Ch 4
It was Brendan's turn to laugh as Seth angrily plunked down several bills onto the shop counter, stuck with buying a new bike after learning the one he had been using was left in the forest the night before. Rui sighed as she watched what she had considered her 'when she gets mad at Seth, he buys her a present' money vanish into the register.
"How is it that you can carry around your own bikes, but you can't take mine?" he snapped at the trainer.
"You were the one who grabbed the pre-capsule model. Those can't be shrunk to portable sizes." Brendan pointed out with a grin. Seth merely glared at him, then took the new bike out of the shop. Rui ran on ahead to find May as the two young men walked out side by side. "Well, look on the bright side, Seth man. At least you ain't broke!" he remarked brightly and suddenly saw bright stars, clouds, and trees as he landed on the ground. Seth walked on, a bit more cheerful as he flexed his hand and cracked a knuckle.
"No, but I think your head is." he mouthed to no one as he headed towards the Poké Mart.
Within a few minutes, the group was biking their way towards the forest, careful to keep the radio off in case the CD was found at the Radio Tower and played again by mistake. May glanced over at Brendan's bandaged chin several times, still curious as to what had happened.
"I tripped and fell on a Sandshrew." the trainer had grumbled but she didn't believe him.
The forest itself was cooler and darker than the one that they had cut through some few hours ago. As they sped through, making good time, a pair of eyes gauged their speed and distance. Moments later, a rock flew out of the darkness, hitting the target dead on. Rui screamed in pain and swerved, falling from her bike as rivers of crimson ran down her temple. Seth forced his bike to fall, then stumbled after her, throwing out the twins as he raced to her side.
"What was that? What happened?" May cried, coming to a halt with Brendan beside her. A figure stepped forward from the shadows, tossing a second rock up and down in one hand as Jupiter and Pluto growled angrily at it. Seth hugged Rui tightly, pressing a hand over the injury and glaring up at the attacker.
"I told you you'd regret not leaving, Mr. Creepy Eyes." Crystal remarked icily, a twisted smile on her face. "Poor baby, did I leave a nasty scar on your pretty girlfriend?"
"You..." the Snagger hissed and pulled away from Rui to dig for bandages in his pack, "Hang on, Rui. Don't cry. I'll get her back."
"That's what you think!" Crystal declared and glared pointedly at May and Brendan as they pulled forth their own Poké Balls, "You stay out of this! He's knocked out my Pikachu and Flareon, and that makes him Johto business! And I always finish up my Johto business!"
"You hold too many grudges, lady. First against your brother, then against the outside world, now against the one guy that can keep your Pokémon sane and yours!" May snapped, getting off of her bike and stepping in front of Seth, "Well, now you're Hoenn business and I tie up Hoenn business real fast."
Crystal looked at her as if she were nothing, shaking her head and chuckling. May ground her teeth and kept her ball out before her. Seth finished bandaging Rui's head and studied her eyes carefully, wiping away her tears.
"Can you see me? Focus, Rui. Tell me what you see." he told her firmly. She sniffled softly and gave him a dazed look, staring as if she could see through him. "Rui? Rui!"
"Your strip. It's not on your face." the girl finally murmured, bringing her eyes to focus on him. A relieved expression flashed across his face and he hugged her again, surprising the redhead.
"Thanks for telling me. Thanks for staying with me." he replied softly. Rui reached up and winced as she felt the bandage winding tightly around her head.
"What makes you think you can take me on? Weren't you paying attention back in New Bark Town?" Crystal snapped, "I'm number one among the top sixteen trainers of Johto!" May smiled and tossed the ball in her hand the way she had been tossing her rock.
"The fact that I'm the Hoenn League Champion tells me I know I can." she replied, "So stop hassling my friends and let's get this done with. We have a champion to find and gyms to save." Crystal winced and sighed, chucking the rock over her shoulder.
"Fine. But I'm still wrapping up my Johto business." she replied and threw out a Jolteon, "Pin Missile on both Eons!" Seth jerked his head to watch in shock as the storm of needles rained down on the twins, their cries of pain and surprise filling the air. "Bug-type attacks are super effective against both Psychic- and Dark-types! That should teach ya not to mess with me!" Crystal declared haughtily.
"Jupiter! Pluto!" the Snagger cried, torn between staying with Rui, who still sat put in a dazed state, and going to the sides of his Pokémon lying on the floor with a dozen little needles poking through their fur.
