Jason Creight awoke in his bed in Saffron City General Hospital.
And he wondered how he could have fallen asleep.
The sun glared through the window, and the clock informed Jason that it was nearing the time when he could be released from the hospital.
A nurse checking his condition turned to him and smiled. "Hey, there. I know you're eager to get out of here... just be patient. We'll get you out as soon as we can."
"I hope so," said Jason.
*It's Kelly's only chance now.*
Jason, not for the first time, wondered what Adam was doing, and how he had gotten ahold of that letter. *It might have shown up at the lab... but if that were true, wouldn't the assistants have put it in my mailbox, rather than give it to him? Hmm... it might have shown up in Adam's mailbox, but that somehow seems unlikely. And why would he open a letter of mine?*
But the envelope had never been sealed... the top flap was very much dry, and it was open when Adam had tossed it onto Jason's lap. The letter did have "Jason Creight" written across it, which made Jason wonder if it might have shown up in Adam's mailbox after all... *He might have seen it open, was curious or suspicious, read it... brought it here...*
*I really need to get out of here. Wish I could just use a Pokemon to teleport me out of here... but then again, if I did that, I'd have cops chasing me down while I'm trying to chase Daniel down, and I can't have that.*
Even with Kelly's life at stake, Jason knew he had to be careful.
Dr. Kendrick walked into the room, and he was carrying some papers in hand. Jason hoped they were discharge papers.
A moment later, his hopes soared. "Jason, in this pile are some papers I'll need you to sign to get you out of here."
"Then by all means, let me have them."
Kendrick handed Jason the discharge papers, then pulled up a chair. He wasn't finished. "I also have results from the sensor array."
Jason didn't want to slow, even if the news was bad. He grabbed a pen and started signing the papers. "Let's hear it."
Kendrick sighed. "It's not looking good, Jason. The information tells us that you're slowly regaining your legs' tactile senses, but not a high degree of mobility. If you go through with the bio-stim and physical therapy, chances are good that you could stand, but I couldn't give you a good number on your chances for walking normally."
Jason continued to sign the papers, but he was listening to everything Kendrick was saying. "Just give me the number."
"Fifteen percent."
Jason took a deep breath. He'd figured something like this might happen; he wouldn't cry over such abysmal chances. If he had to remain in a wheelchair, he would... if he could stand, even make the attempt to walk, he would do that, too.
But he couldn't do it now. His legs' muscles had atrophied over six years of disuse... his legs might break, if he even made it out of bed or his wheelchair without falling.
He would stay in his wheelchair for the duration.
Kendrick searched Jason's face. "You don't seem overly concerned."
"I prefer to take some things as they come. There's no use in making a big deal out of them. You told me that if the procedure didn't work, the only thing I'd have to lose was money. Well, I imagine this is going to cost me a pretty penny, but I've got money to last for a good long while, even after all this."
Kendrick paused. "We... could try repeating the procedure. Perhaps we missed something along the way."
"If I were you, I'd put more confidence in your comrades, human and Pokemon. I'm sure they did the best they could. Right now, I don't really want to worry about what they might or might not have done. The matter at hand is very important, and I have to take care of it immediately."
Kendrick nodded. Whether he actually understood or not, Jason didn't know.
Nor did he care.
***
Jason was released from the hospital at 1:03 P.M. with all of his belongings. He immediately released his Charizard from its capture ball, got on its back, and took off for the Orange Islands. As soon as he was in the air, Jason activated the phone on his PokeGear and called Adam.
"Jason, thank God. I was beginning to think I'd have to go in your place."
"No, no, Daniel would know better. Where are you?"
"Pallet Town. Looks like Kelly wasn't Daniel's only target. Professor Oak's gone."
Jason almost fell off Charizard. "What?!"
"Yeah. Once I told the lab assistants what had happened to Kelly, they realized that they hadn't seen Professor Oak all day. His room's door was locked, so they all assumed he was taking the day off, but when I told them... they went in and couldn't find anything. He just disappeared without a trace."
Jason sighed. "Not good."
"No. Think Daniel's got him, too?"
"Maybe, but I wouldn't be sure why. Daniel really has no use for Oak."
"Bait. That's what he's using Kelly for."
"I suppose. But it doesn't feel right. Having two hostages wouldn't make much more difference than just having one." Jason hit upon something. "Daniel once told me something about being on Giovanni's payroll... maybe *he* wanted Oak."
"Maybe." Adam didn't sound too optimistic about the theory. "You want me to come along?"
"No. I know Daniel... he's gonna want me to come alone."
"You do realize, don't you, that it's a trap?"
Jason sighed. "Yeah, I know. He's setting me up and I'm going straight in. But right now, I'm Kelly's only chance. I'll have to do things my way while I'm on Daniel's turf... it'll be messy and I'd just as soon not get you involved."
"You expect me to just sit around and wait?"
"No. I'll find out what happened to Oak, and you can go after him if he's closer to you."
"This really sucks."
"Don't I know it." Jason hung up.
*I've got a lot of work to do.*
***
Charizard sensed Jason's plight and flew as fast as possible toward the Orange Islands. In an hour, they'd made it past the Whirlpool Islands.
It was late evening when they finally came within sight of Tangelo Island. Jason urged Charizard to move faster, and it did so, even as tired as it had become from the extensive flight required of it. Jason appreciated the effort Charizard was going to.
