Pokémon - The Final Journey in Fenyuu

Chapter 37: The Black Rocket Nightmare



Matt lay on his back on the neatly made bed in the Pokémon Center. He was rather upset that Rachel couldn't come with him, but in a way, he was glad, since that would leave less tension coming from Lizzie. He still couldn't understand how hard it was to believe that he had no true feelings with Rachel.

It was the truth, however. Matt admitted that she is a nice girl, however, since he thought he was now with Lizzie, he wouldn't try to flirt with her. He sighed. "I'm in a mess here," he whined.

"I would stay away from her if I were you," a stern, harsh voice muttered.

Matt sat up straight and stared at the figure standing in the window. "Arrmun! What do you think you're doing?! You scared the living crap out of me!"

"I'm sorry," Arrmun chuckled. "I didn't mean to disturb your train of thought."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Anyway, you should stay away from that girl; she could mean trouble."

"Who, Lizzie?"

"The girl who won first place. She is of danger to you."

Matt shook his head and shot an angry look at Arrmun. "Who do you think you are? Lizzie's no danger to me! She's one of the most trusting friends I could ever have; how could you say such a thing?!"

Arrmun turned his back. "If you will not accept the truth, then there is no point in my talking to you."

Matt's eyes widened, as the exact same phrase that was fired at Lizzie shot back at him. Now he knew how she felt, how hard it was to accept it. Matt stood up and walked towards him. "I'm sorry. I don't quite understand what you mean."

Arrmun turned around and looked at Matt straight in the eye. "She has been hiding a secret from you for so long. Something that could damage you."

"How would you know? You don't even know her."

"Oh, I don't?" Arrmun replied, almost in a mocking tone. "I suggest you take my advice into precaution," he stated, moving himself through the open window. "All I'm saying is, don't get too comfortable." After that, he dropped himself from it, and was gone.

Matt stuck his head out, and looked to see where Arrmun landed, however, to his surprise, he was not there. "Even though he's no longer with Team Rocket, he still freaks me out." He put his head back inside and threw himself on top of his bed. "He's usually very good with his information, but Lizzie...? He has to be wrong. Completely wrong. No, he IS wrong, no second decision there."

But he stopped to think for a minute. "What could she be hiding from me? We've shared our own interests, we've opened up to each other, we've had some of the best times travelling together. I don't understand what could be so damaging." Matt looked out the window. "Could he be possibly talking about...heartbreak?"

* * *

The next morning, Matt waited outside the Pokémon Center; he felt that he owed Lizzie an apology from the day before, and was thinking about how to say it so it would make it seem less like he had feelings for Rachel.

While waiting, he pulled out a manual explaining the rules of Fenyuu. "Badges, page seventeen. 'While there are twenty-eight different gyms, you only need six badges to compete in the League.' That doesn't seem too hard. Six out of twenty-eight?" He read on, and surprised himself. "'However, strict rules apply, each gym battle will endure with a one-on-one match ONLY. If the trainer should lose, he or she may never compete at that gym again.'. Never again?! Yikes." He quickly slammed the book shut as his heart began to race.

"Six out of twenty-eight...only one chance to battle. That only gives me about a twenty percent chance of winning at each one! This league really IS that hard!" He began to hyperventilate as he eventually coughed, restoring his normal breathing pattern. "I don't even know what I'm panicking about. I haven't even starting yet, and I'm going on like a Magikarp out of water."

Matt looked at his watch. "Lizzie's still not here. I should probably go back to speak with her."

He walked back inside, and was about to approach the stairs, when Lizzie slowly descended down them, her eyes being aimed on on the floor. Matt approached her.

"Hi."

"Yeah, hi," she replied.

"Look..." he took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know you think that it seems that I may have feelings for Rachel, and yesterday had to be misleading with the way I reacted to her...well, you know. And I have to be honest with you, I do not have feelings for her."

"Yeah..." She replied, walking by Matt.

Matt's face fell, as he frowned. Not once did her eyes meet his. He quickly caught up to her. "Hey, what's this about?"

"Nothing..." she replied, and quickly walked out of the Pokémon Center at a rapid walking speed.

Matt continued to follow. "No, I'm serious, what's wrong? Never before have you given me such a cold, eerie reply."

Lizzie finally stopped and looked straight at Matt. "No, it doesn't feel good, does it?"