"That's it!" May shrieked and hurled out the Latias, "HeartSong! Psychic! Now!" The dragon raged cutely and blew the Jolteon into the forest with the attack. Crystal screeched and ducked as the Pokémon flew over her head. "Get out of here! Look what you've done! You better pray that I don't report you to League officials and get your Trainer's License revoked!" May snapped, waving her fist as the other trainer raced away into the forest. "Run away, you two-bit, half-wit loser!" Brendan stood in shock at what had happened, then jumped to help Seth with Rui.
"I'll keep an eye on her, you deal with your Pokémon." he told him and helped Rui stand, "Come on, stand up! We're almost to Azalea, we can get you a doctor then." Seth scrambled to the Eons and looked lost, gazing down at the bleeding puncture wounds. He pulled out a few needles and winced at each cry of pain the twins uttered.
"We have to take them to the center, fast." he announced thickly, swallowing hard as he shrank the bike and stuffed the capsule into his pocket. "They're bleeding too much. Help me!" Stripping off the Snag Machine and jacket, he used the trench-coat to wrap up the Espeon and protect it, then re-adorned the machine. May pulled a blanket from her pack and wrapped the Umbreon loosely.
"Get on HeartSong! We'll fly to Azalea!" she declared, then yelped in surprise as she was surrounded in a blue aura. The Latias's eyes glowed as the trainer was lifted off the ground and placed on her back. "Thanks, HeartSong! Now for the others!"
Brendan collected the other bikes and put them away, then blinked in shock as Seth held Jupiter to him. The Snagger looked half frantic, trying to hide as much emotion as he could but failing at it.
"Take Jupiter with you. I can't stand flying." he told him as Rui was lifted carefully onto the dragon, "I'll meet you in Azalea."
"You're going to run there? Are you nuts?" the trainer cried and yelled as he was also picked up by the psychic aura. May looked down at Seth in confusion.
"Trust me! I've been able to clock a pretty good speed on my own, especially when escaping what few victims of mine had shotguns on hand!" the Snagger called up as the dragon began to lift out of the forest.
"Hurry up!" Brendan yelled finally as HeartSong soared off. Seth watched it leave and began running out of the forest, hoping and wishing that his three closest friends would arrive safely in town and got the help they needed quickly.
The Latias made a grand entrance at the Pokémon Center, scattering startled trainers everywhere as May and Brendan were lifted from her back by the psychic energy again. They touched the ground and ran into the building.
"Help! We've got two injured Eons!" May cried, running up to the front desk, "They were hit really bad by Pin Missiles and they're bleeding everywhere!" The nurse hit an emergency call button and two pairs of Blisseys raced out of the double doors nearby with gurneys on hand.
"Put them there, I'll get right on it!" the nurse added, leaving an attendant at the counter as she rushed around to them. May and Brendan set the twins down and removed the blanket and coat, stepping back as the group raced off into the emergency room. Brendan held the jacket out and stared at the blood dripping from it onto the floor.
"There, now for Rui!" May went on and ran back outside. Her boyfriend started after her, still holding the jacket away from him as he ran.
The medical center took Rui in quickly and the trainers found themselves sitting in the waiting room while a friendly nurse picked up the bloody items and took them to be washed and cleaned. They watched people pass them by and waited for something to happen. May kept her eyes on the entrance to the center, hoping that the Snagger would run in at anytime.
"They sure are taking forever." Brendan muttered and got up, "I'm going out to check on his Pokémon. You want anything to eat?" May blinked and looked up at him. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale." he added in concern, lifting her face up by the chin.
"Um, yeah. Just that I've never seen that much blood come out of anything before." she replied with a weak smile, "I guess I'll have a sandwich if you can get one." Brendan kissed her on the forehead and winked at her.
"Got it. The little lady wants a sandwich, she'll get one! Be right back." he remarked brightly and headed for the door.
"What really happened to your chin?" she called after him.
"I tripped over a Geodude!" Brendan yelled back.
"I thought it was a Sandshrew!"
"It was hiding behind the Geodude! It's complicated!"
Brendan jogged out of the Pokémon Center an hour later, on his way to a diner when he ran into a familiar figure.
"Seth? Hey! Good to see you made it!" he cried to the Snagger, "I guess you didn't get lost after all!" Seth blinked at him in confusion, then smiled.
"Me? Get lost? Not in this lifetime. Where are the others?" he asked, walking with him to the diner. Brendan scratched his head and took a deep breath.