They landed on the western beach, outside the populated region of the island. Jason recalled Charizard and sighed. "I'm home."
He made his way to the outskirts of civilization, and soon enough, his wheels were crossing the threshold. The "welcome wagon" girls greeted him warmly, though they obviously had no idea who he was.
Jason stuck to the sidewalks near the beach. He remembered walking these same paths in his youth, wondering to himself what expansive regions lay beyond the Orange Islands. He remembered sitting on the railing, dangling his feet over the edge, staring up at the sky, and thinking about a bright future.
*Yeah. Some bright future,* he thought now, staring up at that same sky. It was unfamiliar to him now, the stars in new positions and so much smaller to the eyes of a twenty-year-old.
*Once a boy. Now a man.*
Jason continued down the paved paths, knowing that a guy with a wheelchair making his way about the beach was inevitably going to attract attention.
Minutes seemed to stretch into hours as he moved past each booth, each kiosk, his hopes rising and falling like a roller coaster.
"Paging Mr. Creight, please report to the East Info Desk. Mr. Creight, please report to the East Info Desk to meet your party."
Jason listened to the message echo across the beach and across the sea. For a few moments, it held him immobile.
But only for a few moments. He bolted down the sidewalk, almost knocking over a couple of tourists in his haste.
He didn't know if the message was for him or for his brother... but he would find out, either way.
He found the East Info Desk in a matter of moments, and moved even faster toward it.
There was a man wearing a tan overcoat and light clothes underneath standing at the booth. He looked familiar to Jason somehow, but he couldn't place the face.
As Jason approached the booth, the man turned to the desk operator, smiled politely, and said, "Thanks, he's here now."
The man then turned to Jason and said, "Let's take a walk, shall we?"
Jason glared. "Why bother? You wanted to talk to me, so just skip the walking part."
The man shook his head. "Can't do that. We need to be on the move. Your brother has something you want, am I correct?" He started walking away.
Jason sighed and moved to catch up with him. "Since you seem to know about all this, let's just skip to the point. What does he want? And who are you?"
"He wants you, of course." The man scoffed, as if it were obvious. "He got tired of waiting around for you to come and settle whatever issue the two of you have. He's insane, but he's determined, I'll give him that.
"As to who I am, I should think you'd recognize me. After all, how could you forget your biased opponent, Travis Johnson?"
Jason's eyes became saucers. "You...?!"
Johnson chuckled. "Yes, indeed. But you have no need to worry about me and my prejudices... ever since you defeated me at the Indigo League and I fell out of favor with everyone, I've tried to be more accepting of handicapped people. I came to realize that I was being unfair. I didn't like it, but I accepted it. So, in effect, I've reformed my evil ways, and I still train. Which is more than can be said for you, last I heard."
Jason glared. "I don't have time for this. Tell me where Daniel is, and I'll be on my way."
"Sadly, my friend, I don't know where he is. What I do know is that he's issued you a challenge that will be extremely taxing on you... he believes it to be impossible to meet before his deadline. Emphasis on *dead.*"
"Spare me. What's the challenge?"
Johnson chuckled. "Very well. Each Orange League gym leader has been given a disk meant to be issued to you. Each disk has a section of encrypted code on it, and when completed and deciphered, the code will tell you exactly where your brother is. And, you hope, where your girlfriend is, as well."
"And why should I believe you when you say you don't know where they are?"
"I told you about the code. You can go to Mikan Island right now and defeat the gym leader there; she'll give you the disk. That should be all the proof you need to see that I'm telling you the truth."
Jason gaped. "I have to fight the Orange League?"
"That's why your brother thinks it'll be impossible. You'll have to travel and battle day and night. It'll be tough enough on you; imagine how hard it'll be on your Pokemon. But if you somehow managed to beat them all, you'll get the entire code. Then you'll have to fight Drake for the cipher."
"What?"
"Yeah. Code's unbreakable, even by the best tech experts. Drake has the cipher, and he'll give it to you if you beat him."
Jason ground his teeth. "And how, precisely, would you know about all this?"
Johnson shrugged. "Easy. I'm a human telegram from your brother. He paid me a good amount of money to tell you all this and keep a close eye on you. He's got other eyes on you, too, but mine are the closest pair."
"And if anything... unfortunate were to happen to you or your other 'eyes?' Or if I were to arrange for someone else to come here and do it for me?" Jason asked, a threat in his tone.
Johnson shrugged again. "Then your girlfriend will be long gone by the time you get to her."
Jason grunted. "And what of Professor Oak? You keep talking about how it's Kelly's life on the line... where has he gone during all this?"
Johnson smiled grimly. "I was just getting to that part. Your brother sent Oak to Giovanni in exchange for some of his most powerful Pokemon, as well as a handsome amount of money. But Daniel doesn't seem content with how Giovanni has treated him in the past, so he specifically told me to tell you that Oak is in Viridian City, in the bowels of the gym's basement. They've got a secret HQ for Team Rocket down there. They're pumping him for information.
"Anyway, by all means, send any friends of yours after him... Daniel doesn't care. All he wants is to double-cross Giovanni and take revenge on you. So nothing will happen to Oak in the near future, and nothing will happen to Kelly if Oak is rescued."
"Oh. Well, that's nice to know," Jason barked sarcastically. He activated the phone on his PokeGear and dialed Adam.
"Jason?"