Matt shook his head. "Coming out of you, something seriously must be wrong."

"Yes, something is wrong, and you know what it is. You don't like to be treated like this, yet you treat this way to others."

"What?! What are you talking about; I do not!"

"Whenever you get in foul moods you just become downright nasty. You show no compassion of any kind and you just walk away. Do you know how much that hurts?"

"What are you talking about? Yesterday's event? It was you who didn't want to listen to me."

"What WAS there to listen to, Matt? Huh? 'Oh, I have no feelings for her'; that's a pile of crap, you know that?!"

Matt suddenly became very angry. "What right do you have to say that it's a pile of crap? I just told you, I have no feelings for her!"

"And why did you say that? Hmm? It would have seemed more obvious if you said nothing at all!"

"What? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh, it doesn't?"

"Listen, what is wrong with you?! We're not even technically a couple, so why the fricking hell are you taking such offense to this?!"

Lizzie's face suddenly went blank. Matt continued to stare at her. "Oh, I've proven myself right. You really are cold. You don't even consider us a couple. I at least thought we were that."

Matt began to shake. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've gotten that far yet."

"What about that kiss?! That was from you! Remember that?!"

Matt slowly nodded. "Yes, yes, but--"

"It was only to get me to shut up, wasn't it?! All of it! You just didn't want me to talk about it or share any of my feelings for you, so you just went ahead and did what was at the top of your head to keep me quiet!"

Matt took a step forward and clapsed his hands on Lizzie's arms. "Now you KNOW that's not true!"

She broke free of her grip and took a few steps back. "I can't believe I actually had feelings for you, I'll never believe it, how I fell in love with such a jerk!"

Matt remained silent; nothing he said could stop Lizzie now. Suddenly, the turned around and ran. Matt knew that he couldn't just let her run away. He had to settle this now. She took a quick turn into a large, grassy area, that was far enough from the Pokémon Center.

"Lizzie! What is your reason for this behaviour?!" Matt yelled out, continuing to give chase. "Tell me!"

Lizzie finally stopped as Matt also stopped a short distance afterwards, with her back turned to him. "I was hoping on telling you in one way, but I never knew how to express it. It seems that this is the only way."

Matt took a few steps forward. He didn't want to think anything negative about her from this point. So many thoughts were running through his head; he just wanted to hear her side of the story. "What...?"

She turned around, with tears flooding her eyes. She pulled out a large whistle, and blew it, creating a sharp, piercing sound. Matt continued to stare at her, as with her right hand she took her left arm, and pulled up the sleeve of her right arm.

Matt's eyes widened, as he took a few steps back. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. A small, black engraved 'R' with a large, red circle bordering it. "No...no. Tell me this is a dream. Just wake me up."

Suddenly, Matt heard a rustle in the bushes. As he turned to glance, the only thing he could see was a large, round object aimed right towards his head, with no time to react.

* * *

Matt regained consciousness with a headache. He opened his eyes to see where he was. A cement floor, with a bed hanging off the wall. "A cell...I've been captured." He slowly rose to his knees, and instantly searched for the Pokémon on his belt, but they were not there. He also noticed his backpack was no longer on his shoulders. He climbed himself up to the bed and sat down.

"She betrayed me..." he muttered. "Lizzie...all this time." He suddenly buried his head in his hands and began sobbing quietly. "Why, Lizzie...? Why did you have to be a part of them...?" He began to think to himself. "It...it doesn't make sense. When we first met in Mount Moon, the tough training we went through together, how we escaped from Team Rocket." He eventually became silent. "Somebody wake me up from this nightmare."

He coughed a few times from sobbing so hard. "How did Arrmun know...? How would he know...?" He took in a deep breath and sat up straight in his bed, with mixed emotions and questions flowing through his brain. "I even gave her a gift. Oh DAMN it! I've been deceived the whole damn time!"

On the other side of the cell, he heard a rusty door swing open, with a figure in silhouette in front of him. It was a tall, built figure as he slowly made his way through the cell. "I've tried to warn you, but because of you, we've managed to find one of the hideouts to Black Rocket."

"Shut up, Arrmun. Just leave me alone, I don't want to see you or anyone else's face right now."

"I came here to rescue you, and this is how you talk to me?"