"Well, they're at the medical center down the street. Rui's been gone for quite some time. I just got back from checking on your Pokémon. They should be fully healed in another hour." he replied. Seth grinned wider.
"Good, good! I'm glad to hear that!" he replied and pat Brendan on the shoulder in a friendly manner, "Listen, I'm gonna check out a few things to be sure Samba grunts aren't going to jump us before we hit the Gym for a rescue. You keep Rui and the other one... what's her name again?"
"May." Brendan supplied, looking at him strangely.
"Yeah. Keep them out of sight until I contact you again. Things might get a bit dangerous when I do my thing." the Snagger finished and started to walk away, "I have a hunch that Team Samba might try to move in on Goldenrod City again to retake the tower! So get ready to move out there again when I call!"
"What about Silver? We were supposed to find clues about Silver here!" Brendan called out. Seth waved a hand as he kept moving.
"Yeah! Don't worry! I'll deal with her soon enough!" he replied and ended the conversation. Brendan cocked his head, then shrugged and entered the diner. A few moments later, he ran back out, scanning the area for him, but Seth was gone.
"He called Silver a 'her'. Silver's a boy. And he had his jacket on." he murmured and started running back to the medical center, "That wasn't Seth! That was Fein!"
Crystal stumbled out of the forest and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Azalea Town. Once she restored her team, she would start her search for Samba grunts again. They needed the experience and training to take on the Snagger's group once more and actually win against them this time.
"If they never find Silver, I'll actually have a chance at the championship. And no one will ever have to know that dirty little secret." she murmured as she walked to the center. She froze at the words that were hissed behind her.
"Is that why you wanted me out of Johto?" Seth growled, "And what secret are you hiding?" Crystal whirled around and glared at him, swallowing hard. "If any one of my friends comes out of this stupid ambush of yours dead, I will personally make sure the rest of your life is nothing but a hellish nightmare."
"You can't threaten me! I'll call the police!" she shot back. "Don't come near me! Help! Murderer!" Seth grabbed her arm and yanked her beside one of the many shops, hiding both of them in the darkness. "Heellllppp!"
"Shut up! I won't hesitate to break your neck and leave you here for dead if you don't tell me what I want to know!" he threatened darkly, ignoring her crying and shaking.
"Okay, okay! Just don't hurt me!" she begged, "I'm sorry for everything, okay?"
"Sorry isn't going to guarantee my friends live through this." Seth snapped, "Now, you were in Ilex Forest waiting for me, weren't you? How did you know we'd go through there?"
"I came through here yesterday. I was sure I'd beat you here and have lots of time to battle you again, so I started practicing on the Gym Trainers." she babbled, "But then the Gym got attacked and all these Samba grunts came running in and..." she stopped and suddenly slapped him across the face. "You led the attack, you lying piece of trash!" she screamed and started running from him. Startled by the blow, Seth lost a few seconds to her, but ran faster to catch up. She was still screaming and the sound was starting to annoying him.
"This better work." the Snagger growled and leaped forward, slamming both feet solidly into the ground. To his surprise, and a somewhat pleasant one, the ground rolled under him and the resulting earthquake knocked Crystal flat on her face. The delay was enough to allow him to run up and press a boot onto her back, pinning her down. "Okay, you little scumbag. Who you saw leading the attack was a guy posing as me. What I want to know is, did you see your brother there at the same time and what happened to him?"
"Fine! Be that way!" Crystal wailed, "Silver showed up while everybody was running around. I hid out and watched him fight the other you, but he was beaten by your stupid duo!" She rubbed at an eye and looked at the ground angrily. "He took Silver to the Slowpoke Well on the other side of town and that's where Bugsy is, too."
"Bugsy's the Gym Leader, right? And what's the dirty secret?" Seth pressed, applying a bit more pressure to her back. She squealed and wriggled beneath his boot.
"Yes! Yes, he is! I was gonna save them later and show the world that I was the better trainer!" Crystal confessed, "I thought that if Silver was saved by me, then the Johto League would give me the title of Champion! I should have been Champion the whole time, not my stupid... not Silver! As for the secret, ask him yourself!" Seth stepped back and looked towards the Pokémon Center. Crystal took the opportunity to get up and run off. The Snagger didn't care; he had two trainers to rescue.
"I'll see you in a bit, Rui." he whispered and ran towards the center, crossing his fingers that Jupiter and Pluto were healthy enough now to battle one more time.