Chapter 6: Learning Moves of the Trade
As soon as Kevin was out of the city and beyond anyone's vision in the town, Kevin transformed back into his natural form. Well, that's a relief, Kevin sighed. I almost thought I saw someone looking at me peculiar.
I thought I saw two, Duo-Cevan commented, one in the Pokémon center and a window washer just outside.
Really? I saw only the window washer. Then again, that was before he pulled out his phone.
Kevin quickly removed his trainer disguise suit and proceeded down the path. Pulling out the Pokéball containing Chikorita, he opened it, saying, "Come forth, Chikorita!"
Chikorita came out with a flash. {You called?} she asked.
"Find me a branch or leaf disturbed by a Hoothoot," Kevin said. "You can probably pick up their scent faster than I can."
{Wow, you mean you want me to do that?} Chikorita asked with eagerness.
"Well, neither I nor Cevan know anything but facts on the Hoothoot itself," Kevin pointed out. "Now go find me something."
With that, Chikorita dashed off into the trees. I see what you meant for backup if Cevan couldn't handle it, Duo-Cevan commented.
Kevin was surprised. Duo-Cevan never said anything like this before. Duo-Cevan, are you actually saying that you couldn't read my thoughts? he asked.
Duo-Cevan laughed. Well… I'll explain it to you later, he stated.
Kevin was curious of what Duo-Cevan meant, but just then Chikorita came bounding up to him, holding a branch in her mouth. {Here's a branch that a Hoothoot was resting on,} she said, offering it to him. Kevin could notice distinct claw marks engraved in the bark.
Kevin took it from Chikorita. He first inspected it, then sniffed it so he could recognize the scent, which was rather strong for it remaining. He then looked down at Chikorita. "Where did you find this?" he asked.
{Off a tree,} Chikorita stated. {Regardless that it's clean, the Hoothoot left a strong scent from just the claws. I had to use a razor leaf or two to get it down, though.}
"Wait a second, are you saying you just cut off its perch?" Kevin asked in alarm.
{Well, it was the first thing I found.}
Make a memo: make instructions of what not to do clear, Duo-Cevan said to Kevin.
Kevin ignored Duo-Cevan. Instead, he and Chikorita both walked into the forest. He flipped open his Pokégear. "Let's see… Straight ahead," Kevin said, looking at the map.
The forest was much more of a puzzle then Kevin had thought. Some of the paths that were on the map weren't even existent in the forest. He soon gave up on the map. Must be outdated, Kevin thought.
So now where are we? Duo-Cevan asked Kevin.
Kevin looked around. "What the…?" He said in surprise. When he looked around, it was almost as if he didn't recognize this part of the forest. In fact, he thought it was almost shifting as he wandered.
Perhaps this is why we need the Hoothoot, Duo-Cevan commented. Maybe they allow us a way through.
But the Legends said that what we needed was their abilities… I don't know how abilities would help if we need the presence of a Hoothoot, Kevin said.
Well, maybe one of their moves are capable of keeping the forest in check, Duo-Cevan suggested.
"Chika!" Chikorita suddenly said to Kevin. She was looking at something around the trees.
Kevin spun around to look where Chikorita was also looking.
"Haaahh!!" yelled several voices behind him in what sounded like an angry shout. Dark shadows also jumped in from the front.
Kevin jumped into a battle stance. "What? Impossible!" Kevin said in alarm as he glanced around at the dark figures with an "R" on their chests. "How did Team Rogue find me already?"
All the members of the group laughed evilly.
Where do these guys hide out? We didn't even sense them coming! Duo-Cevan exclaimed.
For a moment, Kevin and the Rogue members did nothing. Why are we just standing here? They haven't even sent out their Pokémon! Kevin wondered.
Kevin, ever noticed something strange about them, other than how they're acting? Duo-Cevan asked.
Kevin tried to find something different about them. Looking at each one, Kevin realized that they all looked the same. Not only that, most of them could not be sensed.
It's… it's almost if they don't exist! Kevin realized.
You're right, Kevin, they don't exist, Duo-Cevan answered. I'm only sensing one danger signal. It's almost as if one person just used double team…
…and created multiple, fake images of himself! Kevin finished. But how is a Rogue member capable of performing Double Team?
They both thought for a moment. But about as soon as they were to act, a red beam suddenly shot through, illuminating Kevin. Kevin was surprised for a moment, but was even more surprised when the light shot through every Rogue image save for one. In the remainder's place, A Gengar was grinning humorously.
