Star in the Storm, Chapter 12

Roary- "Back to Pallet"

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Pounding loudly on the door, I called out again. "Professor K? It's me, Roary Ketchum. My friends and I…oomph!"

Falling flat on my face as the door opened under my fists, I looked up to find the facse of an irritated, chubby-looking Squirtle towering over my own.

"Whirt ire yir toin' here, Roiry?" the Squirtle asked me accusingly. "Wiren't yir with Shane?"

"Ripple! Boy, am I glad to see you!" I cried, jumping up and giving the Squirtle a great big hug. "Where's Prof. K? I need to speak with him right away!"

"Yir irnd whirt irmy?" Ripple demanded. "The Professir's viry busy, irnd he cirn't be distirbed."

"All of us need to speak with the Professor," Charm said, moving into view. Behind the Charmander, Pika, Fireball, Bryar, and Stray stepped towards the doorway.

"Whire dit all of yir cirme from?" Ripple gawked, falling backwards onto its shell. "Chirm? Pikir? Irnd Stray?"

"Everyone forgets good ole Bryar, don't they?" the Meganium said disgustedly. "Well, knives and cleaves can cut my leaves, but being ignored, that really tears me apart," it said in a dry voice. "I can practically feel my fronds withering away."

"You're Ripple?" Drake asked, bending down and offering a hand to Ripple's paw. "I'm Drake Flamefoe, temporary caretaker of Charicific Valley. We can help Professor Koreyu find his daughter, but we'll need use of his resources to do it."

"Ashkoir Flirmefoe's boy?" Ripple asked, scratching its head with a blunt claw. "Well, bless my shell, Pirllet Town hirsn't hert wort from irny Flirmefoes in sirch ir long time! Cirme in! Cirme in, all of yir!"

"So where is Professor Koreyu?" I asked impatiently as Ripple led us inside at last. There was a small episode as Stray got stuck in the doorframe, but we managed to fix it with a little bit of butter from the Lab refrigerator.

"The Professir's in the birk," Ripple explained, pointing to a long hallway and the closed door at its end. Running up on its stubby little legs, the Squirtle almost tripped over a small blue-and-yellow Pokémon on its way down the hall.

"Oops! Sorry, Chin-Whoop!" Ripple apologized, rushing past to knock politely on the door.

"What is you doing?" the little Hybrid asked curiously. "Why knock-knock Prof'sir door?"

There was a small pause before the door opened. "Ripple?" the Professor said, looking down confusedly at his Pokémon. Then, looking up at us--"I don't remember throwing any parties," he said with a wry face. Though his tone was light enough, I could already see lines of worry furrowing his brow. "Roary, weren't you with Shane?" he asked me, closing the door behind him. "And Charm? Pika? What are all of you doing here?"

I gulped, bracing myself, then rushed in without stopping once for breath. "Professor Koreyu, I didn't wanna believe it myself, but Shane's one of them. A member of Team Rocket, I mean. He and some other Team Rocket people tried to kidnap me and Lody, only they let me go and kept…kept…"

"It's okay, Roary," the Professor said with a sigh. "I know what happened to Lody. There wasn't anything you could have done to save her."

"But we can do something now!" I insisted. "Professor K., this is Drake Flamefoe. He's in charge of all the Charizard at Charicific Valley, and he'll get them looking for the Rocket HQ and Lody as soon as possible."

"That's right, Professor," Drake said, coming forward to shake the Professor's hand. "My Charizard friends are the fastest, the cleverest, and the most efficient in the world. They'll find your daughter, as soon as we give them several locations to search."

"The computer's up front," Professor Koreyu informed us, nodding. "We can narrow down the search locations from there. Is that what you had in mind, Drake?"

"Sounds good to me," the boy replied with a grin.

"Great. Ripple, you wouldn't mind getting the rest of our…guests settled, now would you?"

"Right on it!" Ripple affirmed, picking its way through the crowd and waddling down the hall. "Now, if yir'll jirst follow me. Cirme irlong thirs way, now."

I watched hopefully as the long line of Pokémon disappeared down the dark hallway, all save for Chin-Woop, who was looking curiously on. "There's still the question of what to do once we find out where Lody's being held," I brought up after a moment's pause.

"That's an easy one," the Professor replied. "Call the police and send them in to get her out of there. In the meantime, we'll do our best to keep Team Rocket at bay."

"But, Professor! If we send in the police, won't…won't someone get hurt?"

"Can't be helped," the Professor replied shortly. And with that, he swerved about on his heel and turned away. "Come on, Drake Flamefoe," he called, not looking back. "Let's see about those search locations of yours."

As the footsteps of Drake and the Professor faded down the other end of the hallway, I felt a gentle tugging at my ear.

"Pi, pichu? Pipi?" Picassy said, peering anxiously at my face.

