, Sand-Attack
···
RATTATA, lv.14
• Rattata (Normal)
• Thunderbolt, Body Slam, Quick Attack, Dig
···
PIDGEOT, lv.43
• Pidgeot (Normal/Flying)
• Gust, Sand-Attack, Quick Attack, Whirlwind