"What the… A Gengar?" Kevin asked out loud to no one. Without even looking back to the source of the light that came just moments ago, Kevin dashed at the ghost and did a fast Thunderpunch.
"Gengaaarr!" the ghost shouted in pain. It ran off into the woods from the shock.
That was fast, Duo-Cevan commented. We hardly hit it and it didn't even stay to battle.
"Well, I never excepted to see that you were real!" a voice, what sounded like an old woman, said behind Kevin. "I thought you were an illusion, so I had my Hoothoot try to dispel you."
Kevin turned around. Now that the person was in front of him, he could see who it was. A short, old woman, probably no taller than the height of Kevin's knee, stood a short distance from him. The woman, though her face was not something a glare could even paralyze, was still more welcoming to him than what had just happened a moment ago.
"Whoever you are, thanks for coming just then," Kevin said. "I was experiencing an illusion myself. I had no clue that the ghosts in this forest were capable of doing such."
"Well, most people who come through these woods experience that as well, right Hoothoot?" the lady said.
"Hoot-hoot!" the bird said. It switched feet as it responded to its owner.
"Wow, that movement was fast," Kevin commented to himself. Then, facing the old woman, he asked, "May I inquire as to what your name is?"
"The name is Hagatha," she answered. "But what are you, hmm? I've never seen your kind before." Hagatha seemed to be inspecting Kevin. "I don't think I've seen a Pokémon that's not a Scyther and almost looks like one."
"Do you have a home? We can talk there," Kevin concluded.
* * *
"…and that's why I'm here," Kevin said, explaining his story. He left out his story of meeting any of the three legends, and for good reason, too.
They were now at a small house within the forest that sat within a clearing. The clearing, though, could've fooled Kevin to be mistaken for a ruin, for small, stone pillars jutted out of the ground randomly. Hagatha was sitting on a bench outside of the home while Kevin leaned against a tree
The old woman took a drink that she had made from her cup. "And now you're this far? It's a good thing I ran across you. All of my other Hoothoot have been rented out to other trainers, and you may not have found your way through."
Kevin nodded. "What exactly are the ghosts capable of?" he asked.
"They are capable of performing illusions of hearing, sight, and even smell and touch," Hagatha explained. "However, the touch must be simulated by them from their own doing."
"What about the forest itself? Can they alter it?"
"They can, but to an extent," Hagatha replied. "Usually, they will make faces appear on the trees themselves, causing people to run off in a direction and get themselves lost. However, what they probably did to you was create an illusion of a false forest wall, making some of the paths appear to be nonexistent."
"So that's why my map seemed to be incorrect," Kevin thought. He shrugged. "I said it before, and I'll say it again… I never imagined that the ghosts here were capable of such things."
"Most people who enter this forest and know of them don't," Hagatha stated, taking another sip of her drink. "Some of the illusions they perform, however, are less intense than others. They determine the strength of their victims first by seeing how they react to their surroundings and what actions they use. Then they begin their actions."
"Speaking of which, since I'm trying to get through the forest, you don't mind if I use your Hoothoot for a minute, would you?" Kevin asked, motioning to the Hoothoot that sat beside Hagatha.
"Sure. You know, you're actually the first one to ask for this particular Hoothoot in which I didn't try to persuade you otherwise," she said. "Before you came, three kids borrowed this Hoothoot. I tried to warn them, but one of them was insisting that he did."
"What was wrong with this Hoothoot?" Kevin asked. "There must be a reason that you didn't let people borrow him before."
"There was something wrong with its Foresight skill. For some reason, its eyes never did what the others did by sending its light to dispel the illusions. Somehow, the boy who borrowed him previously managed to get Hoothoot to use it."
Kevin suddenly managed to raise an eye ridge at Hagatha, much like if he were to raise an eyebrow. "Did you just say 'boy?'" Kevin asked. "The boy's name wouldn't happen to be Ash Ketchum, would it? Or perhaps you could recognize him from the Pikachu that he has always out of its Pokéball?"
"I would never forget his name from how he helped my Hoothoot," Hagatha answered. "Of course I know who Ash is. That was him, all right. He was around here some time ago."
Kevin was about to say something, but suddenly he cringed. The melody had gotten louder. Not only that, but because of it, Duo-Cevan screamed in his head in frustration.
Duo-Cevan, calm down! Kevin said. We won't get anywhere with you yelling like that!
Even in Kevin's head, Duo-Cevan could be felt as if he were shaking. Okay, okay… I've calmed down. Sorry about that scream, but the intensity of the melody seemed to double within that last one and I was startled.
"What happened?" Hagatha asked Kevin.