"Oh, I don't know, Cass." Wringing my ponytail with one hand, I lifted Picassy off my shoulder with the other and hugged it tight. "Shane might be a member of Team Rocket, but he was…was a nice guy," I said softly, feeling my face go red. "Does he really deserve to get hurt, Cass?"

Picassy stuck a paw in its mouth and sucked. "Pichu, pi," it whimpered softly, digging its spare paw into my arm.

"Oh, Cass, I really hope it doesn't have to come to that," I told my Pichu sadly. "People shouldn't get hurt, but a lot of them are going to in the future, aren't they?"

"No hurt," Chin-Woop agreed readily from where it hovered in the air only a few feet away. "Hurt bad," it stated firmly, long ears waggling in the air.

"Pichu. Oo!" Nodding its head firmly, Picassy scampered back onto my shoulder and tweaked my ear playfully. "Chu! Chu!"

"Oh, Picassy, you're right!" I said, hugging it closer than ever. "What kind of way is that for me to think? Roary Ketchum's ready to reenter the ring! Let's go, shall we?"

"Pi…chu-oo-ooo," Picassy choked, squirming out of my suffocating grasp.

"Oops. Sorry, Cass," I grinned as the little Pichu made a face at me, then scurried down the hallway. Laughing away my apprehension, I followed.

"Ah!" Chin-Woop cried as we ran past. The rush of air had sent it spinning backwards and left it very dizzy.

We found Drake, Prof. K, and the Pokémon assembled around a large computer terminal in the back room. Squeezing my way in between Bryar and Stray, I gazed in perplexity at the screen before me. It was a map, minimized to show all of Kanto and the neighboring region, Johto, as well as the Orange Archipelago.

"Pichu?" Picassy asked, cocking its head back questioningly.

Drake pointed to a large, red ring that had appeared on the screen moments before. "There," he said decisively. "And here, and here."

"Lake of Rage, by Mahogany Town," Pika read as the text flashed onto the screen. "Goldenrod City. And a deserted island neighboring Cleopatra Island in the Orange Archipelago."

"Any one of these locations could host the Rocket HQ," Charm said, pointing to a whole array of red dots all over the map. "But those three are the top items on our list."

Professor K. shook his head. "Many of these places are pretty remote," he informed Drake worriedly. "A deserted island, even. Can your Charizard fly over an entire ocean?"

Beating a paw on its stomach, Stray roared loudly to clear its throat. Tail lashing violently, it sent the dead leaves from a nearby potted plant swirling into the air.

Charm translated as Stray began in rapid-fire Charicific. "The Charizard of Charicific Valley have been training all their lives for a challenge as great as this one," it said as Stray put a paw proudly to its chest. "And it is in the spirit of Charicific Valley to take on any test of skill that the world has to offer. The vastness of a mere ocean is nothing compared to the immensity of a Charizard's heart. Give us any challenge you wish, and we will surmount it or die trying!"

Stray raised its paws triumphantly into the air. Eyes shining in pride for its friend, Charm did the same.

"That Charizard has some serious poetic merit," Bryar said sarcastically.

"Personally," Pika grinned, "I prefer ketchup."

Drake gave the Professor a shrug. "I wouldn't try to stop these Charizard, sir," he said earnestly. "They can get pretty nasty when it comes to defending their honor. And to turn down any challenge, sir, is a serious infraction in their society."

"Then it's settled," the Professor said. "Drake, send out your Charizard ASAP. We can monitor their progress on the computer." Pressing a button, he nodded as several bright blue dots appeared on the map.

Grinning, Drake swung open the door and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Okay, guys!" he yelled into the sky. "You can come down now!"

With a combined roar, an enormous squadron of Charizard emerged from behind the clouds, diving straight for the Professor's front yard flowerbed. Bryar winced as countless geraniums and petunias were crushed under large Pokémon feet.

"I feel your pain," the Meganium murmured, touching a small, crumpled daffodil with the tip of its nose.

Strapping a tracker onto its neck, Stray did several warm-ups before heading back out the door. We watched as the mighty Charizard flexed its wings and took off into the sky. Like a single mass of wings and bodies, the remaining Charizard strapped on their trackers as well and launched themselves into the air.

I held my breath unknowingly as the flock of Pokémon dispersed into different directions, looking like the seeds of a dandelion in a strong breeze. Soon the Charizard were no more than tiny specks in the blue sky. Heaving a great sigh of relief, I started back inside. Everything was working out just fine. Lody would be found, and Team Rocket…Team Rocket would be duly defeated. I mean, it was only right for them to be punished, after kidnapping Lody and stealing all those poor little Eevee.

Sometimes you don't wanna hurt anyone, but sometimes, you don't really have any other choice. In this case, I knew we were doing the right thing.

"Roary?" a small, soft voice said. There was a faint pawing at my leg.

Looking down, I was surprised to see Amulet there. Her body was thin and weak, and there were dark hollows under her large, liquid eyes.

"What's up, Amulet?" I asked, bending down to put a hand on her back.

"I need to tell Lody's father something. Something…very important."