"Yeah. Good news and bad news. Which one first?"
"Bad."
"I have to tough this out alone."
"Damn."
"Good news: Oak is in Viridian City Gym's basement. Nothing bad will happen to him. You can go get him; Daniel's 'allowing' it."
"That's a relief. Somewhat."
"Yeah. But the faster, the better. He's being interrogated; when you get there, erase their files."
"I'm on it."
Jason hit the "CALL" button to end the short conversation.
Johnson chuckled. "You have a lot of confidence in him."
"You'd better believe it." Jason glared up at his brother's messenger. "You're going to follow me around the islands, are you?"
"I have to. I'm being paid."
"Uh-huh." Jason continued to glare at Johnson for a moment... then, in a rapid movement, grabbed Johnson's coat lapels and shoved him against the railing along the left side of the sidewalk.
"Your eternal reward's coming soon, buddy," Jason growled.
Johnson smiled. "Remember... anything happens to me, I'll be sharing that reward with your girlfriend."
"In your dreams. Kelly's going up. You'll be going a lot lower than six feet."
"From what I've heard, it's a lot more interesting than the other place. Besides, haven't you ever heard the expression, 'Don't kill the messenger'?"
"At this point, I'm tempted to ignore it."
"By all means. Then I won't have any more worries. Neither will Kelly."
Jason kept Johnson against the railing. Johnson offered no resistance.
Finally, Jason released his nemesis and groaned in frustration.
Johnson grinned. "I'll see you on Mikan Island, then."
Jason pumped his wheels away from Johnson, away from the beach, away from this blasted place.
He called out Charizard, climbed atop it, and made for Mikan Island.
***
Adam hastily filled the numerous pockets of his overcoat with items he knew he might need. His capture ball belt already held his best Pokemon, with the exception of Eevee; Pidgeot was in its place, ready to fly to Viridian City.
His fiancée, Amanda, sat on his bed as he dropped money bags, each containing a sum of five thousand credits, into his pockets. "Are you sure you don't want me to come along? Two heads are better than one, Adam."
"I know," he responded. "But this'll be complicated enough as it is. What if we were to get caught?"
"Then we fight off whoever catches us."
"Sometimes brains are better than brawn. Stealth is the key, and it's harder to be stealthy when there are two of us."
"Still, you might need backup."
He sighed. "True enough." He thought about this for a few moments, then said, "All right. We'll figure it out along the way."
She smiled with relief. "Got another one of those coats? Looks useful for night movement."
"Sorry. But I do have some black sweats, if it's night stealth you're looking for." Adam grinned. "You'll feel great about your body once you're wearing *my* clothes."
Adam was actually glad that she'd been insistent about coming along. He imagined he might need her... just in case.
In ten minutes, they were gone.
***
Jason was sweating. Leaving the cold weather of Kanto was nice, but apparently the Islands were suffering a heat wave.
Being on a Charizard's back didn't help.
They'd landed on Mikan Island five minutes ago, and he was in the Pokemon Center. Jason had long ago memorized the customs of this league, and he knew what challenges were ahead of him. He remembered that it depended much more on his Pokemon's skills in areas other than battle, although battle attributes such as speed did factor heavily into it.
His upper left leg itched. He scratched absently at it...
...then realized what he'd just done.
*It itched. It actually itched.*
Another part of him said, *Don't be ridiculous. It was phantom limb... you've had it before.*
*Convenient, then, that the itch should stop when I scratch it.*
*It happens. Then it comes back, just you wait.*
Jason touched his leg again.
He sensed something.
If he hadn't been looking, he probably wouldn't have known what it was that was touching him.
But he was sensing something.
*Maybe... maybe I will walk again, after all...*
However, it was a guarantee he wasn't going to walk before he rescued Kelly.
And took care of Daniel.
He made his way to the teleporter and sent a query to Oak's lab. One of the assistants answered, and Jason soon had the Pokemon he would need for his bout with the first gym leader of the Orange League.
*Delving into this rather quickly. Find out I have to battle them an hour before I actually do it... but then again, I don't have to be a registered trainer. I'm a Pokemon master already... I'll prove it again if I have to.*
He left the Pokemon Center and made for the gym. As he wheeled past a close bunching of assorted foliage, a voice rang out from within the branches. "Remember, you're being watched."
Jason shook his head. He wasn't going to let Johnson rattle him, no matter how he was getting around or how closely he was watching. His task was to battle and win.
The gym had no doors. Its entrance was completely open to all who entered. Jason moved through the huge portal.
"Well, well. We have a rather eager trainer today, don't we?" a teasing female voice called out. A moment later, an attractive woman stepped into sight. Jason knew her name was Sissy, and he also knew that she was anything but.
She glanced at his wheelchair. "And determined, too. I applaud you for not letting a handicap get you down. That's impressive in itself."
Her eyes hardened. "But I must treat all Pokemon trainers equally."
"And what of Pokemon masters?" Jason asked. "You might as well tell me, since you're facing one right now."
A glint of admiration shone in her eye. "Ah, yes. The vaunted Jason Creight. From this area, originally, as I understand. A relation to Daniel Creight, I suppose?"
"A distant one," Jason lied.
She permitted herself a brief smile. "I'm glad. I've met him. I don't particularly care for him. However, he seemed to know you were coming... he gave me something to give you, should you defeat me in battle."
"Yes, I know."