"Oh, uhh… nothing," Kevin said, shaking his head. "It's just once in a while a noisemaker seems to go off in my head."
"Hmm…" Hagatha pondered. "Oh well. Hoothoot, help this fellow along his way."
"Hoot-hoot!" The Hoothoot replied. It hopped over to Kevin.
"You mentioned its move that fires off the light is Foresight, correct?" Kevin asked Hagatha. Hagatha nodded. Kevin immediately turned to Hoothoot. "Could you use a Foresight for me, please? At least for a length of 5 seconds."
"Hoot-hoot?" Hoothoot wondered. However, after being asked five times, Hoothoot finally used its ability and held it for ten seconds instead of five.
"Okay, I'm finished," Kevin said. "Sorry if I used you for just that, Hoothoot."
"What did you do, Kevin?" Hagatha asked, curious. "Why did you have Hoothoot use Foresight?"
Metronome, Duo-Cevan, Kevin said.
I gathered that already, Kevin, Duo-Cevan said back skeptically.
Suddenly, Kevin's eyes seemed to have a light turn on from inside of them. To Hagatha, it was almost as if the whites of Kevin's eyes turned a bright red, giving off a small light.
"Ahh, interesting," Hagatha said. "I didn't know you could learn moves just by studying them."
"It's actually my human side that learns the move," Kevin explained. "Once I learn the move, my Scyther-counterpart can use it by metronome."
"It almost sounds like you've explained that a lot," Hagatha commented.
"No… but I certainly will have to when the world knows me," Kevin said. "Don't tell anyone I've been here, though. I'm trying to keep myself hidden from certain people, even though I'm trying to pull myself out of hiding."
"Well, in your case, it looks like you might have a hard time doing that," Hagatha stated, looking at Kevin's form.
"Oh, I have my ways, but now's not the time to babble," Kevin said. He started walking toward the path away from Hagatha's home. "I really must be going. Thanks for your help once again."
"I wish you well on your travel, Kevin," she said as he left.
* * *
"Ahh."
Patrael looked at the Psychic. "What is it?" he asked.
"Oh, I just picked up Kevin's signal again," the Psychic said. "However, it's almost sheltered by the ghosts."
"Ghosts?" Patrael wondered.
"He's in the forest south of Violet City. However, his signal is being somewhat disrupted by ghosts," the Psychic replied. "But I can tell he's moving fast."
Patrael jumped. "How close is he to Violet?" he asked.
"Several feet."
Patrael quickly grabbed his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello," a female voice said, "this is the Violet City Pizza Palace. May I take your order?"
"I'd like a tomato slice pizza, without sauce or cheese, please," Patrael said.
"All right, please hold."
Patrael hung up. The Psychic looked at him. "Nice planning you've put in this," he commented. "You pretend to order, but it's actually a signal and your accomplice feigns feeling sick, heading to the restroom, and you hang up acting like someone who will not stand for holds."
A moment later, Patrael's phone rang. "And it works every time, too," he added. He answered the phone. "Mala, are you alone now?"
"The last time I checked, I was, Boss," she said. "What seems to be the case?"
"I'm in contact with the Psychic."
"And?" Mala asked.
Suddenly the Psychic pounded his fist on a desk he was sitting next to. "Dang!" he yelled. "Not again! I lost his signal once more!"
Patrael covered the mouthpiece of his phone. "Where did you last detect him?" he asked.
"Just south of the city."
Patrael quickly pulled his hand off the mouthpiece. "Mala, contact your scout group and tell them that Kevin is nearly inside the city. Remember the plan, however… we are to keep a low profile, both inside the city and out. This is until it is time for our plan to take effect."
"Roger that," Mala responded. She hung up.
Patrael closed his phone. "This secret operatives stuff is just difficult to do. We can't even steal Pokémon while we're doing it, too, or else people will notice."
"So why are you after Kevin?" The Psychic asked. "I'm sure that you have a reason for it. After his Scyther, I assume?"
"No, we are actually after Kevin himself," Patrael explained. "We are trying to capture him and turn him into a Pokémon of our own."
"How can you turn a human into a Pokémon? I'd like to see that," the Psychic wondered.
"Have you never heard of the legend of The Lost Trainer?"
The Psychic sighed. "No, I have not," he said lazily. "But what does this have to do with Kevin?"
"Kevin disappeared over nine years ago. However, it was unknown to any of us that he was still alive until three weeks ago, living in shadows as a hybrid," Patrael explained.
"Pardon?" the Psychic leaned toward Patrael. "Did you just say 'hybrid?'"