"I understand, Amulet." Helping Amulet to stand again, both of us walked side by side back into the lab. Drake and the other Pokémon were assembled in various positions around the room making small talk or, in Ripple's case, taking out their anxiety on an ample snack. Professor K., on the other hand, was hard at work. He didn't look up from the computer screen until I cleared my throat behind him.

"Professor? Amulet has something to say." I turned the Espeon. "Amulet?"

Struggling just to maintain her balance, Amulet looked up at Lody's father and whispered in a hoarse voice, "You know what happened to Lody. But do you know why it happened?"

Closing his eyes, the Professor nodded deeply. "Lody was taken," he said shortly, "To get at me."

Amulet nodded slowly, then shook her head. "No," she coughed, sending a tremor to rack her frail body. "There is…another reason. Team Rocket thought Lody had something that belonged to them. Something...something they could not risk falling into the hands of others."

"Amulet?" The Professor's voice had grown nearly as quiet as the Espeon's.

I gulped convulsively. And here I had been, thinking that all Amulet had wanted to do was keep her last promise to Lody: to tell Lody's father what had happened to her. "What are you sayin', Ami?" I asked slowly.

"Lody…Shane…" Amulet broke off, already short of breath and exhausted from the effort of talking.

"Shane?" I pressed. "What about Shane?"

"The night…before Lody left," Amulet started again. "She saw Shane and Gauntal…using the computer. Looking at some…strange files." The Espeon paused for breath before continuing. "I had come downstairs looking for Lody…and was watching…from the stairway."

Charm rushed forward with a bowl of water, which Amulet lapped at gratefully. "Lody was suspicious of Shane…Shane was suspicious of Lody…" the Espeon went on at last. "After Lody and Shane had fallen asleep, I…I went back downstairs on my own. I turned on the computer…and…and…"

"Go on, Amulet," I said, giving her paw an encouraging squeeze.

"I wanted to know what Shane…had been doing," Amulet finished, stopping for another sip of water. "I couldn't make any sense of it…so I…I made a copy of his files to look at later. Only…Shane…he found out I'd copied them…only…only, he thought Lody did it. He kidnapped her because…because he thought she had them with her."

The Professor stood up with a start. "Where is this copy now, Amulet?" he asked in a low voice.

Amulet started to her feet and disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a small dish in her mouth. "I had it hidden under my food bowl all this time," she said softly, laying it on the desk. "If only Shane had thought to look…or if I had, or if I had..."

Professor Koreyu took the small disk in his hands, examining it carefully. "They kidnapped my daughter for this?" he said, an edge of fury, but also one of curiosity, in his voice. Cautiously, he placed the disk on the edge of the desk before reaching over to turn on another computer.

"Don't you see?" Amulet said, tears welling up in her eyes. "They wouldn't have…taken Lody if I didn't…oh, Lody! It was me all along. It's all my fault!"

"It wasn't, Amulet," Charm said, patting the Espeon's back comfortingly. "We'll get Lody back now, don't worry."

"I…I should have said something before," Amulet cried, voice gaining back its strength and intensity with every word. "On the helicopter, I could've told Shane. I should've told him…right then and there. Only I was so scared they come here and destroy the house…hurt you and Lody anyway. Oh, why did I have to be so scared?" She broke down into silent, shaking sobs.

"Amulet, Amulet, it's okay, girl," Pika said, wiping the tears from the Espeon's face with its own paw. "No one blames you."

"I do!" she countered, shaking the tears angrily from her face. "I'm a horrible, useless Pokémon to do this to my trainer. Would you have done something like this to Ash, Pika? Or you to Kayley, Charm? If I had made myself more like you..."

"Amulet, please." Charm's voice was strained.

"Gauntal…even Gauntal would have never let Shane end up like Lody," Amulet choked out, sobs turning into hiccups. "Gauntal knows what a traitor I am, and so does Shane. Shane…I could feel Shane watching me when he told me to leave Lody by herself. He was testing me. And he saw the guilt on my face when I abandoned Lody, oh, and I bet he relished it."

"That can't be true, Amulet," Professor Koreyu said as he popped Amulet's disk into the drive.

"I know," the Espeon said sorrowfully, swiping at a stray tear. "It was selfish of me to say that. Shane's not the one to blame. I am."

"No, I mean it was completely impossible for Shane to be watching you at all."

"Why?" Amulet stifled her sniffles. "I don't understand."

Sighing heavily, the Professor put his hands on the arms of his chairs before turning to face Amulet. "Shane's been blind from birth," he stated matter-of-factly. "He needs Gauntal to act as a guide dog."

My jaw dropped all the way down to my knees. "You're kidding!"

"No, I am most certainly not. Despite my dubious reputation."

"Pi! Chu! Chu!" Picassy shrilled, jumping up and down on top of my head.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Cass?" Bryar asked, extending a vine whip to scoop the Pichu onto its back. "I think we just found the only way to stop Wonder Boy Rising."