"Care to tell me what it is?"
"A surprise. That's all I know."
"Hmm. I'd say you're in for one, anyway. Because you'll have a tough time competing in the Orange League, Pokemon master or not. Our rules are much more trying on trainers than rules you'll find in Kanto."
"I'm aware of that. But I'm here anyway. So let's get on with it."
"Impatient. That may be your downfall."
"Then battle me and find out."
"Show me a water Pokemon and we'll start."
Jason removed a Poke ball from his belt and tossed it, revealing his Gyarados.
"Looks formidable," she admitted. "But can it beat this?"
She tossed a ball that revealed a Seadra.
As if on cue, the gym's floor split into two parts and folded back on each side. On the east side of the gym, a slot opened up, and two long rows of soda cans popped up.
Gyarados and Seadra entered the water.
"This challenge is simple," said Sissy. "Use a water-based attack to knock over more cans than me. If you succeed, you win the challenge."
Jason nodded.
"Begin."
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump, between cans!"
"Seadra, Water Gun!"
Gyarados knocked over all of its cans in a matter of seconds.
And so did Seadra.
"Hmm. A draw. Very well, the second challenge!" Sissy called.
The east wall began to rise and fold across the ceiling in the manner of a garage door. When the wall was completely gone, Sissy said, "Okay, now you have flying disks as targets. The goal is the same; use a water- based attack."
Jason nodded again.
"Begin."
The disks flew.
Gyarados waited patiently for some, moved quickly for others... at one point, two disks were flying in the same direction, one just slightly higher than the other; Gyarados used its Hydro Pump to catch and break both of them.
Unfortunately, Seadra also hit every single one of its targets.
"Another draw. Well, this presents a bit of trouble... for you, anyway."
Jason sighed. "I know. The surfing challenge. Would you want me to try such a stunt, with this handicap?"
"No, and that's the problem."
"I've got a solution."
"By all means."
"We've fought for two round on your terms. Let's fight the final one on mine. One on one Pokemon battle, traditional style."
Sissy considered it, then nodded. "As long as it's in the gym."
"That was the plan."
"Then I agree. Seadra, return! Time to fight, Blastoise!"
The requisite neon bolt solidified into a much larger, shelled Pokemon that Jason knew all too well.
"Blastoise, Bite attack!"
"Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
Gyarados's blue fire did little to Blastoise as it rushed forth and clamped its large jaws over its enemy's body.
"Hydro Pump!"
"Mirror Coat!"
Blastoise's water cannons sprung from its shell as Gyarados erected the mystical barrier that would protect it from the attack, which would meanwhile be hurled back at the opponent. The concussive water blast bounced back without slowing and hit Blastoise head-on.
"Gyarados, Crunch!"
"Blastoise, Skull Bash!"
Blastoise withdrew into its shell as Gyarados's immense mouth closed over it and chomped down. Jason thought he heard something crack, and he didn't want to know what it was.
What he did know was that he had to sotp Blastoise before the Skull Bash could happen, and Gyarados was just slightly faster. "Gyarados, Hyper Beam attack!"
Gyarados released its hold on Blastoise just long enough to let red energy boil from its mouth and wash over its opponent.
Blastoise came out of its shell...
And it attacked with ferocity. It bashed its hard head against Gyarados's, and Gyarados roared in pain.
Jason was mad at himself with the desperate maneuver. Hyper Beam was great as a finishing move, but sometimes it didn't do the trick.
And now Gyarados had to wait another turn.
"Blastoise, another Skull Bash! Take it down!"
Blastoise again withdrew into its shell.
This was Jason's last chance.
"Gyarados, Mirror Coat!"
Gyarados again conjured a barrier to protect itself from Blastoise.
And now there was nothing Blastoise could do to stop itself.
It hit the barrier, and the attack energy rebounded entirely the instant it hit the shield.
Blastoise slumped back, sank to its knees, and fell to the ground.
It was down for the count.
Sissy fell to her knees as well. "Blastoise, return."
She was stone-faced as Jason approached her. She looked up at him, and he was amazed to find a tear trickling down her cheek. "Do you know why I became a gym leader here?"
"No."
"It was precisely because I was given an offer to become a gym leader in Kanto. I refused because I think battling the Pokemon against each other is barbaric. It's cruel that Pokemon should have to suffer so much because of what their masters think is best for them. It was my desire not to battle the Pokemon based on strength alone that brought me here. Here, I could devise my own way of doing battle... and yet, there I was just a minute ago, doing what I had never wanted to do."
She looked down. "I suppose you think that makes me weak."
Jason shook his head. "Never. And please believe me when I say I wish there was another way... I don't want to battle."
She looked back up, confused. "Then why...?"
He smiled sadly. "Right now, I don't have a choice."
Sissy got back to her feet, wiped her face, then pulled a money bag and a computer disk out of her pocket. "Your rewards for winning the match." Her voice cracked. "If you'll excuse me..."
She left the gym in a rush.
Jason could understand her desire for privacy. He sympathized.
In the money bag, there was not only a large sum of credits, but also a Pokemon badge. It was a shell, all of the Orange Legaue badges were. Jason recalled it as the Coral Eye Badge.
He put the items into his pocket and left the gym.
*One down, four to go.*
He called out Charizard, climbed onto its back, and instructed it to head for the next island.
Maybe this wouldn't be such a long road, after all.
