Author's Note: About the April Fools episode….I guess you could call it an April Fool's joke=P. My computer was sick so I never got around to it. Forgive me? ::makes puppydog eyes::
The Story of Silver Ketchum
Chapter 10-Stolen Soul Pt. 1
CERULEAN CITIZENS AND POKEMON TRAINERS ASK: WHERE IS CERULEAN GYM LEADER?
What a corny headline, thought Jacen. Can't a guy take a vacation without the paparazzi jumping down his throat? He sighed, and put down the copy of the Cerulean Sentinel. Where was she?
The elevator pinged, and Silver stepped out, smiling as though nothing were the matter. "Where were you?" Jacen asked. "We agreed on meeting five minutes ago!"
"Since when is five minutes late?" Silver retorted.
"Since now! We have to walk to the gym, and at this rate, there'll be a line halfway around the block to compete for Cascadebadges!"
"Who said anything about walking?"
"Wha—Silver, have you gone nuts or something?"
"Not by a long shot, bud. Guess who conned Nurse Jenn into letting us use the Center's motorbikes?" Silver grinned.
Ten minutes later, two motorbikes screeched to a halt in front of the Cerulean Gym. Silver, Jacen and Mew hopped off, eager to get inside. They were greeted by an angry crowd at the doors. Snatches of annoyed conversation could be heard.
"Where is he?"
"…outrageous, doors have been locked for over a month…"
"…calling my lawyer if something isn't done!"
Silver tapped a nearby boy on the shoulder. "Um, could you tell me why…"
"It's the gym leader, Tydail Searider! He hasn't been seen in over a month and everyone has to skip getting their Cascadebadges! No one can get in to battle him!"
Jacen looked depressed. "I guess that's what we'll have to do…"
Silver dragged him out of the way of the crowd. "No way am I going to skip this gym! I refuse to have come all this way for nothing! We are going to find a way into this gym or die trying!"
"Okay, now I'm sure you've gone nuts…"
"Jacen, think about it. Either we have to skip it and come all the way back here, probably missing the League competitions, or we just climb up on the roof and get in through an air duct or something."
"Oh, yeah, sure, and then we get caught and charged with breaking and entering!"
"Not if we have a good enough reason!"
"Silver! Let's just let it wait for a day or something. I bet there's a chance that those crowds will convince him to open up soon…and if not…and you find a really good reason to make me believe he's not coming out…"
"Okay, okay-what was that?!" Silver glanced around, searching for some discernible sound in the riot the crowd was making.
"What was what?"
"I could have sworn I heard someone crying…"
"It's probably nothing, just the wind or something…"
"No, it was a little kid. It came from over there." Silver jogged off around the side of the building.
"Silver! Wait, get back here! Silver!"
Jacen's eyes met a sight that would have made a professional wrestler go "Aww…how cute!" A tiny girl, probably no more than six and clothed in rags that had once been a pretty summer sundress, sat huddled against the side of the building, tears streaming silently down her face. Her hair was cobalt blue and pulled back in a ponytail. She sniffled and looked up at them.
"Hi…what's wrong?" Silver knelt down beside the tiny form.
"I can't find my daddy and I don't have anywhere else to go and I'm cold and hungry and tired and scared and Mari is sick."
"We'll help you. What's your name?"
"Skye Searider."
"Are…is your daddy the gym leader here?"
Skye nodded. "I went out a long time ago because he wouldn't talk to me and was acting really funny and I wanted to play with Mari outside and I couldn't get back in."
"Who's Mari?"
Skye pulled out a specially made blue Pokeball. The energy released turned into the form of a small blue and white Pokemon with large rabbit-like ears. Silver whipped out her Pokedex while it struggled to its feet.
"Ping! Mariru, or Raiblu, is the evolution of Marill, or Pikablu. This Pokemon loses most of its electric characteristics upon evolution to this form, and becomes predominantly a water Pokemon."
The Mariru, obviously Mari to Skye, let out a small whimper, and flopped to the ground. It certainly looked very weak.
"Oh, the poor thing." Silver's eyes glistened with emotion for the suffering Pokemon. "Will you come with us to the Pokemon Center so Nurse Jenn can make her better?"
"::sniffle:: 'Kay."
Later on, at the Center, Jacen and Silver discussed the situation while Skye, Mew, and now-perky Mari played with each other in the lobby.
"I think finding Skye's father is a good enough reason to get into the gym, don't you?" Silver said, smiling as Mew dangled upside-down from a magazine rack, making silly faces.
"Yeah. But we still have to figure out when we should do it, and how exactly we can get it."
"Easy. The place is a huge aquarium, so there must be some way for people to get in through the roof to clean it."
"Maybe."
"I'll wake you up when its time to go, then." Silver grinned.
9:30 at night. Skye was sleepy, but Silver persisted as she gathered a flashlight and equally sleepy Mew. Jacen, armed with another flashlight, joined them in the lobby as they snuck out the doors. They made their way to the gym quietly, and scaled a little-used maintenance ladder at the back of the building. It led to a small door in the domed roof. It was locked.
"Great. No what are we supposed to do?"
"Mew, see if you can shift it."
Mew glowed softly, and the lock clicked. The door swung open on well-oiled hinges.
The four walked in quickly and found themselves on a catwalk encircling the perimeter of the building. It did, indeed look over the aquarium tanks. The ceiling was low, posing no threat to Mew or Skye, but the taller two had to stoop. They made their way in silence halfway around the building, finally finding a stairway down to a sparsely lit hallway. A door at one end opened onto the main hallway, lined with fish tanks. The maintenance hall continued on the other side of the tanks, not visible from the other side.
Skye ran on ahead, in familiar territory now. She stopped at a door, punching a code into the keypad. The door opened silently.
"This is my room."
Silver and Jacen smiled at the little girl's priorities. Skye had already hopped onto her bed and was hugging a Dragonair stuffed animal. The room was shaped like a bubble, with smoothly sculpted walls. Everything was shades of soothing blue.
"I love your room, Skye! It's really pretty. Can you show us where your dad's room is?"
"Sure!" Skye ran out again, pausing to close the door behind her.
HAND CRAMP!
Sorry, guys, this one's gonna be a two-parter. It's just becoming too darn elaborate a plot. Good thing for the story, bad thing for author's wrists.
To Be Continued