Matt shot an angry look at Arrmun. "You bastard, don't you understand?! She was a close friend of mine! We shared our best and worst times training together; we exchanged gifts and sentiments; damn it, I even opened up to her! And now she does THIS to me!"

"I understand that you are frustrated, but you must come with me. I have placed a detonator that will go off in about five minutes." He started to pick at the lock. "I thought I saw that girl from somewhere before; she was recently orphened."

"No, she has parents in Cerulean City."

"That was just an alibi. She was taken in by a mysterious man in black not even a few years ago. She was trained as a member of Team Rocket. This nameless man really liked how she was always determined to be at her best, so she was specifically trained to be a spy. However, just about a month before I met you, she vanished. Apparently she was supposed to be sent on a secret mission to spy on somebody."

Matt stood up, as Arrmun continued to work on the cell door. "Continue."

There was a loud click, as Arrmun pulled the cell door open. "I'll tell you later. Your Pokémon is on the back wall, and the emergency exit is upstairs. Come, quickly."

Matt nodded as he grabbed his backpack, and his Pokéballs which were sitting along on a shelf. He didn't know what to think; he just had to trust Arrmun. Lizzie is no longer anything to him, he doesn't know who to trust anymore. Ironically, it was Arrmun who he hated, and Lizzie who he had trusted. Now, the roles seem to be reversed.

After walking out of the dungeon, Arrmun and Matt found themselves outside, watching as many people dressed in complete black were being handcuffed, and placed into the backseats of police cars. Matt looked around. "Which one is Lizzie in?"

"She's not. I let her escape."

Matt continued to be silent, staring at the cars that drove away. He still didn't know how to feel, especially after what just happened to him. "I still don't understand; this happened way too fast. I don't believe for a second that Lizzie is behind this." Matt received no response. When he turned around, Arrmun was no longer there. After hearing a car motor fade in the distance, he stared at the road, with nothing left. He could only hear the wind brush through the leaves and the grass.

Matt started to hear chatter from the other side of the building. Wasn't there supposed to be a bomb that was supposed to explode a few minutes ago? he asked himself. He walked up to the road, and looked at where he could go. He saw a small building in the distance. "The Pokémon Center."

He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw blackness around him. Oh no, had he become delirious? He couldn't tell.

He could now see blackness. He could hear a muffled sound of birds chirping. Where am I now? he asked himself. His body felt unusually warm. He also felt quite comfortable. "I'm awake," he responded.

Matt sat up straight and looked around where he was. It was the room in which he slumbered the night before. Which means it's the same Pokémon Center that it was yesterday. He looked at the other empty bed, which had the sheets pulled back. "Lizzie's already up."

As Matt was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he questioned himself. What was that dream? I can't remember what happened, all I remember is that it was bad...horrific. I guess the way Lizzie reacted to Rachel's call really affected me in some way, that I had that nightmare. Whatever it was, I hope it won't happen again.

Matt walked back downstairs towards the front desk. He looked at all the couches and the chairs, but couldn't see Lizzie. He picked up his backpack and his Pokéballs, and equipped them.

"Hi!" a bright cheerful voice said, as Matt turned around.

"Hi, Lizzie," Matt responded.

"Hey, you don't look so well. Did you have a rough night?"

Hearing Lizzie's compassionate side comforted Matt. He still wasn't sure what occured in the dream, but he certainly felt a lot better now. "Yeah, I just had a rotten dream. I'm a lot better now; seeing you really makes my day," Matt smiled.

Lizzie blushed. "Well, I need to apologize about yesterday. I was eavesdropping when I shouldn't have, and I misunderstood completely. If you say that there's nothing between you and Rachel, then I believe you completely."

Matt smiled. "Thank you. Now, the first five gyms are in the Northeast. Shall we go challenge them?"

Lizzie nodded. "Yes, let's go."

The sun shone brightly, as both Matt and Lizzie left the Pokémon Center, side by side, as they began their new journey in the Fenyuu Pokémon League. The birds were chirping; there was a light breeze, nothing could top this moment. Not for Matt. He was going to make sure that nothing will spoil his mood, or his determination to fight. Nothing will stop him from winning. Nothing will keep him from being the best.

Along with Lizzie, Matt had all he needs to get started. Now he has left to take the first step.



TO BE CONTINUED.