Jason Creight soared on.
To Be Continued
And he wondered how he could have fallen asleep.
The sun glared through the window, and the clock informed Jason that it was nearing the time when he could be released from the hospital.
A nurse checking his condition turned to him and smiled. "Hey, there. I know you're eager to get out of here... just be patient. We'll get you out as soon as we can."
"I hope so," said Jason.
*It's Kelly's only chance now.*
Jason, not for the first time, wondered what Adam was doing, and how he had gotten ahold of that letter. *It might have shown up at the lab... but if that were true, wouldn't the assistants have put it in my mailbox, rather than give it to him? Hmm... it might have shown up in Adam's mailbox, but that somehow seems unlikely. And why would he open a letter of mine?*
But the envelope had never been sealed... the top flap was very much dry, and it was open when Adam had tossed it onto Jason's lap. The letter did have "Jason Creight" written across it, which made Jason wonder if it might have shown up in Adam's mailbox after all... *He might have seen it open, was curious or suspicious, read it... brought it here...*
*I really need to get out of here. Wish I could just use a Pokemon to teleport me out of here... but then again, if I did that, I'd have cops chasing me down while I'm trying to chase Daniel down, and I can't have that.*
Even with Kelly's life at stake, Jason knew he had to be careful.
Dr. Kendrick walked into the room, and he was carrying some papers in hand. Jason hoped they were discharge papers.
A moment later, his hopes soared. "Jason, in this pile are some papers I'll need you to sign to get you out of here."
"Then by all means, let me have them."
Kendrick handed Jason the discharge papers, then pulled up a chair. He wasn't finished. "I also have results from the sensor array."
Jason didn't want to slow, even if the news was bad. He grabbed a pen and started signing the papers. "Let's hear it."
Kendrick sighed. "It's not looking good, Jason. The information tells us that you're slowly regaining your legs' tactile senses, but not a high degree of mobility. If you go through with the bio-stim and physical therapy, chances are good that you could stand, but I couldn't give you a good number on your chances for walking normally."
Jason continued to sign the papers, but he was listening to everything Kendrick was saying. "Just give me the number."
"Fifteen percent."
Jason took a deep breath. He'd figured something like this might happen; he wouldn't cry over such abysmal chances. If he had to remain in a wheelchair, he would... if he could stand, even make the attempt to walk, he would do that, too.
But he couldn't do it now. His legs' muscles had atrophied over six years of disuse... his legs might break, if he even made it out of bed or his wheelchair without falling.
He would stay in his wheelchair for the duration.
Kendrick searched Jason's face. "You don't seem overly concerned."
"I prefer to take some things as they come. There's no use in making a big deal out of them. You told me that if the procedure didn't work, the only thing I'd have to lose was money. Well, I imagine this is going to cost me a pretty penny, but I've got money to last for a good long while, even after all this."
Kendrick paused. "We... could try repeating the procedure. Perhaps we missed something along the way."
"If I were you, I'd put more confidence in your comrades, human and Pokemon. I'm sure they did the best they could. Right now, I don't really want to worry about what they might or might not have done. The matter at hand is very important, and I have to take care of it immediately."
Kendrick nodded. Whether he actually understood or not, Jason didn't know.
Nor did he care.
***
Jason was released from the hospital at 1:03 P.M. with all of his belongings. He immediately released his Charizard from its capture ball, got on its back, and took off for the Orange Islands. As soon as he was in the air, Jason activated the phone on his PokeGear and called Adam.
"Jason, thank God. I was beginning to think I'd have to go in your place."
"No, no, Daniel would know better. Where are you?"
"Pallet Town. Looks like Kelly wasn't Daniel's only target. Professor Oak's gone."
Jason almost fell off Charizard. "What?!"
"Yeah. Once I told the lab assistants what had happened to Kelly, they realized that they hadn't seen Professor Oak all day. His room's door was locked, so they all assumed he was taking the day off, but when I told them... they went in and couldn't find anything. He just disappeared without a trace."
Jason sighed. "Not good."
"No. Think Daniel's got him, too?"
"Maybe, but I wouldn't be sure why. Daniel really has no use for Oak."
"Bait. That's what he's using Kelly for."
"I suppose. But it doesn't feel right. Having two hostages wouldn't make much more difference than just having one." Jason hit upon something. "Daniel once told me something about being on Giovanni's payroll... maybe *he* wanted Oak."
"Maybe." Adam didn't sound too optimistic about the theory. "You want me to come along?"
"No. I know Daniel... he's gonna want me to come alone."
"You do realize, don't you, that it's a trap?"
Jason sighed. "Yeah, I know. He's setting me up and I'm going straight in. But right now, I'm Kelly's only chance. I'll have to do things my way while I'm on Daniel's turf... it'll be messy and I'd just as soon not get you involved."
"You expect me to just sit around and wait?"
"No. I'll find out what happened to Oak, and you can go after him if he's closer to you."
"This really sucks."
"Don't I know it." Jason hung up.
*I've got a lot of work to do.*
***
Charizard sensed Jason's plight and flew as fast as possible toward the Orange Islands. In an hour, they'd made it past the Whirlpool Islands.
It was late evening when they finally came within sight of Tangelo Island. Jason urged Charizard to move faster, and it did so, even as tired as it had become from the extensive flight required of it. Jason appreciated the effort Charizard was going to.
They landed on the western beach, outside the populated region of the island. Jason recalled Charizard and sighed. "I'm home."
He made his way to the outskirts of civilization, and soon enough, his wheels were crossing the threshold. The "welcome wagon" girls greeted him warmly, though they obviously had no idea who he was.
Jason stuck to the sidewalks near the beach. He remembered walking these same paths in his youth, wondering to himself what expansive regions lay beyond the Orange Islands. He remembered sitting on the railing, dangling his feet over the edge, staring up at the sky, and thinking about a bright future.
*Yeah. Some bright future,* he thought now, staring up at that same sky. It was unfamiliar to him now, the stars in new positions and so much smaller to the eyes of a twenty-year-old.
*Once a boy. Now a man.*
Jason continued down the paved paths, knowing that a guy with a wheelchair making his way about the beach was inevitably going to attract attention.
Minutes seemed to stretch into hours as he moved past each booth, each kiosk, his hopes rising and falling like a roller coaster.
"Paging Mr. Creight, please report to the East Info Desk. Mr. Creight, please report to the East Info Desk to meet your party."
Jason listened to the message echo across the beach and across the sea. For a few moments, it held him immobile.
But only for a few moments. He bolted down the sidewalk, almost knocking over a couple of tourists in his haste.
He didn't know if the message was for him or for his brother... but he would find out, either way.
He found the East Info Desk in a matter of moments, and moved even faster toward it.
There was a man wearing a tan overcoat and light clothes underneath standing at the booth. He looked familiar to Jason somehow, but he couldn't place the face.
As Jason approached the booth, the man turned to the desk operator, smiled politely, and said, "Thanks, he's here now."
The man then turned to Jason and said, "Let's take a walk, shall we?"
Jason glared. "Why bother? You wanted to talk to me, so just skip the walking part."
The man shook his head. "Can't do that. We need to be on the move. Your brother has something you want, am I correct?" He started walking away.
Jason sighed and moved to catch up with him. "Since you seem to know about all this, let's just skip to the point. What does he want? And who are you?"
"He wants you, of course." The man scoffed, as if it were obvious. "He got tired of waiting around for you to come and settle whatever issue the two of you have. He's insane, but he's determined, I'll give him that.
"As to who I am, I should think you'd recognize me. After all, how could you forget your biased opponent, Travis Johnson?"
Jason's eyes became saucers. "You...?!"
Johnson chuckled. "Yes, indeed. But you have no need to worry about me and my prejudices... ever since you defeated me at the Indigo League and I fell out of favor with everyone, I've tried to be more accepting of handicapped people. I came to realize that I was being unfair. I didn't like it, but I accepted it. So, in effect, I've reformed my evil ways, and I still train. Which is more than can be said for you, last I heard."
Jason glared. "I don't have time for this. Tell me where Daniel is, and I'll be on my way."
"Sadly, my friend, I don't know where he is. What I do know is that he's issued you a challenge that will be extremely taxing on you... he believes it to be impossible to meet before his deadline. Emphasis on *dead.*"
"Spare me. What's the challenge?"
Johnson chuckled. "Very well. Each Orange League gym leader has been given a disk meant to be issued to you. Each disk has a section of encrypted code on it, and when completed and deciphered, the code will tell you exactly where your brother is. And, you hope, where your girlfriend is, as well."
"And why should I believe you when you say you don't know where they are?"
"I told you about the code. You can go to Mikan Island right now and defeat the gym leader there; she'll give you the disk. That should be all the proof you need to see that I'm telling you the truth."
Jason gaped. "I have to fight the Orange League?"
"That's why your brother thinks it'll be impossible. You'll have to travel and battle day and night. It'll be tough enough on you; imagine how hard it'll be on your Pokemon. But if you somehow managed to beat them all, you'll get the entire code. Then you'll have to fight Drake for the cipher."
"What?"
"Yeah. Code's unbreakable, even by the best tech experts. Drake has the cipher, and he'll give it to you if you beat him."
Jason ground his teeth. "And how, precisely, would you know about all this?"
Johnson shrugged. "Easy. I'm a human telegram from your brother. He paid me a good amount of money to tell you all this and keep a close eye on you. He's got other eyes on you, too, but mine are the closest pair."
"And if anything... unfortunate were to happen to you or your other 'eyes?' Or if I were to arrange for someone else to come here and do it for me?" Jason asked, a threat in his tone.
Johnson shrugged again. "Then your girlfriend will be long gone by the time you get to her."
Jason grunted. "And what of Professor Oak? You keep talking about how it's Kelly's life on the line... where has he gone during all this?"
Johnson smiled grimly. "I was just getting to that part. Your brother sent Oak to Giovanni in exchange for some of his most powerful Pokemon, as well as a handsome amount of money. But Daniel doesn't seem content with how Giovanni has treated him in the past, so he specifically told me to tell you that Oak is in Viridian City, in the bowels of the gym's basement. They've got a secret HQ for Team Rocket down there. They're pumping him for information.
"Anyway, by all means, send any friends of yours after him... Daniel doesn't care. All he wants is to double-cross Giovanni and take revenge on you. So nothing will happen to Oak in the near future, and nothing will happen to Kelly if Oak is rescued."
"Oh. Well, that's nice to know," Jason barked sarcastically. He activated the phone on his PokeGear and dialed Adam.
"Jason?"
"Yeah. Good news and bad news. Which one first?"
"Bad."
"I have to tough this out alone."
"Damn."
"Good news: Oak is in Viridian City Gym's basement. Nothing bad will happen to him. You can go get him; Daniel's 'allowing' it."
"That's a relief. Somewhat."
"Yeah. But the faster, the better. He's being interrogated; when you get there, erase their files."
"I'm on it."
Jason hit the "CALL" button to end the short conversation.
Johnson chuckled. "You have a lot of confidence in him."
"You'd better believe it." Jason glared up at his brother's messenger. "You're going to follow me around the islands, are you?"
"I have to. I'm being paid."
"Uh-huh." Jason continued to glare at Johnson for a moment... then, in a rapid movement, grabbed Johnson's coat lapels and shoved him against the railing along the left side of the sidewalk.
"Your eternal reward's coming soon, buddy," Jason growled.
Johnson smiled. "Remember... anything happens to me, I'll be sharing that reward with your girlfriend."
"In your dreams. Kelly's going up. You'll be going a lot lower than six feet."
"From what I've heard, it's a lot more interesting than the other place. Besides, haven't you ever heard the expression, 'Don't kill the messenger'?"
"At this point, I'm tempted to ignore it."
"By all means. Then I won't have any more worries. Neither will Kelly."
Jason kept Johnson against the railing. Johnson offered no resistance.
Finally, Jason released his nemesis and groaned in frustration.
Johnson grinned. "I'll see you on Mikan Island, then."
Jason pumped his wheels away from Johnson, away from the beach, away from this blasted place.
He called out Charizard, climbed atop it, and made for Mikan Island.
***
Adam hastily filled the numerous pockets of his overcoat with items he knew he might need. His capture ball belt already held his best Pokemon, with the exception of Eevee; Pidgeot was in its place, ready to fly to Viridian City.
His fiancée, Amanda, sat on his bed as he dropped money bags, each containing a sum of five thousand credits, into his pockets. "Are you sure you don't want me to come along? Two heads are better than one, Adam."
"I know," he responded. "But this'll be complicated enough as it is. What if we were to get caught?"
"Then we fight off whoever catches us."
"Sometimes brains are better than brawn. Stealth is the key, and it's harder to be stealthy when there are two of us."
"Still, you might need backup."
He sighed. "True enough." He thought about this for a few moments, then said, "All right. We'll figure it out along the way."
She smiled with relief. "Got another one of those coats? Looks useful for night movement."
"Sorry. But I do have some black sweats, if it's night stealth you're looking for." Adam grinned. "You'll feel great about your body once you're wearing *my* clothes."
Adam was actually glad that she'd been insistent about coming along. He imagined he might need her... just in case.
In ten minutes, they were gone.
***
Jason was sweating. Leaving the cold weather of Kanto was nice, but apparently the Islands were suffering a heat wave.
Being on a Charizard's back didn't help.
They'd landed on Mikan Island five minutes ago, and he was in the Pokemon Center. Jason had long ago memorized the customs of this league, and he knew what challenges were ahead of him. He remembered that it depended much more on his Pokemon's skills in areas other than battle, although battle attributes such as speed did factor heavily into it.
His upper left leg itched. He scratched absently at it...
...then realized what he'd just done.
*It itched. It actually itched.*
Another part of him said, *Don't be ridiculous. It was phantom limb... you've had it before.*
*Convenient, then, that the itch should stop when I scratch it.*
*It happens. Then it comes back, just you wait.*
Jason touched his leg again.
He sensed something.
If he hadn't been looking, he probably wouldn't have known what it was that was touching him.
But he was sensing something.
*Maybe... maybe I will walk again, after all...*
However, it was a guarantee he wasn't going to walk before he rescued Kelly.
And took care of Daniel.
He made his way to the teleporter and sent a query to Oak's lab. One of the assistants answered, and Jason soon had the Pokemon he would need for his bout with the first gym leader of the Orange League.
*Delving into this rather quickly. Find out I have to battle them an hour before I actually do it... but then again, I don't have to be a registered trainer. I'm a Pokemon master already... I'll prove it again if I have to.*
He left the Pokemon Center and made for the gym. As he wheeled past a close bunching of assorted foliage, a voice rang out from within the branches. "Remember, you're being watched."
Jason shook his head. He wasn't going to let Johnson rattle him, no matter how he was getting around or how closely he was watching. His task was to battle and win.
The gym had no doors. Its entrance was completely open to all who entered. Jason moved through the huge portal.
"Well, well. We have a rather eager trainer today, don't we?" a teasing female voice called out. A moment later, an attractive woman stepped into sight. Jason knew her name was Sissy, and he also knew that she was anything but.
She glanced at his wheelchair. "And determined, too. I applaud you for not letting a handicap get you down. That's impressive in itself."
Her eyes hardened. "But I must treat all Pokemon trainers equally."
"And what of Pokemon masters?" Jason asked. "You might as well tell me, since you're facing one right now."
A glint of admiration shone in her eye. "Ah, yes. The vaunted Jason Creight. From this area, originally, as I understand. A relation to Daniel Creight, I suppose?"
"A distant one," Jason lied.
She permitted herself a brief smile. "I'm glad. I've met him. I don't particularly care for him. However, he seemed to know you were coming... he gave me something to give you, should you defeat me in battle."
"Yes, I know."
"Care to tell me what it is?"
"A surprise. That's all I know."
"Hmm. I'd say you're in for one, anyway. Because you'll have a tough time competing in the Orange League, Pokemon master or not. Our rules are much more trying on trainers than rules you'll find in Kanto."
"I'm aware of that. But I'm here anyway. So let's get on with it."
"Impatient. That may be your downfall."
"Then battle me and find out."
"Show me a water Pokemon and we'll start."
Jason removed a Poke ball from his belt and tossed it, revealing his Gyarados.
"Looks formidable," she admitted. "But can it beat this?"
She tossed a ball that revealed a Seadra.
As if on cue, the gym's floor split into two parts and folded back on each side. On the east side of the gym, a slot opened up, and two long rows of soda cans popped up.
Gyarados and Seadra entered the water.
"This challenge is simple," said Sissy. "Use a water-based attack to knock over more cans than me. If you succeed, you win the challenge."
Jason nodded.
"Begin."
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump, between cans!"
"Seadra, Water Gun!"
Gyarados knocked over all of its cans in a matter of seconds.
And so did Seadra.
"Hmm. A draw. Very well, the second challenge!" Sissy called.
The east wall began to rise and fold across the ceiling in the manner of a garage door. When the wall was completely gone, Sissy said, "Okay, now you have flying disks as targets. The goal is the same; use a water- based attack."
Jason nodded again.
"Begin."
The disks flew.
Gyarados waited patiently for some, moved quickly for others... at one point, two disks were flying in the same direction, one just slightly higher than the other; Gyarados used its Hydro Pump to catch and break both of them.
Unfortunately, Seadra also hit every single one of its targets.
"Another draw. Well, this presents a bit of trouble... for you, anyway."
Jason sighed. "I know. The surfing challenge. Would you want me to try such a stunt, with this handicap?"
"No, and that's the problem."
"I've got a solution."
"By all means."
"We've fought for two round on your terms. Let's fight the final one on mine. One on one Pokemon battle, traditional style."
Sissy considered it, then nodded. "As long as it's in the gym."
"That was the plan."
"Then I agree. Seadra, return! Time to fight, Blastoise!"
The requisite neon bolt solidified into a much larger, shelled Pokemon that Jason knew all too well.
"Blastoise, Bite attack!"
"Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
Gyarados's blue fire did little to Blastoise as it rushed forth and clamped its large jaws over its enemy's body.
"Hydro Pump!"
"Mirror Coat!"
Blastoise's water cannons sprung from its shell as Gyarados erected the mystical barrier that would protect it from the attack, which would meanwhile be hurled back at the opponent. The concussive water blast bounced back without slowing and hit Blastoise head-on.
"Gyarados, Crunch!"
"Blastoise, Skull Bash!"
Blastoise withdrew into its shell as Gyarados's immense mouth closed over it and chomped down. Jason thought he heard something crack, and he didn't want to know what it was.
What he did know was that he had to sotp Blastoise before the Skull Bash could happen, and Gyarados was just slightly faster. "Gyarados, Hyper Beam attack!"
Gyarados released its hold on Blastoise just long enough to let red energy boil from its mouth and wash over its opponent.
Blastoise came out of its shell...
And it attacked with ferocity. It bashed its hard head against Gyarados's, and Gyarados roared in pain.
Jason was mad at himself with the desperate maneuver. Hyper Beam was great as a finishing move, but sometimes it didn't do the trick.
And now Gyarados had to wait another turn.
"Blastoise, another Skull Bash! Take it down!"
Blastoise again withdrew into its shell.
This was Jason's last chance.
"Gyarados, Mirror Coat!"
Gyarados again conjured a barrier to protect itself from Blastoise.
And now there was nothing Blastoise could do to stop itself.
It hit the barrier, and the attack energy rebounded entirely the instant it hit the shield.
Blastoise slumped back, sank to its knees, and fell to the ground.
It was down for the count.
Sissy fell to her knees as well. "Blastoise, return."
She was stone-faced as Jason approached her. She looked up at him, and he was amazed to find a tear trickling down her cheek. "Do you know why I became a gym leader here?"
"No."
"It was precisely because I was given an offer to become a gym leader in Kanto. I refused because I think battling the Pokemon against each other is barbaric. It's cruel that Pokemon should have to suffer so much because of what their masters think is best for them. It was my desire not to battle the Pokemon based on strength alone that brought me here. Here, I could devise my own way of doing battle... and yet, there I was just a minute ago, doing what I had never wanted to do."
She looked down. "I suppose you think that makes me weak."
Jason shook his head. "Never. And please believe me when I say I wish there was another way... I don't want to battle."
She looked back up, confused. "Then why...?"
He smiled sadly. "Right now, I don't have a choice."
Sissy got back to her feet, wiped her face, then pulled a money bag and a computer disk out of her pocket. "Your rewards for winning the match." Her voice cracked. "If you'll excuse me..."
She left the gym in a rush.
Jason could understand her desire for privacy. He sympathized.
In the money bag, there was not only a large sum of credits, but also a Pokemon badge. It was a shell, all of the Orange Legaue badges were. Jason recalled it as the Coral Eye Badge.
He put the items into his pocket and left the gym.
*One down, four to go.*
He called out Charizard, climbed onto its back, and instructed it to head for the next island.
Maybe this wouldn't be such a long road, after all.
Jason Creight soared on.
To Be Continued
